An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: In the immediate weeks before Muse’s launch, Meta engineers found several security vulnerabilities in the company’s viral AI agent product, at least one of which could have allowed malicious users to break outside of Muse’s intended environment and access Meta’s own sensitive databases and services, 404 Media has learned. The issues were so severe that they reached Mark Zuckerberg and staff worked overtime to fix them. These specific vulnerabilities were discovered before the launch of the product but required a multi-team “mad dash” to fix “a sudden spike in reported KVM escapes,” according to an internal post by Meta executives to its core infrastructure team seen by 404 Media. In order for Muse to work, a user gives the AI agent access to various important services and accounts that they own. On Meta’s end, each individual Muse instance runs on a kernel-based virtual machine, which connects to, but is supposed to be isolated from, Meta’s own critical infrastructure. A “KVM escape,” then, is when, through a security vulnerability, a Muse instance is able to escape from that virtual machine and interact with the system that runs it, or with other users’ virtual machines.
According to a Meta source, as well as internal security documentation and internal posts viewed by 404 Media, at least one of the vulnerabilities could have allowed an outside attacker — that is, a normal Muse user — to access data in sensitive internal Meta databases. At least one of the vulnerabilities was related to an exploit found in Linux kernel-based virtual machine code in July. 4 Several of the vulnerabilities were in the underlying Linux virtualization software that Meta uses for Muse. The security issue was considered serious enough that it was raised to Mark Zuckerberg, and several different security teams worked nights and weekends in the leadup to launch to fix the issues. […] The Meta source said they felt security teams were asked to push hot fixes to these bugs as quickly as possible and in a way that wouldn’t delay Muse’s launch, leading to what they described as “half-baked protections being rushed out to enable the launch. Many senior engineers believe it’s inevitable we’re going to have a massive data breach as a result of Hatch.” Muse is called “Hatch” internally and in Meta’s codebase.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wikimedia says it’s “deeply concerned about the impact of ‘rogue’ AI agents on platforms like ours.
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If you bought one of Apple’s M5 MacBook Airs at launch, it would have cost you $1,099 for the base model. Then, the memory crisis took its toll, and all of a sudden, that same machine shot up in price by $200 without any new features or changes. The MacBook Air, which for years has started at $999 and jumped to $1,099 with the M5 (while also giving you more storage, at least), now starts at $1,299. If you want more storage, or to upgrade to the 15-inch model, it’ll only cost you more.
These prices only push customers towards Apple’s less expensive MacBook Neo. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: the Neo comes with most of the features that people are looking for in an Apple laptop, at about half the cost of the MacBook Air. But these are not identical machines. Users choosing the Neo over the Air lose out on a bigger, higher-quality display; a processor made for macOS; a backlit keyboard; and MagSafe charging, just to name a few perks. These are all excellent features, but it’s tough to justify the additional $600. But what if you could save $200? That makes those perks a bit more worth the upgrade.
For October Prime Day, Amazon has an excellent deal on the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air, taking $200 off Apple’s new and beefier MSRP, bringing the cost down to…well, the M5’s launch price. If you’ve been kicking yourself for not buying one of these machines between March and June, now’s your chance to turn back the clock.
This MacBook Air comes with a 13.6-inch display (Apple calls it the “13-inch” for marketing purposes), with a resolution of 2560 by 1664 and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. You get the M5 chip, which, according to Geekbench, outperforms the MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro by nearly 22% in single-core tasks and 134% in multi-core tasks. That extra $400 isn’t just going towards an “Apple tax,” as you’ll notice real-world performance increases for your money. You’ll also get a 12MP Center Stage camera for video conferencing and FaceTime calls, Touch ID built into the keyboard, and support for MagSafe charging—though you can also charge using either of the two USB 4 ports.
Importantly, this model comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That should be plenty for most users, but Amazon is also hosting discounts on both the 1TB model ($1,399 instead of $1,599), as well as the 1TB model with 24GB of RAM ($1,599 instead of $1,799). But again, most people will make do just fine with the base configuration. And for $1,099, it’s a fantastic deal.
Please, leave me alone you weird, ugly flesh balloons
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The Amazon October Prime Day sale officially begins tomorrow, but plenty of deals are already live, including some significant cuts on iPads, Kindles, and other tablets. Right now, the 2024 Amazon Kindle is down to $103.99 (originally $149.99), and it’s a deal worth considering for anyone in the market for an e-reader—especially after Amazon’s price hike earlier this year.
The basic 16GB model checks all the boxes of a straightforward e-reader: It’ll deliver weeks of battery life, has a sharp, compact screen, and lacks the annoying notifications or apps competing with the book you’re trying to read. It has a six-inch, 300-ppi glare-free display, an adjustable front light, Dark Mode to better protect your eyes, USB-C charging, and plenty of storage room.
At 5.56 ounces, it’s Amazon’s lightest and most compact Kindle, making it a solid option for commuters or travelers, with battery life lasting up to six weeks per charge. The beauty is its simplicity; it’s designed to keep you immersed in your book, and is especially convenient for those who buy ebooks through Amazon or use a library app that supports Kindle delivery.
If you want a warm reading light or waterproofing, you’ll have to level up to the Kindle Paperwhite (also 32% off for Amazon Prime Day 2026). Still, at around a $100 price point, the 2024 Amazon Kindle is still one of the best options for shoppers who are seeking e-reader simplicity without paying extra for Paperwhite features—or opting for a more full-featured tablet.
When it comes to verifying a Linux distro, it can be tricky, and each distro has its own set of instructions. This tool gives a straight forward interface for ISO verification
That’s a nicer name than ‘stalker mode.’
Over decades of research, scientists have built up a partial picture of what specialized cells within the brain and spinal cord do. By studying how the brain develops, they could identify genes that were active in different populations of neurons and where in the brain those neurons resided. In some cases, these genes could then be used to genetically delete the neurons, allowing us to get some indication of what they might be doing, building on the information we’ve obtained from studies of brains with damaged regions.
But this approach has its limits. The brain is flexible enough to potentially adapt to the loss of some cells, and their loss early in development may alter the development of any neurons they would have normally formed connections with. It would be far more informative to activate and shut down the neurons in an otherwise intact brain.
Today’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine rewards three people—Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel—who developed our ability to do precisely that. Starting from studies of single-celled algae that are attracted to light, these and many other researchers built an entire field of study that we now call optogenetics: using light to alter the behavior of nerve cells marked by the activity of individual genes.
A surge in Russian jet-powered drone strikes on Ukrainian data centers has increasingly disrupted mobile phone and Internet services for thousands of people. Now Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other government officials are warning of the need for more air defense capabilities, as such telecommunication outages could threaten Ukraine’s digital economy and undermine the country’s ongoing resistance to Russia’s invasion.
The Russian attacks on Ukrainian telecommunication infrastructure have focused on Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv since September 23, according to the nonprofit Reporters Without Borders. Ukraine’s digital transformation ministry reported that 100,000 households in the Kyiv region were temporarily experiencing Internet outages from those initial strikes—and Russia has only intensified its strike campaign against major Ukrainian data centers and mobile phone networks in recent weeks.
“Russian attacks on Ukraine’s telecommunication infrastructure are not new, with strikes and shelling previously damaging fiber optic lines, cell towers, and facilities belonging to mobile network companies,” said Tetiana Gaviuk, analyst for Europe at ACLED, in a post on October 1. “However, the recent concentrated attacks on Kyiv’s data centers and telecom networks stand out because multiple providers and facilities were hit within days, indicating Russia’s increased pressure on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure.”
Norway is preparing legislation that would temporarily ban camera-equipped smart glasses in a range of public places, including parks, beaches, museums, shopping centers, schools, daycare centers, healthcare facilities, gyms and public events. Private use would still be allowed. The Guardian reports: Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s minister of digital affairs, said he was worried that new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it.”
“We do not want a society where people worry about being recorded without their knowledge, photographed or filmed in places and situations where they are accustomed to not being monitored,” he said.
Norway’s Labour party, which heads a minority government, needs the support of other parties to pass the proposed ban. It said it planned to submit a bill “as soon as possible,” while tasking an expert group with drawing up permanent regulations on the issue.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
This move is to comply with the EU’s new AI transparency rules.
Typically, it means faster charging speeds and bi-directional charging.
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The October Prime Day sale is officially here, and the best deals on headphones, fitness tech, and other essentials from premium brands are popping up all over Amazon. Right now, these Sony LinkBuds Clip Open Earbuds are down to $158 (originally $229.99), an all-time low according to price tracking tools.
One of the top Prime Day earbuds deals for people who dislike conventional in-ear buds, the Sony LinkBuds Clip gets praise in PCMag for crystal-clear audio and long-lasting battery life. With a lightweight clip-on design that sits outside the ear canal and lets you hear background noise like traffic or announcements, they’re a useful essential for errand runs, busy workdays, dog walks, and other settings where you don’t want total noise cancellation. An IPX4 rating can handle sweat and light rain, while multipoint pairing lets you stay connected to devices without constant re-pairing.
The earbuds last up to 37 hours and offer nine hours of continuous use per charge, far more than the AirPods 4 with ANC, which last five hours with ANC off and four with it on. A three-minute charge provides around an hour of playback. The app makes the sound heavily customizable, and while sound quality is robust and impressive, it’s not quite as bass-forward as in-ear buds.
Though they can’t overcome the limitations most open-ear designs face, the Sony LinkBuds Clip Open Earbuds are a reliable, long-lasting option for settings where you need situational awareness.
Prime Day lets Prime Members shop online for thousands of products with big discounts. It only lasts two days, so make sure you check out everything we know about the sale before it starts.
Yes, you will need to be a Prime Member to shop the exclusive sales during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. Prime membership starts at $14.99 per month.
Since Prime Big Deal Days happens in the fall, you’re likely to see more deals on gaming and indoor gym equipment. Amazon has already announced some of the 35 categories that will be on sale, including beauty, tech, kitchen, fashion, and home. Some brands Amazon has already mentioned are: Shark, Princess Polly, Soundcore by Anker, UGG, Nest New York, Sony, Tarte, Adidas, and Barefoot Dreams.
Goal Skulltulas
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A new Google wearable may be on the way, and leaked pictures suggest it may be a fitness band with a screen, a successor to the Fitbit Charge 6. Android Headlines reports that the new device will be called the Fitbit Edge.
Earlier this year, Google ran ads on Reddit that seemed to show a new fitness band alongside Pixel watches and phones. In a post titled “Um so what the hell is that??,” redditors debated whether the unfamiliar wearable was an accidental leak of a yet-unreleased device, or just an AI hallucination. After all, if you asked an AI to create a hybrid of a Fitbit and a Pixel Watch, it would look more or less like what was in the picture.
The leaked photos appearing at Android Headlines look like the device from the ad. It has an oval screen, only about as wide as the wristband and taller than it is wide. The rounded edges and the style of watch band match aesthetically with Pixel Watches, while the overall form factor—a tall screen set into a thin wristband—fits the design of the old Fitbit Charge 6.
According to spec sheets that were reportedly also included in the leak, the device will have GPS, an altimeter, and a seven-day battery life. That’s the same battery life as the Charge 6, which had GPS but no altimeter. The new device is said to work with both iOS and Android, as the Fitbit Air does, rather than being Android-only like the Pixel Watch. The rumors do not include a price, a release date, or a full list of features.
If it weren’t for the earlier ad—the one that many thought was a hallucination—I probably wouldn’t have expected Google to release a device like this at all. Its last fitness tracker with a screen was the Fitbit Charge 6 in 2023. The Fitbit Air makes sense since smart bands are having a moment, and the Fitbit Air is a really well-executed one. But I wasn’t sure if Google was interested in continuing the Fitbit line beyond that one device.
It’s a good idea, I think. Small trackers are easy to wear (and forget you’re wearing), but sometimes you just want to be able to see the time on your wrist. If Google is smart, they’ll allow you to swap seamlessly between the new device and the screenless Fitbit Air. (Currently, you can pair one Pixel Watch and one Fitbit to your phone, but you can’t pair two different models of Fitbit.)
I’m excited to see what Google has in mind for the new device, assuming the rumors are true about its size, shape, and capabilities. I was disappointed by all the things the Charge 6 couldn’t do, and I hope the new Fitbit doesn’t repeat those mistakes. For example, the Charge 6 can control the music that’s playing on your phone, but only if you pay for a YouTube Music subscription. Most fitness watches—including Garmin, Coros, and Suunto watches I’ve tried—will simply give you controls for whatever is playing on your phone, no matter what app it comes from.
If it’s true that the new device also has its own GPS and altimeter, that’s also exciting—but I’m skeptical that Google will be able to stuff in high-quality versions of those components in the space available. The Charge 6, I found, had trouble getting a good GPS reading and a good heart rate reading at the same time. But the Fitbit Air is surprisingly small and capable for its size, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the new device might be able to do.
A new tool is allowing Mac users the ability again to easily turn off Apple Intelligence with one click and free up to 12GB of storage.
Unlike with previous versions of macOS, macOS 27 Golden Gate doesn’t have a toggle for turning off Apple Intelligence. That makes disabling AI features that you may not want more difficult. It also means that the AI models necessary for running Apple Intelligence will take up space on your disk, even if you don’t use them or if you go through your settings to individually find and disable AI capabilities.
In response, a developer known as Om Lahore on GitHub last week created RemoveMacAI, a command-line tool that allows macOS 27 users to “turn off Apple Intelligence on macOS 27″ in a way that is “fully reversible,” per the GitHub page. They said that Apple’s Intelligence models take up “about 12GB,” but the models can actually take up over 30GB, The Verge noted.
There aren’t many details on these upcoming game adaptations just yet.
These two wearables offer extensive health tracking, but one of these is going to be a clear winner for you.
