Apple has released a new version of its Pencil drawing tool, after days of speculation about updates for iPads. In recent days, some rumours have suggested that Apple was planning new versions of at least its base iPad and iPad mini, with a range of updates. But it appears those reports may be the result of confusion about the new launch, which actually just brought the new Pencil, which looks to be the only iPad-related updated so far. Apple refers to the new release as the “Apple Pencil (USB-C)”, and it now sits alongside the first and second generation of the drawing tool. Those will both remain on sale. The new version largely takes the features of the first generation and puts them into the more square design of the second-generation Pencil. But the new port is perhaps the most notable part, and may be the reason for the new release: until now, users of the base model iPad could only use the first-generation Pencil, but that uses a Lightning cable to charge, which is not supported by that iPad. The new Pencil also adds some features from the second-generation, however, including the option to place it wirelessly on the side of the iPad. The second-generation Pencil retains a host of extra features and a higher price. It can charge when attached magnetically to an iPad, includes the option to tap it to change tools, and to have it engraved. The updates mean that Apple now offers three versions of the Apple Pencil with different features and compatibilities, which can be compared on Apple’s website. The first generation remains available for $99, the new one will be $79 when it goes on sale next month and the second-generation is $129, or the same in pounds. Read More Sadiq Khan, Met Commissioner to ask phone companies to ‘design out’ theft Apple is planning to make a cheaper Vision Pro headset without key features Google is about to ditch passwords forever

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Meta has unveiled its new artificial intelligence system “Llama 2” rivalling the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. The Facebook parent company’s chief Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday that the new AI system, created after partnering with Microsoft, is free to use for research and commercial purposes in contrast to its competitors. Microsoft also said it aims to “democratise AI and its benefits” with the launch of Llama 2. A previous version known as Llama, had been launched in February, but leaked onto the internet in March and was tinkered with by the public since. Compared to some of their Big Tech rivals developing large AI language models, Meta and Microsoft said they seek to provide “an open approach”, offering researchers and companies a peek into the data and code they use to build their AI. “We believe an open approach is the right one for the development of today’s AI models, especially those in the generative space where the technology is rapidly advancing,” Meta noted in a blog post. “Giving businesses, startups, entrepreneurs, and researchers access to tools developed at a scale that would be challenging to build themselves, backed by computing power they might not otherwise access, will open up a world of opportunities for them to experiment, innovate in exciting ways, and ultimately benefit from economically and socially,” the tech giant noted. The new AI system Llama 2 is in contrast with other chatbots like ChatGPT by OpenAI and Bard by Google that are not open source. “Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology,” Mr Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. “It also improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can scrutinize it to identify and fix potential issues. I believe it would unlock more progress if the ecosystem were more open, which is why we’re open sourcing Llama 2,” he said. However, despite Meta’s claims of open-sourcing its new AI system, the data it used to build Llama 2 still remains unclear. A research paper released along with the new model says it was trained on “a new mix of data from publicly available sources, which does not include data from Meta’s products or services”, but does not mention specifically what data was used. The paper, however, noted that Meta removed data from websites containing a “high volume of personal information about private individuals”. The new AI models can be directly downloaded or via a partnership, which makes them available on Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure, Meta said. “Starting today, Llama 2 is available in the Azure AI model catalog, enabling developers using Microsoft Azure to build with it and leverage their cloud-native tools for content filtering and safety features,” it said. “It is also optimized to run locally on Windows, giving developers a seamless workflow as they bring generative AI experiences to customers across different platforms,” it said. Llama 2 is also available via Microsoft’s rival Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hugging Face, among other providers, Meta said. Read More Threads starts limiting how many posts people can see as it is hit by spam attacks $44 billion and eight months later. It’s finally all over for Elon Musk ChatGPT rival with ‘no ethical boundaries’ sold on dark web Xbox and PlayStation sign major deal on the future of Call of Duty Microsoft changes its default typeface for only the second ever time Microsoft’s attempt to buy Call of Duty developer reaches huge new development

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Ron DeSantis continues to defend newly approved curriculum guidelines in Florida instructing students to learn that enslaved people “developed skills” that could be “applied for personal benefit”. “That means they developed skills in spite of slavery, not because of slavery,” the governor told NBC News in a recent interview that aired on 7 August. “It was them showing resourcefulness and then using those skills once slavery ended,” he added. Mr DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has dismissed criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic and Republican members of Congress urging Florida officials to amend the state’s African American history standards and reflect an honest history of race and racism in school curricula. The vice president has also rejected an invitation from Mr DeSantis to “discuss” the standards, telling a crowd in Orlando earlier this month that “there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: there were no redeeming qualities of slavery.” Mr DeSantis had previously stated he “wasn’t involved” with the guidelines approved by the state’s appointed Board of Education. He said the standards are “probably going to show some of the folks” – enslaved people – “that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life.” The development of such “skills” would not have benefited the millions of enslaved people in the US in the decades before slavery’s abolition. Another controversial guideline instructs high schoolers to be taught that a massacre in the state led by white supremacists against Black residents to stop them from voting in 1920 included “acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans.” “Adults know what slavery really was. It involved rape, it involved torture, it involved taking a baby from their mother, it involved some of the worst examples of depriving humanity of people in our world,” Ms Harris said in her remarks in Jacksonville last month. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, echoed Ms Harris in his criticism of the standards, stressing that slavery was defined by “separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives”. “It was just devastating,” said Mr Scott, who is also seeking the 2024 Republican nomination. “So I would hope that every person in our country – and certainly running for president – would appreciate that.” Mr DeSantis told NBC in response: “Don’t take that side of Kamala Harris against the state of Florida. Don’t indulge those lies.” The new standards join the governor’s overhaul of public education and a “parents’ rights” agenda that targets honest lessons on race and racism and gender and sexuality, which the governor told NBC amounts to “indoctrination”. “Those standards were not political at all,” he added. “The legislature didn’t dictate any of that. [The] governor’s office didn’t dictate anything of that.” Last week, before thousands of high school students enrolled in advanced placement courses begin classes for the 2023-2024 school year, the DeSantis administration criticised the College Board’s warning that Florida education officials had “effectively banned” AP Psychology courses in the state under the Parental Rights in Education Act, what opponents have derided as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Read More Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election DeSantis blasted for ‘un-American’ restrictions on AP psychology course under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law Why Florida’s new curriculum on slavery is becoming a political headache for Ron DeSantis

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Apple will bring Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to the iPad, answering questions about the future of its high-powered tablets. The professional video and music editing apps have been remade for Apple’s tablets, with new touch interfaces and additional features added from the Mac counterpart. Apple has been making the iPad Pro for years, with the first released in 2015. Recent models have brought them in line with Apple’s laptops, using the same chips for faster performance. But at the same time, Apple has been relatively slow in adding professional apps to the platform that can make use of that computing capability. That had led some to wonder whether Apple was truly committed to its iPads being a professional platform. Now Apple has put its two main professional and creative apps onto the platform, and they will arrive later this month. “We’re excited to introduce Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, allowing creators to unleash their creativity in new ways and in even more places,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing, in a statement. “With a powerful set of intuitive tools designed for the portability, performance, and touch-first interface of iPad, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro deliver the ultimate mobile studio.” The new versions of the app are largely similar to their Mac counterparts. They include the same basic design and similar functionality. The updates do however add some tools within the iPad version, such as a new sound browser in Logic Pro. And they also include new options that are built specifically for the tablet, such as support for the Apple Pencil. Customers will have to pay for the iPad versions of the app separately, even if they own the desktop one, with each app costing £4.99 per month or £49 per year. Final Cut Pro requires an M1 chip or later, and Logic Pro needs an A12 chip or later, and the apps must be updated to the latest operating system. Both of the apps will be available from 23 May. Apple’s announcement is unusual in that it comes just a month before its big software event, the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is held at the beginning of June. Apple usually announces new updates to its own apps at that event. Read More Apple announces shock results Tim Cook reveals his thoughts on AI – and Apple’s plans to use it Google gets rid of passwords in major new update