Netflix announced that itsSquid Game: Unleashedmobile game has reachedNo. 1 Top Free Action Game in 57 countriesRead More

Sequential recommendation systems play a key role in creating personalized user experiences across various platforms, but they also face persistent challenges. Traditionally, these systems rely on users interaction histories to predict preferences, often leading to generic recommendations. While integrating auxiliary data such as item descriptions or intent predictions can provide some improvement, these systems struggle to adapt to user preferences in real-time. Additionally, the absence of comprehensive benchmarks for evaluating preference discernment limits the ability to assess their effectiveness in diverse scenarios.To tackle these issues, a team of researchers from Meta AI, ELLIS Unit, LIT AI Lab, Institute for Machine Learning, JKU Linz, Austria, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, introduces a paradigm called preference discerning, supported by a generative retrieval model named Mender (Multimodal Preference Discerner). This approach explicitly conditions recommendation systems on user preferences expressed in natural language. Leveraging large language models (LLMs), the framework extracts preferences from reviews and item-specific data, transforming them into actionable insights.Mender captures items at two levels of abstraction: semantic IDs and natural language descriptions. This multimodal approach ensures a more nuanced understanding of user preferences. By combining preference approximationderiving preferences from user datawith preference conditioning, Mender allows systems to dynamically adapt to specific user preferences. Additionally, Meta AI has introduced a benchmark that evaluates preference discerning across five dimensions: preference-based recommendation, sentiment following, fine- and coarse-grained steering, and history consolidation, setting a new standard for evaluating personalization.Technical Features and Advantages of MenderMenders design focuses on integrating user preferences with interaction data seamlessly. It uses pre-trained language models to encode preferences and interaction histories in natural language. Its cross-attention mechanisms enable the decoder to predict semantic IDs for recommended items. Mender comes in two variants:MenderTok: Processes preferences and item sequences holistically, supporting fine-tuning.MenderEmb: Precomputes embeddings for efficient training.Key benefits of Mender include:Preference Steering: Tailoring recommendations dynamically based on user-specified preferences.Sentiment Integration: Utilizing user sentiment to enhance accuracy.History Consolidation: Merging new preferences with historical data to refine results.Results and InsightsMeta AIs evaluation of Mender highlights its significant performance improvements on datasets such as Amazon reviews and Steam. For instance:On the Amazon Beauty subset, MenderTok improved Recall@10 by over 45% compared to baseline models.In sentiment following, Mender effectively identified and acted on user sentiments, outperforming other methods by up to 86%.For fine-grained steering, Mender achieved a 70.5% relative improvement, demonstrating its ability to align recommendations with nuanced preferences.ConclusionMeta AIs preference discerning paradigm offers a fresh perspective on sequential recommendation systems, focusing on explicit user preferences articulated in natural language. By integrating LLMs, multimodal representations, and a robust benchmark, this approach improves personalization while providing a framework for future development. With plans to open-source the underlying code and benchmarks, this work has the potential to benefit a broad range of applications, advancing the field of personalized recommendations.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)

This article contains spoilers for season 3 of Marvels What If?The third and final season of Marvels What If? is full of new and exciting peeks at worlds that exist outside of the MCUs Sacred Timeline. From old Hollywood glamour to Russian buddy comedy hijinks to old West shootouts, this season certainly has fun playing in the Marvel sandbox. But despite the fact that the majority of these stories are pretty significant deviations from the characters we know in the MCU, this season does do a good job of setting up important parts of upcoming movies Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, albeit in a different way than well likely see them on the big screen.ThunderboltsEpisode 4 What IfThe Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier? is a fun buddy comedy that shows us what could have happened if the Red Guardian had joined the Winter Soldier on his mission to retrieve the super soldier serum from Howard and Maria Stark. This accident in the 90s is what kills them in the Sacred Timeline and later kickstarts the events of Captain America: Civil War.In this timeline, however, the Red Guardian keeps the Winter Soldier from killing the Starks. This obviously makes neither the Red Room or Hydra very happy, so Alexei and Bucky end up on the run together for a while. That is, until Bucky is ordered to kill Alexei. Not wanting to kill his new friend, Bucky lets Alexei escape, telling both of their bosses that he died. Even though the two have only known each other for a short time, and we know that Bucky is still very much under Hydras control at this point in the Sacred Timeline, its telling that any version of the Winter Soldier would be willing to risk so much for someone who is basically a stranger.Obviously this story happens at a very different point in these characters lives than Thunderbolts* will, but hopefully this episode still gives us a glimpse of the buddy comedy dynamic we might be able to expect from Alexei and Bucky when we see them in this movie. This episode is also a sign that their first mission together will likely have several hiccups, considering how much the two butt heads in the beginning. However, this episode also shows that these two can also be formidable allies when it really matters.Captain America: Brave New WorldOn the surface, Captain America: Brave New World doesnt look like it would have many ties to the more magical and cosmic sides of the MCU, let alone an episode as glittery and glamorous as What IfAgatha Went to Hollywood? However, this episode of Marvels What If? and Brave New World do have one thing in common the return of the Celestial Tiamut from Eternals.In What If?, Agatha tries to absorb the Celestials power and take it as her own. And she succeeds, becoming an incredibly powerful cosmic being in the process. While we arent quite sure the extent of which the stone corpse of Tiamut will feature in Brave New World, this episode of What If? does show us how much power lies in even a dormant Celestial.Its not likely that anyone will be trying to absorb the Celestials power like Agatha did, at least in Brave New World, but that doesnt mean there isnt going to be a race to claim the new territory and wealth of cosmic resources this stone giant has to offer. In one of the trailers, it looks like Cap (Anthony Mackie) is flying around part of Tiamuts emerging corpse, but weve yet to see just how much the Celestial body is going to factor into the plot and conspiracy at the center of Brave New World.Hopefully this kind of power doesnt end up in the wrong hands in Brave New World. Weve seen what could happen when a mortal takes on this kind of power. Even though Agatha may be selfish, shes certainly not evil. If someone like The Leader got their hands on even a fraction of this power, however, theres no telling what chaos they could bring upon the Earth.All eight episodes of Marvels What If? season 3 are available to stream on Disney+ now.

Apple Watch has always been a powerful device for tracking your health and fitness. But two recent changes in watchOS 11 have made it easier than ever to hit your goals. Here are the details.Setting daily Apple Watch goals for your health, including restWhen Apple Watch first debuted, its three Activity rings were very rigidly defined.To close all your rings, you had to hit 30 minutes of Exercise and 12 Stand hours per day. You couldnt modify these goals; only the Move ring was customizable.In recent years, watchOS added support for changing the Exercise and Stand goals too. But it was only in the last few months, with watchOS 11, that two more key Activity ring changes were implemented.You can now take rest days and sick days. And your Activity rings can have different goals for different days of the week.watchOS 11 supports pausing your Activity rings for one or more days, so that failing to close the rings on those days wont end your streak.And you can adjust your daily goals so that, for example, on weekdays youll need to move more while on weekends you can take things easier.Here are two reasons why these Apple Watch changes can help you achieve your health goals:Streaks can be a big motivator in keeping healthy habits going.Goals need to be seen as realistic, or else well quickly give up on them.Ive seen these two principles play out in my own Apple Watch journey. Let me explain.Why Apple Watchs health fixes matterMy longest streak ever for closing my Move ring is 285 days.It was an exciting season, but it came crashing down when I got COVID and could barely get out of bed for a few days.The loss of my streak, and how long I knew it would take to set a new streak record, were hugely demotivating for me. I quickly got out of the habit of closing my rings daily.The ability to pause my goals would have been huge, and gotten me back on track much sooner.Similarly, Ive often struggled to maintain consistency with my rings because the Apple Watch has historically treated every day the same. Its never felt right to me that if I had a huge day for movement, I was expected to still hit my standard goal the next day.Now, I can plan on having a big exercise day on Fridays, for example, before taking things a bit easier on Saturdays. And my Apple Watch wont shame me for doing that.Have these Apple Watch changes helped you stick to your health goals? Let us know in the comments.Best Apple Watch deals and accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

"Normally, on an airport with a runway at the end, you don't have a wall."Localizer TragedyIn South Korea, a jet quite literally crashed and burned when it hit a wall that was placed at the end of an airport runway, killing 179 passengers.As theBBC reports, the pilot of the Jeju Air plane reported to the control tower at Muan International Airport that the Boeing 787-800 jet had struck a bird and needed to make an emergency landing.Despite failing to deploy its wheels and other gear, the emergency landing was looking okay until the plane crashed into the concrete structure atop a dirt embankment at the end of the runway. That wall held a navigational system called a localizer that's meant, ironically, to help planes land safely.While localizer structures are common at airports, they're generally not supposed to be placed at the end of runways like the one at Muan, experts told theBBC.Air safety specialist David Learmont told the broadcaster that if the "obstruction," as he called the localizer structure, hadn't been positioned in such an inopportune place at the end of the runway, the jet "would have come to rest with most possibly all those on board still alive."Christian Beckert, a Lufthansa pilot out of Germany, was even more blunt: "Normally, on an airport with a runway at the end, you don't have a wall."Hard and FastBeyond the positioning of the structure itself, longtime pilot Chris Kingswood told theBBC that there was something else strange about the wall: that it was just so hard."Obstacles within a certain range and distance of the runway are required to be frangible," the veteran pilot said, "which means that if an aircraft strikes them that they do break.""It does seem unusual that it's such a rigid thing," he continued. "The aircraft, from what I understand, was travelling very fast, landed a long way down the runway, so it will have gone a long way past the end of the runway."In the wake of the stunning crash, which is one of the world'sworst in recent years, reports emergedthat Muan officials had previously flagged that the wall was indeed too close to the runway.Instead of changing it immediately, however, the embankment was to be "reviewed" upon a planned expansion.Share This Article

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Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that's produced when fossil fuels are burned. It's colorless, odorless and silent, making it virtually impossible to detect on its own until it's too late. CO poisoning is totally preventable with the proper use of carbon monoxide detectors.Carbon monoxide blocks your blood's ability to carry oxygen. Specifically, it replaces the spot that oxygen normally takes on the hemoglobin in red blood cells by bonding more tightly to it. When your blood can no longer do its job of carrying the oxygen your body needs to keep your organs operating, especially your brain, your organs will shut down.The risk of CO poisoning becomes particularly acute in winter or when the power goes out when fuel-powered appliances like furnaces or portable generators are more likely to come into play.Luckily, it's not all doom and gloom. If you change your carbon monoxide detectors' batteries twice a year, and position them so they'll wake you when you're asleep, they can protect you from CO poisoning. You might want to consider a CO detector with a digital readout since that will tell you the highest level of CO in your home in addition to sounding the alarm. (You can also check out our guide on the best place to put your smoke detector.) What are the common causes of CO in people's homes? Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. You may be wondering what causes carbon monoxide in and around a house, and there are several common culprits. Anything that burns fossil fuels is a potential danger. This list includes (but is not limited to) cars, trucks, furnaces, stoves, gas ranges, small engines, generators, grills, lanterns and fireplaces. Improper use or maintenance of these devices can cause CO to build up to deadly levels in your home.What are the signs of a CO leak?Carbon monoxide smells like nothing; it's odorless. Without a CO detector, it's unlikely you'll notice a CO leak until it's too late. That's why it's important to have CO detectors in your home that can identify low levels of carbon monoxide before it becomes dangerous.How dangerous is CO?Carbon monoxide is deadly. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often described as flu-like, including headache, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, dizziness, weakness and confusion. A person who's sleeping is unlikely to register these symptoms and can easily die in their sleep. Plus, the CO itself can put you to sleep and then kill you. Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but infants and the elderly are particularly susceptible, as are people with heart problems, anemia and breathing issues. According to the CDC, over 400 people in the US die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room and over 14,000 are hospitalized every year. Enlarge Image Colin McDonald/CNETHow do CO detectors work?CO detectors measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air, triggering an alarm if it's high enough. There are several different kinds of CO sensors, including biometric gel, metal oxide semiconductor, and electrochemical. For more details on how exactly CO detectors work, check out our explainer.Whichever kind of CO detector you have, be sure to put it where you will hear the alarm while you're sleeping. A good CO detector, in addition to detecting sudden spikes, will detect even low levels of CO over time. This could indicate a slow leak of the gas somewhere in your home.Where should you place a CO detector?Every floor of your home, including the basement, should have a CO detector,according to the EPA. Be sure to place a CO detector within 10 feet of every separate sleeping area of your home, so it will wake up everyone who may be asleep when it sounds. There should also be one within 20 feet of any attached garage, furnace, water heater and fireplace. Wherever you place your carbon monoxide detectors, be sure the areas are free from obstructions and protected from adverse environmental conditions.Check out our guide for more CO detector installation tips. Be sure to read and follow the CO detector's manufacturer's guidelines for installing and maintaining the device.What should I do if my CO detector goes off?If a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone out of the house and into fresh air immediately and then call emergency services. It takes time for carbon monoxide to dissipate, so don't assume it's safe to go back into your home when the alarm stops. Always be sure your CO detector has fresh batteries; changing them twice a year at the same time we change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time is a good way to help you remember. Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Gianmarco Chumbe/CNETAre there any other ways to detect CO?You can't detect carbon monoxide without a CO detector, but you may be able to identify potential CO hazards around your home.Poorly maintained and poorly ventilated gas-fueled household appliances are the most common culprits, so be sure to keep an eye on them. These potential hazards include brownish or yellowing stains around appliances, pilot lights that go out frequently, yellow (instead of clear blue) burner flames, no upward draft in your chimney flue, stale-smelling air, and soot or smoke in your home.What are the best ways to prevent a CO leak?Be sure to have your chimney, heating system, water heater and any other appliances that burn gas, oil or coal serviced yearly by a qualified technician. If you see, smell or sense anything is "off," get it checked out immediately.Only buy gas equipment if it carries the seal of a national testing agency such as Underwriters' Laboratories. Make sure your gas appliances are vented properly; horizontal vent pipes should angle up slightly as they go outdoors.Never try to patch a vent pipe with tape or gum or anything else. Don't use a gas oven to heat your home. Don't burn charcoal inside your home.Don't use a portable gas camp stove or portable flameless chemical heaters indoors. If you use a generator, don't use it inside your home or garage -- or even within 20 feet of any window or vent. All of these things can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide in your home. For backup power, consider options like a solar generator or portable power station, which don't burn fossil fuels or run the risk of carbon monoxide.You should avoid running a car inside a closed garage. Did you know that you also shouldn't run your car in an attached garage even with the garage door open? I had been doing this on cold winter days to warm up my car, but I certainly will never do so again. It's also a good idea to have your car's exhaust system checked over by a mechanic every year. If you drive a vehicle with a tailgate, be sure to open the vents or window whenever the tailgate is open.For more home safety tips, check out our home security cheat sheet, and how to protect against fires, mold and other home hazards.

Our Picks Persona Nutrition View details See at Persona Nutrition View details Hum Nutrition View details See at Hum Nutrition View details Vous Vitamin View details See at Vous Vitamin View details Thesis View details See at Thesis View details Rootine View details See at Rootine View details Table of Contents In a perfect world, youd always have the time and energy to prepare healthy and nutritious meals to keep your body fueled. However, the reality is that meeting your nutritional needs through food alone can be a major challenge. A vitamin supplement can play a crucial role in filling those gaps and ensuring your body gets everything it requires. With these personalized vitamin subscription plans, you can have the supplements you need conveniently delivered right to your door.Vitamins are a great way to supplement your diet and make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. But generic multivitaminsfrom the store shelves might not be the best option. If you want to optimize how these vitamins help your body, opt for one of the many personalized vitamin subscriptionsthat fits your needs and get it delivered to your doorstep each month.Read more: The Best Christmas Gifts and Ideas for Every Price RangeThe big question is: Are vitamin subscriptions worth it? Many personalized vitamin companies will ask you to fill out a questionnaire or pick an area of your health you want to improve, like cardiovascular disease,digestive distress, bone health,vitamin D deficiencyor vitamin B12 deficiency. Then they give you a personalized recommendation of dietary supplements and vitamins that can be delivered monthly. From there, many supplement subscription companies allow you to customize a personalized vitamin pack, so everything you need to meet your health goal or improve your overall well-being is in one place. A few companies go above and beyond by incorporating blood testing and DNA data into their vitamin pack formulas. There are plenty of custom vitamin pack options out there to meet your nutritional needs and health goals, no matter your wellness objectives. Check out our picks for the best vitamin subscription services below. Vitamin subscriptions at a glance Formula based onAccess to healthcare professionalYou takeShipping Persona Nutrition Lifestyle quizYes, nutritionistsPackets of pillsShips monthly, free on order over $50HUM Nutrition Lifestyle quizYes, R.D.Pills from individual bottlesShips monthly, free on orders over $50Vous Vitamin Lifestyle quizNoOne pillShips every three or six months for freeThesis Lifestyle quizNoPackets of pillsShips monthly for free in the USRootine DNA, blood nutrient dataNoA packet of microbeadsShips monthly, free on orders over $45 Read more:Best Healthy Food Delivery Services in 2024Best vitamin subscriptionsThe vitamin subscription you choose will come down to your goals and budget. These eight subscription services deliver custom vitamin packs, essential nutrients and dietary supplement packs to address your individual needs. See at Persona Nutrition Persona Nutrition uses an in-depth questionnaire that covers nutrition, lifestyle, physical activity, prescription medications, sleep, dietary preferences and more. This information allows Persona to formulate vitamin packs with all the nutrients you need.You'll receive packs of vitamins with instructions to take them at specific times of day because the bioavailability of any particular nutrient depends on what else is in your body at the moment.For example, it's best to take water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin B12 soon after waking up because an empty stomach can help you absorb them. Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins K and E, on the other hand, are best taken with a meal because your body won't absorb the vitamins without the help of dietary fat. Some vitamins also need to be taken in tandem to ensure absorption (like vitamin D and calcium).Persona Nutrition ships orders every 28 days. Your vitamins arrive in convenient daily packets designed to be taken in the morning, afternoon and night, depending on the contents of your subscription. Persona offers nearly 100 products, and the cost of your box will vary based on which products you add to your subscription. The vitamin brand offers personalized packs for as little as $30 a month. See at Hum Nutrition Hum Nutrition started with one man's personal struggles with skin breakouts and blemishes. Founder Walter Faulstroh found that prescription medications only worked temporarily for him, and topical treatments left his skin -- and his confidence -- scarred.Hum got its start creating vitamin supplements intended to contribute to healthy, clear skin, but the brand has since expanded to include a comprehensive offering of products for hair and nails, digestion, immunity, energy, bones and joints, sleep, stress and metabolism.A 3-minute quiz unlocks your wellness profile and a free consultation with a registered dietitian. Your Hum profile reveals what the company says would be your most effective combo of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and your RD counsels you further. You can choose to stick with your recommendations or shop around for other products.You'll receive your Hum subscription box every 30 days, whether you sign up for a month-to-month subscription or buy a Commit and Save plan for three, six or 12 months.The price of your subscription box will vary based on which vitamins and nutrients you choose. Hum's products range from $10 to $60. Hum ships worldwide and shipping is free for all orders over $50. See at Vous Vitamin Vous Vitamin was founded by two doctors who kept seeing patients come in with similar symptoms -- fatigue, lack of focus, thinning hair, skin problems and so on -- and kept tracing these issues back to nutrient deficiencies or poor dietary habits.You'll start out with a questionnaire that asks all the basics, plus questions about how you sleep, eat and move. You'll also provide information about any health conditions you have or medications you take.I like Vous Vitamin because you only have to take one pill. Instead of vitamin packs with two to six pills, Vous Vitamin packs all of your recommended nutrients into one caplet that you take twice daily (you can take one pill in the morning and one at night, or take both at the same time).You can also purchase individual "situational supplements," such as Recovery Act (a hangover cure) and Power Up (an energy boost), for when you need a little extra something.Vous Vitamins ship every three months or every six months, and shipping is free. You can save more money each month if you choose the six-month subscription.

Federal authorities have arrested and indicted a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of being Kiberphant0m, a cybercriminal who has been selling and leaking sensitive customer call records stolen earlier this year from AT&T and Verizon. As first reported by KrebsOnSecurity last month, the accused is a communications specialist who was recently stationed in South Korea.One of several selfies on the Facebook page of Cameron Wagenius.Cameron John Wagenius, 20, was arrested near the Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Dec. 20, after being indicted on two criminal counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records.The sparse, two-page indictment (PDF) doesnt reference specific victims or hacking activity, nor does it include any personal details about the accused. But a conversation with Wagenius mother Minnesota native Alicia Roen filled in the gaps.Roen said that prior to her sons arrest hed acknowledged being associated with Connor Riley Moucka, a.k.a. Judische, a prolific cybercriminal from Canada who was arrested in late October for stealing data from and extorting dozens of companies that stored data at the cloud service Snowflake.In an interview with KrebsOnSecurity, Judische said he had no interest in selling the data hed stolen from Snowflake customers and telecom providers, and that he preferred to outsource that to others including Kiberphant0m. Meanwhile, Kiberphant0m claimed in posts on Telegram that he was responsible for hacking into at least 15 telecommunications firms, including AT&T and Verizon.On November 26, KrebsOnSecurity published a story that followed a trail of clues left behind by Kiberphantom indicating he was a U.S. Army soldier stationed in South Korea.An 18-year-old Cameron Wagenius, joining the U.S. Army.Ms. Roen said Cameron worked on radio signals and network communications at an Army base in South Korea for the past two years, returning to the United States periodically. She said Cameron was always good with computers, but that she had no idea he might have been involved in criminal hacking.I never was aware he was into hacking, Roen said. It was definitely a shock to me when we found this stuff out.Ms. Roen said Cameron joined the Army as soon as he was of age, following in his older brothers footsteps.He and his brother when they were like 6 and 7 years old would ask for MREs from other countries, she recalled, referring to military-issued meals ready to eat food rations. They both always wanted to be in the Army. Im not sure where things went wrong.Immediately after news broke of Mouckas arrest, Kiberphant0m posted on the hacker community BreachForumswhat they claimed were the AT&T call logs forPresident-electDonald J. Trumpand forVice President Kamala Harris.In the event you do not reach out to us @ATNT all presidential government call logs will be leaked, Kiberphant0m threatened, signing their post with multiple #FREEWAIFU tags. You dont think we dont have plans in the event of an arrest? Think again.Kiberphant0m posting what he claimed was a data schema stolen from the NSA via AT&T.On that same day, Kiberphant0m posted what they claimed was the data schema from the U.S. National Security Agency.On Nov. 5, Kiberphant0m offered call logs stolen from Verizons push-to-talk (PTT) customers mainly U.S. government agencies and emergency first responders. On Nov. 9, Kiberphant0m posted a sales thread on BreachForums offering a SIM-swapping service targeting Verizon PTT customers. In a SIM-swap, fraudsters use credentials that are phished or stolen from mobile phone company employees to divert a targets phone calls and text messages to a device they control.The profile photo on Wagenius Facebook page was deleted within hours of my Nov. 26 story identifying Kiberphant0m as a likely U.S. Army soldier. Still, many of his original profile photos remain, including several that show Wagenius in uniform while holding various Army-issued weapons.Several profile photos visible on the Facebook page of Cameron Wagenius.Novembers story on Kiberphant0m cited his own Telegram messages saying he maintained a large botnet that was used for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to knock website, users and networks offline. In 2023, Kiberphant0m sold remote access credentials for a major U.S. defense contractor.Allison Nixon is chief research officer at the New York-based cybersecurity firm Unit 221B who helped track down Kiberphant0ms real life identity. Nixon was among several security researchers who faced harassment and specific threats of violence from Judische and his associates.Anonymously extorting the President and VP as a member of the military is a bad idea, but its an even worse idea to harass people who specialize in de-anonymizing cybercriminals, Nixon told KrebsOnSecurity. She saidthe investigation into Kiberphant0m shows that law enforcement is getting better and faster at going after cybercriminals especially those who are actually living in the United States.Between when we, and an anonymous colleague, found his opsec mistake on November 10th to his last Telegram activity on December 6, law enforcement set the speed record for the fastest turnaround time for an American federal cyber case that I have witnessed in my career, she said.Nixon asked to share a message for all the other Kiberphant0ms out there who think they cant be found and arrested.I know that young people involved in cybercrime will read these articles, Nixon said. You need to stop doing stupid shit and get a lawyer. Law enforcement wants to put all of you in prison for a long time.The indictment against Wagenius was filed in Texas, but the case has been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle.

By AJ Dellinger Published December 31, 2024 | Comments (60) | Ajit Pai testifies during an oversight hearing Jonathan Newton-Pool/Getty Images Ajit Pai, the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission during Donald Trumps first term, is splitting from his old boss and encouraging the Supreme Court to allow a ban on TikTok to move forward. According to Business Insider, Pai and former Department of Treasury official Thomas Feddo filed a brief last week encouraging the justices to uphold the law that would banish TikToks operation within US borders despite Trumps push to stop the ban. Pais primary argument is that there is existing legal precedent to support the legality of the law, passed by Congress last year that would require TikToks parent company ByteDance to sell the platform or cease operations in the US. That precedent: Pais own crackdown on Chinese companies.Back when Pai was head of the FCC, he designated two companies headquartered in China as national security threats. The agency banned cellular providers from using government subsidies to purchase telecom equipment from manufacturers Huawei and ZTE, on the grounds that those companies could be collaborating with the Chinese government to spy on Americansa concern that was at least in part backed up by findings from journalists and the intelligence community. Pai called the approach taken to restrict apps like TikTok in the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act extremely similar to his own efforts to tackle Chinese telecom equipment providers, noting Congress and the Executive Branch have routinely identified in legislation or regulation specific companies under Chinas control that pose particular national security risk.While Pai finds himself in conflict with 2024 Donald Trump, who has filed his own brief asking the court to delay the January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok, hes still very much in alignment with 2017-2021 Trump. It was Trump who first floated the ban and tried to carry it out all on his own via executive order in 2020, which was eventually blocked by a federal judge. Trump also backed rules that restricted the sale of equipment to companies like Huawei and ZTE in an attempt to cut off the Chinese firms access to American technology. But Trump had a change of heart on his TikTok attack earlier this year after meeting with Jeff Yass, a major investor in TikTok andyou wont believe this!a big-time Trump backer who poured in nearly $100 million to conservative causes this past election cycle. His support for the app was further cemented following his victory in the 2024 presidential election, which he attributed at least in part to his popularity on TikTok. This is also going to come as a big surprise but, TikTok started courting Trumps support and suddenly, in what is surely an unrelated coincidence, the app became way more friendly to Trump-related content. Wild how that kinda thing just happens.Anyway, there has been no indication that Pai will be returning to the Trump administration (he seems perfectly happy playing a role in a private equity firm that is busy buying out telecom companies), so its probably safe for him to take a stance against his former boss. If anything, Pais position is more principled than Trumps, so credit where its due.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published December 31, 2024 By AJ Dellinger Published December 27, 2024 By Lucas Ropek Published December 27, 2024 By AJ Dellinger Published December 26, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 26, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 23, 2024