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An iPhone to HDMI adapter was discovered that, when plugged in, runs a program prompting users to download an app. This EZ Cast app collects extensive personal data and sends it to China for ad targeting. It requires location access, photos, and installs tracking cookies. The adapter appears designed to mimic official Apple products. While its intentions are unclear, it demonstrates how such devices could enable privacy risks by introducing untrusted software into a user's devices. Analysis of a similar EZCast dongle found it was vulnerable and not designed with security in mind. Reviews complain the app is useless or a scam. The adapter may have originated as unsold Amazon returns later acquired by electronics recyclers. Its existence relates to concerns about privacy and navigation issues on online marketplaces.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, former CEO of the privacy-focused search engine Neeva, believes the window for AI systems to truly disrupt Google's dominance in consumer search is closing following Snowflake's acquisition of Neeva. At Snowflake, Ramaswamy sees more potential in using AI for enterprise applications and knowledge discovery. While chatbots like ChatGPT showed promise early this year, Google's own Bard system is improving and the lack of integration between services limits disruption. In the enterprise space, Snowflake trusts allow it to securely leverage customers' data to help them use AI. Ramaswamy notes that success in large language models remains unpredictable, as platforms that once dominated like BlackBerry and Nokia have fallen. Overall, the acquisition allows Neeva's team to apply their search technology to Snowflake's structured and unstructured enterprise data.

For the first time, Apple discussed repairability during its iPhone launch event. An engineer mentioned the new iPhone 15 Pro models were designed with a structural frame that makes the back glass easier to replace. This comes after the iPhone 14 introduced a design that allows removal of the front or back. Repair advocates welcomed the acknowledgment but will still examine the devices for barriers like parts pairing. While praising initiatives to reduce emissions, critics argue the most sustainable option is not buying a new phone annually. The conversation on repairability is complex as commitments face scrutiny versus past actions restricting repair. Only time will tell if Apple's claims translate to meaningful improvements or are more superficial than substantive.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/7714318

Grindr Inc. has lost about 45% of its staff as it enforces a strict return-to-office policy that was introduced after a majority of employees announced a plan to unionize.

About 80 of the 178 employees at the LGBTQ dating app company were forced to resign after the company in August mandated workers return to work in person two days a week at assigned “hub” offices or be fired, the Communications Workers of America said in a statement Wednesday.

The West Hollywood, California-based company also gave a severance package to staff who were unable to relocate, in what the CWA alleged was an attempt “to silence workers from speaking out about their working conditions,” according to a statement from the organization. The CWA filed a new labor complaint against the company on Wednesday, the second such complaint in about a month.

Grindr Inc. has lost about 45% of its staff as it enforces a strict return-to-office policy that was introduced after a majority of employees announced a plan to unionize.

About 80 of the 178 employees at the LGBTQ dating app company were forced to resign after the company in August mandated workers return to work in person two days a week at assigned “hub” offices or be fired, the Communications Workers of America said in a statement Wednesday.

The West Hollywood, California-based company also gave a severance package to staff who were unable to relocate, in what the CWA alleged was an attempt “to silence workers from speaking out about their working conditions,” according to a statement from the organization. The CWA filed a new labor complaint against the company on Wednesday, the second such complaint in about a month.

Also starting next spring, the Al Companion will give "real-time feedback' on people's presence in meetings plus coaching on their conversational and presentation skills.

Google and Nvidia are offering all Chromebook owners a free 3-month subscription to GeForce Now, Nvidia's cloud gaming service, without needing a credit card. Those who bought a gaming Chromebook get the higher-tier Ultimate subscription allowing 1440p resolution and 120fps streaming. The free trial allows users to experience the improved latency and image quality of Ultimate. A fast internet connection is still required for cloud gaming on a Chromebook. Interestingly, this announcement comes shortly after Google canceled plans for more powerful gaming Chromebooks with dedicated Nvidia GPUs, making one wonder if the free subscriptions were originally intended for those canceled devices. The timing also mirrors Google's previous cancellation of its own Stadia cloud gaming platform around the same time it had announced gaming Chromebooks.

A lawsuit was filed against Reddit alleging that the company fired an employee with anxiety for taking medical leave. The employee, Jamie Lee, had worked at Reddit as an accountant for over 4 years with positive reviews. In July 2022, Lee requested 3 days off for her health but was denied. She was later placed on medical leave after fainting, but was fired upon returning and accused of poor performance. However, the lawsuit claims others made similar mistakes. It also alleges Reddit's new leadership under the CFO has created a "toxic, political, and not inclusive" culture, which two other employees also left over. This highlights challenges employees faced with the changing culture at Reddit.

The organization that represents Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's works has petitioned the U.S. government to restrict the right to repair a religious artifact called an E-Meter. This device is core to Scientology practices but the group argues exemptions allowing device hacking should not apply to equipment restricted to trained users. Experts believe the E-Meter is the targeted device, which the Church says requires specific Scientologist operation. Documentation shows the E-Meter updater software mandates registration, including a membership number, suggesting repair restrictions. The language used in the petition matches stipulations Scientology requires for E-Meter use and purchase agreements. In short, the Church appears to be attempting to prevent independent E-Meter repair or experimentation through copyright exemption restrictions.

Many mushroom identification and foraging books being sold on Amazon are likely generated by AI with no human authorship. These books could provide dangerous misinformation and potentially lead to deaths if people eat poisonous mushrooms based on the AI's inaccurate descriptions. Two New York mushroom societies have warned about the risks of AI-generated foraging guides. Experts note that safely identifying wild mushrooms requires careful research and experience that an AI system does not have. Amazon has since removed some books flagged as AI-generated, but more may exist. Detecting AI-generated books and authors can be difficult as the systems can fabricate author bios and images. Relying on multiple credible sources, as well as guidance from local foraging groups, is advised for safely pursuing mushroom foraging.

Google has developed a tool called SynthID that can watermark AI-generated images in a way that is imperceptible to humans but detectable by AI. The watermark is embedded in pixel values without noticeably changing the image. SynthID is being launched for use with Google Cloud's image generator to verify original photos. While aimed initially at detecting deepfakes, the tool could also help businesses check AI-generated images used for tasks like product descriptions. Google hopes SynthID may become a web-wide standard but recognizes others are working on detection methods too. The launch marks the start of an arms race as hackers will try to circumvent the system, requiring it to continuously improve. Overall, SynthID is a first step toward greater transparency around AI-generated content online.

Another new Meet feature lets Duet “attend” a meeting on your behalf. On a meeting invite, you can click an “attend for me” button, and Google can auto-generate some text about what you might want to discuss. Those notes will be viewable to attendees during the meeting so that they can discuss them.