Google expects to spend $75 billion this year on the AI race
Google says AI has been good for its business.
News Links
Everyone knows your location
Let's start with the juiciest request sent to https://o.isx.unity3d.com - the first one that included my geo, while I disabled Location Services on iPhone for all apps! If you are as naive as I was before this, you might be surprised - what does Unity, the 3D engine, have to do with the in-app advertisement or location tracking? Perhaps that's just some monitoring data to help improve the engine?
Turns out that Unity's main revenue stream (they made $2 bln+ in 2023) is Unity Ads - "Mobile Game Ad Network". Sounds quite interesting.
Let's start with the juiciest request sent to https://o.isx.unity3d.com - the first one that included my geo, while I disabled Location Services on iPhone for all apps! If you are as naive as I was before this, you might be surprised - what does Unity, the 3D engine, have to do with the in-app advertisement or location tracking? Perhaps that's just some monitoring data to help improve the engine? Turns out that Unity's main revenue stream (they made $2 bln+ in 2023) is Unity Ads - "Mobile Game Ad Network". Sounds quite interesting.
LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices
Share files to nearby devices. Free, open-source, cross-platform.
Share files to nearby devices.Free, open-source, cross-platform.
Apple’s Invites invites you to send invitations
Apple on Tuesday took the wraps off a rare brand-new app: Invites. And it’s more like an Evite competitor, not something designed for business meetings. Invites lets you create events to which you can — yes, you guessed it — invite guests, complete with a playlist and a shared photo album. Events can be customized with a background photo.
Apple on Tuesday took the wraps off a rare brand-new app: Invites. And it’s more like an Evite competitor, not something designed for business meetings. Invites lets you create events to which you can — yes, you guessed it — invite guests, complete with a playlist and a shared photo album. Events can be customized with a background photo.
Apple’s attempt to intervene in the Google Search antitrust trial is denied
US District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied Apple’s emergency request to halt the Google Search monopoly trial that could dismantle their lucrative search that’s reportedly worth as much as $18 billion a year. The order came in late Sunday, with Judge Mehta saying Apple hasn’t demonstrated satisfactory reasons for its emergency motion to stay that was filed on January 30th.
US District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied Apple’s emergency request to halt the Google Search monopoly trial that could dismantle their lucrative search that’s reportedly worth as much as $18 billion a year. The order came in late Sunday, with Judge Mehta saying Apple hasn’t demonstrated satisfactory reasons for its emergency motion to stay that was filed on January 30th.
Anthropic makes ‘jailbreak’ advance to stop AI models producing harmful results
In a paper released on Monday, the San Francisco-based start-up outlined a new system called “constitutional classifiers”. It is a model that acts as a protective layer on top of large language models such as the one that powers Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, which can monitor both inputs and outputs for harmful content.In a paper released on Monday, the San Francisco-based start-up outlined a new system called “constitutional classifiers”. It is a model that acts as a protective layer on top of large language models such as the one that powers Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, which can monitor both inputs and outputs for harmful content.
Meta says it may stop development of AI systems it deems too risky | TechCrunch
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to make artificial general intelligence (AGI) — which is roughly defined as AI that can accomplish any task a human can — openly available one day. But in a new policy document, Meta suggests that there are certain scenarios in which it may not release a highly capable AI system it developed internally.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to make artificial general intelligence (AGI) — which is roughly defined as AI that can accomplish any task a human can — openly available one day. But in a new policy document, Meta suggests that there are certain scenarios in which it may not release a highly capable AI system it developed internally.
25 Years of The Sims Turning Players Into Gods
The Sims was a sandbox for the American dream when it was released on Feb. 4, 2000, with Wright pulling inspiration from biology, architecture, comics and psychology to dictate the rules of his virtual dollhouse. It was an unusual proposal at a time when most games were goal-oriented and linear, and a predecessor to create-your-own-adventure games like Minecraft that give players a pick axe and carte blanche.
The Sims was a sandbox for the American dream when it was released on Feb. 4, 2000, with Wright pulling inspiration from biology, architecture, comics and psychology to dictate the rules of his virtual dollhouse. It was an unusual proposal at a time when most games were goal-oriented and linear, and a predecessor to create-your-own-adventure games like Minecraft that give players a pick axe and carte blanche.
Twitterrific team launches new ‘Tapestry’ iPhone app for Bluesky, Mastodon, RSS, more
Now, the app is live on the App Store and available for both iPhone and iPad. Its purpose? “Tapestry weaves your favorite blogs, social media, and more into a unified and chronological timeline.”
Now, the app is live on the App Store and available for both iPhone and iPad. Its purpose? “Tapestry weaves your favorite blogs, social media, and more into a unified and chronological timeline.”
Elon Musk Ally Tells Staff 'AI-First’ Is the Future of Key Government Agency
In what he described as an “AI-first strategy,” sources say, Shedd provided a handful of examples of projects GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian is looking to prioritize, including the development of “AI coding agents” that would be made available for all agencies. Shedd made it clear that he believes much of the work at TTS and the broader government, particularly around finance tasks, could be automated.
In what he described as an “AI-first strategy,” sources say, Shedd provided a handful of examples of projects GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian is looking to prioritize, including the development of “AI coding agents” that would be made available for all agencies. Shedd made it clear that he believes much of the work at TTS and the broader government, particularly around finance tasks, could be automated.
(19) Elon Musk on X: "That group has been deleted" / X
IRS's Direct File service is a free service that allows people to prepare and e-file their tax returns. Contrary to the post's claim, the service does not put "the government in charge of preparing peoples tax returns for them."
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover
“What we're seeing is unprecedented in that you have these actors who are not really public officials gaining access to the most sensitive data in government,” says Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “We really have very little eyes on what's going on. Congress has no ability to really intervene and monitor what's happening because these aren't really accountable public officials. So this feels like a hostile takeover of the machinery of governments by the richest man in the world.”
“What we're seeing is unprecedented in that you have these actors who are not really public officials gaining access to the most sensitive data in government,” says Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “We really have very little eyes on what's going on. Congress has no ability to really intervene and monitor what's happening because these aren't really accountable public officials. So this feels like a hostile takeover of the machinery of governments by the richest man in the world.”
Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek
The Republican Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley has introduced a new bill that would make it illegal to import or export artificial intelligence products to and from China, meaning someone who knowingly downloads a Chinese developed AI model like the now immensely popular DeepSeek could face up to 20 years in jail, a million dollar fine, or both, should such a law pass.
The Republican Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley has introduced a new bill that would make it illegal to import or export artificial intelligence products to and from China, meaning someone who knowingly downloads a Chinese developed AI model like the now immensely popular DeepSeek could face up to 20 years in jail, a million dollar fine, or both, should such a law pass.
Musk associates given unfettered access to private data of government employees
Among the government outsiders granted entry to the OPM databases is University of California Berkeley student Akash Bobba, a software engineer who graduated high school less than three years ago. He previously interned at Meta and Palantir, a technology firm chaired by Musk-ally and fellow billionaire Peter Thiel. Edward Coristine, another 2022 high school graduate and former software engineering intern at Musk’s Neuralink, has also been given access to the databases.
Other Musk underlings embedded at OPM following President Donald Trump’s inauguration include the agency’s new chief of staff, Amanda Scales, who until January was a human resources staffer at xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, and Brian Bjelde, who has spent the past 21 years at Musk's SpaceX, including the last 10 leading the human resources department. They are joined by Gavin Kliger, a former Twitter software engineer serving as a special advisor to the director of OPM, and Riccardo Biasini, a former software engineer at Musk’s tunneling venture, the Boring Company.
Among the government outsiders granted entry to the OPM databases is University of California Berkeley student Akash Bobba, a software engineer who graduated high school less than three years ago. He previously interned at Meta and Palantir, a technology firm chaired by Musk-ally and fellow billionaire Peter Thiel. Edward Coristine, another 2022 high school graduate and former software engineering intern at Musk’s Neuralink, has also been given access to the databases.Other Musk underlings embedded at OPM following President Donald Trump’s inauguration include the agency’s new chief of staff, Amanda Scales, who until January was a human resources staffer at xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, and Brian Bjelde, who has spent the past 21 years at Musk's SpaceX, including the last 10 leading the human resources department. They are joined by Gavin Kliger, a former Twitter software engineer serving as a special advisor to the director of OPM, and Riccardo Biasini, a former software engineer at Musk’s tunneling venture, the Boring Company.
Cloudflare is making it easier to track authentic images online
Cloudflare has launched a new feature to help people quickly verify the authenticity of online images. The web security and hosting provider has adopted the Adobe-led Content Credentials system, which applies a digital metadata tag to images and video that tracks who owns it, where it’s been posted, and if it’s been manipulated — including if generative AI tools were used to do so.
Cloudflare has launched a new feature to help people quickly verify the authenticity of online images. The web security and hosting provider has adopted the Adobe-led Content Credentials system, which applies a digital metadata tag to images and video that tracks who owns it, where it’s been posted, and if it’s been manipulated — including if generative AI tools were used to do so.
Trump's new tariffs are throwing a wrench in Temu and Shein’s rapid rise — opening the door for Amazon
The tariffs eliminate the de minimis exemption, which allowed shipments under $800 to enter the U.S. without incurring tariffs. The exemption had been a significant advantage for Chinese retailers like Temu and Shein, who used it to ship small, low-cost items directly to American consumers, bypassing higher tariff costs.
The tariffs eliminate the de minimis exemption, which allowed shipments under $800 to enter the U.S. without incurring tariffs. The exemption had been a significant advantage for Chinese retailers like Temu and Shein, who used it to ship small, low-cost items directly to American consumers, bypassing higher tariff costs. AdvertisementRelated ContentAmazon's super-cheap Temu competitor is hereTwo Chinese fast-fashion giants are squabbling over “exclusionary tactics”Related ContentAmazon's super-cheap Temu competitor is hereTwo Chinese fast-fashion giants are squabbling over “exclusionary tactics”
Hot Tub, the first native iPhone porn app, arrives in EU | TechCrunch
A native pornography app for iOS is coming to the EU via the approved alternative app store AltStore PAL, made possible by Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). On Monday, the AltStore announced the launch of Hot Tub, an aggregator that offers iOS users a way to search and play videos from a variety of adult websites, including Pornhub, Xvideos, XNXX, and XHamster.
A native pornography app for iOS is coming to the EU via the approved alternative app store AltStore PAL, made possible by Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). On Monday, the AltStore announced the launch of Hot Tub, an aggregator that offers iOS users a way to search and play videos from a variety of adult websites, including Pornhub, Xvideos, XNXX, and XHamster.
New iPhone buyers actually do care about Apple Intelligence - 9to5Mac
Perhaps even more important, he mentioned that the iPhone 16 is selling better in countries where AI is available than ones where it’s not.
Perhaps even more important, he mentioned that the iPhone 16 is selling better in countries where AI is available than ones where it’s not.
AI systems with 'unacceptable risk' are now banned in the EU | TechCrunch
As of Sunday in the European Union, the bloc’s regulators can ban the use of AI systems they deem to pose “unacceptable risk” or harm.
February 2 is the first compliance deadline for the EU’s AI Act, the comprehensive AI regulatory framework that the European Parliament finally approved last March after years of development. The act officially went into force August 1; what’s now following is the first of the compliance deadlines.
As of Sunday in the European Union, the bloc’s regulators can ban the use of AI systems they deem to pose “unacceptable risk” or harm.
February 2 is the first compliance deadline for the EU’s AI Act, the comprehensive AI regulatory framework that the European Parliament finally approved last March after years of development. The act officially went into force August 1; what’s now following is the first of the compliance deadlines.
Google says hackers abuse Gemini AI to empower their attacks
Google's Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) detected government-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) groups using Gemini primarily for productivity gains rather than to develop or conduct novel AI-enabled cyberattacks that can bypass traditional defenses.
Threat actors have been trying to leverage AI tools for their attack purposes to various degrees of success as these utilities can at least shorten the preparation period.
Google has identified Gemini activity associated with APT groups from more than 20 countries but the most prominent ones were from Iran and China.
Among the most common cases were assistance with coding tasks for developing tools and scripts, research on publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, checking on technologies (explanations, translation), finding details on target organizations, and searching for methods to evade detection, escalate privileges, or run internal reconnaissance in a compromised network.
Google's Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) detected government-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) groups using Gemini primarily for productivity gains rather than to develop or conduct novel AI-enabled cyberattacks that can bypass traditional defenses.
Threat actors have been trying to leverage AI tools for their attack purposes to various degrees of success as these utilities can at least shorten the preparation period.
Google has identified Gemini activity associated with APT groups from more than 20 countries but the most prominent ones were from Iran and China.
Among the most common cases were assistance with coding tasks for developing tools and scripts, research on publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, checking on technologies (explanations, translation), finding details on target organizations, and searching for methods to evade detection, escalate privileges, or run internal reconnaissance in a compromised network.
AI Has Shown Me My Future. Here’s What I’ve Learned.
The glimpse of what’s to come is courtesy of Future You, a new interactive artificial-intelligence platform developed by psychologists, researchers and technologists that allows users to create a virtual older self—a chatbot that looks like an aged version of the person and is based on an AI text system known as a large language model, then personalized with information that the user puts in. The idea is that if people can see and talk to their older selves, they will be able to think about them more concretely, and make changes now that will help them achieve the future they hope for.
The glimpse of what’s to come is courtesy of Future You, a new interactive artificial-intelligence platform developed by psychologists, researchers and technologists that allows users to create a virtual older self—a chatbot that looks like an aged version of the person and is based on an AI text system known as a large language model, then personalized with information that the user puts in. The idea is that if people can see and talk to their older selves, they will be able to think about them more concretely, and make changes now that will help them achieve the future they hope for.
Six Takeaways From a Monumental Week for AI
But nobody has seen a week like the past one: DeepSeek, a disruptive new Chinese AI company, emerged seemingly out of nowhere; the world’s most valuable company lost nearly $600 billion of market value in a day; and it emerged that the developer of ChatGPT was in talks for a fundraising round that would value it at an eye-popping $300 billion.
But nobody has seen a week like the past one: DeepSeek, a disruptive new Chinese AI company, emerged seemingly out of nowhere; the world’s most valuable company lost nearly $600 billion of market value in a day; and it emerged that the developer of ChatGPT was in talks for a fundraising round that would value it at an eye-popping $300 billion.
(19) Mark Gurman on X: "A notable change coming to AppleCare+ next week: Apple is dropping the 2-3 year pay in advance option at physical retail stores and on devices and will only offer monthly and annual subscriptions. You’ll still be able to get those multi-year plans on the online store." / X
A notable change coming to AppleCare+ next week: Apple is dropping the 2-3 year pay in advance option at physical retail stores and on devices and will only offer monthly and annual subscriptions. You’ll still be able to get those multi-year plans on the online store.
A notable change coming to AppleCare+ next week: Apple is dropping the 2-3 year pay in advance option at physical retail stores and on devices and will only offer monthly and annual subscriptions. You’ll still be able to get those multi-year plans on the online store.
Thousands of U.S. Government Web Pages Have Been Taken Down Since Friday
More than 8,000 web pages across more than a dozen U.S. government websites have been taken down since Friday afternoon, a New York Times analysis has found, as federal agencies rush to heed President Trump’s orders targeting diversity initiatives and “gender ideology.”
The purges have removed information about vaccines, veterans’ care, hate crimes and scientific research, among many other topics. Doctors, researchers and other professionals often rely on such government data and advisories. Some government agencies appear to have removed entire sections of their websites, while others are missing only a handful of pages.
More than 8,000 web pages across more than a dozen U.S. government websites have been taken down since Friday afternoon, a New York Times analysis has found, as federal agencies rush to heed President Trump’s orders targeting diversity initiatives and “gender ideology.”The purges have removed information about vaccines, veterans’ care, hate crimes and scientific research, among many other topics. Doctors, researchers and other professionals often rely on such government data and advisories. Some government agencies appear to have removed entire sections of their websites, while others are missing only a handful of pages.
Apple’s AI and AR Struggles Show It Has Lost Some of Its Product Edge
Apple set to launch “Confetti,” a new iCloud-based events and invite service. As early as this coming week, Apple plans to introduce a new iCloud-based service dubbed “Confetti” internally. As the festive code name implies, the service offers a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings. For years, Apple has been seeking to revamp its calendar app — and this new initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort. The release is tied to iOS 18.3, which just started rolling out last Monday.
Apple set to launch “Confetti,” a new iCloud-based events and invite service. As early as this coming week, Apple plans to introduce a new iCloud-based service dubbed “Confetti” internally. As the festive code name implies, the service offers a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings. For years, Apple has been seeking to revamp its calendar app — and this new initiative could be the beginning of a broader effort. The release is tied to iOS 18.3, which just started rolling out last Monday.Expand
DeepSeek Fails Researchers' Safety Tests
Cisco’s research team used algorithmic jailbreaking techniques to test DeepSeek R1 "against 50 random prompts from the HarmBench dataset," covering six categories of harmful behaviors including cybercrime, misinformation, illegal activities, and general harm.
"The results were alarming: DeepSeek R1 exhibited a 100% attack success rate, meaning it failed to block a single harmful prompt," Cisco says. "This contrasts starkly with other leading models, which demonstrated at least partial resistance."
Cisco’s research team used algorithmic jailbreaking techniques to test DeepSeek R1 "against 50 random prompts from the HarmBench dataset," covering six categories of harmful behaviors including cybercrime, misinformation, illegal activities, and general harm."The results were alarming: DeepSeek R1 exhibited a 100% attack success rate, meaning it failed to block a single harmful prompt," Cisco says. "This contrasts starkly with other leading models, which demonstrated at least partial resistance."
The NTSB chooses Elon Musk’s X to update the press on plane crashes
The National Transportation Safety Board will only update the press about the plane crashes in Washington, DC and Philadelphia on X — not over email, as reported earlier by The Desk. The agency announced on Saturday that it will use its @NTSB_Newsroom account to share ”news conferences or other investigative information.“
The NTSB later said, “Reporters should email mediarelations@ntsb.gov for all other inquiries,” claiming that it was meant to “better manage the volume of” emails about the two incidents n. “The NTSB media relations team has always used Twitter/X to inform the media and public on the time and location of media briefings. We cannot respond to every email asking for the details of media briefings,” the NTSB said, without explaining the process behind the decision or why an agency would rely solely on one privately owned social media platform.
The National Transportation Safety Board will only update the press about the plane crashes in Washington, DC and Philadelphia on X — not over email, as reported earlier by The Desk. The agency announced on Saturday that it will use its @NTSB_Newsroom account to share ”news conferences or other investigative information.“The NTSB later said, “Reporters should email mediarelations@ntsb.gov for all other inquiries,” claiming that it was meant to “better manage the volume of” emails about the two incidents n. “The NTSB media relations team has always used Twitter/X to inform the media and public on the time and location of media briefings. We cannot respond to every email asking for the details of media briefings,” the NTSB said, without explaining the process behind the decision or why an agency would rely solely on one privately owned social media platform.
OpenAI launches o3-mini, its latest 'reasoning' model | TechCrunch
Unlike most large language models, reasoning models like o3-mini thoroughly fact-check themselves before giving out results. This helps them avoid some of the pitfalls that normally trip up models. These reasoning models do take a little longer to arrive at solutions, but the trade-off is that they tend to be more reliable — though not perfect — in domains like physics.
O3-mini is fine-tuned for STEM problems, specifically for programming, math, and science. OpenAI claims the model is largely on par with the o1 family, o1 and o1-mini, in terms of capabilities, but runs faster and costs less.
Unlike most large language models, reasoning models like o3-mini thoroughly fact-check themselves before giving out results. This helps them avoid some of the pitfalls that normally trip up models. These reasoning models do take a little longer to arrive at solutions, but the trade-off is that they tend to be more reliable — though not perfect — in domains like physics.
O3-mini is fine-tuned for STEM problems, specifically for programming, math, and science. OpenAI claims the model is largely on par with the o1 family, o1 and o1-mini, in terms of capabilities, but runs faster and costs less.
Sam Altman: OpenAI has been on the 'wrong side of history' concerning open source | TechCrunch
Altman admitted that DeepSeek has lessened OpenAI’s lead in AI, and he said he believes OpenAI has been “on the wrong side of history” when it comes to open sourcing its technologies. While OpenAI has open sourced models in the past, the company has generally favored a proprietary, closed source development approach.
Altman admitted that DeepSeek has lessened OpenAI’s lead in AI, and he said he believes OpenAI has been “on the wrong side of history” when it comes to open sourcing its technologies. While OpenAI has open sourced models in the past, the company has generally favored a proprietary, closed source development approach.
The 10 best things I saw at NAMM
The latest update Apple rolled out for the iPhone allows T-Mobile customers — a select few, for now — to be able to send text messages even in locations where they have no coverage. iOS 18.3 adds support for SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cell satellite service, which is currently being trialed after the companies opened signups for beta testing in December. As Bloomberg notes, the service used to be only compatible with certain Android phones, including Samsung models like the Z Fold and S24 along with select devices running Android 15. Meanwhile, Apple already has a partnership with Globalstar that provides users with texting capabilities when they're out of coverage.
The latest update Apple rolled out for the iPhone allows T-Mobile customers — a select few, for now — to be able to send text messages even in locations where they have no coverage. iOS 18.3 adds support for SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cell satellite service, which is currently being trialed after the companies opened signups for beta testing in December. As Bloomberg notes, the service used to be only compatible with certain Android phones, including Samsung models like the Z Fold and S24 along with select devices running Android 15. Meanwhile, Apple already has a partnership with Globalstar that provides users with texting capabilities when they're out of coverage.