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TechDesk

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We bring you the latest tech news, deep dives and perspectives on topics like AI, social media and innovations. Posts are handpicked by Flipboard's editorial team, especially for Mastodon.

Boosts do not imply endorsement, but are used to highlight posts we think the community might find interesting.

For a lot more tech news, follow Flipboard's federated Tech Desk (@tech)

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Header illustration: Data particles above Tokyo at night in cyber space by Hiroshi Watanabe/ Getty

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@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

23 common tech myths: Busted once and for all.

From @PCMag: "How many of these doozies are you still falling for? Let our experts set you straight."

https://flip.it/PjY5Js

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , (edited ) to random

OpenAI launched an AI-powered web browser called ChatGPT Atlas earlier this week, which made tech editor Anthony Ha wonder if it’s finally time to ditch his usual browser of choice, Safari. Ha talked it over with his colleagues on the latest episode of the Equity podcast, which you can listen to at @Techcrunch:

https://flip.it/JKYLr3

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

A teenager was sitting outside of his high school enjoying a bag of Doritos after football practice. Things were fine until an AI-powered gun-detection system hooked up to a camera called the cops. @Futurism has more:

https://flip.it/wfC5pk

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

The Enhanced Games, a new athletic event designed to allow performance-enhancing drugs, looks like a publicity stunt for the techno-macho era: Olympic athletes on steroids competing for million-dollar bounties in Las Vegas. “While the Games are seen as controversial,” Rebecca Bellan writes, “[co-founder Aron] D’Souza is betting the ick factor fades once people see athletes in their 30s and 40s smash world records.” Read more from @Techcrunch:

https://flip.it/i2Udtk

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

EU accuses Meta and TikTok of breaching transparency rules.

@AssociatedPress reports: "The inquiry found both companies had violated the Digital Services Act, the EU’s trailblazing digital rule book that imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep internet users safe online."

https://flip.it/vFO_wS

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have an LED that lights up when the user is recording, taking photos or streaming so that people can't be secretly filmed. For $60, a hobbyist is offering to modify the glasses so they look like new, but the LED no longer operates. Here's more from @josephcox at @404mediaco .

https://flip.it/jUa2r7

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Sora changed the deepfake game. @cnet asks: Can you tell whether a video is real or AI?

https://flip.it/xfhZ17

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Prince Harry, Meghan join call for ban on development of AI "superintelligence."

@AssociatedPress reports the pair has "joined prominent computer scientists, economists, artists, evangelical Christian leaders and American conservative commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck to call for a ban."

https://flip.it/ICCeN_

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

What to know about the Amazon cloud outage that exposed the internet’s vulnerable backbone, from @AssociatedPress.

The outage "demonstrated just how many people rely on the corporate behemoth’s computational infrastructure everyday — and laid bare the vulnerabilities of an increasingly concentrated system."

https://flip.it/.aUinq

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

The Federal Trade Commission has removed at least three blog posts authored by the staff of former FTC Chair Lina Khan. The posts were about AI-related topics. Here’s more from @Gizmodo:

https://flip.it/hK0LbZ

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

The Amazon Web Services outage hit major websites and apps across the globe, including @Flipboard .

What we know so far as recovery begins, from CNBC: https://flip.it/sH.6Hr

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

China accuses the U.S. of carrying out cyberattacks on its national time center. The allegation came in a WeChat post and said the U.S. National Security Agency exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging services of a foreign mobile phone brand to steal sensitive information from devices of the National Time Service Center’s staff in 2022. Read more from @AssociatedPress:

https://flip.it/0ivQo_

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Apple has just announced the M5 MacBook Pro, bringing the latest Apple silicon chips to the company’s flagship laptop range. So, run out and buy one right away, right? “I think this is one occasion where it pays to have a little more patience,” tech writer Alex Blake writes. Read more from @TechRadar:

https://flip.it/d2vnUw

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

OpenAI has paused the ability for Sora users to generate video resembling the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The decision came from King’s estate after users produced “disrespectful depictions” of his image. @Techcrunch has more:

https://flip.it/CbHCEg

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

What do most people who have technical roles in the tech industry think of AI? @anildash sums things up.

https://flip.it/ZGt3dz

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

ChatGPT is about to get kinkier now that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the artificial intelligence company will soon allow its chatbot to engage in “erotica for verified adults.” But OpenAI won’t be the first to try to profit from sexualized AI. @AssociatedPress reports:

https://flip.it/VcSjyC

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who last week told the New York Times that the National Guard could fill a shortage in police officers in San Francisco, has changed his mind. Benioff's remarks led to widespread criticism, and to longtime associate Ron Conway stepping down from the board of the Salesforce Foundation, saying: “San Francisco does not need a federal invasion because you don’t like paying for extra security for [Salesforce event] Dreamforce." Benioff apologized for his remarks on X, saying, "I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco. My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused.” Here's more from the San Francisco Standard.

https://flip.it/kmksng

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Apple's foldable iPhone might be delayed until 2027, report claims.

@BGR reports on a story from a Korean news outlet: https://flip.it/lREI1B

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Microsoft pushes AI updates in Windows 11 as it ends support for Windows 10.

@AssociatedPress reports: "Many people around the world still are using Windows 10, particularly those with older computers that can’t upgrade to Windows 11."

https://flip.it/hacyPT

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

PayPal’s crypto partner mints a whopping $300 trillion worth of stablecoins in "technical error."

CNBC reports: "Paxos mistakenly minted the stablecoins as part of an internal transfer."

https://flip.it/bHUcVP

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Tech Policy Press editor @justinhendrix recently interviewed @mallory and Burcu Kilic about their article, "Big Tech Redefined the Open Internet to Serve Its Own Interests." Here's a transcript of the discussion. "One of the big ideas of this piece is that keeping the internet protected, keeping the internet, the way it works in an unfettered way and preserving interoperability and so on has become the slogan or the rallying cry of these huge companies that are using their position as centralized services or networks to say, 'We are protecting that. If you come at us, you're destroying the internet,' and that's just not... So assuming that and accepting that is assuming this false narrative," says Knodel.

https://flip.it/Rh0u_m

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Meta removes ICE-tracking Facebook page in Chicago at the request of the Justice Department.

@AssociatedPress reports: "Earlier this month, Apple and Google blocked downloads of phone apps that flag sightings of U.S. immigration agents, just hours after the Trump administration demanded that one particularly popular iPhone app be taken down."

https://flip.it/oJalbT

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

How easy is it to "poison" a large language model's data? Much easier than experts previously thought. New research from the Alan Turing Institute indicates that only 250 documents are needed to be inserted in order to manipulate a model's behavior. Here's more from institute's blog, including a link to the original paper.

https://flip.it/Dz8pC3

TechDesk OP ,
@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar

HI @noplasticshower , here's a link to the paper:

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.07192

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

In the U.S., the National Football League (NFL) is using AI to predict injuries, aiming to keep players healthier. 🏈

@AssociatedPress reports: https://flip.it/WFDxmA

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Instagram says it’s safeguarding teens by limiting them to PG-13 content. But will it work?

@AssociatedPress reports: "The changes come as the social media giant faces relentless criticism over harms to children."

https://flip.it/P-qDJd

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

A new study suggests that preteens using increasing amounts of social media perform poorer in reading, vocabulary and memory tests in early adolescence compared with those who use no or little social media. @npr has more:

https://flip.it/f2eC6j

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

California becomes the first U.S. state to regulate AI companion chatbots, will require operators to implement safety protocols. Read more from @Techcrunch:

https://flip.it/bDoyXP

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

The 2025 version of the prank phone call: Police are asking kids to stop pulling AI homeless man spoof.

@theverge reports: "Kids are using AI to create images of a disheveled, seemingly unhoused person in their home and sending them to their parents."

https://flip.it/g-QTnP

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Dutch government takes control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia "in an extraordinary move to ensure a sufficient supply of its chips remains available in Europe amid rising global trade tensions."

CNBC reports: https://flip.it/7ObQks

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , (edited ) to random

Air fryers have exploded in popularity in recent years, but chances are you’re using yours wrong. At least that’s what @TechRadar says in this not-fully-tech-but-tech-adjacent article. Give it a look, cooks:

https://flip.it/QCaO3i

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

From @npr: OpenAI has essentially rebranded deepfakes as a light-hearted plaything and recommendation engines are loving it. "It's as if deepfakes got a publicist and a distribution deal," said Daisy Soderberg-Rivkin, a former trust and safety manager at TikTok.

https://flip.it/qdsmIA

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Is it too late for Apple to prevent the prevalence of a ChatGPT-powered world where Apple’s App Store becomes obsolete? @Techcrunch has more, including how OpenAI’s app platform presents an emerging threat, but Apple’s vision for an improved Siri — though seriously delayed — could still play out in its favor.

https://flip.it/w4du11

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Once again, U.S. lawmakers are trying to pin violent real-world acts on the influence of video games. @time reports on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's planned hearings after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and how conversations like this have taken place practically since video games first emerged.

https://flip.it/lvbN6u

TechDesk OP ,
@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar
@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Is there an AI bubble? Financial institutions sound a warning.

@AssociatedPress reports: "Officials at the Bank of England on Wednesday flagged the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst."

https://flip.it/UWqKCF

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Tesla offers cheaper versions of two electric vehicles in bid to win back market share in tough year.

@AssociatedPress reports: https://flip.it/VO_Mjs

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Several months ago, @404mediaco reported that the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Texas had used an AI-enabled license plate surveillance tool to track down a woman who had had an abortion. The sheriff said that the search was because the woman's family members were concerned for her safety as the abortion was self-administered. Court documents show that in fact, police were conducting a "death investigation" into the fetus, and discussed whether they could charge the woman with a crime. The "concerned family member" was the woman's partner, who had been arrested for threatening her at gunpoint after she took the abortion pill. Here's more.

https://flip.it/nwba-2

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Inside Rivian’s design factory and the story behind those distinct headlights.

From CNBC: "Weak demand, higher costs and the U.S. cancelling the EV credit could spell trouble for Rivian. But that hasn’t stopped the company from breaking ground on a new $5 billion factory in Georgia, where the next generation vehicles will be built."

https://flip.it/wpQn0D

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Google’s Play Store shake-up looms after U.S. Supreme Court refuses to delay overhaul of the monopoly.

@AssociatedPress reports: "U.S. District Judge James Donato last October ordered Google to give its competitors access to its entire inventory of Android apps and also make those alternative options available to download from the Play Store."

https://flip.it/Gt-f.e

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Instagram will award top creators with a gold ring. But no cash.

CNBC reports: "The program comes after Meta ended its Reels Play bonus program on Instagram and Facebook in 2023, which had been a key source of income for many creators."

https://flip.it/4Ruayf

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

OpenAI and chipmaker AMD sign chip supply partnership for AI infrastructure.

@AssociatedPress reports: "OpenAI will buy the latest version of the company’s high performance graphics chips, the Instinct MI450, which is expected to debut next year."

https://flip.it/imGbEx

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Joshua Aaron, creator of ICEBlock, has asked Apple to reinstate the app in its online store, telling CNBC in an interview that when the app was first submitted it had been through a heavy review process, and that he is consulting an attorney. The app, which can be used to anonymously report sightings of ICE agents and other authorities, was removed after pressure from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The FBI claimed that a gunman who attacked a Dallas ICE facility used apps that tracked ICE agents. Aaron likens it to apps that allow drivers to report sightings of law enforcement officers so they can warn others and avoid speeding tickets.

https://flip.it/QM8QHI

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

"Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of U.S. immigration agents, apparently after being pressured by U.S. authorities."

@AssociatedPress reports on ICEBlock, a free iPhone-only app lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

https://flip.it/iBUjHs

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Why current AI models won’t make scientific breakthroughs, according to Thomas Wolf, co-founder of $4.5 billion AI startup Hugging Face.

CNBC says his views "are in stark contrast to those by major names in AI including OpenAI boss Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei."

https://flip.it/7MQ5wa

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

OpenAI’s Sora joins Meta in pushing AI-generated videos. Some are worried about a flood of "AI slop."

@AssociatedPress reports: https://flip.it/CZfg-w

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs landmark bill creating AI safety measures.

@AssociatedPress reports: "Many of the world’s top AI companies are located in California and will have to follow the requirements."

https://flip.it/ZLjmm6

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Amazon is having its fall hardware event on Tuesday, Sept. 30, in New York City, where the company is expected to debut new devices. @Engadget shares its best educated guesses at what we’ll see:

https://flip.it/o-2bXi