Tech Odyssey

Google’s new AI tool uses image prompts instead of text

Google’s newest artificial intelligence tool, “Whisk,” lets people upload photos to get back a combined, AI-generated image – even without users inputting any text to explain what they want.

Users can input images depicting subjects, setting and style before Whisk combines everything into one image.

Whisk is a “creative tool” for quick inspiration, Google said in a blog post, as opposed to a “traditional image editor.” In essence, Whisk is intended as a fun AI feature, rather than as something that’s supposed to be refined professional work.

Big Tech companies like Google and OpenAI are racing to release consumer products that can showcase uses for the snazzy new technology, even as naysayers warn that the lack of guardrails around the development of AI poses dangers for humanity.

Since OpenAI initially launched its text-to-image creation tool, Dall-E, in 2021, the concept of AI-generated artwork has swamped social media and become a focus of consumer products. Google’s Whisk is an image-to-image generator, building upon the popular concept of text-to-image generators.

People using Whisk can “remix” the final image by editing their inputs and mixing the categories to produce different imageslike a plushie toy, enamel pin or sticker. Users can add in textif they want to direct certain details, but it is not required to create an image.

“Whisk is designed to allow users to remix a subject, scene and style in new and creative ways, offering rapid visual exploration instead of pixel-perfect edits,” Thomas Iljic, a director of product management at Google Labs, said in a statement.

Google’s Whisk is built upon the generative AI developed by DeepMind, the AI lab that Google acquired in 2014.

A general view of the Google DeepMind offices after the announcement that Founder and CEO Demis Hassabis and senior research scientist, John M. Jumper, received the 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry on October 9, 2024 in London, England. Two Google DeepMind employees shared the 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with David Baker, of the University of Washington, for discoveries related to the structure of proteins.

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Whisk works by using Google’s core AI offering, Gemini, which debuted in December 2023, and pairing it with Imagen 3, the latest text-to-image generator released by DeepMind in December.

When users upload their images, Gemini generates a caption which is fed into Imagen 3. The process captures the “essence” of the subject as opposed to an exact replica, which allows for remixing the final image but also means the end product might stray from the prompt.

For example, the generated image might have a different height, hairstyle or skin tone as the prompt images, Google said in a blog post.

When Google first rolled out Gemini’s text-to-image creator in February, the company faced initial backlash because the tool produced historically inaccurate images.

Whisk is first available as a website on Google Labs for users in the US and is in its early stages of development, the company said.

OpenAI also recently released a text-to-video generator called Sora, highlighting the competition for consumer products.

Dan Ives, managing director and senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, told CNN that Whisk is another “flex the muscles moment” for Google in the AI and tech race.

“DeepMind is a key asset for Google,” Ives said, noting that AI products are a part of Google’s “treasure chest” of new products for 2025, which also include a new Android operating system built in collaboration with Samsung and Qualcomm.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/17/business/google-ai-whisk-image-prompts/index.html

Apple Intelligencelaunched on Monday, but the rollout is just a glimpse of how Apple hopes to transform its products with artificial intelligence.

The tech giant unveiled initial features of Apple Intelligence — its suite of AI tools — on select devices with its latest software update for iPhones, iPads and Macs.

Apple’s AI features for iPhones will be available for free to users with any iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, who update to iOS 18.1. Apple Intelligence is also available for iPad and Mac models that support iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.

With Apple Intelligence, the company is implementing its first set of generative AI tools that aim to change how people use their iPhones and cement Apple’s stake in the AI race against competitors like Microsoft and Google. Generative AI is the technology that produces unique text and images in response to user-prompts — from obscure images to relentlessly catchy music.

The release of Apple Intelligence comes on the heels of the iPhone 16 release in September, which is equipped with chip hardware designed to support Apple’s AI-powered features.

A pivot to AI has been a focus for Apple since it first unveiled the suite of Apple Intelligence features at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Implementing new generative AI is at the forefront of Big Tech ambitions to maintain exponential growth, and after years of sluggish sales, Apple is betting on AI to boost its performance and reinvigorate its consumer base.

The AI features rolling out with iOS 18.1

The Apple Intelligence features rolling out Monday include improvements to writing and editing, Siri and the Photo app.

Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools bring users improved proofreading, summarizing and editing features. Another focus of the release is Siri, which is supposed to become “more natural and conversational” with Apple Intelligence, and will appear as a glowing light when activated.

With the software update, Apple says the Photos app is “more intelligent,” with the ability to search for photos and videos by typing visual descriptions, like what someone was wearing. Users will also be able to edit photos and remove unwanted visual elements with another new feature called Clean Up.

Additionally, users will be able to record and transcribe calls, with Apple Intelligence providing a summary.

Users will be able to record and transcribe audio in the Phone and Notes apps, and Apple Intelligence will summarize the transcript.
Apple

Apple Intelligence’s features most likely fit into the “nice to have” category rather than necessary features most new phone buyers actively seek, however.

Angelo Zino, a technology analyst at CFRA Research, told CNN in September that “you need to wait for word of mouth to trickle through the consumer base over the next couple of quarters” before consumers will see the value of the new technology.

And Apple’s loyal customers or AI-curious consumers who were intrigued by images of Apple’s new AI-generated “Genmoji” may feel underwhelmed by this launch, as many new features, like Image Wand — which lets users turn sketches into AI-generated images — won’t be available until at least December, when iOS 18.2 debuts.

While the first set of Apple Intelligence features might leave some iPhone users wondering if that’s all there is to it, some analysts are bullish on Apple’s plan to implement AI across its products, largely thanks to the company’s large position in the market.

Dan Ives, a managing director and senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, said in a note Sunday that the rollout is the start of what will be an evolving process. “Consumer AI will go through Apple’s ecosystem with over 20% of the world’s population ultimately interacting with AI on an Apple device the next few years,” Ives said.

Apple is betting big on AI to boost its sales, and the rollout followsthe iPhone 16 release, which didn’t initially sell as well as Apple may have hoped. Apple sold just an estimated 37 million units in the first weekend of iPhone 16 pre-sales,down more than 12% compared to the same period last year, according to a blog post from Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst with TF International Securities.

Additionally, Apple recently cut orders for iPhone 16s by about 10 million units through the end of 2024 and into 2025, according to another blog post by Kuo. That cut will result in less production of iPhones, he noted. According to Kuo, iPhone production for the fourth quarter of 2024 is now forecast at around 80 million, down year-over-year from 84 million.

Kuo noted that he did not think Apple Intelligence would immediately boost Apple’s prospects for better sales.

“Some market participants are optimistic that Apple Intelligence could dramatically boost iPhone shipments soon,” Kuo said in the blog post. “However, Apple’s recent order cuts suggest this optimistic expectation may not materialize in the short term.”

The first rollout of Apple Intelligence features are available on devices with language settings set to American English. The ability to use Apple Intelligence in other languages like French or Japanese will roll out in 2025.

Customers line-up inside the Apple Store, Regent Street on September 20, 2024 in London, England. Following Apple’s new product announcements, customers can pick up the new iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max from UK Apple Stores today.
Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

Apple promises more to come for December

Abigger slate of AI features is expected in December when Apple debuts iOS 18.2, inclinding “Genmoji,” a feature that lets users create their own emoji, along with ChatGPT-powered Siri and Writing Tools.

Apple is also planning to introduce a “visual intelligence experience” which would allow iPhone 16 users to hover their iPhone camera over objects and retrieve real-time information.

Wedbush’s Ives said the implementation of Apple Intelligence will produce positive long-term results for the company.

“This will be a multi-year AI journey that will define the future for Apple with its next generation chip architecture, hardware releases and future iPhone models built around the AI foundation that many consumers will ultimately embrace,” Ives said in a note.

CFRA Research’s Zino said Apple’s December rollout should prove more impactful than the October release.

“We do not expect the Apple Intelligence capabilities rolling out this week to have a notable impact on consumer behavior and Apple-related product sales,” Zino said in an email to CNN. “Planned Apple Intelligence new features expected in December and early 2025 will be much more impactful to the company’s ecosystem, in our view, and will be viewed favorably by Apple’s installed base.”

Apple (AAPL) will report its quarterly earnings on Thursday. Shares of Apple on Monday closed at $233.40, a gain of $1.99, or 0.86%.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/28/tech/apple-iphone-ai/index.html

Apple Intelligence is almost here and Apple has just confirmed exactly when. We already knew it was some time in October and now Apple has said it will be next week. And Apple has just put the first developer beta of iOS 18.2 live.

iOS 18.1 Release Date

Next week means Monday, Oct. 28, Tuesday, Oct. 29 or Wednesday, Oct. 30. My belief is that the exact release details will be 10 a.m. Pacific on Oct. 28.

iOS 18.1: The First Taste Of Apple Intelligence

The first features of Apple’s personal intelligence system are almost here. There’s more to come over the next few months but initial features include writing tools to let you improve what you’ve written. You can proofread your text, and the iPhone can rewrite or summarize what you’ve said. These tools are available across the iPhone, including in Mail, Notes, Pages and in some third-party apps.

Photos has a new clean-up tool which can remove people and things spoiling your shot, and uses multiple machine learning tools to leave the background pristine, like they were never there.

You can already record and transcribe audio, but with iOS 18.1, the capability to record phone calls is added, complete with automatic notifications to participants. A summary is also generated after the call ends.

Siri gains a new design that looks somehow more central to the iPhone experience and will offer a more intuitive interaction.

At first, Apple Intelligence on iPhone will only work with devices with language and Siri set to U.S. English. But Apple has now released a developer beta which will extend this to other versions of English.

iOS 18.2 Developer Beta Now Live

The new dev beta of iOS 18.2 has just gone live and it allows more English speakers to use Apple Intelligence, specifically English for Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the U.K.

It also introduces a lot more features, plus refinements to the existing writing tools—you can specify what you’re looking for with a “Describe your change” element.

New features include Image Playground, which lets you create images from a picture in your photo library. You can save these to a new standalone app which will update automatically across devices on the same Apple account.

And iOS 18.2 sees the arrival of the much-anticipated Genmoji to create all-new emoji with just a text prompt. There’s also the first sight of integration with ChatGPT. If Siri thinks ChatGPT could help, it’ll ask if you’d like to be connected to it. Apple has stressed the security protections it has put in place for each request and no ChatGPT account is needed. Visual Intelligence, which integrates with the iPhone’s Camera Control is also in the new beta.

Apple iOS 18.2 will go on general release in December, Apple has confirmed.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2024/10/23/ios-181-iphone-update-release-date-confirmed-ios-182-beta-live/

An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.

Here’s what we know.

Quarter Pounders made people sick

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Tuesday warning that dozens of people reported eating the Quarter Pounder sandwich at McDonald’s before becoming sick.

A specific ingredient has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but the US Food and Drug Administration says that the slivered onions or beef patties on Quarter Pounder sandwiches are the likely source of contamination.

McDonald’s has taken Quarter Pounders off the menu in about a fifth of its stores. The company has stopped using the onions as well as quarter-pound beef patties in several states – Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma – while the investigation continues, the CDC said.

According to the agency, the beef patties are used only for the Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are used primarily for the Quarter Pounder and not other items. Diced onions and other types of beef patties used at McDonald’s have not been implicated in this outbreak, the FDA said.

McDonald’s supplier Taylor Farms Colorado has removed yellow onions from the market “out of an abundance of caution,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.

A Taylor Farms spokesperson said it has found no traces of E. coli in tests of raw or finished onions. “We have never seen E. coliO157:H7 associated with onions in the past,” the statement said.

“We continue to work closely with FDA and CDC during this ongoing investigation. Our priority is the health and wellness of our customers and consumers and the safety and quality of our products.”

E. coli infections can be serious

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a common bacteria, but certain types can make you sick. Infections can occur after someone swallows the bacteria, often when consuming contaminated food or water. It can also spread from person to person through poor bathroom hygiene.

People with E. coli infections may have symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Symptoms usually begin three or four days after swallowing the bacteria.

Although most people who become ill recover without treatment within a week, others can develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization. Seniors, children younger than 5 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of infection, according to the CDC.

E. coli infections from the new outbreak have led to at least 10 hospitalizations, the CDC says, including a child who had hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can develop from an E. coli infection. One older person has died.

Most of the illnesses related to the outbreak are in Colorado and Nebraska, according to the CDC, but the agency notes that the outbreak may go beyond those states. Illnesses have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The CDC recommends that people call their doctor if they have recently eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and are experiencing severe E. coli symptoms such as a fever higher than 102 and diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has not improved in three days, vomiting that limits liquid intake or signs of dehydration.

A ‘fast-moving’ investigation

It can take weeks to determine whether an illness is part of an outbreak, but the CDC said the investigation into the McDonald’s outbreak is “fast-moving.”

The agency said the outbreak is expected grow, with new cases being reported “on a rolling basis” as scientists make genetic linkages between the outbreak strain and the bacteria that is causing human infections.

The onset of illnesses associated with the outbreak have been reported from September 27 to October 11, according to CDC data. But the start date of the outbreak is likely to shift too as cases come to light, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation.

Outbreaks like these can also wind down quickly after the tainted food or ingredient is removed from the market. That requires a thorough investigation to make sure all possible channels of distribution have been uncovered and stopped.

Changes at McDonald’s

The president of McDonald’s USA said that it’s safe to eat at McDonald’s and that affected ingredients are probably out of the supply chain at restaurants.

“We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics” without getting sick, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said on NBC’s “Today Show” on Wednesday.

Quarter Pounder sandwiches will temporarily be removed from the menu in some states while the company makes supply changes, according to the CDC.

Erlinger said he believes that “if there has been contaminated product within our supply chain, it’s very likely worked itself through that supply chain already,” but he acknowledged that the number of illnesses reported may rise as the CDC investigates and traces cases.

“Serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority,” McDonald’s said in a statement Tuesday.

A fact sheet from the company highlights food safety protocols that it says are in place, including daily temperature checks and hourly handwashing for employees. It also notes that Quarter Pounders are cooked to order to temperatures that exceed the FDA’s code on best practices.

Foodborne illness is on the rise

CDC data released this summer shows that foodborne illness is on the rise in the US. A few illnesses, including E. coli infections, are well above federal targets for reducing foodborne illness.

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There were more than 5 E. coli illnesses for every 100,000 people in the US in 2023, a 25% increase from five years earlier and about 40% higher than target rates.

Campylobacter bacteria is the most common pathogen causing foodborne illness, causing more than 19 illnesses for every 100,000 people – a rate that’s 22% higher than five years ago and twice as high as federal goals. Infections from this bacteria are most commonly caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry, according to the CDC, and it can make people ill with diarrhea.

Salmonella infections haven’t increased in recent years, but the bacteria still caused about 14 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the US in 2023.

Listeria caused about 0.3 illnesses for every 100,000 people in the US in 2023, according to data from the CDC, but it has led to a few large, deadly outbreaks this year.

Boar’s Head issued a recall in late July for more than 7.2 million pounds of its ready-to-eat liverwurst and some other deli meat products, amid reports of dozens of hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths, and a recall of nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items made by BrucePac has affected schools, retailers and restaurants nationwide.

CNN’s Nadia Kounang, Carma Hassan, Brenda Goodman and Meg Tirrell contributed to this report.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/23/health/mcdonalds-e-coli-quarter-pounder-investigation/index.html

The famous Halley’s comet is about halfway through its roughly 76-year orbit of the sun, having reached its farthest point from its host star in December 2023. The comet won’t be visible in the night sky until 2061.

But the debris the comet leaves in its trail — otherwise known as the Orionid meteor shower — causes meteors to streak through Earth’s atmosphere.

The annual celestial display will be most visible during its peak Sunday night into Monday, with an estimated rate of 10 to 20 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.

The best time to see the Orionids will be any time after midnight when constellation Orion — which is the Orionids’ radiant, or the area from which meteors appear to originate — is high in the sky, said Robert Lunsford, the fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society. The display will be visible in all parts of the world except Antarctica, where the sun currently does not set, he added.

But even a few days following peak activity, the Orionids are still expected to produce a similar rate of meteors. “The Orionids have a kind of a flat peak — a plateau of activity,” Lunsford said. “So, if it’s cloudy on that particular (peak) night, the night after it should be very close to the same activity you would see before.”

And later in October, the supermoon known as hunter’s moon will interfere less with meteor viewing. Appearing large and bright, this moon reached its full phase on Thursday and will continue to wane until the end of the month. Try observing meteors in the opposite direction from the moon to avoid its reflected light that could hinder visibility of faint particles, Lunsford suggested. The Orionids are active until November 22.

Meteors from Halley’s comet

As Earth orbits the sun, it encounters the debris trail from Halley’s comet twice a year. The first occurs in May when particles from the comet’s outbound leg cause the annual Eta Aquariids. The second trail, produced during Halley’s return to the sun from the outer solar system, creates the Orionids in October.

When the particles enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and create the meteors we see streaking in the sky. The bigger particles can produce what are known as fireballs, meteors that are brighter than the planet Venus, according to NASA.

The particles from asteroids, which are made up of rock and metal, sometimes make it to the ground, where they are known as meteorites, Lunsford said. But a comet composed of ice, frozen gases and rocks is typically too fragile to survive a trip through Earth’s atmosphere, he added.

For sky-gazers looking to spot a meteor, NASA recommends sitting outside up to 30 minutes beforehand to let your eyes adjust to the dark. And if you’re able do your viewing at higher altitudes, the clearer the sky will be and the less moonlight will scatter, he said.

The best part of viewing a meteor shower, Lunsford said, is “getting in touch with nature and being part of the universe. Everything up there is in motion. So no one night is the same — everything has moved a little bit — and no year is the same.”

Upcoming celestial events

If you missed Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and its closest pass of Earth on October 12, you still have a chance to see the comet until early November, NASA predicts. Look for the celestial wonder in the western part of the night sky shortly after sunset.

Astronomers originally estimated the comet to circle back in about 80,000 years, but as of October 14, observational data revealed the comet had a new path that could remove it from our solar system completely.

There are two full moons remaining for 2024 — the beaver moon, which is also a supermoon, on November 15 and the cold moon on December 15, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Meanwhile, sky-gazers can anticipate a busy meteor shower season to close out 2024. Here are peak dates for upcoming celestial activity, according to the American Meteor Society:

Southern Taurids: November 4-5

Northern Taurids: November 11-12

Leonids: November 17-18

Geminids: December 13-14

Ursids: December 21-22

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/20/science/orionids-meteor-shower-october/index.html