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RedNote's Dilemma: A Flood of 'TikTok Refugees' and the Threat of US Influence

2025-01-17

RedNote's Dilemma: A Flood of 'TikTok Refugees' and the Threat of US Influence

The impending US ban on TikTok has sent millions of users flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media platform. However, this influx presents a challenge. To prevent US users from influencing its Chinese user base, RedNote may soon segregate users, sparking controversy. This move risks cutting off Chinese-Americans from Chinese culture and information, while simultaneously highlighting China's long-standing concerns about Western social media influence – a situation ironically mirroring the US's planned TikTok ban. RedNote's unexpected popularity has caught it off guard, forcing it to scramble to moderate English content and build translation tools.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

AT&T Pulls 5G Home Internet from NY Over Affordable Broadband Law

2025-01-17

AT&T has ceased offering its 5G home internet service in New York State in response to a new law mandating affordable broadband plans for low-income residents. The Affordable Broadband Act, implemented after a lengthy legal battle, requires ISPs to offer $15/25Mbps or $20/200Mbps plans to eligible households. AT&T argues the price regulations make further investment in the state uneconomical. Existing customers will have a 45-day grace period. This decision highlights the ongoing tension between telecom companies' profitability and the need for accessible broadband access.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech New York

Microsoft Patches Critical Windows Secure Boot Vulnerability

2025-01-16

Microsoft Patches Critical Windows Secure Boot Vulnerability

Microsoft has patched a critical vulnerability that allowed attackers to bypass Windows Secure Boot. The vulnerability, present in system recovery software from multiple vendors, involved a mis-signed UEFI application that allowed malicious firmware to be installed before the OS even loads. The patch revokes the problematic signature. The status of Linux systems remains unclear.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

AI Designs Proteins to Neutralize Snake Venom

2025-01-16

AI Designs Proteins to Neutralize Snake Venom

Researchers, including Nobel laureate David Baker, used AI to design novel proteins that inhibit certain snake venom toxins. Employing AI tools like RFdiffusion and ProteinMPNN, they created proteins that bind to 'three-finger toxins' found in snake venom. AlphaFold2 and Rosetta software predicted the binding strength. Experiments showed the designed proteins effectively protected mice from neurotoxins, suggesting a new approach to antivenom development. However, inhibitors targeting a different toxin that disrupts cell membranes proved ineffective, highlighting gaps in our understanding of protein-membrane interactions.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Biotechnology

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Achieves Orbit on Maiden Flight

2025-01-16

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Achieves Orbit on Maiden Flight

After several delays, Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket successfully launched and reached orbit. The launch overcame engine chilling issues and a boat that strayed into the restricted zone. While the first stage booster failed to return to Earth, this marks Blue Origin's first-ever orbital flight in nearly 25 years of existence, a monumental achievement for the private space industry. This success is a major win for Blue Origin and its founder Jeff Bezos, injecting new hope into the future of space exploration.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Orbital Flight

Startup Necromancy: Exploiting Abandoned Google Apps Domains

2025-01-15

Startup Necromancy: Exploiting Abandoned Google Apps Domains

A security researcher discovered a critical vulnerability: improperly shutting down Google Workspace accounts leaves defunct startup domains vulnerable. New owners can reactivate former employees' Google accounts, granting access to third-party services (Slack, ChatGPT, Zoom, etc.) accessed via Google OAuth. Sensitive data, including tax documents and internal communications, becomes exposed. Google initially dismissed it, but after the researcher's Shmoocon presentation, they reevaluated, offering a bounty. This highlights the risk of insufficient account closure procedures and potential weaknesses within OAuth authentication.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

MIT's All-Optical AI Chip Achieves 58x Speedup

2025-01-15

MIT's All-Optical AI Chip Achieves 58x Speedup

Researchers at MIT have developed an all-optical AI chip that processes information directly using photons, bypassing the digitization step for a massive speed boost. Achieving a latency of 410 picoseconds, it's 58 times faster than a standard CPU. This breakthrough involves implementing a complete deep neural network on a photonic chip, including both linear matrix operations and non-linear thresholding functions – a challenge previously faced by photonic computing. While currently limited in parameter count, this technology promises applications in low-latency fields like autonomous driving and advanced automotive vision systems.

(arstechnica.com)

AI photonic computing AI chip

Allstate Sued for Secretly Tracking Drivers via GasBuddy and Other Apps

2025-01-14

Allstate Sued for Secretly Tracking Drivers via GasBuddy and Other Apps

Texas is suing Allstate, alleging the insurance company and its data subsidiary Arity used data from apps like GasBuddy and Life360 to secretly track drivers and adjust or cancel policies. The lawsuit claims Allstate paid millions to these apps to install tracking software, collecting trillions of miles of location data from over 45 million people, violating Texas' Data Privacy and Security Act. This marks the first-ever state action targeting comprehensive data privacy violations, raising serious concerns about data privacy in the insurance industry.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech insurance app tracking

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Launch Again

2025-01-14

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Launch Again

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launch, initially scheduled for Tuesday morning, was scrubbed due to ice buildup in a purge line on an auxiliary power unit. A second attempt was planned for early Tuesday, but was ultimately postponed until Thursday morning due to unfavorable weather conditions (70% chance) and a scheduling conflict with another rocket launch.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech rocket launch

NZ Sheep Farmer Predicted AI Doom 161 Years Ago

2025-01-14

NZ Sheep Farmer Predicted AI Doom 161 Years Ago

In 1863, New Zealand sheep farmer Samuel Butler penned a letter predicting a future where AI could dominate humanity. Drawing parallels between the rapid advancement of machinery and Darwinian evolution, he envisioned machines evolving consciousness and supplanting humans as Earth's dominant species. His concerns, including machine consciousness, self-replication, and humanity losing control of its creations, resonate in later works like Asimov's *The Evitable Conflict* and *The Matrix*. Butler's prescient warnings, made in a time with almost no computing technology, highlight enduring anxieties about AI safety and strikingly mirror current concerns about advanced AI's potential risks.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

$765M Bitcoin Landfill Dig Fails: Judge Rules Against Man

2025-01-14

$765M Bitcoin Landfill Dig Fails: Judge Rules Against Man

A British man, James Howells, lost his 11-year legal battle to excavate a landfill site in search of a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins, now worth $765 million. A judge ruled against Howells, citing environmental concerns and legal precedents stating the landfill owns all deposited waste. The claim was also barred by the statute of limitations. Howells, who claims the hard drive was mistakenly discarded, expressed disappointment, calling the ruling a miscarriage of justice.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech bitcoin environmental concerns

NY's $15 Broadband Law Takes Effect After ISP Defeat

2025-01-13

NY's $15 Broadband Law Takes Effect After ISP Defeat

New York's Affordable Broadband Act, requiring ISPs to offer low-cost plans to low-income residents, is now in effect after a lengthy legal battle. Following a Supreme Court decision against industry challenges, the law mandates $15 or $20 monthly plans with varying speeds. The law aims to bridge the digital divide, particularly after a federal program expired, leaving millions without subsidized internet. Small ISPs may seek exemptions, while larger providers face penalties for non-compliance.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech broadband low-income

Google's Messaging Mayhem: A 16-Year History of Chaos and Failure

2025-01-13

Google's Messaging Mayhem: A 16-Year History of Chaos and Failure

From Google Talk in 2005 to Google Chat in 2021, Google's messaging app history is a rollercoaster of launches, shutdowns, and missed opportunities. This article chronicles the rise and fall of numerous Google messaging platforms, highlighting a lack of consistent strategy and top-down leadership. The constant churn of products, from Google Talk and Hangouts to Allo and Duo, resulted in fragmented user bases and ultimately, no dominant messaging app. Google’s inability to commit to a single, well-funded product contrasts sharply with competitors like Facebook and Apple, showcasing the high cost of Google's inconsistent approach. The article concludes by questioning Google’s future prospects in the messaging space.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Messaging Apps Product Strategy

Chrome Extension Store Flooded with Keyword-Stuffing Spam

2025-01-12

Chrome Extension Store Flooded with Keyword-Stuffing Spam

A security researcher uncovered a widespread abuse of Google's Chrome Web Store. Hundreds of extensions are manipulating search results by cramming tens of thousands of irrelevant keywords into their descriptions, often hidden within lesser-used language translations. This allows malicious or low-quality extensions to rank highly for popular searches, even pushing legitimate extensions down the results. The researcher highlighted the ease with which this manipulation is performed and the apparent lack of Google's monitoring efforts, raising concerns about the platform's security.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech keyword stuffing web security

Microsoft Sues Service for Generating Illicit Content with its AI Platform

2025-01-11

Microsoft Sues Service for Generating Illicit Content with its AI Platform

Microsoft is suing three individuals and seven customers for running a service that generated harmful and illicit content using Microsoft's AI platform. The defendants developed tools to bypass Microsoft's safety measures, using compromised legitimate user accounts to create a fee-based platform. Operating from July to September 2024, the service used undocumented APIs and stolen API keys to generate illegal content, including pornography and violent materials. Microsoft's lawsuit cites multiple legal violations and seeks an injunction and damages.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Mysterious Metal Ring Falls to Earth in Kenya: Space Junk or Something Else?

2025-01-10

Mysterious Metal Ring Falls to Earth in Kenya: Space Junk or Something Else?

A large, glowing metal ring fell from the sky in Kenya, sparking global intrigue. While the Kenyan Space Agency initially identified it as rocket debris, space trackers have struggled to find supporting evidence. Leading experts like Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Marco Langbroek have explored various possibilities, but a definitive answer remains elusive. The half-ton ring's origin is a mystery, raising concerns about untracked space debris and the limitations of current tracking capabilities.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech space debris mystery Kenya

How I Program with LLMs: A Year of Experience

2025-01-10

How I Program with LLMs: A Year of Experience

A seasoned programmer shares his experiences using large language models (LLMs) for programming over the past year. He categorizes LLM usage into three areas: autocomplete, code search, and chat-driven programming. He found significant productivity gains from autocomplete and code search. Chat-driven programming, while requiring adaptation, significantly speeds up code writing, especially for complex environments and rapid prototyping. He emphasizes that LLMs excel at well-defined tasks and stresses the importance of compiling and testing LLM-generated code. He also introduces sketch.dev, a tool his team is building to provide a streamlined LLM-integrated development environment for Go programmers.

(arstechnica.com)

Development Developer Productivity

CES 2025 TVs: More AI Gimmicks Than Real Improvements

2025-01-10

CES 2025 TVs: More AI Gimmicks Than Real Improvements

At CES 2025, TV manufacturers showcased AI-powered smart TVs, but Ars Technica's author expresses disappointment. Many touted AI features, such as LG's AI remote lacking a direct input switching button and Samsung's AI food recognition, prioritize corporate interests over user needs. Google TV's Gemini-enhanced Assistant also raises questions about practicality and potential subscription fees. The author argues that the industry's focus on software and data collection overshadows hardware improvements and user experience, forcing consumers to pay for largely useless features. Ultimately, many consumers simply desire TVs with superior picture and sound quality, a goal increasingly difficult to achieve without navigating through excessive gimmicks.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Smart TVs

Google Loses Privacy Lawsuit, Headed to Trial

2025-01-09

A federal judge refused Google's motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging privacy violations. The suit claims Google collected data from users who opted out of its Web & App Activity (WAA) tracking, even sending data to third-party developers via Google Analytics for Firebase (GA4F). The judge ruled a jury could reasonably find Google profited from this misappropriation of data, setting a trial for August 2025. Google maintains its practices are lawful, but the ruling highlights ongoing challenges for tech companies balancing data collection and user privacy.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Data Collection

AT&T Promises Bill Credits After Massive Outage

2025-01-08

Following a major network outage last year caused by a botched update, AT&T is now promising full-day bill credits for future outages. The credits apply to wireless outages lasting at least 60 minutes affecting 10 or more cell towers, and fiber outages lasting at least 20 minutes (using an AT&T-provided gateway). However, the promise has caveats, excluding events like natural disasters or third-party issues. AT&T retains sole discretion on credit eligibility, raising concerns about service reliability and transparency in handling such incidents.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech outage bill credits

SteamOS Breaks Free from Steam Deck, Challenges Windows Gaming Hegemony?

2025-01-08

SteamOS Breaks Free from Steam Deck, Challenges Windows Gaming Hegemony?

Lenovo's Legion Go S is the first non-Valve hardware officially powered by SteamOS, marking SteamOS's expansion beyond the Steam Deck. This $500+ handheld will compete with a Windows 11 version, offering players more choice. Valve also announced a public beta of SteamOS to improve compatibility and plans to support more devices in the future. This move could challenge Windows' long-standing dominance in PC gaming, suggesting a flourishing Linux gaming ecosystem.

(arstechnica.com)

Game Linux Gaming

Sci-Hub Hosts 85% of Retracted Papers Without Indication

2025-01-08

Sci-Hub Hosts 85% of Retracted Papers Without Indication

Ars Technica reports that the research paper sharing site Sci-Hub continues to host a significant number of retracted papers, with 85% lacking any indication of retraction. Sci-Hub circumvents paywalls by illegally obtaining PDFs, providing access to researchers. However, its database lacks an effective update mechanism, meaning retracted papers remain available, potentially leading to miscitations and wasted resources. Researchers urge Sci-Hub to update its database to flag retracted papers and uphold academic integrity.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech retracted papers academic integrity

Reverse-Engineering the Stone Age: An Experimental Archaeologist's Lab

2025-01-07

Reverse-Engineering the Stone Age: An Experimental Archaeologist's Lab

Metin Eren, an archaeologist at Kent State University, runs an experimental archaeology lab where he and his team recreate and test ancient technologies. Their work ranges from flint knapping and spear throwing to analyzing bullet ricochet marks and butchering bison with ancient tools. Eren emphasizes the rigorous scientific method behind his seemingly playful experiments, publishing numerous papers annually. His research highlights the limitations of traditional archaeology and the value of hands-on experimentation in understanding past cultures and technologies. The lab's focus is on using experimental archaeology to understand cultural evolution and the limitations of the archeological record.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Experimental Archaeology Stone Age Technology Cultural Evolution

US Sues Six Major Landlords for Algorithmic Price Fixing

2025-01-07

US Sues Six Major Landlords for Algorithmic Price Fixing

The US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against six of the nation's largest landlords, accusing them of using algorithms to manipulate rental prices and harm renters. Cortland Management settled, agreeing to cooperate and cease using competitors' sensitive data. The lawsuit alleges these landlords colluded to fix prices by sharing data through common algorithms and direct communication, exchanging sensitive information like rent and occupancy rates. Software company RealPage is also implicated, accused of facilitating the price manipulation. The case raises concerns about algorithmic pricing and data sharing in real estate, highlighting the need for tech regulation.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech algorithmic pricing real estate

Critical Flaw Found in Widely Used DNA Sequencer: Secure Boot Missing

2025-01-07

Critical Flaw Found in Widely Used DNA Sequencer: Secure Boot Missing

Researchers have discovered a critical security vulnerability in the Illumina iSeq 100 DNA sequencer, a widely used device in gene-sequencing labs worldwide. The device lacks Secure Boot and utilizes an outdated 2018 BIOS with multiple exploitable vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to modify firmware and potentially implant malware. This could enable remote control of the device, leading to data breaches or system failures. The issue stems from the use of an older, third-party motherboard, highlighting the importance of supply chain security. While Illumina downplayed the risk, the potential impact remains significant.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech gene sequencing

Outgoing NASA Administrator Defends Artemis Program Amidst Delays

2025-01-07

Outgoing NASA Administrator Defends Artemis Program Amidst Delays

Outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, in a recent interview, expressed confidence in the Artemis lunar program, addressing concerns about delays. He attributed recent setbacks to the Orion heat shield and stated that after extensive testing and review by independent panels, Artemis II is on track for a launch around April 2026. Artemis III's lunar landing, contingent on SpaceX's lander readiness, could follow in summer 2027. Nelson also discussed his views on commercial human spaceflight and the restructuring of the Mars Sample Return mission to make it more affordable and timely. Finally, he offered well wishes to the incoming Trump administration's nominee and predicted that Artemis won't be canceled, although he expects the new administration to review the program's architecture.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Dell Axes XPS Brand in Major PC Lineup Restructuring

2025-01-06

Dell is dropping the XPS, Latitude, Inspiron, and Precision brands, streamlining its PC lineup to Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. This move aims to simplify product identification and better target the growing AI PC market. While nostalgic for long-time users, Dell claims the new branding will offer clearer product segmentation, improved durability, and enhanced performance. The change follows a controversial redesign of the XPS line and a shift toward emphasizing AI capabilities in its new offerings.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech Dell rebranding

The Man Keeping 70-Year-Old Pinball Machines Alive

2025-01-06

The Man Keeping 70-Year-Old Pinball Machines Alive

Steve Young, a metallurgical engineer with a lifelong passion for pinball, has built The Pinball Resource, a unique business that supplies parts and expertise for repairing vintage pinball machines. His vast collection of rare parts and schematics, accumulated over 50 years, makes him the go-to resource for enthusiasts worldwide. Operating out of an unassuming workshop, Young eschews modern marketing, relying instead on word-of-mouth and a reputation for trust and expertise to maintain his thriving, old-school business.

(arstechnica.com)

Game vintage games pinball

Musk: Straight to Mars, the Moon is a Distraction

2025-01-05

Musk: Straight to Mars, the Moon is a Distraction

Elon Musk has publicly criticized NASA's Artemis program, calling it inefficient and prioritizing jobs over results. He declared SpaceX is going straight to Mars, deeming the Moon a distraction. Given Musk's advisory role in the Trump administration and influence on NASA's new administrator, his statement carries significant weight. While Artemis likely won't be scrapped, NASA may adopt a dual-track approach, pursuing both lunar and Martian exploration. SpaceX and Blue Origin are expected to play key roles in this revised strategy.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

60 Years of Space Mission Patches: A Visual History

2025-01-05

60 Years of Space Mission Patches: A Visual History

This article explores the evolution of space mission patches over six decades, showcasing iconic designs from the Soviet Union, NASA, and SpaceX. It highlights the Gemini 5 mission patch as an example of how astronauts infused personal meaning into their designs. The article contrasts the styles of different agencies: NASA patches often include crew names, while NRO patches are enigmatic and humorous, and ESA patches blend European culture and scientific spirit. These patches are not just memorabilia; they encapsulate the history, technology, and human element of space exploration.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech space mission patches space history

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