Welcome to today’s edition of the Spiceworks Snap!
It’s your daily dose of security and tech news, in brief, along with a mix of other odd or interesting things that might come up. We’re glad you came.
Now, let’s jump right in…
Image by Suzanne from Spiceworks (AI-generated)
Flashback: June 20, 1950: The NBS (National Bureau of Standards) dedicated the SEAC (Standards Eastern Automatic Computer) (Read more HERE.)
Security News:
• Massive 7.3 Tbps DDoS Attack Delivers 37.4 TB in 45 Seconds, Targeting Hosting Provider (Read more HERE.)
• UK Gov Cybersecurity Jobs Average Salary is Under £45,000 ($61,000) (Read more HERE.)
• Cloudflare Tunnels Abused in New Malware Campaign (Read more HERE.)
Something Spacy
Venturi Space Shows Off Its Pitch for a New Lunar Lander
According to ExtremeTech:
"Monaco-based Venturi Space has debuted a new design for a next-generation lunar rover that it’s calling Mona Luna. It’s a pitch that it hopes the European Space Agency (ESA) will pick up during its ministerial conference later this year. It includes a new deformable wheel design and a sleek, futuristic look, with instruments held near the center to protect against harsh moon temperature swings throughout the day/night cycle.
The Venturi Space pitch is that the ESA already has a lunar launch vehicle in the Ariane 6, and a lunar lander in the Argonaut for future payload delivery to the Moon. But what it doesn’t have, though, is a lunar rover, and Venturi wants to be the company to provide it. . . .
Another technology Venturi is pioneering for this design is its deformable wheels. These wheels are capable of handling extreme temperature swings from -240 degrees C to 130 degrees C while retaining the same strength and support so that the rover can continue to operate even in the lunar south pole. This hyper-mobile wheel design should also let the rover traverse more demanding surface conditions, letting it travel where previous rovers would be unable to even attempt. . . .
If Venturi is successful in convincing the ESA to provide some of its budget for a rover contract, it will be able to show proof of its concepts before a potential 2030+ mission."
Learn more HERE.
Something Odd
In an era where empathy feels unfamiliar, AI now translates emotions
According to TechXplore:
"Society is a complex community where people with different identities and diverse backgrounds live together. While people strive to understand each other, even the concept of “empathy” can sometimes feel overwhelming—because even in the same situation, emotions can differ greatly from person to person.
Until now, computer-based empathy technologies have been operating on the assumption that showing the same experience would evoke similar emotions. However, reality is more complicated: emotional reactions vary widely depending on an individual’s personality, past experiences, and values.
“EmoSync,” an LLM-based agent, embraces and utilizes these individual differences. By meticulously analyzing each user’s psychological traits and emotional response patterns, the LLM generates personalized analogical scenarios that allow people to understand others’ feelings through the lens of their own experiences.
For example, if a user struggles to empathize with subtle discrimination or exclusion in the workplace, EmoSync analyzes the user’s past experiences and creates a relatable connection, such as “a moment of feeling excluded by peers during school days.” This approach helps users understand others’ emotions more vividly and realistically by using the lens of familiar experiences."
This seems like it would have to be highly customized, similar to the experience in the study, to work. I get what they are going for here, but AI, which doesn’t actually understand emotion, is not going to help us build that understanding without our willingness to understand and connect.
Learn more HERE.
Something Interesting
The next Xbox may be as much PC as console
According to ExtremeTech:
"Microsoft dropped some new details about its next-generation Xbox, and it sure sounds like the next console will be very similar to a Windows PC. . . .
Xbox President Sarah Bond hinted at big changes for the upcoming Xbox in an announcement on YouTube about AMD’s involvement in providing the console’s chips. It’s not surprising that AMD has a role in the next Xbox, as it’s provided hardware for Xbox in the past, but Bond managed to pack quite a few revelations into the short announcement video. . . .
*“That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming,” Bond added. . . . *
That has Steam written all over it in our eyes. Of course, other game stores will also want to get access to the console, but adding the Steam Store to the Xbox would be a huge win for gamers.
It’s also worth noting that Bond said the upcoming Xbox hardware would maintain “compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.” That statement, perhaps more than any other she made during the video, suggests that Microsoft is determined to be gamer-centric. . . . The next-gen Xbox should arrive sometime in 2027."
Learn more HERE.
Did You Know?
There is an Italian Jaws copycat movie called “The Last Shark.”
(Read more HERE.)
Tip of the Day
A photo of a pet dog produces some of the same emotional benefits as bringing it to work. Think about putting up some pictures in the office.
(Read more HERE.)
What was the most interesting story today? Vote in our poll below.
- Flashback 1950: The NBS dedicated the SEAC
- Massive 7.3 Tbps DDoS Attack Delivers 37.4 TB in 45 Seconds
- UK Gov Cybersecurity Jobs Average Salary is Under £45,000 ($61,000)
- Cloudflare Tunnels Abused in New Malware Campaign
- Venturi Space Shows Off Its Pitch for a New Lunar Rover
- AI now translates emotions
- The next Xbox may be as much PC as console
- Did You Know? There is an Italian Jaws copycat called “The Last Shark.”
- Today’s Tip: Take a picture of your dog to work.
- None: leave suggestions below
Missed a day? If so, check out previous editions of Snap! HERE.
