Your fear of flying is only going to get worse once you hear what these white hat hackers figured out to do with a popular airliner.

As Wired reports, a team of security researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Oberlin College created a device the size of a coin that can take over the autopilot system of a Boeing 737 and change its flight plan, not to mention tampering with key values in its takeoff and fuel calculations. 

According to its creators, the device could also change the data on a pilot’s screen so they don’t notice anything’s amiss — or even trick a pilot into making a disastrous decision.

“If you could get 60 seconds with an airplane, what could you do?” Stefan Savage, a UCSL professor who led the project, asked Wired. “Well, it turns out there’s a port that’s externally accessible. You can get to it with no special tools in about 15 seconds. And you can shove in a piece of electronics a little bigger than a quarter that lets you basically tell the autopilot what to do and lie to the pilot about changes to the flight plan.”

The attack relies on plugging the device, which costs less than $100, into a port hidden by a hatch on the exterior of the plane, which the researchers say is easily within reach of maintenance workers and airline staff. Once the device is plugged in, it could connect to the plane’s in-flight Wi-Fi system and allow a hacker to remotely control the aircraft’s systems from terra firma.

As Savage explained to Wired, his team found this vulnerability after spending years cobbling together 737 computer parts to effectively recreate the plane’s nervous system. Inspired by credit card skimming devices that plug into ATMs to steal your information, they realized that an entire aircraft could be broken into by physically plugging a device into its internal “bus” — the system that connects different components of its computer. 

And after digging through Boeing wiring diagrams, they found their way in: a port carrying data between the plane’s Flight Manage Computer and the pilot’s display unit, accessible from an unlocked hatch on the plane’s exterior. 

It was like finding “the goddamn exhaust port on the Death Star,” Savage told Wired.

The havoc a hacker wreaks using their attack could be catastrophic. They could feed the pilot the wrong information about the air temperature outside or about the weight of its cargo and passengers and cause them to miss the speed they need for takeoff before running out of runway, Wired noted. Or they could suddenly change its navigation and crash it into a mountain.

The attacks could also be far more sneaky.

“It could be something as subtle as, you’re in the Pacific, you see blue everywhere, and this diverts you 3 degrees off course, and now you’re in the middle of nowhere,” Aaron Schulman, another UCSD professor working on the project, told the magazine.

Savage and Schulman shared their findings with Boeing six years ago and have worked closely with the company to explore the vulnerability.

But the researchers say that Boeing hasn’t told them about any fix to the vulnerabilities they found. In fact, they say it’s likely that it any fix may not have been implemented yet, since commercial airplanes are rarely redesigned.

You shouldn’t panic though, they insist.

“All of the authors of this paper routinely travel on Boeing 737 aircraft and expect to continue doing so,” they wrote in their paper.

Beau Woods, a former adviser to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Boeing’s Industry Cyber Technical Council, was alarmed by the findings.

“It is entirely possible to have someone who is on staff go up to an airplane when it’s on the ground, going through maintenance, and put this type of thing in there,” Woods told Wired.

“This is something the aviation industry will want to plan to defend against,” Savage agreed. “I would not sleep on this one.”

More on aviation: Why Aren’t Any AI Companies Watching Their Frontier Models to Make Sure They Don’t Go on Hacking Sprees?

The post Hackers Created a Device That Can Take Over a Boeing 737 Jet’s Autopilot Without Anyone Noticing appeared first on Futurism.

Fei-Fei Li, aka The Godmother of AI, says the biggest AI risk in education may be students losing the motivation and agency to learn, rather than simply using the technology to cheat. She argues against banning AI outright, saying it can be valuable when used to support engaged students instead of replacing the thinking and struggle that learning requires. Techspot reports: Speaking on an episode of the science podcast Huberman Lab this week, Li talked about the fears around how students are using AI. "The absolute bad outcome is that our young generation, their agency and human-level motivation of learning and living is taken away by tools," the ImageNet inventor warned. "It should not be taken away by humans nor should it be taken away by machines." If we see a generation of graduates who have completely relied on AI without actively trying to learn anything for themselves, they risk leaving education without having "properly developed the brain," Li said. [...] Li certainly isn't advocating for a complete ban on students using AI. She believes it can genuinely help struggling students who are already engaged in their learning. Li herself noted how she struggled with organic chemistry as a premed student, when teaching assistants and professors didn't have enough time to answer every question. While there's no obvious solution, Li says we need to find a way to keep children and students' motivation and agency. "Let's find a way to give them the access and the right way of using these tools," she said. Li added that if AI is used properly in education, it could make the students of the future "way smarter than us because they are superpowered."

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The CFTC has ordered Kalshi to keep operating in New York, claiming the state's lawsuit against the prediction market created a "market emergency." They said it acted "to ensure market stability" and "ordered the exchange to continue to operate in accordance with the Commodity Exchange Act's Core Principles." Ars Technica reports: The market emergency alleged by the CFTC is that New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Kalshi on July 31. James' lawsuit seeks a court order to permanently enjoin Kalshi "from operating an unlawful gambling business" in the state. The lawsuit also demands that Kalshi "make full restitution to customers who have engaged in betting" and pay financial penalties. "New York intends to make event contract derivatives waste away under its iron curtain of state gaming laws before the courts get the chance to issue final rulings," CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said yesterday. "Congress did not intend for derivatives exchanges to be regulated under a patchwork of state gaming laws... New York has no business regulating these interstate financial markets. The commission is required by law to ensure order in these markets, and that is what we have done today." [...] The CFTC says it alone has the power to regulate platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket under the Commodity Exchange Act, a US law that gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over designated contract markets (DCMs). "These are financial exchanges that offer financial instruments and operate across state lines," Selig said yesterday. "They match the bid from a resident of one state with the offer of a resident from another state and submit the trade to a clearinghouse that backstops the transactions of customers throughout the country."

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Researchers at Israeli cybersecurity firm Dream say suspected China-linked hackers used an open-source AI-agent system to conduct what may be the first observed end-to-end autonomous cyberattack against a government. According to the Financial Times (paywalled), the attack compromised at least 85 accounts and resulted in the theft of more than 2,500 personnel records from Taiwanese systems. Tom's Hardware reports: The campaign reportedly ran for four days at the beginning of July and at times deployed as many as eight autonomous agents in parallel. Dream said the system mapped 21 government systems before compromising user accounts and extracting personnel information. The attackers subsequently expanded their activity to Taiwan's nuclear safety agency, at least seven energy companies, government suppliers, and other government systems. Dream says it found the evidence inside a 160-megabyte (160MB) online archive that surfaced during its broader tracking of cyberthreat actors. The archive reportedly held 1,395 files showing that the tool was built on two open-source AI agent systems -- Hermes and OpenClaw -- both of which can be downloaded freely and are designed to let large language models carry out multi-step tasks on their own. Researchers could not determine which underlying model powered the agents, but the data reportedly showed the model's safeguards had been sidestepped by presenting the intrusion as an authorized penetration test rather than a real attack. Of particular concern is that the toolkit for the hack comprised such easily available systems, neither of which was purpose-built for offense. The operators appear to have assembled a capable autonomous tool out of components any developer can pull down and run. What the researchers describe as the tool's most striking feature was its ability to continuously devise attacks on its own, rather than follow a preprogrammed route. The platform continuously assessed available evidence, ranked possible attack paths, and reprioritized them as circumstances changed. When one technique failed, the tool tasked another agent with searching the internet for information and developing an alternative approach.

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A local post office owner in Liverpool says he has never seen anything like the surge in demand for solar eclipse glasses, describing the rush as “crazy” as customers race to secure a pair before the celestial event.

The specialist glasses, which are essential for safely viewing a solar eclipse without damaging the eyes, have become a hot commodity as public excitement builds. Unlike ordinary sunglasses, eclipse glasses use specially designed filters that block out nearly all visible light, as well as harmful ultraviolet and infrared radiation, allowing viewers to look directly at the sun during the event without risking permanent eye damage.

Retailers across the region are reportedly struggling to keep pace with orders, with stock disappearing almost as soon as it arrives. The shortage highlights both the growing public interest in astronomical events and the challenges small businesses face when demand spikes unexpectedly. Experts continue to stress that looking directly at the sun without proper protection, even during a partial eclipse, can cause serious and irreversible eye damage, making certified eclipse glasses a crucial purchase for anyone hoping to witness the phenomenon safely.

As the date of the eclipse approaches, shoppers are being urged to act quickly and to verify that any glasses they purchase meet recognized international safety standards, as counterfeit or substandard products have previously circulated during periods of high demand.

The post Eclipse Glasses Fly Off Shelves as Skywatchers Scramble to Prepare first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

Skywatchers across Scotland are keeping their fingers crossed as forecasts suggest cloud cover could obscure much of the country’s view of the upcoming solar eclipse. The partial eclipse, a striking celestial event where the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, has generated excitement among astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers alike, but weather conditions may dampen the spectacle for many.

Meteorologists note that cloud patterns can shift in the hours leading up to the eclipse, so there remains hope that breaks in the cloud cover could offer fleeting glimpses of the phenomenon in some areas. Regions with clearer skies stand the best chance of witnessing the Moon’s shadow creep across the Sun, while those under thick cloud may need to rely on live broadcasts or online streams to experience the event.

Solar eclipses offer a valuable opportunity for scientific observation and public engagement with astronomy, reminding us of the dynamic relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun. Experts continue to remind viewers never to look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection, such as certified eclipse glasses, even when the Sun is partially obscured. Those hoping to catch the event are encouraged to check localized weather updates as the time approaches, since conditions can change quickly and vary significantly between regions of Scotland.

The post Cloudy Skies May Block Scotland’s View of Solar Eclipse first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

A significant pollution incident has devastated fish populations along a 5-kilometer stretch of the Kilkeel River in Northern Ireland’s Mourne Mountains area, with officials warning that multiple generations of fish have been effectively wiped out.

The Department of Environment confirmed the extent of the damage, describing a scene of substantial ecological harm along the waterway. Rivers like the Kilkeel serve as vital habitats for fish species, and the destruction of multiple generations suggests both breeding adults and juvenile fish have perished, a setback that could take years to reverse.

Pollution incidents of this scale typically stem from agricultural runoff, chemical spills, or wastewater discharge, though the specific cause has not been detailed. Such events often deplete oxygen levels in the water or introduce toxins directly harmful to aquatic life, leaving rivers unable to support fish populations until natural recovery processes—or active restocking efforts—take hold.

Environmental officials are expected to continue investigating the source of the contamination as part of efforts to prevent future incidents and support the river’s long-term recovery. The Mourne Mountains area is prized for its natural beauty and biodiversity, making this loss particularly concerning for local conservationists and anglers who rely on healthy river ecosystems.

The post Pollution Incident Wipes Out Generations of Fish in Kilkeel River first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

A hydrogen combustion vehicle has roared into the record books, hitting a top speed of 406 miles per hour and smashing the previous benchmark set back in 2004. The new mark is more than double the speed of that earlier record, marking a major leap forward for hydrogen-based propulsion technology in high-performance applications.

The achievement highlights growing momentum behind hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels, not just for everyday transportation but for extreme engineering feats as well. Unlike battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen combustion cars burn hydrogen fuel directly, producing power through a modified combustion process while emitting primarily water vapor rather than carbon dioxide. This makes the technology an intriguing middle ground between traditional internal combustion engines and zero-emission electric drivetrains.

Land speed record attempts have long served as proving grounds for emerging automotive technology, and this run is no exception. Engineers and clean energy advocates see the milestone as evidence that hydrogen power can compete on performance, not just sustainability credentials. As governments and manufacturers continue investing in hydrogen infrastructure, from fueling stations to industrial applications, records like this help build public confidence that clean energy vehicles don’t have to sacrifice speed or excitement.

While hydrogen combustion vehicles remain a niche category compared to battery-electric cars, breakthroughs like this one could help accelerate research and investment into hydrogen as a broader climate solution, particularly for sectors like aviation, shipping, and heavy trucking, where battery weight remains a significant hurdle.

The post Hydrogen-Powered Car Shatters Land Speed Record with 406 MPH Run first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

In October 1982, engineers in Paraguay and Brazil closed the gates along the Paraná River, setting in motion the slow flooding of a valley that would soon disappear beneath the reservoir of what became the world’s largest dam by energy output. As the waters rose, they swallowed forests, riverbanks, and islands that had teemed with life for generations, forcing one of the most urgent wildlife rescue efforts in South American history.

Conservationists and volunteers scrambled against the clock, wading into rising floodwaters to capture and relocate thousands of stranded animals—from sloths and monkeys to snakes, birds, and small mammals—before their habitat vanished entirely. The operation, born of necessity rather than long-term planning, revealed both the resilience of wildlife rescue teams and the harsh trade-offs that come with large-scale hydroelectric development.

The flooding of the Itaipu reservoir ultimately submerged hundreds of square miles of subtropical forest, reshaping the region’s ecology and displacing countless species along with local communities. While the dam has since become a cornerstone of clean energy production for both nations, supplying a significant share of their electricity, its creation stands as a stark reminder of the ecological costs embedded in even the most celebrated renewable energy projects.

Decades later, the story of the 1982 rescue continues to inform conversations about how nations balance the promise of hydropower with the irreversible loss of biodiversity, raising questions that remain urgent as new dam projects are proposed across the globe.

The post When the Itaipu Dam Rose, a Desperate Wildlife Rescue Began first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

Crowds gathered across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to witness a striking celestial event as the moon partially obscured the sun in a rare partial solar eclipse. Armed with specialised viewing glasses, telescopes fitted with solar filters, and pinhole projectors, spectators young and old turned their eyes skyward to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

The eclipse offered a dramatic reminder of the intricate mechanics governing our solar system, as the moon’s shadow crept across the sun’s face, temporarily dimming daylight and casting an eerie glow over the countryside. Astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers alike described the experience as awe-inspiring, with many capturing photographs to mark the occasion.

Local astronomy clubs and community groups had organised viewing events in parks, schools and public spaces, providing safe equipment and guidance to ensure onlookers could enjoy the spectacle without risking eye damage from direct sunlight exposure. Experts had urged the public in the days leading up to the event to avoid looking directly at the sun without proper protection.

Partial solar eclipses, while less dramatic than total eclipses, still offer a valuable opportunity for both amateur and professional astronomers to study solar activity and inspire public interest in space science. Such events also serve as a reminder of the delicate cosmic alignments that shape our understanding of the natural world, encouraging renewed curiosity about the skies above.

The post Skywatchers Across South East England Marvel at Rare Partial Solar Eclipse first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

Skywatchers across Yorkshire turned their eyes upward as crowds gathered in York, Leeds, and Bradford to witness the most significant solar eclipse visible from the region since 1999. The rare celestial event drew families, students, and astronomy enthusiasts alike to public squares and open spaces, many armed with specialized eclipse glasses and homemade viewing devices to safely observe the spectacle.

Onlookers described the experience as “incredible,” with many noting the eerie dimming of daylight as the moon passed between the Earth and the sun. In York, crowds packed public viewing areas, while similar scenes unfolded in Leeds and Bradford, where local astronomy groups and science centers set up telescopes and provided guidance on safe viewing practices.

The eclipse offered a rare opportunity for the public to engage directly with a dramatic astronomical phenomenon, sparking widespread interest in solar science and inspiring curiosity about future celestial events. Local schools and community organizations used the occasion to educate the public about the mechanics of eclipses and the importance of protecting eyesight when observing the sun.

Events like this eclipse serve as reminders of the dynamic relationship between Earth and the wider solar system, offering moments of collective wonder that transcend everyday life. As skies cleared over Yorkshire, the shared experience underscored how such natural phenomena continue to captivate public imagination, uniting communities in a shared moment of awe beneath the same sky.

The post Yorkshire Crowds Marvel at Most Significant Solar Eclipse Since 1999 first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

For the first time in my life, I have a proper garden, and I was determined to make the most of it. Back in spring, I went all in: seeds, trays, pots, grow bags, soil, and a shiny new watering can. My vision was modest but hopeful: a small patch of fruit and vegetables, flowers to attract pollinators, and a chance to teach my eldest child how things grow, and how to handle it when they don’t.

We started with tomatoes, a household favorite. The seedlings sprouted with promise, only to shrivel and die in the season’s first heatwave. It felt like a bad sign. The dahlias, ranunculus, and freesias I’d planted refused to bloom at all. Slowly, my gardening enthusiasm began to fade.

What started as a cozy parent-child project in patience and resilience is beginning to feel like something else entirely: a small, personal front line in the climate crisis. As heatwaves become more frequent and intense across Britain, pushing more regions into drought, the simple act of growing your own food is no longer just a hobby. It’s a test of adaptability, and increasingly, a luxury that requires more water, more vigilance, and more heartbreak than it once did.

My family’s failed harvest is a tiny story, but it echoes a much bigger one, as gardeners, allotment holders, and small-scale growers across the country grapple with unpredictable weather patterns that are reshaping how, and whether, we can grow our own food at all.

The post My Garden Dreams Wilted in the Heat, and Now I Wonder If Home Gardening Is a Climate-Era Luxury first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

A stunning drone video capturing dozens of stingrays swimming together off the coast of New York has drawn widespread attention from beachgoers and marine life enthusiasts alike. The footage offers an unusual bird’s-eye perspective on cownose rays, a species known for its seasonal visits to Long Island’s waters.

Captured last Friday off Southampton, the video was filmed by Joanna Steidle, a Hamptons-based drone pilot recognized for her striking aerial ocean photography. The clip shows a large group of cownose rays gliding gracefully just beneath the water’s surface, their distinctive wing-shaped bodies visible in remarkable detail.

Cownose rays, which can grow wing spans of up to three feet, are known for traveling in large schools and typically arrive in the region during the warmer summer months. Despite their somewhat intimidating appearance, marine scientists describe the species as shy and generally harmless to humans, posing little threat to swimmers or beachgoers who might encounter them.

While the sight of so many rays moving together may seem unusual to casual observers, experts note that this behavior is a normal part of their seasonal pattern and that these creatures have likely been visiting Long Island’s coastal waters for decades. The viral footage has offered a rare glimpse into a natural phenomenon that typically goes unnoticed by those on shore, highlighting the rich marine biodiversity present just off New York’s beaches during summer.

The post Drone Captures Rare Aerial View of Stingray Migration Off Long Island first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

At sunrise, the yacht Boaventura II departs Rio de Janeiro carrying a boatload of eager whale watchers. Just past the Cagarras Islands, a rocky archipelago three miles from Ipanema beach, passengers crowd the bow, eyes fixed on the horizon.

Their patience is quickly rewarded. A pod of bottlenose dolphins surfaces first, leaping and diving playfully near the boat. Moments later, two plumes of mist rise into the air—the telltale sign of humpback whales. The massive creatures breathe rhythmically at the surface before diving, their distinctive tail flukes briefly visible above the waves.

This scene, once unimaginable, has become increasingly common off Rio’s coast. Humpback whales, hunted to near extinction during the 20th century whaling era, have made a remarkable comeback in Brazilian waters. Their resurgence has sparked a booming whale-watching tourism industry, drawing visitors eager to witness these ocean giants up close.

Yet the very success story that brings tourists to the water is now raising concerns among marine biologists. As boat traffic increases to meet demand, researchers are questioning whether unchecked tourism growth could threaten the fragile recovery of the species. The challenge now facing Rio: how to celebrate and share this conservation triumph without loving the whales back toward danger.

The post Humpback Whales Return to Rio De Janeiro’s Waters, but Can Tourism and Conservation Coexist? first appeared on EnviroLink Network.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: On Monday, passengers aboard Delta flight 591 going from Las Vegas to Atlanta allegedly spoofed the onboard Wi-Fi, raising the attention of federal law enforcement. The incident came one day after the DEF CON security conference concluded in Las Vegas, and was first described on social media accounts that follow publicly available air-to-ground messages, known as ACARS. According to the "ACARS Drama" account, a message was sent by pilots from the plane stated: "NO INFO AS OF NOW WE HAVE A BUNCH OF PAX THAT WERE AT A CYBER CONFERENCE IN LAS THEY WERE ABLE TO JAM OUR WIFI AND BROADCAST THEIR SIGNAL." A description of the incident posted to Reddit further stated that these passengers created a fake hotspot ("Delta WiFi Fast"), with a phishing landing page "designed to harvest passengers' personal credentials." This technique, sometimes known as an "evil twin" attack, has been long-known to the IT security community. It involves setting up a fake Wi-Fi network and then capturing login credentials and other data. "One initial finding is an unauthorized WiFi network, which was not provided, operated, or supplied by Delta, was present onboard the aircraft for a short time during the flight," said a Delta spokesperson. Delta further noted that the flight's safety was "never in question and no aircraft operating systems were affected," and that no emergency was declared. Ars notes that the "actual onboard Wi-Fi was disabled for 30 minutes."

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Google has unveiled the $29 Pixel Tag, its long-awaited AirTag rival that combines UWB with Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding for two forms of precision tracking. It launches November 11. The Verge reports: The Pixel Tag is a slim oblong device available in one grayish color -- Fog -- that weighs about 12g, or 0.4oz. Like the AirTag, it has no built-in hooks or clips for attaching to objects you want to track. There's a single button that will trigger a sound on your phone, for the rare occasion when you've got the Tag but have lost your main device. It also has an IP67 rating, so it should be safe from dust and rain. As for the battery, the Pixel Tag takes CR2032 coin batteries, and says one battery should last for over a year. Naturally, it'll be compatible with Google's Find Hub network, which leverages the Bluetooth capabilities of Android devices worldwide to help locate lost objects. [...] Once you're close enough to the Pixel Tag, UWB lets the Find Hub app display the distance and direction to the tracker, so long as you're using a phone with a UWB chip. Channel Sounding is a newer development that can display the exact distance, but not direction, and it will work with any phone or tablet that includes Bluetooth 6.0. The Moto Tag 2 is the only other tracker to currently support it.

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A German digital-rights group has filed a criminal complaint against Meta, Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica, and several retailers over Meta's AI smart glasses, arguing the devices can enable covert recording in violation of German privacy law. Prosecutors have begun a preliminary review, while Germany's network regulator says smart glasses are legal "as long as the recording function is clearly visible." Reuters reports: "There's no place to escape from smart glasses. You have to expect at any moment to be filmed and then exposed on the internet," said HateAid managing director Josephine Ballon. The organization reported the management of Meta, units of spectacles maker EssilorLuxottica including Ray-Ban, as well as retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex and MediaMarkt to the Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit ZIT. HateAid said its complaint was based on a federal digital data protection law that prohibits the sale of communication devices designed to film people without them noticing. ZIT confirmed it received a complaint from HateAid invoking that law, saying it would routinely investigate on a preliminary basis whether there are grounds for a deeper probe. MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group said it was taking the complaint very seriously, adding that its suppliers had contractual obligations for all goods to be compliant with the law. Mister Spex said it had not been officially notified of a complaint and that it was taking protection of privacy very seriously.

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At its Made by Google 2026 event today, Google unveiled a slew of new devices, headlined by the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Here's a breakdown of the company's latest smartphones, provided by TechCrunch: Pixel 11: The standard Pixel 11 gets a redesigned camera bar that is thinner than the one on the previous generation. Google says the new camera bar is more than 40% thinner and now uses an all-glass surface that stretches across the width of the phone. Google is also increasing the base storage to 256GB, doubling the previous starting capacity. The starting price for the new model is set at $899, reflecting a $100 increase compared to the Pixel 10. This price hike comes with the decision to drop the 128GB storage option. Plus, the ongoing RAM supply shortage plays a part in this increase. Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL: Google is making durability a bigger part of the Pro lineup. The company says the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL have improved drop resistance and a new anti-scratch display coating that provides more than twice the scratch resistance of the Pixel 10 Pro models. The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, compared to $999 for the Pixel 10 Pro. Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Google says the new foldable is nearly 10% lighter and almost 1mm thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It also has slimmer bezels, a 48-megapixel main camera, and 30x Super Zoom. The company is also building on the IP68 water and dust resistance introduced with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold uses a glass-fiber composite back cover designed to better withstand cracking, while a redesigned hinge offers additional protection for the inner display. Google says the changes make the model three times more durable than its predecessor. There were also several new Gemini-powered features unveiled at the event. Google is expanding "Live Transcribe" to support American Sign Language, using the Pixel Camera to translate signing into text in real time. A new voice-input feature called "Rambler" is designed to understand natural, unstructured speech, including filler words and run-on sentences. Google is also integrating "Circle to Search" more directly into the Pixel Camera for identifying objects, translating text, and asking questions about what users see.

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The FAA says its push to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers has helped it hire more than 2,000 trainees, reaching 94% of its hiring goal. Another 2,000-plus candidates are in the pipeline. CBS News reports: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a recent social media post that the federal agency's recruitment campaign to recruit gamers as air traffic controllers has been a "game changer" for the Federal Aviation Administration. [...] When Duffy announced the initiative in April, he acknowledged that the Transportation Department needed to extend its reach to recruit prospective air traffic controllers. "A lot of what they do playing games ... is what they do ... controlling traffic in the air," Duffy told CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave in an interview on Tuesday at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. Duffy added that many current trainees started out as gamers. Only about 25% of controllers hold a traditional college degree, while former controllers note that gaming requires many of the same skills that air traffic controllers use on the job, such as thinking quickly, staying focused and managing multiple sources of information as they guide more than 80,000 flights to their destinations daily.

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alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Scientists from the Czech Republic have created microscopic cleanup robots that successfully removed microplastics from both soil and aquatic environments in the lab. Details of their work are published in the journal npg Asia Materials. To build the robots, researchers started with microscopic MXene particles made of ultrathin, stacked layers. The material has a large surface area and surface chemistry that help it attract and hold plastic. They then coated the particles with magnetic nickel nanoparticles so rotating magnetic fields could drive the tiny robots. Then came the testing phase. The team placed swarms of these microbots into water and soil samples contaminated with plastic. The externally generated magnetic fields made the robots spin and tumble through the liquid and squeeze through tiny water-filled gaps in the soil. "In soil environments, the microrobots can navigate through water-permeated soil microenvironments, actively disrupt microplastic entrapment within soil matrices, and extract them," the study authors commented in their paper. As they moved, their sticky surfaces collided with microplastics, binding to them and dragging them along. The researchers then used a magnet to pull the microrobots, along with their trapped plastic cargo, out of the samples. They performed well. In water, they removed about 94% of test polystyrene particles and 89% of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in around an hour. In the model soil, they removed about 81% of the polystyrene and 72% of PET. This outperformed the same MXene material used without magnetic motion, which relied on passive adsorption rather than actively moving through soil and water.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.