From Ars Technica · 40 stories
Linus Torvalds Backs AI Tools in Linux Development Amid Community Debate
Linus Torvalds has confirmed his support for using AI tools in Linux development, amid controversy over AI-generated code. He emphasized Linux will not take an anti-AI stance and suggested dissenters fork the project or leave. This stance reflects AI's growing role in open-source projects.
AliExpress Fined €550 Million for Selling Counterfeit and Unsafe Products
AliExpress has been fined €550 million ($629 million) by the European Commission for failing to prevent the sale of illegal and counterfeit products, marking the largest fine under the Digital Services Act. The investigation revealed shortcomings in product verification and removal processes, posing risks to consumer safety. This fine underscores the EU's commitment to stringent e-commerce regulations.
San Francisco Orders Apple and Google to Remove Nudify Apps for Legal Violations
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu ordered Apple and Google to remove 13 nudification apps from their app stores, citing violations of California laws against deepfake pornography. The apps are accused of creating non-consensual explicit images, which impact women and minors. The city claims the companies have profited from these apps and warns of potential civil penalties if they do not comply within 28 days.
Tesla Driver Charged with Manslaughter for Fatal Texas Crash
Michael Butler faces manslaughter charges after a Tesla Model 3 crash killed Martha Avila in her home. The NTSB confirmed Butler manually overrode the Full Self-Driving system, reaching over 70 mph in a 30 mph zone. The crash raises concerns about autonomous vehicle safety and driver responsibility.
Google to Allow Third-Party App Stores on Android From July 22
Starting July 22, Google will allow third-party app stores on Android, complying with a court order after its legal battle with Epic Games. This change lets rival app stores operate within Google Play in the U.S., potentially changing app distribution and pricing.
Microsoft Patches Windows Defender 'RoguePlanet' Vulnerability CVE-2026-50656
Microsoft has patched the 'RoguePlanet' vulnerability (CVE-2026-50656) affecting Windows Defender on Windows 10 and 11, which allowed SYSTEM privileges escalation. The vulnerability was disclosed by researcher Nightmare Eclipse, and a month later Microsoft released the patch in Malware Protection Engine update version 1.1.26060.3008. The flaw's potential use in privilege escalation makes its resolution important for system security.
Alibaba Bans Anthropic's AI Tools Amid Espionage Allegations
Alibaba has banned Anthropic's AI tools, including Claude Code, for employees. The ban, effective July 10, follows Anthropic's accusation of a distillation attempt by Alibaba. This highlights rising tensions between U.S. and Chinese tech industries over AI technology and access.
Nintendo to End Original Switch Sales in Europe by 2027 Due to Battery Regulations
Nintendo will cease sales of the original Switch consoles in Europe by February 2027, aligning with new EU regulations requiring user-replaceable batteries. Updated versions of products, including the new Switch 2, will feature replaceable batteries, supporting sustainability goals.
Google Launches Faster AI Models for Image and Video: Nano Banana 2 Lite and Gemini Omni Flash
Google announced the launch of Nano Banana 2 Lite and Gemini Omni Flash, models designed to enhance multimedia processing efficiency. Nano Banana 2 Lite focuses on low-cost, fast image generation, while Omni Flash offers advanced video generation and editing. Available across Google platforms, these models aim to streamline creative workflows for developers and businesses using AI-generated content.
Ataraxos AI defeats world's best Stratego player, overcoming hidden information challenge
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon, MIT, NYU, and Stanford developed Ataraxos, an AI that defeated the top Stratego player, Pim Niemeijer, 15-1 with four draws. This achievement is significant because Stratego is an imperfect-information game with a large number of hidden variables and long game lengths, which previously challenged AI systems like DeepMind's DeepNash.
Canadian Government Funds Three Rocket Companies, Canada Rocket Company Plans Medium-Lift Vehicle
The Canadian government awarded 8.33 million CAD to three companies—NordSpace, Reaction Dynamics, and Canada Rocket Company—to develop light-lift rockets. This initiative, called "Launch the North," aims to establish sovereign space access due to strained US relations, with Canada Rocket Company now planning a medium-lift vehicle.
SpaceX Launches Crew-13 Mission to ISS After Propulsion System Repair
SpaceX launched a four-person crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The launch was delayed to replace a faulty valve in the Dragon's propulsion system, requiring a surgical intervention to swap the component.
Cloudflare to Launch Public Certificate Authority Supporting Post-Quantum Cryptography
Cloudflare announced its intent to become a public Certificate Authority (CA) and has applied for inclusion in major root programs, including Chrome, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla. This initiative includes plans to be among the first CAs to issue post-quantum certificates, specifically Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs), targeting early 2027 for inclusion in Chrome's Quantum-resistant Root Store. The move aims to address the performance challenges of post-quantum cryptography at internet scale and expand Cloudflare's role in web encryption.
Paramount Settles Antitrust Lawsuit, Clearing Path for $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
Paramount has reached a settlement with California and 11 other states, resolving an antitrust lawsuit that challenged its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The agreement includes commitments for theatrical film releases and increased U.S. production spending, removing a significant obstacle to the merger's completion.
YouTube Introduces Custom Feeds, GIF Comments, and AI-Powered Shopping Features
YouTube announced new features at its Made on YouTube 2026 event, including Custom Feeds for personalized content organization, GIF support in comments, and AI-driven shopping recommendations. These updates aim to enhance user experience through greater personalization and interactive options on its video platform.
Adobe Premiere Mobile App Launches on Android with Free Core Editing and AI Features
Adobe has released its Premiere mobile app for Android devices, over a year after its initial iOS launch. The app offers core video editing functionalities like trimming, cropping, and 4K export for free, with generative AI features available through in-app purchases. This expansion brings Adobe's mobile video editing tools to a wider Android user base, including optimization for foldable smartphones.
AWS confirms permanent data loss in UAE data center after drone strikes, advises migration
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has confirmed the permanent loss of customer data in its mec1-az2 Availability Zone in the United Arab Emirates, six months after drone strikes impacted its data centers in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. AWS is advising customers to migrate their applications to alternate regions as it cannot restore access to the affected zone and has not provided a full service restoration timeline, impacting regional cloud operations.
Second Complete Map of a Male Fruit Fly Brain Completed by Researchers
Researchers from Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus and Google have completed the connectome, a map of every neuron, in a male fruit fly brain. This achievement provides a new tool for neurobiology research and refines methods for mapping more complex nervous systems, building on a previous map of a female fruit fly brain.
FCC Waives Foreign Ownership Rules for Paramount-Warner Bros., Allowing 49.5% Stake by Sovereign Funds
The FCC has waived its rules limiting foreign equity ownership to 25 percent, permitting sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to collectively own 49.5 percent of Paramount-Warner Bros. This decision has drawn criticism from advocacy groups and a Democratic commissioner who argue that such a significant stake grants influence to foreign governments despite the FCC's assertion of no voting control.
Isar Aerospace Successfully Delivers Satellites to Orbit on Second Flight
Isar Aerospace, a European commercial space company, successfully launched its second mission, "Onward and Upward," from Andøya Space in Norway, deploying payloads into orbit. This achievement marks the first time a commercial European company has delivered satellites to orbit, providing a new launch alternative for the global space industry.
New Mexico Lawyer Fined for Submitting AI-Generated Brief with Fabricated Testimony
The New Mexico Supreme Court fined attorney Stephen Aarons $5,000 and held him in contempt for submitting a legal brief containing fabricated police testimony and witnesses generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT. This incident highlights the risks of using AI tools in legal work without proper verification, as courts increasingly sanction lawyers for unvetted AI-generated content.
Android Introduces System-Level Password and Passkey Transfer Between Managers
Google has launched a new system-level feature on Android that enables direct and secure transfer of passwords and passkeys between different password manager applications. This update eliminates the need for insecure CSV file exports and manual recreation of passkeys, simplifying the migration process for users on devices running Android 8 or above. The feature is currently supported by Google's own password manager, Bitwarden, 1Password, and Dashlane.
Google DeepMind Releases AlphaGenome Atlas for Human Genome Research
Google DeepMind has released AlphaGenome Atlas, an AI-powered tool that provides a predictive map of every possible DNA letter change in the human genome. This 1-petabyte dataset, generated by the AlphaGenome AI model, includes an AlphaGenome Variant Impact (AVI) score to help researchers understand how genetic mutations affect molecular biology and prioritize genetic research, particularly in non-coding DNA regions.
Federal Appeals Court Rules Kalshi Sports Bets Are Gambling, Not Swaps
A federal appeals court ruled that Kalshi's sports-related event contracts are gambling and subject to state laws, not federally regulated swaps. This decision allows Nevada to enforce its gaming laws against Kalshi, conflicting with a prior 3rd Circuit ruling and increasing the likelihood of Supreme Court review.
Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms' Iceberg Lettuce Affects Thousands
An outbreak of the Cyclospora parasite in Michigan is linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, affecting 3,309 state residents by July 14. Federal investigations traced lettuce served at Taco Bell to a supplier in Mexico. The lettuce recall attempts to halt the spread of this intestinal infection.
EU Designates ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms Under DSA
The European Commission has classified OpenAI's ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox as "Very Large Online Platforms" or "Very Large Online Search Engines" under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This designation subjects them to stricter regulations, including obligations to mitigate risks related to minors, user mental health, and illegal content, and increases transparency requirements for their recommendation algorithms. The platforms must comply within four months, with potential fines up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliance.
Motorola to release GrapheneOS-powered flagship phones in 2027
Motorola will launch "higher end" flagship smartphones running the privacy-focused GrapheneOS in 2027. These devices will feature Qualcomm's flagship chips and offer enhanced security compared to current Pixel devices running GrapheneOS, expanding the hardware options for users prioritizing privacy.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Logitech for Not Refunding Customers Over Trump-Era Tariffs
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Logitech by law firm CPM, seeking refunds for customers who paid higher prices due to tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. The US Supreme Court ruled these tariffs illegal and ordered refunds to manufacturers, but companies have not passed these savings to consumers.
Google acquires Spirit Airlines operational data for AI model training
Google purchased a dataset from the defunct Spirit Airlines for $10 million to use in training its AI models. This acquisition provides Google with a large volume of real-world operational and business data, excluding personally identifiable information, to enhance its AI capabilities.
ABC Sues FCC Over Alleged Retaliatory Campaign Against Broadcast Licenses
ABC and its parent company Disney have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging the agency is conducting a "retaliatory campaign" by threatening its broadcast licenses due to content. This legal action seeks to halt the FCC's review of its broadcast licenses, which ABC claims is an attempt to coerce and retaliate against the network for its speech.
Nine PBS Regains Access to 50TB Archive After Cloud Vendor Ceases Operations
Nine PBS, a St. Louis public television station, lost access to 50TB of archival data after its cloud storage vendor, Open Source Storage (OSS), ceased operations. A judge has since ordered Iron Mountain, the data center physically housing the data, to provide Nine PBS access to the physical devices containing its 70-year archive, which includes irreplaceable historical content.
Heart Aerospace X1 Completes First Flight, Largest Battery-Electric Aircraft to Fly
Heart Aerospace's X1 demonstrator aircraft, the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown, completed its first flight on August 12, 2026. The piloted mission lasted 27 minutes, reached 1,100 feet AGL, and consumed approximately $5 worth of electricity, demonstrating the feasibility of electric propulsion for commercial airline operations.
Plaintiff Used Hidden AI Prompt Injections in Court Filings to Influence Case Outcome
Matthew Elliott, a self-represented litigant in a Connecticut court, embedded hidden prompt injections in two official court filings against the New York Bariatric Group. These instructions, formatted in tiny white text, were designed to manipulate any AI model reviewing the documents to favor his position and were discovered due to unusual white space, leading to a show cause order from the judge.
New York Sues Kalshi for Illegal Gambling, CFTC Orders Continued Operation
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, alleging it operates an illegal gambling business by accepting wagers without a state license. This action follows similar lawsuits in other states, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an emergency order for Kalshi to continue operating, citing a "market emergency" and asserting federal oversight.
Google DeepMind open-sources WeatherNext AI for 15-day cyclone forecasts
Google DeepMind and Google Research have open-sourced the WeatherNext AI model, which provides 15-day forecasts for tropical cyclone track and intensity. The model uses Functional Generative Networks (FGNs) to generate forecasts in under a minute, offering an average of one day more lead time than existing models. This release allows other scientists to utilize and build upon the model, potentially improving early warning systems for hurricanes and typhoons.
X Settles Legal Dispute with World Federation of Advertisers, Continues Suit Against Brands
X Corp. and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) have settled their multiyear legal dispute, which X initiated in 2024, accusing the WFA of orchestrating an illegal boycott. The settlement resets the relationship between the two organizations and includes the WFA discontinuing its Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) initiative. Despite this settlement, X is appealing a district court's dismissal of its lawsuit against other advertisers, seeking to revive claims of an illegal boycott.
Reddit Announces Upcoming Changes to Old Reddit to Combat Scraping and Spam
Reddit plans to implement unspecified "changes" to Old Reddit, its 21-year-old desktop interface, to address abusive scraping and spamming, particularly from AI. The company previously began requiring users to be logged in to access Old Reddit, citing its logged-out experience as a source of automated traffic. These changes affect long-time users and moderators who prefer the legacy interface.
Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI Identifies Weaknesses in HAWK and Round-Reduced AES
Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview AI model discovered new attack methods against the HAWK digital signature scheme and a faster attack on seven-round AES-128. The HAWK scheme, a candidate for post-quantum standardization, was subsequently withdrawn from NIST consideration by its developer. These findings demonstrate AI's capability in cryptanalysis, though neither attack affects current production systems.
Disney+ Explores Free Ad-Supported Tier to Expand Reach and Ad Revenue
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro confirmed the company is exploring a free, ad-supported streaming option for Disney+. This initiative aims to expand the service's reach to price-sensitive consumers, increase advertising revenue, and drive awareness for paid subscriptions amidst competition from free platforms like YouTube.
Katalyst Space's LINK Satellite Experiences Failures, Jeopardizing NASA Swift Observatory Reboost
The Katalyst Space LINK satellite, launched on July 3 to reboost NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, is tumbling out of control due to the failure of two of its three reaction wheels and partial loss of its cold gas thruster system. This incident jeopardizes NASA's first mission to contract a private company for orbital reboosting services, which aimed to extend the Swift Observatory's operational lifespan.