The extortion group ShinyHunters says it exploited an unauthenticated file upload flaw in Grav CMS to compromise the Tor-based data leak site run by the Clop ransomware operation. The attackers uploaded a taunting message, later fully defaced the site with Pokémon-themed ASCII art, and claim to have exfiltrated source code, CMS plugins, system logs and other server files. BleepingComputer confirmed the defacement was live on Clop's infrastructure and that the uploaded file could be downloaded from the site.
Amazon has confirmed its second major sale event of the year, Prime Big Deal Days, will run October 6-7, though discounts on tech and home products are already appearing ahead of the official start. Highlighted deals include the Google Pixel 10a, WIRED's top pick for Android phone, priced at $424, down from $499.
Android Authority's Paul Jones argues that despite the $350 Moto Watch Ultra's strong feature set—LTE eSIM, Wear OS 6, a 1.5-inch pOLED screen and Polar health tracking—its weaker processor and limited two-generation OS upgrade path make it a risky buy. Instead, he recommends five alternatives including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, Garmin Venu 4 and Amazfit Balance 2. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, now around $330 on Amazon, is highlighted as the top pick for Samsung phone owners thanks to its rugged sapphire-glass build, 64GB storage, multi-day battery and four years of promised software updates.
California lawmakers passed AB 1661, directing $5 million in penalty funds from oil wells near Inglewood toward direct cash payments for up to 1,000 households affected by respiratory or reproductive health issues linked to nearby drilling. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan, would offer eligible households as much as $5,000 each and awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's signature, expected by October. The funding draws from a state repair and reinvestment account meant for communities closest to the oil field, which sits near predominantly Black neighborhoods like Ladera Heights and Baldwin Hills.
A writer testing AI-generated event posters found that ChatGPT defaults to a repetitive, instantly recognisable style seen across countless community event flyers online, echoing a viral Facebook post mocking near-identical AI-made village fayre posters. By explicitly instructing the tool to avoid that pastel, airbrushed look and try a different aesthetic, the writer got ChatGPT to produce a bolder, Bauhaus-inspired geometric design instead.
MIT researchers released a report on education finding that many students increasingly rely on AI chatbots to complete coursework, sometimes offloading thinking entirely rather than just seeking assistance. The study links this overreliance to declining critical thinking, weaker memory, reduced confidence, and diminished mastery of course material, with some students unable to engage in class discussions.
A longtime Immich user has switched to Noodle Gallery, an open-source fork of the self-hosted Google Photos alternative, after running into limits when trying to share photo libraries and metadata with family members. The new tool preserves core Immich functionality while adding features tailored to multi-user households. Migration is designed to be simple, letting existing Immich users swap container images in their Docker setup while keeping their existing database, photos and albums intact.
After a brief show of unity around Dario Amodei's proposal for slowing AI development through third-party oversight and international coordination, the tech industry has fractured over how to proceed. Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang reportedly blocked plans for an independent, industry-funded AI regulator similar to finance's FINRA, while the Trump administration dismisses AI safety concerns as a hoax. OpenAI, through global affairs chief Chris Lehane, says it remains committed to pushing for national safety standards despite the pushback.
A Gamers Nexus investigation accused LG TVs of covertly recording audio and monitoring viewing habits, sparking backlash even after LG issued a response. However, reporting shows this kind of automatic content recognition tracking, which fingerprints audio and video to identify what's being watched, is used industry-wide, not just by LG, and users typically consent to it through dense terms of service.
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched this week with starting prices of $1,199 and $1,299, higher than last year's $1,099 and $1,199 for the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. For consumers unwilling to pay the premium for faster chips, improved cameras, and a foldable design, there are simpler ways to make an existing iPhone feel new again.
WIRED is organizing the WIRED World Fair, a single-day event on November 4 at the Sacred Space venue in Miami's Wynwood district. The gathering will feature talks with figures from biotech, politics, and AI, plus appearances from The Onion, a dolphin-communication researcher, a screening of a Musk documentary, astronaut training simulations, and robots. Additional programming and immersive art installations, including work from Marina Abramović, will be announced as the date approaches.
A new visual archive titled Chess Atlas catalogs historic chess sets spanning nearly 1,300 years, from the abstract 7th-century Afrasiab chessmen of Samarkand to Bauhaus and Surrealist-era sets by artists like Man Ray and Max Ernst. The collection groups pieces by material and era, covering ivory sets such as the Lewis Chessmen and Vizagapatam exports, and wooden sets including the Selenus, Régence, and the now-standard 1849 Staunton design.
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