ICT news

• Hugging Face and ServiceNow Release a Free Code-Generating Model

  05-05-2023 23:22 via developers.slashdot.org
  
  AI startup Hugging Face and ServiceNow Research, ServiceNow's R&D division, have released StarCoder, a free alternative to code-generating AI systems along the lines of GitHub's Copilot. From a report: Code-generating systems like DeepMind's AlphaCode; Amazon's CodeWhisperer; and OpenAI's Codex, which powers Copilot, provide a tantalizing glimpse at what's possible with AI within the realm of computer programming. Assuming the ethical, technical and legal issues are someday ironed out (and A
  
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• US Seizes Z-Library Login Domain, But Secret URLs for Each User Remain Active

  05-05-2023 22:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  US authorities have seized another major Z-Library domain but still haven't been able to wipe the pirate book site off the Internet. From a report: Z-Library claims to offer over 13 million books, up from 11 million since US authorities launched their first major operation against Z-Library late last year. "Unfortunately, one of our primary login domains was seized today," Z-Library wrote in a Wednesday message on its Telegram account. "Therefore, we recommend using the domain singlelogin[dot]re
  
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• Fortnite Headed To the Olympics as an Official Esport

  05-05-2023 22:01 via games.slashdot.org
  
  Fortnite is now an official Olympic (e)sport, as Epic's metaverse game will be part of the inaugural Olympic Esports Week line-up. From a report Taking place in Singapore, the four-day festival of "virtual sports and gaming" created by the International Olympics Committee will see a dozen players from the Fortnite Champion Series compete in a sharpshooting competition backed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. This event will be (virtually) held on a Fortnite Creative Island that was
  
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• AI Is the Hot Topic on Earnings Calls This Quarter

  05-05-2023 21:20 via slashdot.org
  
  The mania for artificial intelligence is showing no sign of letting up in corporate America, with references to AI and related terms during calls with investors more than doubling from a year ago. From a report: Companies are scrambling to show they're at the forefront of finding ways to use algorithms that can parse enormous quantities of information based on simple prompts or images. AI promises to change the way business gets done, from hiring (or firing) staff to calming angry customers in a
  
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• New York AG Proposes Landmark Crypto Law, Citing 'Dysfunction'

  05-05-2023 20:41 via news.slashdot.org
  
  New York Attorney General Letitia James proposed a state law to tighten rules over cryptocurrency companies in her latest swing at an industry she claims is suffering from "rampant fraud and dysfunction." From a report: Under her proposal, New York would require independent public audits of crypto exchanges and bar people from owning both brokerages and tokens to prevent conflicts of interest. In a statement Friday, James called her proposal "the strongest and most comprehensive set of regulatio
  
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• WHO Declares End To COVID Global Health Emergency

  05-05-2023 20:07 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The World Health Organization ended the global emergency status for COVID-19 on Friday more than three years after its original declaration, and said countries should now manage the virus that killed more than 6.9 million people along with other infectious diseases. From a report: The global health agency's Emergency Committee met on Thursday and recommended the UN organization declare an end to the coronavirus crisis as a "public health emergency of international concern" -- its highest level o
  
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• Dished Up By 3D Printers, a New Kind of Fish To Fry

  05-05-2023 19:24 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Forget your hook, line and sinker. An Israeli foodtech company says it has 3D printed the first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using animal cells cultivated and grown in a laboratory. From a report: Lab-grown beef and chicken have drawn attention as a way to sidestep the environmental toll of farming and tackle concerns over animal welfare, but few companies have forayed into seafood. Israel's Steakholder Foods has now partnered with Singapore-based Umami Meats to make fish fillets without the n
  
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• EU Warns Apple About Limiting Speeds of Uncertified USB-C Cables for iPhones

  05-05-2023 18:47 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Last year, the EU passed legislation that will require the iPhone and many other devices with wired charging to be equipped with a USB-C port in order to be sold in the region. Apple has until December 28, 2024 to adhere to the law, but the switch from Lightning to USB-C is expected to happen with iPhone 15 models later this year. It was rumored in February that Apple may be planning to limit charging speeds and other functionality of USB-C cables that are no
  
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• As Many as Four Moons Around Uranus May Have Oceans Below the Surface

  05-05-2023 18:00 via science.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader shares a report: In recent decades, NASA has sent large spacecraft -- Galileo and Cassini, respectively -- to fly around Jupiter and Venus to explore the dozens of moons that exist in those planetary systems. The spacecraft investigated all manner of intriguing moons, from little radiation-saturated hellholes to a world covered in volcanoes. But the most consistently interesting discovery made by these probes was that Jupiter and Venus are surrounded by small and large moons
  
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• Google, Sonos Head To Trial in Contentious Smart Speaker Patent Fight

  05-05-2023 17:21 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Sonos and Alphabet's Google will face off in a San Francisco federal trial on Monday over claims that Google copied Sonos' patented smart-speaker technology in wireless audio devices like Google Home and Chromecast Audio. From a report: The case is part of a sprawling intellectual property dispute between the former business partners that includes other lawsuits in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Sonos has asked the court for $90 million in damages from Google in the San F
  
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• Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AI is 'Huge,' But Care is Needed

  05-05-2023 16:43 via apple.slashdot.org
  
  Tim Cook said Thursday that AI is "huge" but cautioned that there are "a number of issues that need to be sorted" and declined to say how Apple will incorporate the latest technologies into its products. From a report: While Microsoft, Google and others are racing to add generative AI tools across their products, Apple has had little to say on the trend. Speaking to analysts after a better-than-expected earnings report, Cook noted that Apple has used machine learning and other AI approaches to p
  
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• Ex-Uber Security Chief Gets Probation for Concealing 2016 Data Breach

  05-05-2023 16:00 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  A judge sentenced Joe Sullivan, the former chief security officer at Uber, to three years' probation and 200 hours of community service on Thursday for covering up a 2016 cyberattack from authorities and obstructing a federal investigation. From a report: Sullivan's case is likely the first time a security executive has faced criminal charges for mishandling a data breach, and the response to Sullivan's case has split the cybersecurity community. In October, a jury found Sullivan guilty of obstr
  
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• Westinghouse Unveils Small Modular Nuclear Reactor

  05-05-2023 15:00 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. company Westinghouse unveiled plans on Thursday for a small modular reactor to generate virtually emissions-free electricity that could replace coal plants or power water desalinization and other industries. Rita Baranwal, the Westinghouse Electricity Co's top technology officer, said the reactor, dubbed AP300 for its planned 300 Megawatt capacity, will not use special fuels or liquid metal coolants unlike some other next-generation reactors
  
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• New York State Is Set To Ban Fossil Fuels In New Construction Starting In 2026

  05-05-2023 12:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  New York is expected to be the first state in the U.S. to phase in a ban on fossil fuel equipment in new construction. The ban is included in the $229 billion state budget deal and will likely take effect in 2026 for most new buildings under seven stories and in 2029 for larger buildings. NPR reports: New gas stoves or propane furnaces would be a thing of the past under the proposal, which would require homes and businesses to be fully electric starting in 2026. Existing buildings would be unaff
  
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• Europe's Major Satellite Players Line Up To Build Starlink Competitor

  05-05-2023 09:00 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Eric Berger writes via Ars Technica: A consortium of nearly every major European satellite company announced Tuesday that it plans to bid for a proposed satellite constellation to provide global communications. Essentially, such a constellation would provide the European Union with connectivity from low-Earth orbit similar to what SpaceX's Starlink offers. The bid, which includes large players such as Airbus Defence and Space, Eutelsat, SES, and Thales Alenia Space, comes in response to a reques
  
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• Mexico Considers the 40-Hour Workweek

  05-05-2023 05:30 via slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Axios: Mexico is debating shortening its workweek from 48 hours to 40, but not everyone is on board. The Mexican bill made it out of committee last week, and it likely has the votes to pass when the legislative session restarts in September. In Mexico, cutting the workweek from the current 48 hours would give workers an extra day off per week. More than 40% of Mexicans (PDF) work six days a week, according to the national statistics institute."We want wor
  
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• The 2023 Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees

  05-05-2023 04:02 via games.slashdot.org
  
  Slashdot reader Dave Knott shares the four class of 2023 inductees into the Video Game Hall Of Fame. They were announced today at The Strong National Museum of Play. From the press release: Barbie Fashion Designer : "The 1996 hit Barbie Fashion Designer emerged at a time when many games were marketed to male players. Published by Digital Domain/Mattel Media, it proved that a computer game targeted to girls could succeed, selling more than 500,000 copies in two months. The game helped greatly exp
  
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• Porn VPN Searches Soar In Utah Amid Age Verification Bill

  05-05-2023 03:25 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Internet users are turning to VPN services as a means to circumvent Utah's new law requiring porn sites to verify users' ages. The spike in VPN searches appears to be directly related to Pornhub's decision on Tuesday to completely disable its websites for people living in the state. TechRadar reports: Google searches for virtual private networks (VPNs) have been skyrocketing since, with a peak registered on May 3, the day the new law came into force. By downloading a VPN service, pornography fan
  
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• El Salvador President Signs Law Eliminating Taxes On Tech Innovations

  05-05-2023 02:45 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  Following the announcement of the bill in March, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele signed a law today eliminating income, property, capital gains, and other tariffs on technology innovations. Watcher Guru reports: The announcement reinforces El Salvador's perspective as a haven for technology development. Additionally, Bukele stated that the new act protects "technology innovations, software and app programming, AI, computer, and communications hardware manufacturing."The Innovations and Techno
  
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• Waymo Doubles Robotaxi Service Area In Phoenix

  05-05-2023 02:02 via tech.slashdot.org
  
  Waymo is doubling its commercial robotaxi service area in the Phoenix metro area to include Scottsdale, nearly all of Tempe and larger sections of Chandler and Mesa. The updated service area is 180 square miles, or about one-third of the 517-square-mile Phoenix metro area. "Importantly, it connects downtown to Arizona State University in Tempe and other East Valley suburbs," adds TechCrunch. From the report: The former Google self-driving project under Alphabet is also adding a second location t
  
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• Report: Microsoft is Partnering with AMD on Athena AI Chipset

  05-05-2023 01:40 via hardware.slashdot.org
  
  According to Bloomberg (paywalled), Microsoft is helping finance AMD's expansion into AI chips. Meanwhile, AMD is working with Microsoft to create an in-house chipset, codenamed Athena, for the software giant's data centers. Paul Thurrott reports: Athena is designed as a cost-effective replacement for AI chipsets from Nvidia, which currently dominates this market. And it comes with newfound urgency as Microsoft's ChatGPT-powered Bing chatbot workloads are incredibly expensive using third-party c
  
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• Apple Reports Better-Than-Expected Quarter Driven By iPhone Sales

  05-05-2023 01:10 via mobile.slashdot.org
  
  Apple reported stronger-than-anticipated iPhones sales in its second-fiscal quarter earnings report today."The highlight of Apple's report was iPhone sales, which grew from the year-ago quarter even as the broader smartphone industry contracted nearly 15% during the same time," reports CNBC, citing an IDC estimate. "IPhone revenue grew 2% during the quarter, suggesting that parts shortages and supply chain issues that had hampered the product for the last few years, including an iPhone factory s
  
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• Ransomware Attack Forces Dallas To Shut Down Courts, Disrupts Some 911 Services

  05-05-2023 00:40 via yro.slashdot.org
  
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: The City of Dallas in Texas has confirmed a ransomware attack has downed key services, including 911 dispatch systems. City officials confirmed on Wednesday that a number of the city's servers had "been compromised with ransomware," causing widespread service outages. The Dallas Police Department (DPD) website is currently offline. The City of Dallas website displays a message stating that "the City is experiencing a service outage and is work
  
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• EU Urged To Protect Grassroots AI Research or Risk Losing Out To US

  05-05-2023 00:00 via news.slashdot.org
  
  The EU has been warned that it risks handing control of artificial intelligence to US tech firms if it does not act to protect grassroots research in its forthcoming AI bill. From a report: In an open letter coordinated by the German research group Laion, or Large-scale AI Open Network, the European parliament was told that "one-size-fits-all" rules risked eliminating open research and development. "Rules that require a researcher or developer to monitor or control downstream use could make it i
  
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