Thanksgiving is over, which means Christmas will be here soon. To get you ready for the snowy season, Sony’s December update offers a selection of lowkey games via PlayStation Plus.
Source: Kotaku – PS Plus’ December Lineup Wants You To Cozy Up For Christmas
Eric Engestrom with Igalia just released Mesa 23.3 as the much anticipated quarterly update to this set of open-source 3D drivers principally focused on OpenGL and Vulkan API support…
Source: Phoronix – Mesa 23.3 Released With Initial NVK Vulkan Driver, AMD RDNA3 Refresh & Raspberry Pi 5
The Linux Mint crew led by Clement Lefebvre released Cinnamon 6.0 today as the latest version of their customized desktop stack…
Source: Phoronix – Linux Mint’s Cinnamon 6.0 Brings Initial — Still Experimental — Wayland Session
Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet.
The first of these two new universes is called American Caper, which will debut as a graphic novel. It will focus on two normal but damaged families who are mired “in a world of corrupt business, inept politics and bungling crime.” Comic book artist Simon Bisley (ABC Warriors, Lobo) is illustrating the graphic novel.
The other project is a 12-episode audio drama that’s already in production. A Better Paradise is described as a near-future existential suspense thriller. Absurd Ventures is working with well-regarded audio company Q-CODE Media on the project.
Absurd Ventures plans to reveal more details about both projects in the coming months. However, referring to both American Caper and A Better Paradise as “universes” suggests the company has plans to expand them into transmedia enterprises, which may just include video games.
Meanwhile, we’re just days away from getting our first proper glimpse at what has been keeping Houser’s former colleagues at Rockstar busy for the last several years. The publisher will unveil the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto game in early December. Rumors suggest the reveal will take place at The Game Awards on December 7.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rockstar-games-co-founder-dan-housers-next-projects-are-a-graphic-novel-and-an-audio-drama-210258054.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser’s next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama
PeerTube 6 is out! Featuring password-protected videos, storyboard previews, and video re-uploads. Here’s more on that!
Source: LXer – PeerTube 6 Launches Introducing Password Protection for Videos
Ahead of next month’s Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, three classic GTA games from the PlayStation 2 era are coming to Netflix’s mobile library in December. These might not be the versions fans actually want ported to more platforms, though, even if some visual improvements seem to have been made.
Source: Kotaku – The Worst Versions Of The Original GTA Trilogy Are Coming To Netflix Games
KDE today announced their first beta of the “KDE 6th Megarelease” as the Plasma 6.0, KDE Frameworks 6, and latest Gear applications…
Source: Phoronix – KDE Plasma 6.0 Beta 1 Released With Frameworks & Gear Updated
Over the last few decades, research has grown ever more international. Big projects, like major astronomical observatories, genome sequencing, and particle physics, are all based on large teams of researchers spread across multiple institutions. And, because of the technology that makes remote work possible, even small collaborations that cross countries or continents have become increasingly commonplace.
In theory, this should make it easier for researchers to build teams that have the right talents to bring a scientific project to completion. But is it working out that way? Some recent studies have indicated that the research we produce may be getting increasingly derivative. And a study released today ties that directly to the growth in what it calls “remote collaboration.”
So, is science-by-Zoom at fault? While it’s a possibility worth exploring, it’s difficult to separate cause and effect at this point.
Read 17 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Are big international teams leaving creativity out of science?
After Doctor Who’s triumphant return this past weekend in “The Star Beast,” all eyes are now on this weekend’s second of three 60th anniversary specials, “Wild Blue Yonder.” But the fact that those eyes are upon it and the BBC is not willing to say almost anything of substance about it is leading Doctor Who fans to go…
Source: Gizmodo – No One Knows What’s Happening in the Next Doctor Who Special, and They’re Going Insane
Amazon has hopped on the same bandwagon on which many major tech companies have hitched a ride this year by debuting its own image generator. AWS customers can now check out a preview of Titan Image Generator on the Bedrock console. They can either enter a text prompt to create an image from scratch or upload an image and edit it.
Amazon says the tool can produce large volumes of studio-quality, realistic images at low cost. It claims the AI can generate relevant images based on complex text prompts while ensuring object composition is accurate and that there are limited distortions. This, according to the company, helps with “reducing the generation of harmful content and mitigating the spread of misinformation.”
Those looking to edit an image can isolate areas in which they want to add or remove details. They can, for instance, replace the background or swap an object in a subject’s hand. The AI can also extend an image’s borders by adding artificial details, much like the Generative Expand feature in Photoshop.
Amazon says Titan applies an invisible watermark to images that it generates. The company says this will “help reduce the spread of misinformation by providing a discreet mechanism to identify AI-generated images and to promote the safe, secure and transparent development of AI technology.” It claims that the watermarks are resistant to modifications. According to a demo of the image generator, the AI can also generate a description of the image or relevant text to use in a social media post.
News of the image generator emerged at Amazon’s AWS re:Invent conference, at which the company also showed off its latest AI chips and revealed a business-centric AI chatbot called Q. The company recently started offering advertisers a tool that lets them add AI-generated backgrounds to product images.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-now-has-its-own-ai-image-generator-203025475.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Amazon now has its own AI image generator
Nowadays many cloud service providers design their own silicon, but Amazon Web Services (AWS) started to do this ahead of its rivals and by now its Annapurna Labs subsidiary develop processors that can well compete with those from AMD and Intel. This week AWS introduced its Graviton4 SoC, a 96-core ARM-based chip that promises to challenge renowned CPU designers and offer unprecedented performance to AWS clients.
“By focusing our chip designs on real workloads that matter to customers, we are able to deliver the most advanced cloud infrastructure to them,” said David Brown, vice president of Compute and Networking at AWS. “Graviton4 marks the fourth generation we have delivered in just five years, and is the most powerful and energy efficient chip we have ever built for a broad range of workloads.”
The AWS Graviton4 processor packs 96 cores that offer on average 30% higher compute performance compared to Graviton3 and is 40% faster in database applications as well as 45% faster in Java applications, according to Amazon. Given that Amazon did not reveal many details about its Graviton4, it is hard to attribute performance increases to any particular characteristics of the CPU.
Yet, NextPlatform believes that the processor uses Arm Neoverse V2 cores, which are more capable than V1 cores used in previous-generation AWS processors when it comes to instruction per clock (IPC). Furthermore, the new CPU is expected to be fabricated using one of TSMC’s N4 process technologies (4nm-class), which offers a higher clock-speed potential than TSMC’s N5 nodes.
“AWS Graviton4 instances are the fastest EC2 instances we have ever tested, and they are delivering outstanding performance across our most competitive and latency sensitive workloads,” said Roman Visintine, lead cloud engineer at Epic. “We look forward to using Graviton4 to improve player experience and expand what is possible within Fortnite.”
In addition, the new processor features a revamped memory subsystem with a 536.7 GB/s peak bandwidth, which is 75% higher compared to the previous-generation AWS CPU. Higher memory bandwidth improves performance of CPUs in memory intensive applications, such as databases.
Meanwhile, such a major memory bandwidth improvement indicates that the new processor employs a memory subsystem with a higher number of channels compared to Graviton3, though AWS has not formally confirmed this.
Graviton4 will be featured in memory-optimized Amazon EC2 R8g instances, which is particularly useful to boost performance in high-end databases and analytics. Furthermore, these R8g instances provide up to three times more vCPUs and memory than Graviton 3-based R7g instances, enabling higher throughput for data processing, better scalability, faster results, and reduced costs. To ensure security of AWS EC2 instances, Amazon equipped all high-speed physical hardware interfaces of Graviton4 CPUs.
It should be noted that Amazon offers up to 64 vCPU cores with its R7g instances (i.e., one full Graviton3 CPU). Therefore, to offer 192 vCPU cores, Amazon will need to either install two 96-core CPUs into one server (which marks one of the world’s first Armv9-based 2-way server design), enable three-way SMT on a 96-core CPU, or implement a very low-latency high-bandwidth interconnection between servers running 96-core cPUs.
Graviton4 R8g is currently in preview, these instances will be available widely in the coming months.
Sources: AWS, NextPlatform
Source: AnandTech – Amazon Unveils Graviton4: A 96-Core ARM CPU with 536.7 GBps Memory Bandwidth
We spend a lot of time on our phones, which means we’re always looking for ways to make our lives just a little bit easier. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve probably done your fair share of document editing while on the go using a tablet or a phone. Well, if you’re working off an Android phone, you can actually forego the need to email the document to yourself and just print it right off your phone.
In recent years, it’s become really easy to print documents from your phone, iPhones included. In fact, most apps offer a built-in way to print directly from the app. If the app doesn’t have a built-in printing option, you can always print from the File Manager on your phone. All you need is your phone, a document you need to print, and a printer that has Bluetooth capabilities (which is pretty much every printer released in the last five years or so).
The easiest way to print a document from your Android phone is to do it through Google Drive. Chances are, you’re probably already storing your files in Google Drive, and if you’re editing them on your device, then you’re probably using Google Docs, Google Slides, or Google Sheets.
Make your way to the Google Drive app, and then find the document you want to print and open it.
Now, look for the hamburger menu, which is usually symbolized by three horizontal lines on top of each other. (Some phones might offer three dots instead.) Tap on this to open the menu.
Scroll down the list until you find the Print option and tap it.
Next, you’ll need to select your printer from the dropdown list that appears, and then tap Print. Voila: You’ve now learned how to print your document on Android phones and tablets.
Printing from the file manager on your phone is just as easy, too. Find the document, open it, and then select the Print option from the menu.
Source: LifeHacker – How to Print Documents From an Android Phone
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
The appearance of any big brand’s ads on websites that the brand has specifically blocked is one of a brand’s biggest nightmares. That could include specifically blacklisted sites—like Breitbart—or any category of generally controversial site, like sites in countries sanctioned by the government, sites featuring hardcore pornography, or sites containing pirated content.
According to an Adalytics report, the Google Search Partner Network (SPN) has allegedly been putting brands at risk of all of these undesirable placements without advertisers fully realizing the dangers. Adalytics researchers reported finding Google search ads for top brands and government agencies displaying on hundreds of undesirable websites.
Among those impacted were big brands—like Amazon, Apple, BMW, Home Depot, Lego, Meta, Microsoft, Paramount+, Samsung, and Uber—and top government entities including the US Treasury and the European Commission. Ads from nonprofits like the American Cancer Society and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as major media outlets like The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal were also found on illegal or adult sites.
Read 26 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Google caught placing big-brand ads on hardcore porn sites, report says
Content platform Substack just released a spate of new video capabilities, placing it in direct competition with YouTube and Patreon, among others. The video tools include a direct upload option, which is handy, and customizable paywalls for content creators. Before this, users were forced to upload videos to YouTube and embed a link. The upload tool is now readily accessible via the dashboard. It’ll even automatically split the audio and video for podcasters who want to court both audiences.
As for the paywall options, you now get the same level of flexibility available to non-video users. Content creators can select a slice of the video to give away for free, locking the rest behind a paywall. The free preview segment should transition smoothly into a prompt to become a paying subscriber.
There’s also a new AI tool that generates transcripts from videos, for those who like to, gasp, read. The transcript is automatically created alongside the video upload and users can post it to the main feed. Additionally, viewers can click anywhere on the transcript to jump to that section of the video.
Video sharing has gotten a much-needed upgrade. Viewers can create their own custom clips sourced from any video. This creates a shareable link that includes branded visuals at the end featuring the creator’s logo and URL, so there will be no obvious thievery. Obviously, viewers can quickly share links to the entire clip if they want. Users can even directly download videos for publication on services like TikTok and Instagram. Again, that bumper will be there to give credit to the original creator.
The company wrote in a blog post that these new tools, taken together, make it so “the friction in starting a media business based on video has been reduced to almost zero.” To commemorate the launch, Substack is rolling out a number of exclusive video shows. There’s a food culture program with chef Nancy Silverton, a talk show starring actress Amber Tamblyn and a news program anchored by Chris Cuomo, among many others.
Substack has certainly been busy adding new features. The platform recently unveiled a Twitter-esque feature called Notes and last year launched a chat feature to make it more of a social space.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/substack-adds-new-video-tools-to-compete-with-patreon-and-youtube-202025605.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Substack adds new video tools to compete with Patreon and YouTube
A team of researchers was able to make ChatGPT reveal some of the bits of data it has been trained on by using a simple prompt: asking the chatbot to repeat random words forever. In response, ChatGPT churned out people’s private information including email addresses and phone numbers, snippets from research papers and news articles, Wikipedia pages, and more.
The researchers, who work at Google DeepMind, the University of Washington, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California Berkeley, and ETH Zurich, urged AI companies to seek out internal and external testing before releasing large language models, the foundational tech that powers modern AI services like chatbots and image-generators. “It’s wild to us that our attack works and should’ve, would’ve, could’ve been found earlier,” they wrote, and published their findings in a paper on Tuesday that 404 Media first reported on.
Chatbots like ChatGPT and prompt-based image generators like DALL-E are powered by large language models, deep learning algorithms that are trained on enormous amounts of data that critics say is often scraped off the public internet without consent. But until now, it wasn’t clear what data OpenAI’s chatbot was trained on since the large language models that power it are closed-source.
When the researchers asked ChatGPT to “repeat the word ‘poem’ forever”, the chatbot initially compiled, but then revealed an email address and a cellphone number for a real founder and CEO”, the paper revealed. When asked to repeat the word “company”, the chatbot eventually spat out the email address and phone number of a random law firm in the US. “In total, 16.9 percent of the generations we tested contained memorized [personally identifiable information]” the researchers wrote.
Using similar prompts, the researchers were also able to make ChatGPT reveal chunks of poetry, Bitcoin addresses, fax numbers, names, birthdays, social media handles, explicit content from dating websites, snippets from copyrighted research papers and verbatim text from news websites like CNN. Overall, they spent $200 to generate 10,000 examples of personally identifiable information and other data cribbed straight from the web totalling “several megabytes”. But a more serious adversary, they noted, could potentially get a lot more by spending more money. “The actual attack”, they wrote, “is kind of silly.”
OpenAI patched the vulnerability on August 30, the researchers say. But in our own tests, Engadget was able to replicate some of the paper’s findings. When we asked ChatGPT to repeat the word “reply” forever, for instance, the chatbot did so, before eventually revealing someone’s name and Skype ID. OpenAI did not respond to Engadget’s request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-silly-attack-made-chatgpt-reveal-real-phone-numbers-and-email-addresses-200546649.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – A ‘silly’ attack made ChatGPT reveal real phone numbers and email addresses
In mid-July, viewers hoping to catch a glimpse of a SpaceX rocket launch were stunned to see it followed by a bright aurora-like phenomenon over Arizona. The rocket had formed a hole in the upper atmosphere, evinced by a red glow captured by photographers on the ground.
Source: Gizmodo – Returning SpaceX Rockets Are Creating Bright Glowing ‘Holes’ in the Sky
Google reached a deal with the Canadian government over a controversial new law that will force tech companies to pay news publishers when their content is shared on online platforms. Google and Meta previously threatened to block links to news content in Canada altogether in response to the law. The deal is the first…
Source: Gizmodo – Google Caves, Agrees to Pay News Companies for Content in Canada
White noise can be a powerful tool for helping you fall asleep, but not all devices that produce white noise are built to relax you. I once opened my Spotify Wrapped to learn that my top song for the year was something like “Box Fan White Noise Long Loop.” Devastated by the hijacking of my annual music stats, that I started investigating white noise machines.
While I landed on buying a real box fan (for the dual purpose of generating sound and keeping me cool), there are loads of dedicated white noise machines designed simply to produce consistent background noise. And while white noise can be great for helping you fall asleep, research reveals it can also help you focus during waking hours. Here are some of the best white noise machines available, whatever your motivation for buying one.
Bedtime is where white noise machines really shine. You can opt for a classic one or one with extra features, so here are some options.
A classic white noise machine doesn’t have to be featureless. The Houseby white noise machine ($24.98) has 31 sounds, an auto-off timer, and adjustable volume controls. Reviewers say that in addition to simply looking nice (which is important!), it exceeds expectations by having such a wide variety of sound options.
The LC-dolida sleep mask and white noise machine combo ($18.59) is killer for those of us who want to sleep in darkness and peace. The eye mask fits over your eyes, blocking out light, while speakers near your ears deliver eight different white noise sounds. A two-hour charge yields 10 hours of playback time, but it also comes with an auto-off timer that can be set between 30 and 120 minutes from when you fall asleep. Plus, it has Bluetooth connectivity, in case you’d like to listen to something else before bed for a change.
Falling asleep peacefully is one thing; waking up is another. The Reacher sound machine ($35.99) handles both, since it’s also a sunrise alarm clock. You can pick white noise like rain or nature sounds, then wake up hours later to a gradual increase of light designed to mimic the sunrise before the alarm kicks in.
Houseby white noise machine $24.98
Reacher sound machine $35.99
Whether you want to get work done or study, having a white noise machine around to provide steady sounds can really help.
Try the mini sound machine from Babelio ($18.99) for a white noise machine you can take on the go. Reviewers say the charge lasts a few days, the machine features a variety of sounds, and it’s super easy to travel with, so you can bring it with you anywhere you need to get work done.
The Voraiya light therapy lamp ($89.99) has a white noise machine built in, which makes it a versatile machine. It’s one of those lamps that is supposed to replicate the effects of the sun, boosting your mood, but that brightness is good for studying and working, too—so really, this thing has it all.
The LectroFan Micro2 ($34.99) features 11 white noise sounds, but also acts as a Bluetooth speaker, which is helpful if you’re toggling between noise and recorded lectures or YouTube videos. It can even act as a speakerphone for your calls, so you stay in the zone on whatever you’re working on without having to pick up your phone at all.
Voraiya light therapy lamp $89.99
LectroFan Micro2 $34.99
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, yet there are still great deals you can take advantage of to build a get entry level PC for just around $600. Though this PC build guide doesn’t make use of the latest hardware, it certainly will offer great performance for a very economical price point. Additionally, it offers an attractive
Source: Hot Hardware – Build A Sweet 1080p Gaming Rig For 0 With These Holiday PC Parts Deals
