Being good enough to qualify to play even on the outside courts of Wimbledon is much, much harder that people think. CC-licensed photo by Nic Gould on Flickr.
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It’s Friday, so there’s another post due at the Social Warming Substack at about 0845 UK time.
A selection of 9 links for you. Advantageous. I’m @charlesarthur on Twitter. On Threads: charles_arthur. On Mastodon: https://newsie.social/@charlesarthur. Observations and links welcome.
ID verification service for TikTok, Uber, X exposed driver licences • 404 Media
Joseph Cox:
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A company that verifies the identities of TikTok, Uber, and X users, sometimes by processing photographs of their faces and pictures of their drivers’ licenses, exposed a set of administrative credentials online for more than a year potentially allowing hackers to access that sensitive data, according to screenshots and data obtained by 404 Media.
The Israel-based company, called AU10TIX, offers what it describes on its website as “full-service identity verification solutions.” This includes verifying peoples’ identity documents, conducting “liveness detection” in a real-time video stream with the user, and performing age verification, where a service will predict how old someone is based on their uploaded photo. AU10TIX also includes the logos of other companies on its site, such as Fiverr, PayPal, Coinbase, LinkedIn, and Upwork, some of which confirmed to 404 Media they are active or former AU10TIX clients.
The news comes as more social networks and pornography sites move towards an identity or age verification model, in which users are required to upload their real identity documents in order to access certain services. The breach highlights that identity services could themselves become a target for hackers. The cybersecurity researcher did not distribute the data beyond providing screenshots and some data to 404 Media for verification purposes.
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On the basis that there are only two classes of companies – those which have been hacked, and those which are going to be hacked – this was absolutely certain to happen, and will happen again. It’s totally the problem with age verification systems that rely on centralised repositories.
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ISS astronauts forced to take shelter after Russian satellite mysteriously disintegrates • Gizmodo
Passant Rabie:
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On Wednesday, space-tracking firm LeoLabs detected a debris cloud forming after a non-operational satellite broke apart in low Earth orbit. The Russian-owned decommissioned satellite, called RESURS-P1, broke apart around 12 p.m. ET on June 26, resulting in more than 100 pieces of trackable debris, according to U.S. Space Command.
The satellite weighs, or rather it used to weigh, around 13,200 pounds (6,000 kilograms) and was in a nearly circular orbit at an altitude of 220 miles (355 kilometers) above Earth when it fell apart, according to LeoLabs. The ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers); accordingly, astronauts on board the space station were ordered to shelter in place as a precautionary measure, NASA wrote on X.
“Mission Control continued to monitor the path of the debris, and after about an hour, the crew was cleared to exit their spacecraft and the station resumed normal operations,” the space agency added. The U.S. Space Command also confirmed that it “observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain.”
In 2021, Russia drew widespread criticism when it purposely destroyed a defunct Soviet-era satellite in low Earth orbit in an anti-satellite test, producing thousands of pieces of debris. At the time, fragments from the satellite also forced astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS to seek shelter. NASA condemned Russia’s ASAT missile test, calling it “reckless and dangerous,” and the United Nations adopted a resolution against tests of anti-satellite (ASAT) missile systems, with Russia and China voting against it.
The most recent breakup of the defunct Russian satellite raises suspicion that this may have been the result of yet another anti-missile test. Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell took to X to speculate on the reason behind the satellite falling apart, suggesting it may have been the result of a small impact or the explosion of an onboard battery. He also did not rule out that it may have been an anti-missile test.
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‘I’m good, I promise’: the loneliness of the low-ranking tennis player • The Guardian
Conor Niland was a professional tennis player, reaching a career high ranking of 127:
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I spent all of September 2005 – including my 24th birthday – alone in Switzerland, playing four week-long tournaments back to back. After 20 matches and with two trophies under my belt, I was ready for a rest. But I had already entered a tournament in Edinburgh – not knowing Switzerland would be quite so intense – for my ninth tournament in 10 weeks.
I phoned Mum from the airport in Geneva, telling her I was tired and would skip Edinburgh and fly home instead. She wasn’t having that. “This is your job now, Conor,” she said. “You can’t just not turn up because you’re tired.” I remembered my friend and one-time tennis partner Pat Briaud’s words: “Your parents don’t mess around.” I turned up and made the semi-final, losing a feisty two-and-a-half-hour match to Britain’s Jamie Baker. It was my 24th match in five weeks. Exhausted, I collected my prize money: $480, before 20% tax.
This is your job now, Conor.
There are three tiers in the hierarchy of men’s professional tennis. The ATP Tour is the sport’s top division, the preserve of the top 100 male tennis players in the world. The Challenger Tour is populated mainly by players ranked between 100 and 300 in the world. Below that is the Futures tour, tennis’s vast netherworld of more than 2,000 true prospects and hopeless dreamers.
I wasn’t schlepping my way through the lower ranks of the professional tour for the money or the prestige, both of which were in short supply. I, like everyone else, was there to remove myself from the clutches of the lower tiers. The Futures tour sometimes felt like a circle of hell, but in practical terms it’s better understood as purgatory: a liminal space that exists only to be got out of as quickly as possible.
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This is an excellent introduction to life amid the grind for those who may only just scrape into Wimbledon next week. The book from which this is an extract, called The Racket: One Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%, is excellent. Fun fact: only the top 150 (or so) players in the world make a living playing tournaments.
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Executive summary: batteries and secure energy transitions – analysis • International Energy Agency
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Batteries are key to the transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate the pace of energy efficiency through electrification and greater use of renewables in power. In transport, a growing fleet of EVs on the road displaces the need for 8 million barrels of oil per day by 2030 in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, more than the entire oil consumption for road transport in Europe today. In the power sector, battery storage supports transitions away from unabated coal and natural gas, while increasing the efficiency of power systems by reducing losses and congestion in electricity grids. In other sectors, clean electrification enabled by batteries is critical to reduce the use of oil, natural gas and coal.
…Solar PV plus batteries is competitive today with new coal-fired power in India and, in the next couple years, become competitive with new coal in China and new natural gas-fired power in the United States. Even in the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS), which is based on today’s policy settings, the total upfront costs of utility-scale battery storage projects – including the battery plus installation, other components and developer costs – are projected to decline by 40% by 2030. This makes stand-alone battery storage more competitive with natural gas peaker plants, and battery storage paired with solar PV one of the most competitive new sources of electricity.
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That’s an amazing stat: solar plus batteries can compete with coal in India. Technology outdoes commodities.
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Most of Gen Z describe themselves as video content creators • The Washington Post
Taylor Lorenz:
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For the first two decades of the social internet, lurkers ruled. Among Gen Z, they’re in the minority, according to survey data from YouTube.
Tech industry insiders used to cite a rule of thumb stating that only one in ten of an online community’s users generally post new content, with the masses logging on only to consume images, video or other updates. Now younger generations are flipping that divide, a survey by the video platform said.
YouTube found that 65% of Gen Z, which it defined as people between the ages of 14 and 24, describe themselves as video content creators — making lurkers a minority. The finding came from responses from 350 members of Gen Z in the US, out of a wider survey that asked thousands of people about how they spend time online [emphasis added – Overspill Ed], including whether they consider themselves video creators. YouTube did the survey in partnership with research firm SmithGeiger, as part of its annual report on trends on the platform.
YouTube’s report says that after watching videos online, many members of Gen Z respond with videos of their own, uploading their own commentary, reaction videos, deep dives into content posted by others and more. This kind of interaction often develops in response to videos on pop culture topics such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” or the Fallout video game series. Fan-created content can win more watch time than the original source material, the report says.
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When I worked on one daily newspaper I was once asked, in all seriousness, how to calculate a percentage, given two numbers. Here we now get the example of the self-selected and misrepresentative survey. Gen Z are video content creators in that they all have a video camera in their pocket – but so, for that matter, do millennials, Gen Y and boomers.
But it still remains the case that almost everyone consumes more content than they create. It’s why mass media exists.
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Recipe bloggers want Congress to scrutinize Google’s “AI Overviews” • The Washington Post
Will Oremus:
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If you Google “guacamole,” there’s a good chance your top result will be Lisa Bryan’s recipe. Titled “Best Ever Guacamole (Fresh, Easy & Authentic),” it calls for a classic mélange of avocados, Roma tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, onion, lime, jalapeño and sea salt.
That prime placement on a popular search query is Bryan’s meal ticket. But she fears artificial intelligence will soon snatch it away.
A former health-care executive from Southern California, Bryan burned out in her career a decade ago and started posting recipes online for family and friends. Now she runs a food and lifestyle blog called Downshiftology, where she advocates “taking life down a notch” and savoring simple pleasures. She employs a full-time social media manager, has 2.5 million YouTube followers and says her website reaches 130 million people a year.
Hers is a success story made possible in large part by Google Search, which directs millions of people to her blog — with noticeable boosts ahead of the Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo, when searches for guacamole peak. But as Google shifts from traditional search results toward answering users’ questions directly with AI, independent web publishers like Bryan fear for their livelihoods.
Now the bloggers are taking their case to Congress. On Wednesday, they staged an “Independents’ Day” lobbying push on Capitol Hill. The push is being organized by a company called Raptive, which handles advertising and marketing for online publishers and helps them rank highly in search results — giving it a vested interest in beating back AI.
Bryan is among thousands who signed onto an open letter to Congress from Raptive CEO Michael Sanchez urging scrutiny of Google’s “AI Overviews.” Several of those creators will also meet with staffers and lawmakers from their home states.
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AI-generated Al Michaels to deliver Paris Olympics highlights on NBC • The New York Times
John Koblin:
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This year, highlights from the Summer Olympics will be brought to you by artificial intelligence — and more specifically, the A.I.-generated narration of Al Michaels.
Executives at NBCUniversal and the streaming service Peacock said on Wednesday that a customized, daily highlight reel for the Olympics would be available to streaming subscribers. The reel will feature the voice of Mr. Michaels, the 79-year-old American broadcaster, who first covered the Olympics decades ago.
Mr. Michaels, however, will not be holing up in a broadcast booth each night to briefly summarize the dozens of Olympic events that took place. Instead, Peacock’s program has been trained from Mr. Michaels’s NBC clips — he joined the network in 2006 and was its longtime “Sunday Night Football” announcer — to formulate coherent, realistic-sounding sentences, which “will provide his signature expertise and elocution,” the company said.
Mr. Michaels granted approval for the use of his voice. “When I was approached about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” Mr. Michaels said in a statement issued by the company. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, ‘I’m in.’”
It does raise a key question, one that recalls Mr. Michaels’s most famous Olympic call: do NBCUniversal executives believe in miracles?
NBC has been exclusively broadcasting the Olympics in the United States since 1996, and the network frequently finds itself subject to intense public scrutiny for its coverage of the Games.
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No idea why the line about “miracles” is stuck in there: it isn’t referenced further. But obviously it’s a lot easier on commentators if they don’t have to be involved. How the script emerges isn’t specified – one presumes a human writes it, rather than the AI “watching” the video.
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A Supreme Court justice is why you can’t buy a car right now • The Big Newsletter
Matt Stoller:
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Last Wednesday, Americans trying to buy a car were greeted with a troubling message. The system was down. Not everywhere, but at 15,000 of the roughly 18,000 auto dealers in the country, at giant dealers like AutoNation, Sonic Automotive, Penske Automotive Group, Group 1 Automotive, and Lithia Motors. A corporation named CDK Global, which had been taken over by private equity titan Brookfield in 2021, operated a software platform that serves as the nervous system for the car sales industry, what is known as dealer management software. And its DMS was down. [Hacked by a Russian hacker group called Blacksuit.]
DMS helps dealers manage servicing, parts and inventory, vehicle financing, accounting, payroll, insurance information, customer information, completed and pending sales, etc. With that software down, auto dealers are paralyzed. And the system won’t be back up until the end of the month, at the earliest.
…CDK Global is indeed a rudderless organization, as are many private equity backed shops. It is what Americans in the 19th century used to refer to as an absentee owner, supposedly owning property, but unable to do caretaking of it. My guess is that BlackSuit hackers used some rudimentary technique, like cracking a password of 1-2-3-4-5, which is essentially how our nuclear weapons facilities were hacked through a private equity owned software company named Solar Winds in 2021.
It’s easy to get why CDK Global got hacked. What’s harder to understand is why CDK Global is still running the nervous system of most of America’s car sales industry. To get there, we have to go to an antitrust ruling by one of the most important Supreme Court justices of the 20th and early 21st century, Antonin Scalia. Because it was a ruling that allowed CDK Global to maintain its dominant position in the dealer management software industry, even as customers were primed to revolt.
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I’d noted the ransomware attack on the company, but the fact that it’s completely paralysed this system because it’s been allowed to monopolise the market – and allowed is the operative word – is a classic example of business gone wrong.
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Aggregating poll predictions for the UK General Election • Github
Peter Inglesby:
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This summary shows, for each model and each party, the number of seats where that party is predicted to get the most votes.
Note that these totals are indicative of how the parties’ level of support from each model’s prediction, but won’t match the number of seats predicted by each model.
To understand why, imagine two parties and ten constituencies, where a model predicts that party X will get more votes than party Y, and assigns party X a 90% chance of winning. In this case, the model may predict that X will win nine seats and Y one. However, in this summary, we will instead show X with ten and Y with none.
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This is a lot of fun! There have been tons of polls in this election runup and keeping track of them has been difficult, to say the least. This lets you scan across and see where they agree, or disagree.
All it needs is a printable version that you can use on election night, if you’re sober enough for long enough.
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| • Why do social networks drive us a little mad? • Why does angry content seem to dominate what we see? • How much of a role do algorithms play in affecting what we see and do online? • What can we do about it? • Did Facebook have any inkling of what was coming in Myanmar in 2016? Read Social Warming, my latest book, and find answers – and more. |
Errata, corrigenda and ai no corrida: none notified
The Overspill: when there's more that I want to say 