Apple's New Headset and France Bans Fun

This transcript covers news on Apple's new headset, France banning recreational apps for government employees, and a new Trojan called Nexus.

Apple's New Headset

• According to Mark Garman, Apple's highest-ranking executives were given a sneak peek of the company's new headset last week.

• The headset has been in development since 2018 and is expected to cost upwards of $3,000 with no killer app. Some testers found it uncomfortable to wear.

• Despite concerns from the product designers, Tim Cook is pushing ahead with launching the headset this year in hopes of achieving an Apple Watch-like outcome where it becomes a popular piece of tech over time.

France Bans Recreational Apps for Government Employees

• The French government has officially banned recreational apps like Netflix, Instagram, Twitter, and Candy Crush from phones issued to government employees due to insufficient security or data protection.

• This move could indicate that France views Chinese and American tech companies with the same level of suspicion as they have come into conflict with both countries over big tech issues in the past.

Nexus Trojan

• A new Trojan called Nexus infects Android devices through phishing websites claiming to allow users to download discontinued YouTube client Advanced Nexus. It can replicate legitimate interfaces to trick users into entering their credentials and steal SMS messages for two-factor authentication codes as well as information from crypto wallets and Google Authenticator.

• The authors have built a service model for Nexus where users can commit financial crimes and steal savings for $3,000 per month. So far, most infections have been reported in Turkey.

Quick Bits

• The ugreen USB 3.0 switch selector lets users use up to four USB devices across two computers with the press of a button.

Gordon Moore's Law and Microsoft's Threat to Cut Off Companies

This section discusses the update of Gordon Moore's law, which states that transistors would double every two years. It also talks about Microsoft's threat to cut off companies like DuckDuckGo and Yahoo from licensing their internet search index data if those companies continue to use it to train AI chat features.

Gordon Moore's Law Update

• Gordon Moore updated his law by saying transistors would double every two years.

• He outlived his own law, which is impressive.

• Rest in peace Mr. Moore.

Microsoft's Threat to Cut Off Companies

• Microsoft has threatened to cut off companies like DuckDuckGo and Yahoo from licensing their internet search index data.

• This is if those companies continue to use it to train AI chat features.

• Giving AI access to a map of the web is incredibly dangerous, which is why only Bing can be entrusted with it according to Bloomberg's Insider sources people familiar with the matter.

FTC Goes After Extended Warranty Memes and Xbox Game Pass

This section discusses how the FTC goes after extended warranty memes and Xbox Game Pass.

FTC Goes After Extended Warranty Memes

• Proposed court orders will ban three companies from both the extended automobile warranty industry and all outbound telemarketing.

• The FTC is continuing its fight against robocalls and telemarketing scams.

• These companies were charged by the FEC a year ago with the regulator alleging that they falsely claimed to represent dealers and manufacturers.

• The FCC claimed that this scam had cost U.S consumers 6 million dollars since 2018.

Xbox Game Pass

• Xbox game pass has gotten so popular that Microsoft no longer needs to entice new subscribers with a trial price of one dollar for the first month.

• The company says they'll be evaluating different marketing promotions for new members in the future.

• It is unclear what could be introduced as a successor to what almost everyone recognized as the best deal in gaming.

Farm Equipment Manufacturers and the Metaverse

This section discusses how farm equipment manufacturers are desperate to get their machines in the simulation game Farming Simulator developer giant software.

Farm Equipment Manufacturers

• Farm equipment manufacturers are desperate to get their machines in the simulation game Farming Simulator developer giant software.

• Manufacturers interest alone covers the entire cost of game development.

• Some companies have announced their products inclusion in the game, the same day they announced the actual product.

• Manufacturers will even share detailed engineering drawings with the game devs to aid in accurate simulation.