FTC says Amazon executives destroyed potential evidence by using apps like Signal
FTC lawyers submitted a filing on Thursday that claims Amazon’s top execs used Signal’s disappearing messages feature to destroy evidence relevant to the agency’s massive antitrust lawsuit. (You remember the one? The FTC accused Amazon of creating a secret “Project Nessie” pricing algorithm that may have generated more than $1 billion in extra profits.)
Now, The Washington Post (which is owned by Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos) reports that Amazon is just one of several companies recently accused of turning to encrypted messaging apps like Signal that can permanently erase messages automatically.
You may recall the government making similar arguments about Sam Bankman-Fried’s use of Signal during his trial for fraud and how...
Eken fixes ‘terrible’ video doorbell issue that could let someone spy on you
A company that manufactures video doorbells found by Consumer Reports to contain serious security vulnerabilities has issued a fix, the consumer advocacy group is reporting. Eken Group has issued a firmware update for the affected security products under its own name, as well as those from other brands it has licensing deals with, including Fishbot, Rakeblue, Tuck, and others. All the video doorbells use the Aiwit smartphone app and could be purchased from popular online retailers like Amazon, Shein, Temu, and Walmart.
Back in February, CR reported that it found vulnerabilities in Eken-produced video doorbells that “could allow a dangerous person to take control of the video doorbell on their target’s home.”
Gaining access to the...
Google is officially a $2 trillion company
Google has spent the past year dealing with two of the biggest threats in its 25-year history: the rise of generative AI and the growing drumbeat of regulation. AI, in particular, has shaken the company to its core: it’s made big search changes, realigned the Search, Android, and hardware teams around AI, and launched its own Gemini AI model to capitalize on the opportunity.
Google execs cut projects and laid off employees to refocus, and yesterday, it announced its first-ever dividend and a $70 billion share buyback alongside its Q1 2024 earnings.
Investors, at least, are eating it up: Google parent company Alphabet has finally officially hit and maintained a $2 trillion market cap for a whole day of trading after briefly touching $2...
I traded in my MacBook and now I’m a desktop convert
When the M3 MacBook Airs came out last month, I did a good ol’ double facepalm that Captain Picard would be proud of. The wedge shape was no more (kinda). My M2 MacBook Air 15 was slightly too big, too heavy, and no matter what certain people say, 8GB of RAM was not cutting it. Analyzing the various MacBook Air and MacBook Pro configurations and prices made my head hurt. Thinking about lugging around a heavier laptop made my back hurt.
So I said, “Screw it. I’m going back to the desktop life.” I traded in my M2 Air and got myself a Mac Mini.
It made sense. I have a work-issued M1 MacBook Air — a delightfully lightweight wedge that’s more than enough for occasional trips to the office. At home, I use my phone for everything except...
How to delete the data Google has on you
Think about everything you do across Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and everything else Google owns, and you get some idea of how much data you’re giving up to the company each day. For most of us, it’s... a lot.
Whether or not you think the data collection and targeted advertising is a worthwhile trade for the free apps you get in return, Google does at least provide a comprehensive online dashboard you can use to see some of what’s being gathered.
You can use it to delete everything Google has already collected, stop it from collecting anything in the future, or automatically delete your data after a set period (like three months). You can also use these features to clear the records if you’re planning to delete your Google...
Google adds AI conversation practice for English language learners
Google is testing its AI listening skills with a feature that lets people speak into their phones and practice English with a conversational AI bot. Google first rolled out the speaking practice experience in October 2023. Originally, the feature only provided feedback on spoken sentences. Now, users can practice having ongoing conversations in the language they’re learning.
TechCrunch reports that the feature is currently available for Search Labs users in Argentina, Colombia, India, Mexico, Venezuela, and Indonesia. Search Labs is Google’s sandbox for potential new Search features; however, the feature may also pop up based on translating to or from English with Google on an Android device.
For now, the feedback and conversation...
Apple’s last-gen MacBook Pro 16 is on sale for its best price to date
It’s been a good week for Apple fans. Not only did Apple announce its forthcoming “Let Loose” event, but the entire M3-powered 13-inch MacBook Air lineup received a notable discount. And now, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip has plunged to an all-time low. If you require a laptop capable of handling more intense workloads than the Air, authorized Apple retailer Expercom is selling the last-gen MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 12‑core CPU, and a 19‑core GPU for $1,998.99 ($500 off) via Amazon.
Like the new M3-powered MacBook Pros, Apple’s last-gen MacBooks can tackle tasks like video editing and photo processing while lasting well over a full workday, which makes them better suited for creative professionals...
Akira Toriyama’s Sand Land makes a better show than game
Between Dune, Fallout, and Mad Max, it’s a good year for stories with lots of sand and little water. Now, you can add Sand Land — an adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama’s manga of the same name — to that list. The difference here is that Sand Land comes in two new flavors. There’s an anime streaming on Hulu (or Disney Plus if you’re outside the US) and a video game that turns the story into an open-world RPG. Both follow a similar plot, have the same characters, and even look nearly identical. Which means that if you’re looking to jump into this postapocalyptic wasteland, you have a choice to make — and it turns out, the animated series is a much tighter, more exciting adaptation.
The first thing you should know is that, whichever...
Drake has taken down his diss track featuring AI Tupac
Tupac Shakur’s lawyers warned Drake that they would take him to court if he did not take down his “Taylor Made” diss track featuring AI-altered vocals made to sound like the late rapper. And it seems like the message was received loud and clear.
Following Tupac’s lawyers giving Drake 24 hours to pull “Taylor Made” or risk being sued, the Canadian rapper has apparently chosen the former option and removed the song from his X profile. Drake first posted “Taylor Made” on April 19th as the latest response in his ongoing beef with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, whose fondness for Snoop Dogg and Tupac is thought to be the reason Drake used recreations of their voices in his song.
Because “Taylor Made” was never officially released on any...
Space Vacation’s gorgeous prints celebrate fan-favorite movies
A look at Samar Haddad’s bold homages, from sci-fi to comedy.