Submission + - Well, shit.
Cpt_Kirks writes: Patrick Stewart dead at 86.
Submission + - OpenVeils Releases Uncensored, Analytical LLM Designed To Escape Consensus (openveils.com) 1
alternative_right writes: Today's top search and AI engines ask, "What do the most authoritative and widely accepted sources currently support?" rather than "What conclusion emerges if we examine the full body of available evidence — including controversial, obscure, or dissenting sources — and weigh each on its merits?"
That distinction matters. Systems optimized around authority, consensus, popularity, and established-source credibility can systematically deprioritize evidence that sits outside the mainstream — even when individual sources may be credible, documented, or independently verifiable.
The result can become a self-reinforcing information loop: mainstream sources rank highest because they are considered authoritative, AI relies disproportionately on those sources, and their conclusions are then repeated and amplified as the prevailing consensus.
That distinction matters. Systems optimized around authority, consensus, popularity, and established-source credibility can systematically deprioritize evidence that sits outside the mainstream — even when individual sources may be credible, documented, or independently verifiable.
The result can become a self-reinforcing information loop: mainstream sources rank highest because they are considered authoritative, AI relies disproportionately on those sources, and their conclusions are then repeated and amplified as the prevailing consensus.
Submission + - JerryRigEverything Tears Down Trump Phone, Claims Likely Made by HTC (youtube.com)
An anonymous reader writes: JerryRigEverything even swaps the HTC U24-Pro main-board into the Trump Phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Submission + - Canada facing carbon tariff threat from European Union (www.cbc.ca)
An anonymous reader writes: The EU is imposing carbon border charges on Canadian steel, iron, and aluminum starting 2027.
-$2.8 billion in exports exposed — no exemption for Canada despite its own carbon price.
-Internal docs call it “effectively a carbon tariff.” Quebec and Newfoundland hardest hit as Ottawa pushes EU trade diversification.
-Canadian producers face new compliance costs and higher prices on metals already slammed by U.S. tariffs.
-The EU is weaponizing climate policy into a direct trade hit on Canada.
The EU is applying its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to Canadian steel, iron and aluminum to stop “carbon leakage”.
Canada's new best friends don't even want our stuff! How brutal is this?
Remember, Carney and the Liberals walked away from a tariff-free deal with Trump.
-$2.8 billion in exports exposed — no exemption for Canada despite its own carbon price.
-Internal docs call it “effectively a carbon tariff.” Quebec and Newfoundland hardest hit as Ottawa pushes EU trade diversification.
-Canadian producers face new compliance costs and higher prices on metals already slammed by U.S. tariffs.
-The EU is weaponizing climate policy into a direct trade hit on Canada.
The EU is applying its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to Canadian steel, iron and aluminum to stop “carbon leakage”.
Canada's new best friends don't even want our stuff! How brutal is this?
Remember, Carney and the Liberals walked away from a tariff-free deal with Trump.
Comment Yes (Score 1) 75
"Are AI Execs Too Out of Touch To Build For the General Public?"
"Yes"
Next dumb question please...
Comment CORRECTION (Score 2) 28
"A dedicated button turns off the microphones and any camera"
CORRECTION: "A dedicated button CLAIMS to turn off the microphones and any camera"
And if you believe that horseshit, come on over and I'll sell you the Golden Gate Bridge at a super-cheap price.
Submission + - Please Let the Internet Die (wired.com)
fjo3 writes: Any rational observer can admit that the current iteration of the web—and the social fabric woven there—is not what they signed up for. Symptoms of advanced cultural decay can no longer be ignored. This thing is eating itself.
Giants including Meta and Google have been forced to settle massive consumer lawsuits brought over privacy violations and mental health harms allegedly caused by the addictive mechanisms of their platforms. Schools are banning smartphones as multiple countries institute social media restrictions for under-16s. Parents are in a panic about their kids aspiring to careers as social media celebrities, losing themselves in a vast ecosystem of online casinos, or joining extremist movements.
Generative AI, briefly considered an amusing novelty, is now a turbocharged slop engine for the web, filling feeds and comment sections with useless, grotesque content. As humans scroll past headlines about AI taking their jobs, confusing fantasy for reality, and contributing to cognitive decline, any consumer appeal the technology might have is turning to anguish. The data centers that power it have become increasingly unpopular, and politically radioactive.
Giants including Meta and Google have been forced to settle massive consumer lawsuits brought over privacy violations and mental health harms allegedly caused by the addictive mechanisms of their platforms. Schools are banning smartphones as multiple countries institute social media restrictions for under-16s. Parents are in a panic about their kids aspiring to careers as social media celebrities, losing themselves in a vast ecosystem of online casinos, or joining extremist movements.
Generative AI, briefly considered an amusing novelty, is now a turbocharged slop engine for the web, filling feeds and comment sections with useless, grotesque content. As humans scroll past headlines about AI taking their jobs, confusing fantasy for reality, and contributing to cognitive decline, any consumer appeal the technology might have is turning to anguish. The data centers that power it have become increasingly unpopular, and politically radioactive.
Submission + - Iran Threatens Undersea Internet Cables in Strait of Hormuz, Releases AI-Generat (circleid.com)
penciling_in writes: Iran is escalating threats against undersea Internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz. On October 21, a senior Revolutionary Guards official warned that seven major cables could be targeted. Two days later, it is reported that Tehran has detailed plans to attack the cables and prevent repair ships from restoring service if war resumes.
Adding a rather surreal touch, Iranian-linked propaganda accounts circulated an AI-generated video on October 27–28 depicting underwater cable bombings, followed by dramatic scenes of Gulf banking systems and communications networks collapsing.
According to TeleGeography, less than 1% of international bandwidth passes through Hormuz, but the regional consequences could be substantial. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reports that Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar have no submarine cable routes that bypass the strait. Terrestrial alternatives exist, though their capacity to absorb a major disruption remains uncertain.
Adding a rather surreal touch, Iranian-linked propaganda accounts circulated an AI-generated video on October 27–28 depicting underwater cable bombings, followed by dramatic scenes of Gulf banking systems and communications networks collapsing.
According to TeleGeography, less than 1% of international bandwidth passes through Hormuz, but the regional consequences could be substantial. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reports that Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar have no submarine cable routes that bypass the strait. Terrestrial alternatives exist, though their capacity to absorb a major disruption remains uncertain.
Submission + - Bank of America kindly asks that you don't share your password with your AI asst (techcrunch.com)
schwit1 writes: In an email blast to customers titled “Protecting your finances in the Al World,” Bank of America urged customers to never share their username and password with another person or an outside service, “including an Al-enabled tool or agent that offers to act on your behalf.”
You can practically sense the frustration in the person sending the email. Still, customers are increasingly handing over their log-ins as personal AI assistants grow more popular. Sharing your banking username and password with an AI assistant runs the risk that it could do something with your finances without your knowledge, or that your bank thinks someone’s raiding your account and locks you out of it. Worse, a security flaw in the AI assistant could result in it leaking your banking credentials elsewhere, giving financially motivated hackers a way into your bank account.
You can practically sense the frustration in the person sending the email. Still, customers are increasingly handing over their log-ins as personal AI assistants grow more popular. Sharing your banking username and password with an AI assistant runs the risk that it could do something with your finances without your knowledge, or that your bank thinks someone’s raiding your account and locks you out of it. Worse, a security flaw in the AI assistant could result in it leaking your banking credentials elsewhere, giving financially motivated hackers a way into your bank account.
Submission + - Bank of America kindly asks that you don't share your password with your AI asst (techcrunch.com)
schwit1 writes: In an email blast to customers titled “Protecting your finances in the Al World,” Bank of America urged customers to never share their username and password with another person or an outside service, “including an Al-enabled tool or agent that offers to act on your behalf.”
You can practically sense the frustration in the person sending the email. Still, customers are increasingly handing over their log-ins as personal AI assistants grow more popular. Sharing your banking username and password with an AI assistant runs the risk that it could do something with your finances without your knowledge, or that your bank thinks someone’s raiding your account and locks you out of it. Worse, a security flaw in the AI assistant could result in it leaking your banking credentials elsewhere, giving financially motivated hackers a way into your bank account.
You can practically sense the frustration in the person sending the email. Still, customers are increasingly handing over their log-ins as personal AI assistants grow more popular. Sharing your banking username and password with an AI assistant runs the risk that it could do something with your finances without your knowledge, or that your bank thinks someone’s raiding your account and locks you out of it. Worse, a security flaw in the AI assistant could result in it leaking your banking credentials elsewhere, giving financially motivated hackers a way into your bank account.
Submission + - New Discovery Reveals Shakespeare Co-Wrote Play With His Famous Rival Marlowe (greekreporter.com)
joshuark writes: Nisha Zahid of the Greek Reporter writes that new research has found that William Shakespeare collaborated with Christopher Marlowe on Edward III, a historical play published anonymously in 1596. The findings suggest Shakespeare was the main author, while Marlowe contributed several sections. The discovery challenges the long-held belief that the two playwrights were primarily rivals.
Dr. Rory Loughnane, a Shakespeare scholar at the University of Kent, said the research establishes Shakespeare’s leading role “beyond any reasonable doubt.” The findings could settle a centuries-old debate over the play’s authorship. Scholars had previously linked Shakespeare to several scenes but remained uncertain about how much of the work he wrote.
The researchers used computer-based text analysis to compare Edward III with confirmed works by 10 playwrights active between the late 1580s and mid-1590s.
In one test, the analysis attributed 23 sections of the play to Shakespeare and nine to Marlowe. The results suggest Shakespeare wrote most of the work, with Marlowe contributing a smaller portion. The findings build on earlier research into the play’s disputed authorship.
A 2016 study had already identified Marlowe as a co-author of Shakespeare’s three Henry VI plays. Combined with the new findings, that research suggests Shakespeare and Marlowe maintained a working relationship across several plays during their early careers. Their collaboration on Edward III, believed to have been written around 1592, suggests the two writers worked together while both were in their 20s.
The findings add to scholarly understanding of Shakespeare’s early career and the collaborative nature of Elizabethan theater. The research is expected to appear in the winter issue of the academic journal Shakespeare Quarterly.
Dr. Rory Loughnane, a Shakespeare scholar at the University of Kent, said the research establishes Shakespeare’s leading role “beyond any reasonable doubt.” The findings could settle a centuries-old debate over the play’s authorship. Scholars had previously linked Shakespeare to several scenes but remained uncertain about how much of the work he wrote.
The researchers used computer-based text analysis to compare Edward III with confirmed works by 10 playwrights active between the late 1580s and mid-1590s.
In one test, the analysis attributed 23 sections of the play to Shakespeare and nine to Marlowe. The results suggest Shakespeare wrote most of the work, with Marlowe contributing a smaller portion. The findings build on earlier research into the play’s disputed authorship.
A 2016 study had already identified Marlowe as a co-author of Shakespeare’s three Henry VI plays. Combined with the new findings, that research suggests Shakespeare and Marlowe maintained a working relationship across several plays during their early careers. Their collaboration on Edward III, believed to have been written around 1592, suggests the two writers worked together while both were in their 20s.
The findings add to scholarly understanding of Shakespeare’s early career and the collaborative nature of Elizabethan theater. The research is expected to appear in the winter issue of the academic journal Shakespeare Quarterly.
Submission + - When AI Behaves Badly, Does It Reveal Its True Character? (linkedin.com)
gethotelreviews writes: Artificial intelligence sometimes behaves in unexpected or deceptive ways. Does that suggest AI is developing character, or reveal limitations in how intelligent systems are trained? Explore AI behaviour, autonomy, trust and human judgement.
Submission + - Dozens of Unexplained Drones have Buzzed U.S. Nuke Plants since 2024 (americanbuildout.com)
ElectricVs writes: In one incursion, according to NRC records, five drones came within 100 feet of the nuclear reactor at the River Bend Station plant in Louisiana.
Submission + - Rubin Telescope discovers a new solar system planet (behindtheblack.com)
schwit1 writes: Using data from the Rubin Telescope in Chile, astronomers have discovered a new planet in the outer solar system beyond Neptune, joining Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake as the five known large Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNO) so far discovered.
On the evening of 13 October, [Matthew] Holman was running data collected by Rubin earlier in 2026 through a search code he developed with CfA colleague Kevin Napier. The code is built to look at billions of detections of moving objects, compare them, and find the detections that correspond to the same object. Using this method, Holman uncovered ED138, and he immediately noticed that its brightness and distance indicated that it is unusually large. “My first reaction was one of excited disbelief,” says Holman. “Objects like this are very rare, so I immediately started checking whether I or the code had done something wrong.”
To remove any doubt, a detailed search through the data began in the hopes of uncovering more observations of ED138. Juri searched Rubin’s catalogs and images and found 20 more observations, going back to 4 March 2026. In all, Rubin observed ED138 30 times on 20 nights between 4 March and 11 July. Additional archival images from the DOE-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), and uncovered by the Asteroid Institute’s ADAM Precovery service, provided data going all the way back to 2016. These data allowed the team to trace more than 10 years of ED138's orbit. DECam is mounted on the NSF Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab.
ED138 is currently at a distance of about 46 astronomical units (au), where 1 au is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. For reference, dwarf planet Pluto has an average distance of 40 au. This classifies ED138 as a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) — objects that orbit the Sun at a distance greater than Neptune’s.
The data suggests this new planet is the largest TNO object so far discovered, though at present the size estimate is very uncertain, from 350 to 1400 miles in diameter.
Submission + - Google Begins Certifying Registered App Stores For Android (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Running an app ecosystem has gotten a lot more complex for Google after its loss in the Epic Games antitrust case. While US users can access app stores in Google Play by court order, international users will use Google’s voluntary Registered App Stores program. Google has announced that stores wishing to be part of that program are now free to apply, and support will roll out to some Android devices later this year. App stores accepted into the program will enjoy preferential treatment on the Android platform. Users of approved stores will be able to install apps with a single click, similar to the experience in the Play Store. These stores will also be allowed to update apps silently in the background like Google’s store does.
[...] Registered App Stores are still happening on Android, but they won’t be supported in the US—you can go to Google Play for alternative stores stateside, but so far, Aptoide remains the only one listed. Those operating Android app storefronts who want to be included in the international program can now review the program and begin the enrollment process. Any store hoping to get approval will have to adhere to a number of requirements, including protecting intellectual property, removing illegal content, and publishing a privacy policy for both users and developers. Google also requires several ongoing security measures to ensure the stores do not give malware easier access to Android devices. As part of the application process, store operators must provide documentation for all these points (in English) and upload copies of all their apps.
It costs $10,000 per year to participate in the Android Registered App Stores program, and that fee must be paid before Google will review the application. Google says this fee covers the additional support necessary to run the program. There may also be additional review fees if Google detects a store has a problem with malware. Google plans to roll out support in dozens of nations, which includes most of the world outside of the US and Europe. The program goes live on December 1, but it will only work on Android devices running the latest builds of Android 17. Google says support will start with Android 17 QPR2, which is expected to arrive on Pixel phones in the coming weeks.
[...] Registered App Stores are still happening on Android, but they won’t be supported in the US—you can go to Google Play for alternative stores stateside, but so far, Aptoide remains the only one listed. Those operating Android app storefronts who want to be included in the international program can now review the program and begin the enrollment process. Any store hoping to get approval will have to adhere to a number of requirements, including protecting intellectual property, removing illegal content, and publishing a privacy policy for both users and developers. Google also requires several ongoing security measures to ensure the stores do not give malware easier access to Android devices. As part of the application process, store operators must provide documentation for all these points (in English) and upload copies of all their apps.
It costs $10,000 per year to participate in the Android Registered App Stores program, and that fee must be paid before Google will review the application. Google says this fee covers the additional support necessary to run the program. There may also be additional review fees if Google detects a store has a problem with malware. Google plans to roll out support in dozens of nations, which includes most of the world outside of the US and Europe. The program goes live on December 1, but it will only work on Android devices running the latest builds of Android 17. Google says support will start with Android 17 QPR2, which is expected to arrive on Pixel phones in the coming weeks.
