Amazon Ends iRobot Deal, Roomba Starts Layoffs; New iPads & Macs in March; X Blocked Taylor Swift Searches after Porn Deepfakes Proliferate on the Platform; EV Battery Charges in 5 minutes
Posted: January 29, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, iPad, iPad Pro, Macbook, technology Leave a commentAmazon has ended its proposed $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot, the maker of Roomba robot vacuums after a report that the EU regulatory agency refused to give approval. The UK antitrust agency had ok’ed the deal, but without the EU, both Amazon & iRobot said there was “no path to regulatory approval for the deal.” The Roomba maker also announced it would lay off 31% of its employees, around 350 people, and that its chair and CEO, Colin Angle, would step down effective immediately. Shares of iRobot fell 10% in morning trading on the news. Amazon will pay iRobot a $94 million break up fee.
Apple is expected to reveal new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models “around the end of March,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman says new iPad Pros and a new 13 inch MacBook Air are already in production. The iPad Air collection will get a new 12.9 inch screen, and the 10.9 inch model gets a refresh…including an Apple M2 chip, and new rear camera. The Pros get OLED displays. Gurman expects both the 13 and 15 inch MacBook Airs to be updated to get the latest M3 chip. The MacBook Pros just got updated to the M3 last year.
A confirmation has come from X that it is blocking searches of Taylor Swift’s name after pornographic deepfakes of the artist began circulating on the platform this week. Engadget.com notes that the X head of business operations said, “This is a temporary action and done with an abundance of caution as we prioritize safety on this issue.” This step comes days after the problem first became known. X has drawn plenty of ire for being slow to curb the spread of nonconsensual, sexually explicit images. Taylor Swift fans went into action, mass-reporting the images and flooding the hashtags relating to Swift with positive content. Before X acted though, one post was viewed more than 45 million times. The deepfakes are believed to have originated from a Telegram group known for creating nonconsensual pornographic images of women.
As anyone, whether an EV owner or not, knows…the fact that it takes 30 minutes or more to ‘fast charge’ an EV is a drag on sales of the electric cars. Now, a group of researchers working at Cornell University have made an interesting breakthrough. According to a new paper the researchers published in Joule, their charger could make it possible to charge an EV battery in just five minutes, a nice upgrade from the current EV fast chargers that take at least 30 minutes to charge up. Bgr.com reports that the key to the 5 minute charging is use of a metal called indium for battery anodes. The metal is already used in touchscreens and solar panels. If the battery catches on, it could make EVs more affordable…smaller batteries with less than 300 miles of range would work for a lot of folks, if they could recharge in 5 minutes. If a buyer wanted to spring for the bigger battery, they could surpass the mileage of a gas powered car.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Google Chrome Gets AI Features; Apple’s Fabled Car Now Due in 2028; Netflix is Dropping Cheapest Ad-Free Plan; Amazon Ring Will Now Require Warrant for Cops to Get Footage
Posted: January 24, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, featured, Google, Netflix, technology Leave a commentNew AI features are coming to Google Chrome on both Windows and Mac. TechCrunch.com reports that they include a way to organize tabs, customize your theme, and get help writing things on the web…things like forum posts, online reviews, and more. A lot of this has been available on Google’s SGE, or Search Generative Experience, their experimental AI search experience. The still experimental feature for writing should be accessible next month in that Chrome release…just right click on a text box or field on the web, then choose ‘help me write.’ You need to write the first few words, then the AI will begin to help out.
Actually, I can’t believe I’m writing about this again…talk about vaporware! Yes, Project Titan, the fabled Apple car…which has been on-again, off-again since 2015. 9to5mac.com notes that there have been numerous execs that have left and been replaced, to say nothing of staff churn. Starting a brand new car company is insanely hard…and we’re talking an autonomous EV on top of that. It appears at this point that the possible 2028 vehicle will be a Level 2+ system….originally, Apple was shooting for Level 4. Bloomberg reports that it is possible that Apple could upgrade the system over time with software. Even for famously secretive Apple, it’s a big tell about how rough Project Titan is going that there has never been a prototype spotted in disguise running around on any roadways. Did Apple bite off more than they can chew with the autonomous EV project? We may know by 2028…unless they kick the can down the road again.
Current members of Netflix have been able to keep their ad-free basic subscription plan at $11.99 a month up to now, but that is going to start changing. Theverge.com says company execs told investors in an earnings report that it will be retiring the plan in some countries…starting with Canada and the UK second quarter. That will leave you paying $15.49 a month if you want Netflix’s cheapest ad-free plan. The cheapie ad-supported basic plan remains at $6.99, and the ad-free premium plan is still $22.99 a month. Netflix has also signed a 10 year deal with WWE’s Monday Night Raw.
There have been complaints over the years including from civil liberties groups and some politicians about police obtaining footage from users’ Ring Doorbell cams without their permission or knowledge. That is about to change. Bloomberg reports that starting next week, Amazon will disable its Request for Assistance tool, which had allowed law enforcement to seek footage from users on a voluntary basis, Eric Kuhn, who runs Ring’s Neighbors app, said in a blog post on Wednesday. Police and fire departments will have to seek a warrant to request footage from users or show the company evidence of an ongoing emergency.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple Vision Pro-180,000 Orders Over Weekend; Pixel Watch May Grow; Vans Maker Data Hack; Lamborghini Licenses MIT’s New Faster High Capacity EV Batteries
Posted: January 22, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, apple-vision-pro, technology, vision-pro, VR Leave a commentApple may have gotten preorders for up to 180,000 Vision Pro headsets the first weekend. That’s according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as cited by macrumors.com. Kuo says the headset sold out soon after the preorder window opened. He went on to note that the shipping dates haven’t really slipped, so orders may have tapered off not long after the most hard core Apple fanboys and fangirls (with deep pockets) placed their orders. What the order number does mean though is that Apple will have no trouble hitting their goal of shipping 500,000 Vision Pro headsets this year.
One of the knocks on the Pixel Watch has been its small display size…another has been battery life. Now, it looks like Google may be set to tackle those issues with a makeover that will include two Pixel 3 models in different sizes. According to androidcenteral.com, the larger variant might be big enough to get new health sensors, but the bigger display and battery alone would go a long way towards making the watch more useful.
Apparel maker VF Corp had noted a cyber attack in December. Now, they have revealed in a disclosure with the SEC that the data breach has impacted up to 35.5 million customers. Engadget.com says that means if you’ve purchased from its major brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies and more, you may have been impacted. VF hasn’t given much detail about the hack, except to say that it likely included personal information. Fortunately, though, VF says it did not collect consumer social security numbers, bank account information or payment card information, and that there is no evidence the hackers stole passwords. Yet another example of how determined and talented hackers can breach just about any system on the internet.
Lots of researchers are in the hunt for a better battery to replace lithium-ion batteries. Alternatives have used manganese and sodium…even iron. Now, a new type from MIT has shown enough promise that Lamborghini has licensed the tech for EVs. TechCrunch.com reports that the alternative is called TAQ…which is an organic compound primarily made of carbon. Up to now, most organics have stored more power, but tended to not be very durable. The new TAQ material doesn’t dissolve in two widely used electrolytes, and it sports an energy density that’s 50% better than one of the most common lithium-ion battery chemistries in use today, nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC). TAQ, short for bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone, is composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen arranged in a row of three neighboring hexagons. The structure is similar to that of graphite, which is almost universally used today as an anode material (the positive terminal). Time will tell if the TAQ battery will be the magic bullet for battery tech…or at least one of them.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Unredacted Meta Docs-“Historical Reluctance’ to Protect Kids; Apple SellingWatch 9 & Ultra Sans Blood Oxygen Feature; Samsung Teases Smart Ring; Costco Trials Membership Card Scan for Entrance
Posted: January 18, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, News, Tech, technology Leave a commentInternal Meta documents about child safety have been unsealed as part of a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice against both Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The documents reveal that Meta not only intentionally marketed its messaging platforms to children, but also knew about the massive volume of inappropriate and sexually explicit content being shared between adults and minors. TechCrunch.com reports that the documents were unsealed yesterday as part of an amended complaint. In a statement to TechCrunch, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said that Meta and Zuckerberg enabled child predators to sexually exploit children. Originally filed in December, the lawsuit alleges that Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become “a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey,” and that Meta failed to remove many instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after they were reported on Instagram and Facebook.
Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 models are back on sale today, albeit without the Blood Oxygen feature that is at the center of legal action between Cupertino and Masimo. According to macrumors.com, removing the feature allows Apple to continue selling the watches and stay in the good graces of the US International Trade Commission. Older Watch models and those sold outside the US will still have the Blood Oxygen feature. Apple is appealing a ruling in Masimo’s favor by the ITCk and is also working on changes to the Blood Oxygen app’s algorithm in an attempt to avoid Masimo’s patented technology.
After all the hoopla surrounding the new Galaxy smartphones at Samsung Unpacked yesterday, the company had a quick video tease about the Galaxy Ring they are working on. Theverge.com notes that the ring is intended to be what the company called a “powerful and accessible” health and wellness device. Samsung didn’t provide any details about the tech in the ring, when it might be released, or pricing. Here’s a hint from last year though… Samsung filed a patent for a smart ring that would offer EKG and smart home controls.
In case you missed it, Costco is running a trial at some stores, requiring you to scan your card in a scanner to get into the store. Geekwire.com reports that instead of flashing your card to an employee, the scanner will be able to tell if the person holding the card is really a member, since they have your photo on them. Costco says this is to prevent account sharing. The company claims it is able to sell items so cheaply partly due to the membership fees paid each year by members. When you pay, you will no longer need to have the card scanned again as has been the practice up to now. We may know later this year if Costco will adapt the new system to all stores.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Unredacted Meta Docs-“Historical Reluctance’ to Protect Kids; Apple SellingWatch 9 & Ultra Sans Blood Oxygen Feature; Samsung Teases Smart Ring; Costco Trials Membership Card Scan for Entrance
Posted: January 18, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, News, Tech, technology Leave a commentInternal Meta documents about child safety have been unsealed as part of a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice against both Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The documents reveal that Meta not only intentionally marketed its messaging platforms to children, but also knew about the massive volume of inappropriate and sexually explicit content being shared between adults and minors. TechCrunch.com reports that the documents were unsealed yesterday as part of an amended complaint. In a statement to TechCrunch, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said that Meta and Zuckerberg enabled child predators to sexually exploit children. Originally filed in December, the lawsuit alleges that Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become “a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey,” and that Meta failed to remove many instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after they were reported on Instagram and Facebook.
Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 models are back on sale today, albeit without the Blood Oxygen feature that is at the center of legal action between Cupertino and Masimo. According to macrumors.com, removing the feature allows apple to continue selling the watches and stay in the good graces of the US International Trade Commission. Older Watch models and those sold outside the US will still have the Blood Oxygen feature. Apple is appealing a ruling in Masimo’s favor by the ITCk and is also working on changes to the Blood Oxygen app’s algorithm in an attempt to avoid Masimo’s patented technology.
After all the hoopla surrounding the new Galaxy smartphones at Samsung Unpacked yesterday, the company had a quick video tease about the Galaxy Ring they are working on. Theverge.com notes that the ring is intended to be what the company called a “powerful and accessible” health and wellness device. Samsung didn’t provide any details about the tech in the ring, when it might be released, or pricing. Here’s a hint from last year though… Samsung filed a patent for a smart ring that would offer EKG and smart home controls.
In case you missed it, Costco is running a trial at some stores, requiring you to scan your card in a scanner to get into the store. Geekwire.com reports that instead of flashing your card to an employee, the scanner will be able to tell if the person holding the card is really a member, since they have your photo on them. Costco says this is to prevent account sharing. The company claims it is able to sell items so cheaply partly due to the membership fees paid each year by members. When you pay, you will no longer need to have the card scanned again as has been the practice up to now. We may know later this year if Costco will adapt the new system to all stores.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Sony Shows New High End ‘XR’ Headset; Twitch Cuts a Third of Staff; Valve-New Guidelines Allow More AI Content in Games; SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Studio Setting Terms for AI Voices in Video Games
Posted: January 10, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, apple-vision-pro, technology, Virtual Reality, VR Leave a commentIn a surprise move on the very day that Apple announced the release date for its Vision Pro headset, Sony unveiled a high end XR headset at CES that rivals the Vision Pro in capabilities and design. According to zdnet.com, the Sony-Siemens headset will be released later in 2024, and have 4K OLED micro displays, and a couple of features Apple’s headset doesn’t have…a flip-up facial interface, allowing a user to quickly switch from using the headset to looking around their real surroundings, then jump back into the VR world. Apple has a high res passthrough that does this to an extent, but you are still looking at your surroundings via cams. In addition, the Sony headset has a pair of wearable controllers…one is a ring and the other is a pointer. These may make gesture reading by the system more precise than just hand motions, as Apple relies on. The Sony rig appears to be more ‘pro’ than Apple’s, in that it seems to be aimed squarely at professionals, developers, and other spending long hours with a headset. No pricing has been revealed yet.
Twitch is laying off over 500 employees, around 35% of the total staff. Theverge.com reports that Twitch had already chopped 400 last spring, as part of cutbacks at parent Amazon. As with that reduction last spring, there are additional layoffs at Amazon. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy wrote in the announcement that Twitch paid out over $1 billion to streamers last year, remarking that “while the Twitch business remains strong, for some time now the organization has been sized based upon where we optimistically expect our business to be in 3 or more years, not where we’re at today.”
Valve has unveiled new rules that will allow the company to add more games with AI content to its Steam platform. Engadget.com says it’s updating its content survey form for developers so that they can give the company a description of how they use artificial intelligence in their games. If they used AI tools to generate art, code, sound or any other kind of content for their title, developers must ensure that they do not include anything illegal or anything that infringes on someone else’s copyright. Valve says it will evaluate each game and check if the developer has submitted truthful information. Valve said it will also be transparent with gamers when it comes with what kind of AI content a developer’s title has by including their disclosure on their Steam store page.
SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Replica Studios that sets terms for the use of AI in video games. According to Variety, the terms include informed consent for the use of AI to create digital voice replicas, as well as requirements for the safe storage of digital assets. This was a major issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike that lasted several months. The union’s executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said “These are the kind of terms that producers can agree to without disrupting their ability to make content,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “This is an evolutionary step forward. AI technology is not something we can block. It’s not something we can stop. That’s not a tactic or a strategy that’s ever worked for labor in the past.” Really, what members want…and get in this contract is the right to refuse use of a clone of their voice in projects they feel would taint them, informed consent, and to be paid a licensing fee for use of the clone of their voice. The deal does not block studios from training AI to create ‘synthetic’ actors that bear no resemblance to real performers.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
US Apple Watch Ban Stands-For Now; Microsoft Copilot AI-Dedicated Android App; AI Could Enable Human-Critter Communication; GTA 5 Source Code Leaked
Posted: December 26, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, copilot, Microsoft, technology Leave a commentThe White House refused to ride to the rescue of Apple in its squabble with Masimo over patents the latter claims Apple has infringed upon in its Apple Watches. The International Trade Commission had banned the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US, effective Christmas Day. The Biden administration declined to veto the ban this morning. Apple is appealing the ITC decision, saying in a statement “We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible.” The patents revolve around blood oxygen saturation tech. Note that the ban only affects Apple stores in the US and their website…so if you really, really want a new Apple Watch, you can pick one up at Best Buy, Target, or other retailers while supplies last. Apple as of last week had been furiously pursuing a software workaround, but no word today if that has been accomplished, or if it will be enough to satisfy the ITC. Another alternative is Apple settling with Masimo. You can be sure that Cupertino will do something, as they don’t want the Watch models to be off the market for long.
Microsoft Copilot is has its own Android app now. According to 9to5google.com, Microsoft Copilot for Android launched onto the Play Store within the past week and but not yet available on iOS. WindowsLatest, citing sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, claims that an iOS version is “nearly ready” and will launch soon. The new app, unlike Bing, focuses solely on delivering access to Microsoft’s AI chat assistant. On downloading the app, users are able to jump right into the experience with no Microsoft login required.
A nonprofit called Earth Species Project, or ESP, is on a trajectory to talk with animals. Geekwire.com says that ESP is working with more than 40 research efforts around the globe, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help scientists understand animal communications in pursuit of saving imperiled species. The organization recently received $1.2 million in funding from the Seattle-based Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to support its work. Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who passed away in 2018, was interested in both protecting wildlife and AI research.
The source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 was reportedly leaked on Christmas Eve, a little over a year after hackers hacked Rockstar games and stole corporate data. Bleepingcomputer.com reports that links to the code were shared over a number of channels, including Discord, a Telegram channel, and a dark web website. On Telegram, the channel owner known as ‘Phil’ posted links to the stolen source code, sharing a screenshot of one of the folders. The work of the Lapsus$ hackers has been successful enough against not only Rockstar, but also Uber, Microsoft, Okta, Nvidia, Mercado Libre, T-Mobile, Ubisoft, Vodafone, and Samsung, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Safety Review Board decided to analyze their tactics and share recommendations for preventing similar attacks in the future.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
New Samsung Galaxy Leak; Apple to Launch Vision Pro in February; Consumer Reports-Tesla Autopilot Fix ‘Insufficient’; UK Court Rules Only Humans Can Invent-Sorry, AI
Posted: December 21, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, apple-vision-pro, AR, technology, VR Leave a commentA leaked teaser countdown has given us the date for the latest Galaxy Unpacked from Samsung…the date is January 18th, and time 10 am Pacific. 9to5google.com reports that the leak came from known leaker Evan Blass on X…which BTW was having serious issues today. The leak has an icon that looks very similar to the Google Bard Logo, so we can expect plenty of AI…besides the logo, a place in the video shows ‘Galaxy AI is coming’ blasted across the screen. As for the Actual Galaxy S24 phones, there isn’t anything else in the teaser video that we didn’t already know…but we do know now that we will be getting the phones a little earlier in 2024 with this Unpacked event on January 18th.
Last summer, Apple said it would launch its Vision Pro headset ‘early next year.’ According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, it could be very early…like February. Gurman says not to expect an additional launch event..as the $3499 gadget will be in limited supply, but it is a major undertaking for Apple, as it also involves the launch of their new VisionOS software as well as the devices. The latest version of iOS, which is 17.2, enables the iPhone 15 Pro to capture 3D-encoded spatial videos in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second, and you’ll need a headset to play them back in full detail. What would that headset be? Why, the almost $3500 Vision Pro. If you wear glasses and want the custom lenses…that will add even more to your tab. It looks like a great mixed reality headset for early adaptors who have the deep pockets to buy it.
Tesla’s planned over the air Autopilot recall for some two million vehicles has been called ‘insufficient’ by Consumer Reports, after preliminary testing. Techcrunch.com says that Kelly Funkhouser, the nonprofit organization’s associate director of vehicle technology, tells TechCrunch she discovered it’s still possible to cover the cabin camera while using Autopilot, meaning drivers can neutralize one of the two main ways the car monitors if they are paying attention to the road. Not only that…Funkhouser says she did not notice any differences when activating or using Autopilot’s flagship feature, Autosteer, outside of the controlled-access highways where Tesla says the software is designed to be used.
Well, it’s good to have this settled…at least in the United Kingdom and for now. Thenextweb.com reports that the UK’s top court has ruled that AI cannot be named on a patent as the inventor of a new idea or product. The judgment states “We conclude that an ‘inventor’ must be a natural person. Only a person can devise an invention.” The case involved has been winding through the court system since 2018. A little good news…until our AI and robot overlords reverse it some day!
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Update: Apple Trying to Avoid Watch Ban in US; Google Tab Over Epic Court Loss-$700 Million; Breakthrough Towards Making Artificial DNA; Tesla Driver Owes $23 Grand Restitution From Crash
Posted: December 19, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Google, iPhone, technology Leave a commentApple software engineers are working overtime on a possible software solution to get around the pending International Trade Commission ban on the Apple Watch that will go into effect on Christmas. Appleinsider.com reports that Apple believes a last minute software update may be able to circumvent the patents they have been accused of violating from Masimo. Without the update or other change, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be unavailable after Christmas in the US. For its part, Masimo claims that the patent violations can only be resolved with hardware alterations in a future Watch Model. Apple thinks a software update will satisfy US Customs.
We reported earlier that Epic Games won a suit claiming Google has an illegal monopoly with its Play Store. According to theverge.com, all 50 state attorneys general settled a similar lawsuit in September, and now we know what Google’s tab is. Google will cough up $700 million and make several small concessions to the way they operate the Play store in the US. So for a brief moment in time, it will become the Google PAY store. The biggest change? Google will need to let developers steer consumers away from the Google Play Store for several years, if this settlement is approved.
A group of scientists have figured out how to create truly artificial DNA. Bgr.com notes that the study published in Nature Communications indicates that this may enable the tech to create new medicines for certain diseases by creating DNA with new nucleotides that can create custom proteins. The scientists were led by Dong Wang Ph.D. Wang helped lead the study alongside Steven A. Benner, Ph.D., and Dmitry Lyumkis, Ph.D.. Together, the three authors have shown that you can not only create artificial DNA but that the artificial nucleotides may also be able to help create custom proteins we could use to target specific diseases that are hard to combat.
A Tesla driver from LA owes over $23,000 in restitution for killing two people in a crash in 2019. The AP says he pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Despite facing more than seven years behind bars, a judge sentenced him to probation in June. Kevin Riad is a limo driver who was behind the wheel of a Tesla that ran a red light while on Autopilot and hit another car in an intersection. Coincidentally, the judgment against Riad came the same day that a recall was announced for most Tesla cars over Autopilot.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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