Tech Gumbo

News and Updates: • Google Maps Parking Upgrade- Google Maps now automatically saves your parking location and adds custom car icons, but the hands-free feature is currently limited to iPhones, not Android. • Restaurant Reservation Data Tracking- AI-powered reservation apps like OpenTable quietly build detailed diner profiles from spending, orders, and habits, raising privacy concerns despite opt-out options and personalization benefits. • Windows 10 Security Risks Post-Support- Windows 10 no longer receives security patches, making PCs vulnerable; users must upgrade, pay for limited extended updates, or rely heavily on third-party security tools. • PornHub Premium Data Extortion- Hackers linked to ShinyHunters are extorting PornHub after stealing historical Premium user activity data, exposing sensitive viewing histories despite no compromise of payment information. • Microsoft’s Threat Actor Naming System- Microsoft classifies cyber threat actors using weather-themed names, grouping them by nation-state, financial motive, influence operations, or emerging threats for clearer security attribution. • PayPal Applies for Banking Charter- PayPal seeks its own banking charter to expand small-business lending, offer insured deposits, and reduce reliance on partners amid broader U.S. financial deregulation. • Ford Reboots F-150 Lightning as EREV- Ford ends F-150 Lightning production, planning a 700-mile extended-range electric reboot while investing heavily in battery storage and shifting aggressively toward hybrids.

Guest Warren Birkett, retired consultant from Wybirk and Associates and the reason we had Y2K • Working for IBM in the 1960’s & 70’s • Solving problems with computers of the day • Trying to speed up the compute time, removing the “19” from the date thus creating the Y2K problem that no one at the time thought would ever exist

News and Updates: • Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for $83 billion: Netflix will acquire the Warner Bros. studio, HBO, HBO Max, and key IP like Harry Potter for $82.7 billion post-Discovery split, aiming to boost its entertainment mission. • Paramount Makes $77.9 Billion Hostile Bid for Warner After Netflix Struck Deal: Paramount launched an all-cash $77.9 billion hostile takeover bid at $30 a share for all of Warner, challenging Netflix’s $72 billion cash-and-stock agreement. • Santa Monica Moves to Silence Waymo’s Overnight Operations After Resident Backlash, Sabotage: Santa Monica demanded Waymo immediately halt overnight operations at two charging stations due to residents’ complaints about constant backup beeping, humming, and lights. • Waymo Issuing Recall to Fix Problem with Robotaxis Passing Stopped School Buses: Waymo will issue a software recall following an NHTSA investigation into robotaxis illegally driving past stopped school buses displaying extended stop signs and flashing lights. • Driverless delivery: Woman gives birth in San Francisco Waymo: A woman gave birth in a Waymo robotaxi en route to a San Francisco hospital after the vehicle detected ”unusual activity” and alerted the remote support team. • Starlink Mobile? SpaceX Trademark Filing Hints at Cellular Carrier Ambitions: SpaceX filed to trademark ”Starlink Mobile,” hinting at plans to launch a standalone mobile carrier service using Starlink, leveraging new spectrum acquired from EchoStar. • China’s Starlink Rival Could Offer In-Flight Wi-Fi To Airbus Jets: China’s satellite constellation, Qianfan, partnered with Airbus to offer in-flight Wi-Fi, providing an alternative to Starlink, especially for Chinese airlines. • OpenAI loses fight to keep ChatGPT logs secret in copyright case: A federal judge ordered OpenAI to produce 20 million anonymized ChatGPT user logs as evidence in the high-stakes copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times.

News and Updates: • As ChatGPT turns three with 800 million weekly users, it faces a ”code red” from Gemini. User demographics shifted from 80% male to near gender parity. • Creators employ ”algospeak”—using code words like ”music festival” for protests—to evade algorithmic suppression, despite platforms denying that hidden censorship lists actually exist. • Australia enforces a social media ban for children under 16 on December 10 despite high court challenges. Platforms face $32 million fines for failing to comply.

News and Updates: • Dell reports Windows 11 adoption trails Windows 10 by 12%. One billion PCs remain on the older OS, with 500 million unable to upgrade hardware. • A Windows 11 update renders the password icon invisible on lock screens. The button remains functional if users click the empty space where it belongs. • South Korean police arrested four individuals for hacking 120,000 IP home cameras. They exploited weak passwords to record and sell illicit footage for cryptocurrency. • Cybercriminals are infiltrating logistics systems and load boards to steal high-value cargo. Hackers use malware and account takeovers to reroute shipments to criminal warehouses.