Some Swedish scientists decided to drug salmon with cocaine and then release them. It happened just what was expected

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There is more than just fish and algae in the world’s rivers. More or less diluted amounts of chemicalsincluding pesticides, pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs. He checked it a few years ago a team from King’s College that, after taking samples in various parts of the county of Suffolk, in England, found cocaine and ketamine residues. Researchers have long known that wildlife is exposed to these compounds, but one question remained: How do drugs affect them in their natural environment? To find out in Sweden have drugged to dozens of salmon. Drugging salmon? That’s how it is. It sounds strange, but it is exactly what a group of scientists from Griffith University, the Zoological Society of London and the Max Planck Institute, among other organizations, have done. They basically took 105 salmon (salmo salar) from a fish farm, they divided them into several groups and added implants that supplied them with drugs. Then they released them. More or less as in the famous case of Cocaine Bearbut in a planned way. How did they do it? 35 of those salmon were implanted with a special device that slowly released coca into their bodies. A similar system was incorporated into others, although modified to provide benzoylecgoninethe main metabolite of cocaine. The third group did not receive any substance to act as a control. Once prepared, the salmon, all young specimens, were released into Lake Vätternsouth of Sweden. For eight weeks the researchers dedicated themselves to finding out how each group behaved. The specimens in the experiment wore a special tracking device, so (with the help of sensors installed around the lake) scientists could follow their trail and calculate how far they swam. And what did they find out? That the drugged salmon behaved very differently from the ‘sober’ ones. Especially those who received benzoylecgonine. After releasing the fish on the southwest bank of the Vättern, the researchers found that the salmon exposed to coca swam on average five more kilometers than the ‘clean’ ones, a considerable difference that falls short, however, when the specimens to which the metabolite was supplied are analyzed. They swam almost 14 km more, which led them to enter the northern area of ​​the lake. “The team found that fish exposed to benzoylecgonine swam up to 1.9 times farther per week than those not exposed and dispersed up to 12.3 km farther,” duck Griffith University. The agency also clarifies that the changes “became more evident” as the days passed, which shows that exposure to coca alters the behavior of fauna. Why is it important? Let the drugged salmon swim more kilometers and cover more space than others without ‘doping’ is more important than it may seem. These behavioral changes influence aspects such as what places the fish occupy, where they feed or the risks they face. More kilometers also translates into greater physical effort, which forces the salmon to look for more sources of nutrition to recover energy. “Where fish go determines what they eat, what eats them, and how populations are structured,” comment Dr. Marcus Michelangeli. “If pollution is driving these patterns, it has the potential to affect ecosystems in ways we are only beginning to understand.” But that was already known, right? Yes. And no. We knew that aquatic fauna is exposed to the drugs that we consume. The 2019 study in Suffolk and others, such as the made in 2016 in Puget (Washington), during which researchers detected traces of Prozac, Lipitor and cocaine in the body of salomes. We also knew that these substances alter the behavior of wildlife. In fact, scientists they already checked how water fleas exposed to coca swim faster or crabs are more reckless. The really interesting thing about the study carried out in Sweden is that it has allowed us to go one step further: to leave the laboratories, which were the isolated space in which these types of experiments had been carried out until now, and carry out research in natural environments and the same conditions that fauna is found. It hasn’t been easy. Although the team guarantees that the entire experiment has been done in safe conditions for the ecosystem and humans. Obtain all necessary permits, they confess researchers, it was “a tedious process.” And what to do now? Dr. Jack Brand, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, recognize that more studies are needed to fully understand the consequences of pollution in rivers, lakes and seas. It is an important issue, among other reasons because the substance that has most altered salmon is benzoylecgonine, which has a special impact. “It was the metabolite, which we know is found in higher concentrations in nature, that had a much more profound effect on the behavior and movement of the fish,” warns in statements to Guardian. “This suggests that if we perform evaluations without including compounds such as these metabolites and their derivatives, we could be overlooking an important part of the environmental risks to which we expose these animals.” Images | Colin Davis (Unsplash), Katmai National Park and Preserve (Flickr) and Scazon (Flickr) In Xataka | In 2001, a yacht took refuge on a remote island in the Atlantic. Days later its inhabitants breaded fish with coca

the movie x Lush! Only for Xtra members

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Time is running out to participate in the fourth exclusive draw for subscribers of Xataka Xtra! This prize is a very complete pack of bathroom products from the ‘collectionSuper Mario Galaxy: the movie‘ x Lush valued at around 150 euros and yes, you still have time to choose to take it home. Giveaway will end tomorrow, April 24, at 9:00 Spanish peninsular timeand the winner will be revealed the same day at 11:00. This will be notified by email and will be announced both in the original article as in the exclusive Discord server, to which you also have access with your subscription. How to participate in the giveaway As we indicated previously, this giveaway is reserved for community members Xataka Xtra. If you are already part of it, you simply have to access your member area and make sure you have the correct box checked, as shown in the image above. If you haven’t done so yet, you can quickly access from this link. Make sure you check that box to automatically participate in the exclusive Xataka Xtra draws | Image: Xataka By activating the box you will automatically participate not only in this draw, but in all those to come. If you still do not enjoy the advantages of Xataka Xtra, for only 30 euros a year you can get not only access to raffles, but to Discord serverto The Officeto monthly meetingsstill growing catalog of exclusive discounts on digital servicesetc. The winner will be chosen at random from all participating subscribers, along with two alternates. If the winner does not respond within the period indicated in the legal bases, the first substitute will be contacted, and if he/she does not respond either, the second will be contacted. Winning a giveaway does not exclude you from participating in the following ones. You can consult the complete legal bases here. In Xataka | Subscribe now to Xataka Xtra

a walk through Beijing, Ebro, Chery and the silent streets

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This is the third time in two years that I have visited China. The first time was for visit OnePlus and OPPO headquarters in Guandong. The second, for get into the kitchen at the Honor factory and headquarters in Shenzhen. Now I do it for something totally different and that’s why I would like to do something different. I tell you. On this occasion I accompanied Ebro, yes, the car company of the Chery group, to the Beijing Motor Show and the Chery headquarters in Wuhu. And I do it for a reason: cars, historically, have not been my greatest passion, but now, at almost 32 years of age and with a view to starting a family, I am thinking about changing cars and I know China has a lot to say about this.. In Córdoba, my city, everything always arrives late. I mean, relatively recently they opened the first bowling place. açaito give you an idea. That’s why I know that something is changing, because every time I take my car, a small Seat Ibiza, I see cars from brands on the road that I didn’t see two years ago: Omoda, Jaecoo, Ebro, MG and BYD, mainly. Understanding his success requires understanding the context of his native country. and, to do this, there is nothing better than coming to it and experiencing it first-hand. And that’s why I propose something to you. Ebro S900 PHEV | Image: Ebro I propose that we live this together through a kind of daily blog in which I will tell you what I have seen, what I have learned and what things have caught my attention. Not from the perspective of an engine expert, but from the curious point of view of someone who knows that A new car is part of your next stage in life and you can’t stop seeing how Chinese brands are becoming more and more popular. Together we will visit the Beijing Motor Show, we will tour the streets of the Chinese capital, we will travel to Wuhu and we will see what and how is cooked in the bowels of Chery. That’s why I think the first thing is to put ourselves in context. At the group level, Chery takes bronze in the Chinese market, only behind BYD and Geely. Only in 2025, the firm sold 2,860,393 cars exactly, which is said soon. Chery, in turn, has several brands and subsidiaries such as Chery Automobile (where we find Chery New Energy and Fulwin), Omoda, Jaecoo, Lepas, Zongheng, Luxeed (along with Huawei), Exeed, Jetour, Karry, iCar, Rely, Soueast and the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture. Its most famous products are, without a doubt, the Tiggo and the Arizo. Omoda, Jaecoo, Lepas (arrives in Spain this year) and Exlantix (in China it is Exeed and will arrive in Spain next year) are the brands that the company uses to boost your export strategy. Ebro, for his part, It is a joint venture established in 2024 between Chery and Ebro EV. Roughly speaking, this partnership allows Chery to assemble vehicles at the former Nissan plant in Barcelona and distribute them in Spain and Portugal under the (revived) Ebro brand. It’s a little more complex, but let’s stick with that idea. Tiggo 9 | Image: Xataka Actually, Ebro cars use Omoda platforms | Jaecoo (with some adjustments, for example in the suspension) and these, in turn, are the exported versions of the Tiggo. He Omoda 9 SHS It is, clearly, a Tiggo 9. Why so much branding? Because so they can attack different market segments with specific models and strategieshas no more. It is exactly the same thing that other Chinese groups such as Geely do, which has Geely, a large part of Volvo and Polestar, almost half of Proton Holdings, Zeekr or Lynk&Co, to name just a few. Aito M7, the electric SUV owned by Huawei | Image: Xataka Having said that and having that context, the first thing that has caught my attention in the short time I have been in China is how ubiquitous local brands are. I’ve seen endless BYD, Xpeng, Leapmotor, Nio, BAIC and ArcFox. I have even had the chance to see a couple of Xiaomi SU7s. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes or Audi, because there are, but it gives me the impression that they have a more luxury component. From the models I have seen, I get the feeling that European cars still have a certain premium aroma here. Toyota, Hyundai and Honda are also relatively common, but the omnipresence of local brands is evident. One of the few Chery that we have seen in Beijing Something that stands out in Beijing, where I am right now, is that you hardly see Chery cars. There are, a priori, three reasons: Chery​ is a great exporteris a Chinese brand whose power is not in China (despite being one of the best-selling brands), but in the international market. It makes sense, since abroad there is much, much, much less competition than in the local market and, above all, in the big capitals. We are in Beijing, a Tier 1 city. There is more capital and users are looking for higher-end/premium products, which explains the greater presence of Tesla, European, electric brands such as Nio or Arcfox and, above all, BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Holding). BAIC is a local brand and all taxis are BAIC. Arcfox is BAIC’s premium electric range. The registration system. Buying a car in Beijing is not about going to the dealership and that’s it. To avoid pollution, the government established a points and lottery system to obtain permission to buy a car. Gasoline cars go by lottery and the chances are tiny, 0.1%. New Energy cars (electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, etc.) are on a waiting list. It is long, very long, but unlike the lottery, it is safe. If you want a car in Beijing, the easiest thing is to buy an electric one and there … Read more

The US has just freed eight women that Iran was going to execute. The problem is that Iran says they were generated by AI

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Sometimes, an image can trigger unexpected consequences in international politics. During the Kosovo war, at the end of the nineties, a photograph released no clear context on alleged civilian victims provoked immediate reactions from governments and international organizations before their true origin could be verified. That episode left a lesson that is still valid: in high-tension scenarios, the impact of a story can be as fast as the difficulty to check if it’s true. Two versions for the same photos. The episode begins two days ago with Donald Trump asking through your social network Iran to stop the execution of eight women arrested after the protests, he also does so by publishing the image of the eight women, an anomalous situation that, coincidence or not, in a matter of hours takes a radical turn when Trump himself goes on to affirm who has achieved it. According to their version, some would be released and others would receive light sentences, presenting it as a gesture of good will before the alleged new negotiations. The problem: that from the beginning there is no verifiable data clear about their identities or their judicial situation, which leaves the story supported by information that is, at the very least, incomplete. Iran not only denies it, it dismantles the story. The Iranian response could not be more direct: There were no planned executions. They assure that some of the women were already free and that the rest, if convicted, would only face prison sentences. In addition, they accuse Trump of relying on false information and trying to build political success without a real basis. The shock quickly moves from the facts to the credibility of the person telling them. The leap into confusion. The situation escalates towards complete surrealism when Iranian official channels of their different embassies go one step further and affirm that part of the images released would have been generated with artificial intelligence. At that point, the discussion stops being whether they were going to be executed or not, and begins to question whether some of the protagonists exist as they have been presented, or if they simply exist. This change introduces such a crazy level of uncertainty and propaganda that it makes it very difficult to verify how much of the story is real. A real context that does not disappear. Be that as it may, and despite the confusion, the environment in which it occurs is documented. I remembered the Times newspaper that, after the protests in Iran, there are thousands of detainees and reports of unfair trials. In fact, there are human rights organizations that executions have been reported recent events and the use of the death penalty as a pressure tool. This means that, although this specific case is doubtful, the underlying problem is still relevant. Propaganda faster than facts. In any case, what we see is not new in a war, far from it. Throughout recent conflicts, several stories have shown how narrative can prevail over verification. For example, during the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the testimony of a young woman known as “Nayirah,” who reported alleged crimes in hospitals, influenced international public opinion before it was learned that he was linked to a public relations campaign. In the 2003 Iraq war, claims about weapons of mass destruction marked strategic decisions no conclusive evidenceand in the Ukraine conflict, narratives such as of the “Ghost of kyiv” or some viral videos spread on networks became popular quickly before to be qualified or denied. In all cases, the pattern repeats itself: in war environments, political and emotional urgency accelerates the spread of stories that can influence real decisions long before their veracity is confirmed. Strategic tension that sets the pace. Of course, all of this occurs while continuing the pressure in the Strait of Hormuz, with attacks on ships and blockade of ports despite the ceasefire. Iran has conditioned any progress on lifting that blockade, while the United States maintains it as a pressure tool. And in that context, the episode of the eight women It is not isolated: it is an essential part of a scenario where the political narrative and the situation on the ground always advance in parallel. Image | Trump Social, Nara In Xataka | Europe has gotten down to work on one of its biggest geopolitical challenges: opening Hormuz without help from the US In Xataka | Iran has 300 internal reports where it models the war against the US. They are all based on the same thing: Ukraine

They are entering their “peak”

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There is a deep-rooted stereotype among older people: the image of a grumpy old personrigid or disconnected from reality. But psychology has been accumulating evidence for decades that points in just the opposite direction. Aging is not only a biological process of wear and tear, but it is also a psychological refinement process. We are wrong. science itself points it out in different studies scientific studies done in recent years. Its conclusion is forceful in this sense: the age range from 60 to 70 years represents a “peak” of emotional well-being and social competence that younger generations, paradoxically, are losing. Maturation effect. Personality is not an immovable stone. According to the theory of the Big Fivewhich has the five great personality traits, the passage of time sculpts us for the better. Longitudinal studies where they followed the same group of people for a long time were able to see that from the age of 60 is where it occurs. a positive evolution in three different areas: Awareness: they become more responsible, organized and focused. Greater emotional stability: neuroticism It drops drastically from this moment on, and the emotional storms of youth give way to a calm that is not apathy, but regulation. Kindness increases as a tendency towards cooperation and altruism is also increased. Although logically there are always totally different cases. Because. Just like when the ripe fruit It starts to taste richer, the same thing seems to happen in people due to ‘natural ripening’. It’s not just that today’s adults are different, it’s that the human brain seems programmed to prioritize stability and social cohesion as we age. Boomer advantage. It’s not just that aging improves us ‘as standard’, it’s that current cohorts are aging ‘better’ than their predecessors. In this case we are talking about the comparison of people who They were born between 1946 and 1964 and those of the silent generation. There is a big difference depending on where you were born. Recent research suggests that those born between 1940 and 1950 are entering old age with an intrinsic capacity greater than that of previous generations. This includes not only physical vitality, but greater cognitive and psychological capacity. An exhaustive study on cohort differences in the Big Five has detected that, although maturation makes us calmer, boomers They maintain higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience than their parents had at the same age. That is to say: they are older, more sociable, more curious and with greater personal agency. Young people are losing. Maybe the most counterintuitive fact of recent years comes from Sapien Labs. In its reports on the mental state of the world, the Mental State of the Worldhave identified an alarming generation gap, but this time in favor of the elderly. While the mental health of young people aged 18 to 24 has deteriorated noticeably, those over 65 remain rock-solid in this regard. An important point in this case is the relational resiliencesince before the pandemic and even more so after, those over 70 years old showed ‘Social Self’ rates much higher than those of generation z. This way, they have a stronger self-image and rely less on external validation. Less dependency. Studies focused on people over 70 years of age They report feeling less external control over their lives than they did 20 years ago. They have internalized norms of autonomy and active aging that protect them psychologically. Recent cohorts over 70 report feeling less external control over their lives than those 20 years ago. They have internalized norms of autonomy and active aging that protect them psychologically. The peak of wisdom. Finally, there is the question of wisdom. Not in the mystical sense, but as a cognitive measure of performance. The ability to integrate facts with emotional values, what psychologists call “personal wisdom,” peaks in late old age. Studies with German samples have validated that this competence is an evolutionary advantage of age: the older brain is more efficient at managing complex social and emotional conflicts, something that no youthful “fluid intelligence” can easily replicate. This is an explanation of why our elders are great advisors on many issues. Images | micheile henderson In Xataka | Sleeping on your back to avoid “sleep wrinkles” sounds great. It serves exactly the opposite A version of this song was published on Xataka in 2025.

Carrefour is selling off (almost 50%) this 65-inch QLED TV with Dolby Vision & Atmos

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Despite being a couple of years old, this TV Hisense 65E79NQE It remains a very interesting purchase option for those looking for a QLED television without spending a fortune. Now, at Carrefour, it is extremely discounted and is now available for 329 euros. Furthermore, if you want to pay it in installments, you can do so in 10 installments of 32.90 euros with the Carrefour Pass card. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A good, pretty and very cheap TV The Hisense 65E79NQ is a television that attracts attention at first glance not only for its price, but also for its technical specifications. It offers us a screen 65 inch QLED with Direct LED backlighting and 4K resolution. Additionally, it is compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+. Its audio system is not something in which it stands out, since it has standard 20 W speakers (it will always be good for you to connect a sound bar to enhance this section) and they offer surround audio Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X. The operating system under which it works is VIDAA (own brand) and has a Screen Sharing function and is a TV compatible with Apple AirPlay 2so you can send it content directly from your iPhone or iPad. In terms of connectivity, it is a model that comes with WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet LAN port, three HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB-A ports, optical digital audio output and 3.5 mm headphone jack. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the Hisense 65E79NQE smart TV today ✅ THE BEST Quantum Dot Technology (QLED): The colors are vibrant and much more accurate than a conventional LED. It supports almost everything: Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG. Connectivity: For the price it has, it is a TV with a wide connectivity section, which allows you to use dongles and other types of peripherals. ❌ THE WORST Oh, the operating system… Although it is now faster, VIDAA has a more limited catalog of apps than Google TV or Samsung. You might miss some very specific apps, although the main ones (YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+) are doing well. Maximum brightness content… In extremely bright rooms (with direct sun), reflections can be a bit annoying, as they do not reach the brightness levels of high-end MiniLED or OLED models. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a large TV to watch series or movies with good color quality without having to spend the almost 1,000 euros that other traditional brands cost. At this price (329 euros), is a master purchase. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are a contrast purist or if you hate using a TV Box, VIDAA may not be your favorite operating system. Some sound bars that may interest you for this TV ULTIMEA 2.1 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG S40T – Smart Sound Bar, 300W, 2.1 Channels The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia and Hisense In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

It was a triple trap designed by North Korean hackers

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A Spanish blockchain developer was almost a victim of one of the cyber espionage operations more sophisticated ones circulating right now. The bait they used was something as innocent as a job offer sent via LinkedIn. Which It seemed like a professional opportunity. It was actually a trap designed by one of the hacker groups most dangerous north koreans and best financed in the world. The case was analyzed by Claudio Chifafounder of cybersecurity company DLTCodeand coincides with another attack documented a few weeks before vs. Chris PapathanasiouCEO of security firm AllSecure. Two almost identical attacks, two different countries, the same perpetrator: the Lazarus groupthe unit of government digital operations from North Korea. The job offer had a cat in the bag In the Spanish case, the contact came in the form of something as common in the LinkedIn environment as a job offer as a strategic advisor in a decentralized video game project with 100% remote work and flexible hours. After a brief conversation, the supposed recruiter sent a link to advance the hiring process by calling the candidate for a 45-minute video call. After that initial conversation, the bait that would have completed the trap came into play: downloading a repository and opening it in Visual Studio Code to review it. In the case of Papathanasiou, the modus operandi was virtually identical: A LinkedIn profile offered him a job at a company it described as “a rapidly growing team developing the first decentralized AI operating system,” also with a Calendly link (a meeting scheduling tool) to schedule the call. During the video call, the supposed selection manager briefly used the camerashowing a face that matched the LinkedIn profile which he was using as a cover, although the voice did not fit with public videos of that person that Papathanasiou later found. “I started recording mid-conversation once I became suspicious,” said Papathanasiou, who suspects the attackers used surveillance technology. deepfake for impersonate the identity of your interlocutor. Claudio Chifa, on the other hand, became suspicious due to the sum of small details that did not quite fit with the project they were offering him: “The interlocutor’s accent had nothing to do with Portugal, the instructions in the GitHub repository were clearly generated with some AI, which also made me doubt the quality of the project. But, above all, it was the insistence on releasing the code on my machine for an advisory position,” the cybersecurity expert stressed. Three traps in one shot Both the repository analyzed by Chifa and DLTCode and the one investigated by AllSecure hid three independent infection mechanismsdesigned to be activated simultaneously when the folder was opened, so that, if one failed, the other two acted as a backup, completing the job. The first took advantage of a feature in Visual Studio Code that allows you to configure automatic tasks when opening a project. The malicious command was executed in a hidden window, leaving no trace visible to the user, and could adapt to the victim’s operating system (Mac, Linux or Windows). The second mechanism operated during the usual project installation process using npm (the package manager or component installation tool used by JavaScript programmers). At that time, the attacker’s server automatically received all the credentials stored in the system, including keys from services such as AWS, Stripe or OpenAI, and took full control of the computer. The third front of attack was linked to the previous two, so that it was enough to open the folder for all three will be fired at the same time and take their respective positions. “The smartest thing about this attack is that it does not depend on the victim do anything extraordinary. They don’t ask you to run an .exe, they don’t ask you to deactivate the antivirus, they don’t ask you to do anything that activates your alarms. They ask you to open a folder in your code editor. Something that a developer does fifty times a day,” highlights Chifa. Designed to leave no trace The history of the repository analyzed by DLTCode reveals that the operation has been active since September 2025, with eleven control servers from which the attackers manage malware remotely rotated throughout that period. When AllSecure attempted to analyze its attack from AWS servers, Lazarus operators detected that the source IP belonged to a data center and immediately severed the connection. That doesn’t give you an idea of ​​the level of active surveillance this group has over its own infrastructure. The final objective of both attacks was the same: steal cryptocurrency walletsbrowser passwords, SSH keys (remote server access codes) and any stored credentials in the system that may be useful to them in the future. The FBI esteem that the Lazarus group has accumulated more than $1.5 billion stolen in cryptocurrencies through campaigns of this type. How to defend yourself against these types of attacks What saved Chifa from falling into Lazarus’s trap was stop to analyze the code before executing it. Something about the meeting didn’t add up to him and he decided to investigate first. Papathanasiou did the same and, under suspicion, created an isolated virtual environment and analyzed the repository from there instead of opening it directly on his computer. For programmers and software engineers, who have become the main target of these cybercriminals, experts recommend disabling automatic task execution in Visual Studio Code, always inspect the configuration and installation files of any project received externally, and never run code of unknown origin outside of an isolated environment. “The most important precaution is to distrust any selection process that asks you to run code during the first contacts. No legitimate company needs you to open a local repository on the first call. If someone contacts you on LinkedIn with an extraordinary project and a few days later they are asking you to download code, that is the time to stop,” warns the founder of DLTCode. If you suspect an attempt to attack in Spainboth the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) … Read more

They believed they had found jobs in large companies. In reality they were being deceived: this is how the trap works

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Looking for a job is already hard enough without having to be suspicious of every message that arrives in your inbox. And yet, that is exactly what the campaign that has warned about proposes. NordVPN: a trap set up to look like a real opportunity. We are not talking about a clumsy email or a sloppy website, but rather something much more refined, with names like Meta, Disney, Coca-Cola or Spotify as a claim. That’s the key to everything: they play with the illusion of those who believe they may be on the verge of an interview or a new job, when in reality they are entering into a fraud. The investigation alerts of a campaign of phishing specifically aimed at job seekers. The attackers have set up an attack chain in several phases that impersonates large brands and seeks to take the victim to a very specific point: a false login screen with which they intend to keep their Facebook credentials. Let’s see in detail the strategy of these cybercriminals. The mechanics behind fraud that imitates real selection processes It all starts with cold recruitment emails, carefully written and with a professional tone that seeks to resemble real human resources communications. It is not a minor detail that some of these shipments are made through legitimate services such as Google AppSheetbecause not only can that help you avoid spam filters, it also helps make the scene more believable to the person on the other end. The trap, at least at the beginning, is not presented in a crude way, but with a very careful appearance. From there, one of the most peculiar pieces of the entire chain appears: the so-called “HUB” domains. According to the investigation, these are pages that do not show their most sensitive content to anyone who enters directly. If a security analyst or an automated system visits that domain without coming from the specific link included in the email, what they find is a generic website, with hardly any visible activity. The truly important part is only activated when the visit arrives from that specific reference, which acts as a key and reveals the next step of the deception. The next move of the campaign is to give the victim exactly what they expect to see after a convincing recruitment email: a website that looks like a job portal. The research explains that, after that first access, the user lands on a intermediate domain which simulates a legitimate job offer portal and where you can consult positions that seem real and associated with the company whose identity they are impersonating. The more the scene resembles a normal job search, the easier it is for the person to interpret everything that comes after as a logical part of the same process. Campaign replicates legitimate job pages and uses Facebook login as hook The decisive moment comes when the victim clicks on “Request” or “Send request”. That click does not open a job form or a next phase of the supposed selection process, but rather a phishing page that asks you to log in with Facebook to continue. That’s where the trap stops insinuating itself and begins to execute its true purpose. All of the above was designed to lead to that exact point, one in which the request may seem like another simple verification within the application, when in reality what is being delivered are the account credentials. The supposed job opportunity was nothing more than the decoration of an operation with a much more specific purpose. According to the research, the final objective is steal Facebook credentials and thus obtain access to the victim’s account, with the possibility of also compromising other services connected to it. That’s why it’s a good idea to stick with a practical idea: before entering any credential, you should check the URL carefully, check that you are on the official domain, and be wary of any strange login. Images | Xataka with Grok | NordVPN In Xataka | AI is crucial for the US military. So he’s naming OpenAI and Palantir leaders as lieutenant generals

Mythos will be the most dangerous AI model, but companies are already taking note of its security tips

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Top AI companies are in the race to create the best artificial intelligence model. That race has been won by Anthropic with Mythos. At least, That’s what they claim (of course)with phrases like it is so powerful that they cannot make it public. There is reasons to take Anthropic’s words with a grain of salt, but what is evident is that Mythos is already working. Although the company has not released it, has already given access to certain technology partners. The decision is based on the company’s fear that the model will be used maliciously. They themselves have described as a threat to cybersecurity based on the number of zero-day vulnerabilities that Mythos would have found in both the main operating systems on the market and in browsers. And, just when the model is arousing opinions from some and others, Mozilla arrives to affirm that the latest version of Firefox 150 It has security fixes for 271 vulnerabilities that have been discovered thanks to this preliminary version of Claude Mythos. For its part, OpenAI does not believe anything at all. “Just as capable as a human” Mozilla it details in one of the latest posts on his blog. The company had been collaborating with Anthropic for some time and using the Claude Opus 4.6 model to find errors. In January, it found 22 vulnerabilities in a couple of weeks, 14 of them rated very serious. Of those 22 found by Opos 4.6, which is already a powerful model, we move on to the 271 discovered by Mythos. It is a huge leap and Mozilla wanted to continue investigating to see to what extent the new model surpasses Opus. Analyzing Firefox 147, Mythos generated 181 functional exploits. Opus 4.6? Just two. 90 times less. Those results have led Mozilla to write that Mythos Preview is “just as capable as the best human cybersecurity researchers”adding that they have not found any categories that humans can detect that Mythos cannot. This has another reading since, as the company itself states, seeing that the model is capable of finding so many errors in such a short time makes them wonder if it is possible to stay up to date in cybersecurity work when alternatives to Mythos are developed that do fall into hands not controlled by those responsible. There is always the fact that Mythos has not found any errors that Mozilla’s human ‘watchmen’ have not detected and that a tool like this will help to have a more secure system. All of this, in the end, pushing that narrative that Mythos is practically a technological miracle. a nuclear bomb The other side of the coin is that Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, doesn’t believe anything. Taking advantage of his recent participation in a podcast, he has qualified The entire Anthropic movement as a fear-based marketing ploy. He accuses Dario Amodei’s company (Altman’s public enemy) of wanting to restrict AI to a small number of people in a strategy that he has compared to having an atomic bomb, threatening to release it and making a living by selling bunkers to protect themselves from that same bomb. “It is evident that this is an extraordinarily powerful marketing strategy. We have created a bomb and we are going to drop it. You can buy a bunker from us for 100 million dollars” It is one more point in that historical rivalry in which both companies (and managers) have been involved for some time, but it comes just when Anthropic is having a greater role and OpenAI is being forced to release ballast in the form of services like Sora. Altman is not the only one who thinks that Anthropic is repeatedly using this discourse of “We have something so powerful that we cannot make it public” because it is a good strategy to obtain financing. There are already voices that they point that Mythos is not that big of a deal and, in fact, other models have proven to be able to do the same, finding the same errors and problems detected by Anthropic. But, above all, we must remember that, in 2019, someone already said that a model was too dangerous for public release. Who? OpenAI itself with GPT-2. Obviously, it wasn’t that dangerous. In Xataka | OpenAI and Anthropic have proposed the impossible: lose $85 billion in one year and survive

We have seen it in action and everything changes there

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Hey, what was the title of Almodóvar’s last film? Play the song that uses the basis of “Saturday Night” by Aitana. Move the music to the living room. Daniela is coming to dinner, do you think she will like this dish? How do I look? Is this outfit formal for the event? Buy my favorite wine. Order a Cabify from here to Cibeles. There is nothing strange in these sentences. They are how we speak. The rare thing, until now, was for an assistant to understand them well. Amazon brings Alexa+ to Spain with the promise to change that. After seeing it in a presentation just a few hours ago, the idea is clear: talk to our Echo devices so naturally that we forget that they are machines. The Alexa+ leap is not only in AI, but in how we speak What Amazon is trying to sell with Alexa+ It’s pretty easy to understand, at least on paper: stop talking to a speaker as if we were giving orders to a robot. Instead, the idea is that we can express ourselves naturally, change the subject, leave half sentences or say things as we would say them at home, without thinking too much about how to formulate them. That was, in fact, one of the most repeated ideas during the presentation. Amazon summed up part of that ambition with a pretty clear phrase: “We no longer have to learn the Alexa language.” Said like this, it may sound nuanced, but it is not. Until now, a good part of the experience with this type of assistant involved us adapting to the machine: repeating the activation word, choose each term wellavoid detours and trust that he would not get lost along the way. With Alexa+, at least from what we have seen, the promise is just the opposite. We can ask him to change the music in the room, ask him about a movie, resume a previous conversation or chain several ideas in a row without having to start from scratch each time. That’s where Amazon believes the real leap is. From there the other great promise of Alexa+ comes into play: that it not only responds, but also does things for us. Amazon presents it as a leap from the assistant that informs the assistant that acts, and that is where functions such as managing the calendar, writing an email or playing music come in according to our tastes. The situation changes when that action leaves the ecosystem itself and fully immerses itself in real-world services, such as reserving a table or ordering a car. In Spain, this layer of actions starts with several partners already mentioned by Amazon, among them TheFork, Cabify and Tripadvisor,. Translated into day-to-day life, that means that part of the most ambitious usefulness of the assistant will not only be played in how it converses, but in how many services it manages to understand well outside the home. And there, at least for now, the initial photo is still quite limited. Another thing that Amazon wanted to highlight in the presentation is that Alexa+ not only improves when we talk to it, but also when we give it more context about ourselves. Some of that knowledge can come from our daily activities, from calendar entries or from what you already know from previous interactions, but also from information that we choose to share with you explicitly. The company showed, for example, how documentation can be sent to you by mail so you can incorporate it into your context, such as a school menu. From there, Alexa+ can retrieve that data later and use it in subsequent responses. That layer becomes even more striking when the camera on some Echo devices comes into play. In the presentation we saw how Alexa+ could “see” and answer questions about what is in front of you, from an outfit to other elements of the environment. There were also scenes in which he crossed personal context with practical suggestions, such as recommending a recipe based on what was at home and adjusting that proposal when remembering that a guest did not like a specific ingredient. Added to this is another strong promise: internet connection, real-time information, integration with music and video beyond Amazon’s own services and a well-worked adaptation to Spanish from Spain, both in accent and in cultural references and everyday situations. Our first impression, after seeing it in action just a few hours ago, is that the proposal makes sense and that Amazon has found a fairly clear way to explain why Alexa+ wants to distance itself from the usual Alexa. The presentation was solid and left a good feeling, especially due to the naturalness with which the assistant seemed to chain requests, understand the context and move between different tasks. Now, all of this happened in a controlled environment, prepared by the company itself to show the product in its best version. It promises, yes, but the important test will come when it starts to leave that framework and we see how it really performs in real life. Another important point of the launch is the price, because Amazon has decided to place Alexa+ in a very particular field. During early access it will be free, but after that it will become cost 22.99 euros per month if contracted separately. At the same time, the company has also confirmed that it will be included in the Prime subscription in Spain. And then there’s the most practical part of all: how to get started. Here Amazon proposes two paths. The first involves purchasing one of the compatible Echo devices, which gives immediate access to the early access program. The second is designed for those who already have one at home: in that case, you have to register on the website that the company has enabled, www.amazon.es/nuevalexaand wait to receive an invitation. Amazon assures that these additions will be made in phases over the coming weeks, so not all … Read more

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