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How a digital “you” can sit through your agonizing web conference calls

Nov 24, 2024 | , , , , ,

Now you can appear to be on a Zoom call in your office, even when you’re sipping a margarita in a hammock far, far away. Courtesy of a months-old startup called Pickle, its pitch is simple: just submit a five-minute-long training video of yourself to create an avatar, and within 24 hours, you’re ready to go. Want to call your colleagues from the car? No problem. Too lazy to get out of bed? No problem. At a beach club? You’re probably pushing it, though judging by the demo video, it’s also ideal if no one on the call is paying close attention to “you.” (The service currently comes in basic, standard, and pro versions, from roughly $300 per year to $1,150 per year.)

Backed by the nascent L.A. venture firm, Krew Capital, the tech only works right now with MacOS, says Pickle, though it says a Windows version is coming next month. As for the conferencing apps from which users can choose, these include Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, says Pickle, adding on its site that “due to high demand, clone generation is currently delayed.”

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

‘Wolfs’ sequel canceled because director ‘no longer trusted’ Apple

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , ,

It may be hard to remember, but George Clooney and Brad Pitt co-starred in a movie, “Wolfs,” that Apple released just two months ago.

On Friday, the film’s writer and director Jon Watts said Friday that a sequel is no longer happening; in a follow-up interview with Deadline, he explained that he “no longer trusted [Apple] as a creative partner.”

The company is reportedly scaling back its movie strategy. “Wolfs,” for example, was supposed to get a big theatrical release, but instead, it played in a limited number of theaters for just one week before launching on Apple TV+.

Watts, who also created the new Star Wars show “Skeleton Crew,” said Apple’s shift “was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion.”

“I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel,” Watts said. “They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot.”

As a result, Watts said he “quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel” and canceled the project.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Why Spend $700 on an Apple Watch When You Can Get The Apple Watch SE For Just $169?

Why Spend $700 on an Apple Watch When You Can Get The Apple Watch SE For Just $169?

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

You can find currently a great deal on the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen), now available for just $169 which is a stunning 32% discount off its regular price of $249. This is also a record low price for this model and makes it an excellent opportunity if you’re looking for an Apple Watch at a reasonable price. Unlike Apple’s own stores, which never offer discounts, this deal on Amazon allows you to save a lot on a smartwatch.

See at Amazon

Amazon’s Black Friday sale comes with added benefits: you can shop confidently knowing that if the price drops further during the Black Friday period, Amazon will refund you the difference. Plus, with an extended return policy until January 31, 2025, you have plenty of time to decide if this smartwatch is right for you or if it makes a perfect holiday gift.

Why Choose This One?

The Apple Watch SE 2nd generation on sale at Amazon is designed with a 40mm or 44mm GPS model and you can choose from a lot of different smart bands. It includes fitness and sleep tracking capabilities so that you can monitor your health effectively. The watch also boasts a Retina display which provides clear visibility even in bright sunlight.

One of the standout features of the Apple Watch SE is its crash detection capability which can alert emergency services if it detects a severe accident. It adds an extra layer of safety for users who lead active lifestyles. The heart rate monitor also keeps track of your heart rate throughout the day, providing valuable insights into your fitness levels and overall health.

With a battery life of up to 18 hours, the Apple Watch SE is designed to keep up with your busy life without frequent recharging. It is also water-resistant up to 50 meters and while it may not have some advanced features found in higher-end models such as blood oxygen monitoring or an always-on display (like the Apple Watch Series 8 or Series 10) , the SE still offers a robust set of functionalities that meet the needs of most users.

When comparing the Apple Watch SE to other models in the Apple lineup, it is positioned as a more budget-friendly option.

See at Amazon

At The Exact Same Time, The Garmin Forerunner 55 And 255 Have Crashed to Record Low Prices

At The Exact Same Time, The Garmin Forerunner 55 And 255 Have Crashed to Record Low Prices

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

This Black Friday, Amazon is offering great deals on two of the most popular GPS running watches: the Garmin Forerunner 55 and the Forerunner 255. Both devices are available at all-time record low prices and makes them perfect choices for fitness enthusiasts (or anyone looking to gift a quality smartwatch this holiday season). With Amazon’s guarantee of the best price during Black Friday and an extended return policy until January 31, 2025, there’s no reason to wait to make your purchase.

The Garmin Forerunner 55, priced at $149 after a 25% discount from its original price of $199, is currently the best-selling smartwatch on Amazon. This watch is designed for runners who want a straightforward yet effective tool to help them train better. It features a 26.3mm display easy to read in various lighting conditions and offers essential tracking features such as built-in GPS, daily suggested workouts, and up to two weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode.

See Garmin Forerunner 55 at Amazon

The Forerunner 55 does not include advanced metrics like heart rate monitoring or music storage, but it excels in providing reliable performance tracking for running and other activities. It can track indoor and outdoor runs, cycling, swimming, and more, making it versatile for various fitness routines.

On the other hand, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is available for $249 with a 29% discount from its list price of $349 and offers a more advanced feature set aimed at serious athletes. With a slightly larger 27.5mm display, this smartwatch not only tracks your runs but also provides deeper insights into your health and performance. The Forerunner 255 includes advanced features such as heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking. This model boasts an impressive battery life of up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and can last up to 30 hours in GPS mode.

See Garmin Forerunner 255 at Amazon

One of the standout features of the Forerunner 255 is its ability to provide advanced training metrics: it includes tools like training readiness scores, recovery time suggestions and race predictions based on your performance data and upcoming events. Additionally, it has Garmin’s latest Elevate V4 sensor for tracking heart rate variability and stress levels, which can help athletes optimize their training regimens.

When comparing these two models, you should consider your fitness goals and how you intend to use the watch. The Forerunner 55 is perfect for casual runners who appreciate simplicity and ease of use without needing extensive metrics or features. In contrast, the Forerunner 255 caters to those who are more serious about their training and want detailed insights into their performance and health.

See Garmin Forerunner 55 at Amazon

See Garmin Forerunner 255 at Amazon

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 Drops to $349 Instead of $1,099 if You Combine Instant Savings, Cashback And Trade-In

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 Drops to $349 Instead of $1,099 if You Combine Instant Savings, Cashback And Trade-In

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is currently one of the most exciting deals available for Black Friday, with huge discounts on the official Samsung website. This promotion represents the best savings of the year, and customers need to choose between two attractive options.

First, you can take advantage of an immediate discount of $250, which brings the price of the 256GB model down to $849 from its original price of $1,099. Alternatively, Samsung provides a trade-in offer that allows users to receive a total discount of $750, which reduces the price to just $349 from $1,099 after trading in an old smartphone. The trade-in value will be assessed based on the condition and model of the device being exchanged.

See Galaxy Z Flip 6 256GB at Samsung.com

For those considering the 512GB version, certain colors come with an additional $100 discount by default. For instance, if you opt for the green color, the price drops to $1,119, and with the trade-in offer, it can be as low as $369. This makes the 512GB model nearly equivalent in price to the 256GB variant under these conditions.

See Galaxy Z Flip 6 512GB at Samsung.com

In addition to these massive savings on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 itself, you will also benefit from a 1.5% cashback offer. Furthermore, Samsung is offering discounts ranging from 40% to 70% on all accessories including smartwatches and earbuds like the Galaxy Buds3 Pro.

Elegant And Powerful

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a stunning example of modern design, and arguably the most elegant foldable smartphone on the market today. Its iconic clamshell design has been refined to enhance both aesthetics and functionality and makes it a standout choice for style-conscious consumers. One of the most striking features of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is its sleek profile: When closed, the device is compact and easily fits into pockets or small bags. The matte finish on the back and frame adds a touch of sophistication and minimizes fingerprints.

In addition to its stunning exterior, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display which provides vibrant colors and sharp details. The display’s 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsiveness. The external 3.4-inch Super AMOLED cover screen allows for quick access to notifications without needing to unfold the device, adding both convenience and style.

Moreover, Samsung has made significant improvements to the durability of this model with an enhanced zero-gap hinge design, which not only makes the fold almost imperceptible when open but also contributes to its overall sturdiness. With an IP48 rating, this phone is resistant to dust and water, making it suitable for everyday use in various environments.

What’s for sure is that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 stands out as a great option this Black Friday with unprecedented savings. Whether opting for the immediate discount or leveraging the trade-in program, you have a unique opportunity to own one of the most innovative and elegant smartphones on the market at a fraction of its original cost.

See Galaxy Z Flip 6 256GB at Samsung.com

DOJ tells Google to sell Chrome

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , , , , , ,

Welcome back to Week in Review. This week, we’re exploring the DOJ telling Google to sell off Chrome to break up its monopoly, OpenAI accidentally deleting potential evidence in The New York Times’ copyright lawsuit against it, and how AI companies are using TikTok brainrot for study tools. Let’s do this.

The U.S. Department of Justice argued that Google should divest its Chrome browser to help break up the company’s illegal monopoly in online search. District Court judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google was an illegal monopoly for abusing its power over the search business, and the DOJ’s latest filing suggests that Google’s ownership of Android and Chrome pose “a significant challenge” to apply remedies for making the search market competitive.

Anthropic has raised an additional $4 billion from Amazon and has agreed to make Amazon Web Services the primary place it’ll train its flagship generative AI models. Anthropic is also working with Annapurna Labs, AWS’ chipmaking division, to develop future generations of Trainium accelerators, AWS’ custom-built chips for training AI models. The new cash infusion from Amazon brings the tech giant’s total investment in Anthropic to $8 billion.

OpenAI accidentally deleted potential evidence in The New York Times and Daily News’ copyright lawsuit, lawyers for the publishers allege. As part of the suit, OpenAI agreed to provide two virtual machines so that counsel could perform searches for their copyrighted content in its AI training sets. But in a letter, attorneys for the publishers say that OpenAI engineers erased all the publishers’ search data stored on one of the virtual machines.

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News

Image Credits:Presley Ann/Getty Images and CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Kim Kardashian meets Optimus: The fashion mogul got some hands-on experience with Tesla’s bipedal, humanoid robot. In videos posted to X, Kardashian prompts Optimus to make a heart with its hand, dance like it’s at a luau, and play rock, paper, scissors. Read more

Oura’s valuation surpasses $5B: The smart ring maker received a $75 million investment from glucose device maker Dexcom. The investment, which marks Oura’s Series D funding round, brings the company’s valuation to more than $5 billion. Read more

Let’s throw a party for Partiful: The customizable event-planning app challenging older solutions like Evite, Eventbrite, and Facebook Events is a favorite among Gen Z users — and has just been named Google’s best app of 2024. Read more

Talk to me in your language: Microsoft will soon let Teams users clone their voices so they can have their sound-alikes speak to others in up to nine languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Read more

Hackers go after Andrew Tate: According to The Daily Dot, hackers breached an online course founded by the influencer and self-described misogynist, leaking data on close to 800,000 users. Tate is currently under house arrest awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking and rape. Read more

What makes a bank a bank? The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ruled that all digital services that handle a significant number of transactions should be subject to bank-like supervision, which could affect Apple Pay, Cash App, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. Read more

A more conversational Siri: Apple is developing a new version of Siri powered by advanced large language models, according to sources cited by Bloomberg, in an attempt to catch up with more natural-sounding competitors like Google’s Gemini Live. Read more

Cashing in on TikTok brainrot: Several AI-based study tools are capitalizing on a “PDF to Brainrot” trend, in which the text of a document you upload is read to you in a monotone voice over “oddly satisfying” vertical videos like Subway Surfers gameplay. Read more

Threads takes a stab at Bluesky: As Bluesky tops 20 million users, Instagram Threads has begun rolling out a new feature called custom feeds in an effort to capitalize on the user demand for more personalization. Read more

ChatGPT in the classroom: OpenAI released a free online course designed to help K-12 teachers learn how to bring ChatGPT into their classrooms. But some educators are wary of the technology — and its potential to go awry. Read more

Do we need another daily word game? I am a daily word game and crossword puzzle evangelist, but it feels like we’re quickly approaching oversaturation in the market. Netflix, in collaboration with TED, launched its new daily word puzzle called TED Tumblewords. Read more

Analysis

a selection of X-ray scans of a human head
Image Credits:Real444 / Getty Images

Please don’t upload your X-rays to a chatbot: People frequently turn to generative AI chatbots to ask questions about their medical concerns and to better understand their health. Since October, X users have been encouraged to upload their X-rays, MRIs, and PET scans to the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, to help interpret their results. Medical data is a special category with federal protections that, for the most part, only you can choose to circumvent. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. As Zack Whittaker writes, it’s good to remember that what goes on the internet never leaves the internet. Read more

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Chad Stahelski Teases Highlander‘s Martial Arts-Heavy Reboot

Chad Stahelski Teases Highlander‘s Martial Arts-Heavy Reboot

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , ,

Hollywood’s been trying to get a Highlander reboot off the ground for years, with different directors, writers, and actors at the helm. As we learned back in January, the latest attempt is set to star ex-Superman Henry Cavill and be helmed by John Wick director Chad Stahelski. We haven’t heard much about it since then, but Stahelski’s recently teased some interesting aspects of the film.

Speaking to the Direct (thanks, IGN), Stahelski revealed the new Highlander is set “beyond” present-day New York and Hong Kong. As he described it, Cavill’s character has been an immortal warrior for “over 500 years. He’s the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation, so you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc there.” Definitely not Cavill’s first rodeo as a reluctant hero, but the director apparently sold him on the project by explaining that the role would provide “a chance to play a character that not a lot of people get to play.”

As for what else you can expect from Highlander, Stahelski teased there’d be a whole lot of action. You’re shocked, surely, but he more explicitly stated audiences would “experience someone that’s trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts.” During his journey, Cavill’s hero becomes embroiled in a love story, though it’s apparently not as eyeroll-worthy as that may sound. There’s “another kind of myth” at play with that part of the movie, said Stahelski, helped by learning “how to bend the story” while working on the John Wick movies.

If that sounds like your kind of action flick, it’ll be a while: production on the Highlander movie is set to kick off in spring 2025, and Lionsgate hasn’t set down a firm release window at time of writing.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Tesla says it has reached a ‘conditional’ settlement in Rivian trade secrets lawsuit

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , , ,

Tesla and Rivian may have resolved a lawsuit in which Tesla accused Rivian of poaching employees and stealing trade secrets.

Bloomberg reports that Tesla told a California statement judge that the companies have reached a “conditional” settlement, and that it expects to seek dismissal of the lawsuit by December 24.

Tesla filed the suit, which was set to got to trial in March, back in 2020. The EV maker alleged that it had discovered an “alarming pattern” in which Rivian was recruiting Tesla employees and encouraging them to take proprietary information with them as they left.

In response, Rivian filed to dismiss the suit, arguing that it was an “improper and malicious attempt to slow” the Rivian’s momentum and to scare Tesla employees who might be thinking of leaving.

Tesla did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. A Rivian spokesperson said the company does not comment on litigation.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Doctor Who’s Final Black-and-White Story Gets a Technicolor Regeneration

Doctor Who’s Final Black-and-White Story Gets a Technicolor Regeneration

Nov 23, 2024 | , , ,

BBC’s Doctor Who has never been afraid to return to its past when the situation calls for it. Usually, this comes in the form of bringing back old friends or foes, or a plotline from not that long ago, but the newest trip back to memory lane aims to add some color to an important part of the franchise.

Earlier today, BBC revealed it’ll be re-releasing 1969’s “The War Games,” the final 10-part black-and-white serial that made up Doctor Who’s sixth season. That’d be notable on its own, but the network’s going the extra step by presenting it in color for the first time. In the serial, the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Companions Jamie and Zoe learn an alien called the War Lord has plucked soldiers from Earth history and brainwashed them into fighting each other so he can use the survivors as an army to conquer the galaxy. In the decades since, it’s been dubbed one of the most important Who episodes, and we were pretty high on the cliffhanger for its penultimate episode back in 2010.

But this new version of “War Games” isn’t just getting a splash of color, it’s also coming with an updated score and visuals. Interestingly, those changes may also affect how the Doctor regenerates into Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor. Whereas the original version is a trippy, almost nightmarish sequence as he’s forced into his new look and pleads for the transformation to stop, the trailer for the technicolor airing hints at a process more in line with the show’s now default glowing flames around his body.

[embedded content]

While this makes sense on a practical level and provides consistency with what Doctor Who has become now, it may also go against the point of the Doctor’s regeneration at the time. Unlike most of the transformations in later seasons, this is a punishment for breaking the Time Lords’ non-interference rule: it has to be horrifying for both him and the audience, especially since this was also our first time seeing other members of his race.

If the idea of BBC changing this regeneration doesn’t sit right with you, current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies said the black-and-white “War Games” will be accessible in its original form on BBC iPlayer. The colored version will come to the platform and air on TV on the same day: December 23.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Forget iPhones, Samsung’s New Foldable Phone Is $1,200 Off For Black Friday

Forget iPhones, Samsung’s New Foldable Phone Is $1,200 Off For Black Friday

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

Samsung has unveiled an exceptional Black Friday deal on its latest foldable smartphones. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an attractive option for those who prefer a compact design. For Black Friday, the 256GB version is priced at $849 down from $1,099, simply by taking advantage of instant savings. However, if you opt for Samsung’s trade-in offer, the price can drop dramatically to just $349. Additionally, certain color options of the 512GB model come with an extra $100 discount.

Despite these appealing offers on the Z Flip 6, the real highlight of this promotion is undoubtedly the Galaxy Z Fold 6. This flagship device typically retails for $1,899 in its 256GB configuration but is now available for only $1,099 after an incredible $800 instant savings. This price point not only represents a record low for this premium device but also positions it as a must-have for anyone seeking a sophisticated smartphone experience.

What makes the Galaxy Z Fold 6 particularly enticing is Samsung’s trade-in program, which allows customers to reduce the price to an astonishing $399 when trading in an eligible device. This includes $300 in instant savings and up to $1,200 off through the trade-in offer from the original $1,899 price point.

See at Samsung.com

In addition to these fantastic savings, you can benefit from Samsung’s Rewards program, which offers 1.5% cashback on purchases made during Black Friday. This means that not only do you save significantly upfront, but you also earn rewards for future purchases. You can also get the Galaxy Watch Ultra at nearly 50% off when purchased alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Best in Class Foldable Phone

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 itself is a showcase of advanced technology and design. It features an impressive 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate for fluid scrolling and vibrant visuals. When folded, it presents a practical 6.3-inch cover display which is perfect for quick interactions without needing to unfold the device.

At its heart lies the powerful and very high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor which provides exceptional performance and efficiency.  You will appreciate the advanced camera system integrated into the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It boasts a triple rear camera setup consisting of a powerful 50MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom capabilities. For selfies and video calls, there’s a capable 10MP front camera on the cover display.

Battery life is another strong point for this device; it houses a robust 4,400mAh battery that supports both fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. It will help you stay powered throughout their busy days without worrying about running out of juice. This iteration has an IP48 rating for water and dust resistance—the first time such protection has been officially offered in a Z Fold model.

With these incredible offers on both foldable models, Samsung’s Black Friday sale is an extraordinary opportunity to own the most advanced smartphones available today at unbeatable prices. Whether you choose the stylish Galaxy Z Flip 6 or opt for the cutting-edge Galaxy Z Fold 6—now at record low prices—this is undoubtedly the perfect moment.

See at Samsung.com

Holy Crap, the Rise of Skywalker Comic is Finally Coming Out

Holy Crap, the Rise of Skywalker Comic is Finally Coming Out

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , ,

In about a month, we’ll have hit the five-year anniversary of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Surprisingly, Disney and Marvel are marking the occasion by bringing out what some had long considered lost media: its comic book adaptation.

Earlier in the week, Marvel revealed the Rise of Skywalker miniseries would begin its five-issue run next February, retaining its original creative team of Jody Houser and Will Sliney and the promise of featured material that wasn’t present in the film. In case you’ve forgotten, the first issue was set to come out in June 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Marvel’s pipeline and prevented it from releasing comics for over a month. But even after things were sorted out a month later, priorities seemed to shift to giving shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian their own comic adaptations. Marvel never gave the comic a new release date, and last year, cover artist Phil Noto eventually just shared a textless cover he made for the miniseries.

Despite recent efforts to try exploring Rise‘s aftermath (big emphasis on “try“), Marvel’s apparently got its act together for the comic. It’s also basically acting like no time’s passed: editor Mark Panicca noted it comes as Sequel Trilogy characters have gotten a “resurgence of interest”—Kylo Ren, for example, is getting his own solo comic a few weeks before this lands. Of the adaptation, Panicca said Houser’s script “captures the impact of these iconic moments between the film’s heroes and villains, while the art by Will Sliney and dazzling colors by Guru-eFX give a visually unique experience of this epic finale.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s five-issue adaptation will kick off on February 26, 2025, if all goes to plan.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The rise and fall of the ‘Scattered Spider’ hackers

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After evading capture for more than two years following a hacking spree that targeted some of the world’s biggest tech companies, U.S. authorities say they have finally caught at least some of the hackers responsible.

In August 2022, security researchers went public with a warning that a group of hackers had targeted over 130 organizations as part of a sophisticated phishing campaign that stole the credentials of almost 10,000 employees. The hackers were specifically targeting companies that used Okta, a single sign-on provider used by thousands of companies worldwide to let their employees log in from home. 

Because of its focus on Okta, the hacking group was dubbed “0ktapus.” To date, the group hacked Caesars Entertainment, Coinbase, DoorDash, Mailchimp, Riot Games, Twilio (twice), and dozens more. 

The hackers’ most notable sizable cyberattack by way of downtime and impact was the hack against MGM Resorts in September 2023, which reportedly cost the casino and hotel giant at least $100 million. In that case, the hackers worked with the Russian-speaking ransomware gang ALPHV, and demanded a ransom from MGM for the company to get its files back. The hack was so disruptive that the casinos owned by MGM had trouble providing services for days.

For the last two years, as law enforcement has been closing in on the hackers, people in the cybersecurity industry tried to figure out exactly how to categorize the hackers and whether to put them in one group or another. 

The hackers’ techniques, such as social engineering, email and text message phishing, and SIM swapping, are common and widespread. Some of the individual hackers were part of several groups responsible for different data breaches. These circumstances have made it difficult to understand exactly who belongs in what group. Cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike dubbed this umbrella group of hackers “Scattered Spider,” and researchers believe there is some overlap with 0ktapus.

The group was so active — and successful — that U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA and the FBI issued an advisory in late 2023 with details on the group’s activities and techniques, in an attempt to help organizations prepare for and defend against anticipated attacks. 

Scattered Spider is “a cybercriminal group that targets large companies and their contracted IT help desks,” CISA wrote in its advisory. The agency warned that the group “have typically engaged in data theft for extortion,” and noted their known links to ransomware gangs.

One thing that’s relatively certain is that the hackers are mostly English-speaking, and widely believed to be in their teens and early-20s — and sometimes referred to as “advanced persistent teenagers.”

“There is a disproportionate number of minors involved, and that’s because the group deliberately recruits minors because of the lenient legal environment these minors exist in and they know nothing will happen to them if the police catch a kid,” Allison Nixon, chief research officer at Unit 221B, told TechCrunch at the time.

Over the last two years, some of the members of 0ktapus and Scattered Spider have been linked with a similarly nebulous group of cybercriminals known as “the Com.” People in this wider cybercrime community have committed crimes that crossed over into the real world. Some of them have been responsible for violent acts, such as robberies, burglaries, and brickings — hiring thugs to throw bricks at someone’s house or apartment; as well as swatting — where someone tricks authorities into believing there’s a violent crime happening, triggering the armed police unit to intervene. While born as a prank, swatting is known to have fatal consequences. 

After two years of hacking, authorities are finally starting to identify and charge members of Scattered Spider. 

In July, U.K. police confirmed the arrest of a 17-year-old in connection to the hack at MGM.

In November, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had indicted five hackers: Ahmed Hossam Eldin Elbadawy, 23, of College Station, Texas; Noah Michael Urban, 20, of Palm Coast, Florida, who had been arrested in January; Evans Onyeaka Osiebo, 20, of Dallas, Texas; Joel Martin Evans, 25, of Jacksonville, North Carolina; and Tyler Robert Buchanan, 22, from the United Kingdom, who was arrested in June in Spain.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Dell XPS 13 (2024) With Lunar Lake Review: Ultra Light and Extra

Dell XPS 13 (2024) With Lunar Lake Review: Ultra Light and Extra

Nov 23, 2024 | , , ,

The new version of the Dell XPS 13 is hovering on the edge of something better, or—at least—something truly unique. There’s an intrinsic factor at work beyond the number of ports and the sloped shape of the 2-year-old XPS 13 redesign, now with Intel Lunar Lake, that reminds me of the M1 MacBook Air. Something there would make me say, “Wow, things are going to change.” It has nothing to do with the old ARC vs. x86 debate. It’s the dream of the lightest possible laptop, still with a physical keyboard, that can do everything.

But the XPS 13 (9350) config doesn’t get there. It’s only close to it in terms of power and battery life, but the shell is still a poor design that needs to change. It’s interesting to look at. I might eventually enjoy the idea of an invisible touchpad, but not an invisible ESC key that disappears in direct sunlight.

Dell XPS 13 (9350)

It sports a radical design that makes it hard to use if you’re hard of seeing or working in direct light. While it’s powerful for its size, it isn’t as zippy as you’d want a laptop for this price.

Buy on Dell

Pros

  • Super lightweight design
  • Trackpad takes some getting used to, but the feel is very nice
  • LCD is plenty bright

Cons

  • Space-less keyboard and touch function row hurt usability
  • Performance isn’t all you want for this price
  • Sound and webcam quality aren’t great

There are many of the same issues with Dell’s other XPS products, such as the XPS 14 and XPS 16. It doesn’t change with a new chip. Still, I’ve wanted to give the XPS 13 a try since Intel first announced its Lunar Lake chips and see what it meant for ultra-thin laptops like this one. My version of the XPS 13 comes with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and a non-touch LCD. Dell said you get one of these laptops with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, which sounds like it would be one hell of an interesting device, but you won’t find that config available on Dell’s site or anywhere else.

There are other versions of the XPS 13 with Ultra 7 258V, and just like I said with the Asus Zenbook S 14, I would look for the higher-end chip first despite the price difference. The 256V does well enough for basic productivity tasks, but when buying a new laptop for anything that requires a bit more juice, I promise it will be worth it. Now that the M4 MacBooks are out, we have a new, high bar for CPU performance across laptop chips, so I’d argue you should try to make sure your next laptop is as future-proof as possible.

See XPS 13 (9350) at Dell

Should that new laptop be the $1,400 MSRP XPS 13 (9350)? It has a fair display, and it sure looks unique. The battery life is incredible, so long as you’re not doing anything strenuous. It’s also an incredibly light laptop with such a smooth, sleek finish you’re handling a stone slate more than a computer. At the same time, it’s too perfunctory for its own good, especially at this price point.

Dell XPS 13 Review: Performance

Dell Laptop 2© Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

My XPS 13 came with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, which is on the lower end of the middle-weight Lunar Lake chips. The laptop packs 16 GB of DDR5x RAM and 512 GB of storage. All that’s to say, this is the lower-end rendition of the XPS 13 you can get, and its performance may not match your expectations for what you may have heard about Lunar Lake.

That’s not to say you should ignore this version altogether. If you go for this config for basic productivity, it’s an incredibly speedy machine in such a thin package. In Geekbench 6, the Core Ultra 7 256V will score better than the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus in single-core settings but trail slightly behind multi-core. It also won’t beat AMD’s latest Strix Point processors like the Ryzen 9 HX AI 370, which you can find in PCs like the Asus TUF Gaming A14.

It’s a worse performer in the Cinebench rendering test, which I found still underperformed in multi-core settings by close to 300 points compared to a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or the Ryzen 9 HX AI 370. I’m still looking for that fabled laptop that will contain the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, let alone more with the slightly higher-performance Lunar Lake chips than just the 258V.

Of course, any PC with a dedicated GPU will be far better for graphics tests like 3D Mark. The Dell XPS 14 with just an Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050 can topple anything that Intel’s onboard ARC graphics can try. I’m still disappointed mainly by the slow times on our Blender tests, where we time how long it takes for the PC to render a single image of a BMW under CPU and GPU settings.

Dell XPS 13 Review: Build Quality and Usability

Dell Laptop 6© Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

As somebody who uses a lot of laptops regularly, I end up typing with several different keyboards regularly throughout my workday. Given that, I should have experience with the newfangled XPS design thanks to my time with the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops. Then I returned to it with the XPS 13 and its flat panel, no-space keyboard, and invisible trackpad, and it still somehow made me feel like a fish out of water.

I could grow to like it if I spent ages with it and got so used to the space-less keyboard that I would struggle to get the same feel on other keyboards. Why would I, though, when the experience is worse than other laptops?

Worse still is the touch function row, which simply disappears when the PC is turned off. Worse, with this eggshell color, the light-up touch keys disappear like ghosts in direct sunlight. The light-up keys may become an accessibility nightmare for anybody with vision issues.

All that is such a shame because I would otherwise enjoy using the XPS 13. This thing is light at only 2.6 pounds. For comparison, an M3 MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds. It’s just a few grams lighter than an Asus Zenbook S 14. Beyond the weight, it’s packing WiFi 7 and a bright display for indoor and outdoor use. However, there’s no problem worse than routinely hitting the wrong key when you’re typing, just because you can’t feel out where your fingers are unless you’re looking at the keyboard.

See XPS 13 (9350) at Dell

Dell XPS 13 Review: Screen, Webcam, and Sound

Dell Laptop 3© Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

This 13-inch laptop has a decent screen, an okay webcam, and mediocre sound quality. The 13.4-inch LCD runs at a 1920 by 1200 resolution with a VSS between 30 and 120 Hz. No, it’s not as inky and pretty as OLED, which you’ll get on prettier configs than the 9350, but at the very least, it’s bright.

The 1080p webcam looks fair under bright light, but things start to look fuzzy as soon as any dim fluorescent light illuminates you. Without space for physical speakers, there’s only so much you can expect from the sound on a thin laptop. The XPS is good enough for listening to it by yourself, but it has a thin quality that’s immediately apparent if you switch off from any 14-inch laptop to this 13-inch one. It can get moderately loud, at the very least.

Dell XPS 13 Review: Battery Life

Dell Laptop 5© Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

The Dell XPS 13’s battery life might be its biggest selling point. When Dell and Intel first announced this config at IFA, it was part of the company’s claim that you would get close to 24 hours of battery life from an x86 chip. That’s a big promise, and we already knew it was only tested in video playback.

In our own video playback tests, where we ran down the battery watching a 24-hour YouTube video, the laptop conked out after 23 hours. That’s very good and the kind of battery you’d want from such a lightweight, fanless design.

As for daily use, it’s also a very strong contender. An entire workday of typing on it, without plugging it into any external monitors, resulted in me still having around 40% battery left over. I forgot to charge it and could still go half a workday without reaching for the plug. The battery drained far faster when supporting more than one monitor, as expected. It’s a better result than I had with the Asus Zenbook with the same chip, so Dell still has a great internal design to rely on, even if I don’t jive with the exterior.

Dell XPS 13 Review: Verdict

Dell Laptop 4© Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

The Dell XPS 13 (9350) feels like a laptop that costs, at most, $1,100, which is where it currently stands on sale before the end of November. I know I’ve already said this design is not my jam, but even at a lower price, I would hesitate to reach for this over something more standard. It’s easily one of the lightest, most well-balanced laptops I’ve used. It hangs out in my backpack and barely puts any more weight on my shoulders than the hoard of paperback books I tend to carry around.

Plus, it has an excellent battery life that adds to its longevity and keeps me from bringing a charging brick everywhere I go. The charging unit that comes with the XPS 13 is already relatively small and light, so that’s a plus. When put like that, there’s so much I want to like about this laptop, though perhaps not with this configuration. Then again, the next step up, with the 258V, 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, and an LCD, costs $1,700 MSRP (currently $1,500 on sale). The OLED touchscreen version is even more pricey. Even on sale, I can’t imagine buying a super-thin laptop for that price when there are other machines you can get.

It’s a perfectly usable laptop and perhaps one you could begin to love. But I’m a curmudgeon, and I don’t like it when I tap a key and accidentally tap two. Perhaps I should blame myself for my imprecise digits. Instead, however, I’ll blame the laptop.

See XPS 13 (9350) at Dell

Trump’s tariff threats don’t scare this Mexican fintech

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , ,

Mexico’s economic development — turbocharged by the amount of nearshoring in recent years — has made it fertile ground for startups. But the trend is under threat if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his idea of taking a harder line on trade with Mexico. 

Jaime Tabachnik, co-founder and CEO of Mexican trucking finance startup Solvento, isn’t too worried, though. “Mexico is the best trade partner, geographically, economically, logistically” to the U.S., he told TechCrunch in a recent interview. But even if the relationship sours, he said, Mexico’s growing economy is big enough for his company to grow.

“The market intra-Mexico, and with our ports, is still big enough for us to build something very big and gigantic,” he said. “We definitely are cheering for an incredible trade partnership between the U.S. and Mexico and [for] that to continue thriving, because it’s an incredible tailwind for us, but we’re not dependent upon it to thrive.”

Tabachnik shared this perspective as his company closed its $12.5 million Series A funding round, which was led by venture capital firm Cometa, and included existing investors like Austin, Texas-based Ironspring Ventures. 

The firm, founded in 2021, provides modern financial services to trucking companies in Mexico, often taking the place of more unsavory lenders that small Mexican businesses have had to rely on in the past, Tabachnik said. Solvento offers invoice financing, automated payments, and its products in general increase transparency and liquidity in the trucking sector, he said.

Solvento hopes to use the funding to grow from a current customer base of around 500 carriers to 5,000 by the end of 2025, Tabachnik said. Scale is key because Tabachnik said he thinks this financial slice of the transportation market is a “winner takes most” situation. 

“We need to move fast,” he said.

Along that growth path, Tabachnik said he wants to add new products like fuel cards and start extending credit to companies to buy trucks. It’s also launching a freight insights platform that leverages the millions of invoices it has handled to date, which shippers and carriers can use to compare trucking rates across the country. 

To do some of this, Tabachnik said Solvento has been winning over some of the banks that were previously hesitant to embrace this market, and is striking partnerships with newcomers to Mexico like Uber Freight.

“If we help [customers] add new assets and more trucks to their fleets, that is just going to help them generate more revenue, more invoices are going to be further discounted, they’re going to consume more fuel. So getting this flywheel starting to spin, in addition to scaling the core offering, is what we believe is the setup in an incredible position for our Series B,” he said.

“We are living in an era where I think the word nearshoring has been the most featured buzz word in the past year or two, right?” Tabachnik said. “But it’s real.”

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

If You Were To Buy Just One Product This Black Friday, This 15-Inch Portable Monitor For $56 Is a Must-Have

If You Were To Buy Just One Product This Black Friday, This 15-Inch Portable Monitor For $56 Is a Must-Have

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

Imagine this: you’re at your favorite coffee shop, laptop open and you need a little extra screen space to tackle that project (or binge-watch your latest series). Enter the ARZOPA portable 15-inch monitor—your new best friend in productivity and entertainment. With its Full HD 1080P display, this monitor brings images to life with vibrant colors and stunning clarity.

This Black Friday, Amazon is unveiling a great deal on this portable monitor, now available for just $56, slashed from its regular price of $109 (48% off).

See at Amazon

As we dive into the holiday season, Amazon’s extended return policy adds an extra layer of peace of mind for gift-givers: you can return items until January 31, 2025, which means if you’re buying this monitor as a gift for someone special (or even for yourself), you have plenty of time to decide if it’s the perfect fit.

Designed For Life on The Go

But let’s talk about convenience. We live in a fast-paced world where portability is key: weighing in at a mere 1.7 pounds and measuring just 0.3 inches thick, this monitor is designed for life on the go. You can slip it easily into your backpack alongside your laptop and you’re ready for anything—from spontaneous work sessions at the park to cozy movie nights at home. The included smart cover protects your screen but also transforms into a stand.

What really sets this monitor apart is its effortless connectivity: with plug-and-play functionality via USB-C, you can connect it to your laptop or smartphone without fumbling with cords or complicated setups. It’s compatible with a wide range of devices including gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation 5. Picture yourself gaming on a bigger screen during a weekend hangout or collaborating with colleagues on a project without crowding around a single laptop screen—this monitor makes it all possible.

Let’s not forget about the stunning visuals that this monitor offers. With HDR support and wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees, everyone can enjoy vibrant colors from almost any position in the room—perfect for family movie nights or gaming marathons with friends. Plus, the low blue light feature helps reduce eye strain during those long hours of use, so you can focus on what matters most without discomfort.

At just $56 down from $109, this great Black Friday deal is an opportunity to optimize your digital life in ways you’ve only dreamed of. With Amazon’s best price guarantee throughout Black Friday—meaning if the price drops further later on, they’ll refund the difference—you can shop confidently today.

See at Amazon

This Echo Dot + Smart Bulb Bundle Is 63% Off, It’s a Perfect Gift That’s Sure to Grab Attention

This Echo Dot + Smart Bulb Bundle Is 63% Off, It’s a Perfect Gift That’s Sure to Grab Attention

Nov 23, 2024 | ,

Amazon has just unveiled an exclusive bundle that’s set to transform your home into a smart, voice-controlled haven: the Echo Dot (5th Generation) paired with an Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb is now available for just $22, down from its original price of $62 (63% off).

See at Amazon

On Amazon, you’ll enjoy a “best price guarantee” throughout the Black Friday period: if the price drops further later, Amazon will refund the difference and removes any need to wait for potentially better deals. Amazon has also extended its return policy for this holiday season so that purchases made during this period can be returned until January 31, 2025 (instead of the standard 30-day window).

Two Great Smart Devices

The Echo Dot is Amazon’s best-sounding compact smart speaker yet and it’s the centerpiece of this bundle. Powered by Alexa, it brings convenience to your fingertips and your voice. This latest generation boasts improved audio quality and delivers clearer vocals and deeper bass for a more immersive sound experience.

Complementing the Echo Dot is the Amazon Basics smart color bulb. This bulb offers 16 preset color selections and adjustable brightness levels from 5% to 100% so that you can create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. The bundle’s true power lies in its seamless integration: simply screw in the bulb, open the Alexa app, and you’re ready to go in minutes.

Voice control is at the heart of this bundle’s functionality: with simple voice commands, you can turn lights on or off, adjust brightness, or change colors. Imagine saying, “Alexa, set the living room lights to purple,” and watching your space transform instantly. But the smart features extend beyond basic control: you can create custom routines to automate your lighting schedule, such as having lights turn on at sunset or off at sunrise. The only bad news is that this smart bulb only works with Alexa, and it’s not compatible with other smart home systems like Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit.

To see the deal:

See at Amazon

Meet three incoming EU lawmakers in charge of key tech policy areas

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

The European Union looks to have clinched political agreement on the team of 26 commissioners who will be implementing President Ursula von der Leyen’s policy plan for the next five years. A final vote is still pending next week, but on Thursday, Politico’s Brussels Playbook newsletter reported a deal in the European Parliament on the appointments, suggesting it’s “now all but guaranteed” that the next European Commission will kick off on December 1.

We’ve picked out three commissioner-designates to watch for tech policy moves as the next Commission takes up its five-year mandate, which runs into 2029, with responsibilities across areas like digital infrastructure and tech investment, support for startups, and enforcing the bloc’s laws on Big Tech.

Teresa Ribera Rodríguez

Executive vice president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition

Teresa Ribera rodríguez Image Credits:European Commission

Big Tech will be watching Teresa Ribera Rodríguez closely. Once confirmed in post, the Spanish center-left politician is set for a major EVP role in the incoming Commission heading up a climate brief-cum-economic transformation EVP role. But she’ll also be taking over competition enforcement from Margrethe Vestager — a portfolio that’s given the likes of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta plenty of headaches over the years.

This combined strategic portfolio makes her the most powerful figure in the incoming Commission — on paper, at least.

The EU has put a fresh focus on trying to rein in platform power in recent years, thanks to the bloc’s flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), a popular competition reform that came into force this March. It responds to Big Tech’s market-shaping muscle by applying a set of upfront rules on how they can operate key platforms, doing things like banning self-preferencing and requiring openness and interoperability, which the EU hopes will result in fairer dealing for competitors and tech users.

Von der Leyen has previously said enforcement of the digital regime is a priority for her second term as EU chief.

As EU competition chief, Ribera Rodríguez is set to wield major decision-making power in tech. She will inherit a clutch of active DMA investigations, including advanced probes of Apple and Meta, where the EU has already said it suspects breaches but isn’t expected to decide the cases until next year. Google’s self-preferencing is also under investigation. Other DMA probes could follow on the seven designated gatekeepers, with Reuters reporting that Amazon will face a probe next year.

Penalties under the DMA can reach up to 10% of global annual turnover or more for repeat offenders. But we’ve already seen notable operational changes as tech giants have been forced to offer stuff they can frame as compliance, such as Apple allowing web distribution for iOS apps and Meta creeping toward “less personalized” ads.

Expect a lot more service reconfiguring as enforcement steps up, though, and Ribera Rodríguez brings down the DMA hammer.

She will also be in charge of classical competition enforcement, which (while typically slower to yield results) has similarly beefy sanctions for violations — an area where the EU recently slapped Meta with a fine of nearly $840 million for tying its online classified ads service to its dominant social network, for instance.

Again, the Commission has a number of open cases that Ribera Rodríguez could end up being in charge of wrapping up, such as a long-running probe of Google dominance of the adtech stack. The EU previously said it may need to consider breaking Google up if its suspicions of anticompetitive behavior are confirmed. Such a significant call may ultimately rest on Ribera Rodríguez’s sign-off.

Faster enforcement, fewer killer acquisitions, strategic state aid reforms

Speaking at her confirmation hearing in the European Parliament, where Ribera Rodríguez was questioned by MEPs (members of the European Parliament) earlier this month, she said she’s committed to working on a reform of EU competition policy to further speed up enforcement and wants to improve the Commission’s ability to enforce the DMA.

The commissioner-designate also said she will focus enforcement on the worst offenders and pledged to clamp down on acquisitions that prevent innovation (i.e., killer acquisitions), suggesting Big Tech M&A will continue to face a bumpy ride in the EU with knock-on implications for startup exits (and investors).

In her own mission letter to Ribera Rodríguez, von der Leyen similarly named “killer acquisitions” and DMA enforcement as key competition priorities, so her confirmation hearing was on script here, instructing the chosen competition chief to “address the challenges and dynamics of digital markets, including platform economies and data-driven business models,” and urging “rapid and effective” DMA enforcement.

The EU president has also overtly aligned goals for the green and competition briefs, saying the EU needs a new approach to competition policy that aims to foster scale-ups that can help the bloc decarbonize faster.

Additionally, von der Leyen wrote that geopolitical uncertainty must be factored in and competition policy should “reflect the growing importance of resilience in the face of geopolitical and other threats to supply chains and of unfair competition through subsidies.” She asked Ribera Rodríguez to oversee more simplification of EU State Aid rules to support efforts to boost the bloc’s competitiveness via what it’s calling “Important Projects of Common European Interest” (or IPCEIs).

Here competition policy is being seen as a key lever for supporting emerging tech in strategic sectors, like microelectronics, batteries, and next-gen cloud infrastructure. So the job is tasked with helping to shape a higher tech, more autonomous future for the EU.

Since the mission letter was penned, Donald Trump has been confirmed as the next U.S. president, further amping up unpredictability and trade risk for the EU. It will be interesting to see how the incoming competition chief uses antitrust powers as a bolster against external instabilities without, for example, being accused of acting politically/being anti-America by a transactional Trump administration.

Henna Virkkunen

Executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy

Henna virkkunenImage Credits:European Commission

As well as a tech-focused EVP portfolio, Henna Virkkunen is being handed responsibility for “Digital and Frontier Technologies,” meaning she’s set to get a key role in shaping the bloc’s approach to web technologies and AI, and a lot more besides.

But as well as the brief putting a focus on fostering investment to drive innovation and tech uptake — requiring her attention on areas like cybersecurity, digital skills, and infrastructure (and uptake of apps like the EU digital wallet) — her responsibilities span enforcement of existing digital rules. It will be interesting to see where the liberal-conservative politician brings her A-game.

In the case of AI, the EU adopted a risk-based framework for regulating artificial intelligence this summer (i.e., the EU AI Act). Enforcement is due to start from early next year — with additional compliance deadlines following in the months and years ahead — but von der Leyen’s mission letter puts much more emphasis on “boosting artificial intelligence innovation” than enforcing these freshly inked rules. So, when it comes to AI at least, it appears Virkkunen is being told to prioritize ecosystem growth.

Among first-order tasks she’s instructed with are helping get EU supercomputers fit for AI startups to use to train models; devising an “Apply AI Strategy” to boost new industrial uses of AI and improve public service delivery; and helping set up the European AI Research Council, which the Commission has said will “exploit the potential of data.”

Other areas where the EU is keen to boost “frontier” tech investment — and therefore where Virkkunen will be expected to move the development needle — include supercomputing, semiconductors, IoT, genomics, quantum computing, and space tech.

In a more explicit ecosystem-boosting measure, the EVP will be in charge of introducing an “EU Cloud and AI Development Act.” The bloc wants this to support SMEs by boosting computational capacity as it will be paired with an EU-wide framework to support innovative startups in gaining access to the compute to develop their tech.

All of this plays into the “tech sovereignty” theme of the portfolio, which von der Leyen has linked to the overarching goal of driving the bloc’s competitiveness.

Digital Services Act enforcement, and what to do about X?

The structure of Virkkunen’s portfolio means she will also take the lead on steering enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the sister regulation to the DMA. The DSA is an online governance framework that aims to ensure digital services do right by consumers by removing illegal content and not neglecting to enforce their own terms and conditions, with an additional layer of algorithmic accountability rules for larger tech platforms.

The bloc has a raft of open DSA probes that Virkkunen is likely to be seeing through to conclusion, including investigations of marketplaces AliExpress and Temu, as well as social media platforms Facebook and Instagram; TikTok; and X (Twitter). Penalties for confirmed breaches can reach 6% of global annual turnover.

So far the EU’s probe of X is the most advanced, with some preliminary findings announced this summer. But where the investigation finally lands should involve Virkkunen, who is taking up an oversight baton previously wielded by ex-internal market commissioner Thierry Breton, who made himself very visible indeed versus most of the rest of the Commission via some public clashes with X owner, Elon Musk.

When it comes to enforcing the bloc’s digital rules, Virkkunen has named protecting children online as a priority. During her hearing with MEPs, she committed to presenting an action plan on cyberbullying and said she would look into “systemic risks,” such as addictive algorithms.

Tackling “dark patterns” is also a task in her mission letter, with von der Leyen saying the EVP must work to combat “unethical techniques online” — including addictive design — and social media influencer marketing. Fixing issues with e-commerce is also on the list. So it’s a repeat of existing Commission DSA enforcement priorities.

Online disinformation is another clear area of focus, which plays to the “democracy” component of Virkkunen’s EVP title. And this always-tricky issue could create some of the biggest risks for the EVP.

Notably, an instruction from the EU president to “work to counter harmful disinformation” is all but certain to bring the bloc into fresh into conflict with Musk, whose platform X contains hateful nonsense of all stripes. So how Virkkunen handles Musk’s inevitable attacks will be essential viewing, especially as the X owner now sits alongside President-elect Trump, bending his ear as a self-styled “first buddy.”

If the EU’s rule of law clash with X hits a crisis point next year, it looks set to be Virkkunen making the call on whether to pull the plug on regional access to the platform, as the DSA contains powers for violating services to be temporarily blocked in extremis.

Breton issued several public warnings of the power in a bid to rein in Musk. In the event, Breton himself is now out of power (after clashing with von der Leyen) and the X owner’s geopolitical influence has scaled exponentially.

The EU still hasn’t brought home the DSA probe of X it started almost a year ago, even as the bloc is now facing four more years of Musk-adjacent transatlantic turmoil. So Virkkunen is stepping into a complex (some might say toxic) brew in this particular case. Even as she’s been instructed to deliver “rapid and effective” DSA enforcement. “Lykkyä tykö!” (“Good luck!”) as the Finns say.

Ekaterina Zaharieva

Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation

Ekaterina zaharievaImage Credits:European Commission

Ekaterina Zaharieva is not an EVP, so hers is a much smaller portfolio, but as commissioner-designate for startups and R&D, she’s likely to become a familiar face in European startup land, and among the wider research community, over the next five years.

Among the tasks von der Leyen set for Zaharieva in her mission letter is to work on a “European Innovation Act,” which is slated to streamline the bloc’s regulatory framework; facilitate access to venture capital for “European innovative startups and scaleups”; and provide support measures for testing new technologies, such as regulatory sandboxes.

A perennial complaint from industry is that the EU’s love of rulemaking hampers homegrown startups versus unfettered global players, so von der Leyen’s policy plan is keen to sound active on ecosystem support measures.

For instance, Zaharieva has been asked to come up with an “EU startup and scale-up strategy” to help grow the local tech ecosystem. In her confirmation hearing, she talked about expanding access to funding and cutting red tape. But, clearly, the devil will be in the details of how she goes about executing those aims.

She will also lead on proposing a “European Research Area Act,” which the EU hopes will foster research and innovation by supporting the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology.

Expanding the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Research Council (ERC) are other stated missions. In the case of the EIC, Zaharieva has been specifically tasked with helping to create a network of trusted deep tech investors to push for co-investment with the private sector to grow homegrown innovation. Elsewhere, she will be involved in getting the aforementioned European AI Research Council up and running, which is part of the bloc’s efforts to support growth in the AI ecosystem.

During her hearing in parliament earlier this month, Zaharieva also pledged to push EU member states to meet a 3% spending target on research and innovation, saying research and innovation must be at the heart of the bloc’s competitiveness agenda.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

OpenAI accidentally deleted potential evidence in NY Times copyright lawsuit (updated)

Nov 23, 2024 | , , , , , , ,

Lawyers for The New York Times and Daily News, which are suing OpenAI for allegedly scraping their works to train its AI models without permission, say OpenAI engineers accidentally deleted data potentially relevant to the case.

Earlier this fall, OpenAI agreed to provide two virtual machines so that counsel for The Times and Daily News could perform searches for their copyrighted content in its AI training sets. (Virtual machines are software-based computers that exist within another computer’s operating system, often used for the purposes of testing, backing up data, and running apps.) In a letter, attorneys for the publishers say that they and experts they hired have spent over 150 hours since November 1 searching OpenAI’s training data.

But on November 14, OpenAI engineers erased all the publishers’ search data stored on one of the virtual machines, according to the aforementioned letter, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York late Wednesday.

OpenAI tried to recover the data — and was mostly successful. However, because the folder structure and file names were “irretrievably” lost, the recovered data “cannot be used to determine where the news plaintiffs’ copied articles were used to build [OpenAI’s] models,” per the letter.

“News plaintiffs have been forced to recreate their work from scratch using significant person-hours and computer processing time,” counsel for The Times and Daily News wrote. “The news plaintiffs learned only yesterday that the recovered data is unusable and that an entire week’s worth of its experts’ and lawyers’ work must be re-done, which is why this supplemental letter is being filed today.”

The plaintiffs’ counsel makes clear that they have no reason to believe the deletion was intentional. But they do say the incident underscores that OpenAI “is in the best position to search its own datasets” for potentially infringing content using its own tools.

An OpenAI spokesperson declined to provide a statement.

But late Friday, November 22, counsel for OpenAI filed a response to the letter sent by lawyers for The Times and Daily News on Wednesday. In their response, OpenAI’s attorneys unequivocally denied that OpenAI deleted any evidence, and instead suggested that the plaintiffs were to blame for a system misconfiguration that led to a technical issue.

“Plaintiffs requested a configuration change to one of several machines that OpenAI has provided to search training datasets,” OpenAI’s counsel wrote. “Implementing plaintiffs’ requested change, however, resulted in removing the folder structure and some file names on one hard drive — a drive that was supposed to be used as a temporary cache … In any event, there is no reason to think that any files were actually lost.”

In this case and others, OpenAI has maintained that training models using publicly available data — including articles from The Times and Daily News — is fair use. In other words, in creating models like GPT-4o, which “learn” from billions of examples of e-books, essays, and more to generate human-sounding text, OpenAI believes that it isn’t required to license or otherwise pay for the examples — even if it makes money from those models.

That being said, OpenAI has inked licensing deals with a growing number of new publishers, including the Associated Press, Business Insider owner Axel Springer, Financial Times, People parent company Dotdash Meredith, and News Corp. OpenAI has declined to make the terms of these deals public, but one content partner, Dotdash, is reportedly being paid at least $16 million per year.

OpenAI has neither confirmed nor denied that it trained its AI systems on any specific copyrighted works without permission.

Update: Added OpenAI’s response to the allegations.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Sequoia marks up its 2020 fund by 25%

Nov 22, 2024 | , , , , , ,

Sequoia says no exits, no problem.

The Silicon Valley titan of venture marked up the value of its 2020 Sequoia Capital U.S. Venture XVII fund by 24.6% in June, at the end of a 12-month period, according to PitchBook, which ran analysis on data from the Regents of the University of California’s endowment.

Sequoia’s markup is notable because the fund has yet to have any exits. This is also a favorable change for a 2020 fund vintage, given the fact that funds from that year aren’t predicted to perform well for any VC after the frothy valuations of 2020 and 2021. The mismatch is likely due to lofty AI valuations giving venture a sense of recovery that hasn’t come to fruition quite yet for other sectors. Sequoia is an investor in buzzy AI companies including: OpenAI, Glean and Harvey, among others.

Sequoia raised more than $800 million for Fund XVII which closed in 2022.

Keep reading the article on Tech Crunch

Illumen Capital doubles down on supporting underrepresented funds

Nov 22, 2024 | , , ,

Illumen Capital is doubling down on its support for fund managers and founders from underrepresented communities. 

The firm is an impact fund of funds that has previously supported ways to address racial bias in investing. Yesterday, the firm, founded by Daryn Dodson, announced the raise of a $32.75 million “Catalyst Fund “to once again support emerging fund managers and founders, especially those hailing from underrepresented backgrounds.

The news comes during a fraught time for many diverse funding managers and founders, who are seeing less financial support than in the years before. Black founders raised less than 1% of venture capital funding last year, according to Crunchbase, and as of H1, was on track to continue seeing a funding decline.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Dodson said, “During terms of economic uncertainty, political polarization, and concerns of ongoing inflation, we’ve seen biases increase,” Dodson told TechCrunch, adding that these biases are also playing out in the venture space, where billions of capital are still going to the same people. 

When asked about fundraising, Dodson said that the firm was fortunate enough to have “established deep relationships,” with limited partners that are “committed to backing the next generation of VC and PE managers.” 

The firm has approximately $285 million in assets under management, it said. It last raised a $168 million Fund II in 2023 to also address racial and gender bias in investing. 

Dodson said the Catalyst Fund is a complementary strategy to its first two funds. “Whereas our Fund I and Fund II focused on more established managers, the Catalyst Fund prioritizes first-time managers and early-stage founders,” he continued. “It was intentionally a smaller vehicle, and we were fortunate that two of our anchor investors from our Fund II – Ford Foundation and Health Forward Foundation – backed this latest fund.” 

The Fund hopes to invest at least 65% of capital into first-time venture managers and up to 35% of capital as direct co-investments into companies sourced through any of its active funds. “At least 90% of the fund will likely be focused domestically,” Dodson continued. “And up to 20% in emerging markets.”

The fund will look generally at managers working in education, health and wellness, financial inclusion, climate, and sustainability, he said. 

Dodson hopes to deploy the fund within the next year and a half. “We see our Catalyst Fund taking advantage of a market inefficiency,” he said. “With the Catalyst Fund, we hope to demonstrate the intrinsic value of backing diverse-led funds, and identify the best of the next generation of venture managers.” 

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