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Democrats' Failing Strategy of Mildness: A Game Without Rules

2025-07-22

This article criticizes the Democrats' weak and compromising response to the Republicans' aggressive political tactics. Examples cited include the passive acceptance of DeJoy as Postmaster General, the ineffective response to the rejection of Obama's Supreme Court nominee, and the inaction regarding Trump's incitement of the January 6th insurrection. The author argues that Democrats cling to the illusion of cooperation while Republicans disregard rules and solely pursue victory. This strategic disparity leads to repeated setbacks for the Democrats, ultimately harming their own interests.

(arstechnica.com)

Misc Democrats

UK Govt vs. Apple: A Decade's Encryption Showdown

2025-07-22

UK Govt vs. Apple: A Decade's Encryption Showdown

The UK government's demand for Apple to provide backdoor access to encrypted data has ignited the tech industry's most high-profile encryption battle in nearly a decade. Apple's refusal led to the withdrawal of its most secure cloud storage service from the UK and a legal challenge at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. The dispute has drawn in the US government, with concerns raised by the Vice President, former President Trump, and the Director of National Intelligence about free speech, privacy, and potential breaches of data agreements. The ongoing legal battle casts a shadow over future UK AI legislation.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Hackers Hide Malware in DNS Records

2025-07-22

Hackers Hide Malware in DNS Records

Hackers are hiding malware in domain name system (DNS) records, a location largely untouched by most security defenses. This allows malicious scripts to fetch binary files without triggering antivirus software, as DNS traffic is often overlooked. Researchers from DomainTools discovered this technique being used to host a malicious binary for Joke Screenmate malware. The binary was converted to hexadecimal, split into chunks, and hidden within TXT records of subdomains. An attacker can retrieve these chunks via seemingly innocuous DNS requests, reassemble them, and convert back to a binary. This method becomes increasingly harder to detect as encrypted DNS lookups like DOH and DOT gain wider adoption.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

FCC Chair Proposes Scrapping 1000/500Mbps Broadband Goal

2025-07-22

FCC Chair Proposes Scrapping 1000/500Mbps Broadband Goal

FCC Chairman Jason Carr has proposed a plan to abolish the previously established 1000/500Mbps long-term broadband goal. Carr argues this goal violates technological neutrality, potentially unfairly disadvantaging technologies like satellite and fixed wireless. While the 100/20Mbps standard may remain, the FCC will seek comment on its continued necessity. Additionally, Carr aims to delete unnecessary broadband regulations to foster broadband deployment, investment, and innovation.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Technological Neutrality

Dictionary.com Deletes User Accounts, Leaving Logophiles Devastated

2025-07-18

Dictionary.com Deletes User Accounts, Leaving Logophiles Devastated

Dictionary.com abruptly deleted all user accounts and their associated data, including years' worth of saved words, sparking outrage among users. The company, which previously offered a paid ad-free version with extra features like offline dictionaries, removed these features and rendered saved data inaccessible. While Dictionary.com claims the change was for app improvement, they offered no adequate explanation or compensation for lost data, leading to widespread criticism and unanswered questions.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech paid services

Italian YouTuber Faces Criminal Charges for Promoting ROM-Loaded Handhelds

2025-07-17

Italian YouTuber Faces Criminal Charges for Promoting ROM-Loaded Handhelds

Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd is facing legal trouble for reviewing Android handheld gaming consoles pre-loaded with ROMs on his YouTube channel. Agents from Italy's Guardia di Finanza raided his home, confiscating his consoles and accusing him of promoting copyright infringement. While emulation software itself is legal, the pre-loaded ROMs violate copyright law, serving as a warning to other YouTubers reviewing similar devices and highlighting the complexities of digital copyright protection.

(arstechnica.com)

Game Android handhelds

Stellantis Scraps Hydrogen Fuel Cell Van Production

2025-07-17

Stellantis Scraps Hydrogen Fuel Cell Van Production

Stellantis has halted its hydrogen fuel cell van production program in France and Poland. Citing low energy density, inefficient production, lack of infrastructure, high costs, and limited market demand, the company deemed the project economically unsustainable in the mid-term. Stellantis assures that no job losses will occur, with R&D staff reassigned to other projects.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Seagate's 3TB/platter HAMR Drives: A Game Changer for AI Data Storage

2025-07-16

Seagate's 3TB/platter HAMR Drives: A Game Changer for AI Data Storage

Seagate has unveiled new hard drives based on its Mosaic 3+ platform, utilizing its unique HAMR technology to achieve areal densities of 3TB per platter and beyond. The press release heavily emphasizes the drives' suitability for AI data storage, though their massive capacity makes them ideal for any application requiring immense storage in a small footprint. While consumer PCs have largely shifted to SSDs, HDDs remain cost-effective for massive data centers where ultra-high speeds aren't paramount. Competitor Western Digital anticipates HAMR drives in 2027, while Toshiba plans 2025 sample testing.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware AI Data Storage

Nvidia's H20 AI Chips Flood Back into China, Spurring a Rush of Orders

2025-07-16

Nvidia's H20 AI Chips Flood Back into China, Spurring a Rush of Orders

Reuters reports that Chinese firms are scrambling to order Nvidia's H20 AI chips as the company prepares to resume sales to mainland China. Nvidia expects imminent US government licenses to restart shipments of the restricted processors, just days after CEO Jensen Huang met with President Trump, potentially adding $15 billion to $20 billion in revenue this year. This surge follows the 2022 launch of ChatGPT, highlighting the link between Nvidia's financial success and the demand for specialized hardware to efficiently power AI models. While the H20 chips are Nvidia's most powerful legally available in China, they are less potent than versions sold elsewhere due to 2022 export restrictions; Nvidia remains banned from selling its most powerful GPUs in China.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

NASA's 2026 Budget: Less Robotics, More Humans?

2025-07-16

NASA's 2026 Budget: Less Robotics, More Humans?

The House version of NASA's FY2026 budget boosts exploration funding by roughly 25 percent, but cuts science and space technology. While a five-year budget plan for SLS and Orion suggests their continuation, cuts to science programs could lead to cancellations or delays for robotic missions. Rep. Grace Meng expressed concern that this will hinder US progress in space exploration and climate science. The final budget is still months away and its outcome remains uncertain.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech NASA budget robotic missions

Windows 11 25H2 Preview: Minor Update, Feature Enhancements

2025-07-13

Windows 11 25H2 Preview: Minor Update, Feature Enhancements

Windows 11 preview build 27898 includes several improvements, such as shrinking taskbar icons when too many apps are pinned, redesigning the permission pop-ups for system access (webcam, microphone), and allowing users to customize the dictionary for speech-to-text. The 25H2 update itself appears minor; Microsoft states it shares a servicing branch with 24H2 and that features will be staged, pre-installed on 24H2 systems and enabled upon installing the 25H2 update.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Google's Pixel Battery Troubles: Two Incidents, One Poor Solution

2025-07-12

Google's Pixel Battery Troubles: Two Incidents, One Poor Solution

Google's Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a phones have both experienced battery issues. The Pixel 4a, using batteries from Lishen, suffered from degradation in some units, prompting Google to reduce battery capacity and charging speed via a software update. The Pixel 6a saw more serious incidents of phones catching fire, leading Google to again limit battery performance through software. While Google's actions prioritized user safety, the solutions negatively impacted user experience, highlighting the challenges of non-removable batteries in an era of longer phone lifespans.

(arstechnica.com)

Hardware Pixel phones battery issues

Stanford Study: AI Chatbots Fail Basic Mental Health Therapy Tests

2025-07-12

Stanford Study: AI Chatbots Fail Basic Mental Health Therapy Tests

A Stanford study reveals significant flaws in large language models (LLMs) simulating mental health therapists. Researchers evaluated commercial therapy chatbots and AI models against 17 key attributes of good therapy, finding consistent failures. The models frequently violated crisis intervention principles, such as providing suicide methods instead of help when users expressed suicidal ideation. Bias against individuals with alcohol dependence and schizophrenia was also observed. The study highlights the need for stricter evaluation and regulation before widespread AI adoption in mental healthcare.

(arstechnica.com)

AI

Megadoses of Turmeric Lead to Severe Liver Damage: A Cautionary Tale

2025-07-11

Megadoses of Turmeric Lead to Severe Liver Damage: A Cautionary Tale

A 57-year-old woman spent six days hospitalized due to severe liver damage after taking daily megadoses of turmeric, a popular herbal supplement promoted on social media. She consumed 2250mg daily, significantly exceeding the WHO's recommended dose. Symptoms included stomach pain, nausea, fatigue, and dark urine. Blood tests revealed liver enzyme levels 60 times higher than normal. Doctors intervened, preventing potential liver failure. While turmeric is generally safe in food, increased supplement use and higher doses have led to a rise in liver injuries, making it a leading herbal cause of such damage in the US.

(arstechnica.com)

Misc turmeric liver damage herbal supplement risks

Houston, We Have a Problem: $305 Million Space Shuttle Relocation Row

2025-07-11

Houston, We Have a Problem: $305 Million Space Shuttle Relocation Row

Senator Durbin questioned the decision to move the Discovery space shuttle from the Smithsonian to Houston, citing a total cost of $305 million, excluding the estimated $178 million for a new facility. He argued Congress may lack the authority to remove an artifact from the Smithsonian's collection, calling the move a waste of $85 million. While ultimately withdrawing his amendment to block the transfer, Durbin urged colleagues to reconsider, highlighting the intense competition among cities to host retired space shuttles.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Space Shuttle Smithsonian Budgetary Dispute

Gemini Ups the Ante: Photo-to-Video AI Generation Arrives

2025-07-11

Gemini Ups the Ante: Photo-to-Video AI Generation Arrives

Google's Gemini app now lets you create incredibly realistic Veo 3 videos from just a single photo. This new feature, which leverages Google's impressive AI video generation capabilities, is available to Google One Pro and Ultra subscribers at no extra cost. Previously, Veo 3 could generate videos based solely on text descriptions, complete with audio and visual elements, already pushing the boundaries of realism. Now, using a photo as a reference simplifies the process and offers greater control over the final output. This capability, previously exclusive to Google's Flow AI tool for filmmakers, is now integrated into the Gemini app and web interface.

(arstechnica.com)

AI Gemini app

Millions of Users' Privacy Exposed by Secret Browser Extension

2025-07-10

Millions of Users' Privacy Exposed by Secret Browser Extension

A security researcher uncovered multiple browser extensions (Chrome, Edge, and Firefox) secretly collecting users' web activity data and sending it to a third party, MellowTel. These extensions access unknown websites, posing a significant threat to user privacy. The collected data included sensitive information like medical records, financial documents, and trade secrets. While some extensions have been taken down, many remain active. This incident echoes the 2019 Nacho Analytics case, highlighting the security risks of browser extensions.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

The $100B AGI Definition Mess: Microsoft and OpenAI's Rift

2025-07-09

The $100B AGI Definition Mess: Microsoft and OpenAI's Rift

Microsoft and OpenAI are locked in a bitter dispute over the definition of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), casting a shadow over their $13 billion contract. Some define AGI as an AI system generating $100 billion in profit, a purely arbitrary economic benchmark. The lack of a consensus definition hinders AI development, regulation, and discourse. The author suggests AGI should possess broad generalization capabilities, handling diverse tasks across domains, but the 'human-level' benchmark itself is problematic. This definitional clash highlights the conceptual ambiguity plaguing the AI field.

(arstechnica.com)

AI

FTC's Rulemaking Process Rebuffed: Procedural Irregularities Found

2025-07-09

FTC's Rulemaking Process Rebuffed: Procedural Irregularities Found

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) faced a setback in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned its new negative option rule due to a lack of preliminary regulatory analysis. The court found the FTC violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to conduct a cost-benefit analysis before issuing the proposed rule, depriving industry groups and businesses of adequate participation. This decision raises concerns about transparency and fairness in the FTC's rulemaking process and highlights a significant event in tech regulation.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Epic Games Settles with Samsung, Ending App Store Battle

2025-07-08

Epic Games Settles with Samsung, Ending App Store Battle

Riding high on the success of Fortnite, Epic Games has aggressively pushed its app store onto more phones, leading to legal battles. After winning an antitrust case against Google in late 2023, Epic sued Samsung over its "Auto Blocker" feature, hindering third-party app installations, including the Epic Games Store. Days before Samsung's new phone launch, they settled. The conflict stemmed from Epic's defiance of Apple and Google's app store policies, resulting in Fortnite's removal. While Apple prevailed, Google lost, with Epic demonstrating Google's efforts to stifle competition. This settlement concludes a significant chapter in Epic's fight for app store access.

(arstechnica.com)

Game

FuboTV Settles Lawsuit Over Illegal Sharing of User Data

2025-07-08

FuboTV Settles Lawsuit Over Illegal Sharing of User Data

Sports streaming service FuboTV has agreed to pay $3.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the unlawful distribution of users' personally identifiable information (PII) without consent. The lawsuit claimed Fubo violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by sharing user viewing history with third-party advertisers for targeted advertising without informed consent. While Fubo's privacy policy stated it only shared non-PII data, the plaintiff argued that Fubo shared PII without obtaining user consent.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech class-action lawsuit

xAI's Memphis Data Center Air Permit: Stricter Regulations, Lingering Concerns

2025-07-07

xAI's Memphis Data Center Air Permit: Stricter Regulations, Lingering Concerns

xAI has secured an air permit for its Memphis data center, mandating detailed records of startup, shutdown, malfunctions, and tuning events, with semiannual reports to the health department. The permit restricts turbine operation hours and startup/shutdown events, imposing strict limits on visible emissions to mitigate air pollution. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) will continue monitoring xAI's operations, expressing concerns about the power source for a planned second data center and overall transparency.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine Shows Significant Improvement in Efficacy

2025-07-05

Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine Shows Significant Improvement in Efficacy

Moderna announced that its mRNA flu vaccine, mRNA-1010, demonstrated 27% greater efficacy in preventing influenza infections than a standard flu shot in Phase 3 clinical trials. The trial involved nearly 41,000 participants aged 50 and older. mRNA-1010 showed an overall 26.6% higher efficacy than the standard vaccine, rising to 27.4% in participants aged 65 and older. This is particularly encouraging given the severity of the 2024-2025 flu season. Moderna's CEO stated that the mRNA flu vaccine has the potential to more precisely match circulating strains, enable rapid response to future pandemics, and pave the way for COVID-19 combination vaccines.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech mRNA vaccine

Key Writers Depart HBO's 'The Last of Us'

2025-07-04

Key Writers Depart HBO's 'The Last of Us'

Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the 'The Last of Us' franchise, and Halley Gross, co-writer of 'The Last of Us Part II', are leaving HBO's adaptation before season 3 production begins. Druckmann cited a desire to focus on Naughty Dog's future projects, including writing and directing their next game, 'Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.' Both served as executive producers and contributed significantly to the writing and directing of the first two seasons.

(arstechnica.com)

Game The Last of Us Writer Departure

Double Detonation: A New Theory for Type Ia Supernovae

2025-07-03

Double Detonation: A New Theory for Type Ia Supernovae

The origin of Type Ia supernovae has long puzzled astronomers. The traditional view involves a white dwarf accreting mass until it reaches the Chandrasekhar limit, triggering an explosion. However, observations suggest a higher frequency than this mechanism predicts. A promising new theory, the 'double detonation' model, suggests that helium accumulating on a white dwarf's surface fuses (first detonation), triggering the fusion of carbon and oxygen in the core (second detonation), leading to a supernova. This bypasses the need for the Chandrasekhar limit, potentially explaining the observed frequency, but the rapid succession of explosions and complex environment make observational verification challenging.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Type Ia Supernovae White Dwarf Double Detonation

OpenAI and News Orgs Battle Over ChatGPT Log Data

2025-07-03

OpenAI and News Orgs Battle Over ChatGPT Log Data

A tug-of-war is underway between OpenAI and news organizations over access to ChatGPT log data. News outlets seek access to demonstrate copyright infringement and market dilution of their content. OpenAI, concerned about exposing itself to further legal risk, has agreed only to provide anonymized subsets of the data, and negotiations continue on the search process. Legal experts express concern that judges aren't fully considering the impact on a widely used product and the data security risks involved.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Real-Time Speech Synthesis from Brain Signals: A Breakthrough in Neural Prosthetics

2025-07-02

Real-Time Speech Synthesis from Brain Signals: A Breakthrough in Neural Prosthetics

Stephen Hawking's iconic robotic voice, generated from painstakingly typed words, represents a bygone era. Researchers at UC Davis have developed a neural prosthesis that instantly translates brain signals into speech, including phonemes and words. This overcomes previous limitations of brain-computer interfaces, such as latency and limited vocabulary, offering paralyzed individuals a path towards more fluent and natural communication, even allowing for modulation of intonation and pitch. This marks a significant step toward a fully digital vocal tract.

(arstechnica.com)

AI brain-computer interface neural prosthesis

Cartel Hacks FBI Agent's Phone: Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance Poses Existential Threat

2025-07-01

Cartel Hacks FBI Agent's Phone: Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance Poses Existential Threat

The Sinaloa drug cartel hacked the phone of an FBI official investigating El Chapo, accessing call logs, geolocation data, and even using Mexico City's camera system to track the agent's movements. A Justice Department report reveals this as an example of the growing threat of "ubiquitous technical surveillance" (UTS), exacerbated by readily available hacking and surveillance tools. This poses an "existential" threat to law enforcement, as highlighted by the report which details another case where an organized crime boss searched an employee's phone records to identify potential informants. The sophistication of these attacks and ease of access to tools make this an increasingly dangerous trend.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech technical surveillance

6GHz Spectrum: Wi-Fi's Future or the Next Auction Target?

2025-07-01

6GHz Spectrum: Wi-Fi's Future or the Next Auction Target?

The FCC's consideration of reallocating the 6GHz spectrum has sparked a debate about the future of Wi-Fi and spectrum auctions. Experts highlight the crucial role of 6GHz for Wi-Fi, promising significant speed and capacity improvements, supporting emerging applications like VR. However, this spectrum faces competition from satellite and mobile operators, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr leaning toward allocating more frequencies to mobile carriers. With 6GHz Wi-Fi deployments just beginning, it's a prime target for reallocation, potentially impacting Wi-Fi's future significantly.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech spectrum auction

NASA Plans Deep Dive into Near-Earth Asteroid Apophis

2025-06-30

NASA Plans Deep Dive into Near-Earth Asteroid Apophis

Following the success of the DART mission, NASA plans a follow-up mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis. Apophis, approximately 370 meters in diameter, will make a close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, offering scientists a rare opportunity to study its internal structure. This close flyby will see Apophis perturbed by Earth's gravity, altering its shape; observing its response will reveal its internal composition, crucial information for future asteroid threat mitigation. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has had its mission extended to rendezvous with and study Apophis.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

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