GoKawiil
Tech News
Security firm Socket Inc. identified 19 malicious browser extensions for Chrome and Edge that operated for years before being caught. The most popular, a right-click/OCR utility, was installed by 80,000 combined users and secretly harvested cryptocurrency wallet data after receiving malicious updates roughly six months ago.
Security researcher Bruce Schneier reported receiving a flood of AI-generated, one-line 'thank you' replies to the confirmation emails his Crypto-Gram newsletter sends to verify subscriptions. The messages came from dozens of throwaway Gmail addresses that never actually completed the subscription process, and none of the senders responded when he replied back.
The Clarity Act, a bill meant to set clear market-structure rules for digital assets by dividing oversight between the SEC and CFTC, failed to get a vote before the Senate's August recess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has now scheduled a procedural vote for September 15, but unresolved disputes over stablecoin rewards and ethics provisions tied to President Trump's crypto holdings could still stall progress. Industry figures, including SALT CEO John Darsie, say they doubt the bill can pass before the 2026 midterms complicate the legislative calendar.
Companies that built vast data centers of specialized computers to mine Bitcoin are redirecting that infrastructure toward AI workloads. The shift follows a decline in Bitcoin's value since its October 2025 peak, which has squeezed mining profits. Several of these firms are now striking deals with AI companies like Anthropic, which need massive computing capacity for their models.
ESPN will increase subscription costs across its standalone streaming tiers starting September 17th, with the ad-supported Select plan rising to $13.99 monthly and Unlimited climbing to $31.99. Annual plans and several Disney Plus bundles that include ESPN Select will also see price bumps, though Disney Plus bundles paired with ESPN Unlimited remain unchanged.