(D.Burch) 
In July, the team made great progress on several features planned for the next major release, and tackled some refactoring tasks.
Take a look behind the scenes in our latest #TrunkAndTidbits update 
https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/08/trunk-tidbits-july-2025/
After using ChatGPT, man swaps his salt for sodium bromide—and suffers psychosis
Literal "hallucinations" were the result.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/08/after-using-chatgpt-man-swaps-his-salt-for-sodium-bromide-and-suffers-psychosis/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
Well fuck. Reflect Orbital just filed for their first satellite with the FCC. https://www.reflectorbital.com/
I hate them even more than AST SpaceMobile. At least AST does something mildly useful, unlike Reflect Orbital, which is 100% a scam and will collide with a lot of junk in orbit.
Time to go rage-scream in the hay field. And then go to a meeting with astronomers to talk about what we can do to fight it.
Mike Luckovich strikes again! 
We're going to need journalists to stop talking about synthetic text extruding machines as if they have *thoughts* or *stances* that they are *trying* to *communicate*. ChatGPT can't *admit* anything, nor *self-report*. Gah.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/chatgpt-chatbot-psychology-manic-episodes-57452d14
A reminder that software makers, hardware makers, cloud services, payment processors, and the like will throw their customers under the bus whenever it suits them. Your payment card, food delivery account, AWS instance, Gmail address -- all can be taken away on a whim for any reason or no reason. These providers are NOT your friend. Make plans now. Have backups in place. Practice self-reliance. Ween yourself off these one at a time.
Bro you gotta join ICE, the benefits are insane. Free diapers in case you shit your pants when you see a brown person. Everyone gets protective sunglasses not just for the job but also for when a girl pepper sprays you because you tried to talk to her. Roofies in the kidnapping van are up for grabs.
CISA has published a severe vulnerability notice regarding a Microsoft Exchange flaw that was disclosed at Black Hat in Las Vegas:
"CISA is aware of the newly disclosed high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-53786, that allows a cyber threat actor with administrative access to an on-premise Microsoft Exchange server to escalate privileges by exploiting vulnerable hybrid-joined configurations. This vulnerability, if not addressed, could impact the identity integrity of an organization’s Exchange Online service."
"While Microsoft has stated there is no observed exploitation as of the time of this alert’s publication, CISA strongly urges organizations to implement Microsoft’s Exchange Server Hybrid Deployment Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability guidance outlined below, or risk leaving the organization vulnerable to a hybrid cloud and on-premises total domain compromise."
NextGov writes:
"At Black Hat in Las Vegas, Nevada, Outsider Security researcher Dirk-jan Mollema presented a long-form demo exploiting the flaw, where he said he was able to modify user passwords, convert cloud users to hybrid users and impersonate hybrid users."
"Through the exploit, hackers could also modify executive permissions, known as service principals, where they could escalate network access privileges or establish persistent access between on-premises Exchange and Microsoft 365 by tampering with the identities and permissions set up on a network."
No patch, but CISA's alert includes some guidance on hardening and mitigations.
MS advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53786
Does anyone on Mastodon still mess with minidisc, I’d love to purchase a minidisc recorded with an alternative rock playlist as a little car warming gift for my friend.
Please boost for reach!
Want to publish videos on the Fediverse? Here are some #PeerTube servers with sign-ups open:
https://tubefree.org (general)
https://spectra.video (general)
https://makertube.net (for creative people who make or fix things)
https://video.gamerstavern.online (gaming-related videos)
https://urbanists.video (urban planning & public transport)
https://video.hardlimit.com (tech & gaming in English & Spanish)
https://video-cave-v2.de (German-language videos)
More info:
https://fedi.tips/how-to-publish-videos-and-audio-on-peertube
Once the lifeblood of online creativity—from silly games to iconic animations—Flash has all but disappeared from the live web.
In our latest Vanishing Culture essay, free-range archivist Jason Scott explores why Flash deserves to be preserved, and how the Internet Archive is keeping it alive.
https://blog.archive.org/2025/08/06/vanishing-culture-why-preserve-flash/
New study on scientific understanding in the US:
Vaccines have mostly been a benefit to human health
69% Agree
20% Unsure
11% Disagree
Welcome back to AI Terms Explained!
“Without thinking”: without thinking
“With thinking”: without thinking
Tune in again next time to AI Terms Explained!
FYI the ebook of Old Man's War is going for $1.99 here in US/Canada at (most) ebook stores, for, I think, today. Get it! Cheap! And then buy all the rest of the series including the upcoming seventh installment, The Shattering Peace! The cats need tuna!
Surveillance tech companies like Flock “are serving their investors first, their customers second and members of the public third,” EFF’s Dave Maass told @bloomberg. “Their primary goal is not to make it safer, it’s to make money.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-07/controversial-surveillance-startup-flock-adds-ai-to-police-tech
7 August 1938 | A Dutch Jewish boy, Jacob Vischjager, was born in Amsterdam.
In November 1942 he was deported to #Auschwitz and murdered after selection in a gas chamber.