UC San Diego Reports ‘Steep Decline’ in Student Academic Preparation
The University of California, San Diego has documented a steep decline in the academic preparation of its entering freshmen over the past five years, according to a report [PDF] released this month by the campus’s Senate-Administration Working Group on Admissions. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of students whose math skills fall below … ⌘ Read more
Apple Study Finds Mandated Fee Reductions Never Reached European Consumers
Apple said Wednesday that European Union developers pocketed the savings from mandated commission reductions rather than lowering prices for consumers. The iPhone maker commissioned Analysis Group to study pricing behavior [PDF] after the Digital Markets Act forced Apple to cut its App Store fees from up to 30% to an average … ⌘ Read more
Synopsys Plans 10% Job Cuts After Ansys Deal Closure
An anonymous reader shares a report: Synopsys will lay off about 10% of its workforce, or roughly 2,000 employees, as the chip-design software maker looks to redirect investment towards growth opportunities, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The move comes after the company completed its $35 billion cash-and-stock acquisition of engineering design firm Ansys earl … ⌘ Read more
Amazon Steps Up Attempts To Block Illegal Sports Streaming Via Fire TV Sticks
Amazon is rolling out a tougher approach to combat illegal streaming, with the United States-based tech company aiming to block apps loaded onto all its Fire TV Stick devices that are identified as providing pirated content. From a report: Exclusive data provided to The Athletic from researchers YouGov Sport highlighted t … ⌘ Read more
Google Relaunches Cameyo To Entice Businesses From Windows To ChromeOS
After acquiring software virtualization company Cameyo last year, Google has relaunched a version of the service that makes it easier for Windows-based organizations to migrate over to ChromeOS. From a report: Now called “Cameyo by Google,” the Virtual App Delivery (VAD) solution allows users to run legacy Windows apps in the Chrome br … ⌘ Read more
Airbnb Rival Sonder Abruptly Shuts Down, Orders Guests To Leave
Sonder, a short-term rental company and former Airbnb rival, abruptly went out of business after Marriott ended its licensing deal on Nov. 9 – leaving guests scrambling as they were told to vacate their rooms immediately. From a report: Paul Strack, 63, visiting Boston from Little Rock, Arkansas, told CBS News he received an email from Marriott on Sunda … ⌘ Read more
AI Bubble Is Ignoring Michael Burry’s Fears
An anonymous reader shares a report: Costing tens of thousands of dollars each, Nvidia’s pioneering AI chips make up a hefty chunk of the $400 billion that Big Tech plans to invest this year – a bill expected to hit $3 trillion by 2029. But unlike 19th-century railroads, or the Dotcom boom’s fiber-optic cables, the GPUs fueling today’s AI mania are short-lived assets with a shelf life of perh … ⌘ Read more
Researchers Surprised That With AI, Toxicity is Harder To Fake Than Intelligence
Researchers from four universities have released a study revealing that AI models remain easily detectable in social media conversations despite optimization attempts. The team tested nine language models across Twitter/X, Bluesky and Reddit, developing classifiers that identified AI-generated replies at 70 to 80% ac … ⌘ Read more
Ryanair Tries Forcing App Downloads By Eliminating Paper Boarding Passes
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Ryanair is trying to force users to download its mobile app by eliminating paper boarding passes, starting on November 12. As announced in February and subsequently delayed from earlier start dates, Europe’s biggest airline is moving to digital-only boarding passes, meaning cu … ⌘ Read more
‘Switchbody’ turns enzyme activity on with antibody–antigen binding
By fusing enzyme fragments to antibodies, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo, in Japan, developed an innovative enzyme switch called “Switchbody,” which is activated when bound to its target antigen. Switchbody is based on a trap-and-release of enzyme fragment that dynamically controls enzyme activity, offering new opportunities in diagnostics, therapeutics, and precision bioprocessing. ⌘ Read more
27 far-right Trump judge picks caught making ‘dishonest and misleading answers’ to Senate
Julia Conley, Common Dreams Staff Writer - Raw Story
_Stephan: ”king” Trump and his administration, while generally supported by the fascist majority on the Supreme Court, have been reversed or lost in judgments of the lower courts. So what are they doing? Why trying to restructure the lower courts by appointing MAGAts to courts, as this article … ⌘ Read more
How Christian Nationalism Is Shaping Trump’s Foreign Policy Toward Africa
Jessica Washington, Political Reporter - The Intercept
_Stephan: ”king” Trump has a long history of racism, and is the flavor of his administration and linked to what I think of as pseudo-Christianity because White nationalist Christianity has little to do with Jesus’ teachings. Trump and his father were taken to court decades ago over their racism, and lost, and he has never … ⌘ Read more
Removing CO2 from atmosphere vital to avoid catastrophic tipping points, leading scientist says
Jonathan Watts and Dharna Noor, Reporters - The Guardian (U.K.)
_Stephan: If you heard the fire alarm loudly ringing in some building you were in, would you pay attention and act accordingly? Of course you would. But as the climate change alarm rings its warning, “king” Trump, his administration, and his vassals in Congress think, an … ⌘ Read more
Trump Is Said to Propose Opening California Coast to Oil Drilling
Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Climate Change Reporters - The New York Times
_Stephan: This article tells you two things. First, it is a blatant act of revenge against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, and the state of California. Second, it tells you as loudly as possible that “king” Trump cares nothing about preparing for climate change or your wellbeing. Yet, millions of Americans stil … ⌘ Read more
Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun Plans To Exit To Launch Startup
According to the Financial Times (paywalled), Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, a deep-learning pioneer and Turing Award winner, is reportedly leaving the company to launch his own startup. Reuters reports: The owner of Facebook and Instagram has significantly increased its investments in artificial intelligence, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg r … ⌘ Read more
New enzyme network with competing peptides can make decisions based on external environment
The ability to respond to changing surroundings was once considered exclusive to complex living organisms. Then came computers, specially designed for stimulus–response tasks, which can take in signals from their environment and choose what to do next based on the instructions already written into them. ⌘ Read more
Sun Unleashes Strongest Solar Flare of 2025
New submitter UsRanger175 shares a report from Space.com: The sun erupted in spectacular fashion this morning (Nov. 11), unleashing a major X5.1-class solar flare, the strongest of 2025 so far and the most intense since October 2024. The eruption peaked at 5 a.m. EST (1000 GMT) from sunspot AR4274, which has been bursting with activity in recent days. The blast triggered strong (R3-level … ⌘ Read more
China’s EV Market Is Imploding
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Atlantic: In China, you can buy a heavily discounted “used” electric car that has never, in fact, been used. Chinese automakers, desperate to meet their sales targets in a bitterly competitive market, sell cars to dealerships, which register them as “sold,” even though no actual customer has bought them. Dealers, stuck with officially sold cars, then offload them as “us … ⌘ Read more
Superheated star factory discovered in early universe
The discovery of a superheated star factory that forms stars 180 times faster than our own Milky Way could help solve a long-standing puzzle about how galaxies grew so quickly in the early universe. ⌘ Read more
Google Is Introducing Its Own Version of Apple’s Private AI Cloud Compute
Google has unveiled Private AI Compute, a cloud platform designed to deliver advanced AI capabilities while preserving user privacy. As The Verge notes, the feature is “virtually identical to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute.” From the report: Many Google products run AI features like translation, audio summaries, and chatbot assist … ⌘ Read more
YouTube TV Blackout Is Costing Disney an Estimated $4.3 Million Per Day In Lost Revenue
Disney is losing an estimated $4.3 million per day (about $30 million per week) from the ongoing YouTube TV blackout of ESPN, ABC, and other networks amid a contract dispute over carriage fees. Of course, YouTube is also feeling financial pressure from users who have already canceled or intend to cancel … ⌘ Read more
ClickFix May Be the Biggest Security Threat Your Family Has Never Heard Of
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: ClickFix often starts with an email sent from a hotel that the target has a pending registration with and references the correct registration information. In other cases, ClickFix attacks begin with a WhatsApp message. In still other cases, the user receives the URL at the t … ⌘ Read more
Visual Studio 2026 Released
Dave Knott writes: Microsoft has released Visual Studio 2026, the first major version of their flagship compiler in almost four years. Release notes are available here. The compiler has also been updated, including improved (but not yet 100%) C++23 core language and standard library implementations.
[
](http://twitter.com/home?status=Visual+Studio+2026+Released%3A+ … ⌘ Read morePS5 Has Now Officially Outsold Every Xbox Console Ever Released
Sony reported that PlayStation 5 sales have reached 84.2 million units, officially surpassing every Xbox console ever released. IGN reports: The PlayStation 5 is now up to 84.2 million copies sold after shifting an additional 3.9 million units during the three-month period ending September 30, Sony has announced. That’s a slight increase on the 3. … ⌘ Read more
OpenAI Used Song Lyrics In Violation of Copyright Laws, German Court Says
A Munich court ruled that OpenAI violated German copyright law by training its models on lyrics from nine songs and allowing ChatGPT to reproduce them. OpenAI now faces damages as it considers an appeal. Reuters reports: The regional court in Munich found that the company trained its AI on protected content from nine German songs, … ⌘ Read more
Google Announces Even More AI In Photos App, Powered By Nano Banana
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Big G is finally making good on its promise to add its market-leading Nano Banana image-editing model to the app. The model powers a couple of features, and it’s not just for Google’s Android platform. Nano Banana edits are also coming to the iOS version of the app. […] The Photo … ⌘ Read more
New larval seedbox technology could help drive coral restoration on the Great Barrier Reef
Millions of coral larvae on the Great Barrier Reef have an increased chance of replenishing degraded reefs thanks to the “larval seedbox”—a coral restoration technology developed by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, with Southern Cross University. ⌘ Read more
FFmpeg To Google: Fund Us or Stop Sending Bugs
FFmpeg, the open source multimedia framework that powers video processing in Google Chrome, Firefox, YouTube and other major platforms, has called on Google to either fund the project or stop burdening its volunteer maintainers with security vulnerabilities found by the company’s AI tools. The maintainers patched a bug that Google’s AI agent discovered in code for decoding a 1995 vi … ⌘ Read more
US Senator Challenges Defense Industry on Right-to-Repair Opposition
Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is escalating pressure on the defense industry to stop opposing military right-to-repair legislation, as House and Senate negotiators work to finalize the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. From a report: In a sharply-worded November 5 letter to the National Defense Industrial Associat … ⌘ Read more
Nothing too crazy, but still nice: 
China’s New Scientist Visa is a ‘Serious Bid’ For the World’s Top Talent
China has introduced a visa that will allow young foreign researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to move there without having to secure a job first. From a report: Before the introduction of the K visa, most foreign STEM researchers hoping to move to China had to find a job in advance and then apply for a work visa … ⌘ Read more
UK Unveils Plan To Cut Animal Testing Through Greater Use of AI
Animal testing in science would be phased out faster under a new plan to increase the use of artificial intelligence and 3D bioprinted human tissues, a UK minister has said. The Guardian: The roadmap unveiled by the science minister, Patrick Vallance, backs replacing certain animal tests that are still used where necessary to determine the safety o … ⌘ Read more
Firefox 145 Drops Support For 32-bit Linux
BrianFagioli writes: Mozilla has released Firefox 145.0, and the standout change in this version is the official end of support for 32-bit Linux systems. Users on 32-bit distributions will no longer receive updates and are being encouraged to switch to the 64-bit build to continue getting security patches and new features. While most major Linux distributions have already moved past 32-bit … ⌘ Read more
AI’s $5 Trillion Cost Needs Every Debt Market, JPMorgan Says
The furious push by AI hyperscalers to build out data centers will need about $1.5 trillion of investment-grade bonds over the next five years and extensive funding from every other corner of the market, according to an analysis by JPMorgan. From a report: “The question is not ‘which market will finance the AI-boom?’ Rather, the question is ‘how will financings … ⌘ Read more
The iPad Pro at 10: a Decade of Unrealized Potential
The iPad Pro went on sale ten years ago, launching with a 12.9-inch screen that Apple believed would redefine computing through size alone. The company initially resisted making the device a laptop replacement and maintained strict limitations on multitasking, browser capabilities, and app installation. Over the past decade, Apple reversed course. The iPad Pro gained US … ⌘ Read more
Apple’s $230 iPhone Sock
Apple has launched the iPhone Pocket, a knitted bag designed to hold iPhones. The limited edition collaboration with Japanese designer Issey Miyake costs $229.95 for the crossbody version. A shorter version is priced at $149.95. Apple said the 3D-knitted design was inspired by “a piece of cloth” and was born from the idea of creating an additional pocket for any iPhone and small everyday items. Yoshiyuki Miyamae, design direc … ⌘ Read more
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Project Struggles Toward Billion-User Ambition With 17.5 Million Sign-Ups
Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity has verified around 17.5 million people through its iris-scanning Orb device. The company has set a goal of reaching 1 billion users, so it is less than 2% of the way there. The startup has raised $240 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, … ⌘ Read more
Aquaporin gene duplication followed by mutation in European eels restores broad solute permeability
Common ancestor eels lost the aquaporin gene encoding proteins with broad solute permeability. Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have now found that recent gene duplication events in the European eel (Anguilla species) have restored aquaporin proteins with broad solute permeability. ⌘ Read more
Samsung Brings Generative AI-Powered Bixby To Its TVs
Samsung is rolling out new conversational AI across its 2025 TVs that lets users ask questions about what’s on the screen and beyond it. From a report: First announced in September, the generative AI update is rolling out now with support for several languages. Vision AI Companion is based on an upgraded, generative AI-based version of Samsung’s virtual assis … ⌘ Read more
UK Signs Scaled-Back Scientific Collaboration With China
The UK and China today signed a new bilateral agreement on scientific collaboration [non-paywalled source], narrowing the scope of their partnership to exclude sensitive technologies. Lord Patrick Vallance, Britain’s science and technology minister, met his Chinese counterpart Chen Jiachang in Beijing and agreed to focus cooperation on health, climate, plan … ⌘ Read more
SDL3 Now Implements Render Batching For Direct3D, Metal & Vulkan
The SDL3 library that is popular with cross-platform games for abstracting various software/hardware features has implemented render batching for its built-in rendering API. This render batching is successfully wired up now for Direct3D 11/12, Apple Metal, and Vulkan APIs for more efficient graphics rendering… ⌘ Read more
China Is Trouncing The U.S. In Critical Trillion-Dollar Tech Race
StudyFinds Analysis Staff, - Study Finds
_Stephan: Neither Biden and the Democrats, but particularly Trump and the Republicans have properly recognized what is happening in China. By the election of 2028, notably thanks to Trump’s dismantlement of science and medical research – as 60 Minutes covered on Sunday – I predict China is going to be the leading scientific and economic nation in th … ⌘ Read more
Why China will Rule Renewable Energy
Paul Krugman, Nobel Laureate Economist - Paul Krugman Substack
_Stephan: Nobel Laureate economist Paul Krugman is, in my opinion, the most insightful economist in the United States. Over the decades that I have been doing SR, it is his predictions and his accuracy that have stood out for me. He has reached the same conclusion I have been sharing with you: As “king” Trump and the Republicans do everything they can to dismantle and end funding for no … ⌘ Read more
Trump Quietly Dishes Out More Tax Breaks to Rich Investors While Slashing Food Aid for Millions
Jake Johnson, Senior Editor - Common Dreams
_Stephan: While American children are facing food shortages, elderly and low income Americans are losing healthcare, and on and on, “king” Trump is giving further tax cuts to his oligarch supporters. It is just another step in the trend that is converting America from a dominantly middle-c … ⌘ Read more
Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.
Emily Glazer Follow , Katherine Long Follow and Amy Dockser Marcus , Reporters - The Wall Street Journal
_Stephan: In 2017, after studying the emerging CRISPR technology, I published a research paper, “The Oncoming Challenge of Homo Superior.” (See SR archive) I wrote it because I could see that, as CRISPR advanced, the rich would try to breed their childr … ⌘ Read more
New deployable structures could help astronauts maintain muscle mass in space
From muscle atrophy to bone loss, astronauts face a number of health risks while in space. ⌘ Read more