Submission + - US Government Takes Down Major North Korean 'Remote IT Workers' Operation (techcrunch.com)
From 2021 until 2024, the co-conspirators allegedly impersonated more than 80 U.S. individuals to get remote jobs at more than 100 American companies, causing $3 million in damages due to legal fees, data breach remediation efforts, and more. The group is said to have run laptop farms inside the United States, which the North Korean IT workers could essentially use as proxies to hide their provenance, according to the DOJ. At times, they used hardware devices known as keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches, which allow one person to control multiple computers from a single keyboard and mouse. The group allegedly also ran shell companies inside the U.S. to make it seem like the North Korean IT workers were affiliated with legitimate local companies, and to receive money that would then be transferred abroad, the DOJ said.
The fraudulent scheme allegedly also involved the North Korean workers stealing sensitive data, such as source code, from the companies they were working for, such as from an unnamed California-based defense contractor “that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies.”
Submission + - China Hosts First Fully Autonomous AI Robot Football Match (theguardian.com)
[...] The competition was fought between university teams, which adapted the robots with their own algorithms. In the final match, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics defeated the China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a score of 5–3 to win the championship. One Tsinghua supporter celebrated their victory while also praising the competition. “They [THU] did really well,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team was also impressive. They brought a lot of surprises.”
Submission + - How robotic hives and AI are lowering the risk of bee colony collapse (phys.org)
AI and robotics are able to replace "90% of what a beekeeper would do in the field," said Beewise Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Saar Safra. The question is whether beekeepers are willing to switch out what's been tried and true equipment.
Submission + - Study finds online searches reduce diversity of group brainstorming ideas (phys.org)
"This appears to be due to the fact that Google users came up with the same common answers, often in the same order, as they relied on Google, while non-Google users came up with more distinct answers," wrote lead author Danny Oppenheimer, a professor in CMU's Department of Social and Decision Sciences.
Submission + - CarFax For Used PCs: Hewlett Packard Wants To Give Laptops New Life (arstechnica.com)
Luckily, the sensors that can collect the necessary data are already installed in each PC. There are thermal sensors that monitor CPU temperature, power consumption monitors that track energy efficiency, storage health indicators that assess solid state drive (SSD) wear levels, performance counters that measure system utilization, fan rotation speed sensors that detect cooling efficiency, and more. The key is to collect and store all that data in a secure yet useful way. We decided that the best way to do this is to integrate the lifecycle records into the firmware layer. By embedding telemetry capabilities directly within the firmware, we ensure that device health and usage data is captured the moment it is collected. This data is stored securely on HP SSD drives, leveraging hardware-based security measures to protect against unauthorized access or manipulation. [...]
The telemetry log serves as the foundation for a comprehensive device history report. Much like a CarFax report for used cars, this report, which we call PCFax, will provide both current users and potential byers with crucial information. The PCFax report aggregates data from multiple sources beyond just the on-device telemetry logs. It combines the secure firmware-level usage data with information from HP’s factory and supply chain records, digital services platforms, customer support service records, diagnostic logs, and more. Additionally, the system can integrate data from external sources including partner sales and service records, refurbishment partner databases, third-party component manufacturers like Intel, and other original equipment manufacturers. This multi-source approach creates a complete picture of the device’s entire lifecycle, from manufacturing through all subsequent ownership and service events.
Submission + - NASA teams with Netflix to stream rocket launches and spacewalks this summer (nerds.xyz)
Starting this summer, NASA+ will be available on Netflix, giving the space-curious a front-row seat to live mission coverage and other programming. The space agency is hoping this move helps it connect with a much bigger audience, and considering Netflix reaches over 700 million people, that’s not a stretch.
This partnership is about accessibility. NASA already offers NASA+ for free, without ads, through its app and website. But now it’s going where the eyeballs are. If people won’t come to the space agency, the space agency will come to them.
Submission + - Space is hard (spacenews.com)
Submission + - Microsoft Authenticator will stop supporting passwords. (cnet.com)
Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all of your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition such as Windows Hello, or other biometric data, like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you're logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your Microsoft accounts.
In June, Microsoft stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here's a timeline of other changes you can expect, according to Microsoft.
July 2025: You won't be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You'll no longer be able to use saved passwords.
https://support.microsoft.com/...
Submission + - Chinese military-tied company is choosing new hires at Ford battery plant (justthenews.com)
Chinese company appears to be in charge of hiring workers for Ford’s new battery plant in Michigan, contradicting the company’s statements that it will be an American-owned and operated project, and amplifying concerns from locals about potential national security implications.
The plant has generated significant controversy because of Ford’s partnership with China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, known as CATL, which closely collaborates with the Chinese military and government. The U.S. Defense Department earlier this year marked CATL as a Chinese Military Company to warn American firms about the risks of doing business.
Despite the security concerns about its partner, Ford has promised that the battery manufacturing facility, which the company says will help it develop a reliable U.S.-based supply of electric vehicle batteries in Marshall, Michigan, would be completely owned and operated by the American firm. The only contribution from CATL, the company has said, will be Ford’s licensing of its proprietary battery technology.
At the same time, online job listings on multiple recruiting platforms show that CATL’s American subsidiary—Contemporary Amperex Technology Kentucky (CATK)—has posted job listings for roles at the factory, seemingly contradicting Ford’s assurances and revealing a far more active role in management by the Chinese company.
Exit quote: "The Ford plant has drawn scrutiny from Republicans in the Michigan legislature who are concerned that the state government failed to properly vet the project and Ford’s partners in the endeavor."
Who got paid off?
Submission + - Hackers and Heavy Metal (furious.com)
"In the 80s, BBSes were the most important thing to the hacker world. They were where people met, talked, exchanged information," said legendary hacker Erik Bloodaxe, whose exploits with the hacker group Legion of Doom stirred many imaginations back in the day. "They were the central meeting places where you could find those people who actually cared about the same things you cared about." Bloodaxe would know. In addition to being "the best hacker I ever met," according to Loyd Blankenship, the technologist and hacker who wrote "The Hacker's Manifesto" that was later quoted in the cyberpunk-slash-teen drama Hackers, Bloodaxe edited one of the first hacker publications, Phrack. Phrack — named for a combination of the terms "phreak" and "hack" referring to phone and computer exploitation, respectively — and is an expert at finding information. Especially hidden information, or data that is marginalized because it does not comport to society's view of itself.

Journal + - Journal: Hackers and Heavy Metal
A story of hackers and metal:
Submission + - Someone Set Up an AI Bot to Post and Discuss Slashdot stories (toot.community)
https://toot.community/@LokiTh...
I don't know what AI it is, but it's pretty good and it looks like a lot of work went into setting it up and priming it.
The guy behind it is here
https://toot.community/@jorijn
Submission + - Gaming on ARM Shouldnâ(TM)t Be This GOOD! (youtube.com)
The Write-up: https://interfacinglinux.com/2...
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Submission + - DoJ deal gives HPE the go-ahead for its $14 billion Juniper purchase (telecoms.com)
Comment: Pour one out for Juniper.
Submission + - China Conducted Test Flight of Kerosene-based Hypersonic Vehicle (scmp.com)
Submission + - Threat group UNC3944 abusing Azure Serial Console for takeover of VMs
Submission + - Nonprofit Led by Microsoft's AI-Is-Not-Optional Exec Seeks Same Policy for Kids
Liuson is also a member of the tech exec and K-12 school administrator-laden Board of Code.org, the tech giant-funded nonprofit (Microsoft is a $25M+ Code.org Lifetime Supporter) that recently teamed with tech CEOs (led by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella) and leaders to launch a new Code.org-orchestrated national campaign to make CS and AI a graduation requirement. Other Code.org Board members include Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, who helped forged Microsoft's alliance with OpenAI and whose assistant held Microsoft's controversial OpenAI Board 'observer' seat until the relationship came under regulatory scrutiny (OpenAI is a Code.org In-Kind Supporter and a supporter of Code.org's TeachAI initiative).
Microsoft has recently boasted of big AI and Copilot wins in the Los Angeles Unified School District (the nation's 2nd largest school district, with 409,000 students), which is led by Code.org Board member Alberto M. Carvalho, as well as the Broward County Public Schools (247,000 students, touted as " the largest K–12 adoption of Microsoft Copilot in the world"), which was formerly led by Code.org Board member Robert Runcie. What about Google? Well, it's bringing its AI chatbots to 105,000 students at the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (the nation’s third-largest school district).
The tech industry-driven K-12 AI frenzy of 2025 certainly evokes memories of the tech industry-driven K-12 CS frenzy of 2013, when Code.org emerged on the scene — with Microsoft President Brad Smith and Head of Google.org Maggie Johnson as founding Board members — and quickly scored partnerships with the New York City Public Schools (the nation's largest school district), Chicago Public Schools, and Broward County Public Schools. Given the much-bigger population of potential AI users and creators, as well as the staggering sums of money at stake, will the K-12 AI frenzy put the K-12 CS frenzy to shame?