173004752
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Societies grow and change all the time, but it can be tough to think about big-picture shifts when you’re living through the practical details of the day to day. Take the recent popularity of large language models (LLMs). In the short term, we face important sociological questions about how they fit into the norms of everyday life. ... In the article “Exposure to Automation Explains Religious Declines,” authors Joshua Conrad Jackson, Kai Chi Yam, Pok Man Tang, Chris G. Sibley, and Adam Waytz review the findings from five studies. In one, their analysis of longitudinal data across 68 countries from 2006 to 2019 finds nations with higher stocks of industrial robots also tend to have lower proportions of people who say religion is an important part of their daily lives in surveys. ... Respondents who read about the capabilities of LLMs like ChatGPT showed “greater reductions in religious conviction than learning about scientific advances”
171768564
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
AI experts at leading universities favor creating a federal "Department of AI" or a global regulator to govern artificial intelligence over leaving that to Congress, the White House or the private sector.
The big picture: That's the top-level finding of the new Axios-Generation Lab-Syracuse University AI Experts Survey of computer science professors from top U.S. research universities.
The survey found experts split over when or if AI will escape human control — but unified in a view that the emerging technologies must be regulated.
- "Regulation" was the top response when asked what action would move AI in a positive direction.
- Just 1 in 6 said AI shouldn't or can't be regulated. Only a handful trust the private sector to self-regulate.
- About 1 in 5 predicted AI will "definitely" stay in human control. The rest were split between those saying AI will "probably" or "definitely" get out of human control and those saying "probably not."
164334188
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Two years ago, Audi announced its first big initiative called Project Artemis. The plan's marquee component is "to implement a new lighthouse project for Audi in record time," being "a highly efficient electric car scheduled to be on the road as early as 2024" on a brand new platform that would be shared with Porsche and Bentley. Parent Volkswagen Group said it wanted to become "as agile as in a racing team," removing the bureaucratic molasses and bottlenecks interfering with getting the best product on the road in the best time. However, in any grand venture, failure comes before success. Automobilwoche reports that Artemis is struggling through issues large enough to push the product plans back by years. The issue, as it was with the ID.3 lineup on the eve of that car's launch, is software.
163596044
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
China has enacted new regulation for the live-streaming industry, listing 31 prohibited conducts and raising the bar for influencers to speak out on specific topics, in the government’s latest effort to regulate the booming digital economy. The 18-point guideline, released Wednesday by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Department of Culture and Tourism, requires influencers to have relevant qualifications to cover some subjects, including law, finance, medicine and education discuss, although the authorities have not specified the necessary qualifications. The 31 prohibited conducts during live-streaming sessions include posting content that weakens or distorts the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the socialist system, or the country’s reform and opening-up. Other prohibited behaviors include using deepfake technologies to manipulate the images of party or state leaders and intentionally “building up” sensitive issues and attracting public attention. Live streamers are also prohibited from showing an extravagant lifestyle, such as showing luxury products and cash, the policy said.
132914560
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
BMW just announced a couple different tech initiatives. One is a software update for iDrive 7.0 that will be sent out wirelessly to BMWs equipped with that infotainment software. The second is an expansion of its ConnectedDrive Store, and it’s this second announcement that will likely draw criticism from future BMW buyers.
Why, you ask? Well, we’re sure you all remember the Apple CarPlay subscription method debacle. For a couple years, BMW forced buyers to pay a continuous fee for access to Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, whereas every other car company either made it free or charged upfront like a regular option on a car. BMW has since ended this subscription program and made Apple CarPlay standard on every new car, mostly because everybody yelled loudly enough about it.
This same model is making a return, but instead of CarPlay, BMW has announced its intentions to apply it to other comfort functions and driver assistance features. The details aren’t clear with the program yet, but BMW suggested that features like heated seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and others could be offered on temporary, subscription-based time periods. This means the equipment will be installed in the car, but you’d have to pay to gain access to it for months or years at a time.
The upshot? You’ll now have the ultimate in flexibility of use for some features. Maybe you don’t want heated seats in the summer, or maybe you just want to activate the adaptive cruise control before you go on a long road trip because you don’t regularly have a need for it. Also, the second owner of the car would then be able to activate features that the first owner didn’t necessarily want (and didn’t pay for) or vice versa.
The downsides are quite obvious. You just bought a $60,000 BMW, yet now you’re getting nickel and dimed for features that are installed, but not activated. Paying a continuous fee for Apple CarPlay access seemed silly, and this seems just as unsavory. It also changes our perspective on buying used cars. BMW will gain the ability to continue to charge folks for features on the second and third owners of its cars to keep features installed and up to date.
116715268
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Is there a talk-radio stream with "News for Nerds" & "Stuff that matters"? I would like some intellectual and interesting conversation as background noise to my workday. I need to mask open office sounds of squeaking chairs, endless phone call chatter, and other annoyances. I am looking for something more geeky and less political, though some political news thrown in is fine. The stream should also have a bare minimum of commercials, preferably none.
100050976
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Increasingly, though, individuals need to worry about another kind of privacy violation. I think of it as a modern tweak on the tragedy of the commons — call it “privacy of the commons.” It’s what happens when one person’s voluntary disclosure of personal information exposes the personal information of others who had no say in the matter. Your choices didn’t cause the breach. Your choices can’t prevent it, either. Welcome to a world where you can’t opt out of sharing, even if you didn’t opt in.
72093195
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Automakers are supporting provisions in copyright law that could prohibit home mechanics and car enthusiasts from repairing and modifying their own vehicles. In comments filed with a federal agency that will determine whether tinkering with a car constitutes a copyright violation, OEMs and their main lobbying organization say cars have become too complex and dangerous for consumers and third parties to handle. The dispute arises from a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that no one thought could apply to vehicles when it was signed into law in 1998. But now, in an era where cars are rolling computing platforms, the U.S. Copyright Office is examining whether provisions of the law that protect intellectual property should prohibit people from modifying and tuning their cars.
49696235
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
We all know — because we are being constantly reminded — that we are getting fat. Americans are at the forefront of the trend, but it is a transnational one. Apparently, it is also trans-species: Over the past 20 years, as the American people were getting fatter, so were America’s laboratory macaques, chimpanzees, vervet monkeys and mice, as well as domestic dogs, domestic cats, and domestic and feral rats from both rural and urban areas. Researchers examined records on those eight species and found that average weight for every one had increased. The marmosets gained an average of 9% per decade. Lab mice gained about 11% per decade. Chimps are doing especially badly: their average body weight had risen 35% per decade. What is causing the obesity era? Everything.
43680185
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Organizations like the EFF and ACLU have been raising the alarm over increased government surveillance of US citizens. Legislators haven't been quick to respond to concerns of government spying on citizens. But Texas legislators are apparently quite concerned that private citizens operating hobby drones might spot environmental violations by businesses. Representative Lance Gooden has introduced HB912 which proposes: "A person commits an offense if the person uses or authorizes the use of an unmanned vehicle or aircraft to capture an image without the express consent of the person who owns or lawfully occupies the real property captured in the image. ('Image' is defined as including any type of recorded telemetry from sensors that measure sound waves, thermal, infrared, ultraviolet, visible light, or other electromagnetic waves, odor, or other conditions.)" Can you foresee any unintended consequences if this proposal becomes law?
43178309
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
A federal judge has ruled that Batmobile replicas built by Mark Towle, of Gotham Garage infringe on copyrights and trademarks held by Warner Bros. Towle's attorney argued that US copyright law doesn't allow "useful articles" to be copyrighted. Zerner, in court documents, insisted that Warner Brothers' lawsuit claimed the entire Batmobile was protected including doors, seats and tires. The judge agreed, but then ruled the law does allow copyrighting of unique design elements of useful articles. The judge said, "Defendant did not copy the design of a mere car; he copied the Batmobile character. The fact that the unauthorized Batmoble replicas that Defendant manufactured – which are derivative works – may be 'useful articles' is irrelevant. A derivative work can still infringe the underlying copyrighted work even if the derivative work is not independently entitled to copyright protection." Expect other car manufacturers to put their cars into copyrighted works soon!
31268805
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
After more than 250,000 votes, Consumerist readers ultimately decided that the type of greed exhibited by EA is worse than Bank of America's avarice. Game-players have voted to send a message to Electronic Arts and the gaming business as a whole: Stop treating your loyal customers like crap... There have even been numerous accusations that EA and its ilk deliberately hold back game content with the sole intent of charging a fee for it at a later date. It's one thing to support a game with new content that is worth the price. It's another to put out an inferior — and occasionally broken — product...
30453525
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
"Cameras at UK petrol stations will automatically stop uninsured or untaxed vehicles from being filled with fuel, under new government plans. Downing Street officials hope the hi-tech system will crack down on the 1.4million motorists who drive without insurance. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are already fitted in thousands of petrol station forecourts. Drivers can only fill their cars with fuel once the camera has captured and logged the vehicle’s number plate. Currently the system is designed to deter motorists from driving off without paying for petrol. But under the new plans, the cameras will automatically cross-refererence with the DVLA’s huge database."
25061010
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
Videos of police brutality at Occupy Oakland are all over the Internet.
A few local law enforcement agencies would like to get the videos off of YouTube, going so far as to submit a request.
The Internet giant refused.
Here's what Google said in a blog post explaining the decision:
We received a request from a local law enforcement agency to remove YouTube videos of police brutality, which we did not remove. Separately, we received requests from a different local law enforcement agency for removal of videos allegedly defaming law enforcement officials. We did not comply with those requests, which we have categorized in this Report as defamation requests.
24582080
submission
Mr_Blank writes:
You might recall the tale of the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice being sued earlier this year for wrecking a Ferrari F50. The F50 was stolen from its owner in 2003. The feds then recovered the stolen scarlet screamer during a sting operation and held it in FBI custody in Kentucky. At some point, it needed to be moved out of its impound garage, but instead of making it safely to another garage, it got wrapped around a tree, with an FBI agent at the wheel. The insurance company that paid-out for the stolen vehicle sued the FBI. The judge has ruled against Motors Insurance, saying that law enforcement has immunity when it comes to property in its possession, and that even though "the object was to control and preserve relevant evidence," it apparently doesn't matter what happens to that evidence nor for what reason. This is bad news if your private property is taken by the DHS. Who is responsible when something goes wrong?
