Tech
Meta’s powerful AI language model has leaked online — what happens now?
/ Meta’s LLaMA model was created to help researchers but leaked on 4chan a week after it was announced. Some worry the technology will be used for harm; others say greater access will improve AI safety. a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>LLaMA is powerful AI — if you’ve got the time, expertise, and right hardware So how much danger is a LLaMA on the loose? And how does Meta’s model compare to publicly accessible chatbots like ChatGPT and the new Bing? Well, the most important point is that downloading LLaMA is going to do very little for the average internet user. This is not some ready-to-talk chatbot but a “raw” AI system that needs a decent amount of technical exp...
DuckDuckGo’s building AI-generated answers into its search engine
/ DuckAssist summarizes answers from Wikipedia and displays them at the top of DuckDuckGo’s search results. 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: DuckDuckGo DuckDuckGo has become the latest search engine to incorporate artificial intelligence. The company has announced a new tool, called DuckAssist, that automatically pulls and summarizes information from Wikipedia in response to certain questions. DuckAssist’s beta is live on the search engine right now — but only through DuckDuckGo’s mobile apps and browser extensions. Gabriel Weinberg, the founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo, says t...
First Look at the Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in “Yellow”
Following rumors and early renders, we now have a first look at the Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in a new "Yellow" colorway. After introducing the "Alpine Green" and "Green" finishes with the iPhone 13, the sunny color scheme serves as the latest addition to the iPhone 14 lineup. Apple's iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are currently offered in "Midnight," "Blue," "Starlight," "Purple," and "(PRODUCT)RED."The mid-cycle "Yellow" spring color release from the Cupertino-based tech company will be offered in two different sizes and centers around a canary yellow tone. The bright and bold hue is expressed proudly at the glass back and accented by a gold-tone aluminum design frame.The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus stand as the pinnacle of Apple design that marries minimalist aesthetics, functionality, and rugged co...
The FTC’s Twitter privacy investigations have ramped up since Elon Musk’s takeover
/ The FTC wants to know who got access to Twitter’s internal messages and information thanks to Elon Musk, and how it’s working to keep users’ data secure as it sells off old PCs and office equipment. 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″>An FTC request to Twitter sent on January 23rd, 2023.
Twitch says deepfake porn is now grounds for instaban — here’s why
/ The livestreaming service says it was already technically banned under other policies, but Twitch is making things explicit after a January incident.
Congress rolls out new bill allowing nationwide TikTok ban
/ The RESTRICT Act would empower the secretary of Commerce to ban apps that pose a risk to US national security.
The oil industry’s carbon capture plan won’t help Texas’ most polluted communities
/ Oil company Occidental has new plans to build a carbon capture hub along the Texas Gulf Coast. It might tackle greenhouse gas emissions — but not the pollution wrecking air quality. 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: Sharon Steinmann/Bloomberg via Getty Images A controversial tactic for slowing climate change is picking up steam in Texas: capturing carbon dioxide emissions from smokestacks. While that might reduce CO2 emissions heating up the planet, it could pose new problems for communities already saddled with industrial pollution. Oil giant Occidental announced late last...
Slack Users Can Summarize Threads or Draft Replies Using Its New In-App ChatGPT
The influence of ChatGPT is continuing to permeate the tech industry. For its next act, the AI chat robot will be making its way to Slack.Slack, an office communications platform owned by Salesforce, will soon include the ability to craft messages with the help of ChatGPT. The program will also feature an in-house ChatGPT app that allows them to summarize threads or research topics all without having to close out the Slack app or window.A new three-dot icon will appear in Slack, which users can click on to be offered the options “Summarize thread” or “Draft reply.” Both actions will yield text that’s only available to the user, meaning that their coworkers won’t be able to see it.In order to use the new ChatGPT service, Salesforce said the special Slack ChatGPT must be downloaded via the S...
TikTok’s ‘Series’ Feature Lets Creators Paywall “Premium” Content
TikTok is continuously ideating new ways to let creators make money on the platform. Following reports that the app was testing out paywalled content for select creators, TikTok has officially announced the launch of a new feature called Series.“Developed with our community's love of sharing authentic stories, expertise and experiences in mind, Series enables eligible creators to post Collections of premium content behind a paywall which viewers can purchase for access,” TikTok detailed in its announcement.A single Series can include up to 80 videos, each of which can be up to 20 minutes in length. Content creators are then allowed to decide how much their series will be paywalled for.On the viewer side, users can purchase access to a Series via direct in-video links or directly through a ...
I hate how much I enjoy the Remarkable 2’s $199 keyboard case
Gadgets/ Tech / This case is so expensive, but it works so well I can almost forgive the obscene price. As much as I love E Ink, I struggle to get behind using it as part of a 21st-century typewriter. Devices like the Freewrite are very cool in practice but simply too finicky for me to use as anything more than a gimmick. So I am frankly shocked by how much I like Remarkable’s new keyboard case, the $199 Type Folio. As the name implies, this is a keyboard case for the Remarkable 2. If you have a Remarkable 2 and it’s fully updated, you can go buy this case, attach it to your E Ink tablet, fold up the keyboard, and start typing. Things work so well, you’ll likely find yourself charmed by the ease of it all. I certainly was. I plopped in my Remarkable 2 and was instantly able to start typing...
Medium wants you to pay $5 a month to join its Mastodon server
Tech/ Twitter / The publishing company’s me.dm Mastodon server is limited to paying Medium members as a subscription perk. 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: The Verge Popular publishing platform Medium is now fully embracing the Twitter alternative Mastodon by opening up its new me.dm instance to paying Medium community members. Joining the Mastodon server requires a subscription to Medium for $5 per month (or $50 per year) which enables perks on the site like ad-free browsing and offline reading. Mastodon instances are generally free to join. Medium is one of the first notab...
Introducing Samsung’s Bespoke Jet Vacuum
Giving Dyson a run for its money, Samsung has launched its new Bespoke Jet, a cordless vacuum cleaner paired with an all-in-one clean station that stores, charges, and auto-disposes all at once. Having been awarded the title of Honoree at the 2023 CES Innovation Awards, the vacuum arrives in a clean, lightweight form with AI cleaning capabilities.“Cleanliness is now top of mind for consumers across the world, so we wanted to create a product that delivers more convenient and powerful features to keep users’ homes tidy to the end of cleaning,” said Hyesoon Yang, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics in a press release. “The Samsung Bespoke Jet™ not only delivers the power and performance needed to keep your ...
