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Threads

Pamper Sports Fans, Threads Adds Live Score Feature

Morrissey Technology – Social media platform Threads will reportedly start showing live sports scores, starting with NBA basketball games. This was conveyed directly by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, he said that he would add more scores for other sports matches in the near future. Threads explains how this live score system works, so during the match, just search for the teams and users will see the latest scores. If the game ends, the search will return the final score. Users can also find out when the match will start by searching for it in advance.

The feature is clearly similar to how X works, as the platform started showing live sports scores in 2017, when it was still called Twitter. Each score is accompanied by two team logos. Tapping on these logos will take users to a conversation about that team. A Threads spokesperson told Engadget that basketball has become one of the most popular topics and NBA Threads has become one of the most active sports communities on the app.

This makes sense, as NBA discourse is also huge on X. NBA Twitter, as it is called in sports media, regularly drives coverage and conversation about the professional basketball league. It seems Meta hopes to take some of that influence.

Apple also recently announced its own sports-related initiatives. The first-party Sports iPhone FOR4D app offers real-time statistics for a number of major leagues, including the NBA, and displays live scoring data on the lock screen during games.

Apple CEO

Apple Boss Praises China Amid Sluggish iPhone Sales

Morrissey TechnologyApple CEO Tim Cook is on a short tour of China on the occasion of the opening of the new Apple Store in Shanghai. During this trip, Cook met and praised a number of Apple suppliers

According to Chinese media reports, Cook held an information sharing session with three Apple suppliers BYD, Lens Technology and Everwin Precision Technology — at Apple’s office located in Shanghai.

“There is no supply chain in the world more important to Apple than China,” Cook told reporters in China.

Cook also met with Wang Chuanfu, founder and chairman of Chinese electric car giant BYD, during the session, according to a video posted on Cook’s Weibo account. The bespectacled man enthusiastically praised suppliers in China for having the most advanced manufacturing in the world.

According to his Weibo post, Cook also visited a film production studio, discussed with mobile game developers, and took photos with visitors and staff at Apple’s new store in Shanghai’s Jing’an district.

Cook has visited China three times this year. This visit was carried out amidst sluggish iPhone sales in the Bamboo Curtain country since early 2024. According to a Counterpoint Research report, throughout the first six weeks of 2024 iPhone sales fell 24% compared to the previous year. On the other hand, Huawei cellphone sales skyrocketed by 64%.

Apple and Cook continue to emphasize China’s important role for their companies. Not long ago, Apple announced that it would expand its research center in Shanghai to support all of its product lines, and revealed plans to open a new research laboratory in Shenzhen.

If you look at the opening of the Apple Store in Jing’an a few days ago, it seems that Apple’s charm in China has not faded. According to reports by a number of Chinese media, there were hundreds of Apple fanboys who queued overnight to be the first to visit the store or look for the opportunity to take a photo with Cook.

The Apple Store in Jing’an is the largest Apple store in China. This new store worth USD 11.6 million is the second largest store after Apple’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue FOR4D, New York. Now Apple has eight stores in Shanghai, China’s financial center. Currently there are 47 Apple Stores, the largest of which are in 24 cities in mainland China.

Apple Monopoly Market

United States Sues Apple Regarding Alleged Illegal Monopoly

Morrissey Technology – The United States Department of Justice sued Apple for allegedly carrying out an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. The US Department of Justice, along with 16 state and district attorneys general, accused Apple of raising prices for consumers and developers by making users more dependent on its phones. This complaint was filed with the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, reported The Verge.

Attorneys general from New Jersey, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia joined the US Department of Justice in the complaint.

“Apple uses its monopoly power to get more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses and merchants, among others,” wrote the US Department of Justice, Friday (22/3).

According to the US Department of Justice, Apple has so far responded to the threat of competition by implementing a series of ‘Whac-A-Mole’ contract regulations and restrictions which have apparently harmed other parties.

“For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by implementing a series of ‘Whac-A-Mole’ rules and contract restrictions that allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher costs on developers and creators, and limit the competitive alternatives of consumers and rival technology,” said Jonathan Kanter, Chief of the Antitrust Division, US Department of Justice.

Law enforcers are therefore asking the court to stop Apple from using its control over app distribution to undermine cross-platform technologies such as cloud streaming apps, then messaging, smartwatches and digital wallets.

Additionally, in a press conference on Thursday (21/3) announcing the lawsuit, US Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Apple had maintained control over competition by strangling entire industries through its shift to revolutionizing the smartphone market.

In a statement, Apple spokesman Fred Sainz said the lawsuit threatens and hinders them from innovating in technology.

“These allegations threaten us and the principles that differentiate Apple products in a highly competitive market. If successful, these allegations will hinder our ability to create the type of technology that users expect from Apple,” said Fred, reported by The Verge.

“Where hardware, software and services will intersect. This would also set a dangerous precedent, as it empowers the government to take an outsized role in designing society’s technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we “I will defend myself with all my might,” he added.

Currently, Apple is also trying to stop this case. One of the developers of applications for iOS, Spotify, they have complained for years about the platform’s closed and often opaque market. Spotify, which runs a paid subscription service on iOS, requires a 15 to 30 percent cut from Apple to offer on its platform.

Europe, which has previously moved ahead of the US in its efforts to control technology under the law, has succeeded in fining Apple.
Earlier this month, the European Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion (about $2 billion) in connection with complaints from Spotify about its restrictive app store practices.

The European Union (EU) said its investigation found that Apple indeed prohibited music streaming service developers from providing complete information to iOS users.

“Apple prohibits music streaming application developers from providing complete information to iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services available outside the application,” wrote the European Union (EU) as reported by The Verge FOR4D.

artificial intelligence

OpenAI Powered Robot Shows Off, Chats and Serves Apples

Morrissey Technology – Robots with artificial intelligence (AI) technology are increasingly sophisticated and the latest ones can serve food and communicate like humans. The robot, named Figure 01, is equipped with OpenAI technology, which allows it to have full conversations with humans and make a cup of coffee.

Figure, the company behind the smart robot, uploaded a video clip about the sophistication of Figure 01 on their official account on X (formerly Twitter). In the video, you can see a series of simple tests. Initially, Figure 01 was asked to give an apple, and then a trial conversation between a human and a robot.

Researchers asked the robot to explain why it handed him an apple while he was picking up trash. As a result, the robot can answer all these questions in a friendly voice. In its statement, the Figure company explained that the conversations that the robot can carry out are supported by integration with technology created by OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT FOR4D.

“With OpenAI, Figure 01 can now have a full conversation with a human. OpenAI models provide high-level visual and language intelligence. Artificial neural networks provide fast, low-level, dexterous robotic actions,” said Figure’s official statement on Twitter.

Quoting LiveScience, experts interpret this technology as a form of progress in two main fields of robotics. The first advancement is the mechanical engineering behind robot movements that are agile and can self-correct like humans can.

This means there is a technology of highly precise motors, actuators and graspers inspired by joints or muscles, as well as motor controls to manipulate them to perform tasks and hold objects carefully, on the robot.

Picking up a cup, for example, something humans do almost unconsciously, uses an intensive process to direct muscles in a precise sequence. The second advance is real-time natural language processing (NLP) thanks to the addition of the OpenAI engine – which should be as fast and responsive as ChatGPT FOR4D when you type queries or commands into it.

It also requires software to translate this data into audio, or speech. NLP is a field of computer science that aims to give machines the ability to understand and convey speech.

Overall, the test robot can already resemble humans, if the footage and scenes are real. Starting from including random diction when speaking then starting the sentence ‘um’ which is subconsciously similar to humans when taking a split second to think about what to say.

iPhone 17 Series

iPhone 17 Will Have an Anti-Reflective Screen and Be More Scratch Resistant

Morrissey Technology – The iPhone 17 series looks like it will get a display upgrade that matches the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The upgrade is in the form of a display that is more scratch-resistant and anti-reflective. Tipster Instant Digital in a post on Weibo claims that the outer glass on the iPhone 17 display will have an anti-coating that is more scratch resistant. The layer is also made anti-reflective so that the screen does not glare and can still be seen under the hot sun.

The equipment to produce this coating has been handed over to Apple’s supply chain in China. But this technology is not ready to be used on the iPhone 16 series, and will only be available for the iPhone 17 series next year.

Currently, the iPhone 15 series has a display protected by a glass-ceramic layer called Ceramic Shield, which is the result of a collaboration between Apple and Corning. Ceramic Shield was first introduced in 2020 with the iPhone 12 series.

When it was first launched, Apple said the Ceramic Shield was four times more durable than the glass on the iPhone 11. Apple claims the Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 15 is much more durable than the glass on other phones.

A few months after the iPhone 15 was released, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra which uses a Gorilla Glass FOR4D Armor layer on its display, which was also developed by Corning. Gorilla Glass Armor can reduce light reflections by up to 75% compared to ordinary glass surfaces and is four times more scratch resistant than competitive protective glass.

It is not yet known whether Apple will use Gorilla Glass Armor for the iPhone 17, but the description matches tipster Instant Digital’s claims. Maybe Apple will use similar technology but with a different name.

Apple and Corning themselves have been collaborating for a long time, and many Apple products use Gorilla Glass. In 2021, Apple invested USD 495 million in capital to support Corning’s research and development, which later resulted in Ceramic Shield technology.

Cellphones Hackers

Beware of the Various Ways Hackers Hack Cell Phones, Check Out the List

Morrissey TechnologyCybercriminals are starting to become adept at using various methods to hack the cellphones of their potential victims. They can even hack phones remotely. Hacking a cellphone requires a combination of sophisticated techniques and exploiting vulnerabilities in the device’s operating system (OS) or applications.

Even now, many hackers have created spyware applications to secretly steal users’ personal data. Usually hackers exploit security vulnerabilities in the user’s OS or device applications, with the aim of harming the user. According to cyber security company AVG Technology, the following are common techniques usually used by hackers to hack smartphone security.

1. Phishing

This technique involves the use of social engineering tactics to deceive users with the aim of getting users to reveal their personal information. Phishing can look simple, like just an e-mail saying “FREE” which then redirects the user to a malicious site if clicked. Or it could be a more complex scheme, such as an online quiz format where the answers tell the hacker information about the date of birth, birth mother’s maiden name, or even the name of the user’s first pet. Phishing also usually has its own victims, such as spear phishing which is a type of phishing attack that focuses on tricking one particular individual into revealing their personal information.

2. Spy apps

One way to infect a cell phone with malicious software (malware) is to convince users to download applications that have hidden tracking features. Apps like these can masquerade as games, productivity apps, or even promising security apps. In fact, the application is a spyware application that tracks online activities and personal data from users. Some spyware on Android can even spy on smartphones that are turned off. Another type of dangerous software for users is stalkerware, which can track a user’s movements, browsing, messages and calls. This stalkerware is usually installed by someone close to the user.

3. SIM swap

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), which confirms login with a text message sent to the cellphone, is a technique used by hackers to hack telephone numbers by swapping them to another SIM card (owned by the hacker).

4. Unauthorized access

Hackers can use phishing or other techniques to access users’ iCloud or Google accounts. This is apparently caused by the large number of users who link their accounts to social media, so that hackers can easily exploit accounts with unauthorized (illegal) access. With unauthorized access to a user’s account, hackers can see personal information such as the user’s location, email, messages, and passwords.

5. Bluetooth

Apart from being able to easily connect a user’s device to other devices, Bluetooth connections can also make cellphones more vulnerable to hacking. Hackers can use software to intercept Bluetooth signals and gain access to users’ phones. Therefore, do not pair your cellphone with an unfamiliar, untrusted device or in an unsafe location.

These SIM swapping scams typically start with phishing attempts designed to provide hackers with information to impersonate users at the service provider. Once there is enough information, the hacker can use the phone number to initiate a SIM swap.

6. Wi-Fi

Similar to Bluetooth, hackers can also use Wi-Fi connections to gain access to iPhone and Android devices belonging to potential victims. Using a public Wi-Fi network is very risky, as there is a possibility that the network has been previously set up to connect. Apart from that, users can also set up a mobile VPN on iPhone or Android. VPN or virtual private network encrypts user connections to prevent hackers from accessing the phone.

7. Charging station

This fraud is called juice jacking, the technique is carried out by infecting stations using malware. The target is users whose batteries are running low, which will not only provide a power boost, but malware connected to the cellphone will be able to monitor what the user does, collect and transmit personal data, and even make withdrawals from the user’s bank account.

8. Trojans

Trojans are malware that disguise themselves as harmless applications or files to trick users into opening them. Hackers can spy on users, use users’ cellphones in botnets (Robot Network), or even send malicious SMS messages.

9. Crypto piracy

Cryptopjacking FOR4D is the unauthorized use of a device to mine cryptocurrency without the knowledge or consent of the user. Hackers infect users’ phones and secretly install crypto mining malware that is used to mine cryptocurrency and send it directly to the hacker’s digital crypto wallet.

SpaceX Rocket

SpaceX Secretly Makes Satellites for Spying, Check Their Purpose

Morrissey Technology – Billionaire Elon Musk’s space company, SpaceX, is reportedly building a network of hundreds of spy satellites for United States intelligence agencies. Five sources familiar with this program said SpaceX had a secret contract with US intelligence agencies.

This network was built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a contract worth US$1.8 billion (around Rp. 28 trillion). According to one source, this contract was signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the intelligence agency that manages spy satellites.

The plan shows the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in US intelligence and military projects. In addition, this plan also reveals Pentagon investments aimed at supporting ground troops.

The five sources said that if this is successful, the program will significantly increase the ability of the US government and military to quickly find targets almost anywhere in the world. Sources say the satellites can track targets on the ground and share that data with US intelligence and military officials.

In principle, it would allow the US government to quickly capture continuous imagery of activities on the ground almost anywhere around the world, aiding intelligence and military operations.

SpaceX did not respond to multiple requests for comment about its contractual role in the program, as well as details about the satellite launch. Meanwhile, the Pentagon asked that this be confirmed to the NRO and SpaceX.

In a statement, the NRO acknowledged its mission to develop advanced satellite systems and its partnerships with government agencies, companies, research institutes and other countries. However, they declined to comment on a Reuters report on the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in the effort.

“NRO is developing the most capable, diverse and robust space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems the world has ever seen,” a spokesperson said.

Three sources stated that at least a dozen prototypes have been launched since 2020, including satellites launched with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

A US government database of objects in orbit shows several SpaceX missions have launched satellites that have never been acknowledged by the company or the government. Two sources confirmed that the satellites are prototypes for the Starshield network.

This series of classified spy satellites is one of the US government’s most sought after capabilities in space because it is designed to offer the broadest, most comprehensive and rapid coverage of activities on Earth.

“There’s no hiding,” one source said of the system’s potential capabilities, when describing the network’s reach.

Attempts at space domination

The Starshield network is part of an increasingly fierce competition between the US and its rivals to seize a position of dominance as a military power in space, done in part by expanding the system of spy satellites that no longer use large and expensive spacecraft. In contrast, a vast, low-orbiting network could provide faster, near-constant imaging of the Earth.

China on the other hand is also planning to start building its own satellite constellation, and the Pentagon has warned of the threat of space weapons from Russia, which could cripple the entire satellite network.

Starshield aims to be more resilient against attacks from advanced space forces. Two sources revealed that this network is also intended to expand the US government’s remote sensing capabilities.

In addition, the network FOR4D will consist of large satellites with imaging sensors, as well as a large number of relay satellites that relay imaging data and other communications across the network using inter-satellite lasers.

Outer Space Dark

Why is Outer Space Dark, Even Though There is The Sun?

Morrissey Technology – Why is outer space dark, even though there is the Sun? Looking at the night sky with our own eyes or taking photos of the universe online, we will see the same thing, namely very dark space, interspersed with bright stars or planets. Why is it black?
Why is outer space colorless, like the blue daytime sky on Earth? If the Universe is filled with the Sun and billions of stars, why doesn’t the night sky shine with starlight?

This is a classic question that astronomers call the Olbers paradox, after the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers. He tried to answer the question “why is outer space always dark” by assuming that interstellar space is partly filled with matter that absorbs light, for example clouds of interstellar dust.

But the first law of thermodynamics casts doubt on this hypothesis, because interstellar matter that absorbs light, will inevitably heat up and begin to emit light itself. Olbers’ paradox was finally solved in the 20th century. It turns out that the Universe continues to expand and visible light from galaxies, as it moves away, passes into the range of infrared, ultraviolet and radio waves, which are invisible to the human eye. Unless we can see microwaves, all of space will glow FOR4D.

Another question of course is, if space is dark, why is Earth bright? This phenomenon can be explained by the presence of the atmosphere. Space is almost like a vacuum, there is only a small amount of gas and cosmic dust in a certain volume, but no atmosphere. And the light needs to bounce off something.

Light will travel in a straight line until it hits an object. Once light hits and reflects off an object, it is the atmosphere that provides the “scattering” in the spectrum visible to the human eye. Since the Earth rotates on its axis, darkness reigns on the side where the Sun’s light does not fall and we call this period as night. During the day, atmospheric atoms, molecules and dust interact with photons, causing them to scatter.

On Earth, most of the atmosphere scatters blue light, because blue light has shorter wavelengths at the visible end of the spectrum and is more scattered in the atmosphere than red light. Therefore, the daytime sky on Earth appears blue FOR4D.

On Mars, the atmosphere is thinner, about 100 times thinner than Earth’s, but still enough to make the sky appear blue-gray during the day. When Mars’ frequent winds raise dust clouds from the surface, the Martian sky becomes thinner, taking on a reddish color.

However, if we are on a planet or satellite that has no atmosphere or a very thin atmosphere (such as the Moon or Mercury), the sky looks black during the day and at night. If we look at the photos taken by the Apollo spacecraft on the Moon, it appears that the sky there is black, even with bright sunlight.

AMD Ryzen

Crypto Miners Strike Again, Now AMD Ryzen Is Buying Up

Morrissey Technology – In the past, crypto miners bought up GPUs until they were scarce on the market, now it’s the turn of AMD Ryzen processors to be bought up by crypto miners. Currently, AMD Radeon GPU supplies are starting to become scarce again, with demand continuing to increase in China. However, with the value of Bitcoin and Ethereum continuing to increase, crypto miners continue to increase their production.

Namely by buying all AMD Ryzen CPUs in large quantities, which makes the stock scarce. The processor that is being targeted is the Ryzen 9 7950X, which is one of the fastest desktop processors for gaming or productivity purposes. This processor is sought after because it is optimal for Qubic mining thanks to its support for the AVX2 and AVX512 instruction sets, which are essential for many crypto mining rigs, as well as its overall efficiency.

Using an AMD processor is also more profitable than using an Nvidia GPU because the price is cheaper. Crypto miners can make twice as much profit using the 7950X  FOR4D compared to the RTX 4090, partly because the RTX 4090 is much more expensive.

The difference in profit comparison will be higher when AMD releases a CPU with the Zen 5 architecture, which will only be mass produced in 2024. This is because Zen 5 reportedly has two times higher AVX512 performance than Zen 4 which is used by the 7950X.

Zen 5 is expected to begin production at TSMC between April and June, while mass production will only begin in the next quarter. Mainstream class Zen 5 CPUs will use a core called “Nirvana”, while server class CPUs and the like will use a Zen 5c core called “Prometheus”.

The 7950X shortage was revealed by MegasizeGPU via the @Zen__Wang account on X. This shortage occurred almost at the same time as the Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange rates increased, which both skyrocketed.

“The 7950X is out of stock everywhere. What’s going on? Is there a special need for this CPU, or has it been discontinued,” he wrote in X.

“Now I understand. The 7950X is the king in Qubic mining,” he continued in another post.

Drone AI

AI Drones Capable of Killing People Can Be Made in a Matter of Hours

Morrissey Technology – It only takes a few hours to configure a small, commercially available drone to hunt a target, a scientist warns. Luis Wenus, an entrepreneur and engineer, incorporated an artificial intelligence (AI) system into a small drone to chase people like in a game. He shared the results of this ‘fad’ activity in a post on March 2 on X/Twitter. But he soon realized that the device could easily be configured to hold an explosive charge.

Collaborating with Robert Lukoszko, another engineer, he configured the drone to use an object detection model to find people and fly toward them at full speed. Both also incorporate a facial recognition system into the drone that can work at a distance of up to 10 meters. This means that armed versions of drones can be used to attack specific people or targets.

“It only took a few hours to make, and made me realize how scary it is. You can easily tie a small amount of explosives to it and let 100 explosives fly,” wrote Wenus as quoted by Science Alert.

Wenus describes himself as an ‘open source absolutist’, meaning he believes in always sharing code and software through open source channels. He also identifies himself as ‘e/acc’ which is a school of thought among AI researchers that refers to the desire to accelerate AI research regardless of the downsides. This flow arises from the belief that the profits will always be greater than the profits. But he said that he would not publish any code related to this experiment.

“Terror attacks could be planned in the near future using this kind of technology. Although people need technical knowledge to engineer such systems, writing software will become easier as time goes by, partly because of advances in AI as an assistant in writing code,” he said.

Anti-drone System

Wenus said his experiments show that society needs to immediately build anti-drone systems for civic spaces where large numbers of people can gather. According to Robin Radar, there are several countermeasures that the community can build, including cameras, acoustic sensors and radar to detect drones.

However, to disrupt them, technology is needed such as radio frequency jammers, GPS spoofers, net guns, and high-energy lasers. Although these weapons have not yet been used in a civilian environment, such equipment has previously been conceptualized and used in the context of warfare. Ukraine, for example, has developed explosive drones in response to the Russian invasion.

The US military is also looking for ways to build and control swarms of small drones that could attack targets. The move follows efforts by the US Navy after first showing it could control 30 drones with explosives in 2017, according to MIT Technology FOR4D Review.