Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT O’BRIEN

If the future of the internet looks like a constant stream of amusing videos generated by artificial intelligence, then OpenAI just placed its stake in an emerging market.

The company behind ChatGPT released its new Sora social media app on Tuesday, an attempt to draw the attention of eyeballs currently staring at short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.

The new iPhone app taps into the appeal of being able to make a video of yourself doing just about anything that can be imagined, in styles ranging from anime to highly realistic.

But a scrolling flood of such videos taking over social media has some worried about “AI slop” that crowds out more authentic human creativity and degrades the information ecosystem.

“These things are so compelling,” said Jose Marichal, a professor of political science at California Lutheran University who studies how AI is restructuring society. “I think what sucks you in is that they’re kind of implausible, but they’re realistic looking.” read more

The Legends Panel at the 2025 IAAPA Expo will feature four members of the Universal Creative team that help mold the new Epic Universe theme park.

“Legends of Epic — The Creators of Universal Epic Universe” will feature Eric Parr, senior vice president, creative studio; Jody Keller, vice president, advanced technology, media and immersive experiences; Steve Blum, executive vice president, engineering and safety; and Katy Pacitti, senior director, executive producer, who was the creative lead for the theme park’s How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk area. The Universal Orlando Resort theme park debuted in May.

The Legends sessions are moderated by Bob Rogers, chairman of BRC Imagination Arts and IAAPA Hall of Famer.  It will be the 23rd Legends Panel at the event, held at Orange County Convention Center.  Previous topics have included the history of Epcot; the making of the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure; and the use of video games in theme parks. read more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s official: AOL’s dial-up internet has taken its last bow.

AOL previously confirmed it would be pulling the plug on Tuesday (Sept. 30) — writing in a brief update on its support site last month that it “routinely evaluates” its offerings and had decided to discontinue dial-up, as well as associated software “optimized for older operating systems,” from its plans.

Dial-up is now no longer advertised on AOL’s website. As of Wednesday, former company help pages like “connect to the internet with AOL Dialer” appeared unavailable — and nostalgic social media users took to the internet to say their final goodbyes.

AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the World Wide Web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s.

The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone line used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. read more

Six Central Florida restaurants shut down the week of Sept. 21-27, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Brevard

The Shack Riverfront LLC at 4845 Dixie Highway NE in Palm Bay shut down on Sept. 23. Inspectors found 30 violations, six of which were high priorities. Those violations included a trail of contaminated water running to the sewer drain, flying insects, roach activity and rodent activity. A second inspection occurred on Sept. 24. There were 22 violations, three of which were high priorities. The restaurant remained closed. A third, and final, inspection occurred the same day. There were 11 violations, two of which were high priorities for a missing vacuum breaker and contaminated water. A follow-up inspection is required, but the restaurant isn’t an immediate threat to the public.

Royal Sushi at 2301 State Road 524, Suite 145 in Cocoa shut down on Sept. 24. Inspectors found 22 violations, eight of which were a high priority. Those violations included flying insects, roach activity and raw food not separated from ready-to-eat food. A second inspection occurred on Sept. 25. Inspectors found four violations, but none was a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

On Reddit, a user recently asked for help recovering from a credit card scam. The poster was more concerned with the emotional impact than the lost funds.

The person who posted expressed embarrassment about falling for the scam and didn’t know how to recover from the experience.

Respondents offered many good ideas: Try to recover the money. Focus on positive things in your life. Forgive yourself for making a mistake. Many assured the individual that anyone can fall for a scam and emphasized that there’s no reason to feel shame.

Experts on financial fraud and identity theft agree with that sentiment.

“The scammers are bad. You’re not bad. You were lied to,” says Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “We are all vulnerable.”

Even a fraud expert could fall for a scam, she adds.

That’s why knowing how to bounce back from a financial scam is the key to getting past it. Here’s how fraud experts say you can recover:

Keep track of exactly what happened

“Gather as much detailed information about what occurred as possible,” Velasquez says. Try to remember what you clicked on or who you interacted with. Those details can help determine the best way to proceed. read more