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Beware! Malware Hidden in Free Phrase-to-PDF Converters

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Beware! Malware Hidden in Free Phrase-to-PDF Converters


The FBI has issued a warning a couple of rising risk involving free file conversion instruments, that are getting used to unfold malware.

This rip-off, described as “rampant” by the FBI’s Denver Subject Workplace, targets customers who search on-line instruments to transform recordsdata between totally different codecs, equivalent to changing Phrase paperwork to PDFs or movies to GIFs.

These instruments, typically discovered by internet searches, can secretly set up malware on customers’ computer systems, permitting hackers to realize distant entry and steal delicate data like e mail addresses, passwords, social safety numbers, and cryptocurrency particulars.

The Nature of the Risk

The malware embedded in these free conversion instruments can result in extreme penalties, together with identification theft and ransomware infections.

Many victims stay unaware of the an infection till it’s too late, highlighting the necessity for vigilance when utilizing such instruments.

The FBI’s warning encompasses each on-line web sites that carry out file conversions and downloadable apps designed for a similar goal.

In accordance with Bitdefender Report, this broad scope signifies that customers ought to be cautious with any file conversion device they encounter on-line.

Suggestions for Safety

To keep away from falling prey to those scams, customers are suggested to coach themselves concerning the dangers related to free file conversion instruments.

The FBI encourages victims to report incidents and take speedy motion to guard their belongings.

Particular Agent Mark Michalek emphasised the significance of prevention, stating that educating the general public is vital to thwarting these fraudsters.

By being conscious of those dangers and utilizing trusted instruments, customers can considerably cut back their publicity to malware.

The FBI’s efforts to fight this subject embrace gathering experiences from victims to assist determine and shut down malicious web sites and apps.

This proactive strategy goals to carry scammers accountable and supply crucial sources to these affected.

As cybersecurity threats proceed to evolve, staying knowledgeable and cautious is essential for shielding private information and digital belongings.

Are you from SOC/DFIR Groups? – Analyse Malware Incidents & get stay Entry with ANY.RUN -> Begin Now for Free.

Developer Boundaries Lowered as OpenAI Simplifies AI Agent Creation

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Developer Boundaries Lowered as OpenAI Simplifies AI Agent Creation


OpenAI has just lately launched a suite of recent developer instruments aimed toward making it simpler to create AI brokers that may carry out advanced duties autonomously. Introduced final week, the replace introduces a Responses API, an open-source Brokers SDK, and built-in instruments for internet search, file search, and laptop management – all designed to streamline how AI techniques work together with real-world data and functions​.

OpenAI describes these brokers as “techniques that independently accomplish duties on behalf of customers”​, which means they will perform multi-step processes – like researching a subject or updating a database – with minimal human steering. The corporate’s objective is to decrease the barrier for builders and companies to deploy highly effective AI-driven assistants, thereby increasing accessibility to superior AI capabilities.

Responses API: Simplifying Agent Interactions

On the coronary heart of OpenAI’s announcement is the brand new Responses API, which serves as a unified interface for constructing AI brokers. This API combines the conversational talents of OpenAI’s Chat Completions API with the tool-using performance of its earlier Assistants API​. In sensible phrases, this implies a single API name can now deal with advanced, multi-step duties that may contain calling on varied instruments or information sources.

OpenAI says the Responses API was constructed to simplify agent improvement by lowering the necessity for customized code and immediate tinkering. “The Responses API is designed for builders who wish to simply mix OpenAI fashions and built-in instruments into their apps, with out the complexity of integrating a number of APIs or exterior distributors,” the corporate defined in its announcement weblog publish​. Beforehand, builders usually needed to orchestrate a number of API calls and craft elaborate prompts to get an AI agent to do one thing helpful, which was difficult and time-consuming​. With the brand new API, an agent can, for instance, maintain a dialog with a consumer, lookup data through internet search, then write a abstract – all inside one workflow.

Notably, the Responses API is obtainable to all builders at no additional value past normal utilization charges​. It is usually backward-compatible: OpenAI confirmed it can proceed supporting its in style Chat Completions API for easy use-cases, whereas the older Assistants API will probably be phased out by mid-2026 as its options are folded into the Responses API​.

Open-Supply Brokers SDK Streamlines Workflow Orchestration

The launch additionally contains the Brokers SDK, a toolkit for managing the workflows of 1 and even a number of interacting AI brokers. In a notable transfer, OpenAI has made this SDK open supply, permitting builders and enterprises to examine the code and even combine non-OpenAI fashions into their agent techniques​. This flexibility means an organization might coordinate an agent that makes use of OpenAI’s GPT-4 alongside one other agent powered by a special AI mannequin, all throughout the similar framework.

The Brokers SDK is concentrated on workflow orchestration – basically, protecting monitor of what an agent is doing and the way it arms off duties. It gives built-in mechanisms for issues like:

  • Configurable brokers: establishing AI brokers with predefined roles or directions for particular duties​.
  • Clever handoffs: passing duties between a number of brokers or processes based mostly on context (as an example, one agent gathering information, then one other agent analyzing it)​.
  • Guardrails for security: guaranteeing the agent stays inside sure bounds, with enter validation and content material moderation instruments to forestall undesirable outputs.
  • Tracing and observability: instruments to watch and debug an agent’s actions step-by-step, which helps builders perceive choices and enhance efficiency​.

In keeping with OpenAI, this toolkit can simplify advanced use instances equivalent to buyer assist bots, multi-step analysis assistants, content material technology workflows, code overview brokers, or gross sales prospecting automation​. By open-sourcing the SDK, OpenAI can be encouraging neighborhood contributions and adoption in enterprise settings, the place transparency and the flexibility to self-host elements are sometimes vital. Early adopters together with corporations like Coinbase and Field have already experimented with the Brokers SDK to construct AI-powered analysis and information extraction instruments​.

Constructed-In Instruments Improve AI Performance

To make AI brokers extra purposeful out-of-the-box, OpenAI’s Responses API comes with three built-in instruments that join the AI to outdoors information and actions. These instruments considerably broaden what an agent can do, shifting past simply producing textual content. 

The built-in instruments out there at launch are:

  • Net Search: Permits an AI agent to carry out real-time internet searches and retrieve up-to-date data, full with cited sources. This implies an agent can reply questions utilizing the newest information or info from the web, and supply the references for transparency. This device is helpful for constructing brokers like analysis assistants, purchasing guides, or journey planners that want dwell data​.
  • File Search: Lets an agent rapidly sift by means of massive collections of paperwork or information {that a} developer has offered, as a way to discover related data​.That is basically a personal information base question device – an agent might use it to reply buyer assist questions by trying up coverage paperwork, or help in authorized analysis by retrieving passages from a library of information. This device could be deployed in situations like customer support bots or inner firm assistants that have to reference proprietary data​.
  • Pc Use: A brand new functionality (at the moment in analysis preview) that enables an AI agent to carry out actions on a pc as if it have been a human consumer working the machine​. Powered by OpenAI’s computer-using agent (CUA) mannequin, this device interprets the AI’s intentions into keyboard and mouse actions to navigate software program, web sites, or different digital interfaces​. In essence, it permits automation of duties that don’t have a straightforward API – for instance, coming into information right into a legacy system, clicking by means of an internet app for testing, or checking data on a graphical interface.

By integrating these instruments, the AI brokers can’t solely suppose by means of an issue but in addition act – whether or not meaning trying to find data, retrieving particular information, or manipulating a digital setting. This vastly extends an agent’s performance and makes it far more helpful for real-world functions. 

OpenAI envisions that builders will mix these instruments as wanted; for instance, an agent may use internet search to assemble public data and file search to tug inner information, then use that mixed information to draft a report or execute a process. All of this may be orchestrated by means of the Responses API in a unified method, reasonably than requiring separate providers or handbook integration.

Broader Implications for AI Adoption and Accessibility

Analysts say this launch might speed up the adoption of AI brokers throughout industries by decreasing technical hurdles. For companies, the enchantment of those new instruments is the flexibility to automate and scale processes with out intensive customized improvement​. 

Routine duties like data retrieval, kind processing, or cross-app information entry – which could have required vital coding or a number of software program techniques – can now doubtlessly be dealt with by AI brokers utilizing OpenAI’s constructing blocks. The built-in search instruments, as an example, let corporations plug AI into their information databases or the online nearly immediately, and the computer-use device provides a solution to interface with legacy functions that don’t have APIs​. In the meantime, the open-source nature of the Brokers SDK offers enterprises extra management, permitting them to combine these AI brokers into their present infrastructure and even use totally different AI fashions as wanted​.

OpenAI’s transfer is a part of a broader race to empower builders with agent-building capabilities. Competing tech corporations and startups have been rolling out their very own AI agent platforms, and OpenAI’s complete toolkit could assist it stand out. Actually, the timing comes amid a surge of curiosity in autonomous AI brokers globally – for instance, Chinese language startup Monica just lately grabbed consideration with its agent Manus, claiming it might outperform OpenAI’s personal prototype agent in sure duties​. By open-sourcing key elements of its platform and providing built-in instruments, OpenAI seems to be responding to aggressive stress whereas additionally fostering wider adoption of AI.

From an accessibility standpoint, these instruments might democratize who can construct superior AI techniques. Smaller corporations and even particular person builders could now discover it possible to create an AI-driven assistant or workflow while not having a big analysis workforce. The built-in method (the place one API name can deal with a number of steps) and the supply of examples in OpenAI’s documentation decrease the entry barrier for newcomers. OpenAI can be offering an observability interface for builders to hint and examine what the agent is doing, which is essential for debugging and constructing belief in AI outputs​. This concentrate on usability and security (with guardrails and monitoring) is anticipated to encourage extra enterprises to experiment with AI brokers, understanding they’ve oversight and management.

AI brokers might change into as frequent and important as having an web presence. OpenAI’s newest instruments, by making agent improvement extra approachable, might assist flip that imaginative and prescient into actuality by enabling a a lot wider neighborhood of builders and organizations to construct their very own brokers.

Hydrogen security to be researched by industry-academia venture in Aberdeen

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Hydrogen security to be researched by industry-academia venture in Aberdeen



Hydrogen security to be researched by industry-academia venture in Aberdeen
The venture, MHYSTIC (New Supplies and Strategies for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage: Repurposing the Financial Way forward for the North Sea) will redeploy current power property and abilities in the direction of growing improvements that may assist the UK’s hydrogen distribution community.

A analysis venture on the College of Aberdeen is investigating new supplies and strategies for hydrogen transportation and storage, repurposing current property and abilities from the North Sea. Dräger Security UK shall be contributing to components of the venture involved with the security of deploying hydrogen gas.

The MHYSTIC (New Supplies and Strategies for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage: Repurposing the Financial Way forward for the North Sea) venture is being led by consultants on the College of Aberdeen, and attracts upon chemical, mechanical and supplies engineering, in addition to experience in monetary evaluation in geological settings. It’s is one in every of 10 chosen by the UK-HyRES Versatile Fund which goals to progress expertise for hydrogen and various liquid fuels.

Practically £3 million has been awarded for the MHYSTIC venture, enabling “pioneering research throughout a number of establishments and disciplines”, says the college. One vital thread of hydrogen analysis is in respect of security.

Dräger, which has an workplace in Aberdeen, has labored with the College of Engineering on the college for the previous 4 years. The following partnership has resulted within the group supporting the college’s analysis into hydrogen and renewable power and offering security information and recommendation to college students, in addition to advising on security expertise, corresponding to gasoline detection and monitoring units for brand new hydrogen analysis services.

“The protection {industry} has a elementary function to play within the improvement of renewable and inexperienced power and it’s due to this fact very important that {industry} and academia works collectively to deal with challenges”, mentioned Megan Hine, Power Transition Security Lead, Draeger Security UK.

“Not solely is the function of security essential to make sure public and {industry} confidence and belief, however there are some components the place the security dangers should not totally recognized, and consequently we’re working very intently with the College of Aberdeen, and our shoppers, a lot of whom are on the forefront of the power transition, to grasp and handle these dangers and to advertise the secure use of inexperienced applied sciences.”

For instance, the analysis undertaken as a part of the MHYSTIC venture shall be very important to check the structural integrity of metal when involved with hydrogen and to recommend new barrier supplies to cut back hydrogen embrittlement and structural failure in pipelines and vessels. It would additionally consider the usage of present offshore infrastructure for hydrogen purposes. Dräger’s function within the venture shall be to offer gasoline detection gear to take leakage measurements which is able to assist further, dynamic experiments in small pipeline sections and vessels. This can assist to find out stress losses and evaluate present measurements which is able to finally predict optimum materials comparisons to minimise hydrogen leakages and embrittlement.

Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe, College of Aberdeen and Challenge Lead commented: “This venture will mix experimental and computational methods to provide you with new fashions that specify and forestall hydrogen leakage by steels and polymers. Our ambition is to repurpose current pipelines and devices within the North Sea for his or her use in transport of hydrogen and its blends, contributing to circularity and reactivating the renewable power sector within the area. We’re delighted to have Drager as one in every of our {industry} companions, who will assist us switch our analysis findings into improvements and laws that may set up a secure hydrogen economic system in Scotland and the UK”.

Megan Hine added: “Dräger is happy to be partnering with the College of Aberdeen on this venture and to be on the centre of this vital analysis to play a job in defining the security parameters for the longer term transportation and storage of hydrogen.

“It’s important that we get security proper within the renewables and inexperienced power sector. We’re firmly of the view that security doesn’t have to hinder the method, nor the deployment, of the power transition. As an alternative, getting the security components proper from the beginning, will pace issues up, each now and in the long run.”

Shade filter doesn’t work in flutter internet iOS – Safari

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Shade filter doesn’t work in flutter internet iOS – Safari


CanvasKit

use CanvasKit for rendering internet: flutter construct internet --web-renderer canvaskit

SvgPicture.string()

as a substitute of utilizing SvgPicture.asset(), load the svg as textual content, change the colour, use SvgPicture.string(). however I counsel doing it solely on Iphone – Safari. right here is how:

import 'package deal:flutter/basis.dart';
import 'dart:html' as html;

bool get isIosSafari  ua.accommodates('ipad') 

static Widget icon({double? width, double? top, Shade? shade}) {
  if (isIosSafari && shade != null) {
    return FutureBuilder(
      future: rootBundle.loadString('belongings/icon.svg'),
      builder: (context, snapshot) {
        if (snapshot.connectionState == ConnectionState.executed && snapshot.hasData) {
          String svgStr = snapshot.knowledge!;
          remaining hexColor="#${shade.worth.toRadixString(16).padLeft(8, "0').substring(2)}';
          svgStr = svgStr.replaceAll(RegExp(r'fill="[^"]*"'), 'fill="$hexColor"');
          return SvgPicture.string(svgStr, width: width, top: top);
        }
        // return empty field till prepared
        return SizedBox(width: width, top: top);
      },
    );
  } else {
    return SvgPicture.asset(
      'belongings/icon.svg',
      width: width,
      top: top,
      colorFilter: shade != null ? ColorFilter.mode(shade, BlendMode.srcIn) : null,
    );
  }
}

answer for Android – Firefox is identical (however clearly the isIosSafari half goes to alter).

The carbon tax is lifeless. No matter comes subsequent ought to save Canadians cash of their houses

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The carbon tax is lifeless. No matter comes subsequent ought to save Canadians cash of their houses


Picture by: Noya Fields (CC BY-SA 2.0) by way of Flickr

The buyer carbon worth has formally moved to palliative care, as new Prime Minister Mark Carney says the coverage is just too politically divisive.

This raises an necessary query: what fills the hole it leaves behind?

There are two methods of excited about this hole. One is only about near-term emissions: the Canadian Local weather Institute estimates the buyer carbon worth would have decreased them by about 8 to 14 per cent by 2030. Economist Mark Jaccard was fast to level out that quite a few versatile laws additionally applied by this federal authorities — together with the industrial carbon worth, an EV availability commonplace, and laws associated to wash electrical energy, cleaner fuels and methane — have helped Canada scale back its emissions and are equally economically environment friendly.

However there may be one other hole value unpacking, and doing so requires a unique mind-set. The buyer carbon worth was basically a thumb on the size, rising the value of fossil fuels. However that’s not the one option to incentivize households to make cleaner decisions. Coverage doesn’t exist in a petri dish. We’d like measures and messages that don’t simply deal with near-term emission reductions, however that really attain Canadians the place they’re: their houses.

Canadians should be prepared members within the vitality transition, which suggests they have to really feel its advantages firsthand, particularly within the type of decrease vitality payments. Not like measures that largely function within the background, issues like shopping for an EV or a warmth pump are private. Your neighbour isn’t asking you about Canada’s methane laws, however they’ll decide your mind about your new electrical Hyundai.

In a survey of the Toronto and Vancouver areas Clear Power Canada will publish later this spring, 59 per cent of respondents say they’re inclined to purchase an EV as their subsequent car. However amongst those that “know somebody who has an EV,” this jumps to 73 per cent. Different research have proven an identical community impact. EVs, warmth pumps, sensible thermostats, photo voltaic panels: that is the vitality transition that folks see, share, and because of this, finally purchase into.

Households account for 17 per cent of Canada’s emissions, because of the automobiles we drive and residential heating. However in additional methods than one, households are having a fair larger impression. In superior economies, households have accounted for almost 60 per cent of fresh vitality funding development since 2016, pushed by EV purchases, vitality effectivity, and rooftop photo voltaic. Already, Chinese language EV adoption is placing downward stress on international oil costs.

For Canada to appreciate its potential, the subsequent prime minister should resurrect the inducement packages for EVs, warmth pumps and different effectivity upgrades with a watch to cautious design and cost-efficiency. Via constructing and electrical codes, the feds must also require EV readiness in new houses, lowering the necessity for costlier retrofits later, whereas persevering with to construct out Canada’s public charging community.

These supportive insurance policies are vital for the success of Canada’s EV availability commonplace, which units targets for the share of an auto producers’ choices that should be zero emission. It’s one other key coverage that can drive down the price of going electrical by rising EV availability and competitors — whereas additionally aligning us with Europe, the U.Ok., China, and 17 states representing 40 per cent of the U.S. automobile market the place comparable insurance policies exist.

All of those measures will assist jobs and funding in a contemporary auto trade.

Because the Worldwide Power Company made clear in a current evaluation, “pathways for constructing a extra aggressive battery trade … begin with guaranteeing robust home demand.” Related analysis from Princeton College discovered that Trump’s weakening of U.S. EV insurance policies might put 100% of deliberate building and growth of home EV meeting and half of present meeting capability susceptible to cancellation or closure.

The financial alternatives of fresh vitality are certainly monumental and characterize a pivotal second, particularly as we bolster relationships with our clean-energy-focused commerce companions in Europe and Asia.

It’s typically mentioned that halting local weather change shouldn’t be a lot a technical or financial problem as it’s a political one. Properly, politics is what hits house for individuals.

This submit was co-authored by Trevor Melanson and first appeared within the Toronto Star.



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