🚀 Faster AI, Cyber Espionage, and Android’s Tracker Shield
Good morning. It’s Thursday, December 12. Today we are covering:
Google Rolls Out Faster Gemini AI Model to Power Agents
Russian government spies targeted Ukraine using tools developed by cybercriminals
Android is making it easier to find unknown trackers to prevent stalking
Trump Wants Manufacturing Jobs Back. Silicon Valley Is Lining Up To Help
Australia to introduce 'news tax' on tech companies
Let’s dive in
Google Rolls Out Faster Gemini AI Model to Power Agents
By Julia Love via Bloomberg
Google unveiled Gemini 2.0, a faster AI model claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor, designed to power virtual agents for assisting users across the web.
Gemini 2.0 supports generating images, audio in multiple languages, and assists with Google searches and coding projects, expanding its AI-powered capabilities.
Tulsee Doshi, Director of Product Management at Google, highlighted the model's ability to think, remember, plan, and take actions on behalf of users, enabling more dynamic AI-driven experiences.
𝕏: We’re kicking off the start of our Gemini 2.0 era with Gemini 2.0 Flash, which outperforms 1.5 Pro on key benchmarks at 2X speed (see chart below). I’m especially excited to see the fast progress on coding, with more to come. Developers can try an experimental version in AI Studio and Vertex AI today. It is also available to try in @GeminiApp on the web today, mobile coming soon. - Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai)
Russian government spies targeted Ukraine using tools developed by cybercriminals
By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via TechCrunch
Microsoft reported that Secret Blizzard, a Russian FSB-linked hacking group, targeted Ukraine’s military using tools from cybercriminal-developed botnet Amadey.
The group employed custom backdoors Tavdig and KazuarV2, leveraging third-party tools to evade detection and complicate attribution.
Secret Blizzard has a history of hijacking other hacking groups’ infrastructure for espionage, targeting military and intelligence assets globally since at least 2017.
𝕏: NEW: Microsoft says a government hacking group linked to Russia's FSB used tools developed by cybercriminals to target Ukraine's Army and Border guard. The goal, according to the researchers, was to make attribution harder. - Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (@lorenzofb)
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Android is making it easier to find unknown trackers to prevent stalking
By Sheena Vasani via The Verge
Google introduced two updates to its Android unknown tracker alerts feature, enhancing protection against unwanted Bluetooth trackers.
Android users can now pause location updates on the Find My Device network for up to 24 hours if a suspicious tracker is detected, preventing potential tracking.
The new Find Nearby feature helps users locate unknown trackers and provides disabling instructions for better personal security.
𝕏: Android is adding some extra protection against stalkers tracking you with tags Android will now let you temporarily pause location updates and pinpoint the location of unknown tracker tags - Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman)
Trump Wants Manufacturing Jobs Back. Silicon Valley Is Lining Up To Help
By Nic Fildes via Financial Times
Silicon Valley leaders, including General Catalyst, Palantir, and 8VC, launched the New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA) to boost U.S. manufacturing in defense, space, and nuclear sectors through policy advocacy and deregulation efforts.
Former Trump administration officials like Nadia Schadlow and Chris Buskirk are advising NAIA, aligning its goals with Donald Trump's industrial policy agenda, including potential tariff expansions and supply chain reforms.
NAIA plans to propose policy recommendations targeting military budgets, semiconductor legislation, and environmental permitting while organizing the Reindustrialize conference to drive industry collaboration and innovation.
𝕏: New: A coalition of Silicon Valley leaders — incl General Catalyst, Palantir and 8VC — are backing the New American Industrial Alliance, a trade group launched today to lobby the Trump administration on manufacturing, defense and energy. - David Jeans (@DavidJeans2)
Australia to introduce 'news tax' on tech companies
By Nic Fildes via Financial Times
Australia plans to introduce a "news tax" on tech companies earning over $250 million annually from the country, requiring them to pay publishers for journalism or face levies.
The measure follows Meta's withdrawal from previous media deals, prompting the government to strengthen regulations targeting tech giants like Google, TikTok, and Microsoft's LinkedIn.
Media executives, including News Corp’s Michael Miller, praised the move as essential for sustaining journalism, supporting jobs, and ensuring accountability in the tech sector.
𝕏: As they write: "The business model of many of the platforms has changed in recent years, to models that do not rely on carrying news from established news publishers." - Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis)
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