Generative Video from AI is taking off. As we’ve discussed, Generative AI moves us toward what’s called the “democratization of creativity” where people with limited skills and experience, and little or no funding or equipment, can produce extraordinary creations.
While I don’t know the background of the creator(s) of this video, they clearly are able to describe a humorous and captivating scenario.
I ran into an interesting situation today on a new HP laptop with
Windows 11. When trying to download and install Microsoft Office
2021, the installation was prevented by Windows, because of S mode.
Computers with Windows 11 Home S mode will only install software
acquired from the Microsoft Store.
There’s a broad selection of software choices in the Microsoft Store,
but there’s plenty that’s not there. For example, Office for offline use.
When installing a multifunction printer, Windows found the print and
scan drivers, but would not allow installation of the manufacturer’s
printer app that had quite a bit of additional function. And of course,
forget about installing most open source software.
Fortunately, Microsoft allows you to change out of S mode. But when
you try, it puts up warning messages to make you think doing so could
be disastrous. And the message clearly warns that if you change your
mind, you’d have to reinstall Windows 11; a daunting task.
The reality seems to be that Windows 11 S mode provides protection
against installing unvetted applications, including apps that might
consume a lot of system resources. So while it protects users, it also
severely limits your options.
If you’re shopping a new computer with Windows 11 Home S, you
should consider that you may have to change out of S mode as you set
up the new computer, and of course, you’ll have to get past the
warnings.
It seems to me that buying a computer with S mode could be at a
minimum, annoying. So there’d need to be a pretty good deal involved
for me to buy one. Worse, at any point in the future, Microsoft could
decide to make it more difficult to get out of S mode – and you might
not know until it was too late.
My advice – be alert to the details of your purchase, and stay away
from Windows 11 Home S.
The FBI Denver Field Office is warning that agents are increasingly seeing a scam
involving free online document converter tools, and we want to encourage victims
to report instances of this scam.
In this scenario, criminals use free online document converter tools to load
malware onto victims’ computers, leading to incidents such as ransomware.
“The best way to thwart these fraudsters is to educate people so they don’t fall
victim to these fraudsters in the first place,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in
Charge Mark Michalek. “If you or someone you know has been affected by this
scheme, we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect your
assets. Every day, we are working to hold these scammers accountable and
provide victims with the resources they need.”
To conduct this scheme, cyber criminals across the globe are using any type of
free document converter or downloader tool. This might be a website claiming to
convert one type of file to another, such as a .doc file to a .pdf file. It might also
claim to combine files, such as joining multiple .jpg files into one .pdf file. The
suspect program might claim to be an MP3 or MP4 downloading tool.
These converters and downloading tools will do the task advertised, but the
resulting file can contain hidden malware giving criminals access to the victim’s
computer. The tools can also scrape the submitted files for:
Unfortunately, many victims don’t realize they have been infected by malware until
it’s too late, and their computer is infected with ransomware or their identity has
been stolen.
The FBI Denver Field Office encourages victims or attempted victims of this type of
scheme to report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
In addition, the FBI Denver Field Office recommends taking the following actions to
protect yourself from this scam:
If you are a victim of this scam, here are some steps to take:
Never send money or move money for someone you’ve never met in real life.
Period. If you haven’t shared fries or made awkward eye contact in person, you definitely shouldn’t be sharing routing numbers.
If someone asks you to convert cash into Bitcoin, run. That’s a favorite trick of scammers. Once that crypto’s gone, it’s gone.
Urgency is your clue. “Don’t tell anyone.” “This has to happen right now.” If the words “urgent wire transfer” come up before the first in-person date, run. That’s not love, that’s manipulation.
Watch where they want to talk. If they try to get you onto WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram early in the conversation, huge red flag. These apps are often used by scammers to stay anonymous.
Progress on AI video generation is incredible. Looking at videos in the first “short film” and in the “consistent storytelling” short film, at the link below, illustrate the near-term future of film making. Check out this page. Seaweed
(note that links like this may not be left up on the internet forever)