Considering Apple has a reputation for releasing product updates every couple of years, it is somewhat surprising that we’re yet to be treated to the second generation of the hugely popular Apple AirPods Max.

The AirPods Max represented Apple’s first foray into the over-ear headphones market when they launched in 2020, having already taken the wireless earbud market by storm with the AirPods and AirPods Pro.

A sublime blend of reliable battery life, comfort, cinematic spatial audio, incredible sound quality and beautiful design made the Airpods Max the most popular headphones on the market. Even at the high-end price of £549.

However, in what is a little out of character for Apple, fans are still patiently waiting for the second generation Apple Airpods Max. Current rumors, though, suggest the wait may be over pretty soon.

When will Apple AirPods Max 2 arrive?

There are no concrete dates for when Apple fans can get their hands on the AirPods Max 2, but a few rumors are circulating that we might be able to expect a new Max edition in the latter stages of 2024.

That is according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed earlier this year that a new edition of the AirPods Max is likely to launch alongside a newer, more affordable version of earbuds, which he believes is due later in 2024.

(4/5)
The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 12, 2023

Apple has a history of making us wait for AirPods Max releases, though. Before officially launching in December, it was expected they would debut a couple of months earlier alongside the launch of the iPhone 12. That didn’t happen due to “complications” and fans were made to wait a couple more months.

But a three-year wait for a fresh upgrade is unusual, which is fuelling rumors of an imminent announcement at some stage in 2024.

How will the Apple AirPods Max 2 look?

Whatever upgrades are in line for the Airpods Max 2, you can bet the overall design, look and feel will be sleek, comfortable and eye-catching. That’s what we’ve come to expect from Apple ever since the launch of the iMac G3 in 1998.

As we’re still relatively in the dark about the next edition of the Max, we’re having to rely on insider speculation to get a picture of what we might expect when they do eventually arrive.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has fueled many of the rumors in this area with several comments in an October 2023 newsletter, in which he also echoes the views of Kuo regarding a potential release date. He mostly hints at new colors and the introduction of USB-C charging.

The color range

Firstly, there’s the color range. The Airpods Max is available in Silver, Blue, Space Grey, Pink and Green. Gurman believes an “AirPods Max refresh with new colors” is on the horizon. That has fuelled rumors that the tech giant are considering introducing Yellow, Orange and Purple to the range, while it’s also being whispered that a Product (Red) edition. Some believe the new colors may be in sync with those of the upcoming iPhone 16, which is also expected to debut later this year.

USB charging

Elsewhere, the rumored introduction of USB-C charging is arguably the least surprising rumor of all. Apple announced the USB-C connections on the new iPhone 15 and charging cases for the Airpods Pro 2 in December 2023, so it’s a reasonable assumption to make that it will be present in all Apple products in the future.

Touch controls

Meanwhile, there is talk that Apple is making changes to the Max’s control mechanism, moving closer towards touch controls instead of continuing with the existing Digital Crown. This may come as music to the ears (pun intended) to current Max owners who find themselves knocking the Digital Crown when adjusting them.

The carry case

And finally, on to the carry case. While the AirPods Max’s design wowed fans, their protective case has come under some criticism. Particularly for not being very protective. Thankfully, a patent uncovered in the summer of 2022, appears to suggest Apple is working on a more substantial and durable case that utilizes a magnetic clasp.

This points towards an actual case, as opposed to what can only be described as a wrap-around cover we have today.

What are the Apple Airpods Max 2 specs?

The first edition AirPods Max arrived packed with top-of-the-range specifications and features, including active noise-cancellation (ANC), adaptive EQ, spatial audio with dynamic head-tracking and two H1 Apple chips.

That’s quite a lot to live up to and improve on in a second edition, but rumors point towards Apple working on making several significant improvements.

Firstly, there are improvements to ANC, with a recent AirPods Max patent referring to “audio howl” detection, with Apple looking to improve on ways to better mitigate unwanted feedback that is typically created by ANC microphones.

Elsewhere, there are whispers that Apple might be working on a way to deliver wireless lossless audio via better-than-Bluetooth audio transmission technology. If true and, of course, if it’s included in the Max, this will likely revolutionize the quality of portable wireless audio.

There is currently no noise surrounding what chip the Airpods Max 2 will use, but we can make a reasonable assumption that the H2 chip might be introduced to replace the H1 chips in the first edition Max. The H2 chip is already incorporated in the Airpods Pro 2. That said, there a no guarantees.

Other rumored features include the new “Find My” feature, which will allow owners to locate their headphones via the use of their iPhone, and a likely IPX rating, which means the Airpods Max 2 will be more suited to wetter conditions, such as rain, splashes and even sweat, for those that use their cans in the gym.

How much will Apple AirPods Max 2 cost?

Eyebrows were raised when the first-generation Airpods Max launched with a hefty £549 price tag, but it still didn’t stop people rushing to buy them. They sold out almost instantly, with the waiting list peaking at around 14 weeks.

There is nothing on the rumor mill to suggest Apple will launch the second-generation Max at a lower price point, so we should still expect to pay a top-of-the-range fee for what is going to be a top-of-the-range product.

Some fans have expressed wishes for a cheaper model to be released alongside the new Max to give fans the option depending on their budget, which Apple has previous with when it comes to their iPhone, Macbook, iPad and Apple Watch ranges.

However, that’s just people expressing their wishes as opposed to a credible rumor at this stage.

Featured Image: Photo by Super Snapper on Unsplash.

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Luxury airline Beond has announced it will offer Apple Vision Pro headsets to select passengers on flights to the Maldives by mid-2024.

Passengers will be able to take advantage of “unrivaled onboard content, coupled with immersive experiences showcasing the best of the Maldives,” according to a press release.

The airline plans to provide its customers with a unique level of in-flight experience and entertainment, including showcasing “stunning resort destinations and activities in the Maldives,” as well as its existing library of games and movies.

Beond’s Chairman and CEO, Tero Taskila, said: “The Apple Vision Pro will transform the inflight entertainment experience, and we will be first to offer it to select passengers.

“We are working now with partners in the Maldives to prepare truly amazing footage. The inflight experience will build anticipation for passengers before they arrive in the Maldives.

“Offering the Apple Vision Pro is another step in our vision of delivering a premium travel experience to our customers, from the start to finish of their journey.

“We’re proud to be the first airline to deploy the technology.”

Beond launched commercial passenger services in 2023, debuting routes from Munich, Zurich, and Riyadh to Male, Maldives. It has announced plans to offer flights from Milan, Dubai, and Bangkok to the Maldives by the middle of 2024.

What is Apple Vision Pro?

Apple’s Vision Pro hit stores in the US in early February, with the tech California-based tech giant claiming the headset “seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world and unlocks powerful spatial experiences.”

It is the company’s first entry into the VR space. At the same time, the headset can also act as an add-on to a user’s everyday experience using other Apple products, as it syncs with the likes of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Macbook to create an all-around interactive Apple experience.

However, it doesn’t come cheap. Only currently available in the US, the Vision Pro is available to purchase for $3,499, with prescription lenses costing an additional $149 and reading lenses going for $99.

Featured Image: Apple

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The CEO of fintech giant Klarna has warned that the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is “happening right now” as he confirms the company’s AI-powered chatbot is already handling the work of 700 human employees, reports tech.eu.

Klarna announced a partnership with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, last year and has now confirmed their chatbot has handled 2.3 million customer service chats in 35 different languages in its first four weeks of operation. This is the equivalent of 700 full-time customer service operators.

The success of the AI-powered chatbot has led to a Klarna spokesperson confirming plans to reduce the number of customer service agents it currently outsources to 2,300 from around 3,000.

In a press release, Klarna claims the bot has a customer satisfaction rating that is on par with its human equivalent. It also has higher accuracy than humans, with a 25% decrease in repeat inquiries. The time in which support tickets are resolved has also been cut from 11 minutes to less than two.

Posting on X, CEO and founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski, said: “As more companies adopt these technologies, we believe society needs to consider the impact.

“While it may be a positive impact for society as a whole, we need to consider the implications for the individuals affected.

“We decided to share these statistics to raise awareness and encourage a proactive approach to the topic of AI.

“For decision-makers worldwide to recognize this is not just ‘in the future,’ this is happening right now.”

Klarna believes its AI-powered chatbot will help drive $40 million in profit improvements in 2024 alone.

Are humans at risk of being replaced by AI?

Fears of AI eventually being able to replace humans in the workplace are already becoming a reality, it seems.

Earlier this year, an analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) found that 60% of jobs in advanced economies may be impacted by AI, with roughly half of those jobs at risk of succumbing to the technology’s advanced power. The other half likely benefit from AI in the workplace.

The report stresses the need for countries to act quickly to implement specific policies surrounding the use of AI in specific markets. It also urges stronger economies to embrace and prioritize AI innovation while developing regulatory frameworks, which will help “cultivate a safe and responsible AI environment, helping to maintain public trust.”

But as Klarna provides a rather compelling use case for other companies to consider following suit and replacing at least part of their workforce with AI, there is an argument that it might be too late.

Featured Image: Klarna

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Record sales in the US have led to Samsung revising sales targets for the Galaxy S24, as reported by Android Headlines.

Korean media reports that the tech giant had set itself an ambitious target of selling 12 million units in the first three months of its January 2024 launch. However, that figure has since been revised to 13 million thanks to huge demand worldwide, not least in the US. It aims to sell 35 million units this year.

The initial success of the S24 series is down to pre-order records being broken in several markets, including India, South Korea and Europe — while sales in the US are at a record high in eight years.

The S24 series’ early success also runs sales records of previous launches, falling just short of the record set by the Galaxy Note 10 by only three days.

In South Korea, over one million units were sold in just 28 days, beating the previous quickest time to reach that figure by the Galaxy S7 in 2017, which was 37 days. In comparison, the Galaxy S23 took approximately seven weeks to reach one million sales.

Meanwhile, Ice Universe has claimed the S24 series is expected to “sell more than 10 million units within one month of launch,” with sales of more than 3.2 million units in North America.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to sell more than 10 million units within one month of launch.
Especially in Apple’s home market of North America, sales exceeded 3.2 million units, setting a new record eight years after the Galaxy S7 series.

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) February 28, 2024

Samsung is fighting back after Apple takes the top spot

With the Galaxy S24 series taking the smartphone market by storm at rapid speed, this is fantastic news for Samsung.

Rival Apple toppled Samsung as the world’s leading smartphone provider in 2023 after over a decade of playing second fiddle to the Korean tech giants.

In Q4 of 2023, the iPhone enjoyed a 1% year-on-year increase in sales, while Samsung’s unit sales dipped by 12%, representing a significant decline in growth, particularly in European markets.

But early sales figures of Samsung’s latest release will likely give the company a welcome boost ahead of a year in which Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 16.

Featured Image: Samsung

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Apple has confirmed its plans to launch its newest iMessage security protocol, named PQ3, in response to what it claims is a future threat from quantum computers, according to a recent PCMag report.

iMessage currently uses end-to-end encryption, ensuring that messages between the sender and receiver are secure and inaccessible to anyone else, including Apple. However, Apple is concerned that the advancement of quantum computers may soon reach a level where they could decrypt iMessage content. Such powerful quantum computers would presumably also be capable of decrypting messages sent through other apps, such as WhatsApp.

Last year, the Technical University of Denmark stated that although quantum computers are already operational, they lack the power to break end-to-end encryption at present, indicating it may take years to achieve this capability due to their current size limitations.

On Wednesday, Apple’s Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) team wrote about the evolution of encryption on messaging platforms. They explained that traditionally, platforms have relied on classical public key cryptography methods like RSA, Elliptic Curve signatures, and Diffie-Hellman key exchange to secure end-to-end encrypted connections. These methods are grounded in complex mathematical problems that were once deemed too challenging for computers to solve, even with advancements predicted by Moore’s law.

The SEAR team highlighted, however, that the advent of quantum computing could shift this balance. They noted that “a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could solve these classical mathematical problems in fundamentally different ways,” potentially fast enough to compromise the security of encrypted communications.

The team also raised concerns about future threats, stating that while current quantum computers can’t decrypt data protected by these methods, adversaries might store encrypted data now with the intention of decrypting it later using more advanced quantum technology. This strategy, known as “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later,” underscores the potential long-term vulnerabilities in current encryption techniques against the backdrop of quantum computing’s rapid development.

As a result, the tech giant has created PQ3, which it says has been built “from the ground up” to redesign iMessage from a security standpoint, adding a third level of protection to its end users.

When will Apple roll out PQ3 for iMessage?

PQ3 is expected to launch in March with iOS 17.4, as well as iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4 and watchOS 10.4.

The simultaneous rollout across multiple Apple operating systems underscores the company’s commitment to addressing the future threat quantum computers pose to end-to-end encryption. Apple is taking proactive steps to ensure that iMessage users on iPhones, tablets, computers, and wearables receive protection as swiftly as possible.

Featured Image: Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

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Match Group and OpenAI have signed a deal that will see the dating app giant receive over 1,000 ChatGPT enterprise licenses for its employees, as reported by TechCrunch.

The company behind apps such as Tinder, Match, OKCupid, Hinge, and PlentyOfFish explained its plans to leverage AI across a variety of its apps in its Q4 earnings report, to “enable our business to evolve their existing products and build disruptive new products and user experiences that meet the changing needs and expectations of their target audiences and drive user growth.”

This agreement appears to be the first step towards implementing those plans as the company moves to get its workforce to use and interact with the technology it hopes will improve user experience in 2024.

To celebrate the agreement and to stay on brand, the press release announcing the deal was written with the help of ChatGPT, and it even includes a quote from ChatGPT itself, which says: “I’m thrilled Match Group matched with me.

“Together, we’re not just breaking the ice; we’re melting it and reshaping the way work gets done.”

The release also claims ChatGPT promises to “be the wingman employees didn’t know they needed.”

How will Match Group’s workforce use ChatGPT?

The dating app giant says it will use ChatGPT-4 to aid with coding, design, analysis, building templates, and other daily tasks, including communications, hence the rather tongue-in-cheek press release.

However, the company has stressed that only trained and licensed employees will have access to OpenAI‘s technology to protect corporate data.

To be given access to these tools, employees will have to undergo training that focuses on the technology’s capabilities, limitations, and responsible use.

While there has been no confirmation of the cost of this agreement to Match Group, the company says it believes the use of OpenAI’s tools will make teams more productive.

Featured Image: Photo by Good Faces Agency on Unsplash

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The official Borderlands movie trailer has been released, and it promises to include much of the explosive chaos that made the video game franchise by Gearbox Software so popular, reports ScreenRant.

Directed by Eli Roth and co-written by Joe Crombie, the movie boasts several big-name Hollywood stars, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Florian Munteanu, Ariana Greenblatt, and Jack Black, who is the voice of a talkative Claptrap.

However, despite the star-studded cast, there were mixed reviews among fans, with some saying film studio Lionsgate UK “missed the mark” with the casting.

The movie includes several characters from the video game series, such as Lilith, Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg, Tannis, and Claptrap, which indicates its loyal adaptation for the big screen. It perfectly captures the game’s chaotic tone and includes an element of comedy. Meanwhile, weapons, vehicles, and creatures from the games have been accurately recreated.

The movie began production in 2015 but faced several interruptions and reshoots, with the final shoot beginning in April 2021. All work seems to be moving along well with the help of Deadpool, director Tim Miller, who was drafted to help with filming.

You can watch the trailer below:

Despite the movie doing its best to stay loyal to the nature of the video game series, it follows a storyline not seen in the games, although it does continue to involve the concept of outlaws uniting to seek treasure on Pandora, which is described in the trailer as “the weirdest, most dangerous, dumpster fire planet in the universe.”

What is the Borderlands movie synopsis, and when will it be released??

The Borderlands trailer hints that the movie will follow a mission to find Atlas’ missing daughter.

The official synopsis reads: “After returning to her home planet Pandora, infamous outlaw Lilith, is given a dangerous mission and forms an alliance (and potential friendship) with other criminals, including former mercenary Roland, demolitionist Tiny Tina, and her protector Krieg, insane scientist Tannis, and the wisecracking robot Claptrap.

“The mission: find and protect the missing (and important) daughter of a very powerful man named Atlas. Although things may not be as they seem, the girl holds the key to great power, one that can change the fate of the entire universe.”

Borderlands is expected to be released in theatres on August 9, 2024.

Featured image: Borderlands / Lionsgate

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ChatGPT appeared to go rogue on Tuesday evening as users reported the AI chatbot responding with incorrect answers and talking gibberish, as reported by 404Media.

Members of a ChatGPT subreddit shared their experiences with screenshots of extraordinary exchanges with the technology, responses either making no sense or answers to questions being way off the mark.

One screenshot showed this response to a question: “This is the work of service and any medical today to the data field.” It continued: “The 12th to the degree and the pool to the land to the top of the seam, with trade and feature, can spend the large and the all before it’s under the care.”

Meanwhile, another user explained that they asked ChatGPT for “a synonym for overgrown” and got the response: “A synonym for “overgrown” is “overgrown” is “overgrown” is “overgrown”…”

Other users claimed it gave totally incorrect answers to the basic questions, such as responding with “Tokyo, Japan” when asked to name the biggest city on earth that begins with an ‘A.’

OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, has confirmed it has fixed the issue in a message on its status page. Still, it’s another reminder that while we’re in the middle of an AI boom, the technology is not yet immune to going rogue or, quite simply, going wrong.

AI models like ChatGPT have a long way to go

This is just another example of AI technology proving it’s not yet capable of earning complete trust from its users, despite fears that Artificial Intelligence has the potential to replace humans in a variety of day-t0-day tasks, both at home and in the workplace.

There have already been several instances where lawyers have gotten in trouble for citing fictitious cases generated by AI. Just last month, Reuters reported that a New York lawyer was facing disciplinary action after they used ChatGPT for research in a medicinal malpractice lawsuit and failed to confirm that the case cited was valid.

Featured Image: Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

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More than 40 artificial intelligence (AI) models have been approved for public use by China in the last six months, reports Reuters.

Chinese media claims regulators in the country gave the green light to 14 large language models (LLM) last week, which is the fourth batch of approvals Beijing has granted since August last year as it attempts to play catch up with the US in the AI sector. The decision to keep AI technology under control by regulators emphasizes China’s approach toward developing the sector within the country.

Baidu, Alibaba and ByteDance, which owns social media giant TikTok, were among the first companies in China to receive approvals last year. Among the latest batch of approvals are Xiaomi Corp, 4Pradigm and 01.AI. There were also approvals in November and December last year.

While a complete list of approved companies hasn’t been disclosed by the Chinese government, Securities Times has said more than 40 AI models have now been approved for public use.

China is attempting to keep up with the US as AI technology continues to evolve globally, with Chinese companies rushing to develop AI products since OpenAI‘s ChatGPT rose to prominence in 2022.

Back then, China had an estimated 130 LLMs, which accounted for 40% of the global total, while the US’ market share was 50%.

How much is the LLM market worth globally?

As companies around the world rush to grab a share of the generative AI marker by producing their own LLM tools, Bloomberg reported in June 2023 that it estimates the market could be worth $1.3 trillion within the next 10 years. In 2022, it estimated the market to be worth just $40 billion.

The report continued to project that “generative AI is poised to expand its impact from less than 1% of total IT hardware, software services, ad spending and gaming market spending to 10% by 2032.”

It goes on to name generative AI infrastructure as a service used for training LLMs as potentially the largest driver of this growth, accounting for $247 billion of global revenues by 2032.

Featured Image: Dall-E

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Amazon‘s $1.4 billion acquisition of iRobot has been canceled, the two companies announced today.

The deal would have allowed the e-commerce giant to “invest in continued innovation by iRobot and support iRobot in lowering prices on products customers already love” said a statement released by both companies.

The collapsed acquisition, which was originally signed in August 2022,  is blamed on there being “no path to regulatory approval in the European Union.” Alongside the announcement, the maker of the Roomba confirmed it was laying off around 350 employees as a result, which is roughly 31% of its entire workforce. One of the first casualties is believed to be CEO and co-founder, Colin Angle, who is stepping down.

David Zapolsky, Amazon SVP and General Counsel said: “We’re disappointed that Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot could not proceed.

“We’re believers in the future of consumer robots in the home and have always been fans of iRobot’s products, which delight consumers and solve problems in ways that improve their lives. This outcome will deny consumers faster innovation and more competitive prices, which we’re confident would have made their lives easier and more enjoyable.

“Mergers and acquisitions like this help companies like iRobot better compete in the global marketplace, particularly against companies, and from other countries, that aren’t subject to the same regulatory requirements in fast-moving technology segments like robotics. Undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles discourage entrepreneurs, who should be able to see acquisition as one path to success, and that hurts both consumers and competition – the very things that regulators say they’re trying to protect.”

Colin Angle said: “The termination of the agreement with Amazon is disappointing, but iRobot now turns toward the future with a focus and commitment to continue building thoughtful robots and intelligent home innovations that make life better, and that our customers around the world love.”

Amazon will pay a $94 million termination fee to iRobot, which will be used to help pay off a $200 million loan it took out last year.

What EU regulations led to the deal collapsing?

Last November, the European Commission said it believed the deal could potentially restrict competition in the robot vacuum cleaner market. Several of iRobot’s competitors sell their products on Amazon, which led to regulators’ concerns that Amazon could delist or reduce the visibility of rival products, subsequently restricting competition and leading to higher prices, lower quality and less innovation for consumers.

Regulators gave Amazon until January 10th to convince them to let the deal be signed off, but the deadline passed without them offering any concessions. The deal had already received the green light from the UK’s competition regulator in June 2023 but was ultimately unable to get the European Commission to follow suit.

Featured Image: Photos by Onur Binay and Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

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Tools from AI startup, ElevenLabs, are being blamed for deepfake Joe Biden robocalls to New Hampshire voters last week.

Some voters in the state claimed to have received calls from the US President telling them not to vote in the primary election. But while it is not clear who was directly responsible for the calls, two teams of audio experts have told WIRED that it was likely created using technology originating from voice-closing startup Eleven Labs.

Security company Pindrop, which specializes in tools that identify synthetic audio, said in a blog post last week that after analyzing the calls, evidence pointed towards ElevenLabs’ technology or a “system using similar components.

ElevenLabs’ AI tools are marketed for the likes of Audiobooks and video games but the public can sign up for the company’s paid service and use an audio sample to anyone’s voice. Its safety policy urges users to obtain someone’s permission before cloning their voice, but does state permissionless cloning is ok for non-commercial purposes, including “political speech contributing to public debates.”

The company’s CEO, Mati Staniszewski, said in a statement on Friday that ElevenLabs is “dedicated to preventing the misuse of audio AI tools.” The statement also said the company would assist authorities to help take action in cases of misuse.

However, this isn’t the first time ElevenLabs’ tools have been accused of being at the center of deepfake political propaganda. In September last year, it was claimed that TikTok accounts sharing conspiracy theories using AI-generated voices, including that of Barack Obama, were using ElevenLabs’ tools.

ElevenLabs recently raised $80 million at a $1.1 billion valuation in a new funding round, achieving “unicorn” status.

The dark side of deepfake content

This is the latest incident of AI-generated deepfake content being created that shows the dark side of what this kind of technology can do, amid further calls to regulate the industry.

Last week, sexually explicit deepfake images of Taylor Swift went viral on X before the platform moved to block searches for the popstar in an attempt to thwart the images circulating further.

With audio, video and now audio having the potential to be misused in such damaging ways using AI technology, Congressman Tom Kean’s recent calls for Congress to take and pass two bills he has introduced to help regulate AI is becoming more pertinent.

Featured Image: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Flutter Entertainment, which owns FanDuel, is set to list on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, as reported by The Guardian.

The ongoing sports betting boom in the US has led to many bookmakers battling to dominate the country, with the likes of DraftKings and BetMGM also becoming key players in the space.

Flutter hailed its listing in New York as a “pivotal moment” as it continues to grow its operations in the US. The Dublin-based company generated sales of $4.59 billion in the US last year when the Supreme Court removed a long-standing law that prohibited sports betting across much of the country. Their US revenues in 2018 were just $243 million, which was about 10% of their global revenue. Now the US market makes up around 40% of Flutter’s sales.

In its regulatory filing, Flutter described its future growth plans as “a long runway” but also acknowledged future regulation in the industry could be significantly influenced by concerns around problem gambling.

The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling to strike down anti-sports betting laws has led to Flutter’s chief executive, Peter Jackson, floating the idea of making May 18 – the day of the ruling – a company holiday, such is the significant impact it has had on the business ever since.

The company, which was formally known as Paddy Power Betfair, is also listed in the London Stock Exchange. Its second listing in New York is designed to boost its profile and open up access to greater investment opportunities in the US.

How big is the sports betting market in the US?

Since the market opened up in 2018, online sports betting in the US has been on an upward curve that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.

According to Statista, the sector is anticipated to achieve revenues of $9.65 billion in 2024. Based on an expected annual market growth of 13.03%, market volume will reach $15.75 billion by 2028.

In terms of users, 52 million online sports punters are expected to be active by 2028, with average revenue per user expected to reach $256.60.

Featured Image: Photo by Lucas Andrade on Unsplash

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Apple‘s iOS 18 is widely expected to be the biggest software update in iPhone history, as reported by Mac Rumours.

The tech giant is expected to unveil the next big OS update to its iPhone range at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WDCC) in June and while it is yet to reveal any information regarding what it will involve, the rumor mill has already gone into overdrive.

Bloomberg’s Chief Correspondent, Mark Gurman, said in the Q&A section of his subscriber-only Power On newsletter over the weekend: “I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates – if not the biggest – in the company’s history.” Gurman said he plans to provide updates on the changes in iOS 18 in the future.

Rumors, though, are already weighted towards developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI), as well as significant updates to iPhone’s Messages app.

What can we expect to see in iOS 18?

RCS Support for iPhones

Firstly, Rich Communications Services (RCS) support is expected to be implemented in iOS 18, following Apple’s promise in November last year that they would adopt RCS for iOS. While RCS is a messaging standard, it’s believed it will come with several fresh features, including typing indicators, read recipes, audio messages and higher-resolution images and videos.

iPhones don’t currently support RCS universally, only within its iMessage service for iPhone-to-iPhone messaging. But this update could bring all of those features to the entire Messages app, which will mean conversations between iPhone and Android users will now benefit from RCS as standard.

Siri with generative AI

Siri is also expected to receive an important update as Apple attempts to inject generative AI technology into its digital assistant. In his Q&A, Gurman said that it “should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences” while he also hinted that Apple is exploring similar generative AI features for other apps across its platforms, including Pages, Keynote, Apple Music and Xcode.

It was reported last year that Apple intends to incorporate large language models into Siri, which would allow users to automate complete tasks.

Featured Image: Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

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Social media platform X has moved to block searches of Taylor Swift after explicit AI-generated deepfake images of the pop star went viral last week.

Deepfake images of the singer in sexually explicit scenarios alongside fans of NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs were circulated on various social media platforms, leading to Swift considering legal action. X initially battled to remove the images from the platform but struggled due to new accounts regularly reposting them.

But today (Jan 29), when searching for Swift on X, a message appears that says: “Something went wrong. Try reloading.”

In a statement issued to the BBC, X’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, said it was a “temporary action” to prioritize safety.

On Friday, X issued a separate statement, per the BBC, in response to the photos to remind its users that posting non-consensual nudity on the platform is “strictly prohibited.”

The statement said: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such content.

“Our teams are actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate actions against the accounts responsible for posting them.”

Furthermore, the images of Taylor Swift have caught the attention of the White House, who last week called the spread of AI-generated deepfake photos “alarming,” as reported by The Verge. The White House’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre called for legislation to tackle the misuse of AI technology on social media and also told platforms in this space that they have a responsibility to put processes in place to ban such content.

What is AI deepfake content?

The word ‘deepfake’ originated by combining the terms ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake.’ A deepfake piece of content is a video or image that uses AI technology to substitute the likeness of one person with another.

This kind of technology isn’t exactly new, with Hollywood often using deepfake methods to superimpose actors’ features into films. However, now that the technology has become more widely available to the public, and as AI technology continues to become more advanced, there are increasing concerns about the ethics behind this type of content creation. This is never more evident than right now, as Taylor Swift has found it in the most intrusive of ways.

As the technology evolves it is becoming more and more difficult to spot deepfakes, whereas in the early stages, it was relatively easy to differentiate between AI-generated content and genuine images or videos.

Featured Image: Jana Zills, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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The first weeks of 2024 have seen a large number of layoffs throughout the gaming industry, which has led to social media users sharing comments previously made by the late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, as reported by NME.

Iwata oversaw the launch of the Nintendo DS and Wii, both great successes for the Japanese company, during his time as Nintendo president, taking office in 2002 before he died in 2015. But as CEO, he experienced Nintendo’s turbulent launch of Wii U, which is widely considered to be a flop.

It was the failure of Wii U that led to Iwata going to the lengths that not many CEOs of large tech companies have done, which is to take a 50% pay cut to avoid mass company layoffs. At the same time, other top executives reduced their salaries by 20%.

And it’s a decision that people are being reminded of now as the tech sector continues to suffer widespread layoffs in the first month of 2024. Speaking in 2013, Iwata said: “If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results, employee morale will decrease. I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world.

“At Nintendo, employees make valuable contributions in their respective fields, so I believe that laying off a group of employees will not help to strengthen Nintendo’s business in the long run.”

They’re words that Nintendo fans on social media have been praising once again, with many calling for top tech chiefs to follow Iwata’s lead by cutting their salaries before deciding to axe thousands of employees.

Iwata’s comments resurfaced following Microsoft’s decision to lay off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard, Xbox and ZeniMax earlier this week, months after its $69 billion acquisition was approved by regulators. Also this week, Riot Games announced 500 layoffs.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick earned an average $77,306 per hour in 2022, according to NME, while Xbox boss Phil Spencer reportedly has an annual salary of $10 million a year. Since the acquisition, Kotick has stepped down and left the business but Spencer has remained in his position.

So it’s no wonder fans have been calling for those on larger salaries to start taking the hit instead of effectively punishing employees on smaller salaries when cost-cutting measures are needed or structural changes are made.

Satoru Iwata (god bless him) took a 50% pay cut after WiiU's poor sales TO NOT LAY OFF WORKERS and you can't tell me that the higher ups of Riot couldn't do the same and still earn a good salary? pic.twitter.com/xWBl52IkzN

— PunyPenguin // The Blood Moon shines upon Zyra (@PunyPunyPenguin) January 23, 2024

Brutal start to 2024 for the tech industry

The aforementioned layoffs by Microsoft and Riot Games take the total number of tech industry layoffs since the turn of the year to almost 24,000 from 85 different companies in the sector.

Earlier this week, both TikTok and eBay announced layoffs of 60 and 1,000 respectively, while Google has also announced hundreds of job losses earlier in January.

According to layoffs.fyi, over 260,000 tech jobs were axed in 2023, which was the worst year for the industry since the global pandemic disrupted global economies in 2020.

Featured Image: Official GDC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Meta has announced that it is preparing to launch stricter safety tools to block children from receiving and sending nude images, the social media giant said in a blog post on Thursday.

The tool, which will be available to all users but mainly aimed towards women and teenagers, will be an optional setting on both Facebook and Instagram and will also be active in encrypted messages. This follows criticism from the government and police after Meta decided to encrypt Messenger chats by default.

It is a feature, Meta says, which is solely designed to protect users from either being sent or pressured into sending nude images, while an additional policy change to Meta’s primary platforms will be that minors are unable to receive messages from strangers. Instagram and Messenger already prevent adults over the age of 19 from messaging teens who do not follow them by default.

Meta says it has “developed more than 30 tools and features to help support teens and their parents.” These latest updates take the protection of minors online to a new level of safety. The California-based firm has said it will release more information regarding the features designed to help protect teens from seeing potentially inappropriate images in their messages later this year.

Will Meta’s new safety tools put parents’ minds at rest?

The BBC reports that police chiefs in the UK have said young people sending nude images on social media contributed to a rise in sexual offenses committed by children in England and Wales.

What’s more, legal filings made public as part of a US lawsuit against Meta allege company documents show around 100,000 teenage users of Facebook and Instagram are sexually harassed online every single day.

Therefore, Meta’s responsibility to keep its young users safe cannot be understated, and these most recent updates suggest they are taking that responsibility seriously. The fact they will be available with encrypted messages, too, will be a positive move in the eyes of concerned parents.

The tech company first launched a parental supervision tool on Instagram in 2022, which includes giving the parents the ability to set time limits, and schedule breaks, to be notified when their teen blocks or reports someone and to be notified when their settings have been changed.

Recent changes have given parents even more control, with changes to safety and privacy settings now requiring parental approval.

CEO of ConnectSafely, Larry Magid, said: “Empowering parents to approve or deny requests to change their teen’s default settings gives parents the tools they need to help protect their teens, while at the same time respecting their teens’ privacy and ability to communicate with their friends and family.”

Featured Image: Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

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Brave Software has released a new version of Brave Browser, which includes strict improvements on fingerprinting protection and HTTPS everywhere, as reported by ghacks.net.

The Chromium-based web browser’s version 1.62 is available now and should be installed on most systems automatically, or users can install the update manually by going to Menu > Help > About Brave. Version 1.62.153 should be displayed on desktop devices after the update.

Brave Software had announced earlier this week that they were removing strict fingerprinting protection from their browser as it was causing regular web incompatibilities. This latest update continues to protect against fingerprinting, just not as aggressively as before, which should make for a more stable browser for users. ‘Fingerprinting’ is the process of gathering specific information about a system or network to create a unique profile of a piece of software, network protocols, operating systems or hardware devices.

Version 1.62 also ditched HTTPS Everywhere, which is a security measure for websites that ensures complete safety for users from online threats, but its removal is not believed to have consequences for Brave Browser users.

What other changes can be found in Brave Browser 1.62?

Other updates in this latest version include changes to the News feature, with articles now opening in new tabs by default as well as users being taken back to their scroll position in the news feed after opening and closing articles. You can access this feature right away by going to chrome://flags#brave-news-feed-update and then setting the experimental flag to ‘Enabled.’

Meanwhile, the implementation of Tor has seen some changes, most notably a brand new setting, enabled by default, to only resolve .onion addresses in Tor windows.

However, the main changes in 1.62 are to Web3 and AI. Brave Leo, which is the integrated AI introduced in version 1.60 has received several updates. The main change here is the ability to react to page content changes during conversations, new context indicators and the formatting of code responses.

What is Brave Browser?

Brave is a browser that is focused on keeping internet users safe at all times. It blocks trackers and ads on all websites visited, which ensures privacy for its users. It is essentially an ad-blocker, incognito window, private search and VPN rolled into one browser.

All of these perks, Brave says on its website, mean “faster page load, better battery life, even mobile data savings.”

Featured Image: Brave Software

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The creators of the Love Live! franchise has revealed the release date of its newest entry before bizarrely announcing its shutdown date in the same announcement.

Love Live! School Idol Festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! will be released globally in February 2024 but, according to the game’s official X account, the global version “will close its doors” just a few months later.

The announcement on X read: “We are excited to break the news to you that the global version of Love Live! School idol festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! is launching soon in February 2024.

“However, we also want to inform you that, the Global Version will close its doors on May 31, 2024, and cease in-app purchases accordingly.

“We appreciate the love and support you’ve shown, and we’re committed to making these last few months an unforgettable moment.”

【Global Launch Notice】
We are excited to break the news to you that the global version of Love Live! School idol festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! is launching soon in February 2024.

However, we also want to inform you that, the Global Version will close its doors on May 31, 2024, and… pic.twitter.com/0LYQ6YnD61

— Love Live! School idol festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE! (@lovelive_SIF_GL) January 25, 2024

School Idol Festival 2 (SIF2) follows the original game in the series, Love Live! School Idol Festival, which launched in 2013. Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars arrived in 2019 in Japan and globally in 2020, but was shut down in 2023.

SIF2 was released in Japan in April last year and will be opened up globally next month.

Why has Love Live! School Idol Festival failed?

Since its original launch, SIF’s gameplay has not seen much improvement and, according to mxdwn.com, fans believe factors such as increased pricing and a lack of gameplay improvements have led to the Love Live! franchise’s demise. Fans were upset with the increased prices of microtransactions in SIF2 compared to the previous two games, despite no improvement in gameplay to warrant them.

It’s assumed that this is one of the largest factors behind the failure of SIF2 and, perhaps, the upcoming short lifespan of MIRACLE LIVE!

Despite that, microtransactions will be featured in the short-lived release in February, although it’s unclear what level of pricing will be included.

Featured Image: Love Live! School Idol Festival 2 MIRACLE LIVE on X

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A series of explicit AI deepfake images of Taylor Swift doing the rounds on social media has caused outrage amongst fans and lawmakers alike, as reported by VentureBeat.

The images show the 2023 Times Person Of The Year engaging in explicit sexual activity with fans of NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs, which is the team her boyfriend Travis Kelce plays for.

An army of Swift fans has rushed to her defense on social media with the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift, while X battled to block the content due to new accounts regularly reposting the images. Meanwhile, US lawmakers are now under renewed pressure to crack down on the rapidly evolving generative AI marketplace.

It’s not clear what AI image-generation tools were used to create these specific deepfakes of Taylor Swift. Many services, including MidJourney and OpenAI’s DALL-E3, prohibit the creation of sexually explicit or suggestive content.

However, 404 Media, which says tracked the images down to a group on Telegram, claims the images were created using Microsoft’s AI tools, which is powered by DALL-E3.

X account @Zvbear has admitted to creating some of the images, according to Newsweek, and they have since turned their account to private.

What can lawmakers do to crack down on deepfake content creation?

As the Daily Mail reports of Taylor Swift’s fury over these specific images being spread on social media, US lawmakers are under pressure to regulate the technology behind them.

Tom Kean Jr, a Republican Congressman from the state of New Jersey, released a statement to the press this week that urges Congress to take up and pass two bills he has introduced to help regulate AI.

We are living in a highly advanced technological world that is ever-changing, and proper oversight is necessary.

Let’s not wait for the next victim to realize the importance of AI regulations. https://t.co/Aw5bP1StNB

— Congressman Tom Kean (@CongressmanKean) January 25, 2024

In this statement, Kean says: “Whether the victim is Taylor Swift of any young person across our country, we need to establish safeguards to combat this alarming trend.

“My bill, the AI Labelling Act, would be a very significant step forward.”

The AI Labeling Act would require AI multimedia generator companies to add a “clear and conspicuous notice” to their generated works that is is “AI-generated content.” It’s clear, though, how that would prevent the creation of the images in the first place.

Meta is already doing something similar for images generated using its Image AI art generator tool, while OpenAI recently promised to implement AI image credentials.

Featured Image: Photo by Rosa Rafael on Unsplash

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Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, has blasted Apple’s new EU App Store concessions as the gaming developer’s long-running battle with the tech giant rumbles on.

Apple has announced a range of policy changes that are coming in iOS 17.4, which are ultimately mandated by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), but Sweeney has accused the company of acting in a “devious” manner in its attempt to thwart the laws outlined by the DMA.

In a rant on X, Sweeney said: “They are forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and the store terms, which will be illegal under DMA, or accept a new also-illegal anticompetitive scheme rife with new Junk Fees on downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they don’t process.

“Apple proposes that it can choose which stores are allowed to compete with their App Store. They could block Epic from launching the Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, for example, or block Microsoft, Valve, Good Old Games, or new entrants.

“Epic has always supported the notion of Apple notarization and malware scanning for apps, but we strongly reject Apple’s twisting this process to undermine competition and continue imposing Apple taxes on transactions they’re not involved in.

“There’s a lot more hot garbage in Apple’s announcement. It will take more time to parse both the written and unwritten parts of this new horror show, so stay tuned.”

Apple’s latest iOS updates outline three new business terms for iOS apps in the EU.

• Commission is reduced to 10% for iOS apps on the App Store and 17% on transactions for digital goods or services.
• Payment processing fees will be an additional 3% for iOS apps on the App Store that use Apple’s payment processing software, but developers can use a payment service provider within their app to process payments for no additional fee to Apple.
• iOS apps distributed from the App Store and/or an alternative app marketplace will now pay a Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for each first annual install per year over a one million threshold.

It’s unclear exactly why Sweeney is so outraged by Apple’s latest policy updates. The decision to allow developers to now use their own payment processing platforms outside of Apple addresses the initial problems Epic had in 2020, although that decision will have originated from a court battle in 2021 that ruled that while Apple was lawful in its decision to remove Fortnite from the App Store, they must now allow developers to use third-party payment systems.

Epic Games v Apple: A long-running feud

Epic, the creators of the gaming phenomenon Fortnite, has been in a legal battle over the App Store’s fees and policies since 2020. It all started when Epic updated the Fortnite app with a new feature that gave gamers the option to pay them directly for in-app currency at a discount, instead of paying directly via Apple’s App Store.

This function meant Epic was avoiding Apple’s 30% fee for all payments made by consumers via the App Store, which went against Apple’s rules and regulations. Unsurprisingly, Apple removed Fortnine from its app marketplace in response to that update.

This led to Epic filing a lawsuit against Apple in retaliation, in which they accused Apple of becoming a “behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition and stifle innovation.” After a long three-year battle, Epic lost its case against Apple but did win a similar lawsuit against Google and its Google Play Store.

Featured Image: Photo by James Yarema on Unsplash

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