Month: August 2024
Apple lays off employees working on Books and News
All the layoffs were in the company’s fast-moving services division.
Enlarge / The Apple Books icon on a Mac. (credit: Samuel Axon)
Apple will cut 100 jobs, all in its digital services teams. Laid off employees will have 60 days to find another job in the company before it cuts ties with them altogether, according to a Bloomberg report.
Compared to some other big tech companies, layoffs are relatively uncommon at Apple. This is the fourth wave this year, but cuts so far (including this one) have been laser-focused and small in scope—a contrast with companies like Intel, Cisco, or Microsoft, which have recently made more drastic cuts of anywhere from 7 to 15 percent of their workforces.
The current set of cuts chiefly affects the Books team. Digital services like this have been a big part of Apple’s financial success in recent quarters; in just the past year, services revenue is up 14 percent. However, Books has no subscription offering, and Apple was subject to a US Department of Justice price-fixing lawsuit.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company can’t get Tesla FSD to work in tunnels
Despite “full self driving,” Teslas still can’t cope with one-way tunnels.
Enlarge / Human driver will continue to be a job at the Boring Company Las Vegas Loop for the foreseeable future. (credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Image)
Autonomous driving capabilities are a central component of Tesla’s stratospheric share price, with CEO Elon Musk repeatedly telling investors that they’re the difference between “being worth a lot of money or worth basically zero.” But real-world performance on the road lags far behind Musk’s claims, with the latest data point coming from another Musk venture, the Boring Company, and its tunnels under Las Vegas.
The Boring Company might be Elon Musk’s strangest side hustle. Whether it was sparked by a desire to avoid traffic commuting to SpaceX or part of an insidious plan to undermine rail projects, the results for the sewer-sized tunnels have been about what you’d expect: Proposed tunnels between Washington DC and Baltimore, underneath I-405 in Los Angeles, and from Chicago to its major airport remain literal pipe dreams.
So far, there’s just a 2.2-mile loop with three stations serving the Las Vegas Convention Center, albeit with the potential to expand the subterranean system to 68 miles (110 km) in total.
This MIT spinoff startup reaches unicorn status with $225M funding for water recycling to combat drought
In 2022, droughts impacted over 100 million people, and according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), nearly 1.84 billion people were living under drought conditions in 2022 and 2023. This amounts to almost a quarter of the
The post This MIT spinoff startup reaches unicorn status with $225M funding for water recycling to combat drought first appeared on Tech Startups.
In 2022, droughts impacted over 100 million people, and according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), nearly 1.84 billion people were living under drought conditions in 2022 and 2023. This amounts to almost a quarter of the […]
The post This MIT spinoff startup reaches unicorn status with $225M funding for water recycling to combat drought first appeared on Tech Startups.
Save Up to $1,800 on Juiced E-Bikes With This Coupon Code
E-bikes are a fun, practical way to get around town, and this deal will help you save up to $1,800 on a new ride. We’ll tell you how.
E-bikes are a fun, practical way to get around town, and this deal will help you save up to $1,800 on a new ride. We’ll tell you how.
AMD Ryzen 9000 Zen 5 and Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 CPUs just received a performance boost
If you own a computer with AMD’s Ryzen 9000 Zen 5 or Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 series of CPUs, you can now improve their performance. AMD also just announced that it has clarified why these processors’ performance was lacking in the first place. Before we get into that, let’s talk about the update.
This Windows optional update is labeled KB5041587, and you can immediately download and install it by opening your Windows Update menu. This development means you don’t have to update your Windows to version 24H2. The performance boosts KB5041587 and version 24H2 offer will be identical. Therefore, you don’t have to wait for the increased frames while gaming.
Jeremy Gan/Engadget
The primary reason for the initial slower speeds was that AMD conducted tests in Super Admin mode. This mode isn’t recommended for those who use computers casually or for gaming. Therefore, the new update mentioned above will let you play games at the speeds AMD intended to deliver with their CPUs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/amd-ryzen-9000-zen-5-and-ryzen-7000-zen-4-cpus-just-received-a-performance-boost-163014261.html?src=rss
If you own a computer with AMD’s Ryzen 9000 Zen 5 or Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 series of CPUs, you can now improve their performance. AMD also just announced that it has clarified why these processors’ performance was lacking in the first place. Before we get into that, let’s talk about the update.
This Windows optional update is labeled KB5041587, and you can immediately download and install it by opening your Windows Update menu. This development means you don’t have to update your Windows to version 24H2. The performance boosts KB5041587 and version 24H2 offer will be identical. Therefore, you don’t have to wait for the increased frames while gaming.
The primary reason for the initial slower speeds was that AMD conducted tests in Super Admin mode. This mode isn’t recommended for those who use computers casually or for gaming. Therefore, the new update mentioned above will let you play games at the speeds AMD intended to deliver with their CPUs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/amd-ryzen-9000-zen-5-and-ryzen-7000-zen-4-cpus-just-received-a-performance-boost-163014261.html?src=rss
Verizon Teams With Skylo to Offer Satellite Coverage to Android Phones
Verizon is once again looking to space to boost its Earth-based network.
Verizon is once again looking to space to boost its Earth-based network.
West Ham United vs. Bournemouth Livestream: How to Watch Carabao Cup Soccer From Anywhere
It’s an all-Premier League clash at the London Stadium.
It’s an all-Premier League clash at the London Stadium.
Gemini will soon generate AI images of people again with the upgraded Imagen 3
Google’s generative AI tools are getting some of the boosts the company previewed at Google I/O. Starting this week, the company is rolling out the next-gen version of its Imagen image generator, which reintroduces the ability to generate AI people (after an embarrassing controversy earlier this year). Google’s Gemini chatbot also adds Gems, the company’s take on bots with custom instructions, similar to ChatGPT’s custom GPTs.
Google’s Imagen 3 is the upgraded version of its image generator, coming to Gemini. The company says the next-gen AI model “sets a new standard for image quality” and is built with guardrails to avoid overcorrecting for diversity, like the bizarre historical AI images that went viral early this year.
“Across a wide range of benchmarks, Imagen 3 performs favorably compared to other image generation models available,” Gemini Product Manager Dave Citron wrote in a press release. The tool allows you to guide the image generation with additional prompts if you don’t like what it spits out the first time.
Citron says Imagen 3 performs “favorably” compared to the competition. It also includes Google’s SynthID tool to watermark images, making it clear that they’re AI-made and not the genuine article.
Google
Citron says the ability to generate people will return in the coming days for paid users, months after Google yanked the feature. He says new guardrails will prevent the generation of “photorealistic, identifiable individuals” — a far cry from the problematic deepfakes generated by Elon Musk’s Grok. Also off-limits are children and (as with other image generators) any gory, violent or sexual scenes. The product manager grounds expectations by saying Gemini’s images won’t be perfect, but he promises the company will continue to listen to user feedback and refine accordingly.
Starting this week, the Imagen 3 model will be available for all users, but reintroducing images featuring people will begin with paid users. English-speaking Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise users can expect human image generation to return “over the coming days.”
Google
Initially previewed at Google I/O 2024, Gems are Google’s custom chatbots with user-created instructions. It’s essentially Gemini’s answer to OpenAI’s GPTs, which Google’s competitor rolled out late last year. Gems begin rolling out in the next few days.
“With Gems, you can create a team of experts to help you think through a challenging project, brainstorm ideas for an upcoming event, or write the perfect caption for a social media post,” Citron wrote. “Your Gem can also remember a detailed set of instructions to help you save time on tedious, repetitive or difficult tasks.”
In addition to the blank slate of custom Gems, Gemini will include premade ones “to help you get started” and inspire new ideas. Prebuilt Gems include:
Learning coach – to help you understand complex topics
Brainstormer – to inspire new ideas
Career guide – walk you through skill upgrades, decisions and goals
Writing editor – provide constructive feedback on grammar, tone and structure
Coding partner – upgrade coding skills for developers and inspire new projects
Gems begin rolling out today on desktop and mobile. However, they’re only available for Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise subscribers, so you’ll need a paid plan to check them out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-will-soon-generate-ai-images-of-people-again-with-the-upgraded-imagen-3-161429310.html?src=rss
Google’s generative AI tools are getting some of the boosts the company previewed at Google I/O. Starting this week, the company is rolling out the next-gen version of its Imagen image generator, which reintroduces the ability to generate AI people (after an embarrassing controversy earlier this year). Google’s Gemini chatbot also adds Gems, the company’s take on bots with custom instructions, similar to ChatGPT’s custom GPTs.
Google’s Imagen 3 is the upgraded version of its image generator, coming to Gemini. The company says the next-gen AI model “sets a new standard for image quality” and is built with guardrails to avoid overcorrecting for diversity, like the bizarre historical AI images that went viral early this year.
“Across a wide range of benchmarks, Imagen 3 performs favorably compared to other image generation models available,” Gemini Product Manager Dave Citron wrote in a press release. The tool allows you to guide the image generation with additional prompts if you don’t like what it spits out the first time.
Citron says Imagen 3 performs “favorably” compared to the competition. It also includes Google’s SynthID tool to watermark images, making it clear that they’re AI-made and not the genuine article.
Citron says the ability to generate people will return in the coming days for paid users, months after Google yanked the feature. He says new guardrails will prevent the generation of “photorealistic, identifiable individuals” — a far cry from the problematic deepfakes generated by Elon Musk’s Grok. Also off-limits are children and (as with other image generators) any gory, violent or sexual scenes. The product manager grounds expectations by saying Gemini’s images won’t be perfect, but he promises the company will continue to listen to user feedback and refine accordingly.
Starting this week, the Imagen 3 model will be available for all users, but reintroducing images featuring people will begin with paid users. English-speaking Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise users can expect human image generation to return “over the coming days.”
Initially previewed at Google I/O 2024, Gems are Google’s custom chatbots with user-created instructions. It’s essentially Gemini’s answer to OpenAI’s GPTs, which Google’s competitor rolled out late last year. Gems begin rolling out in the next few days.
“With Gems, you can create a team of experts to help you think through a challenging project, brainstorm ideas for an upcoming event, or write the perfect caption for a social media post,” Citron wrote. “Your Gem can also remember a detailed set of instructions to help you save time on tedious, repetitive or difficult tasks.”
In addition to the blank slate of custom Gems, Gemini will include premade ones “to help you get started” and inspire new ideas. Prebuilt Gems include:
Learning coach – to help you understand complex topics
Brainstormer – to inspire new ideas
Career guide – walk you through skill upgrades, decisions and goals
Writing editor – provide constructive feedback on grammar, tone and structure
Coding partner – upgrade coding skills for developers and inspire new projects
Gems begin rolling out today on desktop and mobile. However, they’re only available for Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise subscribers, so you’ll need a paid plan to check them out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-will-soon-generate-ai-images-of-people-again-with-the-upgraded-imagen-3-161429310.html?src=rss
Google Says It Fixed Its A.I. Image Generator
The company will allow users of its Gemini chatbot to create images of people with artificial intelligence after disabling the feature six months ago.
The company will allow users of its Gemini chatbot to create images of people with artificial intelligence after disabling the feature six months ago.
Dan Moren on Apple Books
Dan Moren, writing at Six Colors:
Sharing a little of my own data here: I’ve self-published my own
short stories across most major ebook market places. Amazon
makes up the bulk of those downloads and sales — 53 percent and
66 percent, respectively. Apple comes in a solid second place in
sales, with 21 percent, and third place in downloads with 11
percent. My literary agency has also published my novel All
Souls Lost in ebook across those platforms, and Apple Books
sales are also in second there, accounting for 18 percent of sales
to 63 percent for Amazon.
I suspect my numbers are probably skewed by the fact that my
audience — that’s you all reading this, in large part — are
overrepresented by users of Apple products. That said, to my eyes,
Apple has managed to achieve itself a comfortable, if distant
second place in ebooks without really spending much in the way of
time and effort. Which perhaps explains why they’re looking to cut
costs and reduce focus — if the business works “fine” as is, then
why invest more?
My disappointment stems from the fact that Apple is better
positioned and equipped than anyone else in the industry to take
on Amazon head-to-head in ebooks. But doing so would require the
company to do something different.
★
Dan Moren, writing at Six Colors:
Sharing a little of my own data here: I’ve self-published my own
short stories across most major ebook market places. Amazon
makes up the bulk of those downloads and sales — 53 percent and
66 percent, respectively. Apple comes in a solid second place in
sales, with 21 percent, and third place in downloads with 11
percent. My literary agency has also published my novel All
Souls Lost in ebook across those platforms, and Apple Books
sales are also in second there, accounting for 18 percent of sales
to 63 percent for Amazon.
I suspect my numbers are probably skewed by the fact that my
audience — that’s you all reading this, in large part — are
overrepresented by users of Apple products. That said, to my eyes,
Apple has managed to achieve itself a comfortable, if distant
second place in ebooks without really spending much in the way of
time and effort. Which perhaps explains why they’re looking to cut
costs and reduce focus — if the business works “fine” as is, then
why invest more?
My disappointment stems from the fact that Apple is better
positioned and equipped than anyone else in the industry to take
on Amazon head-to-head in ebooks. But doing so would require the
company to do something different.