Submission + - Microsoft Hacked to Deliver Malware to Claude and Gemini Users (404media.co)

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has shut down a wave of its own repositories on GitHub, including those related to Azure and AI coding agents, as it investigates a data breach, according to research from cybersecurity researchers and a statement given to 404 Media by Microsoft. Hackers planted malware that would harvest peoples’ credentials when they opened it in AI coding tools like Claude Code or Gemini CLI, according to one set of researchers. The exact contours of the breach are unclear, but researchers say Microsoft has disabled more than 70 of its own repositories, and pointed to a particular package that was previously compromised.

Last week, cybersecurity website OpenSourceMalware.com, which acts as a clearing house for indicators of supply chain attacks so defenders can secure their own networks, and which also publishes its own write-ups, wrote about the mass disabling of Microsoft GitHub repositories. “GitHub disabled 73 Microsoft repositories across four of its GitHub organizations—the entire Azure Functions org, the whole Durable Task family, and a row of AI sample apps—in a 105-second sweep on June 5,” the website wrote on Friday. Is it very unusual for any company, let alone Microsoft, to disable so many of its own repositories in one go. They include 49 related to Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing arm, and some concerning AI agents. The shutdown repositories also include ones related to durabletask, a Microsoft development tool.

Researchers from StepSecurity wrote on Friday that the GitHub closures came after a malicious commit was pushed to the durabletask repository. That attack planted configuration files that would harvest peoples’ credentials when they opened the repository in Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, or VS Code, StepSecurity wrote.

Submission + - macOS 27 Golden Gate breaks Asahi Linux boot access (nerds.xyz)

BrianFagioli writes: Apple may not officially support Linux on Apple Silicon Macs, but macOS 27 Golden Gate is making some users feel outright unwanted. The latest beta reportedly causes Asahi Linux installations to disappear from the boot picker and Startup Disk utility, prompting the Asahi team to warn users not to upgrade. While the Linux partitions themselves are still intact, the situation highlights just how much control Apple maintains over the boot process on its own hardware.

To be fair, Asahi developers believe this could simply be a bug rather than a deliberate attempt to block Linux. Still, incidents like this are exactly why many open source advocates remain skeptical of Apple Silicon as a long-term Linux platform. When one macOS beta update can suddenly hide an entire operating system, it becomes painfully clear that Linux on Apple hardware exists only as long as Apple allows it.

Submission + - Palantir to sue London Mayor

An anonymous reader writes: Palantir to sue Sadiq Khan after mayor blocks £50 million Met Police deal

“Palantir is preparing to sue London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan after he blocked a £50 million deal with the Metropolitan Police.”

‘However, Sir Sadiq blocked the deal citing concerns about using public money to support firms who “act contrary to London’s values” and about the procurement process used to award the contract. ’

Submission + - New Embryo Editing Technique Takes Us a Step Closer to Designing Babies (reason.com)

fjo3 writes: Gene-editing human embryos—the sci-fi scenario that many have feared and many others have cheered—may now be a reality. Columbia University scientists say they have found an "efficient and precise" way to edit human embryos. Unlike earlier methods using CRISPR alone, this method works without introducing chromosomal abnormalities into the embryo or deleting large sequences of DNA.

Submission + - 'Severe' Stress On Oceans As Rate of Sea Level Rise Doubles In 10 Years (theguardian.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The world’s oceans are under “severe and accelerating” pressure from human activities, with the rate of sea-level rise double that of a decade ago, according to a damning assessment from the United Nations. The “intensifying” stressors, which include pollution and large-scale industrial fishing, are cumulative, said the report, resulting in widespread biodiversity loss and putting ocean systems under “severe strain."

The UN’s third World Ocean Assessment, which reflects the work of nearly 600 scientists from 86 countries, looked at the oceans’ health from 2021-25. The previous report, that covered up to 2018, found persistent degradation of the marine environment. Five years on, scientists know more about the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic pressures on the ocean, and the latest report shows just how much of the damage has been done in the past few years. The scientists’ key findings include:
— Sea levels continue to rise at an increasing rate, from 2mm a year prior to 2015 to 4.3mm a year in 2023.
— 16% of the increase in global ocean heat since 1955 occurred after 2018.
— The greatest relative warming has been observed in the Atlantic Ocean and the southern parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
— Large gaps in knowledge persist – with only 27% of the ocean floor mapped by 2025, deep-sea ecosystems remain poorly understood.

Submission + - China added a Germany-sized electricity grid last year (ourworldindata.org)

AmiMoJo writes: We’ll often see headlines quoting how many gigawatts of new solar farms or coal plants China is building. But it’s hard to get a meaningful sense of scale for how electricity generation in China is changing.

The chart puts it in perspective.

In 2025 alone, China’s electricity generation increased by almost 500 terawatt-hours (TWh). This is compared here to the total amount of electricity that whole countries generate each year.

Germany generates almost exactly that amount. That means China effectively added a Germany-sized grid to its electricity system in just one year.

What’s also quite staggering is that almost all of this new generation came from solar and wind. China generated 340 TWh more electricity from solar than the year before.

Submission + - Apple Announces macOS Golden Gate 27, Drops Support For Intel Macs (appleinsider.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Apple has unveiled its next Mac operating system, macOS Golden Gate, with Apple promising better performance, the improved Siri, and more. The new macOS 27 has been revealed during the WWDC 2026 opening keynote, and while not as substantial a new release as macOS Tahoe, it does bring some key new features to the Mac. It also continues Apple's edging of its platforms closer together, with more iPhone features making their way to macOS.

Specifically, the Mac is part of the Apple ecosystem-wide child protection features, such as having parents limiting access to apps. But it also means that the Mac gains Siri AI, the new cross-platform update to Siri that promises to radically improve it. Instead of the old "Type to Siri" feature, users can now enter prompts into Spotlight. [...] Nonetheless, other than Siri AI, this release is refinement more than a departure. That means it does of course retain the Liquid Glass design look that was introduced in 2025.

On the surface, macOS Golden Gate is not as significant an upgrade as macOS Big Sur, or even macOS Tahoe with its Liquid Glass redesign. But under the surface, it is much more significant than it seems. Apple has chosen this release to draw a line in the sand. For the first time, the new macOS Golden Gate will not support Macs that have Intel processors. [...] Nonetheless, as of when this is released to the public in September or October, no Intel Macs will ever be supported again.

Submission + - WhatsApp Catches Spyware Firm NSO Defying No-Hacking Court Order (securityweek.com)

wiredmikey writes: Meta-owned communications app WhatsApp says it recently detected and disrupted a spear-phishing attempt linked to spyware company NSO Group. The attack is allegedly in defiance of a court order that bars the spyware maker from targeting WhatsApp. WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against NSO in 2019, after it came to light that a zero-day vulnerability had been exploited to deliver spyware to users.

NSO has been seeking to overturn the order blocking it from targeting WhatsApp users, arguing that the company will “suffer irreparable harm”.

Submission + - Texas Grid Flags Risks As Data Centers, Crypto Sites Fail Voltage Tests (reuters.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Several large data centers and crypto facilities planning to connect to the Texas power grid ahead of peak summer demand have failed key reliability tests, raising the risk of power outages just as electricity use hits its seasonal high, according to the state grid operator. The rapid expansion of data centers processing vast amounts of data for artificial intelligence and crypto mining is straining power grids across the United States. Unlike traditional industrial customers, which tend to draw electricity steadily and predictably, data centers are engineered to cut their connection to the grid at the first sign of trouble to protect their equipment and keep services running. That makes them an unpredictable and potentially destabilizing force on grids already under pressure from rising demand.

Four groups of unnamed large electricity users, including data centers, abruptly disconnected from the Texas grid during a test of how they would handle routine voltage disturbances, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said in a report dated May 21. When large customers abruptly cut their power use, it can knock the grid off balance and trigger wider outages. ERCOT, which manages electricity for most of Texas, said it reviewed about 20 gigawatts of large customers seeking to connect to the system, including eight projects totaling roughly 3.9 gigawatts aiming to start up before July 1. It said it identified four groups of large power users that could each trigger more than 5,000 megawatts of demand tripping under certain fault conditions, based on simulations of transmission system disturbances.

Those abrupt drops in demand were equivalent to the electricity consumption of a large city such as Boston. ERCOT said it is reviewing the test failures and drawing up plans to protect the grid from disruptions. So-called voltage ride-through failures have become a top priority for ERCOT’s board as the risk grows with more data centers and crypto miners connecting to the grid. Since 2023, ERCOT has identified at least 26 events in which data centers or crypto mining facilities have abruptly disconnected from the grid because they could not handle disturbances in the flow of electricity.

Submission + - Musk can't be trusted to protect X user privacy

Mirnotoriety writes: Elon Musk tries again to escape FTC audits of X data handling

Musk can’t be trusted to protect X user privacy, public commenters warn FTC.

Critics hope to keep Elon Musk from escaping a strict data-privacy order imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shortly before he took over Twitter.

The FTC order placed restrictions on X’s data use for 20 years, while requiring regular independent audits and granting the agency authority to request documents as needed to ensure compliance.

The FTC’s action came after Twitter voluntarily disclosed that between May 2013 and September 2019, a coding error accidentally allowed phone numbers and email addresses that users shared for two-factor authentication purposes to be used for targeted advertising aimed at those same users. In a settlement that came just months before Musk’s 2022 takeover, Twitter agreed to pay $150 million and to allow the FTC to monitor the platform’s data-handling practices until 2042 in order to protect user privacy.

Submission + - Scientists ejected from diabetes conference (arstechnica.com)

joshuark writes: Five leading scientists were ousted from the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in New Orleans on Friday. Their crime: handing out copies of an editorial, published in the journal Diabetes Care on April 29, sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on scientific research.

“They physically grabbed us, forced us out of the conference center, and now are telling us we can no longer attend this meeting,” Kelly told MedPage Today, which first reported the incident. “They’re taking our lanyards. It really has come to this in America. Censorship is real. America needs to stand up. Scientists, stand up. Physicians, stand up.”

The ADA confirmed to MedPage Today that five registered scientists had been removed from the meeting, claiming the scientists had violated the organization’s code of conduct for conferences. “These attendees were escorted out by our onsite event security because they demonstrated behavior not consistent with this code of conduct,” the ADA media team said in a statement. “They were respectfully given the opportunity to cease this behavior and chose not to which is why they were escorted out.”

Online backlash to the ADA’s actions spread rapidly on both Twitter/X and BlueSky, and sharply increased the number of page views for Kahn et al.’s April editorial. According to Kahn, the editorial was published with a disclaimer, added by ADA leadership, insisting that the ADA had nothing to do with developing or writing the article. He has written to the ADA seeking re-admittance to the conference, since he is slated to speak and chair a session.

“It is no longer enough to stand idly by or work behind the scenes with lawmakers,” the authors wrote in their editorial.

Submission + - 'Steve Jobs in Exile' Remembers the Birth of the Web, Making Unix Taste Sweet (arstechnica.com)

destinyland writes: Ars Technica shares some anecdotes from Steve Jobs in Exile , a new book released last month:

[Author Geoffrey] Cain reminds us, in stunning detail, that Jobs' "exile" era at NeXT was not only critical to his evolution as a man and an entrepreneur, but that it mattered for the rest of us, too. The technological innovations that came out of NeXT — notably, the NeXTSTEP OS — continue to live on in what we now call both macOS and iOS. As Cain puts it, "NeXTSTEP was Steve's attempt to make Unix taste sweet...."

[W]hile many tech nerds know that Tim Berners-Lee created the first World Wide Web server on a NeXT machine while working in Switzerland in 1990, few know that NeXT employees were wary of bringing the news to Jobs. Why? They feared his wrath "and that he would dismiss [the web] as 'shit.'" (In another timeline, NeXT might itself have capitalized on this world-changing innovation....)

Perhaps one of the wildest anecdotes that Cain uncovered was how one voicemail changed computer history forever. In 1996, when Apple was solidly in its mediocre Performa era — and considering buying BeOS as the basis for its new operating system — a mid-level NeXT product manager asked aloud, "Why don't we just frickin' call Apple?" (NeXT was also struggling during this period.) And so someone did. As Cain writes:

Garrett left the group of managers, walked back to his office, and took a risk. He picked up his designer phone and called the head of software at Apple. He left what he described as "one of my more inspired sales pitches" on the man's voicemail, explaining why Apple should be looking at NeXT instead of Be... In any other universe, Garrett's call might have gotten him fired. But in this timeline, it worked out. And thanks to him, Steve [Jobs] was about to enter Apple's airspace once again.

Submission + - The gamers taking on the industry to stop it switching off games (bbc.co.uk)

Alain Williams writes: Can a company take away something you've already paid for?

In the world of online video games, some already do. Publishers can decide to switch off a game's servers, often leaving it effectively unplayable.

Stop Killing Games, a growing consumer rights campaign started by American YouTuber Ross Scott in 2024, is challenging that practice.

In January, the group submitted a petition featuring nearly 1.3 million signatures to the European Commission, triggering a public hearing in the European Parliament in April. What began as an online campaign is now awaiting a decision from one of the EU's most powerful institutions.

Scott's campaign began following an announcement from the major studio Ubisoft, saying it would shut down the online-only racing game The Crew in 2024.

The French company said it was taking the game, which attracted more than 12 million players during its lifetime, offline, citing "upcoming server infrastructure and licensing constraints".

Submission + - India's Cockroach Party goes viral 1

Charlotte writes: On 15 May, India's Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed youths to cockroaches during oral arguments in court. According to the BBC, this was in reference to young people turning to journalism and activism.

The very next day Abhijeet Dipke, a Public Relations student at Boston University, started a satirical website called the Cockroach Janta Party, a play on words on Indian Prime Minister Modi's own party, Bharatiya Janata Party.

In no time the movement gained more than 10 million followers on Instagram. Establishment reaction was quick: soon its Twitter handle was blocked by the courts, then hacked. As of now the Instagram page is still online, and such blocks are only effective inside India. Court cases are now pending to remove the blocks.

On Saturday, Dipke arrived at Delhi airport where he was greeted by sympathizers. The protesters demand the immediate resignation of the Education Minister after an exam fraud scheme came to light. Government exams lead to highly desirable and secure jobs, and students often spend years preparing for them.

Submission + - Failing CS Grades Soar at UC Berkeley as Professors See Greater AI Usage

theodp writes: "The percentage of failing grades in multiple UC Berkeley computer science classes in spring 2026 is significantly higher than past semesters and marks a departure from the department’s grading guidelines, reports The Daily Californian's Litong Deng. "Instructors point to students’ increased reliance on AI, lack of mathematical preparedness and understaffing as potential contributing factors. According to Berkeleytime, 35.3% of CS 10 students and 10.6% of CS 61A students received F’s in spring 2026. In spring 2025 and spring 2024, the percentage of F’s did not exceed 10% for either class. The electrical engineering and computer sciences department’s grading guidelines state that 7% of students in lower division courses, including CS 10 and CS 61A, should receive D’s and F’s."

"UC Berkeley teaching professor Dan Garcia taught both CS 10, 'The Beauty and Joy of Computing,' and CS 61A, 'The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs,' in spring 2026. Garcia believes the 'primary driver' of these abnormally high failing rates is due to a 'vast increase in academic dishonesty' due to students’ usage of large language models, such as Claude, ChatGPT and Google Gemini."

The report came just a day after tech-backed nonprofit Code.org, which bills itself as "the leading provider of K-12 AI and CS education curriculum across the globe", rebranded itself to CodeAI, solidifying its shift to AI education. "This is the generation that will set the terms for how AI is used," said Code.org CEO Karim Meghji in a press release. "Some are being taught to understand it, direct it, question it, and create with it. Most are not. That's the gap CodeAI exists to close."

Submission + - Trump pushes open source AI deeper into the US military (nerds.xyz)

BrianFagioli writes: President Donald Trump has signed a new national security memorandum designed to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence across the US military and intelligence community. The directive specifically mentions adapting both commercial and open source AI technologies for mission use, while also pushing for faster deployment of advanced AI systems from multiple vendors. The administration says the move will help America maintain technological dominance and reduce dependence on any single AI company.

The memorandum replaces Biden-era AI guidance that Trump officials describe as outdated and overly restrictive. It also calls for updated rules on autonomous weapon systems and promises that military AI will not be used for censorship or unlawful domestic surveillance. From the report: âoeThe men and women who defend the United States deserve the most advanced AI in the world.â

Submission + - New Power Banks Released by BMX with Safer Semi-Solid-State Batteries (androidauthority.com)

destinyland writes: https://www.androidauthority.c... From Android Authority :

Singapore-based BMX has announced that its SolidSafe magnetic power bank lineup, first showcased at CES 2026, is now available for purchase through its website and Amazon US, with prices starting at $59. What sets these power banks apart is their use of semi-solid-state batteries. Traditional lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries rely on liquid electrolytes to move energy between electrodes. Semi-solid-state batteries significantly reduce the amount of flammable liquid inside the cell, improving thermal stability and lowering the risk of overheating, swelling, or fire...

BMX says the power banks are designed to remain stable under extreme conditions and show greater resistance to physical damage and thermal stress than conventional battery packs. The company has also launched the SolidSafe Air, a 5,000mAh magnetic power bank that it claims is the world's thinnest semi-solid-state Qi2 power bank... BMX is positioning the device as a travel-friendly alternative for users who want added safety and the convenience of a magnetic battery pack without the bulk.

Submission + - Bernie Sanders' Dangerous and Unconstitutional Plan to Expropriate AI Firms (reason.com)

fjo3 writes: In a recent New York Times article, socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders presented a proposal to have the federal government expropriate 50% of the stock of major AI producers. If enacted by Congress, the plan would violate the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

Sanders justifies this expropriation by claiming that AI was produced through the "collective knowledge of humanity":

Artificial intelligence was not created out of thin air. The data and language used by generative A.I. tools didn't just pop into Sam Altman's head or Elon Musk's imagination. A.I. is built on our collective intelligence: our books, songs, artwork, journalism, computer code, scientific research, videos, conversations, images and ideas spanning generations. That is not just the opinion of Bernie Sanders.

Submission + - R.I.P. Code.org (2013–2026)

theodp writes: This week saw tech-backed K-12 CS education nonprofit Code.org rebrand itself as CodeAI (press release), solidifying its shift to AI education more than a decade after it launched in 2013 with the belief "that every student should learn the basics of computer programming." Of the AI rebranding, Code.org Founder and Chairman of The Board Hadi Partovi explained, "We have a responsibility to prepare the next generation for the biggest change In society since the invention of public education."

Following the announcement, members of the Code.org Advocacy Coalition were informed in a conference call that the nine-year-old coalition was being sunsetted immediately. Members will be asked to decide if they want to join a new CodeAI Advocacy Coalition, which will be "bringing in new AI focused entities that will help us advance this mission", or if they are "not in line with the direction that CodeAI is heading" and are "not going to be part of the new advocacy coalition." Much like their tech giant donors, the message sent was it's the AI way or the highway.

Interestingly, the pivot from CS education to AI literacy comes amid reports that blamed increased reliance on AI for causing more than 35% of UC Berkeley students to fail an entry-level CS course described as "a gentle but thorough introduction to computer science," when previously the failing rate was typically 7%.

Submission + - Astronauts return to ISS after sheltering during air leak repair attempt (bbc.com)

fjo3 writes: Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were ordered to shelter in an attached spacecraft after the structure suddenly started leaking more air.

Five of the seven crew were directed to go into the docked SpaceX shuttle Dragon "Freedom" on Friday afternoon and were braced for a potential evacuation.

Meanwhile, two remaining personnel — a pair of Russian cosmonauts — attempted to repair a part of the Russian segment of the ISS, where the leaks had started increasing on Monday.

The repairs were paused and the crew ordered back onto the ISS by Nasa on Friday afternoon.

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