applications. On January 19, 2025, the United States government enacted a blanket ban against all ByteDance applications, including both TikTok and Marvel Snap. As a result, the apps were no longer available to users in the United States, and they were both removed from the US App Store on iOS. Continue Reading on AppleInsider Discuss on our Forums

permit. And they???ll have a great partner, the United States.??? ???Sounds like a good deal to me, Mr. President,??? Ellison said. It???s still not entirely clear how all of this would work , or how the US could legally operate a speech platform without violating the First Amendment. But it???s one of the earliest examples of how Silicon Valley???s coziness with Trump could manifest over the next four years. Trump signed an executive order on Monday instructing his administration not to enforce the law on service providers covered by the forced divestiture bill ??? which include Oracle, Apple, and Google ??? for 75 days. But legal experts say the action provides hardly any legal cover for those companies to violate federal law and risk $850 billion in penalties . Even so, Oracle has appeared to rely on Trump???s assurances to help TikTok run in the US after the January 19th sale deadline, though the company has not yet commented on it directly. TikTok???s China-based parent company ByteDance still has other offers on the table, including from billionaire Frank McCourt???s Project Liberty and now, apparently, from YouTube creator MrBeast ??? whose investor group is receiving legal counsel from a team that includes the brother of Trump???s attorney general pick . As he was leaving the briefing, a reporter asked Trump if he has TikTok on his phone. ???No, but I think I might put it there,??? Trump responded. ???I think I???ll get it right now.???

Argenti. "This will create the conditions for companies to eventually 'employ' and train AI workers to be part of hybrid teams of humans and AIs working together." "There's a great opportunity for capital to move towards the application layer, the toolset layer," says Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti. "I think we will see that shift happening, most likely as early as next year." Argenti predicts that corporate HR offices will have to manage "human and machine resources," and there may even be AI "layoffs" as programs are replaced by more highly capable versions. [...] Among other predictions offered by Argenti is that the most-capable AI models will be like PhD graduates -- so-called expert AI systems that have "industry-specific knowledge" for finance, medicine, etc. [...] "The intersection of LLMs and robotics will increasingly bring AI into, and enable it to experience, the physical world, which will help enable reasoning capabilities for AI," he writes. Argenti sees "responsible AI" increasing in importance as a board-room priority in 2025, and, in something of a repeat of last year's predictions, he expects that the largest generative AI models -- the "frontier" models of OpenAI and others -- will become the province of only a handful of institutions with budgets large enough to pursue their enormous training costs. That is the "Formula One" version of AI, where the "engines" of AI are made by a handful of powerful providers. Everyone else will work on smaller-model development, Argenti predicts. Further reading: Nvidia's Huang Says That IT Will 'Become the HR of AI Agents' Read more of this story at Slashdot.

their relationship (which runs through 2030) stays pretty much the same ??? Microsoft keeps its exclusive rights to OpenAI???s tech for products like Copilot, and OpenAI???s API remains exclusive to Azure. They???ll maintain their two-way revenue-sharing setup (it's been reported that Microsoft gets 20 percent of OpenAI???s revenue). Prior to today???s change, OpenAI was locked into using Microsoft???s Azure cloud infrastructure exclusively for its computing needs. The news follows the announcement of a joint venture between Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI to build a system of data centers in the U.S. called Starbase. The models OpenAI hopes to build and the user base it's looking to serve require billions of dollars in compute. It has been previously reported that some OpenAI shareholders felt Microsoft wasn???t moving fast enough to supply OpenAI with computing power, hence why the startup partnered with Oracle back in June (with the blessing of Microsoft) for the necessary compute. There???s been a lot of buzz about Microsoft and OpenAI facing relationship woes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was briefly ousted from the company, causing a lot of very public drama. The New York Times reported that the relationship has grown increasingly strained due to financial pressures at OpenAI, concerns about stability, and growing friction between employees at both companies. Last March, Microsoft hired Inflection CEO Mustafa Suleyman to lead its consumer AI efforts, along with most of Inflection???s staff, in a $650 million deal. According to The New York Times report, this move particularly angered some OpenAI leadership, including Altman. OpenAI???s deal with Microsoft also has an unusual escape clause : if OpenAI creates artificial general intelligence (AGI), it could close off Microsoft???s access to some of its most powerful models developed after that point. AGI, reportedly, is defined as a system capable of generating more than $100 billion in profits. This was originally meant to keep such powerful AI from being commercialized, but now OpenAI is reportedly considering dropping this provision, likely to secure more Microsoft funding.

accurately show continent size. I bring this up simply because maps are complicated and changing the ones we rely on can take a lot of time and effort. Continue Reading on AppleInsider Discuss on our Forums

pricing. The change applies to multiple countries, as well, directly impacting a large number of consumers. The company's cheapest ad-supported plan will increase to $7.99 per month, up from the previous $6.99. The standard ad-free plan, meanwhile, will go from a monthly price of $15.49 to $17.99. The price of the premium tier will be a whole $3 higher ??? $24.99, instead of the usual $22.99. Continue Reading on AppleInsider Discuss on our Forums

commit $100 billion initially and pour up to $500 billion into Stargate over the next four years. Other details of the new partnership were not immediately available. Stargate will start with a data center project in Texas, sources said, and eventually expand to other states. Other investors are expected to join the venture, but it was not immediately clear which ones. Further reading: Scale AI CEO To Trump: 'America Must Win the AI War' Read more of this story at Slashdot.

States.??? According to a statement from OpenAI , ???Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI??? are the initial tech partners, with a buildout ???currently underway??? starting in Texas as other sites across the country are evaluated. It also says that ???Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system.??? Separately, Microsoft announced an update to its partnership with OpenAI , saying that the key elements of their deal remain in place through 2030, covering ???our access to OpenAI???s IP, our revenue sharing arrangements and our exclusivity on OpenAI???s APIs all continuing forward.??? What is changing is that Microsoft says OpenAI has made a ???new, large Azure commitment that will continue to support all OpenAI products as well as training.??? However, their exclusive arrangement for new capacity is changing so that now Microsoft has a right of first refusal over OpenAI building new capacity . In a press conference announcing the project, which has been rumored since early last year , Son and Altman spoke directly to Trump, insisting that the project only happened because of his election victory.

appeal to cyclists and other outdoor athletes. The report didn???t detail any other potential features, though the Oakley glasses would ostensibly have similar features to the current Ray-Ban Meta glasses . Oakley, like Ray-Bans, are a subsidiary of eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica. The move to expand Meta???s tech to other brands under EssilorLuxottica???s umbrella is a savvy one. While the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are good for discreet, everyday wear, they???re a bit heavy for endurance sports and lack certain features like polarized lenses for better visibility. Oakleys are also considered stylish and popular among professional athletes. Conceptually, they???re similar to the now discontinued Bose Frames Tempo , which allowed athletes to have open-ear audio with polarized lenses in a relatively light form factor. That said, if the goal is to appeal to athletes, Meta and Oakley will likely have to address factors like weight, sweat resistance, and battery life. The report also notes that Meta plans on launching a higher-end version of its current Ray-Ban glasses that include a display capable of delivering notifications, running simple apps, and previewing photos.

internally called Supernova. Gurman reports that this existing lineup will be introduced to new markets, although he didn't offer specifics about where. Meta's technologies also be applied to frames from other brands owned by its partner, Luxottica Group. This will allegedly lead to the launch of glasses codenamed Supernova 2 based on the Sphaera glasses from Oakley. This set would be intended for cyclists and other athletes, and its camera would be placed in the center of the frames. The third model is internally dubbed Hypernova. This product would be another step closer to a genuine AR experience, giving wearers the capability to run simple software apps, view notifications and display photos taken by the device. The more advanced feature set would reportedly come with a more advanced price tag; sources told Gurman this set is currently projected to cost $1,000. Insiders had already revealed last month that Meta was working on bringing a display to its Ray-Ban glasses models. Alongside these smart glasses, Meta has also been developing an AR product dubbed Orion . Gurman reports that the Orion set will not receive a commercial release. Instead, he said that Meta plans to launch a different iteration of the hardware as early as 2027. This product is codenamed Artemis, and sources told Gurman that these prototype glasses aren't as heavy as Orion and are more advanced than the predecessor. Another item of note in Gurman's report is that Meta is developing a wrist strap that could control its smart glasses. Most of the company's models have controls at the temple, but a wrist option would be similar to the one used for the Orion prototype. Finally, he confirms that Meta is still working on prototypes of camera-enabled earbuds that could be a rival to Apple's AirPods. The Information reported on this project in May 2024, and it seems that the concept has faced some development challenges. If these "Camerabuds" do reach the market, it likely won't be for years. We've reached out to Meta for comment on this report and will update with any statement we receive. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...027-222502610.html?src=rss

current machine, players won't need to re-download their games. And if you have cloud saves enabled, all of your data should transfer without any additional steps. However, it's always a good idea to have physical backups with this type of transition, especially since not all games support cloud saves, and those titles will need to have saved game data manually transferred. Mods also may not automatically make the switch, and EA recommends players check with mod creators about transferring to the EA app. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Keanu Reeves as Shadow . And a post-credits scene for the third movie hints that other fan favorites could join the series (spoilers in that link!), so there might be big casting announcements ahead for the fourth Sonic film. The March 2027 date for Sonic The Hedgehog 4 means it will launch well after The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel , which is set to debut on April 3rd, 2026.

professional account on Instagram and a page on Facebook. If accepted, creators will then be able to earn up to $5,000 over a 90-day period in exchange for sharing at least 20 reels on Facebook and 10 reels on Instagram posted natively within each app within each 30-day bonus period and sharing on at least 10 separate days within each 30-day bonus period. (Meta notes that creators individual payments will be calculated based on an evaluation of your social presence.) Creators will also be able to participate in its " Facebook Content Monetization " program that allows creators to earn money for text and photos posts in addition to video content. Though Meta doesnt name TikTok specifically, the timing of the rollout seems pretty clearly meant to target TikTok creators who arent active on Facebook and Instagram. Its also notable that the terms of the bonus program require creators to post twice as many Reels on Facebook as Instagram, suggesting Meta is looking to boost original content on Facebook specifically. The breakthrough bonuses are just one of the ways Meta is attempting to lure TikTok creators to its platforms. The company is also offering some creators, including those in the breakthrough program, a free one-year trial subscription to Meta Verified, which provides a blue check and extra perks like impersonation protection. The company also recently extended the length of Reels on Instagram, from 90 seconds to up to three minutes , and redesigned the Instagram grid. Meta is also reportedly striking bigger deals with specific, higher-profile creators. The Information recently reported that Meta has been offering some TikTok stars bonuses of up to $50,000 a month in exchange for posting their content on Reels first. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of those arrangements, but said the company recently expanded our investment in content deals to support more creators. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...am-220632949.html?src=rss

will guide you through using the app. You also get some neat wallpapers and two new widgets...

affects the iPhone 16 line and its unique Visual Intelligence features. More general Apple Intelligence changes and fixes are also present in the update. Primarily, Apple has changed how notification summaries work after several problems with how the feature dealt with news headlines. Continue Reading on AppleInsider Discuss on our Forums

from 1.5 billion to 70 billion parameters. These distilled models are based on existing open source architectures like Qwen and Llama, trained using data generated from the full R1 model. The smallest version can run on a laptop, while the full model requires far more substantial computing resources. The releases immediately caught the attention of the AI community because most existing open-weights models -- which can often be run and fine-tuned on local hardware -- have lagged behind proprietary models like OpenAI's o1 in so-called reasoning benchmarks. Having these capabilities available in an MIT-licensed model that anyone can study, modify, or use commercially potentially marks a shift in what's possible with publicly available AI models. "They are SO much fun to run, watching them think is hilarious," independent AI researcher Simon Willison told Ars in a text message. Willison tested one of the smaller models and described his experience in a post on his blog: "Each response starts with a ... pseudo-XML tag containing the chain of thought used to help generate the response," noting that even for simple prompts, the model produces extensive internal reasoning before output. Although the benchmarks have yet to be independently verified, DeepSeek reports that R1 outperformed OpenAI's o1 on AIME (a mathematical reasoning test), MATH-500 (a collection of word problems), and SWE-bench Verified (a programming assessment tool). TechCrunch notes that three Chinese labs -- DeepSeek, Alibaba, and Moonshot AI's Kimi, have released models that match o1's capabilities. Read more of this story at Slashdot.