Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

AI Alliance Launches as an International Community of Leading Technology Developers, Researchers, and Adopters Collaborating Together to Advance Open, Safe, Responsible AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

IBM and Meta Launch the AI Alliance in collaboration with over 50 Founding Members and Collaborators globally including AMD, Anyscale, CERN, Cerebras, Cleveland Clinic, Cornell University, Dartmouth, Dell Technologies, EPFL, ETH, Hugging Face, Imperial College London, Intel, INSAIT, Linux Foundation, MLCommons, MOC Alliance operated by Boston University and Harvard University, NASA, NSF, Oracle, Partnership on Read more about AI Alliance Launches as an International Community of Leading Technology Developers, Researchers, and Adopters Collaborating Together to Advance Open, Safe, Responsible AI[…]

Richard Branson’s wallet too small to support Space travel

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sir Richard Branson is leaving his space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, to stand or fall on its own two feet after declaring that his business empire will not be tipping any more cash into the project. Branson told the Financial Times: “We don’t have the deepest pockets after COVID, and Virgin Galactic has got $1 Read more about Richard Branson’s wallet too small to support Space travel[…]

Alternative browsers about to die? Firefox may soon be delisted in the US govt support matrix :'(

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A somewhat obscure guideline for developers of U.S. government websites may be about to accelerate the long, sad decline of Mozilla’s Firefox browser. There already are plenty of large entities, both public and private, whose websites lack proper support for Firefox; and that will get only worse in the near future, because the ’fox’s auburn Read more about Alternative browsers about to die? Firefox may soon be delisted in the US govt support matrix :'([…]

Microsoft confirms Smart App issue renaming printers to HP, installing HP apps and drivers for no reason

Posted on by Robin Edgar

No, it isn’t your imagination. Windows really is installing the HP Smart App and renaming printers without user interaction. Microsoft has updated its Windows release health dashboard to admit a problem exists. The title of the issue says it all: “Printer names and icons might be changed and HP Smart app automatically installs.” The problem Read more about Microsoft confirms Smart App issue renaming printers to HP, installing HP apps and drivers for no reason[…]

SpyLoan apps don’t give you loans but blackmail you, steal your money, downloaded 12m times on Android – Apple won’t tell you how often they get duped

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Since the beginning of 2023, ESET researchers have observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps, which present themselves as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds. Despite their attractive appearance, these services are in fact designed to defraud users by offering them high-interest-rate loans endorsed with deceitful descriptions, all Read more about SpyLoan apps don’t give you loans but blackmail you, steal your money, downloaded 12m times on Android – Apple won’t tell you how often they get duped[…]

If Creators Suing AI Companies Over Copyright Insanley Win, It Will Further Entrench Big Tech

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There’s been this weird idea lately, even among people who used to recognize that copyright only empowers the largest gatekeepers, that in the AI world we have to magically flip the script on copyright and use it as a tool to get AI companies to pay for the material they train on. But, as we’ve Read more about If Creators Suing AI Companies Over Copyright Insanley Win, It Will Further Entrench Big Tech[…]

AI can tell which chateau Bordeaux wines come from with 100% accuracy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Alexandre Pouget at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and his colleagues used machine learning to analyse the chemical composition of 80 red wines from 12 years between 1990 and 2007. All the wines came from seven wine estates in the Bordeaux region of France. “We were interested in finding out whether there is a chemical Read more about AI can tell which chateau Bordeaux wines come from with 100% accuracy[…]

Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI – buying his products from another company

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sam Altman reportedly has no equity in OpenAI, a strange move for a tech founder, but new reporting from Wired this weekend shows the CEO would profit from an OpenAI deal to buy AI chips. OpenAI signed a previously unknown deal back in 2019 to spend $51 million on advanced chips from a startup Sam Read more about Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI – buying his products from another company[…]

Automakers’ data privacy practices “are unacceptable,” says US senator

Posted on by Robin Edgar

US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is one of the more technologically engaged of our elected lawmakers. And like many technologically engaged Ars Technica readers, he does not like what he sees in terms of automakers’ approach to data privacy. On Friday, Sen. Markey wrote to 14 car companies with a variety of questions about data Read more about Automakers’ data privacy practices “are unacceptable,” says US senator[…]

The UK tries, once again, to age-gate pornography, keep a list of porn watchers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has laid out how porn sites could verify users’ ages under the newly passed Online Safety Act. Although the law gives sites the choice of how they keep out underage users, the regulator is publishing a list of measures they’ll be able to use to comply. These include having a bank Read more about The UK tries, once again, to age-gate pornography, keep a list of porn watchers[…]

Brazillian city enacts an ordinance that was written by ChatGPT – might be first law entered by AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

City lawmakers in Brazil have enacted what appears to be the nation’s first legislation written entirely by artificial intelligence — even if they didn’t know it at the time. The experimental ordinance was passed in October in the southern city of Porto Alegre and city councilman Ramiro Rosário revealed this week that it was written Read more about Brazillian city enacts an ordinance that was written by ChatGPT – might be first law entered by AI[…]

One AI image needs as much power as a smartphone charge

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a paper released on arXiv last week, a team of researchers from Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon University calculated the amount of power AI systems use when asked to perform different tasks. After asking AIs to perform 1,000 inferences for each task, the researchers found text-based AI tasks are more energy-efficient than jobs involving Read more about One AI image needs as much power as a smartphone charge[…]

A(I) deal at any cost: Will the EU buckle to Big Tech?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Would you trust Elon Musk with your mortgage? Or Big Tech with your benefits? Us neither. That’s what’s at stake as the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act reaches the final stage of negotiations. For all its big talk, it seems like the EU is buckling to Big Tech. EU lawmakers have been tasked with developing the Read more about A(I) deal at any cost: Will the EU buckle to Big Tech?[…]

23andMe hackers accessed DNA information on millions of customers using a feature that matches relatives

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An SEC filing has revealed more details on a data breach affecting 23andMe users that was disclosed earlier this fall. The company says its investigation found hackers were able to access the accounts of roughly 0.1 percent of its userbase, or about 14,000 of its 14 million total customers, TechCrunch notes. On top of that, Read more about 23andMe hackers accessed DNA information on millions of customers using a feature that matches relatives[…]

Electric Vehicles Are79%  Less Reliable Than Conventional Cars

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Electric vehicle owners continue to report far more problems with their vehicles than owners of conventional cars or hybrids, according to Consumer Reports’ newly released annual car reliability survey. The survey reveals that, on average, EVs from the past three model years had 79 percent more problems than conventional cars. Based on owner responses on Read more about Electric Vehicles Are79%  Less Reliable Than Conventional Cars[…]

Plants may be absorbing 20% more CO2 than we thought, new models find

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Using realistic ecological modeling, scientists led by Western Sydney University’s Jürgen Knauer found that the globe’s vegetation could actually be taking on about 20% more of the CO2 humans have pumped into the atmosphere and will continue to do so through to the end of the century. “What we found is that a well-established Read more about Plants may be absorbing 20% more CO2 than we thought, new models find[…]

HP’s CFO tells world: we are locking in customers for more profit

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Tech vendors – software, hardware, and cloud services – generally avoid terms that suggest they’re perhaps in some way pinning down customers in a strategic sales hold. But as Marie Myers, chief financial officer at HP, was this week talking to the UBS Global Technology conference, in front of investors, the thrust of the Read more about HP’s CFO tells world: we are locking in customers for more profit[…]

Months of Google Drive files disappearing randomly

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google Drive users are reporting files mysteriously disappearing from the service, with some netizens on the goliath’s support forums claiming six or more months of work have unceremoniously vanished. The issue has been rumbling for a few days, with one user logging into Google Drive and finding things as they were in May 2023. According Read more about Months of Google Drive files disappearing randomly[…]

3 Vulns expose ownCloud admin passwords, sensitive data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

ownCloud has disclosed three critical vulnerabilities, the most serious of which leads to sensitive data exposure and carries a maximum severity score. The open source file-sharing software company said containerized deployments of ownCloud could expose admin passwords, mail server credentials, and license keys. Tracked as CVE-2023-49103, the vulnerability carries a maximum severity rating of 10 Read more about 3 Vulns expose ownCloud admin passwords, sensitive data[…]

Roundcube Open-Source Webmail Software Merges With Nextcloud

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The open-source Roundcube webmail software project has “merged” with Nextcloud, the prominent open-source personal cloud software. In boosting Nextcloud’s webmail software capabilities, Roundcube is joining Nextcloud as what’s been described as a merger. In 2024 Nextcloud is to invest into Roundcube to accelerate the development of this widely-used webmail open-source software. Today’s press release says Read more about Roundcube Open-Source Webmail Software Merges With Nextcloud[…]

Windows users report appearance of unwanted HP app – shows you how secure automatic updating is (with no real information about what is in the updates)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Windows users are reporting that Hewlett Packard’s HP Smart application is appearing on their systems, despite them not having any of the manufacturer’s hardware attached. While Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on what is happening, folks on various social media platforms noted the app’s appearance, which seems to afflict both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Read more about Windows users report appearance of unwanted HP app – shows you how secure automatic updating is (with no real information about what is in the updates)[…]

Web browser suspended because it can browse the web is back on Google Play after being taken down by incomplete DMCA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google Play has reversed its latest ban on a web browser that keeps getting targeted by vague Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices. Downloader, an Android TV app that combines a browser with a file manager, was restored to Google Play last night. Downloader, made by app developer Elias Saba, was suspended on Sunday after Read more about Web browser suspended because it can browse the web is back on Google Play after being taken down by incomplete DMCA[…]

FBI Director Admits Agency Rarely Has Probable Cause When It Performs Backdoor Searches Of NSA Collections

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After years of continuous, unrepentant abuse of surveillance powers, the FBI is facing the real possibility of seeing Section 702 curtailed, if not scuttled entirely. Section 702 allows the NSA to gather foreign communications in bulk. The FBI benefits from this collection by being allowed to perform “backdoor” searches of NSA collections to obtain communications Read more about FBI Director Admits Agency Rarely Has Probable Cause When It Performs Backdoor Searches Of NSA Collections[…]

Former GTA Developer’s Blog Removed After Rockstar Complains

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Former Rockstar North developer Obbe Vermeij had been enjoying a few weeks of sharing some decades-old tales. Reminiscing on his many years with the GTA developer, Vermeij took to his personal blog to recall revealing inside stories behind games like San Andreas and Vice City, and everyone was having a good time. Until Rockstar North Read more about Former GTA Developer’s Blog Removed After Rockstar Complains[…]

Copyright Bot Can’t Tell The Difference Between Star Trek Ship And Adult Film Actress

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Given that the overwhelming majority of DMCA takedown notices are generated by copyright bots that are only moderately good at their job, at best, perhaps it’s not terribly surprising that these bots keep finding new and interesting ways to cause collateral damage unintentionally. […] a Tumblr site, called “Mapping La Sirena.” If you’re a fan Read more about Copyright Bot Can’t Tell The Difference Between Star Trek Ship And Adult Film Actress[…]