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Suno licenses BMG recordings for new AI music models
Suno has agreed a licensing deal with music company BMG, allowing it to use BMG recordings in forthcoming AI music models and retrospectively covering their use in earlier training. The agreement gives Suno further legitimacy within the music industry as it seeks to move from disputed training practices towards licensed, label-backed AI tools. Suno will…
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‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Cargo Thefts Have Turned Violent in Pursuit of AI Hardware
Cargo thieves are allegedly using more aggressive tactics to steal expensive AI data-centre equipment in the United States, including deliberately disabling security escort vehicles. The reported incidents have heightened concern in the freight industry because they suggest organised theft is adapting to the rapidly rising value and demand for servers, chips and cooling equipment. In…
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Reservoir raises $8M to make water heaters that people — and the grid — will actually want
Reservoir Climate has raised $8 million in seed funding to develop smarter, heat-pump water heaters designed to lower household energy use while helping electricity grids manage demand. The Boston-based company argues that water heaters are an overlooked but significant source of household costs and water damage, and aims to make its product attractive through practical…
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Big Tech Wants to Harvest Your Thoughts
Neuroscientist Rafael Yuste describes experiments in which his team decoded visual signals in mice and then used lasers to recreate those signals directly in their brains. The work made mice behave as if they were seeing moving images that were not actually present, illustrating both the potential of brain-computer technology and the ethical concerns around…
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We don’t serve pies, but we do like a Pi
A London pub’s electronic tipping device was found displaying the desktop of the Raspberry Pi computer powering it, apparently after a software failure exposed its underlying operating system. The incident matters chiefly as an example of a customer-facing payment system failing visibly, while also drawing attention to the growing use of card-based tipping machines in…
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Why Nier: Automata has one of the best soundtracks ever
Nier: Automata is a game about robots and androids that want nothing more than to be human. That theme is revealed through the game’s incredible soundtrack. Read more about Polygon’s pick for the best games of 2017:
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Spotify announces new AI-labelling system for AI-generated artists and content
Spotify will introduce an “AI Persona” badge from mid-September to identify profiles representing AI-generated artists, aiming to make it easier for listeners to distinguish them from human performers. The change matters because AI-generated music is becoming increasingly common on streaming services, raising concerns about transparency, impersonation and how such material is promoted. The badge will…
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Huge Helldivers 2 Patch Adds New Illuminate Enemies, a New Biome ‘Full of Fresh Horrors,’ a Level Cap Increase and Much More
Arrowhead has released Helldivers 2 update 7.0.0, a major patch centred on the campaign towards the Void. It introduces new Illuminate-related enemies, a new biome described as containing “fresh horrors”, and raises the player level cap, expanding both gameplay challenges and long-term progression. The update adds the regenerating Crusher and agile Wretch enemies, alongside a…
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Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
A freedom of information request has found that only 20 of Defra’s 6,613 staff are working on climate adaptation, despite warnings that England is poorly prepared for worsening heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires. Critics say the small team reflects a lack of government focus on protecting communities, food security and nature from the effects of…