Google has restored the ability to sideload APK files on Android after restricting it in 2025, but the process now requires users to confirm via a restart and a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before the sideloading option becomes active. The company calls this the 'Advanced Flow,' designed for power users who need to install apps outside the Play Store while adding friction meant to stop scam victims from being pressured into installing malware in the heat of the moment.
Researchers have identified that operators behind the BadBox click-fraud botnet are now targeting Android-powered vehicle head units, exploiting built-in update mechanisms to push malicious software onto the devices. This marks an expansion of the botnet's reach beyond streaming boxes and smart TVs into automotive infotainment systems.
Wordfence researchers found a critical vulnerability chain, tracked as CVE-2026-18431 with a 9.8 severity score, in the Avada theme and its companion Fusion Builder plugin for WordPress. By chaining six separate weaknesses in a specific sequence, an attacker with no login credentials could execute arbitrary PHP code on a vulnerable server, fully compromising the site.
An economics writer recounts owning roughly 4,000 CDs, once worth about $40,000, that are now nearly worthless due to music streaming. Rather than framing himself as a victim of disruption, he argues that free access to vast catalogs of new and old music has given him far more value than he lost, turning an apparent loss into a net gain.
NASA is set to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a $4 billion observatory built to survey vast swaths of the cosmos with high speed and precision. The mission aims to capture wide-field images that reveal cosmic phenomena previously undetectable by existing instruments.
Meta has agreed to pay roughly $18 billion to resolve claims from 52 state attorneys general that its platforms harmed teen mental health, without admitting wrongdoing. As part of the deal, it will roll out default teen protections including a two-hour daily usage cap, a nighttime mode that disables feeds and Reels from midnight to 6 a.m., and muted notifications during school hours, while still allowing direct messaging.
A publicly shared reference document lists nearly all known YouTube format IDs (itags) covering DASH video and audio streams across codecs like AV1, VP9, and H.264. Originally created by AgentOak in 2019, the gist has been maintained and expanded by Martin Eesmaa since 2022, with updates as recent as August 2026.
Porsche's updated GT3 Touring carries over the model's original concept of pairing the track-honed GT3 hardware with a deployable rear spoiler instead of the fixed wing, preserving the classic 911 profile. The 992.2 version retains the 9,000 rpm naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, now rated at 502 hp and 331 lb-ft, sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed PDK or six-speed manual. Big brakes, rear-axle steering, GT3-tuned suspension and an active sport exhaust all carry over as standard equipment.
Google unveiled Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, a new speech-to-text AI model that detects over 85 languages, strips filler words, and reformats casual speech into clean, structured text. It can also learn custom vocabulary, capture alphanumeric strings like order numbers, and assign dialogue to up to three speakers with timestamps from recorded audio.
Graze, a startup that lets users build and control their own social media feed algorithms, announced it is joining Flipboard. Over 21 months, Graze had delivered more than 41 billion posts to 12 million users, and its founder said combining forces with Flipboard would accelerate its mission rather than spending years rebuilding infrastructure already in place at Flipboard.
During the recent earthquake response in Venezuela, volunteer Anton Wenemoser used the offline app CoMaps to navigate a hard-hit zone with no cell coverage. He later shared it with an El Salvador rescue team that had been relying on a more limited navigation tool, and the app's detailed, community-mapped data proved essential for logistics and coordination in the field.
IEEE's Computer and Software magazines have each received Publication Excellence awards from APEX, a well-regarded annual competition for communicators and publishers. The recognition covers two specific issues that the IEEE team singled out as standout examples of their editorial work.
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