Technology News of last week

A zero-click Android flaw let attackers crash phones with a specially crafted SMS messageRepeated messages could trigger reboot loops, disrupt calls, and even affect emergency connectivityGoogle patched supported Android versions, but many end-of-life devices remain permanently vulnerablePicture this: You’re talking on your Android phone when all of a sudden you just lose mobile connectivity and your phone call drops. No explanation, no notification. Soon after, it happens again. And again. At one point, the device goes into recovery mode, rebooting every minute and a half until you finally perform a factory reset.This is not a theoretical scenario - it is a real possibility, thanks to a critical-severity vulnerability in Android tracked as CVE-2026-58882. Google has patched the issue for newer versions of Android, but those who are past their end-of-life date will remain at risk.Sending an evil messageThe bug was discovered by security researcher Mark Blah and described as a zero-click denial of service (DoS) vulnerability. In more technical terms, it is an “improper validation of a header-length value” bug in Android’s WapPushOverSms.decodeWapPdu function. It was nicknamed “SMS of Death” because it can be exploited with nothing more than an SMS message, which the victims doesn’t even have to open (hence the ‘zero-click’ part). As Blah discovered, a threat actor could send a malformed eight-byte WAP Push message to an Android device’s port 2948: 01 06 88 80 80 80 00 BE. Since this is a hex message, when it gets translated into a signed 32-bit integer, it becomes -2147483648. Android can then try to allocate memory using this negative value, triggering a NegativeArraySizeException error that crashes the com.android.phone process. Since this process manages cellular functions, the call is dropped and mobile connectivity is disrupted. Even emergency services are susceptible, it was said. It gets worse. Android processes messages before they reach the inbox, meaning the victim will not be notified of the SMS and won’t even know it’s the text message that’s crashing the system. Also, some carriers will attempt to redeliver messages that never reached the inbox, extending the agony. Android also does its part by constantly trying to process messages already stored on the phone. Finally, Blah found that if a malicious actor sends 20 or more messages, they can force the device into a reboot loop. On an Android 12 device, they can force looped recovery mode, leaving factory reset as the only viable option. Patching the SMS of DeathInitially, all Android versions were affected, it was said. Google patched it for versions 14 through 17, but older devices will not be getting a patch and thus will remain at risk indefinitely. The fix is called “Fix remote DoS in decodeWapPdu”, and apparently it prevents the crashes by catching exceptions triggered when Android processes malformed text messages. It also deletes these messages from the SMS database so that they don’t trigger repeat crashes. Blah has released a proof-of-concept (PoC), showing the wider community exactly how to exploit the flaw, and BleepingComputer reported that a GitHub contributor found a way to remove the malicious message, but it requires more technical knowledge, which is something the majority of mobile phone users probably won’t have. Still, those interested in tinkering should know that it can be removed via a computer, using Android Debug Bridge (ADB). Google apparently patched the bug in its October 2026 Android security updates, but that doesn’t automatically mean all Android users are safe. Unlike Apple’s ecosystem, Android is diversified, and different manufacturers have different update cadences. Therefore, while we can assume Pixel users have likely already received this update, Samsung users, as well as those using Xiaomi, Motorola, or OnePlus devices, will probably have to wait a little longer until their manufacturers apply the fix to their devices and push the update. Still, since the PoC has been released, it’s safe to assume most Android manufacturers have already pushed their updates. Users are advised to install them as soon as possible.

OpenAI could call its data centers 'AI compute campuses'Public perception is low as energy prices rise across the USStargate Project is about halfway to adding 10GW by 2029OpenAI is considering a new name for its biggest data centers as it looks to improve public perceptions of AI infrastructure amid ongoing political debate.Instead of calling them data centers, the ChatGPT maker is considering a rebrand to 'AI compute campuses' to give the facilities a name which sounds more economically positive.OpenAI hasn't directly announced these plans, however Axios reports that the changes could come as soon as this week, following US midterm elections on November 3 2026.OpenAI could rename data centers to 'AI compute campuses'It seems that the company is anticipating major political changes and the possibility that the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives, which would result in a more challenging regulatory environment.OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told Axios that he expects AI to be an ongoing political debate beyond the midterm elections."Communities should hold companies responsible and accountable so they really and truly get a transformative benefit from these projects," he added.OpenAI has already been making efforts to win communities over, promising to partner with local communities to understand local needs. "We commit to paying our own way on energy, so that our operations don't increase your electricity prices," the company said at the start of 2026. Energy prices are a big sticking point for US citizens.A May 2026 report revealed that US states could face energy price hikes of between 6% and 29% by the end of the decades, and the US is already on course to re-open disused nuclear facilities to keep up with demand.But OpenAI's expansions are far from over. Stargate alone is a project anticipated to add 10GW of AI compute to the US by 2029, and it's still got just under halfway to go.

CEO of leading production company says unless pay or exposure are high, creators are ‘not that interested’ in TV Broadcasters need content creators more than creators need them due to the shift in how the public consumes media, according to a leading production company backed by Elisabeth Murdoch. Founded 10 years ago, the trajectory of creator-led After Party Studios (APS) reflects the disruption of the old TV broadcasting model by content creators, as it makes what it calls “culturally relevant” shows with stars such as the YouTuber KSI and F1 driver Max Verstappen that pull in millions of views. Continue reading...

Pups that carry your shopping are one thing – but what about the mechanical canines being bought up in the US by ICE? Or the mutant mutts due to be developed by a startup called Warhound? Have you ever wanted to hang out with a dog with no fur, no face and a chip in its shoulder? If so, I suggest you head to San Francisco, where a startup called Dimensional has been paying people $20 (£15) an hour to walk four-legged robot dogs. This isn’t because the dogs need the exercise – it is because the company needs the training data. As reported in the New York Times, the goal is to develop “operating systems that can integrate with AI agents so the machines can act more independently”. What exactly will these machines do when they can act more independently? The founder of Dimensional insists they will help people. They might carry groceries home, for example, which is certainly something my tiny chihuahua-mix is incapable of. Continue reading...

Search queries are growing at their fastest rate in five years, Google parent Alphabet said in its earnings report last week. However, Google's Search revenue growth slowed to 12 percent year over year in the third quarter, down from roughly 17 percent in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, growth in paid clicks - clicks on ads […]

Documents show Home Office developing programme to use technology for general immigration enforcement The Home Office is preparing to deploy facial recognition technology at transport hubs and public events as part of the biggest immigration enforcement crackdown in British history. Policy documents show the government has been developing a programme to deploy live facial recognition (LFR) cameras for “general immigration enforcement”, including non-criminal immigration offences. Continue reading...

Temperature and defrosting thresholds raised to ‘very high levels’ at three cold stores stocking vital blood products France’s national blood service has said hackers accessed control systems and boosted temperatures at three cold stores stocking vital blood products, in an apparent escalation of recent cyber-attacks on fridges and freezers across Europe. The French blood service (EFS) said temperature and defrosting thresholds had been raised to “very high levels” in the attack, adding that its alarm systems had allowed technicians to intervene before the products were compromised. Continue reading...

The fact our TVs are gathering our information isn't new, but what and how they're tracking - and if we can stop it - is hard to figure out. Researchers at Northeastern University monitored 12 TVs from 10 manufacturers to test whether opting out of automatic content recognition (ACR) actually works. While opting out was […]

Centre for Public Integrity report says mandatory audit and public register of all automated decision-making needed Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The federal government is “sleepwalking its way into another robodebt” scandal amid a lack of transparency and legislation around use of algorithms and artificial intelligence in decisions, the chief executive of independent thinktank the Centre for Public Integrity said. Dr Catherine Williams launched the centre’s “Computer Says No” report on Thursday, which examines the use of automated decision-making (ADM) tools by the government and calls for urgent reform. Continue reading...

SpaceX is teaming up with Qualcomm to build out its nationwide mobile network. Under the multi-year deal, SpaceX will bring Qualcomm's Dragonwing technology to "tens of thousands" of 5G cell sites across the US, with the first deployments set for 2027. The news of the partnership comes as part of SpaceX's push to make Starlink […]

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) that oversees the wireless standard has formally adopted Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) as an optional feature of the Bluetooth Core 7.0. It's an upgrade the Bluetooth SIG has been previewing over the past year that increases Bluetooth LE's maximum supported bit rate from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps. […]

James Talarico, the Democratic Texas senator-elect, not only managed to flip the state in yesterday's midterms but prevailed in the most expensive Senate election to date. More than $573 million was spent on advertisements between Talarico, his Republican opponent Ken Paxton, and their aligned PACs. And a big chunk of that money came from just […]

Rian Johnson is an analog photography devotee. The director of Knives Out and The Last Jedi can often be spotted on set with a Leica M6 at his side, documenting production on film. But sometimes, it's still easier to reach for a phone. So Johnson started wondering if the photos from his iPhone could be […]

Anker announced a new indoor security camera that's designed to watch your yard, driveway, or front porch through a window, instead of monitoring what's inside your home. The new Anker Eufy Window Camera E10 takes a similar approach to the Wyze Window Cam that launched nearly a year ago. It installs right against a window […]

Nintendo is about to lose a major memory supplier for its Switch cartridges. The supplier, Macronix, announced during a recent quarterly earnings call that it would be gradually phasing out ROM production and is instead focusing on NOR flash memory for data centers, Taipei Times reports. Macronix's ROM revenue fell 39 percent compared to last […]

ChatGPT can now create GIFs using a prompt or a photo uploaded to the AI chatbot. The update, which is rolling out alongside OpenAI's new Images 2.6 model, allows you to adjust the GIF's animation speed, edit individual frames, and share it with others. Before this change, ChatGPT couldn't natively generate GIFs in a single […]

Apple will start checking iCloud items that are accessible to anyone who has the link for "harmful content" starting with iOS 27.3 and other 27.3 updates, the company says. "When you share an item that can be accessed by Anyone with the Link in version 27.3 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, that […]

I revealed yesterday that the new Xbox Nano controller supports a Wi-Fi connection directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and now Microsoft is making it official today. Two new Xbox previews will let players try out using a phone as a controller on smart TVs, as well as cloud connect on the Xbox Nano to connect […]

Owners of pilates and yoga studios in the US got political and encouraged their followers to vote on social media Your local pilates instructors only want you to do two things: breathe through your side-planks and vote. In the days leading up to the US midterm elections, a wave of posts from fitness and wellness accounts blanketed Instagram, eschewing their typical messaging around the importance of strengthening your core in favor of the importance of exercising your civic duty. Owners of pilates and yoga studios and instructors across the US posted reels and pictures on platforms like Instagram encouraging their followers and clients to vote. Engagement varied depending on their following: posts reaped anywhere from 70 to more than 10,000 likes. Continue reading...

Minister hints at restriction on selling technology ‘to certain users’ amid worries over surreptitious filming of women Restrictions on smart glasses are being considered by the government, a minister has said, amid concerns that the technology is being used to surreptitiously film women. Speaking in the House of Commons, the safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur hinted at a ban on selling the technology “to certain users”. Continue reading...

AT&T's smart home security system now integrates with Gemini for Home. The company says its Connected Life system is the "first" home security product to integrate with Google Home Premium, enabling a bunch of Gemini-powered features that can summarize home events, search your video history, and more. With the update, Gemini for Home can provide […]

With smartphone sales tanking by around 20 percent compared to 2025, Qualcomm is looking to data centers to help boost its bottom line. During its Q4 2026 earnings call, the company laid out its plans to make a splash in the AI data center business, through partnerships with companies like Amazon and Meta announced earlier […]