Author Archives: Mat Smith

The Morning After: Microsoft recruits recently fired OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman

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OpenAI’s board of directors announced Friday it had fired CEO Sam Altman. But he’s doing okay. By Monday morning, he had joined Microsoft “to lead a new advanced AI research team,” according to the company.

Altman cofounded OpenAI with Elon Musk in 2015 as a nonprofit and served as the CEO for the for-profit arm since 2019. He was originally fired from OpenAI over “a breakdown in communication between Sam and the board,” according to an internal staff memo. Several key members also resigned, including co-founder Greg Brockman (who will now also join Microsoft) along with a few senior researchers. “Dozens” of OpenAI employees reportedly announced internally they’d be quitting too, with some expressing interest in joining a potential new Altman startup.

According to Bloomberg, the board had reportedly considered reversing Altman’s firing, though the ousted exec wanted the existing board to resign and issue a public apology — and I fully endorse all this drama, if true.

The company did not apologize, however.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest stories you might have missed

Apple will offer RCS support starting in 2024

Alan Wake II is great, but it doesn’t need guns

Stadium card stunts and the art of programming a crowd

The Last Of Us Part II Remastered is coming to PS5 next year

What is RCS and how is it different from SMS and iMessage?

Apple will finally support it next year.

Following the news that iPhones will support Rich Communication Services next year, what exactly is RCS? Well, positioned as a next-generation replacement for SMS and MMS, it adds modern features you may already use on WhatsApp, including read receipts and the ability to send high-resolution images and more. We wrestle with what this means, and how iMessage fits into it all.

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Nothing pulls its iMessage-compatible Chats app

The Sunbird-based app, which was still in beta, has been removed from the Play Store.

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Nothing

It’s a weird week for messaging and texts. Nothing has pulled the beta of its new messaging app, Nothing Chats. The company touted the Sunbird-based app as the answer to the longstanding Android versus Apple texting woes, supporting RCS and iMessage. However, critics voiced concerns over the security risks workarounds like this bring. Nothing Chats does not have end-to-end encryption, and 9to5Google noted attachments sent by other users could easily be accessed in plain text.

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SpaceX loses another Starship and Super Heavy rocket

There was a double explosion during testing.

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SpaceX

SpaceX's second test flight of its Starship spacecraft — which it hopes will eventually ferry humans to the Moon and Mars — ended in an explosion Saturday morning, minutes after taking off from the company's spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas. After completing stage separation, when the Super Heavy booster detached itself from Starship, the rocket's first stage exploded. Starship, however, continued for several more minutes, with a faint explosion heard around the eight-minute mark. Unlike its first test, Starship was able to reach space this time. The company is framing it as a success, even if it did… explode.

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The best Black Friday Deals we’ve found so far

From Amazon, Walmart, Target and more!

We’ve rounded up the best Black Friday deals on tech we’ve tested, and we expect many of the live deals to run through to Cyber Monday. As a taster, we’re already seeing record lows on iPads, wireless earbuds, PS5 controllers, Xbox consoles, Sonos gear, smart TVs and more.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsoft-recruits-recently-fired-openai-ceo-sam-altman-121523955.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Humane’s Ai Pin wearable costs $699 and ships in early 2024

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Wearable startup Humane has officially unveiled its first device, the Ai Pin. For months, the company has drip fed information, only offering a glimpse of the device, wielded by Naomi Campbell, of all people, at Paris Fashion Week in October.

The Ai Pin is a pocket-worn wearable AI assistant that can reportedly perform the tasks our current phones and voice assistants do, but without a screen, instead operating primarily through voice commands and, occasionally, a virtual screen projected onto the user’s hand. It works independently of other devices, connected to its own phone network through T-Mobile, but on Humane’s own MVNO because that’s even more complicated.

The device will cost $700, and another $24 per month for unlimited talk, text and data, and will ship in early 2024.

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Humane

We’re still waiting for deeper hands-on impressions and demonstrations of the technology. I’m skeptical, and not just because it’s been just over ten years since Google Glass tried to be a thing.

Have a great weekend, and make sure you check out our new TMA series on YouTube, where I try to make more work for our wonderful video team, every Saturday.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!​​

The stories you might have missed

The best cooking gifts

Meta may return to China with the release of a new, budget VR headset

Amazon reportedly plans to dump Android for a homemade Fire OS replacement

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Mini review: excellent and expensive


Steam Deck OLED review

It’s just better.

The $550 Steam Deck OLED is not the Steam Deck 2. This is a mid-cycle refresh from Valve, similar to the Switch OLED upgrade, but there’s a lot more going on internally here. Its screen is better, its battery life is better and its chip and thermals are better — but it’s still a big ole handheld. The updated display is the device’s highlight, while things like faster charging, improved antennas and smoother controls are welcome bonuses.

Continue reading.

Teenage Engineering’s Field series is complete (and expensive)

The TP-7 and CM15 balance out the company’s pocket-sized studio gear.

Making even the most specced-out Steam Deck OLED look reasonably priced, Teenage Engineering has completed its Field series of studio gear, and the whole kit will set you back $5,900. Now, for the TE faithful who are still reading, its more playful design and solid hardware can be creativity inducing, according to Engadget’s James Trew.

Continue reading.

Omegle shuts down after 14 years of random chats

Some people used it to ‘commit unspeakably heinous crimes,’ its founder admits.

Omegle, a chat service that pairs users with a random person so they can talk via text or video, is shutting down. Leif K-Brooks, who launched the service when he was 18 years old, announced its closure and talked about its humble beginnings. He admitted “some people misused [the service], including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.” Critics have raised concerns about the website’s safety over the past years, with some even calling it a “magnet for pedophiles.” 

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You can now buy a PS5 Slim in the US and Canada, if you’re lucky

Bundles include Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

Following the news that Sony has now sold over 46.6 million PS5 consoles, its refreshed hardware is bubbling up in stores. A standard model with a copy of Marvel’s 'Spider-Man 2 at no extra cost has hit Dell and Walmart, but the $500 bundle is going in and out of stock. The PS5 Slim (which isn’t the official name) will likely be available at other retailers soon.

Listings for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundles have appeared at Walmart too, but they cost $609 and come with your choice of accessory. Sony initially suggested the PS5 Slim would only be available in the US initially, but standard models have popped up in Canada.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-humanes-ai-pin-wearable-costs-699-and-ships-in-early-2024-121529700.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Humane’s Ai Pin wearable costs $699 and ships in early 2024

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Wearable startup Humane has officially unveiled its first device, the Ai Pin. For months, the company has drip fed information, only offering a glimpse of the device, wielded by Naomi Campbell, of all people, at Paris Fashion Week in October.

The Ai Pin is a pocket-worn wearable AI assistant that can reportedly perform the tasks our current phones and voice assistants do, but without a screen, instead operating primarily through voice commands and, occasionally, a virtual screen projected onto the user’s hand. It works independently of other devices, connected to its own phone network through T-Mobile, but on Humane’s own MVNO because that’s even more complicated.

The device will cost $700, and another $24 per month for unlimited talk, text and data, and will ship in early 2024.

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Humane

We’re still waiting for deeper hands-on impressions and demonstrations of the technology. I’m skeptical, and not just because it’s been just over ten years since Google Glass tried to be a thing.

Have a great weekend, and make sure you check out our new TMA series on YouTube, where I try to make more work for our wonderful video team, every Saturday.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!​​

The stories you might have missed

The best cooking gifts

Meta may return to China with the release of a new, budget VR headset

Amazon reportedly plans to dump Android for a homemade Fire OS replacement

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Mini review: excellent and expensive


Steam Deck OLED review

It’s just better.

The $550 Steam Deck OLED is not the Steam Deck 2. This is a mid-cycle refresh from Valve, similar to the Switch OLED upgrade, but there’s a lot more going on internally here. Its screen is better, its battery life is better and its chip and thermals are better — but it’s still a big ole handheld. The updated display is the device’s highlight, while things like faster charging, improved antennas and smoother controls are welcome bonuses.

Continue reading.

Teenage Engineering’s Field series is complete (and expensive)

The TP-7 and CM15 balance out the company’s pocket-sized studio gear.

Making even the most specced-out Steam Deck OLED look reasonably priced, Teenage Engineering has completed its Field series of studio gear, and the whole kit will set you back $5,900. Now, for the TE faithful who are still reading, its more playful design and solid hardware can be creativity inducing, according to Engadget’s James Trew.

Continue reading.

Omegle shuts down after 14 years of random chats

Some people used it to ‘commit unspeakably heinous crimes,’ its founder admits.

Omegle, a chat service that pairs users with a random person so they can talk via text or video, is shutting down. Leif K-Brooks, who launched the service when he was 18 years old, announced its closure and talked about its humble beginnings. He admitted “some people misused [the service], including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.” Critics have raised concerns about the website’s safety over the past years, with some even calling it a “magnet for pedophiles.” 

Continue reading.

You can now buy a PS5 Slim in the US and Canada, if you’re lucky

Bundles include Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

Following the news that Sony has now sold over 46.6 million PS5 consoles, its refreshed hardware is bubbling up in stores. A standard model with a copy of Marvel’s 'Spider-Man 2 at no extra cost has hit Dell and Walmart, but the $500 bundle is going in and out of stock. The PS5 Slim (which isn’t the official name) will likely be available at other retailers soon.

Listings for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundles have appeared at Walmart too, but they cost $609 and come with your choice of accessory. Sony initially suggested the PS5 Slim would only be available in the US initially, but standard models have popped up in Canada.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-humanes-ai-pin-wearable-costs-699-and-ships-in-early-2024-121529700.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Samsung made its own generative AI model

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Developed by Samsung Research, Gauss (named after mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss) powers several on-device AI technologies across Samsung products. It will have a few different facets but will do a lot of the same stuff we’ve seen from other generative AI (GAI) models.

Gauss Language will handle tasks like translations and summarizing documents, while Gauss Code is a coding assistant. There’s also Samsung Gauss Image for all your image-generating needs. The latter can create images based on prompts and handle edits like style changes and additions. It will be able to upscale low-resolution images too.

Gauss, the human, in the 1800s, formed the normal distribution theory, a major component of what grew into machine learning and AI. Generating a picture of a cat writing at a desk is what he would have wanted, I’m sure.

It’s easy to be cynical about Samsung’s efforts here, as the company tends to forge its own path for innovation’s sake. It made its own voice assistant, Bixby. It hovered around its devices for a few years as a flagship feature, with the company even dedicating hardware buttons on some of its Galaxy S phones to launch the voice assistant. (There were only four buttons on the Galaxy S9, Samsung, and one was for Bixby?!)

But there’s some reasoning: Running generative AI features on-device could give Samsung an advantage over ChatGPT, which, for now, requires cloud connectivity. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset supports on-device GAI operations and will likely be part of next year’s Galaxy S24 phones. 

Samsung is already teasing Galaxy AI in its incoming translation feature, pictured here. 

— Mat Smith

You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

The biggest stories you might have missed

Humane’s Ai Pin wearable will reportedly cost $699

Google wants to help you create new smart home automation tricks with AI-generated scripts

NVIDIA’s Eos supercomputer just broke its own AI training benchmark record

Google and major mobile carriers want Europe to regulate Apple’s iMessage platform

A PS5 early Black Friday deal brings PlayStation DualSense controllers down to $50 each

Amazon Prime now comes with discounted access to One Medical health services

Amazon acquired One Medical last year for $3.9 billion.

Amazon Prime subscribers can now access a deeply discounted One Medical membership for primary care services. Prime members can sign up for just $99 a year (typically $199) or $9 per month. Prime members who sign up can add up to five other people for $6 each. It offers all the basic health services, from annual physicals and maintenance for chronic conditions to same-day sick visits. One Medical also offers round-the-clock virtual care, or telehealth visits, and drop-in lab services. The membership doesn’t cover the cost of visits, though.

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The Overwatch League appears to be over

Blizzard is ‘evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction.’

The Overwatch League (OWL) appears to be no more after six seasons. A Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget “We are transitioning from the Overwatch League and evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction.” That’s not to say the publisher is pulling out of Overwatch esports altogether. The future of the professional Overwatch scene is unclear, but reports suggest that a return to a more open format could be next.

The writing has been on the wall for OWL for some time. The first two seasons of OWL matches happened almost exclusively in a California studio. Weeks after Blizzard started on its grand plan to run matches in each team’s city every week, but COVID-19 lockdowns forced it to shift to an online-only format.

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HP Spectre Fold review

Cutting edge at all costs.

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Engadget

Sometimes, a company creates a truly cutting-edge device, even if its books take a hit. The latest example: HP’s Spectre Fold. HP’s take on a flexible-screen laptop is thinner, lighter and more polished than before. The Spectre Fold represents a true leap forward for next-gen hybrid design to the point where you might even want to buy one — until you see that $5,000 price tag. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford breaks it down.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-samsung-made-its-own-generative-ai-model-121535086.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Hollywood studios wanted to use AI-generated likenesses of dead actors without permission

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SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood performers, has reportedly responded to studios’ “last, best and final” offer to end the strike, rejecting clauses letting studios re-use AI-created likenesses of high-demand and deceased performers without consent from their estate or families. “They can’t have that loophole to exploit performers,” a union-side source told The Hollywood Reporter. “We could not allow that language to stand.”

Reportedly, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) would “secure AI scans” for Schedule F performers — union members earning more than $32,000 per TV episode or $60,000 per film. Studios would pay once to scan the likenesses of these performers without paying for their use or re-use — essentially giving them eternal rights to their face after paying once upfront. It appeared to offer limitless use of dead performers’ AI-created likenesses without proper permission.

After this part of the dispute became public, the union reportedly “reached a common understanding” with AMPTP on “thorny issues” like AI consent after an actor dies.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

​

The biggest stories you might have missed

Rockstar may announce Grand Theft Auto VI this week

The best retro gaming gifts for the holidays

Stranger Things is coming back to Dead by Daylight

Waze will now warn you if a road has a history of crashes

The best budget laptops

Master & Dynamic debuts MW09 earbuds with upgraded sound, ANC and battery life

Stray is coming to macOS on December 5

Things go from bad to worse for Cruise’s robotaxis

The company reportedly kept operating its robotaxis despite issues recognizing children.

GM’s autonomous vehicle Cruise division is already going through a rough patch, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently suspending its driverless permits over safety issues. Now, several new reports highlight other issues, including problems with its autonomous vehicles’ (AVs) sensors’ recognizing children and the frequency with which human operators must remotely take control. The cars apparently also struggle to identify large holes too. Now, it appears Cruise has halted production of its Origin autonomous vehicle after the California DMV pulled its license. A GM spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that the company is “finishing production on a small number of pre-commercial vehicles and after that, plan[s] to temporarily pause production.”

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Zelda, Mario and Pikmin give Nintendo a boost as console sales dwindle

Selling almost 20 million copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

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Engadget

As the Nintendo Switch nears the end of its time, digital game sales are helping the company continue to perform well. From March to September 2023, Nintendo reported selling 19.5 million copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which was released in May. It also sold 2.61 million units of Pikmin 4 after it came out in July, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gained 3.22 million more sales. The racing game has now sold 57 million copies. Nintendo is expected to release its new flagship console sometime next year.

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The Sony A9 III is the fastest full-frame camera ever

It’s been a while since Sony updated its epic A9 series.

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Sony

Sony’s latest pro-oriented mirrorless camera was four years in the making. The Alpha A9 III is the first full-frame camera on the market with a global stacked sensor, a sort of holy grail in the photographic world. It allows for some wild specs, like 120 fps shooting speeds with no blackout, up to a 1/80,000th of a second shutter speed and zero rolling shutter. The global shutter also allows for shutter speeds of 1/80,000th of a second (1/16,000th during continuous shooting), ten times faster than most cameras. Ten times! The Alpha A9 III goes on pre-order tomorrow for $6,000, with a vertical grip available for $400 — but won’t arrive until spring.

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WatchOS 10.1.1 fixes Apple Watch battery-life bug

The patch just rolled out alongside a bug-fix update for iOS 17.

If your Apple Watch hasn’t been holding its charge like it used to, it’s time to update to the latest version of watchOS. Earlier this month, several Apple Watch users noticed their batteries draining faster than usual after they installed watchOS 10.1. Apple acknowledged the battery drain issue and promised to release a fix — which happened today with the latest version of watchOS, 10.1.1.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-hollywood-studios-wanted-to-use-ai-generated-likenesses-of-dead-actors-without-permission-121531437.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple’s new MacBook lineup makes much more sense

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Apple’s MacBook problem was a confusing lineup of similar machines with different names, different chips, different hardware and the rest. But it may have finally solved the problem. The long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air arrived months ago, and then Apple surprised us by delivering two MacBook Pro revisions — notably in less than 12 months — to showcase the company’s most powerful chips yet. These new M3-equipped MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch are a clearer sign of Apple’s direction.

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Engadget

The company has killed off the long-suffering 13-inch MacBook Pro, and in the same stroke, put an end to an aging design and the divisive, frustrating Touch Bar. These Pro machines — especially the M3 Max models — are great for professionals, and the MacBook Airs are for everyone else.

I think, for the first time in a long time, Apple’s laptop lineup finally makes sense.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!​​

The biggest stories you might have missed

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Bored Ape NFT event leads to at least 15 attendees reporting severe eye burn

Organizer Yuga Labs is ‘aware of the eye-related issues.’

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@CryptoJune777 / X

So you thought just the idea of attending an NFT event was torturous enough. At least 15 visitors at Yuga Labs’ ApeFest, a celebration of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs (which are still a thing), may have experienced serious eye injuries. Bloomberg reports that multiple people attending the event in Hong Kong last weekend experienced vision problems, which they suspect stem from the event’s stage lighting. Some claim doctors subsequently diagnosed them with welder’s eye, a condition caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays. The company is apparently investigating the reports.

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Every car is a smart car, and it’s a privacy nightmare

Smart cars, dumb privacy policies, terms and conditions.

Mozilla recently reported that all 25 car brands it reviewed failed its privacy tests. While all, in Mozilla’s estimation, overreached in their data collection and use policies, some even included caveats about obtaining highly invasive information. Today’s cars can collect personal information, and the fine print of user agreements describes how manufacturers get you to consent every time.

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WeWork files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

The company has struggled.

Another twist in the WeWork saga this week as the office space rental company has filed for bankruptcy protection. Following reports last week that the company was expected to file for Chapter 11 protection, WeWork’s shares were halted on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. According to The New York Times, it described its bankruptcy filing as a “comprehensive reorganization” of its business. WeWork has been toiling in a real estate market shaken by rising borrowing costs while also facing the pandemic-accelerated change of millions more people working remotely.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-new-macbook-lineup-makes-much-more-sense-121543140.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Elon Musk’s new AI company, xAI, launches Grok the chatbot

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Elon Musk’s new AI company, xAI, will release its chatbot to X subscribers who pay $16 per month once it exits beta. A select group of X users started testing Grok, a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, this weekend.

Musk laid out his heady ambitions for xAI earlier this year, saying in July that its intended purpose is, quite literally, “to understand the true nature of the universe.” Having said that, Musk says Grok will wield a sense of humor, like this… banter sewn into a guide to making cocaine, which must be funny to someone.

Grok’s notable feature is its real-time access to information published on X, which Musk claims will be “a massive advantage over other models.” Rival chatbots are limited to the information fed to their model. If Grok constantly pulls new information from X, it could have an edge. It could also be more liable to the horrible biases of AI models, not to mention parsing the mass of misinformation swirling around the rebranded social network.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

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X may start selling recycled user handles

It’s reportedly soliciting people to buy recycled user handles for $50,000.

Beyond subscriptions for access to chatbots, X is looking at other ways to make money. The company has been trying to find buyers for inactive user handles, even sending solicitation emails asking for “a flat fee of $50,000 to initiate a purchase,” according to Forbes. Elon Musk announced back in May that X, formerly Twitter, would start purging dormant accounts and even alluded to plans for recycling disused handles.

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Fortnite keeps breaking player count records since releasing its OG season

Fortnite OG brought back the original island map and more.

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Fortnite

Since the release of Fortnite OG at the end of last week, player counts have reached new all-time highs — peaking on Saturday with 44.7 million players, according to a tweet from the Fortnite team. Players reportedly clocked a cumulative 102 million hours of play, making it the game’s biggest day ever. Apparently, a 2018 map is old enough to be considered nostalgic.

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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty of fraud

SBF faces up to 110 years in prison.

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Amr Alfiky / reuters

A federal jury has found FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on all seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. Arrested in the Bahamas back in December 2022, SBF faces a maximum sentence of 110 years in federal prison for multiple crimes, including committing wire fraud against FTX customers, wire fraud on Alameda Research lenders and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He’ll be sentenced on March 28, 2024.

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Washington DC pilots free AirTags scheme to tackle car theft

The pilot program will focus on certain areas.

The city of Washington DC will distribute free Apple AirTags to residents in specific neighborhoods, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Wednesday. The aim: to make stolen cars easier for police to track down. “We are equipping residents with technology that will allow the [Metropolitan Police Department] to address these crimes, recover vehicles and hold people accountable,” Bowser said.

DC is the second city to hand out free AirTags to make finding car thieves easier. Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city would give away 500 AirTags to make finding car thieves easier.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-elon-musks-new-ai-company-xai-launches-grok-the-chatbot-121533489.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The final Beatles song was made with a little help from AI

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The Beatles have released another song, the first since 1995. “Now and Then” is being advertised as the final Beatles track, given that two of the members have passed and the other two are well over 80 years old. But then again, millionaires do love money.

The song grew from a John Lennon demo track dating back to the 1970s and a 1995 guitar track from George Harrison. The surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, then finished the tune using machine learning technology. The song was meant to come out back in 1995, along with “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” two other tracks culled from old Lennon demos. However, the technology just wasn’t there to pull the vocals without degrading audio quality.

With the same software director Peter Jackson used for the Get Back documentary for Apple, the team split Lennon’s vocal from the piano without any audio bleed, allowing the remaining Beatles to turn it into a fleshed-out ballad. The guitar solo is in the Harrison style, but it’s not actually played by him — he does play some of the rhythm guitar in the background.

— Mat Smith

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

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NASA is launching a free streaming service

NASA+ will be available November 8 with live shows and original series.

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NASA

Not another one! At least this streaming service is free. NASA has announced a new streaming service called NASA+, which will hit most major platforms next week. It’ll be completely free, with no subscription needed, and you won’t be forced to sit through ads, either. There aren’t too many details out just yet about the content, but NASA says its family-friendly programming “embeds you into our missions” with live coverage and original video series.

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HTC sends VR headsets to the International Space Station

They’re specially calibrated for zero gravity.

HTC is sending its Vive VR headsets to the International Space Station, apparently to give lonely astronauts something to do. The HTC Vive Focus 3 headsets will be part of an ongoing effort to improve the mental health of astronauts during long assignments on the station. The headsets are optimized to stabilize alignment and reduce the chances of motion sickness — which is a bigger problem when it happens in space.

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Netflix’s ad-supported plan will soon allow downloads

And reward binge watching.

Netflix is celebrating one year of its ad-supported plan by giving users on that tier every fourth episode of a consecutive binge ad-free. That’s certainly not a bad way to entice you into staying on, especially if it’s, ugh, Ozark. (Don’t ‘at’ me.) Netflix is also rolling out downloads on its ad-supported tier, claiming to be the first streamer to make the option available for users who have ads included. Netflix’s ad-supported plan is by far the cheapest after the streamer cut its Basic tier in mid-2023. It’s $6.99 monthly, while the Standard plan is now $15.49.

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Scarlett Johannson fights AI clones, in court

Wow.

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NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx

It sounds like an action movie, but it’s not. It’s just legal action. Scarlett Johansson’s lawyers have approached an AI app developer for using her likeness in an ad without permission.

An ad spotted on X promoted an AI image editor called Lisa AI used an AI-generated version of Johansson’s voice and image, alongside actual footage of the actor in a Black Widow behind-the-scenes clip. Multiple Lisa AI apps remain on the App Store and Google Play, but the ad no longer appears on X. Yet, when Johansson gets to play a robot voice, that’s OK? Yes. Of course it is.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-final-beatles-song-was-made-with-a-little-help-from-ai-111541406.html?src=rss

The Morning After: YouTube is seriously cracking down on ad blockers

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YouTube’s no longer just experimenting with ad-dodging viewers. The platform has gone all out in its fight against add-ons, extensions and programs that prevent it from serving ads to viewers worldwide, it confirmed to Engadget.

“The use of ad blockers violates YouTube’s Terms of Service,” a spokesperson said. YouTube started cracking down on the use of ad blockers earlier this year. By June, it took on a more aggressive approach and warned viewers they wouldn’t be able to play more than three videos unless they disable their ad blockers.

It may be an overly aggressive push: Some people apparently can’t play videos on Microsoft Edge and Firefox browsers even if they don’t have ad blockers, according to Android Police, but we could not replicate that behavior.

— Mat Smith

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This AI-powered security camera can describe what it sees in detail

Beyond just ‘dog spotted.’

TMA
Psync Labs

Psync Labs’ focus is to improve machine vision and pair this with generative AI to help it, and you, understand what it can see. Its debut security camera, the Genie S, will process what it sees and send you a written description of what (it thinks) is going on. The camera, which doesn’t have the best picture and sound quality, has 32GB built-in storage for $35, and some exciting stuff happening inside.

ViewSay is Psync’s transcription tool that uses GPT, a form of generative AI, to get the camera to describe in text what it’s seeing. ViewSay, which currently costs 99 cents a month (but will jump to $7 per month in the future) can apparently identify objects, sort events that triggered the recording and even let you search through the clips with text, all through your smartphone. It’s early days, but the system shows glimpses of insightful visual analysis .

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Apple Music’s Siri-only $5 voice plan gets silenced

It’s no longer listed on the streaming service’s website.

Apple appears to have killed off its lowest-cost Apple Music subscription. The Apple Music Voice Plan allowed folks to access the streaming service for $5 per month, as long as they were willing to use it only through voice commands to Siri. However, as of Wednesday, the plan is no longer listed on the Apple Music webpage. As it stands, the cheapest standalone Apple Music option is now the student plan, which costs $6 per month and includes Apple TV+ at no extra cost — if you’re a student.

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LinkedIn’s latest premium perk is an AI job coach

The platform is ramping up its AI-powered features as it hits 1 billion users.

LinkedIn is adding a new AI-powered job coach for its premium subscribers. The feature will tap into LinkedIn data to help job seekers find, research and apply for roles, and it arrives as the company announced its user base has grown to one billion members. For now, the most prominent feature for job seekers will be AI-generated insights alongside each job posting. The tool can summarize lengthy job descriptions and weigh in on whether the role is a good fit for a user, based on their LinkedIn profile. For example, it can highlight specific work experiences users’ may want to emphasize in their application.

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Disney will buy out Comcast and take full control of Hulu

It will pay $8.61 billion for the deal.

Disney is buying the rest of Hulu from Comcast. It will acquire the 33 percent of Hulu Comcast still controls and expects to pay NBCUniversal around $8.61 billion for the deal, though the final amount will be determined sometime next year. Disney CEO Bob Iger said when he announced the combined streaming app that it’s “a logical progression” of the company’s direct-to-consumer offerings. And hey: Comcast still has Peacock.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-youtube-is-seriously-cracking-down-on-ad-blockers-111532949.html?src=rss

The Morning After: US government announces AI Safety Institute

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Following President Joe Biden’s sweeping executive order regarding AI development last week, at the UK AI Safety Summit yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced even more machine learning initiatives, as well as the establishment of the United States AI Safety Institute. In cooperation with the Department of Commerce, the Biden administration will establish the United States AI Safety Institute (US AISI) within the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). It will be responsible for creating and publishing guidelines, benchmark tests, best practices and more, for evaluating potentially dangerous AI systems. Tests may even include the red-team exercises President Biden mentioned in his executive order last week.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) — it’s an acronym-heavy morning — will release the administration’s first draft policy guidance on government AI use later this week.

— Mat Smith

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The ultimate all-rounder?

TMA
Engadget

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio packs a unique blend of performance and adaptability — even among 2-in-1 PCs. Thanks to refreshed specs plus a USB-A port and a microSD card reader, it seems like Microsoft’s second-gen mobile workstation has pretty much everything it needs. Unfortunately, with a high starting price and costly upgrades, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is still difficult to recommend to everyone.

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Chrome for iOS now lets you move the address bar to the bottom

Perfect for those iPhone Pro Max owners.

Google’s new feature for Chrome on iOS doesn’t massively change the browser, but it could be helpful if you find tapping the top of your iPhone screen a bit of a stretch. The company has rolled out the ability to move the browser’s address bar to the bottom of the screen from the top, a la Safari. Oddly, this isn’t yet a feature in Android’s Chrome app.

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Tesla’s Autopilot was not to blame for fatal 2019 Model 3 crash

The crash killed the car’s 37-year-old driver and severely injured two passengers.

Tesla was not at fault for a fatal 2019 crash that allegedly involved its Autopilot system, according to a jury in California. It’s the first US trial for a case claiming its software directly caused a death, with the car’s driver killed in the crash. The lawsuit alleged Tesla knowingly shipped cars with a defective Autopilot system. The jury ultimately found there was no defect, and Tesla was cleared on Tuesday.

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Ayaneo’s Kun is an even more powerful gaming handheld

This powerful handheld could also be your favorite laptop.

TMA
Engadget

The Ayaneo Kun is the highest-spec gaming machine the company has ever made, and after using it for a couple of weeks, Engadget’s James Trew says it’s both a fantastic gaming handheld and (if you want) a decent portable general-use PC. But it feels, he said, that the Kun is just a placeholder for the Kun 2, or the Kun 1S, Kun Pro or… whatever they call the next upgraded handheld. Notable specs include a huge 75Wh battery and the ability to play games at 1600p resolution — a substantial nudge above the usual 1200p max of other Ayaneo devices. Read on for the full breakdown.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-us-government-announces-ai-safety-institute-111551804.html?src=rss