Technology

Olympic men’s triathlon postponed due to river pollution

Published

2 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Olympic men’s triathlon postponed due to river pollution

The men’s triathlon event at the Paris Olympics was postponed today because of pollution levels in the Seine river, where the swimming leg of the event was supposed to be held. Now the event is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday — if the water quality improves by then.

Bacteria in the river, including E. coli, have been a concern leading up to the Summer games. Paris spent roughly $1.5 billion on cleanup efforts before the Olympics to prevent sewage and wastewater from contaminating the Seine, the Associated Press reports. But rain seems to have stymied efforts to keep bacteria at safe levels.

“The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees”

“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” World Triathlon, the sport’s international governing body, said in a statement today.

Human fecal contamination is “the most important risk factor” in triathlon competitions, according to World Triathlon. Swimming in water contaminated with feces can potentially lead to skin rashes, diarrhea, and E. coli infections. And athletes can be more prone to infection during or right after the event due to hormonal stress and other factors that might affect the immune system.

E. coli levels should stay at or below 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters for “sufficient” water quality, according to World Triathlon. Only one of four test sites along the Seine showed levels below that limit, the Associated Press reports.

Training events had already been postponed with elevated bacteria levels following the downpour over the Olympics opening ceremony. Heavy rain can overwhelm sewage and wastewater systems, allowing untreated water to reach the river.

There’s more rain in the forecast for Paris tonight. But for now, both the women’s and the men’s triathlon events are scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00 and 10:45AM local time, respectively. There’s also a backup date of August 2nd.

Technology

You've heard about the CyberTruck. What about the CyberTrailer?

Published

3 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

You've heard about the CyberTruck. What about the CyberTrailer?

Imagine a world where RV parks are optional, not a necessity. That’s where the CyberTrailer comes in. Living Vehicle, the trailblazer in luxury electric trailers, has outdone itself with this cutting-edge RV. The CyberTrailer is inspired by Tesla’s CyberTruck and offers complete liberation from traditional utility connections, bringing luxury to the most remote corners of the world.

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CyberTrailer being pulled by a CyberTruck (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Solar power that puts houses to shame

The CyberTrailer’s solar capabilities are pretty impressive. We’re talking up to 5KW of off-grid solar production, a level that’s unprecedented in the RV industry and rivals many home solar systems. The entire roof is a solar powerhouse covered in integrated panels. But here’s where it gets really clever: solar-tracking awnings that actually tilt toward the sun, maximizing energy capture throughout the day.

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The entire roof of the CyberTrailer is a solar powerhouse covered in integrated panels. (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

EV compatibility: The future is now

The CyberTrailer isn’t just compatible with EVs like the F-150 Lightning, Rivian and the futuristic Tesla Cybertruck, it’s designed to complement them perfectly. In fact, the Cybertruck’s bold design served as inspiration for the CyberTrailer’s sleek aesthetics.

But here’s the real bonus: this trailer can actually charge your electric tow vehicle. Say goodbye to range anxiety and hello to limitless adventures. As Living Vehicle’s CEO Matthew Hofmann puts it, “The CyberTrailer reduces range anxiety and makes off-grid travel with electric vehicles a reality.”

CyberTrailer (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THE BEST TRAVEL GEAR FOR 2024

Hybrid energy system: Power in any scenario

The CyberTrailer doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket. While solar power is the star of the show, a backup power generation system ensures you’re never left in the dark. This redundant power system keeps the battery pack charged even when solar exposure is limited, supporting rapid energy creation and Level 2 charging for tow vehicles.

Image of CyberTrailer (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF RVING WITH THE ELECTRIC TRANSFORMER HOUSE

Self-powered trailer axles

Here’s also something truly innovative. The CyberTrailer features proprietary self-driving powered axles. This dramatically reduces range loss for both electric and gas-powered tow vehicles. The result? You can reach those bucket-list remote locations that were previously out of bounds.

Aerodynamics: Slicing through the air

The engineers at Living Vehicle haven’t overlooked a single detail. The CyberTrailer’s design has been optimized for maximum aerodynamic performance, regardless of the tow vehicle. This means better efficiency, whether you’re looking to maximize EV range or boost MPG in traditional combustion engines. It’s a win-win for your wallet and the environment.

CyberTrailer being pulled by a CyberTruck (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON, THIS COMPACT RV ADDS EXTRA SPACE WITH A SIMPLE TWIST

LV patio and toy-hauler design

The CyberTrailer also brings the outdoors in (and vice versa) with Living Vehicle’s signature folding patio deck, now cleverly positioned at the rear. This patio doubles as a ramp, transforming the trailer into a toy hauler. Motorcycles, e-bikes, kayaks, bring them all along for the ride.

CyberTrailer (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Recharging hub on wheels

Speaking of toys, the CyberTrailer isn’t just for lounging. Its 240V Level 2 charging capability means you can recharge all your electric recreational gear. E-bikes, electric motorcycles, scooters, they’ll all be juiced up and ready for action no matter how far off the beaten path you roam.

CyberTrailer (Living Vehicle) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Tech at your fingertips

Control your mobile paradise on wheels with just a tap on your Apple iPad. The wireless control system puts all of CyberTrailer’s features at your fingertips, marrying high-tech convenience with off-grid capability. The team at Living Vehicle has thrown down the gauntlet to the RV industry. They’ve shown what’s possible when you combine visionary design with cutting-edge technology.

The price of innovation

Now, let’s talk numbers. The CyberTrailer starts at $175,000, with deliveries slated to begin in 2025. It’s a premium price tag, no doubt, but consider what you’re getting: a fully self-sufficient, luxurious smart home on wheels that can take you anywhere. Intrigued? You can secure your spot on the wait list with a fully refundable $100 deposit by clicking here.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The CyberTrailer represents a harmonious blend of sustainability, cutting-edge technology, luxury and adventure. For EV enthusiasts, it’s a dream come true. For off-grid adventurers, it’s the ultimate enabler. And for those who simply refuse to compromise on comfort while exploring the great outdoors, it’s nothing short of revolutionary. Yes, the price point puts it in the realm of a luxury RV. But for those who can make the investment, the CyberTrailer offers a level of freedom, comfort and sustainability that’s unmatched in the RV world.

Would you trade your traditional home for a high-tech nomadic lifestyle? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Instagram starts letting people create AI versions of themselves

Published

10 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Instagram starts letting people create AI versions of themselves

Meta is opening up the ability for anyone in the US to create AI versions of themselves in Instagram or on the web, with a new tool called AI Studio.

The pitch is that creators and business owners will use these AI profiles to talk to their followers on their behalf. They’ll be able to talk directly with humans in chat threads and respond to comments on their author’s account. Meta says Instagram users in the US can get started with AI Studio via either its website or by starting a new “AI chat” directly in Instagram.

In a blog post on Monday, the company writes that “creators can customize their AI based on things like their Instagram content, topics to avoid and links they want it to share.” The post goes on to say that creators will be able to toggle things like auto-replies from their AI and dictate which specific accounts it’s allowed to interact with.

AI Studio also allows for the creation of totally new AI characters that can be deployed across Meta’s apps. Here, Meta is coming after startups like Character.AI and Replika, where people already talk to — and even fall in love with — themed chatbots. Like OpenAI’s custom GPT store, Meta will also surface the AI characters people make for others to try.

Meta’s first pass at this concept was having a handful of celebrities create AI versions of themselves with the same likeness but different names and personas. At the time, Meta said it took that approach because it worried about AI versions of celebrities saying problematic things on behalf of their human counterparts. (Even with the controls built into AI Studio, this is still bound to happen. It’s generative AI we’re dealing with, after all.)

Get ready for AIs everywhere in Instagram.

Technology

Customs agents need a warrant to search your phone now

Published

17 hours ago

July 29, 2024

Press Room

Customs agents need a warrant to search your phone now

A federal judge in New York ruled that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can’t search travelers’ phones without a warrant. The ruling theoretically applies to land borders, seaports, and airports — but in practice, it only applies to New York’s Eastern District.

That’s not nothing, though, since the district includes John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, the sixth-busiest airport in the country. Nationwide, CBP has conducted more than 230,000 searches of electronic devices between the 2018 and 2023 fiscal years at land borders, seaports, and airports, according to its publicly available enforcement statistics.

The ruling stems from a criminal case against Kurbonali Sultanov, a naturalized US citizen from Uzbekistan, who was ordered to hand his phone over to CBP after his name triggered an alert on the Treasury Enforcement Communications System identifying Sultanov as a potential purchaser or possessor of child sexual abuse material. Sultanov, who said the agents said he had no choice but to unlock his phone, handed it over and was then questioned by officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit. The HSI agents read Sultanov his Miranda rights, which he said he understood “50/50,” before questioning him.

Government investigators later obtained a warrant for the phone CBP had searched at the airport, as well as another phone Sultanov had in his possession when he entered the country. During his criminal trial, Sultanov filed a motion to suppress the evidence that had been obtained from his phones, arguing that the initial search of his phone was illegal under the Fourth Amendment.

The judge, Nina R. Morrison of New York’s Eastern District, denied Sultanov’s motion to suppress evidence, saying the second forensic search of his phones was conducted in good faith and pursuant to a warrant. But Morrison ruled in favor of Sultanov on Fourth Amendment grounds, finding that the initial search of his phone was unconstitutional.

In 2021, a US appeals court ruled that CBP agents can search travelers’ phones and other devices without a warrant and without reasonable suspicion, overturning an earlier ruling that held that warrantless, suspicionless searches violated the Fourth Amendment.

Morrison cites the judge’s ruling in that case, Alasaad v. Mayorkas, as well as other cases in which judges held that forensic examinations of cell phones are nonroutine. In Alasaad, the court ruled that “basic border searches [of electronic devices] are routine searches” but did not determine whether forensic searches require reasonable suspicion.

“This Court respectfully concludes otherwise,” Morrison writes. “Particularly in light of the record before this Court regarding the vast potential scope of a so-called ‘manual’ search, the distinction between manual and forensic searches is too flimsy a hook own which to hang a categorical exemption to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement. And it is one that may collapse altogether as technology evolves.”

Though the geographical scope of the ruling is limited, the case has implications that reach far beyond Sultanov’s case. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed amici briefs in the case, arguing that letting CBP conduct warrantless searches of travelers’ phones at ports of entry imperiled freedom of the press. In her ruling, Morrison wrote that journalists, as well as “the targets of political opposition (or their colleagues, friends, or families) would only need to travel once through an international airport for the government to gain unfettered access to the most ‘intimate window into a person’s life.’”

(The “intimate window” quote comes from the Supreme Court ruling in Carpenter v. United States, in which the justices ruled that police must obtain warrants to seize cellphone tower location records.)

“As the court recognizes, warrantless searches of electronic devices at the border are an unjustified intrusion into travelers’ private expressions, personal associations, and journalistic endeavors—activities the First and Fourth Amendments were designed to protect,” Scott Wilkens, senior counsel at the Knight First Amendment Institute, said in a statement.

A CBP spokesperson contacted by The Verge said the agency can’t comment on pending criminal cases.

CBP’s ability to search travelers’ phones has received increased scrutiny in recent months. In April, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking for information on what data the government retains from these searches and how the data is used. “We are concerned that the current policies and practices governing the search of electronic devices at the border constitute a departure from the intended scope and application of border search authority,” Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) wrote.