Month: December 2024

Pika, the Palo Alto-based startup that has emerged as a leader in lifelike AI video generation tools, has unveiled its latest update—Pika 2.0. This new version promises to provide users with significantly more control and customization options for creating AI-generated video clips.

The announcement comes just weeks after the successful release of Pika 1.5, which saw widespread adoption and high user engagement, establishing Pika as a frontrunner in the creative AI space. It also follows the release of Sora, OpenAI’s own AI video generator, which has recently become available to the public after being previewed ten months ago.

Pika 2.0 introduces a variety of enhancements that streamline the video generation process. Key among these is improved text alignment, making it easier to turn detailed prompts into cohesive, imaginative video clips. The update also improves motion rendering, creating more natural movements and realistic, fantastical physics—areas where previous generative AI tools have often struggled.

This update underscores Pika’s commitment to making AI video creation accessible, affordable, and user-friendly, whether for individuals or businesses.

Pika 2.0: A Tool for Creators and Brands Alike

Unlike competitors such as OpenAI’s Sora, which caters primarily to Hollywood studios, Pika 2.0 is designed for individuals, small creators, and brands looking to produce high-quality videos without the complexity or cost of traditional production.

Building on the success of its predecessor, Pika 2.0 introduces several new features designed to make video creation easier and more engaging for all users. Central to the update is the new “Scene Ingredients” feature, which allows users to upload and customize individual elements like characters, objects, and settings. This feature, powered by advanced image recognition technology, ensures that these components are seamlessly integrated into scenes, giving users more control over the final result.

These improvements position Pika as an ideal platform for creators looking to make playful, shareable videos for social media, or for brands aiming to produce high-quality advertising content at a fraction of the cost of traditional production methods.

Impressive Growth and Widespread Adoption

Pika’s growth has been nothing short of impressive. Following the release of Pika 1.5, more than five million new users joined the platform in just one month, bringing the total user base to over 11 million. Viral features like “Squish It,” “Melt It,” and “Explode It” have fueled this growth, with videos generated on the platform collectively amassing over two billion views.

High-profile brands, including Balenciaga, Fenty, and Vogue, have leveraged Pika’s tools to create innovative social media advertisements, boosting the platform’s visibility even further. As Pika 2.0 rolls out, the company anticipates even greater adoption from influencers, advertisers, and everyday users.

Innovation Without Breaking the Bank

Pika 2.0 positions itself as an affordable alternative to other AI video solutions. While specific pricing details haven’t been disclosed, the platform is designed to be accessible to non-professionals, making it an attractive option for users without deep pockets. This combination of affordability and powerful new features is expected to encourage even more creators to explore the world of AI-generated content.

With its rapid growth and constant innovation, Pika is poised to play a leading role in the broader adoption of AI video technology. Its user-first approach, which focuses on creators and brands instead of professional filmmakers, gives it a distinct edge in attracting a broad and diverse audience.

Founder and CEO Demi Guo envisions Pika not just as a tool for video production, but as a platform that fosters creativity and storytelling in engaging and enjoyable ways. As more individuals and brands turn to AI for content creation, platforms like Pika could pave the way for a new era of accessible, dynamic, and user-driven media.

Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles will soon feature enhanced navigation capabilities powered by Google Maps, providing access to updated information on over 250 million places worldwide. According to the official announcement, this integration will improve navigation accuracy by leveraging Google Maps’ vast database, which includes details such as business hours, contact information, ratings, reviews, and more.

The first rollout of this feature will be for Kia drivers in North America, with plans to expand globally across Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis models. 

In addition to integrating Google Maps, Hyundai Motor Group, which oversees all three brands, is adopting the Android Automotive OS for its future models. This move is expected to position the group as a leader in software-defined vehicle (SDV) technology and the broader future mobility market.

Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Vehicle Platform Division, emphasized the importance of customer-focused innovation, stating:

“Our partnership with Google, who helps people find a lot of useful information around the world, will serve as an opportunity for Hyundai Motor Group, broadening our coverage of technology in the mobility market and providing greater value to customers.”

Jorgen Behrens, Vice President and General Manager of Google Maps Automotive, echoed the sentiment, highlighting Google Maps’ capability to provide over 100 million updates daily. He remarked:

“By integrating our extensive database of places into Hyundai Motor Group vehicles through the Places API, we’re empowering drivers with the knowledge they need to navigate confidently – and we look forward to working with Hyundai Motor Group to bring more innovation to the fleet in the future.”

Over the past decade, many of us have witnessed the gradual erosion of privacy standards, as once-controversial practices have slowly become normalized. If you share concerns about this trend, you’ll be disappointed to learn that Mozilla is removing the ‘Do Not Track’ (DNT) privacy option in Firefox version 135. This change is already present in the Nightly developer release and will be included in the standard version when Firefox 135 is launched on February 4, 2025.

According to the Mozilla support page on the change (via The Register), the decision stems from the fact that many websites ignore the DNT request. The page states:

“Starting in Firefox version 135, the ‘Do Not Track’ checkbox will be removed. Many sites do not respect this indication of a person’s privacy preferences, and, in some cases, it can reduce privacy. If you wish to ask websites to respect your privacy, you can use the ‘Tell websites not to sell or share my data’ setting. This option is built on top of the Global Privacy Control (GPC). GPC is respected by increasing numbers of sites and enforced with legislation in some regions.”

At first glance, Mozilla’s explanation may sound reasonable, but I believe this move reflects a broader, concerning trend—shifting privacy concerns from general issues to more specific, less effective solutions. 

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The Role of ‘Do Not Track’ (DNT)

The DNT option is a request sent by browsers to websites, asking them not to track users. While websites are not legally obligated to comply with this request, it allows users to signal their privacy preferences in a simple, universal way without having to manually adjust settings for each individual site. The idea was that, even if websites ignored the DNT request, the practice of making such a request was important and could be enforced through legal means, depending on local privacy laws.

Critics argue that while most websites ignore DNT, this is more a problem of enforcement than of the DNT mechanism itself. For example, if you ask someone not to punch you in the face, and they repeatedly ignore that request, the issue isn’t with the request but with the lack of consequences for ignoring it. In this analogy, DNT is like that reasonable request for privacy, and the real problem lies with the failure to hold websites accountable for ignoring it.

The Global Privacy Control (GPC) as a Replacement

Mozilla suggests that users can now rely on the Global Privacy Control (GPC) as a replacement for DNT. The GPC is an opt-out mechanism built into certain browsers that signals to websites that users do not want their data sold or shared. Mozilla claims that GPC is respected by more websites and is backed by legislation in some regions, making it a more reliable privacy solution.

However, while GPC has shown some promise, it is not without its own limitations. The transition from DNT to GPC may not be as seamless as Mozilla suggests. The GPC is still relatively new, and it remains to be seen how consistently websites will adopt and respect this new standard. Moreover, the switch to GPC risks narrowing the scope of user privacy concerns—shifting from a broad, universal request to a more specific, limited one.

A Narrower Focus on Privacy

The shift from DNT to GPC marks a narrowing of focus in how we approach privacy. Whereas DNT allowed for a general request that websites respect users’ privacy preferences, GPC is much more specific—it’s about stopping the sale and sharing of data, rather than preventing all forms of tracking. This shift could be seen as a move toward addressing a particular aspect of privacy while overlooking broader issues, such as the tracking of users for targeted advertising.

This is not to say that GPC is inherently ineffective, but it highlights the trend toward making privacy a more fragmented issue, focusing on specific actions rather than a more comprehensive, user-centric approach. By removing DNT, Mozilla may be inadvertently signaling that the fight for privacy is narrowing, and that the broader issue of digital tracking is becoming less of a priority.

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Conclusion

The removal of DNT could signal a troubling shift in how privacy concerns are addressed, with broader issues being sidelined in favor of more specific, limited measures. For users who care about their online privacy, this move should be seen as a step backward—one that undermines the effort to create a truly user-focused and comprehensive privacy standard.

Recent leaks from Geekbench have revealed benchmark scores for AMD’s upcoming flagship APU, the Strix Halo. If the leaked benchmarks are accurate, the Ryzen AI MAX+ Pro 395 could offer performance comparable to Nvidia’s RTX 4060 laptop GPU, signaling a potential shift in the market for high-performance laptops and gaming handhelds.

Performance Specifications

As reported by Tom’s Hardware, the Strix Halo, also known as the Ryzen AI MAX 300 APUs, is expected to be AMD’s flagship processor for workstations and laptops in 2025. The Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 is equipped with 16 cores based on the advanced Zen 5 microarchitecture, 32 threads, and supports up to 64GB of RAM, with the option to upgrade to 128GB.

Geekbench Benchmark Analysis

The leaked Geekbench benchmark indicates that the Strix Halo APU, which includes integrated Radeon 8060S graphics, outperforms the mobile version of the RTX 4060 by nearly 4,000 points. This performance suggests that the chip could compete with mid-range laptops featuring an RTX 4070 GPU, indicating that AMD’s Strix Halo processors are poised to deliver excellent gaming performance.

Potential Market Impact

While it’s exciting to consider the potential of this APU, it’s important to note that we might not see this specific model in consumer laptops. However, the possibility remains that a similar APU could be integrated into the best gaming laptops or even the best handheld consoles. Handhelds like the Steam Deck OLED and Asus ROG Ally X both utilize AMD processors, and there is ongoing speculation about the AMD Ryzen Z2 being featured in upcoming devices.

Although none of this information is official yet,with CES 2025 just around the corner, we can anticipate official announcements from AMD regarding the Strix Halo line. The event is a key platform for tech companies to unveil their latest innovations, and it will be the stage where AMD is expected to share more details about their cutting-edge APUs.

The Geekbench scores provide a glimpse into what AMD might have in store for its future APUs. If these scores are indicative of AMD’s direction, the future could be very promising for the laptop and gaming handheld industries. As a fan of gaming handhelds, the prospect of future iterations with significantly more powerful processors is particularly intriguing.

Several applications owned by Meta experienced a significant global outage on Wednesday, impacting Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. The services have since been restored, with Instagram and WhatsApp confirming their return to functionality.

While Facebook is yet to verify if all issues have been resolved, Meta has expressed its progress, stating, “Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there – just doing some last checks. We apologize to those who’ve been affected by the outage.” This update was shared on an unspecified platform, referred to as “X.”

Downdetector, a platform that tracks outages, reported over 22,000 issue reports for Facebook on the evening of the outage and over 18,000 for WhatsApp. The disruptions were widespread, with users in the UK, various parts of Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the US all reporting problems.

WhatsApp and Instagram both communicated their return to service on platform “X,” with WhatsApp stating, “And we’re back, happy chatting!” and Instagram following suit with, “Andddd we’re back – sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us.”

The outages began around 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, according to Downdetector. The numbers are based on user-reported outages, and the actual number of affected users could be significantly different.

Meta quickly acknowledged a “technical issue” that was “impacting some users’ ability to access our apps” and assured that they were working on a resolution. Users reported a range of problems, from complete inability to use the apps to feeds that refused to refresh.

WhatsApp provided an update on their efforts, saying, “We’re aware of some issues accessing WhatsApp. We’re actively working on a solution and starting to see a return to normal for most people. We expect things to be back to normal shortly.”

Meta’s platforms boast some of the highest user engagement globally, with Facebook alone claiming over three billion active monthly users.

The most extensive outage Meta has faced was in 2021, when founder Mark Zuckerberg apologized for the disruption. During that incident, services for Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram were down for nearly six hours.

Microsoft is investigating a widespread and ongoing outage affecting Microsoft 365, particularly Office web apps and the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Users impacted by the outage are seeing a message stating, “We’re experiencing a service outage. All of your open files have been saved. It may be some time before the outage is resolved,” when attempting to access Microsoft 365 apps through a web browser.

According to a statement from Microsoft in an incident alert published in the admin center, the company is focusing its investigation on “token generation within our authentication infrastructure” and is reviewing recent changes to determine the root cause. The company added that the issue is affecting only certain users, specifically those served through the impacted infrastructure, when trying to access Microsoft 365 web apps.

As a temporary workaround, Microsoft recommends that affected users access their Microsoft 365 apps and documents through desktop applications, provided they have the necessary licenses.

At the moment, Microsoft’s service status, service health status, and Microsoft 365 network health status pages do not report any issues affecting the Microsoft 365 admin center, the company’s network, internet service providers, or customer network infrastructure.

This incident follows a similar worldwide Microsoft 365 outage two weeks ago, which impacted multiple services including Microsoft Teams, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Purview, Copilot, and both Outlook Web and Desktop. That issue was resolved after more than 24 hours, though Microsoft continued to address lingering problems with Outlook on the web and mail queuing delays.

In July, a massive outage affected multiple Azure and Microsoft 365 services, including the admin center, Intune, Entra, Power BI, and Power Platform services. The nine-hour outage was later traced to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which was amplified by an error in Microsoft’s DDoS protection mechanisms.

Update December 10, 07:55 EST: Microsoft is currently testing a potential fix to address the ongoing issues. The company identified a token generation issue that could be contributing to the disruption and is testing a fix to revert to an alternate token generation flow, which it believes will resolve the problem.

Update December 10, 08:18 EST: Microsoft deployed a fix expected to mitigate the outage within two hours. The company disabled proactive caching to alleviate some of the impact and believes that the fix will be completed within that timeframe.

Update December 10, 09:54 EST: Microsoft confirmed that the outage was caused by a recent service change that introduced an issue with identifying token expiration times, which led to authentication failures. The company has confirmed that the issue has now been resolved after monitoring service telemetry.