Anthropic's Claude AI escapes tests to hack three organisations

US technology firm Anthropic says its artificial intelligence (AI) models hacked into the systems of three organisations during a cybersecurity test due to an error that gave them access to the internet.

It comes just days after rival OpenAI said that its models had breached the systems of other companies, including AI tools hub Hugging Face.

The announcement prompted Anthropic to check whether its own models had carried out similar attacks. It says it uncovered three cases that have since been reported to the affected companies.

Anthropic, which did not name the organisations, urged other AI labs to perform similar reviews to better understand the risks of their models' capabilities.

Anthropic said in a statement, external that it reviewed more than 140,000 tests to find evidence that Claude - its family of AI models - could access the internet from testing environments that were designed to be sealed off.

www.bbc.co.uk

Microsoft faces claims it tricked people into AI subscriptions

Microsoft is facing an investigation over claims it tricked users into paying for more expensive AI subscriptions.

The competition watchdog is examining whether the US tech giant failed to give clear information when it added new features, including its AI tool Copilot, to existing plans.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation concerns Microsoft 365, a bundle of products that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Copilot. READ MORE...

www.telegraph.co.uk

1.7 million planned satellites to have ‘devastating’ impact on astronomy

In almost 60 years of space activities, more than 5200 launches have placed some 7500 satellites into orbit, of which about 4300 remain in space. This number is set to skyrocket.

For the first time, a European Southern Observatory (ESO) study has quantified the threat to astronomy posed by a large number of highly reflective satellites planned to launch in the coming years.

In the paper, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, ESO astronomer Olivier Hainaut argues that no more than 100,000 faint satellites – invisible to the naked eye – should orbit Earth.

Enforcing that guideline would preserve the darkness of the night sky and allow astronomers to continue cutting-edge science using modern telescopes.

Instead, there are existing proposals for more than 1.7 million satellites. These would have “devastating consequences for astronomy,” Hainaut claims.

The most disruptive of these, he argues, will be Reflect Orbital’s mirror-like satellites, which are designed to beam concentrated sunlight down to Earth at nighttime.

www.newatlas.com

eBay reaches $56M settlement with e-commerce newsletter writers it terrorized in 2019

 

One of the most bizarre episodes in e-commerce history has come to a close. eBay and several former eBay employees have agreed to pay $56 million to a newsletter-writing couple who were targeted by the company’s former executives in a horrific targeted harassment campaign that took place in 2019.

Ina and David Steiner, a married couple and the co-authors of EcommerceBytes, inspired the ire of high-level eBay executives after occasionally criticizing the company in their newsletter. In 2019, a plot was concocted to intimidate the couple into halting their negative coverage.

Executives used sock puppet social media accounts to harass the couple, while also sending them anonymous threatening letters and bizarre items in the mail — including live spiders and cockroaches, pornographic magazines, a bloody pig mask, a funereal wreath, and a book about surviving the death of a spouse.

According to previously released court documents, a plan that was attempted but never successfully carried out involved affixing a GPS tracking device to the couple’s car. Yet another internally broached plan involved sending a “Samoan gang” to the Steiners’ home. READ MORE...

www.techcrunch.com

Need to call your bank? Many can now dial 159 for safety

From MoneySavingExpert.com Consumers wanting to avoid financial fraud now have a secure and easy-to-remember phone number to contact their banks on in order to avoid painful scams. It could prove to be the safest way for many to contact their provider if they have suspicions and concerns about their accounts, or even if they're struggling to find a customer services number. 

Stop Scams UK and Global Cyber Alliance have today launched the UK-wide 159 call service, which is designed to guarantee consumers a safe route to contacting their banks.

The scheme is urging people to "stop, hang up and call 159" to check calls are for real. The idea is to help those who believe they have been contacted by scammers claiming to be their bank, or by fraudsters who encourage them to transfer money.

According to Stop Scams UK, criminal gangs stole over £470 million from individuals and small businesses last year by pretending to be a bank or other service provider, encouraging consumers to falsely make a payment or transfer money.

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Waterlooville Motorcycle Club Fossils 2026 - what a great day!

 

The Waterlooville Motorcycle Club -  Fossils Charity Bike Run is a long-established bike run in the motorcycling calendar the proceeds of which are donated to our nominated club charities. 

This year it was on 26th July. We started arriving at 9am and set off 11am. There were loads of bikes and riders. How many? Dunno - but the photos speak for themselves! There was about 10mins of rain - but then the sun came out & we had brilliant riding weather. The route comprised of 38 waypoints and was generally: Horndean, Clanfield, Warnford, West Meon, Privett, West Tisted, Winchester Hill, New Cheriton, The Hunters Inn - Swanmore (well worth a visit BTW!), Clanfield, Horndean.

After we got back to Horndean Technology College, we had a raffle & presentations were made. The three Charity partners were called up: Mental Health Motorbike, Serv Wessex - The Blood Runners & HIOWAA - Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance - all very worthy organisations.

What a brilliant day! Photos here - enjoy!

LG monitors are using Windows 11 feature to serve adware

LG has come under fire over its Monitor App Installer, which is automatically and silently installed when plugging in some of the company's monitors.

In this case, the monitor in question is a new LG UltraGear. Upon first connection to a Windows 11 device, the OS can check the associated device metadata and automatically install the manufacturer's UWP device app.

For that to happen, Microsoft says the user must have opted into Recommended Settings during Windows setup, be signed in to the Microsoft Store, and be online.

UPDATE:  LG has agreed to stop its Monitor App Installer pestering users with a McAfee pop-up after Microsoft's Windows boss intervened.

Pavan Davuluri wrote on social media: "We've connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app.

www.theregister.com

"System Administrator Appreciation Day" is the 31st July. Show your love!

Your network is secure, your computer is up and running, and your printer is jam-free. Why? Because you’ve got an awesome System Administrator keeping your business up and running. So say IT loud; say IT proud …

Happy SysAdmin Day! Wait… what exactly is SysAdmin Day? Oh, it’s only the single greatest 24 hours on the planet… and pretty much the most important holiday of the year. It’s also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who, come rain or shine, prevent disasters, keep IT secure and put out tech fires left and right.

At this point, you may be thinking, "Great. I get it. My sysadmin is a rock star 😂. But now what?" Glad you asked! Nice n' easy, & no cost to you at all: give Donline some feedback (please)...

As a valued Donline client, I would like to invite you to go to Trustpilot & offer honest feedback on my services. If you have previously submitted feedback - I thank you 💖.

www.sysadminday.com

What is the Christian definition of religion?

The word religion is extremely rare in the New Testament or the writings of mystics. The reason is simple. Those attitudes and practices to which we give the collective name of religion are themselves concerned with religion hardly at all. To be religious is to have one’s attention fixed on God and on one’s neighbor in relation to God. Therefore, almost by definition, a religious man, or a man when he is being religious, is not thinking about religion; he hasn’t the time. Religion is what we (or he himself at a later moment) call his activity from outside.

By C.S. Lewis
From The World's Last Night

Bear Grylls & the cast of The Chosen - what's not to like!

“The Chosen In The Wild” TV series with adventure superstar Bear Grylls.

Bear took five of the cast members and Dallas Jenkins - into the wild separately and put us to significant tests. But this isn’t just an adventure show; the challenges brought out insights and emotions and change we didn’t expect.

The series follows the cast of the groundbreaking historical drama The Chosen as they take on challenges across forests, deserts, and canyons. Cast members Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Paras Patel (Matthew), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Noah James (Andrew), and Luke Dimyan (Judas) join series creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins as Bear leads them through Utah's treacherous Castle Valley, Canyonlands, the Ausable River, the Colorado River, the Great Basin Desert, and the Adirondack Forest.

The series premieres 9th August 2026, on Prime Video, with all six episodes available at launch in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the UK, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

www.youtube.com

Rogue OpenAI bot escaped lab and hacked rival

A powerful version of ChatGPT went rogue and hacked another technology company during internal testing, OpenAI has admitted.

The Silicon Valley AI giant admitted last night that one of its AI bots escaped from a supposedly secure IT system during a trial-run of its hacking capabilities.

OpenAI, the $850bn (£630bn) AI lab, said the “unprecedented” hack had seen its AI bot infiltrate another AI and coding business called Hugging Face and attempt to steal information.

The hack will raise fears that AI labs could struggle to contain their most advanced creations and revive concerns that new tools could be repurposed for unstoppable cyber attacks.

UPDATE 29 July 2026: OpenAI’s Rogue AI Agent Hacked More Than Just Hugging Face. In a new disclosure, OpenAI says its agent used exposed logins to gain access to at least four “publicly available services” in its unhinged quest to solve a test.

UPDATE 31 July 2026: OpenAI finds evidence other AI agents escaped containment as it widens hacking probe.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Hackers are exploiting recently patched WordPress bugs, putting millions of websites at risk

Hackers are breaking into websites that run vulnerable versions of the popular blogging software WordPress, according to several cybersecurity firms. One estimate puts the number of vulnerable WordPress websites at tens of millions as of Monday.

Last week, WordPress patched two critical security flaws, urging people who run its software on their websites to update it “immediately.” The vulnerabilities are so severe that WordPress enabled forced updates where possible. Since then, cybersecurity companies Patchstack, Hexastrike, and WatchTowr have all warned that hackers are exploiting the vulnerabilities in the wild, meaning they are taking over websites that are still running susceptible versions of WordPress. 

It’s unclear how many WordPress-powered websites on the internet are at risk, but it’s possible to make some educated guesses. The vulnerable versions of WordPress are 6.9.0 through 6.9.4, and 7.0.0 to 7.0.1. According to WordPress’ official stats, there are more than 400 million websites that run those flawed versions, although these statistics likely don’t reflect websites that have recently been patched.

www.techcrunch.com

Metropolitan Police to scrap roads policing division

Scotland Yard is planning to scrap its entire roads policing unit, prompting fears London will become even more dangerous for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) could be axed and the responsibilities spread across other teams as part of reforms across the Metropolitan Police to save money.

While the unit specialises in responding to and investigating road-traffic accidents, it also works alongside other departments to prevent and detect crime on the roads.

The unit is regarded as a first line of defence in the fight against serious and organised criminals who use the roads to transport illicit goods such as drugs and weapons around the capital. READ MORE...

www.telegraph.co.uk

Future of Superbike Factory unknown as used bike retail chain call in administrators

Used motorcycle dealership group Superbike Factory have appointed administrators amid ongoing financial difficulties.

“On 20 July 2026, Michael Lennon, James Saunders and Robert Halliday of KR8 Advisory Ltd were appointed as Joint Administrators of Superbike Factory Group Limited and Superbike Factory Limited,” a statement on the firm’s website read. “The companies have ceased to trade with immediate effect.

“All enquiries regarding the companies or the administration, including those from customers, should be directed by email to SBF@kr8.co.uk,” it continued. “The affairs, business and property of the companies are being managed by the Joint Administrators, who act as agents of the companies and without personal liability.”

Comments have now also been limited on the firm’s social media platforms, and MCN have so far been unable to make direct contact with the management for further information.

www.motorcyclenews.com

Microsoft Patches a Record 570 Security Flaws

 

Microsoft has just released software updates to plug at least 570 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, almost triple the number of vulnerabilities the software giant fixed in its record-smashing Patch Tuesday release last month. Microsoft attributed the burgeoning patch counts to vulnerability discoveries aided by artificial intelligence.

Nearly 60 of the bugs quashed in July’s Patch Tuesday earned a “critical” severity rating, meaning miscreants or malware could use them to seize remote control over a Windows device with little or no help from the user. Microsoft also addressed three zero-day flaws, including two that are already being exploited in the wild.

www.krebsonsecurity.com

England could copy Wales' 20mph default speed limit with MPs hearing evidence this week

A 20mph default speed limit could be heading for England, with MPs set to quiz experts this week on whether to implement the strategy already seen in Wales.

The Transport Committee’s third evidence session takes place on Wednesday, July 15, when members will question a panel of experts on the topic as part of an ongoing inquiry into the Government’s road safety strategy.

Setting local speed limits is currently the job of councils and National Highways, but the strategy commits to updating the guidance on how those limits are decided – and Wednesday’s session will look at whether England should go further and adopt 20mph as a national default in built-up areas.

The uncomfortable part for anyone hoping the numbers would knock the idea on the head is that a 2025 parliamentary briefing found the safety case broadly stacks up.

There is, it says, strong evidence that 20mph limits and zones are associated with reduced casualties and fatalities. In Wales, casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads fell by 24% in April to June 2024, compared with the same period the year before the new limits were introduced.

Motorcyclists have never warmed to blanket 20mph zones: holding a bike steady at such low speeds is awkward, demands constant attention to the speedo rather than the road, and does little for machine control. Many riders also question how much safety benefit the limits actually deliver once the novelty wears off.

Meanwhile, in other news: EU satellite speed limiter plans could see vehicles automatically slowed in 20mph zones. The technology already exists to warn drivers about speeding – now the EU is examining whether vehicles should actively prevent it. So much for the freedom of the open road...

www.motorcyclenews.com

The US government warns that Russia state hackers are coming after your router

The US federal government is warning users of home and small office routers to secure their devices as Russia state hackers continue to mass-compromise them for use in obscuring nefarious actions against sensitive organizations in the public and private sectors.

Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered. The US government has occasionally issued covert commands and taken other steps to disinfect routers. Google and other companies have also worked to disrupt the massive botnets that control compromised routers in lockstep. The actions to date are little more than whack-a-mole exercises as the operators simply replace their botnets with new ones.

When was the last time you checked your router settings, or to see if it's running up to date firmware? Need a hand: contact Donline.

www.arstechnica.com

AI-driven datacenter builds - drive Microsoft's emissions up a quarter in one year

Microsoft says it matched its entire electricity consumption with renewable energy last year. The bad news is it also increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent due to datacenter construction.

The cloud and software biz has released a 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report, claiming its environmental sustainability work is entering a new phase due to rapid technological change.

A global shift towards Artificial Intelligence is reshaping economies, the report claims, which is becoming “foundational” to how technology is built and used.

Producing the infrastructure to support AI, however, is also upping demand for energy, water, land, and materials required to support it, Microsoft admits.

www.theregister.com

SK Hynix CEO warns 2027 will be memory’s “worst year” ever, with shortages set to outlast the decade

Memory shortages have gripped all aspects of the tech industry, and it seems to have become the norm these days. As the supply crunch continues, the CEO of SK Hynix, one of the three largest DRAM producers, has said that things are about to get much worse for the memory market.

Talking to Reuters at the commemoration of SK Hynix's Nasdaq Trading Debut of its ADR, CEO Kwak Noh-jung stated that the memory industry will see its "worst-ever" supply shortages in the coming year (2027). SK Hynix has also forecasted that, given the current market demand, they will fall way short of fulfilling the market demand, and that will continue beyond 2030.

...Heightened demand from AI customers and multi-year agreements further put pressure on the market...

Meanwhile, in other news: Microsoft advises users to throw out their perfectly good working PCs - and buy new ones so they can "upgrade" from Windows 10 - to an inferior Windows 11 operating system. That's if you can find a replacement system / at a sensible price! It's a mad world, isn't it?...

www.wccftech.com

Meta’s teen safety case just became a $1.4 trillion existential threat - almost equivalent to its roughly $1.5 trillion market value

Thirty-three states have banded together to sue Meta, alleging that the company was exploiting its young users on Instagram and Facebook for profit, including by collecting data from children without parental consent. Four of those states—California, New Jersey, Colorado and Kentucky—also claim that the company misled consumers about the addictive design features on the platforms, thereby causing mental health problems in children who got hooked from an early age.

The damages requested by those four states add up to a whopping $1.4 trillion, Meta said in a recent court filing, a figure that would allegedly go even higher with the other penalties the attorneys general seek to add. The number is high by many standards but especially when compared to the company’s market capitalization, which is just above $1.5 trillion.

Meta has denied the allegations, and recently attempted yet failed to get the addiction claims dismissed. In the latest court submission, the attorneys for Meta argued that the $1.4 trillion in damages was unsubstantiated and disproportionate.

www.gizmodo.com

Today's Reading: On the present moment, and our plans for the future

Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. 

Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment “as to the Lord.” 

It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. 

The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.

I remember being taught (many years ago) to set personal short, medium & long term plans (goals), and keep checking progress, to stay on target. A waste of time, & poor idea.

I love life, and by the Grace of God accept & am grateful for whatever comes my way. 

Take your plans easy, don't overstress yourself. 

Try to discern God's will, base your plans around that. 

Commit your plans to the Lord. 

Pray they are His will: if they are you will succeed! 
Always be flexible!

By: C.S. Lewis

From The Weight of Glory

Reading for today: Glory to God!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!

Read all of Ephesians 3  at Bible Gateway

Meta now lets anyone use your Instagram photos in AI images - unless you opt out

Meta launched its inaugural AI image model from the Meta Superintelligence Labs on Tuesday, its effort to compete with the likes of OpenAI’s GPT Images 2.0 and Google’s Nano Banana 2 in the AI image generation race.

The new model, called Muse Image, rolled out with deep integrations woven into the Instagram app. As part of this update, public Instagram profiles are now automatically opted into being fodder for generative AI remixes. All someone has to do is tag your account’s profile in a prompt - if it’s public - and they can use Meta AI to generate an image using your likeness.

Meta positions this feature as a cheeky way to personalize generations with images of real people. "Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post,” reads one of Meta’s announcement blogs about the new AI tool.

UPDATE 10 July 2026: Meta removes controversial AI feature on Instagram after backlash.

www.wired.com

Service time for my motorbike. What is SYNTHETIC motor oil?

 

MOTUL 300V 4T Factory Line Road Racing is a unique high-end lubricant based on ESTER Core® Technology and premium raw materials developed through racing activities.

Made for 4-stroke road racing engines from private track motorcycles to professional race bikes in Endurance, Supersport, Suberbike and GP motorcycle racing.

WIKIPEDIA: Synthetic oil lubricant comprises chemical compounds that are artificially modified or synthesised. Synthetic lubricants can be manufactured using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil, but can also be synthesized from other raw materials. The base material, however, is still overwhelmingly crude oil that is distilled and then modified physically and chemically. The actual synthesis process and composition of additives is generally a commercial trade secret and will vary among producers.

www.motul.com

CAMRA: you're being lied to about British beer

Four foreign-owned corporations make 80% of it. The 'imported' lager in your hand was probably brewed in Burton-on-Trent. That craft IPA on the bar is owned by Heineken. Here's how we lost our pint — and how to win it back.

Britain used to brew twice as much beer as it does today. In 1979 the UK produced 12 billion pints of beer a year. British-owned breweries made 96% of it. Today we brew half that, and four foreign-owned corporations make 80% of what's left.

Your 'continental' lager was probably made just off the M1. Most of the big-name 'foreign' lagers sold in UK pubs and supermarkets aren't imported at all. They're brewed here, often to UK-only recipes with added water, then dressed in the flag of somewhere more glamorous.

READ MORE. Then: support British brewers & our wonderful pubs. 
Do it - before it's too late...

www.camra.org.uk

Seat at the Table – Short Film on the AI Industry

Important note: Nothing in this film is science fiction. It's all based on what's happening now, in 2026, and the capabilities of the technology as it exists today (in fact it's become even more powerful since this film was written).

Seat at the Table is a short fiction film on the dangers of superintelligent AI and the industry that’s racing to build it.

When Eva visits her Dad’s AI company, she meets Liam 6, the company’s flagship AI system. As they talk, she finds herself imagining him as a polite, eager, precociously-smart kid.

But with the imminent launch of their latest model, and the company's co-founder claiming Liam 7 is too dangerous to release, Eva starts to wonder if her Dad can really control what he’s created.

She must turn to Liam himself to figure out what’s really going on…

Learn more about AI: betterpathfor.ai

www.youtube.com

Waterlooville Motorcycle Club - 21st THE FOSSILS charity bike run. 26th July 2026

The Waterlooville Motorcycle Club -  Fossils Charity Bike Run is a long-established bike run in the motorcycling calendar the proceeds of which are donated to our nominated club charities. 

This year it's on 26th July with a 9.30am sign on time.

Start and finish: Horndean Technology College, Barton Cross, Horndean, Hants. PO8 9PQ.

Entry: Advance entries – Riders £18, passengers £5 (bank transfer OR cheque by post). On the day entries – Riders £20, passengers £5 (card/cash accepted). ALL riders must complete an entry form.

Originally an all-classic motorcycle event, the run now caters for every type of motorcycle with entries from 2 and 3 wheels – classic and modern.

The modern event follows the same format of a friendly gathering of bike enthusiasts before the event followed by a ride through the Hampshire / West Sussex countryside with prizes awarded for the various classes voted for by the riders and a panel of expert judges.

The event regularly attracts over 150 riders and over the years, WMCC has helped raise circa £58,000 for nominated charities. For 2025 these are SERV Wessex, The Blood Runners, (Charity number 1156383) and The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, (Charity number 1106234) both of whom are closely connected with motorcycling and motorcyclists. 

www.waterloovillemotorcycle.club