Technology

AI research company OpenAI is releasing a new machine learning tool that translates the English language into code. The software is called Codex and is designed to speed up the work of professional programmers, as well as help amateurs get started coding. In demos of Codex, OpenAI shows how the software can be used to build simple websites and rudimentary games using natural language, as well as translate between different programming languages and tackle data science queries. Users type English commands into the software, like “create a webpage with a menu on the side and title at the top,” and Codex translates this into code. The software is far from infallible and takes some patience to operate, but could prove invaluable in making coding faster and more accessible. “It takes people who...

Google will no longer allow ad targeting of children based on their age, gender, or interests as part of a new series of measures designed to protect kids under 18 using its services, the company announced today. Other changes include a new option for anyone under the age of 18 to ask for their images to be removed from Google’s image results, while YouTube uploads from children will also gradually default to the most private setting. The changes are similar to what Facebook introduced last month when it said Instagram accounts for kids under 16 will be set to private by default, meaning users have to choose to make their profiles public. It also banned ads targeted at children based on their interests or their activity, although it still allowed them to be targeted based on age, gender, a...

HP is announcing two new Chrome OS computers for its consumer-focused lineup. The first is the Chromebase AiO, an all-in-one desktop computer with a screen that can rotate from landscape to portrait. The second is the Chromebook x2 11, a lightweight detachable that can easily shift from laptop to tablet modes. The company is also announcing a new Works With Chromebook-certified 24-inch USB-C monitor. All three new products are designed for students, families, and general consumers. The Chromebase AiO will be available at HP, Amazon, and Best Buy this month, while the Chromebook x2 11 will be available from Best Buy this month and from HP’s website in October. Both computers start at $599.99 for base configurations. The M24fd USB-C monitor will be available in October from HP directly for $...

GameMaker Studio 2, the game development software used to create indie darlings like Hyper Light Drifter and Undertale, is introducing new pricing options today that should make it even more affordable to develop independent games. GameMaker Studio’s developer YoYo Games is now offering an updated “unlimited” free version of the software for hobbyists, a new “Indie” price tier that bundles all non-console platform licenses together for $9.99 per month, and cheaper licenses for studios publishing games on consoles. Prior to today, GameMaker Studio 2 had a free price tier mostly intended for learning how to use the software. It had a monthlong time limit and required you to pony up for a subscription (starting at $39 per year to develop for Mac or Windows) to keep experimenting, among other ...

HP has just announced three new Chrome OS-focused products: a detachable tablet, a new all-in-one, and a Works With Chromebook-certified monitor. All of them are designed to capitalize on the explosive growth Chrome OS devices have seen over the past year and a half, as many students and families have had to adopt remote schooling. I’ve had a chance to try out a pre-production version of the new Chromebase AiO ahead of the announcement, read on for some first impressions. The Chromebase AiO is the first all-in-one Chrome OS desktop with the ability to rotate its screen from landscape to portrait. You can switch modes with just a light push on the corner — the content on the screen will automatically rotate to match the new orientation for you. The Chromebase AiO’s claim to fame is the abil...

Fake likes prevail on the social media platform Instagram, and now the Facebook-owned app is doing something about it. As Vice reports, Instagram recently sent the fake engagement boosting and like-buying company LikeUp.Me. a cease and desist, which has resulted in the company shutting down. The crackdown follows a number of protocols put in place by Instagram in recent months to make its user’s content more authentic. For example, under a new Norwegian law, influencers must now tag their photos if they’ve been retouched, and Instagram itself has even changed how users can see engagement stats so they can better understand (and prove) their organic engagement. For Instagram, engagement within its algorithm is everything — and fake likes and third-party paid-for engagement using platforms l...

Sony officially owns AT&T’s Crunchyroll. Sony’s deal to acquire Crunchyroll was first announced in December 2020 and sees Crunchyroll join Funimation, Sony’s existing anime streaming property, under one roof. The ultimate goal of the unification of the two anime properties under a single roof is to develop “a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a statement. The deal is priced at $1.175 billion, and AT&T — which had been reported by The Information to be shopping the service around for $1.5 billion — will use the funds to help pay down the debt it amassed from its spending on streaming. In a radical shift away from its streaming strategy, AT&T has since decided to release its media...

The next season of the hit anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will premiere exclusively on Netflix in December, the company announced on Monday. The premiere month announcement arrives alongside a new trailer for the season, which is officially titled JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean. The season follows a woman named Jolyne Cujoh, who is sentenced to 15 years at a maximum security prison for a crime she claims she is innocent of. I won’t try to summarize everything else that happens in the wild-looking trailer — I’ve never seen the show or read the manga myself, so I just can’t do it justice. Stone Ocean is the latest in Netflix’s growing anime slate. Sailor Moon’s latest movie hit the streaming service in June, and that same month, the company revealed a huge slate of anime series and fil...

CASETiFY has built on its recent link-up with famed Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama by readying the launch of its latest tech collab alongside South Korean label ADER error. Set to land on August 17, the pair’s debut collaboration was born by combining artwork derived from the ADER error archive with CASETiFY’s expertise in the creation of tech accessories. Together both brands present a premium line-up of specially designed 3D AirPod and MacBook cases, as well as iPhone cases that produce a glossy effect with CASETiFY’s unique printing technology. When it comes to the case, they arrive in five collage designs that all reinterpret the signature details of ADER error and come equipped with CASETiFY’s shock-absorbing QìTECH material to ensure durability. You can take a look at the full colle...

Google announced updates to its Titan security key lineup on Monday, simplifying it by removing a product and bringing NFC to all its keys. The company will now offer two options: one has a USB-A connector, one has USB-C, and both have NFC for connecting to “most mobile devices.” The USB-A key will cost $30, and the USB-C key will cost $35 when they go on sale on August 10th. One of the biggest changes in Google’s new lineup is an updated USB-C key, which has added NFC support. Google’s previous USB-C option, made in collaboration with Yubico, didn’t support the wireless standard. Now, the choice between USB-C and A is easy, as there aren’t features that one has that the other doesn’t. It’s simply a matter of what ports your computer has. Google did not immediately respond to a request for...

It’s been a rocky couple of weeks for Peacock. NBC positioned its streaming service as the place to go if you wanted to stream the Olympics without a cable subscription — something that should have been an easy win for the upstart platform. Instead, Peacock’s coverage was wonky and confusing, and the service hasn’t given viewers much of a reason to stick around after the Games. With its biggest draw behind it and little in the way of internet-breaking titles headed to the platform anytime soon, it’s unclear what comes next for NBCUniversal’s biggest streaming bet. Peacock had 54 million sign-ups and 20 million-plus active accounts as of the end of July, just over a year after launch, parent company Comcast said during its second-quarter earnings call. (A spokesperson declined to specify ho...

Windows 11 is coming to Macs, even those without Boot Camp. Parallels Desktop 17 will allow Mac users to experience Microsoft’s next version of Windows in a window on their Mac desktop. Parallels supports both Intel and M1 Macs (though there’s a catch for those running Arm-based machines), and can even be used to run the Windows 11 preview for those who can’t wait. The catch for M1 users is the same as when Parallels first added support for Apple’s latest machines — you’ll only be able to emulate Arm-based operating systems, which means you’ll be limited to Windows on Arm. While it does seem possible to install a Windows 11 preview for Arm machines, you’ll probably want to proceed with caution. Windows on Arm’s x86 emulation has been a bit of a rocky road, and the x64 app emulation is stil...