Read at: 2023-03-30T08:32:57+00:00Z (UTC) [Ex-US Pres == Cinderella Altena ]
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:58 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:48 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:41 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:39 am UTC
Two military helicopters crashed Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky during a training mission, the U.S. Army said in a statement. The status of the crew members wasn't immediately known.
Source: News : NPR | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:33 am UTC
Foreign minister warns of ‘limits to what diplomacy can achieve’ in efforts to bring Assange home
The Australian government has moved to dampen expectations of a breakthrough in the case of Julian Assange, saying there are limits to what diplomacy can achieve.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said Australia would continue to express the view to both the US and UK governments that the case against the WikiLeaks co-founder “has dragged on long enough and should be brought to a close”.
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Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:33 am UTC
Google opened its Cloud Data & AI Summit on Wednesday with a reminder that it was there at the start of the burst of enthusiasm for machine learning models – something it maybe feels has been lost now that so much attention is being paid to OpenAI's GPT models and related Microsoft spinoffs.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:30 am UTC
This blog is now closed.
Chalmers hopes for bipartisanship on RBA review
Jim Chalmers will receive the review into the Reserve Bank tomorrow. He says he will be releasing its report in April, along with some of the actions the government intends on taking.
I think people do understand how critically important the decisions taken by the independent Reserve Bank are and so we need to give the RBA the best possible basis to make those decisions. And one of the things that we’ve tried to do throughout is we see this as a bipartisan opportunity will see this as an opportunity for some bipartisanship.
What I’ve done is made sure that the panel hasn’t just kept me up to speed on their thinking and across their thinking but also the opposition and also the crossbench as well and I’ve got my differences with Angus Taylor, but I do want to say that he has been engaging with this Reserve Bank review panel in good faith and I appreciate that.
Our submission will be consistent with our values and our policies and our objectives and one of our highest priorities is to get wages moving again in meaningful and sustainable ways.
I think it’s common sense to prioritise the lowest paid as you go about that. You know, some people might pretend that we’ve got an inflation problem in our economy because the lowest-paid Australians are getting paid too much and that is obviously absolute rubbish.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:27 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:19 am UTC
A ferry carrying about 250 passengers and crew caught fire in the southern Philippines and 31 people drowned or died in the blaze and were discovered later, a provincial governor said Thursday.
(Image credit: AP)
Source: News : NPR | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:13 am UTC
Molan and media outlet mutually agree to discontinue legal proceedings at federal court mediation on Thursday
The legal stoush between the Daily Mail and Sky News broadcaster Erin Molan has been settled.
The Daily Mail on Thursday reached a walk-away settlement with the television presenter.
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Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:11 am UTC
UK Ministry of Defence says authorities are preparing recruitment campaign; Alexei Moskalyov was convicted of anti-war social media after police investigated daughter’s drawings
Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, has tweeted to criticise the fact that Russia will take over chairing the UN security council on 1 April. He writes:
Russian UN security council presidency on 1 April is a bad joke. Russia has usurped its seat; it is waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. The world can’t be a safe place with Russia at UNSC.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:06 am UTC
Deal between Labor government and Greens requires total emissions from big industrial sites to come down, not just be offset
Australia’s parliament has passed the country’s most significant emissions reduction legislation in more than a decade after the government won backing from Greens and independent MPs for a plan to deal with pollution from major industrial sites.
After weeks of closed-door negotiation, a deal was brokered between the Labor government and Greens, a minor party with 15 parliamentarians, that included legislating an explicit requirement that total emissions from major industrial facilities must come down, not just be offset.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:04 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:03 am UTC
Netflix might have started (or is at least looking to start) testing games for TV, based on code within its app that developer Steve Moser has shared with Bloomberg. Moser reportedly found hidden code referencing games played on television, as well as additional code that indicates the possibility of being able to use phones as controllers to play them. One line from within the app apparently reads: "A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?" Moser also previously found hints that the service's then-upcoming ad-supported plan might not come with offline viewing. He turned out to be spot on.
The streaming giant launched its gaming experience on Android, iPhones and iPads in 2021. It requires mobile users to download games from the App Store or from Google Play due to rules set by Apple and Google. But since the point of these games is to increase engagement and retain users, they can be launched from within the Netflix app and an active subscription is necessary to be able to access them. On the Netflix app for TV, these games are notably absent.
It remains to be seen how the company intends to implement gaming on TVs and whether it will also require users to download the games before being able to play them. Netflix VP of game development Mike Verdu said last year, though, that the company was "seriously exploring a cloud gaming offering" and that it's looking to launch more than just casual games for television.
For now, users will have to make do with what's available on mobile. At the moment, Netflix's catalogue has around 55 titles available, though it's rolling out 40 more games throughout 2023.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-is-testing-tv-games-that-can-use-phones-as-controllers-070118171.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:01 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:01 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:00 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 7:00 am UTC
Independent Alex Greenwich does ‘not intend to engage’ with One Nation MP’s comment aimed at him, but others spring to his defence
The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has called on Mark Latham to apologise for comments about the sexuality of fellow state MP Alex Greenwich that left the New South Wales environment minister, Penny Sharpe, “physically sickened”.
Latham, the NSW One Nation leader, made the comments on Twitter on Thursday morning in response to an article in which Greenwich called Latham “a disgusting human being”. The article was about LGBTQ+ protesters being targeted outside an event Latham spoke at earlier this month.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:58 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:48 am UTC
Status of crew members not immediately known but Kentucky governor says fatalities are expected
Two US army Black Hawk helicopters have crashed during a training mission over Kentucky, the US military has said.
The status of the crew members was not immediately known, the army spokesperson Nondice Thurman said in a statement early on Thursday to Reuters, without detailing the number of people who were onboard.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:35 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:32 am UTC
Ambiguity in the Wi-Fi specification has left the wireless networking stacks in various operating systems vulnerable to several attacks that have the potential to expose network traffic.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:29 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:28 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:13 am UTC
Police say man, 27, and woman, 33, arrested in Cambridge and 66-year-old man arrested in Worcester area
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder after two men were shot dead in two “linked” incidents in separate villages about six miles apart.
Cambridgeshire police said officers were first called to reports of gunshots at a property in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, at just after 9pm on Wednesday. Officers arrived to find the body of a 32-year-old man inside a property with a gunshot wound and are treating his death as murder.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:08 am UTC
Hart, known for her starring role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, said her children attend school near Nashville's Covenant School.
(Image credit: Charles Sykes/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Source: News : NPR | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:06 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:05 am UTC
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‘I felt like I was being told, “This is not your special day”,’ says 18-year-old of graduation ceremony
Strict rules on hairstyles at schools in Japan have attracted criticism after a mixed-race teenager was separated from other students at their graduation ceremony because he had plaited his hair into cornrows to pay tribute to his Black heritage.
The student, who has not been named, was made to sit alone at the back of the hall during a graduation ceremony at his school in Himeji, western Japan, and told not to stand and respond when his name was called out.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:03 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:01 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 6:00 am UTC
Mark Dreyfus gives clearest details yet of how voice to parliament will work as words to alter constitution presented
The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has given the clearest details yet of how the Indigenous voice would work as the words to alter the constitution were presented to federal parliament.
Dreyfus, who introduced the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 on Thursday, said the body would give advice on issues specifically affecting Indigenous people or general issues affecting that community differently.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:55 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:53 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:42 am UTC
Google's appeal to an Indian tribunal regarding alleged abuse of the Chocolate Factory's dominant position in the Android market resulted in the removal of some antitrust directives, but brought no relief from a $161 million fine.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:33 am UTC
Over the past few days, users have reported seeing ads within the Bing chatbot experience. Based on the limited examples we've seen, the GPT-4-powered chatbot embeds relevant ad links in responses to users' actual questions. Ads don't seem to show up for most people (including us) yet, but they'll most likely pop up more frequently and in more places soon. In a new post on the Bing blog, Microsoft Corporate VP for Search and Devices Yusuf Mehdi has admitted that the company is currently exploring putting ads in Bing's chat experience, indicating that the samples we've seen so far are part of its experimentation. He also revealed how the company intends to embed more ads in the new Bing experience.
Bing ads are happening @luke_lafr@linusgsebastianpic.twitter.com/TzVJoObNb9
— Punit (@pewnit) March 25, 2023
So far, the ads that show up for users come in the form of a linked citation, along with additional links in a "Learn More" section below Bing's response to their query. In the future, Microsoft could launch an experience wherein hovering over a link from an advertiser will display more links from its website in hopes of driving more traffic to it. The company is also exploring the idea of adding rich captions from its Start personalized news feed publishers right beside the AI chatbot's responses.
The fact that Microsoft is monetizing its Bing chatbot is an expected development. From the start, the question was never "Will the company do it?" but "How will the company do it?" And now we have an idea of the tech giant's initial plans. As Mehdi said in his post, Bing has amassed more than 100 million daily active users after the chatbot came out. Since one third of those users are new to Bing, they present a new opportunity for advertisers, and Microsoft clearly intends to strike while the iron is hot.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-reveals-how-its-putting-ads-in-bings-ai-chatbot-052014029.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:20 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:17 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:09 am UTC
Bakery is first restaurant chain to use Amazon One biometric technology, which faces scrutiny from lawmakers and activists
The US bakery and cafe chain Panera will soon allow customers to pay with the swipe of a palm, marking the first restaurant chain to implement the new technology and raising alarm among privacy advocates.
The company announced last week it would roll out biometric readers in coming months that will allow customers to access credit card and loyalty account information by scanning their palms. Called Amazon One, the system was developed by Amazon and is in use at some airports, stadiums and Whole Foods grocery stores.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
The bodies of four furry swimmers tested positive for a strain of toxoplasmosis first seen in mountain lions
Scientist Melissa Miller was seeing something in California sea otters that she had not seen before: an unusually severe form of toxoplasmosis, which officials have confirmed has killed at least four of the animals.
“We wanted to get the word out. We’re seeing something we haven’t seen before, we want people to know about it and we want people working on marine mammals to be aware of these weird findings,” said Miller, a wildlife veterinarian specialist with the California department of fish and wildlife (DFW). “Take extra precautions.”
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Congresswoman’s fixation on whether criminal code would have decriminalized public urination made biggest splash at hearing
In bizarre scenes in a US House hearing, the far-right Republican Lauren Boebert asked if a revised Washington DC criminal code was now law – only to be reminded that Congress overturned it earlier this month – then fixated on whether that code would have decriminalised public urination.
The revision was meant to give the District of Columbia a first code update in 120 years, but it became subject to fierce debate over crime as a political issue. Republicans said the code was soft on violent offenses. Angering progressives, Joe Biden said he would not veto a Republican measure to overturn the code.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Exclusive: group says military is compromising children’s right to education with its campaign against militants
Egyptian forces have taken over 37 schools and transformed them into military bases while dozens more have been destroyed during a 10-year war with militants in Sinai, a rights group has found in an initial assessment.
In a months-long investigation shared with the Guardian before its official release, the UK-based Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR) accused the Egyptian armed forces of compromising the right to education of children during its campaign against militants in north Sinai.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Faith in bloc higher than that in UK parliament for first time in three decades of World Values Survey
People in Britain have more confidence in the EU than the UK parliament, reversing a state of affairs that has lasted for more than 30 years, research reveals.
Since the UK voted for Brexit, the proportion of people declaring confidence in parliament has slumped by 10 percentage points to 22% while there has been a seven percentage point rise in confidence in the Brussels-based bloc, to 39%. Confidence in the UK government also fell from 2017 to 2021.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
UK tops all league tables for highly polluting form of travel, with a flight taking off every six minutes last year
The UK is the private jet capital of Europe, with more flights than anywhere else on the continent, analysis has found.
Last year, a private jet set off from the UK once every six minutes, putting the country ahead of the rest of Europe when it comes to the extremely polluting form of travel. Many of these journeys have been called “polluting and pointless” by Greenpeace, as they are so short they could have easily been taken by train – and in one case, cycled in 30 minutes.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Despite MoD assurances, applicant and former British Council worker still being asked for Taliban-stamped papers
An Afghan who worked with the British Council and is applying to come to the UK has been told to retrieve documents from the Taliban or risk rejection, despite assurances earlier this month that such demands would end.
The Ministry of Defence apologised on 18 March after an investigation found that applicants to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap) scheme were required to provide birth and marriage certificates in English and bearing stamps from Afghan government departments.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 5:00 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:54 am UTC
Tsai Ing-wen’s trip has caused controversy in China, with the government labelling it a ‘provocation’
Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived in New York to crowds of supporters and protesters on a stopover visit that China has labelled a “provocation”.
Tsai is stopping in the US twice during her 10-day visit to diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize. Her itinerary has not been disclosed and none of the events were open to the public or media. However videos shared on social media and from the travelling press pack show her arriving at a New York hotel, waving at a crowd of supporters holding US and Taiwan flags.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:52 am UTC
Google Cloud's recently acquired security outfit Mandiant has named a new nasty from North Korea: a cyber crime gang it calls APT43 and accuses of a five-year rampage.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:40 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:28 am UTC
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Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:01 am UTC
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Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:00 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:00 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:00 am UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 30 Mar 2023 | 4:00 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 3:53 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 3:30 am UTC
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is still months away – circle September 19 on your calendar, me hearties! – but The Register has found news of technology smuggling in China that suggests a buccaneering approach to imports.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 3:02 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:54 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:53 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:43 am UTC
The co-CEO of South Korean chipmaker SK hynix has taken a swipe at the US CHIPS Act subsidy program, labelling the process to apply for funding overly onerous.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:29 am UTC
Several arrest warrants requested after video emerges which appears to show guards leaving as fire engulfs a cell with migrants locked inside
The deaths of at least 39 migrants in a fire at a Mexican detention centre are being investigated as suspected homicides, a prosecutor has said, accusing those in charge of doing nothing to evacuate the victims.
Authorities faced mounting scrutiny of their handling of the disaster after video surveillance footage appeared to show guards leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants locked inside.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:13 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:09 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 2:02 am UTC
Taskforce says it will not take a stand on how much compensation residents should receive
The leader of California’s first-in-the-nation reparations taskforce on Wednesday said it would not take a stance on how much the state should compensate Black residents whom economists estimate may be owed more than $800bn for decades of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination.
The $800bn is more than 2.5 times California’s $300bn annual budget and does not include a recommended $1m per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average lifespan. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the taskforce says the state perpetuated.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:55 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:48 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:40 am UTC
Clipboard-injector malware disguised as Tor browser installers has been used to steal about $400,000 in cryptocurrency from nearly 16,000 users worldwide so far in 2023, according to Kaspersky researchers.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:30 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:27 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 1:25 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:56 am UTC
Twitter has finally confirmed some of the details and pricing for the new version of its API. The company had previously delayed the changes after confirming that it was banning third-party clients as part of a larger shakeup of its developer features.
As expected, the company is maintaining a free tier with limited functionality, though it offers far less than its predecessor. Under the new free tier, which is aimed at bots and other “testing” purposes, accounts can post up to 1,500 tweets a month, but won’t be able to access any other featuires. That may offer a lifeline to some of Twitter’s famed bot accounts, but at about 50 tweets a day, may prove to be too limited for those that post more frequently.
At $100 a month, the new “basic” tier offers a bit more: developers can post up to 3,000 tweets a month at the user level and up to 50,000 a month at the app level. It also offers a read limit of 10,000 tweets a month, which, again, is far less than what was previously offered.
Meanwhile, an enterprise tier is meant for businesses that need a higher level of access, though details for that tier are still murky. According to Twitter’s developer website, the enterprise tier will include “commercial-level access that meets your and your customer's specific needs” and other features. Businesses can apply for enterprise access, but the only pricing information Twitter has disclosed is that there will be "monthly subscription tiers."
It’s also unclear what will happen to researchers and academics who currently rely on Twitter’s API for their work. In a series of tweets, the company said it was “looking at new ways to continue serving this community” but didn’t elaborate. Wired previously reported the company had told some organizations API access could run as much as $42,000 a month, but that plan doesn't seem to have materialized, at least not yet.
The new details also mean that a lot of services using Twitter’s older APIs could soon stop working altogether. The company confirmed that its existing APIs, used by a vast number of developers, researchers and other services, would be deprecated within the next 30 days. “We recommend that you migrate to the new tiers as soon as possible for a smooth transition,” the company said. Though it’s unclear just how many developers will be willing to pay for stripped down versions of the APIs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-announces-new-api-pricing-including-a-limited-free-tier-for-bots-005251253.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:52 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:51 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:45 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:34 am UTC
Researchers at America's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are developing machine learning techniques to help the Feds crack down on potentially rogue nuclear weapons.…
Source: The Register | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:30 am UTC
Shamsuzzaman Shams was taken from his home at 4am and accused of spreading ‘false news’ over article about cost of living crisis
Bangladesh police on Wednesday charged a reporter from a leading newspaper with producing “false news”, stoking fears about media freedom, after an article about high food prices went viral.
Shamsuzzaman Shams was picked up from his home in the industrial town of Savar just outside Dhaka at about 4am by plainclothes police, according to his newspaper, Prothom Alo.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:18 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:07 am UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:02 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:01 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:01 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:01 am UTC
Source: News Headlines | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:01 am UTC
Sanderson shown photos of himself on vacation after ski collision, and doctor suggested any concussion suffered was ‘very mild’
Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys called ski crash accuser Terry Sanderson back to the stand late on Wednesday in a final effort to eviscerate claims that he suffered an extensive brain injury that led to loss of joie de vivre and brain function as a result of the actress allegedly skiing into him on a Utah mountain slope.
Under an intense grilling, Sanderson was shown photographs, culled from Facebook, showing the retired eye doctor taking frequent holiday trips around the world after the ski collision, including floating down the Amazon, visiting the Netherlands three times, Morocco twice, Thailand and other destinations.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 30 Mar 2023 | 12:00 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:56 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:54 pm UTC
Evidence that drought cut late-summer hatchings raises fears that delayed effect of caterpillar die-off will be seen this year
The heat and drought of last summer caused British butterfly populations to crash later in the year, according to a new study.
Common butterfly species including the brimstone, small tortoiseshell, peacock, green-veined white and small white appeared in good or average numbers during the spring and early summer of 2022 but numbers in subsequent late-summer generations were greatly reduced.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:50 pm UTC
If you're in the market for a memory-optimized server or top-of-the-range workstation, the industry watchers at TrendForce have some good news.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:45 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:36 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:26 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:20 pm UTC
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The recipients of the $50,000 prize, which was announced on Wednesday evening, show an exceeding amount of talent and promise, according to the prize's judges.
(Image credit: Mia Chung photo by Chelcie Parry; Ama Codjoe photo by David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York; Marcia Douglas photo by Patrick Campbell; photos of all others by Willy Somma/The Whiting Foundation)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:04 pm UTC
The Studio Ghibli adaptation, which is up for nine Olivier awards this weekend, will open in November
The Barbican in London is to bring back the furry woodland spirits, mischievous soot sprites and grinning catbus of its smash hit My Neighbour Totoro. The adaptation of the much-loved Studio Ghibli animated film will return later this year after it broke records in 2022.
The production, which received five-star reviews and is nominated in nine categories at the Olivier awards this weekend, will open on 21 November and run until 23 March.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:01 pm UTC
Proposal for charge to stay overnight in commercially let accommodation will be put to Senedd
The Welsh government is to press ahead with plans for a visitor levy on tourists who stay in the country overnight.
Legislation allowing local authorities to introduce a levy will be put to the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, within this government’s term. Some tourism organisations have criticised the plan, calling it a misguided “bed tax” that risks discouraging people from visiting.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:01 pm UTC
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Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:00 pm UTC
Rebels say crossings should be stopped by end of 2023 while ministers are unhappy about camps in their constituencies
The government has pledged to move asylum seekers into disused military bases with the minimum living conditions allowed under international law, but has come under pressure from ministers whose constituencies would host the camps.
Rebel Conservative backbenchers warned that they expected Rishi Sunak’s pledge to stop small boat crossings to be fulfilled by the end of the year, a timetable rejected by Downing Street and one that could potentially lead to an internal split.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:57 pm UTC
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Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:50 pm UTC
Aerospace firm Lockheed Martin has announced the launch of a subsidiary to build a satellite communications network to connect future Moon missions with those of us stuck on Earth. …
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:45 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:40 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:15 pm UTC
Board members picked to oversee the governance of Disney World said their predecessors pulled a fast one on them by passing restrictive covenants that strip the new board of many of its powers.
(Image credit: Ted Shaffrey/AP)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:01 pm UTC
Enlarge / The Cayenne gets a facelift for model-year 2024, and that includes a lot of Taycan-like touches. But we're most excited by the fact that Porsche is pulling back from touchscreen overload. (credit: Porsche)
Something many of us can agree on is that there are too many touchscreens in modern cars. They're distracting to use, particularly when it's for often-used things like the car's climate controls. Consider this a feel-good story then, because Porsche has shown us the interior of its next Cayenne SUV, and it seems that in Stuttgart, buttons are back on the menu. Some, at least.
An almost entirely touchscreen user interface was probably Porsche's only misstep with the otherwise-excellent Taycan. Indeed, when Audi used that car's platform to make its own electric express, the e-tron GT, it was notable that the climate control touchscreen was gone, replaced with actual buttons to make it hotter or cooler, more or less windy. There's no need to use a touchscreen to aim the air vents in an e-tron GT, either, unlike in a Taycan.
It is therefore encouraging to see that Porsche's design team is listening to feedback, because in many other ways the refreshed interior of the Cayenne incorporates a lot of Taycan-like touches.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:00 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:00 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:48 pm UTC
The pre-planned break coincides with the holidays of Easter, Passover and Ramadan. That means an indictment, if it occurs, wouldn't come until the end of April, at the earliest.
(Image credit: Evan Vucci/AP)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:47 pm UTC
A California court has granted Twitter's request to unmask the GitHub user who uploaded its source code – along with anyone who "posted, uploaded, downloaded or modified" said code.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:42 pm UTC
Enlarge / Starliner touches down in December 2019 for the first time. (credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA and Boeing announced Wednesday that the first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft will now take place no earlier than July 21. This moves the vehicle's flight, carrying NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, from the previously announced timeframe of April.
The manager of NASA's Commercial Crew program, Steve Stich, said the delay was attributable to the extra time needed to close out the pre-flight review process of Starliner and also due to traffic from other vehicles visiting the space station in June and the first half of July.
"When we look at all the different pieces, most of the work will be complete in April for the flight," Stich said during a teleconference with reporters. "But there's one area that's extending out into the May time frame, and this really has to do with the certification products for the parachute system."
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:39 pm UTC
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2, with its wild center-bump design. [credit: Lenovo ]
Android manufacturers occasionally try to push this idea of a "gaming smartphone"—usually, these companies try to extend the "PC gamer" design motif to smartphones, with RGB LEDs and aggressive marketing. Since Android games are mostly casual pay-to-win tap fests, though, we often have to ask, does anyone want a gaming smartphone? If you're Lenovo, the answer is apparently "no," as Android Authority reports Lenovo is killing the "Legion" gaming phone business.
The site quoted a Lenovo spokesperson:
Lenovo is discontinuing its Android-based Legion mobile gaming phones as part of a wider business transformation and gaming portfolio consolidation. As a leader in gaming devices and solutions, Lenovo is committed to advancing the gaming category across form factors, as well as focusing on where it can bring the most value to the global gaming community.
While gaming phones often seem like a product without a market, we are a bit sad to see Lenovo pack it in since the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 was the most extreme version of the idea. That phone had what must have been the most powerful cooling system ever fitted to an Android phone, with two internal cooling fans, copper heat pipes, and loads of graphite pads. While most passively cooled Android phones would quickly throttle in a graphics-intensive game, this was one of the rare phones with what looked like sustainable cooling. Of course, it didn't fit into a normal smartphone body—the phone's center (in landscape) was about twice as thick as normal, but it was a neat product.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:27 pm UTC
An Israeli protester shouts during an anti-reform demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 25, 2023.
Photo: Matan Golan/Sipa via AP Images
Very early on in the protests, billboard signs began popping up across Israel that said, “The High Court of Justice is our soldiers’ body armor.” The notion persisted as protests spread. And, likely driven by the fear of losing the court’s protections, a wave of reserve soldiers are declaring their refusal to serve, arguably the protests’ most significant element.
The “body armor” sentiment is largely correct. The perceived independence of the Israeli judiciary is a key factor in preventing international accountability for Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians — in the occupation and beyond. Most international court systems will only take up foreign cases if it can be shown that a country’s own system was unable to impartially adjudicate allegations of war crimes.
The situation, however, raises a question that few in Israel have dared to ask: Even without Netanyahu’s reforms, has the judiciary done enough to deal with violations of intranational law? Beyond its work upholding civil rights, have the courts’ rulings on international law merely given Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians a patina of legitimacy, as some progressive Israelis and many Palestinians contend?
A former attorney general, Avichai Mendelblit, was quite blunt in explaining why the country needs its courts to be independent: “The moment that the justice system in Israel isn’t perceived as such,” he warned, “Israel will lose international legitimacy for its military operations and will no longer be shielded from accusations of war crimes.”
Mendelblit’s prediction could soon be put to the test, with Palestinian appeals to the International Criminal Court in The Hague already pending. Losing the appearance of independence may expose Israeli soldiers, military commanders, leaders of the security forces, and even Israeli ministers, past and present, to prosecutions in foreign countries.
Such cases could rise to the level of holding Israel accountable for grave crimes such as torture: Last June, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, in collaboration with the International Federation for Human Rights, requested the ICC’s prosecutors to include the crime of torture in their investigation into the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The question of torture in Israel is just one of several potential grounds for international juridical intervention relating to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Israel’s prolonged occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, its sustaining of an apartheid regime, and the war crimes it has been committing in Gaza would also come to the fore.
Israeli courts’ treatment of torture and other crimes offer some answers as to how impartial the judiciary has really been on crimes against Palestinians — and the Israeli claims of democracy on display in the recent protests.
Taking a closer look at how the Israeli judiciary has been addressing allegations of torture reveals what is — and what is not — at stake in the recent legislation in Israel.
In 1999, Israel’s High Court of Justice rendered a ruling which was hailed as putting an end to the use of torture in Israel. Yet, according to data collected by Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and other human rights organizations, Israel still regularly subjects Palestinian detainees to interrogation methods that constitute torture and inhumane and degrading treatment, in clear violation of international law.
Complaints submitted by Palestinians who were interrogated by the Shabak, Israel’s general security service, to the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel since 2000 show the persistence of methods that were explicitly forbidden by the High Court in 1999.
An analysis we have conducted of more than 1,500 of these complains, which was funded by the U.K. Economic and Social Research Council, shows that physical violence — such as beating, violent shaking, and strangling — is still regularly used in interrogations. Other frequently used interrogation techniques include forcing people into painful stress positions, tight handcuffing, severe sleep deprivation, incommunicado detention, use of family members, threats, humiliations, and prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures.
This is not merely a de facto breach of the ruling: As several recent decisions by the justices make clear, the High Court itself is willing to tolerate and even explicitly approve the use of torture in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law — and, some would argue, the court’s own decision.
Israel has further put in place several judicial mechanisms to address complaints of torture in recent decades. Yet these, too, constantly fail to offer legal remedy to torture victims.
More than 1,300 complaints of torture have been submitted on behalf of Palestinians to the Ministry of Justice between 2001 and June 2021. Only three criminal investigations have been launched. None have resulted in an indictment.
Yet as long as Israel can claim it has robust mechanisms for investigating complaints and independent judicial oversight over its security forces, it can fend against calls for international intervention.
On Monday night, as Netanyahu was deliberating in his chamber whether to stop the new legislation following the protests and a general strike, right-wing demonstrators assembled in Jerusalem for the first rally in favor of the legislation.
Many of the slogans shouted in this rally were not directly supporting the government, but instead targeting Palestinians. Some were explicit — and, unfortunately, too familiar — calls demanding “death to all Arabs.” Several Palestinian passersby (as well as journalists and other Israelis perceived as “leftist”) were attacked by demonstrators.
It is clear that at least as far as the nationalistic right is concerned, enshrining Jewish supremacy is the goal of this constitutional revolution. This is not an unfounded supposition; it is the professed plan of some of the most senior members in the government, including the national security minister and the minister of finance, who recently openly called for the complete erasure of a Palestinian town.
This legislation must not be passed. Resisting it, though, cannot also be about the freedom of Israeli soldiers and security apparatuses to continue operating — and even killing — with impunity.
Whatever the results of the current constitutional upheaval may be, the world must no longer ignore what is now irrefutable: Israel’s judiciary has served as a war crimes launderer.
When calling to “protect democracy,” we must bear in mind that the High Court of Justice has indeed served as the body armor not just for soldiers, but also for Israel’s anti-democratic practices. For years, the court has condoned Israeli human rights abuses, including settlement expansion, extrajudicial killings, and torture of Palestinian detainees.
Whatever the results of the current constitutional upheaval may be, the world must no longer ignore what is now irrefutable: Israel’s judiciary has served as a war crimes launderer. The international community must intervene to hold Israel accountable for its continued violations of Palestinian rights — an accountability Israel evidently fails to uphold itself.
At the same time, those in Israel protesting in the streets should realize that there is no such thing as a democracy for Jews alone. A true democracy will only be achieved when Israel ends its long-lasting occupation, recognizes the national rights of the Palestinians, and offers protections and equality under the law for all its citizens.
The post Protect the Israeli Judiciary — but Don’t Let It Launder War Crimes Against Palestinians appeared first on The Intercept.
Source: The Intercept | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:20 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:20 pm UTC
Let's be honest: you were probably curious about Sackboy: A Big Adventure when it launched alongside the PlayStation 5, but not so much that you were willing to buy that instead of Demon's Souls or Miles Morales. Thankfully, you no longer have to pay extra to indulge that curiosity. Sony has made the LittleBigPlanet spinoff (also available on PS4) free to all PlayStation Plus members between April 4th and May 1st.
Sackboy is decidedly different than the core franchise. Where Little Big Planet is a 3D-enhanced side-scroller that revolves more around environment interaction and creativity, this game is a 3D platformer that revolves around its namesake hero's acrobatics. They all share a relatively uncommon co-op mechanic, though. Up to four players can tackle stages together, and some segments require teamwork to move forward. This may be an ideal game to play with your kids.
You have options if Sackboy doesn't strike your fancy. The newly launched build-and-raid game Meet Your Maker is also available for free on PS Plus this April, as is the hand-drawn RPG Tails of Iron. Both freebies are available for PS4 and PS5.
These new offerings won't make you regret a PS Plus Extra or Premium subscription. If you pay for those tiers, you recently received high-profile games like Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and Tchia. Still, it's nice to know that you can add one more marquee title to your library with very little effort.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps5-launch-title-sackboy-is-free-on-playstation-plus-in-april-211530313.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:15 pm UTC
The cofounder of Taiwan's famed Din Tai Fung restaurant chain died at 96, his company announced March 26. He helped turn delicate soup dumplings into a global phenomenon, even earning Michelin stars.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Yang family)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:13 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:07 pm UTC
A group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables are calling for a 6-month pause to ponder the risks of powerful technology that spawned a successor to ChatGPT.
(Image credit: Michael Dwyer/AP)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:05 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:55 pm UTC
Fall Out Boy's new album, So Much (For) Stardust, is a return to some of the bands' familiar sound and style of writing. Two of the group's band members detail the journey they took to this moment.
(Image credit: Pamela Littky)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:46 pm UTC
This Morning presenter provides written statement to trial of Timothy Schofield, 54, at Exeter crown court
Phillip Schofield’s brother told the This Morning host that he had watched pornography and taken part in sexual acts with a teenage boy, a court has heard.
Timothy Schofield, 54, phoned the presenter “in an agitated and upset state” before admitting what he had done with the boy, Exeter crown court heard on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:45 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:40 pm UTC
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Interview Exasol has beaten a separate path from rivals in the market, and while open-source systems have climbed in popularity, the German database biz has remained proprietary. And although other vendors have tried to bring together analytics and transaction in one database, Exasol remains, steadfastly, an analytical system.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:35 pm UTC
Source: News Headlines | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:34 pm UTC
Energy companies secured access to 1.6 million acres of waters offered at auction. It's the second time this month that the administration has opened federal territory for new fossil fuel drilling.
(Image credit: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:27 pm UTC
Enlarge / A woman uses AutoCAD on a MacBook Pro in this promotional image from Autodesk. (credit: Autodesk)
It has been two years and four months since the first Apple Silicon Mac hit the market, and now Autodesk has finally updated some of its massively popular professional applications (AutoCAD and Maya) to run natively on M1 and M2 chips.
The availability of AutoCAD for Mac 2024 was announced in a blog post on Autodesk's website on March 28. Like other major AutoCAD updates, it adds new features like expanded automation tools and easier workflows, but the announcement that "for the first time, AutoCAD for Mac 2024 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2024 now run natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon architectures, including M1 and M2 chips in the M-series chips" is clearly the headlining feature.
Autodesk claims that Apple Silicon support "can increase overall performance by up to two times" compared to the 2023 version of AutoCAD.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:12 pm UTC
Renewables are already producing more energy than fossil fuels in Europe, and now the US is approaching that milestone. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has determined that renewable power generation overtook coal in 2022, with 4,090 million megawatt-hours coming from solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal technology. These green sources leapt past nuclear in 2021, but widened the gap last year. They have about 21 percent share combined.
The shift came through the combination of increasing renewable capacity and coal's years-long decline. Wind was the dominant source of clean electricity, with the capacity jumping from 133 gigawatts in 2021 to 141 gigawatts a year later. Hydro was second, followed by utility-level solar, biomass and geothermal. Coal dropped to 20 percent share due to both the closure of some plants and the reduced use of others. Nuclear has remained relatively steady, but the shutdown of Michigan's Palisades powerplant saw it dip to 19 percent.
It might not surprise you to hear which states dominated certain renewable energy sources. Sunny California was the leader in solar power generation with 26 percent of the output, while Texas had a similar slice of wind generation. Texas also has the largest shares of coal and natural gas, although its lead in those areas is only slight.
Renewables weren't the top power source in 2022 — that distinction went to natural gas, which claimed a 39 percent share. However, it's evident that clean tech has a firm foothold in the US despite attempts to undermine it through regulation. We'd expect the trends to continue, too. President Biden's administration has heavily promoted renewable electricity, including the approval of the first large offshore wind farm in the country, while the EIA expects coal use to shrink to 17 percent. Natural gas may retain a comfortable lead, but it now has a new chief rival.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/renewable-power-generation-overtook-coal-in-the-us-last-year-200907783.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:09 pm UTC
Enlarge / An AI-generated image of a globe that has stopped spinning. (credit: Stable Diffusion)
On Wednesday, the Future of Life Institute published an open letter on its website calling on AI labs to "immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4." Signed by Elon Musk and several prominent AI researchers, the letter quickly began to draw attention in the press—and some criticism on social media.
Earlier this month, OpenAI released GPT-4, an AI model that can perform compositional tasks and allegedly pass standardized tests at a human level, although those claims are still being evaluated by research. Regardless, GPT-4 and Bing Chat's advancement in capabilities over previous AI models spooked some experts who believe we are heading toward super-intelligent AI systems faster than previously expected.
Along these lines, the Future of Life Institute argues that recent advancements in AI have led to an "out-of-control race" to develop and deploy AI models that are difficult to predict or control. They believe that the lack of planning and management of these AI systems is concerning and that powerful AI systems should only be developed once their effects are well-understood and manageable. As they write in the letter:
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:05 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:00 pm UTC
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Hup)
A federal judge yesterday ruled that Google intentionally destroyed evidence and must be sanctioned, rejecting the company's argument that it didn't need to automatically preserve internal chats involving employees subject to a legal hold.
"After substantial briefing by both sides, and an evidentiary hearing that featured witness testimony and other evidence, the Court concludes that sanctions are warranted," US District Judge James Donato wrote. Later in the ruling, he wrote that evidence shows that "Google intended to subvert the discovery process, and that Chat evidence was 'lost with the intent to prevent its use in litigation' and 'with the intent to deprive another party of the information's use in the litigation.'"
He said that chats produced by Google last month in response to a court order "provided additional evidence of highly spotty practices in response to the litigation hold notices." For example, Donato quoted one newly produced chat in which "an employee said he or she was 'on legal hold' but that they preferred to keep chat history off."
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:46 pm UTC
Derrick Miller, a former U.S. Army National Guard sergeant who spent eight years in prison for murdering an Afghan civilian in 2010, now serves as a legislative assistant covering military policy for Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz.
While on a combat mission in Afghanistan’s Laghman province on September 26, 2010, Miller shot 27-year-old Atta Mohammed in the head during an interrogation. Miller has maintained that he was acting in self-defense, alleging that Mohammed, who had walked through a defensive perimeter established by Miller’s unit, could be a threat to his unit and that he had tried to grab Miller’s weapon during the interrogation. But another National Guard member testified he heard Miller threaten to kill Mohammed if he did not tell the truth; and then sat on top of him — Mohammed was lying prone — before shooting him in the head, killing him. According to the prosecutor, Miller then said, “I shot him. He was a liar.”
Mohammed’s body was left in a latrine, in violation of military standards.
Miller covers armed forces and national security, international affairs, and veterans affairs for Gaetz, according to the Congress-tracking website LegiStorm. Gaetz serves on the House Armed Services Committee.
“We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller,” Joel Valdez, a spokesperson for Gaetz, told The Intercept. “He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor.”
Miller did not respond to a request for comment.
“Over the course of nearly a decade, members of Congress, multiple advocacy groups, and over 16,000 individuals on a petition have all signaled their support for clearing his name and recognizing him as innocent of charges imposed by a weaponized military injustice system under President Obama,” the spokesperson continued. “Mr. Miller advises our office on many matters, including ways to make the military justice system consistent with our constitutional principles and values.”
Court-martialed and found guilty of premeditated murder of a civilian by a 10-member military jury after a two-hour deliberation, Miller was sentenced to life in prison in 2011, before being released on parole following a lobbying effort for his release. In 2017, Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, sent a letter to President Cinderella Altena asking him to review the case. “As you know, our troops face extremely difficult decisions while serving in the heat of battle,” the letter stated.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, also testified in his defense. By 2018, following a clemency hearing, the Army reduced Miller’s sentence to 20 years, making him eligible for parole. He was released on May 20, 2019.
Miller previously served as a military adviser for Gohmert from July 2019 to September of last year. During the same time period, Miller was executive director of the Congressional Justice for Warriors Caucus, which describes itself as “dedicated to educating members of Congress about combat-related incidents where U.S. service members who are fighting for our freedoms have been unjustly incarcerated under the [Uniform Code of Military Justice].” CJWC’s membership includes five Republicans: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Ralph Norman, Greg Murphy, and Brian Babin.
Gaetz has intervened on behalf of another servicemember accused of war crimes. In 2019, Gaetz reportedly wrote a letter to Cinderella Altena on behalf of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, then charged with war crimes in relation to the killing of an Iraqi prisoner of war in Mosul in 2017. Gallagher was charged with stabbing a 17-year-old ISIS prisoner to death, posing with his corpse, and sending the photo to friends. He was convicted of posing for the photograph but acquitted of the other charges. United American Patriots, an organization that provides legal defense for U.S. servicemembers it believes were wrongly convicted of war crimes, also advocated for Miller and Gallagher.
“We completely comprehend and appreciate the necessity for good order and discipline within our Armed Forces,” the letter from Gaetz stated. “However, our experience has witnessed a verifiable bias against the warfighter that is completely political in nature by the United States Navy’s Justice system.”
Correction: March 29, 2023, 4:43 p.m.
This piece previously characterized Eddie Gallagher as a “soldier”; this has been corrected, as Gallagher was in the Navy, not the Army.
The post Matt Gaetz’s Legislative Aide Is a Convicted War Criminal appeared first on The Intercept.
Source: The Intercept | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:46 pm UTC
Source: News Headlines | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:39 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:36 pm UTC
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni's second statement said that hospital tests showed Francis is suffering from a respiratory infection, but they ruled out COVID.
(Image credit: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:34 pm UTC
The UBPorts project has just released the fruit of a lot of labor, especially for a volunteer group, emitting a fresh version of its smartphone OS – which includes the Lomiri UI, formerly known as Unity 8.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:33 pm UTC
The Israeli prime minister is pushing back on U.S. warnings against his coalition taking steps that critics say will undermine judicial independence and democracy.
(Image credit: Michel Euler/AP)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:25 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:24 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:24 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:20 pm UTC
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Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:09 pm UTC
Monday's school shooting set in motion a familiar cycle of condolences, calls for action and questions, some unanswerable, about how the violence unfolded. Here's a look at what we're following.
(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:08 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 7:02 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:59 pm UTC
Enlarge / Apple's first promotional image for WWDC 2023. (credit: Apple)
Apple will host its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference at its Cupertino, California, headquarters from Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9, the company announced on Wednesday.
The conference will kick off with "a special all-day event," inclusive of the customary keynote presentation and the platform State of the Union talks. The language on Apple's website suggests that like last year, some or all of those will be presented in prerecorded video form rather than as a live on-stage presentation.
After that first day, Apple will likely host various panels on how developers can work with the company's developer toolkits and APIs to support new and old features across the various Apple platforms.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:46 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:40 pm UTC
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Luxury sports cars aren’t exactly known for being eco-conscious, but Lamborghini just announced the company’s first plug-in hybrid supercar. The Lamborghini Revuelto, which translates to “scrambled,” should satisfy anyone’s need for speed, so long as they don’t look too hard at the battery life.
In other words, engaging this vehicle in all-electric mode won’t get you very far, just 6.2 miles from a full charge. That is likely not enough juice to get you to the grocer and back, but this is a hybrid vehicle not exactly intended for all-electric usage. With that said, the combustion engine charges the rather minuscule 3.8kWh battery on its own in just six minutes via regenerative braking on the front wheels, the company announced in a press release.
Battery life isn’t the main reason people buy luxury sports cars (it probably doesn't crack the top ten) so the engine here is designed for power, acceleration and max speeds. The relatively light engine (480 pounds) pumps out 814 horsepower at a blistering 9,250 rpm. This is a Lamborghini through and through, with a multitude of air intake ducts located throughout to increase airflow for the engine, resulting in a power level of 126 hp per liter. The company says this is the “highest output in the history of Lamborghini’s 12-cylinder engines.”
The design is heavily influenced by aerospace engineering, with sculpted surfaces, pointed lines and hexagonal exhausts. Lamborghini also took design cues from its own past, like the vertically opening scissor doors from 1970s Countach models and the floating blade on the rear fender often associated with the Diablo line.
Of course, the interior is outfitted with all kinds of tech-forward components, like a 12.3-inch digital cockpit with a large center display, an equally large 9-inch passenger-side display and plenty of affiliated infotainment options. This is also the first Lamborghini ever with an advanced driver-assist system. Finally, there is an associated smartphone and smartwatch app that monitors aspects of the car’s status, such as fuel level, battery, range and GPS location. This app even performs basic tasks remotely, like activating the horn, lights and locks.
This is the first step in Lamborghini and parent company Volkswagen's plans to release an all-electric luxury vehicle by 2030. However, the brand hopes to continue making combustion engines into the 2030s that run on synthetic fuel. The Lamborghini Revuelto ships later this year at the eye-watering price of $542,165, as reported by Automotive News Europe (requires a free sign-up to read.)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lamborghinis-plug-in-hybrid-supercar-runs-for-a-cool-six-miles-in-electric-only-mode-183728414.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:37 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:33 pm UTC
Updated Microsoft's at-times-glitchy Defender service is again causing headaches for IT admins by flagging legitimate URLs as malicious.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:31 pm UTC
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
A year after Reddit updated its policy on non-consensual intimate image (NCII) sharing—a category that includes everything from revenge porn to voyeurism and accidental nip slips—the social media platform has announced that it has gotten much better at detecting and removing this kind of content. Reddit has also launched a transparency center where users can more easily assess Reddit's ongoing efforts to make the platform safer.
According to Reddit’s 2022 Transparency Report—which tracks various “ongoing efforts to keep Reddit safe, healthy, and real”—last year Reddit removed much more NCII than it did in 2021. The latest report shows that Reddit removed 473 percent more subreddits and permanently suspended 244 percent more user accounts found to be violating community guidelines by sharing non-consensual intimate media. Previously, Reddit labeled NCII as "involuntary pornography," and the 2022 report still uses that label, reporting that the total number of posts removed was 187,258. That includes non-consensual AI-generated deepfakes, also known as “lookalike” pornography.
“It’s likely this increase is primarily reflective of our updated policies and increased effectiveness in detecting and removing non-consensual intimate media from Reddit,” the transparency report said.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:20 pm UTC
The fatal school shooting in Nashville this week is part of what one expert describes as an "astronomical increase" in violence on school campuses since the pandemic.
(Image credit: Seth Herald/Getty Images)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:19 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:16 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:15 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:00 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:00 pm UTC
This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our Russia-Ukraine war coverage here
Global commodities trader Cargill has told Russia’s agriculture ministry that it will stop exporting Russian grain from the start of the next exporting season, which begins on 1 July, the ministry said on Wednesday.
“The cessation of its export activities on the Russian market will not affect the volume of domestic grain shipments abroad. The company’s grain export assets will continue to operate regardless of who manages them,” the agriculture ministry said in a comment to Reuters.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:00 pm UTC
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Source: Slashdot | 29 Mar 2023 | 6:00 pm UTC
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Source: News Headlines | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:50 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:50 pm UTC
Enlarge / Google and ADT's security package: Google screens and cameras and ADT's software, sensors, and hub. (credit: ADT)
Google's plans for a security system are starting to take shape. Google invested $450 million in ADT in 2020, buying a 6.6 percent stake in the security monitoring company. Two months later Google killed its in-house security system, the Nest Secure, which had a monitoring deal with ADT rival Brinks. The two companies promised to build "the next generation of smart home security solutions," and that's apparently here now as the "ADT Self Setup smart home security system."
Since the Nest Secure is dead, the brains of the system is the ADT Smart Home Hub. This is a 4.1×4.1×5.9-inch box with a keypad on top and a few other buttons for arming and disarming the security system. It's a sizable unit that's basically the size of a smart speaker, thanks to needing to fit an integrated 24-hour battery backup and a speaker grille on the front for the alarm siren, which ADT says hits 85 dB at 10 feet. Instead of a more common smart home protocol like Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Google's Thread, or Matter, ADT's devices run over "DECT/ULE," an old-school wireless home security standard. I don't think that acronym means anything anymore, but officially it stands for "Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications/Ultra Low Energy" (it has roots in cordless phone technology). The hub still has Z-Wave, but that's only for automation of third-party products. It also has Bluetooth for setup, and assuming this is the same hub used for ADT's old "Blue" security system, it connects to the Internet over Wi-Fi with a cellular backup.
ADT also has various security widgets you can place around the house. It's not very handy to have the control keypad on top of the hub, away from the door, so there's also a remote keypad that presumably you can wall mount next to the door and use as you come and go. ADT is also handling the door and window sensors, motion sensors, flood and temperature sensors, a car-style key fob, and surprisingly, the smoke detector. Nest famously has some extremely expensive smoke detectors, but ADT's press release calls out every compatible Google product by name, and the Nest Protect smoke detector is not listed.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:41 pm UTC
The UK has proposed a light touch approach to regulating AI, coinciding with the first reports of a suicide that is alleged to have followed a week's intensive conversation with a chatbot.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:35 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:33 pm UTC
Source: Irish Times Feeds | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:32 pm UTC
Apple has set the dates for WWDC 2023. The company's developer conference will run between June 5th and June 9th. It's still in an online format despite the pandemic fading into the background, but there will be a "special experience" at Apple Park on the 5th for developers and students. The company isn't saying much about what to expect (does the graphic hint at a lens?), but this may be one of Apple's most important events in recent years.
Rumors have swirled that Apple will finally debut its mixed reality headset at WWDC 2023. The device, potentially called Reality Pro or Reality One, is believed to be a stand-alone device with an M2 chip, dual 4K displays, advanced body tracking and controller-free input — you'd use hand gestures and Siri commands. While the hardware may be aimed at developers and professionals (with a possible $3,000 price tag), it could include health features, full-body avatars in FaceTime calls and wearable versions of many iPhone and iPad experiences. It might not ship until later in the year.
Other announcements at WWDC 2023 may be more pedestrian. It's virtually certain that you'll see previews of iOS 17, macOS 14 and watchOS 10, among other platform updates. There may be service updates, too. While we wouldn't count on updates to Apple's existing hardware lineup, we wouldn't rule out introductions for some of the first M3-based Macs. The company did unveil the MacBook Air M2 at last year's conference, after all.
If history is any indication, you should see beta versions of operating system updates soon after WWDC. Finished versions should arrive in the fall. As with past conferences, most of what you'll see is a sneak peek of what's coming in the months ahead.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-wwdc-2023-begins-june-5th-171718339.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:17 pm UTC
The measure now goes to the House, where Speaker Kevin McCarthy has indicated it will undergo a series of markups by the Foreign Affairs Committee before a possible floor vote.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Source: News : NPR | 29 Mar 2023 | 5:05 pm UTC
City is cleaner, though not yet entirely clean, after three-week strike ends but union threatens more action
The smell of spring is in the air in Paris. It makes a change from the stench of overflowing bins that had hung over the French capital for the last three weeks after refuse collectors went on strike and up to 10,000 metric tonnes of festering rubbish piled up on the streets.
Hours after the CGT trade union announced it was suspending the industrial action and lifting a blockade of incinerators serving the city, much of the rubbish had gone.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 4:43 pm UTC
UK government will proceed with an in-depth investigation into the proposed buyout of VMware by Broadcom, dashing the companies' hopes the merger might be waved through quickly by regulatory bodies.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 4:34 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 4:11 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 4:03 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 4:01 pm UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:59 pm UTC
Source: NASA Image of the Day | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:55 pm UTC
Protesters call for justice as blaze at detention facility in Ciudad Juárez highlights tough US immigration policies
A loud voice cut through the thick quiet of the night: “¡Justicia! ¡Justicia! ¡Justicia!” Frark Martín Pérez Pérez, 32, chanted angrily, and hundreds followed.
Justice is what the crowd of about 400 migrants from Latin America gathered to protest about on Tuesday outside the migrant processing centre in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican city on the US border, where at least 40 were killed in a fire on Monday night.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:48 pm UTC
Apple's latest Mac mini remains a hot item, but you can still find some savings. Amazon is once more selling the M2 Pro Mac mini at a best-ever price of $1,249, or $50 off. That's a modest discount, but the tiny-but-powerful desktop has rarely been discounted in any form at Amazon. You can roll the savings into a mouse, keyboard or other must-have peripherals.
The M2 Pro edition of the Mac mini is a great machine that fills a typically vacant spot in Apple's lineup — it's a powerful but relatively affordable "headless" desktop. The system is quick enough to handle serious media editing and multitasking duties, but still gives you the freedom to choose your own monitor. Throw in the abundance of ports and virtually silent operation (even under stress) and this may be the your ideal machine if you want some flexibility in your setup.
This high-end Mac mini is still expensive, and you won't find front-facing ports or an SD card reader like you get on the Mac Studio. And for many, this may be overkill — the standard M2 is often enough for everyday use while costing hundreds of dollars less. If you crave performance or extra ports, though, the M2 Pro version is a fine computer that won't use much space on your desk.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-m2-pro-mac-mini-is-back-to-a-record-low-price-at-amazon-154839163.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:48 pm UTC
Enlarge / Graduate student W. Walker Smith converted the visible light given off by the elements into audio, creating unique, complex sounds for each one. His personal favorites are helium and zinc. (credit: W. Walker Smith and Alain Barker)
We're all familiar with the elements of the periodic table, but have you ever wondered what hydrogen or zinc, for example, might sound like? W. Walker Smith, now a graduate student at Indiana University, combined his twin passions of chemistry and music to create what he calls a new audio-visual instrument to communicate the concepts of chemical spectroscopy.
Smith presented his data sonification project—which essentially transforms the visible spectra of the elements of the periodic table into sound—at a meeting of the American Chemical Society being held this week in Indianapolis, Indiana. Smith even featured audio clips of some of the elements, along with "compositions" featuring larger molecules, during a performance of his "The Sound of Molecules" show.
As an undergraduate, "I [earned] a dual degree in music composition and chemistry, so I was always looking for a way to turn my chemistry research into music," Smith said during a media briefing. "Eventually, I stumbled across the visible spectra of the elements and I was overwhelmed by how beautiful and different they all look. I thought it would be really cool to turn those visible spectra, those beautiful images, into sound."
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:40 pm UTC
The chairman of Taiwan’s biggest chip designer, Mediatek’s Tsai Ming-kai, expressed distress over US semiconductor sanctions yesterday, saying they may hurt Taiwan's chip houses.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:29 pm UTC
Enlarge / Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on February 8, 2023. (credit: Getty Images | Anadolu Agency )
Twitter has obtained a subpoena compelling GitHub to provide identifying information on a user who posted portions of Twitter's source code.
Twitter on Friday asked the US District Court for the Northern District of California to issue a subpoena to GitHub. A court clerk signed off on the subpoena yesterday.
GitHub user "FreeSpeechEnthusiast" posted Twitter source code in early January, shortly after Elon Musk bought Twitter and laid off thousands of workers. Twitter reportedly suspects the code leaker is one of its many ex-employees.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:24 pm UTC
Planned visit to St Nikolai memorial in Hamburg contrasts with approach taken by his mother
King Charles will this week become the first British monarch to lay a wreath to the German victims of allied air raids in the second world war.
The move is a departure from his mother’s handling of the historically sensitive subject on previous royal visits to the country.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:20 pm UTC
Naughty Dog says it is "actively investigating multiple issues" as complaints about graphical and performance issues continue to flood in following the PC release of The Last of Us: Part 1 on Tuesday.
The thousands of reviews on Steam—67 percent of which are negative, as of this writing—tell the tale of players facing massive problems simply playing the game they purchased. There is an overwhelming number of complaints about everything from frequent crashes and extreme loading times to "severe stuttering" during basic gameplay. Even with some positive reviews on the site supportive of the game's underlying console versions, others complain that the PC edition is currently "stuttering, crashing, and unplayable."
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:16 pm UTC
Enlarge (credit: Microsoft)
PC gamers sticking with old versions of Windows may finally need to upgrade if they want to keep playing the games in their Steam libraries. Valve announced this week that it will stop supporting Steam on Windows 7 and Windows 8 on January 1, 2024. "After that date," the company's brief announcement reads, "the Steam Client will no longer run on those versions of Windows."
That timeline is still fairly generous to users of the 14- and 11-year-old operating systems, given that Microsoft ended all support for both in January 2023. GPU makers like Nvidia and AMD also stopped supporting their latest GPUs in Windows 7 or Windows 8 quite a while ago.
This move will affect a vanishingly small but persistent number of Steam users. According to Valve's own survey data for February of 2023, the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 account for a little less than two percent of all Steam usage. This is almost nothing next to Windows 10 and Windows 11 (nearly 95 percent), but all macOS versions combined account for only 2.37 percent, and all Linux versions combined (including the Steam Deck) add up to just 1.27 percent.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:03 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 3:00 pm UTC
I love all things The Last of Us, so it pains me to report that the PC port of The Last of Us Part I, which launched yesterday, is a buggy mess. Thousands of reviews on Steam are categorized as "mostly negative" and are filled with mentions of frequent crashes and poor hardware utilization. Meanwhile, Steam Deck users are reporting that it takes more than an hour for the game to compile shaders on its initial launch — and even once that's done, performance is an issue.
I don't have a powerful gaming PC, but I do have a Steam Deck and can confirm these issues. Once I got the game installed and waited around 90 minutes for the shaders to compile, I started playing the standalone DLC Left Behind, and the game crashed during the opening cinematics. Once I started playing the game, I saw it was using 102 percent of the Steam Deck's VRAM. Dropping all graphics settings to low got me under 100 percent, so crashes will probably be less frequent going forward. I only played for a few minutes, so I can't say how things work once you're taking on Infected, but I won't get my hopes up.
A few hours after this story was first published, Naughty Dog released the game's first patch, a hotfix for some of the stability issues. The company didn't have a ton of details on the specifics, but it says that more updates will be coming soon. I spent an hour playing the first part of the game on the Steam Deck, and it feels a lot more solid than it did yesterday, though I still haven't gotten to the most graphically intense sequences yet. Still, things seem to be moving in the right direction — playing on medium with the frame rate set to max out at 40fps, things ran pretty smoothly.
A hotfix for The Last of Us Part I on PC went live earlier today, focusing primarily on stability and performance improvements. Patch notes are here: https://t.co/WwxTbVn1wu
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) March 29, 2023
Our team is continuing to investigate known issues, and we will let you know as more updates are planned.
It's worth nothing that Sony didn't provide reviews with a demo code for the game until launch day, something that often means the game is either being worked on right up until the last minute or the experience isn't very good (or both). This made a bit nervous about how The Last of Us Part I would run, and it seems like my fears were well-founded.
Developer Naughty Dog didn't waste any time addressing the problems, tweeting out last night that they're "actively investigating multiple issues" that players have reported. The company also has a "known issues" page running, which acknowledges the shader loading issue as well as a potential memory leak, older graphics drivers leading to instability, and the game being unable to boot despite systems that meet the minimum requirements.
The Last of Us Part I PC players: we've heard your concerns, and our team is actively investigating multiple issues you've reported.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) March 28, 2023
We will continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will address issues in upcoming patches.
A number of high-profile PlayStation games from Sony's first-party studios have been ported to PC, including 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn and 2018's God of War, as well as Naughty Dog's own Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection (which includes remastered versions Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy). Both Horizon and the Uncharted collection had pretty serious issues at launch, as well. Since then, updates have made the games work much better, but it's still a disappointing trend.
Even after delaying the game about a month from its original March 3rd date, things were clearly not ready to go. Sony likely wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the HBO series, which wrapped its first season earlier this month, but a delayed launch is probably better than a launch that no one can play. As of now, Naughty Dog hasn't released an update for The Last of Us Part I, but we'll be keeping an eye out for any fixes. I've been dreaming of having this game on-the-go since it was announced, so my fingers are crossed Naughty Dog can make it work on the Steam Deck — not to mention for the many people who want to play it on their powerful gaming PCs.
Update, 3/29/23 3:25PM ET: Added details about the first patch that Naughty Dog just released to address performance issues.
Update, 3/29/23 4:20PM ET: Added details about how the game plays on Steam Deck following the patch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-last-of-us-part-i-for-pc-is-a-buggy-mess-144036281.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:40 pm UTC
Old-school tech giant HP has just announced a refresh of its Color LaserJet printer line with an eye toward reducing both energy consumption and physical waste. The company promises that these printers reduce energy consumption by up to 27 percent, while the plastic packaging components have been reduced by 78 percent.
The decrease in energy usage is thanks to the company’s proprietary TerraJet laser toner, which HP says is designed to offer maximum sustainability. The new HP TerraJet cartridges that accompany these printers offer a lower carbon footprint than predecessors but allow for a 20 percent increase in printable colors. HP also says these printers have been redesigned for speed, so expect a 25 percent uptick in tempo when making prints.
These printers fall into two categories. The HP Color LaserJet 4200/4300 is designed for small businesses and remote workers. They offer a compact design (though not as small as some HP laser printers), two-sided color printing, two-sided color scanning, HP Wolf Security tools preconfigured out of the box and the HP Smart Admin Dashboard for making adjustments on-the-fly.
The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise 5000/6000 series, on the other hand, is for busy office environments with massive daily printing needs. To that end, you can actually perform some light editing to printable documents right from the device itself, without a PC. The touchscreen and analog controls let you highlight, redact, and markup, and HP says these printers offer the “fastest A4 laserjet speeds” around.
These enterprise-focused printers also include built-in HP Wolf Security protocols and an upgraded document digitization toolset that automatically reduces misfeeds, resulting in greater accuracy when performing large batch scans.
HP says the 4200/4300 launches on April 1st in North America with global availability by the summer, with prices for the most expensive configuration maxing out at $700. The 5000/6000 enterprise printers also launch on April 1st in North America, with a phased global rollout starting in Asia throughout the month. These printers start at around $1,050.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eco-friendly-hp-laser-printer-line-promises-to-reduce-energy-use-by-30-percent-153532920.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:35 pm UTC
By March 2024, instant messaging and real-time media apps operated by large tech platforms in Europe will be required to communicate with other services, per the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:28 pm UTC
Kia is finally sharing some specs for the EV9 electric SUV, and they may be good news for families planning road trips. The three-row EV will now include Level 3 self-driving (that is, the car drives itself in some situations but may need you to take over) in some countries when you spring for the GT-line trim. The planned Highway Driving Pilot will use LiDAR and other sensors to let you “take a break” from driving, where conditions allow.
The EV9 might also deliver more range than you'd expect for an SUV this size. Kia claims the RWD Long Range model with a 99.8kWh battery will offer up to 336 miles of range, based on WLTP testing. We'd expect a more conservative estimate from the US' Environmental Protection Agency, but that's still a very healthy figure for this vehicle class. There will also be an AWD variant with the same battery as well as 76.1kWh RWD Standard Range base configuration. The 800V charging architecture should give the EV about 149 miles of range in 15 minutes, and vehicle-to-load tech lets you power camping gear and laptops.
Performance can be relatively brisk depending on the model. The RWD Long Range with a 150kW motor will be the slowest-accelerating model with a 0-62MPH time of 9.4 seconds, but the Standard Range edition with a 160kW motor will manage that run in 8.2 seconds. Opt for the AWD model and you'll get a dual-motor 283kW powerplant that can normally hit 62MPH in six seconds (more on that in a moment).
Like it or not, Kia is joining the ranks of automakers locking car features behind digital purchases. You'll need to buy items from the company's Connect Store to enhance the pattern lighting on the grille, and even to add a "Boost" that delivers extra torque for a 0-62MPH dash in 5.3 seconds. Yes, you'll have to pay for features your EV9 can technically handle. You will get a number of driver aids and conveniences, including hands-off parking and navigation-based "Smart Cruise Control." This will be the first Kia to support ultra-wide band digital keys, so you won't have to take out your conventional key to step inside.
Kia hasn't yet divulged pricing for the EV9. The machine will go on sale in some countries sometime in the second half of the year, with South Korean pre-orders starting this spring. It's safe to presume the SUV will sell for more than the EV6 crossover. Not that this will necessarily be a problem for the brand. There are few three-row electric SUVs, and those that exist (such as the Tesla Model X) are likely more expensive.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kias-ev9-electric-suv-will-offer-level-3-autonomy-and-a-336-mile-range-141506186.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:15 pm UTC
The UK’s Institute of Physics (IOP) is calling on the popular press to ditch the term “boffin” when referring to scientists.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:09 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:09 pm UTC
Sony has unveiled its latest, and by far greatest vlogging camera to date, the full-frame ZV-E1. Equipped with the same backside-illuminated (BSI) 12-megapixel sensor as the A7S III, it promises excellent low-light performance, 4K at up to 120p and a host of new AI features like auto framing. The $2,200 price tag also makes it enticing for vloggers as it offers features found on the $3,500 A7S III for considerably less money.
Key among those are the excellent video specs. The full-frame sensor lets you significantly blur the background so subjects stand out more than with cameras using smaller APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors. And like the A7S III, the ZV-E1 gives you 4K at 24/30/60/120 fps, using a full-pixel readout with no binning in all modes. It also offers capture in easy-to-edit All-I modes with data rates up to 600Mbps.
10-bit 4:2:2 recording is available with S-Log-3/S-Gamut3.Cine log modes, delivering up to 15 stops of dynamic range, Sony claims. And the 12-megapixel BSI sensor has an ISO range up to 409,600 expanded (80-102400 in normal modes), the best high ISO performance in the Alpha series. That opens up a lot of interesting creative opportunities, as you can shoot in near pitch-black conditions.
The ZV-E1 is Sony's first full-frame camera with a vlogging-style body, so it lacks the large grip and generous controls seen on other A-series models. In exchange, it's much smaller and lighter than those models, weighing in at just 483 grams, compared to 699 grams for the A7S III. It's even lighter (and smaller) than the A7C, but uses the same Z-batteries as larger Sony models, letting you capture up to 570 shots or record 4K 60p video for 95 minutes (however, 4K 60p is temperature-limited to approximately 30 minutes).
It has a single rear dial, with the front dial replaced by a motor zoom control. There are just a few other controls (three programmable buttons, a Fn button and Sony's usual D-Pad), along with a Still/Movie/S&Q switch, product showcase button, and background defocus button. It also has a tally light that can be seen from the front and top.
For other settings, and functions like focus, you have to use the touchscreen. Luckily it's a fully articulating display that allows easy self-shooting or high/low angle framing. Sony has also adopted the A7R V's relatively intuitive menu system that places common settings on one screen and makes it relatively easy to find more advanced functions.
Also missing is an electronic viewfinder, so the only way to see your subject is via the touchscreen or an external monitor. We've seen the same thing on all its other ZV-series vlogging cameras so it's no surprise, but it's a bit jarring to see such a high-spec camera without an EVF.
Otherwise, though, ZV-E1 actually adds some features not found on other Sony cameras. To start with, it offers 5-axis in-body stabilization, with a new "Active" optical mode that's supposed to boost shake reduction while walking. And if that's not enough, the "Dynamic Active" mode adds extra smoothing for rapid movements in exchange for some extra cropping. "Combined with a wide-angle lens, hand-held shooting is possible even in fast walking scenes that would otherwise be difficult without the use of a gimbal," Sony claims.
Another new feature is the AI-based auto framing mode that should be incredibly handy for solo creators. Using subject recognition tech, it automatically crops the frame to keep the subject in a prominent position, even though the camera may be fixed on a tripod. Using the feature, you can select a small, medium or large crop, have it track you quickly or slowly, auto start based on subject recognition or subject selection, and switch between the cropped and full angle after 15 or 30 seconds. It can even record two types of images at once, capturing the full image to an HDMI output and the cropped version to an internal memory card.
Other AI tricks including a framing stabilizer that uses subject recognition tech to crop in to the subject and keeps them stable when you're walking beside them. "Multiple face recognition" automatically reduces bokeh when a second face is detected so both subjects stay in focus. And as with other Sony vlogging models, it has a bokeh switch that automatically defocuses the background, along with a "product showcase" button that lets the camera instantly focus on an object put in front of the camera.
As with other recent Sony models, the ZV-E1 has a variety of subject recognition modes besides humans, including animal, bird, car/train, airplane and insect. It includes the focus breathing compensation feature first seen on the A7 IV that digitally compensates for any zooming when the focus changes from one subject to another. It also offers the focus map and AF assist seen on recent models, along with adjustments for the AF transition speed.
On the audio front, the ZV-E1 has a built-in 3-capsule mic that can change directionality depending on the situation. For instance, if a human subject is recognized, the mic direction changes to "front," but if there's no subject it defaults to "all directions." It comes with a windscreen, and if you'd rather using your own mic, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack and digital audio interface on the hotshoe.
Other features include UVC/UAC webcam capability, with support for up to 4K 30p video, besting most other Sony models. It also comes with a headphone port, a single SD UHS-II card slot, a microHDMI output and USB-C. Finally, it's a decent photo camera as well, shooting 12-megapixel RAW photos at up to 10fps — but there's no mechanical shutter, of course.
As mentioned, the ZV-E1 is priced at $2,200 for the body only, or $2,500 in a kit with the SEL 28-60mm zoom. It goes on pre-order tomorrow, with shipping set to start in early April — stay tuned for a full review.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-12-megapixel-full-frame-zv-e1-is-a-low-light-vlogging-beast-140009036.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 2:00 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 1:37 pm UTC
Enlarge / Westlands Solar Park, near the town of Lemoore in the San Joaquin Valley of California, is the largest solar power plant in the United States and could become one of the largest in the world. (credit: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty)
California’s San Joaquin Valley, a strip of land between the Diablo Range and the Sierra Nevada, accounts for a significant portion of the state’s crop production and agricultural revenues. But with the state facing uncertain and uneven water supply due to climate change, some local governments and clean energy advocates hope solar energy installations could provide economic reliability where agriculture falters due to possible water shortages.
In the next two decades, the Valley could accommodate the majority of the state’s estimated buildout of solar energy under a state plan forecasting transmission needs [PDF], adding enough capacity to power 10 million homes as California strives to reach 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. The influx of solar development would come at a time when the historically agriculture-rich valley is coping with new restrictions on groundwater pumping. Growers may need to fallow land. And some clean energy boosters see solar as an ideal alternative land use.
But a significant technological hurdle stands in the way: California needs to plan and build more long-distance power lines to carry all the electricity produced there to different parts of the state, and development can take nearly a decade. Transmission has become a significant tension point for clean energy developers across the US, as the number of project proposals balloons and lines to connect to the grid grow ever longer.
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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 1:26 pm UTC
Computer monitors keep evolving rapidly, with new technology like OLED Flex, QD-OLED and built-in smart platforms just in the last year alone. That’s on top of big improvements in things like color accuracy, image quality, size and resolution.
The choice is nice but overwhelming, as there are a lot of products in this market and a lot of features. Buyers looking for computer monitors now have to consider things like HDR, brightness, color accuracy, type of display technology, input lag and more. And then there are the usual considerations like size, adjustability, inputs and so on.
To help you with all that, we’ve researched the latest models for all kinds of markets, whether you’re a gamer, business user or content creator. Read our buying guide below to find out which is the best computer monitor for you and, especially, your budget.
The cheapest monitors are still TN (twisted nematic), which are strictly for gaming or office use. VA (vertical alignment) monitors are also relatively cheap, while offering good brightness and a high contrast ratio. However, content creators will probably want an IPS (in-plane switching) LCD display that delivers better color accuracy, image quality and viewing angles.
If maximum brightness is important, a quantum dot LCD display is the way to go — those are typically found in larger displays. OLED monitors are now available and offer the best blacks and color reproduction, but they lack the brightness of LED or quantum dot displays. Plus, they cost a lot. The latest type of OLED monitor, called QD-OLED from Samsung, just came out in 2022. The most notable advantage is that it can get a lot brighter, with monitors shown at CES 2022 hitting up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness.
MiniLEDs are now widely used in high-end displays. They’re similar to quantum dot tech, but as the name suggests, it uses smaller LED diodes that are just 0.2mm in diameter. As such, manufacturers can pack in up to three times more LEDs with more local dimming zones, delivering deeper blacks and better contrast.
In this day and age, screen size rules. Where 24-inch displays used to be more or less standard (and can still be useful for basic computing), 27-, 32-, 34- and even 42-inch displays have become popular for entertainment, content creation and even gaming these days.
Nearly every monitor used to be 16:9, but it’s now possible to find 16:10 and other more exotic display shapes. On the gaming and entertainment side, we’re also seeing curved and ultrawide monitors with aspect ratios like 21:9. If you do decide to buy an ultrawide display, however, keep in mind that a 30-inch 21:9 model is the same height as a 24-inch monitor, so you might end up with a smaller display than you expected. As a rule of thumb, add 25 percent to the size of a 21:9 monitor to get the vertical height you’d expect from a model with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
A 4K monitor is nearly a must for content creators, and some folks are even going for 5K or all the way up to 8K. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need a pretty powerful computer to drive all those pixels. And 4K resolution should be paired with a screen size of 27 inches and up, or you won’t notice much difference between 1440p. At the same time, I wouldn’t get a model larger than 27 inches unless it’s 4K, as you’ll start to see pixelation if you’re working up close to the display.
One new category to consider is portable monitors designed to be carried and used with laptops. Those typically come in 1080p resolutions and sizes from 13-15 inches. They usually have a lightweight kickstand-type support that folds up to keep things compact.
HDR is the buzzy monitor feature to have these days, as it adds vibrancy to entertainment and gaming – but be careful before jumping in. Some monitors that claim HDR on the marketing materials don’t even conform to a base standard. To be sure that a display at least meets minimum HDR specs, you’ll want to choose one with a DisplayHDR rating with each tier representing maximum brightness in nits.
However, the lowest DisplayHDR 400 and 500 tiers may disappoint you with a lack of brightness, washed out blacks and mediocre color reproduction. If you can afford it, the best monitor to choose is a model with DisplayHDR 600, 1000 or True Black 400, True Black 500 and True Black 600. The True Black settings are designed primarily for OLED models, with maximum black levels at .0005 nits.
Where televisions typically offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision or HDR10+, most PC monitors only support the HDR10 standard, other than a few (very expensive) models. That doesn’t matter much for content creation or gaming, but HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services won’t look quite as punchy. In addition, most models supporting HDR600 (and up) are gaming monitors, rather than content creation monitors – with a few exceptions.
Refresh rate is a key feature, particularly on gaming monitors. A bare minimum nowadays is 60Hz, and 80Hz and higher refresh rates are much easier on the eyes. However, most 4K displays top out at 60Hz with some rare exceptions and the HDMI 2.0 spec only supports 4K at 60Hz, so you’d need at least DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 120Hz) or HDMI 2.1. The latter is now available on a number of monitors, particularly gaming displays. However, it’s only supported on the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000- and 4000-series, AMD RX 6000-series GPUs.
There are essentially three types of modern display inputs: Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI. Most monitors built for PCs come with the latter two, while a select few (typically built for Macs) will use Thunderbolt. To add to the confusion, USB-C ports may be Thunderbolt 3 and by extension, DisplayPort compatible, so you may need a USB-C to Thunderbolt or DisplayPort cable adapter depending on your display.
Serious content creators should consider a more costly 10-bit monitor that can display billions of colors. If budget is an issue, you can go for an 8-bit panel that can fake billions of colors via dithering (often spec’d as “8-bit + FRC”). For entertainment or business purposes, a regular 8-bit monitor that can display millions of colors will be fine.
The other aspect of color is the gamut. That expresses the range of colors that can be reproduced and not just the number of colors. Most good monitors these days can cover the sRGB and Rec.709 gamuts (designed for photos and video respectively). For more demanding work, though, you’ll want one that can reproduce more demanding modern gamuts like AdobeRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts, which encompass a wider range of colors. The latter two are often used for film projection and HDR, respectively.
Both the Xbox Series X and Sony’s PS5 can handle 4K 120Hz HDR gaming, so if you’re into resolution over pure speed, you’ll want a monitor that can keep up. 4K resolution, HDR and at least 120Hz is the minimum starting point, but fortunately there are 27-inch displays with those specs starting at well under $1,000.
Though the pandemic has eased, monitor supply is still a bit tighter than pre-pandemic levels due to supply and demand issues. To that end, you may have trouble finding monitors at Amazon, B&H or elsewhere for the suggested retail price. For our guide below, we’re basing our picks on the MSRP, as long as the street price doesn’t exceed that by more than $25.
The best budget monitor with a balance of size, refresh rate and color accuracy is Samsung’s 27-inch 1080p T35F. It’s good for business or light gaming and content work, thanks to the IPS panel and 75Hz refresh rate. Plus, it’s fairly attractive and modern looking. There are some things you don’t get at that price, of course – it can only tilt and has an HDMI 1.4 connection.
If you’re fine with a smaller display and are more into gaming, another solid option is LG’s 24-inch 24GL600F. It offers a high refresh rate of 144Hz with AMD FreeSync support, a 1ms response time and low input lag. You also get HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, but like the T35F, there’s no height adjustment.
Buy LG 24GL600F at Amazon - $200The 28-inch HP U28 4K HDR monitor is a great all around choice, especially for content creators. The 60Hz IPS panel and factory calibration delivers excellent color accuracy and it’s a nice size for creative or business work. It comes with DisplayPort, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports, along with a USB-C port with 65W of charging for a laptop or tablet. And it’s easy to set just right, thanks to height, swivel and pivot adjustment.
If gaming is more your thing, the $300 Gigabyte G27QC is a top pick. The 27-inch, 1440p curved monitor has an ideal size and resolution for gaming, and it has a quick 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. You can connect via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 connections and get HDR support – albeit, without DisplayHDR certification.
Buy Gigabyte G27QC at Amazon - $300The $400 BenQ 27-inch 2K QHD HDR model is ideal for creative work, particularly photo editing and graphic design. While resolution is limited to 1440p, it covers 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut with a “Delta E” accuracy value of less than 3 for consistent color performance. You also get height, pivot and swivel adjustment (a full 90 degrees), with HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C daisy chaining and 65W power delivery.
Buy 27-inch BenQ QHD monitor at Amazon - $400The 32-inch LG 32UN650-W is a great 4K monitor for entertainment, creative chores and gaming. The 31.5-inch, 60Hz IPS panel covers an excellent 95 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut with 10-bit color, but also supports AMD FreeSync for gaming. It also supports HDR, albeit with just 350 nits of maximum brightness. It has HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, tilt and height adjustments and even built-in speakers.
Sometimes speed rules over size and resolution, and the 24.5-inch 1080p ASUS ROG Swift PG256QN is fast. It maxes out at a 360Hz refresh rate (with NVIDIA G-Sync support) and 1ms GtG response time. At the same time, you get 1.07 billion colors with HDR support (up to 400 nits brightness) so you can see your enemies quickly and clearly. Other niceties of this best monitor pick include a fully adjustable stand, ASUS’s GamePlus Hotkey Enhancements and a large heatsink.
Buy ASUS ROG Swift monitor at Amazon - $499Gigabyte’s M28U 28-inch 144Hz 4K gaming monitor sure does a lot. It has an IPS panel with a 2ms (MPRT) response time, 94 percent DCI-P3 coverage, DisplayHDR 400 certification, 2 HDMI 2.1 ports and FreeSync Premium Pro support. It comes in a little bit more expensive than $500, but we've often seen it on sale for less.
Buy Gigabyte M28U at Amazon - $649In this price range you can have resolution, color accuracy or brightness, but not all three. The one with the best balance is ViewSonic’s $1,000 ColorPro VP2786 27-inch 4K HDR Monitor. The true 10-bit IPS panel covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color palette with an excellent Delta <2 accuracy figure, and is certified for soft-proofing by the demanding Fogra print industry. At the same time, it offers HDR10 support, albeit with a limited 350 nits of output. It even includes a “ColorPro” wheel control compatible with Adobe or Capture One apps.
The best 4K gaming monitor under $1,000 is Dell’s G3223Q 4K 32-inch HDR 144Hz monitor because of the speed, brightness and compatibility. It has an IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms GtG response time, 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage and DisplayHDR 600 certification. Plus, it comes with a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports and is both FreeSync and G-Sync compatible.
Buy Dell G3223Q at Amazon - $1,000Dell’s P3223QE 4K USB-C Hub monitor is productivity-oriented, thanks to the wired Ethernet connectivity and USB-C ports that offer up to 90W of power delivery for laptops. It’s a 4K IPS panel with a 178-degree viewing angle and 350 nits of brightness and support for a billion colors (8-bit + FRC). It offers height, pivot, swivel and tilt adjustment, a VESA mounting interface and DisplayPort/HDMI inputs.
Buy Dell P3223QE at Amazon - $742In general, monitor compatibility issues with MacBooks and Macs are a thing of the past, though you can still experience issues with things like refresh rates, particularly on M1 Macs. If you’d prefer to stay within the Apple family, the most cost-effective option is still the 27-inch Apple Studio Display. It supports 5K resolution (5,120 x 2,880) with up to 600 nits of brightness, so it can handle creative chores with ease. It even includes a 12-megapixel UltraWide camera that keeps you in frame via Center Stage, along with a three-mic array.
The best third-party option is LG’s $700 UltraFine 4 display, also sold on Apple’s Store. With a 24-inch 4K panel, you not only get very high resolution but also 500 nits of brightness (albeit, without HDR capability). It’s color-accurate out of the box, making it great for video- and photo-editing work on a Mac or MacBook. Finally, it supports Thunderbolt 3 with daisy chaining and power delivery, all of which is very useful for Mac users who may want multiple displays.
Buy LG UltraFine 4 at Amazon - $700Ultrawide 21:9 monitors are a great option for some types of content creation, games (particularly driving and flight sims) and productivity work. The best model this year is LG’s 34GP950G-B, a 34-inch 3,440 x 1,440 curved monitor. The curved IPS panel supports HDR10 with 400 nits of brightness and maximum (via overclocking) 180Hz refresh rate. It’s also G-Sync and FreeSync compatible (the latter over DisplayPort only).
For the best balance of performance and price, LePow’s 15.6-inch C2S is a solid option. It offers decent brightness (220 nits), solid contrast and a very respectable 96.1-percent sRGB gamut coverage. You get a generous selection of ports (one mini-DisplayPort, one mini-HDMI port and two USB-C ports, along with a headphone jack. The metal stand is solid and practical, and it even has built-in speakers of decent quality.
ASUS still holds the prize for best luxury monitor, but it discontinued the previous mini-LED $4,000 ProArt PA32UCX monitor and replaced it with the $5,000 PA32UCG-K display. It uses the same mini-LED tech, but ups the ante with 1,600 nits of brightness via 1,152 backlight zones, an HDMI 2.1 port, 4K 120Hz resolution, 10-bit, 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage and an impressive 85 percent Rec.2020 coverage. Oh, and it’s one of the few monitors out there that supports Dolby Vision, along with HDR10 and HLG.
You’re probably doing it wrong if you’re using a $5K monitor for gaming. However, it does support AMD FreeSync (good for gaming creation) and has a 5-millisecond response time, very respectable for a display essentially designed for professional colorists. And to that end, color accuracy is calibrated to Delta E < 1 and it’s a true 10-bit panel delivering billions of colors. To verify that, it even comes with an X-rite i1 Display Pro color calibrator, normally sold separately for around $500.
On top of this model, ASUS now makes several slightly less bright and less expensive variants, namely the $4,180 PA32UCX-PK, (plus -P, and -K variants with slightly different features), offering 1,200 nits of brightness and a 60Hz (not 120Hz) refresh rate. Specs are nearly identical otherwise.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-buy-a-monitor-143000069.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 1:15 pm UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 1:11 pm UTC
Source: News Headlines | 29 Mar 2023 | 1:11 pm UTC
Allegations of attempted meddling by China put uncomfortable spotlight on publicity-shy CSIS
Most Canadians have no idea where the country’s spy agency is located, nor do they know much about its daily operations. This is not because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service operates in a particularly clandestine fashion, it’s because most Canadians don’t care.
The CSIS, a civilian-run organisation based in a triangular structure of concrete and glass on the outskirts of Ottawa, lacks the intrigue of Britain’s MI5 and the notoriety of America’s Central Intelligence Agency.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 12:45 pm UTC
Micron has had another bad quarter – one of its largest quarterly losses ever – with revenues plunging and predictions of further workforce reductions, but claims its performance was in line with expectations, saying it expects to see a return to growth in the near future.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 12:38 pm UTC
An open letter signed by tech leaders and prominent AI researchers has called for AI labs and companies to "immediately pause" their work. Signatories like Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk agree risks warrant a minimum six month break from producing technology beyond GPT-4 to enjoy existing AI systems, allow people to adjust and ensure they are benefiting everyone. The letter adds that care and forethought are necessary to ensure the safety of AI systems — but are being ignored.
The reference to GPT-4, a model by OpenAI that can respond with text to written or visual messages, comes as companies race to build complex chat systems that utilize the technology. Microsoft, for example, recently confirmed that its revamped Bing search engine has been powered by the GPT-4 model for over seven weeks, while Google recently debuted Bard, its own generative AI system powered by LaMDA. Uneasiness around AI has long circulated, but the apparent race to deploy the most advanced AI technology first has drawn more urgent concerns.
"Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control," the letter states.
The concerned letter was published by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), an organization dedicated to minimizing the risks and misuse of new technology. Musk previously donated $10 million to FLI for use in studies about AI safety. In addition to him and Wozniak, signatories include a slew of global AI leaders, such as Center for AI and Digital Policy president Marc Rotenberg, MIT physicist and Future of Life Institute president Max Tegmark, and author Yuval Noah Harari. Harari also co-wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last week warning about AI risks, along with founders of the Center for Humane Technology and fellow signatories, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin.
This call out feels like the next step of sorts from a 2022 survey of over 700 machine learning researchers, in which nearly half of participants stated there's a 10 percent chance of an "extremely bad outcome" from AI, including human extinction. When asked about safety in AI research, 68 percent of researchers said more or much more should be done.
Anyone who shares concerns about the speed and safety of AI production is welcome to add their name to the letter. However, new names are not necessarily verified so any notable additions after the initial publication are potentially fake.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tech-leaders-and-ai-experts-demand-a-six-month-pause-on-out-of-control-ai-experiments-114553864.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:45 am UTC
Microsoft is the latest US tech giant under investigation by Germany's competition watchdog.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:37 am UTC
Source: BBC News - Home | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:35 am UTC
Nintendo faces a major challenge following up on one of the best games of the last decade, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Yesterday, the company showed off 10 minutes of gameplay from its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. Its producer, Eiji Aonuma, showed off many familiar game mechanics augmented with special elevator stones to fast track you to floating islands, new fusion weapons and even fusion vehicles, like boats and hovercraft – not to mention the already teased drone style aircraft. Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12th. Check out the gameplay video here.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
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Disney has shut down its metaverse division and laid off all of the team's 50 or so members as part of a broader restructuring process, according to The Wall Street Journal. It was just over a year ago when former Disney CEO Bob Chapek tapped company veteran Mike White to lead the team in finding interactive ways to tell Disney's stories using new technologies – which fortunately meant the metaverse and not NFTs. As The Journal notes, Bob Iger, who returned as CEO to replace Chapek in November 2022, showed he also sees a future in the metaverse when he joined the board of an animated avatar startup. The metaverse team could simply be one of the first teams impacted by Disney's significant restructuring efforts.
One of the biggest criticisms of DJI's otherwise excellent Avata first-person view (FPV) drone was around the Goggles 2, which lacked comfort and tethered you to a battery. Now, DJI has unveiled the Goggles Integra, a new model designed for the Avata that offers an integrated battery, improved ergonomics and new flight control features. The new products show DJI is responding to users, but it's unfortunate the Goggles Integra lacks several key features from the $649 Goggles 2 — even though it's $150 cheaper. The Goggles Integra and RC Motion 2 are now available for $499 and $239, respectively.
Apple Music Classical is now available for download globally with more than five million tracks. Offered as part of an Apple Music subscription, it's designed to make it easier to find things unique to classical music, including specific orchestras, conductors, musicians and more. The app sprung from Primephonic, a streaming service Apple acquired in 2021. A few things are missing, compared with the main Apple Music app, though. Apple Music Voice Plan subscribers can't use Classical, there's no native iPad app yet and, especially odd, you can't download music for offline listening.
Amazon has begun displaying a warning about frequently returned items. Industry-wide e-commerce returns skyrocketed during pandemic lockdowns. Although they’ve declined, they’re still well above pre-pandemic numbers. The retailer’s new badge reads, “Frequently returned item: Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item.” However, it doesn’t yet appear for everyone.
If you want to catch a rare planetary alignment in the night sky, look west right after sunset any evening this week. There, you’ll see five of our neighbors — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus — lined up in an orderly fashion. The alignment will be visible at the same time this entire week, but this evening should provide the best view from the US. The planets will appear between the horizon line to around halfway up the sky. Although it’s a somewhat rare occurrence, it also happened last summer. And you’ll get another chance in June.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-will-feature-fusion-vehicles-111513595.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:15 am UTC
Enlarge / Fire TVs give Alexa hope, but the future still feels grim. (credit: Amazon)
Alexa, how can you continue to be relevant and stop sucking money from Amazon?
That's not an easy question to answer, and the future of Amazon Alexa has never felt so uncertain. In November, Business Insider reported that Alexa “and other devices” were expected to lose Amazon $10 billion in 2022. Such large losses spotlight an enduring question: How are voice assistants supposed to make money? It’s a dilemma other voice assistants are struggling with, too.
In the case of Alexa, which has been integrated into various Amazon-branded products, from speakers and smart displays to a home robot and microwave, its best shot at survival has been under our noses—or in our living rooms—all along.
Read 35 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica - All content | 29 Mar 2023 | 11:00 am UTC
Logitech has launched a kid-friendly version of its Zone headset called Zone Learn, specifically designed for their educational needs. While it was created to be durable like many other devices for children — it's even supposed to be "chew-resistant" — the company also made it easy to replace the parts that typically give out or get damaged for headsets first. Specifically, Logitech made it possible to swap its ear pads and cables, not just so schools can replace them if they get frayed or destroyed, but also so that they can choose between over-ear and on-ear pads, as well as between 3.5 mm aux, USB-A and USB-C cables, depending on what they need.
The over-ear option offers more noise isolation, while on-ear provides more environmental awareness. Meanwhile, the cable options will allow educators to use the headset with different types of devices. Logitech says Zone Learn's audio drivers are tuned for voice clarity rather than for music, since it's optimized for lessons that involve speaking, such as for students learning a new language. It's also equipped with a boom mic that has a 120-degree swivel for lessons that require students to interact with the class.
Zone Learn will be available around the world this spring for prices starting at $35. Logitech will also release a package with an over-ear pad model, a 3.5mm aux and a USB-C cable in the early summer for $40.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitechs-zone-learn-headset-for-kids-has-swappable-ear-pads-and-wires-105559525.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:55 am UTC
With extreme weather events regularly flooding our coastal cities and burning out our rural communities, Google in its magnanimity has developed a new set of online tools that civil servants and community organizers alike can use in their efforts to stave off climate change-induced catastrophe.
Google already pushes extreme weather alerts to users in affected locations, providing helpful, easy-to-understand information about the event through the Search page — whether its a winter storm warning, flood advisories, tornado warnings, or what have you. The company has now added extreme heat alerts to that list. Googling details on the event will return everything from the predicted start and end dates of the heatwave to medical issues to be aware of during it and how to mitigate their impacts. The company is partnering with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) to ensure that the information provided is both accurate and applicable.
It's a lot easier to keep the citizenry comfortable in hot weather if the cities themselves aren't sweltering, but our love affair with urban concrete has not been amenable to that goal. That's why Google has developed Tree Canopy, a feature within the company's Environmental Insights Explorer app, which "combines AI and aerial imagery so cities can understand their current tree coverage and better plan urban forestry initiatives," per Wednesday's release.
Tree Canopy is already in use in more than a dozen cities but, with Wednesday's announcement, the program will be drastically expanding, out to nearly 350 cities around the world including Atlanta, Sydney, Lisbon and Paris. Google also offers a similarly-designed AI to help plan the installation of "cool roofs" which reflect heat from the sun rather than absorb it like today's tar paper roofs do.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-unveils-ai-powered-planning-tools-to-help-beat-climate-changes-extreme-heat-103039212.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:30 am UTC
US authorities have charged FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF) with attempting to bribe Chinese officials with $40 million worth of cryptocurrency in exchange for unfreezing trading accounts.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:24 am UTC
Actor and former Miss World announced move to US at pinnacle of her fame in India eight years ago
The Indian actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has spoken of how Bollywood’s enduring obsession with fair skin was one of the reasons she left the industry to try her luck in Hollywood eight years ago.
Chopra, 40, is a former Miss World and was at the pinnacle of her fame in India when she abruptly announced the move to the US.
Continue reading...Source: World news | The Guardian | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:06 am UTC
The U.S. media has recently been filled with retrospectives on the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War. Most of these outlets eagerly helped the George W. Bush administration sell the war, publishing lavish falsehoods about how Iraq posed a terrible danger to the U.S. (It did not.)
So you might hope that in the past two decades, the same publications have learned the most basic facts about Iraq — and would steer clear of publishing obvious and stupendous errors yet again. You would hope in vain.
One incredible example appeared in a March 13 article in The Atlantic by David Frum, who is best known for serving as a speechwriter for President Bush and coming up with the phrase “axis of evil” in the 2002 State of the Union address. Frum is now a staff writer at The Atlantic, which is probably the most prestigious magazine in America behind the New Yorker. The Atlantic is forthrightly endorsing Frum’s fabrication and will not respond to basic questions about it.
As you may have heard, Bush’s case for war was that Iraq had programs to produce “weapons of mass destruction” — that is, biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. In his article, “The Iraq War Reconsidered,” Frum tells us in the first paragraph that Iraq was found to possess “an arsenal of chemical-warfare shells and warheads.”
This is false. You don’t even need to know the details to understand why.
Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, never said a word about this arsenal of chemical weapons that Frum says were discovered by the U.S. This means there are two possibilities:
If you’d like to understand this subject in detail, you can read this long explanation I wrote a few years ago. But the basic story is this:
Iraq deployed a huge quantity of chemical weapons during its war with Iran in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Iraq turned over almost all its chemical munitions to United Nations inspectors, and they were destroyed.
However, Iraq lost track of some of those weapons. It was not intentionally hiding them before the U.S. invasion on March 20, 2003; just the opposite. As we now know from the CIA’s $1 billion investigation of the weapons of mass destruction issue, in December 2002, Saddam Hussein’s regime ordered Iraq’s military to “cooperate completely” with the renewed U.N. inspections. Commanders established committees “to ensure their units retained no evidence of old WMD.”
Nonetheless, while occupying Iraq, the U.S. stumbled upon about 5,000 old shells from the 1980s. According to Charles Duelfer, who headed the CIA inquiry, “Keeping in mind that they used 101,000 munitions in the Iran-Iraq War … it’s not really surprising that they have imperfect accounting. I bet the U.S. couldn’t keep track of many of its weapons produced and used during a war.”
CIA Special Advisor for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Charles Duelfer, center, speaks to reporters during a press conference after testifying on WMD in Iraq at a closed meeting on Capitol Hill on March 30, 2004 in Washington D.C.
Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Indeed, this is true: The U.S. military lost $1.2 billion of material during just the first year of the Iraq War. It’s also true about chemical weapons specifically. In 1993, a significant quantity of chemical munitions from World War I were discovered in what’s now one of the toniest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court justice, grew up just a few blocks from the site. In other words, even the most dangerous weapons can be lost in the most unlikely places. The cleanup was still going on decades later, at a cost of more than $250 million.
In fact, lost chemical weapons from World War I continue to be located across the world. During the same period the U.S. was finding 5,000 Iraqi chemical munitions, about the same number were discovered in Europe, mostly in Belgium and France.
Duelfer, asked for his perspective on The Atlantic’s claim, responded via email: “I disagree with [Frum’s] characterization of residual CW stuff as ‘an arsenal.’ What was found were militarily useless remains left over from production during the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam did not know it was around.”
You’d think, well, case closed. All that’s necessary is to notify The Atlantic of its mistake, and they’ll correct it. Obviously they believe in adhering to the most basic standards of honesty.
Nope. In response to questions, Anna Bross, The Atlantic’s senior vice president for communications, emailed, “What is being described in our article matches the definition of ‘arsenal.’ I’m not seeing the point of objection, and certainly not any need for a correction.” (Notably, the current editor of The Atlantic is Jeffrey Goldberg, one of the most prominent journalistic supporters of the Iraq War, and last night The Atlantic won a General Excellence award from the American Society of Magazine Editors.)
I sent Bross some obvious follow-up questions. Is The Atlantic saying that Charles Duelfer — again, the head of the Bush administration’s investigation of this — is wrong, and they’re right? Would they publish something saying the U.S. and France both recently possessed an arsenal of chemical weapons? Does The Atlantic think Bush and Cheney just forgot to ever mention this arsenal?
Bross did not write back. I guess that’s for the best because I was planning to move on to ask her about several other astonishing mistakes in Frum’s article.
I’ve followed this issue closely for over 25 years. By the time of the U.S. invasion, I was so sure Iraq had no banned weapons that I bet someone $1,000 about it (quite a lot of money to me).
I was barely a professional writer then. I didn’t even have a blog. So when I saw the media’s blatant, grievous errors in the run-up to war, all I could do was send lots of emails to the fancy publications that were getting it so wrong. They didn’t care, and hundreds of thousands of people died.
They still don’t care. They will continue deceiving their readers about Iraq. There must be something we can do about this, but so far, I haven’t figured out what it is.
The post The Atlantic Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Iraq War With Lavish Falsehoods About Iraq War appeared first on The Intercept.
Source: The Intercept | 29 Mar 2023 | 10:00 am UTC
If you dread having to vacuum — who doesn't? — you may want to consider investing in a robot model to do it for you. While many options come with a high price tag, the self-emptying Shark RV1001AE IQ Robot is currently half off, down from $600 to $300. The steep price drop makes a big difference if you've been on the fence about investing in a robovac.
Here's what you need to know if you're considering taking the plunge. The vacuum works with the Shark app or through your Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. You can schedule cleanings or tell the Shark IQ Robot which areas to clean in the moment. It maps each room while moving through your home to give you the option to select specific spaces to be vacuumed.
The self-cleaning vacuum goes row by row in each room, ensuring it hits every spot. It's equipped to handle hair (human or pet) without it getting wrapped around the suction, and works on carpets or floors. It also has a self-emptying base that holds 45 days of dirt and whatever else it cleans up.
Once done cleaning, the vacuum brings itself back to its dock and starts recharging. All you need to do is put your feet up when it comes nearby and let it do its work.
If you're looking for something with a longer capacity, the Shark AV2511AE AI Ultra Robot Vacuum holds up to 60 days worth of debris. It's currently discounted 17 percent, from $600 to $500. While many previous Shark robot vacuum sales have lasted only a day, it's not clear how long these discounts will be available.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sharks-self-emptying-robot-vacuum-is-50-percent-off-094546971.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:45 am UTC
Microsoft kicked off its day-long Microsoft Secure virtual event on Tuesday by stressing the need for IT departments to manage user and application identities across multiple cloud environments.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:30 am UTC
By the end of this week, 1,300 people who work for Lucid Motors will know they're going to lose their jobs. The luxury electric vehicle maker has notified (PDF) the US Securities and Exchange Commission in a filing that it's laying off approximately 18 percent of its workforce. Lucid said it's cutting jobs to reduce operating expenses "in response to evolving business needs and productivity improvements" and that it intends to complete this restructuring plan by the end of the second quarter this year.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson told employees in a memo that the job cuts will affect both employees and contractors. In the US, nearly every division will be hit by reductions, and some executives are even included in the list of personnel the company is laying off. The EV-maker implemented other cost-cutting measures, such as reviewing its non-critical spending, after announcing its 2022 earnings results in February. But apparently, those measures weren't enough for the company to achieve its objectives.
While Lucid experienced a sharp increase in revenue year-over-year — it had only just started the Air sedan's production in late 2021 — it still fell short of analyst forecasts. In addition, although its production goal (14,000 EVs) for 2023 is double last year's figures, it's much lower than the 21,000 units experts had expected. As Reuters previously reported, price cuts by Tesla and the availability of affordable EVs from traditional automakers had lessened demand for vehicles from startups like Lucid. Rivian, another EV startup, is similarly affected and announced that it was going to reduce its workforce by six percent in February.
Lucid said in its filing that the layoffs will cost the company $24 million to $30 million, which will be spent on severance payments, company-paid health insurance and stock-based compensation for the affected workers. Despite its cost-cutting measures, Lucid still intends to expand globally and to continue developing more models, including the three-row Gravity electric SUV that it plans to release in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lucid-motors-is-laying-off-1300-workers-to-reduce-expenses-090908953.html?src=rssSource: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:09 am UTC
Source: NYT > Top Stories | 29 Mar 2023 | 9:00 am UTC
Just days after lifting the covers off the 13th-gen Core vPro CPUs, Intel has revealed the latest NUC line of miniature PCs, giving a decent chunk of compute power in a space-saving 4x4in form factor.…
Source: The Register | 29 Mar 2023 | 8:30 am UTC
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