In a February ruling described as the first of its kind in the US, Judge Jed Rakoff found that Bradley Heppnerâs conversations with Anthropicâs Claude about his legal exposure stripped away both attorney-client privilege and work-product protection, because an AI is not a lawyer and public AI platforms have no confidentiality obligation. More than a […]
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HBO Max has launched in India through an exclusive partnership with JioHotstar, the streaming platform born from Reliance Industriesâ $8.5 billion merger with Walt Disneyâs Indian operations. The deal brings a dedicated HBO Max-branded hub to JioHotstarâs 100 million-plus paid subscribers, available as an add-on starting at â¹49 per month, Â roughly 50 US cents, making […]
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Stendr, a Norwegian counter-drone startup led by Aleksander Leonard Larsen, who co-founded blockchain gaming unicorn Sky Mavis, has raised a $5.4M oversubscribed pre-seed from RainFall, ACME, SkyFall, and a consortium of European defence and tech investors. Stendr, a Norwegian defence technology startup developing AI-driven systems to detect and track drones, has raised $5.4 million in […]
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Adobe launched the Firefly AI Assistant, a conversational agent that orchestrates tasks across Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, Illustrator, Express, and Frame.io using natural language. Previously codenamed Project Moonlight, it enters public beta in coming weeks, integrates with third-party models including Anthropicâs Claude, and maintains context across sessions. Adobe also announced Firefly Image Model 5, Custom Models, […]
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Huawei has a teaser video for its upcoming wide foldable phone, the Huawei Pura X Max.
Joseph Zada stars as Haymitch Abernathy in this “Hunger Games” prequel, in theaters November 20.
WhatsApp Web may soon receive the customization it has lacked with the introduction of 49 new themes.
Key points to note:
– Meta is said to be trialing 49 chat themes for WhatsApp Web, delivering the long-awaited personalization to the desktop interface.
– Beyond wallpapers, the themes may alter the colors of message bubbles for a more unified appearance.
– Custom themes may be limited to local use, meaning your styling choices won’t be visible to others.
WhatsApp Web has often seemed like the overlooked member of the WhatsApp family. While the mobile app typically allows for exciting updates, the desktop version has largely been left behind, providing only the default light or dark theme. However, that may be on the verge of changing.
As reported by WABetaInfo, Meta is experimenting with a refreshed interface for WhatsApp’s web client that will incorporate 49 unique chat themes.
The web version of WhatsApp has consistently been a straightforward extension of your mobile device, lacking the features of a standalone app. This design has often led to significant interface updates being bypassed, prioritizing syncing messages and maintaining stability.
Themes modify both wallpapers and message bubbles
Nonetheless, WABetaInfo’s insights indicate that Meta is making strides to offer more sophisticated theme choices for the messaging app’s web client. These new themes not only modify the background but also change the colors of your message bubbles to complement the overall aesthetic.
If you enjoy organizing by color, this update will appeal to you. There are nearly 50 choices available, ranging from gentle pastels to vibrant, bold hues. Keep in mind, these modifications are only visible on your own screen. So, if you set your chat window to Persian Plum, your friends or coworkers won’t see it. Your styling decisions remain private.
No official launch date has been announced, and the feature has yet to show up in beta versions. However, be on the lookout for the Settings menu under Theme in the upcoming weeks.
Android Central’s Opinion
It’s amusing that it took Meta a decade to recognize that we might desire more than just two colors, but at least the company is finally making an effort, albeit belatedly. Although 49 colors seem appealing in theory, it feels like a diversion from more pressing concerns, such as the web client’s ongoing issues with loading previous messages. While I can now enjoy a “Sunset” theme as I wait for half a minute for a small PDF to sync, it still feels like dressing up a platform facing fundamental problems.
The Wayback Machine from the Internet Archive serves as an essential tool for maintaining the web’s history, enabling users to view earlier iterations of websites and pages. This resource is vital for protecting information that could otherwise vanish when sites go offline, assisting in monitoring alterations made to web content over the years.
Lately, the Internet Archive has encountered significant obstacles as many media organizations have started to restrict access to its web crawler, which is fundamental for updating the Wayback Machine. Reports indicate that 23 prominent news websites, including USA Today, have enacted prohibitions against the web crawler, even though these same entities frequently depend on the Wayback Machine for their own journalism.
For example, USA Today released an important article outlining how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) postponed disseminating crucial details regarding its detention practices. The creators of this article relied on the Wayback Machine to compile and scrutinize ICE’s detention figures and monitor changes during the Trump era. Ironically, despite deriving benefits from the archive’s offerings, USA Today has opted to prevent the Wayback Machine from storing its materials. Mark Graham, the Wayback Machine’s director, pointed out this inconsistency, noting that the outlet is availing itself of the tool for research while simultaneously limiting its access.
The restriction of the Internet Archive’s web crawler carries wider ramifications for journalism. A group of journalists has voiced alarm over this trend, amassing over 100 endorsements in favor of the Wayback Machine. Noteworthy supporters include influential personalities such as Rachel Maddow and independent journalists like Kat Tenbarge and Taylor Lorenz. They contend that the Wayback Machine is crucial for maintaining the historical narrative of journalism, particularly as numerous local newspapers shut down and community libraries grapple with managing digital archives.
In correspondence with the Internet Archive, the coalition underscored the significance of the Wayback Machine in granting access to historical journalism, which is becoming increasingly necessary in a digital era where conventional archival resources are fading. They highlighted that the task of preserving journalism’s legacy is increasingly being assumed by the Internet Archive.
While USA Today asserts that its measures are intended to block scraping bots in general rather than specifically singling out the Internet Archive, the consequences of such limitations could obstruct journalists and researchers’ access to essential historical information.
This scenario illustrates the necessity for a balance between content protection and the preservation of historical access, as the Wayback Machine remains a vital resource for the future of journalism and the conservation of digital heritage.
**The Next-Gen MacBook Neo: Anticipations for the A19 Pro Chip**
Last week, a report showcased the remarkable success of the MacBook Neo, unveiling Apple’s intentions for its successor. The forthcoming MacBook Neo is expected to incorporate the new A19 Pro chip, which is set to offer substantial improvements over its predecessor.
### MacBook Neo’s Triumph
While Apple has not disclosed official sales data, CEO Tim Cook affirmed that the Mac experienced its most successful launch week ever among new customers with the Neo. Recent reports suggest that the popularity of the MacBook Neo has resulted in a shortage of A18 Pro chips, prompting Apple to expedite its plans for the next-gen model.
### Principal Advantages of the A19 Pro Chip
The A19 Pro chip is anticipated to introduce three significant advantages to the new MacBook Neo:
1. **Expanded RAM**: The upcoming model will boast 12GB of RAM, an enhancement from the current 8GB. This upgrade addresses one of the most frequent grievances about the existing model, boosting performance for users involved in more resource-intensive tasks beyond basic functions like web browsing and email.
2. **Elevated CPU and GPU Performance**: Although the CPU enhancements are moderate, the GPU will receive considerable upgrades. The incorporation of Neural Accelerators in each GPU core will deliver up to three times the performance for AI-related tasks, benefiting applications such as Apple Intelligence features and gaming.
3. **Greater Efficiency**: The A19 Pro chip is crafted to be more efficient than its predecessor, potentially resulting in enhanced battery performance. While the effect on battery life may not be significant, any improvement is appreciated.
### Conclusion
The expected enhancements in the upcoming MacBook Neo, specifically the A19 Pro chip, position it as an attractive choice for users contemplating an upgrade. With expanded RAM, improved performance, and greater efficiency, the new MacBook Neo aims to cater to both casual and power users alike.
vicliu624’s Trail Mate is an open-source firmware for off-grid communication and GPS coordinates sharing, leveraging the Meshtastic, MeshCore, and other projects, and designed for ESP32 handhelds such as LILYGO’s T-LoRa Pager or M5Stack’s Tab5 with a LoRaWAN module. The Trail Mate firmware provides a fixed north-up GPS map, direct LoRa text messaging through Meshtastic or MeshCore mesh networks without relying on a smartphone, and prioritizes stability, efficiency, and interoperability over feature density. Trail Mate user interface highlights: Simple main menu with four icons: GPS, LoRa chat, tracker, and system utilities. GPS map Fixed North-Up map orientation (no rotation) Fully offline map rendering from SD card tiles (png/jpg files) Three switchable base layers: OSM / Terrain / Satellite Optional contour overlay for terrain shape awareness Real-time position marker for the current GPS fix Discrete zoom levels optimized for embedded systems Simple breadcrumb trails for path awareness Fast in-page layer switching via […]
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