One Tech Tip: Modern cars are spying on you. Here's what you can do about it
Modern cars are collecting more data than ever, raising privacy concerns. The Mozilla Foundation says cars are the worst product category for privacy. They collect data from interactions, onboard services, and connected devices. This data is often shared with insurers and data brokers. Drivers should be aware of what their car collects. Privacy4Cars offers a service to check automakers' data practices. Drivers can adjust settings to limit data sharing. Opting out may affect features like navigation and roadside assistance. When selling a car, a factory reset is recommended to protect personal data.
Zuckerberg, Chan shift bulk of philanthropy to science, focusing on AI and biology to curb disease
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — For the past decade, Dr. Priscilla Chan and her husband Mark Zuckerberg have focused part of their philanthropy on a lofty goal — “to cure, prevent or manage all disease” — if not in their lifetime, then in their children’s. Now, the billionaire couple is shifting the bulk of their philanthropic resources to Biohub, the pair’s science organization, to focus on bringing together artificial intelligence and biology in an effort to accelerate scientific discovery.
On the set of the first Agatha Christie show where mysteries are solved with the internet
LONDON (AP) — The first contemporary Agatha Christie English-speaking TV series is being shot in the U.K. Over a hundred years since they first appeared in a Christie novel, Tommy and Tuppence have been modernized. The six-part BritBox drama of the same name is currently being shot outside London and has the usual big country houses and puzzling mysteries. This time, the characters can use the internet to find clues. Starring Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan as Christie’s amateur sleuths, Thomas says it should appeal to viewers who are normally put off by the period setting of the author’s whodunits. “Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence” is due to air on BritBox next year.
OpenAI faces 7 lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions
OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues. The lawsuits filed Thursday in California state courts allege wrongful death, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter and negligence. Filed on behalf of six adults and one teenager by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project, the lawsuits claim that OpenAI knowingly released GPT-4o prematurely, despite internal warnings that it was dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative. Four of the victims died by suicide. OpenAI said it is reviewing the lawsuits.
Dramatic videos show the burning UPS cargo plane crash in a massive fireball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Dramatic videos captured the tragic final moments of a UPS cargo plane crash near Louisville's airport. The crash on Tuesday resulted in a massive explosion and killed at least 12 people. The National Transportation Safety Board says the plane had been cleared for takeoff when a fire developed in the left wing, causing an engine to fall off. The blaze stretched nearly a city block, destroying much of the plane’s fuselage. The videos are providing investigators and the public with many different angles of the crash. The head of the union representing UPS pilots says the recordings have also deepened the shock and grief among the company's aviators.
Fortnite maker Epic Games and Google say they're settling 5-year legal fight over Android app store
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Epic Games has reached a settlement with Google, potentially ending its five-year legal battle over Google's Play Store for Android apps. The agreement was revealed in a joint legal document filed in a San Francisco federal court on Tuesday. Epic, known for Fortnite, previously won a victory when a federal appeals court condemned Google’s app store as an illegal monopoly. The settlement follows a judge's ruling requiring Google to allow rival app stores on Android. The specific terms remain under seal and must be approved by a U.S. District Judge. Epic also filed lawsuits against Apple's app store in 2020.
Gemini AI to transform Google Maps into a more conversational experience
Google Maps is heading in a new direction with artificial intelligence sitting in the co-pilot’s seat. Fueled by Google’s Gemini AI technology, the world’s most popular navigation app will become a more conversational companion as part of a redesign announced Wednesday. The makeover is meant to turn Google Maps into something more like an insightful passenger able to direct a driver to a designated destination while also providing nearby recommendations on places to eat, shop or sightsee along the way, when asked for the advice. The new AI features will be made available to all of the 2 billion people worldwide that use Google Maps.
Motion Picture Association tells Meta to stop using PG-13 to refer to Instagram teen account content
The Motion Picture Association is asking Meta to stop referring to content shown to teen accounts on Instagram as guided by PG-13 ratings, saying it is misleading. A lawyer on behalf of the MPA sent Meta Platforms a cease-and-desist letter asking the tech giant to “immediately and permanently disassociate its Teen Accounts and AI tools from the MPA’s rating system.” Meta said that its intent was never to suggest that it partnered with the MPA or that the material on Instagram had been rated by the movie association.
Denmark eyes new law to protect citizens from AI deepfakes
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Deepfakes have become not only easier to make worldwide but also look or sound exponentially more realistic thanks to technological advances and the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence tools. These highly realistic AI-generated images, videos or audio of real people can be used for nefarious purposes that range from depicting celebrities Taylor Swift and Katy Perry to disrupting elections and humiliating teens and women. Denmark is now seeking to protect ordinary Danes as well as performers and artists who might have their appearance or voice imitated and shared without their permission. The government has put forward a bill that’s expected to pass early next year.
The Congressional Budget Office was hacked. It says it has implemented new security measures
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Budget Office confirmed Thursday that it had been hacked. This small government office provides objective analysis to support lawmakers during the budget process. Caitlin Emma, a spokeswoman for the CBO, said the agency identified the security incident and took immediate action to contain it. They have implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to protect the agency’s systems. The incident is under investigation, but work for Congress continues. The Washington Post first reported the hacking issue, citing four people familiar with the situation.
