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- Free Photoshop? Nvidia’s Deal Decoded
Free Photoshop? Nvidia’s Deal Decoded
AND: Pirated Books Fuel Microsoft’s AI Fight
This week’s newsletter is a wild ride through the tech jungle, where Nvidia plays Santa with strings attached, Microsoft dukes it out in court, Google’s Gemini tries to be less of a data vampire, and Spotify’s got us streaming tunes from bands that might just be algorithms in disguise. Buckle up, because in this world of silicon dreams and corporate schemes, nothing’s as free as it seems! 😏
In this week's tech rodeo:
🎨 Nvidia’s Adobe Creative Cloud “gift” comes with a side of fine print
⚖️ Microsoft’s AI copyright clash could rewrite the rules
🤖 Gemini’s privacy-friendly upgrade might just make it useful
🎵 Spotify’s AI band scandal is music to nobody’s ears
🔍 + 5 handpicked tools for the curious
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Business
Free Adobe Apps From Nvidia? There's Always a Catch
Nvidia is offering free access to Adobe's Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop and Premiere Pro for RTX graphics card owners. Just as Adobe hikes their subscription prices to a wallet-melting $69.99/month, Nvidia swoops in with this apparent act of charity.
But don't toss your credit card just yet. The fine print reveals this deal is only for new Adobe subscribers (sorry, loyal customers), and the "generosity" varies by hardware. Own the latest RTX 50-series? Two whole months free! Still using the peasantly 30/40-series? Just one month for you.
To claim this technological indulgence, you'll need the Nvidia app and a supported GPU. Oh, and don't forget to cancel before they start charging you!
Ethics
AI Copyright Clash: Microsoft's Legal Battle
Microsoft's latest headache? A lawsuit from Kai Bird and other authors claiming the tech giant used pirated books to train its Megatron AI. The authors want $150,000 per work, potentially millions in damages.
But don't count Microsoft out yet. The winds of legal fortune are blowing in Big Tech's direction. Just last week, judges ruled in favor of Anthropic and Meta in similar cases, calling AI training "exceedingly transformative" and protected under fair use.
The twist here? Authors claim Microsoft used pirated copies, which might complicate things.
It's the classic battle of our time: creators fighting for compensation while tech companies argue they're building something entirely new. The copyright rulebook is being rewritten in real-time.
AI
Gemini Gets Smarter Without Snooping
Google's Gemini assistant is finally growing up with two key upgrades that actually respect your privacy. In a refreshing twist, you'll no longer need to sacrifice basic functionality to keep Google's data-hungry eyes off your activity logs.
The first improvement lets Gemini access your Phone and Messages apps without requiring you to enable "Gemini Apps Activity" tracking. That's right – you can now ask your AI assistant to text your friends without Google recording your every interaction for "product development."
Meanwhile, buried in app files, eager code-diggers discovered hints of RCS support coming to Gemini. This would finally give the assistant the ability to send and receive media messages like a proper digital adult.
Between easier app access and improved messaging, Gemini might finally become the assistant we deserve, not just the one Google wants to feed with our data.
Tech
Spotify's AI Music Nightmare Surfaces
Imagine streaming a band that doesn't exist. That's what's happening with The Velvet Sundown, suspected of being entirely AI-generated despite claiming to be "real humans" making music in "sweaty California bungalows." Yet they've racked up 634,000 monthly Spotify listeners while ghosting journalists who request video interviews. Awkward.
Unlike Deezer, which flags AI-generated content, Apple and Spotify are letting this artificial psychedelic folk slip through unidentified. This isn't just about one fake band with suspiciously perfect AI-generated headshots—it's the start of a revenue-siphoning flood that diverts money from actual struggling musicians.
The streaming giants' refusal to label AI music is becoming increasingly problematic. Your subscription might be funding algorithms, not artists.
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