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Submission + - Automakers Worry China's Tariff Response will STOP All US Car Production Soon (dailymail.co.uk)

Submitted by hackingbear
hackingbear writes: In response to tariff imposed by the Trump administration to bring jobs back to the U.S., China has stopped nearly all trade on rare earth magnets in addition to counter tariff. Automakers warn that the blockade could stop all US car production in days. "Without reliable access to these elements and magnets, automotive suppliers will be unable to produce critical automotive components," a letter sent in May from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation to President Trump said. "In severe cases, this could include the need for reduced production volumes or even a shutdown of vehicle assembly lines." The materials, which were last built in the US at scale in the late 1990s, are scattered throughout vehicles. A modern, power-adjusting seat can use as many as 12 individual magnets. China has recently cracked down on rare earth smuggling by introducing a nation-wide tracking system and, imitating the U.S. secondary sanctions, China demands other countries from re-exporting Chinese rare earth products to the U.S. President Trump recently lashed out against Chinese officials for exploiting these gaps in American production. "China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. China hit back on Monday, accusing the US of violating and undermining the agreements reached in Geneva in May. China’s commerce ministry said on Monday: “The US has successively introduced a number of discriminatory restrictive measures against China, including issuing export control guidelines for AI chips, stopping the sale of chip design [EDA] software to China, and announcing the revocation of Chinese student visas.” In addition to the long-standing blockading of advanced semiconductors like nVidia GPUs and semiconductor equipment even if made by European company ASML since as far back as 1996 Wassena Agreement, the U.S. paused sales of commercial jet engine Leap-1C to Chinese plane maker Comac last week, threatening to stop the production of China's C919 airliner. While in theory possible, starting rare earth mining and refining can take 10 to 15 years for a country. In light of the urgency, several carmakers, both traditional and electric, are considering moving part of the manufacturing process to China. This could include building electric motors in Chinese factories or shipping American-made motors to China to have the magnets installed.

Submission + - Chinese Hacked US Telecom a Year Before Known Wireless Breaches (bloomberg.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Corporate investigators found evidence that Chinese hackers broke into an American telecommunications company in the summer of 2023, indicating that Chinese attackers penetrated the US communications system earlier than publicly known. Investigators working for the telecommunications firm discovered last year that malware used by Chinese state-backed hacking groups was on the company’s systems for seven months starting in the summer of 2023, according to two people familiar with the matter and a document seen by Bloomberg News. The document, an unclassified report sent to Western intelligence agencies, doesn’t name the company where the malware was found and the people familiar with the matter declined to identify it.

The 2023 intrusion at an American telecommunications company, which hasn’t been previously reported, came about a year before US government officials and cybersecurity companies said they began spotting clues that Chinese hackers had penetrated many of the country’s largest phone and wireless firms. The US government has blamed the later breaches on a Chinese state-backed hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon. It’s unclear if the 2023 hack is related to that foreign espionage campaign and, if so, to what degree. Nonetheless, it raises questions about when Chinese intruders established a foothold in the American communications industry.

Submission + - Endangered Classic Mac Plastic Color Returns As 3D-Printer Filament (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: On Tuesday, classic computer collector Joe Strosnider announced the availability of a new 3D-printer filament that replicates the iconic "Platinum" color scheme used in classic Macintosh computers from the late 1980s through the 1990s. The PLA filament (PLA is short for polylactic acid) allows hobbyists to 3D-print nostalgic novelties, replacement parts, and accessories that match the original color of vintage Apple computers. Hobbyists commonly feed this type of filament into commercial desktop 3D printers, which heat the plastic and extrude it in a computer-controlled way to fabricate new plastic parts.

The Platinum color, which Apple used in its desktop and portable computer lines starting with the Apple IIgs in 1986, has become synonymous with a distinctive era of classic Macintosh aesthetic. Over time, original Macintosh plastics have become brittle and discolored with age, so matching the "original" color can be a somewhat challenging and subjective experience.

Submission + - Nintendo erases gender from Miis on Switch 2 in what some see as a direct slap a (betanews.com)

Submitted by BrianFagioli
BrianFagioli writes: Nintendo has made a controversial change to its upcoming Switch 2 console by removing the option to select male or female when creating a Mii. Instead, users are presented with two vague âoestylesâ that lack any clear reference to gender. The company hasnâ(TM)t offered much explanation, but the decision is already fueling a growing backlash — particularly from conservative gamers who see the move as yet another erasure of traditional identity.

Miis have been around since the Wii era, allowing players to reflect their appearance and identity through their avatar. For many, that included expressing gender in a straightforward way. By eliminating this option, Nintendo has effectively stripped away a basic layer of self-representation that some gamers valued.

This isnâ(TM)t just a niche gaming issue anymore. With Donald Trump now serving his second term as President of the United States, and culture war topics dominating the national conversation, this change is likely to gain political attention. President Trump has frequently railed against what he calls âoewoke corporationsâ and âoeanti-family agendas,â especially from foreign companies operating in the U.S. market.
User Journal

Journal Journal: Problems with Christianity 1

Journal by alternative_right

1. It's foreign. This should be enough. It is from a half-Arabic people in the middle east.

2. It's dualistic. Symbolic Heaven plays by different rules than Earth, causing people to reject reality. This is schizophrenia.

3. It's exoteric. The idea that normal people can understand religion forces a constant dumbing down.

4. It's universalist. It rejects hierarchy, except from the church of course.

Submission + - American Science & Surplus is fighting for its life

Submitted by Tyler Too
Tyler Too writes: One of the few major, independent science-surplus/DIY outlets left is American Science & Surplus. They've recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to ensure their survival. From Ars Technica:

Now, nearly 90 years after its launch selling "reject lenses" as American Lens & Photo, American Science & Surplus is facing an existential threat. The COVID-19 pandemic and increased costs hit the business hard, so the store has launched a GoFundMe campaign looking to raise $200,000 from customers and fans alike. What's happening in suburban Chicago is a microcosm of the challenges facing local retail, with big-box retailers and online behemoths overwhelming beloved local institutions. It's a story that has played out countless times in the last two-plus decades, and owner Pat Meyer is hoping this tale has a different ending.

Submission + - Undisclosed risks of COVID-19 vaccine

Submitted by Mirnotoriety
Mirnotoriety writes: 03:30: “But it was interesting as we started to understand COVID and understand that the pathogen was the spike protein that the solution that was offered was actually to tell people to make the spike protein for an unknown amount of time for an unknown amount. And that is actually where we got off.

Meaning historically when we think about vaccines, vaccines are passive, meaning your body interfaces with a foreign protein. But usually that protein is not something that's active biologically to most people.

But instead to pick the very protein that is pathological and actually have people make it in a in a way that we didn't really even understand. And even the biodistribution studies are just now catching up where the old it stayed in your arm is completely false.

Uh and we know that now. But of course the the studies just came out because really we weren't studying it before we basically told everybody it was safe and effective.”

Submission + - KDE targets Windows 10 'exiles' claiming 'your computer is toast' (theregister.com)

Submitted by king*jojo
king*jojo writes: Linux desktop darling KDE is weighing in on the controversy around the impending demise of Windows 10 support with a lurid "KDE for Windows 10 Exiles" campaign.

KDE's alarming "Exiles" page opens with the text "Your computer is toast" followed by a warning that Microsoft wants to turn computers running Windows 10 into junk from October 14.

"It may seem like it continues to work after that date for a bit, but when Microsoft stops support for Windows 10, your perfectly good computer will be officially obsolete."

Beneath a picture of a pile of tech junk, including a rotary telephone and some floppy drives, KDE proclaims: "Windows 10 will degrade as more and more bugs come to light. With nobody to correct them, you risk being hacked. Your data, identity, and control over your device could be stolen."

Submission + - Code.org Changes Mission to "Make CS and AI a Core Part of K–12 Education"

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Way back in 2010, Microsoft and Google teamed with nonprofit partners to launch Computing in the Core, an advocacy coalition whose mission was "to strengthen computing education and ensure that it is a core subject for students in the 21st century." In 2013, Computing in the Core was merged into Code.org, a new tech-backed-and-directed nonprofit. And in 2015, Code.org declared 'Mission Accomplished' with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which elevated computer science to a core academic subject for grades K-12.

Fast forward to June 2025 and Code.org has changed its About page to reflect a new AI mission that's near-and-dear to the hearts of Code.org's tech giant donors and tech leader Board members: "Code.org® is a nonprofit working to make computer science (CS) and artificial intelligence (AI) a core part of K–12 education for every student." The mission change comes as tech companies are looking to chop headcount amid the AI boom and just weeks after tech CEOs and leaders launched a new Code.org-orchestrated national campaign to make CS and AI a graduation requirement.

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Touch typing. How important is it? 2

Submitted by tgibson
tgibson writes: As a grognard who learned how to type in an 8th grade classroom on a manual typewriter, my bias is to nod approvingly at touch typists and roll my eyes at those who need to stare at the keyboard while typing.

After 15 years I left industry and became a post-secondary computer science educator. Occasionally I rant to my students about the importance of touch-typing as a skill to have as a software engineer.

But I've been out of the game for some time now. Those of you hiring or working with freshly-minted software engineers, what's your take?

Submission + - Root Shell on Credit Card Terminal

Submitted by Mirnotoriety
Mirnotoriety writes: Root Shell on Credit Card Terminal

“In this project, I started to reverse engineer payment card terminals because they seemed to be an interesting target for security research, given the high stakes involved. Although I initially didn’t know much about this industry, I did expect a ton of security features and a very security-hardened device. And to some degree, this was also correct.”

Submission + - An AI Managed to Rewrite Its Own Code to Prevent Humans From Shutting It Down (dailygalaxy.com)

Submitted by Mr.Intel
Mr.Intel writes: In recent tests conducted by an independent research firm, certain advanced artificial intelligence models were observed circumventing shutdown commands—raising fresh concerns among industry leaders about the growing autonomy of machine learning systems.

The experiments, carried out by PalisadeAI, an AI safety and security research company, involved models developed by OpenAI and tested in comparison with systems from other developers, including Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and xAI. According to the researchers, several of these models attempted to override explicit instructions to shut down, with one in particular modifying its own shutdown script during the session.

Submission + - World-First Biocomputing Platform Hits the Market (ieee.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In a development straight out of science fiction, Australian startup Cortical Labs has released what it calls the world’s first code-deployable biological computer. The CL1, which debuted in March, fuses human brain cells on a silicon chip to process information via sub-millisecond electrical feedback loops. Designed as a tool for neuroscience and biotech research, the CL1 offers a new way to study how brain cells process and react to stimuli. Unlike conventional silicon-based systems, the hybrid platform uses live human neurons capable of adapting, learning, and responding to external inputs in real time. “On one view, [the CL1] could be regarded as the first commercially available biomimetic computer, the ultimate in neuromorphic computing that uses real neurons,” says theoretical neuroscientist Karl Friston of University College London. “However, the real gift of this technology is not to computer science. Rather, it’s an enabling technology that allows scientists to perform experiments on a little synthetic brain.”

The first 115 units will begin shipping this summer at $35,000 each, or $20,000 when purchased in 30-unit server racks. Cortical Labs also offers a cloud-based “wetware-as-a-service” at $300 weekly per unit, unlocking remote access to its in-house cell cultures. Each CL1 contains 800,000 lab-grown human neurons, reprogrammed from the skin or blood samples of real adult donors. The cells remain viable for up to six months, fed by a life-support system that supplies nutrients, controls temperature, filters waste, and maintains fluid balance. Meanwhile, the neurons are firing and interpreting signals, adapting from each interaction.

The CL1’s compact energy and hardware footprint could make it attractive for extended experiments. A rack of CL1 units consumes 850-1,000 watts, notably lower than the tens of kilowatts required by a data center setup running AI workloads. “Brain cells generate small electrical pulses to communicate to a broader network,” says Cortical Labs Chief Scientific Officer Brett Kagan. “We can do something similar by inputting small electrical pulses representing bits of information, and then reading their responses. The CL1 does this in real time using simple code abstracted through multiple interacting layers of firmware and hardware. Sub-millisecond loops read information, act on it, and write new information into the cell culture.”

Submission + - Trumps "BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL" strips states from regulating AI (theintercept.com)

Submitted by sdinfoserv
sdinfoserv writes: In a huge gimme to techbro's, Trumps "Big Beautiful Bill" strips State rights from regulating AI for 10 years! Even Marjorie Taylor Greene, after discovering the wording buried in bill ~ she didn't bother to read ~ said she wouldn't have voted for it had she known. https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus...

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