ICT news

• AMD Claims New Laptop Chip Is 30% Faster Than M1 Pro, Promises Up To 30 Hours of Battery Life

  05-01-2023 23:40 via apple.slashdot.org
  At CES this week, AMD announced a suite of new chips for notebooks and desktop computers, with one notable announcement being the company's new AMD Ryzen 7040 series of processors for ultrathin notebooks that will compete with Apple's M1 Pro and M2 chips. MacRumors reports: The AMD Ryzen 7040 series of chips are "ultrathin" processors based on the 4nm process, and the highest-end chip part of the family is the Ryzen 9 7940HS. The Ryzen 9 7940HS has eight cores, 16 threads, and 5.2GHz boost speed
  
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• Slack's Private GitHub Code Repositories Stolen Over Holidays

  05-01-2023 23:02 via it.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bleeping Computer: Slack suffered a security incident over the holidays affecting some of its private GitHub code repositories. The immensely popular Salesforce-owned IM app is used by an estimated 18 million users at workplaces and digital communities around the world. BleepingComputer has come across a security incident notice issued by Slack on December 31st, 2022. The incident involves threat actors gaining access to Slack's externally hosted GitHub r
  
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• CircleCI Warns Customers To Rotate 'Any and All Secrets' After Hack

  05-01-2023 22:20 via it.slashdot.org
  CircleCI, a company whose development products are popular with software engineers, has urged users to rotate their secrets following a breach of the company's systems. From a report: The San Francisco-headquartered DevOps company said in an advisory published late Wednesday it is currently investigating the security incident -- its most recent in recent years. "We wanted to make you aware that we are currently investigating a security incident, and that our investigation is ongoing," CircleCI C
  
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• Modi Takes Steps To Allow Yale, Oxford To Open India Campuses

  05-01-2023 21:40 via news.slashdot.org
  India has taken a step toward allowing leading foreign universities such as Yale, Oxford and Stanford to set up campuses and award degrees as part of an overhaul of the South Asian nation's higher education. From a report: Regulator the University Grants Commission on Thursday unveiled a draft legislation for public feedback that seeks to facilitate entry and operation of overseas institutions in the country for the first time. The local campus can decide on admission criteria for domestic and f
  
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• Iranian Attack Drone Found To Contain Parts From More Than a Dozen US Firms

  05-01-2023 21:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  Parts made by more than a dozen US and Western companies were found inside a single Iranian drone downed in Ukraine last fall, according to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment obtained exclusively by CNN. From the report: The assessment, which was shared with US government officials late last year, illustrates the extent of the problem facing the Biden administration, which has vowed to shut down Iran's production of drones that Russia is launching by the hundreds into Ukraine. CNN reported last
  
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• Top WHO Official Says China Undercounting COVID Deaths

  05-01-2023 20:20 via slashdot.org
  A top World Health Organization (WHO) official has said China is underreporting deaths from COVID-19 and called for more transparency about the scope of the country's outbreak. From a report: "We believe the current numbers being published from China underrepresent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of death," said Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's health emergencies program. Ryan said China is using too narrow a defin
  
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• Dell To Purge Chinese Chips From Products By Next Year

  05-01-2023 19:40 via slashdot.org
  Dell looks set to stop using chips from China in its products by 2024, according to reports. The move appears to be part of a wider effort to shift its supply chains away from the country in response to the ongoing tensions between China and the US. From a report: The PC and tech infrastructure maker has told suppliers to significantly reduce the volume of components sourced from China in its products, including those made in the country by non-Chinese manufacturers, according to a report in Nik
  
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• Top AI Conference Bans Use of ChatGPT and AI Language Tools To Write Academic Papers

  05-01-2023 19:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  One of the world's most prestigious machine learning conferences has banned authors from using AI tools like ChatGPT to write scientific papers, triggering a debate about the role of AI-generated text in academia. From a report: The International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) announced the policy earlier this week, stating, "Papers that include text generated from a large-scale language model (LLM) such as ChatGPT are prohibited unless the produced text is presented as a part of the pape
  
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• Chinese Researchers Claim To Find Way To Break Encryption Using Quantum Computers

  05-01-2023 18:10 via it.slashdot.org
  Computer security experts were struggling this week to assess a startling claim by Chinese researchers that they have found a way to break the most common form of online encryption [the link may be paywalled] using the current generation of quantum computers, years before the technology was expected to pose a threat. Financial Times: The method, outlined in a scientific paper [PDF] published in late December, could be used to break the RSA algorithm that underpins most online encryption using a
  
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• WhatsApp Launches Proxy Support To Help Users Circumvent Internet Blocks

  05-01-2023 17:10 via yro.slashdot.org
  WhatsApp is launching proxy support for its users all over the world, the company announced on Thursday. The support will allow users to maintain access to WhatsApp if their connection is blocked or disrupted. From a report: Choosing a proxy enables users to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely. WhatsApp says connecting via proxy maintains the same level of privacy and security the app provides,
  
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• New York Sues Celsius Network Founder Mashinsky, Alleges Fraud

  05-01-2023 17:03 via yro.slashdot.org
  New York's attorney general on Thursday filed a civil lawsuit accusing Celsius Network founder Alex Mashinsky of scheming to defraud hundreds of thousands of investors by inducing them to deposit billions of dollars in digital assets with his cryptocurrency company. From a report: The lawsuit filed in a New York state court in Manhattan accuses Mashinsky of violating the state's Martin Act, which gives Attorney General Letitia James broad power to pursue civil and criminal cases over securities
  
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• CISA Releases Three Industrial Systems Control Advisories

  05-01-2023 17:00 via us-cert.cisa.gov
  Original release date: January 5, 2023
  CISA released three Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on January 5 2023. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.CISA encourages users and administrators to review the newly released ICS advisories for technical details and mitigations:ICSA-23-005-01 Hitachi Energy UNEMICSA-23-005-02 Hitachi Energy FOXMAN-UNICSA-23-005-03 Hitachi Energy Lumada Asset Performance Manage
  
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• US Moves To Bar Noncompete Agreements in Labor Contracts

  05-01-2023 16:22 via news.slashdot.org
  In a far-reaching move that could raise wages and increase competition among businesses, the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday unveiled a rule that would block companies from limiting their employees' ability to work for a rival. From a report: The proposed rule would ban provisions of labor contracts known as noncompete agreements, which prevent workers from leaving for a competitor or starting a competing business for months or years after their employment, often within a certain geographic
  
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• Apple Books Quietly Launches AI-Narrated Audiobooks

  05-01-2023 15:40 via apple.slashdot.org
  Audiobooks narrated by a text-to-speech AI are now available via Apple's Books service, in a move with potentially huge implications for the multi-billion dollar audiobook industry. From a report: Apple describes the new "digital narration" feature on its website as making "the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all," by reducing "the cost and complexity" of producing them for authors and publishers. The feature represents a big shift from the current audiobook model, which often involves
  
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• Silvergate Raced To Cover $8.1 Billion in Withdrawals During Crypto Meltdown

  05-01-2023 15:05 via slashdot.org
  The collapse of crypto exchange FTX sparked a run on Silvergate Capital, forcing the bank to sell assets at a steep loss to cover some $8.1 billion in withdrawals. From a report: Crypto-related deposits plunged 68% in the fourth quarter, the bank said in an early release of some quarterly results. To satisfy the withdrawals, Silvergate liquidated debt it was holding on its balance sheet. The $718 million it lost selling the debt far exceeds the bank's total profits since at least 2013. The bank
  
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• Sony Says the PlayStation 5 Shortage Is Over

  05-01-2023 14:00 via games.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: The PlayStation 5 shortage is finally over — at least according to Sony. "Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward," said Jim Ryan, the company's gaming boss, during its CES presentation. The company also announced that it's sold around 30 million consoles at this point. That's around 5 million more than the last time it released sales numbers in November.I
  
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• Japan Lacks the Expertise For Renewed Nuclear Power After Fukushima

  05-01-2023 11:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  Japan's decision to reignite its nuclear power industry is facing serious setbacks: 11 years of prohibition has led to a shortage of engineers, a lack of students training to fill vacant positions and a dearth of domestic nuclear manufacturing capability. The Register reports: The Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association claims the number of "skilled engineers responsible for manufacturing nuclear equipment" has declined by 45 percent since the government banned nuclear power projects and shu
  
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• South Korean Moon Mission Delivers Devastatingly Gorgeous Earth Views

  05-01-2023 08:00 via science.slashdot.org
  South Korea's Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter spacecraft, known as Danuri, has sent back some high-resolution images from the moon. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared the views on Twitter this week. CNET reports: The first two come from late December and show the cratered landscape of the moon with Earth peeking above the horizon. The images are reminiscent of Earthrise views seen from NASA's Apollo and Artemis missions. KARI shared a second set of Earth images snapped during the new y
  
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• Government Scientists Discover Entirely New Kind of Quantum Entanglement

  05-01-2023 05:00 via science.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered an entirely new kind of quantum entanglement, a phenomenon that causes particles to become weirdly linked, even across vast cosmic distances, reports a new study. The discovery allowed them to capture an unprecedented glimpse of the bizarre world inside atoms, the tiny building blocks of matter. The mind-bending research resolves a longstanding mystery about the nuclei of atoms, whic
  
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• Hundreds of WordPress Sites Infected By Recently Discovered Backdoor

  05-01-2023 04:20 via it.slashdot.org
  Malware that exploits unpatched vulnerabilities in 30 different WordPress plugins has infected hundreds if not thousands of sites and may have been in active use for years, according to a writeup published last week. Ars Technica reports: The Linux-based malware installs a backdoor that causes infected sites to redirect visitors to malicious sites, researchers from security firm Dr.Web said. It's also able to disable event logging, go into standby mode, and shut itself down. It gets installed by
  
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• Asus Brings Glasses-Free 3D To OLED Laptops

  05-01-2023 03:40 via hardware.slashdot.org
  During the CES 2023 in Las Vegas today, Asus announced an upcoming feature that allows users to view and work with content in 3D without wearing 3D glasses. Ars Technica reports: Similar technology has been used in a small number of laptops and displays before, but Asus is incorporating the feature for the first time in OLED laptop screens. Combined with high refresh rates, unique input methods like an integrated dial, and the latest CPUs and laptop GPUs, the company is touting the laptops with
  
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• Amazon To Layoff Over 18,000 Employees

  05-01-2023 03:02 via slashdot.org
  Longtime Slashdot reader walterbyrd shares a report from Seeking Alpha: Amazon is reducing its headcount by more than 18K employees the company confirmed on Wednesday. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy confirmed plans to eliminate "just over 18K roles" between the reductions made in November and the latest round in a statement. The company was previously projected to cut about 10K roles, but has accelerated layoffs due to economic uncertainty. The bulk of roles due for elimination are concentrated in Amazon
  
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• Patients Wrongly Told They've Got Cancer In SMS Snafu

  05-01-2023 02:25 via science.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Askern Medical Practice, a general practitioner surgery based in Doncaster, UK, managed to muddle its Christmas holiday message to patients by texting them they'd been diagnosed with "aggressive lung cancer with metastases." The message went out to patients of the medical facility -- there are reportedly about 8,000 of them -- on December 23, 2022. It asked patients to fill out a DS1500 form, which is used to help terminal patients expedite
  
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• Indians Moved Over $3.8 Billion to Foreign Exchanges Since Crypto Tax Rules

  05-01-2023 01:45 via slashdot.org
  Indians moved more than $3.8 billion in trading volume from local to international crypto exchanges after the country announced stiff crypto tax rules last February, according to a research study by Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based technology policy think tank. A total of $3.85 billion was shifted from February through October, the study said. CoinDesk reports: The report provides the first monetary estimate of the impact of India's controversial crypto tax policy on domestic exchanges. Prime Mini
  
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• UK PM Rishi Sunak To Propose Compulsory Math To Students Up To 18

  05-01-2023 01:02 via science.slashdot.org
  U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will on Wednesday announce plans to force school pupils in England to study math up to the age of 18, according to a Downing Street briefing. The initiative attempts to tackle innumeracy and better equip young people for the workplace. CNBC reports: In his first speech of 2023, Sunak is expected to outline plans for math to be offered through alternative qualification routes. Comparatively, traditional A-Levels subject-based qualifications allow high school studen
  
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• NYC Bans Students and Teachers From Using ChatGPT

  05-01-2023 00:25 via news.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: New York City's education department has banned access to ChatGPT, a chatbot that uses machine learning to craft realistic text, out of concern for "safety and accuracy." As first reported by Chalkbeat New York, the ban will apply to devices and internet networks belonging to the education department. Individual schools can request access to ChatGPT for the purpose of studying AI and technology-related education, according to a department spokespers
  
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