It’s time for Bits & Bytes…

… where we bring you news, innovations, and thought-provoking insights from AI, IT, and beyond. In this week’s newsletter we’re looking at:

• 23andMe going six months before realizing they were hacked
• HP wants to hop on the subscription bandwagon – brb writing the rest of this on quill and parchment
• Neural network progress

 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

 

🧬 Hacking Your Heritage

Hackers snagged the genetic info of 23andMe users months before anyone at the company even noticed. Hackers used logins leaked in other breaches to force their way into 14,000 accounts. Then, boom, they used 23andMe’s “DNA Relatives” feature to scoop up data on 6.9 million customers.

23andMe is trying to play the blame game, pointing fingers at customers for their repeat passwords. Lawsuits are flying faster than a spit test sample. This whole fiasco throws genetic privacy into the spotlight, leaving us wondering: is this just going to fade into another “data breach” headline? Or will something actually change now?

TL;DR

• 23andMe users had their genetic data exposed April to September 2023. The company only learned about it in October.
• Hackers used a family-tree feature to steal info on even more people.
• Now 23andMe is getting on the “pls change your passwords” train to save themselves some lawsuit $$$.

 

TECH HEADLINES FROM ACROSS THE WEB

 

🤦 Password meltdown

Massive MOAB leak compiles past breaches and fresh data (26 bil records btw) from giants like Dropbox. Ask me how many more times I can go asking you to change your password.

 

🚫 Blurring reality

Deepfakes of Taylor Swift spark online debate and the White House calls for new laws to curb the spread of manipulated media.

 

🖨️ Pay to print

HP’s “subscription future” for printing ignites outrage, with accusations of ink-greed and eco-ignorance leaving users feeling pretty annoyed.

 

TECH FOR GOOD

Researchers have unlocked new techniques that dramatically shrink the power and hardware demands of neural networks, the brains behind today’s most impressive AI. Imagine AI helping diagnose diseases in remote villages without draining local power grids, or optimizing climate models on laptops instead of supercomputers.

Lower resource requirements mean wider accessibility, allowing even resource-constrained regions to tap into the power of AI. From revolutionizing healthcare to tackling climate change, efficient AI has the potential to democratize powerful tools while minimizing their environmental footprint.