ICT news

• AUKUS Blasts Holes In LockBit's Bulletproof Hosting Provider

  11-02-2025 23:20 via it.slashdot.org
  
  The US, UK, and Australia (AUKUS) have sanctioned Russian bulletproof hosting provider Zservers, accusing it of supporting LockBit ransomware operations by providing secure infrastructure for cybercriminals. The sanctions target Zservers, its UK front company XHOST Internet Solutions, and six individuals linked to its operations. The Register reports: Headquartered in Barnaul, Russia, Zservers provided BPH services to a number of LockBit affiliates, the three nations said today. On numerous occa
  
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• Thomson Reuters Wins First Major AI Copyright Case In the US

  11-02-2025 22:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Thomson Reuters haswon the first major AI copyright case in the United States. In 2020, the media and technology conglomerate filed an unprecedentedAI copyright lawsuit against the legal AI startup Ross Intelligence. In the complaint, Thomson Reuters claimed the AI firm reproduced materials from its legal research firm Westlaw. Today, a judge ruled (PDF) in Thomson Reuters' favor, finding that the company's copyright was indeed infringed by Ross In
  
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• Anduril To Take Over Managing Microsoft Goggles for US Army

  11-02-2025 21:55 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Anduril will take over management and eventual manufacturing of the U.S. Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) from Microsoft, a significant shift in one of the military's most ambitious augmented reality projects.
  The deal, which requires Army approval, could be worth over $20 billion in the next decade if all options are exercised, according to Bloomberg. The IVAS system, based on Microsoft's HoloLens mixed reality platform, aims to equip soldiers with advanced capabilities inclu
  
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• Google Chrome May Soon Use 'AI' To Replace Compromised Passwords

  11-02-2025 21:15 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Google's Chrome browser might soon get a useful security upgrade: detecting passwords used in data breaches and then generating and storing a better replacement. From a report: Google's preliminary copy suggests it's an "AI innovation," though exactly how is unclear.
  Noted software digger Leopeva64 on X found a new offering in the AI settings of a very early build of Chrome. The option, "Automated password Change" (so, early stages -- as to not yet get a copyedit), is described as, "When Chrome
  
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• FTC Fines DoNotPay Over Misleading Claims of 'Robot Lawyer'

  11-02-2025 20:35 via slashdot.org
  
  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has ordered DoNotPay to stop making deceptive claims about its AI chatbot advertised as "the world's first robot lawyer," in a ruling that requires the company to pay $193,000 in monetary relief. The final order, announced on February 11, follows FTC charges from September 2024 that DoNotPay's service failed to match the expertise of human lawyers when generating legal documents and giving advice.
  The company had not tested its AI's performance against human law
  
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• Hackers Call Current AI Security Testing 'Bullshit'

  11-02-2025 20:01 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Leading cybersecurity researchers at DEF CON, the world's largest hacker conference, have warned that current methods for securing AI systems are fundamentally flawed and require a complete rethink, according to the conference's inaugural "Hackers' Almanack" report [PDF].
  The report, produced with the University of Chicago's Cyber Policy Initiative, challenges the effectiveness of "red teaming" -- where security experts probe AI systems for vulnerabilities -- saying this approach alone cannot ad
  
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• Only One Big Economy Is Aiming for Paris Agreement's 1.5C Goal

  11-02-2025 19:14 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Seven of the 10 world's largest economies missed a deadline on Monday to submit updated emissions-cutting plans to the United Nations -- and only one, the UK, outlined a strategy for the next decade that keeps pace with expectations staked out under the Paris Agreement. From a report: All countries taking part in the UN process had been due to send their national climate plans for the next decade by Feb. 10, but relatively few got theirs in on time. Dozens more nations will likely come forward w
  
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• Kickstarter Will Alert Backers When a Project Has Failed

  11-02-2025 18:35 via slashdot.org
  
  Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter will start notifying supporters when a fundraising campaign faces "significant fulfillment failures" and breaks the platform's rules. From a report: The notification will also inform supporters how it's addressing the issue, including by "restricting the creator from launching future projects."
  The update comes as part of a series of changes Kickstarter plans to make this year that are aimed at "enhancing the backer experience and building trust in our community
  
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• EU Pledges $200 Billion in AI Spending in Bid To Catch Up With US, China

  11-02-2025 17:50 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The European Union pledged to mobilize 200 billion euros ($206.15 billion) to invest in AI as the bloc seeks to catch up with the U.S. and China in the race to train the most complex models. From a report: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc wants to supercharge its ability to compete with the U.S. and China in AI. The plan -- dubbed InvestAI -- includes a new 20 billion-euro fund for so-called AI gigafactories, facilities that rely on powerful chips to train th
  
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• Meta Starts Eliminating Jobs in Shift To Find AI Talent

  11-02-2025 17:12 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Meta began notifying staff of job cuts on Monday, kick-starting a process that will terminate thousands of people as the company cracks down on "low-performers" and scours for new talent to dominate the AI race. From a report: Meta workers who were let go were notified via email, and the company is offering US-based employees severance packages that include 16 weeks of salary, in addition two weeks for each year of service, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named
  
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• YouTube Surprise: CEO Says TV Overtakes Mobile as 'Primary Device' for Viewing

  11-02-2025 16:41 via news.slashdot.org
  
  If there was any doubt before, this seals it: YouTube is in the TV business. According to Neal Mohan, YouTube's CEO, TV screens have officially overtaken mobile as the "primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S." In other words, more people are watching YouTube on TV sets than any other device, at least here in the U.S. From a report: It is, as Mohan writes in his annual letter from the CEO, an indication that "YouTube is the new television."
  "But the 'new' television doesn't look like the '
  
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• Microplastics Can Block Blood Vessels in Mice Brains, Researchers Find

  11-02-2025 15:41 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Microplastics can move through mice brains and block blood vessels, essentially mimicking blood clots that could potentially be fatal or otherwise disrupt brain function. From a report: The findings are detailed in a peer-reviewed paper for which researchers for the first time used real-time imaging to track bits of plastic as they moved through and accumulated in brain blood vessels. When one piece of plastic got stuck, others accumulated behind it, like a "car crash," the authors reported.
  The
  
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• UK and US Refuse To Sign International AI Declaration

  11-02-2025 15:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The United States and Britain have declined to sign an international AI declaration at a Paris summit on Tuesday, after U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance warned against over-regulation of the technology. The declaration, backed by France, China and India, calls for an "open, inclusive and ethical" approach to AI development.
  Vance told the AI Action Summit that excessive rules could "kill a transformative industry just as it's taking off" and urged prioritizing "pro-growth AI policies" over safety
  
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• AI Can Now Replicate Itself

  11-02-2025 14:00 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Space.com: In a new study, researchers from China showed that two popular large language models (LLMs) could clone themselves. [...] For the study, researchers used Meta's Llama31-70B-Instruct model and Alibaba's Qwen2.5-72B-Instruct model. While less powerful than commercial systems, both are widely used by AI developers, the researchers said. The study explored two specific scenarios: "shutdown avoidance" and "chain of replication." In the first, the AI
  
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• Earth's Inner Core May Have Changed Shape, Say Scientists

  11-02-2025 11:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Scientists have found evidence suggesting that Earth's inner core has changed shape over the past 20 years, possibly deforming at its edges due to interactions with the liquid outer core and gravitational forces. The BBC reports: The inner core is usually thought to be shaped like a ball, but its edges may actually have deformed by 100 million or more in height in places, according to Prof John Vidale who led the research. [...] The new analysis looked at seismic wave patterns from earthquakes t
  
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• US-Funded 'Social Network' Attacking Pesticide Critics Shuts Down

  11-02-2025 08:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  The US company v-Fluence secretly compiled profiles on over 500 food and environmental health advocates, scientists, and politicians in a private web portal to discredit critics of pesticides and GM crops. Following public backlash and corporate cancellations after its actions were revealed by the Guardian, the company announced it was shutting down the profiling service. The Guardian reports: The profiles -- part of an effort that was financed, in part, by US taxpayer dollars -- often provided
  
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• Citing EV 'Rollercoaster' In US, BMW Invests In Internal Combustion

  11-02-2025 04:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Times: BMW has pledged to continue investing in combustion engine and hybrid technology as it warned of a "rollercoaster ride" in the US transition to electric vehicles following the return of Donald Trump as president. Board member Jochen Goller said the group remained optimistic about sales of petrol and plug-in hybrids in the US even if demand for EVs slowed over the next few years on the back of policy changes under the new administratio
  
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• Connecticut Bill Requires Movie Theaters To Reveal How Long Those 'Coming Soon' Trailers Really Are

  11-02-2025 03:30 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  Connecticut's highest-ranking state legislator has proposed a bill requiring movie theaters to disclose both preview and feature film start times, setting up a clash with theater operators who say the measure threatens their advertising revenue.
  Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney's proposal aims to prevent moviegoers from sitting through up to 30 minutes of advertisements and trailers before features begin. The Democrat cited complaints from constituents about lengthy pre-show delays. Th
  
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• China's BYD Adding 'High-Level' Self-Driving To Its Budget $10K EV

  11-02-2025 02:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Chinese automaker BYD is offering its advanced "God's Eye" autonomous technology in mass-market EVs like the $9,500 Seagull, while expanding globally with government-backed EV initiatives. Gizmodo reports: Previously, BYD had limited its driver assistance features to higher-end models that cost more than $28,000, according to BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu. In expanding the technology to the Seagull and other cars for no extra charge, Chuanfu said "good technology should be available to everyone." Other B
  
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• Jeep Introduces Pop-Up Ads That Appear Every Time You Stop

  11-02-2025 02:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  "In-dash advertising is here and Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram, beat everyone to further enshittification," writes longtime Slashdot reader sinij. "Ads can be seen in this video." From a report: In a move that has left drivers both frustrated and bewildered, Stellantis has introduced full-screen pop-up ads on its infotainment systems. Specifically, Jeep owners have reported being bombarded with advertisements for Mopar's extended warranty service. The kicker? T
  
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• TikTok Wants Android Users To Sideload Its App

  11-02-2025 01:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  With TikTok's U.S. ban temporarily paused, the company is encouraging Android users to sideload its app by downloading it directly from TikTok.com as an APK file, bypassing the Google Play Store. TechCrunch reports: The Android app download is being made available as an Android Package Kit, more commonly known as an APK file, which contains the app's code, assets, and other resources that TikTok needs to run. By offering a standalone download, TikTok can at least temporarily skirt the current ap
  
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• Brave Now Lets You Inject Custom JavaScript To Tweak Websites

  11-02-2025 00:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Brave Browser version 1.75 introduces "custom scriptlets," a new feature that allows advanced users to inject their own JavaScript into websites for enhanced customization, privacy, and usability. The feature is similar to the TamperMonkey and GreaseMonkey browser extensions, notes BleepingComputer. From the report: "Starting with desktop version 1.75, advanced Brave users will be able to write and inject their own scriptlets into a page, allowing for better control over their browsing experienc
  
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• Nvidia's RTX 5090 Power Connectors Are Melting

  11-02-2025 00:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Two owners of Nvidia's new RTX 5090 Founders Edition GPUs have reported melted power connectors and damage to their PSUs. The images look identical to reports of RTX 4090 power cables burning or melting from two years ago. Nvidia blamed the issue on people not properly plugging the 12VHPWR power connection in fully and the PCI standards body blamed Nvidia.A Reddit poster upgraded from an RTX 4090 to an RTX 5090 and noticed "a burning smell p
  
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