Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re wondering what happened to Amazon’s new and improved version of its Alexa voice assistant, you’re not alone. Bloomberg reports that the new Alexa is still stuck in its developmental phase and Amazon has cut off access to its beta phase including its new “Let’s Chat” phase. As a result, a planned late 2024 launch has been pushed back to next year.

The problem seems to be with its large language models (LLMs). The new Alexa is designed to understand more complicated questions from users but it’s also more likely to fail doing some of the most basic things the old version could do quite easily like create a timer or operate smart lights, according to a follow up report from The Verge.

Amazon originally planned to unveil its new version of Alexa AI in October but now the timeline has been extended into next year. (As you might have noticed, October has come and gone.) The original timeline planned to premiere the next evolutionary step in Alexa’s advancement on October 17 but Amazon decided to pivot and used the date to show off its new line of Kindle ereaders. Then in August, news surfaced that the new Alexa would be powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI and come with a monthly subscription fee.

As ChatGPT began to rise in popularity in the summer of 2023, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wanted to see if Alexa could compete if it had an AI upgrade. Jassy reportedly started peppering Alexa with sports questions “like an ESPN reporter at a playoff press conference” and its answers were “nowhere near perfect.” It even made up a recent game score for Jassy.

Despite this, Alexa passed the good enough stage and Jassy and his fellow executives felt their engineers could build a beta version by the early part of 2024. Unfortunately, Amazon wasn’t able to meet its deadline.

Even with the new deadline, the new Alexa still has a long way to go to fix its problems. Some employees told Bloomberg that the problem outside of Alexa’s innerworkings is with Amazon’s overstuffed management and a lack of “a compelling vision for an AI-powered Alexa.” .

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-reportedly-bumped-back-its-ai-powered-alexa-to-next-year-215041138.html?src=rss

VPNs, or virtual private networks, are everywhere. If you’ve spent any time at all on YouTube, chances are you’ve seen an ad selling VPNs — there have been literally hundreds and thousands of them. 

We test and review VPNs so you don’t have to — but what even is a VPN? The pitch is fairly simple: a VPN can mask your IP address and the identity of your device by routing your traffic through a remote server. Sites and services will see a different IP address to your own, and your internet service provider will only be able to see that you’re connected to a VPN server, rather than what sites you’re visiting. That means a VPN can be an important tool to keep your data private and secure, especially if you need to connect to an unsecured network. If you’re on public WiFi, for example, you can’t be sure what they’re tracking while you’re surfing the internet. With a VPN, there’s an additional layer of privacy — as long as you make sure the VPN provider can be trusted. But a VPN should not be the end of your security journey. Complex passwords, multifactor authentication and other security basics should be way higher on your checklist.

Another commonly advertised feature of VPNs is evading geoblocking techniques that companies use to prevent you from accessing certain content. Because you’re connecting to a remote server, a VPN can effectively change your location, allowing you to watch another country’s Netflix content or, say, watch Doctor Who on the UK-only BBC iPlayer. If you’re in the EU, it can allow you to access sites that are otherwise blocked due to the region’s strict data protection regulations. In the past, VPNs have even been used to skirt political firewalls put up to censor online access.

With many VPN makers making sweeping claims about military-grade encryption, digital invisibility and lightning-fast speeds, it’s tough to know what’s true and what’s marketing hype. That’s why Engadget started evaluating VPNs in 2023, looking at a number of factors such as security, speed, latency, usage limits and price. And while we don’t expect to ramp up to more VPN testing until 2025, our best VPNs guide will continue to be the home base of our coverage. In the meantime, this is our current VPN testing methodology. 

Background checks

Before we install or sign up for a service, our work begins by investigating each product’s lineage. We reference privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits that are publicly available, and note the security specs of each service. We also look into each company’s history of security incidents like data breaches. We rely on some pre-existing academic work from bodies like Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and others when looking into security specs.

Setup

The next step in our review process involves a close look at what it’s like to get set up on the VPN. This involves looking at the various platforms each VPN supports, from certain web browsers to Smart TVs, to better understand how it can be used. We also look to see just how easy it is to get started on a new VPN. Some will automatically connect to a secure server every time you use your device, while others make you jump through hoops to stay signed in. We seek to understand how user friendly and intuitive these VPNs can be.

Usage limits

While many VPN providers promise that their service works across every device all the time, there is often small print to consider. We scan the terms of service for each of the company’s plans to understand what they are offering. Is there a limit to the number of devices a user can have connected at once? Is there a “fair use” limit that kicks in after a certain amount of traffic? Are advanced features multi-hop connections locked to only the priciest plans? We investigate all of these things so you don’t have to. We also conduct many of our more specific tests at the same time, which allows us to verify companies’ claims about simultaneous device use.

Speed and latency

The first step in testing speed and latency is to ascertain the baseline of the connection before connecting to a VPN. We then use the “quick connect” feature on VPN apps to connect to the “fastest” provider available when testing internet speed. Once connected, we run internet speed tests by Ookla and ping tests with meter.net. When relaying these results, we will note the average speed and ping across these results, as well as the difference between that average and our baseline when not connected to a VPN.

Geoblocking

We test all VPNs from within the US. To check that a service is able to effectively avoid geoblocking, we connect to a Canada-based server and attempt to access content on Netflix that is only available to users in that country. We then connect to a Hong Kong-based server to attempt to watch a news livestream on a YouTube channel that is exclusively available to users in that region. Finally, we conduct a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. We’re looking to see not only if we can access the same content from all these servers, but also to test for lag or any other headaches that you could run into when using something.

Checking for leaks

A DNS leak happens when your device sends an unencrypted DNS query outside of your VPN service’s encrypted tunnel to an ISP’s DNS servers. This effectively nullifies the use of a VPN in the first place by allowing third parties to see and potentially track your browsing activity and IP address.

A WebRTC leak is an issue that can occur in modern web browsers that can similarly expose your personal IP address to a website you’re on. While you can avoid this by configuring your browser to not send such data, a VPN should be able to prevent this from happening.

To check for both of these issues, we use publicly available tools such as NordVPN’s IP address lookup tool and ExpressVPN’s leak tests before and after connecting to a VPN and make sure neither fault is occurring.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-we-test-vpns-175845189.html?src=rss

One of fantasy and sci-fi’s all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo — the Brothers Hildebrandt — until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981.

The duo was perhaps best known for their “Style B” poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jung’s “Style A” was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. He’s flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vader’s imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters.

As for Luke and Leia’s noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors’ photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrell’s “Style C” poster, which depicted the actual cast.

Greg Hildebrandt / X

The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and even before the 1978 animated version), their art — which drew on their influence from classic Disney films — was the most prominent visualization of Tolkien’s epic for many a 1970s fantasy reader.

Among Hildebrandt’s many other projects were comics for Marvel and DC, illustrations for Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter), magazines Omni, Heavy Metal and Amazing Stories, album art for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Black Sabbath and a long list of book covers.

Hildebrandt also fought for freedom with his artistic gifts. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he contributed illustrations for Operation USA’s benefit anthology comic book series. Profits were donated to Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Explaining his decision, he wrote, “Any project that I can lend my art to that will thwart Putin is a project I will join with all my heart, soul and mind.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/greg-hildebrandt-iconic-star-wars-and-lord-of-the-rings-artist-has-died-at-85-193026772.html?src=rss

At CEATEC 2024, Panasonic showcased its AI vision-powered refrigerator, which was launched in Japan in the Spring/Summer of 2024. This AI-driven refrigerator features intelligent food management technology that improves people’s lives while reducing food waste. Equipped with an integrated external AI camera, this smart fridge can recognize up to 45 types of vegetables, track their freshness, and recommend recipes using ingredients nearing their best-before date. Connected to the Live Pantry app, users can check their fridge contents remotely*, preventing forgotten or duplicate purchases.

In addition to its advanced smart features, the refrigerator includes the “W-Shaki-Shaki (means Double Crispy) Crisper Drawer Plus,” which optimizes humidity levels to keep vegetables crisp for 7 days, supporting better food preservation. This AI and IoT integration offers a streamlined solution for shopping and meal planning, easing users’ decision-making while promoting sustainability by minimizing food waste and helping people consume fresh foods before they spoil.

Panasonic “Refrigerator AI Camera” With Two Smart Cameras And Live Pantry App, How Does It Work?

See Inside The Refrigerator, Cold Compartment, Vegetable (Crisp) Drawer, and Freezer Drawer.

The “Panasonic Refrigerator AI Camera” offers a unique, detailed view of refrigerator contents, using two cameras—one wide-angle lens at the front center and a narrow-angle telephoto lens on the front left. Each time the refrigerator door is opened, the wide-angle camera captures the interior shelves and door pockets, while the narrow-angle camera photographs the vegetable and freezer drawers every time they’re opened.

Panasonic’s AI system uses markers to identify both the upper and lower cases of the vegetable and freezer drawers. The company claims its technology is the only one capable of providing a full view of these compartments and accurately identifying their inner sections.

Images captured by the cameras take a few minutes to appear in the Live Pantry companion app. When the doors open at least 90 degrees, and the drawers are fully extended, the system provides a clear view of the refrigerator’s contents, though some areas, like partial-chilled sections and certain door pockets, may be out of frame. This innovative system allows users to monitor stored items conveniently through the app.

Computer Vision Identifies And Monitors 45 Vegetables In The Vegetable Drawer

Panasonic’s innovative refrigerator technology utilizes an AI-powered camera to capture and identify 45 types of vegetables in the “Double Crispy” vegetable drawer. The system recognizes various produce, including carrots, broccoli, bok shoi,spinach, enoki mushrooms, and komatsuna. It identifies vegetables by shape and appearance, even if cut, with an unfamiliar shape or similar in form, such as spinach and bok choi. The system records the storage date for each vegetable at snapshot time. This data is transmitted to the Live Pantry app, which organizes vegetables by freshness, prioritizing items closer to expiration. Users can also manually add other ingredients, complete with expiration dates, to help ensure a comprehensive overview of all stored items.

AI-Powered Recipe Suggestions to Reduce Food Waste and Improve People’s Shopping Efficiency

Building on this freshness tracking, the AI offers recipe and daily menu suggestions to help reduce food waste and streamline meal planning. Leveraging recorded storage dates, the Live Pantry app recommends recipes using ingredients nearing expiration. This feature not only supports sustainable consumption by reducing food waste but also simplifies meal preparation and shopping management. With timely recipe recommendations based on remaining ingredients, users can efficiently plan meals and shopping trips, making the refrigerator a helpful partner in food management.

Panasonic’s Double Crispy (W-Shaki-Shaki) Feature for the Vegetable Drawer – Extends To 7 Days Of Freshness.

Panasonic External AI Camera Could Be A Great Stand-alone AI-Vision Solution For Smart Fridges Mass Adoption

The Panasonic NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI Camera Refrigerator models (currently only sold in Japan; stay tuned) stand out with a unique AI-powered camera solution for food management. Panasonic offers practical computer vision, affordability, and an external AI camera location for fridges. Unlike other premium brands that integrate cameras inside the refrigerator with limited AI-vision features, Panasonic’s external AI camera not only reduces costs but also opens up possibilities for a standalone AI-vision solution adaptable to various fridge models.

As a Panasonic representative at CEATEC shared, this external AI camera could potentially be marketed independently of specific refrigerator models, aiming for broader accessibility and mass adoption in a market where high-tech fridge features remain a luxury (to my knowledge, $5000 to $15000 refrigerators still offer in-fridge cameras with some AI features). 

Historically, other top consumer appliances competitors started the trend of in-fridge cameras, with models supporting features like tracking what’s inside, creating shopping lists, and tracking diets. 

To my knowledge, only one well-known brand (for the US market, as of Jan 2024) recently claimed to recognize 33 different ingredients in a consumer fridge, focusing on dietary preferences but prioritizing customization over food waste reduction.

In contrast, Panasonic’s AI technology boasts recognition of 45 different vegetables, significantly enhancing its capability to manage food freshness and promote sustainable consumption. Priced around $2259 and $2066*, respectively, the NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI vision-powered models uniquely focus on preventing food waste by suggesting fresh-produce-based recipes and complete menus.

*Based on today’s Yen/USD conversion

Panasonic Refrigerators With AI Camera Help People Cook Smarter and Shop Better While Reducing Food Waste

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

At CEATEC 2024, Panasonic showcased its AI vision-powered refrigerator, which was launched in Japan in the Spring/Summer of 2024. This AI-driven refrigerator features intelligent food management technology that improves people’s lives while reducing food waste. Equipped with an integrated external AI camera, this smart fridge can recognize up to 45 types of vegetables, track their freshness, and recommend recipes using ingredients nearing their best-before date. Connected to the Live Pantry app, users can check their fridge contents remotely*, preventing forgotten or duplicate purchases.

In addition to its advanced smart features, the refrigerator includes the “W-Shaki-Shaki (means Double Crispy) Crisper Drawer Plus,” which optimizes humidity levels to keep vegetables crisp for 7 days, supporting better food preservation. This AI and IoT integration offers a streamlined solution for shopping and meal planning, easing users’ decision-making while promoting sustainability by minimizing food waste and helping people consume fresh foods before they spoil.

Panasonic “Refrigerator AI Camera” With Two Smart Cameras And Live Pantry App, How Does It Work?

See Inside The Refrigerator, Cold Compartment, Vegetable (Crisp) Drawer, and Freezer Drawer.

The “Panasonic Refrigerator AI Camera” offers a unique, detailed view of refrigerator contents, using two cameras—one wide-angle lens at the front center and a narrow-angle telephoto lens on the front left. Each time the refrigerator door is opened, the wide-angle camera captures the interior shelves and door pockets, while the narrow-angle camera photographs the vegetable and freezer drawers every time they’re opened.

Panasonic’s AI system uses markers to identify both the upper and lower cases of the vegetable and freezer drawers. The company claims its technology is the only one capable of providing a full view of these compartments and accurately identifying their inner sections.

Images captured by the cameras take a few minutes to appear in the Live Pantry companion app. When the doors open at least 90 degrees, and the drawers are fully extended, the system provides a clear view of the refrigerator’s contents, though some areas, like partial-chilled sections and certain door pockets, may be out of frame. This innovative system allows users to monitor stored items conveniently through the app.

Computer Vision Identifies And Monitors 45 Vegetables In The Vegetable Drawer

Panasonic’s innovative refrigerator technology utilizes an AI-powered camera to capture and identify 45 types of vegetables in the “Double Crispy” vegetable drawer. The system recognizes various produce, including carrots, broccoli, bok shoi,spinach, enoki mushrooms, and komatsuna. It identifies vegetables by shape and appearance, even if cut, with an unfamiliar shape or similar in form, such as spinach and bok choi. The system records the storage date for each vegetable at snapshot time. This data is transmitted to the Live Pantry app, which organizes vegetables by freshness, prioritizing items closer to expiration. Users can also manually add other ingredients, complete with expiration dates, to help ensure a comprehensive overview of all stored items.

AI-Powered Recipe Suggestions to Reduce Food Waste and Improve People’s Shopping Efficiency

Building on this freshness tracking, the AI offers recipe and daily menu suggestions to help reduce food waste and streamline meal planning. Leveraging recorded storage dates, the Live Pantry app recommends recipes using ingredients nearing expiration. This feature not only supports sustainable consumption by reducing food waste but also simplifies meal preparation and shopping management. With timely recipe recommendations based on remaining ingredients, users can efficiently plan meals and shopping trips, making the refrigerator a helpful partner in food management.

Panasonic’s Double Crispy (W-Shaki-Shaki) Feature for the Vegetable Drawer – Extends To 7 Days Of Freshness.

Panasonic External AI Camera Could Be A Great Stand-alone AI-Vision Solution For Smart Fridges Mass Adoption

The Panasonic NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI Camera Refrigerator models (currently only sold in Japan; stay tuned) stand out with a unique AI-powered camera solution for food management. Panasonic offers practical computer vision, affordability, and an external AI camera location for fridges. Unlike other premium brands that integrate cameras inside the refrigerator with limited AI-vision features, Panasonic’s external AI camera not only reduces costs but also opens up possibilities for a standalone AI-vision solution adaptable to various fridge models.

As a Panasonic representative at CEATEC shared, this external AI camera could potentially be marketed independently of specific refrigerator models, aiming for broader accessibility and mass adoption in a market where high-tech fridge features remain a luxury (to my knowledge, $5000 to $15000 refrigerators still offer in-fridge cameras with some AI features). 

Historically, other top consumer appliances competitors started the trend of in-fridge cameras, with models supporting features like tracking what’s inside, creating shopping lists, and tracking diets. 

To my knowledge, only one well-known brand (for the US market, as of Jan 2024) recently claimed to recognize 33 different ingredients in a consumer fridge, focusing on dietary preferences but prioritizing customization over food waste reduction.

In contrast, Panasonic’s AI technology boasts recognition of 45 different vegetables, significantly enhancing its capability to manage food freshness and promote sustainable consumption. Priced around $2259 and $2066*, respectively, the NR-F53CV1-K and NR-E46CV1-K AI vision-powered models uniquely focus on preventing food waste by suggesting fresh-produce-based recipes and complete menus.

*Based on today’s Yen/USD conversion

Panasonic Refrigerators With AI Camera Help People Cook Smarter and Shop Better While Reducing Food Waste

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.