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This is a 1 hour introduction to Large Language Models (LLM), the core technical component behind systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Bard.
What they are, where they are headed, comparisons and analogies to present-day operating systems, and some of the security-related challenges of this new computing paradigm.
Time »
NY Times »
Chris Caputo stood on the tarmac at Burlington International Airport in Vermont in early October and looked to the clouds in the distance. He had piloted military and commercial aircraft over a long career, racking up thousands of flight hours, but the trip he was about to take would be very different.
That’s because the airplane Mr. Caputo would fly runs on batteries. Over the next 16 days, he and his colleagues flew the plane, a CX300 built by their employer, Beta Technologies, down the East Coast. They would make nearly two dozen stops to rest and recharge, flying through congested airspace over Boston, New York, Washington and other cities.
The Five Eyes is a coalition of five countries » Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It grew from the 1946 BRUSA agreement, shortly after the end of World War II, to share intelligence and coordinate security efforts. The five member countries have a long history of trust and cooperation, and they share a commitment to common values.
More » FBI | Toronto Star | The Guardian | Globe & Mail | CBC | ABC (Australia) | AFR
EFF »
Knowing where you shop, just by itself, can reveal a lot about who you are. Mastercard takes this a step further, as U.S. PIRG reported, by analyzing the amount and frequency of transactions, plus the location, date, and time to create categories of cardholders and make inferences about what type of shopper you may be. In some cases, this means predicting who’s a “big spender” or which cardholders Mastercard thinks will be “high-value”—predictions used to target certain people and encourage them to spend more money …
The ban is not absolute, since benchmarks cannot be downloaded only from Google Play, but you can use a third-party marketplace or install them via an APK file. However, the very fact of restricting the freedom of buyers of expensive smartphones does not speak in favor of Google: it is clearly not up to the manufacturer to decide what the user installs on his smartphone.
Elsewhere » Forbes
Updated » 2023.10.16 » Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro benchmark block lifted
Wired »
[Cybersecurity firm] Human Security researchers found seven Android TV boxes and one tablet with the backdoors installed, and they’ve seen signs of 200 different models of Android devices that may be impacted, according to a report shared exclusively with WIRED. The devices are in homes, businesses, and schools across the US. Meanwhile, Human Security says it has also taken down advertising fraud linked to the scheme, which likely helped pay for the operation.
Human Security | Human Security’s technical report [pdf] | The Register | Malware Bytes | EFF | Trend Micro | Ars Technica
It does me and it does David Lee of the very popular YouTube channel Dave2D.
Abner Li from 9to5Google also brings up some interesting points in this piece.
I’m anxious to read the full reviews when the embargos lift on Thursday, and also to try it out for myself.
“We have to be truthful, not neutral,” she urged. “I would make sure that you don’t just give a platform … to those who want to crash down the constitution and democracy.”
It’s an important call to action. But so far, the American press is failing to meet its responsibility to adequately emphasize the stakes of the coming election.
54% of the 2,063 adults in a Mitre-Harris Poll survey in July said they were more concerned about the risks of AI than they were excited about the potential benefits, reports Axios.
Google announced that all Chromebook platforms will receive regular automatic updates for 10 years — more than any other operating system commits to today.
This is scary. This is too easy and will be used for no good.
After unanimous votes in the state Assembly and Senate, the bill passed yesterday is expected to move through a concurrence vote and be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, reports Ars Technica.
Google »
Security is our number one priority. Chromebooks get automatic updates every four weeks that make your laptop more secure and help it last longer. And starting next year, we’re extending those automatic updates so your Chromebook gets enhanced security, stability and features for 10 years after the platform was released. »
A prominent anti-vaccine activist, Joseph Mercola, yesterday lost a lawsuit attempting to force YouTube to provide access to videos that were removed from the platform after YouTube banned his channels.
Mercola had tried to argue that YouTube owed him more than $75,000 in damages for breaching its own user contract and denying him access to his videos. However, in an order dismissing Mercola’s complaint, US magistrate judge Laurel Beeler wrote that according to the contract Mercola signed, YouTube was “under no obligation to host” Mercola’s content after terminating his channel in 2021 “for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines by posting medical misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.” »
The Fairphone 5 is another big step forward in addressing the waste of the smartphone industry, with the Dutch outfit showing other manufacturers that long-term support is possible.
Up to 10 years of software updates is simply unheard of, gaining it an extra star. And the Fairphone is simple enough to repair that the hardware should be able to last just as long with an occasional quick and cheap battery swap. It also comes with a five-year warranty and is made with as many recycled and ethically sourced materials as possible. Other than a slightly bulkier design and plastic back, it doesn’t look out of the ordinary.
CNN »
…according to an excerpt adapted from Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the eccentric billionaire titled “Elon Musk.”
As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes.
Musk’s decision, which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites back on, was driven by an acute fear that Russia would respond to a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with nuclear weapons, a fear driven home by Musk’s conversations with senior Russian officials, according to Isaacson, whose new book is set to be released by Simon & Schuster on September 12.
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