Category: Technology

As if October wasn’t already going to be busy enough for new games. Publisher 505 Games has revealed that Ghostrunner 2, the sequel to a terrific cyberpunk platformer from 2020, will arrive on October 26th. It will be available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders are open and those who snap up the Brutal Edition will get access 48 hours early.

The latest entry in the series takes place one year after the events of Ghostrunner. You’ll once again play as Jack, a cyberninja who has to slice and dice his way up through an imposing tower. Ghostrunner is a fast-paced, often-tough game in which you parkour around treacherous environments. Jack dies often, but instant respawns, frequent checkpoints and accessibility options are helpful.

The sequel from One More Level seems to build on that foundation with new features such as a motorbike and dialogue choices. This is one of my most anticipated games of the year, so it’s a real shame that it might get buried under the onslaught of blockbusters that are arriving in October.

Ghostrunner 2 will be going right up against Alan Wake 2 (October 27th) — Epic Games and Remedy last week delayed their game by 10 days to get out of the way of major titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Also coming in October are games including Assassin’s Creed Mirage (which also moved release dates to stake out its own spot on the calendar), Detective Pikachu Returns, Forza Motorsport, Lords of the Fallen and Cities Skylines II.

On top of those, many people will still be knees deep in the likes of Starfield,Armored Core VI and perhaps Immortals of Aveum by the time Ghostrunner 2 arrives. Given the abundance of games coming out in the next couple months, perhaps waiting an extra few weeks wouldn’t be a bad idea.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyberpunk-platformer-ghostrunner-2-arrives-on-october-26th-160645966.html?src=rss 

YouTube is quickly becoming a home for AI-generated music, and the service is trying to strike a balance between the technology’s fans and the labels eager to protect their copyrights. The company and partners like Universal Music Group (UMG) have unveiled a set of principles for AI music. In theory, the approach encourages adoption while keeping artists paid.

To start, YouTube maintains that “AI is here” and that it must have a “responsible” strategy. Accordingly, it’s forming a Music AI Incubator that will influence the company’s strategy. UMG and artists it represents (including Rosanne Cash, Yo Gotti and Frank Sinatra’s estate) will help gather insights from YouTube’s AI experiments.

YouTube also says AI music must include “appropriate protections” against copyright violations, and must also provide “opportunities” for partners who want to get involved. While the video giant hasn’t detailed what this will entail, it suggests it will build on the Content ID system that helps rights holders flag their material. On top of this, YouTube claims it will scale its content policies and safety structure to adapt to AI. The firm already has systems in place to catch copyright abuse, misinformation and other violations, but intends to pour more resources into those methods.

The principles are currently vague and don’t do much to change YouTube’s stance. More details are due in the months ahead, however, including policies, particular technologies and monetization for creators.

Generative AI is increasingly popular for unauthorized collaborations and mashups (including for UMG artists like Drake and Frank Sinatra), but it’s also finding legitimate uses. The surviving members of The Beatles are using AI to create a ‘final’ song from a John Lennon recording, while electronic artist Holly Herndon covered Dolly Parton using an AI voice. UMG itself is exploring AI-made soundscapes. YouTube’s principles could help it profit from legal productions while dodging lawsuits from artists and labels worried about ripoffs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-wants-to-benefit-from-ai-generated-music-without-the-copyright-headaches-162247510.html?src=rss 

You now have an easier way to control your Tesla from your iPhone. Not a Tesla Appnotes the latest version of Tesla’s iOS software now supports Shortcuts actions, making some common tasks available through Siri in addition to on-screen taps and widgets. You can use Apple’s voice assistant for simple tasks like opening the trunks or windows through to special modes. If you’ve ever wanted to activate Bioweapon Defense Mode by talking to your phone, it’s now an option.

Shortcuts also enable automations, so you can string together multiple tasks or perform those tasks on set schedules. You can create a panic mode that flashes lights, honks the horn and closes windows all at the same time, for instance, or automatically warm the cabin before your morning commute.

The available commands aren’t comprehensive, and include features you probably aren’t going to use – you don’t really need a shortcut for an emissions test. This could still be significantly more convenient than wading through the Tesla app, however. It’s also notable that there isn’t any official integration with Alexa or Google Assistant as of this writing, so Android users will have to put in more work to go hands-free.

This app update doesn’t give Tesla cars a built-in voice control system. You’ll need to turn to cars from the likes of Mercedes or Volvo if you want to talk directly to your vehicle. It does bring voice into the equation, though, and may be appreciated if you’d rather not wade through the official app to handle common functions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-iphone-app-can-now-control-your-car-through-siri-144718131.html?src=rss 

A federal judge has agreed with US government officials that a piece of artificial intelligence-generated art isn’t eligible for copyright protection in the country since there was no human authorship involved. “Copyright has never stretched so far […] as to protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand, as plaintiff urges here,” Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in the ruling, which The Hollywood Reporter obtained. “Human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright.”

Dr. Stephen Thaler sued the US Copyright Office after the agency rejected his second attempt to copyright an artwork titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise (pictured above) in 2022. The USCO agreed that the work was generated by an AI model that Thaler calls the Creativity Machine. The computer scientist applied to copyright the work himself, describing the piece “as a work-for-hire to the owner of the Creativity Machine.” He claimed that the USCO’s “human authorship” requirement was unconstitutional.

Howell cited rulings in other cases in which copyright protection was denied to artwork that lacked human involvement, such as the famous case of a monkey that managed to capture a few selfies. “Courts have uniformly declined to recognize copyright in works created absent any human involvement,” the judge wrote.

The judge noted that the growing influence of generative AI will lead to “challenging questions” about the level of human input that’s required to meet the bar for copyright protection, as well as how original artwork created by systems trained on copyrighted pieces can truly be (an issue that’s the subject of several other legal battles). 

However, Howell indicated that Thaler’s case wasn’t an especially complex one, since he admitted that he wasn’t involved in the creation of A Recent Entrance to Paradise. “In the absence of any human involvement in the creation of the work, the clear and straightforward answer is the one given by the [Federal] Register: No,” Howell ruled. Thaler plans to appeal the decision.

According to Bloomberg, this is the first ruling in the US on copyright protections for AI-generated art, though it’s an issue that the USCO has been contending with for some time. In March, the agency issued guidance on copyrighting AI-generated images that are based on text prompts — generally, they’re not eligible for copyright protection. The agency has offered some hope to generative AI enthusiasts, though. “The answer will depend on the circumstances, particularly how the AI tool operates and how it was used to create the final work,” the USCO said. “This is necessarily a case-by-case inquiry.”

The agency has also granted limited copyright protection to a graphic novel with AI-generated elements. It said in February that while the Midjourney-created images in Kris Kashtanova’s Zarya of the Dawn were not eligible to be copyrighted, the text and layout of the work were.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/judge-rules-that-ai-generated-art-isnt-copyrightable-since-it-lacks-human-authorship-150033903.html?src=rss 

After voicing Mario for the past 27 years, Charles Martinet will no longer be playing the character, Nintendo announced in a tweet this morning. He’ll be moving onto a newly created “Mario Ambassador” role where he’ll “continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario,” the company said. There’s no word about a replacement voice actor yet. Nintendo also announced that there will be a special video message featuring Martinet and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto coming in the future.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mario-voice-actor-charles-martinet-steps-down-143213923.html?src=rss 

This is a good moment to boost your console’s storage. Amazon is selling the WD Black 1TB C50 expansion card for Xbox Series X/S at a new low price of $127.49, or about 15 percent off. This is a lightning deal, so you’ll want to act quickly if you’re interested.

Like Seagate’s cards, the C50 expands your Xbox storage with a solid-state drive that’s as quick as the one built into the system — necessary to play Series X and S games. While Microsoft supports USB drives, those can only be used to either archive games or play legacy Xbox One titles. You’ll want a card like WD’s if you tend to have numerous recent games on the go.

This is a proprietary expansion format, so you can’t simply reuse the SSD in your computer or a rival console like the PlayStation 5. WD also doesn’t offer a 2TB card like Seagate does, so you’ll need to consider the competition if 1TB just isn’t enough. At this price, though, WD’s option is an easy choice if you’re happy with the extra headroom.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wds-1tb-xbox-storage-card-is-cheaper-than-ever-131017540.html?src=rss 

A Tesla data breach earlier this year affecting more than 75,000 people was caused by “insider wrongdoing,” according to a notification on Maine’s Attorney General website. The 75,735 people impacted were likely current or former Tesla employees. “While we have not identified evidence of misuse of the data in a manner that may cause harm to you, we are nonetheless providing you with this notice to ensure that you are aware of what happened and the measures we have taken,” the company wrote in a letter to employees.

The breach occurred on May 10th, when the German-language newspaper Handelsblatt said it received 100GB of data from “several informants” within Tesla. The “Tesla files” reportedly contained 23,000 internal files, containing 2,400 reports of self-acceleration issue and 1,500 cases of braking function problems. The latter included 139 complaints about unintentional emergency braking and 383 incidences of phantom stops from false collision warnings. 

In the employee letter, Tesla provided more information about the incident, confirming the May 10 breach date and that Handelsblatt had obtained Tesla confidential information. “The investigation revealed that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Tesla’s IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media outlet.” 

The data also included employee names and contact information including physical addresses, email addresses and mobile phone numbers. “The outlet has stated that it does not intend to publish the personal information, and in any event, is legally prohibited from using it inappropriately,” Tesla stated. It added that several lawsuits resulted in the seizure of devices thought to carry the data, and that it had “obtained court orders that prohibit the former employees from further use, access, or dissemination of the data.”

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe into Tesla’s phantom braking issue following owner complaints. And in August 2022, it was reported that Tesla is facing a class-action lawsuit over the same problem. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-says-data-breach-that-affected-over-75000-people-was-caused-by-insider-wrongdoing-121756644.html?src=rss 

Dr. John Warnock, who co-founded the revolutionary company Adobe, has died aged 82, Adobe announced on Saturday. He is survived by his wife, Marva Warnock, and three children; no cause of death has been released. 

“It is with profound sadness that I share that our beloved co-founder Dr. John Warnock passed away at the age of 82,” wrote Adobe Chair and CEO Shantanu Narayen. “John has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest inventors in our generation with significant impact on how we communicate in words, images and videos.”

Warnock created Adobe with the late Dr. Charles Geschke in 1982, and served as the company’s CEO until 2000, remaining co-chairman with Geschke until 2017 (Geschke passed in 2021). The company’s original logo was created by Marva Warnock, and Adobe released its debut product, the desktop publishing software Adobe Postscript, in 1984. 

Adobe went on to launch Photoshop in 1987. It subsequently developed the PDF file format, and released widely used applications like Illustrator, Lightroom, Premiere Pro and After Effects. To that end, the company helped launch the desktop publishing revolution in the ’80s, and offers key tools used for the web, video/audio editing and visual effects used in film and television. 

Warnock was one of the rare CEOs with high-level technical skills. In his 1969 doctoral thesis, he invented the Warnock algorithm for hidden surface determination. He later worked with Geschke at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, but was unable to convince management to commercialize the InterPress graphics language. That led the pair to form Adobe, where they subsequently created PostScript and released it for Apple’s LaserWriter in 1985. Warnock also invented Adobe Illustrator, a drawing program that uses vectors rather than pixels to describe images. 

“My interactions with John over the past 25 years have been the highlight of my professional career,” wrote Narayen. “At breakfasts with John and Chuck, we would imagine the future, however, it was our varied conversations on rare books, art, world history and politics that gave me unique insight into John, who was truly a renaissance man.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-co-founder-dr-john-warnock-has-passed-away-at-82-102540052.html?src=rss