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AI will create a better world, says Oracle’s Ellison | Computer Weekly

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AI will create a better world, says Oracle’s Ellison | Computer Weekly


Artificial intelligence was predictably front and centre at Oracle’s revamped and rebranded customer event – which changed its name to AI World from Cloud World in a last-minute switch-up just a few short weeks ago. In his annual address to the event, company founder Larry Ellison threw everything and the kitchen sink at the technology.

In a lengthy address, Ellison described the two biggest opportunities – for Oracle and its users at least – as AI training and AI reasoning. Training on public data is the fastest growing business opportunity in history, potentially bigger than the industrial revolution, said the veteran tech leader.

Reasoning on private data will be more valuable and according to Ellison, who built Oracle’s first databases 48 years ago, the firm’s extensive heritage means it already holds a great deal of it.

“What will change the world is when we start using these remarkable electronic brains to solve humanity’s most difficult and enduring problems,” said Ellison.

He went on to reject characterisation of the current AI hype as akin to the dotcom bubble that ruined many fortunes at the turn of the century, although he did concede there are tech companies that claim to be AI companies which are nothing of the kind.

“The smartest people I know are investing fortunes, to be specific, they’re investing their fortunes in building and training these AI models. That’s how important [and] extraordinary they are,” he said.

“I think by and large we are going to live much better lives, healthier, longer lives, eat better food, live in better houses. It should be a much better world because these tools are so enormously powerful [although] some of the things they will do are a little bit shocking.”

Bringing things back down to earth, AI World’s opening keynote fell to CEO Mike Sicilia who described a “once in a generation moment” and said Oracle was making no secret of its ambitions to stand as an AI leader, delivering trusted services to transform organisations in every industry.

“We’re not just showing up with some AI bells and whistles bolted on to our technology,” said Sicilia. “There’s no other company that’s bringing together the data, the infrastructure, the applications, and the trust to power every AI ambition for every business at every single layer of the tech stack.”

Representatives of Oracle customers including car rental firm Avis Budget, Brazilian pharma and biomedical research organistion Biofy Technologies, US energy and utility supplier Exelon, and hospitality group Marriott International, joined Sicilia to discuss how they are partnering with the supplier on all things AI.

Ty Breland, chief human resources officer and executive vice president of operations services at Marriott International, said he was using AI to both empower the organisation’s 800,000 employees – who are scattered across around 9,000 properties – and enhance the guest experience.

Marriott started its AI journey with Oracle in 2023, and as the two organisations deepened their partnership, said Breland, it was important to him that his own people didn’t feel forced into engaging with a potentially unwelcome, even threatening, new technology.

Early on when planning its initial deployment among Marriott’s public-facing customer service agents, the technology team sought feedback from them as to what pain points they actually wanted to solve. The end result, so say Marriott’s leadership, was something that people genuinely wanted to use.

Breland said: “As we started to deploy those solutions it became contagious. They wanted more.”

 “If we get this right, AI isn’t replacing the human touch, it’s bringing the human forward,” he added. 

Oracle hits Database AI upgrade button

Amid a plethora of announcements made at AI World, Oracle unleashed a major upgrade to Oracle AI Database, moving from 23ai to 26ai and promising to “architect AI into the core of data management”. The firm said this advances its vision of a next-gen AI-native database spanning the entire data and development stack.

At its heart, the upgrade enables customers to look to run more dynamic agentic workflows that provide them with specific answers and solutions from a combination of private database data and public information.

Building on an open AI strategy, 26ai’s capabilities will supposedly offer customers more freedom of choice when building and deploying AI apps and services. In a nod to growing cyber security concerns over so called harvest now, decrypt later attacks, it also now includes the NIST-backed quantum-resistant ML-KEM algorithm to encrypt data when it is on the move.

The firm also announced the general availability of Oracle AI Data Platform, which is designed to enable customers to securely connect generative AI-models to their enterprise data, applications and workflows, and the expansion of a longstanding partnership with AMD to launch the first public AI supercluster powered by AMD’s Instinct MI450 Series GPUs. This will begin with an initial 50,000 GPU deployment beginning towards the back end of 2026, pending further expansion, and is designed to help customers scale their AI projects.



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10% Off Dell Coupon Code for October 2025

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10% Off Dell Coupon Code for October 2025


Dell has special Early Holiday deals, so you can beat the last-minute shopping rush this year. Limited time offers will save you $650 on the hottest models, including up to $250 off Alienware and Ultrasharp monitors, for crisp and clear gaming (or writing), up to $400 off Inspiron and XPS laptops, and up to $300 off desktops for true gamers. Ditch shipping costs too, and enjoy free standard delivery on all online orders. We’ve rounded up the top Dell coupon codes and discounts so you can save big on pricey tech.

Get 10% Off With Top Dell Coupon Codes

If you haven’t bought from Dell, right now you can get seriously rewarded for switching. Right now, you can save an additional 10% on accessories when selected during system configuration. You’ll need to choose the “Customize and Buy” option and use Dell coupon code AFFBUNDLE10 to save on those accessory bundles, through November 2.

New customers can get 10% off Dell products when you sign up for their email newsletter. Plus, you’ll get additional perks like exclusive offers in your inbox and invites to special sale events, including flash discounts during seasonal sales. Save your tech refresh with clearance sale discounts and Dell promo codes today.

Save up to $650 on Dell Laptops, Monitors, and More

Been wanting to upgrade your WFH or gaming setup? Dell has marked down some of their most popular laptops and monitors during their Tech Refresh sale event, with options starting at $999. There are stellar discounts, like over $350 off Dell 14 and 16 Plus laptops, and up to $600 off the ultra-mod XPS 16 series, along with other deals like $400 off Inspiron 16 laptops, and $450 off the Alienware 18 Area-51. Complete your gaming experience with an Alienware Area-51 desktop for $650 off, which includes 50% more processing power and free access to the new ARC Raiders game when you order by November 4. Beyond sitewide discounts, Dell is throwing in some more special offers and freebies like a 1-year McAfee+ Premium subscription on the Inspiron 15 and a 1-year Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot on the Inspiron 16. Whether you want to work-from-home or game-from-home more effectively, check out the latest offers in the Dell deals hub.

10% Dell Coupon for Students, Military Members, and Medical Workers

Students, it’s the worst time of your life, you might as well save a little money. Just kidding, life only gets harder from here. Kidding. Again. Maybe. What is not a joke is this deal. Dell is giving students a 10% discount on things students need like Dell XPS laptops and Alienware gaming rigs. Don’t call them that when you tell your parents you need one. Just say it’s a Dell 32-inch 4K OLED Monitor that’s $60 off right now, no need to say anything about gaming. It’s for your eyes, because they’re starting to bleed from all the term papers.

Now, you do have to prove you are a student to get this deal. Just verify your .edu email address through this link and you’ll get not one, but two coupon codes. One is for 10% off Inspiron, XPS and Alienware Gaming PCs (shush, stop using that word), S Series monitors and Dell brand electronics and accessories. The second is for 5% off Latitude Laptops, OptiPlex Desktops, Precision PCs, Chromebooks, Ultrasharp Monitors, P Series Monitors, E Series Monitors, C Series Monitors, as well as third-party electronics and accessories Dell has in its store. Students can snag even steeper discounts through the Dell Outlet student program, with Dell coupons for 10% off select products.

Not a student? No problem, Dell still has some great deals for your computing needs. Beyond students, Dell offers an extra 5% off Heroes discount for military members, veterans, employees, rewards members, and businesses. Verify through GovX or VCS in a matter of minutes to get exclusive pricing and early access to sale events.

What to Know About Dell Promo Codes and eGift Cards

Once you’ve added what you need to your cart, navigate to the checkout page. There, you will see a field with the text “Enter Code.” Simply paste your code into this box and click “Apply.” Be sure to check for restrictions (like only select items being eligible for the discount) to guarantee you get the savings you’re after. Dell eGift Cards are different from coupon codes and are part of special offers on select products, and the gift cards are pre-loaded with a balance that expires in 90 days.

Shop Our Favorite Dell Laptops for Your Gaming or Office Upgrade

Dell’s XPS laptops are the perfect addition to your tech setup. They’re lightweight, small, and plenty speedy. They’re Windows’ rough answer to Apple’s Macbook Pro line. The XPS 13 and upgraded Dell 14 Premium are some of our favorite laptops. Check out the featured laptop offers above to save up to $600, complete with free 2-day shipping and AI-driven PC options powered by Microsoft Copilot technology. If you’re a gamer, you probably already know that Dell makes Alienware, and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is a powerful gaming machine masquerading as your next work laptop. It’s one of our favorite dual-use gaming rigs, making it perfect for students.

Get 9% Back With Dell Rewards Coupons and Financing Offers

Don’t forget that, in addition to the limited-time Dell coupons available, there are also limited-time discounts for Dell Rewards program members. To join, first create an account, then check the box after logging in to register. Rewards customers get double the points right now, or 6% back on everything, plus 9% back on all monitor purchases. Top Rewards discounts tend to rotate between product categories, including 9% back in rewards on Latitude, Dell Pro series, and Copilot PCs. Plus, there’s a variety of products with financing offers available, like a $50 bonus for Rewards members who open a Dell Pay Credit Account. Online orders qualify for free standard or 2-day shipping, returns, and competitive price matching.

Unlike many companies with price matching, Dell’s Price Match Guarantee covers both competitor products and if prices drop on the Dell website within 30 days. Best of all, competitor price match is available before or after you buy. So, when you find an identical Dell, HP, Apple or Lenovo computer, you’ll just need to share the link with a Dell expert through chat or a phone call to get that lower price. If you’ve already purchased the item, but find the product on Dell’s or a competitor’s site within 30 days, share the link through the Order Support portal and you’ll be refunded the difference.



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A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone

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A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone


After the latest round of mass firings at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend, the union that represents agency employees estimates that around 3,000 people this year—about a quarter of the agency’s workforce—have departed the agency.

That number includes workers affected by layoffs earlier this year, as well those who have accepted the Trump administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout program.

The most recent cuts came down amid the ongoing government shutdown. On October 10, more than 1,300 CDC employees received termination notices. Soon after, however, about 700 of those people were told via email that they were mistakenly terminated and were not in fact subject to the reduction in force. An estimated 600 people remain terminated.

An additional 1,300 CDC employees are, according to the union, on administrative leave and being paid but not working.

The Trump administration has not shared official numbers of those targeted by the reductions. The estimate was compiled by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883, which represents CDC workers.

The current round of reductions affects the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the National Center for Health Statistics, the CDC library, the agency’s human resources department, campus safety staff, as well as the CDC’s office in Washington, DC, which acts as a liaison to Congress and provides public health information to policymakers.

“All HHS employees receiving reduction-in-force notices were designated nonessential by their respective divisions,” Andrew Nixon, director of communication at the Department of Health and Human Services, told WIRED via email.

Among those reinstated include staff that publish the agency’s flagship publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, as well as leadership in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, according to AFGE. Members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the CDC’s “disease detectives” unit, were also brought back.



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A New Attack Lets Hackers Steal 2-Factor Authentication Codes From Android Phones

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A New Attack Lets Hackers Steal 2-Factor Authentication Codes From Android Phones


Android devices are vulnerable to a new attack that can covertly steal two-factor authentication codes, location timelines, and other private data in less than 30 seconds.

The new attack, named Pixnapping by the team of academic researchers who devised it, requires a victim to first install a malicious app on an Android phone or tablet. The app, which requires no system permissions, can then effectively read data that any other installed app displays on the screen. Pixnapping has been demonstrated on Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and likely could be modified to work on other models with additional work. Google released mitigations last month, but the researchers said a modified version of the attack works even when the update is installed.

Like Taking a Screenshot

Pixnapping attacks begin with the malicious app invoking Android programming interfaces that cause the authenticator or other targeted apps to send sensitive information to the device screen. The malicious app then runs graphical operations on individual pixels of interest to the attacker. Pixnapping then exploits a side channel that allows the malicious app to map the pixels at those coordinates to letters, numbers, or shapes.

“Anything that is visible when the target app is opened can be stolen by the malicious app using Pixnapping,” the researchers wrote on an informational website. “Chat messages, 2FA codes, email messages, etc. are all vulnerable since they are visible. If an app has secret information that is not visible (e.g., it has a secret key that is stored but never shown on the screen), that information cannot be stolen by Pixnapping.”

The new attack class is reminiscent of GPU.zip, a 2023 attack that allowed malicious websites to read the usernames, passwords, and other sensitive visual data displayed by other websites. It worked by exploiting side channels found in GPUs from all major suppliers. The vulnerabilities that GPU.zip exploited have never been fixed. Instead, the attack was blocked in browsers by limiting their ability to open iframes, an HTML element that allows one website (in the case of GPU.zip, a malicious one) to embed the contents of a site from a different domain.

Pixnapping targets the same side channel as GPU.zip, specifically the precise amount of time it takes for a given frame to be rendered on the screen.



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