CATEGORIES

BAIDU UNVEILS CHATGPT-RIVAL ERNIE BOT; 650 COMPANIES SIGN UP

Chinese search giant Baidu unveiled its artificial intelligence chatbot Ernie Bot, presenting its rival to the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT in a prerecorded video presentation Thursday that appeared to disappoint investors.

VIRGIN ORBIT PAUSING ALL WORK, REPORTEDLY FURLOUGHS STAFF

Virgin Orbit said Thursday it is pausing all operations amid reports that the company is furloughing almost all its staff as part of a bid to seek a funding lifeline.

AUDIENCE FOR 95TH OSCARS REBOUNDS SLIGHTLY TO 18.7 MILLION

Whether it was the lingering drama of The Slap or the prominence of blockbusters in the best picture race, a bigger audience was lured back to the Oscars this year.

HYBRIDS: TOYOTA PRIUS VS KIA NIRO

In one of the rare moments of levity in the sinister film, the embattled detective John Luther sits down at a chic bar and tells the bartender it's been a long day (an understatement). \"I would say a long day calls for a martini,\" the bartender says. Luther's response? \"No.\" He'll take some water, and, \"if it makes you happy you can make it fizzy! This was not an accidental moment, \"Luther\" creator Neill Cross has said. Elba even wondered if it was a bit too cheeky. But it's worth remembering that Elba doesn't need Bond. He's already got a moody, tortured bachelor with a talent for hunting bad guys. And Luther belongs exclusively to him. In this outing, written by Cross and directed by Jamie Payne, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther finds himself imprisoned for his unconventional methods at work and haunted by the unsolved missing person case that opens the film and sets its macabre tone. His imprisonment and the missing teen are related the work of a wealthy villain David Robey (Andy Serkis) who film introduces to the audience as such in the first few moments. Serkis' character is a kind of gentleman psychopath, with his blown out James Spader in \"Pretty in Pink\" coif and maniacal smile. He's one of those villains for whom chaos, misery and gore are the point. David Robey is methodical, patient and unsparing - he'll even go so far as to befriend the families of his victims after the fact. At the start, the film takes on a kind of David Fincher vibe, with echoes of \"Seven\" and \"Zodiac\" crossed with some of Christopher Nolan's \"The Dark Knight.\" Unfortunately it takes the conceit to such absurd lengths by the end that the premise takes on an unintentional silliness. That's not even counting the brawls between Elba and Serkis, whose sizes could not be more mismatched. But the good news is that it's a pretty fun, tense ride up until that point with some stunning shots of London at night. Elba slips back into Luther like no time has passed, though he has taken on some superhero-adjacent talents here, evident in his escape from jail sequence that is somehow both violent and cartoonish. It's not an easy or straightforward role, but Elba makes it look so. This is a guy who is so devoted to his former job that he'll risk death to break out of prison and get right back to work trying to solve the case, knowing well that he's also being hunted by his replacement, DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo, not to be trifled with). Odette does not want to collaborate with Luther and even enlists his old boss Martin (Dermot Crowley, a comforting presence) to help figure out how to find him. This resistance starts to get a tad redundant and futile, especially since it's quite obvious that eventually they'll figure out a way to collaborate and perhaps could have saved some lives had they done so earlier. And at times, you just kind of wish Luther could take a vacation - it can be exhausting watching his relentless pursuit, but there's little room for boredom in a movie that never lets its protagonist take a breath. And then of course there's the ludicrous theatrics of Robey's ultimate plan, which hinges on the assumption that would be serial killers and snuff-porn fetishists are everywhere just waiting for a twisted mind to live-stream gruesome murders. As if going by some bad guy checkbook, this \"Saw\"-like game show also takes place in a hidden lair in the snowy north. But even though it may go over the top at the end, Elba keeps you interested. You needn't have watched all five seasons of \"Luther\" to take a chance on \"Luther: The Fallen Sun.\" But there's also a chance that you may find yourself wanting to afterwards. \"Luther: The Fallen Sun,\" a Netflix release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for \"disturbing/violent content, language and some sexual material.\" Running time: 129 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

SAMSUNG TO INVEST $230 BILLION TO BUILD "MEGA" CHIP CLUSTER

Samsung Electronics said it expects to invest 300 trillion won ($230 billion) over the next 20 years as part of an ambitious South Korean national project to build the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing base near the capital, Seoul.

A 2nd Wave of Layoffs at Meta; 10,000 Jobs Are Cut

Facebook parent Meta is slashing 10,000 jobs, about as many as the social media company announced late last year in its first round of cuts, as uncertainly about the global economy hits the technology sector particularly hard.

IS MY MONEY SAFE? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BANK FAILURES

The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which catered mostly to the tech industry, may have you worried about your money.

GOVERNMENT RACES TO REASSURE US THAT BANKING SYSTEM IS SAFE

Depositors withdrew savings and investors broadly sold off bank shares this week as the federal government raced to reassure Americans that the banking system was secure after two bank failures fed fears that more financial institutions could fall.

AUDIENCE FOR 95TH OSCARS REBOUNDS SLIGHTLY TO 18.7 MILLION

Whether it was the lingering drama of The Slap or the prominence of blockbusters in the best picture race, a bigger audience was lured back to the Oscars this year.

WHAT CAN CHATGPT MAKER'S NEW AI MODEL GPT-4 DO?

The company behind the ChatGPT chatbot has rolled out its latest artificial intelligence model, GPT-4, in the next step for a technology that's caught the world's attention.

CALIFORNIA COURT RULES FOR UBER, LYFT IN RIDE-HAILING CASE

App-based ride-hailing and delivery companies like Uber and Lyft can continue to treat their California drivers as independent contractors, a state appeals court ruled Monday, allowing the tech giants to bypass other state laws requiring worker protections and benefits.

INSIDER Q&A-NINTENDO'S BOWSER

With a new theme park attraction opened last month, an upcoming major motion picture and the sequel to a massive hit video game about to be released, everything's coming up Nintendo.

SAMSUNG TO INVEST $230 BILLION TO BUILD "MEGA" CHIP CLUSTER

Samsung Electronics said it expects to invest 300 trillion won ($230 billion) over the next 20 years as part of an ambitious South Korean national project to build the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing base near the capital, Seoul.

Live Activities

Real-Time Awareness: A Bridge Between iOS & the New AR Headset

SILICON VALLEY BANK'S DEMISE DISRUPTS THE DISRUPTORS IN TECH

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse rattled the technology industry that had been the bank's backbone, leaving shell-shocked entrepreneurs thankful for the government reprieve that saved their money while they mourned the loss of a place that served as a chummy club of innovation.

BELGIUM BANS TIKTOK FROM GOVERNMENT PHONES AFTER US, EU

Belgium is banning TikTok from government phones over worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation, the country's prime minister said, mirroring recent action by other authorities in Europe and the U.S.

MONEY: JOB PLUS A SIDE GIG? AVOID THESE MISTAKES

At the beginning of the year, many people have their eyes set on goals.

A 2ND WAVE OF LAYOFFS AT META: 10,000 JOBS ARE CUT

Facebook parent Meta is slashing 10,000 jobs, about as many as the social media company announced late last year in its first round of cuts, as uncertainly about the global economy hits the technology sector particularly hard.

IDRIS ELBA RETURNS AS LUTHER IN GRISLY NETFLIX FILM

For anyone holding on to some latent hope that Idris Elba will be the next James Bond, I have some bad news:\" Luther: The Fallen Sun\" puts (another) nail in that very firmly sealed coffin.

HYBRIDS: TOYOTA PRIUS VS KIA NIRO

The Toyota Prius, which has become synonymous with hybrid cars the past 20 years, is fresh off a full redesign for 2023.

Remote Recording in the Rock Era

David Hewitt's On the Road

Power Transformer Parameters, Selection, and Testing

Part 6 - Quality, Reliability, and Design

Meet Me in the Stream

You don't need Facebook to keep up with your friends online. With diaspora*, you get a similar experience without the spying.

A customizable distro with better support: EuroLinux

EuroLinux offers enterprise class software with support from real engineers for a fair price. Bruce talks to the developers behind this RHEL-based distribution.

A decentralized photo sharing platform: Picture This!

Pixelfed offers an interesting alternative to centralized, algorithm-driven, commercial photo sharing services.

Wrong Things "Everybody Knows" About Acoustics

Our acoustic expert sets the record straight about some of the more common misconceptions about acoustics that he has heard over the years.

Social Time

Do you have to give up your privacy to enjoy access to social media? The makers of the Fediverse say no.

Best Laid Plans

The Google Authenticator PAM module allows you to use time-based Google Authenticator passwords with various Linux services, including SSH.

Back on Track

After two years online, crowds of FLOSS supporters returned to Brussels in early February for FOSDEM 2023. Reminiscent of a class reunion, the FOSDEM keynote program was jam packed with goodies.

Fediverse TV

PeerTube, the Fediverse's video platform, offers a decentralized, open source way to watch videos and live stream your own content. We'll show you how to get started and even set up your own instance.