The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states are suing Amazon for allegedly maintaining monopoly power that stifles competition. According to geekwire.com, The complaint alleges that Amazon uses “anticompetitive and unfair strategies” that “stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing” against the e-commerce giant. The long-awaited lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, is a test for FTC Chair Lina Khan and those who have targeted Amazon for years over its business practices. Amazon put out a statement denying this, and saying that the government and states were ‘wrong on the facts and the law.’ Stay tuned for a long, intense court battle.
Not surprisingly, the iPhone 16 Pro will join the Pro Max next year in getting the tetraprism telephoto camera. Appleinsider.com reports that the tip comes from well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says the supply chain has been bulking up fast, because demand for the 15 Pro Max with the tetraprism ‘exceeds expectations’, and they are playing catch up. He says the tetraprism camera will grow by around 110% in 2024, amounting to between 70 million and 80 million units.
I apologize in advance for another scary AI story so soon, but the CIA has developed its own ChatGPT type tool to pore over public information. Bloomberg says the CIA’s Open-Source Enterprise division will be releasing the AI tool to US intelligence agencies soon. The tool will allow users to see the original source of the info they are using. The Agency claims with such a flood of data as is available on the net, the tool is needed. They claim the Agency will closely follow US privacy laws.
Google Podcasts app will be sunsetted next year…who knew they even had it? I didn’t. It has been around since 2018 apparently. Engadget.com notes that for those who have used it, the content will be folded into YouTube and YouTube Music. YouTube…which presumably you DID know had podcasts, has 23% of all podcast listeners in the US. Google says podcasters that are on the Google Podcast service will get a ‘simple migration tool’ to move to YouTube Music.
Amazon is getting set to pump $4 billion into AI startup Anthropic. Techcrunch.com reports that Amazon will initially invest $1.25 billion for a minority stake in Anthropic, which like Google’s Bard and Microsoft-backed OpenAI also operates an AI-powered, text analyzing chatbot. As part of the deal, Amazon said it has an option to increase its investment in Anthropic to a total of $4 billion. Google is also invested in Anthropic, as they, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and others scramble to up their game in the latest hot tech. All this breathlessness in the tech sector over AI reminds me of Facebook’s old slogan…’move fast and break things.’ Let’s hope they don’t break humanity.
Meta is preparing to bow a generative AI chatbot they are calling ‘Gen AI Personas’ internally. The chatbots are aimed at young users. According to the Wall Street Journal, we’ll hear more about the chatbots at Meta’s Wednesday event. The platform hopes to woo younger users with more colorful behavior, following ChatGPT’s rise over the last year as one of the fastest-growing apps ever. Similar, but more generally targeted, Meta chatbot personas have already been reportedly tested on Instagram. One of the chatbots is a so-called ‘sassy robot’ persona, inspired by Bender from Futurama. Meta eventually plans to have ‘dozens’ of the chatbots. It remains to be seen if the Gen Z folks…who remain suspicious of Meta’s Facebook and Instagram to an extent…will embrace these new ‘bots.
As more people…including yours truly…test out the latest Apple cameras on the iPhones…especially the 15 Pro Max…Google is planning to drop the Pixel 8 soon with its own camera improvements. 91mobiles.com says that google has a promo video out that highlights some of the controls available in the upcoming Pixel 8 Pro model. Expect Real Tone, Night Sight, Astrophotography, Super Res Zoom, and the ability to swap faces in an image likely through Magic Editor. For videos, Google has added features like Video Boost, Night Sight for low-light videos, Audio Eraser to reduce ambient background sounds, and improved skin tones. It is getting to the point with smartphone cams that really only professional photographers need a hefty DSLR with interchangeable lenses.
Spotify is apparently partnering with some podcasters to use AI to translate the podcasts into Spanish…in the podcasters’ own voices. Theverge.com reports that they are also planning to bow French and German translations in the next few weeks. “By matching the creator’s own voice, Voice Translation gives listeners around the world the power to discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before,” Ziad Sultan, Spotify’s vice president of personalization, said in a statement. This is a rather ominous issue, and one of the reasons SAG-AFTRA is striking. A platform or company cloning your voice and not paying you…and on top of stealing your voice for no compensation, having the ability to make your clone say things you would never say is a huge issue. Copyright may not be enough…Congress and legislatures may need to pass laws protecting the rights of people to their own voices and likenesses.
Amazon unveiled some updated hardware yesterday at an event, and apparently is using AI to make Alexa ‘smarter.’ Theverge.com reports that the online giant showed off the Echo Show 8…the third generation, as well as a new Echo Hub and a forth generation Echo smart speaker. They will have both Thread and Zigbee connectivity, which should make it much easier to connect to whatever smart home gadgets you might decide to add. Amazon is also getting set to ‘supercharge’ Alexa with generative AI. this new and improved Alexa can understand conversational phrases and respond appropriately, interpret context more effectively, and complete multiple requests from one command. Right now, Amazon plans to roll out the updated Alexa slowly via a preview program in ‘the coming months’ and in the US only for now. Amazon did warn as they add features to the generative AI Alexa there may be some point where you will be charged fees for the extra service. Yep…every firm you deal with is giddy with the thought of charging all of us more monthly fees.
Before it was put on hold after the market turned down, Apple and Goldman Sachs were working on a stock trading service for iPhone users. Originally, it was intended to launch in 2022, but after the market slid, Cupertino put the feature on hold. According to 9to5mac.com, Apple doesn’t have current plans to go ahead and launch the stock trading for iPhones, but apparently most of the infrastructure for the service is ‘ready to go’ should they decide to green light it.
Cisco is snapping up cybersecurity firm Splunk for some $28 billion in cash. CNBC says that amounts to about t$157 a share. It is one of the biggest acquisitions by Cisco so far. Splunk is a cybersecurity company that helps enterprises monitor and analyze their data to minimize the risk of hacks and resolve technical issues faster. So far this year, Cisco has been on a bit of a buying spree, picking up Armorblox, Oort, Valtrix, and Lightspin. All of those relate in some way to cyber security as does Splunk.
The Post Office is restarting its program for shipping free COVID tests to US households. Cnet.com reports that the White House is dropping $600 million on getting new at-home kits produced. The USPS has been sending out free COVID-19 tests since January 2022, to the tune of some 20 per household for those that took part. Unlike some complicated government applications, ordering free tests from the Postal Service is simple. It takes less than two minutes to complete a short form asking for your name and mailing address, and the tests ship in about a week or two.
Airbnb is cracking down on fake listings, and says it will now verify all listings in its top 5 countries…the US, Canada, Australia, UK, and France. Going forward, the platform will require hosts to submit information like photos with GPS data. It will start the first batch of top countries later this year, and expand to another 30 countries by next fall. Besides properties that don’t exist, Airbnb is trying to weed out listings that have false information, or owned by someone besides the mentioned host. the platform claims it will give hosts sufficient time to get the information to them for existing properties. If hosts ultimately don’t comply, the company says they will limit their accounts…but hasn’t said they will outright ban them.
Just over a week since Apple grabbed the smartphone limelight with the new iPhone 15’s. Now, Some rumors are emerging about next year’s Samsung Galaxy 24 Ultra. First off, Mashable.com says that Samsung will follow Apple in using titanium in their top smartphone. It is also expected to have sides that are curved, but the screen will be completely flat. An optimized version of the Ultra’s 200 MP primary lens is expected. One rumor has the Ultra getting a beefed up 50MP lens with 3X optical zoom…replacing the present 10MP telephoto. Hopefully, that won’t happen. The Ultra will have a brighter screen…2500 nits to the iPhone’s 2000, and will get a fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. One rumor we never like to hear…pricing will apparently match the new iPhone 15 Pro Max…so start putting away some coin now.
A new study by Recurrent…which has access to data from some 12,500 Tesla cars via its software service…shows how climate can have an impact on battery life. According to electrek.co, it has already been found that frequent Supercharging doesn’t hurt battery life…but how about the climate? We already know that extreme cold hurts battery life due to the need to heat the battery pack. By the same token, the packs need to be cooled in hotter climates. Recurrent found in their study that Tesla vehicles in colder and coastal climates have, on average, a better Range Score than Tesla vehicles in hotter climates in the US: the ones in the colder and coastal areas got a range score of 95, while cars in the hotter areas had a score of 92. In really hot climates, you may see a 20% battery degradation, so plan accordingly. New battery tech is on the horizon, and it’s expected that we will see less climate impact on battery longevity in the future.
Yelp has been catching businesses…over 5,000 so far since 2012…engaging in shady tactics, like paying customers for favorable ratings or hiring people to write phony reviews. Now, the company has a new tool to help people — and maybe the feds — track businesses that have tried to manipulate their standing on the review platform. Techcrunch.com reports that Yelp is releasing a new index that tracks every U.S establishment it’s ever caught engaging in “suspicious” activity to influence its reviews. Are you listening, Amazon and others?
Some details have leaked out ahead of the Pixel Watch 2’s unveiling in October. 9to5google.com reports that the updated smartwatch will include a thermometer, and will have improvements for the wearable versions of Fitbit and Personal Safety. There had already been leaks alluding to an electrodermal activity sensor for stress management and tracking. The thermometer will allow checking skin temperature on demand…unlike the Sense 2, which only tracks temperature variation at night. The Watch 2 will also get an update to personal Safety, including full support for Emergency Sharing…which lets you share your location with trusted emergency contacts.
In a major leak, Microsoft is going to launch an all-digital Xbox Series X with a new diskless cylindrical design, and a new gyro controller. According to engadget.com, the leak came when Microsoft accidentally included the info in some documents uploaded for its court battle with the Federal Trade Commission. The new device isn’t scheduled to drop until a year from now. Time will tell if it will hurt present business, while some players wait for the updated device. Microsoft is reportedly working on another couple of gaming consoles, according to the leak.
In a livestream chat with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Elon Musk said the social network is “moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system” in order to combat “vast armies of bots.” CNBC notes that Musk didn’t say how much a new plan would cost users of the platform, or what extra features they might get for forking over some dough monthly. He claimed that they have 500 million ‘monthly users’ that generate 100 to 200 million posts a day. Humorist Andy Borowitz joked that now X Users will Require Elon Musk to Pay Them to Keep Using It.
Panos Panay, who has been at Microsoft almost 20 years and lately has headed up Surface devices, is reportedly heading to Amazon. Bloomberg reports he will be overseeing hardware products at the online giant. Panay was instrumental in creating the Surface devices and can take credit for a lot of their success. He won’t be on hand Thursday for the Surface and AI event Microsoft is holding in New York City. Panay will apparently stay at Redmond another couple weeks to ease the transition before he heads to Amazon.
Microsoft’s Surface and AI event is coming up this Thursday, September 21st in New York City. Zdnet.com reports that we will likely see a couple new two-in-one surface models, new laptops like the Surface Laptop Studio 2, and the Surface Laptop Go 3 and Go 4, and of course, a big helping of AI-powered features and services. It is thought that during the event, Microsoft will also make some previously announced AI features available for users. The Microsoft event won’t be live-streamed for the public. They plan to put out rolling announcements all day Thursday and into Friday as well.
TikTok has been fined 345 million Euros over privacy settings for kids. According to arstechnica.com, the EU is whacking the platform for the way it processes the personal data of children and teens. What TikTok did was set profiles of kids ages 13-17 to public by default…meaning anyone on or off the platform could view their content and contact them. The EU has been pretty aggressive in policing platform conduct…this year they fined Meta’s Facebook 1.2 billion Euros. As for TikTok, they have 90 days to comply with the ruling to change settings and pay up.
After going on sale along with the other iPhone 15 series handsets at a bit after 5am Friday, the 15 Pro Max sold out to the point that orders after 7:30am were looking at November deliveries. Macrumors.com says that noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo finds that iPhone Pro Max demand has easily outstripped iPhone 14 Pro demand at the same time period a year ago despite the $100 price bump…BUT demand for the iPhone 15 Pro is softer than it was for the 14 Pro so far. Kuo attributes this to the better telephoto lens with 5 power optical zoom. I was able to get in during the first few minutes…and will report on the telephoto zoom probably next week. By the way, the iPhone 15 models are roughly on par with where the 14’s were selling at this same time last year.
The SEC has nicked Lyft to the tune of $10 million for failing to disclose a board member’s role in the sale of almost a half billion worth of private shares before the initial public offering. TechCrunch.com says a Lyft board member director arranged for a shareholder to sell $424 million worth of shares to a special purpose vehicle set up by an investment advisor affiliated with the same director. Neither Lyft nor the SEC has disclosed the name of the director involved, and Lyft had no immediate comment.
SoftBank’s Arm Holdings opened today on the Nasdaq, and opened strongly for its first day of trading…up 10% from the offer price. Reuters.com reports this gives Arm a valuation of nearly $60 billion in its return to public markets after 7 years. The Arm chip architecture is widely used in mobile devices due to the fact that it draws far less power than other chips. Arm licensed tech has been making inroads into the laptop market for the same reason…increased battery life with great performance. SoftBank still held a 90.6% stake in Arm as of this morning.
Ford has generated a fair amount of excitement over its F-150 Lightening electric pickup, but the automaker also builds hybrid F-150’s, too. Now, according to arstechnica.com, Ford has announced it wants to double sales of hybrid F-150 pickups. Up to now, about 10% of F-150’s have been hybrids. The hybrid is actually not a lot more efficient than the regular 3.5 liter V-6, only getting about 4 mpg on the highway, but the automaker feels that other conveniences like 2.4kW onboard AC power…upgradable to 7.2kW will help lure buyers. Ford and other makers also understand that a fair proportion of the public is still nervous about electric vehicles based on ‘range anxiety,’ and worries that there won’t be an EV charging station nearby…so a hybrid you can fill at any gas station is a draw for those not quite ready for a fully electric EV.
Google is extending the time that they will support Chromebooks. The devices will now get 10 years of updates, instead of 8. This, by the way, is the amount of time auto makers have had to support vehicles with parts availability for decades now…and seems reasonable. 9to5google.com says ChromeOS is also adding adaptive charging and energy saver mode. The extended update time frame will apply to all Chromebooks released from 2021 and thereafter, and will kick in next year. Google will also give existing owners (and IT admins, like schools) of Chromebooks released before 2021 the option to “extend automatic updates to 10 years from the platform’s release when they receive their last automatic update.”
The Departments of Energy and Transportation have announced that $100 million in grants to repair or replace malfunctioning or broken EV chargers is now available. Arstechnica.com reports that they are accepting applications for the funding. The $100 million is part of $5 billion the government is putting into a national network of EV chargers by 2027. How about the additional chargers? Well, some of those grants have already been awarded. Trillium Energy Solutions, the tech arm of Love’s Travel Stops has gotten $4.8 million to build out high-speed EV chargers along highways at 4 existing locations in Pennsylvania and another 4 in Colorado.
In a direct shot at UPS and FedEx, Amazon has rolled out ground shipping for sellers. According to geekwire.com, the service for sellers will pick up items directly from their warehouses and deliver them to customers. It is now available in 15 metro areas, and Amazon plans to expand the footprint in the near future. Amazon Shipping is notable in part because it operates independently from the company’s fulfillment network, targeting businesses that would normally use UPS, FedEx or other traditional shipping services. Delivery is promised in 2 to 5 days.
Ring has launched a new Pet Tag accessory that is designed to reunite lost pets with owners. Techcrunch.com reports that it puts a QR code on your pet’s collar that can be scanned. Scanning the QR code will display the information that you have logged in your Pet Profile, such as health conditions, that can help someone who may find your pet best understand your pet’s immediate needs. If you have opted in to the “Contact Me” feature via your pet’s Pet Profile, the person who finds your pet can engage in two-way communication with you to facilitate the return of your pet. There is no GPS functionality nor beacon facility…the sort of thing that you could use if you put an Apple Air Tag on your pet’s collar. Ring’s Pet Tag is much cheaper, though. It’s available for Preorder today at Ring.com or amazon.com for $9.99…considerably less than an Apple Air Tag at $25 if you buy a 4 pack.
Court filings indicate that the Federal Trade Commission believes that the ‘chaotic environment’ Elon Musk created at Twitter…now X…prevented the company from complying with their obligations to the FTC. Twitter had settled with the FTC over the company’s use of deceptive ad targeting under former CEO Jack Dorsey. Engadget.com says the company paid a $150 million fine and signed on to an agreement to implement specific privacy and security measures. It was those additional data protection measures that apparently fell by the wayside once Musk took control, triggering new scrutiny from the regulator. According to the DoJ, Twitter’s former chief privacy officer Damien Kieran said Twitter Blue launched so quickly a “security and privacy review was not conducted in accordance with the company’s process for software development.”
In a bit of blatant borrowing, Hyundai is copying from Tesla’s playbook, planning a new process like Tesla’s ‘Giga Casting.’ Hyundai calls the new process Hypercasting, and according to electrek.co, the company says it will cut costs at the same time it boosts production. The massive machines produce parts much bigger than what the auto industry was used to. Automakers can save much-needed time and resources without the need to bond multiple parts (it can also help reduce the vehicle’s weight). Tesla is said to have reduced costs by about 30% using Giga Casting. Hyundai, which reached a tentative wage pact with its South Korean labor union Tuesday, agreed to a “special agreement for future growth.” The goal is to boost domestic investment to convert existing ICE manufacturing plants into “core manufacturing bases for future vehicles.”
The new S9 SiP Chip is 30% faster than Series 8. Siri requests are now processed on the Watch, making them faster and more secure.
You can ping your iPhone thanks to new Ultra Wideband support. Easier to find your iPhone when you set it down somewhere and forget.
The Watch 9 has double the brightness of Series 8, so the always-on display is more useful. It also darkens down to only 1 nit, so won’t bother if you wear when you sleep.
Series 9 will get a new gesture that only uses the watch hand, and doesn’t need the other. You tap your index finger and thumb together twice. You can use this feature to pick up a call or end a call for example. You can also use it to stop a timer, snooze an alarm, or play and pause music. Double tap will be available next month.
Watch 9 will be available in new Pink aluminum case.
Apple claims the new Watch 9 is 100% carbon neutral, certified by a third party. As predicted, Apple is dropping all leather in Apple accessories. Leather watch bands will be replaced with ‘Fine Woven,’ made of 68% post-consumer content.
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How about the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Well, it also has the new S9 SiP. In addition, it gets the 2nd gen Ultra Wide Band chip. Brightness is up to 3000 nits, so readable in bright sunlight. A night mode activates automatically.
The Ultra still gets 36 hours on a charge.
Apple is crowing about 95% recycled titanium.
The Apple watches…the SE is still available, and is $249. The Series 9 starts at $399. The new Ultra starts at $799. You can order today, they will be available September 22nd.
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The iPhone 15s get the Dynamic Island from the Pros—as expected. Dynamic Island can display a couple different items now.
Peak brightness is up to 2000 nits in bright lights, twice as much as iPhone 14.
Sizes stay the same…6.1” and 6.7”, and they have contoured edges to feel smoother. Color is infused right into the glass on the back. Colors are now pink, yellow, green, blue ,and black.
Apple is using 75% for recycled aluminum in enclosure. 100% recycled cobalt in battery, and 100% recycled copper foil in main logic board and MagSafe charger.
48MP comes to the iPhone 15 main cam. As some Androids, it can merge some of the pixels into one, giving a 24 MP photo with good resolution. They also use the middle pixels to give 2X telephoto…also like some Androids.
Machine learning allows the phone to take a shot in portrait mode automatically if there is a person in it.
The iPhone 15s get the A16 chip from last year’s Pro models.
The battery is bigger than last year’s model…as usual, Apple didn’t specify the actual capacity.
iPhone can connect with other devices up to 3 times further than last year with new generation Ultra Wideband chip.
Audio quality…new machine learning keys in on voice, and you can select a feature to cut down on background noise.
Emergency SOS via satellite. In addition to emergency, they are adding Roadside Assistance via satellite. This will get you help if your car conks out when’re you are somewhere that doesn’t have cell service. It is available from Triple A as part of member service.
Satellite is free for 2 years with iPhone 15.
As expected, USB-C comes to iPhone 15 (since the EU has required it.)
The phones will work with Qi or MagSafe for plug less charging.
iPhone 15 starts at $799, and 15 Plus from $899…no price increase from the 14s.
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iPhone 15 Pro
As expected, the Pro gets grade 5 titanium with a PVD coating. Black, white, blue, and natural finishes for the titanium.
Titanium is stronger and more durable, but lighter in weight. The phones get contoured edges and the thinnest bezels ever.
Sizes stay the same….6.1” for the Pro and 6.7” for the Pro Max as last year. The screens will be a bit bigger due to the smaller bezels.
The mute switch becomes a customizable Action button, as predicted. It is mute by default, but you can chose using it to start recording or launch the camera.
New Standby mode…if you turn the phone on its side while charging, Standby stays on…it can be your digital clock on your nightstand. You can also customize the screen for other information.
The 15s get the A17 Pro chip, which is a 3 nanometer chip…the first in the industry.
The Pros also get the USB-C connector, but it will transfer data much faster.
Apple claims that with their software, and combining cameras, you get the equivalent to 7 cameras.
The Pros get a more advanced 48MP main cam. Larger sensor. Reduces lens flare with new coatings, and better night mode. You can shoot in 24, 28, or 35mm focal lengths. Apple claims double low light performance in Portrait mode.
The Pro Max gets 5x optical zoom at 120mm focal length. 25% larger sensor, and f2.8 aperture…most of any phone this size. It features a ‘tetra-prism’ design and better stability. For macro zoom, it will do a 10x optical zoom.
With 15 Pro you can capture spacial videos, combining two cams to do it. This will be useful mainly for the Vision Pro headset when it comes out early next year.
As for pricing, the Pro remains $999. The Pro Max gets bumped $100 to $1199, but you get an increased 256 gigs storage standard. Preorders Friday Sept 15th, available September 22.
On the eve of the rollout of the latest and greatest Apple iPhones and Watches, Cupertino has cut a deal to extend its use of Qualcomm modems for 3 more years. Good news for Qualcomm, as Apple’s their biggest client. Macrumors.com notes that Apple had been expected to roll out their own custom 5G modem. Now, with this extension, they will continue with Qualcomm through 2026, at least in some models. Apple has been working on their own modem since 2018. It is possible that Apple could start using their own modems and gradually move away from Qualcomm. Qualcomm expects to still supply at least 20% of Apple’s modems by 2026.
We will have a full recap tomorrow of Apple’s iPhone and Watches they show off at their annual event…which starts at 10am Pacific time tomorrow will be streamed on Apple’s web site as well as YouTube.
Google has never made it their policy to be as secretive as Apple with their upcoming products and features. According to androidpolice.com, teaser videos for the Pixel Watch 2…which will be rolled out on October 2nd, show a fair amount. Other leaks indicate that the Watch will have an IP68 rating for water resistance, and will probably feature an EDA sensor to track stress levels, a tech ported over from Fitbit. It also appears from the video to be a bit thinner. Even with those improvements, the Pixel Watch 2 is not expected to be a major upgrade. Android Police called it ‘iterative.’
More pie in the sky from an Elon Musk company? Tesla is reportedly preparing to build a $25,000 electric car built on the company’s next-generation engineering platform. Axios says that Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson has detailed the plan to build a $25,000 electric car alongside an autonomous robotaxi that could ferry passengers around. Here’s the fly in the ointment: the car apparently has a futuristic design like the Cybertruck! Back in 2018 Musk promised a $25,000 car within 3 years. On the other hand, the long-delayed Cybertruck now isn’t slated for full scale production until 2024!
Data breaches and internet hacks bring almost a continuous stream of creepy and disturbing stories. Here’s one that popped up over the weekend. Mashable.com reports that some people who own Wyze security cams logged in to the company web viewer, and were able to look into other peoples’ homes! Apparently, the web pages of some people were ‘cached’ and then accidentally shared with others visiting the site. The merged feeds were caused by ‘a web caching issue’ that only affected desktop users during a 30 minute period on September 8th. Wyze claimed to be working on an immediate fix. The company had already gotten heat for an issue last year where a security flaw allowed hackers to access video storage for 3 years. This creepy leak wasn’t even caused by hackers! Maybe if you have been using Wyze cams, you would be ‘wise’ to dump them and go with another brand!
Clark Reid Tech Report 