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Hang up and use a secret code to combat AI smartphone attacks, FBI says.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesUpdate, March 21, 2025: This story, originally published March 20, has been updated with further details regarding the AI attacks facing Gmail users and the FBI secret code warning issued in response, as well as expert opinion from cybersecurity professionals. There has been no shortage of AI-powered security threat warnings in recent weeks from code that can compromise your Chrome password manager credentials to critical AI attacks costing hackers as little as $5 to create. But its the deepfake attacks hitting smartphone users, despite the best efforts of the likes of Google to defend against them, that are of most concern. Indeed, these ongoing attacks are so convincing that security experts, including the FBI, have issued warnings to the public to hang up now and create a secret code by way of protection. Heres what you need to know and do.FBI And Security Experts Warn Of AI-Powered Smartphone AttacksAlthough you might immediately think of face-swapping videos when it comes to deepfake attacks, that is far from the complete threat picture. If you want to see how good you are at spotting a deepfake face, theres a quick test you can take but be warned its much more challenging than you think. Voice fakes, driven by AI, really started gaining public attention after I wrote a viral article in 2024 concerning a security expert who almost got fooled, with potentially very costly consequences.Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, has now added to the voices warning iPhone and Android users about the threat. Phone scammers increasingly use voice cloning tools for their fraudulent activities because this kind of software has become more affordable and effective over time, Warmenhoven told me. A common approach, and one that is seen in ongoing attacks currently, is to use this deepfake audio to approach family members of the individual they are impersonating, Warmenhoven said, and extort money by simulating an emergency.Referencing an October 2024 report from Truecaller and The Harris Poll, AmericaUnder Attack: The Shifting Landscape of Spam and Scam Calls in America, Warmenhoven pointed to the startling statistic that when it came to the U.S. alone, across the previous 12 months, the total number of phone scam victims exceeded 50 million and losses were estimated at $452 per victim. As deepfakes dramatically change the landscape of scam phone calls, Warmenhoven warned, it is crucial to ensure that everyone in the family understands what voice cloning is, how it works, and how it could be used in scams, such as impersonating a family member to request money or personal information.Deepfakes will become unrecognizable, Siggi Stefnisson, cyber safety chief technical officer at trust-based security platform Gen, whose brands include Norton and Avast, warned. AI will become sophisticated enough that even experts may not be able to tell whats authentic.The FBI Deepfake Smartphone Audio Attack Mitigation AdviceAs I reported Dec. 7, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been warning the public of such attacks. Indeed, the FBI went as far as to issue public service alert number I-120324-PSA addressing this very subject. Both the FBI and Warmenhoven recommend the same mitigation, as brutal and startling as it sounds, to hang up and create a secret code known only to your close family and friends.Warmenhoven also advised that people should be cautious about the content of their social media postings. Social media is the largest publicly available resource of voice samples for cybercriminals, Warmenhoven warned. This means that everyone should be wary of what they post in terms of how it could be used to negatively impact their security through the rise of deepfakes, voice cloning, and other scams enabled by AI tools.To mitigate the risk of these sophisticated and increasingly dangerous AI attacks against iPhone and Android users, the FBI said that people should hang up the phone immediately if they get a call claiming to be from a family member or close friend asking for money in such a fashion, and verify the identity of the person calling using direct means yourself. The FBI also warned that all members of the public should create a secret word or phrase that is only known to you and your close contacts and use this to identify a caller claiming to be someone in trouble, no matter how convincing they sound. And convincing they will be as the deepfake call will be based on public audio clips, from social media videos, for example, that are then fed through the AI tooling to produce, in effect, that person saying anything that is typed in.

AC ShadowsUbisoftNow that Assassins Creed Shadows has launched and players and critics have gotten their hands on the game, theyve discovered something:This is an Assassins Creed game.Its fine, even pretty good, but this is simply nothing out of the ordinary for the series, even if many would have you believe otherwise. The narrative about the game was drowned by social media accusations of it being woke by using black samurai Yasuke as one of its two leads, and while that drama farming was always ridiculous, it is even more so when you play the game and realize that theres nothing remotely controversial about any of this, his inclusion, how hes portrayed, or what liberties may have been taken with the character in a series where Leonardo Da Vinci builds you a hang glider and you fist-fight the Pope.This story is not all that dissimilar to what we saw years ago with Tom Cruises The Last Samurai or more recently, our good friend the Anjin in Shogun, two characters that drew far less controversy because well, you know. Id argue that Yasukes story is more interesting because of his race and the dynamic that creates within Japanese society, and his place and ascension within it.Assassin's Creed ShadowsUbisoftIf Assassins Creed Shadows has a Yasuke problem, it may just be that the story is not exactly split evenly between him and Naoe, as there is much of the game he cannot interact with, nor is he granted her level of stealth powers that are a series trademark. But thats a design problem, and has nothing to do with who he is and the characters inclusion in the game.Play Puzzles & Games on ForbesIve seen some pivots to other woke aspects, which are things like the option to form non-straight romances with characters, an optional path. To me, this speaks not to how games have gotten more woke, but how weird and nonsensical this sort of pushback has become. Remember Mass Effect, the nearly 20 year old series everyone likes that has been doing this kind of thing for eons? Games havent changed, these commentators and fans have, which have become a pit of rage-baiting Twitter users and YouTubers and their audiences making something out of literally nothing time and time again. And while this happens all the time, this time, now that the game is here, its just so clear how this has been beyond manufactured when Shadows worst sin is perhaps being too similar to other Assassins Creed games, not taking enough risks.You can say well none of this matters, but it does matter. Ubisoft is taking steps to protect its employees from harassment due to the hostility surrounding this release that can target not just the company, but individual developers. Again, for what? Because Ubisoft is using a historical figure to tell a story that has already been told similarly in other media with white guys? That the Japanese representation is a woman, not a Jin Sakai Tsushima samurai? This is utter nonsense, and discourse about practically any new game on the market has become so toxic that staying off the internet entirely is the only wait avoid it. But good luck with that.Follow me , and .Pick up my sci-fi novels the and

In a nutshell: Renowned overclocker HiCookie has set a new DDR5 memory overclocking world record, hitting an impressive speed of 12,752 MT/s with V-Color Manta Xfinity RAM on Gigabyte's Z890 AORUS Tachyon Ice motherboard. The record was achieved on an Intel-based system powered by a Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" CPU. The world record has been validated by both CPU-Z and HWBOT, and the shared screenshots reveal that the setup was uniquely tuned for extreme overclocking. The record was achieved with only two out of the 24 CPU cores running, and at just 420 MHz. This was done to ensure that the CPU did not bottleneck the memory frequency in any way.As for the memory, only one 24GB DIMM was used, with the timings set to 68-127-127-127-2T. The module was cooled down by liquid nitrogen to keep the thermals in check so that it could be pushed to its limits. This type of setup is unlikely to offer the stability required for performance-oriented tasks like gaming, but it helps push the designated system components to their max potential for short periods of time.HiCookie's earlier world record of 12,726 MT/s, which he achieved in January, used the same Manta Xfinity DDR5 RAM and AORUS Tachyon Ice motherboard. However, that effort was recently surpassed by another renowned overclocker, Splave, who managed to clock 12,735 MT/s. Now that HiCookie has reclaimed his world record, it will be interesting to see if Splave or someone else will be able to dethrone him again.The Intel Z890 platform for Core Ultra 200 CPUs has been criticized by enthusiasts for offering limited CPU overclocking capabilities, but it does support high memory OC, as is evident from the slew of DDR5 memory overclocking world records in recent months. While not as exciting as CPU overclocking, RAM overclocking can lead to significant performance gains, especially in memory-intensive tasks.Launched earlier this month, the Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice motherboard is purpose-built for extreme overclocking. It is not aimed at general consumers or even mainstream power users, but at DIY tinkerers who like to push their PC to the limit. The motherboard combines on-board frequency controls, voltage probing, and an improved layout design to help extreme overclockers break world records.

What just happened? If you're going to promote something, make sure it lives up to the promises you make. Apple, for example, is being sued over Apple Intelligence features it advertised and has since delayed. Cupertino removed ads for the upgraded version of Siri, but they had already been running for several months. The suit, filed Wednesday in US District Court in San Jose, highlights ads for the iPhone 16 that promised a more personal Siri experience thanks to the power of Apple Intelligence.The ads in question feature The Last of Us and Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey demonstrating some of the upgraded Siri's capabilities. It all looks pretty impressive.However, months after the ads had been running, Apple confirmed that the upgraded Siri would not be arriving until 2026. The company never gave any reasons for the delay.The mess led to upheaval among Apple execs, with AI head John Giannandrea being replaced by Mike Rockwell, the vice president in charge of the Vision Products Group.The suit claims that Apple's advertisements created the expectation that the Apple Intelligence features would be available upon the iPhone 16's release. It adds that while Apple recently pulled the ad from YouTube, it has failed to retract all the similarly false representations in the market that began in the Summer of 2024.Apple is accused of promoting a functionality that did not exist and continuing to advertise the features even after it knew they would not arrive in time, all with the aim of encouraging people to buy a new Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone."Contrary to Defendant's claims of advanced AI capabilities, the Products offered a significantly limited or entirely absent version of Apple Intelligence, misleading consumers about its actual utility and performance," the suit reads. // Related Stories"Worse yet, Defendant promoted its Products based on these overstated AI capabilities, leading consumers to believe they were purchasing a device with features that did not exist or were materially misrepresented."It was recently reported that Robby Walker, a senior director at Apple, spoke to the Siri team, acknowledging that delays to key features have been both "ugly" and "embarrassing," especially as they had been showcased prior to release.The company filing the suit, Clarkson Law Firm, has experience in this area. It previously sued Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft over alleged misuse of personal and copyrighted data to train their AI systems. The tech giants defeated the suits.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents33 ImmortalsMythwrecked: Ambrosia IslandOctopath Traveller 2A lot of us will have our hands full this weekend playing Assassins Creed Shadows, but Ubisofts latest open-world adventure may not be to everyones tastes. Fans ofFalloutmight have their eye on the upcoming Xbox Series X game Atomfall, which is also coming to Game Pass on release, but that still leaves an entire weekend with nothing to play. Or, it would if there wasnt a nice selection of new titles added to the service ready for you to dive into. This weekend has something for everyone, such as a brand new Roguelike co-op game, a non-violent adventure game staring Greek gods, and a hardcore JRPG. Lets not waste any more time and give you the rundown on the best new Xbox Game Pass games worth playing this weekend.This day one addition is still technically in early access, but we already love what 33 Immortals is doing. This is one of the most creative co-op games yet, with 33 players all working together in a massive raid-like dungeon. 33 players might sound like a lot, but the game is built on your team working in groups to tackle different corners of the map as smaller squads. Each game is randomized to an extent, but the goal is to always complete various challenges and unlock the route to the boss. That boss is no joke, and keeping yourself and as many allies alive until the end is key to taking it down. Theres still a lot to be added and polished, but 33 Immortals is shaping up to be another potential co-op darling.Recommended Videos33 Immortalsis available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC in early access.RelatedSometimes a more laid-back adventure game is just what the doctor ordered on a relaxing weekend. Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Islandis a modern interpretation of Greek myth where you play as a backpacker stranded up on a mysterious island inhabited all the legends of Greek mythology, but with the twist in that they all have amnesia. With no combat, Mythwrecked is a more casual adventure where you are free to explore the lush island, solve some puzzles, and mostly get to know and build relationships with the various gods as you help them remember who they are. This game relies heavily on its writing and characters, which it fully succeeds in bringing to life.Whether or not you played the first game, Octopath Traveller 2is a stellar JRPG to dive into on Xbox. This sequel stands completely alone with its entirely new cast of characters whose stories you can experience in whatever order you wish. Besides each one having their own skills and abilities to set them apart, their personalities and goals are vastly different. The major concern with the first game was how the main cast never had meaningful interactions with one another, which Octopath Traveller 2 thankfully alleviates. The turn-based combat system is tactical and addicting, and the HD-2D art style on display is some of the best looking pixel art you can find.Octopath Traveller 2is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsAmerican Nightmare (2024)One Day (2024)Maid (2021)The streaming era has afforded us endless convenience, but that convenience comes with the difficulty of actually finding something worth your time. If youve ever found yourself scrolling through Netflix in a way that feels like it could never end, weve got you covered.Weve pulled together three great Netflix shows worth checking out this weekend. Each of these shows has a totally different tone and vibe and represents the broad array of stuff that the streamer is constantly serving up to its audience.Recommended VideosWe also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max,andthe best movies on Disney+.RelatedA brilliant documentary series that chronicles a genuinely bizarre series of events,American Nightmaretells the story of the kidnapping of Denise Huskins and the aftermath in which police accused her of orchestrating the kidnapping herself.As she fights to prove that she was actually taken, she has to relive the traumas of that time and prove that she is not as sinister as she seems. This story and what it says both about police and about how they handle female victims is revelatory, and the documentary knows exactly how to frame every moment for maximal impact.You can watchAmerican Nightmareon Netflix.A swooningly romantic, heartbreaking series, One DayThe storys conceit involves checking in with the couple on the same day every year, allowing for the show to present a grand sweep of time and also for us to see how these two change over the course of years. Brilliantly performed by Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod, One Dayis sweeping and swoon-worthy in all the ways youd want a show like this to be.You can watchOne Dayon Netflix.Margaret Qualley has emerged as one of the most promising young stars of the past five years, and Maidis one of her best performances. The series follows a single mother who starts cleaning houses to provide a better life for her daughter after escaping from an abusive relationship.Maidsheds light on what cycles of poverty look like in a way that few other shows do, allowing us to understand how much every decision comes with real financial costs for the central character. Qualley is excellent as a woman doing her best amidst impossible circumstances, and shes a huge part of why Maidis worth watching.You can watchMaidon Netflix.Editors Recommendations

The drugmaker plans to build a research-and-development center in Beijing and strike deals with local biotechnology companies, at a time when Chinese authorities are probing it.

In 1958, the clubby world of London art dealers got a jolt as Sothebys changed the way the auction business was done.