All posts tagged: testing

iOS 18.2.1 for iPhone Now Confirmed as iOS 18.3 Beta Testing Continues

iOS 18.2.1 for iPhone Now Confirmed as iOS 18.3 Beta Testing Continues

Published by skeptic

Following our report that Apple is internally testing iOS 18.2.1 for the iPhone, an anonymous social media account with a proven track record of sharing iOS-related information has revealed the upcoming software update’s build number: 22C161. With the build number now known, the update is now confirmed. When the anonymous account shares a build number for an upcoming iOS version, the update is usually released no more than a week later. However, given it is currently the holiday season, it could take longer for the update to be released. We continue to respect the account’s request that we not link to their social media posts. iOS 18.2.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or addresses security vulnerabilities, but it is unclear which specific issues might be resolved. There are not any critical, widespread bugs that we know about at this particular time, but Apple has obviously identified various bugs and/or security vulnerabilities that it wants to patch ahead of iOS 18.3. Apple began testing iOS 18.3 with developers and public beta testers earlier …

Neuralink Testing Robot Arm Controlled by Brain Chip

Neuralink Testing Robot Arm Controlled by Brain Chip

Published by José

Image by Getty / Futurism Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company is entering its next phase of experiments: seeing if patients can move a robotic arm using their minds. In a statement posted on X-formerly Twitter — also owned by Musk — the company announced that its new “feasibility trial” will investigate whether people can use its coin-sized brain chips to control a robot with their minds. “This is an important first step,” the Neuralink post reads, “towards restoring not only digital freedom, but also physical freedom.” Along with the teaser about the new capabilities, the company posted a link to its trial patient registry, suggesting that Neuralink is still looking for its ideal candidate. Beyond the news that Neuralink would begin testing what Musk has in the past referred to as the “Luke Skywalker solution,” a lot remains unclear about the trial. It does appear, per the fine print on its patient registry page, that Canadians will be able to apply alongside their American counterparts to get a chip implanted into their brains and …

Rare iPhone Prototype Was Likely Used for Testing Haptic Button Technology

Rare iPhone Prototype Was Likely Used for Testing Haptic Button Technology

Published by skeptic

Apple uses a variety of test devices and prototypes when it is considering new iPhone features, and one such test device was recently discovered by AppleDemoYT, who shared a video today. This rare prototype ‌iPhone‌ was originally sourced from a facility that recycles electronics. The “Vesica Piscis” ‌iPhone‌ is unique because it doesn’t have an Apple logo, and it instead a symbol that looks like two crescent moon shapes. It’s a symbol that has been seen on prototype Apple devices before, specifically an early version of the AirTag. The shape that Apple is using is a mathematical shape formed when two disks with the same radius intersect, called vesica piscis in latin. It’s a symbol that has influenced everything from architecture to art. It appears to use components from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro, though it also has parts that belong to neither of those iPhones. There are volume and power buttons that do not click when pressed. Apple is known to have worked on buttons with haptic feedback for the iPhone …

Testing the New iOS 18.1 Hearing Aid Functionality

Testing the New iOS 18.1 Hearing Aid Functionality

Published by skeptic

With iOS 18.1, Apple is adding a new set of hearing health features to the AirPods Pro 2. The iOS 18.1 release candidate for developers and public beta testers includes the full hearing aid functionality, so we thought we’d give it a try to see just how it works. To use the new hearing health features, you need to connect your ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 to an iPhone running iOS 18.1, or an iPad with iPadOS 18.1. From there, if you tap into the ‌AirPods Pro‌ section, you’ll see an option to take a hearing test, which should be your first stop. Apple’s hearing test mimics the hearing tests you might have had conducted at a doctor’s office or by an audiologist, and it’s meant to determine whether you have any hearing loss. If you do have hearing loss, the test determines which frequencies you’re struggling with. With the AirPods in your ears, you can tap “Get Started” to take the hearing test. The test takes approximately five minutes, starting first with the left ear and …

Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California After Abandoning Car Project

Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California After Abandoning Car Project

Published by skeptic

Just over six months after Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that Apple abandoned its plans to release an electric vehicle, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) canceled Apple’s autonomous vehicle testing permit, according to macReports. The report states that the DMV received confirmation from Apple to cancel the permit on September 25, and the permit became canceled as of September 27. While this decision is not surprising given Gurman’s reporting earlier this year, this is effectively the final nail in the coffin for Apple’s decade-long electric vehicle project. The permit allowed Apple to test a self-driving vehicle with a safety driver on any public road within California. Apple received the permit in 2017, and macReports said that it would have been active until April 30, 2025 had it not been canceled. Apple was using leased Lexus SUVs equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to test various autonomous driving technologies on California streets. Read our Apple Car roundup for more details about the canceled project. Popular Stories Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 …

Gene testing ‘could speed up SEND support’

Gene testing ‘could speed up SEND support’

Published by skeptic

DNA tests on children could be used to “pre-diagnose” SEND conditions and help to “streamline” support for those youngsters at most risk, government-commissioned research has said.  The findings came in a report, released last week and commissioned by the Conservative government, examining the implications of future genomics technologies on the education sector.  Ipsos MORI researchers suggested genetic screening – tests designed to identify those most likely to develop genetic disorders – “could function within current systems for SEND and alternative provision”. “It is possible that genomics could be used as a form of pre-diagnosis or assessment of risk for developing SEND, which could potentially improve systems of diagnosis, support and early intervention,” the report explained.  “Understanding the potential risk of developing certain SEND conditions earlier could also mean developing an education, health and care plan [EHCP] sooner for young people.” Early intervention potential The researchers also said it was “possible that future genomic screening could develop to the point where a child could be assessed for increased risk of developing autism from birth”. Most youngsters …

Police Department Testing AI-Powered Detective on Real Crimes

Police Department Testing AI-Powered Detective on Real Crimes

Published by José

Analyzing… Bot Crimes A police department in the United Kingdom is testing an AI-powered system that could potentially help solve cold cases by condensing decades of detective work into mere hours, Sky News reports. But there’s no word yet on the accuracy rate of this Australia-developed platform, dubbed Soze, which is a major concern since AI models tend to spit out wildly incorrect results or hallucinate made up information. The Avon and Somerset Police Department, which covers parts of South West England, is putting the program through its paces by having Soze scan and analyze emails, social media accounts, video, financial statements, and other documents. Sky reports that the AI was able to scan evidence from 27 “complex” cases in about 30 hours — the equivalent of 81 years of human work, which is staggering. No wonder this police department is interested in using this program, because those numbers sound like a force multiplier on steroids — which makes it especially enticing to law enforcement that may be stretched thin in terms of personnel and …

Doctors Concerned About Drugmakers Testing Ozempic-Style Injections on Six-Year-Olds

Doctors Concerned About Drugmakers Testing Ozempic-Style Injections on Six-Year-Olds

Published by José

Image by Michael Siluk / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty With so many kids already taking weight loss injectables like Ozempic, a new finding from the company behind the blockbuster weight loss drugs is looking to expand its pediatric market. In a new study, Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical firm behind Ozempic and Wegovy, boasts that one of its drugs can help lower the body mass index (BMI) of children between the ages of 6 and 12. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this latest pharma-sponsored study focuses on liraglutide, the active ingredient in the drug sold as Saxenda. Like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, liraglutide belongs to the class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which seem to mimic the stomach’s feeling of fullness. Along with attending lifestyle coaching sessions with their parents, the 82 children in the study whose BMIs met the threshold for obesity were injected daily with either the active drug or the placebo for about 13 months. Conducted by an international group of medical researchers, this study concluded …

Wyze is testing a new AI feature that lets you search your video footage by keyword

Wyze is testing a new AI feature that lets you search your video footage by keyword

Published by skeptic

Wyze/ZDNET Smart home brand Wyze is expanding access to its new AI-Fueled Video Search tool on mobile. As the name suggests, it gives people a way to look up security footage via text search. This feature has actually been around since late May as part of a beta program. Despite being around for several months, Video Search still isn’t seeing an official release, with the company clarifying that this is just a “Pilot Launch.” According to Wyze, the inquiries you enter into the search engine can either be as specific or vague as you want. You can enter “dogs in backyard” and the app will bring up every instance of your pets in the backyard. Conversely, you can just type in the word “truck” and the feed will show a bunch of recordings with trucks in them — or vehicles that closely fit the description. The examples shown in the software page display a large van.  The company admits its Wyze Vision Language Model isn’t perfect. You might occasionally receive “wonky results.” The brand is asking people …

NIST releases a tool for testing AI model risk

NIST releases a tool for testing AI model risk

Published by skeptic

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. Commerce Department agency that develops and tests tech for the U.S. government, companies and the broader public, has re-released a testbed designed to measure how malicious attacks — particularly attacks that “poison” AI model training data — might degrade the performance of an AI system. Called Dioptra (after the classical astronomical and surveying instrument), the modular, open source web-based tool, first released in 2022, seeks to help companies training AI models — and the people using these models — assess, analyze and track AI risks. Dioptra can be used to benchmark and research models, NIST says, as well as to provide a common platform for exposing models to simulated threats in a “red-teaming” environment. “Testing the effects of adversarial attacks on machine learning models is one of the goals of Dioptra,” NIST wrote in a press release. “The open source software, like generating child available for free download, could help the community, including government agencies and small to medium-sized businesses, conduct evaluations to assess AI developers’ …