ICT news

• Japan's Honda and Nissan To Reportedly Begin Merger Talks

  17-12-2024 23:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan are reportedly in merger talks to form a holding company, potentially integrating Mitsubishi Motors to compete with industry giants like Toyota and Volkswagen. CNBC reports: The combined Nissan-Honda-Mitsubishi enterprise would equate to more than 8 million vehicle sales annually, according to Nikkei. That would place the company among the world's largest automakers, but still below fellow Japanese automaker Toyota Motor, at 11.2 million in 2023, as well as G
  
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• Companies Issuing RTO Mandates 'Lose Their Best Talent': Study

  17-12-2024 23:00 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have caused companies to lose some of their best workers, a study tracking over 3 million workers at 54 "high-tech and financial" firms at the S&P 500 index has found. These companies also have greater challenges finding new talent, the report concluded. The paper, Return-to-Office Mandates and Brain Drain [PDF], comes from researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Baylor University, The Ch
  
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• Big Loss For ISPs as Supreme Court Won't Hear Challenge To $15 Broadband Law

  17-12-2024 22:22 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  The Supreme Court has rejected the broadband industry's challenge to a New York law that requires Internet providers to offer $15- or $20-per-month service to people with low incomes. From a report: In August, six trade groups representing the cable, telecom, mobile, and satellite industries filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that upheld the state law. But the Supreme Court won't take up the case. The Supreme Court denied the telecom groups' petition wi
  
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• Hundreds of Websites To Shut Down Under UK's 'Chilling' Internet Laws

  17-12-2024 21:42 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Hundreds of websites will be shut down on the day that Britain's Online Safety Act comes into effect, in what are believed to be the first casualties of the new internet laws. From a report: Microcosm, a web forum hosting service that runs 300 sites including cycling forums and local community hubs, said that the sites would go offline on March 16, the day that Ofcom starts enforcing the Act.
  Its owner said they were unable to comply with the lengthy requirements of the Act, which created a "dis
  
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• Pricing Software Adds Billions To Rental Costs, White House Says

  17-12-2024 21:02 via slashdot.org
  
  Renters in the U.S. spent an extra $3.8 billion last year because of pricing algorithms used by landlords, according to an analysis from White House Council of Economic Advisers. Axios reports: The report puts some hard numbers to accusations that have piled up against RealPage, a company that makes software that helps big landlords and property managers set prices. In August, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against the company, alleging its pricing algorithm allows landlords t
  
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• DHS Says China, Russia, Iran, and Israel Are Spying on People in US with SS7

  17-12-2024 20:26 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believes that China, Russia, Iran, and Israel are the "primary" countries exploiting security holes in telecommunications networks to spy on people inside the United States, which can include tracking their physical movements and intercepting calls and texts, according to information released by Senator Ron Wyden. 404 Media: The news provides more context around use of SS7, the exploited network and protocol, against phones in the country. In May, 404 Me
  
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• A Third Person Has Received a Transplant of a Genetically Engineered Pig Kidney

  17-12-2024 19:45 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An Alabama woman became the third person to receive a pig kidney transplant, doctors at NYU Langone Health announced Tuesday. Towana Looney, 53, underwent the procedure on November 25 and was discharged December 6.
  Her kidney came from a pig with 10 genetic modifications designed to prevent organ rejection. The surgery follows two previous pig kidney transplants this year -- Richard Slayman at Massachusetts General Hospital, who died two months post-surgery from cardiac complications, and Lisa P
  
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• Chinese Hacker Singlehandedly Responsible For Exploiting 81,000 Sophos Firewalls, DOJ Says

  17-12-2024 19:10 via it.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: A Chinese hacker indicted earlier this month and the PRC-based cybersecurity company he worked for are both sanctioned by the US government for compromising "tens of thousands of firewalls" -- some protecting US critical infrastructure, putting human lives at risk.
  In a series of coordinated actions, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and the FBI said the massive cyber espionage campaign, whi
  
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• Seagate's Breakthrough 32TB HAMR Hard Drives Are Finally Here

  17-12-2024 18:38 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Seagate has launched its first mass-produced hard drives using heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, introducing 32TB and 30TB models under the Exos M brand. The drives, based on Seagate's Mozaic 3+ platform, mark the company's commercial breakthrough in HAMR technology after 16 years of development. Compatible with existing systems, the 32TB model uses shingled magnetic recording, while the 30TB version employs conventional magnetic recording.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  
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• The Slow Death of Neon

  17-12-2024 17:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Manhattan's iconic neon landscape is facing extinction as property owners increasingly replace historic neon signs with LED alternatives. From Times Square's dwindling glassworks to the recent losses at Smith's Bar and Subway Inn, the trend has accelerated across both small businesses and major landmarks, Curbed reports.
  Rockefeller Center's proposal to replace its 1935 neon signage with LEDs marks a significant moment in this shift, highlighting tensions between energy efficiency and preserving
  
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• Nvidia Launches Entry-Level AI Computer for Small Developers

  17-12-2024 17:01 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Nvidia unveiled a $249 version of its Jetson AI computer Tuesday, targeting hobbyists and small companies with a device that offers 70% more processing power than its predecessor at half the cost.
  The Jetson Orin Nano Super functions as a portable AI brain for robotics and industrial automation, allowing developers to run AI computations directly without data center connections. The palm-sized device, demonstrated by Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, uses less advanced chips than the company's high-e
  
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• Framework Unveils $39 Storage Expansion Module

  17-12-2024 16:22 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Framework has announced a $39 Dual M.2 Adapter for its Laptop 16, enabling users to add two additional M.2 slots to the laptop's expansion bay. The new component allows for up to 26TB of total storage when combined with the laptop's existing SSD slots, supporting various M.2 form factors with PCIe 4.0 connectivity.
  The company also replaced the Laptop 16's liquid metal cooling system with Honeywell PTM7958 thermal paste to address performance concerns. Framework will provide the new thermal solu
  
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• FTC Orders Ticket Sellers, Hotels To Show 'All-in' Prices Upfront

  17-12-2024 15:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The Federal Trade Commission unveiled a sweeping rule on Tuesday to crack down on hidden fees in ticket sales and hotel bookings, marking a major push by the agency to combat what it calls "junk fees" that cost consumers billions of dollars annually.
  The bipartisan measure requires businesses to display the total price, including all mandatory fees, upfront when advertising tickets for live events or short-term lodging. The rule aims to end the practice of surprising customers with additional ch
  
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• Meta Fined $263 Million Over 2018 Security Breach That Affected 3 Million EU Users

  17-12-2024 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta has been fined around $263 million in the European Union for a Facebook security breach that affected millions of users which the company disclosed back in September 2018. From a report: The penalty, issued on Tuesday by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) -- enforcing the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) -- is far from being the largest GDPR fine Meta has been hit with since the regime came into force over five years ago but is notable for being a substantial sanctio
  
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• TikTok Asks Supreme Court To Block Law Banning Its US Operations

  17-12-2024 14:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: TikTokasked the Supreme Court on Monday to temporarily block a law that would effectively ban it in the United States in a matter of weeks. Saying that the law violates both its First Amendment rights and those of its 170 million American users, TikTok, which is controlled by a Chinese parent company, urged the justices to maintain the status quo while they decide whether to hear an appeal. "Congress's unprecedented attempt to single o
  
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• CISA Issues BOD 25-01, Implementing Secure Practices for Cloud Services

  17-12-2024 13:00 via cisa.gov
  Today, CISA issued Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 25-01, Implementing Secure Practices for Cloud Services to safeguard federal information and information systems. This Directive requires federal civilian agencies to identify specific cloud tenants, implement assessment tools, and align cloud environments to CISA’s Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) secure configuration baselines. 
  Recent cybersecurity incidents highlight the significant risks posed by misconfigurations a
  
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• CISA and ONCD Release Playbook for Strengthening Cybersecurity in Federal Grant Programs for Critical Infrastructure

  17-12-2024 13:00 via cisa.gov
  Today, CISA and the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) published Playbook for Strengthening Cybersecurity in Federal Grant Programs for Critical Infrastructure to assist grant-making agencies to incorporate cybersecurity into their grant programs and assist grant-recipients to build cyber resilience into their grant-funded infrastructure projects. 
  This guide is for federal grant program managers, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and organizations such as state, local
  
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• Waymo Robotaxis Are Coming To Tokyo In 2025

  17-12-2024 11:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Waymo will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Tokyo in early 2025, marking its first deployment outside the U.S. TechCrunch reports: The move to Japan is part of Waymo's "road trips," a development program that involves bringing its technology to a variety of cities and testing it -- with each city having different challenges. In Tokyo, the Waymo robotaxis will face left-hand driving and a dense urban environment. [...] Waymo said it will partner with taxi-hailing app GO and taxi company N
  
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• Huge Math Error Corrected In Black Plastic Study

  17-12-2024 08:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Ars Technica's Beth Mole reports: Editors of the environmental chemistry journal Chemosphere have posted an eye-catching correction to a study reporting toxic flame retardants from electronics wind up in some household products made of black plastic, including kitchen utensils. The study sparked a flurry of media reports a few weeks ago that urgently implored people to ditch their kitchen spatulas and spoons. Wirecutter even offered a buying guide for what to replace them with. The correction, p
  
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• Infosys Founder Calls For 70-Hour Work Week, Again

  17-12-2024 06:31 via slashdot.org
  
  Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has once again argued for Indian workers to spend 70 hours a week in paid employment. From a report: Murthy called for the long working hours in October 2023 and then again in January 2024, and recently shared his opinion that two-day weekends were a mistake.
  His views have earned plenty of criticism, but he's not backing down. On Sunday he addressed the Indian chamber of Commerce's centenary celebration and reportedly argued 70-hour weeks are necessary because
  
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• Uber Will Need To Fingerprint Drivers In California To Transport Teens

  17-12-2024 04:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Uber has 30 days to require certain drivers to get fingerprinted if the ride-hail giant intends to continue transporting unaccompanied teens in California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a ruling Thursday that requires taxi and ride-hail drivers who are carrying unaccompanied minors in the state to pass a fingerprint background check. The ruling also requires transport companies to pay for the cost of those background
  
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• YouTube Is Letting Creators Opt Into Third-Party AI Training

  17-12-2024 01:20 via news.slashdot.org
  
  YouTube is introducing an optional feature allowing creators to let third-party companies use their videos to train AI models, with the default setting being opt-out. The Verge reports: "We see this as an important first step in supporting creators and helping them realize new value for their YouTube content in the AI era," a TeamYouTube staffer named Rob says in a support post. "As we gather feedback, we'll continue to explore features that facilitate new forms of collaboration between creators
  
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• Hackers Hit Rhode Island Benefits System In Major Cyberattack

  17-12-2024 00:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  A cyberattack on Rhode Island's RIBridges system has exposed personal data of individuals involved in programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and others, with hackers demanding a ransom. The breach may include sensitive details like Social Security numbers and banking information. The Associated Press reports: Anyone who has been involved in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Childcare Assistance Program, Rhode Island Works, Long
  
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• Cloudflare 2024: Global Traffic Up, Google Still King, US Churning Out Bots

  17-12-2024 00:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Cloudflare's 2024 internet traffic report highlights a 17.2% global increase in traffic, with Google maintaining its position as the most visited service and the U.S. responsible for 34.6% of bot traffic. The Register reports: One surprise (or perhaps not) is that IPv6 traffic is actually down as a percentage of the packets that passed through Cloudflare's network. It says that 28.5 percent of global traffic was IPv6 during 2024, whereas last year's report put this figure at 33.75 percent. The c
  
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