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2026-08-30

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Simon Willison's Weblog Aug 29 Score 0.8931149388888888

Introducing Hy4 Preview

Introducing Hy4 Preview New open weight text input (no vision) LLM from Chinese company Tencent today: 770B total parameters, 49B active parameters, 1M token context window, 1.56TB on Hugging Face . This is a big size increase from their previous Hy3 in July,

AI aillmsengineeringanalysis
Krebs on Security Aug 27 Score 0.8667546064814815

Two Alleged 'TeamPCP' Hackers Arrested in Australia

Authorities in Australia have arrested two men believed to be members of TeamPCP, a prolific cybercrime and data extortion group blamed for perpetrating the longest running spree of software supply chain attacks ever. In a statement released today, the Austral

Security securitycybercrimebreaches
OpenAI News Aug 27 Score 0.853303338425926

Expanding OpenAI’s presence in Brazil

OpenAI is expanding its presence in Brazil, deepening engagement with developers, businesses, and communities to support AI adoption across the country.

AI aiopenaimodels
OpenAI News Aug 26 Score 0.8249700050925927

Learning never stops: How AI makes learning continuous

OpenAI’s new report explores how students and educators use ChatGPT to make learning more continuous, with support that extends beyond the classroom.

AI aiopenaimodels
BleepingComputer Aug 29 Score 0.8169657055555556

Anthropic is cutting Claude Code's current weekly limits by 17%

Anthropic is permanently increasing Claude Code's standard weekly usage limits by 25% for Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans, but it's not as good as it sounds. [...]

Security securitymalwarevulnerabilities
The Verge Aug 29 Score 0.8132876310185185

Vicariously hike the Appalachian in the gorgeous A Trail Tale

I used to be an avid hiker and would try to go backpacking a few times a year. I always dreamed of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, but life kind of got in the way. (Turns out jobs, wives, and children aren't thrilled with the idea of you disappearing for th

Technology technologygadgetsconsumer
The Verge Aug 29 Score 0.8113584643518519

Alt-right troll Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported

Alt-right troll Milo Yiannopoulos was arrested by ICE on Thursday, and today the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Reuters and the Washington Post that he had been deported to the UK. Yiannopoulos came to the US legally in 2019, but overstayed his v

Technology technologygadgetsconsumer
The Verge Aug 29 Score 0.8088556865740741

Sony Music and Warner Chappell are suing Anthropic

Sony Music and Warner Chappell have filed suit against Anthropic in the US District Court for the Northern District of California seeking damages for "tens of thousands" copyrighted works. The companies are asking for up to $150,000 per work, plus up to $25,00

Technology technologygadgetsconsumer
The Verge Aug 29 Score 0.8050038347222223

Distraction-free writing gadget BYOK is adding custom extensions

BYOK is a no-frills, single-purpose gadget that 90 percent of people will find absolutely frivolous. But for those who spend a significant chunk of their lives putting words to virtual paper, there is an obvious allure. Personally, I think it's at its best whe

Technology technologygadgetsconsumer
The Verge Aug 29 Score 0.8033033717592594

Welcome to Night Vale cocreator Joseph Fink learned storytelling from Grim Fandango

Joseph Fink is the cocreator and cowriter of Welcome to Night Vale, arguably the most important fiction podcast ever. He's also the creator of the noir podcast Unlicensed and Alice Isn't Dead, which takes some of the conspiratorial cosmic horror of Night Vale

Technology technologygadgetsconsumer
BleepingComputer Aug 29 Score 0.8021749648148149

Brave browser adds email aliases to help users evade tracking

The latest version of the Brave browser, 1.94, introduces a feature called 'Email Aliases' that allows users to generate disposable email addresses when signing up to a new service. [...]

Security securitymalwarevulnerabilities
Schneier on Security Aug 27 Score 0.7898843796296295

LLM-Based Social Engineering Scams

OpenAI disrupted a social engineering group from Cambodia that used ChatGPT. Its scope is impressive: The network simultaneously conducted multiple types of scams, often blending elements from different schemes. For instance, operators used dating personas to

Security securitycryptographypolicy
NBER New Working Papers Aug 30 Score 0.7875000000000001

Instrument Hacking -- by Michael P. Keane, Timothy Neal, Patrick Vu

In instrumental-variable (IV) studies, researchers often evaluate multiple candidate instruments and selectively report the specification with the most favorable first- or second-stage statistics. We show that this form of instrument selection (“instrument-hac

Economy economyresearchworking-papersnber
Simon Willison's Weblog Aug 26 Score 0.7731079944444443

Qwen3.8-Flash-Next

Qwen3.8-Flash-Next Another open weights model from Qwen. This one is "a multimodal MoE model that also serves as an early preview of the architecture used in Qwen4". It's pretty big: 125B tokens, but only 6B active which means it gets a significant performance

AI aillmsengineeringanalysis
International Crisis Group Aug 28 Score 0.7716038620370371

Washington 27 August 2026 #3

Washington 27 August 2026 #3 lalasor Fri, 08/28/2026 - 21:58 Washington Fri, 08/28/2026 - 12:00 27 August 2026 President Trump  asserted that  the Strait of Hormuz “is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to back at them. That’

Geopolitics geopoliticsconflictdiplomacyanalysis
International Crisis Group Aug 28 Score 0.7715783990740741

Hormuz 27 August 2026 #2

Hormuz 27 August 2026 #2 lalasor Fri, 08/28/2026 - 21:57 Strait of Hormuz Fri, 08/28/2026 - 12:00 27 August 2026 President Trump  asserted that  the Strait of Hormuz “is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to back at them. Tha

Geopolitics geopoliticsconflictdiplomacyanalysis
International Crisis Group Aug 28 Score 0.7715219175925927

Washington 27 August 2026 #2

Washington 27 August 2026 #2 lalasor Fri, 08/28/2026 - 21:55 Washington Fri, 08/28/2026 - 12:00 27 August 2026 U.S. President Trump  stated “ I don’t want to meet, they [Iran] do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal”. Iran’s foreign minister meanwhil

Geopolitics geopoliticsconflictdiplomacyanalysis
International Crisis Group Aug 28 Score 0.7715010842592593

Tehran 27 August 2026 #2

Tehran 27 August 2026 #2 lalasor Fri, 08/28/2026 - 21:55 Tehran Fri, 08/28/2026 - 12:00 27 August 2026 U.S. President Trump  stated “ I don’t want to meet, they [Iran] do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal”. Iran’s foreign minister meanwhile 

Geopolitics geopoliticsconflictdiplomacyanalysis
International Crisis Group Aug 28 Score 0.7714691398148149

Washington 28 August 2026 #1

Washington 28 August 2026 #1 lalasor Fri, 08/28/2026 - 21:53 Washington Fri, 08/28/2026 - 12:00 28 August 2026 The U.S. announced  sanctions against “the manager of the Dubai branch of Iran’s Bank Melli… [and] a Hong Kong-based company that has helped des

Geopolitics geopoliticsconflictdiplomacyanalysis
Quanta Magazine Aug 26 Score 0.7574859763888888

In Hilbert Space, All Things Are Quantumly Possible

To explore quantum phenomena, we must leave the familiar world and enter the abstract realm of Hilbert space. The post In Hilbert Space, All Things Are Quantumly Possible first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Science sciencemathematicsphysicsbiology
Schneier on Security Aug 26 Score 0.753465861111111

Spyware for Babies

The New York Times has a long article ( alt link ) on surveillance systems aimed at babies. They are increasingly using AI. Nanit and its rivals want to own 24/7 health tracking for the sub-four-foot set. And their already astonishing levels of baby data colle

Security securitycryptographypolicy
War on the Rocks Aug 28 Score 0.7508051425925927

The (Un)importance of the Battle of Tours

Editor's note: This is the first article in a new occasional series featuring battles that just didn't matter, may look important, but in fact had negligible strategic or political effects or were absurd, anticlimactic, or structurally irrelevant to the wars t

Geopolitics geopoliticsmilitarystrategy
Simon Willison's Weblog Aug 26 Score 0.7468566055555554

Quoting Paul Dix

The fact that AI wrote 1M LOC and then refined it over the course of the next couple of months to produce a reliable piece of software that is currently running on millions of developer machines is absolutely mind blowing. And you can say, “well it’s not that

AI aillmsengineeringanalysis
The Hacker News Aug 29 Score 0.7306656143518518

Five Critical WordPress Plugin and Theme Flaws Enable Site Takeover or RCE

Multiple critical security flaws have been disclosed in WordPress plugins and themes, including WPMU DEV Dashboard, Avada, TranslatePress, Pods, and GiveWP, that could lead to authentication bypass, account takeover, and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerabi

Security securityhackingvulnerabilities
TechCrunch Aug 29 Score 0.7302477916666666

Hollywood celebs are getting into microdrama apps

Several Hollywood celebs are ditching the massive eight-figure checks and exotic movie sets for a rising format: microdramas.

Technology technologystartupsventure-capital
TechCrunch Aug 29 Score 0.7266366805555555

The Theragun Sense makes everyday recovery surprisingly easy

As my 20s are set to come to an end later this year, I’ve officially reached the age where sleeping in the wrong position or stretching just a little too far can cause aches and pains. I’ve always been somewhat skeptical of massage guns, mostly because I’ve tr

Technology technologystartupsventure-capital
ScienceDaily — Top Science Aug 29 Score 0.7246339898148149

Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity

Dogs and humans may have more in common when it comes to aging than scientists realized. Researchers with the Dog Aging Project found that patterns of small molecules in dogs’ blood were linked to longer or shorter lifespans in remarkably similar ways to those

Science scienceresearchdiscoveries
Eurogamer Aug 29 Score 0.7235756384259259

Squadron 42 delayed to 2027, with Star Citizen dev blaming GTA 6

Cloud Imperium Games has delayed Squadron 42, its long-in-development Star Citizen spin-off, to Q2 2027, with studio boss Chris Roberts arguing the game would be drowned out by GTA 6 . Read more

Gaming gamingvideo-gamesnewsreviews
ScienceDaily — Top Science Aug 29 Score 0.7227890824074074

The universe is still speeding up, but nobody knows why

A major new analysis challenges recent claims that the universe's expansion is slowing, finding that the evidence for cosmic acceleration remains strong. The findings preserve the leading role of dark energy, while leaving scientists with the enduring mys

Science scienceresearchdiscoveries
ScienceDaily — Top Science Aug 29 Score 0.7214233416666667

Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk

People with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long term had a roughly 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over five years, according to a large preliminary study. The findings do not prove melatonin causes heart problems, but they raise new questions

Science scienceresearchdiscoveries
MIT Technology Review Aug 27 Score 0.7185810995370371

The Download: inside OpenAI's Hugging Face hack, and a new EV takes on the US

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. The inside story on why OpenAI agents hacked Hugging Face The models responsible for last month’s agent hack of Hugging Fa

Technology technologyresearchsociety
CISA Cybersecurity Advisories Aug 27 Score 0.7183030601851852

Mitsubishi Electric Multiple FA Products (Update D)

View CSAF Summary Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition, a timeout error, or a communication delay by sending a specially crafted UDP packet to the product. The following versio

Security securitycisaadvisoriesvulnerabilities
CISA Cybersecurity Advisories Aug 27 Score 0.7183030601851852

Rockwell Automation OTTO Fleet Manager

View CSAF Summary Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could reduce the computational cost required for an attacker to perform offline brute-force attacks against stored password hashes. The following versions of Rockwell Automation OTTO Fleet Manager

Security securitycisaadvisoriesvulnerabilities
MIT Technology Review Aug 27 Score 0.714969988425926

Is Slate Auto's new electric truck the EV Americans need?

EVs account for under 10% of total new-vehicle sales in the US, and the numbers are declining. From a climate perspective, that’s pretty dismal, especially because the transportation sector is the single biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions in the countr

Technology technologyresearchsociety
Polygon Gaming Aug 30 Score 0.7083368041666666

Relive Nintendo's wild Donkey Kong court case from 1983

Universal once sued Nintendo over Donkey Kong. New documents related to that case show how the owners of King Kong failed to win against Nintendo.

Gaming gamingnewsreviewsculture
Marginal Revolution Aug 29 Score 0.6973657699074073

Saturday assorted links

1. Roger Myerson now has a Substack. 2. The future of higher education? 3. Another look at data centers in space. 4. "The Global Economics Lab is a non-partisan organization located at Harvard and draws on a network of faculty affiliates across universities. W

Economy economyeconomicscommentaryblog
Dark Reading Aug 28 Score 0.6940174236111111

Offensive Security Investments Surge as AI Threats Increase

Omdia's Theresa Lanowitz talks with the Dark Reading News Desk about the potential — and risks — of using agentic AI for penetration testing, red teaming, and other practices.

Security securityenterprisethreats
Wired — Security Aug 28 Score 0.6939498833333333

Microsoft Teams Has Become a Haven for Scammers in China

Fraudsters are exploiting enterprise chat apps like Teams and Webex to trick Chinese victims into transferring large sums of money, fueling a wave of complaints.

Security securityprivacysurveillance
Lobsters Aug 29 Score 0.6931780226851851

Creepy crawlies

Comments

IT itprogrammingsystemscommunity
Marginal Revolution Aug 29 Score 0.692682899537037

Interviewing Yiyang Zhuge (Zhong Shu)

Many people are writing to me, upset that I am interviewing Ziyang Zhuge, a well-known Chinese internet intellectual, who recently was accused of plagiarism. I am keen to proceed with the interview, and am happy to explain why. A few points: 1. The relevant fa

Economy economyeconomicscommentaryblog
The Hacker News Aug 28 Score 0.691976725462963

Attackers Chain Two PaperCut Flaws to Execute Code Without Authentication

Malicious actors are exploiting a newly patched security flaw in PaperCut NG and MF to execute arbitrary code on susceptible instances, as the company released a fresh emergency fix with additional hardening. "This vulnerability gives an unauthenticated attack

Security securityhackingvulnerabilities
Lobsters Aug 29 Score 0.6917368189814814

Debian and the sirens

Comments

IT itprogrammingsystemscommunity
Stratechery Aug 28 Score 0.6916365976851852

2026.35: Internet Hype and Real World Change

The best Stratechery content from the week of August 24, 2026 including the breaker's advantage, the new battle for HDMI1, and how data center discourse ends.

Technology technologystrategybusinessnewsletter
The Hacker News Aug 28 Score 0.6905466328703703

Android 17 Adds OS-Wide ECH to Hide Website Visits From Network Providers

Google on Thursday announced new network security protections in Android 17 to bolster connection privacy, address cellular vulnerabilities, and safeguard the privacy of users' home networks. Topping the list is support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a priv

Security securityhackingvulnerabilities
Dark Reading Aug 28 Score 0.6866364050925926

You Need Cyber Deception for OT

The frustrating reality after an OT cyberattack: no data, no trail, and no history.

Security securityenterprisethreats
Phys.org Aug 30 Score 0.6691382393518519

Scientists melted a diamond and cracked a secret of ice giants

Some of the strangest weather in the solar system doesn't happen on Earth or even in Jupiter's Great Red Spot—it happens in the interiors of ice giants like Neptune and Uranus. Specifically, scientists have long believed that, at certain pressures an

Science sciencephysicstechnology
Hacker News Aug 30 Score 0.6689042337962964

Bug Blindness

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IT itstartupsdevelopmentcommunity
Phys.org Aug 29 Score 0.6633053689814815

Strategic irrigation stress can lift lucerne seed yield and returns

More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed yield and consistently delivered the hi

Science sciencephysicstechnology
Hacker News Aug 29 Score 0.660896363425926

Hy4 preview

Comments

IT itstartupsdevelopmentcommunity
Phys.org Aug 29 Score 0.6583049060185185

How everyday household tasks impact relationships

The physical, cognitive and emotional loads of running a household should be recognized when examining the health of a couple's relationship, new research has found. A University of Queensland study examined the "tri-load" of household labor—physical (tra

Science sciencephysicstechnology
GitHub Blog Aug 27 Score 0.6499695731481482

OpenClaw went viral. Meet the maintainers building and securing it.

OpenClaw is the fastest-growing project in GitHub history. Peter Steinberger and several maintainers share what they learned in the project's first six months. The post OpenClaw went viral. Meet the maintainers building and securing it. appeared first on The G

IT itgithubdevelopment