WeChat

Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading! Posted by msmash on Friday August 25, 2023 @12:40PM from the encouraging-feedback dept. Firefighters are training a robot to scan the horizon for fires. It turns out a lot of things look like smoke. From a report: For years, firefighters in California have relied on a vast network of more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras to detect wildfires. Operators have stared into computer screens around the clock looking for wisps of smoke. This summer, with wildfire season well underway, California's main firefighting agency is trying a new approach: training an artificial intelligence program to do the work. The idea is to harness one of the state's great strengths -- expertise in A.I. -- and deploy it to prevent small fires from becoming the kinds of conflagrations that have killed scores of residents and destroyed thousands of homes in California over the past decade. Officials involved in the pilot program say they are happy with early results. Around 40 percent of the time, the artificial intelligence software was able to alert firefighters of the presence of smoke before dispatch centers received 911 calls. "It has absolutely improved

Menu Search Join Login Pricing Contact Sales Search Search Upload More stuff Terms of Service Privacy Policy Copyright Cookies Desktop site Language FAQ Help TM + © 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. Watch in our app Open in app

US Tackles Crypto Tax Mess (wsj.com) Posted by msmash on Friday August 25, 2023 @01:20PM from the better-late-than-never dept. The federal government is escalating efforts to make cryptocurrency investors comply with tax law, nearly 15 years after people started trading bitcoin. From a report: The Treasury Department proposed new rules Friday with twin goals: making it harder for crypto investors to dodge income taxes when they sell digital assets, and simplifying complicated tax messes for people who are trying to follow the law. When they are fully implemented, the rules will require crypto exchanges such as Coinbase to deal with the Internal Revenue Service in a manner similar to brokers who handle investors' stock and mutual-fund portfolios. The crypto exchanges will send annual reports on Form 1099s to the IRS and to taxpayers that show the gross proceeds from transactions. That starts in 2026 for tax year 2025. Later, they will start reporting how much customers paid for the assets, known as their cost basis. Capital gains are the difference between sale price and cost basis, and investors face federal taxes of up to 23.8%. The only thing worse than X Windows: (X Windows) - X Working...

Posted by msmash on Friday August 25, 2023 @04:40PM from the times,-they-are-a-changin' dept. Ten years ago there was a growing interest in Mandarin, as China's influence and economic heft increased. Now Mandarin-learning is declining in many Western countries. In America, enrolment in university Mandarin courses fell by 21% between 2016 and 2020. An anonymous reader writes, citing an Economist story: That may be because job markets have changed. Translation tools like ChatGPT mean low-level Mandarin skills are not needed anymore. Bilingual Chinese graduates fill most roles that require a higher proficiency. But Western students may also be put off by China's government, which has become more oppressive in the past decade, making living in or working with China seem less appealing. This shows that China's soft power is weak. But it is also a problem for Western governments, many of which say they need more Mandarin speakers. The CIA, for example, wants to double the number of Mandarin-speakers it employs. As China and its rivals struggle to get along, there is an ever greater need for mutual understanding. Being able to talk to each other might help. The only thing worse than X Windows: (X Windows) - X Working...

Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading! Posted by msmash on Thursday August 24, 2023 @12:46PM from the closer-look dept. An anonymous reader shares a report: For a decade until 2018, China sought to recruit elite foreign-trained scientists under a lavishly funded program that Washington viewed as a threat to U.S. interests and technological supremacy. Two years after it stopped promoting the Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) amid U.S. investigations of scientists, China quietly revived the initiative under a new name and format as part of a broader mission to accelerate its tech proficiency, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter and a Reuters review of over 500 government documents spanning 2019 to 2023. The revamped recruitment drive, reported in detail by Reuters for the first time, offers perks including home-purchase subsidies and typical signing bonuses of 3 to 5 million yuan, or $420,000 to $700,000, the three people told Reuters. China operates talent programs at various levels of government, targeting a mix of overseas Chinese and foreign experts. The primary replacement for TTP is a program called Qiming overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, according to national

Why We Picked ItThis Mac- and PC-compatible app lets you snap a screenshot, capture a scrolling screen, or edit content by adding text, highlights, arrows, and other items. In addition, the built-in screen recorder lets you save your desktop or webcam actions as an MP4 file or animated GIF. Snagit also has OCR capabilities, so you can find and replace text in images. When you're done with your project, you can send it to Gmail, PowerPoint, Twitter, Word, and numerous other destinations, including TechSmith's own Screencast (for storage) and Camtasia (for advanced video editing).Who It's ForFeaturing more than 14 million users, Snagit is one of the world's most popular screen-capture utilities. Snagit is also our Editors' Choice winner for screen-capture utilities, thanks to its long list of powerful, versatile features. So if you're willing to pay for screenshots, go with this top-tier app.

Menu Search Join Login Pricing Contact Sales Search Search Upload More stuff Terms of Service Privacy Policy Copyright Cookies Desktop site Language FAQ Help TM + © 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. Watch in our app Open in app

Posted by msmash on Wednesday August 23, 2023 @12:43PM from the time-to-face-music dept. Two UK teenagers accused of being key members of the notorious hacking group Lapsus$, behind attacks on companies including Nvidia, Rockstar Games, and Uber, were convicted of their crimes by a London jury Wednesday. From a report: Arion Kurtaj, 18, and a 17-year-old male, who can't be identified, were found to have carried out a number of offenses including serious computer misuse, blackmail and fraud against BT Group's EE network and Nvidia. Kurtaj was also separately accused of hacks into Uber, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto game, and fintech firm Revolut. The Southwark Crown Court jury only needed to come to a decision on whether Kurtaj was liable for the crimes after he was found by the judge to be unfit to stand trial because of a complex medical condition. The jury found him liable for all 12 charges. The 17-year-old was found guilty of hacking, fraud and blackmail against Nvidia and cleared over two other counts against EE. He had previously plead guilty to two charges relating to the BT hacks. Lapsus$ are an international bunch of loosely connected online extortionists. In every hierarchy the cream rises

Posted by msmash on Tuesday August 22, 2023 @02:00PM from the closer-look dept. A decade after data analytics promised to revolutionize agriculture, most farmers still aren't using data tools or specialized software, and of those who do, many are swamped in a deluge of data. From a report: In 2013, seed and pesticide giant Monsanto acquired agriculture-data firm Climate Corporation for $1 billion, helping spur the industry's mania for data-driven farming. The hope was that by outfitting farmers with software and tools capable of ingesting and analyzing troves of data on things from weather patterns to soil conditions, they could more efficiently use their land. Many are still waiting for the technology to pay off. In the U.S., less than half of farmers surveyed by consulting firm McKinsey are using farm management software, and 25% are using remote-sensing and precision agriculture hardware. That software is a foundational technology in enabling the autonomous machinery and AI-enabled equipment of the future, analysts say, and unless farmers start using it, some will be left behind in the next decade of farm innovation. At the moment, 3% of American farmers said they plan to adopt software or precision agriculture hardware over the next two

Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading! Posted by msmash on Monday August 21, 2023 @03:25PM from the old-and-new dept. A cargo ship fitted with giant, rigid British-designed sails has set out on its maiden voyage. Shipping firm Cargill, which has chartered the vessel, hopes the technology will help the industry chart a course towards a greener future. From a report: The WindWings sails are designed to cut fuel consumption and therefore shipping's carbon footprint. It is estimated the industry is responsible for about 2.1% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Pyxis Ocean's maiden journey, from China to Brazil, will provide the first real-world test of the WindWings - and an opportunity to assess whether a return to the traditional way of propelling ships could be the way forward for moving cargo at sea. Folded down when the ship is in port, the wings are opened out when it is in open water. They stand 123ft (37.5m) tall and are built of the same material as wind turbines, to make them durable. Enabling a vessel to be blown along by the wind, rather than rely solely on its engine, could hopefully