In a paper, Stability AI researchers detail some of the techniques used to enable 3D from a single image using latent video diffusion.
LACERA decreases venture capital allocation range, but experts say it doesn’t signal a trend
The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) voted to decrease its allocation range to venture capital at a March 13 meeting. The board of investments voted to decrease its allocation range to venture capital and growth equity from between 15% and 30% of the pension system’s private equity portfolio, to between 5% and 25%.
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HTC’s Viveport rolls out a 90% revenue split in favor of developers
HTC plans to roll out a new revenue split on Viveport: Developers will keep 90% of revenue they make, starting on April 1.
X users are still complaining about arbitrary shadowbanning
Users of Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) continue complaining the platform is engaging in shadowbanning — aka restricting the visibility of posts by applying a “temporary” label to accounts that can limit the reach/visibility of content — without providing clarity over why it’s imposed the sanctions. Running a search on X for the phrase “temporary
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Microsoft is planning some more pre-Build AI announcements
It’s shaping up to be a busy spring for Microsoft, which has multiple events lined up over the next few months. Not only is there a work and Copilot-centric event this Thursday and almost certainly an Xbox showcase coming up in early June, but Build is on the horizon. The company’s major developer conference is set to run from May 21 until May 23. However, three days apparently isn’t long enough to cram in everything Microsoft wants to talk about.
The company sent Engadget an invite to a private event taking place on May 20, the day before Build starts. Details are scant, but Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella will dig into its “AI vision across hardware and software.” There won’t be a livestream of the briefing, but reporters who attend in person will learn the news first and get hands-on demos.
Microsoft having an “AI vision” that spans across hardware and software lines up with recent reports that the company is gearing up to release its first “AI PCs.” This week’s event is expected to include at least the business and commercial-focused versions of the OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6.
The consumer variants of the systems may not arrive until later this spring, though those are expected to have significant processor upgrades that will deliver “huge performance and efficiency gains,” according to Windows Central. They’re slated to have Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips with next-gen neural processing units.
These chips are said to be capable of supporting more advanced AI features that Microsoft plans to bring to Windows later this year, such as on-device Copilot and a tool called AI Explorer. The latter has been described as a searchable timeline of all of your activity on a device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-planning-some-more-pre-build-ai-announcements-194843363.html?src=rss
Telegram raises $330 million fresh capital through bond sales
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov said on his channel today that the company secured $330 million in investment through bond sales last week. Durov said that the offering was oversubscribed with favorable terms to the company. “This bond offering was oversubscribed, and we were delighted to have global funds of the highest caliber with
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Pixel 8 drops below $500 for the first time
There aren’t many smartphones that can do what the Pixel 8 does at this price. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
If you’re in need of a solid smartphone upgrade without the bill creeping into mortgage territory, there aren’t many better options than the Google Pixel 8. When you can get one for under $500? Even better. The 128GB unlocked model is down to $499 ($200 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store. That’s $50 cheaper than the price we saw during Black Friday last year. The 256GB model is also $200 off at those retailers, bringing it down to $559.99. Both are down to the lowest prices we’ve seen so far.
The Pixel 8 is really solid, especially if you’re not interested in the gimmicky extras that can bloat the user experience on other devices. Google has optimized the software specifically for its custom Tensor G3 chipset, which offers…
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Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones are up to $250 off ahead of Amazon’s Spring Sale
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale officially begins this Wednesday, but as with all such sales, a number of deals went live early, including on Google’s latest Pixel smartphones. The 128GB-capacity Pixel 8 Pro is 25 percent off, which deducts $250 from the list price and brings the handset to $749. That beats the all-time-low price we saw for Black Friday last November. Larger capacity models are seeing discounts as well, with all three colors that Amazon carries included. If you’d rather buy direct, you can get the same discount from Google’s online shop, which also has the Google-exclusive Mint color.
A similar discount goes to the 128GB Pixel 8 which is 29 percent off and down to $499 instead of $699 at both Amazon and from Google. Again, that’s the lowest price we’ve tracked and the discounts extend to the larger capacity models. We named the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro the best Android smartphones on the market thanks to their speedy chips, brighter screens and improved cameras. Plus the suite of AI-enabled tools are more than just gimmicks and actually help you out with things like search, taking better photos and a more capable Google Assistant. Perhaps the best part is Google’s commitment to seven years of software support, which means these phones can stay in your pocket for far longer than the average mobile.
As for the difference between the two phones, the Pro model has a larger screen at 6.7 inches versus the Pixel 8’s 6.2 inches. The Pro also has a screen with a 400-nit higher peak brightness, more RAM and a third, telephoto camera. Both have the same chip and many of the same AI tools.
Those looking for an even steeper deal should check out the Google Pixel 7a, which is also down to a record-low price of $374 at both Amazon and Google. We not only named this the best mid-range Android phone in our guide to smartphones, it’s also the splurge pick in our budget Android guide.
Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-smartphones-are-up-to-250-off-ahead-of-amazons-spring-sale-160352403.html?src=rss
YouTube adds new AI-generated content labeling tool
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge
Today, YouTube announced a way for creators to self-label when their videos contain AI-generated or synthetic material.
The checkbox appears in the uploading and posting process, and creators are required to disclose “altered or synthetic” content that seems realistic. That includes things like making a real person say or do something they didn’t; altering footage of real events and places; or showing a “realistic-looking scene” that didn’t actually happen. Some examples YouTube offers are showing a fake tornado moving toward a real town or using deepfake voices to have a real person narrate a video.
On the other hand, disclosures won’t be required for things like beauty filters, special effects like background blur, and “clearly unrealistic content” like animation.
Image: YouTube
YouTube’s AI-generated and synthetic content label requires creators to be honest.
In November, YouTube detailed its AI-generated content policy, essentially creating two tiers of rules: strict rules that protect music labels and artists and looser guidelines for everyone else. Deepfake music, like Drake singing Ice Spice or rapping a song written by someone else, can be taken down by an artist’s label if they don’t like it. As part of these rules, YouTube said creators would be required to disclose AI-generated material but hadn’t outlined how exactly they would do it until now. And if you’re an average person being deepfaked on YouTube, it could be much harder to get that pulled — you’d have to fill out a privacy request form that the company would review. YouTube didn’t offer much about this process in today’s update, saying it is “continuing to work towards an updated privacy process.”
Like other platforms that have introduced AI content labels, the YouTube feature relies on the honor system — creators have to be honest about what’s appearing in their videos. YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon previously told The Verge that the company was “investing in the tools” to detect AI-generated content, though AI detection software is historically highly inaccurate.
In its blog post today, YouTube says it may add an AI disclosure to videos even if the uploader hasn’t done so themselves, “especially if the altered or synthetic content has the potential to confuse or mislead people.” More prominent labels will also appear on the video itself for sensitive topics like health, election, and finance.
Of course Apple wants to bring Google’s Gemini AI to iPhones
Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to integrate its Gemini AI in iPhones, Bloomberg reports, a move that should help both companies compete with OpenAI and its (heavily invested) partner Microsoft. While it might seem like an admission that Apple is lagging behind on AI, the partnership fits if you think of generative AI models as an evolution of web searching, something Google already provides to all of Apple’s devices. According to the report, Gemini could be the cloud-based generative AI engine for Siri and other iPhone apps, while Apple’s models could be woven into the upcoming iOS 18 for on-device AI tasks.
Bloomberg notes that Apple has also had discussions with OpenAI about using its own models, and it could still end up partnering with another AI outfit, like Anthropic. Apple could conceivably even work with multiple partners until its own generative models are up to snuff. But teaming up with Google makes the most sense, especially since the search giant is already giving Apple millions to bring search to the Safari browser.
Apple needs some sort of generative AI solution that it can implement this year (its own Ajax model will likely take years to match Gemini and OpenAI), and Google needs a quick way to bring its AI smarts to billions of devices.
There are regulatory concerns to consider — the Department of Justice has already sued Google over its search dominance, including the way it pays Apple and other companies to use its search engine. But given the specter of Microsoft and OpenAI’s partnership — which turned the Bing search engine into an artificial intelligence hype machine overnight, and is now powering all of Microsoft’s Copilot AI solutions — the potential gains could be worth the risk for Apple and Google.
There are still technical issues for Google to deal with too: Gemini was recently under fire for inaccurately rendering historical images. But even considering potential growing pains, a partnership with Apple helps both companies. And it also gives Apple room to develop its own models while OpenAI and Google deal with the growing pains of generative AI.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/of-course-apple-wants-to-bring-googles-gemini-ai-to-iphones-144604811.html?src=rss