Technology Networks

A new study has uncovered security weaknesses in next-generation vehicle technology, raising concerns about the safety of connected and increasingly software-driven cars. As vehicles rely more on networked systems for navigation, communication and control, researchers warn that these vulnerabilities could expose drivers to potential exploitation. The findings add to a growing debate about whether the automotive industry is moving fast enough to secure modern vehicles against cyber threats.

The San Francisco Democratic Party has voted to stand behind Flock surveillance cameras, according to Mission Local. The vote keeps the party aligned with the automated license plate reader network despite ongoing criticism from privacy advocates, who argue the cameras enable mass tracking of residents' movements.

A user on the Mastodon social network is asking for help finding people who post about sports, Pokemon, music and hiking, noting that such hobby content is hard to discover on the platform despite enjoying its usual tech discussions. The post reflects a common complaint that the fediverse skews toward technology topics, making everyday-interest communities harder to locate.

Commentary is resurfacing on the 'blockchain trilemma' — the difficulty of achieving scalability, security and decentralisation at once — which has kept blockchain from mainstream adoption. Writers point to persistent lack of transaction privacy and fragmented interoperability between networks, causing congestion, high fees and exposure of sensitive financial data. Zero-knowledge proofs are being floated as the technology that could overcome these limits.

Zeekr, Geely's premium electric vehicle brand, has ruled out developing battery-swap models just days after parent company Geely announced a partnership with Nio covering battery-swapping infrastructure. The decision signals Zeekr will stick with conventional fast-charging technology rather than Nio's swappable-pack approach, despite Geely's broader cooperation with its rival on power networks.

New coverage from Technology Networks examines efforts to design improved agonistic antibodies, drugs that activate immune-cell receptors to help the body attack tumours. The piece outlines how engineering strategies aim to enhance their potency and safety for cancer immunotherapy, a fast-growing field where several agonistic antibody candidates have struggled to show clinical benefit so far.

WatchGuard Technologies has released patches for three vulnerabilities in its wireless access points, two of them rated critical. The flaws allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands and bypass access controls, prompting security experts to urge users of affected devices to update immediately. Administrators are being advised to apply the fixes without delay to avoid potential exploitation.

Flock Safety, a company that supplies automated license plate reader technology to police departments, faced tough questions at a public meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Residents and officials pressed the company on how its cameras track vehicles, who can access the data and what safeguards exist. The scrutiny comes as US cities debate the privacy trade-offs of expanding surveillance networks.

JMT Technology Group has been announced as a new member company of GovTech, the government technology organisation. The announcement, made via GovTech's news channels, signals the firm's entry into the public-sector technology community. JMT Technology Group provides technology consulting and services, and its membership suggests it will collaborate on government digital initiatives. Further details about the scope of the partnership were not provided in the announcement.