Should celebrities be accountable for endorsing FTX? Let me explain why they ought to be in this one-minute podcast.
Deepfake warning: 6 signs the video you’re watching isn’t real
Have you seen the crazy deepfakes of “Barbie” star Margot Robbie? There’s one of her scrubbing a floor that looks so real, it’s shocking.
If that one was new to you, I’m sure you’re familiar with the infamous deepfake Tom Cruise that took the internet by storm. That one was so successful it spawned an entire deepfake company. Or maybe you remember when the Pope was walking around in a hip puffer jacket. Nah, wasn’t him.
From speeches of world leaders to clips of our favorite celebrities, deepfake videos are everywhere you turn. There are tried and true ways to pick them out. I’ll walk you through six tactics to help you become a deepfake super sleuth.
1. Face shape is a dead giveaway.
In a deepfake, measurements and proportions are typically off, even if it’s ever so slightly. The ears are the most challenging part of the face to fake, so start there.
Pro tip: Hit pause on the video and see if the structure of the face feels “off.” Your brain can perceive this pretty well since we look at real faces so often.
2. Go to the source.
Is that social media vid the real thing or a clone with a different message? Find the original footage.
Pro tip: Search related keywords on Google and social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. If you’re struggling with ways to search, you can even take screenshots of critical parts of the video and do a reverse image search.
3. Watch the mannerisms and expressions.
They’re as unique as their fingerprints. President Obama’s signature head lift and slight frown were present whenever he’d say “hi everybody” in his weekly addresses. If the star of your video in question seems like an impersonator, they very well could be.
Pro tip: Watch a few videos of the person in the potential deepfake and compare.
Innocent Google searches that lead to malware: Movies, TV shows, music and more
When I saw this malware report, I wanted to pass it along because hackers and scammers are no longer just going after adults. They’ve got a huge pot of gold for anyone looking for Sonic the Hedgehog, Taylor Swift or “Boss Baby.”
💸 Another flop for Harry and Meghan: Their $100 million Netflix deal is on shaky ground. “Polo,” their new series focusing on the world of elite equestrian sports, has been ridiculed by critics as “unintentionally hilarious.” I tried to watch it, but it was so bad. The couple never did the animated series Netflix signed for, either. Meghan’s reputation as being extremely difficult to work with isn’t helping matters, and her cooking show is going up in smoke, too. PSA: Working for a living takes up your whole day.
$12,000
To take a four-day class at Harvard. The course, Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports, is open to non-Harvard students and covers the economics of modern-day brands (paywall link) from Nike to MrBeast. Alumni include celebrities looking to build an empire, like Channing Tatum and LL Cool J. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
News Flash: Taking a celeb’s financial advice could cost you
As if losing money in crypto wasn’t enough, scammers are going after people who were victims of these crooked schemes. Here’s what you need to watch out for.
Following the FTX crypto exchange collapse in November, lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and a host of celebrities and athletes.
Latest shopping scam: Using 'Shark Tank' to trick you into thinking something is legit
You might not know it, but not all celebrity endorsements are legitimate. Scammers often use false claims or a well-known person’s image in advertising to create the illusion of association. This happens without the knowledge of the celebrity.
🚨 Celebrity shakedown: Taylor Swift, Johnny Depp and Kylie Jenner are among the top 10 celebs fraudsters deepfake to push phony giveaways, endorsements and crypto investments. Their scams are getting harder to spot, as the deepfaked versions look and sound a lot like the real stars. Always check a celebrity’s official social pages before you buy anything they’re pitching.
Lost my appetite: Viral posts on X claim celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks and Robert De Niro are being banned from restaurants. The posts started as satire on Facebook, and now people are sharing “facts.” Don’t be one of them.
Zuckerberg's jet emits 17x more carbon than the average American
Do you ever feel guilty about your carbon footprint? Compared to these celebrities, you’re barely making a dent. Here’s why, in 60 seconds.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fact check - Is this video of Bill Gates real?
Every smartphone has a camera built-in, so when a celebrity or well-known person walks out in public, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone will snap a few pictures. Quick-thinking users will record the moment in a video clip. Or you can pay them to be on your next Zoom call.
Crypto tip: Don't fall for celebrity crypto pitches
Cryptocurrency is a risky choice of investment. There are thousands of digital currencies out there, and they all share one thing in common: volatility. Your profits can soar or crash at any given moment due to supply and demand, competition, governance and even social media hype.
A simple way to fix one of Alexa's most annoying behaviors
Virtual assistants like Alexa are helpful gadgets to have around the house. They can help you with the weather, the traffic on the road, or daily reminders. Tap or click here for three great Alexa tricks. But while they do have volume controls, their responses can be rather loud.
Online abuse is more common than ever. Do this to stop cyberstalkers
Online harassment victimizes 40% of Americans. The number of Americans who say they’ve been victims of cyberbullying is frightening. According to the Pew Research Center, online abuse is only getting worse.
Cyberstalking can happen to anyone, and it can damage every aspect of your life, from friendships to your future career. You can encounter many different types of nastiness: harassment, name-calling, sexual harassment, and even death threats.
Alexa isn't the only thing to call your Echo - Here's what all the other names do
Smart assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home can make your daily tasks easier. They can also update you on traffic conditions and nudge you with specific reminders.
Even though they are only electronics at heart, you still need to call them by name to get their attention. While the standard “Hey, Alexa” will prick her ears every time, did you know that you can call her something else? Tap or click here to enable celebrity voices like Shaq on your Amazon Echo.
How to enable celebrity voices like Shaq on your Amazon Echo
Mobile navigation devices like TomTom and Garmin had a host of celebrity voices that could give you directions. As things shifted towards a smartphone-driven society, bulky GPS devices fell out of favor.
But the appetite remained for celebrities to tell you what your day is going to be like and the weather you can expect. To bring the two together, Amazon’s Alexa introduced the voice of actor Samuel L. Jackson in 2019.
Is 5G hazardous to your health?
Social media is a fertile breeding ground for lies. When misinformation explodes in popularity, it spills into the real world, spreading chaos in the form of fires and toppled cell phone towers. Right now, a dangerous conspiracy is emerging: the idea that 5G cell phone towers cause coronavirus.
Buying health supplements or weight loss pills online? Read this first
New year, new you. You may not have hosted the most traditional New Year’s Eve celebration this year, but many of us still made our annual resolutions like we do every year.
Typical New Year’s Resolutions often include things like getting in shape, exercising more or losing weight. You may have committed to something similar this year to help eliminate the quarantine weight many of us are gaining as we try to pass the time indoors.
Twitter rolls out new feature you'll love - then takes it back
Twitter is one of the leading social media platforms on the web — and the online home of some of the biggest celebrities and public figures. But in terms of features, it hasn’t changed much since it originally debuted.