$100M from Google – Komando.com
To fund propaganda surrounding the war in Ukraine. The money was taken from the tech giant’s Russian bank accounts in 2022, forcing Google’s Russian entity to declare bankruptcy. The funds went to Russian TV channels that pledged to use the funds to support the Kremlin’s war.
Tags: Google, tech
Retailers have so many ways to track you – Here’s how to fight back
If you have an internet connection, companies are racing to gather every bit of data they can on what you might buy — and they’re getting increasingly sophisticated about it.
How do they do it? Let’s dive into how retail tracking works and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
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Remember “Rickrolling”? It’s the prank when you trick someone into watching the video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” An AI CEO says his bot just did it to a customer. No kidding, the person asked for a video training session. When the AI couldn’t find one, it sent a link to the 1987 hit. Yes, they patched the glitch.
Which company was the first to launch its Halloween merchandise online this year? Was it … A.) Michaels, B.) Target, C.) Party City or D.) The Home Depot?
Find the answer here! →
🎮 New Xbox consoles drop Oct. 15: The 1TB Xbox Series X now comes without a disc drive and starts at $450 ($50 less). The Xbox Series S gets a storage upgrade to 1TB (up from 512GB), but the price jumps to $350. The special edition Xbox Series X with 2TB of storage? $600. If you already have an Xbox, save your money and get a storage expansion card. Yup, Santa’s bag is going to be loaded.
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Photoshop skills without all the training: It’s here with Adobe’s Magic Fixup. Imagine deciding you want something in an image in a different place or a little bigger. You can cut and paste it, then AI does all the work to make it look natural. Amazing stuff.
“He’s replaced me with ChatGPT”: A 25-year-old said her dad, a first-generation Chinese American, has replaced her with AI. Dad now uses AI instead of asking her for help translating, composing emails and keeping all his dad jokes in a dad-abase.
🗺️ It’s a joke, OK? Stop sharing the mock electoral maps flooding social media as if they’re facts. The trend is to take a blank map, color it mostly blue or red, and slap a clever line about how either Democrats or Republicans could win the Electoral College. Want in? Here’s a generator to make your own.
September is the apple of my pie: Apple’s set to show off the new iPhone 16 line, Watch Series 10 and AirPods on Sept. 10. The iPhone Pros and Watch have bigger screens, and the new AirPods look like a cross between 3rd-gen AirPods and the AirPods Pro. If you need a new iPhone (JoJo, talking to you!), just wait a little longer.
In Zelle hell: One tech pro lost $1,600 using Zelle. Eventually, Wells Fargo credited him for the fishy charge. He agrees with lawmakers who say Zelle and banks are quick to blame victims for using it “wrong.”
⚠️ Scammers’ new tactic? Using social media and messaging apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram to tell you you’re hot or offer tips to show you how to make money. About 86% of victims are tricked into transferring money themselves — without the crooks ever accessing their accounts. Come on! Please don’t fall for it.
