🚀 SpaceX wants to refuel Starships in space

🚀 SpaceX wants to refuel Starships in space

• SpaceX plans to test propellant transfer between two Starships in orbit starting in March, aiming to achieve a significant technical milestone for future lunar missions.

• NASA awarded SpaceX a $4.05 billion contract to develop human-rated Starship vehicles for lunar exploration, with the first crewed moon landing under the Artemis program scheduled for September 2026.

• The ship-to-ship propellant transfer and other tests are part of NASA's collaborative approach with SpaceX, marking significant progress towards an uncrewed Starship moon landing demonstration.

🤖 Scientists create drone with nervous system

• Scientists at the University of Southampton have created a drone equipped with an optical fiber-based "nervous system" designed to enhance flight duration and operational efficiency.

• This innovative system decreases inspection frequency, boosting safety and reliability while cutting operational costs by monitoring the drone's structure in real time, similar to biological nerves.

• The technology, tested on a student-developed drone, shows potential to extend drone missions without extensive ground support, with hopes for commercialization by 2025.

🛠️ Google’s AI agent discovers software bugs

• Google's AI project, initially named "Project Naptime" and later called "Big Sleep," successfully discovered a previously unknown and exploitable software vulnerability in SQLite, an open-source database engine.

• This achievement marks the first time an AI agent has identified an unknown exploitable memory-safety issue in widely-used software, highlighting the potential for AI to play a significant role in software defense against hackers.

• Following the discovery, Google reported the vulnerability before any official software release, prompting SQLite to issue a fix, showcasing a proactive approach by deploying AI to enhance cybersecurity measures.

📈 Nvidia replaces Intel in Dow Jones after 25 years

• Nvidia is set to replace Intel in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, highlighting a shift towards artificial intelligence and significant changes in the semiconductor sector.

• Nvidia’s market capitalization has surged to $3.3 trillion, driven by high demand for its GPUs from major tech firms like Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon.

• Intel has struggled this year, dealing with manufacturing challenges and increased competition, leading to a significant drop in its shares and planned cost-cutting measures.

🛡️ TP-Link routers hacked in account takeover attacks

• Thousands of TP-Link routers have been hacked to create a botnet used in extensive account takeover attacks, mainly targeting Microsoft’s Azure cloud service.

• The botnet, known as Botnet-7777, was first identified in October 2023 and uses port 7777 to manage its activities across a global network of over 16,000 devices at its peak.

• Microsoft's CovertNetwork-1658, as they call the botnet, is utilized by Chinese threat actors to perform sophisticated password spray attacks, making it difficult to trace and prevent access to various sectors quickly.