Month: March 2023
TikTok Troubles Continue as Half of Americans Support a Ban of the App
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Google Drive does a surprise rollout of file limits, locking out some users
The new file limit means you can’t actually use the storage you buy from Google.
Enlarge / The Google Workspace icons. (credit: Google)
“Please delete 2 million files to continue using your Google Drive account.” That was the message that reddit user ra13 woke up to one day. Google apparently decided to put a hard limit on the number of files you’re allowed to have on one Google Drive account. Google rolled out this file limit without warning anyone it would happen. Users that were over the limit found themselves suddenly locked out of new file uploads, and it was up to them to figure out what was going wrong.
Did we mention this all started in February? A post on the Google Drive API issue tracker shows some users have been seeing this error for almost two months now. The original message said: “The limit for the number of items, whether trashed or not, created by this account has been exceeded.” And sometime in March it was updated to say “Error 403: This account has exceeded the creation limit of 5 million items. To create more items, move items to the trash and delete them forever.” Since there is nothing, anywhere, that informs users Google Drive has a file limit, users originally thought this was a bug and asked Google to quickly fix it. It has been two months now, though, and Google has issued no official public response. Some users say they have gotten Google Support to privately confirm the limit is intended, and a pop-up message is starting to show up in the Drive UI for some users.
It might be understandable to limit a data hog abusing a free account, but that’s not what’s happening here. Google is selling this storage to users, via both the Google Workspace business accounts and the consumer-grade Google One storage plans. Google One tops out at 30TB of storage, which costs an incredible $150 a month to use. Google Workspace’s formal plans cap out at 5TB, but an “Enterprise” plan promises “As much storage as you need.” From what we can tell in the various comments on reddit and the issue tracker, both consumer and business account types are subject to this hidden 5 million file limit.
Google Photos is getting a major new feature on Chromebook
ChromeOS is getting a major update to the Google Photos app, allowing users to edit photos and clips as well as create movies with them.
ChromeOS has been getting plenty of upgrades to its video editing since 2022, and now it’s getting even more from Google Photos.
According to a new Google support page post, Google Photos will be empowering the best Chromebooks everywhere with even more new features. Jumping off from Chromebook’s Gallery app integration in 2022, Google Photos has added more support for Gallery and Files by allowing you to “seamlessly” use photos and images saved on the Chromebook and edit them in Google Photos.
Another major edit comes in the form of revamped movie creation tools on the Photos app, which lets you create a movie from scratch using a suggested theme. After you choose a theme from the Photos app, as well as the people or pets you want to be included in the movie, the video editor uses video clips and photos you have stored that match that theme and strings them together into a custom movie. If you want a more hands-on approach instead, Google Photos has a search feature that lets you find and arrange all that media yourself.
Google has a full how-to on creating movies, as well as editing photos and videos, through the app on ChromeOS. But it’s a simple process that involves the following:
Install the Google Photos app
Open up the media you want to be edited and select Edit.
From there you choose whichever editing tool you want to use.
If you want to create a movie:
Select Creations on the Google Photos app
Choose either the suggested movie option or New movie
Chromebooks are getting more recognition
ChromeOS, once the oft-ignored child of Google that’s been the platform for the best cheap laptop option for school kids and nothing more, has been growing in both popularity among users and in support by its own creator.
Last year, we saw the debut of the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, considered by our standards to be the best Chromebook and one that can stand toe to toe with plenty of the best Ultrabooks out there.
More features like the aforementioned updates to Google Photos and the addition of more Apple support via one of the best video editors, Apple’s LumaFusion app, have become commonplace in the last several years. We even have gaming Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE that are specifically designed to handle high-end gaming via the cloud.
And, unlike even the best Windows laptop, ChromeOS simply doesn’t see the kinds of viruses and malware plaguing other operating systems, meaning you don’t need to worry about constantly protecting and scanning your machine for threats (or cleaning it out if something nasty does worm its way in).
It’ll be interesting to see how much more support Chromebooks get in the future, but it’s an exciting time for Chromebook fans.
ChatGPT data leak has Italian lawmakers scrambling to regulate data collection
Experts disagree on how governments should be regulating AI.
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
Today an Italian regulator, the Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data (referred to by its Italian acronym, GPDP), announced a temporary ban on ChatGPT in Italy. The ban is effective immediately and will remain in place while the regulator investigates its concerns that OpenAI—the developer of ChatGPT—is unlawfully collecting Italian Internet users’ personal data to train the conversational AI software and has no age verification system in place to prevent kids from accessing the tool.
The Italian ban comes after a ChatGPT data breach on March 20, exposing “user conversations and information relating to the payment of subscribers to the paid service,” GPDP said in its press release. OpenAI notified users impacted by the breach and said it was “committed to protecting our users’ privacy and keeping their data safe,” apologizing for falling “short of that commitment, and of our users’ expectations.”
Ars could not immediately reach OpenAI to comment. The company has 20 days to respond with proposed measures that could address GPDP’s concerns or face fines of up to 20 million euro or 4 percent of OpenAI’s gross revenue.
Minor League Salaries Will Double Under New Deal
A five-year collective bargaining agreement was voted in by more than 99 percent of minor league players. Housing, meals and transportation are expected to improve.
A five-year collective bargaining agreement was voted in by more than 99 percent of minor league players. Housing, meals and transportation are expected to improve.
Stricter guidance means fewer EVs will qualify for $7,500 federal tax credit
The US Treasury Department issued updated guidance today about which electric vehicles qualify for the federal $7,500 EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that President Biden signed last year. Although the new guidelines add more confusion than clarity, it’s evident that fewer EVs will be eligible.
The updated rules target mineral sourcing in EV batteries, stating that they must be sourced from the US and approved trading partners. That rules out China, which is labeled as a “foreign entity of concern.” Although it’s understandable for the US to limit its dependence on its most powerful adversary, most EVs today run on Chinese-made batteries, making the path forward for receiving the credit on purchases made after April 18th as clear as mud.
To receive tax credits, battery makers must source a significant portion of their materials and manufacturing from North America. Battery components must be 50 percent made or assembled in North America to qualify for a $3,750 credit; critical minerals must be 40 percent sourced from the US or free trade partners for another $3,750 credit. The requirements grow stricter over time, as batteries must be made 100 percent in North America by 2029.
Although some EVs may qualify for partial credits, it’s unclear which models will be eligible after the deadline. “Some EVs will certainly qualify for a partial credit,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in a statement to Autoblog. “Given the constraints of the legislation, Treasury’s done as well as it could to produce rules that meet the statute and reflect the current market.” However, US officials admit some models will either be reduced or eliminated from the program. The government will publish a revised list of qualifying models by April 18th.
The US and Japan signed a trade agreement on Tuesday that could help long-term by adding the Pacific power to the list of approved partners. In October, the Biden administration announced $2.8 billion in grants for 20 companies to spark domestic EV battery materials and production. The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the new “American Battery Materials Initiative,” which aims to secure critical EV minerals and boost battery supply to meet Biden’s goal of making EVs half of US vehicle sales by 2030.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/stricter-guidance-means-fewer-evs-will-qualify-for-7500-federal-tax-credit-180350889.html?src=rss
The US Treasury Department issued updated guidance today about which electric vehicles qualify for the federal $7,500 EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that President Biden signed last year. Although the new guidelines add more confusion than clarity, it’s evident that fewer EVs will be eligible.
The updated rules target mineral sourcing in EV batteries, stating that they must be sourced from the US and approved trading partners. That rules out China, which is labeled as a “foreign entity of concern.” Although it’s understandable for the US to limit its dependence on its most powerful adversary, most EVs today run on Chinese-made batteries, making the path forward for receiving the credit on purchases made after April 18th as clear as mud.
To receive tax credits, battery makers must source a significant portion of their materials and manufacturing from North America. Battery components must be 50 percent made or assembled in North America to qualify for a $3,750 credit; critical minerals must be 40 percent sourced from the US or free trade partners for another $3,750 credit. The requirements grow stricter over time, as batteries must be made 100 percent in North America by 2029.
Although some EVs may qualify for partial credits, it’s unclear which models will be eligible after the deadline. “Some EVs will certainly qualify for a partial credit,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in a statement to Autoblog. “Given the constraints of the legislation, Treasury’s done as well as it could to produce rules that meet the statute and reflect the current market.” However, US officials admit some models will either be reduced or eliminated from the program. The government will publish a revised list of qualifying models by April 18th.
The US and Japan signed a trade agreement on Tuesday that could help long-term by adding the Pacific power to the list of approved partners. In October, the Biden administration announced $2.8 billion in grants for 20 companies to spark domestic EV battery materials and production. The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the new “American Battery Materials Initiative,” which aims to secure critical EV minerals and boost battery supply to meet Biden’s goal of making EVs half of US vehicle sales by 2030.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/stricter-guidance-means-fewer-evs-will-qualify-for-7500-federal-tax-credit-180350889.html?src=rss
Apple Removing Keynote App’s Presentation Sharing Feature in Future Update
Apple plans to remove the Keynote Live feature in a future version of its Keynote app, according to a new support document. The feature allows for a presentation to be played over the internet in the Keynote app on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Apple recommends using screen sharing to share a Keynote presentation in apps such as FaceTime, Zoom, and WebEx, with steps outlined in the document.
Apple updated the Keynote app for both iOS and macOS this week with Apple Pencil hover support, the ability to export and send a copy of a presentation in a different format right from the Share menu, and various other improvements and bug fixes. Apple did not indicate exactly when the Keynote Live feature will be removed.Tags: iWork, Keynote
This article, “Apple Removing Keynote App’s Presentation Sharing Feature in Future Update” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple plans to remove the Keynote Live feature in a future version of its Keynote app, according to a new support document. The feature allows for a presentation to be played over the internet in the Keynote app on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Apple recommends using screen sharing to share a Keynote presentation in apps such as FaceTime, Zoom, and WebEx, with steps outlined in the document.
Apple updated the Keynote app for both iOS and macOS this week with Apple Pencil hover support, the ability to export and send a copy of a presentation in a different format right from the Share menu, and various other improvements and bug fixes. Apple did not indicate exactly when the Keynote Live feature will be removed.
This article, “Apple Removing Keynote App’s Presentation Sharing Feature in Future Update” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
UK Government Gambles on Carbon Capture and Storage Tech Despite Scientists’ Doubts
The UK government will defy scientific doubts to place a massive bet on technology to capture and store carbon dioxide in undersea caverns, to enable an expansion of oil and gas in the North Sea. From a report: Grant Shapps, the energy and net zero secretary, on Thursday unveiled the “powering up Britain” strategy, with carbon capture and storage (CCS) at its heart, during a visit to a nuclear fusion development facility in Oxford. Shapps said the continued production of oil and gas in the North Sea was still necessary, and that the UK had a geological advantage in being able to store most of the carbon likely to be produced in Europe for the next 250 years in the large caverns underneath the North Sea. “Unless you can explain how we can transition [to net zero] without oil and gas, we need oil and gas,” he said. “I am very keen that we fill those cavities with storing carbon. I think there are huge opportunities for us to do that.”
Shapps pointed to the $24.7bn the government is planning to spend over 20 years on developing CCS, which he said would generate new jobs and make the UK a world leader in the technology. Among the 1,000 pages of proposals to be published on Thursday will be boosts for offshore wind, hydrogen, heat pumps and electric vehicles. A green finance strategy, to be set out by the chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, will be aimed at mobilising private-sector money for investments in green industry, and there will be a consultation on carbon border taxes, aimed at penalising the import of high-carbon goods from overseas. But the plans contain no new government spending, and campaigners said they missed out key elements, such as a comprehensive programme of home insulation and a full lifting of the ban on new onshore wind turbines in England.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The UK government will defy scientific doubts to place a massive bet on technology to capture and store carbon dioxide in undersea caverns, to enable an expansion of oil and gas in the North Sea. From a report: Grant Shapps, the energy and net zero secretary, on Thursday unveiled the “powering up Britain” strategy, with carbon capture and storage (CCS) at its heart, during a visit to a nuclear fusion development facility in Oxford. Shapps said the continued production of oil and gas in the North Sea was still necessary, and that the UK had a geological advantage in being able to store most of the carbon likely to be produced in Europe for the next 250 years in the large caverns underneath the North Sea. “Unless you can explain how we can transition [to net zero] without oil and gas, we need oil and gas,” he said. “I am very keen that we fill those cavities with storing carbon. I think there are huge opportunities for us to do that.”
Shapps pointed to the $24.7bn the government is planning to spend over 20 years on developing CCS, which he said would generate new jobs and make the UK a world leader in the technology. Among the 1,000 pages of proposals to be published on Thursday will be boosts for offshore wind, hydrogen, heat pumps and electric vehicles. A green finance strategy, to be set out by the chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, will be aimed at mobilising private-sector money for investments in green industry, and there will be a consultation on carbon border taxes, aimed at penalising the import of high-carbon goods from overseas. But the plans contain no new government spending, and campaigners said they missed out key elements, such as a comprehensive programme of home insulation and a full lifting of the ban on new onshore wind turbines in England.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.