Nerd News Tracker

A 2019 copy of the United States TSA "no fly" list is now in the hands of hackers. The 1.5 million name list (which includes aliases) was snagged from an airline called CommuteAir, from their Amazon Web Services server. It's not fully clear as to all of the...

Netflix expects to start rolling out their enforcement of password usage, but they will be pushing a paid sharing option for some. They haven't been clear on how they will be doing this. I'm concerned for families that are moving, or temporarily in two locations, as...

Netflix Founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, is moving in a new direction. His long term stint at Netflix has been since 1997, and now he's going to have a little more relaxation time. He's leaving the CEO position, but still retaining the Chairman position. This comes...

We recently talked about the government rules for tax credits for Electric Vehicles. It appears that Tesla decided to make some changes in pricing to ensure that people can take advantage of those credits. Apparently the idea of waiting extra time and not getting a...

The Apple card has been around since just before COVID. I have one. Goldman-Sachs is the bank that sits behind the metal card that links to your iPhone. The latest news, however, is that Goldman-Sachs has spent about $1 Billion to keep this running, and may not break...

I don't delve into crytpo-currency, equating it with reckless gambling where the house wins. A few news articles came out recently, noting that there were increases in things like Bitcoin, but they also noted that there may be some level of market manipulation...

Microsoft is pushing through some reductions, and is laying off about 5% of their staff, which equates to 10,000 employees. This is something that will take place over the next couple of months, and will include soem healthy severance packages as Microsoft plans to...

Microsoft continues to push us towards Windows 11, and the latest effort is Microsoft announcement this week. Effective January 31, you will no longer be able to download and buy Windows 10 from them. Your only option will be through existing stores of licenses that...

You ask the AI to give you a picture of an airplane flying over a mountain. AI image creation needs a source for ideas, so it must scour the internet for pictures to get an idea of what you want. Apparently, Getty Images has decided that those images, even if they...

If you think our government has our best interests in mind, you may need to think this over. FBI pulled in the CIA and NSA to spy on Americans. That's not all... apparently, this was without court orders, and could have been against people who were not even accused of...

We've been seeing the demise of a social media platform again. Ironically, it's been a long time in coming as Apple and Google took aim. Parler is spinning around the drain, and is down to 20 employees after a new layoff of 75% of the team. It goes to show that...

Any chances of a last reprieve from Microsoft in regards to Windows 7 and 8.1 has been dashed. Microsoft officially turned off all support for both of them this week, including security updates. This wasn't surprising, but it's also something that had to be done to...

As we mentioned last week, there's a chance that we'll see far more interest in government backed digital currencies. Britain's Financial Services Minister has noted that they will be starting studies for such, and while they don't expect to be early, they do wish to...

So you know those big huge meetings at the office where 80 people show up? Shopify just cancelled all recurring meetings with more than 3 people. Across the company. It's an interesting concept, and perhaps it'll make people think twice about those super meetings....

Also announced at CES... Amazon is partnering with Mickey Mouse and company for "Hey Disney!", an alternative to the usual "Alexa" wake words. This has already been around in Disney Resort hotel rooms, and was focused on the Disney experience. It includes a bit more...

Also announced at CES... Amazon is partnering with Mickey Mouse and company for "Hey Disney!", an alternative to the usual "Alexa" wake words. This has already been around in Disney Resort hotel rooms, and was focused on the Disney experience. It includes a bit more...

In a strange twist of actions, some ransomware-as-a-service folks have jumped in to rescue a target. SickKids.ca is a major childrens hospital in Toronto, Canada. They were hit by the LockBit ransomware, and when news got back to the "owners" of the software, they...

CES was this week. The announcements made were as expected with new televisions and monitors, new LED lighting, and new CPU and GPU announcements from Nvidia and Intel. Cars factored big in announcements with in-car gaming, color changing cars, and more. The usual...

A McDonald's in Fort Worth, Texas, has moved into a new level of automation. The location has started to add in not only kiosks, but conveyor belts, and robotic burger assembly. Early word is that it's not impressive, and perhaps a step back from where we all want to...

More issues have come out, and now the SEC is updating complaints against FTX to include more targets for price manipulation of crypto, and what looks like some additional sneaky dealings. The SEC has disclosed new details about the final days of FTX and Alameda...

This comes just when I think that the drama of FTX couldn't get any worse... when I thought we could move away from the story. Apparently Sam Bankman-Fried has met with the writer for "Moneyball" and "The Big Short". Of course, that leads to speculation that the scam...

Right now, the job market is still amazing for the employee. Currently there are 10.3 million openings, but that's more than all of the unemployed adults in the US. Tech is still the highest demand area, even though this was a major year for layoffs in the tech...

Honoring that old adage of "don't put all of your eggs in one basket" is continuing at Apple. Apple is shifting their production around the world. An unofficial goal appears to be securing of manufacturing options outside of China for everything. We'll chat about that...

The annual tracking of Saint Nick, aka Santa, Kris Kringle, etc... is continuing again this year with NORAD watching as the big guy takes to the skies. It started with a misdialed number some 67 years ago, resulting in a young child reaching NORAD, and receiving an...

Delta is setting up a new battle in the skies with their new approach of offering free Wi-Fi as a perk. This is something that is likely to have new customers making the change. It seems small, but that little perk is something that changed coffee shops, hotels, and...

Samsung lobbed another taunting ad at Apple this past week, all based on the lack of a folding screen. They're pushing the Galaxy Z Flip4. While I've seen others with the foldable phones, I'm still not convinced at the idea. Twice the thickness, with a potential for...

Apples other innovations, however, are exciting, in that the iPhone's SOS feature, using satellite communications, is already saving lives. Apparently a car went off the road in a forest area in Southern California, and standard cell service wasn't available. One of...

Dell came up with a new laptop design... it's still in concept stages, but it's design is all about ease of repair. Disassembly starts with a pin, and then can be done by hand from there. They state you can use almost anything that will fit in the hole. They appear to...

Dell came up with a new laptop design... it's still in concept stages, but it's design is all about ease of repair. Disassembly starts with a pin, and then can be done by hand from there. They state you can use almost anything that will fit in the hole. They appear to...

TikTok is coming under fire again. This time, there are folks on both sides of Congress that are noting the threat. They are seeking a ban on the app, due to the political influence capabilities, all based on Chinese ownership, which could run afoul of the ban of...

NFTs, non-fungible-tokens... OK, think of it like this.... artwork, that was unique and rare, stored in digital form. They must be authroized by a blockchain, a series of numbers in encrypted public form. Some of the NFTs that were authenticated by the FTX blockchain,...

Apple announced ramping up encryption, and predictably, the FBI started crying. Apples new features "hinders" the agency's ability to protect/spy on Americans. They are asking for something which was a new term for me... self-explanatory, but creepy. "Lawful access by...

Amazon's quick response to being sued for past failures to pay tips forward to drivers, was to publicly share a new effort. Apparently, if you want to thank your Amazon driver, just call out "Alexa, thank my driver", and the first million drivers that get thanked will...

Amazon had a little craziness this week. Sued by the DC attorney general for taking money from customers who tipped drivers, but then not paying the tips forward. The FTC forced a restitution, but DC attorney general said they should have been punished as well. AG:...

Two women are suing Apple for how the AirTag can be used for unwanted tracking. One of the women was stalked by her ex-boyfriend, who stashed the AirTag on her car. The other, by her estranged husband, who dropped one in a backpack. There have been some changes to the...

The former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, went on TV and claimed that he didn't try to commit fraud, that he should have done a better job, that he was only worth $100k, and had only one credit card left. This is after it came out that he contributed $40 million to...

Antoewhr crypto firm declared Chapter 11... BlockFi, with 100,000 creditors, is following FTX, and a few others. Things brings back memories of some of the collapses in other markets over the years. BlockFi was one of the first firms to be "rescued" by former...

This week found another attack against Elon Musk, with media saying that because of a spat with Apple, that he was going to create a new smartphone. He then said, in essense... 'sure, if I have to'. OK, so days later, it was publicly announced that Apple and Musk had...

California is moving forward again with crazy rules regarding reducing pollution. Their current plans are now to ban all diesel trucks and buses by 2045. Environmentalists are pushing for that to be even sooner, but California has less than 2000 vehicles that meet...

One part of the crypto-crash that has been going, and continues to implode... people who struck it rich there, are starting to sell off their expensive ultra-luxury cars. The genre referred to as Exotics, with nameplates like Lamborghini, McClaren, Bugatti, etc, are...

Your next Domino's pizza may be delivered by a company branded Chevy Bolt. They are using this as a vehicle to deliver a new message, that of their new goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 800 of these new EV Chevy's will be delivered by the end of next year....

When you start thinking about crypto, think again. The entire crypto market lost $1.4 Trillion in value this year. Depending on how you count it, this is roughly the GDP of Mexico. The equivalent of one of the top 20 economies in the world, just disappeared. FTX may...

In recent years, we have railed against the idea of subscription fees for features that are already built into your car. Heated seats that exist, but you have to may a monthly fee for. Driver assist features that disappear when a new owner buys the car. Now, Mercede's...

The idea of a loss leader, a low or negative profit product that brings you in so that you'll buy more products, has been around for a while. Amazon's Alexa has been one of those products for a long time. The latest news from Amazon, however, is that they are losing...

An item was announced during the September Apple event, and it's not hardware or software. Apple's new Emergency SOS feature is now available on all iPhone 14s running iOS 16.1 or later. There is a demo feature which walks you through the entire process without...

Netflix is looking to cleanup more freeloaders and convert them to paid accounts. They've now enabled a tool called "Manage Access and Devices". This will allow you to remove hackers, ex's, and other unexpected users. This is part of a drive that's actually a...

The Twitter overhaul continues, with Elon Musk demanding a high level of allegience. Wednesday evening, employees received an offer to continue or leave... deadline at the end of the day on Thursday. Those that left would get compensated, but that's it. Those that...

As we announced last week, Binance's offer to buy FTX on Tuesday, and prompt withdrawal on Wednesday, sent ripples. Binance CEO admitted that they were the straw that broke the camel's back, and it's a very fair statement. Many people believe FTX’s collapse will lead...

Per Zoom, if you have a Tesla, you might soon be able to do a Zoom video call while driving. I'm dumbfounded. Did they miss the decades of "don't text and drive"? It's only while it's parked, but knowing that people hack these things... it just sounds like a bad idea....

Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Tuesday it was going to buy 2nd largest, FTX. A day later, they backed out. Not quietly, either. "As a result of corporate due diligence, as well as the latest news reports regarding mishandled customer funds...

Immediately after layoffs were announced, many threats of lawsuits were thrown about about something called the WARN Act. It states that you must give notice, and people focus on that part... but a way around that is to pay people, after sending them home. In...

While Twitter laid off some 3700 people, Mark Zuckerberg also pruned his Meta workforce by 11,000 workers as well. This was also telegraphed, but Zuckerberg's treatment in the press was far kinder, except for one aspect... giving notice...Meta is laying off 13% of its...

Elon Musk wasted little time with cleaning house, with adjusting to his way of business and more. Layoffs, return to office for people who are near one, and more. Yes, there are some people talking about the end of Twitter, and it could be. Remember that Elon has been...

Sony is planning a new VR headset, the PSVR2. The announcement presented better specs than the Meta Quest 2, which has been the market leader, but it also comes at a higher pricetag than Meta's model. Sony also announced it'll come with 20 games at launch, but it...

TikTok has come under fire from many, due to it's ties to China. FCC Commissioner, Brendan Carr said this past week, that the US Government should ban them due to their ties, and the potential for usage as a spy tool, as well as covertly influencing political...

Amazon Prime has offered Music for a long time, to the tune... all puns intended... of 2 million songs. Now, they've expanded the catalog to the full 100 million that normally came with Amazon Unlimited. They'll still keep the premium service around for people who...

Lego is pulling out of the robotics space after spending 24 years exciting youth into the next step towards an industry that will be needed for many decades to come. Mindstorms will no longer be moving forward, and considering the last product announced was 2 years...

Tis the season for higher rates. On the heels of last weeks announcement that YouTube Premium was going up, Apple also bumped their various subscription programs up by $1 to $3 a month. This isn't as dramatic, and frankly, is far better of a deal with Apple's larger...

Apple confirms they're throwing in the towel on the USB-C debate, and that's fine. As we mentioned a few weeks back with the EU announcement, the speeds on USB-C are ages ahead of lightning. Apples own product line has already indicated that for a while...Apple's Greg...

YouTube Premium, which we don't talk about a lot, due to their small size, also had announcements this week. They are bumping thir plans from $18 a month to $23 a month. This is both overdue, and bold at the same time. It's been the same price for five years, so...