Month: July 2023

Research group develops biodegradable film that keeps food fresh for longer

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] a film made of a compound derived from limonene, the main component of citrus fruit peel, and chitosan, a biopolymer derived from the chitin present in exoskeletons of crustaceans. The film was developed by a research group in São Paulo state, Brazil, comprising scientists in the Department of Materials Engineering and Bioprocesses at the Read more about Research group develops biodegradable film that keeps food fresh for longer[…]

AI System Identified Drug Trafficker by Scanning Driving Patterns

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Police in New York recently managed to identify and apprehend a drug trafficker seemingly by magic. The perp in question, David Zayas, was traveling through the small upstate town of Scarsdale when he was pulled over by Westchester County police. When cops searched Zayas’ vehicle they found a large amount of crack cocaine, a gun, Read more about AI System Identified Drug Trafficker by Scanning Driving Patterns[…]

China sets AI rules – not just risk based (EU AI Act), but also ideological

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Chinese authorities published the nation’s rules governing generative AI on Thursday, including protections that aren’t in place elsewhere in the world. Some of the rules require operators of generative AI to ensure their services “adhere to the core values of socialism” and don’t produce output that includes “incitement to subvert state power.” AIs are also Read more about China sets AI rules – not just risk based (EU AI Act), but also ideological[…]

A Bunch Of Authors Sue OpenAI Claiming Copyright Infringement, Because They Don’t Understand Copyright

Posted on by Robin Edgar

You may have seen some headlines recently about some authors filing lawsuits against OpenAI. The lawsuits (plural, though I’m confused why it’s separate attempts at filing a class action lawsuit, rather than a single one) began last week, when authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad sued OpenAI and various subsidiaries, claiming copyright infringement in how Read more about A Bunch Of Authors Sue OpenAI Claiming Copyright Infringement, Because They Don’t Understand Copyright[…]

100x Faster Than Wi-Fi: Light-Based Networking Standard Released

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has added 802.11bb as a standard for light-based wireless communications. The publishing of the standard has been welcomed by global Li-Fi businesses, as it will help speed the rollout and adoption of the  data-transmission technology standard. Advantages of using light rather than radio frequencies (RF) are Read more about 100x Faster Than Wi-Fi: Light-Based Networking Standard Released[…]

VanMoof ebike should be bricked if servers go down – fortunately security is so bad a rival has an app to allow you to unlock it

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] an app is required to use many of the smart features of its bikes – and that app relies on communication with VanMoof servers. If the company goes under, and the servers go offline, that could leave ebike owners unable to even unlock their bikes […] While unlocking is activated by Bluetooth when your Read more about VanMoof ebike should be bricked if servers go down – fortunately security is so bad a rival has an app to allow you to unlock it[…]

PPP fraud is ‘worst in history’: $200B stolen, splurged on Lamborghinis and bling

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tens of thousands of fraudsters splurged on Lamborghinis, vacation homes, private jet flights and Cartier jewelry by fleecing the PPP loan system in a $200 billion heist — and did it because the COVID loan scheme was so easy to milk. Approximately $1.2 trillion was rushed through Congress in 2020 and 2021 in COVID bailout cash Read more about PPP fraud is ‘worst in history’: $200B stolen, splurged on Lamborghinis and bling[…]

Hollywood studios proposed AI contract that would give them likeness rights ‘for the rest of eternity’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

During today’s press conference in which Hollywood actors confirmed that they were going on strike, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, revealed a proposal from Hollywood studios that sounds ripped right out of a Black Mirror episode. In a statement about the strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said that its proposal Read more about Hollywood studios proposed AI contract that would give them likeness rights ‘for the rest of eternity’[…]

Discussing The Tastier Side Of Desktop 3D Printing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] After nearly a decade in development, Ellie Weinstein’s Cocoa Press chocolate 3D printer kit is expected to start shipping before the end of the year. Derived from the Voron 0.1 design, the kit is meant to help those with existing 3D printing experience expand their repertoire beyond plastics and into something a bit sweeter. Read more about Discussing The Tastier Side Of Desktop 3D Printing[…]

How AI could help local newsrooms remain afloat in a sea of misinformation – read and learn, Gizmodo staffers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It didn’t take long for the downsides of a generative AI-empowered newsroom to make themselves obvious, between CNet’s secret chatbot reviews editor last November and Buzzfeed’s subsequent mass layoffs of human staff in favor of AI-generated “content” creators. The specter of being replaced by a “good enough AI” looms large in many a journalist’s mind Read more about How AI could help local newsrooms remain afloat in a sea of misinformation – read and learn, Gizmodo staffers[…]

New privacy deal allows US tech giants to continue storing European user data on American servers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nearly three years after a 2020 court decision threatened to grind transatlantic e-commerce to a halt, the European Union has adopted a plan that will allow US tech giants to continue storing data about European users on American soil. In a decision announced Monday, the European Commission approved the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework. Under the Read more about New privacy deal allows US tech giants to continue storing European user data on American servers[…]

Rolls-Royce won’t let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The first Rolls-Royce EV, the Spectre, is going on sale soon at a cool $425,000 — and at that price, purchasing slots will be limited, to say the least. But any buyers planning to flip one for a quick profit may want to think twice. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said that any customers attempting to resell Read more about Rolls-Royce won’t let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit[…]

How An AI-Written ‘Star Wars’ Story Shows Yet Again the Luddism at Gizmodo

Posted on by Robin Edgar

G/O Media is the owner of top sites like Gizmodo, Kotaku, Quartz, and the Onion. Last month they announced “modest tests” of AI-generated content on their sites — and it didn’t go over well within the company, reports the Washington Post. Soon the Deputy Editor of Gizmodo’s science fiction section io9 was flagging 18 “concerns, Read more about How An AI-Written ‘Star Wars’ Story Shows Yet Again the Luddism at Gizmodo[…]

BMW’s Heads-Up Display Glasses Could Make You Feel Like a Motorcycle-Riding Cyborg

Posted on by Robin Edgar

f you’ve ever been riding your motorcycle and thought it’d be cool to have a Terminator-like head-up display, giving you vehicle and navigation data, BMW has just the thing for you. They’re called the BMW ConnectedRide Smartglasses—smart sunglasses with a head-up display (HUD) built into the right lens. For a smart pair of glasses, with Read more about BMW’s Heads-Up Display Glasses Could Make You Feel Like a Motorcycle-Riding Cyborg[…]

Brave to stop websites from port scanning visitors – wait that hasn’t been done by everyone yet?!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Brave browser will take action against websites that snoop on visitors by scanning their open Internet ports or accessing other network resources that can expose personal information. Starting in version 1.54, Brave will automatically block website port scanning, a practice that a surprisingly large number of sites were found engaging in a few years Read more about Brave to stop websites from port scanning visitors – wait that hasn’t been done by everyone yet?![…]

Joby Aviation gets first passenger electric VTOL testing certification from FAA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first aircraft built at its Pilot Production Line in Marina, California. Issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the certificate allows Joby to begin flight testing of its first production prototype. The Read more about Joby Aviation gets first passenger electric VTOL testing certification from FAA[…]

Google Says It’ll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google updated its privacy policy over the weekend, explicitly saying the company reserves the right to scrape just about everything you post online to build its AI tools. If Google can read your words, assume they belong to the company now, and expect that they’re nesting somewhere in the bowels of a chatbot. “Google uses Read more about Google Says It’ll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI[…]

Valve All But Bans AI-Generated Content from Steam Games

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Game developers looking to distribute their playable creations via Valve’s popular Steam hub may have trouble if they’re looking to use AI during the creative process. The game publisher and distributor says that Steam will no longer tolerate products that were generated using copyright-infringing AI content. Since that’s a policy that could apply to most—if not Read more about Valve All But Bans AI-Generated Content from Steam Games[…]

Big Business Isn’t Happy With FTC’s ‘Click to Cancel’ Proposal – says people enjoy tortuous cancellations

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Federal Trade Commission’s recent proposal to require that companies offer customers easy one-click options to cancel subscriptions might seem like a no-brainer, something unequivocally good for consumers. Not according to the companies it would affect, though. In their view, the introduction of simple unsubscribe buttons could lead to a wave of accidental cancellations by Read more about Big Business Isn’t Happy With FTC’s ‘Click to Cancel’ Proposal – says people enjoy tortuous cancellations[…]

Film companies demand names of Reddit users who discussed piracy in 201

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Reddit is fighting another attempt by film companies to unmask anonymous Reddit users who discussed piracy. The same companies lost a previous, similar motion to identify Reddit users who wrote comments in piracy-related threads. Reddit avoided revealing the identities of eight users by arguing that the First Amendment protected their right to anonymous speech. Reddit Read more about Film companies demand names of Reddit users who discussed piracy in 201[…]