Lamb, A24‘s new horror-thriller from director Valdimar Jóhannsson, has already hit theaters in cities across the United States. But actually getting into a screening depends on whether you’re in a city where the movie is showing, and how comfortable you are going to theaters during the covid-19 pandemic. If those are…
Source: Gizmodo – A24’s Deeply Unsettling Lamb Will Stream for One Night Only
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Japanese police on Monday arrested a 43-year-old man for using artificial intelligence to effectively unblur pixelated porn videos, in the first criminal case in the country involving the exploitative use of the powerful technology. Masayuki Nakamoto, who runs his own website in the southern prefecture of Hyogo, lifted images of porn stars from Japanese adult videos and doctored them with the same method used to create realistic face swaps in deepfake videos. But instead of changing faces, Nakamoto used machine learning software to reconstruct the blurred parts of the video based on a large set of uncensored nudes and sold the content online. Penises and vaginas are pixelated in Japanese porn because an obscenity law forbids the explicit depictions of genitalia.
Nakamoto reportedly made about $96,000 by selling over 10,000 manipulated videos, though he was arrested specifically for selling 10 fake photos at about $20 each. Nakamoto pleaded guilty to charges of copyright violation and displaying obscene images and said he did it for money, according to NHK. He was caught when police conducted a “cyber patrol,” the Japanese broadcaster reported. “This is the first case in Japan where police have caught an AI user,” Daisuke Sueyoshi, a lawyer who’s tried cybercrime cases, told VICE World News. “At the moment, there’s no law criminalizing the use of AI to make such images.” For example, Nakamoto was not charged with any offenses for violating the privacy of the actors in the videos.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Man Arrested For Uncensoring Japanese Porn With AI In First Deepfake Case
This week, along with announcing the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google also introduced Pixel Pass—a program that combines a subscription service bundle and the aforementioned Pixel 6 (or Pixel 6 Pro) under one roof. If you’re trying to decide whether the bundle is right for you, here are some things to consider.
Source: LifeHacker – Is Google’s Pixel Pass Worth Its Subscription Cost?
A new style of GPL-enforcement lawsuit was
filed on October 19 by Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC)
against television maker Vizio. Unlike previous GPL-enforcement suits, which
have been pursued on behalf of the developers and copyright holders of
GPL-licensed code, this suit has been filed on behalf of owners of the TVs
in question. The idea that owners of devices that contain code under the
GPL have the right to access that code seems clearly embodied in the
license, but it remains to be seen if the courts will decide that those
owners have the legal standing to sue for relief.
Source: LWN.net – [$] Empowering users of GPL software
The economy of Amazon’s new massively multiplayer online role-playing game New World is experiencing some growing pains. To be more specific, the currency on which the economy is based is in the midst of a deflation crisis, causing players to barter for items rather than spend their hard-earned coin.
Source: Kotaku – New World’s Economy Is So Busted, Players Are Bartering For Items
Excessive meetings were already a problem before the pandemic, and they’re even more of a problem as remote work enters the mainstream. How do you set aside time for your own projects? As The Vergereports, Google has a simple answer: make it clear you should be left alone. It’s rolling out a “focus time” feature in Google Calendar that not only indicates your status, but can optionally auto-block meeting requests for that time slot.
You can choose a special color for focus time. Those moments will also be included in your Time Insights to help you improve your meeting-to-work ratio. The feature will take up to 15 days to reach Google Workspace users on the rapid track, and those offices on scheduled releases will see their change starting November 3rd.
Google is ultimately hopping on a trend. Microsoft included a Focus Sessions feature in Windows 11 to help people work in shorter but more effective spurts. With that said, you probably won’t complain about another tool. This could make the difference between a last-minute delay and meeting a deadline.
Source: Engadget – Google Calendar’s ‘focus time’ can auto-block meeting requests
As a Gen Z-er (sort of) who is online (extremely), it’s common in my circles—both online and off—to hear casual “eat the rich’’ comments used as a go-to punchline. It’s a shorthand that captures what feels like an entire generation’s disillusionment or rage towards the system. If you’re younger, progressive, and live…
Source: LifeHacker – Does Everyone Hate Capitalism or Are You on Twitter Too Much?
U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The Associated Press reports: The Food and Drug Administration’s decisions mark a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine last month. But before more people roll up their sleeves, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consult an expert panel later this week before finalizing official recommendations for who should get boosters and when.
The latest moves would expand by tens of millions the number of Americans eligible for boosters and formally allow “mixing and matching” of shots — making it simpler to get another dose, especially for people who had a side effect from one brand but still want the proven protection of vaccination. Specifically, the FDA authorized a third Moderna shot for seniors and others at high risk from COVID-19 because of their health problems, jobs or living conditions — six months after their last shot. One big change: Moderna’s booster will be half the dose that’s used for the first two shots, based on company data showing that was plenty to rev up immunity again. For J&J’s single-shot vaccine, the FDA said all U.S. recipients should get a second dose at least two months following their initial vaccination.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – FDA Approves Mixing COVID Vaccines
In June of 2020, we published an article related to running Docker and Fedora 32. We described various workarounds that were required to run Docker, and we explained the bothersome situation at that time. But Docker has evolved, and it’s time to return to our previous tutorial. Thus, today we’ll talk about using Docker on Fedora Linux 35.
Source: LXer – Docker and Fedora 35
On Tuesday, around a dozen former Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers laid their boots and uniform hats on the steps of the Washington State Capitol in memory of those troopers lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Gizmodo – Please, Everyone, a Moment of Silence for These Antivax Cops Who Ragequit Their Jobs
Google’s refreshed indoor Nest Cam is one of the nicest security cameras you can buy. The $100 wired camera comes in four colors and replaces the plain black version that’s been on the market since 2015. That original Nest indoor camera is basically an homage to the brand’s Drop camera past, while this new indoor…
Source: Gizmodo – Google’s New Indoor Nest Cam Is a Stylish Upgrade With an Annoying App
Enlarge / President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro coughs during a press conference. (credit: Getty | Andressa Anholete)
A Brazilian Senate committee investigating the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro face nine criminal charges, including “crimes against humanity,” for his role in the public health crisis.
In a lengthy report released Wednesday, the 11-member committee said that Bolsonaro allowed the pandemic coronavirus to spread freely through the country in a failed attempt to achieve herd immunity, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The report also took aim at Bolsonaro’s promotion of ineffective treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine. The committee blames the president’s policies for the deaths of more than 300,000 Brazilians.
In addition to crimes against humanity, the committee accused Bolsonaro of quackery, malfeasance, inciting crime, improper use of public funds, and forgery. In all, the committee called for indictments of 66 people, including Bolsonaro and three of his sons, as well as two companies.
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Source: Ars Technica – Brazil’s Bolsonaro accused of “crimes against humanity” over COVID response
Despite a global pandemic and ongoing chip shortage, Tesla continues to make money hand over fist. The company reported on Wednesday that it had a net income of $1.62 billion — five times more than it did this time last year. What’s more, Tesla’s operating income grew some 54 percent over the past quarter to $2 billion.
Company executives pointed to record-setting sales of both the Model 3 and Model Y — a combined 232,102 units delivered during Q3 2021 — for the explosive earnings growth, though only 9,289 Models X and S were shipped during the same period, a nearly 40 percent drop from Q2 2021 rates. Overall, deliveries increased in Q3 by 20 percent compared to the previous quarter and increased by roughly 70 percent over Q3 2020. Tesla executives credit increased production of the Model Y at the Shanghai Gigafactory for the boost in deliveries.
On the technology front, Tesla continues its FSD City Streets beta rollout and plans to “continue to monitor fleet data closely to help facilitate a smooth rollout,” per its quarterly update.
The company also released a more streamlined iteration of its car companion app that “enables phone key for multiple vehicles simultaneously, allows commands to be sent to the vehicle immediately upon opening the app and integrates the purchase of upgrades, subscriptions and accessories.” New features include Disney+ streaming, a scrolling arcade shooter dubbed Sky Force Reloaded, a “car wash mode,” and various tweaks to improve the vehicle’s cold weather performance.
Looking ahead, the company expects to achieve a 50 percent average annual growth in vehicle deliveries “over a multi-year horizon” and eventually reach “industry-leading” operating margins. “Q4 production will depend heavily on availability of parts, but we are driving for continued growth,” Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn said during the call.
“Tesla continues to break molds in these [existing] vehicle segments and we hope to do so with each new product,” Martin Viega, Tesla’s Senior Director of Investor Relations, noted. “As we’ve said publicly, we’ll eventually expand the vehicle lineup to get to larger volumes. We believe that we will need to be in all major segments across small and mid-size sedans, SUVs and trucks to do so along with, of course, the massive space of Robo taxi.”
Source: Engadget – Tesla posts a wildly profitable Q3 despite difficult car market
Dune seems like it’s going to be a big, sweeping sci-fi epic, full of big fights, big ideas, and the cinematic dazzle that director Denis Villeneuve has craved. Interestingly, and perhaps less reported, we averted a horrifying reality based on one terrible decision.
Source: Gizmodo – Dune Nearly Went Without Oscar Isaac’s Lustrous, Well-Oiled Beard
Sora joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on October 18, becoming the 89th (and, at long last, final) playable character on the roster, and wrapping up a two-year process of expanding the game’s pool of fighters. Though in a sense he is just another sword-wielding anime boy, I think I actually stand corrected. Sora in …
Source: Kotaku – I Was Wrong, Sora In Smash Bros. Is Kinda Cool To Play
Tons of home workouts swear they’ll make you stronger, but many are full of empty promises. If your heart is beating out of your chest and you’ve lost count of how many dozens of reps you’ve done, what you’re doing is probably not a good strength-training workout.
Source: LifeHacker – 12 Bodyweight Exercises That Will Actually Make You Stronger
One of the few really interesting announcements surrounding the roll-out of Windows 11 was the news that the latest version of Redmond’s PC OS would also support apps from the dominant mobile platform, Android. That hype quickly died down as Microsoft admitted that such support wouldn’t be available from day one, though. Some folks suggested
Source: Hot Hardware – Android Apps On Windows 11 Now Live On The Microsoft Store For Insiders
Crypto enthusiasts bought the Wu-Tang album, possibly a haunted talisman whose previous owner Pharma Bro went to prison shortly after he announced that he’d bought it in a $2 million troll. Can these dudes handle it? The New York Times and Rolling Stone have profiles. They seem fine.
Source: Gizmodo – Crypto Bros Bought the ‘OG NFT,’ aka Martin Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Album
In 2020, Sony filed a patent for allowing livestream spectators and participants to remove players from a game. Yesterday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office approved the patent, which you can read in full here. Besides removing unskilled players, the system would allow spectators to pay for the privilege…
Source: Kotaku – Sony Patent Lets Viewers Vote and Pay to Boot Players From Games
The robotic artist known as Ai-Da was scheduled to display her artwork alongside the great pyramids of Egypt on Thursday, though the show was nearly called off after both the robot and her human sculptor, Aidan Meller, were detained by Egyptian authorities for a week and a half until they could confirm that the artist was actually a spy.
The incident began when border guards objected over Ai-da’s camera eyes, which it uses in its creative process, and its on-board modem. “I can ditch the modems, but I can’t really gouge her eyes out,” Meller told The Guardian. The robot artist, which was built in 2019, typically travels via specialized cargo case and was held at the border until clearing customs on Wednesday evening, hours before the exhibit was scheduled to begin.
“The British ambassador has been working through the night to get Ai-Da released, but we’re right up to the wire now,” Meller said, just before Ai-Da was sprung from robo-jail. “It’s really stressful.”
Ai-Da is slated to participate in the Forever is Now exhibit, which is slated to run through November 7th and features a number of leading Egyptian and international artists, is being presented by Art D’Égypte in conjunction with the Egyptian ministry of antiquities and tourism and the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs.
“She is an artist robot, let’s be really clear about this. She is not a spy,” Meller declared. “People fear robots, I understand that. But the whole situation is ironic, because the goal of Ai-Da was to highlight and warn of the abuse of technological development, and she’s being held because she is technology. Ai-Da would appreciate that irony, I think.”
Source: Engadget – Egyptian authorities ‘detain’ robotic artist for 10 days over espionage fears
