#BrainUp Daily Tech News – (Saturday, November 1ˢᵗ)

Welcome to today’s curated collection of interesting links and insights for 2025/11/01. Our Hand-picked, AI-optimized system has processed and summarized 20 articles from all over the internet to bring you the latest technology news.

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1. AI browsers are here, and they’re already being hacked

AI-infused web browsers are here but exposed to prompt-injection vulnerabilities that could hijack a user’s agent and expose sensitive data. Since @OpenAI and @Perplexity released their versions, these browsers let an agent scan pages to perform tasks, yet hidden commands on sites can trigger #promptinjection that might force the bot to reveal information or act without consent. Security researchers warn that these models and systems remain inherently susceptible, fueling a continual cycle of patches as @HackAPrompt and others test new injections and developers respond. Brave uncovered a live prompt injection in Opera Neon and Opera has since patched the flaw, while Brave is developing its own AI browser to improve safety #Neon #Opera #Brave @Opera @Brave. The article advises cautious adoption and ongoing updates from @OpenAI @Perplexity @Opera as these browsers become mainstream, with ongoing research and scrutiny from the security community #AI #security


2. Scamming became the new farming: inside India’s cybercrime villages

In rural India, entire villages have shifted from traditional farming to organized cybercrime, exploiting the global demand for scamming services. These villages employ young men who run sophisticated phishing schemes and fraud operations, often targeting customers abroad to maximize profits. The thriving cybercrime economies have complicated law enforcement efforts due to local acceptance and the economic benefits the scams provide to the community. Officials struggle with the challenge of dismantling these networks, as many residents rely on scamming as their primary source of income. This situation reflects broader issues of poverty, technological inequality, and the adaptability of illicit economies in rural areas.


3. OpenAI will let Sora users pay extra to make more AI videos

OpenAI will monetize its #Sora AI video tool by letting users pay to generate more videos per day beyond the free allotment. Currently, users get 30 free generations per day, but the plan adds $4 for 10 extra generations per day, as reported by The Verge. OpenAI head of Sora @BillPeebles described Sora’s current economics as ‘completely unsustainable,’ signaling a move toward ongoing paid usage and a likely reduction of free generations in the future. Peebles also floated the idea of letting companies charge for cameos of popular characters in Sora videos, signaling broader monetization ambitions #AI #pricing.


4. Stripping of Andrew’s titles hailed a ‘victory’ by family of Virginia Giuffre — ITV News

@KingCharlesIII has formally initiated the removal of all royal titles, honours and styles from his brother Prince Andrew (who will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor). The decision comes amidst renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s ties to convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and allegations from Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was abused as a teenager. Giuffre’s family described the move as a “victory” and “vindication” for Virginia, saying that her truth and relentless fight for justice led to this unprecedented royal action. While the Palace did not explicitly admit wrongdoing by Andrew, the statement emphasised sympathy with abuse survivors and marked one of the most significant royal disciplinary actions in modern history.


5. AI Artist Xania Monet Debuts on Adult R&B Airplay — a Radio Chart Breakthrough

The piece reports that #AI-created artist Xania Monet debuts on the Adult R&B Airplay chart at No. 30 with “How Was I Supposed to Know?”, marking the first known instance of an AI-based act earning a Billboard radio chart spot. The track’s growth is supported by numbers: a 28% bump in plays for Oct. 17–23 versus Oct. 10–16 across 15 of 57 contributing stations, with social virality on TikTok and No. 1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart on Sept. 20 and No. 20 on the Hot R&B Songs chart a week later. The article notes mixed responses to AI artists, including opposition from @SZA and @Kehlani, while Billboard sought comment from stations but received no replies; the team views a radio push as a straightforward way to reach audiences. Romel Murphy, Monet’s manager, says the goal is to keep expanding reach toward No. 1, framing the move as part of a broader evolution in how #AI tools intersect with music creation and promotion. The piece concludes that this development, along with other AI-driven acts appearing on Emerging Artists charts, signals a potential industry transformation, while urging listeners to judge the music on its own merits and lyrics.


6. Microsoft adds Bluetooth LE Shared Audio support to Windows 11

Microsoft is enhancing Windows 11 with support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Shared Audio, allowing users to connect multiple wireless headsets or earbuds to a single PC for shared listening experiences. This feature, which was initially popularized by Apple with SharePlay on iOS, enables low-latency streaming that maintains audio synchronization across devices. It leverages the LE Audio standard, which improves power efficiency and sound quality compared to classic Bluetooth audio. By adopting this technology, Windows 11 users can enjoy shared audio without the usual connectivity or latency issues associated with traditional Bluetooth. This update aligns Microsoft with modern audio trends and improves multimedia sharing and collaboration on its platform.


7. China solves ‘century-old problem’ with new analog chip that is 1,000 times faster than high-end Nvidia GPUs

Researchers from @PekingUniversity have developed an analog chip built from #RRAM cells that can process data directly in hardware, claiming it can be up to 1,000 times faster and more energy-efficient than top digital GPUs from @Nvidia and @AMD for certain tasks. In a Nature Electronics study, the device matched the accuracy of digital processors on matrix-inversion problems used in massive MIMO (#MIMO) while consuming about 100x less energy; with adjustments, it reportedly outpaced Nvidia’s H100 and AMD Vega 20 GPUs by as much as 1,000x. The chip processes information as continuous electrical currents across its RRAM network, avoiding energy-demanding data shuttling and delivering high throughput for data- and energy-intensive workloads, though analog precision has historically been a hurdle. If scalable, this approach could reshape AI and 6G hardware design, highlighting #analogcomputing and #RRAM technologies and linking @PekingUniversity’s work to broader efforts in the field.


8. AI answers are taking a bite of Wikipedia’s traffic. Should we be worried for the site?

Wikipedia’s traffic has declined as #AI answers siphon queries away. The article notes the drop but argues there are reasons for hope for the site’s future. It highlights @ElonMusk’s new #Grokipedia as a rival that tests Wikipedia’s resilience. Overall, the piece presents a challenging but hopeful outlook and invites readers to watch how Wikipedia adapts.


9. Another European agency shifts off Big Tech, as digital sovereignty movement gains steam

The article highlights a growing European push toward open-source, Europe-based cloud services as governments abandon Big Tech, exemplified by Austria’s Ministry of Economy migrating 1,200 staff to a Nextcloud platform hosted on Austrian infrastructure. This shift aims to keep data processing within national or European borders to improve security, privacy under #GDPR, and reduce exposure to foreign surveillance. The move is part of a broader trend including Schleswig-Holstein, the Austrian military, Danish agencies, and the French city of Lyon adopting #open-source tools over Microsoft equivalents, backed by the #EuroStack Initiative to Buy/Sell/Fund European tech. Open infrastructure is portrayed as enabling nations to maintain control over applications and data while still benefiting from global collaboration, a point echoed by @Florian Zinnagl and the @OpenInfra Foundation. The United States has raised concerns ahead of a Summit on European digital sovereignty as Europe aims to advance its own policy and tech ecosystem independent of US providers, highlighting a push for #digitalSovereignty through #OpenInfra and #OpenSource.


10. NASA Chooses Blue Origin for Next Moon Lander, Deploying Its “Blue Moon” Vehicle

NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract to develop the next lunar lander, signaling a shift from previous partnerships with SpaceX. The ‘Blue Moon’ lander, designed for sustainable lunar exploration, is expected to support a range of missions and facilitate extended stays on the Moon. This decision follows a competitive selection process emphasizing reliability and long-term capabilities. Blue Origin’s approach includes advanced technology and a focus on supporting broader exploration goals, complementing NASA’s Artemis program. This marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between government space agencies and private space companies aimed at establishing a lasting human presence on the Moon.


11. Media Figures Face Surge of Death Threats Fueled by Artificial Intelligence

Prominent media figures are increasingly subjected to death threats generated or amplified by artificial intelligence tools, escalating concerns about digital harassment and safety. Reports highlight how AI algorithms create detailed and believable threats that complicate law enforcement efforts and pose psychological risks to targeted individuals. Experts in technology and ethics emphasize that the rapid advancement of AI without sufficient safeguards is enabling malicious actors to weaponize digital platforms against journalists and public personalities. This trend signals urgent need for updated policies and collaborative responses involving tech companies, lawmakers, and media organizations to mitigate harm. The situation underscores broader implications of AI’s impact on free speech and public discourse in democratic societies.


12. Meta bought 1 GW of solar this week | TechCrunch

Meta signed three deals this week to procure nearly 1 GW of solar power to fuel its data centers and support its #AI ambitions. Two Louisiana agreements involve purchasing the environmental attributes of a combined 385 MW of solar electricity, with the certificates intended to offset Meta’s carbon-intensive power use and the deals slated to complete in two years, through environmental attribute certificates #EACs. A larger Monday deal brought 600 MW from a solar farm near Lubbock, Texas, with commercial operations planned for 2027, and the project will feed into the local grid to offset use rather than connect directly to Meta’s data centers #data-centers. Environmental attribute certificates (EACs) have been criticized for obscuring true emissions, and while renewables costs have fallen, experts question how much additional renewable power they stimulate. If Meta truly wants to offset AI-driven energy use, developers should be encouraged to build new renewable capacity rather than rely solely on certificates, as @Tim De Chant notes.


13. OpenAI launches Aardvark, an agentic security system to scout and mitigate AI risks

OpenAI has introduced Aardvark, a novel agentic security system designed to autonomously scout, assess, and mitigate risks posed by AI technologies. Aardvark operates by deploying AI agents to identify and respond to emerging threats in real-time, enhancing proactive security capabilities beyond traditional human-led approaches. This system exemplifies a shift toward embedding #automated threat detection within AI governance frameworks, aiming to reduce vulnerabilities in AI deployment environments. By leveraging agentic mechanisms, OpenAI addresses growing concerns about rapidly evolving AI systems and their potential misuse or malfunction, emphasizing the need for dynamic and scalable security strategies. Aardvark reflects OpenAI’s continued commitment to advancing safe AI development alongside practical tools that anticipate and counteract risks as AI technologies evolve.


14. AT&T sues ad industry watchdog instead of pulling ads that slam T-Mobile

@AT&T has filed a lawsuit against #NAD, the ad industry’s self-regulatory watchdog, arguing that NAD’s demand to stop using its findings in promotional materials is improper and that NAD has no authority to censor them. NAD had concluded that AT&T violated a rule by issuing a video ad and a press release that used the NAD process and its findings for promotional purposes, and it sent a cease-and-desist letter. AT&T contends that NAD’s procedures slow down campaigns and have pressured TV networks to pull its ads, while it says NAD has failed to curb T-Mobile’s deceptive ads. The suit argues that NAD’s rules against referencing its decisions are not perpetual and that, if binding at all, their effect ceased at the end of the proceeding or shortly thereafter. This dispute highlights the ongoing clash between advertisers and the self-regulatory system, as both @AT&T and @T-Mobile have histories of misleading ads.


15. Microsoft Edge gets scareware sensor for faster scam detection

Microsoft has introduced a scareware sensor in its Edge browser designed to detect and block scammy websites more effectively. This feature analyzes web pages for deceptive tactics, specifically targeting fake virus alerts and scareware attempts that pressure users into installing malicious software. By enhancing detection speed and accuracy, the sensor helps protect users from phishing and malware threats, improving overall browser security. The integration of this sensor into Edge aligns with Microsoft’s focus on user safety and trust in its web technologies. This update strengthens Edge’s defenses against evolving web scams, offering users a safer browsing experience.


16. Windows 11 Task Manager bug makes the app’s close button do the exact opposite

A bug in the Windows 11 Task Manager causes the Close button for apps to perform the opposite action, leading to unexpected behavior for users. Instead of closing the selected application, the button inadvertently prevents the app from closing or triggers an unintended function. This glitch has generated confusion and disrupted typical user workflows, undermining confidence in the reliability of the Task Manager utility. Microsoft is aware of the issue and is expected to release a fix in a future update to restore proper functionality. The problem highlights the importance of thorough testing in system utilities to maintain user productivity and system stability.


17. How gen Z used Discord to overthrow governments – video explainer

Gen Z across the global south has sparked a wave of protests connected across borders, with #GenZ-led actions from Nepal to Morocco shaping a broader movement. These uprisings have brought deadly crackdowns, many arrests, and the rise of new leaders. @NeelamTailor of @TheGuardian explains how these movements formed and how #Discord became a powerful tool for coordinating anti-government action worldwide. Young people have drawn inspiration from one another across borders, showing how digital networks can sustain momentum across regions. The piece underscores the interconnected nature of these protests and how platform-enabled solidarity can drive political change across the global south.


18. Australia warns of BadCandy infections on unpatched Cisco devices

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued a warning about the BadCandy malware targeting unpatched Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 routers. This malware enables attackers to run cryptocurrency mining operations by exploiting vulnerabilities in these devices, particularly those unpatched against CVE-2020-3452. The infections often occur through compromised management interfaces exposed to the internet, putting network security at risk and degrading device performance. The ACSC advises organizations to update affected Cisco devices promptly to mitigate the threat and strengthen defenses. This alert underscores the ongoing importance of patch management and vigilance against emerging cyber threats targeting network infrastructure.


19. Chanel CEO: What does ChatGPT generate when asked about a picture of leadership?

The article explores how ChatGPT, the AI language model, interprets and articulates the concept of leadership using the example of a picture of a CEO, specifically Chanel’s chief. It highlights that ChatGPT generates descriptions emphasizing qualities such as vision, responsibility, and influence, reflecting common leadership ideals. This demonstrates AI’s capacity to synthesize social understanding and cultural contexts into language outputs. The discussion suggests AI can aid in framing leadership narratives but also signals the nuances and limitations AI faces in capturing the full spectrum of human leadership dynamics. Such insights connect to broader questions about AI’s role in interpreting and shaping societal values in business contexts.


20. Leaker reveals which Pixels are vulnerable to Cellebrite phone hacking

A leaked #Cellebrite briefing reveals many Google #Pixel phones are vulnerable to data extraction, but @GrapheneOS devices offer stronger protection. The leak lists Pixel 6, 7, 8, and 9 as susceptible in BFU, AFU, and unlocked states on stock software, while Pixel 10 is not shown. On GrapheneOS, Pixels are only accessible with pre-late 2022 software, and updated builds as of late 2024 render a fully unlocked GrapheneOS device largely immune to data copying, with eSIM copying still not possible. These details underscore the ongoing gap between forensic access capabilities and device security, highlighting the role of privacy-focused ROMs in defense.


21. Bluesky hits 40 million users, introduces ‘dislikes’ beta | TechCrunch

@Bluesky, which has hit 40 million users, will start testing ‘dislikes’ as a way to improve personalization on its main Discover feed and other surfaces. The ‘dislikes’ signal will learn what content users want to see less of and help inform not just how content is ranked in feeds but also how replies are ranked, contributing to a more personalized experience #dislikes #personalization. Bluesky is rolling out a broader set of changes, including ranking updates, design tweaks, and feedback tools, and it has a system that maps out ‘social neighborhoods’ to prioritize replies from people closer to a user’s network #social_neighborhoods. The company says the updated model better detects toxic, spammy, off topic, or bad faith replies and downranks them in threads, search results, and notifications, while a revised Reply button now takes users to the full thread instead of the compose screen #replies. Bluesky frames these updates as part of an effort to make the platform safer and more engaging by enabling more ‘fun, genuine, and respectful exchanges’ and by focusing on user-controlled moderation in a decentralized network.


That’s all for today’s digest for 2025/11/01! We picked, and processed 20 Articles. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s collection of insights and discoveries.

Thanks, Patricia Zougheib and Dr Badawi, for curating the links

See you in the next one! 🚀