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fliptop writes:

Investors sold after the investment bank's analysts warned about what they called the 'China butterfly effect':

Shares of General Motors and Ford Motor traded lower on Wednesday after Morgan Stanley downgraded the overall U.S. auto sector, citing worries that Western automakers might struggle in the intensifying competition with Chinese rivals.

General Motors was downgraded to "underweight" from "equal weight," and its shares fell 5.4 percentage points, to $45.50. Ford went to "equal weight" from "overweight," with its shares dropping more than 4 percentage points, to $10.43.

Electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian Automotive and Canadian parts manufacturer Magna International were both downgraded to "equal weight" from "overweight." Shares of Rivian were down 5.7 percentage points while Magna's were off 4.7 percentage points.

Investors sold after Morgan Stanley analysts warned about what they called the "China butterfly effect," a metaphor suggesting that even small surges in China's industrial production capacity could have significant ripple effects across the global market.

[...] Bolstered in part by massive government subsidies, Chinese manufacturers have rapidly emerged as major players in the EV industry, accounting for 60 percent of worldwide EV sales and almost one in five EVs sold in Europe last year.

Both Washington and Brussels have hiked tariffs in response to China's excess production of low-price EVs.

Previously:

• VW Turns on Germany as China Targets Europe's EV Blunders
• Auto Woes
• Chinese Automaker Zotye Plans 2020 Entrance into the U.S. Market

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

UK government IT contracts worth £23.4 billion are due to end during the current five-year Parliament, according to researchers who warn that poor performing suppliers are hardly ever excluded from bidding again.

A report by public spending research company Tussell and the Institute for Government found that a third of these, worth £9 billion, are supposed to finish up in 2025.

The report points out that large contracts expiring next year include the longstanding Post Office deal with Fujitsu to build and manage the Horizon IT system at the center of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the UK. From 1999 until 2015, 736 local branch managers were wrongfully convicted of fraud when errors in the system were to blame. The total value of the Horizon contract is £2.38 billion ($3.15 billion). It is due to expire on March 31, 2025.

[...] The researchers warn that poor-performing suppliers to UK government are virtually never excluded from supplying the public sector and often continue to receive government money. Meanwhile, a large number of contracts, totaling billions of pounds, are overseen by officials who are not commercial specialists.

The report also highlights that poor data across government departments meant officials didn't know how much they were spending and with whom. And new providers that could perhaps deliver better services for less money are discouraged from bidding for business.

[...] "Public procurement is a huge market hiding in plain sight, accounting for approximately one-third of all public spending and 10 percent of UK GDP," said Gus Tugendhat, founder of Tussell.

"In the context of tight budgets and strained public services, getting value for money out of government contracts is more important than ever," he said.

Original Submission

looorg writes:

There is a fair, and long running, amount of research for that playing Tetris helps people deal with trauma, PTSD of some kind. Adding some more recent research then where it can reduce PTSD symptoms in healthcare workers (nurses) that worked with trauma COVID19 patients.

Playing something such as Tetris (it's a bit unclear if it's just Tetris or a similar style of games of which Tetris is the prime example) can induce some relaxing zen like state or a "cognitive vaccine". 20 minutes is apparently the prescribed dosage of rotational healing experience. There was the 15 minutes of talking to before playing Tetris. But clearly the healing power of Tetris at work ...

The study was carried out with healthcare workers in Sweden who worked with COVID-19 patients and were exposed to work-related trauma. It was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between September 2020 and April 2022. A total of 164 participants were included. Participants were recruited through information at workplaces. Participation was entirely voluntary. The criterion for participation was that the person had at least two intrusive memories per week due to traumatic events that occurred at work.

https://www.uu.se/en/press/press-releases/2024/2024-09-20-ptsd-symptoms-can-be-reduced-through-treatment-including-a-video-game
https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/tetris-used-to-prevent-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

A truck full of lithium-ion batteries is burning in Los Angeles, shutting down ports and a bridge. It’s not clear what the batteries were for — but LA’s Vincent Thomas Bridge, leading to the Port of Los Angeles and the next-door Port of Long Beach, has been shut down for at least 15 hours now while local firefighters let the truck burn. State Route 47 was also closed in both directions as of a couple of hours ago.

Amazingly, a local towing company caught the explosion on camera from a nearby drone:

Both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have shut down a number of terminals while the fire continues to burn. As of 12:10PM PT on Friday, the truck was still on fire, and both the ports and bridge were still closed, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson Ren Medina told The Verge.

Firefighters are nearby and are actively monitoring the situation; as of 10PM PT on Thursday, the fire was expected to last “at least another 24-48 hours.”

As we’ve seen with several EV battery fires, big concentrated lithium battery fires can be very difficult to put out: firefighters sometimes douse them with thousands of gallons of water only to see the fire restart as additional battery cells heat up to the point that they combust. Once a cell gets hot enough, it’s said to go into “thermal runaway,” at which point it can sometimes restart a fire. The LAFD confirms this is a case of thermal runaway.

EV packs are particularly dense with cells, but we don’t yet know if they were involved here — the LA Fire Department spokesperson says it’s not clear who owns the truck, let alone what it was carrying. The LAFD could only confirm they are lithium-ion batteries at this point.

Original Submission

oaklandwatch writes:

A senior RedMonk analyst tried to prove shifting to proprietary licenses *doesn't* improve financial outcomes. But what's interesting is the reactions she got -- from a VC at OSS Capital, ex-Googlers, Chef's co-founder, and even Taylor Dolezal, head of ecosystem at the Cloud Native Computing Community. Plus analyst Lawrence Hecht, who concluded "these companies are nowhere closer to being profitable than before."

There's new quotes from the analyst herself. ("I asked Stephens if she thought the analysis would have an impact in the future on companies considering moves to proprietary licensing. 'I doubt it,' Stephens replied...") And Hecht pounds away at the missteps. ("The assumption has been that closing a company's license will allow the companies to increase their margins among their existing customers... The percentage of companies using a given technology is not changing... Elasticsearch fell from 14% to 13%..")

Interestingly, the study hits right as Elastic is switching *back* to an open-source license. They weigh in in this article too...

It's the discussion about open source licensing that really needed to happen.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/09/openai-plans-tectonic-shift-from-nonprofit-to-for-profit-giving-altman-equity/

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that OpenAI is working on a plan to restructure its core business into a for-profit benefit corporation, moving away from control by its nonprofit board. The shift marks a dramatic change for the AI company behind ChatGPT, potentially making it more attractive to investors while raising questions about its commitment to sharing the benefits of advanced AI with "all of humanity," as written in its charter.

A for-profit benefit corporation is a legal structure that allows companies to pursue both financial profits and social or environmental goals, ostensibly balancing shareholder interests with a broader mission to benefit society. It's an approach taken by some of OpenAI's competitors, such as Anthropic and Elon Musk's xAI.

[...] Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is discussing giving Altman a 7 percent stake, though the exact details are still under negotiation. This represents a departure from Altman's previous stance of not taking equity in the company, which he had maintained was in line with OpenAI's mission to benefit humanity rather than individuals.

[...] The proposed restructuring also aims to remove the cap on returns for investors, potentially making OpenAI more appealing to venture capitalists and other financial backers. Microsoft, which has invested billions in OpenAI, stands to benefit from this change, as it could see increased returns on its investment if OpenAI's value continues to rise.

DannyB writes:

Linux boots in 4.76 days on the Intel 4004

Historic 4-bit microprocessor from 1971 can execute Linux commands over days or weeks.

Hardware hacker Dmitry Grinberg recently achieved what might sound impossible: booting Linux on the Intel 4004, the world's first commercial microprocessor. With just 2,300 transistors and an original clock speed of 740 kHz, the 1971 CPU is incredibly primitive by modern standards. And it's slow—it takes about 4.76 days for the Linux kernel to boot.

Initially designed for a Japanese calculator called the Busicom 141-PF, the 4-bit 4004 found limited use in commercial products of the 1970s [...]

[....] If you're skeptical that this feat is possible with a raw 4004, you're right: The 4004 itself is far too limited to run Linux directly. Instead, Grinberg created a solution that is equally impressive: an emulator that runs on the 4004 and emulates a MIPS R3000 processor—the architecture used in the DECstation 2100 workstation that Linux was originally ported to.

If it can run a C compiler, it can probably run DOOM.

See Also:

• the YouTube video

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

by University of Texas at Dallas

In a study published July 29 in Advanced Materials, University of Texas at Dallas researchers found that X-rays of the kidneys using gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent might be more accurate in detecting kidney disease than standard laboratory blood tests. Based on their study in mice, they also found that caution may be warranted in employing renal-clearable nanomedicines to patients with compromised kidneys.

Before administering renal-clearable drugs, doctors routinely check a patient's kidney function by testing their blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) levels. With the increasing use of engineered nanoparticles to deliver payloads of drugs or imaging agents to the body, an important question is how the nanoparticles' movement and elimination through the kidney is affected by kidney damage. Can traditional biomarkers like BUN and Cr accurately predict how well—or how poorly—such nanoparticles will move through the kidneys?

The UT Dallas researchers found that in mice with severely injured kidneys caused by the drug cisplatin, in which BUN and Cr levels were 10 times normal, nanoparticle transport through the kidneys was slowed down significantly, a situation that caused the nanoparticles to stay in the kidneys longer.

In mildly injured kidneys, however, in which BUN and Cr levels were only four to five times higher than normal, the transport and retention of gold nanoparticles couldn't be predicted by those tests.

On the other hand, the amount of gold nanoparticle accumulation seen on X-rays did correlate strongly with the degree of kidney damage.

"While our findings emphasize the need for caution when using these advanced treatments in patients with compromised kidneys, they also highlight the potential of gold nanoparticles as a noninvasive way to assess kidney injuries using X-ray imaging or other techniques that correlate with gold accumulation in the kidneys," said Dr. Mengxiao Yu, a corresponding author of the study and a research associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Chemistry and biochemistry research scientist Xuhui Ning BS'14, Ph.D.'19 is lead author of the study, and Dr. Jie Zheng, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is a corresponding author. Other contributors are affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

More information: Xuhui Ning et al, Gold Nanoparticle Transport in the Injured Kidneys with Elevated Renal Function Biomarkers, Advanced Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202402479

Journal information: Advanced Materials

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/09/false-memories-planted-in-chatgpt-give-hacker-persistent-exfiltration-channel/

When security researcher Johann Rehberger recently reported a vulnerability in ChatGPT that allowed attackers to store false information and malicious instructions in a user's long-term memory settings, OpenAI summarily closed the inquiry, labeling the flaw a safety issue, not, technically speaking, a security concern.

So Rehberger did what all good researchers do: He created a proof-of-concept exploit that used the vulnerability to exfiltrate all user input in perpetuity. OpenAI engineers took notice and issued a partial fix earlier this month.

The vulnerability abused long-term conversation memory, a feature OpenAI began testing in February and made more broadly available in September.

[...] Within three months of the rollout, Rehberger found that memories could be created and permanently stored through indirect prompt injection, an AI exploit that causes an LLM to follow instructions from untrusted content such as emails, blog posts, or documents. The researcher demonstrated how he could trick ChatGPT into believing a targeted user was 102 years old, lived in the Matrix, and insisted Earth was flat and the LLM would incorporate that information to steer all future conversations.

[...] The attack isn't possible through the ChatGPT web interface, thanks to an API OpenAI rolled out last year.

[...] OpenAI provides guidance here for managing the memory tool and specific memories stored in it. Company representatives didn't respond to an email asking about its efforts to prevent other hacks that plant false memories.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Two of the world's satellite positioning service constellations reached important milestones this week, after the European Space Agency and China's Satellite Navigation Office each launched its own pair of satellites.

Europe's sats were carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that left Florida's Kennedy Space Center on September 18. A day later, China's birds rode a Long March 3B that launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province.

China's sats were the 63rd and 64th members of its Beidou constellation, which currently has 50 operating satellites.

This pair were the last of China's third-generation navigation-sat design. Local media reported that the two satellites are spares in case others falter, and that they include some tech that is expected to be included in fourth-gen sats.

[...] Europe's launch delivered the 31st and 32nd members of its Galileo constellation into space.

"With the deployment of these two satellites, Galileo completes its constellation as designed, reaching the required operational satellites plus one spare per orbital plane," proclaimed ESA director of navigation Javier Benedicto.

Original Submission

owl writes:

https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/09/nist-proposes-barring-some-of-the-most-nonsensical-password-rules/

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the federal body that sets technology standards for governmental agencies, standards organizations, and private companies, has proposed barring some of the most vexing and nonsensical password requirements. Chief among them: mandatory resets, required or restricted use of certain characters, and the use of security questions.

Choosing strong passwords and storing them safely is one of the most challenging parts of a good cybersecurity regimen. More challenging still is complying with password rules imposed by employers, federal agencies, and providers of online services. Frequently, the rules—ostensibly to enhance security hygiene—actually undermine it. And yet, the nameless rulemakers impose the requirements anyway.

[...] A section devoted to passwords injects a large helping of badly needed common sense practices that challenge common policies. An example: The new rules bar the requirement that end users periodically change their passwords. This requirement came into being decades ago when password security was poorly understood, and it was common for people to choose common names, dictionary words, and other secrets that were easily guessed.

Original Submission

DrkShadow writes:

(Source: A Register article mentioned the new XEON having "MRDIMM" capability. "What is MRDIMM?")

Keeping up with the latest in hardware is hard, and in the early turn of the century there was a new technology in every magazine on the rack.

Today, we've hit some fatigue and just don't keep up as much. Right? :-) Anyway, while most of us have heard of Dell's (and Lenovo's) proposal for CAMM modules to replace the multi-stick SO-DIMM sockets, servers are getting a new standard, too: M(C)RDIMMs -- Multiplexed (Combined) Rank Dual Inline Memory Modules.

Some outtakes from product briefs, such as Micron's,

• DDR5 physical and electrical standards
• up to 256GB modules
• increased <everything that makes it good>

By implementing DDR5 physical and electrical standards, MRDIMM technology delivers a memory advancement that allows scaling of both bandwidth and capacity per core to future-proof compute systems and meets the expanding demands of data center workloads. MRDIMMs provide the following advantages over RDIMMs: 2

• Up to 39% increase in effective memory bandwidth2
• Greater than 15% better bus efficiency2
• Up to 40% latency improvements compared to RDIMMs3

MRDIMMs support a wide capacity range from 32GB to 256GB in standard and tall form factors (TFF), which are suitable for high-performance 1U and 2U servers. The improved thermal design of TFF modules reduces DRAM temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius at the same power and airflow, [...] enabling more efficient cooling capabilities in data centers and optimizing total system task energy for memory-intensive workloads. Micron's industry-leading memory design and process technology using 32Gb DRAM die enables 256GB TFF MRDIMMs to have the same power envelope as 128GB TFF MRDIMMs using 16Gb die. A 256GB TFF MRDIMM provides a 35% improvement in performance over similar-capacity TSV RDIMMs at the maximum data rate.

And SK Hynix has their own variety, touting bandwidth of 8.8GB/s (ove DDR5's 6.4GB/s).

New to 2024, shipping H2, it seems. Keep up with the times! Grow your RAM modules. Taller (literally).

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Back in June, the FCC proposed a significant rule change that would require carriers to unlock all phones within 60 days of activation. At the time, the FCC was seeking public comment on the proposal, with plans to vote on whether to pursue the issue in early July. Since then, the proposal has been unanimously approved by the five-member commission, and the plan marches forward. To be clear, this doesn’t mean a new unlock policy is happening anytime soon; it just means that the FCC will continue to actively pursue these regulatory changes. Unsurprisingly, AT&T and T-Mobile have both spoken up against the change.

AT&T has indicated that the rule changes could negatively affect its ability to offer affordable devices, though that’s about the extent of its opposition so far. T-Mobile has been considerably more vocal. The “Uncarrier” has not only made it clear that this change could negatively impact their device payment plans and other services, but it has also gone so far as to imply that the change might cause the carrier to give up on payment plans altogether (as first reported by Broadband Breakfast). Furthermore, the carrier questions whether the FCC even has the authorization to pursue such a change.

[...] You might notice that I’ve yet to mention Verizon, and that’s for good reason. Big Red is the only major carrier vocally in support of the change. As you likely guessed, the reason isn’t out of the kindness of their hearts.

Back in 2008, the FCC reached an agreement with Verizon regarding the use of the 700MHz spectrum, with the carrier agreeing to prompt device unlocks. In 2019, the FCC agreed to implement a 60-day unlocking window to help Verizon combat potential fraud around its payment plans and special deal pricing. In other words, Verizon is already abiding by this change, so it loses nothing by supporting it—in fact, it might even have something to gain.

Right now, many carriers, both prepaid and postpaid, offer free trials through eSIM. While AT&T and T-Mobile limit these kinds of trials due to their current unlocking policies, it’s much easier to try out a different network while still keeping your Verizon phone and subscription. This means a Verizon customer has a greater chance to shop for other networks than those on another carrier, increasing their chances of being lured away by a competitor. If all carriers adhere to the same 60-day window, the playing field becomes level.

Original Submission

fliptop writes:

VW is considering axing as many as 30,000 jobs as it scrambles to save billions of euros amid a slowdown in the car market, German media has reported:

The carmaker recently announced it could close some of its German factories for the first time in history as it struggles to reinvent itself for the electric era.

Analysts at Jefferies said VW is considering closing two to three facilities, with as many as five German sites under threat, putting 15,000 jobs at risk.

[...] A VW spokesman said: "We do not confirm the figure. One thing is clear: Volkswagen has to reduce its costs at its German sites.

R&D will likely be hit hard:

While Volkswagen is staying tight-lipped on specifics, Manager Magazin suggested research and development could take a massive hit. If their numbers pan out, roughly 4,000 to 6,000 R&D employees could be cut from the current number of around 13,000.

Previously: VW Turns on Germany as China Targets Europe's EV Blunders

Original Submission

owl writes:

https://martypc.blogspot.com/2024/09/pc-floppy-copy-protection-electronic.html

Before Electronic Arts (EA) was the publishing juggernaut that it is today, it was just one of dozens of software publishers putting out titles for various home computers, including the IBM PC. EA was founded in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, who would go on to create the ultimately unsuccessful 3DO game console. In the mid-1980's, EA was perhaps most famous for their paint program, Deluxe Paint, which became a popular graphics tool for the whole computer gaming industry.

Unlike the companies we have covered to date, EA is mostly widely known for their games, not their copy protection schemes. EA is famous enough that a long segue into their corporate history isn't really necessary - you can just read the Wikipedia entry.

EA wasn't selling their copy protection technology, so there are no flashy advertisements extolling its virtues or many articles discussing it at all. All that is left to talk about is the protection itself.

Original Submission