Weekly Tech Recap - № 362 - ChatGPT banned from Stack Overflow, Asahi Linux, iCloud encryption, etc.
ChatGPT temporarily banned on Stack Overflow
© iStock.
Stack Overflow, the go-to question-and-answer site for programmers, is forbidding users from posting responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. The site’s moderators specified that this is but a temporary ban, and that a final decision will be reached after community input. The problem stems from the fact that ChatGPT produces responses that seem valid at first glance, but are completely off upon closer inspection. The moderators note that the “volume of these [AI-generated] answers (thousands) and the fact that the answers often require a detailed read by someone with at least some subject matter expertise in order to determine that the answer is actually bad has effectively swamped our volunteer-based quality curation infrastructure.” It bears mentioning that the site’s users earn points for posts that get liked, which can count in their favor in a tight race for a job.
The moderators’ concern was submitted to the ChatGPT itself, which was tasked with producing arguments for and against the ban. The robot came up with the same argument as Stack Overflow’s moderators: “Overall, whether or not to allow AI-generated answers on Stack Overflow is a complex decision that would need to be carefully considered by the community.” Sounds about right.
⇨ The Verge, James Vincent, “AI-generated answers temporarily banned on coding Q&A site Stack Overflow.”
2022-12-05
End-to-end encryption for iCloud backups
© iStock/Apple.
Apple is extending end-to-end encryption to additional data categories, and in particular to backups of the contents of users’ devices. To date, only fourteen data categories were protected in iCloud, but that has now increased to twenty-three, including photos, notes, voice memos, reminders, and Safari bookmarks. Not all encryptions are equal, however. Apple says that to guarantee interoperability, calendars, contacts and mail will not be covered. The feature will be gradually deployed in the coming months. Be warned, though: Apple won’t be able to retrieve your data if you forget your iCloud password and have activated the functionality. On the other hand, Apple is improving its support of two-factor authentication by letting users secure their accounts with hardware keys such as YubiKeys.
⇨ The Verge, Jay Peters, “Apple is adding end-to-end encryption to iCloud backups.”
2022-12-07
FTC nixes the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal
© Blizzard Entertainment/Activision Publishing/King.com.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard for 69 billion USD. By a 3-to-1 vote, the Commissioners approved the “administrative complaint”, showing that they have reason to believe that there has been a violation of antitrust legislation, and that they can prove this in front of an administrative judge. This acquisition “would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business,” states the FTC. The Redmond giant will fight this vigorously. In an op-ed in this week’s Wall Street Journal, Brad Smith, Microsoft President, stressed that the company currently ranks third in the game console business behind Sony and Nintendo, and that it has “no meaningful presence in the mobile game industry.” He added: “we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court.” Microsoft’s acquisition is beset on more than one front. Last month, the European Commission announced that it was starting its own “in-depth investigation” of the merger.
⇨ Ars Technica, Kyle Orland, “FTC files suit to stop Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision purchase.”
2022-12-08
Apple Silicon GPU drivers now in Asahi Linux
Mac Studio. © iStock.
Asahi Linux announced the arrival of the long-awaited GPU drivers that offer hardware acceleration on desktop Macs running on M1 x chips, so basically, the Minis and the Studios for the time being. Getting this OpenGL driver (2.1 and ES 2.0 compatible) to alpha took about two years, but the solid foundational work should enable faster progress from now on, according to project leads Alyssa Rosenzweig and Asahi Lina. Meanwhile, the drivers are up to the task of providing a seamless experience and of rendering a few games at 60 frames per second at 4K. Until now, Asahi Linux made do with software rendering alone. These new drivers do a better job of using the processor’s hardware, thereby gaining fluidity. Asahi’s ultimate goal is to help other distributions work on Apple’s hardware.
⇨ Ars Technica, Kevin Purdy, “Four-person dev team gets Apple’s M-series GPU working in Linux.”
2022-12-07
Windows 11 screen recording finally rolling
Screen recording in Snipping Tool. © Microsoft.
Microsoft finally ushered in a Windows-integrated screen recording tool. Windows users will no longer need to rely on the Xbox Game Bar or third-party tools to record their screens. Users can record everything on their screen, or snip a portion. Microsoft just started releasing the tool to testers in its DevChannel. Small problems have cropped up such as a latency when triggering the recording. A few more months and this capture tool will probably be widely available to all Windows 11 users.
⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Windows 11 is finally getting a built-in screen recording tool.”
2022-12-07
