Edition 26 – Dangerous Drinks, SMS Scams, Chatting Cars

The big stories

There Is No Safe Level of Alcohol Consumption, US Surgeon General Warns

An advisory issued by the US Surgeon General declares that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.

ScienceAlertMichelle Starr

I always found it shocking that alcohol did not receive the same scrutiny from regulators as cigarettes have. Now, finally, the US Surgeon General has issued a stark warning about alcohol consumption, challenging previous beliefs about "safe" drinking limits. Alcohol is directly linked to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the US alone, with risks beginning at just one drink per day for certain cancers. The advisory reveals that alcohol increases cancer risk through four main mechanisms, including DNA damage and hormone disruption, with breast cancer being the most significant concern - accounting for 44,180 cases in 2019 alone. With almost half of American adults unaware of alcohol's classification as a Group 1 carcinogen (alongside substances like asbestos and tobacco), this advisory calls for updated warning labels and better public education about these serious health risks.

However, this is only the first step in reducing (and eliminating) drinking culture. In recent years, developing countries have seen a sharp rise in alcohol consumption. Younger generations are more exposed to (and easily swayed by) Western influence through social media, which has resulted in an increased perception of drinking as a symbol of modernity or social status. Additionally, alcohol companies have poured money into marketing their poisons with celebrities and linking them to success, fun, and sophistication. These companies have even lobbied governments around the world to prevent their regulation.

Addressing this growing concern requires a multifaceted approach that includes public health education, stricter marketing regulations, and policies that promote healthy lifestyle choices to mitigate the negative impact of alcohol.

Google, Mercedes Partnership Adds Conversational AI to Cars | PYMNTS.com

Mercedes-Benz is adding conversational capabilities to its virtual assistant with the help of Google. The expanded partnership between the carmaker and

PYMNTS.comPYMNTS

In another case of companies sticking AI onto products that don't need it, Mercedes-Benz is trying to "revolutionize" in-car assistance by integrating conversational AI into their vehicles. The new system will tap into Google Maps' realtime database of 250 million locations, allowing drivers to have natural conversations about navigation and points of interest.

I have some questions for Mercedes-Benz. Firstly, what makes them think people want to talk to their car about points of interest along their daily commute? How many questions can one ask about navigation when stuck in traffic? And don't our phones already help us with directions?

Secondly, why do companies like Mercedes-Benz think adding the letters A and I to a product make it better? Why not focus on improving the customer experience by investing in AI where it matters – safe, electric, autonomous vehicles. Everything else is simply a marketing gimmick.

Phishing texts trick Apple iMessage users into disabling protection

Cybercriminals are exploiting a trick to turn off Apple iMessage’s built-in phishing protection for a text and trick users into re-enabling disabled phishing links.

BleepingComputerLawrence Abrams

A sophisticated new phishing technique targeting iMessage users has emerged which attempts to trick users into circumventing Apple's built-in security measures. The malicious messages ask users to reply to the message to "enable" certain links, then exit and reopen messages or copy links to Safari, ultimately aiming to collect personal information through fraudulent websites. While reportedly in use since summer 2024, this social engineering tactic has recently seen a significant surge in deployment across messaging platforms.

NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang says that IT will ‘become the HR of AI agents’

AI agents are all the rage, and may require tech teams to level up their people skills.

AOLBrit Morse

NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang envisions a future where IT departments will manage AI agents like HR manages human employees, handling their onboarding and ensuring compliance with company culture. While some experts predict 30% of companies will have meaningful "digital employees" by 2025, others caution that this transition requires careful consideration of both technical implementation and employee psychological impact. IT departments may need to partner closely with HR teams to successfully integrate AI agents, as technical expertise alone won't address the human aspects of this technological shift.

More interesting links

Got milk? Then you likely have a lower risk of colon cancer, says study

In what they’ve confirmed as the largest study looking at the effects of diet on rates of colon cancer, researchers in the UK say that calcium-rich foods offer significant protections against the disease. Alcohol and red meat? Not so much.

New AtlasPhoto by Look Studio on Unsplash

Inside the Japanese-American Farm Preserving Endangered Fruit

How one family turned their peach orchard into a rallying cry for saving heirloom flavors and building community.

Atlas ObscuraSarah Lohman

Quote of the week

"What sits on your shoulders, believe it or not, is the most complex object in the known universe. But the brain only uses 20 watts of power. It would require a nuclear power plant to energise a computer the size of a city block to mimic your brain, and your brain does it with just 20 watts."

~ Michio Kaku