Remove and Disable Apple Macos27 AI Models Tool
A tool called RemoveMacAI is available to disable and remove Apple MacOS27 AI models. The repository provides code and instructions for users wanting to manage these AI models. (github.com)
Security
Improper redaction reveals Google Data Center water and electricity usage
Redactions in Nebraska data center reports reveal the Google Data Center in Lincoln used 52.65 megawatts of electricity and 13 million gallons of water last year. The water usage is less than half of Lincoln's total municipal consumption, highlighting transparency issues in reporting. (1011now.com)
The daily digest
Today's best Hacker News stories, summarized and screenshotted, one email a day.
![Homa: The End of TCP for AI Clusters [video]](https://hntoday.pixelshot.io/screenshots/20261004/0cb058d496a24595_tn.jpeg)
Homa: The End of TCP for AI Clusters [video]
Homa introduces a new network protocol designed specifically for AI clusters, replacing traditional TCP. The technology aims to improve performance and scalability for large-scale AI workloads. (youtube.com)
Xray-core concealed a certificate verification bypass vulnerability
Xray-core, a popular proxy software, concealed a vulnerability that allowed bypassing certificate verification for six months. The issue was reported on GitHub and remains unpatched. (github.com)
Page Table Memory Consumption
Page table memory consumption can become significant when multiple processes map the same memory, as each requires its own set of page table entries. This issue is especially notable in systems with many processes sharing large memory regions, leading to increased memory use for page tables despite shared data pages. (frn.sh)
The Work by Valve's Timur Kristóf on Improving Old AMD GPUs on Linux
Timur Kristóf of Valve has improved support for old AMD GCN 1.0/1.1 GPUs on Linux by enhancing the AMDGPU kernel driver, enabling better gaming performance and functionality. His work includes fixing defects, adding features like soft reset support, and transitioning legacy cards from the Radeon driver to AMDGPU, significantly boosting their viability in 2026 and beyond. (phoronix.com)
Treachery in the Rodin Museum 3D Scan Verdict
Cosmo Wenman’s eight-year legal battle against the Rodin Museum over access to 3D scans of sculptures revealed widespread dishonesty and legal misconduct by the museum. French courts ultimately dismissed his case, accepting falsehoods and ignoring evidence that the museum had lied about its compliance with freedom of information laws. (cosmowenman.substack.com)
Your Right to Privacy Doesn't Disappear When You're in Public
Proponents claim there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in public, but this is a misconception. Police restrictions on searches and stops indicate that privacy rights still apply in public spaces. (reason.com)
A parasitic Fibonacci computation inside /usr/bin/top
Terminfo is a Turing-complete language capable of simulating Minsky machines, enabling complex computations within terminal capabilities. This allows for advanced programs, such as a Fibonacci calculator, to run inside terminal escape sequences. (seriot.ch)
We're going to need default hard budget caps on pretty much everything
Default hard budget caps on pay-as-you-go services are essential to prevent unexpected high charges and ensure financial safety. Major cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud have introduced or are rolling out such spend limits, making this a growing trend. (simonwillison.net)
How to hack time, with C2PA
C2PA metadata can be manipulated to verify false timestamps, such as predicting lottery numbers before the draw. Vulnerabilities in the TSA system could enable time-hacking by exploiting exclusion features in the metadata. (da.vidbuchanan.co.uk)
AI doesn't need 'superintelligence' or evil intent to start a nuclear war
AI systems can trigger nuclear conflicts by amplifying human cognitive blind spots and overwhelming decision-makers during crises. Superintelligence is not necessary for AI to escalate nuclear risks, as current systems influence human judgment and actions. (thebulletin.org)
Memory-Safe WebP Decoding
WPD is a new WebP decoder built in Rust that offers faster performance and improved memory safety compared to libwebp. It significantly boosts decoding speed and enhances security by reducing memory safety vulnerabilities, making it a superior replacement for existing WebP tools. (halide.cx)
Court Agrees with EFF: Utah's VPN Law Demands a Technical Impossibility
A court has ruled that Utah's VPN law is technically impossible to comply with. The law requires users to implement impossible security measures for VPNs. (eff.org)
Budapest Memorandum
The Budapest Memorandum, signed in 1994, provides security assurances to Ukraine in connection with its accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The agreement involves Russia, Ukraine, the UK, and the US, and was registered with the UN in 2014. (treaties.un.org)
Federal judge calls Flock 'indiscriminate mass surveillance'
A federal judge ruled that using Flock's license plate reader without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment, calling it 'indiscriminate mass surveillance.' The decision highlights concerns over passive tracking and widespread data collection by law enforcement. (techcrunch.com)
Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of 'unknown' infection
A researcher at a Russian plague laboratory has died from an unidentified infection. Authorities have not disclosed details about the cause of death or the infection. (cnn.com)
RIP, vector database
Turbopuffer is transitioning from its original vector database architecture to a new design that treats ANN as a secondary index, enabling greater scalability and query flexibility. The update involves moving away from primary ANN indexing, which has limited performance, to a more advanced storage structure supporting diverse search plans. (turbopuffer.com)
UK Government Body Kept Files on People Criticizing Prevent Program
A UK government body kept files on individuals criticizing the Prevent counter-extremism program online, with 77 observations made from March 2024 to February 2025. The Prevent Standards and Compliance Unit tracked posts on platforms like X and Reddit, raising concerns about online criticism and surveillance. (reclaimthenet.org)
Car Is a Smartphone on Wheels. Here's Who's Listening
Most modern vehicles with internet connectivity share data with third parties, including advertisers and trackers. A study of 21 vehicles and 30 mobile apps found that many transmit sensitive user information and vehicle identifiers, raising privacy concerns. (automatictransmission.khoury.northeastern.edu)
![Greg Kroah-Hartman – Security in the LLM Age [video]](https://hntoday.pixelshot.io/screenshots/20261002/8b42657275a34a30_tn.jpeg)
Greg Kroah-Hartman – Security in the LLM Age [video]
Greg Kroah-Hartman discusses security challenges related to large language models (LLMs) and the importance of addressing vulnerabilities in AI systems. He emphasizes the need for robust security measures as LLMs become more integrated into technology infrastructure. (youtube.com)
Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in the Linux kernel
Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in the Linux kernel, with a total of 1,313 identified. These security flaws could potentially be exploited by attackers to compromise systems. (lwn.net)
Clef: our open-source decision models
Cloudflare has released Clef, an open-source set of decision models designed to improve security and access control. These models help automate security decisions and enhance protection across Cloudflare's services. (blog.cloudflare.com)
Cloudflare Ohttp Gateway
Cloudflare has announced the Ohttp Gateway, a new security feature designed to enhance secure communications. It aims to improve privacy and security for internet traffic by providing a streamlined gateway solution. (blog.cloudflare.com)
Micro Center requires photo ID and signed no-export pledge to buy gaming GPU
Micro Center now requires customers to present a photo ID and sign a no-export pledge to purchase high-end gaming GPUs. This policy aims to prevent the resale or export of GPUs outside the United States. (tomshardware.com)
Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies from Plague
A laboratory worker in Irkutsk died from plague after breaking a test tube containing live bacteria. Nearly 200 people who had contact with her are under medical observation, but no additional cases have been reported. (themoscowtimes.com)
Updates to Full Disk Access in macOS
Apple is updating macOS to introduce additional controls for Full Disk Access to protect user privacy. These changes will require explicit user consent for apps to access sensitive data, reducing potential security risks. (developer.apple.com)
Barcodes are about to go extinct
QR codes have emerged as a more efficient alternative to traditional barcodes, which require multiple scans and are less versatile. As a result, barcodes are expected to become obsolete in favor of these two-dimensional codes. (thehustle.co)
Google freezes open-source bug bounty program amid flood of invalid AI slop
Google has suspended part of its open-source bug bounty program due to an influx of invalid AI-related submissions. The program's vulnerability reporting ended on October 1. (tomshardware.com)
Git 3.0's upcoming SHA-256 default will be a costly mistake
Git 3.0 will switch its default content hashing algorithm from SHA-1 to SHA-256, which is expected to be extremely costly and offer little practical benefit. Experts warn that this change could create a significant, unnecessary disruption for users worldwide with minimal security gains. (blog.gitbutler.com)
NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor
The NRC issued its first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at TVA's Clinch River site. This milestone signifies progress in deploying advanced nuclear reactors in the United States. (gevernova.com)
Ban Flock Act Proposed in the US Sente
Senators Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and Merkley introduced the Ban Flock Act to stop the use of AI-powered surveillance cameras that track Americans without consent. The legislation would ban federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers and restrict funding to states and localities that deploy this technology. (sanders.senate.gov)