Good morning, hope you’re well this beautiful Thursday Autumn morning. Let’s dive into some tech news.
1. Meriton becomes the latest cyber attack victim
One of Australia’s biggest property giants yesterday alerted the public it had been hit by cybercriminals who may have highly sensitive personal data of individuals, which could include birth certificates and bank details. According to the ABC, this info could also contain staff employment data, including bank details, tax file numbers, salaries and disciplinary proceedings. It’s understood 1,889 people are affected by the breach, with those individuals issued a warning and provided with some information to protect themselves. Per The Australian, Meriton has more than 14,000 investment apartments and nearly 12,000 units in development.
2. Google Adds Extreme Heat Warnings
It’s no secret: the world is heating up. Inevitably, people are starting to take notice. More people are searching for information on extreme heat than ever before, according to Google — and the company is hoping to make those search results clearer. With a new search feature, Google says it wants to help its users stay cool (and safe) during increasingly common and intense heat waves. The tech giant is adding extreme heat alerts to its search results. The feature will roll out over the course of the next few months.
Extreme weather events — including prolonged heat waves — are becoming more frequent. As summer approaches in many parts of the world, we’re sharing a set of initiatives to help communities prepare for and adapt to the effects of rising heat. Learn more → https://t.co/hTzlSOBJWs pic.twitter.com/hzGMFFXLLl
— Google (@Google) March 29, 2023
3. Technologists demand immediate pause of advanced AI systems
A wide-ranging coalition of more than 500 technologists, engineers, and AI ethicists have signed an open letter calling on AI labs to immediately pause all training on any AI systems more powerful than Open AI’s recently released GPT-4 for at least six months. The signatories, which include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and “based AI” developer Elon Musk, warn these advanced new AI models could pose “profound risks to society and humanity,” if allowed to advance without sufficient safeguards. If companies refuse to pause development, the letter says governments should whip out the big guns and institute a mandatory moratorium. Read more here.
4. Apple announces 2023 WWDC
Apple has officially announced it will host its annual developer’s conference at Apple Park in Cupertino beginning June 5. The conference, known as the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), will offer an “in-person experience” but will take place primarily online. Free for all developers, WWDC23 will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS advancements. While there’s nothing confirmed, there’s already been plenty of conjecture about what’s coming next from Apple’s software platforms. Leakers hope iOS 17 will finally allow outside app stores on iOS devices, though reports have hinted that Europe would be the first market to enable it. The long-awaited revamp to CarPlay might also come from the developer event.
5. Brilliant flashing light-dimming tech
Staying on Apple for a minute and the company released its tvOS 16.4 update to the public yesterday, bringing various improvements to the system, including a new “Dim Flashing Light” feature. While we don’t normally bring updates to operating systems to your attention often, this new accessibility option is such a brilliant idea. Per a report from TechCrunch, the Apple TV can now detect flashes of light or strobe effects and then automatically dim the display of a video. It’s a massive benefit for Apple TV users with light sensitivity or, possibly, users with epileptic seizures.
BONUS ITEM: Maybe it’s time for a career change.
Have a great day!