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Author: Febin Mathew

Febin Mathew, Co-Founder & Editor at ReturnByte, reports on modern technology advanced including AI & Robotics. He has been helping people figure out their tech to make informed choices. Being a creative expressionist, he loves capturing aesthetic visuals that build narratives. For leisure, he loves gaming, riding motorcycles and hiking. Follow him @febinmathew7 on Instagram
Telegram launches new stories feature, but it is for Its premium users. (Bloomberg) News 

Discover the new Telegram Stories: Is it the right fit for you?

Febin Mathew,

Telegram users have reason to celebrate as the widely-used messaging app introduces an exciting addition known as “Stories,” reminiscent of the features found on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and WhatsApp. This innovative feature enables users to share enjoyable images and videos with their friends. However, there is a catch: exclusive access to this feature is reserved for premium subscribers. What do you think about Telegram stories? Telegram stories appear in a neat bar at the top of the screen, just like Instagram, but they don’t take up too much space. Note…

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It's the latest in a delightful tradition of musical TV episodes, and looks like a banger. Space 

‘Musical Episode to Feature in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2′

Febin Mathew, , ,

Paramount has announced that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 will introduce the first official Star Trek musical episode. Titled Subspace Rhapsody, it will be the ninth episode of the season and will premiere on Paramount Plus on August 3rd at 7PM ET. This marks a significant departure from the previous tradition of Star Trek musical parodies, making it a highly anticipated event for fans. The news was announced at San Diego Comic-Con during the Star Trek Universe panel along with a video (below, US only). It features 10…

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The attackers behind Akira first steal vital personal information from their victims and then proceed to encrypt the data on their systems. (Pixabay) News 

Alert Issued for ‘AKIRA’ Ransomware Attackers Utilizing AnyDesk and WinRAR

Febin Mathew

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has raised an alarm regarding a recently discovered internet ransomware virus named ‘Akira,’ causing considerable worry. This harmful program is specifically created to attack systems operating on both Windows and Linux platforms. According to a PTI report. The attackers behind Akira first steal important personal information from their victims and then proceed to encrypt data on their systems. In order to force victims to pay the ransom, they engage in a two-fold blackmail tactic. According to CERT-In’s latest advisory, if the victim refuses…

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the technological revolution sweeping Silicon Valley has also been adopted by cybercriminals. (Representative Image) (Reuters) AI 

Cyber Official Warns of AI-Assisted Hacking and Misinformation

Febin Mathew,

According to Canada’s top cybersecurity official, hackers and propagandists are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to develop harmful software, craft persuasive phishing emails, and disseminate false information on the internet. This early evidence suggests that cybercriminals have also embraced the technological advancements seen in Silicon Valley. Sami Khoury, head of the Canadian Cyber Security Centre, said in an interview this week that his agency had seen AI used in “phishing emails or more targeted emails, malicious code (and) falsehood and disinformation”. Khoury did not provide details or evidence, but his claim…

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The plan's not perfect but still better than getting hit by a truck. News 

Reclaiming the Roads: How ‘Vision Zero’ Could Transform American Car Culture

Febin Mathew

In spite of prioritizing personal vehicles in our national infrastructure for many years, there has been a significant shift in the way people travel nowadays. Besides planes, trains, and automobiles, modern individuals rely on a diverse range of transportation options such as e-scooters, city bikes, autonomous EV taxis, and internal combustion SUVs. As a result, accommodating these various modes of transport has become increasingly difficult, as it requires balancing the needs of all individuals in terms of physical ability and financial resources to ensure everyone can reach their destinations. Inclusive…

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ANDI -- which stands for Advanced Newton Dynamic Instrument -- resembles a simple crash-test dummy. (Representative image) (REUTERS) News 

Robot Could Aid in Investigating Effects of Extreme Heat

Febin Mathew

Arizona researchers have introduced a robot capable of mimicking human bodily responses such as breathing, shivering, and sweating in order to address the effects of heatstroke on the human body and explore ways to safeguard ourselves in a progressively warming world. The southwestern state capital of Phoenix is currently experiencing its longest heat wave on record, with the mercury hitting 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) on Friday for the 22nd day in a row, an ominous sign of what’s to come in a world affected by climate change. For…

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Samsung Galaxy S24 series to keep 12MP selfie camera, S24 ultra may get 5x telephoto upgrade. (Pexels) News 

Samsung Galaxy S24 series selfie camera information revealed prematurely

Febin Mathew,

Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S24 series, scheduled to launch in the following year, might not witness any enhancements in its front-facing camera. Although there are speculations that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will incorporate a 5x telephoto camera, replacing the 3x telephoto module found in its predecessor, it is reported that the selfie cameras on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, as well as the vanilla and Plus variants in the lineup, will remain unaltered in terms of hardware. Dutch publication GalaxyClub reports that Samsung plans to keep the 12-megapixel selfie camera from the…

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North America's largest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike. (REUTERS) AI 

Voice Actors Alert Comic-Con of Potential AI Risk

Febin Mathew

At this week’s Comic-Con event, voice actors from renowned animations and video games cautioned that the realm of artificial intelligence has been unleashed, akin to opening Pandora’s Box. North America’s largest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, driven in part by concerns among actors and writers about the intrusion of artificial intelligence into the arts. Voice actors are at the forefront of the conversation, and now readily available technology allows users to clone someone’s voice and have it read new dialogue — often without their…

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While 84-month auto loans have been gaining in popularity, the trend slowed early this year, according to credit-reporting company Experian. (REUTERS) News 

Tesla Introduces Longer Financing Options Amid Increasing Interest Rates

Febin Mathew,

In response to increasing interest rates, Tesla Inc. has introduced 84-month auto loans for customers, following Elon Musk’s statement that the company needed to take action. The company is now including seven-year loans as options on its US order pages, after previously offering loans for up to 72 months. Extending loan terms can lower monthly payments for car buyers, but consumers tend to pay more in interest and run a greater risk of owing more than their vehicle is worth. Tesla’s CEO has often criticized the Federal Reserve. Musk tweeted…

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Owners will have to forfeit the FSD capability in their current EV. News 

Tesla Offers Limited-Time Opportunity to Upgrade to Full Self-Driving

Febin Mathew

Tesla is now informing its customers that they have the option to transfer the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature they bought to a different vehicle, as long as they receive the new vehicle within the next three months. This announcement was made by Elon Musk during the company’s Q2 2023 investor call, where he introduced a “one-time amnesty” that permits owners to transfer their FSD. A Twitter user named Keith Dahlenburg has shared a screenshot of the offer, including its regulations and requirements, through Not A Tesla App, The Verge. Perhaps…

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The seven AI tech companies are Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI. All of them have agreed to implement voluntary AI safeguard measures. (AFP) AI 

ChatGPT Creator Sam Altman’s Vision for AI Realized as Major Tech Companies Follow Suit

Febin Mathew

Following its immense popularity in recent months, ChatGPT’s founder, Sam Altman, has consistently expressed his strong desire for government-backed AI regulations. Altman went as far as touring different countries, urging their governments to take action. Now, his wishes seem to be coming true as several major tech companies, along with US President Joe Biden, have pledged to implement adequate safeguards in the development of their AI tools. Concerns about the potential “destruction of humanity” in an unregulated AI environment have been voiced by influential figures such as AI pioneer Geoffrey…

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Samsung introduces exciting trio of Galaxy Watch apps ahead of Galaxy Unpacked Event. (Samsung) Gadgets 

Explore Three Exciting Apps Coming to Your Samsung Galaxy Watch!

Febin Mathew

Samsung is preparing to release three new apps for its Galaxy Watch devices, including the much-awaited WhatsApp app. This comes after Meta’s announcement of bringing the messaging platform to smartwatches. Users of Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 will have the advantage of conveniently responding to messages and taking calls directly from their wearables. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series, expected to be unveiled at the event, will come equipped with these apps. Samsung Wallet app A notable addition is the Samsung Wallet app, which offers users a host…

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Seven leading AI tech companies have made a deal with the Biden administration for responsible AI deployment worldwide. AI 

Tech Companies Join Forces With US Government To Create Responsible AI Solutions

Febin Mathew,

The Joe Biden administration has struck an agreement with seven prominent artificial intelligence (AI) technology firms, including Google, OpenAI, and Meta, to implement new measures aimed at effectively addressing the potential risks linked to AI. The measures would include testing the safety of artificial intelligence and making the results of these tests public. Companies include Amazon, Anthropic, Meta, Google, Inflection and OpenAI. “These commitments are real and concrete. Artificial intelligence is changing people’s lives around the world. “The people here are critical to shepherding that innovation responsibly and safely,” Biden…

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OpenAI announced on Twitter that the ChatGPT app for Android users will be available next week, and that pre-orders are now available in the Google Play Store. AI 

Android Users To Have Access To ChatGPT App Starting Next Week

Febin Mathew, ,

The Google Play Store is now accepting pre-registrations for OpenAI’s ChatGPT app, allowing Android users to sign up before its official launch next week. While the iOS version of the app has been available for almost two months, the release date for the Android version had been uncertain until recently. OpenAI announced on Twitter that the ChatGPT app for Android users will be available next week and that pre-orders are now available from the Google Play Store. Android users can currently access the generative AI platform by visiting the ChatGPT…

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You can now pre-order the app on Google Play. News 

ChatGPT Launches Android App at End of July

Febin Mathew, ,

After launching the ChatGPT app for iPhone in May, OpenAI assured Android users that their version would be coming soon. Now, the company has revealed that ChatGPT for Android will be released to users at some point next week. Additionally, the app is already listed on Google Play, allowing users to pre-register and receive it as soon as it is released. It’s unclear if the app will initially be available only in the US like the iPhone app, but I was able to pre-order it in Asia. OpenAI expanded the…

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The major film and television producers say they have addressed the SAG-AFTRA union's concerns on the issue in their latest proposal, (AFP) News 

Actors Express Concern Over Artificial Intelligence-Created ‘Synthetic’ Performers

Febin Mathew

In the realm of cinema, monsters have been depicted on the big screen for over a hundred years. However, come 2023, the true embodiment of fear appears to be indistinguishable from ourselves. Since June, Hollywood studios and performers have been discussing the use of artificial intelligence in film and television. The failure to deal with artificial intelligence terms was one of the reasons SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and media professionals, joined the Writers Guild in its first simultaneous strike in 63 years last Friday. One of the biggest fears…

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Online scam alert: Woman loses ₹13 lakh in YouTube job scam. (Pexels) News 

Beware of YouTube Job Scam: Noida Woman Loses ₹13 Lakh

Febin Mathew

According to the Indian Express, a woman named Kartika from Panchsheel Hynish Society in Greater Noida experienced a financial loss of more than ₹13 lakh due to a WhatsApp scam. Kartika received an attractive work-from-home opportunity through the messaging app, which involved watching, liking, and subscribing to YouTube videos in exchange for money. Tempted by the seemingly easy task, Kartika communicated with the scammers through a Telegram handle, where they guaranteed daily earnings ranging from ₹50 to ₹5,000. Web of fraud: Growing losses Initially, the scammers kept their word and…

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The Glorbo ruse secured coverage on a garbo website. Gaming 

Redditors Trick AI Content Generator Into Writing About Fake ‘World of Warcraft’ Update

Febin Mathew, ,

A new World of Warcraft feature called Glorbo has generated a lot of excitement among certain redditors, who believe it will have a significant impact on the game. The enthusiasm shown by these individuals for Glorbo has caught the interest of The Portal, a blog that shares gaming content supported by Z League, an app designed to unite gamers. Just one problem: Glorbo isn’t real. The portal appears to use artificial intelligence to scrape Reddit posts and turn them into content. Redditor u/kaefer_kriegerin noticed that The Portal was seemingly turning…

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r/malefashionadvice is now open but only certain members can post on the subreddit. (Bloomberg) News 

Reddit Assumes Control of Major Protest Subreddit After Dismissing Moderators

Febin Mathew

For over a month, protests on Reddit have been ongoing due to the company’s changes in API pricing. During this time, numerous third-party applications ceased their operations, citing the excessively high costs for API requests. In a show of support for these app developers, many subreddit moderators made their subreddits private for 48 hours, preventing any viewing, posting, or commenting. Unfortunately, this pressure tactic did not yield the desired results, and certain subreddits decided to remain inaccessible for an indefinite period. One such subreddit participating in the protest was r/malefashionadvice,…

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You can display them forever or make them disappear at various times up to 48 hours. News 

Premium Subscribers Gain Access to Telegram Stories Feature

Febin Mathew,

Telegram has introduced its highly anticipated Stories feature, but currently, it is exclusively accessible to Premium users, according to a statement made by the company on Twitter. CEO Pavel Durov had previously disclosed this forthcoming feature, which provides users with greater control compared to Stories on other applications. It allows individuals to choose the audience who can view their stories and determine their duration before they vanish. Several Twitter users have also confirmed witnessing the arrival of this new feature. Similar to the same feature in Facebook Messenger, Telegram stories…

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