Feb 28
The internet had its own never-frozen beef with Wendy’s when it discovered the fast food chain was planning surge pricing for 2025. Wendy’s clarified in an updated statement on Tuesday night that it has “no plans” for surge pricing.
Feb 28
Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says Its Malfunctioning Gemini AI Is ‘Unacceptable’
Posted in: Today's Chili
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is not happy about what’s been going on with the company’s Gemini AI chatbot, calling viral and historically inaccurate errors from its image generator “unacceptable” in an internal memo to employees on Tuesday.
Feb 28
OPPO has unveiled its latest smart glasses, the OPPO Air Glass 3, at the MWC 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. Building on the first-generation smart glasses introduced in 2021, the Air Glass 3 features a classic design and is equipped with an integrated AI assistant named AndesGPT, developed by OPPO.
Launched in December 2023, the AndesGPT assistant, made its debut with the OPPO Find X7 in early January 2024, allowing users to perform various tasks such as searching, note-taking, and interpreting text, images, video, and audio in complex scenarios, providing real-time information at the press of a button (located on the glasses’ side).
Yi XU, Director of XR Technology at OPPO. (Image: OPPO)
The Air Glass 3 must be paired with a smartphone running Color OS 13 to become operational, and this connectivity enables the glasses to handle tasks like answering calls, displaying notifications, and playing music.
Plans to expand the functionalities in the future are already being discussed, including features such as translation and internet browsing.
OPPO Air Glass Prototype. (Image: OPPO)
Weighing only 50g and built with a magnesium-lithium alloy frame and nylon PA arms, these glasses feature lenses coated with a resin with a refractive index of 1.7, eliminating reflections. The integrated display has brightness uniformity exceeding 50%, reaching over 1,000 nits with automatic adjustment for improved visibility in sunlight. For those who require additional prescriptions for eyesight correction, OPPO plans to offer custom lenses.
No Availability or Prices Disclosed
The Air Glass 3 is currently in the prototype stage, and, in the meantime, there is no confirmed release date or price.
OPPO Air Glass 3 Unveiled Bringing AI And Voice Assistant
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Feb 28
Back in the early 20th century, food and cigarette companies would sometimes include collectible cards with their products. And that’s exactly what happened around 1910 when Wills’s Cigarettes included cards about the history of flying with their smokes.
Feb 28
Feb 28
Biden signs executive order to stop Russia and China from buying Americans’ personal data
Posted in: UncategorizedPresident Joe Biden has signed an executive order that aims to limit the mass-sale of Americans’ personal data to “countries of concern,” including Russia and China. The order specifically targets the bulk sale of geolocation, genomic, financial, biometric, health and other personally identifying information.
During a briefing with reporters, a senior administration official said that the sale of such data to these countries poses a national security risk. “Our current policies and laws leave open access to vast amounts of American sensitive personal data,” the official said. “Buying data through data brokers is currently legal in the United States, and that reflects a gap in our national security toolkit that we are working to fill with this program.”
Researchers and privacy advocates have long warned about the national security risks posed by the largely unregulated multibillion-dollar data broker industry. Last fall, researchers at Duke University reported that they were able to easily buy troves of personal and health data about US military personnel while posing as foreign agents.
Biden’s executive order attempts to address such scenarios. It bars data brokers and other companies from selling large troves of Americans’ personal information to countries or entities in Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela either directly or indirectly. There are likely to be additional restrictions on companies’ ability to sell data as part of cloud service contracts, investment agreements and employment agreements.
Though the White House described the step as “the most significant executive action any President has ever taken to protect Americans’ data security,” it’s unclear how exactly enforcement of the new policies will be handled within the Justice Department. A DoJ official said the executive order would require due diligence from data brokers to vet who they are dealing with, similar to the way companies are expected to adhere to US sanctions.
As the White House points out, there are currently few regulations for the multibillion-dollar data broker industry. The order will do nothing to slow the bulk sale of Americans’ data to countries or companies not deemed to be a security risk. “President Biden continues to urge Congress to do its part and pass comprehensive bipartisan privacy legislation, especially to protect the safety of our children,” a White House statement says.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-signs-executive-order-to-stop-russia-and-china-from-buying-americans-personal-data-100029820.html?src=rss
Feb 28
Lenovo is updating its ThinkPad T-Series laptops with several new models, including the ThinkPad T14, T14s, and T16. The T-Series is renowned for its value for the price, and this is no different this year.
These laptops, powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, are designed to leverage AI for security, efficiency, and user experiences that boost usability and productivity. Features like Copilot in Windows or Microsoft 365 and a dedicated Copilot key are supposed to simplify tasks such as summarizing content, composing emails, and enhancing app experiences in Teams, Outlook, and PowerPoint. We know that Microsoft really intends to push a new feature when it translates into a new keyboard key.
The design of the latest ThinkPad T14, T14s, and T16 models incorporates a Communications Bar for significantly better video (vs. typical 1080p webcams) and audio communication. Lenovo exploits the new NPU AI unit in its Lenovo View application, which provides image-enhancing capabilities at a high power efficiency.
There’s a notable effort for accessibility, including rearranged keyboard keys for the visually impaired.
The ThinkPad T16 has enough room for a numeric pad
This year, Lenovo emphasizes enhancing its products’ repairability and incorporating recycled materials to reduce electronic waste. By designing products that are durable, repairable, and upgradable, such as these, Lenovo aims to extend the lifespan of its products. These efforts not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also offer tangible cost-saving benefits for both businesses and individuals by reducing the need for frequent replacements and repairs.
To make products more repair-friendly, Lenovo has a strategic partnership with iFixit, a leader in the repair community known for its advocacy for “the right to repair”.
This collaboration has been key in increasing the repairability of Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3 models, with the creation of comprehensive repair guides and the integration of design elements that facilitate easier repairs. This effort has culminated in a significant achievement—a provisional repairability score of 9.3 out of 10.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 can be ordered with Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3’s CPU of choice is the Intel Core Ultra (with vPro)
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 laptops support up to 64GB DDR5 RAM, which is ample capacity for any application. Regarding storage, both models accommodate up to 2TB SSD (PCIe Gen4x4).
Regarding the display, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 offers up to a 14” 2.8K OLED screen, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 offers a larger option of up to a 16” 4K OLED display. These displays deliver vibrant colors, high contrast, and crisp details, enhancing user experience for various tasks ranging from content creation to multimedia consumption.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 has 39.3Whr or 52.5Whr batteries, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 offers either a 52.5Whr or an 86Whr battery. The flexibility is interesting because it’s possible to tweak the final weight and cost depending on your use case.
Both laptops offer a comprehensive selection of ports for connectivity and peripheral expansion, including:
- 2 x USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 on Intel models)
- 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps
- 1 x HDMI 2.1
- 1 x RJ45 port for wired network connectivity
- 1 x Audio combo jack
- 1 x Nano SIM slot for optional 5G sub-6 eSIM or 4G LTE (CAT6 eSIM)
Note that the ThinkPad T14s has specifications that are close to the T14, but not identical, so take a closer look on Lenovo’s website before ordering one.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14, T14s and T16 Launched at MWC24
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Feb 28
Feb 28
Nintendo lawsuit accuses Switch emulator creators of 'piracy at a colossal scale'
Posted in: Today's ChiliNintendo has filed a lawsuit against the creators of a popular Switch emulator called Yuzu, which gives users a way to play games developed for the platform on their PCs and Android devices. In the lawsuit shared by Game File’s Stephen Totilo, the company argued that Yuzu violates the anti-circumvention and anti-trafficking provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Nintendo explained that it protects its games with encryption and other security features meant to prevent people from playing pirated copies. Yuzu has the capability to defeat those security measures and to decrypt Nintendo games. “[W]ithout Yuzu’s decryption of Nintendo’s encryption, unauthorized copies of games could not be played on PCs or Android devices,” the company wrote in its complaint.
It’s illegal to “circumvent technological measures put into place by copyright owners to protect against unlawful access to and copying of copyrighted works” under the DMCA, Nintendo continued. And distributing “software primarily designed to circumvent technological measures” also constitutes unlawful trafficking. The defendants are, thus, “facilitating piracy at a colossal scale,” the lawsuit argued. This case could set a precedent for future lawsuits against emulators, which aren’t illegal in and of them themselves. As Ars Technica notes, Nintendo’s arguments are calling their very nature unlawful.
To illustrate how much Yuzu has affected its business, Nintendo revealed in its complaint that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was illegally distributed a week and a half before its official release. It was apparently downloaded over a million times from pirated websites, which specifically noted that people can play the game file through Yuzu. The company also mentioned that Yuzu’s creators are making money from their emulator. They’re getting around $30,000 a month from their Patreon supporters and have earned around $50,000 from the paid version of their software on Google Play, so far.
Nintendo is asking the court to stop Yuzu’s creators from promoting and distributing the software. It’s also asking for an unspecified amount in “equitable relief and damages.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-lawsuit-accuses-switch-emulator-creators-of-piracy-at-a-colossal-scale-093157736.html?src=rss
Feb 28
Lenovo is updating its ThinkPad T-Series laptops with several new models, including the ThinkPad T14, T14s, and T16. The T-Series is renowned for its value for the price, and this is no different this year.
These laptops, powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, are designed to leverage AI for security, efficiency, and user experiences that boost usability and productivity. Features like Copilot in Windows or Microsoft 365 and a dedicated Copilot key are supposed to simplify tasks such as summarizing content, composing emails, and enhancing app experiences in Teams, Outlook, and PowerPoint. We know that Microsoft really intends to push a new feature when it translates into a new keyboard key.
The design of the latest ThinkPad T14, T14s, and T16 models incorporates a Communications Bar for significantly better video (vs. typical 1080p webcams) and audio communication. Lenovo exploits the new NPU AI unit in its Lenovo View application, which provides image-enhancing capabilities at a high power efficiency.
There’s a notable effort for accessibility, including rearranged keyboard keys for the visually impaired.
The ThinkPad T16 has enough room for a numeric pad
This year, Lenovo emphasizes enhancing its products’ repairability and incorporating recycled materials to reduce electronic waste. By designing products that are durable, repairable, and upgradable, such as these, Lenovo aims to extend the lifespan of its products. These efforts not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also offer tangible cost-saving benefits for both businesses and individuals by reducing the need for frequent replacements and repairs.
To make products more repair-friendly, Lenovo has a strategic partnership with iFixit, a leader in the repair community known for its advocacy for “the right to repair”.
This collaboration has been key in increasing the repairability of Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3 models, with the creation of comprehensive repair guides and the integration of design elements that facilitate easier repairs. This effort has culminated in a significant achievement—a provisional repairability score of 9.3 out of 10.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 can be ordered with Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3’s CPU of choice is the Intel Core Ultra (with vPro)
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 laptops support up to 64GB DDR5 RAM, which is ample capacity for any application. Regarding storage, both models accommodate up to 2TB SSD (PCIe Gen4x4).
Regarding the display, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 offers up to a 14” 2.8K OLED screen, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 offers a larger option of up to a 16” 4K OLED display. These displays deliver vibrant colors, high contrast, and crisp details, enhancing user experience for various tasks ranging from content creation to multimedia consumption.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 has 39.3Whr or 52.5Whr batteries, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 offers either a 52.5Whr or an 86Whr battery. The flexibility is interesting because it’s possible to tweak the final weight and cost depending on your use case.
Both laptops offer a comprehensive selection of ports for connectivity and peripheral expansion, including:
- 2 x USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 on Intel models)
- 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps
- 1 x HDMI 2.1
- 1 x RJ45 port for wired network connectivity
- 1 x Audio combo jack
- 1 x Nano SIM slot for optional 5G sub-6 eSIM or 4G LTE (CAT6 eSIM)
Note that the ThinkPad T14s has specifications that are close to the T14, but not identical, so take a closer look on Lenovo’s website before ordering one.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14, T14s and T16 Launched at MWC24
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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