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Author: Nitin Misra

Nitin Misra is a ReturnByte journalist who writes about technology and the advancements of Robotics and AI. Follow him on Twitter at @nitin_mishra_
Chinese tech security firm I-Soon breached governments, social media accounts, and personal computers, revealing China's cyber espionage ecosystem maturity. (AFP) News 

Analysts reveal Chinese company’s involvement in hacking foreign governments and activists in massive data breach

Nitin Misra

Experts analyzing a recent data leak discovered that a Chinese tech security company successfully breached foreign governments, infiltrated social media accounts, and hacked personal computers. Documents from I-Soon, a private company that competes for Chinese government contracts, show its hackers have compromised more than a dozen governments, according to cybersecurity firms SentinelLabs and Malwarebytes. I-Soon also breached “democracy organizations” in China’s semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, universities and the NATO military alliance, SentinelLabs researchers wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. The leaked information, whose contents AFP could not immediately…

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Redmi has advised customers to not buy UV liquid screen protectors, as it may lead to damage, and potential warranty loss. Here's the complete story. News 

Xiaomi advises users to avoid certain screen protectors to prevent warranty loss

Nitin Misra

The curved design limits the use of traditional adhesive-based tempered glass, making it difficult or impossible to find compatible covers for many phone models. Opting for a traditional screen protector may protect against scratches, but it won’t protect against accidental drops or impacts. This leaves liquid-based UV screen protectors as the only option for devices with curved screens. However, these can be quite risky in terms of apps and can damage your device. Now Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has acknowledged this and has advised its customers who opt for these protectors…

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When signing up for Signal, you can now create a unique username so that your phone number isn't revealed. News 

Signal Introduces Usernames to Enhance Privacy of Phone Numbers

Nitin Misra

Encrypted messaging platform Signal publishes usernames in chats to keep your phone number private. As a new default, the phone number is no longer visible to everyone in Signal. “People who have your number saved in their phone contacts will still see your phone number because they already know it,” the company said in a statement. You can now create a unique username to use instead (you still need a phone number to sign up for Signal). “A username is not a profile name that appears in chats, is not…

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The first human patient implanted with a brain chip from Neuralink appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse, informed Musk. News 

Musk Announces Neuralink Success: First Human Patient Controls Mouse Using Mind

Nitin Misra

(Reuters) – The first human patient implanted with Neuralink’s brain chip appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse with his thoughts, the startup’s founder Elon Musk said late on Monday. “Progress is good and the patient appears to have fully recovered with no adverse effects that we are aware of. The patient is able to move the mouse on the screen just by thinking,” Musk said at the Spaces event on social media. platform X Musk said Neuralink is now trying to get as…

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Realistic AI-generated images and voice recordings may pose a threat to democracy. (Pexels) News 

If You Allow It, Political Deepfakes Could Manipulate Your Mind

Nitin Misra

The latest danger to democracy could be realistic AI-generated images and voice recordings, which are just one type of deception that has been around for a long time. Instead of relying on AI to debunk rumors or teaching people to identify fake images, a more effective approach would be to promote critical thinking techniques such as redirecting our focus, evaluating our sources, and self-reflection. Some of these critical thinking tools fall into the category of “system 2” or slow thinking, as described in the book Thinking, Fast and Slow. AI…

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Lockbit ransomware gang arrested in an in an unprecedented police operation. (unsplash) News 

Lockbit cybercrime gang targeted in global crackdown resulting in indictments and arrests

Nitin Misra

Members of the Lockbit ransomware gang have been arrested and indicted in a groundbreaking police operation led by Britain’s National Crime Agency and the FBI, targeting one of the most infamous cybercrime groups globally. The United States has indicted two Russian nationals for using Lockbit ransomware against companies and groups around the world. Polish and Ukrainian police arrested two. The NCA, the US Department of Justice, the FBI and Europol came together in London to announce the break-up of a gang that targeted more than 2,000 victims worldwide, received more…

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Three Apollo asteroids will pass Earth today, says NASA. check other details. (Pixabay) Space 

NASA reveals that three Apollo asteroids will pass by Earth today; details on speed, size, and more available

Nitin Misra,

In January 2024, there were multiple asteroid approaches, and this trend is expected to continue in February. NASA’s telescopes play a crucial role in spotting these Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). Astronomers track the asteroids’ positions in the sky and report them to the Minor Planet Center. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) then analyzes this data to calculate the asteroid’s orbit around the Sun. With its advanced technology, NASA has identified three asteroids that are predicted to pass by Earth on February 19. More information can be found by checking…

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OpenAI has got the market firing with AI tools and chatbots but the ChatGPT maker cannot own the trademark for the technology. News 

US Government Confirms OpenAI Unable to Patent ‘GPT’ Trademark

Nitin Misra,

In a setback to OpenAI, the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has refused to allow a company led by Sam Altman to trademark the word GPT (generative pre-trained transformer). In its filing with the US PTO, the Microsoft-backed company argued that GPT is not a “descriptive term” because consumers do not immediately understand what the underlying term “generative pre-trained transformer” means. “Trademark counsel is unconvinced. Internet evidence demonstrates widespread and widespread use of the acronym ‘GPT’ in the software industry in connection with software that incorporates similar AI technology…

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Meta's president of global affairs Nick Clegg speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2024. Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, TikTok and other companies are gathering at the Munich Security Conference on Friday to announce a new voluntary framework for how they will respond to AI-generated deepfakes that deliberately trick voters. (AP) News 

Tech companies agree to work together to fight AI-generated election manipulation

Nitin Misra

On Friday, leading technology companies agreed to take proactive measures to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence in influencing democratic elections globally. CTOs from Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and TikTok gathered at a security conference in Munich to unveil a new voluntary framework for responding to AI-generated deep-fakes that deliberately defraud voters. Twelve other companies – including Elon Musk’s X – have also signed on. “Everyone recognizes that no technology company, no government, no civil society organization can deal with the advent of this technology and its…

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman showcases Sora's magic, creating a viral oceanic bicycle race from Kunal Shah prompt on X. (@sama) News 

Spectacular video created by Sam Altman in response to CRED CEO Kunal Shah’s prompt for the new Sora tool

Nitin Misra, , ,

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman showcased his creativity by utilizing the recently introduced AI model Sora to convert a tweet from CRED CEO Kunal Shah into a captivating video. Altman introduced Sora on February 15 through X and encouraged users to submit prompts. Numerous X users provided suggestions to Altman, who then used them as inspiration to produce remarkable videos using this groundbreaking AI model. An imaginative prompt by Kunal Shah Kunal Shah had responded in his tweet with a unique scenario: “Cycling race in the sea with different animals as…

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OpenAI’s Sora can create hyper-realistic scenes from text-based prompts, based on what we have seen so far. News 

OpenAI’s Sora Transforms Text into Realistic Videos of Puppies

Nitin Misra,

Over the past two years, AI has made significant progress on various fronts, including pioneers like OpenAI and the steadily advancing Google, which has established itself as an AI powerhouse. As we enter 2024, tech companies are ramping up their efforts to capitalize on this momentum. In particular, Google has garnered attention with the release of Gemini 1.5, while OpenAI has also announced Sora, its latest text-to-video AI model. As the name suggests, OpenAI’s Sora has the ability to bring text-based prompts to life by creating lifelike scenes. Imagine yourself…

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Apple is finally entering the AI arena with its next iOS version expected to pack a host of features that point in that direction. News 

What iPhone Users Can Expect from the Upcoming iOS 18 Update

Nitin Misra, , ,

iOS 17.4 beta was released earlier this month, but all eyes are already on the big iOS update that will be released later this year. The iOS 18 version promises to be a blockbuster update for iPhone users, not only because of the new features, but also its overall design might see a big change. Apple is planning something big with the next version of iOS, and here we tell you about the possible features that will be available to iPhone users in 2024. iOS 18 release date iOS 18…

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NASA's UVEX will house an ultraviolet spectrograph, enhancing its ability to study phenomena such as stellar explosions and the behavior of massive stars. (NASA) Space 

NASA’s UVEX Mission to uncover the mysteries of galaxy and star evolution

Nitin Misra

NASA is continuously pushing boundaries and exploring uncharted territories in the air and space. Their latest endeavor, the UVEX mission (UltraViolet EXplorer), set to launch in 2030, aims to unravel the enigmas surrounding galaxy and star evolution. The primary objective of UVEX is to conduct a thorough examination of ultraviolet light throughout the entire celestial sphere. However, its capabilities extend beyond that. With cutting-edge technology, the telescope can swiftly detect origins of UV radiation in the cosmos, making it crucial for observing phenomena like the consequences of neutron star mergers…

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Musk has ambitions to get people on the Red Planet and make humans a multiplanetary species in the near future. Space 

One Million Individuals Reside on Mars

Nitin Misra,

Elon Musk has many dreams, but his biggest mission is the day he gets people to settle on Mars. The owner of X and Tesla is clearly enamored with the prospect of getting humanity to plant its flag on another planet, and Musk is ready to use all his resources to get a million people to Mars in the near future. “We’re coming up with a game plan to put a million people on Mars. Civilization will only pass the big filter of one planet when Mars can survive even…

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Nvidia briefly surpassed Amazon.com Inc in market capitalization on Monday, as the euphoria around artificial intelligence catapulted the chipmaker to the fourth most valuable U.S. company. News 

AI Frenzy Boosts Nvidia’s Market Value Above Amazon

Nitin Misra,

(Reuters) – Nvidia briefly overtook Amazon.com Inc in market capitalization on Monday as euphoria over artificial intelligence lifted the chipmaker to the fourth most valuable U.S. company. At a record high of $734.96, Nvidia’s market capitalization was $1.82 trillion, while retail giant Amazon.com is at $1.81 trillion and a few billion away from Google owner Alphabet’s $1.87 trillion, according to LSEG data. The last time Nvidia was more valuable than Amazon was in 2002, when they were worth less than $6 billion. After Amazon’s bigger-than-expected holiday quarter sales last month,…

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Consumers surveyed have experienced subscription traps, hidden charges and other dark patterns on purchasing apps (unsplash) News 

Survey reveals that more than 50% of consumers report encountering subscription traps and undisclosed fees in app purchases.

Nitin Misra

On Monday, online research firm LocalCircles reported that more than 50% of the surveyed consumers have encountered subscription traps, concealed fees, and other deceptive tactics while making purchases on mobile application stores or other software platforms. During the survey, LocalCircles came across cases where the consumer opted for a free app or a one-time service, but later switched to a subscription service. On November 30, the Consumer Protection Agency (CCPA) published a notice banning dark patterns. The government has identified 13 types of dark patterns, including false urgency, cart creep,…

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Gmail introduces a chat-style interface for email replies, resembling Google Chat. (Unsplash) News 

Gmail revolutionizes user experience and efficiency with new chat-style interface for email replies

Nitin Misra

The chat-style redesign of Gmail’s email reply user interface (UI) is still in its testing phase and has been extended for another three months. Although it is being rolled out to more users this week, it is not yet widely available. Despite concerns from power users about the extra step required to access “Reply all” and “Forward,” Google seems determined to implement this overhaul, which means it will eventually be introduced to all Gmail accounts. User-friendly interface for e-mail configuration Traditionally, email replies are composed after you scroll to the…

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Apple iPhones are selling like hot cakes and it is not just the new models but even the old ones are doing quite well for the company. News 

No Surprise: iPhones Dominate the List of Top 5 Best-Selling Smartphones in 2023

Nitin Misra

iPhones are popular all over the world, but did you know that all five of the best-selling models on the market last year were iPhones? A new market report has been published this month, which tells about Apple’s dominant position in the premium segment. The report also tells us that the iPhone 14 Pro Max was the best-selling model in 2023, which is not surprising given the numbers Apple has reported in recent quarters. The Pro Max model sold 34 million units during the season, which is an impressive number…

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Reading mode is designed to help users view content on the screen without affecting the eyes and everyone should enable it for better comfort. News 

Guide on Utilizing Reading Mode on Android Phones

Nitin Misra

If you are an avid reader in the era of busy technology, you will definitely choose a smartphone for reading. You can read anywhere, whether it’s on a flight, relaxing at home or even bored in the office. However, not all websites are designed to provide you with a pleasant reading experience. For a clear and distraction-free reading experience, enable “Reading Mode” on your Android phone, which removes ads and displays text in a well-designed style. Reading mode allows the user to customize their on-screen reading experience on Android smartphones.…

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U.S. authorities have seized websites selling the 'Warzone RAT' malware, used by cybercriminals to steal data. (Pixabay) News 

Suspects arrested and ‘Warzone RAT’ malware service, responsible for stealing users’ passwords, dismantled

Nitin Misra,

On Friday, U.S. authorities announced the confiscation of websites that facilitated the sale of “Warzone RAT,” a malicious software utilized by cybercriminals to pilfer data from unsuspecting computer users. Two people have been arrested in Malta and Nigeria on related charges, they added. Federal prosecutors in Boston said law enforcement had taken down four domains that together offered to sell malware, allowing cybercriminals to surreptitiously connect to people’s computers for malicious purposes. The malware, a so-called remote access Trojan, allowed hackers to browse file systems, take screenshots, obtain victim usernames…

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