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Ravi LakshmananJanuary 26, 2026AI security/vulnerabilities Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two malicious Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extensions that are advertised as artificial intelligence (AI)-powered coding assistants, but also have secret capabilities that siphon developer data to servers based in China. These extensions have been installed a total of 1.5 million times and are still available for download from the official Visual Studio Marketplace. Listed below. ChatGPT – Chinese version (ID: whensunset.chatgpt-china) – 1,340,869 installations ChatGPT – ChatMoss (CodeMoss) (ID: zhukunpeng.chat-moss) – 151,751 installations Koi Security says these extensions are functional and work as expected, but they also capture every…

The delayed first test of SpaceX’s improved Starship rocket is scheduled for mid-March, according to a post on social media site X from CEO Elon Musk. This third version of Starship, or V3, is bigger and more powerful. Importantly, the company plans to use Starship V3 to launch its next generation Starlink satellites. This allows for faster data speeds, but is heavier and larger. This is also the first version of the rocket intended to dock with other spacecraft while in Earth orbit, a feature the company needs to reach the Moon and Mars. This all comes as SpaceX races…

Apple announced the next version of AirTag on Monday. It has longer Bluetooth range, a larger speaker, and improved and more accurate search capabilities. The latter is powered by Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which is also found in iPhone 17 devices, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. With Precision Finding, the new AirTag provides tactile, visual, and audio feedback to guide users to lost items. These search capabilities now extend up to 50% farther than the previous generation, Apple claims. Meanwhile, the upgraded Bluetooth chip also helps increase the range at which items can…

In the run-up to the winter storm currently hitting much of the United States, weather forecasts in some areas have changed across the board, and snowfall forecasts have fluctuated wildly. Nvidia couldn’t have released a new Earth-2 weather forecast model at a better time. Or perhaps the company knew something we didn’t, given how accurate the company claims its new model is? New AI models promise to make weather forecasts faster and more accurate. Nvidia claims that one model in particular, Earth-2 Medium Range, outperforms GenCast, Google DeepMind’s AI weather model, on more than 70 variables. GenCast itself, which Google…

The SMARTLINE-PV project aims to develop scalable and environmentally friendly tin-based perovskite solar cells, address the challenge of lead toxicity and improve the crystallization process. Solar energy conversion through photovoltaics is critical in Europe’s transition to a clean, resilient and climate-neutral energy system. Although silicon solar modules dominate today’s photovoltaic market, their stiffness, weight, and limited design flexibility limit their use in many emerging applications. In contrast, next-generation thin-film photovoltaic technologies, particularly perovskite solar cells, enable the production of solar energy even in areas where traditional photovoltaic power generation is not suitable. Among these emerging technologies, perovskite solar cells have…

Ravie LakshmananJan 26, 2026Hacking News / Cybersecurity Security failures rarely arrive loudly. They slip in through trusted tools, half-fixed problems, and habits people stop questioning. This week’s recap shows that pattern clearly. Attackers are moving faster than defenses, mixing old tricks with new paths. “Patched” no longer means safe, and every day, software keeps becoming the entry point. What follows is a set of small but telling signals. Short updates that, together, show how quickly risk is shifting and why details can’t be ignored. ⚡ Threat of the Week Improperly Patched Flaw Exploited Again in Fortinet Firewalls — Fortinet confirmed…

hacker newsJanuary 26, 2026Endpoint security/artificial intelligence If there’s one constant in cybersecurity, it’s that adversaries are constantly innovating. The rise of aggressive AI is changing attack strategies and making attacks harder to detect. Google’s Threat Intelligence Group recently reported that attackers are using large language models (LLMs) to hide code, generate malicious scripts on the fly, and change the shape of malware in real time to evade traditional defenses. A closer look at these new attacks reveals both unprecedented sophistication and deception. In November 2025, Anthropic reported on what it described as the first known “AI-orchestrated cyber espionage operation.” This…

The EU, member states and the private sector need to invest around €70 billion a year in climate adaptation until 2050, according to a new report. The report, commissioned by the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) and funded under Horizon Europe, highlights the importance of climate adaptation to reduce exposure to increasing climate change and improve resilience. As global warming trends continue and the socio-economic costs of climate-related events continue to increase, investing in adaptation and resilience is more urgent than ever. Global warming in the EU is progressing rapidly Europe is warming twice as fast as the global…

simple factsName: Varna GoldWhat is it: A collection of gold artifactsBirthplace: Varna, BulgariaCreated: Around 4600 BCIn the fall of 1972, workers in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna stumble upon an ancient cemetery filled with treasure. The burial site contains more than 3,000 gold artifacts dating from 4,600 to 4,300 BC, making them the oldest gold artifacts in the world.After 20 years of excavations, archaeologists discovered gold objects in 62 of the approximately 300 graves in Varna cemetery. But a third of the gold discovered came from a single burial site, Grave 43, which also contained the remains of a…

Science in the UK is gearing up for a major leap forward after the Government confirmed a £36m investment to dramatically expand the power of one of the country’s most important computing hubs. The funding will increase the capacity of the University of Cambridge’s AI facility sixfold, strengthening the UK’s ability to develop the next generation of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies. At the heart of this expansion is the DAWN supercomputer, a system that is already the cornerstone of national AI research. The upgrade is expected to be operational as early as spring 2026, opening up new possibilities for…