Latest news with #Orb
CNET
09-07-2025
- CNET
Orb Is the Internet Speed Test Your Wi-Fi Has Been Waiting For
Internet speed tests aren't just for people who obsess over their internet connection. When my friends or parents are experiencing an inevitable home internet slowdown, my first recommendation is always to start with a speed test. In fact, I've tested and used dozens of internet speed tests -- the market is pretty saturated with them. Ideally, the best internet speed test is one that diagnoses your bandwidth blues as simply as possible -- no ads, no extra features you can't make sense of, and no slowing down your Wi-Fi. Speed tests are nothing new in the home internet space, but then again, I've never used a speed test quite like Orb before. Meet Orb The creators of the industry's most popular speed test, Ookla, rolled out Orb at the end of April. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) While I was skeptical about what value Orb could bring to the internet speed testing market, I felt differently after I downloaded the app to my iPhone and personal computer a few weeks ago. Orb is a free, sophisticated speed testing application. It doesn't just test your download and upload speeds; it measures the overall health of your home network holistically, using multiple metrics and continuous speed tests without slowing down your Wi-Fi. Orb co-founder and CEO Doug Suttles says Orb isn't really a speed test at all. Locating local internet providers 'We're not a speed test, that's the best way to put it,' Suttles tells me. 'We have speed testing functionality, but we focus far more on what we call responsiveness.' What does Orb track? Orb uses a few different metrics to measure responsiveness. You can see what your best (and worst) lag times look like. Screenshot by Cierra Nofke/CNET Responsiveness -- which includes measurements like lag, latency, jitter and packet loss -- is the main metric Orb uses to "grade" your internet connection out of 100. Reliability, or the network's responsiveness over time, and speed are secondary measures that Orb takes into account. 'It's a different side of broadband that we're focusing on,' Suttles says. 'The things that we built at our past company were perfect for the time when we built them, when broadband was in its infancy, and you needed to measure throughput first and foremost.' With data use surging and internet speeds soaring, our lives are more connected than ever -- but speed, or throughput, alone is no longer the only factor in determining a good internet plan. I see this often while reviewing home internet plans: While most internet shoppers mainly focus on speed and cost, plenty of other factors, beyond advertised max speeds, determine whether a connection is reliable or consistent. Jamie Steven, president and co-founder of Orb, says a reliable internet connection, not just a fast one, is vital for his rurally located home. 'The connection would go down all the time,' Steven says, 'Speed wasn't always or very often was not the issue. The issue was reliability and responsiveness.' Suttles and Steven say that standard internet speed tests are akin to measuring a car's top speed. Instead of focusing solely on speeds, Orb focuses on whether your internet stalls or how quickly it can accelerate. Additionally, Steven notes that the top speed of most cars is impractical for everyday use. 'It's not what you're doing day-to-day,' Steven says, referring to max internet speeds. 'For us, it was more about continuous measurement of your internet experience.' How does Orb work? Orb measures your internet's current speeds as well as its peak speeds. Screenshot by Cierra Nofke/CNET Part of Orb's ingenuity is its ability to run those continuous speed tests, instead of only running speed tests when you're experiencing delays or interruptions. My first thought was that such an approach would strain your network's bandwidth. But Suttles assured me that Orb uses a much smaller payload (around 10MB) compared to popular speed test alternatives. For rural internet users like Steven, that lighter payload makes all the difference in keeping his internet connection stable. If you'd like to give your internet a stress test, Orb does come with a 'peak speed' function to test your network's capacity, which uses a much heavier payload, but that's not a continuous test. Every device you connect to your internet acts as an "orb" or "sensor" that tests your internet connection from whatever room in your house or apartment they're in. You can also set up a dedicated device to continuously monitor your network, 24/7. There is one downside to Orb as it compares to other speed tests: You can't run the tests in a browser. You'll have to download the application to a device (which could be anything from a spare smartphone to a Raspberry Pi). Once you create an account, you can basically download Orb to anything with a hard drive -- and easily diagnose your internet issues in different rooms, simultaneously. Hands-on with Orb Screenshot by Cierra Nofke/CNET Orb is completely free and easy to use. A few weeks ago, I installed it on my phone and personal computer and used it to test my fiber internet connection. Using a scale of 0 to 100, Orb gives your internet a grade that's pretty easy to understand: Red (0 to 49) means poor performance and green (90 to 100) means your internet is performing excellently. My internet connection gets a solid 90 most of the time -- not bad for AT&T's cheapest speed tier. "We want consumers to use this because these are problems that all of us on the founding team have had at home,' Steven says. 'We want this to be free forever." 'There's more value in building a brand than in trying to monetize consumers for something that, quite frankly, we're so passionate about, we just want to give it away anyway,' Suttles says. I used Orb to test the internet connection in my office and the speeds I was getting in the living room where my TV is. Both tests showed results typically consistent with what I'd see using Ookla. You can add as many devices to your Orb network as you'd like; they'll all play a role in measuring your internet connectivity. Screenshot by Cierra Nofke/CNET Orb is still in its beginning stages -- while it's an effective tool for understanding how your internet connection works, there are a few features coming to the app that will make it even more user-friendly, like the ability to access historical data (similar to Ookla). 'Orb does record all data locally first,' Steven notes. 'We just hadn't presented it in the UI, but that was something we were very passionate about. We didn't want to require cloud connectivity to be able to see the past.' Perhaps most importantly, Orb will eventually start releasing recipes for measuring the connectivity of specific applications or services, like Microsoft Teams or Slack and, eventually, even specific internet services. 'Different web services use different sorts of protocols,' Steven says. 'So Zoom might use this special RTSP protocol -- can my connection open that port to that service? Is it accessible? What's its responsiveness?' Down the road, Suttles and Steven would like to see Orb used by the community to create different 'recipes' and ways of measuring reachability. 'At its core, Orb is really a recipe engine,' Suttles says. 'Our vision is to release and share new recipes, then have the community start creating them.' Final thoughts The internet isn't getting any cheaper, and while it might be tempting to just buy more speed, there are simpler ways of diagnosing and boosting your connection first. While Orb (and the internet) continue to evolve, it's a good idea to have a holistic sense of your network's connectivity, beyond speed.
Business Times
05-07-2025
- Business Times
I'm human. Are you? The quest for our online identity
It's every manager's worst nightmare: Hiring a remote employee who turns out to be a North Korean hacker intent on loading malware on to your network. But that's what happened to the US cyber security company KnowBe4 last year, as the company's founder, Stu Sjouwerman, described in a candid blog post. KnowBe4 had posted a job ad for an AI software engineer, interviewed candidates by video, conducted background checks, verified references and made an offer. But soon after the company sent a Mac workstation to the remote employee's notional address, he went rogue. The company quickly discovered he was a fake North Korean IT worker, who had used a valid, but stolen, US-based identity to land the job. He then accessed the workstation remotely from Asia via an 'IT mule laptop farm'. Thankfully, no data was compromised but the company said it was a 'learning moment'. 'If it can happen to us, it can happen to almost anyone. Don't let it happen to you,' Sjouwerman wrote. This scary incident highlights the difficulties of authenticating someone's identity online – even by specialist security experts. But that challenge is about to become immeasurably harder as we outsource more responsibilities to AI chatbots and agents, getting them to perform many administrative functions online, and we generate lifelike video avatars. Up to now, the internet has mostly involved machines communicating with machines and humans interacting with humans. But increasingly those lines are blurring. We're close to the point where chatbots and avatars are all but indistinguishable from humans online. How can you be sure that you're not interacting with a synthetic human? As is the way with Silicon Valley, some tech executives have come up with a proposed solution to the problem they have created, profiting from both sides of the transaction. Prominent among them is Sam Altman, who triggered the generative AI investment frenzy after his company OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Altman has also co-founded Tools for Humanity, which has developed an iris-verification device, a white globe about the size of a football, called the Orb. 'We needed some way for identifying, authenticating humans in the age of AGI,' he told an event in San Francisco this year. 'We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and central.' Once a user's eye is scanned, the company sends them a World ID, a global digital passport, and US$42 in Worldcoin cryptocurrency as a reward for joining the network. As of April, some 13.5 million people in 23 countries had used the Orb to generate a World ID. The service was launched in the UK last month. The Orb is undoubtedly trying to address a real user need. But, quite apart from the scary Black Mirror vibes, it is questionable how effective the iris-scanning service will be. The need for a special machine to identify and authenticate any user (there are currently more than 1,500 Orbs in operation) makes the system clunky and expensive. The insistence on one centralised digital identity deprives a user of the freedom to have multiple, disconnected identities, raising privacy concerns. The World ID passport also risks becoming a walled garden that may not interoperate with other ID networks, such as the EU Digital Identity Wallet, which will become operational across the bloc by 2026. Nevertheless, some security experts suggest that we are rapidly entering a world where our default assumption must be that all online counterparties are synthetic unless they can prove otherwise. That creates a need to demonstrate genuine presence online, or 'liveness', as Andrew Bud, founder of the biometric authentication company iProov, calls it. iProov's premium service has been used more than 100million times by customers, including governments and financial services companies, through a smartphone-based facial recognition system. This shoots multicoloured lights at a user's face and analyses the reflections, verifying their identity in about 2.5 seconds. 'Digital identity is a set of facts. But trust does not reside in facts. It resides in people,' Bud tells me. That means linking those facts to a human being who controls those facts. 'And for that you're going to have to use biometrics.' The identification and authentication of users is one of the hardest challenges we face on the internet because technology is evolving so fast, but it is critical that we meet it. The likely next threat? Masses of synthetic hackers. FINANCIAL TIMES
Mint
26-06-2025
- Mint
Mint Explainer: Would you make Sam Altman's eye scanner your online ID?
As governments digitize services, banks go virtual, and AI-powered impersonation surges, establishing 'who you are' through a reliable, globally accepted digital ID is becoming critical. Yet, according to the World Bank, more than 10% of the world's population—mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia—still lacks any official or digital ID. Without identification, access to jobs, healthcare, financial support, mobile services, or even the right to vote can be severely limited. In this context, digital ID systems like India's Aadhaar, the open-source Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) from the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore), and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman-backed World ID are gaining traction. Also Read: Altman's Worldcoin idea is out to reinvent the Aadhaar wheel However, not all approaches are being embraced equally. Altman's World ID, which aims to verify humans through biometric scans to counter AI-driven bots, is raising privacy alarms. On 20 June, when Semafor reported that Reddit is considering adopting World ID to comply with potential age-verification rules and curb fake accounts, the idea sparked a backlash, with some users even threatening to leave the platform if the system is implemented. What's World ID? It is a relatively new entrant in the digital identity space. Aadhaar was launched in 2009, and nine years later, it inspired the creation of MOSIP. In 2019, Sam Altman and Alex Blania founded Tools for Humanity, which introduced a crypto project called World Coin and a World ID in July 2023 to verify users by scanning their eyes (iris) with a metallic device called the 'Orb'. World, a real human network, says it currently has 12 million people who have signed up globally, and 26 million app downloads. In comparison, the 12-digit Aadhaar has about 1.39 billion registered users to date, while MOSIP has 133 million registered users to date in 26 countries across Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In early May, Altman rebranded the biometric system as World and unveiled the Orb Mini, a portable iris scanner that generates a blockchain-based World ID. The Orb now also has a mobile-phone-size counterpart. The World ecosystem currently comprises the World ID, World App, World Chain, and the Worldcoin (WLD) crypto token. One may download the World App to locate a nearby World Space. According to the company, more than 7,000 of World's Orbs will be available for iris scans at physical 'World Space" locations in the US and in Razer (a lifestyle brand for gamers) stores. How does the technology work? World ID uses an Nvidia-powered device called the Orb to create a unique cryptographic code that confirms a user is a real, unique person. Built on an open-source, decentralized protocol, World ID allows broad developer access. The Orb encrypts and signs user photos for security, sends them to the user's phone via its server, and then deletes them. WLD, on the other hand, is capped at 10 billion tokens. It launched with 143 million—100 million loaned to market makers and the rest given to early verified users. WLD is now integrated with platforms like Tinder and supported by Visa and Stripe. Also Read: New Aadhaar law in the works to align with data privacy law World ID may sound similar to CAPTCHAs that prove to machines that you're a human through behavioural tests like image selection. But unlike CATPCHA, which is only a one-time requirement when accessing a website or online service, World ID aims to assign a persistent, global identity tied to one's biometric signature. The comparison to India's Aadhaar—the world's largest biometric ID programme—is also understandable. But Aadhaar is state-run and central to accessing everything from rations to banking in the country. It captures fingerprints, iris scans, and demographic data under a legal framework—albeit with its own controversies over privacy and exclusion. World ID, in contrast, is a private initiative. Its creators say World ID uses the open-source Semaphore protocol to prevent identity tracking across apps and publishes its code under an MIT-style licence that bans use for surveillance or rights-infringing purposes. They add that cryptographic protections like zero-knowledge proofs will ensure user anonymity, but these safeguards remain largely untested at scale. So, why are there concerns? While World has been launched in the US and the UK, regulatory pushback has been strong in other countries, with some banning Orb or Worldcoin, or both, outright. These include Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Kenya, Portugal, South Korea, Indonesia, and Spain, as well as the special administrative region of Hong Kong. The European Union (EU) has flagged potential violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), citing issues with meaningful consent and data irreversibility. Concerns about coercion are especially acute in low-income regions, where crypto incentives may push people to trade biometric data without fully understanding the risks. For instance, offline 'Orb' verifications and biometric identity-based user onboarding in India were stopped in late 2023. Besides, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been consistent in expressing its displeasure with cryptocurrencies even as gains from cryptocurrencies in India are treated as income, and a 1% tax is deducted at the source. WLD is currently priced at ₹77.55 on the Coinbase exchange, a massive drop from its all-time high of ₹1,015.96 on 10 March 2024. With 1.66 billion WLD in circulation—17% of its 10 billion max supply—there were 322 trades involving 218 buyers and 117 sellers as on 25 June. There are other concerns, too. In a 21 May note, Andras Cser, VP and principal analyst at Forrester, pointed out that Orb faces several key challenges that could limit its broader adoption. For one, unlike most identity systems that rely on built-in mobile sensors like cameras or fingerprint readers, Orb requires a specialized iris scanner, adding hardware costs and integration hurdles. Second, without mobile-compatible sensors, it struggles to support common use cases like travel check-ins or online registration, and could face serious scalability issues. Accuracy is also a concern. Factors like alcohol consumption or eye disorders can reduce the reliability of iris scans, Cser noted. Also Read: Private companies can use Aadhaar infrastructure for identity checks again Privacy worries persist, as iris data, even if encrypted or deleted, raises questions about consent and data usage, Cser underscored. Security is another issue. Past hacks of iris scanners show they can be fooled by simple methods like doctored photos. Finally, Orb's system isn't linked to government-issued IDs like Aadhaar, limiting its utility for services that require formal verification, and its centralized design further restricts broader interoperability. As an example, MOSIP's fully open-source codebase is available on GitHub. It also collaborates with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), governments, and industry partners to develop open standards and protocols, ensuring easy integration, interoperability, and cost efficiency. Further, its mobile digital wallet, Inji, enables residents to access their digital identities even in remote areas with limited connectivity. Altman's World believes that the project '...could considerably increase economic opportunity, scale a reliable solution for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy, enable global democratic processes, and show a potential path to AI-funded UBI (Universal Basic Income)". However, the above-cited concerns underscore that the debate is not so much about whether digital identity is necessary in an AI-first world but more about who defines it, who profits from it, and whether consent can truly exist.
Hans India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Reddit Mulls Eye-Scanning Tech to Combat AI Bots and Uphold Anonymity
In a bold move to clamp down on AI-generated bots, Reddit is reportedly in talks to adopt a futuristic identity verification system that scans users' irises. The technology, known as the Orb, is part of the World ID project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The idea is simple but ambitious: confirm that a user is human—without ever revealing their personal information. According to an exclusive report by Semafor, the social media platform is evaluating the use of World ID to curb the rise of sophisticated AI bots, which have grown harder to detect due to the surge in tools like ChatGPT. If implemented, Reddit users may soon be asked to prove they are real by looking into a shiny, spherical device that scans their eyes. World ID is the cornerstone of Altman's broader initiative, World (formerly Worldcoin). At the heart of the system is the Orb, a biometric scanner that captures a person's iris and face to generate a unique, encrypted digital identity. Once the scan is complete, the original images are deleted, and a secure code—stored locally on the user's phone—serves as proof of their humanity. As Reddit remains rooted in pseudonymity, with millions of users engaging in anonymous dialogue, the platform is treading carefully. Sources told Semafor that Reddit intends to offer 'many' other forms of user verification in addition to World ID, though specific alternatives have not been disclosed. If adopted, the World ID system could let users continue browsing and posting anonymously—but with an added layer of authenticity. The goal is to preserve the platform's community-driven culture while addressing growing concerns about misinformation, spam, and bot activity. The Orb itself has already made its way into various parts of the world. After debuting in six U.S. cities earlier this year, the technology recently arrived in the U.K., with devices now seen in shopping malls and high-street stores in London. Expansion to cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow is expected soon. Tools for Humanity, the company behind the Orb, also plans to place self-service kiosks in select retail locations, much like ATMs. For users who opt in, there's a sweetener—those signing up for World ID receive a portion of the project's native cryptocurrency, Worldcoin (WLD), as a reward. However, this high-tech solution has not come without controversy. World ID has faced regulatory scrutiny across multiple countries. Germany, Argentina, and Kenya have launched investigations into its use, while Spain and Hong Kong have banned it altogether. In South Korea, the firm was recently fined over $800,000 for violating privacy laws. Still, Tools for Humanity asserts that user privacy is central to their mission. They claim no biometric data is stored and that all information is anonymised and encrypted. 'World ID is safer and more privacy-conscious than other systems, such as India's Aadhaar,' said project co-lead Alex Blania, referencing Aadhaar's history of data breaches. With over 1,500 Orb scanners already in operation and plans to roll out 12,000 more, Reddit's potential adoption of this controversial technology underscores a larger dilemma faced by online platforms today: how to preserve human integrity in a digital world increasingly shaped by AI.
India Today
23-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Reddit eyes Sam Altman's Orb scanner to verify humans and crack down on AI bots
Reddit may soon ask users to prove they're human – by scanning their eyes. According to an exclusive report by Semafor, the social media platform is in discussions to adopt World ID, a controversial digital identity system co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The goal? To fight the rising number of AI bots on Reddit, which have become harder to detect as tools like ChatGPT grow more ID is part of Altman's broader project, World, formerly known as Worldcoin. At the centre of the system is the Orb, a shiny, spherical device that scans a person's iris to create a unique, anonymous digital identity. This 'proof of humanness' can then be used across various apps and platforms – potentially including idea is to offer Reddit users a way to confirm they're real people without giving up personal information. Sources told Semafor that Reddit also plans to include "many" other verification options besides World ID, though details are unclear. If adopted, World ID could allow Reddit users to log in anonymously but with added credibility, keeping bots and fake accounts at bay. The platform, known for its pseudonymous culture and user-led communities, is facing increasing pressure to ensure authenticity while respecting eye-scanning Orb itself already arrived in the UK earlier this month, after launching in six US cities earlier this year. Orbs have now begun appearing in high street shops and malls in London. Rollouts in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow are expected in the coming months, according to Bloomberg. The company behind the tech, Tools for Humanity, also plans to install self-service Orbs in select retail locations – much like standalone is how it works: you look into the Orb, which scans your iris and face. It then generates an encrypted code that becomes your World ID. The original images are immediately deleted, and the digital ID is stored locally on your phone. As an added incentive, users receive some of World's own cryptocurrency, Worldcoin (WLD), for signing World ID has drawn criticism globally over privacy concerns. Regulators in Germany, Argentina, and Kenya have opened investigations. Spain and Hong Kong have outright banned the technology, and South Korea recently fined the company over $800,000 for violating privacy for Humanity maintains that it does not store any biometric data, and that all iris scans are encrypted and anonymised. Ludwig has argued that World ID is safer and more privacy-conscious than other systems, such as India's Aadhaar, which has suffered multiple data breaches over the present, there are around 1,500 Orb scanners in use globally, with plans to distribute 12,000 more in the next year. As Reddit considers tapping into this controversial system to clean up its platform, it joins a growing list of companies struggling to answer one urgent question: how do we stay human in the age of AI?
