Latest news with #GoogleGoogle
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
How to run AI models on your smartphone without an Internet connection
Google AI Edge Gallery enables users to download and run AI models locally on their smartphone, without the need for an Internet connection. — Google Google has quietly launched a mobile application that lets you use artificial intelligence models locally on your smartphone, without needing to be connected to the internet, whether via a cellular or WiFi network. The app, called Google AI Edge Gallery, enables users to download and run artificial intelligence (AI) models locally on their smartphone, without the need for an Internet connection. For the time being, this application is only compatible with Android. A version for iOS is planned at a later date. Available in alpha (experimental) version only via GitHub, it offers access to a variety of open source models from the Hugging Face platform, including Google's Gemma 3n model. The application has absolutely nothing to do with Google's Gemini AI and all its possible variations. It's designed to be highly intuitive and accessible to all, and free of charge via a smartphone running at least Android 10. Beware of storage, however, as each model needs between 500 MB and 4 GB, depending on performance. Like the most popular generative AI tools, the application uses its various models to answer queries posed by the user, generate images from text descriptions, and rewrite, summarise or translate text. It also aids programming by generating or modifying source code. As the application is not available on the Google Play Store, you need to manually download the APK file from Google AI Edge Gallery directly from GitHub. Once installed, you can then run the AI models of your choice locally. If this application is being launched quietly and outside of Google Play, it's because it's currently an experimental version (and therefore by definition unstable) that needs a lot of feedback from users and developers in order to be improved, and one day offered in a more accessible way to everyday users. – AFP Relaxnews
The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Google to discontinue Play gift cards and prepaid balance in Malaysia from June 15
Google Play gift cards were first introduced in Malaysia in 2018, available in denominations of RM50, RM100, and RM200. — Google Google will no longer offer Google Play gift cards and prepaid balance to users in Malaysia, effective June 15. "You have until January 31 2026 to use any existing Play gift cards or prepaid Play balance, as they will expire and become unusable after this date," the company said in an announcement on Google Play. Users with unredeemed gift cards are also urged to spend the value by purchasing apps, games, movies or e-books on the Google Play store. If the remaining Play balance is not enough to cover the full cost of the item purchase, users can combine it with other payment methods such as via debit/credit card payment or e-wallet. To check remaining Play balance and the amount that will expire, users can go to account, tap 'Payments and subscriptions' then tap 'Payment method'. Google Play gift cards were first introduced in Malaysia in 2018, available in denominations of RM50, RM100, and RM200. Users can find these cards at selected convenience stores. Prior to Malaysia, the company earlier announced that it has stopped offering Google Play gift cards in other countries including Thailand (since 2021) and Japan (since 2023). As of Feb 1, Play gift card balance have expired for users in Singapore.
The Star
15-05-2025
- The Star
What to expect with Android 16
Android 16 will adopt a completely new design. — Google Google unveiled the main new features of Android 16 at its "The Android Show: I/O Edition' event, ahead of its annual Google I/O conference, scheduled for May 20 and 21, 2025. This enhanced version of Android introduces significant design changes, places artificial intelligence at the heart of the system, and is much more secure. Android 16 will first bring a new design, dubbed "Material 3 Expressive." This is the most visible evolution to the system, with its vivid colors, new typography and fluid animations, promising a more dynamic and personalized user experience. The idea, of course, is to appeal to an ever-growing audience, especially young people. The system also introduces "Live Updates,' a dynamic notification system reminiscent of "Live Activities' on iOS. These notifications enable users to track activities such as journeys or deliveries in real time, directly from the smartphone's lock screen. Unsurprisingly, Google's Gemini AI will be more than ever at the heart of the user experience, becoming the operating system's new intelligent assistant. The aim is to offer more natural, contextual interactions across Google's various applications, such as Gmail and Photos. Last but not least, Google intends to make significant improvements in terms of security and privacy. The most striking announcement concerns the detection of fraudulent calls, as well as unprecedented protection against unauthorized system modifications during phone calls. Similarly, AI should make it easier to identify and report fraudulent SMS messages in Google Messages. Android 16 is slated to launch at the beginning of June – a major first, since new versions of the operating system usually roll out in the fall. Google's Pixel devices will be the first to benefit, gradually followed by devices from other smartphone manufacturers. Google claims that there are now more than three billion active Android-powered devices worldwide. – AFP Relaxnews
The Journal
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Senior Russian general killed by car bomb near Moscow
LAST UPDATE | 7 mins ago A SENIOR RUSSIAN general has been killed after an explosive device blew up a parked car near Moscow, the country's major crimes unit has said. Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of operations among the most-senior ranking generals in the Russian military, was killed as a result of the explosion, the investigative committee said . The incident took place in the town of Balashikha, roughly 30kms from Moscow. A murder investigation is now underway. Investigators say preliminary inquiries suggest the device was a homemade explosive device and had used shrapnel. Images from the scene posted on social media showed a blaze that gutted a car. Advertisement Local media has reported that Moskalik lived in the town but did not own the vehicle. Footage published by local broadcasters shows there was a large explosion. Screengrab of the apartment complex in Balashikha where the blast took place. Google Google Moskalik was a Russian military representative at the 'Normandy format' talks on Ukraine in 2015, amid the conflict between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatists, according to the Kremlin's website. Russian President Vladimir Putin made him general-lieutenant in 2021. The blast appeared to be similar to previous attacks on Russians linked to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv had in some cases claimed responsibility but has not commented on today's attack. - © AFP 2025 , with reporting by Muiris Ó Cearbhaill
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
A number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020. The changes have come in response to a campaign by conservative activists to target workplace programs in the courts and social media, and more recently, President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at rooting out DEI policies in both the federal government and private sector. DEI policies typically are intended to root out systemic barriers to the advancement of historically marginalized groups in certain fields or roles. Critics argue that some education, government and business programs are discriminatory because they single out participants based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation. They have targeted corporate sponsorships, employee-led affinity groups, programs aimed at steering contracts to minority or women-owned businesses, and goals that some companies established for increasing minority representation in leadership ranks. These are some of the companies that have retreated from DEI: Google Google rescinded a goal it had set in 2020 to increase representation of underrepresented groups among the company's leadership team by 30% within five years. In a memo to employees, the company also said it was considering other changes in response to Trump's executive order aimed at prohibiting federal contractors from conducting DEI practices that constitute 'illegal discrimination.' It is illegal under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to take race or gender into account when making hiring or promotion decisions in most circumstances. Companies have said their efforts are not hiring quotas but aspirational goals they try to achieve through policies like widening candidate pools and rooting out bias in the hiring process. But critics have said such publicly stated goals, along with other DEI policies, pressure hiring managers to make decisions based on race or gender. Google's parent company Alphabet also signaled things were changing in its annual 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report dropped a boilerplate sentence it has used since 2020 declaring that the company is 'committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve.' Target The retailer said that changes to its 'Belonging at the Bullseye' strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following Floyd's death in Minneapolis, where Target has its headquarters. Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles. The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities. Target also will no longer participate in surveys designed to gauge the effectiveness of its actions, including an annual index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights organization. Target also said it would further evaluate corporate partnerships to ensure they're connected directly to business objectives, but declined to share details. Meta Platforms The parent company of Facebook and Instagram said it was getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program, which featured policies for hiring, training and picking vendors. Like other companies that announced similar changes before Meta, the social media giant said it had been reviewing the program since the Supreme Court's July 2023 affirmative action ruling. Citing an internal memo sent to employees, news website Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant concluded the ruling signaled 'a shift in how courts will approach DEI.' Meta said it would no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and will instead 'focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.' The change means the company will also end its 'diverse slate approach' to hiring, which involved considering a diverse pool of candidates for every open position. Joel Kaplan, Meta's freshly appointed global policy chief, told Fox News Digital that the move will ensure that the company is 'building teams with the most talented people' instead of making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics. Amazon Amazon said it was halting some of its DEI programs, although it did not specify which ones. In a Dec. 16 memo to employees, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive, said the company has been 'winding down outdated programs and materials, and we're aiming to complete that by the end of 2024.' 'We also know there will always be individuals or teams who continue to do well-intentioned things that don't align with our company-wide approach, and we might not always see those right away. But we'll keep at it,' she wrote. Rather than 'have individual groups build programs,' Castleberry said, Amazon is 'focusing on programs with proven outcomes – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.' McDonald's Four years after launching a push for more diversity in its ranks, McDonald's said earlier this month that it is ending some of its diversity practices, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions. McDonald's said on Jan. 6 that it will retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels. It also intends to end a program that encourages its suppliers to develop diversity training and to increase the number of minority group members represented within their own leadership ranks. McDonald's said it will also pause 'external surveys.' The burger giant didn't elaborate, but several other companies have suspended their participation in an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. In an open letter to employees and franchisees, McDonald's senior leadership team said it remained committed to inclusion and believes that having a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage. Walmart The world's largest retailer confirmed in November that it would not be renewing a five-year commitment to an equity racial center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, and that it would stop participating in the HRC's Corporate Equality Index. Walmart also said it will better monitor its third-party marketplace to make sure items sold there do not include products aimed at LGBTQ+ minors, including chest binders intended for transgender youth. Additionally, the company will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts and it won't be gathering demographic data when determining financing eligibility for those grants. Ford CEO Jim Farley sent a memo to the automaker's employees in August outlining changes to the company's DEI policies, including a decision to stop taking part in HRC's Corporate Equality Index. Ford, he wrote, had been looking at its policies for a year. The company doesn't use hiring quotas or tie compensation to specific diversity goals but remains committed to 'fostering a safe and inclusive workplace,' Farley said. 'We will continue to put our effort and resources into taking care of our customers, our team, and our communities versus publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day,' the memo said. Lowe's In August, Lowe's executive leadership said the company began 'reviewing' its programs following the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling and decided to combine its employee resource groups into one umbrella organization. Previously, the company had 'individual groups representing diverse sections of our associate population.' The retailer also will no longer participate in the HRC index, and will stop sponsoring and participating in events, such as festivals and parades, that are outside of its business areas. Harley-Davidson In a post on X in August, Harley-Davidson said the company would review all sponsorships and organizations it was affiliated with, and that all would have to be centrally approved. It said the company would focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining its loyal riding community, in addition to supporting first responders, active military members and veterans. The motorcycle maker said it would no longer participate in the ranking of workplace equality compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, and that its trainings would be related to the needs of the business and absent of socially motivated content. Harley-Davidson also said it does not have hiring quotas and would no longer have supplier diversity spending goals. Brown-Forman The parent company of Jack Daniels also pulled out from participating in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, among other changes. Its leaders sent an email to employees in August saying the company launched its diversity and inclusion strategy in 2019, but since then 'the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically.' The company said it would remove its quantitative workforce and supplier diversity ambitions, ensure incentives and employee goals were tied to business performance, and review training programs for consistency with a revised strategy. 'Brown-Forman continues to foster an inclusive work environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, and able to bring their best self to work,' spokeswoman Elizabeth Conway said in an email. John Deere The farm equipment maker said in July that it would no longer sponsor 'social or cultural awareness' events, and that it would audit all training materials 'to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages' in compliance with federal and local laws. Moline, Illinois-based John Deere added 'the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.' But it noted that it would still continue to 'track and advance' the diversity of the company. Tractor Supply The retailer in June said it was ending an array of corporate diversity and climate efforts, a move that came after weeks of online conservative backlash against the rural retailer. Tractor Supply said it would be eliminating all of its DEI roles while retiring current DEI goals. The company added that it would 'stop sponsoring non-business activities' such as Pride festivals or voting campaigns — and no longer submit data for the HRC index. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based company, which sells products ranging from farming equipment to pet supplies, also said that it would withdraw from its carbon emission goals to instead 'focus on our land and water conservation efforts.' The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supply's president and CEO to step down shortly after the company's announcement. The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
