Latest news with #Hiya
France 24
3 days ago
- Business
- France 24
No, US Fed Chair Powell didn't step down
Jerome Powell, chair of the US Federal Reserve, has been in the hot seat for several months. Essentially, US President Donald Trump has been very vocal about how unhappy he is with Powell's fiscal policy and his staunch refusal to lower interest rates. According to some social media users, the pressure became too much, and Powell finally resigned on July 22. These online accounts went so far as to circulate the resignation letter that the Fed chairman supposedly wrote. They also shared a video clip of Powell announcing his resignation live on the US television channel CNBC in a speech filled with swearing and insults. It turns out that both the letter and the video are fake. A fake resignation letter that duped a US senator 'Powell's out!' reads a tweet posted on the account of US Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, on July 22. The post featured what seemed to be Powell's resignation letter. In the letter, which is addressed to President Trump, Powell says that he'll be gone by the end of the day. But this isn't a real letter. The first clue is that it includes several spelling errors, which is strange for an official document. For example, the word 'grateful" has an errant dash '-' after the letter 'r' (in the letter, it is written "gr-ateful"). However, the biggest clue is that the supposed seal of the Federal Reserve at the end of the letter was clearly generated by artificial intelligence. The letters aren't in English – in fact, they are from no known alphabet. AI notoriously struggles to generate text correctly. Moreover, this seal doesn't look like any of the official seals of the Federal Reserve visible on their website. All of the official seals have a leaf pattern, which is missing from the AI version. Senator Mike Lee deleted his tweet shortly after its publication. A Facebook page for an alleged news site shared a video of Powell supposedly resigning live in an expletive-heavy speech on the American TV channel CNBC: 'I am sick of this sh*t. F*ck Wall Street. F*ck you all. I'm f*cking out." However, this video is also fake. First of all, there is no sign of this video on the website of CNBC or any other media outlet. If Powell had actually made such statements, it would have been picked up by news outlets the world over. We ran this video through Hiya, a tool from the InVid-We Verify project used to detect AI. The tool determined that there is a 99% chance that Powell's voice in the video was actually AI-generated. Despite Trump's criticisms, Powell will remain Fed chairman – for now In the end, the Trump administration was the one to refute the rumours about Powell resigning. 'There's nothing that tells me that he should step down right now,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the Fox Business channel on July 22. That same day, a journalist asked President Trump if he thought that Powell should resign. Trump confirmed, in his way, that Powell would remain in office. 'I think he's done a bad job, but he's gonna be out pretty soon anyway – in eight months he'll be out,' Trump said. This suggests that, at least for the time being, Trump thinks that Powell can remain at the head of the Federal Reserve until his term ends in May 2026.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
The iPhone setting that stops annoying scam calls
When an unknown number rings on a phone screen in Britain, the probability that it's a spam or scam call is more than a third, according to call-blocking firm Hiya. Some 31% of calls not from someone in a personal contact list are identified as nuisance calls, with an additional 4% being fraudsters, according to anti-spam company Hiya's Global Call Threat report 2025. The most common form of scams are those impersonating HMRC, although others such as crypto investment or Amazon scams are also widespread, Hiya statistics show. Last week, for example, people were warned to be on high alert for scams linked to winter fuel payments after HMRC received 15,100 reports of bogus activity in June. It said it has had to remove 4,600 fake websites linked to the payments. Amazon shoppers were also warned about sophisticated AI scams using automated calls to target bargain-hunters during Prime Day. So, if you're constantly being hassled by scammers, there's a hidden iPhone setting that can make life easier. You can opt to send all unknown and spam callers direct to voicemail, and also opt to silence all unknown callers. This has the effect of making scam callers hang up as they usually want to speak to users direct. Users can also quickly check iPhone's voicemail-to-text for any messages from legitimate callers. To send all unknown callers to voicemail, go to the main iPhone 'Settings' app. Then select Apps > Phone. Then choose Silence Unknown Callers – this means that anyone who calls bar people in your contacts list, people you have recently called, and numbers which have popped up in the AI-powered Siri Suggestions will go directly to voice mail. You will not hear or be notified about the call, but can go to Visual Voicemail to read messages from callers you may have missed. You will not see a notification, but any missed calls will still be recorded in your missed calls. There are various ways Android users can screen calls, although these vary by device. Go to Settings > Caller ID and spam. You can then select Filter spam calls or Block spam calls. As with the iPhone, you'll be able to see any missed calls in your call history. On Samsung devices, select Phone > Settings > Caller ID and spam protection to activate their blocking service, powered by Hiya. Some UK phone carriers also have opt-in services to automatically block spam and scam callers – call your carrier or check their website to see if they offer this service. Read more: 3 steps everyone must take if their email has been hacked The common password mistake that's exposing you to hackers The simple security setting everyone should switch on to avoid being hacked
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Brings Forth 'Enchanting' Collab With Cult-Favorite Wellness Brand
Disney Brings Forth 'Enchanting' Collab With Cult-Favorite Wellness Brand originally appeared on Parade. Disney is teaming up with cult-favorite wellness brand Hiya to delight young fans with a magically enchanting collaboration. On Monday, July 14, the kids' vitamin brand is releasing a limited-edition Disney Princess-themed bottle—in a lovely lavender hue—of its best-selling Daily Multivitamin, and bringing a charming new look to the clean-label formula parents already love, according to a press release shared directly with Parade. The new drop features iconic Disney Princesses from every era: Cinderella, Belle, Moana, Jasmine, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Ariel. Most enticing for little ones, the "special-edition bottle offers a collectible, magical twist on Hiya's pediatrician-approved formula designed for kids 2+, because even royalty needs to take vitamins." Related: Most importantly, they are even said to taste good, too, with four unique flavors for tiny tastebuds to not put up a fit about taking daily (Whew! A stress-reliever in itself...)—cherry, strawberry, tropical and green apple—all perfectly sweetened with monk fruit. The brand has become a fan-favorite for parents based on its clean formulation, subscription convenience, and eco-friendly, refillable glass bottle. "Hiya's clean-label chewables include 15+ essential vitamins and minerals plus a blend of 12 fruits and vegetables, all third-party tested and free from unnecessary additives or added sugars. The refillable bottle and sticker pack add a personalized touch to daily wellness, paired with a convenient subscription model that delivers fresh refills straight to your door," the brand noted. For more information and to grab the limited-edition offering while it's still available, check out Hiya's official website here. Next: Disney Brings Forth 'Enchanting' Collab With Cult-Favorite Wellness Brand first appeared on Parade on Jul 14, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
The iPhone setting that stops annoying scam calls
When an unknown number rings on a phone screen in Britain, the probability that it's a spam or scam call is more than a third, according to call-blocking firm Hiya. Some 31% of calls not from someone in a personal contact list are identified as nuisance calls, with an additional 4% being fraudsters, according to anti-spam company Hiya's Global Call Threat report 2025. The most common form of scams are those impersonating HMRC, although others such as crypto investment or Amazon scams are also widespread, Hiya statistics show. Last week, for example, people were warned to be on high alert for scams linked to winter fuel payments after HMRC received 15,100 reports of bogus activity in June. It said it has had to remove 4,600 fake websites linked to the payments. Amazon shoppers were also warned about sophisticated AI scams using automated calls to target bargain-hunters during Prime Day. So, if you're constantly being hassled by scammers, there's a hidden iPhone setting that can make life easier. You can opt to send all unknown and spam callers direct to voicemail, and also opt to silence all unknown callers. This has the effect of making scam callers hang up as they usually want to speak to users direct. Users can also quickly check iPhone's voicemail-to-text for any messages from legitimate callers. To send all unknown callers to voicemail, go to the main iPhone 'Settings' app. Then select Apps > Phone. Then choose Silence Unknown Callers – this means that anyone who calls bar people in your contacts list, people you have recently called, and numbers which have popped up in the AI-powered Siri Suggestions will go directly to voice mail. You will not hear or be notified about the call, but can go to Visual Voicemail to read messages from callers you may have missed. You will not see a notification, but any missed calls will still be recorded in your missed calls. There are various ways Android users can screen calls, although these vary by device. Go to Settings > Caller ID and spam. You can then select Filter spam calls or Block spam calls. As with the iPhone, you'll be able to see any missed calls in your call history. On Samsung devices, select Phone > Settings > Caller ID and spam protection to activate their blocking service, powered by Hiya. Some UK phone carriers also have opt-in services to automatically block spam and scam callers – call your carrier or check their website to see if they offer this service. Read more: 3 steps everyone must take if their email has been hacked The common password mistake that's exposing you to hackers The simple security setting everyone should switch on to avoid being hacked
AFP
14-07-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Posts share hoax report Trump ordered 'total border shutdown'
"President Donald Trump order (sic) full borders shut down people may be locked out of the US," reads the caption of a Facebook reel shared on July 3, 2025. The video appears to show a news report featuring a voiceover that says the US president signed "one of the most extreme executive orders in US history", enacting a "total border shutdown" from July 1 with no set reopening date. "No one goes in, no one comes out. Not even legal residents with full documentation," it says. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 9, 2025, with the red X added by AFP Similar videos were shared elsewhere on Facebook. "If this is true, it will be the end of tourism in America!" read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "This reeks of martial law in America, they're getting strict. I hope this isn't true." The posts surfaced after Trump revived his first-term travel ban on June 4, barring entry to people from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Somalia (archived link). The proclamation also covers Burma, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Haiti, Sudan, Yemen and Equatorial Guinea. The list results from a January 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on "hostile attitudes" towards the United States and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk. Trump issued an executive order during his first term in January 2017 banning travel to the United States by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries -- Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. But as of July 13, there have been no official reports or announcements from either the White House or the US Federal Register announcing a "total border shutdown" (archived here and here). A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same clip posted on June 29 by a user who frequently posts misinformation about US politics framed as "breaking news". Further reverse image searches found the clip of Trump holding up a signed executive order was also posted on CBS News's Instagram on May 20 (archived link). "President Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law that makes it a federal crime to post real and fake sexually explicit imagery online of people without their consent," reads the video's caption. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the CBS News video (right) An analysis of the audio used in the false posts using the Hiya voice cloning detection tool from The Verification Plug-in (formerly known as InVID-WeVerify) found it was "very likely AI-generated". Image Screenshot of the audio analysis on The Verification Tool's Hiya AFP has debunked other misinformation related to Trump here.
