Technology news

• OpenAI whistleblower who died was being considered as witness against company

  21-12-2024 21:33 via theguardian.com
  
  Suchir Balaji, listed in court filing as having ‘relevant documents’ about copyright violation, died on 26 NovemberSuchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He had been well-regarded by coll
  
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• Govee Table Lamp 2 review: this captivating smart lamp stole my heart and brightened my mood

  21-12-2024 18:00 via techradar.com
  
  Govee Table Lamp 2 review
  The Govee Table Lamp 2 is listed at $69.99 / £69.99, although, at the time of writing, there’s a sale on the Govee website lowering the price to $55.99 / £58.99. This may seem a little steep for a small light-up lamp but, if like me, you’re a fan of anything bright and colorful, appreciate extensive customization options, and enjoy the convenience of a smart lamp, then it’s definitely worth the cost.When it’s off, the design of the Go
  
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• ‘We’re figuring out cool ways of storytelling’: how TikTok is changing the way we watch musicals

  21-12-2024 17:36 via theguardian.com
  
  Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s musical sensation Epic is just one of a series of works making a splash on the online platformWhen Jorge Rivera-Herrans released part of Epic: the Musical last Christmas, he managed to push Taylor Swift off the top of the US iTunes album charts. So there is a lot at stake when the final instalment of his musical retelling of the Odyssey is released on Christmas Day.Rivera-Herrans’s project has already been an extraordinary success, with more monthly listeners o
  
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• It’s probably just a plane: drone experts advise calm over New Jersey sightings

  21-12-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Although politicians have called to shoot them down, experts say the lights are likely legal drones, planes – or starsAt first, in mid-November, the mysterious lights were seen blinking across the night skies of New Jersey. Then, they spread. Reports of incandescent flying objects were logged in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Bystanders in Virginia Beach said they saw an aircraft “unlike any other they’ve seen”. Sightings have now come from as far afield as Louisian
  
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• If ChatGPT produces AI-generated code for your app, who does it really belong to?

  21-12-2024 16:30 via zdnet.com
  
  The answer is complicated, so in Part I of a two-article analysis, we consulted legal experts to obtain some definitive answers.
  
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• I converted this Windows 11 Mini PC into a Linux workstation - and didn't regret it

  21-12-2024 14:00 via zdnet.com
  
  The Herk Orion is a capable Ryzen-powered Mini PC in its own right, but ditching Windows for a Linux OS has opened up a whole new level of performance.
  
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• I found one of the fastest-charging portable batteries for home backups - and it's on sale

  21-12-2024 13:30 via zdnet.com
  
  The Andes 1500 portable power station is strong enough to power essential appliances during a power outage or as a camping or RV companion.
  
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• I tried an ultra-thin iPhone case, and here's how my daunting experience went

  21-12-2024 13:00 via zdnet.com
  
  Latercase's Thin Case puts an ultra-slim layer of protection around your phone, and it's surprisingly functional.
  
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• I tested the viral 'tangle-free' USB-C cable, and it's my new travel essential

  21-12-2024 13:00 via zdnet.com
  
  I didn't expect the Magtame USB-C cable to be as useful as it is. Even its thermal test results look promising.
  
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• ZDNET's product of the year: Why Oura Ring 4 bested Samsung, Apple, and others in 2024

  21-12-2024 12:00 via zdnet.com
  
  By blending precision health tracking with an elegant design, the Oura Ring 4 underscores the growing importance of health tech in our daily lives.
  
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• Sony LinkBuds Fit: The best fitness earbuds for people who don’t like earbuds

  21-12-2024 11:00 via techradar.com
  
  Sony LinkBuds Fit: Two minute review
  The Sony LinkBuds Fit are the latest addition to Sony’s mid-range true wireless earbud lineup. Sony has a solid reputation for making some of the best high-end buds, while also catering to people on a budget with more affordable options. The LinkBuds range has already impressed in the past, with models like the original Sony LinkBuds, which have an open-ear design, and the Sony LinkBuds S with a closed design that are perfect for smaller ears.The LinkBu
  
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• The god illusion: why the pope is so popular as a deepfake image

  21-12-2024 10:57 via theguardian.com
  
  Experts explain the pontiff’s appeal as the most recent AI images of Francis, with the singer Madonna, go viralFor the pope, it was the wrong kind of madonna.The pop legend, she of the 80’s anthem Like a Prayer, has stirred controversy in recent weeks by posting deepfake images on social media which show the pontiff embracing her. It has fanned the flames of a debate which is already raging over the creation of AI art in which Pope Francis plays a symbolic, and unwilling, role. Conti
  
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• Oppo Reno 12 FS review: a colorful budget contender

  21-12-2024 10:00 via techradar.com
  
  Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G: Two-minute review
  The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G is a budget phone done the Oppo way – better-than-average specs, a great sense of style, and cost-cutting decisions that mostly land on the side of confusion rather than frustration. This is a phone that, despite its shortcomings, punches well above its weight, most obviously with its great 6.67-inch display. Though far from perfect, this is a capable budget handset that handles 90% of what we use our phones for every day without
  
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• Google suggests fixes to its search monopoly

  21-12-2024 08:52 via bbc.com
  
  Google proposed new limits after a judge ruled Google illegally crushed competition in search.
  
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• How YouTube (and Skibidi Toilet) changed the Christmas toys market

  21-12-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The shift from live TV to video platforms has made toy makers and sellers rethink products and where to sell themLetters to Santa used to be filled with ideas from the Argos catalogue or adverts on children’s telly, but for today’s kids raised on “swiping and streaming” YouTube is their shop window – which is why some are asking for a plastic toilet this Christmas.The stakes are high for the toy trade at this time of year as consumers spend about £900m on doll
  
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• Can I survive for 24 hours without GPS navigation?

  21-12-2024 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Spatial memory is a use-it-or-lose it commodity, so I gave life without Google Maps a tryTaxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than other workers to die of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Harvard study published in the British Medical Journal.On the one hand, it makes total sense, navigation and spatial memory belonging in the hippocampus, which is the first region of the brain the disease atrophies. On the other hand, life expectancy is significantly lower than average in both jo
  
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• US judge finds Pegasus spyware maker liable over WhatsApp hack

  21-12-2024 02:38 via theguardian.com
  
  WhatsApp celebrates victory as judge finds Israeli company NSO Group violated state and federal US hacking lawsWhatsApp claimed legal victory over the maker of Pegasus spyware late on Friday.The Israeli company, NSO Group Technologies, was accused in a lawsuit by Meta’s messaging app of infecting and surveilling the phones of 1,400 people over a two-week period in May 2019 via its notorious Pegasus software. Continue reading...
  
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