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Willing to pay $175,000 for a life-size robot friend that remembers everything about you?

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Willing to pay 5,000 for a life-size robot friend that remembers everything about you?

In a world where loneliness is becoming increasingly prevalent, researchers have taken a bold step forward by introducing Melody, a life-sized artificial intelligence robot designed to combat this growing epidemic. 

However, Melody is not just another gadget; she represents a significant move toward creating robots that closely resemble humans in both appearance and interaction.

Melody, the life-sized AI robot. (Realbotix)

The vision behind Melody

Realbotix, the innovative tech firm responsible for Melody’s creation, aims to produce robots that are not only visually indistinguishable from humans but also capable of meaningful interactions.

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According to CEO Andrew Kiguel, “Melody was created with the intention of having robots that are easy to travel with and modify for various forms of personal interaction.” This focus on adaptability allows Melody to serve multiple roles, from educational tools to companions in entertainment.

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Melody, the life-sized AI robot. (Realbotix)

Features that set Melody apart

Melody boasts an impressive array of features that enhance her functionality and user experience:

Realistic movements: Equipped with advanced motor technology, Melody can execute fluid and natural movements, enhancing her ability to engage in lifelike interactions.

CHINA’S NEWEST HUMANOID ROBOT IS READY TO SERVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Eye tracking and object recognition: With micro-cameras embedded in her eyes, she can maintain eye contact and recognize objects, making conversations feel more genuine.

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Modular design: Her components can be easily disassembled and reassembled, allowing for portability and customization according to user needs.

Open-source compatibility: Melody’s design supports integration with various AI platforms, including Realbotix’s proprietary companionship AI, making her versatile for different applications.

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Melody, the life-sized AI robot. (Realbotix)

A new kind of companion

Realbotix emphasizes that Melody’s primary purpose lies in fostering connection rather than intimacy. Her role as an engaging companion is designed to enhance human experiences through interaction and fun. However, she can engage in adult conversations if desired. The company envisions Melody as a versatile solution for addressing loneliness, with potential applications across multiple domains such as education, healthcare and personal companionship.

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Melody, the life-sized AI robot. (Realbotix)

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The price of connection

With a price tag of $175,000, Melody is positioned as a premium product aimed at those seeking a unique blend of companionship and technology. This investment speaks to the growing market for humanoid robots designed for personal interaction, reflecting a shift in how we view relationships in an increasingly digital world.

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Melody, the life-sized AI robot. (Realbotix)

Kurt’s key takeaways

One look at Melody, and you might think she is designed for something else entirely. As technology evolves, so too does our understanding of companionship. Melody represents not just a technological advancement but also a cultural shift towards accepting robots as part of our social fabric. With her ability to remember personal interactions and adapt to individual preferences, she challenges our perceptions of connection in the modern age.

What do you think about the rise of humanoid robots like Melody? Are they the solution to loneliness or just another gadget? Let us know what you think by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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The Verge’s 2025 Father’s Day gift guide

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The Verge’s 2025 Father’s Day gift guide

Father’s Day rules. It’s a day to celebrate all that dads have contributed to the people, homes, and communities that they’re a part of. Being a dad is a lot of work — something I can vouch for, being a relatively new one myself — so for Father’s Day, why not give dear old dad a token of appreciation and love? Whether your dad prefers practical or clever gifts, we think you’ll be pleased with the selection of picks below.

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Microsoft takes down malware found on 394,000 Windows PCs

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Microsoft takes down malware found on 394,000 Windows PCs

Infostealer malware has been on the rise recently, and that’s evident from the billions of user records leaked online in the past year alone. This type of malware targets everything from your name, phone number and address to financial details and cryptocurrency. Leading the charge is the Lumma infostealer.

I have been reporting on this malware since last year, and security researchers have called it one of the most dangerous infostealers, infecting millions. There have been countless incidents of Lumma targeting people’s personal data (more on this later), but the good news is that Microsoft has taken it down.

The Redmond-based company announced it has dismantled the Lumma Stealer malware operation with the help of law enforcement agencies around the world.

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Illustration of a hacker at work   (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know

Microsoft confirmed that it has successfully taken down the Lumma Stealer malware network in collaboration with law enforcement agencies around the world. In a blog post, the company revealed that its Digital Crimes Unit had tracked infections on more than 394,000 Windows devices globally between March 16 and May 16.

Lumma was a go-to tool for cybercriminals, often used to siphon sensitive information like login credentials, credit card numbers, bank account details and cryptocurrency wallet data. The malware’s reach and impact made it a favored choice among threat actors for financial theft and data breaches.

MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 184 MILLION PASSWORDS AND LOGINS

To disrupt the malware’s operation, Microsoft obtained a court order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, which allowed the company to take down key domains that supported Lumma’s infrastructure. This was followed by the U.S. Department of Justice stepping in to seize control of Lumma’s core command system and shut down marketplaces where the malware was being sold.

International cooperation played a major role as well. Japan’s cybercrime unit helped dismantle Lumma’s locally hosted infrastructure, while Europol assisted in actions against hundreds of domains used in the operation. In total, over 1,300 domains were seized or redirected to Microsoft-managed sinkholes to prevent further damage.

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Microsoft says this takedown effort also included support from industry partners such as Cloudflare, Bitsight and Lumen, which helped dismantle the broader ecosystem that enabled Lumma to thrive.

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HP laptop   (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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More about the Lumma infostealer

Lumma is a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) that has been marketed and sold through underground forums since at least 2022. Over the years, its developers have released multiple versions to continually improve its capabilities. I first reported on Lumma in February 2024, when it was used by hackers to access Google accounts using expired cookies that contained login information.

Lumma continued targeting users, with reports in October 2024 revealing it was impersonating fake human verification pages to trick Windows users into sharing sensitive information. The malware wasn’t limited to Windows. In January 2024, security researchers found the infostealer malware was targeting 100 million Mac users, stealing browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallets and other personal data.

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Windows laptop   (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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6 ways you can protect yourself from infostealer malware

To protect yourself from the evolving threat of infostealer malware, which continues to target users through sophisticated social engineering tactics, consider taking these six essential security measures:

1. Be skeptical of CAPTCHA prompts: Legitimate CAPTCHA tests never require you to press Windows + R, copy commands or paste anything into PowerShell. If a website instructs you to do this, it’s likely a scam. Close the page immediately and avoid interacting with it.

2. Don’t click links from unverified emails and use strong antivirus software: Many infostealer attacks start with phishing emails that impersonate trusted services. Always verify the sender before clicking on links. If an email seems urgent or unexpected, go directly to the company’s official website instead of clicking any links inside the email.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. 

3. Enable two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password.

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4. Keep devices updated: Regularly updating your operating system, browser and security software ensures you have the latest patches against known vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals exploit outdated systems, so enabling automatic updates is a simple but effective way to stay protected.

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5. Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and change your passwords: If you’ve interacted with a suspicious website, phishing email or fake login page, check your online accounts for any unusual activity. Look for unexpected login attempts, unauthorized password resets or financial transactions that you don’t recognize. If anything seems off, change your passwords immediately and report the activity to the relevant service provider. Also, consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.

6. Invest in a personal data removal service: Consider using a service that monitors your personal information and alerts you to potential breaches or unauthorized use of your data. These services can provide early warning signs of identity theft or other malicious activities resulting from infostealer malware or similar attacks. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here. 

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web.

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MALWARE STEALS BANK CARDS AND PASSWORDS FROM MILLIONS OF DEVICES

Kurt’s key takeaway

Microsoft’s takedown of the Lumma Stealer malware network is a major win in the fight against infostealers, which have fueled a surge in data breaches over the past year. Lumma had become a go-to tool for cybercriminals, targeting everything from browser credentials to crypto wallets across Windows and Mac systems. I’ve been tracking this malware since early 2024, and its ability to impersonate human verification pages and abuse expired cookies made it especially dangerous.

Do you feel tech companies are doing enough to protect users from malware like this? 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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Why do SpaceX rockets keep exploding?

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Why do SpaceX rockets keep exploding?

With yet another failed Starship test this week, in which the ambitious heavy rocket exploded once again, you might reasonably suspect that luck has finally run out for SpaceX.

But this degree of failure during a development process isn’t actually unusual, according to Wendy Whitman Cobb, a space policy expert with the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, especially when you’re testing new space technology as complex as a large rocket. However, the Starship tests are meaningfully different from the slow, steady pace of development that we’ve come to expect from the space sector.

“The reason a lot of people perceive this to be unusual is that this is not the typical way that we have historically tested rockets,” Whitman Cobb says.

Historically speaking, space agencies like NASA or legacy aerospace companies like United Launch Alliance (ULA) have taken their time with rocket development and have not tested until they were confident in a successful outcome. That’s still the case today with major NASA projects like the development of the Space Launch System (SLS), which has now dragged on for over a decade. “They will take as long as they need to to make sure that the rocket is going to work and that a launch is going to be successful,” Whitman Cobb says.

“This is not the typical way that we have historically tested rockets.”

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SpaceX has chosen a different path, in which it tests, fails, and iterates frequently. That process has been at the heart of its success, allowing the company to make developments like the reusable Falcon 9 rocket at a rapid pace. However, it also means frequent and very public failures, which have generated complaints about environmental damage in the local area around the launch site and have caused the company to butt heads with regulatory agencies. There are also significant concerns about the political ties of CEO Elon Musk to the Trump administration and his undemocratic influence over federal regulation of SpaceX’s work.

Even within the context of SpaceX’s move-fast-and-break-things approach, though, the development of the Starship has appeared chaotic. Compared to the development of the Falcon 9 rocket, which had plenty of failures but a generally clear forward path from failing often to failing less and less as time went on, Starship has a much more spotty record.

Previous development was more incremental, first demonstrating that the rocket was sound before moving onto more complex issues like reusability of the booster or first stage. The company didn’t even attempt to save the booster of a Falcon 9 and reuse it until several years into testing.

Starship isn’t like that. “They are trying to do everything at once with Starship,” Whitman Cobb says, as the company is trying to debut an entirely new rocket with new engines and make it reusable all at once. “It really is a very difficult engineering challenge.”

“They are trying to do everything at once with Starship.”

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The Raptor engines that power the Starship are a particularly tough engineering nut to crack, as there are a lot of them — 33 per Starship, all clustered together — and they need to be able to perform the tricky feat of reigniting in space. The relighting of engines has been successful on some of the previous Starship test flights, but it has also been a point of failure.

Why, then, is SpaceX pushing for so much, so fast? It’s because Musk is laser-focused on getting to Mars. And while it would theoretically be possible to send a mission to Mars using existing rockets like the Falcon 9, the sheer volume of equipment, supplies, and people needed for a Mars mission has a very large mass. To make Mars missions even remotely affordable, you need to be able to move a lot of mass in one launch — hence the need for a much larger rocket like the Starship or NASA’s SLS.

NASA has previously been hedging its bets by developing its own heavy launch rocket as well as supporting the development of Starship. But with recent funding cuts, it’s looking more and more likely that the SLS will get axed — leaving SpaceX as the only player in town to facilitate NASA’s Mars plans.

But there’s still an awful lot of work to do to get Starship to a place where serious plans for crewed missions can even be made.

“There’s no way that they’re putting people on that right now.”

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Will a Starship test to Mars happen by 2026, with a crewed test to follow as soon as 2028, as Musk said this week he’s aiming for? “I think it’s completely delusional,” Whitman Cobb says, pointing out that SpaceX has not appeared to be seriously considering issues like adding life support to the Starship or making concrete plans for Mars habitats, launch and landing pads, or infrastructure.

“I don’t see SpaceX as putting its money where its mouth is,” Whitman Cobb says. “If they do make the launch window next year, it’s going to be uncrewed. There’s no way that they’re putting people on that right now. And I seriously doubt whether they will make it.”

That doesn’t mean Starship will never make it to Mars, of course. “I believe SpaceX will engineer their way out of it. I believe their engineering is good enough that they will make Starship work,” Whitman Cobb says. But getting an uncrewed rocket to Mars within the next decade is a lot more realistic than next year.

Putting people on the rocket, though, is another matter entirely. “If they’re looking to build a large-scale human settlement? That’s decades,” Whitman Cobb says. “I don’t know that I will live to see that.”

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