Microsoft Generates Device-Specific ID Linked to User’s Microsoft Account, Telemetry Can Report All Websites Visited to Microsoft
July 15th, 2026Via: tom’sHARDWARE:
The Internet is buzzing over news that 19-year-old Estonian “hacker” Peter Stokes got nabbed by the authorities and extradited to the U.S. on digital crime charges, mostly thanks to Microsoft Windows’ built-in telemetry. The FBI seemingly subpoenaed Microsoft, which coughed up telemetry logs that contained both Stokes’ GDID (Global Device Identifier) and websites he visited using his main Windows machine.
The existence of GDID isn’t new by itself, as Windows telemetry’s data collection has been extensively analyzed and reported on. It’s also been known, and publicly explained by Microsoft, that the extended telemetry modes (Full/Optional instead of Required/Basic) can upload lists of URLs analyzed by SmartScreen and Defender, together with the GDID. In fact, using the Edge browser in this setup can even send every visited URL. The court documents do not reveal which exact mechanism triggered the telemetry upload, though.
This data collection has long been the source of heated debate and general public disgust. Even though the data is genuinely useful and necessary for debugging (by Microsoft or systems administrators in enterprise environments), the fact that it comes enabled by default in Windows Home and Professional editions is questionable. The fact that those versions don’t have a simple, user-facing “Off” switch to fully disable telemetry also adds insult to injury.
The Peter Stokes arrest appears to be the first public case where these Windows GDIDs were both used as a tracking identifier and contained telemetry data including some of the URLs the defendant visited. The case also prompted a renewed analysis of the GDID by a security researcher that you might want to look into. From what we can ascertain, it’s likely Stokes had his Windows telemetry set to Optional/Full, as Required/Basic doesn’t appear to transmit URLs by default.
IBM Stock Loses 25%, Worst Day on Record
July 15th, 2026Via: CNBC:
International Business Machines shares plummeted 25% on Tuesday after the hardware, software and consulting provider released preliminary second-quarter results that fell short of expectations.
The stock logged its worst day on record, sinking further than its previous worst day of Oct. 19, 1987, when shares fell 23.7%. Records track trading activity back to 1968, though IBM has been a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange since 1916.
The tech company reported adjusted earnings of $2.93 a share on revenue of $17.2 billion, below analysts’ expectations for earnings of $3.01 a share and revenue of $17.86 billion, according to FactSet.
CEO Arvind Krishna blamed the shortfall on weakness in the software and infrastructure business, as clients shifted spending toward hardware purchases such as memory chips.
Japan Tests Reusable Rocket Prototype
July 14th, 2026Via: The Mainichi:
Japan’s space agency tested a prototype of a reusable rocket in Akita Prefecture in the country’s northeast on Saturday, paving the way for cutting the costs of future space launches.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s RV-X rocket landed successfully after reaching a maximum height of around 11 meters and moving about 16 meters horizontally in the test conducted at a facility in Noshiro. The RV-X flew for about 40 seconds.
Data Centers Have Already Hiked Electricity Prices on the Public by $23 Billion
July 14th, 2026Via: Fortune:
Many major tech companies have pledged to pay their fair share of the costs associated with generating and transmitting more electricity to serve large data centers. But ratepayers across the United States are worried about the potential costs they might have to bear. That’s because it’s not immediately clear how the cost of data centers’ energy will be calculated. The effects of price increases are likely just beginning, and their full effects may not be felt for years.
For example, a recent report by the organization that monitors the PJM market, an area that encompasses all or part of 14 mid-Atlantic and Midwest states, concluded that expected power demand from data centers was a primary reason for $23 billion in customer price increases that will last until at least the end of 2028.
Painted E-Tattoos: Working Electrodes, “Future of Wearable Biosensors”
July 14th, 2026Via: Ars Technica:
Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have developed a novel conductive ink that can be painted directly onto the skin in colorful custom designs, turning into a functional electrode for biomonitoring after drying.
2024 Cocaine Bust in Spain Leads All the Way to Wall Street, Dubai
July 14th, 2026Via: ThePrint:
It was supposed to be a cargo of bananas from Latin America. What Spanish police found on the ship in the Mediterranean port of Algeciras instead were 13 tons of cocaine.
The drug bust in the fall of 2024 became the biggest in Spain’s history at the time. The ensuing investigation has now revealed what authorities allege was a financial network used to launder money running all the way to the founders of a special-purpose acquisition company in Newport Beach, California, that raised $200 million from investors just last year.
The case has all the ingredients of a movie: a drug kingpin, a corrupt senior police officer with millions in cash reportedly stashed in his walls, and links to Spanish royalty. Yet the allegations are also striking in how they link financiers with Wall Street connections, an Irish fintech trading crypto assets, luxury Dubai real estate and multiple offshore lenders.
Millions of Americans Take on Debt and Drain Savings to Afford Food
July 13th, 2026Via: CBS News:
Millions of Americans are borrowing money or draining their savings to buy groceries, highlighting the financial strain many households face as the cost of living rises, new research has found.
More than a quarter of working-age adults who relied on credit cards to buy groceries were either unable to pay their balance in full or missed their minimum payment, according to the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. About one in 10 adults relied on so-called “buy now, pay later” loans to cover their groceries — of those, about a third missed a payment last year, the analysis found.
About 20% of working-age adults said they had tapped long-term savings that weren’t intended for everyday expenses, such as an emergency fund, at least once in the last 12 months to pay for groceries, the researchers said.
U.S. Debt Exceeds 100% of GDP for the First Time Since World War II
July 13th, 2026Via: Lew Rockwell:
The United States has crossed a milestone that Washington has spent decades pretending would never arrive. Federal debt held by the public has now exceeded 100% of GDP for the first time since the aftermath of the Second World War. According to the latest government data, debt held by the public reached approximately $31.27 trillion while the nation’s annual economic output totaled roughly $31.22 trillion, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 100.2%. The Congressional Budget Office now projects debt held by the public will average 101% of GDP this year and continue climbing to 120% by 2036 if current law remains unchanged.
Kamikaze Drone Boats Used By U.S. In Combat For The First Time
July 13th, 2026Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea… pic.twitter.com/bOM2kmgRxz
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026
Via: The War Zone:
For the first time in U.S. military history, uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) were used as a strike weapon in combat. The use of Saronic Corsair USVs took place July 12 during a series of attacks against “dozens” of Iranian targets, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). It came as the U.S. and Iran have continued to trade strikes primarily related to control over the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump proclaiming he wants to take over the strategic chokepoint and reinstate the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Meanwhile, Iran has also been launching attacks against several Arab nations in the most recent flare-up of hostilities as a shaky ceasefire continues to disintegrate.
“Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran,” the command stated on X Monday morning. “Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations. Last night’s strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping.”
Psilocybin and Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease
July 13th, 2026A new study found a SINGLE 5g psilocybin dose RESTORED speech, memory, AND bladder control in an advanced Alzheimer’s patient.
After 1 month, the patient was STILL functionally improved and bladder control remained RESTORED.
No Alzheimer’s drug has EVER done anything close. pic.twitter.com/DhmbwMQQom
— Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) July 12, 2026
Via: Frontiers in Neuroscience:
We report the case of an octogenarian Japanese-American woman with a 10-year history of Alzheimer’s disease, including 5?years of marked hypofunction and predominantly monosyllabic speech. Baseline features included chronic urinary incontinence, executive dysfunction, dysphagia, dependent mobility, flat affect, and severe reduction in spontaneous communication. The patient received 5 g of orally administered psilocybin-containing mushrooms (Enigma strain). The acute phase was marked by autonomic activation, clinically suspected hyperthermia, profuse sweating, and a prolonged deep sleep-like state. Approximately 19?h post-administration, spontaneous autobiographical speech emerged. Over subsequent days and weeks, functional improvements included restoration of urinary continence, improved ambulation, autonomous dressing, increased emotional responsiveness, sustained social interaction, contextual memory retrieval, preserved working memory for social context, and spontaneous conversational engagement.
