Scammers put fake QR codes on parking meters to intercept parkers’ payments
Fraudulent QR codes on parking meters found in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Enlarge / Image from the City of Austin's warning to ignore QR code stickers on parking meters. (credit: City of Austin) Scammers in a few big Te.....»»
Spinning artificial spider silk into next-generation medical materials
It's almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano have made their own version of fake spider silk, but this one c.....»»
Shoreline access, lack of parking found to be obstacles to shared usage of coastal resources in Rhode Island
There are obstacles when it comes to sharing marine space, infrastructure, and resources in Rhode Island, a recent study found. With the usage of the state's coastal and offshore waters increasing, University of Rhode Island professor of marine affai.....»»
Hackers are leveraging pirated games to spread malware
There's been a rise in fake CAPTCHA tests that are tricking users looking for pirated PC games into installing malware......»»
Our digital 3D models of huge coral reefs could help revive these precious ecosystems
As a team of marine biologists, assessing the health of thousands of square meters of coral reef can be a daunting prospect. Often, we have to monitor some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and there's a strict time limit due to the sa.....»»
Fake AI “podcasters” are reviewing my book and it’s freaking me out
NotebookLM's "Audio Summaries" show a more personable future for AI-generated content......»»
"Pirate birds" force other seabirds to regurgitate fish meals. Their thieving ways could spread lethal avian flu
It's not easy finding food at sea. Seabirds often stay aloft, scanning the churning waters for elusive prey. Most seabirds take fish, squid, or other prey from the first few meters of seawater. Scavenging is common......»»
Physicist reveals tailwind has negligible effect on cycling speed
Within the cycling realm, "to Everest" involves riding up and down the same mountain until your ascents total the elevation of Mt. Everest—8,848 meters......»»
Creator of fake Kamala Harris video Musk boosted sues Calif. over deepfake laws
Online influencer "Mr Reagan" accuses California of bullying humorists. Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto) After California passed laws cracking down on AI-generated deepfakes of election-related content.....»»
Windows users targeted with fake human verification pages delivering malware
For a while now, security researchers have been warning about fake human verification pages tricking Windows users into inadvertently installing malware. A recently exposed campaign showed how some users end up on these pages. Beware of fake human ve.....»»
Popular YouTuber says Apple is lying about the iPhone 16 Pro 48MP camera; Lux disagrees
A popular YouTube channel has described the claimed 48 megapixel resolution of the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera as “absolutely fake.” Professional photographer Tony Northrup says that the true resolution is “around six megapixels.” Sebastiaan.....»»
How digital wallets work, and best practices to use them safely
With the adoption of digital wallets and the increasing embedding of consumer digital payments into daily life, ensuring security measures is essential. According to a McKinsey report, digital payments are now mainstream and continually evolving, bri.....»»
“Dead Internet theory” comes to life with new AI-powered social media app
SocialAI takes the social media "filter bubble" to an extreme with 100% fake interactions. Enlarge (credit: gremlin via Getty Images) For the past few years, a conspiracy theory called "Dead Internet theory" has picked u.....»»
VW, Audi dealers in Ill. file protest over automaker"s changes to warranty work payments
The protest is the latest chapter between VW and Audi dealers in Illinois and VW Group of America regarding warranty work payments......»»
In-car payments for EV charging can ease some reliability issues
Companies are enabling drivers to pay for charging from inside the vehicle......»»
The air quality in Big Bear suddenly reached hazardous levels this week: What happened?
Plumes of smoke from Southern California's fires blew across Big Bear on Sept. 11, causing local air quality meters to return off-the-chart readings for particulate pollution......»»
Exceptional new fish fossil sparks a rethink of how Earth"s geology drives evolution
Coelacanths are deep-sea fish that live off the coasts of southern Africa and Indonesia and can reach up to two meters in length. For a long time, scientists believed they were extinct......»»
How the oceans" most abundant bacteria impact global nutrient flows
If you were to collect all the organisms from the ocean surface down to 200 meters, you'd find that SAR11 bacteria, though invisible to the naked eye, would make up a fifth of the total biomass. These bacteria, also known as Pelagibacterales, have ev.....»»
Unprecedented heat wave on the Tibetan plateau: Study highlights land-atmosphere interactions
Heat waves are generally thought to occur in hot, lowland regions—but what happens when extreme heat strikes the frigid, high-altitude Tibetan Plateau? Is the definition of a heat wave the same at 5,000 meters above sea level as it is in the plains.....»»
Cops lure pedophiles with AI pics of teen girl. Ethical triumph or new disaster?
New Mexico sued Snapchat after using AI to reveal child safety risks. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) Cops are now using AI to generate images of fake kids, which are helping them catch child predators onl.....»»
New quantum error correction method uses "many-hypercube codes" while exhibiting beautiful geometry
In work published in Science Advances, Hayato Goto from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing in Japan has proposed a new quantum error correction approach using what he calls "many-hypercube codes.".....»»