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Author Archives: Robin Edgar

About Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

Manufacturer Remotely Bricks Smart Vacuum After Its Owner Blocked It From Collecting Data

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“An engineer got curious about how his iLife A11 smart vacuum worked and monitored the network traffic coming from the device,” writes Tom’s Hardware.

“That’s when he noticed it was constantly sending logs and telemetry data to the manufacturer — something he hadn’t consented to.” The user, Harishankar, decided to block the telemetry servers’ IP addresses on his network, while keeping the firmware and OTA servers open. While his smart gadget worked for a while, it just refused to turn on soon after… He sent it to the service center multiple times, wherein the technicians would turn it on and see nothing wrong with the vacuum. When they returned it to him, it would work for a few days and then fail to boot again… [H]e decided to disassemble the thing to determine what killed it and to see if he could get it working again…

[He discovered] a GD32F103 microcontroller to manage its plethora of sensors, including Lidar, gyroscopes, and encoders. He created PCB connectors and wrote Python scripts to control them with a computer, presumably to test each piece individually and identify what went wrong. From there, he built a Raspberry Pi joystick to manually drive the vacuum, proving that there was nothing wrong with the hardware. From this, he looked at its software and operating system, and that’s where he discovered the dark truth: his smart vacuum was a security nightmare and a black hole for his personal data.

First of all, it’s Android Debug Bridge, which gives him full root access to the vacuum, wasn’t protected by any kind of password or encryption. The manufacturer added a makeshift security protocol by omitting a crucial file, which caused it to disconnect soon after booting, but Harishankar easily bypassed it. He then discovered that it used Google Cartographer to build a live 3D map of his home. This isn’t unusual, by far. After all, it’s a smart vacuum, and it needs that data to navigate around his home. However, the concerning thing is that it was sending off all this data to the manufacturer’s server. It makes sense for the device to send this data to the manufacturer, as its onboard SoC is nowhere near powerful enough to process all that data. However, it seems that iLife did not clear this with its customers.

Furthermore, the engineer made one disturbing discovery — deep in the logs of his non-functioning smart vacuum, he found a command with a timestamp that matched exactly the time the gadget stopped working. This was clearly a kill command, and after he reversed it and rebooted the appliance, it roared back to life.

Source: Manufacturer Remotely Bricks Smart Vacuum After Its Owner Blocked It From Collecting Data

Innovative paint cools homes and harvests fresh water from air

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Researchers at the University of Sydney and commercial start-up Dewpoint Innovations have created a nano-engineered polymer coating that not only reflects up to 97% of the sun’s rays, but also passively collects water. In tests, it was able to keep indoors up to 6 °C (~11 °F) cooler than the air outside.

That temperature differential results in water vapor condensing on the surface – like the fogging on a cold mirror – producing a steady trickle of droplets.

In trials on the roof of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub, the coating captured dew more than 30% of the year, generating as much as 390 mL of water per square meter (roughly 13 fluid ounces per 10.8 square feet) daily. This might not sound like a lot, but a 12-sq-m (about 129-sq-ft) section of treated roof could produce around 4.7 L (around 1.25 US gallons) of water per day under optimal conditions.

Most houses have a lot more roof than that. “Over an average residential roof,” reads the Dewpoint website, “you can expect enough water per day to cover your basic water needs.” That’s in addition, mind you, to the rainwater you’d be collecting as well, since you do need to have a typical rainwater collection system installed to capture the dew. In Sydney for example, assuming an average annual rainfall around 1 m (3.3 ft), The Tank Factory tells us we could expect to collect somewhere around 6 times more rainwater than condensation – but that equation would certainly look very different in drier areas.

[…]

The team has recently finished up a six-month outdoor trial, with panels featuring the polymer paint-like coating set up on the roof of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub building. During this period, minute-by-minute data was collected on the coating’s cooling and water collection abilities, and found that dew could be collected over 32% of the year, suggesting water could be harvested from the air during periods without rain. What’s more, the coating withstood the challenging test of the harsh Australian sun, and showed no signs of degradation over the six months.

Painted tiles being tested on the roof of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub
Painted tiles being tested on the roof of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub
University of Sydney

Most commercial white paints – especially those designed for exterior walls and roofs – use titanium dioxide as the primary pigment, which reflects UV light. However, while this novel coating may look like white paint on the surface, it gets its sun-shielding power through structure. The porous coating is made of polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene (PVDF-HFP), so reflects the sun through microscopic pores. Those tiny air pockets scatter sunlight in all directions without glare and without the need of UV-absorbing chemicals that can degrade over time. The result is a self-cooling, weather-resistant film that was able to sustain its high performance throughout the lengthy testing phase.

[…]

Source: Innovative paint cools homes and harvests fresh water from air

Epic Games Goes down ahead of Fortnite Simpsons season, takes down all login services too

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After a 5 hour scheduled downtime on just Fortnite for the launch of the Simpson collaboration on the 1st of November, the whole ecosystem went crashing down. Without login services, many of the games just cannot be played. This together with the IBM, Azure, AWS and Cloudflare crashes shows just how vulnerable you are when you are dependent on megalithic giants…
Nov 2, 2025
Various Fortnite Functionality Issues
Resolved – This incident has been resolved.
Nov 2, 03:20 UTC
Update – We are continuing to investigate this issue.
Nov 1, 21:08 UTC
Investigating – We’re investigating reports of players loading into matches without equipped Outfits, as well as other functionality issues like Locker loadouts, Party invites, and Friends Lists not working correctly.
We’re working to fix this ASAP and will let you know when we have.
Nov 1, 21:07 UTC
Fortnite Login Issues
Resolved – This incident has been resolved.
Nov 2, 03:20 UTC
Investigating – We’re investigating Fortnite login issues on all platforms. We’ll follow up here with an update once the issue is resolved.
Nov 1, 20:45 UTC
Fall Guys Login Issues
Resolved – This incident has been resolved.
Nov 2, 03:20 UTC
Investigating – We’re investigating Fall Guys login issues on all platforms.

We’ll follow up here with an update once the issue is resolved.
Nov 1, 21:35 UTC

Epic Games Store Login Issues
Resolved – This incident has been resolved.
Nov 2, 03:19 UTC
Investigating – We are currently investigating this issue.
Nov 1, 22:02 UTC
Rocket League Login Issues
Resolved – This incident has been resolved.
Nov 2, 03:19 UTC
Investigating – We’re investigating Rocket League login issues on all platforms.

We’ll follow up here with an update once the issue is resolved.
Nov 1, 21:27 UTC

Nov 1, 2025
Fortnite: Downtime for v38.00 Update
Completed – The scheduled maintenance has been completed.
Nov 1, 20:43 UTC
In progress – Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.
Nov 1, 15:30 UTC
Scheduled – ⏰ Following the Welcome, Our Alien Overlords live event in Fortnite (Saturday, November 1st at 11 AM ET), Fortnite will go into downtime at 11:30 AM ET (3:30 PM UTC). The v38.00 update and the new Fortnite Season will release later the same day.
Oct 31, 15:07 UTC

Source: Epic Games Public Status

Porsche Files Patent App for Tunnel Mode, and It Sounds Like the Best Car Gimmick Yet

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[…] The feature is exactly what it sounds like: It detects when you’re about to enter a tunnel, rolls down the windows, and downshifts while opening up the valves on the active exhaust. The whole idea is to let that heavenly flat-six sing as loud as it can while you and your passengers experience sore cheeks from all the smiling.

According to the patent application, which was first spotted by CarBuzz, there would actually be a second option for tunnel mode in convertibles. With the feature engaged, it would sense when a tunnel is coming up and prompt the driver to pull over so the roof can be lowered. Supposedly, it would also turn the heat on to counteract the cool breeze to make sure nothing stops you from hearing that howl at full tilt.

The patent filing makes a curious mention of Tunnel Mode for EVs. In that case, it sounds like a fake exhaust sound would be projected through the exterior speakers to make it seem like you’re in a gas car. Now, that’s kind of sad, but I’m not here to judge.

Tunnel Mode would supposedly tighten up the car’s steering while making the chassis behavior “sportier” for more enjoyable drives. That sounds nifty, considering everything returns to normal once you’re through the tunnel. You can be cruising with the steering and suspension in their comfort settings until you reach the sound tube, and after you’ve exited, the car’s camera system will relay the info so it’ll return to your previous configuration.

[…]

Source: Porsche Files Patent App for Tunnel Mode, and It Sounds Like the Best Car Gimmick Yet

Suspected Chinese snoops use 2017 unpatched Windows flaw to spy on EU politicians

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Cyber spies linked to the Chinese government exploited a Windows shortcut vulnerability disclosed in March – but that Microsoft hasn’t fixed yet – to target European diplomats in an effort to steal defense and national security details.

Security firm Arctic Wolf attributed the espionage campaign to UNC6384 (aka Mustang Panda, Twill Typhoon), and in research published Thursday detailed how the suspected PRC spies used social engineering and the Windows flaw to deploy PlugX malware against personnel attending diplomatic conferences in September and October.

“This campaign demonstrates UNC6384’s capability for rapid vulnerability adoption within six months of public disclosure, advanced social engineering leveraging detailed knowledge of diplomatic calendars and event themes, and operational expansion from traditional Southeast Asia targeting to European diplomatic entities,” the Arctic Wolf Labs threat research team said.

[…]

Zero Day Initiative threat hunter Peter Girnus discovered and reported this flaw to Microsoft in March, and said it had been abused as a zero-day as far back as 2017, with 11 state-sponsored groups from North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China abusing ZDI-CAN-25373 for cyber espionage and data theft purposes.

Blame ZDI-CAN-25373

The attacks begin with phishing emails using very specific themed lures around European defense and security cooperation and cross-border infrastructure development. Those emails delivered a weaponized LNK file which exploited ZDI-CAN-25373 (aka CVE-2025-9491), a Windows shortcut vulnerability, to let the attackers secretly execute commands by adding whitespace padding within the LNK file’s COMMAND_LINE_ARGUMENTS structure.

The malicious files, such as one named Agenda_Meeting 26 Sep Brussels.lnk, use diplomatic conference themes as lures along with a decoy PDF document, in this case displaying a real European Commission meeting agenda on facilitating the free movement of goods at border crossing points between the EU and Western Balkan countries.

The LNK file, when executed, invokes PowerShell to decode and extract a tar (tape archive) archive containing three files to enable the attack chain via DLL side-loading, a malware delivery technique favored by several Chinese government crews, including Salt Typhoon.

DLL sideloading exploits the Windows DLL search order by tricking an application into loading a malicious DLL instead of the legitimate one.

The three files include a legitimate, but expired, Canon printer assistant utility with a valid digital signature issued by Symantec. Although the certificate expired in April 2018, Windows trusts binaries whose signatures include a valid timestamp, so this allows the attackers to bypass security tools and deliver malware using DLL sideloading.

The malicious DLL functions as a loader to decrypt and execute the third file in the archive, cnmplog.dat, which contains the encrypted PlugX payload.

PlugX, which has been around since at least 2008, is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that gives attackers all the remote access capabilities including command execution, keylogging, file uploading and downloading, persistent access, and system reconnaissance.

“This three-stage execution flow completes the deployment of PlugX malware running stealthily within a legitimate signed process, significantly reducing the likelihood of detection by endpoint security solutions,” the researchers wrote.

[…]

Source: Suspected Chinese snoops weaponize unpatched Windows flaw • The Register

‘Keep Android Open’ Campaign Pushes Back on Google’s Restrictions on installing your own software

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A “Keep Android Open” campaign is pushing back on new rules from Google that will reportedly block users from sideloading apps on Android phones.

It’s unclear who’s running the campaign, but a blog post on the free Android app store F-Droid is directing users to visit the campaign’s website, which urges the public to lobby government regulators to intervene and stop the upcoming restrictions.

“Developers should have the right to create and distribute software without submitting to unnecessary corporate surveillance,” reads an open letter posted to the site.

In August, Google announced upcoming rules aimed at reducing the risk of malware infecting Android devices. It will require that all app installs on certified Android devices only occur if the developer has been verified by Google. For individual developers, this includes submitting an official ID, address, phone number, and paying a $25 fee.

Source: ‘Keep Android Open’ Campaign Pushes Back on Google’s Sideloading Restrictions | PCMag

Austria’s Ministry of Economy goes toward digital sovereignty, embraces Nextcloud

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How do you modernize digital collaboration in government without losing control over your data?
Austria’s Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET) faced this challenge in 2024 – and decided to take a clear, pragmatic step toward digital sovereignty. Within just four months between Proof of Concept and rollout, the ministry went live with a secure Nextcloud environment, operated on its own infrastructure in Austria and designed to meet strict transparency and compliance requirements.

Why the ministry decided to act

The BMWET faced the challenge of modernizing its collaboration tools at a time when questions around data protection, compliance, and technological dependency were becoming increasingly relevant.
A risk analysis showed that relying entirely on cloud services from non-European providers would introduce significant legal and security uncertainties. Especially regarding the protection of sensitive information under GDPR and the upcoming NIS2 directive.

[…]

At the time of the project, BMWET was already in the process of adopting Microsoft 365 and Teams. Reversing that path wasn’t realistic. Instead, the ministry implemented a hybrid architecture: Nextcloud handles internal collaboration and secure data management, while Teams remains available for external meetings.

In collaboration with Nextcloud partner Sendent, Outlook integration ensured seamless email and calendar workflows, enabling employees to continue working with familiar tools while ensuring sensitive information stays within Austrian infrastructure.

A fast and well-coordinated rollout

From proof of concept to full deployment, the process took only a few months – an unusually fast timeline for a public sector ICT project. Working closely with Nextcloud and implementation partner Atos Austria, BMWET rolled out the new platform across 1,200 employees.

[…]

Source: Austria’s Ministry of Economy takes decisive steps toward digital sovereignty – Nextcloud

Samsung Electronics Unveils Tri-Fold Phone: Two Hinges, Tablet Screen

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[…] The unveiled Tri-Fold Phone differed from typical foldable phones in that it had two hinges, joints, in the folding section. Its screen ratio was significantly longer horizontally than vertically, resembling a ‘small tablet PC.’ Compared to conventional foldable phones, it featured three external screens aligned side by side. However, the device could not be touched or tested directly; it was only visible through a glass display case.

On the 28th, Samsung Electronics unveils the physical model of the 'Tri-Fold Phone, right' at the APEC K-Tech showcase. /Courtesy of Park Ji-min
On the 28th, Samsung Electronics unveils the physical model of the ‘Tri-Fold Phone, right’ at the APEC K-Tech showcase. /Courtesy of Park Ji-min

The Tri-Fold Phone, which Samsung Electronics announced would be released within the year, was designed with a structure allowing the screen to be folded twice. The external screen features a display measuring approximately 6.5 inches, similar to the Galaxy Fold series, while the fully unfolded screen measures approximately 10 inches, comparable to a tablet. Considering the complex hinge structure and additional display components, the launch price is estimated to be over 3 million Korean won.

[…]

Source: Samsung Electronics Unveils Tri-Fold Phone: Two Hinges, Tablet Screen

Clearview AI faces criminal heat for ignoring EU data fines – wait: these creeps still exist?

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Privacy advocates at Noyb filed a criminal complaint against Clearview AI for scraping social media users’ faces without consent to train its AI algorithms.

Austria-based Noyb (None of Your Business) is targeting the US company and its executives, arguing that if successful, individuals who authorized the data collection could face criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

The complaint focuses largely on Clearview’s apparent disregard for fines from France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. Aside from the UK — where Clearview recently lost its appeal of a $10 million fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office — the company has yet to pay other fines totaling more than $100 million, Noyb claims.

“EU data protection authorities did not come up with a way to enforce its fines and bans against the US company, allowing Clearview AI to effectively dodge the law,” said Noyb in its announcement today.

Max Schrems, privacy lawyer and founder of Noyb, said: “Clearview AI seems to simply ignore EU fundamental rights and just spits in the face of EU authorities.”

The criminal complaint, filed with Austrian public prosecutors, hinges on Article 84 of the GDPR, which allows EU member states to seek proportionate punishments for data protection violations, including through criminal proceedings.

Clearview AI claims it has collected more than 60 billion images to help law enforcement agencies improve facial recognition tech.

Scraping data is not inherently illegal, however, Clearview’s sweeping collection of social media photos for commercial gain has repeatedly violated GDPR regulations across Europe.

Austria ruled the company’s practices illegal in 2023, though it imposed no fine.

Noyb is using a provision in Austria’s own implementation of the GDPR that allows criminal proceedings to be brought against managers of organizations that flout data protection laws.

“We even run cross-border criminal procedures for stolen bikes, so we hope that the public prosecutor also takes action when the personal data of billions of people was stolen – as has been confirmed by multiple authorities,” said Schrems.

Source: Clearview AI faces criminal heat for ignoring EU data fines • The Register

Physicists Built a Pixel So Small, Full HD Could Fit on a Bread Crumb

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[…] In a recent Science Advances paper, researchers report the creation of the smallest pixel ever, using optical antennas that convert radiation into focused energy bits. The pixel measures just 300 by 300 nanometers—around 17 times smaller than a conventional OLED pixel, but with a similar brightness.

To put the size into context, a display with an area of just one square millimeter could fit a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels using the new technology. The tiny pixel also glows on its own, making it potentially revolutionary for the next generation of smart, portable devices.

[…]

the team identified a way to effectively block these unwanted structures, called filaments, from potentially destroying the pixel.  Specifically, they fabricated a thin, insulating layer with a tiny circular opening at its center and layered it over a gold optical antenna.

Smallest Pixel Diagram
A conceptual illustration of the nanoscale OLED. © Hecht et al., 2025.

The arrangement proved surprisingly effective in preventing filaments from forming. The optical antenna additionally helped focus electromagnetic energy and amplify the brightness, according to the paper. As a result, “even the first nanopixels were stable for two weeks under ambient conditions,” said Bert Hecht, study senior author and a physicist at the University of Würzburg, in the release.

That said, the system is still a prototype, with about 1% efficiency. However, the researchers noted that because the current paper eliminates one of the biggest challenges of scaling down pixels, the next steps should be slightly easier.

“With this technology, displays and projectors could become so small in the future that they can be integrated almost invisibly into devices worn on the body—from eyeglass frames to contact lenses,” the researchers added.

Source: Physicists Built a Pixel So Small, Full HD Could Fit on a Bread Crumb

‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head

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[…]Humanity has failed to limit global heating to 1.5C and must change course immediately, the secretary general of the UN has warned.

In his only interview before next month’s Cop30 climate summit, António Guterres acknowledged it is now “inevitable” that humanity will overshoot the target in the Paris climate agreement, with “devastating consequences” for the world.

He urged the leaders who will gather in the Brazilian rainforest city of Belém to realise that the longer they delay cutting emissions, the greater the danger of passing catastrophic “tipping points” in the Amazon, the Arctic and the oceans.

“Let’s recognise our failure,” he told the Guardian and Amazon-based news organisation Sumaúma. “The truth is that we have failed to avoid an overshooting above 1.5C in the next few years. And that going above 1.5C has devastating consequences. Some of these devastating consequences are tipping points, be it in the Amazon, be it in Greenland, or western Antarctica or the coral reefs.

He said the priority at Cop30 was to shift direction: “It is absolutely indispensable to change course in order to make sure that the overshoot is as short as possible and as low in intensity as possible to avoid tipping points like the Amazon. We don’t want to see the Amazon as a savannah. But that is a real risk if we don’t change course and if we don’t make a dramatic decrease of emissions as soon as possible.”

The planet’s past 10 years have been the hottest in recorded history. Despite growing scientific alarm at the speed of global temperature increases caused by the burning of fossil fuels – oil, coal and gas – the secretary general said government commitments have come up short.

Fewer than a third of the world’s nations (62 out of 197) have sent in their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement. The US under Donald Trump has abandoned the process. Europe has promised but so far failed to deliver. China, the world’s biggest emitter, has been accused of undercommitting.

António Guterres speaking at a Cop29 podium
António Guterres giving his speech at Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024. Photograph: Anatoly Maltsev/EPA

Guterres said the lack of NDC ambition means the Paris goal of 1.5C will be breached, at least temporarily: “From those [NDCs] received until now, there is an expectation of a reduction of emissions of 10%. We would need 60% [to stay within 1.5C]. So overshooting is now inevitable.”

He did not give up on the target though, and said it may still be possible to temporarily overshoot and then bring temperatures down in time to return to 1.5C by the end of the century, but this would require a change of direction at and beyond Cop30.

[…]

Source: ‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head | Climate crisis | The Guardian

China’s New Influencer Law Says Only Degree-Holders Can Discuss Professional Topics. Idiots say this limits freedom of ideas

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China’s new influencer law, which took effect on October 25, requires anyone creating content on sensitive topics, such as medicine, law, education, or finance, to hold official qualifications in those fields.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) says the goal is to fight misinformation and protect the public from false or harmful advice. But, the move has also raised concerns about censorship and freedom of expression.

Under the new rules, influencers who talk about regulated topics must show proof of their expertise, such as a degree, professional license, or certificate. Platforms like Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), Bilibili, and Weibo must verify creators’ credentials and make sure their content includes proper citations and disclaimers.

For example, influencers must clearly state when information comes from studies or when a video includes AI-generated material. Platforms are also required to educate users about their responsibilities when sharing content online.

The CAC has gone even further by banning advertising for medical products, supplements, and health foods to prevent hidden promotions disguised as “educational” videos.

However, critics warn that the law could harm creativity and limit freedom of speech. By controlling who can talk about certain topics, they argue, China might not only block misinformation but also restrict independent voices and critical debate.

Many worry that “expertise” will be defined too narrowly, giving authorities more power to silence people who question official narratives or offer alternative views.

Others, however, welcomed the move, saying that the new law would allow for well-informed content on important and sensitive topics. Many argued that only professionals in their field should be able to speak about and discuss said topic to prevent misinformation.

The rise of influencer culture has changed how people get information. Influencers are valued for being relatable and authentic, and being able to connect with audiences in ways traditional experts cannot. However, when these creators share misleading or inaccurate information, the effects can be serious, supporters of the new law argue.

Source: China’s New Influencer Law Says Only Degree-Holders Can Discuss Professional Topics China’s New Influencer Law Says Only Degree-Holders Can Discuss Professional Topics

Unfortunately, having people doing “research” by watching one Youtube video and then telling people that vaccines don’t work, or that 5G space bats cause covid and people want to inject chips into you has proven to be an absolute disaster, which prolonged a global pandemic and killed a lot of people.

These people should be jailed and it is a crying shame that a country like China is taking the lead in this, and not the EU.

Python Foundation rejects $1.5M grant with no-DEI strings

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[…]The programming non-profit’s deputy executive director Loren Crary said in a blog post today that the National Science Foundation (NSF) had offered $1.5 million to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the Python Package Index (PyPI), but the Foundation quickly became dispirited with the terms of the grant it would have to follow.

“These terms included affirming the statement that we ‘do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,'” Crary noted. “This restriction would apply not only to the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any and all activity of the PSF as a whole.”

To make matters worse, the terms included a provision that if the PSF was found to have violated that anti-DEI diktat, the NSF reserved the right to claw back any previously disbursed funds, Crary explained.

“This would create a situation where money we’d already spent could be taken back, which would be an enormous, open-ended financial risk,” the PSF director added.

The PSF’s mission statement enshrines a commitment to supporting and growing “a diverse and international community of Python programmers,” and the Foundation ultimately decided it wasn’t willing to compromise on that position, even for what would have been a solid financial boost for the organization.

“The PSF is a relatively small organization, operating with an annual budget of around $5 million per year, with a staff of just 14,” Crary added, noting that the $1.5 million would have been the largest grant the Foundation had ever received – but it wasn’t worth it if the conditions were undermining the PSF’s mission.

The PSF board voted unanimously to withdraw its grant application.

The non-profit would’ve used the funding to help prevent supply chain attacks; create a new automated, proactive review process for new PyPI packages; and make the project’s work easily transferable to other open-source package managers. […]

Source: Python Foundation rejects $1.5M grant with no-DEI strings • The Register

AI generates surge in expense receipt fraud

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[…] Software provider AppZen said fake AI receipts accounted for about 14 per cent of fraudulent documents submitted in September, compared with none last year. Fintech group Ramp said its new software flagged more than $1mn in fraudulent invoices within 90 days.
About 30 per cent of US and UK financial professionals surveyed by expense management platform Medius reported they had seen a rise in falsified receipts following the launch of OpenAI’s GPT-4o last year.
An AI-generated receipt
An AI-generated receipt © AppZen
“These receipts have become so good, we tell our customers, ‘do not trust your eyes’,” said Chris Juneau, senior vice-president and head of product marketing for SAP Concur, one of the world’s leading expense platforms, which processes more than 80mn compliance checks monthly using AI.
Several platforms attributed a significant jump in the number of AI-generated receipts after OpenAI launched GPT-4o’s improved image generation model in March.
[…]

Source: ‘Do not trust your eyes’: AI generates surge in expense fraud

Qualcomm announces AI chips to compete with AMD and Nvidia

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[…]Qualcomm said that both the AI200, which will go on sale in 2026, and the AI250, planned for 2027, can come in a system that fills up a full, liquid-cooled server rack.

Qualcomm is matching Nvidia and AMD

, which offer their graphics processing units, or GPUs, in full-rack systems that allow as many as 72 chips to act as one computer. AI labs need that computing power to run the most advanced models.

Qualcomm’s data center chips are based on the AI parts in Qualcomm’s smartphone chips called Hexagon neural processing units, or NPUs.

[…]

Qualcomm said its chips are focusing on inference, or running AI models, instead of training, which is how labs such as OpenAI create new AI capabilities by processing terabytes of data.

The chipmaker said that its rack-scale systems would ultimately cost less to operate for customers such as cloud service providers, and that a rack uses 160 kilowatts, which is comparable to the high power draw from some Nvidia GPU racks.

Malladi said Qualcomm would also sell its AI chips and other parts separately, especially for clients such as hyperscalers that prefer to design their own racks.

[…]

The company declined to comment, the price of the chips, cards or rack, and how many NPUs could be installed in a single rack.

[…]

Qualcomm said its AI chips have advantages over other accelerators in terms of power consumption, cost of ownership, and a new approach to the way memory is handled. It said its AI cards support 768 gigabytes of memory, which is higher than offerings from Nvidia and AMD.

[…]

Source: Qualcomm announces AI chips to compete with AMD and Nvidia

In stunning display of (in)stability, PayPal / Paxos stablecoin accidentally mints $300 Trillion(!) and then revokes it

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Paxos Trust Company, the blockchain infrastructure partner for PayPal’s stablecoin, has publicly admitted to a catastrophic “technical error” that led to the accidental creation of $300 trillion worth of PayPal USD (PYUSD) tokens. The mistake, which was identified and rectified within minutes, temporarily created a theoretical sum exceeding the entire global money supply. This incident immediately triggers intense scrutiny from financial regulators, including the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), and casts a shadow over the operational integrity of the burgeoning stablecoin market. For PayPal, the error represents a significant reputational blow, challenging the perception of its carefully managed entry into digital assets.

This failure represents a stark vulnerability in the automated systems underpinning digital assets. While blockchain technology promises immutable and transparent transactions, Paxos is now confronting the reality that its risk management protocols were insufficient to prevent a near-infinite minting event. The company’s promise to be “much better than this” highlights the critical gap between theoretical blockchain security and the practical operational controls required for regulated financial services. This matters because it demonstrates that for institutional adoption to proceed, the infrastructure must be as foolproof as the legacy financial systems it seeks to augment or replace, not a source of existential, self-inflicted risk.

For fintech executives and digital asset custodians, this is a critical warning. The forward-looking insight is clear: the path to mainstream stablecoin adoption will be paved with relentless focus on operational controls and third-party audits. This event will force a sector-wide review of minting and burning mechanisms, likely leading to more conservative, multi-signature requirements and real-time monitoring mandates from regulators. The most trusted players will be those who can transparently demonstrate ironclad technical and procedural safeguards, turning this public failure into an industry-wide mandate for bulletproof operational excellence.

Source: Paxos Admits $300T PayPal Stablecoin Minting Error

Part of what is not mentioned, is that they revoked the value very quickly. The minting is one thing, but how trustworthy can any value store be when it the value can be revoked one-sidedly at any time by the press of a button?

Microsoft outages hit Azure, 365, Xbox, public transport services – not long after Amazon and just hours before quarterly earnings report

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A major Microsoft outage has caused services like 365 and Azure cloud platform to go dark hours before the company was set to report its quarterly earnings, CNBC reports.

According to Downdetector, which monitors internet outages, tens of thousands of disruptions appear to have spiked just before noon on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The website, server connection and domain are the most impacted. Xbox and even Minecraft are also affected by the outage, according to The Verge.

“We began experiencing Azure Front Door issues resulting in a loss of availability of some services. In addition, customers may experience issues accessing the Azure Portal,” Microsoft notes on its service’s status page. “Our investigation into the contributing factors and additional recovery workstreams continues.”

[…]

Source: Microsoft outages hit Azure, 365, Xbox. Are they still down? What we know

HSL’s website, application and Journey Planner do not work. The application informs that the service cannot be contacted. The website and the Journey Planner do not open at all.

Due to the disruption, for example, tickets cannot currently be purchased through the app.

Vilma Aho from HSL’s communications says that the problems are related to the Microsoft Azure cloud service’s wider telecommunications problem. According to Aho, a more specific reason is currently being investigated.

According to Aho, the disruption in the services started around six o’clock on Wednesday evening. He could not estimate at about half past seven how long it would take to fix the problem.

[…]

Source: HSL’s website and application do not work

A single DNS race condition brought AWS to its knees

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Amazon has published a detailed postmortem explaining how a critical fault in DynamoDB’s DNS management system cascaded into a day-long outage that disrupted major websites and services across multiple brands – with damage estimates potentially reaching hundreds of billions of dollars.

The incident began at 11:48 PM PDT on October 19 (7.48 UTC on October 20), when customers reported increased DynamoDB API error rates in the Northern Virginia US-EAST-1 Region. The root cause was a race condition in DynamoDB’s automated DNS management system that left an empty DNS record for the service’s regional endpoint.

The DNS management system comprises two independent components (for availability reasons): a DNS Planner that monitors load balancer health and creates DNS plans, and a DNS Enactor that applies changes via Amazon Route 53.

Amazon’s postmortem says the error rate was triggered by “a latent defect” within the service’s automated DNS management system.

The race condition occurred when one DNS Enactor experienced “unusually high delays” while the DNS Planner continued generating new plans. A second DNS Enactor began applying the newer plans and executed a clean-up process just as the first Enactor completed its delayed run. This clean-up deleted the older plan as stale, immediately removing all IP addresses for the regional endpoint and leaving the system in an inconsistent state that prevented further automated updates applied by any DNS Enactors.

Before manual intervention, systems connecting to DynamoDB experienced DNS failures, including customer traffic and internal AWS services. This impacted EC2 instance launches and network configuration, the postmortem says.

The DropletWorkflow Manager (DWFM), which maintains leases for physical servers hosting EC2 instances, depends on DynamoDB. When DNS failures caused DWFM state checks to fail, droplets – the EC2 servers – couldn’t establish new leases for instance state changes.

After DynamoDB recovered at 2.25 AM PDT (9:25 AM UTC), DWFM attempted to re-establish leases across the entire EC2 fleet. The massive scale meant the process took so long that leases began timing out before completion, causing DWFM to enter “congestive collapse” requiring manual intervention until 5:28 AM PDT (12:28 PM UTC).

Next, Network Manager began propagating a huge backlog of delayed network configurations, causing newly launched EC2 instances to experience network configuration delays.

These network propagation delays affected the Network Load Balancer (NLB) service. NLB’s health checking subsystem removed new EC2 instances that failed health checks due to network delays, only to restore them when subsequent checks succeeded.

With EC2 instance launches impaired, dependent services including Lambda, Elastic Container Service (ECS), Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), and Fargate all experienced issues.

AWS has disabled the DynamoDB DNS Planner and DNS Enactor automation worldwide until safeguards can be put in place to prevent the race condition reoccurring.

In its apology, Amazon stated: “As we continue to work through the details of this event across all AWS services, we will look for additional ways to avoid impact from a similar event in the future, and how to further reduce time to recovery.”

[…]

Source: A single DNS race condition brought AWS to its knees • The Register

CBP will photograph non-citizens entering and exiting the US for its facial recognition database

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The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) submitted a new measure that allows it to photograph any non-US citizen who enters or exits the country for facial recognition purposes. According to a filing with the government’s Federal Register, CBP and the Department of Homeland Security are looking to crack down on threats of terrorism, fraudulent use of travel documents and anyone who overstays their authorized stay.

The filing detailed that CBP will “implement an integrated, automated entry and exit data system to match records, including biographic data and biometrics, of aliens entering and departing the United States.” The government agency already has the ability to request photos and fingerprints from anyone entering the country, but this new rule change would allow for requiring photos of anyone exiting as well. These photos would “create galleries of images associated with individuals, including photos taken by border agents, and from passports or other travel documents,” according to the filing, adding that these galleries would be compared to live photos at entry and exit points.

These new requirements are scheduled to go into effect on December 26, but CBP will need some time to implement a system to handle the extra demand. According to the filing, the agency said “a biometric entry-exit system can be fully implemented at all commercial airports and sea ports for both entry and exit within the next three to five years.”

Source: CBP will photograph non-citizens entering and exiting the US for its facial recognition database

YES! Scientists turn fungal flower fragrance into a mosquito killer

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To combat mosquito-borne illnesses that claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year, scientists have enlisted an unexpected partner: a fungus that gives off a floral scent.

By exploiting mosquitoes’ attraction to flowers, an international team of researchers engineered a new strain of Metarhizium fungus that releases a sweet aroma similar to real blooms. The modified fungus draws in the insects and infects them, ultimately killing them.

The scientists were inspired by natural fungi that emit a pleasant chemical known as longifolene, which they discovered could attract mosquitoes. Building on that idea, they created a fungus that acts like a lethal perfume for the pests, offering a promising tool against malaria, dengue, and other deadly diseases that are becoming increasingly resistant to chemical pesticides. Their findings were published in Nature Microbiology on October 24, 2025.

[…]

According to St. Leger, the floral-scented fungus provides an easy and accessible method for controlling mosquito populations. The spores can simply be placed in containers indoors or outdoors, where they gradually release longifolene over several months. When mosquitoes come into contact with the fungus, they become infected and die within a few days. In laboratory tests, the fungus wiped out 90 to 100% of mosquitoes, even in environments filled with competing scents from people and real flowers.

[…]

“The fungus is completely harmless to humans as longifolene is already commonly used in perfumes and has a long safety record,” St. Leger said. “This makes it much safer than many chemical pesticides. We’ve also designed the fungus and its containers to target mosquitoes specifically rather than any other insects and longifolene breaks down naturally in the environment.”

In addition, unlike chemical alternatives that mosquitoes have gradually become resistant to, this biological approach may be nearly impossible for mosquitoes to outsmart or avoid.

“If mosquitoes evolve to avoid longifolene, that could mean they’ll stop responding to flowers,” St. Leger explained. “But they need flowers as a food source to survive,

[…]

What also makes this new fungal technology particularly promising is how practical and affordable it is to produce. Other forms of Metarhizium are already commonly cultivated around the world on cheap materials like chicken droppings, rice husks and wheat scraps that are readily available after harvest. The affordability and simplicity of the fungus could be key to reducing mosquito disease-related deaths in many parts of the world, especially in poorer countries in the global south.

[…]

St. Leger and his colleagues are now testing the fungus in larger outdoor trials to prepare it for regulatory review.

[…]

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Maryland. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. Dan Tang, Jiani Chen, Yubo Zhang, Xingyuan Tang, Xinmiao Wang, Chaonan Yu, Xianxian Cheng, Junwei Zhang, Wenqi Shi, Qing Zhen, Shuxing Liu, Yizhou Huang, Jiali Ning, Guoding Zhu, Meichun Zhang, Juping Hu, Etienne Bilgo, Abdoulaye Diabate, Sheng-Hua Ying, Jun Cao, Raymond J. St. Leger, Jianhua Huang, Weiguo Fang. Engineered Metarhizium fungi produce longifolene to attract and kill mosquitoes. Nature Microbiology, 2025; DOI: 10.1038/s41564-025-02155-9

Source: Scientists turn flower fragrance into a mosquito killer | ScienceDaily

Serum promotes hair growth by mimicking the effects of skin irritation

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Sung-Jan Lin at National Taiwan University and his colleagues became intrigued by the role of fat tissue in hair growth several years ago during an experiment on mice. “We unexpectedly discovered that, after skin irritation, the size of skin adipocytes [fat cells] quickly shrinks before hair starts to regrow,” says Lin. “We speculated that adipocytes might release fatty acids via a process called lipolysis to fuel hair regrowth.”

To understand the process better, they have repeated the experiment, taking a closer look at the cells involved. First, they induced eczema on shaved mice by applying an irritating compound to parts of their back. Within 10 days, the team observed the mice’s hair follicles were in an active growth phase, and these areas had visible hair growth. This didn’t occur on the areas without eczema or on other mice that were shaved but weren’t made to develop the skin condition.

The researchers noted that this seemed to happen due to immune cells called macrophages moving into the layer of fat beneath the mice’s skin, signalling fat cells to release fatty acids that were absorbed by hair follicle stem cells. This then made the cells produce more mitochondria, which provide them with energy, resulting in hair growth. This aligns with previous research that found plucking hair sends an immune signal to nearby hair follicles, prompting them to grow more.

Eczema isn’t typically linked to hair growth in people, but other forms of skin irritation, like having a plaster cast applied to a broken limb, have been associated with hair growing excessively.

Next, Lin and his team wanted to know whether the presence of fatty acids alone, without prior irritation, stimulates hair growth, so they created serums composed of different fatty acids dissolved in alcohol. These were applied to areas of the skin of shaved mice that didn’t have any irritation, which were later compared with other areas where the serum wasn’t applied and to other shaved mice. “We found that only monounsaturated fatty acids rich in adipose tissues, such as oleic acids and palmitoleic acids, are effective in promoting hair regeneration when topically applied to skin,” says Lin.

He says that the researchers, who have patented the serum, have also seen promising results when applying it to human hair follicles in the lab and they now plan to test different dosages of the serum on people’s scalps.

 

Mice showing hair growth after the application of the fatty acids oleic acid (C18:1) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1) over the application of ethanol (EtOH) or other fatty acids

Applying the fatty acids oleic acid (C18:1) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1) led to visible hair growth over applying ethanol (EtOH) or other fatty acids

Dr. Kang-Yu Tai and Dr. Sung-Jan Lin, National Taiwan University

 

Lin doesn’t anticipate that the treatment will have any severe side effects. “Oleic acids and palmitoleic acids are naturally derived fatty acids. They are not only rich in our adipose tissues, but also in many plant oils, so they can be safely used,” he says. “I personally applied these fatty acids, dissolved in alcohol, on my thighs for three weeks and I found it promoted hair regrowth.”

“The key thing is that it has not yet been validated in human skin and animal models can be very different, especially when it comes to follicular biology,” says Christos Tziotzios at King’s College London. Similar serums are also in development, with one, based on plant extracts, boosting hair growth on people within weeks.

Nevertheless, Tziotzios says the latest study adds to our understanding of hair loss and growth. “We knew that adipocytes played a role in hair follicle genesis, but this is the first time I’ve seen it used for regeneration,” he says. It may also explain why some people experience hair growth after microneedling, he says, which involves fine needles being rolled over the scalp, making tiny punctures that trigger an immune response.

 

Journal reference:

Cell Metabolism DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.09.012

Source: Serum promotes hair growth by mimicking the effects of skin irritation | New Scientist

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales to create joint EU Space giant

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Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, 23 October 2025 – Airbus (stock exchange symbol: AIR), Leonardo (Borsa Italiana: LDO) and Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) aimed at combining their respective space activities into a new company.

By joining forces, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales aim to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in space, a major sector that underpins critical infrastructure and services related to telecommunications, global navigation, earth observation, science, exploration and national security. This new company also intends to serve as the trusted partner for developing and implementing national sovereign space programmes.

This new company will pool, build and develop a comprehensive portfolio of complementary technologies and end-to-end solutions, from space infrastructure to services (excluding space launchers). It will accelerate innovation in this strategic market, in order to create a unified, integrated and resilient European space player, with the critical mass to compete globally and grow on the export markets.

[…]

  • Airbus will contribute with its Space Systems and Space Digital businesses, coming from Airbus Defence and Space.
  • Leonardo will contribute with its Space Division, including its shares in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space.
  • Thales will mainly contribute with its shares in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO.

The combined entity will employ around 25,000 people across Europe. With an annual turnover of about 6.5bn€ (end of 2024, pro-forma) and an order backlog representing more than three years of projected sales, this new company will form a robust, innovative and competitive entity worldwide.

Ownership of the new company will be shared among the parent companies, with Airbus, Leonardo and Thales owning respectively 35%, 32.5% and 32.5% stakes. It will operate under joint control, with a balanced governance structure among shareholders.

Source: Airbus, Leonardo and Thales sign MoU | Airbus

Apple faces £1.5B fine after losing UK App Store case

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Apple could face claims estimated at around £1.5 billion after it lost a collective case in the UK arguing that its closed systems for apps resulted in overcharging businesses and consumers.

The ruling from a Competition Appeal Tribunal responded to the case brought on behalf of 36 million UK iPhone and iPad users, both consumers and enterprise customers.

Apple said it disagreed with the ruling [PDF] and planned to appeal.

The court found Apple had imposed charges for its iOS app distribution services and its in-app payment service charged developers a headline commission rate of 30 percent.

In a unanimous judgment, the court found Apple overcharged developers as a result of its behavior in the iOS app distribution services market and the iOS in-app payment services market. There was also an overcharge resulting from the extent to which developers passed on the costs to iPhone and iPad users.

The court found those represented in the case, led by academic Dr Rachael Kent, could be eligible for 8 percent interest on damages awarded.

Speaking to the BBC, Kent said the decision was a “landmark victory, not only for App Store users, but for anyone who has ever felt powerless against a global tech giant.”

In a statement, Apple said the ruling’s view of its software marketplace was mistaken. It argued the App Store was good for UK businesses and consumers because it offered a space for developers to sell their work and somewhere users could choose from millions of software products.

“This ruling overlooks how the App Store helps developers succeed and gives consumers a safe, trusted place to discover apps and securely make payments. The App Store faces vigorous competition from many other platforms – often with far fewer privacy and security protections,” the tech giant said.

Source: Apple faces £1.5B payout after losing UK App Store case • The Register

Which is quite funny for Apple to say, because it fights tooth and nail to ensure that there is no competition for the App Store. Even when the EU tells Apple it must enable alternate app stores or payment providers, it rolls around the floor like a child in a tantrum hoping to avoid the inevitable:

Apple thinks it can argue its’ way out of EU DMA with a single comma. No it can’t and this fight will cost it billions in Europe

EU to force Apple to open up IOS for developers

Apple tries again to make EU officials happy with new fees for in-app purchases

Apple stamps feet but now to let EU developers distribute apps from the web

Apple reverses hissy fit decision to remove Home Screen web apps in EU

I can have app store? Apple: yes but NO! Give €1,000,000 + lock in to Apple ecosystem. This is how to “comply” with EU anti competition law

High-tech poker and NBA scam used X-ray tables, special glasses, collusion, card machines

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Two federal indictments were unsealed on Thursday, one focused on a high-tech poker cheating scam, the other focused on a sports betting conspiracy.

Starting around 2019, a group of alleged mafia associates began operating a high-stakes poker con at several locations around Manhattan, according to an indictment filed by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The card cheating scheme relied on X-ray tables, rigged card shufflers, and glasses capable of reading hidden card markings.

Authorities say they arrested 31 individuals across 11 states, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra.

Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were also arrested.

Billups’ attorney Chris Heywood told ESPN in a statement that his client did not do what the government claims and that Billups intends to fight the charges.

For years, these individuals allegedly hosted illegal poker games where they used sophisticated technology and enlisted current and former NBA players to cheat people out of millions of dollars

“For years, these individuals allegedly hosted illegal poker games where they used sophisticated technology and enlisted current and former NBA players to cheat people out of millions of dollars,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch in a statement.

“This complex scheme was so far reaching that it included members from four of the organized crime families, and when people refused to pay because they were cheated, these defendants did what organized crime has always done: they used threats, intimidation, and violence.”

As described in the indictment, the victimized card players believed they were participating in fair but illegal poker games against other players. However, the games were rigged, resulting in a loss of at least $7 million since the scheme’s inception. The NBA celebrities supposedly served as “Face Cards” to attract players.

“The defendants and their co-conspirators, who constituted the remaining participants purportedly playing in the poker games, worked together on cheating teams … that used advanced wireless technologies to read the cards dealt in each poker hand and relay that information to the defendants and co-conspirators participating in the illegal poker games,” the indictment claims.

The cheating scheme allegedly employed compromised shuffling machines that could read the cards in the deck and transmit this information to an off-site relayer who messaged the details back to a player at the table, referred to as the “Quarterback” or “Driver.” This individual then used prearranged signals to communicate with co-conspirators at the table, all to win poker games against unsuspecting victims.

The defendants also allegedly employed “a chip tray analyzer (essentially, a poker chip tray that also secretly read all cards using hidden cameras), an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table, and special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards.”

[…]

Online poker games have long presented a risk of cheating and player collusion, but this incident reaffirms that in-person games, where collusion has always been a possibility, can also be subverted through technology.

“I think the sophistication in the cheating technologies is far greater than the sophistication in detection, and it’s not very common for people to even have expensive detection technology,” said Rubin. “You’re not, as a player, equipped to compete in a way with the people that have the resources to cheat like that.”

Major Las Vegas casinos like the MGM Grand or Caesars Palace, Rubin said, put a lot of money and effort into protecting games at their facilities and have an interest in preventing cheating scandals from tarnishing their brands. “You’re probably safe playing in big, brand name casinos,” he said. “But at the end of the day, you know, it’s poker and if somebody wants to try hard enough and spends money to do it, they may find a way to cheat.

[…]

The second of the two indictments alleged that six defendants, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones (named in the first indictment), colluded to share inside information and to alter in-game behavior to influence the outcome of bets on NBA games.

[…]

Source: High-tech poker scam used X-ray tables, special glasses • The Register

Sweden’s crowd-forecasting platform ‘Glimt’ helps Ukraine make wartime predictions

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New NATO member Sweden is boosting support to Ukraine, with a letter of intent signed this week on the sale of up to 150 Gripen fighter jets. Shortly after joining NATO in March 2024 and bringing an end to two centuries of military non-alignment, Sweden approved a €989 million military support package that included Archer self-propelled artillery systems and long-range drones.

Its latest contribution to the war effort is Glimt, an innovative project launched by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) earlier this year. Glimt is an open platform that relies on the theory of “crowd forecasting”: a method of making predictions based on surveying a large and diverse group of people and taking an average. “Glimt” is a Swedish word for “a glimpse” or “a sudden insight”. The theory posits that the average of all collected predictions produces correct results with “uncanny accuracy”, according to the Glimt website. Such “collective intelligence” is used today for everything from election results to extreme weather events, Glimt said.

[…]

Group forecasting allows for a broad collection of information while avoiding the cognitive bias that often characterises intelligence services. Each forecaster collects and analyses the available information differently to reach the most probable scenario and can add a short comment to explain their reasoning. The platform also encourages discussion between members so they can compare arguments and alter their positions.

Available in Swedish, French and English, the platform currently has 20,000 registered users; each question attracts an average of 500 forecasters. Their predictions are later sent to statistical algorithms that cross-reference data, particularly the relevance of the answers they provided. The most reliable users will have a stronger influence on the results; this reinforces the reliability of collective intelligence.

[…]

Source: Sweden’s crowd-forecasting platform ‘Glimt’ helps Ukraine make wartime predictions

This may work, until the bots and village idiots find it.