Today on Talk That Tech, Trey and J. Smith talk about:

What is AI Voice Cloning

• AI voice cloning is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to create a synthetic copy of a human voice.

AI Powered Music Platform Hooky

• Hooky is a music startup specializing in artist-first voice AI solutions.
• They have their first major partnership with Eric Bellinger

AI Startups Offer Digital Clones for Executives and Teachers

• The development of digital clones using artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize professional roles, particularly for executives and teachers, by enhancing productivity and engagement.

Google has lost a significant antitrust lawsuit in the United States, with a federal judge ruling that the company abused its monopoly power to maintain dominance in the search engine and online advertising markets.

• The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who found that Google maintained its monopoly by paying companies like Apple and Mozilla to make its search engine the default choice on their devices and web browsers.

Intel is facing a class-action lawsuit filed by its shareholders, who allege that the company engaged in securities fraud by concealing critical issues that led to weak second-quarter results.

• The lawsuit claims that Intel misled investors about its business outlook and manufacturing capabilities, particularly in its foundry business, which manufactures chips on contract for other companies.

Personal Advisory Board

A personal advisory board is a group of trusted individuals who provide guidance, support, and diverse perspectives to help you navigate your career and personal life.

Olympics Gemini Ad Fail

• Google faced criticism for an AI ad aired during the Olympics.
• The ad featured Google's Gemini AI helping a girl write a fan letter to hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

TikTok Faces Child Privacy Violation Allegations

DOJ vs. TikTok: Child Data Collection Scandal

• The balance between technological innovation and regulatory compliance.
• The role of social media companies in safeguarding children's privacy.
• Potential impacts on TikToks operations and user trust.

Tech companies take a huge hit on the Nasdaq.

This week, tech companies experienced significant declines in the stock market, driven by various economic concerns and disappointing earnings reports from major firms.

• Nasdaq Enters Correction Territory: The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index fell into correction territory, dropping sharply due to economic worries. This was highlighted by a 2.3% decline on Thursday, followed by a further 2.4% drop on Friday.
• Earnings Reports Impact: Key tech companies like Amazon and Intel reported disappointing earnings and guidance, which contributed to the sell-off. Intel's stock plummeted by approximately 20% in after-hours trading, while Amazon's shares fell by 5% after failing to meet analysts' expectations. Conversely, Apple reported better-than-expected earnings, which provided a slight positive offset.
• Broader Market Impact: The downturn in tech stocks also affected broader market indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 345 points, or 0.9%, on Friday, while the broader market index decreased by almost 1.4%.
• Economic Concerns: Investors' fears of a potential recession were reignited, contributing to the sell-off. The anticipation of the nonfarm payrolls report for July and other economic data added to the market's volatility.

Overall, this week's stock market performance for tech companies was marked by significant losses and heightened volatility, driven by economic concerns and underwhelming earnings reports.rch tools.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike faced worldwide IT disruptions due to a flawed update, which opened the door for cybercriminals to distribute Remcos RAT malware under the guise of providing a hotfix to Latin America-based customers.

The hackers who took advantage of the CrowdStrike outage employed several tactics to exploit the situation:

1. Malware Distribution: Cybercriminals, particularly targeting Latin American customers, distributed a malicious ZIP archive named "crowdstrike-hotfix.zip". This archive contained:
2. A malware loader called Hijack Loader (also known as DOILoader or IDAT Loader)
3. The Remcos RAT (Remote Access Trojan) payload
4. A text file with Spanish instructions urging targets to run an executable
5. Phishing Campaigns: Hackers launched phishing attempts by sending emails posing as CrowdStrike customer support. These emails aimed to deceive users seeking assistance during the outage.
6. Domain Impersonation: Malicious actors quickly set up typosquatting domains to impersonate CrowdStrike. Examples of suspicious domain registrations include 'dstrikeuescreen.]com' and 'crowrike0[.]com'.
7. Social Engineering: Some attackers impersonated CrowdStrike staff or other tech specialists, attempting to obtain login credentials from affected users. They offered fake assistance to exploit the confusion caused by the outage.
8. Fraudulent Services: Cybercriminals advertised services to companies affected by the issue, requesting cryptocurrency payments in return.
9. Fake Software Patches: Attackers distributed counterfeit software patches, claiming to fix the issues caused by the CrowdStrike outage.
10. Targeted Attacks: The campaign primarily focused on Latin America-based CrowdStrike customers, as evidenced by the Spanish-language files and instructions in the malicious ZIP archive.
11. Exploiting IT Professionals: Hackers specifically targeted IT managers and professionals who were frantically trying to resolve the outage issues, as they were more likely to fall for scams promising quick fixes

• Intuit is laying off 1,800 employees while planning to hire the same number of new workers in a major restructuring effort focused on AI (about 10% of their 18,000 workforce).
• Data of nearly all AT&T customers was downloaded from a third-party platform in a security breach in 2022.
• Two octogenarian journalists sued ChatGPT for allegedly stealing and repurposing their work, sparking a broader legal battle over AI-generated content.

Today on Talk That Tech we discuss:

Jeff Bezos selling $5B worth of Amazon shares as companys stock hits all-time high

• Jeff Bezos is selling 25 million Amazon shares worth $5 billion, according to a regulatory filing on the day the tech giants stock hit a record high.
• The proposed sale on Tuesday came as Amazons stock closed at $200 per share, its highest price since Amazons 1997 NASDAQ listing.

Seattle-area EV drivers left searching for fast chargers due to epidemic of cable theft

• Thieves in Seattle have been stealing EV charging cables for their copper content, leaving drivers stranded without the ability to recharge their vehicles.
• This issue has become more prevalent in the last few years, with over 100 cables stolen across the city in the past year alone.

How to Get a Real ID License Before the Deadline

• A new type of drivers license, called Real ID, will be required to board domestic flights in the United States starting from May 7, 2025.

Today on Talk That Tech the Morning Show:

• Amazon has reached a $2 trillion market cap for the first time, joining other tech giants like Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft.
• Bugatti has unveiled its first plug-in hybrid car, the Tourbillon, with 1,800 horsepower, a V16 engine, and a $4 million price tag. Only 250 units will be produced.
• Borderless tech hiring is overtaking the conversation from remote work for technology roles.

Tech talent marketplaces and a digitized workforce are opening up global hiring opportunities beyond traditional boundaries.

The trend of borderless tech hiring has doubled in the last three years, with tech markets in cities like Beijing and Delhi surpassing those in U.S. hubs like San Francisco and New York.