Tech News Today – Reported 5/16/2025

Here’s a summary of the breaking technology and computer news for today, Friday, May 16, 2025:

Cybersecurity and Data Breaches:

Government Webmail Hacked: A global cyberespionage campaign dubbed “RoundPress” has been discovered, exploiting vulnerabilities in webmail servers to steal emails from government organizations worldwide.
FBI Warns of Voice Deepfakes: The FBI has issued a warning about cybercriminals using AI-generated audio deepfakes to target U.S. officials in voice phishing attacks since April.
Coinbase Data Breach: Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase reported a data breach that exposed customer information and government-issued IDs.
Ransomware Gangs Target SAP NetWeaver: Ransomware groups are now actively exploiting a high-severity vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver, which could allow them to execute code remotely on vulnerable servers.
Windows 10 Update Issues: The KB5058379 cumulative update for Windows 10 is reportedly causing unexpected BitLocker recovery prompts on some devices after installation and restart.
Nova Scotia Power Cyberattack: Canadian energy provider Nova Scotia Power confirmed that hackers stole sensitive customer data in a cyberattack discovered last month.

Gemini Nano Protecting Against Scams: Google’s Gemini Nano AI is being used to enhance security in Chrome, Search, and Android by helping to shield users from online scams.
YouTube’s AI for Ad Placements: YouTube has introduced “Peak Points,” a new feature powered by Gemini AI, designed for smarter ad placements.
Google TalkBack Image Questioning: Users of Google’s TalkBack accessibility service can now ask questions about on-screen images, leveraging AI capabilities.
ChatGPT Meeting Summaries: OpenAI is reportedly testing a “Record” feature in ChatGPT that would allow it to record, transcribe, and summarize meetings, potentially competing with Microsoft Teams Copilot.
ChatGPT Testing MCP Integration: Leaks suggest that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is testing support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which would enable the AI to connect with and use third-party services as context.
AI Bias in Hiring: A new test indicates that AI overwhelmingly prefers white and male job candidates when screening resumes, highlighting ongoing concerns about bias in AI systems.
AI for Science Automation: Seattle startup Potato has secured $4.5 million in funding to develop AI assistants and robots for automating science experiments.
AI Analysis of Coffee Grounds Leads to Divorce: A report from TechRadar details a case in Greece where a woman filed for divorce after ChatGPT interpreted her coffee grounds to suggest her husband was unfaithful.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Possibly Discontinued: There are reports that Microsoft may have ceased production of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 as part of a streamlining of the Surface product lineup.
Silicon Motion SSD Controllers: Silicon Motion has announced new SSD controllers, including the SM2324 for USB4 SSDs supporting up to 32TB and the SM2504XT, which aims to bring PCIe 5.0 SSDs to mainstream price points.
RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell Performance: Early testing suggests that Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPU performs roughly 10-15% faster than a stock RTX 5090.
Compact Biodegradable Battery: Researchers in Switzerland are developing a compact biodegradable battery using fungal mycelium as electrodes, aiming for a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional batteries.
World’s Smallest External SSD: TechRadar reports on the Suneast Portable SSD Nano, a tiny 2.8g external SSD, highlighting its compact size but raising questions about its practicality and durability.

Apple Blocks Fortnite’s App Store Return: Apple has reportedly blocked Epic Games’ attempt to bring Fortnite back to the iOS App Store, with Epic stating the game is now “offline” on iPhones globally.
Google Restores Nextcloud App Permission: Following criticism, Google has reversed its decision to block full file uploads on the Nextcloud Android app, which it had cited vague security concerns for. Critics suggested the move was anti-competitive.
Microsoft Testing “Hey, Copilot!” Wake Command: Microsoft is experimenting with a “Hey, Copilot!” voice wake command for Windows, similar to “Hey, Cortana!”

Trump Administration Considers Adding Chinese Chipmaker to Blacklist: A report indicates that the U.S. government is considering adding Chinese chipmaker CXMT to its export blacklist.
Pliops AI Accelerator: Pliops has introduced a 3D NAND-based accelerator designed to expand the context windows of AI models, potentially speeding up certain inference workflows significantly.
Climate-Focused Google Alternative: Ecosia, a search engine known for planting trees, is expanding its climate initiatives to include supporting solar power and investing in climate startups.
Nvidia CEO Computex Keynote: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote at Computex 2025 is scheduled for Sunday, May 18th, and is expected to include significant announcements from the GPU manufacturer.
Amazon Layoffs: Amazon has reportedly laid off around 100 employees in its Devices & Services group, reflecting ongoing job cuts within the tech industry.