This is a video captured by Douglas Barillas of a dust devil blowing a bunch of tumbleweeds around in the sky of Lake Los Angeles, California. I guess they’re not tumbleweeds anymore, they’re *putting on cool guy shades* flyweeds. Damn, I haven’t put on those cool guy shades on in a while, that felt good. “Well it shouldn’t have, now take them off.” But– “TAKE THEM OFF AND STEP ON THEM.” Mom!

Apple has reportedly asked Google to look into “seting up servers” for a Gemini-powered upgrade to Siri that meets Apple’s privacy standards. The Verge reports: Apple had already announced in January that Google’s Gemini AI models would help power the upgraded version of Siri it delayed last year, but The Information’s report indicates Apple might lean even more on Google so it can catch up in AI.

The original partnership announcement said that “the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology,” and that the models would “help power future Apple Intelligence features,” including “a more personalized Siri.” While the announcement noted that Apple Intelligence would “continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute,” it didn’t specify if the new Siri would run on Google’s cloud. Apple’s Private Cloud Compute is not only underpowered but it’s also underutilized in its current state, notes 9to5Mac, “with the company only using about 10% of its capacity on average, leading to some already-manufactured Apple servers to be sitting dormant on warehouse shelves.”

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Soon after South Korean police posted a press release boasting about seizing $5.6 million worth of cryptocurrency from 124 wealthy tax evaders, cops realized that they had mistakenly posted images that made it possible for a thief to quickly steal most of the seized assets.

Eventually, the press release was removed, but not before it was grabbed by local media outlets and tech publications covering the theft.

Bleeping Computer shared a screenshot of the retracted images, which showed a handwritten note next to a Ledger device that’s used as a so-called “cold wallet” to store crypto out of reach of online threats. Clearly legible in the photo, the note contained a complete mnemonic recovery phrase that anyone can use as a master key to move assets off the cold wallet to a new wallet without any additional PIN or permissions required.

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Australia’s government may take a strict stance on ensuring younger users cannot access AI chatbots. Reuters reports that Australian regulators may require app storefronts to block AI services that do not implement age verification for restricting mature content by March 9. 

“eSafety will use the full range of our powers where there is non-compliance,” a representative for the commissioner said in a statement to the publication. Those paths could include “action in respect of gatekeeper services such as search engines and app stores that provide key points of access to particular ‌services.”

A review by Reuters found that of 50 leading text-based AI chat services in the region, only nine had introduced or shared plans for age assurance. Eleven services reportedly “had blanket content filters or planned to block all Australians from using their service,” according to the report, leaving a large number that had not taken public action a week ahead of the country’s deadline. Failure to comply could see AI companies face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($35 million).

The question of which parties are responsible for keeping children from accessing potentially harmful content is being debated around the world. In the US, for instance, Apple and Google have been lobbying to have the task delegated to platforms rather than app store operators. The language from the Australian regulators about all stores is hardly definitive at this stage, but given the breadth of its sweeping ban on the use of social media and some highly social digital platforms for citizens under age 16 enacted last year, an aggressive stance seems to align with leaders’ priorities. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/australia-will-consider-requiring-app-stores-to-block-ai-services-without-age-verification-221714252.html?src=rss

Anthropic is bringing another paid feature to Claude’s free tier. The next time you chat with Claude, you’ll have the option to have it reference your previous conversation to inform its outputs. Anthropic first made its chatbot capable of remembering past interactions last August, before giving it the ability to compartmentalize memories in the fall. Making memory a free feature is well-timed; earlier today Anthropic made it easier for users to import their past conversations with a competing chatbot to Claude. If after enabling memory you decide to turn it off, you can either pause the feature, preserving Claude’s memories for use down the road, or completely delete them so they’re not saved on Anthropic’s servers.

Claude is enjoying new-found popularity, having recently jumped to the number one spot in the App Store’s free app charts. This comes while Anthropic is engaged in a high-stakes contract dispute with the US government over AI safeguards. On Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled the company a “supply chain risk” after it refused to sign a contract that would allow the Pentagon to use Anthropic models for mass surveillance against Americans and in fully autonomous weapons. Following Hegseth’s announcement, Anthropic vowed to challenge the designation. As of right now, we’re waiting to see how things play out, and what it might mean for Anthropic.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-brings-memory-to-claudes-free-plan-220729070.html?src=rss

Paramount Skydance plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single streaming platform following its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. “As we said, we do plan to put the two services together, which today gives us a little over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers,” said David Ellison, the company’s CEO. “We think that really positions us to compete with the leaders in the space.” The deal still needs regulatory approval. The Washington Post reports: He added that Paramount didn’t want to make changes to the HBO brand. “Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO,” Ellison said, noting that his favorite HBO product is “Game of Thrones.” If Justice Department regulators allow the deal to go through, it would place recent HBO Max hits, such as “The Pitt” and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” alongside Paramount offerings including “South Park” and “Yellowstone.” “They built a phenomenal brand,” he said. “They are a leader in the space, and we just want them to continue doing more of it.”

The deal to buy Warner Bros., valued at about $110 billion, will almost surely attract regulatory scrutiny from the Justice Department because — without divestments — it places major swaths of the film, television and news industries under one roof: Warner Bros. and Paramount studios, HBO Max and Paramount+, and CBS and CNN would all have the same parent company. Ellison expressed confidence on the call that the deal wouldn’t face hurdles with regulators.

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Call of Duty is getting a new battle royale mode later this month. The popular first-person shooter will introduce Black Ops Royale as a free game mode on March 13. 

Black Ops Royale pays homage to Blackout, the series’ first foray into a battle royale game mode back in CoD: Black Ops 4. Matches will have 100 players dropping in as four-person teams. The mode takes place on the massive Avalon map, but there will be no familiar Warzone features like loadouts, the gulag, or buy stations. Instead, it’s all about the scavenging the weapons from the recent Black Ops 7 game and upgrading them. 

According to the team’s announcement, there will be other familiar features from the Blackout days such as the weapon handling and bullet drop that have been reimagined for modern-day Warzone players. You’ll also be able to further customize your play style with an open-ended perks system, another nod to the original Call of Duty BR perk mechanic.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/call-of-duty-will-add-black-ops-royale-a-new-free-game-mode-coming-march-13-211733205.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Charter Communications, operator of the Spectrum cable brand, has obtained Federal Communications Commission permission to buy Cox and surpass Comcast as the country’s largest home Internet service provider. Charter has 29.7 million residential and business Internet customers compared to Comcast’s 31.26 million. Buying Cox will give Charter another 5.9 million Internet customers. The FCC approved the deal on Friday, but the companies still need Justice Department approval and sign-offs from states including California and New York.

Opponents of Charter’s $34.5 billion acquisition told the FCC that eliminating Cox as an independent entity will make it easier for Charter and Comcast to raise prices. But the FCC dismissed those concerns on the grounds that Charter and Cox don’t compete directly against each other in the vast majority of their territories.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s primary demand from companies seeking to merge has been to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and policies. In a press release (PDF), the Carr-led FCC said that “Charter has committed to new safeguards to protect against DEI discrimination,” and that Charter’s network-expansion plans will bring “faster broadband and lower prices” to rural areas. The merger was approved one day after Charter sent a letter to Carr outlining its actions to end DEI. Charter offers broadband and cable service in 41 states, while Cox does so in 18 states.

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Kitchens endure a lot. Every single day we’re in there spilling, splattering, and literally using open flames. Our kitchens are gathering spots, ersatz home offices, staging areas, and late-night snack depots, and they take a lot of wear and tear. Eventually, all that use begins to show, and the kitchen starts to look a little worn down and outdated—and your bank account begins to tremble, because kitchen renovations are expensive as heck.

If you’re not ready for a full-on reno or remodel, don’t despair: You can achieve a powerful transformation in your kitchen with a few simple changes and upgrades, without spending a lot of money (or, in some cases, any money at all). If you need to refresh your kitchen without cracking open a retirement account to pay for it, here are some ways to do it.

Upgrade your kitchen’s storage, both cosmetically and functionally

Your kitchen is three things, really: A gathering place and a food prep space, sure—but it’s also where you store most, if not all, of your groceries and implements. One of the most powerful ways to refresh your kitchen is to augment or add to that storage, and you can do that in a variety of cheap or free ways:

• Remove cabinet doors. If your kitchen cabinets are a little dated and boring, you don’t need to replace them. You can get a totally new look by removing some of the cabinet doors to get an open-shelving look, and it’s totally free. The real trick is to not remove all of the doors—you want to create a visual pattern and balance the openness with the existing doors, so have a plan before you start unscrewing hinges.

• Paint cabinets. Painting kitchen cabinets is a cheap way to revitalize them, transforming old wood finish nightmares into sleek, modern monochrome. And if you remove some cabinet doors, consider painting inside the boxes for a blast of color as well. Another option is to vinyl wrap your cabinets, which can be a very cost-effective way to completely transform your cabinetry—and with the right tools, applying vinyl film like this to your cabinets is not a difficult DIY job.

• Add shelving. Whether your design runs rustic or industrial or something in between, if you have open wall space in your kitchen, consider putting up some simple shelving. It’s a great and inexpensive way to increase your storage (and refresh the kitchen’s look) without shelling out a lot of money.

• Upgrade storage containers. If you’re going to go with some open shelving, or if your countertops are laden with containers of food, spices, or coffee, upgrading those containers to something a bit more attractive (and in line with the rest of the kitchen’s design) is an easy way to freshen the space. From metal canisters with cute chalkboard labels to ultra-modern splashes of color, upping your container game makes open shelving pop.

• Add furniture. If you have a little space, adding a mobile island will expand your storage and give you more working space. If you don’t have the space for an island, a simple, attractive kitchen cart like this can also be a nice, affordable upgrade.

• Under-cabinet lighting. Add some mood lighting that’s also a practical upgrade with some easy-to-install, plug-in under-cabinet lighting.

• Peel-and-stick trim. If your cabinets are looking a bit bland, you can use peel-and-stick trim to augment glass cabinet doors or add panel effects to your cabinets.

• Add some pot racks. For less than $60 and some time, you can clear out your lower cabinets and make them usable storage again while creating a nice visual in your kitchen with a hanging pot rack. Of course, if you’re going to expose your pots and pans to the world, you might want to consider an upgrade there, as well.

Give your appliances a visual upgrade

Your appliances—both built-in and on the countertops—are a huge part of your kitchen’s visual appeal (or lack thereof). You can upgrade them affordably with a few simple purchases and some elbow grease.

• Decals and appliance wraps. If your appliances are older and white or black, you can spiff them up pretty quickly and affordably with things like magnetic dishwasher covers or vinyl wraps to give them a stainless steel look without buying all new appliances.

• New hardware. There’s nothing easier than swapping out old pulls and handles for new, sleeker versions—new hardware can really transform the look of your cabinetry without the cost of replacing them entirely. And if your stove is looking a little well-used, a set of new burner grates and upgraded knobs will go a long way toward making it look new again. (You’ll likely need to find stove hardware that’s compatible with your specific model, but there are lots of options out there.)

• Color coordinating countertop appliances. If your countertops are currently populated with a disparate array of appliances, a simple way to upgrade the look and feel of the kitchen is to replace them with a coordinated set. For example, KitchenAid makes toasters, mixers, kettles, and other small appliances in a sharp empire red, making your counters cohesive and eye-catching instead of chaotic and messy.

Refinish your kitchen’s walls, floors, and countertops

Get a remodeled look without the remodel by refinishing the surfaces in your kitchen using these simple, affordable, and (often) reversible projects.

• Peel and stick. Walls, backsplashes, and even floor tiles can be completely transformed with peel-and-stick products. Wallpaper, tile backsplashes, and floor tile decals can be installed with just some cutting and measuring tools and a little patience, but the final result can look like a whole new kitchen was installed on top of your old one.

• Vinyl flooring or washable rugs. If your kitchen floor is making you sad but tile decals won’t work, you could throw a washable area rug down and cover it up. Another alternative would be some vinyl sheet flooring that you can cut to size and simply lay over your existing floor.

• Refinish or cover countertops. You can upgrade and transform your countertops pretty cheaply using a variety of refinishing kits that cost less than $100. Alternatively, vinyl wraps or contact paper can cover up dated counters pretty effectively. If you don’t have the time or patience for those projects, you could consider just buying an oversize cutting board to leave on top of the counters permanently.

• Clean up grout. Sometimes it’s not your tile that’s gotten old and tired, it’s just your grout. You might be amazed to discover how transformative an hour spent using a grout pen can be.

Replace kitchen lighting, outlet covers, and other fixtures

Just about everything in your kitchen is replaceable, including old, crusty fixtures. Swapping a few out isn’t terribly expensive, and most of these projects can be done DIY.

• Replace or add lights. If your kitchen feels sadder because the lights are old and dated (and probably dusty), even a non-electrician can swap them out for something a little more jazzy. If you just need more light, consider adding some easy, plug-in pendant lights for an instant style bump (you can also find versions that will screw into existing recessed lights).

• Change outlet covers. One of the easiest, cheapest little upgrades you can make in your kitchen is to swap out the tired old white or beige outlet and light switch covers for something with a little more pop. All you need is a few bucks and a screwdriver (just keep in mind that you shouldn’t have metal covers near water sources).

• Replace faucets. Changing out a faucet isn’t a terribly complicated job, though you might need some specific tools. Even a cheap faucet can have a lot of style and be a big upgrade from one that’s seen much better days.