ICT news

• Preprint Sites bioRxiv and medRxiv Launch New Era of Independence

  11-03-2025 23:40 via science.slashdot.org
  
  A new chapter has begun for two of the world's most popular preprint platforms, bioRxiv and medRxiv, with the launch of a non-profit organization that will manage them, their co-founders announced today. From a report: The servers allow researchers to share manuscripts for free before peer review and have become an integral part of publishing biology and medical research. Until now, they had been managed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York. The new organization, named openRxiv, w
  
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• Zoox Robotaxis Do Not Meet Federal Safety Standards, Agency Says

  11-03-2025 23:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Washington Post: An Amazon-backed self-driving taxi failed to meet vehicle safety standardsbecause it lacks basics like a brake pedal and rearview mirrors, according to a report by federal inspectors that raises questions about the industry's plans to put a new generation of autonomous vehicles on U.S. roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report was produced as part of a review last year of an unusual vehicle by Amazon subsidiary
  
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• Thousands of TP-Link Routers Have Been Infected By a Botnet To Spread Malware

  11-03-2025 22:20 via it.slashdot.org
  
  The Ballista botnet is actively exploiting a high-severity remote code execution flaw (CVE-2023-1389) in TP-Link Archer AX-21 routers, infecting over 6,000 devices primarily in Brazil, Poland, the UK, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Tom's Hardware reports: According to a new report from the Cato CTRL team, the Ballista botnet exploits a remote code execution vulnerability that directly impacts the TP-Link Archer AX-21 router. The botnet can lead to command injection which then makes remote code execution
  
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• Spain To Impose Massive Fines For Not Labeling AI-Generated Content

  11-03-2025 21:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Spain's government has approved legislation imposing substantial fines of up to 35 million euros or 7% of global turnover on companies that fail to clearly label AI-generated content. Reuters reports: The bill adopts guidelines from the European Union's landmark AI Act imposing strict transparency obligations on AI systems deemed to be high-risk, Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez told reporters. "AI is a very powerful tool that can be used to improve our lives ... or to spread misinfor
  
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• Vodafone Tells Employees To Follow RTO Policy Or Lose Bonuses

  11-03-2025 21:00 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Vodafone is warning staff in the UK to work onsite at least eight days a month or be subject to disciplinary action from April. Group UK employees were last week sent the "Hybrid Working at Vodafone" memo -- seen by The Register -- to highlight the policy and tell them to expect a year-end conversation with their line manager. "You will have read in Get Ready for Year-End Conversations and a Hybrid Working Reminder [documents] that your line
  
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• Southwest Airlines To End Free Checked Bags Policy For First Time in Its 54-Year History

  11-03-2025 19:59 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Southwest Airlines boasts that its passengers' "bags fly free" -- but not for long. From a report: Starting May 28 -- just in time for the busy summer travel season -- only Southwest's most elite Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and passengers who book their top-tier Business Select fares will receive two free checked bags. Frequent flyer A-List Members, Southwest-branded credit card holders and other select customers will be allowed one checked bag.
  Everyone else will be charged for their
  
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• The Surprising Impact of QR Code Menus on Diminishing Customer Loyalty

  11-03-2025 19:05 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Abstract of a paper published on Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management:The adoption of digital menus accessed through quick response (QR) codes has witnessed a notable upsurge. Despite potential benefits for restaurant operators, the nuanced effects of QR code menus on customer behavior and experience remain relatively unknown. This research investigates the influence of menu presentation (QR code vs. traditional) on customer loyalty. In two studies, we find that QR code menus diminish c
  
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• Why Extracting Data from PDFs Remains a Nightmare for Data Experts

  11-03-2025 18:26 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Businesses, governments, and researchers continue to struggle with extracting usable data from PDF files, despite AI advances. These digital documents contain valuable information for everything from scientific research to government records, but their rigid formats make extraction difficult.
  "PDFs are a creature of a time when print layout was a big influence on publishing software," Derek Willis, a lecturer in Data and Computational Journalism at the University of Maryland, told ArsTechnica. T
  
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• Only Seven Countries Worldwide Meet WHO Dirty Air Guidelines, Study Shows

  11-03-2025 17:47 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Nearly every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend breathing, a report has found. From a report: Only seven countries met the World Health Organization's guidelines for tiny toxic particles known as PM2.5 last year, according to analysis from the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Australia, New Zealand and Estonia were among the handful of countries with a yearly average of no more than 5ug of PM2.5 per cubic metre, along with Iceland and some small island states.
  The
  
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• Half-Past Four Is the New Five O'Clock in More Efficient Workday

  11-03-2025 17:05 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: The average American workday now concludes at 4:39 p.m., a notable 36 minutes earlier than it did just two years ago when the clock-out time hovered around 5:21 p.m, according to the latest data from the workforce analytics and productivity software company ActivTrak.
  The new report tracked the workplace behaviors of over 200,000 employees across 777 companies. Despite the shorter workday, the data suggests that overall productivity has increased by about 2%.
  
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• Firefox Certificate Expiration Threatens Add-ons, Streaming on March 14

  11-03-2025 16:20 via news.slashdot.org
  
  A critical root certificate expiring on March 14, 2025 will disable extensions and potentially break DRM-dependent streaming services for Firefox users running outdated browsers. Users must update to at least Firefox 128 or ESR 115.13+ to maintain functionality across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android platforms.
  The expiration additionally compromises security infrastructure, including blocklists for malicious add-ons, SSL certificate revocation lists, and password breach notifications. Even th
  
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• California Pension Fund Labels Chevron and Saudi Aramco as Climate Investments

  11-03-2025 15:40 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The US's largest pension fund has classified more than $3 billion of holdings in oil drillers, coal miners, and other major greenhouse gas producers as climate-friendly investments, according to a new analysis of public records. From a report: Stakes in Saudi Aramco, Chevron Corp. and Chinese coal company Inner Mongolia Dian Tou Energy are among the holdings that California Public Employees' Retirement System labeled as "climate solutions." The findings are part of a report from California Commo
  
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• SpaceX Readies Starlink India Launch

  11-03-2025 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  SpaceX's Starlink has secured its first agreement in India, partnering with telecommunications leader Bharti Airtel to bring high-speed satellite internet to the world's most populous country, the companies announced Tuesday [PDF].
  The landmark deal will enable Starlink to tap into Airtel's extensive retail network and ground infrastructure while expanding its global reach into previously underserved regions across India, pending regulatory authorizations.
  "We are excited to work with Airtel and
  
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• Facebook Was 'Hand In Glove' With China

  11-03-2025 14:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: A former senior Facebook executive has told the BBC how the social media giant worked "hand in glove" with the Chinese government on potential ways of allowing Beijing to censor and control content in China. Sarah Wynn-Williams -- a former global public policy director -- says in return for gaining access to the Chinese market of hundreds of millions of users, Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, considered agreeing to hiding posts that were goin
  
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• SpaceX Partners With Airtel To Launch Starlink in India

  11-03-2025 12:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  SpaceX's Starlink has secured its first agreement in India, partnering with telecommunications leader Bharti Airtel to bring high-speed satellite internet to the world's most populous country, the companies announced Tuesday [PDF].
  The landmark deal will enable Starlink to tap into Airtel's extensive retail network and ground infrastructure while expanding its global reach into previously underserved regions across India, pending regulatory authorizations.
  "We are excited to work with Airtel and
  
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• Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Is the New Leader of Relativity Space

  11-03-2025 11:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has taken control of rocket startup Relativity Space, replacing co-founder Tim Ellis as CEO and significantly funding the company's development of its medium-lift rocket, Terran R. The New York Times first reported (paywalled) the news. Ars Technica reports: Schmidt's involvement with Relativity has been quietly discussed among space industry insiders for a few months. Multiple sources told Ars that he has largely been bankrolling the company since the end of Octob
  
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• NASA Eliminates Chief Scientist and Other Jobs At Its Headquarters

  11-03-2025 08:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  NASA is eliminating approximately 20 positions, including its chief scientist and roles related to technology, policy, and diversity. The move, as part of a Trump administration effort to reduce staffing, "could be a harbinger of deeper cuts to NASA's science missions and a greater emphasis on human spaceflight, especially to Mars," reports the New York Times. From the report: The cuts affect about 20 employees at NASA, including Katherine Calvin, the chief scientist and a climate science expert
  
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• Microplastics Hinder Plant Photosynthesis, Study Finds

  11-03-2025 04:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The pollution of the planet by microplastics is significantly cutting food supplies by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesize, according to a new assessment. The analysis estimates that between 4% and 14% of the world's staple crops of wheat, rice and maize is being lost due to the pervasive particles. It could get even worse, the scientists said, as more microplastics pour into the environment. About 700 million people were affec
  
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• New Zealand's $16 Billion Public Health System Runs on a Single Excel Sheet

  11-03-2025 03:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  The Register's Simon Sharwood reports: The body that runs New Zealand's public health system uses a single Excel spreadsheet as the primary source of data to consolidate and manage its finances, which aren't in great shape perhaps due to the sheet's shortcomings. The spreadsheet-using agency is Health New Zealand (HNZ) which was established in 2022 to replace 20 district health boards in the expectation it would be more cost-effective and deliver more consistent services. The org has a budget of
  
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• Photographers Are on a Mission to Fix Wikipedia's Famously Bad Celebrity Portraits

  11-03-2025 02:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  A volunteer group called WikiPortraits is working to address Wikipedia's issue of featuring outdated and unflattering portraits by providing high-quality, openly licensed images. Since 2024, they have covered global festivals, taken thousands of images, and improved representation of underrepresented individuals, though challenges with funding and media credentials remain. 404 Media reports: This portrait problem stems from Wikipedia's mission to provide free reliable information. All media on t
  
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• Asana CEO Announces Retirement, Stock Plummets 25%

  11-03-2025 01:50 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Dustin Moskovitz, CEO and co-founder of Asana, is stepping down and will transition to the role of Chair once a new CEO is appointed. "As I reflect on my journey since co-founding Asana nearly 17 years ago, I'm filled with immense gratitude," Moskovitz said in a statement. "Creating and leading Asana has been more than just building a company -- it's been a profound privilege to work alongside some of the most talented minds in the industry." Asana's stock price was down more than 25% following
  
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• Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Pokes Fun At Mark Zuckerberg With Latin Phrase T-Shirt

  11-03-2025 01:10 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: When Bluesky CEO Jay Graber walked on stage at SXSW 2025 for her keynote discussion, she wore a large black T-shirt with her hair pulled back into a bun. At first glance, it might appear as though she's following the same playbook that so many women in tech leadership have played before: downplaying her femininity to be taken seriously. The truth is way more interesting than that. What might look like your average black T-shirt is a subtle, ye
  
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• Internet Shutdowns At Record High In Africa As Access 'Weaponized'

  11-03-2025 00:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Internet shutdowns in Africa hit a record high in 2024, with 21 shutdowns across 15 countries. The previous record was 19 shutdowns in 2020 and 21. The Guardian reports: Authorities in Comoros, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritius joined repeat offenders such as Burundi, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya. Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania were also on the list. But perpetrators also included militias and other non-state actors. Telecommunication and internet service providers who shut services ba
  
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