OpenAI’s cofounder and former chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, made headlines earlier this year after he left to start his own AI lab called Safe Superintelligence Inc. He has avoided the limelight since his departure but made a rare public appearance in Vancouver on Friday at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS).
Technology
How to thief-proof your Christmas decorations
Holiday decoration theft has become an increasingly frustrating issue for many homeowners. Karen from Los Angeles shared her experience with us in an email, stating,
“We have criminals who visit our neighborhood to not only steal mail and packages but also holiday decorations. I made a Christmas decoration for our mailbox, which was promptly stolen.”
We’re sorry to hear about the theft in your neighborhood. This highlights a problem that goes beyond mere property loss. It’s a theft of holiday cheer and personal effort. Let’s see how we can use technology to help secure your decorations.
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Outdoor decorations that were stolen. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Smart solutions for festive security
Karen also inquired about the effectiveness of Samsung SmartTags, asking if these tags would work on her decorations and how far they could reach. The good news is that Samsung SmartTags can indeed be used on your holiday decorations. You can attach the SmartTag to any item you want to track. These devices are compatible with most recent Samsung Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S9, making them accessible to many Android users.
As for the distance, the range of the Samsung SmartTag uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone. If the item is within Bluetooth range, you can ring it to find it or use the “Search Nearby” feature to get directions to it. If the item is out of range, other Samsung devices near the tag will anonymously locate it for you and then let you know where it is. This is done in the background and is encrypted to ensure privacy. The SmartTag does not beep when it’s out of range.
The Samsung SmartTag is compatible with almost all Samsung Galaxy phones released recently. They must have 2GB of RAM and run Android 8.0 (Oreo) or higher. So, your Samsung Galaxy S9 phones should be compatible with the Samsung SmartTag.
Outdoor Christmas decorations. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Apple AirTags: An alternative approach
For those considering a switch to Apple, AirTags present another viable option. Karen asked if she would have problems tracking her decorations with an Apple AirTag. While primarily designed for iOS devices, you can use it with your Android phone as mentioned in our article here, with some limitations. It uses the Find My network, and if another Apple device passes by the AirTag, the Find My network will be notified of the lost item’s location.
The AirTag does not beep when it’s out of range. However, the AirTag’s Precision Finding feature, which provides highly accurate tracking, is only compatible with iPhone 11 series and onwards. If you’re considering purchasing an iPhone, the iPhone 11 would be a relatively inexpensive option that is compatible with the AirTag’s Precision Finding feature.
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Outdoor Christmas decorations. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Samsung SmartTags vs. Apple AirTags
Both Samsung SmartTags and Apple AirTags offer extensive tracking capabilities. The SmartTag uses Bluetooth for nearby tracking and relies on other Samsung devices for long-range location. Similarly, AirTags leverage the Find My network, utilizing nearby Apple devices to relay location information.
For Samsung users like Karen, the SmartTag is the natural choice, working seamlessly with Galaxy devices. Those considering Apple might look at the AirTag as an option.
Please note that while these tags can help you track your items, they might not prevent theft as they are not hidden devices and can be removed by someone who recognizes what they are.
Outdoor Christmas decorations. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Additional tips for festive security
1. Use motion-activated cameras: Install motion-activated security cameras to monitor your decorations. Many security cameras send real-time notifications to your phone, allowing you to act quickly if someone tampers with your property.
2. Secure decorations: Consider physically securing your decorations with zip ties, chains or locks. While this won’t deter all thieves, it can make stealing more difficult and time-consuming.
3. Light it up: Well-lit areas are less appealing to thieves. Ensure your yard and decorations are adequately lit with outdoor lights, especially in dark corners or near entry points.
4. Engage your neighbors: Create a sense of community by alerting neighbors to thefts and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. A connected neighborhood can act as a strong deterrent.
5. Mark your property: Use invisible ink or engrave your decorations with a unique identifier. If stolen items are recovered, this will help law enforcement return them to you.
6. Report thefts to local law enforcement: Always report thefts, no matter how small. Law enforcement can track patterns and increase patrols in areas with frequent incidents. Providing details may also help them recover stolen items.
Outdoor Christmas decorations. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Kurt’s key takeaways
In her email, Karen expressed her frustration: “I know this seems minor… but it’s disheartening to see the things you spend time, money and a little love get stolen.” The desire to protect holiday decorations goes beyond material value — it’s about safeguarding the joy and effort put into creating a festive atmosphere. As we embrace these technologies, let’s also remember the importance of community vigilance and mutual respect.
Have you ever used tracking devices, security cameras, or other gadgets to safeguard your decorations? What worked well, and what would you recommend to others? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25679990/247326_Amazon_Kindle_2024_AKrales_0007.jpg "Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is nearly matching its Black Friday low")
If you missed the first sale on the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite during Black Friday, now’s your chance to write your own redemption arc. Right now, you can get Amazon’s newest ad-supported ebook reader at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $134.99 ($25 off). That’s still $5 shy of its all-time low, but it’s a pretty good discount this early into its life. You can also get it without ads at Amazon for $154.99 ($25 off).
There’s not much incentive to upgrade if you already own an older Paperwhite, but if you’re an avid reader, you’ll likely appreciate the newly minted seven-inch display, which is the biggest of any Paperwhite to date. It’s also 25 percent brighter than the previous model and features a higher contrast ratio, allowing for improved readability. The jump from 10 weeks of battery life to three months is a more substantial upgrade — as is a new processor, which supposedly makes a big difference when it comes to page-turning speeds — but we’ll need to finish putting Amazon’s latest e-reader through its paces before rendering our final verdict.
However, despite the iterative nature of the aforementioned updates, there’s a good chance the 12th-gen Paperwhite is going to remain the best option for most people. Amazon’s new entry-level Kindle is a bit smaller (and slower), and while the jazzy Kindle Colorsoft offers the best color screen on an e-reader so far, it will run you an extra $120 over the Paperwhite. That’s a lot for a non-essential upgrade.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
“Pre-training as we know it will unquestionably end,” Sutskever said onstage. This refers to the first phase of AI model development, when a large language model learns patterns from vast amounts of unlabeled data — typically text from the internet, books, and other sources.
“We’ve achieved peak data and there’ll be no more.”
During his NeurIPS talk, Sutskever said that, while he believes existing data can still take AI development farther, the industry is tapping out on new data to train on. This dynamic will, he said, eventually force a shift away from the way models are trained today. He compared the situation to fossil fuels: just as oil is a finite resource, the internet contains a finite amount of human-generated content.
“We’ve achieved peak data and there’ll be no more,” according to Sutskever. “We have to deal with the data that we have. There’s only one internet.”
Next-generation models, he predicted, are going to “be agentic in a real ways.” Agents have become a real buzzword in the AI field. While Sutskever didn’t define them during his talk, they are commonly understood to be an autonomous AI system that performs tasks, makes decisions, and interacts with software on its own.
Along with being “agentic,” he said future systems will also be able to reason. Unlike today’s AI, which mostly pattern-matches based on what a model has seen before, future AI systems will be able to work things out step-by-step in a way that is more comparable to thinking.
The more a system reasons, “the more unpredictable it becomes,” according to Sutskever. He compared the unpredictability of “truly reasoning systems” to how advanced AIs that play chess “are unpredictable to the best human chess players.”
“They will understand things from limited data,” he said. “They will not get confused.”
On stage, he drew a comparison between the scaling of AI systems and evolutionary biology, citing research that shows the relationship between brain and body mass across species. He noted that while most mammals follow one scaling pattern, hominids (human ancestors) show a distinctly different slope in their brain-to-body mass ratio on logarithmic scales.
He suggested that, just as evolution found a new scaling pattern for hominid brains, AI might similarly discover new approaches to scaling beyond how pre-training works today.
After Sutskever concluded his talk, an audience member asked him how researchers can create the right incentive mechanisms for humanity to create AI in a way that gives it “the freedoms that we have as homosapiens.”
“I feel like in some sense those are the kind of questions that people should be reflecting on more,” Sutskever responded. He paused for a moment before saying that he doesn’t “feel confident answering questions like this” because it would require a “top down government structure.” The audience member suggested cryptocurrency, which made others in the room chuckle.
“I don’t feel like I am the right person to comment on cryptocurrency but there is a chance what you [are] describing will happen,” Sutskever said. “You know, in some sense, it’s not a bad end result if you have AIs and all they want is to coexist with us and also just to have rights. Maybe that will be fine… I think things are so incredibly unpredictable. I hesitate to comment but I encourage the speculation.”
Can an electric delivery truck defy the worst that winter has to offer?
Harbinger, a leading medium-duty electric vehicle (EV) company, has recently demonstrated that it can.
The company has released a video showcasing its EV delivery truck handling icy roads with impressive agility and stability during winter testing in New Zealand.
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EV delivery truck being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
Innovative design for superior handling
Harbinger’s EV delivery truck features a unique chassis design that places the heavy batteries within the frame, resulting in a much lower center of gravity compared to traditional medium-duty trucks. This innovative layout allows for powerful torque and superior handling, even for vehicles exceeding 13 feet in length. The result is a truck that handles more like a passenger car, even in challenging winter conditions.
EV delivery truck being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
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Rigorous winter testing
The winter testing program in New Zealand focused on several key aspects:
Braking systems: Harbinger thoroughly tested the truck’s overall braking system, including traction control, stability control, ABS and regenerative braking.
EV delivery truck being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
Torque control: Given the substantial torque capabilities of electric vehicles, a primary goal was to demonstrate a driver’s ability to maintain control on ice and snow.
EV delivery truck being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
The uphill launch: This tested the ability of the vehicle to climb up to a 25% grade.
EV delivery truck being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
Automated hill hold: This feature prevents a vehicle from rolling backward (or forward) when it is stopped on an incline, and Harbinger tested it in low-traction conditions with ice and snow. This feature is common in passenger cars but newly introduced in medium-duty trucks by Harbinger.
Edge cases: About 80% of the tests conducted were designed around 5% of use cases, ensuring the vehicle can handle even the most extreme situations.
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Key elements of winter testing
According to John Harris, co-founder and CEO of Harbinger, winter testing is critical for vehicle development, especially for EVs. It ensures that vehicles perform reliably on low-traction surfaces such as ice and snow. The focus is not only on typical cold weather driving conditions but also on less common yet important higher-risk scenarios. This is particularly crucial for EVs due to their significant torque output, which can lead to loss of control if not managed correctly on slippery surfaces. Systems like regenerative braking also need optimization for extreme conditions.
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Specific tests for driver safety
Several tests can only be conducted in actual winter weather to stress test for optimal driver safety.
Low-adhesion surface control: Ensuring the vehicle remains maneuverable and stable on snow and ice.
Traction and stability testing: Validating traction control and stability systems under sudden accelerations, braking and cornering.
Regenerative braking on slippery surfaces: Testing how regenerative braking interacts with low-traction conditions to prevent skidding.
These tests help ensure that vehicles can safely handle extreme weather situations, such as when drivers stop steering or accelerating upon hitting a slippery patch of black ice.
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EV delivery truck being tested in icy conditions (Harbinger)
Battery performance in winter conditions
According to Harbinger, all battery-powered vehicles face challenges in cold weather due to two main factors: reduced battery performance and increased energy consumption for cabin heating. At low temperatures, the chemical reactions within the battery slow down, leading to decreased efficiency and power output. Additionally, electric vehicles require energy to heat the cabin, which further reduces driving range. Harbinger addresses these concerns by utilizing a multi-zone heat pump that efficiently provides heating for both the battery and cabin, thereby minimizing the negative effects of cold weather on performance.
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Charging in cold temperatures
Charging an electric vehicle in cold weather is generally not problematic. Harbinger’s delivery trucks can be charged without issues, even in low temperatures, ensuring that drivers can maintain operations without interruption. While it’s important to be aware that charging times may be longer if the battery is colder, Harbinger conditions its batteries to the optimal temperature for charging, even when it’s cold outside, to mitigate this inconvenience.
Two EV delivery trucks being tested in winter conditions (Harbinger)
Accelerated development through year-round testing
Harbinger conducts winter testing in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, allowing for year-round progress and faster technology development. This strategy helps bring Harbinger’s vehicles to market faster, meeting the growing demand for innovative commercial EV solutions.
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Versatile electric vehicle platform
Harbinger has developed a versatile lineup of medium-duty electric vehicles, including:
- Walk-in vans
- Box trucks
- Recreational vehicles
- Emergency response vehicles
- Delivery vans
This versatility positions Harbinger as a crucial player in transforming the medium-duty vehicle market, which has long needed modernization and innovation.
EV delivery truck being charged in winter conditions (Harbinger)
Market traction and customer confidence
In May 2024, Harbinger announced 4,000 binding preorders for its vehicles. The orders are valued at more than $400 million. This significant market traction underscores customer confidence in Harbinger’s technology and vision.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Harbinger’s successful winter testing of its EV delivery truck marks a significant milestone in the evolution of commercial electric vehicles. By combining innovative design, advanced technology and rigorous testing, Harbinger is proving that electric delivery trucks can not only match but potentially surpass their traditional counterparts in performance and reliability, even in the harshest winter conditions.
What are your thoughts on the rise of electric vehicles? Do you see them as the future of transportation, or do you prefer traditional gas-powered vehicles? Why? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
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