‘Don’t be evil’

Which Big Tech company’s unofficial motto, written into its code of conduct, used to be “Don’t be evil”? Was it … A.) Apple, B.) Microsoft, C.) Google or D.) Amazon?

The answer: C.) Google. The phrase was even the Wi-Fi password for the shuttle that took folks to Google’s campus. When Alphabet became Google’s parent company in 2015, they adopted an adjusted version: “Do the right thing.” In 2018, “Don’t be evil” disappeared from their website altogether.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, Google, tech, Wi-Fi


What's a 'Coffee Badger?'

Amazon is cracking down on ‘coffee badgers’ because of how many people are guilty doing it. Be careful, Big Brother is watching.

🏅 Putting the “pics” in Olympics: Olympians are turning to OnlyFans to make money while in Paris. Briton Jack Laugher says he only makes $36,000 a year as one of the top three divers in the world. Now, he charges $10 a month for fans to chat with him, ask questions and, of course, see some very spicy Speedo pics.

450,000 podcasts

Are currently publishing new episodes. But get this: The 25 most popular podcasts account for nearly 50% of all U.S. weekly listeners. Wow, I need each and every one of you to tune into my show’s podcast. Maybe I can break into the top 100!

🔒 Over 200 PC models are at risk: This affects millions of PCs. Secure Boot keeps your PC from booting on sketchy software but is now completely useless. Why? An employee posted the platform’s four-digit password online. Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Intel and Supermicro PCs are all vulnerable. If you’re downloading software, use a sandbox. I’ll let you know when there’s a patch.

King Henry had two axe wives: Art historian Adam Busiakiewicz spotted a missing portrait of King Henry VIII while scrolling on X. The painting was in the background of a photo at Warwick’s Shire Hall in central England. I’m sure it will end up at the British Museum, along with everything else stolen in the world.

Move over, TikTok: Talkie is now the fifth-most-downloaded app, and its parent company, MiniMax, has ties to Communist China. Talkie lets you chat with AI versions of celebs (paywall link) like Taylor Swift or a customized romantic partner. Yup, the app gets copies of everything on your phone.

The latest must-have for the elite? High-worth individuals are less cyber-protected than organizations, making them bigger targets. Case in point: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Bill Gates have all had their phones or X accounts hacked. Now folks are paying experts big bucks to protect them from cyber threats, because, well, big money is on the line.

Is your car bricked? Since AT&T killed off 3G over two years ago, owners of 2014 to 2019 Volkswagens with VW Car-Net services have been in analog, so to speak. Without wireless connectivity, they no longer have features like remote start, emergency assistance or antitheft alerts. Volkswagen still doesn’t have a fix, and some 3G-reliant Hyundai and Nissan models are screwed, too. Cars with 4G should have until at least 2035. PSA: Check the connectivity specs before you buy, folks.

$1.2 billion

For Israel’s “Iron Beam” defense laser. The laser can take out air threats from over four miles away and never runs out of ammo (paywall link). The Iron Beam can destroy threats for about $2,000 a pop (the cost of electricity), compared to $50,000 for traditional missile defense. I hope this is on the U.S. military’s wishlist.

🛡️ A win against deepfakes: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the first bill to crack down on AI porn. The bill will let victims sue anyone who creates or distributes explicit content depicting the victims without their consent, with a 10-year statute of limitations. You know more regulations are coming.