Around 2010, malware called Flame tricked Microsoft’s update system to spread harmful software to Iranian computers by exploiting a weak security method called MD5. Today, tech companies like Google and Cloudflare are speeding up plans to switch to new security algorithms that can resist future quantum computers, aiming to be ready by 2029 to protect against advanced cyber threats.
Key Facts
Flame malware used a flaw in the MD5 security method to spread malicious updates.
MD5 has a known vulnerability called a “collision,” where different data produce the same output.
Despite flaws found since 2004, some Microsoft systems still used MD5 for security.
Public-key algorithms RSA and elliptic curves are at risk from powerful future quantum computers.
Quantum computers can break these algorithms much faster than classical computers.
Google and Cloudflare moved their timeline for adopting post-quantum cryptography to 2029.
The US Department of Defense requires quantum-safe security by the end of 2031.
Experts say transitioning the internet to quantum-safe encryption is complex but urgent to avoid major security risks.
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Scammers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake images that trick insurance companies. These fake pictures help criminals make false claims and steal money.
Key Facts
Scammers use AI to generate images that look real but are fake.
These fake images are used in insurance fraud schemes.
Fraudsters submit these images to get money from insurance companies.
AI makes it easier to create convincing fake photos.
Insurance companies are facing challenges detecting these fake images.
This type of scam is becoming more common with the rise of AI tools.
Experts warn about the risks AI-generated images pose to insurance security.
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Tyla and Zara Larsson released a new song called "SHE DID IT AGAIN" on April 17. The music video features a style and look inspired by early 2000s pop culture, especially reflecting the Y2K era made popular by Britney Spears.
Key Facts
"SHE DID IT AGAIN" is a collaboration between South African singer Tyla and Swedish singer Zara Larsson.
The song mixes R&B, Afrobeats, and pop music styles.
The music video shows clothes, choreography, and visuals typical of early 2000s Y2K fashion.
Both singers wear a gold bikini top and low-rise jeans, a style linked to Britney Spears’s early career.
Zara Larsson has recently embraced the Y2K look as part of her music and image.
Larsson’s popularity has grown after going viral with a meme and winning attention in the U.S. with other songs.
Tyla is known for blending Afrobeats with pop and has become popular worldwide.
Fans and social media users have praised the song and compared it to famous past pop duets like Beyoncé and Shakira.
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Olivia Rodrigo released a new single called "drop dead" on April 17, which comes with a music video filmed at the Palace of Versailles in France. The song marks a change in her style, featuring a more upbeat and romantic tone compared to her previous heartbreak-themed singles.
Key Facts
"drop dead" is the first single from Olivia Rodrigo's upcoming album "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love."
The music video was shot partly at the Palace of Versailles with a retro, VHS-style visual effect.
Fans on social media praised the song for its happy and romantic tone.
The single may reference Rodrigo’s past relationship with actor Louis Partridge.
The song includes a musical nod to "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure.
Rodrigo has been linked to a new relationship with Cameron Winter, although neither confirmed it.
Rodrigo is known for her emotionally direct songwriting and previous hits like "driver’s license" and "vampire."
Fans speculate the album will tell the story of a romantic relationship from beginning to end.
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Artificial intelligence "agents" are being developed to help people shop and manage tasks automatically. Some big companies like American Express, Amazon, and Walmart are using these AI tools, but experts warn that trusting AI to buy things can lead to mistakes and security risks.
Key Facts
AI agents can help with tasks like organizing emails and buying products based on user preferences.
Agentic commerce means relying on AI agents to make purchases for you.
Experts say using AI agents to shop is risky due to errors and potential hacking threats.
American Express offers protections to customers using certain AI agents for purchases.
Amazon's AI assistant "Rufus" tracks prices and can buy items when prices meet set goals.
Walmart uses an AI agent called "Sparky" to help customers find and order products.
About 25% of Americans aged 18-39 have tried AI for shopping or product research.
A startup founder accidentally spent $30,000 when an AI agent booked a speaking slot he couldn’t afford.
AI experts recommend caution, saying it’s safer to control purchases personally for now.
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Data center construction is growing quickly in the U.S., but states differ in how they support or limit these projects. Texas encourages data centers with low costs and big tax breaks, while Maine plans a temporary pause to review the impact on energy and costs.
Key Facts
Texas has 212 operating data centers in 2024, with 651 more announced and 157 under construction.
Texas offers tax incentives worth over $1 billion yearly to attract data center investments.
Some Texas residents worry about water use and electricity costs as data centers grow.
Maine plans the first statewide pause on new data centers to evaluate energy use and protect customers.
Maine’s pause would last 18 months and involve studying electric load growth and financial tools.
About a dozen states are considering similar pauses on data center construction.
At the federal level, lawmakers have proposed stopping new data centers across the country temporarily.
Virginia, another key state for data centers, also faces debate over tax breaks and possible moratoriums.
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Replaced is a new 2D action-platformer game set in a cyberpunk world with unique, warm-colored visuals. The player controls a scientist fused with AI, exploring both dangerous industrial areas and a refugee camp, while the game evokes themes like border walls and a dystopian future.
Key Facts
Replaced is made by Sad Cat Studios from Belarus.
The game features a mix of cyberpunk style with soft, sepia tones and warm colors.
The main character is Warren, a scientist merged with powerful AI.
Gameplay involves running, jumping, fighting enemies, and sneaking past guards.
A significant part of the game is set in a refugee camp with people living in poverty after a nuclear event.
The game's setting resembles an alternate 1980s US with environmental hazards like acid rain and snowfall.
Gameplay includes both action-platforming and slow exploration.
The game tackles serious themes by referencing real-world border walls through its final levels.
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US tech companies, including Microsoft, successfully influenced the European Union to keep information about datacentre emissions secret. This decision prevents the public from seeing pollution details from individual datacentres, allowing only country-level data to be shared.
Key Facts
Microsoft and other US tech firms lobbied the EU to block public access to environmental data on datacentres.
The European Commission included a confidentiality rule in its 2024 proposal, closely matching the tech industry's wording.
This secrecy stops detailed pollution monitoring at the individual datacentre level, limiting transparency.
Datacentres use a lot of energy, partly from burning fossil gas, to support AI technology growth.
The EU plans to triple datacentre capacity to strengthen its position in artificial intelligence.
Tech companies argued data must remain secret for commercial reasons during 2024 public consultations.
The rule prevents freedom of information requests for detailed datacentre emissions data.
Groups involved in lobbying include Microsoft, DigitalEurope (members like Google, Amazon, Meta), and Video Games Europe (includes Netflix).
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The UK government has started investing in artificial intelligence (AI) through a new £500 million fund, aiming to support local AI companies and innovation. Despite concerns about job losses and cybersecurity risks, officials say AI presents an important opportunity to create jobs and solve major problems.
Key Facts
The UK government launched a £500 million sovereign AI fund to invest in AI companies.
The first investment was made in Callosum, a London-based company that helps different computer chips work together to improve AI performance.
The government also invested in a second, unnamed AI business.
Six UK AI startups are getting access to government-funded supercomputers to help develop AI models.
Startups benefiting from supercomputers include Prima Mente (disease research), Cursive (autonomous AI agents), and Odyssey (AI world simulations).
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said AI will create new jobs even though some roles may be automated.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said supporting UK AI companies helps keep competitive businesses in Britain.
Callosum's co-founder highlighted the UK's strong universities and AI labs like DeepMind as reasons to build the company there.
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A group of elderly people in Tokyo are attending beginner classes to learn how to use smartphones. This effort comes as Japan’s mobile networks have ended older 3G services, pushing users to adopt newer 4G and 5G phones to keep communication and services.
Key Facts
The class includes mostly people in their 70s learning to use iPhones and Android phones.
Japan fully shut down its 3G networks by March 2024 to save energy and retire old equipment.
Around half a million people and over 400 phone models were affected by the 3G shutdown.
Some older flip phones still work on 4G, but many users must switch to smartphones or lose phone service.
Phone companies offer classes to teach older users how to manage calls, online shopping, photos, and security.
Participants want to learn about health trackers, weather apps, and safe internet habits.
Many elderly users feel overwhelmed by smartphone features but are determined to stay connected.
Instructors emphasize practice and caution with scams, recommending ignoring suspicious messages or calls.
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A recent study found that about 4% of people who use popular weight loss drugs experience irregular menstrual cycles. This side effect was not widely known before the research.
Key Facts
The study focused on common weight loss medications.
4% of users reported problems with their menstrual cycles.
The side effect involves irregular or abnormal periods.
Neil Sehgal is the lead author of the study.
The study reveals hidden side effects that users should know about.
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Actor Val Kilmer, who passed away in April, will appear in a new movie through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Filmmakers used AI to recreate his voice and image for the film after his death.
Key Facts
Val Kilmer died in April before the new movie was made.
His voice and image were recreated using AI technology.
AI allows filmmakers to digitally bring back actors who are no longer alive.
This technology can produce realistic versions of a person’s speech and appearance.
The movie featuring Kilmer’s AI version will be released after his death.
This use of AI in movies is part of a growing trend in the film industry.
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The astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission described their intense experience returning to Earth after a 10-day trip around the moon. They explained how the spacecraft heated to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit and experienced a six-minute communication blackout caused by Earth's atmosphere during reentry.
Key Facts
The Artemis II crew included commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Reentry into Earth's atmosphere is much more intense than rocket launch, creating extreme heat and a plasma bubble around the spacecraft.
The heat reached up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry.
The plasma bubble blocked radio signals for about six minutes, causing a communications blackout with Mission Control.
The astronauts experienced a strong "rumbling" sensation that cannot be replicated on Earth before landing.
Commander Wiseman reassured the crew by saying "Everything's nominal," meaning everything was working normally.
Pilot Victor Glover maintained precise control of the spacecraft under four times Earth's gravity for 13 minutes, which was key to a safe reentry and splashdown.
The splashdown in the ocean was described as textbook, meaning it went exactly as planned.
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A company called Bloor Research has created "digital twins," which are AI copies of their employees that can help with work tasks by using knowledge from meetings, documents, and calls. These digital twins assist employees with business decisions and even help cover workloads during absences. Other companies are starting to test this technology, and it could become common soon.
Key Facts
Richard Skellett, chief analyst at Bloor Research, has built an AI "Digital Richard" that knows everything he does.
Digital Richard helps with work tasks like decision-making and presentations and can also assist with personal tasks.
Bloor Research offers digital twins to all its employees and has used them to support retiring staff and those on leave.
Around 20 other companies are testing digital twin technology, with plans for wider release later this year.
Analysts predict digital replicas of workers will become mainstream, similar to AI mimicking artists.
There are questions about who owns the digital twins, access rights, payment for extra work, and responsibility for mistakes.
Bloor Research says employees should own their digital twins and companies pay to access them.
Bloor pays its staff based on results rather than hours worked, allowing employees to earn more through their digital twin’s help.
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LinkedIn reports that "AI engineer" is the fastest-growing job title for young workers in the U.S. for the second year in a row. These engineers design and manage artificial intelligence tools that help businesses work better and solve problems.
Key Facts
LinkedIn studied millions of profiles to find the most hired entry-level jobs in the past three years.
From 2023 to 2025, there were 639,000 AI-related job postings in the U.S., with 75,000 for AI engineer roles.
AI engineers build and maintain AI systems that can make decisions, find patterns, and improve over time.
Tech companies hire the most AI engineers, followed by finance, defense, universities, and consulting firms.
Job listings say AI engineers help solve business challenges, boost efficiency, and reduce manual work.
Young workers face higher unemployment (6.4%) than the overall rate (4.3%) as some jobs are replaced by AI tools.
After ChatGPT launched in 2022, jobs with repetitive tasks dropped by 13%, showing AI’s impact on the job market.
Employers increasingly want entry-level workers with AI skills to help use AI effectively in their companies.
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Intel has introduced new non-Ultra Core laptop processors called "Wildcat Lake," which use new silicon rather than relying on older designs. These chips have simpler designs compared to Intel’s higher-end Core Ultra Series 3 processors but bring improvements in battery life and modern connectivity features.
Key Facts
The new chips are named "Wildcat Lake" and belong to Intel’s Core Series 3 lineup for laptops.
They include up to two performance cores and four efficiency cores in the CPU design.
Each processor has an integrated GPU with one or two of Intel’s latest Xe3 cores.
An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is included but supports up to 17 trillion operations per second, lower than some high-end AI requirements.
These chips support modern connections like Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0.
They can use up to 48GB of LPDDR5X or 64GB of DDR5 memory.
The processors run on a 15 W base power with a boost of up to 35 W.
Intel claims improved battery life on these chips compared to previous generations, with over 12 hours of office work and up to 18 hours of video streaming on a 59 WHr battery.
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Amazon Freevee's crime show "Bosch: Legacy," which had perfect reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, was cancelled after three seasons. The decision surprised the cast and was likely due to financial reasons despite plans for a fourth season.
Key Facts
"Bosch: Legacy" aired on Amazon Freevee and received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show was cancelled in September 2024, before the third season even premiered.
Actor Titus Welliver, who plays Harry Bosch, said the cancellation came as a surprise to the cast.
Financial issues and budget limits at studios may have contributed to the cancellation.
"Bosch: Legacy" is a sequel to the original "Bosch" series, which ran for seven seasons on Prime Video.
No official fourth season of "Bosch: Legacy" is planned.
Amazon approved a spin-off show centered on Renee Ballard, a character from the same book series.
Titus Welliver said he wouldn’t be shocked if "Bosch: Legacy" returns someday depending on fan interest.
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OpenAI has created a new large language model called GPT-Rosalind that is specially trained to help biology researchers. This model focuses on common biology tasks and databases and aims to assist with understanding complex biological processes and identifying drug targets.
Key Facts
GPT-Rosalind is named after Rosalind Franklin, a famous scientist.
The model is trained on 50 common biology workflows and major public biology databases.
It helps connect genetics (genotype) to physical traits (phenotype) by understanding biological pathways.
The model is designed to be skeptical and caution users about poor drug target suggestions.
Access to GPT-Rosalind is currently limited to certain US-based researchers to avoid misuse.
OpenAI also plans to release a simpler Life Sciences Research Plugin for wider use.
Unlike other science models, GPT-Rosalind is focused specifically on biology rather than multiple scientific fields.
The model’s effectiveness and ability to avoid errors like hallucinations are still being evaluated.
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Mozilla has introduced Thunderbolt, a new AI client designed for businesses and users who want to run their own AI systems without using cloud services. Thunderbolt works with an open-source AI framework called Haystack and supports secure data use and privacy features.
Key Facts
Thunderbolt is an AI client that runs on self-hosted infrastructure, meaning users control their own AI setup.
It is built on Haystack, an open-source AI framework for creating custom AI workflows.
Thunderbolt can connect to various AI services compatible with ACP or OpenAI APIs, including Claude, Codex, and others.
The system can use local enterprise data and an offline SQLite database for reliable data access.
Security features include optional end-to-end encryption and device-level access controls.
Thunderbolt supports many AI uses such as chat, search, research, automation, and workflows that work across devices.
Native apps are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and web platforms.
Mozilla encourages businesses to contact them for paid licenses and on-site setups as Thunderbolt is still being developed and security-checked.
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The Artemis II crew, made up of NASA and Canadian astronauts, completed a 10-day mission flying around the Moon and held a press conference to share their experience. Their trip started on April 1 from Florida, and the Artemis program aims to send humans back to the Moon, build a permanent base there, and prepare for missions to Mars.
Key Facts
The Artemis II mission lasted 10 days and orbited the Moon.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen were on the crew.
The mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1.
The spacecraft traveled beyond the far side (the side facing away from Earth) of the Moon.
Artemis missions are designed to return humans to the Moon’s surface.
The long-term goal is to create a permanent base on the Moon.
NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars in the future using knowledge gained from Artemis.
This was the crew’s first press conference after the mission, where they described their trip and the landing back on Earth.
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