Lawmakers in New York have reached a tentative agreement to "prohibit social-media companies from using algorithms to steer content to children without parental consent (source paywalled; alternative source)," according to the Wall Street Journal. "The legislation is aimed at preventing social-media companies from serving automated feeds to minors. The bill, which is still being completed but expected to be voted on this week, also would prohibit platforms from sending minors notifications during overnight hours without parental consent." Meanwhile, the results of New York's first mental health report were released today, finding that depression and anxiety are rampant among NYC's teenagers, "with nearly half of them experiencing symptoms from one of both in recent years," reports NBC New York. "In a recent survey conducted last year, 48% of teenagers reported feeling depressive symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The vast majority, however, reported feeling high levels of resilience. Frequent coping mechanisms include listening to music and using social media."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Ansel Adams estate said it was "officially on our last nerve" after Adobe was caught selling AI-generated images imitating the late photographer's work. The Verge reports: While Adobe permits AI-generated images to be hosted and sold on its stock image platform, users are required to hold the appropriate rights or ownership over the content they upload. Adobe Stock's Contributor Terms specifically prohibits content "created using prompts containing other artist names, or created using prompts otherwise intended to copy another artist." Adobe responded to the callout, saying it had removed the offending content and had privately messaged the Adams estate to get in touch directly in the future. The Adams estate, however, said it had contacted Adobe directly multiple times since August 2023. "Assuming you want to be taken seriously re: your purported commitment to ethical, responsible AI, while demonstrating respect for the creative community, we invite you to become proactive about complaints like ours, & to stop putting the onus on individual artists/artists' estates to continuously police our IP on your platform, on your terms," said the Adams estate on Threads. "It's past time to stop wasting resources that don't belong to you." Adobe Stock Vice President Matthew Smith previously told The Verge that the company generally moderates all "crowdsourced" Adobe Stock assets before they are made available to customers, employing a "variety" of methods that include "an experienced team of moderators who review submissions." As of January 2024, Smith said the strongest action the company can take to enforce its platform rules is to block Adobe Stock users who violate them. Bassil Elkadi, Adobe's Director of Communications and Public Relations, told The Verge that Adobe is "actively in touch with Ansel Adams on this matter," and that "appropriate steps were taken given the user violated Stock terms." The Adams estate has since thanked Adobe for removing the images, and said that it expects "it will stick this time." "We don't have a problem with anyone taking inspiration from Ansel's photography," said the Adams estate. "But we strenuously object to the unauthorized use of his name to sell products of any kind, including digital products, and this includes AI-generated output -- regardless of whether his name has been used on the input side, or whether a given model has been trained on his work."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Android Authority: Like many other phone makers, Google has a self-repair program for servicing your damaged or malfunctioning Pixel device. As its support site explains, there are options to get repair tools, manuals, and certified parts so you can fix up your Pixel like new. Owners can also choose to simply send their device in to have it repaired professionally. As replacement parts can be expensive, some DIYers choose to use parts from third-party suppliers. But if you go down this route, you may want to avoid sending your device to Google if there's a problem you don't have the skills to fix on your own. As YouTuber Louis Rossmann discovered, Google's service and repair terms and conditions contain a concerning stipulation. The document states that Google will keep your device if a non-OEM part is found. Apparently, this rule has been in effect since July 19, 2023, as marked on the page. Last week, iFixit said they are parting ways with Samsung because the company "does not seem interested in enabling repair at scale." A separate report from 404 Media found that Samsung requires independent repair shops to give them the name, contact information, phone identifier, and customer complaint details of everyone who gets their phone repaired at these shops. "Stunningly, it also requires these nominally independent shops to 'immediately disassemble' any phones that customers have brought them that have been previously repaired with aftermarket or third-party parts and to 'immediately notify' Samsung that the customer has used third-party parts," reports 404 Media.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

AMD is hiring engineers to work on build and packaging of their "AMD Unified Linux Driver" to enhance the experience of deploying their packaged graphics driver stack -- including ROCm -- across different Linux distributions...

TorrentFreak's Ernesto Van der Sar recalls the rise and fall of Napster, the file-sharing empire that kickstarted a global piracy frenzy 25 years ago. Here's an excerpt from his report: At the end of the nineties, technology and the Internet were a playground for young engineers and 'hackers'. Some of them regularly gathered in the w00w00 IRC chatroom on the EFnet network. This tech-think-tank had many notable members, including WhatsApp founder Jan Koum and Shawn Fanning, who logged on with the nickname Napster. In 1998, 17-year-old Fanning shared an idea with the group. 'Napster' wanted to create a network of computers that could share files with each other. More specifically, a central music database that everyone in the world could access. This idea never left the mind of the young developer. Fanning stopped going to school and flanked by his friend Sean Parker, devoted the following months to making his vision a reality. That moment came on June 1, 1999, when the first public release of Napster was released online. Soon after, the software went viral. Napster was quickly embraced by millions of users, who saw the software as something magical. It was a gateway for musical exploration, one that dwarfed even the largest record stores in town. And all for free. It sounds mundane today, but some equated it to pure technological sorcery. For many top players in the music industry, Napster's sorcery was pure witchcraft. At the time, manufacturing CDs with high profit margins felt like printing money and Napster's appearance threatened to ruin the party. [...] At the start of 2001, Napster's user base reached a peak of more than 26.4 million worldwide. Yet, despite huge growth and backing from investors, the small file-sharing empire couldn't overcome the legal challenges. The RIAA lawsuit resulted in an injunction from the Ninth Circuit Court, which ordered the network to shut down. This happened during July 2001, little more than two years after Napster launched. By September that year, the case had been settled for millions of dollars. While the Napster craze was over, file-sharing had mesmerized the masses and the genie was out of the bottle. Grokster, KaZaa, Morpheus, LimeWire, and many others popped up and provided sharing alternatives, for as long as they lasted. Meanwhile, BitTorrent was also knocking on the door. "Napster paved the way for Apple's iTunes store, to serve the demand that was clearly there," notes Ernesto. "This music streaming landscape was largely pioneered by a Napster 'fan' from Sweden, Daniel Ek." "Like many others, Ek was fascinated by the 'all you can play' experience offered by file-sharing software, and that planted the seeds for the music streaming startup Spotify, where he still serves as CEO today. In fact, Spotify itself used file-sharing technology under the hood to ensure swift playback."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

After growing concerned about potential stock manipulation, E*Trade is "considering telling meme-stock leader Keith Gill he can no longer use its platform," reports the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter. Gill, known online as "Roaring Kitty," gained notoriety for his role in the 2020 meme stock frenzy, where he encouraged amateur investors to buy GameStop shares, significantly driving up the stock price and challenging hedge funds. Just hours ago, Roaring Kitty announced he bought $116 million worth of GameStop options and stocks. Developing...

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them. The wide-ranging fraudulent testing at Japan's top automaker involved the use of inadequate or outdated data in collision tests, and incorrect testing of airbag inflation and rear-seat damage in crashes. Engine power tests were also found to have been falsified. Toyota Motor Corp., based in Toyota city, central Japan, suspended production in the country of the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross. The deceptive tests were also found on discontinued models. The company said the wrongdoing does not affect the safety of the vehicles already on roads, which include the Corolla subcompact and Lexus luxury vehicles. "We sincerely apologize," Toyoda told reporters, bowing deeply and holding the position for several seconds, as is customary in Japan at news conferences where companies apologize for misbehavior. A Japanese government investigation into Toyota began in January. The issue does not affect Toyota's overseas production. Mazda and Honda also reported cheating on its vehicle testing. Mazda said incorrect engine control software was used in the tests. Meanwhile, the "improper tests" conducted by Honda included "those on noise levels and torque, on a range of models," according to the Associated Press. "Honda said affected older models -- the Accord, Odyssey and Fit -- are no longer in production. The safety of the vehicles is not affected, it said."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Samsung isn't waiting around for Oura to file any patent claims over its forthcoming smart ring. Instead, it's preemptively filed its own suit against Oura, seeking a "declaratory judgment" that states the Galaxy Ring doesn't infringe on five Oura patents. The suit alleges that Oura has a pattern of filing patent suits against competitors based on "features common to virtually all smart rings." In particular, the suit references sensors, electronics, batteries, and scores based on metrics gathered from sensors. The case lists instances in which Oura sued rivals like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn, sometimes before they even entered the US market. For those reasons, Samsung says in the suit that it anticipates being the target of an Oura suit.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Minimachines.net en partenariat avec TopAchat.com

Les Snapdragon X Plus et Snapdragon X Elite sont certes lancés sur des plateformes mobiles mais Qualcomm n’entend pas les réserver au monde des portables et des tablettes.

Le PDG de Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon, entend bien que son offre de SoC ARM intègre tout type de PC sous Windows. On parle donc de solutions classiques même si je ne suis pas certain que le format tour leur soit le plus accessible. Pour d’évidentes question d’évolutivité moins évidente pour les SoC de ce type que pour une puce x86 AMD ou Intel montée sur un socket, le format apparait comme plus fermé. Mais pour des MiniPC, des All In One et autres solutions type Clé-PC ou autres intégrations, les puces de la marque auront toute leur place.

Pour le format MiniPC ou le All-In-One par exemple, il est bien évident que ce type de puce mobile a autant d’intérêt que les solutions x86 classiques. On a déjà vu un premier MiniPC sous SoC Snapdragon X avec le kit de développement de la marque présenté lors de l’annonce des puces. Il est parfaitement envisageable d’imaginer des engins de ce type être proposés rapidement.

Reste à convaincre les marques partenaires d’un côté et les clients de l’autre. Sur ces segments des arguments de performances comptent mais ils ne sont pas les seuls. Le tarif est un point essentiel de l’équation. On a vu avec la première salve de portables équipés de ces puces que les prix demandés par les différents acteurs étaient au dessus des machines plus classiquement sous puces AMD et Intel. On imagine mal des particuliers comme des entreprises se pencher sur des minimachines de ce genre si elles se positionnent au dessus de la concurrence niveau tarif.

Si Qualcomm dit à ses partenaires que la porte est ouverte, c’est peut être pour tenter d’intéresser du monde vers ces formats, preuve que pour le moment cela ne se bouscule pas vraiment de ce côté là.

Le Snapdragon X Plus est officialisé par Qualcomm

Qualcomm veut glisser ses Snapdragon X dans tous les PC © MiniMachines.net. 2024.

Arm a visiblement de grosses ambitions renouvelées pour le marché du PC, qui lui échappe, c’est vrai, depuis bien longtemps. C’est Intel et le processeur x86 qui y font la loi depuis des décennies. Mais après plusieurs tentatives sans succès d’accoupler Windows et Arm, le vent pourrait bien être ame...

With AMD’s Zen 5 CPU architecture only a month away from its first product releases, the new CPU architecture was placed front and center for AMD’s prime Computex 2024 keynote. Outlining how Zen 5 will lead to improved products across AMD’s entire portfolio, the company laid out their product plans for the full triad: mobile, desktop, and servers. And while server chips will be the last parts to be released, AMD also saved the best for last by showcasing a 192 core EPYC “Turin” chip.

Turin is the catch-all codename for AMD’s Zen 5-based EPYC server processors – what will presumably be the EPYC 9005 series. The company has previously disclosed the name in earnings calls and other investor functions, outlining that the chip was already sampling to customers and that the silicon was “looking great.”

The Computex reveal, in turn, is the first time that the silicon has been shown off to the public. And with it, we’ve received the first official confirmation of the chip’s specifications. With SKUs up to 192 CPU cores, it’s going to be a monster of an x86 CPU.

AMD EPYC CPU Generations
AnandTech	EPYC 5th Gen (Turin, Z5c)	EPYC 9704 (Bergamo)	EPYC 9004 (Genoa)	EPYC 7003 (Milan)
CPU Architecture	Zen 5c	Zen 4c	Zen 4	Zen 3
Max CPU Cores	192	128	96	64
Memory Channels	12 x DDR5	12 x DDR5	12 x DDR5	8 x DDR4
PCIe Lanes	128 x 5.0	128 x 5.0	128 x 5.0	128 x 4.0
L3 Cache	?	256MB	384MB	256MB
Max TDP	360W?	360W	400W	280W
Socket	SP5	SP5	SP5	SP3
Manufacturing Process	CCD: TSMC N3 IOD:TSMC N6	CCD: TSMC N5 IOD: TSMC N6	CCD: TSMC N5 IOD: TSMC N6	CCD: TSMC N7 IOD: GloFo 14nm
Release Date	H2'2024	06/2023	11/2022	03/2021

Though only a brief tease, AMD’s Turin showcase did confirm a few, long-suspected details about the platform. AMD will once again be using their socket SP5 platform for Turin processors, which means the chips are drop-in compatible with EPYC 9004 Genoa (and Bergamo). The reuse of SP5 means that customers and server vendors can immediately swap out chips without having to build/deploy whole new systems. It also means that Turin will have the same base memory and I/O options as the EPYC 9004 series: 12 channels of DDR5 memory, and 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes.

In terms of power consumption, existing SP5 processors top out at 400 Watts, and we’d expect the same for these new, socket-compatible chips.

As for the Turin chip itself, while AMD is not going into further detail on its configuration, all signs point to this being a Zen 5c configuration – that is, built using CCDs designed around AMD’s compact Zen 5 core configuration. This would make the Turin chip on display the successor to Bergamo (EPYC 9704), which was AMD’s first compact core server processor, using Zen 4c cores. AMD’s compact CPU cores generally trade off per-core performance in favor of allowing more CPU cores overall, with lower clockspeed limits (by design) and less cache memory throughout the chip.

According to AMD, the CCDs on this chip were fabbed on a 3nm process (undoubtedly TSMC’s), with AMD apparently looking to take advantage of the densest process available in order to maximize the number of CPU cores the can place on a single chip. Even then, the CCDs featured here are quite sizable, and while we’re waiting for official die size numbers, it would come as no surprise if Zen 5’s higher transistor count more than offset the space savings of moving to 3nm. Still, AMD has been able to squeeze 12 CCDs on to the chip – 4 more than Bergamo – which is what’s allowing them to offer 192 CPU cores instead of 128 as in the last generation.

Meanwhile, the IOD is confirmed to be produced on 6nm. Judging from that fact, the pictures, and what AMD’s doing with their Zen 5 desktop products, there is a very good chance that AMD is using either the same or a very similar IOD as on Genoa/Bergamo. Which goes hand-in-hand with the socket/platform at the other end of the chip staying the same.

AMD’s brief teaser did not discuss at all any other Turin configurations. So there is nothing else official to share about Turin chips built using full-sized Zen 5 CPU cores. With that said, we know that the full-fat cores going into the Ryzen 9000 desktop series pack 8 cores to a CCD and are being fabbed on a 4nm process – not 3nm – so that strongly implies that EPYC Zen 5 CCDs will be the same. Which, if that pans out, means that Turin chips using high performance cores will max out at 96 cores, the same as Genoa.

Hardware configurations aside, AMD also showcased a couple of benchmarks, pitting the new EPYC chips against Intel’s Xeons. As you’d expect in a keynote teaser, AMD was winning handily. Though it is interesting to note that the chips benchmarked were all 128 core Turins, rather than on the 192 core model being shown off today.

AMD will be shipping EPYC Turin in the second half of this year. More details on the chips and configurations will follow once AMD gets closer to the EPYC launch.

The next "Spider-Verse" film may have a new animation style: AI. From a report: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) CEO Tony Vinciquerra does not mince words when it comes to AI. He likes the tech -- or at the very least, he likes the economics. "We are very focused on AI. The biggest problem with making films today is the expense," Vinciquerra said at Sony's Thursday (Friday in Japan) investor event. "We will be looking at ways to...produce both films for theaters and television in a more efficient way, using AI primarily." That's about the strongest support for AI we've heard from a film studio head. "We had an 8-month strike over AI last year," Vinciquerra began his response to the first analyst question (from Nomura Securities) during his Q&A portion of the annual event. He also acknowledged that ongoing IATSE talks and the forthcoming Teamsters negotiations are "both over AI again." The sum total of those discussions between Hollywood's workers and its studios will inform just how far Vinciquerra and others can go. "The agreements that came out of last year's strikes and the agreements that come out of the IATSE and Teamsters [negotiations] will define roughly what we can do with AI," Vinciquerra said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Via un communiqué commun, les deux entreprises annoncent « être entrées en négociation exclusive en vue d’un rapprochement […] par voie d’apport des actions de Pliops à Kalray ».

Le partage donnerait aux actionnaires de Kalray 65 % du capital du nouvel ensemble et 35 % pour ceux de Pliops. Le contrat prévoit « une possibilité de monter à 40 % pour Pliops, contre 60 % pour Kalray, en cas de réalisation d’objectifs stratégiques prédéfinis ».

Pliops se définit comme une société « spécialisée dans le développement de technologies avancées et de solutions d’accélération pour les serveurs de stockage et l’IA dans les data centers ». Chez Kalray, il est question de « technologies matérielles et logicielles dédiées à la gestion et au traitement intensif des données du Cloud au Edge ».

But de l’opération : « devenir le leader mondial des solutions d’accélération de données pour le stockage et les GPU d’IA », selon Eric Baissus, président du directoire de Kalray. Ido Bukspan, CEO de Pliops, parle aussi de devenir « un leader mondial » et ajoute que cette fusion permettrait d’accélérer la mise sur le marché de sa solution, « avec un nouveau paradigme de stockage pour les solutions d’accélération de données d’IA ».

Cette fusion apporterait de nouvelles opportunités commerciales, avec une présence renforcée en Europe et en Chine, mais aussi aux États-Unis avec l’intégration des « hyperscalers » pour renforcer « la portée et l’influence du groupe ».

Rien n’est encore fait pour autant, il faut attendre les approbations des autorités compétentes, la consultation du comité social et économique de Kalray et l’approbation des assemblées générales des actionnaires des deux entreprises.

Les discussions sont dans une phase « avancée avec une période d’exclusivité conclue jusqu’à mi-juillet 2024 ».

Kalray a pour rappel récemment lancé sa carte Turbocard4 avec quatre DPU (Data Processing Unit) maison Coolidge 2. Elle est « conçue pour assurer aux clients la possibilité de fusionner des technologies de traitement classiques et de traitement basés sur l’IA, un enjeu majeur pour bâtir les applications IA les plus exigeantes ». La société mettait en avant son côté « made in France ».

• Accélération de calculs : Kalray lance sa carte Turbocard4 (TC4) « made in france », avec 4 DPU

Via un communiqué commun, les deux entreprises annoncent « être entrées en négociation exclusive en vue d’un rapprochement […] par voie d’apport des actions de Pliops à Kalray ».

Le partage donnerait aux actionnaires de Kalray 65 % du capital du nouvel ensemble et 35 % pour ceux de Pliops. Le contrat prévoit « une possibilité de monter à 40 % pour Pliops, contre 60 % pour Kalray, en cas de réalisation d’objectifs stratégiques prédéfinis ».

Pliops se définit comme une société « spécialisée dans le développement de technologies avancées et de solutions d’accélération pour les serveurs de stockage et l’IA dans les data centers ». Chez Kalray, il est question de « technologies matérielles et logicielles dédiées à la gestion et au traitement intensif des données du Cloud au Edge ».

But de l’opération : « devenir le leader mondial des solutions d’accélération de données pour le stockage et les GPU d’IA », selon Eric Baissus, président du directoire de Kalray. Ido Bukspan, CEO de Pliops, parle aussi de devenir « un leader mondial » et ajoute que cette fusion permettrait d’accélérer la mise sur le marché de sa solution, « avec un nouveau paradigme de stockage pour les solutions d’accélération de données d’IA ».

Cette fusion apporterait de nouvelles opportunités commerciales, avec une présence renforcée en Europe et en Chine, mais aussi aux États-Unis avec l’intégration des « hyperscalers » pour renforcer « la portée et l’influence du groupe ».

Rien n’est encore fait pour autant, il faut attendre les approbations des autorités compétentes, la consultation du comité social et économique de Kalray et l’approbation des assemblées générales des actionnaires des deux entreprises.

Les discussions sont dans une phase « avancée avec une période d’exclusivité conclue jusqu’à mi-juillet 2024 ».

Kalray a pour rappel récemment lancé sa carte Turbocard4 avec quatre DPU (Data Processing Unit) maison Coolidge 2. Elle est « conçue pour assurer aux clients la possibilité de fusionner des technologies de traitement classiques et de traitement basés sur l’IA, un enjeu majeur pour bâtir les applications IA les plus exigeantes ». La société mettait en avant son côté « made in France ».

• Accélération de calculs : Kalray lance sa carte Turbocard4 (TC4) « made in france », avec 4 DPU

Vous aviez aimé le concept des GeForce RTX Noctua Edition, d’abord avec une RTX 3070, puis une RTX 4080 coiffée du polyvalent NF-A12x25 ? Alors l’idée d’une alimentation ventilée par Noctua vous plaira peut-être aussi. En effet, Seasonic s’est associé au constructeur autrichien pour une édition spéc...

Dans cette vidéo, avec un micro qui fait encore des siennes et des conditions encore une fois difficiles avec trop trop de monde, nous sommes désolés, nous vous proposons de découvrir la suite des nouveautés ASUS, et donc pas ROG. Au programme, des laptops et des écrans en TUF Gaming, ProArt, Vivobook et NUC. On s'excuse encore pour le salon, mais demain, sachez que l'on va sur le stand de la marque, on devrait donc pouvoir tout refaire, avec des micros qui seront au point. Une vidéo en partenariat avec 1FODISCOUNT. […]

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Le spécialiste allemand du portable sous Linux pourrait lancer prochainement une machine très intéressante : un portable avec un Snapdragon X Elite à châssis, assez logiquement fin. La différence avec la concurrence saute aux yeux pour les initiés, le système d'exploitation sera basé sur Linux. Nous ne sommes donc pas face à une machine Copilot+, et ça nous change un peu ! Actuellement, le PC est toujours au stade de prototype même si on s'approche du design final. Le plus gros défi reste d'avoir un système Linux stable et pleinement fonctionnel qui tirera parti des possibilités du SoC de Qualcomm, ici en version à douze coeurs. […]

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Après ASUS et les cartes mères BTF, MSI et les cartes mères ZERO Project, Voici Gigabyte qui rentre dans la danse avec sa propre version de carte mère ayant les connecteurs à l'arrière pour des configurations sans câbles apparent : la B650E AORUS Stealth ICE ! Sur un magnifique PCB blanc, la belle se destinera donc aux processeurs AMD et devrait être installée dans un boitier compatible DIY-APE. On note une large plaque I/O Shield blanche. Gigabyte se vante d'être les premiers a proposer une carte mère avec connecteurs au dos entièrement blanche. […]

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Avec le ROG Rapture GT-BE19000, ASUS veut tirer toute la puissance du WiFi 7 et présente un véritable monstre, tant dans ses dimensions et son style que dans sa fiche technique. Particulièrement imposant, le routeur est équipé de huit énormes antennes qui viennent encadrer un châssis noir avec une partie transparente qui laisse entrevoir du rouge. C'est gaming, c'est réussi, mais il y aura aussi un modèle blanc pour ceux qui cherchent de la discrétion. Enfin, toute relative ; surtout avec l'éclairage qui met en avant le logo ROG dans un style qui suit celui des derniers produits de la marque. […]

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