Reddit Hackers are Demanding $4.5 Mn Ransom over Leak Data   

Here is today’s top trending news from the world of technology. News that we feel every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.  

1)

Reddit Hackers are Demanding $4.5 Mn Ransom over Leak Data   

A popular ransomware group known as BlackCat or ALPHV has reportedly tried to extort $4.5 million from the social media platform Reddit. The group has demanded the ransom for deleting the Reddit data that was stolen during the February breach. The hacker group has also demanded that Reddit must roll back its planned API pricing changes that has caused unprecedented since last week. Reddit has not yet commented on the ransom demand. If Reddit does not pay the ransom, the hackers may release the stolen data, which could include confidential information and this could seriously damage Reddit’s reputation.

2)

SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son says he is a big fan of ‘ChatGPT’

While speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has said that he is a “heavy user” of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. Son claimed that he uses ChatGPT for a variety of tasks, including brainstorming new ideas, researching potential investments, and even writing emails. The SoftBank CEO claimed that he believes ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology. Son’s comments come at a time when AI is becoming increasingly mainstream. Over the years SoftBank has also invested in several AI based startups.

3)

SpaceX launches Indonesia’s largest Telecommunication Satellite

Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX launched Indonesia’s largest telecommunication satellite on Monday from the United States. The satellite, which has been officially named as SATRIA-1, has costed Indonesia nearly $540 Mn. The satellite is expected to boost internet speed and reliability in the rural and interior areas of Indonesia. Currently, 280 Mn people in Indonesia already use internet but internet connectivity is still a major problem in the country’s interior region. This is a first time that SpaceX has launched a Indonesian satellite.

4)

Vimeo launches a trio of AI-Powered Editing Features

Vimeo, the video hosting and sharing platform, is embracing AI in a major way. The platform introduced a trio of AI-powered editing features designed to make it easier for users to create and edit videos. These three new features include Smart Editor, Script Assistant and Teleprompter. Smart Editor uses AI to automatically trim and edit videos, Script Assistant instantly generates a script from a simple text prompt while Teleprompter allow users to record their screen while reading from a script.

5)

Alibaba’s CEO to Step Down in a major Succession plan

In a rather surprising move, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announced on Tuesday that Daniel Zhang, the current CEO of Alibaba, will be stepping down from his position on September 10, 2023. Zhang will be succeeded by the current e-commerce executive Eddie Yongming Wu while the current Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai will be prompted to the position of Chairman. Zhang has been CEO of Alibaba since 2015, when he took over from Jack Ma. Under Zhang’s leadership, Alibaba has grown into one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.