Tech News

1. AI Agent Manus:

   • Manus, a new AI agent from China, is generating buzz as a potential DeepSeek competitor, offering general AI capabilities. 👉 forbes.com^$ 👉 manus.im
   • Some users report issues with Manus, including long wait times and unsatisfactory results. 👉 techcrunch.com
   • Manus can handle various tasks, including trip planning, stock analysis, and course creation. 👉 bsky.app
   • The platform enlisted many Chinese AI influencers to praise it. 👉 x.com

2. Bluetooth Chip Backdoor:

   • Researchers discovered an undocumented backdoor in the ESP32 microchip, which is used in over a billion devices. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • The vulnerability enables attackers to spoof trusted devices, access unauthorized data, and potentially establish long-term persistence. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • The undocumented commands allow RAM/Flash manipulation, MAC spoofing, and LMP/LLCP packet injection. 👉 cheriot.org

3. Apple's Delayed Smart Home Hub:

   • Apple's planned smart home hub announcement has been postponed due to issues with Siri's AI capabilities. 👉 bloomberg.com^$
   • The company is also exploring different smart glasses ideas. 👉 bloomberg.com^$
   • Apple has opened an internal testing program for its upcoming smart home hub. 👉 x.com

4. Meta's China Censorship System:

   • A whistleblower alleges that Meta developed a censorship system for the Chinese government in an attempt to enter China. 👉 washingtonpost.com
   • Meta was willing to shut down political dissent to enter China. 👉 seekingalpha.com
   • Facebook was banned in China in 2009, and Zuckerberg publicly debuted his knowledge of Mandarin during a Q&A in 2014. 👉 bsky.app

5. AI Investment Boom:

   • The AI frenzy has led to the fastest investment pace since 2021, with over $30 billion invested into startups this quarter. 👉 ft.com^$
   • Nine US AI startups have raised $100M or more in 2025. 👉 techcrunch.com

6. Chinese Investment in Musk's Companies:

   • Wealthy Chinese investors are using SPVs to funnel millions of dollars into Elon Musk's xAI, Neuralink, and SpaceX. 👉 t.co

7. Ransomware and Cybercrime:

   • A ransomware gang encrypted a network using a webcam to bypass EDR. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Microsoft reports that North Korean hackers are now deploying Qilin ransomware. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • US seizes domain of Garantex crypto exchange used by ransomware gangs. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • A malicious PyPI package stole Ethereum private keys via Polygon RPC transactions. 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Cybercriminals are sending bogus copyright claims to YouTubers to coerce them into promoting malware. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Cybercrime "crew" stole $635,000 in Taylor Swift concert tickets. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • US charges Garantex admins with money laundering and sanctions violations. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • FIN7, FIN8, and others are using Ragnar Loader for persistent access and ransomware operations. 👉 thehackernews.com

8. Cybersecurity & Data Breaches:

   • Microsoft warns of a malvertising campaign that impacted over 1 million devices. 👉 thehackernews.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • US cities warn of a wave of unpaid parking phishing texts. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Data breach at Japanese telecom giant NTT hits 18,000 companies. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • US seizes $23 million in crypto linked to LastPass breaches. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Safe{Wallet} confirms North Korean TraderTraitor hackers stole $1.5 Billion in Bybit Heist. 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Employee charged with stealing unreleased movies and sharing them online. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

9. Vulnerability Exploits:

   • Unpatched Edimax IP camera flaw actively exploited in botnet attacks. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • PHP-CGI RCE flaw exploited in attacks on Japan's Tech, Telecom, and E-Commerce Sectors. 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Elastic Releases Urgent Fix for Critical Kibana Vulnerability Enabling Remote Code Execution. 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Microsoft is urging customers to install the latest security updates to address multiple actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. 👉 thehackernews.com

10. AI Developments:

    • Zoom researchers detail a "Chain of Draft" method to cut AI costs by 90% while improving performance. 👉 venturebeat.com
    • Google is scrubbing mentions of 'diversity' and 'equity' from the responsible AI team webpage. 👉 techcrunch.com

11. YouTube and Streaming:

    • A look at YouTube's origins, growth, and domination as the platform turns 20. 👉 variety.com
    • A look at YouTube's hidden world: most videos have few views, capturing everyday life. 👉 bbc.com
    • Focusing on West Africa helped music streamer Audiomack grow alongside industry giants like Spotify. 👉 fastcompany.com

12. Security Software:

    • CCleaner app helps clean unnecessary files from your PC. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
    • New Chirp tool uses audio tones to transfer data between devices. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
    • Turn your PDFs into fully editable, searchable files for life with this app deal. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
    • Big projects? Not a problem with this Microsoft Project Pro 2024 deal. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

13. GeoCities Lookback:

    • A look back at GeoCities, which allowed people without technical knowledge to build web pages. 👉 cybercultural.com

14. De-Extinction Tech:

    • Colossal CEO Ben Lamm says humanity has a 'moral obligation' to pursue de-extinction tech. 👉 techcrunch.com

15. Password Security:

    • Malicious Chrome extensions can spoof password managers in new attack. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

16. Threatpost News:

    • Student Loan Breach Exposes 2.5M Records. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Watering Hole Attacks Push ScanBox Keylogger. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Tentacles of ‘0ktapus’ Threat Group Victimize 130 Firms. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Cybercriminals Are Selling Access to Chinese Surveillance Cameras. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Twitter Whistleblower Complaint: The TL;DR Version. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Firewall Bug Under Active Attack Triggers CISA Warning. 👉 threatpost.com
    • Ransomware Attacks are on the Rise. 👉 threatpost.com
    • iPhone Users Urged to Update to Patch 2 Zero-Days. 👉 threatpost.com

17. Travel Scams:

    • Fake Reservation Links Prey on Weary Travelers. 👉 threatpost.com

18. People Moves:

    • Tammy Nam joins AI-powered ad startup Creatopy as CEO. 👉 techcrunch.com

19. Japan's Robot Market:

    • Japan's service robot market is projected to triple in five years. 👉 techcrunch.com

20. Synthesized News from Reuters on Youtube:

• AI robots developed to help elderly in Japan. 👉 youtube.com

21. **From Wall Street Journal: *Donald Trump and Crypto ***

• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse was one who was wooed into the Trump orbit. 👉 wsj.com^$

22. **From THN (The Hacker News): **

• Discover the Top 10 MITRE ATT&CK® techniques behind 93% of attacks and learn how to defend against them. 👉 thehackernews.uk

23. Axiom Space Data Center:

• Axiom Space and Red Hat will collaborate to launch Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1) to the International Space Station this spring. 👉 theregister.com

24. Kraft Heinz removing artificial dyes from food:

• Kraft Heinz Foods Co. announced that it'd made good on 👉 news.kraftheinzcompany.com to get 👉 money.cnn.come — and apparently, nobody noticed. 👉 slashdot.org

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