Living Tech
June 21st, 2023
There was a time when creating a phony image required at least a bit of skill. That time has passed. With the help of AI, just about anyone can fake a photo—and a fairly convincing one at that. Photoshop, which takes considerable study to master, is incorporating AI technology that will make it and its many capabilities accessible to just about anyone with a laptop and an imagination. It might be fun! (See the fish in the…... Continue reading >
May 17th, 2023
Thanks to voice cloning, if hearing was ever believing, it isn’t any more. With recent advances in AI technology, it’s now possible to use samples of your voice to create a recording of “you” saying just about anything. It’s the sound of deceit
There are some potentially beneficial uses of this novel capability—maybe audiobooks will get cheaper if bots can do the bulk of the work—but we’re here to focus on the risks….... Continue reading >
April 21st, 2023
We tell our kids to look both ways before crossing the street and to never take candy from strangers, but then we put a device in their hand and grant then countless hours of screen time. For a lot of kids, that means an increased risk of mental and physical health problems, from ADHD and depression to addiction, headaches and eye strain.
For years research has shown that
frequent internet usage can have negative…... Continue reading >
February 1st, 2023
Even our government is making money off of your personal data. Sure, it’s legal, but is it right?
You likely know that mega businesses, such as Amazon, social media and search engine companies, collect vast amounts of data about us. That’s so they can target their goods and services more precisely to customers. It’s all in the name of helping advertisers reach specific audiences and demographics.
And…... Continue reading >
January 13th, 2023
An interesting review of the latest CES expo in Las Vegas by the Washington Post shows the companies introducing the latest tech devices don’t care about your privacy. CES is the country’s biggest annual trade show for the tech industry. It’s where the latest products and services are introduced to the world. And according to the Washington Post reporter who attended the most recent CES, personal privacy is on the back-est of the back burners. Yikes.
... Continue reading >
September 6th, 2022
Keep this in mind: They can track your texts, too. Texting may feel private—just a little typed out conversation between you and a friend for your and their eyes only. Would that it were so. Your text chains contain mountains of information about you and your habits and preferences. It’s valuable, which means someone out there wants it. At times, they get it.
Ever visit a website to browse some products only to then…... Continue reading >
August 26th, 2022
TikTok, it was recently revealed, can track your keystrokes. Sounds sketchy, right? It is. If you or your kids use TikTok, here’s what you need to know.
First, a reminder of a universal rule: Free isn’t free. Apps that don’t cost money to download may appear free, but they’re not. There is plenty of value to harvest from data generated by your use of the app. Some of that data is innocuous, some…... Continue reading >
July 26th, 2022
Is the end of the social networking era on the horizon? Is it here already? A piece by Scott Rosenberg on Axios makes the case that the social networking model—after more than a decade at the top of our digital experience—is kaput. Following Tik Tok’s lead, Facebook now plans to “shape your online life around the algorithmically sorted preferences of millions of strangers around the globe.”
... Continue reading >
July 22nd, 2022
Facial recognition technology is everywhere. Well, almost. And it’s becoming increasingly common. Officials in New Orleans just authorized its police force to employ it. And in London, police used the technology to scan more than 36,000 faces in just one busy weekend. Face it: This is the new face of surveillance.
... Continue reading >
July 20th, 2022
To understand the Dark Web, understand this: The Internet can be a weird place. So weird, that it’s got a bizarro version where none of the normal rules apply. You can think of it as a parallel universe or an alternate dimension, but it has a name: The Dark Web. Here’s what you should know about it.
The Dark Web is a shadow version of the Internet, where there are good actors and bad…... Continue reading >