The Nog is made! It’s aging in my refrigerator right now. It’s Thursday, and I’m back in the chair with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s top tech stories: ape NFT sells for a fraction of the price, small software component leads to big headache, and Apple releases an Android app to stop stalkers. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern by tuning into WWNC on the iHeartRadio app.

APE NFT SELLS FOR FRACTION OF THE PRICE

Max, who goes by maxnaut online, mistakenly sold one of his NFT art paintings for a tenth of its value on the Ethereum blockchain. The NFT in question was one of the works in The Bored Ape Yacht Club collection of virtual (digital?) artwork. Max listed his work for 0.75 eth, or Ether, the cryptocurrency on the Ethereurm blockchain. He meant to list the art for 75 eth, instead. As soon as he clicked the button; a bot, or automated program paid a heft amount in gas fees (8 eth or $4,029) to scoop up the artwork for $2,844, and then later sold it for $284, 495. Here’s why this really sucks. Some high money holder of Ethereum paid two times the value of the transaction (the cost of the artwork $2,844) to get ahead of anyone else on the blockchain and make the sale. Most regular people wouldn’t pay transaction fees higher than the value of the item. (Unless it’s Ticketmaster) I’m still not sure where I land on cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but they ARE NOT solving problems. They are inventing new ones and exacerbating inequality issues that are already out of balance in the world. I’m off my soapbox.

CLOUD AND SOFTWARE WORLD ROCKED BY SMALL PIECE OF SOFTWARE

The big news. The cloud computing and web software world was rocked to its foundation this past Monday. A small component used for writing event logs, or messages used for debugging, had a vulnerability that caused companies to scramble. The event logging component log4j is used in millions of software applications and devices around the world. Hackers figured out a way to exploit log4j to remotely execute programs on another server. We even went scrambling for a minute checking which services used log4j and where they were. The exploit possibly caused an outage on AWS which also affected Zoom users yesterday. If you’re an end user there’s nothing you can really do. Makers of your software will need to patch their systems. Two patches were released to fix the issue because…the developers didn’t completely fix the issue. Microsoft is reporting that state actors are trying to exploit the vulnerability to gain access to systems. There’s been a few high profile ransom attacks already reported. How big is this exploit? Over half of corporate networks, 100 million devices, and the US government is making agencies patch their systems by Christmas Eve.

GASP: APPLE RELEASES ANDROID APP TO PREVENT AIRTAG STALKING

Apple AirTags are little tracking devices that can be placed on items, in the car, or around the house to help people find things. The devices work because Apple device form a sort of mesh that creates a large area network used for tracking. Like many technologies, the technology was used for nefarious purposes by stalkers. Stalkers were using the tech to track women by dropping them in women’s coats or purses or affixing them to women’s cars. Apple made an update to their AirTag technology to alert users when an unknown AirTag is near their person. Apple…has releases an Android app that does the same thing.

I’ve been busy. Trying to get a comic out and a book. I’ve started this year’s annual gift guide and a few cool items are up. It’s Thursday, and I’m back in the chair with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s top tech stories: Jennifer Lawrence to play Elizabeth Holmes in Apple+ drama, Kickstarter turns to crypto for crowdfunding, and don’t play with yourself while driving. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern by tuning into WWNC on the iHeartRadio app.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE TO PLAY HOLMES IN APPLE PRODUCED FILM

If you haven’t been keeping up with the nonsense that’s Holmes vs. US you are seriously missing out. Apple will be producing a movie starring The Hunger Games’ very own Jennifer Lawrence in an upcoming movie based upon Theranos. Elizabeth Holmes and her business partner are being sued for wire fraud by the US government. Holmes is being accused of defrauding investors out of billions of dollars for a blood testing technology that never worked. It’s one of the marquee technology trials going on right now, with faked voices, patriarchal control, and bilking billions out of so-called Masters of the Universe. It’s the trial that’s getting top billing since there’s a stay granted on the Epic vs Apple ruling.

WHAT? TESLA LETS DRIVERS PLAY GAMES WHILE DRIVING

In a story that should be filed in the Bad Idea column, Tesla released a new software update that allows drivers, drivers, to play their in-dash Tesla Arcade gaming system while the car is moving! I know there’s a classic scene of Will Smith going over case notes in the movie, iRobot, but even Homer Simpson would think this is ridiculous. (Note: I just fit a movie and TV show reference of characters doing unusual things while driving. End Note) Regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are reviewing the feature with Tesla and have expressed concern that the feature may run afoul of the Vehicle Safety Act which bars vehicle manufacturers from shipping cars with defects. It sounds like the typical retort from software developers, “that’s not a defect. It’s a feature!”

KICKSTARTER STARTS BLOCKCHAIN COMPANY FOR CRYPTO CROWD FUNDRAISING

This week was a big one for technology news. Even yours truly is getting involved with a company making an investment to support the cryptocurrency market. The crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, has announced plans to move its funding initiatives to blockchain and cryptocurrency technology. The company has started Kickstarter PBC to build out its tech. The company hasn’t announced any timelines for when they will switch over, but the intention is that funders will be able to take advantage of core Kickstarter capabilities like contributing funds and partaking in benefits using crypto technology.

Speaking of crypto, there are some new goodies added to the gift guide. The Bobcat Mining rig was well recommended by one of my friends who’s heavily in crypto. The Nutsac bag is a durable, water resistant, and urban cool way to transport your laptop and gadgets. The (S)Nobsound Vacuum Tube headphone amplifier rounds out this week’s additions to the 2021 Annual Gift Guide.

Bonus. CNET has a great article helping you avoid common mistakes while buying gadgets for your friends and family this Christmas.

I’ve eaten my third McRib! Eating it fresh is definitely the key. If it’s Thursday, it’s time for another installment of First News 570. I’m in the saddle with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s top tech stories: a crypto group plans to buy the US Constitution, IBM takes quantum processor lead, and get a jump on next week’s Black Friday deals. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern by tuning into WWNC on the iHeartRadio app.

A CRYPTO GROUP RAISES MILLIONS TO BID ON CONSTITUTION

One of the few rare copies of the US Constitution will be placed on auction by Sotheby’s. A worldwide group of crypto currency holders have banded together as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization to raise enough money, $33 million, to buy one of the 13 official printings of the US Constitution. The group is calling themselves ConstitutionDAO. DAOs are decentralized corporations that can have a mission like any other corporation, such as raising money to buy a copy of the US Constitution. If you’re interested in joining ConstitutionDAO, you have some time to jump in. You have to chip in some Ether to join and you too could be a member of a corporation that owns the US Constitution. You have until 630 pm, New York, Eastern time to contribute. NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN INVESTMENT IN ANYTHING, YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A GROUP THAT WILL PURCHASE A PRINTING OF THE CONSTITUTION AND VOTE ON ITS FATE.

IBM TAKES QUANTUM PROCESSOR LEAD

The battle for quantum computing has been fast and furious. US and Chinese companies have competing head-to-head in pursuit of quantum supremacy. Last month Chinese researchers claimed quantum supremacy by building a 66-qubit quantum computer capable of calculating an extremely hard math problem in 4 hours, that would take a supercomputer one thousand years to compute. Tuesday, IBM announced that they’re the first company to create a quantum processor that has more than 100-qubits. An achievement because current computer technology can’t simulate the behavior a processor like this may have. IBM believes their technology paves the way for 1000+ qubit processors.

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES

Happy early Thanksgiving! In a week, we’ll be spending time doing that most cherished American activity after Thanksgiving, shopping. Friday in the store, and Monday online.

TheVerge has compiled a snazzy list of Black Friday deals to warm up your credit cards. They’ve also listed price matching policies of your favorite manufacturers.

Amazon has teased a link for Black Friday deals you can peruse here.

BestBuy has also teased it’s best Black Friday deals as well.

I haven’t gone out in the wild for Black Friday shopping. If you’re one of the brave please share your experiences.

I’m building out this year’s Annual Gift Guide, stay tuned.

I ate my second McRib! I reheated it in the oven. It was STILL delicious. I’m in the saddle with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s top tech stories: trolls prompt Elon Musk to sell stock, supply chain shortages may hinder Christmas gadget sales, and the US sues Uber. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern by tuning into WWNC on the iHeartRadio app.

ELON MUSK SELLS STOCK, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF TROLLS

Last weekend, Elon Musk polled the Twitterverse asking if he should sell some of his stock options as a way of protesting the tax increases for the rich in President Biden’s infrastructure plans. Musk asked his 63 million Twitter followers if he should sell 10% of his stock, and Twitter responded in the majority of him selling the shares and thusly paying taxes on the gains. This week, Elon Musk sold $1.1 billion worth of his Tesla stock in a planned exercise. So, this sale wasn’t prompted by Twitter, which means he still needs to sell 10% of his stock.

GADGETS MAY NOT BE 2021’s GO-TO GIFTS

Things aren’t looking so merry for the electronics market. COVID-19 is still making its impact felt as global supply chains have created backlogs at the world’s largest shipping ports. This time of year, cheap, easy-to-acquire (and easy-to-break) gadgets are usually the quick go-to for last minute shoppers. Not this year, unfortunately. The cheapest gadgets are expected to take longer to ship and you may miss placing it under the tree. Large companies like Apple are encouraging consumers to buy their cheapest products now, citing month or longer lead times. Meanwhile, the most expensive gear is readily available. Uh, huh. The income challenged among us may be in for an expensive holiday.

US SUES UBER FOR DISCRIMINATION

“[Uber] must ensure equal access for all people, including those with disabilities,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice. The US government is suing Uber for not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The DOJ is claiming that Uber has charged disabled people with higher wait time fees for taking more time to get into vehicles. Uber has said the fees were not intended to target disabled passengers and that they’ve been refunding rides to disabled riders. (They shouldn’t have charged them.) Uber disputes the allegations of non-compliance, but this isn’t the first time they’ve had a run-in with regulations and disabled passengers. They were ordered to pay a blind woman $1.1 million this past spring for discriminating against her.

I got my McRib! And…it was delicious. This week has been another busy one for tech. I’m in the saddle with Mark Starling, Seth, John, and the First News 570 crew. This week’s top tech stories: crypto scammers make off with millions of Squid Games fans’ money, Facebook stops using facial recognition data in posts, and a girl sells $4 million in NFT art. You can listen to Mark and I point and laugh while talking about the wild and crazy technology world every Thursday morning, LIVE at 6:43am Eastern by tuning into WWNC on the iHeartRadio app.

TIME’S NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE IS A 12-YEAR OLD

TIME Magazine’s first Artist-in-Residence is a 12-year old named Nyla Hayes. TIMEPieces is a new program started by TIME magazine to help artists advance their careers through the use of Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs. Nyla got started in NFTs by her uncle and began selling her own art featuring characters with long necks called Long Neckies. Since selling her art as, NFTs Nyla has earned more than $4 million. I’m in the wrong business. You can learn more about NFTs by following TIME’s TIMEPieces feed.

FACEBOOK STOPS USING FACIAL RECOGNITION IN POSTS

Earlier this week, Facebook; uhhh, meta…uhh, Facebook? Facebook says it will stop using software that automatically recognizes and identifies people in social media posts. The move comes after the whistleblower, after the name change, and after other technology companies began drawing down the use of the technology. Facebook has been coming under increased scrutiny with investors and critiques arguing for criminal charges to be brought against the company. Facebook won’t stop working on facial recognition technology, but instead it may begin appearing in Occulus and other meta verse tech.

SQUID SCAMMERS, SCAM MILLIONS FROM CRYPTO BUYERS

Following the hype of Netflix’s most popular movie, Squid Games, scammers have stolen approximately $2.1 million from would-be crypto investors. The scammers listed a new crypto, titled SQUID, saying that the currency could be used as in-game money for a new video game based upon the movie. Gizmodo pointed out numerous red flags alluding to the currency being a scam. The site was filled with spelling errors and you could buy but not sell. The currency peaked at $2,861 before the scammers cashed out, wiping out everyone’s value.