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• Micron 9650 SSD reaches 28GB/s, but it’s strictly for data centers, not consumers
• Liquid cooling in SSDs is no longer hypothetical, and Micron just made it standard
• The 7600 SSD delivers ultra-low latency, yet it still depends on how workloads behave in reality

Micron has introduced what it describes as, “the world’s first PCIe Gen6 data center SSD,” with claims of as-yet-unmatched performance tailored for modern AI workloads.

The 9650 SSD reportedly hits sequential read speeds of up to 28 GB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 14 GB/s.

However, it comes in industrial-grade E3.S and E1.S form factors, making it incompatible with standard desktop PCs, limiting its direct accessibility to broader consumer markets.

Designed for performance but constrained by form factor

This new model targets high-intensity AI environments, offering 5.5 million IOPS in random read performance and up to 900K IOPS for random writes.

Micron’s 9650 improves on Gen5 SSDs with up to 25% and 67% greater energy efficiency for random writes and reads.

It also incorporates liquid cooling options for dense server configurations, and its reduced power draw and emissions support both performance gains and sustainability efforts in data centers.

“With the industry’s first PCIe Gen6 SSD, industry-leading capacities and the lowest latency mainstream SSD - all powered by our first-to-market G9 NAND—Micron is not just setting the pace; we are redefining the frontier of data center innovation,” said Jeremy Werner, senior vice president and general manager of Micron’s Core Data Center Business Unit.

While these specifications may sound impressive on paper, the real test will be in sustained, real-world workloads under diverse operating conditions.

Several vendors have highlighted its potential in supporting inference pipelines and retrieval-augmented generation, suggesting the 9650 could serve as a key infrastructure component for GPU-based servers.

Still, wider adoption will likely hinge on pricing, reliability, and actual ecosystem integration.

Alongside the 9650, Micron also unveiled its 7600 SSD based on PCIe Gen5 and the Micron 6600 ION SSD, which focuses on capacity.

The 7600 claims to deliver sub-1 millisecond latency on demanding database applications like RocksDB.

With read speeds reaching 12 GB/s, the 7600 outperforms existing Gen5 SSDs in metrics such as random writes and energy efficiency.

But the claims of having the fastest SSD must be balanced against actual deployment flexibility and sustained workload performance.

“Micron’s cutting-edge storage technologies showcase the importance of fast, efficient storage as AI workloads continue to redefine infrastructure requirements,” said Raghu Nambiar, corporate vice president, Data Center Ecosystems and Solutions, AMD.

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The Trump Administration’s worldwide tariff wars continue. A top priority for Trump has been resetting U.S. trade relations and earlier this year his administration had vowed “90 deals in 90 days”. But as the August 1st deadline came and went, what emerged wasn’t a flurry of deals but a wave of new tariffs. We hear from reporters around the world about how countries are reacting to the news and what the impact could be.

(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes/ AP)

Earth will complete its daily rotation between 1.25 and 1.51 milliseconds faster than usual, and scientists aren't quite sure why.

New research suggests that maggots may be the secret ingredient responsible for extremely high nitrogen values found in Neanderthal remains.

Abby Breyfogle wears a silver charm bracelet that represents her achievements at Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp destroyed by the Independence Day floods. The former camper, who is now a student at the University of Texas, Austin, talks about the memories from the ten summers that she wears on her wrist.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Aug. 5 No. 520.

• A leaked render of the DJI Mini 5 Pro seems to reveal the drone's design
• A separate image of the box may have also revealed its specs
• The leaks hint at a 1-inch sensor and LiDAR-powered autofocus

The DJI Mini 5 Pro seems unlikely to hit its previously-rumored August 7 launch date, but fans of tiny drones have at least been given some solace in the form of two big leaks – and they hint at a little flying camera that could be worth waiting a little longer for.

Firstly, a render of the rumored successor to one of the world's best drones was shared on the Discord channel for Drone-Hacks, giving us what could be our first look at the drone.

If the image is correct, the Mini 5 Pro will look very similar to its Mini 4 Pro predecessor, aside from a larger camera module and the inclusion of two forward-facing LiDAR sensors for improved obstacle avoidance.

That LiDAR-powered feature has previously appeared on the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and DJI Air 3S, but this would be the first time we've seen it on a Mini series drone – and it could be particularly useful if you fly in low light.

Mini 5 Pro leaked render! The leak didn’t come from our team, some beta tester shared a picture on the public Discord. Thanks for the credit tho! #Mini5Pro https://t.co/LV1eQJCYKDAugust 3, 2025

Even more revealing is the potential list of specs, shared by @JasperEllens and DroneXL. According to some leaked packaging, the DJI Mini 5 Pro will have a 1-inch image sensor – up from the 1/1.3-inch chip on the Mini 4 Pro – and be capable of shooting 4K/120fps footage, another slight boost from its predecessor's 4K/100fps mode.

Elsewhere, there's the promise of a "high quality 48mm med-tele mode", which will presumably be similar to the one that recently arrived on the DJI Pocket 3, thanks to a firmware update. This is effectively a 'lossless' crop mode that can be handy if you need a bit more reach.

The leak also promises a 36-minute flight time, which would be a slight boost on the claimed 34 minutes managed by the Mini 4 Pro (or 45 minutes, if you shell out for the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which isn't available in the EU).

The big question

(Image credit: DJI)

While those Mini 5 Pro specs sound very promising indeed – and could make me consider upgrading my Mini 3 Pro drone – there is one slightly worrying omission from the box and specs sheet.

Usually, there's a "less than 249g" tag accompanying the "ultra-light and foldable" description on a Mini series box. That isn't there this time, at least not on the leaked packaging.

Does this mean the Mini 5 Pro could be the first in the series to exceed that crucial weight? In many regions, including the US and UK, a sub-250g weight is a selling point because flying regulations are more relaxed. For example, in the Open A1 category in the UK, you can fly over strangers (but not crowds) without needing any extra permission.

There is a chance that the Mini 5 Pro's new tech (bigger camera, LiDAR sensors, perhaps new motors) have pushed it over the weight limit, but I'd be surprised if that was the case.

The whole selling point of the Mini series has been that they offer advanced camera tech in a bundle that's barely bigger than a camera lens, and also ducks under that crucial weight barrier. I love my DJI Mini 3 Pro for all of those reasons, so a new model that doesn't tick all of the same boxes wouldn't have the same appeal.

Unfortunately, it appears the Mini 5 Pro has been postponed from its previously rumored launch date, so we may have to wait a while longer to see it – and to find out if it'll actually go on sale in the US.

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Dozens of Texas Democrats left the state to protest a redistricting map, facing potentially steep consequences. Lawmaker walkouts have had mixed success in the past — so what is there to gain?

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

Apple's large internal AI push is aimed at catching up with its competition.

This marks a big shift for Alexa, which until now has mostly steered clear of overt advertising.

• Areas of Russia are experiencing mobile internet blackouts
• These are said to be necessary to combat Ukrainian drone attacks
• Many believe the blackouts may be a crack down on digital rights

Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, technology has been a crucial point of leverage for both sides, with technological infrastructure like telecoms and mobile internet services targeted in disruptive offensives aimed at weakening the other side - even leading to Russia shutting down its own internet services in the name of national security.

A new report by non-profit Russian Internet Protection Society has outlined a record breaking 2,000 mobile internet service shutdowns in July, pointing to a dramatic increase in digital restrictions - and rights groups say that many of the blackouts don’t appear to be related to any threat.

Russian authorities have blocked the advertising of VPNs and Cloudflare subnets in a large-scale crackdown on digital rights. Platforms like Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, and even Duolingo are all inaccessible without a VPN.

Drone attacks blamed

These blackouts have a serious impact on life in parts of Russia and cut off access to things like maps, banking applications, buying fuel, or even communicating with loved ones - with talks of blocking WhatsApp suggesting the state pushing citizens onto highly monitored, government controlled messaging services.

Russia has cited a need to prevent and defend against Ukrainian drone attacks, but not everyone is convinced by this explanation. The economic losses from these disruptions are estimated by watchdogs to be around 26 billion rubles ($290 million) in July alone - and rural areas are left isolated.

Dmitry Gudkov, a former MP and co-founder of the Center for Analysis and Strategy in Europe told Le Monde that authorities are ‘gradually restricting freedoms’ through these outages;

"They are acclimating society to life without the internet. The day they need to cut the mobile network, for instance to stifle protests, they'll know they can do it."

Via: The Record

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• Samsung's Flip 7 went through an extreme durability test
• Its outer screen is hardy, but the inner screen is easily scratched and burnt
• It couldn't be snapped in half by hand, however

Our phone testing is very rigorous, but we focus on what a regular person would get out of the gadget and if it’s better or worse than the competition at the same price; we don’t routinely set fire to phone screens, bathe gadgets in dirt, or attempt to scratch every surface with a knife – but that’s what one tester has done to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.

In an extreme durability test, which you’ll find several of on his YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything seriously put Samsung’s new foldable through its paces – a follow-up to a similar video involving the Galaxy Z Fold 7 about a week earlier.

In the just under 9-minute video, Samsung’s phone is tortured, but we do learn some useful details.

The outer screen is pretty hardy, standing up to significantly harder materials than the inner screen – which a particularly forceful fingernail scratch is able to create grooves in – and also withstanding direct heat from a lighter’s flame. The inner screen is left with a couple of permanent green damage marks after about 15 seconds of fire exposure.

It then gets drenched in dirt, including getting a healthy heaping dropped straight into its hinge. Opening and closing the phone with dirt covered did allow some soil to enter the mechanism – you can hear it crunch when opening and closing after the fact – but at least during the video, no other permanent harm is noticeable.

Lastly, JerryRigEverything does his best to snap the phone in half with his hands, but it survives his attempts.

You should absolutely go watch the full video – especially if, like me, you’re too cautious with your tech to let the intrusive thoughts win – because it highlights the extreme lengths you have to go to actually tear these foldables apart.

Tougher than you think

Foldables are hardier than we give them credit for (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

I’ve used a foldable as my daily driver for about a year. I started with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and recently upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Because I get those phones through my job, I’m admittedly a bit more laissez-faire with how I treat them (meaning I’ll buy a cheap screen protector, but not a case), but both phones have been holding up very, very well.

The Z Fold 6 has a few bruises at the edges, but nothing serious, and my Z Fold 7 is close to immaculate. Neither has any issues with their hinges, and while you can see their creases, it’s not super noticeable on either phone when you’re using one.

This brings me to a point I made on our Samsung special podcast. While that IP48 dust and waterproof rating means the foldables can let fine dirt in (anything smaller than 1mm), and their inner screen isn’t as durable as a regular phone display, most normal people probably won’t have any serious issues.

I’ve been to a sandy beach two times in the past year, and visited one desert, without my foldable being affected. I was careful, sure, but no more so than I am with a non-foldable.

If you regularly work at the beach or in, say, a dusty woodwork shop, or in a super-harsh environment, a foldable might not be ideal. But for most folks, these extreme and my year-long tests prove they’re surprisingly durable if you’re kind to them. If durability was the reason you’ve been put off buying one, it might not be as big an issue as you imagine.

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• Kamala Harris says she won't use wireless headphones for security reasons
• Vulnerabilities have been found in many big-name products
• Security risk is very very low, but it's not zero

Everybody loves wireless headphones – but perhaps everyone shouldn't. That's what Kamala Harris suggests, and she knows more than most of us: speaking to Stephen Colbert last week, she explained why her preference for wired earbuds over wireless ones wasn't because she's old-fashioned.

"I know I've been teased about this," she said. "But I like these kinds of earpods that have [a cable] because I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee."

As she explained: "I have been in classified briefings and I'm telling you, don't be on the train using your earpods [she meant AirPods here] thinking someone can't listen to your conversation."

This isn't tinfoil hat territory

With very few exceptions, most wireless headphones connect via Bluetooth – and earlier this year, German IT security analysts identified vulnerabilities in a whole host of headphones from very big names including Bose, Jabra, JBL, Marshall and Sony. The system-on-a-chip manufacturer that those firms use has since updated its SDK to deal with the issue, though we'd be foolish to assume it's the only one.

The presence of a vulnerability in a chip doesn't mean it has been or is going to be exploited. But it's a possibility. Last year BlueSpy demonstrated how to take advantage of such a vulnerability to record audio from "a particular high-end headset". And this year it emerged that a Bluetooth vulnerability could enable eavesdropping on in-car calls.

The risks from wireless devices aren't just interception. For example, the UK's Ministry of Justice notes that Bluetooth devices can be used to track someone's location. It also tells staff that while Bluetooth is fine for people working with "Official"-level material, it may not be safe enough for "Official-Sensitive or higher material".

The likelihood of the average pair of headphones or earbuds being intercepted by anyone is vanishingly small. And that's probably just as well, because 3.5mm audio jacks are vanishing too – although of course you could always use a USB-C adapter or DAC to go wired. But most of the best headphones today are wireless ones, especially for wearing outdoors – and doubly so if you want active noise cancellation. Wired ANC earbuds are nearly extinct, frustratingly for the security

For the average listener like you or I, the security risk is virtually zero. But if like Kamala Harris you don't exactly have an average job, there are plenty of people willing to invest serious time, talent and tech in trying to eavesdrop on your communications. And that could mean that the best wired earbuds are the smart move – going wireless could be going reckless.

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• Sam Altman posts on X about new products over the next couple of months
• Warns of “capacity crunches” and that things “may be slightly choppy"
• ChatGPT-5 possibly delayed as it didn't launch at the start of the month

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has posted on X.com that, “we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months – new models, products, features, and more”, but so far there is no sign of the widely expected ChatGPT-5.

Many news outlets have predicted that ChatGPT-5 was going to arrive in August, and it was hotly tipped to be released at the start of the month. However, as the calendar flicked over to August, all we got was the tweet from the OpenAI CEO.

The start of the month would have been the ideal time to launch ChatGPT-5, and the fact that Altman mentions the “next couple of months” means we might have to wait a little while yet for the release of OpenAI’s most impressive model.

we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months--new models, products, features, and more.please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!August 2, 2025

At the same time, Altman warned that ChatGPT users could be in for some disruptions over the next couple of months: “Please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. Although it may be slightly choppy, we think you'll really love what we've created for you!”, he said.

Capacity cruches

As if on cue, a ChatGPT user has complained that the service has started to cap the number of image uploads that can be done a day to 30, without any notice.

User Rhizopus_Nigrians says, “This cripples the workflow for serious users. And I am one. I’ve paid for Plus since the beginning. I love it. I’ve promoted this tool to friends, peers, even students”, he posted.

Most of the other Reddit users on the thread point out that this is probably just a temporary bug, rather than an actual policy change by OpenAI. To test his theory I uploaded 40 images today, and there was no problem, however that doesn’t rule out that it could also be part of the “capacity crunches” or “hiccups” that Altman warned about in his tweet.

When will ChatGPT-5 arrive?

ChatGPT 5 is expected to be the first OpenAI model that will automatically route your request to its most appropriate model version, or research method, instead of you having to choose which confusingly-named model version to use. It’s also reported to have key improvements in accuracy, speed, and resource efficiency.

While it’s frustrating that OpenAI has missed the start of the month for a release of ChatGPT 5, there’s still plenty of time left in the month for an August release. What will be interesting to see is whether the release is only for Plus users or if free ChatGPT users will also get access to the new model.

When ChatGPT 5 is released, demand to use it will likely be at an all-time high, especially if it contains any improvements to the image generator, which is why I think Altman is keen to warn people that we may be in for some disruption now.

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The price of a Premium Individual subscription goes up to nearly $14 for overseas markets but remains at $12 in the US.

She might be the executive producer of new Hallmark+ miniseries Providence Falls, but when we think of JoAnna Garcia Swisher, we think of Sweet Magnolias. Season 4 dropped on Netflix in February this year, and from the looks of the last episode, everything could be about to change in the fictional town of Serenity. Well, that’s if everyone actually chooses to stay there, with our lead trio’s storylines pulling them in different directions.

For Maddie (Swisher), that means leaving Serenity entirely. She’s been offered a marketing job in New York she just can’t say no to, meaning her weekly margarita nights with Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Helen (Heather Hadley) can be no more. Of course, we don’t actually know if Maddie will really follow through with her relocation, but that’s not the narrative most fans currently have on their minds.

Thanks to an interview with US Weekly, Swisher suggested Maddie could be pregnant in future episodes, sending fans spiraling about whether her family with Cal Maddox (Justin Bruening) could be expanding. "I actually just talked about this yesterday with Justin because I’m like, 'we never got a honeymoon,'" she told the outlet. "I don’t know if that will involve a little bun in the oven – or at least an opportunity.” But is there truth to this? I asked Swisher outright, and there definitely won’t be babies in Sweet Magnolias season 5 by her account.

It’s official: Maddie won’t be pregnant in Sweet Magnolias season 5

The cast of Sweet Magnolias, where nobody is pregnant. (Image credit: Netflix)

“I'm not wearing a pregnancy suit this season,” Swisher clarifies when I ask her about the pregnancy chatter online. “But there is so much that happens, and there's a lot of beginnings and new possibilities that are just like I am glowing about.”

But she doesn’t stop there. “There's also endings to things that are maybe unexpected. But they lead to very exciting things.

“I'm directing for Sweet Magnolias and to wear both hats at the same time [as Providence Falls], it takes a lot of brain power. So, I have a lot of support right now at Sweet Magnolias.”

As Swisher is a dual actor and director for Sweet Magnolias, she really could be talking about anyone. “Endings” could refer to Maddie’s time in Serenity (although this seems too obvious), Dana Sue’s potential investor for her cooking kitchen, or Helen accepting Erik’s (Dion Johnstone) proposal.

This could even extend to the possible end of Ty (Carson Rowland) and Annie’s (Anneliese Judge) relationship if Annie accepts an offer from an out-of-state college, which is probably going to see its struggles regardless of what Swisher means with her ominous response.

Sweet Magnolias season 5 doesn’t have a release date yet, meaning the earliest we’ll likely see it on Netflix is February 2026. Maddie and Cal’s future together is likely still unwritten at this stage, but boy is it going to be worth tuning in for.

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• Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13
• Hysilens joins the game to bring the DoT archetype back from the dead
• Cerydra is also coming in 3.5, as well as new story, events, and more

When I started playing Honkai: Star Rail, one of the first teams I put together focused on the DoT (damage over time) archetype. But in the last year or so, that composition dramatically fell out of favor. But now, we’re so back.

The Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 update – ominously-titled ‘Before Their Deaths’ – will launch on August 13, introducing new story content, two new playable characters, a new map, a new boss, and several new events.

The main highlight, at least for me, is the introduction of Hysilens. As a five-star Physical character following the path of Nihility, her kit looks set to revive the struggling DoT archetype.

Her kit includes an ability that generates a zone in combat, which reduces the attack and defense of all enemies – but, more importantly, each instance of DoT on targets in the zone triggers additional DoT from her.

Add on top that all of her abilities have a chance to apply a random DoT effect to targets and you can see why all the signs point towards her being the saviour of my favorite playstyle.

Whether that is how things turn out in practice remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful that her introduction to the game should at least go some way to pick up the fortunes of DoT and its fellow enjoyers like me.

Image 1 of 5

Hysilens has a lot of abilities to improve DoT damage and apply more DoT effects in battle. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 5

Cerydra is a clear hyper-carry support for characters such as Phainon. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 5

The new area of Styxia, the City of Infinite Revelry, is added in version 3.5. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 4 of 5

It's like we're going back to the early flash game era with the latest restaurant management mini-game. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 5 of 5

The drink mixing returns for another round of colorful concoctions. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Anyway, there is more than this happening in the update. The second half will add Cerydra to the game: a five-star Wind element character who follows the path of Harmony.

Developer Hoyoverse has leaned heavily into the chess theming with this strategist and support character. As well as buffing the damage of your team in various ways, her main gimmick is the ability to duplicate the skill of an ally after she builds up enough charges. Naturally, players are keen to pair her with Phainon, but there’s clearly a lot of potential for experimentation in other team compositions that rely on skills.

The re-run banners for 3.5 have also been confirmed: the first half will feature Kafka and Silver Wolf will return in the second half. Both of these make sense considering they have both recently received buffs, while Kafka is the perfect partner to Hysilens in what will likely be the premium DoT team.

Perhaps time for me to invest in an eidolon, hmm?

As well as the next part of the Trailiblaze story in a new part of Styxia, the big event for Version 3.5 is the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant. Yep, we’re getting a restaurant management game. Looking like a cross between Farmville and Diner Dash, you grow and serve food while renovating the restaurant to give customers the best experience possible..

On a similar theme, the Old Brews & New Friends event takes us back to the Dreamjolt Hostelry, where we’ll be mixing up and serving fancy drinks to new and familiar faces. Sounds great, gimme them Stellar Jades.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.5 launches on August 13. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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In a rural Vermont county, spotty cell phone coverage is the norm. But a local tinkerer is using old technology to help his community stay connected free of charge.

(Image credit: Patrick Schlott)

Spoilers for The Gilded Age season 3 episode 7 ahead.

The Gilded Age is carrying the mantle of televised period drama greatness set up by Downton Abbey over a decade ago, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Instead of soap opera sensationalism, tension and high stakes comes in the form of complicated relationships, intellectual manipulation and ever-changing social dynamics. Nobody’s getting involved in nefarious love triangles that make no sense, or having punch-ups on the street simply because there’s nothing better to do. Each step is a calculated one, and it works.

But has The Gilded Age season 3 changed all that? Across episodes 6 and 7, the action has been teetering towards the over-produced. We’ve seen the fandom come alive over Larian’s engagement, a double-crossing at the Haymarket with Oscar (Blake Ritson) left as the victim, and two death scares that have seemingly come out of nowhere.

It’s the second of these scares that now hangs a huge question mark over The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8, and it’s got the power to change how we see the HBO Max show going forward. It’s clear that each new season is trying to do something different than the last, and now that season 4 has been officially renewed, following through with the threat of death seems like the perfect way to elevate The Gilded Age all over again.

Sorry, but George has got to go for good in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 8

Yep, that’s right. For reasons currently unknown to us, George’s (Morgan Spector) life hangs in the balance in the closing scene of season 3 episode 7. He’d previously won out against Clay (Patrick Page) and Mr. Sage (Peter McRobbie), getting the business back on track in spite of their rivalry. However, this comes at a price. A courier soon visited George’s office, pulling a gun on his secretary before aiming it straight at George himself. The gun goes off, the screen goes black and we’ve got no idea whether he’s alive or died.

As far as The Gilded Age goes, this is a much more stereotypical cliffhanger than the show usually opts for. But it’s a signal that once again, it’s looking to change. Just like Carrie Coon told TV Line: “It started with how we kicked things off in the Wild West [in the season premiere]. It was signaling to the audience that this is not Season 2. We’re doing new things.”

So, what if season 3 is signaling not to expect the same again from season 4? The best way to keep things fresh is to do something completely unexpected, even if it goes against the structural fabric of what’s come before. If anything, George dying could serve as a total reset in The Gilded Age’s timeline, and who knows what could come from that. A time jump? Flashbacks? A hidden past?

If we can overlook the fact the HBO Max show has the potential to be sensationalized in season 4 (and fingers crossed it won’t be), such a brutal shift in tone could actually be really exciting. Sure, we lose George as collateral damage and poor John Adams (Claybourne Elder) was taken out in a freak carriage accident the week before. But the training wheels are off for what is and isn’t possible in this version of 1800s New York. Besides, even Spector himself is enthused by it.

“[It] just didn’t feel like the kind of thing that would happen on The Gilded Age,” he explained to TV Line, despite the historical accuracy compared to the real-life 1872 murder of Jim Fisk. “I’m thrilled the more we get to expand the world… [it’s] adding colors to our palette.”

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• Researchers have identified vulnerabilities in China's Great Firewall
• The firewall attempts to block QUIC connections
• Blocking attempts leave the state exposed

Upgrades to China’s Great Firewall (GFW) have not gone as planned, and the resulting ‘critical flaw’ reduces the effectiveness of the firewall in moderating traffic loads, researchers have found. Attempts by China to censor a specific type of internet traffic in the country have left the state at risk and vulnerable to attack;

‘We [..] demonstrate that this censorship mechanism can be weaponized to block UDP traffic between arbitrary hosts in China and the rest of the world. We collaborate with various open-source communities to integrate circumvention strategies into Mozilla Firefox, the quic-go library, and all major QUIC-based circumvention tools.’

The paper was written by researchers from activist group Great Firewall Report, as well as Stanford University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Colorado Boulder - and is titled ‘Exposing and Circumventing SNI-based QUIC Censorship of the Great Firewall of China’.

Internet censorship

The vulnerabilities stem from China’s attempts to block Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) - a transport layer network protocol that is designed to replace Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) because of its built in security, flexibility, and fewer performance issues.

QUIC was invented by workers at Google back in 2012, and at least 10% of sites use the protocol - with many Google and Meta sites included. Both of these organizations are blocked by the GFW, so blocking QUIC connections seems to be an extension of this, although researchers note that not all QUIC traffic is blocked successfully.

The mechanism used to block QUIC connections is vulnerable to attacks that could block all open or root DNS resolvers outside of China from access from within the state, resulting in widespread DNS failures;

“Defending against this attack while still censoring is difficult due to the stateless nature and ease of spoofing UDP packets,” the paper explains. “Careful engineering will be needed to allow censors to apply targeted blocks in QUIC, while simultaneously preventing availability attacks.”

Via; The Register

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