Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: rat Clear Filter

NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy

Privacy and security NovaCustom respects your privacy and focuses on security. We are switching to Dasharo coreboot firmware for our laptops, which is open-source and security-focused. You can find the Dasharo coreboot models here. We do not use Google Analytics. We use Signal and you can reach us via Protonmail. You can buy your laptop with Linux preinstalled. We setup your operating system with the most privacy-friendly settings. Even if we install Windows! Customisation We build your laptop

BusyBeaver(6) Is Quite Large

For overdetermined reasons, I’ve lately found the world an increasingly terrifying and depressing place. It’s gotten harder and harder to concentrate on research, or even popular science writing. Every so often, though, something breaks through that wakes my inner child, reminds me of why I fell in love with research thirty years ago, and helps me forget about the triumphantly strutting factions working to destroy everything I value. Back in 2022, I reported an exciting advance in BusyBeaverolo

Topics: 000 00010 10 bb tetration

Waiting for Mortgage Rates to Drop in a Recession? This Realtor Has a Hot Take

Mortgage rates have typically fallen during recessionary periods. Douglas Rissing/Getty Images Recession headlines come and go in today's news cycle, which is filled with trade war anxieties, stock market roller-coaster rides and global conflict. No one wants to pin their hopes on a major economic setback. But since recessions have often created more favorable conditions for mortgage rates, many of my clients want to know: Will buying a home become more affordable in a recession? Since the beg

The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger

Before Duolingo wiped its videos from TikTok and Instagram in mid-May, social media engagement was one of the language-learning app’s most recognizable qualities. Its green owl mascot had gone viral multiple times and was well known to younger users—a success story other marketers envied. But, when news got out that Duolingo was making the switch to become an “AI-first” company, planning to replace contractors who work on tasks generative AI could automate, public perception of the brand soured

Are portable AC units viable at home? My verdict after testing one during a heat wave

ZDNET's key takeaways The EcoFlow Wave 3 is a portable air conditioner and heater that costs $1,299 on its own and $1,399 with a battery, a limited-time discount This is a portable air conditioner and heater that is more powerful than its predecessor It is also off-grid ready for camping, RVing, and even helping in a pinch.The Wave 3 is pricey, loud in some settings, and is not as efficient in extreme heat, direct sun, or tent camping. $1,299 at Amazon Many parts of the US are sizzling right

RFK Jr. Announces All Americans Need Health Tracking Devices: Here Are the Pros and Cons

Many Americans already track health statistics like heart rate and sleep cycles on app-connected accessories. Now the federal government wants to jump in. On June 24, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced "one of the largest HHS campaigns in history" to encourage the use of wearables to track health conditions, a trend CNET has recently covered. Kennedy is referring to the many different bands, watches and even clothes that use technology to track human vital signs. CNET's reviewers

How the Senate's ban on state AI regulation imperils internet access

ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty The Trump administration's tax bill -- also called its "big, beautiful bill" -- which rounds up key pieces of the president's agenda, also includes a rule that would prevent states from enforcing their own AI legislation for 10 years, if passed. After an initial budget hiccup, Republican senators successfully amended the rule to comply with budgetary requirements by adding that states trying to enforce AI regulations would not receive federal broadband funding. Here's why

SymbolicAI: A neuro-symbolic perspective on LLMs

SymbolicAI: A neuro-symbolic perspective on LLMs What is SymbolicAI? SymbolicAI is a neuro-symbolic framework, combining classical Python programming with the differentiable, programmable nature of LLMs in a way that actually feels natural in Python. It's built to not stand in the way of your ambitions. It's easily extensible and customizable to your needs by virtue of its modular design. It's quite easy to write your own engine, host locally an engine of your choice, or interface with tools l

Google Maps makes starting a collaborative list less confusing

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Google Maps is rolling out a tweaked sharing menu for places. When a place is selected, tapping on the Share chip will bring up a new Share sheet with options for: Share this place, Copy link, and Share as a collaborative list. In 2023, Google Maps introduced a feature to allow users to create collaborative lists with friends and family, consisting of places everyone wanted to visit. The process was as simple as selecting a place, tapping share, and fi

Best Grills for 2025: We Tested Dozens to Find the Best Grill in Every Category

We use thermocouples linked to computer software to measure internal grill temperatures. Brian Bennett/CNET We test the main types of grills differently, but for most, we include a high-heat test like searing steak or grilling burgers, a medium, indirect heat test like grilling a whole chicken for more than an hour and a low-and-slow test with racks of ribs. With over 30 grills tested, we've got this down to a tee. To determine what should be the best outdoor barbecue grill, we collect data inc

Congress might block state AI laws for a decade. Here’s what it means.

A federal proposal that would ban states and local governments from regulating AI for 10 years could soon be signed into law, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other lawmakers work to secure its inclusion into a GOP megabill ahead of a key July 4 deadline. Those in favor – including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, and a16z’s Marc Andreessen – argue that a “patchwork” of AI regulation among states would stifle American innovation at a time when the race to beat China is heating up. Crit

NASA Is in Full Meltdown

Career NASA officials were seen looking mighty freaked out during a recent town hall event about the agency's dicey future. As Ars Technica's Stephen Clark reports based on a livestream of the town hall — which was not advertised and has since been taken down — acting NASA administrator and career agency official Janet Petro looked like a hostage as she answered questions from staff about the agency's dire standing under president Donald Trump. The hostage-taker in this scenario appears to be

Trump’s ‘Obliterated’ Claim on Iran Just Became His Latest Meme Disaster

In his June 21 televised address from the White House, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program following airstrikes on three of its nuclear sites. The word was meant to project power, certainty, and victory. Instead, it has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. Within days, “obliterated” morphed into an online punchline, mocked by critics and meme-makers across social media platforms. It has become the latest in a long line of Trumpian catchphrases

Mortgage Rate Predictions: Will Military Conflict, Tariffs and the Fed Keep Rates High?

Buyers should keep an eye on the possibility of rate cuts in the next few months. Tharon Green/CNET The housing market is hardly immune to political and economic volatility, yet mortgage rates have been eerily calm over the last period. Since the spring, the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has moved in a mostly narrow range around 6.8% and 7%. Mortgage rates were expected to gradually improve in 2025. However, the Trump administration's inflationary tariffs, deficit spending and geop

Stop putting your phone face up on the table - here's why

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET A friend of mine recently told me, "I always keep my phone on silent mode… which doesn't matter because I compulsively look at it every three minutes anyway." He's not the only one. From becoming a text addict to having full-blown smartphone dependency, the urge to look at and interact with our "flat things" has been deeply ingrained into our collective behavior for some time now. Also: I ditched my phone for this E Ink handset for two weeks - here's my buying advice now

My air conditioner broke during a heat wave - and this portable AC saved the day

ZDNET's key takeaways The EcoFlow Wave 3 is a portable air conditioner and heater that costs $1,299 on its own and $1,399 with a battery, a limited-time discount This is a portable air conditioner and heater that is more powerful than its predecessor It is also off-grid ready for camping, RVing, and even helping in a pinch.The Wave 3 is pricey, loud in some settings, and is not as efficient in extreme heat, direct sun, or tent camping. $1,299 at Amazon Many parts of the US are sizzling right

Show HN: PILF, The ultimate solution to catastrophic oblivion on AI models

Technical Notes: PILF (Predictive Integrity Learning Framework) Document Version: 3.0 Core Concept: A cognitive learning framework designed to transform fixed hyperparameters (like learning rate, model capacity) into dynamic policies driven in real-time by the intrinsic "surprise" ( Surprise ) of data. It is essentially an adaptive hyperparameter scheduling algorithm that allows a model to autonomously decide "how much to learn" and "with what capacity to learn" based on the value of the learn

Graphic artists in China push back on AI and its averaging effect

Sendi Jia, a designer running her own studio between Beijing, China, and London, England, says she mainly uses AI generators like DALL-E to make fake photos for background panels or websites when her clients don’t have access to real ones. That’s helped clients with limited budgets, but it’s also exposed just how much of the creative process AI can replace. Recently, a potential client working in a university contacted Jia about creating the logo for a new project. Then, they changed their mind.

Ember Mug 2 smart mug plummets to new record-low price!

The Ember Mug 2 is one of my most prized possessions. It keeps my coffee at the perfect temperature all the way to the last sip. If you’re a coffee or tea lover, you’ll know how annoying a lukewarm (or cold) sip can be. If you want that feeling to be a thing of the past, right now is the best time to get an Ember Mug 2. You can take it home for as low as $74.99, which is a heck of a deal considering its retail price sits at $149.95. Only the White model is discounted this much, though. Buy the E

Changing one gene can restore some tissue regeneration to mice

Regeneration is a trick many animals, including lizards, starfish, and octopuses, have mastered. Axolotls, a salamander species originating in Mexico, can regrow pretty much everything from severed limbs, through eyes and parts of brain, to the spinal cord. Mammals, though, have mostly lost this ability somewhere along their evolutionary path. Regeneration persisted, in a limited number of tissues, in just a few mammalian species like rabbits or goats. “We were trying to learn how certain anima

Mortgage Rate Forecast Clouded by War Moves, Tariffs and the Federal Reserve

Buyers should keep an eye on the possibility of rate cuts in the next few months. Tharon Green/CNET The housing market is hardly immune to political and economic volatility, yet mortgage rates have been eerily calm over the last period. Since the spring, the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has moved in a mostly narrow range around 6.8% and 7%. Mortgage rates were expected to gradually improve in 2025. However, the Trump administration's inflationary tariffs, deficit spending and geop

DOGE’d Federal Employees Are Getting Hit With Bills for Phantom Health Coverage

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has spent the last six months in turmoil, with the Trump administration drastically reducing the agency’s nationwide workforce. To make matters worse, the federal government is now demanding money from some former employees. Three ex-NOAA staffers who were fired, rehired, then fired again this spring received notices from the federal government stating they owed a debt for healthcare coverage. The letters, shared exclusively with NBC Ne

Homeland Security warns of Iran-backed cyberattacks targeting US networks

In Brief A bulletin issued Sunday by U.S. Homeland Security said it expects to see Iranian government-backed hackers conduct attacks against U.S. networks, amid the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Israel, and Iran. The National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin said low-level cyberattacks by hacktivists are “likely,” adding that hacktivists and government-linked hackers “routinely target” poorly secured U.S. networks and internet-connected devices to cause disruption. The bulletin was

AMD demo shows procedural generation slashing VRAM use from 35 GB to just 51 KB

Why it matters: Managing graphics memory has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the realm of real-time 3D rendering. As visuals become more detailed, the amount of VRAM required for modern high-end games is pushing against what average customers can afford. AMD and Nvidia are currently developing remedies to the issue, which involve shifting certain rendering tasks from memory to the GPU. A new research paper from AMD explains how procedurally generating certain 3D objects in rea

AMD demo shows procedural generation cutting VRAM usage from 35GB to 51KB

Why it matters: Managing graphics memory has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the realm of real-time 3D rendering. As visuals become more detailed, the amount of VRAM required for modern high-end games is pushing against what average customers can afford. AMD and Nvidia are currently developing remedies to the issue, which involve shifting certain rendering tasks from memory to the GPU. A new research paper from AMD explains how procedurally generating certain 3D objects in rea

AI is ruining houseplant communities online

“Maybe you could organize your plants like this,” my friend’s text message said, with an attached photo of white pots of plants floating midair in front of a huge, sunny window. As a newbie plant collector, I do need to organize my growing collection of flora, but not like this — the photo was AI-generated and the plants depicted were not real. Even as a beginner, I was able to identify issues with the photo. Obviously, my plants cannot physically defy gravity, but most egregiously, the organiz

Define policy forbidding use of AI code generators

docs: define policy forbidding use of AI code generators There has been an explosion of interest in so called AI code generators. Thus far though, this is has not been matched by a broadly accepted legal interpretation of the licensing implications for code generator outputs. While the vendors may claim there is no problem and a free choice of license is possible, they have an inherent conflict of interest in promoting this interpretation. More broadly there is, as yet, no broad consensus on th

RFK Jr. Wants All Americans to Use Wearables to Track Their Health: What That Means

Many Americans already track health statistics like heart rate and breathing patterns on tech-savvy accessories. But now, the federal government is getting involved. On June 24, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced "one of the largest HHS campaigns in history" to encourage the use of wearables to track health conditions, a trend CNET has recently covered. Kennedy is referring to the many different bands, watches, rings and even clothes that use technology to track human vital signs.

America’s incarceration rate is in decline

For more than 40 years, the United States—a nation that putatively cherishes freedom—has had one of the largest prison systems in the world. Mass incarceration has been so persistent and pervasive that reform groups dedicated to reducing the prison population by half have often been derided as made up of fantasists. But the next decade could see this goal met and exceeded: After peaking at just more than 1.6 million Americans in 2009, the prison population was just more than 1.2 million at the e

What Problems to Solve (1966)

What Problems to Solve - By Richard Feynman A former student, who was also once a student of Tomonaga’s, wrote to extend his congratulations. Feynman responded, asking Mr. Mano what he was now doing. The response: “studying the Coherence theory with some applications to the propagation of electromagnetic waves through turbulent atmosphere… a humble and down-to-earth type of problem.”