Author: Robin Edgar

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

‘A Blow for Libraries’: Internet Archive Loses Copyright Infringement Lawsuit by money grubbing publishers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A judge ruled against Internet Archive, a free online digital library, on Friday in a lawsuit filed by four top publishers who claimed the company was in violation of copyright laws. The publishers, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House filed the lawsuit against Internet Archive in 2020, claiming the Read more about ‘A Blow for Libraries’: Internet Archive Loses Copyright Infringement Lawsuit by money grubbing publishers[…]

Apple acquired a startup using AI to compress videos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple has quietly acquired a Mountain View-based startup, WaveOne, that was developing AI algorithms for compressing video. Apple wouldn’t confirm the sale when asked for comment. But WaveOne’s website was shut down around January, and several former employees, including one of WaveOne’s co-founders, now work within Apple’s various machine learning groups. WaveOne’s former head of Read more about Apple acquired a startup using AI to compress videos[…]

Nike Blocks F1 Champ Max Verstappen’s ‘Max 1’ Clothing Brand because they can own words now

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Nike’s argument is that Max 1 is too similar to its longtime “Air Max” shoe line, including other “Max Force 1” products and other variations that include similar keywords. Verstappen had named his line of products after himself and his current racing number but encountered legal trouble soon after launch. The Benelux Office for Read more about Nike Blocks F1 Champ Max Verstappen’s ‘Max 1’ Clothing Brand because they can own words now[…]

U.S. Political Party Preferences Shifted Greatly During 2021

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[…]The general stability for the full-year average obscures a dramatic shift over the course of 2021, from a nine-percentage-point Democratic advantage in the first quarter to a rare five-point Republican edge in the fourth quarter. Line graph. Quarterly averages of U.S. party identification and leaning in 2021. In the first quarter of 2021, 49% of Read more about U.S. Political Party Preferences Shifted Greatly During 2021[…]

Small subgroups of the population seem much larger to many Americans and they think Large groups are smaller than they really are

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When it comes to estimating the size of demographic groups, Americans rarely get it right. In two recent YouGov polls, we asked respondents to guess the percentage (ranging from 0% to 100%) of American adults who are members of 43 different groups,[…] When people’s average perceptions of group sizes are compared to actual population estimates, Read more about Small subgroups of the population seem much larger to many Americans and they think Large groups are smaller than they really are[…]

New Zealand’s Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora Space drone Approved for Suborbital Test Flights

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Dawn Aerospace CEO Stefan Powell announced today that the company’s Mk-II Aurora spaceplane has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for rocket-powered flight. The company is now ready to test the vehicle’s rocket engines with flights beginning next month. The Mk-II Aurora is a remotely piloted spaceplane that could eventually take Read more about New Zealand’s Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora Space drone Approved for Suborbital Test Flights[…]

GitHub.com rotates its exposed private SSH key

Posted on by Robin Edgar

GitHub has rotated its private SSH key for GitHub.com after the secret was was accidentally published in a public GitHub repository. The software development and version control service says, the private RSA key was only “briefly” exposed, but that it took action out of “an abundance of caution.” Unclear window of exposure In a succinct blog post published today, GitHub acknowledged discovering this Read more about GitHub.com rotates its exposed private SSH key[…]

Nordic Air Defense Pact Combines Forces Of Hundreds Of Fighter Aircraft

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To better cope with threats emanating from Russia, the countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have created a unified Nordic air defense alliance, pooling the resources of their air forces. They have upwards of 300 fighter jets between them as well as training, transport and surveillance fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Those four nations on Read more about Nordic Air Defense Pact Combines Forces Of Hundreds Of Fighter Aircraft[…]

Gen-2 by Runway text to Video AI

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No lights. No camera. All action.Realistically and consistently synthesize new videos. Either by applying the composition and style of an image or text prompt to the structure of a source video (Video to Video). Or, using nothing but words (Text to Video). It’s like filming something new, without filming anything at all. Visit the page Read more about Gen-2 by Runway text to Video AI[…]

GitHub Copilot now integrates way better into Visual Studio (?=.* Code)

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[…] Introduced last summer after a year-long technical trial, Copilot offers coding suggestions, though not always good ones, to developers using GitHub with supported text editors and IDEs, like Visual Studio Code. As of last month, according to GitHub, Copilot had a hand in 46 percent of the code being created on Microsoft’s cloud repo Read more about GitHub Copilot now integrates way better into Visual Studio (?=.* Code)[…]

EU right to repair law could see fixes for up to 10 years for more goods, still offers ways out though

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The European Commission has adopted a new set of right to repair rules that, among other things, will add electronic devices like smartphones and tablets to a list of goods that must be built with repairability in mind. The new rules [PDF] will need to be need to be negotiated between the European Parliament and Read more about EU right to repair law could see fixes for up to 10 years for more goods, still offers ways out though[…]

“Click-to-cancel” rule would penalize companies that make you cancel by phone

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Canceling a subscription should be just as easy as signing up for the service, the Federal Trade Commission said in a proposed “click-to-cancel” rule announced today. If approved, the plan “would put an end to companies requiring you to call customer service to cancel an account that you opened on their website,” FTC commissioners said. Read more about “Click-to-cancel” rule would penalize companies that make you cancel by phone[…]

Is a penguin heavy? New study explores why we disagree so often

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Is a dog more similar to a chicken or an eagle? Is a penguin noisy? Is a whale friendly? Psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, say these absurd-sounding questions might help us better understand what’s at the heart of some of society’s most vexing arguments. Research published online Thursday in the journal Open Mind shows Read more about Is a penguin heavy? New study explores why we disagree so often[…]

Planting Undetectable Backdoors in Machine Learning Models

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[…] We show how a malicious learner can plant an undetectable backdoor into a classifier. On the surface, such a backdoored classifier behaves normally, but in reality, the learner maintains a mechanism for changing the classification of any input, with only a slight perturbation. Importantly, without the appropriate “backdoor key,” the mechanism is hidden and Read more about Planting Undetectable Backdoors in Machine Learning Models[…]

Whistleblowers Take Note: Don’t Trust Cropping Tools – you can often uncrop them

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] It is, in fact, possible to uncrop images and documents across a variety of work-related computer apps. Among the suites that include the ability are Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Acrobat. Being able to uncrop images and documents poses risks for sources who may be under the impression that cropped materials don’t contain Read more about Whistleblowers Take Note: Don’t Trust Cropping Tools – you can often uncrop them[…]

Amazon Warns Staff Not to Share Confidential Information With ChatGPT

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[…] Soon, an Amazon corporate lawyer chimed in. She warned employees not to provide ChatGPT with “any Amazon confidential information (including Amazon code you are working on),” according to a screenshot of the message seen by Insider. The attorney, a senior corporate counsel at Amazon, suggested employees follow the company’s existing conflict of interest and Read more about Amazon Warns Staff Not to Share Confidential Information With ChatGPT[…]

A persistent influence of supernovae on biodiversity

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The number of exploding stars (supernovae) has significantly influenced marine life’s biodiversity during the last 500 million years. This is the essence of a new study published in Ecology and Evolution by Henrik Svensmark, DTU space.   Extensive studies of the fossil record have shown that the diversity of life forms has varied significantly over Read more about A persistent influence of supernovae on biodiversity[…]

Ubisoft Ghostwriter: AI to write NPC dialogue

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[…] As games grow bigger in scope, writers are facing the ratcheting challenge of keeping NPCs individually interesting and realistic. How do you keep each interaction with them – especially if there are hundreds of them – distinct? This is where Ghostwriter, an in-house AI tool created by Ubisoft’s R&D department, La Forge, comes in. Read more about Ubisoft Ghostwriter: AI to write NPC dialogue[…]

Dashcam App is driving nazi informer wet dream, Sends Video of You Speeding and other infractions Directly to Police

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Speed cameras have been around for a long time and so have dash cams. The uniquely devious idea of combining the two into a traffic hall monitor’s dream device was not a potential reality until recently, though. According to the British Royal Automobile Club, such a combination is coming soon. The app, which is reportedly Read more about Dashcam App is driving nazi informer wet dream, Sends Video of You Speeding and other infractions Directly to Police[…]

TSA Confirms Biometric Scanning Soon Won’t Be Optional Even For Domestic Travelers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] In 2017, the DHS began quietly rolling out its facial recognition program, starting with international airports and aimed mainly at collecting/scanning people boarding international flights. Even in its infancy, the DHS was hinting this was never going to remain solely an international affair. It made its domestic desires official shortly thereafter, with the TSA Read more about TSA Confirms Biometric Scanning Soon Won’t Be Optional Even For Domestic Travelers[…]

Roblox launches its first generative AI game creation tools

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Last month, Roblox outlined its vision for AI-assisted content creation, imagining a future where Generative AI could help users create code, 3D models and more with little more than text prompts. Now, it’s taking its first steps toward allowing “every user on Roblox to be a creator” by launching its first AI tools: Code Assist Read more about Roblox launches its first generative AI game creation tools[…]

Big Four publishers move to crush the Internet Archive

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Monday four of the largest book publishers asked a New York court to grant summary judgment in a copyright lawsuit seeking to shut down the Internet Archive’s online library and hold the non-profit organization liable for damages. The lawsuit was filed back June 1, 2020, by the Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley Read more about Big Four publishers move to crush the Internet Archive[…]

US hospital rolls out AI ‘copilot’ for doctors’ paperwork

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The technology, developed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania startup Abridge, aims to reduce workloads for clinicians and improve care for patients. Shivdev Rao, the company’s CEO and a cardiologist, told The Register doctors can spend hours writing up notes from their previous patient sessions outside their usual work schedules. “That really adds up over time, and Read more about US hospital rolls out AI ‘copilot’ for doctors’ paperwork[…]

Microsoft Adds DALL-E AI Image Generator to Bing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft on Tuesday announced that it is using an advanced version of Open AI’s DALL-E image generator to power its own Bing and Edge browser. Like DALL-E before it, the newly announced Bing Image Creator will generate a set of images for users based on a line of written text. The addition of image content Read more about Microsoft Adds DALL-E AI Image Generator to Bing[…]