Kalakshar US

According to Microsoft, it’s time for the “next phase of Copilot innovation.” On September 16, the company is live streaming an event called Microsoft 365 Copilot: Wave 2. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella and corporate vice president of AI at work, Jared Spataro, will host the event on LinkedIn (It is “your AI assistant for work,” so it’s a fitting platform). The stream starts at 8 AM PT/11 AM ET and is available here. 

Spataro first announced Microsoft 365 Copilot in early 2023 to create responses, draft presentations, and break down data — to name a few of its uses. In the year and a half since, CoPilot has folded in Microsoft’s chatbot Bing and expanded to serve entire teams, generate images, and reference multiple documents when it writes. It currently costs $360 annually per user. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-is-sharing-copilots-next-phase-in-a-september-16-livestream-134451868.html?src=rss 

The Federal Trade Commission has published a report that aims to warn people about Bitcoin ATM (or BTM) scams, which have apparently increased tenfold from 2020 to 2023. Americans had lost $65 million to fraud losses involving BTMs within the first six months of this year alone, and the actual amount may be a lot more than that, since most scams go unreported. Further, losses due to BTM scams have been exceptionally high, with people reporting a median loss of $10,000 over the past six months. 

In most of the BTM scams reported, the bad actors impersonated government and business entities, as well as tech support representatives. Almost half of the instances reported started with a phone call, though some victims were fooled by fake security warnings from online ads, pop-ups and emails from scammers pretending to be from Microsoft or Apple. 

Some scammers pretend to be government agents or employees from utility providers, for instance, and tell people that they have to settle their bills by paying through a nearby BTM. Others pretend to be feds or bank agents and scare would-be victims into believing that their accounts are being targeted by hackers, so they have to transfer their money to a “secure account.” Those are just some examples of how the bad actors can fool their victims. 

According to the commission’s warning, scammers tend to send their targets to specific BTM locations, showing that they prefer some operators over others. Those preferences have changed over time, though, likely due to the fraud prevention measures crypto companies introduce to their systems. Whatever operator the scammer chooses, they send QR codes to their victims, since BTMs typically require depositors to scan one linked to the recipient’s account. Those QR codes, of course, send money straight to the scammers’ wallets. 

As you can guess, most of the BTM scam victims are older people. The FTC says $46 million of the total losses involving BTMs in the first half of 2024 — that’s 71 percent of the overall amount — came from people over 60. If you take BTMs out of the equation, most of the losses from cryptocurrency fraud were reported by people between 18 and 59 years old who fell victim to fake investment opportunities. 

If you have an older person in your life, it’s best to warn them about potential BTM scams before they get targeted, because recovering the money they lose from these schemes would most likely be impossible. In addition, it may be time for all BTM operators, as well as the supermarkets, convenience stores and other locations where the machines are installed, to post warnings next to BTMs about these scams. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/bitcoin-atm-scams-have-cost-americans-over-10-million-per-month-this-year-140031675.html?src=rss 

Google TV is an easy to use operating system that provides access to all of the best streaming services in one centralized location. But even if your smart TV runs a different OS, you can get access to Google TV easily by buying a Chromecast for as little as $30. You may also not know that if you use a VPN with your Google TV set or Chromecast, you can access even more content. Here’s how to set up a VPN on Google TV or a Chromecast and why you may want to use one.

Why use a VPN on Google TV or Chromecast?

For streaming purposes, VPNs have one clear benefit: spoofing your IP address to that of a different country so that you can access geo-restricted content. If you use a VPN and connect to a different country’s server, you can access its content library on any streaming platform.

Let’s say you live in the US but want to watch some award-winning BBC documentaries on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. All BBC iPlayer content is free if you live in the UK, but blocked everywhere else. Using a VPN, you can connect to a UK VPN server and stream to your heart’s content.

VPNs also have considerable security benefits if you use them on your smartphone or PC. Purchasing a single subscription means you can use your VPN on any supported device, so we recommend you purchase one for its flexibility.

What VPNs are available on Google TV?

Google TV doesn’t have many apps to install compared to other smart TV systems like Amazon’s Fire TV OS. Although this may seem like a disadvantage, it’s actually a blessing in disguise.

With VPNs, you want to ensure you invest in a quality and trustworthy product. There are many untested or free VPNs available that sell your data or falsify their encryption claims. Although this might not be a huge issue for streaming purposes alone, it generally poses massive security and privacy risks.

When installing a VPN on Google TV or Chromecast, we recommend the following VPN services:

ProtonVPN

ExpressVPN

Surfshark

CyberGhost

We also have a guide to the best VPNs where we explain why we recommend them.

How to set up a VPN on your Google TV or Chromecast

It’s easy to use a VPN on your Google TV (and perhaps even easier on a Chromecast). Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install one:

Google TV

Navigate to the Google Play Store on your Google TV.

Search for the VPN you want to install (alternatively, search for the keyword “VPN” to view your options).

Install the VPN.

Log in or sign up.

Navigate the country server list and connect.

Note that you can use your VPN on as many devices as it supports. So, once you’ve purchased a subscription, it’s wise to download it on as many platforms and devices you can to maximize your investment.

Chromecast

If you have a Chromecast, you can still enjoy the benefits of a VPN — you just need to use your smartphone or laptop in tandem with the streaming device. Here’s how to do it:

Install a VPN on your smartphone or laptop.

Make sure your Wi-Fi is enabled.

Turn on the VPN on your smartphone/laptop.

Connect your smartphone or laptop to your TV via Chromecast.

Begin streaming your content.

Additional tip: VPNs also work with screencasting. As long as your smart TV is under the same Wi-Fi as the device you’re screencasting from, you can use the VPN securely.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-use-a-vpn-on-your-google-tv-or-chromecast-140619599.html?src=rss 

Even though Concord evidently didn’t sell anywhere close to the number of copies it needed to be sustainable, the team shooter does have some dedicated players. Sony and Firewalk Studios have stopped selling the PS5 and PC game before taking it offline this Friday, two weeks after its launch. And yet, some folks are still striving to unlock Concord‘s Platinum trophy before the servers are shut down. What’s more, many of them are taking a creative approach to earning that honor, which they get after unlocking the rest of a game’s trophies.

Outside of a few slightly more difficult objectives such as killing five enemies in a row without dying, Concord’s trophies are largely based around grinding. They include eliminating a total of 50 opponents as each character (or Freegunner) and reaching level 10 with each. Earning one trophy is as simple as playing a match with a friend.

Perhaps the most time-consuming trophy to earn is a Silver that requires players to reach a reputation level of 100. After news of the game’s shutdown emerged, some players called for Firewalk to offer extra XP (or experience points) to help them earn the Platinum before Concord goes offline. One of them, GoodGameKofi, wrote on X on Tuesday that they were at level 48 and wouldn’t have enough time to hit level 100 in order to claim the last remaining trophy based on how much XP players earn per game.

However, as noted by Gene Park of The Washington Post, Concord players have found a way to speed up matches and farm XP faster. They’re yeeting themselves off the map over and over again. It seems that they’re primarily doing so in Rivalry, a mode in which players only have one life and don’t respawn.

That said, the strategy won’t get players to level 100 in a hurry. After claiming to hurl themselves off the map constantly for an hour, X user Radec “only went from Level 44 to 45… I am NOT getting this Platinum bro.”

After taking down Concord, Firewalk and Sony plan to “explore options, including those that will better reach our players.” That suggests that Concord may return at some point, and if so it will probably have a free-to-play model. However, if Concord remains offline for good, the game will have one of the rarest of all Platinum trophies. According to one trophy tracker site, just 14 players have earned the Platinum so far. Those are some valuable bragging rights for those willing to do nothing but jump off the map for dozens of hours.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/concord-players-keep-jumping-off-the-map-in-a-race-to-claim-the-platinum-trophy-143258391.html?src=rss 

It took a decade, but we finally have a teaser for the live-action A Minecraft Movie. The first look comes courtesy of a video released by Warner Bros. today that clocks in at just over one minute — but, hey, we’ll take it. The film studio has confirmed its previous target, April 4, 2025, is moving forward with a theater-only release. Yes, once upon a time, it had release dates for May 2019 and March 2022, but the existence of a teaser makes us feel a little more hopeful (gullible?) this time.

After a series of directors joined and left the project, A Minecraft Movie is led by filmmaker Jared Hess. The Nacho Libre director is joined by his former lead, Jack Black, who plays Minecraft Steve. Rounding out the cast are Jason Momoa, Emma Meyers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge. Check out the teaser to get your first look at the world where, as Black says, “Anything you can dream about here, you can make.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/a-minecraft-movie-trailer-gives-us-our-first-look-at-jason-momoa-and-jack-black-ahead-of-its-2025-release-143741392.html?src=rss