PCWorld reports that Geekom mini PCs, including the A7, A8, AE7, and AE8 series, were compromised after attackers injected backdoors into drivers hosted on an outdated support page, enabling spying and password theft. Only users who downloaded drivers through unofficial search engine results are affected, while the current official Geekom website remains safe. Affected users should disconnect from the network, run antivirus scans, change passwords, and consider a factory reset. Detailed instructions are provided below. A few days ago, Tom's Hardware and Videocardz reported on a Geekom incident affecting several of the manufacturer's mini PCs. Attackers were able to inject malware onto several devices via a tampered driver--one that was hosted on an official Geekom support page, which, according to the company, had already been taken offline. Geekom confirmed the incident and explained that, although the outdated website had been replaced by a new one, it could still be found via search engines. The attackers exploited this to insert a backdoor into the driver package, enabling them to install malware on Geekom mini PCs.

The people-search tool ClarityCheck says its reverse image search service is "private and secure"--but it left a database containing more than 9 million image files exposed. When someone uploads a photo to the people-search tool ClarityCheck, the website has a clear message: "Your reverse image search is private and secure." New research, though, shows that the website left more than 9 million image files, including photographs of people's faces, publicly exposed . And a second misconfiguration publicly exposed people's email addresses and phone numbers. Overall, according to findings from independent security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, the exposed ClarityCheck database contained roughly 450 GB of images, including what appeared to be profile images, screenshots, and other photographs of adults, teenagers, and children.

Akita eyes AI data center that could become Japan's largest An artificial intelligence data center, which could become one of Japan's largest, is being planned in Akita Prefecture with a goal of commencing operations in 2030 at the earliest. A plan is underway to build an artificial intelligence data center in Akita Prefecture that could become Japan's largest. The plan is being led by S2, a server management firm based in the city of Akita, and U.S. startup Bitgrit, with the total construction cost estimated at ¥2 trillion ($12.5 billion). The firms are cooperating with Akita Prefecture and the city of Akita with an aim to make the data center a hub to attract AI-related businesses and human resources. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

The Vermont senator co-sponsored a bill that calls for a moratorium on building data centers. He discusses the environmental and economic concerns, and what the government can do. Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of The New Yorker in your inbox. The data centers that power artificial intelligence are being built at a rampant pace, and are spurring resistance all over the country. Apart from public concerns about A.I.'s impact on jobs, privacy, and other aspects of life, data centers consume vast amounts of electricity and water.

The environmental activist has launched a project to document community concerns about the boom in data-center construction across the U.S. Since a famous case against a California utility, the name Erin Brockovich has become synonymous with a fighter taking on big polluters. Earlier this year, Brockovich began receiving e-mails from people worried about the construction of A.I. data centers, which is happening at a frenetic rate all over the country. People expressed concerns about the loss of farmland and natural areas; disruptions to the water table; deleterious noise; and substantial usage of electricity and water, leading to rising utility bills. She speaks with David Remnick about her mapping project to document data-center construction and environmental complaints. "In my thirty years," she tells Remnick, "I've never really seen the people show up like they are at a very local level."

A protest on Thursday in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, is said by campaigners to have been attended by more than 100 people. A protest on Thursday in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, is said by campaigners to have been attended by more than 100 people. Police Scotland warns'robust security' needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres'A great deal of public opposition is likely' to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force says Fri 14 Aug 2026 12.05 EDTLast modified on Fri 14 Aug 2026 14.49 EDT Police in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for "robust security measures" to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters. There has been mounting opposition to AI infrastructure globally, including in the US where such projects have become a significant political rallying point. Police Scotland said "a great deal of public opposition is likely" to a datacentre planned in Larbert, about 30 miles west of Edinburgh, in a letter submitted as a part of a planning consultation this month.

New AI toolbars and prompts are showing up in Google Docs and Gmail. If you don't want Gemini's help in writing documents and emails, here's how to turn that stuff off. Have you noticed how desperate tech companies are to get you to use their artificial intelligence features, even if you don't want to use them? They're adding buttons to user interfaces and using pop-up tool tips to implore you to click them and become a dedicated user of their AI creations. Google Docs, for example, is rolling out a giant Gemini bar at the bottom of the screen for some users.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. These six commands make it much easier to find the page, file, or answer you need. Quotation marks, minus signs, and a few short commands can cut through pages of search clutter and turn you into a Google Search pro. Most of the time, Google's smart enough to understand the jumble of random terms you typed in. But if it can't make sense of your word salad and the results miss the mark, a few small commands can clean up the search.

Chinese tech firms including Bytedance are driving demand for Hong Kong's data centers. Chinese tech firms, from Bytedance to artificial intelligence startups, are driving demand for Hong Kong's data centers, helping push lease prices up by nearly double this year. The AI boom, fueled in part by the success of DeepSeek, has prompted more Chinese firms to use Hong Kong as a springboard to test models and expand overseas. Deals for digital infrastructure accelerated in the last quarter, driving up prices for data center capacity on a per-kilowatt basis, according to Structure Research, a data center consultancy. Chinese "hyperscalers," including Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings, are increasing their capacity in the city, said Jason Zhou, senior analyst with the research firm.

UAE fund weighs $6.3 billion AI data center investment in Japan Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment is considering an investment that would see the construction of one of the largest data centers in Japan. The United Arab Emirates is considering investing as much as ¥1 trillion ($6.3 billion) to build an artificial intelligence data center in Japan, according to a person familiar with the matter. Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment would lead the funding of a 500-megawatt project in Akita Prefecture, which may include other foreign and domestic investors, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information isn't public. Once completed, it could become the largest data center in Japan. The talks with the Persian Gulf state underscore growing global interest in securing critical AI assets in countries viewed as relatively insulated from geopolitical tensions. A spokesperson for Mubadala declined to comment.