The company built a cheaper, competitive chatbot with fewer high-end computer chips than U.S. behemoths like Google and OpenAI, showing the limits of chip export control.

MacworldThe FileVault security system, introduced many years ago to macOS, prevents someone from starting up or restarting your computer and gaining access to its startup volume, which is encrypted. (FileVault handled the encryption in its early days, but its now handled in hardware and always enabled with any Intel Mac with a T2 Security Ship and with all Apple silicon M-series Macs.)This introduces a problem if youre using remote screen access to use your Mac. If you need to make a change that requires rebooting your Mac, it will go right back to the FileVault login screen, which cannot be accessed through remote-control software. The password has to be entered at that screen to unlock the startup drive and to boot into macOS.Restart manually and bypass FileVaultIf you need to restart manually after making a change, you can use a Terminal command that will restart your computer into macOSa single time.Make any changes on your remotely controlled Mac before restarting. This can include installing software that ends with a Restart option. Dont click that button.At the Terminal, entersudo fdesetup authrestart -delayminutes 0and press Return. Set0to the number of minutes you want the Mac to wait, or leave it at0to restart immediately.After the Mac restarts, you should be able to resume your remote session and access the login window to enter the account password.There are three important provisos:This only affects the restart created by thefdesetupcommand. Subsequent restarts will go through the FileVault login.Starting a Mac from having its power off or power cycling itsay, through a HomeKit or other remote-controlled outlet or UPSstill requires a FileVault login.Its possible thefdesetuprestart will go awry and fail to allow you back in.Disable FileVault to ensure remote accessYou could disable FileVault in System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault. Then, whenever your Mac reboots, it will always allow access from the main macOS login window. This works in case of a power outage, a crash and automatic restart, or a manual restart. (Make sure that System Settings > Energys Start up automatically after a power failure is enabled.)However, it comes with the risk that your data could fall into the wrong hands. With FileVault disabled, someone with access to your computer can restart it into recoveryOS, typically used for Disk Utility or reinstalling macOS, and easily retrieve all your stored files.Disabling FileVault is a common practice for Macs used as servers, which are typically stored in locked rooms, secured with biometric or other unique access codes, and monitored by security cameras.For a home user, you should consider whether your Mac ever leaves the house, how susceptible you are to theft, and whether youre concerned your data would wind up in the hands of someone else.With Find My enabled, if the Mac is connected to the Internet, you can remotely lock and restart it to prevent access. However, thieves are unlikely to connect a Mac before trying to access data on it if theyre sophisticated enough to extract your information.This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Cynthia.Ask Mac 911Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns:read our super FAQto see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours tomac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

MacworldThe rumors are heating up for Apples next major iPhone release. In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we cover whats going on with the iPhone SE and what we could see in the next few weeks.This is episode 918 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.Watch episode 918 on YouTubeListen to episode 918 on Apple PodcastsListen to episode 918 on SpotifyGet infoFor more information about the topics discussed on the show, click on the links below.iPhone SE 4: Everything you need to know about Apples next budget phoneSubscribe to the Macworld PodcastYou can subscribe to the Macworld Podcastor leave us a review!right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworldTo find previous episodes, visit Macworlds podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.Apple

Use this flowchart to make tough decisions easierPublished inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter3 min readJust now-- Not to freak you out or anything, but were already 6.12% of our way through 2025Issue #252: birthright citizenship, God writes a novel, and giving yourself permission to put down the weightBy Harris SockelYoure way more resilient than you think, writes Mark Shrime, MD, PhD in one of the best stories Ive read recently about decision making, even when you make bad decisions.Weve touched on the art of deciding a few times in this newsletter. A quick recap:Every decision you make will be imperfect, so how you make decisions matters more than what you decide youll learn more by committing to something and seeing how it feels than sitting in a quiet room trying to assess everything perfectly.Humans tend to be loss-averse: We avoid decisions because were afraid of giving up what we have, even if what we stand to gain could serve us better over time.Beware of defaults! Adherence to the status quo is itself a decision, though were not trained to think of it as one.Enter: surgeon Shrime, author of Solving for Why: A Surgeons Journey to Discover the Transformative Power of PurposeChair of Surgery at Irelands Royal College of Surgeons, I imagine at least part of the curriculum involves decision-making. A surgeon must make split-second life-or-death decisions based on a combination of training, experience, and intuition. On Medium, Shrime extends those lessons into evergreen advice for all sorts of situations. He recommends setting a series of staggered deadlines instead of just one, for example. He advises letting your anxiety point you toward what you truly care about. And, a little gift for my indecisive brain: He draws decision-making flowcharts like this:Image credit: Mark Shrime, Its never the right time heres how to know when to act anywayYou can view the entire chart here. It culminates in a mathematical equation weighing your choices against your values. I tried it recently and while it wasnt easy, it forced me to write down my top three values (relevant to the decision) in one sentence each a decision-making step many of us skip. Worth bookmarkingFrom the archive: Genealogist Andre Kearns finds two of his great-great-great grandfathers mentioned in 150-year-old newspapers, and pens a tribute to how they fought for and benefited from birthright citizenship the right of anyone born on U.S. soil to become a citizen after the U.S. Civil War.Routine is a form of self-hypnosis Every time we abide our routine we put a stone in the path to the place we are trying to reach. Laura Van Den Berg (Fight Week)A reminder that writing is actually harder than creating the Earth, sea, sun, and stars. (Rachel Reyes) A dose of much-needed wisdomYoure not broken, and youre not hopeless. Youve just been carrying a load you didnt realize you could put down. Put down the things! Its almost Friday. (Paddy Murphy)

A group of Englishmen toss Frisbees in 1966. Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone / Getty ImagesWhen Wham-O Manufacturing Co. rolled out its first flying discs on January 23, 1957, there must have been some speculation: Would the idea fly with consumers?But 68 years later, hundreds of millions of Frisbeesaerodynamic plastic discs that are typically about eight to ten inches in diameter and feature a curved lip, creating a lift force that helps them soar through the airhave been sold worldwide.American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison came up with the idea for what would later become Frisbees in the late 1930s while tossing the lid of a popcorn tin back and forth with his future wife, Lucile. Once the tin wore out, the couple started tossing a cake pan instead. Someone noticed the two of them having fun with their makeshift toy and offered the pair 25 cents (equivalent to between $5 and $6 today) to purchase it.That got the wheels turning, Morrison later told a reporter for the Virginian-Pilot, because you could buy a cake pan for five cents, and if people on the beach were willing to pay a quarter for it, wellthere was a business.Morrison started selling his Flyin Cake Pans along Southern Californias beaches and parks, but his business screeched to a halt during World War II, when the inventor flew P-47 fighter-bombers and was briefly imprisoned in Europe. Upon his return, he continuously refined his flying disc.First there was the Whirlo-Way, a design Morrison named in honor of the 1941 Triple Crown winning racehorse, Whirlaway. Then in 1947, Morrison met investor Warren Franscioni. Together they created the Flyin Saucer, a name meant to cash in on a growing craze for unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The two had their toy molded in plastic, allowing it to fly farther and with more accuracy than the previous tin pie plates. However, Morrison and Franscioni went their separate ways in 1950 after disappointing sales.Still, Morrison kept at it, eventually creating the archetype for the modern plastic flying disc, the Pluto Platter. Aerodynamically superior to previous versions, this mass-produced plastic disc was also the first to have a UFO-influenced cupola on top. It caught the attention of Wham-O, a toy company known for the wildly popular Hula-Hoop, and in 1957, Morrison granted them full control of the Pluto Platters manufacturing and marketing in exchange for royalties.Soon after the first Pluto Platters were introduced, Wham-O discovered that New England students had been tossing empty pie tins from Connecticuts Frisbie Pie Company back-and-forth, a habit that led them to refer to Pluto Platters as Frisbies. Wham-O liked the nickname and renamed their disc Frisbee, altering the spelling to avoid copyright infringement.Though sales of Frisbees remained steady, it wasnt until Wham-O hired toy inventor Ed Headrick in 1964 as head of research and development that the flying disc really took off. He patented the design for todays Frisbee in 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on its surface for a better thumb grip. Headrick then began marketing Frisbee as a sport.Soon after, a group of Maplewood, New Jersey, high school students invented Ultimate Frisbee, a game that includes elements of American football, basketball and soccer. Headrick himself came up with the idea for disc golf, in which players toss flying discs into metal baskets. Canines love Frisbees, too: Originating in the 1970s, Disc Dog (often called Frisbee Dog) is a fast-paced game that lets dogs and their human disc throwers compete in a variety of events together.Although Mattel Toy Manufacturers bought the official Frisbee from Wham-O in 1994, it's still flying off the assembly lines today. In 1998, the Frisbee was even inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

EA revises FY2025 and Q3 guidance due to underperformance across two franchisesEA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard "underperformed net booking expectations"Image credit: Electronic Arts News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Electronic Arts has revised its full year guidance for FY2025 due to EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard not meeting expectations during its third quarter.EA expected net bookings of $7.5 billion and $7.8 billion for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, which it has now revised to between $7 billion and $7.1 billion.The firm also pre-announced preliminary results for its third quarter, with net bookings projected to be $2.2 billion compared to previous guidance of $2.4 billion to $2.5 billion.EA said a slowdown in its global football franchise was the main reason for this change, as "early momentum in the fiscal third quarter did not sustain through to the end."Dragon Age: The Veilguard also saw approximately 1.5 million players which was 50% below expectations for the quarter."During Q3, we continued to deliver high-quality games and experiences across our portfolio," said EA CEO Andrew Wilson. "However, Dragon Age and EA Sports FC 25 underperformed our net booking expectations."This month, our teams delivered a comprehensive gameplay refresh in addition to our annual Team of the Year update in FC 25; positive player feedback and early results are encouraging. We remain confident in our long-term strategy and expect a return to growth in FY26, as we execute against our pipeline."EA CFO Stuart Canfield added: "We continue to balance investment for future growth with operational discipline, and remain committed to EA's long-term financial framework. As we look to FY26, we expect to grow as we launch more of our iconic franchises."

Mortal Kombat 1 tops 5m sales | News-in-briefCo-creator says fighting title is "still in the top 15 most played PS5 games"Image credit: NetherRealm / Warner Bros. News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 23, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Mortal Kombat 1 tops 5m sales

A fundamental challenge in advancing AI research lies in developing systems that can autonomously perform structured reasoning and dynamically expand domain knowledge. Traditional AI models often rely on implicit reasoning processes, which limit their ability to explain decisions, adapt across domains, and generalize relational patterns. These shortcomings hinder their applicability to complex scientific problems that require interdisciplinary approaches, such as hypothesis generation, causal inference, and creative reasoning. Overcoming these limitations necessitates systems that can explicitly encode, refine, and transfer relational knowledge across diverse domains while maintaining adaptability and interpretability.Existing approaches, including transformers and graph neural networks (GNNs), have achieved remarkable progress in natural language processing and relational tasks like property prediction. However, transformers primarily excel at linguistic fluency but rely heavily on implicit reasoning processes, restricting their ability to encode explicit structures. GNNs, while capable of representing relational systems, often struggle with distinguishing non-isomorphic graphs, limiting their capacity for hierarchical inference and abstraction. Additionally, both methods exhibit limitations in adaptability to new domains and often require substantial labeled data, reducing their efficiency for tasks that demand real-time reasoning or interdisciplinary synthesis.Researchers from MIT propose Graph-PReFLexOR, an innovative framework that integrates graph-based reasoning with symbolic abstraction to address these challenges. This framework formalizes reasoning as a structured mapping M: T(G, P, A), where tasks generate knowledge graphs (G), abstract patterns (P), and final answers ( A). Inspired by category theory, it encodes concepts as nodes and relationships as edges, supporting hierarchical inference and adaptive generalization. Graph-PReFLexOR introduces explicit graph construction during the reasoning process to enhance interpretability and employs recursive reflection to refine reasoning iteratively. Bridging symbolic reasoning and neural architectures allows interdisciplinary applications, such as linking mythological concepts to materials science or uncovering patterns across domains. This paradigm enhances reasoning depth and adaptability, pushing beyond the capabilities of existing AI frameworks.Graph-PReFLexOR combines graph-based reasoning with the fluency of transformer architectures, employing graph isomorphism networks (GINs) to identify structural equivalence across domains. The reasoning process involves constructing dynamic knowledge graphs where nodes represent core concepts and edges encode relationships such as IS-A or RELATES-TO. These graphs preserve relational structures, making detecting universal features like recurring subgraphs and algebraic patterns easier. The framework balances linguistic fluency with structured reasoning by embedding graph reasoning into transformers. The authors trained the system with a database of 1,000 bio-inspired materials science research papers using retrieval-augmented generation and recursive reasoning mechanisms. The model independently generates and improves knowledge graphs, promoting adaptability and consistency in difficult reasoning tasks.Graph-PReFLexOR demonstrated excellent reasoning strengths on various tasks, effectively combining structured graph reasoning and symbolic abstraction for interdisciplinary uses. The system demonstrated the ability to generalize across diverse domains, effectively linking music with material properties, identifying isomorphic patterns, and dynamically generating knowledge graphs for hypothesis generation. It delivered significant improvements in reasoning depth, adaptability, and accuracy compared to conventional methods. The framework also bridged seemingly unrelated fields, such as mythology and materials science, uncovering innovative connections and providing insights into biomimetic material design. Its capacity to grow and refine knowledge graphs dynamically highlights its potential as a versatile tool for advancing interdisciplinary research and discovery.Graph-PReFLexOR represents a major advancement in AI reasoning, addressing the critical challenge of enabling structured, interpretable, and interdisciplinary reasoning. By combining graph-based reasoning with symbolic abstraction, it achieves impressive adaptability and generalization across domains. With applications ranging from materials science to creative reasoning and hypothesis generation, this approach opens new pathways for AI-driven discovery. Future work can explore scaling this system to larger datasets and real-time applications, further unlocking its potential to drive innovation across scientific and interdisciplinary fields.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 our65k+ ML SubReddit. Aswin Ak+ postsAswin AK is a consulting intern at MarkTechPost. He is pursuing his Dual Degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is passionate about data science and machine learning, bringing a strong academic background and hands-on experience in solving real-life cross-domain challenges. Meet 'Height':The only autonomous project management tool (Sponsored)

The greatest strength of CBS new medical drama Watson is its potential for audacity. This is a show built for big, wild swings that either knock the ball clear out of the park or whiff so bad that everyone ends up in the hospital whatever happens, it should be fun to watch. (And in the event of that mass hospitalization: Sounds like the seeds of a great episode of Watson.) Unfortunately, the series first five episodes are occasionally modest with their exam-room conundrums, and they come close to wasting both an excessively creative premise and a steady leading performance from Morris Chestnut. Because Watson isnt just a new CBS medical drama, its also yet another modern revival of Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes universe that also happens to be a medical drama. And a mystery show. And a light thriller about the machinations of an evil villain. And sometimes a commentary on Americas healthcare system. And sometimes its about how high-functioning addicts can gaslight the people around them.But perhaps most audacious of all is the fact that this has been done before, for eight whole seasons on Foxs House. There are some very crucial differences between Watson and House, though, including the tone of both shows (mirroring its title character, House tended to be gritty and dark, while Watson is overtly optimistic), but the most explicit difference is that Houses Holmes influences were just that: Influences. Watson, on the other hand, straight-up takes place in a world where Chestnuts Dr. John Watson went on a bunch of adventures with renowned detective Sherlock Holmes in London. He then returned to the United States to open a clinic after Holmes apparent death at the hands of the evil Professor Moriarty, which, as depicted in Doyles The Final Problem and Guy Ritchies Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, involved the Reichenbach Falls.This all works best when the backstory is integral to whats happening onscreen and isnt just color, like when it factors into the overarching plot or when Watson imparts some Holmesian lesson. But, at the same time, it is kind of fun to watch run-of-the-mill doctor stuff going on while thinking Sherlock Holmes existed in this world or the guy doing this medical examination presumably met versions of Inspector Lestrade, Woman-with-a-capital-W Irene Adler, and the famously lazy Mycroft Holmes.Thats where the audacity comes in: Watson just works so hard to be interesting. There have been decades of medical dramas on TV that didnt have to jump through this many conceptual hoops, but theyve rendered the genre pretty dull and formulaic. Watsons gimmick doesnt go as hard as it should or could, but its a better gimmick than youll find in most of its peers especially since so many are simply What if there were a doctor who just cared a whole lot?Watson GalleryTheres a fascinating potential for silliness in Watson, and its early goings contain at least one stand-out moment that might make you leap out of your chair at how impressively deranged it is. While those moments are too few and far between, it does at least always feel like one could pop up out of nowhere and make an episode a whole lot more fun than it was before.The struggle of Watson is in those moments in between. When its just a straightforward doctor show with an emphasis on weird genetic mysteries (Watsons speciality, apparently), it meets the bare minimum of being compelling, watchable television. This type of thing is popular for a reason, since it presents a dangerous situation and then makes you feel for the person in that situation and then everything works out in the end. The average episode of Watson follows that arc to a T. Thankfully, Morris Chestnuts casual magnetism makes the more generic material a little more appealing. Hes a great leading man, as his years on television would attest, and he does bring a sense of playful joy to the role that feels consistent with how Dr. John Watson is often portrayed in the typical Sherlock Holmes story. If he enjoys puzzling out a patients ailment so much, it makes sense that hed throw his old life away so he could hang around with an acerbic English detective (and would then be devastated by that mans death).Watson just works so hard to be interesting.Less successful is virtually everyone else around him. Watson has (for lack of a better term) a House-style team of younger physicians (Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall in a dual role, and Inga Schlingmann) who do most of the medical work, and each one is explicitly a gimmick unto themselves. Its clever that those gimmicks are actually part of the plot and that everyone is aware they are a gimmick, but its clear that some of the characters were designed to carry storylines themselves and others are just there for the quirks of their personalities or backstories. Ritchie Coster also appears as classic Holmes side character Shinwell Johnson, who often feels like he was added to Watson at the last minute to deliver clearer exposition about the larger Holmes-y mythology of it all.But theres still that potential for silliness. There always seems to be a chance that Watson will pull the trigger on a ridiculous plot twist or a show-shaking reveal, and then the less-exciting parts will suddenly become Worth It. And if that doesnt happen in a given episode well, it might happen in the next one. Thats the weird trick of Watson: Its not always great, and its not always fun, but when it is fun, it makes you want to stick around.

Jan 23, 2025Ravie LakshmananMalware / Threat IntelligenceCybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new BackConnect (BC) malware that has been developed by threat actors linked to the infamous QakBot loader."BackConnect is a common feature or module utilized by threat actors to maintain persistence and perform tasks," Walmart's Cyber Intelligence team told The Hacker News. "The BackConnect(s) in use were 'DarkVNC' alongside the IcedID BackConnect (KeyHole)."The company noted that the BC module was found on the same infrastructure that was observed distributing another malware loader called ZLoader, which was recently updated to incorporate a Domain Name System (DNS) tunnel for command-and-control (C2) communications.QakBot, also called QBot and Pinkslipbot, suffered a major operational setback in 2023 after its infrastructure was seized as part of a coordinated law enforcement effort named Duck Hunt. Since then, sporadic campaigns have been uncovered propagating the malware.Originally conceived as a banking trojan, it was later adapted into a loader capable of delivering next-stage payloads onto a target system such as ransomware. A notable feature of the QakBot, alongside IcedID, is its BC module that offers the threat actors the ability to use the host as a proxy, as well as offer a remote-access channel by means of an embedded VNC component.Walmart's analysis has revealed that the BC module, besides containing references to old QakBot samples, has been further enhanced and developed to gather system information, more or less acting as an autonomous program to facilitate follow-on exploitation."In this case the malware we talk about is a standalone backdoor utilizing BackConnect as a medium to allow a threat actor to have hands on keyboard access," Walmart said. "This distinction is further pronounced by the fact that this backdoor collects system information."The BC malware has also been the subject of an independent analysis by Sophos, which attributed the artifacts to a threat cluster it tracks as STAC5777, which, in turn, overlaps with Storm-1811, a cybercriminal group known for abusing Quick Assist for Black Basta ransomware deployment by posing as tech support personnel.The British cybersecurity company noted that both STAC5777 and STAC5143 a threat group with possible ties to FIN7 have resorted to email bombing and Microsoft Teams vishing to prospective targets and trick them into granting the attackers remote access to their computers via Quick Assist or Teams's built-in screen sharing to install Python backdoors and Black Basta ransomware."Both threat actors operated their own Microsoft Office 365 service tenants as part of their attacks and took advantage of a default Microsoft Teams configuration that permits users on external domains to initiate chats or meetings with internal users," Sophos said.With Black Basta operators having previously relied on QakBot for deploying the ransomware, the emergence of a new BC module, coupled with the fact that Black Basta has also distributed ZLoader in recent months, paints a picture of a highly interconnected cybercrime ecosystem where the developers behind QakBot are likely supporting the Black Basta team with new tools, Walmart said.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE