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Showing posts from June, 2024

Cryptographers Are Discovering New Rules for Quantum Encryption

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Researchers have proved that secure quantum encryption is possible in a world without hard problems, establishing a new foundation for what is needed to keep information secure. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The Best Cooling Sheets for Hot Summer Nights, Tested and Reviewed (2024)

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Summer heat is here. Hop under these cooling sheets so that you can, you know, actually sleep. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Extreme E is now Extreme H, a hydrogen-powered racing series starting 2025

Extreme E, the premium off-road EV racing series, is pivoting to hydrogen. The series announced this week that it’s rebranding to Extreme H, and unveiled a hydrogen-powered race car it’s calling the Pioneer 25 to usher in the transition. The first season is slated to begin in April 2025 in Saudi Arabia, before heading to the UK, Germany, Italy and wrapping up in the US. Take a sneak peek at the Pioneer 25 in action 🎬 pic.twitter.com/40gTrtQMbR— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) June 29, 2024 Extreme E had its first race in 2021, putting electric off-road vehicles to the test of (as you might expect) extreme environments, like the desert. It got some major teams on board, including the likes of McLaren. This year marks Extreme E’s fourth season. In a blog post about the shift to hydrogen, founder and CEO Alejandro Agag said the move is “not just about e-mobility; it’s about creating green power solutions that can be applied anywhere, from remote locations to bustling cities.” “By launching...

US Treasury finalizes crypto rules to prevent tax evasion

While people who own and sell cryptocurrency have always had to pay taxes on their earnings, a new rule finalized by the US Treasury Department can ensure that they're paying the proper amount on their sales. The new rule will require cryptocurrency platforms like exchanges and payment processors to report their users' transactions to the Internal Revenue Service. According to The Wall Street Journal, authorities are hoping that the measure can deter tax evasion, seeing as the IRS would know exactly how much a taxpayer owes.  At the same time, the rule will make it much easier for people for declare their earnings because their brokers will now have to provide them with a 1099 form. The IRS released a draft form of 1099-DA (Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transaction) made especially to track crypto transactions last year and will make the final version available soon. To note, the rule sets a threshold of $10,000 to report on transactions involving stablecoin, which are cry...

The US Wants to Integrate the Commercial Space Industry With Its Military to Prevent Cyber Attacks

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As more and more infrastructure is deployed in space, the risk of cyber attacks increases. The US military wants to team up with the private sector to protect assets everyone relies on. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

What’s the best interface for gen AI? It all depends on the use case

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The upcoming VB Transform 2024 conference will further explore these themes with expert panels discussing the cross-functional future of AI. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The Wild Robot (2024): A Captivating Tale of Survival and Connection

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Welcome to GreenGround, your go-to destination for the latest in movies, TV series, and technology. Today, we’re thrilled to delve into one of the most anticipated animated films of 2024,... Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Security News This Week: Google Is Piloting Face Recognition for Office Security

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Plus: A cloud company says notorious Russian hacker group APT29 attacked it, Chinese hackers use ransomware to hide their espionage campaigns, and a bank popular with startups discloses a cyberattack. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

The Best OTC Hearing Aids (2024): Tested and Reviewed

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These WIRED-tested hearing aids are affordable, audiologist-approved alternatives to prescription devices. No doctor’s appointment necessary. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

We Spent Thousands of Hours Listening to Find the Best Wireless Headphones (2024)

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Whether you need workout earbuds or gaming over-ears, these WIRED-tested picks sound like a million bucks. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

YC alum Fluently’s AI-powered English coach attracts $2M seed round

There are plenty of resources to learn English, but not so many for near-native speakers who still want to improve their fluency. That description applies to Stan Beliaev and Yurii Rebryk, and this is what inspired them to create Fluently. Making use of AI, Fluently operates as a coach that gives users feedback and tips © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Ubisoft CEO says Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works

Older Assassin's Creed titles are about to get modern reimaginings, mostly likely with better graphics and other improvements for newer consoles and more powerful PCs. Yves Guillemot, the CEO of Ubisoft, has revealed in an interview on the company's website that Assassin's Creed remakes are in the works when he was asked what's next for the franchise. The remakes will allow the company to revisit and modernize older worlds it has created, he explained, telling the interviewer that "there are worlds in some of [its] older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich." Guillemot also said that Ubisoft's goal is to have Assassin's Creed games come out more regularly, "but not for it to be the same experience every year." The upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe that's set during the witch trials in the Holy Roman Empire is "going to be a very different game from Assassin's Creed Shadows," he said. Shadows is set in Ja...

Rohlik rolls up $170M to expand in European grocery delivery and sell its tech to others

The salad days of fresh grocery delivery startups are over, but those that have stayed the course, and have built businesses that are seeing gains, are still here and are hungry for more growth. On Friday, one of those survivors, the Czech grocery delivery company Rohlik, announced $170 million in new funding. Rohlik – which © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Engadget Podcast: Motorola’s 2024 Razrs make a compelling case for foldables

Motorola is still trying to reclaim the glory of its original Razr phone with its latest foldables. The new Razr and Razr+ are more stylish than the previous models, and at $700 and $1,000 respectively, they're surprisingly affordable for devices with massive folding OLED screens. In other news, we chat about Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange being freed from prison, Rabbit's massive security hole in the R1 AI gadget, and a horrific Sora AI commercial from Toys "R" Us. Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News! Topics Moto Razr and Razr+ first look: stylish and (somewhat) affordable – 0:51 Samsung announces its second Unpacked of the year will be in Paris – 13:14 Expect a bunch of new hardware at August’s Made by Google event – 19:56 Wikileaks founder Julian Assa...

Life is Strange spiritual successor delayed to avoid Life is Strange sequel

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a brand-new game from the creators of Life is Strange. It's been described as a spiritual successor to that series and was previously scheduled to arrive in late 2024. However, publisher Don't Nod has opted to delay Lost Records: Bloom & Rage and release it in early 2025 instead. In fact, the delay is in large part due to a new Life is Strange game from another studio. Life is Strange: Double Exposure marks the return of the original game's protagonist Max Caulfield. The sequel, from Square Enix and developer Deck Nine Games, is set to hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in October, with a Switch release planned for later. Don't Nod says it wanted to give Lost Records: Bloom & Rage some breathing space to succeed following "an in-depth assessment of recent trends and developments in the industry." But a quote from CEO Oskar Guilbert makes the reasoning more explicit. "We know that many of our fans are eager...

FCC rule would make carriers unlock all phones after 60 days

The FCC wants to make it significantly easier for consumers to unlock their phones from their carriers, proposing that all devices must be unlockable just 60 days after purchase. How this will mesh with current plans and phone buying trends, however, is something the agency is hoping to learn before putting such a rule into © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Time Magazine partners with OpenAI and ElevenLabs

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Time's embrace of two up-and-coming AI companies shows a strong vote of confidence in the technology overall. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Early Prime Day deals include the Ring Video Doorbell for only $50

Amazon Prime members can take half off the second-generation Ring Video Doorbell. Its 1080p camera includes motion detection and night vision, and the device supports two-way audio, so you can communicate with anyone approaching your home. Usually, it costs $100, but Prime subscribers can get it right now for only $50. This Ring model is battery-powered, so you won’t need to worry about a complicated wired setup. All you have to do is mount it and connect it to your Wi-Fi network through the Ring app. (You can still hardwire it to your existing doorbell system if you don’t want to bother with occasional recharging.) When you pair it with the Ring app, you’ll receive notifications when someone rings the bell or triggers its motion sensors. The doorbell works with Alexa, including optional announcements when someone arrives. You can also view its live feed or recordings on Echo devices with screens and Fire TV products. The doorbell has night vision for clearer shots when it’s dar...

Please don’t get your news from AI chatbots

This is your periodic reminder that AI-powered chatbots still make up things and lie with all the confidence of a GPS system telling you that the shortest way home is to drive through the lake. My reminder comes courtesy of Nieman Lab, which ran an experiment to see if ChatGPT would provide correct links to articles from news publications it pays millions of dollars to. It turns out that ChatGPT does not. Instead, it confidently makes up entire URLs, a phenomenon that the AI industry calls “hallucinating,” a term that seems more apt for a real person high on their own bullshit. Nieman Lab’s Andrew Deck asked the service to provide links to high-profile, exclusive stories published by 10 publishers that OpenAI has struck deals worth millions of dollars with. These included the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Times (UK), Le Monde, El País, The Atlantic, The Verge, Vox, and Politico. In response, ChatGPT spat back made-up URLs that led to 404 error page...

Time strikes a deal to funnel 101 years of journalism into OpenAI’s gaping maw

Time has joined a growing number of publications to sign a licensing deal with OpenAI. The ChatGPT creator will legally be able to train its large language models on 101 years worth of the storied publication's journalism, as Axios first reported. OpenAI will also have access to real-time content from Time, with the apparent aim of answering user queries about breaking news. In return, OpenAI will cite Time and link back to source material on the publication's website. Perhaps Time will get a monetary kickback too, like other publishers that have shuffled over to OpenAI with a ragged cap in hand and an eye on one a new revenue source for struggling media companies. The Atlantic, Vox Media, Wall Street Journal publisher News Corp, the Financial Times, People magazine publisher Dotdash Meredith and the AP have also been enticed by some snake oil bank deposits from OpenAI. Time says the agreement builds on its "commitment to expanding global access to accurate and trusted inf...

Reliance Jio kicks off Indian telecom price hike

Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecoms operator, has initiated what analysts expect to be an industry-wide increase in tariffs in the world’s second largest wireless market, raising some of its plans by more than 20%.  Jio’s revised pricing structure, effective July 3, sees its entry-level Rs 155 ($1.87) plan, offering 2GB of data and unlimited calls, © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Bluesky lets you curate accounts and feeds to follow with its “Starter Pack” feature

Social network Bluesky has added a new feature for users to create a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow. This feature, called “Starter Pack,” is intended to help users joining the social network to find interesting content right out of the gate. Existing users can add accounts and custom feeds to create © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

YouTube reportedly wants to pay record labels to use their songs for AI training

Much of the conversation about AI has revolved around the use of copyrighted materials to train models. YouTube is allegedly taking steps to avoid this issue, offering major musical labels payment to license their songs for AI training, the Financial Times reports.  Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records are all reportedly involved in talks with the Google-owned platform. However, it's unlikely the companies will get the last word as it would reportedly be up to each artist whether they participate. Many musicians are far from thrilled about allowing AI anywhere near their work. In April 2023, over 200 artists signed an open letter stating, "We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators' rights, and destroy the music ecosystem." In November, YouTube launched Dream Track, a tool that allowed select creators to pull from the lyrics and voices of singers such as John ...

Unwrapping ‘Red One’: A Holiday Adventure with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans

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Welcome back to GreenGround, your go-to source for all things entertainment and technology! I’m Alvin, and today, we’re unwrapping a truly exciting holiday treat that’s set to redefine your festive... Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Synthflow picks up $7.4M for no code voice assistance for SMEs

What is AI good for? Automating repetitive tasks for the very busy people running small businesses, reckons Berlin-based startup Synthflow, which is announcing a $7.4 million seed round for its SME-focused no code platform for AI voice assistance. Since being founded around spring last year, the startup has now banked a total of $9.1 million, © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

Unwrapping ‘Red One’: A Holiday Adventure with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans

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Unwrapping 'Red One': A Holiday Adventure with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans #RedOneMovie, #DwayneJohnson, #ChrisEvans, #HolidayAdventure, #Christmas2024, #AmazonStudios, #MoviePreview, #Hollywood, #ActionComedy, #GreenGroundMedia Join Alvin from GreenGround as he dives into the upcoming holiday blockbuster "Red One," starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. Set for release on November 15, 2024, this action-packed adventure promises to redefine the holiday movie genre with a star-studded cast and a thrilling storyline. Discover behind-the-scenes insights, plot details, and why this movie is set to become a new Christmas classic. Don't miss out – like, comment, and subscribe for more exciting content. Check the description for more details and join the conversation in the comments below! Remember, if you want to stay updated with the latest trends, news, and tech reviews, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Greenground! Follow up on our website https://www.gree...

YouTube is trying to make AI music deals with major record labels

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YouTube is expecting to launch new AI tools later this year that are trained off the back of these deals. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge After debuting a generative AI feature last year that produces music in the style of famous artists like Charli XCX, John Legend, and T-Pain, YouTube is now asking major record labels to allow it to clone more musicians. According to the Financial Times, the Google-owned video platform is offering to pay Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Records “lump sums of cash” in exchange for licensing their songs to legally train its AI music tools. YouTube told the Financial Times that it’s not looking to expand Dream Track — which was supported by just ten artists during its test phase — but confirmed it was “in conversations with labels about other experiments.” The platform is aiming to license music from “dozens” of artists according to the report, which will instead be used to train new AI tools that Y...

A Meta ‘error’ broke the political content filter on Threads and Instagram

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Earlier this year, Meta made the controversial decision to automatically limit political content from users’ recommendations in Threads and Instagram by default. The company said that it didn’t want to “proactively amplify” political posts and that users could opt-in via their Instagram settings if they did want to see such content. But, it turns out, that Meta continued to limit political content even for users who had opted in to seeing it. An unspecified “error” apparently caused the “political content” toggle — already buried several layers deep into Instagram's settings menu — to revert back to the “limit” setting each time the app closed. Political content, according to Meta, “is likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large.” Meta The issue was flagged by Threads users, including Democratic strategist Keith Edwards, and confirmed by Engadget. It’s unclear how long the “error” was affecting users’ recommenda...

Is it time to integrate autonomous software development and fire all your engineers? (No — and at VB Transform we dish the real goods)

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AI coding assistants can (almost) do it all these days. How are enterprises integrating them, and how will it change software development? Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .

One of our favorite cordless vacuums is $175 off at Amazon

No, vacuums aren't the most exciting thing to buy, but they do make life a lot better — especially if you have a pet. A clean house can be a bit cheaper right now thanks to a 30 percent discount on Tineco's Pure ONE S15 Pet Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. The vacuum for pets is down to $349 from $500, and there's an additional, clippable $25 coupon that will bring the final price down to around $325 — a new all-time low price on one of our favorite cordless vacuums.  Tineco Pure ONE S15 Pet Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is a cordless option with a charging base that requires no installation. The vacuum uses Zerotangle technology and grabs hair without wrapping it around the device.  If you're looking for a higher-end option, try Tineco's Pure ONE Station FurFree Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. It's 25 percent off, dropping to $599 from $799 — another record-low price. It can go into an OmniHub and gets self-cleaned when being recharged. The vacuum also has 60 days...

Opera’s browser adds AI-powered image generation and better multimedia controls

Opera said today it is releasing Opera One’s second version in developer beta with features including new multimedia controls, split tabs, and new AI capabilities. The company is introducing new themes and design elements to give Opera One R2 a fresh look. The company has traditionally placed the multimedia controls on the sidebar. But with © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Posted from: this blog via Microsoft Flow .