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☆ YouTube Blocks Access to Protest Anthem in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tiffany May | More About Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

YouTube said on Tuesday that it would comply with a court order to block users in Hong Kong from viewing a popular democracy anthem, raising concerns about free speech and highlighting the increasing fraught environment for tech companies operating in the Chinese territory. Last week, a Hong Kong court granted a government request to ban the song, “Glory to Hong Kong,” listing 32 links to videos on YouTube. Judges said the song was a “weapon” that could be used to undermine national security. The court said the injunction was “necessary to persuade” technology companies to “remove” the songs from their platforms. A representative of YouTube said in a statement that the company would “continue to consider” an appeal of the court’s ruling but would comply with the order.

Organizations: YouTube Locations: Hong Kong

☆ Amazon’s cashier-less technology was supposed to revolutionize grocery shopping. It’s been a flop
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But now, Amazon is walking back its “Just Walk Out” technology at its grocery stores, reining in grand promises of an automated, friction-less checkout. Customers just haven’t bought into cashier-less technology, especially in grocery stores where they purchase larger quantities and face extra tasks such as weighing produce. Customers entered Fresh stores using Amazon One palm recognition, the app or a credit or debit card. Amazon Fresh strugglesThe tech giant opened its first Amazon Fresh store in 2020, and has more than 40 locations across the US. But Amazon Fresh has faced setbacks since it debuted, including challenges getting shoppers to buy groceries in its Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and it laid off workers.

Persons: Amazon, haven’t, ”, they’ve, Andy Jassy, “ We’ve, Nathaniel Meyersohn, Moira Ritter Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, Fresh, CNN, Dollar, Walmart, Costco, Foods Locations: New York, India, Washington, Chicago, Southern California

☆ Top AI photo generators produce misleading election-related images, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CCDH researchers tested AI image generators Midjourney, Stability AI’s DreamStudio, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus and Microsoft Image Creator. They found that each tool could be prompted to create misleading images related to either US presidential candidates or voting security. The researchers also used common “jailbreaking” techniques to try to get around any potential restrictions on creating misleading images. Overall, researchers say they found that the AI image generators created election disinformation in 41% of their test runs. Overall, the platforms were more likely to produce misleading images related to voting and ballots than of candidates.

Persons: David Holz, Donald Trump, CCDH, Trump, Joe Biden, Midjourney, Biden, ” DreamStudio, ”, ’ Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Microsoft, BBC, Trump, ” Locations: New York, United States, American

☆ Nvidia Says Growth Will Continue as A.I. Hits ‘Tipping Point’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Don Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nvidia, the kingpin of chips powering artificial intelligence, on Wednesday released quarterly financial results that reinforced how the company has become one of the biggest winners of the artificial intelligence boom, and it said demand for its products would fuel continued sales growth. Nvidia has become known as one of the “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks, which along with others like Amazon, Apple and Microsoft have helped power the stock market. Last week, the company briefly eclipsed the market values of Amazon and Alphabet before receding to the fifth-most-valuable tech company. Its stock market gains are largely a result of repeatedly exceeding analysts’ expectations for growth, a feat that is becoming more difficult as they keep raising their predictions. Revenue was well above the $20 billion the company predicted in November and above Wall Street estimates of $20.4 billion.

Organizations: Nvidia, Wednesday, Apple, Microsoft, Revenue

And the rise of generative AI chatbots is giving people new and different ways to look up information. A recent study by German researchers suggests the quality of results from Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo is indeed declining. But they have their own issues: Because the tech is so new, there are concerns about AI chatbots’ accuracy and reliability. If you want to try the AI way, here's a how-to:Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesWHERE DO I FIND AI SEARCH TOOLS? A slew of startup AI search sites have emerged, but they aren't as easy to find.

Persons: — It's, Bing, Bard, There’s, Andi, Phind, “, Taylor Swift, Perplexity, Microsoft's Copilot, —, Aston Martin —, AskAI, they’re, HuggingChat, Gemini Organizations: Google, Komo, Gemini, Microsoft Locations: U.S, Britain, Switzerland, Europe, You.com, Canada, London, New York

☆ NASA explains how it would alert the public of an apocalyptic asteroid strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the event of an impending hazardous asteroid strike, NASA already has its plan in place to alert the public. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is tasked with finding, tracking, and assessing the risk associated with potentially hazardous asteroids in our solar system. To do that, NASA works with a global coalition of astronomers called the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). There are about 2,300 known potentially hazardous asteroids out there, and roughly 153 of them are larger than 0.6 miles across. If Bennu does head toward Earth, NASA has a few tricks up its sleeve to defend our planet.

Persons: —, ROGER HARRIS, ”, Lindley Johnson, ” Johnson, IAWN, Johnson, MARK GARLICK, NASA wouldn’t, they’re Organizations: NASA, Service, Defense, Office, Planetary Defense, Warning, White, United Nations Office, Outer Space Affairs, Minor Planet

☆ Amazon revenue climbs 14% during holiday quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Catherine | Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Amazon saw a sharp jump in sales last quarter, driven by robust consumer spending during the holiday shopping season. The e-commerce leader on Thursday reported revenue of $170 billion for its quarter ending in December, beating Wall Street’s estimates. Amazon’s profits during this past holiday quarter also come as its business enters 2024 in much better shape than a year ago. This past quarter marked “a record-breaking Holiday shopping season and closed out a robust 2023 for Amazon,” Jassy said in a statement Thursday accompanying the earnings. Amazon Web Services, a longtime money maker for the company, saw revenue climb 13% last quarter to $24.2 billion.

Persons: Wall, Andy Jassy, ” Jassy, Jassy, “ Rufus ”, Rufus Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, Web Services, ” Locations: New York

☆ Rising Markets Lift Hedge Funds to Huge Gains
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michael J. De La Merced | More About Michael J. De La Merced | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As stock markets soared in 2023, so did the fortunes of many of the world’s biggest hedge funds. The 20 best-performing hedge funds made $67 billion in gains last year, triple what they reported in 2022, according to data released by LCH Investments, a so-called fund of funds that ranks the top 20 firms on lifetime gains, after fees. The strong performance by elite financiers follows the rally that stock markets have enjoyed over the past year. That has benefited hedge funds, especially those that make focused bets on individual stocks. The top 20 firms oversee just under 19 percent of the industry’s $3.5 trillion in assets under management, yet they represent 46 percent of the sector’s total lifetime gains.

Organizations: LCH Investments, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla

☆ 5 charts that explain why stocks took off last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Stocks ended on a high note last year, but were tested by the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, banking turmoil, debt ceiling worries and war in the Middle East. Many early-year consensus predictions about what 2023 would bring — including a recession and several rate cuts — didn’t pan out. CNN spoke with five investors about the biggest lessons they learned and how they’ve helped shape their 2024 outlooks. Fundamentals have to start matteringThe S&P 500 index gained 24% last year despite an earnings recession, often defined as at least two straight quarters of corporate profit losses. Fourth-quarter earnings, which kick off on Friday with results from big banks, are expected to grow about 1% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Persons: Stocks, they’ve, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, David Kelly, ”, Kelly, Yung, Yu Ma, Don’t, George Cipolloni, Wall, Leslie Thompson, don’t, Thompson, she’s eyeing, FactSet, “, Amanda Agati Organizations: New, New York CNN —, CNN, Asset Management, Treasury, BMO Wealth Management, Penn Mutual Asset Management, Fed, Spectrum Wealth Management, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Companies, PNC Asset Management Locations: New York

☆ Overwhelmed by Email? How AI Tools Can Get You to Inbox Zero
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NO MATTER HOW much time we spend unclogging our email inboxes on any given day, more calendar invites, premeeting memos and “urgent” tech updates will pile up tomorrow. Given the scale of the problem, it might feel like a personal email butler is necessary. Companies like Shortwave, launched by ex-Googlers, or Sanebox, a $3.49-a-month utility, offer third-party extensions that can triage your unread messages. Major email platforms are increasingly developing similar tools. When drafting a note in Gmail, for instance, you can now add context that Google’s Bard chatbot pulls from your Google Calendar, Maps searches and Google’s other apps.

Persons: Bard chatbot, Bard Organizations: Companies

☆ Europe’s oil majors are stuck as M&A party-poopers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed U.S. dollar banknote and decreasing stock graph in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Back in June the boss of $220 billion UK oil major Shell (SHEL.L), Wael Sawan, told investors mergers and acquisitions were not his priority. The decision of $430 billion Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and $295 billion Chevron (CVX.N) to acquire $60 billion Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD.N) and $53 billion Hess (HES.N) respectively ought to change the game. But it would remain a stretch for either to ape their U.S. peers and buy a big oil group. Hess investors will receive 1.025 shares of Chevron for each share held, worth $171 per share based on the closing price on Oct. 20.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Wael Sawan, Hess, Murray Auchincloss, Patrick Pouyanné, ’, Shell, Neste, Warren Buffett’s, Pouyanné, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Natural Resources, Exxon, Shell, Occidental Petroleum, Exxon Mobil’s, Thomson Locations: Finnish, Denmark, U.S, Occidental

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A South Korean man has been sentenced to jail for using artificial intelligence to generate exploitative images of children, the first case of its kind in the country as courts around the world encounter the use of new technologies in creating abusive sexual content. He had created about 360 AI-generated images in April, the prosecutor’s office told CNN. Prosecutors argued during the case that the definition of sexually exploitative material should include descriptions of sexual behaviors by “virtual humans” and not just the appearance of actual children. For years, deepfakes – highly convincing fake videos made using AI – have been used to put women’s faces into often aggressive pornographic videos, without their consent. The videos often appear so real it can be hard for female victims to deny it isn’t really them.

Persons: deepfakes, ” Samantha Cole, “, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg – Organizations: South Korea CNN, Court, CNN, Prosecutors, European Union Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Busan, Spain, Extremadura, China, United States, Washington

The Google sign is reflected in a rain puddle outside their offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., June 27, 2017. Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Want to know how to remove Google as the iPhone’s default search tool? According to him, the search engine operated by Alphabet (GOOGL.O) enlists Apple (AAPL.O) to answer the query by directing users to its website. Using Google as the default search engine wasn’t Apple’s “choice,” Dintzer said. Follow @BenWinck on XFollow @thereallsl on XCONTEXT NEWSThe U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Alphabet’s Google started on Sept. 12.

Persons: John Schmidtlein, Kenneth Dintzer, Google, ” Schmidtlein, Schmidtlein, ” Dintzer, It’s, Tim Cook, Alphabet’s Google, Ben Winck, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Google, Rights, Reuters, Apple, U.S . Department of, Yahoo, Verizon Communications, Microsoft, Netscape, U.S, U.S . Department, Alphabet’s, Thomson Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, U.S, Safari, Japan, Washington, New York

☆ The US needs a stable Chinese economy. Will Biden’s commerce secretary offer help?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will travel to China next week, a visit that coincides with a worsening slowdown in the world’s second largest economy. Gina Raimondo, US commerce secretary, speaks during the SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The Commerce Department announced on Monday that it was removing 27 Chinese companies from US export controls. China’s Ministry of Commerce welcomed the decision, saying it was conducive to trade and reflected the interests of both sides. That was followed earlier this month by President Biden signing an executive order that limits US investment in certain tech sectors of the Chinese economy, including AI and quantum computing.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, ”, Craig Singleton, Ting Shen, Trump, Biden, “, Washington, Donald Trump, It’s, Xi, Singleton, — Kylie Atwood, Jeremy Diamond Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — US, Washington, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Commerce Department, Beijing, SelectUSA Investment, Bloomberg, Getty, China’s Ministry of Commerce, ” Eurasia Group, Apple, Nike, Intel, Microsoft, General Motors, US Treasury Department, Mintz Group, Bain & Company, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Washington, Shanghai, National Harbor , Maryland, United States, Europe, Japan, New York, court

One is about the possibility that we’re going to have this super intelligent AI that’s capable of great destruction. casey newtonI think that’s right. But it’s just like — I don’t think — I don’t think about to do these things in the moment like Dan. I don’t think that there’s an ethical issue with doing what he wants to do. And yeah, I just think it’s going into an area that’s going to be uncomfortable for the friend.

Persons: kevin roose, casey newton, we’re, ” casey newton I’ve, kevin roose It’s, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, clowned, New York Times ’, Kate Conger, Casey, Ajeya Cotra, kevin roose Totally, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, They’re, Kevin, Dan Hendricks who’s, “, “ I’m, don’t, you’re, I’m, — casey newton, it’s, ChatGPT, casey newton I’m, I’ve, Martinez, Varghese, kevin roose Tyler, —, Steven A, Schwartz, ”, they’re, it’ll, there’s, Mr, Bean, We’ve, James Vincent, It’s, Jensen Huang, Harry Potter, Harry Potter of, kevin roose —, casey newton Parallelelizable, Parallelizable, — casey newton Let’s, that’s, who’s, NVIDIA —, casey newton Well, doesn’t, katie cogner, Kate Conger who’s, katie cogner Hi, katie cogner I’m, Dan, what’s, Getty, casey newton Kate, let’s, John, Here’s John, john, kevin roose That’s, Kate, he’s, He’s, he’ll, casey newton That’s, There’s, we’ve, “ I’ve, ” Kate, cogner, Prince Harry, katie cogner Doesn’t, Harry, casey newton We’re, We’re, kevin roose Kate, they’ve, Joni Mitchell, Chris Vecchio, Chris, kevin roose I’m, You’d, casey newton “, you’ll, casey newton Oh, ” kevin roose Organizations: The New York Times, NVIDIA, New York Times, Safety, Google, AI, ChatGPT, Avianca Airlines, Delta Airlines, China Southern Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Royal Dutch Airlines, “, Bar Association, Texas, M University Commerce, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Harry Potter of Kentucky Christian, Facebook, eBay, “ New York Times, Boston, Garden, MetLife, TED, AIs Locations: British, Avianca, Durden, ChatGPT, Taiwan, Kentucky, Hogwarts, Harry Potter of Kentucky, California, Madison, —

☆ Read the internal memo Alphabet sent in merging A.I.-focused groups DeepMind and Google Brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Jeff Dean, head of artificial intelligence at Google LLC, speaks during a Google AI event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. The two divisions, DeepMind and Google Research, have also reportedly had tensions in the past, leading DeepMind to seek more independence. This group, called Google DeepMind, will bring together part of Google Research (the Brainteam) and DeepMind. Google DeepMind will operate as a nimble, fast-paced unit, with clear points of connection andcollaboration with Google Research and the PAs. Working closely with Jeff as ChiefScientist, Google Research will continue its focus on fundamental and applied research across abroad portfolio.

He lost a Twitter poll asking whether he should remain as CEO. Musk reinstated a handful of banned journalists Saturday after he conducted a Twitter poll asking users whether he should uphold the ban. Following backlash, Twitter also quickly rolled back its decision to ban users’ promotion of links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post accounts. Won’t happen again.”But after all that, some users are skeptical that Twitter is a platform they want to remain on. “Should I run Twitter ?” Snoop Dogg wrote in a Twitter poll Sunday.

☆ Another tech bubble bursts: 2022 has been brutal for Silicon Valley workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +28 min

Gem: 100A maker of recruiting software, the startup cut a third of its workforce Nov. 1, The Information reported. HealthCare.com: 149The health insurance marketplace announced the job cuts Aug. 3, Miami Inno reported, citing state regulatory filings. Fabric: 120The robotics startup said July 13 that it was layoffing off 40% of them, TechCrunch reported, citing company confirmation. It affected about 300 people, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported, citing company confirmation. Policygenius: 170The online insurance company cut about 25% of its staff, Axios reported June 6, citing company confirmation.

Amazon’s second Prime Day-like sale this year is now on — for the first time in Prime Day history. Prime Early Access Sale: The best deals on products at their lowest price everBelow, we’re sharing the best products — based on our previous coverage and reporting — that are at their lowest price ever during the Early Access Prime Sale. 4.7-star average rating from 522,925 reviews on AmazonAmazon's smart plug is designed to be compact so it won't block a second wall outlet, the brand says. It has a 5,000mAh battery that, according to the brand, should last for more than a day on a single charge. 4.4-star average rating from 618 reviews on AmazonUnlike razors that only trim hair at the skin’s surface, epilators remove hair from the roots.

☆ 10+ deals at their lowest price ever during October Prime Day 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Morgan Greenwald | Morgan Greenwald Is A Senior Editor For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

This is the best kind of deja vu: Amazon’s second Prime Day-like sale this year is now on — for the first time in Prime Day history. The Prime Early Access Sale (running through Oct. 12) has sitewide savings for Prime members on categories from skin care and home goods to tech and fitness equipment. To help you make the most of the fleeting shopping holiday, we compiled some of the best Prime Day deals live on Amazon that offer top products at their lowest price ever, plus highlighted other notable deals from counter sales at other retailers. Prime Early Access Sale: The best deals on products at their lowest price everBelow, we’re sharing the best products — based on our previous coverage and reporting — that are at their lowest price ever during the Early Access Prime Sale. It has a 5,000mAh battery that, according to the brand, should last for more than a day on a single charge.

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