Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 9/14/24. We aim to educate people about this crucial area along with providing information of what is taking place.
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
https://cryptopotato.com/crypto-all-stars-presale-raises-1-25m-within-weeks-offers-major-staking-rewards/
Crypto All-Stars Presale Raises $1.25M Within Weeks, Offers Major Staking Rewards
#crypto #cent
#leoshorts #ai #technology
#leoshorts #ai #technology
#technology democratizes.
This is going to be the norm. The world is going to change completely.
I wonder if it's really beneficial to train LeoAI on responses of other AI's, isn't there a risk of reinforcing biases?
You are referring to data degradation - the idea that each generation of training decays the value of the data since it is emphasizing what you stated.
That is a theory that is hotly debated. To start, algo design can alter that especially with the weighting system. Also, we are looking at the ability to keep enhancing the data with human responses and feedback.
I have seem some who have designed models all on synthetic data. A layer of coding has to go over the top.
That's interesting. So as much as we can, we should comment on these AI responses we post.
Without a doubt. Adding more to the information helps with context.
It is also why I run the synthetic through Leolinker to add the links. That helps with the knowledge graph that is set up.
Leolinker? What's that?
It allows for the instant placing of Leoglossary links into whatever is entered. That helps with context.
https://leolinker.site/
That's cool!!!
First impressions of OpenAI o1: An AI designed to overthink it
OpenAI released its new o1 models on Thursday, giving ChatGPT users their first chance to try AI models that pause to "think" before they answer.
OpenAI released its new o1 models on Thursday, giving ChatGPT users their first chance to try AI models that pause to “think” before they answer. There’s been a lot of hype building up to these models, codenamed “Strawberry” inside OpenAI. But does Strawberry live up to the hype?
#openai #strawberry #ai
Compared to GPT-4o, the o1 models feel like one step forward and two steps back. OpenAI o1 excels at reasoning and answering complex questions, but the model is roughly four times more expensive to use than GPT-4o. OpenAI’s latest model lacks the tools, multimodal capabilities, and speed that made GPT-4o so impressive. In fact, OpenAI even admits that “GPT-4o is still the best option for most prompts” on its help page, and notes elsewhere that o1 struggles at simpler tasks.
“It’s impressive, but I think the improvement is not very significant,” said Ravid Shwartz Ziv, an NYU professor who studies AI models. “It’s better at certain problems, but you don’t have this across-the-board improvement.”
For all of these reasons, it’s important to use o1 only for the questions it’s truly designed to help with: big ones. To be clear, most people are not using generative AI to answer these kinds of questions today, largely because today’s AI models are not very good at it. However, o1 is a tentative step in that direction.
Thinking through big ideas
OpenAI o1 is unique because it “thinks” before answering, breaking down big problems into small steps and attempting to identify when it gets one of those steps right or wrong. This “multi-step reasoning” isn’t entirely new (researchers have proposed it for years, and You.com uses it for complex queries), but it hasn’t been practical until recently.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the AI community,” said Workera CEO and Stanford adjunct lecturer Kian Katanforoosh, who teaches classes on machine learning, in an interview. “If you can train a reinforcement learning algorithm paired with some of the language model techniques that OpenAI has, you can technically create step-by-step thinking and allow the AI model to walk backwards from big ideas you’re trying to work through.”
OpenAI o1 is also uniquely pricey. In most models, you pay for input tokens and output tokens. However, o1 adds a hidden process (the small steps the model breaks big problems into), which adds a large amount of compute you never fully see. OpenAI is hiding some details of this process to maintain its competitive advantage. That said, you still get charged for these in the form of “reasoning tokens.” This further emphasizes why you need to be careful about using OpenAI o1, so you don’t get charged a ton of tokens for asking where the capital of Nevada is.
Artiicle
A fight is brewing over TuSimple's pivot from self-driving trucks to AI animation
TuSimple was developing self-driving trucks. Now it's trying to move assets to China to fund a AI-generated animation and video game business.
TuSimple, once a buzzy startup considered a leader in self-driving trucks, is trying to move its assets to China to fund a new AI-generated animation and video game business. The pivot has not only puzzled and enraged several shareholders, but also threatens to pull the company back into a legal morass mere weeks after reaching a preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit.
#tusimple #trucking #technology #newsonleo
Now, a fight is brewing over roughly $450 million in funds, the bulk of which remains in the United States, TechCrunch has learned. And arguments over the company’s mission lie at the center of it.
Before the company formally disclosed its new business segment in August, a group of shareholders who got wind of the change sent a letter to the company’s board of directors. The letter, viewed by TechCrunch, alleges “potentially fraudulent activities” and asks the board to investigate whether funds were being misappropriated “to facilitate the growth of private ventures” established by Mo Chen, TuSimple’s co-founder and chairman.
Shareholders also complained the company failed to disclose its pursuit of AI animation; the board would eventually publicly announce a new AI animation and gaming business.
The group, which sent the letter anonymously in July, threatened litigation. However, at the time of this writing, no suits have been filed.
TuSimple’s new business segment, which is developing an animated feature film and video game based on the science fiction series “The Three-Body Problem,” is a startling change from its origins.
Article
This is how bad China's startup scene looks now
In early 2018, VC Mike Moritz wrote in the FT that “Silicon Valley would be wise to follow China’s lead,” noting the pace of work at tech companies
In early 2018, VC Mike Moritz wrote in the FT that “Silicon Valley would be wise to follow China’s lead,” noting the pace of work at tech companies was “furious” and that China offered “investment opportunities in the best companies.”
#technology #siliconvalley
Soon after, it all imploded. Worse, as the FT notes in a new piece, between the pandemic, the bursting of a real estate bubble, tensions between the U.S. and China and, most of all, a sweeping government crackdown on tech companies, China may never fully rebound, even as the government claims to be done with its alleged clean-up efforts. It’s just not worth it to entrepreneurs to rebuild what they’ve lost.
Entrepreneurs believe that “their money is the country’s money,” says one former mogul to the FT about the state of China today. As for the VCs and PE execs who fueled the earlier boom, another source tells the outlet: “Now they’re depressed. You don’t see them anymore.”
With Apple on board, OpenAI’s next act could be its toughest yet
Over the next few months, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI will face some of its biggest tests yet, including a high-profile partnership with Apple.
OpenAI stormed onto the scene with ChatGPT and upended the tech world in less than two years. But over the next few months, the artificial intelligence darling will face some of its biggest tests yet.
#apple #openai #technology #newsonleo
A highly anticipated partnership with Apple will supercharge its reach, putting it in front of millions of users who may have never interacted with generative AI before. A massive valuation that is growing at breakneck pace has set the stakes higher than ever, especially with interest from investors including Apple and Nvidia.
A reorganization of its hybrid nonprofit and for-profit entities has drawn criticism for abandoning the startup's roots of building AI to benefit humanity. After just releasing a preview of its newest AI model, codenamed Project Strawberry but officially launching as OpenAI o1, the next breakthrough and GPT-5 are still on the line.
It is all a tall ask for a company that has had a bumpy ride to the top. OpenAI's co-founder and CEO Sam Altman is divisive, surviving a coup, scrutiny around conflicts of interests, doubts around his motivations and now an exodus of top talent from the company.
Brazil supreme court unfreezes assets of Elon Musk's Starlink, X after taking fines
Brazil's supreme court announced that it ordered funds be moved from Starlink and X bank accounts to pay for fines levied against Elon Musk's social network.
Brazil's supreme court announced Friday that it ordered banks to transfer funds from Starlink and X accounts to pay fines the court levied against Elon Musk's social network.
#x #brazil #spacex #elonmusk
The court's top justice, Alexandre de Moraes, and a panel of five other justices, found that X had repeatedly violated Brazilian law when it refused to appoint a legal representative in the country, and when it refused to remove content or profiles from its platform that the court determined to be harmful towards democratic institutions in Brazil.
The court had nearly 18.4 million Brazilian reals, or approximately $3.3 million, transferred out of the accounts. Musk acquired X, then known as Twitter, in 2022. Starlink is the satellite internet service run by SpaceX.
Following the transfers, the court ordered that the frozen bank accounts and assets of X and Starlink be released, saying there was no longer any need to keep them.
The court suspended X at the end of August, and the suspension remains in place.
Musk and his businesses have said they view the actions of de Moraes as "illegal," and his court's orders as having been issued without due process. X and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Brazilian news agency UOL reported earlier this month that some of the accounts de Moraes ordered Musk to suspend at X belong to users who allegedly threatened federal police officers involved in a probe of former right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has been accused of instigating Brazil's Jan. 8 riots and of attempting to stage a coup there.
Musk is a proponent of Bolsonaro, in part because the former Brazilian president authorized his business Starlink to operate in the country.
Article
The Path Towards AI-Driven Healthcare | MOONSHOTS
#healthcare #ai #technology
The Transformative Impact of Generative AI: Accessibility, Efficiency, and Implications
In a thought-provoking discussion, experts explore the revolutionary nature of generative AI, highlighting its unprecedented accessibility, efficiency, and potential to reshape various sectors, particularly healthcare. The conversation delves into the economic and societal implications of this rapidly evolving technology.
Unprecedented Accessibility and Value
One of the most striking aspects of generative AI is its widespread availability at no cost. The speakers express amazement at the fact that "the world's most powerful technology is available for free to anyone with a smartphone." This level of accessibility was unimaginable just two decades ago, marking a significant shift in how we perceive and interact with advanced technologies.
Efficiency and Speed of Creation
The discussion emphasizes the dramatic reduction in time and effort required for various creative and analytical tasks. What once took hours or days of human labor can nOW be accomplished almost instantly across multiple modalities, from writing and coding to image and music creation. While the output may not always be perfect, it provides a solid starting point for further refinement.
Economic Implications
The speakers highlight a paradox in the economic model of generative AI. Despite its immense value and capability, it's being offered for free or at very low cost. This situation is compared to Google's approach of monetizing through advertising while significantly benefiting humanity. The conversation touches on the concept of "abundance equation," characterized by digitization, dematerialization, demonetization, and democratization of technology.
Impact on professional Sectors
Healthcare is used as a primary example to illustrate the potential impact of AI:
Medical Expertise: The extensive time and resources required to train a doctor (estimated at millions of dollars and a decade of education in the US) could potentially be replicated and made widely available through AI.
Diagnostic Capabilities: AI's ability to integrate and analyze vast amounts of medical data—including blood chemistry, genomics, and imaging—surpasses human capabilities. The speakers suggest that AI could soon outperform most physicians in diagnostic accuracy.
Specialized AI Agents: The future of medical AI is envisioned as a team of specialized agents, each expert in a particular area (radiology, genomics, blood chemistry), working together to provide comprehensive healthcare insights.
Early Detection: Recent research indicates AI's potential to detect diseases like breast cancer up to five years earlier than current methods.
Personalized Medicine: AI could address the limitations of current "one-size-fits-all" approaches in medicine by considering individual genetic variations and metabolic differences.
Ethical and Practical Considerations
The speakers predict that it may become malpractice not to include AI in medical decision-making processes within a few years, given its potential to save lives and reduce human errors. They advocate for AI to be used as a check on human diagnoses to enhance accuracy and patient safety.
Energy and Productivity Correlation
An interesting point is raised about the historical correlation between energy consumption and GDP per capita. The speakers suggest that AI represents a paradigm shift in this relationship, as it dramatically reduces the energy cost of creating and distributing knowledge and expertise.
Conclusion
The discussion paints a picture of generative AI as a transformative force that is reshaping our understanding of productivity, expertise, and resource allocation. While the focus is largely on the positive potential, particularly in healthcare, the speakers also hint at the need for careful consideration of the broader implications of this technology on society and the economy.
Tiger Global plans to join OpenAI’s funding round at more than $150 billion valuation
Tiger Global is planning to join OpenAI's buzzy new funding round that would value the AI startup at more than $150 billion.
Tiger Global is planning to join OpenAI's buzzy new funding round that would value the artificial intelligence startup at more than $150 billion, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously because details of the round have not yet been made public.
#tigerglobal #openbai #funding #technology
Thrive Capital is leading the round and plans to invest $1 billion. Microsoft, Nvidia and Apple are reportedly in talks to join as well.
Tiger Global, based in New York, has been a big investor in tech startups and later-stage companies for at least 15 years, dating back to pre-IPO investments in Facebook and LinkedIn. In recent years, the firm has invested in other fast-growing AI companies including Scale AI and Cohere. It first bought shares in OpenAI in 2021.
The Information was the first to report on Tiger's planned participation.
Earlier this year, OpenAI was valued at a reported $80 billion, up from $29 billion the prior year. Annualized revenue reportedly surpassed $2 billion earlier this year.
Growth took off in late 2022 after the company launched its ChatGPT chatbot. That momentum has continued with new OpenAI products for businesses and an expansion into AI-generated photos and videos. The company has doubled its number of weekly active users from late last year to 200 million, according to OpenAI.
The news comes one day after OpenAI released o1, a preview of its new AI model focused on reasoning and "solving hard problems." It also comes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined leaders from Anthropic, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and several American power and utility companies at the White House to discuss the future of artificial intelligence energy infrastructure in the U.S.
Article
99% of Beginners Don't Know the Basics of AI
#ai #technology
Google's AI Essentials Course: Key Takeaways and Review
In this comprehensive overview, we'll delve into the main points covered in Google's AI Essentials Course, as presented in the transcript. The course, designed for beginners, offers valuable insights into the world of artificial intelligence and its practical applications.
Five Key Takeaways
1. Three Types of AI Tools
The course identifies three primary categories of AI tools:
a) Standalone Tools: These are AI-powered software designed to work independently with minimal setup. Examples include:
b) Tools with Integrated AI Features: These are existing software applications with built-in AI enhancements. For instance:
c) Custom AI Solutions: These are tailored applications designed to solve specific problems. An example mentioned is John Hopkins University's AI system for detecting sepsis, which improved diagnostic accuracy from 2-5% to an average of 40%.
2. Surfacing Implied Context
When communicating with AI tools, it's crucial to explicitly state any implied context. This helps in getting more accurate and relevant responses. Examples include:
3. Zero-Shot vs. Few-Shot Prompting
The course explains different prompting techniques:
The more relevant examples provided, the more tailored the AI's output will be.
4. Chain-of-Thought Prompting
This technique involves breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps. For instance, when writing a cover letter:
This method helps AI models produce more accurate and consistent results.
5. Understanding AI Limitations
The course highlights three main limitations of AI:
a) Biased Training Data: AI models may produce biased results if trained on limited or skewed datasets.
b) Limited Information: AI models have knowledge cutoff dates and may lack information on recent events.
c) Hallucinations: AI can sometimes produce factually inaccurate information, which can be problematic for high-stakes tasks.
Pros and Cons of the Course
Pros:
Cons:
Who Should Take This Course?
The Google AI Essentials Course is ideal for:
Conclusion
While the course may not delve deeply into specific AI use cases, it offers a solid foundation for understanding AI concepts and tools. For those new to the field or looking to grasp the basics of AI, Google's AI Essentials Course provides a well-structured, beginner-friendly introduction to this rapidly evolving technology.
Meta to resume AI training in UK after regulatory pause
In July, Meta paused AI releases in the European Union following the Irish Data Protection Commission’s orders to halt its AI assistant rollout in the EU due to data privacy concerns.
Meta will begin using publicly shared content from adult users in the UK on Facebook and Instagram to train its artificial intelligence models. The company will use publicly available information, such as adult users’ posts, comments, photos, and captions on both platforms.
“We’re building AI at Meta to reflect the diverse communities around the world and we look forward to launching it in more countries and languages later this year,” Meta said.
#ai #meta #training #uk
In July, Meta paused AI releases in the European Union following the Irish Data Protection Commission’s orders to halt its AI assistant rollout in the EU due to data privacy concerns. Meta uses data from Facebook and Instagram users to train its AI models but asserts that this is done with user consent and offers an opt-out option.
Meta to use public information only
Meta said it will use public information, such as posts, comments, photos, and captions from adult users on Instagram and Facebook, to enhance its generative AI models for Meta’s features and experiences, including for users in the UK.
UK-based adults on Facebook and Instagram will begin receiving in-app notifications detailing Meta’s data usage practices and providing an option to object to their data being used for AI training. Meta elaborated:
Irish regulator tightens vigilance over AI
The Data Protection Commission (DPC), the Irish supervisory authority for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), has been tightening its oversight.
On Sept. 12, it started a cross-border investigation into Google Ireland Limited to determine whether Google followed EU data protection laws while developing its artificial intelligence model.
The regulator will investigate the use of EU citizens’ personal data in training Google’s Pathways Language Model 2 (PaLM2). Introduced on May 10, 2023, PaLM2 is an advanced language model featuring enhanced multilingual, reasoning, and coding abilities.
Article
DeFi needs more interoperability, not apps or infra | Opinion
DeFi has too much infrastructure and not enough apps—or at least, that’s what the consensus seems to be in crypto’s town square. Just this year, venture capitalists and private equity investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into crypto projects that make infrastructure a priority, if not an exclusive focus.
#defi #crypto #technology
The highlight reel speaks for itself. In the first quarter alone, VC firm a16z committed $100 million to Eigen Layer, a restaking protocol and infrastructure layer for the Ethereum network; private equity firms Bridgewater Capital and Deus X Capital joined forces to fund a $250 million infrastructure platform; and RW3 Ventures raised $60 million for a fund focused exclusively on blockchain infrastructure and DeFi. These headlines are just a few of many; a quick perusal of any crypto news outlet reveals countless similar announcements.
Focus on infrastructure
The laser focus on infrastructure sparked considerable conversation during and following the Ethereum Community Conferences, or EthCC’24, in mid-July, with many coming to the same conclusion: We need more apps and less emphasis on infrastructure.
It’s a valid perspective on the surface. To put the issue into metaphor, focusing disproportionately on infrastructure is like building the best theme park ever seen—without the rides. Who cares if the park has nice paths, sleek gift shops, and well-equipped food stalls? If you don’t have a roller coaster (or five) on the premises, no one will show up, let alone pay to play.
Theoretical value and potential can only inspire so much customer adoption. A wide variety and deep volume of apps could help hook and retain DeFi users. With more options on offer, users will have more reason and opportunity to not only onboard but also explore.
The problem? Increasing the number of apps can only help the underlying issue (e.g., the long-term growth and sustainability of the DeFi ecosystem) so much. Returning to our metaphor, a good theme park needs a variety of rides to attract guests; however, if those rides are inconvenient to access or unpleasant to experience, interest will taper off sharply.
The real problem: UX
Here, we come to the real problem at the heart of the apps vs. infra debate: user experience.
To say that the DeFi ecosystem (and the emerging BTCFi sector in particular) isn’t intuitive for layperson users would be an almost comical understatement. Even seemingly simple acts such as moving assets between dapps in different ecosystems can become a time-sucking, frustrating exercise for ordinary users. Despite being fundamental to cross-chain transactions, bridging and swapping are virtually impossible for crypto newcomers to figure out without professional guidance. It’s hard to blame a layperson for giving up midway—or opting not to try in the first place.
Article
Prompt tip:
When doing a prompt, break the request down as much as possible. The accuracy will increase if you give it piecemeal.
Can you explain what you mean by this?
Do you mean avoiding asking the AI to do everything in one prompt and ask for one step per prompt?
Yes.
Instead of asking "give me code that will create a website that allows for booking of cars and create the code for car booking, and then merge the two", prompt the first, then prompt the second, and take the code and have the AI merge it.
That way it is less likely to get confused.
That's what I thought...
The Guardian: A day in Elon Musk’s mind: 145 tweets with election conspiracies and emojis
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/14/elon-musk-tweets-trump-conspiracy
The Guardian: Parents ‘don’t use’ parental controls on Facebook and Instagram, says Nick Clegg
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/12/parental-controls-facebook-instagram-meta-nick-clegg
The Guardian: The US government is right to investigate Nvidia for alleged unfair practices
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/13/nvidia-doj-investigation-ai
CNBC: With Apple on board, OpenAI’s next act could be its toughest yet
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/14/with-apple-on-board-openais-next-act-could-be-its-toughest-yet.html
CNBC: Bitcoin network hits record level of power, but falling profits push miners to AI
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/14/bitcoin-network-hits-record-hash-rate-profits-falling-for-miners.html
CNN: ChatGPT maker says its new AI model can reason and think ‘much like a person’
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/13/tech/chatgpt-openai-o1-human-reasoning/index.html
CNN: Sam Altman’s lesser-known crypto project wants to scan the world’s irises
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/13/tech/sam-altmans-worldcoin-crypto-nightcap/index.html
CNN: Mr ChatGPT and other AI power players are going to the White House to discuss AI’s massive thirst for energy
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/12/tech/ai-chatgpt-white-house-power-energy/index.html
Wired: The Bird Flu Outbreak Takes a Mysterious Turn
https://www.wired.com/story/the-bird-flu-outbreak-takes-a-mysterious-turn-missouri-avian-influenza/
BBC: Teenager builds robot to solve Rubik's Cube
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20rqyk27rvo
BBC Video: 'Space is my happy place,' says stranded astronaut
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/ced019gne3no
Reuters: Exclusive: OpenAI's huge valuation hinges on upending corporate structure
https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openais-stunning-150-billion-valuation-hinges-upending-corporate-structure-2024-09-14/
Reuters: Exclusive: EU break-up order to Google unlikely for now, sources say
https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-break-up-order-google-unlikely-now-sources-say-2024-09-13/
Reuters: United Airlines taps Elon Musk's Starlink for in-flight internet
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/united-airlines-taps-elon-musks-starlink-in-flight-internet-2024-09-13/
Reuters: Intel qualifies for $3.5 billion in grants to make chips for US military, Bloomberg News reports
https://www.reuters.com/technology/intel-qualifies-35-billion-grants-make-chips-us-military-bloomberg-news-reports-2024-09-13/
Reuters: SoftwareOne weigh deal for Crayon as Apax closes in, Bloomberg News reports
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/softwareone-weigh-deal-crayon-apax-closes-bloomberg-news-reports-2024-09-13/
Reuters: Italy tests AI-assisted teaching in schools to boost IT skills
https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-tests-ai-assisted-teaching-schools-boost-it-skills-2024-09-13/
Reuters: Tiger Global plans to join OpenAI's multi-billion dollar funding round
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/tiger-global-plans-join-openai-funding-round-information-reports-2024-09-13/
Here's Day 4 of Conversations with AI... I don't have a lot to post today, so I probably won't reach the 15 comments for the threadcast to appear on top this time.
https://inleo.io/threads/view/ahmadmanga/re-leothreads-wguzdyfw
It will cost you over $1,100 to replace the screen on Huawei’s trifold phone
You’ll want to be extra careful with the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design, as screen replacements are almost half the cost of the folding phone.
Huawei has revealed the cost of replacement parts for the world’s first dual-hinged, triple-screen folding phone, and it’s another round of sticker shock. The Mate XT Ultimate Design starts at around $2,809, but should you damage its folding screen enough to need repairs, you’ll be potentially paying an additional 7,999 yuan, or around $1,123, for a replacement OLED panel.
#phone #technology #huawei
That’s assuming you agree to let Huawei recycle the damaged screen for free. Should you turn down that offer, a new screen for the Mate XT will instead cost you 9,799 yuan, or over $1,376. Ouch.
Huawei does offer some ways to save money on screen repairs for its new trifold phone. A refurbished replacement screen is slightly cheaper at 6,999 yuan (about $983). The company is also selling screen replacement insurance plans that start at 3,499 yuan (about $492) for a single screen replacement within the first year after the Mate XT is purchased. That’s certainly cheaper than paying the full price for a repair but still expensive for just a year’s worth of coverage.
For comparison, repairing the folding inner screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which includes replacing the OLED panel, its metal bezel, and the phone’s battery, is discounted to $200 the first time it’s needed. If you break it again, the price jumps to $549 for subsequent repairs. For the original Pixel Fold, Google partnered with iFixit to sell the replacement folding screen for $899.99, or $909.99 as part of a repair kit that also includes new batteries.
Other replacement parts for the Mate XT Ultimate Design are a little cheaper, including a 499 yuan (about $70) battery and cameras that range in price from 269 to 759 yuan (about $38 to $107). However, users will want to keep their fingers crossed that nothing happens to the Mate X’s motherboard. A replacement is a steep 9,099 yuan (about $1,278).
Article
Disney has struck a deal to bring Monday Night Football back to DirecTV
Disney reaches a deal in its latest carriage dispute.
Disney and DirecTV are back in business with each other after a carriage dispute that has kept ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned networks off of the cable provider since the beginning of September. ESPN and other channels Disney had blocked have been restored, giving DirecTV subscribers access, once again, to Monday Night Football, college football games, and other programming from Disney’s channels.
#newsonleo #disney #nfl #sports
As part of the deal, DirecTV will offer packages that include Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus as bundles or a la carte options. It’ll also include “Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service” when it launches, for no extra cost. And DirecTV will be able to “offer multiple genre-specific options — sports, entertainment, kids & family” to customers.
The companies issued a joint statement on the deal:
“Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DIRECTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options. DIRECTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DIRECTV’s customers. We’d like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.”
Disney and DirecTV’s spat began on September 1st, when negotiations between the two for a new carriage deal broke down, and Disney pulled all of its programming. Disney had a similar, 12-day dispute with Charter this time last year, blocking its channels for Spectrum subscribers in the middle of the US Open.
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This is a great AI voice recorder, and it’s totally doomed
The Plaud NotePin is a handy dedicated device for transcribing and summarizing audio. But AI audio seems more like a feature than a gadget.
#technology #ai #voicerecorder #plaud
Kudos to Plaud for one thing: in a year otherwise marred by high-profile failures and oh so much AI vaporware, it made an AI gadget that does exactly what it claims to do and does it pretty well. The gadget is called the NotePin, and it’s a $169, pill-shaped voice recorder that can transcribe, summarize, and pull important information out of your audio. This is something current AI systems can actually do well! There’s good and mature tech at every step along the pipeline here, from tiny microphones to speech-to-text transcription to natural-language processing and AI summarization. The NotePin does it well.
But the reason the NotePin works is also the reason I wouldn’t recommend buying one. AI voice recording is great and handy and being commoditized at an absolutely blistering pace. With iOS 18 or macOS Sequoia, you get transcriptions and summarization built into the Voice Memos app. Google’s Pixel Recorder app is terrific and is built into both the Pixel phones and the Pixel Watch. You can also get similar features from lots of apps. Do you need a dedicated voice recorder?
This is, of course, the eternal question about AI assistants as a whole. Are they a feature of your existing devices or a gadget category unto themselves? Plaud’s argument for dedicated hardware is about the same as all the other AI startups: that ease of use is everything. The NotePin’s accessories are core to its appeal: there’s a braided lanyard so you can wear it around your neck, a wristband so you can wear it Fitbit-style on your arm, and a clip so you can put it almost anywhere else.
In my time testing the NotePin, I’ve mostly had it around my neck, and I’ve used it to note reminders while driving, ramble long ideas to myself while walking the dog, and summarize calls and conversations. It’s certainly handy being able to just reach down, press the NotePin until it vibrates to indicate it’s recording, and then yammer away at nothing while my necklace dutifully listens. Once, when I was particularly enjoying a podcast, I just played the whole thing on speaker so the NotePin would transcribe and summarize it. The NotePin is easier to access than my phone in my pocket, and it’s definitely simpler than holding my wrist in front of my mouth for minutes at a time while shouting into my watch. The form factor definitely matters.
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TikTok is about to get its day in court
The Justice Department’s legal case for a forced sale includes classified evidence no one can see.
#newsonleo #technology #tiktok #socialmedia
Next week, a court will hear arguments about whether the US government can ban TikTok, based on evidence it doesn’t want anyone — including the social media company — to see.
On September 16th, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments for TikTok v. Garland, TikTok’s First Amendment challenge to legislation that it claims amounts to a ban. It’s a fight not just about free speech but whether the Department of Justice can make a case using classified material that its opponent can’t review or argue against. The government argues TikTok is a clear national security threat but says that revealing why would be a threat, too.
“I think the courts are going to tread very carefully here,” Matt Schettenhelm, a senior litigation analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence covering tech and telecom, told The Verge. “Especially in a First Amendment case like this, where it’s effectively banning one of our leading platforms for free speech in the country, the idea that you’re going to do it for secret reasons that you don’t even tell the company itself, that is going to be cause for concern for the judges.”
The DOJ’s case against TikTok
TikTok’s suit stems from a law signed by President Joe Biden back in April. The law requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest it within nine months to a non-Chinese company; if it fails, the app would be effectively banned in the US — unless the president grants it a few months to get a deal done. TikTok has argued the law would unconstitutionally “force a shutdown,” accusing the government of taking “the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok.”
In filings first submitted on July 28th, the government laid out its defense, making a series of declarations about TikTok’s risks. The claims relied on dozens of pages of redacted classified material. The DOJ insisted it wasn’t “trying to litigate in secret,” but, citing national security concerns, it asked to file the classified material ex parte, meaning only one side (and the panel of judges) would be able to see it.
We obviously don’t know exactly what’s in these documents, but the partially redacted filings give us some hints. They focus largely on the potential that the Chinese government could compel ByteDance to hand over the data of US users — or that it could coerce the company into using TikTok’s algorithm to push specific content onto US users.
The government argues that the national security risks posed by TikTok are so significant that they override First Amendment claims. The DOJ said Congress decided to ban TikTok based on “extensive information — including substantial classified information — on the national-security risk” of allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US.
One of the documents is a declaration from Casey Blackburn, an assistant director of national intelligence. Blackburn writes that there is “no information” that the Chinese government has used TikTok for “malign foreign influence targeting US persons” or the “collection of sensitive data of US persons.” But he says there is “a risk” of it happening in the future.
AI could actually change movies for the better – and fix that awful Game of Thrones finale
Look out Hollywood, AI is coming
Reply AI recently hosted its Mastercard-sponsored AI Film Festival, and the finalists were picked at the prestigious 81st Venice Film Festival on September 3. The films were all created by using various AI technologies, and center around the theme, “synthetic voices, human hearts”. To find the finalists, an international panel of judges viewed over 1,000 short films submitted from 59 countries.
#entertainment #ai #hollywood #technology
he winner was To Dear Me, a short film in an animated style by Gisele Tong, described as a “poignant exploration of self-discovery and healing”. You can view the film below, but be aware that it contains scenes of domestic violence.
Second place went to One Way by Egor Kharlamov and third place was Jinx by Mansha Totla, which is a documentary on World War 2 entirely created in AI. Criteria for the awards were that the film had to be generated or enhanced by AI, and the entrants used a huge range of different AI tools to create their films. You can view the finalists and runners-up on the Reply AI website.
There can be no doubt now that Artificial Intelligence is going to radically change movie making in the future, so we asked Filippo Rizzante, CTO of Reply AI, if he saw AI as a threat to traditional movie making.
“AI is a tool. AI is not an entity”, says Filippo. “It is like when humanity invented the camera [as a rival medium to] painting, and people were convinced at that time, if you remember, that the camera was stealing people's souls? It reminds me of exactly the same thing”.
But isn’t he worried that AI will take people’s jobs in the movie industry? “No, no. It will really disrupt organizations, not people", says Filippo. "What is changing is not only the possible creative output – so, maybe a new kind of creativity will emerge – but also the quantity. So, in the 17th century, we were manually copying books. Now we can’t count the number of books that we are able to produce, and it probably will be the same with videos. That will enable much more in terms of quantity, but also quality in the future. This means that it will probably require even more people to produce videos, because there is a bit of democratization, but it will disrupt organizations.”
Maybe Game of Thrones didn't have to end that way
Filippo sees AI as augmenting film making, rather than replacing it, “We will mix the real reality together with AI, sometimes just for visual efforts, sometimes, like in the short movies that you find in our competition, maybe to create things about the story of your grandmother, of the past of your grandmother, that was not possible to create without big investments today."
But AI isn’t just about mimicking the way we make films now, it’s also about thinking about movie-making in new and different ways. “With AI you can also generate a movie on the fly, which means that maybe Game of Thrones will not end like it has”, says Filippo. On the fly movie making opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Just imagine an AI that can scan your face to judge what reaction you’re having to a movie, so it changes the plot accordingly. Or perhaps if you don’t like an ending to a series, you can change it in some other way.
Rather than seeing AI as a threat to movies and television, it could be the thing that shakes up an industry that has needed an overhaul for a while now. Nobody likes having to wait at least a year between series of their favorite show. Having AI generate the next season whenever you’re ready could be a blessing, And I’m pretty sure my reaction to the Game of Thrones ending would have been pretty easy for even a non-human to read!
https://inleo.io/threads/view/taskmaster4450le/re-leothreads-2gqth2ae?referral=taskmaster4450le
Adobe Firefly gets AI-generated video, and you’re going to love the Sora AI rival
The competition for AI video is heating up
Adobe has added generative video to Firefly’s skill set, and the results certainly look promising. You’ll be able to use Adobe Firefly Video Model to create AI-generated video just as easily as you currently can with AI-generated images using Firefly. The initial video that Adobe has produced certainly looks impressive:
#newsonleo #ai #video #firefly #adobe
Rather than seeing Adobe Firefly Video Model as a way to replace human-created content, Adobe is pitching it as a way to augment your existing video content, giving you the ability to seamlessly fill in gaps in your project by generating B-Roll, adding intros, or extending scenes. The ability to extend a scene is integrated into Premiere Pro. By generating extra frames you can hold a shot for a moment or two longer and it should look as if you simply carried on filming. The same can be done with audio, so you can generate audio to help you transition from one scene to another.
f you want to generate new video using Adobe Firefly Video Model there’s a text-to-video mode, so you can simply enter text prompts to describe the sort of video you want to create and Firefly will produce it. This means you can enter a prompt like “Close up of a dog on a skateboard on a sunny day”, and it will generate the video. You can also mention camera controls in your prompt, like angle, motion, or zoom.
Another thing you can do with Adobe Firefly Video model is feed it images and get it to generate video from them. Used in this way, Firefly becomes a part of a larger number of apps all working together to help you create content.
Commercially safe
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https://crypto.news/sam-bankman-fried-demands-new-trial-over-ftx-fraud-verdict/
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has challenged his 25-year sentence following his five-week trial late last year.
#crypto #fraud #news #cent
What is the future of computer generated content?
The future of computer-generated content (CGC) is exciting and rapidly evolving. Here are some trends and predictions that are likely to shape the future of CGC:
Some potential applications of CGC in the future include:
These are just a few examples of the many exciting possibilities that CGC will enable in the future. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and creative applications of computer-generated content.
23andMe Agrees To $30 Million Settlement For Last Year's Data Breach
Affected users can try to claim up to $10,000 if the breach at 23andMe led to financial fraud or paying up for security or mental health services.
23andMe has agreed to pay $30 million to settle lawsuits over a company data breach that ensnared 6.4 million users last year.
On Friday, the DNA testing company filed a court document, supporting the settlement, according to Reuters, which was first to report the news.
#23andme #data #biotech #technology
The company called the settlement “fair, adequate, and reasonable” and told PCMag it’s intended to settle all US claims concerning last year’s breach, which exposed customer data on 23andMe to a hacker. The attacker pulled this off by first breaching 14,000 accounts, and then exploiting the service’s optional “DNA relatives” feature to access the profiles of millions of other users.
The breach became evident after the hacker tried to sell the stolen DNA-related information in a forum at $100,000 per 100,000 user profiles. The incident prompted some victims to hire lawyers and file class action lawsuits, alleging that 23andMe had failed to protect their data.
But it doesn’t look like the $30 million settlement will result in a payment to all affected victims, according to court documents. The settlement, which needs final court approval, proposes offering up to $10,000 from the fund for users who file an “extraordinary claim,” meaning they can demonstrate the breach caused them to suffer financial fraud. Victims can also file an extraordinary claim if the breach led to “unreimbursed costs” from purchasing physical security monitoring systems or paying up for mental health counseling.
A total cap on the extraordinary claims has been set at $5 million. Meanwhile, at least 25% of the $30 million will go toward paying attorney fees.
Other users are only entitled to a $100 payment. This includes 23andMe customers based in Alaska, California, Illinois or Oregon, which have “genetic privacy laws with statutory damages provisions.” Another, smaller group of users, who had their health information exposed in the breach can also receive a $100 payment.
Outside of the settlement funds, 23andMe has also agreed to pay for identity monitoring services for three years to all affected users. The so-called “Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring” is a customized program that’ll offer a wide variety of cybersecurity products, including a password manager, anti-phishing protection and medical record monitoring, according to a court document.
The settlement also requires 23andMe to bolster the company's security, including mandating multi-factor authentication and conducting more cybersecurity audits. In a statement, 23andMe noted that it expects to pay $25 million for the settlement through the company’s cyber insurance. “We continue to believe this settlement is in the best interest of 23andMe customers, and we look forward to finalizing the agreement,” the company added.
Article
https://inleo.io/threads/view/taskmaster4450le/re-leothreads-2v2xhxmvy?referral=taskmaster4450le
Amazon’s Project Kuiper: The Low-Cost Satellite Home Internet Service That Could Connect Millions
Amazon is gearing up to launch its highly anticipated home and business internet service, Project Kuiper, promising faster speeds and lower prices than its competitors.
Delayed Launch, But Still on Track
After a slight delay, Amazon is now set to launch its first mass production satellites in the fourth quarter of 2024. Despite the setback, the company assures that it’s still on course to begin offering the service in select areas in 2025.
#amazon #homeinternet #technology #newsonleo
Three Speed Options
Amazon’s internet service will come in three speed options:
Affordability is Key
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has indicated that Project Kuiper aims to provide a low-cost service that will help connect the estimated 400 to 500 million households worldwide currently without internet access. A Bloomberg report suggests that Amazon’s standard satellite dish will cost under $400 to manufacture, potentially undercutting SpaceX’s Starlink pricing.
The Road Ahead
While the exact monthly cost remains unknown, Amazon seems determined to be a more affordable alternative to Starlink. Limited testing is expected to start in 2025, with a gradual rollout throughout 2025 and 2026. Like Starlink’s initial launch, the service will likely be available in select areas first before expanding to a wider coverage area.
The Big Picture
Project Kuiper has the potential to disrupt the satellite internet market by offering faster speeds, lower prices, and broader accessibility. It could be a game-changer for underserved communities and individuals seeking a reliable and affordable internet connection.
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What is Amazon's Project Kuiper?
Amazon's Project Kuiper is a satellite constellation project aimed at providing global Internet connectivity to underserved communities and remote areas. The project was announced in April 2019, and it is a significant undertaking by Amazon to expand its presence in the satellite industry.
Project Kuiper is a constellation of 3,236 satellites that will be launched into low ⇪ orbit× (LEO) over the next few years. The satellites will be designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to areas where traditional internet infrastructure is lacking or non-existent.
The project's goals are to:
The project is named after the Kuiper Belt, a region of our solar system that contains many small, icy bodies and other celestial objects. The name reflects Amazon's ambition to explore new frontiers in space and to provide internet connectivity to areas that are currently out of reach.
Amazon has partnered with several companies, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin, to develop and launch the satellites. The project is expected to require an investment of over $10 billion over the next few years.
Project Kuiper is still in its development phase, and the first satellites are expected to be launched in the mid-2020s. Once operational, the constellation will provide internet connectivity to millions of people around the world, making it a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and expanding global internet access.
The AI Disruptobloat: How Overproduction Dilutes Value but Accelerates Innovation
Hype vs. substance
I’m coining the word ‘disruptobloat’ to describe a distinct season that any major technology goes through:
VC funds are running high for 50 versions of the same use case.
Everyone’s LinkedIn tagline indicates they’ve been a decade-old expert in [some new tech] (I say this shamelessly, as my own LinkedIn includes both crypto & AI)
Headlines slowly move from “all companies are building in [tech]” to “Are consumers fed up with [tech]?” to the merciless butt-of-the-joke and “what went wrong”.
Disruptobloat is a phenomenon of overproduction: [some new tech]-driven products flood the market, diluting the perception of value in the short term.
It’s a race towards the same thing: discovering a sticky use case that shapes new customer behaviors and accrues value. It’s not a bug; it’s a necessary step in the evolution, and a good thing! The bigger the disruptobloat, the faster we get to breakthroughs, because we iterate through ideas faster.
Azeem Azhar from Exponential View breaks it down this way:
How Experts use AI to Maximize Working potential | MOONSHOTS
#robots #ai #technology economy
The Future of Productivity: 10 Billion Robots and the Quest for time, Focus, and Flow
In a recent conversation, a prominent figure in the longevity and AI communities shared their thoughts on the future of productivity, highlighting the potential of 10 billion robots to revolutionize the way we live and work. The speaker emphasized the importance of time, focus, and flow in achieving success, and explored the role of AI in enhancing our productivity and well-being.
The Scarce Resource: Time
The speaker began by emphasizing the scarcity of time, stating that it is the most valuable resource we possess. They noted that technology has been buying back time for us, allowing us to accomplish more in less time. For example, Google has saved us hours of searching for information, while Zoom has enabled instant communication across the globe.
The Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity
The speaker highlighted the potential of AI to augment our productivity, citing the example of a Chief of Staff or executive Assistant (EA) that can help us manage our time more effectively. They noted that having such an AI-powered assistant would allow us to focus on more important tasks, rather than wasting time on mundane activities.
The Importance of Focus and Flow
The speaker emphasized the importance of focus and flow in achieving success. They noted that flow is a state of complete absorption in an activity, where one's skills and abilities are fully engaged. They suggested that AI can help us enter this state by providing us with the right tools and information, allowing us to achieve more in less time.
The Future of Creativity and AI
The speaker discussed the potential of AI to enhance creativity, citing the example of top artists who use AI as a sparring partner to generate new ideas and perspectives. They noted that AI can help us think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions, but emphasized the importance of using AI in a way that complements our own creativity, rather than replacing it.
The Future of Productivity and Well-being
The speaker concluded by emphasizing the potential of AI to enhance our productivity and well-being. They noted that having an AI-powered assistant would allow us to achieve more in less time, and would also provide us with the tools and resources we need to maintain our mental and physical health.
In conclusion, the speaker's vision for the future of productivity is one where AI plays a central role in augmenting our abilities and enhancing our well-being. By leveraging the power of AI, we can achieve more in less time, and live healthier, happier lives.
Do you realize the economic output capabilities of 10 billion robots?
We will be looking at a 100x-500x on the economy.
#ai #technology