Month: January 2024
Can it run Doom?: Gut bacteria edition
Simulated 1-bit, 32×48 cellular grid runs at a blazing 0.00003 fps.
Ramlan explains her bacterial grid display model and how it fits into the wider “Doom runs on everything” tradition.
Here at Ars, we’ve covered versions of Doom running on everything from hacked printers to Windows’ notepad.exe to a version running inside Doom itself. But these and the other many and varied examples of weird Doom platforms all lack the sheer biological oddness of a new model for displaying the game using a grid of E. coli bacteria.
MIT graduate student Lauren Ramlan outlines a method for creating the quixotic Doom display in “1-Bit Pixels Encoded in E. Coli for the Display of Interactive Digital Media,” the final project for a Principles of Synthetic Biology class. Ramlan’s project builds on earlier research describing how the DNA in E. coli bacteria can be used to encode full digital circuits and how the bacteria can be induced to fluoresce as a crude form of digital display.
The kind of cell grid that could hold a phosphorescent E. coli “display.” (credit: Fisher Scientific)
Ramlan’s paper doesn’t go to the enormous trouble of actually encoding all of Doom to run in bacterial DNA, which the author describes as “a behemoth feat that I cannot even imagine approaching.” Instead, the game runs on a standard computer, with isolated E. coli cells in a standard 32×48 microwell grid serving as a crude low-res display.
Twin Labs automates repetitive tasks by letting AI take over your mouse cursor
Meet Twin Labs, a Paris-based startup that wants to build an automation product for repetitive tasks, such as onboarding new employees to all your internal services, reordering items when you’re running out of stock, downloading financial reports across several SaaS products, reaching out to potential propects and more. “Twin’s starting point is a science-fiction idea.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Meet Twin Labs, a Paris-based startup that wants to build an automation product for repetitive tasks, such as onboarding new employees to all your internal services, reordering items when you’re running out of stock, downloading financial reports across several SaaS products, reaching out to potential propects and more. “Twin’s starting point is a science-fiction idea. […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform, but YouTube remains the most dominant
The Pew Research Center has published an updated survey of US adult social media usage. Although YouTube (especially) and Facebook retain their dominant status from the last poll in 2021, TikTok is the fastest-growing platform, with more than a third of adults now saying they use the app.
The survey polled 5,733 US adults between May 19 and September 5, 2023. YouTube was far and away the most used platform, with 83 percent of respondents reporting using it at some point. Meanwhile, 68 percent of users reported using Facebook.
Those two are the only platforms with a majority of people using them through each age demographic. However, gaps based on age groups still exist — especially among YouTube’s users. For example, 93 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds report using Google’s video platform, while 60 percent of those 65 and older say the same. (Facebook only has a nine percent difference between the same two demographics.)
Instagram came in third place overall, as 47 percent of respondents said they use it. Pinterest (35 percent), TikTok (33 percent), LinkedIn (30 percent), WhatsApp (29 percent) and Snapchat (27 percent) all fall into the next tier down. TikTok’s growth stands out the most: The ByteDance-owned platform shot up 12 points from 21 percent from two years before. That’s by far the biggest leap of any platform on the list.
Twitter changed its name to X and brought in CEO Linda Yaccarino while the surveys were in the field.Richard Bord via Getty Images
The next tier down includes Reddit and X, each sitting at 22 percent. Complicating matters, Elon Musk’s company changed its name from Twitter to X (and brought in a new CEO) while the surveys were in the field. The company’s reported users dropped slightly in two years, from 23 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Reddit rose four points from 18 percent two years before — despite the platform’s API controversy happening while the surveys were out.
Other platforms with significant age-group discrepancies include Instagram (78 percent of 29-and-under survey participants use it, compared to 15 percent of 65 and older) and Snapchat (65 percent use it for those under 30, four percent for 65 and up). The 40- to 49-year-old demographic, which includes younger Gen-Xers and all but the youngest Millennials, has especially high rates for LinkedIn (40 percent), WhatsApp (38 percent) and Facebook (75 percent).
In other demographic-based notables, Pew reports TikTok is especially popular among Hispanic users, with 49 percent reporting use (and women reported using it at a 15 percent higher rate than men). X is more popular with adults with annual household incomes of at least $100,000 — a nine-point swing compared to the $70,000 to $99,999 tier. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, given its career-oriented focus, LinkedIn has a higher rate of respondents with at least a bachelor’s degree (25 points higher than those with “some college education” and 43 percent higher than those with a high school diploma or less).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-the-fastest-growing-social-platform-but-youtube-remains-the-most-dominant-170023692.html?src=rss
The Pew Research Center has published an updated survey of US adult social media usage. Although YouTube (especially) and Facebook retain their dominant status from the last poll in 2021, TikTok is the fastest-growing platform, with more than a third of adults now saying they use the app.
The survey polled 5,733 US adults between May 19 and September 5, 2023. YouTube was far and away the most used platform, with 83 percent of respondents reporting using it at some point. Meanwhile, 68 percent of users reported using Facebook.
Those two are the only platforms with a majority of people using them through each age demographic. However, gaps based on age groups still exist — especially among YouTube’s users. For example, 93 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds report using Google’s video platform, while 60 percent of those 65 and older say the same. (Facebook only has a nine percent difference between the same two demographics.)
Instagram came in third place overall, as 47 percent of respondents said they use it. Pinterest (35 percent), TikTok (33 percent), LinkedIn (30 percent), WhatsApp (29 percent) and Snapchat (27 percent) all fall into the next tier down. TikTok’s growth stands out the most: The ByteDance-owned platform shot up 12 points from 21 percent from two years before. That’s by far the biggest leap of any platform on the list.
Twitter changed its name to X and brought in CEO Linda Yaccarino while the surveys were in the field.
The next tier down includes Reddit and X, each sitting at 22 percent. Complicating matters, Elon Musk’s company changed its name from Twitter to X (and brought in a new CEO) while the surveys were in the field. The company’s reported users dropped slightly in two years, from 23 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Reddit rose four points from 18 percent two years before — despite the platform’s API controversy happening while the surveys were out.
Other platforms with significant age-group discrepancies include Instagram (78 percent of 29-and-under survey participants use it, compared to 15 percent of 65 and older) and Snapchat (65 percent use it for those under 30, four percent for 65 and up). The 40- to 49-year-old demographic, which includes younger Gen-Xers and all but the youngest Millennials, has especially high rates for LinkedIn (40 percent), WhatsApp (38 percent) and Facebook (75 percent).
In other demographic-based notables, Pew reports TikTok is especially popular among Hispanic users, with 49 percent reporting use (and women reported using it at a 15 percent higher rate than men). X is more popular with adults with annual household incomes of at least $100,000 — a nine-point swing compared to the $70,000 to $99,999 tier. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, given its career-oriented focus, LinkedIn has a higher rate of respondents with at least a bachelor’s degree (25 points higher than those with “some college education” and 43 percent higher than those with a high school diploma or less).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-the-fastest-growing-social-platform-but-youtube-remains-the-most-dominant-170023692.html?src=rss
Shark robot vacuums are up to 46 percent off right now
There are a few go-to names when it comes to robot vacuums and Shark is right up there. The company makes some of the best robot vacuums on the market, and several models are currently on sale. The Shark AI robot vacuum with a self-emptying base is currently available for $350. That’s $300 off the regular price, albeit $50 more than the record low. That said, it was only available for $300 for a short time during the holiday season. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal on the device at the minute.
This model will run for up to 120 minutes before it needs to recharge, and it will return to its dock to top up the battery when need be. It uses LiDAR to map your home and a matrix grid approach to cleaning the floors, making multiple passes over dirt. The vacuum has a HEPA filtration system to help it capture pet hair, dust and allergens. You can set a cleaning schedule or ask the vacuum to spot clean using your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. Best of all, the self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of debris and dirt, so you won’t have to pay too much attention to the machine.
Elsewhere, you can score a notable discount on Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. That device has dropped to $430, which is $130 off the regular price, but $70 more than the record low we saw during the holiday shopping period. AS the name suggests, this adds a mop on top of vacuum functions. The mopping function can tackle stubborn stains by scrubbing hard floors 100 times per minute. A Matrix Mop feature can improve stain cleaning in targeted zones by 50 percent, Shark claims.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-46-percent-off-right-now-170020151.html?src=rss
There are a few go-to names when it comes to robot vacuums and Shark is right up there. The company makes some of the best robot vacuums on the market, and several models are currently on sale. The Shark AI robot vacuum with a self-emptying base is currently available for $350. That’s $300 off the regular price, albeit $50 more than the record low. That said, it was only available for $300 for a short time during the holiday season. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal on the device at the minute.
This model will run for up to 120 minutes before it needs to recharge, and it will return to its dock to top up the battery when need be. It uses LiDAR to map your home and a matrix grid approach to cleaning the floors, making multiple passes over dirt. The vacuum has a HEPA filtration system to help it capture pet hair, dust and allergens. You can set a cleaning schedule or ask the vacuum to spot clean using your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. Best of all, the self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of debris and dirt, so you won’t have to pay too much attention to the machine.
Elsewhere, you can score a notable discount on Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. That device has dropped to $430, which is $130 off the regular price, but $70 more than the record low we saw during the holiday shopping period. AS the name suggests, this adds a mop on top of vacuum functions. The mopping function can tackle stubborn stains by scrubbing hard floors 100 times per minute. A Matrix Mop feature can improve stain cleaning in targeted zones by 50 percent, Shark claims.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-46-percent-off-right-now-170020151.html?src=rss
Best Mattress for Stomach Sleepers with Back Pain of 2024 – CNET
Stomach sleepers with back pain need to select a mattress that eases symptoms, not exacerbate them. These are the best mattresses that we would recommend.
Stomach sleepers with back pain need to select a mattress that eases symptoms, not exacerbate them. These are the best mattresses that we would recommend.
The Pixel 8 is getting Google’s new AI search feature today
‘Circle to Search’ comes to Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones. | Image: Google
Google is rolling out its “Circle to Search” feature to Pixel 8 phones today, bringing new ideas about how to gather information on the internet using AI. The feature, which is also available on Samsung Galaxy S24 phones, builds on Google’s multisearch tool that lets you combine image searches with words in the Google app. Now you can simply circle, scribble, or highlight things in other apps and learn more about them in place.
The big change here is leveraging generative AI for on-the-fly searches within other apps in Android. Instead of taking an image or screenshot over to the Google app, you can long-press on the home button or the navigation bar from wherever you are to initiate the search, then highlight whatever you want to know more about and modify the search using a text prompt. A card will show you more info, and then you can swipe it away when you’re done.
By way of example, Google mentions that if you see a bunch of social media posts about corn dogs and you’re feeling out of the loop, you can use Circle to Search to grab the corn dog and ask in the text prompt why they’re so popular right now. Or as our own Allison Johnson said before, you could figure out those Stanley cups.
Other examples the search giant proposes include looking for info about a building you see in a YouTube video by scribbling over it and adding it to your travel plans or, while in a text thread, highlighting a restaurant suggestion from a friend and checking out things like its menu or customer reviews. The feature had already started rolling out to some Pixel 8 phones prior to Google’s announcement, including those of some Verge staffers, so you may have already been able to use it today.
‘Circle to Search’ comes to Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones. | Image: Google
Google is rolling out its “Circle to Search” feature to Pixel 8 phones today, bringing new ideas about how to gather information on the internet using AI. The feature, which is also available on Samsung Galaxy S24 phones, builds on Google’s multisearch tool that lets you combine image searches with words in the Google app. Now you can simply circle, scribble, or highlight things in other apps and learn more about them in place.
The big change here is leveraging generative AI for on-the-fly searches within other apps in Android. Instead of taking an image or screenshot over to the Google app, you can long-press on the home button or the navigation bar from wherever you are to initiate the search, then highlight whatever you want to know more about and modify the search using a text prompt. A card will show you more info, and then you can swipe it away when you’re done.
By way of example, Google mentions that if you see a bunch of social media posts about corn dogs and you’re feeling out of the loop, you can use Circle to Search to grab the corn dog and ask in the text prompt why they’re so popular right now. Or as our own Allison Johnson said before, you could figure out those Stanley cups.
Other examples the search giant proposes include looking for info about a building you see in a YouTube video by scribbling over it and adding it to your travel plans or, while in a text thread, highlighting a restaurant suggestion from a friend and checking out things like its menu or customer reviews. The feature had already started rolling out to some Pixel 8 phones prior to Google’s announcement, including those of some Verge staffers, so you may have already been able to use it today.
Alan Wake 2’s latest update adds chapter selection, lets you tune horror flash visuals, and more
Alan Wake 2 first update of the year has added a brand-new feature to the game alongside a host of quality-of-life improvements.
Alan Wake 2 first update of the year has added a brand-new feature to the game alongside a host of quality-of-life improvements.
Patch 1.15 went live today (January 31) on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC and it’s a fairly significant patch, introducing the highly-requested Chapter Select feature which will allow players who have unlocked and completed certain missions to replay them again from the menu.
“This will also make a life bit easier (and we know we’ve made it a bit complicated with some collectibles having to be picked up in a single run) for Trophy and Achievement hunters to get those missing items or collectibles,” Remedy Entertainment said in the patch notes.
It’s also noted that using Chapter Select will load a pre-made save game “regardless of your own progression” and item progression and inventory will be “pre-determined depending on the mission.”
If you’ve played the horror game, you’ll know that throughout the story terrifying visuals will pop up on screen to scare the daylights out of you. As requested, an option to choose between Low and Normal horror flash visual and audio intensity has also been added for those who prefer not to get jump-scared as badly.
In addition to these two new features, players can expect to find a bunch of story mission bugs to be fixed – including an issue in The Final Chapter (in New Game Plus) where if the player already had Saga’s crossbow in their inventory, they’d be unable to complete a certain quest.
Alongside general visual polish, the PC now has improved DLSS Frame Generation stability when the player Alt-Tabs, and the Field of View (FOV) in the UI can now be tweaked. You can read the full patch notes below.
Alan Wake 2 version 1.15 patch notes:
New Feature: Chapter Select
You can now choose to play any mission in the game that you have previously unlocked.Using this feature loads a pre-made save game regardless of your own progression.This means that item progression and inventory will be pre-determined depending on the mission.You will keep your previous manual saves.
NOTE: Remember to keep at least one manual save with your previous progression if you wish to retain it.
New features
Added Chapter Select menu.Added option to choose between Low and Normal horror flash visual and audio intensity.
Gameplay and missions
Fixed an issue in The Final Chapter (New Game Plus) where if the player already had Saga’s crossbow in their inventory, they could not complete/open all required Cult Stashes and thus couldn’t get the Lighthouse Key from the final Cult Stash.Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck if they opened the notification about having finished watching the final Koskela brothers’ advert:
During RE09 Deerfest when you go to the Oh Deer Diner, the last Koskela commercial is shown and you are given a prompt that you can see it in the Mind Place, but if you press the touchpad as instructed to view it in the Mind Place, nothing happens, and your controls are frozen. The issue remains until you reload the last save.
Fixed an issue where the player was not able to collect all the clues around Nightingale’s body.The objects required for the Overlap ritual in RE03 Local Girl can now only be picked up after the player finds their respective clues.The 10th Echo Scene after meeting Casey in the alley now unlocks properly.Players now receive the Coffee World Mug Charm in the The Final Chapter (New Game Plus) instead of a duplicate Hammer Charm.Fixed the camera perspective on opened Cult stashes, so the note on the lid is now legible.Additional fix for the Cynthia profiling not being available if the player exits the diorama too quickly in the Nursing Home.Resolved an issue in RE05 Old Gods where players could pick up the fuse in the basement from a locked container without solving the attached combination lock puzzle.Propane tanks will no longer reappear after reloading the game in Watery. Less explosions, less fun, but a smoother game.Gave Saga a chance to gain more resources in the RE10 Come Home mission in the subway station.Added missing descriptions for some case files in the Case Cabinet in Saga’s Mind Place.Fixed a multitude of issues with Meta Case clues.Added descriptions for cases that are in progress to the Case Cabinet files.Igniting a flare while hiding in Safe Haven will now be seen as a hostile player action and collapse the Safe Haven if enemies are nearby.Fixed an issue with the player camera occasionally “micro jittering” when rotating the camera in Prologue.Removing the fun. It’s the beginning of the year. Explosions will no longer deal damage through doors.Prevent players from accidentally boosting the flashlight and wasting batteries when picking it up.FBI Service pistol and Revolver now deal enough damage to make cultists’ masks fly off with one, carefully aimed shot. Curtain Call. Not the best album. Fixed curtains being incorrectly closed in the Theater Hall in some instances.Fixed an issue where the crossbow with double-barrel upgrade was not being holstered properly.Saga’s phone conversations can’t be interrupted by switching the Flashlight on and off anymore.The item pickup indicator has been re-tuned, so the indicator should be more easily visible now.The player can no longer run off the ledge behind the Monitoring Station in Cauldron Lake.Fixed an issue where Fadeouts in the Poet’s Cinema Theater would sit in the air or inside of the theater seats. That was too spooky.Fixed a, well, uh, issue with a rogue boot moving along the Cynthia boss fight arena.Fixed an issue in IN05 Room 665 where items from a Tim Breaker’s stash could be picked up through the wall in Room 101.Fixed an issue where the wolves would get killed instantly by approaching the cliff at the Radio Tower in Watery.Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck in Norman’s room in the Bright Falls Nursing Home.Fixed an issue where the doors at the Bright Falls Wellness Center kept opening at the wrong time. It’s not spooky season yet.
UI
[PC] Added preview images for most tweakable settings in the graphics menu.Add per-chapter counts for found Manuscripts in the Mind Place.Fixed UI layout issues with localized content in the Case Board, computers, and inspectable items.Fixed month names so they display correctly on save game UI.Fixed the Options menu scroll position not to resetting when quitting the Options menu with the start button on controller.
Audio and haptics
Re-tuned haptics on the “key events” such as weapon firing and reloading, using the Light Shift mechanic, burning off Source Points and using the flashlight.Added audio to the ancient computers in the Bright Falls Sheriff Station.Added audio for impacts when the Espresso Express hits the player. Don’t try it please. Coffee World is in enough trouble as it is.Cassette eject sound added to Mr. Drippy.Added TV static audio to the Nursing Home TV Safe Haven location.Fixed an issue where the TV tape selection in the Writer’s Room was not triggering any sound effects.Fixed an issue in RE08 Summoning where a Tank enemy weapon played the wrong weapon audio.Multiple fixes for the Nursery Rhymes audio.Improved the audio quality for crouching footsteps.Improved the audio performance during the RE08 Summoning mission across all platforms.
Visuals
General visual polish.Fixed an issue where an enemy became partially invisible when seriously wounded.Fixed the vegetation not always reacting to explosions in a cool way.The wind has picked up in Coffee World.Made the basement of the Valhalla Nursing Home more atmospheric, with a lot of added dust.Turned off Safe Haven indicator during the Scratch fight in the parking lot.Improved waterproofing of the Elderwood Lodge. It should not rain indoors anymore.Fixed the Hunting Knife being scaled up when Alan picked it up.Fixed missing lighting on some narrative items.Improved the quality of shadows in various off the beaten path locations in the forest.Fixed lighting pop-in in some locations.Fixed some abrupt color grading changes in Watery.Reduced shimmering around windows inside Suomi Hall in Watery.Reduced shimmering inside the Elderwood Lodge in Bright Falls.Lighting improvements in off the beaten path areas in Watery.Fixed Alan’s wild shirt glitching in some cinematic sequences where Alan is sitting down.Improved animations for Saga’s scare reactions while running.Fixed some animations restarting when toggling the flashlight.Fixed the player character so they use arms as expected while running just after picking up items.
General
The SDR brightness setting now affects UI and 2D videos correctly.Fixed maximum display luminance being outdated in Brightness calibration menu.[PC] You can now tweak the FOV (Field of view) in the UI.[PC] Improved DLSS Frame Generation stability for Alt-Tab.[PC] Resolution is clamped correctly to the maximum supported resolution.[PC] Made the warning message about there not being enough physical memory and allow the game still to start a lot more serious.[PC] Mouse button icons now correctly reflect the Windows primary button setting in the UI [PC].[Xbox Series] Fixed a threading issue that could lead to rare crashes.Subtitle fixes.
Performance (aka the Northlight flex section)
[PlayStation 5] Fixed the random stuttering during perfect dodge slow-motion moves.[PC] Changing the graphics settings is now… snappier.[PC] Optimized shadow map rendering saving up to 0.3ms in the Dark Place.[Xbox Series] Optimized point and spotlight culling, shaving off 0.3ms in locations where lights are aplenty.[PlayStation 5] Optimized UI rendering when there are a lot of UI elements on screen, such as when the Inventory is visible, resulting in smoother performance.Optimized character controller code for improved CPU performance, saving up to 1ms – 2ms in locations with dense geometry.Lighting optimizations inside the Overlap in RE01 Invitation saving 1ms – 1.2ms for smoother performance.Lighting optimizations around the Valhalla Nursing Home during RE05 Old Gods saving 0.3ms – 0.4ms.The good kind of lighting and fog optimizations around Watery that didn’t result in downgrading the visuals.Slightly optimized texture memory usage. Slightly.
Alan Wake 2 is among the best horror games of all time, but if you’re looking for something less scary to play, here’s our list of the best story games.
Taxi Life – take to the streets of Barcelona as a virtual cab driver
The ever-growing popularity of chilled-out vehicle simulators might be a mystery to some people but with Microsoft Flight Simulator, Train
The post Taxi Life – take to the streets of Barcelona as a virtual cab driver appeared first on ReadWrite.
The ever-growing popularity of chilled-out vehicle simulators might be a mystery to some people but with Microsoft Flight Simulator, Train Sim World, Euro Truck Driver, and even the incredibly popular Farming Simulator flying off the virtual shelves it is a surprise perhaps that we have waited to long for a Taxi simulator where you can potter around in your virtual Uber, dropping off rides at their designated destinations.
Back in the 90s, we had Sega’s Crazy Taxi which took the same idea and sped things up about 200% and set it to rock music, but here, there will be nothing so adrenaline-inducing.
Set in a virtual recreation of the Spanish city of Barcelona, Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator will put you in the driving seat and set u about navigating the busy streets, finding the best routes to avoid traffic jams, and keeping your customers happy throughout the journey.
Arriving in Barcelona with just your car and a head full of dreams you start off as a one-man band but look to grow your outfit and even end up managing your own taxi business, raking in profits and expanding still further.
Taxi Life features an open-world 1:1 authentic recreation of Barcelona, with sophisticated AI traffic systems that make the cars behave like real-world counterparts, including switching lanes and cutting you up with zero notice – just like in the real Barcelona.
The game will feature over 200 of the city’s famous buildings and landmarks, and you can bet the tourists who get in your taxi are going to want to see them all.
The game is being released by Polish studio Simteract who help fund a lot of the projects with grants from the European Union. You may know them from the previous Train Life: A Railways Simulator a year or so ago.
Taxi Life is due for release on 7th March on Xbox, PlayStation 5 and PC
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FBI and DOJ counter advanced Chinese hacking campaign against American networks
The U.S. government has thwarted a sophisticated Chinese hacking campaign that posed a serious threat to American and allied critical
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The U.S. government has thwarted a sophisticated Chinese hacking campaign that posed a serious threat to American and allied critical infrastructure networks, according to the Wall Street Journal. This action, announced on Wednesday, reflects the Biden administration’s heightened vigilance against China’s increasingly advanced hacking capabilities.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the U.S. commitment to dismantling foreign-sponsored cyber operations that jeopardize American security. This latest effort involved the Justice Department and the FBI taking decisive steps in December to dismantle a botnet—a network of hacked devices—comprising primarily small office and home office (SOHO) routers.
The routers, predominantly Cisco and Netgear products, were vulnerable due to their end-of-life status, meaning they no longer received regular security updates. These routers served as nodes for the hackers, allowing them to conduct their operations covertly. The U.S. officials successfully removed the botnet from these routers and cut off the hackers’ access.
FBI Director Chris Wray issued a stark warning about the Chinese hacking threat, particularly their focus on infiltrating U.S. critical infrastructure networks. In his testimony before the House China committee, Wray highlighted the potential for real-world harm and disruption, noting that Chinese hackers have targeted essential sectors such as water treatment, energy, transportation, and communication systems.
The disrupted hacking campaign, known as Volt Typhoon, has been a concern for the U.S. and its allies for nearly a year. Microsoft and other private-sector entities have reported on this campaign’s attempts to access sensitive networks in various critical sectors. The campaign’s objectives appear to include disrupting communication infrastructure between the U.S. and Asia, potentially impacting American support for Taiwan in the event of a crisis.
China has consistently denied involvement in cyberattacks against the U.S. and other nations. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not responded to requests for comment on this latest development. This operation by the U.S. government underscores the ongoing cyber warfare landscape and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect national infrastructure and interests.
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