TECH

Building the future with robotic construction

On April 24, the Architectural Robotic Construction Lab ( ARC Lab) in The University of Texas at Arlington's College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs demonstrated its new large-scale 3D printing technology.

The construction industry, long dependent on manual labor and traditional methods, is now experiencing a significant transformation through the integration of robotics and automation. This change is motivated by the requirements to address labor shortage, high injuries, delayed projects and the need for higher efficiency, greater accuracy and cost savings. Robotics is accelerating the construction process and improving the quality of the result.

In construction, robotics is the use of automated tools to complete work that was done only by people before. You will be expected to do tasks such as bricklaying, pour concrete, conduct excavation, destroy buildings and assemble structures. Integrating robotics helps businesses handle more work, maintain safety on job sites and always deliver strong and consistent outcomes. Robotics is increasingly used by firms and innovators in construction to automate difficult and frequent tasks. Cemex Ventures states that robots are now being applied to oversight of vehicles and equipment for operations such as earthwork, moving materials, lifting loads, pouring concrete and cleaning construction areas. Besides, robots are making important contributions to disposing of waste, automated tasks and building factories outside cities. 

3D printing lets buildings be created layer by layer which saves both time and waste. Though construction robotics is still in its early stages, there is a great deal of potential. It is set to make the construction process more eco-friendly and advanced which will be a great improvement to the industry. Nevertheless, high first costs, fitting new robots with existing systems and having trained operators are still problems. These issues aside, construction is headed toward greater automation and robots will take on major roles.

The event marked a major step in the college's continued leadership in innovation and applied research. Among those attending the demonstration were UTA President Jennifer Cowley, CAPPA Dean Ming-Han Li and alumnus H. Ralph Hawkins, whose support helped make the lab's pioneering work possible.

Demonstrating the future of construction...During the demonstration, attendees saw the lab's advanced 3D-printing capabilities, which translate digital designs into full-scale concrete structures. The live demonstration highlighted the potential of robotic construction to improve efficiency, sustainability and design possibilities in the built environment.

"As we continue to invest in forward-thinking research and hands-on learning, ARC Lab exemplifies the kind of innovation that defines UTA's future," Dr. Cowley said. "Seeing this technology in action, and the collaboration behind it, reinforces CAPPA's commitment to preparing students to lead in rapidly evolving industries."

Shaping the next generation of designers...The ARC Lab has already become an integral part of UTA's architectural curriculum, embedding fabrication-aware design into both graduate and undergraduate studios. By enabling students to turn conceptual ideas into tangible 3D-printed structures, the lab bridges the gap between theory and practice, preparing students to lead in a rapidly transforming field.

"The ARC Lab represents how philanthropy, faculty talent and institutional vision come together to accelerate discovery," Dr. Li said. "This lab positions CAPPA at the forefront of architectural research and advanced fabrication, while creating powerful, hands-on learning opportunities for our students and meaningful external partnerships."

The demonstration not only celebrated a technological milestone but also highlighted the power of visionary philanthropy, cross-disciplinary collaboration and academic leadership. With continued support and momentum, the ARC Lab is poised to shape the future of architectural research and unlock new possibilities in construction innovation.

                        UTA architecture students utilize the college's new 3D printer. Credit: UTA Photo

A vision realized through philanthropy and leadership...The demonstration underscored the transformative impact of Hawkins' longstanding commitment to architecture education and research. His philanthropy led to the establishment of the H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, Chair; in 2023, UTA recruited Professor Shadi Nazarian as its inaugural holder. A cross-disciplinary scholar, Dr. Nazarian specializes in the development and optimization of construction materials and technologies.

Building on that momentum, CAPPA launched the ARC Lab in 2024 to advance research, innovation and the evolution of architectural practice.

Hawkins earned his undergraduate degree from UTA in 1973. A recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, he has played a key role in advancing the college's vision for innovation through practice. He also serves on CAPPA Dean's Advisory Council.

ARC Lab: A hub for innovation and collaboration...Now fully operational, the ARC Lab is a state-of-the-art research facility within CAPPA. Designed as a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, the lab brings together architecture, engineering, arts and sciences to advance cutting-edge research in large-scale additive manufacturing.

Its mission centers on shared access, experiential learning and industry engagement, equipping students with the technical and problem-solving skills needed in an evolving professional landscape. Its vision extends beyond campus, positioning the ARC Lab as a model for integrated design, applied research and innovation in construction technologies.

Building a culture of research and impact...For Nazarian, the ARC Lab represents more than a technological achievement; it is a platform for discovery and collaboration.

"As the inaugural Hawkins Chair, I had the goal of establishing the ARC Lab to cultivate a distinctive culture of research focused on materials innovation and emerging modes of additive construction," she said. "Through interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on exploration, the lab fosters breakthroughs that extend from campus to community to industry."

The vision has been brought to life by a dedicated team that includes Negar Ashrafi (adjunct assistant professor of architecture), Brad McCorkle (adjunct assistant professor of architecture), and graduate research assistant Shane Pellerin.

Provided by University of Texas at Arlington

TECH

Hanyuan-2: the Chinese Quantum project hat could reduce one of computing's biggest problems

A new quantum machine developed in China has brought an unexpected combination of unprecedented architecture, lower operational complexity, and an approach that could alter the course of advanced computing.

The technological dispute between China and the United States has long since ceased to involve only chips, artificial intelligence, or satellites. Now, a new frontier is quietly gaining strength: quantum computers. And it was precisely in this scenario that a Chinese company presented a system that attracted attention not only for its power, but mainly for the completely different way it was built. The project opens up an uncomfortable question in the sector: will the next great quantum revolution come from a path that the West did not expect?

The new system was developed by CAS Cold Atom Technology, a company based in Wuhan specializing in quantum technologies, and was named Hanyuan-2.

At first glance, the number of cubits is already impressive. The machine works with 200 cubits divided into two independent matrices of 100 units each. But what really differentiates the project is not just the quantity.

The computer uses two separate sets of rubidium atoms, organized in distinct structures that can operate simultaneously or assume different functions within quantum processing. In certain tasks, one matrix acts as the main computational core, while the other functions as support to stabilize more delicate operations.

This approach creates a kind of "quantum dual brain," something unprecedented in this technological segment. And the most important detail appears precisely there.

Current quantum computers face a gigantic problem: cubits are extremely unstable. Small external interferences can generate errors capable of compromising entire calculations. Therefore, one of the industry's biggest obsessions is finding ways to create more reliable logical cubits.

Logical cubits function as protected versions of traditional physical cubits. Instead of relying on a single vulnerable unit, the system distributes information across multiple cubits simultaneously, allowing it to detect and correct faults.

For years, this seemed unfeasible on a large scale because it required an absurd number of physical cubits to generate just a few stable logical cubits.

Now, the architecture presented by Hanyuan-2 suggests that this barrier may begin to diminish.

The most surprising detail: it doesn't need extreme temperatures. There is another aspect of the project that has attracted even more attention within the quantum industry.

The new computer does not depend on extreme cryogenic cooling...Today, the world's best-known quantum systems — including those developed by giants like IBM and Google — need to operate at temperatures close to absolute zero. This requires extremely expensive structures, enormous cooling systems, and highly controlled environments.

Hanyuan-2 follows a completely different path. Instead of using ultra-frozen superconducting cubits, it uses neutral atoms controlled by lasers. The entire system operates with relatively low energy consumption and without the need for liquid nitrogen or gigantic cryogenic facilities.

In practice, this means something potentially revolutionary: quantum computers that are much easier to install and operate outside of specialized laboratories.

Experts see this approach as one of the most promising routes to making quantum computing more scalable in the future. And this helps explain why neutral atoms have started to gain so much ground in recent years.

How the dual-core architecture works...Each core of the Hanyuan-2 operates as a complete and autonomous quantum processor.

The company claims that the two can work in parallel, sharing computational loads like a traditional CPU, or in "main and auxiliary" mode, in which one array performs the calculation while the other performs real-time error correction.

Ge Guiguo, senior specialist at CAS Cold Atom Technology, told the Science and Technology Daily that this is the first time a quantum processor has migrated from a single-core to a dual-core design, a deliberate comparison to the evolution of classical CPUs.

"For the first time in the world, a quantum processor has advanced from a single-core to a dual-core architecture, marking a significant advance in quantum computing design"...Ge Guiguo, according to the Science and Technology Daily interview replicated by the Global Times.

The proposal of two cooperating arrays within a machine is more reminiscent of modular quantum computing than the multi-core approach of classical processors.

IBM and Atom Computing already work with architectures based on processor interconnection, while QuEra and Pasqal scale single arrays with connectivity between modules.

Neutral atoms and consumption below 7 kW...The Hanyuan-2 platform captures neutral atoms with laser beams, a technique that avoids the near-absolute zero cooling required by superconducting processors like those from IBM and Google.

Because they have no electrical charge, atoms can be within a few micrometers of each other in optical traps and still be manipulated as qubits. Tang Biao, general manager of CAS Cold Atom Technology, described the equipment as a compact cabinet with a small laser cooling system and total consumption of less than 7 kW.

For comparison, superconducting quantum processors typically require dilution coolers that maintain temperatures close to 15 millikelvin, with power consumption that can exceed tens of kilowatts in the cryogenic stage alone.

The energy advantage of neutral atoms is the main technical argument repeatedly made by CAS Cold Atom Technology.

The quantum race between China and the United States enters a new phase...Until recently, most Chinese advances in quantum computing were linked to superconducting cubits, a technology similar to that used by American companies. But the Hanyuan-2 shows that China is also advancing rapidly on another front considered extremely strategic.

The development is happening in parallel with the Chinese effort to reduce external technological dependencies, especially in critical components linked to quantum infrastructure and advanced connectivity systems.

More than just a new computer, the launch symbolizes something bigger.

It shows that different countries have begun to pursue completely distinct technological paths to achieve so-called quantum supremacy.

And perhaps that's the most interesting part of the whole story. The quantum race no longer seems like a competition to build only more powerful machines.

Now, it has also become a competition to discover which architecture will be able to survive in the real world.

mundophone

 

SAMSUNG

Exynos 2800 aims to change the rules of mobile artificial intelligence

Samsung seems more focused than ever on proving that its processors can compete with heavyweight competition. The latest rumors point to drastic changes behind the scenes, preparing the stage for the arrival of the future Exynos 2800.

According to sources, the South Korean giant is working on a new high-bandwidth memory packaging (HBM) technology, with the official name of the proprietary technology being "Vertical Cu-post Stack".

Thus, this change promises to dramatically increase the AI ​​processing capacity in smartphones, overcoming the limitations of current memory technologies found in top-of-the-line Galaxy S devices.

While HBM memories are widely used in high-performance servers, their implementation in mobile devices still faces considerable technical obstacles, such as restrictions on size, thickness, power consumption, and heat dissipation.

If Samsung manages to overcome these challenges in time for the launch of the Exynos 2800, the company will not only take a technological leap in its devices, but will also strengthen its semiconductor division by becoming one of the few global suppliers capable of offering HBM solutions to the mobile market.

In addition to this substantial change in memory, rumors indicate that the Exynos 2800 may feature a GPU architecture developed internally by Samsung and possibly custom CPU cores.

The South Korean giant's great trump card may lie in a new encapsulation technology focused on HBM memories. The goal is clear and quite ambitious: to make a gigantic leap in artificial intelligence processing directly on your smartphone, without depending on the cloud.

It is impressive, to say the least, to think that Samsung intends to put in our pockets the same memory technology that today powers gigantic servers. If the brand manages to overcome all the technical challenges, the coming years promise to be exciting for the entire Galaxy ecosystem.

Users' relationship with the Exynos line has had its ups and downs, but the manufacturer is determined to consolidate its position in the market. After integrating the Exynos 2600 into the basic Galaxy S26 models, the classic market division with Qualcomm should continue for the future Galaxy S27.

However, everything indicates that Samsung wants to become completely independent in the medium term. Some bolder leaks even suggest that the brand may exclusively use its own processors in its flagship models within a few years. This timeline aligns perfectly with the launch window of the highly anticipated Exynos 2800.

The magic behind the new HBM technology... The real secret to the performance leap of the Exynos 2800 lies in an innovation called Vertical Cu-post Stack. According to Asian technology sources, this still-developing technology aims to bring high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to the mobile universe, guaranteeing brutal fluidity in on-device artificial intelligence tasks.

Currently, HBM memories are the backbone of powerful data servers. The big challenge is fitting them inside the narrow casing of a smartphone, where Samsung needs to manage serious issues of physical space, thickness, power consumption, and thermal control. It's a real puzzle for the brand's engineers.

If the company manages to solve this limitation, the impact on the market will be formidable. Not only will local processing reach historic levels, but Samsung's own memory division will profit greatly, establishing itself as one of the rare suppliers capable of delivering viable HBM solutions for mobile devices.

If this revolution is confirmed, the specifications of the new chip could completely change the way we interact with AI tools on a daily basis. The highlight is not only the new super-fast memories, but an architecture that could be completely redesigned from scratch. Here are the main technical details expected for the Exynos 2800:

-Vertical Cu-post Stack encapsulation technology to integrate HBM memories.

-Advanced and instantaneous artificial intelligence processing natively.

-Possible introduction of a GPU architecture developed 100% by Samsung, abandoning previous partnerships.

-Potential use of custom-designed CPU cores.

It will still be a long time before we get our hands on the first devices equipped with this super processor, but Samsung's ambition is commendable. If the South Korean engineers manage to turn this vision into a real product without compromising battery life or turning smartphones into veritable frying pans, the competition should prepare for a major headache.

This move signals an ambitious strategy by the brand to regain prominence with its own chipsets, with rumors suggesting that Samsung may exclusively use Exynos processors in its flagship line in the near future.

However, it's clear that the Korean brand doesn't comment on this type of leak, since it's still "busy" developing the Exynos 2700, as well as One UI 9 with Android 17.

mundophone

DIGITAL LIFE

Should you accept internet cookies? Researchers say the open web could suffer without them

It's a choice you may face multiple times a day—and, at this point, your reaction is probably reflexive. Are you going to accept those internet cookies, reject them, or spend a little time customizing your settings?

Increasingly, internet users are pushing back against cookies—the digital crumbs used by websites and advertisers to spot returning customers—by choosing privacy-enhancing browsers or clicking that reject button. But ditching the cookies may have big implications for the free web. If digital companies, content creators, and advertisers aren't making money from our surfing, the quality and usefulness of the products they offer might suffer too.

In a new study, Boston University researchers highlight the potential impact the loss of cookies has on advertisers and how alternative systems designed to balance privacy and revenue fail to recoup the costs.

They analyzed 200 million ad impressions—or views—worldwide and found that removing cookies cut website publishers' revenue by more than a third. They also discovered that privacy-enhanced alternatives, notably a major Google project called Privacy Sandbox, only clawed back a small portion of that lost revenue. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Internet cookies—especially third-party cookies—have been central to how online advertising works," says Garrett Johnson, a BU Questrom School of Business associate professor of marketing. Third-party cookies are those placed by an organization, like an advertiser, not connected to the site you're on. "In our study, removing third-party cookies reduced publisher ad revenue by about 35%—and about 66% in the European Union—showing that cookies still play a major economic role in supporting the open web." The European Union has tougher online privacy rules than much of the rest of the world.

According to Zhengrong Gu, a Questrom Ph.D. candidate, because cookies help advertisers spot users around the web, they can better target and measure their ads. That makes advertisers' spending more efficient, putting more ad money in the pockets of content creators and publishers. "If more users decline cookies, it would likely reduce the effectiveness of digital advertising and the revenue that supports much of the open web," says Gu (Questrom'26).

The downside of cookies: no one really likes being followed. "Website cookies are online surveillance tools," wrote Wayne State University researcher Elizabeth Stoycheff in a Conversation article, "and the commercial and government entities that use them would prefer people not read those notifications too closely."

There have been a couple of different responses to the decline in cookie use. One is the implementation of paywalls and subscriptions to keep the cash flowing; another is requiring customers to use log-ins that work across multiple sites. Tech companies are also experimenting with privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) that try to balance advertising needs with user privacy concerns. One of the best known PETs is Privacy Sandbox, Google's now-defunct six-year experiment in cookie alternatives, which included innovations such as a browser tool that shared a customer's interests rather than their detailed online history.

"In our study, Privacy Sandbox recovered only about 4% of the revenue lost when cookies were removed," says Shunto J. Kobayashi, a Questrom assistant professor of marketing. That weak impact was in part due to the limited adoption of the new tools and because they changed the user experience, he says, introducing "technical frictions, especially slower ad loading times."

In their paper, the researchers write that their findings, alongside those from other studies, "informed Google's decision to abandon its plan to replace cookies with Privacy Sandbox. The episode underscores the difficulty of aligning privacy, performance, and competition goals in digital markets."

To examine privacy technologies in a real-world setting, the BU team used data from ad management firm Raptive, and leveraged an experiment conducted by Google and overseen by the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. During the study, Chrome users were randomly assigned to one of three groups: cookies-enabled, cookies-disabled, or cookies replaced by Privacy Sandbox. The study included around 60 million desktop and mobile Chrome users.

"The experiment created a rare opportunity for independent, large-scale evaluation open to external participants," says Johnson, an expert on digital marketing who has studied privacy regulations, online ad effectiveness, and the economics of digital advertising.

He adds that many European regulators are considering even tighter online privacy rules, which could have a negative impact: "Our results provide unusually strong evidence—from a global, industry-wide field experiment—that restricting cookies carries significant economic downsides that regulators should consider."

As for users faced with that daily accept or reject decision, Johnson recognizes that everyone will make the call that works for them—but he leans toward clicking "accept."

"From my perspective, accepting cookies creates substantial benefits for the advertising ecosystem and the publishers I care about," he says, "with what I perceive to be little personal risk."

Provided by Boston University

TECH

Microcombs unlock 112 Gbps wireless link at 560 GHz for 6G

Researchers at Tokushima University have demonstrated single-channel wireless transmission at 112 Gbps in the 560 GHz band using soliton microcombs, marking a significant step toward next-generation 6G communications.

Scientists have pushed wireless speed into territory that current mobile networks can’t touch. A Tokushima University team demonstrated a 112Gbps wireless connection in the 560GHz band, using soliton microcombs to generate a more stable terahertz signal for future 6G systems.

The near-term prize isn’t a faster handset. It’s the hidden infrastructure that carries traffic between network sites, where backhaul capacity can decide whether future 6G speeds feel real or get trapped behind crowded network pipes. That makes this a useful 6G speed breakthrough to watch, even if consumers won’t see it on a spec sheet anytime soon.

Conventional electronic technologies face fundamental limitations in generating stable high-frequency signals beyond 350 GHz, including reduced output power and increased phase noise. These challenges have hindered the realization of ultra-high-speed wireless communication in the terahertz regime, which is expected to play a key role in future 6G systems.

The 560GHz band gives the 112Gbps result its edge. The team sent a single-channel wireless signal well beyond the range where conventional electronic hardware starts running into weaker output power and higher signal noise.

That frequency range sits in the terahertz zone, which researchers are exploring as a way to open wider data lanes for 6G. Earlier communication systems at these frequencies have often stayed in the range of a few to several dozen gigabits per second. This test crossed the 100Gbps class beyond 420GHz, which pushes the work into a more serious category.

At these frequencies, raw speed depends on control as much as bandwidth. Phase noise and limited output power make wireless transmission harder to keep stable, especially when a system is trying to move more data through one channel without the signal falling apart.

Tokushima University’s system uses a compact fiber-coupled microresonator, which reduces the need for precise optical alignment. It also includes temperature control to make the optical resonance behavior more repeatable. Those details sound incremental, but they’re the kind of engineering work that separates a flashy lab number from something that can eventually run for longer periods.

No one should read this as a phone upgrade arriving soon. The researchers still need to cut phase noise further, support higher-order modulation, improve terahertz output power, and extend transmission distance with better antenna design.

The first useful home for the technology will probably be mobile backhaul or photonic-wireless network links. That’s less visible than a new 6G phone, but it’s more important to the network itself. Before 6G can deliver massive speeds to everyday devices, the infrastructure behind those devices needs a faster way to move data around.

Microcomb system tackles key hurdles...To overcome these challenges, the research team developed a microcomb-driven terahertz wireless communication system that combines fiber-coupled microcombs with high-order modulation techniques. The system leverages the high frequency stability and low phase noise of microcombs to generate a low-noise terahertz carrier.

This enabled wireless transmission at 112 Gbps in the 560 GHz band, significantly exceeding conventional terahertz communication systems at these frequencies, typically limited to data rates of a few to several tens of gigabits per second, and demonstrating for the first time 100 Gbps-class wireless communication beyond 420 GHz, opening a new frontier in high-frequency wireless technologies. The research is published in Communications Engineering.

Compact design boosts stability and power...The system is based on a compact and stable microcomb device using a fiber-coupled microresonator. By directly bonding an optical fiber to a silicon nitride microresonator, the researchers eliminated the need for precise optical alignment, enabling significant miniaturization and improved operational stability. This configuration also allowed high-power optical pumping and long-term stable operation, establishing a platform for low-noise terahertz signal generation.

In addition, the integration of a temperature control function for the microresonator improves the reproducibility of optical resonance characteristics and enhances robustness against environmental temperature fluctuations.

High-speed transmission and future directions...In the wireless transmission experiment, two highly stable optical carriers were generated via optical injection locking of the microcomb and modulated using QPSK and 16QAM formats. These signals were converted into a 560 GHz terahertz wave through photomixing and transmitted wirelessly. At the receiver, the signals were recovered using heterodyne detection with a sub-harmonic mixer. As a result, data rates of 84 Gbps (QPSK) and 112 Gbps (16QAM) were achieved.

"This result represents a major step toward practical 6G wireless systems and ultra-high-speed mobile backhaul," said Prof. Takeshi Yasui of Tokushima University.

This work establishes a key technological foundation for ultra-high-speed mobile backhaul links and photonic–wireless integrated networks in 6G systems. Future work will focus on further reducing phase noise, enabling higher-order modulation formats, and extending transmission distance through improved terahertz output power and antenna design.

Provided by Tokushima University

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Brazilian identities sold for around $40 on the dark web

On the dark web, it's possible to buy stolen personal data, including complete identity packages, for just a few dollars. To illustrate how accessible this data has become, the cybersecurity company NordVPN created an interactive calculator that allows users to see how much their accounts and documents would cost.

“Every online account you have has a price on the dark web,” said Marijus Briedis, the company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), in a statement. “Your streaming subscriptions, your email, your bank login, your social media profiles. Most people would be shocked at how cheap it is for a criminal to buy your entire digital identity,” he added.

Although the United States accounts for the majority of ads related to stolen payment cards—more than 70% of the total analyzed—on dark web marketplaces, data from South Americans, including Brazilians, appears frequently.

To give you an idea, a Brazilian payment card is sold for an average price of US$12.82. In countries where stolen data is less common, such as Japan and Singapore, prices are significantly higher.

In the case of a complete Brazilian package, known as "fullz," which contains information such as CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), date of birth, and address, the price is US$40.

"For less than the cost of a meal, a criminal can buy enough information to start building a false identity in someone else's name," Briedis pointed out.

He continued: "Most people think identity theft is something that won't happen to them or that it's something they would easily notice. The reality is that your data may already be for sale, and you wouldn't know without actively checking."

Corporate and exchange accounts are more expensive... NordVPN's tool reveals that stolen corporate accounts have a significantly higher value than common personal access. While personal email credentials can be traded for as little as $1, stolen Brazilian Office 365 accounts are sold for an average price of $26.50.

Social media accounts are popular assets on dark web marketplaces. Facebook accounts represent about 40% of ads involving social profiles, with an average price of $38. TikTok accounts go for $60 and Snapchat for $34.50.

Streaming accounts are relatively cheap. Netflix accounts go for $4.55 and Spotify for $28. On the other hand, cryptocurrency exchange accounts are among the most expensive items. A stolen Coinbase account has an average price of $107.50 and a Binance account, $160.

According to NordVPN's survey, retail accounts also have their value. A stolen Amazon account costs around US$50 and is used to buy products with gift cards and resell them.

To reduce the risk of having your data stolen and sold on the dark web, the company makes some recommendations:

Use tools that alert you when data becomes compromised, allowing for quick action.

Use unique passwords for each account, with reliable password managers.

Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.

Limit the sharing of personal data.

Disable unnecessary cookies.

Do not provide sensitive information.

Review bank statements.

Reports indicate that personal identities of Brazilian citizens are indeed being sold on the dark web for approximately (40)

Key findings on Dark Web identity pricing

A recent analysis of underground marketplaces reveals that various forms of compromised Brazilian data are traded at relatively low prices:

Complete Identity Packages (Fullz): Comprehensive records—which may include full name, CPF (taxpayer ID), address, and banking credentials—typically cost around $40.

Social Media Accounts: Stolen Facebook accounts from Brazil are frequently traded for an average price of $38, while TikTok accounts can go for as much as $60.

Government and Corporate Access: Access to Brazilian Office 365 accounts averages $26.50, while compromised government or law enforcement email accounts can also be found for as little as $40.

Context of massive data leaks...These sales are often fueled by massive data breaches that have exposed millions of Brazilians:

Mega-leaks: Historical breaches have exposed over 223 million records, including names, CPFs, and facial images.

Bulk availability: While individual high-quality profiles sell for ~$40, bulk datasets containing millions of entries are sometimes auctioned for thousands of dollars or sold for as little as $1 per record in large quantities.

How to protect your identity...To mitigate risks from these data leaks, experts recommend several steps through the mundophone report and official tools:

Monitor your CPF: Use the Banco Central's Registrato tool to check for unauthorized bank accounts or loans opened in your name.

Enable Security Measures: Always use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and unique, strong passwords for every service.

Official Inquiries: If you suspect your data is part of a leak, you can use the Consumidor.gov.br portal to file complaints or seek information from companies regarding data handling.

mundophone

DIGITAL LIFE

"Catholic Tinder": an unexpected digital penance

An app created to unite faith and serious relationships landed in Northeast Brazil surrounded by expectation, but users report crashes, bugs, and an almost impossible-to-use experience.

The idea seemed perfect for modern times: a dating app aimed at Catholics seeking marriage, serious relationships, and connections "with purpose." Amid the wear and tear of traditional apps, the proposal sounded almost like a technological miracle. But it only took a few days for the experience to take on a different tone. Between frozen screens, messages that don't open, and profiles that mysteriously disappear, the so-called "Catholic Tinder" ended up becoming a topic of conversation on social media for reasons quite different from those planned.

The Catholic Encounter app recently arrived in Northeastern states promising something rare in the world of dating apps: serious dating, Christian values, and a declared focus on marriage.

The proposal was clear from the slogan: "dating with purpose, marriage as a sacrament."

Available for Android and iPhone, the app quickly aroused curiosity precisely because it tried to occupy a niche little explored in Brazil.

In theory, it would be a space for Catholics tired of the superficial atmosphere of traditional dating apps, where quick relationships, ghosting, and disposable conversations dominate much of the experience.

Registration follows the format already known on dating platforms: photos, personal description, and interests.

But there's a detail that caught attention right from the start: the app only works with heterosexual relationships, without different orientation options in the registration.

Even so, the app's biggest problem doesn't seem to be exactly in its proposal.

Users report crashes, bugs, and broken functions...Soon after the first tests, complaints began to emerge involving practically all parts of the experience.

Users report difficulties adding photos, constant crashes, excessive slowness, and even problems navigating between profiles.

In some cases, the app reportedly blocked basic functions without a clear explanation.

According to reports published on social media, some people couldn't even complete the registration.

Others claim they received messages about a daily limit on likes even without having interacted normally with profiles.

And when the system suggests a premium subscription, another curious detail emerges: sometimes even the subscription price doesn't appear correctly.

The feeling described by several users is that of an app launched before it was truly ready.

Even so, some people persisted for days trying to get the system to work.

In one of the most commented reports, a user said they even got a match — but the app wouldn't allow them to open the received conversation.

The "miracle" of flirting simply froze before the message appeared on the screen.

Social media became a collective confessional of bugs... With the increase in complaints, the comments on the app's social media began to turn into a mixture of frustration and unintentional humor.

Some users asked the responsible team for help directly.

One follower stated that she couldn't send photos or use the basic navigation buttons. According to her, the commands simply didn't respond.

Another said she gave up completely after filling out part of the registration and realizing that no function progressed correctly.

"I uninstalled it," she summarized.

Meanwhile, others preferred to turn the situation into a joke.

A comment saying that "the women will be on the choir" received an immediate response from the app's official profile: "Then the app isn't for you. The focus is the altar."

The humorous tone ended up helping the subject circulate even more on social media.

But behind the jokes lies a real problem for the platform: many users seem to quickly abandon the app after the first few minutes of use.

According to reports, the number of active profiles visibly decreased a few days after the regional launch.

The idea still attracts curiosity — but the app seems stuck in its own purgatory...Despite the technical problems, many people recognize that the app's proposal has potential.

In an era marked by quick relationships, superficial interactions, and apps increasingly focused on people's immediate consumption, there is an audience interested in platforms segmented by religious values ​​and more traditional objectives.

The app's own discourse attempts to exploit exactly that.

According to the official description, the platform seeks to unite technology and faith to create lasting relationships based on coexistence, respect, and Christian principles.

But, so far, the main obstacle seems to be much more basic: technical stability.

Without quick fixes, dating apps often suffer from a classic domino effect problem. When many users give up early on, the number of active profiles drops rapidly—further reducing the interest of those who remain.

In the case of Encontro Católico (Catholic Encounter), several users already describe the experience almost as a "digital Stations of the Cross."

The irony is hard to ignore.

An app created to bring people closer ended up leaving many people alone in front of frozen screens, messages that never load, and buttons that seem to need divine intervention to work.

And perhaps there is something symbolic in all of this.

Before finding their soulmate, users still need to find something rarer within the app: a function that actually responds to touch.

The so-called "Catholic Tinder" — whose official name is the Catholic Encounter app — has recently become a problem due to a severe wave of technical failures and unstable bugs that make basic use of the platform impossible. Although the app was launched with an attractive proposal to promote "purposeful dating" focused on marriage and church principles, the digital experience has turned into what users themselves call a true "penance" or "technological purgatory" on social media.

The main problems that have generated frustration and memes on the internet include:

-Structural and technical failures: Constant crashes: The app is slow and stops working repeatedly during navigation.

-Problems with photos: New users report great difficulty or total impossibility of uploading photos to their profiles.

-Broken messages: The system fails to send messages and, in many cases, users receive match notifications, but the app simply doesn't open the conversation so they can interact.

-Unresponsive buttons: The screen's navigation commands and buttons freeze and ignore user clicks.

Impact on user experience...The technical inability to keep the service online caused the number of active profiles to drop rapidly after launch. Faced with a lack of responses and support from the developers, the app's official pages became a "collective confessional" of humorous complaints and harsh criticism, with users commenting that "not even with fervent prayer" does the system work.

mundophone