🚫 Dealbreakers

Google's AI guru is quitting, and Microsoft's $69B deal is blocked in the UK

May 1, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE 🗣 The 'godfather of AI' is leaving Google to speak out 🎮 The U.K. is blocking Microsoft's $69B Activision acquisition 🔌 Don't sweat the FBI's warning about public charging ports

UP FIRST The 'godfather of AI' is leaving Google so he can speak openly about the future of artificial intelligence And he's scheduled to speak at an event later this week Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of deep learning technology and developer of many of the techniques that underpin modern AI, is leaving his position as a VP and engineering fellow at Google.   According to the New York Times, Hinton says he decided to leave because he now has fears about the technology that he helped create, and he can't speak openly about them if he remains at Google.   Thus far, Hinton hasn't made any public comments since announcing his departure plans, but there's a good chance we'll hear more from him in the next few days, as he's scheduled to speak live at MIT Technology Review's annual conference, EmTech Digital, on Wednesday. Read more

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT U.K. regulators blocked Microsoft's $69B acquisition of Activision Blizzard But it's not a death sentence. Here's what's likely to happen next Late last week, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked Microsoft's bid to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, citing concerns that the deal could hurt competition in the emerging cloud gaming market.   The decision came as something of a surprise, as Microsoft had anticipated the CMA's cloud gaming concerns and spent the past few months inking deals that would allow Xbox PC games to run on rival cloud gaming services – a move designed to win over regulators. But the CMA says those deals are "too limited in scope" and force gamers to subscribe to specific services or purchase games at specific stores.   So does this mean that Microsoft's acquisition deal is dead? Not quite. The U.K.'s block is certainly a big obstacle, but it's not a death sentence. Microsoft can (and likely will) file an appeal with Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal to nullify the block – which Microsoft argues is based on a flawed understanding of how the cloud gaming market works. However, analysts say it's unlikely the CMA's decision will be reversed.   Ultimately, the U.K.'s ban means two big things. First, it means that the fate of the $69 billion deal now rests in the hands of the EU, which is expected to announce its decision later this month. Second, it means that it's highly unlikely this deal will be complete by the end of 2023 like Microsoft was hoping.   In other words, stay tuned – the biggest deal in the history of gaming is far from over. Read more

SECURITY The FBI says public charging ports are risky. Security experts say otherwise Critics say the FBI's warnings are based on unfounded fears A couple of weeks ago, the FBI issued a warning about public charging ports. "Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels, or shopping centers," it said. "Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead."   This advice was parroted widely by media outlets – including NPR, The Washington Post, and even this very newsletter from Digital Trends.   But here's the thing: those warnings might be nonsense. In the weeks following the FBI's tweet, some security professionals have called out the agency and argued that these so-called "juice jacking" attacks aren't a legitimate concern.   "There are no documented cases of juice jacking ever taking place in the wild," says ArsTechnica's security editor Dan Goodin. "No one in the past five years has demonstrated a viable juice jacking attack on a device running a modern version of iOS or Android."   So while carrying your own charger isn't a bad idea in any case, it seems that it might not be as crucial as the FBI would have you believe. For now, evidence suggests that public charging ports are probably safe to use. Read more

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