Meta inadvertently leaked a video showcasing new Ray-Ban branded smart glasses featuring a display in the right lens and a controlling wristband. The video also highlighted Oakley's "Sphaera" smart glasses with a nose camera. The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses allow commands like asking Meta AI questions, navigation via maps, translating signs, and chat replies using hand gestures interpreted through a wristband employing surface electromyography (sEMG) technology. These products are expected to be officially revealed during Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Connect keynote.
In 2023, Facebook (now Meta) settled a $725 million class action lawsuit regarding privacy violations, including unauthorized data access by Cambridge Analytica. The settlement covered Facebook users from 2007 to 2022. Recently, approved claimants began receiving their payouts, with one user reporting a payment of $38.36 via PayPal.
If you primarily listen to music via wireless earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, or directly from your phone, the difference between Spotify's standard 320Kbps streams and its new lossless audio option may go unnoticed. However, for those using wired headphones or high-quality speakers compatible with Spotify Connect, the improvement is tangible. Comparing the regular 96Kbps quality to the new 24-bit/44.1kHz lossless FLAC files reveals a noticeable enhancement, even to less experienced listeners.
Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against Perplexity, an AI web search company, alleging copyright and trademark infringement. The complaint claims that Perplexity's 'answer engine' illegally scrapes content from their websites, plagiarizing definitions and diverting internet traffic. Britannica also accuses Perplexity of trademark misuse by associating their names with inaccurate or fabricated content. This lawsuit highlights ongoing legal challenges faced by Perplexity, previously involved in disputes with major media companies including News Corp, Forbes, The New York Times, and the BBC. Despite controversy, some publishers like Time and the Los Angeles Times participate in Perplexity's ad revenue sharing program, while others, such as World History Encyclopedia, collaborate by launching AI-powered chatbots.
Discord has officially stated that it found no evidence linking the suspect accused of killing Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson, to any planning or promotion of violence on its platform. Despite law enforcement referencing Discord during a press conference and reports that the platform was used for discussing the crime, Discord’s Vice President of Trust and Safety, Jud Hoffman, clarified that messages shown to authorities were between Robinson’s roommate and a third party, recounting notes left by Robinson elsewhere, not messages from Robinson himself. Following the shooting, Discord removed Robinson’s account for violating its policies. The company strongly condemns violence and continues to work closely with law enforcement. The platform has faced scrutiny before over its potential role in facilitating violent rhetoric or radicalization, often targeted by political figures and influencers accusing it of enabling recruitment and extremism online.
Microsoft has eliminated the onboarding fees for developers submitting apps to its Windows Store. Nearly 200 countries' individual developers can now publish apps using just a personal Microsoft account without paying the previous one-time $19 fee. This move makes the Microsoft Store more accessible compared to Apple, which charges an annual $99 fee, and Google, which charges a one-time $25 registration fee. According to Chetna Das, senior product manager at Microsoft, this change removes significant barriers and encourages innovation by allowing developers to thrive in the Windows ecosystem. The Microsoft Store, which has over 250 million monthly active users, supports various app types including Win32, UWP, PWA, .NET, MAUI, and Electron apps. Developers can also use their own in-app commerce system and keep 100% of their revenues on non-gaming apps.
Despite Google's prior claims of a thriving open web and stable search traffic, a recent court filing reveals the company admits the open web, specifically open-web display advertising, is in rapid decline. This admission arises amidst a legal battle concerning Google's monopoly in advertising technology, with the US Department of Justice recommending a breakup of Google's ad business. Google argues that such divestiture would accelerate the decline, harming publishers dependent on open-web display ad revenue. The company highlights the rise of non-open web ad formats like Connected TV and retail media as reshaping the ad ecosystem. While Google maintains that search traffic and click volumes remain stable or have expanded to more sources, publishers have reported noticeable drops in traffic following changes in Google's search algorithms and the advent of AI chatbots. Google spokespersons emphasize that the decline pertains to specific advertising formats rather than the open web as a whole, reaffirming Google's stance that the web continues to thrive.
Google has introduced significant updates to its Gemini-powered products. The Gemini app now supports audio file uploads, fulfilling the top user request, with free users limited to 10 minutes of audio and five prompts daily, while AI Pro and Ultra users can upload up to three hours. Google Search AI Mode has expanded to include five new languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese. Additionally, Gemini-powered NotebookLM now offers new report styles such as study guides, blog posts, flashcards, and quizzes in over 80 languages, customizable by users. These updates enhance user experience across Google’s AI tools, continuing a trend of rapid innovation in AI technology.
Showrunner, a startup aiming to revolutionize the entertainment industry with AI-generated videos, is working to restore lost footage from Orson Welles' 1942 film The Magnificent Ambersons. The original film was drastically cut by the studio without Welles' input, and the lost footage's negatives were destroyed. Showrunner plans to use a new generative AI model, FILM-1, to approximate Welles' lost scenes by generating keyframes and manipulating live actors' faces to resemble the original cast. They've enlisted AI VFX artist Tom Clive and filmmaker Brian Rose to assist with the project. Unlike previous controversial AI uses, Showrunner intends not to monetize this project, aiming instead to preserve and present the film as Welles originally intended, and is willing to share the results with the IP holders for academic or commercial use.
Anthropic has agreed to pay a minimum of $1.5 billion plus interest to authors in a landmark settlement over the use of copyrighted works to train its AI systems. The settlement, possibly the largest in US copyright litigation history, is expected to provide approximately $3,000 per book or work. It requires court approval with a hearing scheduled for September 8th. The final payout could increase depending on the number of claims submitted, as Anthropic will pay an additional $3,000 per work beyond 500,000 claims. Anthropic must also destroy the original files it downloaded and any copies as part of the settlement. This deal covers past claims only and does not permit future AI training use of these materials after August 25, 2025. The case follows allegations from authors who accused Anthropic of using pirated books for AI training, amid ongoing legal scrutiny of AI companies regarding copyright infringement. Anthropic maintains its commitment to safe AI development and compliance with copyright law.