Tech News: A Software Update Crashed Computer Systems Around the World
Digest
This podcast episode covers a variety of topics, starting with an introduction to the show's focus on women's basketball and a call to action for listeners to subscribe. The episode then introduces the "Good Game with Sarah Spain" podcast, which focuses on women's sports and aims to celebrate, debate, and dissect the stories and rivalries within the world of women's sports. The episode then moves on to the "Amy and TJ Pocket" podcast, which provides daily updates and insights on the 2024 Paris Games. The episode then shifts to tech news, covering a major software update failure that impacted global businesses, the FBI's successful access to a Samsung phone, and the release of a smaller AI language model. The episode then discusses Netflix's decision to increase prices for ad-free subscriptions and the broader trend of streaming services raising prices as they transition from subscriber growth to profitability. The episode then covers Google's announcement that it will be cracking down on low-value apps in its Play Store, aiming to improve the quality and functionality of apps available to users. The episode concludes with a discussion of the FCC's decision to close a loophole that allowed prison telephone service operators to charge high rates for interstate calls, a move aimed at reducing costs for prisoners and their families.
Outlines
Women's Basketball and Tech News
This episode covers a variety of topics, including women's sports, the 2024 Paris Games, tech news, streaming services, and the FCC's regulation of prison phone rates.
Streaming Services and Google's App Store Crackdown
This segment discusses Netflix's decision to increase prices for ad-free subscriptions and the broader trend of streaming services raising prices as they transition from subscriber growth to profitability. The episode then covers Google's announcement that it will be cracking down on low-value apps in its Play Store, aiming to improve the quality and functionality of apps available to users.
FCC Regulates Prison Phone Rates and Recommended Reading
This segment discusses the FCC's decision to close a loophole that allowed prison telephone service operators to charge high rates for interstate calls, a move aimed at reducing costs for prisoners and their families. The episode concludes with recommendations for space-related articles from Ars Technica, including a weekly roundup of space news and a piece about NASA's budget constraints impacting a moon rover project.
Keywords
FalconCensor
FalconCensor is a cybersecurity software product developed by CrowdStrike. It is designed to protect businesses from cyber threats by monitoring and controlling access to sensitive data.
CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that provides endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and incident response services to businesses worldwide.
GPT-4 Mini
GPT-4 Mini is a smaller version of OpenAI's large language model, designed to be more cost-effective and suitable for smaller, niche-oriented tasks.
AB587
AB587 is a California law that requires social media companies to make their terms of service clear and transparent, including a record of actions taken against users for violating those terms.
Viper
Viper is a NASA project to develop a lunar rover for exploring the Moon. The project has faced delays and cost increases, leading to budget constraints and potential cancellation.
Netflix
Netflix is a popular streaming service that offers a wide variety of movies, TV shows, and documentaries.
Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is a digital distribution platform for Android apps and games.
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.
Prison Phone Rates
Prison phone rates are the fees charged for phone calls made by inmates to people outside of prison.
Q&A
What was the cause of the worldwide operating system failures in July 2024?
A content update for the FalconCensor software, pushed out by CrowdStrike, caused Windows Virtual Machines to enter a recovery boot loop, leading to widespread system failures.
How did the FBI gain access to the Woodbeer Assassin's Samsung phone?
The FBI worked with an Israeli digital intelligence company called Celebrite, which used new software to crack the phone's security and provide access to its contents.
What is the main benefit of using a smaller AI language model like GPT-4 Mini?
Smaller AI models are less expensive to operate and thus more cost-effective for customers, making them suitable for smaller, niche-oriented tasks.
What is the main argument made by X's legal team against California's AB587 law?
X's legal team argues that the law violates the company's First Amendment rights by forcing them to make statements about controversial subjects and potentially create backlash against the platform.
What is the significance of the FCC's decision to regulate prison phone rates?
The FCC's decision aims to reduce the high costs of interstate calls for prisoners, who often have limited financial resources and rely on these calls to stay connected with their families.
What is the main reason behind Netflix's price increase?
Netflix is transitioning from subscriber growth to profitability, and the price increase is a way to generate more revenue.
What is Google's goal in cracking down on low-value apps in the Play Store?
Google aims to improve the quality and functionality of apps available to users by removing low-value apps from the Play Store.
What is the main concern about NASA's budget constraints impacting the Viper project?
The budget constraints could lead to delays and potential cancellation of the Viper project, which is a lunar rover for exploring the Moon.
Show Notes
A company called CrowdStrike pushed out a software update to Windows-based systems. But the update had a defect, bringing computer systems around the world to a standstill. Plus, stories about the FBI cracking into a would-be assassin's phone, how X is appealing a California law and Google's plans to get rid of crappy apps.
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