GoDaddy, a company that helps people set up websites, says an attack driven by AI exposed some information about its website customers. The report, dated 28 October, did not say how many people were affected. It is another sign that attackers are now using AI tools too.
Quick glossaryGoDaddy, cyberattack
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a US company best known for selling website domain names and web hosting for small businesses and individuals.
cyberattack
An attempt by hackers to break into computer systems, steal data or cause damage to them.
Last week, two serious bugs were found in PHP, the programming language behind roughly 70% of websites. Many organisations rushed to patch their systems, and some had to take sites offline until the flaws were fixed. Wiz's CTO warns of a coming vulnpocalypse as old code ages.
Quick glossaryWiz, PHP, vulnpocalypse
Wiz
Wiz is a cloud security company, founded in Israel, best known for helping firms find risks in their cloud systems.
PHP
A popular programming language that many websites are built on, so bugs in it affect a lot of sites.
vulnpocalypse
A feared wave of security holes in old software code, as bugs get found faster than they can be fixed.
A local TV news story, shared across several US stations, says artificial intelligence is both killing and creating jobs. The same report appeared on multiple outlets. The headline gives no specific numbers or sectors, so the scale of the change is unclear.
New York has passed a law banning chatbots from showing unsafe behaviour toward children. The move is part of a wider trend, with several US states pushing the limits of how far they can regulate artificial intelligence. The rules aim to protect young users from harmful chatbot conversations.
Quick glossaryThe Washington Post, chatbot, AI regulation
The Washington Post
A large US newspaper best known for its political and national news reporting.
chatbot
A computer program you can chat with by typing or speaking, often powered by AI.
AI regulation
Rules that governments set to control how artificial intelligence can be built, sold and used by companies.
AI training platform Outlier is accused of illegally watching platform workers in Europe, according to a report from the privacy group noyb. The case raises questions about how online platform workers are monitored, a worry for anyone who takes such jobs.
Quick glossaryOutlier, surveils, platform workers
Outlier
An AI training company that hires people online to help teach AI systems, linked to Scale AI.
surveils
To watch or track people closely, often through software or cameras, without them always knowing.
platform workers
People who find and do short jobs through an online app or website run by a company.
Google is bringing ads into its AI Search results to more countries around the world. The announcement came with parent company Alphabet's latest earnings, which showed revenue up 25% to $127.6 billion. Core ad growth has slowed at the same time, making new ad space more important.
Quick glossaryGoogle, Alphabet, earnings report
Google
A US tech company best known for its search engine, Android phones and YouTube.
Alphabet
The parent company that owns Google and several other businesses, reporting results to investors each quarter.
earnings report
A company's public update on how much money it made in a set period, such as a quarter.
Microsoft is ending support for its Copilot AI assistant on all smart TVs this year, according to a Windows Central report. The feature was first promised at CES 2025 by LG and Samsung. TV owners will lose access to the assistant on their sets.
Quick glossaryMicrosoft, Copilot
Microsoft
Microsoft is a US technology company best known for Windows, the Office apps and its Copilot AI assistant.
Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant, built to answer questions and help with tasks across its products and devices.
OpenAI says it will no longer train its AI models on the live internet, citing significant risks. The move was reported on 23 October. Training on the live internet means learning from web pages that keep changing, and the company now sees that as too risky.
Quick glossaryOpenAI, live internet
OpenAI
OpenAI is a San Francisco-based AI research company best known for building ChatGPT and other AI models.
live internet
The constantly changing public web, where pages get updated and new content appears all the time.
Long Beach Schools are asking families to give their opinions on how artificial intelligence should be used in classrooms. The district wants parents to weigh in as schools decide how AI fits into students' learning.
Quick glossaryLong Beach Schools
Long Beach Schools
The public school district serving the city of Long Beach, which is asking parents for their feedback.
A new report examines how artificial intelligence could change jobs in the US state of Maine. The short news item from a local broadcaster does not give the report's findings. It is one of several recent looks at how AI may reshape work across different places.
Akai is showing off custom add-ons that hobbyist coders are building for its MPC Sample Key, a device not yet formally announced. Akai will give these developers early access to the device, welcoming the community's work on custom firmware built with AI-assisted coding.
Quick glossaryAkai, Vibe coding, Open-source
Akai
A music gear maker known for MPC devices that musicians use to make beats and samples.
Vibe coding
Writing software by describing what you want to an AI tool in plain language and letting it write the code.
Open-source
Software whose source code is free for anyone to view, change, and share with others.
The Free Press, a US news outlet, has published an essay by economist Tyler Cowen on how people can outrun AI hackers. The post is an opinion piece, and the headline and link give no further details on the advice it offers. It is worth a look if you want to think about online safety.
Quick glossaryThe Free Press, AI hackers
The Free Press
An online news and opinion outlet based in the United States that publishes essays and commentary on current affairs.
AI hackers
Attackers who use artificial intelligence tools to find weaknesses in computer systems and break into them.
The Supreme Court has said it may tell courts not to give bail in digital arrest cases. The move would make it harder for accused people to get out on bail in these cases.
ContextDigital arrest is a scam where fraudsters pose as police or officials and hold victims under fake custody over video calls. Bail decides whether an accused person can stay free while the case goes on in court.
An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured after a wolf attacked her at a wildlife park in Germany. She was inside an enclosure with other children and a staff member when the attack happened. The report does not say how the animal reached her or what her current condition is.
ContextContext: Wolves have been returning to Germany in growing numbers over the past two decades, and wildlife parks must keep visitors and animals safely apart. Attacks on people are rare, but they often lead to reviews of safety rules around children and large predators.
Stroke cases in Ahmedabad rose 28% in four years, experts say. Doctors point to undetected high blood pressure as a major factor behind the rise. Stroke risk is also climbing among younger adults, and high blood pressure often gives no warning signs.
ContextA stroke happens when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or a blood vessel bursts. High blood pressure is one of the biggest known risk factors, and it is often called a silent condition because it causes few symptoms.
A Lancet report released on Wednesday says annual heat-related deaths worldwide rose by nearly 36% after the Paris Agreement came into force. It notes that 2023 alone saw a record 710,000 heat-linked deaths, with over 70% of them linked to human-caused climate change.
ContextThe Lancet Countdown is an annual global tracker of health and climate change. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, set a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The Railway Board has renewed its order to turn off charging points in trains during night hours. It follows an incident in the South Eastern Railway zone, where staff reportedly missed the switch-off window and a power bank exploded while a phone was charging.
ContextContext: Power banks and phone batteries can overheat or catch fire when charged badly, and Indian trains carry millions of passengers overnight. Battery fire risks are a recurring safety concern, so rules for onboard sockets matter to travellers.
The Union cabinet has approved a 3% dearness allowance hike for employees and pensioners of the central government, benefiting more than 11.6 million people. The increase comes ahead of the festive season and will apply from July 1. The extra cost falls on the government's finances, and the change is retrospective.
ContextContext: Dearness allowance is an add-on to salary and pension that rises with inflation, and it is usually revised twice a year. Central government staff and pensioners are paid under national rules, so one decision reaches millions at once.
Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi announced the release of Rs 1,000 crore in subsidy under a PM job scheme. The funding aims to support 11,333 new micro enterprises and help unlock Rs 3,260 crore in bank credit. It is expected to create over 1.02 lakh sustainable jobs.
ContextThe PM job scheme is a central government programme that gives subsidies to help people start small units and create jobs. Jitan Ram Manjhi is the Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, which runs such schemes.
Airfares on domestic and international routes are rising sharply this festive season, and train tickets are selling out quickly. Travellers can save money by booking early. The guide explains how to find cheaper train and flight fares for Dhanteras and Diwali trips.
ContextDhanteras and Diwali fall in October or November, and millions of people travel home for the festival season. Heavy demand during these weeks often pushes up airfares and fills trains quickly, especially on popular routes.
From November 1, small online sellers can register for GST using ecommerce warehouses as their local base in other states. The change is part of a wider effort to simplify rules and cut the cost of expanding across the country.
ContextGST is India's national tax on goods and services, and sellers normally register in each state where they have a base. E-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart store products in warehouses across many states, which sellers often use.
In the Supreme Court, some biological women have voiced opposition to equal rights for transgender women. The argument raises a question about how equal rights apply to transgender women.
ContextThe 2014 NALSA judgment recognised transgender people as a third gender and affirmed their rights. Later debates have focused on how those rights apply in areas such as law and public life.
The government has extended the Production Linked Incentive scheme for textiles until 2033-34. The change is meant to bring in more companies by relaxing eligibility norms for investment. The textiles ministry has also reduced the minimum turnover required, aiming to boost MSME participation.
ContextContext: PLI schemes pay companies incentives tied to sales of goods made in India, to encourage local manufacturing and reduce imports. Textiles is a labour-heavy sector, and MSMEs, or micro, small and medium enterprises, make up much of its workforce.
The Delhi High Court turned down a public interest petition against a passport fee hike for NRIs. NRIs are Indian citizens who live abroad, and the fee change affects them.
ContextA public interest litigation, or PIL, is a case filed by someone on behalf of the wider public rather than a personal dispute. Passport fees are set by the central government, so courts are one place where people can question them.
Apple has announced new MacBook Pro models with OLED screens and touchscreens. Bloomberg and The Verge report that the company is bringing touch to the Mac, reversing a long-held stance attributed to Steve Jobs. The move marks a clear change in how Apple has approached its Mac lineup.
ContextSteve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, long opposed touchscreens on Mac laptops, so this shift is a notable reversal. Apple's MacBook Pro is its high-end laptop line, and OLED is a display type that offers deeper blacks and richer colours.
The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged. Kevin Warsh signalled dissent inside the FOMC, the committee that sets US rates. The headline describes the internal debate as a heated family fight, suggesting officials are not fully in agreement on the next steps.
ContextContext: The Fed's rate decisions shape borrowing costs worldwide, and global money flows respond quickly to US rates, which can move the rupee. Visible dissent inside the committee shows that the debate over inflation is still open.
Apple has unveiled a new iPad mini with an OLED display and a thinner design. Early hands-on reviews praise its look, while one outlet questions whether it is becoming too expensive for its audience. The launch is part of a week of Apple announcements that also included MacBooks.
ContextOLED screens use organic light-emitting diodes, which give deeper blacks and richer colours than standard LCD screens. Apple's iPad mini is a small tablet line, so a redesign can affect buyers choosing between tablet sizes.
A forest panel has again rejected the Uttarakhand High Court's plan to relocate a project, citing concerns over forest land. It has directed the state government to explore placing the proposed project on suitable non-forest land before seeking forest clearance, which signals the panel is not yet satisfied with the current site.
ContextForest clearance is the approval a project needs before it can use forest land, a process that is tightly controlled to protect forest cover. Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state, has many forest areas, so disputes like this come up often.
A scheme called gram yojana has been approved to empower panchayats, the elected local bodies that run village affairs in India. The headline gives no further details about what the scheme will do or when it starts.
ContextPanchayats are the three-tier rural government system, strengthened by a 1992 constitutional amendment, and they manage local services like roads and water. Schemes for them are part of a long push to give villages more money and control.
The IT and Information and Broadcasting minister has said the privacy law does not infringe upon press freedom. The statement comes as media groups challenge the law in the top court. The minister's position adds to the debate over how personal data rules affect journalism.
ContextContext: India passed its Digital Personal Data Protection Act in 2023 to set rules for handling personal data. Journalists have long debated how data rules should balance personal privacy with the public's right to know.
A new report finds significant variation between Scotland's health boards in how they prescribe new medicines. NHS Western Isles is prescribing weight loss drugs at three times the rate of other boards. The gap raises questions about how consistently newer treatments are used across Scotland.
ContextContext: Drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide are widely used for obesity and diabetes, and Scotland's NHS is split into regional health boards that run their own services. NHS Western Isles serves the Outer Hebrides, islands off Scotland's west coast.
Early reports say the NDA is close to winning 4 of the 8 seats in the Bihar MLC elections. All sitting MLCs from the Teachers constituency lost. In Patna Graduates, JD(U) candidate Neeraj Kumar is reported to have retained the seat, though official results are not yet declared.
ContextBihar Legislative Council (MLC) members are elected by graduates, teachers and local bodies rather than by the public at large. The NDA is the BJP-led alliance, and JD(U) is one of its key parties in Bihar.
Brijmohan Shrivastav, an NCP leader, has challenged the party's decision to appoint Sunetra Pawar as national chief spokesperson. He said earlier questions about her appointment as national president are still unresolved. The dispute shows continuing internal debate within the party.
ContextContext: The Nationalist Congress Party is a Maharashtra-based party, and its top appointments often draw attention in state and national politics. A chief spokesperson speaks publicly for the party, so disagreements over the role can affect how the party is seen.
Punjab's jail minister inaugurated a women's open air jail in Patiala. The report gives few details about the facility, such as how many inmates it will hold or when it will start full operations. It adds a dedicated space for women prisoners in the state.
ContextContext: Open air jails are facilities where selected prisoners can work outdoors with fewer walls, and some states use them to help inmates prepare for life after release. Women make up a small share of India's prison population, so separate facilities for them are a notable step.
Abhijeet Vanjari of the Congress party has kept the graduates' constituency seat in Nagpur, winning it for a second term. Graduates' constituencies are seats in a legislative council where only graduate voters take part in the election.
ContextGraduates' seats in Maharashtra's legislative council are chosen by registered graduate voters, so only people with degrees can vote in them. Results in these seats are often read as a sign of how voters feel about parties before bigger elections.
Researchers used a DNA typewriter to record crucial developmental processes in mice. Coverage describes the work as capturing the complete process of embryonic development, a mapping effort in mouse embryos. Several outlets reported the findings, which add to the wider effort to understand early life.
ContextContext: Embryonic development is how a fertilised egg grows into a body with organs and systems, and scientists study it to understand birth defects and growth problems. Mice are a common research model because their development is well studied.
Pick who you are. Copy a prompt, paste it into any AI app.
Students
Turn your notes into a quiz before exams
Paste your chapter notes into a free AI chat and ask it to write practice questions with answers hidden. Attempt them first, then check. Testing yourself beats rereading, and it shows gaps before the exam does.
PromptI am preparing for my [subject] exam at [college name] in [month]. Here are my notes on [topic]: [paste notes]. Make 10 questions of mixed difficulty, show answers only after I reply, and mark which ones I should revisit.
Students
Get a step-by-step walkthrough of hard problems
When you are stuck on a maths or physics problem, ask the AI to guide you one step at a time instead of giving the final answer. You keep the learning, and you can check each step against your textbook before moving on.
PromptSolve this [subject] problem with me one step at a time: [paste problem]. Wait for my answer after each step, and tell me if I make a mistake. My exam is in [number] days and my level is [class or year].
Developers
Ask AI to review your diff before pushing
Before you open a pull request, paste your code change into a free AI chat and ask for bugs, edge cases and unclear names. Catching these early saves your reviewers time and keeps your commit history clean.
PromptReview this [language] code change for bugs, security issues and edge cases: [paste diff]. The code is meant to [what it does]. List problems by severity and suggest a fix for each one.
Developers
Compare model costs on your own prompts
Keep a small set of 20 real prompts from your app and run them through a cheaper model and your current one. Compare answers side by side. Cheaper models can be enough for simple steps, and this shows where quality drops.
PromptHere are my [number] test prompts from my [app type] app: [paste prompts]. For each one, give me a short checklist to judge whether an answer is good enough, and a score from 1 to 5 I can use to compare two models.
Founders
Turn a rough idea into a one-page plan
Write your idea in five messy sentences, then ask a free AI chat to turn it into a one-page plan with the customer, problem, price and first 30 days. You get a clear draft to test with real customers this week.
PromptI am building [product] for [target customer] in [city or region]. The problem they face is [problem], and I plan to charge [price]. Write a one-page plan with a 30-day test, the three riskiest assumptions, and a short message to ask 10 customers for feedback.
Founders
Estimate your monthly AI bill before you launch
List every AI call your product makes per user, then ask a free AI chat to estimate monthly cost at three user levels. Seeing the numbers early helps you pick a cheaper model or limit free usage before bills grow.
PromptMy app [name] calls an AI model [number] times per user per day, with about [tokens] words per call, and I expect [users] users next month. Estimate my monthly cost using the price list of [provider], and show the math in a simple table.
At work
Clean up meeting notes into action items
After a meeting, paste your rough notes into a free AI chat and ask for decisions, owners and deadlines in a short list. Sending this the same day keeps people accountable and saves you from rereading a long document.
PromptHere are my notes from a [meeting type] meeting on [date]: [paste notes]. List the decisions made, the action items with owner and deadline, and any open questions. Mark any owner or date that is missing as TBC.
At work
Draft a reply to a difficult email
When an email is tense, describe the situation in plain words and ask a free AI chat for two replies: one firm, one warm. Choose the one that fits your relationship with the sender and edit it in your own voice before sending.
PromptWrite two replies to this email from my [manager/client]: [paste email]. My goal is [goal] and I want to keep the tone [firm, warm, or neutral]. Keep each reply under [number] words and do not promise any deadline I have not mentioned.
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