Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror

Submission + - We are nowhere near AGI (x.com)

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Humans: 100%
Gemini 3.1 Pro: 0.37%
GPT 5.4: 0.26%
Opus 4.6: 0.25%
Grok-4.20: 0.00%

François Chollet just released ARC-AGI-3 — the hardest AI test ever created.

135 novel game environments. No instructions. No rules. No goals given.

Figure it out or fail.

Untrained humans solved every single one. Every frontier AI model scored below 1%.

Each environment was handcrafted by game designers. The AI gets dropped in and has to explore, discover what winning looks like, and adapt in real time.

The scoring punishes brute force. If a human needs 10 actions and the AI needs 100, the AI doesn't get 10%. It gets 1%. You can't throw more compute at this.

For context: ARC-AGI-1 is basically solved. Gemini scores 98% on it. ARC-AGI-2 went from 3% to 77% in under a year. Labs spent millions training on earlier versions.

ARC-AGI-3 resets the entire scoreboard to near zero.

Abstract and more here.

Submission + - IBM quantum computer simulates real magnetic materials and matches lab data (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: IBM says its quantum computer can now simulate real magnetic materials and match actual lab experiment results, which is something people have been waiting years to see. Instead of just theoretical output, the system reproduced neutron scattering data from a known material, meaning it lines up with real world physics. It still relies on a mix of quantum and classical computing and this is a narrow use case for now, but it is one of the first times quantum hardware has produced results that scientists can directly validate against experiments, which makes it a lot more interesting than the usual hype.

Submission + - Non-US made WiFi Routers Banned by FCC (pcmag.com)

Submitted by phatrabt
phatrabt writes: The FCC has now banned any WiFi routers not made in the US from being sold unless granted a waiver from the Pentagon or Homeland Security. PC Mag says:

"Late on Monday afternoon, the FCC announced the order, based on a White House determination that foreign-made routers introduce “supply chain vulnerabilities” that hackers and cyberspies can exploit. Specifically, the commission updated its “covered list,” which acts as a blacklist of telecom equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security. It now includes “all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries.”

However, the FCC stresses, “This action does not affect any previously purchased consumer-grade routers. Consumers can continue to use any router they have already lawfully purchased or acquired.”

“Nor does it prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market router models approved previously through the FCC’s equipment authorization process,” the commission adds.

Submission + - NetRise Provenance wants to track who writes your open source code after XZ back (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: In the wake of the XZ Utils scare, NetRise has introduced a tool called Provenance that shifts the focus from whatâ(TM)s in your software to who put it there. The platform maps open source components back to maintainers and contributors, then traces how their code propagates through dependency chains. The goal is to give enterprises faster answers when a trusted contributor turns out to be a problem, something traditional SBOMs donâ(TM)t really address.

The idea may appeal to organizations trying to get a handle on supply chain risk, but it also raises questions about where this leads. Tracking contributors by identity, organization, or even geography could help with compliance, yet it may clash with the open nature of many projects. Itâ(TM)s not clear whether tools like this actually reduce risk or just add another layer of visibility that looks reassuring on a dashboard while the underlying trust model remains just as fragile.

Submission + - Alabama State Sup. Ct: Police CAN Demand Physical ID If THEY Deem It Necessary (msn.com) 2

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: The ruling states that officers are allowed to demand physical identification if they feel an individual gives an unsatisfactory oral answer. AL.com reported how the decision ruled against a local pastor, who sued an Alabama town and its law enforcement office after a police encounter.

The incident occurred in 2022, in which police arrested Pastor Michael Jennings after he watered his neighbor's flowers. Another neighbor called the police on Jennings, citing that a "younger Black male" was on the property.

While officers pressed the church leader about his identity, he told them he was "Pastor Jennings" and lived across the street. The answer, however, did not please the officers.

After the man refused to give them his ID, law enforcement arrested him on charges of obstructing government operations, which were later dismissed. The woman who initially called 911 also confirmed Jennings as a neighbor.

Feeling wronged, Jennings sued the town of Childersburg and the officers for false arrest, leading to a long legal battle. Although a district judge dismissed his case in 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed the decision the next year.

The case then proceeded to the Alabama Supreme Court, while several civil rights organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center, filed briefs in support of Jennings. However, the court ruled 6-3 that officers may arrest someone who refuses to provide sufficient identification.

Justice Terry Sellers cited that getting correct identification is a "crucial part" of the stop-and-identify law, also known as a Terry stop. Sellers defended the officers' actions, stating that officers can request or demand physical identification if they deem a person's oral answer as unsatisfactory.

According to WVTM13, Sellers wrote that the law "does not exclude from its purview a request for physical identification when a suspect provides an incomplete or unsatisfactory response to an officer's demand to provide his or her name and address and an explanation of his or her action."

The judgment now sets a legal precedent that officers can not only request physical proof of one's identity but also arrest individuals if they fail to provide such evidence. Legal rights advocates condemned the decision, with Matthew Cavedon, director of the Cato Institute's Project on Criminal Justice, calling the ruling a "significant expansion of government power over people."

Now, an Alabamian under suspicion by a police officer must stay prepared to show proof of identity or face arrest.

Cavendon added, "The significance now for Alabamians is if an officer's not satisfied with whatever answer you give, I sure hope you've got your driver's license or passport on you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Submission + - Nissan Leaf drivers voice anger over app shutdown (theguardian.com)

Submitted by Alain Williams
Alain Williams writes: Owners of some Nissan Leaf electric vehicles are angry after the carmaker announced it would shut down an app that lets them remotely control battery charging and other functions.

Drivers of Leaf cars made before May 2019 and the e-NV200 van (produced until 2022) have been told that the NissanConnect EV app linked to their vehicles will “cease operation” from 30 March. This means they will lose remote services, including turning on the heating, and some map features.

Experts said they expected other drivers to experience similar problems in future as “connected cars” – vehicles that can connect to the internet – get older.

Submission + - CEOs worry about an AI bubble, but most still plan to ramp up spending (techspot.com)

Submitted by jjslash
jjslash writes: Even as concerns grow that artificial intelligence could be the next tech bubble, corporate leaders are continuing to pour money into the technology. A recent survey of 100 CEOs by KPMG found that while one in four believe an AI bubble may exist, nearly 80% still plan to allocate at least 5% of their companies' capital budgets to AI initiatives this year.

Despite all this investment and commitment to the technology, about three-quarters of large-company CEOs said generative AI might have been overhyped over the past year, but its true impact over the next five to ten years is likely underappreciated.

Submission + - How Jeffrey Epstein Ingratiated Himself With Top Microsoft Execs

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: In How Jeffrey Epstein Ingratiated Himself With Top Microsoft Executives, the NY Times begins, "For more than two decades, the convicted sex offender developed a network at the tech giant, making him privy to [CEO] succession discussions and other business. [...] The files from the Justice Department show that he spent more than a decade developing a network of Microsoft executives, including Mr. Gates; Nathan Myhrvold, a former technology chief; Steven Sinofsky, who ran Microsoft’s Windows division; Linda Stone, a former technology research executive; Reid Hoffman, a Microsoft board member; and employees of Mr. Gates’s personal investment and charity funds. [...] Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s communications chief, said the company was disappointed to read emails between Mr. Epstein and “former Microsoft employees acting in their personal capacities.” Without mentioning a name, Mr. Shaw acknowledged the emails showed that a former executive — who was Mr. [Steven] Sinofsky — had shared confidential company business with Mr. Epstein."

Email released by the DOJ related to Microsoft included: 1. Epstein being tipped off to the announcement of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's planned resignation announcement in Aug. 2013 by a forwarded email from the President of bgC3 [aka Gates Ventures], a personal service company for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, on a day that saw Microsoft stock soar 7%., 2. Epstein being given a heads up by a redacted sender about a rumored 2011 Bill Gates return to Microsoft that never panned out, 3. Epstein being told in a 2013 Steven Sinofsky email about Ballmer's desire to buy a phone company that included some other juicy insider tidbits (when Microsoft's Nokia purchase was announced the following year, Microsoft stock sank 6%). In other correspondence, Sinofsky — who headed Microsoft's Windows Division — thanked Epstein for his advice in negotiating a $14 million exit package from Microsoft and later forwarded Epstein old internal email from top execs discussing the poor sales of the Microsoft Surface tablet.

In one Microsoft-related Epstein email, former Harvard President Larry Summers — who recently announced he's giving up his Harvard teaching appointments — sent Epstein a terse two-word email dissing Melinda Gates' Women in Tech initiative. "I'm gagging," Summers wrote, attaching an article about Gates' efforts (a search didn't find any reply from Epstein). Summers came under fire in 2005 when he said that women lack natural ability in math in science. Summers earlier resigned his OpenAI Board seat amid fallout over his Epstein ties that came to light following the DOJ's release of documents last November, which included the revelation that Summers and his wife were invited to dine with Bill and Melinda Gates at Epstein's NYC mansion in 2013 , Melinda's one and only Epstein encounter. Interestingly, Microsoft President Brad Smith — who coincidentally helped negotiate Microsoft's $14M exit package for Epstein-advised Sinofsky — cautioned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman about naming Summers to the OpenAI Board in November 2023. “Your future would be decided by Larry [Summers],” Smith texted. “He’s smart but so mercurial [...] too risky.” The advice went unheeded, with Altman saying the choice of Summers was non-negotiable.

Submission + - CATL unveils 1.1M mile EV battery, charges in 12 min, retains 80% @ 3,000 cycles (interestingengineering.com)

Submitted by fahrbot-bot
fahrbot-bot writes: Interesting Engineering is reporting that CATL, formally known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, has introduced a new fast-charging electric vehicle battery platform designed to significantly reduce charging times while maintaining long-term durability.

The company released performance data for its 5C battery, stating it can fully charge in about 12 minutes while supporting extended cycle life.

The engineering focus behind the platform centers on enabling ultra-fast charging without accelerating battery degradation. A 5C charge rate allows a battery pack to accept high power input, enabling rapid replenishment comparable to short refueling stops.

According to the company’s testing, the battery retained at least 80 percent of its original capacity after 3,000 full charge and discharge cycles under standard temperature conditions. This translates to a projected driving lifespan approaching 1.5 million miles.

The battery was also evaluated under high-temperature conditions to assess real-world endurance. At 140F, it maintained 80 percent capacity after 1,400 cycles, indicating sustained performance even under thermal stress, though with reduced cycle life compared to moderate conditions.

Material innovations underpin the system’s performance. The cathode features a protective coating to reduce structural breakdown during rapid cycling, while the electrolyte contains additives that detect and seal microscopic cracks that could accelerate degradation.

The separator incorporates a temperature-responsive coating that moderates ion movement during heat buildup, helping stabilize the cell during repeated fast charging.

Submission + - A new California law says Linux must verify user age at startup (pcgamer.com)

Submitted by alternative_right
alternative_right writes: The government of California is implementing a law that requires operating system providers to implement some form of age verification into their account setup procedures.

Assembly Bill No. 1043 was approved by California governor Gavin Newsom in October of last year, and becomes active on January 1, 2027 (via The Lunduke Journal). The bill states, among other factors, that "An operating system provider shall do all of the following:"

"(1) Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device for the purpose of providing a signal regarding the user’s age bracket to applications available in a covered application store.

"(2) Provide a developer who has requested a signal with respect to a particular user with a digital signal via a reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface that identifies, at a minimum, which of the following categories pertains to the user."

The categories are broken into four sections: users under 13 years of age, over 13 years of age under 16, at least 16 years of age and under 18, and "at least 18 years of age."

Submission + - AI hurts your credibility even if your work is great, study finds (nerds.xyz)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: New research from Florida International University suggests that simply disclosing AI use can damage a creatorâ(TM)s reputation, even when the creative output itself is identical. In one experiment, participants evaluated the same video game soundtrack but were given different descriptions of the composer. Some were told it was written by Hans Zimmer, while others were told it came from an unknown student. When AI collaboration was disclosed, ratings dropped across the board, regardless of whether the name attached carried prestige.

The study found that reputation offered only limited protection. Participants were slightly more willing to believe a well known composer remained in control of the creative process, but overall perceptions of authenticity and competence still declined. Researchers say the issue is not performance quality but perception. Once AI enters the picture, audiences begin questioning whether the creativity is genuine, suggesting that, at least for now, AI carries a reputational tax.

Submission + - DHS billion-dollar contract with Palantir (wired.com)

Submitted by sinij
sinij writes:

According to contracting documents published last week, the blanket purchase agreement (BPA) awarded "is to provide Palantir commercial software licenses, maintenance, and implementation services department wide." The agreement simplifies how DHS buys software from Palantir, allowing DHS agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to essentially skip the competitive bidding process for new purchases of up to $1 billion in products and services from the company.

People with "nothing to hide" approach to privacy should start rethinking their position.

Submission + - Mysterious spikes in Earth's 'heartbeat' are scrambling human brains with an eer (dailymail.co.uk)

Submitted by fjo3
fjo3 writes: Earth's natural 'humming' vibration has experienced a series of unusual spikes in recent weeks, raising questions about whether the phenomenon could influence mood and cognition.

Known as the Schumann Resonance, this vibration is often described as the Earth's 'heartbeat,' a steady electromagnetic rhythm generated by lightning and trapped between the planet's surface and the ionosphere.

Slashdot Top Deals

I never cheated an honest man, only rascals. They wanted something for nothing. I gave them nothing for something. -- Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil

Close