Seven former BioWare employees have filed a lawsuit against the game developer, alleging that they did not receive sufficient severance pay following their layoffs earlier this year. According to local laws, employers are typically required to offer one month of severance pay per year of an employee's service when termination occurs without cause. The former employees, who averaged 14 years each at the studio, claim that BioWare offered them less than required by law and refused negotiations for a higher severance. The employees had reportedly worked on the upcoming RPG "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf." BioWare and its parent company Electronic Arts have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
The Lazarus Group, a cybercrime gang associated with the North Korean government, has been identified as the perpetrator of an attack on a Spanish aerospace firm. This attack utilized a new piece of malware called "LightlessCan." The hackers posed as recruiters from Meta (formerly Facebook) on LinkedIn, offering coding challenges that, when downloaded and printed, triggered a payload and installed the malware. ESET, a cybersecurity firm, believes the goal of the attack was espionage. LightlessCan is an upgraded version of a previously used remote access Trojan known as BlindingCan, featuring 68 commands, although only 43 appear to be implemented. The malware can mimic Windows commands and execute them discreetly, making it harder to detect.
Microsoft's Windows 11 Copilot feature, introduced in the "Moment 4" update, has faced mixed reviews and reports of issues. Users have reported problems with custom tuning profiles for AMD graphics cards being wiped clean after each reboot and compatibility issues with software like Wallpaper Engine from Steam. Additionally, Microsoft has started displaying third-party advertisements via Copilot, raising privacy and user experience concerns. Users who encounter issues with Copilot may consider removing it, but this might not be an option for those in the EU due to a new DMA policy.
A severe vulnerability, CVE-2023-4911, has been discovered in the GNU C Library (glibc), affecting various Linux distributions, including Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and Red Hat Virtualization. The vulnerability allows a local attacker to elevate limited local privileges to full root when launching binaries with SUID permission. While it has been fixed in upstream glibc, many downstream systems require updates to address the issue. Cybersecurity firm Qualys, which identified the vulnerability, warns that it poses a significant threat due to its ubiquity in Linux environments and ease of exploitation.
The spread of AI deepfakes using celebrities' likenesses to promote various products and scams is raising concerns about the ethical and legal implications of AI in the media and entertainment industry. Celebrities like Tom Hanks, Gayle King, and MrBeast have recently warned their followers about unauthorized AI-generated videos featuring their likenesses. These deepfakes often manipulate existing footage to match AI-generated voice clones. The rise of convincing deepfakes could undermine trust and the reliability of communication technologies, making it essential for companies, regulators, and social media platforms to address this issue. Approaches such as watermarking and increased moderation efforts are being considered. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains uncertain.
GitHub has partnered with the funding platform Patreon to support open-source developers. The collaboration between the two platforms allows individuals and organizations to link their GitHub and Patreon accounts, so sponsors can handle funding through Patreon while receiving recognition for their sponsorships on their GitHub profiles. Open-source software development is often a labor of love, and funding can be challenging, as most contributors are unpaid or underpaid. This partnership aims to help these developers gain financial support for their work. According to Tidelift, over 60% of open-source maintainers describe themselves as "unpaid hobbyists."
NASA has selected seven companies to provide commercial satellite imagery as part of its Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program. These companies include Umbra, Capella Space, GHGSat, Maxar's intelligence division, PlanetIQ, Spire, and Airbus Defence and Space subsidiary Airbus DS GEO. The contract has a maximum potential value of $476 million and a duration of five years, with an option to extend it by six months. NASA aims to complement its suite of Earth observations data with higher resolutions, increased temporal frequency, or other novel capabilities provided by these commercial satellite constellations. This initiative is part of NASA's broader effort to collaborate with commercial firms and support the development of technologies that can benefit its missions.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon expressed his belief that artificial intelligence (AI) could be applied to every aspect of the company's operations, potentially replacing humans in certain roles. He highlighted that AI is already heavily involved in tasks like equity hedging and idea generation. Dimon acknowledged that AI may replace some jobs but stressed that technology has always done so throughout history. He also expressed concerns about AI being misused by bad actors, particularly in cyberspace, but hopes that legal safeguards will prevent such misuse. Dimon believes that AI will add significant value to the workforce and aims to redeploy displaced workers in suitable roles if necessary.
Mullvad VPN ( @mullvadnet ) dismissed allegations of a data breach involving dozens of its users' accounts being found on the dark web. The VPN provider explained that the accounts in question were not leaked but were given away for free to various organizations, some of which may have subsequently shared them on public forums. Mullvad's CEO emphasized that these accounts do not contain personally identifiable information like passwords, and they do not compromise user privacy. The company is known for its strong commitment to user privacy and security online and has previously demonstrated its no-log policy.