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Even a baby spider is cuter than its adult counterpart, so when OpenAI debuted a mini version of its most powerful model, you'll have to excuse my instinct to say "Awwww!"
That's probably not always the right response, instincts be damned. Because there isn't very much about this new mini version of GPT-4o that we'd describe as "cute."
SEE ALSO: It’s not just ChatGPT. A new AI chatbot is coming to iPhone, according to new report.OpenAI's new AI model, GPT-4o mini, is the AI startup's latest effort to make its chatbot the biggest in the game — even if it's tiny. The company says it is its "most cost-efficient small model."
"We expect GPT-4o mini will significantly expand the range of applications built with AI by making intelligence much more affordable," OpenAI said in a press statement.
OpenAI went on to specify that the tool currently only supports "text and vision in the API," but said that "support for text, image, video and audio inputs and outputs" will be integrated in the future. It did not specify when that integration will take place.
"I think GPT-4o Mini really gets at the OpenAI mission of making AI more broadly accessible to people. If we want AI to benefit every corner of the world, every industry, every application, we have to make AI much more affordable," Olivier Godement, who leads the API platform product, told The Verge.
On Thursday, most ChatGPT users — those who use it on a free, plus, or team plan — will be able to use GPT-4o Mini instead of GPT-3.5 Turbo. Enterprise users will gain access to the mini model next week.
A new report claimed that tech giants including Apple, Nvidia, Anthropic, and Salesforce used data from "thousands of YouTube videos" to train AI. The investigation, performed by Proof News and published on Wired, alleged that subtitles from 173,000 YouTube videos were swiped for the companies' AI models.
Called "YouTube Subtitles," the dataset contains video transcripts from educational channels like Khan Academy, MIT, and Harvard, as well as the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the BBC. Material from YouTube stars like PewDiePie, Marques Brownlee, and MrBeast were discovered, too.
We haven't heard from Anthropic and Salesforce yet after reaching out for comment, but Apple has issued a response to Wired's report.
SEE ALSO: 5 most useful features of iOS 18 public beta — and how to use them Will Apple use this data for Apple Intelligence and other AI services?The short answer is no, but here's the longer response for those who don't identify with the "TLDR" crowd:
In an email to Mashable, Apple said that its open-source language model, OpenELM, indeed used the dataset, but not in the way some may be thinking.
The OpenELM project is a part of Apple's ongoing effort to benefit the broader research community. In other words, according to Apple, the OpenELM model was created for research purposes only and will not underpin any of Apple's machine learning-powered hardware or AI services, including Apple Intelligence.
For the uninitiated, Apple Intelligence is the company's new suite of AI features, which were revealed at WWDC 2024 (Apple's annual event where the company spills the beans on what's to come with its software offerings, including iOS and iPadOS).
Apple Intelligence, for example, can help summarize text, whether it's an email or text message, for quicker interactions with friends, loved ones, coworkers, and more. It will also underpin more entertainment-focused features like Genmoji, which generates new iOS emojis with a prompt. There's also Image Playground, which lets users create AI-generated images on the fly.
New Genmoji feature coming to iOS 18. Credit: AppleWhen it comes to AI utilities for its consumers, Apple highlighted that it offers websites an option to opt out of having their content used for AI training. Apple assured that its generative models are built and fine-tuned using high-quality data, including licensed content from publishers and stock image companies, alongside publicly available data on the web.
To put it succinctly, Apple doesn't deny that its open-source language model, OpenELM, used the dataset, but wants to make clear that it will not underpin any of its AI services, including Apple Intelligence.
What does Nvidia have to say?We also reached out to Nvidia for comment, but the company, known for bringing AI to many of its gaming hardware and services, declined to issue a statement.
We will update this article if we hear anything from Anthropic and Salesforce.
SAVE $39: The price on our budget choice an all-in-one hair tool, Revlon One-Step, just got even better.
Opens in a new window Credit: Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Revlon One-Step $30.87 at AmazonThis may be your last chance to take advantage of this post-Prime Day deal which lists the original Dyson AirWrap dupe at $30.87 – a 56% discount off retail price. Amazon seldom reveals the end date for sales and Prime Day technically ended July 17, so you may want to act fast.
SEE ALSO: 6 of the best hair styling tools: Dyson Airwrap, Revlon One-Step, and moreHow good is the Revlon-One Step? Mashable’s lead shopping reporter Bethany Allard rated it a 4.25/5 in her review. It has a few advantages over others of its kind like the $600 Dyson Airwrap, both in price and quality.
Some notable qualitiesBeginner-friendly with a minimal learning curve
Quick styling time
Works with curlier hair
High heat setting (be sure to use heat protectant to avoid heat damage)
Bulkier than its competitors but is a fraction of the price
As usual, you need to be an Amazon Prime member to reap these benefits. If you don’t already have a membership, sign up for a free trial before purchase. Students can get a six-month free trial and non-students get a one-month free trial.
U.S. senators are starkly questioning AT&T's data storage practices after a serious data breach.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) — the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law — wrote letters questioning the telecom giant and its practice of storing call and text records with a third-party platform called Snowflake.
The lawmakers demanded more info regarding the hack in which the company said "nearly all" text and phone records were stolen in mid-to-late 2022. The letters demanded answers from the CEOs of both AT&T and Snowflake.
AT&T's security practices face scrutiny"Why had AT&T retained months of detailed records of customer communication for an extended amount of time and why had AT&T uploaded that sensitive information onto a third party analytics platform?" the senators asked. "What is AT&T policy, including timelines, concerning retaining and using such information?"
SEE ALSO: New AT&T data breach impacts 'nearly all' customersBlumenthal and Hawley also pressed the fact other Snowflake clients — such as Ticketmaster, Advance Auto Parts, and Santander Bank — have announced breaches of information hosted by the company. The lawmakers suggested the AT&T breach was a result of basic cybersecurity failures, centering on malware infections and passwords that had gone unchanged for years.
"Disturbingly, the AT&T breach appears to have been easily preventable," the senators wrote.
Not long after the news of the breach broke, it was reported that AT&T had actually paid a hacker roughly $370,000 to delete the stolen information — though that does not actually guarantee the data is actually fully gone.
We rounded up the best Fitbit deals still hanging around after the official end of Prime Day 2024:
The best live Fitbit deals after Prime Day 2024: BEST FITBIT FOR KIDS DEAL Fitbit Google Ace LTE Kids $179.94 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal BEST FITBIT DEAL Fitbit Versa 4 $159.95 at Amazon (save $40) Get Deal BEST GOOGLE PIXEL DEAL Google Pixel Watch 2 $289.99 at Amazon (save $60) Get DealAmazon Prime Day 2024 is dead and gone — but not really. Deals are lingering a day after the official event wrapped, including on several Fitbit models.
Fitbit held off on releasing deals on its products until the actual start of Prime Day. Honestly, though, the deals leave a lot to be desired. We definitely saw better deals overall during Black Friday season 2023 and Prime Day 2023, with many models dropping to record-low prices. Regardless, there are still a handful of Fitbits on sale, and these may very well be the best prices we'll see on Fitbits until the holidays. If you're in the market for a fitness tracker, now's a great time to grab one and save some money.
We've rounded up the best Fitbit deals still live following Prime Day 2024. Since Google acquired Fitbit back in 2019 and Google Pixel watches utilize Fitbit's health and wellness tracking, we included Google Pixel watches on this list as well.
Note: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price.
Best Prime Day Fitbit deal still live Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Google Ace LTE Kids $179.95 at AmazonReleased just last month, the new Fitbit Ace LTE gives kids a fun way to get active and feel independent. The smartwatch combines video games with exercise and encourages and rewards movement and play throughout the day. Parents can call, text, and voice message their kids on an Android or iOS phone, as well as see their real-time location and control who their child contacts. Gaming access can also be restricted during specific time frames. It's a great option for parents wanting their kids to ditch screens but stay in touch.
Regularly retailing for $229.95, the fitness tracker's on sale for $179.95 following Prime Day. That makes the fact that you have to purchase a Fitbit Ace Pass data plan in order to unlock all the features of the Ace LTE (either $119.99 annually or $9.99 per month) a bit more palatable.
More Prime Day Fitbit deals still liveFitbit Charge 6 — $119.95 $159.95 (save $40)
Fitbit Versa 4 — $159.95 $199.95 (save $40)
Google Pixel Watch — $169.99 $279.99 (save $110) 🔥
Fitbit Sense 2 — $199.95 $249.95 (save $50)
Google Pixel Watch 2 — $289.99 $349.99 (save $60) 🔥
SAVE $80: The Beats Solo 4 headphones have reached a record-low price of $119.95 in the aftermath of Prime Day.
Opens in a new window Credit: Credit: Mashable Photo Composite Beats Solo 4 $119.95 at AmazonPrime Day is technically over but there are still deals left for you to snag.
The Beats Solo 4s are available at a 40% discount on the listed retail price, which is a $10 drop from the previous record in June. The price applies to all three colors: cloud pink, matte black, and slate blue.
Features to considerNo noise cancellation
Up to 50 hours of battery life
Fast Fuel feature
Crisp sound
While Beats go on sale often, this is the lowest price we’ve seen yet on the new Solo 4s — but it’s only available for a limited time and is exclusive to Amazon Prime members.
If you’re not a Prime member, you can sign up for a trial membership for free. Students get a six-month free trial and non-students get a one-month free trial. But be sure to cancel before your subscription ends if you don’t want to incur that membership fee.
If you’re feeling lonely and opt for online dating to find love and companionship, you’re certainly not alone. By 2028, an estimated 452 million people will attempt to find "the one" through online platforms — and if you’re on Social Discovery Group’s dating sites, you might have better luck.
Whether you feel like you’re missing out on life, feeling isolated, can’t seem to find eligible folks in your age bracket, or are just looking to watch new sparks fly, Social Discovery Group has a dating option for every person: Dating.com, DateMyAge, and ZenDate.
Aging and dating made easy Opens in a new window Credit: DateMyAge DateMyAge Mature singles young at heart Learn MoreFor example, if you’re single and over 40, you may want to try your hand at DateMyAge. As the name would suggest, using the site will not only connect you with a ton of matches worldwide, but they’re all going to be folks in your preferred age range. After all, some of us would rather stay clear of the 20s crowd and find someone with our own life experiences or similar goals and interests. After all, dating should only get better with time.
Safe ways to meet other singles IRL Opens in a new window Credit: Dating.com Dating.com Meet anyone, anywhere Learn MoreIf age isn’t as big of a concern, try out Dating.com. With over 65 million single people worldwide from 120 countries, Dating.com provides singles with the opportunity to explore dating in a fun, safe, and special way.
Meeting someone for the first time can be awkward and lowkey stressful. The site provides video dating, live streaming, and virtual reality features to properly meet before you ever do IRL. This is a solid safety-first move to ease those first-date nerves.
Celebrating cultural connections Opens in a new window Credit: Zendate Zendate Connecting singles to their ideal partner Learn MoreSuppose you prioritize sharing your Chinese heritage over global dating or age-specific matches. In that case, Zendate is a specialized platform designed for Chinese singles seeking love, romance, and like-minded connections. Whether you’re Chinese and living in China or elsewhere, you can find a potentially serious match that understands your cultural background while building a deep connection. Plus, using the site’s video and voice messaging system can get you deeper even quicker, so you can find what you’re truly looking for in a partner.
Social Discovery Group addresses the widespread issue of loneliness by creating a new digital reality where individuals can fulfill their need for communication and attention. Check out their dating platforms and join in shaping a more connected future.
Check out the best bladeless fan deals that are still live after Prime Day:
A look at the best bladeless fan deals at Amazon: Best air purifier and fan combo deal Dyson Purifier Cool™ TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan $499 at Amazon (save $150.99) Get Deal Best Dyson splurge deal Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde™ TP09 Air Purifier and Fan $647 at Amazon (save $102.99) Get Deal Best bladeless desk fan deal CONBOLA Desk Fan $37.79 at Amazon (save $4.20) Get DealPrime Day may have ended yesterday, July 17, but there are plenty of deals left over from the sale that are still live at Amazon, including deals on some of the best bladeless fans from Dyson and more.
All across the country, this has been the summer of heatwaves. If getting a top-notch fan has been on your to-do list, take advantage of these low prices while they're still here.
Best air purifier and fan combo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Our pick: Dyson Purifier Cool TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan $499.00 at AmazonIf you're going to shell out a couple-hundred dollars for a bladeless fan, it might as well be one that can tackle two jobs at once. The Dyson Purifier Cool TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan cools your space and cleans the air, making your home a more comfortable, healthier environment. Not only is the filter fully sealed away for your protection, but the whole machine is sealed, so what the Dyson clears from the air stays out for good. When you do need to change the filter, the process is simple; you even get a notification when its time is up. This year's Prime Day price is only $30 above the fan's lowest price ever, so it's a smart time to buy.
Best Dyson splurge deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Our pick: Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 Air Purifier and Fan $647.00 at AmazonIf you're willing to spend a little extra, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 Air Purifier and Fan takes air purifying and cooling to the next level. It destroys the formaldehyde in the air that can get released from household items, leaving your air safer and cleaner than it was before. We also love that the fan has 350-degree oscillation, and a Night Mode that reduces noise even further so you can sleep comfortably.
More bladeless fan deals:LivePure Bladeless Fan — $69.99 $179.99 (save $110)
Dreo Bladeless Tower Fan — $10.99 $129.99 (save $20)
Dreo Bladeless Tower Fan Cruiser Pro — $76.49 $89.99 (save $13.50)
Dreo Quiet Tower Fan — $67.99 $79.99 (save $12)
Pelonis Bladeless Tower Fan — $103.47 $114.99 (save $11.52)
Konsiden Bladeless Desk Fan — $35.99 $42.99 (save $7)
Vornado Whole Room Tower Fan — $84.99 $99.99 (save $15)
Uthfy Bladeless Tower Fan — $35.95 $49.99 (save $4.04)
PenKou Bladeless Neck Fan — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)
Microsoft's AI-powered Designer app has been unleashed from preview mode, with the Canva rival now available for free to everyone with a Microsoft account. And though it's an impressive productivity tool for those without major creative skills, it's not likely to be super welcome news for designers, artists, creatives, and those concerned about AI-generated artwork.
Announced in a post on Microsoft's blog and available on its website, the tech giant's design platform has officially launched on iOS and Android, for mobile and desktop. Designer is a template-based editing app that lets users create and edit images, make greeting cards, invitations, posters, and other basic design work, and spruce up Word documents with AI, using Microsoft Copilot.
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT and Copilot both shared debate misinformation, report says The Designer homepage. Credit: Screenshot: DesignerThe app channels a similar offering to Australian unicorn Canva, which launched Magic Studio, a suite of AI-powered tools, last year.
Designer notably has a feature called Restyle Image, which can turn your photos into an AI-powered avatar using different styles like pop art, cubism, and stylised 3D — exactly whose art the AI has been trained on is unclear. It's similar to the offerings from other tech giants like Samsung. TikTok has introduced AI-generated digital avatars, WhatsApp is working on a personalized AI image generator, and there was that whole thing with Lensa.
Pretty cute. Credit: MicrosoftIt takes under a minute to generate. Here's a couple I generated using a photo of myself, and while they really look nothing like me, they're pretty cute and make me feel deeply guilty:
The AI really loved my glasses I guess. Credit: Shannon Connellan / Microsoft DesignerIf you have one of the expensive $20 per month Copilot Pro subscriptions, you can integrate Designer with Microsoft 365 software like Word and PowerPoint to enliven your documents and presentations with prompt templates and sticker generators. The app also connects with the Microsoft Photos app, so you can edit photos to erase and replace backgrounds, apply filters, and frame, or markup images. Copilot detects the subject in the photo and automatically highlights it like this for editing:
Credit: MicrosoftThere's also something called Boosts available in Designer, which apparently "create or edit AI-powered images and designs faster" according to Microsoft. Users get 15 free Boosts a day; Copilot Pro subscribers get 100.
The platform might ring a few alarms for graphic designers, artists, creatives, and others concerned over the rise in AI-generated creative work. AI graphics tools like Microsoft's own Bing Image Creator using DALL-E 3 is just the tip of the AI-generated iceberg — Midjourney, Google's SGE, MediaTek, Adobe's terrifying tools, the list goes on. There is a tool call Nightshade that can protect artists' work against being trained with AI image generators.
In its blog post, Microsoft highlighted "stewarding responsible AI use" and included the following:
"At Microsoft, we are focused on building tools that harness the incredible potential of generative AI while providing a safe experience for our users. We are committed to ensuring that our systems are used in a responsible and ethical manner."
With Amazon's 2024 Prime Day sale in our rearview mirror, you may be wondering: When is the next Prime Day sale? Whether you didn't think this week's deals were good enough to drop some cash or you simply like to shop sales, it's always smart to plan ahead.
SEE ALSO: 380+ expertly-curated Prime Day deals that are still available as of July 18As it turns out, another Prime-centric sale may not be that far off. Amazon technically only hosts one official "Prime Day" per year (and always in mid-summer). But according to Mashable's team of shopping experts, it's gotten in the habit of hosting a second similar event for Prime members later on.
When is the next Prime Day?"Prime Day 2" will likely happen in October — though it probably won't go by that name.
Amazon has hosted a fall Prime event that month for the past two years. It was called the Prime Early Access Sale in 2022 and Prime Big Deal Days in 2023. The sales were two-day affairs that ran from Monday, Oct. 10 to Tuesday Oct. 11 and Tuesday, Oct. 10 to Wednesday, Oct. 11, respectively.
SEE ALSO: What Mashable readers bought on Prime DayIf we assume Amazon will stick with that early-month, early-week time slot, we'll go out on a limb and predict that the October Prime event will happen sometime between Oct. 7 to 9 this year. Either that, or right after Indigenous People's Day on Monday the 14th.
Amazon will likely use this October Prime event to kick off the Black Friday shopping season extra early, so it'll be a good time to start looking for holiday gifts and year-round lows on certain items. Plan your shopping list accordingly.
TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Stanford University are available to take for free on edX.
Stanford University is one of the biggest names in the education game, so it's probably really difficult to become a student of this famous institution, right? No, actually. Anyone can become a student of Stanford University with a little help from edX.
This online course provider offers a wide range of online courses from Stanford University, covering topics like Python, mathematics, computer science, and much more. And you don't even need to spend anything to access these online courses.
These are the best Stanford University courses you can take for free this month.
These free courses do not include certificates of completion, but that's the only catch. You can still learn at your own pace with unlimited access to all the resources on offer, so there's nothing holding you back.
Find the best free online courses from Stanford University at edX.
Opens in a new window Credit: Stanford University Stanford University Courses Free at edX Get DealTL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Harvard University are available to take for free on edX, including lessons on AI, Python, JavaScript, and more.
edX is a goldmine for people who love to learn but don't want to spend money doing it. The online provider hosts literally thousands of courses from some of the biggest names in education, including Harvard University.
Yep, you could become a student of Harvard University without spending anything (and without leaving home). You can find Harvard courses on everything from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity with edX, so what are you waiting for? There isn't a catch here, besides the fact that you won't get a certificate of completion with these free courses. But don't let that hold you back.
These are the best free online courses from Harvard University this month:
Students can enroll at any time and start learning at their own pace. Everyone leads busy lives, so it's nice to know that you can pursue your passion at a time that suits you and your lifestyle.
Find the best free online courses from Harvard University with edX.
Opens in a new window Credit: Harvard University Harvard University Courses Free at edX Get Deal
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