Wednesday, 26 April 2023

Nvidia Releases Software Tools for AI Chatbots to Curb Unwanted Responses, Dangerous Information

Nvidia, a major supplier of chips and computing systems for artificial intelligence, on Tuesday, released a set of software tools aimed at helping chatbots watch their language.

Nvidia's chips have helped companies like Microsoft add human-like chat features to search engines like Bing. But the chatbots can still be unpredictable and say things their creators wish they did not.

Microsoft in February limited users to five questions per session with its Bing search engine after the New York Times reported the system gave unsettling responses during long conversations.

Nvidia's software tools, provided free of charge, are designed to help companies guard against unwanted responses from chatbots. Some of those uses are straightforward - the maker of a customer service chatbot might not want the system to mention products from its competitors.

But the Nvidia tools are also designed to help AI system creators put into place important safety measures, such as ensuring that chatbots do not respond with potentially dangerous information such as how to create weapons or send users to unknown links that could contain computer viruses.

US lawmakers have called for regulations around AI systems as apps like ChatGPT have surged in popularity. Few legal rules or industry standards exist on how to make AI systems safe.

Jonathan Cohen, vice president of applied research at Nvidia, said the company aims to provide tools to put those standards into software code if and when they do arrive, whether through industry consensus or regulation.

"I think it's difficult to talk about standards if you don't have a way to implement them," he said. "If standards emerge, then there'll be good place to put them."

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Twitter Says It Removed 6.5 Million Pieces of Content in First Half of 2022 Before Elon Musk's Takeover

Twitter on Tuesday said it required users to take down over 6.5 million pieces of content in the first half of 2022, before the social media platform was taken over by billionaire Elon Musk, a 29 percent increase from the second half of 2021.

Twitter disclosed the number of content removals in a blog post on the same day the European Union said the social media platform would be among 19 tech companies subject to new landmark rules that require them to share data with authorities, do more to tackle disinformation and conduct external and independent auditing.

Failure to comply with the rules - some of the world's strictest regulations on online platforms - could result in fines of up to 6 percent of global revenue or even a ban from operating in the EU, according to the European Commission's website.

Before Musk purchased Twitter in October and cut roughly 80 percent of its staff, Twitter normally published twice-yearly reports on its Transparency Center website, detailing information such as the number of accounts it suspended and the number of government requests it received for data.

Twitter's update on Tuesday came in the form of a short blog post, and the company said it would give an update about its "path forward for transparency reporting" later this year.

Publishing transparency reports is one of the requirements under the EU's new internet rules.

The company said it received 53,000 legal requests from governments during the first half of 2022 to remove certain content, with Japan, South Korea, Turkey and India submitting the most requests.

Twitter did not disclose the number of requests it complied with.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Apple is opening its first stores in India, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. What does this mean for Apple customers in India? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Tuesday, 25 April 2023

The Flash Trailer: Michael Keaton’s Batman Springs Into Action in a Multiversal Battle

The Flash just got a new trailer in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. At this year's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, Warner Bros. dropped the second trailer for the standalone 'Scarlet Speedster' movie, which will serve as the reset point for the DC Universe, drawing inspiration from the Flashpoint storyline. Michael Keaton's Batman gets a lot more screentime here, as he touches upon the often talked about pas of Bruce Wayne, and teams up with the two Barry Allens (Ezra Miller) on a dangerous mission to thwart General Zod. The Flash releases June 16 in theatres worldwide, with the release having been brought forward to avoid clashing with Disney's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The Flash trailer

The trailer for The Flash opens with a voiceover from Bruce Wayne (Keaton), as we see two versions of Barry Allen (Miller) walking through the mist into Wayne Manor. “I lost my parents. That pain made me who I am,” he says, as we're treated to glimpses of his Batcave. “I spent a lifetime trying to right the wrongs of the past… as if fighting crime would bring my parents back.” We then cut to Bruce opening the doors to his “Bat-closet” of sorts, donning long, scraggly hair, hinting that he's been out of action for a while. The Flash trailer then offers some context to Barry's plight; having discovered Speed Force at the end of Zack Snyder's Justice League, he decided to turn back time and save his parents. However, being an unstable energy source and messing around with time throws him into a world with no metahumans. Meaning, when General Zod (Michael Shannon) arrives on planet Earth, there is no Superman to save the day.

The Flash Hindi trailer

The Flash Tamil trailer

The Flash Telugu trailer

Bruce cleans up, straps on his cape and cowl, and accepts Barry's request in assembling a team of heroes to fix the multiverse. At this point, it's too early to tell if the alternate version of Barry is good or evil, but he's seen in a makeshift Flash suit, working with our heroes. As General Zod wages war on Earth, The Flash trailer introduces Supergirl (Sasha Calle), the Kryptonian who is capable of going head-to-head against the massive threat. It's unclear what Zod's goal here is; in Man of Steel, he went up against Clark Kent/ Kal-El (Henry Cavill), But it appears that he doesn't even exist in this alternate timeline. Could the latter's role have been replaced with Supergirl? Only time will tell.

“You want to get nuts?”, Keaton's Bruce says, as our four heroes head onto the battlefield, offering assistance to the US military. “Let's get nuts.” The Flash trailer quickly switches to a sombre tone, offering glimpses of Barry making contact with his mother, Ben Affleck making his final appearance as Bruce Wayne, and Supergirl beating up Zod with ease. But it seems as though Zod's plan had already been set into motion, causing Barry/ The Flash to ensure that ‘nobody dies' on this mission. Could this be hinting at another Speed Force moment? I mean, our heroes sure look defeated.

The Flash speeds into theatres worldwide on June 16.


The Chromecast with Google TV that runs on Android TV is here. When will Google learn how to name products? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Vivo X90, Vivo X90 Pro Price in India, RAM and Storage Variants Leaked Ahead of Launch

Vivo's X90 series of camera-focussed premium smartphones are all set to be launched on April 26. The handsets according to a recent report will go on sale on Flipkart as a microsite for the same has already gone live on the retailer's website. The flagship phones have already been launched in Vivo's home market, China, in November and pack MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoCs. Just a day ahead of launch in India, there's now a report mentioning price tags of the Indian models.

A report by TheTechOutlook details not just the variants that are set to launch in India, but also their respective price tags. The source claims that the Vivo X90 will be available in two RAM and storage variants, while the Vivo X90 Pro will only be available in a single variant just like last year's X80 Pro model.

The Vivo X90 according to the source will be available in an 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant that is expected to be priced at Rs. 59,999, while the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage option will be priced at Rs. 63,999 in India. The Vivo X90 Pro will be available in a single 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant that is said to be available at Rs. 84,999 in India.

If the price tags turn out to be genuine, Vivo's pricing will seem a bit higher than its previous Vivo X80 series. The Vivo X80 series when launched in India last year, was priced from Rs. 54,999 for the Vivo X80 and Rs. 79,999 for the Vivo X80 Pro. The price rise is expected, as Samsung's Galaxy S23 series also saw a noticeable price bump when it launched earlier this year.

It remains to be seen if Vivo has tweaked the Chinese models to offer something different for the Indian market. In China, Vivo announced three models called the Vivo X90. The Vivo X90 and Vivo X90 Pro are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 SoC, while the more high-end Vivo X90 Pro Plus model has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

Vivo also recently announced its refreshed foldables lineup. This now includes the brand's first clamshell foldable called the Vivo X Flip, which like the more recently launched vertical foldables has a larger outer display. Vivo also announced an upgrade of the older Vivo X Fold Plus called the Vivo X Fold 2.


Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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ChatGPT Maker OpenAI Faces Scrutiny in Germany Over Use of Personal Data

Germany is joining other European countries in scrutinising the use of personal data by the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT and demanding answers from its US maker OpenAI, a regulator said Monday.

Regional data protection authorities in Europe's top economy have compiled a questionnaire for OpenAI and expect a response by June 11, said Marit Hansen, commissioner for the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.

"We want to know if a data protection impact assessment has been carried out and if the data protection risks are under control," Hansen told AFP.

"We are asking OpenAI for information on issues that stem from the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)."

German authorities want to verify whether OpenAI under EU law sufficiently informs people whose data is used by ChatGPT that they "have rights, for example to access, correct or even delete their data," she said.

It is also necessary to "clarify how these rights can be exercised", she said, adding that regulators were particularly concerned about the processing of data relating to minors.

"As soon as personal data of European citizens is processed, European data protection law must be respected," she said.

Italy temporarily banned the programme last month over allegations its data-gathering broke privacy laws. It has since asked OpenAI to adjust its chatbot so it could be back online in the country at the end of April.

France's regulator said earlier this month that it had opened a formal procedure after receiving five complaints, while Spain's AEPD data protection agency also said it had opened an inquiry into the software and its US owner.

The European Union's central data regulator has formed a task force to help countries harmonise their policies and address privacy concerns.

ChatGPT can generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, and has proved itself capable of passing some tough exams.

But it has been dogged by concerns that its talents could lead to widespread cheating in schools, supercharge disinformation on the web and replace human workers.

And the chatbot can only function if it is trained on vast datasets, raising concerns about where OpenAI gets its data and how that information is handled.


Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


from Gadgets 360 https://www.gadgets360.com/internet/news/chatgpt-data-protection-inquiry-germany-personal-data-use-openai-questionnaire-gdpr-regulation-3977217

Fastrack Revoltt FS1 Pro Smartwatch With 1.96-inch Arched Display Launched in India: Price, Features

Fastrack Revoltt FS1 Pro smartwatch with 1.96-inch AMOLED Arched Display has been launched in India. The smartwatch offers IP68 dust and water resistance, smart health monitors, activity trackers, and over 110+ sports modes. The display offers 410 X 502 pixels resolution. The watch comes with fast charging support and is claimed to offer a full day of use with just 10 minutes of charging. Fastrack's new smartwatch comes in three colourways - black, blue, and teal. It has support for 200+ watch faces and Bluetooth calling.

Fastrack Revoltt FS1 Pro price, availability

Fastrack Revoltt FS1 Pro price is set at Rs. 3,995 in India. The wearable will go on sale on April 27 via Flipkart. The Bluetooth calling smartwatch comes in three colour variants - black, blue, and teal.

Fastrack Revoltt FS1 Pro specifications, features

The newly launched Revoltt FS1 Pro from Fastrack comes with a 1.96-inch super AMOLED Arched Display, with 410 X 502pixels resolution. The smartwatch offers over 110+ sports modes as well as several smart health monitoring sensors like stress monitoring, auto sleep tracking, and 24x7 heart rate monitoring. It also supports over 200 watch faces.

The Revoltt FS1 Pro supports SingleSync Bluetooth calling, which is said to offer uninterrupted connectivity. In addition to this, the watch also features 2.5X NitroFast charging support, which is claimed to offer a full day of battery life with just 10 minutes of charging.

Moreover, the Revoltt FS1 Pro also supports smart notifications & AI voice assistant. It comes with IP68 dust and water resistance rating as well. More details such as battery life will be revealed once the watch goes on sale later this week.

Earlier this month, Fastrack unveiled the Limitless FS1 smartwatch in India at a price of Rs. 1,995. The smartwatch comes with Bluetooth calling support, and a 1.95-inch display. It is equipped with an advanced ATS chipset and offers over 150 watch faces and inbuilt Amazon Alexa support. The Fastrack Limitless FS1 is powered by a 300mAh battery that is said to offer a battery life of up to 10 days.


Are affordable smartwatches worth it? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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Apple vs Epic Games: US Appeals Court Says Apple's App Store Rules Don't Violate Antitrust Law

A US appeals court on Monday upheld a federal court's order that could force Apple to change payment practices in its App Store.

Apple said it may appeal the decision. The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a 2021 order in an antitrust case brought by "Fortnite" creator Epic Games that could require Apple to allow developers to provide links and buttons for third-party in-app payment options and avoid paying sales commissions to the iPhone maker.

Apple shares ended the day up slightly at $165.33 (roughly Rs. 13,500). The appeals court sided with Apple on nine other matters in the case, agreeing with the trial court that Apple's App Store rules do not violate antitrust laws and allowing its commissions of up 30 percent for in-app payments to stand.

"For the second time in two years, a federal court has ruled that Apple abides by antitrust laws at the state and federal levels," Apple said in a statement. "We respectfully disagree with the court's ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review."

Apple did not say whether it planned to appeal to a larger group of judges on the 9th Circuit or to the US Supreme Court. The company has 14 days to file its appeal. The trial court's orders will remain paused while any appeals unfold.

In a statement, Epic conceded that it lost on its antitrust claims, but said the trial court order "frees iOS developers to send consumers to the web to do business with them directly there. We're working on next steps."

While Epic lost at trial on most of its allegations that Apple violated antitrust laws, the trial judge did find that Apple violated California's unfair competition laws by barring developers from telling users about other ways to pay.

The trial court judge said Apple could no longer ban links and buttons to third-party payment options. But unlike competition authorities in several countries, the trial court judge gave no instructions on the manner in which Apple must allow those links or buttons, leaving open the possibility of future legal battles over how the changes must be made.

The appeals court said the trial court's order to Apple to change its behaviour was appropriate because it would be too difficult to put a price on the damages Apple's rule caused to Epic.

"The district court did not clearly err in finding that Epic suffered an injury for which monetary damages would be inadequate," the 9th Circuit wrote on Monday.

Apple has been forced to open up its in-app payment systems by competition authorities in other countries such as South Korea, the Netherlands and Japan.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


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