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Google will remove shady data-stealing Chrome extensions starting October 15

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 5:46 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Google


Google is making good on its “root-and-branch review” of third-party developer access to user data. The company has now said its new policy for Minimum Permission and updated User Data policy will be enforced starting October 15, 2019 — in other words, Chrome will no longer support sketchy extensions that gather data on your browsing activity. Back in May, the internet giant had annouced it would begin cracking down on Chrome extensions that abuse your personal information. To that effect, it had urged all developers to post privacy policies and rework their Chrome extensions to request only minimum permissions without compromising…

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Facebook releases AI-powered tools to map the world

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 5:30 am
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, artificial intelligence


Facebook today released a bunch of machine learning-powered tools to help create maps of the world. The company’s tools, called Map with AI, will help the community-based OpenStreetMap organization to create crowd-sourced maps easily. The social network spent two years in developing these tools, and is now making it available to OpenStreetMap community members. The program’s current marquee tool, called RapidID, lets you identify, add, and edit roads in a pinch. Here’s how RapidID works. It takes satellite images from commercially available public images from Maxar, a US-based space tech company. Then, its AI model predicts the presence of roads in a given image…

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GTA Online opens in-game casino amid online gambling debate

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 12:58 am
Posted In: Around the Web, gaming


Rockstar just opened up the first casino in Grand Theft Auto Online, the Diamond, where players can pay real money to gamble in game. The casino has been empty for the first six years of GTA Online‘s existence (side note: I feel old). The resort has since opened, and it’s a pretty swish place. Besides new missions and housing options, it also offers exactly the kinds of games you’d expect from a casino — blackjack, poker, slot machines, roulette, the whole nine yards. I’m sure the primary reason they added these games is because card-based gambling has been a big hit in Red…

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TikTok’s parent company appears to have acquired AI music startup Jukedeck

Jul24
by on July 24, 2019 at 12:41 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider


TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, appears to have acquired a startup that makes AI-generated music called Jukebox, an AI suite that generates custom music. Users can then edit the track to adjust length, tempo, and climax. While the news hasn’t been confirmed by either company, several Jukedeck employees, including its CEO, have changed their LinkedIn profiles, listing ByteDance as their current employer. Jukedeck’s website is also offline, displaying a message that says: “We can’t tell you more just yet, but we’re looking forward to continuing to fuel creativity by using musical AI.” Based on what we know so far, and the…

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