Amazon hasn’t officially announced the next generation of its Kindle e-readers yet, but following leaks of several models, the UK retailer John Lewis was already selling the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle and the new Kindle Kids Edition through its website earlier today, as spotted by Good e-Reader. Both listings have since been taken down.

The 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite recently popped up in an eBay listing that has also been taken down, and which included images of the new e-reader’s packaging revealing minor upgrades such as a slightly larger seven-inch E Ink screen.

John Lewis’ listing for the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle model appeared to confirm leaked details from September. According to those leaks, the upgraded e-reader will have a six-inch, 300ppi E Ink screen with a higher contrast ratio that’s illuminated by a front light that’s now 25 percent brighter at its max setting. However, the new entry-level Kindle’s front light will still lack the color temperature adjustments you get with the Kindle Paperwhite and other pricier E Ink devices from Amazon.

According to the listing, the 12th-gen Kindle also introduces a new dark mode that inverts its black and white E Ink screen for easier reading in the dark, offers faster page turns, and will come with 16GB of storage. John Lewis had listed the new e-reader for £94.99, which is around $124.

The store’s listing for the 12th-gen Amazon Kindle Kids Edition had the same specs as the 12th-gen entry-level Kindle, with brighter backlighting and an E Ink screen offering better contrast. As with past versions of the Kindle Kids Edition, the 12th-gen model comes with a case, an extended two year warranty, a subscription to Amazon Kids+ featuring ebooks and audiobooks targeted at kids, and a dashboard with parental controls. Pricing was £114.99, or around $150.

Previous versions of the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition came with a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (even in the UK), but John Lewis’ listing said the 12th-gen model only comes with a six-month subscription to the service. After that, monthly plans start at $5.99/month for Amazon Prime members, or $7.99 without.

Google plans to buy electricity from next-generation nuclear reactors. It announced the deal yesterday, which it says is the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase electricity from advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) that are still under development.

Google inked the deal with engineering company Kairos Power, which plans to get its first SMR up and running by 2030. Google agreed to purchase electricity from “multiple” reactors that would get built through 2035.

Google needs a lot more clean energy to meet its climate goals while pursuing its AI ambitions. New nuclear technologies are still unproven at scale, but the hope is that they can provide carbon pollution-free electricity while solving some of the problems that come with traditional nuclear power plants.

“Obviously, the trajectory of AI investments has added to the scale of the task needed,” CEO Sundar Pichai said in an interview with Nikkei earlier this month. “We are now looking at additional investments, be it solar, and evaluating technologies like small modular nuclear reactors, etc.”

What sets Google apart with this deal is that it’s turning to next-generation reactors rather than traditional power nuclear power plants. SMRs are roughly one-tenth to one-quarter the size in comparison. Their size and modular design are supposed to make them cheaper and easier to build and site than their larger predecessors. And unlike solar and wind energy that fluctuate with the weather and time of day, nuclear power plants can generate electricity around the clock. Even with new reactor designs, however, there are still environmental and health concerns when it comes to mining and enriching uranium for reactors and storing radioactive waste.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified a design for a small modular reactor for the first time last year. Experts tell The Verge they expect the first SMRs to connect to US power grids in the early 2030s at the earliest, and Big Tech’s interest in nuclear energy seems to be giving the industry a boost.

Google says its deal with Kairos Power would eventually help bring up to 500 MW of carbon-free energy to power grids in the US. Kairos broke ground on its first demonstration reactor in Tennessee in July.

“Having an agreement for multiple deployments is important to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability,” Jeff Olson, Kairos Power vice president of business development & finance, said in a press release.

As Election Day approaches, scammers are finding new ways to deceive voters. Several media reports are highlighting a new scam where people receive a text message falsely claiming they are not yet registered to vote. Election officials are warning Americans to be cautious of these scam messages, as more are expected to circulate in the weeks leading up to the general election.

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What you need to know

The local Channel 4 affiliate WDIV in Detroit warned about a new text message wave in late August that could prevent registered voters from casting their ballot. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported a similar incident around the same time, warning Pennsylvanians to be wary of potential scam text messages targeting voters.

A spokesperson for the Department of State said voters should expect more of these messages to be sent in the weeks leading up to the general election.

“Voters should be aware that opportunistic bad actors may attempt to use this campaign season to send phishing or smishing emails/texts,” Matt Heckel, a spokesperson for the department, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Both these reports and several others refer to a text message that is linked to the site all-vote.com: “We have you in our records as not registered to vote. Check your registration status and register in 2 minutes.”

A woman voting (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How do you know if the text is a scam?

For one, the domain all-vote.com isn’t associated with the government. Another clue is that even people who were already registered to vote in their state received this message. WDIV even interviewed a seventh-grader from Canada who said he also got the text, despite not being eligible to vote.

A quick search on Who.Is lookup shows the domain was registered on July 10, 2024, definitely a red flag. KrebsOnSecurity mentioned that some of these texts are also linking to another domain, votewin.org, which asks for your name, address, email, date of birth and phone number when you visit.

They even pre-check boxes to sign you up for more notifications. The government doesn’t need all that info from you. To register to vote or to update your voter registration, all you need to do is visit vote.gov and select your state or region.

Vote buttons (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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5 ways to avoid election text scam

1) Unsolicited contact: If you receive a message from an unknown number or an unexpected source, especially one claiming urgency (like registering to vote), it could be a scam.

2) Suspicious links: Scammers often use fake links that appear legitimate but redirect you to phishing websites. Always hover over links or check the domain carefully. In the case of “all-vote.com,” if it’s not a well-known or official site (like .gov for U.S. voting), it’s worth being suspicious.

3) Grammatical errors: Many scam messages contain typos, awkward phrasing or grammatical mistakes. This can be a red flag for phishing or scam attempts.

4) Requests for personal information: Legitimate organizations typically don’t ask for sensitive information like Social Security numbers, bank details or passwords via text. Scams often do.

5) Have strong antivirus software: The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious texts, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

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Kurt’s key takeaway

As Election Day gets closer, it’s essential to stay alert to scams like these. If you receive a suspicious text about your voter registration, remember to check the details carefully. Look out for unofficial domains like all-vote.com or votewin.org, which have nothing to do with the government. Always head to trusted sites like vote.gov to confirm your status. Scammers are getting creative, but knowing the signs can help you avoid getting caught up in their traps.

Do you think the government is doing enough to protect voters from scams like these? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.