ICT news

• Russian Email Domains Target US Polling Sites with Bomb Threats, FBI Says

  05-11-2024 23:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The FBI warned on Tuesday that polling stations across multiple U.S. states received fake bomb threats sent from Russian email domains, forcing brief evacuations at two voting sites in Georgia's Fulton County.
  The threats, which targeted locations in Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, have not been deemed credible, the FBI said in a statement. The evacuated Fulton County sites reopened after 30 minutes, prompting local officials to seek extended voting hours beyond the 7 p.m. ET deadline.
  The inc
  
  Read more

• Amazon Starts Drone Deliveries In Arizona

  05-11-2024 23:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Amazon is launching drone deliveries from its Tolleson, AZ, same-day delivery site, making over 50,000 essentials available to eligible customers in the West Valley Phoenix area. The Verge reports: The news came after Amazon announced it was shutting down its testing zone location in Lockeford, California. The new Tolleson location integrates drone deliveries into Amazon's delivery network for the first time, and the drones will deploy right next to the fulfillment center. Amazon is using its la
  
  Read more

• World's First Wood-Paneled Satellite Launched Into Space

  05-11-2024 22:20 via science.slashdot.org
  
  SpaceX has launched the world's first wood-paneled satellite into space "to test the suitability of timber as a renewable building material in future exploration of destinations like the Moon and Mars," reports the BBC. From the report: Made by researchers in Japan, the tiny satellite weighing just 900g is heading for the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission. It will then be released into orbit above the Earth. Named LignoSat, after the Latin word for wood, its panels have been built
  
  Read more

• Mozilla Foundation Lays Off 30% Staff, Drops Advocacy Division

  05-11-2024 21:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: The Mozilla Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Firefox browser maker Mozilla, has laid off 30% of its employees as the organization says it faces a "relentless onslaught of change." When reached by TechCrunch, Mozilla Foundation's communications chief Brandon Borrman confirmed the layoffs in an email. "The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable te
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Oil Giant BP is Killing 18 Hydrogen Projects, Chilling the Nascent Industry

  05-11-2024 19:50 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Tucked inside a 32-page earnings report, oil and gas giant BP revealed it was killing 18 early-stage hydrogen projects, a move that could have a chilling effect on the nascent hydrogen industry. The decision, along with the sale of the company's U.S. on-shore wind power operations, will save BP $200 million annually and help boost its bottom line. The hydrogen industry, which has relied on oil and gas companies both financially and through lobbying efforts, i
  
  Read more

• AMD Overtakes Intel in Datacenter Sales For First Time

  05-11-2024 19:18 via slashdot.org
  
  AMD has surpassed Intel in datacenter processor sales for the first time in history, marking a dramatic shift in the server chip market. AMD's datacenter revenue hit $3.549 billion in Q3, edging out Intel's $3.3 billion, according to SemiAnalysis.
  The milestone ends Intel's decades-long dominance in server processors, where it held over 90% market share until recent years. AMD's EPYC processors now power many high-end servers, commanding premium prices despite selling at lower costs than compara
  
  Read more

• Degradation of Land is Threat To Human Life, Saudi Government Says

  05-11-2024 18:36 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The degradation of the world's soils and landscapes is threatening human life, and must be addressed as a matter of urgency, the government of Saudi Arabia has said. The Guardian: Neglect of the land is wiping trillions of dollars from global economies, hampering agricultural production, disrupting water supplies, threatening children with poor nutrition, and destroying vital ecosystems, according to the country's deputy environment minister. Land degradation, and ways to combat the problem, wil
  
  Read more

• Apple Warns Investors Future Products May Never Be as Profitable as iPhone

  05-11-2024 18:01 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple has warned investors that future products may never be as profitable as its iPhone business, as it pushes into unproven new markets such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality headsets. From a report: The iPhone maker added the new warning on growth and profit margins to its latest annual report, in the list of "risk factors" facing the tech group's business.
  "New products, services and technologies may replace or supersede existing offerings and may produce lower revenues and lowe
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Google's Big Sleep LLM Agent Discovers Exploitable Bug In SQLite

  05-11-2024 17:05 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  spatwei writes: Google has used a large language model (LLM) agent called "Big Sleep" to discover a previously unknown, exploitable memory flaw in a widely used software for the first time, the company announced Friday.
  The stack buffer underflow vulnerability in a development version of the popular open-source database engine SQLite was found through variant analysis by Big Sleep, which is a collaboration between Google Project Zero and Google DeepMind.
  Big Sleep is an evolution of Project Zero
  
  Read more

• Delhi Wants Artificial Rain To Tackle Worsening Air Pollution

  05-11-2024 16:28 via news.slashdot.org
  
  India's capital territory of Delhi is keen to use artificial rain to fight air pollution this year, its Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday, as deteriorating air quality in the region led to an increase in respiratory illnesses. From a report: Large swathes of north India battle pollution each winter as cold air traps dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from farm fires in the breadbasket states of Punjab and Haryana, shrouding the national capital and its suburbs in a toxic haze. Cloud-
  
  Read more

• India Issues Notice To Wikipedia Over Concerns of Bias

  05-11-2024 15:44 via news.slashdot.org
  
  India's government challenged Wikipedia's legal immunity as a tech platform on Tuesday, issuing a notice questioning whether the online encyclopedia should be reclassified as a publisher. The move follows Delhi High Court warnings to suspend Wikipedia's India operations over a defamation case filed by Asian News International. The news agency seeks to unmask contributors who labeled it a "government propaganda tool." Justice Navin Chawla threatened contempt proceedings after Wikipedia cited its
  
  Read more

• Apple Explores Push Into Smart Glasses With 'Atlas' User Study

  05-11-2024 15:05 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple is exploring a push into smart glasses with an internal study of products currently on the market, setting the stage for the company to follow Meta into an increasingly popular category. From a report: The initiative, code-named Atlas, got underway last week and involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Additional focus groups are planned for the near future, said the people, who asked not to be identified because t
  
  Read more

• Meta Permits Its AI Models To Be Used For US Military Purposes

  05-11-2024 14:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Meta will allow U.S. government agencies and contractors working on national security to use its artificial intelligence models for military purposes, the company said on Monday, in a shift from its policy that prohibited the use of its technology for such efforts. Meta said that it would make its A.I. models, called Llama, available to federal agencies and that it was working with defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Booz A
  
  Read more

• US Regulator Rejects Bid To Boost Nuclear Power To Amazon Data Center

  05-11-2024 11:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) blocked Amazon's bid to access more power from the Susquehanna nuclear plant for its Pennsylvania data center, citing grid reliability and consumer cost concerns. The Hill reports: In a 2-1 decision, the FERC found the regional grid operator, PJM Interconnection, failed to prove that the changes to the transmission agreement with Susquehanna power plant were necessary. The regulator's two Republican commissioners, Mark Christie and Lindsay See, out
  
  Read more

• Researchers Spot Black Hole Eating Stuff At Over 40x the Theoretical Limit

  05-11-2024 08:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole in the early Universe devouring matter at over 40 times the Eddington limit. ScienceAlert reports: Led by astronomer Hyewon Suh of Gemini Observatory and NSF's NOIRLab, a team of researchers used JWST to take follow-up observations of a smattering of galaxies identified by the Chandra X-ray Observatory that were bright in X-rays but dim in other wavelengths. When they got to LID-568, they were having trouble identifying its distance across sp
  
  Read more

• Sweden Scraps Plans For 13 Offshore Windfarms Over Russia Security Fears

  05-11-2024 04:30 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Sweden has vetoed plans for 13 offshore windfarms in the Baltic Sea, citing unacceptable security risks. The country's defence minister, Pal Jonson, said on Monday that the government had rejected plans for all but one of 14 windfarms planned along the east coast. The decision comes after the Swedish armed forces concluded last week that the projects would make it more difficult to defend Nato's newest member.The proposed windfarms would hav
  
  Read more

• visionOS 2.2 Beta Adds Wide and Ultrawide Modes To Mac Virtual Display

  05-11-2024 03:10 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Apple released the first beta of visionOS 2.2, introducing new "Wide" and "Ultrawide" modes for the Mac Virtual Display feature on the Vision Pro headset. MacRumors reports: Apple has previously said the ultra-wide version of Mac Virtual Display is equivalent to having two physical 4K displays sitting side by side on a desk. Mac Virtual Display is now available in three sizes: Normal, Wide, and Ultrawide. visionOS 2.2 will likely be released to the public in December alongside iOS 18.2, iPadOS 1
  
  Read more

• Netflix Is Removing Nearly All of Its Interactive Titles

  05-11-2024 02:30 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  According to The Verge, Netflix plans to delist almost all of its interactive shows and films as of December 1st. Only four of the 24 interactive titles will remain: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, and You vs. Wild. From the report: The removal of the titles marks a disappointing conclusion to Netflix's earliest efforts into interactive content. The company first launched the interactive titles in 2017 with Puss in
  
  Read more

• Robinhood and Kraken Launch New Global Stablecoin Network With Paxos' USDG

  05-11-2024 01:50 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Leading fintech and digital asset firms, including Robinhood, Kraken and Galaxy Digital, have introduced a joint stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. Called the Global Dollar Network, it seeks to enhance the stablecoin market by lowering transaction costs, boosting consumer protections, and facilitating cross-border transactions with rewards for institutional participants. Crypto Briefing reports: The network will utilize Paxos's new stablecoin, the Global Dollar (USDG), which complies with the
  
  Read more

• Perplexity CEO Offers To Replace Striking NYT Staff With AI

  05-11-2024 01:10 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: The CEO of AI search company Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, has offered to cross picket lines and provide services to mitigate the effect of a strike by New York Times tech workers. The NYT Tech Guild announced its strike Monday, after setting November 4 as its deadline months earlier. The workers represented provide software support and data analysis for the Times, on the business side of the outlet. They have been asking for an annual 2.5% wa
  
  Read more

• Prime Video Will Let You Summon AI To Recap What You're Watching

  05-11-2024 00:30 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  Amazon's Prime Video has introduced "X-Ray Recaps," a generative AI feature that will recap what you're watching. The new tool can create text summaries of "full seasons of TV shows, single episodes, and even pieces of episodes," the company says in a blog post. The Verge reports: X-Ray Recaps will be accessible from the detail page of a show or in X-Ray while you're watching something. The tool "analyzes various video segments, combined with subtitles or dialogue, to generate detailed descripti
  
  Read more

Follow @newslocke_ict on Twitter!