ChatGPT's new Projects feature can organize your AI clutter

• This new ChatGPT feature helps organize interactions with the AI chatbot.
• Within a Project, ChatGPT remembers specific instructions and relevant data.
• The Projects feature is rolling out now for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Teams subscribers.

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Day Seven of 12 Days of OpenAI may not have included a conversation with Santa Claus like the day before, but the new Projects feature for ChatGPT would likely appeal to his elves.

OpenAI CPO Kevin Weil and his compatriots debuted Projects with a demo showcasing how it can organize your interactions with ChatGPT, including any files and data. Imagine a digital version of a messy desk covered in papers representing your talks with ChatGPT. Projects are the virtual file drawer full of neatly labeled folders put together by an assistant who has read each word on those papers.

When you start a Project, you need to name it and assign it a color to make it easier to find. Then, you can group related chats and upload any relevant files. You can also set specific instructions for ChatGPT to follow while working within that particular Project space. This means if you’re collaborating on a screenplay or building a website, you don’t have to keep reminding ChatGPT about the details every time you start a new chat. You can add existing chats to a Project, start new ones, and even pull in data from your files mid-conversation. Plus, features like SearchGPT and Canvas all play nicely within the Project space.

(Image credit: Future)

If Projects feels familiar, that's because it's a feature that some of ChatGPT's rivals already offer, most notably Claude, Anthropic's AI chatbot. So, OpenAI is catching up in some ways, offering a solution to a common frustration. Until now, keeping track of conversations with ChatGPT often meant dealing with a cluttered sidebar and a lot of scrolling.

While OpenAI has made strides with features like memory and customization, the ability to group chats and files into coherent, themed bundles is arguably as significant as switching from Post-It notes to binders.

Projects are also useful for building websites. You can upload design files and content ideas and specify your preferred coding languages. ChatGPT can then help you generate code for the site and improve any design or content. Unlike the usual ChatGPT coding help, the AI will remember what you've already worked on together because it happens within the same Project space.

(Image credit: Future)

Tidy AI

Weil and his team demonstrated Projects with various ways the tool might be employed. Since Santa was absent, he showed how to use Projects to organize a Secret Santa exchange instead. Instead of shuffling between spreadsheet tabs and copy-pasting the same info a million times, you create a Project with whatever rules and budget have been agreed upon, including a spreadsheet with everyone’s wish lists. All your Secret Santa data lives there, and you can tell ChatGPT to manage it, even having the AI send out anonymous emails with gift assignments.

Of course, there are a few potential issues. For one, the effectiveness of Projects depends on how clearly you communicate with ChatGPT. As the demo shows, being vague can lead to unintended results (like revealing Secret Santa secrets). Further, organizing through Projects won't make up for any sloppy prompts or not checking for errors in the output.

You'll need a ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Teams subscription to use Projects for now, though those on the free tier will get access soon. Still, they may need to make a note to remind them about it since they don't have Projects available yet.

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Hackers are abusing Microsoft tools more than ever before

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• The rise in LOLbins used in attacks this year has been significant
• Most common ones used include RDP, PowerShell, cmd.exe, and net.exe
• Sophos has shared mitigation tips for anyone affected

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The rise in the abuse of Microsoft’s LOLbins (Living Off the Land binaries) in the first half of 2024 has been nothing short of alarming, a new report from Sophos has claimed.

The Sophos 2024 Active Adversary Report, which analyzes cases handled by its Incident Response (IR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) teams, says that in H1 of this year, hackers used 187 LOLbins in their attacks, a 51% increase compared to 2023. In 2021, the team observed exactly 100 LOLbins used.

Living Off the Land Binaries are legitimate executables and scripts native to operating systems, often pre-installed, that attackers abuse to perform malicious actions while evading detection. They are trusted tools, such as PowerShell or cmd.exe, making their activity harder to distinguish from normal administrative tasks.

RPD rules the landscape

Sophos says commonly abused LOLbins this year included RDP, PowerShell, cmd.exe, and net.exe, with RDP alone implicated in nearly 89% of cases. This didn’t come as much of a surprise for the researchers, too: “For the most part the names in the figure above are no surprise to regular readers of the Active Adversary Report – RDP rules the landscape, with cmd.exe, PowerShell, and net.exe making their usual strong showing,” they said.

Furthermore, binaries usually used for discovery or enumeration seem to be most prevalent, as of the top 29 LOLbins, 16 served such a purpose. Microsoft’s tools are being increasingly leveraged due to their legitimacy, signed status, and ubiquity within operating systems, it was said.

To mitigate the abuse of Microsoft LOLBins, organizations should adopt a multi-layered security approach, Sophos concludes.

This includes a number of things, from restricting access to commonly abused tools, to monitoring and logging the use of the binaries. Furthermore, they should implement endpoint detection and response solutions (EDR), and disable unused LOLbins. Finally, regularly applying software updates and educating employees on recognizing phishing and social engineering attacks can further reduce risks, they said.

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“6G can efficiently enable intelligent computing everywhere”: Qualcomm offers an exclusive sneak peek at what to expect from the next generation of mobile internet

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• Qualcomm talks 6G innovations beyond speed, integrating AI and IoT
• 6G promises enhanced coverage, and efficiency
• AI-native design will optimize networks and enable new use cases

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The transition from 5G to 6G is set to redefine the wireless landscape, offering advancements that go far beyond speed and connectivity.

Qualcomm, a key player in wireless innovation, is building on its 5G legacy to explore the possibilities of 6G, which is expected to integrate artificial intelligence, advanced IoT applications, and seamless connectivity between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

Targeted for deployment in the 2030s, 6G promises to unlock new opportunities across industries and address the growing demands of an increasingly connected world.

In an exclusive interview with TechRadar Pro, John Smee, Global Head of Wireless Research at Qualcomm, discussed the future of 6G, outlining how the company is looking to build upon the advancements of 5G and 5G Advanced.

He also highlighted Qualcomm's role in contributing to the research and development of the technology, explaining that 6G will not only enhance key performance indicators like coverage, capacity, and efficiency but also enable transformative use cases such as digital twins and edge computing.

What are the key technological advancements in 5G that are paving the way for 6G development?

There are quite a few key advancements in 5G and 5G Advanced that are paving the way for 6G. Here are just a few examples:

• Air interface foundation: we believe 6G will build on the OFDM foundation, with a focus on improving coverage, spectral efficiency, and capacity in both legacy FDD and TDD bands as well as new spectrum.
• MIMO/duplex evolution: 6G Giga-MIMO will enable new upper midband spectrum (6-15 GHz) delivering additional wide-area capacity and reusing the existing 3.5 GHz macro cell sites and backhaul. Evolution to full duplex can deliver better coverage and flexibility to meet growing data demand.
• Wireless AI: 5G Advanced kickstarted the era of AI in wireless, improving network/device performance and efficiency. AI will be an integral part of the 6G system design, with AI-native protocols across multiple layers of the stack.
• Wireless sensing: the 5G-Advanced study of integrate sensing and communication (ISAC) can complement positioning to make the wireless network more efficient and open new business opportunities for the ecosystem.
• Integrated TN/NTN: 5G introduced 5G non-terrestrial networking (NTN) by enabling satellites to deliver global coverage leveraging the cellular standard and modem implementations. 6G is expected to build on this foundation to support a seamless interworking of terrestrial networks and NTN.

How do you see the transition from 5G to 6G impacting businesses, and are there specific industries that will benefit the most?

The transition from 5G to 6G is expected to significantly enhance wireless connectivity improving fundamental KPI’s for coverage, capacity, and performance while enabling new services like AI, sensing, and digital twins. 6G will be designed to meet the increasing data transfer needs of connected AI-powered devices. Targeting 2030 deployment, 6G can efficiently enable intelligent computing everywhere creating new opportunities for value creation at the edge. Industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and education will continue their transformations to leverage connected AI and the enhanced capabilities of 6G.

Can you explain the role of AI, and specifically Generative AI, in enhancing 5G networks and its potential impact on 6G?

AI is poised to significantly enhance 5G and 6G system performance, operational efficiency, and user experiences, as well as unlock new use cases at scale. For instance, by leveraging AI for network optimization, predictive analytics, and automated configuration, these networks can achieve greater efficiency, reliability, and security. Generative AI can simulate various network scenarios and create synthetic data to train machine learning models, ensuring robust network performance even in complex environments. These technologies enable advanced applications like real-time edge computing, personalized services, and seamless integration with a wide range of devices. Generative AI will also often be implemented on the device and as applications expand this will increase the 5G and 6G communications data demand on uplink and downlink.

AI native is intended to make the system perform better by either replacing functional blocks with AI implementations, or allowing AI to better manage the protocol, network node, device, etc. so that it can adapt more flexibly to support a larger variety of enterprise and consumer experiences. The AI native paradigm can give more implementation flexibility and bring more innovation and differentiation to the devices and networks.

AI native can be in at least the two following forms:

• Replacing existing functionality with AI – e.g., there are a number of use cases in 3GPP (beam management, CSI feedback, positioning, mobility) that are being studied to see if there is a better solution with AI. One aspect of AI native is to include more of these features across layers, protocols and network/device for improved performance with AI. Especially relevant is work in 3GPP and ORAN to improve network automation with AI and the associated use cases. Cross node AI is also a potential example of this where the function is replaced by AI at the network and device.
• Enable AI as a part of the protocol behavior – to change the actual protocols to be defined to be AI friendly so that the protocol can adapt to the combination of radio, device and application state to determine how best to serve the traffic. This changes how the function operates to incorporate AI.

What are the expected benefits of 6G over 5G in terms of speed, latency, and connectivity?

6G will not just be designed to achieve higher speed and lower latency, but it will also focus on bringing significant efficiency enhancements to capacity, coverage, energy consumption, and deployment cost. Additionally, 6G will focus on enabling faster deployment of new services and growing the surface area of operator opportunities. The focus will be driven by use cases to create new value for the broader wireless ecosystem and society.

How will 6G technology influence the development of IoT and generative AI technologies?

6G will bring an integrated design for eMBB and IoT with shared objectives of enhanced connectivity, extended coverage, added functionalities such as positioning and sensing that allow the devices to interact more effectively with their environment, and add more use cases of IoT. Ambient IoT, which will operate without batteries using energy harvesting techniques, will help proliferate low cost IoT sensors and further integrate the physical and digital worlds. Networks and devices will support real-time AI processing and decision-making at the edge, creating value for IoT applications independent of centralized cloud systems.

How is Qualcomm contributing to the research and development of 6G technology?

Qualcomm has a storied heritage in wireless technology, including groundbreaking innovations in 5G technologies. We are building on a strong foundation to advance connectivity across all technologies including 5G Advanced, 6G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more. We are leading the ecosystem in technology research and development, working closely with industry technology leaders such as mobile operators, OEMs, and academia to bring future innovations to life.

How do you envision the future of mobile communication evolving with the advent of 6G?

The future of mobile communication with the advent of 6G is envisioned as a continuum that builds upon the advancements of 5G, focusing on integrating AI into networks and devices. 6G aims to enhance the efficiency and economics of existing and new use cases in the 2030s, such as multi-device plans, fixed wireless services, AR glasses, self-driving cars and elderly-care service robots. The evolution will also involve integrated sensing and communication, enabling new solutions like digital twins and RF sensing. Additionally, 6G will leverage existing infrastructure to provide cost-effective upgrades in existing spectrum on uplink performance and edge data processing, as well as add significant capacity in new spectrum.

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Your Roku device is getting a free, high-definition upgrade for the holidays

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• Roku City is a colorful screensaver featured on Roku devices
• It's had its resolution increased to HD
• Another free Roku upgrade

Roku City, the animated screensaver featured on Roku devices, is getting several graphical upgrades and advancements, with the free update set to roll out this week.

Roku City has first and foremost been upgraded to Full HD 1080p resolution, after spending 6 years since its release in 2018 at 720p resolution. Roku City will also show an expanded color palette for an even brighter display.

There are also new Easter Eggs and visuals featured within the scene itself, including a new train station and interactive billboards where users can learn about Roku's content and channels.

More free updates

Roku is one of the best streaming devices for offering free upgrades to its smart TV platform, with a 24/7 sports channel launched earlier this year, a free weekly trivia game and a visual upgrade in Backdrops which was introduced to the Roku Pro Series lineup, some of the best TVs on the market. Backdrops displays artwork and photos on the TV's screen in a similar style to Samsung's The Frame TVs.

Even though 2024 has been a year where Roku has introduced or hinted at the arrival of ads to its platform, whether that's Instagram-style ads or video ads, it's nice to see the company trying to make up for that with constant free updates, something other smart TV platforms and brands don't often provide.

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British startup launches low-power RISC-V processor design to address the twin problems of memory and energy; promises up to 50% faster calculation speeds

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• Blueshift’s BlueFive RISC-V processor addresses Memory and Energy Walls
• BlueFive claims faster calculations, lower energy use via data optimization
• Validated design integrates memory controller, CPU for better efficiency

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Blueshift Memory has introduced a new RISC-V processor reference design intended to tackle twin computing challenges: the Memory Wall, caused by slower memory access compared to processors, and the Energy Wall, driven by the rising energy costs of data movement.

The UK-based firm claims its BlueFive processor can deliver 5 to 50 times faster calculation speeds, depending on the application and programming language, while reducing energy consumption by 50% to 65% through minimized data movement.

Blueshift’s processor is built on an open-source RISC-V core from the OpenHW Group and integrates its proprietary Yonder smart cache and BlueBlaze intelligent memory controller. The company says this combination eliminates memory-to-CPU latency, accelerates calculations, and reduces energy usage.

Validated design

“The hardware was initially created under our successful Innovation UK Smart grant project, and it has since been refined as a reference design for a standalone processor,” said Peter Marosan, founder and CTO of Blueshift Memory. “We are creating the software environment for this CPU with TensorFlow, Redis and C/C++ libraries, which will also make it accessible for Python.”

Blueshift says that the design has been validated in FPGA using the STREAM benchmark and tested with real-world applications, including computer vision AI and the Redis in-memory database.

The company says its non-Von Neumann architecture performs best when integrated into both memory and CPU.

“Our design is already validated on hardware, unlike other CPU solutions that aim to accelerate calculation, or offer only simulated results. It specifically addresses the Memory Wall - the fundamental problem that memory technology has fallen behind processor advances, and is holding back progress,” said Helen Duncan, CEO of Blueshift.

“We are already working with a commercial partner who will be a channel for our RISC-V solution. We are additionally making this reference design available for other customers to use, to create their own high-efficiency CPU designs.”

“We are collaborating with a manufacturer in SE Asia as well, to create a Blueshift Memory-enabled high bandwidth memory chip, and we will make a further announcement about this very soon,” Marosan added.

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Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads are down or failing - here's what you need to know

Instagram, Threads, Meta, and WhatsApp, virtually, all of Meta's main services suffered outage on Wednesday afternoon. While none of the platforms appeared to return 500 errors, many stopped updating and refused to accept posts.

Down Detector shows a massive increase in outage reports for all the services starting at about noon ET. Since then, they've slowly but by no means completely, recovered. Other unrelated sites and services, according to Down Detector, also appeared to be struggling at the same time, including Amazon's AWS service which backs many of the popular sites and services throughout the Internet.

On Threads, we couldn't upload images or refresh our feeds. On Instagram, notifications are empty.

We've contacted Meta for comment and will update this live blog with its response.

(Image credit: Future)

AWS have a role here

As we mentioned, AWS, at least according to Down Detector, was also struggling in the early afternoon. Since we've heard whispers of other services outside the Meta's orbit also struggling, this might be a bigger issue than one company's servers. AWS serves countless websites and online services.

(Image credit: Future)

How it started

We first noticed the outage on Threads where the platform began rejecting image uploads. Soon, the feeds started disappearing.

Subsequent checks of Instagram and Facebook showed similar instabilities.

In case you didn't know, Threads is owned by Instagram, which is also owned by Meta. The upstart social media platform has grown quickly over the last 16 months and has been remarkably stable. In recent months, its biggest challenge has come not from infrastructure but from Bluesky, which while slightly older than Threads recently rose to prominence during a mass exodus from X (formerly Twitter). For what it's worth, Bluesky and X appear unaffected by any larger Internet issues.

(Image credit: Future)

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Should you ditch unencrypted messaging apps? Here's what the experts say about the FBI's warning

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• The FBI has warned Americans to use encrypted messaging apps
• Advice comes in the wake of a cyberattack targeting US telecoms
• Encrypted messages are only as secure as the device receiving them

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Tl;DR What should you use?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / AdemAY)

WhatsApp, Signal and Facebook Messenger all offer end-to-end encryption. If you're on iOS and chatting to people on Apple devices, Messages and FaceTime are safe, but aren't encrypted when talking to non-Apple devices. Regular SMS messages aren't encrypted, and RCS encryption is dependent on who you're talking to.

In the wake of a massive cyberattack against US telecoms operators, the FBI has urged Americans to use encrypted messaging apps to keep their mobile communications secure. But why does that matter?

The warning comes after one of the largest intelligence breaches in US history. Salt Typhoon, a group linked to China, used a new backdoor malware to hack network operators including AT&T and Verizon, spying on the activity of their customers.

Operational from as early as 2022, Salt Typhoon targets government agencies, political figures and key industries in the US. What’s concerning about this latest attack is its scale and severity.

It targeted flaws in cybersecurity products, such as firewalls and VPNs, as well as backdoors used by law enforcement agencies to monitor foreign targets and enforce telephone wiretaps. According to the FBI, once the hackers had compromised these networks, they were able to deploy further malware and gather information, including the contents of phone calls and text messages.

It’s because of this that the FBI has recommended that Americans switch to the best encrypted apps to protect their communications. But what does that actually mean and will encrypted messaging really keep you safe from cybercriminals? Here’s what the experts suggest.

What do the experts say?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / AdemAY)

In a briefing to reporters, Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), compelled US citizens to use encryption.

“Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or if you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication,” said Greene. “Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible.”

The advice was welcomed by privacy experts, who have long advocated for wider use of encrypted communication systems.

Greg Nojeim, a Senior Counsel and Director of the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, commented: “If anti-encryption advocates had their way, the United States would now be defenseless to this type of mass snooping from a foreign power.”

What the FBI advice doesn’t address is that the Salt Typhoon hack exploited backdoors put in place to allow law enforcement agencies to obtain communication data from suspected criminals.

Cybersecurity experts have long warned that any backdoor access, even if put in place with good intentions, is at risk of being used for nefarious purposes.

Writing in The Conversation, Richard Forno, Assistant Director at the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, said: “It’s somewhat ironic that one of the countermeasures recommended by the government to guard against Salt Typhoon spying is to use strongly encrypted services for phone calls and text messages – encryption capabilities that it has spent decades trying to undermine so that only “the good guys” can use it.”

What should you do?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tero Vesalainen)

According to Forno: “If you want to increase your security and privacy a bit, consider using end-to-end encrypted messaging services like Signal, FaceTime or Messages.”

End-to-end encryption adds an important layer of security to your digital conversations. In simple terms, it scrambles your messaging data into a form that’s unreadable if accessed by a third-party. The contents can only be unscrambled with the key – and only the sender and receiver have that key.

There’s a good chance you’re already using a messaging service which features end-to-end encryption. Apps such WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram are all end-to-end encrypted, as are Google Messages and Apple iMessage.

These options are much more secure than SMS and RCS: because these are unencrypted messaging protocols, they can be easily read if intercepted by cybercriminals.

While end-to-end encryption is important, it isn’t the quite the total solution that the FBI seems to suggest. Because the key to your encrypted messages is held on your device, anyone who can access that device will be able to decrypt and read your messages.

That’s why it’s also important to follow a few fundamental steps to secure your smartphone and other devices. These include keeping your devices updated with the latest software versions. You should also use a strong password as another line of defence against data breaches. To help you, you can use one of the best password generators.

“Make sure you’re not using default or easily guessed passwords on your devices,” advises Forno. “And consider using two-factor authentication to further strengthen the security of any critical internet accounts.”

Two-factor authentication means that anyone trying to access your account will have to fulfil a second layer of security, such as providing a code sent by email.

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This NAS drive takes up to 12 SSDs and looks like a PS4 gaming console; but Asustor Flashstor Gen 2 is not cheap, and a dozen 8TB SSDs will cost more than $8,000

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• Asustor Flashstor Gen 2 supports up to 12 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs
• Powered by AMD Ryzen CPU, expandable DDR5 memory to 64GB
• Dual 10GbE ports, USB4, ideal for demanding storage tasks

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Asustor, a subsidiary of Asus, has launched its second generation Flashstor NAS series, offering high-performance, SSD-focused storage.

The line is made up of the Flashstor 6 Gen 2 (AS6806X) and Flashstor 12 Pro Gen 2 (FS6812X), which support up to six and twelve M.2 NVMe SSDs, respectively, with compatibility for PCIe 4.0 x4 to deliver ultra-fast data transfer speeds.

Both models are powered by an AMD Quad-Core 6nm Ryzen Embedded V3C14 processor, an upgrade from the previous generation’s Intel Celeron N5105 CPUs (check out our review of the Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712X from 2023 here).

Not cheap

The Flashstor 12 Pro Gen 2 comes with 16GB of DDR5-4800 ECC memory, expandable up to 64GB, while the Flashstor 6 Gen 2 includes 8GB of memory, also expandable. The devices are well-suited for resource-intensive tasks such as 4K video editing and content creation.

The Flashstor 12 Pro Gen 2 offers dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, whereas the Flashstor 6 Gen 2 is equipped with a single 10-Gigabit Ethernet port. Both models support SMB Multichannel, allowing for faster-than-standard 10GbE data transfers. The devices feature two USB 4.0 (Type-C) ports and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A) ports, providing high-speed external connections and compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 devices.

Equipped with advanced cooling systems, both models use silent fans to maintain optimal performance under heavy workloads while keeping noise levels low.

The NAS supports a range of applications, including VPN servers, media servers, mail servers, and cloud backups. It also accommodates up to 4,096 users across 512 groups, so it’s a good choice for teams needing simultaneous file access.

The Flashstor Gen 2 series features a compact design reminiscent of a PlayStation 4, but it doesn’t sharing its pricing with the beloved console. On Amazon, the Flashstor 6 Gen 2 is listed at $999, while the 12-bay Flashstor 12 Pro Gen 2 is priced at $1,399.

Getting the most from the 12-bay model and outfitting it with a dozen 8TB SSDs will ramp up the cost significantly, potentially exceeding $8,000. This high-end setup is clearly aimed at professionals and enthusiasts who require cutting-edge storage capabilities and are willing to pay for it.

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Amazon teams up with Samsung rival to design and build bespoke next generation tech that will help AWS pull ahead in the hyperscaler race

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• Tenstorrent positions itself as a viable alternative to Nvidia
• Startup plans to ramp up hiring for engineering roles following new funding
• Interoperability is a key appeal for Tenstorrent

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AI chip startup Tenstorrent has secured $700 million in funding as part of an investment round valuing the company at $2.6 billion.

The investment, led by AFW Partners and Samsung Securities, also included funding pledges LG Electronics, Fidelity, and Bezos Expeditions, the venture capital firm launched by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

The company says this funding will play a key role in enabling it to expand headcount, further develop supply chain capabilities, and build AI training servers to showcase its technologies.

Major expansion

Tenstorrent specializes in developing powerful, cost-efficient chips aimed specifically for use in AI development. Notably, the company uses open source technology in its development, enabling it to swerve pricey high-bandwidth memory (HBM) currently used by Nvidia.

Similarly, it also focuses heavily on interoperability with other providers, and has been a vocal proponent of the open-standard RISC-V processor architecture.

It's this aspect of the firm's operations which makes the Santa Clara-headquartered firm an appealing alternative to Nvidia, according to CEO Jim Keller.

“You can’t beat Nvidia if you use HBM, because Nvidia buys the most HBM and has a cost advantage. But they’ll never be able to bring the price down the way HBM is built into their products and their sockets,” Keller said in a statement.

Enterprises have been making efforts to seek alternatives to Nvidia in recent years amidst its meteoric rise to prominence in the global tech industry, and Tenstorrent is one of a number aiming to fill that void.

In March 2024, Toronto-based AI chip startup Taalas secured $50 million in funding – again with the aim of challenging the GPU-centricity of the industry created by Nvidia's dominance.

While Tenstorrent is still a relatively young firm, it’s already secured around $150 million in contracts and is scaling significantly.

The company’s first chips to hit the market were manufactured as part of a deal with GlobalFoundries. The launch of Grayskull, Tenstorrent’s RISC-V alternative, was designed to be far easier to program and scale.

Future chip series will be built through a deal with TSMC and Samsung. This includes development of a 2nm AI Accelerator, but exact details on release dates are yet to be determined.

Long-term, the company intends to release a new AI processor every year.

Via Bloomberg

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Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 winners announced – here are the hilarious winning images

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• 10th year of the awards sees a record 9,000+ entries
• 45 shortlisted finalists on display in Gallery@Oxo in London, 11-15 December
• Italian photographer Milko Marchetti scoops top award

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The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 has unveiled this year's winners, selected from over 9,000 images of animals captured in a variety of entertaining situations and expressions – the most in the contest's 10-year history. Italian photographer Milko Marchetti scooped the overall winner award with their perfectly-timed image of a red squirrel seemingly stuck in a tree (see below).

Milko wins a safari trip to the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, while Nikon's Young photographer category winner, Kingston Tam, walks away with a Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera and 24-120mm zoom lens for their closeup image of a frog.

There were 45 shortlisted finalists in all, and TechRadar got to see the images at the awards evening in London. The exhibition runs from 11-15 December in the Gallery@Oxo in London, and entry is free.

If you're not in or visiting the UK, all of 2024's finalists can be seen on the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards website, and you'll find the category award winners below – try not to smile!

Overall winner – Milko Marchetti

Stuck squirrel, Milko Marchetti. (Image credit: © Milko Marchetti)

Milko's photograph of a red squirrel was taken in 2022 in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo, Ravenna, Italy. Milko uses a hide during the months that the park is closed to the public – his access is granted in exchange for his photos. Sitings of such squirrels are generally rare in Italy, but in the park they are more confident.

Milko says, “Nature photography has been my passion, ever since I was a boy, and I’ve always put all my free time and energy into it. I think that nature offers so much beauty and variety, and with a camera, the photographer has this ability, this superpower to freeze a moment and make it last forever in the form of a photograph. The emotion I experience at the moment when I click the camera button is pure adrenaline, and my hope is always to be able to convey at least one natural emotion through my photography. It seems it really worked this time!”

Category winners

Nikon young photographer category winner – Kingston Tam

Awkward smiley frog, Kingston Tam (Image credit: © Kingston Tam)

People's choice category winner – Tapani Linnanmäki

Shake ruffle rattle and roll, Tapani Linnanmäki (Image credit: © Tapani Linnanmaki)

Insect category winner – Jose Miguel Gallego Molina

Mantis Flamenca, Jose Miguel Gallego Molina (Image credit: © Jose Miguel Gallego Molina)

Reptile category winner – Eberhard Ehmke

Frog in a balloon, Eberhard Ehmke (Image credit: © Eberhard Ehmke)

Bird category winner – Damyan Petkov

Whiskered Tern crash on landing, Damyan Petkov (Image credit: © Damyan Petkov)

Fish & other aquatic animal category winner – Przemyslaw Jakubczyk

Unexpected role swap, Przemyslaw Jakubczyk (Image credit: © Przemyslaw Jakubczyk)

Nikon junior photographer category winner – Sarthak Ranganadhan

Smooching owlets, Sarthak Ranganadhan (Image credit: © Sarthak Ranganadhan)

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Analog AI chip startup wants to achieve 1 POPS per Watt: 1000 TOPS/W is 'within reach' says firm co-founder as he looks to analog-first Gigabit-sized SLMs

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• Blumind debuts ultra-efficient analog AI chip, achieving 10 nJ/inference
• Targeting wearables, healthcare, automotive, and always-on AI
• Scaling for larger models, aiming for 1000 TOPS/W performance

---

Blumind, an analog AI chip startup, has showcased a chip designed for low-power applications achieving an impressive 10 nJ per inference, setting the stage for the company’s ambition to scale analog computing to new heights.

The company showed off its test silicon for ultra-efficient keyword spotting chip at Electronica 2024, where co-founder Niraj Mathur told EE Times, “What’s been particularly gratifying is that over the last year, there’s been more pull than us pushing."

"People have been coming to us specifically asking for analog AI solutions because they believe something new needs to happen.”

1000 TOPS/W is within reach

Blumind has already seen interest from wearable, automotive, and healthcare sectors. One of the examples the company gave was for a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) capable of analyzing road conditions.

The customer needed this to offer, “extreme power efficiency because it’s sitting in the tire, it’s got to last the lifetime of the tire, you don’t want to open up the tire to change the battery,” Mathur explained. Another potential use involved detecting heart signals through a pacemaker sensor powered by energy harvested from muscle movement, requiring only a few hundred nanoWatts of power.

The startup’s first product, an analog keyword spotting chip, is set for volume production in 2025. It will be available as both a standalone chip and a chiplet that integrates into microcontroller unit packages. “Chiplets are the other avenue of integration for our customers,” Mathur said in his interview with EE Times. This approach allows Blumind’s technology to complement fully programmable MCUs, focusing on always-on AI tasks.

Looking ahead, Blumind aims to scale its analog architecture for applications requiring much larger models, such as vision CNNs and eventually gigabit-sized small language models (SLMs). Mathur said the company’s goal of achieving 1000 TOPS/W is within reach, emphasizing the potential of analog-first, multi-die solutions.

Despite his company’s ambitious roadmap, Mathur stressed the importance of a pragmatic approach. “No-one has really brought analog compute to high volume production and delivered on its promise. We want to be the first to do that, but we want to walk before we try and run,” he said.

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QR codes can be used to crack this vital browser security tool

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• Browser isolation runs all scripts in a remote, or virtual environment, but QR codes still make it through
• If a device is infected with malware, it can get commands via QR codes, rendering browser isolation useless
• The method works, but has its limitations

---

Cybersecurity researchers from Mandiant claim to have discovered a new way to get malware to communicate with its C2 servers through the browser, even when the browser is isolated in a sandbox.

There is a relatively new method of protecting web-borne cyberattacks, called “browser isolation”. It makes the victim’s browser communicate with another browser, located in a cloud environment, or a virtual machine. Whatever commands the victim inputs are relayed to the remote browser, and all they get in return is the visual rendering of the page. Code, scripts, commands, all get executed on the remote device.

One can think of it as browsing through the lens of a phone’s camera.

Limits and drawbacks

But now, Mandiant believes that C2 servers (command & control) can still talk to the malware on the infected device, regardless of the inability to run code through the browser, and that is - via QR codes. If a computer is infected, the malware can read the pixels rendered on the screen, and if they’re a QR code, that is enough to get the program to run different actions.

Mandiant prepared a proof-of-concept (PoC) showing how the method works on the latest version of Google Chrome, sending the malware through Cobalt Strike’s External C2 feature.

The method works, but it’s far from ideal, the researchers added. Since the data stream is limited to a maximum of 2,189 bytes, and since there is a roughly 5-second latency, the method cannot be used to send large payloads, or facilitate SOCKS proxying. Furthermore, additional security measures such as URL scanning, or data loss prevention, may render this method completely useless.

Still, there are ways the method could be abused to run destructive malware attacks. Therefore, IT teams are advised to still keep an eye on the flow of traffic, especially from headless browsers running in automation mode.

Via BleepingComputer

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Everything you need to know about Micron’s “game-changer” 6550 ION SSD

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• Micron describes its new SSD as an industry "game-changer"
• Launch marks the first SSD boasting a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface
• The 6550 ION matches performance with energy efficiency

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Micron recently unveiled the 6550 ION SSD, marking the launch of the industry’s first 60TB storage device featuring a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface.

In an announcement, the firm revealed the new SSD is catered specifically to handle bulky applications as well as AI training and inference workloads.

Speaking at the time, Alvaro Toledo, vice president and general manager of Micron’s data center storage group, said the drive boasts extreme performance and capacity alongside industry-leading energy efficiency, calling it, "a game-changer for high-capacity storage solutions to address the insatiable capacity and power demands of AI workloads."

Micron has been highly vocal about the capabilities of the new ION SSD, so here’s everything you need to know about the 6550 ION SSD.

Under the hood of the 6550 ION SSD

As mentioned by Toledo, the new drive comes in an E3.S form-factor, meaning it offers “best-inclass” storage density and boasts 232 active layers. According to Micron, this significantly reduces rack storage requirements by up to 67%.

The 6550 also provides users with read and write speeds of 12GB/s despite operating on just 20 watts of power. This, the company noted, makes it 20% more energy efficient than comparable drives currently available in the market.

Micron said users do have the option to operate the drive at 25 watts, but this will only be utilized by a small portion of customers.

Compared to competing 60TB drives, the company also highlighted a number of key advantages, including:

• 179% faster sequential reads and 179% higher read bandwidth per watt
• 80% improved random reads and 99% higher read IOPS per watt
• 150% faster sequential writes and 213% higher write bandwidth per watt

With power efficiency a key talking point in the new SSD, the company revealed it also relies upon active state power management (ASPM), meaning the 6550 ION only consumes 4 watts in low-power modes. Micron added that the drive also offers 20% improved idle efficiency compared to others on the market.

Performance built for AI workloads

A key aspect of the 6550 ION is its ability to run AI workloads, according to Micron.

The drive boasts a 147% higher performance for NVIDIA® Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage (GDS) compared to competing models while also offering 104% better energy efficiency in this regard.

Similarly, with 30% higher efficiency in deep learning Unet3D testing and a 151% improvement in completion times for AI model checkpointing, the SSD provides enterprises with a powerful piece of hardware tailor made for the AI era.

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This French DNA data startup wants to store all of humanity's data in something as small as a data center rack

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• Biomemory's DNA-based solutions address data storage issues
• DNA storage is compact, durable, environmentally friendly
• $18M funding supports product development and industry partnerships

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Biomemory, a French startup established in 2021, has long been working to develop DNA-based data storage technology.

It was the first company to make a DNA storage device available to the general public, marking an early step in commercializing this technology. Biomemory's approach involves encoding digital data within synthesized DNA strands by translating the DNA bases - A, C, G, and T - into binary code. Data can then be retrieved by sequencing the DNA and converting it back into binary.

DNA storage is viewed as a potential solution to the growing global demand for storage, driven by increasing data generation. It is estimated that by 2025, humanity will produce 175 zettabytes of data, a figure that challenges the capacity and sustainability of existing storage methods. DNA’s compact and durable nature offers an alternative that could reduce spatial and environmental footprints while providing long-term stability.

Funding secured

A number of startups have entered the DNA storage space in recent years, including Catalog, Ansa Biotechnologies, and Iridia in the United States, as well as Helixworks, DNA Script, and BioSistemika in Europe. Biomemory is focusing on creating end-to-end solutions for data centers, using bio-sourced DNA fragments that are designed to last for thousands of years without requiring energy for maintenance.

To further its efforts, Biomemory recently secured $18 million in Series A funding.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for Biomemory and the future of data storage,” said Erfane Arwani, CEO and Co-founder of the startup. “With our DNA storage technology, we’re not just addressing today’s data challenges - we’re building solutions that will sustain the ecosystem for the next century and beyond. By sharing this value with our partners and collaborators, we aim to collectively advance the sector and foster a thriving data storage ecosystem.”

Biomemory intends to use the funds to develop its first-generation data storage appliance, optimize biotech processes, and quicken commercialization. Additional goals include forming partnerships with industry players and cloud providers and recruiting experts in molecular biology and engineering.

The technology offers the potential to store all of humanity’s data in a single data center rack and Biomemory plans to scale its molecular storage solutions to exabyte capacity by 2030, listing sustainability and durability as its key priorities.

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Get the best tech gifts for less at Back Market

What's better than giving great gifts? Giving great gifts that you got for a great price. And that's what Back Market brings you this festive season. Whether you're looking for a stunning smartphone, a set of headphones, a PlayStation, a PC, a Nintendo Switch or a smartwatch, you can get them all for exceptionally low prices at Back Market.

How low? Up to 50% off new prices in the UK, and up to 70% in the US. So whether you're buying for friends, family or for yourself, there's never been a better way to fill up Santa's sleigh with gifts – and prices – that slay.

Serious savings on tempting tech gifts

If you're buying for young family or the young at heart, Nintendo's Switch is guaranteed to delight gamers of every stripe. It's down to just $157.24 in the US and £157 in the UK, with the standard Switch down to just $239 in the US and £249.98 in the UK.

The Switch OLED 64GB is just $270 compared to $349 new; in the UK it's down from £314.99 to just £252. And there are some fantastic deals on consoles too. The PlayStation 5 is down from £479.99 to just £350 in the UK, and in the US it's down to $419.

If you're buying for a student, for your own studies or for your creative projects you probably know that Macs are brilliant buys – but they're usually very expensive too. Not at Back Market. The astonishingly fast M2 MacBook Air 13" with a massive 1TB of storage is just $965, down from $1,899. And the M3 13" is down from $1,299 to just $999. In the UK, the M1 MacBook Air 13" is down from £999 to an incredible £496.65.

There's more good news. Those prices don't include trade-ins, which are available on many items and which bring the price you pay down even more.

(Image credit: Back Market)

Big bass for low, low prices

If you're looking for the perfect present for a music fan, nothing beats Beats headphones – and nothing beats Back Market's prices on Beats headphones such as the brilliant Beats Studio3 wireless headphones. They're down from $349 to $147.49. In the UK, where they cost even more to buy new, the discount is bigger still: instead of £599 new, you can pick up a pair of Studio 3 for just £199.99. And there are lots more headphone and earbuds deals where they came from, for customers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Beautiful prices on beauty and grooming gadgets

Back Market has some brilliant beauty buys, such as the Wazor professional 1875W hair dryer; that's reduced from £99 to a much happier £25. The Remington AS7051 Styling Brush is down from £69.99 to just £22. And there are great deals on a wide range of hair dryers and styling tools, such as the Shark HD440 Curling Iron – down from £289 to £230 – and the GHD Helios hair dryer, £145 compared to £170 new.

There are plenty of grooming tools for beards and stubble too. Remington electric shavers are down from £60 to £29.99, Panasonic's smart ER-GB42 electronic shaver is just £31 compared to £99 new, and the Remington HC4255 shaver is down from £91.06 to just £38.99. And if you want to cleanly and effectively remove body hair there are tons of options including Braun's clever Silk-épil 5 5-820 epilator, shaver and bikini line kit. That's usually £156.04 but at Back Market it's just £85 – and once again you can trade in existing health and beauty products to get the price down even further.

(Image credit: Back Market)

Home is where the heart is

For UK shoppers, Back Market also delivers great deals on practical presents. There are some absolutely eye-popping discounts on coffee machines such as the fantastic Sage The Barista Express Impress, winner of multiple rave reviews: that's down from £729.95 to just £469.99.

And if you fancy treating yourself to the gift of time you can get great prices on powerful, speedy vacuum cleaners such as the Henry HVR2000-11, down from £154 to £114, and the Shark cordless stick IZ202U, with a whopping £250 off the new price. That's down to just £250.

We're barely scratching the surface of the deals you can find on Back Market for everything from air fryers to hair dryers. It's a fantastic place to shop this festive season, and all year round.

Why Back Market is better

Back Market is the leading global marketplace for refurbished electronics, devices and accessories. And it doesn't just save you money. It helps cut your environmental footprint too. When you buy refurbished tech, you're massively reducing the amount of water, energy and raw materials needed to deliver your new-to-you device.

If you haven't bought refurbished before, we think you'll be impressed. Refurbished gives you all the benefits of buying pre-loved – but without the risks of receiving a locked phone, a dead battery or a dodgy history. Any faults have already been spotted and sorted, with the device getting a full inspection by industry professionals before it's sent on to you. Not only that, but you also get a 30-day return policy and a year's warranty for extra piece of mind.

When you see the huge savings you can get on Back Market we think you'll be an instant fan. And there's another reason to love buying refurbished: you can buy with a clean conscience. When you buy refurbished, you're getting a device with up to 92% fewer CO2 emissions than the same product sold new.

(Image credit: Back Market)

Save serious sums on great gifts

Whether you're looking for a phone, a PlayStation, headphones or hair clippers, simply browse the Back Market listings until you find the product you'd like for the price you'd like to pay.

Back Market products are classed into categories: Fair, Good, Excellent or for phones, Premium.

No matter what category you choose, every gadget Back Market sells is fully guaranteed and 100% functional. But if you're not too fussed about getting a gadget with a pristine appearance you can save even more cash by opting for Good or Fair. Items marked as Fair may have a few minor cosmetic imperfections and signs of use but the savings are massive. Good ones cost a little more but look great, while Excellent are even better. And if you'd rather get a phone that looks factory-fresh, Premium is the tag for you.

When it comes to making serious savings this festive season, there's only one place to go-ho-ho for great gifts at great prices. Click here to visit Back Market for US shoppers, and click here for Back Market UK.

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North Korean hackers target South Korea with Internet Explorer vulnerabilities to deploy RokRAT malware

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• South Korean citizens were hit with a zero-click malware from the North
• The malware used pop-up ads to install payloads
• Keyloggers and other malicious surveillance software was also installed

---

North Korean state-linked hacker ScarCruft recently conducted a large-scale cyber-espionage campaign using an Internet Explorer zero-day flaw to deploy RokRAT malware, experts have warned.

The group, also known as APT37 or RedEyes, is a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group known for cyber-espionage activities.

This group typically focuses on South Korean human rights activists, defectors, and political entities in Europe.

Internet Explorer Zero-Day flaw exploited

Over the years, ScarCruft has developed a reputation for using advanced techniques such as phishing, watering hole attacks, and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in software to infiltrate systems and steal sensitive information.

Their latest campaign, dubbed "Code on Toast," was revealed in a joint report by South Korea's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and AhnLab (ASEC). This campaign used a unique method involving toast pop-up ads to deliver zero-click malware infections.

The innovative aspect of this campaign lies in how ScarCruft used toast notifications - small pop-up ads displayed by antivirus software or free utility programs - to spread their malware.

ScarCruft compromised a domestic advertising agency’s server in South Korea to push malicious "Toast ads" through a popular but unnamed free software used by many South Koreans.

These malicious ads included a specially crafted iframe that triggered a JavaScript file named ‘ad_toast,’ which executed the Internet Explorer zero-day exploit. By using this zero-click method, ScarCruft was able to silently infect systems without user interaction.

The high-severity vulnerability in Internet Explorer used in this attack is tracked as CVE-2024-38178 and has been given a severity score of 7.5. The flaw exists in Internet Explorer’s JScript9.dll file, part of its Chakra engine, and allows remote code execution if exploited. Despite Internet Explorer’s official retirement in 2022, many of its components remain embedded in Windows or third-party software, making them ripe targets for exploitation.

ScarCruft’s use of the CVE-2024-38178 vulnerability in this campaign is particularly alarming because it closely resembles a previous exploit they used in 2022 for CVE-2022-41128. The only difference in the new attack is an additional three lines of code designed to bypass Microsoft’s earlier security patches.

Once the vulnerability is exploited, ScarCruft delivers RokRAT malware to the infected systems. RokRAT is primarily used to exfiltrate sensitive data with the malware targeting files with specific extensions like .doc, .xls, .ppt, and others, sending them to a Yandex cloud every 30 minutes. In addition to file exfiltration, RokRAT has surveillance capabilities, including keylogging, clipboard monitoring, and screenshot capture every three minutes.

The infection process consists of four stages, with each payload injected into the ‘explorer.exe’ process to evade detection. If popular antivirus tools like Avast or Symantec are found on the system, the malware is instead injected into a random executable from the C:\Windows\system32 folder. Persistence is maintained by placing a final payload, ‘rubyw.exe,’ in the Windows startup and scheduling it to run every four minutes.

Via BleepingComputer

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Valve could be working on a rival to the Nvidia Shield streaming box

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• Valve could be making a streaming box
• Hints found in the Steam Deck code
• No indications of a launch date yet

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It might be five years since the Nvidia Shield last had a refresh – see our Nvidia Shield (2019) review for details – but the device remains one of the best streaming boxes in the business. We're now hearing it may get a new competitor, courtesy of Valve.

As per a Reddit thread analyzing changes to the Steam Deck code (via XDA Developers), it looks as though the software used on the portable console could soon be adapted to run on a streaming box connected to a television.

You'd then have a lightweight, versatile device that could both play games and stream video and audio to the big screen – much like the Nvidia Shield does. This is mostly speculation at this point, but we could definitely see it happening.

There are references in the code to an AMD 8540U processor, though this may only be referring to a prototype device, so the configuration could change. That would certainly offer more power than the current Steam Deck specs.

HDMI and Android

The Valve Steam Deck (Image credit: Valve)

According to the tipster who spotted the code change, extra support for HDMI control is being added – and the changes match some of the code seen on ChromeOS devices, suggesting support for both Android and web apps.

Apart from that, there are no real details about what could be coming. We don't know anything in terms of dimensions or pricing, and there's no indication here about how long it's going to be before the product is announced (if it ever is).

Go all the way back to our Nvidia Shield (2015) review, and you'll see that it's always been an impressively versatile device. It's earned itself a relatively small but loyal group of users, though we haven't seen any signs that we'll ever get a new model.

What we did get a couple of months ago was the first software update for the Nvidia Shield in a year – though it was intended to squash some outstanding bugs on the streaming box, rather than add any new features.

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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, December 8 (game #280)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A timely theme

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SAID
• BLUR
• COAL
• TIDE
• RANG
• LAID

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• On your wrist

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #280) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #280, are…

• FACE
• HANDS
• BEZEL
• CROWN
• LUXURY
• DIGITAL
• ANALOG
• SPANGRAM: WATCHWORDS

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

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Today’s theme was WATCHWORDS and it got me thinking about how much I love my Apple Watch and its many uses, but also a little nostalgic for my old ANALOG timepieces of yesteryear, who had just one job – to tell me the time. Ah, simple, distant days, memory wastes, memory wastes…

In case you think I’m losing my mind, those words are from one of my favorite songs – Cattle and Cane by The Go-Betweens. It includes the evocative line “his father’s watch – he left it in the shower”. It’s about memory, being young and naive and doing thoughtless things like losing a precious belonging in the school bathrooms after gym class. It was released in 1983, but I’m sure anyone listening to it in 2024 would still think the watch in question was some beautiful Omega Seamaster or Rolex Oyster rather than erm a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. I mean you would be sad if you lost that, but you could also wear it in the shower, so it’s unlikely you’d leave it behind.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 7 December, game #279)

• FRIED
• BAKED
• MASHED
• ROASTED
• FONDANT
• SCALLOPED
• SPANGRAM: HOT POTATO

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What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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