Google, AI, and Hackers

• Google’s incognito data collecting

• Microsoft vs. Russian hackers

• Rising Cyber-attacks

• Japanese Robot Moon Landing Glitch

• Banned Apple Watch Imports

• New Google AI

Google’s Incognito Data Collecting

Recently, according to an article from Fox News, Google is finally revealing that they were still collecting the data of their users, even when they were using incognito mode. Incognito mode is a feature of the Google Chrome browser that was advertised as a way of private browsing that gave users a sense of safety because the data that users created when browsing wouldn’t be saved on their device. However, many users had the misconception that incognito mode completely erased one’s online activity. As it turns out, even when you were in incognito mode, several trackers and websites could still view your IP address and digital identity. This created a problem as Google never told its users that they were still collecting their data. Because of this, Google recently decided to settle a huge lawsuit that may compensate each user of up to $5,000 US dollars.

A boy coding on a desk with a computer. @cottonbro studio

Microsoft vs. Russian Hackers

How would you feel if some of the email accounts of the leaders of Microsoft, one of the world’s leading tech companies, were compromised? Well, that's exactly what happened earlier this month. According to an article from CNN, Microsoft says that on January 12, 2024, Microsoft’s team detected an attack on their systems. This attack, according to Microsoft, gave these hackers a few of Microsoft’s corporate email accounts, possibly leaking several documents and information attached to the emails. So, who were these hackers? Well, according to the same article, Microsoft found that the culprit behind these attacks was a Russian state-sponsored group called “Midnight Blizzard” or “Nobelium,” who were the same group of hackers responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds attack.

Rising Cyber-Attacks
Now, on the same note, according to an article from Fox News, cyber-attacks have been at an all-time high in the last two years. The article mentions that this may be because of the recent Israel-Hamas war, and how hackers are now often targeting local governments which usually have low levels of protection against cyber-attacks. Our team here at weeklystemblog.com hopes that everyone stays safe and protected online. We recommend reading this article for tips on staying safe while on the internet: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online

Japanese Robot Moon Landing Glitch
According to this article from BBC, a great victory for Japanese engineering has just occurred. A Japanese robot called the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has successfully touched down on the moon. However, a bug with the robot’s solar power system might cause it to completely run out of power and “die” on the moon. As explained by an article from France24, the solar cells on the SLIM robot are unable to generate power for reasons that are still unknown. What does this mean? Unfortunately, this means that, unless the solar power system is back up and running soon, the robot will most likely lose all its power and stop running.

A person wearing a smartwatch. @energepic.com