Here's what's making news today in tech — picked from the 10 sources I trust, translated for normal humans.
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Why I stopped buying smart bulbs and started putting smart relays behind my switches
A writer switched from smart light bulbs to small devices called smart relays, which fit behind wall switches and let regular bulbs work with a phone app. Unlike smart bulbs, relays keep working even when someone flips the wall switch off. For Portage County: If you want smart lighting without replacing every bulb or worrying about the switch, ask Bill whether a relay setup makes sense for your home.
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Attackers Hijack Dahua IP Cameras in Ukraine Using P2P Access and Auth Weaknesses
Security researchers in Ukraine found that hackers broke into home security cameras made by Dahua, watching live video and creating secret accounts on the devices. The attackers used a weakness in the cameras' remote-access feature to get in without a password. For Portage County: If you own a Dahua camera or any internet-connected security camera, change its password today and make sure its software is up to date.
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Australia Gets Into Amadey Malware Backend, Cuts Off Access to 180,000 Infected Computers
Australian cybersecurity officials broke into the control system of a criminal hacking tool called Amadey and cut off its connection to 180,000 infected computers worldwide. The criminals can no longer steal data from those machines. For Portage County: This is good news, but Amadey spreads through email attachments, so never open a file from someone you don't know, even if the email looks official.
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OpenAI announces new discoveries in mathematics, computer science and physics
OpenAI announced that its AI models produced new findings in mathematics, computer science, and physics, including a result related to a long-standing math problem called the Exponential Time Hypothesis. The company says these are genuine research discoveries, not just summaries of existing work. For Portage County: This doesn't change anything you need to do today, but it shows AI tools are moving beyond answering questions into doing original scientific work.
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OpenAI Compaction Flaw Let Researchers Bypass Hidden Reasoning Protections
Researchers at a security firm found a flaw in ChatGPT that let them pull out the AI's hidden thinking process, which OpenAI normally keeps private. OpenAI's reasoning models work through problems behind the scenes before giving an answer, and that behind-the-scenes work is supposed to stay encrypted. For Portage County: No action needed now, but it's a good reminder that AI tools can have security gaps, so never share passwords or financial details with any AI chatbot.
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New iMac and 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip Expected Tomorrow
Apple is expected to release a new iMac and a 14-inch MacBook Pro, both running Apple's new M6 chip, with higher-end MacBook Pro models featuring touch-screen OLED displays coming shortly after. No major design changes are expected for the iMac or standard MacBook Pro. For Portage County: If you've been thinking about buying an Apple computer, hold off a few days until these new models are officially announced and prices are clear.
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iPhone Lockdown Mode: The pros and cons of enabling Apple's security feature
Apple's Lockdown Mode is a setting that blocks many phone features to protect people who face serious hacking threats, like journalists or activists. For most iPhone users, it's far more restrictive than necessary and will break apps you use every day. For Portage County: Unless someone has specifically targeted you with hacking attempts, leave Lockdown Mode off. Your regular iPhone security settings are fine.
This digest is auto-generated daily at 6 AM ET from leading tech news sources.
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— Bill's Home Tech, Atwater, OH