ICT news

• Neal Stephenson Believes AI-Generated Creative Output Is 'Simply Not Interesting'

  05-03-2023 23:41 via slashdot.org
  
  Neal Stephenson "sees artificial intelligence in general, and ChatGPT in particular, as underwhelming," reports CoinDesk."I think it depends on how it's used," Stephenson told CoinDesk TV's "First Mover" on Friday. "What we've tended to see is that it's used in creative applications where I don't think it's at all interesting."
  Stephenson said that with a painting or book, "what you're doing is having a kind of communion with the artist who made thousands of little micro decisions in the course
  
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• Neal Stephenson Celebrates 'Snow Crash' 30th Anniversary by Auctioning Sword with NFT, Manuscripts

  05-03-2023 23:11 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The auction house Sotheby's is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash in a big way, reports Forbes. Stephenson teamed with special effects and prop company Weta Workshop to create "a bespoke piece, a cultural and historical artifact, stemming from the unique mythology of his new and coming Snow Crash universe."
  "The sword took us a year to create and is one of the finest pieces of craftsmanship WETA has created," said Sir Richard Taylor, founder of WETA workshop. "The w
  
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• Why is Meta Slashing Prices on its VR Headsets?

  05-03-2023 21:47 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  "Meta is cutting prices for two of its virtual reality headsets as it continues trying to boost adoption for the nascent technology on which it has bet its future," reports CNN:
  The company announced Friday that it is slashing the price of its higher-end Meta Quest Pro headset by some $500, bringing its cost to $999, roughly six months after it was released. Meta is also lowering the price of its Quest 2 headset from $499.99 to $429.99. The price cut for the Quest 2 will go into effect in more t
  
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• AI's Latest Problem? Screwing Up Orders at McDonalds

  05-03-2023 20:35 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  Perhaps AI "needs a little more work," writes ZDNet columnist Chris Matyszczyk — noting problems with the automated voice-recognition systems at McDonald's drivethrough lanes. The trouble started when TikTok-er Ren Adams ordered hash browns, sweet tea and a Coke.All seemed fine until, at a second drive-thru lane, another car pulled up. Adams' AI helper seems to have overheard that order and added it to Adams'. Adams tried to make the robot see sense. Or, rather hear it. Instead, the robot
  
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• C++ 23 Language Standard Declared Feature-Complete

  05-03-2023 19:36 via developers.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares this report from InfoWorld:C++ 23, a planned upgrade to the popular programming language, is now feature-complete, with capabilities such as standard library module support. On the horizon is a subsequent release, dubbed C++ 26.
  The ISO C++ Committee in early February completed technical work on the C++ 23 specification and is producing a final document for a draft approval ballot, said Herb Sutter, chair of the committee, in a blog post on February 13. The standard li
  
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• Why Some California Cities are Banning Children's Balloons

  05-03-2023 18:34 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times writes that it doesn't take a Chinese spy balloon to threaten ocean wildlife. "Even the child-size pink plastic 'Happy Birthday' balloon can be hazardous if left in the wrong hands. Or, more precisely, left from the wrong hands."There are several recent cases of sea turtles, seals and sea lions off the California coast discovered entangled in or choked by balloon strings, or in physical distress after ingesting balloons. Among the key findings of a 20
  
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• Rust Project Reveals New 'Constitution' in Wake of Crisis

  05-03-2023 17:34 via developers.slashdot.org
  
  "The Rust open source project, which handles standards for the language, released a new governance plan Thursday," reports The New Stack, "the cumulation of six months of intense work."Released as a request for comment on GitHub, it will now undergo a comment period. It requires ratification by team leaders before it's accepted.
  The Rust project interacts with, but is separate from, the Rust Foundation, which primarily handles the financial assets of Rust. Two years ago, the project had a very p
  
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• A 'Cruelty-Free' Circus Replaced Animals with Holograms

  05-03-2023 16:34 via idle.slashdot.org
  
  The Washington Post reports:A new spectacle is taking over the tented world of acrobats, clowns and juggling entertainers. And while it may have a trunk and tusks, it weighs absolutely nothing. Circuses, once known for showcasing elephants in all their heft are now presenting a much lighter creature — a 3D hologram.
  The Circus-Theater Roncalli in Germany was the first to do it, and photographer Davide Bertuccio wanted to see for himself how the group pulled it off. When he attended a show
  
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• Washington Post Urges Funding Office-to-Apartment Conversions as Downtown Workers Stay Home

  05-03-2023 13:34 via it.slashdot.org
  
  "Cities across the nation face a dilemma," writes the Washington Post's editoral board," warning local leaders to respond to "the urgency and scale of the downtown crisis in many major metro areas..."
  "Downtown office buildings are empty as workers prefer to stay home."
  Nearly all local leaders agree part of the solution is an office-to-apartment conversion boom. Cities have started rolling out tax incentives to encourage developers to begin this transformation. This strategy is straight out of
  
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• Worf's Final Act: a 'Star Trek' Legend Looks Back

  05-03-2023 10:04 via entertainment.slashdot.org
  
  The final season of Star Trek: Picard features the return of the Klingon Worf, reports Polygon, calling it "the chance to give one of sci-fi's most beloved supporting characters something that's usually reserved only for Captains and Admirals: a glorious third act."
  Interestingly, back in 1987 Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had "hoped to avoid relying on familiar alien antagonists" when creating the first Star Trek TV sequel in 1987. So after a last-minute addition, "the early development of
  
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• Scientists Look for Genetic Effects of Radiation In Chernobyl's Stray Dogs

  05-03-2023 06:34 via science.slashdot.org
  
  The New York Times reports:After the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, local residents were forced to permanently evacuate, leaving behind their homes and, in some cases, their pets. Concerned that these abandoned animals might spread disease or contaminate humans, officials tried to exterminate them.
  And yet, a population of dogs somehow endured. They found fellowship with Chernobyl cleanup crews, and the power plant workers who remained in the area sometimes g
  
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• Sam Bankman-Fried is Under House Arrest - at Stanford. Students are Fascinated

  05-03-2023 03:34 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried "has been under house arrest at his parents' home on the Stanford campus since December," writes the Washington Post, "making the elite university the unlikely host to one of America's most notorious alleged white-collar criminals.
  "Surrounded by student co-ops, fraternity houses and other faculty homes, he's the talk of the neighborhood."Bankman-Fried, the son of two Stanford law professors, was released on a $250 million bond secured by the Craftsman-style house.
  
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• Ask Slashdot: Can You Use an Unsafe Computer Safely?

  05-03-2023 00:54 via it.slashdot.org
  
  "I think the answer is no, but there are some clever people around here," writes long-time Slashdot reader shanen, "so...
  "Is there any firewall or router or some other device that can adequately protect an old and no longer supported computer?"I have at least two of those that come to mind, and I might use them more often if there was a safe way to connect them to the Internet.
  The specifics probably matter, though that's like opening a can of worms, but... One is a little old machine running a
  
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