Category Archives: Technology

Sam Bankman-Fried repeatedly told to “stop talking” during rambling testimony

Posted on by
Sam Bankman-Fried repeatedly told to “stop talking” during rambling testimony

Enlarge (credit: ANGELA WEISS / Contributor | AFP)

On Friday, Sam Bankman-Fried began his first day testifying before a jury with a loss. The FTX co-founder had intended to explain exactly how much he relied on lawyers to steer his decision-making amid the cryptocurrency exchange’s rise and collapse, but US District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that particular part of his proposed testimony could not be heard by the jury, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Bankman-Fried had testified on Thursday that his in-house legal team oversaw paperwork for “hundreds of millions of dollars in personal loans to himself and other founders of the platform,” CNBC reported. He told the court that having his legal team’s blessing was something that he “took comfort in.”

“That evidence would in my judgment be confusing and prejudicial,” Kaplan said, dealing what many outlets considered a serious blow to Bankman-Fried’s defense.

Read 12 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Sam Bankman-Fried repeatedly told to “stop talking” during rambling testimony

SBF Testifies That Alameda Only 'Borrowed' Customer Funds

Posted on by

Sam Bankman-Fried testified before a jury for the first time on Friday saying he did not defraud FTX customers or take their funds, according to Bloomberg’s live reporting of the trial. The FTX and Alameda’s founder said that Alameda “borrowed” them, but admitted “a lot of people got hurt.”

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – SBF Testifies That Alameda Only ‘Borrowed’ Customer Funds

Intel CEO Dismisses 'Pretty Insignificant' Arm PC Challenge

Posted on by

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has downplayed the threat of rival chipmakers creating processors based on the Arm architecture for PCs. From a report: “Arm and Windows client alternatives, generally they’ve been relegated to pretty insignificant roles in the PC business,” he told analysts during the x86 giant’s Q3 earnings call Thursday. “We take all our competition seriously, but I think history is our guide here. We don’t see these as potentially being all that significant overall,” he added, a sentiment somewhat at odds with Microsoft which last week cited analyst research predicting Arm’s PC market share will grow from its curernt 14 percent to 25 percent by 2027.

Which seems far from “pretty insignificant.” Gelsinger’s words also contrast markedly with past Intel CEO Andy Grove, who penned a book titled “Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company.” While Gelsinger doesn’t see Arm as a threat, he said Intel Foundry Services is more than happy to work with chipmakers to build chips based on the architecture. “When you’re thinking about other alternative architectures like Arm, we also say, ‘Wow, what a great opportunity for our foundry’,” he said. To that end, the in April 2023 the chipmaker announced a strategic partnership with Arm to make it easier to produce chips on the architecture in Intel foundries.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Intel CEO Dismisses ‘Pretty Insignificant’ Arm PC Challenge

Google Paid How Much to Be the Default Search Engine?

Posted on by

Google’s antitrust trial revealed the multi-billion dollar tech company paid out a whopping total of $26.3 billion in 2021 to keep its status as the default search engine on phones and multiple browsers, Bloomberg Law reported Friday. The Justice Department argued that by spending an exorbitant amount of money to…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Google Paid How Much to Be the Default Search Engine?

Max Has Some Questionable Suggestions for Your Our Flag Means Death Withdrawals

Posted on by

The ship has now sailed on season two of Our Flag Means Death, and we’ve just stopped sobbing long enough to check our email and find a missive from Max with the subject line “What to watch after Our Flag Means Death.”

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Max Has Some Questionable Suggestions for Your Our Flag Means Death Withdrawals

Tesla's String of Mass Recalls Over the Last 12 Months

Posted on by

Tesla and recalls are no strangers as it seems to have one every few weeks or months due to various system glitches and malfunctions. From loose seat belts to power steering, to traction battery recalls, Tesla is no novice when it comes to fixing errors stemming from production inefficiencies or service maintenance…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Tesla’s String of Mass Recalls Over the Last 12 Months

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Wants to Compete for AI Dominance on Android

Posted on by

The next upgrade to one of the most ubiquitous chips in all of the Android ecosystem is trying to hit Google on its own turf, that being increasingly ubiquitous generative AI. Qualcomm’s week-long chip extravaganza in Maui showed off the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that’s ready for OEMs’ flagship devices shipping next year.…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Wants to Compete for AI Dominance on Android

Scientists Call Out Rogue Emissions From China at Global Ozone Summit

Posted on by

Efforts to curb emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas commonly produced as a by-product of refrigerant manufacture might be falling short, and it seems eastern China is a major culprit. Nature: The hydrofluorocarbon gas, HFC-23, is around 14,700 times as powerful as carbon dioxide at warming the globe and has long been the subject of national and international climate-change mitigation efforts. Those efforts gained new traction nearly a decade ago when China and India — the world’s largest producers of the chemical — agreed to dial down its emissions. New research, however, confirms that emissions continued to rise in subsequent years, and an analysis of data from atmospheric-monitoring stations suggests that factories in eastern China are responsible for nearly half of the total.

The rogue emissions are one of several air-pollution sources under discussion at the latest meeting of the Montreal Protocol, held in Nairobi, Kenya, this week. Signed in 1987, the Montreal Protocol is generally considered the most effective international environmental treaty in history, having halted the destruction of the ozone layer while also slowing down global warming. But scientists have often played a role, scanning the atmosphere for chemicals, such as ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), that governments have agreed to phase out. “Science has been instrumental in evaluating compliance under the treaty,” says Megan Lickley, a climate scientist at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Scientists Call Out Rogue Emissions From China at Global Ozone Summit

Google paid $26 billion in 2021 for default search engine status

Posted on by

Vice president Prabhakar Raghavan testified Friday that Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 for the purpose of maintaining default search engine status and acquiring traffic, Bloomberg reports. It’s likely the lion’s share of that sum went to Apple, which it has showered with exorbitant sums for many years in order to remain the default search option on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Raghavan, who was testifying as part of the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust suit against the company, said Google’s search advertising made $146.4 billion in revenue in 2021, which puts the $26 billion it paid for default status in perspective. The executive clarified that default status was the most costly part of what it pays to acquire traffic.

Raghavan didn’t mention how much of the $26.3 billion went to Apple. But CNBC reports that an estimate from private wealth management firm Bernstein ballparked that Google could pay Apple up to $19 billion this year for the default privilege.

A slide shown in court revealed that, in 2014, Google brought in $47 billion in search revenue while paying $7.1 billion for default status. Raghavan testified that Google’s overall default search engine payments nearly quadrupled from 2014 to 2021, while its search advertising revenue (roughly) tripled.

Google objected to making the figures public, arguing it would hurt its ability to negotiate future contracts. Judge Amit Mehta, overseeing the case, disagreed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-paid-26-billion-in-2021-for-default-search-engine-status-203129384.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google paid billion in 2021 for default search engine status

Dealmaster: Sparkling TVs, noise canceling cans, Lenovo laptops, and much more

Posted on by
Samsung S90C OLED TV

Samsung’s S90C OLED TV.

As November approaches, we find ourselves hurtling into TV season, which equates to a ton of deals on TVs as manufacturers sell off their old stock and prepare for next year’s models. Those are just some of the bargains you’ll find on today’s Dealmaster, stacking up next to everything from noise-canceling headphones to ergonomic office chairs, Apple gear, and Dolby Atmos soundbars to pair with your new TV. So dig in below and grab a deal or two!

Headphones

  • Apple AirPods Pro (gen 2, USB-C) for $200 (was $250) at Best Buy
  • Sony WH-1000XM4B.CE7 Limited Edition Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones for $273 (was $350) at Amazon
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $120 (was $150) at Best Buy
  • Technics EAH-A800 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for $300 (was $348) at Amazon
  • 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones for $75 (was $100) at Amazon
  • Soundpeats Air4 Wireless Earbuds with Snapdragon Sound AptX Adaptive Lossless Audio for $53 (was $90) from Amazon
  • Soundcore by Anker Q20i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones for $40 (was $70) at Amazon
  • Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 In-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation for $200 (was $300) at Amazon
  • JBL Quantum Noise Canceling Gaming Earbuds for $80 (was $150) at Amazon
  • JBL Tune 510BT: Wireless On-Ear Headphones for $25 (was $50) at Amazon
  • JBL Tune 230NC Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $50 (was $100) at Amazon
  • JBL Live 660NC Wireless Over-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones for $100 (was $200) at Amazon
  • Jabra Elite 7 Pro Noise Canceling Earbuds for $110 (was $200) at Amazon
  • Beats Studio Buds Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds for $120 (was $150) at Best Buy
  • Bose Headphones 700 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones for $299 (was $379) at Best Buy
  • JBL Live 460NC – Wireless On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones for $65 (was $130) at Amazon
  • JBL Live Free 2 True Wireless earbuds with adaptive noise canceling for $75 (was $150) at Amazon
  • JBL Quantum 910 Wireless Gaming Headset for $230 (was $300) at Amazon

Apple gear

  • Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen (GPS, 44 mm) for $239 (was $279) at Amazon
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular 45 mm) Smart Watch with Silver Stainless Steel Case for $598 (was $749) at Amazon
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular 45 mm) Smart Watch with Starlight Aluminum Case for $424 (was $529) at Amazon
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular 41 mm) Smart Watch with Graphite Stainless Steel Case for $639 (was $749) at Amazon
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular, 45 mm) Smart Watch with Gold Stainless Steel Case for $679 (was $799) at Amazon
  • Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS 45 mm) for $350 (was $429) at Amazon
  • Apple 2020 Gold MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop M1 Chip 8GB RAM for $750 (was $999) at Amazon
  • Apple AirPods Pro (gen 2, USB-C) for $200 (was $250) at Best Buy
  • Apple 2020 Grey MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip for $849 (was $999) at Amazon
  • Apple 2023 MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M2 chip for $1,049 after coupon (was $1,299) at Amazon
  • Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) for $99 (was $129) at Amazon
  • Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $499 (was $549) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad (9th Generation) for $249 (was $329) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad Air (5th Generation) for $500 (was $599) at Amazon

Office chairs

  • LANDOMIA Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair with Flip up Arms for $144 (was $180) at Amazon
  • Razzor Ergonomic High Back Mesh Desk Chair for $152 (was $250) at Amazon
  • Ergonomic Desk Chair with Adjustable Lumbar Support for $117 (was $190) at Amazon
  • Memobarco Ergonomic Office Desk Chair with Lumbar Support for $160 (was $199) at Amazon
  • Ergonomic Mesh Home Office Desk Chair with Lumbar Support for $161 (was $250) at Amazon
  • Ergonomic Mesh Office Executive Swivel Chair for $180 with coupon (was $250) at Amazon
  • Soohow Ergonomic Mesh High Back Office Chair with Headrest for $150 with coupon (was $230) at Amazon
  • Mimoglad High Back Ergonomic Desk Chair with Adjustable Lumbar Support and Headrest for $120 (was $180) at Amazon
  • FelixKing Ergonomic Office Chair, Headrest Desk Chair with Adjustable Lumbar Support for $138 (was $240) at Amazon
  • Primy Ergonomic Desk Chair with Adjustable Lumbar Support for $110 (was $150) at Amazon
  • Ergonomic Mesh Desk Chair with Head Support for $80 (was $100) at Amazon

TVs

  • Hisense 65-inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV for $1,098 (was $1,400) at Amazon
  • TCL 55-inch Q7 QLED 4K Smart TV with Google TV for $598 (was $750) at Amazon
  • TCL 55-inch Q6 QLED 4K Smart TV with Google TV for $448 (was $500) at Amazon
  • LG 65-inch Class B2 OLED 4K UHD for $1,500 (was $2,300) at LG
  • Sony 65-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K smart Google TV for $1,800 (was $2,600) at Best Buy
  • Sony 55-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K smart Google TV for $1,500 (was $1,900) at Best Buy
  • Sony 83-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV for $4,500 (was $5,500) at Best Buy
  • Samsung 55-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90C TV for $1,400 (was $2,000) at Samsung
  • Samsung 65-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90C TV for $1,700 (was $2,800) at Samsung
  • Samsung 85-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90C TV for $2,800 (was $4,800) at Samsung
  • Samsung 65-inch Class OLED 4K S90C Series Quantum HDR smart TV for $1,598 (was $2,598) at Amazon
  • Samsung 55-inch Class OLED 4K S95C Series Quantum HDR Smart TV for $1,898 (was $2,498) at Amazon
  • LG 77-inch Class B3 series OLED 4K UHD for $2,019 (was $3,300) at LG
  • Sony 55-inch Class Bravia XR A95K 4K HDR OLED Google TV for $2,500 (was $2,800) at Best Buy
  • LG 65-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV for $2,600 (was $3,300) at Best Buy
  • LG 77-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV for $3,800 (was $4,500) at Best Buy
  • LG 83-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV for $5,500 (was $6,500) at Best Buy

Soundbars

  • Polk Audio Signa S4 Soundbar for $299 (was $399) at Crutchfield
  • Bose Smart Soundbar 600 Compact Dolby Atmos Soundbar for $399 (was $499) at Crutchfield
  • Samsung HW-S800B Ultra Slim Dolby Atmos Soundbar for $748 (was $898) at Crutchfield
  • Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar for $230 (was $280) at Crutchfield
  • Samsung HW-Q900C Dolby Atmos Soundbar for $988 (was $1398) at Crutchfield
  • Bose TV Speaker Soundbar for $200 (was $279) at Crutchfield
  • Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar for $998 (was $1,398) at Crutchfield
  • Sony HT-A5000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar for $698 (was $998) at Crutchfield
  • Sennheiser AMBEO Dolby Atmos Soundbar | Max for $2,000 (was $2,500) at Crutchfield
  • Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar for $150 (was $200) at Crutchfield
  • Polk Audio React SoundBar for $199 (was $269) at Crutchfield
  • Sony HT-S2000 Soundbar for $348 (was $498) at Crutchfield
  • Sony HT-A3000 Soundbar for $498 (was $698) at Crutchfield

Tools

  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver for $139 (was $239) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill / Driver Kit, Compact for $99 (was $179) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max XR Impact Driver, Brushless for $96 (was $149) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Impact Wrench for $199 (was $279) at Amazon
  • Greenworks 80V 20-inch Snow Blower for $700 (was $1,200) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt Pro Rapid Battery Charger for $62 (was $100) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 26-Inch Cordless Brushless Hedge Trimmer for $180 (was $250) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 16-Inch Cutting Diameter Brushless Straight Shaft Grass Trimmer for $180 (was $250) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80V 20-inch Cordless Brushless Snow Blower for $330 (was $450) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 12-Inch Single Stage Cordless Brushless Snow Shovel for $260 (was $350) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 18-Inch Cordless Brushless Chainsaw for $300 (was $400) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 22-Inch Single Stage Cordless Brushless Electric Snow Blower for $580 (was $800) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 170 MPH 730 CFM Cordless Handheld Blower for $199 (was $250) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks Electric Pressure Washer up to 2000 PSI at 1.3 GPM for $180 (was $220) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80V 24-inch Cordless Brushless Two-Stage Snow Blower for $1,600 (was $2,000) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 10-inch 80 Volt Cultivator/Tiller for $334 (was $400) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks Electric Pressure Washer for $168 (was $200) at Best Buy

Lenovo

  • Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i desktop (32-inch, Intel Core i9-13900H) for $1,488 (was $1,880) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7645HX and RTX 4050) for $1,045 (was $1,430) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Yoga 6 (13-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7730U) for $800 (was $1,100) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook (14-inch, Intel Core i3-N305) for $400 (was $550) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (15-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX 4050) for $997 (was $1,400) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Slim 7i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX 4060) for $1,330 (was $1770) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500HX and RTX 4050) for $1,035 (was $1,480) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (15-inch, AMD Ryzen 3 7330U) for $465 (wa $650) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and RTX 4050) for $931 (was $1,260) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Slim Pro 7 (14-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and RTX 3050) for $1,165 (was $1,450) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1270P) for $1,443 (was $3,609) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,689 (was $3,389) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad T16 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-1240P) for $990 (was $2,829) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700HX and RTX 4060) for $1,235 (was $1,700) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1260P) for $1,376 (was $3,439) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,809 (was $3,629) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13620H and RTX 4050) for $950 (was $1,360) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16v (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTXA500) for $1,669 (was $3,339) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H adn RTX A2000) for $2,189 (was $4,389) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700HX and RTX A1000) for $1,949 (was $3,899) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (13-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5875U) for $1,275 (was $2,319) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (13-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5875U) for $1,242 (was $2,259) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1245U) for $1,209 (was $2,199) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1340P) for $1,201 (was $1,969) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1235U) for $1,105 (was $2,009) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (14-inch, Intel Core i5-1250P) for $1,067 (was $3,049) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500H and RTX 3050) for $731 (was $1,020) at Lenovo

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Read on Ars Technica | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Dealmaster: Sparkling TVs, noise canceling cans, Lenovo laptops, and much more

Crypto Exchanges, Not Just FTX, Are All a Mess Right Now

Posted on by

The founders of cryptocurrency exchanges face a mountain of regulatory challenges and billions in personal losses. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao personally lost $12 billion this year as trading volumes on Binance declined, according to a Bloomberg report Friday. Meanwhile, the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini sued their former…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Crypto Exchanges, Not Just FTX, Are All a Mess Right Now

Horror movie Barbarian is getting a video game adaptation

Posted on by

Barbarian is one of the more memorable horror movies of the last few years. It tells a tale of a young woman who finds that someone is already staying at her rental home. She has little choice but to stay there since nearby hotels are all booked up. That alone is a nightmare scenario but the film goes into some truly wild directions from there. On the surface, it seems like an odd choice to turn into a video game, but that’s exactly what’s happening.

New Regency Pictures and Friday the 13th: The Game and Evil Dead: The Game developer Diversion3 Entertainment have teamed up to bring Barbarian to PC and consoles. Despite the multiplayer format of the studio’s previous projects, this will be a single-player, narrative-focused title which will “expand on the settings, characters and creatures of Barbarian.” There’s no release timeframe as yet.

“We’re very excited to work with the team at New Regency to expand on the settings, characters and creatures of Barbarian,” Tim Hesse, an executive producer at Diversion3 Entertainment, told Variety in a statement. “The film did a magnificent job of not only scaring audiences with its unexpected and horrifying twists and turns, but also in establishing strong characters thrown into terrifying situations. We look forward to exploring these themes further in the game.”

A straight adaptation of the film’s story probably wouldn’t work as a game. But there’s certainly potential for it to work as a tension-filled survival horror title given (mild spoilers) how much of the Barbarian takes place in terrifying underground tunnels.

For the uninitiated, here’s the trailer for Barbarian. Happy Halloween.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/horror-movie-barbarian-is-getting-a-video-game-adaptation-200727185.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Horror movie Barbarian is getting a video game adaptation

Citi Charts Path For Thousands of Coders To Experiment With AI

Posted on by

Citigroup is planning to grant the majority of its over 40,000 coders access to generative artificial intelligence as Wall Street continues to embrace the burgeoning technology. From a report: As part of a small pilot program, the Wall Street giant has quietly allowed about 250 of its developers to experiment with generative AI, the technology popularized by ChatGPT. Now, it’s planning to expand that program to the majority of its coders next year. The bank and its rivals have slowly begun experimenting with the technology, which created waves last year when ChatGPT made its debut and showed how generative AI can produce sentences, essays or poetry based on a user’s simple questions or commands. The technology typically creates this new work after being trained on vast quantities of pre-existing material.

Increasingly, bank executives argue artificial intelligence will make their staffers more efficient. Like when federal regulators dropped 1,089 pages of new capital rules on the US banking sector, Citigroup combed through the document word by word using generative AI. The bank’s risk and compliance team used the technology to assess the impact of the plans, which will determine how much capital the lender has to set aside to guard against future losses. Generative AI organized the proposal into pieces and composed key takeaways, which the team then presented to the outgoing treasurer Mike Verdeschi.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Citi Charts Path For Thousands of Coders To Experiment With AI

One of Apple's Privacy Features, Designed to Protect Your MAC Address, Has 'Never Worked'

Posted on by

Ever since Apple re-branded as the “Privacy” company several years back, it’s been rolling out features designed to show its commitment to protecting users. Yet while customers might feel safer using an iPhone, there’s already plenty of evidence that Apple’s branding efforts don’t always match the reality of its…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – One of Apple’s Privacy Features, Designed to Protect Your MAC Address, Has ‘Never Worked’

Fall COVID shot uptake is an “abysmal” 7%; wastewater testing impaired

Posted on by
Fall COVID shot uptake is an “abysmal” 7%; wastewater testing impaired

Enlarge (credit: Getty | Lindsey Nicholson)

More than a month since US health officials recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans, only 7.1 percent of US adults have rolled up their sleeves for the shot and just 2.1 percent of children have been immunized.

The uptake is sluggish at best, and the current rates were dubbed “abysmal” Thursday by one immunization adviser for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC’s advisory panel got an update yesterday on the fall campaign to boost protection against COVID-19 ahead of the winter respiratory illness season.

The current uptake is far short of survey data from last month that indicated more than half of American adults planned to get the shots. And survey data presented yesterday to the CDC advisory committee didn’t differ dramatically from that. In a National Immunization Survey-Adult COVID Module that ran from October 8 to 14 that polled 14,715 adults, 24.6 percent said they “definitely will” get vaccinated, and an additional 30.6 percent said they “probably will.” That’s on top of the 7.1 percent who reported they were already vaccinated. The remaining 37 percent said they will definitely or probably not get vaccinated.

Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Fall COVID shot uptake is an “abysmal” 7%; wastewater testing impaired

Stem Cell Clinics Are Selling Shady, Unproven Treatments for Long Covid

Posted on by

Shady stem cell clinics are still peddling false hope to people dealing with covid-19, new research this week suggests. The study found dozens of clinics selling stem cell treatments for covid-related issues, especially long covid. These therapies often cost thousands of dollars, but there’s no good evidence that they…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Stem Cell Clinics Are Selling Shady, Unproven Treatments for Long Covid