Ok Seriously This is Big

TechLinked
22 Mar 202410:27

Summary

TLDRThe Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Apple for monopolizing smartphone markets, marking a significant antitrust case. The lawsuit criticizes Apple's restrictive app store rules and hardware incompatibility. Neuralink's brain-computer interface advancements and Microsoft's acquisition of Inflection AI highlight the tech industry's push for innovation and dominance in AI. AMD's FSR 3.1 release and a new Surface Pro 10 are also discussed, along with security vulnerabilities in Apple's M-series chips and hotel locks.

Takeaways

  • 📢 The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued Apple for monopolizing smartphone markets, marking a significant antitrust case since the DOJ's lawsuit against Microsoft in 1998.
  • 📱 The DOJ's complaint against Apple cites Tim Cook's statement about buying an iPhone for better picture and video quality when transferring files between iPhones and Androids, highlighting Apple's 'walled garden' approach.
  • 🚫 Apple is accused of maintaining a restrictive iOS App Store with rules that block 'super apps' like WeChat and of not allowing hardware like the Apple Watch to be compatible with Android.
  • 🧠 Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, has demonstrated that their first human patient can play chess using a mouse cursor controlled by his mind, indicating progress in BCIs (Brain-Computer Interfaces).
  • 🤖 Microsoft has hired the CEO and founder of Inflection AI, the company behind the popular Pi chatbot, to lead its Microsoft AI division, in a move seen as an 'acqui-hire' by some industry observers.
  • 💰 Microsoft will also license Inflection's Pi models for $620 million and pay an additional $30 million for secrecy regarding the acquisition, aiming to strengthen its AI capabilities.
  • 🚀 AMD announced FSR 3.1, which improves its upscaling technology and allows other solutions like Nvidia's DLSS or Intel's XS to use AMD's frame generation feature.
  • 🎮 The open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, Clamation, released its first build but had it taken down due to DMCA issues, though the team plans to continue the project.
  • 💻 Microsoft unveiled the new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for business, both of which use Intel Core Ultra chips and do not feature the rumored Snapdragon X Elite notebooks.
  • 🔐 Researchers have discovered an unpatchable side-channel vulnerability in Apple's M series chips that could potentially allow attackers to extract encryption keys.
  • 🔑 A security exploit has been uncovered that could allow the creation of a master key for entire buildings using NFC-enabled Android devices, affecting around 13,000 buildings worldwide.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against Apple?

    -The DOJ lawsuit against Apple is focused on monopolization of smartphone markets, which is considered a larger claim than the one made by Epic Games in their lawsuit against Apple.

  • What is the significance of the DOJ's lawsuit in comparison to historical antitrust cases?

    -The scope of the DOJ's lawsuit against Apple is significant as it is likely the largest antitrust case since the DOJ sued Microsoft in 1998, which resulted in Microsoft's commitment to not be as monopolistic, particularly in relation to Internet Explorer.

  • What was Tim Cook's response to a reporter's question about the quality of pictures and videos sent between iPhones and Androids?

    -In response to a reporter's question, Tim Cook said, 'Buy your mom an iPhone,' implying that the quality issues were not Apple's concern and that using an iPhone would resolve such problems.

  • What is the DOJ's claim about Apple's iOS App Store rules?

    -The DOJ claims that Apple's iOS App Store has restrictive rules, specifically blocking 'super apps' like WeChat in China, which serves as an app platform itself.

  • What is the issue with the Apple Watch's lack of Android support mentioned in the DOJ's complaint?

    -The DOJ's complaint cites hardware incompatibility, pointing out that the Apple Watch lacks support for Android, which Apple stated was due to technical limitations after a 3-year investigation.

  • How does the DOJ view Apple's 'Walled Garden' approach?

    -The DOJ believes that Apple's 'Walled Garden' approach is no longer acceptable, as indicated by their lawsuit which suggests that they think Apple's practices are harmful to competition and consumer choice.

  • What is the restriction placed on Tim Sweeney in relation to the Australian Epic Games versus Apple trial?

    -Tim Sweeney is restricted from tweeting about the case until after he has given testimony in the Australian Epic Games versus Apple trial.

  • What is Neuralink's achievement with their first human patient?

    -Neuralink's first human patient, Nolan Arbau, received a wireless implant and can now move a mouse cursor with his mind well enough to play the game Civilization 6 for 8 hours straight, only stopping to charge the device.

  • What is the significance of Microsoft hiring the CEO and founder of Inflection AI?

    -Microsoft hiring the CEO and founder of Inflection AI, the company behind the popular Pie chatbot, along with most of its 70 employees, is seen as a strategic move to strengthen Microsoft's AI division and dominance in the industry.

  • What is the outcome of the acquisition of Inflection AI for Microsoft?

    -The acquisition includes Microsoft paying Inflection $620 million to license their Pi models and another $30 million for confidentiality. This is seen as a way for Microsoft to avoid regulatory approval and gain a competitive edge in AI.

  • What is the new feature introduced by AMD with FSR 3.1?

    -AMD introduced FSR 3.1 which adds significant improvements to its upscaling technologies and expands access to frame generation, allowing other upscaling solutions like Nvidia's DLSS or Intel's XS to use AMD's frame generation feature.

  • What is the vulnerability discovered in Apple's M series chips?

    -Researchers from multiple universities discovered an unpatchable side-channel vulnerability in Apple's M series chips, which allows attackers to extract encryption keys from the device. This vulnerability is due to the design of the silicon itself and cannot be patched, only mitigated by software defenses that could affect performance.

Outlines

00:00

📢 DOJ Lawsuit Against Apple: Antitrust Allegations

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of monopolizing smartphone markets. This claim is broader than the one made by Epic Games in their lawsuit against Apple. The DOJ's complaint highlights Tim Cook's statement about buying iPhones and mentions Apple's restrictive rules in the iOS App Store, particularly concerning 'super apps' like WeChat. Additionally, the lawsuit addresses hardware incompatibility issues, such as the lack of Android support for the Apple Watch. Apple's 'Walled Garden' approach is under scrutiny, and the company claims the lawsuit threatens its identity. The case is being viewed as one of the largest antitrust cases since the DOJ sued Microsoft in 1998.

05:03

🚀 Neuralink's Human Trials and Microsoft's AI Acquisition

Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, has demonstrated that their first human patient is not only alive but also excels at chess after receiving a wireless implant. The patient, Nolan Arbau, can move a mouse cursor with his mind, showcasing the potential of BCIs (Brain-Computer Interfaces). Meanwhile, Microsoft has hired the CEO and founder of Inflection AI, the company behind the popular Pie chatbot, to lead its AI division. This move is seen as an 'acquihire' by many, with Microsoft also licensing Inflection's AI models for $620 million and paying an additional $30 million for secrecy. The move indicates Microsoft's commitment to AI dominance, echoing CEO Satya Nadella's statements from a November interview.

10:03

💻 Tech Updates: AMD's FSR 3.1, Suyo Nintendo Switch Emulator, and Microsoft's Surface Line

AMD has announced FSR 3.1, which improves its upscaling technology and allows other companies like NVIDIA and Intel to use its frame generation tech. The update enhances temporal stability and reduces ghosting. Suyo, an open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, released its first build but faced immediate takedown by GitLab due to DMCA issues. Despite this, the team plans to continue the project. Microsoft unveiled the new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for business, both of which use Intel Core Ultra chips. The company also reiterated its commitment to AI, showcasing its AI capabilities during the event.

🔒 Security Concerns: Unpatchable M1 Chip Vulnerability and Hotel Lock Exploits

Researchers have discovered an unpatchable vulnerability in Apple's M1 chips that allows attackers to extract encryption keys. The issue lies in the silicon design and can only be mitigated by software defenses that may impact performance. Additionally, a security exploit has been uncovered that affects around 13,000 buildings, primarily hotels, making them vulnerable to master key creation using an NFC-enabled Android device and a hotel key card. The exploit can override deadbolts and affects locks created by dormakaba. No known cases of this exploit being used have been reported.

📅 Upcoming Tech News and Events

The video script ends with a teaser for more technology news to be covered in the next episode of TechLink, scheduled for Monday. The host humorously compares the effort to find tech news to archaeology, suggesting that despite the challenges, they are committed to delivering the latest updates to their audience.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Monopolizing

Monopolizing refers to the practice of controlling all or a significant part of the market for a particular product or service, thereby reducing or eliminating competition. In the context of the video, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Apple for allegedly monopolizing the smartphone market, which is a significant legal action implying that Apple may have engaged in anti-competitive practices.

💡Antitrust Case

An antitrust case is a legal action that aims to prevent businesses from engaging in anti-competitive practices, such as monopolization or price-fixing, which can harm consumers and the market. In the video, the DOJ's lawsuit against Apple is described as one of the largest antitrust cases since the one against Microsoft in 1998, highlighting the scale and significance of the legal action against Apple.

💡Walled Garden

A 'walled garden' in the context of technology refers to a closed ecosystem where a company controls the hardware, software, and services, often limiting user choice and interoperability with other platforms. The term is often used critically to describe a company's strategy that restricts competition and consumer freedom. In the video, Apple's approach is criticized as a 'walled garden' because of its restrictive policies and lack of compatibility with non-Apple devices.

💡Neuralink

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk that aims to develop implantable brain–machine interfaces (BMIs). The goal is to enable direct communication between the human brain and computers, potentially allowing for advanced control of devices and treatment of neurological disorders. In the video, Neuralink's progress with a human patient capable of controlling a computer cursor with his mind is highlighted as a significant achievement.

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. The video discusses AI in the context of Microsoft hiring the CEO of Inflection AI, indicating a strategic move to strengthen Microsoft's position in the AI domain.

💡FSR 3.1

FSR 3.1 stands for FidelityFX Super Resolution 3.1, which is an upscaling technology developed by AMD. It enhances the quality of upscaled images and allows for features like frame generation to be used independently or in conjunction with other upscaling solutions. The update aims to improve temporal stability and reduce ghosting in visuals, which is significant for gaming performance.

💡Open Source

Open source refers to a type of software licensing where the source code is made available to the public, allowing anyone to view, use, modify, and distribute the software freely. The philosophy behind open source promotes collaboration, transparency, and community involvement in software development. In the video, the release of the first build of the open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, Suyu, is mentioned.

💡Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6

Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are the latest iterations of Microsoft's line of 2-in-1 detachable laptop-tablet hybrids and laptops designed for business and professional use. These devices are known for their versatility, high-quality build, and integration with Microsoft's ecosystem of services and products.

💡M Series Chips

M Series Chips are Apple's proprietary ARM-based processors designed for their Macintosh computers. These chips are known for their high performance, energy efficiency, and integration with Apple's operating system, macOS. However, the video discusses a security vulnerability in these chips that could potentially allow attackers to extract encryption keys.

💡Master Key Exploits

Master key exploits are security vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized access to multiple locks using a single key or code. These exploits can compromise the security of buildings or devices by enabling unauthorized entry. In the video, it is mentioned that around 13,000 buildings, mainly hotels, are vulnerable to such an exploit using an NFC-enabled Android device and a hotel key card.

💡Magical

Magical, in the context of the video, refers to a company that offers a productivity tool, specifically a Chrome extension, designed to help users save time by automating repetitive tasks such as typing, copying, and pasting. The tool aims to streamline communication and data entry, allowing users to focus on more important tasks.

Highlights

The United States Department of Justice sued Apple for monopolizing smartphone markets, marking a major antitrust case.

The lawsuit against Apple is broader than Epic Games' own lawsuit against the company.

This legal action against Apple is the largest antitrust case since the DOJ sued Microsoft in 1998.

Tim Cook's quote, 'Buy your mom an iPhone,' is referenced in the DOJ's complaint.

The DOJ claims Apple's iOS App Store has restrictive rules, blocking certain 'super apps' like WeChat.

Apple Watch's lack of Android support is cited as evidence of hardware incompatibility in the lawsuit.

The DOJ believes Apple's 'Walled Garden' approach is no longer acceptable.

Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, demonstrates their first human patient playing chess using a mind-controlled cursor.

Neuralink aims to create an 'iPhone moment' for BCIs with its sleek design and advanced neural threads.

Microsoft acquires Inflection AI, the company behind the popular Pi chatbot, in a significant move for its AI division.

Microsoft pays Inflection $620 million to license their Pi models and $30 million for secrecy regarding the acquisition.

AMD announces FSR 3.1, which improves its upscaling technology and allows other solutions like Nvidia's DLSS to use AMD's frame generation tech.

Sue, an open-source Nintendo Switch emulator, faces legal challenges but continues development despite DMCA issues.

Microsoft unveils the new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for business, both of which use Intel Core Ultra chips.

Apple's M-series chips have an unpatchable security vulnerability that allows extraction of encryption keys.

A master key exploit affects approximately 13,000 buildings worldwide, primarily hotels, using NFC-enabled Android devices and a hotel key card.

Dormakaba, the lock manufacturer involved in the NFC exploit vulnerability, has replaced or patched 36% of the affected locks.

Transcripts

00:00

we make these videos in a single day so

00:02

saving time is super important which is

00:04

why I'm just going to tell you that

00:05

magical is sponsoring this video and

00:07

move on okay I'll tell you more later

00:09

don't worry about it the United States

00:10

Department of Justice sued apple on

00:12

Thursday for monopolizing smartphone

00:15

markets which is a bolder and broader

00:18

claim than even epic games made in their

00:20

lawsuit they should have thought of that

00:22

before they became a video game company

00:23

instead of a government institution the

00:25

sheer scope of the doj's complaints make

00:28

this probably the largest antitrust case

00:31

since the doj sued Microsoft back in

00:34

1998 which led to the company pinky

00:37

swearing to not be so monopolistic in

00:40

shoving Internet Explorer down consumer

00:42

throats but when you change the browser

00:43

name to Edge pinky promises don't count

00:45

that's playground rules in a nutshell

00:47

the reason for the doj's lawsuit is

00:49

basically summarized by Tim Cook's now

00:52

classic line buy your mom an iPhone buy

00:56

your mom an

00:58

iPhone all

01:00

right join me or be cast into the

01:04

piercing void with the rest of your

01:06

contemptible kind unworthy scum cook

01:10

said this in response to a reporter

01:12

talking about how pictures and videos

01:14

look like grainy garbage when they're

01:15

sent between iPhones and Androids and

01:18

it's even quoted in the doj's complaint

01:21

they also mentioned the IOS app store's

01:22

restrictive rules specifically claiming

01:25

that Apple blocks super apps like WeChat

01:28

which basically serves as an app

01:30

platform in itself in China and they

01:32

also bring up Hardware incompatibility

01:34

citing the Apple watch's lack of Android

01:37

support but that's apparently not for a

01:39

lack of trying Apple told 9 to5 Mac that

01:42

it spent 3 years investigating whether

01:45

Android support could be added to Apple

01:47

watch ultimately deciding it would never

01:50

work because of technical limitations

01:53

which is so weird that's the same reason

01:54

my last girlfriend broke up with me

01:55

pretty much any issue with iOS you've

01:57

ever heard of is cited in this lawsuit

01:59

and it's clear the doj thinks Apple's

02:02

Walled Garden approach isn't cool

02:04

anymore in a statement issued to the

02:06

Press Apple says the lawsuit threatens

02:08

who we are and and and yeah yeah it does

02:13

that's kind of the whole point you're

02:14

toxic I'm slipping under but for me the

02:16

most scandalous part of all of this is

02:18

that Tim Sweeney can't even tweet about

02:21

it until he's done giving testimony in

02:23

the Australian epic games versus Apple

02:25

trial what does he think if he does

02:28

tweet it spins the opposite way

02:31

neuralink Elon musk's brain computer

02:34

interface company posted a live stream

02:36

on Twitter proving that their first

02:39

human patient is not only alive he is

02:42

killing it at chess Nolan arbau received

02:46

the wireless implant in January and can

02:48

now easily move a mouse cursor with his

02:51

mind well enough to play Civilization 6

02:54

for 8 hours straight only stopping

02:56

because he had to charge it now while

02:58

this is certainly impressive be experts

03:00

have pointed out that the basic

03:01

technology here isn't new I mean here's

03:04

a video from 2007 of a guy controlling a

03:06

mouse cursor with his mind academic

03:09

researchers and startups like synchron

03:11

and black rock the neurotech company not

03:14

the one you're thinking of have all

03:16

achieved similar results but it's clear

03:18

that neuralink is trying to create the

03:20

iPhone moment for bcis with its

03:23

minimalist design and sexy neural

03:25

threads that get all up inside your

03:27

brain and have a 300 count and to be

03:31

fair it does seem like neuralink has

03:32

stirred up a lot of hype thanks in no

03:35

small part to Elon making claims like

03:38

this one where he says it's possible to

03:39

shunt brain signals past a spinal injury

03:42

so paralyzed people can walk again which

03:45

would obviously be awesome but I've also

03:48

seen a lot of this guy's rockets explode

03:50

so I I just don't know Microsoft has

03:52

hired the CEO and founder of inflection

03:55

AI the company behind the popular pie

03:58

chatbot to head up its Microsoft AI

04:01

division also hired by Microsoft most of

04:04

inflection other 70 employees in what

04:07

many in the industry are calling an aqua

04:10

hire and what a smaller group is calling

04:12

a h quisition it's just me saying that

04:15

second one you know what I don't even

04:16

like it Microsoft will also pay

04:18

inflection $620 million to license their

04:22

Pi models and another 30 million to keep

04:25

their lips shut about the whole poaching

04:27

a whole company thing don't spread this

04:29

around in a blog post the survivors at

04:32

inflection referred to the gutting of

04:34

their company as an important change to

04:36

how will work but analyst Tony Wang and

04:39

everyone else with eyes says this is

04:42

basically an acquisition of inflection

04:44

without having to go through regulatory

04:46

approval it's clear that Microsoft CEO

04:48

Satia Nadella is serious about his

04:51

company's dominance in AI in the wake of

04:53

this story a quote has gone viral from

04:55

one of his interviews back in November

04:57

when Microsoft was briefly going to hire

04:59

open AI CEO Sam Alman and much of that

05:02

company's staff asked about the

05:04

possibility of open AI folding nadela

05:06

said Microsoft would be fine because

05:08

quote we have all the IP rights and all

05:11

the capability we have the people we

05:14

have the compute we have the data we

05:16

have everything we are in there we are

05:19

below them above them around them we are

05:22

the

05:23

Senate he didn't say that last part but

05:26

it's treason then now it's time for

05:29

quick bits brought to you by magical the

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and save some of your precious time AMD

06:31

has announced FSR 3.1 which not only

06:34

adds substantial improvements to ITS

06:36

upscaling Technologies but also greatly

06:39

expands access to frame generation the

06:42

update allows for the decoupling of

06:44

amd's frame generation Tech from its FSR

06:47

3 upscaling allowing other upscaling

06:49

Solutions like nvidia's dlss or Intel's

06:53

XS to use team Red's frame generation

06:56

feature apparently Nvidia RTX 20 series

06:59

cards and above are supported though

07:02

amd's upscaling also got some love FSR

07:04

3.1 improves temporal stability and

07:07

reduces ghosting which AMD demonstrated

07:10

using GIFs that are definitely from

07:12

ratchet and clanked Rift apart and

07:14

totally aren't just AI generated

07:16

clamation why are they so small like

07:19

look how good this

07:21

looks what sue you a nonprofit open-

07:25

Source Nintendo switch emulator based on

07:27

the recently defunct Yuzu released its

07:29

first build on Wednesday only to have it

07:32

immediately pulled down by gitlab on the

07:35

grounds that it's a fork of a public

07:37

repo against which we previously

07:39

received a dmca notice

07:42

ironic however the suyu team says they

07:44

will still continue the project the

07:46

build is available for Windows Linux and

07:48

Mac OS and they've apparently added

07:50

several fixes and removed all Telemetry

07:53

which is probably a good idea given what

07:55

happened to the last guy who Tangled

07:57

with Nintendo's enforcers the those

07:59

Goombas look not threatening but at a

08:03

virtual event Microsoft unveiled the

08:05

brand new Surface Pro 10 and surface

08:08

laptop

08:09

6 for business no but seriously uh if

08:12

you're excited about the new arm powered

08:14

devices um don't be for these these

08:17

products use Intel Core Ultra chips

08:19

which are still new the rumored

08:21

Snapdragon X Elite notebooks won't be

08:23

coming until May but it might be worth

08:25

the wait Qualcomm claims most Windows

08:27

Games should just work on their

08:29

processors you know what else Works

08:32

co-pilot before announcing the new

08:34

Surface devices Microsoft rehashed all

08:36

of their ai's greatest hits Like a

08:38

Rolling Stones concert if no one wanted

08:41

to listen to The Rolling Stones how' I

08:43

get a ticket Apple's M series chips have

08:45

an unpatchable side Channel

08:47

vulnerability allowing attackers to

08:49

extract encryption keys from Max a team

08:52

of researchers from multiple

08:54

universities detailed an attack called

08:56

go fetch which uses an app that doesn't

08:58

require any root access to the Target

09:00

Mac only the same user privileges needed

09:03

by most thirdparty Mac OS apps the

09:05

vulnerability is due to the design of

09:08

the Silicon itself so it can't be

09:10

patched only mitigated by software

09:12

defenses that could severely affect

09:14

performance I also have an unpatchable

09:16

flaw that affects my performance it's

09:18

called depression and security

09:20

researchers say that around 13,000

09:22

buildings predominantly hotels from

09:24

around the world are currently

09:26

vulnerable to an exploit that allows a

09:28

master key to be created for the entire

09:30

building using just an NFC enabled

09:33

Android device and a key card from that

09:36

hotel it can also be used to override

09:38

dead bolts so you're going to want to

09:40

hope that little chain can hold this

09:42

vulnerability affects saff loock locks

09:45

created by dormakaba and I swear we're

09:48

just now making these Nam these are all

09:50

Star Wars names dorak is aware of the

09:52

issue and have so far replaced or

09:55

patched 36% of the affected locks wow

09:58

there are no known cases of this exploit

10:00

being used in the wild this is very much

10:03

a horror we have uncovered for ourselves

10:05

in captivity much like the Zony the

10:08

Unholy offspring of a zebra and a donkey

10:11

that's Jessica's fun fact fun horror for

10:15

the day and you'll uncover more Tech

10:17

news if you come back on Monday for

10:19

another episode of TechLink might have

10:21

to might have to dig a little bit but

10:23

just kidding you know we just give it

10:24

right to you just big into archaeology

10:26

right now just

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