umbrella term for technologies used to handle information and aid communication
Key FactsNew Mexico court orders Meta to pay $25bn
7 hours ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
- The judge wrote that Meta’s misrepresentations about Facebook data were willful and spanned 2010 through 2021.
- Meta intends to appeal; chief lawyer CJ Mahoney said the ruling makes doing business in New Mexico nearly impossible.
- The jury found more than 40 million violations of state law; plaintiffs said roughly two million residents were affected.
- The penalty was reduced from a calculated $219bn to $25bn.
Today's result makes clear that no corporation is too powerful to be held accountable.— Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General, commenting on the ruling against Meta
Meta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico for misleading consumers about data privacy
cbsnews.com/news/meta-new-mexico-25-billion-privacy-ruling/
Meta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica case: Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties related to Cambridge Analytica scandal in ...
cnbc.com/2026/10/21/meta-new-mexico-cambridge-analytica-penalty.html
Key FactsNew Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $25 billion
10 hours ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: businessinsider.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: businessinsider.com
- The case concerned Meta’s handling of user records used by Cambridge Analytica for campaign purposes during the 2016 election.
- New Mexico alleged Facebook misrepresented how much control users had over their data in the app.
- A jury found last month that Meta committed nearly 50 million violations; each can carry a penalty of up to $5,000.
- Meta’s chief legal officer C.J. Mahoney expressed confidence that Meta would win an appeal, while its next step remained unclear.
"Facebook's wrongdoing—over the course of years and systematically broadcast to the public—goes to the heart of Facebook's core business practices."— Judge Francis J. Mathew, in the ruling
Meta strikes deal to keep Zuckerberg in California after wealth tax concerns: Meta Platforms has struck a deal with Mark Zuckerberg to keep him living in ...
reuters.com/business/meta-strikes-deal-keep-zuckerberg-california-after-wealth-tax-concerns-2026-10-22/
Spotify Removes 75 Million Songs Identified as ‘AI-Generated Slop or Spam’: Spotify has removed 50 million songs the streaming service flagged as either spam or ...
rollingstone.com/music/music-news/spotify-removes-50-million-spam-songs-1235645433/
Key FactsSpotify Removes Over 75 Million Spam or Slop Tracks
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rollingstone.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rollingstone.com
- Spotify says it removed more than 75 million releases for serious or repeated violations of its rules.
- The additional filtering of 50 million tracks drew on skipping, ignoring, and listener feedback.
- Spotify says further filtering relies on engagement, upload patterns, metadata, and multiple third-party AI detection tools.
- Some 300,000 artists are verified and receive profile badges; AI Persona music is excluded from recommendations by default unless followed.
A clear pattern emerged: these tracks were consistently ones identified as slop or spam.— Spotify, in a recent newsletter explaining the rationale for removing AI-generated and spammy tracks.
The iPhone Duo is the biggest leap Apple has made in years, and it earns our Editors’ Choice.
It’s thicker and heavier than a standard iPhone ... Show more
CNA 1h
What is PHP and why did it take government websites offline?: Created in the early 1990s, PHP is a computer programming language that helps run an estimated 70 ...
channelnewsasia.com/world/what-php-security-flaw-government-websites-offline-6479621
Key FactsPHP flaws leave European government websites offline
13 hours ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ctvnews.ca
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ctvnews.ca
- PHP runs nearly 70 per cent of websites with an identifiable programming language and underpins WordPress, which powers about 40 per cent of all websites.
- The two flaws were rated 9.2 out of 10; CERT-EU says they enable unauthenticated remote code execution.
- Wordfence warned that standard automatic WordPress updates would not install this PHP patch.
- Calif reported the first flaw, found with OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol model, on August 11; Wiz independently reported a second using AI models on August 24.
rank among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, and arguably in software history.— Wiz (security firm) stated that the findings rank among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, and arguably in software history.
Ukrainians dying because US restricting intelligence sharing, Zelensky adviser tells BBC
bbc.com/news/articles/cmj47yx572z5o
From seamless software integration to small touches like the matte display, the iPhone Duo shows just how intuitive — and fun — a foldable phone can be ... Show more
Elon Musk ordered Starlink slowdown for Ukraine: Report: Musk and President Donald Trump have both recently criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ...
cnbc.com/2026/10/20/trump-musk-starlink-ukraine-zelenskyy.html
Key FactsReport: Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown for Ukraine
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: huffpost.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: huffpost.com
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk personally ordered a slowdown of Starlink’s military-grade version used by Ukraine.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was reportedly blindsided by the sudden slowdown, which made some drones virtually useless.
- Donald Trump previously said neither he nor Musk was involved; Musk also denied involvement and blamed Trump.
- Sources said Musk spoke with senior U.S. officials, including Trump, before the slowdown; Ukraine said Russian missiles could thereby evade defenses.
"Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."— Elon Musk's post on X after news of the slowdown; he stated that any limits on speed or usage are determined by the US military and ultimately the President of the United States.
‼️ Golem.de: IT News for Professionals is unfortunately unavailable at the moment. This is due to technical work being performed on our host’s systems in connection with a PHP update ... Show more
Cloudflare sees millions of exploit attempts after PHP disclosure: Cloud services firm Cloudflare saw millions of exploitation attempts after the public ...
reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/cloudflare-sees-millions-exploit-attempts-after-php-disclosure-2026-10-22/
Microsoft reportedly projects $1,200 to $1,800 price for 2028 Project Helix: Xbox maker is also apparently planning its own gaming handheld for next year.
arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/10/report-microsofts-project-helix-planned-for-2028-at-1200-to-1800-price/
Key FactsReport: Xbox’s Helix Console Could Cost Up to $1,800
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ign.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: ign.com
- According to Fortune, Project Helix could cost $1,200–$1,800, while Microsoft currently targets 2028.
- Microsoft moved Project Helix engineering deadlines forward and, Asha Sharma said, uses AI to address engineering and performance problems.
- Fortune reports that Xbox plans a handheld for holiday 2027; its connection to Helix remains unclear.
- Xbox previously said more Project Helix details would come by year-end 2026, possibly in November around its 25th anniversary.
they won't use “AI for AI’s sake,” and are using it to solve engineering and performance problems.— Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO, told Fortune in an interview about Project Helix
Key FactsMMX spacecraft launches toward Mars moon Phobos
2 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.co.uk
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.co.uk
- The Japan-led MMX mission has launched and could become the first to return a sample from Mars or its moons.
- After its scheduled arrival in August 2027, MMX will study Deimos before deploying a rover on Phobos.
- On Phobos, a robotic arm and two samplers will collect 10 grams of dust; the capsule is due in South Australia in 2031.
- Sample analysis could determine whether the moons formed from Martian material or are captured asteroids.
There hasn't yet been a successful mission to go to Phobos and bring a bit back to Earth.— Prof. Sara Russell, MMX mission deputy for sample analysis, Natural History Museum
Meta sued in Australian class action over alleged social media harm to children: A class-action lawsuit has been filed in an Australian court against Meta ...
reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/meta-sued-australia-class-action-over-alleged-social-media-harm-children-2026-10-22/
While Amazon blocks AI agents, Walmart rolls out the welcome mat: As Amazon blocks AI agents from shopping on its site, Walmart is taking the opposite approach ...
techcrunch.com/2026/10/21/while-amazon-blocks-ai-agents-walmart-rolls-out-the-welcome-mat/
WIRED 4h
Hackers Exploited the PHP Vulnerabilities Days Before They Were Patched: Amazon Web Services logged attempts to leverage the internet-melting PHP2Shell bugs four ...
wired.com/story/hackers-exploited-the-php-vulnerabilities-days-before-they-were-patched/
Anthropic’s answer to Muse is here: Claude Duet, a mobile and desktop AI agent that takes actions proactively
venturebeat.com/technology/anthropics-answer-to-muse-is-here-claude-duet-a-mobile-and-desktop-ai-agent-that-takes-actions-proactively
PHP2Shell: How AI Models Found a Decade-Old Flaw in the Foundation of the Web: For over a decade, a flaw in the foundation of many websites went unnoticed ...
t3n.de/news/php2shell-sicherheitsluecke-php-bsi-warnung-1769356/
techstartups.com 20h
Anthropic posts staggering $80.7 billion net loss in first half of 2026 as IPO approaches - Tech Startups
techstartups.com/2026/10/20/anthropic-posts-staggering-80-7-billion-net-loss-in-first-half-of-2026-as-ipo-approaches/
Data Published Online: AfD Confirms Hacking Attack on Email Accounts: Unidentified individuals have released hundreds of thousands of emails allegedly ...
spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/afd-bestaetigt-hackerangriff-auf-e-mail-konten-a-d4b2543e-1dae-461a-a343-8c14b3b7d2ee
Key FactsUnknown Actors Claim 421,000 AfD Emails Were Published
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stimme.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stimme.de
- The AfD said parts of a few mailboxes, mostly unused for years, were copied in September 2026; current federal-association accounts were unaffected.
- Unknown actors claim to have posted around 421,000 AfD emails from ten accounts, including one belonging to Alexander Gauland.
- The material could not initially be independently verified; the Federal Office for Information Security said it was in contact with the AfD.
- The AfD said the attack was quickly detected and ended; the publication is being reviewed.
We are greatly concerned that, apparently, a very rudimentary AI analyzed the contents of the stolen documents. It was about keywords, not the context.— AfD – statement on request by dpa regarding the handling of the stolen email data
The Internet goes on high alert after discovery of 8 compromised TLS certs: Intermediate certs allow anyone to mint web credentials for any Internet server.
arstechnica.com/security/2026/10/the-internet-goes-on-high-alert-after-discovery-of-8-compromised-tls-certs/
$META is splitting its stock, but the new shares don’t get a vote.
Instead of a traditional split, Meta is giving every shareholder one nonvoting Class C ... Show more
How Elon Musk gained so much power over U.S. security interests: According to reports, Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of Ukraine's Starshield defense systems ...
pbs.org/newshour/show/how-elon-musk-gained-so-much-power-over-u-s-security-interests
Meta’s AI investments had been written off by many as wasteful vanity. Yet the same investors now say Muse, the firm’s new personal agent ... Show more
Agent of whom?
Agent of whom?
President Trump said he called Google Maps and asked to rename the Atlantic Ocean.
“No, no, no. This time I'm not doing it ... oceans are different, sir ... Show more
SpaceX quarterly revenue jumps, mostly from renting out data center capacity: The company’s AI business has compute contracts with Anthropic, Alphabet’s Google ...
nbcnews.com/business/business-news/spacex-quarterly-revenue-jumps-data-center-rcna604655
Macron says world leaders have made 'stupid' comments on France riots based on fake AI videos
france24.com/en/france/20261021-macron-says-world-leaders-have-made-stupid-comments-on-france-riots-based-on-fake-ai-videos
According to media reports, Musk ordered the throttling of Starlink for Ukraine. |
tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/musk-spacelink-drosselung-ukraine-100.html
OpenAI's latest AI models are coming to Google Cloud and Antigravity: Google Cloud will have GPT 6.1 Astra, Sol, and Luna in the coming weeks.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/10/openais-latest-ai-models-are-coming-to-google-cloud-and-antigravity/
Data Privacy Scandal: Facebook Parent Company Meta Ordered to Pay Billions in Fines
tagesschau.de/ausland/meta-cambrigde-skandal-milliardenstrafe-100.html
Musk ordered slowdown of Starlink service used by Ukraine's military - reports: Elon Musk last week ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX’s ...
news24.com/world/musk-ordered-slowdown-of-starlink-service-used-by-ukraines-military-reports-20261021-0562
Rubio Denies U.S. Government Influenced Starlink Restrictions in Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday stressed again the U.S ... Show more
Elon Musk reportedly ordered a slowdown of Starlink’s military-grade satellite service used by Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal ... Show more
https://www.instagram.com/p/DevaCRMDTsP/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/DevaCRMDTsP/?img_index=1
Trump denies ordering Starlink slowdown in Ukraine, says he doesn't know who did: Asked if Elon Musk ordered the slowdown, Trump said, "I don't know who did it ...
cnbc.com/2026/10/21/trump-starlink-ukraine-elon-musk.html
Recursive launches Flint, a laptop coding model it says was largely built by AI: Startup Recursive has released Flint, a free, laptop-sized coding model built ...
techcrunch.com/2026/10/21/recursive-launches-flint-a-laptop-coding-model-it-says-was-largely-built-by-ai/
For the first time, artificial intelligence is a top 10 fear in the U.S.: Many Americans are more scared of AI than a loved one getting sick.
popsci.com/health/top-10-fears-2026-artificial-intelligence/
Anthropic logged net loss of over US$80 billion in first half of 2026: Report: Anthropic logs US$80.7 billion loss as IPO valuation comes under scrutiny amid ...
straitstimes.com/business/anthropic-logged-net-loss-of-over-us80-billion-in-first-half-of-2026-report
Trump announces mandate forcing AI data centers to pay energy dividends to the local community — says excess energy should be given or sold back to prevent ...
tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/trump-announces-mandate-for-data-centers-to-pay-dividends-to-the-local-community-hopes-to-win-more-data-center-supporters-through-dividend-scheme
Meta beat on the top and bottom lines, and the stock is rising on the news.
$META was up after the company reported third quarter revenue of $64 ... Show more
OpinionHow America's AI Trust Issues Could Impact the Midterms: Most American voters "don't trust the leaders of AI companies to make decisions in society's best ...
time.com/article/2026/10/21/how-america-s-ai-trust-issues-could-impact-the-midterms/
PHP warns it plans to release 2 emergency patches imminently: Unconfirmed report claims PHP2Shell exploit remotely executes code on PHP sites.
arstechnica.com/security/2026/10/php-maintainers-tell-web-devs-to-prepare-themselves-for-critical-security-patches/
Canadian apps and government websites go offline to ward off online danger: Several websites around the world, including Government of Canada sites ...
ctvnews.ca/canada/article/canadian-apps-and-government-websites-go-offline-to-ward-off-online-danger/
Brazil: Lula and Bolsonaro want to exclude each other: Shortly before the runoff election in Brazil, the election campaign between Lula and Bolsonaro is ...
tagesschau.de/ausland/amerika/lula-bolsonaro-ausschluss-stichwahl-100.html
Anthropic books colossal $81B loss, warns of data center backlash as Amodei siblings draw modest salaries
nypost.com/2026/10/20/business/anthropic-books-staggering-81b-loss-warns-of-data-center-backlash-as-amodei-siblings-draw-modest-salaries/
Musk pledges a share of his SpaceX company to 'every kid in America'
apnews.com/article/musk-spacex-anthropic-donation-ai-b3312da37a0e340be275295073055e00
Hackers steal children's data after company used 'Password1' for old account: The data watchdog reprimanded Ogi Networks Limited and Data Cymru after the 2024 ...
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6r7y03e9m3ro
Poland says social media firms are ‘silent ally’ of Russia, threatens fines: WARSAW, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Social media platforms are a “silent ally” of Russia in a ...
internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/21/poland-says-social-media-firms-are-silent-ally-of-russia-threatens-fines
When Starshield Cut Out, Ukrainian Drones Fell From the Skies: Ukraine says it still doesn’t know why the military satellite internet service ...
nytimes.com/2026/10/21/world/europe/starshield-starlink-ukraine.html
BBC 15h
Google staff resign in backlash over its AI contracts with military: The BBC speaks to several current and former Google DeepMind employees about their concerns ...
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmreyvepnv0po
Hackers gained access to eleven AfD email accounts, including Alexander Gauland’s. It is the largest data leak in the party’s history ... Show more
New interactive access to NSDAP membership records: Want to chat with the Nazi database? Try it out here
spiegel.de/geschichte/nsdap-kartei-sie-wollen-mit-der-nazi-kartei-chatten-probieren-sie-es-hier-aus-a-7f50cb81-3987-47bc-9072-7788bf95e8db
Malaysia bans civil servants from using mapping app Waze, citing links to Israel
timeslive.co.za/news/sci-tech/2026-10-21-malaysia-bans-civil-servants-from-using-mapping-app-waze-citing-links-to-israel/
Musk says Tesla and SpaceX formed special committees to discuss merger: Live updates
cnbc.com/2026/10/20/spacex-spcx-earnings-live-updates-q3-2026html.html
Key FactsSpaceX Surpasses Third-Quarter Estimates
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: finance.yahoo.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: finance.yahoo.com
- Revenue, earnings per share, and adjusted EBITDA exceeded estimates at $14.58 billion, $0.35, and $8.81 billion.
- Capital expenditures totaled $19.59 billion, including $16.44 billion for AI, with both figures below expectations.
- Starlink was active in 174 markets at quarter-end, added 1.6 million consumers, and reached nearly 14 million subscribers.
- Musk said both companies formed independent committees to discuss a combination, but a merger was not certain.
I think both SpaceX and Tesla have formed special committees to discuss this idea. At the request of shareholders, and these special committees are consist of independent directors. And because I'm a conflicted party, I can't actually be in the discussions of the special committees.— Elon Musk during SpaceX earnings call addressing speculation about a SpaceX-Tesla merger
pcguide.com 15h
Smash Bros and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai says AI usage will lead to unoriginal and “unprofitable” games
pcguide.com/news/smash-bros-and-kirby-creator-masahiro-sakurai-says-ai-usage-will-lead-to-unoriginal-and-unprofitable-games/
Key FactsSakurai expects AI to produce more unoriginal games
15 hours ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: pcguide.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: pcguide.com
- In an interview with Denfaminico Gamer, Sakurai said developers must pursue ideas players do not yet recognize they want.
- When the Game Designers Award was established in 2010, about 275 games launched annually on Steam; today, the figure exceeds 19,000.
- Sakurai expects AI to increase game releases; most could become unprofitable and copy systems already seen elsewhere.
- During the ongoing October 2026 Next Fest, 36% of games carried an AI disclaimer; in Japan, reportedly over 85% of developers use AI.
AI will increase the number of games, but I think most of them will become unprofitable titles.— Masahiro Sakurai, speaking to Denfaminico Gamer (translated) – in an interview about AI in game development