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Showing posts from April, 2023

Japan to Provide Up to $1.8 Billion in Subsidies for Storage Battery and Chip Projects

  The Japanese government has announced its plans to provide subsidies of up to $1.8 billion for projects related to storage batteries and chips, as part of Tokyo's latest effort to secure its supply chains. Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura revealed that the government will subsidize up to 184.6 billion yen ($1.38 billion) for eight storage battery-related proposals and up to 56.4 billion yen for two semiconductor-related projects. Among the proposals that the government will subsidize is a joint plan by Honda Motor and battery maker GS Yuasa to invest around 430 billion yen to increase the production of storage batteries. The ministry will provide up to 158.7 billion yen in subsidies for the project. In a statement, Honda, GS Yuasa, and battery maker Blue Energy announced plans to commence production in April 2027, with mass production scheduled for October of the same year. The companies plan to construct a new plant with a production capacity of at least 20 gigawatt ho

Apple Releases iOS 16.5 Beta 3 with New Sports-Related Features for Developers

 Apple has released the third beta version of iOS 16.5 to developers, which includes new sports-related features. The update was announced on Tuesday and brings overall improvements to the operating system. iOS 16.5 beta 3 is now available to registered developer beta testers. The update can be installed over the air by going to the Settings app, choosing General, and then selecting Software Update. The build number for this update is 20F5050f. One of the most notable additions in iOS 16.5 is the new Sports tab in the Apple News app. This feature has been highly requested by sports fans and will provide a dedicated section for all things related to sports. It will enable users to stay up-to-date with the latest news, scores, and updates from their favorite teams and leagues. Additionally, iOS 16.5 adds new screen recording commands to Siri. This will allow users to start or stop screen recordings using the virtual assistant. This feature is likely to be useful for individu

OpenAI rolls out 'incognito mode' on ChatGPT

OpenAI, the non-profit research company behind the powerful language model GPT-3, has rolled out a new feature for its chatbot ChatGPT called "incognito mode." This mode allows users to have private conversations with ChatGPT without their data being stored or used to improve the AI model. The move comes as scrutiny has grown over how ChatGPT and other chatbots manage user data. In March, Italy banned ChatGPT for possible privacy violations. France and Spain have also begun investigating the service. OpenAI says that incognito mode is not a direct response to the bans, but rather a way to give users more control over their data. In a blog post, the company said that it is "committed to building AI systems that are aligned with human values," and that incognito mode is "one step in that direction." To use incognito mode, users simply need to toggle on the "Chat History & Training" setting in ChatGPT's settings menu. Once this setting is en

Tech Giants Announce Mass Layoffs, Thousands to be Affected

 Major technology companies continue to lay off employees as they restructure and adjust their businesses to adapt to the rapidly changing market conditions. Reports indicate that some of the biggest tech giants such as Meta, Amazon, and Accenture have already announced or implemented layoffs, with more expected to come in the coming weeks or months. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has already begun sacking people in technical roles, including user experience, software engineering, graphics programming, and more. The company's spokesperson has confirmed that it will be conducting another round of layoffs in April and May 2023, which will include business-facing roles such as finance, legal, and HR. Accenture has also announced that it will lay off 18,000 employees over the next 18 months. The company has already started creating a list of employees who will be affected, with those who haven't been working on any projects expected to be the first to go. Meanwhile,

Twitter Restores Blue Check Marks For Many High-Profile Accounts

  Over the weekend, Twitter re-verified many users with large followings, just days after removing the blue verification checkmarks from accounts that do not pay for Twitter Blue. The move caused confusion among some high-profile users, including journalists, celebrities, and a major university, who insisted they did not sign up for Twitter owner Elon Musk's $8-per-month subscription service. The blue checkmark indicates that an account has been verified as authentic and belongs to a notable figure or organization. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, comedian and actor Ben Schwartz, and actor Elijah Wood were among those who noticed their blue checkmarks had been restored without their consent. Astrophysicist and TV personality Neil deGrasse Tyson was surprised but not annoyed by the sudden restoration of his verification status. Other verified accounts belonging to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, chef Anthony Bourdain, and singer Chester Bennington, who have all passed

Google's AI experiment Bard adds coding capabilities for programming and software development tasks

Google's AI experiment Bard has recently added coding capabilities for programming and software development tasks. Bard was initially launched as an experiment that allows users to collaborate with generative AI. Since its launch, coding has been one of the top requests that the team has received from users. As a result, the Google Research team has updated Bard to include this capability. Paige Bailey, a Group Product Manager at Google Research and a passionate engineer who still programs every day, stated that they are excited to launch this feature. With Bard's new coding capabilities, users can generate code, debug it, and even get an explanation of their code snippets. The coding capabilities are available in more than 20 programming languages, including C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python, and Typescript. One of the most exciting features of Bard's coding capabilities is the ability to export Python code to Google Colab without requiring any copy and paste. This can sav

Uber Eats and Cartken Launch AI-Powered Robot Deliveries in Virginia

Uber Eats and Cartken have announced the expansion of their autonomous robot deliveries to Fairfax, Virginia. The companies have partnered to offer their self-driving robot delivery service to customers at the Mosaic District in Fairfax, Virginia. The new service will be initially available for customers ordering from participating merchants like Our Mom Eugenia, Pupatella, and RASA. The program has over 10 restaurants participating, according to a video shared by Cartken on Twitter. Cartken's autonomous robots are equipped with AI, computer vision, and lidar-less technology, which allow the robots to navigate sidewalks and roads safely and efficiently. The company's goal is to expand the reach of its robots to more locations, bringing innovative solutions to customers and merchants. "Our team at Cartken is excited to further partner with Uber Eats and expand our reach to serve the Fairfax community. Cartken is at an inflection point, where we are rapidly

Google's 'Magi': AI-powered search to take on Bing chatbot

 Google is reportedly working on a new project codenamed "Magi" that aims to revamp its search engine using artificial intelligence (AI). The move comes in response to the threat posed by rival search engine Bing's chatbot, which is powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 technology. While Google is still the undisputed leader in search volume, Bing's AI chatbot has forced the search giant to adapt and evolve quickly. According to a report by The New York Times, "Magi" will add AI-powered features to Google's web search, providing users with more personalized search results that anticipate their requirements even before they type them in. The search giant is said to be testing and tweaking the latest technology in "sprint rooms," where designers, engineers, and executives collaborate on the project. Google's new AI-powered search is expected to be a game-changer, offering a more intuitive and streamlined user experience that takes advantage

Introduction to PLCs: Definition, Programming, Symbols, and Uses

 PLC stands for Programmable Logic Controller. It is a digital computer-based system that is used to control and automate various industrial processes. PLCs are widely used in manufacturing and industrial applications, such as assembly lines and also used in robotic operations. The basic function of a PLC is to monitor the inputs of a system, such as sensors and switches, and based on these inputs, control the outputs of the system, such as motors, valves, and other actuators. PLCs use a programming language, such as ladder logic or function block diagram, to control the behavior of the system. Ladder logic is the most commonly used programming language in PLCs. It uses graphical symbols to represent logic operations, such as AND, OR, and NOT. Ladder logic is based on the principle of relays and contactors, which were used in traditional relay logic systems. Here are some common PLC symbols and their meanings: Normally open contact (NO)(-| |-): This symbol represe

Apple’s first retail store in India opening in Mumbai

On April 18, 2023, Apple achieved a significant milestone by opening its first-ever retail store in India. Located in Mumbai’s upscale commercial hub, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the store is situated in the Jio World Drive Mall owned by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani. This marks a historic moment for Apple as it expands its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. For several years, Apple has been teasing plans to open its own retail store in India, a country with a growing middle class and a population set to overtake China’s. Until now, Apple has sold its products in India through authorized third-party retailers and online portals like Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall. However, with the opening of its first retail store in Mumbai, Apple is taking a bold step towards establishing a brick-and-mortar presence in the country. One of the key reasons behind Apple’s increased focus on India is the potential for growth. The country’s middle class is expanding

Unleashing Creativity: 10 Innovative Ways Developers Can Utilize Chat GPT-4 in Software Development

 In the world of software development, advancements in natural language processing (NLP) have opened up exciting possibilities for using language models like Chat GPT-4, a cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI. Chat GPT-4 is a powerful tool that can be used by developers in creative and innovative ways to enhance various aspects of their work. Here are 10 creative ways developers can leverage Chat GPT-4: Code Generation: Chat GPT-4 can be trained on a vast amount of code from different programming languages. Developers can use Chat GPT-4 to generate code snippets, templates, or even complete code blocks based on high-level descriptions or pseudo code. This can greatly accelerate the coding process and help developers quickly generate complex code structures. Automated Documentation: Documentation is an essential part of software development, but it can be time-consuming and tedious. Chat GPT-4 can be used to automatically generate documentation based on code comments

Italy's Data Watchdog Sets Demands for OpenAI's ChatGPT to Resume Service in the Country

 Italy's data protection agency, known as Garante, has set out a list of demands for OpenAI to meet in order to address the agency's concerns over the ChatGPT chatbot and allow the artificial intelligence service to resume in the country. This comes almost two weeks after Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI took ChatGPT offline in Italy due to temporary restrictions on its personal data processing and an ongoing probe into a suspected breach of privacy rules. In a statement issued on April 12, Garante laid out a set of "concrete" demands to be met by OpenAI by April 30. The agency stated that only when these demands are met, the authority will suspend the provisional restrictions on the use of data of Italian users and ChatGPT will once again become accessible in Italy. OpenAI has welcomed the agency's move and expressed its willingness to work with Garante to make ChatGPT available to its customers in Italy again soon, according to a spokesperson's statement to

Alibaba AI Chatbot Rival to ChatGPT: Introducing Tongyi Qianwen

  Alibaba , the Chinese tech giant, has announced its plans to roll out its own version of an AI chatbot called Tongyi Qianwen, in a move to compete with OpenAI's popular ChatGPT. This comes as part of Alibaba's ongoing efforts to expand its AI capabilities and leverage AI technologies across its services. ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, gained widespread recognition for its ability to generate human-like language and provide responses to user queries. It has demonstrated its capabilities in various areas, from summarizing complex research studies to answering logical questions and even cracking exams in fields like business and medicine. Following the success of ChatGPT, several companies, including Alibaba, have unveiled their plans to develop their own generative AI chatbots. Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen is expected to offer similar functionalities to ChatGPT, providing users with a conversational AI experience that can understand and respond to their queries in a hum

Japanese Universities Restrict Student Use of ChatGPT: Addressing Concerns on Academic Integrity and Data Privacy

Japanese universities, including Tokyo's Sophia University and the University of Tokyo, have recently implemented restrictions on the use of OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, by students for academic assignments. These restrictions come in response to concerns about potential information leaks, academic misconduct, and privacy issues associated with the use of AI tools in an educational setting. ChatGPT gained immediate prominence online after its release in November last year, with its ability to respond to user queries with human-like output. It has been praised for its capability to summarize research studies, answer logical questions, and even crack business school and medical exams. However, along with its advantages, several experts have also highlighted potential risks and challenges associated with its use in academia. One of the main concerns raised by Japanese universities is the issue of academic integrity. The use of ChatGPT or other AI chatbots to generate text, program s

Italy Bans OpenAI’s ChatGPT Over Privacy Concerns

I taly has become the first country to ban OpenAI’s language model ChatGPT over privacy concerns. The Italian data protection authority has accused OpenAI of stealing the data of its users and also raised concerns about the lack of an age-verification system to prevent minors from being exposed to inappropriate material. According to a report by the  New York Times , the Italian regulators cited a data breach on March 20 that exposed the conversations and payment details of dozens of ChatGPT users. The Italian authority might impose a fine of about $22 million or 4% of OpenAI’s worldwide annual revenue. In response to the ban, OpenAI founder Sam Altman said, “We of course defer to the Italian government and have ceased offering ChatGPT in Italy (though we think we are following all privacy laws). Italy is one of my favorite countries, and I look forward to visiting again soon!” OpenAI has been given 20 days to provide additional information and possible remedies before a final decision