China [1]plans to commercialize nuclear fusion for emissions-free power generation by 2050 , with its first operational project expected around 2050 after a demonstration phase starting in 2045. Bloomberg reports:

> China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) last year formed an industry alliance and set up a new national fusion company, the China Fusion Corp. It has attracted about 1.75 billion yuan ($240 million) in investment from CNNC and Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. for cutting-edge tokamak devices, which use magnetic fields to confine and control superheated plasma to produce power without emissions or significant radioactive waste. CNNC also plans to scale up production of its homegrown designs for regular nuclear fission reactors and small modular reactors over the next five years, the company's Vice General Manager Xin Feng said at the briefing.

>

> China is set to leapfrog the US and France as the owner of the world's biggest reactor fleet by 2030. About 10 new reactors have been approved every year since power shortages emerged in 2022 and the country is expected to keep up that pace through 2030 to meet climate goals, CNNC said on Friday.



[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-may-ready-nuclear-fusion-023752498.html

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica:

> In late 2013, the Spike Jonze film Her imagined a future where people would form emotional connections with AI voice assistants. Nearly 12 years later, that fictional premise has veered closer to reality with the release of a new conversational voice model from AI startup Sesame that has [1]left many users both fascinated and unnerved . "I tried the demo, and it was genuinely startling how human it felt," [2]wrote one Hacker News user who tested the system. "I'm almost a bit worried I will start feeling emotionally attached to a voice assistant with this level of human-like sound."

>

> In late February, Sesame [3]released a demo for the company's new Conversational Speech Model (CSM) that appears to cross over what many consider the "uncanny valley" of AI-generated speech, with some testers reporting emotional connections to the male or female voice assistant ("Miles" and "Maya"). In our own evaluation, we spoke with the male voice for about 28 minutes, talking about life in general and how it decides what is "right" or "wrong" based on its training data. The synthesized voice was expressive and dynamic, imitating breath sounds, chuckles, interruptions, and even sometimes stumbling over words and correcting itself. These imperfections are intentional.

>

> "At Sesame, our goal is to achieve 'voice presence' -- the magical quality that makes spoken interactions feel real, understood, and valued," writes the company in a [4]blog post . "We are creating conversational partners that do not just process requests; they engage in genuine dialogue that builds confidence and trust over time. In doing so, we hope to realize the untapped potential of voice as the ultimate interface for instruction and understanding." [...] Sesame sparked a [5]lively discussion on Hacker News about its potential uses and dangers. Some users reported having extended conversations with the two demo voices, with conversations lasting up to the 30-minute limit. In one case, a parent [6]recounted how their 4-year-old daughter developed an emotional connection with the AI model, crying after not being allowed to talk to it again.



[1] https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/03/users-report-emotional-bonds-with-startlingly-realistic-ai-voice-demo/

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43227957

[3] https://www.sesame.com/research/crossing_the_uncanny_valley_of_voice#demo

[4] https://www.sesame.com/research/crossing_the_uncanny_valley_of_voice

[5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43227881

[6] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43229168

The long-running text-based zombie MMO Urban Dead is [1]shutting down on March 14, 2025 , after nearly 20 years. The reason: compliance concerns with the UK's Online Safety Act. Games Radar+ reports:

> "The Online Safety Act comes into force later this month, applying to all social and gaming websites where users interact, and especially those without strong age restrictions," [ [2]writes Kevan Davis, the solo British developer behind the game]. "With the possibility of heavy corporate-sized fines even for solo web projects like this one, I've reluctantly concluded that it doesn't look feasible for Urban Dead to be able to continue operating."

>

> "So a full 19 years, 8 months and 11 days after its quarantine began, Urban Dead will be shut down," Davis writes. "No grand finale. No final catastrophe. No helicopter evac. Make your peace or your final stand in whichever part of Malton you called home, and the game will be switched off at noon UTC on 14 March."

The [3]original website is still online if you want to play the game before its shutdown later this month.



[1] https://www.gamesradar.com/games/mmo/cult-text-based-zombie-mmo-urban-dead-is-shutting-down-after-a-full-19-years-8-months-and-11-days-because-of-new-uk-legislation/

[2] https://urbandead.com/shutdown.html

[3] https://urbandead.com/index.html

"TCL has emerged as a dominant force in the premium TV market, [1]surpassing LG in global shipments and solidifying its position as a key competitor to Samsung," writes Slashdot reader [2]jjslash . "According to [3]Counterpoint Research , TCL's premium TV shipments more than doubled year-on-year in Q4 2024, capturing 20% of the market, while LG's share fell to 19%." TechSpot reports:

> The two companies' shipment figures have gone in opposite directions since Q4 2023, when LG held a 26% share and TCL was on 12%. Samsung remains the leader when it comes to premium TVs. Its share dropped from 41% to 29% year-on-year, but it's still comfortably ahead of second-place TCL. Chinese brands are showing impressive growth in this market. Hisense also saw its shipment share rise, from 10% in 2023 to 16% in Q4 2024.

>

> Counterpoint writes that it classifies QD-MiniLED, QD-LCD, NanoCell, LCD 8K, QD-OLED, WOLED, and MicroLED TVs as premium TV models. The segment grew 51% YoY to reach a record high in the fourth quarter, with full year shipments up 38%. In terms of global shipments (i.e., not just the premium sector), TCL overtook LG in 2022, with Hisense doing the same a year later. Samsung also leads this area, though its share is only 2 percentage points higher than TCL's.



[1] https://www.techspot.com/news/107012-tcl-premium-tv-shipments-more-than-double-year.html

[2] https://slashdot.org/~jjslash

[3] https://www.displaysupplychain.com/report/quarterly-advanced-tv-shipment-report

An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Linux:

> Mozilla published today the final build of the Firefox 136 open-source web browser for all supported platforms ahead of the March 4th, 2025, official release date, so it's time to take a look at the new features and changes. Highlights of Firefox 136 [1]include official Linux binary packages for the AArch64 (ARM64) architecture , hardware video decoding for AMD GPUs on Linux systems, a new HTTPS-First behavior for upgrading page loads to HTTPS, and Smartblock Embeds for selectively unblocking certain social media embeds blocked in the ETP Strict and Private Browsing modes.

>

> Firefox 136 is available for download for 32-bit, 64-bit, and AArch64 (ARM64) Linux systems right now from [2]Mozilla's FTP server . As mentioned before, Mozilla plans to officially release Firefox 136 tomorrow, March 4th, 2025, when it will roll out as an OTA (Over-the-Air) update to macOS and Windows users.

Here's a list of the general features available in this release:

- Vertical Tabs Layout

- New Browser Layout Section

- PNG Copy Support

- HTTPS-First Behavior

- Smartblock Embeds

- Solo AI Link

- Expanded Data Collection & Use Settings

- Weather Forecast on New Tab Page

- Address Autofill Expansion

A full list of changes can be found [3]here .



[1] https://9to5linux.com/mozilla-firefox-136-is-out-with-vertical-tabs-and-official-arm64-linux-binaries

[2] https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/136.0/

[3] https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/136.0/releasenotes/

An anonymous reader shares a report:

> YouTube is warning creators about a new phishing scam that attempts to [1]lure victims using an AI-generated video of its CEO Neal Mohan . The fake video has been shared privately with users and claims YouTube is making changes to its monetization policy in an attempt to steal their credentials, according to an announcement on Tuesday.

>

> "YouTube and its employees will never attempt to contact you or share information through a private video," YouTube says. "If a video is shared privately with you claiming to be from YouTube, the video is a phishing scam." In recent weeks, there have been reports floating around Reddit about scams similar to the one described by YouTube.



[1] https://www.theverge.com/news/624159/youtube-ai-generated-neal-mohan-phishing-scam

[1]king*jojo shares a report from The Register:

> The Opera web browser [2]now boasts "agentic AI ," meaning users can ask an onboard AI model to perform tasks that require a series of in-browser actions. The AI agent, referred to as the Browser Operator, can, for example, find 12 pairs of men's size 10 Nike socks that you can buy. This is demonstrated in an [3]Opera-made video of the process, running intermittently at 6x time, which shows the user has to type out the request for the undergarments rather than click around some webpages.

>

> The AI, in the given example, works its way through eight steps in its browser chat sidebar, clicking and navigating on your behalf in the web display pane, to arrive at a Walmart checkout page with two six-packs of socks added to the user's shopping cart, ready for payment. [...] Other tasks such as finding specific concert tickets and booking flight tickets from Oslo to Newcastle are also depicted, accelerated at times from 4x to 10x, with the user left to authorize the actual purchase. Browser Operator runs more slowly than shown in the video, though that's actually helpful for a semi-capable assistant. A more casual pace allows the user to intervene at any point and take over.



[1] https://slashdot.org/~king*jojo

[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/03/phantom_of_the_opera_browser/

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lLVSLAekYk

Fabled RepairTuber and right-to-repair crusader Louis Rossmann [1]accuses Brother of implementing forced firmware updates that [2]block third-party ink cartridges and remove older firmware versions from support portals . These updates also prevent color calibration with aftermarket ink, rendering cheaper cartridges unusable. Tom's Hardware reports:

> As mentioned in the intro, Rossmann has seen two big issues emerge for Brother printer users with recent firmware updates. Firstly, models that used to work with aftermarket ink, might refuse to work with the same cartridges in place post-update. Brother doesn't always warn about such updates, so Rossmann says that it is important to keep your printer offline, if possible. Moreover, he reckons it is best to keep your printers offline, and "I highly suggest that you turn off your updates," in light of these anti-consumer updates. Another anti-consumer problem Rossmann highlights affects color devices. He cites reports from a Brother MFP user who noticed color calibration didn't work with aftermarket inks post-update. They used to work, and if the update doesn't allow the printer to calibrate with this aftermarket ink the cheaper carts become basically unusable.

>

> Making matters worse, and an aspect of this tale which seems particularly dastardly, Rossmann says that older printer firmware is usually removed from websites. This means users can't roll back when they discover the unwanted new 'features' post-update. While he admittedly can't do much about these printer industry machinations, Rossmann says it feels important to document these changes which show that property rights for individuals are disappearing.

Additional info about Brother's issues are available on Rossmann's [3]wiki .



[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpHX_9fHNqE

[2] https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/printers/brother-accused-of-locking-down-third-party-printer-ink-cartridges-via-firmware-updates-removing-older-firmware-versions-from-support-portals

[3] https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/wiki/Brother_ink_lockout_%26_quality_sabotage

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg said on a podcast he aims to eventually [1]hand over leadership to a single successor rather than "a committee," amid growing calls for him to step down following his legal battle with hosting company WP Engine. On a recent episode of Lenny's Podcast, Mullenweg discussed his succession strategy for Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, WooCommerce and Tumblr. "I want to pass it to someone else who could have a role similar to mine, and really sort of try to be a steward," Mullenweg said, comparing the position to "being like a mayor than a CEO" as the leader would remain accountable to users and contributors.



[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/04/automattic-ceo-matt-mullenweg-talks-succession-i-dont-want-to-pass-it-to-a-committee/

An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media:

> After a group of attorneys were [1]caught using AI to cite cases that didn't actually exist in court documents last month, another lawyer was told to pay $15,000 for his own AI hallucinations that showed up in several briefs. Attorney Rafael Ramirez, who represented a company called HoosierVac in an ongoing case where the Mid Central Operating Engineers Health and Welfare Fund claims the company is failing to allow the union a full audit of its books and records, filed a brief in October 2024 that cited a case the judge wasn't able to locate. Ramirez "acknowledge[d] that the referenced citation was in error," withdrew the citation, and "apologized to the court and opposing counsel for the confusion," [2]according to Judge Mark Dinsmore , U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana. But that wasn't the end of it. An "exhaustive review" of Ramirez's other filings in the case showed that he'd included made-up cases in two other briefs, too. [...]

>

> In January, as part of a separate case against a hoverboard manufacturer and Walmart seeking damages for an allegedly faulty lithium battery, attorneys filed court documents that cited a series of cases that don't exist. In February, U.S. District Judge Kelly demanded they explain why they shouldn't be sanctioned for referencing eight non-existent cases. The attorneys contritely admitted to using AI to generate the cases without catching the errors, and called it a "cautionary tale" for the rest of the legal world. Last week, Judge Rankin [3]issued sanctions on those attorneys, according to new records, including revoking one of the attorneys' pro hac vice admission (a legal term meaning a lawyer can temporarily practice in a jurisdiction where they're not licensed) and removed him from the case, and the three other attorneys on the case were fined between $1,000 and $3,000 each.

The judge in the Ramirez case said that he "does not aim to suggest that AI is inherently bad or that its use by lawyers should be forbidden." In fact, he noted that he's a vocal advocate for the use of technology in the legal profession.

"Nevertheless, much like a chain saw or other useful [but] potentially dangerous tools, one must understand the tools they are using and use those tools with caution," he wrote. "It should go without saying that any use of artificial intelligence must be consistent with counsel's ethical and professional obligations. In other words, the use of artificial intelligence must be accompanied by the application of actual intelligence in its execution."



[1] https://www.404media.co/ai-lawyer-hallucination-sanctions/

[2] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.insd.215482/gov.uscourts.insd.215482.99.0.pdf?ref=404media.co

[3] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wyd.64014/gov.uscourts.wyd.64014.181.0_1.pdf?ref=404media.co

Citigroup nearly [1]credited about $6 billion to a customer's account in its wealth-management business by accident. From a report:

> The near-error occurred after a staffer handling the transfer copied and pasted the account number into a field for the dollar figure, which was detected on the next business day, the report added. The wealth division's near-miss was reported to regulators and the company has since set up a tool to help vet large, anomalous payments and transfers, according to the report. The error was related to an attempted transfer of funds between internal accounts, the report said. Last week, the Financial Times reported that Citigroup [2]erroneously credited $81 trillion , instead of $280, to a customer's account and took hours to reverse the transaction.



[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/citigroup-nearly-shifted-6-billion-224314493.html

[2] https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/02/28/136217/citigroup-erroneously-credited-client-account-with-81-trillion-in-near-miss

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is rapidly gaining market share in Australia, with sales rising 65% last year as nearly one in four EVs sold in the country was a BYD, according to EVDirect CEO David Smitherman. Chinese EVs now comprise roughly [1]one-third of electric vehicles sold in Australia , which has no domestic auto industry to protect with tariffs, unlike the United States where both Trump and Biden administrations have effectively blocked Chinese EV imports.

The Biden administration imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs to shield U.S. automakers from what it termed unfair competition. U.S. officials also blocked Chinese vehicle software over security concerns that Beijing could use internet-connected cars for surveillance. Australian authorities are monitoring U.S. developments but remain noncommittal despite security experts urging restrictions on Chinese connected car technology.



[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/australia-with-no-auto-industry-to-protect-is-awash-with-chinese-evs/ar-AA1Ad86X

Apple is [1]stepping up its fight with the British government over a [2]demand to create a "back door" in its most secure cloud storage systems , by filing a legal complaint that it hopes will overturn the order. Financial Times:

> The iPhone maker has made its appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent judicial body that examines complaints against the UK security services, according to people familiar with the matter. The Silicon Valley company's legal challenge is believed to be the first time that provisions in the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act allowing UK authorities to break encryption have been tested before the court.

>

> The Investigatory Powers Tribunal will consider whether the UK's notice to Apple was lawful and, if not, could order it to be quashed. The case could be heard as soon as this month, although it is unclear whether there will be any public disclosure of the hearing. The government is likely to argue the case should be restricted on national security grounds. Apple received a "technical capability notice" under the act in January.



[1] https://www.ft.com/content/3d8fe709-f17a-44a6-97ae-f1bbe6d0dccd

[2] https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/02/07/1150200/uk-orders-apple-to-let-it-spy-on-users-encrypted-accounts

After California's bar exams were plagued last week with technical problems, the State Bar of California is [1]recommending that the agency return to in-person tests as it scrutinizes whether the vendor behind the new testing system met the obligations of its contract. From a report:

> "Based on the administration of the February Bar Exam, staff cannot recommend going forward with Meazure Learning," Donna Hershkowitz, chief of admissions for the State Bar, wrote to the agency's Board of Trustees in a staff memo, referring to the vendor. Instead, she wrote, staff recommend reverting to in-person testing for the next round of exams in July.

>

> The State Bar's 13-member board, which is scheduled to meet March 5, will ultimately decide on plans for the July bar exam and remedies for test takers who faced problems. In a statement Monday, the State Bar said it is "closely scrutinizing whether Meazure Learning met its contractual obligations" in administering the February State Bar exam and will be "actively working with its psychometrician and other stakeholders to determine the full scope of necessary remediation measures for February 2025 bar exam test takers."



[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/bar-exam-fiasco-california-state-014801150.html

[1]EmagGeek shares a report:

> Scientists have [2]genetically engineered mice with some key characteristics of an extinct animal that was far larger -- the woolly mammoth. This "woolly mouse" marks an important step toward achieving the researchers' ultimate goal -- bringing a woolly mammoth-like creature back from extinction, they say.

>

> "For us, it's an incredibly big deal," says Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas company trying to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other extinct species. The company announced the creation of the woolly mice Tuesday in a news release and posted a scientific paper online detailing the achievement. Scientists implanted genetically modified embryos in female lab mice that gave birth to the first of the woolly pups in October.

>

> My editorial: One has to wonder why it is necessary or even a great idea to bring back species that nature long ago determined were a failure.



[1] https://slashdot.org/~EmagGeek

[2] https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/04/nx-s1-5299962/woolly-mammoth-extinction-mice-genetic-engineering

Apple today announced [1]a significant update to its iPad Air lineup, integrating the M3 chip previously reserved for higher-end devices. The new tablets, available in both 11-inch ($599) and 13-inch ($799) configurations, deliver substantial performance gains: nearly 2x faster than M1-equipped models and 3.5x faster than A14 Bionic versions.

The M3 brings Apple's advanced graphics architecture to the Air for the first time, featuring dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and ray tracing. The chip includes an 8-core CPU delivering 35% faster multithreaded performance over M1, paired with a 9-core GPU offering 40% faster graphics. The Neural Engine processes AI workloads 60% faster than M1, the company said. Apple also introduced a redesigned Magic Keyboard ($269/$319) with function row and larger trackpad.



[1] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/03/apple-introduces-ipad-air-with-powerful-m3-chip-and-new-magic-keyboard/

[1]AmiMoJo shares a report:

> Europe's biggest battery storage project has [2]entered commercial operation in Scotland [ [3]alternative source ] , promising to soak up surplus wind power and prevent turbines being paid to switch off.

>

> Zenobe said the first phase of its project at Blackhillock, between Inverness and Aberdeen, was now live with capacity to store enough power to supply 200 megawatts of electricity for two hours. It is due to be expanded to 300 megawatts by next year, enough to supply 3.1 million homes, more than every household in Scotland.

>

> The government's Clean Power 2030 action plan sets a target capacity of up to 27 gigawatts of batteries by 2030, a sixfold increase from the 4.5 gigawatts installed today. This huge expansion is seen as critical as Britain builds more renewable wind and solar power, since batteries can store surplus generation for use when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine.



[1] https://slashdot.org/~AmiMoJo

[2] https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/europes-biggest-battery-storage-project-goes-live-in-scotland-6htkf283q

[3] https://www.zenobe.com/news-and-events/blackhillock-battery-storage-launch/

China's highest court has called for [1]a crack down on the activities of paper mills , businesses that churn out fraudulent or poor-quality manuscripts and sell authorships. Nature:

> Some researchers are cautiously optimistic that the court's guidance will help curb the use of these services, while others think the impact will be minimal. "This is the first time the supreme court has issued guidance on paper mills and on scientific fraud," says Wang Fei, who studies research-integrity policy at Dalian University of Technology in China.

>

> Paper mills sell suspect research and authorships to researchers who want journal articles to burnish their CVs. They are a significant contributor to overall research misconduct, particularly in China. Last month, the Supreme People's Court published a set of guiding opinions on technology innovation. Among the list of 25 articles, one called for lower courts to crack down on 'paper industry chains,' and for research fraud to be severely punished.

Further reading :

[2]Research Reveals Data on Which Institutions Are Retraction Hotspots ;

[3]Paper Mills Have Flooded Science With 400,000 Fake Studies, Experts Warn .



[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00612-3

[2] https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/02/20/1230236/research-reveals-data-on-which-institutions-are-retraction-hotspots

[3] https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/01/29/1033227/paper-mills-have-flooded-science-with-400000-fake-studies-experts-warn

Realme plans to [1]double smartphone battery capacity to 10,000mAh within its three-year strategic roadmap, the company said at tradeshow MWC on Tuesday. Current flagship devices typically offer 5,000mAh, while Realme's latest models already ship with 6,000mAh cells. The company expects to implement 7,500mAh batteries next year before reaching the 10,000mAh target, PCMag reported, citing the firm.



[1] https://www.pcmag.com/news/realme-wants-to-put-a-10000mah-battery-in-your-next-phone-mwc-2025

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch:

> Google has [1]open sourced an AI model, SpeciesNet, [2]designed to identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps . Researchers around the world use camera traps -- digital cameras connected to infrared sensors -- to study wildlife populations. But while these traps can provide valuable insights, they generate massive volumes of data that take days to weeks to sift through. In a bid to help, Google launched Wildlife Insights, an initiative of the company's Google Earth Outreach philanthropy program, around six years ago. Wildlife Insights provides a platform where researchers can share, identify, and analyze wildlife images online, collaborating to speed up camera trap data analysis.

>

> Many of Wildlife Insights' analysis tools are powered by SpeciesNet, which Google claims was trained on over 65 million publicly available images and images from organizations like the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Zoological Society of London. Google [3]says that SpeciesNet can classify images into one of more than 2,000 labels, covering animal species, taxa like "mammalian" or "Felidae," and non-animal objects (e.g. "vehicle"). SpeciesNet is available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license, meaning it can be used commercially largely sans restrictions.



[1] https://github.com/google/cameratrapai

[2] https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/03/google-releases-speciesnet-an-ai-model-designed-to-identify-wildlife/

[3] https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/entrepreneurs/ai-nature-climate-accelerator-nonprofits-speciesnet/