Have you ever opened your freezer to grab one small item and caused something of a food avalanche? It doesn’t have to be like this; there is a better way. You can organize your freezer easily and efficiently by walking away from it and into your workspace. There, you’ll grab three office supplies: Binder clips, some…
Source: LifeHacker – There’s a Better Way to Organize Your Freezer
Italians might not have access to ChatGPT for much longer. Italy’s Privacy Guarantor has ordered ChatGPT blocked over concerns OpenAI is violating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through its data handling practices. The regulator claims there’s no “legal basis” for OpenAI’s bulk collection of data for training ChatGPT’s model. The sometimes-inaccurate results also indicate the generative AI isn’t processing data correctly, the Guarantor says. Officials are particularly concerned about a flaw leaked sensitive user data last week.
The data agency also says OpenAI isn’t doing enough to protect children. While the company says ChatGPT is meant for people over the age of 13, there are no age checks to prevent kids from seeing “absolutely unsuitable” answers, according to officials.
The Guarantor is giving OpenAI 20 days to outline how it will address the issues. If the company doesn’t comply, it faces a fine of up to €20 million (about $21.8 million US) or a maximum four percent of its annual worldwide turnover.
We’ve asked OpenAI for comment and will let you know if we hear back. The company’s ChatGPT privacy policy makes clear that trainers can use conversation data to improve the AI, but that it also aggregates or anonymizes that data. OpenAI’s terms forbid use by children under 13, while the policy says the company doesn’t “knowingly” gather personal info from those underage users.
Italy’s action comes just a day after a nonprofit research organization filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hoping to freeze future ChatGPT releases until OpenAI meets the agency’s guidelines on transparency, fairness and clarity. Tech leaders and experts have also called for a half-year pause on AI development to address ethical issues. There’s worry that OpenAI doesn’t have enough checks on its platforms, and that could now lead to a country-level ban.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/italy-to-block-chatgpt-over-data-protection-issues-134922771.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Italy to block ChatGPT over data protection issues
Enlarge (credit: Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images)
As soon as Lars Ruiter steps out of his car, he is confronted by a Microsoft security guard, who is already seething with anger. Ruiter, a local councillor, has parked in the rain outside a half-finished Microsoft data center that rises out of the flat North Holland farmland. He wants to see the construction site. The guard, who recognizes Ruiter from a previous visit when he brought a TV crew here, says that’s not allowed. Within minutes, the argument has escalated, and the guard has his hand around Ruiter’s throat.
The security guard lets go of Ruiter within a few seconds, and the councillor escapes with a red mark across his neck. Back in his car, Ruiter insists he’s fine. But his hands shake when he tries to change gears. He says the altercation—which he will later report to the police—shows the fog of secrecy that surrounds the Netherlands’ expanding data center business.
Read 18 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – These angry Dutch farmers really hate Microsoft
Remember when it was nearly impossible to score an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 game console? It took a couple of years but they’re both finally easy to come by without paying a greedy scalper tax. There are also tantalizing bundles available, including preorders for the Xbox Series X with Diablo IV and a delightfully discounted PS5 + God
Source: Hot Hardware – Xbox Series X Diablo IV And Discounted PS5 God Of War Ragnarok Console Bundles Are Live
For a long time, the word “Nintendo” was synonymous with gaming, and Nintendo has always been shorthand for Mario. The Japanese console mainstay has published dozens of platformers starring the overall-loving plumber since his original debut in 1981’s Donkey Kong, and we’re here to tell you which ones are the worst…
Source: Kotaku – Every Super Mario Game Ranked From Worst To Best
People haven’t exactly been impressed in the short time since Google released its “experimental conversational AI service” Bard. Coming up against OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat (also powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4) users have found its responses to not be as knowledgeable or detailed as its rivals. That could be set to change, however, after Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed on The New York Times podcast “Hard Fork” that Bard will soon be moving from its current LaMDA-based model to larger-scale PaLM datasets in the coming days.
When asked how he felt about responses to Bard’s release, Pichai commented: “We clearly have more capable models. Pretty soon, maybe as this goes live, we will be upgrading Bard to some of our more capable PaLM models, so which will bring more capabilities, be it in reasoning, coding.”
To frame the difference, Google said it had trained LaMDA with 137 billion parameters when it shared details about the language-based models last year. PaLM, on the other hand, was said to have been trained with around 540 billion parameters. Both models may have evolved and grown since early 2022, but the contrast likely shows why Google is now slowly transitioning Bard over to PaLM, with its larger dataset and more diverse answers.
Pichai claims not to be worried about how fast Google’s AI develops compared to its competitors. When Bard first debuted in February, he acknowledged its reliance on LaMDA gave it a smaller scale, but framed having less computing power as a benefit, giving more users the change to test it out and provide feedback. Pichai also ensured that Google would be doing its own analysis of Bard’s safety and quality once provided with real-world information.
To that end, Pichai expressed that Google doesn’t want to release a “more capable model before we can fully make sure we can handle it well. We are all in very, very early stages. We will have even more capable models to plug in over time. But I don’t want it to be just who’s there first, but getting it right is very important to us.”
That thought is on the minds of over 1,800 people (including tech leaders and AI researchers) who have signed an open letter calling for a minimum six month pause on the development of AI technology “more powerful than GPT-4.”
Pichai doesn’t think this can be effectively done without involving the government, but agrees with the need for guidance: “AI is too important an area not to regulate. It’s also too important an area not to regulate well. So I’m glad these conversations are underway.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-bard-is-switching-to-a-more-capable-language-model-ceo-confirms-133028933.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Google Bard is switching to a more ‘capable’ language model, CEO confirms
Here at Lifehacker, we know scams. We know they’re elaborate and sophisticated. We know that scams cost victims their time, money, and private data, and can leave them feeling like complete and total suckers. When you hear about a scam victim, it’s easy to think, how the hell did they fall for that? But no matter how…
Source: LifeHacker – Why You Should Always Report a Scam
Solo Stove is back with another holiday sale, this time on its fire pit bundles. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the outdoor company has honored all the big summer holidays with fire pit discounts, and now it’s welcoming the warm weather with an April Fool’s Day sale. The very real flash sale offers each of Solo Stove’s three fire bit bundles at over 45 percent off.
The cheapest option — and smallest, with a 15 inch diameter — is the Ranger Essential Bundle, down to $230 from $425. It’s closely followed by the 19 inch Bonfire Essential Bundle, now at $300 from $570. The largest option is the Yukon Essential Bundle, at 27 inches in diameter and discounted to $550 from $1,010.
The essential bundles all come with the fire pit itself, a stand, a lid, and a removable base plate and ash pan. The Ranger and Bonfire models also include a carrier bag.
The removable base plate and ash pan are new to Solo Stove’s Fire Pit 2.0. Until their release last summer, you had to turn the original fire pit upside down every few uses and dump the ashes into a garbage bag. The Ranger, as the smallest model, is 15 pounds and the Yukon weighs in at almost 42 pounds, so this was no easy feat. Now all that’s required to clear it out is lifting up the base plate and grabbing the ash tray.
Solo Stove’s flash sale lasts through end of day Sunday, so you have the weekend to decide if it’s time to upgrade your fire pit for the summer. It’s also worth noting that Amazon has a few of the fire pits on sale, too. The Bonfire model bundled with the ash pan and the base plate is on sale for $276, while the tabletop Mesa version is only $80.
Shop Solo Stove deals at Amazon
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/solo-stove-fire-pit-bundles-are-over-45-percent-off-right-now-130031708.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Solo Stove fire pit bundles are over 45 percent off right now
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: The Biden administration’s $80 billion overhaul of the Internal Revenue Service is facing a new line of attack, this time from lobbyists representing tax preparers who fear that the agency’s growing power will cripple their businesses and infringe upon taxpayer privacy. The fight is over a potential plan for the I.R.S. to create its own tax-filing system that would allow taxpayers to submit their returns directly to the federal government at no cost. That type of free service could diminish the need for those provided by tax preparation companies like H&R Block and TurboTax. The idea, which is still being studied, is stoking backlash from Republicans and business groups who argue that President Biden’s plans to bolster the I.R.S. will give it even more power over ordinary taxpayers.
The I.R.S. received a giant infusion of money as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping climate and energy bill that Congress passed last year. That legislation set aside $15 million for the I.R.S. to conduct a study to determine how it could develop a program that would let Americans file their tax returns directly with the agency. The I.R.S. is expected in the coming days to release its plan for how it intends to spend the $80 billion that it was allocated as part of that legislation. Republican lawmakers have maintained firm opposition to the funding, which will help the agency hire 87,000 employees, and have been taking steps to claw it back. […] Democrats have long pushed to make filing free for everyone, seeing that as a way to make the process easier and less costly. But that ambition could upend the business models of the multibillion-dollar tax preparation industry, which earns hefty fees for helping people navigate the tax code.
Several companies already provide free tax-filing services through the I.R.S. website to those who earn less than $73,000, and the agency provides forms that taxpayers who do not need any guidance can use to file their returns for free. Some other software platforms offer limited free services for simple tax returns that also do not offer guidance through the process. Initially, a tax-filing system developed by the I.R.S. would be similar to the existing free options. But proponents of the idea believe that over time it could evolve to become a more comprehensive system that would provide taxpayers with returns that are already filled out based on wage data that the I.R.S. tracks. At that point, taxpayers could just sign off on their returns as easily as responding “yes” to a text message.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Tax Preparation Industry Alarmed Over Plan For IRS Free Tax-Filing System
For an undisclosed amount of time, Subway is offering buy one, get one free footlongs when you use the code “BOGOFTL” at checkout. You can use the code as many times as you can, as long as they are different orders—but it only works at participating locations, and figuring out whether your closest Subway is …
Source: LifeHacker – Get an Extra Subway Footlong for Free While You Can
Vulkan 1.3.246 has been published with one prominent new extension introduced that was started by Nintendo and worked on by several other hardware/software vendors…
Source: Phoronix – Vulkan 1.3.246 Released With VK_EXT_shader_object
The trial of the century came to a thrilling end yesterday. I’m talking, of course, about the Gwyneth Paltrow ski accident trial. Terry Sanderson, a doctor, sued Paltrow for $300,000 in damages after he says she ran into him at a Utah ski slope in 2016; the actor and lifestyle influencer countersued for $1 in a widely…
Source: Gizmodo – Did Climate Change Make Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ski Crash Worse?
With the Tetris movie hitting Apple TV+ this week, we chat with the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov, and Henk Rogers, the man who helped bring it out of the Soviet Union. We discuss just how realistic the film is (it definitely takes plenty of liberties), the impact of Tetris on gaming and where it could be headed in the future. Also, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the recent letter from the Future of Life Institute, which was signed by Elon Musk and other tech leaders, and called for a pause on AI development beyond GPT4. It turns out that wasn’t entirely altruistic.
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 podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Interview with Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris publisher Henk Rogers – 1:17
The open letter asking for a 6-month pause of AI development is more suspicious than you think – 16:57
Do the proposed U.S. DATA and RESTRICT acts reach too far in trying to ban TikTok? – 26:48
Pres. Biden bans the use of commercial spyware – 36:20
Microsoft is focused on security, AI and a light processor friendly version in Windows 12 – 39:11
Google unveils AI planning tool to help beat extreme heat due to climate change – 43:21
Apple’s WWDC dates announced: June 5 to 9 – 45:12
Working on – 57:39
Pop culture picks – 1:02:16
Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guests (Audio): Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-tetris-movie-interview-123036482.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Engadget Podcast: ‘Tetris’ creator chats about the ‘Tetris’ movie
Google engineers on Thursday posted initial “request for comments” patches on their KVM-CPUFreq driver that is part of their effort to improve the dynamic voltage and frequency scaling behavior and task placement within KVM-based virtual machines. This effort is leading to big improvements in raw performance and performance-per-Watt for tasks running within Linux VMs…
Source: Phoronix – Google Posts KVM-CPUFreq Driver To Dramatically Boost VM Performance, Power Efficiency
Archinstall 2.5.4 has been released today as a new maintenance update to the official Arch Linux text-mode installer that brings a couple of new features and various improvements.
Source: LXer – Arch Linux Installer Gets Initial Swapfile Prototype, Updated Sway Profile, and More
Satellite swarms built and operated by SpaceX and OneWeb are poised to fundamentally alter the way in which we access the internet and where we connect to the grid. On the surface, the two internet service offerings would seem to be in competition with each other, but this isn’t exactly the case.
Source: Gizmodo – What’s the Difference Between SpaceX’s Starlink and OneWeb?
It’s a day of reality catching up with the chatbot boom. In the last 24 hours alone, we’ve had hoaxes, FTC complaints and… ads. Hooray. We’ll get into how Microsoft is bringing ads to its Bing chatbot – bound to happen – while OpenAI may have to halt ChatGPT releases in the face of FTC complaints.
The nonprofit research organization, Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), says OpenAI’s models are “biased, deceptive” and threaten privacy and public safety. The CAIDP says OpenAI also fails to meet Commission guidelines calling for AI to be transparent, fair and easy to explain. There’s no guarantee the FTC will act on the complaint. If it does set requirements, though, the move would affect development across the AI industry.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
Uber adds 14 new cities to its EV rideshare service
‘Star Trek: Picard’ embraces its nihilism
Apple’s ‘Tetris’ movie trades real-life drama for spy fantasies
Github ordered to identify user who leaked Twitter source code
Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to latest fraud, bribery charges
Over the past few days, users have reported seeing ads inside Microsoft’s Bing chatbot experience. Based on the limited examples we’ve seen, the GPT-4-powered chatbot embeds relevant ad links in response to users’ actual questions. Ads don’t seem to appear for most people (including us) yet, but they’ll most likely pop up more frequently and in more places soon. In a post on the Bing blog, Microsoft Corporate VP for Search and Devices Yusuf Mehd, explained that ads would come in the form of a linked citation, along with additional links in a “Learn More” section below Bing’s response to their query. In the future, Microsoft could add functionality where hovering over a link from an advertiser would display more links from its website to drive more traffic to it.
Midjourney CEO, David Holz, announced on Discord that the company is ending free trials due to “extraordinary demand and trial abuse.” New safeguards haven’t been “sufficient,” and you’ll have to pay at least $10 per month to use the image generator going forward. As The Washington Post reported, Midjourney has picked up unwanted attention in recent weeks. Users relied on the company’s AI to build deepfakes of Donald Trump being arrested, and Pope Francis wearing a trendy coat.
The Polestar 3 was recently showcased in New York for its North American debut, so we had to check it out. It might just be the best-looking new SUV in 2023. The Polestar 3 is built on the same platform as the Volvo EX90, but the company has made some significant changes that ensure there won’t be confusion between the two. Instead of three rows of seats, the Polestar 3 maxes out at two, with slightly less rear storage in favor of a more spacious cabin.
With “legacy” Twitter checkmarks about to disappear (tomorrow!), one Twitter alternative hopes to lure some of those OG verified users to its platform. T2, an invite-only service led by two former Twitter employees, says it will allow accounts to carry over their “legacy” Twitter verification to its site. T2 is part of a growing crop of Twitter alternatives that have sprung up after Musk’s takeover. Founder Gabor Cselle has been clear that he intends to create “a pretty straightforward copy of Twitter with some simplifications”.
Netflix might have started (or is at least looking to start) testing games for TV, based on code within its app that developer Steve Moser shared with Bloomberg. Moser reportedly found hidden references to games played on television, as well as additional code that indicates the possibility of using phones as controllers to play them. One line from within the app apparently reads: “A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?” The streaming giant launched several games on Android, iPhones and iPads in 2021, but on the Netflix app for TV, these games were notably absent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-midjourney-shutters-free-trials-of-its-ai-image-generator-due-to-extraordinary-abuse-111518140.html?src=rssItaly’s privacy watchdog said Friday it had blocked ChatGPT, saying the artificial intelligence app did not respect user data and could not verify users’ age. The decision “with immediate effect” will result in “the temporary limitation of the processing of Italian user data vis-a-vis OpenAI,” said the Italian Data Protection Authority.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – OpenAI’s ChatGPT Blocked In Italy
Sound Open Firmware “SOF” 2.5 has been released as this open-source sound/DSP firmware initiative that was originally started by Intel but now is a Linux Foundation project and seeing hardware support from multiple vendors…
Source: Phoronix – Sound Open Firmware 2.5 Released – Continues Adoption Of Zephyr, Adds MediaTek MT8188
Enlarge / This otherworldly photo was taken of the debut launch of the Terran 1 rocket on March 23, 2023. (credit: Relativity Space/John Kraus)
Welcome to Edition 5.31 of the Rocket Report! We’re about to tip over into April, and all signs continue to point to the likelihood of a Starship orbital launch attempt this month. I’ve heard all sorts of dates, but most recently, SpaceX appears to be working internally toward April 10. That lines up with about when a launch license is expected from the Federal Aviation Administration.
It probably won’t happen that soon, but we are pretty darn close, y’all.
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets and a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
Read 29 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Rocket Report: ULA Centaur stage has an ‘anomaly,’ Virgin Orbit funding is dire
