The Anecdotal Antidote

The Anecdotal Antidote
Number	3222
Broadcast Date	FEBRUARY 16, 2018
Episode Length	31:46
Hosts	Tom Merritt
Guests	Allison Sheridan, Dave Brodbeck, Len Peralta

With all the recent news about flaws in iOS, is Apple unfairly getting a bad rap? And if so, how do you convince people that the situation isn’t as bad as it seems? Plus, Google removed the “view image” button from its image search after reaching a deal with Getty Images and Australian authorities deactivate a cyborg’s embedded transit pass chip and fine him.

Guest

• Allison Sheridan
  • The NosillaCast
• Dave Brodbeck
  • Davebrodbeck.com
• Len Peralta
  • All DTNS drawings
  • This episode's drawing

Quick Hits

• Uber plans to sell Southeast Asia business to Grab: CNBC

Sources tell CNBC that Uber is considering selling its Southeast Asian ride-hailing business to Grab in a deal that would leave Uber with a stake in Grab. No deal has yet been reached.

• Intel hit with 32 lawsuits over security flaws

Intel told shareholders Friday that it faces 32 class action lawsuits over the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. 30 of the suits claim customers were harmed by Intel's "actions and/or omissions." The other two accuse Intel of making misleading statements in violation of securities laws.

• Intel just put a quantum computer on a silicon chip

QuTech and Intel have teamed up on an experimental two-qubit quantum computer running on a silicon chip. Usually, quantum computers require superconductive material and near perfect zero temperatures to operate. The new chip uses quantum-dot-based spin qubits and can be made with existing manufacturing infrastructure.

Top Stories

• Google removes ‘view image’ button from search results to make pics harder to steal

Google has removed the "view image" button from its image search as part of an agreement with Getty Images. The button previously opened the image on its own in the browser. Now users only get a "visit" button which shows the image in context on the page its from, where users will then need to right click and open the image in a new tab to view it separately. Google announced a licensing agreement with Getty Images last week and this change was one of that agreements provisions.

• Special Counsel indicts 13 people, Russian troll farm on conspiracy charges

Friday US special counsel Robert Mueller indicted Russia's Internet Research Agency and charged 13 Russians with “conspiracy to defraud the United States.” Particularly the organization impersonated US citizens and used botnets to attempt to influence the US presidential election. It used a VPN to operate social media accounts that appeared to come from the US. The defendants are also accused of using fake bank accounts and false ID documents. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there was no allegation that the operation altered the outcome of the election.

• Google is making it easier for 911 to find you in an emergency

The Wall Street Journal reports Google tested a new emergency cell phone calling system in the US in a few states in December and January. Using the US 911 system, Google sent location data from Android to the 911 operators. RapidOS, a company involved in the test told the Wall Street Journal that more than 80% of the calls using the new system were more accurate than location data usually provided by wireless carriers. Google hopes to implement the system across the US this year.

• Authorities deactivate transit pass implanted in biohacker's hand

An Australian transit agency deactivated the transit pass of Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow while he was traveling to the US to speak at a cyborg convention. Meow-meow had embedded the transit pass's chip in his hand in April 2017. New South Wales' transport authorities have also fined him $200 for riding a train without a valid ticket.

• Robonaut Has Been Broken for Years, and Now NASA Is Bringing It Home

In February 2011, NASA sent Robonaut 2 to the International Space Station to be tested as a robotic assistant in repetitive tasks like cleaning or flipping switches. The robot was only a torso and arms but worked well until 2014 when NASA upgraded it with legs to give it more mobility. The upgrade did not go well and the last time it reported completing a research task was December 2013. The problem appears to be a lack of a ground path which is difficult to fix on board, and even if fixed probably has caused components to degrade or burn out. This week, NASA announced Robonaut 2 will be returned to Earth for repairs. If it can't be repaired, it will be swapped for a newer model.

Discussion

• 5 Reasons It’s So Hard To Think Like A Scientist
• 🧘🏻‍♂️Steven Sinofsky ॐ on Twitter: "1/ Apple has a software problem. Here's how it plans to fix it. https://t.co/dJaikfRhs7 via @markgurman // Let’s take a step back and talk about the broader context and product development at scale. Lots follows…"

Mailbag

Regarding your suggestion to use privacy badger, while it does a great job I just use tracking protection that is built into FF 58 (Quantum), which can be used not just in private mode but also in regular mode. This does the job for me, and from what I read it was borrowed from the Tor browser.

Sent by Mohan

Links

• This episode on dailytechnewsshow.com
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Preceded by: "Apple Has Character Flaws"

The Anecdotal Antidote

Followed by: "Swyped Away"