Samsung Confirms Next Unpacked; Apple Acquires Lightweight Headset Startup; FBI Warns of Increasing AI-Generated Deepfakes; Google Workspace Users-Login Without Passwords

Samsung has announced the next Unpacked event, and there is an interesting wrinkle…it will be in Seoul, capitol of their home country of South Korea for the first time. Unpacked will happen in late July, with rumors giving the date as July 26th. 9to5google.com reports that we should see updates to the Galaxy Fold and Flip, and also an updated Galaxy Tab, watch and earbuds. 

Just a day after Apple introduced its Vision Pro headset…and even though they forbid it being called that…Cupertino announced that they have acquired Mira, a startup that is building lightweight AR hardware. According to techcrunch.com, the firm was started in LA in 2016, and they make AR headsets for Universal Studios for attractions at its Nintendo World theme parks, as well as the US Air Force and Navy. As a clue regarding how Mira’s tech might fit in with the Vision Pro line, Jony Ive, former Apple design guru, was an advisor to Mira for a while.

As if we didn’t have enough scary news about artificial intelligence, now the FBI is warning about increasing use of AI-generated deepfakes in so-called ’sextortion’ cases. Arstecnhica.com says the fakes are being used to harass minors and non-consenting adults OR to coerce them into paying ransoms. In an alert posted by the Bureau, they write that “The FBI continues to receive reports from victims, including minor children and non-consenting adults, whose photos or videos were altered into explicit content,” officials wrote. “The photos or videos are then publicly circulated on social media or pornographic websites for the purpose of harassing victims or sextortion schemes.” People who have received sextortion threats should retain all evidence available, particularly any screenshots, texts, tape recordings, emails that document usernames, email addresses, websites or names of platforms used for communication, and IP addresses. They can immediately report sextortion to:

After rolling out passkey support for consumer accounts in May, Google has now opened things up to Google Workspace accounts…albeit in ‘Open Beta.’ Google is saying this will allow “more than 9 million organizations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using passkeys instead of passwords.” Passkeys are a new password replacement, with backing from Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Instead of presenting a password text box when logging in, passkey support—which needs to be built into your browser and OS—would have your machine swap public-private keypairs with the website using the “WebAuthn” standard, and you’re logged in. I, for one, applaud the demise of passwords…modern biometrics work well, and unless someone does the sort of thing only seen in spy movies…hacks off your finger or pulls out an eyeball…it is quite secure. Face ID won’t even work with a sleeping person..let alone one who has passed away. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.