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Geek News Central 19th Anniversary Episode #1698
Geek News Central celebrates 19 years of podcasting, one of today’s longest-running podcasts! Our lead story today is a stark warning for all of you: Before you purchase that affordable Android TV box, ensure it’s not from an unknown brand. Cybersecurity experts from Human Security have sounded the alarm, revealing that multiple Android TV boxes, including models like the T95, T95Z, T95MAX, and others, along with a tablet model J5-W, come pre-installed with a notorious malware termed “Badbox”. This malware, rooted in the Triada malware lineage, springs into action when the unsuspecting user turns on their device. It subsequently connects to its command & control server and downloads a second wave of malware as instructed. Subscribe to the Newsletter.Join the Chat @ GeekNews.ChatEmail Todd or follow him on Facebook.Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File Support my Show Sponsor: 5 Best Godaddy Promo Codes $0.01 GoDaddy coupon for a New domain name cjcfs3geek $1.99 a month Economy Hosting with a free domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1h $2.99 a month Managed WordPress Hosting with free Domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1w Support the show by becoming a Geek News Central Insider Show Notes: 15:11–A budget Pixel phone is not in the cards, says Google 16:07–AI managed to design a robot that walks NASA’s plan to crash and burn the ISS 17:51–X may test 3 subscription tiers 10:10–Workers will be back in the office soon 08:19–Cheap Android TV boxes shipped with “unlikeable” malware 06:37–Israeli targets hit by Gaza-linked cyberattacks 11:34–Walmart and data-mining Ozempic prescriptions 19:46–IBM CEO in damage control 21:26–Crypto venture funding drops 63% 22:10–Microsoft reins in Bing AI’s Image Creator 23:17–Is broadband “telecommunications”? 24:20–Ex-soldier accused of passing secrets to China 28:39–Snap and My AI 29:41–Medical credit cards are a bad idea SpaceX delays the launch of satellites 30:25–Prime Video with ads? 31:07–Ransomware strains 31:46–The largest-ever solar storm 33:28–Google made billions 34:54–DC Board of Elections data breach 35:51–SBF and FTX customers 36:48–Social media scams 38:16–SpaceX accused of paying women less to women and minorities Here is a summary of the key points from the 19th-anniversary episode of the Geek News Central podcast: This episode marks 19 years of the Geek News Central podcast. Todd thanked listeners for their support over the years. Israeli energy and defense targets were hit by cyberattacks linked to Gaza. Microsoft attributed the attacks to a group called Storm113 assisting Hamas. Cheap Android TV boxes are being shipped with malware that is difficult to remove. Models include T95, T95Z, T95 Max X88, and others. Over 74,000 infected devices were identified. Most CEOs think workers will be back in the office full-time soon, but some caution a one-size-fits-all approach may not work. 64% think employees will be back full-time by 2026. Walmart is data mining prescription information like Ozempic to analyze and compare the purchasing habits of users vs non-users. Raises privacy concerns. Google says a budget Pixel phone is not in the cards, as it would require too many compromises. An AI designed a small robot that can move on a flat surface in under 60 seconds—more details coming in a report. Twitter may introduce three subscription tiers. Those paying more would see fewer ads. It is aimed at reducing bots. THE IBM CEO doing damage control after AI job loss comments says there are no plans to lay off developers or programmers. Venture funding in crypto dropped 93% in the lead-up to the FTX collapse—just $2 billion invested in Q3 2022. Microsoft tightened censorship on Bing’s AI image creator, DALL-E 3. The results are odd, and it’s even censoring itself now. The net neutrality court case may hinge on whether broadband is deemed telecommunications. An ex-soldier tried to sell secrets to China after seeking advice on Reddit. He had a top-secret clearance and Chinese language skills. UK watchdog warned Snapchat about privacy risks of its My AI chatbot. May force it to shut down My AI in the UK. Medical credit cards are a bad idea with high-interest rates, according to Lifehacker. The ad-supported Prime Video tier could help Amazon make $6 billion per analysis. Some ransomware attacks are now deployed in hours rather than lurking and are driven by lower detection rates. Researchers identified the most significant solar storm in ancient tree rings – 14,300 years ago. It would be catastrophic today. Google made billions by secretly changing its ad auction algorithm to charge advertisers more. DC election board discloses data breach impacting 600,000+ voter records. Lawyers argue Sam Bankman-Fried’s $500M AI investment shouldn’t sway the jury in the FTX case. Per FTC, social media scams have stolen $2.7 billion from victims since 2021. Romance scams are still a big threat. Ex-SpaceX engineer filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination, with women and minorities paid less. NASA to launch asteroid study mission on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on October 27. That covers the key stories and topics discussed in the 19th-anniversary episode. The post Geek News Central 19th Anniversary Episode #1698 appeared first on Geek News Central.
Musk Eliminates X Headlines #1697
Elon Musk, ever the tech industry’s maverick, has made headlines yet again with his recent decision to eliminate article headlines from links posted on X. To enhance the platform’s aesthetics, articles now appear as images with the source outlet displayed at the bottom-left. While Musk believes this change “greatly improves the esthetics,” some users are left scratching their heads, likening the new look to memes. This is the latest in a series of unorthodox modifications Musk has made to X, including a proposed site-wide paywall and an overhaul of Twitter’s verification system. One thing is for sure: nothing a X remains the same for long! Subscribe to the Newsletter.Join the Chat @ GeekNews.ChatEmail Todd or follow him on Facebook.Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File Support my Show Sponsor: 5 Best Godaddy Promo Codes $0.01 GoDaddy coupon for a New domain name cjcfs3geek $1.99 a month Economy Hosting with a free domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1h $2.99 a month Managed WordPress Hosting with free Domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1w Support the show by becoming a Geek News Central Insider Show Notes: 20:26–Patreon overhauls its platform 21:42–Getty Images CEO has a plan 24:30–Bill Gates says America has a math problem 27:22–Sony confirms data breach 27:58–A cat wiped a VA server 17:43–Disney+ crackdown on passwords 18:56–Uber will now return your online orders 30:10–SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites 15:42–‘Coffee Badging’ 30:39–iOS 17 update to iPhone 15 Pro overheating 31:06–Adobe teasing a new tool 32:24–6 printer tricks 33:44–Comcast and Charter 34:39–Hackers grow in sophistication and aggressiveness 14:12–X is ditching article headlines 36:40–NASA is taking its time 37:55–Hyundai EVs 38:18–4 out of 5 devices will be repairable by 2025 39:23–What are the challenges of deepfakes? 40:32–The arrival of Artificial General Intelligence 41:49–The Future of AI Video 42:35–New James Webb data 43:14–Beer-serving robots 44:11–Want to snoop on your mobile workers? 45:18–The UK investigates Amazon and Microsoft Summary of the Podcast: “Coffee badging” trend of employees doing bare minimum in-office time before returning home to remote work. Disney+ plans to crack down on password sharing soon, likely affecting the US after Canada. Uber offers package return pickup for UPS/FedEx/USPS in some cities for a $5 fee. Patreon is adding more free content options and community features for creators. Getty Images CEO is discussing defending photography from AI while unveiling a new AI image tool. Bill Gates suggested improving math education by tailoring it to students’ interests, prioritizing group work, and using real-world applications. A VA system outage was blamed on a technician’s cat jumping on a keyboard. SpaceX is launching more Starlink satellites. Apple patching iPhone 15 Pro overheating. Adobe is teasing a new AI photo editing tool called Project Stardust. Tips for keeping home printers maintained when not printing frequently. Comcast and Charter are releasing a new streaming box to compete with Roku/Fire TV. Microsoft report detailing increasing sophistication of state-backed hackers like those from Iran. NASA took time to unbox asteroid sample capsules that collected too much material. Hyundai EVs to support Tesla Supercharger network. Lenovo is aiming for 80% of devices to be customer-repairable by 2025. Challenges and risks posed by deepfake videos. A prediction that artificial general intelligence will arrive in a decade. James Webb telescope data offers insights into early galaxy formations. Korean company Doosan Robotics IPO for beer serving robots. UK guidelines allow employee monitoring with some restrictions. UK investigation into Amazon and Microsoft cloud services dominance. Plus, Todd’s thoughts on AI content summarization and chatbots. The post Musk Eliminates X Headlines #1697 appeared first on Geek News Central.
Tech Giants Battle for AI Content #1696
In this episode’s top story, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlights the escalating competition among tech giants for crucial content to enhance artificial intelligence. Amid a significant U.S. trial against Google, Nadella expressed concerns about Google’s exclusive and costly deals with publishers to amass content, a pivotal component for training AI systems. Such aggressive moves may restrict other companies’ access to essential data, limiting the diversity and growth of AI advancements. Nadella’s comments underscore the intensifying battle for content and the potential implications for the future of artificial intelligence. There’s nothing like buying up a bunch of content to try and rule the AI space. Call me not surprised. Subscribe to the Newsletter.Join the Chat @ GeekNews.ChatEmail Todd or follow him on Facebook.Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File Support my Show Sponsor: 5 Best Godaddy Promo Codes $0.01 GoDaddy coupon for a New domain name cjcfs3geek $1.99 a month Economy Hosting with a free domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1h $2.99 a month Managed WordPress Hosting with free Domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1w Support the show by becoming a Geek News Central Insider Show Notes: Eight mental health apps for seniors 12:46–Anna Wintour and SBF 17:18–DJI Pocket 3 18:18–Tesla Q3 23:50–Data theft is now the biggest worry for IT techs 20:09–A rare Nintendo 64 controller selling for around $1200 20:52–Humata AI 09:49–FEMA’s national emergency alert 22:02–October’s annual eclipse Space Force 11:10–Apple and X 23:50–Zelda player awarded with a $10,000 gold trophy 24:41–Two objects merging in space into 1 08:46–A paid ad-free version of TikTok 25:11–NASA’s New Horizons probe 25:53–NSA and the AI Security Center 26:57–Tom Hanks 27:52–X Corp is suing 28:42–AI Deep Fakes 29:22–Meta and AI 06:23–Microsoft’s CEO and Google’s mobile search argument 30:25–Chromebook Plus 31:02–Humane and its AI pin 31:46–A billionaire investor interested in a deal with X 32:15–Businesses are spending thousands on unnecessary software 32:40–This weird sneaker PC is on sale 33:52–Robot ‘Monster Wolves’ 34:48–The Royal Family website targeted Apple is working on a fix 36:27–A Lyft driver takes off with a cat Here is a summary of the key points from the Geek News Central podcast episode: TikTok is reportedly testing a paid, ad-free version of its app for $4.99 per month. This comes as TikTok tries to diversify revenue streams beyond ads. FEMA will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on phones, TVs and radios this Wednesday. The test cannot be opted out of. Apple has stopped offering customer support for issues with third-party apps, instead referring users to general support pages. A rare Nintendo 64 controller is expected to sell for around $1,200 at auction due to its collectible status. Tesla announced it produced over 430,000 vehicles in Q3 2022, a 25% increase year-over-year but below Wall Street targets. Data theft is now the biggest worry for IT admins, surpassing ransomware in a recent survey. NASA’s Hubble telescope photographed two galaxies in the process of merging 465 million light years away. Tom Hanks called out a dental ad for using an AI-generated deepfake of him without permission. Meta admitted it uses billions of public Instagram posts to train its AI systems. This may lead to legal battles over content rights. AI-generated deepfakes were used to spread disinformation in Slovakia’s recent elections. A Nintendo 64 controller from 1998 sold for $1,200 at auction due to its rare color variant. Apple says iPhone 15 overheating issues were due to an iOS bug and some third-party apps overloading the system. Fixes are rolling out. A Lyft driver allegedly drove off with a passenger’s cat, leading to a search effort before the cat was found days later. Politicians in Poland are pushing the EU to move faster on adopting digital IDs that could be stored in mobile apps. NASA’s New Horizons probe, which did a Pluto flyby in 2015, has been granted a mission extension to 2029. The NSA has opened an AI Security Center to try to maintain US leadership in AI development for national security. Investor Bill Ackman said he would be “absolutely” interested in a deal with Elon Musk’s Twitter. His fund just raised $1.5 billion. Humane, a startup by ex-Apple executives, previewed its AI Pin wearable assistant at Paris Fashion Week ahead of a November 9th unveiling. Tom Hanks called out a dental ad for using an AI-generated deepfake of him without permission. The post Tech Giants Battle for AI Content #1696 appeared first on Geek News Central.
OpenAI’s Explosive Valuation Surge #1695
In a striking development, OpenAI, known for the celebrated AI chatbot ChatGPT, is discussing a remarkable share sale, potentially valuing the startup between $80 billion and $90 billion, a substantial leap from earlier this year. As OpenAI’s momentum surges with over 100 million active users of ChatGPT and the development of innovative AI technologies like DALL-E 2 and Codex, this share sale signifies a pivotal moment. It underscores the escalating interest in AI investments and highlights the intensifying U.S.-China competition in the AI arena. Subscribe to the Newsletter.Join the Chat @ GeekNews.ChatEmail Todd or follow him on Facebook.Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File Support my Show Sponsor: 5 Best Godaddy Promo Codes $0.01 GoDaddy coupon for a New domain name cjcfs3geek $1.99 a month Economy Hosting with a free domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1h $2.99 a month Managed WordPress Hosting with free Domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1w Support the show by becoming a Geek News Central Insider Show Notes: 17:31–The new Fitbit Charge 6 18:10–This tool helps you analyze real estate 19:09–Super harvest full moon 19:32–Google rushes to patch 20:29–Gamestop’s billionaire backer 21:08–SBF to get wardrobe from his lawyers 22:17–Tubi and ChatGPT 22:56–Nord Security 23:54–Scientists write words in water 24:49–NASA and Psyche 25:40–Radio telescope to launch to the moon 27:04–Sinking “hotspots” in NYC 27:29–iPhone 15 Pro owners complain 28:41–SpaceX and Space Force 29:33–Boundless Life 30:47–The Kia EV9 SUV These baby beetle packs are made of poop 31:35–Best Buy 32:08–Nerfball 11:23–The UK and AI 13:18–You can’t upgrade to Windows 10 for free anymore 33:10–Trump and the GOP and automakers and EVs 35:00–Falcon 9 launch 35:10–Frank Rubio is finally home 15:52–Reddit and personalized ads 08:58–OpenAI seeks a $90 billion valuation 35:33–Disney’s password-sharing crackdown 36:00–X’s CEO says X could turn a profit 37:02–Google Pixel 8 event 37:15–80% of CISA staff could be at risk of furlough Full Show Summary: Microsoft is trying to reduce its reliance on OpenAI by developing a cheaper, less powerful AI model. They want to avoid the high costs of running advanced AI models. The UK quietly dismissed its independent AI advisory board, alarming the tech sector. The panel offered guidelines to organizations on AI deployment. You can no longer upgrade to Windows 10 for free anymore. Microsoft closed the loophole, allowing free upgrades from Windows 7/8. Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro is overheating for some users in specific scenarios like charging and using intensive apps. This could be an issue Apple needs to address. Twitter will now force ads on all users as it increases monetization. Users can no longer opt out of having their activity tracked for ads. The podcast awards are on Saturday and will be streamed live. Todd is busy preparing content for the awards show. SpaceX secured a $70 million contract with the Space Force for its Star Shield-connected satellite network aimed at government entities. Google is rushing to patch a zero-day vulnerability that a spyware vendor was exploiting. Users should update devices. After four years, Raspberry Pi launched the Pi 5 with improved performance and PCIe support. It starts at $60. Nvidia’s French offices were raided regarding anti-competitive practices as Nvidia dominates AI. The government shutdown could furlough over 80% of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency staff. Fitbit launched the Charge 6 fitness tracker with improved health sensors and a physical button. It costs $159. Epic Games is cutting around 830 jobs, around 16% of its workforce. This includes plans to sell off Bandcamp and SuperAwesome. Disney’s password-sharing crackdown begins in Canada on November 1st. They are following Netflix’s lead in reducing account sharing. The first radio telescope on the moon’s far side, called LUSEE, will launch in 2025 to detect signals from the cosmic dark ages. GameStop replaced its ousted CEO with billionaire Ryan Cohen, who acquired a stake in the company in 2020. Judge approved giving FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried appropriate business attire to wear at his trial since he’s currently behind bars. Former astronaut Frank Rubio returned home after a record-breaking 371 days in orbit, the longest for any American. Google added a switch for sites to opt out of being used as AI training data via an extended robots.txt flag. The post OpenAI’s Explosive Valuation Surge #1695 appeared first on Geek News Central.
ChatGPT Now Speaks and Sees #1694
OpenAI is revolutionizing communication with ChatGPT by introducing new voice and image capabilities. This significant update allows users to voice conversations or visually show ChatGPT what they are discussing. Snapping a picture of a landmark while traveling or your fridge at home can start a live discussion about interesting aspects or help determine what’s for dinner with additional follow-up questions for recipes. The update, available to Plus and Enterprise users, brings ChatGPT to iOS and Android, offering voice and image options to all platforms. This advancement comes as Big Tech firms heavily invest in AI-powered voice assistants, aiming to expand their functionality beyond basic tasks. Subscribe to the Newsletter.Join the Chat @ GeekNews.ChatEmail Todd or follow him on Facebook.Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File Support my Show Sponsor: 5 Best Godaddy Promo Codes $0.01 GoDaddy coupon for a New domain name cjcfs3geek $1.99 a month Economy Hosting with a free domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1h $2.99 a month Managed WordPress Hosting with free Domain name. Promo Code: cjcgeek1w Support the show by becoming a Geek News Central Insider Show Notes: 22:23–WGA strike ends 23:35–Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta 24:54–Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro 25:27–Queen’s Brian May helped NASA 26:13–Evernote users 27:04–The five most dangerous Wi-Fi attacks 29:45–The iPad Mini 7 30:40–NASA plans to use blockchain 19:19–EU online piracy on the rise 32:02–Meta is planning on introducing dozens of chatbot personas 32:27–City of Dallas and its ransomware attack 33:23–Alexa Guard security features behind a paywall 33:59–DJI Mini 4 Pro unveiled 35:08–This new Gmail for Android feature 35:43–iFixit has good news and bad news 16:50–The high tech behind Netflix’s DVD service 37:14–Black holes devour stars 37:40–Getty Images 39:50–Eddy Cue will take the stand 40:18–Air Canada reports data breach 40:40–Gold into money 09:08–Amazon invests $4 billion into AI 41:08–Is the US spying on clouds? 42:27–US Trademark Office still wants to keep faxes 12:49–Governor Newsom vetoes bill 07:59–ChatGPT can speak and see 42:59–Spotify tests voice translation feature The complete Podcast show summary is as follows: Amazon is investing $4 billion into AI development, with Anthropic becoming its primary cloud provider. This strengthens Amazon’s position in the AI space. California’s governor vetoed a bill that would have required human safety operators in autonomous trucks over 10,000 lbs. This leaves the door open for driverless trucking in the future. Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service, which ships around 4,500 discs per hour, relied on custom robotic automation technology to process returns. This saved labor costs and set Netflix on its growth trajectory. Online TV piracy is rising in Europe as consumers feel economic pressures and seek cheaper content access. Streaming has become the preferred piracy method. The Writer’s Guild strike may end as major studios have reached a tentative deal after marathon negotiations. AI was one of the final sticking points. The Instacart founder said having an empty fridge except for hot sauce inspired him to enable online grocery delivery. He became a billionaire after the recent IPO. Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro pricing has leaked, with the base 8 model potentially increasing by $100 over the Pixel 7. The Pro may be $899. NASA successfully recovered samples from the asteroid Bennu, completing the OSIRIS-REx mission. The US government is considering requiring public cloud companies to disclose when customers purchase above a certain level of computing resources. This aims to identify potential AI threats. Spotify is testing AI-powered voice translations for some podcasts into other languages using tech from OpenAI and Microsoft. The USPTO surprisingly still accepts patent and trademark submissions via fax in some cases but is open to exploring cloud solutions. Air Canada reported a data breach where an unauthorized group obtained limited personal information on some employees. Reddit is introducing a monetization feature where users can cash out “Reddit Gold” given for their posts into real money. Apple executive Eddie Cue will testify in court this week for the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. The iPad Mini 7 could still launch by the end of 2023, according to supply chain sources, building on the success of the iPad Mini 6. NASA plans to test storing data on the moon using blockchain technology and solar-powered storage cubes as a lunar backup. Evernote accidentally upgraded some users to more expensive plans without notice – users should check their accounts. The city of Dallas approved $8.5 million for recovery from a May 2022 ransomware attack that resulted in over 1TB of exfiltrated data. Amazon is moving its free Alexa “Guard” home security features behind a $6 monthly paywall starting next year. DJI unveiled the Mini 3 Pro drone, an iterative update over the Mini 3 that draws comparisons to a “Mini Air 3”. IFIXIT found the iPhone 15 Pro Max slightly easier to open but still challenging to swap parts due to pairing requirements. According to new simulations, fast-spinning black holes devour stars quicker than scientists previously thought. Getty Images announced its new AI art generator contains no copyrighted content and will cover any customer IP disputes. Gmail’s Android app adds a “select all” option to help quickly delete up to 50 emails from search results or the inbox. Apple executives Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi will testify this week in the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google, mostly behind closed doors. PCWorld discussed five dangerous WiFi hacking attacks and how to protect against them, like keeping routers updated and using VPNs. The EU considers requiring disclosure when cloud computing resources above a certain level are purchased to identify potential AI threats. Apple may launch an iPad Mini 7 before the end of 2023 based on supply chain reports, building on the iPad Mini 6’s success. The WGA strike may soon end as studios offered concessions on streaming and AI issues after marathon negotiations. But SAG-AFTRA is still on strike. Instacart’s founder said having hot sauce in his fridge inspired the grocery delivery service. He became a billionaire after the recent IPO. Spotify is testing AI voice translations for some podcasts using tech from OpenAI and Microsoft. But quality concerns exist around inflection and tone. The post ChatGPT Now Speaks and Sees #1694 appeared first on Geek News Central.
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