AI Updates, Privacy Concerns, and the End of Microsoft Movies: This Week in Tech News – Early August | DogHouse 27
The past couple of weeks have been packed with big shifts, strange breakthroughs, and more AI controversy than you can shake a server at. From Microsoft quietly shutting down its digital movie store to VPN spikes tied to new age laws, it’s been a mix of real innovation and internet chaos. We’re also seeing privacy debates heat up (again), AI working its way into your browser, and Pokémon fans beefing over dragon designs. If you blinked, you missed something—so here’s your bite-sized breakdown of the biggest stories you should know.
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Bark Bits Articles
A Women’s Dating Safety App’s leaks deepen
LINK: Tea App Data Leak Worsens, Recent Sensitive Chats Exposed | PCMag
The women’s dating safety app, Tea, has suffered two serious breaches in the past months. The first was the archived data they stored: submitted photos, ID verification photos, and private chat history. All of this was posted to an anonymous online chat board, with personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, and more. The app put out an official statement, telling their consumers that they have taken the affected databases offline and are looking to help those affected by the breach with a promise of identity protection.
Found in 2023, Tea is an application for women to anonymously share information with other women about the dates they have been on, the men they’ve met and more. It soared to the top of the App Store charts as an app meant to protect women out in the dating scene.
If you are a user on the app, we highly suggest you take steps to protect your identity. Tea is offering free protection for those affected.
Waymo Moves to Dallas
LINK: Waymo’s Robotaxi Service Is Expanding to Another Texas City Next Year | PCMag
With their success in Austin and a plethora of other major cities, Waymo, the fully automated, driverless car service, is moving up to Dallas. With extensive research under their belt, Waymo is confident in bringing safety to the streets of Dallas.
Waymo also announced they are partnering with Avis for the Dallas launch, allowing Avis to take charge of fleet management services for the vehicles.
Uber begins to roll out women’s preferred option.
LINK: Uber Tests Matching Female Riders With Female Drivers for Added Safety | PCMag
Uber recently announced it would be adding a new feature to their app: the woman preference feature. This will allow female riders and female drivers to have the opportunity to be paired together, if they prefer.
Uber hopes to use this as a way to draw in more female riders. Right now, this is piloted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, but they are hoping to expand and release the feature soon.
A Gender Reveal Gone Wrong.
LINK: Whoops! ChatGPT Ruined This Woman’s Gender Reveal | PCMag
A now viral TikTok posted by Molly reveals that ChatGPT can read past blacked-out information. With her documented IVF journey, Molly reveals that she was given a report at the end of the process, and asked that the genders not be revealed by the report.
Molly then uploaded the report to ChatGPT to gain a deeper understanding, and instead of just reading the report as it was, ChatGPT revealed the genders of the embryos. When asked, ChatGPT revealed it could “see” under the blacked-out information.
After asking this, Molly warns all those who upload information to ChatGPT to be careful about how much they upload and what they tell the AI to do with it. She goes on to say that with AI, one should be as explicit as possible when it comes to information like this.
DuckDuckGo Lets Users Block AI-generated images.
LINK: Sick of AI Slop? DuckDuckGo Now Lets You Block AI-Generated Images | PCMag
DuckDuckGo is testing out a new feature where users can hide AI-generated photos in their searches. This update aims to give users more transparency and control over the content they see, especially as generative visuals increasingly flood the internet.
The filter is powered by open-source blocklists and metadata cues, flagging images created by tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, and Stable Diffusion. While it’s not 100% accurate, some may slip through or be mislabeled, it’s a significant move toward user-directed moderation in search results.
Microsoft Exits the Move & TV business.
LINK: Microsoft Gets Out of the Movie and TV Business: How to Save Everything You Bought | PCMag
Microsoft has announced it will shut down its Movies & TV store in mid-2025, ending support for new purchases across Windows and Xbox. While previously bought content will still be watchable through the Microsoft Movies & TV app, this signals the quiet retirement of a once-promising digital media storefront.
The move reflects broader industry trends: as more users shift to streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, fewer rely on digital ownership models. Microsoft is encouraging users to back up their purchases, especially since similar shutdowns in the past have resulted in access loss.
Microsoft’s Zero‑Water Data Center Cooling
LINK: Microsoft Zero Water Solution for Data Center Cooling
Microsoft is testing a new, completely water-free cooling system for data centers—an important shift as concerns mount over water usage in server farms. The new system uses a combination of air cooling and heat-dissipating materials to keep hardware at optimal temperatures without draining local water resources.
With this change, Microsoft could dramatically reduce the environmental footprint of its global data infrastructure, aligning with its long-term sustainability goals. The pilot project is already being explored for scale-up in dry regions where water conservation is critical.
Asus Patches Major Security Flaws
Asus has issued emergency patches for serious vulnerabilities affecting its Armoury Crate software, MyAsus utilities, and certain routers. These flaws could have allowed attackers to execute code remotely or gain unauthorized access to user devices.
The company now states all issues are resolved, but experts warn users to install updates immediately. This fix closes a significant security gap and serves as a reminder of the risks tied to connected devices and custom control panels.
Microsoft Edge Becomes AI-Powered Browser with Copilot Mode
LINK: Microsoft Edge transforms into an AI browser with new Copilot Mode | The Verge
Edge is getting an AI upgrade: Microsoft is rolling out Copilot Mode, turning the browser into an assistant capable of summarizing web pages, drafting emails or posts, and answering queries in real-time.
Built directly into the sidebar, Copilot brings Bing Chat and ChatGPT-like features to users without extra tabs or tools. It’s part of Microsoft’s broader AI strategy to integrate intelligent features across its ecosystem and position Edge as a smarter alternative to Chrome and Safari.
Windows 11 Task Manager Gets Smarter
LINK: Microsoft is revamping Windows 11’s Task Manager so its numbers make more sense – Ars Technica
Microsoft is revamping Task Manager in Windows 11 to present data more clearly and accurately. The update addresses user confusion around how system resources, like memory, CPU, disk usage, and GPU, are represented.
New metrics and more intuitive charts will help power and everyday users better understand what’s happening under the hood, making diagnostics and performance monitoring less daunting.
ChatGPT adds ‘Study Mode’
LINK: ChatGPT’s new Study Mode is designed to help you learn, not just give answers – Ars Technica
OpenAI has added a “Study Mode” to ChatGPT, turning the tool into a learning companion rather than just a Q&A bot. Study Mode emphasizes guided steps, concept reinforcement, and structured problem-solving rather than quick answers.
It’s ideal for students and self-learners who want to understand material instead of skimming. Users can choose to “study” with ChatGPT the way they might with a tutor.
Internet Archive Becomes Federal Documents Library
LINK: The Internet Archive is now an official federal documents library | Mashable
The Internet Archive has been designated an official repository for U.S. federal government documents. This gives legal recognition as a public-access library, cementing a role for digital preservation and open access.
The change allows the nonprofit to host official publications long-term and ensures public transparency and document availability, even as agencies move to digital-only formats.
YouTube’s Age-Estimation Tool Protects Teens
YouTube deploys a new age-estimation AI to identify teenagers in the U.S. This enforces stricter protections, such as turning off personalized ads, limiting content, and boosting parental controls.
Rather than relying on user-entered birthdays, the system analyzes engagement signals and face cues (where available) to apply youth safeguards automatically. Critics have privacy concerns, but YouTube says it’s part of a larger overhaul for minors.
VPN Use Soars Amid UK Age Verification Rules
LINK: Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet | WIRED
New online age-verification laws in the UK have led to a dramatic rise in VPN usage, as users try to bypass restrictions requiring proof of identity or age to access certain websites.
Privacy advocates warn this creates a dangerous precedent: increasing surveillance while driving users to shady workarounds. It’s fueling debates about whether such laws actually protect children, or simply restrict access and compromise digital rights.
Death Stranding helps Brits outwit UK Law.
Also in the UK, Discord introduced stricter age-verification measures in line with new safety laws, but gamers found a workaround. By uploading in-game photos from Death Stranding (that offers photo-mode avatars), users can trick the platform into verifying them. The hack exposes flaws in visual-based verification, highlighting how quickly users adapt when tech enforcement lags behind human creativity.
Mega Dragonite gets a new look
LINK: Mega Dragonite’s silly design has Pokémon fans reviving decade-old arguments | Polygon
The new Mega Dragonite design divides Pokémon fans. When the new design came out, some love the new look while others say it strays too far from the original charm of Dragonite. With the new design, it has revived the nearly decade-old arguments about nostalgia, design philosophy, and what makes a Pokémon “feel right.” It’s proof that a single design update can stir strong reactions in long-time communities.
Sony gears up for a lawsuit over Horizon Zero Dawn
LINK: Sony sues Tencent over blatant Horizon Zero Dawn clone, Light of Motiram | TechSpot
Sony has decided to take legal action against Tencent for their game Light of Motiram. The reason: Sony claims the game takes significant elements from Horizon Zero Dawn, alleging blatant infringement. The lawsuit cites striking similarities to character design, world traveling, and the story structure.
If the lawsuit is successful, it could set a precedent in determining what constitutes too far when developers draw inspiration for their work.
Blender Gains Touch Interface for Tablets
Blender’s latest update adds official touchscreen and stylus support, making the open-source 3D modeling tool far more accessible on tablets. Previously, Blender was best used with a keyboard and mouse—but now, artists on iPads and Windows tablets can enjoy a smoother, touch-native experience. It opens the door to mobile 3D design workflows without compromising precision.
Birds can store data. Who knew?
A tech enthusiast has taken data storage to the next (avian) level: encoding a PNG file into an audio waveform and teaching a starling to mimic it. Surprisingly, the bird could reproduce and “store” data at speeds up to 2MB/s. While not practical for mainstream use, the project shows how unconventional biological systems might inspire future storage tech—or at least spark awe at what animals can do.
A Pigeon beats the internet.
LINK: A Pigeon is still faster than the Internet | Jeff Geerling
In a quirky but telling experiment, Jeff Geerling demonstrated that sending data via carrier pigeon is faster than using rural internet connections in some areas. The test—which involved transferring a large file physically via pigeon—highlights ongoing infrastructure gaps and the digital divide that still plagues parts of the world. Sometimes, the oldest tech still flies fastest.
Gaming Spotlight
- Keylocker: Cyberpunk turn-based rhythm JRPG – Available until 8/7 at 10 am.
- Pilgrims -playful adventure game, created by the team behind Machinarium and Samorost – Available until 8/7 at 10 am.
Humble Bundles
- Star Trek Comics Megabundle: Captain the Starship Enterprise from the comfort of your own home with the Star Trek Comics Megabundle! – Pay at least $24 for all 93 items
- Gear up for Borderlands 4: Jump into the chaotic world of Pandora with the Borderlands & Tiny Tina Bundle from Gearbox Software – Pay at least $16 for all eight items.
Pack Talk
Robert joins the show to discuss his newest game, Death Stranding 2! Listen to all his thoughts on the game and the previous iteration, Death Stranding!
Tags: Tech News, Gaming Industry, AI Developments, Privacy & Security, PC Gaming, AI, Privacy & Security, Microsoft, Streaming & Media, Gaming, Tech Regulation, Age Verification, Web & Browsers, App Updates, Weird Tech, Design & UX, ChatGPT, Death Stranding 2, DogHouse27.
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