The New York Times
Each image taken by the camera of the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile contains 6.4 billion bytes of information. Eventually, the observations are expected to gather around 60 million billion bytes of image data, which will be sent to the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a Department of Energy research center in Menlo Park, CA, for further analysis. Rubin also turns to nine outside data brokers to classify the objects spotted outside the solar system. These automated software systems each has a different focus and approach in pulling out data of interest for individual astronomers and identifying events that warrant follow-up observations.
From "How Astronomers Will Deal With 60 Million Billion Bytes of Imagery"
The New York Times (06/20/25) Kenneth Chang; Irena Hwang
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CNN
China is introducing a state-issued national Internet ID that will allow users to sign in across different social media apps and websites. The rules for the new system, currently voluntary, were released in late May and will be implemented in mid-July. It aims to “protect citizens’ identity information, and support the healthy and orderly development of the digital economy,” according to the published rules. Critics warn that it could also further erode personal liberties.
From "China Tightens Internet Controls with Centralized Form of Virtual ID"
CNN (06/20/25) John Liu
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The Register (U.K.)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has unveiled an online platform to monitor and analyze the impact of AI across the global energy sector. The Energy and AI Observatory features interactive tools to explore datacenter electricity consumption and the scale of digital infrastructure by region, and provides case studies to illustrate how AI is being deployed across the energy sector itself, as well as its impacts. Release of the tool comes after the IEA reported earlier this year that the energy consumed by datacenters worldwide is set to more than double by 2030.
From "Interactive IEA Tracker Shows Where AI Guzzles the Most Energy"
The Register (U.K.) (06/19/25) Dan Robinson
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Bloomberg
Refael Franco, a former Israeli cybersecurity official who now heads the cybersecurity crisis firm Code Blue, warned on public radio last week that Iran is collecting real-time intelligence on Israel by hacking into private security cameras. Franco said Iran is using the cameras to assess the damage from its ballistic missiles in Tel Aviv in hopes of improving their precision. After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the Israeli government issued nonbinding directives urging citizens to strengthen the information security on their personal security cameras.
From "Iran Hijacking Security Cameras in Israel to Spy"
Bloomberg (06/20/25) Marissa Newman
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The Washington Post
Tesla launched its first Robotaxi rides in Austin on Sunday, more than a decade after CEO Elon Musk first pitched the idea. Musk said the company was being “super paranoid about safety” ahead of the launch. The vehicles were limited to certain areas in Austin and included a safety monitor. Austin was chosen as Tesla's initial launch site for the service because of Texas' relatively relaxed regulatory environment for autonomous vehicles.
From "Tesla Launches Robotaxi in Austin"
The Washington Post (06/22/25) Trisha Thadani; Joshua Partlow
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Ars Technica
The open-access Marine Organizational Body Size (MOBS) database, available through GitHub, has collected body size data for more than 85,000 marine animal species, enabling new research on the ocean's biodiversity and global ecosystem. The database currently covers 40% of all described marine animal species, with a goal of achieving 75% coverage. Lead creator Craig McClain (pictured) of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette said the project is basically constructing a "library of [marine] life."
From "New Database for Marine Animals Is a “Library of Life”"
Ars Technica (06/21/25) Jennifer Ouellette
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