TECH

Fabric molds could bring material-saving concrete beams within reach

Topology optimization is a computer design method that can help engineers design beams using reduced amounts of concrete and steel. But those intricate shapes produced from the tool are often too complex or expensive to pour into conventional rigid molds. The few that have been built have mostly relied on specialized equipment, such as concrete 3D printers or machine-carved molds, equipment that is out of reach in regions where new construction is expected to grow.  

Now, MIT engineers have shown that highly efficient beams can be cast in something more accessible: sewn fabric. In a paper published in the Journal of Building Engineering, the team designed and built a 3-meter (about 10-foot) test beam using fabric molds created through an automated pattern-making process. Compared with a conventional beam designed to carry the same weight, the optimized beam used about one-third as much concrete and half as much steel reinforcement. When tested, its measured response was within about 2 percent of what the team's computer model predicted.

Fabric formwork, in which concrete is poured into a mold made of textile, has been explored for years to create beams that vary in depth, rather than in rectangular shapes common in construction. But because fabric deforms under the weight of wet concrete, that flexibility has made the final shape hard to predict.

“The key realization was that this flexibility is not just a limitation to manage; with the right computational pattern design, it can become a way to produce optimized structural forms,” says Josephine Carstensen, the Gilbert W. Winslow (1937) Career Development Professor in Civil Engineering and senior author of the study.

Fabric molds can also be inexpensive, lightweight, and fast compared to wood or steel molds. “You could sew a formwork together off site, pack it into a box, and bring it to a job site very easily,” says Jackson Jewett PhD ’25, co-author of the study. “We joke that we are developing the H&M of the construction industry.” 

Less material, lower carbon...Cement production accounts for roughly 8 percent of human-caused carbon emissions. 

“This work addresses concrete’s climate footprint primarily by reducing material demand,” Carstensen says. “Cement production is highly carbon-intensive, so using less concrete is an important part of decarbonizing construction.”

Where new construction happens matters, too. The world’s number of buildings is expected to nearly double by 2050, with about 85 percent of that growth in developing countries, where access to advanced construction equipment is often limited. That is why, Carstensen says, the team focused on an accessible, cost-conscious fabrication approach.

Designing the beam...Concrete is strong when compressed, but weak when pulled, so it’s reinforced with steel that can handle the pulling forces. The researchers first mapped a path for the steel reinforcement using a method called graphic statics, which can generate structural designs almost instantly. They used it to shape the steel bar so that it carries an equal share of the weight along its entire length to keep the reinforcement simple enough for builders to make. Topology optimization, which works more slowly but can place material freely, was used to determine where concrete was needed and where material could be removed from areas where it contributes little to the structural performance.

“Both methods are good at different things, so we tried to combine the strengths of both into a single methodology,” says Jewett.

The resulting beam has a top section, narrow angled legs, and a thin bottom section for the steel reinforcement. The team’s automated process translated the 3D beam design into flat fabric pieces that can be cut and sewn into a mold, accounting for how the fabric will deform once concrete is poured in. A simple timber frame supported the finished fabric mold.

Mark Hellrich SM ’26, lead author of a new study on fabric molds for concrete, scans fabric-formed beams in the lab to compare their shape with the original computer design. Credits: Emily Whiting

Watching the beam take shape...For Mark Hellrich SM ’26, the study’s lead author, the main hands-on challenge was getting the concrete mix right. Woven cotton fabric lets water seep through, so a mix that is too runny loses water through the mold. It also presses harder against the fabric, pushing it away from the intended shape.

The team used a moderately wet, sand-rich mix with only small stones, so the concrete could flow through the beam’s narrow, angled legs and thin bottom section without getting stuck. They then packed it in by hand, prodding each layer and tapping and kneading the fabric from the outside.

“This is where the flexibility of the mold becomes an advantage: you can work the concrete through the interconnected passages without a vibrator, which a rigid mold of this shape would need,” says Hellrich. A concrete vibrator is a tool typically used to shake air pockets out of freshly poured concrete in rigid molds. 

Once the concrete was in place, the wet fabric revealed the beam’s final shape. “All three beams were free of wrinkles and creases,” says Hellrich. The top surface stayed close to the design, while the main difference was a downward sag along the bottom, with the angled legs folding slightly inward.

Finding the right fabric mold...To find out how much sewing precision the beam needs, the team built three molds for the same design, made from 36, 56, and 76 fabric pieces. Comparing the 3D scans of the cast beams with the target design, the researchers found that more seams gave finer control over the details, but did not necessarily make the beam’s overall shape more accurate.

“More seams improve local control because they divide the fabric into smaller, more constrained panels. But a more complex pattern also has more pieces to align and more seam length, so small cutting, sewing, and assembly inaccuracies can accumulate across the mold, explains Carstensen.

The 56-piece mold demonstrated the best balance, capturing the important design geometry without the added time, effort, and potential errors associated with the most complex pattern.

The researchers then load-tested one of the beams, gradually stacking 36 water-filled buckets on top of it, up to about 30 percent of its design load to reflect everyday service conditions. Weighted lines hung from the beam’s underside to precise measuring gauges below, tracking how far the beam bent as the load was added and removed. At the beam’s center, the measured deflection — its downward movement under the load — was within about 2 percent of the computer model’s prediction.

Where it fits in the real world...The team also compared the cost of a single fabric-formed beam with a conventional one and found that location makes all the difference. In the Global South, where materials tend to cost more relative to labor, all three fabric versions were cheaper, with savings of about 10 to 20 percent. In the Global North, higher labor costs for sewing reversed that advantage, making the fabric versions about 16 to 55 percent more expensive.

The findings suggest that fabric formwork is most promising for custom-shaped concrete components produced as a one-off or in small batches, such as exposed beams, roof or long-span framing, pedestrian structures, and landscape elements. For the repetitive, rectangular beams found in most buildings, conventional reusable molds remain the more economical choice where labor is expensive.

“To get started, a builder would need the digital pattern for the target component, a sewing machine and suitable fabric, and a simple timber support frame,” Carstensen says. “That is a much lower equipment threshold than robotic fabrication, concrete 3D printing, or CNC-milled molds.”

The researchers describe the 3-meter beam as a proof of concept comparable to a short building span. It is also a big step up from the 1.2-meter beam the team built in a previous project, Jewett notes.

Building bigger isn’t just a matter of enlarging the design, Carstensen notes. As a beam gets longer, its own weight and the pressure on the fabric mold change, so a larger beam would need a new design. The next step, Carstensen says, is “to test multiple beams to failure.”  

“The nice thing about these optimization methods is they generate structures that look organic,” Jewett says. “Their geometries are clear expressions of how the forces move through the structural system. There is elegance to them. It makes you ask why we don’t design all our structures in this way.”

MIT News engineers have developed a method that uses sewn fabric formwork to create computer-optimized concrete beams.

Project details:

• Material savings: The 3-meter test beam uses about one-third the amount of concrete and half the steel of a conventional beam with the same load-bearing capacity.

• Technology: The researchers used topology optimization—a computational design method—combined with an automated process for creating fabric formwork.

• Practical advantage: Instead of relying on expensive rigid molds, 3D concrete printing, or machining equipment—which can be difficult to access in rapidly growing regions—the use of flexible, sewn fabric makes the process more affordable and accessible.

• Ideal applications: The method shows promise for unique or small-batch components, such as exposed beams and pedestrian structures.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Even modest sleep loss may leave people more vulnerable to email scams

A poor sleep schedule doesn’t only affect your overall mood, energy levels, and long-term health. New evidence indicates that losing as little as one hour of rest may increase your chance of falling for an online scam by over 10 percent the following morning. Neurobiologists at the University of California, Irvine, laid out their findings in a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), arguing that even minimal sleep disruptions can have almost immediate consequences.

“Our results demonstrate that even though you may not be aware of it, lack of sleep leads to impulsive choices, and you may lose more than you gain from putting sleep on the back burner,” said UC Irvine neurobiologist and study co-author Eitan Schechtman.

If you have already fallen prey to a scam email in the past, you can at least take some small comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone. Cybercrimes continue to increase exponentially in the United States. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over one million reports in 2025—a nearly 25 percent increase from only five years earlier.

Remaining aware of con artist tactics and staying up-to-date on personal cybersecurity strategies are some of the best ways to protect yourself. However, Schechtman and his colleagues recently wondered if something as seemingly inconsequential as a single evening of bad sleep may also put people at risk for schemes like an email phishing attack. To investigate, the team partnered with a large, unnamed company as it ran a cybersecurity awareness campaign for more than 11,000 employees. Multiple times a year, the company’s IT department issued emails imitating phishing attempts, then tallied how many workers clicked through the fake malicious links. Schechtman’s team then analyzed results both before the switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST), as well as the Monday after employees lost an hour of sleep.

On the Monday prior to DST, workers clicked on a phishing email link about 15.5 percent. of the time. Then, the Monday immediately following DST saw that rate rise to about 17.7 percent. That may not seem like much, but the difference comes out to about a 13 percent increase in phishing victims after losing approximately just one hour of sleep. According to Schechtman, there are multiple ways to contextualize these results.

“First, they give us a peek into the effects of very minor sleep loss… [from] Daylight Saving Time, which is similar in scope to the kind of sleep loss that many of us experience daily,” he said. “Although we focused on cybersecurity, many of our day-to-day decisions are likely compromised in similar ways.”

Schechtman hopes both employers and cybersecurity companies take regularly sleep-depriving events like DST, holidays, and even primetime sporting events into consideration when advising the public on phishing awareness. In the meantime, he stressed that even those who regularly suffer from sleep issues continue to prioritize their rest as much as possible.

Why are people more vulnerable to phishing scams when multitasking, and what does your research reveal about how our brains process these threats?

When we multitask, our mental resources become stretched, making it harder to focus. For instance, if we are deeply engaged in tasks like analyzing data, writing a report, or browsing the web, and a phishing email arrives, our ability to detect it accurately can drop significantly.

The more mentally demanding the task we’re working on (referred to as high working memory load), the harder it is to shift our attention and properly evaluate the suspicious message.

Our study shows that high working memory load during multitasking impairs the brain’s ability to notice subtle warning signs that something might be off.

In these moments, we are more likely to miss red flags in phishing emails and click on malicious links without questioning their legitimacy.

Your study found that simple cues can improve phishing detection. What might these cues look like in real-world settings?

Goal activation cues are small, timely reminders that bring the “think before you click” mindset back to the forefront right before someone interacts with a suspicious message.

In everyday environments, this could include:

-Pop-up reminders: A brief message like “Be cautious! This email might be suspicious” that appears when opening emails.

-Nudges during multitasking: Systems that detect when users are multitasking (e.g., rapidly switching between apps) or working on complex tasks. In those circumstances, when users shift to checking email or responding to a pop-up message, a gentle prompt can remind them to stay alert.

-Visual cues: Subtle interface cues like a colour change, warning icon, or sound notification, can signal that a message might be suspicious.

Our research shows these cues are most effective when delivered just in time, especially during high workload moments when users are most distracted.

Rather than adding more information, these cues work by reactivating the mental goal of phishing detection, helping users refocus and make safer decisions.

How does the framing of phishing messages affect our ability to spot them?

Phishing messages often use gain framing (e.g., “Claim your reward!”) or loss framing (e.g., “Your account will be locked!”) to manipulate recipients.

Loss-framed messages tend to trigger stronger self-protection instincts and vigilance, making people more likely to recognize them as suspicious. In contrast, gain-framed messages are less likely to raise immediate concern, which makes them harder to detect, especially when people are multitasking and under high cognitive load.

Our research shows that goal activation cues are particularly effective for gain-framed phishing emails. Because these messages don’t naturally prompt suspicion, a timely reminder, like a security nudge or visual cue, can help users refocus and engage their phishing detection mindset before clicking.

What practical advice would you give to organizations trying to reduce phishing risks?

Organizations should design security interventions that reflect the realities of multitasking in the workplace. Based on our research, we recommend four key strategies:

-Train in realistic conditions: Most security training assumes users are focused and free from distractions but in reality, employees often face interruptions and cognitive overload. Training should simulate phishing scenarios during busy moments, such as task switching or right after meetings, rather than in ideal, distraction-free settings.

-Use lightweight, context-aware reminders: Implement small, timely goal activation cues (e.g., short prompts, icons, or alerts) that nudge users to refocus their attention at critical moment.

-Tailor cues to message type: Gain-framed phishing messages (e.g., “Claim your reward!”) tend to lower users’ guard. These messages benefit most from extra reminders that prompt caution.

-Encourage “distraction shielding”: Help employees build habits of pausing briefly before clicking links or responding to urgent emails, especially when multitasking.

Our study shows that phishing risk is not just about poor training. It is about how human cognition works under real-world pressure.

Effective security interventions should avoid overwhelming users with constant alerts and instead focus on precision: helping people refocus their attention at the exact moments when they are most likely to slip into autopilot.

Even a modest loss of sleep—such as the single hour lost during the transition to Daylight Saving Time—increases an employee's likelihood of falling for email phishing scams by about 13% to 14%.

Key study findings:

• The Research: Neurobiologists at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), led by Dr. Eitan Schechtman, tracked simulated phishing attacks around the spring Daylight Saving Time clock shift.

• The Numbers: On the Monday prior to the time change, employees clicked on simulated phishing links at a rate of 15.56%. On the Monday immediately following the loss of one hour of sleep, that click rate jumped to 17.76%—a relative increase of roughly 13% to 14%.

• Underlying Mechanism: Mild sleep deprivation impairs executive function and increases impulsive decision-making, making tired brains far more likely to take phishing bait without recognizing red flags.

• Broader Impact: The findings reflect daily sleep deficits that many people experience regularly due to work hours, stress, or screen use, extending beyond calendar clock shifts to periods like holidays or major sporting events

mundophone

 

TECH

A $10 sensor promises a medical laboratory on your wrist

A new light sensor, which cost only $10 to manufacture in a laboratory setting, could bring lab-grade precision to wearable health monitors. This would lower the cost of smartbands and smartwatches while overcoming one of their major shortcomings: a level of accuracy that has historically fallen short of medical-grade equipment.

The technology could also transform food testing, industrial quality control, and environmental monitoring—and even allow individuals to track health indicators, such as blood glucose levels, without the need for needles or periodic trips to a laboratory for testing.

This new type of optical spectrometer combines exceptional precision with a remarkably small footprint and low production costs. Measuring only a few centimeters in diameter, the sensor can be integrated into portable electronics and wearable health technologies.

Optical spectrometers work by analyzing light to reveal information about the substances with which it interacts. They are essential tools in medicine, industry, chemical testing, and environmental research. However, miniaturizing these instruments has traditionally meant compromising their performance. Compact spectrometers often feature limited measurement ranges, reduced resolution, or lower accuracy—making them better suited for identifying substances than for taking precise measurements.

The researchers believe their new design can overcome these limitations. Known as a "convolutional spectrometer," it employs a mathematical principle called the convolution theorem to analyze light in a fundamentally different way. According to the team, this approach delivers superior performance compared to existing types of spectrometers—including those based on light dispersion, Fourier transforms, or computational reconstruction—across several key areas. 

Traditional spectrometers typically analyze light by dispersing it or reconstructing spectra through computational methods. The convolutional spectrometer takes a different approach by performing the convolution process directly on incoming light.

It uses a sequence of optical components with periodic spectral responses, including unbalanced Mach–Zehnder interferometers and microring resonators. By adjusting these components proportionally, the system shifts its spectral response in a controlled way, allowing accurate spectrum recovery through fast Fourier transforms.

“The key insight was to go back to the mathematics and ask whether there was a fundamentally cleaner way to retrieve spectra,” said Dr. Chunhui Yao, a lead author of the study. “By using the convolution theorem directly in the optical domain, we avoid many of the limitations that have held miniaturized spectrometers back. This gives us high precision, strong noise tolerance, and very low computational overhead, all in a compact and low-cost system.”

Built on a silicon nitride photonic integration platform and combined with onboard electronics, the device operates across a broad near-infrared wavelength range (1200–1700 nm). It can capture and process data in less than a second. Its periodic design also enables almost unlimited expansion of spectral bandwidth without modifying the hardware. Resolution can be increased dramatically by adding more components to the system.

The researchers tested the spectrometer in a variety of practical applications. For materials and food analysis, it correctly identified plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea with a 100% success rate. It also measured concentrations in aqueous and organic solutions with accuracy around 0.01%, outperforming commercially available benchtop spectrometers.

Glucose and other parameters, without needle pricks...In tests described by the university, the sensor was also used to measure other biological indicators, such as blood lactate, blood alcohol levels, and skin moisture. These indicators, known as biomarkers, are characteristics or substances that provide information about how the body is functioning.

The ability to track glucose levels without piercing the skin is particularly significant for people with diabetes, who must monitor their blood sugar regularly. Currently, such monitoring often requires small skin punctures or the use of sensors inserted beneath the skin. However, the demonstration provided by the researchers does not prove that the device is already capable of replacing these methods. Long-term monitoring without blood sampling was carried out on a single participant, and the sensor’s performance will still need to be evaluated in larger groups and under different conditions of use.

“These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting,” notes Qixiang Cheng, the professor who led the study. According to him, one of the breakthroughs of this work was transforming a mathematical concept into a functional system capable of operating in real-world conditions.

The sensor outperformed large, expensive laboratory equipment in some tests. [Image: University of Cambridge]

How the sensor works...The device is an optical spectrometer—an instrument that analyzes the interaction between light and various substances to identify materials or estimate their composition. While this technique is used in laboratories, industrial settings, and environmental research, traditional equipment tends to be expensive and bulky.

Generally, reducing the size of such devices comes at the cost of precision or measurement capability. To overcome this, the team developed a model called a "convolutional spectrometer." Instead of separating light into its individual wavelengths, it uses a sequence of optical components and applies mathematical calculations to the resulting signals.

In this way, the device can retrieve information about the substance being analyzed without requiring a large system or intensive computational processing. "The key breakthrough was going back to the mathematics and asking whether there was a fundamentally simpler way to obtain spectra," says Chunhui Yao, one of the study’s lead authors, in a statement.

According to the researcher, this new approach helps overcome the limitations of miniaturized spectrometers by combining precision and resistance to interference with low cost. Built using silicon nitride—a material that allows light to be guided through tiny circuits—the device measures only a few centimeters in diameter and processes each measurement in less than a second.

One of the most notable demonstrations involved noninvasive monitoring of human biomarkers under realistic physiological conditions. The device accurately measured skin moisture, blood alcohol, blood lactate, and blood glucose levels. Researchers also successfully tracked glucose levels over extended periods in a single participant.

“These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting,” said Prof. Qixiang Cheng, who led the project. “What makes this work stand out is not just performance in the lab, but technical readiness. Dr. Chunhui Yao’s contribution was crucial in translating a mathematical concept into a fully packaged, robust system that operates reliably across temperature extremes and real-world conditions. That combination is what opens the door to practical deployment.”

The device maintained stable performance at temperatures ranging from –20°C to 80°C (–4°F to 176°F). This level of durability is uncommon among miniaturized spectrometers and is critical for wearable, industrial, and outdoor applications.

Beyond its measurement capabilities, the convolutional spectrometer offers a simpler design and lower computational demands than many competing systems. Existing high-performance miniaturized spectrometers often depend on complicated calibration procedures and computationally intensive reconstruction methods that can be vulnerable to noise. The linear nature of convolution allows this system to recover spectral information quickly and reliably while requiring very little processing power.

“This is a beautiful example of how elegant engineering can unlock real impact,” said Prof. Richard Penty, who contributed to the photonic system design and integration. “The architecture is simple, scalable, and manufacturable, yet it delivers precision that rivals or exceeds much larger instruments. Dr. Chunhui Yao played a central role in bringing together the photonic design, system integration, and experimental validation that made this possible.”

Surpassing laboratory equipment...To evaluate the device, the researchers tested it on a variety of materials and substances. The results demonstrated its potential for applications that typically rely on larger, more expensive laboratory instruments.

When used to identify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea, the spectrometer achieved a 100% classification success rate. It also measured concentrations in aqueous and organic solutions with an accuracy of approximately 0.01%, outperforming commercial benchtop spectrometers.

In healthcare demonstrations—conducted under conditions designed to reflect real-world physiological environments—the device accurately measured various human biomarkers, including skin moisture, blood alcohol, blood lactate, and blood glucose.

"These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting. What makes this work exceptional is not just its laboratory performance, but also its level of technical readiness," said Professor Chunhui Yao of the University of Cambridge, UK. The team has already established a company to commercialize the technology.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the startup GlitterinTech have developed a $10 miniaturized optical spectrometer that can be integrated into wearable devices (such as smartwatches).

Key features:

• Technology: Based on a silicon nitride (photonic platform) that operates in the near-infrared wavelength range. It uses an optical convolution concept to analyze light and identify the chemical composition of substances.

• Cost and Size: It costs approximately $10 and measures only a few centimeters.

• Health Applications: It offers the potential for real-time, needle-free (non-invasive) monitoring of markers such as blood glucose, alcohol, lactate, and skin moisture.

• Other Uses: It can classify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea with high precision.

Current status and limitations:

• Initial Tests: In laboratory settings, the chip demonstrated high accuracy in identifying materials. However, non-invasive glucose monitoring has been tested on only a single participant.

• Validation: Further clinical studies and large-scale testing are required before the product can reach the consumer market.

 

mundophone

 

TECH

Hacking the modern Tamagotchi with UART

Although not technically the first virtual pet, the Tamagotchi handhelds certainly popularized the idea and made it a worldwide phenomenon. In the late 90s it was hard to go out in public and not see them dangling from backpacks and belt loops. They turned out to be more than a passing fad, too. There have been Tamagotchis in various forms since then, and one of the latest, the Tamagotchi Paradise, is uniquely hackable thanks to this custom UART interface.

The build starts with a simple and inexpensive CH340G UART adapter with a built-in USB interface. A custom 3D printed enclosure is used to house the adapter and also help to expose the interface to the Tamagotchi. This is done by wiring three pins to nickel strips, which are threaded through slits in the case and looped back around to create a pogo-style adapter for the Tamagotchi’s custom dock. Normally this would be used to link to other Tamagotchis, but in this case the USB-to-UART adapter mimics it, allowing for all kinds of in-game shenanigans. The project’s creator [Squalius] shows it off by connecting it directly to a browser tool in Google Chrome.

The project is built around a CH340G USB-to-serial adapter, a common and inexpensive module used to connect microcontrollers and other electronic devices to computers. Squalius paired this with a custom 3D-printed enclosure that positions three metal contacts against the Tamagotchi's existing connection interface. This provides access to the device's serial communication system.

Aside from this, the adapter requires a few basic components, including some nickel strips, jumper wires, and small fasteners. The nickel strips are cut to size and soldered to the wires, then inserted into the printed enclosure to form the three electrical contacts. The wires are subsequently connected to the appropriate pins on the USB-to-serial module.

Squalius recommends printing the enclosure in PETG rather than PLA, as the latter can be too brittle. Two enclosure designs are available, including one that doesn't require heat-set inserts.

Before making a connection for the first time, the CH340G adapter must be configured for 3.3 V operation, as using 5 V could permanently damage the Tamagotchi. Squalius also recommends testing the assembled electronics before permanently closing the case.

Once everything is connected, you use a compatible web browser, such as Google Chrome, to access a browser-based serial interface to communicate with the Tamagotchi. From there, it's possible to send custom gifts, special foods, and other items directly to the virtual pet. The adapter can also simulate connections between multiple Tamagotchi Paradise devices, unlocking features that would otherwise require another unit. Users can also back up their save files to a computer to preserve their progress or experiment without risking their existing data.

More adventurous hackers can explore ROM modifications that make it possible to create custom sprites, add mini-games, and run emulators. Those types of modifications turn what was originally a closed virtual pet into something much more interesting for hardware and software tinkerers.

Not only that, but this can also be used to modify the software running on the handheld entirely, with the video showing demos playing not only Super Mario but also DOOM (of course). This isn’t too surprising given that these games are built with modern 32-bit ARM microcontrollers. For the 90s purists, though, it probably won’t surprise anyone to know that these devices have been the subject of various hacks almost since they came out.

Hacking the modern Tamagotchi Paradise via UART involves connecting its physical link dock to a computer using a low-cost USB-to-serial adapter. Hardware tinkerer Squalius developed a custom, non-invasive method using standard components to bypass the closed nature of the virtual pet. This interface opens up deep levels of modification, ranging from simple item injection to running emulators directly on the toy's color screen.

The Hardware Setup...Instead of opening the device or soldering directly onto the board, the hack utilizes the existing external docking contacts:

• The Bridge: A cheap CH340G USB-to-UART adapter connects the computer to the Tamagotchi.

• Critical Voltage Warning: The adapter must be set to 3.3V mode. Operating it at 5V can permanently damage the Tamagotchi Paradise hardware.

• Pogo-Style Dock: The adapter is housed in a custom 3D-printed enclosure. Three nickel strips are threaded through slits in the case to create springy, pressure-fit contacts that line up perfectly with the Tamagotchi's link port.

• Troubleshooting: If the Tamagotchi throws a "low battery" warning immediately upon connection, the RX (Receive) and TX (Transmit) lines are likely reversed and need to be swapped.

Software & Connection Interface...The software stack avoids complex command-line configurations, utilizing modern web standards instead:

• Web Serial API: Hackers use compatible desktop browsers (like Google Chrome) to access web-based serial interfaces directly.

• Paramix Studio / TamaHome: Once connected via the browser, tools like Paramix Studio and TamaHome provide graphical interfaces to control and flash the device

 

by: Bryan Cockfield

TECH

How does Brussels intend to halt the decline in reading and mathematics skills?

The European Commission presented a package of measures today aimed at combating the decline in students' core skills—such as reading and mathematics—strengthening the teaching profession, and promoting the safe use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools.

"Today, the European Commission is presenting a new Education and Skills Package, with the goal of reversing the decline in core skills, helping schools use AI and digital technologies to support learning, and addressing the shortage of teachers," the European executive announced in a statement.

According to Brussels, "the package focuses on four priorities": improving outcomes in reading, mathematics, and science; integrating digital technologies into learning; making the teaching profession more attractive; and aligning vocational training with the needs of the labor market in the European Union (EU).

"A stronger Europe begins with empowered young people," stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—as quoted in the release—advocating for better results in literacy, mathematics, science, digital education, and citizenship.

Data from the PISA 2025 report, cited by the institution, indicate that 33.9% of 15-year-olds in Europe perform poorly in mathematics, 31.3% in reading, and 25.9% in science.

Consequently, the European executive proposes strengthening support for schools, granting teachers greater autonomy, and promoting pedagogical practices based on scientific evidence.

The target for 2030 is to reduce the percentage of students with poor performance in key core skills to below 15%.

The shortage of qualified teachers is another concern for Brussels, which has proposed a European Agenda for Teachers, focusing on improving working conditions, strengthening initial and continuous professional development, and reducing administrative burdens. "The role of teachers is growing, not diminishing, with the advent of AI," the document on the attractiveness of the teaching profession highlights, noting that technology should preserve the role of teachers and human interaction.

The institution also intends to develop an AI Literacy Certificate—with a pilot project slated for the 2027/2028 academic year—and to propose a European commitment to promote healthy screen use.

The package also includes a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (2026–2030), designed to address the shortage of skilled workers in sectors such as energy, construction, industry, healthcare, and defense.

According to the document, professions linked to vocational training account for approximately 60% of employment in the EU; these include electricians, mechanics, welders, machine operators, healthcare technicians, construction professionals, and agricultural workers across sectors like industry, energy, transport, and defense.

Proposed measures include new, short, and flexible training modules, partnerships between companies and vocational education institutions, and a European platform to facilitate the mobility of trainees.

"The challenge lies not only in training a sufficient number of professionals, but, above all, in training them well," the strategy states.

The Council of the EU will now review and adopt the two recommendations concerning basic skills and the teaching profession.

A European Education and Skills Summit is scheduled for November 20, which will mark the beginning of the package's implementation in collaboration with Member States and partners from the education sector.

Digital and AI tools, and support for schools...Schools and school authorities from different EU countries will be brought together in “European School Alliances” aimed at improving pupils’ results in at least one basic skill, each with a measurable improvement plan, the Commission said.

Erasmus+ will start dedicated support for schools and school authorities from 2027, with an “ambition” to scale up to 100 alliances each year in the EU’s next long-term budget period.

A new EU Network of Advisory and Support Services will also be launched from 2027 to connect national and regional services and provide practical support to schools on leadership, wellbeing, digital and AI readiness and cooperation with parents, according to the Commission.

It said 30 regional services will also be launched with Erasmus+ funding support.

A European Digital Infrastructure Consortium on Education, known as EDU-EDIC, was established on 3 November at the request of eight founding member states to pool resources and expertise for AI and digital services for schools and enable secure data exchange between education institutions.

The Commission added that the consortium is also intended to help European education technology companies work across borders.

It said further that it will develop age-appropriate learning outcomes and assessment guidance for “AI literacy” — skills for understanding and using AI — and will pilot an AI Literacy Certificate from the 2027/28 school year.

It also said it plans to propose a European Healthy Screens Pledge offering tools and guidance on online safety and screen time.

A separate proposed Council Recommendation on the attractiveness of the teaching profession, described as an EU Teachers Agenda, asks member states to tackle shortages through careers and working conditions, stronger initial training and professional development, and giving teachers more agency over the use of AI.

Teacher Academies 2.0 will focus on novice teachers and school leaders from 2027.

Plans for vocational education and training include a European Sectoral Training Accelerator, with a pilot from 2027 offering short training modules developed with industry partners, and an EU mobility marketplace to help vocational learners and apprentices find training abroad.

The Commission disclosed that partnerships for new training centres are planned from 2028, involving companies and vocational institutions.

“A stronger Europe starts with empowered young people,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“We are backing our Member States to raise standards in literacy, maths, science, digital and citizenship education,” she added.

To reverse the sharp decline in basic skills, the European Commission unveiled an Education and Skills Package proposing non-binding reforms, early intervention frameworks, and targeted investments across member states.

Key measures and recommendations:

• Early Identification and Extra Tutoring: The Commission urges schools to spot learning difficulties sooner and provide mandatory extra teaching time or tutoring before students fall further behind in core subjects like reading and math.

• EU-Wide 2030 Performance Targets: Member states have agreed to bring the share of 15-year-olds underachieving in reading and mathematics below 15% by 2030 (down from current rates of 31.3% in reading and 33.9% in math).

• Erasmus+ Cross-Border Partnerships: Launching from 2027, the Erasmus+ program will fund school partnerships to focus on basic skills, track progress, and share high-performing pedagogical strategies.

• AI Literacy and Healthy Screens Pledge: The EU plans to pilot an AI literacy certificate in the 2027/28 school year to help students evaluate digital and AI-generated outputs, alongside a Healthy Screens Pledge in 2027 to provide guidance on managing screen time and digital distractions.

• Supporting the Teaching Profession (EU Teachers Agenda): Recognizing that ~40% of students attend schools facing teacher shortages, Brussels proposed recommendations to improve teacher pay, working conditions, and initial training, while refocusing Erasmus+ Teacher Academies on early-career educators and school leaders starting in 2027.

• Vocational Training Accelerators: A European Sectoral Training Accelerator will pilot short, industry-backed training modules starting in 2027 to align technical skills with modern labor market demands

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Scary Android GhostMap Exploit traps devices in permanent Boot Loop

The folks at Bitdefender have discovered a new type of malicious Android app that can force a phone into a nigh-unfixable boot loop without the app even being launched. 

If the app is installation is kicked off and either Android 17 or a third-party security scanner doesn't catch it and prevent the installation from completing, at this point in there is effectively no recourse without resorting to a factory reset or (possibly) a targeted removal via the Android Debug Bridge (ADB.)

Despite the apparent severity of the issue, Google considers it "outside the scope of a security update fix," though it has forwarded the finding to its engineers for possible inclusion in a future Android update. 

Fortunately, this shouldn't be an unfixable problem for either Google or end users who wound up infected. GhostMap is a parser differential vulnerability exploit, and Android has been under attack by exploits like this for more than a decade, per Bitdefender. And unlike SMS of Death, for which there is no defense beyond a new number, new phone, or a patch that may not come, app scanners like Bitdefender's own Bitdefender Mobile Security can catch applications like these.

So, if you get struck by GhostMap, what can you do? Bitdefender points out that a factory reset would fix the issue, but since the problem is a malicious app, skilled users of ADB on an impacted device should be able to remove the app and fix the problem as well.  

As long as you know which app caused the problem, ADB can be used on your boot-looping phone in Recovery Mode to remove the application, per these instructions. There's no guarantee that fix will work, but it's a step worth trying before nuking your phone entirely with a factory reset. 

After installation, a core system process crashes, restarts, and crashes again, leaving the phone stuck in a boot loop. Restarting doesn't help, and neither does safe mode.  

To get the phone working again, you need a factory reset, which erases the user's data. If, by chance, USB debugging had already been enabled, you could use a computer with ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to delete the file before the phone reboots. 

We began investigating on Aug. 12, 2026, when an APK collected from the wild crashed emulators in our analysis infrastructure. The sample was a banking dropper that never ran and crashed during installation.  

When we looked closer to find out why, we found the problem wasn't the malware—it was the Android itself. The operating system mishandles two fields inside a ZIP entry, the compression method and the declared uncompressed length. Reading such an entry causes a SIGBUS (a signal sent by the CPU to stop a process that accesses an invalid memory space) in whichever process touches the file.  

We call it GhostMap: the malformed entry causes Android to map the file across memory that was never allocated, and the crash occurs when a process reads from that empty space. 

Based on our testing, we consider the risk posed by this bug to be significant. In theory, an attacker could hide this technique in a fake app to disable a victim’s phone, or use the threat of a factory reset and data loss as leverage for extortion. Malformed APKs could also disrupt tools that inspect Android applications. We have not observed any of these scenarios in the wild. 

Key findings:

An app you never open can render your phone unusable. Simply installing the crafted app is enough to trigger the crash loop. It requests no permissions and contains no executable code.

Restarting the phone doesn’t solve the problem. The crash loop persists after a reboot and continues in safe mode. Restoring the phone may require a factory reset, which erases locally stored data.

Running on the latest Android version. Researchers reproduced the failure on a Pixel 10 running Android 17 with the Aug. 5, 2026 security patch. It affects all Android versions from Android 10 and above.

The discovery began with an APK found in the wild. It crashed Bitdefender’s analysis emulators, prompting the investigation. Researchers later developed a demonstration of the persistent crash loop.

Google assessed the issue as outside the scope of a security fix. Bitdefender reported the findings on Aug. 20 and Aug. 25, 2026. According to Google’s second response, the issue will not be addressed through a security update and was referred to a feature team for possible consideration in a future version.

The banking dropper was wrapped by a packer. This is a tool that rewrites an APK's internal structure so reverse-engineering tools can't read it. It’s very common in modern Android malware.  

In this case, the same rewrite also broke the Android component that parses an app during installation. That’s why the installation crashed in the first place and why our emulators failed on it. The good news is that nothing in the sample suggests the author knew the file would crash anything. 

The sample did no more than that—a failed install. The underlying flaw runs deeper. We found that the same mistake can be aimed at a core system service instead of the installer, and there it produces the repeating crash loop described above, with no way back except a factory reset. That escalation is our own work; we have not seen it used against anyone. 

The underlying problem concerns how Android trusts size and compression information in APK files, and it’s not limited to malformed ZIP files. 

Disclosure timeline and Google’s response...We reported the issue to Google twice through the Android & Devices Vulnerability Reward Program, expanding the second submission after further testing confirmed a persistent system crash loop. 

August 12, 2026 — Initial discovery. An APK collected from the wild crashed emulators in our analysis infrastructure during installation. Our investigation traced the failure to Android’s handling of ZIP entry compression methods and declared uncompressed length.  

We also found that applications using Android’s native APIs to parse APKs could crash when reading them. 

We reproduced the bug and made more discoveries. Every attempt to install that APK crashed the OS and caused a reboot: 

-If the file was parsed as an APK by third-party apps using Android's native APIs (including our BMS), the parsing process crashed. 

-The file couldn’t be deleted without ADB (Android Debug Bridge), not even in safe mode, because file-manager processes crashed when they tried to parse it. 

The file couldn’t be deleted without ADB (Android Debug Bridge), not even in safe mode, because file-manager processes crashed when they tried to parse it. 

 Aug. 20, 2026 — First report to Google. We submitted these findings, documenting installation-triggered crashes and failures in applications parsing the malformed APK. Google closed the report shortly afterwards with the status Won’t Fix (Not Reproducible). Its accompanying response described the submission as outside the program’s scope. 

Further investigation — Persistent denial of service. We continued testing and found an APK that installed successfully but caused a system service to crash when it automatically read an application resource. The resulting crash loop prevented access to the interface and continued in safe mode. Recovery could require a factory reset. 

We started investigating further after that. We found that we could also malform other files that are not parsed at install time, and that some Android system services try to parse them automatically. This meant the loop followed the regular path: crash, reboot, parse again, and then get stuck in a boot loop once more. 

The boot loop we caused would also disable safe-mode access, and the only recovery methods we identified were a factory reset or, in limited conditions, ADB-based scripts racing with the system-server crashes. 

The GhostMap vulnerability, detailed by Bitdefender Labs, affects Android devices (version 10 and later) and causes the device to enter an infinite reboot loop immediately after the installation of a malicious APK package.

Key characteristics of the flaw:

• Attack mechanism: Android misinterprets ZIP compression fields within installation packages, triggering a hardware/memory error (SIGBUS) that crashes the essential `system_server` process.

• No permissions required: The application does not request special permissions, nor does it need to be opened by the user; the mere act of installation triggers the crash.

• Ineffective Safe Mode: The reboot cycle persists even when the phone is started in Safe Mode.

• Google’s response: The flaw was reported by Bitdefender in August 2026, but Google initially deemed the issue outside the scope of an immediate security fix.

How to recover the device:

• Factory reset: This is the only standard solution, though it results in the total loss of all local data not backed up to the cloud.

• Android debug Bridge (ADB): It is possible to remove the problematic file via a computer, provided that USB debugging was already enabled on the device before the incident occurred.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Your next budget phone may come with recycled RAM as memory prices climb

Rising memory costs could bring an unexpected change to smartphone manufacturing: more devices may ship with refurbished RAM. While reballed chips can help manufacturers keep costs down, inconsistent quality could affect reliability and shorten smartphone lifespans.

Smartphone makers are increasingly turning to refurbished memory chips to keep production costs under control as DRAM prices continue to rise, just like we reported last month. So far, these components have mainly been used in entry-level and budget phones, but their adoption is expected to grow further in 2027.

Reballed memory is essentially recycled DRAM: chips recovered from older devices are reprocessed and fitted with new solder balls so they can be used again. Most of the current supply consists of 4 GB LPDDR4X modules, which are mainly used in 4G smartphones priced below $200.

Reusing recovered memory chips gives manufacturers a way to cut component costs and keep their devices affordable despite rising DRAM prices. This is particularly important in the budget segment, where even a small price increase can make a significant difference. According to research firm TrendForce, reballed memory is expected to account for 3–4 % of the smartphone market in 2026. That share could rise to 7–9 % next year.

TrendForce expects DRAM price increases to accelerate further in the first quarter of 2027, adding pressure to smartphone makers’ cost structures. As a result, the use of lower-specification components and reballed memory could gradually extend beyond budget models into higher price segments. TrendForce sees this as a potential cost-management strategy as brands adapt to a prolonged period of elevated memory prices.

Still, reballed memory is unlikely to make a major difference to the overall DRAM market. Even with wider adoption in smartphones, these chips are expected to account for only a small share of total annual LPDRAM bit consumption.

Reballed memory can provide short-term savings and help manufacturers maintain shipment volumes amid rising component costs. However, there are risks for both manufacturers and consumers. TrendForce notes that sourcing refurbished chips is more complicated and their quality can be less consistent. This could affect smartphone reliability and shorten device lifespans, while increasing warranty and repair costs for manufacturers and potentially damaging their reputations.

The cost of lots of the devices we all use could be forced up in 2026 because the price of Ram - once one of the cheapest computer components - has more than doubled since October 2025.

The tech powers everything from smartphones to smart TVs, as well as things like medical devices.

Its price has shot up because of the explosive growth in the data centres which power AI, which need Ram too.

That's caused an imbalance between supply and demand which means everyone has to pay more.

Manufacturers often choose to swallow small cost increases, but big ones tend to get passed on to consumers. And these increases are anything but small.

"We are being quoted costs around 500% higher than they were only a couple of months ago," said Steve Mason, general manager of CyberPowerPC, which builds computers.

He said there "will come a point" where these increased component costs will "force" manufacturers to "make decisions about pricing".

"If it uses memory, or storage, there is the potential for price increases," he said.

"The manufacturers will have choices to make, as will consumers."

Ram - or random access memory - is used to store code while you use a device. It is a critical component of almost every kind of computer.

Without it would be impossible for you to read this article, for example.

And with the component being so ubiquitous, Danny Williams from rival computer building site PCSpecialist said he expected price increases to continue "well into 2026".

"The market has been very buoyant in 2025 and if memory prices do not fall back a little I would expect a reduction in consumer demand in 2026," he said.

He said he'd seen "a varied impact" across different Ram producers.

"Some vendors have larger inventories and therefore their price increases are more subtle at perhaps 1.5x to 2x," he said.

But he said other firms did not have a large amount of stock - and they had increased prices by "up to 5x" more.

"Most of the market intelligence we have received would suggest pricing and supply will be a challenge worldwide throughout 2026 into 2027," Mr Mason said.

And some big firms have turned their nose up at the consumer market altogether.

Micron, previously one of the biggest sellers of Ram, announced in December it would stop selling its Crucial brand to focus on AI demand.

"It removes one of the biggest players from the market," Mr Mason said.

"On the one hand, that's less choice for consumers - on the other hand, if their entire production ploughs into AI, it should free up capacity for the others to make more for consumers, so it may balance out."

Mr Howard said a typical laptop, with 16GB of Ram, could see its manufacturing cost increase by $40 to $50 (£30 to £37) in 2026 - and this "will likely be passed on to consumers".

"Smartphones will also see upwards pressure on their prices," he said.

"A typical smartphone could see its cost to build increase $30 which, again, will likely get passed on directly to consumer."

And Mr Williams said there might be another outcome of increased prices too.

Profit margins for entry-level mobile phones are shrinking due to a sharp rise in the cost of hardware components—specifically DRAM memory chips and NAND storage. To keep prices low, manufacturers are considering the use of recycled or refurbished RAM chips in future budget-friendly models.

As memory costs surge due to massive global demand from AI data centers, smartphone makers are turning to reballed and recycled RAM to keep entry-level devices affordable.

Why recycled RAM is emerging:

• AI demand squeezes supply: Massive investments in artificial intelligence data centers have driven up DRAM and NAND memory prices significantly, leading suppliers like Micron and Samsung to reallocate output.

• Soaring production costs: Memory can account for up to 60% of the total bill of materials for low-cost and mid-range smartphones, forcing brands to seek alternative cost-cutting methods.

• Market share of reballed chips: According to market research firm TrendForce via SammyFans, reprocessed or reballed memory is expected to account for 3% to 4% of the smartphone market in 2026, and that share could double to 7% to 9% by 2027.

• Focus on budget 4G models: Most reprocessed chips (such as 4GB LPDDR4X) are primarily targeted at affordable 4G handsets priced under local thresholds like 1,299 yuan.

Risks and trade-offs:

• Reduced reliability: Reclaimed chips are often harvested from decommissioned or 5-to-6-year-old devices, meaning prolonged wear can increase the likelihood of system errors or sudden crashes.

• Higher support costs: Inconsistent quality from refurbished parts can drive up repair rates and warranty claims for manufacturers.

• Potential expansion: If the chip crunch persists, analysts warn that lower-specification or recycled components may gradually stretch into more expensive, higher-tier phone segments

📉 Why is this happening? The smartphone industry is facing a "perfect storm" of rising costs:

• More expensive chips: The cost of critical components, such as RAM and storage, has increased significantly over the last few quarters.

• Budget pressure: Entry-level phones have very slim profit margins. Passing the full cost increase on to the consumer would push these devices out of the "affordable" category.

• The circular alternative: Utilizing RAM chips recovered from older devices—subjected to rigorous quality testing and refurbishment—emerges as a viable, sustainable way to cut manufacturing costs.

🛠️ What does this mean for the consumer? If this trend takes hold, the entry-level smartphone market is likely to adapt in the following ways:

• Controlled pricing: Recycling chips will help prevent the most affordable phones from becoming out of reach.

• Performance guarantees: Recycled components must undergo strict industry screening to ensure they deliver the speed and durability expected of a new device.

• Eco-friendly appeal: Brands are likely to promote this shift as a "green" circular economy initiative, helping to reduce electronic waste.

by mundophone