ICT news

• Cory Doctorow: Legalising Reverse Engineering Could End 'Enshittification'

  11-01-2026 13:34 via news.slashdot.org
  Scifi author/tech activist Cory Doctorow has decried the "enshittification" of our technologies to extract more profit. But Saturday he also described what could be "the beginning of the end for enshittification" in a new article for the Guardian — "our chance to make tech good again".There is only one reason the world isn't bursting with wildly profitable products and projects that disenshittify the US's defective products: its (former) trading partners were bullied into passing an "anti-
  
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• OpenAI's First Device Will Be Moveable, Screenless Speaker Built as AI Companion

  15-07-2026 01:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  OpenAI is reportedly developing a screen-free, portable smart speaker meant to act as a personalized home computer and humanlike AI companion. "It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT," reports Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter. The device, expected to be unveiled this year and released in 2027, would mark OpenAI's first major hardware push after acquiring Jony
  
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• Google Images Gets a Pinterest-Like Redesign Focused On Discovery

  15-07-2026 00:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  Google Images is getting a Pinterest-like redesign that turns image search into a personalized discovery feed, with "For You" galleries, real-time updates, and collections for saving visual ideas. "Google is also adding a way for users to create AI images right in Search, as it celebrates 25 years since the debut of Google Images," reports TechCrunch. From the report: After navigating to the redesigned Google Images, users will see a "For You" gallery of images tailored to their interests and br
  
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• Lawsuit Claims Meta's Layoff Decisions Were Made By AI, Not Humans

  14-07-2026 23:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  A lawsuit from 26 Meta employees alleges the company used AI-driven scoring and monitoring systems to select workers for layoffs, disproportionately targeting employees with disabilities or those who had taken protected medical, family, pregnancy, or parental leave. "Meta did not assemble the termination list through the considered judgment of managers who knew the work. Instead, Meta used a constellation of internal artificial-intelligence systems -- including a system referred to internally as
  
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• Google DeepMind Calls For US To Spearhead AI Standards Body

  14-07-2026 22:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis is calling for a U.S.-led AI standards body to review frontier models for national security risks such as cybersecurity and biological threats. His proposal would create a federally overseen public-private organization, initially voluntary and eventually mandatory for U.S. deployment. CNBC reports: Google DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis, a Nobel laureate, said in an article posted on X on Tuesday that "urgent action" was needed to address risks associated with a
  
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• Linux Foundation's Latest Foray Is To Standardize Internet-Native Payments For AI Agents

  14-07-2026 21:00 via linux.slashdot.org
  Today, the Linux Foundation launched the x402 Foundation to standardize internet-native payments for AI agents, APIs, and applications, based on Coinbase's contributed x402 protocol. Backed by companies including AWS, American Express, Cloudflare, Google, Mastercard, Stripe, and Visa, the effort aims to make payments work directly over HTTP (assuming users are comfortable letting AI agents handle financial transactions)."The whole idea is to give agents access to money and, through that financia
  
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• OnePlus Is Reportedly Shutting Down In the US, Europe

  14-07-2026 20:00 via mobile.slashdot.org
  OnePlus will reportedly announce this week that it is shutting down its brand in the U.S. and Europe, following months of signs that parent company Oppo was winding down the brand's global presence. India and China are reportedly unaffected, but it's unclear whether Oppo will replace the brand directly in those markets. The move also raises questions about future support for existing OnePlus users. 9to5Google reports: WinFuture reports that OnePlus is gearing up for an official withdrawal from t
  
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• IBM Stock Collapses After a Grave Warning About AI

  14-07-2026 19:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  IBM shares plunged after the company warned that Q2 revenue and earnings would miss expectations, blaming customers' sudden shift in spending toward AI hardware instead of software services. However, CEO Arvind Krishna did not place all the blame on IBM's customers. The CEO also said it "faltered" by failing to "anticipate the magnitude of the capex reprioritization.""These conditions require our teams to execute perfectly, and this quarter we faltered. We did not adapt and move quickly enough,
  
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• New York Becomes First State To Impose Data Center Moratorium

  14-07-2026 18:00 via news.slashdot.org
  New York has become the first U.S. state to impose a moratorium on large new data centers, pausing construction for one year over concerns that AI-driven data center growth is raising utility bills, straining water supplies, and burdening communities. "As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it's my responsibility to take action and lead," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. She will also pursue legisl
  
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• StubHub, CEO Hit With 'Deceptive Practices' Class Action Over Mass Scalping

  14-07-2026 17:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: StubHub and its CEO, Eric Baker, have been hit with a proposed $5-million class-action lawsuit in the United States over the company's ties to large-scale scalpers -- connections reported by CBC News last week. The suit, filed Monday by New York ticket buyer Louis Sanquini, alleges deceptive practices and fraudulent misrepresentation over StubHub's promoting itself as a "marketplace for fans to buy and sell tickets." The online ticket resale gian
  
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• Indian Scientists Produce Most Detailed 3D Atlas of the Human Brainstem

  14-07-2026 13:00 via science.slashdot.org
  Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) have created what they describe as the world's most detailed 3D cellular atlas of the human brainstem, linking whole-brain MRI views to individual neurons across more than 500 tissue sections. The free online atlas, called Anchor, could help researchers better understand diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, and SIDS by showing how healthy and diseased brain tissue differs cell by cell. The BBC reports: Built from high
  
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• Scientists Find Sugar Deep In Our Galaxy

  14-07-2026 09:05 via science.slashdot.org
  Astronomers have detected erythrulose, a sugar found in raspberries and self-tanners, in a gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way. While not essential for life itself, the molecule can convert into a form thought to be important for life's origins, adding evidence that key prebiotic ingredients may be widespread across the galaxy. The Associated Press reports: Using two dish-shaped radio telescopes in Spain, researchers collected data from a large gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way.
  
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• Over 200 Economists Say 'We Must Act Now' On AI's Economic Impact

  14-07-2026 05:30 via slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Hundreds of economists say in an open letter that institutions "must act now" to address how artificial intelligence could transform the economy and could put many people out of work. The statement released Monday was signed by top economists, along with computer scientists and some executives at tech companies including Anthropic, Google and OpenAI."AI may become radically more powerful over the next 10 years," says the letter organ
  
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• Microsoft Promises To Fix Search With Major Windows 11 Overhaul

  14-07-2026 01:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  Microsoft is overhauling Windows 11 search to prioritize local apps, files, and settings over web results while removing ads, promotions, MSN/Bing clutter, and other distractions. "You've have been asking for search that is faster, more relevant, and easier to use -- whether you're opening an app, finding a file, or changing a setting," Microsoft says in a new blog post. "Because the Windows Search Box is where many people start, we focused first on making results more dependable, easier to scan
  
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• US Government Warns That Russia State Hackers Are Coming After Your Router

  14-07-2026 00:00 via it.slashdot.org
  CISA and allied governments are warning users to secure their routers as Russian state-backed hackers continue compromising the devices and turning them into proxy nodes to disguise attacks against critical infrastructure. The advisory urges users to disable outdated SNMP versions, use strong passwords, update firmware, and turn off unnecessary router services to reduce the risk of being swept into these botnets. Ars Technica reports: "Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Center 16 cyber actor
  
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• German Firm Files For Insolvency After Cybercriminals Shut Down Production For 6 Weeks

  13-07-2026 23:12 via slashdot.org
  German textile firm ZEGO has filed for insolvency and is blaming a March cyberattack that shut down production for nearly six weeks. "ZEGO's filing adds another name to the short but growing list of companies that say a digital break-in was commercially fatal to their business," reports The Register. From the report: In a notice to customers and suppliers, the organization said it had exhausted every available option before seeking insolvency protection. Managing director Johannes Zenglein descr
  
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• States Sue to Block Paramount-Warner Bros Merger, Defying DOJ

  13-07-2026 22:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  A coalition of 12 states led by California is suing to block the $111 billion Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. merger, arguing it would reduce competition in theatrical distribution, blockbuster films, and basic cable licensing. The challenge (PDF) defies the DOJ's approval of the deal. Variety reports: The coalition, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alleges that the $111 billion transaction violates the Clayton Act by lessening competition in three distinct markets: wide-release the
  
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• Apple Reportedly Agreed to Intel Chips To Avoid White House Tariffs

  13-07-2026 21:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  According to the Wall Street Journal (paywalled), Apple agreed to use Intel's U.S. chipmaking plants after White House officials pressured Tim Cook during tariff-relief talks last summer. MacRumors reports: In August 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington to lobby the Trump administration to drop its proposed 100 percent tariff on semiconductor imports -- a levy that would have raised costs across Apple's product line. Apple reportedly secured an exemption after pledging to invest hundreds o
  
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• Cloudflare Precursor Watches Your Mouse and Keyboard To Decide If You Are Human

  13-07-2026 20:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  BrianFagioli writes: Cloudflare has launched Precursor, a new behavioral bot detection system that monitors mouse movement, typing cadence, scrolling, clipboard activity, page visibility, and other signals across an entire browsing session. The system is designed to catch advanced bots that can run JavaScript, use real browsers, and pass traditional CAPTCHA challenges. Cloudflare says Precursor does not record actual keystrokes and instead studies timing and rhythm. The company also says the dat
  
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• Social Media Limits Are Coming For Teens Across Europe

  13-07-2026 19:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  The European Union is considering major new restrictions on children's access to social media, including age limits, phased access, and an outright ban. "This is not about whether children can access social media," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "It is about when social media can access our children." The Verge reports: Social media platforms could also be forced to prove their services are not harmful before young people are allowed to use them. European Commission Pre
  
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• Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting On Social Media

  13-07-2026 18:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  A new Incogni survey suggests Americans are pulling back from social media, with more than half saying "maintaining an online presence feels like work" and 55% reporting they post less than they did five years ago. "The full study concludes that there's been a significant shift in public attitudes toward social media," reports PCMag. "Where it was once fun and relaxing, it's now growing dark and angsty..." From the report: As the chart shows, there's also a clear correlation with age. A full 60%
  
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• China, Russia and Others Seek To Inflame Debate Over AI Data Centers

  13-07-2026 17:00 via slashdot.org
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: A state-owned newspaper in China recently published a satellite image of a data center in Gainesville, Va., writing in English that the development of artificial intelligence posed a threat to Americans' physical and financial well-being. A comic strip made to look as if it had been published by a Maryland news outlet -- created with OpenAI's ChatGPT by people in China, the tech company said -- circulated on X this year, blaming data c
  
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• Linus Torvalds on Rust, C, Bugs, and AI Patch-Checking Tools

  13-07-2026 13:34 via linux.slashdot.org
  "Git and email are the two really only tools I use," Linus Torvalds said at Open Source Summit India 2026. But ZDNet reports that he also shared his thoughts on Rust, C, and patch-checking tools:"I use Google as a way to look things up." He added, "I'm unusual; most of the other maintainers end up using many more tools, and I think a lot of them are starting to use AI tools for patch checking," while he "works at a higher level. I work with people, not tools."
  When asked about Rust both in Git a
  
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• Japan's Space Agency Conducts First Test Flight For Experimental Reusable Rocket

  13-07-2026 10:54 via science.slashdot.org
  "Japan's experimental reusable rocket took off and safely landed in a first test flight Saturday," reports the Associated Press, as Japan "seeks to achieve the technology key to cut launch costs and compete in the global space market dominated by SpaceX."
  The RV-X rocket lifted off, hovered and moved horizontally before landing [watch the video here] during its less than one-minute flight at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Noshiro Testing Center in northeastern Japan, which was livestre
  
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• America May Soon Be Facing Largest Labor Shortage in Its History

  13-07-2026 06:54 via it.slashdot.org
  America "is facing what's projected to become the largest labor shortage in its history," according to experts interviewed by the Washington Post:Economists warn that the worsening labor problem, due in part to a skills shortage and population shifts, will be vast and reach beyond tech. It "could hobble the American economy for years to come," predicts the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Lightcast, a labor market data company, calls it "the largest labor shortage the
  
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• America May Soon Be Facing It's Largest Labor Shortage in Its History

  13-07-2026 06:54 via it.slashdot.org
  America "is facing what's projected to become the largest labor shortage in its history," according to experts interviewed by the Washington Post:Economists warn that the worsening labor problem, due in part to a skills shortage and population shifts, will be vast and reach beyond tech. It "could hobble the American economy for years to come," predicts the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Lightcast, a labor market data company, calls it "the largest labor shortage the
  
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• Semi-Trailer Trucks Test Converting Into Plug-In Hybrids

  13-07-2026 03:54 via tech.slashdot.org
  Long-time Slashdot reader necro81 writes: There are several companies, such as Tesla, trying to make semi trucks fully electric. The capital cost for such a truck, and the MW-scale infrastructure to recharge it, may be a hard sell for some operators. [IEEE Spectrum notes that's a charging infrastructure "that most freight corridors do not yet reliably provide."] But some companies are instead adding batteries and an electric motor to the semi-trailers that trucks haul behind them.
  "The Nivalis P
  
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• 'Billionaire Exodus? California Drew 10x More Venture Capital Than Any Other State This Year'

  13-07-2026 01:34 via news.slashdot.org
  California drew more than $335 billion in venture capital funding this year, reports the Los Angeles Times, citing data released Thursday by PitchBook on private market funding:Its next biggest competitor, New York, raised less than a tenth of California's total. Texas raised 1/40th of the amount... Although a campaign for a new tax on billionaires has convinced some ultra-rich residents to shift to other states and businesses often complain that high property and energy costs and an anti-busine
  
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• 'Forget Coders. the Real AI Threat Is In the Back Office'

  13-07-2026 00:29 via it.slashdot.org
  Which jobs are most threatened by AI? "Programmers, software engineers and other tech industry employees," goes one common answer.
  "But many economists are more concerned about a different, larger group of white-collar workers," reports the New York Times: customer service reps, bookkeepers, payroll clerks and HR specialists, "who fly under the radar but collectively account for tens of millions of jobs..."They are spread across the country and throughout the economy, working in every industry,
  
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• Linus Torvalds on AI, Junk Patches, Humans, and Godzilla

  12-07-2026 22:55 via linux.slashdot.org
  Linus Torvalds once said LLMs might bring a 10X increase to programmer productivity. But speaking at Open Source Summit India 2026, he now says that number was "not scientific,"
  reports ZDNet. "That was pulled out of my ass number, obviously."
  Today, he continued, "we're at the point where hopefully it creates more productivity than it takes away," but "we certainly saw more junk being generated by LLMs than we saw useful code up until the like early this year.... it can actually be a huge drain
  
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