Technology - Kalakshar US

The Morning After: Microsoft’s Surface Pro Copilot+ is the best Surface tablet yet

Twelve years on, Microsoft has finally made an Arm-powered Surface tablet that doesn’t send our reviewers into a rage. The 2024 Surface Pro, or the Surface Pro Copilot+, is the fastest and most efficient Microsoft tablet we’ve seen, especially when paired with its Flex keyboard. The new OLED screen is great, and its NPU allows for powerful AI features.

Engadget

However, those much-hyped AI features are far less compelling than the one-two punch of speed and solid battery life. (Take note: That’s most of what we want, laptop/tablet makers.) You can use Cocreator in Paint to generate AI images alongside text prompts and doodles, and the device can translate 40-plus languages into English using Windows 11’s Live Captions feature. The controversial Recall capability, meant to help you find anything you were doing on your computer through a natural conversation, is nowhere to be seen. There are security concerns other accounts could get into your Recall data.

A shame the keyboards are sold separately, though. Check out the full review right here.

— Mat Smith

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This cute/creepy pink blob could lead to realistic robot skin

Smile.

University of Tokyo

A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo and Harvard University is investigating how to create humanoid robots with skin that feels real. The process includes creating partly terrifying and partly adorable experimental machines with skin, like this smiley face. Broadly, the process tries to attach the skin to a layer beneath it, like real skin. The technique is called perforation-type anchors.

Continue reading.

An AI-generated Al Michaels will read you personalized Olympic recaps

Ah, the future.

Of course, AI nonsense will be connected to this year’s Olympics. “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” will let you choose your favorite sports and highlight types for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and an AI-generated Michaels will read a 10-minute customized recap of the previous day’s events based on your preferences. In fairness, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the AI-generated speech from Michaels’ real voice.

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Amazon is reportedly working on a new AI chatbot

Metis could be available as early as September.

Amazon may be working hard on a new chatbot called Metis. The company is using a different generation model, called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). RAG “redirects the LLM to retrieve relevant information from authoritative, predetermined knowledge sources.” This means the model can tap into data that can be updated separately without retraining and could allow it to access up-to-date information. According to a Business Insider report, the model would be for consumers, not businesses, where it’s already offering its Amazon Q AI model.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-surface-pro-copilot-is-the-best-surface-tablet-yet-111534749.html?src=rss

Meta’s Oversight Board made just 53 decisions in 2023

The Oversight Board has published its latest annual report looking at its influence on Meta and ability to shift the policies that govern Facebook and Instagram. The board says that in 2023 it received 398,597 appeals, the vast majority of which came from Facebook users. But it took on only a tiny fraction of those cases, issuing a total of 53 decisions.

The board suggests, however, that the cases it selects can have an outsize impact on Meta’s users. For example, it credits its work for influencing improvements to Meta’s strike system and the “account status” feature that helps users check if their posts have violated any of the company’s rules.

Sussing out the board’s overall influence, though, is more complicated. The group says that between January of 2021 and May of 2024, it has sent a total of 266 recommendations to Meta. Of those, the company has fully or partially implemented 75, and reported “progress” on 81. The rest have been declined, “omitted or reframed,” or else Meta has claimed some level of implementation but hasn’t offered proof to the board. (There are five recommendations currently awaiting a response.) Those numbers raise some questions about how much Meta is willing to change in response to the board it created.

Oversight Board

Notably, the report has no criticism for Meta and offers no analysis of Meta’s efforts (or lack thereof) to comply with its recommendations. The report calls out a case in which it recommended that Meta suspend the former prime minister of Cambodia for six months, noting that it overturned the company’s decision to leave up a video that could have incited violence. But the report makes no mention of the fact that Meta declined to suspend the former prime minister’s account and declined to further clarify its rules for public figures.

The report also hints at thorny topics the board may take on in the coming months. It mentions that it wants to look at content “demotion,” or what some Facebook and Instagram users may call “shadowbans” (the term is a loaded one for Meta, which has repeatedly denied that its algorithms intentionally punish users for no reason). “One area we are interested in exploring is demoted content, where a platform limits a post’s visibility without telling the user,” the Oversight Board writes.

For now, it’s not clear exactly how the group could tackle the issue. The board’s purview currently allows it to weigh in on specific pieces of content that Meta has removed or left up after a user appeal. But it’s possible the board could find another way into the issue. A spokesperson for the Oversight Board notes that the group expressed concern about demoted content in its opinion on content related to the Israel-Hamas war. “This is something the board would like to further explore as Meta’s decisions around demotion are pretty opaque,” the spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-oversight-board-made-just-53-decisions-in-2023-100017750.html?src=rss

Check out what Microsoft’s Keystone streaming device might have been

Microsoft leadership has been putting a lot of weight on Game Pass, and several of its business decisions of late appear to center on getting more people into that subscription service. One of those projects was called Keystone, a dedicated streaming device that would let Game Pass customers play Xbox titles without an Xbox console. After first announcing the concept in 2021, the project was eventually deemed too expensive. That team instead shifted focus to a smart TV streaming app, leaving Keystone to disappear into the void. Today, Windows Central uncovered a patent that showed what the Keystone might have looked like.

This patent filing has more detail than we ever got from the Xbox leadership about the project. The only glimpse we’d seen before now was in a teaser image Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer shared back in 2022. But we can now see that the squat, square device would have had a circle pattern on the top and circular plate on the bottom. It also had the expected cable ports and what looks like a controller pairing button.

Microsoft has made a lot of pitches for new hardware recently, but few of them seem to be sticking the landing. Even the company’s announcement of Xbox hardware refreshes at the latest Summer Games Fest fell short of expectations after a leak had hinted at much bigger plans. Hopefully Xbox can get a big win on the hardware side soon. For now, getting a glimpse of what might have been is neat backstory to have about the company and its development process.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/check-out-what-microsofts-keystone-streaming-device-might-have-been-224031677.html?src=rss

‘Dead Rising’ is back with a new Deluxe Remaster

Capcom announced a new remaster of its 2006 zombie smasher Dead Rising. The new update, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, is currently scheduled for a release this year on “the newest generation of platforms.” We can assume that means at least the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, though it may hit previous-gen consoles as well. Both Frank West and the Willamette Parkview Mall are looking great (although Frank seems to have a different voice in this version). This project looks like a big rebuild with completely redone assets, but we don’t have any confirmation yet about the extent of the possible changes afoot. Check out the teaser above to see the differences.

This is the second time Capcom has overhauled the look of this fan-favorite title. It received an HD remaster in 2016 that marked the original’s ten-year anniversary, with updates that brought Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record into the modern era to run at 1080p and 60 fps. But gaming hardware has made even more leaps forward since then, so the Deluxe Remaster could up the ante to 4K, or possibly add in some HDR so that those blood splatters look extra vivid. After all, Frank’s a photographer. Gotta go for the best image quality.

It’s been a quiet couple years from the Dead Rising team. After releasing DLC for Dead Rising 4, the only other big news was that Capcom had closed down the Capcom Vancouver studio responsible for the franchise. After weathering the layoffs that have been plaguing so much of the games business, it’s heartening to see some care still being given to this goofy, campy series.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-rising-is-back-with-a-new-deluxe-remaster-210535941.html?src=rss

Apple’s self-repair diagnostics tool expands to Europe

Apple is expanding access to its web-based diagnostic tool. The software (officially called “Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair”) is now available in 32 European countries, including the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. They join the US, where the tool arrived in December.

As Apple describes it, the software “gives users the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test products for optimal parts functionality and performance.” It currently supports iPhone, Mac and Studio Display.

The tool can scan the device for display, camera, Face ID, software integration and audio output issues and tell you which parts may need repair. This is part of Apple’s recent push to be friendlier to self-servicing, likely to try to head off regulations.

The only catch is the diagnostics require a second Apple device. Both products need to be running iOS 17 or later or macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later. Beta software is a no-go. (Sorry, iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia early adopters.)

After initiating the process at this website from the second device, the tested one will be put into Diagnostics mode, and you can follow the prompts from there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-diagnostics-tool-expands-to-europe-202453216.html?src=rss

Chrome for mobile adds handy action shortcuts for local businesses

Google is making subtle quality-of-life improvements to the Chrome mobile apps. The Android and iOS versions of the browser now offer quicker access to crucial info, trending searches and live sports scores in the Discovery Feed.

Chrome Actions, preset tasks that appear in the browser’s address bar when cued by trigger words, now include one for local businesses. When you search for something like a nearby restaurant, a shortcut will appear at the top of the bar showing the eatery’s name and address, along with buttons to call, get directions or read reviews.

The feature is available now in Chrome for Android, and Google says it will arrive on iOS this fall.

Google

Chrome mobile is also getting new usage-based shortcut suggestions. If you typically type a particular phrase to get to a specific website, the browser will learn it and include a link to it high in your search suggestions. As the example above shows, if you usually enter “schedules” to see the City Metro’s webpage, its link will appear more prominently in the recommendations.

Mobile Chrome’s Discover Feed, the contextual cards you see when opening a new tab or the Google app on mobile, will now include live sports scores. When a team Google has learned that you like is playing, a Discover card now shows the live score, which will be automatically updated.

Trending searches, something Android devices already show in the Chrome address bar (before you type anything), are now available on iOS. Finally, the browser’s tablet address bar better matches the company’s Material You design language. The bar on tablets also now includes the current website at the top — always visible — to make it easier to stay put.

You can read more about Google’s Chrome additions on the company’s blog.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chrome-for-mobile-adds-handy-action-shortcuts-for-local-businesses-192248053.html?src=rss

Clickolding, from the I Am Your Beast devs, looks like a clicking nightmare

There’s about to be a new clicking game in town, and this one looks like an absolute nightmare (in a good way.) Clickolding, which seems to derive its name from cuckolding, is described on Steam as a “dark incremental narrative game about thumbing a tally counter to satisfy the distressing masked man sitting in the corner of your hotel room.” Yikes.

There’s a trailer and it only adds to the whole unsettling feeling surrounding this game. There is indeed a distressing masked man sitting in the corner of a hotel room demanding that you click a tally counter. There’s something… violent and almost sexual about the whole thing. What happens when you click enough? Do you get a bag of money? Does he explode? Do you explode? Does it turn into a new entry in the Saw franchise? I guess we’ll find out on July 16, which is when the game is set to release on PC.

Of course, clickers aren’t exactly high art, but this one is developed by Strange Scaffold, the company behind El Paso, Elsewhere, I Am Your Beast and Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, among others. So we have some hope that the game could turn the simple clicking formula into something unique. It’s also being published by Outersloth, an indie game fund started by the creators of Among Us. With that pedigree, there’s no way Clickolding ends up being a standard clicker. Did we mention the creepy guy in the corner? He also has a gun.

It’s rare that a clicking game becomes a bona-fide phenomenon, but it’s not unheard of. Just last week, one called Banana rose to the top of the Steam charts. That one didn’t have a creepy guy in a hotel room, but did offer the potential to make actual money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/clickolding-from-the-i-am-your-beast-devs-looks-like-a-clicking-nightmare-180504296.html?src=rss

Welcome to the future, where AI-generated Al Michaels reads you personalized Olympic recaps

Who among us hasn’t lied awake at night during past Olympics, longing for personalized daily event summaries read in the dulcet tones of legendary sports broadcaster Al Michaels? Well, our moment has finally come. “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” will let you choose your favorite sports and highlight types for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and an AI-generated Michaels will read a 10-minute customized recap of the previous day’s events based on your preferences.

Michaels said he was understandably reluctant when NBC asked for his approval, but he ultimately came around to the AI-fueled vision. “When I was approached about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” the Hall of Fame broadcaster said. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, ‘I’m in.’”

Peacock shared a demo of one of the recaps with Engadget, and it’s easy to see why the Hall of Fame broadcaster came around. You’d be hard-pressed to tell the AI-generated speech from Michaels’ real voice. Even the clone’s subtle rhythms and intonations sound distinctly like him.

NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal says it trained AI Al on Michaels’ past appearances on NBC. The 79-year-old currently calls play-by-play for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football and holds an emeritus role for NBC Sports, where he’s worked since 2006.

Peacock’s recaps will draw from what it says will be 5,000 hours of live coverage from this summer’s games. They will cover up to 40 concurrent daily Olympic events and have the potential for “nearly 7 million personalized variants.”

NBCUniversal says its editors will review all of the customized content — including audio and clips — before sending it to users. If enough people sign up, that sounds like quite the undertaking. But given the embarrassing mistakes we’ve seen previous AI gimmicks make, it’s probably a wise choice.

You can opt into the recaps starting on July 27, when the first edition will summarize the previous day’s Opening Ceremony. The 2024 Summer Olympics kick off on July 26 in Paris. After the torch is lit, you can sign up for the recaps on Peacock’s Olympics website (it supports Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge) and in the Peacock mobile app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/welcome-to-the-future-where-ai-generated-al-michaels-reads-you-personalized-olympic-recaps-170022286.html?src=rss

An ID verification service that works with TikTok and X left its credentials wide open for a year

An ID verification company that works on behalf of TikTok, X and Uber, among others, has left a set of administrative credentials exposed for more than a year, as reported by 404 Media. The Israel-based AU10TIX verifies the identity of users by using pictures of their faces and drivers’ licenses, potentially opening up both to hackers.

“My personal reading of this situation is that an ID Verification service provider was entrusted with people’s identities and it failed to implement simple measures to protect people’s identities and sensitive ID documents,” Mossab Hussein, the chief security officer at cybersecurity firm spiderSilk who originally noticed the exposed credentials, said.

🔍🕸️ The latest discovery by spiderSilk covering an incident affecting AU10TIX.

Thanks @josephfcox for covering this. https://t.co/hoiV95B6XT

— Mossab Hussein (@mossab_hussein) June 26, 2024

The set of admin credentials that were left exposed led right to a logging platform, which in turn included links to identity documents. There’s even some reason to suspect that bad actors got ahold of these credentials and actually used them.

They appear to have been scooped up by malware in December 2022 and placed on a Telegram channel in March 2023, according to timestamps and messages acquired by 404 Media. The news organization downloaded the credentials and found a wealth of passwords and authentication tokens linked to someone who lists their role on LinkedIn as a Network Operations Center Manager at AU10TIX.

If hackers got ahold of customer data, it would include a user’s name, date of birth, nationality, ID number and images of uploaded documents. It’s pretty much all an internet gollum would need to steal an identity. All they would have to do is snatch up the credentials, log in and start wreaking havoc. Yikes.

AU10TIX has issued a statement on the matter, writing that the “data was potentially accessible” but that it sees “no evidence that such data has been exploited.” The company said that impacted customers have been notified and that it’s decommissioning the current operating system in favor of a new one that focuses more on security.

Some of its partners switched verification companies before this issue popped up. A spokesperson for Upwork said that it has “been working with a different service provider for some time now.” X, however, just signed up with AU10TIX back in September and it uses government-issued IDs to verify premium users. Others, like Fiverr and Coinbase have said they aren’t aware of any data exposure, though they still work with AU10TIX.

Dumping customer data on Telegram or on the dark web has become the most popular way for hackers to do their thing. Back in late March, over 73 million AT&T passwords were leaked onto the dark web. LoanDepot experienced a similar issue this year, as did the US Department of Defense.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-id-verification-service-that-works-with-tiktok-and-x-left-its-credentials-wide-open-for-a-year-171258438.html?src=rss

A Meta ‘error’ broke the political content filter on Threads and Instagram

Earlier this year, Meta made the controversial decision to automatically limit political content from users’ recommendations in Threads and Instagram by default. The company said that it didn’t want to “proactively amplify” political posts and that users could opt-in via their Instagram settings if they did want to see such content.

But, it turns out, that Meta continued to limit political content even for users who had opted in to seeing it. An unspecified “error” apparently caused the “political content” toggle — already buried several layers deep into Instagram’s settings menu — to revert back to the “limit” setting each time the app closed. Political content, according to Meta, “is likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large.”