Month: May 2024
OneScreen.ai brings startup ads to billboards and NYC’s subway
When Alex Ewing was a kid growing up in Purcell, Oklahoma, he knew how close he was to home based on which billboards he could see out the car window. Now, as the CEO of OneScreen.ai, he’s helping startups like fintech Ramp and technical recruiter Karat advertise on billboards and beyond. “I think billboards are
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
When Alex Ewing was a kid growing up in Purcell, Oklahoma, he knew how close he was to home based on which billboards he could see out the car window. Now, as the CEO of OneScreen.ai, he’s helping startups like fintech Ramp and technical recruiter Karat advertise on billboards and beyond. “I think billboards are […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
TikTok is reportedly splitting its source code to create a US-only algorithm
Illustration: The Verge
A report from Reuters says that work has been ongoing since last year to create a version of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm that operates independently from Douyin, the Chinese version of the app operated by its parent company ByteDance. According to the unnamed sources, completing the project could take more than a year as part of a plan to show lawmakers that the US business is independent of its owner in Beijing.
The report says executives have talked about the project in all-hands meetings and on the company’s internal messaging system, Lark. The sources also said that splitting the source code would cut TikTok off from the “massive engineering development power” of its parent company.
TikTok responded by tweeting, “The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate.”
The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate. As we said in our court filing, the ‘qualified divestiture’ demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not…— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) May 30, 2024
In emails to The Verge, TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said, “While we have continued work in good faith to further safeguard the authenticity of the TikTok experience, it is simply false to suggest that this work would facilitate divestiture or that divestiture is even a possibility,” and when asked if the code is being split, responded that is “100 percent false.”
TikTok has tried to convince lawmakers of its US independence before, with the “Project Texas” data silo that it described as “an unprecedented initiative dedicated to making every American on TikTok feel safe, with confidence that their data is secure and the platform is free from outside influence.” However, Alex Heath visited a Transparency and Accountability Center last year and, amid the project’s transparency theater, found a company that “seems to have realized that it won’t save itself from a US ban on the technical merits.”
TikTok is already suing the US government over the law that gives its parent until January 19th, 2025, to pass control of the app to someone else or face a ban. According to Reuters unnamed sources, there’s no plan to separate the companies; however, “once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the U.S. assets.”
Illustration: The Verge
A report from Reuters says that work has been ongoing since last year to create a version of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm that operates independently from Douyin, the Chinese version of the app operated by its parent company ByteDance. According to the unnamed sources, completing the project could take more than a year as part of a plan to show lawmakers that the US business is independent of its owner in Beijing.
The report says executives have talked about the project in all-hands meetings and on the company’s internal messaging system, Lark. The sources also said that splitting the source code would cut TikTok off from the “massive engineering development power” of its parent company.
TikTok responded by tweeting, “The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate.”
The Reuters story published today is misleading and factually inaccurate. As we said in our court filing, the ‘qualified divestiture’ demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) May 30, 2024
In emails to The Verge, TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said, “While we have continued work in good faith to further safeguard the authenticity of the TikTok experience, it is simply false to suggest that this work would facilitate divestiture or that divestiture is even a possibility,” and when asked if the code is being split, responded that is “100 percent false.”
TikTok has tried to convince lawmakers of its US independence before, with the “Project Texas” data silo that it described as “an unprecedented initiative dedicated to making every American on TikTok feel safe, with confidence that their data is secure and the platform is free from outside influence.” However, Alex Heath visited a Transparency and Accountability Center last year and, amid the project’s transparency theater, found a company that “seems to have realized that it won’t save itself from a US ban on the technical merits.”
TikTok is already suing the US government over the law that gives its parent until January 19th, 2025, to pass control of the app to someone else or face a ban. According to Reuters unnamed sources, there’s no plan to separate the companies; however, “once the code is split, it could lay the groundwork for a divestiture of the U.S. assets.”
Kino 1.0
New from Lux, makers of Halide:
Today we’re excited to launch Kino, a powerful filmmaking
app for beginners and experts alike. As say they say in
screenwriting, “Show, Don’t tell,” so let’s walk through a few of
the tent-pole features in our huge 1.0 release. […]
Last fall, everything changed when Apple introduced “Log” video
support on the iPhone 15 Pro. When recording in this format,
your iPhone saves a version of your video with most of the
original information, and before any creative decisions have
been applied. Using that cake analogy, it’s like the iPhone now
saves all the ingredients that make up a cake, but leaves you to
do the baking.
That’s great if you’re a skilled baker… er… colorist… but it’s
challenging for most of us. Out of the box, Apple Log footage
looks really flat. It’s not meant to look good. It’s meant to be
edited later.
But what if you didn’t have to edit? What if you could use all
that powerful extra color data and get a cinematic look with
one tap?
What a delightful prosumer balance Kino strikes. Preset color grades include some from Evan Schneider, Tyler Stalman, Stu Maschwitz, Sandwich Video, and Kevin Ong.
And I just adore some of the UI touches in the app, like drawing a big red border around the entire display when recording footage. It’s like those big red lights in TV studios.
Kino is going to cost $20 as a one-time purchase, but is available at launch for just $10. What a great deal.
See also: Lux cofounders Sebastiaan de With and Ben Sandofsky were my guests on The Talk Show back in October, and dropped some hints about what is now Kino.
★
New from Lux, makers of Halide:
Today we’re excited to launch Kino, a powerful filmmaking
app for beginners and experts alike. As say they say in
screenwriting, “Show, Don’t tell,” so let’s walk through a few of
the tent-pole features in our huge 1.0 release. […]
Last fall, everything changed when Apple introduced “Log” video
support on the iPhone 15 Pro. When recording in this format,
your iPhone saves a version of your video with most of the
original information, and before any creative decisions have
been applied. Using that cake analogy, it’s like the iPhone now
saves all the ingredients that make up a cake, but leaves you to
do the baking.
That’s great if you’re a skilled baker… er… colorist… but it’s
challenging for most of us. Out of the box, Apple Log footage
looks really flat. It’s not meant to look good. It’s meant to be
edited later.
But what if you didn’t have to edit? What if you could use all
that powerful extra color data and get a cinematic look with
one tap?
What a delightful prosumer balance Kino strikes. Preset color grades include some from Evan Schneider, Tyler Stalman, Stu Maschwitz, Sandwich Video, and Kevin Ong.
And I just adore some of the UI touches in the app, like drawing a big red border around the entire display when recording footage. It’s like those big red lights in TV studios.
Kino is going to cost $20 as a one-time purchase, but is available at launch for just $10. What a great deal.
See also: Lux cofounders Sebastiaan de With and Ben Sandofsky were my guests on The Talk Show back in October, and dropped some hints about what is now Kino.
Amazon Prime Now Comes With Free Grubhub Food Delivery
Now included in Amazon Prime is free delivery via Grubhub. According to The Verge, “Amazon is now embedding Grubhub into Amazon.com and the Amazon Shopping app, and Amazon Prime customers paying $139 per year for Amazon Prime will now pay $0 for food delivery fees on orders of $12 or more, among other benefits.” From the report: Amazon had previously offered Prime customers a free one-year subscription to GrubHub Plus, but that one auto-renewed at $129 per year. Now, it’s a permanent part of the Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon says the ordering experience is “identical” to ordering from Grubhub’s website or app and is accessible to all customers, even without Prime. Amazon and Grubhub say they’ll continue collaborating on other promotions, including food pairings and promotions like the limited Nuka burger for the Fallout series premiere. Prime members can also get $5 off their Grubhub meal of $25 or more made through Amazon with code PRIME5 (valid through June 2nd). What will likely not be included in Amazon’s Prime subscription is Alexa’s upcoming AI overhaul. “Amazon is upgrading its decade-old Alexa voice assistant with generative AI and plans to charge a monthly subscription fee to offset the cost of the technology,” CNBC reported earlier this month. Unfortunately, sources said it will not be included in the $139-per-year Prime offering.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Now included in Amazon Prime is free delivery via Grubhub. According to The Verge, “Amazon is now embedding Grubhub into Amazon.com and the Amazon Shopping app, and Amazon Prime customers paying $139 per year for Amazon Prime will now pay $0 for food delivery fees on orders of $12 or more, among other benefits.” From the report: Amazon had previously offered Prime customers a free one-year subscription to GrubHub Plus, but that one auto-renewed at $129 per year. Now, it’s a permanent part of the Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon says the ordering experience is “identical” to ordering from Grubhub’s website or app and is accessible to all customers, even without Prime. Amazon and Grubhub say they’ll continue collaborating on other promotions, including food pairings and promotions like the limited Nuka burger for the Fallout series premiere. Prime members can also get $5 off their Grubhub meal of $25 or more made through Amazon with code PRIME5 (valid through June 2nd). What will likely not be included in Amazon’s Prime subscription is Alexa’s upcoming AI overhaul. “Amazon is upgrading its decade-old Alexa voice assistant with generative AI and plans to charge a monthly subscription fee to offset the cost of the technology,” CNBC reported earlier this month. Unfortunately, sources said it will not be included in the $139-per-year Prime offering.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
PlayStation State of Play Recap: Marvel’s Rivals, Monster Hunter Wilds Trailers and More – CNET
Sony showcased trailers from the Silent Hill 2 remake, the next Monster Hunter, a new Astro Bot adventure and more.
Sony showcased trailers from the Silent Hill 2 remake, the next Monster Hunter, a new Astro Bot adventure and more.
Lorne Michaels on SNL ‘Best Cast’ Nostalgia
Lorne Michael, a decade ago, as SNL hit its 40th anniversary, and the widespread believe that the show was better “back in the day”:
“Generally when people talk about the best cast I think, ‘Well,
that’s when they were in high school,’” said Michaels. “Because in
high school you have the least amount of power you’re ever gonna
have. … Staying up with friends later on a Saturday is great,
and people attach to a cast.”
Jibes with yesterday’s post on “America’s best decade”.
★
Lorne Michael, a decade ago, as SNL hit its 40th anniversary, and the widespread believe that the show was better “back in the day”:
“Generally when people talk about the best cast I think, ‘Well,
that’s when they were in high school,’” said Michaels. “Because in
high school you have the least amount of power you’re ever gonna
have. … Staying up with friends later on a Saturday is great,
and people attach to a cast.”
Jibes with yesterday’s post on “America’s best decade”.
Google is putting more restrictions on AI Overviews after it told people to put glue on pizza
Liz Reid, the Head of Google Search, has admitted that the company’s search engine has returned some “odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews” after they rolled out to everyone in the US. The executive published an explanation for Google’s more peculiar AI-generated responses in a blog post, where it also announced that the company has implemented safeguards that will help the new feature return more accurate and less meme-worthy results.
Reid defended Google and pointed out that some of the more egregious AI Overview responses going around, such as claims that it’s safe to leave dogs in cars, are fake. The viral screenshot showing the answer to “How many rocks should I eat?” is real, but she said that Google came up with an answer because a website published a satirical content tackling the topic. “Prior to these screenshots going viral, practically no one asked Google that question,” she explained, so the company’s AI linked to that website.
The Google VP also confirmed that AI Overview told people to use glue to get cheese to stick to pizza based on content taken from a forum. She said forums typically provide “authentic, first-hand information,” but they could also lead to “less-than-helpful advice.” The executive didn’t mention the other viral AI Overview answers going around, but as The Washington Post reports, the technology also told users that Barack Obama was Muslim and that people should drink plenty of urine to help them pass a kidney stone.
Reid said the company tested the feature extensively before launch, but “there’s nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches.” Google was apparently able to determine patterns wherein its AI technology didn’t get things right by looking at examples of its responses over the past couple of weeks. It has then put protections in place based on its observations, starting by tweaking its AI to be able to better detect humor and satire content. It has also updated its systems to limit the addition of user-generated replies in Overviews, such as social media and forum posts, which could give people misleading or even harmful advice. In addition, it has also “added triggering restrictions for queries where AI Overviews were not proving to be as helpful” and has stopped showing AI-generated replies for certain health topics. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-putting-more-restrictions-on-ai-overviews-after-it-told-people-to-put-glue-on-pizza-011316780.html?src=rss
Liz Reid, the Head of Google Search, has admitted that the company’s search engine has returned some “odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews” after they rolled out to everyone in the US. The executive published an explanation for Google’s more peculiar AI-generated responses in a blog post, where it also announced that the company has implemented safeguards that will help the new feature return more accurate and less meme-worthy results.
Reid defended Google and pointed out that some of the more egregious AI Overview responses going around, such as claims that it’s safe to leave dogs in cars, are fake. The viral screenshot showing the answer to “How many rocks should I eat?” is real, but she said that Google came up with an answer because a website published a satirical content tackling the topic. “Prior to these screenshots going viral, practically no one asked Google that question,” she explained, so the company’s AI linked to that website.
The Google VP also confirmed that AI Overview told people to use glue to get cheese to stick to pizza based on content taken from a forum. She said forums typically provide “authentic, first-hand information,” but they could also lead to “less-than-helpful advice.” The executive didn’t mention the other viral AI Overview answers going around, but as The Washington Post reports, the technology also told users that Barack Obama was Muslim and that people should drink plenty of urine to help them pass a kidney stone.
Reid said the company tested the feature extensively before launch, but “there’s nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches.” Google was apparently able to determine patterns wherein its AI technology didn’t get things right by looking at examples of its responses over the past couple of weeks. It has then put protections in place based on its observations, starting by tweaking its AI to be able to better detect humor and satire content. It has also updated its systems to limit the addition of user-generated replies in Overviews, such as social media and forum posts, which could give people misleading or even harmful advice. In addition, it has also “added triggering restrictions for queries where AI Overviews were not proving to be as helpful” and has stopped showing AI-generated replies for certain health topics.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-putting-more-restrictions-on-ai-overviews-after-it-told-people-to-put-glue-on-pizza-011316780.html?src=rss