Agregátor RSS

A phishing campaign is impersonating more than 30 well-known brands, including Adobe, Netflix, Coca-Cola, and OpenAI, in fake job interviews to steal Google account credentials from marketing professionals. [...]

Threat actors are abusing Microsoft Teams voice calls by impersonating corporate IT support staff to trick employees into installing the EtherRAT malware, giving attackers initial access to corporate networks. [...]

For years, there’s been speculation that we live in a simulated reality — a concept popularized by 1999 film The Matrix.

Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Canada have determined this is not mathematically possible.

“Based on mathematical theorems related to incompleteness and undecidability, we show that a fully consistent and complete description of reality cannot be achieved through calculations alone,” researcher Mir Faizal wrote in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics. “It requires non-algorithmic understanding, which by definition lies beyond algorithmic computation and therefore cannot be simulated. Consequently, this universe cannot be a simulation.”

Despite the researchers’ conclusions, the idea that we live in a simulated world is unlikely to disappear entirely.

An Iranian hacking group affiliated with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) has been wielding a previously undocumented modular command-and-control (C2) framework dubbed Cavern (aka Cav3rn) targeting Israeli organizations. The activity, which has primarily singled out IT providers and government sectors, has been attributed to a threat cluster tracked by Check Point Research

An Iranian hacking group affiliated with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) has been wielding a previously undocumented modular command-and-control (C2) framework dubbed Cavern (aka Cav3rn) targeting Israeli organizations. The activity, which has primarily singled out IT providers and government sectors, has been attributed to a threat cluster tracked by Check Point Research Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

​Vietnamese authorities have arrested and are prosecuting seven suspects believed to have run HiAnime, the largest anime piracy streaming service before its shutdown in June. [...]

A use-after-free bug in Linux's KVM hypervisor can be triggered from a guest virtual machine to corrupt the shadow-page state of the host kernel that runs it. Dubbed 'Januscape' and tracked as CVE-2026-53359, the flaw sits in the shadow MMU code that KVM shares across both Intel and AMD. The public proof-of-concept panics the host; the researcher claims that a separate, unreleased exploit

A use-after-free bug in Linux's KVM hypervisor can be triggered from a guest virtual machine to corrupt the shadow-page state of the host kernel that runs it. Dubbed 'Januscape' and tracked as CVE-2026-53359, the flaw sits in the shadow MMU code that KVM shares across both Intel and AMD. The public proof-of-concept panics the host; the researcher claims that a separate, unreleased exploit Swati Khandelwalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

We often view OpenSSH security updates through the lens of standard patch management. When a new CVE hits, we scramble to update, check our versions, and return to business as usual. But recent vulnerabilities tied to distribution-added OpenSSH GSSAPI patches are a reminder that the danger doesn't always lie in the core code; it often resides in the "convenience" features we layer on top.

Civil liberties groups have accused the EU of dragging its feet in implementing key measures to prevent spyware infections after Citizen Lab revealed a former member of European Parliament was placed under surveillance during his time in office. Stelios Kouloglou, a former investigative journalist, served as a Greek MEP between 2014 and 2023 and was a substitute member of the inquiry into the use of Pegasus and other spyware (PEGA Committee). After Citizen Lab forensically analyzed his device, the research organization revealed on Friday that his iPhone was infected with Pegasus in October 2022 and again in March 2023, when key hearings about the committee's formal recommendations were taking place. "The fact that Stelios Kouloglou's device was infected with an intrusive form of spyware that only governments can procure, while he was actively involved in the parliamentary inquiry committee that was investigating spyware abuse by European countries, raises serious concerns about the integrity of independent oversight at the highest levels in Europe," said Elina Castillo Jiménez, advocacy and policy advisor for the Security Lab at Amnesty International. "The brazen targeting of someone in his position underlines how inadequate the current system is, and is yet another wake-up call that the protections that were put in place to prevent this kind of abuse are still not being implemented in Europe." Amnesty International is one of the civil liberties groups to co-sign the joint statement to the EU, which lists several demands to ensure spyware abuse "is met with accountability, not impunity." The signatories called for the EU's Directorate-General for Information Technologies and Cybersecurity (DG ITEC) to launch a robust investigation into the hacking of Kouloglou's iPhone and pinpoint who was responsible. Attribution is notoriously difficult in cyberattacks, especially spyware cases. Citizen Lab was unable to definitively pinpoint the NSO Group customer that launched the attacks on Kouloglou, but said it had found no indications that the Greek government was responsible, despite its "extensive" historical abuse of Intellexa's Predator spyware. However, the research unit posited that the same Pegasus operator that was behind the attacks on seven targets in 2024, all of whom were exiled activists and journalists from Russia, Latvia, or Belarus, was behind the attack on Kouloglou. The statement also called on the EU to "urgently and publicly" respond to the PEGA Committee's recommendations issued in May 2023, and disclose which of its key points have or have not yet been implemented. The recommendations fell short of prohibiting spyware sales outright, instead favoring the tight regulation of spyware sales and use within the EU. Member states seeking to use spyware lawfully would have to involve Europol, be subject to independent oversight, and thoroughly investigate all allegations of abuse. The statement's signatories, however, believe that the EU has failed to deliver a meaningful response to the PEGA Committee's recommendation, leaving the bloc exposed to repeated spyware scandals. The signatories further called on the EU to "guarantee effective remedies for victims," which could include access to evidence, notifications of when surveillance occurred, and ensuring those behind the spyware are held accountable. Campaigners also want to see meaningful reform of the 2021 Dual-Use Regulation. The EU's framework for safely exporting spyware products is currently under evaluation, and the statement calls for any updates to reflect the PEGA Committee's recommendation. The EU has updated the Regulation several times since adopting it in 2021, and has routinely stood by the system, which aims to reduce the risk that cyber-surveillance tools are exported for use in human rights abuses. Critics remain unconvinced that the EU is enforcing the Regulation effectively, believing that the required level of monitoring is not being met, which in turn is allowing spyware to spread. For example, the Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe (CDT), which examined the export controls in four EU countries, said in December that spyware traveling across borders within the EU is not subject to the requisite licensing or accountability measures to effectively prevent abuse. The statement, to which CDT was also a signatory, stated: "Europe cannot continue moving from scandal to scandal without consequence. The targeting of a Member of the European Parliament involved in investigating spyware abuse should mark a turning point. The EU must act now to defend independent oversight, protect fundamental rights, and ensure that spyware abuse in Europe is met with accountability, not impunity." Spyware: Not just for foreign adversaries While regimes such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, and others have been accused of high-profile spyware attacks on specific individuals – of which Jamal Khashoggi was arguably the most infamous – the EU itself has faced various scandals concerning member states. In February, Greece sentenced four individuals connected with Intellexa to more than 126 years in prison each for their role in the spyware scandal that rocked the country in 2022. Domestic law caps this sentence at eight years, although it is currently suspended pending appeals. The case involved journalist Thanasis Koukakis and politician Nikos Androulakis, a then-serving MEP, who both discovered they had been infected with Predator spyware. It would later be revealed that they were among 87 high-profile Greeks to be targeted via hundreds of SMS messages. Critics suspect Greece and its intelligence agencies played roles in the infections, but they have consistently denied wrongdoing, and its Supreme Court cleared them in 2024. Elsewhere, Citizen Lab was instrumental in bringing to light what would go on to be dubbed "CatalanGate" – Spain's spyware scandal. It found that the devices of at least 65 people associated with the Catalan separatist movement were infected with Pegasus or Candiru spyware strains between 2017 and 2020, and at least two were infected with both. In 2022, Spain dismissed its national intelligence director, Paz Esteban López, after high-ranking ministers, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, were infected with spyware. In Poland, former intelligence officials and ministers were also charged with using Pegasus spyware in February 2026 after Donald Tusk's government previously committed to an inquiry into the targeting of politicians with spyware in 2024. Hungary, too, was embroiled in its own spyware scandal in 2021 after it was rumored that Viktor Orbán's government targeted journalists, lawyers, and politicians, as well as people under national security investigation. The Pegasus Project found evidence of infections on civilians' devices, and a government official confirmed that the country was a Pegasus customer later that year after initially denying the allegations. ®

Threat actors have been observed attempting to exploit a recently patched critical security flaw in Gitea Docker images, according to Sysdig. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2026-20896 (CVSS score: 9.8), a vulnerability that stems from the DevOps platform trusting the "X-WEBAUTH-USER" header from any source IP address, effectively allowing an unauthenticated internet client to get elevated

Threat actors have been observed attempting to exploit a recently patched critical security flaw in Gitea Docker images, according to Sysdig. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2026-20896 (CVSS score: 9.8), a vulnerability that stems from the DevOps platform trusting the "X-WEBAUTH-USER" header from any source IP address, effectively allowing an unauthenticated internet client to get elevatedRavie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Apple has been working on a foldable smartphone for more than a decade. Having spent so much time developing the device, the company doesn’t want to ship something if it can’t make something good. Now, it looks like Apple can make a folding iPhone, but manufacturing them in decent quantities is going to take a little longer to bed in.

That’s the basic premise of this weekend’s most interesting slice of Apple-related news, which emerged from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes initial production of Apple’s folding iPhone — potentially called iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra — will sell out fast, despite its likely $2,500 price tag. 

That’s because he expects Apple will be able to make just 7 million or 8 million units of the device by the end of the year. This relatively low number could reflect previously reported build quality control challenges, which likely have required additional investment in manufacturing capabilities. (That lower number may have changed, since a recent report said Apple has increased initial production to 10 million, and is expected to grab 29% share of the foldable market.)

Scarcity by design

As with so many iPhones across the near 20-year history of the device, a major new redesign always boosts gray-market sales. The analyst expects we will see this happen again, predicting that scarce supply, recognizable design, and an innovative user experience will help foster a short-term resale premium on second user markets. 

To put that into perspective, the analyst predicts initial resale prices for the device could be 50% to 100% above the retail market price, with those elevated prices holding until a supply-demand balance is achieved.

Searching for a comparison, the analyst pointed to the iPhone X, which was scarce once it arrived, despite reaching stores two months after the other devices with which it was introduced.

Kuo thinks a similarly staggered release might happen with the folding device. He doesn’t think this will dent demand much. It didn’t with iPhone X; despite the cost and late debut, people really fell for the device. It captured over half of all smartphone revenue within weeks, and sold at a rate of one every three seconds in Europe. 

Scalp for victory

To some extent, we may be able to identify the momentum behind the new device’s launch just by watching its progress on second-user markets after it is introduced. If we can track higher prices for the device, that would imply the scale of unmet demand. Apple will want to stimulate that interest, so much of its work will be to focus on different sectors in which the advanced iPhone can make the biggest difference, perhaps as a field sales tool for executives or a Mac/iPad replacement for business travellers,. 

The iPhone X swiftly became the most used smartphone among business users, and Apple’s going to try to press in that direction again. Expect increased marketing activity, innovative additional software features in the run up to the holiday period, and lots of influencers making cute videos in support of the launch. 

To an extent, it’s only after the first few months, once demand/supply balance is achieved, that we can gauge success or failure.

“The best window for assessing true demand for the foldable iPhone is likely late 2026 to 1Q27,” the analyst said. That’s because by then the holiday shopping season will be done and “early production issues and supply constraints should have improved significantly,” he said.

Can Apple reset smartphone pricing?

Consider this: The iPhone X was seen as a seriously expensive device once it appeared. It shipped with a then-unheard-of $999 price tag, $350 more than the $649 cost of the iPhone 7. 

Apple’s success back then broke the psychological price barrier for smartphones, making it acceptable for buyers to throw $1,000 at a new device. That’s normal today, with US consumers spending more than that each year. 

Apple’s decision to fly in a new high-end price point might deliver the same kind of energy, giving Apple access to the most premium consumers even as it pushes into lower-end markets with e-series devices picking up where iPhone 7 left off. 

What no one, including Apple or Ming-Chi Kuo, can know yet is whether these specs, iOS 27, and Apple Intelligence will be enough to convince consumers to buy these products.

Please join me on social media at BlueSky,  LinkedIn, or Mastodon, even better, please subscribe to The Core for your daily collection of human-curated Apple News.

Evropská unie donutila Apple otevřít interaktivní notifikace konkurenčním značkám • Jako první to zkouší Amazfit, zatím u třech modelů hodinek, záhy se přidají další • Testování funkce iOS Notification Forwarding začalo v Evropské unii 30. června 2026

Open Printer je otevřená kompaktní tiskárna od Open Tools. Brzy by měla být spuštěna kampaň na její podporu na Crowd Supply. Současně by měly být uvolněny zdrojové kódy. Postavena je na Raspberry Pi Zero W a STM32. Používá inkoustové kazety HP 302.

Docker makes containers feel like separate, lightweight virtual machines. They have their own hostnames, processes, and networking—but are they actually isolated? Many administrators assume they are without ever verifying the boundaries. If you’ve ever wondered what truly separates your application from the host, this guide is for you. We’ll use simple Docker commands to verify container isolation firsthand and uncover exactly what remains shared with the host.

Every evolution in software development has reduced the friction between an idea and a deployable application. AI may remove the final barrier, but it also removes many of the moments where security decisions have traditionally taken place. [...]

Similar concepts in different languages share an address in the brain.

My octogenarian father-in-law is trilingual and a lifelong fan of the World Cup. As he cheers on his favorite teams in English, Spanish, or French—sometimes switching between them mid-sentence—I’m always amazed at how easy it seems.

Scientists have long been fascinated by the brain’s ability to learn and retain multiple languages. Even after years of disuse, a brief exposure can quickly revive a language without having to consciously relearn its grammar or vocabulary. Bilingualism may offer other cognitive perks. Small studies suggest it delays brain aging, lowers dementia risk, and provides a slight edge in executive function (the ability to stay focused on a goal).

But most  of the evidence is from brain imaging studies that offer only a bird’s-eye view of neural activity and miss the finer details.

Now, scientists from the Baylor College of Medicine and collaborators have recorded activity from single neurons in four bilingual volunteers with epilepsy as they listened, read, and spoke in English and Spanish. The participants already had electrodes implanted in the hippocampus—a brain region critical for learning and memory—to track the source of their seizures.

“This is the very first study to look at how bilingual brains work at the level of individual neurons, and to do so in real time,” said study author Xinyuan Yan in a press release.

The results suggest the bilingual brain operates on two levels. Individual neurons often showed a strong preference for one language when participants heard or spoke words with the same meaning. But networks of neurons were largely language independent. They spontaneously organized into a concept map, placing words with related meanings—such as “dog” and “wolf”—closer together than unrelated words like “fork.”

Surprisingly, both languages relied on the same underlying map. Using the English concept map alone, the team could accurately predict clusters of related Spanish words.

“It’s like looking into a room from a different window. Everything inside is the same, but the perspective is different,” said study author Sameer Sheth.

Bridging Worlds

Language is central to human connection. Although some words don’t directly translate, people can express the same ideas across multiple languages without losing their core meaning.

Children raised in multilingual households are especially adept at switching between languages, often blending words and phrases together. Even when languages differ dramatically in grammar, syntax, and pronunciation, the brain somehow keeps their structures distinct while fluidly merging their meanings.

Long before we learn to speak, neural networks transform thoughts into electrical patterns that form words and sentences. Because languages are built differently—for example, where a verb falls in a sentence—it seems reasonable that each language would have a unique neural fingerprint.

But that might not be the case. A recent AI-powered analysis of functional MRI (fMRI) scans from monolingual speakers of 21 languages suggested that languages share a similar neural scaffold that represents meaning and concepts. Even fictional languages, including Klingon from Star Trek and Na’vi from Avatar, appear to tap into the same underlying system.

A growing body of evidence from bilingual speakers echoes these findings. One fMRI study found native Chinese speakers learned English more efficiently when they recruited brain networks used for Chinese. Another study identified shared speech-related brain activity sufficient for decoding words across languages.

Despite hinting at a universal language map, these standard imaging technologies struggle to capture detailed patterns as people switch languages in real time. To see how bilingual brains actually pull off the feat, we need to listen in on single cells.

Mapping It Out

The team studied four volunteers fluent in English and Spanish. All had learned the languages before age five and continued to use them regularly. Each also had electrodes implanted in the hippocampus to monitor seizures as part of epilepsy treatment, allowing researchers to track individual neuron activity as they listened and spoke.

Though often overlooked in language research, the hippocampus is increasingly recognized as a hub for word meaning, and it may also link concepts together. Here, the team monitored more than 100 neurons in each participant as they completed three language tasks.

First, the participants listened to roughly an hour of YouTube videos and the audiobook Eat Pray Love (Come Reza Ama). Next, they read aloud nearly 100 phrases displayed on a screen, such as “let’s have fun” and its Spanish equivalent “vamos a divertirnos.” Finally, they spent up to 90 minutes chatting with native speakers of each language, discussing everything from family to their epilepsy journey.

By the end, the team had compiled thousands of spoken words, hundreds of matched phrases, and hours of natural conversation.

A Language Landscape

Only a handful of neurons appeared truly bilingual, responding similarly to equivalent words such as “friends” and “amigos.” To better interpret the neural activity, the team turned to mBERT, Google’s multilingual language model that understands more than 100 languages. Like other LLMs, the model represents words according to their relationships and context rather than simple dictionary definitions.

The comparison revealed a similar pattern in brains and machines. Individual neurons rarely encoded the same word across languages. Instead, meaning emerged at the population level.

Both neural activity and mBERT tracked broader context, organizing words into an abstract conceptual landscape called semantic geometry. In this map, related concepts cluster together—“cat” sits closer to “dog” than to “galaxy,” for example—even if the precise features defining those relationships are unclear.

Yet the map remained largely unchanged across languages, suggesting it captured a fundamental mechanism for language processing in the brain. Using the English map alone, the team could predict which Spanish words would cluster around “perro” (or “dog”).

“This is how the brain encodes the meaning of words across languages,” said Yan. “It doesn’t rely on individual neurons translating individual words, but groups of neurons adjusting their activities to create the similar pattern for equivalent words in both languages.”

The study focused on semantics, or meaning, as opposed to syntax, the rules governing sentence structure. A recent study also using single-cell recordings from people with epilepsy suggests that other groups of neurons, particularly those in the frontal parts of the brain, may specialize in grammar while ignoring semantics. Whether they also share a “map” across languages remains to be seen.

The next step is to watch these maps emerge. The team hopes to track people as they learn a new language, revealing how new words and concepts are woven into semantic landscapes in real time. The results could deepen our understanding of one of the most fundamental communication skills and even inspire more capable and efficient language models in AI.

“Our study shows that the brain is wired to learn multiple languages,” said study author Benjamin Hayden.

The post How the Bilingual Brain Switches Languages With Ease appeared first on SingularityHub.