Airplane Wi-Fi: Dos, don’ts and security pro tips
When Barry and I were on the (very long) flight to Japan, he leaned over and asked, “I want to check our Morgan Stanley account. Do you think it’s OK to do it using the plane’s Wi-Fi?”
How did we live without Wi-Fi on a plane? Oh, yeah, we read magazines! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news — Wi-Fi isn’t as protected as we hope.
Can you spot election deepfakes? Here’s how not to be duped
There was the deepfake audio robocall of President Biden telling you to hold your vote. And just last week, a phony video of Donald Trump with black voters made the rounds.
AI deepfakes are a massive problem this election season, and it’s easy to get taken — especially when your news and social media feeds are full of this junk.
🕷️ Creepin’ it real: A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student used AI and cheap mics to make a scientific breakthrough. He found wolf spiders prefer to signal to each other on top of crunchy, dead leaves instead of bark. Sounds small, but this kind of research used to take thousands of hours and lots of expensive equipment! Super cool.
40% of adults lack interaction
They have gone three or more days without interacting with another person. In our hyper-connected world, loneliness is a big problem. Community is so important, and online community counts. Check out the Komando Community if you want to connect with other tech lovers.
New AI warning: If you use AI to produce content or provide legal, medical or other advice, you’re legally responsible (paywall link) for everything AI does for you. That makes you completely exposed and fully liable for whatever it generates — and AI makes a ton of mistakes. This is important for any business owner to know.
Ads are coming: Perplexity, the AI search engine backed by Jeff Bezos and other big-name investors, will soon slip in ads where you’re most likely to click — on “related questions” that make up 40% of queries. Pay attention: The web as we know it is completely changing.
Team Android warning: Banking malware is hiding in a fake version of the McAfee Security app. The scam kicks off with a fake text about an unauthorized transaction. Call the number, and a fraudster convinces you to download a “security” app containing malicious code. You have to be smarter than this.
Are you a chatbot? Utah is the first state to pass AI legislation. Starting May 1, companies must clearly disclose if they use any AI that interacts with a person — think customer service, videos, phone calls, etc. If they don’t, they face fines of up to $5,000. But how will we know?
Don’t buy an iPad now: New iPads are dropping in early May. Expect a Pro with an OLED display running on the new M3 chip and, for the first time, a big-boy iPad Air with a 12.9-inch screen. FYI, the iPad Air will probably rock the old (but still fast) M2 chip. I bet the new M3 stays Pro-exclusive.