Latest news with #BrianKlein
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Woke BBC's new period drama will tick all PC boxes & have just the right bonnets but here's why everyone will switch off
A NEW book came out this week. It's called The Spider Covenant and it's about a group of sinister businessmen using money the Nazis squirrelled away after World War Two to fund a next- generation AI project which will put Hitler sympathisers in power around the world. 5 5 I'm bound to say, for two reasons, that it's a good read. Number one: It is. And number two: It was written by Brian Klein, who directed every single one of the studio segments in both Top Gear and The Grand Tour. Certainly, it would make an excellent mini series on TV. However, the BBC has decided instead to make a drama about a dreary Victorian woman from some god-awful Jane Austen book that I was forced to study at school. And which put me off reading for ten years. Yup. It's another bloody period drama. Of course it is. Horse and carriage pulls up on some gravel outside a big house. And then nothing of any great importance happens for about 16 hours. However, the producer of this new one, Jane Tranter, says there's a reason why period dramas are usually boring. She says that as soon as you put an actor in clothes from the olden days, they start to walk slowly and talk posh. Really? Michael Elphick didn't talk posh in The Elephant Man. And the only reason they move slowly is because you can't really rush when you're wearing a bustle or a stovepipe hat. There's another issue the BBC always has. They go to immense lengths to make sure the stitching on everyone's bonnet is correct for the time and that the swords are made from period metal. But then in their 17th-century story, they cast people in wheelchairs and people with Mexican accents. BBC releases new trailer for period drama Miss Austen starring Keeley Hawes And there's usually quite a lot of talk about global warming. There is, however, one period drama that got round all of this. Heath Ledger's movie, A Knight's Tale. Chaucer was a dude In that, the actors danced to music from Queen and David Bowie. They wore prog-rock clothes. Chaucer was a dude, and the heroine was played by an ethnically diverse American. 5 It was brilliant. Mainly because behind all the period cleverness, there was a good story. Which you're unlikely to get from a book that sends most readers into a deep sleep by page four. I fear that the BBC can make the characters rush about like Usain Bolt and talk like Jamie Carragher. But it won't make a ha'porth of difference. Unless there's an actual plot we care about, we'll all carry on watching MobLand. GEARS BOXING CLEVER THE headlines this week told us that cars with manual gearboxes will soon become a thing of the past. The figures seem to back this up. Back in 2011, only a quarter of cars sold in the UK were automatics, whereas today it's 80 per cent. As a result, one in every four driving tests taken today is automatic-only. Because why bother getting qualified to drive a car with a clutch pedal and a gear lever, that you have to move about like you're stirring soup, when you're never going to encounter such a thing? Aha. But there's more to this story than meets the eye. Because while a car may have a PRND automatic gear lever, the gearbox itself, in many cases, is actually a manual. Certain Minis fall into this category. So do various VW Golfs. So you could take your test in what drives like an auto and then claim that actually you are qualified to drive a manual. Worth a try because, technically, you'd be right. Reputation of French goes up in smoke I'M rarely shocked these days by a news story but when I heard this week that France has banned smoking in parks, on beaches and even in the street, I nearly fell off my chair. France ditching its love affair with the Disque Bleu? What's next? The Germans ban people from drinking beer? The Americans ban burgers? We are to be banned from going on social media and making jokes? No, wait, hang on . . . KICK UP A STINK SADIQ KHAN, the increasingly thin Mayor of London, has backed calls for a partial decriminal-isation of cannabis. Dear God, no. I've been to various cities in America which have adopted a similarly slack attitude to weed and they smell disgusting. Right now, London's got enough problems. Crime is off the charts, there are boarded-up shops everywhere, the pavements are rammed with what look like refugee camps, and the police do nothing because they're too busy probing a potentially offensive tweet. And I can't imagine any of these things will be helped if the place smells more revolting than a teenage boy's sock. PM NOT A RISK TAKER SIR Starmer is forever telling us that he knows what it's like to work for ten hours a day because that's what his dad did. Yes. But that's like me saying I know what it's like to leave school at 14 and become a butcher's boy. 5 Sure, it's what my dad did but I wasn't there. So what's it like to pedal around the streets of South Yorkshire delivering mince to miners? No idea, I'm afraid. And it gets worse because when you're Prime Minister what you really need to know is not what it's like to work in a factory, but what it's like to run one. Business is what's going to get this country back on its feet. People taking the risk, starting out on their own, making it work, employing someone and then someone else. And then one day passing the business they've built on to their children. Starmer has absolutely no idea what it's like to do that. And neither do any of his Baldricks. Lammy. Rayner. Reeves. None of them. Which is probably why they did a speedy deal with Trump to make British-made cars ten per cent more expensive in America. They claimed they had been extremely clever and got round his new tariffs. Yes, but every other country waited. And then found out this week that Trump wasn't allowed to impose the tariffs in the first place. Honestly, this country is being run by a shower of dingleberries. SO. The struggling high-street giant WH Smith is to change its name to TG Jones. Yup. That'll make all the difference. After all, the only reason I stopped buying magazines and DVDs is because I wanted the shop to sound a bit more Welsh. I guess that's what John Lewis needs to do if it wants to return to profitability. Change its name to Dai Llewellyn.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge Overturns Convictions in Mango Markets Exploiter's Crypto Fraud Case
A U.S. judge has overturned the fraud and market manipulation convictions of Avraham Eisenberg, the crypto trader accused of draining $110 million from the now-defunct decentralized finance protocol Mango Markets. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that prosecutors failed to prove Eisenberg made false representations to the platform. He also moved to acquit Eisenberg of wire fraud charges. The investor manipulated the price of Mango's native token MNGO with massive trades by more than 1,000% in 20 minutes before getting the protocol to allow him to borrow and withdraw $110 million in various cryptocurrencies, backed by the inflated collateral. Eisenberg's defense argued that the platform, which operated through smart contracts, allowed anyone to transact freely and that he simply exploited a vulnerability. The judge agreed, stating that Mango's permissionless structure meant that there 'was insufficient evidence of falsity' from prosecutors regarding Eisenberg's representation to Mango Markets. Eisenberg was arrested in December 2022, and while this case collapsed, he is still currently serving a four-year sentence handed out after he pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material. 'From the beginning, we said this case was fatally flawed,' his attorney Brian Klein of Waymaker LLP said. 'We are very pleased for Avi that the judge granted our motion and dismissed the case.'
Miami Herald
12-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Sam Altman's eye-scanning orbs have arrived, sparking curiosity and fear
Earlier this month, a mysterious store selling a vision of the future opened its doors in downtown San Francisco's Union Square district. A cryptic message appeared on the storefront window: "World is the real human network. Anonymous proof of human and universally inclusive finance for the age of AI. Millions of humans in over 160 countries. Now available in the USA." The store attracted a small crowd and curious onlookers. People took turns scanning their eyes by peering into white devices known as orbs - to prove they are human. Then they received, free of charge, a verified World ID they could use to log into online services and apps. As an extra bonus, participants were given some Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens. Some just observed from a distance. "I'm afraid to walk inside," said Brian Klein, 66, as he peered into the window on his way to the theater. "I don't want that thing taking any of my data and biometric scanning me." The futuristic technology is the creation of a startup called Tools for Humanity, which is based in San Francisco and Munich, Germany. Founded in 2019 by Alex Blania and Sam Altman - the entrepreneur known for OpenAI's ChatGPT - the tech company says it's "building for humans in the age of AI." In theory, these iris scans offer a safe and convenient way for consumers to verify their human identity at a time when AI-powered tools can easily create fake audio and images of people. "We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and essential in a world where the internet was going to have lots of AI-driven content," said Altman, the chairman for Tools for Humanity, at a glitzy event in San Francisco last month. Like the early stages of Facebook and PayPal, World is still in a growth phase, trying to lure enough customers to its network to eventually build a viable service. A chief draw, World says, is that people can verify their humanness at an orb without providing personal information, such as, their names, emails, phone numbers and social media profiles. But some are skeptical, contending that handing over biometric data is too risky. They cite instances where companies have reported data breaches or filed for bankruptcy, such as DNA research firm 23andMe. "You can't get new eyeballs. I don't care what this company says. Biometric data like these retinal scans will get out. Hacks and leaks happen all the time," said Justin Kloczko, a tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. "Your eyeballs are going to be like gold to these thieves." World has been making waves in Asia, Europe, South America and Central America. More than 12 million people have verified themselves through the orbs and roughly 26 million have downloaded the World app, where people store their World ID, digital assets and access other tools, the company says. Now, World is setting its sights on the United States. The World app says people can claim up to 39 Worldcoin tokens, worth up to $45.49 if a user verifies they're human with an orb. World plans to deploy 7,500 orbs throughout the U.S. this year. It's opening up spaces where people can scan their eyes in six cities - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami and Nashville. The L.A. space opened on Melrose Avenue last week. Backed by well-known venture capital firms including Bain Capital, Menlo Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, Tools for Humanity has raised $240 million, as of March, according to Pitchbook. The crypto eye-scanning project has stirred up plenty of buzz, but also controversy. In places outside the United States, including Hong Kong, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, South Korea, and Kenya, regulators have scrutinized the effort because of data privacy concerns. Whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked classified details of the U.S. government's mass surveillance program, responded to Altman's post about the project in 2021 by saying "the human body is not a ticket-punch." Ashkan Soltani, the former executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, said that privacy risks can outweigh the benefits of handing over biometric data. "Even if companies don't store raw biometric data, like retina scans, the derived identifiers are immutable … and permanently linked to the individuals they were captured from," he said in an email. World executives counter that the orb captures photos of a person's face and eyes, but doesn't store any of that data. To receive a verified World ID, people can choose to send their iris image to their phone and that data are encrypted, meaning that the company can't view or access the information. The idea for World began five years ago. Before the popularity of ChatGPT ignited an AI frenzy, Altman was on a walk with Blania in San Francisco talking about how trust would work in the age where AI systems are smarter than humans. "The initial ideas were very crazy, then we came down to one that was just a little bit crazy, which became World," Altman said onstage at an event about World's U.S. debut at Fort Mason, a former U.S. Army post in San Francisco. At the event, tech workers, influencers and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wandered in and out of a large building filled with orbs, refreshments and entertainment. Tools for Humanity Chief Executive Blania highlighted three ways people could use their verified World ID: gaming, dating and social media. Currently, online services use a variety of ways to confirm people's identities including video selfies, phone numbers, government-issued IDs and two-factor authentication. World recently teamed up with gaming company Razer, based in Irvine, California, and Singapore, to verify customers are human through a single-sign on, and is placing orbs in Razer stores. Blania also touted a partnership with Match Group, where people can used World to verify themselves and their ages on apps such as Tinder, an effort that will be tested in Japan. "We think the internet as a whole will need a proof of human and one space that I'm personally most excited about will be social," Blania said at the San Francisco event. Back at the World store in San Francisco, Zachary Sussman was eager to check out the orbs with his two friends, both in their 20s. "For me, the more 'Black Mirror' the technology is, the more likely I am to use it," Sussman said, referring to the popular Netflix sci-fi series. "I like the dystopian aesthetic." Doug Colaizzo, 35, checked out the store with his daughter and parents. Colaizzo, a developer, described himself as an "early adopter" of technology. He already uses his fingerprint to unlock his front door and his smartphone to pay for items. "We need a better way of identifying humans," he said. "I support this idea, even if this is not gonna be the one that wins." Andras Cser, vice president and principal analyst of Security and Risk Management at Forrester Research, said the fact that people have to go to a store to scan their eyes could limit adoption. World is building a gadget called the "mini Orb" that's the size of a smartphone, but convincing people to carry a separate device around will also be an uphill battle, he said. "There's big time hype with a ton of customer friction and privacy problems," he said. The company will have to convince skeptics like Klein to hand over their biometric data. The San Francisco resident is more cautious, especially after he had to delete his DNA data from 23andMe because the biotech company filed for bankruptcy. "I'm not going to go off and live in the wilderness by myself," he said. "Eventually, I might have to, but I'm going to resist as much as I can." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sam Altman's eye-scanning orbs have arrived, sparking curiosity and fear
Earlier this month, a mysterious store selling a vision of the future opened its doors in downtown San Francisco's Union Square district. A cryptic message appeared on the storefront window: 'World is the real human network. Anonymous proof of human and universally inclusive finance for the age of AI. Millions of humans in over 160 countries. Now available in the USA.' The store attracted a small crowd and curious onlookers. People took turns scanning their eyes by peering into white devices known as orbs — to prove they are human. Then they received, free of charge, a verified World ID they could use to log into online services and apps. As an extra bonus, participants were given some Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens. Read more: Bay Area tech workers thought their jobs were safe. Then the 'golden handcuffs' came off Some just observed from a distance. 'I'm afraid to walk inside,' said Brian Klein, 66, as he peered into the window on his way to the theater. 'I don't want that thing taking any of my data and biometric scanning me.' The futuristic technology is the creation of a startup called Tools for Humanity, which is based in San Francisco and Munich, Germany. Founded in 2019 by Alex Blania and Sam Altman — the entrepreneur known for OpenAI's ChatGPT — the tech company says it's 'building for humans in the age of AI.' In theory, these iris scans offer a safe and convenient way for consumers to verify their human identity at a time when AI-powered tools can easily create fake audio and images of people. "We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and essential in a world where the internet was going to have lots of AI-driven content," said Altman, the chairman for Tools for Humanity, at a glitzy event in San Francisco last month. Like the early stages of Facebook and PayPal, World is still in a growth phase, trying to lure enough customers to its network to eventually build a viable service. A chief draw, World says, is that people can verify their humanness at an orb without providing personal information, such as, their names, emails, phone numbers and social media profiles. But some are skeptical, contending that handing over biometric data is too risky. They cite instances where companies have reported data breaches or filed for bankruptcy, such as DNA research firm 23andMe. Read more: 'People should be worried': 23andMe bankruptcy could expose customers' genetic data 'You can't get new eyeballs. I don't care what this company says. Biometric data like these retinal scans will get out. Hacks and leaks happen all the time,' said Justin Kloczko, a tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. 'Your eyeballs are going to be like gold to these thieves.' World has been making waves in Asia, Europe, South America and Central America. More than 12 million people have verified themselves through the orbs and roughly 26 million have downloaded the World app, where people store their World ID, digital assets and access other tools, the company says. Now, World is setting its sights on the United States. The World app says people can claim up to 39 Worldcoin tokens, worth up to $45.49 if a user verifies they're human with an orb. World plans to deploy 7,500 orbs throughout the U.S. this year. It's opening up spaces where people can scan their eyes in six cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami and Nashville. The L.A. space opened on Melrose Avenue last week. Read more: Elon Musk's feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, explained Backed by well-known venture capital firms including Bain Capital, Menlo Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, Tools for Humanity has raised $240 million, as of March, according to Pitchbook. The crypto eye-scanning project has stirred up plenty of buzz, but also controversy. In places outside the United States, including Hong Kong, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, South Korea, and Kenya, regulators have scrutinized the effort because of data privacy concerns. Whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked classified details of the U.S. government's mass surveillance program, responded to Altman's post about the project in 2021 by saying 'the human body is not a ticket-punch.' Ashkan Soltani, the former executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, said that privacy risks can outweigh the benefits of handing over biometric data. 'Even if companies don't store raw biometric data, like retina scans, the derived identifiers are immutable … and permanently linked to the individuals they were captured from,' he said in an email. World executives counter that the orb captures photos of a person's face and eyes, but doesn't store any of that data. To receive a verified World ID, people can choose to send their iris image to their phone and that data are encrypted, meaning that the company can't view or access the information. The idea for World began five years ago. Before the popularity of ChatGPT ignited an AI frenzy, Altman was on a walk with Blania in San Francisco talking about how trust would work in the age where AI systems are smarter than humans. 'The initial ideas were very crazy, then we came down to one that was just a little bit crazy, which became World,' Altman said onstage at an event about World's U.S. debut at Fort Mason, a former U.S. Army post in San Francisco. At the event, tech workers, influencers and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wandered in and out of a large building filled with orbs, refreshments and entertainment. Tools for Humanity Chief Executive Blania highlighted three ways people could use their verified World ID: gaming, dating and social media. Currently, online services use a variety of ways to confirm people's identities including video selfies, phone numbers, government-issued IDs and two-factor authentication. World recently teamed up with gaming company Razer, based in Irvine and Singapore, to verify customers are human through a single-sign on, and is placing orbs in Razer stores. Read more: OpenAI takes its pitch to Hollywood creatives after launching controversial video tool Blania also touted a partnership with Match Group, where people can used World to verify themselves and their ages on apps such as Tinder , an effort that will be tested in Japan. "We think the internet as a whole will need a proof of human and one space that I'm personally most excited about will be social," Blania said at the San Francisco event. Back at the World store in San Francisco, Zachary Sussman was eager to check out the orbs with his two friends, both in their 20s. 'For me, the more 'Black Mirror' the technology is, the more likely I am to use it,' Sussman said, referring to the popular Netflix sci-fi series. 'I like the dystopian aesthetic.' Doug Colaizzo, 35, checked out the store with his daughter and parents. Colaizzo, a developer, described himself as an 'early adopter' of technology. He already uses his fingerprint to unlock his front door and his smartphone to pay for items. 'We need a better way of identifying humans,' he said. 'I support this idea, even if this is not gonna be the one that wins.' Andras Cser, vice president and principal analyst of Security and Risk Management at Forrester Research, said the fact that people have to go to a store to scan their eyes could limit adoption. World is building a gadget called the 'mini Orb' that's the size of a smartphone, but convincing people to carry a separate device around will also be an uphill battle, he said. 'There's big time hype with a ton of customer friction and privacy problems,' he said. The company will have to convince skeptics like Klein to hand over their biometric data. The San Francisco resident is more cautious, especially after he had to delete his DNA data from 23andMe because the biotech company filed for bankruptcy. 'I'm not going to go off and live in the wilderness by myself,' he said. 'Eventually, I might have to, but I'm going to resist as much as I can.' Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Sam Altman's eye-scanning orbs have arrived, sparking curiosity and fear
SAN FRANCISCO — Earlier this month, a mysterious store selling a vision of the future opened its doors in downtown San Francisco's Union Square district. A cryptic message appeared on the storefront window: 'World is the real human network. Anonymous proof of human and universally inclusive finance for the age of AI. Millions of humans in over 160 countries. Now available in the USA.' The store attracted a small crowd and curious onlookers. People took turns scanning their eyes by peering into white devices known as orbs — to prove they are human. Then they received, free of charge, a verified World ID they could use to log into online services and apps. As an extra bonus, participants were given some Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens. Some just observed from a distance. 'I'm afraid to walk inside,' said Brian Klein, 66, as he peered into the window on his way to the theater. 'I don't want that thing taking any of my data and biometric scanning me.' The futuristic technology is the creation of a startup called Tools for Humanity, which is based in San Francisco and Munich, Germany. Founded in 2019 by Alex Blania and Sam Altman — the entrepreneur known for OpenAI's ChatGPT — the tech company says it's 'building for humans in the age of AI.' In theory, these iris scans offer a safe and convenient way for consumers to verify their human identity at a time when AI-powered tools can easily create fake audio and images of people. 'We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and essential in a world where the internet was going to have lots of AI-driven content,' said Altman, the chairman for Tools for Humanity, at a glitzy event in San Francisco last month. Like the early stages of Facebook and PayPal, World is still in a growth phase, trying to lure enough customers to its network to eventually build a viable service. A chief draw, World says, is that people can verify their humanness at an orb without providing personal information, such as, their names, emails, phone numbers and social media profiles. But some are skeptical, contending that handing over biometric data is too risky. They cite instances where companies have reported data breaches or filed for bankruptcy, such as DNA research firm 23andMe. 'You can't get new eyeballs. I don't care what this company says. Biometric data like these retinal scans will get out. Hacks and leaks happen all the time,' said Justin Kloczko, a tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. 'Your eyeballs are going to be like gold to these thieves.' World has been making waves in Asia, Europe, South America and Central America. More than 12 million people have verified themselves through the orbs and roughly 26 million have downloaded the World app, where people store their World ID, digital assets and access other tools, the company says. Now, World is setting its sights on the United States. The World app says people can claim up to 39 Worldcoin tokens, worth up to $45.49 if a user verifies they're human with an orb. World plans to deploy 7,500 orbs throughout the U.S. this year. It's opening up spaces where people can scan their eyes in six cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami and Nashville. The L.A. space opened on Melrose Avenue last week. Backed by well-known venture capital firms including Bain Capital, Menlo Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, Tools for Humanity has raised $240 million, as of March, according to Pitchbook. The crypto eye-scanning project has stirred up plenty of buzz, but also controversy. In places outside the United States, including Hong Kong, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, South Korea, and Kenya, regulators have scrutinized the effort because of data privacy concerns. Whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked classified details of the U.S. government's mass surveillance program, responded to Altman's post about the project in 2021 by saying 'the human body is not a ticket-punch.' Ashkan Soltani, the former executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, said that privacy risks can outweigh the benefits of handing over biometric data. 'Even if companies don't store raw biometric data, like retina scans, the derived identifiers are immutable … and permanently linked to the individuals they were captured from,' he said in an email. World executives counter that the orb captures photos of a person's face and eyes, but doesn't store any of that data. To receive a verified World ID, people can choose to send their iris image to their phone and that data are encrypted, meaning that the company can't view or access the information. The idea for World began five years ago. Before the popularity of ChatGPT ignited an AI frenzy, Altman was on a walk with Blania in San Francisco talking about how trust would work in the age where AI systems are smarter than humans. 'The initial ideas were very crazy, then we came down to one that was just a little bit crazy, which became World,' Altman said onstage at an event about World's U.S. debut at Fort Mason, a former U.S. Army post in San Francisco. At the event, tech workers, influencers and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wandered in and out of a large building filled with orbs, refreshments and entertainment. Tools for Humanity Chief Executive Blania highlighted three ways people could use their verified World ID: gaming, dating and social media. Currently, online services use a variety of ways to confirm people's identities including video selfies, phone numbers, government-issued IDs and two-factor authentication. World recently teamed up with gaming company Razer, based in Irvine and Singapore, to verify customers are human through a single-sign on, and is placing orbs in Razer stores. Blania also touted a partnership with Match Group, where people can used World to verify themselves and their ages on apps such as Tinder , an effort that will be tested in Japan. 'We think the internet as a whole will need a proof of human and one space that I'm personally most excited about will be social,' Blania said at the San Francisco event. Back at the World store in San Francisco, Zachary Sussman was eager to check out the orbs with his two friends, both in their 20s. 'For me, the more 'Black Mirror' the technology is, the more likely I am to use it,' Sussman said, referring to the popular Netflix sci-fi series. 'I like the dystopian aesthetic.' Doug Colaizzo, 35, checked out the store with his daughter and parents. Colaizzo, a developer, described himself as an 'early adopter' of technology. He already uses his fingerprint to unlock his front door and his smartphone to pay for items. 'We need a better way of identifying humans,' he said. 'I support this idea, even if this is not gonna be the one that wins.' Andras Cser, vice president and principal analyst of Security and Risk Management at Forrester Research, said the fact that people have to go to a store to scan their eyes could limit adoption. World is building a gadget called the 'mini Orb' that's the size of a smartphone, but convincing people to carry a separate device around will also be an uphill battle, he said. 'There's big time hype with a ton of customer friction and privacy problems,' he said. The company will have to convince skeptics like Klein to hand over their biometric data. The San Francisco resident is more cautious, especially after he had to delete his DNA data from 23andMe because the biotech company filed for bankruptcy. 'I'm not going to go off and live in the wilderness by myself,' he said. 'Eventually, I might have to, but I'm going to resist as much as I can.'
