ICT news

• A Room-Temperature Superconductor? New Developments

  01-08-2023 23:40 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Derek Lowe, a medicinal chemist and freelance writer on science and pharmaceutical topics, comments on the latest developments around last week's remarkable claim of a well-above-room-temperature superconducting material at ambient pressure, dubbed LK-99. Here's an excerpt from his post: As of this morning, there are (as yet not really verified) reports of replication from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. At least, a video has been posted showed what could be a sample
  
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• Reddit Beats Film Industry, Won't Have To Identify Users Who Admitted Torrenting

  01-08-2023 23:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Film companies lost another attempt to force Reddit to identify anonymous users who discussed piracy. A federal court on Saturday quashed a subpoena (PDF) demanding users' names and other identifying details, agreeing with Reddit's argument that the film companies' demands violate the First Amendment. The plaintiffs are 20 producers of popular movies who are trying to prove that Internet service provider Grande is liable for its subscribers'
  
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• UNESCO Says Venice Should Be Added To Heritage Danger List

  01-08-2023 19:41 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The United Nations' cultural protection agency, UNESCO, plans to recommend adding Venice to its list of World Heritage sites in danger, as the iconic island city faces simultaneous threats from climate change, mass tourism and rapid urban development. From a report: The designation, meant to encourage remedial actions and marshal international support for World Heritage sites, is recommended in a UNESCO report published Monday ahead of its World Heritage Committee meeting in September. The List
  
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• Search for Voyager 2 After Nasa Accidentally Sends Wrong Command

  01-08-2023 18:04 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Nasa engineers hope to re-establish contact with the Voyager 2 spacecraft after sending a faulty command that severed communications with the far-flung probe. From a report: The spacecraft is one of a pair that launched in 1977 to capture images of Jupiter and Saturn, but continued on a journey into interstellar space to become the farthest human-made objects from Earth. The space agency lost contact with Voyager 2, which is now more than 12bn miles away, when mission staff accidentally beamed t
  
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• YouTube Uses AI To Summarize Videos in Latest Test

  01-08-2023 17:22 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Google is experimenting with the use of AI to auto-generate YouTube video summaries, according to a notice on a support page dated July 31st. From a report: The page, which we spotted via Android Police, notes that these summaries will only appear next to a limited number of English-language videos, and will only be viewable by a limited number of users. They'll appear on YouTube's watch and search pages, and are intended to give a brief overview of a video's contents without replacing its exist
  
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• Meta To Seek User Consent for Targeted Ads in the EU

  01-08-2023 16:52 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta intends to ask users in the European Union for their consent before allowing businesses to target advertising based on what they view on its services such as Facebook and Instagram, the social media giant said on Tuesday. From a report: Meta said the change is to address a number of evolving regulatory requirements in the region and stems from an order in January by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner, Meta's lead EU regulator, to reassess the legal basis on how it targets ads.
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• Amazon Rolls Out Its Virtual Health Clinic Nationwide

  01-08-2023 16:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Amazon is rolling out its virtual health clinic service nationwide, the
  company announced Tuesday. From a report: The e-retailer launched the service, called Amazon Clinic, last November, touting it as a virtual platform for users to connect with health-care providers to treat common conditions like sinus infections, acne, and migraines. Users select their condition, choose a provider, then answer a brief questionnaire. Depending on where they live, users can choose to connect with a clinician o
  
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• Google Assistant To Get an AI Makeover

  01-08-2023 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Axios: Google plans to overhaul its Assistant to focus on using generative AI technologies similar to those that power ChatGPT and its own Bard chatbot, according to an internal e-mail sent to employees Monday and seen by Axios. Google says some work on the revamped Assistant has begun, starting with the mobile version of the product. As part of the move, Google is reorganizing the teams that work on Assistant. The company said in the email it's making a
  
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• CISA and International Partner NCSC-NO Release Joint Cybersecurity Advisory on Threat Actors Exploiting Ivanti EPMM Vulnerabilities

  01-08-2023 14:00 via cisa.gov
  The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Norwegian National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NO) have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA), Threat Actors Exploiting Ivanti EPMM Vulnerabilities, in response to the active exploitation of CVE-2023-35078 and CVE-2023-35081 affecting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) (formerly known as MobileIron Core). Threat actors can chain these vulnerabilities to gain initial, privileged access to EPMM systems and execute uploa
  
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• Euclid Space Telescope Sends Back First Images of the Cosmos

  01-08-2023 12:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid space telescope has released its first test images. New Scientist reports: Euclid launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 1 July and took about a month to reach its final orbit about four times as far from Earth as the moon. While it sailed to its destination, researchers on Earth were hard at work turning on and calibrating its two cameras. The telescope's first images show that both cameras are working as expected, peering into the universe in both v
  
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• Water-Soluble Circuit Boards Could Cut Carbon Footprints By 60 Percent

  01-08-2023 09:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  German semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies AG announced that it's producing a printed circuit board (PCB) that dissolves in water. Engadget reports: Jiva's biodegradable PCB is made from natural fibers and a halogen-free polymer with a much lower carbon footprint than traditional boards made with fiberglass composites. A 2022 study by the University of Washington College of Engineering and Microsoft Research saw the team create an Earth-friendly mouse using a Soluboard PCB as its core. The
  
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• Facebook To Unmask Anonymous Dutch User Accused of Repeated Defamatory Posts

  01-08-2023 05:30 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Starting today, Facebook users may feel a little less safe posting anonymously. The Court of the Hague in The Netherlands ruled that Meta Ireland must unmask an anonymous user accused of defaming the claimant, a male Facebook user who allegedly manipulated and made secret recordings of women he dated. The anonymous Facebook user posted the allegedly defamatory statements in at least two private Facebook groups dedicated to discussing dating
  
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• Microsoft Now Offers Xbox Wireless Controller Replacement Parts For DIY Repairs

  01-08-2023 04:03 via games.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is extending the repairability program it introduced for its Surface PC products to include replacement parts for its Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 products. Neowin reports: The page on the Microsoft Store site shows that replacement parts are available for the top case for both versions of the controller, along with replacement buttons. In addition, Microsoft is selling Replacement Input PCBA boards for those Xbox controllers, along with the Replacement P
  
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• Google's Jigsaw Was Fighting Toxic Speech With AI. Then the AI Started Talking

  01-08-2023 03:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  tedlistens writes: All large language models are liable to produce toxic and other unwanted outputs, either by themselves or at the encouragement of users. To evaluate and "detoxify" their LLMs, OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic, and others are using Perspective API -- a free tool from Google's Jigsaw unit designed to flag toxic human speech on social media platforms and comment sections. But, as Alex Pasternack reports at Fast Company, researchers and Jigsaw itself acknowledge problems with Perspective a
  
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• AWS To Start Charging For Public IPv4 Addresses

  01-08-2023 02:45 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Long-time Slashdot reader nairnr shares a report from The Register: Cloud giant AWS will start charging customers for public IPv4 addresses from next year, claiming it is forced to do this because of the increasing scarcity of these and to encourage the use of IPv6 instead. It is now four years since we officially ran out of IPv4 ranges to allocate, and since then, those wanting a new public IPv4 address have had to rely on address ranges being recovered, either from from organizations that clos
  
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• The US and Europe Are Growing Alarmed By China's Rush Into Legacy Chips

  01-08-2023 02:02 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TIME: U.S. and European officials are growing increasingly concerned about China's accelerated push into the production of older-generation semiconductors and are debating new strategies to contain the country's expansion. President Joe Biden implemented broad controls over China's ability to secure the kind of advanced chips that power artificial-intelligence models and military applications. But Beijing responded by pouring billions into factories for t
  
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• Lenovo Is Working On a Windows PC Gaming Handheld Called the 'Legion Go'

  01-08-2023 01:20 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  According to Windows Central, Lenovo is working on a handheld gaming PC dubbed "Legion Go," featuring Windows 11 and Ryzen chips. From the report: While details are scant right now, we understand this will sport AMD's new Phoenix processors, which the chip firm describes as ultra-thin, focused on gaming, AI, and graphics for ultrabooks. The fact the Legion Go will sport Ryzen chips pretty much guarantees that this is a Windows PC gaming handheld, as part of Lenovo's popular gaming "Legion" brand
  
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• Massachusetts Lawmakers Eye a 'Netflix Tax' To Fund Community TV Channels

  01-08-2023 00:40 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  A proposed state tax in Massachusetts on streaming video services could increase prices for popular platforms like Netflix and Hulu, as the 5 percent fee would support approximately 200 community access cable channels struggling due to declining cable subscriptions. The Boston Globe reports: In July, the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology held hearings on legislation filed by Democratic State Representative Joan Meschino and Republican Representative Mathew J. Muratore, both of P
  
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• Amazon Achieved Its 'Fastest Prime Speeds Ever' Last Quarter

  01-08-2023 00:00 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Amazon achieved its "fastest Prime speeds ever" last quarter, the online retail giant announced on Monday. The company says it has delivered more than 1.8 billion units to U.S. Prime members so far this year, nearly four times what it delivered at those speeds by this point in 2019. Across the top 60 largest U.S. metro areas, more than half of Prime member orders arrived the same or next day. Same-day delivery is currently available on million
  
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