• More Mac models have now been pulled by Apple
• Mac minis and Mac Studios now available in fewer configurations
• AI and the associated memory shortage is to blame

With AI data center demand sucking up the world’s supply of RAM, consumers are feeling the effects: having already removed some configurations of the Mac Studio and Mac mini from its store last month, Apple has now reduced the available options even further.

As spotted by MacRumors, you can no longer buy Mac mini models with 32GB or 64GB of RAM, while the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB of RAM has also been taken off sale — so right now that particular computer is only available with 96GB of RAM.

from the weird-and-racist-performance-art dept

Last week the Trump FCC quietly announced that it was cooking up a new ban on any labs that have testing offices in China from testing electronic ‌devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for sale in the United States.

That’s going to create some major issues given that roughly 75% of all U.S.-bound electronics are currently tested in Chinese facilities. Many of these operations are owned by U.S. or European companies that have testing facilities in China because that’s where the lion’s share of technology is manufactured, so it’s simply more efficient for testing evolving iterations of new product.

That these companies have offices in China doesn’t inherently mean the testing labs are somehow all magically compromised and in dutiful service to the Chinese government, though that’s certainly the implication the xenophobic Trump administration is making (and has made before in previous, similar announcements).

One major problem outside of the raw logistics of it all: Carr’s planned cybersecurity fix would be significantly more expensive, driving up costs for everyone:

“27 of the affected facilities are Chinese subsidiaries of major Western testing firms, including Intertek, SGS, TUV Rheinland, and Bureau Veritas. Those companies operate labs in the U.S., Europe, and Taiwan that can absorb redirected work, but the shift won’t be seamless. Basic FCC certification testing runs between $400 and $1,300 at Chinese labs, compared with $3,000 to $4,000 at U.S. equivalents.”

Who is going to eat the difference in those costs? You are, of course. In addition to the higher costs from the AI boom, the tariffs, and Trump’s pointless war in Iran. Whatever companies lobbied Carr and Trump will do great. You probably won’t.

Given the terrible nature of smart IOT home security standards (more a byproduct of unregulated crony capitalism than China-based testing locations), having a more direct line of control over the testing of U.S. bound hardware makes superficial sense.

But then you have to remember that this is Brendan Carr, who does nothing authentically in the public interest, and is likely just looking to drive more business to a handful of U.S. companies that lobbied for his attention. And you have to remember that these folks, as you saw when they talked about shifting smartphone production to the States, don’t actually know what the fuck they’re doing.

The other major problem: Trump and Carr’s rabid deregulatory, anti-governance zealotry on other fronts has repeatedly worked to undermine U.S. cybersecurity, making these sorts of fixes leaky and highly performative, even if they were to be successful (which they won’t be).

While Carr and Trump profess to be super worried about Chinese threats to national security, with their other hand the Trump administration has gutted government cybersecurity programs (including a board investigating the biggest Chinese hack of U.S. telecom networks in history), dismantled the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) (responsible for investigating significant cybersecurity incidents), and fired oodles of folks doing essential work at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Brendan Carr is also engaged in a massive effort to destroy whatever’s left of the FCC’s consumer protection and corporate oversight authority, despite the fact that the recent historic Chinese Salt Typhoon hack (caused in large part because major telecoms were too incompetent to change default administrative passwords) was a direct byproduct of this exact type of mindless deregulation.

The Trump administration’s stacked courts are also making it extremely difficult to hold telecoms accountable for literally anything (see the Fifth Circuit’s recent reversal of a fine against AT&T for spying on customer movement), which also undermines consumer privacy and national security, and ensures zero real repercussions for companies that fail to secure their networks and sensitive data.

So, with one hand you have Carr claiming he’s “fixing cybersecurity” with stuff like this or his recent foreign router “ban” (which as we’ve noted is really a lazy extortion scheme), while with the other he’s doing everything in his power to ensure that domestic telecoms don’t really have anything even vaguely resembling meaningful privacy and security oversight.

Here’s where I’ll remind you that because the U.S. is too corrupt to pass even a basic modern privacy law, we also have a vast and largely unregulated data broker industry that hoovers up your every movement and online habit, then sells access to it to any random asshole (including foreign and domestic government intelligence agencies).

Here too, weird zealots like Trump and Carr have rolled back efforts to regulate data brokers or do anything about it. As authoritarian racists, they’re too blinded by personal self-enrichment and racism to have any genuine understanding of how any of this stuff actually works.

As with the TikTok “ban” (which basically involved shoveling ownership to Trump’s billionaire buddies), so much of this is heavily xenophobic, nationalistic, transactional, self-serving, and performatively detached from any actual reality. By the time the check comes due, guys like Carr and Trump will already be off to the next grift.

Filed Under: brendan carr, china, cybersecurity, fcc, privacy, security, testing

Disc Soft Limited, the maker of DAEMON Tools Lite, confirmed that the software had been trojanized in a supply chain attack and released a new, malware-free version.

In a statement published earlier today, Disc Soft says it has secured its infrastructure. Still, it has yet to attribute the attack to a specific threat actor or share additional information about the breach, including the attack vector used to access its systems, as it continues to investigate the incident.

“Following an internal investigation, we identified unauthorized interference within our infrastructure. As a result, certain installation packages were impacted within our build environment and were released in a compromised state. Version 12.6 of DAEMON Tools Lite, which does not contain the suspected compromised files, was released on May 5.” the company said.

“Users of other DAEMON Tools products, including paid versions of DAEMON Tools Lite, DAEMON Tools Ultra, and DAEMON Tools Pro are not affected by this incident and can continue using their software as usual.”

Users who downloaded or installed DAEMON Tools Lite version 12.5.1 (free) since April 8 are advised to uninstall the app, run a full system scan using security or antivirus software, and install the latest version of DAEMON Tools Lite (12.6) from the official website.

Disc Soft has removed the trojanized version, which is no longer supported, and now displays a warning prompting users to install the latest version of DAEMON Tools Lite.

As cybersecurity company Kaspersky revealed on Tuesday, hackers trojanized DAEMON Tools Lite installers and used them to backdoor thousands of systems from more than 100 countries that downloaded the software from the official website since April 8.

After the unsuspecting users executed the digitally signed trojanized installers (versions ranging from 12.5.0.2421 to 12.5.0.2434), the malicious code embedded in the compromised binaries deployed a payload designed to establish persistence and activate a backdoor on system startup.

The first-stage malware dropped in the attack was a basic information stealer that collected system data (including hostname, MAC address, running processes, installed software, and system locale) and sent it to attacker-controlled servers for victim profiling. Based on the results, some of the infected systems received a second stage, a lightweight backdoor that can execute commands, download files, and run code directly in memory.

In at least one case, Kaspersky observed the deployment of a QUIC RAT malware, which can inject malicious code into legitimate processes and supports multiple communication protocols.

While investigating the attack, Kaspersky found that retail, scientific, government, and manufacturing organizations in Russia, Belarus, and Thailand, as well as home users in Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and China, were among the victims whose devices were infected with malicious payloads.

Today, in an update to the original report, the Russian cybersecurity company confirmed that DAEMON Tools Lite 12.6.0, released yesterday, no longer exhibits malicious behavior.

“Following disclosure, the vendor acknowledged the issue and published a new version of the software to address it,” Kaspersky said. “The updated DAEMON Tools version 12.6.0.2445 no longer shows the malicious behavior.”

BleepingComputer contacted Disc Soft several times regarding the incident, but we have not yet received a response.

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.

Claim Your Spot

Zihan Wang of the University of Sussex offers advice to professionals who want to maximise their time in shared spaces.

Co-working spaces have become a familiar part of the working landscape. A convenient alternative to working from home or an employer’s office, they have become the favoured option of millions of the world’s freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers.

In the UK, there are over 4,000 co-working venues to choose from. Prices vary, depending on location and facilities, but with a dedicated desk costing around £200 per month, it’s worth knowing how to make the most of what these spaces offer.

So how do you choose the right co-working space for you? And how do you get the maximum benefit? Here are four practical tips to consider:

Identify your needs

Not all co-working spaces serve the same purpose. Some people are simply looking for a quiet desk outside the home, while others want a social environment where they can meet people, exchange ideas and build connections.

Being clear about what you want, whether it’s productivity, networking opportunities or skill development, is the first step.

Smaller, independently run spaces often place greater emphasis on community building, with managers who organise regular informal events such as ‘lunch and learn’ sessions or workshops. These environments can create more opportunities for social interaction and learning.

By contrast, larger corporate-style spaces may offer more polished facilities and business services, but with fewer opportunities for facilitated interaction. Choosing the right co-working environment means considering the type of space and how you plan to use it.

Give it a try

Co-working spaces are often advertised as being open and inclusive. But research I worked on with colleagues shows that experiences can vary depending on factors such as age, gender or professional background.

Some spaces will probably feel more welcoming than others, particularly ones where equality, diversity and inclusion are a deliberate part of their design and ethos.

Many spaces are now also set up with specific groups in mind. For example, some cater to female entrepreneurs, while others offer tailored support for neurodivergent workers.

Before committing, it’s worth visiting a space, attending an event, or trying a short-term pass (for a couple of days or a week) to see whether it feels like a good fit.

It’s more than a desk

It’s easy to treat co-working spaces as simply a place to work. But research suggests much of its value lies in the connections, community and everyday interactions it makes possible.

Casual conversations in the kitchen or spontaneous exchanges over lunch can help build communication skills, expand professional networks and spark new collaborations. Evidence suggests that these benefits tend to be particularly strong for those who are newer to a city, earlier in their careers, or working independently. They may have less established local networks or fewer everyday opportunities for office-based interaction, making them more likely to seek out social connections within co-working spaces.

If you only show up, put your headphones while you work and then leave, you may miss out on some of the main advantages of co-working – the opportunity to connect with others and become part of a community. Making the most of these spaces often means being willing to take that first step, engage with others and gradually find your own circle.

Take advantage

If your work involves specialised tools, digital technology or continuous skill development, you may need more than just Wi-Fi and coffee from a co-working space.

Many now offer access to specialist software and cutting-edge equipment such as 3D printers or virtual reality devices, which can be costly or difficult to access by yourself.

Some go a step further and organise workshops and training sessions, or even events that reflect the latest developments in a particular field. These resources can be particularly valuable for independent workers including freelancers and the self-employed, who may not have access to structured on-the-job training through an employer.

Using them can help you build practical, up-to-date technical and digital skills, especially as new technologies and AI continue to reshape the skills demanded in many industries. So don’t overlook what’s on offer, whether it’s a workshop, a new tool, or a piece of equipment. Making use of these opportunities can help you stay adaptable, keep learning and be better prepared for what comes next.

Overall then, co-working spaces can offer valuable opportunities to learn new skills, build networks and adapt to changing ways of working. But these benefits are not automatic and they are not the same for everyone.

Getting the most out of co-working often depends on how you use the space and whether it matches your needs. At its best, co-working is not just about renting a desk, but about finding an environment where you can connect, learn and grow.

By Zihan Wang

Zihan Wang is a research fellow in geography and innovation at the University of Sussex. Her research examines skills as a core regional capability shaping innovation, productivity, labour market dynamics, and structural transformation. Using large-scale quantitative data including online job postings, LinkedIn data, and questionnaires, she investigates how skills are developed, deployed, and transformed across places. With a sectoral focus on manufacturing and the creative industries, she aims to bridge theoretical analysis and policy development, particularly in informing place-based skills policy and industrial strategy.

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Google’s AI-powered Search features have fundamentally changed how we look stuff up. Instead of scrolling through the search results, most of us now just read the AI Overview and move on. Google wants to change that. The company is rolling out five updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews designed to surface more links and give users more reasons to click through to the websites behind them.

Further Exploration and inline links

The most notable addition is Further Exploration, a new section that appears at the end of AI Overviews with curated links to specific articles, case studies, or reports related to the query. For example, Google says if you search for how cities have added green space, you might see links to a stream restoration project in Seoul or a report on how architects designed New York’s High Line park. This should give users a reason to keep exploring instead of closing the tab after reading the overview.

Google is also placing more links directly within AI responses, next to the relevant text, rather than grouped at the bottom. The company explains that searching for a California bike trip, for instance, might surface a link to a Pacific Coast touring guide next to a bullet point about terrain, and a training blog post next to a bullet point about daily mileage. This will give users a more direct path from the AI answer to the source material behind it.

On desktop, hovering over any inline link will trigger a preview showing the website name and page title, which is aimed at giving users more confidence about visiting the website. Google’s internal testing found that users were more hesitant to follow links when they could not tell where they led, so the preview removes that friction before the click.

Subscriptions and community perspectives

AI Mode and AI Overviews will now label links from a user’s active news subscriptions so they stand out in results. Google says early testing showed users were significantly more likely to click those labeled links. For subscribers, it means the publications they already pay for will be easier to find inside AI search results rather than buried below them.

AI responses will also begin surfacing previews of perspectives from public forums, like Reddit, social media, and firsthand sources, with added context like a creator’s handle or community name.

A search about photographing the northern lights, for example, might surface tips from a specific photography forum, with a link to the full discussion thread. Thanks to this, users who want real-world advice rather than a synthesized summary will have a clearer path to the people who have actually been there.

The bigger picture

These updates also carry real stakes for publishers. AI Overviews have raised concerns across the media industry about declining referral traffic, and these features are Google’s most direct attempt yet to show that AI search and the open web can coexist. Whether they move the needle on click-through rates will be worth watching.

AI Overview accuracy, however, remains an open question. It has a history of confidently stating wrong information, and the featured image for this story is a reminder of that: it misidentifies today’s date as May 20, 2025. Getting users to click through to publishers may be a step in the right direction, but it’s hard to fully trust a guide that does not always know what day it is.