Search Engine The Dave and Buster's Anomaly
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May 9, 2025 In this episode, Alex Stamos, Chief Information Security Officer at Sentinel-1 and former security lead at Yahoo and Facebook, joins to unravel a bizarre iPhone mystery. A faction of users discovers that audio messages with the phrase 'Dave and Buster's' won't send, sparking a comedic investigation into possible censorship. The discussion spans from quirky tech glitches to deeper security implications, topped with humorous anecdotes about modern communication mishaps. It's a delightful mix of curiosity, conspiracy, and laughs about our digital world!
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Nicole's Dave & Buster's Discovery
- Nicole Williams discovered the anomaly when voice messages mentioning Dave & Buster's wouldn't send among iPhones.
- This prevented her from accessing a Winter Pass special, causing her to pay more than needed.
Ampersand Causes Message Fail
- The anomaly was caused by the ampersand in Dave & Buster's, which computers often mishandle as special code.
- Saying "Dave and Buster's" slowly helped messages send, confirming the ampersand as the culprit.
AI and Ampersand Conflict
- iPhones use AI to transcribe voice messages, running the AI on the device for privacy.
- The iPhone likely misinterprets the ampersand as code and fails to transmit the message.