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SSA Moves to X, Sparking Concerns Amidst Massive Layoffs

2025-04-11

SSA Moves to X, Sparking Concerns Amidst Massive Layoffs

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is shifting its public communication exclusively to X, abandoning press releases and internal memos. This comes amidst significant staff cuts, raising concerns about access to information for beneficiaries and employees. While the White House claims the move optimizes service delivery, sources reveal an approximately 87% reduction in regional office staff. This aligns with Elon Musk's efforts to downsize the federal workforce and highlights the role and potential risks of X as a primary information source.

(www.wired.com)

Tech Social Security Administration

Bluesky's Eternal September: Navigating New User Etiquette

2025-04-08

Bluesky's Eternal September: Navigating New User Etiquette

The influx of new users to platforms like Bluesky echoes the 'Eternal September' phenomenon of the early internet, frustrating longtime users accustomed to established online norms. The article explores strategies for navigating this, such as thoughtful replies, avoiding redundant jokes, and utilizing robust blocking features. Some users view blocking as a proactive measure to maintain a positive environment, while others emphasize empathy for newcomers unfamiliar with online culture. The article highlights the contrast between Bluesky's approach and the more abrasive environment of platforms like X (formerly Twitter).

(www.wired.com)

Tech online etiquette

New Mexico Bans 'Forever Chemicals' in Consumer Products

2025-04-08

New Mexico Bans 'Forever Chemicals' in Consumer Products

After discovering PFAS, or 'forever chemicals', in a furniture protectant, New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney spearheaded legislation banning added PFAS in consumer products. This makes New Mexico the third state to ban PFAS through legislation, reflecting a growing national concern over the health and environmental risks of these chemicals. The chemical and consumer products industries are fighting back, lobbying state legislatures and even suing to prevent the laws from taking effect.

(www.wired.com)

Tech chemicals

How Much Does the Internet Weigh?

2025-04-07

How Much Does the Internet Weigh?

The question of the internet's weight, seemingly absurd, has spurred scientific inquiry. Early estimates pegged it at roughly 50 grams, equivalent to a few strawberries. However, with the explosive growth of data, this figure is outdated. This article explores three calculation methods: server energy consumption, electron information transmission, and DNA storage density. The final calculation, based on the law of conservation of energy, reveals an incredibly small mass: 53 quadrillionths of a gram. Yet, regardless of its physical weight, the internet's impact on humanity remains immense.

(www.wired.com)

Tech data

Halley's Hollow Earth: A Beautiful Blunder

2025-04-04

Halley's Hollow Earth: A Beautiful Blunder

In the 17th century, astronomer Edmond Halley proposed a hollow Earth theory, suggesting three concentric spheres within our planet, each inhabited and held together by magnetism. While based on limited scientific knowledge and ultimately disproven, his theory ingeniously explained variations in the Earth's magnetic field. Although incorrect, Halley's meticulous geomagnetic data collection and insightful speculation about Earth's interior laid groundwork for future geological research, showcasing the spirit of bold hypothesis and experimentation in scientific inquiry.

(www.wired.com)

Tech geomagnetism

Indiana University Professor Under Investigation for Undisclosed Chinese Research Funding

2025-04-02

Indiana University Professor Under Investigation for Undisclosed Chinese Research Funding

Indiana University (IU) data privacy professor Xiaofeng Wang and his wife are under investigation for allegedly failing to disclose research funding received from China. The university began reviewing whether Wang received unreported funding months before the FBI raided two of the couple’s homes last week. A statement, purportedly written by a long-time collaborator, reveals IU contacted Wang in December about a 2017-2018 Chinese grant listing him as a researcher. The statement alleges IU was concerned Wang failed to properly disclose the funding to the university and in US federal grant applications. While Wang claims to have explained the situation, the investigation continues. The allegations involve research misconduct, including failure to properly disclose the principal investigator and not fully listing co-authors. Wang regularly collaborated with researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Information Engineering, but his publications show his primary funding came from US government agencies and corporations. No evidence currently suggests impropriety in the collaborations.

(www.wired.com)

Tech US-China research collaboration

Simulating a Worm: A Decade-Long Quest for Digital Life

2025-03-30

Simulating a Worm: A Decade-Long Quest for Digital Life

Amidst fierce Santa Ana winds, the author ran a worm simulation, part of the OpenWorm project aiming to create a digital twin of a nematode, accurate down to the molecule. The simulation, using 10 hours of compute time to generate a mere 5 seconds of worm movement, highlights the immense challenge of creating such a complex biological simulation. However, as Los Angeles wildfires raged, the author's simulated worm unexpectedly moved, prompting reflection on the relationship between life science and technology: Why dedicate 13 years to digitally recreating a microscopic worm?

(www.wired.com)

Tech Biological Simulation Technological Exploration

The Man Who Put the Queen on the Internet

2025-03-30

The Man Who Put the Queen on the Internet

Peter Kirstein, a pioneer of the internet, enabled Queen Elizabeth II to become one of the first heads of state to send an email in 1976. He not only set up her email account (username: HME2) but also played a crucial role in bringing the ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, to Great Britain. His efforts in connecting the UK to the ARPANET and promoting the adoption of TCP/IP protocols were pivotal in the development of the global internet. Kirstein's contributions have earned him a place in the Internet Hall of Fame alongside internet luminaries like Vint Cerf, Bob Kahn, and Tim Berners-Lee.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Survival Game: Strategy, Betrayal, and Survival

2025-03-29

Survival Game: Strategy, Betrayal, and Survival

The author participated in a survival game called CTG, where players survive by completing challenges and voting. To survive, the author learned from previous players' experiences: staying low-key and avoiding the spotlight. In the game, players displayed various roles: leaders, organizers, data nerds, and so on. By meticulously observing and recording, and actively participating in challenges, the author successfully avoided early elimination. However, on day three, a high-risk collective abstention strategy ended in failure, and suspicion and accusations quickly spread among the players.

(www.wired.com)

Game survival game

AI-Powered Romance Scam Costs Woman $300,000

2025-03-29

AI-Powered Romance Scam Costs Woman $300,000

Evelyn, a Los Angeles woman, lost $300,000 to a romance scam orchestrated through the Hinge dating app. The scammer, posing as "Bruce," lured her into a cryptocurrency investment scheme, ultimately stealing her life savings. This case highlights the growing use of AI in scams: AI writing tools make it easier to create convincing narratives, while deepfakes enhance credibility, making scams harder to detect. Evelyn's story serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of caution in online dating and the dangers of high-yield investment promises.

(www.wired.com)

AI AI Technology

DOGE's Risky Plan to Migrate SSA's COBOL Code Sparks Concerns

2025-03-28

DOGE's Risky Plan to Migrate SSA's COBOL Code Sparks Concerns

The core systems of the US Social Security Administration (SSA) still rely on outdated COBOL code. A group called DOGE is planning to migrate millions of lines of this code to a modern language within months, but this plan has sparked serious concerns. The migration process could result in system failures affecting millions of beneficiaries' payments. Experts warn of the extreme risk of system crashes, given the SSA's complex and fragile system, likened to a house of cards or a Jenga tower. DOGE plans to utilize AI to assist in code conversion, but testing and resolving all potential edge cases would take years, not months.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Signal Downloads Soar After Trump Admin Scandal

2025-03-27

Signal Downloads Soar After Trump Admin Scandal

The accidental inclusion of The Atlantic's editor in a Signal group chat used by Trump administration officials to plan a Yemen bombing, dubbed 'SignalGate', has led to a massive surge in downloads for the encrypted messaging app. The incident, which exposed secret plans and raised concerns about security protocols, caused Signal's US downloads to double their usual rate, marking the app's largest ever US growth spurt. This surpasses even the growth seen in 2021 when WhatsApp's privacy policy changes spurred a mass exodus to Signal. Sensor Tower data confirms a 105 percent increase in US downloads compared to the previous week, and a 150 percent increase compared to the average week in 2024.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

arXiv's 20-Year Odyssey: One Programmer's Reluctant Reign

2025-03-27

arXiv's 20-Year Odyssey: One Programmer's Reluctant Reign

Paul Ginsparg's arXiv preprint server, a cornerstone of scientific communication, has undergone a dramatic transformation over two decades. Initially a solo project, its growth led to management challenges, code maintenance nightmares, and friction with library staff. Despite attempts to relinquish control, Ginsparg remained deeply involved until the Simons Foundation's funding enabled a much-needed restructuring and modernization. This article details the story of a brilliant programmer's tenacious yet bittersweet journey, and the arduous evolution of an open-source platform.

(www.wired.com)

Development

Google's Gemini: Billions Invested, Profits Elusive

2025-03-26

Google's Gemini: Billions Invested, Profits Elusive

Google's ambitious Gemini AI application, aiming for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), faces a significant challenge: profitability. Its downloads lag far behind OpenAI's ChatGPT, and the massive R&D costs and energy consumption of generative AI remain hurdles. Google is attempting to monetize Gemini through in-app advertising, while simultaneously facing potential massive revenue losses from antitrust lawsuits. Internal anxieties about workload and future prospects are also prevalent. Despite expanding functionalities, accuracy issues persist, as exemplified by a recent ad miscalculating global Gouda cheese consumption. Google is cautiously navigating Gemini's development, aiming to avoid past missteps and maintain its leading position in the AI race.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Zombie Mastermind: How Wasps Turn Caterpillars into Bodyguards

2025-03-19

Zombie Mastermind: How Wasps Turn Caterpillars into Bodyguards

Glyptapanteles wasps employ a horrifying life cycle: females inject up to 80 eggs into caterpillars. The larvae feed, then collectively emerge, leaving the caterpillar alive but manipulated. The larvae control the caterpillar, turning it into a bodyguard protecting their cocoons until it starves to death. Research by ecologist Arne Janssen at the University of Amsterdam shows this manipulation drastically improves the wasps' survival rates. This isn't simple parasitism; it's a brutal, efficient survival strategy showcasing nature's darker wonders.

(www.wired.com)

Tech parasitic wasps caterpillar behavioral manipulation

Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency': A Farce or Real Reform?

2025-03-18

Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency': A Farce or Real Reform?

Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has spent the first six weeks of the Trump administration disrupting the federal government. Under the guise of auditing to stop fraud, waste, and abuse, DOGE has accessed sensitive data and payment systems across various agencies. However, two experienced federal auditors claim DOGE's actions are far from a real audit, with many of their 'findings' revealed as errors. Real audits follow GAGAS standards, a five-phase process including planning, evidence gathering, evaluation, reporting, and follow-up. DOGE seems to have completely bypassed these processes. While government waste does exist, DOGE's actions appear more like a farce than genuine reform.

(www.wired.com)

Tech Government Audit

Trump FTC Erases Years of AI and Privacy Guidance Blogs

2025-03-18

Trump FTC Erases Years of AI and Privacy Guidance Blogs

The Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has purged four years' worth of business guidance blogs, including crucial information on AI and consumer privacy related to landmark lawsuits against companies like Amazon and Microsoft. This move raises concerns about government transparency and corporate compliance, particularly as new chair Andrew Ferguson aims to ease regulations on tech firms. Deleted blogs offered FTC advice on avoiding consumer protection violations, ethical AI development, and children's data privacy. This action is seen as benefiting tech companies by eliminating precedents for regulatory compliance.

(www.wired.com)

Tech consumer privacy

Game Devs Boycott GDC Over US Political Climate

2025-03-16

Game Devs Boycott GDC Over US Political Climate

A Swedish game developer is boycotting events like GDC in the US due to concerns about the increasingly extreme political climate, particularly the crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. She cites feeling unsafe and scared in the US as an LGBTQ+ person. Other developers share similar concerns, viewing the US as no longer a safe place to conduct business and calling for the game industry to become more globally minded, moving beyond a North American-centric approach. While GDC organizers report business as usual, the boycott reflects the impact of the US political environment on the international gaming industry.

(www.wired.com)

Game

40-Year-Old Conjecture on Hash Tables Shattered

2025-03-16

40-Year-Old Conjecture on Hash Tables Shattered

For four decades, computer scientists have accepted Andrew Yao's 1985 conjecture on the efficiency of hash table lookups. However, Krapivin and his team have developed a novel hash table that dramatically outperforms Yao's worst-case bound. Their new algorithm achieves a far faster query and insertion time, and surprisingly, the average query time is a constant, irrespective of the table's fullness. This groundbreaking result not only refutes a long-held belief but also opens new avenues for hash table optimization.

(www.wired.com)

Development

DOJ Wants Google to Divest Chrome Browser

2025-03-08

DOJ Wants Google to Divest Chrome Browser

The US Department of Justice is proposing that Google divest its Chrome browser and related assets as part of a landmark antitrust case settlement. The proposal also demands Google stop paying partners for preferential search engine treatment and provide prior notification of future AI investments. Google argues its success stems from superior technology and that consumers can easily switch default search engines. A 2023 trial resulted in a judge ruling that Google maintains an illegal monopoly, primarily due to contracts with device makers and browser partners making Google the default search engine and sharing substantial revenue, thereby stifling competition.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

US Government Tech Teams Face Mass Layoffs: The Demise of 18F and USDS

2025-03-07

US Government Tech Teams Face Mass Layoffs: The Demise of 18F and USDS

The US government's technology sector is undergoing a major shakeup. 18F, the agency responsible for government digital transformation, has been disbanded, with its staff laid off, leaving a massive void. The Trump administration's rebranded USDS (now DOGE) has also seen mass layoffs and resignations, with employees complaining of a "scorched earth" approach driving away skilled personnel. This has left crucial government projects, like the disease surveillance system, at risk of collapse, potentially jeopardizing public safety. GSA's TTS has also been affected, with employees reassigned to more public-facing services, further layoffs are underway, and the future remains uncertain.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Amazon's Drone Delivery Tests Stir Up Neighborhood Disputes

2025-03-03

Amazon's Drone Delivery Tests Stir Up Neighborhood Disputes

Amazon's drone delivery test program in College Station, Texas, sparked significant backlash from local residents due to excessive noise pollution. Initially, frequent drone flights severely disrupted residents' lives and even affected wildlife. Although Amazon claimed to have implemented noise reduction measures and complied with regulations, residents believed the company made a crucial mistake in locating its drone base near residential areas. Amazon eventually temporarily grounded its drones for a software update and plans to terminate its lease, offering a glimmer of hope to noise-weary residents. The incident raises questions about how tech companies balance commercial interests with public welfare when developing new technologies.

(www.wired.com)

Tech drone delivery noise pollution community protest

Motorola Edge 2024 and Moto G Power 2025 Review: Budget Kings?

2025-03-02

Motorola Edge 2024 and Moto G Power 2025 Review: Budget Kings?

This review compares the Motorola Edge 2024 and Moto G Power 2025. The Edge 2024 offers good value at its $300 sale price, but suffers from shutter lag in its camera and limited software updates (only two Android OS upgrades). The Moto G Power 2025 boasts IP68 water resistance, longer battery life, and extended software support, but its performance is slightly weaker than its predecessor, and the camera is just adequate. Ultimately, both phones have strengths and weaknesses, requiring careful consideration based on individual needs.

(www.wired.com)

Hardware phone review Motorola budget phones

Alphabet's Laser Internet: Taara Takes on Starlink

2025-03-01

Alphabet's Laser Internet: Taara Takes on Starlink

Alphabet's X, the moonshot factory, birthed Loon, a balloon-based internet project that ultimately failed. However, a Loon engineer spun off Taara, focusing on high-bandwidth internet via laser beams. Taara has launched a second-generation chip, shrinking the technology to the size of a fingernail, reducing costs and boosting speeds. It aims to connect billions lacking internet access and become a crucial technology for future 6G and even 7G networks, potentially challenging the likes of Starlink.

(www.wired.com)

Tech laser communication

Google Pixels Detect Subway Track Defects

2025-02-27

Google Pixels Detect Subway Track Defects

The New York City MTA partnered with Google on a four-month experiment using six Pixel phones equipped with sensors to detect track defects on the A train line. The phones collected audio, vibration, and location data to train an AI model predicting defects. The experiment identified 92% of defect locations later found by human inspectors. This technology, called TrackInspect, aims to improve efficiency in track maintenance, reducing delays and improving the passenger experience. A full pilot program is planned to develop an automated system for identifying and fixing track issues.

(www.wired.com)

Tech Track Inspection

AO3: A Fan-Driven Fanfiction Archive with Brilliant Architecture

2025-02-25

AO3: A Fan-Driven Fanfiction Archive with Brilliant Architecture

Among this year's Hugo Award nominees is an unusual contender: Archive of Our Own (AO3), a fanfiction archive containing nearly 5 million fanworks—a size comparable to the English Wikipedia. But AO3's value lies not just in its massive content, but in its clever website architecture. In a time when the internet strives for human-centered sustainability, AO3 offers a lesson for the tech industry: how it elegantly solves the problem of tag proliferation, avoiding both the chaos of a completely laissez-faire approach and the inflexibility of rigid tagging systems. AO3 strikes a balance, allowing flexible tagging while using clever algorithms and community mechanisms to manage and organize tags, providing a more efficient and precise search experience for users.

(www.wired.com)

Tech fanfiction website architecture tagging system

Anthropic's Claude 3.7: Reasoning AI Powered by Reinforcement Learning

2025-02-24

Anthropic's Claude 3.7: Reasoning AI Powered by Reinforcement Learning

Anthropic has launched Claude 3.7, an upgraded AI model that distinguishes itself from traditional large language models (LLMs) by focusing on reasoning capabilities. Trained using reinforcement learning, Claude 3.7 excels at solving problems requiring step-by-step thinking, particularly coding challenges, outperforming OpenAI's models on certain benchmarks. This advancement stems from additional training data and optimizations for business applications like code writing and legal question answering. The release of Claude Code further enhances its practicality in AI-assisted coding, providing robust support for complex code planning.

(www.wired.com)

AI

The Long Fight Against Non-Consensual Pornography: One Woman's Battle and the Tech Industry's Response

2025-02-21

The Long Fight Against Non-Consensual Pornography: One Woman's Battle and the Tech Industry's Response

A woman's struggle against the non-consensual distribution of her intimate images highlights the slow response and cumbersome processes of tech companies like Microsoft in removing such content. The victim faced a four-year ordeal, navigating bureaucratic hurdles and challenging relationships with victim support groups. She was forced to develop her own AI tool to detect and remove the images and push for US legislation requiring websites to remove non-consensual explicit images within 48 hours. While initially shelved, the bill finally passed the Senate, offering a glimmer of hope but also exposing the shortcomings of tech companies in addressing online sexual abuse.

(www.wired.com)

AI Online Sexual Abuse

SpaceX Engineers Join FAA, Raising Safety Concerns

2025-02-21

SpaceX Engineers Join FAA, Raising Safety Concerns

WIRED reports that several SpaceX engineers have been appointed as senior advisors to the acting FAA administrator. This move follows the recent layoff of hundreds of FAA probationary employees and the deadliest month for US aviation accidents in over a decade. While the Department of Transportation Secretary claims it's a routine tour, sources say the SpaceX engineers were hired under a special authority and weren't fully vetted before starting. The four engineers have backgrounds in software and data engineering, but their appointment raises questions about safety and potential conflicts of interest.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

US Government Tightens Spending Controls to Combat Fraud

2025-02-20

US Government Tightens Spending Controls to Combat Fraud

The US government has tightened spending restrictions on SmartPay government cards, encompassing both travel and purchase cards. Travel cards, common across government agencies, are tracked via software like Concur. Purchase cards, used for expenses under $10,000, require pre-approval through a multi-step process involving supervisors and finance departments. Every purchase is meticulously tracked through systems like Pegasys, demanding precise reconciliation of spending against approvals. A GSA employee highlighted the complexity of the system, arguing that committing fraud would require collusion across multiple parties, countering previous allegations.

(www.wired.com)

Tech Government Spending Financial Management Fraud Prevention

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