Technology

• Security researchers find a critical remote code execution flaw in multiple D-Link router models
• The models reached end of life status last spring, meaning the flaw won't be patched
• D-Link urges users to replace the devices with newer models immediately

A critical vulnerability, allowing for remote code execution (RCE) attacks, has been discovered on multiple D-Link VPN routers.

However, since the models have now reached end-of-life, D-Link will not be issuing a patch - and instead, it urged users to retire the affected devices and replace them with newer, supported models.

The flaw does not have a CVE designation just yet, but the company, as well as the researcher who found the flaw - alias ‘desploit’ - will not be releasing any details about it, to give affected customers enough time to react. In any case, once word gets out, cybercriminals will definitely start scanning for vulnerable routers, so if you’re using one of these models, make sure to replace them as soon as possible:

DSR-150
DSR-150N
DSR-250
DSR-250N

No workarounds

D-Link said that both hardware and firmware for these devices have expired, and workarounds are not recommended:

"The DSR-150 / DSR-150N / DSR-250 / DSR-250N all hardware versions and firmware versions have been EOL/EOS as of 05/01/2024. This exploit affects this legacy D-Link router and all hardware revisions, which have reached their End of Life [...]. Products that have reached their EOL/EOS no longer receive device software updates and security patches and are no longer supported by D-Link US,” D-Link said in a recent security advisory.

"D-Link strongly recommends that this product be retired.”

Routers, being the gateways of all internet traffic on a local network, are usually the first thing criminals will try to compromise in their attacks. End-of-life devices with known critical vulnerabilities, especially RCE, are considered low hanging fruit.

Furthermore, the affected device versions are often used in homes and small businesses, according to a recent BleepingComputer report. That makes them an ideal target for malware deployment, distributed denial of service botnets, and possibly even ransomware attacks.

Via BleepingComputer

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If you’ve used a computer, it’s almost certain you have used Microsoft Word.

The aptly named word processor is one of the most influential computer programs in history. From schools to businesses, it’s become a daily part of life for millions of users around the world.

Word rose to global ubiquity because it offered something unique. It was the first word-processing software to embody what Microsoft described as the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) design philosophy.

The idea that what-you-see on the screen is what-you-get if you pressed print is taken for granted in the modern world. But it was a game changer at the time. Within a decade of its official release, Microsoft Word captured a 90 percent share of the word-processing market – officially marking itself as the one of the most successful software products of all time.

Last week, on October 25th 2024, Microsoft Word turned 41. It’s been a long time since it changed the game by delivering WYSIWYG. So what does the future hold for the world’s most popular processor?

Processing a milestone

Change is on the horizon for Word. But it’s not because we don’t need word processing software anymore.

Digital documents exist at the foundation of daily work for about 1.2 billion people. Knowledge workers - professionals who generate value for their organizations through expertise, critical thinking and interpersonal skills - use documents every day. The majority need some form of business document to turn the work they do into deliverable value.

So what’s changing?

Humans still need processors like Word. But in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation - word processors no longer need humans as they have before. The practitioners (us) are being disrupted, rather than the processors. And this is a good thing.

Knowledge is power

Big businesses are the product of many small processes. But small processes can take a big toll on people.

Repetitive tasks not only negatively impact a business by absorbing hours of time from experts - but also reduce the happiness and productivity of employees. And this is why there is such a buzz around AI and Generative AI (GenAI) for businesses. AI could add £119 billion to the UK economy in workplace productivity alone by saving professionals up to 2.9 hours per day according to new research

AI and Generative AI (GenAI) is immensely powerful. But it isn’t anywhere near capable of doing what knowledge workers do - which requires human nuance, understanding and a deep appreciation of context. Knowledge workers solve unique problems every day. AI is only effective when it is supplied with large amounts of accurate information and context.

However - there are areas in which AI and automation excels.

Manually managing knowledge and driving value through processors like Word is a time consuming - but critical - daily task for professionals around the world. New technology platforms are filling the gap between AI and human knowledge work by automating document generation.

The impact of this is twofold. Firstly, by increasing the efficiency with which employees can complete small tasks, experts can get on with the stuff that delivers real value. Secondly, businesses themselves reduce the potential risk caused by human error - saving money and protecting reputation.

Banks, for example, are built on documents. Every financial institution has huge libraries of records, sales sheets, applications, and more. There’s a lot of information - and no margin for error. Consequently, UK banks and fintechs spend £21.4k per hour fighting financial crime and fraud, pushing the UK’s annual compliance bill to £38.3bn.

We’re entering the second wave of AI innovation. (Which may not be as exciting or flashy as the first). But in this era it is clearer exactly where AI and automation can have the greatest impact: allowing knowledge workers to focus on the things that drive value - and empowering businesses to become more efficient and secure.

Getting your docs in a row

Knowledge workers - whether working in a bank, or a law firm, or a consultancy - have been forced to become masters of tools like Microsoft Word. To construct a building, an engineer would first have to lay the foundation with documents.

But this is no longer necessary.

Microsoft Word turns 41, and it isn’t at risk of becoming defunct. But its future looks entirely different to its past. Document work is becoming automated. And this means us, the users, are being set free. Or maybe it’s Word that is being set free from us. Documents are here to stay. But document work is not.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology marks a pivotal moment in digital innovation, offering unprecedented opportunities to transform industries. When combined, they can not only enhance operational efficiencies but also address some of the most pressing challenges facing modern enterprises dealing with data at scale: data reliability and integrity.

AI relies heavily on data to learn and make decisions. However, the quality of that data is paramount. In an era where misinformation and data integrity issues abound, blockchain technology offers a robust solution. By providing a decentralized ledger that ensures data is tamper-proof and immutable, blockchain can help enhance the reliability of the data fed into AI systems.

Reducing AI hallucinations

One of the most significant challenges AI systems face is the phenomenon known as "hallucinations"—instances where AI generates responses that are inaccurate or entirely fabricated. These issues often stem from poor data quality or lack of verifiable sources, such as when AI models have gorged themselves on too much fast food data sources like forums, social media and blogs, where humor, gossip and misinformation abounds, or when they train on synthetic data produced by AI itself.

It’s like at the end of the first Matrix movie, when Neo dives into Agent Smith, who absorbs him, but then explodes. AI has to be careful what it consumes. Without quality data, Large Language Models risk “model collapse”. Here, blockchain proves invaluable.

Blockchain’s inherent properties of data integrity and immutability play a crucial role in mitigating risks associated with AI systems. By utilizing a decentralized ledger, these systems can access verified data, significantly reducing the likelihood of inaccuracies. Furthermore, unboundedly scalable blockchain technology can efficiently handle large volumes of transactions, making it well-suited to support AI tools that require real-time data. This ensures that the information used by AI is both accurate and trustworthy, ultimately enhancing the reliability of AI-driven insights and decisions.

Recognizing and rewarding creators

As AI technology continues to advance, the need to recognize and reward content creators becomes increasingly critical. Blockchain can play a role in this respect by facilitating micro-payments that reward creators directly for their contributions.

With smart contracts on a blockchain, payments can be automated and executed instantly when predefined conditions are met, ensuring creators receive fair compensation for their work. This transparency fosters a more equitable digital ecosystem, allowing artists, writers, and developers to benefit from their creations without the interference of intermediaries. This points to the potential for a brave new “creator economy 2.0” era. Similar to how the music industry was initially disrupted by piracy and file-sharing, before evolving for a new age with streaming services and monetizing live performances. So too can the creator economy evolve in this new era of AI models, by baking in financial rewards when creative content is featured in AI training data, similar to some of the early deals now starting to be struck between major media houses and AI foundational model owners.

Moreover, blockchain can help safeguard creators' rights by recording ownership and usage rights for their content. This is particularly important in the context of AI, where data from various sources is often aggregated to train models. For creators who wish to maintain control over their work, blockchain provides a way to prevent unauthorized data trawling and ensure that their content is used in compliance with their terms.

Smart contracts & automation

The integration of AI and blockchain also enables the development of smart contracts—self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code. AI can trigger these smart contracts, automating processes that traditionally require human intervention. This automation not only streamlines operations but also enhances transparency, as all transactions are recorded on the blockchain and accessible to relevant parties.

For example, in supply chain management, AI can analyze data to predict demand and trigger smart contracts that automatically adjust orders with suppliers. This leads to more responsive and efficient supply chains, reducing waste and ensuring that resources are allocated where they are needed most.

Moreover, smart contracts can facilitate compliance by automatically enforcing regulations and protocols. In industries like finance and healthcare, where adherence to strict guidelines is essential, this capability can significantly reduce the risk of non-compliance.

IPv6, blockchain, and Metanet

The future of the internet lies in the convergence of several technologies, including AI, blockchain, and IPv6. The introduction of IPv6, with its vastly increased IP address space, opens up opportunities for connecting an unprecedented number of devices. When combined with unboundedly scalable blockchain tech, this can lead to the creation of Metanet—a new internet framework that ensures data security and integrity.

In Metanet, devices can communicate securely and efficiently, leveraging the advantages of blockchain to verify identities and transactions. AI and machine learning can further enhance this ecosystem by providing intelligent insights into data patterns and behaviors, facilitating smarter and more secure interactions.

This integration promises to reshape industries by enabling real-time data sharing and collaboration among devices and users, ultimately fostering innovation and driving economic growth. With blockchain ensuring security and transparency, and AI providing actionable insights, the potential for creating new business models is limitless.

A truly scalable blockchain that can process over a million transactions per second will enable cost-effective and intermediary-free microtransactions, enabling new forms of digital commerce and restoring the internet’s original promise of a truly peer-to-peer platform.

The convergence of AI and blockchain represents a transformative shift in the digital landscape, driving future digital transformation. By addressing data reliability issues, recognizing, and rewarding creators, automating operations through smart contracts, and reshaping the internet, these technologies hold the key to a more secure, efficient, and equitable digital future.

As we continue to explore these possibilities, it’s clear that the synergy between AI and blockchain will not only enhance operational efficiencies but also help in building trust in the data-driven world we inhabit.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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• A church in Switzerland has an AI Jesus taking confession and offering advice
• The church worked with a local university to design and deploy the AI
• The AI is trained on the New Testament to mimic Jesus

A Swiss church is trying a new way of connecting with Jesus in the confessional. It uses AI to simulate the personality of the 1st-century Galileleean for visitors as part of a religiously themed art project called Deus in Machina (God in a Machine). The digital simulacrum of Jesus Christ engages with visitors and offers spiritual guidance based on what people say.

If you enter the confessional, you'll see the AI Jesus displayed on a screen. The decidedly Swiss-looking man from the Roman-run Middle East of two millennia ago listens to people voice their questions or concerns. The AI model underlying the simulation was built by a team from the church working with the Immersive Realities Research Lab at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts using the New Testament as the basis for how Jesus thinks and speaks. So far, it's performed well.

"AI fascinates us. But it also has its limits and raises ethical questions," St. Peter's theologian Marco Schmid explained in a statement (translated from German by Google). "In all previous tests, his answers have matched our theological understanding of St. Peter's Chapel."

Reach out and touch faith

The video of people reacting to AI Jesus shows some mixed reviews. One parishioner expressed surprise at how easy it was and how good the advice they received was. Another said it was very generic and not very impressive. A disagreement over religious interpretation suggests AI Jesus is performing exactly as it should. Now that AI Jesus is here, the question is, what comes next?

If you want to experience the other side of the religious experience, you can try Social AI, an entire universe where you are the only real person, and everyone you talk to is just an AI character. Or you could go for being a kind of priest yourself for the traumatized AI personalities you encounter at Friend.com. If you're truly uncertain about how to use AI ethically in a religious context, you can always ask the Pope. He and IBM have put together a whole guide for ethical AI use.

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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1031) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1031) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1031) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1031) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1031) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• M

• T

• B

• L

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1031) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1031, are…

• MINTY
• TOPAZ
• BRUSH
• LAPEL

There are not many words in the Wordle/Quordle dictionary that end in a Z. There's BLITZ, GLITZ, HERTZ, WALTZ, WHIZZ and TOPAZ – and I think that's probably it. Spotting the latter today may therefore have been a tricky task, because your brain won't want to have considered it. 'No, no, it will have said to you. Zs don't end words, surely it will be an N or a Y or an R or a T?' But when all probable answers are ruled out, you have to move to the improbable – and so it was today.

That's one of a couple of potentially difficult words in today's game. MINTY could be NINTY too, while LAPEL has a repeated L and BRUSH could be CRUSH. You'll have needed to work hard to solve them all, in short.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1031) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1031, are…

• KNACK
• BLURT
• TEASE
• MELEE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
• Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
• Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA
• Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN
• Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST
• Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET
• Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… For our furry friends

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• TREE
• CALL
• PALS
• PANT
• BIKE
• SEAL

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Re-tail therapy?

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 2nd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #262) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #262, are…

• LITTER
• BONE
• COLLAR
• KIBBLE
• BALL
• LASER
• CATNIP
• SPANGRAM: PETSUPPLIES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I own a dog and a cat, or rather they own me, given that I spend my money on food, treats and other assorted PETSUPPLIES for them. And what do I get in return? Well, actually, from the dog, a lovely chocolate labrador, I get unconditional love. From the cat, meanwhile, I get… well, I get the honor of buying it food and treats and assorted PETSUPPLIES, and the sense that I should be very happy with that and nothing more.

Anyway, this is a subject I'm all-too familiar with, so finding all of the answers was not a great problem. I spotted LITTER and BONE while I was hunting for hints to use in this column, then once I knuckled down and tried properly I got the likes of COLLAR and KIBBLE with no issues. It was one of the easier Strands puzzles (and few are that hard, to be honest).

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 19 November, game #261)

• KNIFE
• TONGS
• FORK
• SPOON
• SKEWER
• SPORK
• CHOPSTICKS
• SPANGRAM: UTENSILS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.