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🇨🇳 Communist China’s at it again: Now, China’s sending hackers after Microsoft 365 accounts, mostly in the financial services and insurance biz. Their method of choice is password spraying, aka attempting to log in to accounts with all the most common, weakest passwords. This is your friendly reminder to use a complex password* for every single account.
RIP SMS 2FA: Translation if you’re totally confused: Google is ditching text message (SMS) two-factor authentication (2FA) for something more secure. Now you’ll scan a QR code. Why the change? It’s way too easy for scammers to intercept texts and hack accounts.
It’s all your fault: That’s what online homework helper Chegg has to say about Google. They’re suing, claiming AI answers at the top of search results killed their business. Revenue is down 24%, and they’re scrambling to right the ship. My motto: Innovate or you’ll evaporate.
NASA’s new mission to deal with space junk is Apollo G: Over 11,000 satellites orbit Earth. When they crash into each other, it creates junk. (We’re talking 40K pieces of debris in low orbit.) The fix: ELROI (Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier). In you and me terms, it’s a solar powered, stamp-sized device that’s a license plate for space identification and communication.
Smart Alexa: Might be coming soon to an Echo near you. Today, Amazon is dropping all the details on the next version of Alexa that can actually hold a conversation (not holding my breath). No livestream, but I’ll share all the intel here Thursday. I bet there’s a pay version.
💰 Want to snag a deal on eBay? Researchers found the longer it takes for a seller to reject you, the better shot you have at scoring a bargain. If it’s been a couple hours and they said “no way” to your lowball, go in with a slightly higher offer. You have ’em on the hook.
Kim Kardashian’s Instagram mistake: No, she didn’t post an unedited pic. Instead, she posted about Texas death row inmate Ivan Cantu, who was convicted of murdering two people and executed around this time last year. Turns out the picture she posted was a different guy, same name, who is very much alive and now suing for slander and libel. Talk about a false bottom.