After an attack on Israel by Hamas on Saturday, Israel declared war and fighting escalated throughout the weekend. As the death toll mounts on both sides and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) prepares an offensive, hacktivists in the region and around the world have joined the fight. Within hours of Hamas militants and rockets entering… Continue reading The Israel-Hamas War Erupts in Digital Chaos
Author: Wired Magazine
The Israel-Hamas War Is Drowning X in Disinformation
Musk deleted his recommendation soon after posting it, but not before it was viewed over 11 million times. Later on Sunday, Musk wrote: “As always, please try to stay as close to the truth as possible, even for stuff you don’t like.” Experts believe that the proliferation of disinformation on X around the Israel-Hamas conflict… Continue reading The Israel-Hamas War Is Drowning X in Disinformation
An Alleged Deepfake of UK Opposition Leader Keir Starmer Shows the Dangers of Fake Audio
As members of the UK’s largest opposition party gathered in Liverpool for their party conference—probably their last before the UK holds a general election—a potentially explosive audio file started circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter. The 25-second recording was posted by an X account with the handle “@Leo_Hutz” that was set up in January… Continue reading An Alleged Deepfake of UK Opposition Leader Keir Starmer Shows the Dangers of Fake Audio
Israel’s Failure to Stop the Hamas Attack Shows the Danger of Too Much Surveillance
Though details of exactly how the attack happened are still emerging, it seems that oversights related to grappling with this signal-and-noise conundrum played a role. “In retrospect, there was some information, but, like happens in all intelligence failures, it wasn’t given sufficient consideration. It was misunderstood,” says Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security… Continue reading Israel’s Failure to Stop the Hamas Attack Shows the Danger of Too Much Surveillance
12 Best Umbrellas (2023): Windproof, Cheap, Tiny, and Clear Bubble
There are a lot of umbrellas out there, and we’re always testing more. Here are a few others we like that didn’t quite make our list of top picks. ShedRain WalkSafe Reflective Stick Umbrella for $60: This is a simple manual umbrella that opens and closes smoothly, has a circular handle that can hook onto… Continue reading 12 Best Umbrellas (2023): Windproof, Cheap, Tiny, and Clear Bubble
8 Best Baby Carriers (2023): Slings, Wraps, and Packs
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard the term “babywearing.” It’s the practice of carrying your baby constantly, and it’s not just for kangaroos. Carrying your infant or toddler can be more practical and convenient than pushing a stroller—especially if you’re hiking, traveling, or running errands. We’ve tested several baby carriers over the years while… Continue reading 8 Best Baby Carriers (2023): Slings, Wraps, and Packs
23andMe User Data Stolen in Targeted Attack on Ashkenazi Jews
The genetic testing company 23andMe confirmed on Friday that data from a subset of its users has been compromised. The company said its systems were not breached and that attackers gathered the data by guessing the login credentials of a group of users and then scraping more people’s information from a feature known as DNA… Continue reading 23andMe User Data Stolen in Targeted Attack on Ashkenazi Jews
U2’s The Edge on The Sphere’s Opening Night: ‘This Is Definitely Working’
Maybe this would be an amazing app for the Apple headset. I think so. But I find that being isolated in an immersive experience is very, very different than being at a live event. Even watching a concert film at home on your sofa, you want your friends around. How did the Sphere’s 168,000-speaker sound… Continue reading U2’s The Edge on The Sphere’s Opening Night: ‘This Is Definitely Working’
Everybody’s Talking About the Wrong Sam Bankman-Fried Book
Lewis got more access to Sam Bankman-Fried than anyone, but his book doesn’t tell a new story. It’s a perfectly serviceable primer for people who haven’t been following the FTX saga (I’ll probably give it to my dad, and he’ll probably love it), but for readers who have been following this case it’s a familiar… Continue reading Everybody’s Talking About the Wrong Sam Bankman-Fried Book
Chatbot Hallucinations Are Poisoning Web Search
It may be difficult for search engines to automatically detect AI-generated text. But Microsoft could have implemented some basic safeguards, perhaps barring text drawn from chatbot transcripts from becoming a featured snippet or adding warnings that certain results or citations consist of text dreamt up by an algorithm. Griffin added a disclaimer to his blog… Continue reading Chatbot Hallucinations Are Poisoning Web Search