ICT news

• How an Empty S3 Bucket Can Make Your AWS Bill Explode

  30-04-2024 21:10 via slashdot.org
  
  Maciej Pocwierz, a senior software engineer Semantive, writing on Medium: A few weeks ago, I began working on the PoC of a document indexing system for my client. I created a single S3 bucket in the eu-west-1 region and uploaded some files there for testing. Two days later, I checked my AWS billing page, primarily to make sure that what I was doing was well within the free-tier limits. Apparently, it wasn't. My bill was over $1,300, with the billing console showing nearly 100,000,000 S3 PUT requ
  
  Read more

• EU Sets Benchmark For Rest of the World With Landmark AI Laws

  22-05-2024 03:25 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Europe's landmark rules on artificial intelligence will enter into force next month after EU countries endorsed on Tuesday a political deal reached in December, setting a potential global benchmark for a technology used in business and everyday life. The European Union's AI Act is more comprehensive than the United States' light-touch voluntary compliance approach while China's approach aims to maintain social stability and state control. The vot
  
  Read more

• Windows Now Has AI-Powered Copy and Paste

  22-05-2024 02:45 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Umar Shakir reports via The Verge: Microsoft is adding a new Advanced Paste feature to PowerToys for Windows 11 that can convert your clipboard content on the fly with the power of AI. The new feature can help people speed up their workflows by doing things like copying code in one language and pasting it in another, although its best tricks require OpenAI API credits.Advanced Paste is included in PowerToys version 0.81 and, once enabled, can be activated with a special key command: Windows Key
  
  Read more

• 'Pay Researchers To Spot Errors in Published Papers'

  22-05-2024 02:02 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Borrowing the idea of "bug bounties" from the technology industry could provide a systematic way to detect and correct the errors that litter the scientific literature. Malte Elson, writing at Nature: Just as many industries devote hefty funding to incentivizing people to find and report bugs and glitches, so the science community should reward the detection and correction of errors in the scientific literature. In our industry, too, the costs of undetected errors are staggering. That's why I ha
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Linux 6.10 Honors One Last Request By Hans Reiser

  22-05-2024 01:20 via linux.slashdot.org
  
  Longtime Slashdot reader DVega shares a report from Phoronix: ReiserFS lead developer and convicted murderer Hans Reiser a few months back wrote letters to be made public apologizing for his social mistakes and other commentary. In his written communications he also made a last request for ReiserFS in the Linux kernel: "Assuming that the decision is to remove [ReiserFS] V3 from the kernel, I have just one request: that for one last release the README be edited to add Mikhail Gilula, Konstantin S
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Is Making File Explorer More Powerful With Version Control and 7z Compression

  22-05-2024 01:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Sean Hollister reports via The Verge: At Build, Microsoft now says it's adding native version control to File Explorer by integrating systems like Git, letting you see new changes and comments directly from the app. Here's a cropped and zoomed version of the provided screenshot so you can get a better look. [...] Microsoft says it's also letting File Explorer natively compress files to 7-zip and TAR; currently, the right-click context menu has a "Compress to ZIP file" option, but ZIP is thought
  
  Read more

• IGN Scoops Up Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and More

  22-05-2024 00:40 via games.slashdot.org
  
  It seems no industry is safe from consolidation, and the latest target is gaming media. From a report: IGN Entertainment has acquired the website portfolio of UK publisher Gamer Network, which operates a number of beloved games-focused publications. That list includes Gamesindustry.biz, Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, VG247, and the tabletop site Dicebreaker. The network also holds shares in sites like Nintendo Life and Digital Foundry.
  Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Gamesindustry.biz repo
  
  Read more

• Sonos Enters the Headphones Market

  22-05-2024 00:20 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  After being rumored for years, Sonos has officially entered the headphones market with its new Ace headphones. "The Sonos Ace wireless over-ear active noise-canceling headphones are specified to go toe-to-toe with the established market leaders from the likes of Apple and Bose, and they're priced to match at $449," reports Wired. From the report: Visually, you get an elegant and notably slim pair of over-ear headphones in either a black or "soft" white matte finish. Thanks to a light 312-gram we
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Apple Says US Antitrust Lawsuit Should Be Dismissed

  22-05-2024 00:02 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple said on Tuesday it plans to ask a U.S. judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and 15 states in March that alleged the iPhone maker monopolized the smartphone market, hurt smaller rivals and drove up prices. From a report: In a letter to U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in New Jersey, Apple said "far from being a monopolist, Apple faces fierce competition from well-established rivals, and the complaint fails to allege that Apple has the ability to charge supra-competi
  
  Read more

• Gordon Bell, an Architect of Our Digital Age, Dies At Age 89

  21-05-2024 23:25 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Computer pioneer Gordon Bell, who as an early employee of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) played a key role in the development of several influential minicomputer systems and also co-founded the first major computer museum, passed away on Friday, according to Bell Labs veteran John Mashey. Mashey announced Bell's passing in a social media post on Tuesday morning. "I am very sad to report [the] death May 17 at age 89 of Gordon Bell, famou
  
  Read more

• US Government Urges Federal Contractors To Strengthen Encryption

  21-05-2024 22:45 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Companies working with the US government may be required to start protecting their data and technology from attacks by quantum computers as soon as July. From a report: The National Institute for Standards and Technology, part of the Department of Commerce, will in July stipulate three types of encryption algorithms the agency deems sufficient for protecting data from quantum computers, setting an internationally-recognized standard aimed at helping organizations manage evolving cybersecurity th
  
  Read more

• Top Oil Firms' Climate Pledges Failing on Almost Every Metric, Report Finds

  21-05-2024 20:14 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Major oil companies have in recent years made splashy climate pledges to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and take on the climate crisis, but a new report suggests those plans do not stand up to scrutiny. From a report: The research and advocacy group Oil Change International examined climate plans from the eight largest US- and European-based international oil and gas producers -- BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies -- and found none were compatible
  
  Read more

• Google's Moonshot Factory Falls Back Down to Earth

  21-05-2024 19:24 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Alphabet's moonshot factory, X, is scaling back its ambitious projects amid concerns over Google's core search business facing competition from AI chatbots like ChatGPT. The lab, once a symbol of Google's commitment to innovation, is now spinning off projects as startups rather than integrating them into Alphabet. The shift reflects a broader trend among tech giants, who are cutting costs and focusing on their core businesses in response to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.Read more of this sto
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Edge Will Dub Streamed Video With AI-Translated Audio

  21-05-2024 18:41 via slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is planning to either add subtitles or even dub video produced by major video sites, using AI to translate the audio into foreign languages within Microsoft Edge in real time. From a report: At its Microsoft Build developer conference, Microsoft named several sites that would benefit from the new real-time translation capabilities within Edge, including Reuters, CNBC News, Bloomberg, and Coursera, plus Microsoft's own LinkedIn. Interestingly, Microsoft also named Google's YouTube as a
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Launches Free AI Assistant For All Educators in US in Deal With Khan Academy

  21-05-2024 18:02 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft is partnering with tutoring organization Khan Academy to provide a generative AI assistant to all teachers in the U.S. for free. From a report: Khanmigo for Teachers, which helps teachers prepare lessons for class, is free to all educators in the U.S. as of Tuesday. The program can help create lessons, analyze student performance, plan assignments, and provide teachers with opportunities to enhance their own learning.
  "Unlike most things in technology and education in the past where th
  
  Read more

• Match Group, Meta, Coinbase And More Form Anti-Scam Coalition

  21-05-2024 17:33 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Scams are all over the internet, and AI is making matters worse (no, Taylor Swift didn't giveaway Le Creuset pans, and Tom Hanks didn't promote a dental plan). Now, companies such as Match Group, Meta and Coinbase are launching Tech Against Scams, a new coalition focused on collaboration to prevent online fraud and financial schemes. They will "collaborate on ways to take action against the tools used by scammers, educate and protect consumers and disrupt rap
  
  Read more

• EPA Says It Will Step Up Enforcement To Address 'Critical' Vulnerabilities Within Water Sector

  21-05-2024 16:45 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday urged water utilities to take action to improve their digital defenses, following a spate of recent cyberattacks. From a report: The agency's "enforcement alert" said that recent inspections of water systems found that more than 70 percent fail to meet basic cybersecurity standards, including some with "critical" vulnerabilities, such as relying on default passwords that haven't been updated and single logins that "can easily be compromised." Th
  
  Read more

• Scarlett Johansson Warned OpenAI To Not Use Her Voice

  21-05-2024 16:00 via slashdot.org
  
  Actress Scarlett Johansson's legal team has sent two letters to OpenAI, demanding the company disclose how it developed an AI personal assistant voice that the actress claims sounds uncannily similar to her own. The controversy was prompted after OpenAI held a live demonstration of the voice, dubbed "Sky," which many observers compared to Johansson's voice in the 2013 film "Her."
  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had approached Johansson months prior and as recently as two days before the event, proposing t
  
  Read more

• Google Cuts Mystery Check To US In Bid To Sidestep Jury Trial

  21-05-2024 15:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Alphabet's Google has preemptively paid damages to the U.S. government, an unusual move aimed at avoiding a jury trial in the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit over its digital advertising business. Google disclosed (PDF) the payment, but not the amount, in a court filing last week that said the case should be heard and decided by a judge directly. Without a monetary damages claim, Google argued, the government has no right to a jury trial.
  
  Read more

• Rockwell Automation Encourages Customers to Assess and Secure Public-Internet-Exposed Assets

  21-05-2024 14:00 via cisa.gov
  Rockwell Automation has released guidance encouraging users to remove connectivity on all Industrial Control Systems (ICS) devices connected to the public-facing internet to reduce exposure to unauthorized or malicious cyber activity. Users and administrators are encouraged review the following Rockwell Automation notice for more information:
   SD1672: Rockwell Automation Reiterates Customer Guidance to Disconnect Devices from the Internet to Protect from Cyber Threats
   
  
  Read more

• Warm Water Melts 'Doomsday Glacier' Half a Mile Each Year, Finds Study

  21-05-2024 12:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Recent research led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered warm, high-pressure seawater causing significant melting under the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. "There are places where the water is almost at the pressure of the overlying ice, so just a little more pressure is needed to push up the ice," said lead author Eric Rignot, UC Irvine professor of Earth system science. "The water is then squeezed enough to jack up a column of more than half a mile of ice." Interesting Engine
  
  Read more

• Neuralink To Test Brain Implant On Second Patient

  21-05-2024 09:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  The FDA has approved Neuralink to implant its brain chip in a second patient. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company also outlined fixes to an electrode problem that caused its chip to detach from the first patient's brain. They were unharmed and could still control a computer mouse using their thoughts. Axios reports: Neuralink, which is owned by Elon Musk, said it is seeking applications for another patient with quadriplegia to test if the device can allow a person to do tasks like
  
  Read more

• Scientists Develop New Technique To Thaw Frozen Brain Tissue Without Harm

  21-05-2024 05:30 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Medical Xpress: A team of medical researchers at the National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, in China, has developed a technique to freeze and thaw brain tissue without causing damage. In their study, published in the journal Cell Reports Methods, the group tested bathing brain organoid tissue in candidate chemicals before freezing them using liquid nitrogen. [...] The work involved dipping or soaking brain organoids (br
  
  Read more

• Vitalik Buterin Addresses Threats To Ethereum's Decentralization In New Blog Post

  21-05-2024 02:10 via slashdot.org
  
  In a new blog post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has shared his thoughts on three issues core to Ethereum's decentralization: MEV, liquid staking, and the hardware requirements of nodes. The Block reports: In his post, published on May 17, Buterin first addresses the issue of MEV, or the financial gain that sophisticated node operators can capture by reordering the transactions within a block. Buterin characterizes the two approaches to MEV as "minimization" (reducing MEV through smart pr
  
  Read more

• Apple Slashes iPhone Prices In China Amid Fierce Huawei Competition

  21-05-2024 01:30 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Apple is offering discounts of up to $318 on select iPhone models in China, hoping to "defend its position in the high-end smartphone market, where it faces increasing competition from local rivals such as Huawei," reports Reuters. From the report: The increased competitive pressure on Apple comes after Huawei last month introduced its new series of high-end smartphones, the Pura 70, following the launch of the Mate 60 last August. Apple's previous discounting effort in February appears to have
  
  Read more

• HP Resurrects '90s OmniBook Branding, Kills Spectre and Dragonfly

  21-05-2024 00:50 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  HP announced today that it will resurrect the "Omni" branding it first coined for its business-oriented laptops introduced in 1993. The vintage branding will now be used for the company's new consumer-facing laptops, with HP retiring the Spectre and Dragonfly brands in the process. Furthermore, computers under consumer PC series names like Pavilion will also no longer be released. "Instead, every consumer computer from HP will be called either an OmniBook for laptops, an OmniDesk for desktops, o
  
  Read more

• Return-To-Office Mandate Is Backfiring On a Key Federal Agency

  21-05-2024 00:10 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hill: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dynamics of the workplace have undergone a seismic shift. While some heralded the return to the office as a sign of normalcy, evidence suggests that for many, this transition has been far from smooth sailing. Nowhere is this struggle more evident than in the case of the U.S. federal government employees, particularly those within the Department of Justice. At the beginning of the year, the Justice Depart
  
  Read more

• Microsoft Paint Is Getting an AI-Powered Image Generator

  20-05-2024 23:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft Paint is getting a new image generator tool called Cocreator that can generate images based on text prompts and doodles. Engadget reports: During a demo at its Surface event, the company showed off how Cocreator combines your own drawings with text prompts to create an image. There's also a "creativity slider" that allows you to control how much you want AI to take over compared with your original art. As Microsoft pointed out, the combination of text prompts and your own brush strokes
  
  Read more

• JPMorgan, Mastercard Embrace Biometric Payment Options

  20-05-2024 22:50 via news.slashdot.org
  
  With JPMorgan and Mastercard piloting biometric payment options, a future where consumers can pay with their face is rapidly approaching. "Our focus on biometrics as a secure way to verify identity, replacing the password with the person, is at the heart of our efforts in this area," said Dennis Gamiello, executive vice president of identity products and innovation at Mastercard. Based on the positive feedback received thus far, Gamiello says the biometric checkout technology will roll out to mo
  
  Read more

• 'Prism' Translation Layer Does For Arm PCs What Rosetta Did For Macs

  20-05-2024 22:12 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Microsoft is going all-in on Arm-powered Windows PCs today with the introduction of a Snapdragon X Elite-powered Surface Pro convertible and Surface Laptop, and there are inevitable comparisons to draw with another big company that recently shifted from Intel's processors to Arm-based designs: Apple. A huge part of the Apple Silicon transition's success was Rosetta 2, a translation layer that makes it relatively seamless to run most Intel Ma
  
  Read more

Follow @newslocke_ict on Twitter!