Aug 04
AI.com Now Belongs to Elon Musk
Posted in: Today's Chili
In the latest chapter of Elon Musk’s saga to take over the world with corporations named after the letter “X,” the billionaire tech tycoon just snagged a coveted URL: AI.com.
Aug 04
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Excellent Musical Soundtrack Is Now Streaming
Posted in: Today's Chili
Strange New Worlds’ musical episode was a great episode of Star Trek, but it was also a humdinger of a musical—a soundtrack laden with a frankly distressing number of earworms. And now you can listen to it without having to queue up Paramount+.
Aug 04
Just like pretty much every other major tech company, Amazon is placing a heavy focus on generative artificial intelligence. CEO Andy Jassy noted on Amazon’s latest earnings call that every division has multiple generative AI projects in the works.
“Inside Amazon, every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications that reinvent and enhance their customers’ experience,” Jassy said. “But while we will build a number of these applications ourselves, most will be built by other companies, and we’re optimistic that the largest number of these will be built on [Amazon Web Services]. Remember, the core of AI is data. People want to bring generative AI models to the data, not the other way around.”
To that end, Jassy said that AWS provides services and infrastructure that can help its customers power generative AI apps, as The Verge notes. The AWS CodeWhisperer system, for instance, aims to speed up developers’ workflows by suggesting snippets of code they can use directly in the code editor.
As for the ways that Amazon plans to use generative AI in its consumer-facing products and services, Jassy was slightly more coy, but underlined the importance of the technology to all facets of the company moving forward.
The projects “range from things that help us be more cost effective and streamlined in how we run operations in various businesses to the absolute heart of every customer experience in which we offer,” he said. “And so it’s true in our stores business. It’s true in our AWS business. It’s true in our advertising business. It’s true in all our devices, and you can just imagine what we’re working on with respect to Alexa there. It’s true in our entertainment businesses, every single one. It is going to be at the heart of what we do. It’s a significant investment and focus for us.”
We might learn more about some of Amazon’s consumer-focused generative AI efforts when it reveals new devices on September 20th. The company will inevitably have a range of Alexa-powered products to show off. Meanwhile, considering what Google and Microsoft have been doing with gen AI chatbots, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Amazon start offering one of its own on its storefront.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/every-amazon-division-is-working-on-generative-ai-projects-142836534.html?src=rss
Aug 04
“We’re not imperial,” the liberal Supreme Court justice said.
Aug 04
Security breaches rose by a shocking 156% globally from the first quarter of 2023 to quarter two, according to a report published by VPN service SurfShark on Tuesday. As hacking and security leaks become more prevalent so too does the rate at which the breaches occur.
Aug 04
If you’ve got a trip coming up to close out the summer and are dreading the idea of hearing a crying baby or loud group the whole way there, then you’re in luck: Sony’s WH-XB910N Extra Bass Noise Cancelling headphones in Black are currently at an all-time low price of $105, down from $250. Yes, a wonderfully large 58 percent discount means you can block out fellow travelers (or even your family at home) and have enough money left over for an upgrade, or to buy a second as a gift. The cheapest we’ve seen them previously is $123, so it’s a significant drop. Just be aware that the discount appears to only show up for certain accounts; some may see a discounted price of $148 instead.
Sony’s WH-XB910N ANC headphones are a solid option — especially at this price point — that provide you with nice mid- and high-range sounds, great noise canceling and a respectable 30 hours of battery life. If you forget to juice them up, a 10-minute charge will give you a solid four and a half hours. The WH-XB910N headphones are also equipped with a powerful bass, Alexa and Google Assistant voice control support, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, which works with streaming services like Amazon Music HD.
If you’re on the go and want to be a bit more aware of your surroundings, the headphones have an ambient setting that will give you a bit more perception. Plus, they can amplify your voice if you pass down a busy street while on a call. Once you’re done, just tuck them into the included carrying case, and off you go.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-xb910-anc-headphones-fall-to-a-new-all-time-low-131556093.html?src=rss
Aug 04
I’m Traveling The U.S. In A Bus. It’s Taught Me 1 Surprising Thing About The American Dream.
Posted in: Today's Chili“For our generation, it can sometimes feel like the dream we were sold as children was taken from us.”
Aug 04
While our reviewers spend time testing the numerous Samsung devices that were just announced, this episode Cherlynn and Sam dive into the relatively slow week in tech. Of course, we can’t escape the onslaught of news coming from X-Twitter-Musk land, just like how residents from a building across from the company’s San Francisco headquarters were unable to escape from blinding lights this weekend. We also go over some updates from Meta and Google and discover why Cherlynn loves clowns.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
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Topics
This week in X/Twitter news: A disturbing strobe-light of a logo and hiding your checkmark – 1:21
Tesla under investigation for steering and battery range issues – 11:31
Half of Meta Threads users are now inactive – 24:16
Meta may be working on an Abraham Lincoln AI chatbot – 29:39
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the iPhone 15 could come with USB-C charging – 37:58
Working on – 54:13
Pop culture picks – 56:47
Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-taking-down-x-plus-a-week-of-ai-and-ev-news-123048688.html?src=rss
Aug 04
‘Not A Smart Move’: Ex-Prosecutor Spots Trump Attorney’s ‘Admission’ In Jan. 6 Case
Posted in: Today's Chili“This was just a kind of rookie mistake to make,” former organized crime prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said of a Trump lawyer’s comments on live TV.
Aug 04
Security researchers believe they have found a hardware exploit to unlock upgrades to a Tesla that normally require plenty of extra cash. By messing with the voltage of the infotainment system, they were able to inject their code, bypassing its normal security. That enabled them to access personal data, including GPS tracking and call logs, as well as the car’s encryption key. That, the researchers claim, could be the key to unlocking paywalled features, like the mode known as Full Self-Driving, which you presently have to pay extra to use.
That’s not the only slice of bad news on Tesla’s breakfast plate today; it also stands accused of fraud. A recent Reuters expose alleges the car company was far too generous with its range estimates, and that it had quietly set up a team to stymie range-related complaints. In the wake of that report, three Californians have proposed a class action lawsuit accusing Tesla of false advertising. If successful, the lawsuit will cover every Tesla owner in the state, which wouldn’t be as much of a problem if California hadn’t taken the EV company to its heart.
– Daniel Cooper
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The Ayaneo 2S is the company’s best gaming handheld, until the next one
ASUS’ ROG Ally might have already been dethroned as the best Steam Deck competitor.
Photo by James Trew / Engadget
The Steam Deck’s blend of power, portability and price gave new life to PC gaming handhelds, traditionally a niche within a niche. The latest kid on the block is Ayaneo’s 2S, which has just spent the last few weeks in James Trew’s firm grip while he put it through its paces. It may be more expensive than its nearest competitors, but the improved features more than make up for it. You’ll have to read the full review to learn all about the changes, but it might be time to tweak what you’re asking for on your birthday list.
Why Baldur’s Gate III is an accidental PS5 console exclusive
At least, it is for now.
Baldur’s Gate III will arrive on the PlayStation 5 on September 6, but there’s no word yet on when the title will hit the Xbox. That’s because developers Larian Studios are struggling to make the new game work for both the (powerful) Series X and (not so powerful) Series S. Until it can, the game will remain a PS5 exclusive, with developers blaming Microsoft’s insistence on feature parity for the two consoles. But I think it’s pretty gratifying that Microsoft is looking out for gamers who might not have the cash to spend big on a flagship system.
Is decentralization the future of social media?
The Musk-ization of Twitter might have sparked a revolution.
X/Twitter’s implosion has created a surge of interest in alternative platforms less easily destroyed on a billionaire’s whim. Mastodon is the standard bearer for the fediverse, a decentralized network of independent servers that embrace the early web’s DIY ethos. But even Threads, Meta’s not-quite Twitter-killer, has pledged to leverage the fediverse’s open protocols. If you want to learn more, read Karissa Bell’s excellent deep dive into decentralization, federation and why you should care about this sort of thing.
Nintendo sees record first quarter profit thanks to Zelda and the Mario movie
18.51 million copies of Tears of the Kingdom have been sold since May.
Nintendo knows a thing or two about creating an experience you’ll enjoy enough to pay top dollar for. It’s reporting record profits in its first quarter on the back of both The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The former is the first movie this year to break the one billion mark, while Tears of the Kingdom has sold a whopping 18.5 million copies since it launched in May.
Patreon is fixing canceled payments and inaccessible funds for creators
It comes after several creators reported massive drops in income.
Patreon says it has fixed an issue that caused several high-profile creators to report massive drops in income. It appears a billing address being moved to Dublin caused a large number of transactions to be flagged as fraudulent. The company told Engadget it was working with its payment processing partners to resolve the issue and believes the currently broken patron accounts will be restored in due course.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-tesla-jailbreak-could-enable-full-self-driving-for-free-111530274.html?src=rss
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