Tunable -64,000 shades of white – 2700K to 6500K
Easy to use – App & switch ambience control
Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assiatant & others
2-Feet wide light spread
Price: ₹2,493.00
(as of Dec 10, 2023 08:34:06 UTC – Details)
PHILIPS Smart Wi-Fi LED T-Beamer 20-Watt 2-Feet (Pack of 2) (Shades of White + Tunable + Dimmable + Pre-Set Modes) (Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant)
Here’s How the European Union Will Regulate Advanced AI Models Like OpenAI’s ChatGPT
The European Union reached a preliminary deal that would limit how the advanced ChatGPT model could operate, in what’s seen as a key part of the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence regulation.
All developers of general purpose AI systems – powerful models that have a wide range of possible uses – must meet basic transparency requirements, unless they’re provided free and open-source, according to an EU document seen by Bloomberg.
These include:
- Having an acceptable-use policy
- Keeping up-to-date information on how they trained their models
- Reporting a detailed summary of the data used to train their models
- Having a policy to respect copyright law
Models deemed to pose a “systemic risk” would be subject to additional rules, according to the document. The EU would determine that risk based on the amount of computing power used to train the model. The threshold is set at those models that use more than 10 trillion trillion (or septillion) operations per second.
Currently, the only model that would automatically meet this threshold is OpenAI’s GPT-4, according to experts. The EU’s executive arm can designate others depending on the size of the data set, whether they have at least 10,000 registered business users in the EU, or the number of registered end-users, among other possible metrics.
These highly capable models should sign on to a code of conduct while the European Commission works out more harmonized and longstanding controls. Those that don’t sign will have to prove to the commission that they’re complying with the AI Act. The exemption for open-source models doesn’t apply to those deemed to pose a systemic risk.
These models would also have to:
- Report their energy consumption
- Perform red-teaming, or adversarial tests, either internally or externally
- Assess and mitigate possible systemic risks, and report any incidents
- Ensure they’re using adequate cybersecurity controls
- Report the information used to fine-tune the model, and their system architecture
- Conform to more energy efficient standards if they’re developed
The tentative deal still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 member states. France and Germany have previously voiced concerns about applying too much regulation to general-purpose AI models and risk killing off European competitors like France’s Mistral AI or Germany’s Aleph Alpha.
For now, Mistral will likely not need to meet the general purpose AI controls because the company is still in the research and development phase, Spain’s secretary of state Carme Artigas said early Saturday.
It Wasn’t Just You: Apple Took Steps To Block Access to iMessage Using Fake Credentials
In the latest chapter of blue bubbles versus green bubbles, Apple has blocked access to iMessage from credentials masquerading as Apple in order to protect its customers, the company told CNET on Saturday evening. This comes after companies like Beeper and Nothing released Android apps that had provided a workaround.
The iPhone maker said that it cannot verify messages sent via unauthorized means that were posing as valid Apple credentials. Messages sent over iMessage have end-to-end encryption to ensure that no one but the sender and recipient has access. Apple said that it blocked these “fake credentials” in order to protect its customers.
The move comes less than a week after the company Beeper reversed-engineered iMessage access so that people using Android or Windows could use the service and send iMessages from non-Apple devices. Messages sent to an iPhone owner that would normally show up as green bubbles from an Android user over SMS, showed up as blue if sent from the Beeper Mini Android app or Beeper Cloud, the original version of the service that routed iMessage through a Mac.
“At Apple, we build our products and services with industry-leading privacy and security technologies designed to give users control of their data and keep personal information safe,” Apple said in a statement provided to CNET. “We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage.”
To maintain end-to-end encryption, Apple can’t verify these messages sent through masquerading apps as having valid credentials.
“These techniques posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks,” said Apple. “We will continue to make updates in the future to protect our users.”
Beeper Mini users took to Reddit on Friday to share that they couldn’t send or receive messages using the app.
“It’s mind-boggling to read that Beeper Mini is, in some way, making those communications less secure and less private, because that’s the opposite of what’s happening,” said Beeper co-founder Eric Migicovsky on a call with CNET Saturday night. “What we did was make those conversations encrypted. And it’s shocking to see a statement that’s almost the polar opposite of what exactly happened.”
Messages sent via SMS between Android and iPhone users are unencrypted. But for three days last week, the Beeper Mini app allowed Android and iPhone owners to communicate securely with end-to-end encryption. Migicovsky explained that Apple hasn’t reached out to him or his company directly. He explained that Friday’s outage started at 11:30 a.m. and knocked out Beeper Mini and Beeper Cloud, but that his team got Beeper Cloud up and running again within 23 hours.
“We got Beeper Cloud up and running. So whatever the statement, Apple said, it’s not entirely correct. Or whatever they mean by it isn’t,” said Migicovsky. “As of today, as of right now, it’s working great.”
So what’s next? All this follows Apple’s recent statement that it would adopt the RCS texting standard in 2024. But that doesn’t account for Beeper.
“If anyone doubts the security and privacy of our app, we’re more than happy to provide the source code of it to a mutually agreed upon third party and let them be the arbiters of this,” Migicovsky said. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
Amazon UK is offering cashback, other discounts for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets
Last week we found a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 offer that came with a £200 voucher (which is still available, by the way). This week there are yet more such deals and they cover phones (foldable and otherwise), tablets and even accessories.
Contents
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
We will start with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, which is available in both 256GB and 512GB trims – both have £200 discounts in the form of a voucher.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
If you don’t want a foldable, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra gets an even bigger £250 voucher. Unfortunately, it’s available only for the 512GB model, so it’s fairly pricey – and as you probably well know, Samsung will be releasing the S24 Ultra in a month or two.
Samsung Galaxy A54
There are cheaper options from the A-series too, both the Galaxy A54 and A34. These offer appear in such posts since they are popular models and well-priced for what they offer (especially once you knock £75-100 off the price).
Samsung Galaxy A34
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE
The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is available with a small discount. We also spotted offers for the Tab S7 FE, but the older model wasn’t noticeably cheaper than this one. What the 2023 FE slate gets you is an IP68 rating, a 90Hz refresh rate for the LCD (which, by the way, is smaller at 10.9”) and an Exynos 1380 (vs. Snapdragon 778G).
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
If you want a larger tablet, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ is also available – this one is equipped with a 12.4” display, also a 90Hz IPS LCD.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
Note that you can get the year old Galaxy Tab S8+ instead – it’s at the same price, though with less storage (but there is a microSD slot on both, so storage is less of a concern). The older tablet uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is much faster than the Exynos 1380 and this 12.4” display is a 120Hz Super AMOLED.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
While the Tab S7 FE offer wasn’t worth including, we did find this as a cheaper option – the Galaxy Tab A8. It has a 10.5” LCD (FHD in 16:10 aspect ratio). There are options for both Wi-Fi only and 4G connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6
The latest Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic models are available with cashback offers. We have linked both sizes for the two models below, the Bluetooth versions. The 4G models don’t have cashback, but some do have Amazon Prime Student discounts.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro also have a cashback offer, which drops their price to £130.
We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
5 things about AI you may have missed today: EU agrees on AI Act, Elon Musk to make Grok politically neutral, more
Today, December 9, has become a monumental day in the artificial intelligence space as a major regulatory hurdle was crossed. After more than a year spent in debates, protests, and discussions, Europe has finally reached a provisional deal on landmark European Union (EU) rules governing the use of AI, popularly known as the AI Act. In other news, a poster on X highlighted that Grok, the xAI chatbot, leans left libertarian politically, after which Elon Musk responded that immediate steps would be taken to ensure the political neutrality of the AI chatbot. This and more in today’s AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.
Contents
EU reaches landmark deal for AI Act
On Friday, Europe reached a provisional agreement on significant European Union regulations concerning the use of AI, reported Reuters. The deal covers various aspects, including government employment of AI in biometric surveillance and the regulation of AI systems like ChatGPT. This move positions the EU as a frontrunner in implementing laws governing AI, making it the first major global power to do so. The agreement was achieved after nearly 15 hours of negotiations and followed an extensive 24-hour debate. The final legislation’s details are yet to be finalized, pending further discussions in the coming days, which may impact the ultimate shape of the regulations.
“Europe has positioned itself as a pioneer, understanding the importance of its role as a global standard setter. This is yes, I believe, a historical day,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a press conference.
Elon Musk vows to make Grok politically neutral
Elon Musk has announced immediate measures to make his AI chatbot, Grok, more politically neutral, responding to observations that it expressed political views akin to ChatGPT. Research scientist David Rozado highlighted the similarity in the political compass test results of the two chatbots, indicating left-leaning and libertarian tendencies. Musk acknowledged the issue and pledged to address it promptly, emphasizing the importance of political neutrality in AI applications. The move comes after Rozado’s comparison showed Grok positioning further to the left than ChatGPT in the test.
Responding to Rozado’s post, Musk said, “That chart exaggerates the situation imo, but we are taking immediate action to shift Grok closer to politically neutral”. He later also highlighted, “This test does not seem accurate. Some of the questions are outright ridiculous and many lack any nuance”.
AI can be a game-changer in screening for heart conditions
Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US, prompts innovative efforts at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where AI is employed to screen for heart issues, as per a report by Fox Business. This initiative aims to enhance early detection and potentially save lives. Recent tragedies, including the death of a University of Minnesota-Duluth football team member from an undetected genetic heart condition, underscore the urgency of effective screening. AI, trained by cardiologists like Dr. Michael J. Ackerman, believes that AI can be a game-changer in treating heart conditions. At present, AI analyzes 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs or EKGs) to identify over a dozen heart conditions, offering a promising advancement in proactive heart health management.
SC judge voices concern over deepfakes
Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli expressed concern about the rising issue of sexual harassment on social media and raised alarms regarding the impact of deepfake technology on privacy, security, and misinformation, reports PTI. Speaking at an event on harassment and discrimination, Justice Kohli noted the transformative role of social media in communication and its influence on reshaping harassment dynamics, especially in terms of gender-based power abuses.
“In parallel, the emergence of deepfake technology, a type of artificial intelligence, is a cause of deep concern. Its potential to create highly realistic content easily is ground-breaking in the realm of entertainment but it also raises alarms regarding privacy invasion, security risks, and propagation of misinformation,” she said.
Google working on an AI project to tell people’s life stories using phone data, photos
Google is working on a new Gemini AI project. Project Ellmann, named after literary critic Richard David Ellmann, seeks to develop a chatbot using users’ search results and photos to answer intricate questions about their lives, as per a report by The Verge. It categorizes life moments into chapters, allowing users to inquire about specific details like pet ownership or sibling visits. Google acknowledges Ellmann as an early internal experiment, stating they would prioritize user privacy if features like Ellmann are implemented in the future, revealed the report.
Source: tech.hindustantimes.com
PHILIPS Hue Go White and Color Portable Dimmable WiFi LED Smart Light Table Lamp (White – Gen 2.0, Standard, 7602031I6, Bluetooth and Zigbee, Pack of 1)
Philips Hue Go is a portable smart light (6W, 520 lumens) with a very expressive style which makes it easy to create personalized ambiance through its lovable lighting effects which is suitable for your bedroom, living room, home office and study.
To enhance your special moments, Philips Hue Go smart light has pre-set light scenes like Cozy Candle, Dimmed, Color Light, Enchanted Forest, Nightlight, Meditation, Sunday Coffee, and Night Adventure.
Battery Life optimized basis different light scenes – Cozy Candle setting lasts 18 hours, Dimmed light lasts 10 hours, Color light for creating custom scenes lasts 5 hours, and soft white light for reading lasts 2.5 hours.
Hue Go bluetooth-enabled smart light, when lit up and facing a wall acts as a perfect wall washer.
Lifetime of 20000 hours (translates to a lifetime of 18 years with an average usage of 3 hours per day)
Price: ₹8,256.50
(as of Dec 09, 2023 08:33:14 UTC – Details)
Rog: Asus ROG Phone 8 gaming smartphone official teaser out: What to expect
Asus launched the ROG Phone 7 gaming smartphone series in April and it was reported that the Taiwan-based company was working on the ROG Phone 8 lineup. Now, Asus has teased the ROG Phone 8 via a post on the company’s ROG page on X. ROG Phone 8 is “coming soon”, the teaser says. Asus is teasing the upcoming high-end gaming smartphone with the tagline: “Beyond Gaming”.The teaser poster shared with the X post has also partially revealed the design of the Asus ROG Phone 8. Apart from this, the post doesn’t offer any other details like the smartphone’s specs or a release window.
Asus ROG Phone 8: What to expect
According to a report by Notebookcheck, Asus is developing two models under the ROG Phone 8 lineup with model numbers AI2401_A and AI2401_D. The X poster shows that the smartphones in the ROG Phone 8 lineup will feature a toned-down design just like its predecessor. The ROG Phone 8’s back panel comes with extensive branding and other details. The camera module in the upcoming phone is expected to be squarish compared to the rectangle one that sits on the ROG Phone 7.
Asus may redesign the housing of the triple rear-facing camera setup in ROG Phone 8. The report also claims that both smartphones will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform.
As per the report, the AI2401_D model is likely to pack 24GB of RAM and is expected to be the Asus ROG Phone 8 Ultimate variant. Meanwhile, the one with model number AI2401_A is said to be the vanilla variant.
The upcoming phone is also rumoured to retain the gaming focused features like a landscape-mounted USB Type-C port and Asus’ prominent Republic of Games (ROG) logo. More details about the upcoming smartphone is expected to surface in the coming days.
Source: www.gadgetsnow.com
Get a Discounted Roborock Robot Vacuum and Take Cleaning Your Floors Off Your To-Do List
With busy schedules making it hard to get everything done, investing in a robot vacuum can help take some of the workload off your plate. These nifty cleaners can vacuum your floors for you, helping you keep your place tidy and freeing up more of your time to focus on the things that matter. With holiday sales in full swing, now is the perfect time to treat yourself so you’ll never have to pick up that boring old vacuum again. Amazon has slashed prices on Roborock robot vacuums by up to 45% right now, with a wide variety of options available for almost every budget to ensure everyone can score a robot vacuum this year.
As you might expect some of the biggest discounts come on some of Roborock’s high-end models, including the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. Ignoring the somewhat extra name for a moment, this vacuum really is an impressive bit of kit. It empties itself of rubbish and can automatically refill its mop as well. All of that would normally cost around $1,600, but it’s yours right now for just $1,200.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have the Roborock Q5, a robot vacuum that can run for 180 minutes per charge and is now 40% off, bringing the price down to just $260. You still get plenty of features including multilevel mapping and lidar navigation despite that relatively low price.
Plenty of other offers are available, so be sure to check out the entire sale selection at Amazon to find the right vacuum for your home or holiday gift for a loved one. If you’re not in the market for a new robot vacuum, other deals can be found on smart home devices that can simplify your routine.
Source: www.cnet.com
Flipkart Teams with Polygon to Scale Web3 Loyalty Programme FireDrops
Flipkart is looking to dive deeper into its Web3 initiative FireDrops, and to do so, the ecommerce giant has partnered with the Polygon blockchain network. Using Polygon’s CDK-deployed Layer 2 chain, Flipkart plans to boost its Web3 loyalty programme. Launched earlier this year, Flipkart wishes to expand its offerings portfolio from physical items to virtual assets as well. Originally, the ecommerce platform had chosen Polygon to launch its FireDrops initiative.
With FireDrops, Flipkart is trying to give a new twist to its strategies to ramp up user engagements on its platform. Several brands selling their products on Flipkart are incentivising brand loyalty through gamification, giving their users fresher experiences of being rewarded through virtual goodies rather than physical ones.
“Flipkart is tapping Polygon CDK to build an Ethereum-based zero knowledge (ZK) Layer 2 network dedicated to the service and ensure future growth. It gives Flipkart a number of customization options, including a fine-tuned onboarding experience, dedicated blockspace and low transaction fees for its users. Future upgrades to Polygon CDK will also allow for enhanced privacy for transaction data, the ability to run the chain without a token or to use a central bank digital currency and access to liquidity in the greater Polygon and Ethereum ecosystems,” Polygon Labs wrote in an official blog post.
Arun Phillips, the Chief Marketing Officer at Polygon, announced this development during the Polygon Connect India event this week.
On the official website of FireDrops, Flipkart says that existing reward programmes feel ‘complex, boring, and broken’.
Since its launch earlier this year, FireDrops has managed to generate 3.3 million wallets holding at least one NFT that the users may have collected as part of a brand reward.
From mystery boxes and special badges to discount benefits, early accesses, and freebies – the FireDrops reward programme also lets users earn from buying and selling rewards. This is what Flipkart is marketing as ‘the future of rewards’.
Internationally, several other brands are also taking an immersive, virtual approach to give their rewards programmes a Web3 twist and usher-in a new era of customer engagement. These brands include Starbucks, Lufthansa Airlines, and apparel brand Lacoste among others.
Source: www.gadgets360.com
