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The Federal Communications Commission has proposed new rules governing the use of AI-generated phone calls and texts. Part of the proposal centers on create a clear definition for AI-generated calls, with the rest focuses on consumer protection by making companies disclose when AI is being used in calls or texts.
“This provides consumers with an opportunity to identify and avoid those calls or texts that contain an enhanced risk of fraud and other scams,” the FCC said. The agency is also looking ensure that legitimate uses of AI to assist people with disabilities to communicate remains protected.
Today’s proposal is the latest action by the FCC to regulate how AI is used in robocalls and robotexts. The commission has already moved to place a ban on AI-generated voices in robocalls and has called on telecoms to crack down on the practice. Ahead of this year’s November election, there has already been one notable use of AI robocalls attempting to spread misinformation to New Hampshire voters.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/fcc-proposes-new-rules-for-ai-generated-robocalls-and-robotexts-200013807.html?src=rss

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed new rules governing the use of AI-generated phone calls and texts. Part of the proposal centers on create a clear definition for AI-generated calls, with the rest focuses on consumer protection by making companies disclose when AI is being used in calls or texts.

“This provides consumers with an opportunity to identify and avoid those calls or texts that contain an enhanced risk of fraud and other scams,” the FCC said. The agency is also looking ensure that legitimate uses of AI to assist people with disabilities to communicate remains protected.

Today’s proposal is the latest action by the FCC to regulate how AI is used in robocalls and robotexts. The commission has already moved to place a ban on AI-generated voices in robocalls and has called on telecoms to crack down on the practice. Ahead of this year’s November election, there has already been one notable use of AI robocalls attempting to spread misinformation to New Hampshire voters.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/fcc-proposes-new-rules-for-ai-generated-robocalls-and-robotexts-200013807.html?src=rss

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A new report from the British non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found X owner Elon Musk spread misinformation about the US election and the Democrats’ presidential campaign in 50 posts this year alone. His assertions continue to go unchecked on the platform, not even through its own “Community Notes” feature. CCDH’s CEO Imran Ahmed says the absence of these grassroots fact-checks show “that his business is failing woefully to contain the kind of algorithmically-boosted incitement that we all know can lead to real-world violence, as we experienced on Jan. 6, 2021.”
The report cites 50 posts made on Musk’s X account from January 1 to July 31 that made claims about the election which have been proven false by independent fact-checkers. The posts overwhelmingly involve allegations of the Democratic party importing voters to gain an electoral advantage. He pushed conspiracy theories that “The Dem Party goal is to import voters” on March 28 and “Dems won’t deport, because every illegal is a highly likely vote at some point” on February 26. The fact checking website Politifact rated the latter claim as “False” citing the 3.6 million immigrants removed from the US under President Biden’s administration between February 2021 to September 2023.
The Dem Party goal is to import voters https://t.co/61qurM57G2— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2024
Around half a dozen of Musk’s posts also falsely insist the US election system is meaningfully vulnerable to fraud. He called for the elimination of electronic voting machines because of their “risk of being hacked by humans or AI” in a X post he made on June 15. He also asserted that “Mail-in and drop box ballots should not be allowed,” accompanied by a video of Fox News’ Jesse Waters and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson making claims about the ease of which non-citizens can vote in American elections. Neither post has been corrected. (The Brennan Center for Justice has called instances of voter fraud “extremely rare” and notes that states have “multiple layers of security to protect against malfeasance.”)
One of Musk’s posts even featured an AI-generated deepfake of Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris. The faked fooage features the voice of someone claiming to be Harris talking about how she’s the “ultimate diversity hire” and how she tries to “sound black” and “pretends to celebrate Kwanzaa.” Once again, the post has no community note or correction, even though sharing “synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media” is in direct contravention of X’s policies.
The CCDH report says the combined 50 tweets have been viewed approximately 1.2 billion times on X.
Based on these and other posts written by Musk, Ahmed called for the amendment of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1986 to include social media companies “to be held liable in the same way as any newspaper, broadcaster or business across America.”
The CCDH is currently involved in a legal battle with Musk and X Corp. The parent company of X filed a federal lawsuit in San Francisco against the non-profit group claiming it illegally scraped its servers and purposely picked hateful posts as part of “a scare campaign to drive away advertisers,” according to court documents.
We attempted to reach X for a chance to comment but are unlikely to receive a fulsome response — the site effectively dissolved its public relations team under Musk’s stewardship.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/anti-hate-group-says-elon-musk-continues-to-peddle-election-falsehoods-on-x-unchecked-194522883.html?src=rss

A new report from the British non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found X owner Elon Musk spread misinformation about the US election and the Democrats’ presidential campaign in 50 posts this year alone. His assertions continue to go unchecked on the platform, not even through its own “Community Notes” feature. CCDH’s CEO Imran Ahmed says the absence of these grassroots fact-checks show “that his business is failing woefully to contain the kind of algorithmically-boosted incitement that we all know can lead to real-world violence, as we experienced on Jan. 6, 2021.”

The report cites 50 posts made on Musk’s X account from January 1 to July 31 that made claims about the election which have been proven false by independent fact-checkers. The posts overwhelmingly involve allegations of the Democratic party importing voters to gain an electoral advantage. He pushed conspiracy theories that “The Dem Party goal is to import voters” on March 28 and “Dems won’t deport, because every illegal is a highly likely vote at some point” on February 26. The fact checking website Politifact rated the latter claim as “False” citing the 3.6 million immigrants removed from the US under President Biden’s administration between February 2021 to September 2023.

Around half a dozen of Musk’s posts also falsely insist the US election system is meaningfully vulnerable to fraud. He called for the elimination of electronic voting machines because of their “risk of being hacked by humans or AI” in a X post he made on June 15. He also asserted that “Mail-in and drop box ballots should not be allowed,” accompanied by a video of Fox News’ Jesse Waters and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson making claims about the ease of which non-citizens can vote in American elections. Neither post has been corrected. (The Brennan Center for Justice has called instances of voter fraud “extremely rare” and notes that states have “multiple layers of security to protect against malfeasance.”)

One of Musk’s posts even featured an AI-generated deepfake of Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris. The faked fooage features the voice of someone claiming to be Harris talking about how she’s the “ultimate diversity hire” and how she tries to “sound black” and “pretends to celebrate Kwanzaa.” Once again, the post has no community note or correction, even though sharing “synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media” is in direct contravention of X’s policies.

The CCDH report says the combined 50 tweets have been viewed approximately 1.2 billion times on X.

Based on these and other posts written by Musk, Ahmed called for the amendment of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1986 to include social media companies “to be held liable in the same way as any newspaper, broadcaster or business across America.”

The CCDH is currently involved in a legal battle with Musk and X Corp. The parent company of X filed a federal lawsuit in San Francisco against the non-profit group claiming it illegally scraped its servers and purposely picked hateful posts as part of “a scare campaign to drive away advertisers,” according to court documents.

We attempted to reach X for a chance to comment but are unlikely to receive a fulsome response — the site effectively dissolved its public relations team under Musk’s stewardship.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/anti-hate-group-says-elon-musk-continues-to-peddle-election-falsehoods-on-x-unchecked-194522883.html?src=rss

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An ad industry group named in X’s antitrust lawsuit is “discontinuing,” two days after the social media company filed a lawsuit accusing major advertisers of an “illegal boycott” against the company. The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is “discontinuing activities,” according to an email reported by Business Insider.
GARM was created in 2019 to help set brand safety guidelines for major advertisers, and is part of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which was also named in X’s lawsuit. According to Business Insider, WFA CEO Stephan Loerke told members that GARM is a nonprofit with limited resources, but that the groups planned on fighting the lawsuit.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the news was “an important acknowledgement and a necessary step in the right direction” in a statement on X. The company’s lawsuit, which was filed in Texas, claims that the WFA, GARM and a handful of major advertisers “conspired … to collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue from Twitter.” X faced steep declines in its ad revenue over the last two years as advertisers have pulled back following multiple reports about hate speech and antisemitic content on the platform.
GRAM was previously named in a House Judiciary Committee report that alleged the group had an “anti-conservative bias” and engaged in “anti-competitive” behavior. It has called those allegations “unfounded.” In a statement on its website earlier this week, the group pointed out that it was formed in the wake of a mass shooting that was streamed live on Facebook, with the goal of addressing the monetization of harmful content online. “Suggestions that GARM practices may impinge on free speech are a deliberate misrepresentation of GARM’s work,” it wrote. “GARM is not a watchdog or lobby. GARM does not participate in or advocate for boycotts of any kind.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/one-of-the-ad-industry-groups-being-sued-by-x-is-discontinuing-192721024.html?src=rss

An ad industry group named in X’s antitrust lawsuit is “discontinuing,” two days after the social media company filed a lawsuit accusing major advertisers of an “illegal boycott” against the company. The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is “discontinuing activities,” according to an email reported by Business Insider.

GARM was created in 2019 to help set brand safety guidelines for major advertisers, and is part of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which was also named in X’s lawsuit. According to Business Insider, WFA CEO Stephan Loerke told members that GARM is a nonprofit with limited resources, but that the groups planned on fighting the lawsuit.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the news was “an important acknowledgement and a necessary step in the right direction” in a statement on X. The company’s lawsuit, which was filed in Texas, claims that the WFA, GARM and a handful of major advertisers “conspired … to collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue from Twitter.” X faced steep declines in its ad revenue over the last two years as advertisers have pulled back following multiple reports about hate speech and antisemitic content on the platform.

GRAM was previously named in a House Judiciary Committee report that alleged the group had an “anti-conservative bias” and engaged in “anti-competitive” behavior. It has called those allegations “unfounded.” In a statement on its website earlier this week, the group pointed out that it was formed in the wake of a mass shooting that was streamed live on Facebook, with the goal of addressing the monetization of harmful content online. “Suggestions that GARM practices may impinge on free speech are a deliberate misrepresentation of GARM’s work,” it wrote. “GARM is not a watchdog or lobby. GARM does not participate in or advocate for boycotts of any kind.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/one-of-the-ad-industry-groups-being-sued-by-x-is-discontinuing-192721024.html?src=rss

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Annapurna Interactive just revealed that its beloved cyberpunk cat simulator Stray will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19. We knew this was coming, and now we have an official date. Also, it’s no coincidence that Annapurna made this announcement on International Cat Day.
This was one of our favorite games of 2022, and for good reason. It’s a charming little adventure in which you control a cute cat as it navigates a cyberpunk dystopia. The game has been a huge hit for Annapurna and, as such, has slowly crawled onto just about every platform out there. The Switch is pretty much the final frontier, as it’s already available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and even Mac.

There’s one feline-shaped elephant (?) in the room. The Nintendo Switch was already pretty much outdated, hardware wise, back when it was released in 2017. Now, it’s positively ancient. It remains to be seen how well the game will run on the Switch and what sort of trade-offs the developers had to make in order get it in decent shape. Some devs can strike gold on the Switch and others, well, not so much.
Publisher Annapurna hasn’t announced a price yet. Stray typically sells for anywhere from $18 to $30, depending on the platform. This being a Switch port, it’ll probably fall on the higher end of that spectrum.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/beloved-cat-sim-stray-comes-to-the-switch-on-november-19-184048780.html?src=rss

Annapurna Interactive just revealed that its beloved cyberpunk cat simulator Stray will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19. We knew this was coming, and now we have an official date. Also, it’s no coincidence that Annapurna made this announcement on International Cat Day.

This was one of our favorite games of 2022, and for good reason. It’s a charming little adventure in which you control a cute cat as it navigates a cyberpunk dystopia. The game has been a huge hit for Annapurna and, as such, has slowly crawled onto just about every platform out there. The Switch is pretty much the final frontier, as it’s already available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and even Mac.

There’s one feline-shaped elephant (?) in the room. The Nintendo Switch was already pretty much outdated, hardware wise, back when it was released in 2017. Now, it’s positively ancient. It remains to be seen how well the game will run on the Switch and what sort of trade-offs the developers had to make in order get it in decent shape. Some devs can strike gold on the Switch and others, well, not so much.

Publisher Annapurna hasn’t announced a price yet. Stray typically sells for anywhere from $18 to $30, depending on the platform. This being a Switch port, it’ll probably fall on the higher end of that spectrum.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/beloved-cat-sim-stray-comes-to-the-switch-on-november-19-184048780.html?src=rss

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ChargePoint has released a new EV connector designed to work with “any” EV, regardless of its charging architecture without requiring drivers to have a specialized adapter. In a press release announcing the development, ChargePoint said Omni Port is “designed to support vehicles that are already on the road as well as EVs coming to market.”
ChargePoint said it will begin rolling out Omni Port to select new models of its AC and DC charging stations at no cost. The technology can also be retrofitted into existing ChargePoint stations at an unspecified, “nominal” cost. To use Omni Port, customers can enter their vehicle model into the ChargePoint app or pick the appropriate connector from the charging station screen if they don’t use the app.
The United States doesn’t have a formal standard for electric vehicle charging, but informally, Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) has become the default for many companies on the manufacturing side. ChargePoint began rolling out support for the NACS connector in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/chargepoints-new-adapter-claims-to-work-with-all-evs-regardless-of-make-or-model-182107079.html?src=rss

ChargePoint has released a new EV connector designed to work with “any” EV, regardless of its charging architecture without requiring drivers to have a specialized adapter. In a press release announcing the development, ChargePoint said Omni Port is “designed to support vehicles that are already on the road as well as EVs coming to market.”

ChargePoint said it will begin rolling out Omni Port to select new models of its AC and DC charging stations at no cost. The technology can also be retrofitted into existing ChargePoint stations at an unspecified, “nominal” cost. To use Omni Port, customers can enter their vehicle model into the ChargePoint app or pick the appropriate connector from the charging station screen if they don’t use the app.

The United States doesn’t have a formal standard for electric vehicle charging, but informally, Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) has become the default for many companies on the manufacturing side. ChargePoint began rolling out support for the NACS connector in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/chargepoints-new-adapter-claims-to-work-with-all-evs-regardless-of-make-or-model-182107079.html?src=rss

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The Mac mini could be in line for a major overhaul when the M4-powered model arrives. It’s said to be about the size of an Apple TV box, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. That would make it the smallest desktop computer Apple has built. The M4 Mac mini is expected to emerge later this year and, if the report holds up, this would also mark the first major revamp of the system since 2010 — when it was last redesigned under Steve Jobs.
The next Mac mini may be just 3.7 inches wide, which is less than half the size of the M2 existing model. But while its footprint may be smaller, the M4 Mac mini could turn out to be taller than the current 1.4-inch-high system. It’s expected to still have an aluminum shell.
The report indicates the next Mac mini may be roughly equivalent to an iPad Pro, the latest model of which has an M4 chipset. It could be cheaper for Apple to produce than the current Mac mini but it’s unclear whether that would result in the company lowering the retail price, which sits at $599 for the M2-powered model. 
Apple is said to be testing two versions of the Mac mini, including the iPad Pro equivalent and a more powerful setup with an M4 Pro chipset. According to Gurman, the company has tested builds with three or more USB-C ports, a power socket and an HDMI port. It’ll be very interesting to see if the company foregoes USB-A ports with the new Mac mini.
Elsewhere, we could see M4-powered iMacs and MacBook Pros this year too. The next-gen MacBook Airs may not arrive until spring, while Gurman suggests that the next Mac Pro and Mac Studio could debut in mid-2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-m4-mac-mini-could-be-apples-smallest-desktop-computer-to-date-180005568.html?src=rss

The Mac mini could be in line for a major overhaul when the M4-powered model arrives. It’s said to be about the size of an Apple TV box, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. That would make it the smallest desktop computer Apple has built. The M4 Mac mini is expected to emerge later this year and, if the report holds up, this would also mark the first major revamp of the system since 2010 — when it was last redesigned under Steve Jobs.

The next Mac mini may be just 3.7 inches wide, which is less than half the size of the M2 existing model. But while its footprint may be smaller, the M4 Mac mini could turn out to be taller than the current 1.4-inch-high system. It’s expected to still have an aluminum shell.

The report indicates the next Mac mini may be roughly equivalent to an iPad Pro, the latest model of which has an M4 chipset. It could be cheaper for Apple to produce than the current Mac mini but it’s unclear whether that would result in the company lowering the retail price, which sits at $599 for the M2-powered model. 

Apple is said to be testing two versions of the Mac mini, including the iPad Pro equivalent and a more powerful setup with an M4 Pro chipset. According to Gurman, the company has tested builds with three or more USB-C ports, a power socket and an HDMI port. It’ll be very interesting to see if the company foregoes USB-A ports with the new Mac mini.

Elsewhere, we could see M4-powered iMacs and MacBook Pros this year too. The next-gen MacBook Airs may not arrive until spring, while Gurman suggests that the next Mac Pro and Mac Studio could debut in mid-2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-m4-mac-mini-could-be-apples-smallest-desktop-computer-to-date-180005568.html?src=rss

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A good portion of the upcoming season of Netflix’s hit animated drama Arcane has leaked online, a and according to reporting and folks on Reddit. A production assistant at Fortiche, the French animation studio behind the series, confirmed the news in a now-deleted post on X, which was captured and published by Mobile Syrup.
“We just got informed that episodes from Arcane season two have been leaked,” the post read. “I cannot express how sad we are. We worked very hard on the show. Please, try to avoid the spoilers as much as you can and do not share them. It feels devastating.”
This is especially noteworthy because Arcane doesn’t come back until November, which is three full months from now. There have been leaks for other shows, like Game of Thrones, but those have typically happened days before a premiere and not months.
The leak impacts multiple episodes of the forthcoming Arcane season, but it remains unclear as to the exact number. Some Redditors say it’s nearly the first half of the season, but note that the episodes are unfinished. This is yet another reason to wait until November. Who wants to watch half-animated storyboards or whatever?
The leak doesn’t stop with Arcane. Reports indicate that other Netflix animated shows were also put online, including footage from Terminator Zero, Dandadan and Ranma ½. Wait, there’s a reboot of Ramna ½ coming? Cool!

As for Arcane, this second season will be its final batch of episodes. The spoilers are likely to be highly impactful and could involve plot elements that involve the end of the series, so browse at your own risk. For the uninitiated, the cartoon delves into the backstories behind some of the champions in Riot Games’ League of Legends.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/arcane-second-season-has-leaked-online-so-watch-out-for-spoilers-173527865.html?src=rss

A good portion of the upcoming season of Netflix’s hit animated drama Arcane has leaked online, a and according to reporting and folks on Reddit. A production assistant at Fortiche, the French animation studio behind the series, confirmed the news in a now-deleted post on X, which was captured and published by Mobile Syrup.

“We just got informed that episodes from Arcane season two have been leaked,” the post read. “I cannot express how sad we are. We worked very hard on the show. Please, try to avoid the spoilers as much as you can and do not share them. It feels devastating.”

This is especially noteworthy because Arcane doesn’t come back until November, which is three full months from now. There have been leaks for other shows, like Game of Thrones, but those have typically happened days before a premiere and not months.

The leak impacts multiple episodes of the forthcoming Arcane season, but it remains unclear as to the exact number. Some Redditors say it’s nearly the first half of the season, but note that the episodes are unfinished. This is yet another reason to wait until November. Who wants to watch half-animated storyboards or whatever?

The leak doesn’t stop with Arcane. Reports indicate that other Netflix animated shows were also put online, including footage from Terminator Zero, Dandadan and Ranma ½. Wait, there’s a reboot of Ramna ½ coming? Cool!

As for Arcane, this second season will be its final batch of episodes. The spoilers are likely to be highly impactful and could involve plot elements that involve the end of the series, so browse at your own risk. For the uninitiated, the cartoon delves into the backstories behind some of the champions in Riot Games’ League of Legends.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/arcane-second-season-has-leaked-online-so-watch-out-for-spoilers-173527865.html?src=rss

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Microsoft is teaming up with secretive data analytics company Palantir, which has been accused of (among other wretched acts) enabling the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate “as a domestic surveillance agency.” Bloomberg reports that Palantir will integrate its products with Microsoft’s government cloud tools, including the Azure OpenAI service, “in a bid to sell software” to US defense agencies. Oh, joy.
The pair will reportedly focus on products for US defense workers to handle logistics, contracting and action planning. But given the secretive nature of Palantir’s work, those generic and seemingly non-threatening terms don’t necessarily say much.
Palantir’s software has been used to track and suppress dissent. The company was founded by Peter Thiel, who supports and funds far-right causes and has a political philosophy his biographer described as “bordering on fascism.” In Thiel’s Stanford classes and his book Zero to One, the Silicon Valley billionaire gushed over how much better companies are run than governments because they have a single decision-maker. “A dictator, basically,” Thiel’s biographer told Time in 2021.
Thiel also wrote the words, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”
In 2018, Palantir claimed in The New York Times that it doesn’t work with ICE’s deportation squad, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). This contradicted a report from The Intercept revealing a 2016 Homeland Security disclosure showing ERO used Palantir’s software to “gather information for both criminal and civil cases against immigrants.”
In 2020, Amnesty International warned about Palantir, “We could close our eyes and pretend that contrary to all the evidence, Palantir is a rights-respecting company or we can call this façade what it is: another company placing profit over people, no matter the human cost.”
Bloomberg reports that Palantir’s newest AI software requires a large language model. Now, in classified government environments, Palantir will combine its powers with those of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI, which includes GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo with Vision, GPT-4, GPT-3.5 and more.
What could possibly go wrong?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-and-palantir-partner-to-sell-ai-to-government-agencies-171748773.html?src=rss

Microsoft is teaming up with secretive data analytics company Palantir, which has been accused of (among other wretched acts) enabling the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate “as a domestic surveillance agency.” Bloomberg reports that Palantir will integrate its products with Microsoft’s government cloud tools, including the Azure OpenAI service, “in a bid to sell software” to US defense agencies. Oh, joy.

The pair will reportedly focus on products for US defense workers to handle logistics, contracting and action planning. But given the secretive nature of Palantir’s work, those generic and seemingly non-threatening terms don’t necessarily say much.

Palantir’s software has been used to track and suppress dissent. The company was founded by Peter Thiel, who supports and funds far-right causes and has a political philosophy his biographer described as “bordering on fascism.” In Thiel’s Stanford classes and his book Zero to One, the Silicon Valley billionaire gushed over how much better companies are run than governments because they have a single decision-maker. “A dictator, basically,” Thiel’s biographer told Time in 2021.

Thiel also wrote the words, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”

In 2018, Palantir claimed in The New York Times that it doesn’t work with ICE’s deportation squad, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). This contradicted a report from The Intercept revealing a 2016 Homeland Security disclosure showing ERO used Palantir’s software to “gather information for both criminal and civil cases against immigrants.”

In 2020, Amnesty International warned about Palantir, “We could close our eyes and pretend that contrary to all the evidence, Palantir is a rights-respecting company or we can call this façade what it is: another company placing profit over people, no matter the human cost.”

Bloomberg reports that Palantir’s newest AI software requires a large language model. Now, in classified government environments, Palantir will combine its powers with those of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI, which includes GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo with Vision, GPT-4, GPT-3.5 and more.

What could possibly go wrong?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-and-palantir-partner-to-sell-ai-to-government-agencies-171748773.html?src=rss

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Ooni has dropped the price on two of its most popular pizza ovens. The Fyra 2 is down to $250, from $350, and the high-end Karu 16 is $650 instead of $800. These are great deals that get close to record low prices.
The Fyra 12 easily made our list of the best pizza ovens, and for good reason. This outdoor oven features a tried-and-true compact design, so it won’t take up that much storage space when not in use. It’s also just 22 pounds. It uses wood pellets instead of chunks, which makes tending the fire much easier. 

It’s also easy to refill the unit with pellets, as there’s a handy chute up top. This oven excels with high-heat bakes, up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit. With temperatures this high, a pizza will cook in around a minute. The only real downside? The oven maxes out at 12-inch pies, which is indicated in the name. Budding pizzaioli will have to bake multiple pies to feed a hungry family, though the rapid cook time helps with this.
The Karu 16 actually topped our list of the best pizza ovens, and we named it best multi-fuel unit. It’s the company’s largest multi-fuel model, meaning people can choose from wood, charcoal or gas to cook up some pies. However, propane and natural gas burners are sold separately.
There’s a hinged glass door for taking a look at the pie as it cooks along with a digital thermometer to monitor the indoor temp. The larger size is also a boon, as this oven will accommodate 16-inch pizzas. That’s around the size of an extra-large pie from a legit pizza joint.
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/deals/two-of-our-favorite-ooni-pizza-ovens-are-deeply-discounted-right-no-163146867.html?src=rss

Ooni has dropped the price on two of its most popular pizza ovens. The Fyra 2 is down to $250, from $350, and the high-end Karu 16 is $650 instead of $800. These are great deals that get close to record low prices.

The Fyra 12 easily made our list of the best pizza ovens, and for good reason. This outdoor oven features a tried-and-true compact design, so it won’t take up that much storage space when not in use. It’s also just 22 pounds. It uses wood pellets instead of chunks, which makes tending the fire much easier. 

It’s also easy to refill the unit with pellets, as there’s a handy chute up top. This oven excels with high-heat bakes, up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit. With temperatures this high, a pizza will cook in around a minute. The only real downside? The oven maxes out at 12-inch pies, which is indicated in the name. Budding pizzaioli will have to bake multiple pies to feed a hungry family, though the rapid cook time helps with this.

The Karu 16 actually topped our list of the best pizza ovens, and we named it best multi-fuel unit. It’s the company’s largest multi-fuel model, meaning people can choose from wood, charcoal or gas to cook up some pies. However, propane and natural gas burners are sold separately.

There’s a hinged glass door for taking a look at the pie as it cooks along with a digital thermometer to monitor the indoor temp. The larger size is also a boon, as this oven will accommodate 16-inch pizzas. That’s around the size of an extra-large pie from a legit pizza joint.

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/deals/two-of-our-favorite-ooni-pizza-ovens-are-deeply-discounted-right-no-163146867.html?src=rss

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Those seeking a good deal on a powerhouse MacBook need not look much further. The base M3 14-inch MacBook has dropped to its lowest price to date. Apple’s laptop is available for $1,300 from Amazon when you apply a $99 coupon.
This was already the most affordable M3 MacBook Pro. But thanks to this deal, you can grab the laptop for $300 less than the regular price.

This model comes with the standard M3 chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. We typically recommend opting for a configuration with at least 16GB of RAM, especially if you plan to use your MacBook Pro for video editing. But given this deal, there’s currently a $600 gap between the base model and one that has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, if you just need more storage, a model with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will run you $1,500 when you apply a coupon. That’s also $300 off.
The M3 MacBook Pro is our pick for the best MacBook for creatives, especially if you’re able to swing a higher-specced configuration. But the base 14-inch model still has a lot going for it. There’s a great MiniLED Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate, for one thing. While there’s a 16-inch M3 MBP available, the 14-inch form factor strikes a nice sweet spot in terms of portability and screen real estate.
The six-speaker array and built-in mics do an excellent job of handling the audio side of things. The MacBook Pro also has far more ports than the current MacBook Air as you’ll get an SD card slot, headphone jack, HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 4 sockets as well as the MagSafe charging port. The 14-inch MBP’s battery, meanwhile, lasted for 20 and a half hours in our video rundown test.
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/deals/apples-14-inch-m3-macbook-pro-is-300-off-154142961.html?src=rss

Those seeking a good deal on a powerhouse MacBook need not look much further. The base M3 14-inch MacBook has dropped to its lowest price to date. Apple’s laptop is available for $1,300 from Amazon when you apply a $99 coupon.

This was already the most affordable M3 MacBook Pro. But thanks to this deal, you can grab the laptop for $300 less than the regular price.

This model comes with the standard M3 chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. We typically recommend opting for a configuration with at least 16GB of RAM, especially if you plan to use your MacBook Pro for video editing. But given this deal, there’s currently a $600 gap between the base model and one that has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, if you just need more storage, a model with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will run you $1,500 when you apply a coupon. That’s also $300 off.

The M3 MacBook Pro is our pick for the best MacBook for creatives, especially if you’re able to swing a higher-specced configuration. But the base 14-inch model still has a lot going for it. There’s a great MiniLED Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate, for one thing. While there’s a 16-inch M3 MBP available, the 14-inch form factor strikes a nice sweet spot in terms of portability and screen real estate.

The six-speaker array and built-in mics do an excellent job of handling the audio side of things. The MacBook Pro also has far more ports than the current MacBook Air as you’ll get an SD card slot, headphone jack, HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 4 sockets as well as the MagSafe charging port. The 14-inch MBP’s battery, meanwhile, lasted for 20 and a half hours in our video rundown test.

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/deals/apples-14-inch-m3-macbook-pro-is-300-off-154142961.html?src=rss

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