ICT news

• ISPs Tell Supreme Court They Don't Want To Disconnect Users Accused of Piracy

  19-09-2024 23:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Joe_Dragon shares a report: Four more large Internet service providers told the US Supreme Court this week that ISPs shouldn't be forced to aggressively police copyright infringement on broadband networks. While the ISPs worry about financial liability from lawsuits filed by major record labels and other copyright holders, they also argue that mass terminations of Internet users accused of piracy "would harm innocent people by depriving households, schools, hospitals, and businesses of Internet
  
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• Cruise Robotaxis Return To the Bay Area Nearly One Year After Pedestrian Crash

  19-09-2024 22:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Cruise is returning to the streets of Sunnyvale and Mountain View for the first time since it paused operations in the Bay Area after a robotaxi struck a pedestrian in October 2023. From a report: The company said Thursday that it will put "several" vehicles driven by humans in the two cities that will initially perform mapping. The company said it hopes to progress to supervised AV testing of up to five robotaxis "later this fall."
  "Resuming testing in the Bay Area is an important step forward
  
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• Torvalds Weighs in On 'Nasty' Rust vs C For Linux Debate

  19-09-2024 22:10 via linux.slashdot.org
  
  The Rust vs C battle raging in Linux circles has left even Linus Torvalds scratching his head. "I'm not sure why Rust has been such a contentious area," the Linux creator mused at this week's Open Source Summit, likening the fervor to ancient text editor wars. "It reminds me of when I was young and people were arguing about vi versus Emacs."
  The spat over integrating Rust into Linux has been brewing since 2022, with critics slamming it as an "insult" to decades of kernel work. One maintainer rec
  
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• 1 In 10 Orgs Dumping Their Security Vendors After CrowdStrike Outage

  19-09-2024 21:30 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) says one in ten organizations in the country affected by CrowdStrike's outage in July are dropping their current vendor's products. Four percent of organizations have already abandoned their existing solutions, while a further 6 percent plan to do so in the near future. It wasn't explicitly said whether this referred to CrowdStrike's Falcon product specifically or was a knee-jerk reacti
  
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• Apple's New macOS Sequoia Update Breaking Major Security Tools

  19-09-2024 20:51 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Apple's latest macOS 15 "Sequoia" update, released earlier this week, has disrupted security tools from major providers including CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and Microsoft, according to reports. The extent and cause of the disruption remain unclear.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  
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• Google Passkeys Can Now Sync Across Devices On Multiple Platforms

  19-09-2024 20:10 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Google is updating its Password Manager to allow users to sync passkeys across multiple devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with iOS and ChromeOS support coming soon. Engadget reports: Once saved, the passkey automatically syncs across other devices using Google Password Manager. The company says this data is end-to-end encrypted, so it'll be pretty tough for someone to go in and steal credentials. [...] Today's update also brings another layer of security to passkeys on Googl
  
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• 'Dead Internet Theory' Comes To Life With New AI-Powered Social Media App

  19-09-2024 19:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  A conspiracy theory known as "Dead Internet Theory" has gained traction in recent years, positing that most online social activity is artificial and designed to manipulate users. This theory has grown alongside the rise of large language models like ChatGPT. On Monday, software developer Michael Sayman launched SocialAI, an app that seems to embody aspects of this theory. ArsTechnica: SocialAI's 28-year-old creator, Michael Sayman, previously served as a product lead at Google, and he also bounc
  
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• Americans Can Now Renew Passports Online

  19-09-2024 18:50 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: The State Department announced Wednesday that its online renewal system is now fully operational, after testing in pilot programs, and available to adult passport holders whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year. It is not available for the renewal of children's passports, for first-time passport applicants for renewal applicants who live outside the United States or for expedited applications. "By offer
  
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• Tech Jobs Have Dried Up - and Aren't Coming Back Soon

  19-09-2024 18:01 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  The once-booming tech job market has contracted sharply, with software development postings down over 30% since February 2020, according to Indeed.com. Tech companies have shed around 137,000 jobs since January, Layoffs.fyi reports.
  This downturn, following years of aggressive hiring, marks a significant shift in the industry's labor dynamics. Companies are pivoting from growth-at-all-costs strategies to revenue-focused approaches, cutting entry-level positions and redirecting resources towards
  
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• Amazon's New 'Shark Tank'-Style Show Gives Winners Top Billing in Its Store

  19-09-2024 17:21 via slashdot.org
  
  Coming soon: Amazon sellers duking it out on TV to get their wares prime placement at the world's largest online retailer. Think "Shark Tank" meets Home Shopping Network. From a report: The e-commerce giant plans to introduce a new competition show next month in which entrepreneurs pitch their products to a studio audience as well as to judges including Amazon executives and celebrities like Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow and designer Christian Siriano. Finalists will have their inventions sold in
  
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• FTC Study Finds 'Vast Surveillance' of Social Media Users

  19-09-2024 16:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  The Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday it found that several social media and streaming services engaged in a "vast surveillance" of consumers, including minors, collecting and sharing more personal information than most users realized. From a report: The findings come from a study of how nine companies -- including Meta, YouTube and TikTok -- collected and used consumer data. The sites, which mostly offer free services, profited off the data by feeding it into advertising that targets sp
  
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• Palmer Luckey Is Bringing Anduril Smarts To Microsoft's Military Headset

  19-09-2024 16:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Anduril Industries, a defense startup founded by Palmer Luckey, will integrate its Lattice suite of software into Microsoft's Integrated Visual Augmentation System headset for the U.S. Army. The deal aims to enhance soldiers' battlefield awareness by displaying real-time data from drones, vehicles, and defense systems.
  Luckey, who sold virtual reality company Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion, launched Anduril in 2017 to challenge traditional defense contractors. The firm recently secured a cont
  
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• VMware Releases Security Advisory for VMware Cloud Foundation and vCenter Server

  19-09-2024 14:00 via cisa.gov
  VMware released a security advisory addressing vulnerabilities in the VMware Cloud Foundation and the vCenter Server. A cyber threat actor could exploit one of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.
  CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following VMware security advisory and apply the necessary updates:VCDSA24968
  
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• Ivanti Releases Admin Bypass Security Update for Cloud Services Appliance

  19-09-2024 14:00 via cisa.gov
  Ivanti has released a security update to address an admin bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-8963) affecting Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA) version 4.6.  A cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability in conjunction with CVE-2024-8190–detailed in a Sept. 13 Ivanti security advisory–to take control of an affected system. This vulnerability impacts all versions prior to patch 519.
  Ivanti has confirmed limited exploitation and recommends that users upgrade to CSA version
  
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• Cisco's Second Layoff of 2024 Affects Thousands of Employees

  19-09-2024 14:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  U.S. tech giant Cisco has let go of thousands of employees following its second layoff of 2024. From a report: The technology and networking company announced in August that it would reduce its headcount by 7%, or around 5,600 employees, following an earlier layoff in February, in which the company let go of about 4,000 employees. As TechCrunch previously reported, Cisco employees said that the company refused to say who was affected by the layoffs until September 16. Cisco did not give a reason
  
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• Kenya, US Sign Historic Pact On Nuclear Plans

  19-09-2024 12:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. on nuclear technology cooperation during the 2024 IAEA General Conference in Vienna, with the aim of safely integrating nuclear power into Kenya's energy mix by 2035. The agreement focuses on collaboration in nuclear safety, regulatory experience, and research. The Standard reports: The historic pact came a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi addressed the general session of the conference. Mudavadi had outlined Kenya'
  
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• FAA Fines SpaceX for Launch Violations, Company Fires Back with Lawsuit

  19-09-2024 09:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  schwit1 shares a report from SpaceNews: The FAA announced Sept. 17 that it notified SpaceX of $633,009 in proposed fines for violating terms of its launch licenses during the June 2023 Falcon 9 launch of the Satria-1, or PSN Satria, broadband satellite and the July 2023 Falcon Heavy launch of Jupiter-3, or EchoStar-24, broadband satellite. Both launches were successful.For the Satria-1 launch, the FAA said in its enforcement notice (PDF) to the company that SpaceX had requested in May 2023 chang
  
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• Patents For Software and Genetic Code Could Be Revived By Two Bills In Congress

  19-09-2024 05:30 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider two bills Thursday that would effectively nullify the Supreme Court's rulings against patents on broad software processes and human genes. Open source and Internet freedom advocates are mobilizing and pushing back. The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (or PERA, S. 2140), sponsored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), would amend US Code such that "all judicial excepti
  
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• Snapchat Reserves the Right To Use AI-Generated Images of Your Face In Ads

  19-09-2024 04:02 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Snapchat's terms of service for its "My Selfie" tool reserve the right to use users' AI-generated images in ads. While users can opt out by disabling the "See My Selfie in Ads" feature, it is enabled by default. 404 Media's Emanuel Maiberg reports: A support page on the Snapchat website titled "What is My Selfie?" explains further: "You'll take selfies with your Snap camera or select images from your camera roll. These images will be used to understand what you look like to enable you, Snap and
  
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• Apple A16 SoC Now Manufactured In Arizona

  19-09-2024 03:25 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  "Apple has begun manufacturing its A16 SoC at the newly-opened TSCM Fab 21 in Arizona," writes Slashdot reader NoMoreACs. AppleInsider reports: According to sources of Tim Culpan, Phase 1 of TSMC's Fab 21 in Arizona is making the A16 SoC of the iPhone 14 Pro in "small, but significant, numbers. The production is largely a test for the facility at this stage, but more production is expected in the coming months. The volume will ramp up massively once the second stage of the Phase 1 fab actually c
  
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• X Circumvents Court-Ordered Block In Brazil

  19-09-2024 03:05 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Late last month, Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to suspend operations in Brazil after a months-long dispute with X owner Elon Musk. The conflict centered on Musk's refusal to appoint a legal representative in the country and his refusal to take down disinformation and far-right accounts. However, on Wednesday, X bypassed the court-ordered block by utilizing third-party cloud services, allowing many Brazilian users to access the platform without the need for a virtual private net
  
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• 20 Years Later, Real-Time Linux Makes It To the Kernel

  19-09-2024 02:45 via linux.slashdot.org
  
  ZDNet's Steven Vaughan-Nichols reports: After 20 years, Real-Time Linux (PREEMPT_RT) is finally -- finally -- in the mainline kernel. Linus Torvalds blessed the code while he was at Open Source Summit Europe. [...] The real-time Linux code is now baked into all Linux distros as of the forthcoming Linux 6.12 kernel. This means Linux will soon start appearing in more mission-critical devices and industrial hardware. But it took its sweet time getting here. An RTOS is a specialized operating system
  
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• Microsoft and Abu Dhabi's MGX To Back $30 Billion BlackRock AI Infrastructure

  19-09-2024 02:02 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Data Center Dynamics: BlackRock plans to launch a new $30 billion artificial intelligence (AI) investment fund focused on data centers and energy projects. Microsoft and Abu Dhabi-backed investment company MGX are general partners of the fund. GPU giant Nvidia will also advise. Run through BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners fund, which it acquired for $12.5 billion earlier this year, the 'Global AI Investment Partnership,' plans to raise up to $30
  
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• Chinese Spies Spent Months Inside Aerospace Engineering Firm's Network Via Legacy IT

  19-09-2024 01:20 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  The Register's Jessica Lyons reports: Chinese state-sponsored spies have been spotted inside a global engineering firm's network, having gained initial entry using an admin portal's default credentials on an IBM AIX server. In an exclusive interview with The Register, Binary Defense's Director of Security Research John Dwyer said the cyber snoops first compromised one of the victim's three unmanaged AIX servers in March, and remained inside the US-headquartered manufacturer's IT environment for
  
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• House Committee Approves Bill Requiring New Cars To Have AM Radio

  19-09-2024 00:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  The House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which mandates that automakers include AM radio in new vehicles without additional charges. The Verge reports: The bill passed the committee on a roll-call vote of 45-2 and now heads to the full House for final approval. The bill, titled the AM for Every Vehicle Act, would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule that "requires automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in t
  
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• YouTube Launches Communities, a Discord-Like Space For Creators and Fans

  19-09-2024 00:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: At its Made On YouTube event on Wednesday, the company announced a new dedicated space for creators to interact with their fans and viewers. The space, called "Communities," is kind of like a Discord server built into a creator's channel. With Communities, YouTube is hoping creators won't need to use other platforms like Discord or Reddit in order to interact with viewers. Communities are a space for viewers to post and interact with other fan
  
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