John Lister

Genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving millions of customers questioning the fate of their sensitive DNA data. The firm, once valued at almost $6 billion, faces lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over privacy ... breaches as experts warn users to secure their genetic information. (Source: reuters.com ) From Boom to Bust: The 23andMe Bankruptcy 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, a legal process that lets companies restructure debts while attempting to stay operational and potentially find a buyer. CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki is stepping ... (view more)

Google has confirmed users who are completely locked out of their Gmail accounts after an attack can still recover their access. However, they have just seven days to act after the breach. The issue involves cases when an attacker not only gains ... access to an account, but then changes security and recovery settings. These can include an alternative email address or a phone number. In both cases the idea is that if a user knows their account is breached, they can issue a password reset request. They will then be able to choose a new password and regain access. This will at the least limit the ... (view more)

Alexa devices will send all recordings of user voice commands to Amazon from March 28, 2025. The company is removing (and overriding) a user setting that stopped this happening. The change affects devices such as the voice controlled Amazon Echo. ... Until now, these devices had the capacity to recognize and understand what a user was saying using only local processing. That allowed the devices to have an optional setting to stop the recordings being sent outside of their home. Amazon says the change is a byproduct of what it's calling an improvement. Alexa is being replaced by Alexa+, a system ... (view more)

A Scottish grandmother received an obscene and insulting message thanks to a complete fail by Apple's voice transcription. It completely misunderstood a voicemail left by a local car dealership. The call was made to Louise Littlejohn by a worker at ... the garage who intended to invite her to a promotional event for a new car. The call went to voicemail so he left a message. Apple then "transcribed" the call with an AI-powered system and delivered a text message, something that's meant to save users time rather than have to listen to the message. According to the BBC, which listened to the audio ... (view more)

Intentional Internet shutdowns by governments reached new heights in 2024, according to a digital rights campaign group. Access Now recorded 296 shutdowns across 54 countries. The figures don't include shutdowns caused by natural disasters, ... technical errors, or other unintentional reasons. Instead, they specifically account for cases where a government or related authority deliberately blocked access. The statistics are likely most reliable as a measure of year-on-year change, showing a rise from 283 shutdowns in the previous year. More notably, the number of countries experiencing shutdowns ... (view more)

Smartwatch sales have reportedly declined for the first time, signaling potential challenges ahead for the wearable tech industry. Experts attribute this downturn primarily to slowing innovation and recent legal setbacks faced by Apple, a major ... market leader. According to Counterpoint Research, smartwatch shipments dropped 7 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, with Apple's shipments notably falling by 19 percent. Given Apple's commanding market share - approximately one-quarter of all global smartwatch sales - this decline significantly impacts the market. (Source: ... (view more)

Google Pixel phones can now detect potential scams in text messages and voice calls in real time. The company says the technology runs locally on phones, meaning it shouldn't compromise privacy. After a beta testing program, Google is rolling out ... Scam Detection for messages to any handset running Google Messages . This app is available for download on the Google Play Store and can replace the default messaging app on most Android phones. Users who install it gain access to Google’s latest messaging features, including spam protection, end-to-end encryption, and AI-powered scam detection. ... href="/news/11523/google-ai-can-now-detect-phone-scams-real-time" class="more-link">view more)

All 50 states have now introduced a "right to repair" bill aimed at making it easier for users to fix their own electronic devices. But only six have passed laws, with lawmakers in many states having abandoned their efforts. The specific wording of ... a right to repair bill varies significantly from case to case. Some of the most common principles include users having the legal right to source components or hire a third-party specialist to perform a repair. In other cases, users may have the right to access repair manuals. A common point of debate is what happens with warranties. In some cases, ... (view more)

Apple is reportedly working on a foldable iPhone with no visible crease in the screen. While several manufacturers have already introduced folding phones, Apple has seemingly held off, possibly due to concerns about design aesthetics. The ... introduction of an Apple foldable device could set a new benchmark in the industry, but it is expected to come with a hefty price tag. Folding Phones: Gimmick or Innovation? Folding phones have evolved from a niche concept to a somewhat legitimate category within the smartphone industry. The idea behind them is simple: they offer the compact portability of a ... (view more)

Apple has fixed a supposed bug that caused iPhones to mix up the words "Trump" and "racist". But a speech recognition expert says Apple's explanation was implausible. The issue was with the Dictation tool in iPhones that lets users speak and have ... their words transcribed ready to use as text, for example to send as a message. Numerous videos posted online by users showed them saying the word "racist" but their phone showing the word "Trump" before correcting the error shortly afterwards. Although Apple quickly fixed the issue after the videos went viral, it does appear the videos are genuine. ... (view more)