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Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Meta Releases Open-Source AI Tool AudioCraft to Create Music and Audio

Meta Platforms on Wednesday introduced its open-source AI tool called AudioCraft that will help users to create music and audio based on text prompts.

The AI tool is bundled with three models, AudioGen, EnCodec and MusicGen, and works for music, sound, compression and generation, Meta said.

MusicGen is trained using company-owned and specifically licensed music, it added.

Artists and industry experts have raised concerns over copyright violations, as machine learning software work by recognizing and replicating patterns from data scraped from the web.

According to the company's blog post, MusicGen generates music from text prompts, while AudioGen generates audio from text prompts. Meta has also released an improved version of our EnCodec decoder. It helps in generating higher quality music with fewer artifacts. The pre-trained AudioGen models, announced by the company, lets users generate environmental sounds and sound effects.It helps in generating sounds like a dog bark, or sirens from vehicles.

The models will be available for access to researchers and practitioners to train their models with their own datasets. These models are capable of producing high-quality audio with long-term consistency, claims the company. They have been internally developed at Meta over the past years.

AudioCraft models will act as tools for musicians and sound designers in the future, the company said. The company is also working towards improving the current models and add improvisations based on the users' feedback.

Earlier this year, Alphabet introduced its own experimental audio generating AI tool called MusicLM.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Binance Reportedly Saw Monthly Illegal Crypto Transactions Worth $90 Billion in Banned China Market

Binance users traded $90 billion (roughly Rs. 7,42,800 crore) of cryptocurrency-related assets in a single month in China, where cryptocurrency trading has been illegal since 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday citing internal figures and current and former employees of the exchange.

The transactions made China Binance's biggest market by far, accounting for 20 percent of volume worldwide, excluding trades made by a subset of very large traders, the WSJ said. The newspaper did not specify the month during which the transactions were made.

Binance's origins lie in China, though the world's largest crypto exchange withdrew from mainland China in 2017 during a regulatory crackdown. It did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment on the Journal report.

"The Binance.com website is blocked in China and is not accessible to China-based users," a company spokesman told the WSJ.

The exchange has also been under the scrutiny of US regulators like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The CFTC sued Binance for operating what it said was an "illegal" exchange and a "sham" compliance program, while the SEC sued Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao saying that Binance artificially inflated its trading volumes, diverted customer funds, failed to restrict US customers from its platform and misled investors about its market surveillance controls.

The exchange is also under investigation by the US Justice Department over possible money-laundering and sanctions violations, Reuters has reported.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Will Reportedly Feature Upgraded Selfie Camera from Flagship Models: Details

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is reportedly in the works and could be launched soon. A company executive recently hinted at the imminent debut of the smartphone during the recently concluded Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul. While the launch date and other details are yet to be announced by the firm, the phone's expected specifications and design have already been leaked on several occasions and a new report claims it will feature an upgraded selfie camera. The Galaxy S23 FE was previously tipped to sport a triple rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. It is expected to succeed the Galaxy S21 FE that was launched last year.

According to a recent report by Galaxy Club (in Dutch), the purported Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will feature a flagship-grade front camera which was used on the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 series. The handset will reportedly house a 10-megapixel selfie shooter, unlike the 32-megapixel front camera on its predecessors. It is worth noting that while the new camera has a lower megapixel count, picture quality could actually see an improvement over the S21 FE model, with support for flagship-grade features — like Dual Pixel autofocus — when clicking selfies.

Additionally, a previous report suggested that the phone could get a 50-megapixel primary sensor accompanied by a 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel sensor with a telephoto lens. The Galaxy Club report corroborates the claim that the phone will feature an 8-megapixel selfie camera, suggesting it will offer similar performance as its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 FE.

Recently, purported live images surfaced online hinting at the design of the smartphone. The leaked images show the phone sporting a 2.5D curved display while the back will be flat. It could feature a triple rear camera setup in the top left corner housed in three vertically positioned circular camera cutouts.

The phone is also tipped to ship either with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC or a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC in the North American market, while it could be powered by an in-house Exynos 2200 chipset. The Galaxy S23 FE is also said to run on Android 13-based One UI 5.1 and feature up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM along with up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 inbuilt storage. It is also tipped to pack a 4,500mAh battery, according to previous reports.

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OnePlus Open August Launch Could Be Delayed Due to Change in Display Manufacturer: All Details

OnePlus Open, the company's first foldable phone, was speculated to go official on August 29. Now, a tipster contradicts the previous report saying that OnePlus has pushed back the launch timeline. The delay is said to be due to a change in the production plan for the phone's screens. The OnePlus Open was originally supposed to use a BOE panel, but the company is now said to be testing the foldable phone with display panels from Samsung. The OnePlus Open is tipped to come with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC paired with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage.

Well known tipster Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) earlier claimed that OnePlus Open will launch on August 29. However, the tipster now tweeted that the company's first foldable phone will now face a delay in launch. According to him, a late switch by OnePlus in display manufacturing is causing the delay. The OnePlus Open was earlier said to come with BOE panels, but now, OnePlus is reportedly switching over to Samsung panels.

OnePlus has not yet confirmed the launch timeline of the OnePlus Open. Therefore, it is recommended to take the details with a pinch of salt.

The purported OnePlus Open has been the subject of numerous leaks and rumours lately. As per a recent leak, the handset could run on an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, coupled with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage. It is said to feature a 7.8-inch 2K AMOLED inner display and a 6.3-inch AMOLED cover screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It could be available in black and green colour options.

For optics, the OnePlus Open is expected to pack a triple rear camera unit, including a 50-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 48-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide lens, and a 32-megapixel sensor with a periscope lens. For selfies, it could carry two 32-megapixel front camera sensors.

OnePlus's first-ever foldable phone, OnePlus Open, is expected to compete against devices like Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google Pixel Fold and Vivo X Fold 2.

OnePlus Nord 3 brings some serious upgrades over its predecessor, including some flagship-grade specifications. We discuss this and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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AMD Aims to Ramp Up AI Chip Production for Release by Q4, Raises Q3 Forecast to $5.7 Billion

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday forecast a strong finish to the year, driven by the planned launch of artificial intelligence chips that could compete with Nvidia semiconductors.

AMD shares rose about 3 percent in after-hours trading.

CEO Lisa Su said AMD is set to ramp up production of its flagship MI300 artificial intelligence chips in the fourth quarter. The accelerator chips, which are in short supply, are designed to compete against the advanced H100 chips already sold by Nvidia.

Su said customer interest in the MI300 series chips is "very high" and AMD expanded its work with "top-tier cloud providers, large enterprises and numerous leading AI companies" during the third quarter.

Investors are betting that MI300 chips, due for release later this year, will challenge Nvidia in the surging market for advanced AI chips.

MI300s exceed the performance limits for sale to China under export controls issued in October, and unlike Nvidia and Intel, AMD has yet to create special chips for the lucrative Chinese market.

Nvidia modified its H100 chips to comply with U.S. Commerce Department restrictions on advanced AI semiconductor sales to China. AMD is mulling a similar strategy with its MI300 and older MI250 chips, Su said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday.

"Our plan is to, of course, be fully compliant with U.S. export controls. But we do believe there's an opportunity to develop a product(s) for our customer set in China that is looking for AI solutions, and we'll continue to work in that direction."

AMD has not given a detailed full-year forecast but said it expects 2023 sales in its data centre business, including MI300 chips, to exceed $6.04 billion (roughly Rs. 49,800 crore) in 2022.

Jenny Hardy, portfolio manager at GP Bullhound, which owns Nvidia and AMD stock, said Nvidia still faces supply constraints, leaving an opening for AMD's chip.

"If AMD can ramp production and launch those MI300 chips in the fourth quarter, they will likely see strong demand because plenty of people cannot get their hands on Nvidia chips. So we would assume that AMD can effectively kind of fill some of that supply-demand gap," Hardy said.

AMD has enough components for MI300 chips for an "aggressive" launch in the fourth quarter, and ample supply for 2024, Su said.

Su cited "strong interest" in its older MI250 chip, which remains a "very good option" for less complicated AI tasks.

For the second quarter, revenue at AMD's data centre business fell 11 percent to $1.32 billion (roughly Rs. 10,900 crore), while revenue at its client business slumped 54 percent to $998 million (roughly Rs. 8,200 crore) from $2.2 billion (roughly Rs. 18,100 crore) a year ago.

Large cloud players like Microsoft and Google plan to ramp up spending on data centres in the second half of the year, analysts said, noting that spending will skew toward AI chips and infrastructure.

However, a decline in PC shipments has moderated and demand has started showing signs of improvement.

"Looking to the third quarter, we expect our Data Center and Client segment revenues to each grow by a double-digit percentage sequentially driven by increasing demand for our EPYC and Ryzen processors, partially offset by Gaming and Embedded segment declines," said AMD finance chief Jean Hu.

The company forecast current-quarter revenue of about $5.7 billion (roughly Rs. 47,000 crore), plus or minus $300 million (roughly Rs. 2,500 crore). Analysts polled by Refinitiv on average expect revenue of $5.82 billion (roughly Rs. 48,000 crore).

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Lenovo LOQ Gaming Laptops With Up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU Debut in India

Lenovo LOQ gaming laptop series was launched in India on Tuesday. The laptops come with up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The LOQ lineup is powered by up to 13th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7000 Series CPU, with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. Lenovo also recently launched the Yoga Book 9i and refreshed the Legion Pro series with 13th Gen Intel Core and AMD Ryzen 7000 series in the country. Following are the price and specification details of the lineup.

Lenovo LOQ 15 2023 price in India

Offered in a Storm Grey colour option, the Lenovo LOQ series starts in India at a price of Rs. 78,990 for the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 variant, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU variants paired with the same processor are priced at Rs. 92,990 and Rs. Rs. 97,990, respectively.

The Lenovo LOQ is also offered with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 chipset with either NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 listed at Rs. 99,990 and Rs. 1,14,990, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo LOQ laptops equipped with Ryzen 7 Octa Core 7840HS processors are available with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, marked at Rs. 87,990 and Rs. 99,990, respectively.

All the new Lenovo LOQ models are currently available for purchase via Flipkart. The company said that the laptops will soon be also available on the Lenovo website, retail partner stores, and other select retailers soon.

Lenovo LOQ 15 2023 specifications, features

The Lenovo LOQ series comes with a 15.6-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) IPS displays with a refresh rate of 165Hz, a peak brightness level of 350 nits, and an anti-glare feature. The display also supports the Nvidia G-Sync feature, which allows users to experience more immersive and colourful images.

Out of the six Lenovo LOQ models available, two of the models are powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, three come with 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processors with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, RTX 4060, or RTX 3050 GPU. Two other models are powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 Octa Core 7840HS chipsets and come with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 or RTX 4050 GPU.

The laptops come with dual 8GB DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. The LOQ 15 2023 lineup models feature stereo speakers optimised with Nahimic Gaming Audio. The laptops have an integrated A1 chip and support a full-HD webcam with 1080p with an E-shutter.

Moreover, the Lenovo LOQ laptops pack 60Wh integrated battery with Super Rapid Charge support. They feature a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard. The laptops in the LOQ series measure 359.6mm x 264.8mm x 22.1mm in size and weigh 2.4 kilograms. The thickness of the models in the series goes up to 25.2mm.

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Meta to Launch AI-Powered Chatbots With Different Personalities by September: Report

Meta Platforms is preparing to launch a range of artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots that exhibit different personalities as soon as September, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Meta has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its users, as the company attempts to boost its engagement with its social media platforms, according to the report, citing people with knowledge of the plans.

The Menlo Park, California-based social media giant is even exploring a chatbot that speaks like Abraham Lincoln and another that advises on travel options in the style of a surfer, the report added. The purpose of these chatbots will be to provide a new search function as well as offer recommendations.

The report comes as Meta executives are focusing on boosting retention on its new text-based app Threads, after the app lost more than half of its users in the weeks following its launch on July 5.

Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Facebook parent reported a strong rise in advertising revenue in its earnings last week, forecasting third-quarter revenue above market expectations.

The company has been climbing back from a bruising 2022, buoyed by hype around emerging AI technology and an austerity drive in which it has shed around 21,000 employees since last fall.

Bloomberg News reported in July that Apple is working on AI offerings similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, adding that it has built its own framework, known as 'Ajax', to create large language models and is also testing a chatbot that some engineers call 'Apple GPT'.

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