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Microsoft launches generative AI model designed exclusively for US intelligence services — air-gapped system for spies aims to avoid potential security leaks

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AI technology has already proved instrumental in transforming and disrupting a wide range of industries, and really it’s just getting started.

Microsoft, which has gone “all-in” on artificial intelligence, has developed a generative AI model designed expressly for U.S. intelligence services. Unlike other AI platforms, such as Microsoft’s own Copilot, this one will be “air gapped” and won’t require a potentially unsafe connection to the internet.

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Apple Tweaks EU Core Technology Fee to Avoid Bankrupting Unexpectedly Viral Apps

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Apple today announced that it is tweaking the terms of the 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee (CTF) that apps distributed using the new EU business terms must pay, introducing a solution that would keep small apps that go viral from being bankrupt.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
First, independent and small developers who earn no revenue at all will not have to pay the CTF. Students, hobbyists, and freeware app developers who distribute free apps and earn no money will not be charged the fee. Developers will need to declare their non-commercial status on an annual basis, and to maintain this status, developers must have no revenue in or out of the App Store for their app product.

Second, to address fears of the CTF causing outrageous fees for an app that suddenly goes viral, Apple has implemented a three year on-ramping process for small developers. The three year period begins when a developer agrees to the new ‌App Store‌ business terms, and during this time, if an app goes viral and exceeds the one million annual install threshold that triggers the CTF, the CTF won’t be charged if the developer earns less than 10 million euros in global business revenue, and the fee is reduced after that.

  • Under 10 million euros: No CTF during the three year period.
  • Between 10 million and 50 million euros: CTF must be paid, but it is capped at one million euros per year for the three year period.
  • Beyond 50 million euros: Benefit is no longer available, and the full CTF has to be paid.
  • After three years: Developers will pay for each first annual install after the initial one million first annual installs per year.

Note that this ramp up period is only available to small developers who have not previously exceeded one million first annual installs, and it is calculated based on global business revenue rather than just ‌App Store‌ revenue.

Apple says that 99 percent of developers will not be subject to the CTF to begin with, but the new ramp up period will go further to make sure that small developers who get a breakout hit will have time to scale their businesses before having to pay fees.

Back in March, developer Riley Testut spoke with Apple officials at a workshop on the Digital Markets Act, and he asked what would happen if a young developer had an app go viral and unwittingly racked up millions in fees. Testut asked the question because when he was a high school student, he released GBA4iOS outside of the ‌App Store‌. It was unexpectedly downloaded more than 10 million times, and that would have bankrupted him had he been subject to the Core Technology Fee.

In response, Apple VP of regulatory law Kyle Andeers said that Apple was working on a solution because the company is not trying to stifle innovation. Apple believes that a free app going viral and being subject to exorbitant fees will be a rare occurrence, but the changes will keep that from happening. The CTF update will also be a welcome change for those who want to release entirely free apps outside of the ‌App Store‌.

The CTF is only applicable to apps that have opted in to the new ‌App Store‌ business terms in the European Union. Apps in the EU are now able to be distributed through alternative app stores and developer websites without having to rely on the ‌App Store‌.

Apple has more information about the new changes to the CTF on its updated CTF support page.

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Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail will release in late June to avoid clashing with Elden Ring’s DLC

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Final Fantasy 14 Online’s Dawntrail expansion finally has a release date, and it’ll be welcome news for those looking forward to a certain highly-anticipated From Software DLC.

Announced during the Dawntrail panel at PAX East, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida revealed that the expansion will launch on July 2. However, as with previous expansions, those who pre-order Dawntrail will be given 4 days early access beginning on June 28.

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Galaxy Z Flip 4 owners should really avoid the Galaxy S24 for now

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Last updated: March 20th, 2024 at 11:50 UTC+01:00

Even though Samsung has the best trade-in program in select markets, the company evaluations are sometimes downright bizarre. Strange things happen, leaving prospective buyers scratching their heads. And Galaxy Z Flip 4 owners who may want to upgrade to the Galaxy S24 can witness some of Samsung’s strangeness as we speak.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 owners who might be thinking about getting back into slab-type phones need to avoid the base Galaxy S24 model if they don’t want to lose money. Instead, they should be looking at the Galaxy S24+.

Flip 4 owners, steer clear of the base Galaxy S24

Samsung offers a different trade-in value for your Galaxy Z Flip 4, depending on whether you want to exchange it for the base Galaxy S24 or the Galaxy S24+. That’s par for the course, but even so, Samsung usually balances out trade-in values to maintain the expected price hierarchy, i.e., base models stay cheaper than Plus and Ultra variants with the same trade-in device.

However, at the moment, Samsung offers a mere $200 trade-in credit for your Galaxy Z Flip 4 when you exchange it for the Galaxy S24. That’s right! According to Samsung, your precious Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn’t worth more than $200 in this specific trade-in scenario.

Fortunately, Samsung evaluates the same Galaxy Z Flip 4 much better if you exchange it for the Galaxy S24+ and offers up to $450 credit.

This means Galaxy Z Flip 4 owners who want to upgrade to the Galaxy S24 need to pay $599, but if they choose the Galaxy S24+ instead of the base model, they’re looking at a lower price of $549.

Needless to say, the base Galaxy S24 looks like a particularly bad deal for Galaxy Z Flip 4 owners at the moment. Samsung might address this later and offer a better deal, but as of now, we’d steer clear of the base Galaxy S24 model if you’re looking to exchange your foldable flip phone for a slab-type phone.

Unsurprisingly, one of the best trade-in values you can get for your Galaxy Z Flip 4 is when you trade up to the Z Flip 5. In this scenario, Samsung is willing to offer you a credit of up to $600 on your old flip phone. That’s $400 more trade-in credit than you’d get by exchanging the same device for the base S24 model.

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This sneaky Android malware has an all-new way to avoid being detected

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Cybersecurity researchers have found a new version of a well-known Android banking trojan malware which sports quite a creative method of hiding in plain sight.

PixPirate targets mostly Brazilian consumers with accounts on the Pix instant payment platform, which allegedly counts more than 140 million customers, and services transactions north of $250 billion. 

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Car Accidents: How to Avoid Them

Driving can be fun and freeing, but it can be just as dangerous. Car accidents are very common nowadays, with around 400,000 car collisions in the Sunshine State annually alone. However, there’s no need to be afraid of driving; there are quite a few things you can do to prevent one from happening.

This article will cover common car accidents, how you can avoid them, how to prevent yourself and your passengers from being hurt when one occurs, and what else to do should you ever be in a car collision.

While we sincerely hope your driving experience is a good and crashless one, it’s important to know what to do in case one happens to prevent panic and further injury. We’ll start by discussing some common types of car accidents.

Looking at Common Car Accidents

There are many different types of car collisions, so we’ll only cover a few of the more common ones you may witness or be at risk of experiencing. While it may seem frightening to even consider the possible ways disaster can strike, not understanding them can put you at risk and make it more difficult to help you.

One of, if not the most common, type of accident out there is the rear-end collision, which occurs when one vehicle hits the back of another. This will usually jolt the first vehicle forward and slow down or even stop the one the other.

It can be very easy for a chain of these accidents to occur since the rearmost vehicle’s force may push the one it hits forward, which could cause another collision—and so on and so forth. How disastrous these crashes can be ultimately depends on the speed of both vehicles at the time of the crash, how many cars are involved, and whether or not the parties involved were wearing their seat belts.

Another common collision type is a backing collision. Putting your car in reverse can be risky, especially if there are obstructions that block the view, if you’re backing into traffic or out of your space in a parking lot, or when there are people and pets around. Because of this, make sure you fully understand your surroundings and then back out slowly to decrease your risk.

Avoiding Car Accidents

Even though car accidents are common there are many ways to reduce your risk of being in one. One good tip is to always watch for and follow speed limits. Most of the vehicles around you will be doing the same, so driving too fast or too slowly will increase your risk of being involved in a car accident. 

Drive as close to the speed limit as possible, but be aware that your surroundings take precedence over the limit. For example, if the car in front of you is slowing down, you also need to do so, even if you’re unsure why. It could be as simple as something in their vehicle has failed, or an obstacle may be in front of them. 

Determine the reason for the slowdown and ensure that it is legal and safe to pass before doing so. You also need to pay close attention to your surroundings. In the previous example, if you weren’t paying attention, you could rear-end the vehicle slowing down.

Preventing Injury

Despite your best efforts, you may still end up in an accident anyway. While you may be practicing safe driving techniques, not everyone on the road is. This is why it’s just as important to understand how to prevent injuries as it is to understand how to avoid them in the first place.

The easiest way to prevent injury is to wear your seatbelt. You’ve probably heard this said a thousand times already, but there is a good reason for it. A seat belt is designed to keep you in your seat, which is why it locks up and stops, allowing you to pull more when you’ve pulled too much or when the vehicle suddenly jolts and pulls on the belt too hard too quickly. 

While this feature can sometimes create bruises or seat belt burn, you might be launched throughout the vehicle or even out the windshield without it. If your seat belt irritates your neck or other parts of your body when secured you may want to consider purchasing a small pad or set of pads designed for seat belts—they’re too important to avoid due to skin irritation.

While we discussed it earlier, paying attention plays a different but equally, as important role when you’ve been in a car accident. Check to see if you were injured before moving or checking on anyone else. If you’re not hurt, or your injuries are minor, begin checking on everyone else in the vehicle if you weren’t driving alone. Examine the vehicle and the area outside before leaving, as it may not be safe to do so until the police arrive. 

If you can leave, do so and check on the occupants of the other vehicle if you can, even if they were the cause of the accident. They may be hurt and need assistance. Again, only do this if it is safe to do so. If the terrain is too hazardous or you have been greatly injured, leaving your vehicle may cause your injury to worsen.

Understanding Your Next Steps

The steps you need to take after a car accident will vary based on what has happened. The first thing to do, assuming it’s safe to do so, is to check for injuries and help the hurt in any way you can. You then need to move your vehicle out of traffic if possible. 

If the car is flipped, on fire, or too damaged to move safely, don’t try. Instead, wait for the professionals to arrive and take care of it—ambulances and paramedics may also be sent to provide medical attention if needed. You’ll also need to exchange insurance information with the other party and contact the police.

Vehicle collisions are frightening to experience and are sadly very common, but hopefully, you now understand how to avoid them. Again, there’s no need to be afraid of driving. So long as you practice safe driving techniques and you know what to do should disaster strike, you’ll be fine.

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A Look at Rollover Crashes: What They Are and How To Avoid Them

Getting into any car crash can be terrifying, but rollover crashes are even more frightening and dangerous. Many things can cause a rollover accident to occur, from user error to bad weather, but there’s no need to fear; there are many ways to avoid being in one.

In this article, we’ll explain what a rollover crash is, the different types, the environmental and vehicular elements of rollover crashes, and the best way to avoid being involved in one. The biggest thing to note is to not be afraid of driving; just because rollover crashes are possible doesn’t mean you’ll be involved in one. 

With all of this in mind, let’s start with an explanation.

Defining What Rollover Crashes Are

A rollover car crash, or ROC, is when a vehicle rolls onto its roof or side in an accident. Depending on where the crash occurred and the cause, it may roll only once, or it may roll a few times before it finally stops. Since there are many different causes of ROCs they commonly involve only a single vehicle. 

However, crashes that involve multiple vehicles could still result in one or more of the cars involved to rollover. As one might expect, these types of crashes have a high possibility of resulting in injuries, with many being serious, such as head injuries.

Looking at the Different Types of Rollovers

There are a few different types of ROCs, and one of the more obvious types are those caused by one vehicle crashing into another. 

These can send one or even both vehicles rolling in a variety of ways, such as when one automobile hits the side of another, which could cause it to begin rolling onto its side. Another type is the end-over-end, which can be especially frightening to witness. The affected car will flip from front to back or vice versa at least once and will likely end with the car sitting upside down.

A climb-over is when a vehicle runs over something that is big or tall enough to prevent the tires from making it over, causing it to either roll back onto its roof or its side based on how tall both the object and the automobile are and the car’s weight. A fall-over is almost the opposite: when a vehicle is going down, but the slope’s angle causes the car to flip due to the center of gravity moving too rapidly for the driver to react.

The turn-over is likely one of the more common types of rollover crashes, which happens when a turn is responsible for the rollover. We’ll go over exactly how this can happen in greater detail in the next section. The last type we’ll cover here is the trip-over, which is when a vehicle is suddenly stopped too quickly. 

This can cause the center of gravity to shift to one side of the car, likely benign the front, which results in a flip. There are a few other types of rollovers, but it isn’t as important to understand them as it is to understand the possible causes, which we’ll cover next.

Understanding the Causes of Rollovers

There are a few key ways to cause a rollover accident. As mentioned earlier, tripping is one way, which is when a car suddenly stops too quickly, such as by slamming on the brakes too hard after going too fast or by a tire hitting something like a curb or ditch. 

Another common cause is speeding. If you’re driving too quickly, you may not have enough time to react to obvious hazards such as potholes or large objects that are blocking part or even all of the lane. 

If you fail to slow down enough as you turn, the shift of your vehicle’s center of mass, along with the new forces applied when turning and the slope of the road, can all result in a rollover accident. Overloading your car with large, heavy items such as furniture or excess luggage will also shift the weight, making it easier to roll over.

As expected, crashing into another vehicle can also cause a ROC due to the speed you both were driving at, the angle at which each car is hit, and the sudden stop. Poor weather can cause the road to be slick, reduce visibility, or wear down your tires, which can either cause or make it easier for you to accidentally roll over. 

One more cause to consider is your tires. As you drive, your tires will begin to wear out, which will mean they have less traction with the road. This can not only lead to a rollover but also to suddenly slipping out of control on the road. However, tires with too much traction can be just as dangerous as should the car start to tip, but your tires refuse to let go of the road, and you’ll flip no matter what you attempt to do to prevent it.

Preventing Rollover Crashes

Luckily, there are quite a few ways to prevent a rollover crash from happening. For example, the newer your vehicle is, the less likely it will be to roll over, especially if you own a van, SUV, or truck. 

These automobiles already can have a skewed center of mass, so when combined with the fewer rollover regulations and manufacturer compensations, you’ll find that older models will be more likely to roll over in most cases. As tests are conducted and laws and regulations are passed, these risks are heavily reduced for newer models, especially for SUVs. When you’re looking for a new car, try and get a newer model.

Before you start driving, check your tires and make sure your automobile isn’t overloaded. If the treads on the tires have been worn away too much or the pressure is too low, either replace the tires completely or inflate or possibly even deflate them a bit to return the pressure to what it should be. 

Keep in mind that the pressure may shift as the temperatures do. Also, if your vehicle’s too heavy, you’ll need to remove some of the excess weight somehow.