GoKawiil
Tech News
The Imagination Library, Dolly Parton's free monthly book program for young children, is expanding to reach 157,000 additional children. The expansion comes about a month after Parton's death, as concerns grow over declining early childhood literacy rates.
An open format from the late nineties remains the only common way to read what you chose to read, in the order it was published, with nothing in between.
Singapore's National Library Board began ReadSG on September 6, 2026, a five-year effort that pays people small amounts to read. Logging 15 minutes of reading on GovTech's CrowdTaskSG platform earns 20 virtual coins, with 1,000 coins worth S$1, capped at one session per day. A companion effort, Read for Good, tracks total reading minutes across all participants and pledges up to S$150,000 to charity if 7.5 million cumulative minutes are logged.
Xteink makes small, pocket-sized e-readers that can be enhanced with a free, alternative operating system replacing the stock software. This custom firmware reportedly unlocks additional features and improves the reading experience beyond what the devices offer out of the box.
Dark Reading's podcast featured incident response veteran Hal Pomeranz discussing his career path from Unix administration to digital forensics consulting. The conversation centers on the unusually harsh current job market in cybersecurity, with Pomeranz known for offering encouragement to professionals facing layoffs.
A writer describes a personal method for handling unwieldy paperbacks like the 850-plus page 'Lonesome Dove': using a knife to divide them into smaller, more manageable sections for easier reading. The post frames this as a quick, low-effort DIY trick rather than any digital or AI-based book manipulation.
At Black Hat USA 2026, security researcher Fred Heiding and former US National Cyber Director Chris Inglis presented findings showing AI's growing role in social engineering scams, which the FBI says cost Americans nearly $21 billion last year. Heiding argued that while AI can be used to defend against AI-driven technical attacks, it cannot easily counter AI's ability to psychologically manipulate humans.
The OECD's latest PISA assessment found 15-year-olds scoring at their lowest levels since testing began in 2000, with reading falling from 501 in 2012 to 466, science from 506 to 486, and math from 502 to 469. The organization attributed the decline to increased screen time, less voluntary reading, and hasty reading habits, noting students who frequently used AI chatbots for schoolwork scored roughly 20 points lower in science.
A software engineer reflects on how years of routine coding work and constant smartphone distractions have dulled their thinking and reading habits compared to their more intellectually demanding early career and university years. They describe attempting to counter this decline by deliberately unplugging and cutting back on short-form content, games, and other low-effort entertainment during a recent vacation.
An essay argues that readers are growing frustrated with writers who publish AI-generated text without disclosure, noting that the stylistic patterns of large language models are easy to spot. It cites a survey by Cynthia Dunlop of 668 developers, where 78% said they stop reading immediately upon detecting AI-written content, and 71% said they avoid that author's future work.
Omdia analyst Theresa Lanowitz discussed with Dark Reading how organizations are increasing investment in offensive security practices like penetration testing and red teaming as AI-powered attacks become more common. She highlighted the emerging role of agentic AI tools in conducting these security tests, alongside the new risks such automation introduces.
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based startup that sells AI-powered license-plate-reading cameras to police departments, cities, and businesses, has rapidly grown from a niche security vendor into a widely recognized name. That visibility has come largely through controversy, as the company's surveillance technology has drawn public scrutiny and criticism rather than praise.