ICT news

• New MoonBounce UEFI Bootkit Can't Be Removed by Replacing the Hard Drive

  24-01-2022 19:15 via it.slashdot.org
  
  Security researchers from Kaspersky said they have discovered a novel bootkit that can infect a computer's UEFI firmware. From a report: What makes MoonBounce -- the name they gave the bootkit -- special is the fact that the malware doesn't burrow and hide inside a section of the hard drive named ESP (EFI System Partition), where some UEFI code typically resides, but instead it infects the SPI flaws memory that is found on the motherboard. This means that, unlike similar bootkits, defenders can'
  
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• AT&T Goes Up Against T-Mobile, Starlink With AST SpaceMobile Satellite Deal

  16-05-2024 12:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Michael Kan reports via PCMag: AT&T has struck a deal to bring satellite internet connectivity to phones through AST SpaceMobile, a potential rival to SpaceX's Starlink. AT&T says the commercial agreement will last until 2030. The goal is "to provide a space-based broadband network to everyday cell phones," a spokesperson tells PCMag, meaning customers can receive a cellular signal in remote areas where traditional cell towers are few and far between. All they'll need to do is ensure the
  
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• Microsoft's AI Push Imperils Climate Goal As Carbon Emissions Jump 30%

  16-05-2024 09:00 via slashdot.org
  
  Microsoft's ambitious goal to be carbon negative by 2030 is threatened by its expanding AI operations, which have increased its carbon footprint by 30% since 2020. To meet its targets, Microsoft must quickly adopt green technologies and improve efficiency in its data centers, which are critical for AI but heavily reliant on carbon-intensive resources. Bloomberg reports: Now to meet its goals, the software giant will have to make serious progress very quickly in gaining access to green steel and
  
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• Wallet Recovery Firms Buzz as Locked-out Crypto Investors Panic in Bitcoin Boom

  16-05-2024 07:30 via it.slashdot.org
  
  The recent surge in bitcoin prices has the phones at crypto wallet recovery firms ringing off the hook, as retail investors locked out of their digital vaults make frantic calls to regain access to their accounts. From a report: Cryptocurrencies exist on a decentralized digital ledger known as blockchain and investors may opt to access their holdings either through a locally stored software wallet or a hardware wallet, to avoid risks related to owning crypto with an exchange, as in the case of t
  
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• MIT Students Stole $25 Million In Seconds By Exploiting ETH Blockchain Bug, DOJ Says

  16-05-2024 05:30 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Within approximately 12 seconds, two highly educated brothers allegedly stole $25 million by tampering with the ethereum blockchain in a never-before-seen cryptocurrency scheme, according to an indictment that the US Department of Justice unsealed Wednesday. In a DOJ press release, US Attorney Damian Williams said the scheme was so sophisticated that it "calls the very integrity of the blockchain into question.""The brothers, who studied com
  
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• Bay Area City Orders Scientists To Stop Controversial Cloud Brightening Experiment

  16-05-2024 04:02 via news.slashdot.org
  
  Last month, researchers from the University of Washington started conducting an experiment on a decommissioned naval ship in Alameda to test if spraying salt water into the air could brighten clouds and cool the planet. However, their project was forced to stop this month after the city got word of what was going on. SFGate reports: According to a city press release, scientists were ordered to halt the experiment because it violated Alameda's lease with the USS Hornet, the aircraft carrier from
  
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• Netflix To Take On Google and Amazon By Building Its Own Ad Server

  16-05-2024 03:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Lauren Forristal writes via TechCrunch: Netflix announced during its Upfronts presentation on Wednesday that it's launching its own advertising technology platform only a year and a half after entering the ads business. This move pits it against other industry heavyweights with ad servers, like Google, Amazon and Comcast. The announcement signifies a significant shake-up in the streaming giant's advertising approach. The company originally partnered with Microsoft to develop its ad tech, letting
  
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• US Regulators Approve Rule That Could Speed Renewables

  16-05-2024 02:45 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Longtime Slashdot reader necro81 writes: The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which controls interstate energy infrastructure, approved a rule Monday that should boost new transmission infrastructure and make it easier to connect renewable energy projects. (More coverage here, here, and here.)Some 11,000 projects totaling 2,600 GW of capacity are in planning, waiting to break ground, or connect to the grid. But they're stymied by the need for costly upgrades, or simply waiting f
  
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• UK Police Could Get Ghostbusters-style Backpack Devices To Halt Ebike Getaways

  16-05-2024 02:01 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Police officers in Britain could be armed with Ghostbusters-style devices that fire electromagnetic rays to shut down the engines of ebikes being used in a crime. From a report: Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), said the weapon was in development and could be months away from being available, though it is expected to be longer than that. He said it would be housed in a backpack, reminiscent of the equipment used in the Ghostbusters series of movies. It could ta
  
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• Arizona Accuses Amazon of Unfair, Deceptive Business Practices

  16-05-2024 01:20 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed two lawsuits Wednesday against the international online retail giant Amazon.com, accusing it of deceptive and unfair business practices. Courthouse News Service: The two lawsuits, filed in state court, say Amazon's Prime cancellation process and the algorithm that decides whether a product is offered through a "buy now" or "add to cart" option violate the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Arizona Uniform State Antitrust Act. Mayes, a Democrat, accuses A
  
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• Quantum Internet Draws Near Thanks To Entangled Memory Breakthroughs

  16-05-2024 00:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Scientist: Efforts to build a global quantum internet have received a boost from two developments in quantum information storage that could one day make it possible to communicate securely across hundreds or thousands of kilometers. The internet as it exists today involves sending strings of digital bits, or 0s and 1s, in the form of electrical or optical signals, to transmit information. A quantum internet, which could be used to send unhackable comm
  
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• Google Opens Up Its Smart Home To Everyone

  16-05-2024 00:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Google is opening up API access to its Google Home smart home platform, allowing app developers to access over 600 million connected devices and tap into the Google Home automation engine. In addition, Google announced that it'll be turning Google TVs into Google Home hubs and Matter controllers. The Verge reports: The Home APIs can access any Matter device or Works with Google Home device, and allows developers to build their own experiences using Google Home devices and automations into their
  
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• Apple Brings Eye-Tracking To Recent iPhones and iPads

  15-05-2024 23:20 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  This week, in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple is introducing several new accessibility features. Noteworthy additions include eye-tracking support for recent iPhone and iPad models, customizable vocal shortcuts, music haptics, and vehicle motion cues. Engadget reports: The most intriguing feature of the set is the ability to use the front-facing camera on iPhones or iPads (at least those with the A12 chip or later) to navigate the software without additional hardware or
  
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• Android 15 Gets 'Private Space,' Theft Detection, and AV1 Support

  15-05-2024 22:40 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google's I/O conference is still happening, and while the big keynote was yesterday, major Android beta releases have apparently been downgraded to Day 2 of the show. Google really seems to want to be primarily an AI company now. Android already had some AI news yesterday, but now that the code-red requirements have been met, we have actual OS news. One of the big features in this release is "Private Space," which Google says is a place wher
  
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• Walmart's Reign as America's Biggest Retailer Is Under Threat

  15-05-2024 22:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  With Amazon on its heels, the nation's biggest company by revenue is hunting for ways to continue growing. From a report: For a decade, Walmart has reigned as the nation's biggest company by revenue. Its sales last year added up to $648 billion -- more than $1.2 million a minute. That status comes with benefits. It gives Walmart power in negotiations with product manufacturers and in dealing with government officials over policy issues. It's also a point of pride: Job postings often tout working
  
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• Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos

  15-05-2024 21:20 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted -- in some cases years ago -- to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other users have also chimed in with similar stories. "Same here," said one R
  
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• Senators Urge $32 Billion in Emergency Spending on AI After Finishing Yearlong Review

  15-05-2024 19:29 via news.slashdot.org
  
  A bipartisan group of four senators led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is recommending that Congress spend at least $32 billion over the next three years to develop AI and place safeguards around it, writing in a report released Wednesday that the U.S. needs to "harness the opportunities and address the risks" of the quickly developing technology. AP: The group of two Democrats and two Republicans said in an interview Tuesday that while they sometimes disagreed on the best paths forward, it wa
  
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• Intel's New Thunderbolt Share Provides File and Screen Sharing Without Hurting Network Performance

  15-05-2024 18:42 via slashdot.org
  
  Intel unveiled Thunderbolt Share on Wednesday with which it promises to streamline screen and file sharing between two PCs. Tom's Hardware: Thunderbolt Share will allow PC owners to connect their two computers with a wired connection that leverages Thunderbolt's speed (40Gbps or higher), low latency, and built-in security. It allows PC-to-PC access that shares the screen, keyboard, mouse, and storage. The software also enables folder synchronization or easy drag-and-drop file transfer between th
  
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• FBI Seizes BreachForums Hacking Forum Used To Leak Stolen Data

  15-05-2024 18:02 via it.slashdot.org
  
  The FBI has seized the notorious BreachForums hacking forum that leaked and sold stolen corporate data to other cybercriminals. From a report: The seizure occurred on Wednesday morning, soon after the site was used last week to leak data stolen from a Europol law enforcement portal. The website is now displaying a message stating that the FBI has taken control over it and the backend data, indicating that law enforcement seized both the site's servers and domains. [...] The seizure message also
  
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• Former Windows Chief Explains Why macOS on iPad is Futile Quest

  15-05-2024 17:20 via slashdot.org
  
  Tech columnist and venture investor MG Siegler, commenting on the new iPad Pro: I love the iPad for the things it's good at. And I love the MacBook for the things it's good at. What I want is less a completely combined device and more a single device that can run both macOS and iPadOS. And this new iPad Pro, again equipped with a chip faster than any MacBook, can do that if Apple allowed it to.
  At first, maybe it's dual boot. That is, just let the iPad Pro load up macOS if it's attached to the M
  
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• Flood of Fake Science Forces Multiple Journal Closures

  15-05-2024 16:48 via science.slashdot.org
  
  schwit1 shares a report: Fake studies have flooded the publishers of top scientific journals, leading to thousands of retractions and millions of dollars in lost revenue. The biggest hit has come to Wiley, a 217-year-old publisher based in Hoboken, N.J., which Tuesday announced that it was closing 19 journals, some of which were infected by large-scale research fraud. In the past two years, Wiley has retracted more than 11,300 papers that appeared compromised, according to a spokesperson, and cl
  
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• Boeing May Face Criminal Prosecution Over 737 Max Crashes, US Says

  15-05-2024 16:09 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The Department of Justice says it is considering whether to prosecute Boeing over two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft. From a report: The aviation giant breached the terms of an agreement made in 2021 that shielded the firm from criminal charges linked to the incidents, the DOJ said. Boeing has denied that it violated the agreement. The crashes - one in Indonesia in 2018, and another in Ethiopia in 2019 - killed a total of 346 people.
  The plane maker failed to "design, implement, a
  
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• Has Section 230 'Outlived Its Usefulness'?

  15-05-2024 15:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Frank Pallone Jr (D-N.J.) made their case for why Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act has "outlived its usefulness." Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects online platforms from liability for user-generated content, allowing them to moderate content without being treated as publishers."Unfortunately, Section 230 is now poisoning the healthy online ecosystem it once fostere
  
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• Google Will Use Gemini To Detect Scams During Calls

  15-05-2024 12:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  At Google I/O on Tuesday, Google previewed a feature that will alert users to potential scams during a phone call. TechCrunch reports: The feature, which will be built into a future version of Android, uses Gemini Nano, the smallest version of Google's generative AI offering, which can be run entirely on-device. The system effectively listens for "conversation patterns commonly associated with scams" in real time. Google gives the example of someone pretending to be a "bank representative." Comm
  
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• Revolutionary Genetics Research Shows RNA May Rule Our Genome

  15-05-2024 09:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  Philip Ball reports via Scientific American: Thomas Gingeras did not intend to upend basic ideas about how the human body works. In 2012 the geneticist, now at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York State, was one of a few hundred colleagues who were simply trying to put together a compendium of human DNA functions. Their Âproject was called ENCODE, for the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements. About a decade earlier almost all of the three billion DNA building blocks that make up the human gen
  
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• 2023 Temperatures Were Warmest We've Seen For At Least 2,000 Years

  15-05-2024 05:30 via news.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Starting in June of last year, global temperatures went from very hot to extreme. Every single month since June, the globe has experienced the hottest temperatures for that month on record -- that's 11 months in a row now, enough to ensure that 2023 was the hottest year on record, and 2024 will likely be similarly extreme. There's been nothing like this in the temperature record, and it acts as an unmistakable indication of human-driven warm
  
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• Comcast To Launch Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ Bundle

  15-05-2024 04:10 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  Later this month, Comcast will launch a three-way bundle with Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+. It will "come at a vastly reduced price to anything in the market today," said. Comcast chief Brian Roberts. Variety reports: The goal is to "add value to consumers" and at the same time "take some of the dollars out of" other companies' streaming businesses, he added, while reinforcing Comcast's broadband service offerings. Comcast's impending launch of the StreamSaver bundle come as other media compan
  
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• Project Astra Is Google's 'Multimodal' Answer to the New ChatGPT

  15-05-2024 03:30 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  At Google I/O today, Google introduced a "next-generation AI assistant" called Project Astra that can "make sense of what your phone's camera sees," reports Wired. It follows yesterday's launch of GPT-4o, a new AI model from OpenAI that can quickly respond to prompts via voice and talk about what it 'sees' through a smartphone camera or on a computer screen. It "also uses a more humanlike voice and emotionally expressive tone, simulating emotions like surprise and even flirtatiousness," notes Wi
  
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• Google Targets Filmmakers With Veo, Its New Generative AI Video Model

  15-05-2024 02:50 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  At its I/O developer conference today, Google announced Veo, its latest generative AI video model, that "can generate 'high-quality' 1080p resolution videos over a minute in length in a wide variety of visual and cinematic styles," reports The Verge. From the report: Veo has "an advanced understanding of natural language," according to Google's press release, enabling the model to understand cinematic terms like "timelapse" or "aerial shots of a landscape." Users can direct their desired output
  
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• 1 In 4 US Teens Say They Play Games On a VR Headset

  15-05-2024 02:10 via games.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from UploadVR: 1 in 4 U.S. teens told Pew Research Center they play games on a VR headset. The survey was conducted on 1453 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17. Pew claims the participants were "recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses" and "weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories." Broken out by gender, 32% of boy
  
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