Geekly Update - 03 April 2019

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

The US government is warning users of Medtronic heart defibrillators about a security flaw that could enable the device to be hacked by someone within a 20-foot radius.

A North Carolina man who cheated US citizens of more than $3 million over four years in a "Microsoft tech support scam" has pleaded guilty. Popups were used lock users' browsers and falsely claim the computer was infected with a virus.

Techcrunch reports that Tyler Bariss, "a prolific and seemingly unremorseful repeat swatter and bomb hoaxer," has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. His malicious actions got a man killed in 2017.

Here are five fun AI online experiences you can try in your web browser.

NASA is offering to pay you $19,000 if you're willing to spend 60 consecutive days lying in bed. For science, of course. The space agency is analyzing the effects of long spaceflights on astronauts' bodies. Must not be a lot to do out in space.

For over 30 years, plastic Garfield novelty phones have been washing up along the Iroise coast of western France. But the mystery has finally been solved, sort of.

It's getting harder to trust what we see in photos and videos. Adobe's After Effects software is now "content-aware," which means it can recognize and remove unwanted objects from videos.

Verizon’s new Just Kids plan offers parental controls that allow for screen time limits, content filters, and location tracking of their kids.

Did you miss the best online April Fools Day pranks? Here's a roundup for you. I especially liked Google's "physical screen cleaner" feature, and the Roku "Press Paws" remote control for dogs. Built-in sub woofer? Yes!

Some users creating new Facebook accounts are being asked for the password for their email account. Security consultant Jake Williams says that’s “beyond sketchy.”

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