Sunday, February 15

Science

Poison AI buttons and links may betray your trust • The Register
Science

Poison AI buttons and links may betray your trust • The Register

Amid its ongoing promotion of AI’s wonders, Microsoft has warned customers it has found many instances of a technique that manipulates the technology to produce biased advice. The software giant says its security researchers have detected a surge in attacks designed to poison the "memory" of AI models with manipulative data, a technique it calls "AI Recommendation Poisoning." It's similar to SEO Poisoning, a technique used by miscreants to make malicious websites rank higher in search results, but focused on AI models rather than search engines. The Windows biz says it has spotted companies adding hidden instructions to "Summarize with AI" buttons and links placed on websites. It's not complicated to do this because U...
Broken Science Initiative, MetFix To Host ‘Mastermind’ Health Retreat
Science

Broken Science Initiative, MetFix To Host ‘Mastermind’ Health Retreat

The Unbreakable Health Retreat is “closer to an elite mastermind and wellness retreat than a traditional medical conference,” the event’s producer says As wellness tourism takes off, a new immersive experience for industry professionals is coming to the hub of Miami, blending metabolic science with networking and curated experiences for leaders in health, fitness and wellness. Organized by the Broken Science Initiative (BSI) and MetFix, the Unbreakable Health Retreat 2026 will take place May 30 to 31 at the Ritz‑Carlton Coconut Grove, bringing together fitness professionals, coaches, bio-hackers and clinicians for small-group breakout sessions and facilitated networking circles to engage in meaningful conversations, brainstorming and exchange of ideas. “Unbreakable is closer to an...
Pixel 10a leaks with physical SIM, ‘Berry’ red color
Science

Pixel 10a leaks with physical SIM, ‘Berry’ red color

Google has already confirmed a February 18 launch for the Pixel 10a series and shown off the phone officially, but now a sizable leak has shown off the Pixel 10a in all four color, including that vibrant “Berry” red. Courtesy of the infamous Evan Blass (@evleaks), we have a selection of official-looking Pixel 10a images showing off all four colors. Expected to be called “Obsidian,” “Fog,” “Lavender,” and “Berry,” the black, off-white/green, blue/purple, and pink/red colors all look quite nice in fairly high-res imagery without any watermarks in the way. Of course, there are still plenty who take issue with the bezel size around the display, and I’m personally still always thrown off by how this phone always looks a little bit fake, but the design is certainly familiar enough. It’...
Reading nonprofit aims to help Nebraska teachers with science-based literacy instruction
Science

Reading nonprofit aims to help Nebraska teachers with science-based literacy instruction

A national nonprofit called The Reading League is starting a Nebraska chapter to help teachers implement science-based reading instruction in their classrooms.Clarice Jackson, founder and president of the newly formed Nebraska chapter, said teachers are the key to ensuring their students can read at grade level or higher.“They spend eight-plus hours with our kids a day, and so they want to make sure that they're providing the very best service for them as well,” Jackson said. “I just believe that we need to teach and train our teachers, and treat them as the professionals that they are so that they don't go home at night worrying about a student that they don't feel that they have been able to help reading-wise.”The organization’s introduction in Nebraska comes at a time when the state dep...
Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds review: the new noise-canceling king
Science

Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds review: the new noise-canceling king

Apple, Bose, and Sony are in a running battle for the best noise-canceling earbuds, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 put Sony back in first place — if you can get a good fit with the included foam tips.With each iteration of the XM series, Sony has aimed for — and delivered — incredible noise-canceling performance with a pleasing and balanced sound profile, and features that work equally well with iOS and Android. The XM6 push even further by adding additional noise-canceling mics (for a total of 8), a new chip, newly designed drivers, and a new shape that’s supposed to better fit a wider selection of ears. That’s a lot of promises, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds fulfill them all — almost.$330The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds have top-notch noise-canceling performance with excellent, balanced sound.Read...
Pacific Science Center to sell part of campus to Space Needle for financial stability, new partnership
Science

Pacific Science Center to sell part of campus to Space Needle for financial stability, new partnership

The Pacific Science Center plans to sell part of its campus to the Space Needle, creating a partnership for enhanced visitor experiences and funding infrastructure. SEATTLE — The Pacific Science Center is moving forward with plans to sell a portion of its Seattle Center campus to the Space Needle as part of a long-term strategy. The property involved is located on the northeast corner of the campus and includes the Carnevali Pavilion, the Boeing IMAX Theater, and part of the Ackerley Family Exhibit Gallery. The area represents less than one-quarter of PacSci’s total footprint. Officials say the purchase price will be announced once the deal is finalized, which is expected within the coming weeks. ...
Microsoft wants Windows 11 “secure by default,” could allow only properly signed apps and drivers by default
Science

Microsoft wants Windows 11 “secure by default,” could allow only properly signed apps and drivers by default

Windows to allow only signed apps and drivers to run by default Microsoft just announced a per-app permission system, just like Android, for Windows 11, to make the OS “secure by default”. Soon, Windows is said to allow only properly signed apps and drivers to run. This is still an experiment, and we don’t know when it’ll become the default behaviour, but it’s being considered, and we might see changes soon. Of course, you’ll be able to turn off all new security features. For decades, Windows has walked a difficult line between openness and security. While the platform’s biggest win was always its flexibility, it also made the OS vulnerable to malware. In a new blog published on February 9, 2026, Microsoft admitted that the balance has tipped too far in the wrong direction. Win...
Trump EPA Speeds Approval of Tailpipe Pollution, Climate Science Rollbacks
Science

Trump EPA Speeds Approval of Tailpipe Pollution, Climate Science Rollbacks

WASHINGTON— President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency today formally proposed gutting tailpipe pollution standards and rescinding the “endangerment finding” — the landmark scientific finding that planet-heating pollution harms public health and welfare.“The EPA is killing the biggest single step any nation has taken to save oil, save consumers money at the pump, and combat global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Safe Climate Transport Campaign. “American families will suffer long-term harms so that giant auto and oil companies can pocket short-term profits. They’re popping champagne corks at the OPEC and GM headquarters but also in Beijing, where China’s EV makers will face no competition from the U.S. to dominate the world’s clean car ma...
Galaxy S26 series leaks with new colors, updated design [Gallery]
Science

Galaxy S26 series leaks with new colors, updated design [Gallery]

The Galaxy S26 leaks just don’t stop, with the latest batch of images giving us our best look at the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra in their core color options. These new official-looking images were published by Evan Blass (@evleaks) by way of his “Leakmail” Substack. The images showcase all three of Samsung’s new smartphones in Black, White, Sky Blue, and Cobalt Violet color variants. Those four colors are expected to be Samsung’s core options, with “Silver Shadow” and “Pink Gold” rumored to be Samsung.com exclusives. On the lower-tier Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+, these photos show off the slightly updated design that, really, just boils down to a new camera bump. Otherwise, these phones look largely identical to their predecessors. Advertisement - scroll for more c...