Chinese leader Xi Jinping has built a sprawling security system to prevent violent forces from destabilizing society. A new wave of deadly attacks is putting pressure on officials to expand that surveillance state. China was stunned this month by its deadliest act of public violence since a string of terrorism strikes rocked the remote Xinjiang region in 2014. Dozens were hospitalized and 35 killed by the bloody car-ramming in Zhuhai city that was the culmination of a spate of violence this year -- mostly stabbings -- which have sparked nationwide anxiety. Xi responded to spouts of ethnic violence a decade ago by installing a network of facial recognition cameras, tightening Internet controls and expanding a national resident database.

We humans are simply too dumb to use passwords. A recent study from password manager NordPass found that "secret" was the most commonly used password in 2024. That was followed by "123456" and "password". So let's all give praise that the password is dying. Yes, we know that we should be using 20-letter passwords with weird symbols and numbers, but our minds can't cope.

Don't wait for Black Friday! Pre-Black Friday sales are already in full swing, and you can find deals on everything from home goods to home security systems. Maybe it's because people are becoming more privacy-conscious these days, but everyone seems to be doubling down on surveillance systems for their homes and vehicles. If you haven't seen that dash cam video of the staged car crash scam, you really should -- it's definitely a wake-up call for the need to document everything. These gadgets also make great gifts for the security-conscious folks in your life.

Most AI image generators have guardrails to prevent people from creating harmful images. However, BlackForestLabs's FLUX.1 platform does not, and -- combined with its realistic image generations -- has inspired viral image creations. Now, the model is getting a massive upgrade. On Thursday, the company announced FLUX.1 Tools, a suite of models that can help users modify images created with its FLUX text-to-image model, offering more options for image control and manipulation. The four features of this suite include Fill, Depth, Canny, and Redux.

SAVE 46%: The Google Nest Video Doorbell (Wired, 2nd Gen, Snow) is just 98 during the Amazon Black Friday event, down from the typical price of 179.99. That's a savings of 81.99 and the best price we've seen at Amazon. Ready or not, it's time to shop for the holidays. Black Friday sales are well underway at Amazon and Best Buy, offering some of the best prices we've seen all year on some holiday must-haves. If you've been thinking about getting a video doorbell, there's a great deal in store at Amazon.

And soon enough, if Clear has its way, it may also be in your favorite retailer, bank, and even doctor's office--or anywhere else that you currently have to pull out a wallet (or, of course, wait in line). The company that has helped millions of vetted members skip airport security lines is now working to expand its "frictionless," "face-first" line-cutting service from the airport to just about everywhere, online and off, by promising to verify that you are who you say you are and you are where you are supposed to be. In doing so, CEO Caryn Seidman Becker told investors in an earnings call earlier this year, it has designs on being no less than the "identity layer of the internet," as well as the "universal identity platform" of the physical world. All you have to do is show up--and show your face. This is enabled by biometric technology, but Clear is far more than just a biometrics company.

Microsoft Teams users will soon be able to use cloned versions of their voices to speak and translate conversation in real time, as the company unveils its new, AI-powered Interpreter tool. Announced at the annual Microsoft Ignite conference and reported by TechCrunch, the new feature allows users to create digital replicas of their voices that can then be used to translate their speech into various languages. "Imagine being able to sound just like you in a different language. Interpreter in Teams provides real-time speech-to-speech translation during meetings, and you can opt to have it simulate your speaking voice for a more personal and engaging experience," wrote Microsoft CMO Jared Spataro in a blog post shared with the publication. The feature will only be available to Microsoft365 subscribers, and will launch initially for English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Microsoft's Interpreter has the potential to make the business of remote work and digital socialization more accessible to a wider array of non-English speakers, though it's not yet as dynamic as a live, human translator.

Today, they watch us as we approach, let the people inside the home know we're coming sooner than our finger can hit the button, and give them a good look at our faces before they open the door. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. If you haven't already installed one of these handy tools, there's a huge array available. Choosing the best video doorbell can be a bewildering task, with various factors to consider, including how much of your doorstep you want to see or whether you're prepared to pay for a subscription.

Sorry to disappoint, but if you're looking for a quick list of easily identifiable and foolproof ways for detecting AI-generated videos, you're not going to find it here. Gone are the days of AI Will Smith grotesquely eating spaghetti. Now we have tools that can create convincing, photorealistic videos with a few clicks. Right now, AI-generated videos are still a relatively nascent modality compared to AI-generated text, images, and audio, because getting all the details right is a challenge that requires a lot of high quality data. "But there's no fundamental obstacle to getting higher quality data," only labor-intensive work, said Siwei Lyu, a professor of computer science and engineering at University at Buffalo SUNY.

SAVE UP TO 38%: Video doorbells from brands like TP-Link, Arlo, and ecobee are up to 38% off at Amazon. It's a shock when someone actually calls your phone, but when someone shows up at your doorstep unexpected is even more of a surprise. Instead of hiding in another room, a video doorbell allows you to check on your front porch from your phone. From the doorbell's live stream, you'll be able to tell if it's your Amazon delivery, the neighborhood kids, or someone you'd rather not encounter. A video doorbell is also a great way to get immediate notifications when a package is delivered, instead of checking your Amazon account every few minutes.