Bruce66423 writes: A man boarded a flight at Heathrow without a ticket, boarding pass or passport. ‘The unnamed individual walked onto the 7.20am British Airways (BA) flight to Oslo, Norway, on Saturday after tailgating other passengers through security and evading checks at the departure gate.

An aviation expert described the incident as a “significant lapse in security”, as a witness reported that cabin crew only detected the interloper because the flight was full and he kept sitting in passengers’ assigned seats.

Police arrested the unnamed man, airport sources said, adding that he had passed through “full security screening” before reaching the gate.

Given that he did go through the security check, this is merely embarrassing. Compare and contrast with this episode.

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If you’re human, you’ve probably hollered a curse word or two (or three) when barking your shin on a table edge or hitting your thumb with a hammer. Perhaps you’ve noticed that this seems to lessen your pain. There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that this is indeed the case. The technical term is the “hypoalgesic effect of swearing.” Cursing can also improve physical strength and endurance, according to a new paper published in the journal American Psychologist.

As previously reported, co-author Richard Stephens, a psychologist at Keele, became interested in studying the potential benefits of profanity after noting his wife’s “unsavory language” while giving birth and wondered if profanity really could help alleviate pain. “Swearing is such a common response to pain. There has to be an underlying reason why we do it,” Stephens told Scientific American after publishing a 2009 study that was awarded the 2010 Ig Nobel Peace Prize.

For that study, Stephens and his colleagues asked 67 study participants (college students) to immerse their hands in a bucket of ice water. They were then instructed to either swear repeatedly using the profanity of their choice or chant a neutral word. Lo and behold, the participants said they experienced less pain when they swore and were also able to leave their hands in the bucket about 40 seconds longer than when they weren’t swearing. It has been suggested that this is a primitive reflex that serves as a form of catharsis.

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If you get a letter from a company called 700Credit, don’t ignore it. Your information may have been compromised in a massive breach affecting more than 5.8 million consumers, and you should take the necessary steps to protect your data.

700Credit supplies credit and identity verification services to more than 21,000 vehicle, RV, powersport, and marine dealerships in the U.S., so if you’ve purchased a vehicle and applied for dealer financing—or even been pre-screened or pre-qualified to do so—your information could have been affected.

What happened with 700Credit?

According to the company’s filing with the Maine Attorney General, 700Credit’s systems were hacked between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Attackers stole personal information about customers of 700Credit’s dealership clients, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers (SSNs), and dates of birth.

As BleepingComputer reports, this breach was actually a consequence of a system compromise back in July at one of 700Credit’s 200 integration partners. Threat actors were able to gain access to an API used to pull consumer data, and a security vulnerability in the API allowed them to exfiltrate information from 700Credit.

What you need to do

If you receive a data breach notice from 700Credit, read it carefully. 700Credit is offering 12 months of credit monitoring and identity restoration services through TransUnion’s Cyberscout to affected consumers. You will need to go to the URL listed in your notice and enter your unique activation code in order to enroll, and you have 90 days from the date of the letter to complete the process.

700Credit expects to begin notifying individuals starting on Dec. 22.

In addition to utilizing the free credit protection, you should take the usual precautions to lock down your identity:

• Freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion).

• Place a fraud alert on your credit file. You only need to do this at one bureau, which will apply it to all three.

• Keep an eye on your financial accounts for suspicious transactions as well as your credit report. Note that if your credit is frozen, thieves shouldn’t be able to take out new credit in your name.

• Request an IP PIN from the IRS to prevent someone from filing a tax return using your SSN.

• Follow good digital hygiene practices, such as using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

You cannot reverse a data breach, but you can (and should) do damage control.

Chinese scientists have built a working prototype of an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine in a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, a development that represents exactly what Washington has spent years and multiple rounds of export controls trying to prevent: China’s path toward semiconductor independence and an end to the West’s monopoly on the technology that powers AI, smartphones and advanced weapons systems.

The prototype, completed in early 2025 by former ASML engineers who reverse-engineered the Dutch company’s machines, is operational and generating EUV light, though it has not yet produced working chips. The effort is part of a six-year secret government initiative that sources described to Reuters as China’s version of the Manhattan Project.

Huawei is coordinating thousands of engineers across companies and state research institutes, and recruits are working under false identities inside secure facilities. The Chinese government is targeting 2028 for producing working chips, though sources say 2030 is more realistic — still years earlier than the decade analysts had predicted it would take China to match the West.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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For parents shopping for a first kids’ tablet that won’t turn into a headache or break after one drop, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (2024) might be worth a look. It usually retails for $149.99, but it’s currently marked down to $74.99 on Amazon, its lowest price to date, according to price trackers.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet

$74.99
at Amazon

$149.99
Save $75.00

$74.99
at Amazon

$149.99
Save $75.00

At that price, you’re getting a rugged case, a year of Amazon Kids+ subscription, a two-year worry-free replacement guarantee, and solid parental controls all bundled into one eight-inch tablet. It’s not fast, and it doesn’t have a high-res display, but for young kids starting out with screen time, it does a lot right.

It has a 2.0GHz hexa-core processor, 32GB of storage (expandable to 1TB), and a 1,280-by-800 resolution display. It handles video streaming and basic apps well, though heavier games and multitasking can slow it down. Battery life is impressive, lasting close to 10 hours in PCMag’s video playback tests. The case, which adds bulk, also includes a built-in stand that doubles as a handle, though younger kids might need help adjusting it. It’s not waterproof, but if it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free within two years—no questions asked.

Setup requires a parent to create profiles, set screen time limits, and customize content filters. Once done, kids can access Amazon Kids+, which includes age-appropriate books, videos, games, and a genuinely fun “Quest” feature that blends learning with light gamification. When the free trial ends, though, you’ll need to pay $5.99 a month (or $48 annually) to keep access to that library. Without it, the experience is much more limited and depends on how much effort you want to put into finding and installing your own content. But for under $75, with a kid-proof case and thoughtful tools for parents, it’s one of the better value tablets out there for kids aged three to seven.

While not quite a separate dialect, Formula 1-speak can be heavy on the jargon at times. They say “box” instead of pit, “power unit” to describe the engine and hybrid system, and that’s before we get into all the aerodynamics-related expressions like “outwash” and “dirty air.” Next year is a big technical shakeup for the sport, and it seems we’re getting some new terminology to go with it. So forget your DRS and get ready to talk about Boost mode instead.

The F1 car of 2026 will be slightly narrower and slightly lighter than the machines that raced for the last time earlier this month. But not by a huge amount: minimum weight is decreased by 30 kg to 724 kg, the wheelbase is 200 mm shorter at 3,400 mm, and the car’s underfloor is 150 mm narrower than before.

The front wing is 100 mm narrower and has just two elements to it, although for the first time in F1 history, this is now an active wing, which works in conjunction with the three-element active rear wing. Active rear wings have been a thing in F1 since the introduction of DRS—the drag reduction system—in 2011, but now there’s a philosophical change to how they’ll work.

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OpenAI has introduced an app directory that’s now available right inside ChatGPT, the company announced. “Apps extend ChatGPT conversations by bringing in new context and letting users take action like order groceries, turn an outline into a slide deck or search for an apartment,” the company wrote in a blog post. OpenAI also noted in a help document that “connector” apps like Google Drive are now simply called “apps.”

The new apps section (on iOS, Android and web) is divided into Feature, Lifestyle and Productivity categories, letting you connect to commonly used apps and sites like Booking.com, Spotify and Dropbox. To use an app, simply click on it, hit “Connect” then authorize the app to access ChatGPT. With that done, you can then start a chat related to that app. In the case of Dropbox, for instance, you’ll be able to “gather insights, prepare briefs and summarize reports or internal documents,” according to the description. Once connected, any app can be accessed by doing an @ mention of it.

A new addition that came along with the store is an Apple Music app that, like Spotify, helps users find music, create playlists and manage their libraries through a chat interface. Another is DoorDash, which lets you transform recipes, meal planning and staples into “an actionable shopping cart.”

Along with the app directory, OpenAI is now allowing developers to submit apps for review and publication in ChatGPT according to the company’s app submission guidelines. It also published resources to help developers build such apps, including best practices, open-source example apps, an open-sourced UI library for chat-native interfaces and a step-by-step quickstart guide. That’s on top of the software developer kit (SDK) that OpenAI introduced in October.

OpenAI noted that for now, developers can only monetize apps by linking out from the ChatGPT app to the native app or website — but the company is exploring internal monetization options as well. Privacy was also emphasized, with companies required to provide “clear” policies.

The new feature is a big part of Sam Altman’s promises to make ChatGPT more versatile with the addition of custom “GPT” bots. “Over time, we want apps in ChatGPT to feel like a natural extension of the conversation, helping people move from ideas to action, while building a thriving ecosystem for developers,” the company wrote.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-just-launched-an-app-store-inside-chatgpt-133049586.html?src=rss

The Ultrahuman Ring Air now has the capacity to track snoring and general respiratory health. This is thanks to proprietary technology called Respiratory Health PowerPlug, which is basically a suite of audio analysis tools along with some “advanced biomarker tracking” and AI tomfoolery.

All of this results in “one of the most comprehensive consumer tools ever built for understanding nighttime respiratory stability.” It details snoring sessions, of course, but also delivers a holistic and “actionable sleep picture.” The company says this “reveals patterns, trends and changes in respiratory health over time.”

Ultrahuman

To that end, it can also detect coughing and respiratory disturbances. This data is cross-referenced with movement patterns, sleep fragmentation patterns and resting heart rate to “show exactly how breathing issues shape sleep quality.” The company says this can be a good resource when experimenting with interventions, like switching to a new pillow or taping up the nose.

More health data is never a bad thing, but this information isn’t free. Ultrahuman is charging $4 per month for access to the tool, though folks can pick up an annual subscription for $40.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air made our list of the best smart rings, and that was before the company introduced this new software. It tracks an impressive amount of data and integrates with third-party devices like glucose monitors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ultrahuman-brings-snoring-detection-and-respiratory-health-tracking-to-the-ring-air-130054901.html?src=rss

The Federal Trade Commission has sent Instacart a civil investigative demand, seeking information about its AI-powered pricing tool, according to Reuters. This comes after a recently published pricing experiment study showed that the online grocery delivery app gave different users different prices for the same items from the same store location at the exact same time. Some of the testers saw prices up to 23 percent higher than what the other testers saw, though the average difference for the same list of items was around 7 percent. Those higher prices could cost customers over $1,000 more in expenses for the year.

“The Federal Trade Commission has a longstanding policy of not commenting on any potential or ongoing investigations,” the FTC told Reuters in a statement. “But, like so many Americans, we are disturbed by what we have read in the press about Instacart’s alleged pricing practices.”

When the study came out, Instacart told Engadget that the pricing variances were caused by some of its retail partners doing “limited, short-term and randomized tests” to better understand consumers. Those randomized pricing tests were enabled by Instacart’s AI pricing tool called Eversight developed by a company it purchased in 2022. Instacart told CNBC that “much of what’s been reported has mischaracterized how pricing works” on its platform. The spokesperson repeated that retailers conduct pricing tests on its app and said that “prices on Instacart do not change in real time,” aren’t based on supply or demand and that it never uses “personal, demographic, or user-level behavioral data to set item prices.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-ftc-is-reportedly-investigating-instacart-over-its-ai-pricing-tool-130000472.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: Doublespeed, a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) that uses a phone farm to manage at least hundreds of AI-generated social media accounts and promote products has been hacked. The hack reveals what products the AI-generated accounts are promoting, often without the required disclosure that these are advertisements, and allowed the hacker to take control of more than 1,000 smartphones that power the company. The hacker, who asked for anonymity because he feared retaliation from the company, said he reported the vulnerability to Doublespeed on October 31. At the time of writing, the hacker said he still has access to the company’s backend, including the phone farm itself.

“I could see the phones in use, which manager (the PCs controlling the phones) they had, which TikTok accounts they were assigned, proxies in use (and their passwords), and pending tasks. As well as the link to control devices for each manager,” the hacker told me. “I could have used their phones for compute resources, or maybe spam. Even if they’re just phones, there are around 1100 of them, with proxy access, for free. I think I could have used the linked accounts by puppeting the phones or adding tasks, but haven’t tried.”

As I reported in October, Doublespeed raised $1 million from a16z as part of its “Speedrun” accelerator program, “a fastpaced, 12-week startup program that guides founders through every critical stage of their growth.” Doublespeed uses generative AI to flood social media with accounts and posts to promote certain products on behalf of its clients. Social media companies attempt to detect and remove this type of astroturfing for violating their inauthentic behavior policies, which is why Doublespeed uses a bank of phones to emulate the behavior of real users. So-called “click farms” or “phone farms” often use hundreds of mobile phones to fake online engagement of reviews for the same reason. […] I’ve seen TikTok accounts operated by Doublespeed promote language learning apps, dating apps, a Bible app, supplements, and a massager.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Call me immature, but I’m about a thousand times more likely to participate in activities that are good for me when they can be gamified. Even the simple pleasures of watching a number go up or earning a digital milestone badge can motivate me to get to the gym, track my meals, or form a new habit. Gamification can be used for focusing and studying, too, and a wide variety of apps exist to serve this purpose. Here are some of the best. 

Gamification apps for focusing

Focusing is notoriously difficult, especially in this hyper-connected era in which many of us can’t go five minutes without getting a text or eat a meal without watching TikTok videos. Use your device to your advantage instead with these apps that turn focusing into a game.

Finch

Credit: Finch

Finch is my favorite habit tracking app and I use it every day (streak as of today: 311!). You are responsible for the well-being of a happy little bird character and you take care of them by marking off your to-dos. I will be upfront and say it’s a little infantilizing and mushy; it comes pre-loaded with to-dos like “get out of bed” and “take a stretch break.” I left those in alongside the actual daily activities I programmed in myself for some easy wins, but the app is clearly designed for people struggling a little with executive function.

To me, though, Finch is great because it’s so positive. Other apps might penalize you for missing a day, but this one is encouraging. It’s useful to have a little positive reinforcement every day, even if it’s a little cloying. By completing your tasks, you send your bird on “adventures,” earn in-game currency to dress them up in outfits, and level up your friendship score with them. Interestingly, you are also periodically prompted to enter in how you’re feeling and what’s making you feel that way, which the app tracks. Over time, you can see a data breakdown of your moods and the things that affect them, which is useful if you’re trying to maximize your productivity and make a few lifestyle changes to enhance it.

Read my full review of the Finch app here.

Habitica

Credit: Habitica

One of the gold-standard apps in gamification and productivity is Habitica, which is almost like a roleplaying game. You designate the goal you want to achieve, track when you do it, and watch as your in-game avatar gains (or loses) health. Your avatar can even link up with other players for games and challenges, so you all level up together. You earn gold coins that can be spent in-game or “redeemed” when you do something you want to do in real life, like watch a movie. It’s free, but you can make in-app purchases or subscribe to group plans that help coordinate team goals for $9 per month, plus $3 per person. 

Read my full review of the app here.

Toggl

Credit: Toggl

Another app that’s great for teams but also works well for personal productivity, Toggl is a time-tracker that gives you leaderboards in addition to achievements when you stay focused and get things done. If digital badges don’t get you going, imagine the rush of seeing your name at the top of a leaderboard. If you’re using it on your own, it’s free, but after a 14-day trial, teams will pay $9 per user per month.

It looks like any digital calendar tool (and you can import calendars, like Google Calendar, right into it so you can see all your daily commitments), but there’s a Play button in the top right corner that you tap when you’re ready to track time. You can label the time blocks (and should get familiar with the concepts of time blocking and time boxing to make this most effective) so you can see precisely how many minutes you’re devoting to a given task every day.

Beeminder

Credit: Beeminder

Beeminder is a great app because it links up to a variety of other apps—Habitca, Toggl, Duolingo, Gmail, Fitbit, Strava, and more—pulling in your data to make sure you’re staying on track with your goals. If you have a goal to stay focused on Slack or emails, Beeminder can actually make sure you’re doing it instead of relying on you to be honest in self-reporting. Continue to do what you’re trying to do and a red line will appear, inching toward your goal. The catch? If you don’t stick to what you’re trying to focus on, it charges $5 to the card you have on file. Otherwise, it’s free for up to three goals, but you can unlock unlimited goals (and the ability to put off payments and set charge caps) with premium plans that move from $8 per month, $16 per month, or even $50 per month, depending on how many features you want.

If you’re worried about the money-losing aspect, don’t be: This isn’t a tyrannical, scammy app. The developers are clear that if something comes up and prevents you from completing a goal on time, you can respond to the email you received about that goal’s timeline starting, ask for a refund, and they’ll “always believe you” and reverse the charge.

Gamification apps for studying

If you need to gamify your studies, there are special apps that work well for that, too. The software above also works for studying, so if you’re more of a Habitica person, feel free to stick with those. The ones below have unique features that might be helpful for students. 

FocusPomo

Credit: FocusPomo

This is my favorite Pomodoro technique app. FocusPomo is simple to use and allows you to quickly access “focus sessions,” which are periods of time that are blocked out for studying or working. The app blocks your other, more distracting apps and rewards you with a little tomato graphic whenever you finish a session. It might not seem like much, but just collecting tiny, pixelated tomatoes becomes a little addicting. The app syncs with your calendars and communication platforms to make it easier for you to launch focus sessions whenever you have something to do, too, so earning those little tomatoes is surprisingly easy.

Read my full review of FocusPomo here.

Flora

Credit: Flora

If you want something a little zen that still motivates you, try Flora, which is an app that just wants to help you plant trees (and stay focused on your work). It gamifies your productivity by rewarding you with cool animations, similar to the others on this list. Here, you get to you grow “trees” in a virtual forest, but only so long as you don’t interrupt their growth by using your phone when you’re supposed to be working. Moreover, you can bet money on your ability to carry out focus sessions or buy a subscription, both of which directly fund the planting of trees in the real world. That’s not a gamification so much as a real-world contribution that can make you feel good about your studying.

Read my full review of Flora here.

Study Bunny

Credit: Study Bunny

Study Bunny is a game designed for students. It has an in-app timer and a scored flashcard system, slots for to-do lists, and room for 15 subjects. You are assigned a virtual bunny rabbit that gets happier when you track work and progress, but sadder when you pause a work session or don’t open the app. The longer you work, the more coins you earn to buy items for your bunny. The app is pretty janky and I won’t lie about that, but it’s cute and stress-free, which makes it ideal if you’re looking for a fun way to stay motivated about your studies.

Read my full review of Study Bunny here.