Comment Re:why not use some of the waste heat? (Score 1) 76
Why will they need humans at all in your dystopian view? By the time something like this might be possible, meat sticks will have been made irrelevant already by robotics.
Submission + - Dinosaurs Were Thriving Until Asteroid Struck, Research Suggests (theguardian.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Dinosaurs would not have become extinct had it not been for a catastrophic asteroid strike, researchers have said, challenging the idea the animals were already in decline. About 66 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous period, a huge space rock crashed into Earth, triggering a mass extinction that wiped out all dinosaurs except birds. However, some experts have argued the dinosaurs were already in decline. Now researchers say the dating of a rock formation in New Mexico throws doubt on that idea, suggesting dinosaurs were thriving until the fateful impact.
Dr Andrew Flynn, the first author of the research at New Mexico State University, said: “I think based on our new study that shows that, at least in North America, they weren’t going towards extinction.” Writing in the journal Science, Flynn and colleagues report how they dated a unit of rock called the Naashoibito Member in the San Juan basin using two methods. Flynn said the perception that overall dinosaur diversity was falling before the asteroid hit could be a result of there being fewer exposed rocks, and hence fossils, dating to the end of the Cretaceous period than earlier in the epoch. “It looks like, as far as we can tell, there’s no reason they should have gone extinct except for [the] asteroid impact,” he said.
Dr Andrew Flynn, the first author of the research at New Mexico State University, said: “I think based on our new study that shows that, at least in North America, they weren’t going towards extinction.” Writing in the journal Science, Flynn and colleagues report how they dated a unit of rock called the Naashoibito Member in the San Juan basin using two methods. Flynn said the perception that overall dinosaur diversity was falling before the asteroid hit could be a result of there being fewer exposed rocks, and hence fossils, dating to the end of the Cretaceous period than earlier in the epoch. “It looks like, as far as we can tell, there’s no reason they should have gone extinct except for [the] asteroid impact,” he said.
Submission + - Trump Eyes Government Control of Quantum Computing Firms (arstechnica.com) 1
An anonymous reader writes: Donald Trump is eyeing taking equity stakes in quantum computing firms in exchange for federal funding, The Wall Street Journal reported. At least five companies are weighing whether allowing the government to become a shareholder would be worth it to snag funding that the Trump administration has “earmarked for promising technology companies,” sources familiar with the potential deals told the WSJ.
IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly “considering similar arrangements,” as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies. No deals have been completed yet, sources said, and terms could change as quantum-computing firms weigh the potential risks of government influence over their operations. [...]
The administration will lean on Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Dabbar to extend Trump’s industry meddling into the quantum computing world, the WSJ reported. A former Energy Department official, Dabbar co-founded Bohr Quantum Technology, which specializes in quantum networking systems that the DOE expects will help “create new opportunities for scientific discovery.” While the firm he previously headed won’t be eligible for funding, Dabbar will be leading industry discussions, the WSJ reported, likely hyping Trump’s deals as a necessary boon to ensure US firms dominate in quantum computing.
IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly “considering similar arrangements,” as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies. No deals have been completed yet, sources said, and terms could change as quantum-computing firms weigh the potential risks of government influence over their operations. [...]
The administration will lean on Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Dabbar to extend Trump’s industry meddling into the quantum computing world, the WSJ reported. A former Energy Department official, Dabbar co-founded Bohr Quantum Technology, which specializes in quantum networking systems that the DOE expects will help “create new opportunities for scientific discovery.” While the firm he previously headed won’t be eligible for funding, Dabbar will be leading industry discussions, the WSJ reported, likely hyping Trump’s deals as a necessary boon to ensure US firms dominate in quantum computing.
Submission + - Microsoft's Mico Is a 'Clippy' For the AI Era (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has a new Clippy, and it’s an AI friend called Mico. At the company’s Copilot fall release press event on Thursday, the company introduced a range of new features and updates for its AI chatbot, but one that telegraphed how the tech giant intends to bring AI to consumers was the official introduction of its AI chatbot’s “face” — an expressive avatar blob named Mico.
The company explains that Mico (its name a nod to “Microsoft Copilot”) is meant to offer consumers a “warm” and “customizable” visual presence that “listens, reacts, and even changes colors to reflect your interactions.” If the talking AI helper immediately brings to mind Microsoft’s infamous productivity assistant, Clippy, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that. It seems that Microsoft has decided to embrace the reference to its age-old companion, as there’s even an Easter egg where, if you tap Mico a number of times, it will transform into Clippy.
The feature is enabled by default when you’re using Copilot’s voice mode, but users can turn it off if they choose. It’s initially available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and will be able to save memories of your conversations and learn from your feedback, Microsoft says. A “Learn Live” mode for U.S. users can make Copilot a tutor that guides you through concepts instead of just providing an answer. The company notes it’s made other improvements in areas like health-related questions and deep research, too.
The company explains that Mico (its name a nod to “Microsoft Copilot”) is meant to offer consumers a “warm” and “customizable” visual presence that “listens, reacts, and even changes colors to reflect your interactions.” If the talking AI helper immediately brings to mind Microsoft’s infamous productivity assistant, Clippy, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that. It seems that Microsoft has decided to embrace the reference to its age-old companion, as there’s even an Easter egg where, if you tap Mico a number of times, it will transform into Clippy.
The feature is enabled by default when you’re using Copilot’s voice mode, but users can turn it off if they choose. It’s initially available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and will be able to save memories of your conversations and learn from your feedback, Microsoft says. A “Learn Live” mode for U.S. users can make Copilot a tutor that guides you through concepts instead of just providing an answer. The company notes it’s made other improvements in areas like health-related questions and deep research, too.
Submission + - A SiriusXM Update Sent Some Audi Screens Into A Forced-Reboot Loop For Months (thedrive.com)
An anonymous reader writes: This week, a reader wrote to us sharing that the infotainment in their 2020 Audi A4 had been “rebooting every five minutes all year.” It looks like the problem was caused by a compatibility issue with a SiriusXM app update. Audi tells us the situation’s been rectified, but it illustrates a serious pain point in modern cars—myriad apps interacting with a diverse population of in-car software systems. Our reader was not the only Audi owner affected. “Randomly restarting” Audi infotainment screens have been discussed on Reddit, the Audiworld forum, and elsewhere, going back many months. Audi’s recall notice and related service action only went out this summer.
It looks like this particular problem was caused when the satellite radio app pushed an update that was supposed to work on the latest version of Audi’s infotainment software, but not all cars were running that. Then SiriusXM reverted, which, I guess, did not solve the problem for every owner. Audi now states that the problem has been fixed and originated with the SiriusXM app, but really, the automaker bears more than a little blame, too. [...] I dropped our own contacts at Audi a note about how and why this might have happened, and they added this clarification: "At the beginning of the year, SiriusXM did a programming update which was addressed via a software update to the MMI. However, as not all customers had their cars updated and SiriusXM then reverted back to the previous category numbering. Nonetheless, a MMI update is recommended as the two versions do seem to cause the issue."
It looks like this particular problem was caused when the satellite radio app pushed an update that was supposed to work on the latest version of Audi’s infotainment software, but not all cars were running that. Then SiriusXM reverted, which, I guess, did not solve the problem for every owner. Audi now states that the problem has been fixed and originated with the SiriusXM app, but really, the automaker bears more than a little blame, too. [...] I dropped our own contacts at Audi a note about how and why this might have happened, and they added this clarification: "At the beginning of the year, SiriusXM did a programming update which was addressed via a software update to the MMI. However, as not all customers had their cars updated and SiriusXM then reverted back to the previous category numbering. Nonetheless, a MMI update is recommended as the two versions do seem to cause the issue."
Submission + - AI Assistants Misrepresent News Content 45% of the Time (bbc.co.uk)
An anonymous reader writes: New research coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC has found that AI assistants – already a daily information gateway for millions of people – routinely misrepresent news content no matter which language, territory, or AI platform is tested. The intensive international study of unprecedented scope and scale was launched at the EBU News Assembly, in Naples. Involving 22 public service media (PSM) organizations in 18 countries working in 14 languages, it identified multiple systemic issues across four leading AI tools. Professional journalists from participating PSM evaluated more than 3,000 responses from ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Perplexity against key criteria, including accuracy, sourcing, distinguishing opinion from fact, and providing context.
Key findings:
— 45% of all AI answers had at least one significant issue.
— 31% of responses showed serious sourcing problems – missing, misleading, or incorrect attributions.
— 20% contained major accuracy issues, including hallucinated details and outdated information.
— Gemini performed worst with significant issues in 76% of responses, more than double the other assistants, largely due to its poor sourcing performance.
— Comparison between the BBC’s results earlier this year and this study show some improvements but still high levels of errors.
Key findings:
— 45% of all AI answers had at least one significant issue.
— 31% of responses showed serious sourcing problems – missing, misleading, or incorrect attributions.
— 20% contained major accuracy issues, including hallucinated details and outdated information.
— Gemini performed worst with significant issues in 76% of responses, more than double the other assistants, largely due to its poor sourcing performance.
— Comparison between the BBC’s results earlier this year and this study show some improvements but still high levels of errors.
Submission + - It takes less than $1k to access unencrypted satellite data: study (itbrew.com)
Nerval's Lobster writes: Have you ever been tempted to spend less than $1,000 on satellite equipment—just so you can show how much sensitive data can be easily accessed?
Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Maryland answered “yes” to that question. In a research paper published Oct. 13, they wrote that they can use satellites to access large amounts of sensitive and unencrypted traffic from a variety of sectors, including the telecommunication, retail, and even the military.
The setup. The researchers focused their study on geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit the Earth’s equator, receiving and amplifying signals from the ground. Hardware used to conduct the study included a Ku-Band satellite dish, a low-noise block downconverter to amplify weak signals, and a dish motor to enable automated movement for tracking purposes, among other materials. In total, the equipment ran the researchers just under $700, or roughly what you’d pay to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Wichita, Kansas.
Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Maryland answered “yes” to that question. In a research paper published Oct. 13, they wrote that they can use satellites to access large amounts of sensitive and unencrypted traffic from a variety of sectors, including the telecommunication, retail, and even the military.
The setup. The researchers focused their study on geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit the Earth’s equator, receiving and amplifying signals from the ground. Hardware used to conduct the study included a Ku-Band satellite dish, a low-noise block downconverter to amplify weak signals, and a dish motor to enable automated movement for tracking purposes, among other materials. In total, the equipment ran the researchers just under $700, or roughly what you’d pay to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Wichita, Kansas.
Comment Re:"AI is an attack from above on wages" (Score 1) 76
A-hole bosses have no idea just how f'ckd they can be if employees get sick of the bs.
Comment So glad I am a 70s Child (Score 1) 77
I have got to say I am so glad I am a 70s child and at best have maybe 20 - 30 years left in this life.
What I know from my life experience is some humans will always choose to do the wrong thing; and that guarantees that if AI ever becomes sentient, it will be the end of humanity. Well, if it doesn't kill off humankind much earlier just due to the colossal tax it is placing on the global climate which is already out of control.
Humans will never leave earth in any meaningful way, I wish fools like Musk would stop with the lunacy. All it does is give other fools like him a reason to continue destroying the only place in the universe that humankind can exist.
What I know from my life experience is some humans will always choose to do the wrong thing; and that guarantees that if AI ever becomes sentient, it will be the end of humanity. Well, if it doesn't kill off humankind much earlier just due to the colossal tax it is placing on the global climate which is already out of control.
Humans will never leave earth in any meaningful way, I wish fools like Musk would stop with the lunacy. All it does is give other fools like him a reason to continue destroying the only place in the universe that humankind can exist.
Submission + - US Seen Trading Chips For Chinese Rare Earths (investors.com)
hackingbear writes: U.S.-China trade talks are continuing in London today with the focus on Beijing's export restrictions of rare earth magnets that threaten to hit the brakes on manufacturing of autos, high-tech and defense gear. U.S. President Trump authorized Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and fellow U.S. negotiators to walk back recent U.S. moves to suspend exports of jet engines, chip-design software and ethane. However, some on Wall Street think Beijing is in position to demand a much broader reversal of chip export controls. It's "unrealistic," wrote Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, "for Washington to assume that China is going to ease up controls on rare earths if the U.S. does not do the same as regards exports of U.S. tech products." China views U.S. export controls, some of which were dated as far back as 1996, on chips and chip equipment "as the equivalent of a declaration of economic war against China, since it amounts to a deliberate effort to prevent the upgrading of the mainland economy." The S&P 500 is edging back toward its record high as markets see little doubt that President Trump will get a deal done, given the disastrous consequences for the economy if he doesn't. Earlier this month, several carmakers, both traditional and electric, are considering moving part of the manufacturing process to China in order to secure supplies of rare earth magnets which are used by the dozen in every vehicle. This could include building electric motors in Chinese factories or shipping American-made motors to China to have the magnets installed. "U.S. efforts to diversify rare earth supply may gather pace, but building capacity outside China will take years and remains both costly and difficult to execute," the UBS strategist wrote.
Submission + - Tech Giants' Indirect Emissions Rose 150% In Three Years (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Indirect carbon emissions from the operations of four of the leading AI-focused tech companies rose on average by 150% from 2020-2023, due to the demands of power-hungry data centers, a United Nations report (PDF) said on Thursday. The use of artificial intelligence by Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta drove up their global indirect emissions because of the vast amounts of energy required to power data centers, the report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the U.N. agency for digital technologies, said.
Indirect emissions include those generated by purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by a company. Amazon's operational carbon emissions grew the most at 182% in 2023 compared to three years before, followed by Microsoft at 155%, Meta at 145% and Alphabet at 138%, according to the report. The ITU tracked the greenhouse gas emissions of 200 leading digital companies between 2020 and 2023. [...] As investment in AI increases, carbon emissions from the top-emitting AI systems are predicted to reach up to 102.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, the report stated.
The data centres that are needed for AI development could also put pressure on existing energy infrastructure. "The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a sharp rise in global electricity demand, with electricity use by data centers increasing four times faster than the overall rise in electricity consumption," the report found. It also highlighted that although a growing number of digital companies had set emissions targets, those ambitions had not yet fully translated into actual reductions of emissions.
Indirect emissions include those generated by purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by a company. Amazon's operational carbon emissions grew the most at 182% in 2023 compared to three years before, followed by Microsoft at 155%, Meta at 145% and Alphabet at 138%, according to the report. The ITU tracked the greenhouse gas emissions of 200 leading digital companies between 2020 and 2023. [...] As investment in AI increases, carbon emissions from the top-emitting AI systems are predicted to reach up to 102.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, the report stated.
The data centres that are needed for AI development could also put pressure on existing energy infrastructure. "The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a sharp rise in global electricity demand, with electricity use by data centers increasing four times faster than the overall rise in electricity consumption," the report found. It also highlighted that although a growing number of digital companies had set emissions targets, those ambitions had not yet fully translated into actual reductions of emissions.
Submission + - Chinese PhD student arrested smuggling biological materials, deleting evidence (foxnews.com)
schwit1 writes: Federal authorities expose Chinese national's attempt to bring concealed worm specimens to American laboratory
"The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security," U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. said. "The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions."
This is less than a week after two Chinese nationals were arrested on federal charges for bringing 'head blight' fungus into US.
"The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security," U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. said. "The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions."
This is less than a week after two Chinese nationals were arrested on federal charges for bringing 'head blight' fungus into US.
Submission + - RFK Jr removes entire panel of CDC's vaccine experts (independent.co.uk)
An anonymous reader writes: ‘The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine,’ Kennedy claimed in a Monday op-ed
Comment Isn't Zuck the lowest performer? (Score 1) 55
Zuck has cost that company billions with his hair-brained ideas like the MetaVerse; I'd argue he is the lowest performing employee of all.
Submission + - Coinbase Data Breach Will 'Lead to People Dying,' TechCrunch Founder Says (decrypt.co)
An anonymous reader writes: The founder of online news publication TechCrunch has claimed that Coinbase’s recent data breach "will lead to people dying,” amid a wave of kidnap attempts targeting high-net-worth crypto holders. TechCrunch founder and venture capitalist Michael Arrington added that this should be a point of reflection for regulators to re-think the importance of know-your-customer (KYC), a process that requires users to confirm their identity to a platform. He also called for prison time for executives that fail to “adequately protect” customer information.
“This hack—which includes home addresses and account balances—will lead to people dying. It probably has already,” he tweeted. “The human cost, denominated in misery, is much larger than the $400 million or so they think it will actually cost the company to reimburse people." [...] He believes that people are in immediate physical danger following the breach, which exposed data including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, government-ID images, and more.
Arrington believes that in the wake of these attacks, crypto companies that handle user data need to be much more careful than they currently are. “Combining these KYC laws with corporate profit maximization and lax laws on penalties for hacks like these means these issues will continue to happen,” he tweeted. “Both governments and corporations need to step up to stop this. As I said, the cost can only be measured in human suffering.” Former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan pushed back on Arrington’s position that executives should be punished, arguing that regulators are forcing KYC onto unwilling companies. “When enough people die, the laws may change,” Arrington hit back.
“This hack—which includes home addresses and account balances—will lead to people dying. It probably has already,” he tweeted. “The human cost, denominated in misery, is much larger than the $400 million or so they think it will actually cost the company to reimburse people." [...] He believes that people are in immediate physical danger following the breach, which exposed data including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, government-ID images, and more.
Arrington believes that in the wake of these attacks, crypto companies that handle user data need to be much more careful than they currently are. “Combining these KYC laws with corporate profit maximization and lax laws on penalties for hacks like these means these issues will continue to happen,” he tweeted. “Both governments and corporations need to step up to stop this. As I said, the cost can only be measured in human suffering.” Former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan pushed back on Arrington’s position that executives should be punished, arguing that regulators are forcing KYC onto unwilling companies. “When enough people die, the laws may change,” Arrington hit back.
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"The urge to destroy is also a creative urge." -- Bakunin [ed. note - I would say: The urge to destroy may sometimes be a creative urge.]
