Apple announced a huge leadership shake-up earlier today. Tim Cook will step down as CEO of the company he has headed for nearly 15 years on September 1st. That post will be filled by John Ternus, who has been with Apple for 25 years, essentially crafting out the modern product line itself. Cook is leaving down but will remain executive chairman, where he will oversee global policy and board activities.
Cook first joined the Apple team in 1998 and became CEO in 2011. During his tenure, the company’s market worth increased from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion. Each year, the company’s income nearly quadrupled, 2.5 billion gadgets were distributed worldwide, and it even began offering services on a scale that exceeded several Fortune 500 corporations. New product lines, including as watches and earbuds, emerged, as did totally new modes of computing. Supply chains have stretched all over the world, and stores have arisen on every continent imaginable, but it’s the ordinary objects you carry in your pocket that truly tells the story.
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John Ternus, on the other hand, began working at Apple in 2001, a year after finishing his mechanical engineering degree. He joined the product design team and worked his way up the hardware engineering hierarchy. By 2013, he was a vice president in charge of all hardware engineering, and he was promoted to senior vice president eight years later. Almost every major device line released by Apple has gone through his teams, including every generation of iPad, multiple iPhone models, AirPods, Apple Watch, and the transition to the Mac’s custom chips, and in recent years his focus has been on using tougher materials, making them easier to repair and less harmful to the environment. He just delivered a large presentation last September to launch the new iPhone line-up, and those who know him claim he can tell right away whether a prototype is good enough.
During the announcement, Tim Cook praised his replacement, describing Ternus as a visionary with impeccable precision and a leader with a strong sense of purpose. Ternus hailed Cook as a mentor and discussed his time working for Steve Jobs. Both guys emphasized that there will be no significant shift in direction at Apple. The values that have guided the organization for 50 years remain in place. However, the fact that Ternus, a hardware expert, is going into the senior position suggests that there may be a modest shift in direction. You see, Cook’s path to success differs significantly from Ternus’. Cook came from an operational background, but Ternus has spent his whole career working directly with the products.
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Anyone who has been following the company closely knows that the timing was not unexpected. Rumors about Cook’s plans had been circulating for months, and he had hinted in interviews that he would wait until the proper moment to act. September now gives those two leaders four months to work together harmoniously, and it appears Ternus will also join the board of directors. Arthur Levinson, who has led the board for nearly 15 years, is stepping down to become the lead independent director. Meanwhile, Johny Srouji, a long-time chip designer, has been promoted to chief hardware officer. [Source]
Having molten aluminium interact with atmospheric water forms a source of hydrogen which can be rather problematic if you’re trying to cast aluminium parts. As the molten metal cools down, the dissolved hydrogen is forced out, creating bubbles and other flaws that make aluminium foundries rather upset. While you can inject inert gases to solve the problem, you can also lean into this issue to make some rather fascinating aluminium crystals and geodes, as [Electron Impressions] recently did.
The key here is to use a eutectic Al-Cu alloy at around 45% Cu by weight, as this alloy readily forms large crystals as it cools down. With hydrogen injected into the molten metal, this hydrogen forms large bubbles inside the cooling metal with crystals clearly visible.
A way to create proper geodes involves very slow cooling and pouring off the still molten metal before the eutectic point is reached. As can be seen in this video, this creates a rather impressive looking geode after it’s been smashed open. This also gives a good clue as to how these geological features form in nature, although one does not typically observe Al-Cu alloy geodes in the wild.
A set of 26 malicious apps on Apple App Store impersonate popular wallets, such as Metamask, Coinbase, Trust Wallet, and OneKey, to steal recovery or seed phrases and drain them of cryptocurrency assets.
The threat actor used multiple methods to imitate official products, including typosquatting and fake branding, to lure users in China into downloading them.
Because such apps are restricted in the country, the attacker published them as games or calculator apps, likely in the hope of being perceived by the users as a trick to bypass the bans in the country.
Kaspersky researchers say that all 26 fake apps are part of the same campaign, which they named FakeWallet, and associate them with the SparkKitty operation that has been running since last year.
Once opened, the apps redirect users to phishing pages designed to appear as legitimate portals for the crypto services.
These sites convince victims to download trojanized wallet apps using iOS provisioning profiles, a legitimate enterprise feature that is abused to sideload malware onto their devices. The same technique was also observed in SparkKitty.
Installing a provisioning profile Source: Kaspersky
The trojanized apps contain additional code that intercepts mnemonic phrases during wallet setup or recovery screens, encrypts them with RSA and Base64, and sends them to the attacker.
For cold wallets like Ledger, attackers rely on in-app phishing prompts that trick users into manually entering their seed phrases via fake security verification screens.
These phrases, which are only held by the rightful wallet owner, are intended for wallet porting/recovery to new devices and require no further confirmation or passwords.
Hence, threat actors can use them to restore the victim’s wallet on their own devices and drain the wallet without the possibility of recovering the funds.
Seed phrase phising screen Source: Kaspersky
Kaspersky noted that the campaign primarily targets users in China. However, the malware itself has no geographic restrictions, so it could affect users globally if the operators decide to expand their targeting scope.
Cryptocurrency holders are advised to double-check the publisher of the apps they download, even from official app stores, and use only the links provided on the official website.
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Last week, it was uncovered that a fraudulent Ledger app that made it into Apple’s App Store stole $9.5 million worth of cryptocurrency from 50 macOS users.
Apple has removed all 26 FakeWallet apps from the App Store following Kaspersky’s responsible disclosure.
BleepingComputer has contacted Apple with questions about the threat actor’s process to bypass the company’s App Store verfications but we have not received a response by publication time.
AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.
At the Autonomous Validation Summit (May 12 & 14), see how autonomous, context-rich validation finds what’s exploitable, proves controls hold, and closes the remediation loop.
A recent report from Nikkei Asia yet again highlights how tight the market has become. It centers on the ongoing memory shortage, which is expected to persist until chipmakers have both the capacity and the facilities to meet demand for AI-focused components from hyperscale customers. Read Entire Article Source link
Artemis II’s recent launch filled the public with a sense of wonder and awe on the grandest scale. Not since 1972 (Apollo 17) has man attempted to travel to the moon for exploration, which adds even more excitement to this recent mission. While spectators — both in person in Florida and on TV — surely appreciated the historic nature of the mission, the most immediate takeaway is the raw, visceral punch of the explosive launch. Sending such a massive rocket to break free of Earth’s gravitational pull and punch through the atmosphere into space requires a staggering amount of power.
It takes 8.8 million pounds of thrust to be exact, which violently propelled the 322-foot NASA rocket into space. Just one of the liquid hydrogen and oxygen-powered rockets could power almost a million miles of streetlights. The Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) topped out at a staggering 24,500 mph, the velocity required to reach the moon. This speed was in line with what the crew of the Apollo 13 mission experienced in 1970, which reached similar top speeds of 24,247 mph.
But this wasn’t the whole story. Artemis II didn’t simply thrust to the Moon in a straight line at a constant speed. The flight began with SLS launching Orion into Earth’s orbit, fighting hard against gravity, before passing through the atmosphere’s layers and into space.
As Artemis II ascended, it reached speeds in excess of 24,000 mph, though the exact speed depends on the frame of reference. At its closest approach to the Moon, the rocket hit 60,863 mph relative to Earth. However, relative to the Moon, the speed was measured at 3,139 mph. Either way, these speeds are hard to relate to, as even an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet tops out at around 1,200 mph.
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As the Orion spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, it reached speeds of roughly 25,000 mph before slowing dramatically in Earth’s atmosphere and safely parachuting into the ocean at splashdown. NASA’s coordination, planning, technical prowess, advanced engineering, and brainpower — to say nothing of the crew’s bravery — speak to mankind’s ingenuity and thirst for exploration.
The crew laid the foundation for future missions and lunar research. Who knows where modern space travel could go next? But what is certain is that we all got to watch history being made by some very brave people, at unbelievable speeds.
The global lactose-free products market is poised to grow from around $19.5bn in 2026 to $36.5bn by 2034.
Irish food giant Kerry Group has opened an expanded biotechnology manufacturing facility in Cork as it targets the growing global lactose-free market.
The facility, based out of Carrigaline, will help the company increase its capacity to produce lactase enzymes needed for lactose-free and sugar-reduced dairy products.
Lactase is a natural enzyme produced by humans to digest lactose, though a majority of adults worldwide cannot digest lactose efficiently. Market research suggests that the global lactose-free products sector is poised to grow from around $19.5bn this year to $36.6bn by 2034.
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The Carrigaline site supports 200 clients across 80 countries. Lactase enzymes produced at the site are used to process more than 2m tonnes of milk annually, reaching around 28m consumers worldwide, Kerry said.
The expanded facility, alongside the company’s Kildare-based Global Innovation Centre and a biotechnology centre in Germany, established last year, are expected to help accelerate Kerry’s lab-to-commercial pipeline.
The company said it is “well positioned” to support the next phase of growth in the lactose-free market, with the expanded centre acting to link advanced enzyme engineering and strain development with large‑scale manufacturing.
“This investment translates decades of biotech research into scalable, real‑world capability,” said Shane McGibney, the president and CEO of biotechnology solutions and transformation at Kerry Group.
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“By strengthening the link between enzyme engineering and industrial production, we’re able to move innovations more efficiently from the lab to the production line – helping customers access reliable supply and bring new products to market with greater speed and confidence.”
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD added: “This facility demonstrates how industry, skills and innovation come together to support the future of Ireland’s food and biotechnology sectors.
“As a global leader in food, Kerry Group continues to play an important role in advancing high-value capability from its Irish base. Manufacturing sites like Carrigaline help move innovation towards scale and strengthen Ireland’s position in advanced manufacturing.”
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State-sponsored North Korean hackers are likely behind the $290 million crypto-heist that impacted the KelpDAO DeFi project on Saturday.
The attack reportedly also impacted the lending protocols Compound, Euler, and Aave, with the latter announcing a freeze and blocking new deposits or borrowing using rsETH as collateral.
KelpDAO is a decentralized finance (DeFi) project built around liquid restaking on the Ethereum network. It accepts user ETH deposits, restakes them, and returns a liquid token named ‘rsETH,’ that represents the restaked position.
The rsETH token is meant to help users keep earning restaking yield, while it stays usable across DeFi, including cross-chain via LayerZero, an inter-blockchain communication protocol and interoperability layer.
On April 18, KelpDAO announced that it detected “suspicious cross-chain activity” involving rsETH, forcing it to pause rsETH contracts across the Ethereum mainnet and L2s.
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The project launched an investigation with the help of LayerZero, Unichain, and other partners.
Blockchain activity showed that around 116,500 rsETH were stolen, around $293 million in USD value, and went through Tornado Cash to hide the trace.
According to additional details that LayerZero shared today, the attack targeted the verification layer (DVN) used to validate cross-chain messages for rsETH.
Specifically, the attackers compromised some RPC nodes used by the verifier, feeding it falsified blockchain data, while simultaneously DDoS-ing healthy RPC nodes to force the system to rely on the “poisoned” ones.
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This allowed a fake cross-chain message to be accepted as valid. The system confirmed transactions that never actually occurred on-chain and enabled moving the rsETH without authorization.
Based on preliminary evaluation of the attack indicators, LayerZero believes that the infamous Lazarus hackers are likely responsible for the heist.
“Preliminary indicators suggest attribution to a highly sophisticated state actor, likely DPRK’s Lazarus Group, more specifically TraderTraitor,” stated LayerZero.
The protocol also noted that the incident was isolated to rsETH and that there’s no broader contagion across other apps or assets.
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While the KelpDAO breach constitutes a major loss so far this year in terms of the stolen amount, the Lazarus Group has also been linked to another large theft, $280 million from the Drift Protocol.
According to a post-mortem report, that attack was the result of a six-month-long, carefully planned operation that involved malicious agents attending conferences and $1 million deposits into the project.
AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.
At the Autonomous Validation Summit (May 12 & 14), see how autonomous, context-rich validation finds what’s exploitable, proves controls hold, and closes the remediation loop.
Tim Cook has announced that he will be stepping down as Apple CEO on September 1. Senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus, long seen as the company’s leading succession candidate, will take over following a summer transition period. Read Entire Article Source link
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
BackgroundChecks.com is a cloud-based background screening platform designed to streamline the hiring process by making it faster, safer, and more organized. Previously known as ClearChecks, the platform automates time-consuming verification tasks, helping employers confirm candidate details while maintaining legal compliance.
In a hiring landscape where speed must balance with accuracy, BackgroundChecks.com aims to deliver both efficiency and reliability.
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This overview examines how the platform operates, its pricing model, key advantages and disadvantages, and the types of organizations that benefit most from its features.
BackgroundChecks.com: Pricing & plans
(Image credit: ClearChecks)
BackgroundChecks.com uses a tiered pricing model that scales with the depth of the screening. Basic checks start around $24.99 per individual report. More comprehensive searches—including multi-county criminal checks, professional license verifications, and drug screenings—typically cost between $49 and $ 100.
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Standalone or à la carte options are also available, such as a basic arrest record search for about $7 or a sex offender registry search for around $5. These can be combined to create customized screening packages tailored to specific hiring needs. The “Elite” plan, the platform’s most comprehensive option, costs approximately $49 per report and includes all key checks from lower tiers, plus additional verifications for roles that require greater trust or clearance.
Despite clear starting rates, some users have raised concerns about pricing transparency. Employers occasionally encounter undisclosed county-level court access fees, which vary by jurisdiction and can increase total costs. These hidden fees make budgeting for large screening batches difficult, and some users report challenges in obtaining refunds or resolving billing issues in a timely manner. Prospective buyers are advised to review each plan carefully and confirm pricing details before proceeding.
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BackgroundChecks.com: How it works
BackgroundChecks.com is an all-in-one screening hub for both small businesses and large employers. Setup is straightforward: after registering, employers can log into a secure dashboard accessible from desktop, tablet, or mobile devices. The interface is designed for ease of use, enabling administrators to select screening types, invite candidates to complete digital consent forms, and track progress in real-time.
The platform offers a wide range of background checks, including multi-jurisdictional criminal searches, scans of state and county court records, motor vehicle record lookups, and drug testing panels. Employers can also verify education credentials, employment history, and professional licenses—essential for positions requiring specialized certifications or regulatory compliance.
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BackgroundChecks.com: Performance
(Image credit: BackgroundChecks.com)
Speed is one of BackgroundChecks.com’s standout features. Automated workflows consolidate data from multiple databases and official repositories, providing results in minutes for many checks. More complex verifications, such as education or employment history, may take longer since they rely on responses from third parties.
Compliance is another priority. The platform adheres to Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines, ensuring responsible handling of consumer data while protecting applicants’ rights to dispute inaccuracies. Data transmission and storage use encrypted servers in line with data protection standards. Employers can also utilize audit logs and permission controls for enhanced oversight of report access.
For organizations managing high volumes of hires, batch processing enables multiple screenings to run simultaneously—a significant benefit for staffing agencies, seasonal employers, and rapidly growing businesses. Integration with HR systems and applicant tracking platforms enhances its flexibility, allowing screenings to begin directly within existing workflows without requiring a switch between platforms.
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BackgroundChecks.com: Strengths and weaknesses
User feedback on BackgroundChecks.com highlights both strong performance and points for improvement. The platform’s intuitive interface and streamlined dashboard make initiating and monitoring screenings simple, even for first-time users. Many customers praise its speed, noting that standard checks often process within hours—an essential advantage for industries with constant hiring demands like retail or staffing.
The company’s focus on compliance and data security further enhances its reputation. Employers appreciate FCRA adherence, strong encryption, and customizable screening packages that avoid unnecessary costs. Many users also report positive experiences with customer support for resolving technical issues or account setup questions.
However, the recurring complaint surrounds inconsistent pricing transparency. Unexpected county-level fees and occasional billing discrepancies have led some employers to view the service as less predictable in terms of cost. Customer support experiences also vary: while some describe helpful, prompt service, others cite long response times—especially for billing disputes. A minority of users report occasional inaccuracies or incomplete results, which can delay hiring and require manual verification, thereby reducing the time-saving benefits.
Overall, BackgroundChecks.com offers a strong combination of efficiency, compliance, and convenience, though its transparency and support consistency leave room for improvement. For businesses focused on affordability and predictable pricing, these issues may outweigh their advantages. Still, for organizations seeking a fast, compliant, and secure screening solution, it remains a competitive option worth consideration.
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BackgroundChecks.com: Who would benefit the most using this
BackgroundChecks.com caters to a diverse range of employers seeking an automated approach to background screening. It suits small business owners, HR departments, and large enterprises alike.
Industries with rapid hiring needs — such as hospitality, retail, and staffing — benefit most from its quick turnaround times. Highly regulated sectors, such as healthcare, education, and financial services, also benefit from its compliance-focused architecture and enhanced verification options.
For HR teams managing multiple candidates, batch processing and ATS integration help standardize workflows while minimizing manual data entry. This reduces administrative effort and potential errors.
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The platform is equally useful for start-ups and small to mid-sized businesses without dedicated compliance teams, offering guided workflows that simplify legal adherence. However, employers conducting complex criminal background checks or operating across multiple jurisdictions may prefer supplementing their automated system with manual reviews to ensure accuracy.
BackgroundChecks.com stands out as a dependable screening solution that strikes a balance between automation, compliance, and accessibility. Its cloud-based design simplifies the complexities of background verification, enabling employers to complete checks quickly while maintaining compliance with FCRA regulations.
BackgroundChecks.com: Final verdict
By offering customizable screening packages and integrations with HR systems, the platform adapts well to a range of business sizes and industries. However, inconsistencies in pricing transparency and responsiveness to customer support may limit its appeal for organizations seeking absolute cost predictability. For most employers, though, its speed, data security, and compliance-driven structure make it a valuable tool for maintaining trust and safety throughout the hiring process.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought that 4-Across, 7-Across and 3-Down were pretty fun — little puzzles inside of the puzzle. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
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At the huge Hannover Messe trade fair over the weekend, attendees heard calls for a lightening of EU Act regulations for industrial AI.
It’s one of the largest industrial trade fairs in the world, and little surprise that AI dominates this year at the Hannover Messe in Germany, with both the CEO of Siemens and German chancellor Friedrich Merz calling for a carve-out for industrial AI when it comes to EU regulations.
In a speech on Sunday, Merz warned that if Europe is to boost productivity, industrial AI will need more regulatory freedom than, for example, consumer AI.
“I will push to ease the regulatory burden in the EU on AI and, where possible, to exempt industrial AI from the current regulatory straitjacket that is too tight for AI within the European Union,” Merz said in his speech.
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“AI will contribute to greater efficiency and productivity, optimised use of resources and, above all, reduced costs.”
This position may well be influenced by the views of Munich-based Siemens, Germany’s most valuable company with a market capitalisation of some €194bn, according to Bloomberg.
Speaking in an interview at the Hannover Messe, Siemens CEO Roland Busch warned the industrial giant would prioritise investments in the US and China if the EU did not lighten its regulations in a sector he said is already subject to sector-specific regulations.
“It’s complete nonsense to treat industrial and machine data the same way as personal data,” Busch said, according to Bloomberg. “I can’t explain to my shareholders why I’m investing money in an environment where I’m being held back.”
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The warnings come at a time when the EU’s AI Act is due to come into full force on 2 August of this year. While supporters have hailed the EU’s position on AI as a measured and necessary approach to a technology that has led to scandals like that of the Grok ‘nudification’ app, both critics and supporters continue to call for amendments, as Europe vies to compete in the fast-moving world of AI innovation. So we can expect to hear many more such calls between now and August.
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