Tech Byte with MARK STROSS

FTX founder Bankman-Fried is watching his baby, FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, fall to bits; along with his reputation and his "friendships". More than 2 billion dollars in client money is unaccounted for, with no indication of where the money is. A-list investors include Larry David, who so prophetically advertised FTX in last year's Superbowl ad, is probably not laughing anymore. Listen to Mark's take on how this could happen in the virtual world of cryptocurrency, with back doors, secrets and lies that caused innocent people to lose a lot of money. Crazy story.  

Technology products today are only as good as the software in them. Most digital products have occasional software updates; to fix bugs and enhance features. But what if the company took the update a step further, and actually changed key functions of the device? Mark discusses how this can happen and does more often than anyone would like to think it does. Does a company have the right to fundamentally alter a device you own by changing the software? What happens if you don't like the updates? Should this be allowed? What are your thoughts?

Mark and Bulldog welcome guest Maryana Horlach, Chief Customer & Operations Officer for Blackthorn Vision in Ukraine for a candid view of what it's like to live and work in an active warzone. These are the things you won't hear on mainstream media. Just because we've moved on to the next crisis does not mean that the people of Ukraine have moved on from the bombings, disruptions, and shortages that are impacting their families, lives, and businesses. Listening to her story is the best way to get a feel for what it must be like to be there living each day in an active war zone. Need a hero? Look no further than those men and women who are there working and fighting for their democracy. 

Why should an online payment company get to decide who is allowed on their payment system and who is not.  PayPal has decided it can fine companies who it believes is spreading misinformation. What does this mean? Who decides? What's misinformation? Imagine for one second that your company finds itself fined at best and cancelled at worst, just because your payment processor does not agree with your views. What was your offense; well disagreeing with PayPal’s versions of what is good information. Of course, after this Policy was discovered; founders like Musk said, “you’re a payment system not an editorial board” and PayPal’s stocks plummet due to their economics collapsing with people withdrawing their funds and closing their accounts. It's a grim situation, when something as mechanical as a payment processor becomes the gatekeeper of thought. 

Workers can't wait to get a job at Twitter, with Musk taking over as early as next week. He offered 44 billion dollars, and without confidence in winning the case against them, he's likely to go ahead with the deal. This decision has divided people. Some concerned about the bias he might bring, and others are happy to see him remove the social media giant's present bias. What do you think? Will Musk remove censorship and bias? Or will this controversial tech giant bring in his own? Join the discussion and see what Mark Stross suggests is the case here. 

From an idea in the mind of Frank Rosenblatt in 1957, to 2022, Artificial Intelligence celebrates a birthday. Today, Mark Stross talks about robots having human-like brains, able to be very useful in situations humans don't want to go, like unsafe war zones. With ethically programmed brains, robots can make decisions on their own, and be helpful to all of humanity. Is there a downside? Depending on their creator, they can also be programmed for evil. Think about that with your slice of birthday cake.   

The US has fired a powerful salvo at China, albeit through non-military means. According to officials in the Biden administration, the United States has officially banned federally backed tech corporations from building "advanced technology" facilities in China for a period of 10 years. The rules are part of a $50 billion program to expand the United States' semiconductor manufacturing capacity. It comes at a time when US industry groups have been pushing for more government aid to reduce their dependence on China.

From <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUbHAxk5jw&t=195s>

Learn about the leading chip manufacturers here. How ASML, TSMC And Intel Dominate The Chip Market | CNBC Marathon

From <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kJDTzFtUr4>

Timing is everything. Countries, states, and municipalities are rushing to legislation favoring electric vehicles. As this happens, the stories (some funny and others tragic) start coming in. Listen to Mark tell you why the infrastructure is not in place, anywhere, for the electric car movement to be successful. All the parts have to work for society to make this epic shift. Have you considered all the parts that have to be working in order for this green agenda to really work? And at what cost? https://www.markstross.com/extra-bytes-blog

What do you get when you combine facial recognition, geotracking, and a coffee shop? An identity thief...That's NOT funny!

More and more public places are installing USB jacks for quick and convenient phone charging. This newest great idea has already been hi-jacked and used for bad by hackers. Mark Stross will tell you why you shouldn't trust public USB charging stations and how hackers can get your information within seconds.  

What you can do to reduce your risk? Use your own tech and don’t trust others - it's a sorry state of affairs, but it’s true.

I'm convinced that people admit they are addicted to their phones, but don't seem to care. Wow, seems like the perfect drug....Addicting, potentially harmful, and no one seems to care. What if I told you that TikTok is bad for your brain? The developers know this, and the Chinese do not even allow their citizens to access the same harmful, addictive version that your kids (and maybe YOU) swipe through for hours on end. Mark tells you why this platform app is worrisome. Put it down and pay attention, people. Is your phone time keeping you from doing other things you need to be doing? Is it interfering with your goals, daily activities, or relationships? Can you put it down?