High-end watchmakers Panerai and Brabus share a deep connection with the marine environment – supposedly why the two legends, in their own rights, want to design a timepiece that will go down in Submersible history.
For Panerai, the Submersible collection is a survival instrument; and the new Panerai Submersible S BRABUS Titanio PAM01403, made in collaboration with marine experts, Brabus, is only going to take that image further.
The Panerai’s new Submersible watch is designed after the “Black Ops” line of luxury dayboats from Brabus. Continuing a marine approach in Panerai inseparably link to developing dive watches, the Submersible S BRABUS Titanio PAM01403 is the first skeletonized automatic movement powering the guts. The skeleton feature appears in the name with the letter S confirming the skeletonized aspect.
The watch case is made using Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique, which makes the 47mm casing lighter than traditional titanium case watches. To that accord, the watch weighs as light as 115 grams. The watch case is graced with an anti-clockwise rotating bezel, while the signature semi-oval crown protection completes the watch exterior.
The inventive skeletonized automatic movement caliber powering the Submersible S BRABUS Titanio PAM01403 offers three days of power reserve. The watch dial is filled with time, second time zone, world time, and date window. The watch is 300 meters water resistant and is priced at $51,000. Panerai Submersible S BRABUS Titanio PAM01403 is limited to only 177 examples, if you want one, you may just have to breach the queue!
The MT03 often goes unnoticed as an underrated bike that fails to capture the attention of the masses. Once seen as a mundane city bike for novices, its unassuming technical features left much to be desired. However, in reality, this bike surpasses all expectations with its remarkable character and capabilities. Its single-cylinder 660cc engine boasts impressive torque, allowing for effortless acceleration from low speeds. With a riding position inspired by motocross, generous ground clearance, and long-travel suspensions, it seems pretty evident that this bike has supermoto roots. The vibrations and thunderous roars emitted from its exhaust pipes only enhance this perception… so Ukrainian designer Rostyslav Matiukhin decided to give it a facelift. Dubbed the Revise MT03, this motorcycle gets the personality upgrade it needed. Ditching the overly ‘dudebro’ fairing, this new body kit is the kind people take seriously. The new design has a strong supermoto DNA, with a lightweight build that’s reminiscent of minimal, racer roots and has the ability to dominate both tarmac and terrain together.
The red, white, and black colorway gives the motorcycle a distinct contrast that’s great to look at when the bike’s still, but even more eye-catching when it zips past you. The fuel tank is stripped bare of any extraneous plastic, and replaced with new side radiator covers. Right above them lie the supermoto handguards, with a new headlight and windshield in front. The front and rear fenders get upgrades too, as does the taillight, which will probably be the last thing you see as this motorcycle disappears into the distance.
All modifications were designed with ergonomics in mind. Efficient wind and rainwater protection, a wide-angle rearview mirror, and informative LED lights increase the level of rider comfort and safety.
“This is not just a stylized custom bike based on the Yamaha MT03,” says founder of Revise, Rostyslav Matiukhin. “It is the result of the interaction with the motorcycle, exploring its engine temperament, handling characteristics, and the emotions it evokes. This fresh design reveals the hidden potential, highlights the motorcycle character, and gives the 17-year-old model a new lease of life.”
The Revise MT03 body kit includes a windshield, side radiator covers, front and rear fenders, tail light + bracket, wheel covers + valve extension, supermoto handguard, a wide-angle rearview mirror, and fastening elements.
Spotify might soon let you watch music, not just listen to it. Bloombergsources claim the streaming service is mulling the addition of full-length music videos to its app. The company is reportedly talking to potential partners, but it's not clear who would support the feature or when it might arrive. Spotify has already declined to comment.
Video on Spotify is currently limited to podcasts, 30-second storytelling clips (to help artists talk about their work) and 10-second GIFs that loop while you listen to a given song. The media giant launched a TikTok-like home feed in March, but it's meant more for discovering music and podcasts than video viewing. The company tried using TV content several years ago, such as clips from Comedy Central and ESPN, but it didn't gain much traction.
The concept isn't novel for streaming music services. Apple Music has had music videos for years. Spotify's addition would help it match Apple, though, and might lure audiences who would otherwise watch the videos on YouTube. It would also add content to the new feed and help Spotify draw musically-inclined viewers from social networks like Instagram and TikTok.
Music videos don't generate much direct revenue by themselves. YouTube gives creators a 55 percent share of ad revenue, which on average amounts to $18 per 1,000 views. Artists, labels and others involved then have to split that small amount. The clips supplement audio income, though, and potentially improve exposure for musicians.
There's pressure to find new sources of income, too. Spotify laid off a significant portion of its staff earlier this year, including 200 in its podcast team, as it grappled with both a rough global economy and business missteps. Music videos could improve the company's finances without requiring a large production team, as is the case with podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-reportedly-wants-to-add-full-length-music-videos-to-its-app-210427926.html?src=rss
Blizzard has released a string of excellent Overwatch animated shorts over the years. While the shorts are sublimely rendered and help to sketch out the backstories of the cast, Blizzard hasn't neatly pulled together the sprawling narrative of this universe so far. The developers have pledged to do a better job of that in-game starting with Overwatch 2's sixth season, which gets under way in August. Before we get there, though, Blizzard is releasing an Overwatch anime.
The three-episode miniseries is called Genesis. The title and a trailer suggest that it will focus on the early days of the Overwatch task force, which was set up amid a global war against robots. The clip shows a glimpse of humans and robots living in harmony before an AI rebellion kicked off the Omnic Crisis. It features three heroes from the game — Reinhardt, Torbjörn and Ana — as well as Mina Liao, an AI researcher and fellow founding member of the Overwatch organization.
It was a technological golden age. Until it wasn’t.
The teaser, which has a different animation style from previous shorts, suggests the miniseries will help to tie together some of the many disparate, transmedia strands of the Overwatch narrative before co-op story missions go live in Overwatch 2. The first episode will hit YouTube on July 6th and it's just over five minutes long.
Overwatch fans have been begging for a show or even a movie based on the franchise for years. This miniseries might be as close as they get for now, but who knows? If it proves popular enough, Blizzard may be persuaded to invest in a bigger project that can put the Overwatch universe in front of a whole new audience. Meanwhile, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller says each of the game's story missions will have an opening and closing cinematic to help spell out more of the narrative.
The rich, memorable cast of characters played a major role in making the original Overwatch a cultural phenomenon when it debuted in 2016. If Blizzard is successful in shining the spotlight more brightly on them again, that might help fans forgive the studio for some of the misstepsit has made with Overwatch 2 recently.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-overwatch-anime-miniseries-will-debut-on-july-6th-203026390.html?src=rss
Sony blocked Roblox from PlayStation consoles because it was worried about inappropriate content reaching children. The revelation comes from a 2022 document, first reported byAxios, uncovered in the FTC’s Microsoft trial. However, Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan said at the time that the company’s stance was softening, leaving the door open to an eventual PlayStation port for the viral user-generated platform.
Ryan explained the decision to withhold Roblox to investors early last year. “Historically, because of the large number of children that play on the PlayStation, we have been very careful with regards to opening them up to anything that could potentially exploit them,” he said at the time. But he struck an optimistic tone for investors eager to see Roblox on Sony consoles. “Over the last couple of years, however, we have reviewed those policies and relaxed a little on this. We have been conservative for too long, and now we are currently engaging with people at Roblox. We hope that the situation will change.”
Despite making the comments over a year ago, Roblox still isn’t on PlayStation consoles. The beloved title, which lets users create, share and play user-created content, is available for Xbox, iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. Nintendo hasn’t commented on Roblox’s lack of availability for Switch, but the console maker has also historically erred on the side of caution in keeping inappropriate content away from kids.
Roblox introduced a content rating system in 2021 to help parents better control the user-created games their children play. More than half of the platform’s daily users are under 13. Although it forbids content displaying sexual activity, illegal substances and swearing, occasional rule-breaking content can slip past moderation in user-created titles. In addition, Roblox is working to hang onto its users as they grow, now allowing content for players 17 and older. It says the 17 to 24 age range is its fastest-growing segment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-didnt-want-roblox-on-playstation-due-to-child-safety-concerns-200631635.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a formal ban on fake reviews and testimonials. Companies would also be prohibited from using phony followers and views to inflate their social media metrics if the rule takes effect as it stands.
This isn't the first time the agency has trained its sights on fake reviews. In its first such case in 2019, it fined a third-party Amazon seller for paying for fake reviews (Amazon itself has sued phony review providers). Earlier this year, the FTC levied a $600,000 penalty against the owner of a vitamin brand for “review hijacking" on Amazon.
The new rule, which the agency said it was working on in October, is close to being finalized and it includes steep penalties for those caught peddling fake reviews and testimonials. As The Washington Post points out, the FTC plans to slap businesses that "buy, sell and manipulate online reviews" up to $50,000. Not only is that fine for each phony review, it's also for every time a consumer sees it. So, if the FTC finds out that one fake review has been viewed just 20 times, the business that bought it could be on the hook for $1 million.
“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we’re using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “The rule would trigger civil penalties for violators and should help level the playing field for honest companies.”
Explicitly, the FTC aims to ban "businesses from writing or selling consumer reviews or testimonials by someone who does not exist, who did not have experience with the product or service, or who misrepresented their experiences." Similarly, companies won't be allowed to obtain or disseminate reviews and testimonials that they "knew or should have known that they were fake or false."
Repurposing an existing review to make it appear that it was written for a different product (i.e. review hijacking) will be outlawed, as will offering payments or other kinds of compensation for positive or negative reviews. The FTC says companies can still ask users to leave a review, as that's an important way for small businesses to enhance their reputations.
Managers and officers won't be allowed to post reviews of their company's products without clear disclosures and nor can they ask family members or employees to do so in certain circumstances. Under the proposed rule, companies won't be allowed to run websites that claim to offer independent reviews of categories of products and services that include their own offerings.
Review suppression will be banned as well. Companies won't be allowed to use intimidation tactics, such as legal threats and false accusations, to push customers to remove or avoid leaving a negative review.
In addition, the FTC seeks to ban companies from using fake followers and views to fluff up their social media numbers. "The proposed rule also would bar anyone from buying such indicators to misrepresent their importance for a commercial purpose," the agency said. This is a provision that could have far-reaching consequences beyond commerce — influencers may have to ensure they don't factor in bots when they try to secure brand deals.
Meanwhile, the proposed notice for the rule takes note of the popularity of generative AI. "It has been reported that an AI chatbot is being used to create fake reviews," it reads. "As the reporting notes, the widespread emergence of AI chatbots is likely to make it easier for bad actors to write fake reviews."
The rule won't take effect immediately. It will be open to public comments for a 60-day period, after which the agency will consider changes before finalizing the directive.
A lot of these provisions make sense. In essence, the FTC is trying to ensure that businesses and brands are transparent and honest with consumers. Actually enforcing these measures, however, is a different matter. The agency told the Post that it won't be getting extra resources to tackle purveyors of fake reviews, but a codified rule can strengthen its hand in court. Taking on companies based overseas that sell and post phony reviews might be a difficult task too. Still, a formal ban on these practices and the threat of eye-popping fines may be enough to deter some companies from using fake reviews.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ftc-plans-to-slap-companies-with-hefty-fines-for-using-fake-reviews-192833691.html?src=rss
Whether you’re working from home, or in a corporate office, the one thing that’s pretty much consistent in both these scenarios is a desk! A desk is probably one of the most important pieces of furniture in our modern lives, only because we spend the majority of our day on it. You may be typing away to glory, munching away on a snack, or simply fidgeting with a random object – you do end up spending hours on your desk. And hence, it’s really important that your desk be neat, tidy, and uncluttered. Not only will this improve your work routine and productivity, but it will also help you maintain a clearer and more streamlined mindset. And, I’ve discovered that adding limited, quality, and innovative products to my desk setup can help me in achieving these goals! And one such innovative + functional design is the Echo lamp by Simon Busse for Caussa.
Designed by Simon Busse for the German brand Caussa, the Echo desk lamp is inspired by the shape of a tuning fork! The Echo Desk Lamp features a rounded LED light source that can be swiftly rotated at 360-degree angles for a whole range of lighting options. The head of the lamp can be adjusted along a two-pronged stand, allowing you to change the height of the lamp. The two-pronged stand of the lamp is quite interestingly shaped like a tuning fork.
“No more tedious searching for the light switch on the cable or on the lamp,” said Caussa. “The Echo lamp impresses with its particularly intuitive usage, its cleverly designed modular metal structure, and its iconic appearance.” The lamp features a hidden gesture control that enables users to turn the lamp on and off and dim the light via s simple hand movement.
The Echo Desk Lamp emits a glare-free light and is a versatile lighting design that can be utilized as a table lamp, reading lamp, or ceiling spotlight. The lamp is built from steel and aluminum and is available in a variety of colors such as red, white, blue, and black.
The official Game Boy Camera is a treat for fans of lo-fi photography, but it’s also on the larger side, protruding from the retro console like a giant, creepy eyeball. That’s why modder and mega-fan Christopher Graves made his own version, the Game Boy Mini Camera, as originally reported via Gizmodo. This thing is tiny, as Graves managed to shrink everything down to the size of a Game Boy cartridge, with no protrusion necessary.
Graves used a custom board, the original camera’s sensor, a memory map controller and some capacitors to complete the project. He also used a lens from an iPhone XR, screwed into a custom sleeve, to keep protrusions to a minimum. Though this lens changes position to allow for new types of shots, it doesn’t impact the quality at all. In other words, you still get the grainy black-and-white look that makes the original Game Boy Camera so popular, even 25 years later.
The camera slides into the cartridge slot and can even run ROMS, if that’s your bag. It’s also been upgraded with flash memory, so your stored photos last forever (or until the drive dies.) Graves has plans to refine the design, as he's considering swapping out the iPhone XR lens with an iPhone 14 lens, among other options.
— @gameboycamera@glitch.lgbt (@thegameboycam) June 30, 2023
The real treat here is miniaturization. When attached to a Game Boy Pocket, for instance, the whole thing actually fits in a pocket, saving you the embarrassment of having to sit through dumb “or are you just happy to see me” jokes.
Of course, this is a DIY project made by one person, so don’t go breaking out the checkbook just yet. It’s still neat to see how far miniaturization technology has advanced since the late 1990s when the original Game Boy Camera launched. If the creator’s name sounds familiar, he also converted a standard Game Boy Camera into a modern mirrorless version. The retro enthusiast certainly knows his stuff.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-nifty-fan-made-game-boy-camera-is-the-size-of-a-cartridge-185209536.html?src=rss
University of Toronto professor Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI” for his pioneering research on neural networks, recently became the industry’s unofficial watchdog. He quit working at Google this spring to more freely critique the field he helped pioneer. He saw the recent surge in generative AIs like ChatGPT and Bing Chat as signs of unchecked and potentially dangerous acceleration in development. Google, meanwhile, was seemingly giving up its previous restraint as it chased competitors with products like its Bard chatbot.
At this week’s Collision conference in Toronto, Hinton expanded his concerns. While companies were touting AI as the solution to everything from clinching a lease to shipping goods, Hinton was sounding the alarm. He isn’t convinced good AI will emerge victorious over the bad variety, and he believes ethical adoption of AI may come at a steep cost.
A threat to humanity
University of Toronto professor Geoffrey Hinton (left) speaking at Collision 2023.
Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget
Hinton contended that AI was only as good as the people who made it, and that bad tech could still win out. "I'm not convinced that a good AI that is trying to stop bad AI can get control," he explained. It might be difficult to stop the military-industrial complex from producing battle robots, for instance, he says — companies and armies might “love” wars where the casualties are machines that can easily be replaced. And while Hinton believes that large language models (trained AI that produces human-like text, like OpenAI’s GPT-4) could lead to huge increases in productivity, he is concerned that the ruling class might simply exploit this to enrich themselves, widening an already large wealth gap. It would “make the rich richer and the poor poorer,” Hinton said.
Hinton also reiterated his much-publicized view that AI could pose an existential risk to humanity. If artificial intelligence becomes smarter than humans, there is no guarantee that people will remain in charge. “We’re in trouble” if AI decides that taking control is necessary to achieve its goals, Hinton said. To him, the threats are “not just science fiction;” they have to be taken seriously. He worries that society would only rein in killer robots after it had a chance to see “just how awful” they were.
There are plenty of existing problems, Hinton added. He argues that bias and discrimination remain issues, as skewed AI training data can produce unfair results. Algorithms likewise create echo chambers that reinforce misinformation and mental health issues. Hinton also worries about AI spreading misinformation beyond those chambers. He isn’t sure if it’s possible to catch every bogus claim, even though it’s “important to mark everything fake as fake.”
This isn’t to say that Hinton despairs over AI’s impact, although he warns that healthy uses of the technology might come at a high price. Humans might have to conduct “empirical work” into understanding how AI could go wrong, and to prevent it from wresting control. It’s already “doable” to correct biases, he added. A large language model AI might put an end to echo chambers, but Hinton sees changes in company policies as being particularly important.
The professor didn’t mince words in his answer to questions about people losing their jobs through automation. He feels that “socialism” is needed to address inequality, and that people could hedge against joblessness by taking up careers that could change with the times, like plumbing (and no, he isn’t kidding). Effectively, society might have to make broad changes to adapt to AI.
The industry remains optimistic
Google DeepMind CBO Colin Murdoch at Collision 2023.
Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget
Earlier talks at Collision were more hopeful. Google DeepMind business chief Colin Murdoch said in a different discussion that AI was solving some of the world’s toughest challenges. There’s not much dispute on this front — DeepMind is cataloging every known protein, fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria and even accelerating work on malaria vaccines. He envisioned “artificial general intelligence” that could solve multiple problems, and pointed to Google’s products as an example. Lookout is useful for describing photos, but the underlying tech also makes YouTube Shorts searchable. Murdoch went so far as to call the past six to 12 months a “lightbulb moment” for AI that unlocked its potential.
Roblox Chief Scientist Morgan McGuire largely agrees. He believes the game platform’s generative AI tools “closed the gap” between new creators and veterans, making it easier to write code and create in-game materials. Roblox is even releasing an open source AI model, StarCoder, that it hopes will aid others by making large language models more accessible. While McGuire in a discussion acknowledged challenges in scaling and moderating content, he believes the metaverse holds “unlimited” possibilities thanks to its creative pool.
Both Murdoch and McGuire expressed some of the same concerns as Hinton, but their tone was decidedly less alarmist. Murdoch stressed that DeepMind wanted “safe, ethical and inclusive” AI, and pointed to expert consultations and educational investments as evidence. The executive insists he is open to regulation, but only as long as it allows “amazing breakthroughs.” In turn, McGuire said Roblox always launched generative AI tools with content moderation, relied on diverse data sets and practiced transparency.
Some hope for the future
Roblox Chief Scientist Morgan McGuire talks at Collision 2023.
Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget
Despite the headlines summarizing his recent comments, Hinton’s overall enthusiasm for AI hasn’t been dampened after leaving Google. If he hadn’t quit, he was certain he would be working on multi-modal AI models where vision, language and other cues help inform decisions. “Small children don’t just learn from language alone,” he said, suggesting that machines could do the same. As worried as he is about the dangers of AI, he believes it could ultimately do anything a human could and was already demonstrating “little bits of reasoning.” GPT-4 can adapt itself to solve more difficult puzzles, for instance.
Hinton acknowledges that his Collision talk didn’t say much about the good uses of AI, such as fighting climate change. The advancement of AI technology was likely healthy, even if it was still important to worry about the implications. And Hinton freely admitted that his enthusiasm hasn’t dampened despite looming ethical and moral problems. “I love this stuff,” he said. “How can you not love making intelligent things?”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai-pioneer-geoffrey-hinton-isnt-convinced-good-ai-will-triumph-over-bad-ai-181536702.html?src=rss
The technology industry isn't thrilled with Arkansas' law requiring social media age checks. NetChoice, a tech trade group that includes Google, Meta and TikTok, has sued the state of Arkansas over claimed US Constitution violations in the Social Media Safety Act. The measure allegedly treads on First Amendment free speech rights by making users hand over private data in order to access social networks. It also "seizes decision making" from families, NetChoice argues.
The alliance also believes the Act hurts privacy and safety by making internet companies rely on a third-party service to store and track kids' data. State residents often don't know or associate with the service, NetChoice claims, and an external firm is supposedly a "prime target" for hacks. The law tries to regulate the internet outside state laws while ignoring federal law, according to the lawsuit. As Arkansas can't verify residency without requiring data, it's effectively asking everyone to submit documents.
State Attorney General Tim Griffin tells Engadget in a statement that he looks forward to "vigorously defending" the Social Media Safety Act. The law requires age verification for all users by submitting driver's licenses and other "commercially reasonable" methods. Anyone under 18 also needs to get a parent's consent. There are exceptions that appear to cover major social networks and their associated categories, such as those for "professional networking" (think LinkedIn) or short entertaining video clips (like TikTok).
Arkansas' requirement is part of a greater trend among politicians to demand age verification for social media. States like Utah, Connecticut and Ohio have either passed or are considering similar laws, while Senator Josh Hawley proposed a federal bill barring all social media access for kids under 16. They're concerned younger users might be exposed to creeps and inappropriate content, and that use can harm mental health by presenting a skewed view of the world and encouraging addiction.
There's no guarantee the lawsuit will succeed. If it does, though, it could affect similar attempts to verify ages through personal data. If Arkansas' approach is deemed unconstitutional, other states might have to drop their own efforts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tech-firms-sue-arkansas-over-social-media-age-verification-law-180002953.html?src=rss
