Many students have no choice about working with the College Board, the company that administers the SAT test and Advanced Placement exams. Part of that relationship involves a long history of privacy issues. Tests by Gizmodo found if you use some of the handy tools promoted by College Board’s website, the organization…
Demián Rugna’s next supernatural horror is heading to Shudder—and the channel is already in full spooky season swing with a new look at the next V/H/S. Plus, what’s coming on the American Horror Story: Delicate premier. To me, my spoilers!
In the wake of the onslaught of the covid-19, employees across the world grew chummy with a perfectly appropriate remote work schedule that allows them to work from home. However, one of the companies that carried pandemic digital infrastructure on its back, Zoom, isn’t too keen on keeping remote workers away from the…
Google is pinky-swearing it will be more transparent in the future about how and why you keep seeing the same ads that seem to know you much better than you know yourself, though only if you live in the European Union.
Job listings geared towards artificial intelligence roles have gone up for film and television studios despite the continued protests from their writers and actors against the use of AI. Disney, Netflix, and Sony were among the entertainment companies that listed AI-centric roles, offering between $200,000 and more…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Toronto Cash's founders with counts of money laundering and sanction violations. The cryptocurrency mixer first faced US sanctions last year for allegedly laundering over $7 billion in stolen funds. The DOJ now alleges that Toronto Cash facilitated $1 billion in money laundering, including $455 million funneled through the mixer by a North Korean cybercrime organization, the Lazarus Group. The overall charges include "conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business." Co-founder Roman Storm was arrested in Washington State, while the other half of Toronto Cash, Roman Semenov, is still at large.
The US government is attempting to send a strong message about using cryptocurrency for illegal purposes. "These charges should serve as yet another warning to those who think they can turn to cryptocurrency to conceal their crimes and hide their identities, including cryptocurrency mixers: it does not matter how sophisticated your scheme is or how many attempts you have made to anonymize yourself, the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.
If you're unfamiliar, a cryptocurrency mixer is a service that makes it harder to track funds from their origin to the new owner. Most blockchains, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, are visible, so a mixer helps individuals hide their money flow — whether it be for reasonable or illegal activities. Chainalysis, a cryptocurrency analysis firm, found that in 2022, crypto addresses known for unlawful activity used mixers in almost 10 percent of transactions.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/Jv4YK8a
Netflix has released a new look at the Chicken Run sequel, as well as another new look at One Piece. Get ready for the return of Upload with new images. Plus, what’s coming on the series finale of Nancy Drew.
Qualcomm has announced its follow-up to the Snapdragon G3x chip that powers the Razer Edge — along with two other platforms that serve as the first models to the company's new dedicated lines of Snapdragon gaming chips. Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 is the latest product under the flagship tier, which Qualcomm describes as something "purpose-built for enthusiast features and performance" and can handle the "most demanding cross-platform gaming titles."
The company said G3x Gen 2's CPU performance is 30 percent faster than its predecessor's, while its GPU performance is twice as fast. It's capable of powering a handheld device with cross-platform gaming capabilities, as well as devices used for Android, PC, cloud and remote console gaming. The chip is also powerful enough to support ray tracing and to enable a user to livestream while they game. To ensure smooth cloud and remote gaming sessions, the chip comes with WiFi 7 and 5G mmWave connectivities.
For less intensive games on devices with lower specs, Qualcomm created the Snapdragon G1 Gen 1 platform. It's meant for cloud gaming, as well as for remote console and PC gaming, on fanless dedicated handhelds. The chip supports images up to 1080p in resolution at up to 60 FPS, and it uses WiFi 5 for connectivity.
Finally, the chipmaker has launched the Snapdragon G2 Gen 1 platform to serve as a middle ground between the two lines. It's also meant for use on fanless gaming devices, but specifically for those with higher specs to enable full-featured mobile and cloud gaming. The chip can power handhelds used for cloud and remote console gaming, through WiFi 6/6E and 5G mmWave, but also those used to play Android and PC games.
In hopes of seeing high-end dedicated gaming devices powered by its new chip make it to market as soon as possible, the company has given select manufacturers access to a Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 Handheld Gaming Reference Design. It didn't reveal the company's names, but it promised that customer-specific product announcements will follow, which sounds like we're going to see more travel-friendly gaming devices like the Edge in the near future.
Mithun Chandrasekhar, Qualcomm's senior director of product management, said: "Dedicated handheld gaming devices are the best way to experience mobile games. But gamers want to be able to play all their favorite games across devices and ecosystems, be it their console, PC, or on a cloud service. The new generation of Snapdragon G Series powered devices will be the best place for gamers to play their favorite titles, offering them the ability to choose from the cloud, console, Android, or PC while on-the-go."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/2wS8k7E
Microsoft is on a bit of an AI kick, but its efforts to shove generative capabilities into its Bing browser and Windows 11 itself have only helped emphasize how its forgotten apps like Paint have remained stranded in time. However, far from adding Ferrari-level AI capability to its old jalopy of a scribble tool,…
Atari is launching another retro home console, after its last effort. The Atari 2600+ pays homage to the original Atari 2600, launched in 1977, but this remake echoes the four-switch model from 1980. (Of course, we’re going to get specific.)
The console has been “lovingly recreated to the same specifications as the original” but is only 80 percent of its size. The console’s plus features are the HDMI output and widescreen support. It’ll have 10 titles in the box, but Atari die-hards will want to track down physical cartridges if they want to play the big hits of the era, like Pac-Man or Pitfall! The mini console also has a remade Atari CX40 joystick. The Atari 2600+ will launch worldwide on November 17 for $130, and pre-orders are already open. Now, to find a copy of E.T. the video game…
– Mat Smith
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Tekken 8 will arrive on January 26, 2024
NBA 2K24 introduces a LeBron era and more updates
The Apple Watch Ultra falls to a new low of $700
Microsoft will bring PC Game Pass to NVIDIA's GeForce Now on August 24
Meta's new multimodal translator uses a single model to speak 100 languages
NVIDIA's DLSS 3.5 makes ray-traced games look better with AI
From cartridge games to ray tracing. NVIDIA has unveiled a community-led Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project that, as the name implies, will remaster the classic shooter for PCs with GeForce RTX graphics. The team isn't just adding ray tracing, though — this is an attempt to modernize the overall look and feel of the game.
The ray-traced lights are the star attraction, of course, but the modders are also using an early version of RTX Remix to add extra model detail (through Valve's own Hammer editor) and rework materials with physical-based rendering properties. The RTX port, so far, looks moodier and far more detailed, with light sources bouncing and diffusing in a far more realistic manner. Existing RTX conversions, like those for Portal and Quake II, are pretty but limited by either the age of a game or its relative scale. Half-Life 2 is a much bigger challenge.
According to Fortune, X (formerly Twitter) is planning to implement major changes to the way shared articles appear on a tweet, by removing their text elements and leaving just their lead images with an overlay of the URL. Musk confirmed the incoming change, saying it came directly from him, adding it would greatly improve the “esthetics.” It’s the latest big change, following news that user-blocking will soon go. I’m taking bets on what the social network will strip out next.
Microsoft is significantly restructuring its Activision Blizzard merger proposal by selling cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard games to rival Ubisoft, it wrote in a blog late yesterday. That would address a key concern of UK regulators, who blocked the deal in part because of Microsoft's potential dominance in cloud gaming. The UK regulator will now examine the restructured deal and deliver a decision by October 18.
Meta will soon offer Stories and Reels in chronological order to comply with the European Digital Services Act (DSA). The changes were expected after the European Commission announced it had agreed in April to create new rules, demanding social media platforms offer alternative systems "not based on profiling." Starting later this month, Meta will offer Reels, Stories, Search and other parts of Facebook and Instagram unaffected by Meta’s existing AI recommendation process.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/cyY50lD
After working with writer Scott Snyder on the dark apocalyptic horror of Nocterra, artist Tony S. Daniel is taking on both writing and art duties for his next creator-owned comic—a fantastical war for the safety of America between witches and demons.
After voicing Mario for 27 years, Charles Martinet will no longer play the plumber. Nintendo announced in a tweet yesterday that he'll move into a newly created Mario Ambassador role and "continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario," the company said. Martinet also voiced Luigi, Wario, Waluigi and several other Nintendo characters over the years, with a few cameo roles in the recent Mario movie, where Chris Pratt voiced Mario.
Nintendo has confirmed to Kotaku that he is not involved in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which comes out on October 20. It’s the end of a gaming mascot era.
– Mat Smith
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The best PS5 accessories for 2023
Judge rules AI-generated art isn't copyrightable, since it lacks human authorship
Tesla's iPhone app can now control your car through Siri
Threads web app could arrive this week
Official Xbox Series X console skins are coming soon, starting with Starfield and camo options
The cozy cat game that escaped from Valve
Over a week after its August 10 launch, Russia's state-run space agency, Roscosmos, confirmed its Luna-25 spacecraft had spun out of control and rammed into the Moon. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon," Roscosmos explained in a statement. Luna-25 was heading to the south pole to find water ice and spend a year analyzing how it emerged there, and if there was a link with water appearing on Earth.
A Tesla data breach earlier this year affecting more than 75,000 people was caused by "insider wrongdoing," according to a notification on Maine's Attorney General website. The 75,735 people impacted were likely current or former Tesla employees. In the employee letter, Tesla provided more information about the incident, confirming the May 10 breach date and that Handelsblatt had obtained Tesla confidential information. "The investigation revealed that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Tesla’s IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media outlet."
A cargo ship equipped with rigid sails, each the height of a 10-story building, has departed on its inaugural journey. The Pyxis Ocean vessel will test WindWings sails, designed to harness old-school air power to help reduce fuel use — and the shipping industry’s CO2 emissions. The sail’s creators estimate the technology could decarbonize cargo ships by about 30 percent. The rigid sails are made from the same materials as wind turbines and can be added to cargo ships’ decks, providing an option for upgrading older, less fuel-efficient vessels.
YouTube and partners like Universal Music Group (UMG) have unveiled a set of principles for AI music. In theory, the aim is to encourage adoption while keeping artists paid. YouTube also says AI music must include "appropriate protections" against copyright violations and provide "opportunities" for partners who want to get involved. While the video giant hasn't detailed what this will entail, it suggests it’ll build on the Content ID system that helps rights holders flag their material. It’s all rather vague at the moment, but at least the video service is aware of the incoming challenges of AI. Even if others aren’t quite getting it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/xA1wv2j
From the time I knew what intersections were, I said my family lived at the crossing of Inwood Road and Preston Road in North Dallas. I asserted that fact certainly for the better part of a decade. Then I found out those two roads ran parallel to each other. Then we moved to a different house. I did eventually learn…
Meta will soon offer Stories and Reels in chronological order, among other changes, to comply with the European's Digital Services Act (DSA), the company announced. The changes were expected after the European Commission announced that it had reached an agreement in April to create new rules that would require platforms like Facebook to offer alternative systems "not based on profiling" as a key requirement.
Meta said it has mobilized over 1,000 people to "develop solutions to the DSA's requirements." Some of the changes will increase transparency about how its systems work and provide users more options to tailor their experiences on Facebook and Instagram. At the same time, it's establishing an "independent compliance function" to ensure it meets ongoing regulatory obligations.
Starting later this month, Meta will offer Reels, Stories, Search and other parts of Facebook and Instagram that are unranked by Meta using its AI recommendation process. "For example, on Facebook and Instagram, users will have the option to view Stories and Reels only from people they follow, ranked in chronological order, newest to oldest," wrote Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg.
It's not clear how Meta will implement the change. The main Feed on Instagram already allows users to sort by Following instead of using the algorithm-based approach. However, the "Following" feature is effectively a secondary page on Instagram, and the app always defaults to the algorithmic "For You" option when first opened. Facebook is even more of a hassle, forcing you to select a menu, go into Feeds and tap "Friends" rather than "All."
Users will also be able to view Search results based only on the words they enter, rather than results personalized specifically to them based on their previous activity and personal interests. The company is also providing more information about how its AI systems rank content via 22 system cards for Facebook and Instagram, adding to its "Why Am I Seeing This" feature.
"These cards provide information about how our AI systems rank content for Feed, Reels, Stories, and other surfaces; some of the predictions each system makes to determine what content might be most relevant to people; and the options available to help customize an experience on Facebook and Instagram," Meta said.
Meta is also expanding its Ad library to display and archive all ads (for one year) that target EU users, including date run, parameters used for targeting (age, gender, location), who received the ad and more. It's also rolling out two new tools for researchers that include publicly available content from Pages, Posts, Groups and Events.
The company said that it "welcomes the principles of transparency, accountability and user empowerment at the heart of the DSA," adding it has "long advocated for a harmonized regulatory regime." However, Meta previously expressed extreme displeasure when Apple introduced changes that allowed users to easily opt out of targeted advertising starting with iOS 14. To that end, observers will no doubt be keenly interested in how the changes are implemented and whether they follow the letter, if not the spirit, of the new law.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/nPUKAlf
As the cold war between Elon Musk’s Twitter (recently rebranded as X) and Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads rages on, the latter is preparing to launch a new offensive. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced that Threads was finally getting a bona fide browser version.
Are you already entirely up to date with all the iPhone 15 rumors ahead of its expected debut next month? Well, don’t let the impending release stop you from squinting at the product IDs for Apple’s processor series two years in advance.
One Piece, a beloved, long-running manga and anime that has been read and watched worldwide, is finally coming to live-action. Eiichiro Oda, the original manga’s author/artist has been working alongside Netflix throughout the production. A new featurette shows off some all new footage plus interviews with the cast and…
Elon Musk says the service formerly known as Twitter is getting rid of the option to block other users, except in DMs. There, you’ll still be able to block unsolicited messages from anyone sending malicious, offensive missives, which is for some, the majority of their DMs.
But Musk said it "makes no sense" to block other users instead of muting them. Outside DMs, the mute option will still be available. There is a wrinkle here, noted on Musk’s own tweets. If the company did nix the ability to block users, it would violate policies for both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. (A web app, however, would be unaffected.)
In the spring, X killed off the platform's free API, which broke many third-party apps. Just one year earlier, Twitter (as it was known at the time) started recommending third-party apps to help mitigate harassment on the platform. Many of these, like Block Party, stopped working after those API changes.
– Mat Smith
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Sega completes purchase of Rovio for $776 million
Hitting the Books: Why we haven't made the Citizen Kane of gaming
The best wireless headphones for 2023
A small French developer called Blue Rose Team has been prepping Twin Peaks: Into the Night for a while now, and it just dropped a demo of the fan-made game. The graphics are retro and decidedly PS1 flavored, which makes sense given how the show premiered in 1990. The gameplay looks to be full of exploration, complete with conversations with the town’s many oddball residents, but there’s a survival horror element reminiscent of the original Resident Evil titles. The scariest, most sinister threat, though, may be copyright law. However, the creators have announced the game will be free when/if it launches.
After teasing the announcement a few days ago, Lamborghini revealed a new EV concept vehicle at Monterey Car Week. The all-electric Lamborghini Lanzador boasts all kinds of high-tech bells and whistles, with a design inspired by spaceships, but it won’t actually ever hit retail. Instead, as is often the case with high-end concept cars, it’ll inspire and inform future Lamborghini rides. The driver and passenger sit low to the ground, as if in a jet, with a center console between them. The company says the interior is “unexpectedly roomy,” despite a roof height of around 1.5 meters.
Microsoft reportedly published — and retracted — an AI-generated article that recommended people visit a Canadian food bank as a tourist attraction. The article recommended catching a baseball game, honoring fallen soldiers at a war museum and… swinging by the Ottawa Food Bank.
It’s a bleak mistake. Paris Marx first called out the story on X (formerly Twitter). “People who come to us have jobs and families to support, as well as expenses to pay,” the AI-written section about the food bank section read. “Life is already difficult enough. Consider going into it on an empty stomach.” The article was pulled when Microsoft was asked for comment. The article’s author was merely Microsoft Travel, suggesting real people may not have been involved in its creation. We hope not.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/81cLjdR
Last year, a friend came to me with a strange tech problem. “The algorithm is screwing me over,” he said, peering over a drink at a bar in Manhattan’s East Village. Anthony, a 31-year old engineer who asked to withhold his real name, had been on the dating app Hinge for five years. He said he always had a hard time…
