We keep using the term “open source” in the context of large language models (LLMs) like Llama 2, but it’s not clear what we mean. I’m not referring to the fight over whether Meta should use the term “shared source” to describe its licensing for Llama 2 instead of “open source,” as RedMonk’s Steve O’Grady and others
Read MoreFinancial Times: The London Stock Exchange plans to add a blockchain-based digital assets business after a year of testing, but is “not building anything around cryptoassets” — Exchange operator in talks with UK government and regulators over new trading venue
Read MoreHopefully, it won’t be too long before PC gamers can also give Torgal a well-deserved scratch. | Image: Square Enix The weekend bore some good news for PC gamers wanting to get in on the Playstation 5 exclusive Final Fantasy XVI JRPG. During the “Voices From Valisthea” panel at PAX West on Sunday, Final Fantasy
Read MoreOlga Kharif / Bloomberg: CCData: the stablecoin market contracted 0.4% to ~$125B in August, the 17th straight month of decline, reflecting low trading volumes and reduced DeFi activity — – Total stablecoin market cap declined in August again: CCData — Tether showed its first market-cap loss in nine months
Read MoreApple’s latest patent seems to give us an idea of what a future iMac could look like — and it looks like it’s going the way of the fold.
Read MoreHollywood movies, RPGs, and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns are all full of flaming torches. They’re a typical source of light in scenarios where electrical solutions simply aren’t available. [Wesley Treat] decided to build a rather attractive ceremonial torch of his own design, showing off his impressive crafting skills in the process. The torch ignited a
Read MoreEmma Green / New Yorker: A look at Optima Academy Online, an all-virtual school launched in 2022 that lets US parents opt out of public school by putting their kid in a Meta Quest 2 — It’s 6 a.m. A little girl, who looks to be about ten years old, hits the button on her
Read MoreCredit: Media Peanut European prices for the Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablets have leaked online. It seems like the tablets could start at ~$594. That would make Samsung’s FE slates more expensive than rival tablets. We’re expecting the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series to launch before the year is out, bringing a cheaper but still
Read MoreChristopher Mims / Wall Street Journal: How startups offering AI-powered cameras, tree-mounted sensors, water-dumping drones, satellite data, and more are helping prevent, detect, and fight wildfires — We can already detect fires from space, soon after they start. Here’s why we don’t yet have a nationwide system for alerting us when they do—but could someday.
Read MoreThe Pistol Splat was a very weak blaster built for children, designed to shoot toy-grade paintball-like ammunition. [Matt Yuan] recognised the potential of the single-shot design, though, and repurposed it as a powerful Nerf blaster. The blaster is a simple spring-plunger design. Upon pulling the trigger, the spring drives the piston forward, shooting the ammunition
Read MoreCredit: Sony In the world of display technologies, OLED has emerged as the clear winner in recent years. From tiny smartwatches to televisions approaching 100 inches, you’ll be hard pressed to find a consumer electronics segment where the tech hasn’t taken off. But in 2022, Samsung Display blindsided the world with its announcement of QD-OLED,
Read MoreCredit: X/Twitter Alleged European prices for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have leaked. The information reaffirms previous rumors about a possible price hike for the series. The latest leak also gives away the storage options and color varieties for the upcoming Pixels. Google is all set to announce the Pixel 8 series on
Read MoreCredit: Lily Katz / Android Authority Google will reportedly offer two new Pixel Buds Pro colors at its Pixel launch event. These are said to be Porcelain and Sky Blue. Google launched the Pixel Buds Pro back in May last year, earning a spot on our list of the best true wireless earbuds. So you
Read MoreThe Indian Institutes of Technology are a production line for global tech CEOs, but critics say they promote a toxic, discriminatory work culture.
Read MoreCredit: Kris Carlon / Android Authority HONOR CEO George Zhao has hinted at a European price for the Magic V2. Zhao suggested that the new foldable would have similar pricing to the old foldable. HONOR showcased the Magic V2 at IFA 2023 last week, giving us a good look at the world’s thinnest book-style foldable
Read MoreCredit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Spotify has become an integral part of daily life for millions of music lovers worldwide, with the monthly subscription fee now just another expense. But as a global service, the local pricing of the subscription is a curiosity. How much does Spotify cost around the world? And why might
Read MoreNitasha Tiku / Washington Post: A look at the endless battle being waged by a group of internet sleuths, trans engineers, and activists to banish stalking forum Kiwi Farms from the internet — The anonymous forum, known as Kiwi Farms, keeps popping back online despite a relentless campaign by transgender activists and a former insider
Read MoreFlannery Associates, the company behind land grabs near San Francisco that turned out to be a secret plot to build a city with hundreds of millions in funding from wealthy tech leaders, has revealed a website for the planned city. California Forever is the name of Flannery’s parent company, and its site is filled with
Read MoreRight-to-repair has been a hot-button topic lately, with everyone from consumers to farmers pretty much united behind the idea that owning an item should come with a plausible path to getting it fixed if it breaks, or more specifically, that you shouldn’t be subject to prosecution for trying to repair your widget. Not everyone likes
Read MoreMatt Binder / Mashable: After ADL’s CEO noted talking to X CEO Yaccarino last week, anti-Semitic X posts surged and #BanTheADL trended as Elon Musk replied to and liked far-right posts — Anti-Semitic rhetoric has been especially rampant on the platform over the past 24 hours. — Over the past 24 hours …
Read MoreApple got close to launching a 14-inch iPad in 2023 but apparently decided against it, according to a report.
Read MoreLabor Day discounts have come early, and we’ve price-checked all these sales to make sure you save on our favorite mattresses.
Read MoreDoing anything that requires measurements in nanometers is pretty difficult, and seems like it would require some pretty sophisticated equipment. But when the task at hand is growing oxide layers on silicon chips in preparation for making your own integrated circuits, it turns out that the old Mark 1 eyeball is all you need. Alert
Read MoreIllustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Senior YouTube staffers are reportedly worried that its TikTok competitor, Shorts, may eat away at its long-form content, which has for almost two decades been its primary bread and butter, according to The Financial Times. As FT points out, YouTube’s ad revenue, though recently improved, had been on a
Read MoreThese days, we live in a post-Dick Tracy world, where you can make a phone call with your fancy wristwatch, and lots more besides. [akashv44] has gone a simpler route, designing their own from scratch with a bare PCB design. The build is based around the ESP-12E microcontroller, providing useful wireless connectivity that lets the
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