00:00Hello and welcome to Daily World Podcast's Tech Deep Dive.
00:13It's June 21, 2025, and I'm Angela, ready to explore the cutting edge of digital innovation.
00:22Starting today, all new smartphones and tablets sold in the European Union
00:27must feature an energy efficiency label in their packaging.
00:31This regulation aims to help consumers make informed choices and reduce CO2 emissions.
00:37The label rates devices from a 2G based on energy efficiency and includes seven key pieces of information.
00:44Manufacturers are required to register their products with the European Product Registry for energy labeling,
00:49while certain devices launched before June 20 or with specific features are exempt from this requirement.
00:54In the startup sector, Cluley has raised $15 million in a series of funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
01:03The company offers AI-powered tools designed to assist users in cheating on job interviews, exams and sales calls.
01:09Founded by Roy Lee and Neil Shanmugam, who faced suspension from Columbia University for creating an undetectable cheating tool,
01:17Cluley has gained attention through provocative marketing and claims of profitability.
01:20Recently, the company experienced a police shutdown of a large party planned, after Y Combinator's AI startup school event.
01:29In cybersecurity, Cloudflare reported the largest DDoS attack ever recorded, reaching 7.3 terabits per second.
01:37The attack flooded a single IP address with 37.4 terabytes of junk traffic in just 45 seconds,
01:44utilizing UDP flood techniques that targeted over 34,500 ports.
01:50This massive data assault is equivalent to streaming over 9,300 full-length HD movies in under a minute.
01:56On the topic of communication, there is a growing advocacy for switching from WhatsApp to Signal,
02:03due to ethical concerns surrounding WhatsApp's parent company Meta.
02:08Signal, founded by a co-founder of WhatsApp, is presented as a privacy-focused, non-profit alternative
02:14that respects user data and has received high privacy ratings.
02:18Users are encouraged to migrate to Signal to support ethical communication and protect privacy rights.
02:24In technology updates, Apple is set to remove support for the FireWire standard in its upcoming macOS 26 release,
02:33marking the end of compatibility with first-generation iPods and other FireWire-based devices.
02:39This decision reflects a broader trend of phasing out legacy hardware support
02:43in favor of newer technologies like Thunderbolt.
02:46In a collaborative effort, Poland and the Baltic states have proposed a project to build a Baltic AI Gigafactory,
02:55with an investment of 3 billion euros.
02:58This initiative aims to enhance AI technology development and manufacturing capabilities in the region,
03:04fostering innovation and economic growth.
03:06In AI developments, Meta's AI assistant for WhatsApp mistakenly provided a private phone number,
03:14instead of a business helpline, highlighting issues with AI chatbots sharing inaccurate information.
03:20This incident raises concerns about the reliability of AI in providing accurate responses.
03:25Japan has made strides in the quantum computing race with the development of a superconducting quantum computer,
03:33featuring 256 qubits, the world's largest class system of its kind.
03:38This system, created by researchers at Raiken and Fujitsu,
03:42operates at extremely low temperatures and is accessible via cloud for global research collaborations,
03:48with plans for a 1,000 qubit system by 2026.
03:51In renewable energy, Form Energy is installing an innovative iron-air battery system in Mendocino County,
03:59capable of generating 1.5 megawatts for up to 100 hours through a reversible rusting process.
04:05This technology supports California's goal for reliable, carbon-free electricity by 2045
04:11and aims to diversify energy storage options.
04:15Microsoft is initiating a cleanup of legacy drivers from Windows Update
04:20to enhance security and compatibility.
04:22This strategic move will phase out older drivers that have newer replacements,
04:27potentially impacting backward compatibility for some hardware.
04:31In defense technology, OpenAI has secured a $200 million contract from the U.S. Defense Department
04:38to develop AI tools for national security challenges.
04:41This contract is part of a strategic partnership with Palantir,
04:45which is expanding its government contracts to provide data analytics technology across federal agencies,
04:51raising concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of personal data.
04:56A recent study evaluating AI coding capabilities on complex problems
05:01found that current AI models scored 0% on hard problems,
05:05with OpenAI's O4 Mini High model leading in the medium category.
05:08This research highlights significant gaps in AI's ability to handle complex coding tasks,
05:15particularly those requiring novel insights.
05:18Lastly, AI hallucinations, where AI generates fabricated legal citations and quotes,
05:24are increasingly appearing in court documents worldwide.
05:28This phenomenon complicates legal proceedings and has prompted mild sanctions from courts.
05:32Despite these challenges, there remains optimism about AI's future role in improving access to justice.
05:41That concludes today's technology update on Daily World Podcast.
05:45I'm Angela, encouraging you to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
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