The UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) has exposed and disrupted two Russian money laundering networks that handled cash stolen by the Ryuk ransomware gang, among others.Operation Destabilise took out the Smart and TGR criminal networks, which besides providing services to cyber criminals also played a key role in drugs and firearms trafficking into the UK.The two networks also helped Russian clients bypass financial restrictions to invest money illegally in the UK, transferred money to support the activities of a sanctioned Russian-language media organisation, alleged to be banned propaganda network Russia Today (RT), and provided financial assistance to fund Russian espionage activities.The NCA said it had also demonstrated clear links between the cryptocurrency addresses used by Smart and TGR, and sanctioned crypto exchange Garantex, which allegedly has links to payments made for weapons components for Russian troops in Ukraine.Operation Destabilise has exposed billion-dollar money laundering networks operating in a way previously unknown to international law enforcement or regulators, said Rob Jones, NCA director general of operations.For the first time, we have been able to map out a link between Russian elites, crypto-rich cyber criminals, and drugs gangs on the streets of the UK. The thread that tied them together the combined force of Smart and TGR was invisible until now.The NCA and partners have disrupted this criminal service at every level. We have identified and acted against the Russians pulling the strings at the very top, removing the air of legitimacy that enabled them to weave illicit funds into our economy, he added.We also took out the key coordinators that enabled the cash-based element of their operation in the UK, making it extremely difficult for them to operate here and sending a clear message that this is not a safe haven for money laundering, said Jones.The NCA also named six key players in the two networks all of whom have been sanctioned by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today Ekaterina Zhdanova, Khadzi-Murat Magomedov, and Nikita Krasnov, who between then led the Smart operation, and George Rossi, Elena Chirkinyan, and Andrejs Bradens (aka Andrejs Carenoks), who headed up TGR.The NCA said that dating back to 2021, Zhdanova played a key role in laundering $2.3m (1.8m) of crypto-based ransoms paid to the Ryuk ransomware crew. The Ryuk gang a predecessor to Conti callously targeted health sector organisations in both the UK and US during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.Members of Ryuk, sanctioned by the UK in 2023, were responsible for extorting over 27m from at least 149 known victims in the UK the gangs true impact was likely much higher."This is stellar work from theNCA, OFAC and partners, demonstrating the simple truth that paying ransoms contributes to crime on the streets in the UK and other countries, said Don Smith, vice president of threat intelligence at the Secureworks Counter Threat Unit.Paying ransoms is, and always has been, nothing more than putting funds in the hands of criminals, he said.NCA-coordinated activity against Smart and TGR has so far resulted in 84 arrests, with many individuals already behind bars, and over 20m in assets seized.The networks formed the core of a complex scheme that collected money in one jurisdiction and performed a series of crypto-for-cash swaps to make the equivalent value available elsewhere. In this manner, they were able to not only launder money for cyber criminals but streamline the movement of money made by other organised crime gangs, and help Russian oligarchs and elites bypass sanctions.The UK unwittingly played a key role as a hub for Smart and TGR, with investigators frequently witnessing in-person, street-level cash handovers which were followed almost immediately by cryptocurrency movements.After receiving their crypto funds back, the networks enabled criminals to reinvest in drugs or firearms without needing to move actual money across borders, perpetuating a cycle of violence and harm in Britain.The networks disrupted by Operation Destabilise were hidden in plain sight, operating from within our communities, moving vast sums of money linked to the drugs trade and serious violence on our streets, said Nik Adams, T/assistant commissioner for City of London Police and National Police Chiefs Council lead for economic crime.Cash couriers run by Smart and TCG used over 50 different locations in England, Scotland, Wales, and even the Channel Islands, over a four-month period, to swap funds for over 20 distinct criminal groups. One of the couriers, Fawad Saiedi, who is now serving a four year and four month prison sentence, personally oversaw the laundry of 15m of funds.A different group, coordinated by Krasnov, ran couriers to laundered over 12m in just two-and-a-half months. Three individuals are currently serving time for these offences in the UK and Ireland.The NCA also revealed how its investigation did not go unnoticed by the networks, with many members speaking openly about their reservations over operating in London as the agency and its partners slowly turned up the heat.By the summer of 2024, a few short months ago, Russian money laundering networks in London were charging extremely high commission rates as it became harder and harder for them to work in the city. This proved extremely costly to both groups, which were operating on extremely low profit margins.Read more about cyber crimeThe UN cyber crime treaty is flawed but represents a move in the right direction for developing nations seeking greater digital sovereignty.UK data protection watchdog joins forces with the NCA to provide more support for organisations that fall victim to cyber crime and ransomware attacks.The NCA has named and shamed a prominent member of the Evil Corp cyber crime collective who also worked as an affiliate of the LockBit ransomware gang as the UK unveils new sanctions against 16 Russian cyber criminals.

ZDNET's key takeaways The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max robot vacuum and mop is available for $1,400. This multifunctional Roomba vacuums exhaustively, barely leaving a crumb or strand of pet hair behind; it mops very well, and it keeps your carpets dry by lifting the mop pad completely above the robot. While iRobot is a renowned robot vacuum brand, its app is not as intuitive as those from other robot vacuum makersThe Roomba Combo 10 Max can also leave some streaks behind when mopping, and the Auto Empy dock is very loud when emptying the dustbin. more buying choices What's the deal?The new iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max robot vacuum and mop is typically $1,399, but it's 30% off for $979, just in time for the holidays.As a robot vacuum tester, my home is full of constant whirring sounds from robots meandering around, and I was convinced nothing could surprise me. My anxious dog has become surprisingly accustomed to the robotic intruders in his home while his shedding coat continues to challenge each one. Pet hair is an issue for most dog and cat owners, as it is for me, so I always watch how each robot vacuum performs against it.Also: 3 robot vacuum shopping tips I wish I knew before buying oneI'm glad to report that the Roomba Combo 10 Max robot vacuum and mop demolished this fuzzy task. I've tested many robot vacuums, from Eufy to Eureka, Dreame to Yeedi, Ecovacs to Roborock -- yet the latest flagship Roomba was the one that best removed pet hair from both my carpet and hard floors. details View at Amazon The Roomba Combo 10 Max is so strong that you can see how well it suctions the very short pile of my entryway rug, which is also my dog's favorite napping spot. This robot leaves carpet lines on a rug on which I'd rarely seen carpet lines, not even after cleaning it with my traditional upright vacuum. This effectiveness results from the combination of iRobot's dual rubber brush rollers and -- according to the company -- 100% stronger suction than the previous flagship.In its wake, the Combo 10 Max left visually hair-free rugs, becoming the best one I've seen at removing the nuisance from carpets. This is a hard balance for robot vacuums. If a robot vacuum's suction power is too strong, it'll get stuck on the rug. If you've ever pushed an upright vacuum over a rug on a very high suction level, you've likely realized it takes significant strength to push it forward and back. Robot vacuums don't have a person pushing them, so they must balance suction power with thrust force. Maria Diaz/ZDNETGetting the Roomba Combo 10 Max up and running took me a while. Although I've been using robot vacuums daily for over five years, I only began seriously testing them two years ago and hadn't used a Roomba before. The iRobot app has a lot of customization options, but it isn't super intuitive, which is made more obvious after testing at least 10 competitor apps.Also: The best robot vacuums for pet hair: Expert tested and reviewedI encountered many errors during the first two weeks of using the Roomba Combo 10 Max. The app repeatedly told me either the dirty or clean water tanks weren't properly installed or the dust collection bag was clogged. After successfully saving a map and running the robot to vacuum only a few times, the Roomba Combo 10 Max and I were finally on the same page.Since then, I've run it repeatedly in my home and run it automatically on a schedule every other day. I really like that iRobot packs the sensors into the robot, so there's no LiDAR sensor array sticking out of the top. Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe robot expertly avoids obstacles and objects on the floor, like paper towels and toys, to avoid getting its brush rollers stuck. It has powerful enough suction to remove pet hair from rugs. It keeps rugs dry by lifting the mop pad above the robot. It offers a hands-free cleaning experience by self-emptying and washing its mop pad.Also: The best robot vacuum mops: Expert tested and reviewedThe mopping feature is one of the few reasons this isn't the best device on the market. While I love the robotic mechanism that lifts the mop pad on top of the robot to keep my rugs dry, I found that the robot leaves streaks behind after mopping, likely due to the pumps that drip water onto the mop pad.The Roomba Combo 10 Max also doesn't seem to follow its map very efficiently. I've had other robots, like the Eufy S1 Pro and Dreame X40 Ultra, vacuum and mop in rows and follow a neat pattern when mopping each room, but this Roomba doesn't, as you can see in the picture below. That said, I believe it still cleans very well and mops better than even the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. As you can see above, the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max navigates to the beat of its own drum, and the mop lines can dry streaky. Maria Diaz/ZDNETThis machine produces great results, is precise, and features strong suction power. You can tell that iRobot thought of every detail when building the Roomba Combo 10 Max, such as making the cleaning basin for the self-washing mop out of antimicrobial plastic and making the dock double as a side table with a front opening rather than a lid.ZDNET's buying advice Since this robot doesn't have spinning mop pads, it moves in and out of the dock while a rubber brush scrubs the pad clean (sped up). Maria Diaz/ZDNETI can confidently say this is one of the best robot vacuum and mop combinations I've tested, but it is a bit high maintenance by multifunctional robot vacuum standards. Yes, the Roomba Combo 10 Max self-empties its dustbin and autonomously washes and dries its mop, but mine constantly asks me for intervention and maintenance. I've had it running for about a month and have had to do more maintenance than is required with other models in three months -- like cleaning the dustbin sensor and checking why it shows an error in the dustbag, water tank placement, or a clog in the dock.Also: Save big on a touchless vacuum this holiday seasonThe Roomba Combo 10 Max is top-tier when it doesn't demand intervention. It also has one increasingly rare attribute in the robot vacuum market: It seems to be worth every penny. This vacuum performs better than more expensive models and is one robot you can trust not to get caught on every little object or cable on your floors. This is especially true when the Combo 10 Max is on sale, which is currently featuring a deal price of $979, a 30% discount.Featured reviews

Thermal cameras are infinitely useful, and this one from Thermal Master would be a fantastic addition to any Android user's toolkit. The best part is that you can buy it at a discount.

Thanks to AI, theres another seismic shift taking place in customer service. Teams fully integrating AInot just as a one-off solution, but as an engine for transformation and changeare bypassing their peers at breakneck speed. These CX Trendsetters arent just pulling ahead, theyre carving out a new path, achieving higher ROI and customer satisfaction, all while setting new standards for business success.CX Trendsetters have 49% more cross-sell revenue, 33% higher customer acquisition, and 22% higher customer retention than CX Traditionalists.For one such CX Trendsetter, Siemens financial division, AI agents enable instant and often proactive communication with customers. That means the team can now send invoice copies to customers without them having to ask or get a human agent involved. As a result, the team has seen their customer satisfaction rates surge past industry benchmarks, with agents able to spend more time with customers that need a little extra help.GettyIts these little efficiency gains that are adding up to some of the biggest CX changes weve seen since call centers or the internet. Yet, while some organizations are leading the charge by embracing AI-powered innovation, othersCX Traditionalistsare hesitating and falling behind.This isnt the time to sit on the sidelines. AI has accelerated the transformation timeline for companies and clear leaders have emerged, with 70% of customers noticing a widening gap between organizations that are leveraging AI effectively and those that arent.If youre in that latter category, maintaining a healthy business outlook may be problematic. According to our research, 73% of CX leaders believe that adopting AI at scale is the only way to survive the competitive pressures of the next five years.The good news? Theres still time to catch up. In fact, 6 out of 10 CX Traditionalists are looking to become more AI driven in the next year. But success will require bold and decisive steps forwardand perhaps a page or two from the CX Trendsetter playbook.Here are three key areas where CX Trendsetters have big plans for their AI investments:1. Boosting customer loyalty and retentionThat lofty goal of personalized interactions for every customer is now easier than ever to achieve. Over 90% of CX Trendsetters believe that AI is critical to delivering more tailored service at scale. And theyre going beyond personalization to actually get proactive with customersusing AI to suggest products or services that align with each customers unique preferences and shopping history.With AI creating a consistent experience across all channels, CX Trendsetters are ensuring that their customers feel understood and seen, no matter how they choose to engage.2. Creating more natural, human-like experiencesCX Trendsetters are on a mission to make exchanges like Im sorry, I didnt get that, please try again, a thing of the past. And by using more advanced AI tools like Generative AI in text and voice, theyre crafting customer experiences that feel more natural, friendly, and conversational.Thats a good thing, as nearly two-thirds of customers say theyre more likely to trust an AI agent that feels genuinely human. To meet these expectations, CX Trendsetters are exploring the latest and greatest in Voice AI to create more seamless, natural interactions across channels. The result? Fewer frustrating phrases and more of the smooth, conversational interactions that keep customers engaged and coming back.3. Implementing new tools to empower agentsCX Trendsetters are equipping their agents with the tools and training required to perform at the highest levelwhether theyre new to the job or a seasoned pro. With AI copilots, these companies are ensuring that all agents have real-time support needed to onboard quickly, boost their efficiency, and free up time to focus on more complex, higher-value tasks.These CX Trendsetters are also working diligently to upskill their teams, offering hands-on training on workflows between agents and AI. For these efforts, theyre seeing higher rates of job satisfaction among agents that often leads to greater retention rates and better customer outcomes.Dive deeper with Zendesks CX Trends Report 2025The takeaway is clear: organizations fully integrating AI today are emerging as the CX leaders of tomorrow. CX Trendsetters arent just setting new standards for customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, theyre raising the bar on quality by creating experiences that feel more personal, conversationaland human.As the gap widens between those taking innovative steps forward and those staying rooted in place, CX leaders everywhere face a critical choice: adopt AI boldly or risk being left behind.Dive deeper into the trends shaping the future of CX and exploring winning strategies with Zendesks CX Trends Report 2025.

EVERETT, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 2: Seth Rollins and CM Punk speak during Monday Night RAW at Angel of ... [+] the Winds Arena on December 2, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWWEs Monday Night Raw will make its highly anticipated debut on Netflix on January 6. The move to Netflix marks a significant shift for WWE, which aired Monday Night Raw on USA Network for over three decades.On Wednesday, December 4, WWE President Nick Khan, CCO Jean Paul Levesque and Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria spoke with Variety magazine about the direction of WWE programming and spoke to concerns about Netflixs server reliability.Many have speculated that Raw would become more risqu once it lands on Netflix, free of network television censorship. According to Khan, nothing will change on that front.Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (2nd right) with Paul "Triple H" Levesque (left), Head of Creative and ... [+] Chief Content Officer, WWE, and Nick Khan (2nd left), President of WWE, during a meeting at City Hall, London. Issue date: Friday July 26, 2024. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)PA Images via Getty ImagesTheres some online chatter about how its going to be R rated or, for us old folks, X rated. Thats definitely not happening, Khan said. Its a family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly program. Its going to stay that way.WWE fans hoping for a return to the Attitude Era wont get their fix of adult-themed storylines from Raw. However, Khans words dont mean there wont be some leniency in language or subject matter. Family friendly is a relative term that could be interpreted differently depending on who you ask.MORE FOR YOUNetwork TV is a lot more lenient than it was decades agoThe other major question Khan addressed relates to the stability of Netflixs servers as it makes its next leap into live sports. Netflix faced significant criticism in November for server issues during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight card at Arlington Stadium on November 15.With millions of fans reportedly experiencing numerous technical difficulties while trying to watch the fight, there are concerns about whether Netflix can handle the weight of broadcasting Rawespecially its debut, which figures to be a major draw.Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria acknowledged the issues during the event but assured that the company learned from the experience and is better prepared to handle upcoming live broadcasts, including the NFL on Christmas and a live Beyonc concert.WWEs deal with Netflix is valued at $10 billion over five years, positioning it as one of the most lucrative partnerships in the streaming giants history.NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 07: Bela Bajaria speaks onstage at the TIME100 Summit 2022 at Jazz at ... [+] Lincoln Center on June 7, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)Getty Images for TIMEWhenever we do any live events, obviously, we want it to go very smoothly for every single one of our members, Bajaria said. Thats really important. I think, also, to put it in perspective: It was 65 million concurrent streamers. The scale was very big, which is great. There was a lot of interest in it. When you test and push something to 65 million [streams] at the same time you cant learn these things until you do them.While Raw is incredibly popular, the chances of an episode reaching anywhere close to 65 million concurrent streamers are slim.We learned from those things, and weve obviously done a lot to prepare for the NFL and Beyonc, Bajaria continued. Were totally ready and excited for the WWE.Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Head of Creative and Chief Content Officer, WWE, during a meeting with ... [+] Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at City Hall, London. Issue date: Friday July 26, 2024. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)PA Images via Getty ImagesJean Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, WWEs Chief Content Officer, kept his take pretty simple. Ill just say, if it blinks a couple of times and we do 60 million, Im good with that.Its safe to say everyone at WWE and Netflix is aligned on that sentiment.

Home Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week News Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week8 min read Published: December 4, 2024 Key TakeawaysThe Indonesian government rejects Apples $100 million investment proposal to lift the ban on iPhone 16.Elon Musk is trying to prevent OpenAI from turning for-profit once again.ChatGPT is still struggling to generate accurate news citations, a recent study shows.Meta is planning to build a $10 billion subsea cable network spanning over 40,000 km.Australia is considering a new law that might penalize industry leaders for squashing competition.So much happened this week that you might not have been able to keep a tab on everything. So we have brought to you the top 5 most important news from the tech industry that you just cant miss.Apples $100 Million Investment Not Enough to Lift Ban from iPhone 16s Sale: Indonesian Government SaysIn October, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita imposed a ban on the sale of iPhone 16 in Indonesia, making it illegal to import, sell or use the device.Note: People can still carry an iPhone 16 into the country if they have purchased it elsewhere and do not plan to use it for commercial purposes. 9,000 units have entered the country this way.The ban was imposed because the company failed to meet the 40% local content rule under which all smartphones need to have at least 40% of their content locally sourced. This is done to boost domestic industries and prevent them from being trampled by big international players.If a company doesnt want to use local content, it can compensate by investing in manufacturing and innovation projects. Thats what Apple promised to do.However, at the time when the iPhone 16 was launched, the company was yet to keep its promise. It had only invested 1.5 trillion Indonesian rupiah while it had promised to invest at least 1.7 trillion Indonesian rupiah.So now, to make up for this, Apple has offered to invest another $100 million. Unfortunately, this investment proposal was dismissed by the Indonesian government.According to Kartasasmita, Apple needs to invest in a new production facility in the country to keep its promise. This way it will not have to file a new investment proposal every three years and it will also be more fair and at par with Apples investment in other countries.Apple is yet to respond to this demand.Elon Musk Attempts to Ban OpenAI from Turning For-ProfitIn a brand new court filing, Elon Musk is once again trying to prevent OpenAI from turning for-profit.Ever since OpenAI announced its plans to turn for-profit, Musk has opposed it. First, he filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of breaching its initial agreement with him (Elon Musk was one of the co-founders and investors of OpenAI).However, OpenAI denied having any such agreement with Musk. And for some reason, without any explanation, Musk dropped the lawsuit a few weeks later.But he hasnt given up. Once again, he has approached a federal court to sabotage OpenAIs plans. This time too, he repeated the same claims that OpenAI had made some promises to him which itll be breaching by turning for-profit.Plus, the company set out to be a non-profit, dedicated to research but now its accepting investment in billions from Microsoft. This, according to Musk, goes against its founding principles.He also added new concerns over OpenAIs unchecked growth, which can possibly kill all competition including his own company xAI.One of the points he raised is that OpenAI requires its investors not to invest in any other rival AI startup which is clearly against antitrust laws. Hence, it needs to be stopped before its too late.OpenAI has addressed this filing and said that this is the fourth time that Musk has recycled the same baseless complaints which continue to be utterly without merit.ChatGPT Continues to Make Fake New CitationsA recent study conducted by the Tow Center found that ChatGPT is still struggling with creating accurate citations for its news sources.The study was conducted with 20 publishers which includes the ones that OpenAI has affiliations with as well as those which are unaffiliated. From each publisher, they took 10 quotes to see whether the tool could accurately pinpoint their source.However, in many instances, the tool failed. The responses were mixed. Sometimes it got the source completely wrong, sometimes it got it partially correct, and only a handful of times, it got the citation completely correct.Whether the publisher was affiliated with the company or not did not make a difference. Each of the 20 publishers was equally subjected to the mistakes.In the end, it was found that out of the 200 queries, 153 were incorrect. The worst part is, in only 7 cases the tool acknowledged its inability to furnish accurate responses. So a regular user under normal circumstances wouldnt even know that they were getting the wrong citations.This is also highly disadvantageous for the publishers who might miss out on a bulk of traffic because those faulty links couldnt point the user to their site.OpenAI has responded to these findings and said that the Tow Centre conducts an atypical test of our product.It then went on to explain how its already helping more than 250 million users every week with summaries, quotes, and citations. The company has already partnered up with experts to improve in-line citation accuracy and will continue to enhance its results.Meta is planning to build a network of subsea cables thatll run across more than 40,000 km and will cost the company about $10 billion.As per reports, the company will initially start by investing $2 billion and as the project later progresses, the total investment might add up to $10 billion.Most of the other details are still under wraps. Sometime in early 2025, it is expected to reveal its entire plan such as the cable route, capacity of the network, and reason for this project.Note: The route might start from the east coast of the USA to India via South Africa and then back to the west coast of the USA through Australia.However, it will be a few years before this project comes to fruition. According to Ranulf Scarborough, a submarine cable industry analyst, the cable ships that carry out such types of construction are quite expensive and booked out years in advance. Metas number might not come anytime soon unless it manages to find another way.This also isnt the first time that the company has ventured into underwater cable networks. Its already a co-owner in 16 such networks, including the new 2Africa cable.This New Competition Law Can Fine Big Tech Giants for Suppressing CompetitionOn Monday, Australia proposed a new law that could impose a fine of up to A$50 million ($33 million) on big tech companies if they try to suppress competition by preventing users from switching to other services.Speaking about the same, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said sometimes companies use certain tricks to lock in customers to their products. Doing so hampers innovation outside of the top players of the industry.Its also unfair to the users who cannot make a free choice and might end up paying more because they cant switch to cheaper alternatives.Hence, a regulation to maintain fairness in the industry is much needed.The proposal is still under consultation which is expected to end on Feb 14. If everything goes well, the parliament will hold more sessions to discuss the drafting of the legislation. If this law is finally imposed, Australian competition watchdogs will get the responsibility of investigating big tech companies to ensure their compliance with the competition laws.The ad-tech industry and app marketplaces will be the first ones to come under their supervision. The law would prevent them from favoring one product/listing over another.Therell be no preferential ranking, even for the companys own products or services.Once the law is passed, the government will also consult with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to discuss which platforms pose the greatest risk and need to be investigated first.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Samsungs Gauss 2 Model Pioneers AI Integration Aaron WalkerNovember 22, 2024News Google Gemini Gets a Memory Krishi ChowdharyNovember 21, 2024 View all

In context: Marshal Brain created the HowStuffWorks website as a hobby in 1998. To his surprise, the site became a go-to for the layman wanting to understand complex processes and systems in easy-to-read language. The site spawned books, podcasts, and a TV series on the Discovery Channel, which purchased the brand from Brain for $250 million in 2007. Marshall Brain, the creator of the popular HowStuffWorks website, died the week before Thanksgiving in his office on the campus of North Carolina State University. He was 63. Brain's wife called NC State Police to perform a welfare check at 6:40 am on November 20. Officers arrived in his office at 7:00 am to find him already dead.University newspaper Technician noted that initially, no cause of death was released. On Tuesday, Raleigh's The News & Observer obtained a copy of Brain's death certificate, confirming he committed suicide. The report did not mention motive or method, but an email sent a few hours before his death spelled out his motivation pretty clearly.At 4:29 am, Brain emailed about 30 friends and associates. The lengthy letter explained how specific university staff members "ruined his life.""I have just been through one of the most demoralizing, depressing, humiliating, unjust processes possible with the university," Brain wrote.The process he was referring to was NC State's "EthicsPoint" system, a method of reporting ethical complaints. Brain claimed he had "witnessed wrongdoing" in August after having a dispute with an administrator over the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program meeting place, which he led.He used EthicsPoint to file his complaint, as the school had instructed staff and students to do. What followed was a complete system breakdown, leading to his firing."I witnessed wrongdoing on campus, and I tried to report it," Brain's email read. "What came back was a sickening nuclear bomb of retaliation the likes of which could not be believed." // Related StoriesOne of his students, aware of the situation, said it boiled down to Brain not wanting to "play the political game.""Marshall was caught in an imbalanced group of people with more power than him, and they didn't like him calling them out," said email recipient and Brain's former student Brandon Kashani. "... He was keeping people accountable. He didn't understand that political aspect of it, and they just wanted to get rid of him."On November 6, North Carolina State's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Executive Program Director Stephen Markham publicly announced that Marshall Brain would retire on December 31, 2025. However, Brain's letter said NC State fired him on October 29 and that the "forced retirement" was to allow him to save face."The fact is that I am not 'retiring.' Instead, NC State terminated me on Oct. 29. My career has been destroyed by multiple administrators at NCSU who united together and completely ignored the EthicsPoint System and its promises to employees. I did what the university told me to do, and then these administrators ruined my life for it."University's spokesman, Mick Kulikowski, told Technician that the school has no comment on Brain's death or his allegations against NCSU or its faculty. The school's website briefly removed Brain's bio page but restored it after his email leaked to the media.Image credit: Marshall Brain, Suzie Tremmel

A hot potato: The Trusted Platform Module standard describes a dedicated cryptography chip designed to manage many security-related tasks in a computer. The standard was introduced in 2009, but Microsoft recently decided to enforce a TPM requirement on every Windows 11 PC, which has seen heavy pushback since launch. While announcing Windows 11, Microsoft made a very controversial move to change hardware requirements significantly. The latest edition of the most popular PC operating system cannot run or even be installed under normal conditions if the CPU is a few years old or the motherboard doesn't include a specialized piece of crypto-hardware (or related firmware emulation) known as Trusted Platform Module (TPM).Senior Product Manager Steven Hosking recently revealed that Microsoft is reinforcing the idea that the TPM requirement is here to stay, and there will be no compromises even after the end of mainstream support for Windows 10. Redmond believes TPM technology is crucial to safeguarding Windows security and is even more essential when considering the future of the Windows ecosystem.Hosking explained that TPM's primary role is to offer hardware-level security features for a compatible computing device. The chip can securely store encryption keys and certificates. It can also shield passwords and sensitive data against misuse and unauthorized access. The TPM chip can also provide a random number generation engine, encrypt or decrypt data, and verify digital signatures.Windows 10 users will not receive security updates after October 2025 unless they pay for them. Microsoft concedes that the almost aging operating system is approaching the end of support. Still, the company is unwilling to remove or weaken the TPM 2.0 requirement from Windows 11 hardware specs to facilitate the upgrade from Windows 10.Hosking said that a TPM 2.0 chip addresses many security challenges in a constantly evolving digital world, providing improved support for industry-standard cryptographic algorithms and increased isolation for security processes. Furthermore, TPM 2.0 offers a "seamless" integration with Windows 11 security capabilities, including encryption key storage, Secure Boot, and multifactor authentication. // Related Stories"By instituting TPM 2.0 as a non-negotiable standard for the future of Windows, we elevate the security benchmark," Hosking stated.The TPM chip is essential for the present, especially future Windows platforms, providing enterprise customers with additional management options. Pardon the sarcasm, but this must be why people are still flocking to Windows 10 in droves, regardless of the operating system's waning lifecycle.

TamagotchiHeres a worthy addition to our roundup of Cyber Week stocking stuffers: the Original Tamagotchi, a digital pet thats making a comeback after reaching peak popularity in the late 1990s, is on sale from Walmart for less than half-price. From $42, its currently available for only $20, for savings of $22. Were not sure how much time is remaining before stocks sell out or until its price returns to normal, so if you think this is the perfect gift for somebody, or perhaps even for yourself, take advantage of the offer immediately while its still available.The Tamagotchi shaped the tech habits of a generation when it was released in the late 1990s, and its back as a retro device thats targeting kids and adults alike. If youve raised Pokmon in any of the Pokmon games or built an island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Tamagotchi is an extremely simple version. As a digital pet, youll have to feed it when its hungry, play with it when its bored, give it medicine when its sick, discipline it when it bothers you, and clean up after it when it leaves a mess. Youll raise your Tamagotchi from an egg into a child, and depending on how you raise it, it will grow into one of the seven types of adults.Giving the Tamagotchi as a gift for the holidays will bring back memories if you give it to someone who was already around when it first arrived on the scene. Giving it to children, meanwhile, could teach them the idea of responsibility, especially if theyre preparing to take care of an actual pet. Either way, the Tamagotchi will surely be a hit as an inexpensive stocking stuffer.RelatedIts a good idea to shop for stocking stuffers now while the shipping channels arent too congested yet because of the holiday rush. Heres a much less expensive and smaller alternative to gaming console deals: the Original Tamagotchi, which is available from Walmart with a $22 discount that more than halves its price from $42 to only $20. The digital pets popularity is on the rise again, so theres a chance that stocks are already running low. If you dont want to miss out on this offer, youre going to have to complete your purchase for the Original Tamagotchi as soon as possible.Editors Recommendations

Gamers who havent upgraded to the PlayStation 5 yet should probably take advantage of this offer from Walmart as a gift for themselves. The PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle, which originally costs $500, is on sale with a $76 discount, so youll only have to pay $424 for this package. Youre going to have to hurry though, as PS5 deals almost always sell out quickly because of the consoles popularity. Tomorrow may already be too late if you want the savings, so we highly recommend proceeding with your purchase right now.The PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle, as you can probably guess from the packages long name, comes with Sonys PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition, as well as a single DualSense controller. Between the PlayStation 5 Slim and PlayStation 5, the changes in the PlayStation 5 Slim go beyond the slightly more streamlined design, as the updated console also offers a storage increase to 1TB from 825GB. The bundle also comes with Cobalt Star cosmetic items for the massively popular Fortnite, along with 1,000 V-Bucks to spend on the free-to-play title.The PlayStation 5 Pro is already available, offering upgraded performance compared to the PlayStation 5 Slim, but if youre only focused on playing the best PS5 exclusives, it doesnt matter what version of the console you own. God of War: Ragnarok, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Stellar Blade, Gran Turismo 7, Astro Bot, Marvels Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart all of them run perfectly fine on the PlayStation 5 Slim.RelatedThe PlayStation 5 isnt always available with a discount from gaming console deals, so when you see offers like this one the PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle for only $424 from Walmart you wont want to miss them. The $76 in savings from the packages original price of $500 may disappear at any moment, with stocks already likely flying off the shelves, so if you want to get the PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle for a more affordable price than usual, youre going to have to push forward with your transaction for it right now.Editors Recommendations