Angry Tech News

Old News, by popular demand! 23andMe declares bankruptcy and is poised to sell everyone’s DNA. Amazon Echo removes option to *not* send voice recordings. Microsoft tries again with Windows Recall

Links:

23 and Me breached, files for bankruptcy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23andMe
https://apnews.com/article/23andme-board-directors-resign-settlement-b3fda30fc8a95538f9391c5439c1cd52
https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/attorney-general-coleman-issues-data-warning-after-23andme-files-bankruptcy
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/ftc-watching-23andme-bankruptcy-sale-for-impact-on-users-genetic-data/

Amazon Echo to remove local audio processing
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/03/14/2113257/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28

Windows Recall can be uninstalled – MSFT says they’ll fix that soon
https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/2/24233992/microsoft-recall-windows-11-uninstall-feature-bug

Windows Recall is back in Win11 preview
https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/04/10/releasing-windows-11-build-26100-3902-to-the-release-preview-channel/

A long overdue show! All the AI news you missed. Internet security is crap. Europe tries to make driving better. Google tries to make it worse.

Links:

Crowdstrike takes down the world
https://www.wired.com/story/crowdstrike-outage-update-windows/
Snowflake breach
https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/07/threat-actors-exploited-windows-0-day-for-more-than-a-year-before-microsoft-fixed-it/
https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/12/att-phone-records-stolen-data-breach/
Microsoft develops dangerous AI for the highest bidder
https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-speech-generator-reaches-human-parity-but-its-too-dangerous-to-release-scientists-say
Euro NCAP demands physical car controls
https://www.techspot.com/news/102134-car-makers-must-bring-back-physical-controls-if.html

Microsoft’s new Recall feature obsoletes all other spyware,
You are participating in a worldwide wifi tracking network,
and the end of ICQ (yeah, it was still around)

Windows Recall
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsofts-new-windows-11-recall-is-a-privacy-nightmare/
https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24159258/microsoft-recall-ai-explorer-windows-11-surface-event
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/05/statement-in-response-to-microsoft-recall-feature/
https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-11/302928/windows-11-recall-is-not-a-privacy-concern
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/copilot-plus-pcs
Wifi is not your friend
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/05/why-your-wi-fi-router-doubles-as-an-apple-airtag/
ICQ is shutting down
https://uk.pcmag.com/mobile-apps/152479/icq-one-of-the-oldest-instant-messengers-is-shutting-down
Proof of concept for exfiltrating Recall data
https://www.wired.com/story/total-recall-windows-recall-ai/

ATN is back after a small hiatus! Time to clear some tabs and pour sarcasm on some choice stories from the last three months.

Forced updates, Insecure IoT doorbells, The craze to put AI into all the things, Tesla’s safety record, and a rundown of Windows 11 news

Links

Consumer Reports: many smart doorbells have major security problems
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/home-security-cameras/video-doorbells-sold-by-major-retailers-have-security-flaws-a2579288796/
Logitech releases M750 mouse, which is M650 with an AI button
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/04/ai-marketing-hype-is-coming-for-your-favorite-gadgets/
Speculation: AI could destroy call center industry
https://www.techspot.com/news/102749-generative-ai-could-soon-decimate-call-center-industry.html
NHTSA report on Tesla Autopilot crashes
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/26/tesla-autopilot-linked-to-hundreds-of-collisions-has-critical-safety-gap-nhtsa.html
Windows 11 stuff
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/02/windows-11-24h2-goes-from-unsupported-to-unbootable-on-some-older-pcs/
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/windows-11-will-reportedly-display-a-watermark-if-your-pc-does-not-support-ai-requirements
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-to-warn-if-your-windows-11-pc-doesnt-meet-system-requirements-for-ai-explorer/
https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/windows-11-24h2-update/
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/03/rip-to-the-windows-subsystem-for-android-which-goes-away-in-2025/
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/24/24138949/microsoft-windows-11-start-menu-ads-recommendations-setting-disable
https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11-is-forcing-users-to-upgrade-mail-app-to-new-outlook-client-which-comes-with-a-nasty-addition-adverts

Google admits what we all know, Apple faces the music (or at least a few notes), and HP and Ubisoft seek rent

Links

Google admits it collects user data in incognito mode
https://www.engadget.com/google-now-admits-it-could-collect-data-in-chromes-incognito-mode-103807146.html
Apple concedes almost an inch
https://www.engadget.com/apple-updates-us-app-store-guidelines-allowing-developers-to-link-to-third-party-payments-235836357.html
HP: “Our long-term objective is to make printing a subscription”
https://www.pcgamer.com/our-long-term-objective-is-to-make-printing-a-subscription-says-hp-ceo-gunning-for-2024s-worst-person-of-the-year-award/
Ubisoft says gamers should just accept not owning their games
https://www.techspot.com/news/101534-ubisoft-wishes-gamers-would-accept-not-owning-their.html

Apple wants to control your digital life, Google wants to control the entire internet, and artists finally get a weapon in the war against AI

Links

AI data poisoning tool “Nightshade”
https://www.zdnet.com/article/data-poisoning-tool-lets-artists-fight-back-against-ai-scraping-heres-how/

Apple makes biometrics authoritative with “Stolen Device Protection” feature
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/12/ios-17-3-stolen-device-protection-feature/

Google’s latest move to control the whole world-wide-web
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-chromes-new-ip-protection-will-hide-users-ip-addresses/

Right to Repair in California, T-Mobile gets greedy, Google gets paid to install malware, and a WinRAR vulnerability

Links

CA Right to Repair SB 244 passed
https://www.ifixit.com/News/84491/california-right-to-repair-signed-into-law

T-Mobile migrates customers to new more expensive plans
https://tmo.report/2023/10/breaking-t-mobile-will-force-customers-onto-newer-plans-unless-you-opt-out/

Search malvertising
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malicious-notepad-plus-plus-google-ads-evade-detection-for-months/
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/threat-intelligence/2023/10/clever-malvertising-attack-uses-punycode-to-look-like-legitimate-website

Youtube starting to block users who use ad-blocker
https://www.techspot.com/news/100524-youtube-intensifies-fight-against-ad-blockers-users-frustrated.html

WinRAR vulnerability
https://www.techspot.com/news/100553-if-you-havent-downloaded-or-updated-winrar-since.html

T-Mobile failed update, Microsoft closes a loophole no one was using, Cruise cars meet Houston weather, and software developers hate diversity

Links:

Libwebp vulnerability assigned new maximum severity
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-assigns-new-maximum-rated-cve-to-libwebp-bug-exploited-in-attacks/

Libvpx vulnerability
https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/09/new-0-day-in-chrome-and-firefox-is-likely-to-plague-other-software/

Exim vulnerabilities disclosed
https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/09/critical-vulnerabilities-in-exim-threaten-over-250k-email-servers-worldwide/

T-Mobile faulty update exposes user info
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/09/t-mobile-screwup-caused-customers-to-see-other-users-billing-information/

Win7/8 upgrade to Win10 finally disabled
https://www.zdnet.com/article/its-official-no-more-free-windows-10-upgrades/

Houston Cruise vehicles hit streets with expected results
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/houston-cruise-self-driving-cars-18390306.php

Google defeats multifactor authentication, Pixel Watch is unrepairable, Ring sells a pet collar, Toyota learns the value of IT, and yet another vulnerability in the Internet

Links

Retool MFA defeated by Google convenience
https://retool.com/blog/mfa-isnt-mfa/

Pixel Watches are unrepairable
https://www.theverge.com/23874281/google-pixel-watch-cracks-no-repairs-warranty

Ring Pet Tag
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ring-launches-brand-pet-tag-141824261.html

Toyota manufacturing goes down. Dude named Ben about to get fired.
https://www.techspot.com/news/100067-toyota-insufficient-disk-space-blunder-brings-car-manufacturing.html

Critical WebP vulnerability
https://stackdiary.com/critical-vulnerability-in-webp-codec-cve-2023-4863/

Spyware hacked for good, Apple OS hacked for bad, Windows hacked, but it makes things better, OpenAI confirms AI detectors are crap, and Automobiles are now officially the worst product category for privacy

Links

WebDetetive spyware hacked
https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/26/brazil-webdetetive-spyware-deleted/

Windows bug improves performance
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-file-explorer-bug-ironically-boosts-browsing-performance

Blastpass vuln in Apple OS’s
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/apple-patches-clickless-0-day-image-processing-vulnerability-in-ios-macos/
https://citizenlab.ca/2023/09/blastpass-nso-group-iphone-zero-click-zero-day-exploit-captured-in-the-wild/

OpenAI: “Do AI Detectors Work?”
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8313351-how-can-educators-respond-to-students-presenting-ai-generated-content-as-their-own

Mozilla reviews automakers for privacy practices
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/