Tag Archives: author_name|Mariella Moon

NASA’s Perseverance rover found a rock on Mars that could indicate ancient life

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NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting samples from Mars since 2021, but one of its most recently collected rocks could help it achieve its goal of finding evidence of ancient life on the planet. Nicknamed Cheyava Falls after the tallest waterfall in the Grand Canyon, the 3.2 feet by 2 feet sample contains "chemical signatures and structures" that could've been formed by ancient microbial life from billions of years ago. 

Perseverance collected the rock on July 21 from what was once a Martian river valley carved by flowing water long ago. The sample, which you can see in close up below and from afar at the center of the image above, exhibits large white calcium sulfate veins running along its length. They indicate that water did run through the rock at one point. 

More importantly, it contains millimeter-size marks that look like "leopard spots" all over its central reddish band. On our planet, those spots could form on sedimentary terrestrial rocks when there are chemical reactions that turn hematite, one of the minerals responsible for Mars' reddish color, to white. Those reactions can release iron and phosphate, which could've served as an energy source for microbes. 

The rover's Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) tool already determined that the black rings around the spots contain iron and phosphate. However, that doesn't automatically mean that the rock truly did serve as a host for ancient microbes. 

A close-up of a reddish rock.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The spots could've been formed by non-biological processes, and that's something scientists will have to figure out. "We cannot say right now that we have discovered life on Mars,” Katie Stack Morgan, the deputy project scientist, said. "But what we are saying is that we have a potential biosignature, which is a set of features that could have a biological origin but do need further study and more data." 

NASA still has to bring back the samples Perseverance had collected to our planet, including Cheyava Falls. As The New York Times notes, the Mars Sample Return mission is years behind schedule and would not be able to bring back rocks from the red planet until 2040 instead of in the early 2030's like originally planned. NASA recently asked aerospace companies for alternative solutions on how to get the samples to Earth much sooner and will finance their studies due later this year. Scientists will also have to conduct extensive testing to rule out contamination and non-biological processes, as well as other possible explanations for how the leopard spots had formed, before they can proclaim that they're indeed evidence of ancient Martian life. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-perseverance-rover-found-a-rock-on-mars-that-could-indicate-ancient-life-150006064.html?src=rss

North Korean who used ransomware to attack US healthcare providers has been indicted

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A grand jury in Kansas City has indicted Rim Jong Hyok, a North Korean intelligence operative who allegedly used ransomware to attack health providers' systems in the US, according to AP News. The State Department said Rim is part of a group called Andariel that's controlled by the North Korean intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Rim is not in the US government's custody. The agency is now offering a $10 million reward for information that would lead to his location or the location of a foreign operative who "engages in certain malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure."

A Kansas medical center alerted the FBI about an attack that blocked personnel's access to patient files and lab test results, as well as prevented them from operating hospital equipment with their computers, was back in 2021. It's a common MO of Rim's Andariel group, which would infiltrate a computer system and infect it with Maui ransomware. The group would then ask their target for payment and would threaten to release sensitive information if they don't pay up. In the Kansas hospital's case, the group demanded a ransom in Bitcoin worth $100,000 within 48 hours. The group allegedly used the money it gets to buy more computers and servers to fund more cyberattacks. 

The FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of the Treasury issued a joint cybersecurity warning in the midst of Andariel's attacks on healthcare providers in 2022. "The North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors likely assume healthcare organizations are willing to pay ransoms because these organizations provide services that are critical to human life and health," they wrote. Federal investigators said they followed the ransom the Kansas medical center paid across blockchains and found that someone had transferred the Bitcoin to an address belonging to two Hong Kong nationals. Based on the court documents seen by AP, the money was then transferred to a Chinese bank and withdrawn from an ATM in China close to the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge connecting the country to North Korea. 

Andariel and Rim are being accused of infiltrating 17 entities across 11 states, including four defense contractors, two US Air Force bases and NASA. The group was reportedly able to stay in NASA's computer system for three months and steal 17 gigabytes of classified information. During one of its operations that targeted a US defense contractor in November 2022, the State Department said the group was also able to extract over 30 gigabytes of data that include information on the material used in US military aircraft and satellites. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/north-korean-who-used-ransomware-to-attack-us-healthcare-providers-has-been-indicted-140008610.html?src=rss

Google gives free Gemini users access to its faster, lighter 1.5 Flash AI model

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Google is making its Gemini AI faster and more efficient across the board. You now have access to 1.5 Flash, its generative AI model designed to be able to generate responses more quickly and efficiently, even if you're not paying for Gemini Advanced. The company says you'll notice improvements in latency, as well as the tool's reasoning and image understanding, on both the web and mobile. 

In addition, it's expanding the AI assistant's context window, so that you can have longer conversations with it and ask it more complex questions. In the near future, Google will also give you the ability to upload files to Gemini from Google Drive or from your device. If you give it access to your notes, for instance, it will be able to create a study guide or a practice exam for you. Plus, the assistant will be able to analyze data and make it easier to digest with graphics and charts. 

As part of its work to reduce hallucinations, Google is now displaying links to related content if you ask it questions that require factual answers. It will display a "gray chip" at the end of a paragraph in its response that links to websites where you can read more about the topic. Those chips could even lead to your emails, if you've linked Gemini to your Gmail account. The feature is currently limited to select locations for English prompts only. 

The company is making Gemini more accessible overall, as well. It has started gradually rolling out Gemini in Google Messages for Android devices in the European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the UK and Switzerland. You'll now also be able to chat with Gemini in French, Polish and Spanish within the Messages app. Finally, Google is expanding access to Gemini's mobile app to more regions and is giving more teenagers the ability to use the AI tool. As long as you meet its minimum age requirement of 13, you'll be able to chat with the assistant. Google has even introduced a teen-specific onboarding process and an AI literacy guide, so you can get an idea on how to use the tool to accomplish your tasks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-gives-free-gemini-users-access-to-its-faster-lighter-15-flash-ai-model-160006705.html?src=rss

Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron arrives on Max in September

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Back in March, Warner Bros. Discovery's Max announced that it's extending its exclusive US streaming rights for Studio Ghibli in a new multiyear agreement. As part of that deal, Ghibli agreed to make Hayao Miyazaki's first film in a decade, The Boy and the Heron, available on Max later this year. Now, the streaming service has revealed that the fantasy adventure film will be available to stream on Max starting on September 6. To note, Studio Ghibli first embraced streaming in 2020 when it gave Netflix and Max the rights to all its films, including Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro.

Written and directed by Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron revolves around a boy named Mahito who moves to his family's countryside estate after the death of his mother. It was there where he encounters a gray heron, which marks the beginning of a fantastical adventure with magic, wizards, spirits and anthropomorphic animals. Like all other Miyazaki films, The Boy and the Heron contains philosophical messages weaved into Mahito's journey as he faces the dangers of an unfamiliar world to find his ill stepmother who has disappeared into the forest. 

The Boy and the Heron's English dub features some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Christian Bale voices Mahito's father Shoichi, Robert Pattinson voices the grey heron, Florence Pugh is the magical fisherwoman Kiriko while Dave Bautista voices the film's main antagonist, the Parakeet King. The cast also includes Mark Hamill, Willem Dafoe, Gemma Chan, Karen Fukuhara and Luca Padovan as Mahito. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/studio-ghiblis-the-boy-and-the-heron-arrives-on-max-in-september-140046955.html?src=rss

Max’s SharePlay feature for iOS is now available to all ad-free subscribers

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Back when Max was still known as HBO Max, it released a redesigned app that added SharePlay for Apple devices, but only in the US. Now, the streaming service is rolling out the feature to all its users around the world. SharePlay is now available to all Max users paying for Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free plans, allowing them to hold and join watch parties over FaceTime and iMessage, no matter where they are. 

Users can start watching with friends by hitting the "share" button either on the details section of each title or within the FaceTime app. Each session can have as many as 32 participants, but they all have to be Max subscribers. That means people from regions where Max isn't available, such as in Asian countries, won't be able to hop on and watch with their pals in the US or Europe. Warner Bros. is planning to expand Max's reach to South East Asia later this year, but it warns on its website that the timeline could still change.

SharePlay for Max works on iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Vision Pro headsets. To initiate a watch party on iPhones, iPads and Vision Pros, users have to find the Share icon on the details page of a show or a movie, enter the contacts they want to share with and initiate a FaceTime call. If they choose Messages on their mobile devices, their friends will get a message asking them to join SharePlay. On Apple TV, users will have to open FaceTime first before clicking the SharePlay button and choosing Max from the app list. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/maxs-shareplay-feature-for-ios-is-now-available-to-all-ad-free-subscribers-040624031.html?src=rss

Meta’s AI assistant is coming to Quest headsets in the US and Canada

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Meta's AI-powered assistant have been accessible on the Ray-Ban smart glasses for quite some time, but the company will only start rolling it out to its Quest headsets next month. The assistant will still be in experimental mode, however, and it's availability will be limited to users in the US and Canada. Meta has revealed the update alongside its announcements for the Llama 3.1 and the new Meta AI capabilities. 

Users who get access to the assistant in August will be able to put its hands-free controls to the test. The company said Meta AI is replacing the current technology used for Voice Commands on Quest, so it will be the one controlling the headset whenever people use voice for navigation and the one answering their questions if they ask for information. They can ask the assistant for restaurant recommendations for an upcoming trip, as an example, or ask it for the weather those days, as well as suggestions on how to dress for it. 

They will also be able to use the "Meta AI with Vision" feature, which will let them ask the assistant for information on what they're seeing, while using Passthrough on the Quest. Passthrough lets users see their environment through a video feed while watching or doing something else on their headsets. A user can, for instance, ask the assistant to look at what's inside the fridge and suggest what they can cook, or ask for tips on what kind of top would go with a skirt they're holding up, all while watching a YouTube video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-ai-assistant-is-coming-to-quest-headsets-in-the-us-and-canada-150033530.html?src=rss

Intel has finally figured out its long-standing desktop CPU instability issues

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The first reports of instability issues with the 13th-gen Intel desktop CPUs started popping up in late 2022, mere months after the models came out. Those issues persisted, and over time, users reported dealing with unexpected and sudden crashes on PCs equipped with the company's 14th-gen CPUs, as well. Now, Intel has announced that it finally found the reason why its 13th and 14th-gen desktop processors have been causing crashes and giving out on users, and it promises to roll out a fix by next month. 

In its announcement, Intel said that based on extensive analysis of the processors that had been returned to the company, it has determined that elevated operating voltage was causing the instability issues. Apparently, it's because a microcode algorithm — microcodes, or machine codes, are sets of hardware-level instructions — has been sending incorrect voltage requests to the processor. 

Intel has now promised to release a microcode patch to address the "root cause of exposure to elevated voltages." The patch is still being validated to ensure that it can address all "scenarios of instability reported to Intel," but the company is aiming to roll it out by mid-August. 

As wccftech notes, while Intel's CPUs have been causing issues with users for at least a year and a half, a post on X by Sebastian Castellanos in February put the problem in the spotlight. Castellanos wrote that there was a "worrying trend" of 13th and 14th-gen Intel CPUs having stability issues with Unreal Engine 4 and 5 games, such as Fortnite and Hogwarts Legacy. He also noticed that the issue seems to affect mostly higher-end models and linked to a discussion on Steam Community. The user that wrote the post on Steam wanted to issue a warning to those experiencing "out of video memory trying to allocate a rendering resource" errors that it was their CPU that was faulty. They also linked to several Reddit threads with people experiencing the same problem and who had determined that their issue lied with their Intel CPUs. 

More recently, the indie studio Alderon Games published a post about "encountering significant problems with Intel CPU stability" while developing its multiplayer dinosaur survival game Path of Titans. Its founder, Matthew Cassells, said the studio found that the issue affected end customers, dedicated game servers, developers' computers, game server providers and even benchmarking tools that use Intel's 13th and 14th-gen CPUs. Cassells added that even the CPUs that initially work well deteriorate and eventually fail, based on the company's observations. "The failure rate we have observed from our own testing is nearly 100 percent," the studio's post reads, "indicating it's only a matter of time before affected CPUs fail."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-has-finally-figured-out-its-long-standing-desktop-cpu-instability-issues-130042083.html?src=rss

.45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND is a cyberpunk RPG by the developer of VA-11 HALL-A

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Sukeban Games is working on what it describes as a "cyberpunk active time action" game with a battle system that's similar to Parasite Eve. In a blog post, Chris of Sukeban has officially announced .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND, featuring a mercenary named Reila Mikazuchi as its protagonist. Enemies can attack you from anywhere while you're exploring environments in the game, and you'll have to dodge and wait for an action bar to fill before you can launch a counterattack. The action bar fills at a speed based on your character and weapon stats, so the stronger you get, the faster you can fight back. 

While the announcement doesn't have a in-depth explanation of the game's plot, Chris describes its story as follows: "You play as Reila Mikazuchi; a washed out mercenary whose glory days are long gone. In a last attempt at grabbing life by the horns she decides to go back to the life, only to realize the real enemy isn’t in front of her gun."

The indie developer is planning to make seven chapters for the game, and five are already done and playable. It has yet to announce a release date, though, so as not to repeat its "N1RV ANN-A situation." Sukeban is the developer behind the cyberpunk bartending "booze-em-up" game VA-11 HALL-A, which is set in a post-dystopian world with a corporate-controlled society. 

VA-11 HALL-A was wildly successful for an indie title, and Sukeban announced a sequel called N1RV ANN-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action back in 2018 after it hit 200,000 copies sold. The developer hasn't released N1RV ANN-A yet despite announcing a 2020 launch date, and it doesn't look like we're seeing it anytime soon. Chris said .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND is "significantly ahead in development" and that the developer is dedicating its "full attention to it for the foreseeable future."

Sukeban has also released the first trailer for .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND, and you can watch it below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/45-parabellum-bloodhound-is-a-cyberpunk-rpg-by-the-developer-of-va-11-hall-a-180043556.html?src=rss

The workers at Bethesda Game Studios have fully unionized

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The workers at Bethesda Game Studios have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and they say they're the first Microsoft video game studio to form a wall-to-wall union. A total of 241 workers have either signed an authorization card or have indicated that they wanted to join a union through an online portal. The "wall-to-wall" nature of their organization means the CWA will be representing workers across job descriptions and divisions — and not just one type — including artists, engineers, programmers and designers. Bethesda is the developer behind Starfield and the Elder Scrolls and Fallout games.

Microsoft has already recognized the union, so workers at the studio's Maryland office have officially joined CWA Locals 2108, while those in its Texas office have become members of CWA Locals 6215. "We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry," Mandi Parker, Bethesda Senior System Designer, said. "It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole."

Bethesda's workers join the growing number of unionized personnel in video games. In January 2023, quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Studios, the parent company of Bethesda, banded together to form what was then the largest union in the industry with 300 members. It lost the distinction as the largest union in video games when 600 quality assurance workers at Activision, which is also owned by Microsoft, joined the CWA this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-workers-at-bethesda-game-studios-have-fully-unionized-163024914.html?src=rss

X is working on a way to block links in replies

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X is developing a new feature that could help address spam posts on its website. According to Nima Owji, an independent app researcher who's unearthed several unreleased X features in the past, the platform formerly known as Twitter is working on the ability to disable links in replies. Based on the image Owji posted, users will be able to tick a box for the option if they don't want people to be able to respond with a link to their posts.

Christopher Stanley, the Senior Director for Security Engineering at X, confirmed the feature's existence in a response to a post about it. "My team built this," Stanley wrote in his reply. In addition to keeping spam bots away, the feature could also prevent real human users from promoting their websites in other people's posts. However, it can also prevent users from posting links to legitimate sources in case they're trying to debunk false information and prevent fake news from spreading further. 

Owji previously found that X was experimenting with an in-app currency that's meant to help creators earn money from the platform. Several months after rampant impersonation on the website, he found that it was working on new ID verification features, as well. He also discovered that the company was looking to compete with LinkedIn by offering job listings to verified organizations. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-is-working-on-a-way-to-block-links-in-replies-110033673.html?src=rss