Chat Control Is Back On The Menu In The EU. It Still Must Be Stopped

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The European Union Council is once again debating its controversial message scanning proposal, aka “Chat Control,” that would lead to the scanning of private conversations of billions of people.

Chat Control, which EFF has strongly opposed since it was first introduced in 2022, keeps being mildly tweaked and pushed by one Council presidency after another.

Chat Control is a dangerous legislative proposal that would make it mandatory for service providers, including end-to-end encrypted communication and storage services, to scan all communications and files to detect “abusive material.” This would happen through a method called client-side scanning, which scans for specific content on a device before it’s sent. In practice, Chat Control is chat surveillance and functions by having access to everything on a device with indiscriminate monitoring of everything. In a memo, the Danish Presidency claimed this does not break end-to-end encryption.

This is absurd.

We have written extensively that client-side scanning fundamentally undermines end-to-end encryption, and obliterates our right to private spaces. If the government has access to one of the “ends” of an end-to-end encrypted communication, that communication is no longer safe and secure. Pursuing this approach is dangerous for everyone, but is especially perilous for journalists, whistleblowers, activists, lawyers, and human rights workers.

If passed, Chat Control would undermine the privacy promises of end-to-end encrypted communication tools, like Signal and WhatsApp. The proposal is so dangerous that Signal has stated it would pull its app out of the EU if Chat Control is passed. Proponents even seem to realize how dangerous this is, because state communications are exempt from this scanning in the latest compromise proposal.

This doesn’t just affect people in the EU, it affects everyone around the world, including in the United States. If platforms decide to stay in the EU, they would be forced to scan the conversation of everyone in the EU. If you’re not in the EU, but you chat with someone who is, then your privacy is compromised too. Passing this proposal would pave the way for authoritarian and tyrannical governments around the world to follow suit with their own demands for access to encrypted communication apps.

Even if you take it in good faith that the government would never do anything wrong with this power, events like Salt Typhoon show there’s no such thing as a system that’s only for the “good guys.”

Despite strong opposition, Denmark is pushing forward and taking its current proposal to the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on October 14th.

We urge the Danish Presidency to drop its push for scanning our private communication and consider fundamental rights concerns. Any draft that compromises end-to-end encryption and permits scanning of our private communication should be blocked or voted down.

Phones and laptops must work for the users who own them, not act as “bugs in our pockets” in the service of governments, foreign or domestic. The mass scanning of everything on our devices is invasive, untenable, and must be rejected.

Republished from the EFF’s Deeplinks blog.

Source: Chat Control Is Back On The Menu In The EU. It Still Must Be Stopped | Techdirt

No account? No Windows 11 for you, says Microsoft

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Microsoft is closing a popular loophole that allowed users to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account.

The change has appeared in recent Insider builds of Windows 11, indicating it is likely to be included in the production version soon.

Microsoft refers to these loopholes as “known mechanisms” and is talking about local commands in this instance. You can learn all about these in our piece for getting Windows 11 installed with a local account, but suffice to say start ms-cxh:localonly is no more.

“While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use,” Microsoft said.

“Users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account, to ensure [the] device is set up correctly.”

As far as Redmond is concerned, this is all for the user’s own good. It is also important to note that managed devices are not directly affected, just hardware that users want to get running with Windows 11 without having to deal with a Microsoft Account during setup.

The change is part of Microsoft’s ongoing game of Whac-A-Mole with users trying to find ways of avoiding its online services. In March, it removed the bypassnro.cmd script that allowed users to get through the Windows 11 setup without needing an internet connection. That time, Microsoft said the change was to “enhance security and user experience of Windows 11.”

There remain a number of ways to avoid the Microsoft account requirement during setup, including setting up an unattended installation, but these are more complicated. It is also clear that Microsoft is determined to continue closing loopholes where it can.

It is getting increasingly difficult to use Windows 11 on an unmanaged device without a Microsoft account. Users who don’t want to sign up should perhaps consider whether it’s time to look at an alternative operating system instead.

Source: No account? No Windows 11 for you, says Microsoft • The Register

Motion sensors in high-performance mice can be used as a microphone to spy on users, thanks to AI — Mic-E-Mouse technique harnesses mouse sensors, converts acoustic vibrations into speech

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A group of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have developed a way to use the sensors in high-quality optical mice to capture subtle vibrations and convert them into audible data. According to the abstract of Mic-E-Mouse (full PDF here), the high polling rate and sensitivity of high-performance optical mice pick up acoustic vibrations from the surface where they sit. By running the raw data through signal processing and machine learning techniques, the team could hear what the user was saying through their desk.

Mouse sensors with a 20,000 DPI or higher are vulnerable to this attack. And with the best gaming mice becoming more affordable annually, even relatively affordable peripherals are at risk.

[…]

Mic-E-Mouse Pipeline Demonstration – YouTube Mic-E-Mouse Pipeline Demonstration - YouTube

Watch On

[…]

this method is empowered by AI models, allowing the researchers to get a speech recognition accuracy of about 42 to 61%,

[…]

Source: Motion sensors in high-performance mice can be used as a microphone to spy on users, thanks to AI — Mic-E-Mouse technique harnesses mouse sensors, converts acoustic vibrations into speech | Tom’s Hardware

The Supreme Court Tells Google To Change Play Store after Loss from Epic Games, Not to Wait for Appeal

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In August, Google had just two weeks to begin cracking open Android, and to stop forcing app developers to use its own payment systems, after Epic Games won its Google lawsuit for the second time.

Now, Google has just over two weeks once again — because the US Supreme Court has decided not to save Google ahead of its Supreme Court appeal. Today, the Court denied the company’s request for a partial stay, meaning the permanent injunction is still in effect, meaning Google must do the following things this month or be in violation:

  • Stop Google from forcing app developers to use Google Play Billing
  • Let Android developers tell users about other ways to pay from within the Play Store
  • Let Android developers link to ways to download their apps outside of the Play Store
  • Let developers set their own prices
  • Stop sharing money or perks with phonemakers, carriers, and app developers in exchange for Google Play exclusivity or preinstallation
  • Work with Epic to resolve any disputes as Google builds a system to let rival app stores into Google Play

Epic Games says the deadline for Google to comply is now October 22nd, 2025. “Starting October 22, developers will be legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens, and friction – same as Apple App Store users in the US!” writes Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.

[…]

Source: The Supreme Court didn’t save Google from Epic, and now the clock is ticking | The Verge

UK government says digital ID won’t be compulsory – unless you want a job. Even Palantir steps back from this one.

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The British government has finally given more details about the proposed digital ID project, directly responding to the 2.76 million naysayers that signed an online petition calling for it to be ditched.

This came a day after controversial spy-tech biz Palantir said it has no intention of helping the government implement the initiative – announced last week by prime minister Keir Starmer but not included in his political party’s manifesto at last year’s general election.

It is for this reason that Louis Mosley, UK boss at Palantir – the grandson of Sir Oswald Mosley – says his employer is not getting involved, despite being mentioned as a potential bidder.

“Digital ID is not one that was tested at the last election. It wasn’t in the manifesto. So we haven’t had a clear resounding public support at the ballot box for its implementation. So it isn’t one for us,” he told The Times

[…]

Following in the footsteps of Estonia and other nations, including China, the UK government wants to introduce a “free” digital ID card for people aged 16 and over – though it is consulting on whether this should start at 13 – to let people access public and private services “seamlessly.” It will “build on” GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet, we’re told.

“This system will allow people to access government services – such as benefits or tax records – without needing to remember multiple logins or provide physical documents.

[…]

The card, scheduled to be implemented by the end of the current Parliament, means employers will have to check digital ID when going through right-to-work checks, and despite previously saying the card will be mandatory, the government confirmed: “For clarity, it will not be a criminal offence to not hold a digital ID and police will not be able to demand to see a digital ID as part of a ‘stop and search.’

[…]

Big Brother Watch says the national ID system is a “serious threat to civil liberties.”

“Digital ID systems can be uniquely harmful to privacy, equality and civil liberties. They would allow the state to amass vast amounts of personal information about the public in centralised government databases. By linking government records through a unique single identifier, digital ID systems would make it very easy to build up a comprehensive picture of an individual’s life.”

[…]

Source: UK government says digital ID won’t be compulsory – honest • The Register

It also creates a single point of entry for anyone willing to hack the database. Centralised databases are incredibly broken ideas.

Also see: New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK. Ausweiss bitte!

And a quick search for “centralised database”

This is why people hate woke: some moron decided to remove the guns from James Bond. And Amazon Agreed.

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Last year, for April Fools, we ran a spoof news story about cigarettes being digitally removed from the James Bond films due to pressure to distance the character from smoking. It touched a nerve, and many commented that this could happen in the future.

In a disappointing case of fiction becoming fact, Amazon has decided to remove guns from the key art used on all the James Bond films on Prime. Whilst it may be appealing to have a unified look for the series on streaming, removing the Walthers has left Bond with some awkward poses.

Some covers have been achieved by cropping the image so the gun is outside the lower edge, but in some cases the images have been digitally manipulated to varying levels of success, including: Dr No (awkwardly folded arms), A View To A Kill (long arms), GoldenEye (contemplation), and Spectre (clumsily shortened empty holster).

 

Source: Disarming – Amazon has digitally removed guns from James Bond film key art – James Bond 007 :: MI6 – The Home Of James Bond

Which fuckwit thought this was a good idea, and which bunch of morons agreed to this?

Unity Real-Time Development Platform Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code

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Unity Technologies has issued a critical security advisory warning developers about a high-severity vulnerability affecting its widely used game development platform.

The flaw, designated CVE-2025-59489, exposes applications built with vulnerable Unity Editor versions to unsafe file loading attacks that could enable local code execution and privilege escalation across multiple operating systems.

The vulnerability stems from an untrusted search path weakness (CWE-426) that allows attackers to exploit unsafe file loading mechanisms within Unity-built applications.

With a CVSS score of 8.4, this security issue affects virtually all Unity Editor versions from 2017.1 through current releases, potentially impacting millions of deployed games and applications worldwide.

Local File Inclusion Vulnerability

The vulnerability manifests differently across operating systems, with Android applications facing the highest risk as they are susceptible to both code execution and elevation of privilege attacks.

Windows, Linux Desktop, Linux Embedded, and macOS platforms experience elevation of privilege risks, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access at the application’s privilege level.

Security researchers at GMO Flatt Security Inc. discovered the flaw on June 4, 2025, through responsible disclosure practices.

The vulnerability exploits local file inclusion mechanisms, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code confined to the vulnerable application’s privilege level while potentially accessing confidential information available to that process.

On Windows systems, the threat landscape becomes more complex when custom URI handlers are registered for Unity applications.

Attackers who can trigger these URI schemes may exploit the vulnerable library-loading behavior without requiring direct command-line access, significantly expanding the attack surface.

Risk Factors Details
Affected Products Unity Editor versions 2017.1+ and applications built with these versions across Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS
Impact Local code execution, privilege escalation, information disclosure
Exploit Prerequisites Local system access, vulnerable Unity-built application present on target system
CVSS 3.1 Score 8.4 (High)

Mitigations

Unity has released patches for all supported versions and extended fixes to legacy versions dating back to Unity 2019.1.

The company provides two primary remediation approaches: rebuilding applications with updated Unity Editor versions or applying binary patches using Unity’s specialized patch tool for deployed applications.

[…]

Source: Unity Real-Time Development Platform Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code

vitamin D2 supplements could weaken your immunity – take D3 instead

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Taking vitamin D2 might lower the body’s levels of the more efficient form of vitamin D, vitamin D3, according to new research from the University of Surrey, John Innes Centre and Quadram Institute Bioscience. Many people take vitamin D supplements to support their bone and immune health and meet the UK government recommendation of 10 micrograms (µg) each day, especially during the winter months.

There are two forms of vitamin D supplements available: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Researchers have found that taking vitamin D2 supplements can lead to a drop in the body’s concentration of vitamin D3, which is the form our bodies naturally produce from sunlight and use most effectively to raise overall vitamin D levels.

The study, published in Nutrition Reviews, analysed data from randomised controlled trials and found that vitamin D2 supplementation resulted in a reduction in vitamin D3 levels compared to those not taking a vitamin D2 supplement. In many of the studies, the vitamin D3 levels went lower than in the control group.

Emily Brown, PhD Research Fellow and Lead Researcher of the study from the University of Surrey’s Nutrition, Exercise, Chronobiology & Sleep Discipline, said:

“Vitamin D supplements are important, especially between October and March, when our bodies cannot make vitamin D from sunlight in the UK. However, we discovered that vitamin D2 supplements can actually decrease levels of vitamin D3 in the body, which is a previously unknown effect of taking these supplements. This study suggests that subject to personal considerations, vitamin D3 supplements may be more beneficial for most individuals over vitamin D2.”

[…]

Further research into the different functionalities of vitamin D2 and D3 should be a priority in deciding whether vitamin D3 should be the first-line choice of vitamin D supplement, subject to individual requirements.

[…]

Story Source:

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

Journal Reference:

  1. Emily I G Brown, Andrea L Darling, Tracey M Robertson, Kathryn H Hart, Jie Li, Cathie Martin, Martin J Warren, Colin P Smith, Susan A Lanham-New, Ruan M Elliott. Effect of Vitamin D2 Supplementation on 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrition Reviews, 2025; DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf166

Source: The vitamin D mistake weakening your immunity | ScienceDaily

Scientists discover hidden protein that switches off hunger

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Researchers at Leipzig University and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered a key mechanism for appetite and weight control. It helps the brain to regulate feelings of hunger. In a study, scientists from Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1423 – Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling – found how a protein called MRAP2 (melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein 2) influences the function of the brain receptor MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor), which plays a central role in appetite control and energy balance. Their findings have just been published in the journal Nature Communications.

MC4R is an important receptor activated by the peptide hormone MSH. It plays a major role in Collaborative Research Centre 1423, where it is being characterised both structurally and functionally. Mutations in MC4R are among the most common genetic causes of severe obesity.

[…]

Setmelanotide, an approved drug, activates this receptor and specifically reduces feelings of hunger. “We are proud that CRC 1423 has now also contributed to understanding receptor transport and availability,” says Professor Annette Beck-Sickinger, spokesperson for CRC 1423 and co-author of the study. A total of five projects within the Collaborative Research Centre were involved in this interdisciplinary research.

Using modern fluorescence microscopy and single-cell imaging, the team demonstrated that the protein MRAP2 fundamentally alters the localisation and behaviour of the brain receptor MC4R within cells. Fluorescent biosensors and confocal imaging showed that MRAP2 is essential for transporting MC4R to the cell surface, where it can transmit appetite-suppressing signals more effectively.

By uncovering this new level of regulation, the study points to therapeutic strategies that mimic or modulate MRAP2 and hold the potential to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders.

[…]

Story Source:

Materials provided by Universität Leipzig. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. Iqra Sohail, Suli-Anne Laurin, Gunnar Kleinau, Vidicha Chunilal, Andrew Morton, Alfonso Brenlla, Zeynep Cansu Uretmen Kagiali, Marie-José Blouin, Javier A. Tello, Annette G. Beck-Sickinger, Martin J. Lohse, Patrick Scheerer, Michel Bouvier, Peter McCormick, Paolo Annibale, Heike Biebermann. MRAP2 modifies the signaling and oligomerization state of the melanocortin-4 receptor. Nature Communications, 2025; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63988-w

Source: Scientists discover hidden protein that switches off hunger | ScienceDaily

Outrage That NL Tax and Customs Authorities will give all data to US by switching to MS 365: ‘Insult to Parliament’

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‘An insult not only to the House of Representatives, but also to Dutch and European businesses’, says GroenLinks-PvdA MP Barbara Kathmann about the switch of government services to Microsoft. Earlier today, outgoing State Secretary for Taxation Eugène Heijnen (BBB) informed the House of Representatives about the switch of the Tax Authorities, the Allowances department, and Customs to Microsoft 365. This means that these services will become dependent on this American software giant for their daily work.

Outrage over Tax Authorities’ switch to Microsoft: ‘An insult to the House of Representatives’

Over the past year, there have been frequent debates about the digital independence of the Netherlands, and the call to become independent from American companies is growing louder. The fact that the State Secretary is now announcing that three government services will still switch to Microsoft is causing a lot of anger among Kathmann. ‘They are essentially just ushering us into the American cloud during this caretaker period, and that is really not necessary.’ Bert Hubert, former supervisor of the intelligence services, previously stated that Dutch tax data could end up on American servers via email contact.

Cluster of European companies

Kathmann emphasizes that it would be naive to think that we could be independent of Microsoft tomorrow, but that Dutch and European businesses are capable of a lot.

[…]

According to the State Secretary, this is not possible because there are no comparable European alternatives. Kathmann explains that the intention is precisely not to become dependent on one supplier.

[…]

Stimulate development

Last week, caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof called on executives of large companies to become independent from non-European suppliers. Schoof also emphasized in the House two days ago that this is a priority.

[…]

the government can play an important role in stimulating the development of European and Dutch technology. ‘The government is the largest IT buyer in the Netherlands. If it becomes the largest buyer of European Dutch products, then it will really take off.’

[…]

Source: Kagi Translate

It really is amazing how at a time when everyone is talking about digital sovereignty, the Tax people – responsible for handling extremely sensitive data – decide to give it all to an increasingly untrustworthy ally.

Signal threatens to exit Germany over Chat Control vote – 14th of October we know if Denmark has managed to turn the EU into a Stazi surveillance state.

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The Signal Foundation announced on October 3, 2025, that it would withdraw its encrypted messaging service from Germany and potentially all of Europe if the European Union’s Chat Control proposal passes in an upcoming vote. According to Signal President Meredith Whittaker, the messaging platform faces an existential choice between compromising its encryption integrity and leaving European markets entirely.

The German government holds a decisive position in the October 14, 2025 vote on the Chat Control regulation, which aims to combat child sexual abuse material but requires mass scanning of every message, photo, and video on users’ devices.

[…]

The Chat Control proposal mandates that messaging services like Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Threema scan files on smartphones and end devices without suspicion to detect child sexual abuse material. This scanning would occur before encryption, according to technical documentation from the European Commission’s September 2020 draft on detecting such content in end-to-end encrypted communications.

[…]

The Chat Control vote reveals deep divisions among EU member states on digital privacy and surveillance. Fifteen countries support the proposal, eight oppose it, and several remain undecided as the October 14 deadline approaches.

[…]

Germany’s position remains critical and undecided. Despite expressing concerns about breaking end-to-end encryption at a September 12 Law Enforcement Working Party meeting, the government refrained from taking a definitive stance. This indecision makes Germany’s vote potentially decisive for the proposal’s fate.

Belgium, Italy, and Latvia remain undecided as of September 23, 2025. These countries express desire to reach agreement given the expiring interim regulation, with all three expressing support for the proposal’s goals while remaining formally uncommitted. Italy specifically voices doubts concerning inclusion of new child sexual abuse material in the scope of application. Latvia assesses the text positively but faces uncertainty about political support.

Poland and Austria share the desire for solutions but maintain skepticism about the current proposal’s approach. Greece’s position remains unclear, with the government evaluating technical implementation details. Sweden continues examining the compromise text and working on a position. Slovakia appears in both opposition and undecided categories depending on sources, reflecting the fluid nature of negotiations.

The arithmetic suggests that Germany’s decision could determine whether the required majority materializes. With 15 states supporting and 8 opposing, the undecided nations hold the balance.

[…]

Technical experts have warned that client-side scanning fundamentally undermines encryption security. A comprehensive 2021 study titled “Bugs in Our Pockets: The Risks of Client-Side Scanning,” authored by 14 security researchers including cryptography pioneers Whitfield Diffie and Ronald Rivest, concluded that such systems create serious security and privacy risks for all society.

The researchers explained that scanning every message—whether performed before or after encryption—negates the premise of end-to-end encryption. Instead of breaking Signal’s encryption protocol directly, hostile actors would only need to exploit access granted to the scanning system itself. Intelligence agencies have acknowledged this threat would prove catastrophic for national security, according to the technical consensus outlined in the research paper.

[…]

Germany’s historical experience with mass surveillance through the Stasi secret police informs current privacy advocacy. The country maintained principled opposition to Chat Control during the previous coalition government, though this position became uncertain after the current government took office

[…]

Denmark assumed the EU Council Presidency on July 1, 2025, and immediately reintroduced Chat Control as a legislative priority. Lawmakers targeted the October 14 adoption date if member states reach consensus. France, which previously opposed the measure, shifted to support the proposal by July 28, 2025, creating momentum for the 15 member states now backing the regulation.

[…]

Source: Signal threatens to exit Germany over Chat Control vote

Senators Cruz and Cornyn Want To Steal Space Shuttle Discovery from Smithsonian and Chop it Up to Move it.

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Keith’s note: I just got an update from KeepTheShuttle. OMB wants NASA and the Smithsonian to figure out how to cut Space Shuttle Discovery apart into pieces to move it. As you will recall that option was ruled out when Space Shuttle Endeavour was moved to Los Angeles on the now-defunct 747 carrier and then moved through the streets where utilities were moved and trees were cut down. Every effort was taken to preserve the integrity of this historic space ship. Now Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are only interested in snagging a tourist attraction – not a precious historic relic that deserves to be preserved – and certainly not chopped up like a leftover exhibit from a state fair and tossed on a flatbed. Full statement below.

[…]

This development is unprecedented and alarming. NASA did not design the shuttle orbiters to be disassembled, and complicating factors include the shuttle’s aluminum frame, ~24,000 delicate ceramic tiles that coat the shuttle’s underside (the black part), and ~2,000 thermal insulation fabric blankets that coat the rest of the shuttle (the white part). Disassembling Discovery would cause significant and irreparable damage to these and other portions of the shuttle.

Discovery also holds particular value, as the shuttle was specially preserved to serve as a future reference for researchers. To quote Dennis Jenkins, who was the director of NASA’s program to retire the shuttle fleet “We spent a lot of time and money to preserve Discovery in as near to flight condition as we could to put it in the national collection, so that any future engineer or historian has a reference vehicle to look at, measure or do whatever they need”. The process that the White House is now asking the Smithsonian and NASA to explore would permanently ruin this work and significantly hamper the ability of future generations to study and learn from Discovery.

The letter also references that NASA and the Smithsonian are in agreement that the cost to move Discovery to Houston would, at minimum, be between $120 million and $150 million, exclusive of the cost of building a new exhibit in Houston. This number significantly exceeds the $85 million authorized for the relocation and a new exhibit by the OBBBA, and indicates that additional taxpayer funding will be necessary. A

[…]

Letter from the Smithsonian to Congressional Authorizing & Appropriating Committees:

“The Smithsonian has been asked by OMB to work with NASA to prepare to move the Discovery space shuttle to Houston, TX, within the 18 months specified in the reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025. The bill does not specifically mention Discovery as the designated vehicle for relocation, and its terms could include any number of space vehicles, but the administration is interpreting the law as sufficiently specific to move forward with the transfer of Discovery. The Smithsonian and NASA have been asked to begin by verifying the actual costs associated with the move.

While an engineering study will be necessary due to the size and weight of the space vehicle, both NASA and the Smithsonian believe that Discovery will have to undergo significant disassembly to be moved.

[…]

NASA transferred “all rights, title, interest and ownership” of the shuttle to the Smithsonian. We remain concerned about the unprecedented nature of a removal of an object from the national collection, and that we would be causing damage to the most intact orbiter from the space shuttle program

[…]

Source: Senators Cruz and Cornyn Want To Chop Up Space Shuttle Discovery – NASA Watch

Entangled states enhance energy transfer in models of molecular systems

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A study from Rice University, published in PRX Quantum, has found that energy transfers more quickly between molecular sites when it starts in an entangled, delocalized quantum state instead of from a single site. The discovery could lead to the development of more efficient light-harvesting materials that enhance the conversion of energy from light into other forms of energy.

Many , including photosynthesis, depend on rapid and efficient energy transfer following absorption. Understanding how quantum mechanical effects like entanglement influence these processes at room temperature could significantly change our approach to creating artificial systems that mimic nature’s efficiency.

“Delocalizing the initial excitation across multiple sites accelerates the transfer in ways that starting from a single site cannot achieve,” said Guido Pagano, the study’s corresponding author and assistant professor of physics and astronomy.

Model and method

The study uses a simplified model molecule consisting of two regions: a donor, where energy is initially absorbed, and an acceptor, where the energy must eventually arrive. Energy can hop between sites within each region; although longer hops are less likely, they are still included in the model. The model also accounts for interactions with the environment, which can couple with the molecule’s vibrations and affect the energy transfer process.

A key focus of the research was determining whether it is more effective for energy to start entirely at one donor site or in a delocalized or entangled superposition spread over two or more donor sites. The researchers explored whether this quantum mechanical property impacts transfer speed in a system with long-range interactions.

“Starting in a delocalized provides the system with more pathways,” Pagano said. “Our simulations indicate that this added coherence allows for quicker transfer to the acceptor, even in the presence of environmental noise.”

Findings and implications

The research team discovered that when energy begins in an entangled initial state, transfer to the acceptor occurs significantly faster than in scenarios where the energy starts at a single site. This finding holds true across various model parameters, including the strength of environmental coupling, the range of interactions between sites and disorder within the system.

“This suggests that nature may be using entanglement and coherence to optimize the speed of excitation transfer, thereby enhancing the robustness of this process,” Pagano said.

Although the model is intentionally minimal, the researchers argue that its implications extend to more complex molecular systems. They propose that could be conducted using controllable quantum platforms such as trapped-ion systems to simulate the physics of molecular energy transfer.

“Our goal is to bridge the abstract world of quantum information with the tangible mechanisms observed in biology,” said Diego Fallas Padilla, the study’s first author and Rice alumnus. “This study serves as a step toward illustrating that quantum coherence is not just a theoretical curiosity but a practical component of nature’s design.”

Co-authors of the study include Rice’s Visal So, Abhishek Menon, Roman Zhuravel and Han Pu.

More information: Diego Fallas Padilla et al, Delocalized Excitation Transfer in Open Quantum Systems with Long-Range Interactions, PRX Quantum (2025). DOI: 10.1103/bxwl-sbsn

Journal information: PRX Quantum

Provided by Rice University

Source: Entangled states enhance energy transfer in models of molecular systems

A common supplement could supercharge cancer treatments

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In a new study, researchers from the University of Chicago discovered that zeaxanthin, a plant-derived carotenoid best known for protecting vision, may also act as an immune-boosting compound by strengthening the cancer-fighting activity of immune cells. The findings, which were published in Cell Reports Medicine, highlight the potential of zeaxanthin as a widely available supplement to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.

“We were surprised to find that zeaxanthin, already known for its role in eye health, has a completely new function in boosting anti-tumor immunity,” said Jing Chen, PhD, Janet Davison Rowley Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and senior author of the study. “Our study show that a simple dietary nutrient could complement and strengthen advanced cancer treatments like immunotherapy.”

How does this nutrient work?

The study builds on years of work by Chen’s lab to better understand how nutrients influence the immune system. By screening a large blood nutrient library, the team identified zeaxanthin as a compound that directly enhances the activity of CD8+ T cells, a crucial type of immune cell that kills tumor cells. These cells rely on a molecular structure called the T-cell receptor (TCR) to recognize and destroy abnormal cells.

The researchers found that zeaxanthin stabilizes and strengthens the formation of TCR complex on CD8+ T cells upon interacting with the cancer cells. This, in turn, triggers more robust intracellular signaling that boosts T-cell activation, cytokine production, and tumor-killing capacity.

Zeaxanthin improves immunotherapy effects

In mouse models, dietary supplementation with zeaxanthin slowed tumor growth. Importantly, when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors – a type of immunotherapy that has transformed cancer treatment in recent years – zeaxanthin significantly enhanced anti-tumor effects compared to immunotherapy alone.

To extend the findings, the researchers tested human T cells engineered to recognize specific tumor antigens and found that zeaxanthin treatment improved these cells’ ability to kill melanoma, multiple myeloma, and glioblastoma cells in laboratory experiments.

[…]

`

Zeaxanthin is sold as an over-the-counter supplement for eye health, and is naturally found in vegetables like orange peppers, spinach, and kale. It’s inexpensive, widely available, well-tolerated and, most importantly, its safety profile is known – which means it can be safely tested as an adjunct to cancer therapies.

The study also reinforces the importance of a balanced diet. In their previous research, Chen’s group discovered that trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), a fatty acid derived from dairy and meat, also boosts T-cell activity – but through a different mechanism. Together, the findings suggest that nutrients from both plant and animal sources may provide complementary benefits to immune health.

Clinical applications of zeaxanthin

Although the results are promising, the researchers emphasize that the work is still at an early stage. Most of the findings come from laboratory experiments and animal studies. Thus, clinical trials will be needed to determine whether zeaxanthin supplements can improve outcomes for cancer patients.

[…]

Source: A common supplement could supercharge cancer treatments | ScienceDaily

SWIFT and 30 banks will go Blockchain and become a mainstream part of global finance

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Blockchains are still synonymous with the wild world of cryptocurrencies, but on Monday, 30 banks and SWIFT – the world’s most important cross-border payment service – made them an utterly mainstream part of the global financial system.

SWIFT – aka the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication – provides a messaging service that financial institutions use to move money around the world. The service is widely used but is slow because, as explained by ANZ Bank, SWIFT “doesn’t actually move the money.”

“This means the instruction to pay and the movement of funds happen separately, often requiring a complex network of accounts and correspondent banks to enable a payment to be processed. This disconnect can slow payments down and lead to a lack of visibility for both sender and recipient.”

It can also mean cross-border payments take a couple of days to complete.

SWIFT’s problems are well known and financial services types see the service as sound – but also sand in the gears of global trade.

Blockchain enthusiasts who saw cryptocurrency transactions rapidly rippling across distributed ledgers, therefore wondered if their preferred technology could improve the speed of cross-border cash transfers. Many startups, some with support from sensible central banks, have explored this idea, usually by proposing “stablecoins” – digital currencies pegged to the value of a fiat currency – which would be exchanged on a blockchain to provide faster settlements than SWIFT can achieve.

China has similar ideas: One application for its Digital Yuan is enabling rapid cross-border transactions in the Middle Kingdom’s currency, and not the US Dollar that is often used to move money around the world. If China could use its digital currency to control a slice of global trade, it could weaken Western institutions like SWIFT.

Almost everyone contemplating using a blockchain to move money around the world imagines either supplanting SWIFT, or stealing a lot of its business.

It’s therefore unsurprising that on Monday SWIFT announced its intention to “add a blockchain-based shared ledger to its technology infrastructure, a pivotal step for global finance that promises to make instant, always-on cross-border transactions possible at unprecedented scale.”

SWIFT will also build tools to integrate its existing payment systems, and its new blockchain.

“It is envisaged that the ledger – a secure, real-time log of transactions between financial institutions – will record, sequence and validate transactions and enforce rules through smart contracts,” SWIFT’s announcement explains. “It will be built for interoperability, both with existing and emerging networks, while maintaining the trust, resilience and compliance synonymous with Swift and critical to the secure functioning of global finance.”

34 financial institutions from 16 countries have signed up to design the ledger, with help from Ethereum outfit Consensys.

SWIFT didn’t predict when this ledger will go live, which is probably sensible as projects of this magnitude can easily go pear-shaped and previous attempts at using blockchains for high-volume mission critical systems have gone badly.

But for now, an entity that has for decades played an important role in the global economy has decided it needs to rebuild itself on blockchain.

In some ways that’s unremarkable because very few people need to care about the technology plumbing their banks employ. SWIFT adopting Blockchain, however, will likely bring tokenized assets much closer to the mainstream.

Source: Blockchain just became a mainstream part of global finance • The Register

USAF admits SharePoint privacy issue; reports of breach, shutdown of SharePoint, Teams and PowerBI

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The US Air Force confirmed it’s investigating a “privacy-related issue” amid reports of a Microsoft SharePoint-related breach and subsequent service-wide shutdown, rendering mission files and other critical tools potentially unavailable to service members.

“The Department of the Air Force is aware of a privacy-related issue,” an Air Force spokesperson told The Register on Wednesday, while declining to answer specific questions about the alleged digital intrusion.

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The Air Force’s confirmation follows what looks like a breach notification, shared with The Register and on social media, that purports to come from the Air Force Personnel Center Directorate of Technology and Information.

“This message is to inform you of a critical Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) exposure related to USAF SharePoint Permissions,” the notice says. “As a result of this breach, all USAF SharePoints will be blocked Air Force-wide to protect sensitive information.”

Two other Microsoft services, Teams and Power BI dashboards, will also allegedly be blocked because both access SharePoint, the alert continued, adding that restoration may take up to two weeks.

It’s unclear what services, if any, are offline right now. A DAF spokesperson said that the military branch “cannot confirm” that SharePoint and Teams have been disabled. Another person we spoke to on the phone claimed that they were “using it right now” when asked about SharePoint on Tuesday.

A Microsoft spokesperson told The Register that Redmond “has nothing to share at this time,” and declined to answer our specific questions including if the Air Force security snafu is related to July’s SharePoint fiasco.

Chinese government spies, data thieves, and at least one ransomware gang exploited a couple of SharePoint vulnerabilities over the summer, allowing them to hijack on-premises SharePoint servers belonging to more than 400 organizations and remotely execute code.

[…]

Source: Air Force admits SharePoint privacy issue; reports of breach • The Register

Academic research finds economic, technical and operational harms from Italy’s Piracy Shield

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Walled Culture first wrote about Piracy Shield, Italy’s automated system for tackling alleged copyright infringement in the streaming sector, two years ago. Since then, we have written about the serious problems that soon emerged. But instead of fixing those issues, the government body that runs the scheme, Italy’s AGCOM (the Italian Authority for Communications Guarantees), has extended it. The problems may be evident, but they have not been systematically studied, until now: a peer-reviewed study from a group of (mostly Italian) researchers has just been published as a preprint (found via TorrentFreak). It’s particularly welcome as perhaps the first rigorous analysis of Piracy Shield and its flaws.

[…]

one of the major concerns about the system is the lack of transparency: AGCOM does not publish a list of IP addresses or domain names that are subject to its blocking. That not only makes it extremely difficult to correct mistakes, it also – conveniently – hides those mistakes, as well as the scope and impact of Piracy Shield. To get around this lack of transparency, the researchers had to resort to a dataset leaked on GitHub, which contained 10,918 IPv4 addresses and 42,664 domain names (more precisely, the latter were “fully qualified domain names” – FQDN) that had been blocked. As good academics, the researchers naturally verified the dataset as best they could:

While this dataset may not be exhaustive … it nonetheless provides a conservative lower-bound estimate of the platform’s blocking activity, which serves as the foundation for the subsequent analyses.

Much of the paper is devoted to the detailed methodology. One important result is that many of the blocked IP addresses belonged to leased IP address space. As the researchers explain:

This suggests that illegal streamers may attempt to exploit leased address space more intensively, even if just indirectly, by obtaining them by hosting companies that leases them, leading to more potential collateral damages for new lessees.

This particular collateral damage arises from the fact that even after the leased IP address is released by those who are using it for allegedly unauthorised streaming, it is still blocked on the Piracy Shield system. That means whoever is allocated that leased IP address subsequently is blocked by AGCOM, but are probably unaware of that fact, because of the opaque nature of the blocking process. More generally, collateral damage arose from the wrongful blocking of a wide range of completely legitimate sites:

During our classification process, we observed a wide range of website types across these collaterally affected domains, including personal branding pages, company profiles, and websites for hotels and restaurants. One notable case involves 19 Albanian websites hosted on a single IP address assigned to WIIT Cloud. These sites are still unreachable from Italy.

Italian sites were also hit, including a car mechanic, several retail shops, an accountant, a telehealth missionary program – and a nunnery. More amusingly, the researchers write:

we found a case of collateral damage involving a Google IP. Closer inspection revealed the IP was used by Telecom Italia to serve a blocking page for FQDNs filtered by Piracy Shield. Although later removed from the blocklist, this case suggests that collateral damage may have affected the blocking infrastructure itself.

The academics summarise their work as follows:

Our results on the collateral damages of IP and FQDN blocking highlight a worrisome scenario, with hundreds of legitimate websites unknowingly affected by blocking, unknown operators experiencing service disruption, and illegal streamers continuing to evade enforcement by exploiting the abundance of address space online, leaving behind unusable and polluted address ranges. Still, our findings represent a conservative lower-bound estimate.

It distinguished three ways in which Piracy Shield is harmful. Economically, because it disrupts legitimate businesses; technically, because it blocks shared infrastructure such as content delivery networks, while “polluting the IP address space” for future, unsuspecting users; and operationally, because it imposes a “growing, uncompensated burden on Italian ISPs forced to implement an expanding list of permanent blocks.” The paper concludes with some practical suggestions for improving a system that is clearly not fit for purpose, and poses a threat to national security, as discussed previously on Walled Culture. The researchers suggest that:

widespread and difficult-to-predict collateral damage suggests that IP-level blocking is an indiscriminate tool with consequences that outweigh its benefits and should not be used.

Instead, they point out that there are other legal pathways that can be pursued, since many of the allegedly infringing streams originate within the EU. If FQDN blocking is used, it should be regarded as “a last resort in tightly constrained time windows, i.e., only for the duration of the live event.” Crucially, more transparency is needed from AGCOM:

To mitigate damages, resource owners must be immediately notified when their assets are blocked, and a clear, fast unblocking mechanism must be in place.

This is an important piece of work, because it places criticisms of Piracy Shield on a firm footing, with rigorous analysis of the facts. However, AGCOM is unlike to pay attention, since it is in the process of expanding Piracy Shield to apply to vast swathes of online streaming: amendments to the relevant law mean that automatic blocks can now be applied to film premieres, and even run-of-the-mill TV shows. Based on its past behaviour, the copyright industry may well push to extend Piracy Shield to static Web material too, on the basis that the blocking infrastructure is already in place, so why not use it for every kind of material?

Source: Academic research finds economic, technical and operational harms from Italy’s Piracy Shield – Walled Culture

Chinese Hackers Breached Foreign Ministers’ Exchange Email Servers

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Chinese hackers breached email servers of foreign ministers as part of a years-long effort targeting the communications of diplomats around the world, according to researchers at the cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc.

Attackers accessed Microsoft Exchange email servers, gaining the ability to search for information at some foreign ministries, said the team at Unit 42, the threat intelligence division of Palo Alto Networks, which has been tracking the group for nearly three years.

Hackers specifically searched in the email servers for key terms related to a China-Arab summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2022, said Lior Rochberger, senior researcher at the company. They also searched for names such as including Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, in the context of that summit, the researchers said.

The researchers declined to specifically identify which countries had their systems breached in the hacking campaign, but wrote in the report that the group’s targeting patterns “align consistently with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) economic and geopolitical interests.”

[…]

“When I found them searching for specific diplomatic keywords and then exfiltrating emails from embassies and military operations, I realized this was a serious intelligence collection effort,” Rochberger said.

[…]

Source: Chinese Hackers Breached Foreign Ministers’ Email Servers

So that sounds like it was the Cloud version of Exchange was targeted. You would think that countries would have some respect for their own security and not have their data in the US on a US company servers. But no, their procurement departments are led by idiots who are now complaining that there are no alternatives – probably because they didn’t fund the alternatives that do exist.

YouTube coughs up $24.5 million to make Trump case (with no legal leg to stand on) go away. Oh, is that a bribe then?

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YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to end the case brought by US president Donald Trump, who alleged the vid-streamer had infringed his freedom of speech.

The case stems from the events of January 6th, 2020, when supporters of the president stormed the US Capitol building and attempted to disrupt certification of the presidential election that Trump lost. YouTube, Meta, and Twitter all suspended Trump’s accounts after January 6th, because they felt the president might use their platforms to incite violence.

Once out of office, Trump sued all three. His case [PDF] against YouTube claimed the video outfit deprived him of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. Lawyers at the time pointed out Trump didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, because corporations are not required to guarantee or preserve free speech.

Meta and Twitter nonetheless settled their cases, and on Monday YouTube did likewise.

A court filing [PDF] states that the settlement is not “an admission of liability or fault on the part of the Defendants or their agents, servants, or employees, and is entered into by all Parties for the sole purpose of compromising disputed claims and avoiding the expenses and risks of further litigation.”

President Trump is a paper billionaire. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, reported annual revenue of $350 billion for its last full financial year, and net income of $100 billion. YouTube alone generates revenue close to $10 billion each quarter.

The vid-streamer can therefore afford to litigate.

The risks of litigation are another matter, as the second Trump administration has seemingly looked favorably on companies engaged in activities that might require the federal government’s approval, and which resolve matters close to the president’s heart.

Google could certainly benefit from good relations with the administration, as it faces possible appeals against a recent antitrust judgment that left its monopolies intact, and seeks approval to build new datacenters to run AI workloads.

This settlement might help because Trump has directed one $22 million payment YouTube will make to the body overseeing his pet project – construction of a ballroom at the White House. Another $2.5 million payment will go to plaintiffs who joined the case and also felt YouTube infringed their rights.

YouTube has not commented on the matter at the time of writing. ®

Source: YouTube coughs up $24.5 million to make Trump case go away • The Register

Innovative aviation projects cleared for take off – UK invests paltry $4.4m in 14 projects.

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An investment of £4.4 million across 14 innovative aviation projects will support areas such as the NHS, emergency services and nature restoration in the UK.

Innovate UK, in partnership with the Department for Transport, has announced the latest group of projects to receive funding from the Future Flight Programme.

The programme encourages the innovative use of aviation technologies to support a variety of challenges in the UK, including:

  • medical supply chains
  • protecting national infrastructure
  • agricultural restoration

Project ambitions

Eight of the projects are for strategic growth, to demonstrate progress towards commercialisation.

These focus on real-world operations proving use cases in a variety of sectors, from agriculture to healthcare and provide tangible insights to support regulatory development in key areas.

Six of the projects are regional demonstrators, which have been funded to enable local areas across the UK to plan for the adoption and integration of drones.

This includes passenger carrying eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) and zero emission conventional aircraft.

[…]

Full list of funded projects

Strategic Growth projects

Advanced Logistics BVLOS UAV Mission (ALBUM)

Partners include:

  • ARC Aerosystems
  • Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership
  • Acroflight
  • Scubatx

This project will test a large, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) in Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

This was a key step towards commercialisation of ARC’s heavy cargo for mid-mile logistics with up to 100kg payload and flying long distances of up to 400km.

It aims to revolutionise logistics and medical transport in remote areas, such as the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

ALIAS II: Regulatory Policy Concepts Enabling Integrated Traffic Management (ITM)

Partners include:

  • Volant Autonomy
  • Snowdonia Aerospace Centre
  • Planefinder
  • Draken Europe
  • DroneCloud

This project aims to demonstrate an ITM system that will allow drones, air taxis, and traditional crewed aircraft to safely operate together in the same airspace.

It will use a combination of simulations and real-world flight trials of an advanced Detect and Avoid capability at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre.

Beyond Restoration

Partners include:

  • Autospray Systems
  • National Trust
  • Woodland Trust
  • North Pennines National Landscape
  • Skypointe

This project aims to deploy a fleet of drones to apply lime, native seed mixes, fertiliser and tree seeds across ecologically significant sites in England, Wales and Scotland.

It offers an innovative, scalable alternative to manual spreading, using heavy-lift drones operating BVLOS to deliver restoration materials over remote and degraded land.

Containment with Confidence

Partners include:

  • Flare Bright
  • RPAS Heroes
  • National Gas Transmission
  • Satellite Applications Catapult

This project aims to help National Gas improve how it monitors the safety of its pipelines by replacing periodic helicopter inspections with a more efficient and environmentally friendly drone-based system.

By moving from helicopters to BVLOS drones, this project will enable National Gas to reduce its carbon emissions and demonstrate that drone-based systems can be harnessed to improve UK energy security and infrastructure monitoring.

“Dragon’s Heart”: A Welsh Medical Drone Delivery Network (MDDN)

Partners include:

  • Snowdonia Aerospace
  • Volant Autonomy
  • Skyports Deliveries
  • SLiNK-TECH

This project is building a Welsh MDDN to increase NHS operational flexibility and improve connectivity for all health and social care providers across Wales.

Drone as a First Responder

Partners include:

  • Idroneinnovations
  • SLiNK-TECH
  • Leading Edge Power
  • Thames Valley Police
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

This project is developing advanced automated drone systems to improve the safety, speed and cost efficiency of infrastructure inspections, emergency response and public safety operations.

Its modular, adaptable platform will help organisations such as emergency services and infrastructure operators integrate drones into routine workflows more easily.

London Health Bridge Growth

Partners include:

  • Apian
  • Matternet UK

This project is an expansion of an existing medical drone delivery service trial, aiming to significantly increase the number of medical samples delivered by drone and create a multi-site logistics network for the NHS.

Scaling BVLOS Operations for Critical National Infrastructure (Project SOCNI)

Partners include:

  • DroneCloud
  • NATS
  • Network Rail
  • Transport for Wales
  • Railscape
  • British Transport Police

This project will create a structured approach to designing, deploying and testing safety mitigations across national infrastructures, to improve incident management and asset inspection in a real-world rail environment.

Regional Demonstrator projects

Future Air: Southwest

Partners include:

  • Daedal Research
  • Somerset Council
  • Isles of Scilly Skybus

This project aims to overcome the significant obstacles to using eVTOLs and Zero Emission Conventional Take-off and Landing for commercial purposes.

It will look at all the challenges at once, including those related to regulations, how the aircraft are operated, the money needed, and social acceptance.

By simultaneously evaluating the full range of challenges, it will develop solutions that enable scalable BVLOS drone capabilities.

OXCAM AAM Corridor

Partners include:

  • Skyports Infrastructure
  • Bristow Helicopters
  • NATS
  • Vertical Aerospace Group
  • Oxfordshire County Council

This project aims to demonstrate the commercial and operational viability of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), like passenger and cargo services using eVTOLs, between Oxford and Cambridge.

This will test and identify real-world, commercially viable uses for this new technology, addressing the social and economic needs of the area.

The project will culminate in live demo flights of Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 aircraft from Skyports’ Bicester Vertiport.

Regional Offshore Cargo Drone Demonstrator

Partners include:

  • Flowcopter
  • AYR Logistics
  • Angus Council

This project aims to demonstrate how a new heavy-lift drone can be used for logistics and maintenance at offshore wind farms.

The project tackles a major problem for the wind energy industry which is the cost and difficulty of transporting equipment in bad weather.

By using a heavy-lift drone, the project will provide a safer, faster, and cheaper alternative, which is crucial for the efficient operation and maintenance of the UK’s offshore wind farms.

Project RESCUE

Partners include:

  • Somerset Council
  • Limosaero
  • Land and Minerals Consulting

This project is a collaboration between Somerset Council, emergency services and specialised drone companies.

Its main goal is to develop a minimum viable product for a sustainable drone-based service.

The project will focus on environmental monitoring to allow for rapid response to critical weather events.

Testing in real-world scenarios, including monitoring floods and assisting with search and rescue operations.

SATE: Highlands and Islands Regional Pathway to Sustainable Aviation

Partners include:

  • Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership
  • University of the Highlands and Islands
  • Urban Foresight
  • European Marine Energy Centre
  • Windracers
  • Skyports Deliveries
  • Hybrid Air Vehicles
  • Streamline Shipping Agencies
  • Cormorant SEAplanes
  • Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
  • Loganair
  • Regional and Business Airports Group
  • Shetland Islands Council

This project will develop a Regional Sustainable Aviation Strategy that outlines a clear roadmap for how new technologies can be put into service in the area.

It will not just focus on the technology itself but will also calculate the financial and social benefits that better air connectivity will bring to the region.

Project URBAN ASCENT

Partners include:

  • Coventry City Council
  • Skyfarer
  • Coventry University
  • SLiNK-TECH
  • Manufacturing Technology Centre
  • Altitude Angel
  • Odys Aviation

This project, based in Coventry and the West Midlands, aims to create a scalable plan for integrating drones and eVTOLs into UK cities.

By addressing the challenges of integrating drones and air taxis into a complex urban environment, it will lay the foundation for new services that can provide significant economic and social benefits.

This includes faster and more efficient transport of goods and people within cities.

Source: Innovative aviation projects cleared for take off – UKRI

4.4m in 14 projects ensures that they won’t really have enough money to make it. Hopefully this is the start of iterative funding though.

Ladybird Browser Gains Cloudflare Support to Challenge the Status Quo

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In a somewhat unexpected move, Cloudflare has announced its sponsorship of the Ladybird browser, an independent (still-in-development) open-source initiative aimed at developing a modern, standalone web browser engine. It’s a project launched by GitHub’s co-founder and former CEO, Chris Wanstrath, and tech visionary Andreas Kling.

It’s written in C++, and designed to be fast, standards-compliant, and free of external dependencies. Its main selling point? Unlike most alternative browsers today, Ladybird doesn’t sit on top of Chromium or WebKit.

Instead, it’s building a completely new rendering engine from scratch, which is a rare thing in today’s web landscape. For reference, the vast majority of web traffic currently runs through engines developed by either Google (Blink/Chromium), Apple (WebKit), or Mozilla (Gecko).

The sponsorship means the Ladybird team will have more resources to accelerate development. This includes paying developers to work on crucial features, such as JavaScript support, rendering improvements, and compatibility with modern web applications. Just to remind you, last year the project was already funded with $1 million from Wanstrath and his family.

Cloudflare stated that its support is part of a broader initiative to keep the web open, where competition and multiple implementations can drive enhanced security, performance, and innovation.

[…]

Source: Ladybird Browser Gains Cloudflare Support to Challenge the Status Quo

The browser wars in the 2000s were not lite for no reason – the browser is the viewing portal to the world and who controls the underlying technology is also the harvester of information. Something that most Chrome users don’t really understand.

UK offers JLR landmark £1.5B loan to safeguard suppliers after cyberattack – which we still don’t know what happened. 

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The UK government is stepping in with financial support for Jaguar Land Rover, providing it with a hefty loan as it continues to battle the fallout from a cyberattack.

A government-backed loan to the tune of £1.5 billion ($2 billion) will be made available to the carmaker to support its recovery and the companies in its extensive supply chain struggling as JLR brings its invoicing systems back online.

Business secretary Peter Kyle said: “This cyberattack was not only an assault on an iconic British brand, but on our world-leading automotive sector and the men and women whose livelihoods depend on it.

“Following our decisive action, this loan guarantee will help support the supply chain and protect skilled jobs in the West Midlands, Merseyside, and throughout the UK.

“We’re backing our automotive sector for the long term through our modern Industrial Strategy and the landmark trade deals we’ve signed to boost exports, as part of our Plan for Change.”

[…]

JLR’s production plants have remained closed since August 31, and the impact on its suppliers – and local communities – is said to be severe.

Workers and their families fear for their jobs after seeing suppliers, many of which rely on their big JLR contracts, already initiate redundancy proceedings.

Then there are the smaller businesses that serve local communities. With JLR’s main production plants being based in Solihull and Halewood – employing roughly 9,000 and 3,000 workers respectively – businesses such as sandwich shops and cafes have seen a significant loss in revenue.

When these businesses lose out, so do their suppliers, such as bakers and butchers, meaning the impact of JLR’s attack extends far beyond what is typical for such cases.

[…]

It is estimated that the impact of the cyberattack threatens around 120,000 jobs at JLR and companies across its supply chain.

David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, said JLR could be hemorrhaging between £5-10 million ($6-13 million) for every day that production remains halted.

He estimated that JLR could ultimately lose out on £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) in revenue and £150 million ($202 million) in profit.

[…]

Source: UK offers JLR landmark £1.5B loan to safeguard suppliers • The Register

The Internet Reacts To Electronic Arts’ $55 Billion Acquisition

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After reports sprouted up last week that Electronic Arts, the publisher behind The Sims, BioWare’s catalog, and most of your favorite sports games, was being acquired for over $50 billion in a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Private Investor Fund, Silver Lake, and the Jared Kushner-owned Affinity Partners, the company has officially confirmed the deal. If approved, the acquisition would be one of the most expensive in the history of the video game industry and would make Electronic Arts a privately held company. Given the questionable ownership, the internet is not taking the news well.

The Saudi Arabian government’s attempts at sportswashing away the stink of its dire human rights laws, as evidenced by its investments in various facets of the video game industry, are well-documented at this point.

[…]

Given Saudi Arabia’s treatment of queer people, a fair bit of concern has been extended specifically to The Sims and to BioWare, the developer of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, all of which have been trailblazers for queer representation in video games. EA CEO Andrew Wilson has stated in an email statement to staff that the company’s “values and [its] commitment to players and fans around the world remain unchanged,” but considering that both the Saudi Arabian government and Jared Kushner, the owner of Affinity Partners and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, now own the publisher, that’s not exactly convincing.

[…]

The Saudi government’s influence on the games it has money in has thus far resulted in some bizarre shit, such as soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo showing up in the latest Fatal Fury, though developer SNK has insisted the company’s sale to PIF would not affect its games. Beyond that, the Saudi Arabian government has been hosting events with industry figureheads like Hideo Kojima. The nation’s monetary investment in video games has been extensive, but buying one of the biggest companies in the space, whose games are played by millions every year, is almost certainly the farthest-reaching move it’s made thus far. We don’t know what impact this will have on EA, its studios, and its IP in the future, but in this moment, things look bleak.

Source: The Internet Reacts To Electronic Arts’ $55 Billion Acquisition

So yes, maybe EA will have more money to make more games, but they will be right wing nutcase / religious games, heavily censored. Considering that the gaming industry is larger than Hollywood and the shared experiences from gaming shape our culture, this is a pretty iron grip on what it is that we see, experience and how we experience it. Gaming tells us who are the goodies and the baddies and now this is under control of some very dubious people.

Israeli military company now owns many popular VPN products

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Social media users are calling for the mass cancellation of ExpressVPN subscriptions after it was revealed that a cybersecurity firm with Israeli ties owns the popular privacy service.

In 2021, The Times of Israel reported that Kape Technologies, a British-Israeli digital security company, acquired ExpressVPN, one of the world’s largest virtual private network (VPN) providers, for nearly $1bn.

[…]

Kape Technologies, based in London and founded in 2010, has previously acquired VPN services, including CyberGhost, ZenMate, and Private Internet Access.

People across social media have urged users to delete the app, citing concerns over surveillance, military ties, and ethical complicity.

[…]

Source: Outcry over ExpressVPN ownership: What the Israeli connection means for user privacy | Middle East Eye

Seemingly safe to use at the time of writing: NordVPN, Surfshark, Mullvad (please do your own research!)

New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK. Ausweiss bitte!

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Digital ID will be mandatory in order to work in the UK, as part of plans to tackle illegal migration.

Sir Keir Starmer said the new digital ID scheme would make it tougher to work in the UK illegally and offer “countless benefits” to citizens, while his senior minister Darren Jones said it could be “the bedrock of the modern state”.

However, opposition parties argued the proposals would not stop people crossing the Channel in small boats.

The prime minister set out his plans in a broader speech to a gathering of world leaders, in which he said it had been “too easy” for people to work illegally in the UK because the centre-left had been “squeamish” about saying things that were “clearly true”.

[…]

Another Labour prime minister, Sir Tony Blair, tried to introduce compulsory ID cards but the idea was scrapped by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition in 2010.

However, Sir Keir has recently said he believes the debate has “moved on in the last 20 years” as “we all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did”.

Labour believes its new proposal has public support, although more than a million people have signed a petition against the idea.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the plan would “do nothing to stop the boats” but would “end up being used against law-abiding citizens while crooks walk free”.

She also expressed concern about the security of the data saying it would be a risk to put the information “in one database”.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said his party would “fight tooth and nail” against the scheme which would “add to our tax bills and bureaucracy, whilst doing next to nothing to tackle channel crossings”.

Some campaign groups have also objected to the plan, with Liberty arguing it raised “huge concerns” about mass surveillance, while Big Brother Watch said it would make the country “less free”.

[…]

The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones, in a similar way to contactless payment cards or the NHS app.

It is expected to include a person’s name, date of birth, nationality or residency status and a photo.

The consultation will also consider whether additional information such as an address should be included.

[…]

The government said the roll-out would eventually make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare – as well as streamlining access to tax records.

[…]

Emlyn Jenkins, 23, is against digital IDs, describing the plan as “fascistic and horrible”.

“How will people who are homeless be affected if they don’t have access to a smartphone or they don’t have access to consistent internet?” she asked.

Arianwen Fox-James, 20, says she can see some practical benefits but is uncomfortable with the idea of a “centralised hub of all the data”.

[…]

data safety. “Every time these things get launched they get hacked,” she says. “Everyone hacks everything.”

Source: New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK

Another point: to fight migrants “taking jobs”  (hint: they are not) they are going to make it more difficult for those who don’t have jobs by making them incur costs and difficulties to get a government issued ID somehow and for temporary employers to check the validity of these IDs. So that will probably actually raise the amount of illegal work being done.