Title: The Week in Tech News: Twitter Rebranding, AI Porn Generators, Call of Duty Malware, and More
Introduction:
In this week’s tech news roundup, we cover a range of interesting topics, including the rebranding of Twitter to “X,” the ethical dilemmas associated with AI porn generators, hackers infecting Call of Duty with self-spreading malware, Chinese mobile payment solutions going cashless for foreign visitors, the launch of Sam Altman’s Worldcoin eye-scanning crypto project, North Korean hackers exposing themselves, Waymo shifting its focus to ride-sharing, and the SEC investigating former Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow. Join us as we delve into the details of these fascinating developments in the tech world.
I. Twitter Rebranding to “X”:
– Twitter has changed its iconic bird logo to the letter “X” as its new official brand.
– The move signifies Twitter’s shift towards de-emphasizing text tweets in favor of audio, video, messaging, and payments and banking.
– However, the rebranding has not gone smoothly, with several inconsistencies across the platform, including the failure to secure the @x Twitter handle.
II. AI Porn Generators and Ethical Dilemmas:
– AI porn generators have raised ethical concerns due to the potential harm they can cause, such as non-consensual deepfake content.
– Improving the quality of these generators poses challenges as it could inadvertently contribute to the proliferation of harmful content.
– The ethical implications of AI porn generators highlight the need for responsible development and regulation.
III. Hackers Infect Call of Duty with Self-Spreading Malware:
– Hackers have targeted players of the old game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with a worm that automatically spreads in online lobbies.
– Despite the game being released in 2009, it still has a small community of players, leading to concerns over their data security.
– Call of Duty publisher Activision has taken the Steam version of the game offline for investigation.
IV. Chinese Mobile Payment Solutions Go Cashless for Foreign Visitors:
– WeChat Pay and Alipay, China’s dominant mobile payment solutions, have announced that overseas users can now pay at Chinese retailers using their foreign credit cards.
– Previously, using these payment methods required a local bank account, posing challenges for short-term visitors.
– This move aims to enhance convenience for foreign visitors and promote cashless transactions in China.
V. Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Eye-Scanning Crypto Project:
– Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency startup founded by Sam Altman, has started its global rollout of services aimed at distinguishing between humans and AI online.
– The World App allows users to receive a unique “World ID” by visiting an Orb, a helmet-shaped eyeball-scanning verification device.
– This project seeks to build a trusted solution for identity verification and combatting online fraud.
VI. North Korean Hackers Expose Themselves:
– Security researchers believe that North Korean hackers were behind an intrusion into enterprise software company JumpCloud.
– A mistake made by the hackers led to the attribution of the breach to North Korea’s General Reconnaissance Office (RGB), a hacking unit targeting cryptocurrency companies.
– The breach highlights cybersecurity risks and the need for robust defense measures.
VII. Waymo Shifts Focus to Ride-Sharing:
– Waymo, the autonomous vehicle technology company, has announced a shift in focus from self-driving trucks to ride-sharing.
– Waymo’s decision showcases the business opportunities in applying autonomous vehicle technology to the ride-sharing industry.
– The move emphasizes the company’s commitment to developing and implementing advanced mobility solutions.
VIII. SEC Probes Former Bolt CEO:
– Ryan Breslow, co-founder of e-commerce software company Bolt, and the company itself have been subpoenaed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
– The SEC is investigating whether federal securities laws were violated in connection with statements made during Bolt’s fundraising activities in 2021.
– The investigation highlights the regulatory scrutiny faced by companies in the fintech and e-commerce sectors.
Conclusion:
This week’s tech news highlights the diverse range of developments shaping the industry. From Twitter’s rebranding to hackers infecting Call of Duty and the launch of Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project, the tech landscape constantly evolves. Moving forward, it is crucial for industry players to navigate the ethical challenges associated with emerging technologies and prioritize the security and well-being of users. Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the world of tech.
Summary:
Welcome to TechCrunch’s Summary of the Week (WiR), where we bring you the top tech news in one place. In this roundup, we cover Twitter’s rebranding as “X,” AI porn generators and their ethical dilemmas, hackers infecting Call of Duty with malware, Chinese mobile payment solutions going cashless for foreign visitors, Sam Altman’s Worldcoin eye-scanning crypto project, North Korean hackers exposing themselves, Waymo’s shift towards ride-sharing, and the SEC investigating former Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow. These developments showcase the ongoing transformations and challenges within the tech industry. Stay informed with our weekly summaries delivered directly to your inbox every Saturday.
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Hello friends, welcome to Summary of the week (WiR), TechCrunch roundup of the week in tech news. Is life getting in the way of your daily TechCrunch habit? It is not to worry. WiR will have you hooked in no time.
This week, WiR covers improving the quality of AI porn generators and the ethical dilemmas they raise; Twitter rebranding to “X”; and hackers infecting Call of Duty with self-spreading malware. Elsewhere, we dive into a group of North Korean hackers, the new ability for Chinese foreign visitors to go cashless, and the launch of Sam Altman’s Worldcoin eye-scanning crypto project.
As always, it’s a long way to go, so let’s not delay. But first, a reminder that if he hasn’t already, sign up here to receive WiR in your inbox every Saturday.
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Twitter changes the name to “X”: This week, Twitter dropped its iconic bird logo and adopted the “X” as its new official brand. The measure, announced by Elon Musk weekendit’s a harbinger of the platform’s shift, perhaps more aspirational than concrete, to deemphasize text tweets in favor of audio, video, messaging, and payments and banking.
Now it’s my X: Twitter’s rebranding to X hasn’t gone exceptionally well. In addition to a fortuitous display that Mountain range Parts of the site referencing “X” while others still begged you to “Search Twitter” or hit a blue “Tweet” button, the company didn’t even make an attempt to secure the @x Twitter handle, owned by Gene X Hwang of the corporate photo and video studio Orange Photography. tweet later control taken away of the mango without notifying or compensating Hwang.
Hackers infect Call of Duty: Hackers are infecting players of an old Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 2, with a worm that automatically spreads in online lobbies. As Lorenzo writes, Modern Warfare 2 was released quite a while ago, in 2009, but it still has a small community of players. Call of Duty publisher Activision said in a tweet that it would take the Steam version of the game offline while it “investigates the report of [the] affair.”
Foreign visitors to China run out of cash: This week, China’s two dominant mobile payment solutions, WeChat Pay and Alipay, announced that overseas users can now pay at Chinese retailers by linking their foreign credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Previously, using WeChat Pay and Alipay in China required a local bank account, making it difficult for short-term visitors to use these payment methods.
Worldcoin launches its eyeball scanning project: Worldcoin, Sam Altman’s bold eye-scanning cryptocurrency startup, has begun the global rollout of its services to help build a trusted solution for distinguishing humans from AI online. People can download World App, the startup’s protocol-compliant wallet software, and visit an Orb, Worldcoin’s helmet-shaped eyeball-scanning verification device, to receive a unique “World ID.”
North Korean hackers expose themselves: Security researchers say they are very confident that North Korean hackers were behind a recent intrusion into enterprise software company JumpCloud due to a mistake the hackers made. Mandiant, which is assisting one of the affected JumpCloud customers, attributed the breach to hackers working for North Korea’s General Reconnaissance Office, or RGB, a hacking unit that targets cryptocurrency companies and steals passwords from executives and security teams.
Waymo puts the brakes on trucks: Waymo is reining in self-driving trucks and shifting most of its capital, resources, and talent into a business bet: ride-sharing. Kirsten writes that the move, which was announced Wednesday in a company blog post, comes six years after Waymo first tested its autonomous vehicle system in Class 8 trucks. The company stressed that the decision was prompted for business opportunities in applying its autonomous vehicle technology to ride sharing.
SEC Probes Former Bolt CEO: Ryan Breslow, co-founder of e-commerce software team Bolt, was subpoenaed along with the company last year by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Christine reported this week. A letter written in April by a lawyer representing Bolt’s investors said the SEC was investigating whether federal securities laws were violated in connection with statements made when Bolt was raising money in 2021.
Audio
Need a podcast to fill the hours? You’re lucky. TechCrunch has a list of new episodes to keep you entertained and informed.
In Equity this week, the crew dug across the headlines of the past few days, beginning with AngelList’s acquisition of Nova, Waymo’s move toward robotaxis, and the latest on interest rates from the Federal Reserve. They also touched on Big Tech’s earnings and how more limited partner capital can be funneled into various venture funds.
Found featured a conversation with Mandy Price, Co-Founder and CEO of Kanarys, a software-as-a-service startup that helps companies address their diversity and inclusion issues with data. Mandy discussed why she started the firm after a decade-long career as a lawyer, and why she didn’t want Kanarys to focus solely on hiring metrics, like many other diversity, equity and inclusion platforms do.
And in Chain reaction, Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskins, the co-founders of Boys Club, spoke about their decentralized social self-government organization for the “crypto-curious.” Originally designed for women and non-binary people to enter the web3 world, Boys Club now aims to be an open space for anyone looking to enter the space.
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TC+ subscribers get access to detailed feedback, analysis and surveys, which you know about if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not here consider signing up. Here are some highlights from this week:
Why SAFE rounds are safe: SAFEs, simple agreements for future shares, have long been touted as a founder-friendly structure for signing venture agreements. But is it really fair to call them that? Rebecca investigates.
Positivity to toxicity: Dominic writes about how prioritizing a positive company culture is just as important, or at least should be just as important, as investor returns.
Playing the long AI game: The results from Microsoft and Alphabet indicate that the AI game is more of a long-term strategy, Alex writes.
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Twitter rebrands to ‘X,’ hackers infect Call of Duty, and foreign visitors to China go cashless
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