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  • Facebook shuttering Facial Recognition technology, will delete data and tags for over one billion users

    Facebook shuttering Facial Recognition technology, will delete data and tags for over one billion users

    Sometimes you have to do things to win back the public’s trust.

    Facebook announced through its parent company Meta on Tuesday that the company

    is shutting down its Face Recognition system and will delete the facial data of more than 1 billion of its users.

    People who opted in to Face Recognition will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and their facial recognition templates will be deleted.

    Per Facebook VP of Artificial Intelligence Jerome Pesenti, Facebook is making this change because it needs to weigh the positive use cases for facial recognition against growing societal concerns” as regulators “have yet to provide clear rules.”

    The facial recognition feature has been available since 2011, and when it debuted, the feature was turned on automatically for more than 500 million people. The option, known as “Tag Recognition” at the time, was designed to recognize Facebook users in photos and videos posted by other users, tagging all of the people in the photo.

    Following immediate privacy concerns that came with the launch of the feature, Facebook in December 2017 introduced an expanded Face Recognition feature and with it, an opt-out option.

    The company has stated that more than a third of Facebook’s daily active users have facial recognition enabled, and that the change required “careful consideration.” It also stated that an Automatic Alt Text feature for blind users that automatically provided the names of people in photos.

    Facebook also stated that it will continue to work on its facial recognition technologies, and offered the following comments:

    Looking ahead, we still see facial recognition technology as a powerful tool, for example, for people needing to verify their identity, or to prevent fraud and impersonation. We believe facial recognition can help for products like these with privacy, transparency and control in place, so you decide if and how your face is used. We will continue working on these technologies and engaging outside experts.

    But the many specific instances where facial recognition can be helpful need to be weighed against growing concerns about the use of this technology as a whole. There are many concerns about the place of facial recognition technology in society, and regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use. Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate.

    Via MacRumors and about.fb.com

  • 1Password 7.0 for macOS released

    1Password, arguably the best of breed for password managers on the Mac, has been updated to version 7.0, the new version offering the following fixes, changes and new features:

    – Collapse the sidebar entirely so your items get all the love

    – Quickly find items with our new Spotlight integration
    (more…)

  • Apple releases OS X 10.9 Mavericks, offers OS upgrade for free

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    You’ve REALLY been waiting for this one.

    On Tuesday, Apple released its long-awaited OS X 10.9 Mavericks operating system. The new OS, which stands at roughly a five gigabyte download via OS X’s Software Update utility, offers the following fixes, changes and new features:

    iBooks:
    – Download and read books from the iBooks Store.

    – Pick up right where you left off. iCloud keeps your current page up to date across all your devices.

    – Swipe through Multi-Touch books with interactive features, diagrams, photos, videos, and more.

    – Keep multiple books open while using other apps — great for writing a paper or doing research.

    Maps:
    – Send directions from your Mac to your iPhone and use voice navigation when you’re on the go.

    – Explore select cities in stunning, photo-realistic 3D with Flyover.

    – See detailed directions, real-time traffic, and alternate routes.

    – Find restaurants, stores, and other places of interest with local search in Maps.

    Calendar:
    – Create new events in a snap with the new, streamlined event inspector.

    – Enter event locations fast with address autocompletion.

    – Add walking or driving travel time to your event so you know when to leave.

    – See a map of your event’s location, as well as the weather forecast for that day.

    – See holidays and Facebook events in Calendar.

    Safari:
    – Use Shared Links to discover new, interesting links posted by people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn.

    – Browse longer thanks to new core technologies that boost energy efficiency.

    – Easily access your bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Links in the new Sidebar.

    – Protect your online privacy with new tracking-prevention features.

    iCloud Keychain:
    – Don’t worry about remembering passwords — iCloud Keychain fills them in so you don’t have to.

    – Keep your website passwords, credit card numbers, and Wi-Fi passwords up to date across your trusted devices. Robust 256-bit AES encryption helps keep your information safe.

    – Sign in once to all of your mail, contacts, calendar, and other internet accounts, and iCloud pushes them to all your Mac computers.

    Multiple Displays:
    – Just plug in a second display to use it with your Mac — no configuration required.

    – Access the Dock and the menu bars on each display.

    – Use full-screen apps on any or all of your displays.

    – Use your HDTV as a second display with Apple TV.

    Notifications:
    – Reply to mail or messages right from a notification, without having to leave the app you’re using.

    – Receive notifications for incoming FaceTime calls and reply with an iMessage or set a callback reminder.

    – Receive notifications from websites, even when Safari isn’t running.

    Finder Tabs:
    – Declutter your desktop by consolidating multiple Finder windows into one.

    – Move files between your tabs by simply dragging and dropping them.

    – Select a custom view — icon, list, or column — for each of your tabs.

    – Use tabs with full-screen Finder to organize and access all your files and folders.

    Tags:
    – Organize files with tags no matter where they’re located — in iCloud or on your Mac.

    – Give a document as many tags as you want.

    – Click a tag in the Finder sidebar to see all the files with that tag.

    Advanced Technologies:
    – With energy-saving core technologies in OS X Mavericks, you can surf the web longer on a single charge.

    – Watching iTunes HD video is now more efficient, so you can watch more video when you’re not plugged in.

    – App Nap regulates applications you’re not using so they consume less energy.

    OS X 10.9 Mavericks is available for free and requires any one of the following 64-bit Intel-based Macs to install and run:
    iMac (Mid-2007 or later), MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17- inch, Late 2007 or later), MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later), Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later), Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later), Xserve (Early 2009)

    If you’ve tried OS X 10.9 Mavericks and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • Apple releases OS X 10.9 “Mavericks” Golden Master to developer community

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    Mavericks could be just around the corner.

    Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog, just hours after releasing the first build of OS X 10.9 Mavericks without a “Developer Preview” label to AppleSeed members, Apple has issued the official “Golden Master” version of OS X 10.9 Mavericks to all developers.

    A Golden Master build is the same, official version of software that will be released to customers. The fact that Apple has released the GM build to developers almost guarantees users will see the release of OS X 10.9 Mavericks sometime this month. OS X 10.9 Mavericks will introduce over 200 new features, notably iBooks for Mac, Maps for Mac, tabbed Finder, iCloud Keychain, Tags, and more.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Skype releases native client for iPad

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    After over a year of anticipation, Voice Over Internet Protocol outfit Skype released an iPad-native version of its client on Tuesday. Per Macworld, the iPad app bears more than a passing resemblance to Skype 5 for Mac and uses a thumbnail grid of your Skype contacts; tap on any of them to bring up a look at their profile, along with options for voice calling, video calling, chat and SMS. Skype allows users to access their contacts via “Tags,” (think groups) but doesn’t allow them to actually assign contacts into those categories on the iPad app—you need to use the desktop program for that. You can also add new contacts, or even just dial any phone number you like via a standard keypad.

    The app lets you make calls over Wi-Fi or 3G and you’ll need a Skype account as well as some credit if you want to make calls to actual phones. Video calls let you switch back and forth between the iPad 2’s front and rear cameras. If you’re using an original iPad, you’ll obviously only be able to receive video. And there’s support for instant messaging via Skype, including emoticons.

    Skype for iPad is free and requires iOS 4.0 or later. It is not a universal app, meaning that if you already have the iPhone version on your iPad, you’ll need to download this one separately.