Your Tech Story

Technology

Elon Musk

Did Elon Musk unwittingly expose his alt-Twitter account?

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By

Elon Musk on Twitter recently introduced a feature that allows content creators to request that Twitter users subscribe in order to access their unique content. The chosen account must be subscribed to on a monthly basis by each user.

Elon Musk
Image Source: gizmodo.com

Elon Musk stated in a message to content creators, “Content creators may wish to enable subscriptions on this platform. Just tap Monetization in Settings.” The profile photo next to Musk’s, though, was what got people’s attention online. This profile photo showed that Musk had multiple accounts open on his personal device.

Also Read: Why is Amazon shutting down Halo Division?

When internet users started looking around, they discovered an account with the exact same profile picture as the one in Musk’s tweet. The username of the account is @ErmnMusk, and the profile image is of Musk’s son. It is obvious from the account’s Twitter bio that it was set up in November 2022. Even though the account only occasionally tweets, there are a lot of responses. and frequently lack logic.

Elon Musk pretends to be his son, who is close to three years old, in a few tweets from the account. “I will finally turn 3 on May 4th!” the most recent tweet reads. On December 6 of last year, another tweet reads, “For the love of God, can someone follow me.”

The majority of the tweets are completely meaningless and arbitrary, though, thus it’s possible that this account was formed with the express purpose of shitposting, according to a brief peek at the “Replies” section.

The account additionally responded to a tweet that included Caroline Elliso, the former CEO of Alameda Research, in its image. Alameda Research was a trading firm that specialized in cryptocurrency. The company suffered severe losses in October 2021.

According to reports, a cryptocurrency market crash cost Alameda Research about $2.8 billion in losses in a single day. The trading company submitted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in November 2022.

People are responding to the tweets as the account steadily attracts the curiosity of a growing number of online users. One person suggested, “Ask dad to give you $8 for a blue cheque,” and another said, “Can you ask your father when Tesla is going to buy more Dogecoin?”

Also Read: How to send a secure email in Gmail?

Elon Musk’s purported alt account has about 48,000 followers. It should be emphasized that Musk has not formally asserted that he is the one uploading offensive content from this account.

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, is known for his frequent online shenanigans. His Twitter page is a regular topic of attention, with posts ranging from contentious statements to updates and announcements on what is happening at his numerous firms.

Arm

Chipmaker Arm to make its own semiconductor

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

Arm, a company acquired by SoftBank, is creating its own chip to demonstrate the possibilities of its ideas as it looks to expand after a successful IPO subsequently this year.

According to those informed on the development, the corporation will collaborate with manufacturing companies to produce the new chip. They define it as one of the most sophisticated chipmaking endeavours the Cambridge-based organisation has ever undergone.

Arm
Image Source: timesnownews.com

The initiative comes as SoftBank works to increase Arm’s revenue and draw investment to a planned IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange within New York.

Also Read: SAP reports revenue growth in Q1

Instead of engaging directly in the design and development of semiconductors, the corporation typically gives its architectural designs to chip producers.

It is hoped that the prototype will enable it to show the larger market, the strength and potential of its concepts.

With partners like Samsung & Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., Arm has already developed several test chips, mostly to help software developers become more acquainted with the latest developments.

However, other business leaders told the Financial Times that the company’s most recent chip, on which it only recently began working, is “more advanced” than anything else. According to them, Arm has also established a bigger team to start this project and is focused on chip manufacturers rather than software developers while developing the product.

As insiders informed on the plan, the business has established a brand-new “solutions engineering” division that will oversee the manufacturing of these initial prototype processors for mobile phones, laptops, and various other gadgets.

A veteran of the chip business Kevork Kechichian, who entered Arm’s core executive division in the month of February, is in charge of the solutions engineering division. Before joining Qualcomm, he worked with chipmakers NXP Semiconductors & NXP Semiconductors, where he oversaw the creation of Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon processor.

The group will also broaden Arm’s current initiatives to improve design performance as well as safety and to increase access for developers to its devices.

Also Read: Meta lays off tech teams, battering employee morale

Rumours regarding Arm’s chip-making activities have raised concerns in the semiconductor sector that, if it produces a high-quality chip, it could attempt to promote it in the years to come and so challenge some of its biggest clients, like MediaTek or Qualcomm.

According to those close to Arm, the company is just developing a prototype and has no ambitions to put it on the market or licence the creation. Arm chose not to respond.

Amazon

Why is Amazon shutting down Halo Division?

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By

Amazon sent out a note to Halo customers today announcing that it is shutting down its Halo Health division, effective July 31. Included in the announcement is news of layoffs, as well as full refunds on hardware purchased over the past 12 months.

Amazon
Image Source: businesstoday.in

That includes Amazon Halo View, Halo Band, Halo Rise, and a bunch of accessories. That’s not an unprecedented move (Google did something similar when it recently shut down Stadia), but it’s a sign of goodwill for customers and a tacit acknowledgment that the hardware won’t be worth a hell of a lot when its associated services shut down. The company will also be ending subscription fees and refunding those that were pre-paid.

Also Read: OpenAI rolls out ‘incognito mode’ on ChatGPT

In a letter addressed to “Halo Member,” the company says, “At Amazon, we think big, experiment, and invest in new ideas like Amazon Halo in our efforts to delight customers.” All of the above-mentioned products will stop working at the start of August. Additionally, Amazon has included instructions on how to recycle the hardware and save scan images to a phone’s camera roll.

The corporation announced 9,000 layoffs at the end of last month, bringing the total to 18,000 since January. The first round had a disproportionately negative effect on Amazon’s hardware divisions, with the Alexa/Echo team receiving a lot of attention.

When the first Halo tracker went public in August 2020, privacy advocates reacted negatively. The range continued to expand swiftly, including the Halo View, an $80 Fitbit rival, along with other fitness and nutrition programs, in late 2021. It unveiled the Halo Rise, a nightstand sleep tracker, in September of last year, and it went on sale in December.

Amazon Halo is a fitness wearable device and accompanying app that was launched by Amazon in August 2020. The device is designed to help users improve their overall health and wellness by tracking various aspects of their lifestyle, including activity levels, sleep, body fat percentage, and even their tone of voice.

The Amazon Halo device is worn as a wristband and features sensors that can track a user’s heart rate, motion, and temperature. The device also has a microphone that can be used to analyze a user’s tone of voice and provide feedback on their communication style.

Overall, the Amazon Halo is designed to be a comprehensive health and wellness tool that can help users make positive changes to their lifestyle by providing personalized recommendations and insights.

OpenAI

OpenAI rolls out ‘incognito mode’ on ChatGPT

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

OpenAI declared on April 25 that it is creating what one employee referred to as an “incognito mode” for its popular chatbot ChatGPT which does not record people’s chat histories or use them to advance its artificial intelligence.

Additionally, the business which is based in San Francisco announced plans for a “ChatGPT Business” subscription featuring more extensive data management.

OpenAI
Image Source: firstpost.com

The decision was made as concern has grown about how ChatGPT along with the other chatbots it influenced handle the data from numerous billions of users, which is frequently utilized for “training” or improving artificial intelligence.

Italy this month suspended ChatGPT due to potential privacy concerns, but said OpenAI might reinstate the service provided certain conditions were met, which include providing users with the ability to reject the collection of their data. France, as well as Spain, also initiated inquiries into the service.

Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), OpenAI, explained to Reuters that the business complies with European privacy laws and is striving to reassure regulators.

Also Read: Google Authenticator finally syncs one-time codes in the cloud

She said that the updated functions were the result of months of effort aimed at putting people “in the driver’s seat” concerning data collecting rather than Italy’s ChatGPT ban.

“We’ll be moving more and more in this direction of prioritizing user privacy,” Murati said, with the goal that “it’s completely eyes off and the models are super aligned: they do the things that you want to do”.

Source: tech.hindustantimes.com

She stated that user data has assisted OpenAI in improving the software’s dependability and reducing political bias, amongst other problems, but added that the business still has difficulties.

With the product update from Tuesday, users can export their data and turn off the “Chat History & Training” option within the settings.

Users can now deactivate “Chat History & Training” in their options and export their data because of its additional features. However, before totally wiping the discussions, OpenAI will keep them on file for 30 days to monitor for any potential abuse. With the upcoming “ChatGPT Business” subscription, chats won’t by default be utilized for training artificial intelligence models.

The business will nevertheless keep conversations for about 30 days to watch for any kind of abuse before eliminating them, according to Nicholas Turley, the OpenAI product officer, who compared this to the incognito mode of an internet browser.

Additionally, the business subscription offered by the company won’t by default use chats for training artificial intelligence models when it becomes accessible in the coming months.

Businesses already have access to ChatGPT thanks to Microsoft Corp.’s investment in OpenAI. The existing clients of the cloud provider, according to Murati, would be interested in that service.

Gmail

How to send a secure email in Gmail?

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By

Email is an essential communication tool in today’s digital world. Sending a secure email is, therefore, crucial to protecting our privacy and security. Gmail is one of the most popular email services globally, and hence it’s important to know how to send a secure email in Gmail.

One can enable Two-factor Authentication (2FA) in Gmail. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that requires users to provide two forms of identification before accessing an account. This extra layer of security makes it difficult for cybercriminals to gain access to your Gmail account even if they have your password.

Gmail
Image Source: pcmag.com

To enable 2FA in Gmail, go to your Google Account settings, click on “Security,” and then enable “Two-Step Verification.” You can choose to receive a verification code via SMS, a phone call, or an authenticator app.

Also Read: Is Microsoft going to unbundle Teams and Office?

A strong password is crucial in keeping your Gmail account secure. Avoid using easily guessable passwords such as “password,” “123456,” or your name. Instead, use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.

Additionally, do not reuse passwords across multiple accounts. You can use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for your Gmail account. Use Encryption to Protect Email Content

Encryption is a method of encoding data to make it unreadable to unauthorized users. Gmail uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt email content in transit. However, if you want to add an extra layer of security, you can use end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption encrypts email content from the sender’s device to the recipient’s device, making it difficult for anyone to intercept or read the email content. You can use third-party tools such as ProtonMail, Tutanota, or Virtru to send encrypted emails in Gmail.

Gmail’s Confidential mode is a feature that allows you to add an extra layer of security to your email. When you enable Confidential mode, you can set an expiration date for the email, and you can also choose to require a passcode to open the email. Additionally, Confidential mode emails are protected from forwarding, copying, printing, or downloading.

To use Confidential mode in Gmail, compose your email as usual, but before you hit send, click on the lock icon located at the bottom of the compose window. This will enable Confidential mode, and you can set the desired settings before sending the email.

Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links and Attachments. Phishing emails are a common tactic used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information. Always verify the authenticity of the email before clicking on any links or attachments. Additionally, you can use anti-malware software to scan any attachments before opening them.

Regularly updating your Gmail account and devices is crucial in keeping them secure. Software updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Make sure you update your Gmail account settings, software, and devices regularly to stay protected.

Also Read: What is Auto-GPT and why does it matter?

In conclusion, sending a secure email in Gmail is crucial in protecting your privacy and security. By enabling two-factor authentication, using strong passwords, encrypting email content, using Gmail’s Confidential mode, avoiding clicking on suspicious links and attachments, and regularly updating your Gmail account and devices, you can keep your Gmail account and email content secure.

Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator finally syncs one-time codes in the cloud

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By

You may now synchronize your two-factor authentication codes with your Google account, a feature that has been long requested by users of Google Authenticator.

Thus, Authenticator won’t need to be set up separately when you configure a new phone and log in to your account. This also implies that logging back into your accounts from a different device will be less of a nerve-racking experience if you lose your phone or it is stolen.

Google Authenticator
Image Source: techcrunch.com

While cloud synchronization has become quite popular in other two-factor efforts like Authy, Google took a very long time to add it to Authenticator, which debuted back in 2010. You must upgrade the Authenticator app for Android and iOS to the most recent version in order to enable cloud syncing for two-factor codes.

Also Read: Google TV now has over 800 ad-supported free channels

More information on the feature is available on Google’s support page, which also confirms that “if you’re signed into your Google Account within Google Authenticator, your codes will automatically be backed up and restored on any new device you use.”

Google’s Christiaan Brand stated in a blog post that “one major piece of feedback we’ve heard from users over the years was the complexity in dealing with lost or stolen devices that had Google Authenticator installed.

Since one-time codes in Authenticator were only stored on a single device, a loss of that device meant that users lost their ability to sign in to any service on which they’d set up 2FA using Authenticator. With this update we’re rolling out a solution to this problem, making one-time codes more durable by storing them safely in users’ Google accounts.

This change means users are better protected from the lockout and that services can rely on users retaining access, increasing both convenience and security. While we’re pushing towards a passwordless future, authentication codes remain an important part of internet security today, so we’ve continued to make optimizations to the Google Authenticator app”

However, one-time passcode cloud syncing may make it much more alluring for bad actors to attack Google accounts. If you can hack into a system, you could have access to a lot of private information. Kimberly Samra, a Google spokesperson, verified that account syncing is entirely optional.

Also Read: Google wins appeal of $20 mln US patent verdict

But if you do, don’t anticipate any additional security measures beyond Google’s basic ones. Authy offers an option to allow (or disallow) the usage of numerous devices with an account in addition to a unique password for recovering two-factor backups in order to keep out unwanted visitors.

The bland vault design of the Authenticator app will be replaced with an asterisk in Google’s colors with this upgrade.