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How does Apple send your data to its cloud AI servers? Very carefully, it claims.

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For years, Apple has touted privacy as its major advantage over rivals like Google and Microsoft. Instead of relying on cloud processing to improve or organize your images, which requires sending your photos to Google's servers, Apple handles those tasks directly on your device. But with the advent of Apple Intelligence, the company's take on artificial intelligence, the company is stepping out of its comfort zone with "Private Cloud Compute." It says "private" right in the name, so it has to be secure, right?

While Apple AI will run some models locally, it will occasionally have to send data to Apple's servers for complex requests. So how is the company squaring this with its previous security stance? 

According to Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, the company is being very careful about how its sending your data to its servers. "You're putting a lot of faith in the cloud... with Private Cloud Compute, the stakes are even higher," he said in a WWDC 2024 conversation with Apple's AI head, John Giannandrea, and YouTube influencer iJustine.

During the WWDC keynote, Federighi showed off how Apple AI could help him reschedule a meeting and determine if he could still attend his daughter's dance recital. Apple AI was able to determine who his daughter actually was, where her event was located, and the estimated travel time from his meeting.

Federighi says Apple isn't sending all of your data to the cloud, instead it's only uploading the most important bits of information relevant to your Apple AI query. Additionally, your server request is anonymous, since it's using the same IP masking technology as iCloud Private Relay. Federighi also noted that Apple's cloud servers have no permanent storage and don't have the ability to keep logs. 

To make things even more secure, Federighi says Private Cloud Compute servers are running software with published images for security researchers to audit. Apple Intelligence devices can only talk with servers running those approved images — if there are any changes to the servers, the local devices will also need to be updated to see them.

That process may a bit restrictive, but that's precisely the point. Federighi calls it "a step up" in the level of trust you can have with server computing. "It's essential that you know no one—not Apple, not anyone else, can access the information used to process your request," he said.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-does-apple-send-your-data-to-its-cloud-ai-servers-very-carefully-it-claims-233312425.html?src=rss

The DJI Mini 4K is a $299 drone aimed at beginners

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DJI’s latest product is another Mini drone. It can capture 4K video at up to 30 fps and 60 fps footage at 2.7K resolution, with increased video bitrates up to 100Mbps, which should ensure higher quality video at both settings. While those specs may not excite, maybe the price will.

Not to be confused with the Mini Pro series, which is several hundred dollars more, the $299 Mini 4K weighs less than 249g, is foldable and requires no FAA registration.

The specifications won’t move the Mini series forward, but they cover all the essentials for beginner drone pilots, including 2x digital zoom while recording in 4K, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. DJI says it can transmit 1080p video up to 10km away. There’s also level-5 wind resistance, once again, and it can fly for up to 31 minutes (or up to 93 minutes with DJI’s $449 Fly More bundle, which includes two extra batteries and a standalone charger.)

The Mini 4K will also include one-tap movements and features like helix, dronie and panoramic shooting support. If you’re a total rookie, DJI’s companion app has flight tutorials and one-tap takeoff and landing.

A lot of this will sound familiar to anyone following DJI’s ever-growing drone family over the last 10 years, but it’s probably not aimed at you — this is for newcomers. The Mini 4K is priced substantially less than its Mini Pro iterations, and it’s actually less than the rest of the Mini drones from DJI. It’s available to order now for $299 / £269. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-dji-mini-4k-is-a-299-drone-aimed-at-beginners-130045701.html?src=rss

The DJI Mini 4K is a $299 drone aimed at beginners

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DJI’s latest product is another Mini drone. It can capture 4K video at up to 30 fps and 60 fps footage at 2.7K resolution, with increased video bitrates up to 100Mbps, which should ensure higher quality video at both settings. While those specs may not excite, maybe the price will.

Not to be confused with the Mini Pro series, which is several hundred dollars more, the $299 Mini 4K weighs less than 249g, is foldable and requires no FAA registration.

The specifications won’t move the Mini series forward, but they cover all the essentials for beginner drone pilots, including 2x digital zoom while recording in 4K, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. DJI says it can transmit 1080p video up to 10km away. There’s also level-5 wind resistance, once again, and it can fly for up to 31 minutes (or up to 93 minutes with DJI’s $449 Fly More bundle, which includes two extra batteries and a standalone charger.)

The Mini 4K will also include one-tap movements and features like helix, dronie and panoramic shooting support. If you’re a total rookie, DJI’s companion app has flight tutorials and one-tap takeoff and landing.

A lot of this will sound familiar to anyone following DJI’s ever-growing drone family over the last 10 years, but it’s probably not aimed at you — this is for newcomers. The Mini 4K is priced substantially less than its Mini Pro iterations, and it’s actually less than the rest of the Mini drones from DJI. It’s available to order now for $299 / £269. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-dji-mini-4k-is-a-299-drone-aimed-at-beginners-130045701.html?src=rss

The latest version of xAI’s Grok can process images

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xAI, the OpenAI competitor founded by Elon Musk, has introduced the first version of Grok that can process visual information. Grok-1.5V is the company's first-generation multimodal AI model, which cannot only process text, but also "documents, diagrams, charts, screenshots and photographs." In xAI's announcement, it gave a few samples of how its capabilities can be used in the real world. You can, for instance, show it a photo of a flow chart and ask Grok to translate it into Python code, get it to write a story based on a drawing and even have it explain a meme you can't understand. Hey, not everyone can keep up with everything the internet spits out. 

The new version comes just a couple of weeks after the company unveiled Grok-1.5. That model was designed to be better at coding and math than its predecessor, as well as to be able to process longer contexts so that it can check data from more sources to better understand certain inquiries. xAI said its early testers and existing users will soon be able to enjoy Grok-1.5V's capabilities, though it didn't give an exact timeline for its rollout. 

In addition to introducing Grok-1.5V, the company has also released a benchmark dataset it's calling RealWorldQA. You can use any of RealWorldQA's 700 images to evaluate AI models: Each item comes with questions and answers you can easily verify, but which may stump multimodal models like Grok. xAI claimed its technology received the highest score when the company tested it with RealWorldQA against competitors, such as OpenAI's GPT-4V and Google Gemini Pro 1.5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-version-of-xais-grok-can-process-images-120025782.html?src=rss

The latest version of xAI’s Grok can process images

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xAI, the OpenAI competitor founded by Elon Musk, has introduced the first version of Grok that can process visual information. Grok-1.5V is the company's first-generation multimodal AI model, which cannot only process text, but also "documents, diagrams, charts, screenshots and photographs." In xAI's announcement, it gave a few samples of how its capabilities can be used in the real world. You can, for instance, show it a photo of a flow chart and ask Grok to translate it into Python code, get it to write a story based on a drawing and even have it explain a meme you can't understand. Hey, not everyone can keep up with everything the internet spits out. 

The new version comes just a couple of weeks after the company unveiled Grok-1.5. That model was designed to be better at coding and math than its predecessor, as well as to be able to process longer contexts so that it can check data from more sources to better understand certain inquiries. xAI said its early testers and existing users will soon be able to enjoy Grok-1.5V's capabilities, though it didn't give an exact timeline for its rollout. 

In addition to introducing Grok-1.5V, the company has also released a benchmark dataset it's calling RealWorldQA. You can use any of RealWorldQA's 700 images to evaluate AI models: Each item comes with questions and answers you can easily verify, but which may stump multimodal models like Grok. xAI claimed its technology received the highest score when the company tested it with RealWorldQA against competitors, such as OpenAI's GPT-4V and Google Gemini Pro 1.5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-version-of-xais-grok-can-process-images-120025782.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch Series 9 is on sale for as low as $295 right now

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Those looking to pick up a smartwatch for the first time, or upgrade from an older model, should check out the sale running on Amazon right now on the Apple Watch Series 9. Certain sizes and colors have deep discounts, including the 41mm Product Red version that's down to a record low of $295 — more than $100 off its regular price. The 45mm model with cellular connectivity is also on sale by way of a clippable $80 coupon, which brings the final price down to an all-time low of $350.

The Apple Watch has been at the top of our list of the best smartwatches for quite some time, and the Series 9 (introduced in September 2023) is a big update from its predecessor. It runs on a new S9 SiP, which is the most meaningful upgrade to the wearable's processor in years. While we didn't notice a huge jump in general performance — the Watch has been speedy and responsive for a long time — the SiP update does allow for faster Siri responses and enables offline Siri interactions.

The latest model also supports the new Double Tap gesture based on Assistive Touch. This allows you to navigate the Watch's interface without actually touching the screen, doing things like dismissing timers or starting workout tracking using finger gestures. You can only use Double Tap in specific instances in watchOS 10, but those actions are made easier and more accessible with this feature.

In addition, the Series 9 has a second-gen ultra wideband (UWB) chip that works with a new Find My iPhone interface, plus its screen is brighter than previous versions. All of those things combine make the Series 9 feel like the biggest update to the Watch in a few years. Nevertheless, the caveats remain the same as they have been for some time: you can only use the Apple Watch if you're an iPhone user, and it lags behind the competition when it comes to sleep tracking. Battery life contributes to the latter, but you'll still get a full day's worth of use before you need to charge it up overnight.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-series-9-is-on-sale-for-as-low-as-295-right-now-131012915.html?src=rss

China bans Intel and AMD processors in government computers

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China has introduced guidelines that bar the the use of US processors from AMD and Intel in government computers and servers, The Financial Times has reported. The new rules also block Microsoft Windows and foreign database products in favor of domestic solutions, marking the latest move in a long-running tech trade war between the two countries.

Government agencies must now use "safe and reliable" domestic replacements for AMD and Intel chips. The list includes 18 approved processors, including chips from Huawei and the state-backed company Phytium — both of which are banned in the US. 

The new rules — introduced in December and quietly implemented recently — could have a significant impact on Intel and AMD. China accounted for 27 percent of Intel's $54 billion in sales last year and 15 percent of AMD's revenue of $23 billion, according to the FT. It's not clear how many chips are used in government versus the private sector, however. 

The moves are China's most aggressive yet to restrict the use of US-built technology. Last year, Beijing prohibited domestic firms from using Micron chips in critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US has banned a wide range of Chinese companies ranging from chip manufacturers to aerospace firms. The Biden administration has also blocked US companies like NVIDIA from selling AI and other chips to China. 

The US, Japan and the Netherlands have dominated the manufacturing of cutting-edge processors, and those nations recently agreed to tighten export controls on lithography machines from ASL, Nikon and Tokyo Electron. However, Chinese companies, including Baidu, Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo have already started designing their own semiconductors to prepare for a future wherein they could longer import chips from the US and other countries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/china-bans-intel-and-amd-processors-in-government-computers-065859238.html?src=rss

The Meta Quest 2 VR headset is on sale for a low of $199

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The Meta Quest 2 may not be Meta's latest and greatest virtual reality headset, but it remains a strong value for those who want to give VR a try without spending a ton of cash. Now, it's even more affordable: A new deal has dropped the headset down to $199 at several retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Meta's own online store. That's $50 below the device's standard going rate (after a permanent price cut earlier this year) and the largest discount we've seen.

At Walmart, the discount comes with a $50 credit to the Meta Quest Store. The retailer says that you'll need to redeem the credit in VR within 90 days of activating the headset, but it's still a nice way to save on any games or apps you plan on using first. Best Buy, meanwhile, is throwing in Logitech's Chorus add-on speaker for no extra cost. (Though we haven't tested that accessory.) There are no special bonuses at Amazon as of this writing, but the deal comes as part of the company's wider Big Spring Sale event.

We gave the Quest 2 a review score of 89 when it was released back in 2020, and it's now the top budget pick in our guide the best VR headsets. To be clear, if you can afford the newer Meta Quest 3, you should still buy that instead: It has better screens, a faster processor, more RAM and a modicum of mixed reality functionality. Its full-color passthrough makes it easier to interact with the real world while keeping the headset on, and the whole thing should hold up better with new games going forward.

But it costs $500. For far less cash, the Quest 2 can still run just about all of the platform's best games and apps, from Asgard's Wrath 2 to Walkabout Mini Golf. It's still completely wireless and relatively comfortable — insofar as a VR headset can be comfortable — and it gets around the same two to three hours of battery life. Compared to the Quest 3, its LCD screens aren't as sharp (with a 1,832 x 1,920 resolution per eye instead of 2,064 x 2,208) and have a narrower field of view, but they should still be sufficient for most people getting into VR for the first time. With a link cable, it can still hook up to a gaming PC and play VR games like Half-Life: Alyx as well. If you've been curious about VR but aren't sure if you'll use your headset as anything more than a toy for occasional gaming, the Quest 2 should be enough, and this deal makes the upfront investment a little less daunting.

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/the-meta-quest-2-vr-headset-is-on-sale-for-a-low-of-199-151521310.html?src=rss

The Meta Quest 2 VR headset is on sale for a low of $199

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The Meta Quest 2 may not be Meta's latest and greatest virtual reality headset, but it remains a strong value for those who want to give VR a try without spending a ton of cash. Now, it's even more affordable: A new deal has dropped the headset down to $199 at several retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Meta's own online store. That's $50 below the device's standard going rate (after a permanent price cut earlier this year) and the largest discount we've seen.

At Walmart, the discount comes with a $50 credit to the Meta Quest Store. The retailer says that you'll need to redeem the credit in VR within 90 days of activating the headset, but it's still a nice way to save on any games or apps you plan on using first. Best Buy, meanwhile, is throwing in Logitech's Chorus add-on speaker for no extra cost. (Though we haven't tested that accessory.) There are no special bonuses at Amazon as of this writing, but the deal comes as part of the company's wider Big Spring Sale event.

We gave the Quest 2 a review score of 89 when it was released back in 2020, and it's now the top budget pick in our guide the best VR headsets. To be clear, if you can afford the newer Meta Quest 3, you should still buy that instead: It has better screens, a faster processor, more RAM and a modicum of mixed reality functionality. Its full-color passthrough makes it easier to interact with the real world while keeping the headset on, and the whole thing should hold up better with new games going forward.

But it costs $500. For far less cash, the Quest 2 can still run just about all of the platform's best games and apps, from Asgard's Wrath 2 to Walkabout Mini Golf. It's still completely wireless and relatively comfortable — insofar as a VR headset can be comfortable — and it gets around the same two to three hours of battery life. Compared to the Quest 3, its LCD screens aren't as sharp (with a 1,832 x 1,920 resolution per eye instead of 2,064 x 2,208) and have a narrower field of view, but they should still be sufficient for most people getting into VR for the first time. With a link cable, it can still hook up to a gaming PC and play VR games like Half-Life: Alyx as well. If you've been curious about VR but aren't sure if you'll use your headset as anything more than a toy for occasional gaming, the Quest 2 should be enough, and this deal makes the upfront investment a little less daunting.

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/the-meta-quest-2-vr-headset-is-on-sale-for-a-low-of-199-151521310.html?src=rss

Microsoft’s upcoming custom chip will be made by Intel

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Intel's relatively new Foundry division — formerly known as Intel Foundry Services until earlier today — has just landed a notable order from a big name. According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that his company will be tapping into Intel's latest 18A (1.8nm) fabrication process for an upcoming in-house chip design. But given Intel's process roadmap, this means we likely won't be seeing Microsoft's new chip until 2025.

While neither company disclosed the nature of said silicon, Microsoft did unveil its custom-made Azure Maia AI Accelerator and Azure Cobalt 100 CPU server chips last November, with an expected rollout some time "early" this year to bolster its own AI services. The Cobalt 100 is based on Arm architecture, and it just so happens that Intel has been optimizing its 18A process for Arm designs since April last year (it even became an Arm investor later), so there's a good chance that this collaboration may lead to the next-gen Cobalt CPU.

In addition to the usual efficiency improvements as node size decreases, Intel 18A also offers "the industry's first backside power solution" which, according to IEEE's Spectrum, separates the power interconnect layer from the data interconnect layer at the top, and moves the former to beneath the silicon substrate — as implied by the name. This apparently allows for improved voltage regulation and lower resistance, which in turn enable faster logic and lower power consumption, especially when applied to 3D stacking.

Announced at Intel Foundry Direct Connect, Intel’s extended process technology roadmap adds Intel 14A to the company’s leading-edge node plan, in addition to several specialized node evolutions and new Intel Foundry Advanced System Assembly and Test capabilities. Intel also affirmed that its ambitious five-nodes-in-four-years process roadmap remains on track and will deliver the industry’s first backside power solution.
Intel

In Intel's Q4 earnings call, CEO Pat Gelsinger confirmed that "18A is expected to achieve manufacturing readiness in second half '24." Given that Intel's very own 18A-based processors — "Clearwater Forest" for servers and "Panther Lake" for clients — won't arrive until 2025, chances are it'll be a similar time frame for Microsoft's next chip.

At Intel's event earlier today, the exec shared an extended Intel Foundry process technology roadmap, which features a new 14A (1.4nm) node enabled by ASML's "High-NA EUV" (high-numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet) lithography system. According to AnandTech, this 14A leap may help Intel play catchup after its late EUV adoption for its Intel 4 (7nm) node, though risk production won't take place until the end of 2026.

Intel Foundry is the brainchild of Gelsinger, who launched this department right after he assumed the CEO role in February 2021, as part of his ambitious plan to put Intel up against the likes of TSMC and Samsung in the contract chip-making market. Before Microsoft, Intel Foundry's list of clients already include MediaTek, Qualcomm and Amazon. The company still aims to become "the second largest external foundry by 2030" in terms of manufacturing revenue, which it believes is achievable as early as this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-upcoming-custom-chip-will-be-made-by-intel-063323035.html?src=rss