Google Prohibiting Sites & Apps that Generate Deepfake Porn; ChatGPT Search Engine Rumored Imminent; Threads Now Lets You Control Who Can Quote Your Post; Jack Dorsey No Longer on Bluesky Board
Posted: May 6, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, Google, technology Leave a commentGoogle is going to prohibit ads promoting websites and apps that generate deepfake porn…starting May 30th. Engadget.com reports that Google has already had strong restrictions in place for ads that feature certain types of sexual content, this update leaves no doubt that promoting “synthetic content that has been altered or generated to be sexually explicit or contain nudity” is in violation of its rules. Advertisers who violate the rules will be suspended without warning. Such deepfake ads are already prohibited in Shopping ads. Hopefully, Google will really police this, and in a manner where it doesn’t end up like whack a mole.
When it comes to the internet and tech companies, people are always scouring every single word and character to try to determine what’s coming…whether a feature or ‘the next big thing.’ Now, according to mashable.com, a post in Y Combinator’s Hacker News community noted a domain name and security certificate for ‘search.chatgpt.com’ has been created. This could mean we are going to see a ChatGPT search engine sooner not later. Google, the 800 pound gorilla of search already is powered by an AI algorithm…but a ChatGPT one from OpenAI could really juice up the competition. It’s conceivable that before long, one could do a Google search, a ChatGPT search, and one with Microsoft Copilot…and I wouldn’t put it past some brilliant hackers out there to come up with a way to synthesize then streamline the results from all three…for a supercharged search like we’ve never experienced!
Threads is giving more control over who can quote their posts. Engadget.com says if you want to limit quoting your posts, you can limit it to only people you follow…or you can set it so no one can quote your posts at all. The update was announced over the weekend, and Threads is doing it to ‘help keep Threads a more positive place.’ Threads has now climbed past 150 million monthly users. Another recent feature lets users archive posts…either manually or automatically after a selected expiration date.
Jack Dorsey Tweeted over the weekend (not saying post on X, since it was Twitter when Jack ran it) that he is no longer on Bluesky’s board. TechCrunch.com notes that in fact, Jack was the platform’s most prominent backer…he first announced it back in 2019 when he was still CEO at Twitter. Dorsey didn’t elaborate, just replying to a question about him being on the board with a curt “No.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Spotify Paywalls Lyrics; TikTok & Universal Music Group Finally Cut Deal; Google Payed Apple $20 Billion to Get Default Search Engine Spot; Amazon CEO Anti-Union Remarks Broke Federal Laws
Posted: May 2, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Music, Music, Spotify, technology Leave a commentSpotify has come up with a new way to wring cash from free users by pushing them into a paid subscription…they are locking lyrics up behind a paywall. Techcrunch.com reports that there has been a flood of angry posts by users on Reddit complaining about the new paywall. Spotify hasn’t come out and admitted it, but did put out a statement saying that their features can vary over time, between markets, and across devices. It may be that if there is enough blowback, they will claim this was just a test, and open up lyrics to free users again. Meanwhile, you will see a message that says ‘Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.’
After Taylor Swift went direct with TikTok, and got her music back on the platform (no doubt for some serious bucks), Universal Music Group has finally cut a so-called ‘multi-dimensional’ deal with TikTok that will see its entire roster of artists…including Swift…to the platform. According to theverge.com, the deal includes ‘new monetization opportunities’ that flow from TikTok’s growing e-commerce capabilities.
Google spent a whopping $20 billion on holding the default search engine spot with Apple in 2022. Appleinsider.com says this nugget came out of the continuing antitrust suit against Alphabet that the DOJ is prosecuting. Some tech watchers had estimated that such a princely amount was being paid to Cupertino, and now it’s a fact. In 2020, the revenue from Google for search engine status amounted to 17.5% of Apple’s total operating income! Apparently, Microsoft had tried to displace Google with its Bing product by offering Apple 90% of its ad revenue…and even offered to sell Bing to Apple in 2020! Closing arguments for the case are today and tomorrow, but we likely won’t see a decision for months.
A federal labor judge has ruled that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s anti-union remarks in 2022 violated federal labor laws. Engadget.com reports that the Amazon chief said if employees voted for and joined a union, they would become less empowered and could expect things to become “much slower” and “more bureaucratic.” He added, “If you see something on the line that you think could be better for your team or you or your customers, you can’t just go to your manager and say, ‘Let’s change it.’”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re “Technified” for now.
Apple May 7th Event; Android 15-Battling Sensitive Info Leaks; GM Pins Hopes on $35K EV Equinox; FTC Bans Noncompete Clauses
Posted: April 24, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: employment-law, federal-trade-commission, FTC, noncompete, technology Leave a commentApple has teased an event for May 7th with “Let Loose” as the theme. This will be an online only event, and will start at 7 AM Pacific, instead of the usual 10 AM start time. It is widely expected to be for the new iPad line, and the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. In a post, CEO Tim Cook used a pencil emoji, so that seems like a sure thing to get upgraded…a Pencil 3. One rumor has it getting a ‘Squeeze’ gesture of some type, and others mention Find My integration…which would be great…and magnetically swappable tips for different writing and drawing. New iPad Pros should get OLED displays and a slight size increase. The Air will get a 12.9 inch screen size, and might have a Mini-LED display. We’ll have the details May 7th.
Android is taking steps in Android 15 to stop you from leaking sensitive content while screen sharing. Androidpolice.com reports that not only will they remind you not to share a screen in a meeting or live stream with sensitive info. Android has long let third party apps capture the contents of the display via the MediaProjection API. In version 15, the OS will ask if you want to continue this action, and also will show a persistent recording indicator in the status bar. This will at least give a heads up if a malicious app is trying to record your screen and steal info.
With the fabled $25,000 Tesla being moved up a year, General Motors is hustling to pick up some market share with a vehicle near the sweet spot for most buyers with their entry level $35,000 electric Chevy Equinox. Electrek.co says GM lost some market share first quarter. The Ultium based vehicles were up 36%, but total EV sales were down 20% after the phase out of the entry level Chevy Bolt EV. GM is projecting that they will build 200,000 to 300,000 EVs this year…a big number, but down from the original 400,000 projection.
In a ruling just out, the FTC has banned noncompete clauses. This will have a big effect in the tech sector, but also elsewhere in the business world. Arstechnica.com notes that Employers will be “banned from entering into or attempting to enforce any new noncompetes, even if they involve senior executives.” Big business has vowed to fight the ban all the way to the Supreme Court. It is worth pointing out that nondisclosure agreements are still ok, so trade secrets and proprietary information can still be protected. The Chair of the FTC Lina Khan said “Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once noncompetes are banned.” She continued: “The FTC’s final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Google Fires 28 Employees Over Protest; Media Coalition Asks Feds to Investigate Google Dropping Cal News Links; Algorithm May Double Lithium-Ion Battery Life; Boston Dynamics Robot Goes from Hydraulic to Electric
Posted: April 18, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Batteries, Electric vehicles, energy, News, technology Leave a commentGoogle has fired 28 employees over the sit in protests at two of its offices this week. Theverge.com reports that 9 employees had been suspended and then arrested in both California and New York on Tuesday. The employees were protesting Google’s hand in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion Israeli government cloud contract. Amazon is also involved in the Nimbus cloud project. The employees sitting in had to be forcibly removed by law enforcement from Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s office. There are claims that Project Nimbus has been used by the Israel Defense Force in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where thousands have died.
The News/Media Alliance, previously known as the Newspaper Association of America, has ask the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission…as well as the California Attorney General…to investigate Google after Google removed links to California news media outlets. According to engadget.com, Google has acted in response to a pending legislative measure in Sacramento….which Google vociferously opposes. If the bill becomes law, it would require Google and other tech platforms to pay California media outlets in exchange for links. The bill passed the state Assembly last year. Heaven forbid that online platforms would have to actually PAY for news!
Researchers in Germany have come up with a new algorithm that may help double the life of lithium-ion batteries. Bgr.com says it works by changing the way electricity is sent to the batteries for charging. Right now, batteries get what’s called constant current. That tends to cause cracks in the battery electrodes over time. The new algorithm uses pulsed current. This results in a thinner interface and much less structural wear on the battery, allowing it to hold a higher energy capacity for longer. The researchers think the new algorithm can double the service life of lithium-ion batteries, keeping them at over 80% energy capacity retention. This will be particularly big for EVs, where the battery packs can be a huge expense to replace.
Boston Dynamics has had their rather amazing Atlas robot for a while now…the one that can walk, stand, jump, and all. It has been cool…but noisy, with hydraulically actuated motors whirring away. Now, TechCrunch.com reports that the new version of Atlas is all electric, no hydraulics. You can still hear the motors humming, but it is much quieter, and a bit less jerky in movement than the old versions. It is smoother…no cables showing, and not such a top heavy torso. the Head is a bit freaky…it looks kind of like a giant searchlight…and it rotates 180 degrees. Boston still won’t say when it will be ready for production at scale.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Meta Oversight Board Will Rule on AI-Generated Content; Tesla Pauses Cybertruck Production; Apple Considers Expanding to Indonesia; Ecovac Window Cleaning Robot
Posted: April 17, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cybertruck, Elon Musk, News, technology, Tesla Leave a commentMeta’s Oversight Board is handling a couple cases involving AI generated explicit images of public figures. Although engadget.com notes that Facebook and instagram prohibit nudity, the board is concerned about what is known as deepfake porn. That usually involves AI generated images of female celebrities, politicians, and other public figures. The board seems to be leaning towards pushing Meta to adopt new rules to address harassment by use of deepfakes on Meta’s platforms. The oversight board is looking for public comment in the next couple weeks, and after that will publish a decision in a few more weeks. It’s debatable whether platforms can keep up with AI generated deepfakes, which continue to get better, but good they are trying. A realistic fake video of President Biden earlier got Meta to agree to label AI generated content.
Tesla has stopped production and deliveries for the Cybertruck…all due to a serious safety issue. According to mashable.com, the pedal cover can come loose and slide up the pedal. It becomes wedged in an indent in the floor of the Cybertruck when the vehicle is floorboard. After that, the truck tries to continue to go flat out…you can counter it by jamming on the brake and holding that down, but it has caused some scary moments for new owners. A couple of Elon fan sites say the production pause is just for 7 days, but as with a lot of things Tesla…since Musk fired the PR department years ago…no official word.
As Apple continues to pull away from dependency on production in China…having set up shop in India, Vietnam, and South America, now Cupertino is eyeing Indonesia. Macrumors.com says that CEO Tom Cook recently met with the president of Indonesia. During the meeting, Cook apparently highlighted mutual interest in boosting local manufacturing. Cook visited Indonesia right after a trip to Vietnam where he met with the Prime Minister.
Lots of folks have robot vacuums. I even have a relative that has two of the handy…but pricy little rascals. Now, after some 10 years of making them, Ecovac has a really well working robot window cleaner. Zdnet.com reports that you can put on a cleaning pad, fill the tank…they recommend just water, and turn the little gadget loose and get those hard to reach outdoor windows sparkling clean. The latest greatest is called the Winbot W2 Omni, and while it sounds pretty great from reviews, it runs a substantial $600. When you can buy a Dyson vacuum for that or less, and robot vacuums for not a lot more, you may have to think twice about it…but what a slick deal. It can run about 110 minutes…unless you have a mansion or something like the Crystal Cathedral, you should be able to polish off your windows inside and out on one charge.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
YouTube Vids May not Play if You Have 3rd Party Ad-Blocker; Threads Tests Realtime Search Results; Rivian R1S-4th Best Selling EV; Apple Adds Redundant Action Button to All iPhone 16’s
Posted: April 16, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, iPhone, marketing, technology, YouTube Leave a commentYouTube is bolstering its resistance to third party ad blockers. Be warned that if you are using one, the videos you try to watch may just not play at all. Zdnet.com reports that users may have buffering issues, or get an error message that says “the following content is not available on this app,” stopping you from watching the video at all. YouTube says the company doesn’t want you using ad blockers because such tools prevent video creators from being compensated based on the number of views. The company sees those ads as important and essential because they support creators financially. Let’s be clear…mostly, they are concerned about the revenue THEY get from the ads, not the money that goes to creators. Since YouTube has done this to varying degrees before, expect people to devise hacks and work arounds.
Threads, the Meta competitor to X, is testing real-time search results. According to engadget.com, an issue has been that the present algorithm when you use the ‘For You’ selection can often show you days-old posts next to current ones. I can verify this as well. More often, I just read my ‘Following’ feed. At any rate, the new search feature they are testing will let users filter by recent posts. I hope this is an easing of their tendency to minimize news…it would really supercharge Threads as X continues to become less useful and relevant by the hour.
Rivian has had some good buzz with their electric vehicles…no pun intended…and now, in first quarter of 2024 the Rivian R1S claims the #4 sales slot for new EVs sold in the US…beating out Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4. Electrek.co says the top 3 are the Tesla Model Y, the Tesla Model 3, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Rivian expects to make about 57,000 vehicles this year, but should see growth next year with the cheaper R2 SUV, which will be base priced at $45,000.
Apple is apparently adding the relatively worthless ‘Action’ button to the whole iPhone 16 line. Macrumors.com notes that the iPhone 15 models already carry this button, which lives above the volume buttons on the left side of the handset. You can program it to open the camera, or assign shortcuts to it. I set mine for camera, but it’s really easier to just use the cam button on the lock screen. Note that the button replaces the mute/silence button, so if you don’t like your phone ringing, go turn off the ringer in settings. A survey that MacRumors did of 7,000 users found over half forget the action button is even on the phone! Yep…another bloatware feature.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Samsung Retakes Top Smartphone Sales Spot; US Gives Samsung Billions for Chip Factory in TX; Tesla Lays off 10% Plus of Workforce; Super-Creepy Face Detecting AI Camera-Repeller
Posted: April 15, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, News, Samsung, Smartphone, technology Leave a commentSamsung has grabbed back the top spot in the worldwide smartphone race, passing up Apple. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung shipped 19.69 million smartphones first quarter, eclipsing Apple’s 17.41 million. Samsung is now reporting 20% market share, with Apple at 18%. Samsung had been the top smartphone maker for quite a while until being passed up by Apple. As Samsung comes out with new phones again this summer and then Apple in September, we’ll see if Cupertino can claw back the #1 spot.
We reported last week on the over $6 billion the US has given TSMC for their chip plants in Arizona and $8.5 billion to Intel for chip production here. Now, the feds have ponied $6.4 billion to Samsung for its facilities it is building in Texas. Samsung is investing $45 billion in the facilities over the next 10 years. All the funds are from the 2022 Chips and Science Act.
With sales softer first quarter, Tesla is now laying off over 10% of its workforce. Emails started going out yesterday. Engadget.com says that Tesla had over 140,000 employees as the end of December 2023. Elon Musk wrote in a memo “As part of this effort, we have done a thorough review of the organization and made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount by more than 10 percent globally.” It is notable that Tesla had doubled its headcount since 2020, and in fact added 10% in 2023 alone. Deliveries were down 8% year over year, and now are expected to continue to be soft. Tesla announces first quarter earnings April 23rd.
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this is ‘lawsuit waiting to happen.’ Thenextweb.com reports that a startup in Slovenia has made an AI powered home security system. It has Via computer vision tech that works day and night. Owners can designate guests as friends or foe using an app…even designate pets. That’s all well and good, but this rig goes further. If someone unknown or listed as a foe comes on the property, a speaker warns them they have 5 seconds to leave. If they don’t, it shoots paintballs or tear gas at them. The system also records video. The Paintcam, as it is called, launches April 23rd…no pricing yet.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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