An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: US scientists have, for the first time, made early-stage human embryos by manipulating DNA taken from people’s skin cells and then fertilizing it with sperm. The technique could overcome infertility due to old age or disease, by using almost any cell in the body as the starting point for life. It could even allow same-sex couples to have a genetically related child. […]

The Oregon Health and Science University research team’s technique takes the nucleus — which houses a copy of the entire genetic code needed to build the body — out of a skin cell. This is then placed inside a donor egg that has been stripped of its genetic instructions. So far, the technique is like the one used to create Dolly the Sheep — the world’s first cloned mammal — born back in 1996. However, this egg is not ready to be fertilized by sperm as it already contains a full suite of chromosomes.

You inherit 23 of these bundles of DNA from each of your parents for a total of 46, which the egg already has. So the next stage is to persuade the egg to discard half of its chromosomes in a process the researchers have termed “mitomeiosis” (the word is a fusion of mitosis and meiosis, the two ways cells divide). The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed 82 functional eggs were made. These were fertilized with sperm and some progressed onto the early stages of embryos development. None were developed beyond the six-day-stage.

The technique is far from polished as the egg randomly chooses which chromosomes to discard. It needs to end up with one of each of the 23 types to prevent disease, but ends up with two of some and none of others. There is also a poor success rate (around 9%) and the chromosomes miss an important process where they rearrange their DNA, called crossing over. Prof Mitalipov, a world-renowned pioneer in the field, told me: “We have to perfect it. “Eventually, I think that’s where the future will go because there are more and more patients that cannot have children.”

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Charlie Javice, founder of college financial-aid startup Frank, was sentenced to over seven years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan by inflating user numbers before the bank’s $175 million acquisition. CNN reports: Javice, 33, was convicted in March of duping the banking giant when it bought her company, called Frank, in the summer of 2021. She made false records that made it seem like Frank had over 4 million customers when it had fewer than 300,000. Addressing the court before she was sentenced, Javice, who was in her mid-20s when she founded the company, said she was “haunted that my failure has transformed something meaningful into something infamous.” Sometimes speaking through tears, she said she “made a choice that I will spend my entire life regretting.”

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein largely dismissed arguments by Javice’s lawyer, Ronald Sullivan, that he should be lenient because the negotiations that led to Frank’s sale pitted “a 28-year-old versus 300 investment bankers from the largest bank in the world.” Still, the judge criticized the bank, saying “they have a lot to blame themselves” for after failing to do adequate due diligence. He quickly added, though, that he was “punishing her conduct and not JPMorgan’s stupidity.” Javice was among a number of young tech executives who vaulted to fame with supposedly disruptive or transformative companies, only to see them collapse amid questions about whether they had engaged in puffery and fraud while dealing with investors.

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Spotify founder Daniel Ek will step down as CEO by year’s end, transitioning to executive chairman after nearly two decades at the helm. In his place will be Gustav Soderstrom and Alex Norstrom as co-CEOs. TechCrunch reports: “Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav — who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase,” Ek said in a statement. “This change simply matches titles to how we already operate. In my role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on the long arc of the company and keep the Board and our co-CEOs deeply connected through my engagement.”

In a post on X, Ek also mentioned that Spotify has been profitable for over a year. Ek has served as Spotify’s CEO since he founded it in 2006, so this is a big change in leadership for the streaming giant.

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Amazon is replacing Android on new Fire TV hardware with its own Vega OS, debuting on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select. While major streaming apps are supported, sideloading is gone “because, well, this isn’t Android anymore,” notes 9to5Google. The company says “only apps from the Amazon Appstore are available for download.” From the report: The company hasn’t fully detailed all of the ins and outs of Vega, but Amazon hints that this is a move in the interest of performance. In a post, Amazon touches on Vega being “remarkably fast” despite the low-end hardware of its new Fire TV Stick 4K Select: “Our newest Fire TV Stick, the 4K Select, helps you maximize every pixel of your 4K TVs at an incredible value. It delivers vibrant 4K picture quality with HDR10+ support and apps that launch remarkably fast. The performance comes from our new operating system, Vega, which is responsive and highly efficient. Everything you need is right in the box — it works with your favorite streaming services, and will soon support Xbox Gaming, Luna, and Alexa+.”

As pointed out by AFTVNews, the Fire TV 4K Select offers a mere 1GB of RAM, which is half as much as prior generations. So, in a way, that does speak to how lightweight this new platform is. But the bigger question is around apps. Amazon says that “your favorite streaming services” still work with Vega, and that Xbox, Luna, and Alexa+ will be coming “soon” (though they’re already supported on existing Android-based Fire TV devices).

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AI poses an obvious danger to millennia-long human fight to find the truth. Large language model “hallucinations,” vocal deepfakes, and now increased use of video deepfakes have all had a blurring effect on facts, letting bad actors around the globe brush off even recorded events as mere “fake news.”

The danger is perhaps most acute in the political realm, where deepfake audio and video can make any politician say or appear to do anything. In such a climate, our most senior elected officials have a special duty to model truth-seeking behavior and responsible AI use.

But what’s the fun in that, when you can just blow up negotiations over a budget impasse by posting a deepfake video of your political opponents calling themselves “a bunch of woke pieces of shit” while mariachi music plays in the background? Oh—and did I mention the fake mustache? Or the CGI sombrero?

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Without explanation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Trump administration has reverted from using the disease name “mpox” to the obsolete “monkeypox,” which the world abandoned in 2022 because it was seen as racist and stigmatizing.

Mpox is the name of the disease caused by Orthopoxvirus monkeypox, a relative of smallpox and cowpox that has exploded to global prominence in recent years. In 2022 and 2024, the spread of mpox caused the World Health Organization to declare international public health emergencies.

Amid the attention, health officials became acutely aware of the problematic name.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: A Chinese national has been convicted following an international fraud investigation which resulted in what’s believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world. The Metropolitan Police says it recovered 61,000 bitcoin worth more than $6.7 billion in current prices. Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, pleaded guilty on Monday at Southwark Crown Court of illegally acquiring and possessing the cryptocurrency. A second person appeared in court on Tuesday to admit to their role in the scheme.

Malaysian national Seng Hok Ling, of Matlock, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court of entering into a money laundering arrangement on or before April 23, 2024. According to the charge, he had been dealing in cryptocurrency on Qian’s behalf, “knowing or suspecting his actions would facilitate the acquisition or control of criminal property by another.” Between 2014 and 2017 Qian led a large-scale scam in China which involved cheating more than 128,000 victims and storing the stolen funds in bitcoin assets, the Met said in a statement.

It said the 47-year-old’s guilty plea followed a seven-year probe into a global money laundering web which began when it got a tipoff about the transfer of criminal assets. Qian had been “evading justice” for five years up to her arrest, which required a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions, said Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Met’s investigation. She fled China using false documents and entered the UK, where she attempted to launder the stolen money by buying property, said the Met. “By pleading guilty today, Ms Zhang hopes to bring some comfort to investors who have waited since 2017 for compensation, and to reassure them that the significant rise in cryptocurrency values means there are more than sufficient funds available to repay their losses,” said Qian’s solicitor Roger Sahota, of Berkeley Square Solicitors.

“Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by organised criminals to disguise and transfer assets, so that fraudsters may enjoy the benefits of their criminal conduct,” added deputy chief Crown prosecutor, Robin Weyell. “This case, involving the largest cryptocurrency seizure in the UK, illustrates the scale of criminal proceeds available to those fraudsters.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Amazon’s voice assistant is hanging on by a thread. And that thread is generative AI—or, in Amazon’s case, Alexa+.

Amazon hasn’t had a problem getting people to buy cheap, Alexa-powered gadgets. However, the Alexa in millions of homes today doesn’t make Amazon money. It’s largely used for simple tasks unrelated to commerce, like setting timers and checking the weather. As a result, Amazon’s Devices business has reportedly been siphoning money, and the clock is ticking for Alexa to prove its worth.

Alexa+, a subscription-based generative AI service ($20 per month or included with Prime, which starts at $15/month), is supposed to solve Amazon’s woes with Alexa. More conversational and powerful than the original Alexa, Alexa+ is designed to play a more central role in user transactions, enabling, in theory, Amazon to finally make money from voice assistants after 11 years.

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This is a compilation of iconic guitar solos assembled by Youtuber The Man In Me, highlighting what he believes to be the best each year from 1965 to 2004. Do you agree? Let me take a look here…*checks 1973 for ‘Free Bird’* Yes it’s accurate.

The full list:

1965. Heart Full of Soul – Jeff Beck | The Yardbirds
1966. Taxman – Paul McCartney – The Beatles
1967. Little Wing – Jimi Hendrix | The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1968. All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix | The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1969. Something – George Harrison | The Beatles
1970. 25 or 6 to 4 – Terry Kath | Chicago
1971. Stairway to Heaven – Jimmy Page | Led Zeppelin
1972. Highway Star – Ritchie Blackmore | Deep Purple
1973. Free Bird – Allen Collins | Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974. Working Man – Alex Lifeson | Rush
1975. Bohemian Rhapsody – Brian May | Queen
1976. Achilles Last Stand – Jimmy Page | Led Zeppelin
1977. Dogs – David Gilmour | Pink Floyd
1978. Eruption – Eddie Van Halen | Van Halen
1979. Comfortably Numb – David Gilmour | Pink Floyd
1980. Mr. Crowley – Randy Rhoads | Ozzy Osbourne
1981. Limelight – Alex Lifeson | Rush
1982. Telegraph Road – Mark Knopfler | Dire Straits
1983. Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan | Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
1984. Hot for Teacher – Eddie Van Halen | Van Halen
1985. Brothers In Arms – Mark Knopfler | Dire Straits
1986. Master of Puppets – Kirk Hammett
1987. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Slash | Guns N’ Roses
1988. One – Kirk Hammett | Metallica
1989. 18 and Life – Dave Sabo | Skid Row
1990. Tornado of Souls – Marty Friedman | Megadeth
1991. November Rain – Slash | Guns N’ Roses
1992. Killing In the Name – Tom Morello | Rage Against the Machine
1993. Trapped In a Corner – Andy LaRocque | Death
1994. High Hopes – David Gilmour | Pink Floyd
1995. Just – Jonny Greenwood | Radiohead
1996. Floods – Dimebag Darrell | Pantera
1997. Paranoid Android – Jonny Greenwood | Radiohead
1998. Crystal Planet – Joe Satriani | Joe Satriani
1999. Scar Tissue – John Frusciante | Red Hot Chili Peppers
2000. Brave New World – Janick Gers | Iron Maiden
2001. The Modern Age – Nick Valensi | The Strokes
2002. Like a Stone – Tom Morello | Audioslave
2003. Ball and Biscuit – Jack White | The White Stripes
2004. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Prince | Various Artists
2005. Octavarium – John Petrucci | Dream Theater
2006. Dani California – John Frusciante | Red Hot Chili Peppers
2007. Afterlife – Synyster Gates | Avenged Sevenfold
2008. I Got Mine – Dan Auerbach | The Black Keys
2009. The Great Flood – Joe Bonasamma | Joe Bonasamma
2010. Light Years Away – Joe Satriani | Joe Satriani
2011. The Hunter – Brent Hinds | Mastodon
2012. Bright Lights – Gary Clark Jr. | Gary Clark Jr.
2013. Fortress – Mark Tremonti | Alter Bridge
2014. The One that Kills the Least – Jim Root | Slipknot
2015. Reapers – Matt Bellamy | Muse
2016. Silvera – Joey Duplantier | Gorjira
2017. Edge of Darkness – Jacob Kiszka | Greta Van Fleet
2018. Redemption – Joe Bonamassa | Joe Bonamassa
2019. Take What You Want – Andrew Watt | Post Malone & Ozzy Osbourne
2020. Terminal Velocity – John Petrucci | John Petrucci
2021. The Weight of Dreams – Jacob Kiszka | Greta Van Fleet
2022. I Let My Guitar Do the Talking – Buddy Guy | Buddy Guy
2023. Flamethrower – Joey Walker | King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
2024. Idle Hands – Phil Demmel | Kerry King

Disney has demanded that Character.AI stop using its copyrighted characters. Axios reports that the entertainment juggernaut sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI, claiming that it has chatbots based on its franchises, including Pixar films, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to claiming copyright infringement, the letter questioned whether these protected characters were being used in problematic ways in conversations with underage users.

“Character.ai’s infringing chatbots are known, in some cases, to be sexually exploitive and otherwise harmful and dangerous to children, offending Disney’s consumers and extraordinarily damaging Disney’s reputation and goodwill,” the letter said.

Character.AI has been subject to legal and government scrutiny multiple times already over concerns that it has not provided sufficient safety guards for minors. The platform has been implicated in failing to protect two different teenagers who discussed suicide with its chatbots and then took their own lives. It has also drawn the attention of the Federal Trade Commission and US Attorneys General.

For now, at least, the platform appears to be responsive to Disney’s demands. “It’s always up to rightsholders to decide how people may interact with their IP, and we respond swiftly to requests to remove content that rightsholders report to us,” a representative said, per the Axios report. “These characters have been removed.”

Disney has shown that it is willing to take legal action against AI companies. It sued Midjourney along with Universal Studios in June on allegations of copyright infringement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/disney-sends-cease-and-desist-letter-to-characterai-220204094.html?src=rss

These are several videos (more on Instagram HERE) of a Volkswagen Beetle that’s been so insanely chopped and rides so low it’s hard to believe it’s real. It is though, and still runs on gas. One thing’s for sure — driving this you’d never have to pay to get past a parking gate. Which, I don’t know if you knew this or not, is my life goal. Dream small, that’s my motto.

Alongside its updated Sora 2 AI video generator, OpenAI has launched an iPhone-only social app called Sora that lets users consent to have friends create deepfake-style cameos of them. The invite-only app works a lot like TikTok with short remixable videos but enforces restrictions on public figures and explicit content. The Verge reports: In a briefing with reporters on Monday, employees called it the potential “ChatGPT moment for video generation.” The Sora app is currently only available to US and Canada users, with other countries set to follow, and when someone receives access, they also get four additional invites to share with friends. There’s no word on when an Android version might be released.

Sora users can give their friends — or, if they’re feeling bold, everyone — permission to create “cameos” with their own likeness using the new video model, which is dubbed Sora 2. The person whose likeness is being generated is a “co-owner” of that end result, OpenAI employees said, and they can delete it or revoke access to others at any time. Like TikTok, OpenAI’s Sora app allows you to interact with other videos and trends using a “Remix” feature, but it only allows for the generation of 10-second videos for now.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

As OpenAI tells it, the company has been consistently rolling out safety updates ever since parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, sued OpenAI, alleging that “ChatGPT killed my son.”

On August 26, the day that the lawsuit was filed, OpenAI seemed to publicly respond to claims that ChatGPT acted as a “suicide coach” for 16-year-old Adam Raine by posting a blog promising to do better to help people “when they need it most.”

By September 2, that meant routing all users’ sensitive conversations to a reasoning model with stricter safeguards, sparking backlash from users who feel like ChatGPT is handling their prompts with kid gloves. Two weeks later, OpenAI announced it would start predicting users’ ages to improve safety more broadly. Then, this week, OpenAI introduced parental controls for ChatGPT and its video generator Sora 2. Those controls allow parents to limit their teens’ use and even get access to information about chat logs in “rare cases” where OpenAI’s “system and trained reviewers detect possible signs of serious safety risk.”

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