Tag Archives: technology

Is Apple’s iPhone dominating talk time in the US? | Technology

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aApple’s issues span beyond the Atlantic. The company is facing challenges with the EU regarding the Digital Markets Act and is closely monitoring the UK’s progress with the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill. However, the looming antitrust lawsuit from the US government poses a significant risk for the company. The primary battleground now shifts back to its home turf.

From our narrative:

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, accuses Apple of having a monopoly in the smartphone market and engaging in “pervasive, persistent, and unlawful conduct” by leveraging its control over the iPhone. The lawsuit seeks to break Apple’s stronghold on the smartphone market and alleges that the company has stifled innovation to maintain its dominance.

At a press conference, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “Apple has maintained power not through dominance, but through illegal anti-competitive behavior.” He emphasized that monopolistic practices like Apple’s pose a threat to the economy’s free and fair markets.

The lawsuit amalgamates a plethora of allegations from the expansive market Apple controls, focusing primarily on substantiating the key claim in US antitrust law: harm to consumers. While competing against Apple can be exasperating, the lawsuit’s success hinges on demonstrating consumer harm.

The lawsuit argues that Apple’s policies restricting the integration of third-party smartwatches with iPhones, while facilitating easy Apple Watch compatibility, and the differentiation between SMS messages from Android users and iMessages from other iPhones have contributed to the decline in market competition. It also touches on Apple’s CarPlay system’s driver-centric approach being all-encompassing.

This preemptively addresses Apple’s stance that restrictions are imperative for safeguarding user privacy and security. The filing contends that Apple justifies its anti-competitive behavior under the guise of privacy, security, and consumer preferences to further its financial and business interests. Deals like offering a “more private and secure app store” for certain entities and the multi-billion-dollar deal with Google to make it the default search engine underscore Apple’s willingness to compromise. The government insists this reveals Apple’s true intentions.

What Kind of Monopoly?

One fundamental question remains ambiguous: what exactly does Apple monopolize? Government filings assert that the company dominates the “high-performance smartphone market” at the expense of cheaper, entry-level devices. Eliminating these affordable phones would secure Apple’s 70% revenue market share, a substantial figure. Apple’s own documentation suggests they don’t view their entry-level smartphones as competitors to the iPhone and high-performance smartphones, further complicating the matter.

While the scenario might seem implausible, denying Apple’s market-shaping influence, which the Justice Department aims to dismantle, is challenging. However, does Apple truly wield market influence by dominating “high-performance” smartphones? International comparisons reveal that high-end Android smartphones excel outside the US, but Apple’s dominance remains largely unaffected. The minimal adoption of iMessage in a market dominated by WhatsApp, Line, and WeChat showcases a noticeable difference, but it hasn’t significantly impacted Apple’s overall position.

Another Game

For those in Europe, the prospect of government action against Apple for abusing its monopoly might seem unsurprising. However, US antitrust enforcement varies from the European model, necessitating litigating the case in court and prevailing based on merit.

One advantage of this system is its fairness in proving Apple’s monopoly abuse within a judicial framework, curbing regulator overreach. However, enforcement poses challenges, with cases potentially enduring for years and incurring hefty legal expenses for Apple, if either won or lost.

In contrast, the EU exemplifies a contrasting approach, swiftly enforcing regulations that are binding. The investigation into Meta, Google, and Apple underscores the regulatory landscape’s swift and decisive nature in the EU.

Source: www.theguardian.com

US and UK impose sanctions on Chinese state-sponsored hackers for alleged ‘malicious’ cyber attacks

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Accusations have been made against hackers supported by Chinese government spy agencies by the United States and Britain for executing a prolonged cyberattack campaign aimed at politicians, journalists, and businesses.

The US disclosed that the operation was directed at political dissidents and critics of China through sophisticated phishing campaigns, leading to the compromise of certain email systems and networks.

Sanctions were imposed by the US government on the suspected hackers behind the scheme on Monday. The UK has sanctioned two individuals and a front company associated with APT31, a cyber espionage group connected to China’s Ministry of State Security.

On Tuesday, New Zealand’s government conveyed concerns to the Chinese government regarding its involvement in attacks targeting the country’s parliamentary institutions in 2021.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Technology Co., described as a front for China’s Ministry of National Security, for being involved in multiple malicious cyber operations.

In a press release and an unsealed indictment, the US government accused China of running an extensive state-sponsored hacking program dating back over a decade. US Attorney General Merrick Garland mentioned that the hacking operation revealed the Chinese government’s intention to target and intimidate its critics.

The Treasury Department identified two Chinese nationals affiliated with a Wuhan company, Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, for engaging in cyber operations targeting critical US infrastructure sectors. These threats were attributed to the cyber hacking group APT 31, known as “Advanced Persistent Threat” and comprising state-sponsored contract hackers and operatives.

The department stated, “APT 31 targets a wide range of US government officials and their advisors crucial to US national security.”

Zhao, Ni, and five other hackers have been charged by the US Department of Justice with computer intrusion and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a 14-year cyber operation targeting US and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials.

Assistant Secretary Matthew G. Olsen highlighted the necessity to remain vigilant against cybersecurity threats and cyber-enabled foreign influence activities, especially as the 2024 election cycle approaches.

The hacking campaign entailed sending over 10,000 malicious emails containing hidden tracking links allowing APT 31 access to information about the target, including location and IP address. Emails were focused on government officials worldwide critical of China’s policy.

UK authorities also impose sanctions

British officials indicated that those sanctioned by the state had raised concerns about threats from China and a hack that potentially accessed data on tens of millions of British voters held by the Electoral Commission. They mentioned being responsible for a cyber espionage operation targeting members of Congress.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the hacking of the electoral register did not impact the electoral process, rights of individuals, or electoral registration access.

British cybersecurity officials accused hackers linked to the Chinese government of conducting reconnaissance on British MPs critical of the Chinese government in 2021, with no successful infections reported among the MPs.

Additionally, three MPs, including former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, disclosed being subjected to harassment, impersonation, and attempted hacking from China. They are part of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on China, focused on countering Beijing’s influence.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Neuralink Question: Has Elon Musk Achieved a Revolutionary Advance in Brain Implant Technology?

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Noland Arbor can play chess using Neuralink implant

Neuralink

Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company founded by Elon Musk, has revealed the identity of its first patient who says its implant “changed his life.” But experts say it’s not yet clear whether Neuralink has done more than replicate existing research efforts.

Who was Neuralink’s first patient?

Musk announced in January that the first human patient had received a Neuralink implant, but few details were released at the time. We now know from something. Live stream video by company – Who is that person and how will the test be done?

Noland Arbaugh explains in the video that an accident eight years ago dislocated his fourth and fifth vertebrae, leaving him a quadriplegic. He previously controlled the computer with a mouth interface, and is shown moving the cursor with just his thoughts, apparently using a Neuralink implant.

“Once I started imagining the cursor moving, it became intuitive,” Arbaugh says in the video. “Basically, it was like using ‘force’ on the cursor, and I was able to move the cursor anywhere I wanted. I could just look anywhere on the screen and the cursor would move where I wanted it. It was a very wild experience.”

He uses the device for reading, language learning, and computer games such as chess, and claims he uses it for up to eight hours at a time, at which point he needs to charge the device. “It’s not perfect, I’ve run into some problems. But it’s already changed my life,” he says.

What does the implant contain?

Neuralink did not respond to requests for an interview, but its website says the current generation coin-sized implant, called N1, generates neural activity through 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 threads that extend into the user’s brain. It is said that it records. These are so fine that they must be placed by a surgical robot.

In a livestream video, Arbaugh said he was discharged from the hospital the day after his implant surgery, and that from his perspective the surgery was a relatively simple process.

The implant uses a small battery that is charged through the skin by an inductance charger and communicates wirelessly with an app on your smartphone.

Does this mean the first human trials were successful?

Reinhold Scherrer Researchers at the University of Essex in the UK will decide whether Neuralink’s first human trial was a success because the company “has not released enough information to form an informed opinion” He said it was too early.

“While the video is impressive and there is no doubt that it took a lot of research and development work to get to this stage, it is unclear whether what is being shown is new or groundbreaking,” he said. Masu. “Although control appears to be stable, most of the studies and experiments presented so far are primarily replications of past studies. Replication is good, but major challenges still remain. ”

Who else is working on brain implants?

Neuralink isn’t the only group exploring this idea. A number of academic organizations and commercial startups have already conducted human experiments that have successfully interpreted brain signals and produced some sort of output.

A team at Stanford University in California placed two small sensors just below the surface of the brain of a man who was paralyzed from the neck down. Researchers may be able to interpret the brain signals when a man decides to put pen to paper and translate them into text that can be read on a computer.

When will Neuralink be available and how much will it cost?

It’s too early to tell, as this has a long way to go before it becomes a commercial product, with much testing and certification to come. But Musk has made it clear that he intends to commercialize the technology.of The first product planned was named Telepathy.allows users to take control of their mobile phones and computers.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient Canoe Uncovers Early Advances in Navigation Technology

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More than 7,000 years ago, Neolithic people used technologically sophisticated boats to navigate the Mediterranean Sea, according to a new study.

The 7,300-year-old canoe Marmotta 1 is on display at the Museum of Civilization in Rome. It is a huge dugout canoe made from an oak trunk, approximately 10.43 meters long, 1.15 meters wide at the stern, and 0.85 meters wide at the bow. Depending on the part of the canoe, the height is 65 to 44 cm. Image credit: Gibaja other., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299765.

Many of Europe's most important civilizations were born along the Mediterranean coast.

The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Carthaginians took advantage of the virtually enclosed sea to move quickly between islands along the coast.

At various times in history, the Mediterranean Sea has been a space of travel and a means of communication.

However, one of the major migration phenomena in history occurred during the Neolithic period, when rural societies began to spread around Europe and North Africa.

The beginning of the Neolithic period is recorded in the Near East around 10,000 BC, but communities from that region gradually occupied the entire Mediterranean Sea around 7500-7000 BC, reaching the coast of Portugal around 5400 BC.

In a new study, Dr. Juan Guibaja and colleagues from Spain's National Research Council dug out a tree from La Marmotta, a Neolithic lakeside village near Rome, Italy, between 5700 and 5100 BC. Five dugout canoes that were built were investigated.

Analysis revealed that the canoe was constructed from four types of wood, which is unusual for similar sites, and incorporated advanced construction techniques such as lateral reinforcement.

Three T-shaped wooden objects are also associated with one canoe, each with a series of holes that may have been used to secure ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements. there is.

These features, together with previous reconstruction experiments, indicate that these are seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence of stone tools associated with nearby islands.

“These canoes are exceptional examples of prehistoric vessels, and their construction required a well-organized and specialized workforce, as well as a detailed understanding of structural design and wood properties,” the researchers said. said.

“The similarities between these canoes and modern navigation technology support the idea that many major advances in sailing took place during the early Neolithic period.”

“Direct dating of a Neolithic canoe discovered at La Marmotta reveals it to be the oldest in the Mediterranean and provides valuable insight into Neolithic navigation,” the study said. they added.

“Our research reveals the remarkable technological sophistication of early agricultural and pastoral communities, highlighting their woodworking skills and complex shipbuilding.”

of study Published in an online journal PLoS ONE.

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JF Gibaha other. 2024. The first Neolithic ship in the Mediterranean: the settlement of La Marmotta (Anguillara Sabazia, Lazio, Italy). PLoS ONE 19 (3): e0299765; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299765

Source: www.sci.news

TechScape: How Labor’s Bold Manifesto Could Enhance Security in AI | Technology

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The political landscape of AI regulation became clearer when an influential Labor think tank outlined a framework for addressing the issue in the party’s manifesto.

From our story:

The policy paper, created by center-left think tank Labor Together, suggests banning specialized nudity tools that enable users to create explicit content from real images.

It also calls for developers of general AI tools and web hosting companies to take measures to prevent the creation of such harmful deepfakes.

While Labor’s proposals are not yet official party policy, they highlight the issues that Westminster technocrats believe they can rally around. (Shadow technology minister Peter Kyle has expressed interest in the proposals.)

For years, technology in the UK has been politically neutral, with all parties agreeing on the importance of supporting British technology for growth and influence. However, there have been limited efforts to go beyond this consensus.

Even as concerns about technology regulation grew, especially with the introduction of the Online Safety Act under Theresa May’s government, the debate remained technocratic rather than principled or partisan. The Labor Party pushed for specific amendments to the bill, which eventually passed without significant opposition.

The most notable opposition to the bill came from within the Conservative Party, with one faction attempting to ban acts that they deemed as “hurtful.” This was partially due to provisions in the bill aimed at replacing the outdated “malicious communications” offense with more specific crimes.

However, the current proposals by Labor, such as banning nudity tools, may face opposition from the Conservatives, showcasing the differing concerns of the two parties on AI issues. While the Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, focuses on existential risks from Silicon Valley, Labor is more concerned with exploitation risks.

“MrDeepFakes does not represent technology”


Security China’s AI robot booth. Photo: Florence Lo/Reuters

In discussing this article with authors Kirsty Innes and Laurel Boxall, the expected disagreement was notable. “Analog conservatives lack rapid response in this area. They view AI as a ‘mutant algorithm’ or a Silicon Valley novelty that can be scaled without regard for its impact on workers,” said Innes. “It took seven years to pass the Online Safety Act through Congress, but the world has changed since then.”

“We need to move beyond the dichotomy of supporting innovation versus protecting public interest – government versus business,” added Innes. “Most tech companies want their tools used for positive purposes. They recognize the issue, but MrDeepFakes does not represent the tech industry. Therefore, they are likely to support us on this matter.”

The policy document also suggests more flexible regulations for various technology sectors supporting AI. Web hosts, search engines, and payment platforms would be required to prevent the creation of “harmful deepfakes” under threat of fines from Ofcom. Critics may argue that such policies could stifle innovation, potentially leading platforms to ban all deepfake tools deemed “harmful.”

According to a survey by Control AI, the UK public overwhelmingly supports a ban on deepfakes, with 86% expressing their approval – higher than in other countries like Italy (74%).

Deepfakes, “cheapfakes” and AI elections – join us live


Real news vs. fake news: Is AI a threat to democracy? Composite: Guardian/Getty Images

Another proposal in the paper suggests that major political parties abstain from using AI to create misleading content in their campaigns for the next nine months, as a pledge. However, the feasibility and sustainability of such a commitment amidst the UK’s political environment remain uncertain.

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I’ll be hosting a Guardian Live event next month on the impact of AI on elections, where experts like Katie Harvath from Anchor Change and Imran Ahmed from the Center to Counter Digital Hate will discuss the implications of generative AI on the electoral process involving 2 billion voters.

While deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation are expected to play a role in campaigns, the extent to which they will be used remains uncertain. Are fake images and videos a significant shift in misinformation, or are they a continuation of existing deceptive practices?

What concerns me more is how new technologies will impact an already fragile public sphere. With social media platforms making changes, the direction of political discourse is unclear. Where are conversations headed, and how will campaigning evolve in this changing landscape?

Robotics


A humanoid robot from robot AI company Figure will do laundry for you. Photo: Figure.ai

I don’t usually share YouTube videos, but Figure’s latest demo is too cool to miss. Watch the video.

Although prediction season is over, I predict that chatbots in 2022 will be like robots in 2024.

Robotics, historically challenging and costly, is being revolutionized by advances in AI. Training systems in simulated environments, enabling natural language commands, and controlling physical bodies may lead to rapid progress akin to that seen in large-scale language models in recent years.

It appears that this transformation is already underway.

Subscribe to receive the full newsletter, TechScape, every Tuesday in your inbox.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Today marks the start of the criminal fraud trial of British technology mogul Mike Lynch | Autonomy

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The criminal fraud trial of the British technology mogul once referred to as “Britain’s Bill Gates” is set to commence today in San Francisco.

Mike Lynch, the co-founder of British software company Autonomy, stands accused of artificially boosting the software company’s sales, deceiving auditors, analysts, and regulators. In 2011, before Hewlett-Packard’s significant takeover of the company, he even threatened those who raised concerns.


He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains his innocence. If found guilty, he could face up to 25 years in prison.

HP purchased Autonomy in an $11.1bn (£8.72bn) deal to enhance its software business. However, just a year later, they reduced the purchase price by $8.8 billion, citing accounting irregularities and misstatements in the business.

In 2019, Lynch was indicted by a federal grand jury on 17 charges, including wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy.

Despite past accolades, including an OBE in 2006 for his contributions to enterprise and an appointment to Prime Minister David Cameron’s Science and Technology Council in 2011, Lynch’s current situation is dire. He has spent the past year under house arrest preparing for trial.

Lynch was extradited from Britain to the US last May. After posting $100 million bail, he was required to wear a GPS ankle tag and be under constant surveillance by armed guards.

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In a first-time allowance back in November, he could leave the luxurious San Francisco compound where he is based daily between 9 am and 9 pm, albeit with strict conditions.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sydney Researchers Lead the Way in Brain Chip Technology Ahead of Elon Musk’s Neuralink Neuroscience

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BLaine computer interface technology is at the heart of movies like Ready Player One, The Matrix, and Avatar. But outside of the world of science fiction, BCIs are used on Earth to help paralyzed people communicate, to study dreams, and to control robots.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced in January that his neurotechnology company Neuralink had implanted the first computer chip in a human. In February, he announced that patients can now control a computer mouse with their thoughts.

Neuralink’s purpose is noble. It is about helping people who are unable to communicate or interact with their environment. But details are scant. The project quickly raised alarms about brain privacy, the risk of hacking, and other potential issues.



Dr Steve Kassem, senior research scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia, said the Neuralink news should be taken with a “large pinch of salt”. It’s not the first company to do neural implants, he says. In fact, Australia is a ‘hotspot’ for relevant neurological research.

Does the patient dream of electric sheep?

The University of Technology Sydney project, which has received millions of dollars in funding from the Department of Defense, is now in its third phase to demonstrate how soldiers can use brain signals to control robotic dogs.

“We succeeded [demonstrating] Handa can use his brain to issue commands that direct the dog to reach its destination completely hands-free…so the dog can use its hands for other purposes. ” he says.

Soldiers use assisted reality glasses with special graphene interfaces to issue brain signal commands to send the robot dog to different locations. Lin said he is working on making the technology multi-user, faster and able to control other vehicles such as drones.

Meanwhile, Sydney company Neurode has developed a headset to help people with ADHD by monitoring the brain and sending electronic pulses to help them cope with changes. Another his UTS team is working on it. dream machine, which aims to reconstruct dreams from brain signals. It uses artificial intelligence and brainwave data to generate images from your subconscious mind.

And then there are the implants.

good signal

Synchron started at the University of Melbourne and is now based in New York. it is, Mesh inserted into blood vessels in the brain This allows patients to use the Internet by transmitting signals that operate similar to Bluetooth. People can shop, send emails, and communicate online using technology that controls computers.



Synchron has implanted and monitored mesh in many patients, including one in Australia. Patient P4, who has motor neuron disease, had mesh implanted several years ago.

“I think he’s had over 200 sessions,” says Gil Lind, Sychron’s senior director of advanced technology. “He is still progressing well with his implant treatment and is working very closely with us.

“He was able to use the computer through the system…As the disease progressed, it became very difficult to use the physical buttons.

“This allows for online banking, communication with caregivers, [with] Someone I love. ”

Dr Christina Maher from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Center said Synchron’s technology is “miles ahead” of Elon Musk’s, and is more sophisticated and safer as it does not require open brain surgery. Stated. The researchers have also published more than 25 papers, she said.

“As for Neuralink, we don’t know much about it.

“My understanding is that the top priority for them is to test the effectiveness and safety of surgical robots…so they are focusing more on the robotic side of things, and this is a commercial It makes sense from a perspective.”

Need for regulation

But amidst the hype and promise of neurotechnology, there are concerns about who will have access to the beneficial technologies and how they will be protected.

Maher says it’s important to balance the need for innovation with appropriate regulation while allowing access to those who really need it. She says the “gap between the haves and have-nots” is being discussed not just in Australia but around the world.

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“As brain-computer interfaces become more common, people will be divided into those who can afford them and those who cannot,” she says.

Lind said Synchron is focused on those who have the most to gain, such as quadriplegic patients. “We want to expand it as much as possible. We hope to reach a bigger market and help more people in need,” he says.

A personal and pivotal moment for him, he says, was seeing the faces of the clinicians, team, and family of the first patient who received a successful implant.

At Neuralink, Kasem warns that there are always risks when technology is developed by a company that exists to make a profit. “A cell phone plan for the brain is not what we want,” he says.

“And what if this gets hacked? There’s always a risk when it’s not a closed system.”

But it’s more likely that Neuralink will use people’s data.

“Like every app on your phone or computer, Neuralink monitors everything it can. Everything it can,” Kasem says.

“It will be stored somewhere.”

Protect your brain data

Maher agrees that data is a big issue, saying the risk of hacking remains when devices are connected to the internet. She says much of the social media, biometrics, and other data is already out there, but her brain’s data is different.

“meanwhile [BCI companies] They are subject to the same data privacy laws…The difference in many people’s minds is that brain data is very private and it’s your personal thoughts.

“The big picture here is that once you start recording large amounts of brain data, there are absolutely megatons of data out there,” she says.

Despite privacy concerns, Kasem says interacting with the brain has exciting potential.

“We need to remember how powerful and important the brain is. All you are, all you have been, and all you will ever be is your brain and nothing else.” he says.

Quoting American physicist Emerson Pugh, he says the brain has trillions of neural connections that lead to “infinite opportunities.” hand. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com

McDonald’s experiences technology issues in UK, Australia, Japan, and China

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Several countries, including the UK and Australia, are experiencing a “technical outage” at McDonald’s restaurants. The fast food chain denies any cybersecurity attack.

Affected services are reported in Australia, the UK, Japan, and China, with restaurants, drive-thrus, and online ordering experiencing issues. A global spokesperson for McDonald’s stated they are working to resolve the problem.

The spokesperson mentioned, “We understand that we experienced a technology outage that impacted our restaurant. The issue is currently being resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. Notably, this issue is not related to any cybersecurity event.”

A spokesperson for McDonald’s UK confirmed that the power outage affecting restaurants in the UK and Ireland has been resolved. The Down Detector site in the UK reported over 600 app outages on Friday morning.

In Australia, a customer mentioned they were unable to make purchases at the drive-thru or online. McDonald’s Australia acknowledged that the issue is impacting their restaurants nationwide.


McDonald’s Japan also faced a “system failure” affecting its stores. An apology was issued on social media, stating service will be restored soon.


According to a spokesperson, many McDonald’s restaurants in Japan stopped accepting orders due to the system failure. McDonald’s in Japan operates around 3,000 stores.


In China, the hashtag “McDonald’s collapse” trended on social media. McDonald’s, with over 5,000 stores, faced challenges compared to their rival KFC with nearly double the number of outlets.

McDonald’s acknowledged and resolved the issues in various regions but encountered some customers opting for KFC instead. Other countries like Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden also reported problems.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Genetic technology capable of eradicating superweeds through targeted plant destruction

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Herbicide-resistant pigweed is a serious problem for farmers

Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

Gene drives – bits of DNA that trick evolution and can spread even if they are harmful – have been successfully tested in plants for the first time. This approach can be used to clear out invasive plants and superweeds without harming other species, potentially reducing herbicide use. It could also help save species by spreading genes that make them more resistant to disease and better able to cope with global warming.

Genes work by distorting the probability that an organism will inherit a piece of DNA. Most plants and animals have two copies of each gene. This usually means that there is a 50% chance that a particular copy will be passed on to offspring. With a gene drive, the chance increases to, say, 80 percent, allowing genes to spread even if they are harmful.

There are many natural gene drives that function through different mechanisms. In 2013, the first artificial gene drive was created using CRISPR gene editing technology.

It copies itself from one chromosome to another. That is, all descendants inherit it. This approach is called a homing gene drive because the drive itself is copied to a specific site.

bruce hay The researchers at the California Institute of Technology used a different approach called cleave-and-rescue. The gene drive consists of CRISPR elements that target and destroy copies of both key genes needed for pollen and egg formation. However, the drive also contains a version of this gene that functions without being destroyed.

This means that pollen and eggs that do not inherit the gene drive will lack important genes and will not develop. Only pollen and eggs with the gene drive will develop normally, so all offspring will inherit it.

Hay says the cleave-and-rescue approach is more robust than homing drives because it's much easier to destroy genes than to copy and paste them. He says it works on all animals, not just plants, and could be used to rid islands of rats and mice that are wiping out native species.

Hay's team tested a working version of this drive – one designed only to spread, not kill – on Thale cress. Arabidopsis.Another team led by Yang Liu Chinese Academy of Sciences Even in Beijing I have submitted a paper describing a similar gene drive But that approach isn't as powerful, Hay says.

He and his team are currently planning driving tests in Pigweed (amaranth palmeri), a herbicide-resistant superweed and a major problem for farmers in many parts of the world. “This is the poster child for developing broad-based resistance to all existing herbicides,” Hay says.

Additionally, this technology could be adapted to control weeds without spreading indefinitely. For example, pollen could be used to create male plants that kill all female offspring. Planting these male plants annually around the farm will prevent seed production and eradicate the weed species from the field after a few years.

“If you just exclude women, you end up collapsing the entire local population, but not the global population,” Hay says. However, this female-killing trait will disappear if no male plants with it are planted.

Hay said this approach is much more likely to be approved by regulators than gene drives, which continue to spread until resistance emerges. In fact, a similar approach is already being used in several countries by a company called Oxitec to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

but, paul nave Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark doubt whether regulators will approve the use of gene drives to control weeds. “I think the chances of getting approval to release gene drives for agricultural use are low at this point. Healthcare and biodiversity conservation may be an easier sell,” he says.

Another big problem, Neve says, is that plants typically produce only one generation per year, and it takes 10 to 30 generations for drives to become widespread. “How can we spread gene drives fast enough to achieve meaningful weed control in a realistic time frame?”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

US Legislators Clash Over Strategies to Enhance Online Child Safety | Technology

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SAs historic legislation obtained enough votes to pass in the U.S. Senate, divisions among online child safety advocates have emerged. Some former opponents of the bill have been swayed by amendments and now lend their support. However, its staunchest critics are demanding further changes.

The Kids Online Safety Act (Kosa), introduced over two years ago, garnered 60 supporters in the Senate by mid-February. Despite this, numerous human rights groups continue to vehemently oppose the bill, highlighting the ongoing discord among experts, legislators, and activists over how to ensure the safety of young people in the digital realm.


“The Kids Online Safety Act presents our best chance to tackle the harmful business model of social media, which has resulted in the loss of far too many young lives and contributed to a mental health crisis,” stated Josh Golin, executive director of Fair, a children’s online safety organization.

Critics argue that the amendments made to the bill do not sufficiently address their concerns. Aliya Bhatia, a policy analyst at the Center for Democratic Technology, expressed, “A one-size-fits-all approach to child safety is insufficient in protecting children. This bill operates on the assumption of a consensus regarding harmful content types and designs, which does not exist. Such a belief hampers the ability of young people to freely engage online, impeding their access to the necessary communities.”

What is the Kids Online Safety Act?

The Xhosa bill, spearheaded by Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn, represents a monumental shift in U.S. tech legislation. The bill mandates platforms like Instagram and TikTok to mitigate online risks through alterations to their designs and the ability to opt out of algorithm-based recommendations. Enforcement would necessitate more profound changes to social networks compared to current regulations.

Initially introduced in 2022, the bill elicited an open letter signed by over 90 human rights organizations vehemently opposing it. The coalition argued that the bill could enable conservative state attorneys general, who determine harmful content, to restrict online resources and information concerning LGBTQ+ youth and individuals seeking reproductive health care. They cautioned that the bill could potentially be exploited for censorship.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s Feud Unpacked: A Technology Showdown

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After OpenAI’s launch in December 2015, co-founder Sam Altman spoke to Vanity Fair about the company’s mission to save the world from a dystopian future. Altman discussed the vision of keeping artificial intelligence safe and widely accessible, highlighting his strong relationship with co-chairman Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

Nearly a decade later, Musk and Altman find themselves in a public disagreement and facing a legal battle. Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in California court, alleging that Altman and other executives deviated from the company’s original mission by pursuing private commercial interests. The lawsuit questions the direction of OpenAI, now valued at $80 billion, and the shift towards profitability.

The legal dispute highlights the tension between Musk and Altman, two prominent figures in the AI field. Allegations of breach of contract and divergence from OpenAI’s founding principles have escalated the conflict, with Musk accusing Altman of changing the company’s course towards commercial success.

In response to Musk’s lawsuit, OpenAI published a detailed blog post defending its actions and countering Musk’s claims. The post addresses the history of OpenAI, Musk’s involvement, and the evolution of the organization into a for-profit entity.

As the legal battle unfolds, Musk has publicly criticized OpenAI and Altman on social media, fueling further controversy surrounding the dispute. Legal experts question the grounds of Musk’s lawsuit and its implications for OpenAI’s future.

The feud between Musk and Altman traces back to their initial collaboration and shared vision for AI’s role in shaping the future. However, diverging interests and strategic decisions have led to a breakdown in their relationship, culminating in a legal confrontation over OpenAI’s direction and objectives.

Despite their past camaraderie, Musk and Altman now find themselves at odds, each defending their beliefs and actions in the realm of artificial intelligence innovation.

The origins of Musk and Altman’s feud

Prior to their discord, Musk served as a mentor to Altman, fostering a relationship based on shared aspirations for AI advancement. Their dialogue on AI’s societal impact led to the creation of OpenAI, but differences in approach and strategic direction strained their partnership over time.

The evolution of their feud sheds light on the complexities of navigating the ethical, commercial, and technological landscapes of artificial intelligence. Musk and Altman’s diverging viewpoints encapsulate the broader debates surrounding AI governance and responsibility.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Microsoft files motion to dismiss the copyright lawsuit brought by New York Times | Technology

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Microsoft has issued a response to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by The New York Times, alleging that its content was used to train generative artificial intelligence. Microsoft called the claims a false narrative of “apocalyptic futurology” and criticized the lawsuit as short-sighted, comparing it to Hollywood’s resistance to VCRs.

In a motion to dismiss filed as part of the lawsuit, Microsoft responded to the allegations, stating that The New York Times’ content was given “particular weight” and that Microsoft has made significant investments in the Times. Microsoft ridiculed the claims made by the newspaper and denied the accusations of government involvement in the matter.

The lawsuit, which could have far-reaching implications for artificial intelligence and news content production, accuses Microsoft, as the largest investor in OpenAI, of using copyrighted content from The New York Times to develop AI products that threaten the newspaper’s ability to provide its services.

Microsoft argued that the lawsuit is reminiscent of Hollywood’s opposition to VCRs in the past and emphasized that the content used to train the language models does not replace the market for the original work but rather educates the models.

OpenAI, a co-defendant in the lawsuit, has requested the dismissal of certain claims against the company, asserting that their products, such as ChatGPT, are not intended to replace subscriptions to The New York Times and are not used for that purpose in the real world.

Following Microsoft’s legal response, The New York Times pushed back against the comparison to 1980s home-taping technology, stating that Microsoft collaborated with OpenAI to copy copyrighted works without permission.

The dispute between the parties is part of a larger legal battle over copyright issues related to AI technology and concerns about the creation of misleading information. Recent incidents, such as Google’s use of AI to generate historically inaccurate images, have raised concerns about the need to address these issues.

OpenAI has faced criticism for its training methods and refusal to disclose training data, including the use of copyrighted works. The company argues that limiting training data to public domain content would hinder the development of AI systems that meet current needs.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed surprise at the Times lawsuit, stating that the AI models do not rely on specific publisher data for training and that the Times’ content represented only a small portion of the overall text corpus used.

Source: www.theguardian.com

How much money does Spotify pay Apple? | Technology

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The technology industry is one of the most valuable sectors globally, heavily relying on the unpaid efforts of a small number of enthusiasts.

This reliance is both a boon and a bane for open-source software projects, which are freely available for public use. Some of these projects efficiently solve simple problems, saving unnecessary repetition of work. Others tackle complex tasks that push boundaries.

This dependency is not a secret. In August 2020, webcomic xkcd highlighted this issue by portraying modern digital infrastructure as a delicate tower depending on a project maintained by a random person in Nebraska since 2003.

Moreover, a satirical tweet by Druthers Haver humorously emphasized the importance of unsung heroes like Ronald, who maintains critical technical tools like the UNIX tool called “Rank.”

The most crucial figures in technology are a mix of well-known personalities like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, as well as lesser-known individuals like Ronald, the caretaker of “Rank,” a vital tool that manages calculations for machines worldwide.

These anecdotes reflect reality. A software developer faced a crisis in 2016 when his left-pad code, included in numerous programs, unintentionally caused widespread failures due to a simple name dispute.

Similarly, OpenSSL, a widely used encryption tool, had a severe bug unnoticed for years, compromising online security. The story repeated with Log4j seven years later.

While distributing free software offers many benefits, sustaining its development poses challenges. Various models like paid support and corporate funding have been attempted, with mixed success.

Recently, projects like tea.xyz attempted to reward open-source contributors with crypto tokens but inadvertently attracted spam and low-quality contributions, illustrating the need for better solutions.

The Curious Case of $100

Apple receives its first fine from the EU. Photo: Donisle/Alamy

Apple recently faced a significant fine from the EU, underscoring the regulatory scrutiny on tech giants abusing their market dominance.

The substantial fine indicated the EU’s commitment to curbing anticompetitive behaviors that harm consumers, particularly in the online services sector.

Apple’s hidden rules negatively impacted consumers, leading to higher costs and limited choices in music streaming services.

This incident sheds light on the complex relationships between tech companies, regulators, and consumers, emphasizing the need for fair competition and consumer protection.

If you want to read the full newsletter, subscribe to receive TechScape in your inbox every Tuesday.

Source: www.theguardian.com

OpenAI sued by The Intercept, Raw Story, and AlterNet for copyright infringement | Technology

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Lawsuits have been brought against OpenAI and Microsoft by news publishers, alleging that their generative artificial intelligence products violate copyright laws by illegally using journalists’ copyrighted works. The Intercept, Raw Story, and Alternet filed suit in federal court in Manhattan, seeking compensation for the infringement.

Media outlets claim that OpenAI and Microsoft plagiarized copyrighted articles to develop ChatGPT, a prominent generative AI tool. They argue that ChatGPT ignores copyright, lacks proper attribution, and fails to alert users when using journalists’ copyrighted work to generate responses.

Raw Story and AlterNet CEO John Byrne stated, “Raw Story believes that news organizations must challenge OpenAI for breaking copyright laws and profiting from journalists’ hard work.” They emphasized the importance of diverse news outlets and the negative impact of unchecked violations on the industry.

The Intercept’s lawsuit names OpenAI and Microsoft as defendants, while the joint lawsuit by Raw Story and AlterNet focuses solely on OpenAI. The complaints are similar, with all three media outlets represented by the law firm Loevy & Loevy.

Byrne clarified that the lawsuits from Raw Story and AlterNet do not involve Microsoft directly but stem from a partnership with MSN. Both OpenAI and Microsoft have yet to comment on the allegations.

The lawsuits accuse the defendants of using copyrighted material to train ChatGPT without proper attribution, violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The legal action is part of a series of lawsuits against OpenAI for alleged copyright infringement.

Concerns in the media industry about generative AI competing with traditional publishers have led to a wave of legal battles. The fear is that AI-generated content will erode advertising revenue and undermine the quality of online news.

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While some news organizations have sued OpenAI, others like Axel Springer have opted to collaborate by providing access to copyrighted material in exchange for financial rewards. The lawsuits seek damages and profits, with the New York Times lawsuit aiming for significant monetary compensation.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Exposure: A decade ago, the auto industry was alerted to the increased theft risk of keyless car technology.

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The automobile industry disregarded warnings from over a decade ago about the risks of keyless technology in modern vehicles leading to a rise in vehicle thefts, as revealed by an investigation in the automotive sector. The observer can disclose.

Legal and computer experts had cautioned that keyless entry and vehicle software were vulnerable to being “hacked” due to inadequate security measures.

Findings indicated that car owners could potentially face theft without any evidence of forced entry in the future.

The surge in vehicle crimes through keyless entry has resulted in record hikes in car insurance costs, with some drivers now confronted with premiums exceeding £2,000 annually. Car thefts in England and Wales reached a decade-high in the year leading up to March 2023.

Observers discovered the following:

Devices camouflaged as gaming consoles, referred to as ’emulators’, are utilized by thieves to mimic electronic keys and steal vehicles within 20 seconds. This is applicable to Hyundai and Kia models.

The ‘smart’ devices are available for purchase online for up to £5,000, allowing criminals to breach a vehicle’s computer system and program a new key.

Police in various regions report a high rate of keyless car thefts and are resolving some cases within 24 hours, even with CCTV footage available.

Nick Freeman, an attorney specializing in the automotive industry, remarked: “The automotive sector was neglectful as they were forewarned about this new technology emerging. It’s a dire situation where individuals are compelled to pay exorbitant insurance premiums.

In November, Jaguar Land Rover announced a £10m investment to enhance the security of high-target car models manufactured between 2018 and 2022. The observer Investigations highlighted similar security vulnerabilities in other vehicles, prompting Hyundai to acknowledge this weekend that criminals had “utilized a device to unlawfully disable smart key lock systems” to access their vehicles. They affirmed the immediate implementation of preventive measures.

A report from 2011 by researchers at the University of California and the University of Washington indicated the potential for attacks on the software in contemporary cars, potentially allowing breaching the car’s telematics system to unlock doors and start the engine without authorization.

An article published in the April 2012 Computer Law and Security Review by specialist barrister Stephen Mason highlighted the vulnerability of keyless systems, warning that vehicles could be stolen without any forced entry unless security enhancements were introduced.

Mr. Mason expressed, “There was a sense of complacency and lack of concern in the automotive sector that hesitated to invest in proper security. We now have state-of-the-art cars with advanced technology, yet owners rely on traditional steering locks for theft protection.”

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) refutes claims of security lapses in the industry, suggesting it is engaged in an ongoing battle with criminals. SMMT CEO Mike Hawes stated: “Automakers continuously introduce new technology to outsmart criminals. This investment has significantly reduced vehicle theft over the past three decades.

“Manufacturers are continually strengthening their security systems, but technology alone cannot prevent all thefts, which is why our industry collaborates closely with law enforcement, insurers, and other security stakeholders.”

The Home Office reports an overall reduction in vehicle crime, including thefts from vehicles. A spokesperson emphasized the importance of law enforcement in addressing motor vehicle crime and commended their commitment to pursuing thorough investigations.

“We have made significant strides in combating vehicle crime, which has decreased by 39% since 2010. New regulations in the Criminal Justice Bill will outlaw electronic devices used in vehicle theft.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

AI deepfake technology advances as billions get ready to vote in a packed election year | 2024 US Elections

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“How awful!”

Gail Huntley picked up the phone and immediately recognized Joe Biden's raspy voice. Huntley, a 73-year-old New Hampshire resident, had planned to vote for the president in the state's upcoming primary and was perplexed when she received a prerecorded message urging her not to vote.

“It's important to save your vote for the November election,” the message said. “Only this Tuesday's vote will allow the Republican Party to seek re-election of Donald Trump.”

Huntley quickly realized the call was fake, but thought Biden's words had been taken out of context. She was shocked when it was revealed that the recording was generated by AI. Within weeks, the United States outlawed robocalls that use AI-generated voices.

The Biden deepfake was the first major test for governments, tech companies, and civil society groups. Governments, technology companies and civil society organizations are grappling with how best to police an information ecosystem where anyone can create photorealistic images of candidates or replicate their voices. It is embroiled in a heated debate. Terrifying accuracy.

As citizens of dozens of countries, including the US, India and possibly the UK, go to the polls in 2024, experts say democratic processes are at serious risk of being disrupted by artificial intelligence. .

AI fakes are already being used in elections Slovakia,Taiwan, Indonesiaand they are thrown into an environment where trust in politicians, institutions and media is already low.

Watchdog groups have warned that more than 40,000 people have been laid off at the tech companies that host and manage much of this content, and that digital media is uniquely vulnerable to abuse.

Mission Impossible?

For Biden, concerns about the potentially dangerous uses of AI spiked after watching the latest Mission: Impossible movie. Over the weekend at Camp David, the president relaxed in front of a movie in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt takes on a rogue AI.

After watching the film, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reid said that if Biden wasn't already concerned about what could go wrong with AI, “he has much more to worry about.” It turns out there are a lot of them.”

Since then, Biden has signed an executive order requiring major AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government.

And the United States is not alone in taking action. The EU is about to pass one of the most comprehensive laws to regulate AI, but it won't come into force until 2026. Proposed regulations in the UK have been criticized for moving too slowly.

But because the United States is home to many of the most innovative technology companies, the White House's actions will have a major impact on how the most disruptive AI products are developed.

Katie Harvath, who spent a decade helping shape policy at Facebook and now works on trust and safety issues at tech companies, says the U.S. government isn't doing enough. Concerns about stifling innovation could play into this, especially as China moves to develop its own AI industry, she says.

Harvath discusses how information systems have evolved from the “golden age” of social media growth, to the Great Reckoning after the Brexit and Trump votes, and the subsequent efforts to stay ahead of disinformation. I watched what happened from my ringside seat.

Her mantra for 2024 is “panic responsibly.”

In the short term, she says, the regulators and polices for AI-generated content will be the very companies developing the tools to create it.

“I don't know if companies are ready,” Harvath said. “There are also new platforms whose first real test will be this election season.”

Last week, major tech companies signed an agreement to voluntarily adopt “reasonable precautions” to prevent AI from being used to disrupt democratic elections around the world, and to coordinate efforts. We took a big step.

Signatories include OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, as well as Google, Adobe, and Microsoft, all of which have launched tools to generate AI-authored content. Many companies have also updated their own rules to prohibit the use of their products in political campaigns.. Enforcing these bans is another matter.

OpenAI, which uses its powerful Dall-E software to create photorealistic images, said its tool rejects requests to generate images of real people, including candidates.

Midjourney, whose AI image generation is considered by many to be the most powerful and accurate, says users should not use the product to “attempt to influence the outcome of a political campaign or election.” Says.

Midjourney CEO David Holtz said the company is close to banning political images, including photos of leading presidential candidates. It appears that some changes are already in effect. When the Guardian asked Midjourney to produce an image of Joe Biden and Donald Trump in a boxing ring, the request was denied, saying it violated the company's community standards. A flag was raised.

But when I entered the same prompt, replacing Biden and Trump with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opposition leader Keir Starmer, the software produced a series of images without a problem.

This example is at the center of concerns among many policymakers about how effectively tech companies are regulating AI-generated content outside the hothouse of the U.S. presidential election.

“Multi-million euro weapons of mass operation”

Despite OpenAI's ban on using its tools in political campaigns, its products were used to create campaign art, track social media sentiment, build interactive chatbots, and engage voters in Indonesia's elections this month. Reuters reported that it was widely used as a target.

Harvath said it's an open question how startups like OpenAI can aggressively enforce their policies outside the United States.

“Each country is a little different, with different laws and cultural norms. When you run a US-focused company, you realize that things work differently in the US than they do in other parts of the world. can be difficult.”

Last year's national elections in Slovakia pitted pro-Russian candidates against those advocating stronger ties with the EU. Ballot papers include support for Ukraine's war effort, and EU officials say the vote could be at risk of interference by Russia and its “multi-million euro weapons of mass manipulation” emphasized by those.

As the election approached and a national media blackout began, an audio recording of pro-EU candidate Michal Šimeka was posted on Facebook.

In the recording, Simechka appears to discuss ways to rig elections by buying votes from marginalized communities. The audio was fake, and AFP news agency reported that it appeared to have been manipulated using AI.

However, media outlets and politicians are required to remain silent under election concealment laws, making it nearly impossible to uncover errors in the recording.

The doctored audio appears to have fallen through a loophole in how Facebook owner Meta Inc. polices AI-generated material on its platform.below it community standardsprohibits posting content that has been manipulated in a way that “the average person wouldn't understand,” or that has been edited to make someone say something they didn't say. However, this only applies to videos.

Pro-Russian candidate Robert Fico won the election and became prime minister.

When will we know that the future is here?

Despite the dangers, there are some signs that voters are better prepared for what's to come than officials think.

“Voters are smarter than we think,” Harvath said. “They may be overwhelmed, but they understand what's going on in the information environment.”

For many experts, the main concern is not the technologies we are already working on, but the innovations that are on the other side of the horizon.

Writing in MIT's Technology Review, academics said the public debate about how AI threatens democracy is “lacking imagination.” The real danger, they say, is not what we already fear, but what we cannot yet imagine.

“What rocks are we not examining?” Halvath asks. “New technologies emerge, new bad guys emerge. There are constant high and low tides, and we have to get used to living with them.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The EU to Receive €500 Million from Apple: Understanding the Impact on Technology

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a
The following week, there was another clash between Apple and European regulators. According to the Financial Times, the company could face a huge fine for alleged anti-competitive conduct in its music streaming business. from that story:


The fine, estimated at around 500 million euros, is expected to be announced early next month and will be exclusive to the European Commission, which is investigating whether Apple used its own platform to favor its own services over those of competitors. This will be the culmination of research into prohibition laws.


The investigation is looking into whether Apple blocked apps from informing iPhone users of cheaper alternatives to access music subscriptions outside the App Store.

The process dates back to a complaint filed by Spotify in 2019. From what we said at the time:


Apple’s app the Store is a key distribution platform for Spotify. However, Apple receives a 30% commission on all sales made through this site. Spotify and many other third-party app developers have long complained that the store (which includes music streaming subscriptions) is an unfair “tax.”


“Apple requires Spotify and other digital services to pay a 30% tax on purchases made through Apple’s payment system, including upgrades from free to premium services.” Said Daniel Ekco-founder of Spotify, chief executive officer in a blog post.


“If we pay this tax, we will be forced to artificially inflate the price of premium membership far above the regular price.” Apple Music. And keeping prices competitive for our customers is beyond our control. ”

For more information on the fine itself, Dan Milmo explains.

In the years since then, complaints have diminished somewhat. Apple declined to respond directly to the FT’s report, saying it does not comment on speculation, but pointed to the European Commission’s decision last year to exclude the “tax” aspect from an investigation launched by Spotify. ‘s complaint. The revised counter statement states that the main harm is no longer the 30% fee levied by apps that use in-app purchases or the requirement to offer them in the first place, but simply the fact that other payment options exist for users. It was forbidden to communicate.

“We are pleased that the European Commission has narrowed the issue and no longer challenges Apple’s right to collect fees on digital goods and require the use of in-app payment systems that users trust,” Apple said in a statement. Ta. time.

These so-called “anti-steering” rules have been tested by regulators around the world, and various jurisdictions have placed formal limits on Apple’s ability to impose them. But these restrictions rarely go as far as competitors like Spotify would like. Because Apple is letting out a sharp gasp. If forced to do so, companies could direct users to alternative payment methods and still charge fees. In some cases, that new fee accounted for 27% of costs, and his 3% reduction in in-app purchase fees was justified on the basis that it reflected the fact that Apple was not paying directly for credit card processing. I am.

“We are currently negotiating the price.”




Spotify on Apple Watch. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Assuming the fine is imposed as expected, Apple is unlikely to be too disappointed. The Digital Markets Act, which Apple and other “tech gatekeepers” must comply with by March 6, has already forced changes to the App Store that will put Apple Music in unfair competition with Spotify. The Competition Commission’s concerns will almost certainly be corrected. As for the cash itself, “500 million isn’t a laughable amount, even for a company as big as Apple, but it’s a fraction of the maximum potential, and it’s a fraction of the company’s total.” An even smaller amount’ of annual profit.

In fact, it’s possible that Apple will avoid fines with dignity. The company hammers home one of its core points every time it is hit by regulatory action that leaves room for compromises, such as imposing a 27% fee on outside purchases. That is, the real criticism is not about the lofty points. Basically, it’s a simple haggling over fees. If complaints about Apple’s control of the App Store boil down to “I want to pay less,” that would be an easier fight than one that would force Apple to actually relinquish control of the platform.

Some critics make deeper claims. Spotify, for example, has long complained about more detailed aspects of Apple’s platform, from the fact that Apple Music is installed by default on its devices to the way platform owners break their own rules about free. I’ve been holding you. Trials (Apple can independently offer trials that end the moment they are canceled; all third parties must provide access until just before the first billing deadline).

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For others, the gist of the principle is poor in reality. Epic Games famously introduced a unique payment process for Fortnite, which resulted in Apple pulling the game from the App Store. The company already pays hefty cuts to operate its gaming consoles and operates its own app store for PCs. Issues with Apple have always been viewed through the lens of how much Apple pays.

Perhaps this is why Epic is also the longtime Apple critic most eager to enter the world of an EU-mandated alternative App Store. You may remember the debate over whether the company’s proposals amounted to “garbage” or meaningful concessions. Well, three weeks have passed,
Epic Games announces the launch of Epic Games Store for iOS.

This is a bold move. The company will immediately pay him 0.50 euros for every download on the store, and an additional 0.50 euros for every download of Fortnite via the store after his first 1 million. But compared to keeping it on the App Store, per user he should be able to get that amount back in one “Battle Pass” purchase. And to the company’s credit, it clearly believes the principles exist. At risk.

Cash is also constantly flushed in case it takes longer to break even. The company, which is run by founder and CEO Tim Sweeney and has a 40% minority stake held by China’s Tencent, announced earlier this month that it will become the world’s leading company in the world of gaming and entertainment. The collaboration required a $1.5 billion investment from Disney. Disney is a long-time ally of Apple, and its CEO was on Apple’s board of directors until 2019, but competition between Apple TV+ and Disney+ made that unsustainable. . We haven’t seen the beginnings of a messy breakup yet, but perhaps even the House of Mouse will want to pay a smaller share of the world’s most valuable company.

If you want to read the full newsletter, subscribe to receive TechScape in your inbox every Tuesday.

Source: www.theguardian.com

500 million euro fine imposed on Apple by EU for restricting music streaming access, according to reports in technology sector

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Apple has reportedly been fined 500 million euros by the European Union over restricting access to its music streaming service, in what would be a landmark blow to the US technology company.

The European Commission is investigating whether Apple prevented music streamers from telling users cheaper ways to subscribe outside of the app store.

According to the Financial Times, the city of Brussels plans to impose a €500m (£427m) fine, a landmark move against Apple after years of complaints from companies offering services through iPhone apps. This is a judgment.

In 2019, Swedish streaming company Spotify filed a complaint with the EU, accusing Apple of limiting choice and competition in its app store by imposing a 30% fee on all purchases. Apple also blocked Spotify and other companies from notifying customers on their phones that they could avoid fees and get better deals simply by signing up on Spotify's website.

Apple says its fees are justified because it spends a lot of money providing a secure app store and gives Spotify access to hundreds of millions of customers. However, Spotify argues that Apple Music, Apple's own music streaming service, does not incur similar additional costs, giving Spotify an advantage and making the rates non-competitive.

The European Commission said Apple's actions were illegal and contrary to European Union rules forcing competition in the single market, the FT reported, citing five people close to the investigation. would argue. The commission could also reportedly ban practices that prevent music services from advertising cheaper subscriptions off-platform.

Apple was fined 1.1 billion euros by France in 2020 for anti-competition agreements with two wholesalers, but has never been hit with a competition fine by the European Commission.

But IT and other big tech companies are under increasing scrutiny due to competitive concerns. Google is appealing against fines of more than 8 billion euros imposed by the EU in three separate competition investigations. Apple lost a lawsuit by Fortnite developer Epic Games that claimed its app store was an illegal monopoly, but Epic won a similar lawsuit against Google, which runs Android phone software, in December. .

Last month, Apple announced it would allow EU customers to download apps without going through its own app store, in response to the EU's digital markets law. The law, whose details were revealed last year, imposes new obligations on “gatekeepers” such as Amazon and Google, which are particularly powerful in controlling the choice of mobile phone software.

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The European Commission declined to comment. Apple had no new comments, but pointed to its previous statement that it would respond to the commission's concerns “while promoting competition and choice for European consumers.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

RHUNA Revolutionizes Event and Entertainment Industry with Fintech Innovation: Embracing Blockchain Technology – Latest News, Analysis, TV, Career Opportunities

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Bucharest, Romania, February 19, 2024, Chainwire

Luna is a visionary fintech platform dedicated to revolutionizing the events and entertainment industry through innovative technology.

By integrating Web 3.0 and blockchain technology, RHUNA aims to improve user experience, improve security and transparency, and foster closer and more engaged communities around the world.

UNTOLD Universe is one of the top five music festival organizers in the world, with over 1.5 million attendees each year. Rhuna combines CryptoDATA's innovative technology development expertise and experience with this pioneering platform.

One of the key features RHUNA offers is the introduction of a decentralized ticketing system that leverages the power of blockchain, where tickets are issued as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This ensures authenticity, ownership, and a secure and transparent secondary market. This system effectively eliminates common problems such as fraud and scalping, providing a fairer and more reliable ticketing experience. The modular functionality structure within the ecosystem means that even large event organizers can customize event management, especially ticketing and payments, with incredible speed and accuracy.

The platform also features an integrated digital wallet that supports various cryptocurrencies, allowing seamless trading of tickets, goods, and services. This not only caters to a growing crypto-savvy audience, but also reduces fees and simplifies the payment process.

Smart contracts automate key transactions and contracts, from ticket sales to performer payments, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and trust across all transactions. Additionally, RHUNA values ​​user privacy and control, allowing participants to securely manage their personal data through decentralized identities.

As an industry first, RHUNA introduces a token-based loyalty and rewards program, giving users the opportunity to earn tokens on a variety of activities. These tokens can be redeemed for special experiences, merchandise, or discounts, fostering a strong sense of community and engagement within the RHUNA ecosystem.

The platform also pioneers the use of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) in event planning, giving the community a voice in the decision-making process, from event themes to artist lineups. This democratized approach ensures that RHUNA remains closely aligned with the desires and preferences of its user base.

“The Rhuna project is not just a technical solution. It is an adaptable and dynamic system that interconnects social and technical elements, providing opportunities through solutions that address a wide range of needs. Architecture, Technology, implementation methods, and usage modes are factors that influence the optimization of resources when performing activities.In the current movement, resources such as time, people, materials, and costs are multifaceted within a 3D system. Rhuna is the perfect tool to give everyone access and control. Rhuna is a way for everyone to visualize and actively intervene in them. Luna is a catalyst that makes the abstract tangible and essential for everyone involved in the entertainment industry.” – Bogdan Marunšiš, Global Head of Strategy, CryptoDATA

Bogdan Radulescu, co-founder and CBO of UNTOLD, put it succinctly: “We are pushing the boundaries of festival finance into the 21st century, redefining event organization and engagement for the benefit of organizers around the world.”

The interface will be accessible to participants of all technical backgrounds and will be unveiled at the 9th UNTOLD festival in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. RHUNA aims to introduce new innovations to the “World Capital of Night and Magic” to enhance the festival experience for over 400,000 attendees.

About crypto data

A leader in technology innovation, CryptoData develops solutions that address real-world challenges and pushes the boundaries of technology to advance society.Users can learn more at cryptodata.com.

About Untold Universe

Known for creating transformative experiences through music and entertainment, UNTOLD Universe invites you to explore enchanting realms. untold.ae.

Users are welcome to join this thrilling journey. RHUNA.iotechnology and entertainment come together to create an unforgettable experience.

For more information and updates, please see below. discord | twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Moderate

contact

Bogdan Radulescu
Hello @rhuna.io


Source: the-blockchain.com

16 ways technology has disrupted my life: from concentration issues to physical health struggles

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LTo be fair, technology has improved my life and still surprises and delights me every day. My cell phone also turns into a flashlight! My TV remembers how far into last night's episode it was, even if I didn't. The bus stop knows when the bus is coming and can monitor the entire journey of the pizza from the restaurant to your home. Frankly, these are miracles.

However, there were corresponding sacrifices. For over 20 years, I have surrendered entire areas of ability, memory, authority, and independence to machines in my life. Along the way, we've become anxious about problems that didn't exist before, indecisive about choices we didn't have to make before, and angry about things we never noticed before. Ta.

There are probably hundreds of ways technology has ruined my life. Let's start with him 16 pieces.


1. I lose concentration.

It's not just me:
2022 survey According to a study conducted by the Center for Attention Research, 49% of adults believe their attention spans are shortening due to competing distractions available on cell phones and computers. Now I end up doing 20 minutes of half-hearted research and getting dragged down an online rabbit hole, all the while being bothered by notifications announcing the arrival of an email or the death of an elderly actor. Masu. They were close relatives or something. Especially since he chases me with the relentlessness of a bailiff on Duolingo. Sometimes he interrupts my Italian lessons and reminds me to take another Italian lesson. That's why I still can't order coffee in Rome after 5 years with her.

2. Poor posture

I felt like sitting in front of a screen all day was having a negative effect on my body, so I bought a stand to raise my computer in hopes that it would help me sit up straighter. Then it became variable focus, so I had to crane my neck and jut my chin out to read the screen through the bottom half of the glasses. I ended up switching to a laptop.Then I had to put
that on the stand. Despite this, I still have a question mark attitude. I tried setting an alarm to step away from the computer at regular intervals, but it kept waking me up.

3. Life can feel like a never-ending battle to prove you're not a robot.

Obviously, this includes all the failed attempts to click on every photo with a traffic light in it to qualify as a legitimate human investigator looking for spare dishwasher wheels . But it also means resisting the temptation to click an auto-reply button in an email that says something like “Okay, thank you!” and compose your own response. Every day is a Turing test, and you don’t always pass it.

4. Meetings are now inevitable.

You used to be able to say, “Friday?” I'm sorry, but on Friday I'm going to Antarctica. ” But thanks to Zoom, Google, and FaceTime, there is no reasonable excuse for not attending a meeting. You can also see a picture of yourself all the time, so you can see exactly how bored you are.

5. I can no longer argue in the pub.

I remember a time when it was considered ungentlemanly to check the factual accuracy of what your drinking buddies said. You were simply trying to counter their argument by presenting your own plausible facts. But when everyone has all the GDP,
brick Even though the countries are so close together, there doesn't seem to be much point in having a lively discussion. I end up researching it all night and saying, “Hmm.” These days, if you want to get into a petty argument over vague facts in an environment where phone use is prohibited, you have to go to jail. Or try a pub quiz. Either way, it's not life.

6. It's getting harder and harder to turn on.

You may have experienced the feeling you get behind the wheel of a rental car at a foreign airport, staring at the dashboard and wondering, “How am I going to drive it?” Or maybe you've faced a similar calculation in an unfamiliar shower or while standing in front of a seemingly ordinary stove. The constant development of new ways to turn things on has led us steadily away from the intuitive and toward the deliberately mysterious. Last week I found myself alone in a frigid bedroom with no electric radiator working. I ended up having to turn it upside down to find the model number to find the manual PDF online. I just wanted it to be hot.

Oddly enough, the virtual world is full of old-fashioned mechanical emulators – animated buttons that make clicking sounds. Knobs and sliders can be manipulated with a cursor, but in the real world the controls are reduced to a flat black panel covered in cryptic symbols such as a crescent moon. lightning. A circle with an M inside. M stands for mode.

This may sound like any age, but it's hard to believe that today's young people want a Wi-Fi enabled kettle.

7. You now have unfiltered access to the opinions of stupid people.

Technology not only allows us to know what stupid people are thinking; It now cherry-picks their thoughts and presents them to me every day as if I were some kind of idiot connoisseur. To be honest, I don't remember asking for anything like this.

8. Stupid people now have unfiltered access to each other's opinions.

In the past, so-called gatekeepers of traditional media restricted the flow of information through narrow, one-way channels. Now stupid people have their own media, where they can freely discuss and reaffirm stupid ideas with each other. Unfortunately, this wasn't quite the force of good we had hoped.

9.I am
I'm clearly worse at typing than I was 10 years ago.

I was never a great typist, but ever since word processing programs started correcting my mistakes, I developed a misplaced confidence in my abilities. If this facility is not available for any reason, I type like a person suffering from a stroke.

10. I feel a strange obligation to monitor bad news in real time.

They call it doomscrolling. We all do it to some degree, but bad news is just more persuasive than good news. But for me, it went from being a mild obsession to a full-time job.

11. I live in fear of being scammed.

I'm deeply suspicious of delivery notifications, communications from my mobile phone service provider, QR codes, and anything else that asks me to click on a link that I didn't order. I believe that the email from my bank regarding fraudulent activity is itself a scam. I once ignored a genuine email from my son saying he lost his phone and requested that he send a text message to a foreign number. He was alone in Vietnam at the time, and I thought, “Well done, you son of a bitch.”

12. I am forced to live in silent and shameful defiance of all conventional wisdom regarding passwords.

I don't know about you, but when I get advice about not writing down passwords, not using the same password over and over, and changing passwords regularly, I nod and say, “Sure,” but I… Write down all your passwords, keep them as few as possible, and change them only when absolutely necessary. To me, all the conventional wisdom about passwords ignores an important point. That means it's useless if you don't know the password. You can click “Forgot your password?” each time, set a new password, and forget it again immediately. By the way, I am also doing this.

13. You should go anywhere with advance warning and advance arming.

It used to be considered creepy to Google someone right before meeting them. Now it seems rude to show up without knowing anything about them. It should also give you information about what you're going to see and do, where to eat, and perhaps your travel route. Don't get me wrong. I like to be prepared. I just don't want to read a restaurant menu before leaving the house.

14. I have consistently risen to the level of disruption that every new technology allows.

As of this writing, I have 77 tabs open in my browser. Behind it is a completely different browser. Every morning I sift through the stacks of open documents to find the ones I need. You might think this virtual disorganization is preferable to a cluttered desk, even if it's neatly tucked into a slim laptop, but my desk is also cluttered, and the surrounding The walls are covered with post-its.

15. I resent technology, but I'm powerless without it.

Sometimes we hear stories of inventions that seem designed to foster slavish dependence, such as self-tuning guitars or programmable cocktail machines, but what we're actually reminded of is that technology is broken. Only when under. It's not just that you've lost the skills you need. I can't even remember the process. How did I previously find my way, figure out what to watch on TV, pay for takeout? There should have been a system in place.

16. The rest of the world is also helpless without it.

In my work in journalism, I sometimes find myself in certain technical inconveniences. A week without a smartphone. That's what a month without Google feels like. And what I got here is that if you abandon modern technology, the world generally refuses to participate in the experiment. You only know this when someone at the ticket counter looks you in the eye and tells you to download the app.

I can't win and I can't quit.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Finding Joy in Life Without Technology: John Cooper Clarke on Writing Poems by Candlelight with a Quill

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Oh, back then I felt a certain amount of sympathy for people who were forced to become computer savvy. They were often seen on the streets struggling home, carrying rucksacks full of technology and ruining the lines of their Hugo Boss suits. It looked like a ball and chain to me. So I stayed away. Every time someone mentioned a computer, I said: “What do you need a computer for?” I’m a poet. ”

Then, when cell phones came out, I was sitting next to two girls on public transportation. That’s when I heard one of the girls’ girlfriends say to the other one: “Her boss just bought her a new cell phone,” I thought. I’m sure he does. If he put an iron collar around your neck, would you be happy about it?

The proliferation of cell phones may have been the moment I truly distanced myself from technology. At first, people were saying they were admiring me, as if it were some kind of principled position I was taking. I thought they were praising me now, but in the future they would be like, “Who the hell do you think you are without a cell phone?” And it was proven. Their love quickly turned to hatred.

The last piece of technology I worked on was the DVD player. From then on, I decided that I didn’t need any more machines in my life. I write all my poems using a quill (a beautiful one with a calligrapher’s nib) and parchment by candlelight. The quill was originally a prop for a photo shoot I was doing, but I decided to keep it with the pot of ink. I don’t have a typewriter, computer, or cell phone, so I can’t send email. If anyone needs me, please call my landline. I’m usually at home anyway, but I’m not living off-grid.

As a teenager, I really liked the idea of ​​becoming the next Mickey Spillane, the great American crime writer. But I had to abandon that idea. If I tried to write a detective story set in modern times, people would say, “What’s he running there for?” Why didn’t he text? Why didn’t he go into a phone booth? Why didn’t he Google his Skype?

Not all changes are for the better. Progress is great, but it’s often tempting to say, “I can stop there.” That’s the nature of progress, isn’t it? It always lasts longer than necessary. Who the hell asked for touch-sensitive controls for everything?

The best place to listen to music is in your car, so I now put most of my music on cassette tapes. There is a ghetto blaster in every room of the house. The storage room also has a television, VHS player, and a spare VHS player. I have three large chests of drawers that contain all the videos I’ve recorded and a few I forgot to record. In 1989, he returned to blockbuster films such as “The Terminator''.

Moving away from technological development was never a political or even conscious decision. I am not convinced that I made the right choice because I receive thousands of punishments every day from the analog community. Every day, it’s “Visit our app!” or “Visit our website!” In my day and age, you have to interact with medical institutions on a regular basis, and you just have to talk to a real person – and a flesh-and-blood person. That’s not possible.

I don’t like a “cashless society” either. I spent 40 years trying to make money with this poem lark, and the moment I got the money, suddenly no one wanted it anymore. Even my bank has moved to another town. To earn my own money I have to take a taxi which costs £70 round trip. But I don’t do online banking. We often hear horror stories about large sums of money going missing. Once you have the money, it should be the end of your worries, not the beginning of new and worst worries.

I hate that some people run away with the idea that I’m some kind of social justice warrior, but technology seems to be having a negative impact on people who are struggling in society. For example, how does it affect mendicants? If no one has spare change, how will an ordinary person living in a cardboard box get by?

Another thing I don’t want to see is Tesco cashier workers losing their jobs over do-it-yourself cashiers. People talk about the speed of technology, but how fast has it really become? Once upon a time, if you were on your way to work and there was a queue at a newsagent’s, you could pick up a newspaper and I was able to run to the front of the queue and leave my ninepence on the counter. “Daily Guardian, hey there. Now you have to queue while someone takes 20 minutes to self-scan every item. I’m glad people live longer these days. Because there are so many things you have to waste your time on.

For me, it was always about computers or career. Work will never get done! I know this because my daughter has a computer. I didn’t want to give it to her, but at the same time she doesn’t want to impose her own prejudices on her child. She would have been the only one in her school class without her.

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Photo: Alicia Kanter/The Guardian

Anyway, when she got this computer, she said, “You should get one too, Dad, he’ll love it. ” I said, “I know you do, but that’s the problem.” She wanted to see how good they really were, so she said to her, “Can you bring in Dion and the Belmonts?” Let’s see how long it takes. After 3 seconds, Runaround Sue will play. That’s why I can’t own a computer. It’s easy to get distracted. Six weeks later, he was found dead, buried under a pile of pizza boxes.

I don’t like TV. To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of television. We have Freeview, which has about 800 channels. I like shows like “Bangers & Cash” and “Wheeler Dealers.” And I like Portillo’s Great British Railroad Journey and Great American Railroad Journey. You’ll learn more in 30 minutes with that guy than you would in 10 years at school. (An amazing reinvention of the man Portillo.)

I’ve heard that some people are paying a lot of money to go “off the grid” these days. I imagine it as some kind of retreat with a religious, Zen-Buddhist vibe. A step into another dimension for a while. i haven’t. For example, I’m a big fan of electricity. I enjoy brief power outages just to remind gung-ho environmentalists what life is like without electricity. If we abolish electricity, millions of people will die immediately. Therefore, what he does for 10 minutes without power will be a healthy lesson for everyone. There’s a lot more to like about the modern world. They had just discovered streptomycin when I was a sick child with tuberculosis. When I was young, I loved electric guitars. I played bass in a band. So, I’m not the kind of person who wishes he had lived 200 years ago.

People’s natural abilities are beginning to shrink due to technology. People ask me, “What would you do if you left home without your cell phone and got lost?” I don’t get lost. As long as you have a tongue in your head, you will find a way. People stopped talking to other people. Anyway, the only time I leave the house alone is to ride my bike. Even that is old, a 1959 Hercules. I go to the bookstore by bicycle. There’s a lot of technology involved in gambling these days, but I prefer the old days. I prefer the days when it was knee-deep in cigarette butts and full of losers. My first job was as a runner for a bookmaker, so I was exposed to the world of depraved gamblers from an early age. I think that’s what kept me from doing that.

It’s a technology issue. You stop interacting with the real world. It removes what we used to call social life. Knock on people’s doors. An encounter at a pub. We talk a lot about responsible drinking now, but it used to be enforced in your local pub. Your father’s friend will be there and say, “You drank too much, brace yourself. There’s still three hours until closing time.” It’s those subtle things, the low-level checks that keep you from having a nervous breakdown and turning into a housebound drunkard sitting alone drinking a very strong cheap lager in front of a porn movie. People worry about technology in grand science fiction terms and think it could end the world. But there’s no point in looking toward a dystopian future. Take a look around. The nightmare is already upon us.

As told by Tim Jones.

Lo and behold, John Cooper Clarke’s new poetry collection is now on sale, priced at £16.99 (Picador). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy here: guardianbookshop.com. Shipping charges may apply. Cooper Clarke tours his new show ‘Get Him While He’s Still Alive’ Running across the UK from March 5th to June 28th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Millennials Embracing the Nostalgia of Landline Telephones” | Lifestyle and Technology

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Landline is nearing deprecation. For many young people, CD-ROMs, cassette tapes, and simple printers are the mainstream. Parents film their kids on TikTok holding a wall phone Like an archive piece, I don’t know how to make a phone call. Public telephones have long since disappeared. But not everyone is ready to hang up the curl cord.

Nicole Randone, 24, of Westchester, New York, receives calls from her bedroom using a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen-branded purple landline that was first sold in 2003 when she was 3 years old. ing. “One of my first memories is of the tan landline my parents had mounted on the kitchen wall,” Randone said. “I always dreamed of the day I would have one in my room.”

All of Randone’s styles are influenced by what she calls “2000s nostalgia.” On her Instagram, she shows off to her 118,000 followers a bedroom decorated with bright pink boomboxes, Von Dutch accessories, and Chad Michael Murray wall poster. “Having a landline really bridged the gap between reality and childhood fantasy,” Randone said. “It will make you feel like the main characters of your favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill, The OC, and Gilmore Girls.”




Sunny paid $30 for a Hello Kitty landline. Photo provided by: Sunny

The overwhelming majority of American adults do not own a landline phone.by washington post, in 2022, only a quarter of Americans lived in a home with a telephone. That number has essentially dropped significantly since 2010, when about 63% of Americans had both wireless and landline options.

Service providers are closer than ever Landline phone phasing out: California, AT&T was suggested It completely abolished landline telephones and asked the state Public Utility Commission for permission to suspend service. The telecommunications giant called landlines “historical curiosities that are no longer needed.”


Perhaps so, but that’s why some Gen Z customers are attracted to analog technology.they are not need Services; They still use their mobile phones for most daily tasks. Instead, they appreciate the beauty of a landline phone. It reminds them of simpler times before digital. Landlines are a way to talk to friends for hours, and the conversations go deeper than a standard “wyd” text.

“When people look at my landline, they treat it like a toy,” Landon added. “I’m an influencer, so I’m always online, so it feels really comfortable to disconnect, and it almost feels like an escape.”

Sunny bought a Hello Kitty landline after seeing someone show off a frog-shaped cell phone on TikTok. (Sunny asked that her last name not be used for privacy reasons.) Then she learned that she could buy an adapter to connect her iPhone to a landline. Ta. That way it will be more convenient. The adapter connects to her Bluetooth and pairs with her phone. That means the landline shares a number with her iPhone and calls are sent to both devices.

“I love the novelty of talking with friends and sitting in the same place,” Sunny said. “When I have a long text conversation with a friend, I just ask if we can talk on the phone and catch up.”




A landline telephone installed in Sam Casper’s West Hollywood home. Photo: Sam Casper

Sam Casper, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter who lives in West Hollywood, owns a pale pink Crosley landline phone. “It was her mother’s husband’s grandmother’s phone call,” she said. “But it’s funny. You might think it’s old when I say that, but she bought it from Urban Outfitters a few years ago.”

Casper uses his phone to talk to friends, but some of them have their own landlines. “It’s so cute and romantic,” she said. “This is very ‘Sex and the City.’ That’s why we started this.” I hate cell phones. Nowadays everyone cancels last minute via text and I think that’s so stupid. ”

Casper has his friend’s phone number on a Chateau Marmont napkin next to his cell phone. Another part of her setup: “I have a tape, but what is it called?” “It’s like a voice box, a voicemail machine,” she added. Combined Wi-Fi and phone service used to cost about $130 a month, but I called my provider and got it reduced to $82.

Not everyone can talk on a landline in Casper. She is “choosing” who receives a phone number that is separate from her own mobile number.

“There’s no caller ID, so you can’t see who’s calling you,” she said. “If I meet a new friend and they’re someone I want to invite over to my house, I use my landline. I always get giddy when I hear the phone ringing. I just sit there and talk. I love spinning little cords.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists use innovative method to hunt for signs of extraterrestrial technology

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techno signature Any measurable property that could provide evidence of extraterrestrial technology. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a branch of astrobiology that focuses on the discovery of technosignatures, which provide evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Traditionally, targeted wireless surveys have been the mainstay of his SETI research, and many of his ongoing SETI projects are still conducted in the radio band. SETI Ellipsoid, a newly proposed technology, suggests that an extraterrestrial civilization observing a galactic-scale event such as supernova SN 1987A could use it as a point to broadcast a synchronization signal indicating its presence. This is a strategy for selecting techno signature candidates based on the assumption that .

Gaia Early Data Release 3, using Cabrales' improved star 3D positions other. identified 32 SN 1987A SETI ellipsoidal targets with uncertainties better than 0.5 light-years within the TESS continuum. Image credits: ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/Alexandra Angelich, NRAO/AUI/NSF.

Barbara Cabrales, Ph.D., of the SETI Institute and the Berkeley SETI Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues demonstrate that the SETI ellipsoid method leverages continuous, wide-field surveys of the sky and demonstrates its ability to detect potential technosignatures. We have shown that it can be significantly improved.

By using up to a year of observations to correct for uncertainties in the estimated time of arrival of such signals, we implement the SETI ellipsoid strategy in an innovative way using state-of-the-art technology.

“The new survey of the sky provides a groundbreaking opportunity to search for technosignatures in concert with supernovae,” Dr. Cabrales said.

“Typical timing uncertainty takes months, so we want to cover the bases by finding well-documented goals over about a year.”

“In addition to that, it's important to make as many observations as possible about each target of interest, so you can see what looks like normal behavior and what looks like potential techno-signatures.” You will be able to judge.”

In examining data from the Continuous Display Zone of NASA's TESS mission, which covers 5% of all TESS data during the first three years of the mission, the authors leveraged advanced 3D position data from Gaia Early Data Release 3. Did.

This analysis identified 32 major targets within the SETI ellipsoid in the southern part of the TESS continuum, with all uncertainties adjusted to better than 0.5 light-years.

Although initial inspection of TESS light curves during ellipsoid-crossing events did not find any anomalies, the foundation laid by this effort lends itself to other investigations, a broader range of targets, and a variety of potential signal types. Paving the way for expansion into research.

Applying SETI Ellipsoid technology to scour large archival databases represents a breakthrough in the search for technosignatures.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging Gaia's highly accurate distance estimates and cross-matching these distances with other time-domain surveys such as TESS to enhance monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities in SETI research. doing.

Combining the SETI Ellipsoid method with Gaia's distance measurements provides a robust and adaptable framework for future SETI searches.

Astronomers can apply it retrospectively to sift through archived data for potential signals, proactively select targets, and schedule future monitoring campaigns.

“The SETI Ellipsoid method, in collaboration with Gaia distances, provides an easy and flexible method for SETI searches that can be adapted to suit a variety of current surveys and source events,” the researchers said. I am.

“This can not only be applied retrospectively to look for signals in archived data, but also propagated in time to select targets and schedule surveillance campaigns.”

Their paper will appear in astronomy magazine.

_____

Barbara Cabrales other. 2024. Find the SN 1987A SETI ellipsoid using TESS. A.J. 167, 101; doi: 10.3847/1538-3881/ad2064

Source: www.sci.news

Is there a viable alternative to Twitter now that Bluesky is open to the public? | Technology

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If you have received this newsletter for the second time, we apologize. Due to a technical error, it was originally sent with last week's subject line.

Last week, Bluesky opened its doors. After a year in her closed, invite-only beta, anyone who wants to can now sign up for an account with just their email address.

Even if the value of the invitation has dropped somewhat in recent months (I have 5 unused seats, not that I want to try), it's clear there was latent demand. In just two days, the service received more than 1 million new registrations. By the way, since Bluesky released his iOS app last February, it took him over three months to reach his 70,000 user count.

This slow growth has also been a blessing for Blue Sky. On the other hand, the beta did its job, allowing the company to iterate on the service based on feedback from a smaller but more engaged user base than it might otherwise have.

Last year, the company built a suite of moderation tools that enable a “decentralized” approach to social networking, where users can voluntarily opt in or out of content such as nudity, violence, and hate speech. Launching on Android and the web. And by adopting a butterfly as our own version of Twitter's bird, we created a consistent visual identity. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's site destroyed its own visual shorthand in response, replacing some, but not all, Twitter branding with a double-strike 𝕏.

But the slow burn also meant that Bluesky never really got his moment in the sun. For a year now, I've been listening to the words I often hear from new users. It was about getting excited to be granted access to the service, then being disappointed when you realized there was less content than there was in Twitter's heyday.

In some cases, it's a memory trick. A Bluesky feed that follows 50 people will be less crowded than a Twitter feed that follows 500 people, and for many power users of the latter service, everyone they follow will be his 2 Gone are the days when you could ride a decker bus. Many longtime Twitter users probably don't remember what it was like to have a quiet feed or have to find new people to follow. And those things could cause people to push back from new social networks like Bluesky, just as they have bothered many people. I stumble when registering on Twitter itself.

(That's why Facebook's People You May Know feature is so incisive.) The biggest hurdle for social networks isn't getting people to sign up, it's getting people to keep using them. I always know that the trick is to get as many other users to follow as possible…)

Even if you went through the trouble of building a Bluesky account and building a fairly extensive address book, there's no way the service could match the rosy memories of Twitter's heyday. Sure, it's a similar enough experience to curb your craving for the real thing, but it's not compelling enough to make you want more. You post. No one responds. Log off and touch the grass.

Of course, all of this is talking about Bluesky as an early social network. But the company doesn't think that way. Chief Executive Officer Jay Graeber gave several interviews to commemorate the grand opening.she came talk to wired:

We weren't using invites to try to be exclusive. We were using them to manage our growth while building rails, the essential foundation of this new kind of decentralized network.

We needed to build an app protocol, an AT protocol, under Bluesky that allows different developers, companies, and people to come in and change the experience. Some of them will be rolled out soon.

When it's finished, Bluesky's vision is for it to sit somewhere between a full Twitter replacement and a fully decentralized service like Mastodon, the second of the big three social networks after Twitter. . Like Mastodon, the technology behind Bluesky should eventually make that possible. But unlike Mastodon, Bluesky has been less keen to highlight its technical differences with Twitter, as the majority of its users will continue to use its official apps and services for the time being.

And then there's the thread. Meta's Twitter clone is arguably the largest of the three in terms of user numbers alone, but it has made little ripple in broader culture. The site's policy of suppressing political content (according to Threads' platform safety policy, there is no algorithmic promotion) does not solve the problem. There are parallels here with early online culture. Twitter dominates the discussion despite being a fraction of Facebook's size, and so does TikTok despite YouTube having a much larger user base.

Elizabeth Lopat explained the disconnect with The Verge. very accurate classification method I can't do anything but quote her at length.

The silent majority of successful text-based social media sites are lurkers. They are sane, normal people living sane, normal lives… Influencers are building businesses. They are creating #content … The commenter is trying to have a conversation with another human being. They want to be able to have meaningful interactions online, even if they are misplaced. Replyers can be considered the most important subclass of commenters. They are specific. They usually interact with or act on behalf of their favorite Internet users. Finally, prepare your poster (also known as a poster). Posters are necessary for all social networks to function.

The problem that all Twitter alternatives face is that there is an imbalance. Threads is huge, but its user base is hidden and influential. Like Marvel movie audiences, they may consume professionally produced content, but they never form lasting memories. For the past year, Bluesky has been a pure poster child, locked in rooms with each other and unable to get much of the dopamine needed to maintain his frenetic energy. Mastodon is a community of commenters and responders, and while it's possible to have fun chatting, it's decentralized to the point that it's hard to discern conversations that originate from within.

So opening up Bluesky could be the first step toward restoring some of that balance. Posters cannot survive on posters alone. They, and we, need lurkers. Would you like to join us, we have to touch the grass.

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Waymo self-driving car catches fire in San Francisco.

Photo: Michael Vandy/Reuters

Source: www.theguardian.com

Iran-affiliated hackers disrupt UAE TV streaming service by creating fake news using deepfake technology

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According to Microsoft analysts, Iranian state-backed hackers disrupted a television streaming service in the United Arab Emirates and broadcast a deepfake newsreader distributing reports on the Gaza war.

Microsoft announced that a hacking operation by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps disrupted streaming platforms in the UAE with an AI-generated news broadcast dubbed “For Humanity.”

The fake news anchors introduced unverified images showing wounded and killed Palestinians in Israeli military operations in Gaza. The hacker group known as Cotton Sandstorm hacked three online streaming services and published a video on the messaging platform Telegram showing them disrupting a news channel with fake newscasters, according to Microsoft analysts.

Dubai residents using HK1RBOXX set-top boxes received a message in December that read, “To get this message to you, we have no choice but to hack you,” the UAE-based news service said. The AI-generated anchor then introduced a message that read: “Graphic” images and captions showing the number of casualties in Gaza so far.

Microsoft also noted reports of disruptions in Canada and the United Kingdom, where channels including the BBC were affected, although the BBC was not directly hacked.

In a blog post, Microsoft said, “This is the first Iranian influence operation where AI plays a key element in messaging, and is an example of the rapid and significant expansion of the Iranian operation’s scope since its inception.”

“The confusion was also felt by viewers in the UAE, UK, and Canada.”

Breakthroughs in generative AI technology have led to an increase in deepfake content online, which has raised concerns about its potential to disrupt elections, including the US presidential election.

Experts are concerned that AI-generated materials could be deployed on a large scale to disrupt elections this year, including the US presidential election. Iran targeted the 2020 US election with a cyber campaign that included sending threatening emails to voters posing as members of the far-right Proud Boys group and launching a website inciting violence against FBI Director Christopher Wray and others. Spreading disinformation about voting infrastructure.

Microsoft said that since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Iranian state-backed forces have engaged in a series of cyberattacks and attempts to manipulate public opinion online, including attacks on targets in Israel, Albania, Bahrain (a signatory to the Abraham Accords formalizing relations with Israel), and the US.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Snap stock’s growth takes a hit amidst growing concerns | Technology

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Snapchat’s owner narrowly missed Wall Street’s hopes as it continues to grapple with slowing digital advertising. The social media company’s stock price fell by nearly a third.

Snap said it was “encouraged by our progress,” but cited factors such as the Middle East conflict that had hurt its business.


Snap’s revenue rose 5% to $1.36 billion in the three months ended Dec. 31, missing analysts’ expectations for $1.38 billion. Net loss narrowed from $288 million to $248 million.

Investors remained concerned about the company’s growth. The company expects revenue for the current quarter to be between $1.1 billion and $1.14 billion. Analysts had expected about $1.1 billion.

Snap shares fell 30% to $12.21 in after-hours trading in New York.

Alphabet, owner of Google and YouTube, the world’s two biggest advertisers, and Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram, are in a better position. Smaller companies in the market continue to struggle.

Santa Monica, Calif.-based Snap expects to end 2023 with about 414 million daily active users, a number that will rise to 420 million in the first quarter.

The group told investors on Tuesday that it was “shifting our focus to user growth and deepening our engagement in our most profitable regions, including North America and Europe.”

Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap, said: “2023 was a pivotal year for Snap. We transformed our advertising business and continued to grow our global community, reaching 414 million daily active users.” We have 7 million subscribers who pay for our products.

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“Snapchat strengthens our relationships with friends, family and the world, and this unique value proposition has provided a strong foundation on which to build our business for long-term growth.”

The company releases its financial results a day after announcing it would lay off about 10% of its global workforce, or about 530 people, as part of an organizational restructuring to “reduce hierarchy and increase in-person collaboration.” did. Last week, the company recalled its Pixy selfie drone due to the risk of fire due to battery overheating.

Source: www.theguardian.com

AI Companies Will Be Required by Labor to Share Test Data on Their Technology

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Labor is planning to require artificial intelligence companies to share the results of their road tests with authorities, replacing voluntary testing agreements with a statutory system. Peter Kyle, the shadow technology secretary, emphasized the need for greater transparency from tech companies, particularly in the wake of Brianna Gee’s murder.

Under Labor’s proposals, AI companies would be required to disclose their plans for developing AI systems and ensure safe testing under independent oversight. The testing agreement announced at the Global AI Safety Summit was supported by the EU and other countries, including the US, UK, Japan, France, and Germany.

During a visit to the United States, Kyle emphasized the importance of test results in providing independent scrutiny of cutting-edge AI technology. He stressed the need to ensure the safe development of technology that will have a significant impact on workplaces, societies, and cultures.

Tech companies that have agreed to test their models include Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. Kyle also highlighted the role of the British AI Safety Association in independently scrutinizing AI development.

“We are moving from voluntary regulations to statutory regulations,” Mr Kyle told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. We can find out what they’re testing for, so we know exactly what’s going on and where this technology is taking us.”

At the first Global AI Safety Summit in November, Rishi Sunak announced voluntary agreements with major AI companies such as Google and OpenAI. Under Labor’s proposals, AI companies would be required to disclose their plans for developing AI systems and ensure safe testing under independent oversight.

He added: “Some of this technology will have a profound impact on our workplaces, societies and cultures. And we need to ensure that its development occurs safely.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Enhancing Virtual Reality with Artificial Touch Technology for a More Immersive Experience

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When you open the door, it hits you and warmth spreads over your skin. Fighting the smoke and heat, I brace myself and head inside. As you walk through a burning building, flames flicker around you. You find what you want and run away. It's so cold outside that I start shivering and my hands and feet go numb.

But when I remove the headset, everything stops. An incredibly realistic training exercise is now complete. All of these sensations felt real, but they were not caused by changes in my surroundings. Instead, carefully selected chemicals were injected into the skin to mimic different emotions.

Such stimuli have long helped us understand the most complex of the human senses: touch. In the 1990s, research into capsaicin, an extract from chili peppers, and menthol, found in peppermint, helped determine how our bodies respond to heat and cold. now, Jasmine Lu and colleagues at the University of Chicago They use this knowledge to create chemically induced sensations that make virtual environments incredibly realistic.

With a technology called chemical haptics, they built a wearable device that, when placed on the skin, can cause the wearer to experience different sensations, such as hot or cold, numbness or tingling, depending on their needs. . Its uses could include creating highly realistic virtual worlds for gamers to explore, training firefighters, and more. But will we ever be able to fully recreate the experience of touching the real thing? And if we can't, what might we stand to lose?

Source: www.newscientist.com

Wrongful Imprisonment Lawsuit Alleges Use of Facial Recognition Technology Following Sunglass Hut Robbery

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A 61-year-old man is suing Macy’s and Sunglass Hut’s parent company, alleging that the store’s use of a facial recognition system misidentified him as the perpetrator of an armed robbery, leading to his false arrest. While in prison, he was beaten and raped, according to the complaint.

Harvey Eugene Murphy Jr. was arrested and charged with robbing a Houston-area Sunglass Hut of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in January 2022, but his lawyers say he was living in California at the time of the robbery. According to his lawyer, he was arrested on October 20, 2023.

According to Murphy’s complaint, employees at Essilor Luxottica, Sunglass Hut’s parent company, worked with retail partner Macy’s to use facial recognition software to identify Murphy as the robber. The images sent through the facial recognition system came from a low-quality camera, according to the complaint. Houston police were investigating an armed robbery when an EssilorLuxottica employee called police and determined that one of the two robbers was using the technology, so the investigation could be discontinued. I told him. The employee also said the system indicated that Murphy had committed two other robberies, according to the complaint.

When Murphy returned to Texas from California, he went to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to renew his license. Murphy told the Guardian that within minutes of identifying himself as a DMV employee, he was contacted by a police officer and informed that there was a warrant out for his arrest on suspicion of aggravated robbery. He said Murphy was not given any details about the crime he allegedly committed other than the day the robbery occurred. He found himself more than a thousand miles away in Sacramento, California, at the time of the robbery.

“I almost thought it was a joke,” Murphy said.

Still he He was arrested and taken to the local county jail, where he was held for 10 days before being transported to the Harris County Jail for processing.

After several days in Harris County, the alibi was confirmed by both a public defender and a prosecutor, and the charges were ultimately dropped, according to the complaint.

Murphy has never been convicted of a crime. Nevertheless, he says the detention left deep scars. He claimed that he was brutally beaten and gang-raped by three other men inside the prison hours before his release. Murphy said he was threatened with death when he tried to call prison staff. After the alleged attack, Murphy remained in the same cell as them until his release.

“It was kind of scary,” Murphy said. “My anxiety is so high, I’m shaking all the time. And I just stood up in my bunk and faced the wall, just praying that something would happen and get me out of the tank.”

“This attack left him with permanent scars that he will have to live with for the rest of his life,” the complaint states. “All of this happened to Murphy because the defendants relied on facial recognition technology that is known to be error-prone and flawed.”

Murphy didn’t realize that facial recognition technology could be used as evidence against her until two weeks ago, when she began working with her attorney, Daniel Dutko.

Datko said he discovered in police documents that Sunglass Hut employees shared camera footage with Macy’s that was used to identify Murphy. Datko said Macy’s and Sunglass Hut then contacted police together. Although Macy’s has retail partnerships with eyewear brands at multiple stores, Macy’s was not involved in the robbery because Sunglass Hut is an independent store, he said.

“We’re very comfortable saying that facial recognition software is the only possible explanation and that’s the only reason. [Sunglass Hut] I was going to Macy’s to identify him,” Datko said.

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Mr. Murphy’s case marks the seventh known case of false arrest using facial recognition in the United States, further highlighting flaws in the technology, which is already widely used in police departments and retail stores. However, all of the publicly known cases of false arrests using facial recognition to date have involved black victims. Murphy’s case marks the first known case in which a failure of this technique resulted in the wrongful arrest of a white man. Just last month, Rite Aid settled with the Federal Trade Commission over its use of a facial recognition system that previously misidentified Black, Latino, and Asian customers as “likely to be involved” in shoplifting. As part of the settlement, the pharmacy chain was banned from using facial recognition in its stores for five years. Then, in the summer of 2023, a woman named Portia Woodruff was arrested on suspicion of carjacking using a facial recognition system to authenticate her identity.

Macy’s has previously sued Regarding the use of facial recognition technology. In a 2020 lawsuit, a Chicago woman accused the company of violating Illinois’ biometric privacy law by collaborating with facial recognition provider Clearview AI without her or other customers’ consent.

Nathan Fried Wessler, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said this is another example of the “extreme dangers of facial recognition technology.”

“We have seen case after case where police reflexively relied on unreliable facial recognition results, allowing the technology to make false matches and corrupting witness identification procedures,” Wessler said in a statement. “As the facts alleged in this case demonstrate, the consequences of wrongful arrest are dire. Lawmakers need to stop law enforcement and companies from dangerously relying on facial recognition results to put people behind bars. There must be.”

Murphy is seeking $10 million in damages.

Macy’s said it does not comment on pending litigation. EssilorLuxottica did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cutting-Edge UK University Amazes Students with Hologram Lecturer Technology

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Any university lecturer will tell you that getting students to come to their morning lectures is a real struggle.

But even the most hungover beginner is sure to be captivated by Albert Einstein’s physics lesson or Coco Chanel’s design masterclass.

This could soon be the case for students in the UK, with some universities inviting guest lecturers from around the world using the same holographic technology used to bring deceased singers back on stage. It’s starting to happen.

Loughborough University, which was the first in Europe to consider applying the technology, has used the technology to bring in sports scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to teach fashion students how to create immersive shows and teach management students how to create immersive shows. plans to test how to handle difficult business situations.

Professor Vicky Locke, dean of Loughborough Business School and who is leading the rollout of the technology, said students “absolutely love” the technology and want to take selfies with it. said. They would prefer “a guest speaker from the industry who walks into the classroom with a smile on their face rather than a two-dimensional person on the wall,” she added.

The Zoom calls made students “feel like they were watching TV… it felt distant,” she said. For them, holographic images are more appealing and realistic. ” The technology will be officially introduced into the curriculum in 2025 after a year of experimentation.

The box-based holographic unit is sold by L.A.-based company Proto. The company’s customers include companies such as his BT and IBM, and it is used in meetings to reduce the need for business travel. We are also collaborating with Stockholm fashion retailer H&M to create an interactive product display.

David Nussbaum, who founded Proto four years ago after working on holograms of deceased celebrities, says his company could soon bring some of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers back from the dead. Told.

He added: “Proto has technology that projects images of Stephen Hawking and other people to make it seem as if he’s really there. We use it in books, lectures, social media, etc. You can connect it to something you were attached to, a question you asked, an interaction you had with him, etc. AI Stephen Hawking looks just like him, sounds like him, and interacts as if it were him. To do.

“It’s awe-inspiring and mind-blowing. I’m shocked at how great the interactions are. Whether people like it or not, AI is part of our lives.”

He added that his company’s ambition is to prove that “you don’t have to be an eccentric billionaire or celebrity to have a hologram.”

Gary Barnett, Professor of Digital Creativity at Loughborough University, who is also leading the implementation, said:

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“Students need to understand what it means to use them, to be in that world, to experience them, to interact with them, and all that they will need for their future careers.”

Professor Rachel Thomson, the university’s vice-chancellor and advocate, said the technology could reduce the need to bring in guest speakers at short notice, encourage international research collaboration and reduce the amount of teaching materials used by students. He said it will help achieve sustainability strategies. Building prototypes in engineering, design and creative arts.

It also allows instructors to display complex equipment, such as engines, more easily than over a video call.

Nussbaum said corporations and large institutions such as universities are the first step in his company’s plans, but he hopes to roll out mini-units costing less than $1,000 within the next 18 months, which It will show a miniature image that he likens to the movie “Wonka Vision.” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl.

He added that the technology’s AI capabilities meant it was possible to create an avatar that looked like anyone in the world, but noted that this could come with legal complications.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is a Huge Technology Boom on the Horizon or Will it Fizzle Out? Experts Notice Positive Signs Despite Recent Layoffs in the Technology Sector

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WWill 2024 be boom or bust for big tech companies?
estimate
the industry has seen more than 7,500 layoffs since the start of the year, a spate of pink slips that many had hoped would stop after deep job cuts in 2023.

But as earnings season for major U.S. tech companies begins this week, some analysts are predicting strong numbers. This set of quarterly financial results may indicate that the industry has shed pandemic-era hiring overhangs and reorganized around cloud computing and AI, with cuts in sectors where the outlook is less positive. It has become necessary. Analysts passionate about AI say we are at the beginning of a tech bull market.



Since the beginning of this year, Google has laid off more than 1,000 employees in various departments. The job cuts are small compared to January last year, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned that more layoffs are coming. He told employees in an internal memo last week that Alphabet was “removing layers to simplify execution and increase speed in some areas.”

“We have ambitious goals and will invest in big priorities this year,” Pichai said in the memo.
Obtained from Verge.
“The reality is that we have to make difficult choices to create the capacity for this investment.” However, the reductions “are not the size of last year's cuts and will not impact every team.” he added.

Alphabet workers union
called dismissal “needless” in Wednesday's post on X (formerly Twitter).

Amazon also announced new layoffs affecting hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios divisions. This is part of a move away from excessive spending on entertainment and a refocus on core priorities such as online shopping logistics and new businesses such as AI.

At Meta, where more than 20,000 layoffs were made last year, departmental cuts appear to have slowed, but have not stopped. Instagram eliminated its management layer in mid-January, cutting 60 technical program managers. Last year, the company announced it was adding employees to support “priority areas” and changing its workforce to include more “high-cost technical roles.”

And that may be the true story of the technology industry in 2024. If Wedbush analyst Dan Ives is right, the layoffs are almost complete and earnings season will be a time for a “popcorn break.”

“Not only will there be companies that will benefit from the AI ​​revolution, but there will also be companies that will be at a disadvantage.Therefore, companies will need to reduce costs in non-revenue-generating areas and redouble their use of AI.” says.

“This is more of a redistribution than anything else because 95% of the cost savings are in the rearview mirror. But the strong will get stronger and the weak will be exposed.”

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But which hand is it? Apple may be looking to boost sales that have been lagging behind this month's launch of the Vision Pro headset and new iPhone models with generative AI capabilities. China's economic downturn has forced the company to cut the prices of many smartphones and hope for a recovery.

Last week, Bank of America securities analyst Wamsi Mohan expressed optimism about Apple's year ahead, suggesting that “promising AI capabilities” could lead to “an enhanced multi-year iPhone upgrade cycle.” did.

Ives said increased demand for enterprise software and cybersecurity, as well as a surge in demand related to major AI projects, will be key to earnings season and will continue to do so as the AI ​​revolution gains momentum.

Winners have already emerged. Last week, Microsoft surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company for the first time since 2021, with a market capitalization of nearly $3 trillion. Microsoft cut 16,000 jobs from 232,000 employees last year, but Wedbush recently said that Microsoft's lead in AI will boost the company's revenue by $25 billion by 2025. I calculated that it was possible.

“The move to cloud and AI is having a huge impact on technology, including the reallocation of jobs and many changes to Apple and Google,” Ives said. “AI monetization has begun with his Nvidia and Microsoft, and we believe we are seeing the beginning of a new tech bull market starting in the summer of 2023.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Finding Spirituality in Technology: A Warning Against Misuse for Personal Gain

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TikTok’s tarot card reader looks at me through the screen and draws a card.

“If you’re watching this, this is made for you,” she said. And in a way, she’s right. But it wasn’t fate that brought me here, it was an algorithm.

spirituality and mysticism, Found a home online for a long timeBut with the rise of generative AI and personalized content recommendation systems, it’s easier than ever to project a sense of magic into technology.

As Arthur C. Clarke said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Anyone who has been offered content that feels eerily tailored to them will appreciate the mysticism of algorithms. You may have wondered about omnipotence. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with experiencing a sense of wonder in the face of technological advances, or using digital technology to enhance spiritual practices, it is important to note that there is nothing inherently wrong with experiencing a sense of wonder in the face of technological advances, or using digital technology to enhance spiritual practices, but when magic and technology collapse Doing so can be dangerous.

Many religious and spiritual spin-off chatbots have emerged leveraging OpenAI’s large-scale language model GPT-4. Get BibleGPT to write personalized Christian verses, use the Jesus AI to have “meaningful conversations with Jesus Christ,” as the website claims, or talk to him about paganism. You can chat with WitchGPT.

“Welcome to the Void” invites the latest chatbot feature from popular astrology app CoStar, encouraging users to seek generated guidance for a fee of about $1 per question. Choose from a list of suggested prompts to “Ask the Stars” if they have a secret fan. “no,” That tells me (rude).

In true CoStar fashion (the app is notoriously cheeky), it scolds you for even asking the question in the first place and suggests that you should instead find gratitude for what you already have.

These examples are a little silly at best, and probably harmless. At worst, it exposes scammers who exploit the human tendency to anthropomorphize technology or gamify social media engagement algorithms to make money by fabricating a sense of insight and enlightenment.

However, there are also people among the chavs who form genuine spiritual communities and engage in witchcraft, etc. sacred traditions online. Like many subcultures, social media can be both a blessing and a curse. Group to connectHowever, it can also lead to the reduction and impurity of cultural practices.

Feminist anthropologist Dr. Emma Quilty, whose forthcoming book on magic and technology, describes a “neoliberal spirituality” that aligns with its collective focus and hyper-individualistic ideas of self-improvement. It distinguishes between things that promote

This is uncomfortably close to commercialized self-care. severed from its black radical feminist roots and was redirected to Capitalist health choices. Kirti believes that trends promoted by social media are resulting in customs becoming disconnected from the (usually Eastern) religious traditions and cultures from which they are imported, and in some cases creating an unsustainable market for products such as crystals and quartz. It emphasizes that this could lead to increased demand. white sage smudging stick.

This is not to say that it is impossible to develop meaningful spiritual communities and practices online, or that it is impossible to have deep experiences using digital tools.

I’m not interested in denying where and how people derive meaning. However, it’s important to remember that technologies such as large-scale language models and personalized recommender systems are ultimately designed to generate value from users.

Deep experience from these tools comes from us humans, not the tools. Mr Quilty said: “Sometimes something can be positive, helpful, or empowering on an individual level, but it can still be harmful at a broader societal level due to the underlying interests and obligations of those who build and implement the technology.” There is a possibility.”

In fact, mistakenly attributing magic to technology can quickly lead us into dangerous waters. It surprises us with its glossy user interface and smooth convenience, and makes us want to peek from behind the curtain at the grumpy old man holding things together with bombastic marketing language and the usual profit-driven old data extractions. It falls directly into the hands of companies that do not.

Magical thinking about technology can be dangerous when it extends to the level of policymaking. Governments and businesses alike are often quick to turn to technology as a silver bullet to complex social problems. And when the true limits and consequences of technology are ignored, e.g. Automation could worsen social inequalityor how ChatGPT did not work without stealing copyrighted material. Automated content moderation relies on exploited invisible workers – that we adopt policies that fail to cure technology’s worst woes, relegating more complex but necessary policy interventions to the background, and all eclipsed by the magical allure of technology; It will be.

Technology is not a panacea to solve social problems and, like magic, can cause great harm when misused for personal gain.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Utilizing Cloud Technology as the Building Blocks for AI: Driving Business Innovation with Azure

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The cloud has transformed the way the world operates, yet it doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves for enabling valuable digital experiences.

Businesses of all sizes, including companies like ASOS powered by Microsoft Azure cloud platform, leverage cloud technology to power their operations and deliver customized customer experiences.

One of the most impactful aspects of cloud technology is its ability to democratize access to computing power, allowing disruptors and innovators to enter new industries.

Tosca Colangeli, general manager at Microsoft UK, emphasizes that the cloud makes digital transformation accessible, enabling businesses to scale as needed and disrupt traditional industries.

Cloud technology grants businesses access to computing power over the Internet, eliminating the need for private physical servers on their premises. It also provides enhanced security and flexibility, allowing for tailored resource allocation and disaster recovery.

As much as you use
Colangeli highlights the importance of paying for resources as needed, allowing businesses to adapt to peak trading periods and manage disaster recovery efficiently.

Cloud flexibility has revolutionized business operations and innovation, especially in the face of the rapid changes driven by AI.

ChatGPT took 2 months”

According to Gartner, global cloud spending is projected to account for over 45% of total enterprise IT spending by 2026.

In light of the increasing demand for cloud and AI services, businesses must embrace the cloud as the cornerstone of their operations and embed it within their organizational culture.

Colangeli emphasizes the need for businesses to focus on data as a top priority, as the success of AI is heavily reliant on quality, accessible data.

Additionally, using AI responsibly and adopting a flexible, adaptable approach will be crucial for businesses to stay competitive in the evolving technological landscape.

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Source: www.theguardian.com

NASA’s Rotating Explosive Rocket Engine Takes Flight with 3D Printing Technology

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by Ramon J. Osorio, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center December 26, 2023

Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, successfully completed a 251-second high-temperature combustion test of a full-scale rotary explosion rocket engine combustor in fall 2023, achieving more than 5,800 pounds of thrust. Credit: NASA

NASAMarshall Space Flight Center tested a 3D-printed Rotating Explosive Rocket Engine (RDRE) for more than four minutes and was able to generate significant thrust. This test is essential for deep space missions and represents a step forward in NASA’s development of an efficient propulsion system for the Moon. Mars vision.

NASA has achieved a new benchmark in the development of an innovative propulsion system called the Rotating Explosive Rocket Engine (RDRE). Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, tested his new 3D-printed RDRE for 251 seconds (or over four minutes) and were able to generate more than 5,800 pounds of thrust.

This type of sustained burn emulates the typical requirements for a lander touchdown or deep space burn that could set a spacecraft on a course from the Moon to Mars, the center said. said Thomas Teasley, lead Marshall combustion equipment engineer.

RDRE’s first high-temperature fire test was conducted in Marshall in the summer of 2022 in partnership with In Space LLC and Purdue University (Lafayette, Indiana). The test generated more than 4,000 pounds of thrust for nearly a minute. The main objective of the latest tests was to extend the combustor to different thrust classes, support all types of engine systems, and maximize the diversity of missions it can deliver, from landers to upper stages to supersonics. Teasley said the key is to better understand how to increase the Reverse propulsion is a deceleration technique that has the potential to land larger payloads, and even humans, on the surface of Mars.

Test stand video taken at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, shows the ignition of a full-size rotary-explosion rocket engine combustor that ignited for a record 251 seconds and achieved more than 5,800 pounds of thrust. It is shown.

“RDRE significantly increases design efficiency,” he said. “This shows we are getting closer to developing lightweight propulsion systems that will allow us to send more mass and payloads into deep space, a critical component for NASA. From the moon to Mars vision. “

Engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; Venus Aerospace, Houston, Texas, is working with NASA Marshall to identify ways to scale the technology for higher performance.

RDRE is managed and funded by the Game Changing Development Program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Transforming NASA’s ISS Resupply with Revolutionary Technology

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Illustration of Sierra Space’s first dream chaser, DC#1 (Tenacity). The Dream Chaser spacecraft developed by Sierra Space for NASA is gearing up for a demonstration mission to the ISS in 2024, with a focus on cargo delivery and in-orbit certification. .Credit: Sierra Space

NASA Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft is scheduled for a demonstration flight to the ISS in 2024, carrying cargo transport and various on-orbit tests to ensure operational readiness for future missions. be exposed.NASA and Sierra Space are making progress toward the maiden flight of the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft. international space station. The unmanned cargo spaceplane is scheduled to begin demonstration missions to orbital complexes in 2024 as part of NASA’s commercial resupply services.

Dream chaser and shooting starManufactured by Sierra Space, Louisville, Colorado, the Dream Chaser cargo system consists of two main elements: the Dream Chaser spacecraft and the Shooting Star cargo module. As a lifting body spacecraft, Dream Chaser is designed to be reused up to 15 times. HL-20 spacecraft It was developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.Shooting Star, a spaceplane cargo module companion, is designed to support the transportation and disposal of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the space station. The cargo module can only be used once and is disposed of before reentry.

The Dream Chaser system will be mounted on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan Centaur rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, inside a 5-meter fairing. It can be launched by folding its wings. Fairing panels protect the spacecraft during ascent, but are discarded once it reaches orbit. Dream Chaser’s cargo module and wing-mounted solar arrays will be deployed during an autonomous rendezvous with the space station. In the event of disaster, Dream Chaser is designed to be ready for launch within as little as 24 hours.

NASA and Sierra Space are making progress toward the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft’s maiden flight to the International Space Station. The unmanned cargo spaceplane is scheduled to begin demonstration missions to orbital complexes in 2024 as part of NASA’s commercial resupply services.Credit: Sierra SpaceMission overview

During the first flight, Sierra Space will conduct an in-orbit demonstration to qualify Dream Chaser for future missions. Teams from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Dream Chaser Mission Control Center in Louisville, Colorado will monitor the flight. Sierra Space flight controllers will control the Dream Chaser spacecraft at the launch pad until it is handed over to NASA Kennedy’s Sierra Space ground operations team after landing.

The far-field demonstration will be conducted outside the vicinity of the space station before the spacecraft enters the invisible 2.5-by-1.25-by-1.25-mile (4-by-2-by-2-kilometer) boundary around the ellipsoid. . Rotating laboratory. These demonstrations are required before Dream His Chaser enters joint operations with his NASA team at Mission Control Center in Houston. These include demonstrating postural control, translational movements, and aborting functions.

Near-field demonstrations must be performed in close proximity to the space station, and include activation and use of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, responding to commands sent from the space station, retreating from the station in response to commands, and initially This includes maintaining proximity. 1,083 feet (330 meters) from the station, then 820 feet (250 meters), and finally 98 feet (30 meters). After the successful completion of the demonstration, Dream Chaser will move towards the space station.

As Dream Chaser approaches the orbiting laboratory, it will eventually park approximately 38 feet (11.5 meters) from the space station, where the station’s crew will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to maneuver the spacecraft in front of the team on the ground. Hold on to the cargo module fixtures. Attach the cargo module to the earth-facing port of the Unity or Harmony module.

Dream Chaser will carry more than 7,800 pounds of cargo on its first flight to the International Space Station. On future missions, Dream Chaser is designed to remain on station for up to 75 days and deliver up to 11,500 pounds of cargo. Cargo can be loaded onto the spacecraft up to 24 hours before launch. Dream Chaser can return more than 3,500 pounds of cargo and experimental samples to Earth, and more than 8,700 pounds of trash can be disposed of during reentry using its cargo module.return to earthDream Chaser will remain on the space station for approximately 45 days before being uninstalled using Canadarm2. After departure, the spacecraft can land within 11 to 15 hours at the earliest, with the possibility of landing daily if weather conditions permit.

Dream Chaser’s landing weather criteria typically require crosswinds of less than 17.2 mph (15 knots), headwinds of less than 23 mph (20 knots), and tailwinds of less than 11.5 mph (10 knots). Thunderstorms, lightning, or rain within a 20-mile radius of the runway or 10 miles along the approach path are not acceptable conditions for landing. Detailed flight rules help controllers determine whether a landing opportunity is favorable.

A combination of Dream Chaser’s 26 Reaction Control System thrusters ignites, sending the spacecraft out of orbit. Dream Chaser re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and glided in the style of NASA’s Space Shuttle to a runway landing at Kennedy Launch and Landing Facility, becoming the first spacecraft to land at the facility since the Space Shuttle’s last flight in 2011. becomes.Once Dream Chaser is powered down after landing, the Sierra Space ground operations team will transport Dream Chaser to the Space Systems Processing Facility for necessary inspections, unload remaining NASA cargo, and prepare for the next mission. let’s start doing ….Sierra Space (formerly Sierra Nevada Corporation) was selected in 2016 as NASA’s third commercial cargo replenishment spacecraft to service the International Space Station.


Source: scitechdaily.com

Technology companies express concerns over potential “irreparable harm” due to White House-backed sales suspension of Apple Watch | Science and Technology News

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Apple expressed concerns about potential “irreparable harm” after the White House backed a ban on imports of certain watches due to a dispute over blood oxygen technology.

The tech giant has submitted an emergency motion to the court, seeking permission to continue selling two popular models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, until the patent dispute with medical monitoring tech company Masimo is resolved.

Apple has requested the ban to be temporarily lifted until U.S. Customs determines whether a redesigned version of its watch infringes Masimo’s patents, with a decision expected on January 12th.

Masimo has accused Apple of stealing pulse oximetry technology for monitoring blood oxygen levels and incorporating it into their watch, as well as luring some of its employees to switch to Apple.

The US ITC has ordered a ban on the import and sale of models utilizing blood oxygen level reading technology.

Wealth management analyst Dan Ives stated that the halt in watch sales before the holiday season could cost Apple $300-400 million, but the company is still expected to make nearly $120 billion in sales for the quarter, including the holiday period.

Read more:
– Have an old iPhone? You could be entitled to compensation in a UK court case
– Apple updates iPhone 12 software after radiation test

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai upheld the ITC’s decision, but previously purchased Apple Watches with blood oxygen measurement capabilities are not affected by the ban.

Apple contests the ITC’s decision, claiming it is based on factual errors and that Masimo does not sell significant quantities of competing products in the U.S., and would not be harmed by a ban on orders.

Source: news.sky.com

There were few notable enterprise technology M&A deals in a slow year.

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Cisco was the most active company

It’s that time A look back at this year’s biggest tech M&A deals. Typically, by this point, the usual acquisition suspects like Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, SAP Oracle, and Cisco have undergone at least some major changes. But this year, only Cisco made a big splash, ultimately announcing 11 deals in total.

SAP has made some small deals, but Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, and Oracle have been mostly quiet this year. The $61 billion Broadcom-VMware deal, announced in May 2022, was finally completed last month, and Adobe and Figma agreed this month to terminate the $20 billion deal, which ends in September 2022. It has been a regulatory impasse since it was announced in September.

It is not our imagination that transactions from major companies are decreasing. CB Insight reported There were zero deals from big tech companies in the third quarter of this year. Compare that to 2019, when there were 10 such deals in the third quarter, and 2020, when there were eight.

Graph showing the number of M&A transactions by major technology companies from 2019 to present. In his most recent quarter, Q3 2023, there were zero trades.

Image credits: CB Insight

Perhaps high borrowing costs put a damper on deals in 2023. The days when his 2020 major deals totaled $165 billion are long gone. This year’s total was just $67.7 billion, the lowest total since a record low of $40 billion in 2019, the second year the list of these top deals was compiled.

It’s worth noting that a significant number of this year’s deals involve private equity firms acquiring companies or selling them at significant profits.

Perhaps smaller deals involving AI were more important, like Atlassian’s $975 million acquisition of Loom. Salesforce acquired Airkit.ai for an undisclosed sum, one of just two small acquisitions this year. Or Snowflake’s acquisition of AI search company Neeva, again for an undisclosed amount.

Regardless, here are this year’s top 10 corporate deals, from cheapest to most expensive.

Source: techcrunch.com

“Latest NHS heartburn surgery gives men the freedom to indulge in holiday feasts” | Science and Technology Update

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A man who suffered from heartburn so severe that he sometimes regurgitated his food has finally been cured with a “revolutionary” new surgical procedure.

Jeff Cohen had difficulty swallowing more than a sip or two because acid had been rising from his stomach for so long that the normal muscle contractions in his esophagus, or esophagus, were impaired.

He told Sky News that he had become uncomfortable eating, especially in public places.

“It was sitting there heavy in my chest like a blockage,” he said.

“But now I can eat without worrying. The food goes straight forward as usual.”

read more:
Turmeric may be as effective as indigestion medicine

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Jeff Cohen: “You’ll be able to eat whatever you want this Christmas”

Mr. Cohen was one of the first patients. NHS A device called RefluxStop must be implanted.

Surgeons at St Mary’s Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare, sewed a small cube of medical-grade silicone into the outer pouch of the stomach in a keyhole surgery that took just over an hour.

This device holds the stomach and esophagus in place so the muscle valves between them function properly to allow food to pass through and prevent acid from escaping.

Ahmed Ahmed, a consultant surgeon at the hospital, said the technology addresses the root cause of severe heartburn and acid reflux.

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Dr. Ahmed Ahmed said that for most reflux patients, “the valve that stops acid from entering the throat is in the wrong position.”

“The main problem for most reflux patients is that the valve that stops acid from entering the throat is in the wrong position.

“That’s what causes them to have regurgitation on a daily basis.

“The new procedure involves implanting an anti-reflux device to return the valve to its correct position and maintain its natural anatomy.”

Other surgical techniques constrict the floor of the esophagus to stop acid leaking from the stomach, but this can make swallowing more difficult, especially for patients like Jeff who have pre-existing problems. there is.

“For them, this [new procedure] It’s revolutionary because they will now be eligible for surgery,” said Ahmed.

Read more from Sky News:
Christmas vegetables that may help fight cancer
UK gears up for new internet traffic record

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Reflux stops hold the stomach and esophagus in place, allowing the muscle valves between them to function properly.

Around a quarter of adults in the UK suffer from heartburn, with overeating over the festive period being a common trigger.

According to NHS Digital, finally Christmas 1 person views online advice every 13 seconds.

Acid can cause symptoms that can lead to cancer, so you should see your doctor if your symptoms persist for more than 3 to 4 weeks.

Mild symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications that neutralize the acid. However, more severe cases may require prescription medication.

Dr Ahmed said surgery should now be considered as an alternative to lifelong drug treatment.

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Around a quarter of UK adults suffer from heartburn

Jeff is now looking forward to his first festive season in many years.

“You can eat whatever you want this Christmas,” he said.

“We’re going to have more pigs in a blanket for dinner than we could have last year.

“I’m able to carry on with my daily life, which I wasn’t able to do before.”

Source: news.sky.com

Utilizing New Technology to Detect Cancer Early: The Impact on Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust in West Yorkshire

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A West Yorkshire NHS Trust is utilizing advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence and surgical robots, to achieve crucial cancer targets and alleviate widespread pressure on hospitals.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS The Foundation Trust is meeting three important cancer targets established by the government.

These targets include a waiting time of 28 days for patients who receive an emergency referral and are diagnosed with an infection or cancer, a 31-day wait from the patient’s treatment decision to the first treatment, and a 62-day wait from the emergency GP referral to the first treatment.

Sky News was given a tour of the innovations behind the hospital’s results, starting with a diagnostic test called Cytosponge. The Cytosponge is a small capsule with a string attached that is swallowed by the patient. When dissolved in the stomach, a brush collects cells from the esophageal lining, which are then analyzed for abnormalities.

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New diagnostic test site sponge could help doctors find cases of esophageal cancer faster

Cytosponges are used as an alternative to longer and more invasive endoscopies. Patients find the cytosponge less invasive and report a quicker procedure time.

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Source: news.sky.com

Wife alleges that her abusive spouse stalked her due to Tesla technology

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In May 2020, San Francisco Police Department Sergeant David Radford reached out to Elon Musk requesting data regarding remote access to a Tesla vehicle involved in an incident. The automaker was asked to provide information about a suspected stalker’s use of the vehicle. The woman involved in the incident had reported that her abusive husband had been tracking and harassing her using technology in his 2016 Tesla Model X, in violation of a restraining order. She found a metal baseball bat in the back seat of the car, which was the same one her husband had used to threaten her in the past.

Despite the woman’s request for information from Tesla, Radford had difficulty obtaining the data needed for the investigation. According to a lawsuit filed by the woman, a Tesla service manager stated that remote access logs were only available within a certain time frame. As automakers develop more advanced features allowing for remote access and location tracking, the potential for these technologies to be used for abusive purposes becomes a concern. Cases of stalking involving vehicle technology have been reported, prompting increased attention from law enforcement, advocates, and policymakers.

The woman later filed a lawsuit against her husband and Tesla, seeking damages for negligence and failure to restrict her husband’s access to the vehicle’s technology despite the restraining order. The woman’s requests to disable her husband’s account and access remote data logging were denied by Tesla, leading to legal action. The lawsuit was eventually settled, with details of the settlement kept undisclosed.

In other cases, individuals have reported incidents of stalking using vehicle technology, prompting concerns about the potential for abuse and inadequate policies to address such issues. As automakers and tech companies continue to introduce new features and products for tracking and remote access, there is a need for clear policies and safeguards to prevent misuse and protect individuals from potential harm.

Source: nypost.com