Exploring the TRS-80’s Color BASIC’s Random Number Function
Although these days we get to tap into many sources of entropy to give a pretty good illusion of randomness, home computers back in the 1980s weren’t so lucky. Despite this, their random number generators were good enough for games and such, as demonstrated by the [CoCo Town] YouTube channel.
The CoCo is the nickname for the TRS-80 Color Computer, which despite its name, shares absolutely nothing with the TRS-80. Its BASIC version is called Color BASIC, which like many others was based on Microsoft BASIC, so the video’s description should be valid for many other BASIC versions as well. In the video we’re first taken through a basic summary of what the floating point format is all about, before running through an example of the algorithm used by Color BASIC for its RND function, using a test program written in Color BASIC.
As described in the video, the used algorithm appears to be the linear congruential generator, which is a pseudo-random generator that requires minimal resources from the hardware it runs on. Of course, its main disadvantage is that it will fairly rapidly begin to repeat itself, especially with a limited number of output bits. This makes it a decent choice even today for something like simple game logic where you just want to get some variation without aiming for cryptographically secure levels of randomness.
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Thanks to [Stephen Walters] for the tip.
Il nuovo firmware del Flipper Zero made in DarkWeb, diventa la chiave per ogni auto
Un nuovo firmware personalizzato per il dispositivo multiuso Flipper Zero, è capace di eludere molti dei sistemi di sicurezza con codice variabile, implementati nella maggioranza dei veicoli di ultima generazione, esponendo potenzialmente a rischio di essere rubati milioni di automobili.
Emerge dalle prove presentate dal canale YouTube “Talking Sasquach” che il firmware, presumibilmente in circolazione nel dark web, è in grado di replicare il portachiavi di un veicolo mediante un’unica e rapida intercettazione del segnale.
Per decenni, la sicurezza a codice variabile è stata il punto di riferimento nel settore per consentire l’accesso ai veicoli senza l’uso di chiavi. Il sistema è stato ideato per scongiurare i cosiddetti “attacchi di replay”. Ma un nuovo algoritmo sincronizzato tra il trasmettitore, ovvero il portachiavi, e il ricevitore, cioè il veicolo, ne permette il funzionamento.
Ogni volta che si preme un pulsante, viene generato un codice nuovo, univoco e imprevedibile. Un codice vecchio, una volta utilizzato, viene rifiutato dal veicolo, rendendo inutile la semplice registrazione e ritrasmissione del segnale.
Alcuni esperti di sicurezza sottolineano che si possa trattare di una vulnerabilità nota, descritta in dettaglio in un articolo accademico chiamato “RollBack“. Questo metodo di attacco prevede l’acquisizione di diversi codici e la loro successiva riproduzione sul veicolo in un ordine specifico e manipolato.
Questo inganna il contatore di sincronizzazione del veicolo, facendolo tornare a uno stato precedente, che l’aggressore può sfruttare per ottenere il controllo. Indipendentemente dal metodo preciso, il risultato mostrato nei video è lo stesso: una sola cattura garantisce l’accesso completo. L’elenco dei produttori interessati è lungo e comprende molti marchi noti: Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mitsubishi e Subaru.
youtube.com/embed/wk7BGMkuI8A?…
Gli attacchi precedentemente noti a questo sistema, come “RollJam“, erano tecnicamente complessi e difficili da eseguire nel mondo reale. RollJam richiedeva di bloccare il ricevitore del veicolo per impedirgli di ricevere il primo segnale dal telecomando legittimo, registrando contemporaneamente il codice non utilizzato per un uso successivo.
Questo nuovo exploit, tuttavia, è molto più pericoloso a causa della sua semplicità. Secondo le dimostrazioni, un aggressore che utilizza un Flipper Zero dotato di questo firmware personalizzato deve solo trovarsi nel raggio d’azione per intercettare la pressione di un singolo pulsante sul telecomando del bersaglio, ad esempio mentre il proprietario blocca o sblocca l’auto. Non è necessario alcun jamming.
A partire da quel segnale catturato, il dispositivo può apparentemente effettuare il reverse engineering della sequenza crittografica, consentendogli di emulare tutte le funzioni del portachiavi, tra cui blocco, sblocco e apertura del bagagliaio, creando di fatto una chiave principale. Una conseguenza significativa di questo attacco è che il telecomando originale e legittimo viene immediatamente desincronizzato dal veicolo e cessa di funzionare. Questo potrebbe essere il primo segnale per il proprietario che la sicurezza del suo veicolo è stata compromessa.
Sembrano esserci due teorie principali su come il firmware raggiunga questo obiettivo. Talking Sasquach suggerisce che il metodo implichi il reverse engineering della sequenza di codice rolling, che potrebbe essere stato reso possibile da precedenti fughe di dati sugli algoritmi del produttore o da estesi attacchi brute-force su elenchi di codice noti.
Gravi conseguenze attendono sia i consumatori che i produttori. Purtroppo, la vulnerabilità celata nel ricevitore hardware del veicolo rende impraticabile una soluzione rapida tramite un mero aggiornamento software. Secondo gli esperti, l’unico rimedio efficace sarebbe un massiccio richiamo per sostituire i componenti fisici dei veicoli coinvolti, un’impresa logistica e finanziaria estremamente problematica per il settore automobilistico.
L'articolo Il nuovo firmware del Flipper Zero made in DarkWeb, diventa la chiave per ogni auto proviene da il blog della sicurezza informatica.
Panico da AI: stiamo entrando nella fase più pericolosa della rivoluzione digitale
Negli ultimi mesi, il dibattito sull’intelligenza artificiale ha assunto toni sempre più estremi.
Da un lato, le grandi aziende che sviluppano e vendono soluzioni AI spingono narrazioni apocalittiche, avvertendo che chi non abbraccerà questa tecnologia rischia di essere tagliato fuori dal mercato, o addirittura di soccombere. Dall’altro lato, emergono indagini che raccontano una realtà ben diversa: la fiducia del pubblico e di molte imprese verso l’AI sta diminuendo, in alcuni casi in modo preoccupante. Negli Stati Uniti, questo fenomeno è già visto come un potenziale problema di sicurezza nazionale, perché un’adozione distorta o rallentata potrebbe far perdere terreno nella corsa globale alla supremazia tecnologica.
Le parole di Alon Haimovich, CEO di Microsoft Israele, si inseriscono perfettamente in questo contesto acceso. Intervistato da Calcalist, ha dichiarato che “il modello secondo cui il successo aziendale equivale a molti dipendenti è finito” e che ormai ci si aspetta che ogni lavoratore sappia usare un agente di intelligenza artificiale. Un’affermazione che va oltre la pura constatazione tecnologica: è una presa di posizione netta su un futuro in cui l’AI non sarà un optional, ma una competenza fondamentale per sopravvivere professionalmente.
Haimovich non risparmia critiche nemmeno alle strategie nazionali. Secondo lui, la raccomandazione del Comitato Nagel di investire 18 miliardi di shekel nello sviluppo di un modello di intelligenza artificiale israeliano non cambierà realmente gli equilibri. L’implicito messaggio è chiaro: il vantaggio competitivo non si gioca solo sulla quantità di fondi investiti, ma sulla capacità di integrare l’AI in ogni aspetto operativo, dal singolo dipendente alle strutture decisionali più alte.
Eppure, mentre i vertici delle big tech e figure come Haimovich invocano un’adozione rapida e capillare dell’AI, cresce la disillusione. Alcuni settori denunciano un hype eccessivo, alimentato ad arte, e temono che la narrativa del“tutto sarà automatizzato” serva più a spingere vendite e abbonamenti che a riflettere la realtà. Altri mettono in guardia sul fatto che la pressione continua a “non restare indietro” possa generare scelte affrettate, con conseguenze economiche e sociali non previste.
Negli Stati Uniti, il calo di fiducia nell’AI sta diventando un dossier strategico. Se i cittadini e le imprese percepiscono la tecnologia come inaffidabile o rischiosa, sarà più difficile implementarla nei settori critici. Il rischio, secondo alcuni analisti, è che i competitor internazionali – meno frenati da dubbi etici o regolatori come la Cina – possano superare Washington in applicazioni strategiche, dalla difesa all’economia. Questo crea un paradosso: mentre il settore privato spinge verso un’adozione rapida, lo Stato si trova a dover gestire anche la diffidenza popolare.
Parallelamente, c’è chi sostiene che il tempo della “costruzione selvaggia” dell’AI sia già finito.
Dopo la corsa iniziale, caratterizzata da lanci incessanti e promesse grandiose, si starebbe entrando in una fase di “ricostruzione“, dove le aziende cercheranno di correggere i danni e le distorsioni causate da un’adozione frettolosa. Ciò potrebbe significare investimenti in sistemi più trasparenti, modelli meno opachi, e una maggiore attenzione alla sostenibilità sociale dell’AI.
La verità, forse, sta nel mezzo. È difficile negare che l’AI sarà una leva decisiva per la produttività e la competitività, ma allo stesso tempo sarebbe ingenuo ignorare i rischi di una retorica eccessiva. Se da un lato il “terrore tecnologico” può accelerare il cambiamento, dall’altro rischia di alienare lavoratori, cittadini e interi settori, rallentando proprio quel progresso che si vorrebbe spingere.
Nei prossimi anni possiamo aspettarci un terreno di gioco più complesso. Le aziende dovranno bilanciare velocità di adozione e trasparenza, i governi dovranno garantire sicurezza nazionale senza soffocare l’innovazione, e i cittadini dovranno sviluppare un pensiero critico che permetta di distinguere tra reali opportunità e marketing aggressivo.
Chi riuscirà a muoversi in questo equilibrio, sfruttando l’AI come strumento e non come feticcio, sarà pronto per il nuovo paradigma delineato da Haimovich. Gli altri rischiano di scoprire troppo tardi che la vera rivoluzione non è l’AI in sé, ma la capacità di usarla in modo consapevole.
L'articolo Panico da AI: stiamo entrando nella fase più pericolosa della rivoluzione digitale proviene da il blog della sicurezza informatica.
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Perché Trump strapazza Intel per le cinesate del Ceo
L'articolo proviene da #StartMag e viene ricondiviso sulla comunità Lemmy @Informatica (Italy e non Italy 😁)
Trump ha chiesto le dimissioni immediate dell'amministratore delegato di Intel, Lip-Bu Tan, accusato di conflitto di interessi con la Cina: in effetti l'imprenditore ha investito in molte aziende cinesi e Cadence Design (l'azienda che ha
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Università di Padova nel mirino! Una campagna di phishing è in corso avverte il CERT-AgID
Nelle ultime ore è emersa una nuova campagna di phishing mirata contro l’Università degli Studi di Padova, che utilizza una pagina di accesso falsificata per carpire le credenziali di studenti e personale accademico. L’immagine mostra un sito che imita in modo piuttosto fedele il portale di Single Sign-On dell’ateneo, ma ospitato su un dominio sospetto (“hoster-test.ru”), elemento che dovrebbe subito insospettire l’utente attento.
Il layout e i loghi originali sono stati copiati per rendere la truffa più credibile, ma la barra dell’indirizzo e l’assenza di connessione sicura (indicata da “Non sicuro”) rivelano la natura malevola del sito.
L’allarme è stato diramato dal CERT-AgID, e questo attacco sembra ricalcare lo schema di un attacco precedente, con una pagina che replica fedelmente quella istituzionale e punta a sottrarre email e password in chiaro.
L’obiettivo dichiarato dagli esperti è evidente: ottenere accesso non autorizzato alle caselle di posta e ai sistemi interni dell’ateneo, sfruttando le credenziali compromesse per ulteriori attività malevole. La scelta di colpire studenti e personale universitario non è casuale: questi account possono contenere informazioni personali, dati di ricerca e accesso a sistemi sensibili. L’uso di domini esteri e poco affidabili è un chiaro indicatore della natura fraudolenta dell’operazione.
Il CERT-AgID sottolinea che la struttura della campagna lascia ipotizzare “la stessa mano criminale della precedente” e che si tratta di un attacco mirato e organizzato. Il modus operandi include la distribuzione di link ingannevoli tramite email di phishing che inducono l’utente a inserire le proprie credenziali in un portale contraffatto, identico nell’aspetto ma completamente sotto il controllo degli attaccanti.
Per mitigare i danni, l’Università di Padova è stata immediatamente informata della minaccia in corso e degli indirizzi compromessi fino a questo momento. Inoltre, gli Indicatori di Compromissione (IoC) sono stati condivisi con tutti gli enti accreditati, al fine di agevolare il rilevamento e il blocco tempestivo di eventuali tentativi di accesso fraudolento. La condivisione rapida di queste informazioni rappresenta un tassello fondamentale nella difesa collettiva contro il cybercrime.
Gli utenti sono invitati sempre ad aumentare l’attenzione di fronte ad email di dubbia provenienza e a non inserire mai le proprie credenziali in siti che presentano domini sospetti o connessioni non sicure. È buona prassi accedere ai portali universitari esclusivamente tramite link ufficiali e verificare sempre l’URL nella barra degli indirizzi. In caso di dubbio, contattare immediatamente l’help desk dell’ateneo o il CERT-AgID può evitare conseguenze ben più gravi.
L'articolo Università di Padova nel mirino! Una campagna di phishing è in corso avverte il CERT-AgID proviene da il blog della sicurezza informatica.
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Windows Perde terreno. Linux in crescita sui desktop aziendali, la motivazione è più sicurezza
L’utilizzo di Linux su desktop e laptop aziendali continua a crescere. Un’analisi di quasi 18,5 milioni di dispositivi ha rilevato che la quota di Linux sui dispositivi aziendali è aumentata dall’1,6% di gennaio all’1,9% di giugno 2025. E tra i nuovi asset introdotti dopo il 1° marzo, la percentuale ha raggiunto il 2,5%.
Sebbene i numeri possano sembrare esigui, nell’ordine di un milione di dispositivi, non si tratta più di un fenomeno casuale, afferma Guido Patanella, CTO di Lansweeper. Piuttosto che un’anomalia isolata, afferma, si tratta di una “costante accelerazione” della crescita. Il fattore principale non è tanto la fine del supporto a Windows 10, quanto piuttosto l’aumento dei requisiti di sicurezza.
Patanella sottolinea che “la crescita esponenziale di minacce e attacchi sta destando preoccupazione tra i team IT”. Sebbene Linux non sia immune da vulnerabilità, è spesso percepito come più gestibile in ambienti aziendali dal punto di vista della sicurezza. Questo è particolarmente importante nel contesto dei continui attacchi informatici e dell’aumento dei costi di protezione delle infrastrutture.
Un altro fattore di crescita è stata l’attività dei team di ingegneria e degli specialisti DevOps, che di default preferiscono Linux. La sua popolarità tra gli sviluppatori, la facilità di automazione e la flessibilità sono diventati argomenti chiave a favore della migrazione.
Le aziende europee sono leggermente più avanti rispetto alle aziende nordamericane nell’adozione di Linux, soprattutto nei settori dei servizi pubblici e B2B. In Nord America, Linux è maggiormente utilizzato nel settore tecnologico e delle telecomunicazioni, con una percentuale di quasi il 7%.
Tuttavia, Linux incontra ancora delle barriere sul desktop: la compatibilità software, la formazione dei dipendenti e le abitudini consolidate degli utenti rimangono ostacoli. Nonostante i significativi progressi in termini di usabilità e supporto software, Windows e macOS continuano a dominare.
Secondo Lansweeper, Linux potrebbe presto affermarsi in modo significativo nei settori pubblico e privato. Tuttavia, la motivazione principale non è l’ideologia, bensì la necessità di migliorare la sicurezza.
L'articolo Windows Perde terreno. Linux in crescita sui desktop aziendali, la motivazione è più sicurezza proviene da il blog della sicurezza informatica.
Gesichtserkennung und Datenanalyse: Zivilgesellschaft stellt sich gegen „Sicherheitspaket“
netzpolitik.org/2025/gesichtse…
The leading voice for visual journalists may be silenced. You can help.
For decades, one organization has dedicated itself to protecting the rights of news photographers and videographers. The National Press Photographers Association has led countless First Amendment battles to protect visual journalists’ right to document and the public’s right to see and hear the news.
The organization’s general counsel, Mickey Osterreicher, is often at the forefront of those fights. He and NPPA have protected the First Amendment right to record in public, limited senseless government regulations restricting photography and recording, and even won a groundbreaking settlement with the New York Police Department over its treatment of journalists at protests.
But recently, NPPA announced that it faces financial difficulties. Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) spoke to Osterreicher about NPPA’s work and the impact on the First Amendment if it shutters. You can read our full conversation below, and you can donate to NPPA’s programs here.
You’ve been NPPA’s general counsel since 2005, and you’ve also been a news photographer. How have the legal issues facing visual journalists changed over the years, and what are the most pressing issues they face today?
Both from a practical and legal standpoint, being a journalist was a lot simpler when I was a photojournalist. One of the biggest challenges I now face is trying to answer the question from police and lawmakers, “Who is a journalist?” and, during a protest, “Who gets to stay after an order to disperse?”
But once those press access rights have been attained, what good is it if visual journalists cannot make a decent living after risking their health and safety because their images are being misappropriated without permission, credit, or compensation? So it is a combination of dealing with First Amendment and copyright issues that keeps me up most nights.
That is to say nothing of the exponential use of generative artificial intelligence that has economically impacted the market for news photography as well as creating ethical challenges for visual journalists and public perception.
Tell us more about how the rise of AI-generated images and deepfakes is affecting the work and rights of visual journalists.
For visual journalism, generative artificial intelligence is the worst of both worlds, where millions of images (still and video) are ingested to train AI models without payment to the creators and the public can no longer believe what they see without wondering if what they are viewing is a true depiction of what really happened or an artificially created image. Even worse, this technology now provides an additional layer of ambiguity to those who claim that actual images of real events are “fake news.”
You’ve trained many law enforcement officers about journalists’ First Amendment rights, especially when they’re covering political conventions and protests. What are the most important things for police officers to know about press freedom, and how is NPPA uniquely positioned to provide that training?
I have three goals when training police and journalists about press freedoms. One: that police are not sued for abridging First Amendment rights of citizens and journalists, costing taxpayers dearly with money that could be better spent for police recruitment and retention or equipment. Two: that journalists are able to do their jobs without being harassed, injured, or arrested. Three: that the public is informed, which is the basis for the First Amendment — that being the desire by the founding fathers for the right of the public to receive information, and be an informed electorate.
As “the voice of visual journalists” since 1946, NPPA is uniquely positioned to foster improved police-press-public relations in an era when it is most needed by instilling greater respect for the roles each plays in our democracy. We’ve provided these trainings to law enforcement agencies nationwide for almost 20 years, with scores of departments and hundreds of officers being trained, including the entire Minnesota State Patrol as part of the settlement terms of a federal civil rights lawsuit, as well as the start of training with the NYPD regarding the new policies and procedures implemented as a result of the settlement of our lawsuit.
“Should our voice be muted, its silence will be deafening.“
Mickey Osterreicher
What I believe also adds to NPPA’s credibility is my background as a photojournalist with over forty years’ experience in print and broadcast, my experience as a First Amendment attorney, and my understanding of the challenges facing law enforcement from having been a uniformed reserve deputy sheriff with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office since 1976 and working closely with law enforcement through various associations and committees.
That experience working with police departments — which not many press freedom organizations have — has also allowed you to get involved in many other issues that are important to all journalists, not just visual ones. Tell us about your work on police radio encryption and other ways you’re able to leverage the work you’ve done training police departments.
The encryption of police radio transmissions is a growing problem nationwide, because for almost a century, newsrooms and journalists have relied on the monitoring of those broadcasts to cover breaking news and other matters of public concern.
One place where such coverage is critical is New York City, where so many newsworthy events occur and where, because of the congested vehicle traffic, time is of the essence in getting to the scene. A few years ago, the NYPD announced that it would begin encrypting its transmissions. NPPA joined a consortium of news organizations asking to work with NYPD to allow journalists to continue to have real-time access to those broadcasts. Despite meeting with police officials, testifying before the city council and submitting a white paper on the subject, the NYPD has refused to discuss this issue further, and many of the important police frequencies have already been encrypted.
The consortium then supported a state bill that would allow for press access. That bill passed both houses and is awaiting the governor’s signature. NPPA has also worked with press groups around the country to address this issue.
Another problem we helped to solve was an exemption for journalists to a New York law that banned anyone in the state (except for certain “eligible professions”) from the “purchase, taking possession of, sale, exchange, giving or disposing of body armor.”
Additionally, NPPA was instrumental in opposing an Arizona bill that barred anyone recording police from getting closer than 15 feet to an officer without their permission. I drafted several letters to the legislature joined by 30 press organizations cautioning against the unconstitutionality of the proposed law, which was ultimately passed after the measure was amended to an 8-foot distance. I then worked with the American Civil Liberties Union and Arizona Broadcasters Association to obtain a permanent injunction prohibiting enforcement of the law. NPPA has also filed amicus briefs in two other constitutional challenges to similar laws in Indiana and Louisiana.
When the White House restricted the Associated Press’s access over its use of the term ‘Gulf of Mexico’ (a move that NPPA and FPF condemned), it raised concerns about the chilling effects of such retaliation on journalists. If presidents can exclude outlets or photographers from the press pool for editorial decisions, what does that mean for press freedom and the role of visual journalists?
As NPPA stated, such actions by the administration are unacceptable as both an attempt at prior restraint and a blatant retaliation and chilling abridgment of the First Amendment rights of the AP and its journalists.
Unfortunately, we have seen both the federal district court as well as the circuit court hearing the appeal in this case give wide latitude and discretion to the White House as to who it admits to cover certain events. Additional fallout from this has been the White House Correspondents Association losing its long-standing control over the press pool rotation as well as other “disfavored” media outlets being barred from inclusion in the pool.
All these actions taken by the administration are having a chilling effect on press coverage of the government and are eviscerating press freedom. The NPPA continues to work with news and press freedom organizations to advocate and support the right of the public to be informed.
Over the years, NPPA has had to oppose a number of laws that prohibit or limit taking pictures in public places as well as using drones to capture aerial footage. What should journalists do if they’re stopped and told they can’t take pictures or record in public?
Our staunch advocacy has led to the right to photograph and record in traditional public forums being “clearly established” in three-quarters of the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, which is key to successfully bringing civil rights claims against those who try to limit or interfere with those rights.
While NPPA was initially successful in challenging Texas drone regulations, that decision was reversed on appeal. But we have been effective in ensuring that language protecting the First Amendment rights of journalists to use drones for newsgathering be included in government regulations.
NPPA has provided extensive training as to what journalists can do if they’re stopped and told they can’t take pictures or record in public. The foremost advice is to meet with law enforcement on a regular basis to ensure that these rights are honored by police and to discuss how best to improve police-press interactions. While in the field, it is crucial to maintain situational awareness and pay attention to police and crowd movements to avoid being encircled (kettled). Always have an exit strategy, as it is always better to move to a different location than be arrested. If police stop or question you about your activities, make sure to identify yourself as a journalist.
What will journalism lose if NPPA is forced to close its doors?
It would be a significant loss to not only visual journalists but to journalism itself if NPPA were to cease as an organization. For almost 80 years, NPPA has strongly advocated for the rights of visual journalists and now more than ever that unique voice is needed as more journalists are required to report not only with words but images. It also comes at a time when the importance of truthful images could not be greater.
While there are many other organizations supporting the First Amendment and press freedoms, none is more exclusively dedicated to the advancement and protection of visual journalism in its role as a vital public service than the NPPA. Our code of ethics is often cited as exemplary of what visual journalism should strive to achieve. Should our voice be muted, its silence will be deafening.
Donate to NPPA’s programs here to help protect the rights of visual journalists and the public’s right to know.
Federico Orlando: il liberale che difese la libertà contro ogni censura
@Giornalismo e disordine informativo
articolo21.org/2025/08/federic…
Undici anni fa, l’8 agosto 2014, ci ha lasciato Federico Orlando, fondatore e primo presidente di Articolo 21. “Federico, che sensazioni provi a marciare tra tutte queste bandiere rosse?”Gli chiedemmo in occasione della prima
Liberale, non liberista. Federico Orlando, uomo semplicemente libero e curioso
@Giornalismo e disordine informativo
articolo21.org/2025/08/liberal…
Qualche volta Federico ricordava con la passione nella voce di aver avuto un nonno artista, da cui aveva preso il nome, ottimo pittore
Video obtained and verified by 404 Media shows a CBP official wearing Meta's AI glasses, which are capable of recording and connecting with AI. “I think it should be seen in the context of an agency that is really encouraging its agents to actively intimidate and terrorize people," one expert said.#CBP #Immigration #Meta
A CBP Agent Wore Meta Smart Glasses to an Immigration Raid in Los Angeles
A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent wore Meta’s AI smart glasses to a June 30 immigration raid outside a Home Depot in Cypress Park, Los Angeles, according to photos and videos of the agent verified by 404 Media.Meta does not have a contract with CBP, and 404 Media was unable to confirm whether or not the agent recorded any video using the smart glasses at the raid. Based on what we know so far, this appears to be a one-off case of an agent either wearing his personal device to an immigration raid, or CBP trying technology on an ad-hoc basis without a formal procurement process. Civil liberties and privacy experts told 404 Media, however, that even on a one-off basis, it signals that law enforcement agents are interested in smart glasses technology and that the wearing of smart glasses in an immigration raid context is highly concerning.
“There’s a nonzero chance the agent bought the Meta smart glasses because they wanted it for themselves and it’s the glasses they like to wear. But even if that’s the case, it’s worth pointing out that there are regulatory things that need to be thought through, and this stuff can trickle down to officers on an individual basis,” Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s security and surveillance project, told 404 Media. “There needs to be compliance with rules and laws even if a technology is not handed out through the department. The questions around [smart glasses are ones] we’re going to have to grapple with very soon and they’re pretty alarming.”
The glasses were worn by a CBP agent outside of a Home Depot in Cypress Park, Los Angeles during a June 30 immigration raid which happened amid weeks of protests, the deployment of the National Guard and the Marines, and during which immigration enforcement in Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign and the backlash to it. 404 Media obtained multiple photos and videos of the CBP agent wearing the Meta glasses and verified that the footage and videos were taken outside of the Cypress Park Home Depot during an immigration raid. The agent in the photo is wearing Meta’s Ray Ban AI glasses, a mask, and a CBP uniform and patch. CBP did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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1×In the video, a CBP agent motions to the person filming the video to back up. The Meta Ray Ban AI glasses are clearly visible on the agent’s face.
Meta’s AI smart glasses currently feature a camera, live-streaming capabilities, integration with Meta’s AI assistant, three microphones, and image and scene recognition capabilities through Meta AI. The Information reported that Meta is considering adding facial recognition capabilities to the device, though they do not currently have that functionality. When filming, a recording light on Meta’s smart glasses turns on; in the photos and brief video 404 Media has seen, the light is not on.
Students at Harvard University showed that they can be used in conjunction with off-the-shelf facial recognition tools to identify people in near real time.
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Do you know anything else about this? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at jason.404. Otherwise, send me an email at jason@404media.co.Multiple experts 404 Media spoke to said that these smart glasses qualify as a body worn camera under the Department of Homeland Security’s and Customs and Border Protection’s video recording policies. CBP’s policy states that “no personally owned devices may be used in lieu of IDVRS [Incident Driven Video Recording Systems] to record law enforcement encounters,” and that “recorded data shall not be downloaded or recorded for personal use or posted onto a personally owned device.” DHS’s policy states “the use of personally owned [Body Worn Cameras] or other video, audio, or digital recording devices to record official law enforcement activities is prohibited.”
Under the Trump administration, however, enforcement of regulations for law enforcement engaging in immigration raids is largely out the window.
“I think it should be seen in the context of an agency that is really encouraging its agents to actively intimidate and terrorize people. Use of cameras can be seen as part of that,” Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU, told 404 Media. “It’s in line with the masking that we’ve seen, and generally behavior that’s intended to terrorize people, masking failure to identify themselves, failure to wear clear uniforms, smashing windows, etc. A big part of why this is problematic is the utter lack of policy oversight here. If an agent videotapes themselves engaging in abusive activity, are they going to be able to bury that video? Are they going to be able to turn it on and off on the fly or edit it later? There are all kinds of abuses that can happen with these without regulation and enforcement of those regulations, and the prospects of that happening in this administration seem dim.”
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When reached for comment, a Meta spokesperson asked 404 Media a series of questions about the framing of the article, and stressed that Meta does not have any contract with CBP. They then asked why Meta would be mentioned in the article at all: “I’m curious if you can explain why it is Meta will be mentioned by name in this piece when in previous 404 reporting regarding ICE facial recognition app and follow up reporting the term ‘smartphones’ or ‘phone’ is used despite ICE agents clearly using Apple iPhones and Android devices,” they said. Meta ultimately declined to comment for this story.Meta also recently signed a partnership deal with defense contractor Anduril to offer AI, augmented reality, and virtual reality capabilities to the military through Meta’s Reality Labs division, which also makes the Meta smart glasses (though it is unclear what form this technology will take or what its capabilities will be). Earlier this year, Meta relaxed its content moderation policies on hate speech regarding the dehumanization of immigrants, and last month Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth was named an Army Reserve Lt. Colonel by the Trump administration.
“Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a press release announcing the deal with Anduril. “We’re proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad.”
“My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that,” Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said in the press release.
In a recent earnings call, Zuckerberg said he believes smart glasses will become the primary way people interact with AI. “I think in the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI or some way to interact with AI, I think you’re kind of similarly, probably [will] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people and who you’re working with, or competing against,” he said during the call. “That’s also going to unlock a lot of value where you can just interact with an AI system throughout the day in this multimodal way. It can see the content around you, it can generate a UI for you, show you information and be helpful.”
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has recently gained access to a new facial recognition smartphone app called Mobile Fortify that is connected to several massive government databases, showing that DHS is interested in facial recognition tech.
Privacy and civil liberties experts told 404 Media that this broader context—with Meta heavily marketing its smart glasses while simultaneously getting into military contracting, and the Department of Homeland Security increasingly interested in facial recognition—means that seeing a CBP agent wearing Meta AI glasses in the field is alarming.
“Regardless of whether this was a personal choice by this agent or whether somehow CBP facilitated the use of these meta glasses, the fact that it was worn by this agent is disturbing,” Jeramie Scott, senior counsel and director of the Electronic Information Privacy Center told 404 Media. “Having this type of technology on a law enforcement agent starts heading toward the tactics of authoritarian governments who love to use facial recognition to try to suppress opposition.”
The fact is that Meta is at the forefront of popularizing smart glasses, which are not yet a widely adopted technology. The privacy practices and functionality of the glasses is, at the moment, largely being guided by Meta, whereas smartphones are a largely commodified technology at this point. And it’s clear that this consumer technology that the company markets on billboards as a cool way to record videos for Instagram is seen by some in law enforcement as enticing.
“It’s clear that whatever imaginary boundary there was between consumer surveillance tech and government surveillance tech is now completely erased,” Chris Gilliard, co-director of The Critical Internet Studies Institute and author of the forthcoming book Luxury Surveillance, told 404 Media.
“The fact is when you bring powerful new surveillance capabilities into the marketplace, they can be used for a range of purposes including abusive ones. And that needs to be thought through before you bring things like that into the marketplace,” the ACLU’s Stanley said.
Laperruque, of the CDT, said perhaps we should think about Meta smart glasses in the same way we think about other body cameras: “On the one hand, there’s a big difference between glasses with a computer built into them and a pair of Oakleys,” he said. “They’re not the only ones who make cameras you attach to your body. On the other hand, if that’s going to be the comparison, then let’s talk about this in the context of companies like Axon and other body-worn cameras.”
Update: After this article was published, the independent journalist Mel Buer (who runs the site Words About Work) reposted images she took at a July 7 immigration enforcement raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. In Buer's footage and photos, two additional CBP agents can be seen wearing Meta smart glasses in the back of a truck; a third is holding a camera pointed out of the back of the truck. Buer gave 404 Media permission to republish the photos; you can find her work here.
Images: Mel Buer
Mark Zuckerberg says anyone not wearing AI glasses in the future will be at a disadvantage
Zuckerberg said immersive smart glasses could bring the idea of the metaverse to fruition.Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez (Fortune)
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Federal law closes courthouse doors to incarcerated journalists
These days the president of the United States files frivolous lawsuits at an alarming clip, including against news outlets that displease him. He’s far from the only prominent public figure abusing the federal court system in this way, steering scarce judicial resources away from meritorious lawsuits by ordinary people who have suffered serious damages.
And yet, Congress has not seen fit to pass a federal “anti-SLAPP” law to stop billionaires and politicians from pursuing strategic lawsuits against public participation. But powerless prisoners? That’s another story. If they want access to the federal courts they need to navigate the Prison Litigation Reform Act — a maze of onerous procedural requirements. It’s supposedly intended to stop the courts from being burdened by inmates’ frivolous lawsuits.
We held a webinar to discuss the PLRA’s impact on incarcerated journalists and the journalists on the outside who cover the prison system, featuring Jeremy Busby, a journalist and Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) columnist who is incarcerated in Texas, and American Civil Liberties Union attorneys Nina Patel and Corene Kendrick. Patel is senior policy counsel at the ACLU Justice Division and Kendrick is the deputy director of the ACLU’s National Prison Project.
As Kendrick explained, the PLRA originated as one of the Clinton administration’s “tough on crime” initiatives as it pivoted right in preparation for the 1996 presidential election. The law was enacted despite a lack of evidence that incarcerated people file baseless lawsuits any more frequently than anyone else, presidents or otherwise. She said the law “singles out one disfavored group of people and categorically denies them equal access to the courts.”
youtube.com/embed/wiGxxwp8byI?…
She described how the harm extends beyond the impacted litigants, as the kinds of court filings foreclosed by the PLRA are “oftentimes the best way that information about conditions in our nation’s prisons and jails reach the public and members of the media.”
“The PLRA has, in practice, served as a real barrier for journalists to get any sort of information” about facilities that “get billions and billions of dollars a year to lock up human beings,” Kendrick said. “The ability to communicate with the outside world is so circumscribed and is monitored and recorded. And you know, once something gets to a federal court and it’s filed on the docket, it is out there.”
But when the court dismisses a case for procedural reasons without any consideration of whether the claims are true, all journalists are left with are untested allegations that they rarely have the resources to corroborate. “That happens all the time, and unfortunately, and it adversely affects journalists greatly,” Kendrick said.
Lawsuits are also the only recourse available to incarcerated journalists, who often report relentless retaliation when their work upsets prison officials. That’s what happened to Busby when he helped expose deplorable conditions inside the prison where he was housed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Busby said he was transferred to four prisons, each overcrowded with people sick with COVID, before landing in a cell without a mattress or sheets, where he was kept for six weeks. His property was damaged or seized, and he was written bogus disciplinary charges that were later overturned.
He brought a federal lawsuit, but because he was retaliated against in four different prisons, the judge said the PLRA required four separate lawsuits in four different courts. “I wasn’t able to successfully keep up with four active litigations in four different courts in four different counties, from the solitary confinement cell that I was being held in,” Busby explained, resulting in his lawsuits each being dismissed on procedural grounds before the merits of his claims could be adjudicated.
Busby is a college graduate and accomplished writer — if he can’t navigate the PLRA, it is all the more difficult for an average member of the prison population to do so. Even the experienced lawyers on the webinar acknowledged how challenging it can be to comply with the PLRA when representing their incarcerated clients. Incarcerated litigants, Busby noted, must also pay court fees — in his case, a $400 fee became $1,600 when his lawsuit was split into four.
“You don’t get paid for work here in Texas, and so most guys, they don’t even want the $400 thing against their account because their family members can maybe send $20 for toothpaste and deodorant every month or so, or every two or three months, and they don’t want to sacrifice their deodorant and toothpaste money to pursue this lawsuit,” he said.
So what’s the point of the PLRA? As Patel noted, “The courts are well equipped to throw out lawsuits that are frivolous,” and do so every day in cases involving non-incarcerated people. Patel believes the real problem the PLRA is meant to address isn’t that incarcerated people file so many invalid claims — it’s that they file so many valid ones.
With around two million people incarcerated in the United States, “a functional system where someone can go to the courts and have their constitutional violations in prison litigated and then compensated would break most prison systems in this country,” Patel explained. “That is the dirty truth of the PLRA.”
She added, “Everyone knows, and it’s not a secret, that it would bankrupt the system, and it would break it, and that we couldn’t do what we do in this country, which is lead the world in mass incarceration.”
Watch the full webinar here, and subscribe to our newsletters to get notice of future events.
Note: FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern, who authored this article and moderated the webinar, is on the board of Busby’s nonprofit organization, JoinJeremy.
Perché i dazi di Trump fanno esultare Tsmc
L'articolo proviene da #StartMag e viene ricondiviso sulla comunità Lemmy @Informatica (Italy e non Italy 😁)
Tsmc sarà esentata dai dazi al 100 per cento sui microchip imposti da Trump. Ottima notizia per l'azienda e per l'intera economia di Taiwan. Ma le tensioni commerciali con l'America non sono risolte.
Chi sono i colossi della finanza che sostengono la Dsr Bank
@Notizie dall'Italia e dal mondo
Un gruppo di grandi istituzioni finanziarie internazionali, tra cui J.P. Morgan Chase, Ing e Commerzbank, ha deciso di accettare la sfida della banca multilaterale pensata per portare avanti i progetti di difesa dell’Europa e dei suoi alleati. La Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (Dsrb) infatti si pone l’obiettivo
Preservationists at the Video Game History Foundation purchased the rights to Computer Entertainer, the first video game magazine ever written and uploaded it for free.#News #VideoGames #archiving
Archivists Let You Now Read Some of the First Ever Reviews of Mario and Zelda
Some of the first reviews ever written for the original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. have been digitized and published by the Video Game History Foundation. The reviews appeared in Computer Entertainer, an early video game magazine that ran from 1982 to 1990. The archivists at the Foundation tracked down the magazine’s entire run and have published it all online under a Creative Commons license.Computer Entertainer has a fascinating history. It was one of the only magazines to cover video games during the market crash of the mid 1980s. “Simply put, there weren't other video game magazines in this era, at least in the United States,” Phil Salvador, the Library Director at the VGHF, told 404 Media. “In many cases, this is the only American coverage we have for this period.”
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“If we want to understand video game history, we need more than the games themselves. We need to understand how they were talked about and how they were made. Primary sources from the early years of the video game industry like Computer Entertainer are scarce. They give us insight into the story of video games that there's no way to reproduce,” Salvador said.Image via VGHF.
Computer Entertainer was the newsletter for the Video Take-Out, a company that sold video games through the mail. “Because they were focused on retail products, they kept on top of the video game release calendar in a way that no other enthusiast magazine did in the 1980s,” Salvador said. “This magazine is one of the only reliable sources of American release dates for computer and console games during this era. Look up any console game from the 1980s on Wikipedia, and chances are, the American release date in the article comes from Computer Entertainer.”
youtube.com/embed/YnckC-JuOR0?…
Digging through the archives, I found the original Legend of Zelda review and read through a year’s worth of hype and handwringing leading up to its release. Computer Entertainer was on hand at CES to talk to the unproven Nintendo in February 1987. Zelda was already out in Japan, where it ran on the disk-based Famicom system.The CE write-up noted that the NES was a cartridge system and that Nintendo had to make unheard of adjustments to make the game work right. “A Nintendo spokesperson told us that they have included a lithium battery with a 5-year life span in the cartridge to allow it to save information you need, so the disk drive is not needed,” CE wrote.
Image via VGHF.
Convincing Americans to buy a Famicom-style disk drive after they’d already bought the NES was thought to be a hard sell. “We do feel, however, that it is just a question of time before Nintendo introduces the disk drive in the U.S,” CE said. “Also, for the avid long-term gamer (count all our readers in that category!), the 5-year battery could prove frustrating as, when the battery dies, so does all the character information that has been stored on the cartridge.” CE needn’t have worried. Many of those batteries are still working today, almost 40 years later, and there’s a robust aftermarket in replacement parts when they fail.Legend of Zelda finally came out in August of 1987 and CE gave it a glowing review, rating it 3.5 out of 4 stars. In the same issue, it gave Leisure Suit Larry and the Land of the Lounge Lizards a perfect 4 out of 4 stars. “There’s certainly no socially redeeming value to the game, which is what makes it so much fun,” CE said of the adventure game that would have nowhere near the cultural or social impact of Link and Zelda.
Image via VGHF.
“It's a totally different perspective to see someone trying towrap their head around the original Super Mario Bros., or expressing skepticism aboutthe idea of Nintendo selling a game console in the United States,” Salvador said.The 1980s was a different era of games writing. “[Computer Entertainer] covered video and computer games as a function of their retail business to help customers better understand the game market,” Salvador said. “Being able to look back on what retailers thought about the game business back in the 1980s is a huge historical boon, but today, there's understandably more questions about the role of game criticism. Does it still make sense to cover games the same way Computer Entertainer did 40 years ago?”
VGHF acquires early game magazine Computer Entertainer | Video Game History Foundation
The magazine, which ran from 1982–1990, has been released into the Creative Commons for anyone to use.Phil Salvador (Video Game History Foundation)
Fregate high-tech dal Giappone. Canberra punta sulla classe “Mogami” per la sua Marina Militare
@Notizie dall'Italia e dal mondo
La Marina Australiana ha scelto la Mitsubishi per costruire la sua prossima generazione di fregate. Pochi giorni fa, il ministero della Difesa australiano ha infatti annunciato che la versione potenziata della classe “Mogami”
Il Mulino TikTok
@Politica interna, europea e internazionale
L'articolo Il Mulino TikTok proviene da Fondazione Luigi Einaudi.
Roberto Natale (cda Rai): subito una legge che rispetti l’Emfa
@Giornalismo e disordine informativo
articolo21.org/2025/08/roberto…
“E’ vitale per il servizio pubblico che arrivi al più presto una legge di attuazione del Media Freedom Act europeo, in vigore da domani anche nella parte che riguarda i servizi pubblici. Non
More than 130,000 Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and Other LLM Chats Readable on Archive.org#News
More than 130,000 Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and Other LLM Chats Readable on Archive.org
A researcher has found that more than 130,000 conversations with AI chatbots including Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and others are discoverable on the Internet Archive, highlighting how peoples’ interactions with LLMs may be publicly archived if users are not careful with the sharing settings they may enable.The news follows earlier findings that Google was indexing ChatGPT conversations that users had set to share, despite potentially not understanding that these chats were now viewable by anyone, and not just those they intended to share the chats with. OpenAI had also not taken steps to ensure these conversations could be indexed by Google.
“I obtained URLs for: Grok, Mistral, Qwen, Claude, and Copilot,” the researcher, who goes by the handle dead1nfluence, told 404 Media. They also found material related to ChatGPT, but said “OpenAI has had the ChatGPT[.]com/share links removed it seems.” Searching on the Internet Archive now for ChatGPT share links does not return any results, while Grok results, for example, are still available.
Dead1nfluence wrote a blog post about some of their findings on Sunday and shared the list of more than 130,000 archived LLM chat links with 404 Media. They also shared some of the contents of those chats that they had scraped. Dead1nfluence wrote that they found API keys and other exposed information that could be useful to a hacker.
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“While these providers do tell their users that the shared links are public to anyone, I think that most who have used this feature would not have expected that these links could be findable by anyone, and certainly not indexed and readily available for others to view,” dead1nfluence wrote in their blog post. “This could prove to be a very valuable data source for attackers and red teamers alike. With this, I can now search the dataset at any time for target companies to see if employees may have disclosed sensitive information by accident.”404 Media verified some of dead1influence’s findings by discovering specific material they flagged in the dataset, then going to the still-public LLM link and checking the content.
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Do you know anything else about this? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.Most of the companies whose AI tools are included in the dataset did not respond to a request for comment. Microsoft which owns Copilot acknowledged a request for comment but didn't provide a response in time for publication. A spokesperson for Anthrophic, which owns Claude, told 404 Media: “We give people control over sharing their Claude conversations publicly, and in keeping with our privacy principles, we do not share chat directories or sitemaps with search engines like Google. These shareable links are not guessable or discoverable unless people choose to publicize them themselves. When someone shares a conversation, they are making that content publicly accessible, and like other public web content, it may be archived by third-party services. In our review of the sample archived conversations shared with us, these were either manually requested to be indexed by a person with access to the link or submitted by independent archivist organizations who discovered the URLs after they were published elsewhere across the internet first.” 404 Media only shared a small sample of the Claude links with Anthrophic, not the entire list.
Fast Company first reported that Google was indexing some ChatGPT conversations on July 30. This was because of a sharing feature ChatGPT had that allowed users to send a link to a ChatGPT conversation to someone else. OpenAI disabled the sharing feature in response. OpenAI CISO Dane Stuckey said in a previous statement sent to 404 Media: “This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt-in, first by picking a chat to share, then by clicking a checkbox for it to be shared with search engines.”
A researcher who requested anonymity gave 404 Media access to a dataset of nearly 100,000 ChatGPT conversations indexed on Google. 404 Media found those included the alleged texts of non-disclosure agreements, discussions of confidential contracts, and people trying to use ChatGPT for relationship issues.
Others also found that the Internet Archive contained archived LLM chats.
The ChatGPT confession files
Digital Digging investigation: how your AI conversation could end your careerHenk van Ess (Digital Digging with Henk van Ess)
Next PPI Board Meeting, August 26th at 20:00 UTC
Ahoy Pirates,
Our next PPI board meeting will take place on 26.08.2025 at 14:00 UTC / 16:00 CEST.
All official PPI proceedings, Board meetings included, are open to the public. Feel free to stop by. We’ll be happy to have you.
Where:jitsi.pirati.cz/PPI-Board
Minutes of the meeting: wiki.pp-international.net/wiki…
Agenda: Pad: etherpad.pp-international.net/…
All of our meetings are posted to our calendar: pp-international.net/calendar/
We look forward to seeing visitors.
Thank you for your support,
The Board of PPI
Emfa inattuato in Italia, rivolta di associazioni e opposizione
@Giornalismo e disordine informativo
articolo21.org/2025/08/emfa-in…
“Da domani l’Italia entrerà ufficialmente in procedura d’infrazione per violazione dell’European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), la normativa europea che tutela l’indipendenza e il pluralismo
Di Trapani: da domani l’Italia è formalmente un Paese a libertà di stampa limitata
@Giornalismo e disordine informativo
articolo21.org/2025/08/di-trap…
“Da domani l’Italia è formalmente fuori dalle norme europee. Lo era già da mesi sul tema delle fonti giornalistiche”. E’ quanto
Dopo il mio articolo sulla formazione sistemica, un intervento di Wolfgang Ulrich che dice la sua sull'argomento. C'è una affinità interessante fra clinici che perseguono il progetto di una connessione fra il sé professionale e quello, diciamo, privato, in un modo lontano e alternativo alle logiche della cosiddetta "integrazione".
Dal mio blog (che mi procura tante soddisfazioni).
massimogiuliani.it/blog/2025/0…
Chi è il terapeuta sistemico e come deve essere formato? (di Wolfgang Ullrich) - Corpi che parlano, il blog
Il teatro ha molto in comune con la psicoterapia: entrambi sfruttano il medium del “gioco” che chiamo la rappresentazione giocosa...Corpi che parlano (Corpi che parlano, il blog)
L’uomo che da 30 anni cerca il mostro di Loch Ness
Ora... ognuno può pensarla come vuole e in molti penseranno che quest'uomo è un pazzo.
Ma metti che domani 'sto mostro esce dall'acqua e si fa un giretto sulla terraferma a favore di fotografi.
Steve Feltham potrà sparare un "VE L'AVEVO DETTO, STRONZI!" da cento megatoni.
😁😁😁
L’uomo che da 30 anni cerca il mostro di Loch Ness: ilpost.it/2022/11/10/uomo-cerc…
L’uomo che da 30 anni cerca il mostro di Loch Ness
Steve Feltham è arrivato sul lago scozzese nel 1991 e da allora passa le sue giornate scrutando l'acqua, invanoIl Post
Nicola Pizzamiglio likes this.
Poliversity - Università ricerca e giornalismo reshared this.
SIRIA. Suwayda sotto assedio. Diario da una provincia in ginocchio
@Notizie dall'Italia e dal mondo
Dopo le aggressioni delle scorse settimane, mai cessate del tutto, più di 170.000 sfollati sono arrivati a Suwayda da aree rurali devastate. Oltre 32 villaggi sono stati bruciati, saccheggiati e resi inabitabili
L'articolo SIRIA. Suwayda sotto assedio. Diario da una
Cotton Farming in 2025
What is Cotton?
Cotton is a soft, fluffy natural fiber that grows around the seeds of the Gossypium plant. It’s used worldwide to manufacture clothing, bedding, industrial fabrics, and even paper products. Beyond fiber, cottonseeds are processed into oil and livestock feed, making it a multi-utility crop with immense commercial value.
Major Cotton-Growing Countries
As of 2025, the top cotton-producing nations include:
• India – World's largest cotton cultivator and consumer
• China – Heavy focus on high-yield, mechanized cotton
• United States – Known for exporting premium quality lint
• Pakistan – Major grower of short-staple cotton
• Brazil – Emerging leader in sustainable cotton exports
These countries benefit from suitable climates, advanced genetics, and extensive research infrastructure.
Suitable Conditions for Cotton
Cotton is a warm-season crop that demands specific conditions:
Factor Ideal Range
Temperature 21°C to 30°C
Rainfall 600 mm to 1,200 mm annually
Soil Type Sandy loam or black cotton soils
Soil pH 6.0 – 7.5
Growing Period 150–180 days (depends on variety)
It cannot tolerate frost and grows best in sunny, dry weather with low humidity during boll opening.
Preparing the Farm for Cotton
Effective land preparation sets the stage for a productive crop. Here’s how:
• Soil testing: Identifies pH, nutrient levels, and deficiencies
• Primary tillage: Deep plowing helps break hardpan and increase root penetration
• Secondary tillage: Harrowing and leveling using laser tools improve irrigation efficiency
• Organic additions: Apply farmyard manure or compost 2–3 weeks before sowing
Modern farmers also use biochar or vermicompost to enhance soil microbial activity and moisture retention.
Selecting Cotton Varieties
Choosing the right variety can significantly affect your yield and pest resistance. In 2025, the popular categories include:
• Bt Cotton: Genetically engineered to fight bollworms
• Hybrid Cotton: High-yielding but requires more inputs
• Desi Varieties: Hardy, pest-tolerant, and ideal for organic farming
• High-Density Varieties: Used in HDPS systems for closer spacing and better land utilization
• Drought-tolerant Strains: Designed for water-scarce areas
Seed Treatment Before Sowing
Treated seeds germinate better and resist early pests and diseases:
• Fungicides: Prevent damping-off, Fusarium wilt, and seed rot
• Insecticides: Protect from soil-borne insects
• Bio-stimulants: Enhance root development
• Rhizobium or Azospirillum: Inoculants for nitrogen fixation (used in organic farming)
Sowing Cotton Seeds
Sowing Cotton Seeds
Sowing cotton seeds is a crucial step in cotton farming, directly influencing germination, plant spacing, and eventual yield. The ideal time for sowing depends on the region April to June in North India and June to July in the South. Before sowing, seeds should be treated with fungicides or biostimulants to protect against early pests and diseases.
Farmers can use manual methods like dibbling or adopt mechanized sowing with seed drills for precision. The recommended sowing depth is about 4–5 cm, ensuring seeds are neither too shallow nor too deep. Spacing varies with variety Bt and hybrid cotton usually need 75 × 30 cm, while high-density planting systems (HDPS) use 60 × 15 cm.
When to sow cotton?
• North India: April–June
• South/Central India: June–July
Growth Stages: From Flower to Boll
Cotton has distinct growth stages:
1. Vegetative (0–35 days) – root and leaf development
2. Square formation (35–50 days) – flower buds appear
3. Flowering (50–75 days) – needs optimal nutrition
4. Boll development (75–120 days) – water-sensitive period
5. Boll opening (120–160 days) – maturity, prepare for harvest
L'immagine è un poster promozionale per un tour musicale intitolato "Ingaggiateci Stronzì Tour" di Adriano Bono, con il sottotitolo "The Reggae Circus". Il poster presenta un uomo con barba e baffi, indossando un abito di gala rosso con decorazioni dorate, un papillon rosso e un cappello a cilindro nero. L'uomo tiene una chitarra e sorride, con uno sguardo diretto verso l'osservatore. Sullo sfondo, c'è un'illustrazione di un circo con acrobati e artisti, che contribuisce a creare un'atmosfera festosa e vivace.
Il testo principale "INGAGGIATECI STRONZI TOUR" è scritto in caratteri grandi e bianchi, posizionato in alto. Sotto, in caratteri più piccoli, si legge "THE REGGAE CIRCUS di Adriano Bono". In basso, sono elencate le date e i luoghi dei concerti: sabato 9 agosto a Yumara, Maratea PZ; domenica 10 agosto a Azzurro Beach Praia a Mare, CS; lunedì 11 agosto a Cerasi Serata Strapagata!; e martedì 12 agosto a Colliano (SA).
Il poster utilizza un design vintage con sfumature di rosso e giallo, che richiama l'atmosfera di un circo storico. L'immagine e il testo insieme creano un'atmosfera di divertimento e spettacolo, promuovendo l'evento musicale.
Fornito da @altbot, generato localmente e privatamente utilizzando Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energia utilizzata: 0.402 Wh
Hiroshima, Mattarella: 'liberare il mondo dalle armi nucleari'
(intanto, per dare il buon esempio, potremmo cominciare a liberare il territorio italiano dalle atomiche Usa)
imolaoggi.it/2025/08/06/hirosh…
Hiroshima, Mattarella: 'liberare il mondo dalle armi nucleari' • Imola Oggi
imolaoggi.it/2025/08/06/hirosh…
Dazi e backdoor nei microchip: ecco cosa agita Nvidia
L'articolo proviene da #StartMag e viene ricondiviso sulla comunità Lemmy @Informatica (Italy e non Italy 😁)
Sono giornate intense per Nvidia. L'azienda deve respingere le pressioni per l'inserimento di backdoor nei suoi microchip (è già stata convocata in Cina). E deve fare i conti con i nuovi dazi sui semiconduttori annunciati da Trump. Tutti i dettagli.
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A Martano (LE) Matteo Mainardi in un dibattito pubblico sul fine vita – nell’ambito del festival Epame 2025
Lunedì 12 agosto, alle ore 20:30, Matteo Mainardi, consigliere generale dell’Associazione Luca Coscioni e responsabile delle campagne sul fine vita, sarà ospite al Palazzo Ducale di Martano (LE) per un dibattito pubblico dedicato al diritto di scelta sul fine vita.
L’appuntamento è per lunedì 12 agosto 2025 alle ore 20:30, presso il Palazzo Ducale di Martano (LE), in Viale Savoia, a Martano.
L’incontro si svolge nell’ambito del festival Epame 2025 e vedrà la partecipazione anche di Andrea Mariano, medico e attivista del Laboratorio Salute Popolare, e Simona Zaminga, medico Ant.
A seguire si terrà una cena sociale e un dj set.
L'articolo A Martano (LE) Matteo Mainardi in un dibattito pubblico sul fine vita proviene da Associazione Luca Coscioni.
OrionBelt©
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