Blog Posts

Blog Posts

Understanding the United States Router Ban

You’ve probably heard the US government has banned foreign-made consumer Wi-Fi routers over national security fears. You might be wondering: WTF is going on? Just another day in America under Donald Trump and FCC chairman Brendan Carr. You’re probably fine for now, but if you want to know why there’s so much chaos, read on. […]

Woot Offers Over 20% Off Switch 2 Controllers and Games Today

Woot is running a day-long sale coinciding with the start of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Many products across multiple tech categories are discounted, including dozens of video games and accessories. What’s more, you can get an extra 20 percent off through 12:59AM ET on March 26th when you use code SAVETWENTY. Also, if you’re a […]

The FBI Issues Alert About a Pervasive Photo Scam Endangering Social Media Users

Fake AI-generated evidence is increasingly appearing in courtrooms.

This may occur if someone has genuinely been abducted, and malicious individuals are attempting to profit from the situation by posing as the kidnapper. It can also be entirely fabricated, with no actual abduction happening, but with the criminal employing deepfake images and urgency to compel you to send money or face the danger of losing your loved one.

Genuine instances of deepfake fraud

Alien Icon Declined Significant Roles in Star Trek and Star Wars

“Star Wars” and “Star Trek” — and chooses to decline both. Yaphet Kotto, who portrayed Parker, the lead engineer in Ridley Scott’s legendary “Alien,” nonetheless, fits into that exclusive group. Notably, as he mentioned in a conversation with Big Issue, he regrets one of those choices but not the other.

Kotto confessed that rejecting the part of Captain Picard (which ultimately went to Patrick Stewart) in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was a mistake. He stated, “I believe I made some poor choices in my life, man. I should have taken that but I turned it down. When you’re involved in filmmaking, you often tend to reject TV. It’s akin to being in college and someone invites you to the high school dance. You say no.” While working on “Alien” (whose xenomorph was based on nightmares), the actor was also presented with the role of Captain Lando, which he had to decline because he was already engaged in a project with Robert Redford.

“I was offered the role of Lando Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back” by Irvin Kershner, who had just directed me the previous year in “Raid on Entebbe.” [He] mentioned, ‘You’re going to stay in space.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He replied, ‘I’m directing “Empire Strikes Back” and you’ll be in it. I said, ‘No, I’m not’ (he laughs),” he recounted to IGN. “I had to keep my momentum, and I told him, ‘If I take this,