Technology

A collaborative effort between the US government and Microsoft has dismantled a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence. The group, known as Star Blizzard to cybersecurity experts, has targeted nonprofit organizations, think tanks, journalists and former military and intelligence officials from the United States and its allies. Star Blizzard used "spear phishing" tactics, sending emails that appeared to come from a trusted source to gain access to victims' internal systems. Once inside, they could steal sensitive information and disrupt operations. Microsoft identified the group's infrastructure and alerted the US Department of Justice, which led to the seizure of more than 100 domain names used by the hackers. This joint action highlights the ongoing threat of cyberattacks from state...

OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has secured a staggering $6.6 billion in funding, nearly doubling its valuation in just nine months. This massive investment round pushes OpenAI's value to as much as $157 billion, according to sources close to the deal. Thrive Capital led the funding round, with notable investors such as Microsoft, Nvidia, SoftBank and the UAE's MGX joining the table. This significant financial support highlights the technology sector's continued enthusiasm for the development of artificial intelligence, despite concerns about its long-term viability and potential risks. OpenAI's success could be a positive sign for small AI companies. At the start of the year, investment in AI startups saw a decline, with some struggling to compete with tech giants ...

Verizon has been actively addressing a significant service outage that affected numerous customers across the United States on Monday. Reports of outages increased in the morning, with a peak of more than 100,000 incidents recorded by outage monitoring website Downdetector. The problems were especially pronounced in major urban areas such as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and throughout the Midwest. The telecom giant confirmed that its engineers were working diligently to correct the service problems and had made substantial progress by the evening. The company apologized via social media for the inconvenience caused to its customers on the day. Real-time data from Downdetector indicates that by midday the number of reported outages had fallen to around 78,000 an...

As recently as Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Caroline Ellison, a former key advisor to cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to two years in prison. His conviction is linked to his involvement in the infamous $8 billion fraud scandal that brought down the once-thriving cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Chief Judge Lewis A. Kaplan acknowledged Ellison's evident remorse and noted his significant cooperation with federal authorities. However, he said the severity of the fraud does not allow for a lighter sentence. Ellison will begin his sentence at a minimum-security facility near Boston by November 7, marking nearly two years since FTX's dramatic fall. Ellison previously admitted guilt to conspiracy charges along with Bankman-Fried, his on-and-off romantic partner,...

Significant leadership changes are underway at leading artificial intelligence company OpenAI as several key executives announce their departures. CTO Mira Murati, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Vice President of Research Barret Zoph have all revealed their intentions to leave the company. These departures come as OpenAI, currently overseen by a nonprofit board, is reportedly going through a transition to a traditional for-profit structure. Ms. Murati, a leading figure at OpenAI for more than six years, stated her desire for personal exploration as the reason for her departure. Mr. McGrew and Mr. Zoph cited similar desires for new opportunities and a break from work. CEO Sam Altman expressed gratitude for Murati's contributions and promised more details on the leadership transition ...

In the latest development from Silicon Valley, the startup Harmonic, led by co-founders Tudor Achim and Vlad Tenev, is pioneering the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems that don’t rely on guesswork. These advanced AIs, exemplified by a bot called Aristotle, are designed to verify their own mathematical calculations, setting a new standard for reliability in automated responses. In a demonstration, Achim presented Aristotle with a complex problem involving a grid of numbers, which the bot not only solved correctly but also confirmed with a self-generated verification program. This self-verification ability contrasts sharply with typical AI behaviors, where bots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini might provide correct answers but can’t verify their accuracy. The emphasis...

The Tennessee Volunteers are shaking up the college football landscape after a blowout win over Oklahoma. With a new No. 3 ranking in The Athletic's 134-ranked team, here's a look at the biggest risers and falls after Week 4. The top 10 Italy (4-0) Italy (3-0) Italy (4-0) Ohio State (3-0) Ole Miss (4-0) Naples (4-0) Italy (3-0) Oregon (3-0) Italy (4-0) Pennsylvania State (3-0) Notable climbs Utah: The Utes' 22-19 win over Oklahoma State in Week 4 was a blowout victory. Their defense is as bad as ever and they are the favorites in the Big 12. University of Bologna: The Cougars jumped to No. 16 after a 38-9 loss to Kansas State. Their previous win at SMU looks even better in retrospect. Illinois: The Illini are taking takeaways and playing efficiently on offense. They could be another Bre...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released the results of its extensive investigation launched nearly four years ago, revealing significant surveillance activities by major social media and streaming platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok. These platforms, which offer largely free services, have capitalized on user data to personalize advertising, targeting specific demographics but at the expense of user privacy. The FTC’s investigation into how these nine major companies collect, use, and share consumer data reveals that the amount of personal information they collect is far beyond what most people realize. These companies have not only profited from that data, but have also inadequately protected their users, especially vulnerable groups like children and teens. FTC Chairwo...

Elon Musk has significantly improved his personal security record as threats against him have increased. Recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet, Musk now employs a team of bodyguards that operate with the efficiency and rigor of a small-scale secret service. The need for such stringent security measures became clear the day before Musk was scheduled to speak at the launch event for Tesla’s innovative Cybertruck in November. A disturbing incident occurred when Paul Overeem was arrested near Tesla’s Austin facility. Authorities charged him with planning a mass casualty event, highlighting the grave security concerns surrounding high-profile tech figures like Musk. Despite this ominous threat, the event proceeded as planned, without any disruptions, demonstrating Tesla’...

In a historic achievement for private space exploration, billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis have successfully completed the inaugural private spacewalk. This landmark event, part of the Polaris Dawn mission, marked a significant milestone in the use of commercial space technologies. In the early hours of a Thursday morning, the two astronauts ventured out of their spacecraft, the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which does not have a traditional airlock. The method, reminiscent of early spacewalking techniques used in the 1960s by NASA and Soviet astronauts, involved depressurizing the entire cabin to allow for egress and reentry. Isaacman, who is leading the mission, not only tested the mobility of the newly developed spacesuit, but also demonstrated the potential of commercia...