NerdNews

The volume of data breaches grew 6% year-on-year in 2024, with 6670 publicly reported breaches and 16.8 billion exposed records. Ransomware attacks increased by 10%, and compromised credentials rose by 33% to over 3.2 billion. Infostealer malware was the primary vector for ransomware and high-impact data breaches.

Researchers found that large language models (LLMs) often reproduce errors in code snippets instead of correcting them. The study tested seven LLMs, including OpenAI's GPT-4 and Google's Gemma-7B, and found that they tend to repeat bugs from their training data. This highlights a significant limitation of current models in handling complex code dependencies.

Microsoft, the largest backer of OpenAI, is partnering with Elon Musk's xAI on a $30 billion project to develop data centers and infrastructure. The move marks a significant shift for Microsoft, which is distancing itself from OpenAI and developing its own in-house AI models. The partnership will focus on building out computing infrastructure, including energy projects, in the US and other countries.

Unity 6 is set to receive significant updates, including improved performance, expanded platform support, and new AI-powered workflows. The updates, starting with Unity 6.1 in April, aim to speed up game development and enhance the player experience. Unity is also introducing agentic AI tools, which can make decisions without human intervention, to automate complex tasks. Additionally, the company is extending its platform support to include large and foldable Android screens, Meta Quest, and Instant Games.

The European Commission is requiring Apple to give rivals access to iPhone features, potentially delaying software updates in the EU. Apple argues this will compromise user privacy and security.

Jessica Andersson discusses platform engineering, starting small, strategies, and tradeoffs, with a focus on empowering product teams and gaining adoption from developers

Asus, Dell, and HP are creating their own versions of Nvidia's DGX Spark supercomputer, powered by the Grace Blackwell platform. These mini PCs, such as the Asus Ascent GX10 and HP ZGX Nano AI Station G1n, offer 1,000 AI TOPS processing power and 128GB of unified memory. They are expected to ship in early summer 2025, with prices starting at $3,000 for Nvidia's own DGX Spark.

Microsoft has fixed a bug that automatically uninstalled Copilot from some Windows 11 devices. The issue occurred after a recent update, but Microsoft says affected devices are now being returned to their original state. Copilot is a native Windows app that provides AI assistance, and the bug caused it to be uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar. Microsoft had suggested reinstalling Copilot from the Microsoft Store and manually pinning it to the taskbar as a temporary fix.

Razer has launched a new game development platform called Wyvrn, which includes AI-powered tools such as the Razer AI QA Copilot for automated bug testing and the AI Gamer Copilot for real-time game tips. The platform also features a next-gen Chroma RGB platform, THX Spatial Audio Plus, and Razer's Sensa HD Haptics software. The AI QA Copilot can reduce QA time by up to 50% and costs by up to 40%, while the AI Gamer Copilot provides live tips and strategies for competitive multiplayer games.

Microsoft has fixed a bug that caused the March 2025 Windows cumulative updates to uninstall the AI-powered Copilot digital assistant from some Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. The company has updated the advisories to say that the bug has been fixed and affected devices are being returned to their original state.

Elecom has released a sodium-ion portable power bank that can withstand 5,000 charging cycles, operates in temperatures from -35 to 50 degrees Celsius, and supports fast charging with a capacity of 9000mAh·h. It's available for pre-order in Japan for around $67.

Amazon has joined the Matter certification program, allowing manufacturers to submit their Matter-certified devices to the Connectivity Standards Alliance Interop Lab and get approved for all four smart home platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung, in one go. This should speed up the process of getting Matter devices onto shelves.

Verizon's satellite messaging service is now available to owners of Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 series phones, allowing users to send and receive text messages via satellite when outside cellular range. The service is free for Verizon customers and does not require any additional charges.

Asus, Dell, and HP are creating their own versions of Nvidia's DGX Spark supercomputer, powered by the Grace Blackwell platform. These mini PCs, such as the Asus Ascent GX10 and HP ZGX Nano AI Station G1n, offer 1,000 AI TOPS processing power and 128GB of unified memory. They are expected to ship in early summer 2025, with prices starting at $3,000 for Nvidia's own DGX Spark.

Razer has launched a new game development platform called Wyvrn, which includes AI-powered tools such as the Razer AI QA Copilot for automated bug testing and the AI Gamer Copilot for real-time game tips. The platform also features a next-gen Chroma RGB platform, THX Spatial Audio Plus, and Razer's Sensa HD Haptics software. The AI QA Copilot can reduce QA time by up to 50% and costs by up to 40%, while the AI Gamer Copilot provides live tips and strategies for competitive multiplayer games.

The UK government is set to launch a £16 billion IT services competition, known as Technology Services 4, after a six-month delay. The framework agreement aims to secure attractive pricing for public sector bodies and will include services such as technology and digital consultancy, transition and service integration, and security management.

Google has announced new healthcare-related features for Search and Android, including improved health query results, medical records APIs, and new AI models for drug discovery. The features aim to provide more accurate and personalized health information to users, and to help healthcare providers and researchers access and analyze medical data more efficiently.

China has delayed approval of a BYD factory in Mexico due to concerns that its electric vehicle technology will be leaked to American rivals. BYD has been rapidly growing in the EV market, selling 3.4 million vehicles in 2024, and has developed advanced technology such as a battery system that can charge a vehicle in just five minutes.

A study found that AI-generated meme captions scored higher on average for humor, creativity, and shareability than those made by humans, but humans still created the most exceptional individual examples. The research highlights the potential of AI in humor creation tasks, but also notes that human creativity remains crucial for content that connects on a deeper level.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy discusses his approach to designing innovation centers, balancing technological progress with workforce development, and regulating AI through a national framework. He also talks about the New Jersey AI Hub, a collaboration between the state government, Princeton University, Microsoft, and CoreWeave.