One name is popping up a lot across tech startup social media right now, and you might’ve heard it: Soham Parekh. On X, people are joking that Parekh is single-handedly holding up all modern digital infrastructure, while others are posting memes about him working in front of a dozen different monitors or filling in for the thousands of people that Microsoft just laid off.
Technology
Little-known camera app on your phone unlocks amazing perk

Have you ever dreamed of being a cool detective that looks for clues with a magnifying glass? Or maybe you just want to make things easier to see through your phone’s camera lens. Our smartphones have loads of helpful apps and features that you may not have even known about. This handy app can turn your smartphone into an instant magnifying glass.
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How to use the Magnifier app on iPhone
- On an iPhone, it’s called The Magnifier and it comes already installed on your phone. Here’s how to locate it and begin using it.
- On your iPhone home screen, tap the Search button at the bottom center
Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Type in Magnifier in the search bar and choose the app at the top

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- The Magnifier app will open automatically and you can use the slider to turn your camera into a magnifying glass

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Use the flashlight icon to add extra light, or adjust other settings like brightness and contrast

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Tap the large circular button to take an image
- Save it to your camera roll by clicking the share button in the top right corner and tapping Save Image

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
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How to use the Magnifier feature for Androids
This option may vary depending on which Android model you have. I tried it on a Samsung model and found that you can add a magnifying glass shortcut to your phone and adjust how zoomed in or out you want your camera to be. Here are the steps to follow:

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Select Visibility enhancements

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Tap Magnifier Window and toggle it on

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Use the slider to adjust how zoomed in and out you want your camera to be

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Then go to where you want to magnify the text and Tap the person icon in the bottom right Then tap the Magnifier window in the pop-up

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- Then you can scroll up and down the page, and anything inside the magnifier window will be enlarged

Kurt “The CyberGuy” Knutsson helps you to make use of a little-known camera app on your phone. (Cyberguy.com)
- To exit out of the Magnifier window function, just click the X above the window
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Android phones have a feature called Safe Browsing, and the purpose of it is to give you alerts about malware, risky extensions, phishing scams, or sites on Google’s list of potentially unsafe websites. (CyberGuy.com)
Kurt’s key takeaways
With The Magnifier app for iPhone and the Magnifier feature for Android, you can easily turn your smartphone into a magnifying glass to make small text and details easier to see.
Give it a try, and let us know how it helps you in your everyday life by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to CyberGuy.com/Newsletter
Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Technology
Meet Soham Parekh, the engineer burning through tech by working at three to four startups simultaneously

From what social media posts suggest, Parekh is actually a software engineer who seems to have interviewed at dozens of tech startups over the years, while also juggling multiple jobs at the same time. Several startups had this revelation on July 2nd, when Suhail Doshi, founder of the AI design tool Playground, posted a PSA on X, saying:
PSA: there’s a guy named Soham Parekh (in India) who works at 3-4 startups at the same time. He’s been preying on YC companies and more. Beware.
I fired this guy in his first week and told him to stop lying / scamming people. He hasn’t stopped a year later. No more excuses.
Doshi’s post was quickly flooded with replies that included similar stories. “We interviewed this guy too, but caught this during references checks,” Variant founder Ben South said. “Turns out he had 5-6 profiles each with 5+ places he actually worked at.” When asked what tipped him off about Parekh, South told The Verge that his suspicions arose during Parekh’s interview, prompting his team to do a reference check earlier than they usually would. “That’s when we learned he was working multiple jobs,” South said.
Parekh’s resume and pitch email look good at first glance, which helps him garner interest from multiple companies. “He had a prolific GitHub contribution graph and prior startup experience,” Marcus Lowe, founder of the AI app builder Create, told The Verge. “He was also extremely technically strong during our interview process.”
Just one day after this all unfolded, Parekh came forward in an interview with the daily tech show TBPN. Parekh confirmed what many tech startup founders had suspected: he had been working for multiple companies at the same time. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done. That’s not something I endorse either. But no one really likes to work 140 hours a week, I had to do it out of necessity,” Parekh said. “I was in extremely dire financial circumstances.”
Parekh seems to have made a good first impression on many people. Digger CEO Igor Zalutski said his company “nearly hired him,” as he “seemed so sharp” during interviews, while AIVideo.com cofounder Justin Harvey similarly said that he was “THIS close to hiring him,” adding that “he actually crushed the interview.” Vapi cofounder Jordan Dearsley said Parekh “was the best technical interview” he’s seen, but he “did not deliver on his projects.”
The startups that did hire Parekh didn’t seem to keep him around for long. Lowe said that he noticed something was off when Parekh kept making excuses to push back his start date. After telling Lowe that he had to delay working because he had a trip planned to see his sister in New York, Parekh later claimed that he couldn’t start working following the trip because he was sick. “For whatever reason, something just felt off,” Lowe said.
That’s when Lowe visited Parekh’s GitHub profile and realized he was committing code to a private repository during the time he was supposed to be sick. Lowe also found recent commits to another San Francisco-based startup. “Did some digging, noticed that he was in some of their marketing materials,” Lowe said. “I was like, ‘Huh, but he didn’t declare this on his resume. This feels weird.’” Create ended up letting Parekh go after he failed to complete an assignment.
It looks like Parekh even had a stint at Meta. In 2021, the company published a post highlighting his story as a contributor working on mixed-reality experiences in WebXR. In the post, Parekh said that he found “that the best way to get better at software development is to not only practice it but to use it to solve real world problems.” Meta didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Parekh’s purported scheme may have been uncovered, but his outlook might not be all bad — if you believe him. Parekh claims he landed a job at Darwin, an AI video remixing startup. “Earlier today, I signed an exclusive founding deal to be founding engineer at one company and one company only,” Parekh posted on X. “They were the only ones willing to bet on me at this time.”
Technology
Lost dogs on Fourth of July: How to keep your pet safe

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Fourth of July might be your favorite summer holiday, but for dogs, it’s often the scariest night of the year.
Across the country, shelters see a huge uptick in lost pets between July 4 and July 6. Some report increases as high as 60%.
July 5 is even considered one of the busiest days for animal shelters. So what’s going on? Fireworks. Those loud, unpredictable explosions can send even the calmest dogs into full-blown panic mode. In their attempt to escape the noise, many run off through doors, fences, or windows, often traveling far from home before they calm down.
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Ziggy the dog reunited with her owner. (Love Lost)
Ziggy’s story: A lost dog reunited by tech
While the Fourth of July leads to a big spike in missing pets, dogs can go missing at any time, and being prepared ahead of time can make all the difference. That was the case for Ziggy, a sweet pup from Long Beach, California, who ran off while his family was visiting relatives in Watsonville. One moment, the door was open, and the next, Ziggy was gone. His owner, Surely, was devastated and searched for days with no luck.
Months later, hope came through a notification from Love Lost, a free national database that uses AI photo-matching to help reunite lost pets with their families. A dog that looked just like Ziggy had turned up at a shelter in Santa Cruz County. Surely reached out, and to her relief, it was him. After five long months and hundreds of miles apart, Ziggy was finally back home.
“When I reunited with Ziggy, it was the most unimaginable feeling,” Surely said. “Love Lost brought him back.”

Ziggy the dog is pictured lost and then reunited. (Love Lost)
Simple ways to keep your dog safe this 4th of July
Loud fireworks, flashing lights and crowds can all be overwhelming for pets. But the good news? With a little planning, you can greatly reduce the chances of your dog going missing during the holiday.
5 smart tips to protect your pet during fireworks
1. Keep pets indoors and secure: Before the fireworks start, bring your dog inside, even if they’re usually fine in the yard. Close windows, lower the blinds and draw the curtains to soften the noise and block flashing lights. If you’re hosting guests, post a reminder on the door so no one accidentally lets your pet out.
2. Set up a calm, cozy space: Choose a quiet room or area where your dog feels safe. Add their favorite blanket or toy, and consider playing calming music or white noise to help muffle outside sounds. There are also pet-calming playlists and anxiety wraps that can help.
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
3. Check ID tags and microchips: Make sure your dog’s collar tag has your current phone number and that their microchip is registered with up-to-date contact info. If your dog does get loose, this can be the fastest way to get them back.
4. Use a GPS tracker or smart collar: Technology has come a long way when it comes to pet safety. Affordable GPS trackers like the Apple AirTag, Tractive, or Jiobit let you follow your dog’s location in real time using your smartphone. Many even let you set safe zones or share tracking with others if your dog goes missing. Just make sure the tracker you choose is durable, attaches securely to the collar, and offers live tracking features, because when every second counts, knowing where your dog is can make all the difference.
Check out the five best pet trackers at Cyberguy.com/PetTrackers.
5. Register with Love Lost: Take a few minutes to upload a clear photo of your dog to Love Lost, a free, nationwide database powered by AI photo-matching. If your pet ever goes missing, this one step could be the reason they make it home safely. Also, if you find a lost dog wandering in your neighborhood, take a quick photo and upload it to Love Lost. The platform makes it easy to match found pets with their families, and again, it’s free to use.

Ziggy the dog reunited with her owner.
Kurt’s key takeaways
The 4th of July can be tough on pets, but it doesn’t have to end in heartbreak. July also marks the start of National Lost Pet Prevention Month, so now is the perfect time to take action. Register your dog with a lost pet database, secure your home, and check those ID tags. By planning ahead, you can enjoy the fireworks and keep your best friend safe at home.
What’s one tip you would share with other pet owners to prevent lost pets? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Hollywood’s pivot to AI video has a prompting problem

It has become almost impossible to browse the internet without having an AI-generated video thrust upon you. Open basically any social media platform, and it won’t be long until an uncanny-looking clip of a fake natural disaster or animals doing impossible things slides across your screen. Most of the videos look absolutely terrible. But they’re almost always accompanied by hundreds, if not thousands, of likes and comments from people insisting that AI-generated content is a new art form that’s going to change the world.
That has been especially true of AI clips that are meant to appear realistic. No matter how strange or aesthetically inconsistent the footage may be, there is usually someone proclaiming that it’s something the entertainment industry should be afraid of. The idea that AI-generated video is both the future of filmmaking and an existential threat to Hollywood has caught on like wildfire among boosters for the relatively new technology.
The thought of major studios embracing this technology as is feels dubious when you consider that, oftentimes, AI models’ output simply isn’t the kind of stuff that could be fashioned into a quality movie or series. That’s an impression that filmmaker Bryn Mooser wants to change with Asteria, a new production house he launched last year, as well as a forthcoming AI-generated feature film from Natasha Lyonne (also Mooser’s partner and an advisor at Late Night Labs, a studio focused on generative AI that Mooser’s film and TV company XTR acquired last year).
Asteria’s big selling point is that, unlike most other AI outfits, the generative model it built with research company Moonvalley is “ethical,” meaning it has only been trained on properly licensed material. Especially in the wake of Disney and Universal suing Midjourney for copyright infringement, the concept of ethical generative AI may become an important part of how AI is more widely adopted throughout the entertainment industry. However, during a recent chat, Mooser stresses to me that the company’s clear understanding of what generative AI is and what it isn’t helps set Asteria apart from other players in the AI space.
“As we started to think about building Asteria, it was obvious to us as filmmakers that there were big problems with the way that AI was being presented to Hollywood,” Mooser says. “It was obvious that the tools weren’t being built by anybody who’d ever made a film before. The text-to-video form factor, where you say ‘make me a new Star Wars movie’ and out it comes, is a thing that Silicon Valley thought people wanted and actually believed was possible.”
In Mooser’s view, part of the reason some enthusiasts have been quick to call generative video models a threat to traditional film workflows boils down to people assuming that footage created from prompts can replicate the real thing as effectively as what we’ve seen with imitative, AI-generated music. It has been easy for people to replicate singers’ voices with generative AI and produce passable songs. But Mooser thinks that, in its rush to normalize gen AI, the tech industry conflated audio and visual output in a way that’s at odds with what actually makes for good films.
“You can’t go and say to Christopher Nolan, ‘Use this tool and text your way to The Odyssey,’” Mooser says. “As people in Hollywood got access to these tools, there were a couple things that were really clear — one being that the form factor can’t work because the amount of control that a filmmaker needs comes down to the pixel level in a lot of cases.”
To give its filmmaking partners more of that granular control, Asteria uses its core generative model, Marey, to create new, project-specific models trained on original visual material. This would, for example, allow an artist to build a model that could generate a variety of assets in their distinct style, and then use it to populate a world full of different characters and objects that adhere to a unique aesthetic. That was the workflow Asteria used in its production of musician Cuco’s animated short “A Love Letter to LA.” By training Asteria’s model on 60 original illustrations drawn by artist Paul Flores, the studio could generate new 2D assets and convert them into 3D models used to build the video’s fictional town. The short is impressive, but its heavy stylization speaks to the way projects with generative AI at their core often have to work within the technology’s visual limitations. It doesn’t feel like this workflow offers control down to the pixel level just yet.
Mooser says that, depending on the financial arrangement between Asteria and its clients, filmmakers can retain partial ownership of the models after they’re completed. In addition to the original licensing fees Asteria pays the creators of the material its core model is trained on, the studio is “exploring” the possibility of a revenue sharing system, too. But for now, Mooser is more focused on winning artists over with the promise of lower initial development and production costs.
“If you’re doing a Pixar animated film, you might be coming on as a director or a writer, but it’s not often that you’ll have any ownership of what you’re making, residuals, or cut of what the studio makes when they sell a lunchbox,” Mooser tells me. “But if you can use this technology to bring the cost down and make it independently financeable, then you have a world where you can have a new financing model that makes real ownership possible.”
Asteria plans to test many of Mooser’s beliefs in generative AI’s transformative potential with Uncanny Valley, a feature film to be co-written and directed by Lyonne. The live-action film centers on a teenage girl whose shaky perception of reality causes her to start seeing the world as being more video game-like. Many of Uncanny Valley’s fantastical, Matrix-like visual elements will be created with Asteria’s in-house models. That detail in particular makes Uncanny Valley sound like a project designed to present the hallucinatory inconsistencies that generative AI has become known for as clever aesthetic features rather than bugs. But Mooser tells me that he hopes “nobody ever thinks about the AI part of it at all” because “everything is going to have the director’s human touch on it.”
“It’s not like you’re just texting, ‘then they go into a video game,’ and watch what happens, because nobody wants to see that,” Mooser says. “That was very clear as we were thinking about this. I don’t think anybody wants to just see what computers dream up.”
Like many generative AI advocates, Mooser sees the technology as a “democratizing” tool that can make the creation of art more accessible. He also stresses that, under the right circumstances, generative AI could make it easier to produce a movie for around $10–20 million rather than $150 million. Still, securing that kind of capital is a challenge for most younger, up-and-coming filmmakers.
One of Asteria’s big selling points that Mooser repeatedly mentions to me is generative AI’s potential to produce finished works faster and with smaller teams. He framed that aspect of an AI production workflow as a positive that would allow writers and directors to work more closely with key collaborators like art and VFX supervisors without needing to spend so much time going back and forth on revisions — something that tends to be more likely when a project has a lot of people working on it. But, by definition, smaller teams translates to fewer jobs, which raises the issue of AI’s potential to put people out of work. When I bring this up with Mooser, he points to the recent closure of VFX house Technicolor Group as an example of the entertainment industry’s ongoing upheaval that began leaving workers unemployed before the generative AI hype came to its current fever pitch.
Mooser was careful not to downplay that these concerns about generative AI were a big part of what plunged Hollywood into a double strike back in 2023. But he is resolute in his belief that many of the industry’s workers will be able to pivot laterally into new careers built around generative AI if they are open to embracing the technology.
“There are filmmakers and VFX artists who are adaptable and want to lean into this moment the same way people were able to switch from editing on film to editing on Avid,” Mooser says. “People who are real technicians — art directors, cinematographers, writers, directors, and actors — have an opportunity with this technology. What’s really important is that we as an industry know what’s good about this and what’s bad about this, what is helpful for us in trying to tell our stories, and what is actually going to be dangerous.”
What seems rather dangerous about Hollywood’s interest in generative AI isn’t the “death” of the larger studio system, but rather this technology’s potential to make it easier for studios to work with fewer actual people. That’s literally one of Asteria’s big selling points, and if its workflows became the industry norm, it is hard to imagine it scaling in a way that could accommodate today’s entertainment workforce transitioning into new careers. As for what’s good about it, Mooser knows the right talking points. Now he has to show that his tech — and all the changes it entails — can work.
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