Shaky ceasefire unlikely to stop cyberattacks from Iran-linked hackers for long
WASHINGTON (AP) — An uncertain ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. and Israel may do little to stop cyberattacks from hackers allied with Tehran. American authorities warned this week that groups supporting Iran are seeking to disrupt critical infrastructure like energy and water plants by hacking into vulnerable networks. Cybersecurity experts say the attacks are likely to continue, and possibly expand, as hackers supporting Tehran look to compensate for Iran's military disadvantages by using digital tactics to undermine and frustrate its adversaries. One network has vowed to continue its efforts against the U.S. when the time is right, demonstrating again how digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict.
Turkey’s parliament debates a bill to restrict access to social media for children under 15
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish lawmakers have kicked off a debate on a draft law package that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15. The development makes Turkey the latest country to seek measures to protect young people from dangerous online activity. It's unclear how long the debate, which began on Tuesday, will last. If it becomes law, the bill would force social media platforms to install age‑verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government says the proposal aims to mitigate the online risks to children’s safety and privacy.
Inside a huge compound on Thailand-Cambodia border where 10,000 workers scammed people globally
O'SMACH, Cambodia (AP) — Scam compounds have mushroomed across Southeast Asia since the pandemic. Inside these industrial-scale complexes are workers who attempt to lure unsuspecting targets from countries all across the world in sophisticated online-based scams. The latest estimates from the U.N. office on Human Rights are that around 300,000 workers are caught up in the industry regionally. Thailand’s military invited journalists to a huge scam complex it seized in December during its border conflict with Cambodia. An AP reporter shares an inside look at the scam complex in the O’Smach Resort complex, right by the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Appeals court rebuffs Anthropic in latest round of its AI battle with the Trump administration
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday refused to block the Pentagon from blacklisting artificial intelligence laboratory Anthropic in a decision that differed from the conclusions reached in another judge’s ruling on the same issues.. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., rejected Anthropic’s request for an order that would shield the company from the fallout stemming from a dispute over how the Pentagon could deploy its AI technology. The ruling followed another judge’s order that forced President Donald Trump’s administration to remove a label tainting the company as a national security risk.
Movie Review: 'Exit 8' is the video-game adaptation to see right now
Hallways, generally speaking, are not places you want to be in the movies. You can be just strolling down one when all of a sudden elevator doors open up and a river of blood comes flowing out. But “Exit 8” may be the first movie to land in a hallway, and stay there. The new film is based on an indie video-game sensation where first-person players are stuck in a repeating loop in a subway corridor. By its nature, “Exit 8” is sparse and repetitive. But in the not-especially-decorated annals of video-game adaptations, it’s one of the most compelling and clever meldings of the two mediums we’ve seen yet, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review.
Volunteers turn a fan's recordings of 10,000 concerts into an online treasure trove
In 1989, an up-and-coming rock band from Washington called Nirvana played in Chicago for the first time at a club called Dreamerz. In the crowd, with a compact cassette recorder in his pocket, was a music fan named Aadam Jacobs. He surreptitiously recorded the performance, documenting the fledgling band two years before their global breakthrough. That nascent Nirvana recording, with the audio cleaned up, is available for streaming at the online repository Internet Archive. It’s one of over 10,000 concerts that Jacobs recorded over four decades. A group of devoted volunteers is methodically researching, cataloging and digitizing them one by one.
Samsung is discontinuing its texting app, tells impacted users to switch to Google Messages
NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung is saying goodbye its namesake texting app, at least for United States customers. According to an end of service announcement published on the tech giant’s U.S. support website, Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July. Impacted owners of Samsung smartphones and other gadgets are being asked to switch to Google Messages as their default in the meantime. The company says this will help maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android. All Samsung Galaxy phones run on Google’s Android operating system. Users of older Android operating systems (dating back to Android 11 or older) will not be impacted.
One Tech Tip: Got an awkward or embarrassing Gmail address? Google is now letting users change it
Google is now allowing users to change their Gmail addresses. The company said this week that feature, which began rolling out in India last year, is now available in the United States. Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the update as a way for users to move on from outdated or embarrassing email handles. Changing your address is simple: go to your Google account page, navigate to Personal info, and select Email. You can then enter a new address. Your old address will remain as an alternate, and emails sent to either address will appear in your inbox. However, users can only change their address three times in total.
'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' cast aren't the only influencers sowing curiosity about the church
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Latter-day Saint influencers have found an enthusiastic audience across the country, curious about their faith and family, but they are often imperfect and unofficial representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many of these social media influencers and the influencers-turned-reality stars on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” have created a version of the faith that appears more modern and flexible than the actual church leadership might like. Influencers who have more faith-focused content have said they feel the reality show is not representative of their experiences in the church or their lives in Utah.
It’s International Fact-Checking Day. Refresh your AI identification skills
Artificial intelligence-generated content is everywhere these days, making it increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction, particularly when it comes to breaking news. The Iran war is just one example — since its outset, fake footage has reached countless people around the world. Some strategies for identifying these images include looking for visual cues, determining their origin, seeking out multiple reputable sources, making use of technology such as invisible digital watermarks and not immediately sharing content if its authenticity is unclear.
