Yo, AI!
US Patent and Trademark Office confirms another leak of filers’ address data
<div><p>The federal government agency responsible for granting patents and trademarks is alerting thousands of filers whose private addresses were exposed following a second data spill in as many years. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) said in an email to affected trademark applicants this week that their private domicile address — which can include […]</p>
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Research casts new light on bike safety in the age of self-driving cars
<div>Equipping self-driving cars with external displays that use colored lights to communicate their next maneuver could help keep cyclists safe on the roads of the future, researchers say.</div>
Encrypted services Apple, Proton and Wire helped Spanish police identify activist
<div><p>As part of an investigation into people involved in the pro-independence movement in Catalonia, the Spanish police obtained information from the encrypted services Wire and Proton, which helped the authorities identify a pseudonymous activist, according to court documents obtained by TechCrunch. Earlier this year, the Spanish police Guardia Civil sent legal requests through Swiss police […]</p>
<p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p></div>
Ancient Toolmakers and Elephant Trails: Scientists Solve Mystery of Paleolithic Quarry Sites
<div><img width="373" height="210" src="https://scitechdaily.com/images/Elephant-Hunting-373x210.jpg" class="attachment-cp-thumb-xl size-cp-thumb-xl wp-post-image" alt="Elephant Hunting" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high"><p>Researchers at Tel Aviv University have solved the puzzle of why Homo erectus returned to specific Paleolithic stone quarrying and tool-making sites repeatedly over hundreds...</p></div>
Tesla fires team expanding Supercharger network. Expert explains why it was a good move for Elon Musk—and consumers
<div>Last week, Tesla fired 500 employees responsible for expanding its Supercharger network.</div>
A view of a room with VR and AI for the field of interior design
<div>Bringing together virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to significant advancements in the field of interior design, according to research published in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology.</div>
Match looks to Hinge as Tinder fails
<div><p>Match Group, the company that owns several dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, released its first-quarter earnings report on Tuesday, which shows that Tinder’s paying user base has decreased for the sixth quarter in a row. On the other hand, Hinge has seen an increase in members who are willing to pay for the app. […]</p>
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OpenAI Is ‘Exploring’ How to Responsibly Generate AI Porn
<div>OpenAI released draft guidelines for how it wants the AI technology inside ChatGPT to behave—and revealed that it’s exploring how to ‘responsibly’ generate explicit content.</div>
Data privacy in the post-Roe era
<div>In 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—ending the constitutional right to an abortion—privacy advocates warned women against using smartphone apps to track their periods.</div>
Gratitude Plus makes social networking positive, private and personal
<div><p>Private social networking is making a comeback. Gratitude Plus, a startup that aims to shift social media in a more positive direction, is expanding its wellness-focused, personal reflections journal to include support for families who want to stay in touch even when physically distant. The startup, whose name reflects its core offering of a gratitude […]</p>
<p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p></div>
Can AI help founders fundraise more quickly and easily?
<div><p>With venture totals slipping year-over-year in key markets like the United States, and concern that venture firms themselves are struggling to raise more capital, founders might be worried. After all, if private-market investment doesn’t perk up in the coming quarters, we could be on track for yet another year of declines in total startup investment […]</p>
<p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p></div>
13 Years Later, Marvel Finally Admits Its Biggest Mistake
— Marvel StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe changed how movie franchises were made. After waiting decades for Star Wars to return to theaters, or even just a single year for the latest in the Harry Potter series, the MCU amped things up by releasing multiple installments in a single year. Marvel first released two blockbusters in 2008, and by 2011, which saw both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, a pattern had been established. We’ve had multiple Marvel movies almost every year si
Cambridge’s Flexible Implants Promise New Hope for Paralysis Patients
<div><img width="373" height="210" src="https://scitechdaily.com/images/Spinal-Cord-Art-Concept-373x210.jpg" class="attachment-cp-thumb-xl size-cp-thumb-xl wp-post-image" alt="Spinal Cord Art Concept" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async"><p>A tiny, flexible electronic device that wraps around the spinal cord could represent a new approach to the treatment of spinal injuries, which can cause...</p></div>
EA Still Doesn’t Understand What Players Want From 'Battlefield'
Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson shared another update on what’s next for the Battlefield franchise this week, revealing that the upcoming entry will have the biggest ensemble of developers ever gathered for the series.“This is the largest Battlefield team in franchise history,” Wilson said during EA’s Q4 2024 earnings call on Tuesday. “I’ve just spent a whole bunch of time with the collective Battlefield team playing what they’re building and it is going to be another tremendous live service.”
Google brings a variation on ‘Circle to Search’ to iPhone users
<div><p>Google has found a way to bring a variation of its clever “Circle to Search” gesture to iPhone users. The new interaction, launched in January, allows Android users to search from anywhere on their device by circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping, making it easier to engage with Google Search from any screen. Of course, a […]</p>
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Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil
<div>An internal email from FBI deputy director Paul Abbate, obtained by WIRED, tells employees to search for “US persons” in a controversial spy program's database that investigators have repeatedly misused.</div>
Always-on video portal lets people in NYC and Dublin interact in real time
<div><p>A new sculpture going live on Wednesday in the Flatiron South Public Plaza in New York is not your typical artwork. It combines technology, sociology, anthropology and art to let people interact with one another in real time in two places. In this case, it’s between New York City and Dublin. The Portal itself is […]</p>
<p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p></div>
Q&A: How advanced chip packaging can help redesign the future of semiconductors
<div>The phrase "advanced chip packaging" might conjure images of a fancy Pringles can. For those who manufacture semiconductors—also known as integrated circuits, chips or microchips—it represents a new frontier, a race to design and mass produce the next generation of semiconductors that use less energy while delivering more computing power.</div>
Tackling climate change with social science
<div>Tackling the climate challenge is requiring everyone to change the way we think about our homes, our lifestyles, and our investments. Australians are embracing the energy transition, with rooftop solar now contributing 11.2% of Australia's electricity supply.</div>
New approach uses generative AI to imitate human motion
<div>An international group of researchers has created a new approach to imitating human motion by combining central pattern generators (CPGs) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL). The method not only imitates walking and running motions but also generates movements for frequencies where motion data is absent, enables smooth transition movements from walking to running, and allows for adaptation to environments with unstable surfaces.</div>