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Ancient fossils in Laos cave reveal early human presence in Asia

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Ancient fossils found in Laos challenge human migration theories, indicating early humans reached Asia 86,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought.

According to Kira Westaway, the lead author of the study from Macquarie University, Australia, this early migration may have been unsuccessful, but the fact that Homo sapiens had reached the region during that time is a remarkable achievement. Earlier studies using DNA analysis and archaeological evidence had suggested that modern humans left Africa around 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, following coastal routes and islands towards Australia. 

However, the discovery of older human remains in China and the Levant has complicated this narrative, implying the possibility of earlier migrations that did not contribute to the modern gene pool.

The fossils found in Tam Pa Ling cave, including a leg bone fragment and part of a skull, exhibited physical characteristics typical of early modern humans. Dating these fossils was challenging since they were too old for radiocarbon dating. Instead, the researchers utilised luminescence dating of sediment minerals and electron-spin-resonance dating of animal teeth found in the same layer as the human remains. These methods estimated the fossils to be between 68,000 and 86,000 years old, significantly expanding the timeline of human presence in the region.

This discovery not only raises questions about the timing and routes of human migration but also challenges the conventional belief that early human journeys in the area primarily followed coastlines and islands. The cave’s location, situated inland and at a considerable altitude of approximately 1,100 meters (3,609 feet), indicates that early Homo sapiens had the capability to adapt and disperse through upland forested regions much earlier than previously assumed.

The findings from this cave, along with other sites in the region, have the potential to provide further insights into early human history and paleoanthropology. Ongoing excavations and future discoveries in the area will continue to contribute to our understanding of the complex migration patterns and adaptations of early Homo sapiens.

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Cybersecurity firm reports exposure of sensitive DeepSeek data on the internet.

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The New York-based cybersecurity firm Wiz has discovered a cache of sensitive data from the Chinese artificial intelligence business DeepSeek that was mistakenly exposed to the public internet.

In a blog post released on Wednesday, Wiz reported that examinations of DeepSeek’s infrastructure revealed that the company had inadvertently exposed over a million lines of unencrypted data. The materials were digital software keys and chat logs that seemingly documented prompts transmitted from consumers to the company’s complimentary AI assistant.

The chief technical officer of Wiz stated that DeepSeek promptly safeguarded the data following the notice from his organisation.

“It was removed in under an hour,” stated Ami Luttwak. “However, this was exceedingly easy to locate, leading us to believe we are not the sole discoverers.”

DeepSeek did not promptly respond to a request for comment.

DeepSeek’s rapid success after the introduction of its AI helper has exhilarated China and incited concern in America. The Chinese company’s evident capacity to rival OpenAI’s skills at a significantly reduced cost has raised concerns regarding the viability of the business models and profit margins of U.S. AI behemoths like Nvidia and Microsoft.

By Monday, it surpassed the U.S. competitor ChatGPT in downloads from Apple’s App Store, prompting a worldwide decline in technology stocks.

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WhatsApp launches bulk channel management functionality

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WhatsApp has initiated testing of a bulk channel administration feature on iOS for select beta users, enabling the simultaneous selection of many channels, hence enhancing the efficiency of managing following channels.

This essential update enables users to perform bulk activities, including muting many channels simultaneously, designating them as read, and altering notifications. If the chosen channels are muted, users will now have the option to activate notifications. Users can swiftly silence unmuted channels in one action.

Additionally, this feature enables users to unfollow many channels simultaneously, thereby optimizing the process of decluttering their channel list. This change is particularly beneficial for users that oversee numerous subscriptions, as reported by WABetaInfo.

Previously, users were required to manage each channel individually, rendering tasks such as muting or designating channels as read laborious and time-consuming.

The functionality provides enhanced flexibility and control over channel subscriptions, enabling users to efficiently manage notifications. The solution streamlines laborious operations for consumers who subscribe to numerous channels, hence enhancing their entire experience.

Accessibility
The bulk management feature is presently accessible exclusively to a limited number of beta testers who installed the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS using the TestFlight application. WhatsApp, owned by Meta, plans to expand the feature’s availability to a larger user base in the next weeks.

This update demonstrates WhatsApp’s dedication to enhancing user experience by offering a clear and efficient method for managing channels and notifications.

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Pakistani internet slowdown: ongoing submarine cable issue

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Even after two weeks, the global submarine cable AAA-1 problem that was discovered on January 2 near Qatar has not been fixed, causing sluggish internet connection in several Pakistani towns.

According to a representative for Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the issue has affected customers’ capacity to effectively access social media applications and browse the online. Even with initiatives to fix the problem, social networking sites still lag during busy times.

Internet traffic has been redirected via alternate channels to lessen the impact, and more capacity has been set up to stabilize the service.

The PTCL representative promised that “Internet service across the country is operating normally, and there will be no issues with web browsing,” noting that social media applications’ lag is common during

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