Latest News
Last updated 26 Mar, 08:51 PM
BBC News
UK forecast to see biggest hit to growth from Iran war out of major economies - The OECD downgrades forecasts for many of the world's biggest economies due to the US-Israel war with Iran.
NS&I boss replaced as savers left waiting for millions of pounds - Pensions Minister Torston Bell said those affected would receive compensation "where appropriate".
Zelensky visits Saudi Arabia after offering Ukraine's drone expertise - There is renewed urgency for Ukraine to get a drone deal done, as the US increasingly focuses on Iran.
Olympic women's sport limited to biological females - The women's category of Olympic sports will be limited to biological females from 2028, says the International Olympic Committee.
Spanish woman dies by euthanasia after long legal battle with father - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in Noelia Castillo's favour earlier this week.
The Register
'Empathic' Salesforce bots to help those fired by uncaring humans - I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t give you your job back, but here’s the form you fill out to collect benefits There’s a joke in Boston that goes: the people in Southie will steal your wallet and help you look for it.…
Using AI to code does not mean your code is more secure - Use of AI coding assistants has surged, but so has the number of vulnerabilities in AI-generated code As more people use AI tools to write code, the tools themselves are introducing more vulnerabilities.…
Apple signs meaningless deal to make some less-important parts in America - Maybe that's why Tim didn't get an invitation to the President's tech bro club? Apple's American Manufacturing Program (AMP) is expanding, with new suppliers signed on to produce iPhone components - though those parts will still be shipped overseas for final assembly. Tim Apple may continue avoiding tariffs but he probably won't win a lot of brownie points with President Trump.…
Staff too scared of the AI axe to pick it up, Forrester finds - Your AI rollout isn't failing - your employees just hate it If your company isn't seeing great returns from its investment in AI, you might want to look at the humans tasked with deploying it and how you can motivate them. Right now, many employees fear AI-driven job losses and aren't well trained to use the tech, according to Forrester.…
Linear moves sideways to agentic AI as CEO declares issue tracking dead - Agent will capture issues and eventually debug code The Linear cloudy issue tracker and project manager has introduced an AI agent and plans to add AI coding assistance, with CEO and co-founder Karri Saarinen declaring that "issue tracking is dead."…
New Scientist - Home
First glimpse of sperm whale birth reveals teamwork to support newborn - A female sperm whale has been filmed giving birth for the first time, supported by 10 adult females who lifted the calf out of the water and protected it from predators
Fossils discovered in Egypt may be the closest ancestor of all apes - Pieces of jawbone and teeth found in Egypt have been identified as a new early ape species named Masripithecus moghraensis, which lived about 17 million years ago
Computer finds flaw in major physics paper for first time - A computer language designed to robustly verify mathematical theorems and expose logical flaws has been turned towards a physics paper – and spotted an error. The discovery raises questions about how many other papers may harbour similar issues
A variety of jungle animals all use one type of tree as a latrine - In the cloud forest of Costa Rica, many canopy-dwelling animals do their business in strangler fig trees, perhaps as a way of leaving messages
The Selfish Gene: Still one of the most thrilling evolution books ever - Fifty years ago, Richard Dawkins shared an irresistible scientific metaphor with the world that modernised and democratised evolutionary biology. Half a century on, The Selfish Gene remains powerfully insightful, finds Rowan Hooper
Hacker News
We haven't seen the worst of what gambling and prediction markets will do - Comments
CERN to host Europe's flagship open access publishing platform - Comments
Why so many control rooms were seafoam green (2025) - Comments
John Bradley, author of xv, has passed away - Comments
My minute-by-minute response to the LiteLLM malware attack - Comments
Slashdot
Vizio TVs Now Require Walmart Accounts For Smart Features - An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Prospective Vizio TV buyers should know there's a good chance the set won't work properly without a Walmart account. In an attempt to better serve advertisers, Walmart, which bought Vizio in December 2024, announced this week that select newly purchased Vizio TVs now require a Walmart account for setup and accessing smart TV features. Since 2024, Vizio TVs have required a Vizio account, which a Vizio OS website says is necessary for accessing "exclusive offers, subscription management, and tailored support." Accounts are also central to Vizio's business, which is largely driven by ads and tracking tied to its OS. A Walmart spokesperson confirmed to Ars Technica that Walmart accounts will be mandatory on "select new Vizio OS TVs" for owners to complete onboarding and to use smart TV features. The representative added: "Customers who already have an existing Vizio account are being given the option to merge their Vizio account with their Walmart account. Customers with an existing Vizio account can opt out by deleting their Vizio account." The representative wouldn't confirm which TV models are affected. Walmart's representative said the Walmart account integration is "designed to respect consumer choice and privacy, with data used in aggregated, permissioned, and compliant ways" but didn't specify how. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Mozilla and Mila Team Up On Open Source AI Push - BrianFagioli writes: Mozilla just teamed up with Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, to push open source AI -- and it feels like a direct response to Big Tech tightening its grip on the space. Instead of relying on closed models, the goal here is to build "sovereign AI" that's more transparent, privacy-focused, and actually under the control of developers and even governments. They're starting with things like private memory for AI agents, which sounds niche but matters if you care about where your data goes. Big question is whether open source can realistically keep up with the billions being poured into proprietary AI, but at least someone's trying to give folks an alternative. "Canada has what it takes to lead on frontier AI that the world can actually trust: the research depth, the values, and the will to do it differently. The next frontier in AI isn't just capability, it is trustworthiness, and Canada is uniquely positioned to lead on both. This partnership is a concrete step in that direction. Open, trustworthy AI isn't a compromise on ambition. It's the higher bar," said Valerie Pisano, president and CEO of Mila. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wikipedia Bans Use of Generative AI - Wikipedia has banned the use of generative AI to write or rewrite articles, saying it "often violates several of Wikipedia's core content policies." That said, editors may still use it for translation or light refinements as long as a human carefully checks the copy for accuracy. Engadget reports: Editors can use large language models (LLMs) to refine their own writing, but only if the copy is checked for accuracy. The policy states that this is because LLMs "can go beyond what you ask of them and change the meaning of the text such that it is not supported by the sources cited." Editors can also use LLMs to assist with language translation. However, they must be fluent enough in both languages to catch errors. Once again, the information must be checked for inaccuracies. "My genuine hope is that this can spark a broader change. Empower communities on other platforms, and see this become a grassroots movement of users deciding whether AI should be welcome in their communities, and to what extent," Wikipedia administrator Chaotic Enby wrote. The administrator also called the policy a "pushback against enshittification and the forceful push of AI by so many companies in these last few years." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Tracy Kidder, Author of 'The Soul of a New Machine', Dies At 80 - Ancient Slashdot reader wiredog writes: Tracy Kidder, author of "The Soul of a New Machine," has died at the age of 80. "The Soul of a New Machine" is about the people who designed and built the Data General Nova, one of the 32 bit superminis that were released in the 1980's just before the PC destroyed that industry. It was excerpted in The Atlantic. "I'm going to a commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time shorter than a season." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
China Reviews $2 Billion Manus Sale To Meta As Founders Barred From Leaving Country - Chinese authorities have barred two Manus executives from leaving the country while investigating whether Meta's reported $2 billion acquisition of the Singapore-based AI startup violated foreign investment reporting rules. "Manus was founded in China but last year relocated its headquarters and core team to Singapore," notes the Financial Times. "Meta acquired it for $2 billion at the end of last year." The Financial Times reports: Manus's chief executive Xiao Hong and chief scientist Ji Yichao were summoned to a meeting in Beijing with the National Development and Reform Commission this month, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. They said Xiao and Ji were questioned on potential violations of foreign direct investment rules related to its onshore Chinese entities. After the meeting, the Singapore-based executives were told they were not allowed to leave China because of a regulatory review, while they remain free to travel within the country, two of the people said. No formal investigation has been opened and no charges have been brought. Manus is actively seeking law firms and consultancies to help resolve the matter, said a person with knowledge of the move. Read more of this story at Slashdot.