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Tag: Mobile phones

  • FBI warns against using public phone charging stations

    FBI warns against using public phone charging stations

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    People charge their mobile devices at a Street Charge station in the Brooklyn Borough of New York.

    Brendan McDermid | Reuters

    The FBI recently warned consumers against using free public charging stations, saying crooks have managed to hijack public chargers that can infect devices with malware, or software that can give hackers access to your phone, tablet or computer.

    “Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers,” a tweet from the FBI’s Denver field office said. “Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.”

    The FBI offers similar guidance on its website to avoid public chargers. The bulletin didn’t point to any recent instances of consumer harm from juice jacking. The FBI’s Denver field office said the message was meant as an advisory, and that there was no specific case that prompted it.

    The Federal Communications Commission has also warned about “juice jacking,” as the malware loading scheme is known, since 2021.

    Consumer devices with compromised USB cables can be hijacked through software that can then siphon off usernames and passwords, the FCC warned at the time. The commission told consumers to avoid those public stations.

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  • Germany: Hamburg fire smoke halts trains, generates warning

    Germany: Hamburg fire smoke halts trains, generates warning

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    Police have warned people in Hamburg, Germany, to close their windows early after a large fire that engulfed several warehouses sent black, chemical-laden smoke drifting over the city

    FRANKFURT, Germany — Police warned people in Hamburg, Germany, to close their windows early Sunday after a large fire that engulfed several warehouses sent black, chemical-laden smoke drifting over the city.

    German news agency dpa said the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in the Rothenburgsort district, located in the eastern part of Germany’s second-largest city. The smoke drifted from there toward the city center, halting long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin and other cities.

    A public safety alert conveyed through a mobile phone app advised people in Hamburg to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning, and to avoid the area. No injuries were reported.

    Public broadcaster NDR said the fire involved containers with hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and foul-smelling substance, forcing firefighters and police officers in the area to wear breathing apparatus.

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  • Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

    Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Details of how tech executive Bob Lee came to be fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday were scarce as friends and family continued to mourn the man they called brilliant, kind and unlike others in the industry.

    San Francisco police found Lee, 43, on the sidewalk in front of a condominium building with stab wounds shortly after 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital where he died. He leaves behind two children.

    The neighborhood where the stabbing occurred is near the Embarcadero waterfront and full of tech offices, towering condominium buildings and not much else late at night.

    Lee is known for creating the widely-used mobile payment service Cash App while working as chief technology officer of the payment company Square, now known as Block. He was chief product officer for cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin at the time of his death.

    Lee was back in San Francisco for a visit after moving to Miami in October, his father, Rick Lee, said on social media. The two had been living in the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley.

    “Bob would give you the shirt off his back,” Rick Lee wrote. “He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known.”

    San Francisco police have provided little information, saying the investigation is still early.

    Lee defied the arrogant and self-centered “tech bro” stereotype affixed to certain men in the San Francisco Bay Area tech scene, and instead exuded an “innate kindness,” said longtime friend Tommy Sowers.

    Sowers and Lee first met at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where Sowers, a former Green Beret and Iraq war veteran, was running for Congress. Lee, newly hired at Square, was touting an app that could help his campaign fundraising. Both men were from Missouri.

    Lee’s two children joined the men on hikes and dinners. It was not unusual for Lee to be out late, said Sowers, and he loved San Francisco.

    “I’d want to go to bed at like 9. He talked me into going someplace till midnight, and then he’d be like, ‘Well, there’s another one,’ and you’d go to that. And he’s like, ‘There’s another one.’ He just had real boundless energy.”

    Part of those late-night sessions involved talking about technology, including San Francisco’s unique role far away from the political power in Washington and the big money in New York.

    “San Francisco is all about the idea and you’re as good as your current or next idea,” said Sowers, who, with Lee’s counsel, went on to start his own North Carolina-based private air charter company.

    Sowers said he doesn’t know the origins of the “Crazy Bob” handle Lee used on Twitter.

    “But it fit. Not in a way of being reckless, but, he was kind of up for anything.”

    Lee was also generous with his time coaching and championing fellow engineers and entrepreneurs, said Wesley Chan, co-founder of FPV Ventures. The two met more than a decade ago when they both worked at Google, where Lee helped to build the Android smartphone operating system before its 2008 release.

    Lee’s death has further enflamed debate over public safety in San Francisco and its moribund downtown, which has not yet bounced back from the pandemic. Twitter’s owner Elon Musk took to the social media site to post that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” Musk tagged the city’s district attorney in the post.

    San Francisco suffers from property crime more than violent crime such as murder, rape, robbery and assault. In a statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the homicide “a horrible tragedy” and said that the city is prioritizing public safety.

    Sowers said it’s hard to picture what led to Lee’s violent death.

    “I can’t imagine a situation where he would instigate a conflict,” he said. “That’s the tragedy of it.”

    ___

    O’Brien contributed from Providence, Rhode Island.

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  • Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

    Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Details of how tech executive Bob Lee came to be fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday were scarce as friends and family continued to mourn the man they called brilliant, kind and unlike others in the industry.

    San Francisco police found Lee, 43, on the sidewalk in front of a condominium building with stab wounds shortly after 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital where he died. He leaves behind two children.

    The neighborhood where the stabbing occurred is near the Embarcadero waterfront and full of tech offices, towering condominium buildings and not much else late at night.

    Lee is known for creating the widely-used mobile payment service Cash App while working as chief technology officer of the payment company Square, now known as Block. He was chief product officer for cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin at the time of his death.

    Lee was back in San Francisco for a visit after moving to Miami in October, his father, Rick Lee, said on social media. The two had been living in the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley.

    “Bob would give you the shirt off his back,” Rick Lee wrote. “He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known.”

    San Francisco police have provided little information, saying the investigation is still early.

    Lee defied the arrogant and self-centered “tech bro” stereotype affixed to certain men in the San Francisco Bay Area tech scene, and instead exuded an “innate kindness,” said longtime friend Tommy Sowers.

    Sowers and Lee first met at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where Sowers, a former Green Beret and Iraq war veteran, was running for Congress. Lee, newly hired at Square, was touting an app that could help his campaign fundraising. Both men were from Missouri.

    Lee’s two children joined the men on hikes and dinners. It was not unusual for Lee to be out late, said Sowers, and he loved San Francisco.

    “I’d want to go to bed at like 9. He talked me into going someplace till midnight, and then he’d be like, ‘Well, there’s another one,’ and you’d go to that. And he’s like, ‘There’s another one.’ He just had real boundless energy.”

    Part of those late-night sessions involved talking about technology, including San Francisco’s unique role far away from the political power in Washington and the big money in New York.

    “San Francisco is all about the idea and you’re as good as your current or next idea,” said Sowers, who, with Lee’s counsel, went on to start his own North Carolina-based private air charter company.

    Sowers said he doesn’t know the origins of the “Crazy Bob” handle Lee used on Twitter.

    “But it fit. Not in a way of being reckless, but, he was kind of up for anything.”

    Lee was also generous with his time coaching and championing fellow engineers and entrepreneurs, said Wesley Chan, co-founder of FPV Ventures. The two met more than a decade ago when they both worked at Google, where Lee helped to build the Android smartphone operating system before its 2008 release.

    Lee’s death has further enflamed debate over public safety in San Francisco and its moribund downtown, which has not yet bounced back from the pandemic. Twitter’s owner Elon Musk took to the social media site to post that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” Musk tagged the city’s district attorney in the post.

    San Francisco suffers from property crime more than violent crime such as murder, rape, robbery and assault. In a statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the homicide “a horrible tragedy” and said that the city is prioritizing public safety.

    Sowers said it’s hard to picture what led to Lee’s violent death.

    “I can’t imagine a situation where he would instigate a conflict,” he said. “That’s the tragedy of it.”

    ___

    O’Brien contributed from Providence, Rhode Island.

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  • Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

    Few details in SF stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee

    [ad_1]

    SAN FRANCISCO — Details of how tech executive Bob Lee came to be fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday were scarce as friends and family continued to mourn the man they called brilliant, kind and unlike others in the industry.

    San Francisco police found Lee, 43, on the sidewalk in front of a condominium building with stab wounds shortly after 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital where he died. He leaves behind two children.

    The neighborhood where the stabbing occurred is near the Embarcadero waterfront and full of tech offices, towering condominium buildings and not much else late at night.

    Lee is known for creating the widely-used mobile payment service Cash App while working as chief technology officer of the payment company Square, now known as Block. He was chief product officer for cryptocurrency firm MobileCoin at the time of his death.

    Lee was back in San Francisco for a visit after moving to Miami in October, his father, Rick Lee, said on social media. The two had been living in the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley.

    “Bob would give you the shirt off his back,” Rick Lee wrote. “He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known.”

    San Francisco police have provided little information, saying the investigation is still early.

    Lee defied the arrogant and self-centered “tech bro” stereotype affixed to certain men in the San Francisco Bay Area tech scene, and instead exuded an “innate kindness,” said longtime friend Tommy Sowers.

    Sowers and Lee first met at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., where Sowers, a former Green Beret and Iraq war veteran, was running for Congress. Lee, newly hired at Square, was touting an app that could help his campaign fundraising. Both men were from Missouri.

    Lee’s two children joined the men on hikes and dinners. It was not unusual for Lee to be out late, said Sowers, and he loved San Francisco.

    “I’d want to go to bed at like 9. He talked me into going someplace till midnight, and then he’d be like, ‘Well, there’s another one,’ and you’d go to that. And he’s like, ‘There’s another one.’ He just had real boundless energy.”

    Part of those late-night sessions involved talking about technology, including San Francisco’s unique role far away from the political power in Washington and the big money in New York.

    “San Francisco is all about the idea and you’re as good as your current or next idea,” said Sowers, who, with Lee’s counsel, went on to start his own North Carolina-based private air charter company.

    Sowers said he doesn’t know the origins of the “Crazy Bob” handle Lee used on Twitter.

    “But it fit. Not in a way of being reckless, but, he was kind of up for anything.”

    Lee was also generous with his time coaching and championing fellow engineers and entrepreneurs, said Wesley Chan, co-founder of FPV Ventures. The two met more than a decade ago when they both worked at Google, where Lee helped to build the Android smartphone operating system before its 2008 release.

    Lee’s death has further enflamed debate over public safety in San Francisco and its moribund downtown, which has not yet bounced back from the pandemic. Twitter’s owner Elon Musk took to the social media site to post that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” Musk tagged the city’s district attorney in the post.

    San Francisco suffers from property crime more than violent crime such as murder, rape, robbery and assault. In a statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the homicide “a horrible tragedy” and said that the city is prioritizing public safety.

    Sowers said it’s hard to picture what led to Lee’s violent death.

    “I can’t imagine a situation where he would instigate a conflict,” he said. “That’s the tragedy of it.”

    ___

    O’Brien contributed from Providence, Rhode Island.

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  • Bob Lee, Cash App founder and MobileCoin exec, slain at 43

    Bob Lee, Cash App founder and MobileCoin exec, slain at 43

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and was currently chief product officer of MobileCoin, was fatally stabbed in San Francisco early Tuesday, according to the cryptocurrency platform and police.

    Officers responded to a report of a stabbing on Main Street at 2:35 a.m. Tuesday and found a 43-year-old man with stab wounds, the San Francisco Police Department said in a press release. The victim died at a hospital.

    Police did not identify the victim but MobileCoin confirmed Lee’s death in response to an email from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

    “Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators,” MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard said in a statement.

    Lee was “made for the new world,” Goldbard wrote.

    “From large contributions to Android at google, to being the first CTO of Square, in that time creating CashApp, and working with us here at Mobilecoin, Bob surely had an impact that will last far beyond his short time on earth,” he said.

    Lee came to MobileCoin as an early stage investor and advisor, then became chief product officer and helped launch the Moby app, Goldbard said. Lee was the chief technology officer at digital payments company Square in 2013 when it launched a money transfer application now known as Cash App.

    Among the tech leaders to share their devastation about Lee’s death was venture capitalist Wesley Chan, co-founder of FPV Ventures. Chan said he befriended Lee more than a decade ago when they both worked at Google, at a time when software engineers like Lee were helping to build the Android smartphone operating system before its 2008 release.

    “He was an incredibly iconic founder in the tech world,” Chan said by phone Wednesday. “He wrote large parts of Android when he was at Google. He became the CTO of Square and helped build Cash App. His resume reads something like a Fortune cover article.”

    But Chan said Lee was also generous in helping to coach and champion other engineers and tech entrepreneurs who’d call on him for advice. And he was modest about his key role in developing successful products, such as the widely used Cash App.

    “With everything that Bob worked on, it was always a pleasant surprise,” Chan said. “That’s one of the things I loved about him. He was always humble about it, he’d say, ‘Oh, I don’t know if it’s going to work or not, but we’ll try.’”

    Prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway, founder of the San Francisco-based investment firm SV Angel, tweeted Wednesday that Lee’s loss was an immense tragedy.

    “Deepest condolences to Bob’s family and to the entire tech community,” Conway said. “Remembering fondly when Bob gave an inspiring talk at our CEO Summit. We’ve lost a great innovator, intelligence, and spirit. Praying a suspect is apprehended swiftly.”

    The police statement did not provide any details on the circumstances of the stabbing.

    “This is an open and active investigation. For that reason we are not releasing further information,” Officer Niccole Pacchetti, a public information officer, said in an email. “We will provide further details when they become available.”

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  • Micron Sales Plunge 53%. It Is Cutting More Staff. Better Days Lie Ahead.

    Micron Sales Plunge 53%. It Is Cutting More Staff. Better Days Lie Ahead.

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    Micron


    Technology shares are modestly higher in late trading Tuesday after the memory chip company posted financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended March 2 that were about in line with expectations, as a weak market for PCs and smartphones continued to weigh on the company’s results. Micron also said that as part of its cost-reduction program, it will reduce staff by about 15%—up from a previous plan to cut heads by 10%.

    But there are some promising signs for the memory chip maker.

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  • Many rely on radio broadcasts in Zimbabwe and across Africa

    Many rely on radio broadcasts in Zimbabwe and across Africa

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    HARARE, Zimbabwe — Just the size of his hand, the radio set hung in the busy marketplace stall is essential to Mark Nyabanda.

    “I can’t do without it,” said the 25-year old, taking a break from selling fertilizer in Mbare market in the capital, Harare, to listen to a radio weather report warning of possible floods.

    Radio bulletins also provide him with information on disease outbreaks, political news and entertainment, he said.

    “I don’t trust these new technologies,” he said, referring to social media. “They are full of falsehoods. We saw it during the coronavirus outbreak.”

    In many Western countries, conventional radio has been overtaken by streaming, podcasts and on-demand content accessed via smartphones and computers.

    But in many of Africa’s 54 countries, with a combined population of 1.3 billion people, traditional radio sets are widely used, highlighting the digital divide between rich countries and those still struggling to have reliable internet.

    Radio sets are all over the place in Zimbabwe. Rural livestock herders dangle them from their necks while tending animals while those in the cities listen to their radio sets for news.

    When schools closed during the coronavirus pandemic, sub-Saharan African had the highest proportion of schoolchildren who lacked internet connectivity to participate in remote learning online lessons, according to the United Nations children’s agency. Many students relied on lessons beamed via tiny solar-powered radio sets at home.

    More than 80% of people in Africa own a mobile phone with access to a mobile phone network, according to Afrobarometer, a leading research institute. But “fewer than half” have mobile phones with internet access. The number of those who have access to computers at home is even lower at 28% of people polled in 34 African countries in a survey on the digital divide published in December last year.

    “Closing the digital divide remains a critical issue for most African countries, and for the continent as a whole,” said Afrobarometer.

    The lack of internet connectivity means traditional radio “remains king,” said Afrobarometer in another survey last year.

    Radio is “overwhelmingly” the most common source of news in Africa, according to the survey. About 68% of respondents said they tuned in at least a few times a week, compared to about 40% who use social media and the internet.

    Traditional radio sets are easy and inexpensive to use versus the higher cost and logistical problems of getting access to the internet.

    Many small radio sets now come with inbuilt solar panels that allow people to listen to broadcasts even when they don’t have electricity. Especially in vogue are radios that also now come with a cell phone charger and a flashlight — all huge conveniences in a continent where electricity outages are rampant and internet connection spots are often distant.

    “People don’t have to worry about network or data expenses. And one can’t be switched off for not paying license fees,” said Stanley Tsarwe, coordinator of journalism studies at the University of Zimbabwe. “The radio set has become very powerful and multi-functional and that becomes critical in Africa where access to power and access to the internet are very limited” he said.

    Many people trust information from their radio sets over other sources, said John Masuku, a veteran radio broadcaster of five decades.

    “There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation so people still want to check … if it is not said on radio then it is not fact. That is why radio is popular and celebrated in Africa,” he said.

    Broadcasts in local languages are also attract radio listeners. Zimbabwe’s state radio and a host of community stations offer broadcasts in Shona, Ndebele and 12 other local languages, he said.

    However, the way many in Africa listen to the radio is changing as internet penetration improves. The number of people getting news at least “a few times a week” from either social media or the internet or both has almost doubled from 24% to 43% over the past decade, according to Afrobarometer.

    The falling prices of mobile phones that can access FM radio stations is also shifting how people listen to radio in Africa, said Tsarwe of the University of Zimbabwe.

    “There is an ongoing convergence between radio and digital mobile technologies, especially the mobile phone,” he said. “Radio is integrating more rapidly with the mobile phone because it is much more accessible in Africa. The mobile phone is the future of radio in Africa.”

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  • Jury convicts 3 of murder in death of rapper XXXTentacion

    Jury convicts 3 of murder in death of rapper XXXTentacion

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Three men were found guilty Monday of the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot outside a South Florida motorcycle shop while being robbed of $50,000.

    Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, were all found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery by a jury that deliberated a little more than seven days. They will receive mandatory life sentences at a later date.

    The defendants showed little emotion as each stood and was handcuffed by a bailiff.

    During the monthlong trial, prosecutors linked the men to the June 18, 2018, shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale through extensive surveillance video taken inside and outside the store, plus cellphone videos they took that showed them flashing fistfuls of $100 bills hours after the slaying.

    Prosecutors also had the testimony of a fourth man, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants who said he participated in the robbery. He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder. He has not been sentenced pending the conclusion of this trial. He could get anywhere between time served, meaning he could soon be released, and life, depending partly on how prosecutors perceive his assistance.

    Defense attorneys accused Allen of being a liar motivated by avoiding a life sentence. They also said prosecutors and detectives did a poor investigation that didn’t look at other possible suspects, including the Canadian rap star Drake; he and XXXTentacion had an online feud.

    Twice this week, the jury asked to review text messages from Boatwright, whom prosecutors identified as the shooter, from the day of the shooting. A printout from prosecutors shows that from the time he woke up about 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., about an hour before the shooting, he sent 17 to various people, including one about getting a car. Prosecutors say the SUV used in the shooting was rented from a woman through a phone app. He then stopped texting for about two hours.

    About an hour after the shooting, he sent a text saying, “Tell my brother I got the money for the new phone.” Minutes after that, he sent someone a screenshot of a news story saying XXXTentacion had been shot.

    XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports with a friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front.

    Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerging and confronting the 20-year-old singer at the driver’s window, and one shot him repeatedly. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing cash XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away. The friend was not harmed.

    Newsome was accused of being the other gunman. Williams was accused of being the driver of the SUV, with Allen also inside.

    Allen testified that the men set out that day to commit robberies and went to the motorcycle shop to buy Williams a mask. There they spotted the rapper and decided to make him their target. Allen and Williams went inside the shop to confirm it was him. They then went back to the SUV they had rented, waited for XXXTentacion to emerge and ambushed him, according to testimony.

    The rapper, who pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN,” was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend. —-

    Associated Press reporter Terry Spencer contributed to this report.

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  • Insider Q&A-Nintendo’s Bowser

    Insider Q&A-Nintendo’s Bowser

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    LOS ANGELES — With a new theme park attraction opened last month, an upcoming major motion picture and the sequel to a massive hit video game about to be released, everything’s coming up Nintendo.

    Doug Bowser, the head of Nintendo USA since 2019, spoke to The Associated Press at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World in Los Angeles before its Feb. 17 grand opening. Q: You’ve got a new movie (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” April 7), this new attraction at Universal, and the new Legend of Zelda game (“Tears of the Kingdom,” May 12). What’s next, a prestige streaming TV show?

    A: You’re hitting on something which is really important. This is a milestone, what you’re seeing here with Super Nintendo World. Universal Studios is a great partner to allow us to do Super Nintendo World. I won’t comment on your question regarding a streaming show. But it really is a reflection on this ability to share our IP with people well outside of the video game space.

    Q: The new attraction I was able to see today is really impressive. Could there ever be an entire theme park build around Nintendo characters, like Disneyland?

    A: Well, we’ve got a great partner with Universal Studios. I think we have packed a lot of exciting and fun stuff. Even with the size of the park here, you can spend hours just exploring, finding little Easter eggs, little treasures. If you load the app on your phone you can actually keep score, it’s very much like being in a video game, with the ability to play in a linear way but then also wander around and explore.

    Q: Would you say video games are now the dominant force in entertainment?

    A: They’re clearly a prominent form of entertainment right now. As we came through and out of the pandemic, they became an incredible source if you will, of people’s entertainment. We saw very nice growth in the industry over the last few years with people looking for different forms to entertain themselves at home, either as an individual online or with the family. So I do think it’s a form of entertainment going forward that people will continue to choose.

    Q: What other characters besides the Mario Bros. would you like to develop new films or attractions around? Full disclosure, I’ve got a Donkey Kong tattoo, I’d be thrilled with a Donkey Kong movie for example.

    A: That really is a call for the creative groups here at Universal Studios and of course, Nintendo. If you think about park experiences, we have announced that at the Universal Studios in Osaka that will be expanding that land to include Donkey Kong. There’s a whole new Donkey Kong area being built out with its primary feature being a roller coaster. You can just imagine what a Donkey Kong roller coaster might be like! We have announced that we are working on other video projects but we’re not at the point where we want to talk about what these characters are. I could share my favorites, but that probably wouldn’t be appropriate. If you’ve noticed with the new Super Mario Bros. movie, Seth Rogen does play Donkey Kong. So Donkey Kong is a part of the movie. So look forward to that!

    Q: Is there any date for the Nintendo attractions at Universal Studios in Orlando and Singapore? Will they be bigger, different?

    A: No date on Singapore. Orlando is a couple years in the future. You’ll have to wait and see. You can assume, if you look at Orlando, it’s got a lot of land, so it’s likely a bigger footprint.

    Q: When is the next Switch coming out? What kinds of features or new capabilities would you like to see?

    A: As we enter the seventh year for the Nintendo Switch, sales are still strong. I think we still have a very very strong lineup coming. As Mr. Furukawa (Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa) said recently, we’re entering uncharted territory with the platform. It’s exciting to see that demand is still there. So nothing to announce on any future console or device, but we are still feeling very bullish about Nintendo Switch.

    I should be careful about what I personally would like to see (in a new Switch). But what I can share is that one of the reasons that even going into year seven we feel very confident that the Switch can have a strong performance over the next few years is that it is still truly that unique device that you can play in a variety of ways, at home, on the go. One of the things we look at always is how can we surprise and delight. How can we introduce new unique ways of playing. That’s always in front of our mind.

    Q: Is Madden coming to the Switch?

    A: That’s a better question for my good friends over at EA.

    Q: Are supply chain problems still an issue?

    A: Really coming out of the summer and into the final quarter of last year, the holiday period, we saw that that constriction if you will in chip supply reduce. So right now, from a supply chain perspective, we’re able to supply that demand that’s out there.

    Q: How did you get to a $70 price figure for the upcoming Zelda game?

    A: We look at what the game has to offer. I think fans will find this is an incredibly full, deeply immersive experience. The price point reflects the type of experience that fans can expect when it comes to playing this particular game. This isn’t a price point that we’ll necessarily have on all our titles. It’s actually a fairly common pricing model either here or in Europe or other parts of the world, where the pricing may vary depending on the game itself.

    Q: Any sales goals for the new Zelda?

    A: There are, but they’re not publicly disclosed yet.

    Q: What’s the next big thing in gaming? The metaverse, AI, what else?

    A: I think what you’ll see with gaming is that we’ll continue to see new technologies come into play that will allow us to expand the number of players that come in. As we think about technology, the most important thing is we think about how will it improve the gameplay experienced. It’s not technology for technology’s sake. Will it really create this experience that is immersive, that creates smiles. We lead with that and then see what technology can support that.

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  • This 3-in-1 Apple Cable Costs Less Than a Regular One | Entrepreneur

    This 3-in-1 Apple Cable Costs Less Than a Regular One | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    The world of work is changing, and entrepreneurs must be willing to change with it. In the hybrid working world, you need technology that can support a flexible work style. Unfortunately, that means your regular old Lightning cable probably isn’t going to cut it anymore to charge your Apple devices. After all, Apple has largely moved on from Lightning with its newest releases.

    If you have a few Apple devices in different generations, you’re likely sick of juggling multiple charging cables daily. So, stop juggling cables and clean up your desk in the meantime. This 3-in-1 USB-C Charging Cable can handle your Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods all at once.

    This three-pronged cable lets you charge three Apple devices simultaneously in a simplified, streamlined charging experience. In addition, the cable cuts back on wire clutter, making it easier to pack up and head to the office each day. At 1.2 meters long, it’s longer than the average cable, and thanks to the ABS and aluminum alloy materials, it’s a lot more durable, too. All in all, it’s a cable that’s built for significantly more convenience than regular cables, and it’s available for less than the price of a new Lightning cable for a limited time.

    Reduce your cable clutter, support a hybrid work life, and charge three of your Apple devices at once without breaking the bank. Normally, this 3-in-1 USB-C Charging Cable costs $34, but right now, you can get it for 48% off at just $17.99 in white or black. You can also get a two-pack in white or black for 64% off $69 at just $24.99.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

    Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

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    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail

    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail.

    The proposal, submitted in a letter Friday, comes as the judge in the case is deciding how to toughen Bankman-Fried’s bail requirements amid concerns the former billionaire might be communicating on electronic devices in ways that can’t be traced.

    Prosecutors alleged last month Bankman-Fried used a virtual private network that blocks third parties from seeing online activity, known as VPN, to access the internet twice. They also said he sent an encrypted message over the Signal texting app in January to the general counsel of FTX US, a move they argued might indicate witness tampering.

    Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he cheated investors and looted customer deposits at FTX, his cryptocurrency platform.

    Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, has raised the possibility that Bankman-Fried might have to be jailed if his communications can’t be monitored to ensure the integrity of the trial. The former FTX head was released on a $250 million bond in December and is confined to his parent’s home in Palo Alto, California.

    Under the proposal, Bankman-Fried’s phone functions would be limited to SMS text messages and voice calls. He would also be given a new laptop with limited use, which will be “configured so that he is only able to log on to the internet through the use of specified VPNs,” that will only permit access to websites that have been whitelisted. They include sites he can use to prepare for his defense, such as Ftx.com, and those for personal news, like The New York Times and Netflix.

    In the letter, the two sides said Bankman-Fried would also be allowed access to several applications to prepare for his defense, including Zoom, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. The parties also proposed a monitoring software be installed on the device to track any activity, and have Bankman-Fried’s parents submit sworn affidavits that they “will not bring additional devices into the home” or permit access to their own password-protected devices.

    Kaplan still has to decide whether to approve to proposal.

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  • Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

    Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

    [ad_1]

    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail

    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail.

    The proposal, submitted in a letter Friday, comes as the judge in the case is deciding how to toughen Bankman-Fried’s bail requirements amid concerns the former billionaire might be communicating on electronic devices in ways that can’t be traced.

    Prosecutors alleged last month Bankman-Fried used a virtual private network that blocks third parties from seeing online activity, known as VPN, to access the internet twice. They also said he sent an encrypted message over the Signal texting app in January to the general counsel of FTX US, a move they argued might indicate witness tampering.

    Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he cheated investors and looted customer deposits at FTX, his cryptocurrency platform.

    Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, has raised the possibility that Bankman-Fried might have to be jailed if his communications can’t be monitored to ensure the integrity of the trial. The former FTX head was released on a $250 million bond in December and is confined to his parent’s home in Palo Alto, California.

    Under the proposal, Bankman-Fried’s phone functions would be limited to SMS text messages and voice calls. He would also be given a new laptop with limited use, which will be “configured so that he is only able to log on to the internet through the use of specified VPNs,” that will only permit access to websites that have been whitelisted. They include sites he can use to prepare for his defense, such as Ftx.com, and those for personal news, like The New York Times and Netflix.

    In the letter, the two sides said Bankman-Fried would also be allowed access to several applications to prepare for his defense, including Zoom, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. The parties also proposed a monitoring software be installed on the device to track any activity, and have Bankman-Fried’s parents submit sworn affidavits that they “will not bring additional devices into the home” or permit access to their own password-protected devices.

    Kaplan still has to decide whether to approve to proposal.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

    Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan

    [ad_1]

    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail

    Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device that’s not a smartphone while on bail.

    The proposal, submitted in a letter Friday, comes as the judge in the case is deciding how to toughen Bankman-Fried’s bail requirements amid concerns the former billionaire might be communicating on electronic devices in ways that can’t be traced.

    Prosecutors alleged last month Bankman-Fried used a virtual private network that blocks third parties from seeing online activity, known as VPN, to access the internet twice. They also said he sent an encrypted message over the Signal texting app in January to the general counsel of FTX US, a move they argued might indicate witness tampering.

    Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he cheated investors and looted customer deposits at FTX, his cryptocurrency platform.

    Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, has raised the possibility that Bankman-Fried might have to be jailed if his communications can’t be monitored to ensure the integrity of the trial. The former FTX head was released on a $250 million bond in December and is confined to his parent’s home in Palo Alto, California.

    Under the proposal, Bankman-Fried’s phone functions would be limited to SMS text messages and voice calls. He would also be given a new laptop with limited use, which will be “configured so that he is only able to log on to the internet through the use of specified VPNs,” that will only permit access to websites that have been whitelisted. They include sites he can use to prepare for his defense, such as Ftx.com, and those for personal news, like The New York Times and Netflix.

    In the letter, the two sides said Bankman-Fried would also be allowed access to several applications to prepare for his defense, including Zoom, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. The parties also proposed a monitoring software be installed on the device to track any activity, and have Bankman-Fried’s parents submit sworn affidavits that they “will not bring additional devices into the home” or permit access to their own password-protected devices.

    Kaplan still has to decide whether to approve to proposal.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse

    MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse

    [ad_1]

    LONDON — The latest folding-screen smartphones, immersive metaverse experiences, AI-powered chatbot avatars and other eye-catching technology are set to wow visitors at the annual MWC wireless trade fair that kicks off Monday.

    The four-day show, held in a vast Barcelona conference center, is the world’s biggest and most influential meeting for the mobile tech industry. The range of technology set to go on display illustrates how the show, also known as Mobile World Congress, has evolved from a forum for mobile phone standards into a showcase for new wireless tech.

    Organizers are expecting as many as 80,000 visitors from as many as 200 countries and territories as the event resumes at full strength after several years of pandemic disruptions.

    Here’s a look at what to expect:

    METAVERSE

    There was a lot of buzz around the metaverse at last year’s MWC and at other recent tech fairs like last month’s CES in Las Vegas. Expect even more at this event.

    A slew of companies are planning to show off their metaverse experiences that will allow users to connect with each other, attend events far away or enter fantastical new online worlds.

    Software company Amdocs will use virtual and augmented reality to give users a “metatour” of Dubai. Other tech and telecom companies promise metaverse demos to help with physical rehab, virtually try on clothes or learn how to fix aircraft landing gear.

    The metaverse’s popularity exploded after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in late 2021 exalted it as the next big thing for the internet and his company. Lately, though, doubts have started to creep in.

    “All the business models around the metaverse are a big question mark right now,” said John Strand, a veteran telecom industry consultant.

    ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    AI has caught the tech world’s attention thanks to the dramatic advances in new tools like ChatGPT that can hold conversations and generate readable text. Expect artificial intelligence to be deployed as an “overused buzzword” at MWC, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at CCS Insight.

    Companies are promising to show how they’re using AI to make home Wi-Fi networks more energy efficient or sniff out fakes.

    Microsoft’s press representatives have hinted that they might have a demonstration of ChatGPT but haven’t provided any details. The company added AI chatbot technology to its Bing search engine but scrambled to make fixes after it responded with insults or wrong answers to some users who got early access.

    Startups will demo their own AI-powered chat technology: D-ID will show off their eerie “digital human” avatars, while Botslovers says its service promises to “free humans from boring tasks.”

    NOT JUST SMARTPHONES

    MWC hit its stride in the previous decade as the smartphone era boomed, with device makers competing for attention with glitzy product launches. Nowadays, smartphone innovation has hit a plateau and companies are increasingly debuting phones in other ways.

    Attention at the show is focusing on potential uses for 5G, the next generation of ultrafast wireless technology that promises to unlock a wave of innovation beyond just smartphones, such as automated factories, driverless cars and smart cities.

    “Mobile phones will still be a hot topic at MWC, but they’ve become a mature, iterative and almost boring category,” Wood said. “The only excitement will come from the slew of foldable designs and prototypes, but the real size of the market for these premium products remains unclear.”

    Device launches will be dominated by a slew of lesser known Chinese brands such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, ZTE and Honor looking to take market share from the market leaders, Apple and Samsung.

    CHINESE PRESENCE

    Chinese technology giant Huawei will have a major presence at MWC, despite being blacklisted by the Western governments as part of a broader geopolitical battle between Washington and Beijing over technology and security.

    Organizers say Huawei will have the biggest presence at the show among some 2,000 exhibitors. That’s even after the U.S. pushed allies to get their mobile phone companies to block or restrict Huawei’s networking equipment over concerns Beijing could induce the company to carry out cybersnooping or sabotage critical communications infrastructure.

    Huawei, which has repeatedly denied those allegations, also has been squeezed by Western sanctions aimed at starving it of components like microchips.

    Analysts say one message that Huawei could be sending with its oversized display is defiance to the West.

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  • MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse

    MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse

    [ad_1]

    LONDON — The latest folding-screen smartphones, immersive metaverse experiences, AI-powered chatbot avatars and other eye-catching technology are set to wow visitors at the annual MWC wireless trade fair that kicks off Monday.

    The four-day show, held in a vast Barcelona conference center, is the world’s biggest and most influential meeting for the mobile tech industry. The range of technology set to go on display illustrates how the show, also known as Mobile World Congress, has evolved from a forum for mobile phone standards into a showcase for new wireless tech.

    Organizers are expecting as many as 80,000 visitors from as many as 200 countries and territories as the event resumes at full strength after several years of pandemic disruptions.

    Here’s a look at what to expect:

    METAVERSE

    There was a lot of buzz around the metaverse at last year’s MWC and at other recent tech fairs like last month’s CES in Las Vegas. Expect even more at this event.

    A slew of companies are planning to show off their metaverse experiences that will allow users to connect with each other, attend events far away or enter fantastical new online worlds.

    Software company Amdocs will use virtual and augmented reality to give users a “metatour” of Dubai. Other tech and telecom companies promise metaverse demos to help with physical rehab, virtually try on clothes or learn how to fix aircraft landing gear.

    The metaverse’s popularity exploded after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in late 2021 exalted it as the next big thing for the internet and his company. Lately, though, doubts have started to creep in.

    “All the business models around the metaverse are a big question mark right now,” said John Strand, a veteran telecom industry consultant.

    ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    AI has caught the tech world’s attention thanks to the dramatic advances in new tools like ChatGPT that can hold conversations and generate readable text. Expect artificial intelligence to be deployed as an “overused buzzword” at MWC, said Ben Wood, principal analyst at CCS Insight.

    Companies are promising to show how they’re using AI to make home Wi-Fi networks more energy efficient or sniff out fakes.

    Microsoft’s press representatives have hinted that they might have a demonstration of ChatGPT but haven’t provided any details. The company added AI chatbot technology to its Bing search engine but scrambled to make fixes after it responded with insults or wrong answers to some users who got early access.

    Startups will demo their own AI-powered chat technology: D-ID will show off their eerie “digital human” avatars, while Botslovers says its service promises to “free humans from boring tasks.”

    NOT JUST SMARTPHONES

    MWC hit its stride in the previous decade as the smartphone era boomed, with device makers competing for attention with glitzy product launches. Nowadays, smartphone innovation has hit a plateau and companies are increasingly debuting phones in other ways.

    Attention at the show is focusing on potential uses for 5G, the next generation of ultrafast wireless technology that promises to unlock a wave of innovation beyond just smartphones, such as automated factories, driverless cars and smart cities.

    “Mobile phones will still be a hot topic at MWC, but they’ve become a mature, iterative and almost boring category,” Wood said. “The only excitement will come from the slew of foldable designs and prototypes, but the real size of the market for these premium products remains unclear.”

    Device launches will be dominated by a slew of lesser known Chinese brands such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, ZTE and Honor looking to take market share from the market leaders, Apple and Samsung.

    CHINESE PRESENCE

    Chinese technology giant Huawei will have a major presence at MWC, despite being blacklisted by the Western governments as part of a broader geopolitical battle between Washington and Beijing over technology and security.

    Organizers say Huawei will have the biggest presence at the show among some 2,000 exhibitors. That’s even after the U.S. pushed allies to get their mobile phone companies to block or restrict Huawei’s networking equipment over concerns Beijing could induce the company to carry out cybersnooping or sabotage critical communications infrastructure.

    Huawei, which has repeatedly denied those allegations, also has been squeezed by Western sanctions aimed at starving it of components like microchips.

    Analysts say one message that Huawei could be sending with its oversized display is defiance to the West.

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  • How to keep your Twitter account secure — without paying

    How to keep your Twitter account secure — without paying

    [ad_1]

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Twitter users were greeted early Saturday with an ultimatum from the social media app: Subscribe to the platform’s new premium service or lose a popular account security feature.

    A pop-up message warned users they will lose the ability to secure their accounts via text message two-factor authentication unless they pay $8 a month to subscribe to Twitter Blue.

    The message said that starting March 19, users who don’t subscribe will be locked out of their accounts until they remove the security feature.

    Here are some questions and answers about why Twitter made this change and alternative ways to secure your account:

    WHAT IS TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION?

    Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of security to password-protected accounts by having users enter an auto-generated code to log in.

    This extra step helps safeguard online accounts because in addition to the password, you need access to a separate app, device or phone number where you can receive the code.

    Such codes can be generated by apps like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator. Or they can be sent to a user’s smartphone via text message.

    It’s the text message-based two-factor authorization that Twitter is now restricting only to subscribers of Twitter Blue.

    WHY IS TWITTER DOING THIS?

    In a blog post Wednesday, the San Francisco-based company acknowledged that the text message-based security method has been historically popular with its users, but said the feature is being “used — and abused — by bad actors.”

    The company did not respond early Saturday to an email seeking more details on how the security method was being abused.

    Elon Musk, who completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October, has been trying to find way to maximize profits at the company.

    One of those is Twitter Blue, which among other features allows anyone to pay for verification previously reserved for celebrities, journalists and other well-known people.

    In its blog, Twitter encouraged users who are not going to subscribe to Twitter Blue to consider using alternative account security options, specifically an authentication app or security key.

    These methods require you to have physical possession of the authentication method and are a good way to ensure your account is secure.

    WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO SECURE MY TWITTER ACCOUNT?

    An authentication app or a security key will also add a layer of account security beyond just a password.

    A security key is a small, portable device that generates a set of random numbers that you enter when prompted when logging into an online account.

    An authentication app uses the same approach, but instead of a separate physical device, the app is on your phone.

    To set up an authentication app to secure your Twitter account, you will need to download one of a number of available applications to your device. They are free in the Apple or Android app stores. If you’d rather not use Google or Microsoft Authenticator, there are other options, including Authy, Duo Mobile and 1Password.

    Once you have the app, open the desktop version of Twitter and click on the icon showing ellipses in a circle. There, you’ll find “Settings and privacy” then “Security and account access” and finally, “Security.” Here, you can select “Authentication app” and follow the instructions to set it up. Twitter will ask you to share your email address to do this, if you have not already.

    Once you are all set, you can use the auto-generated numeric codes from your authentication app to add an extra layer of security when logging into Twitter.

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  • Microsoft brings Bing chatbot to phones after curbing quirks

    Microsoft brings Bing chatbot to phones after curbing quirks

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    Microsoft is ready to take its new Bing chatbot mainstream — less than a week after making major fixes to stop the artificially intelligent search engine from going off the rails.

    The company said Wednesday it is bringing the new AI technology to its Bing smartphone app, as well as the app for its Edge internet browser, though it is still requiring people to sign up for a waitlist before using it.

    Putting the new AI-enhanced search engine into the hands of smartphone users is meant to give Microsoft an advantage over Google, which dominates the internet search business but hasn’t yet released such a chatbot to the public.

    In the two weeks since Microsoft unveiled its revamped Bing, more than a million users around the world have experimented with a public preview of the new product after signing up for a waitlist to try it. Microsoft said most of those users responded positively, but others found Bing was insulting them, professing its love or voicing other disturbing or bizarre language.

    Powered by some of the same technology behind the popular writing tool ChatGPT, built by Microsoft partner OpenAI, the new Bing is part of an emerging class of AI systems that have mastered human language and grammar after ingesting a huge trove of books and online writings. They can compose songs, recipes and emails on command, or concisely summarize concepts with information found across the internet. But they are also error-prone and unwieldy.

    Reports of Bing’s odd behavior led Microsoft to look for a way to curtail Bing’s propensity to respond with strong emotional language to certain questions. It’s mostly done that by limiting the length and time of conversations with the chatbot, forcing users to start a fresh chat after several turns. But the upgraded Bing also now politely declines questions that it would have responded to just a week ago.

    “I’m sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation,” it says when asked technical questions about how it works or the rules that guide it. “I’m still learning so I appreciate your understanding and patience.”

    Microsoft said its new technology will also be integrated into its Skype messaging service.

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  • First Generation iPhone Sells For $63,0000

    First Generation iPhone Sells For $63,0000

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    A factory-sealed, first-generation iPhone sold at auction for $63,356.40, more than 100 times its original price, after a woman was gifted the phone in 2007, but never opened it because she didn’t want to get rid of her other phone. What do you think?

    “Why? It’s just going to be phased out by the iPhone 2 at auction in a couple years.”

    Gracie Bolufe, Snake Breeder

    “To think that phone is so old that some of the people who assembled it are adults now.”

    Colton Shaw, Holistic Plumber

    “This is why I leave all my electronics, toys, furniture, and food in its original packaging.”

    Bharat Tate, Opinion Aggregator

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  • How to keep your Twitter account secure — without paying

    How to keep your Twitter account secure — without paying

    [ad_1]

    LOS ANGELES — Twitter users were greeted early Saturday with an ultimatum from the social media app: Subscribe to the platform’s new premium service or lose a popular account security feature.

    A pop-up message warned users they will lose the ability to secure their accounts via text message two-factor authentication unless they pay $8 a month to subscribe to Twitter Blue.

    The message said that starting March 19, users who don’t subscribe will be locked out of their accounts until they remove the security feature.

    Here are some questions and answers about why Twitter made this change and alternative ways to secure your account:

    WHAT IS TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION?

    Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of security to password-protected accounts by having users enter an auto-generated code to log in.

    This extra step helps safeguard online accounts because in addition to the password, you need access to a separate app, device or phone number where you can receive the code.

    Such codes can be generated by apps like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator. Or they can be sent to a user’s smartphone via text message.

    It’s the text message-based two-factor authorization that Twitter is now restricting only to subscribers of Twitter Blue.

    WHY IS TWITTER DOING THIS?

    In a blog post Wednesday, the San Francisco-based company acknowledged that the text message-based security method has been historically popular with its users, but said the feature is being “used — and abused — by bad actors.”

    The company did not respond early Saturday to an email seeking more details on how the security method was being abused.

    Elon Musk, who completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October, has been trying to find way to maximize profits at the company.

    One of those is Twitter Blue, which among other features allows anyone to pay for verification previously reserved for celebrities, journalists and other well-known people.

    In its blog, Twitter encouraged users who are not going to subscribe to Twitter Blue to consider using alternative account security options, specifically an authentication app or security key.

    These methods require you to have physical possession of the authentication method and are a good way to ensure your account is secure.

    WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO SECURE MY TWITTER ACCOUNT?

    An authentication app or a security key will also add a layer of account security beyond just a password.

    A security key is a small, portable device that generates a set of random numbers that you enter when prompted when logging into an online account.

    An authentication app uses the same approach, but instead of a separate physical device, the app is on your phone.

    To set up an authentication app to secure your Twitter account, you will need to download one of a number of available applications to your device. They are free in the Apple or Android app stores. If you’d rather not use Google or Microsoft Authenticator, there are other options, including Authy, Duo Mobile and 1Password.

    Once you have the app, open the desktop version of Twitter and click on the icon showing ellipses in a circle. There, you’ll find “Settings and privacy” then “Security and account access” and finally, “Security.” Here, you can select “Authentication app” and follow the instructions to set it up. Twitter will ask you to share your email address to do this, if you have not already.

    Once you are all set, you can use the auto-generated numeric codes from your authentication app to add an extra layer of security when logging into Twitter.

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