Largest Botnet Takedown, Mistral's AI Coding Model, BYD's 1,300-Mile Hybrid, and Cosmic Ray Archaeology in Greece

Discover Daily by Perplexity

Welcome to Discover Daily, where we bring you the latest in tech, science, and culture. In today's episode, we start with the takedown of the 911 S5 botnet by the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI, which was responsible for a wide range of cybercrimes, including the theft of $5.9 billion in COVID-19 relief funds. The botnet, managed by YunHe Wang, hacked into over 19 million IP addresses globally, using malicious VPN applications to push malware onto victims' devices.
Next, we explore Mistral AI's launch of Codestral, a generative AI model designed to assist developers in writing and interacting with code across more than 80 programming languages. This model, with its high performance and broad language support, is set to revolutionize the coding process by completing coding functions, writing tests, and filling in partial code. We also discuss BYD's new plug-in hybrid sedans, the Qin L and Seal 06, which boast an impressive driving range of over 1,300 miles on a single tank of fuel and a fully charged battery, thanks to their advanced DM-i 5.0 plug-in hybrid platform.
We then dive into the innovative use of cosmic rays to date archaeological sites, highlighting a prehistoric settlement in northern Greece dated to between 5328 and 5140 BC. This method combines dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating with the identification of cosmic ray events, providing precise chronological reference points. Finally, we address the global myopia epidemic, discussing its causes, consequences, and preventive measures. The rise in myopia is attributed to factors like excessive near work and reduced outdoor time, with high myopia leading to severe vision-threatening conditions.
From Perplexity's Discover feed:
World's Largest Botnet Dismantled
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Worlds-largest-botnet-Odbwu7R9TXO2mNH1ahAsbQ

Mistral Releases Codestral Model
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/Mistral-releases-Codestral-4ELwgzmjQ9OMbBOExqikiA#eae99bc8-db91-4225-bdb5-f3eb73225e7f

BYD Unveils 1300-Mile Range Hybrid
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/BYD-Unveils-1300Mile-stl6Hma_THe5CKybgx_vRg
Cosmic Rays Date Archaeological Site
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/Cosmic-Rays-Date-4EenruEKRSq57H7yZ7ATsg

The myopia epidemic
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/The-myopia-epidemic-9iyrncRiSO61E12zWVHpiQ

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