‘Breaking Bad’ Creator Hates AI, Promises New Show ‘Pluribus’ Was ‘Made By Humans’
The new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, Pluribus, was emphatically made by humans, not AI, reports TechCrunch:

If you watched all the way to the end of the new Apple TV show “Pluribus,” you may have noticed an unusual disclaimer in the credits: “This show was made by humans.” That terse messa … ⌘ Read more

New Firefox Mascot ‘Kit’ Unveiled On New Web Page
“The Firefox brand is getting a refresh and you get the first look,” says a new web page at Firefox.com. “Kit’s our new mascot and your new companion through an internet that’s private, open and actually yours.”

Slashdot reader BrianFagioli believes the new mascot “is meant to communicate that message in a warmer, more relatable way.”

And Firefox is already selling shirts wit … ⌘ Read more

Common Crawl Criticized for ‘Quietly Funneling Paywalled Articles to AI Developers’
For more than a decade, the nonprofit Common Crawl “has been scraping billions of webpages to build a massive archive of the internet,” notes the Atlantic, making it freely available for research.
“In recent years, however, this archive has been put to a controversial purpose: AI companies including OpenAI, Goo … ⌘ Read more

Scientists Edit Gene in 15 Patients That May Permanently Reduce High Cholesterol
A CRISPR-based drug given to study participants by infusion is raising hopes for a much easier way to lower cholesterol, reports CNN:

With a snip of a gene, doctors may one day permanently lower dangerously high cholesterol, possibly removing the need for medication, according to a new pilot study published Sat … ⌘ Read more

Bank of America Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Unpaid Time for Windows Bootup, Logins, and Security Token Requests
A former Business Analyst reportedly filed a class action lawsuit claiming that for years, hundreds of remote employees at Bank of America first had to boot up complex computer systems before their paid work began, reports Human Resources Director magazine:
… ⌘ Read more

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Shifts Bulk of Philanthropy, ‘Going All In on AI-Powered Biology’
The Associated Press reports that “For the past decade, Dr. Priscilla Chan and her husband Mark Zuckerberg have focused part of their philanthropy on a lofty goal — ‘to cure, prevent or manage all disease’ — if not in their lifetime, then in their children’s.”

During that decade they also f … ⌘ Read more

World’s Largest Cargo Sailboat Completes Historic First Atlantic Crossing
Long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shared this report from Marine Insight:

The world’s largest cargo sailboat, Neoliner Origin, completed its first transatlantic voyage on 30 October despite damage to one of its sails during the journey. The 136-metre-long vessel had to rely partly on its auxiliary motor and its remaining sail af … ⌘ Read more

Bombshell Report Exposes How Meta Relied On Scam Ad Profits To Fund AI
“Internal documents have revealed that Meta has projected it earns billions from ignoring scam ads that its platforms then targeted to users most likely to click on them,” writes Ars Technica, citing a lengthy report from Reuters.

Reuters reports that Meta “for at least three years failed to identify and stop an avalanche of ads that … ⌘ Read more

Japanese Volunteer Translators Quit After Mozilla Begins Using Translation Bot
Long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shared this report from Linuxiac:

The Japanese branch of Mozilla’s Support Mozilla (SUMO) community — responsible for localizing and maintaining Japanese-language support documentation for Firefox and other Mozilla products (consisting of Japanese native speakers) — has officially dis … ⌘ Read more

UPS (and FedEx) Ground Dozens of MD-11 Aircraft After Tuesday’s Crash in Kentucky
American multinational freight company UPS “has grounded its fleet of MD-11 aircraft,” reports the Guardian, “days after a cargo plane crash that killed at least 13 people in Kentucky. The grounded MD-11s are the same type of plane involved in Tuesday’s crash in Louisville. They were originally built by McDonnell Do … ⌘ Read more

‘Stratospheric’ AI Spending By Four Wealthy Companies Reaches $360B Just For Data Centers
“Maybe you’ve heard that artificial intelligence is a bubble poised to burst,” writes a Washington Post technology columnist. “Maybe you have heard that it isn’t. (No one really knows either way, but that won’t stop the bros from jabbering about it constantly.)”

“But I can confidently tell you that the m … ⌘ Read more

Facebook Dating Is a Surprise Hit For the Social Network
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Facebook Dating, which debuted in 2019, has become a surprise hit for the company. It lets people create a dating profile free in the app, where they can swipe and match with other eligible singles. It has more than 21 million daily users, quietly making it one of the most popular online dating service … ⌘ Read more

Unesco Adopts Global Standards On ‘Wild West’ Field of Neurotechnology
Unesco has adopted the first global ethical standards for neurotechnology, defining “neural data” and outlining more than 100 recommendations aimed at safeguarding mental privacy. “There is no control,” said Unesco’s chief of bioethics, Dafna Feinholz. “We have to inform the people about the risks, the potential benefits, the alterna … ⌘ Read more

Lego Unveils First-Ever Star Trek Set
New submitter semper_statisticum shares a report from the Independent: Lego is releasing its first-ever Star Trek-inspired model – with an incredible recreation of the signature ship from the ‘80s TV series. Made from 3,600 pieces, the [first-ever] Star Trek inspired Lego set is of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, the spaceship that serves as the main setting of Star Trek: The Next Generation … ⌘ Read more

The First New Subsea Habitat In 40 Years Is About To Launch
An anonymous reader quotes a report from MIT Technology Review: Vanguard feels and smells like a new RV. It has long, gray banquettes that convert into bunks, a microwave cleverly hidden under a counter, a functional steel sink with a French press and crockery above. A weird little toilet hides behind a curtain. But some clues hint that you can’t just f … ⌘ Read more

‘Vibe Coding’ Named Word of the Year By Collins Dictionary
Collins Dictionary has named “vibe coding” its 2025 word of the year – a term coined by Andrej Karpathy for when a user makes an app or website by describing it to AI rather than writing programming code manually. The term, which is confusingly made up of two words, was “one of 10 words on a shortlist to reflect the mood, language and preoccupations of 2025,” repo … ⌘ Read more

James D. Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead At 97
ole_timer shares a report from the New York Times: James D. Watson, who entered the pantheon of science at age 25 when he joined in the discovery of the structure of DNA, one of the most momentous breakthroughs in the history of science, died on Thursday in East Northport, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97. His death, in a hospice, was c … ⌘ Read more

‘Nintendo Has Too Many Apps’
The Verge’s Ash Parrish writes: Nintendo has released a new store app on Android and iOS giving users the ability to purchase hardware, accessories, and games for the Switch and Switch 2. When I open my phone and scroll down to the N’s, I get a neat, full row dedicated entirely to Nintendo. That’s four apps: the Switch app, the music app, the Nintendo Today news app, and now the store. (The tally increases to five if … ⌘ Read more

You Can’t Leave Unless You Buy Something
An anonymous reader quotes a report from SFGATE: At the Safeway on San Francisco’s King Street, you now can’t leave the store unless you buy something. The Mission Bay grocery store recently installed new anti-theft measures at the entrance and exit. New gates at the entrance automatically swing open when customers walk in, but they’re set to trigger an alarm if someone attempts to back out. And … ⌘ Read more

Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform
Texas is suing Roblox, alleging the company misled parents about safety, ignored online-protection laws, and allowed an environment where predators could target children. Texas AG Ken Paxton said the online game platform is “putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children,” alleging that it is “flagrantl … ⌘ Read more

Gemini Starts Rolling Out On Android Auto
Gemini is (finally) rolling out on Android Auto, replacing Google Assistant while keeping “Hey Google,” adding Gemini Live (“let’s talk live”), message auto-translation, and new privacy toggles. “One feature lost between Assistant and Gemini, though, is the ability to use nicknames for contacts,” notes 9to5Google. From the report: Over the past 24 hours, Google has quietly started the rollou … ⌘ Read more

Denmark’s Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Denmark’s government on Friday announced an agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, ratcheting up pressure on Big Tech platforms as concerns grow that kids are getting too swept up in a digitized world of harmful content and commercial int … ⌘ Read more

States Seek Extension of Ecommerce Tariff Moratorium at WTO
An anonymous reader shares a report: A group of states is seeking to extend a World Trade Organization agreement to refrain from placing customs duties on digital transmissions, a World Trade Organization document showed on Thursday. The proposal submitted by Barbados on behalf of a group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states proposed to extend the current m … ⌘ Read more

Nintendo Won’t Shy Away From Continuing To ‘Try Anything’
An anonymous reader shares a report: Nintendo has always been a company willing to try just about anything. Cardboard cutout toys that mesh with games? Done. A console called the Wii with a remote-shaped controller? Massive success. Legendary game designer and Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto offered more insight into how the company operates in a recent fina … ⌘ Read more

Direct File Won’t Happen in 2026, IRS Tells States
NextGov: The IRS has notified states that offered the free, government tax filing service known as Direct File in 2025 that the program won’t be available next filing season. In an email sent from the IRS to 25 states, the tax agency thanked them for collaborating and noted that “no launch date has been set for the future.”

“IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Se … ⌘ Read more

Video Games’ Hottest New Platform is an Old One
Web-based video games are experiencing an unexpected revival as the broader $189 billion industry stagnates. Sales for browser-based titles like GeoGuessr and chess were expected to triple from 2021 to 2028, reaching $3.09 billion, according to Google and Kantar. Playgama hosted more than 15,000 new web games in the first half of 2025, exceeding the combined total from 2021 throug … ⌘ Read more

macOS Tahoe’s Terrible Icons
An anonymous reader shares a report: On the new MacOS 26 (Tahoe), Apple has mandated that all application icons fit into their prescribed squircle. No longer can icons have distinct shapes, nor even any fun frame-breaking accessories. Should an icon be so foolish as to try to have a bit of personality, it will find itself stuffed into a dingy gray icon jail.

[…] While Apple had previously urged developers to use … ⌘ Read more

As Brazil Cracks Down on Forest Clearing, Emissions Fall
Last year Brazil saw its biggest drop in emissions since 2009, new data show. The decline comes in the wake of a crackdown on deforestation. From a report: Since returning to power in 2022, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has moved to stem illicit clearing of forest by miners, loggers, and farmers, stepping up enforcement that had been weakened under his pred … ⌘ Read more

Corporate Profits Surge as Companies Cut Nearly 1 Million Jobs
U.S. corporate profits have risen to record levels this year as companies eliminated nearly 1 million jobs. Chen Zhao of Alpine Macro calls the disconnect a “jobless boom.” Companies typically cut workers when profits decline. Amazon laid off 30,000 employees despite strong earnings. Zhao attributes the pattern to AI adoption boosting productivity across … ⌘ Read more

Amazon Takes Low-Cost Ecommerce Service Global
An anonymous reader shares a report: Amazon on Friday expanded the reach of its low-cost ecommerce service to 14 additional markets and will call it Amazon Bazaar, as part of a push to compete with Chinese rivals including Shein and PDD Holding’s Temu. The expansion of the service comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping import tariffs are denting consumer sentiment, … ⌘ Read more

Rideshare Giant Grab Moves 200 Macs Out of the Cloud, Expects To Save $2.4 Million
Singaporean super-app company Grab has dumped 200 cloudy Mac Minis and replaced them with physical machines, a move it expects will save $2.4 million over three years. From a report: Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading rideshare and food delivery outfit and therefore needs to build apps for iOS to connect with custom … ⌘ Read more

Polymarket Volume Inflated by ‘Artificial’ Activity, Study Finds
An anonymous reader shares a report: The volume of activity on Polymarket, one of the most popular prediction markets, has been significantly inflated by so-called wash trading in which users rapidly buy and sell the same contracts, according to a new study by Columbia University researchers. The “artificial trading,” as the authors call it, varied … ⌘ Read more

Grand Theft Auto 6 Delayed Again Until November 2026
Rockstar Games has announced that Grand Theft Auto VI won’t launch in May of next year as planned. Kotaku: The highly anticipated sequel is now set to arrive in November 2026. On Thursday, Rockstar announced on social media that the long-awaited next entry in its open-world blockbuster franchise would need a bit more time, delaying the game an additional six months from … ⌘ Read more

Dutch Ready To Drop Nexperia Control If Chip Supply Resumes
An anonymous reader shares a report: The Netherlands is prepared to suspend its powers over Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia in a move that would de-escalate a fight with Beijing that threatens to disrupt automotive production around the world. The Dutch government is ready to shelve the ministerial order that gave it the power to block or change key corporate … ⌘ Read more

US Congressional Budget Office Hit By Suspected Foreign Cyberattack
An anonymous reader quotes a report from BleepingComputer: The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms it suffered a cybersecurity incident after a suspected foreign hacker breached its network, potentially exposing sensitive data. In a statement shared with BleepingComputer, CBO spokesperson Caitlin Emma confirmed the “security incid … ⌘ Read more

Ikea’s Big Smart Home Push Arrives With 21 New Matter Devices
The Scandinavian furniture giant has unveiled 21 new ultra-affordable Matter-over-Thread smart home devices across three launch segments: lighting, sensors, and control. With prices starting at just a few dollars, Ikea is pushing hard to replace its old Zigbee lineup and become a serious player in the Matter ecosystem. Forbes reports: Back to the 21 n … ⌘ Read more

Why Does So Much New Technology Feel Inspired by Dystopian Sci-Fi Movies?
In a recent article published in the New York Times, author Casey Michael Henry argues that today’s tech industry keeps borrowing dystopian sci-fi aesthetics and ideas – often the parts that were meant as warnings – and repackages them as exciting products without recognizing that they were originally cautionary tales … ⌘ Read more

Mark Zuckerberg Opened an Illegal School At His Palo Alto Compound. His Neighbor Revolted
Mark Zuckerberg opened an unlicensed school named after the family’s pet chicken – and it was the final straw for his neighbors, writes Slashdot reader joshuark, citing a report from Wired. The magazine obtained 1,665 pages of documents about the neighborhood dispute – “including 311 records, leg … ⌘ Read more

How the US Cut Climate-Changing Emissions While Its Economy More Than Doubled
alternative_right shares a report from The Conversation: Countries around the world have been discussing the need to rein in climate change for three decades, yet global greenhouse gas emissions – and global temperatures with them – keep rising. When it seems like we’re getting nowhere, it’s useful to step back an … ⌘ Read more

Ford Considers Scrapping F-150 EV Truck
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford executives are considering scrapping the electric version of the F-150 pickup truck as losses, supply setbacks, slow sales, and the arrival of a cheaper midsize EV truck undermine the business case for its full-size electric pickup. Reuters reports: Last month, a union official told Reuters that Ford was pausing production at the Dearborn, Michigan, pla … ⌘ Read more

Magika 1.0 Goes Stable As Google Rebuilds Its File Detection Tool In Rust
BrianFagioli writes: Google has released Magika 1.0, a stable version of its AI-based file type detection tool, and rebuilt the entire engine in Rust for speed and memory safety. The system now recognizes more than 200 file types, up from about 100, and is better at distinguishing look-alike formats such as JSON vs JSONL, TS … ⌘ Read more

Why Sam Altman Was Booted From OpenAI, According To New Testimony
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: What did Ilya see?” Two years ago, it was the meme seen ‘round the world (or at least ‘round the tech industry). OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had been briefly ousted in November 2023 by members of the company’s board of directors, including his longtime collaborator and fellow cofounder Ilya Sutskever. … ⌘ Read more

Microsoft Forms Superintelligence Team Under AI Chief Suleyman ‘To Serve Humanity’
Microsoft is launching a new MAI Superintelligence Team under Mustafa Suleyman to build practical, controllable AI aimed at digital companions, medical diagnostics, and renewable-energy modeling. “We are doing this to solve real concrete problems and do it in such a way that it remains grounded and controllable,” Sule … ⌘ Read more

iOS 26.2 to Allow Third-Party App Stores in Japan Ahead of Regulatory Deadline
Japan’s new competition rules are forcing Apple to open the iPhone to third-party app stores, and iOS 26.2 will quietly flip that switch ahead of the December deadline. MacRumors reports: According to a post shared on X by @Tzzlala, iPhones running the beta in Japan are able to install alternative app stores like AltStore PA … ⌘ Read more

Cloudflare Tells US Govt That Foreign Site Blocking Efforts Are Digital Trade Barriers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: In a submission for the 2026 National Trade Estimate Report (PDF), Cloudflare warns the U.S. government that site blocking efforts cause widespread disruption to legitimate services. The complaint points to Italy’s automated Piracy Shield system, whi … ⌘ Read more

Amazon is Testing an AI Tool That Automatically Translates Books Into Other Languages
An anonymous reader shares a report: Amazon just introduced an AI tool that will automatically translate books into other languages. The appropriately-named Kindle Translate is being advertised as a resource for authors that self publish on the platform.

The company says the tool can translate entire boo … ⌘ Read more

Google Plans Secret AI Military Outpost on Tiny Island Overrun By Crabs
An anonymous reader shares a report: On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Google is planning to build a large AI data center on Christmas Island, a 52-square-mile Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, following a cloud computing deal with Australia’s military. The previously undisclosed project will reportedly position advanced A … ⌘ Read more

FBI Subpoenas Registrar for Details on Anonymous Archiving Site Owner
The FBI has subpoenaed popular Canadian domain registrar Tucows, demanding information about the owner of archive[dot]today, a popular archiving site used to bypass paywalls and avoid sending traffic to original publishers. The subpoena states it relates to a federal criminal investigation but provides no details about the alleged cri … ⌘ Read more

Trump AI Czar Says ‘No Federal Bailout For AI’ After OpenAI CFO’s Comments
Venture capitalist David Sacks, who is serving as President Donald Trump’s AI and crypto czar, said Thursday that there will be “no federal bailout for AI.” From a report: “The U.S. has at least 5 major frontier model companies. If one fails, others will take its place,” Sacks wrote in a post on X. Sacks’ comments came after Open … ⌘ Read more

A New White-Collar Gig Economy: Training AI To Take Over
AI labs are paying skilled professionals hundreds of dollars per hour to train their models in specialized fields. Companies like Mercor, Surge AI, Scale AI and Turing recruit bankers, lawyers, engineers and doctors to improve the accuracy of AI systems in professional settings. Mercor advertises roles for medical secretaries, movie directors and private detectives at … ⌘ Read more