Wait, what?Shadow and BoneA team of scientists has found that the narrow beam of a laser, under specific conditions, can cast a shadow a counterintuitive finding that could open the doors for new applications of optical lasers.Conventional knowledge presupposes that if two light beams cross, nothing of note happens. But in an experiment, as detailed in a new paper published in the journal Optica, Brookhaven National Laboratory researcher Raphael Abrahao and his team found something strange: a narrow green laser beam, when shot through a larger blue laser beam inside of a ruby crystal, created a shadow."Laser light casting a shadow was previously thought impossible since light usually passes through other light without interacting," said Abrahao in a statement. "Our demonstration of a very counter-intuitive optical effect invites us to reconsider our notion of shadow."Throwing ShadeThe concept for the experiment started because of a joke the researchers shared over a meal together."What started as a funny discussion over lunch led to a conversation on the physics of lasers and the nonlinear optical response of materials," Abrahao explained. "From there, we decided to conduct an experiment to demonstrate the shadow of a laser beam."First, the team shot a high-power green laser through a cube-shaped ruby crystal. They then shot a different blue laser through the same material at a perpendicular angle.Lo and behold, readings from a sensor pointed at the surface the blue laser was illuminating revealed a shadow in the shape of the green laser beam.In simple terms, the green laser acted more like an object, not a beam of light, creating what by all accounts could be described as a shadow.The researchers suggest this is because of "optical nonlinear absorption" occurring inside of the ruby cube. The green light increases the absorption of the blue beam, creating a darker region that casts the shadow.The researchers measured a maximum contrast of around 22 percent, roughly the equivalent of a shadow a tree casts on a sunny day."This discovery expands our understanding of light-matter interactions and opens up new possibilities for utilizing light in ways we hadnt considered before," Abrahao explained."This new finding could prove useful in various applications such as optical switching, devices in which light controls the presence of another light, or technologies that require precise control of light transmission, like high-power lasers," he added.The team is now hoping to demonstrate how a laser beam's intensity can be controlled with the use of another laser, and to explore whether the same effect can be reproduced using other wavelengths and materials.More on lasers: NASA Spacecraft Shoots Japanese Moon Lander With LaserShare This Article

Thanks, Grandma.Grandma DesignUK telecom company Virgin Media O2 just revealed a fascinating AI entity: an audio chatbot that takes the persona of a confused grandmother, fine-tuned to do nothing except make phone scammers angry."As 'Head of Scammer Relations,' this state-of-the-art AI Granny's mission is to talk with fraudsters and waste as much of their time as possible with human-like rambling," Virgin Media wrote of the bot. "Created using a range of cutting-edge AI technology and trained with the help of one of YouTubes best known scambaiters, Jim Browning, Daisy is a lifelike AI Granny completely indistinguishable from a real person."Daisy seems like the rare noble application of AI chatbots, which have more often been used to perpetrate scams than fight them a clever reversal that just might help the vulnerable people, including flesh-and-blood grandmothers, on whom scammers tend to prey.Phone ProneTo keep scammers occupied, Daisy to which the company says it automatically connects likely scam callers deploys confusing digressions about her family and love of knitting. When pressed for bank information, she'll provide scammers with random numbers.She's kept scammers on the line for as long as 40 minutes, O2 says."By tricking the criminals into thinking they were defrauding a real person and playing on scammers' biases about older people, Daisy has prevented them from targeting real victims," read the Virgin blog."But crucially, Daisy is also a reminder that no matter how persuasive someone on the other end of the phone may be, they aren't always who you think they are," Virgin fraud director Murray Mackenzie added.Share This Article

Nov 15, 2024The Hacker NewsMachine Learning / Identity SecurityIn recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun revolutionizing Identity Access Management (IAM), reshaping how cybersecurity is approached in this crucial field. Leveraging AI in IAM is about tapping into its analytical capabilities to monitor access patterns and identify anomalies that could signal a potential security breach. The focus has expanded beyond merely managing human identities now, autonomous systems, APIs, and connected devices also fall within the realm of AI-driven IAM, creating a dynamic security ecosystem that adapts and evolves in response to sophisticated cyber threats.The Role of AI and Machine Learning in IAMAI and machine learning (ML) are creating a more robust, proactive IAM system that continuously learns from the environment to enhance security. Let's explore how AI impacts key IAM components:Intelligent Monitoring and Anomaly DetectionAI enables continuous monitoring of both human and non-human identities, including APIs, service accounts, and other automated systems. Traditional monitoring systems typically miss subtle irregularities in these interactions, but AI's analytical prowess uncovers patterns that could be early signs of security threats. By establishing baselines for "normal" behavior for each identity, AI can quickly flag deviations, allowing for a fast response to potential threats.For example, in dynamic environments such as containerized applications, AI can detect unusual access patterns or large data transfers, signaling potential security issues before they escalate. This real-time insight minimizes risks and provides a proactive approach to IAM.Advanced Access GovernanceAI's role-mining capabilities analyze identity interaction patterns, helping organizations enforce the principle of least privilege more effectively. This involves analyzing each entity's access needs and limiting permissions accordingly, without the need for manual oversight. AI can continuously monitor for policy violations, generating compliance reports, and maintaining real-time adaptive governance. In risk-based authentication, AI also assesses machine-to-machine interactions by weighing the risk based on context, such as resource sensitivity or current threat intelligence. This creates a security framework that adapts in real-time, bolstering defenses without disrupting legitimate activities.Enhancing the User ExperienceAI in IAM isn't just about improving security; it also enhances user experience by streamlining access management. Adaptive authentication, where security requirements adjust based on assessed risk, reduces friction for legitimate users. AI-driven IAM systems can automate onboarding by dynamically assigning roles based on job functions, making the process smoother and more efficient.Usage patterns also enable AI to implement just-in-time (JIT) access, where privileged access is granted only when needed. This approach minimizes standing privileges, which can be exploited by attackers, and simplifies the overall access management process.Customization and PersonalizationAI enables a high level of customization within IAM, tailoring permissions to meet each user's needs based on their role and behavior. For instance, AI can dynamically adjust access rights for contractors or temporary workers based on usage trends. By analyzing user behaviors and organizational structures, AI-driven IAM systems can automatically recommend custom directory attributes, audit formats, and access workflows tailored to different user roles. This helps reduce risk and streamlines governance without one-size-fits-all policies that often overlook organizational nuances.In compliance reporting, AI customizes audit trails to capture data most relevant to specific regulatory standards. This streamlines reporting and enhances the organization's compliance posture, a critical factor in industries with stringent regulatory requirements.Reducing False Positives in Threat DetectionA significant challenge in traditional threat detection systems is the high rate of false positives, leading to wasted resources. AI addresses this by learning from massive datasets to improve detection accuracy, distinguishing between genuine threats and benign anomalies. This reduces false positives, streamlining operations, and enabling quicker, more precise responses to real threats.Practical Applications of AI in IAMBeyond conceptual improvements, AI has practical applications across various IAM components:- Privileged Access Management (PAM): AI can monitor privileged accounts in real-time, recognizing and halting unusual behavior. By analyzing past behaviors, it can detect and terminate suspicious sessions, proactively mitigating threats for both human and non-human identities. AI also optimizes access workflows by recommending time-based access or specific privilege levels, reducing over-privileged accounts and ensuring policies align across multi-cloud environments.- Identity Governance and Administration (IGA): AI automates the lifecycle management of non-human identities, continuously analyzing usage patterns to dynamically adjust permissions. This reduces the risk of over-privileged access and ensures each identity maintains the least privilege needed throughout its lifecycle. By analyzing organizational changes, AI can even preemptively adjust access as roles evolve.- Secrets Management: AI is invaluable in managing secrets, such as API keys and passwords, predicting expiration dates or renewal needs, and enforcing more frequent rotation for high-risk secrets. A non-human identity AI-powered approach, for instance, extends secret detection beyond code repositories to collaboration tools, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps platforms, categorizing secrets by exposure risk and impact. Real-time alerts and automated mitigation workflows help organizations maintain a robust security posture across environments.Simulating Attack Patterns on Non-Human Identities (NHI)With machine learning, AI can simulate attack patterns targeting non-human identities, identifying weaknesses before they're exploited. These simulations enable organizations to reinforce defenses, adapt to emerging threats, and continuously improve IAM strategies.ConclusionAI is redefining Identity Access Management, bringing enhanced monitoring, smarter anomaly detection, and adaptive access governance. This evolution marks a shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity, where AI not only defends but also anticipates and adapts to ever-evolving threats. With AI-driven IAM, organizations can achieve a more secure and efficient environment, safeguarding human and non-human identities alike.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Nov 15, 2024Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Database SecurityCybersecurity researchers have disclosed a high-severity security flaw in the PostgreSQL open-source database system that could allow unprivileged users to alter environment variables, and potentially lead to code execution or information disclosure.The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-10979, carries a CVSS score of 8.8.Environment variables are user-defined values that can allow a program to dynamically fetch various kinds of information, such as access keys and software installation paths, during runtime without having to hard-code them. In certain operating systems, they are initialized during the startup phase."Incorrect control of environment variables in PostgreSQL PL/Perl allows an unprivileged database user to change sensitive process environment variables (e.g., PATH)," PostgreSQL said in an advisory released Thursday."That often suffices to enable arbitrary code execution, even if the attacker lacks a database server operating system user."The flaw has been addressed in PostgreSQL versions 17.1, 16.5, 15.9, 14.14, 13.17, and 12.21. Varonis researchers, Tal Peleg and Coby Abrams, who discovered the issue, said it could lead to "severe security issues" depending on the attack scenario.This includes, but is not limited to, the execution of arbitrary code by modifying environment variables such as PATH, or extraction of valuable information on the machine by running malicious queries. Additional details of the vulnerability are currently being withheld to give users enough time to apply the fixes. Users are also advised to restrict allowed extensions."For example, limiting CREATE EXTENSIONS permission grants to specific extensions and additionally setting the shared_preload_libraries configuration parameter to load only required extensions, limiting roles from creating functions per the principle of least privileges by restricting the CREATE FUNCTION permission," Varonis said.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

The basicsThe stack: Postgres, Node.js/Express.js, React. Currently running on Heroku, eventually AWSThe product: We're building the ultimate suite for Finance teams to manage everything from billing to revenue recognition to subscription metrics, and much moreThe way we work:This is a remote job - work anywhere you want, and in any timezone on earth (or outside earth, whatever).We are an asynchronous team - we don't do scheduled meetings, and rely on each team member to pick their own schedule and to communicate clearly in writing and with recorded videos. Hear from our co-founder Michelle Lee on what it's like to work asynchronously (click here).We operate completely autonomously - no one will tell you what to do, we'll just tell you the goals and you will figure out how to work towards them with the rest of the team.The role you'll play on our team:You'd be one of the first ten engineers on the team.You'll work onBackend: database design and implementation, complex data management problems, API design and implementation, writing testsFrontend: building features in our react app, HTML/CSS + styled components, building amazing user experiences, writing testsFrontend and backend: building and iterating on our product, collaborating with designers and founders, and making a product that users will love.Like all start-ups we're scrappy, but not scrappy on compensation: Subscript is committed to paying our awesome team members at market-rate, including benefits.Our interview processOur interview process is designed to focus on your skills as a software engineer, and your ability to communicate clearly. We're a fully asynchronous company, so that's how we will communicate in this interview process too .We'll ask you to work on a small code challengeAfter reviewing the short code challenge, we'll ask you to work on a ~90 minute exercise while recording a loom (or other screen recording) video.If the video interview above goes well, we'll want to learn a bit more about how you communicate in writing - we will ask you to put together a technical design document. This is one of the biggest ways we communicate at Subscript, so we want to see that you can work well with that!And finally, hopefully we'll send you an offer. And hopefully you'll accept!RequirementsYou're an excellent engineer (you write high quality code, you write great tests, you ship quickly)You're a great communicator via writing, and via recorded videos.You're excited about working on a globally-distributed and diverse team, in an incredibly unique culture where autonomy, accountability, and ownership are equally as valued as your skillset.That's it!BenefitsUnlimited vacationCompletely flexible work schedule - work literally anytime (and anywhere) you want!Benefits appropriate to your location (health/dental/vision in the USA)Company wide retreats multiple times per yearLike all start-ups we're scrappy, but not scrappy on compensation: Subscript is committed to paying our awesome team members at market-rate, including benefits.

Submitted by WA ContentsInspireli Awards launches Kashitu School Competition in ZambiaZambia Architecture News - Nov 16, 2024 - 12:53 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"The Inspireli Awards, the worlds largest architectural competition for students, proudly announces a new competition as part of its global platform: the Kashitu School Competition in Zambia. This initiative invites architecture students worldwide to reimagine and design innovative structures for the Kashitu Secondary School Campus, challenging them to push both architectural and technical boundaries beyond the conventional designs of typical Zambian schools.This unique Design and Build project offers students the rare chance to participate in both the design and construction of the school, gaining hands-on experience that bridges academic study with real-world application. All participants get a chance to travel to Zambia, contributing directly to the building process and enhancing their skills in sustainable design, teamwork, and construction.The announcer of the competition is the Czech Technical University in Prague in partnership with Architects Without Borders. Together, they aim to inspire students to create impactful, community-focused designs that address local needs while showcasing global architectural innovation.Inspireli Awards connects students and architects from over 160 countries, offering a platform to present their work and participate in real-world challenges like the Kashitu School project. Kashitu School competition is one of 4 ways how to participate in Inspireli Awards.JuryChairman: Jan TilingerJuror: Petr anda (Project Coordinator)Juror: Bornface Mamfunda (Chairman of New Renato Community Society)Juror: Aneka Havrnkov (Chairman of Ptel New Renato)Juror: Andrea Tabocchini (Founder of Andrea TabocchiniArchitecture)Juror: Hermann Kamte (Founding Associates and the Creative Director at HKA | Hermann Kamte&Associates)The other members of the jury will be specified latter.PrizesThis is a non-profit project and therefore it is not possible to provide financial prizes. The winning team will be given the opportunity to build the selected building by themselves, on site in Zambia. (Winning the competition does not guarantee the provision of funds for construction, transportation, or accommodation of the team members. However, the participating organizations will provide support in obtaining funding for the construction, transport and accommodation)In case of construction of the design (s), the name(s) of the author(s) of the winning design(s) will be displayed at the appropriate building, which will come from the winning design.Registration is now open, the competition ends on June 15, 2025 and is free-of-charge.ScheduleTermination of registration for the competition: June 15, 2025Voting in the semifinals: June 17-23, 2025Voting in the finals: June 26-July 7Announcement of finalists: June 26, 2025Announcement of the winners: Autumn 2025Download the materials:For more information, please visit website.Top image courtesy of Inspireli.> via Inspireli Awardsarchitecture competition

Our Experts Written by Katie Collins, Chris Wedel Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Type of flooring Buy the right vacuum to clean the type (or types) of flooring in your home. Battery life and runtime If you have a lot of home to vacuum, you'll want a model with good runtime. Weight, size and bin capacity Smaller vacuums are easier to maneuver but they often give up power and bin capacity. Warranty Don't spring for an expensive vacuum without a warranty to back it up. Table of Contents Our Picks $750 at LG Best overall cordless vacuum LG CordZero A949 View details $750 at LG View details See at SharkClean.com Cordless solution for powerful home deep cleaning Sponsored - Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty System View details See at SharkClean.com View details $611 at Amazon Best suction performance Dyson V15 Detect View details $611 at Amazon View details $649 at Amazon Best for thick carpets Samsung Jet 90 View details $649 at Amazon View details $200 at Amazon Best budget cordless vacuum Levoit LVAC-200 View details $200 at Amazon View details $500 at Best Buy Best for pet hair Tineco Pure One S15 Pet View details $500 at Best Buy View details $45 at Amazon Best handheld car vacuum Dirt Devil Grab & Go Plus View details $45 at Amazon View details Table of Contents Fact: Every home needs a vacuum. You don't need to break your budget for a decent one. That's why CNET compiled a complete list of cordless vacuums for every need, from top-of-the-line units with loads of features to high-performing budget options. CNETs labs team has been testing vacuums for decades, simulating real-life conditions and looking beyond the brand claims and tech specs. We score each cordless vacuum on suction performance, ease of use, battery life, comfort/handling, standout features an

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Ubisoft responds to Assassin's Creed Shadows leak showing free battle pass rewardsAl-tiers for fears.Image credit: Ubisoft News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Nov. 16, 2024 Ubisoft has responded to yesterday's leak that showcased a selection of free battle pass rewards purportedly set to be available via Assassin's Creed Shadows' upcoming Animus Hub.As Eurogamer reported yesterday, these leaked Assassin's Creed Shadows images showed a similar selection of items to those previously offered through daily and weekly missions via Ubisoft Connect. That said, Assassin's Creed has never offered a battle pass before, and the publisher is still to announce how any new battle pass system for the franchise will work.Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay trailer.Watch on YouTubeIn a message posted today on social media that seemed targeted at those taking a less nuanced response to the idea of Assassin's Creed adding a battle pass, Ubisoft said it wanted to "clarify" the matter."All the rewards available in the Animus Hub will be entirely free, there are no paid subscriptions or paid battle pass featured in the Animus Hub, and players will have access to regular content [and] missions at no extra cost," Ubisoft confirmed.Ubisoft said it would unveil more details "closer to the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows" in February 2025.A Message From the Team on the Animus Hub byu/Ubi_Waldo inassassinscreedTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.At a BAFTA event attended by Eurogamer in London earlier this month, franchise boss Marc-Alexis Cot went into more detail on how the series will handle its modern day narrative in future, after admitting it had been a "struggle" to remain consistent since the departure of the series' initial protagonist Desmond.For more from Cot, you can read Eurogamer's reports on how the Assassin's Creed boss addressed Assassin's Creed Shadows' creative backlash, and Ubisoft's decision to delay Shadows and restore confidence in its ability to launch quality games.

Create Stunning Minimalistic Digital Art with Blender By Slavoartist on November 17, 2024 Videotutorials For a change, Slavoartist moves away from his usual complex scenes to focus on the beauty of simplicity.Minimalism. Honestly, I am a big fan of minimalistic art and photos. Despite the fact that I usually show some complex Blender scenes and talk about optimization, how to make large scenes on a weak computer, this time we will talk about how to use simple things, make simple actions to get amazing art from nothing, and this also the great way to make art without powerful PC or something like that.Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Remember this quote by Leonardo da Vinci, because in this video this is the crucial meaning.https://youtu.be/80FaC1qJsQM