Gadgets And Technology Daily News | 12 Jul 2023
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'AI Revolution' to Sweep Job Markets in World’s Wealthiest Nations: OECD
The world's wealthiest nations must urgently prepare for the impact of an imminent "AI revolution" that will change jobs, create new ones and make others disappear, the OECD said Tuesday.
The rapid development of artificial intelligence -- with tools that can generate essays, create images and even pass medical exams -- has raised concerns that it could replace whole sectors of the workforce through automation.
In its 2023 Employment Outlook, the OECD said there was little evidence of significant negative effects on employment from AI "so far".
"While the adoption of AI still remains relatively low, rapid progress, falling costs and the increasing availability of workers with AI skills indicate that OECD economies might be on the brink of an AI revolution," the report said.
"While there are many potential benefits from AI, there are also significant risks that need to be urgently addressed," according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The international and influential organisation has 38 member countries ranging from Australia to Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the United States.
The OECD said it was "vital" to gather better data on AI uptake and use in the workplace, "including which jobs will change, be created or disappear, and how skills needs are shifting".
AI use is generally concentrated in large firms that are still experimenting with the new technology, and many appear reluctant to replace staff, said Stefano Scarpetta, OECD director for employment, labour and social affairs.
"However, it is also clear that the potential for substitution remains significant, raising fears of decreasing wages and job losses," he wrote in an editorial.
AI has the potential to improve workplace safety by reducing "tedious or dangerous tasks" and lead to higher wages for workers whose skills complement the technology, the OECD report said.
But it could also "leave workers with a higher-paced work environment" and reduce wages for those "who find themselves squeezed into a diminished share of tasks due to automation".
When taking AI into consideration, jobs at the highest risk of automation account for 27 percent of employment, according to the OECD.
"The use of AI also comes with serious ethical challenges around data protection and privacy, transparency and explainability, bias and discrimination, automatic decision making and accountability," Scarpetta said.
"Urgent action is required to make sure AI is used responsibly and in a trustworthy way in the workplace," he said.
"On the one hand, there is a need to enable workers and employers in reaping the benefits of AI while adapting to it, notably through training and social dialogue."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amazon Challenges EU Online Content Rules, Other Big Tech Firms Expected to Follow Suit
Amazon has launched a legal challenge against its inclusion in a group of companies subject to tough European Union online content rules, in a move that technology experts have said may prompt other tech giants to follow suit.
Amazon's challenge at the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe's second highest, is the first by a Big Tech company and came two weeks after German online retailer Zalando sued the European Commission over the same issue.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force last year, 19 online platforms and search engines were labelled as very large online platforms (VLOP) as they have more than 45 million users. The VLOP designation requires companies to do more to tackle illegal online content.
"If the VLOP designation were to be applied to Amazon and not to other large retailers across the EU, Amazon would be unfairly singled out and forced to meet onerous administrative obligations that don't benefit EU consumers," an Amazon spokesperson said.
The U.S. company said it is not the largest retailer in any of the EU countries where it operates and that its bigger rivals in these countries have not been designated as such.
"Amazon doesn't fit this description of a 'Very Large Online Platform' under the DSA and therefore should not be designated as such," the spokesperson said.
The company asked the General Court to annul its designation. The EU executive did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WhatsApp's Phone Number Privacy Feature for Communities Reportedly Rolling Out to Android, iOS Beta Testers
WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out a new privacy-focused feature for community members. The new functionality previously said to be in testing would let users hide their phone numbers while joining a community. The feature called “phone number privacy”, is reportedly available to all Android and iOS beta testers. With this, users can participate in conversations and show their reactions to messages by hiding their names and phone numbers from other members of the community. The Meta-owned instant messaging app has not officially revealed when it intends to make the phone number privacy feature live for all users.
As per a report by WhatsApp features tracker WABetainfo, WhatsApp has released a phone number privacy feature for communities for all Android and iOS beta testers. It is said to be available for all Android and iOS beta testers with WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.14.19 and iOS 23.14.0.70 beta version for iOS respectively.
With this feature, the phone number of the user can be hidden from all members while joining a community. At present, the community participants list is already hidden in the community announcement group, but if a user interacts with messages through reactions, their phone number would be revealed. The new phone number privacy feature will ensure that your contact number will remain out of sight of other participants in the Community even while adding reactions to a message.
The report also includes a screenshot showing the phone number privacy feature for communities, giving users an idea of what it might look like when it starts widely rolling out. It can be accessed from the 'Community announcement group info'. While turning on this feature, WhatsApp alerts users that their number will stay hidden from other participants except for the community admin and the members who have already saved their contact numbers. This new privacy feature is only applicable to community members as the community admin's phone number is always visible. Users will also have the option to share it with specific community participants later as per preference.
However, WhatsApp has not yet officially announced the rollout of the phone number privacy feature. It might change before the final release. In case you are curious to try the new security feature, you can download the latest build of WhatsApp from Google Play, Apple Store and the TestFlight app.
Noise Air Buds Mini 2 With Up to 45 Hours Battery Life, IPX5 Rating Launched in India: Details
Noise Air Buds Mini 2 truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones were launched in India on Tuesday. The latest affordable TWS headset from the Indian brand is priced priced under Rs. 1,000 and offers Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and with fast charging support. They are claimed to offer up to 45 hours of battery life with the charging case. They are available in four colour shades namely Jet Black, Snow White, Space Blue, and Calm Beige. Noise says the earphones feature a 50ms low latency mode and have an IPX5 rating for splash resistance.
Noise Air Buds Mini 2 price in India is set at Rs. 999. They are currently listed on the GoNoise online store in Calm Beige, Jet Black, Snow White, and Space Blue colour options.
Noise Air Buds Mini 2 will compete with Boult Audio AirBass Y1, and boAt Airdopes 111 in this price bracket.
The Noise Air Buds Mini 2 earphones feature a stem-like design and are equipped with 13mm drivers. The earphones offer a 50ms low latency mode while gaming. These earphones have an IPX5 rating for sweat and splash resistance. The newly launched Noise Air Buds Mini 2 support Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity with a range of up to 10m.
The TWS earphones from Noise support fast pairing using the company's Hyper Sync technology. The earphones are equipped with four microphones with environmental noise cancellation for voice calls, according to the company.
Additionally, the earphones are claimed to offer up to 45 hours of total playtime on a single charge, including the case. They also come with the company's "Instacharge" technology, that is said to provide up to 120 minutes of playback with a 10-minute charge. The charging case is equipped with an LED charging indicator and USB Type-C port.
Blockchain Gaming Dominates Web3 as Crypto Sector Faces Regulatory Turbulence: Report
Governments from around the world, as well as law enforcement agencies, are tuning up their oversight on the crypto sector. Amid regulatory upheaval shaking up the crypto world, blockchain gaming is holding a solid ground. A recent quarterly industry report by DappRadar said that the sector of blockchain gaming is the most dominating element of the Web3 world, almost unfazed by ongoing market turbulences. Out of the total dApp market, blockchain games controlled 37 percent share between April and June this year.
Blockchain gaming is increasingly garnering community members as not only does it let Web3 elements like NFTs make for a more immersive experience, but it also gives the gamers complete ownership of the in-game assets they purchase. These assets could be 3D props, apparels as well as virtual tools and weapons, which can be traded or rented by gamers to help them churn funds.
As per its report, DappRadar said that the dominance of blockchain gaming on the overall Web3 sector was 45 percent between January and March this year and recorded only a slight slip in the second quarter of this year.
“Data suggests a dynamic industry adapting and responding to new challenges and opportunities in the blockchain space. In Q2 2023, daily Unique Active Wallets (dUAW) engaging with dapps on-chain witnessed a 7.97 percent uptick from the previous quarter. This increase may be interpreted as an encouraging sign of market recovery. The increase in dUAW signals continued user engagement and adoption of dapps. The gaming sector holds its dominance,” DappRadar noted in its fresh report.
In fact, blockchain gaming has also emerged among the fastest growing tributary of Web3 with the number of active users on decentralized gaming platforms having increased by 500 percent between 2018 and 2020.
In Asia, the craze of blockchain gaming is growing exponentially by the day, catching the attention of industry players.
Asia's gaming community generates the maximum chunk of revenue in the industry. In its previous research report, DappRadar said the Asian nations of India, China, Japan, and South Korea collectively have over 1.7 billion video game players.
Just last month, China's Alibaba Group landed a partnership with Switzerland-based Near Protocol to offer blockchain developers assistance to build games on decentralised networks.
To compare the strong performance of blockchain gaming over other Web3 sectors, the DappRadar report said DeFi protocols have recorded a seven percent loss from last quarter.
Owing to the SEC's scrutiny over crypto players in the US, along with regular hikes in the interest rates, the digital assets market — which includes cryptocurrency as well as NFTs — did witness a notable slide.
As per DappRadar, the NFT market alone plummeted by 38 percent between March and April this year, which could be because of the ongoing volatility in the sector.
Vivo V29 Pro Reportedly Listed on Geekbench Website With 12GB RAM, Android 13: All Details
Vivo is likely to launch the Vivo V29 Pro alongside Vivo V29 5G. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is yet to reveal any details about the upcoming handset. However, Vivo V29 Pro has reportedly been spotted on the Geekbench certification website, with the listing hinting at some of its key specifications including processor and RAM details. The phone is tipped to pack 12GB of RAM and may come preloaded with Android 13. The smartphone has been spotted with the model number V2251. It is expected to succeed the Vivo V27 Pro, which was launched earlier this year.
According to a report by MySmartPrice, the purported Vivo V29 Pro has been listed on the Geekbench website with the model number V2251. The listing suggests that the phone could pack 12GB of RAM and run Android 13-based FuntouchOS 13 out-of-the-box. The handset is listed with motherboard K6895v1_64, hinting at a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC with a clock speed peaked at 3.1GHz.
Additionally, the Vivo V29 Pro has reportedly scored 4,394 in the single-core test and 14,677 in the multi-core test. Other than these, the Geekbench listing hasn't revealed any additional details about the phone.
Back in May, the phone was spotted on the official Vivo website, revealing display details and key specifications of the handset. However, the page was later removed. The phone was teased to sport a 6.7-inch full-HD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels) OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It was said to come with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage.
The phone's camera details were also revealed via the product page. The Vivo V29 Pro is likely to sport a triple rear camera unit led by a 64-megapixel primary sensor. As per the teased image, the camera sensors will be housed in a rectangular camera island on the top left corner of the back panel. The front camera was said to be equipped with a 50-megapixel sensor. Other leaked details are a 5,000mAh battery, 66W fast charging support, and a black colour option.
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