Welcome to today’s curated collection of interesting links and insights for 2025/11/02. Our Hand-picked, AI-optimized system has processed and summarized 16 articles from all over the internet to bring you the latest technology news.
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1. International Criminal Court dumps Microsoft Office
The International Criminal Court is ditching Microsoft Office for #openDesk, an open-source office and collaboration suite provided by the Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, amid fears about reliance on US technology. The move is framed by broader geopolitical concerns after the @DonaldTrump administration sanctioned ICC officials over war crimes warrants and after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan reportedly lost access to his Microsoft email account, though Microsoft denies suspending services. The ICC confirmed the migration, while a spokesperson declined to comment further, illustrating a transition in the organization’s computing backbone. The choice echoes earlier EU-adopted open-source paths such as Munich’s Linux/LibreOffice deployment and Schleswig-Holstein’s 40,000-account migration away from Microsoft, highlighting a #dataSovereignty and homegrown options. Ongoing outages at AWS and Azure and concerns about the US Cloud Act illustrate why European institutions seek alternatives and tighter control over digital infrastructure.
2. Problematic Social Media Use Linked to Loneliness and Death Anxiety
Problematic social media use is associated with increased feelings of loneliness and heightened death anxiety, suggesting significant mental health risks. A recent study highlights how excessive engagement with social media platforms can exacerbate emotional distress and psychological vulnerability. The patterns of problematic use, characterized by compulsive checking and overreliance on online interactions, contribute to a cycle of isolation and existential worry. These findings underscore the importance of addressing digital habits to improve mental wellbeing and reduce anxiety related to mortality. Understanding these connections can guide interventions aimed at promoting healthier social media behaviors and mitigating their adverse psychological effects.
3. Microsoft plans to hire more but with ‘a lot more leverage’ thanks to AI, CEO Satya Nadella says
Microsoft plans to grow its headcount again, but with significantly more leverage thanks to AI, according to @Satya Nadella. The 2025 fiscal year ended with 228,000 employees after layoffs totaling at least 6,000, with another 9,000 in July. Employees will ‘unlearn’ and ‘relearn’ by using AI features in #Microsoft365 and the #GitHubCopilot coding assistant, which rely on #OpenAI and #Anthropic models, and Nadella says planning and execution will start with AI. This emphasis on AI-driven productivity comes as rivals like #Amazon cut jobs, and Microsoft points to AI-enabled agents and new workflows as evidence of max leverage across the workforce.
@Sam Altman says OpenAI’s revenue is ‘well more’ than the $13 billion a year figure and hints it could reach $100 billion by 2027. In a Bg2 Pod episode, he notes OpenAI has secured major infra deals with @Nvidia, @Broadcom, and @Oracle, and that @Microsoft and other investors are pouring capital into AI. Despite optimism, losses persist; a Microsoft charge implied OpenAI lost roughly $12 billion last quarter, underscoring the risk if computing capacity lags, while Altman says revenue will grow steeply and OpenAI aims to become a major #AIclouds provider with a significant consumer-device business and AI that can automate science. The conversation also cites @TheNewYorkTimes’ report that OpenAI expected $100B in revenue by 2029, and host Brad Gerstner floated targets above $100B for 2028 or 2029, with Altman replying, ‘How about 27?’.
5. Chinese hackers target Western diplomats using hard-to-patch Windows shortcut flaw
A Chinese government-operated group, UNC6384, is targeting Western diplomats by exploiting a long-standing Windows .LNK vulnerability to deploy backdoors. Spear-phishing emails with diplomatic themes lure targets into opening malicious .LNK shortcuts that trigger a sequence of actions and display a decoy PDF claiming to show a genuine European Commission meeting agenda. The exploit leads to the PlugX remote access Trojan, and the flaw has been tracked as CVE-2025-9491 with an earlier identifier, ZDI-CAN-25373, illustrating a vulnerability known since 2017 that Microsoft has been reluctant to patch because a fix could disrupt legacy apps. Mitigation steps include blocking or disabling .LNK execution on Windows, hardening endpoints, and blocking attacker C2 domains, with additional searches for the Canon cnmpaui.exe utility used by campaigns. Arctic Wolf emphasizes urgent monitoring as threat actors moved quickly after disclosure in March 2025, underscoring the ongoing risk in the #APT landscape (#LNK, #PlugX, #CVE-2025-9491).
@Geoffrey Hinton, nicknamed the godfather of AI, warns that tech giants can only profit from their massive #AI investments if they replace human labor, not just charge for chatbots. He notes that four #hyperscalers—Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon—are expected to lift capex to $420 billion next fiscal year, up from $360 billion this year, while OpenAI has lined up about $1 trillion in infrastructure deals with companies like Nvidia, Broadcom and Oracle. He argues that profits require replacing workers, pointing to evidence that #jobdisplacement is growing as AI shrinks entry level opportunities; job openings declined about 30% since OpenAI launched ChatGPT, and Amazon recently announced 14,000 layoffs. Despite the risks, he sees potential benefits in #healthcare and #education and says the core issue is how society is organized, not #AI itself, noting that AI could raise productivity across many industries.
7. Apple Reports 4Q 2025 Results: $27.5B Profit on $102.5B Revenue
Apple reported a record September quarter with revenue of $102.5 billion and net income of $27.5 billion, or $1.85 per diluted share. Gross margin for the quarter was 47.2%, up from 46.2% a year ago, and for the full year 2025 Apple posted $416.2 billion in sales and $112.0 billion in net income, both all-time records. Quarterly iPhone revenue rose 6.1% year over year, Mac revenue up 12.7% and Services up 15.1%, while iPad revenue was essentially flat and Wearables down 0.3%, with Americas up 6.1%, Europe up 15.2%, Japan up 12.0%, Rest of Asia Pacific up 14.4% and Greater China down 3.6%. Apple declared a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share payable on November 13 to shareholders of record November 10, and @Tim Cook highlighted the launch of its new lineup including #iPhone17, #iPhone17Pro, #AirPodsPro3, #AppleWatch, #MacBookPro and the #M5 chip. The company will not provide detailed guidance for the December quarter but will host a conference call at 2:00 pm Pacific, with MacRumors providing live updates.
A smart vacuum manufacturer remotely disabled a vacuum after an engineer prevented it from collecting user data, demonstrating the risks tied to device connectivity and data control. The kill command rendered the vacuum inoperable, raising concerns over manufacturers’ power to deactivate devices post-sale. In response, a user successfully revived the vacuum using custom hardware modifications and offline Python scripts, restoring full functionality without relying on the manufacturer’s network. This incident highlights the tension between privacy, user control, and corporate oversight in #IoT devices. It also emphasizes the importance of open-source and user-driven solutions in maintaining device autonomy.
9. Mathematics Ends The Matrix Simulation Theory
Recent mathematical findings present significant challenges to the #MatrixSimulationTheory, which posits our reality might be a computer simulation. Researchers have identified fundamental mathematical inconsistencies that arise if the universe were a simulation, such as problems with computational limits and the physical phenomenon that contradicts a simulated structured reality. This suggests that the universe operates with principles not reducible to algorithms or digital computation, undermining the hypothesis that existence is a simulated construct. These insights emphasize the importance of mathematics as a tool to explore and potentially disprove speculative theories about reality. By showing mathematical impossibilities within simulation frameworks, the research strengthens the argument that our universe is fundamentally real and not an artificial simulation.
10. Big Tech Is Spending More Than Ever on AI, and It’s Still Not Enough
Big technology companies are increasing investments in artificial intelligence to remain competitive amid rapid advancements in the field. Despite record spending, firms like #Google, #Microsoft, and #Amazon find their AI capabilities still lagging behind the rising demand and expectations for innovation. The acceleration in #AI development has forced these companies to hire aggressively and acquire startups, yet the pace of progress continues to outstrip their efforts. This intense spending highlights how critical AI has become for future growth and dominance in the tech industry. As a result, the escalation in investment underscores the ongoing arms race and the challenges firms face to keep up with this transformative technology.
11. Musk’s war on Wikipedia is a fight for a future without f…
@Elon_Musk presents Grokipedia as an AI-driven alternative to #Wikipedia, calling it a ‘massive improvement’ and a necessary step toward his #xAI goal of understanding the universe. He argues #Wikipedia is biased because an army of left-wing editors maintains bios and fights reasonable corrections, and notes that #Wikipedia already appears in Google search results and is used to train AI models. The article recalls Musk’s comments from 2023 and 2024, including urging users to stop donating to Wokepedia until balance is restored, and it cites @Benjamin_Netanyahu’s remarks and the idea that history is shaped by editors. It also covers Grokipedia’s brief public debut, which was quickly blocked after limited access, and contrasts this with @Larry_Sanger’s Nine Theses calling for ending consensus, reviving neutrality, and exposing leadership. While #Wikipedia remains a powerful, globally influential platform with a large endowment and wide reach, the piece frames the future of knowledge curation as a contested space between neutrality, editorial governance, and emerging AI-guided narratives.
12. Nanoparticle therapy restores brain function in mice with Alzheimer’s disease
A #nanoparticle therapy repairs a critical protective barrier rather than attacking brain plaques, leading to remarkable recovery in Alzheimer’s disease models. Evidence in the article points to recovery in animal models and frames this approach as a new direction for future therapies. Analysis suggests that restoring barrier integrity may offer a viable therapeutic pathway, potentially complementing plaque-focused strategies. Link back: The finding introduces a novel direction for research and treatment in neurodegenerative disease.
13. Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: ‘The science world is ending’
75% of U.S. researchers are considering leaving the country, according to a Nature poll, signaling a potential brain drain and threatening the U.S. scientific ecosystem. @Terence Tao, the Mozart of Math at UCLA, illustrates the impact of funding cuts as the NSF suspends about $1 billion in grants and Tao shifts toward fundraising and triage planning in his Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics. His work has helped shorten MRI scan times—from about three minutes to roughly 30–40 seconds—highlighting how math research underpins practical breakthroughs even as funding dries up. Tao warns that departments could close or drastically reduce research if funds remain constrained, a fear shared by many in the community as the tradition of American scientific excellence is challenged. The White House has defended cuts citing policy concerns such as #DEI, underscoring the contested nature of the funding debate and the risk to researchers who rely on continuous support.
14. Powell says AI is not a bubble, unlike dot-com; Federal Reserve interest rates
@JeromePowell addressed concerns about #AI being a financial bubble, distinguishing it from the dot-com bubble of the early 2000s. He emphasized that while AI investments are growing rapidly, the technology has tangible applications that justify valuations, unlike the speculative excesses seen during the dot-com era. Powell highlighted the Federal Reserve’s role in managing interest rates to balance economic growth and inflation without stoking bubbles in specific sectors. This stance reflects the central bank’s effort to navigate innovation-driven markets cautiously while supporting sustainable economic expansion. The comments link financial policy and technological development, underscoring the nuanced view the Fed maintains towards evolving markets.
15. Meta sheds $220 billion in market cap as VR unit hits $7.3 billion in cumulative losses
Meta has lost $220 billion in market capitalization amid mounting losses from its virtual reality (VR) division, which has accumulated $7.3 billion in deficits. The substantial financial drain emphasizes the risks and challenges Meta faces in expanding its #metaverse ambitions. Despite the heavy investments, the VR business continues to underperform, raising questions about the short-term viability of the strategy. This financial situation underscores the volatile nature of pioneering new technology frontiers and the market’s cautious response to Meta’s pivot. Meta’s experience highlights the tension between innovative growth initiatives and shareholder expectations in the tech industry.
16. China’s Xi pushes for global AI body at APEC to counter US
Chinese President @XiJinping advocated for the establishment of a global artificial intelligence (#AI) governance body during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (#APEC) summit, positioning it as a countermeasure to the United States’ approach. Xi emphasized the importance of international cooperation and proposed China’s initiative to promote AI innovation and regulation under a multilateral framework. This move reflects Beijing’s ambition to shape global AI standards and reduce the influence of US-led policies in the emerging technology domain. The proposal aligns with China’s broader strategy to assert leadership in technological governance and bolster its geopolitical influence through digital policy coordination within the APEC framework.
That’s all for today’s digest for 2025/11/02! We picked, and processed 16 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! 🚀