The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

A new optical memory platform for super fast calculations

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] photonics, which offers lower energy consumption and reduced latency than electronics. One of the most promising approaches is in-memory computing, which requires the use of photonic memories. Passing light signals through these memories makes it possible to perform operations nearly instantaneously. But solutions proposed for creating such memories have faced challenges such as low Read more about A new optical memory platform for super fast calculations[…]

Why Has Zuckerberg stopped Meta Fact Checking? Trump lifetime prison threats and FCC section 230 removal threats?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

If you only remember two things about the government pressure campaign to influence Mark Zuckerberg’s content moderation decisions, make it these: Donald Trump directly threatened to throw Zuck in prison for the rest of his life, and just a couple months ago FCC Commissioner (soon to be FCC chair) Brendan Carr threatened Meta that if Read more about Why Has Zuckerberg stopped Meta Fact Checking? Trump lifetime prison threats and FCC section 230 removal threats?[…]

Robot arm developed that allows sense of touch

Posted on by Robin Edgar

You can probably complete an amazing number of tasks with your hands without looking at them. But if you put on gloves that muffle your sense of touch, many of those simple tasks become frustrating. Take away proprioception — your ability to sense your body’s relative position and movement — and you might even end Read more about Robot arm developed that allows sense of touch[…]

You don’t need to make up like a clown to defeat AI face detection

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a pre-print paper titled “Novel AI Camera Camouflage: Face Cloaking Without Full Disguise,” David Noever, chief scientist, and Forrest McKee, data scientist, describe their efforts to baffle face recognition systems through the minimal application of makeup and manipulation of image files. Noever and McKee recount various defenses that have been proposed against facial recognition Read more about You don’t need to make up like a clown to defeat AI face detection[…]

Pixelfed Is an Instagram Alternative That Feels Like a Return to the Glory Days of Photo Sharing with your friends

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Are you one of the many reconsidering their relationship with Meta’s Instagram? If you’re looking for another outlet to share your photos, Pixelfed, an open source photo-sharing alternative without ads or tracking, has officially launched mobile apps for Android and iPhone. These apps, which allow you to upload photos and videos directly from your phone, Read more about Pixelfed Is an Instagram Alternative That Feels Like a Return to the Glory Days of Photo Sharing with your friends[…]

I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this but everything seems to be going down the tubes quite fast. And not fun tubes, like at a waterpark. The “ending in shit” kind. The issues are complicated, the reasons diverse, but there are a few culprits who have been making themselves extremely visible. Alongside those Read more about I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers[…]

Meta says it isn’t ending fact-checks outside the US yet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Social media platform Meta has confirmed that its fact-checking feature on Facebook, Instagram and Threads will only be removed in the US for now, according to a Jan. 13 letter sent to Brazil’s government. “Meta has already clarified that, at this time, it is terminating its independent Fact-Checking Program only in the United States, where Read more about Meta says it isn’t ending fact-checks outside the US yet[…]

Finally USB decides to use sane terminology to label cables

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In 2019, the names used by the USB Implementor Forum’s engineering teams to describe the various speeds of USB got leaked, and the backlash (including our own) was harsh. Names like “USB 3.2 Gen 2” mean nothing to consumers — but neither do marketing-style terms, such as “SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps.” It’s the latter speed-only designation Read more about Finally USB decides to use sane terminology to label cables[…]

Mastodon announces transition to nonprofit structure – does what OpenAI should have done

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Decentralized social network organization Mastodon said Monday that it is planning to create a new nonprofit organization in Europe and hand over ownership of entities responsible for key Mastodon ecosystem and platform components. This means one person won’t have control over the entire project. The organization is trying to differentiate itself from social networks controlled Read more about Mastodon announces transition to nonprofit structure – does what OpenAI should have done[…]

Sonos finally CEO steps down after app upgrade debacle

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Smart speaker outfit Sonos has parted ways with CEO Patrick Spence, who oversaw the release of an app that was billed as an upgrade but instead made the company’s products worse and riled customers. Sonos teased the software in an April 2024 announcement headlined “Sonos Unveils Completely Reimagined Sonos App, Bringing Services, Content and System Read more about Sonos finally CEO steps down after app upgrade debacle[…]

Researchers make comfortable materials that generate power when worn

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers have demonstrated new wearable technologies that both generate electricity from human movement and improve the comfort of the technology for the people wearing them. The work stems from an advanced understanding of materials that increase comfort in textiles and produce electricity when they rub against another surface. At issue are molecules called amphiphiles, which Read more about Researchers make comfortable materials that generate power when worn[…]

EU is ‘losing the narrative battle’ over AI Act to US fake news, says UN adviser

Posted on by Robin Edgar

European companies are believing the “absolute lie” that the EU AI Act is killing innovation, Carme Artigas, co-chair of the United Nations advisory board on artificial intelligence, has warned. “We are losing the battle of the narrative,” Artigas said last week at the Europe Startup Nations Alliance forum.  As Spain’s AI minister, Artigas led negotiations Read more about EU is ‘losing the narrative battle’ over AI Act to US fake news, says UN adviser[…]

Venezuela’s Internet Censorship Sparks Surge in VPN Demand

Posted on by Robin Edgar

What’s Important to Know: Venezuela’s Supreme Court fined TikTok USD$10 million for failing to prevent viral video challenges that resulted in the deaths of three Venezuelan children. TikTok faced temporary blockades by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Venezuela for not paying the fine. ISPs used IP, HTTP, and DNS blocks to restrict access to TikTok Read more about Venezuela’s Internet Censorship Sparks Surge in VPN Demand[…]

VPN Demand Surge in Florida after Adult Sites Age Restriction Kicks In

Posted on by Robin Edgar

What’s important to know: On March 25, 2024 Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring age verification for accessing pornographic sites. This law, known as House Bill 3 (HB3), passed with bipartisan support and has caused quite a stir in the online community. HB3 was set to come into effect on January 1, 2025. Read more about VPN Demand Surge in Florida after Adult Sites Age Restriction Kicks In[…]

Billion-pound lawsuit against Apple over App Store opens in UK

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The complaint, filed in May 2021, accuses Apple of breaching European and UK competition laws by “its exclusion of any other app stores from iOS devices” like iPhones and iPads. It claims that some 20 million Apple users may have been overcharged by the company “due to its ban on rival app store platforms”. The Read more about Billion-pound lawsuit against Apple over App Store opens in UK[…]

Meta’s right-wing surrender to Trump also includes an end to DEI programs and trans Messenger themes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Meta isn’t stopping at moderation changes. According to both Axios and The New York Times, the company is also pulling the plug on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. That includes removing diversity hiring goals, eliminating the chief diversity officer position and no longer prioritizing minority-owned businesses as vendors, per The Times‘ reporting. When asked to Read more about Meta’s right-wing surrender to Trump also includes an end to DEI programs and trans Messenger themes[…]

Google brings back digital fingerprinting to track users for advertising

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google is tracking your online behavior in the name of advertising, reintroducing a data collection process that ingests all of your online signals (from IP address to complex browser information) and pinpoints unique users or devices, also known as “digital fingerprinting.” The company’s updated platform program policies include relaxed restrictions on advertisers and personalized ad Read more about Google brings back digital fingerprinting to track users for advertising[…]

Bad Likert Judge: A Novel Multi-Turn Technique to Jailbreak LLMs by Misusing Their Evaluation Capability

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Text-generation large language models (LLMs) have safety measures designed to prevent them from responding to requests with harmful and malicious responses. Research into methods that can bypass these guardrails, such as Bad Likert Judge, can help defenders prepare for potential attacks. The technique asks the target LLM to act as a judge scoring the harmfulness Read more about Bad Likert Judge: A Novel Multi-Turn Technique to Jailbreak LLMs by Misusing Their Evaluation Capability[…]

Google Pixel 4a’s update kills its battery life on purpose

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google’s Pixel 4a has long been considered a great smartphone for those on a budget, but it just received a software update that calls that into question. The update lowers the reported battery life. This isn’t a side-effect of some new software. This is the actual intent of the refresh. Wait, what? Google says the Read more about Google Pixel 4a’s update kills its battery life on purpose[…]

Brelyon’s immersive display is a monitor that is much bigger on the inside than the outside

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Billed as the world’s first commercial multi-focal monitor, the Ultra Reality Extend merges the ease-of-use and simplicity of a traditional desktop display with the kind of spatial depth you can normally only get from VR headset. Granted, the max simulated depth the Extend delivers is only 2.5 meters, which isn’t nearly as far as you’d Read more about Brelyon’s immersive display is a monitor that is much bigger on the inside than the outside[…]

Japan’s wooden satellite leaves International Space Station • The Register

Posted on by Robin Edgar

LignoSat was sent to the ISS in November 2024 on a mission to demonstrate that wood could be a viable material from which to build spacecraft. The goal of the satellite includes studying how the selected wood reacts when exposed to the environment of space and its resistance to cosmic radiation. Researchers will also monitor Read more about Japan’s wooden satellite leaves International Space Station • The Register[…]

Telegram hands over data on 2253 users last year (up from 108 in 2023) to US law enforcement alone after arrest of boss

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Telegram reveals that the communications platform has fulfilled 900 U.S. government requests, sharing the phone number or IP address information of 2,253 users with law enforcement. This number is a steep increase from previous years, with most requests processed after the platform’s policy shift on sharing user data, announced in September 2024. While Telegram has long Read more about Telegram hands over data on 2253 users last year (up from 108 in 2023) to US law enforcement alone after arrest of boss[…]

Google goes to court for collecting data on users who opted out… again…

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A federal judge this week rejected Google’s motion to throw out a class-action lawsuit alleging that it invaded the privacy of users who opted out of functionality that records a users’ web and app activities. A jury trial is scheduled for August 2025 in US District Court in San Francisco. The lawsuit concerns Google’s Web Read more about Google goes to court for collecting data on users who opted out… again…[…]

Meta to get rid of fact-checkers, turn Facebook into a kind of X for Trump

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Meta is abandoning the use of independent fact checkers on Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with X-style “community notes” where commenting on the accuracy of posts is left to users. In a video posted alongside a blog post by the company on Tuesday, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said third-party moderators were “too politically biased” and Read more about Meta to get rid of fact-checkers, turn Facebook into a kind of X for Trump[…]