Tech
Meta Confirms That Generative AI Image Editing Is Coming to Instagram
At its recent Connect event, Meta revealed that it is beginning to make good on its promises to finally bring generative AI to its products, starting with Instagram. During the event, Meta showed off new AI image editing tools as well as a sticker-creation feature for the social media application. In a new tool called "restyle," Instagram users can use this generated AI supercharged filter to remix the aesthetic of their images. It allows existing photos to take on a fresh new look. Meta explained, "Think of typing a descriptor like 'watercolor' or a more detailed prompt like 'collage from magazines and newspapers, torn edges' to describe the new look and feel of the image you want to create."Meta also launched a new tool called "backdrop" which also uses generative AI. This time, it utili...
The Raspberry Pi 5 is finally here
/ Four years since the launch of the Raspberry Pi 4, the Raspberry Pi 5 has arrived with a performance boost and house silicon that adds support for PCIe 2.0. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Emma Roth / The Verge Despite doubts that the Raspberry Pi 5 would launch this year, the latest version of the microcomputer has arrived with some notable upgrades at a $60 starting price. Not only is it supposed to perform better than its predecessor, but it’s also the first Raspberry Pi to come with in-house silicon. Powering the brain of the Raspberry Pi 5 is a 64-bit quad-core Arm...
Up Close with the Apple Watch Ultra 2
When it comes to rolling out new models, the Apple Watch lineup typically receives fewer flashy upgrades compared to the iPhone. Instead, developers have dedicated themselves to quietly improving the device, making just a few tweaks each year since the inaugural watch rolled out in 2015.As the Apple Watch has grown to dominate the smartwatch market – now making up over 35% of the global market share, according to researchers – the company has stepped up its efforts to continuously put out new models. Last year, Apple particularly amped up efforts with the release of three new watches.Along with the Apple Watch Series 9, the expected addition to the main line, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will also make its debut this week. In keeping with the approach it’s taken in years past, Apple made minima...
‘Forbes’ Presents Second Annual “Top Creators” List
Forbes has unveiled 2023's second official list of top-earning digital creators. Evaluated based on earnings, entrepreneurship, and follower/engagement ratio, this year's honorees rake in a combined 2.6 billion followers and boast an estimated $700 million USD in cumulative earnings. Led by Jimmy Donaldson (a.k.a. MrBeast) and his 9.8% engagement – who earned a hearty $82 million USD from his 312 million followers – Forbes' list sees a diverse selection of creators who differ in platform, content style and audience. From magicians and musicians to comedians and chefs, the list is loaded with familiar online faces. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Forbes (@forbes)After MrBeast, Olajide Olatunji (a.k.a. KSI) holds the second spot with $24 million USD in earnings, 112 million fo...
Apple will have to face an antitrust lawsuit alleging iOS Apple Pay dominance
/ A federal judge denied Apple’s request to dismiss a proposed class action suit filed by three credit unions claiming Apple Pay’s fees are too high and it excludes other digital wallets. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Illustration: The Verge California Northern District Judge Jeffrey White partially denied (PDF) Apple’s request to dismiss a proposed federal class action lawsuit over Apple Pay, reports Reuters. Three credit unions argued Apple violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by charging too much in processing fees and being too exclusionary by not letting other digital wallet...
Kia’s three-row EV9 electric SUV will start at $54,900
/ The 2024 Kia EV9 lowers the price barrier for three-row electric vehicle family haulers, but is its price low enough? a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Kia The 2024 Kia EV9 will start at $54,900 for the Light RWD trim before destination fees or adding options like a bigger battery or two extra motors for AWD. When announced earlier this year, the EV9 caught everyone’s attention since there are few (and costly) seven-seater fully-electric vehicles on the market, and the automaker’s entry looked like it was primed to disrupt. The EV9 will come standard with 19-inch wheels, du...
Adobe’s Photoshop on the web launch includes its popular desktop AI tools
/ Photoshop for the web is now generally available as part of all Photoshop paid plans and includes Firefly-powered features like Generative Fill. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Adobe says it no longer has plans for a free-to-use version of the online photo editing software.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Here’s a screenshot of what Photoshop for the web looks like now that it’s out of beta.
Authors George R. R. Martin, Jodi Picoult and More Are Suing OpenAI
The Authors Guild and authors like George R. R. Martin, John Grisham, Jonathan Franzen, Elin Hilderbrand and other authors are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement.According to CBS News, the lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York earlier this week and accused OpenAI of feeding the authors' books into the company's "large language models" (LLMs), which supposedly violates the authors' copyrights and is described as "systematic theft on a mass scale." A programmer named Liam Swayne allegedly used ChatGPT to create sequels to A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin's work that HBO adapted into Game of Thrones. Martin is still in the process of writing and is yet to publish the last two books, however Swayne penned his own conclusion of the series and published them online."When prom...
The Meta Quest 3 is sharper, more powerful, and still trying to make mixed reality happen
An upgraded VR game console with an extra feature. By Adi Robertson, a senior tech and policy editor focused on VR, online platforms, and free expression. Adi has covered video games, biohacking, and more for The Verge since 2011. Photography by Becca Farsace Share this story a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Quest 3 controllers look like the Quest Pro’s but with no added cameras. I tried the Meta Quest 3 for slightly over an hour at a briefing before today’s Meta Connect event. That’s not enough to deliver a verdict on the headset’s quality, but it offered a sense of what we should be looking for when...
Meta’s $499.99 Quest 3 headset is all about mixed reality and video games
/ The metaverse is cool, but so is being able to look at your phone or your family. Meta’s new headset has new controllers, improved cameras, and a bunch of new games to play. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Quest 3 still covers your whole face — but you can see through it better now.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Quest 3’s displays should look better than any Meta headset yet.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hove...
Hypebeast Africa x Samsung Culture Scouts: “A Night in the Life”
Having captured their “Home Away From Home” last month, the Hypebeast Africa Culture Scouts now return to showcase the most vibrant nightlife spots in their hometowns.With all content shot using the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the scouts channel a different area of South Africa’s vast creative landscape. From restaurants to cultural experiences, they each deliver a unique take on this brief. One thing that is a key constant, however, is the shared sentiment that Thursdays are the new Fridays for South Africa’s creative community. “The first Thursday of the month always brings new energy to the art scene and sees a bunch of events happening in every corner,” photographer Teboho Hlatshwayo explains.Explore which places the Hypebeast Africa Culture Scouts visited to meet this brief and what...
Amazon to Give Alexa Generative AI Capabilities
Amazon has unveiled a significant update to its iconic voice assistant, Alexa -- specifically the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.The heart of this transformation is a custom-built Large Language Model (LLM) that has been fine-tuned for voice interactions. This model will not only provide swift access to real-time information and control home devices seamlessly but is also designed to provide an elevated entertainment experience for users.One of the standout features of this Alexa upgrade is its advanced conversational capability. By cleverly integrating input from Echo's various sensors, including voice and camera, Alexa can now better comprehend non-verbal cues, ensuring responses are timely, relevant, and concise. Additionally, this adaptation allows ...
