Episode #288: Edwin Kwan: WhatsApp Updates Password Security; Katy Craig: AI Alliance to Compete with Closed Source LLMs; Hillary Coover: 23andMe: Guard Your DNA Data, Protect Your Family; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History

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The stories we’re covering today.

Marcel Brown: December 6, 1994. Apple sues the San Francisco Canyon Company, alleging they helped Intel and Microsoft steal code developed under contract for QuickTime for Windows. Apple was threatening Microsoft with a multi-billion dollar lawsuit that was famously settled by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in 1997. This settlement is now believed to have helped Apple survive long enough to transform themselves in the 2000s, ushering in the mobile device revolution and the new world of technology.

Edwin Kwan: WhatsApp has introduced a new secret code feature, allowing users to add an extra layer of security to their locked chats by setting a custom password. The process of locking chats has been streamlined, utilizing a long-press action for simplicity. WhatsApp aims to enhance privacy and protect sensitive conversations, making it harder for unauthorized access.

Hillary Coover:  In a world where password updates are about as popular as Monday mornings, the recent 23andMe security breach is here to remind us that a little humor won't save our data, but strong password hygiene will. Password 123 is just not going to cut it anymore.

Katy Craig: Big news in AI: IBM and Meta, with over 50 others, including AMD, Intel, and Harvard, have launched the AI Alliance. It's a global coalition challenging the closed AI systems of leaders like OpenAI and Google. The Alliance promotes open innovation and open science in AI, offering an alternative to private AI models.