Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

The excellent and customizable Arc Browser is now fully available on Windows

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The popular Arc Browser has been wowing macOS and iOS users for years, and now it’s finally available for Windows users. The Windows version of The Browser Company’s software had been in beta since December. The only caveat? The web browser is only available for Windows 11, though a Windows 10 version is on the way.

While a direct competitor to browsers like Chrome and Edge, Arc is actually quite unique. It features a collapsible sidebar with vertical tabs and bookmarks, so there are no tabs up top. This gives users a clean view of the actual website they’re visiting, without any unnecessary clutter. It also lets people build spaces to keep things organized, which kind of works like folders on a desktop. Looking for recipes and applying for jobs at the same time? Just dump tabs and research from the former into one space and the latter into another space.

The Peek feature lets users preview a link before opening it and Little Arc opens up a lightweight browser window for viewing something quickly and with minimal memory usage. There’s a bit of a learning curve with Arc, given we’ve been using browsers in the same exact way for decades, but that’s been worth it for many users.

It’s also ultra-customizable, making for the kind of personalized experience that isn’t available with rival browsers. Arc actually lets users customize the look of any website they visit, so people can take their aggression out on Engadget by turning the site neon green or changing the font to something hideous. Folks can even highlight entire sections and delete them from view. As an added bonus, Chrome plugins work with Arc, making for an easy migration.

A neon green Engadget.
Engadget / Nathan Ingraham

Another big thing here is Swift integration. Arc actually runs on Swift, which is a programming language created by Apple for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. So by bringing Arc to Windows, the Browser Company is also bringing Swift to Windows for the first time.

This means that third parties will, eventually, be able to build Windows applications using Swift. This programming language is considered by some to be faster and more efficient than, say, Python and the like. The company’s been working on bringing Swift to Windows computers for six years, with company engineer Saleem Abdulrasool calling it “an effort of love.”

The Browser Company promises this is just the beginning of Arc on Windows. It says there will be regular performance improvements and new features “dropping in the coming weeks and months.” In the meantime, the browser’s free if people want to give it a looksie.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-excellent-and-customizable-arc-browser-is-now-fully-available-on-windows-165707711.html?src=rss

The excellent and customizable Arc Browser is now fully available on Windows

Posted on by

The popular Arc Browser has been wowing macOS and iOS users for years, and now it’s finally available for Windows users. The Windows version of The Browser Company’s software had been in beta since December. The only caveat? The web browser is only available for Windows 11, though a Windows 10 version is on the way.

While a direct competitor to browsers like Chrome and Edge, Arc is actually quite unique. It features a collapsible sidebar with vertical tabs and bookmarks, so there are no tabs up top. This gives users a clean view of the actual website they’re visiting, without any unnecessary clutter. It also lets people build spaces to keep things organized, which kind of works like folders on a desktop. Looking for recipes and applying for jobs at the same time? Just dump tabs and research from the former into one space and the latter into another space.

The Peek feature lets users preview a link before opening it and Little Arc opens up a lightweight browser window for viewing something quickly and with minimal memory usage. There’s a bit of a learning curve with Arc, given we’ve been using browsers in the same exact way for decades, but that’s been worth it for many users.

It’s also ultra-customizable, making for the kind of personalized experience that isn’t available with rival browsers. Arc actually lets users customize the look of any website they visit, so people can take their aggression out on Engadget by turning the site neon green or changing the font to something hideous. Folks can even highlight entire sections and delete them from view. As an added bonus, Chrome plugins work with Arc, making for an easy migration.

A neon green Engadget.
Engadget / Nathan Ingraham

Another big thing here is Swift integration. Arc actually runs on Swift, which is a programming language created by Apple for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. So by bringing Arc to Windows, the Browser Company is also bringing Swift to Windows for the first time.

This means that third parties will, eventually, be able to build Windows applications using Swift. This programming language is considered by some to be faster and more efficient than, say, Python and the like. The company’s been working on bringing Swift to Windows computers for six years, with company engineer Saleem Abdulrasool calling it “an effort of love.”

The Browser Company promises this is just the beginning of Arc on Windows. It says there will be regular performance improvements and new features “dropping in the coming weeks and months.” In the meantime, the browser’s free if people want to give it a looksie.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-excellent-and-customizable-arc-browser-is-now-fully-available-on-windows-165707711.html?src=rss

Tesla is reportedly getting ‘absolutely hard core’ about more layoffs, according to Elon Musk

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It’s only been two weeks since Tesla began reducing its workforce by ten percent, a move that impacted at least 14,000 staffers. Now, even more pink slips are coming. The company let go of two senior executives today and plans to lay off hundreds more employees, as reported by The Information.

These layoffs impact the entire Supercharger team, including senior director Rebecca Tinucci and 500 staffers. Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, was also laid off, along with his team. Tesla’s public policy team is also being dissolved, which was led by former executive Rohan Patel.

CEO Elon Musk sent out a company-wide email that seemed more like a threat than anything else. "Hopefully these actions are making it clear that we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction," Musk wrote. "While some on exec staff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so."

This could be just the beginning. Musk also said that any staffers working under executives who “don’t obviously pass the excellent, necessary and trustworthy test” would also get cut. When all of this is said and done, Tesla’s headcount could be reduced by as much as 20 percent, as recently suggested by Bloomberg. This adds up to more than 20,000 employees.

Just how “hard core” is Musk about reducing costs? Well, a judge recently rejected his proposal for a pay package that would grant him $55.8 billion of Tesla’s money, which was referred to in court as “an unfathomable sum” that was unfair to shareholders. Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick went on to call it “the largest potential compensation opportunity ever observed in public markets by multiple orders of magnitude.” Sounds kinda soft core to me.

This is shaping up to be a really crappy year for Tesla, even if its stock price seems to be living in a parallel universe. Profit margins have sunk to a six-year low. The company’s most recent earnings report was abysmal, with profits falling by 55 percent. The Cybertruck continues to be something of a dangerous joke. Tesla’s Autopilot software was recently linked to 14 deaths. It has also reportedly given up on its budget-friendly EV in favor of a robotaxi, because why make a car everyone would want to buy instead of something a few taxi companies will buy? On the plus side, Tesla doesn’t really pay taxes, which is pretty hard core.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-is-reportedly-getting-absolutely-hard-core-about-more-layoffs-according-to-elon-musk-151635645.html?src=rss

Tesla is reportedly getting ‘absolutely hard core’ about more layoffs, according to Elon Musk

Posted on by

It’s only been two weeks since Tesla began reducing its workforce by ten percent, a move that impacted at least 14,000 staffers. Now, even more pink slips are coming. The company let go of two senior executives today and plans to lay off hundreds more employees, as reported by The Information.

These layoffs impact the entire Supercharger team, including senior director Rebecca Tinucci and 500 staffers. Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, was also laid off, along with his team. Tesla’s public policy team is also being dissolved, which was led by former executive Rohan Patel.

CEO Elon Musk sent out a company-wide email that seemed more like a threat than anything else. "Hopefully these actions are making it clear that we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction," Musk wrote. "While some on exec staff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so."

This could be just the beginning. Musk also said that any staffers working under executives who “don’t obviously pass the excellent, necessary and trustworthy test” would also get cut. When all of this is said and done, Tesla’s headcount could be reduced by as much as 20 percent, as recently suggested by Bloomberg. This adds up to more than 20,000 employees.

Just how “hard core” is Musk about reducing costs? Well, a judge recently rejected his proposal for a pay package that would grant him $55.8 billion of Tesla’s money, which was referred to in court as “an unfathomable sum” that was unfair to shareholders. Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick went on to call it “the largest potential compensation opportunity ever observed in public markets by multiple orders of magnitude.” Sounds kinda soft core to me.

This is shaping up to be a really crappy year for Tesla, even if its stock price seems to be living in a parallel universe. Profit margins have sunk to a six-year low. The company’s most recent earnings report was abysmal, with profits falling by 55 percent. The Cybertruck continues to be something of a dangerous joke. Tesla’s Autopilot software was recently linked to 14 deaths. It has also reportedly given up on its budget-friendly EV in favor of a robotaxi, because why make a car everyone would want to buy instead of something a few taxi companies will buy? On the plus side, Tesla doesn’t really pay taxes, which is pretty hard core.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-is-reportedly-getting-absolutely-hard-core-about-more-layoffs-according-to-elon-musk-151635645.html?src=rss

Peacock is raising prices again, just in time for the Olympics

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Streamflation is real y'all. Peacock just announced its raising prices again, less than a year after it last upped subscription costs. The new price will be $8 per month for Peacock with ads and $14 per month for an ad-free experience, starting on July 18 for new subscribers and August 17 for pre-existing users. An ad-free subscription will be the same price as Disney+ and nearly as much as Netflix. Mrs. Davis was good, but was it that good?

To put this into perspective, just one year ago a subscription to Peacock set you back just $5 to $10 per month, depending on if you went with ads or not. Then there was a $1 increase last summer, and now a $2 increase this summer. If this rate of increase keeps up, Peacock will cost $260,000 per month by 2040, and that’s with ads. But can you really put a price tag on finding out if Jim and Pam ever kiss?

There is a method to Peacock’s price-gouging madness. The 2024 Summer Olympics is right around the corner and the streamer will be showing “every sport and event, including all 329 medal events.” The platform will also host full-event replays, curated video clips and original commentary. The Olympics kick off on July 26, just eight days after the price increase starts for new subscribers. Get that Olympics audience cheddar, Peacock, though good luck keeping subscriberers once the games end.

Peacock is just following the market here, as rival streaming services have been raising prices left and right. Just about every major streaming platform has become more expensive in the past year, including Disney+, Apple TV+ and Netflix. Other types of streaming services aren’t immune. Spotify is planning on raising subscription prices for US customers later this year, despite recently reporting record profits for the first quarter of 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/peacock-is-raising-prices-again-just-in-time-for-the-olympics-185457098.html?src=rss

Peacock is raising prices again, just in time for the Olympics

Posted on by

Streamflation is real y'all. Peacock just announced its raising prices again, less than a year after it last upped subscription costs. The new price will be $8 per month for Peacock with ads and $14 per month for an ad-free experience, starting on July 18 for new subscribers and August 17 for pre-existing users. An ad-free subscription will be the same price as Disney+ and nearly as much as Netflix. Mrs. Davis was good, but was it that good?

To put this into perspective, just one year ago a subscription to Peacock set you back just $5 to $10 per month, depending on if you went with ads or not. Then there was a $1 increase last summer, and now a $2 increase this summer. If this rate of increase keeps up, Peacock will cost $260,000 per month by 2040, and that’s with ads. But can you really put a price tag on finding out if Jim and Pam ever kiss?

There is a method to Peacock’s price-gouging madness. The 2024 Summer Olympics is right around the corner and the streamer will be showing “every sport and event, including all 329 medal events.” The platform will also host full-event replays, curated video clips and original commentary. The Olympics kick off on July 26, just eight days after the price increase starts for new subscribers. Get that Olympics audience cheddar, Peacock, though good luck keeping subscriberers once the games end.

Peacock is just following the market here, as rival streaming services have been raising prices left and right. Just about every major streaming platform has become more expensive in the past year, including Disney+, Apple TV+ and Netflix. Other types of streaming services aren’t immune. Spotify is planning on raising subscription prices for US customers later this year, despite recently reporting record profits for the first quarter of 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/peacock-is-raising-prices-again-just-in-time-for-the-olympics-185457098.html?src=rss

The EU will force Apple to open up iPadOS

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Apple’s iPad has been added to the list of tech products that must abide by the EU’s DMA rules, as reported by Bloomberg. The European Commission has officially designated iPadOS as a gatekeeper under the DMA, alongside the Safari web browser, the iOS operating system and the App Store. The organization states that users are basically “locked-in” to Apple’s iPadOS ecosystem and that it disincentivizes people from switching to competitors. The company has six months to comply with various preemptive measures.

This follows a months-long investigation into iPadOS to decide whether or not it qualifies as gatekeeper software. “iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers”, wrote Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy at the European Commission. “Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform.”

What does Apple have to do to ensure iPadOS compliance? According to the DMA, gatekeepers are prohibited from favoring their own services over rivals and from locking users into the ecosystem. The software must also allow third parties to interoperate with internal services, which is why third-party app stores are becoming a thing on iPhones in Europe. The iPad, presumably, will soon follow suit. In other words, the DMA is lobbing some serious stink bombs into Apple’s walled garden.

In a statement published by Forbes, Apple said it “will continue to constructively engage with the European Commission” to ensure its designated services comply with the DMA, including iPadOS. The company isn’t exactly pleased, however, and has accused the legislation of creating “new privacy and data security risks.” To that end, Apple has issued a legal challenge to the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg, with hearings set to take place later this year.

In happier tablet news for Apple, the company recently announced an event for May 7 to showcase new iPads. We're likely to see an OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air, in addition to updated peripherals.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-force-apple-to-open-up-ipados-181553238.html?src=rss

The EU will force Apple to open up iPadOS

Posted on by

Apple’s iPad has been added to the list of tech products that must abide by the EU’s DMA rules, as reported by Bloomberg. The European Commission has officially designated iPadOS as a gatekeeper under the DMA, alongside the Safari web browser, the iOS operating system and the App Store. The organization states that users are basically “locked-in” to Apple’s iPadOS ecosystem and that it disincentivizes people from switching to competitors. The company has six months to comply with various preemptive measures.

This follows a months-long investigation into iPadOS to decide whether or not it qualifies as gatekeeper software. “iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers”, wrote Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy at the European Commission. “Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform.”

What does Apple have to do to ensure iPadOS compliance? According to the DMA, gatekeepers are prohibited from favoring their own services over rivals and from locking users into the ecosystem. The software must also allow third parties to interoperate with internal services, which is why third-party app stores are becoming a thing on iPhones in Europe. The iPad, presumably, will soon follow suit. In other words, the DMA is lobbing some serious stink bombs into Apple’s walled garden.

In a statement published by Forbes, Apple said it “will continue to constructively engage with the European Commission” to ensure its designated services comply with the DMA, including iPadOS. The company isn’t exactly pleased, however, and has accused the legislation of creating “new privacy and data security risks.” To that end, Apple has issued a legal challenge to the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg, with hearings set to take place later this year.

In happier tablet news for Apple, the company recently announced an event for May 7 to showcase new iPads. We're likely to see an OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air, in addition to updated peripherals.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-will-force-apple-to-open-up-ipados-181553238.html?src=rss

OpenAI hit with another privacy complaint over ChatGPT’s love of making stuff up

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OpenAI has been hit with a privacy complaint in Austria by an advocacy group called NOYB, which stands for None Of Your Business. The complaint alleges that the company’s ChatGPT bot repeatedly provided incorrect information about a real individual (who for privacy reasons is not named in the complaint), as reported by Reuters. This may breach EU privacy rules.

The chatbot allegedly spat out incorrect birthdate information for the individual, instead of just saying it didn’t know the answer to the query. Like politicians, AI chatbots like to confidently make stuff up and hope we don’t notice. This phenomenon is called a hallucination. However, it’s one thing when these bots make up ingredients for a recipe and another thing entirely when they invent stuff about real people.

The complaint also indicates that OpenAI refused to help delete the false information, responding that it was technically impossible to make that kind of change. The company did offer to filter or block the data on certain prompts. OpenAI’s privacy policy says that if users notice the AI chatbot has generated “factually inaccurate information” about them that they can submit a “correction request”, but the company says that it “may not be able to correct the inaccuracy in every instance”, as reported by TechCrunch.

This is bigger than just one complaint, as the chatbot’s tendency toward making stuff up could run afoul of the region’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs how personal data can be used and processed. EU residents have rights regarding personal information, including a right to have false data corrected. Failure to comply with these regulations can accrue serious financial penalties, up to four percent of global annual turnover in some cases. Regulators can also order changes to how information is processed.

“It’s clear that companies are currently unable to make chatbots like ChatGPT comply with EU law, when processing data about individuals,” Maartje de Graaf, NOYB data protection lawyer, said in a statement. “If a system cannot produce accurate and transparent results, it cannot be used to generate data about individuals. The technology has to follow the legal requirements, not the other way around.”

The complaint also brought up concerns regarding transparency on the part of OpenAI, suggesting that the company doesn’t offer information regarding where the data it generates on individuals comes from or if this data is stored indefinitely. This is of particular importance when considering data pertaining to private individuals.

Again, this is a complaint by an advocacy group and EU regulators have yet to comment one way or the other. However, OpenAI has acknowledged in the past that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” NOYB has approached the Austrian Data Protection Authority and asked the organization to investigate the issue.

The company is facing a similar complaint in Poland, in which the local data protection authority began investigating ChatGPT after a researcher was unable to get OpenAI’s help with correcting false personal information. That complaint accuses OpenAI of several breaches of the EU’s GDPR, with regard to transparency, data access rights and privacy.

There’s also Italy. The Italian data protection authority conducted an investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI which concluded by saying it believes the company has violated the GDPR in various ways. This includes ChatGPT’s tendency to make up fake stuff about people. The chatbot was actually banned in Italy before OpenAI made certain changes to the software, like new warnings for users and the option to opt-out of having chats be used to train the algorithms. Despite no longer being banned, the Italian investigation into ChatGPT continues.

OpenAI hasn’t responded to this latest complaint, but did respond to the regulatory salvo issued by Italy’s DPA. “We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals,” the company wrote. “We actively work to reduce personal data in training our systems like ChatGPT, which also rejects requests for private or sensitive information about people.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-hit-with-another-privacy-complaint-over-chatgpts-love-of-making-stuff-up-162250335.html?src=rss

OpenAI hit with another privacy complaint over ChatGPT’s love of making stuff up

Posted on by

OpenAI has been hit with a privacy complaint in Austria by an advocacy group called NOYB, which stands for None Of Your Business. The complaint alleges that the company’s ChatGPT bot repeatedly provided incorrect information about a real individual (who for privacy reasons is not named in the complaint), as reported by Reuters. This may breach EU privacy rules.

The chatbot allegedly spat out incorrect birthdate information for the individual, instead of just saying it didn’t know the answer to the query. Like politicians, AI chatbots like to confidently make stuff up and hope we don’t notice. This phenomenon is called a hallucination. However, it’s one thing when these bots make up ingredients for a recipe and another thing entirely when they invent stuff about real people.

The complaint also indicates that OpenAI refused to help delete the false information, responding that it was technically impossible to make that kind of change. The company did offer to filter or block the data on certain prompts. OpenAI’s privacy policy says that if users notice the AI chatbot has generated “factually inaccurate information” about them that they can submit a “correction request”, but the company says that it “may not be able to correct the inaccuracy in every instance”, as reported by TechCrunch.

This is bigger than just one complaint, as the chatbot’s tendency toward making stuff up could run afoul of the region’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs how personal data can be used and processed. EU residents have rights regarding personal information, including a right to have false data corrected. Failure to comply with these regulations can accrue serious financial penalties, up to four percent of global annual turnover in some cases. Regulators can also order changes to how information is processed.

“It’s clear that companies are currently unable to make chatbots like ChatGPT comply with EU law, when processing data about individuals,” Maartje de Graaf, NOYB data protection lawyer, said in a statement. “If a system cannot produce accurate and transparent results, it cannot be used to generate data about individuals. The technology has to follow the legal requirements, not the other way around.”

The complaint also brought up concerns regarding transparency on the part of OpenAI, suggesting that the company doesn’t offer information regarding where the data it generates on individuals comes from or if this data is stored indefinitely. This is of particular importance when considering data pertaining to private individuals.

Again, this is a complaint by an advocacy group and EU regulators have yet to comment one way or the other. However, OpenAI has acknowledged in the past that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” NOYB has approached the Austrian Data Protection Authority and asked the organization to investigate the issue.

The company is facing a similar complaint in Poland, in which the local data protection authority began investigating ChatGPT after a researcher was unable to get OpenAI’s help with correcting false personal information. That complaint accuses OpenAI of several breaches of the EU’s GDPR, with regard to transparency, data access rights and privacy.

There’s also Italy. The Italian data protection authority conducted an investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI which concluded by saying it believes the company has violated the GDPR in various ways. This includes ChatGPT’s tendency to make up fake stuff about people. The chatbot was actually banned in Italy before OpenAI made certain changes to the software, like new warnings for users and the option to opt-out of having chats be used to train the algorithms. Despite no longer being banned, the Italian investigation into ChatGPT continues.

OpenAI hasn’t responded to this latest complaint, but did respond to the regulatory salvo issued by Italy’s DPA. “We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals,” the company wrote. “We actively work to reduce personal data in training our systems like ChatGPT, which also rejects requests for private or sensitive information about people.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-hit-with-another-privacy-complaint-over-chatgpts-love-of-making-stuff-up-162250335.html?src=rss