AI company Perplexity announced in February that it was building its own browser called Comet. In a recent interview with the TBPN podcast, CEO Aravind Srinivas gave some insight as to why the business appeared to be branching out from its artificial intelligence focus: It's to collect user data and sell them targeted advertisements.
"That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you," he said. “We plan to use all the context to build a better user profile and, maybe you know, through our discover feed we could show some ads there.”
If that all sounds familiar, it could be become Google's Chrome browser has taken a similar approach. In fact, Comet is built on Chromium, the open-source browser base from Google. That's not to say Perplexity wouldn't take the chance to go straight to the source and acquire Chrome in the aftermath of Google's recent monopoly court ruling regarding online search. In the ongoing hearings about Google and its potential sale of Chrome, Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko said he thought Perplexity would be able to continue running the browser at its current scale. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't too keen on OpenAI acquiring the property.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/perplexity-is-building-a-browser-in-part-to-collect-customer-data-for-targeted-ads-230132091.html?src=rss
Perplexity co-founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas stands for a portrait at his company's San Francisco headquarters on Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Razer has unveiled two new iterations of its Pro Click mouse with an eye toward comfort. The Pro Click V2 is a standard mouse model, while the Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition is the first vertical mouse design from the company. More and more peripheral manufacturers are offering vertical designs, which can be a more ergonomic mouse option, particularly if you experience discomfort when spending long stretches at a computer.
The Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition has eight programmable buttons and promises a battery life of up to six months. It has a 71.7 degree tilt, so a user holds it in a handshake-like grip, which can reduce strain for long use sessions. There's also a support on the base that aims to cut down on wrist friction. This model retails for $120.
The standard Pro Click V2 model costs $100. It has an additional ninth button but its battery life is only up to 3.5 months. It has a slight angle of 30 degrees for a more natural grip.
RGB lighting has long been a hallmark of Razer's products, and whether you love it or love to hate it, that colorful visual signature is present on both mice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/razer-has-a-vertical-mouse-now-183226307.html?src=rss
Motorola has introduced a new smartwatch to its Moto Things branded lifestyle collection. The Moto Watch Fit is due to become available in North America in the coming months, but the company has not released specific dates or pricing information yet.
The smartwatch has a 1.9-inch OLED display that reaches up to 1,000 nits of brightness, while the rest of the frame is made of aluminum. Motorola promises an impressive "16-day battery life on just one single charge." The watch also has solid durability with Gorilla Glass 3 and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The Moto Watch Fit has more than 100 sports modes and lives up to the "fit" in its name with features such as advanced heart rate monitoring, calorie tracking and sleep data.
Its other features are pretty standard for an Android-compatible smartwatch. The wearable can execute basic features for controlling a smartphone, like skipping a music track or checking notifications. It comes with a forest green fabric band that has a yellow stripe down the middle, but you can also customize it with 22mm bands from third-party companies.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/motorola-introduces-the-no-frills-moto-watch-fit-160030585.html?src=rss
Microsoft promised in a strange ad campaign last year that it would bring Xbox Game Pass to more than just its own gaming brand's hardware thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming. One of the previously announced platforms that it said would gain the ability to run Xbox Game Pass was smart TVs from LG. Today, LG announced that the Xbox app will begin rolling out to a collection of its smart TVs in 25 countries this week.
The Xbox app is compatible with select LG screens and monitors. According to the press release, the available models include "2022 OLED TVs, 2023 OLED, QNED, NanoCell and UHD TVs…which have been updated to software version 23.20.01 or higher." It will also be made available at a later date on LG's StanbyME screens. Once downloaded, the app allows members of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to stream select titles they already own or to access titles from the Game Pass library.
LG is the latest electronics manufacturer to offer the Xbox experience without the need to physically own an Xbox. Samsung has already done the same, and Amazon's Fire TV also has an Xbox app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/lg-smart-tvs-are-getting-xbox-game-pass-this-week-200422697.html?src=rss
Google is under the microscope following a court ruling last year that it has a monopoly over online search, but the future of its vast suite of digital services is still uncertain at this stage. Last month, the Justice Department suggested that Google would need to sell off the Chrome browser; if the tech giant does make that move, there's already at least one interested buyer.
Bloomberg reports that Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT, spoke at a hearing today about the Google monopoly situation and was asked whether OpenAI would be interested in acquiring Chrome. “Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” he said. Users can currently use the ChatGPT AI assistant in Chrome through a plugin, but Turley said there could be deeper integrations if OpenAI owned the browser. Under OpenAI's hypothetical ownership, Chrome could "introduce users into what an AI first experience looks like."
Chrome isn't the only property Google may lose control over. A separate judge determined earlier this month that Google has also been engaged in anti-competitive behavior over online ad tech. It's no surprise that any other major tech operation would be interested in acquiring one of the many popular services Google has developed over the years. The real question is which one of them landing a purchase wouldn't create a new monopoly. For now, the DOJ is allowing Google to continue its AI investments amid the break-up talk, but adding the browser to OpenAI's holdings may raise new concerns. Since the wheels of justice often turn slowly, it may be a while before we learn the outcomes of the recent Google rulings.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/openai-says-it-would-buy-chrome-if-google-is-forced-to-sell-215239832.html?src=rss
Max now requires a fee for extra members who join a plan outside of the household. Each person who joins a subscription plan will cost $8 a head, no matter which access tier the main account holder is on. This type of "extra member" charge is how several streaming services have tried to cut down on password sharing by users. Netflix introduced this approach in 2023 and Disney+ followed suit in 2024.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned platform has at least temporarily allowed live sports and news content to be viewed for free, which is a nice perk for as long as it lasts. Max last raised its subscription prices in 2024, so hopefully viewers will get a reprieve on any more new costs for the rest of this year.
These non-household members will be able to stream Max content from their own accounts on one device at a time, and they'll have access to the same plan benefits such as video quality and downloads. In addition, when an extra member joins a plan, they can import their existing watch list and preferences with Max's new profile transfer option.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/max-implements-8-extra-member-charges-on-all-subscription-plans-195228707.html?src=rss
Wheel of Time is getting a new video game adaptation. The popular fantasy book series has already seen an imagining for the small screen with an Amazon Prime Video series that is currently airing its third season. Now iwot Studios, which has a hand in creating the Amazon show, is launching a new game studio to create a AAA open-world RPG set in the same fictional universe.
iwot brought in Craig Alexander to helm its new video game studio. Alexander has held management and leadership roles at game operations including Warner Bros. Entertainment, Activision, EA and Sierra On-Line. According to Variety, the studio is projecting a three-year development for the game, which seems pretty ambitious considering the it's still hiring team leads. iwot is also behind a planned live action movie as well as an animated feature film set within the same world as Wheel of Time. According to iwot Studios CEO Rick Selvage, the company will have "a lot of continuity in regards to how we approach our transmedia strategy" across the different projects.
This isn't the first time Robert Jordan's books have been source material for a game. Legend Entertainment released a first-person shooter based on Wheel of Time in 1999, and it's still available to play on modern hardware thanks to the preservation efforts at GOG.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/wheel-of-time-is-getting-a-new-aaa-open-world-rpg-adaptation-184741772.html?src=rss
Zoom went down for many of its users this afternoon. People began experiencing issues with video conferencing service over the past few hours, peaking at more than 60,000 reports on DownDetector. Zoom shared an update acknowledging the problems and posted on X that "a restore is underway." Around 5PM ET, the company stated that normal service has resumed.
On the down side, people may have been unable to connect to their meetings and calls during the workday. On the positive side, people may have been unable to connect to their meetings and calls during the workday.
It's been a bad day for online services, as Spotify went down for several hours earlier today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/zoom-is-back-up-after-outages-this-afternoon-210704980.html?src=rss
BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 4: A logo sits illuminated outside the Zoom booth at ISE 2025 on February 4, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the second largest professional congress to be held in Barcelona this year, expects to attract more than 80,000 attendants. ISE occupies the entire Fira Barcelona space and has more than 1,600 exhibiting companies. One of the major novelties this year is the installation of an area dedicated to eSports. (Photo by Cesc Maymo/Getty Images)
The US government has continued to make drastic cuts to budgets and personnel, but one cybersecurity service has at least temporarily avoided the chop. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database operated by nonprofit MITRE Corp will receive 11 months of federal support. A representative from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, whose parent agency funds the MITRE database, told Reuters that the department exercised an "option period on the contract to ensure there will be no lapse in critical CVE services." The news was an eleventh-hour announcement, as federal funding for the project was slated to expire today.
This CVE database identifies and tracks cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and it is regularly used by IT professionals. It offers a standardized approach that allows complex and technical information about potential problems to be quickly shared across companies and organizations worldwide.
"We appreciate the overwhelming support for these programs that have been expressed by the global cyber community, industry, and government over the last 24 hours," said Yosry Barsoum, vice president and director for MITRE's Center for Securing the Homeland.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/database-for-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities-secures-last-minute-government-funding-202703659.html?src=rss
Kia has teased that it will have a trio of announcements at the 2025 New York International Auto Show. The car company's presentation is scheduled for 10AM ET on April 16. That's today! This morning, in fact. The reveal was hosted live on YouTube, and it's also embedded below. If you missed it as it was happening, you can still watch the video below, just to revel in the announcement, perhaps.
If you don't have time to watch the 21-minute-long event, check out our article on Kia's US debut of its first all-electric sedan. The presentation featured three vehicles, including two that are fully electric. Kia unveiled its EV4 hatchback sedan in February, but didn't share info about North American manufacturing at that time.
While the stage presentation will get livestreamed, we don't yet have tech to remotely test the Kia EV9 and EV6 models that will be at the live show. Maybe one day…
Update, April 16 2025, 2:00PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that Kia's NY Auto Show 2025 event has taken place and to share some details on what was announced.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/how-to-watch-kias-new-york-international-auto-show-presentation-on-april-16-195259387.html?src=rss
According to an SEC filing from NVIDIA, the US government now requires companies to obtain a license to export H20 integrated circuits and any other products that achieve the same performance benchmarks. The filing states that "the license requirement addresses the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a supercomputer in China." Mainland China is not the only place targeted by this license; NVIDIA will also require permission to sell the H20 to the territories of Hong Kong and Macau as well as to nations with the D:5 designation as US Arms Embargo Countries.
The H20 chips are currently the most advanced chips that can be sold to select international markets under present laws and they are powerful enough to be used for artificial intelligence applications. NVIDIA has wanted the ability to retain Chinese customers for these products and last week, it seemed like the company may have gotten a reprieve on new restrictions. However, it appears that the new license requirement "will be in effect for the indefinite future."
NVIDIA said in the SEC filing that it now expects to report about $5.5 billion in charges related to "inventory, purchase commitments and related reserves" associated with the H20 circuits in the results for its current fiscal quarter.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/nvidia-says-the-us-has-put-export-restrictions-on-h20-ai-chips-224822930.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: An Nvidia GPU is seen inside a computer server displayed at Foxconn?s annual tech day in Taipei, Taiwan October 8, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
Google announced today that it will no longer be using country code top level domains for searches. Instead, all search services will happen on the google.com URL and local results will be delivered automatically. For example, that means users in the UK will no longer see google.co.uk in their browser's address bar. Google URLs with those country-specific domain endings will now redirect to the main google.com address.
Google started using location information to automatically provide search results based on geography in 2017. With that change, it didn't matter whether you entered a query into a local country code URL or into google.com; you'd always see the results version for the place you were physically located. Today's announcement seems to take that initial action to its conclusion by sunsetting those ccTLDs.
"It’s important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won’t affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws," Google noted in its announcement.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-retiring-country-specific-domains-for-search-212157490.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo
Anthropic announced that its Claude AI can integrate with Google Workspace. This tie-in allows the AI assistant to access any information in Gmail, Google Documents and Google Calendar. Enterprise-level customers even get a special cataloguing option for Documents that aims to offer even better speed and accuracy when retrieving information.
This update could make Claude more helpful when it comes to using the chatbot for scheduling or accessing information within the Google ecosystem. The blog post with the announcement specified that the Enterprise option comes with special security controls for confidentiality, but doesn't detail if or how other users might be able to keep Claude from accessing sensitive information that might be stored in an email or document. Google Workspace integration is available in beta now for all paid Anthropic customers.
Anthropic is also adding a Research feature. Queries in this mode are intended to offer thorough answers to queries that "explores different angles of your question automatically and works through open questions systematically." Claude's responses in Research will include citations for fact-checking. Anthropic says this feature can be combined with the Google integration for analyzing information stored across multiple different locations, such as notes about complicated work or school projects. Research is available in the US, Japan and Brazil as an early beta for users on the Max, Team and Enterprise plans.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-claude-can-now-read-your-emails-181511019.html?src=rss
Riot Games has unveiled details about the next season for League of Legends. This chapter of the MOBA is themed Spirit Blossom Beyond, and it will bring a temporary new look to Summoner's Rift and several floral cosmetics for the champions. Season 2 will also involve some notable gameplay changes, as well as introducing an all-new game mode called Brawl.
LoL is a perpetual balancing act, and the team at Riot have pared back the emphasis on early- and mid-game objectives this season so players can focus more on laning at the start of a match. Void Grubs are getting nerfed, with only one trio of grubs spawning per game. The reward for securing all three will be a single Void Mite to aid in your tower takes. Rift Herald has been slightly retuned, removing the Shelly's Gaze debuff to make the camp easier to solo.
Atakhan is getting overhauled for Season 2. With this streamlined approach, he will only have one form that expands on the Bloody Petals mechanic introduced in Season 1. Killing the new Thornbound Atakhan will grant a team all remaining Bloody Petals that have spawned on the map with an increased buff amount. The team will also get a permanent buff for the rest of the match called Spiritual Purification: when an enemy is killed, opponents in the surrounding area will be slowed and take damage. Riot intended this Atakhan design to match the seasonal theme as well as nixing the unpopular mechanics like the team-wide Withdraw buff from the Voracious version of this new neutral camp.
Riot Games
As the name implies, the new Brawl mode for LoL is all about fighting. It's a 5v5 matchup that removes much of the strategic burden from typical bouts, with no towers and only a handful of neutral buffs available to claim. Instead, teams score points by taking down enemy champions and by shepherding minions into the rival gate on a new map designed just for this mode. Riot is positioning these bite-sized, 10-minute matches as on-ramps for newer players still building their basic skills or as a mental break from the regular solo queue grind.
As with any big new content release, there are plenty of other tweaks to balance and quality of life that will be fully detailed in the patch notes. Season 2 for League of Legends kicks off on April 30.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/league-of-legends-season-2-hello-brawls-bye-bye-voracious-atakhan-150028605.html?src=rss
Apple announces updates to its smartphone lineup every autumn, but the company often has a hard time keeping the details under wraps. Ahead of the official unveiling of the iPhone 17, we've already heard quite a few hints about what may be in store. Here's what we know and what we're expecting.
When will the iPhone 17 series be announced?
Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. It's a little early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut.
What will the new iPhone 17 lineup include?
Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an ultra-thin smartphone, likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple's ultralight laptop designation. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple's new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that's what we know for now.
Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple shakes up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well.
The iPhone 17 Air seems primed to take the place of a potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was only just introduced in February at a surprisingly high price point, it seems unlikely that there will be a new addition to that lower end of the spectrum, the models that were previously called SE.
At the very least, it sounds like the iPhone 17 Air won't take away the charging port and rely only on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg said that while Apple had investigated making the iPhone 17 Air without a single port, the company (fortunately) changed plans. He also says that the rumored phone will have a 6.6-inch screen and include the Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Finally, the price is rumored at $900 — likely more than the standard iPhone 17 but less than the Pro.
What will iOS 19 be like?
Jon Prosser at Front Page Tech dropped a video in January that points to how a redesigned Camera app might point to more drastic changes to come for the operating system in the upcoming iPhone line. Earlier in March, Bloomberg also backed the assertion that an iOS overhaul is in the works. There hasn't been a notable overhaul of iOS for several generations, and it could be exciting to see Apple pushing the envelope on software again.
Prosser published a follow-up video in April with a more in-depth look at what he claims is a more complete build of iOS 19. He said the 2025 software update will focus on a visual overhaul... but without any jarring usability changes that might push away the Apple faithful. The UI is said to borrow from visionOS, adopting home screen icons with a corner radius of around 30 (mostly round but not fully circular). Control Center's brightness and volume sliders also show a more rounded appearance.
The Front Page Tech creator showed mockups of a redesigned tab view within apps like Music with more fluid animations. In addition, he says the iOS 19 Messages app's search box lives at the bottom, below chat threads, in the leaked build.
Finally, Prosser claims the camera app borrows from the Samsung Galaxy S4 (yes, the 2013 flagship from Apple's rival): a new mode that lets you simultaneously record with the front and rear cameras. He said this feature, which shows the front camera's content in a floating box atop the main one's, would be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
And while we don't have any formal leaks about this, it seems all-but guaranteed that Apple is going to continue pushing its Apple Intelligence suite. We're still waiting on some promised updates to Siri that are meant to take advantage of AI tools, so ideally those will be fully finished and integrated by the time the 17 series arrives.
The company typically shares more details about its upcoming plans for software during its Worldwide Developers Conference. WWDC 2025 will most likely be happening in early June, so expect to hear more about the operating system this summer.
Update, March 17, 2025, 2PM ET: Added details about the rumored price and features of the iPhone 17 Air.
Update, April 11, 2025, 3:45PM ET: Added details from Front Page Tech's new video that claims to reveal details from a leaked iOS 19 build.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17-pro-max-and-air-everything-we-know-about-apples-new-phones-153024282.html?src=rss
The US Department of Justice has indicted Albert Sangier for defrauding investors with misleading statements about his Nate financial technology platform. Founded by Sangier in 2018, Nate claimed it could offer shoppers a universal checkout app thanks to artificial intelligence. However, the indictment states that the so-called AI-powered transactions in Nate were actually completed by human contractors in the Philippines and Romania or by bots. Sangier raised more than $40 million from investors for the app.
This case follows reporting by The Information in 2022 that cast light on Nate's use of human labor rather than AI. Sources told the publication that during 2021, "the share of transactions Nate handled manually rather than automatically ranged between 60 percent and 100 percent."
Many ambitious and ethically challenged entrepreneurs have attempted to make their fortunes by disguising human actions as a mechanical or technological innovation over the centuries. Claiming the results as AI work is just the most digital age application of the idea.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/tech-founder-charged-with-fraud-for-ai-that-was-secretly-overseas-contract-workers-225910022.html?src=rss
The Department of Justice (DOJ) logo is pictured on a wall after a news conference to discuss alleged fraud by Russian Diplomats in New York December 5, 2013. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: CRIME LAW)
Naughty Dog is back with yet another way for players to buy The Last of Us. The team announced a new bundle called The Last of Us Complete, which has the latest editions of both award-winning games for the PlayStation 5. This Complete edition runs $100 for the digital bundle, which is available now. A physical collector's edition can be pre-ordered now for $110, with availability expected on July 10.
The original 2013 game was remastered for the PS4 just a year after its release, then received a complete remake and rebrand as The Last of Us Part Iin 2022 for the PS5. Naughty Dog also moved pretty quick on the remaster of the 2020 sequel, pushing out the The Last of Us Part II Remasteredearly last year. The Part II project was a $10 upgrade that included new content as well as new bells and whistles for the graphics, but the Part I remake displeased some fans with its $70 asking price.
The announcement of this new game bundle was timed to align nicely with the debut of the TV adaptation's second season, which premieres on April 13 and has already been confirmed for a third season. Between this new bundle being dubbed Complete and a recent interview with creator Neil Druckman, this does seem to squash any hopes fans might have had for the game to have a third installment. At least that means Complete really should be the last time you need to buy the titles. (At least, the last time until the PlayStation 6 arrives…)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-first-ps5-exclusive-of-2025-is-the-last-of-us-210329305.html?src=rss
Social media platform Instagram has been around since 2010 yet it still doesn't have a dedicated iPad app. In fact, the last we heard about the network's interest in tablets was back in 2022, when Insta head Adam Mosseri said there simply weren't enough iPad users to merit developing a native app. A baffling standpoint, but one that could finally be changing.
A current employee of the service spoke anonymously to The Information recently and said that in this, the year 2025, Instagram is at last working on an iPad app. As of now, the only way to use Instagram on an iPad is a zoomed-in version of the company's iPhone app. Most businesses realized a decade ago that repurposing a phone app isn't a great user experience since the aspect ratio is so different on a tablet. That's particularly noticeable when your service is all about photo and video content.
The sudden interest in iPad may be part of Instagram's broader efforts to fight for social media dominance as the popular video platform TikTok faces a potential ban in the US. The Information also reported that Instagram recently hosted an early preview of an upcoming Edits app for video-editing, which would compete with CapCut, a rival service also owned by ByteDance and at risk of falling within the TikTok ban.
Mosseri has also spoken about plans to improve Instagram's capabilities in content search. "You can imagine, whatever you use Instagram for, it’d be great to be able to find ‘that’ more easily," he said on an episode of the Build Your Tribe podcast. "But also for creators … it should allow content to resurface so that you don’t get all the value in those first 24 or 48 hours."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-year-is-2025-and-instagram-is-reportedly-working-on-an-ipad-app-223942933.html?src=rss
Sankt-Petersburg Russia April 13, 2018: Apple iPhone X on office desk with icons of social media network instagram application on screen. Social network. Starting social media app. Photo taken at company office
The Guardianreported that the UK's Ministry of Justice has been developing an algorithm designed to identify people who could become killers. Initially dubbed the "homicide prediction project," this tool used data from UK police forces, possibly including victims and witnesses as well as suspects.
Civil liberty watchdog Statewatch discovered the program through Freedom of Information Act requests. Based on the documents acquired by the group, Statewatch claimed that the program developed its prediction tool based on police data about between 100,000 and 500,000 people. Different categories of information shared with the Ministry of Justice appeared to also cover sensitive topics such as mental health, addiction, suicide and disability.
"Time and again, research shows that algorithmic systems for ‘predicting’ crime are inherently flawed," Statewatch researcher Sofia Lyall said. "This latest model, which uses data from our institutionally racist police and Home Office, will reinforce and magnify the structural discrimination underpinning the criminal legal system."
"This project is being conducted for research purposes only. It has been designed using existing data held by HM Prison and Probation Service and police forces on convicted offenders to help us better understand the risk of people on probation going on to commit serious violence. A report will be published in due course," a representative from the MOJ told The Guardian.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uk-is-going-full-minority-report-with-murder-prediction-research-214254968.html?src=rss
The US Department of Justice has disbanded its unit focused on prosecuting cryptocurrency scams. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the end of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in a memo sent on Monday, Reutersreported.
When the NCET launched, its focus was prosecuting cryptocurrency used in money laundering, fraud and theft. In recent years, the Department of Justice secured several high-profile wins in cases involving Binance, Tornado Cash and Bitfinex. However, the dissolution of NCET marks the latest government move to implement the current administration's crypto-friendly attitude.
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at encouraging the creation of blockchain networks. Blanche cited this as his rationale, and ordered the department's cryptocurrency efforts to focus on "individuals who victimize digital asset investors, or those who use digital assets in furtherance of criminal offenses such as terrorism, narcotics and human trafficking, organized crime, hacking, and cartel and gang financing." Any investigations that run counter to this agenda "should be closed."
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has also been walking back its regulation of cryptocurrency, such as ending an enforcement case against Coinbase. However, cryptocurrency remains a risky endeavor, with theft still rampant at the individual and national levels. Additionally, the Trump family already has a vested interest in encouraging crypto operations, claiming a majority of revenue from World Liberty Financial's token sales.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/doj-to-disband-its-cryptocurrency-enforcement-unit-200347077.html?src=rss
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