Man Dies Covered in Necrotic Lesions After Amoebas Eat Him Alive
A 78‑year‑old man developed widespread necrotic skin lesions that were ultimately traced to a disseminated infection by the free‑living amoeba Acanthamoeba. The pathogen likely entered through nasal rinsing with tap water, a route rarely linked to full‑body disease in patients without classic immunosuppression. Yale physicians employed the CDC’s five‑drug protocol and an experimental nitroxoline trial, which yielded brief improvement before kidney failure forced cessation. The patient died six weeks after diagnosis, highlighting diagnostic delays and treatment toxicity.
Ubuntu Infrastructure Has Been Down for More than a Day
Ubuntu and its parent Canonical experienced a prolonged outage after their web infrastructure was taken down on Thursday. The downtime, attributed to a DDoS attack claimed by a pro‑Iran group using the Beam stressor service, has left key sites such...
Amazon Stuck with Months of Repairs After Drone Strikes on Data Centers
Amazon Web Services confirmed that Iranian drone strikes in March 2026 crippled three data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, forcing a suspension of billing for the affected Middle East regions. AWS estimates the damage will require up...
Virgin Galactic Reveals New Ship, but It's Running Out of Time and Cash
Virgin Galactic unveiled its next‑generation suborbital spacecraft, moving it to the launch hangar for final integration and ground testing. The company’s cash balance has slumped from $982 million in February 2024 to $338 million after the latest quarter, tightening its financial runway....
Apple May Take "Several Months" To Catch up to Mac Mini and Studio Demand
Apple’s Mac mini and Mac Studio are facing prolonged shortages, with many configurations marked “currently unavailable” and some orders taking months to ship. CEO Tim Cook attributed the gap to unexpectedly high AI‑driven demand and limited capacity at TSMC’s advanced...
Trump Nominates Fox News Doctor to Be the Next Surgeon General
President Donald Trump withdrew Casey Means’ surgeon‑general nomination after Senate resistance and announced Fox News radiologist Nicole B. Saphier as his replacement. Means, a wellness influencer with an incomplete residency and anti‑vaccine reputation, faced objections from Republican chair Bill Cassidy....
US Falls Below Ukraine in Press Freedom as Global Autocracy Takes Hold
Reporters Without Borders released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, confirming Norway’s decade‑long reign at the top while noting a historic low in the global average score. The United States fell seven places to 64th, slipping behind Ukraine, Canada and...
Russia Cloaks Launch Schedule After Spaceport Falls in Ukraine's Sights
Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome has faced multiple drone attack attempts as it accelerates launches for the $1.2 bn Rassvet satellite constellation, a bid to rival Starlink. The threats have led Russian authorities to issue unusually long and vague NOTAMs, obscuring exact launch...
Blue Origin Certainly Has Ambitious Launch Targets for New Glenn
Blue Origin is planning a more powerful New Glenn variant, dubbed 9×4, with four BE‑3U upper‑stage engines. A senior‑manager job posting reveals a production ramp from 12 to 60 tanks per year by late 2028 and 100 tanks annually by 2029,...
RFK Jr. Appeals Ruling that Wiped Out His Vaccine Advisory Panel
The Trump administration has filed an appeal against a March 16 injunction that halted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial overhaul of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The judge’s order nullified the appointment of anti‑vaccine allies to the...
ABC Can Beat Trump FCC's License Threat if Owner Disney Is Willing to Fight
The FCC ordered Disney to file early renewal applications for ABC’s eight broadcast stations, citing possible violations of anti‑discrimination rules. Legal experts note that the 1996 Telecommunications Act makes license denial extremely difficult unless a broadcaster commits willful or repeated...
Howdy's Dated $3/Month Ad-Free Streaming Service Said to Have 1M Subscribers
Roku's Howdy, a $3‑per‑month ad‑free streaming tier launched in August, has surpassed one million subscribers within six months, according to research firm Antenna. The service now represents 23% of all SVOD subscriptions made through The Roku Channel and has expanded...
A Falcon 9 Rocket Will Hit the Moon This Summer at Seven Times the Speed of Sound
Astronomers led by Bill Gray confirm that the upper stage of a Falcon 9 that launched the Blue Ghost mission on Jan. 15, 2025 will strike the Moon on Aug. 5, 2025 at 2:44 am ET. The 13.8‑meter stage will hit near the Einstein crater at...
Electrical Current Might Be the Key to a Better Cup of Coffee
University of Oregon chemist Christopher Hendon has devised an electrochemical method to gauge coffee flavor by sending a small electric current through brewed samples. Using a repurposed potentiostat, the technique captures distinct electrical signatures that reflect roast color and brew...
A Billion Miles in Less than a Decade: GM's Super Cruise Reaches a Milestone
General Motors’ Super Cruise hands‑free driver‑assist system has surpassed one billion driven miles across roughly 750,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada since its 2017 debut. Usage has doubled year‑over‑year, with 7.1 million hours logged and 485.9 million miles covered in 2025...
Start with the Sensors, Then Design the Rest: How Zoox Built Its Robotaxi
Zoox, acquired by Amazon in 2020, is shifting from retrofitted test fleets to a purpose‑built robotaxi that debuted in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Austin. The vehicle’s design starts with sensors mounted on all four corners, giving unobstructed forward vision and enabling...
Neanderthal Brains Measure up to Ours—Literally
A new PNAS study compared MRI scans of 400 modern humans with endocasts of Neanderthal skulls and found that Neanderthal brain volumes sit comfortably within the range of contemporary human variation. The researchers measured 13 brain regions and discovered that...
Open Source Package with 1 Million Monthly Downloads Stole User Credentials
A malicious version of the open‑source CLI element-data (0.23.3) was published after attackers compromised the developers' GitHub Action workflow, gaining access to signing keys and credentials. The package, which sees over 1 million monthly downloads, harvested cloud keys, API tokens, SSH...
EU Tells Google to Open up AI on Android; Google Says That's "Unwarranted Intervention"
The European Commission’s Digital Markets Act investigation concluded that Google’s Gemini AI enjoys privileged, system‑level access on Android, limiting competition from third‑party chatbots. The EU is proposing rules that would require Google to open Android’s AI stack, create free APIs,...
With New Patch Design, the Crew-13 Astronauts Clearly Aren't Superstitious
NASA’s Crew‑13, slated for a mid‑September launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon, marks the agency’s first crewed mission to carry the number 13 since the Apollo 13 incident 56 years ago. The four‑person crew—Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Canada’s Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos...
Strange New Worlds S4 Teaser Strikes a More Serious Tone
Paramount+ unveiled a new teaser for the fourth season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at the CCXP convention in Mexico City, signaling a shift toward a more serious tone. The clip suggests the crew will grapple with Captain Pike’s...
Artemis II Broke Fred Haise's Distance Record, but He Is Happy to Pass It On
Artemis II’s crew set a new human‑distance record, traveling 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth—surpassing the Apollo 13 benchmark that stood for 56 years. The record was achieved on a free‑return trajectory that took the Orion capsule farther beyond the Moon’s far side than any...
Report: Samsung Execs Worried Company Could Lose Money on Smartphones for the First Time
Samsung's mobile division warned it could post its first net loss on smartphones in 2026 despite strong Galaxy S26 sales. The loss is driven by soaring DRAM and NAND prices, which now account for a larger share of component costs,...
Our Newsroom AI Policy
Ars Technica has released a reader‑facing policy outlining how it employs generative AI in its editorial workflow. The policy emphasizes that all reporting, analysis, and commentary are authored by humans, with AI tools limited to assistance in editing, research, and...
RFK Jr. Won't Back CDC Director on Vaccines as Agency Scraps Positive Data
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to pledge non‑interference with the incoming CDC director, Erica Schwartz, raising concerns about political meddling in vaccine policy. At the same time, the CDC scrapped a peer‑reviewed study that showed a 50% drop in emergency‑room visits...
You Want Your Moon Landings in HD? So Does NASA—Here's How It's Happening.
NASA’s Artemis II crew used an experimental optical‑laser communications terminal that boosted data rates from a few megabits per second to 260 Mbps, enabling near‑real‑time high‑definition video from lunar orbit. The system outperformed the traditional S‑band radio link, which tops out at...
Pentagon Wants $54B for Drones, More than Most Nations’ Military Budgets
The Pentagon’s FY 2027 budget request includes a historic $53.6 billion for drone production, operator training, logistics and counter‑drone systems, plus an additional $20.6 billion for one‑way attack drones and the MQ‑25 refueler. This investment would outpace the defense spending of most nations,...
Supreme Court Arguments Make It Clear that FCC Fines Are "Nonbinding"
The Supreme Court heard AT&T and Verizon argue that FCC forfeiture orders violate their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. The carriers were fined $104 million for selling real‑time location data without consent, but justices signaled that FCC penalties are...
Framework's CEO on the RAM Crisis and Creating a "MacBook Pro for Linux Users"
Framework unveiled an updated Laptop 13 Pro featuring Intel’s Core Ultra 3 processor and a new motherboard that slots into the existing 13 chassis. The model is the first pre‑built Framework laptop to ship with Linux, earning official Ubuntu certification and positioning...
Clarifying HEVC Licensing Fees, Royalties, and Why Vendors Kill HEVC Support
OEMs such as Dell, HP, and Synology are disabling hardware‑based HEVC support to sidestep rising patent‑pool royalties and litigation risk. HEVC licensing is handled by Access and Velos, with Access planning up to a 20% royalty increase after five years...
Man with @Ihackedthegovernment Instagram Account Tells Judge, “I Made a Mistake"
A 25‑year‑old Tennessee man, Nicholas Moore, pleaded guilty to unauthorized access of the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Veterans Administration Health System, then posted victims' personal data on his Instagram account @ihackedthegovernment. The court sentenced him...
$25,000 Buys Plenty of Used EVs: Here Are some Options
The used‑electric‑vehicle market now offers a robust selection in the $20,000‑$25,000 price range, despite the Trump administration’s repeal of the used clean‑vehicle tax credit. A Deloitte report notes that EV residual values lag behind expectations, but this depreciation translates into...
Artemis II Pilot Talks About What It Was Really Like to Fly and Land in Orion
NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot of Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft, detailed his experience flying the lunar‑orbit mission. He praised Orion’s translational hand controller and noted the real vehicle’s thrusters felt more like a “rumble” than the simulated whine, delivering smoother handling...
Meta's AI Spending Spree Is Helping Make Its Quest Headsets More Expensive
Meta announced a $50‑$100 price hike (12‑20%) for its Quest VR headsets, effective April 19, citing a global surge in memory‑chip costs. The increase coincides with Meta’s aggressive AI capital‑expenditure plan, targeting $115‑$135 billion in 2026, up sharply from $72 billion in...
Florida Surgeon Charged with Killing Man After Removing Liver Instead of Spleen
A Florida grand jury indicted surgeon Thomas Shaknovsky on second-degree manslaughter charges after he mistakenly removed a 2,100‑gram liver instead of a patient’s spleen, severing the inferior vena cava and causing fatal bleeding. The 70‑year‑old patient, William Bryan, died during...
Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Now Reads Gauges and Thermometers with Google's AI
Google DeepMind unveiled Gemini Robotics‑ER 1.6, a model that gives Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot the ability to read analog thermometers, pressure gauges and other instruments with 98% accuracy—up from 23% in the prior version. The model introduces "agentic vision" and multi‑view...
Vulcan Woes Will "Absolutely" Be a Factor in Pentagon's Next Rocket Competition
The U.S. Space Force is grappling with two solid‑rocket booster nozzle failures on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, prompting a reassessment of its launch‑service procurement. With roughly half of the next four years’ missions slated for Vulcan, the Pentagon’s upcoming...
IONNA Rechargeries Are Coming to More than 350 Circle K Stations
IONNA, a joint venture of eight OEMs, announced a partnership with Circle K to convert more than 350 U.S. stations into its branded “Rechargery” sites. The rollout begins with 85 existing Circle K chargers, slated to be operational by year‑end, and will...
Measles Takes a Plane to Idaho, Which Has Worst Vaccination Rate in US
A measles‑infected traveler passed through Boise Airport on March 29, prompting Idaho health officials to alert passengers and warn the public. The state records the nation’s lowest measles vaccination coverage, with only 78.5% of kindergarteners fully immunized and a 15.1% non‑medical...
Google Shoehorned Rust Into Pixel 10 Modem to Make Legacy Code Safer
Google’s Project Zero uncovered a remote code‑execution flaw in Pixel phone modems, prompting the company to bolster baseband security. Instead of rewriting the entire firmware, Google inserted a Rust‑based component into the Pixel 10 modem’s legacy C/C++ stack. The Rust module...
The Artemis II Mission Has Ended. Where Does NASA Go From Here?
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully completed a 700,000‑mile lunar flyby and splash‑down, marking humanity’s first deep‑space crewed flight in over 50 years. The Space Launch System delivered a near‑perfect orbit insertion, while Orion returned safely, providing valuable data on heat‑shield performance and...
YouTube Increases Premium Price Again, Says 90-Second Unskippable Ads Are a Bug
YouTube announced a U.S. price hike for its Premium service, moving the individual plan to $15.99 per month and the family plan to $26.99, with Premium Lite now $8.99. The increase follows previous hikes in 2023 and 2025 and mirrors...
Dad Stuck in Support Nightmare After Teen Lied About Age on Discord
A 12‑year‑old created a Discord account by falsely claiming she was over 18, only to have it hijacked by a scammer who demanded her parents' banking details. The father’s attempts to get help were repeatedly dismissed by Discord’s automated support,...
RFK Jr. Rewrites CDC Panel's Charter, Opening Door to Anti-Vaccine Quacks
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has overhauled the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) charter, expanding who can serve and adding anti‑vaccine groups as non‑voting liaisons. The revised charter mandates review of cumulative vaccine effects, mRNA safety, and international schedules,...
CDC Study Shows COVID Shot Benefits; Trump Official Blocks Release
A CDC‑vetted study found that the 2025‑2026 COVID‑19 vaccine cut urgent‑care visits by roughly 50% and hospitalizations by 55% among healthy adults. The research was slated for publication in the MMWR on March 19 but was halted by acting CDC...
LinkedIn Scanning Users' Browser Extensions Sparks Controversy and Two Lawsuits
LinkedIn is facing two class‑action lawsuits in California alleging it secretly scans users’ browsers to identify installed extensions. The suits rely on a German “BrowserGate” report by Fairlinked, which is linked to Estonian firm Teamfluence that previously sued LinkedIn for...
To Beat Altman in Court, Musk Offers to Give All Damages to OpenAI Nonprofit
Elon Musk amended his lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, stating he will not seek any personal monetary award. Instead, he asks the court to return all alleged ill‑gotten gains—up to $134 billion—to OpenAI’s nonprofit foundation. The change follows a...
From Folding Boxes to Fixing Vacuums, GEN-1 Robotics Model Hits 99% Reliability
Generalist unveiled GEN‑1, a physical AI robot that reaches 99% success on delicate, repetitive tasks such as folding boxes, packing phones, and servicing robot vacuums. The system leverages over half a million hours of human‑captured manipulation data via wearable "data...
“The Problem Is Sam Altman”: OpenAI Insiders Don’t Trust CEO
OpenAI unveiled a draft industrial‑policy agenda that includes $100,000 research fellowships and up to $1 million in API credits to steer AI toward public benefit. Simultaneously, The New Yorker published an investigation based on over 100 insider accounts that question CEO...
NASA's Moon Ship and Rocket Seem to Be Working Well, so What About the Landers?
NASA’s Artemis program is accelerating its Human Landing System development by removing the near‑rectilinear halo orbit requirement, which reduces the delta‑V and propellant needed for lunar landers. SpaceX and Blue Origin have submitted revised proposals—Starship will dock with Orion in...