Microsoft’s AI-Powered Event #1693

September 21, 2023PodcastTodd Cochrane

Today’s top story focuses on Microsoft’s latest fall hardware event, where the spotlight wasn’t just on new consumer laptops like the Surface Laptop Go three and the Surface Laptop Studio 2. What stole the show was the company’s deep dive into AI and Copilot. From unifying Copilot across Windows 11 to introducing voice-activated and context-aware features, Microsoft is making AI more integral than ever to its ecosystem. Stay tuned as we unpack all the announcements and explore how they could change how you interact with technology. See the full show summary at the end of the post.

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TikTok Debuts New Tools And Technology To Label AI Content

September 19, 2023AIartificial intelligence, tiktokJenThorpe

As more creators turn to AI for their artistic expression, there’s also a broader push for transparency around when AI was involved in content creation, TechCrunch reported. To address this concern, TikTok announced today it will launch a new tool that will allow creators to label their AI-generated content and will begin testing other ways to label AI-generated content automatically.

According to TechCrunch, the company says it felt the need to introduce AI labeling because AI content can potentially confuse or mislead viewers. Of course, TikTok had already updated its policy to address synthetic media, which requires people to label AI content that contains realistic images, audio, or video, like deepfakes, to help viewers contextualize the video and prevent the spread of misleading info.

However, TechCrunch reported, outside of the extreme case of using AI to intentionally mislead users, some AI-generated content can toe the line between seeming real or fake. In this gray area, more transparency is generally appreciated by end users so they know whether or not the content they’re viewing has been heavily edited or created with AI.

Billboard reported TikTok announced new tools to help creators label content that was generated by artificial intelligence. In addition, the company said on Tuesday that it plans to “start testing ways to label AI-generated content automatically.”

“AI enables incredible creative opportunities, but can potentially confuse or mislead viewers if they’re not aware content was generated or edited with AI,” the company wrote. “Labeling content helps address this, by making clear to viewers when content is significantly altered or modified by AI technology.”

According to Billboard, in July, President Biden’s administration announced that seven leading AI companies made voluntary commitments “to help move toward safe, secure, and transparent development of AI technology.”

One key point: “The companies commit to developing robust technical mechanisms to ensure that users know when content is AI generated, such as a watermarking system. This action enables creativity with AI to flourish but reduces the dangers fraud and deception.”

Engadget reported TikTok is rolling out a toolset that lets users label posts that have been created or enhanced by artificial intelligence. This move comes after the social media giant added a number of filters for video uploads that made heavy use of AI, and an image generator to help create unique backgrounds.

According to Engadget, the filters are being renamed to make it clearer which ones rely on generative AI to further assist with labeling. Moving forward, these filters will have “AI” in the name somewhere.

The new labels aren’t exclusive to TikTok approved filters, Engadget reported. You can slap the label on any content that’s been completely generated or significantly edited in AI, no matter where the content has been sourced from.

In my opinion, I think it is a good idea for TikTok to enforce the labeling of AI-content that has been posted to their platform. The labels should be clear enough to make it easy for viewers to understand that what they are seeing has been created by, or enhanced with, AI.

FTX Sues Founder Bankman-Fried’s Parents

September 19, 2023Legalbankruptcy, cryptocurrency, FTXJenThorpe

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX on Monday sued the parents of founder Sam Bankman-Fried, saying that Stanford professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried used the company to enrich themselves at the expense of FTX’s customers, Reuters reported.

FTX, now being led by turnaround specialist John Ray, said that company founder Sam Bankman-Fried ran FTX as a “family business” and misappropriated billions in customer funds for the benefit of a small circle of insiders, including his parents.

According to Reuters, Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded guilty to charges that he defrauded FTX customers by using their funds to prop up his own risky investments. He is currently jailed ahead of a trial scheduled to begin Oct. 3. Other former FTX executives have pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

Bankman and Fried’s attorneys, Sean Hecker and Michael Tremonte, said in a joint statement that FTX’s claims were “completely false” and the the new lawsuit was a waste of funds that could be returned to FTX customers.

FTX’s lawsuit alleges that Bankman and Fried accepted a $10-million cash gift and $16.4-million luxury property in the Bahamas from FTX, even as the company teetered on the brink of collapse. Bankman and Fried also pushed FTX to make tens of millions of dollars in charitable contributions, including to Stanford University, FTX said.

Fortune reported that in a late court filing on Monday, the bankruptcy estate of FTX sued the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried, seeking to recover millions of dollars that it alleges were fraudulently transferred and misappropriated.

In the 63-page lawsuit, the estate alleges that FTX was a self-described “family business” despite its appearance as a sophisticated cryptocurrency exchange that was “fueled by fraud.” Allan Joseph Bankman, Bankman-Fried’s father, is a top tax law professor at Stanford Law School, and the lawsuit alleges that he played a key role in “perpetuating this culture of misrepresentations and gross management” and in covering up allegations that would have exposed the fraud, Fortune reported.

According to Fortune, the lawsuit also alleges that Bankman-Fried’s parents “siphoned millions of dollars” from the crypto empire for “their own personal benefit,” with the estate now seeking to claw back the funds as part of its bankruptcy process.

The Block reported that bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX has sued Joseph Bankman, and Barbara Fried, the parents of its founder Sam Bankman-Fried, aiming to recover millions of dollars in “fraudulently transferred and misappropriated funds.”

According to The Block, a Monday court filing showed that debtors of FTX and Alameda Research filed a complaint to recover damages caused by fraudulent transfers, breaches of fiduciary duties and other alleged misconduct.

“As Bankman-Fried’s parents, Bankman and Fried exploited their access and influence within the FTX enterprise to enrich themselves, directly and indirectly, by millions of dollars, and knowingly at the expense of the debtors in these Chapter 11 Cases and their creditors,” the filing said.

In my opinion, it seems very odd that the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly made what appears to be problematic decisions regarding the amount of money they received from FTX. One would assume that Bankman, who is a top tax law professor, would know better.

Microsoft’s Xbox Plans Revealed In Emails Tied To FTC

September 19, 2023MicrosoftFTC, Microsoft, xboxJenThorpe

A huge collection of purported Xbox files related to the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Microsoft have been published online, spilling some of the company’s plans for the gaming console into public view, NBC News reported.

The files were uploaded Friday to a website hosted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where the FTC is suing to block Microsoft’s acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard.

According to NBC News, the files include more than 100 documents, many of them partially redacted, related to Microsoft’s Xbox plans.

Douglas Farrar, director of the FTC’s office of public affairs, told NBC News that “Microsoft was responsible for the error in uploading these documents to the court.”

The files include emails from corporate executives like Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and timetables for gaming releases.

Windows Central reported that the FTC v. Microsoft case has the news cycle on fire right now with all the leaked plans coming out from both Microsoft and Bethesda, but a new diskless console and a Fallout 3 Remaster are just a few of the spicy leaks we’ve had this morning.

Documents have been published by The Verge that details Microsoft’s plans well into 2028 for a full amalgamation of cloud gaming and physical consoles to create a perfect hybrid device and “cloud hybrid games.”

According to Windows Central, the idea, pitched by Microsoft, is to create a platform that seamlessly combines the power of the cloud and device to enable gaming anywhere. This may already be in the works at Xbox HQ, and the presentation shows it planned to partner with AMD for the required chips by early 2023 to secure the Navi 5 graphics technology.

Other considerations were made like using Zen 6 CPU cores and Arm. Microsoft also anticipated using the power of AI to improve resolution, reduce latency and smooth frame rates.

The documents show a possible timeline for the technology that would have started hardware design in 2024, sent out the first dev kits in 2027, and created the first hybrid cloud games from 2024 to 2026.

Engadget reported that a massive leak from the FTC v. Microsoft court battle showed Microsoft’s roadmap for a mid-generation Xbox Series X console, but that wasn’t the only news.

The same document also revealed Microsoft’s tentative plans for the next-generation X-box – what it calls a “hybrid game platform.” The system would combine local hardware and cloud computing to create an “immersive game & app platform” arriving around 2028, according to a leaked May 2022 presentation hidden inside another PDF.

In my opinion, someone at Microsoft made a big mistake when they sent the documents to the FTC. Was this an accident? Or was it done intentionally? Either way, this is likely going to be problematic for Microsoft now that the FTC appears interested in those documents.

Microsoft Announces Paint App Update

September 19, 2023MicrosoftMicrosoft, Paint appJenThorpe

Microsoft announced a “Paint app update adding support for layers and transparency begins rolling out to Windows Insiders” It was written by Dave Grochocki. From the announcement:

“Today we are beginning to roll out an update for the Paint app to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.230818.0 or higher.) With this update, we are introducing support for layers and transparency!

You can now add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas to create richer and more complex digital art. With layers, you can stack shapes, text, and other image elements on top of each other.

To get started, click in the new Layers button in the toolbar, which will open a panel on the side of the canvas. This is where you can add new layers to the canvas. Try changing the order of layers in this panel to see how the order of stacked image elements on the canvas changes. You can also show or hide and duplicate individual layers or merge layers together.

We are adding support for transparency as well, including the ability to open and save transparent PNGs! When working with a single layer, you will notice a checkerboard pattern on the canvas, indicating the portions of the image that are transparent. Erasing any content from the canvas now truly erases the content instead of the area white. When working with multiple layers, if you erase content on one layer, you will reveal the content in layers underneath…”

BleepingComputer reported that Microsoft is finally rolling out support for layers and image transparency to the Paint image editor application 38 years after its launch.

According to BleepingComputer, the Windows Photos app was also updated last week with support for background blur, content search for One-Drive-backed photos, and Motion Photos captured on Samsung and Google devices.

ArsTechnica provided what might be the most hilarious headline: “Hell freezes over, MS Paint adds support for layers and PNG transparency”

According to ArsTechnica, the venerable, equally derided and beloved MS Paint app has been on a roll lately, picking up a major redesign, dark-mode support, better zoom controls, and other fit-and-finish updates all within the last couple of years. But today, Microsoft announced that it is finally adding two features that could make the app a bit more useful for power users: support for Photoshop-esque image layers and the ability to open and save transparent PNGs.

Support for creating, editing, and saving transparent PNG images goes hand in hand with support for layers, ArsTechnica wrote, since its been useful to be able to pull a single object out of an existing image so you can put it in a new one. Transparent PNG support goes well with the automated background removal button that Microsoft added to Paint builds earlier this month.

In my opinion, Microsoft did something great for the Paint app. The more features it has, the more likely artists will use it to create things. That said, it appears to be a Microsoft/Windows app, and I don’t expect it will easily port over to Mac computers.

Elon Musk Says X Is Moving To Monthly Subscription Fees

September 19, 2023Xsubscription fees, XJenThorpe

Elon Musk discussed his plans for Twitter, now called X, on Monday during a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Among other things, Musk said the social network is “moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system” in order to combat “vast armies of bots”, CNBC reported.

According to CNBC, Musk did not say how much a new plan would cost users of the social network, or what other features would or would not be included with payment at the lowest tier.

Variety reported Elon Musk may flip the switch to make X – the social network formerly known as twitter – an entirely subscription-based platform.

According to Variety, Musk has previously mulled the idea of putting Twitter entirely behind a paywall in internal conversations, according to industry news site Platformer. Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has said X/Twitter’s ad sales have plunged 50% since he bought the company. “We’re still negative cash flow, due to ~50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load,” Musk posted on July 15.

Currently, X’s subscription program – formerly Twitter Blue, now called X Blue, under Musk’s rebranding effort – is priced starting at $8 per month, Variety reported. One of the chief perks of X Blue is getting verified check-mark status, although this summer the company added the ability for subscribers to hide the check-mark from public view.

TechCrunch reported that X owner Elon Musk floated the idea that the social network formerly known as Twitter may no longer be a free site. Musk said the company was “moving to a small monthly payment” for the use of the X system. He suggested that such a change would be necessary to deal with the problem of bots on the platform.

“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” explained Musk. “Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but even if it has to pay…a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high,” he said. Plus, every time a bot creator wanted to make another bot they would need another new payment method.

According to TechCrunch, Musk didn’t say what the new subscription payment would cost, but described it as a “small amount of money.”

Musk did not expand on his plan to charge for X or when such a change would come about. But since Musk took over the platform last year, the company has been pushing users to subscribe to its paid subscription product, X Premium (previously Twitter Blue). This $8 per month or $84 dollars per year subscription service offers a variety of features like the ability to edit posts, half the ad load, prioritized rankings in search and conversations, the ability to write longer posts, and more.

Personally, I think it is time for me to leave X/Twitter. Plenty of people have already left the platform, after letting their friends know what other social media sites they moved to. There is absolutely no way I am going to trust Elon Musk with my credit card numbers.

TikTok Fined: Europe Privacy Breach #1692

September 18, 2023PodcastTodd Cochrane

European regulators have issued a hefty $368 million fine to TikTok for failing to safeguard children’s privacy. This marks the first instance of the renowned video-sharing app facing penalties for violating Europe’s rigorous data privacy regulations. TikTok, on their part, said this had been fixed for years. But one thing is sure: European governments, aka EU, love to get their pound of flesh out of big companies.

Tech Fines, Software Updates, and Lost Fighter Jets – A Look at the Latest Tech News

Several interesting tech stories have recently made headlines, ranging from significant companies getting fined to software updates causing user problems. Here’s a rundown of some notable tech news covered in a recent Geek News Central podcast episode.

Apple and Microsoft Release Major Software Updates Apple rolled out updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in mid-September. However, some users report issues like Macs failing to boot after installation. Podcasters using specific Intel-based machines are advised not to update yet. Meanwhile, a Windows 11 update has also caused some users gaming glitches, boot failures, and other problems. Software updates often bring bugs, and it’s best not to rush into installing them immediately.

NASA Spacecraft Returning with Asteroid Samples NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is finally set to deliver asteroid samples it collected in space back to Earth after a seven-year mission. The samples will land in a Utah desert on September 24th. Studying these early space materials could provide insights into the solar system’s history and composition. OSIRIS-REx is the first NASA mission to retrieve asteroid samples.

F-35 Fighter Jet Goes Missing In a bizarre news story, an advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet went missing following an incident that forced the pilot to eject. The $160 million aircraft then continued before presumably crashing in South Carolina. The military has been unable to locate the wreckage of the missing plane so far. Each F-35 costs around $100-160 million, depending on the variant.