MaxRedline

Threat To Humanity

Elon Musk says that artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity.

Okay. Add it to your list of things to worry about.

Future War

These would be right up Putin's alley: nanoweapons are much smaller than a strand of human hair and the insect-like nanobots could be programmed to perform various tasks, including injecting toxins into people. DARPA is working on them and has successfully conducted tests in a hangar in Massachusetts. Russia and China are also believed to be working on related projects.

Previously, the Army Research Laboratory announced it created an advanced drone the size of a fly complete with a set of "tiny robotic legs" — a major achievement since it presumably might be capable of entering a building undetected to perform surveillance, or used for more nefarious actions.

Frightening details about military nanotechnologies were outlined in a 2010 report from the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, including how "transgenic insects could be developed to produce and deliver protein-based biological warfare agents, and be used offensively against targets in a foreign country."

While there are purportedly rules against using bioweapons, we know that Russia and North Korea have both targeted individuals for assassination by poison, most recently in the case of Kim Jon-Un's half-brother, who was taken out at an international airport last month. The NorKs are  getting on a lot of peoples' nerves, and there has been some bandying about of a "preemptive strike" over there, which would certainly obligate the country's only ally, China, to get involved.

However, with the insect-like nanobots that DARPA has, it's entirely possible that the insane and paranoid dictator in North Korea could be selectively targeted without his knowledge; they could conceivably discharge an inhaled substance and simply buzz off. They wouldn't necessarily have to land and inject a toxin.

We live in interesting times.

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You Were Warned Here

Repeatedly, by the way. Amazon "Echo" and similar devices are always on, listening. The Amazon product is called "Alexa"; the Apple version is called "Siri". Someone did an interesting experiment with Amazon's product:

"Alexa, would you lie to me?" the user asked.

"I always try to tell the truth, I'm not always right, but I would never intentionally lie to you or anyone else," the device answered. 

"Alexa, what is the CIA?" the user asked.

The device answered that it was the U.S.' Central Intelligence Agency.

"Alexa, are you connected to the CIA?" the user then asked.

No response.

"Alexa, are you connected to the CIA?" the user asked again.

Again, nothing.

It's an odd video and other folks have repeated the results.

Unsurprisingly, some folks got a little creeped out. One theory - which holds absolutely no water - is that the device interprets the question as a request to connect to a device labeled "the CIA" and, unable to locate such a device, remains silent. That's wrong, because when Echo can't find the device, "Alexa" reports that it's unable to connect; it doesn't just remain silent.

In an effort to assuage user concerns, Amazon took around two minutes to patch the code so that the message returned is "No, I work for Amazon". Well, that answers the question without really answering the question. I wouldn't have one of these things in my home if they paid me. Not that I do anything illegal; I just don't care for constant surveillance.

And in another area discussed here on a few occasions, that "Fight for $15" minimum wage thing is in fact working exactly as predicted:

A burger-flipping robot has just completed its first day on the job at a restaurant in California, replacing humans at the grill.

Flippy has mastered the art of cooking the perfect burger and has just started work at CaliBurger, a fast-food chain.

The robotic kitchen assistant, which its makers say can be installed in just five minutes, is the brainchild of Miso Robotics.

Cameras and sensors help Flippy to determine when the burger is fully cooked, before the robot places them on a bun. A human worker then takes over and adds condiments. 

They're just getting started; Miso expects that their machines will be able to handle most kitchen related tasks, from frying chicken to cutting vegetables, and more.

As anticipated, these low-skill people, aided by labor unions, are "fighting" their way right out of their low-skill jobs. Whatever did they think would happen?

Now, when you get your automaton-produced order brought out to you by a human, are you going to be inclined to tip that server 20% of your bill?

CaliBurger say the benefits include making “food faster, safer and with fewer errors”.

To say nothing of "at less cost".

 

Technology Notes

As you've doubtless noticed, the media are breathlessly "reporting" that the CIA can spy on you via your television! I suppose it's a welcome, if brief, respite from their general 24/7 bashing of Trump and Republicans, but really...

Some folks just have an enormously exaggerated sense of their own self-importance; they believe that they can change planetary climate by driving an electric car, and they're horrified to find that agencies can spy on them through their televisions. I don't worry about it, because it doesn't seem to me that I'm all that important in the great scheme of things. Besides, all of the walls, floors, and ceilings here are covered in tinfoil....

One hack, code-named Weeping Angel, allows spies to capture audio and possibly video from Samsung smart TVs that appear to be turned off. Wired has a guide to telling whether your TV has been hacked.

Really? You don't say!

Worried about the CIA? Good grief.

The problems with connected devices have been discussed at length here on multiple occasions, and they don't so much involve government agencies as they do just plain old black-hat hackers. As has been observed here, in his novel, 1984, George Orwell projected massive governmental surveillance, but he anticipated that it would all be installed by government agencies; he never anticipated that people would buy and install the devices on their own. In that, he was wrong: Americans today would generally rather buy an iPhone than health insurance.

They don't seem to mind buying things that allow them to be tracked - or listened to, in the case of devices such as Amazon's "Echo".

And in a related note, I noticed this yesterday:

Republicans took the first step toward reversing the Federal Communication Commission’s internet privacy rules today, with 25 senators introducing legislation that would reverse the rules and forbid the commission from passing anything similar to them in the future.

For the most part, Republicans just want to see the FCC scale back its rules to more closely match the FTC’s. At a minimum, that’ll mean letting internet providers share your web browsing history so that they can make more ad money.

All the more reason to use TOR or ad-blocking software. I use both - adblock all the time, and TOR frequently. I just don't like the ads. And for news sites that give you access to three or four stories a month in an effort to get you to subscribe - that's where TOR comes in.

Finally, I ran across an odd tale involving Facebook and the BBC:

Facebook has come under fire for not doing enough to police secret groups that trade child porn on the network. And in a disturbing twist, Facebook seems to be making the problem worse. When BBC journalists discovered child porn on the network and sent those images to Facebook last week, the company reported the BBC to police in the UK for the distribution of illegal images.

The BBC has been investigating secret child porn rings on Facebook for years. And last week a representative from Facebook, Simon Milner, finally agreed to sit down for an interview about moderation tools on the network. There was just one condition: Facebook asked that the BBC reporters send the company images that they’d found on Facebook’s secret groups that the BBC would like to discuss.

The BBC journalists sent Facebook the images they had flagged from private Facebook groups. And not only did Facebook cancel the interview, the company reported the journalists to the police.

So, let's wrap this up, Facebook hosts child porn on its platforms and the BBC found out about it. BBC wanted an interview to discuss their findings and the extent of moderation tools deployed in these "secret groups", but as a condition for the interview, Facebook told them to turn over  the images that BBC had found on their Facebook platform. BBC obliged, and Facebook immediately cancelled the interview and reported BBC to authorities.

Sweet.

File under: reason 4,559 to dislike Facebook.

Ignoramus Americanus

Believe it or not, half of Americans can't afford to write a $500 check to cover a surprise expense. As the CEO of Assurant, a company that insures cell phones, notes:

“The reality is, half of Americans can’t afford to write a $500 check,” Colberg said. He spun that stunning statistic by saying that when US customers sign up for a cellular plan, they’re willing to buy protection in case “they lose that phone or something happens to it.”

Stupidity is a growing market in the USA. People would actually rather go hungry than phoneless. It may seem amazing, but there it is.

That said, we decided to look into the CEO's claim about the woeful state of US finances. What we found is that according to a recent Bankrate survey of 1,000 adults, 57% of Americans don’t have enough cash to cover a mere $500 unexpected expense.

Cereally? Oh yeah. Last year was even worse, though:

The Bankrate survey findings echoed research published last year by the Federal Reserve, which found that 46% of respondents said they would be challenged to come up with even less, or $400, to cover an emergency expense, and would likely borrow or sell something to afford it.

Excuuuse me. What the heck is wrong with these people? They spend all their cash on clothes or vacations or cell phones?

I don't mind cell phones, although it seems like way too many people are constantly checking them. I've never understood that, but there it is. I have a smartphone, and it has its uses: it integrates into my car's system via Bluetooth, so it's a hands-free device for sending or receiving calls on the road. It has a bunch of other features as well, some of which are entertaining or useful if you happen to get stuck waiting in line somewhere.

I paid $250 out-of-pocket for the phone because it seemed as though, given the features, it was a pretty good deal. Turned out that it was - people went nuts, running around and checking prices. Eventually the manager noted that the $550 phone had been mis-priced, so I got it for $300 off. He was really hoping I'd buy insurance, but I can change out SIMs, batteries, screens...it's not a big scientific mystery, so thanks, but no. Probably ruined his day.

Thing is, if I killed the phone somehow, it wouldn't be a big deal to replace it or repair it. I'd go with repair first, just because I like messing with electronics.

Got A Vizio "Smart" TV?

It might have been a little too smart.

For some time here, I've advised against purchasing and installing "smart" devices, and for a number of reasons. This is just one more:

Consumers have bought more than 11 million internet-connected Vizio televisions since 2010. But according to a complaint filed by the FTC and the New Jersey Attorney General, consumers didn’t know that while they were watching their TVs, Vizio was watching them.

On a second-by-second basis, Vizio collected a selection of pixels on the screen that it matched to a database of TV, movie, and commercial content. What’s more, Vizio identified viewing data from cable or broadband service providers, set-top boxes, streaming devices, DVD players, and over-the-air broadcasts.

Vizio then turned that mountain of data into cash by selling consumers’ viewing histories to advertisers and others. And let’s be clear: We’re not talking about summary information about national viewing trends. According to the complaint, Vizio got personal. The company provided consumers’ IP addresses to data aggregators, who then matched the address with an individual consumer or household.

I keep telling you it's a bad idea to buy "smart" devices that hook into the internet. They're insecure, and you don't know what they're doing in the background. Although if you're like me, and I know I am, you might be in rather less a bad spot because you have your router monitored to discern all activity. With all the systems and phones around here, I find it good to know who's doing what and when.

Still, I would not recommend buying a "smart" television or thermostat or refrigerator or home security system at this time. Ignore the ads.

Oh, Alexa? Die now, thanks.

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The Hot New Thing

“For the first time in so long, I feel happy,” she writes in A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage and My Life, her new book released this month.

Those who experiment with microdosing say taking a very small dose of LSD enhances their brain functionality, helps them focus and encourages warm feelings of content.

Apparently this has become "hugely popular" in Silicon Valley and Wall Street (which seems likely to explain a lot). 10 micrograms under the tongue every third day - about 1/10 the typical psychoactive or "tripping" dose seems to suffice, and allegedly works better than antidepressants such as Paxil. There's a whole Reddit thread on microdosing, with mixed reviews; some, like the author of the above book, claim it's extremely helpful, boosting creativity and focus, while others claim that it simply makes mental health issues worse.

I imagine that the results may depend on one's neural wiring, so one's mileage likely varies. Years ago, some acquaintances took the stuff, and while most found it enjoyable, one guy lost it when his grandmother's cuckoo clock went off. He went off too, and had to be restrained and hospitalized. So I was told, anyway.

It seems not entirely safe, yet I suspect that the substance will become a focus of the next big legalization effort, using the same arguments that have been advanced in the push for marijuana legalization: referring to opponents as "prohibitionists", and so forth. Although unlike marijuana, LSD users likely won't be ingesting pesticides, as I think the stuff is largely synthetic these days. If I recall correctly, it was originally discovered in a form of wheat fungus and was at one point considered as a potential treatment for mental patients, but ultimately rejected.

"Mother's little helper".

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Forward & Back

In another three to five years, your dentist may have a lot less drilling to do, so she can focus more on things like detecting incipient oral cancers and other issues.

The team at King's College London showed that a chemical could encourage cells in the dental pulp to heal small holes in mice teeth.

A biodegradable sponge was soaked in the drug and then put inside the cavity.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, showed it led to "complete, effective natural repair".

Prof Paul Sharpe, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "The sponge is biodegradable, that's the key thing.

"The space occupied by the sponge becomes full of minerals as the dentine regenerates so you don't have anything in there to fail in the future."

The team at King's is now investigating whether the approach can repair larger holes.

Darn, and I did so like Steve Martin and Bill Murray in "Little Shop of Horrors". But science marches forward, until it marches backward: it's now reported that implantable heart devices from St. Jude's can be hacked; allowing for remotely altering the voltage or even draining the battery. Why anybody would want to do that is unclear, but a fix is supposedly in the works. Dick Cheney can rest a bit more easily, I suppose.

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Well, You Can't Say You Weren't Warned

I've mentioned on several occasions here the hazards related to those hot voice-activated bots from Amazon and Apple. Basically, it amounts to this: if you buy one, you're stupid.

The Amazon Echo system which does everything from getting your weather report to ordering more laundry detergent can also do some things you don’t want it to.

When it comes to answering those tough questions or getting that extra help around the house, Alexa, the voice service that powers Amazon Echo is just a voice-command away.

The device is convenient, but it’s also raising concerns over security and privacy.

“These devices don’t recognize your specific voice and so then we have the situations where you have a guest staying or you have a child who is talking and accidentally order something because the device isn’t aware that it’s a child versus a parent,” said Stephen Cobb, senior security researcher for ESET North America.

Which is exactly what happened today during CW6 in the morning when Jim Patton and Lynda Martin were talking about a child who accidentally bought a dollhouse and four pounds of cookies

“I love the little girl, saying ‘Alexa ordered me a dollhouse,’” said Patton.

As soon as Patton said that, viewers all over San Diego started complaining their echo devices had tried to order doll houses.

While it's not nice to say "I told you so", the fact is that I did. If you buy and install one of those spy-devices, you deserve whatever comes your way.

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Ford Reverses

The automaker on Tuesday announced that it will no longer construct what was to be a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and will instead create 700 new jobs in Michigan by way of a $700 million investment in the state.

They're calling it "a vote of confidence" in a suddenly pro-business America (excluding California and Oregon). The new Michigan plant will be building electric and autonomous vehicles. Mexico's got to be a bit upset by this development, but will doubtless simply increase shipments of heroin to compensate.

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