2024 Daily Tech News Show


1			TITLE: State of the Video Game Biz	Guest:

2			Stories subject to change up until showtime
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4		tm	Daily Tech News Show is made possible by its listeners. Thanks to all of you including Jeff Wilkes Pele Glendale Tim Deputy Lifetime Supporter Steven Radke
5			On this episode of DTNS, Apple users beware of MFA bombing, Hulu moves into Disney+ and it's a bigger deal than it seems, and why is Phil Spencer spilling the tea about the video game industry's problems? Scott Johnson explains.	Twitch Chat Pop-out Window
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7			Today's date	--== START OF DTNS ==--
8			This is the Daily Tech News for... Wednesday March 27th, 2024. In LA, I'm Tom Merritt
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10			From Studio Redwood Adjacent I'm Sarah Lane
11			Scott Johnson
12			And I'm the show's Producer Roger Chang
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16	:01	TM	Let's start with the Quick Hits.
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18			Quick Hits	Quick Hits:
19		sl	Zero-day exploits are on the rise, say Google researchers who observed 97 zero-days - those are the type that work in the background without you knowing - exploited in the wild in 2023, a 50% increase from 62 in 2022. Of those 97, researchers found threat actors’ were behind 58 of them. 48 of the vulnerabilities were attributed to espionage actors and the other 10 showed financial motivation. Three of the zero-days point to FIN11, which was also behind the 2021 zero-day Accellion attack which affected dozens of financial institutions. Ransomware gangs — Nokoyawa, Akira, LockBit and Magniber — reportedly exploited another four.	https://therecord.media/zero-day-exploits-jumped-in-2023-spyware
20		tm	Facebook launched Project Ghostbusters in 2016 to decode what was in encrypted network traffic between Snapchat's app and the Facebook servers. It later tried the same thing for Amazon and YouTube. It used Onavo VPN to install kits in its Facebook apps. It then collected usage data to inform its analytics on how Facebook users were using YouTube and Amazon. Consent was obtained from Facebook users but in 2020, Sarah Grabert and Maximilian Klein filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that the company lied about what data it was collecting and how.	https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/facebook-secret-project-snooped-snapchat-user-traffic/
21		sl	91mobiles reports that based on renders published earlier this year by OnLeaks, Google may release three different models of the upcoming Pixel 9 - with a Pro model but also a Pro “XL”. You might recall Google did away with the XL size when it launched a streamlined Pixel 5, and started using the “Pro” name in 2021. If rumors of the Pro XL having a 6.5-inch display are true, that's a little shrinkage from the 6.7 inch Pixel 8 Pro display. Both “Pro” Pixel 9s are said to include a triple-camera system on the back. In any case we expect an official announcement in October.	https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113456/google-pixel-9-pro-xl-rumor-leak
22		tm	Elon Musk says a lot of things and sometimes they come true. Tuesday, Musk said "Later this week, Grok will be enabled for all premium subscribers (not just premium+)" Grok is X's chatbot trained on X's data with access to real-time posts. Grok's model was posted without the training code as an open source package on GitHub March 17th.	https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/elon-musk-says-all-premium-subscribers-on-x-will-gain-access-to-ai-chatbot-grok-this-week/
23		sl	Amazon said Wednesday it will invest another $2.75 billion backing Anthropic, add to its initial $1.25 billion investment announced last September. San Francisco-based Anthropic is working on generative artificial intelligence, with its foundation model and chatbot Claude competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Amazon will maintain a minority stake in the company and won’t have an Anthropic board seat.	https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/27/amazon-spends-2point7b-on-startup-anthropic-in-largest-venture-investment.html
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25			Let's talk a little more about...	Top Stories:
26	:05		SEGMENT A - BIG NEWS
27		tm	People who use Apple products are reporting being targets of a new wave of phishing attacks called "MFA Bombing" and sometimes "MFA Fatigue," or "Push Bombing," that is partly based on user behavior and apparently a bug in Apple's password reset mechanism.	https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/03/27/if-youre-getting-dozens-of-password-reset-notifications-youre-being-attacked
28		sl	Phishing attacks often are about tricking someone to give access to their account.. through email, text message, or other strategies. But Apple's password reset system appears to be the vector of a new phishing attack. Krebs on Security reports it revolves around a bug in the password reset feature, and then victims are inundated by "Reset Password" notifications, including the text "Use this iPhone to reset your Apple ID password," and the options to allow or reject the request. The idea is that the user will either accidentally select Allow instead of Don't Allow, or will just get sick of all the notifications to the point that they select Allow in order to make it stop.	https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/03/recent-mfa-bombing-attacks-targeting-apple-users/
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35	:12		SEGMENT B - COHOST SEGMENT
36		tm	Disney has officially added Hulu as a category inside of Disney+. The company had been testing this for a few months and has made it official. The idea here is that if you bundle Disney+ and Hulu in one subscription you can now access everything from those two services in the Disney+ app. The Hulu app will continue to exist separately if you'd prefer to access the content that way. Hulu already includes ESPN+ content in its app if you bundle those. So it seems like only a matter of time before ESPN shows up in Disney+. Experience-wise, if you have a Hulu subscription attached to your Disney+ account login you'll see a tile for Hulu like you would for Pixar or Marvel, and clicking that will take you to Hulu's library of content, both originals and acquisitions. If you don't have a Hulu subscription, clicking it will encourage you to get one, as you might expect.	https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24112747/disney-plus-hulu-tile-app-streaming
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39			NOTES - With the addition comes a slightly greener-blue tinge and a gradient in the Disney+ logo. - David Pierce at the Verge talked to Disney execs about what it took behind the scenes to bring the Hulu content into Disney+. - Disney decided to create a single library system for all its streaming content. That means whatever you're accessing will have the same metadata formats, content descriptions and playback encoding.
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45		tm	Want a recap of the week’s tech headlines with insights into how technology affects and disaffects communities of color? Then check out The Tech Jawn where hosts Robb Dunewood, Stephanie Humphrey, and Terrance Gaines dive into the top tech stories of the week delivered from points of view you don’t always hear in mainstream media. New episodes land Tuesday afternoons. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. Or visit the tech j-a-w-n dot com.	Subscribe to The Tech Jawn: https://thetechjawn.com
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47			More Discussion Stories	Discussion Story:
48	:19		SEGMENT D - MAIN TOPIC
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50		tm	Polygon's Chris Plante talked to Microsoft CEO of gaming Phil Spencer about the current state of the video game business, why it feels like its in trouble and how to get out of it. Scott, you follow this industry closely and have your own ideas of what's going on. What did Spencer say and how does it match up with that you're thinking?	https://www.polygon.com/24108700/phil-spencer-interview-2024-xbox-exclusives-layoffs
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54			NOTES - How it used to work. Set a sales goal. Set an earnest goal. Set the price of the game. Set a budget. - How it works now. Sales are spread across multiple platforms, with variables discounts and subscriptions services with varying revenue models. Spencer's three main problems COST - reduces risk-taking. New games have to sell millions of units to justify cost. EXCLUSIVITY - Limits the revenue potential reducing motivation for exclusive.s CONSOLE STAGNATION - Console players are upgrading, but new console players aren't entering the market. Plante asked if the Activision Blizzard King layoffs were the result of those costs or unique to Xbox's business and Spencer said it was a little bit of both but that "the thing that has me most concerned for the industry is the lack of growth." Spencer noted that research shows that Gen Z isn't bound to the traditional video game console model. They want the games regardless of the platform they're on. "So for Xbox, our brand pivot... is ‘Xbox is a place where I can find the great games I want to.’” "for Xbox, our brand pivot — as we attract and maintain relevance with a younger audience — is ‘Xbox is a place where I can find the great games I want to.’”"
55			Notes: - Revenue model shift from previous video game console generations. Games are sold across multiple store fronts and sometimes at a discount shortly after its release. - Game Costs have balloon with Spencer saying it can cost “$300 million to build a video game.” - Resulting in more units needing to be sold often in the millions vs hundreds of thousands. - Pressure on Exclusivity as you need a broader audience to sell to make up the costs - Flat game console sales as the only ones buying new consoles are people upgrading not new people in the market. - industry wide layoffs as the industry is projected to get smaller in coming years
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60		tm	Let's check out the mailbag
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62	:28	sl	Mailbag (feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com) (ALT: Kicker)
63			I bought Affinity about five years back through the Windows Store on Scott Johnson's recommendation. It isn't photoshop, but it works for how infrequently I use it. I had to factory reset my computer and when I tried to re -download Affinity, it was gone. However, Affinity 2 was available for $65. As someone who bought 3 or 4 versions of photoshop and 5 or 6 versions of office before going to the Office 365 subscription, I don't know why this annoys me so much. Affinity got my $65 because I realized this just before I was leaving for vacation in Tanzania and wanted to make sure those pictures came out good. I hope Canva enjoys my $65 when I buy a new computer this year. Mike in Breezy Dubai
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69	:30		Thanks to...	Today’s guest:
70			Scott Johnson	Scott Johnson http://frogpants.com https://frogpants.substack.com @scottjohnson @scottjohnson@mastodon.sdf.org	frogpants.com/core
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74			GUEST PLUG 15 SECONDS MAX
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81		tm	Patrons! Stick around for the extended show, Good Day Internet--- We're going to talk about Canva and Affinity's promise and ask longtime Affinity fan Scott Johnson how he feels about it.
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83		sl	You can also catch the show live M-F at 4:00 PM eastern/20-hundred UTC find out more at dailytechnewsshow.com/live. We'll be back tomorrow talking about a non-profit trying to stop the AI Apocalypse with:	Next guest:
84		sl	Justin Robert Young	Justin Robert Young https://justinrobertyoung.tv https://shows.acast.com/worlds-greatest-con https://werenotwrong.fireside.fm http://freepoliticalnewsletter.com @JustinRYoung
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90				Show Links: http://dailytechnewsshow.com/ntx http://knowalittlemore.com http://dtns.bigcartel.com http://www.dailytechnewsshow.com/support http://dtns.tv/wiki http://sarahlane.com https://twitter.com/sarahlane https://medium.com/@sarahlane https://masto.ai/@sarahlane https://havesuchagoodday.com http://tomsnewbook.com http://swordandlaser.com/store http://www.cordkillers.com http://awordpodcast.com
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93			GDI CONTENT - Quiz/game/content?	GDI Content:
94		tm	On Tuesday's show we talked with Andrew Mayne about Canva's announcement that it was acquiring Affinity. Canva offers online subscriptions to its graphic design products. Affinity prides itself on universal licenses where you pay once for its graphic design software. The two companies published a joint pledge Wednesday to keep Affinity's software “fair, transparent, and affordable,” including “the perpetual licenses that have made Affinity special.” Subscription options may come, but “will only ever be as an option alongside the perpetual model, for those who prefer it.”	https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/27/24113423/affinity-canva-acquisition-pledge-license-price-subscription
95				https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/press/newsroom/affinity-and-canva-pledge/
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101			Tell Audience to VOTE on TITLES
102			TITLES (we do Titles after GDI) - Maybe Quiz/game	Submitted
103		DTNS	State of the Video Game Biz	raymund_ph
104		GDI	To Subscribe or Prescribe?	SereTW
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110			Something hitting a mic around 1:04 - 1:05 mark.
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121			Friday: Read the list of Credits
122			ROTATING PROMOS
123			Know A Little More is Tom's podcast to do deep dives into individual topics. And it's coming back this Thursday better than ever. If you have not yet sampled the show, go get subscribed right now. The first episode in the relaunch is about RSS, its rocky history and how it ended up being the underpinning of podcasting. Don't miss it. Subscribe by Thursday at knowalittlemore.com	Subscribe to Know A Little More: http://knowalittlemore.com
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131			Watch Tom'sTop Five. The show where I break down the top five things you need to know about technology. This week I count down the Top Five... XXXX . You can catch it at @dailytechnewsshow on TikTok, @dtnspix on Instagram and youtube at youtube dot com slash daily tech news show!	Check out Tom’s Top Five: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHN12N7TXUyeSz1XWNVjwDvdzpAycENQi
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134			All next week is DTNS Experiment week! We're swapping out our normal DTNS show and trying out some new ideas. In previous years we launched shows like BBQ tech show and The Tech Jawn. This year we have Nicole Lee with a show about online life, Roger interviewing people and personalities who made the TechTV network possible just to name a few. It all starts next week Monday Aug 14th on the DTNS feeds.
135			Apple has lots of power users and hipster users but what about the rest of us? Sarah Lane and Eileen Rivera premiere Apple Vision Show to talk about whther Apple's vision matches with what they want. Get subscribed now applevisionshow.com	Subscribe to Apple Vision Show: https://applevisionshow.com
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