Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.
Slashdot » Ghost Kitchens Are Advertising AI-Generated Food On DoorDash and Grubhub
Emanuel Maiberg reports via 404 Media: Dozens of Ghost kitchens, restaurants that serve food exclusively by delivery on apps like DoorDash and Grubhub, are selling food that they promote to customers with AI-generated images. It's common for advertisements to stage or edit pictures of food to make it look more enticing, but in these cases the ghost kitchens are showing … [Link]
Slashdot » Apple Sues To Win Trademarks For Augmented-Reality Software
Apple has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for refusing to grant trademarks covering the company's augmented-reality software development tools "Reality Composer" and "Reality Converter." Reuters reports: Apple, whose augmented-reality technology is a centerpiece of its newly released Vision Pro headset, asked the court (PDF) on Friday to reverse the USPTO's decision that the phrases were … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Eclipse 2024: When is it and where can I see it?
North America will have a total solar eclipse on 8 April – here is where, when and how to view it safely [Link]
Slashdot » Meta Will Start Collecting 'Anonymized' Data About Quest Headset Usage
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Meta will soon begin "collecting anonymized data" from users of its Quest headsets, a move that could see the company aggregating information about hand, body, and eye tracking; camera information; "information about your physical environment"; and information about "the virtual reality events you attend." In an email sent to Quest users … [Link]
Slashdot » Amazon Bricks Long-Standing Fire TV Apps With New Update
Amazon has issued an update to Fire TV streaming devices and televisions that has broken apps that let users bypass the Fire OS home screen. From a report: The tech giant claims that its latest Fire OS update is about security but has refused to detail any potential security concerns. Users and app developers have reported that numerous apps that … [Link]
Slashdot » Windows Security Updates Could Come With Fewer Reboots Beginning Later This Year
An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft is already testing Windows 11 24H2, this fall's big new Windows release. The company has already demonstrated a few new features, like 80Gbps USB4 support and Sudo for Windows, and the new version could also give a significant refresh to the Windows installer for the first time since the Windows Vista days. But … [Link]
Slashdot » Apple Cancels Work on Electric Car
Bloomberg News: Apple is canceling a decade-long effort to build an electric car, according to people with knowledge of the matter, abandoning one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the company. Apple made the disclosure internally Tuesday, surprising the nearly 2,000 employees working on the project, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the … [Link]
Slashdot » Tumblr and WordPress Are Preparing To Sell User Data To OpenAI and Midjourney, Report Says
Tumblr and WordPress are preparing to sell user data to Midjourney and OpenAI, 404Media reported Tuesday, citing a source with internal knowledge about the deals and internal documents. From the report: The exact types of data from each platform going to each company are not spelled out in documentation we've reviewed, but internal communications reviewed by 404 Media make clear … [Link]
New Scientist – News » YouTube has managed to stop its algorithm serving up extreme videos
YouTube's recommendation algorithm previously pushed users towards viewing ever more extreme videos, but now it steers people away from such content [Link]
Slashdot » OpenAI Says New York Times 'Hacked' ChatGPT To Build Copyright Lawsuit
OpenAI has asked a federal judge to dismiss parts of the New York Times' copyright lawsuit against it, arguing that the newspaper "hacked" its chatbot ChatGPT and other AI systems to generate misleading evidence for the case. From a report: OpenAI said in a filing in Manhattan federal court on Monday that the Times caused the technology to reproduce its … [Link]
Slashdot » Underwater Cables in Red Sea Damaged Months After Houthis Threatened To Do Just That
Undersea data cables in the Red Sea have reportedly been damaged, months after Yemeni Houthi rebels threatened to do so. From a report: At least 15 submarine cables pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, a body of water just 26km wide at some points. Yemen is the Strait's northern shore. The first … [Link]
Slashdot » Streaming To Overtake Pay TV Subscription Revenue For the First Time in US This Year
Streaming revenue will overtake pay TV subscription revenue in the U.S. for the first time later in 2024, helped by the addition of ad tiers by various streamers, according to a new forecast. From a report: Total revenues from streaming, including subscription and advertising revenue, will start topping revenue from pay TV subscriptions in the third quarter of 2024, research … [Link]
New Scientist – News » AI designs bespoke 3D-printed prosthetic eyes
Using an artificial intelligence model and 3D printer to create prosthetic eyes reduces the time required to make such implants, which could make them available to more people [Link]
New Scientist – News » Greener way to dye denim could cut the environmental impact of jeans
The jeans industry uses harmful chemicals to dye denim with indigo, but an alternative process can achieve the same thing with 92 per cent less environmental impact [Link]
Slashdot » Bankers Will See AI Transform Three-Quarters of Day, Study Says
AI is likely to replace or at least lend a hand in tasks that take up almost three-quarters of the time bank employees now spend working. From a report: That's the conclusion of a new analysis by consultancy Accenture, which said banking has the potential to benefit more from the technology than any other industry. Just 27% of employees' time … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Is battery swapping a better way to recharge electric cars?
With queues at public charging points getting longer, some companies are opening power swap stations where you can simply exchange your battery for a fully charged one [Link]
Slashdot » 6G Principles Endorsed By US and International Partners
The U.S. and several international partners endorsed shared principles for developing 6G wireless communication systems, the White House said Monday. From a report: A battle is underway to influence the standards of 6G amid concerns by Western countries and their allies that authoritarian regimes could gain further control over Internet in their countries. Policies around wireless communications influence economic-growth and … [Link]
Slashdot » Nvidia's Free-tier GeForce Now Will Soon Show Ads While You're Waiting To Play
Nvidia's completely free, no-strings attached trial of its cloud gaming service GeForce Now is about to be very slightly less of a deal. Nvidia says users will now start seeing ads. From a report: They're only for the free tier — not Priority or Ultimate — and even then, it sounds like they won't interrupt your gameplay. "Free users will … [Link]
Slashdot » China Breakthrough Promises Optical Discs That Store Hundreds of Terabytes
Optical discs that can store up to 200 TB of data could be possible with a new technology developed in China. If commercialized, it could revive optical media as an alternative to hard disk or tape for cost-effective long-term storage. The Register: Researchers at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) and Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine … [Link]
Slashdot » PlayStation Cutting 900 Jobs In Video Game Industry's Latest Round Of Big Cuts
Sony's PlayStation division is cutting jobs in the latest round of high-profile layoffs in the video game industry. From a report: By some estimations, 2024 has already seen more than 7,000 video game industry layoffs. Related to these moves, PlayStation is proposing to close its London games studio, which was most recently responsible for developing PlayStation VR games. Cuts are … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Covid-19 vaccines seem to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes
Many covid-19 vaccines occasionally cause side effects such as blood clots or heart inflammation, but, overall, they appear to be beneficial in preventing heart and circulatory conditions [Link]
Slashdot » Nevada Sues To Deny Kids Access To Meta's Messenger Encryption
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: A law firm acting on behalf of the Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has asked a state court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) denying minors access to encrypted communication in Meta's Messenger application. The motion for a TRO follows AG's Ford announcement of civil lawsuits on January 30, 2024 … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Jackals may urinate on their favourite fruit to deter thieves
Although they are carnivores, black-backed jackals are partial to the melon-like fruits of the !nara plant and help to disperse its seeds across the desert [Link]
New Scientist – News » Earthquakes hastened sea rise in Pacific islands by sinking the ground
Projections of flood risk due to sea level rise on the Samoan Islands underestimate the rate at which the islands are sinking after two earthquakes hit in 2009 [Link]
Slashdot » NASA's Crash Into an Asteroid May Have Altered Its Shape
Robin George Andrews writes via The New York Times: In 2022, when NASA's $325 million spacecraft crashed into an asteroid named Dimorphos at 14,000 miles per hour, cheers and applause erupted back on Earth. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission deliberately targeted Dimorphos to change its orbit around the larger asteroid Didymos as a dress rehearsal of sorts for … [Link]
Slashdot » Netflix Members With Older Subscriptions Might Get Cut Off if They Don't Update
Netflix is severing ties with Apple's App Store billing system for good. From a report: Netflix stopped allowing new and rejoining subscribers to sign up with App Store billing back in 2018, but Netflix subscribers who were paying through Apple at the time were allowed to continue doing so. Now, that's finally about to change. As reported by The Streamable, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Bizarre fish can extend its mouth to make a kind of trunk
The hingemouth, an African freshwater fish, can stick out a proboscis for feeding or breathing thanks to the unique arrangement of its jaw anatomy [Link]
Slashdot » Google Steps Up Microsoft Criticism, Warns of Rival's Monopoly in Cloud
Alphabet's Google Cloud on Monday ramped up its criticism of Microsoft's cloud computing practices, saying its rival is seeking a monopoly that would harm the development of emerging technologies such as generative AI. From a report: "We worry about Microsoft wanting to flex their decade-long practices where they had a lot of monopoly on the on-premise software before and now … [Link]
Slashdot » US Leading Global Alliance To Counter Foreign Government Disinformation
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: A global coalition of democracies is being formed to protect their societies from disinformation campaigns by foreign governments, the US special envoy on the issue has said. James Rubin, the special envoy for non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts at the US state department's global engagement centre (GEC), said the coalition hoped … [Link]
Slashdot » Canada To Compel Digital Platforms To Remove Harmful Content
According to the Wall Street Journal (paywalled), Canada has proposed new rules that would compel digital platforms to remove online content that features the sexual exploitation of children or intimate images without consent of the individuals involved. From a report: The rules were years in the making, and represent the third and possibly final installment of measures aimed at regulating … [Link]
Slashdot » Half of College Graduates Are Working High School Level Jobs
According to a new study, almost half of America's new college graduates are winding up in jobs they didn't need to go to college to get. CBS News reports: If a graduate's first job is in a low-paying field or out-of-line with a worker's interests, it could pigeonhole them into an undesirable role or industry that's hard to escape, according … [Link]
Slashdot » Hacker Uses Raspberry Pi and AI To Block Noisy Neighbor's Music
Maker Roni Bandini developed a Raspberry Pi project to address his neighbors' loud reggaeton music by creating an AI-driven system that distorts audio on nearby Bluetooth speakers when reggaeton is detected. Tom's Hardware reports: Powering this Bluetooth jamming device is a Raspberry Pi 3 B+. It's connected to a DFRobot OLED display panel, which has a resolution of 128 x … [Link]
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