Posts with «region|us» label

OpenAI improves ChatGPT privacy with new data controls

OpenAI is tightening up ChatGPT’s privacy controls. The company announced today that the AI chatbot’s users can now turn off their chat histories, preventing their input from being used for training data.

The controls, which roll out “starting today,” can be found under ChatGPT user settings under a new section labeled Data Controls. After toggling the switch off for “Chat History & Training,” you’ll no longer see your recent chats in the sidebar.

Even with the history and training turned off, OpenAI says it will still store your chats for 30 days. It does this to prevent abuse, with the company saying it will only review them if it needs to monitor them. After 30 days, the company says it permanently deletes them.

OpenAI also announced an upcoming ChatGPT Business subscription in addition to its $20 / month ChatGPT Plus plan. The Business variant targets “professionals who need more control over their data as well as enterprises seeking to manage their end users.” The new plan will follow the same data-usage policies as its API, meaning it won’t use your data for training by default. The plan will become available “in the coming months.”

Finally, the startup announced a new export option, letting you email yourself a copy of the data it stores. OpenAI says this will not only allow you to move your data elsewhere, but it can also help users understand what information it keeps.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-improves-chatgpt-privacy-with-new-data-controls-174851274.html?src=rss

Terra blockchain founder Daniel Shin indicted in South Korea

South Korean authorities announced today that they indicted the co-founder of Terraform Labs, the company that develops and manages the blockchain payment platform Terra. According toBloomberg, Daniel Shin and nine others linked to Terra now face multiple charges, including violations of capital markets law, which regulates the nation’s securities and financial markets.

The authorities indicted eight people, including Shin, for illegal trading; two others face breach of trust charges. Prosecutors say all the defendants were directly involved with Terra, having handled marketing, systems development and management. In addition, prosecutors have frozen 246.8 billion won ($184.7 million) in assets from the defendants. Korean officials said they’re working with the US on the case, although they didn’t go into specifics.

Billed as a stablecoin, TerraUSD isn’t backed by real-world assets or fiat currency. Instead, it’s supported by Luna, the native cryptocurrency of the Terra blockchain, that supposedly had a mechanism to restore its value to $1 if its value ever failed. In addition, investors saw it as an alluring money-making opportunity because of its Anchor lending program, which promised annual yields of 20 percent for coin deposits.

However, prosecutors allege the Terra blockchain was a “fabrication” from the get-go, with the entire system essentially built on a house of cards. They claim the blockchain’s algorithm that kept TerraUSD at a stable price was “impossible to get right.” Its value collapsed in May 2022, when depositors lost confidence in the platform and simultaneously tried to sell off their investments. At the time of publication, Terra has a value of less than two cents.

Before the collapse, the defendants took 463 billion won (nearly $346 million) in profit. In addition, prosecutors claim they illegally exposed clients’ payment details and embezzled funds. Authorities say those charged caused “astronomical damage” to global investors as the crash also played a role in the collapse of crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital and the broader $2 trillion decline in the cryptocurrency market.

“Shin has nothing to do with the Terra, Luna collapse as he left the [company] two years before the fallout,” said Shin’s lawyer, Kim Ki-dong, in a statement. “He voluntarily returned to South Korea immediately after the collapse, and has been faithfully cooperating with the probe for over 10 months, hoping to contribute to fact finding.”

In September, Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for Shin’s co-founder, Do Kwon, who was also placed on an Interpol "red notice" list at South Korea’s request. He was finally arrested last month in Montenegro on capital markets law and fraud charges. The US Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Do Kwon and Terraform Labs in February.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/terra-blockchain-founder-daniel-shin-indicted-in-south-korea-171427921.html?src=rss

‘Star Trek: Resurgence’ launches May 23rd on most platforms

Developer Dramatic Labs has set a release date of May 23rd for the narrative adventure game Star Trek: Resurgence. It was supposed to come out in spring of 2022, but better late than never, right? The title launches for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC via the Epic Games Store. So pretty much everything but the Switch.

If the term “narrative adventure game” brings to mind Telltale classics like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, there is a good reason. Dramatic Labs is made up of former Telltale developers, some of which worked on those iconic adventure games. So you can expect a title that prioritizes making tough decisions over whiz-bang action. Star Trek as a franchise seems especially suited to this style of play, given the often thoughtful nature of the stories.

Star Trek: Resurgence is set shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation, placing it before the events of Star Trek: Picard but relatively concurrent with the events of Star Trek: Lower Decks. This is Star Trek. There are lots of timelines to keep track of.

The game features two playable lead characters, neither of which will be familiar to fans. However, Dramatic Labs has teased the presence of legacy characters from throughout the universe, and it has already revealed that the one and only Spock will feature heavily in the storyline. This is not the Spock from the original Star Trek and its sequel movies, but rather the aged Ambassador Spock as seen in The Next Generation timeline. The story involves stopping a war between two alien races, which is something the Vulcan ambassador would most certainly get behind.

Resurgence uses the Unreal 5 engine, which should eliminate some of the jankiness surrounding old-school Telltale games. There is also plenty of talent behind the scenes, so this is something to be cautiously optimistic about, as it has been a long time since a truly iconic Star Trek game appeared on our radar. In any event, we only have a month to find out if Resurgence lives up to classic early 2000s titles like Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-resurgence-launches-may-23rd-on-most-platforms-170248699.html?src=rss

Vitamix blenders are up to 31 percent off right now

Vitamix makes some of the most powerful blenders you can buy and right now many are on sale for the lowest prices we've seen this year. The E310 Explorian is the model we recommend for most people in our our guide to kitchen gadgets because it offers better performance than the base model Vitamix One, but is more reasonably priced than the top-of-the-line Ascent series. The E310 is down to $290, which is a 17 percent discount off the usual $350 list price. You can get the same deal at Amazon, Target and from the Vitamix site directly.

The discount comes as part of a larger Mother's Day sale at Amazon and at Vitamix, but anyone who likes a morning smoothie, homemade nut butters or creamy soups can get in on these deals. The deepest discount goes to the 5200 model which is 31 percent off, or $380 instead of $550, but that deal is only live on Amazon. The 5200 is part of the Legacy series that Vitamix has continued to manufacture for more than ten years. It's robust enough to pulverize nuts and creates enough friction to heat soup simply by running it. (My personal favorite Vitamix recipe is roasted butternut squash soup.) 

While they're not cheap, a Vitamix is a worthwhile investment if you want a powerful blender to expand your cooking repertoire — particularly when you can nab one on sale.  

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/vitamix-blenders-are-up-to-31-percent-off-right-now-164338665.html?src=rss

WhatsApp now lets you use your account on multiple phones

WhatsApp will soon allow users to access their accounts from more than one phone. In an expansion of the multi-device functionality the company began testing in 2021, you can now sync one account across up to four phones. Once you have access to the feature, you’ll see a new “link to existing account” option when installing the app on a smartphone. After tapping the button, WhatsApp will prompt you to scan a QR code on your primary phone, a step that involves navigating over to the “Linked Devices” section of the Settings menu on your main phone and tapping “Link a Device.”

If that sounds a bit complicated, WhatsApp also plans to roll out “a more accessible” method for linking companion devices that will allow you to use the platform’s web client to send a one-time code to the phone you want to add to your account. WhatsApp says it will bring this new, easier linking method to other devices in the future.

With the new syncing system, your “primary” device doesn’t need to be nearby or turned on for you to receive messages and calls on a secondary phone. However, WhatsApp will automatically log you out of your other devices if your primary phone is inactive for more than 14 days. You can also manually log out of any companion devices from your main phone. “Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted,” the company notes. The new multi-device feature will roll out to all WhatsApp users over the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-now-lets-you-use-your-account-on-multiple-phones-163158921.html?src=rss

Watch Japan's ispace try to land on the Moon today at 12:40PM ET

A Japanese company might be on the cusp of making history. Japan's ispace is attempting to land its Hakuto-R craft on the Moon at 12:40PM Eastern, and you can watch the livestream right now. If all goes well, ispace will claim both the first successful private Moon landing and the first Japanese lunar landing of any kind. To date, only China, the Soviet Union and the US have touched down. The vehicle includes payloads from NASA, Japan's JAXA and a small robotic rover (Rashid) from the United Arab Emirates. The rover is also historic as the UAE's first lunar craft.

Hakuto-R launched aboard a SpaceX rocket about 100 days ago. The landing is divided into six stages that include a de-orbit insertion, a largely unpowered "cruise" phase, a braking burn, a reorientation and two final phases where the machine slows down and (hopefully) reaches the surface intact. Israel's SpaceIL tried a private Moon landing in 2019, but it crashed following an engine failure.

A completed landing will help ispace's goals of sending two more landers to the Moon in 2024 and 2025. It could also spur Japan's broader spaceflight ambitions. Both JAXA and Japanese companies have struggled to get into space using domestically-made rockets. While ispace is relying on an American rocket to complete its mission, a landing would upstage SpaceX, Blue Origin and other private outfits racing to land on Earth's cosmic neighbor.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-japans-ispace-try-to-land-on-the-moon-today-at-1240pm-et-161525731.html?src=rss

GM will stop making the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV later this year

On an earnings call with investors, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the company plans to cease production of the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV by the end of 2023. Between them, the models account for most of GM's EV sales and the company plans to make more than 70,000 of them this year — that marks a record rate of production, according to CNBC.

However, the Bolt's battery cells are based on an older design and GM is transitioning to its Ultium system. According to Barra, GM will modify a Detroit-area plant where it makes the Chevy Bolts so it can produce the electric Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra there starting in 2024.

The Bolt's battery system has led to some serious problems for GM in the past. In 2021, GM recalled every Bolt it had ever made to that point due to a battery manufacturing defect that posed a fire risk. The company spent some $1.8 billion to resolve the issues.

Considering GM's plan to switch entirely to EVs by 2035, it makes sense to use the same battery tech across all of its models to help it ramp up the pace of production. After the Michigan plant has been retrofitted and reaches full production, GM expects that it will be able to build 600,000 electric trucks per year. The company has a production target of 2 million EVs per year between the US and China.

The timing of the move may be a slightly risky one for the company. The Bolt, which arrived in 2016, is the most affordable option for a new EV from a major automaker. Last year, GM lowered the starting price of the 2023 Bolt EV to $26,595, plus a $995 destination fee. The relative affordability has helped GM achieve three consecutive quarters of record Bolt EV and EUV deliveries, Barra said in a letter to shareholders.

GM says it delivered more than 20,000 EVs last quarter, which is a far cry from the 422,000 vehicles Tesla delivered in Q1. Although GM is now in second place in the US EV market, it has quite a way to go before it can catch up to Tesla. The Equinox EV, which is slated to arrive in the fall, is expected to start at around $30,000, which could help its prospects.

“When the Chevrolet Bolt EV launched, it was a huge technical achievement and the first affordable EV, which set in motion GM’s all-electric future,” Chevy spokesman Cody Williams told CNBC in a statement. “Chevrolet will launch several new EVs later this year based on the Ultium platform in key segments, including the Silverado EV, Blazer EV and Equinox EV. ”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-will-stop-making-the-chevy-bolt-ev-and-euv-later-this-year-160540118.html?src=rss

'The Witcher' season 3 trailer shows Henry Cavill's last stint as Geralt

Netflix is offering a peek at Henry Cavill's final turn as Geralt of Rivia. The streaming service has posted a teaser trailer for The Witcher season three that showcases Cavill as the White Wolf. There's precious little story in the clip. However, Geralt is now worried enough to know real fear, and it's clear Ciri and Yennifer have even more to worry about.

As with Stranger Things season four, Netflix is splitting The Witcher's third run into two parts. A first volume premieres June 29th, while you'll have to wait until July 27th to see the rest. That's not entirely voluntary. As show creator Lauren Schmidt Hissirch told Collider in an interview this December, there was a possibility the challenges of producing visual effects would require dividing the season.

It may be a bittersweet season for fans. Cavill is known to be a fan of all things Witcher (both the novels and the games), and many seem him as synonymous with the on-screen representation of Geralt. Liam Hemsworth is set to replace Cavill in season four. It's too soon to say how well Hemsworth will fare, but it's safe to presume he'll bring something different to the role.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-witcher-season-3-trailer-shows-henry-cavills-last-stint-as-geralt-154524461.html?src=rss

Cruise self-driving taxis can now operate around the clock in San Francisco

You won't necessarily have to hail one of Cruise's robotaxis at night in San Francisco. Company chief Kyle Vogt has revealed that Cruise now has permission to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week across all of San Francisco. Only employees will have access to the whole region for those hours. However, Cruise is also opening daytime rides to public "power users" for the first time. While you'll only have access to a limited portion of the city at first (mainly Pacific Heights, Richmond and Sunset), it's now just a question of where you are, not when you're going.

Staff have already been riding during the daytime for months. San Francisco officials have resisted expanding access to robotaxis from Cruise and Alphabet's Waymo over concerns the companies are moving too quickly. There have been incidents where the driverless cars blocked traffic, including emergency vehicles. The city's Transportation Authority has instead pushed for limited rollouts with gradual expansions.

Well folks, we did it. I have been waiting for this day for almost 10 years.

I am proud to announce @Cruise is now running 24/7 across all of San Francisco!

This is a pivotal moment for our business.

Let me tell you why 👇(1/6) pic.twitter.com/UqCMgozrWX

— Kyle Vogt (@kvogt) April 25, 2023

There's no timeline for wider deployments elsewhere, but Vogt promises that operations will "soon" grow in other cities. Successful use in San Francisco is a "litmus test" for robotaxis in other cities, the executive claims. The city's challenging terrain, unusual roads and wet weather are daunting for self-driving car sensors.

The wider access could help the GM-owned brand claim an edge over Waymo. Cruise was the first to start charging for self-driving rides in San Francisco. Now, it can tout non-stop service for some passengers. Waymo still has an advantage in areas like Phoenix, where it has charged for public rides for a while, but it clearly has a more difficult fight ahead.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cruise-self-driving-taxis-can-now-operate-around-the-clock-in-san-francisco-144419506.html?src=rss

Spotify reaches more than half a billion users for the first time

Spotify has released its earnings report for the first quarter of 2023 and the headline figure is the number of users the company has. As of March 31st, 515 million people were using the audio streaming service. That's the first time Spotify has had more than half a billion users. Q1 was also Spotify's second-biggest quarter for user growth to date — its audience increased by five percent from the previous quarter and 22 percent year over year. The user base grew by 26 million, which is 15 million more than Spotify had expected. The company said it saw growth in both developed and developing markets, as well as almost every age group.

Most of that growth is based on folks who use the free, ad-supported version of the Spotify service. Premium subscriptions didn't keep pace with the overall growth, as they rose by two percent from the previous quarter and 15 percent year over year from 205 million to 210 million. Still, premium subscribers grew by 3 million more than Spotify had indicated in its guidance to investors.

Overall, Spotify posted a net operating loss of €156 million ($172 million) for the quarter. That's far more than the €6 million ($6.6 million) loss it saw in the first quarter of 2022, though it's an improvement over the €270 million ($297 million) Spotify lost the previous quarter.

While overall revenue was up by 14 percent year over year from €2.66 billion ($2.93 billion) to €3.04 billion ($3.34 billion), it dipped by four percent from the previous quarter. Revenue from paid subscribers didn't change significantly from Q4 2022, but it dropped by 27 percent on the ad-supported side from €449 million ($494 million) to €329 million ($362 million) — though revenue from free users rose by 17 percent year over year. The quarter-to-quarter drop is perhaps a result of advertisers tightening their belts somewhat, leading to lower ad spend.

Advertisers aren't the only businesses trying to rein in costs. Spotify, like many other major tech companies in recent months, has laid off a sizable proportion of its staff. In January, the company laid off six percent of workers, which equates to around 600 people based on the 9,800 that Spotify employed as of the end of 2022.

Additionally, Spotify seems to be placing a bigger focus on the core parts of its business. It recently announced plans to shut down both its live audio app, Spotify Live, and Heardle, the Wordle-style song-guessing game it bought last summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-reaches-more-than-half-a-billion-users-for-the-first-time-142818686.html?src=rss