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Generative AI, we are repeatedly told, is a transformative and complicated technology. So complicated that its own creators are unable to explain why it acts the way it does, and so transformative that we'd be fools to stand in the way of progress. Even when progress resembles a machine for undressing strangers without their consent on an unprecedented scale, as has been the case of late with Elon Musk's Grok chatbot. UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer seems to have so fully bought into the grand lie of the AI bubble that he was willing to announce: "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law." Not that it currently is in compliance. Nor a timeline in which it is expected to do so. Just that he seems satisfied that someday, eventually, Musk's pet robot will stop generating child sexual abuse material. This statement comes just under two days after Starmer was quoted as saying "If X cannot control Grok, we will." What could Elon possibly have said to earn this pathetic capitulation. AI is difficult? Solutions take time? These are entirely cogent technical arguments until you remember: He could just turn it off. Elon Musk has the power to disable Grok, if not in whole (we should be so lucky) than its image generation capabilities. We know this intuitively, but also because he rate-limited Grok's image generation after this latest scandal: after a few requests, free users are now prompted to pay $8 per month to continue enlisting a wasteful technology to remove articles of clothing from women. Sweep it under the rug, make a couple bucks along the way. Not only is it entirely possible for image generation to be turned off, it's the only responsible option. Software engineers regularly roll back updates or turn off features that work less than optimally; this one's still up and running despite likely running afoul of the law. That we have now gone the better part of a month aware this problem exists; that the "feature" still remains should tell Starmer and others all they need to know. Buddy, you're carrying water for a bozo who does not seem to care that one such victim was reportedly Ashley St Clair, the mother of one of his (many) children. Some countries namely Malaysia and Indonesia chose to turn Grok off for their citizens by blocking the service. Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister was quoted as saying The government sees nonconsensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights." Imagine if everyone in the business of statecraft felt that way. The UK (not to mention the US, but please, expect nothing from us, we're busy doing authoritarianism) has a lot more sway over X, and by extension Elon, than either of those countries. Musk does, and is looking to do even more, business in the UK. Even if Musk were not perhaps the world's most well known liar, Grok can still make images and that should speak for itself. Grok should be well out of second chances by now, and it's up to government leaders to say no more until they can independently verify it's no longer capable of harm.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/he-could-just-turn-it-off-180209551.html?src=rss
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Look, virtual private networks are great I wouldn't have made a list of the best VPNs if I didn't recommend using them. But being able to control your own technology is also important. A VPN can provide protection and peace of mind when used properly, but you may not want it active on your phone all the time.For example: Are your Google search results suddenly in German? Thats one example of what can happen if you leave your virtual location set to Berlin or Vienna. Or maybe a VPN you installed for work or to watch a single tennis match is persistently trying to keep itself active.The point is, deactivating a VPN on an iPhone can sometimes be unusually tricky, because theres more than one off switch. Fortunately, it's not hard. There are several easy ways to disconnect from an iOS VPN or delete it entirely. If you catch it turning itself back on, I'll show you how to stop that too.Three ways to turn off your iPhone VPNI'm using a fluid definition of "turn off" here. Some of the steps below simply disconnect the VPN, while others remove it from your phone altogether. I'll make it clear in each section what the outcome will be.How to disconnect in the VPN appThis is the easiest way to turn off a VPN on your iPhone. First, find the VPN app thats active, which should be on your home screen somewhere. Each app has a different interface for connecting and disconnecting, but the disconnect button should be fairly obvious it may say the word "disconnect" or show a green power icon. In any case, it should be right on the home screen, without requiring any digging through menus.Example of where to find the disconnect option on a VPN's home screen.Sam Chapman for EngadgetTap the disconnect button and wait for the VPN to clearly state that it's disconnected. Check to make sure the rectangle with "VPN" inside has disappeared from the top of your iPhone screen. The VPN is now disconnected.How to turn off the VPN in SettingsIf you aren't sure which VPN app is active, or if its interface doesn't make it clear how to turn it off, you can shut it down from the Settings menu instead. Find the app on your home screen that looks like several interlocking gray gears and tap it.Next, scroll down and tap the VPN option. If it's not present (which it wont be on older iOS versions), tap the General option next to another picture of a gray gear. Scroll down again and tap VPN & Device Management by yet another gray gear. Finally, tap the VPN option at the top of the screen to reach the VPN management page.Location of the VPN settings on iOS.Sam Chapman for EngadgetIf you have a VPN active, you should see an option at the top of the page labeled VPN Status. Toggle it from Connected to Not Connected. The VPN icon should disappear from the top of your screen, indicating that it's turned off.How to delete the VPN app altogetherIf you don't want the VPN on your phone at all, you can turn it off permanently by deleting both the app and the configuration. This is a lot harder to undo, so only do it if you're certain.Start by deleting the app the same way you'd get rid of any other app. Tap the icon and hold until a pop-up menu appears. Select the Remove App option in red text, then click Remove App again when prompted.Deleting a VPN on the iOS home screen.Sam Chapman for EngadgetDeleting the app should also delete the configuration, but you can verify this for yourself. Follow the process from the previous section to find the VPN settings page. If there's still a VPN profile in those settings, tap the circled letter "i" next to its name, then tap Delete VPN at the bottom of the screen. The VPN is now gone from your iPhone unless you re-download it from the App Store.Troubleshooting: When an iPhone VPN turns itself back onSometimes, even though you've followed all the steps, that pesky VPN rectangle is back on your screen the next time you unlock your phone. If your iOS VPN keeps turning itself back on, a few things might be happening, most of them thankfully fixable.If you did not delete the VPN, it may be turning itself back on because its settings are telling it to. Go into its preferences menu and check for a setting called "auto-connect" or something similar. Settings like these have the VPN connect by itself to protect users who forget to activate it manually. Toggle all auto-connect options off and the problem should stop.It's also possible that settings on the iOS side are making the VPN reconnect. Go to the VPN settings page (you'll find instructions for getting there in the previous section) and find the name of the active VPN profile. Tap the "i" next to it. On the next page, turn off "connect on demand" to stop the automatic reconnections.If you did delete the VPN, but it's still reinstalling itself and turning back on, make sure that you deleted both the app and the connection profile. Reboot your iPhone to make sure all the settings stick. If the problem persists after all this, you've either got malware disguised as a VPN or you're using a school or work phone where the VPN can't be uninstalled.If you aren't on a phone provided by a school or office, meaning you probably have malware, download an antivirus app and run a complete scan of your iPhone. This should remove any persistent files that keep reinstalling the virus. If, after all this, the VPN is still turning itself back on, I recommend burning your phone in a salt circle with a bundle of sage.When should you turn off your iPhone VPN?I encourage everyone to use a VPN every time they connect to the internet, but there are some situations where going through a VPN server is less convenient (this is the whole reason split tunneling exists). Here are a few cases in which temporarily turning off your VPN might be a good idea.The VPN isn't working. If your browsing speed is sluggish or the VPN keeps dropping the connection, your VPN server might be having problems. Disconnecting and reconnecting, even in the same location, should switch you to a different server that may work better.The VPN is causing unintended browsing errors. If youre using mapping software or just trying to do a location-based search, having your VPN active can cause more problems than it solves. Your internet connection is unstable. A VPN adds an extra step to the process of getting online. If your phone is already struggling, the VPN might be an unnecessary complication.You're on a site that blocks all VPNs. Sites that work based on your location, including all streaming sites, may blanket-block VPNs so nothing messes with their location services. Good VPNs can get around these blocks, but even the best sometimes fail. In these cases, briefly turning off the VPN may be a good idea.Your battery is low. VPNs can put a strain on your phone's battery life. This varies with the quality of your VPN, but you may sometimes need to shut it off if your battery is in the red.How to turn off iCloud Private RelayiCloud Private Relay is not a VPN, but it's often confused for one. If you found this page because you want to turn it off, you're in luck the steps are just as simple as turning off a VPN. Start by opening Settings, then tap your name. Scroll down and tap iCloud.Private Relay will only be active if you're an iCloud+ subscriber. If you are, tap Private Relay, then choose whether to turn it off temporarily or indefinitely.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-turn-off-a-vpn-on-iphone-180000533.html?src=rss
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The first-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are on sale right now for $280, marked down from $430. That 35 percent savings is an even steeper discount than we saw last year Black Friday. In our review of the first-generation Ultras, we gave them a score of 86 out of 100, noting their best-in-class active noise cancellation (ANC) and comfort. Bose improved its stock tuning for these headphones, which we could immediately tell sounded warmer and clearer. Bose has typically lagged behind the likes of Sony and Sennheiser in raw sound quality, but the first-generation QuietComfort Ultra was a big step toward catching up. Bose added "Immersive Audio" to this model, which is the company's take on spatial audio. The company claims this feature effectively puts you in the acoustic sweet spot of a set of stereo speakers. In our testing, we felt this didn't always make songs sound better, but it did make them louder and in some cases made certain details more noticeable. The Ultras offer up to 24 hours of battery life with ANC turned on and about 18 hours with both ANC and Immersive Audio enabled. In our testing, however, we were actually able to beat Bose's estimates for battery life. The second generation of these headphones are currently our top pick for best noise-canceling headphones, but when this older model is heavily on sale, the differences between them are less dramatic. If you're in the market for a pair of great noise-canceling cans, consider checking these out. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-first-gen-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-are-150-off-right-now-164826329.html?src=rss
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