Tag Archives: Business

Did Taylor Swift lose $125M after Kamala Harris endorsement?!

Did Taylor Swift lose $125 million in brand deals, after endorsing Kamala Harris against Donald Trump?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Taylor Swift lost $125M after endorsing Kamala Harris!

Right after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris against Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential election, people started claiming or suggesting that Taylor Swift lost $125 million in brand deals as a result of her decision.

SpaceX Fanclub : Taylor Swift Loses Brand Deals Worth $125 Million After The Big Endorsement

Pamala Trago : Good she needs to be exposed for the demonic influence she is 💯

Sam Ghannoum : Good, you ungrateful singer and movie stars 🔥
Taylor Swift unexpectedly lost $125 million brand contract after a massive advertising campaign. 😂

Recommended : Did Cristiano Ronaldo just die suddenly in tragic car crash?!

 

Truth : Taylor Swift did not lose $125M after endorsing Kamala Harris!

This is yet another example of fake news circulating about Taylor Swift and Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…

No evidence Taylor Swift lost brand deals over Kamala Harris endorsement

First, let me just point out that there is no evidence Taylor Swift lost any brand deal over her endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 US Presidential election.

If Taylor Swift actually lost any major brand deal, never mind $125 million worth of brand deals, it would have been widely reported not just by the mainstream media, but also celebrity blogs. It would also have sparked outrage by Swifties – Taylor Swift fans for the uninitiated.

Yet, there has been no credible reporting, not even by hyper-competitive celebrity blogs. Even Taylor Swift fans have not fallen for this hoax. That’s because it never happened.

It was just satire

These claims appear to be based on an Esspots article (archive). Here is an excerpt:

Taylor Swift Loses Brand Deals Worth $125 Million After The Big Endorsement

In what can only be described as a seismic shift in the world of pop culture and product placements, Taylor Swift, America’s sweetheart-turned-political commentator, has reportedly lost brand deals worth a staggering $125 million. The reason? Her latest “big endorsement,” which seemed to hit all the wrong notes with some of her biggest sponsors.

It may not be readily apparent, but if you look carefully, you will see that the Esspots article is labelled as Satire. At the very bottom of the article, it is also stated “NOTE: This is SATIRE, Not Real.

The graphic used by SpaceX Fanclub (which appears to be linked to Esspots) has a Rated Satire overlay on the upper left corner, and its Facebook post (archive) has a disclaimer – This is Satire.

Recommended : Did Kamala Harris paralyse girl in 2011 hit-and-run accident?!

Esspots said Taylor Swift endorsed a vegan cryptocurrency

While the title and lede appears to suggest that Taylor Swift was “cancelled” by big brands over her endorsement of Kamala Harris, the Esspots article (archive) actually said that it was over her endorsement of a “vegan cryptocurrency”!

Here is an excerpt of the relevant section:

Was it a presidential candidate? A new movement? A cause everyone can get behind? No. In a twist that no one saw coming, Swift endorsed…a vegan cryptocurrency backed by none other than Elon Musk’s second cousin.

Her exact words? “This crypto is the future, and honestly, we need to save the planet—and our portfolios.”

It appears that many people did not bother to read the Esspots article beyond the first 2-3 paragraphs, and jumped to the conclusion Taylor Swift lost $125 million in brand deals over her endorsement of Kamala Harris.

The truth is – the satirical article by Esspots claimed that Taylor Swift just endorsed a vegan cryptocurrency. Needless to say, there is no such thing as vegan cryptocurrency.

Recommended : Is Stallone opening anti-woke coffee shops to counter Starbucks?!

Esspots is a satire website

Esspots identify itself as a satire website. If you look at their About Us page, it’s stated clearly that it is dedicated to bringing you “fake news and absurdity”:

Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Celebrities | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

UK imposes ETA on these 83 new countries in 2025!

The UK will require travellers from 83 new countries to register and pay for ETA in 2025! Here is what you need to know…

 

UK imposes ETA on 83 new countries in 2025!

On Tuesday, 10 September 2024, the UK government expanded the roll-out of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to 83 new countries in 2025.

The ETA is basically digital permission to travel for visitors who currently do not need a visa for short stays, or do not already have a UK immigration status. You will also need to apply for an ETA if you are only transiting through the UK (even if you are not going through border control).

The United Kingdom launched its ETA system in November 2023, with the pilot phase involving citizens of Qatar. It was then expanded in February 2024 to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan (now cancelled).

The expanded roll-out of the UK’s ETA system in 2025 will be split into two stages involving 49 countries in January, and another 34 European countries in April.

Recommended : Do you now need ETA to travel to the UK?

Who must apply for an ETA?

Travellers from the affected countries who do not have a visa will need an ETA to travel to the UK:

  • for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study,
  • for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
  • for a permitted paid engagement
  • if transiting through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

How much does UK ETA cost?

Each ETA application will cost £10 (about €12 / US$13 / RM60), and you cannot get a refund after you apply.

Every person travelling to the UK must have an ETA, including babies and children. Each person must apply separately, although you can apply for other people.

How long does UK ETA last?

Every approved UK ETA will last 2 years, and you will be allowed to make multiple visits to the UK during that two-year period, or until the passport it is tied to expires – whichever is sooner.

Recommended : Malaysia Airlines 6 Months Free Flight Card Scam Alert!

How soon does it take to get UK ETA?

The UK government says travellers can typically expect to get a decision on their ETA application within 3 working days, although occasionally, it may take longer than 3 working days.

Applications using the UK ETA app may get a quicker decision, according to the British High Commission.

Once your ETA is approved, you will receive an email confirmation. There is no ETA to print or bring with you. The ETA is linked electronically to the passport you applied with. You must therefore travel to the UK using the same passport.

How to apply for UK ETA?

You can apply for your ETA through this UK government application portal, or using the UK ETA mobile app which you can download from the App Store and Google Play Store.

You will need to take and upload a photo of the passport you will use to travel to the UK, and scan your face. You will also need to take and upload a photo of yourself, and answer some questions.

You will then have to pay for your ETA application using a credit card, a debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Please note that you will need to complete your ETA application within 20 minutes, or it will time out and you will need to start the whole process over again.

Recommended : Did Tony Blair call for Digital ID mandate to suppress dissent?!

 

UK ETA expands to these 49 countries in January 2025

Citizens of these 49 countries and territories will need to have an ETA to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025 onwards. They will be able to apply and pay for ETA authorisation starting 27 November 2024.

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • The Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Macao Special Administrative Region
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Samoa
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • United States
  • Uruguay

 

UK ETA expands to European countries in April 2025

Citizens of these 34 European countries will need to have an ETA to travel to the UK without visa from 2 April 2025 onwards. They will be able to apply and pay for ETA authorisation starting 5 March 2025.

  • Andorra
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • San Marino
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Vatican City

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Money | Travel | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Grab starts charging new 1% credit card top-up fee!

Grab is now charging a new 1% fee for credit card top-ups to its GrabPay Wallet! Here is what you need to know…

 

Grab: New 1% credit card top-up fee starts today!

Grab has begun charging a new 1% fee for credit card top-ups to its GrabPay Wallet today – from 11 September 2024 onwards!

What this means is Grab will now deduct 1% from all credit card reloads. If you top up your GrabPay Wallet by RM100, you will only receive RM99.

This 1% fee will apply to all credit card reloads to GrabPay Wallet, except for the co-branded Maybank Grab Mastercard Platinum credit card.

This decision by Grab to charge a 1% fee for credit card reloads come after TNG Digital implemented a similar 1% credit card reload fee for its Touch ‘n Go eWallet in February 2024.

 

How to reload GrabPay Wallet without 1% top-up fee

According to Grab, you can still continue to top-up their GrabPay Wallet for free using your GX account, bank transfers, or using a debit card.

And of course, if you have the Maybank Grab Mastercard Platinum credit card, you will be able to reload your GrabPay Wallet for free.

Recommended : BUDI MADANI Step-By-Step Registration Guide!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | MoneyTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Samsung unveils AI For All future at IFA 2024!

Samsung celebrated 100 years of innovation at IFA 2024, with its showcase of AI For All innovations across devices and ecosystems. Take a look at new AI-powered Samsung home appliances, mobile devices, and more, announced at IFA 2024!

 

Samsung unveils AI For All future at IFA 2024!

Samsung Electronics marked its 100-year milestone at IFA 2024 with a bold commitment to its “AI For All” vision. The IFA 2024 showcase of new AI-powered devices and appliances highlighted Samsung’s stated mission to democratise AI, and extend its benefits across more devices.

Expanding AI for All

The central theme of Samsung’s presentation was “AI For All,” reflecting the company’s commitment to making AI accessible and beneficial for everyone. During the IFA conference, Samsung showcased the latest developments in its AI technology, demonstrating how it is set to transform daily life through enhanced communication, productivity, and creativity tools.

One UI 6.1.1 Brings Advanced AI Features To More Devices

Samsung’s announcement of the One UI 6.1.1 update was a major highlight. This update is set to expand AI features originally introduced with the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 to a broader range of devices, including the Galaxy S24 series, S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold5, Z Flip5, and Tab S9 series. The update includes advanced tools like Live Translate and Circle To Search, which enhance communication and productivity.

You can read more about the One UI 6.1.1 update in our separate article here.

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review : Tech ARP Editor’s Choice!

AI-Enhanced Home Entertainment and Productivity

At IFA 2024, Samsung introduced a range of new products designed to leverage AI for superior performance in home entertainment and productivity:

  • Premiere 7 and Premiere 9 Projectors: These advanced projectors bring cutting-edge laser technology to home entertainment. They deliver stunning 4K resolution on screens up to 130 inches. AI-powered features like Upscaling enhance content to 4K quality, while Vision Booster adjusts brightness and contrast for optimal viewing in various lighting conditions. These projectors aim to transform any living space into a premium home cinema.
  • Galaxy Book5 Pro 360: In collaboration with Intel, this device features the new Intel Core Ultra processor and Galaxy AI to offer a top-tier cross-device experience. It includes enhanced graphics and displays for a premium productivity and entertainment experience.
  • Galaxy Book4 Edge 15-inch: Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon® X Plus processor, this ultra-thin laptop integrates advanced NPU technology for high-end AI capabilities. It combines Copilot+ PC features with Galaxy AI, enhancing creativity and connectivity with a vibrant 15-inch display.

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Hands-on Preview In All 3 Colours!

Advancing Sustainability With AI

Samsung continues to lead in sustainability with its AI-driven technologies. The company’s commitment to becoming Net Zero by 2050 is supported by its efforts to enhance energy efficiency across its product lineup:

  • AI Hybrid Refrigerators: These refrigerators use a combination of compressor and Peltier cooling technology to optimize energy use. For instance, if the refrigerator door is left open, the Peltier technology acts as an additional cooling source, improving overall energy efficiency.
  • Bespoke AI Laundry Combo™: This all-in-one washer and dryer combo meets and exceeds A-grade energy efficiency requirements. It features advanced heat pump drying technology, which dries clothes quickly and efficiently at lower temperatures.
  • SmartThings Ecosystem: Samsung’s SmartThings platform connects over 500 million devices, offering seamless control of all Samsung AI-enabled products. The AI Energy Mode in SmartThings Energy can save up to 70% of energy consumption for washing machines, while SmartThings Away Mode ensures appliances are automatically turned off when not in use.

Recommended : Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Review : Entry-Level IP68 Tablet!

Enhancing User Experience with Smart Technology

Samsung’s focus on enhancing user experience extended to its latest home appliances:

  • Bespoke AI Appliances: Upgraded with enhanced voice control through Bixby, these appliances now understand multiple commands in a single sentence, recall context for continuous commands, and provide personalized responses. Users can now open refrigerator doors or washing machine doors with simple voice commands, making daily tasks more convenient.
  • Samsung’s AI TVs: Since 2015, Tizen OS has powered Samsung’s smart TVs, and the 2024 models will continue to receive upgrades for seven years, ensuring consumers have access to the latest features and improved connectivity. The Neo QLED 8K AI screens, equipped with the NQ 8 AI Gen 3 processors, offer a highly customized viewing experience with superior sound and picture quality.
  • The Frame and Art Store: Samsung introduced new partnerships with Marimekko and Jean-Michel Basquiat, along with an exclusive collection of works by René Magritte. These collaborations bring extraordinary art into homes, enhancing everyday surroundings with a touch of creativity.

Samsung’s showcase at IFA 2024, which ran from September 6-10, highlights its efforts to make AI more accessible and practical for everyday use.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | Home TechTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Bill Gates embedding Digital ID in kids by 2025?!

Is Bill Gates planning to embed a Digital ID under the skin of every child in the world by 2025?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates is embedding Digital ID in kids by 2025!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that Bill Gates is planning to embed a Digital ID under the skin of every child in the world by 2025, with or without parental consent!

Here is an excerpt of the (intentionally?) rambling and confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Gates Insider: Digital ID Will Be Embedded Under the Skin of Every Child by 2025

Globalist billionaire Bill Gates has begun rolling out Digital IDs that will be embedded under the skin of every child in the world – with or without parental consent.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates creating a supervirus using COVID, Mpox and HIV?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates is not embedding Digital ID in kids by 2025!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates is not embedding Digital ID in children

Let me start by simply pointing out that Bill Gates is not rolling out Digital IDs that will be embedded under the skin of every child in the world, with or without parental consent.

If that actually happened, such a shocking news would have been widely reported by the mainstream media all over the world. It would also have resulted in mass outrage. Yet, none of that happened, because it was all made up!

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article itself did not provide any evidence to back up its claim.

Fact #2 : Bill Gates did not create “global digital ID”

Bill Gates also did not create any “global digital ID”, much less demand that world governments use such a system.

Needless to say, The People’s Voice article itself did not provide any evidence to back up its claim. In fact, it actually provided evidence to the contrary – that different countries are implementing their own digital ID, instead of a “global digital ID”.

Recommended : Did WEF report confirm 6 billion people will die in 2025?!

Fact #3 : Digital ID helps authenticate your identity online

A digital ID isn’t some nefarious way to get you to comply with the government. It is merely an electronic representation of your identity that is used to prove who you are online.

Currently, governments and companies are using emails, and phone numbers, to determine someone’s identity online. However, using emails / phone numbers and passwords is not a reliable way to prove your identity as such logins can be stolen, or used by multiple people.

A digital ID would offer a convenient and secure way to authenticate your identity, allowing you to safely access online services, and prevent identity theft.

For example, scammers and hackers can steal the login to your bank account, but you can remove that vulnerability by using a digital ID (instead of a username and password) to authenticate your identity.

Fact #4 : Digital ID is usually just a mobile app

A digital ID can take many forms. In its most basic form, it can be a digital version of existing credentials that are used to authenticate the identity of a person – like a physical identity card, a driving licence, or a passport.

Many countries though are opting for a Digital ID app that can be installed on a smartphone, and used to authenticate your identity online, or even offline. Such a Digital ID app will often include the person’s physical credentials like a driving licence, or a health services card.

Needless to say – it is just silly to embed digital IDs under anyone’s skin. Why go to that trouble, when you can simply install it as an app on your phone??? And how would you update the digital ID if it’s embedded under your skin???

Yet again, The People’s Voice article itself did not provide any evidence to back up its claim that any government plans to embed a Digital ID under the skin of kids.

Recommended : Did Tony Blair call for Digital ID mandate to suppress dissent?!

Fact #5 : Digital IDs are not mandatory

Currently, there are no mandatory digital IDs in the world. That’s because not everyone has a smartphone, and the digital infrastructure do not currently extend to all parts of the world, or any country for the matter.

Countries that implement Digital IDs still accept physical forms of identification, like a national identity card, a driving licence, or a passport.

Fact #6 : It’s pointless to embed children with Digital ID

Even if you actually believe in a nefarious plot to implant people with a Digital ID microchip, it is silly to only do so for children.

For one thing – children are not even allowed to undertake services that would require digital IDs, like opening a bank account, applying for a credit card or a loan, buying a home, paying taxes, etc.

But claiming that evil corporations or governments are trying to microchip your kids is a great way to trigger outrage, and/or get people to share fake news about digital IDs.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates using chemtrails to spread monkeypox?!

Fact #7 : The People’s Voice is known for fake news

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should think twice about sharing anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Malaysia reverses decision to block public DNS servers!

Malaysia just reversed its controversial decision to block use of public DNS servers using DNS redirection! Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia orders DNS redirection, affecting consumers too!

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

DNS redirection basically blocks the use of public DNS servers, by redirecting DNS queries to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that ISPs in Malaysia were ordered to implement DNS redirection for business/enterprise/government users, blocking their access to public DNS servers.

However, it now appears that the directive actually applied to everyone in Malaysia, not just business, enterprise, or government users!

Recommended : Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

 

Malaysia reverses DNS Redirection decision!

After news broke that MCMC quietly ordered Internet service providers to implement DNS redirection in Malaysia, there was a public outcry, and people started looking up ways to bypass it.

The public outrage proved too much for the Malaysian government, and it backtracked on that controversial decision. On Sunday, 8 September 2024, Malaysia Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that he asked MCMC not to proceed with its DNS redirection directive.

… considering the feedback received through a series of engagements with @MCMC_RASMI and the public, I have requested that MCMC not proceed with the implementation of the Domain Name System (DNS) management redirection method.

At the same time, MCMC will continue its engagement series with all stakeholders to gather views, suggestions, and recommendations to ensure that the goal of a safer internet can be collectively achieved.

With that, Malaysia officially reversed its DNS Redirection decision within days of the news breaking.

There is no doubt that this reversal was due to many Malaysian netizens who spoke up against the controversial decision to hijack access to public DNS servers. So kudos to everyone who spoke up.

It is encouraging to see that public dissent can still force the government of the day to reverse controversial directives. But perhaps the government can avoid such controversies in the future by getting feedback from the public before quietly issuing controversial directives.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Internet | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

Did MCMC just block the use of public DNS servers in Malaysia?! Here is what we know so far…

 

MCMC blocks public DNS servers only for business and government?

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

DNS redirection basically blocks the use of public DNS servers, by redirecting DNS queries to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that ISPs in Malaysia were ordered to implement DNS redirection for business/enterprise/government users, blocking their access to public DNS servers.

However, it now appears that the directive may actually apply to everyone in Malaysia, not just business, enterprise, or government users. Or the ISPs may be implementing the directive across the board. Here is what we know so far…

Recommended : MCMC orders DNS redirection for business and government!

 

Public DNS servers appear to be blocked in Malaysia!

As far as I can tell, MCMC has not officially announced its DNS redirection order to ISPs. All we are relying on so far is the Maxis FAQ on DNS redirection, which suggested that it applied only to businesses, enterprises, and government agencies.

Why is DNS redirection being implemented for Enterprise/Business/Government services?

DNS redirection is being implemented to assist in preventing the commission or attempted commission of an offence under any written laws of Malaysia or otherwise in enforcing the laws of Malaysia. By blocking access to harmful websites more effectively and quickly, this proactive measure helps ensure compliance. This is particularly important for Enterprise/Business/Government, as it will also reduce the risk of reputational damage and inadvertent commission of offence.

However, the Maxis FAQ also states, in a different section, that “all service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to to all users of their services“, our emphasis in bold below:

The implementation of DNS redirection is a regulatory requirement enforced by MCMC to ensure compliance with Malaysian laws and to protect users from harmful online content. All service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to all users of their services.

If that’s accurate, then the MCMC directive to block the use of public DNS servers may apply to consumer users as well, not just business, enterprise, or government users.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Regular Internet users in Malaysia have started reporting (here, here) that they are no longer able to use public DNS servers from Google or Cloudflare.

The affected ISPs so far appear to be Telekom Malaysia (Unifi), Time, and Maxis. Digi and Celcom appear to be unaffected … so far.

We tested on Unifi and Digi Broadband, and confirmed that we cannot connect to Google DNS (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1). You can test it out yourself using these methods:

Using any Internet browser

Using any Internet browser, just go to the Cloudflare public DNS website – https://1.1.1.1/, which will appear in your Internet browser as https://one.one.one.one/.

But if your ISP has implemented DNS redirect, both domains are no longer accessible. Our tests on Friday, 6 September 2024 show:

Unifi : Unable to connect
Digi Broadband : Connects normally

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

Using Traceroute / Tracert

For the more technically-inclined, you can try using traceroute (macOS / Linux) or tracert (Windows), to see if your computer can connect to your preferred public DNS server – for example, 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google).

It’s pointless to use ping, because pings to the public DNS server IP will get redirected to the ISP’s own DNS server, and you will still get a response.

Using traceroute to connect to 8.8.8.8, our tests on Friday, 6 September 2024 show:

Unifi : Redirected

  1. 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1)
  2. jhb-113-254-tm.net.my (203.106.113.254)
  3. 10.55.52.54 (10.55.52.54)
  4. 10.55.52.90 (10.55.52.90)
  5. 10.55.52.54 (10.55.52.54)
  6. 10.19.129.65 (10.19.129.65)

Digi Broadband : Not redirected

  1. 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1)
  2. 172.16.136.1 (172.16.136.1)
  3. 115.164.8.106 (115.164.8.106)
  4. 72.14.243.96 (72.14.243.96)
  5. dns.google (8.8.8.8)

As you can see, the traceroute showed that requests to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) on the Unifi network were routed to a Telekom Malaysia server (10.19.129.65) instead.

On the other hand, the same requests on the Digi Broadband network still get routed to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) as intended.

Recommended : Malaysia Airlines 6 Months Free Flight Card Scam Alert!

So it does appear that some Internet service providers in Malaysia have started to block access to public DNS servers by redirecting DNS queries to their own DNS servers. However, it is uncertain if MCMC actually ordered those ISPs to implement DNS redirection for consumers.

The blocking of public DNS servers will not matter to people who don’t know how to use these public DNS servers. But it will matter a lot to Malaysian netizens who want to use public DNS servers for faster performance, better privacy and security, as well as bypass government censorship. Some will inevitably see this as a step towards China’s Great Firewall.

While the goal of blocking dangerous or scam websites is admirable, that is already served by existing bans of those websites on the ISP level for regular users. People who are tech-savvy enough to configure their computers to use public DNS servers would know better than to fall for those websites.

Hopefully, MCMC only issued that DNS redirection directive for business/enterprise/government users, and Malaysian ISPs will roll back the implementation for consumers.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Internet | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Malaysia orders DNS redirection for business and government!

MCMC has ordered ISPs in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, enterprises, and government agencies! Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia orders DNS redirection for business and government!

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that this directive by MCMC is meant to “protect users from harmful or illegal online content” by blocking access to “websites involved in online gambling, pornography, copyright violations, scams, and other illegal activities.”

Recommended : Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

Here is a quick primer on what DNS redirection would mean for Malaysian businesses, enterprises and government agencies.

What is DNS?

When you visit a website, you will normally key in a user-friendly name (like www.techarp.com), but the website itself uses a numerical IP address (like 192.0.2.1).

DNS translates that user-friendly name into the correct IP address, so your computer can access the website.

What is DNS redirection?

By default, most people use the DNS servers provided by their Internet service provider. However, some people choose to use alternative DNS servers from Google or Cloudflare for privacy, faster speeds, or to avoid censorship.

DNS redirection prevents that by redirecting all DNS queries from your phone or computer to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

Is DNS redirection good or bad?

Blocking access to illegal, or dangerous websites is important for businesses, enterprises, and government agencies, because it reduces the risks of reputational damage, and prevents the inadvertent commission of offence by employees. Blocking scam websites is also an important way to prevent people and companies from getting scammed.

On the other hand, public DNS servers from Google and Cloudflare offer faster speeds with lower latency, and block tracking by ISPs or governments. They also offer enhanced security using DNSSEC – DNS Security Extensions.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Which Malaysian ISPs are affected?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this MCMC directive affects all ISPs offering both mobile and fixed Internet services in Malaysia.

Who will be affected by DNS redirection?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this MCMC directive primarily affects Business / Enterprise / Government customers who use public DNS services. But there are already reports that consumer DNS queries have also been redirected.

Interestingly, the Maxis FAQ also states, in a different section, that “all service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to to all users of their services“. So this MCMC directive may actually apply to consumer users, and not just business, enterprise, or government users.

Which DNS services are affected?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this directive currently affects public DNS services like Google DNS and Cloudflare. OpenDNS was not mentioned, but is likely to be affected too.

Private DNS servers, and encrypted DNS queries like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) or DNS over TLS (DoT) are not affected.

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

When must Malaysian ISPs implement DNS redirection?

According to the Maxis FAQ, MCMC ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement its DNS redirection directive by 30 September 2024.

Users on Time, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis networks have reported that DNS redirection is already in effect.

How to check if DNS redirection has been implemented?

DNS redirection is designed to block access to websites deemed illegal by the government of Malaysia. If you access a blocked website, it will be inaccessible.

You can also test by trying to go to the Cloudflare DNS website – https://1.1.1.1/ using your Internet browser. If you see “Unable to connect”, instead of the 1.1.1.1 website, then your DNS queries are being redirected to your ISP’s own DNS servers.

Alternatively, techies can use the tracert command (in Windows command prompt), or traceroute command (in macOS Terminal) to connect to the alternative DNS server (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8), and see if it gets routed properly.

If the trace route shows your query ending in a different IP address than the alternative DNS server you selected (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8), then it is being redirected.

Can you opt out of DNS redirection?

No, unfortunately – you are not allowed to opt out, because it’s a regulatory requirement by MCMC.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Internet | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Trump’s team planning to arrest elites for chemtrail crimes?!

Is the Trump transition team planning to arrest elites for chemtrail crimes?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Trump team is planning to arrest elites for chemtrail crimes!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims or suggests that the Trump transition team is planning to arrest elites for chemtrail crimes!

Here is an excerpt of the (intentionally?) rambling and confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Trump Insider: Arrest Warrants Ready for Elites Spraying ‘Genocidal’ Chemtrails

In a groundbreaking development, the Trump transition team are preparing to authorize officials to arrest elite figures allegedly involved in the covert operation of spraying chemtrails to manipulate weather patterns, control populations, and disperse harmful toxins, including aluminium and barium.

Recommended : Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called chemtrails a crime – is he right?

 

Truth : Trump team is not planning to arrest elites for chemtrail crimes!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Trump campaign did not announce plans for chemtrail crimes

Let me start by simply pointing out that the Trump campaign did not announce any plans to arrest anyone for “chemtrail crimes”. That’s probably because there isn’t any actual law against chemtrails in the first place!

If the Trump campaign ever mentioned anything about arresting people for chemtrail crimes, it would have been reported widely, and mocked by scientists and people all over the world.

Of course, none of that ever happened. There was no legitimate media reporting, no mockery or howls of laughter on social media, nothing. Zilch. That’s because it was all made up.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article did not provide any actual evidence the Trump campaign is preparing to arrest people for “chemtrail crimes”.

Recommended : Did Klaus Schwab warn of Era of Shock Events for 2024 Election?

Fact #2 : Chemtrails do not exist

The term “chemtrails” refers to the belief that condensation trails (contrails) left in the sky by high-flying aircraft are actually chemical or biological agents being deliberately spread for various nefarious purposes.

The truth is – chemtrails do not exist. The white trails you see behind airplanes flying at high altitudes are contrails – trails of water vapour from aircraft engines that condenses into ice crystals in the extremely cold air.

In fact, these contrails have been seen since aircraft were able to fly at high altitudes, and were prominent during World War 2, when contrails were often seen during high-altitude bombing missions.

On top of that, it would require many tens of thousands of people in the aviation industry to work in perfect unison to cover up an industry-wide conspiracy to spray people with chemicals or biological agents like mpox. In truth – such a conspiracy would have been exposed within hours, if not days.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article did not provide any evidence that chemtrails exist, much less are an actual crime that people can get arrested for, never mind evidence that the Trump campaign plans to arrest people for “chemtrail crimes”.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates using chemtrails to spread monkeypox?!

Fact #3 : The People’s Voice is known for fake news

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should think twice about sharing anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | PoliticsTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Kamala Harris lie about working at McDonald’s?!

Did Kamala Harris lie about working at McDonald’s during college?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Kamala Harris did not work at McDonald’s!

Some people are claiming or suggesting that Kamala Harris may have lied about working at McDonald’s during college. Here are some examples / excerpts:

Ryan Fournier : BREAKING: McDonald’s Corporate sources have come forth and said they have no record of Kamala Harris working at any of their locations.

Who lies about working at a McDonalds?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The Washington Free Beacon : ‘I Did Fries’: Kamala Harris Claims She Worked at McDonald’s, but She Never Mentioned It Until She Ran for President. Did She Really Toil Beneath the Golden Arches?

Harris’s résumé a year after she graduated college makes no mention of McDonald’s

Recommended : Is Kamala Harris disqualified due to mother’s immigration fraud?!

 

Truth : Kamala Harris likely worked at McDonald’s

This appears to be an example of fake news about Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Kamala Harris often spoke about working at McDonald’s

Let me start by pointing out that Kamala Harris has often spoken about working as a cashier, fry-maker, and ice-cream server at McDonald’s in Alameda, California during her summer off while studying at Howard University.

It was a short stint – she only worked at McDonald’s during the summer of 1983, but it appeared to be an experience for her. In 2019, Harris would join a picket line of McDonald’s workers who were striking for a $15 minimum wage.

At that time, she said that while she “did the french fries and the ice cream” at the Golden Arches that summer, “there was not a family relying on me to pay the rent, put food on the table, and keep the bills paid by the end of the month” like those McDonald’s workers.

Months before she ran for President, Kamala Harris spoke about working at McDonald’s on The Drew Barrymore Show – “I did fries, and then I did the cashier“.

Kamala Harris has worked at many small jobs, and may be leaning heavily on that summer job at McDonald’s because it’s more relatable to working class and middle class voters.

In contrast, her rival – former President Donald Trump is famous for his love of eating (not working) at McDonald’s, and is not known to have ever worked at any minimum wage job in his life.

Fact #2 : McDonald’s has not commented on Kamala Harris’ summer job

While Ryan Fournier claimed that McDonald’s corporate sources have come forth to say that “they have no record of Kamala Harris working at any of their locations“, he provided no evidence.

More importantly – McDonald’s itself never commented on Kamala Harris’ summer job, much less said that it has “no record of Kamala Harris” ever working at any of its locations.

Recommended : Did California DNC delegates refuse to vote for Kamala Harris?!

Fact #3 : McDonald’s would not have franchisee’s employee records

Back in 1982, there were two McDonald’s locations in Alameda, California – at 1346 Park Street, and at 2031 Webster Street. It is not known where Kamala Harris worked that summer.

However, it is more than likely that both McDonald’s restaurants were owned and operated by franchisees, as McDonald’s was expanding rapidly through franchising in the early 1980s. Even today, some 82% of McDonald’s restaurants are owned by franchisees, and not owned by McDonald’s Corporation.

McDonald’s franchisees handle their own employees, and McDonald’s corporate would not have those employee records. So even if someone at McDonald’s Corporation took the effort to look into employee records, they would not be able to see employee records handled by franchisees.

I should also point out that Kamala Harris worked at McDonald’s in the summer of 1983 – 41 years ago. It is highly unlikely that McDonald’s Corporation or even the franchisee would still have employee records going that far back!

Fact #4 : Kamala Harris listed her most recent jobs

The Free Beacon pointed out that when Kamala Harris applied for the position of a law clerk in the Alameda County district attorney’s office in October 1987, she failed to mention her summer job at McDonald’s four years earlier.

If you look at the form below (archive), you can see that Kamala Harris filled the three available slots with her three most recent jobs:

  • working as a law clerk for Alexander, Miller & McGee from June to August 1987
  • working as an operator for Charles Schwab & Co from July to August 1986
  • working as a student assistant for the Federal Trade Commission from April to May 1986

While her other jobs were not listed, it seems more than likely that Kamala Harris would have other jobs to list before she would need to list her stint at McDonalds in the summer of 1983.

In fact, her resume stated that she also worked as a U.S. Senate Intern for Senator Alan Cranston in the summer of 1984 – a year before her summer job at McDonald’s.

It also seems likely that Kamala Harris would have realised that a summer job frying potatoes and working the cash register at McDonald’s might not impress the Alameda County district attorney’s office, even though some people might feel otherwise.

Recommended : Did Harris-Walz campaign use fake AI crowd photos?!

Fact #5 : This is just political fake news

Ultimately, this appears to be yet another example of political fake news surrounding the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:

As the 2024 US Presidential election draws close, you can expect more of such fake news to appear, so be wary and skeptical!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | PoliticsTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did UAE freeze French fighter jet deal over Pavel Durov arrest?!

Did the UAE freeze a French fighter jet deal after France arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov?! Take a look at the viral claims and video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : UAE froze French fighter jet deal over Pavel Durov arrest!

People are sharing news reports and/or an Al Jazeera video, which purportedly claim that the UAE just froze its contract to purchase 80 fighter jets from France, over its arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

Firstpost : #FPWorld: Following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has suspended the deal with France for 80 warplanes, according to a report.

Financial Express : UAE cancels $20 billion Rafale deal with France despite Telegram CEO’s release

Kim Dotcom : The French Govt just lost $17 billion over the arrest of Pavel Durov. The UAE froze a deal to purchase 80 Rafale fighter jets and says that the arrest of Pavel Durov is outrageous. Pavel is a citizen of the UAE and a close friend of the Deputy Prime Minister Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Recommended : Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called chemtrails a crime – is he right?

 

Truth : UAE did not freeze French fighter jet deal over Pavel Durov arrest!

This appears to be yet another example of Russian propaganda, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No evidence UAE froze French fighter jet deal

Let me start by pointing out that there is no evidence that the United Arab Emirates froze its 2021 deal to purchase 80 Rafale F4 fighter jets.

If that actually happened, it would have been announced by the UAE authorities, and condemned by the French government. As a public-listed company, Dassault would also have to issue a statement on such a shocking development. It would also have resulted in widespread coverage by the mainstream media.

Yet, none of that happened. This fake news appears to have proliferated mainly through Telegram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Fact #2 : Al Jazeera video is fake

The viral Al Jazeera video, which claims that the UAE has frozen its contract to purchase 80 fighter jets from France, is fake. Al Jazeera never created, nor posted, this video.

The last time Al Jazeera ever posted about any arms deal between the UAE and France, was on 4 December 2021, when it reported on the UAE and France signing an arms deal involving 80 Rafael fighter jets and 12 military helicopters.

To be clear – Al Jazeera never made or posted the viral video below, or its contents:

The UAE has frozen the contract actions for the purchase of 80 fighter aircraft from France. This comes after the arrest of businessman Pavel Durov in Paris.

Recommended : Did the US attack + bomb these 26 countries since WW2?!

Fact #2 : Fake Al Jazeera report started in Telegram

Ironically, this fake Al Jazeera report appears to have originated in Telegram. According to Maria Dubovikova (archive) who traced this hoax, here is the timeline on 27 August 2024 (Moscow Time):

20:29 : Russian Telegram group Condottiero posted (translated) – “The UAE unilaterally suspended the contract for the purchase of 80 French fighter jets due to Durov’s arrest. Additionally, the Sheikhs are considering a complete blockade of trade operations with France, including in the defense sector.”

20:35 : Russian Telegram group Topaz posted (translated) – “The United Arab Emirates have frozen the contract to purchase 80 fighter jets from France following the arrest of Pavel Durov. They are also considering the possibility of a complete blockade of military-technical cooperation with France.”

By 11 PM (23:00), a fake video appeared on X, mimicking an Al Jazeera news video with this information. This video was never on the Qatari outlet’s platforms.

The fake news then spread outside of Russian Telegram channels, after being shared by Western opinion leaders like Kim Dotcom, Candace Owens, Chuck Callesto, etc.

Fact #3 : No evidence Marwan Bishara ever mentioned Pavel Durov

I could also find no evidence that Marwan Bishara ever commented on Pavel Durov, or his arrest by French authorities, or any response by the UAE government or leaders.

In fact, Marwan Bishara has not written any opinion piece for Al Jazeera for more than half a year – his last piece was posted on 24 November 2023, and it was about the Gaza war.

Fact #4 : UAE to receive Rafale F4 fighter jets only in 2027

There is also the inconvenient fact that Dassault is only expected to ship its first Rafale F4 fighter jet to the UAE in 2027, which is 3 years away. So there is nothing to freeze, so to speak.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | MilitaryTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called chemtrails a crime – is he right?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just vowed to stop the crime of chemtrails! Take a look at what chemtrails are all about, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vows to stop the crime of chemtrails!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to stop the crime of chemtrails, in response to a video on X (formerly Twitter), which purportedly shows a whistleblower pilot speaking about chemtrails.

Here is an excerpt of the article, which is long and (intentionally?) confusing, so feel free to skip to the next part for the facts!

Concerned Citizen : “I call them tanker terminators – we are paid more than any other pilot”

Chemtrail Pilot Whistleblower.

I’m convinced the majority of them are remotely operated – the tech obviously exists & there’s way too many.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. : We are going to stop this crime.

This came after RFK Jr. suspended his US Presidential aspirations for a role in Donald Trump’s campaign. Donald Trump also said, on Sunday, that RFK Jr. would tackle health issues in a potential future Trump Administration.

His response suggests that a potential Trump Administration will “stop” that crime. Over 3 million people saw his reply, at the time I wrote this article.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates using chemtrails to spread monkeypox?!

 

Why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is wrong about chemtrails!

In this article, I will go through some of the key claims about chemtrails, and share with you what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : Chemtrails do not exist

The term “chemtrails” refers to the belief that condensation trails (contrails) left in the sky by high-flying aircraft are actually chemical or biological agents being deliberately spread for various nefarious purposes.

Chemtrail conspiracists believe that governments or corporations are using chemtrails to make people sick, control the population, test biological or chemical weapons, or change the weather.

The truth is – chemtrails do not exist. The white trails you see behind airplanes flying at high altitudes are contrails – short for condensation trails.

Contrails are usually trails of water vapour from aircraft engines that can condense into ice crystals inextremely cold air. Such engine contrails generally form at high altitudes – usually above 8,000 metres (26,000 feet), where the air temperature is below −36.5 °C (−34 °F), but can also form at lower altitudes if the air is cool and moist.

Contrails can also be triggered by changes in the air pressure over the wing surface, or in wingtip vortices. They can also form at the tips of rotating propellers. Such contrails are usually seen at low altitudes, particularly when the ambient humidity is high.

For example, you can see contrails forming at the tips of this Curtiss P-40 Warhawk’s propellers. Obviously, this antique warbird isn’t being used to spray chemicals or toxins through its propellers!

Recommended : Did Japan Order Investigation Of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths?!

Fact #2 : Contrails can last a long time

According to atmospheric scientists, such contrails can dissipate after a short time, or persist for a long time – it all depends on the atmospheric conditions the plane is flying through.

If the air is very dry, contrails will not form, or will be short-lasting. But if the air is humid and cold, the water vapour will immediately condense into ice particles, which can persist for a long time.

Conspiracists insist that contrails persist for a long time in the sky because they contain chemicals or toxins that are used to control people’s minds, or make them sick. But that wouldn’t make sense, because those chemicals or toxins are persisting in the air for hours, instead of dispersing to affect people below.

Real villains who actually fund chemtrail missions will want the chemicals or toxins to quickly disperse to both avoid detection, and to rapidly affect the people below. They wouldn’t want the chemicals or toxins to stay impotently for hours high in the sky.

After all, letting the chemicals or toxins stay in the sky for a long time will let people on the ground get away from the danger zone, get under shelter, or put on protective gear – defeating the nefarious plan.

Interestingly, many of these chemtrail conspiracists do not run away, get under shelter, or put on protective gear whenever they see what they call “chemtrails”. Instead, they take photos and videos to post on social media. You have to wonder – is that what people normally do when they are being gassed???

Recommended : Did RFK Jr Expose NIH Kickbacks From Moderna Vaccine?!

Fact #3 : It’s silly to spray chemicals so high in the sky

It is also silly for any nefarious government or corporation to spray chemicals or toxins or mind control drugs so high in the sky.

Wind speeds increase with altitude. At normal flight altitude, the wind can actually reach speeds of 200 km/h or more. So anything that is sprayed at such a high altitude will get blown to a completely different area.

That’s why crop-dusters fly close to the ground – to ensure that the pesticide or herbicide only hits the targeted area, and not get blown elsewhere. Similarly, the US Air Force and US Army used low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and even armoured personnel carriers (APC) to spray Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

On top of that, chemicals or toxins released at such high altitudes will get diluted as it disperses into the air. By the time it reaches the ground (if it ever does), it would be in really low concentrations. That’s the same reason why aircraft are allowed to dump fuel to reduce weight in emergency situations – tons of jet fuel can be dumped at high altitude because it will dissipate before reaching the ground.

Fact #4 : Contrails existed decades before chemtrail conspiracy

The chemtrail conspiracy only started in the late 1990s, after the US Air Force published a 1996 report about weather modification. However, such contrails were seen for decades before the first conspiracist even thought of the concept.

Large, long-lasting contrails have been seen since aircraft were able to fly at high altitudes, and were prominent during World War 2, when contrails were often seen during high-altitude bombing missions.

Flight crews on such high-altitude bombing missions have personally seen those contrails forming from their own aircraft, as well as aircraft around them. So have people on the ground.

Recommended : Did RFK Jr Conspiracy Theories Turn Out To Be True?!

Fact #5 : Contrails form over uninhabited areas too

Contrails are seen forming even when the aircraft is flying over open oceans and uninhabited areas.

Why would any nefarious government or corporation spray chemicals or biological agents over oceans and uninhabited areas? Surely they don’t plan to control the minds of fishes, or wildlife?

Fact #6 : It would be impossible to cover up such a conspiracy

Any large-scale program to spray chemicals or toxins using high-altitude aircraft would be impossible to conceal.

It would require many tens of thousands of people in the aviation industry to work in perfect unison to cover up an industry-wide conspiracy to spray people with chemicals or biological agents. Not only would the pilots and engineers be willing participants, it would require airlines to sacrifice space, weight and money on their flights to load those chemicals or biological agents.

Thousands more would also need to manufacture, store and transport those chemicals and biological agents, while thousands more people working at airports will need to assist in the storage and loading of those chemicals and biological agents.

It is inconceivable that so many people would be such willing participants in any program that would harm other people, including their family and friends. In truth – such a conspiracy would have been exposed within hours, if not days.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Zoom reveals challenges + solutions for hybrid work in APAC!

Take a look at the latest survey by Zoom, which reveals both the challenges and the solutions for hybrid work in APAC!

 

Zoom reveals challenges + solutions for hybrid work in APAC!

On 22 August 2024, Zoom released a compelling new survey called “Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology,” which revealed key insights into the hybrid work models in Asia Pacific.

Conducted in partnership with ReworkedINSIGHTS, a leading authority on employee experience and digital workplace trends, the survey highlights both the rising dominance of hybrid work models and the pressing challenge of maintaining employee engagement.

Hybrid Work Models: A Growing Trend

The survey, presented at Zoom’s EX Summit 2024, reveals that a significant shift is underway in workplace models across APAC. With 84% of organizations adopting flexible work arrangements, the hybrid model is particularly prevalent, embraced by 58% of companies, while 26% opt for a fully remote approach.

Productivity remains a critical focus for APAC leaders, with 87% prioritizing it when choosing their work models—higher than the 86% in North America and 81% in Western Europe. Notably, employees in APAC report greater productivity in hybrid settings, with 83% indicating they accomplish more work in hybrid or remote environments compared to traditional in-office settings. This trend underscores the importance of effective technology solutions in maintaining workforce connectivity and efficiency, regardless of physical location.

Recommended : Zoom Docs transforms collaboration + meeting efficiency with AI

Key Takeaways In Summary

  • Hybrid Work Models: 84% of APAC organizations are adopting flexible work arrangements, with hybrid models being the most common.
  • Employee Productivity: 83% of employees in APAC report higher productivity in hybrid settings.
  • Generative AI Adoption: APAC leads in AI tool usage, but challenges such as learning curves and job impact concerns persist.
  • Future Outlook: 77% of APAC leaders expect further changes to workplace models, underscoring the need for ongoing adaptation and feedback integration.

The Search for the Ideal Hybrid Model

Despite the preference for hybrid work, companies in APAC are still experimenting with various models to find the most effective fit. The most common configurations are scheduled hybrid (27%) and flextime hybrid (19%), with 13% of organizations using other role-, location-, or outcome-based hybrid models. Impressively, 97% of APAC leaders have increased workplace flexibility over the past two years.

However, hybrid models are not without their challenges. Around 60% of APAC leaders report a decline in employee engagement associated with hybrid arrangements. Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific at Zoom, notes, “Workplace flexibility is not only becoming increasingly commonplace in the APAC region, but more diverse in itself — ranging from flextime to location, role, and even rotation-based models. Leaders today are faced with a new challenge of finding the best-fit hybrid model while keeping up with the evolving expectations of a multi-generational workforce and the impact of rapidly advancing technologies like AI.”

Recommended : Avanade study: Familiarity reduces workplace fears of AI!

Generative AI: A Game-Changer for Hybrid Work

The survey highlights generative AI as a transformative tool for enhancing employee productivity and engagement. Despite its potential, many APAC organizations still need to fully leverage AI’s capabilities. The majority of employees (81%) believe their current remote work tools require improvement—an issue more pronounced in APAC compared to North America (79%) and Western Europe (65%).

Generative AI’s impact is already being felt, with APAC leading the adoption of AI-powered tools such as meeting transcripts and chatbots (53% and 59%, respectively). These tools have been beneficial, with 85% of APAC leaders acknowledging AI’s role in boosting workforce productivity. However, challenges remain: 70% of employees view generative AI as having a high learning curve, 63% feel uneasy about it, and 55% worry about its potential negative impact on their jobs.

Addressing Engagement Through Feedback

As hybrid work models become the norm, 77% of APAC leaders anticipate changes to their workplace models within the next two years, slightly higher than the global average of 75%. To thrive in this new landscape, organizations must remain responsive to employee feedback and adapt their technology strategies accordingly. This includes investing in scalable, adaptable AI tools that align with evolving business needs and employee expectations.

In conclusion, while hybrid work models are gaining traction, the challenge of maintaining high employee engagement remains. Organizations that prioritize technology adoption and actively seek employee feedback will be better positioned to succeed in the future of work. Embracing flexibility and leveraging AI effectively will be key to creating dynamic, engaging, and productive work environments.

Recommended : Microsoft to auto encrypt all Windows 11 devices with BitLocker!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Can AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine give you monkeypox?!

Can the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine give you monkeypox? Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-08-20 : Updated, and refreshed after the same claims went viral with the 2024 mpox outbreak
Originally posted @ 2022-09-04

 

Claim : AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can give you monkeypox!

In recent weeks, people have sharing photos of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine leaflet, claiming that it is evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine is responsible for the current monkeypox outbreak.

They are highlighting the portion of the vaccine leaflet that says that it contains a “Recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein.

They believe that it is this virus that causes monkeypox, and that the AstraZeneca vaccine is responsible for spreading monkeypox to vaccinated people.

Here are some of the comments that accompany these viral posts :

Who is surprised that after millions of people have been injected with genetically modified chimp virus, there is now an outbreak of monkeypox?

“The AstraZeneca vaccine uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine vector” Makes you wonder doesn’t it.🤔🤔🤔🤔

More monkey business #AstraZeneca #monkeypox

 

Truth : AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine won’t give you monkeypox!

This is yet another example of fake news created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Adenovirus used in AstraZeneca vaccine cannot replicate

The AstraZeneca Vaxzevria vaccine, codenamed AZD1222, uses a chimpanzee adenovirus to “teach” some of our cells to produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins to trigger an immune response.

The chimpanzee adenovirus used in the vaccine – ChAdOx1 – had already been modified from the original ChAd virus serotype Y25 to prevent replication. Therefore, the virus cannot replicate, and is incapable of producing any disease in human beings.

Fact #2 : Monkeypox is not caused by chimpanzee adenovirus

Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which is completely different from the chimpanzee adenovirus.

The monkeypox virus is a double-stranded DNA virus from the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family. It is closely related to the smallpox virus (variola).

The chimpanzee adenovirus is also a double-stranded DNA virus, but it is from the Mastadenovirus genus in the Adenoviridae family. It is similar to the adenoviruses that cause the common flu in human beings.

These two viruses are as different as cats and dogs. Cats and dogs are both mammals, but as you can tell – they are quite different animals!

Read more : Monkeypox : What You Must Know About This Viral Infection!

Fact #3 : Monkeypox is a misnomer

Monkeypox was first identified and named in 1958, when it was identified in laboratory monkeys in Copenhagen, Denmark.

However, the name monkeypox is a misnomer, as it is not very common in monkeys. Neither did it originate in monkeys, nor does it spread only through monkeys.

It is known to spread through prairie dogs, dormice, squirrels, and non-human primates. It may possibly also spread through rabbits, rats and mice.

Fact #4 : Chimpanzees are not monkeys

Not that it matters, but you should know that chimpanzees and monkeys are of different species.

Chimpanzees and monkeys are both primates, but their last common ancestor dates back some 30 million years ago.

Monkeys are simians; while chimpanzees are great apes, and are genetically closest to human beings.

Fact #5 : 2022, 2024 monkeypox outbreaks started years later

The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has been given to over 2.4 billion people globally, since its approval in December 2020. If the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can actually cause mpox infections, it would have resulted in massive mpox outbreaks all over the world within days of being administered.

Yet the 2022 and 2024 monkeypox outbreaks only started 1.5 to 2.5 years after the AstraZeneca vaccine was introduced. In other words – even the temporal timeline for this ridiculous claim is out of whack!

Read more : Is US Sending Infected Birds To Spread Monkeypox?!

Fact #6 : Monkeypox started infecting people in 1970

The first human monkeypox infections were reported in 1970. As you can tell – that’s almost 50 years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 51 years before the AstraZeneca vaccine was introduced.

Fact #7 : Monkeypox cases were increasing before COVID-19

At first, monkeypox infections in humans were relatively few – about 400 cases from 1970 to 1986, and they were mostly limited to Central and Weest Africa.

However, it started becoming more common, with 2000 cases per year reported between 2011 and 2014. There were also several small outbreaks in the US (2003 and 2021), UK (2018 and 2021), and Singapore (2019).

These cases all happened long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and certainly long before AstraZeneca and Oxford developed their Vaxzevria vaccine against COVID-19!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Avanade appoints Rodrigo Caserta as new CEO!

Avanade – a leading Microsoft solutions provider, has just appointed Rodrigo Caserta as its new CEO, replacing Pamela Maynard! Here is what you need to know…

 

Avanade appoints Rodrigo Caserta as new CEO!

On 16 August 2024, Avanade – a leading Microsoft solutions provider, has just appointed Rodrigo Caserta as its new CEO, with immediate effect.

Rodrigo Caserta (left in photo below), who was previously the Global Technology Business Group Lead at Avanade, succeeds Pamela Maynard (right in photo below), who will depart at the end of August to join Microsoft as Chief AI Transformation Officer for Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS).

Karthik Narain, Avanade Board Chair and Group Chief Executive at Accenture Technology, expressed enthusiasm for Caserta’s appointment: “Rodrigo’s extensive experience and leadership within Avanade make him the ideal choice for CEO. His deep understanding of our clients and commitment to our team will drive our growth and innovation. I extend my gratitude to Pam for her transformative leadership, which doubled our business and enhanced our focus on inclusion and diversity.

Recommended : Avanade study: Familiarity reduces workplace fears of AI!

Rodrigo Caserta’s Vision For Avanade

Rodrigo Caserta is a veteran of nearly a decade at Avanade, who has contributed significantly to Avanade’s success. Under his leadership as General Manager of Brazil and later as President of Growth Markets, Avanade experienced notable revenue and headcount growth in Asia Pacific and Latin America. Originally from Brazil, Caserta recently relocated from Singapore to the United States with his family.

Caserta shared his excitement about his new role: “It’s an honour to follow in Pam’s footsteps. She brought me into Avanade nearly a decade ago and the wisdom I’ve gained from her is invaluable. It’s a privilege to uphold her legacy as Avanade’s next CEO”

“In an era marked by complex challenges, fierce competition, and the imperative to capitalise on AI, our clients have consistently found a trusted partner in Avanade. I am excited and look forward to this opportunity to lead – guided by our deep expertise, bold ambitions and a spirit of collaboration.”

 

Pamela Maynard’s New Role At Microsoft

Pamela Maynard, who has been a pivotal figure in Avanade’s growth, will transition to Microsoft as Chief AI Transformation Officer for MCAPS – the Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions division.

Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s Chief Commercial Officer, welcomed Maynard to her new role: “We are excited to welcome Pamela to Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions as our first Chief AI Transformation Officer, where she will leverage Microsoft’s AI portfolio to drive our internal transformation and work directly with customers to accelerate theirs. For nearly a decade, Microsoft and Avanade have been at the forefront of AI innovation, with both Pam and Rodrigo playing a critical role in advancing our progress. I look forward to this new chapter, confident in their leadership and expertise, as we further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Microsoft and Avanade and pioneer new advancements in our industry.

Reflecting on her tenure, Maynard said, “After 16 remarkable years at Avanade, now is the right time to transition to new leadership and Rodrigo is the perfect choice for our next CEO. Reflecting on my five-year tenure as CEO, I am proud of what we’ve achieved as an organization.

We’ve solidified Avanade’s position as the preeminent leader in the Microsoft ecosystem – consistently earning recognition from industry analysts, market leaders, and Microsoft itself. And our workplace culture – celebrated by Newsweek, Glassdoor, and more – is a clear reflection of our deep commitment to inclusion, diversity, and wellbeing. As AI continues to transform the industry, I am excited to have the opportunity and grateful for the confidence Microsoft’s leadership has in me to lead critical work in my new role.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Microsoft to auto encrypt all Windows 11 devices with BitLocker!

Microsoft is set to automatically encrypt all Windows 11 computers with BitLocker! Here is what you need to know!

 

Microsoft to auto encrypt all Windows 11 devices with BitLocker!

Microsoft is set to automatically encrypt all computers with BitLocker device encryption, in the next major update of Windows 11.

Microsoft began making BitLocker device encryption enabled by default on new PCs with the Windows 11 23H2 update. That will be expanded to include clean installs of Windows 11, and Microsoft is also reducing the hardware requirements for automatic device encryption.

Starting with Windows 11 24H2, BitLocker encryption will be open to PCs running the Home edition, and it will no longer require features like Hardware Security Test Interface (HSTI), or Modern Standby. BitLocker encryption will also be enabled even if untrusted direct memory access (DMA) buses / interfaces are detected.

In short – if you buy a new Windows 11 PC, which comes with version 24H2 installed, or you do a clean installation of Windows 11 version 24H2 when it is made available in late September 2024 (or so), device encryption will be enabled by default.

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

Automatic BitLocker encryption in Windows 11 : Good or bad?

BitLocker isn’t a new feature – Microsoft introduced it in Windows Vista in 2004. But like Windows Vista, it was rather terrible at that time – slow and buggy, and could only encrypt the system partition.

But it has come a long way since then, and now, many people choose to use BitLocker to securely protect their data. Encrypting a drive, or drive partition, with BitLocker ensures that even if someone steals the drive, they cannot access the encrypted data.

That said, encrypting data using BitLocker has some computational cost, which can be significant for older PCs. Newer processors support hardware acceleration for the AES algorithm that BitLocker uses, so any performance deterioration is greatly reduced.

While Tom’s Hardware says BitLocker can reduce SSD performance by up to 45% for certain workloads, but that is frankly not a big concern for most users, who cannot “feel” the difference on SSDs that are already super fast these days.

After all, Android and iOS smartphones and tablets have long implemented device encryption using slower processors and slower eMMC / UFS flash storage, and no one complained, right? Unless you are comparing an encrypted device with one that isn’t, you can’t tell the difference.

The biggest concern is, arguably, the danger of losing all of your data if you get locked out (by a Windows 11 bug, for example), and lose your BitLocker recovery key.

Recommended : Will Microsoft Disable Your Computer If You Share Fake News?!

Windows saves the BitLocker recovery key in your Microsoft account, so you can retrieve it if you ever get locked out for any reason. That solves the problem for people who sign up for, or log into, their Microsoft account when they setup a new Windows 11 PC.

However, those who choose to use a local account will have to either print the recovery key, or save it to a USB drive, which could get lost. That could explain why Microsoft is so adamant about getting people to register for, and sign into, a Microsoft account when you setup a new Windows 11 PC.

Of course, you can always prevent the loss of important data even in that rare circumstance, by regularly backing up your data. That’s good practice even if you prefer to leave your computer unencrypted.

But here’s the good news for those who insist on not encrypting their computers – you can avoid automatic BitLocker device encryption by using a local account. When you set up Windows 11 to use a local account for the first time, you will be asked to log into a Microsoft account to encrypt the machine. If you skip that, your Windows 11 computer will remain unencrypted.

Techies can also disrupt the automatic device encryption during the Windows 11 installation wizard by using the Command Prompt (Shift + F10) and using the Registry to change the BitLocker “PreventDeviceEncryption” key to 1.

Of course, even after your machine is encrypted, you can also manually disable BitLocker device encryption in Settings under Privacy & Security -> Device encryption.

But if you ask me – it’s time to get on with the rest of the world, and encrypt your Windows 11 systems. There is really no reason to leave your data unencrypted, even if you have “nothing to hide”.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Software | CybersecurityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

X insiders have refuted Elon Musk who claimed that his disastrous interview of Donald Trump suffered a massive DDOS attack!

 

Elon Musk : Massive DDOS attack of Trump interview!

On August 11, 2024, X owner Elon Musk announced that he would be conducting an interview of… oh, sorry… a “live conversation” with former President Donald Trump.

Scheduled for 8 PM ET on Monday, August 12, the Musk-Trump “conversation” was hosted on X Spaces (where else?), which should both provide a “safe space” for Donald Trump, and an opportunity for Elon Musk to demonstrate that his “streamlining” of X has not hurt its ability to host major events.

However, the Musk-Trump interview had a disastrous start with a crash. X users who tried to tune in were instead greeted by an error message – “Unable to fetch Space” or “This Space is not available“. Those who somehow managed to get in, only heard lo-fi techno music.

18 minutes later, Elon Musk claimed that X appeared to be under a massive DDOS attack, and X was working to shut it down:

There appears to be a massive DDOS attack on 𝕏. Working on shutting it down.

Worst case, we will proceed with a smaller number of live listeners and post the conversation later.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Several minutes later, Musk claimed that X tested Spaces with 8 million concurrent users, implying that it has to be some kind of nefarious action by someone outside of X.

We tested the system with 8 million concurrent listeners earlier today

When someone suggested that the DDOS attack might have been initiated by the Democrats, Elon Musk agreed.

mark pinkus : Its Dems fighting to ‘save’ Democracy from two massive disrupters!

Elon Musk : Yeah

After the lo-fi techno music finally stopped some 30 minutes later, listeners only heard some rustling from Trump’s microphone, and then silence for another 10-12 minutes, before the interview (sorry, conversation!) finally started.

In the end, the Musk-Trump interview / conversation only hosted some 1 million concurrent listeners on X Spaces – far short of the 8 million Elon Musk claimed Twitter tested earlier.

Recommended : Elon Musk shares fake, digitally-altered Kamala Harris video!

 

X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

Oddly, Elon Musk seemed to be hedging his claim with the word “appears”, before offering the 8 million concurrent test as “evidence”. Why would he do that? It’s so weird…

As the owner of X, Musk would clearly know whether X was under “a massive DDOS attack” or not. He wouldn’t need to beat about the bush. He would have network engineers monitoring the traffic, who would be able to spot any suspicious spike in traffic and determine if it was a massive DDOS attack or not.

It now appears that Elon Musk may not have been entirely truthful about the technical issues that beset his disastrous X Spaces conversation with Donald Trump.

At least two X insiders have refuted Elon Musk’s claim. The first confirmed to The Verge that there wasn’t actually a denial-of-service attack on X. Another X staff said that there was a “99 percent” chance Elon Musk was lying about a DDOS attack.

That makes sense, as outside of that Musk-Trump interview, the rest of X (including other X Spaces) was working normally. A massive DDOS attack would have made it impossible for X to function normally. You cannot just target a DDOS attack to hit one specific livestream, and leave the rest of X running normally.

Recommended : Elon Musk Tells X Advertisers To F*ck Themselves!

To be clear – there is no evidence of a massive DDOS attack, and there is also no evidence that the Democrats were involved or responsible for the technical failures that marred the disastrous Musk-Trump “live conversation” on X Spaces.

This isn’t the first time X has suffered such failures. Ron DeSantis suffered a similarly embarrassing failure to launch (nod to you SpaceX fans!) when he launched his ill-fated presidential campaign on X Spaces in May 2023.

At that time, Donald Trump mocked the disastrous launch, posting on Truth Social “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER!” It’s been said that karma is a bitch.

This failure also highlights the drastic changes that Elon Musk made when he purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022. He not renamed it X, he gutted about 80% of its staff, leaving just skeleton crews in key areas like site reliability. Karma strikes again?

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | Politics | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did the US hide logo of new Chinese crane with US flag?!

Did the Americans try to hide the logo on a new Chinese crane with the US flag, so that people won’t know that they were made in China?

Take a look at the new viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Did the US hide logo of new Chinese crane with US flag?

People are sharing a video showing the US flag falling from a Chinese crane, revealing the ZPMC logo, together with this message :

During opening ceremony of new gantry cranes in USA. A sudden gust of wind blew away the board covering Chinese brand name. You can see the board is black on one side and has American flag on the other.

What an embarrassment trying to hide the Chinese made cranes.

Recommended : Did the US flag hilariously fall at the 2024 Paris Olympics?!

 

Truth : The US did not hide logo of new Chinese crane with US flag!

The video is genuine, but taken out of context. Here are the facts…

Fact #1 : Video was recorded on 29 March 2013

The viral message was intentionally vague on when it happened, suggesting that it was new. The truth is – the video was recorded many years ago – on 29 March 2013 in Miami, Florida.

At that time, the President of the United States was Barack Obama, not Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

Fact #2 : It was not an opening ceremony of any kind

The viral message said that this incident happened during an “opening ceremony of new gantry cranes” in the United States. That is completely FALSE.

The video was recorded at the Port of Miami Tunnel project in Miami, Florida – just before President Obama spoke about his infrastructure plan.

It was related to the Port of Miami tunnel project on Dodge Island, which would connect the port to the interstate highway system, and had nothing to do with the gantry cranes.

Recommended : Is Xi Jinping in critical condition after suffering massive stroke?!

Fact #3 : The logo was covered for optics

As President Obama was going to speak about shipping “products made in America” through ports like the Port of Miami, so it would have been awkward optics to have Chinese logos in the background.

Therefore, members of the White House advance team decided to cover up the ZPMC logo with a US flag. Not only did the ZPMC have Chinese characters, it was also a Chinese state-owned company. Awkward indeed!

Fact #4 : They left the ZPMC logo visible

After wind blew the American flag off the logo, a member of the White House team went onto the gantry to retrieve the flag. But instead of putting it back over the logo, he shifted the American flag to the side of the gantry.

Ultimately, the ZPMC logo was left visible during President Obama’s speech, as this picture shows.

Recommended : Chinese outrage + drama at 2024 Paris Olympics fact checked!

Fact #5 : The Chinese gantry cranes were not new

The gantry cranes seen in the picture appear to be ZPMC Super Post-Panamax (SPP) cranes that were delivered in January 2005.

They were more than 8 years old when President Obama spoke at the Port of Miami in 2013, and more than 16.5 years old when this fake news started circulating in 2021.

So the claim that the Americans were trying to pass off new Chinese cranes as American-made cranes is nothing but fake news.

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check so other people won’t be fooled by it!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Politics | Fact CheckTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Bill Gates selling fake, lab-grown chickens in stores?!

Are Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos selling fake, lab-grown chickens in stores?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates is selling fake, lab-grown chickens in stores!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims or suggests that Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos have partnered up to sell fake, lab-grown chickens in stores!

It also shared a method by which you can spot and avoid such fake, lab-grown chickens being sold by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.

Here is excerpts of the article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

How to Spot and Avoid Bill Gates’ Lab-Grown Chicken in Stores for Your Health

Lab-grown chicken has started appearing on US supermarket shelves following Bill Gates’ multi-million dollar investments in the fake meat industry.

Recommended : Did Bill Gates Create Lab Grown Meat That Moves?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates is not selling fake, lab-grown chickens in stores!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There is no such thing as lab-grown chickens

Let me start by pointing out that technically, there is no such thing as lab-grown chickens. What people refer to as “lab-grown chicken” is actually “cultivated meat” or “lab-grown meat”.

Such cultivated meat is grown in steel tanks from cells of animals like chicken or cow. The cells are then formed into shapes to make them look like cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, etc.

In other words, lab-grown chicken-based meat will look like chicken meat products, not actual chickens. So claims that the slaughtered whole chicken you see at the stores might be fake, lab-grown chicken is nonsense.

Fact #2 : Hatched label is used to denote origin

It is not true that the only to determine whether you are buying a real chicken is to look for the label “hatched, raised and harvested in the USA“. That label is used to denote the origin of the chicken – it was born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States of America (USA).

As the American National Chicken Council explained, USDA Agriculture Marketing Service regulations require that chickens sold in retail stores “clearly and accurately identify” its “country of origin”.

USDA AMS regulations already require that chicken sold at retail clearly and accurately identify the product’s country of origin. Consumers seeking USA chicken can already find the ‘Hatched, Raised & Harvested in the U.S.’ label on American chicken.

– NCC President Mike Brown

In short – that label only tells you where the chickens were born or raised. It has nothing to do with whether the chicken product is fake or lab-grown, or made from chickens hatched at a farm.

Recommended : Did Bill Gates Launch Maggot Milk To Replace Cow Milk?!

Fact #3 : Almost all chickens in US will have this label

Almost all slaughtered chickens and chicken products sold in the US were hatched, raised and processed in the United States, and will come with that “hatched, raised and harvested in the USA” label.

More than 99% of the chicken we consume is of domestic origin and can easily be identified.

The remainder are imported from Canada, which has food safety and quality standards similar to the US. Those chickens would not have the “hatched, raised and harvested in the USA” label, but that does not mean they are fake or lab-grown chickens!

Fact #4 : Hatched label may be replaced by Product of USA

In 2023, the USDA proposed allowing meat, poultry and egg products made from animals born, bred and processed in the US to use the alternative labels of “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA“.

Real chickens and chicken products made in the United States may use those labels instead of the usual “hatched, raised and harvested in the USA” label. So just because you don’t see the “hatched, raised and harvested in the USA” label, it does not mean that the chicken is fake, lab-grown, or imported from some unknown country.

Fact #5 : Lab-grown meat is very expensive

Instead of listening to bad advice from people who don’t even understand what origin labels are for, here’s a simple way to differentiate lab-grown chicken meat from “naturally-farmed” chicken meat – lab-grown meat is rare and expensive.

Because the production of cultivated or lab-grown meat cannot be scaled like farmed chickens, it is rare and much more expensive than regular chicken meat. Hence, companies offering cultivated meat will highlight its uniqueness in their packaging and labels in order to justify the high cost.

In short – you are unlikely to be “tricked” into buying cultivated meat. Only those who are willing to pay a premium price to try lab-grown meat will actively look for, and purchase, these rare meat products.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates adding mRNA to our food?!

Fact #6 : Lab-grown meat is safe

The People’s Voice article suggests that cultivated meat or lab-grown meat is dangerous to consume. That’s not true.

Cultivated meat is basically meat cells grown in a steel tank, and so has similar nutritional content. It even tastes the same – people who have actually tried cultivated chicken meat have said that it looks slightly paler (due to a lack of blood vessels), but tastes just like chicken.

There is nothing in cultivated meat that makes it dangerous to consume, which is why the US FDA are approving such meat products for sale after testing them.

Fact #7 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Avanade study: Familiarity reduces workplace fears of AI!

Here is our summary of a new study by Avanade on how growing familiarity eases workplace fears about generative AI!

 

Avanade study: Familiarity reduces workplace fears of AI!

A recent study by Avanade highlights a significant shift in workplace attitudes towards generative AI, offering valuable insights into how organisations can encourage employees to embrace generative AI.

The Avanade report explored the experience of 700 global employees at Avanade who used Copilot for Microsoft 365 through a seven-week study. This study represents the largest pilot of Copilot for Microsoft 365 conducted during the Early Access Program.

The study investigated the impact of the generative AI tool on six human metrics in the workplace: communication, creativity, trust, work satisfaction, belongingness, and organisational citizenship behaviour. Overall findings revealed increased structured creativity, idea sharing and problem solving, but limited improvements to spontaneously generated or original thinking.

Recommended : Avanade Launches New Generative AI Services!

 

Key findings from Avanade study on workplace fears of AI

The Avanade study sheds light on how familiarity with generative AI is alleviating workplace fears, leading to greater acceptance and integration. Here are key findings from the Avanade study…

Communication

Initially, 72% of employees were apprehensive about how Copilot for Microsoft 365 would handle meeting transcriptions. By the end of the study, 45% of employees felt less cautious about their communications, reflecting a shift towards more open dialogue as familiarity with the tool grew.

Creativity and Innovation

Avanade observed a 2% increase in overall creativity and innovation, with the score rising to 82%. Acceptance of new working methods improved from 80% to 89%. However, there was a slight decrease in preference for tasks requiring original thinking.

Trust

The study found that 88% of employees felt Copilot for Microsoft 365 aligned with corporate values, while 65% believed it matched their personal values. Satisfaction with the tool’s assistance was at 75%, but concerns about transparency (78%) and accountability (65%) highlighted the need for clearer decision-making processes and governance.

Recommended : Avanade + Accenture : 19th Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Work Satisfaction

After implementing Copilot for Microsoft 365, 85% of employees reported a strong sense of accomplishment, and 80% remained engaged with their tasks. This suggests that the tool integrated smoothly into daily workflows without diminishing job satisfaction.

Belongingness

Team cohesion levels remained stable, with 85% of employees feeling consistent support from colleagues. Nevertheless, there was a 2% decline in the sense of belonging and team collaboration, indicating potential areas for improvement.Its seamless integration into Zoom Workplace not only provides a unified platform for communication and collaboration, it also ensures that users can access all their tools and documents in one place, streamlining workflows and enhancing overall efficiency.

Organisational Citizenship Behaviour

The study showed an increase in technological adaptability to 86%, suggesting that Copilot for Microsoft 365 promotes technical skill development. Altruism and courtesy remained steady at 88%, indicating the tool did not negatively impact the collaborative and supportive culture of the organization.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Zoom Docs transforms collaboration + meeting efficiency with AI

Discover how Zoom Docs, the new AI-driven tool from Zoom, transforms team collaboration, document creation, and project planning for enhanced meeting effectiveness.

 

Zoom Docs transforms collaboration + meeting efficiency with AI

On August 5, 2024, Zoom officially launched Zoom Docs, a new AI-first solution designed to revolutionise the way teams collaborate and manage documents. As part of Zoom Workplace, this collaborative document solution with generative AI aims to enhance meeting effectiveness and streamline project planning.

Zoom Docs is our first Zoom Workplace product with generative AI built in from the ground up; it effortlessly transforms information from Zoom Meetings into actionable documents and knowledge bases, so teams can stay focused on meaningful work.

Zoom Docs is included at no additional cost with Zoom Workplace paid licenses, creating even more value for our customers. With AI Companion available every step of the way, Zoom Docs is purpose-built to empower people to ‘work happy’ and give them more time back in their day.

– Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom

Recommended : Synology Computex 2024 Showcase + Interview!

Zoom Docs represents a significant advancement in collaborative technology, combining the power of AI with the versatility of Zoom Workplace. Here is how it offers businesses a cutting-edge solution for enhancing team collaboration and productivity.

AI-Driven Document Creation

Zoom Docs leverages advanced artificial intelligence to assist in creating documents quickly and accurately. ith features like content generation, automated editing suggestions, and optimized formatting, users can create and refine documents faster and more accurately. The AI assists in structuring content, suggesting improvements, and ensuring consistency, making document management simpler and more effective.

Enhanced Team Collaboration

Thanks to its AI Companion, teams can collaborate in real-time on documents, share feedback instantly, and track changes seamlessly. The integration of AI tools facilitates smoother collaboration by automating routine tasks, highlighting important changes, and ensuring that all team members are on the same page.

Recommended : Avanade + Accenture : 19th Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Streamlined Project Planning

Zoom Docs supports comprehensive project planning by providing tools for task management, scheduling, and progress tracking. AI-driven insights help teams prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and allocate resources efficiently. This streamlined approach to project planning ensures that teams can stay organized and focused on achieving their goals.

Benefits for Meeting Efficiency

Meeting productivity is enhanced by allowing participants to access and edit documents directly within the Zoom meeting platform. This integration reduces the need for switching between applications, saving time and improving focus during meetings.

Seamless Integration Into Zoom Workplace

Its seamless integration into Zoom Workplace not only provides a unified platform for communication and collaboration, it also ensures that users can access all their tools and documents in one place, streamlining workflows and enhancing overall efficiency.

Recommended : US Bans Kaspersky Software Over National Security Risk!

 

Zoom Docs with AI Companion Price + Availability

Zoom Docs is available beginning today for users of the Zoom Workplace app, version 6.1.6 or later, which can be downloaded from the Zoom website. It can also be accessed from the Docs web homepage or the Zoom Web App.

Zoom Docs with AI Companion is included with all paid Zoom Workplace plans*. Basic (free) users can create up to 10 shared docs and unlimited personal docs without AI Companion but can upgrade to Zoom Workplace Pro, Business, or Enterprise plans for access to AI Companion capabilities across Zoom Workplace, including Docs. Account owners and admins may enable or disable AI Companion.

*Note: AI Companion is included at no additional cost with the paid services assigned to Zoom accounts. However, it may not be available for all regions and industry verticals.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is Stallone opening anti-woke coffee shops to counter Starbucks?!

Is Sylvester Stallone opening a chain of anti-woke coffee shops to counter Starbucks?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Stallone is opening anti-woke coffee shops to counter Starbucks!

Some websites are claiming that Sylvester Stallone is opening a chain of anti-woke coffee shops called Knockout Brews to counter Starbucks!

Top News In USA / Animal News / Food News : Breaking: Sylvest​er Stallone to Open Ch​ain of Anti-Woke Coffee Shops to Com​pete with Starb​ucks

2024 News : Breaking: Sylvester Stallone to Open Chains of Anti-Woke Coffee Shops to Counter Starbucks

Here is an excerpt from those articles, which is extremely long and (intentionally?) confusing. So feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

In a bold move that melds celebrity entrepreneurship with cultural commentary, Sylvester Stallone has announced his plans to open a chain of coffee shops, envisioned as a direct counter to Starbucks, focusing on a ‘no-nonsense’, traditional coffee experience. This new venture, dubbed “Knockout Brews,” aims to offer an alternative to what Stallone describes as the “overly politicized atmosphere” of mainstream coffee chains.

Recommended : Did Sylvester Stallone just die suddenly in hospital?!

 

Truth : Stallone is not opening anti-woke coffee shops to counter Starbucks!

This is yet another example of fake news created to generate page views / ad revenue, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Slyvester Stallone is not opening any coffee shop

Let me start by pointing out Sylvester Stallone is not opening any coffee shop, much less a chain of them to compete with Starbucks.

We know that for sure because he never mentioned opening a coffee shop even once in his official website, or official social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter), where he shares personal photos and highlights, as well as his latest ventures and projects.

In addition, such a major venture would have been covered widely, not just by celebrity websites and blogs, but also the mainstream media across the world. Why would such a momentous decision only be covered by some unknown websites???

Simple answer is – it was all made up! Sylvester Stallone isn’t opening up any coffee shop, much less a whole chain of them to compete with Starbucks, which has over 38,000 outlets globally!

Unsurprisingly, none of those websites ever provided any evidence to back up their claims, not even a photo of the announcement event.

Recommended : Did LAPD Say Matthew Perry Was Murdered By Friends?!

Fact #2 : They Were AI-Generated

I also ran the text through generative AI detectors, and they all confirmed that the “article” about Sylvester Stallone opening anti-woke coffee shops were created using AI writing tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.

QuillBot : 100% of text is likely AI-generated

Scribbr : 80% chance your text is generated by AI

ZeroGPT : 78.76% your text is AI/GPT generated

Copyleaks : AI content detected

Undetectable AI : Your content is detected as written by AI

Thanks to the ease in creating large amounts of text using generative AI, it appears that many people are creating these nonsensical websites filled with fake stories to generate page views, and ad revenue.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | CelebrityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

Is Microsoft or CrowdStrike to blame for the global IT outage of Windows-based systems?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Microsoft Is Responsible For Global IT Outrage, Not CrowdStrike!

On Friday, 19 July 2024 – a day that will live in digital infamy, businesses and organisations worldwide were hit by an IT outage on their Windows-based systems. Inevitably, some people are blaming Microsoft for this debacle…

Circulating on WhatsApp : Very interesting to see how the media is playing down on the disaster.

Question remains “Not sure how microsoft is going to rollback the update or to install the patch as affected pcs have locked themselves out.”

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

 

Truth : CrowdStrike, Not Microsoft, Is Responsible For Global IT Outrage!

This appears to be complete misunderstanding of the global IT outage that’s happening only to systems and cloud services based on Microsoft Windows, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Global IT Outage Caused By CrowdStrike, Not Microsoft

Let me start by simply pointing out that the global IT outrage that started on Friday, 19 July 2024, was caused by CrowdStrike, not Microsoft.

Soon after the outage occurred, CrowdStrike announced (and again) that it was caused by a bug in an update to its Falcon threat detection system.

The IT outage notably did not affect all Microsoft customers and users, only those who purchased and installed CrowdStrike Falcon, which is an “endpoint detection and response” software. This kind of software is designed for large organisations, and that is why this global IT outage is mainly affecting those organisations.

The scale is massive, because CrowdStrike is a leading provider of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software. However, home users and small business users are not affected, because they rely on the built-in Windows Defender software, or consumer-grade software from the likes of Norton and McAfee.

Blaming Microsoft for the buggy update that CrowdStrike issued would be like blaming BMW for defective third-party tyres that leak air, and asking the automotive company to replace or fix those tyres.

Fact #2 : Microsoft Denies Responsibility For Global IT Outage

A Microsoft spokesperson has officially denied responsibility for the global IT outage caused by the CrowdStrike update:

CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally. Microsoft does not have oversight into updates that CrowdStrike makes in its systems.

Recommended : Will Microsoft Disable Your Computer If You Share Fake News?!

Fact #3 : Global IT Outage Caused By Bug In CrowdStrike Update

As CrowdStrike explained (and again), the infamous Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) that is caused by a bug in an update meant for Windows-based systems.

The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This was not a cyberattack.

We are working closely with impacted customers and partners to ensure that all systems are restored, so you can deliver the services your customers rely on.

CrowdStrike further confirmed that the buggy code was introduced in a single channel file – C-00000291.sys, with the timestamp of 0409 UTC.

As former Google engineer Arpit Bhayani explained, the buggy code was trying to access an invalid memory location, triggering a panic and causing the BSOD.

I saw many engineers blaming the outage on Microsoft 🤦‍♂️ SWEs blaming without knowing the root cause is concerning.

It is not Microsoft, it is Crowdstrike who released an update for Windows that had a bug. The patch runs in Kernel mode to monitor system activity at a low level.

Because it was running in Kernel mode, the buggy code was trying to access an invalid memory location that triggered a panic and which showed Blue Screen of Death.

The name of the driver file that had the buggy update is “C-00000291.sys”, deleting it fixes the issue and unfortunately this needs to be done manually.

Microsoft has nothing to do with it.

Deleting the file, or replacing it with the previous or newer version, fixes the problem. However, it has to be done manually, as the affected computers and servers have “bricked” and cannot be remotely accessed.

Recommended : US Bans Kaspersky Software Over National Security Risk!

Fact #4 : Microsoft Is Supposed To Vet Driver Updates

While Microsoft may not be responsible for the bug in the CrowdStrike update, some cybersecurity experts believe that it may hold some responsibility.

Costin Raiu who worked at Kaspersky for 23 years and led its threat intelligence team, says that Microsoft is supposed to vet the code and cryptographically sign it. This suggests that Microsoft may have also missed the buggy code in the CrowdStrike Falcon kernel driver update.

It’s surprising that with the extreme attention paid to driver updates, this still happened. One simple driver can bring down everything. Which is what we saw here.

Raiu also noted that past updates to Kaspersky and Microsoft’s own Windows Defender antivirus software have also triggered similar Blue Screen of Death crashes in previous years.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | CybersecurityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Please watch out for the Elon Musk Bitcoin and Ethereum giveaway scam, and warn your family and friends!

Last updated @ 2024-07-17 : Added new scam website domains
First posted @ 2024-05-07

 

Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway : What Is It?

People are sharing posts by Tesla Event (archive), and other X accounts with similar names (like Tesla News), about Elon Musk giving away cryptocurrency, in the form of 5.000 bitcoins (BTC) and 100.000 ether (ETH).

Great times have come! 🚀

To support crypto community, Elon Musk initiated 5.000 BTC and 100.000 ETH Airdrop!

💰First come, first served: TESLA.domain-removed

Great times have come! 🚀

To support crypto community, We are initiated #BTC and #ETH GiveAway!

💰First come, first served: TESLA.domain-removed

The links lead to a website that looks like a Medium post by Elon Musk, with this message:

Elon Musk — Official ETH and BTC Giveaway

You can visit the website, but do not follow the instructions there, because it’s a scam!

Recommended : Can Scammers Hack Your Phone If You Call Back?!

 

Why Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Is A Scam!

Here are the reasons why the Elon Musk Bitcoin and Ethereum giveaway is a just another scam to cheat you of your hard-earned money!

Fact #1 : Elon Musk Is Not Giving Away BTC / ETH!

First, let me just point out that Elon Musk is not giving away any Bitcoin or Ether. He is a businessman who loves making money, not give it away.

Even his philanthropy appears to be largely self-serving, making him eligible for enormous tax breaks, and helping his businesses. That’s why he’s a billionaire.

There is also no reason why X (formerly Twitter) would ever give away over $600,000 worth of BTC and ETH cryptocurrency, when it is in financial trouble with negative cash flow, and has already lost about half of its value.

Fact #2 : Those Are Fake / Scam Websites

Those websites are fake, pretending to be a Medium post by Elon Musk. There is no such Medium post by Elon Musk.

And think about this – why would Elon Musk post on Medium, when he can post on X (formerly Twitter) – the social medium platform he owns???

The domains are also brand new, and do not belong to X or Tesla, or Elon Musk. In fact, their ownership is being hidden – which is common with scam websites.

  • finance-promotion.com – hidden ownership, registered on 26 February 2024
  • event-promotion.info – hidden ownership, registered on 6 May 2024
  • event-finance.net – hidden ownership, registered on 10 May 2024
  • event-finance.org – hidden ownership, registered on 10 May 2024
  • finance-promo.net – hidden ownership, registered on 18 May 2024
  • finance-foundation.com – hidden ownership, registered on 21 May 2024
  • finance-foundation.net – hidden ownership, registered on 25 May 2024
  • finance-promotion.info – hidden ownership, registered on 9 June 2024
  • finance-promotion.net – hidden ownership, registered on 11 June 2024
  • promotion-finance.net – hidden ownership, registered on 12 June 2024
  • promotion-finance.com – hidden ownership, registered on 14 June 2024
  • promotion-finance.info – hidden ownership, registered on 14 June 2024
  • teslacrypto-finance.org – hidden ownership, registered on 10 July 2024
  • teslacrypto-promo.info – hidden ownership, registered on 13 July 2024
  • teslacrypto-promotion.info – hidden ownership, registered on 16 July 2024

It appears that the scammers will keep switching the same scam website to different domains every time they get exposed.

Recommended : Can SIM swap attack empty bank account without warning?!

Fact #3 : This Is A Double-Up Crypto Scam!

This double-up crypto scam relies on your greed to cheat you of your cryptocurrency.

Instead of giving you BTC or ETH like in a real giveaway, it asks you to send your own BTC or ETH to receive double the amount in return!

To verify your address, just send from 0.05 to 2 BTC to the address below and get from 0.1 to 8 BTC (x2 back)!

That’s utter nonsense. Whatever BTC or ETH you send to those addresses will be lost for good. You will never get it back, never mind get double the amount!

To further tempt you into giving even more bitcoin or ether, the scammers offer special bonuses for large transactions:

If you send from 1+ ETH, you will receive from 2+ ETH back +40% BONUS.

If you send from 3+ ETH, you will receive from 6+ ETH back +60% BONUS.

If you send from 9+ ETH, you will receive from 18+ ETH back +80% BONUS.

If you send from 25+ ETH, you will receive from 50+ ETH back +100% BONUS.

If you send from 40+ ETH, you will receive from 80+ ETH back +200% BONUS.

All that is bullshit. They are just preying on your greed to trick you into sending more cryptocurrency.

Please do NOT send any bitcoin or ether to those addresses. It is a SCAM!

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Crime | CybersecurityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Why QR Code in Air Selangor red tag is not a scam!

Are scammers turning off water supply and using a red Air Selangor tag with a QR code to cheat their victims?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : QR Code On Air Selangor Red Tag Is A Phishing Scam!

People are sharing a photo of a red tag from Air Selangor, claiming or suggesting that scammers are turning off water supply and using the QR code to cheat their victims!

On WhatsApp : A tenant had his water supply suddenly stop so he went out to check and saw this red tag.

This QR leads to a website which at first glance looks like legitimate AS website but it’s not. It’s a scam, like many other imitation website.

Turns out the tap was turned off manually. Air selangor doesn’t operate this way.

Please be alert 🙏🏻

Received from a friend, this could be a similar case of the free water bottle with a QR code scam

Stay alert
Stay Safe

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

 

Truth : QR Code On Air Selangor Red Tag Is Not A Scam!

This is yet another example of fake news circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Air Selangor QR Code Is Legitimate

Let me start by pointing out that the QR code on the Air Selangor red tag that people are sharing on WhatsApp appears to be legitimate.

If you scan the QR code, it will take you to a QR code generator and redirect website called ME-QR, with the link https://qr.me-qr.com/3430619.

Once you click on the Skip advertisement link, it will take you directly to the payment page on the official payment website for Air Selangor – https://crisportal.airselangor.com/pay/

While it is admittedly odd for Air Selangor to use a QR code redirect website (instead of linking the QR code directly to their official website), the redirect eventually leads to their official website, which is not a scam or phishing website.

To avoid confusing people, it would be better for companies like Air Selangor to use QR codes that lead directly to their official websites. There is no reason for companies to use QR code redirect services.

Ultimately, this viral message appears to be a misguided attempt by a wannabe Internet security “expert” to warn people about a QR code scam that does not exist.

Fact #2 : Air Selangor Red Tag Is Legitimate

I should also point out that the Air Selangor red tag is legitimate. Air Selangor confirmed on Friday, 12 July 2024, that it leaves a red tag after shutting off water supply to residences or businesses with unpaid bills.

For example, Malaysian actress Zarina Zainuddin posted a photo (archive) of such a red tag on 24 February 2021, when Air Selangor cut off water supply to her house for outstanding bills.

It appears that these red tags from Air Selangor do not have a QR code in the past, but newer red tags have a QR code to encourage debtors to pay their outstanding bills.

Recommended : Will QR code on free water bottle empty your bank account?!

Fact #3 : QR Code On Water Bottle Was Not A Scam

The viral message appears to refer to a recent viral claim that scammers are giving out free water bottles with a QR code that will empty your bank account.

I investigated that claim in April, and found it to be false as well. That QR code only led to Go Shopping – a mobile shopping app on the Google Play Store, and Apple App Store. Incidentally, those free water bottles have a Go Shopping logo on them…

Fact #4 : QR Code Is Not Malicious In Nature

QR code (which is short for Quick Response code) is not nefarious or malicious in nature.

The QR code is merely a type of two dimensional barcode that was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company, Denso Wave, to track automotive parts. It has since been adopted for other purposes because it is more efficient and can support more than just numbers. For example, Version 40 QR code can contain up to 7,089 numbers or 4,296 characters.

Ultimately, a QR code is nothing more than a series of numbers or characters – data which can be used for a variety of purposes, including providing a link to an online restaurant menu.

While QR codes are not malicious by nature, scammers can and do create fake QR codes to trick people. In Texas, for example, fake QR codes were placed on parking meters to trick drivers into keying their credit card or bank login information in fake (phishing) websites that look like a genuine payment website.

So, the safest way is to manually open the official website for the bank or payment portal you need, instead of using a QR code.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | CybersecurityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Does Bill Gates plan to replace cow milk with maggot milk?!

Does Bill Gates plan to replace cow milk with maggot milk he just launched called EntoMilk?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates plans to replace cow milk with maggot milk!

Some websites are claiming that Bill Gates wants to replace cow milk with maggot milk he just launched called EntoMilk. One website even claimed that Bill Gates ordered governments to replace cow milk with his EntoMilk maggot milk!

Infowars / Alex Jones : DISGUSTING: Bill Gates Wants You To Eat Maggot Milk

The future being created for humanity is deeply disturbing

During Thursday’s edition of The Alex Jones Show, viewers learned about the sick Bill Gates project to feed people maggot milk.

Recommended : Did President Joe Biden Just Die From Medical Emergency?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates does not plan to replace cow milk with maggot milk!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about Bill Gates, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates did not launch any maggot milk

Let me start by pointing out that Bill Gates did not launch a new project or maggot milk product called EntoMilk.

If he did, he would have announced it on his LinkedIn page, or his blog – GatesNotes. It would also have been reported worldwide by the mainstream media, and commented on extensively on social media.

Yet, there has been no official announcement by Bill Gates, nor confirmation through the mainstream media. That’s because it was all made up.

Needless to say – none of those making these claims actually provided any evidence that Bill Gates launched a maggot milk product called EntoMilk.

Fact #2 : Bill Gates did not order governments to replace cow milk

There is also no evidence that Bill Gates ordered governments across the world to replace cow milk with maggot milk.

Unsurprisingly, those who made that claim did not provide any evidence that Bill Gates ordered any government to replace cow milk with maggot milk.

Obviously – no government has announced any plans to replace cow milk with maggot milk…

Fact #3 : Bill & Gates Foundation is not involved with EntoMilk

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also confirmed that it has no involvement with EntoMilk, and claims that EntoMilk is their product is “false”.

Recommended : Did his family admit Joe Biden was replaced by body double?!

Fact #4 : EntoMilk was launched by Gourmet Grubb

EntoMilk was not introduced or launched by Bill Gates, or the Gates Foundation. It was created and launched by Gourmet Grubb – a South African company that started operations in 2017.

Neither Gourmet Grubb, nor EntoMilk, were funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which can be confirmed by the foundation’s portfolio.

Some detractors are pointing to a May 2012 grant the Gates Foundation made to “develop a method for the efficient production of nutritionally dense food using insect species“.

However, that grant was to All Things Bugs, LLC – an American company based in Florida, which has nothing to do with Gourmet Grubb from South Africa, or EntoMilk.

Fact #5 : EntoMilk launched six years ago!

Even more damning – EntoMilk isn’t even new. Gourmet Grubb launched EntoMilk more than 6 years ago! In fact, the official EntoMilk video clip was posted on YouTube on 7 June 2018!

So all those websites or people claiming that EntoMilk was recently launched or introduced aren’t being honest, are they???

Fact #6 : Gourmet Grubb appears to be defunct

Finally, Gourmet Grubb appears to be defunct. Its official website is no longer available, and its domain taken over by other people. Its official Instagram page has also been inactive since 2020.

So why would anyone claim that Bill Gates just launched EntoMilk, when the company making it appears to have shut down 3-4 years ago???

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact CheckHealth | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Did Donald Trump Just Praise HUAWEI + China?!

Did Donald Trump just praise HUAWEI and China in a shocking NBC News interview?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Donald Trump Just Praised HUAWEI + China!

People are sharing a video clip of an NBC News interview on WhatsApp and TikTok, in which Donald Trump praised HUAWEI and China!

You can watch the video below, and here is a transcript of what Trump apparently said in that interview:

NBC : News coming from China that Huawei announced their brand new 5G phone, Mate 60. What do you think, Mr. Trump?

Trump : What do I think? Does the mainstream media care about what I think now? If they ever did, America would be much stronger than it is nowadays.

NBC : People want to hear from you.

Recommended : Did China Airdrop Food Aid To Palestinians In Gaza?!

 

Truth : Donald Trump Did Not Praise HUAWEI + China!

This is yet another example of propaganda created and/or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and/or pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Modified By AI

Let me start by pointing out that the video, in which Donald Trump praised HUAWEI and China, was edited and modified by AI. It was not a very good job, to be honest.

The video creator tried to make the lips match the words, but you can often see the lips move even when Donald Trump and the interviewer stopped talking.

And sometimes you can even see their lips twist or flicker abnormally – glitches in the AI software’s attempt to change the shape of the lips to match the words.

Fact #2 : Audio Was Fabricated Using AI

The audio used in the video was fabricated completely using AI software, but it was also not very well-done.

Donald Trump was speaking too quickly, used long sentences, and actually kept on topic. Trump is notorious for speaking incoherently. He often rambles and loses his train of thought, and going off-script.

If you listen carefully, you can also hear the original audio in the background. It appears that the fake video creator did not completely mute the original audio, but reduced its volume before inserting the fake audio.

The fake video creator also made a lot of grammatical mistakes in fabricating the fake audio. In addition, Trump would also never refer to soccer as football, as the term “football” would refer to what the rest of the world call “American football”.

Recommended : Did US Send 7000 Insects To Destroy Crops In China?!

Fact #3 : Edited Video Used NBC News Interview

We know that both the video was edited, and the audio was fabricated, because NBC News provided the original video and the interview transcript here.

The interview took place in September 2023, and was conducted by Kristen Welker, in her first interview as the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet The Press”.

If you watch the video, or read the transcript, you can see how different the real interview was, compared to the fake video. You can also see how Donald Trump rambles incoherently in real life, and how Kristen Welker keeps telling him to get back to the topic.

Fact #4 : Donald Trump Never Mentioned HUAWEI

In the original interview, Donald Trump did not mention HUAWEI even once. Neither did he talk about computer chips, or Chinese kids learning English. That was all made up.

Fact #5 : Donald Trump Never Praised China

In the original interview, Donald Trump did not praise China. He warned that “China is taking over the world”, and that all electric cars are going to be made in China.

Trump even blamed China for COVID-19, saying that “what China did to the world was so bad”. He also suggested that China should “pay something back” for the damage they “did to the world with Covid”.

Recommended : Are Chinese Students Being Harassed + Banned From US?!

Fact #6 : This Is Just CCP Propaganda

This is really nothing more than yet another example of propaganda created or promoted by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and/or pro-CCP netizens. Here are some other examples I fact-checked recently:

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | PoliticsTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Dr. Fauci + NIH officials earn $150K yearly from mRNA vaccine?!

Are Dr. Anthony Fauci and top NIH officials getting $150K per year in Big Pharma kickbacks from the Moderna mRNA vaccine?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Dr. Fauci + NIH Officials Make $150 Yearly From mRNA Vaccine!

People are sharing a video clip from a Dr. Phil interview, in which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr) claimed or suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and top NIH officials are getting $150,000 per year in Big Pharma kickbacks from the Moderna mRNA vaccine!

Kat A : RFK jr stuns Dr Phil with the level of kickbacks Fauci and the NIH get on the Moderna vaccine.

Not only does the NIH own half of that vaccine, several high level officials under Fauci collect $150000 a year forever as long as that MRNA technology is on the market.

A topic banned from discussion on MSM!

Recommended : Did RFK Jr Conspiracy Theories Turn Out To Be True?!

 

Truth : Dr. Fauci + NIH Officials Do Not Make $150 Yearly From mRNA Vaccine!

This is yet another example of fake news created or promoted by anti-vaccine activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : FDA Does Not Get Payments For Vaccine Approval

Let me start by pointing out that the US FDA does not get payments for approving vaccines.

In the video, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to repeat what his running mate, Nicole Shanahan recently suggested – that the FDA is approving “poorly-tested” vaccines because it’s partly funded by pharmaceutical companies.

That’s simply not true. As I explained in my earlier article, the US Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act in 1992, which requires pharmaceutical companies to pay the US FDA for the time and cost of reviewing the drugs and vaccines for regulatory approval.

The user fee that the FDA charges has no effect on its review process, as those standards are “written into law” and the FDA has to follow those standards, “regardless of the source of funding”.

As long as the FDA meets the review timeline goals, it receives the user fee even if it denies approval for the new drug / vaccine / medical device. So the user fee has no bearing on its approval process.

Recommended : Vaccines poorly-tested because FDA is funded by Big Pharma?!

Fact #2 : FDA Is Different From NIH

In the video, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to confuse the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

When Dr. Phil asked him to confirm his claim that the FDA has been “bought off by Big Pharma”, RFK Jr. appears to have confused the FDA (which is a regulatory agency) with the NIH, which is responsible for biomedical and public health research.

Dr. Phil : The government regulators have been bought off by Big Pharma. I think that’s what you’re saying when you say that this entanglement has occurred. You said agency employees are actually getting royalties, getting payments on vaccines and drugs that they approve. Is that true?

RFK Jr : Yes, there’s a couple of things happening. With FDA, about 50% of the FDA’s budget comes from regulated industries, mainly the pharmaceutical industries. Mainly, you have agency capture on steroids. The principle objective of the FDA today is to serve the market interest of pharmaceutical companies.

For example, the Moderna vaccine. NIH owns half of that vaccine – 50%, so the billions of dollars that the vaccine makes, half of that goes to NIH, the agency. But there is [sic] also individuals, at least four and maybe six, individuals who work for NIH, who are high-level deputies under Anthony Fauci, who get to collect $150,000 a year forever, not just for their lives, but their children’s. So long as that mRNA technology is on the market, they are going to be making money from. That is a conflict.

To be clear – the FDA regulates food, drugs, and medical devices, but it does not receive royalties as it does not conduct research. On the other hand, the NIH conducts research and receives royalties for the technologies it develops, but it does not review or approve new drugs or vaccines.

If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cannot differentiate between the FDA and the NIH, how much stock should we put into his wild claims???

Recommended : FDA Now Allows Experiments On People Without Consent?!

Fact #3 : NIH Owns Patents Licensed By Moderna

Moderna licensed two technologies developed at the NIH for use in its mRNA vaccine for COVID-19. Those patents are owned by the US government, and not the individual inventors working at the NIH.

Moderna reported in its financial reports that it paid a “catch-up royalty payment of $400 million to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases“, which is one of the NIH’s 27 institutes and centres, but this payment is also split between NIH, Dartmouth College, and the Scripps Research Institute.

By the end of 2021, seven other pharmaceutical companies (including BioNTech) also paid those same three institutions for using the same techniques in their COVID-19 vaccines.

Moderna also revealed in its financial report, that it would also pay the NIAID “low single-digit royalties on future net sales, a minimum annual royalty payment, and certain contingent development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments“.

Fact #4 : Anthony Fauci Is Not Named In mRNA-Related Patents

Six NIAID scientists are listed as inventors on those two patent applications licensed by Moderna for its mRNA vaccine. They would profit financially from the Moderna mRNA vaccine, as the Federal Technology Act of 1986 requires government agencies that licence inventions to share some of the royalty money with those inventors.

However, Dr. Anthony Fauci is not one of those six NIAID scientists named on the two patent applications. Dr. Anthony Fauci holds six patents, but none are related to mRNA, and all six patents predate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, claims or suggestions that Dr. Anthony Fauci financially benefitted from the two NIH patents used in the Moderna mRNA vaccine appear to be completely untrue.

Fact #5 : Patent Protection Only Lasts 20 Years

In the video, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that NIH officials would receive $150,000 per year forever – not only during their lifetime but also their children’s.

That is rather absurd as patent protection generally lasts only 20 years in the United States. There won’t be a need to licence for any pharmaceutical companies to licence those two patents from the NIAID / NIH for future mRNA vaccines after patent protection expires 20 years later.

In other words – those inventors in NIH can only expect to receive royalty payments for a maximum of 20 years, not forever…

Recommended : Did study find Long COVID patients all received mRNA vaccine?!

Fact #6 : NIH Inventor Royalty Is Limited To $150,000 Per Year

This isn’t the first time Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that top NIH officials are being paid $150,000 a year for life for the Moderna mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. Back in March 2021, RFK Jr. made similar claims in a NewsGuard interview.

The Moderna vaccine—his agency owns half, but six of the top guys who work for him own pieces of that patent, so they will each get $150,000 a year for life for every patent that they own.

However, he never provided any evidence – then or now, that Dr. Anthony Fauci, or any top NIH official are actually receiving $150,000 per year from the Moderna mRNA vaccine patents.

The truth is – the $150,000 per year figure is the official limit on royalty that any scientist may receive from all inventions while working at the NIH. As NIAID spokesperson Jennifer Routh explained in February 2021:

[In NIH licensing agreements,] the first $2,000 of royalties received under a license go to the inventor, and then at least 15 percent thereafter per year are shared with the inventors as a group under that license. Inventors are capped at $150,000 per year per person from all licenses. Very few NIH inventors receive that amount.”

In other words – even if an NIH scientist invents ten groundbreaking drug that makes BILLIONS each for the NIH, he/she is only entitled to $150,000 per year for all ten drugs.

While it is plausible that the six NIH scientists listed in the two patents used by Moderna and other pharmaceutical companies may receive $150,000 per year, there is still no actual evidence that they actually received that much.

But to be clear – the only people getting this royalty money are the scientists whose names are listed in the patent applications, and simply “top NIH officials”.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Avanade + Accenture : 19th Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Avanade and Accenture have just been recognised for a record 19th time as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year! Here is what you need to know…

 

Avanade + Accenture Celebrate 19th Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

On June 26, 2024, both Avanade and Accenture were recognised by Microsoft as its Global SI Partner of the Year for a record 19th time.

This accolade underscores both companies’ nearly 25-year partnership with Microsoft, and commitment to delivering cutting-edge innovation, world-class capabilities, and transformative client value.

Avanade and Accenture were also named Microsoft’s first-ever Global Business Transformation Partner of the Year for Copilot, recognizing their leading expertise in deploying and leveraging Copilot across the Microsoft ecosystem and driving substantial value with generative AI for organizations worldwide.

Recommended : Synology Computex 2024 Showcase + Interview!

Pam Maynard, CEO of Avanade, commented, “This is an incredible honor, one that confirms our commitment to creating value for our clients. In addition to our record-breaking 19th Partner of the Year win and receiving more global industry wins and finalist recognitions than ever before, it’s notable to be named the winner of the inaugural Copilot Transformation award, which highlights our close alignment with Microsoft on AI from the earliest days of Copilot’s development and deployment. As we look ahead to the opportunities offered by an ‘AI-first’ world, we will continue to leverage the expertise and insights of our global team to expand what’s possible with Microsoft technologies.”

Here in Malaysia Avanade unveiled its first generative AI lab for Southeast Asia last year, following the launch of its first Malaysian Digital Innovation Studio in Kuala Lumpur located at the Tun Razak Exchange in 2022.

Recommended : NVIDIA Computex 2024 Keynote Live Coverage!

“Our recognition as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year for the 19th time underscores the exceptional value our partnership with Microsoft and Avanade delivers to our clients,” said Chris Howarth, senior managing director and Accenture Microsoft Business Group lead. “By leveraging Microsoft Copilot and advanced generative AI technologies, we are not only enhancing our service offerings but also creating new opportunities for our clients to innovate and accelerate growth in their respective markets. This strategic focus empowers them to harness the full potential of their digital transformation, driving significant business outcomes.”

Both Avanade and Accenture have been at the forefront of developing AI solutions in collaboration with Microsoft for over a decade, most recently pioneering with generative AI application. As early adopters of Copilot, they have also played a critical role in previewing, developing, and deploying the full suite of Microsoft Copilots, enabling them to have market-leading offerings available on day-one of general availability.

Avanade and Accenture have continued this momentum with the rollout of industry-specific Copilots and Microsoft Agents for Copilot, showcased at Microsoft Build in May 2024.

This year, Avanade and Accenture received more Global Industry awards and finalist recognitions than ever before, including wins across Retail & Consumer Goods, Media & Telco, and Mobility & Transportation. They were also recognized as a winner or finalist in every Business Applications category.

Overall, Avanade and Accenture have been honored as winners in seven global categories:

  • Global System Integrator (GSI)
  • Global Business Transformation | Copilot
  • Global Industry | Retail & Consumer Goods
  • Global Industry | Media & Telco
  • Global Industry | Automotive, Mobility & Transportation
  • Global SAP RISE on Microsoft Cloud
  • Global Dynamics 365 Sales & Customer Insights

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Does WEF Want To Restrict People From Washing Clothes?!

Did the WEF issue guidelines restricting people from washing their clothes?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WEF Wants To Restrict People From Washing Clothes!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that the WEF issued guidelines restricting people from washing their clothes!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Klaus Schwab Wants To Ban People Washing Their Pants More Than Once Per Month

Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued guidelines regarding how often the public should be allowed to wash their clothes, including underwear and gym clothes.

Recommended : Did 13 Nations Sign WEF Agreement To Destroy Food Supply?!

 

Truth : WEF Is Not Restricting People From Washing Clothes!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WEF Did Not issue Any Guidelines On Washing Clothes

First, let me just point out that the World Economic Forum (WEF) did not issue any guidelines on how often people should wash their clothes. The WEF certainly did not restrict people from washing underwear or gym clothes!

If the WEF actually issued such guidelines, or even attempt to restrict people from washing their clothes, it would have been reported widely. Yet there has been no report of such a restriction anywhere by any reputable media outlet. That’s because it was all made up!

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

Fact #2 : WEF Video Was About What Scientists Are Saying

The People’s Voice article is based on a WEF video called “Scientists Are Urging Us To Wash Our Clothes Less To Help The Planet“.

If you watch the video, you will realise that it is merely telling us what scientists at the Society of Chemical Industry are saying about the impact of washing clothes on CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, and the waste it introduces into waterways.

Scientists are urging us to wash our clothes less to help the planet because Landry has a “huge environmental impact”.

As you can tell, the WEF video isn’t about restricting people from washing their clothes, it’s about educating them on the impact that washing clothes too often can have.

Recommended : Is Klaus Schwab Facing Death Penalty By ICC?!

Fact #3 : Video Was Posted Almost 3 Years Ago!

The People’s Voice article appears to suggest that this happened recently, I should point out that the WEF posted its video almost 3 years ago – on 29 September 2021.

It must either be a really slow day at The People’s Voice, or it took them more than two years to realise this…

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!