{"id":122219,"date":"2025-12-22T11:38:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/?p=122219"},"modified":"2025-12-22T11:38:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:38:18","slug":"%e2%9a%a0%ef%b8%8fsmart-toys-are-a-privacy-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/?p=122219","title":{"rendered":"\u26a0\ufe0fSmart Toys Are a Privacy Nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just days before kids start opening their holiday gifts, connected toys are topping wish lists, but many come with serious privacy risks. We break down why these smart toys can quietly collect data on children and families. Teens are also flocking to chatbots. We look at which ones they actually use and what they rely on them for. And as budget cuts squeeze universities, schools are turning to AI teaching assistants, raising big questions about cost savings, learning quality, and the future of education.<\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive in and stay\u00a0curious.<\/em><\/p>\n

Smart Toys Are a Privacy NightmareIntroducing Zenflow by\u00a0Zencoder<\/strong><\/a>\ud83e\uddf0 AI\u00a0Tools\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f AI Jobs\u00a0CornerAI Is Entering the Classroom, Because Universities are running out of\u00a0money.Which Chatbots are Teens\u00a0Using?Subscribe today and get <\/em>60% off for a year<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>free access to our 1,500+ AI tools database<\/em><\/strong>, and a <\/em>complimentary 30-minute personalized consulting session<\/em><\/strong> to help you supercharge your AI strategy. Act now as it expires in 3\u00a0days\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Get 60% off for 1\u00a0year<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0 AI News and\u00a0Trends<\/h3>\n

President Trump\u2019s executive order<\/a> targeting state AI laws faces long odds in the courts, setting the stage for the real battle to play out on Capitol Hill. Senate Democrats are starting to push back<\/strong> against\u00a0it.Lovable just raised 330 million dollars at a 6.6 billion valuation<\/strong><\/a>, barely five months after its last\u00a0roundChatGPT Becomes the App Store<\/a> as OpenAI Races Toward\u00a0IPOOpenAI Group PBC<\/a> today released a new version of GPT-Codex, its agentic artificial intelligence coding model that\u2019s designed to automate complex software engineering tasks.DoorDash unveils ChatGPT grocery app one week after Instacart debut. It turns recipe and meal ideas \u201cdirectly into grocery orders<\/a> delivered in as little as an\u00a0hour.\u201dTag @Lovable<\/a> in any ChatGPT conversation to turn your brainstorm into a full-stack app. The company also received a $330 million Series B round that places it at a $6.6 billion valuation.<\/p>\n

Other Tech\u00a0News<\/h3>\n

Global power<\/a> is increasingly being transferred to the world\u2019s tech corporations.Robotics startup Foundation is accelerating its push into military humanoid robotics, outlining plans to manufacture up to 50,000 humanoid robots<\/a> by the end of\u00a02027.TikTok signed binding agreements<\/a> with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX to form a U.S.-controlled version of the app, a step toward avoiding a federal ban while leaving Chinese ownership just under the legal threshold.China figured out how to sell EVs. Now it has to bury its batteries.<\/a><\/p>\n

Introducing Zenflow by\u00a0Zencoder<\/a><\/h3>\n

A Spec-Driven, Multi-AI Agent Orchestration Engine with a Kanban Board for Agent Execution<\/a><\/h3>\n

Zenflow<\/strong><\/a> by Zencoder is your new AI engineering engine.<\/strong> From new features to refactors, Zenflow runs a complete spec-driven workflow that delivers reliable, production-ready code. Just describe what you need, and Zenflow handles everything:<\/p>\n

Drafts a clear requirements documentWrites detailed technical specificationsGenerates a step-by-step implementation planUses multiple agents that code, test, and verify each other\u2019s\u00a0work<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s you monitor progress with a Kanban-style board. Thus making Zenflow the complete orchestration platform for AI-First Engineers.<\/p>\n

Work with any IDE, CLI, model, or workflow\u200a\u2014\u200ano new tools to learn. You stay in control, and Zenflow turns your intent into clean, validated code. It\u2019s like having a full engineering sub-team working\u00a024\/7.<\/p>\n

Get Started for\u00a0FREE<\/a><\/p>\n

AI Is Entering the Classroom<\/h3>\n

Because Universities Are Running Out of\u00a0Money<\/strong><\/p>\n

U.S. universities are rapidly adopting AI teaching assistants<\/a> not mainly for innovation, but for survival. A looming \u201cenrollment cliff\u201d starting in 2025<\/strong> is expected to shrink the college-age population by nearly 15% by 2039<\/strong>, gutting tuition revenue as costs keep\u00a0rising.<\/p>\n

Schools like UCLA Anderson, Harvard, Georgia Tech, and ASU<\/strong> are using AI to automate grading, tutoring, advising, and even recommendation letters, cutting reliance on human TAs amid budget cuts and labor pressures. While AI offers 24\/7 support, lower costs, and broader access<\/strong>, it also raises risks: fewer graduate jobs, weaker mentorship, and a more automated, less human university experience. The takeaway: AI in higher ed isn\u2019t optional, it\u2019s a financial response to crisis, and it\u2019s reshaping how education is delivered.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f AI Jobs\u00a0Corner<\/h3>\n

Apply Today\u200a\u2014\u200aOpen Positions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Machine Learning Researchers (PhD)<\/a>First-Line Supervisors of Productions and Operating Workers<\/a>Computer and Information Systems\u00a0Managers<\/a>Database Administrators<\/a>Apply Data Scientists<\/a>Software Technical Writers<\/a><\/p>\n

Smart Toys Are a Privacy Nightmare<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s that time of the year when kids are getting a lot of gifts. And what do they want? Gadgets, even my kids who are under 10 are asking for a phone or an iPad, which they will not get for another decade (well, at least I\u2019ll try to delay it as long as possible), but lots of kids will get a mobile device, ipad or another type of connected toy.<\/p>\n

Now there are a slew of connected devices even for toddlers. Kids tablets, smartwatches, companion robots, STEM toys, Bluetooth puzzles, and audio players, including products from Amazon, Huawei, Tonies, TickTalk, Sphero, and\u00a0others.<\/p>\n

These toys are very entertaining, addictive, and an entertained kid, means parents get their time back. But there are a lot of concerns with these devices: They are always on. <\/strong>These devices could always be listening, recording footage, and gathering how the users interact with them, data that can be used by the toy makers to improve these devices and gather data about the entire house or environment where these toy resides. If we decide to bring these devices home and allow kids to use them, be very aware of the private data you are exposing and how it could be\u00a0used.<\/p>\n

A new Mozilla Foundation report<\/a>, backed by independent audits from cybersecurity firm 7ASecurity<\/strong>, found that 10 of the most popular internet-connected toys<\/strong>. The results are alarming.<\/p>\n

Key findings<\/strong><\/p>\n

10\/10 toys<\/strong> collected personal data on kids and\u00a0parents5\/10 collected location\u00a0data<\/strong>6\/10 had server-side security flaws or missing authentication<\/strong>4\/10 exposed sensitive data through insecure physical storage<\/strong> (e.g., SD\u00a0cards)<\/p>\n

What can go\u00a0wrong<\/strong><\/p>\n

Voice hijacking:<\/strong> Some toys\u2019 speakers could be intercepted, letting attackers inject audio\u200a\u2014\u200apotentially speaking directly to children.Data leaks:<\/strong> Lost or donated toys can expose photos, voice recordings, GPS data, routines, and home details if storage isn\u2019t encrypted.Remote control:<\/strong> Poor backend security could allow attackers to fully control toys, including cameras and microphones.Bluetooth takeovers:<\/strong> Several toys had weak or no Bluetooth authentication, allowing nearby attackers to pair silently and control the\u00a0device.<\/p>\n

Cheap, cloud-connected toys are collecting adult-grade data<\/strong> with toy-grade security<\/strong>. Until third-party audits become standard, the safest option for kids this holiday season may be low-tech\u00a0toys<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Share<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83e\uddf0 AI Tools of The\u00a0Day<\/h3>\n

Search our large <\/em>AI tools Database of over 1000 tools for\u00a0free.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Which Chatbots are Teens\u00a0Using?<\/h3>\n

Pew Research<\/p>\n

Pew surveyed<\/a> U.S. teenagers in late Sept\u2013early Oct on chatbot usage. The results show a clear hierarchy:<\/p>\n

ChatGPT dominates<\/strong> teen usage by a wide margin, cementing its role as the default AI for homework help and casual conversation.Google Gemini<\/strong> and Meta\u2019s AI<\/strong> follow at a distance, forming a clear second\u00a0tier.Microsoft Copilot<\/strong> stands out as a surprise performer, likely boosted by heavy Microsoft adoption in U.S. schools (Windows, Office, school-issued accounts).Anthropic\u2019s Claude ranks last<\/strong>, with usage in the low single digits, unsurprising given Anthropic\u2019s focus on enterprise and coding agents rather than consumer chatbots.<\/p>\n

Even though the data is a few months old, rankings are unlikely to change much. Teen usage is driven more by habit, personality, and school workflows<\/strong> than by marginal model quality improvements.<\/p>\n

Bottom line:<\/strong> Consumer mindshare with teens \u2260 enterprise success. ChatGPT owns the youth funnel, while Claude plays a different game entirely.<\/p>\n

\u26a0\ufe0fSmart Toys Are a Privacy Nightmare<\/a> was originally published in Coinmonks<\/a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just days before kids start opening their holiday gifts, connected toys are topping wish lists, but many come with serious privacy risks. We break down why these smart toys can quietly collect data on children and families. Teens are also flocking to chatbots. We look at which ones they actually use and what they rely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":122220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122219"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/122220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=122219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=122219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}