If you have been patiently waiting for the official launch of the new 3rd generation Apple Pencil 3 complete with its unique USB-C charging and pairing port. You will be pleased to know that it is now available to purchase from the official online Apple store and retail outlets priced at $79. The more affordable […]
The post New Apple Pencil 3 with USB-C charging and pairing port officially launches for $79 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
If you are searching for a small compact wireless charger and docking station equipped with a wealth of connectivity you might be interested in the HOBOLL. Offering users a wide range of features and capabilities, this 10-in-1 docking station and hub is designed to cater to a variety of user needs, from charging multiple devices […]
The post HOBOLL wireless charger and 10-in-1 docking station and hub $49 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Everyone who has a chessboard can play chess. However, not everyone is equally good at it. The mere fact that you have access to technology like AI or IoT doesn’t mean that you’re using it the right way. These complex technologies have so much to offer, which means that even if getting into it may […]
The post 4 Technologies your business is not using as well as it could appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
ZSA have recently added a new addition to their split ergonomic keyboard range in the form of the low-profile Voyager. Building on the success of the Moonlander the new keyboard is designed to enhance laptop use, offering a powerful and compact solution for those who are constantly on the go. Although it is just at […]
The post Voyager low-profile, split ergonomic keyboard from ZSA $365 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Oscar-nominated actor Scarlett Johansson has taken legal action against an AI app developer for using her likeness in an ad without permission, Variety has reported. The 22-second ad promoted an AI image editor called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, and reportedly used an AI-generated version of Johansson's voice and image.
The ad showed a real clip of Johansson in a Black Widow behind-the-scenes clip, saying "What's up guys? It's Scarlett and I want you to come with me...". It then transitions to AI-generated photos and a cloned version of her voice promoting the AI app. Under the ad is fine print that states: "Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person." Multiple Lisa AI apps created by Convert Software remain on the App Store and Google Play, according to Variety, but the ad no longer appears on X.
Johansson is "handling the situation in a legal capacity," said her lawyer Kevin Yorn. "We do not take these things lightly. Per our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will deal with it with all legal remedies that we will have," he added.
Johansson has one of the best known faces (and voices) in Hollywood and is the spokesperson for high-end companies including Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton. Given that, it's hard to believe that someone would even attempt to rip off her likeness, if the claim is accurate (and it's not exactly a ringing endorsement for the quality of ads on X).
The idea of using AI to rip off celebrity likenesses is a relatively new phenomenon, so the legal ramifications are still being worked out. In one notable incident, actor Tom Hanks warned his fans on social media that videos using AI versions of his likeness were being used to fraudulently hawk products.
Though it's still a legal grey area, some states have related laws around privacy rights, with California for one allowing civil lawsuits for the unauthorized use in advertising or promotion of someone’s "name, voice, signature, photograph or likeness."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/scarlett-johannson-takes-legal-action-against-ai-app-that-cloned-her-likeness-065505106.html?src=rssDisney is buying the rest of Hulu from Comcast, the company has announced. It will acquire the 33 percent of Hulu Comcast still controls and expects to pay NBC Universal approximately $8.61 billion for the deal, though the final amount will be determined after an appraisal that will be wrapping up sometime next year. As The New York Times notes, the companies had agreed back in 2019 that Comcast could force Disney to buy its stake by next year and Disney could require Comcast to sell. The cable TV and media company chose to speed up negotiations with Disney instead of waiting until 2024.
"The acquisition of Comcast’s stake in Hulu at fair market value will further Disney's streaming objectives," Disney said in its announcement. Earlier this year, the company revealed that it will launch a "one-app experience" that combines Disney+ and Hulu content by the end of 2023. While it didn't outright say at the time that it had plans to buy out Comcast, that was a pretty big clue that a full Hulu takeover was in the cards. Hulu's standalone app won't be going away anytime soon, but its offerings will also be available on Disney+ when the new experience launches.
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 "that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers, while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content..." As for Comcast, it already has its own streaming service — Peacock — and has been making its shows like The Voice available to its members.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disney-to-buy-out-comcast-and-take-full-control-of-hulu-054157026.html?src=rssThe UK government has announced a $273 million investment to build its most powerful supercomputer yet, Isambard-AI, which will rank among the top AI supercomputers in the world when it’s switched on. It’ll pack thousands of NVIDIA superchips, allowing it to run more than 200 quadrillion calculations per second. Isambard-AI is expected to begin operations in summer 2024 and will be hosted by the University of Bristol.
The supercomputer is being built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and will use 5,448 of NVIDIA’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, NVIDIA said in its own announcement. It’ll be able to achieve over 21 exaflops of AI performance, or over 21 quintillion floating point operations per second for AI applications, like training large language models. According to the University of Bristol, Isambard-AI will be 10 times faster than the fastest supercomputer in the UK today. It’ll be housed at Bristol’s National Composites Center in a “self-cooled, self-contained data center.”
The announcement came during the UK's AI Safety Summit, where leaders from multiple countries — including the US — are meeting to discuss the future of AI and its potential risks. Isambard-AI will eventually be used to connect with other supercomputers in the UK as well, to boost performance even further. Once it’s up and running, according to Simon McIntosh-Smith of the University of Bristol, Isambard-AI “will be one of the most powerful AI systems for open science anywhere.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-uk-is-spending-273-million-to-build-its-fastest-ever-ai-supercomputer-213551806.html?src=rss
What happens when one of the most luxurious automotive brands in the world teams up with one of the most luxurious bicycle brands in the world? That would be the J.Laverick Aston Martin .1R — the direct offspring of a fruitful partnership between the two high-flying British luxury brands, who are jointly calling it the “world’s most bespoke, advanced and meticulously engineered road bicycle”. This design is definitely bespoke, considering that no two Aston Martin .1R bikes will be created the same —and it isn’t exactly clear how many will be constructed in total — seeing as how every purchaser who orders from Aston Martin’s “multi-award-winning” online configurator will receive a personal invitation to get their own unique Aston Martin .1R fitted at Aston Martin’s HQ in Gaydon, UK.
Designer: J.Laverack x Aston Martin
Evidently, Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ is where a new owner can individually select and install their bells and whistles (literally) after mixing and matching Aston Martin’s signature color schemes — which mirror those of the prestige British auto designer’s most popular luxury vehicles — on the tubes, lugs, forks, stem, seat post, and handlebar drops via the aforementioned configurator. For what it’s worth, yes, you can also choose between saddle and handlebar type. Right now, it’s not clear how much this will all cost, but it makes sense to expect a higher price than most other J.Laverack bicycles, which start at around $5,000.
This advanced titanium road bike design uses a mixture of 3D-printed titanium lugs and sculpted carbon fiber tubes for a lightweight yet sturdy build without any exposed bolts on the outer body. Aston Martin’s designers call this a world first, and I can’t deny it looks like a cross between a bike and a sports car. Though, calling it a “sports bike” would be redundant. That said, Aston Martin’s Executive VP and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, dug into this idea even further in an official press release, calling the Aston Martin .1R a “titanium hypercar on two wheels.”
Its max speed probably doesn’t equal that of a shiny new Aston Martin supercar, but it’s likely the speediest (and sturdiest) bicycle we’ve ever seen. Several elements of the ($3 million) Aston Martin Valkyrie’s engineering and design process made their way over to the .1R, including the bicycle’s 40-micron badges. The wheels themselves, plus the stem, also use similar processes. According to Aston Martin, “The hypercar’s wheel design can be glimpsed in miniature in the titanium piston caps of the brakes on the bike, while if you inspect the beautifully machined cups on the threaded bottom bracket of the .1R and you will notice parallels with the central wheel nuts on an Aston Martin Valkyrie.”
The post J.Laverack’s Limited-Edition Aston Martin .1R Bicycle Uses the Same Process as an Actual Aston Martin first appeared on Yanko Design.
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 via Siri voice control. However, as of Wednesday, the plan is no longer listed as an option on the Apple Music webpage, as first spotted by MacMagazine.
It's no longer possible to sign up for the Apple Music Voice Plan, 9to5Mac notes. It's unclear if current users will be grandfathered into their current subscription or why Apple seems to have ditched the offering. Engadget has contacted Apple for comment.
The voice plan was largely aimed at those who listen to Apple Music via HomePods, AirPods or Apple Watch and may be more likely to use a voice assistant than go through the Music app on their phone, tablet or computer. There were other significant tradeoffs. It wasn't possible for users on this plan to add songs to their library, create playlists, use the service on non-Apple devices or listen to lossless or Dolby Atmos audio. The voice plan, which debuted in 2021, was also only available in a limited number of markets, including the US, UK and Canada.
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. Alternatively, you can opt for the $11 per month individual subscription or split the cost of a $17 family plan with relatives. Otherwise, you can join Apple One, which now starts at $19.95 per month, and gain access to multiple Apple services.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-musics-siri-only-5-voice-plan-appears-to-be-toast-195051054.html?src=rssSubaru just announced forthcoming support for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), joining other big-time manufacturers like Hyundai. The company will update the charging ports of its electric vehicles for North American consumers beginning in 2025. This will give consumers access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the country.
The company also says it will continue to advance NACS adoption for vehicles manufactured and released after 2025, so future EV owners should be in good shape. Subaru will offer an adapter for anyone that owns or leases a vehicle with the Combined Charging System (CCS), further solidifying NACS as the one to beat.
This is part of the company’s efforts to transform half of its vehicles to EVs by 2030. Subaru has a long way to go in this regard, as it currently sells just one true electric vehicle, the Solterra. This EV starts at $45,000, so it’ll have to manufacture some more budget-friendly cars to meet that 50 percent threshold.
As previously mentioned, Subaru is just the latest company to jump on the NACS bandwagon. Honda made a similar promise for 2025, as did Toyota and Lexus. As of this writing, there are around 56,000 EV charging stations in America, with many of them integrating the NACS standard in the short-term future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/subaru-evs-will-support-teslas-nacs-chargers-starting-in-2025-185214250.html?src=rss