Comment The mountain is monetized. (Score 1) 54
Tourists can afford to pay user fees sufficient to pay for cleanup.
Submission + - Coup in Paris: How an AI-generated video caused Macron a major headache (euronews.com) 2
alternative_right writes: Alongside the message, a compelling video showcasing a swirling helicopter, military personnel, crowds and — what appears to be — a news anchor delivering a piece to camera.
"Unofficial reports suggest that there has been a coup in France, led by a colonel whose identity has not been revealed, along with the possible fall of Emmanuel Macron. However, the authorities have not issued a clear statement," she says.
Except, nothing about this video is authentic: it was created with AI.
After discovering the video, Macron asked Pharos — France's official portal for signalling online illicit content — to call Facebook's parent company Meta, to get the fake video removed.
But that request was turned down, as the platform claimed it did not violate its “rules of use."
"Unofficial reports suggest that there has been a coup in France, led by a colonel whose identity has not been revealed, along with the possible fall of Emmanuel Macron. However, the authorities have not issued a clear statement," she says.
Except, nothing about this video is authentic: it was created with AI.
After discovering the video, Macron asked Pharos — France's official portal for signalling online illicit content — to call Facebook's parent company Meta, to get the fake video removed.
But that request was turned down, as the platform claimed it did not violate its “rules of use."
Submission + - University of Oklahoma removes instructor after grading dispute on gender essay (nbcnews.com)
SchroedingersCat writes: Oklahoma instructor who gave student a zero on gender essay barred from teaching duties.
The assignment asked students to write a 650-word "reaction paper" to a scholarly article about gender expectations in society. The student wrote in her essay that the scholarly article bothered her, and she described how God created men and women differently. The instructor, who is transgender, gave the student a failing grade because her “paper ... does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive”. The student appealed the grade and filed a claim of religious discrimination.
The school released a statement on Monday: "Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University."
The assignment asked students to write a 650-word "reaction paper" to a scholarly article about gender expectations in society. The student wrote in her essay that the scholarly article bothered her, and she described how God created men and women differently. The instructor, who is transgender, gave the student a failing grade because her “paper
The school released a statement on Monday: "Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University."
Comment Anschluss is expected. (Score 2) 90
Greenland will be glad of its liberation.
Submission + - React2Shell ransomware: Weaxor deployed on vulnerable server (scworld.com)
spatwei writes: The critical React2Shell unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability has been exploited to deploy Weaxor ransomware, S-RM reported Tuesday.
React2Shell, formally tracked as CVE-2025-55182, affects React Server Components versions 19.0.0, 19.1.0, 19.1.1 and 19.2.0, and has been under heavy exploitation since it was first disclosed on Dec. 3, 2025.
Most attacks thus far have been attributed to nation-state threat actors deploying backdoors and financially-motivated attackers deploying cryptominers.
In a new development, S-RM reports that it responded to an incident in which the maximum-severity vulnerability (CVSS 10.0) was used to gain initial access in a ransomware attack. The intrusion reportedly took place on Dec. 5, 2025, and was confined to the vulnerable web server with no additional lateral movement.
The attacker initially exploited React2Shell — which has multiple public proof-of-concept exploits available — by running a PowerShell command that led to the establishment of a Cobalt Strike beacon for command-and-control (C2) communication.
Once a C2 connection was established, and within less than a minute after initial access, the attacker deployed the Weaxor ransomware binary, which encrypts files and appends them with the file extension “.weax.”
React2Shell, formally tracked as CVE-2025-55182, affects React Server Components versions 19.0.0, 19.1.0, 19.1.1 and 19.2.0, and has been under heavy exploitation since it was first disclosed on Dec. 3, 2025.
Most attacks thus far have been attributed to nation-state threat actors deploying backdoors and financially-motivated attackers deploying cryptominers.
In a new development, S-RM reports that it responded to an incident in which the maximum-severity vulnerability (CVSS 10.0) was used to gain initial access in a ransomware attack. The intrusion reportedly took place on Dec. 5, 2025, and was confined to the vulnerable web server with no additional lateral movement.
The attacker initially exploited React2Shell — which has multiple public proof-of-concept exploits available — by running a PowerShell command that led to the establishment of a Cobalt Strike beacon for command-and-control (C2) communication.
Once a C2 connection was established, and within less than a minute after initial access, the attacker deployed the Weaxor ransomware binary, which encrypts files and appends them with the file extension “.weax.”
Submission + - Safety panel says NASA should have taken Starliner incident more seriously (arstechnica.com)
joshuark writes: Most of us had no idea how serious the problems were with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station. A safety advisory panel found this uncertainty also filtered through NASA’s workforce.
The Starliner capsule was beset by problems with its maneuvering thrusters and pernicious helium leaks on its 27-hour trip from the launch pad to the ISS. For a short time, Starliner commander Wilmore lost his ability to control the movements of his spacecraft as it moved in for docking at the station in June 2024. Engineers determined that some of the thrusters were overheating and eventually recovered most of their function, allowing Starliner to dock with the ISS.
Throughout that summer, managers from NASA and Boeing repeatedly stated that the spacecraft was safe to bring Wilmore and Williams home if the station needed to be evacuated in an emergency. But officials on the ground ordered extensive testing to understand the root of the problems. Buried behind the headlines, there was a real chance NASA managers would decide—as they ultimately did—not to put astronauts on Boeing’s crew capsule when it was time to depart the ISS.
It would have been better, Precourt and other panel members said Friday, if NASA made a formal declaration of an in-flight “mishap” or “high visibility close call” soon after the Starliner spacecraft’s troubled rendezvous with the ISS. Such a declaration would have elevated responsibility for the investigation to NASA’s safety office.
After months of testing and analysis, NASA officials were unsure if the thruster problems would recur on Starliner’s flight home. They decided in August 2024 to return the spacecraft to the ground without the astronauts, and the capsule safely landed in New Mexico the following month. The next Starliner flight will carry only cargo to the ISS.
The safety panel recommended that NASA review its criteria and processes to ensure the language is “unambiguous” in requiring the agency to declare an in-flight mishap or a high-visibility close call for any event involving NASA personnel “that leads to an impact on crew or spacecraft safety.”
The Starliner capsule was beset by problems with its maneuvering thrusters and pernicious helium leaks on its 27-hour trip from the launch pad to the ISS. For a short time, Starliner commander Wilmore lost his ability to control the movements of his spacecraft as it moved in for docking at the station in June 2024. Engineers determined that some of the thrusters were overheating and eventually recovered most of their function, allowing Starliner to dock with the ISS.
Throughout that summer, managers from NASA and Boeing repeatedly stated that the spacecraft was safe to bring Wilmore and Williams home if the station needed to be evacuated in an emergency. But officials on the ground ordered extensive testing to understand the root of the problems. Buried behind the headlines, there was a real chance NASA managers would decide—as they ultimately did—not to put astronauts on Boeing’s crew capsule when it was time to depart the ISS.
It would have been better, Precourt and other panel members said Friday, if NASA made a formal declaration of an in-flight “mishap” or “high visibility close call” soon after the Starliner spacecraft’s troubled rendezvous with the ISS. Such a declaration would have elevated responsibility for the investigation to NASA’s safety office.
After months of testing and analysis, NASA officials were unsure if the thruster problems would recur on Starliner’s flight home. They decided in August 2024 to return the spacecraft to the ground without the astronauts, and the capsule safely landed in New Mexico the following month. The next Starliner flight will carry only cargo to the ISS.
The safety panel recommended that NASA review its criteria and processes to ensure the language is “unambiguous” in requiring the agency to declare an in-flight mishap or a high-visibility close call for any event involving NASA personnel “that leads to an impact on crew or spacecraft safety.”
Submission + - Investigation looks into Tesla's electronic door releases which may trap people (caranddriver.com)
sinij writes:
Report: Tesla Doors That Won't Open Have Led to 15 Crash-Related Deaths
When I was recently researching a new car, I was surprised to find that NHITSA does not regulate this and IIHS does not include ability to operate door handles into safety category. It is criminal idiocy to have car door mechanisms that require something other than mechanical pull/release.
Submission + - How a power outage in Colorado caused U.S. official time to be 4.8 microseconds (npr.org) 1
Tony Isaac writes: The U.S. government calculates the country's official time using more than a dozen atomic clocks at a federal facility northwest of Denver.
But when a destructive windstorm knocked out power to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratory in Boulder on Wednesday and a backup generator subsequently failed, time ever so slightly slowed down.
The lapse "resulted in NIST UTC [universal coordinated time] being 4.8 microseconds slower than it should have been," NIST spokesperson Rebecca Jacobson said in an email.
But when a destructive windstorm knocked out power to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratory in Boulder on Wednesday and a backup generator subsequently failed, time ever so slightly slowed down.
The lapse "resulted in NIST UTC [universal coordinated time] being 4.8 microseconds slower than it should have been," NIST spokesperson Rebecca Jacobson said in an email.
Submission + - Garmin Emergency Autoland deployed for the first time (flightradar24.com)
alanw writes: On Saturday, 20 December 2025, the Garmin’s Emergency Autoland was used for the first time in a real world emergency situation. The Emergency Autoland system is designed to take control of an aircraft in the event of pilot incapacitation and safely land at a nearby airfield.
That is precisely what happened on Saturday as the pilot of Beech B200 Super King Air N479BR became incapacitated about 20 minutes after departing Aspen for Denver.
That is precisely what happened on Saturday as the pilot of Beech B200 Super King Air N479BR became incapacitated about 20 minutes after departing Aspen for Denver.
Submission + - Samsung is putting Google Gemini AI into your refrigerator, whether you need it (nerds.xyz)
BrianFagioli writes: Samsung is bringing Google Gemini directly into the kitchen, starting with a refrigerator that can see what you eat. At CES 2026, the company plans to show off a new Bespoke AI Refrigerator that uses a built in camera system paired with Gemini to automatically recognize food items, including leftovers stored in unlabeled containers. The idea is to keep an always up to date inventory without manual input, track what is added or removed, and surface suggestions based on what is actually inside the fridge. It is the first time Googleâ(TM)s Gemini AI is being integrated into a refrigerator, pushing generative AI well beyond phones and laptops.
The pitch sounds convenient, but it also raises familiar questions. This is vision based AI tied to cloud services, not just local smarts, and it depends on cameras watching what goes in and out of your fridge over years of ownership. Samsung is framing this as friction free food management, but critics may see it as another example of AI being embedded into everyday appliances whether consumers asked for it or not. The real test will be whether this becomes a genuinely useful background feature, or just another smart screen that people stop paying attention to once the novelty wears off.
The pitch sounds convenient, but it also raises familiar questions. This is vision based AI tied to cloud services, not just local smarts, and it depends on cameras watching what goes in and out of your fridge over years of ownership. Samsung is framing this as friction free food management, but critics may see it as another example of AI being embedded into everyday appliances whether consumers asked for it or not. The real test will be whether this becomes a genuinely useful background feature, or just another smart screen that people stop paying attention to once the novelty wears off.
Comment Rearranging the furniture (Score 1) 41
is less work than building the house.
The odd general fascination with cosmetics is not utilitarian, but piddling with cosmetics gives the illusion of accomplishment as if change were progress.
Submission + - Public Domain Day 2026
davidwr writes: January 1, 2026 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1930 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1925!
By Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle CC BY 4.0
On January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1925. They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. The literary highlights range from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying to Agatha Christie’s The Murder at the Vicarage and the first four Nancy Drew novels. From cartoons and comic strips, the characters Betty Boop, Pluto (originally named Rover), and Blondie and Dagwood made their first appearances. Films from the year featured Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, the Marx Brothers, and John Wayne in his first leading role. Among the public domain compositions are I Got Rhythm, Georgia on My Mind, and Dream a Little Dream of Me. We are also celebrating paintings from Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee.
—
Last year's Slashdot coverage included Tintin, Popeye Enter Public Domain as 1929 Works Released (Jan 1) and Internet Archive Celebrates New Public Domain Works with Remixes in Short Film Contest (Feb. 8).
By Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle CC BY 4.0
On January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1925. They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. The literary highlights range from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying to Agatha Christie’s The Murder at the Vicarage and the first four Nancy Drew novels. From cartoons and comic strips, the characters Betty Boop, Pluto (originally named Rover), and Blondie and Dagwood made their first appearances. Films from the year featured Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, the Marx Brothers, and John Wayne in his first leading role. Among the public domain compositions are I Got Rhythm, Georgia on My Mind, and Dream a Little Dream of Me. We are also celebrating paintings from Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee.
—
Last year's Slashdot coverage included Tintin, Popeye Enter Public Domain as 1929 Works Released (Jan 1) and Internet Archive Celebrates New Public Domain Works with Remixes in Short Film Contest (Feb. 8).
Comment That matters little IRL. (Score 1) 125
In the vast majority of military careers pols matter little. Careers outlast multiple POTUS and mostly take place far away from them. When you're chilling at a NATO base, Japan or South Korea what happens in DC is of nil interest unless you have or want orders there.
Why would anyone care what the President of the US thinks of their job so long as their pay shows up? I don't value the respect of those I hold in contempt nor grudge their indifference to me. We owe each other nothing not spelt out in law.
From a
Vesting a reliable recession-resistant retirement is absolutely worth killing for, especially after a mere twenty years which leaves time to enjoy the second half of your life. Retiring in your forties frees you to pursue a second career or whatever steams your Speedos. The armed forces need younger, deployable troops capable of expeditionary warfare. When those troops age out and retire their accumulated experience remains valuable to support the same hardware and missions differently.
The point of all those Stanford degrees was to get money. Lack of jobs suggests using those credentials elsewhere, preferably in careers resistant to economic downturns and inconvenient to outsource.
Comment Commission as an officer (Score 2) 125
American rewards with money what it truly values, and it truly values war.
A stint in the Space Force, Air Force etc can open DoD and many other doors via the human network officers naturally acquire. It's an instant career or a useful stepping stone. The security clearance won't hurt either.
The Guard and Reserve are options for those wanting to hold civilian employment but active duty retires much sooner. An officer makes enough to fully retire at twenty years and never need to work again.
Comment Re: Completely unnecessary (Score 1, Flamebait) 57
You dont make multiplayer games for a living. Please stop talking, it's embarassing
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