Good morning, happy Thursday, let’s read some tech news, shall we?
1. Optus and Cisco sign multi-year partnership
Optus and Cisco have signed a multi-year agreement offering network security and data security for Optus enterprise and business customers.
According to Optus, the partnership will see an increased investment into the expansion of the telco’s integrated network operations centre and security operation centre.
“Our enterprise and business customers rely on Optus to deliver a network that can support high traffic, secure and reliable bandwidth. We are committed to creating solutions that address complex security issues while optimising performance and reliability particularly in environments that are increasingly hard to defend,” Danny Price, VP client services & delivery, enterprise and business at Optus said.
2. Interesting
OpenAI recently launched its ChatGPT MacOS app but there seems to be a tiny, small flaw, it is storing conversations in plain text.
As reported by The Verge, Threads users Pedro José Pereira Vieito highlighted the flaw noting that “MacOS is not sandboxed and stores all the conversations in plain-text in a non-protected location.” This means other apps could aka malware could read your ChatGPT conversations without any prompt.
In a statement to The Verge, OpenAI noted the flaw and said, “We are aware of this issue and have shipped a new version of the application which encrypts these conversations”.
3. LG acquires smart company Athom
LG Electronics has acquired an 80 per cent stake in Athom, a Dutch smart home platform company with plans to integrate its connectivity with the generative AI-enabled LG ThinQ platform.
This acquisition is a move by the appliance giant to add more AI into their smart home.
Athom is a technology company that sells the smart home hub ‘Homey,’ which connects with home appliances and IoT devices, and also offers
cloud subscription services.
“In the LG AI home, customers will engage with generative AI, which will manage appliances and IoT devices to create a personalised environment tailored to their preferences,” LG said.
4. RIP Amazon Astro for Business
After seven months, Amazon has put its security robot Astro for Business on the shelf indefinitely. According to TechCrunch, it has decided to pause this project to focus on the home version of Astro. On its FAQ about Astro for Business Amazon said “Beginning on September 25, 2024 Amazon Astro for Business will no longer function. In the coming weeks, Amazon will fully refund any Amazon Astro for Business device purchase to the original payment method used.”
Amazon has recommended users of the robot recycle it through the company’s recycling program. RIP lil buddy.
5. Judy Garland, back from the dead? Well, not really
Great news for those who have always wanted old Hollywood actors like Burt Reynolds and Judy Garland to read out a boring-ass PDF to you, this is now a reality. Through ElevenLabs and its reader app you can get Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier read out articles, PDF, ePub, newsletters, e-books for you.
Before you ask, yes ElevenLabs have partnered with the estates of the late stars to recreate the voices. File this under: “didn’t ask for this”.
BONUS: I like it when my two favourite realms of tech and pop culture collide on the internet.
the children yearn for the windows phone https://t.co/HmTyx5XbLb
— hunter (@hunter_hhhh) July 3, 2024
Image: iStock/Getty