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Whatever happened to the Metaverse?
When you first glide into Horizon Worlds, the virtual reality app from Meta Platforms Inc., you're greeted with a vivid cityscape and portals into worlds with labels like "adventure" and "comedy." On a recent visit to the "adventure" world, I zoomed around a town in the Wild West toting a... Read more
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Clapper app finds new users as TikTok uncertainty looms
Edison Chen doesn't see his short video social network, Clapper, as a TikTok competitor. But at first glance, it's easy to see how users might.... Read more
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Tax credit tool helps consumers track EV savings
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed an online resource to help consumers understand the electric vehicle tax credits available through the Inflation Reduction Act.... Read more
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Kids judge Alexa smarter than Roomba, but say both deserve kindness
Most kids know it's wrong to yell or hit someone, even if they don't always keep their hands to themselves. But what about if that someone's name is Alexa?... Read more
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Global PC shipments plunge 29% in rough economy
Shipments of Apple Macs plunged during the first quarter of this year as the global personal computer market suffered due to tough economic conditions, market research reports said on Monday.... Read more
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Don't bet on ChatGPT to always be rational
It's a sure bet that Chat GPT will usher in an extraordinary new era of progress. But if you want AI to tackle tasks involving gambling, all bets are off.... Read more
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Don't bet with ChatGPT: Study shows language AIs often make irrational decisions
The past few years have seen an explosion of progress in large language model artificial intelligence systems that can do things like write poetry, conduct humanlike conversations and pass medical school exams. This progress has yielded models like ChatGPT that could have major social and economic ramifications ranging from job... Read more
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The camera never lied... until AI told it to
An amateur photographer who goes by the name "ibreakphotos" decided to do an experiment on his Samsung phone last month to find out how a feature called "space zoom" actually works.... Read more
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Avoid using free public phone charging stations, FBI Denver warns
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in Denver are warning travelers and shoppers to avoid public free phone charging portals, warning that "bad actors" use these to install malware and tracking software onto computers and phones.... Read more
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Convenience, control among benefits that inspire automated feature use
People often complain about the occasional misfires of automated features, such as autocorrect, but users generally enjoy interacting with the tools, according to researchers. They added that focusing on certain benefits of automated features may help developers build automated tools that people use more and complain about less.... Read more
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Apple's new classical music streaming service has a Philly accent—and some flaws
Apple's new classical music service, which launched March 28, has more than 5 million recordings and some serious shortcomings. You can't download directly, only stream; it's supposed to synchronize with your existing Apple Music library, and doesn't (at least, mine didn't); it's currently available only on iPhone.... Read more
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Blame the software: Study reveals new risks to the longevity of electronic devices
Open your garage door by smartphone and control your home's heating on your way back from the office: More and more aspects of our lives are governed by smart, connected electronic devices. Many functions can be controlled and information shared only if the hardware works seamlessly with the operating systems... Read more
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Slow down your thinking to spot fake websites, says study
Engaging your brain in 'analytical reasoning' could save you from being duped by a fake website, according to research from the University of Southampton.... Read more
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Apple to make small number of job cuts in some corporate retail teams
Apple Inc. is eliminating a small number of roles within its corporate retail teams, according to people with knowledge of the matter, marking its first known internal job cuts since it embarked on a belt-tightening effort last year.... Read more
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Apple joins the 'buy now, pay later' lending trend. Do you know about the downsides?
Starting this week, Apple is rolling out its version of "buy now, pay later."... Read more
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Half of U.S. drivers say they often use cellphones behind the wheel
Texting and driving can be deadly. Holding your phone in your hand to talk and surfing the internet while behind the wheel is dangerous, too.... Read more
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Sex, love and companionship ... with AI? Why human-machine relationships could go mainstream
There was once a stigma attached to online dating: Less than a decade ago, many couples who had met online would make up stories for how they met rather than admit that they had done so via an app.... Read more
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Eye-tracking research is a peek into the future of mobile device interaction
A new study exploring how mobile devices can be controlled solely by the movements of users' eyes could offers a peek into the future of gaze-based interactions with smartphones, researchers say.... Read more
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A system that augments mixed reality visualizations using smartphones or tablets
Mixed reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies merge the real world with computer-generated elements, allowing users to interact with their surroundings in more engaging ways. In recent years, these technologies have enhanced education and specialized training in numerous fields, helping trainees to test their skills or make better sense... Read more
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Take your eyes off your mobile phone, says inventor, 50 years on
The problem with mobile phones is that people look at them too much. At least, that's according to the man who invented them 50 years ago.... Read more
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'Dumbphone' fans disconnect in face of smartphone dominance
Shunning his smartphone for a "dumb" one changed the way Jose Briones engages with the world—and he likes it that way.... Read more
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Apple rolls out buy now, pay later service: What to know
Apple is getting into the buy now, pay later space with a few tweaks to the existing model—including no option to pay with a credit card. The company will roll out the product to some consumers this spring, and will begin reporting the loans to credit bureaus in the fall.... Read more
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The gaming audience is 'queerer than ever'—so how are game creators responding?
Mainstream games are embracing openly queer characters—and so are many of their players and fans.... Read more
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Want an easy $400 a year? Ditch the gas heater in your home for an electric split system, says researcher
Earlier this month, regulators flagged power price rises in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Like many people, you're probably wondering how you can minimize the financial pain.... Read more
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China: The rise of TikTok sister app Douyin as a powerful consumer tool
Chinese people are increasingly using TikTok's sister app as a way to complain about products and are finding it a powerful asset.... Read more
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AI tools are generating convincing misinformation: Engaging with them means being on high alert
AI tools can help us create content, learn about the world and (perhaps) eliminate the more mundane tasks in life—but they aren't perfect. They've been shown to hallucinate information, use other people's work without consent, and embed social conventions, including apologies, to gain users' trust.... Read more
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Microsoft's GitHub to add OpenAI chat functions to coding tool
Microsoft Corp.'s GitHub unit created one of the first widely deployed programs using OpenAI's language-generation tools—an app called Copilot that helped software developers write computer code. Now GitHub is adding a chat and voice feature that will let programmers ask how to accomplish certain coding tasks.... Read more
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How a poker game launched Silicon Valley Bank's four-decade ride of the tech wave, and a bad gamble 42 ended it
In the early Eighties, when "High Tech" was still written with quotation marks and the region was starting to become known as The Silicon Valley, tennis buddies Bob Medearis and Bill Biggerstaff took their idea for a new bank to a poker game in Pajaro Dunes.... Read more
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Report: Popular fertility apps are engaging in widespread misuse of data, including on sex, periods and pregnancy
New research reveals serious privacy flaws in fertility apps used by Australian consumers—emphasizing the need for urgent reform of the Privacy Act.... Read more
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Is AI the future of Hollywood? How the hype squares with reality
For every problem you can think of, someone is out there pitching a solution that involves artificial intelligence. AI could help solve such intractable problems as climate change and dangerous work conditions, the technology's most eager boosters promise.... Read more
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How choice architecture facilitates consumer uptake of mobile apps
Researchers from Temple University, Columbia University, and Baylor University published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines the effectiveness of adopting different choices to guide digital consumer behavior and clarifies the underlying psychological mechanisms.... Read more
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Reusable take-out food containers can reduce plastic waste, emissions, costs, study finds
In the effort to reduce plastic waste in the restaurant industry—single-use takeout containers, specifically—University of Michigan researchers compared the lifetime environmental impacts of single-use and reusable food containers.... Read more
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Have celebs learned their lesson from the FTX debacle?
Strolling out of a football stadium, Tom Brady makes his pitch for the crypto trading platform FTX.... Read more
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Trump campaign asks Meta to reinstate his Facebook account
Donald Trump's campaign is asking Facebook's parent company to reinstate his access on grounds he's a declared 2024 presidential candidate and that keeping him off the platform is interfering with the political process.... Read more
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'Smart' walking stick could help visually impaired with groceries, finding a seat
Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder are tapping into advances in artificial intelligence to develop a new kind of walking stick for people who are blind or visually impaired.... Read more
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Cryptocurrencies are in crisis, but they are not going to disappear
Cryptocurrencies are experiencing their worst crisis since the arrival of the first crypto assets and virtual currencies in the 1990s and their democratization in the 2010s.... Read more
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Ex-Amazon drone manager says he was fired for raising safety concerns
When Cheddi Skeete joined Amazon's delivery drone project, it didn't take long before he noticed some things were awry.... Read more
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New study explores artificial intelligence in fashion
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fashion industry has grown significantly in recent years. AI is being used for tasks such as personalizing fashion recommendations for customers, optimizing supply chain management, automating processes, and improving sustainability to reduce waste.... Read more
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Scientists explain why card games are so addictive
A jerk is a physical quantity that represents a sudden change of acceleration. It is widely used as a parameter in engineering, manufacturing, sports science, and other industries. Now, researchers suggest that studying the effect of jerks can provide further information about gameplay too.... Read more
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Best of CES 2023: Pet tech's smart collar, litter robot
From a litter box that automatically cleans itself to buttons designed to allow your dog to communicate with you, this year's CES tech show in Las Vegas featured a range of products aimed at gadget-loving pet owners.... Read more
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From service to retail, here's how the metaverse is reshaping the auto industry
It's not science fiction anymore. Car owners may soon have their vehicles serviced with the help of augmented reality, and they may explore a virtual world while charging their electric vehicles. And get ready for an otherworldly shopping experience.... Read more
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Laid-off Twitter workers feared meager severance deals. Elon Musk just set the bar even lower
After months of waiting, hundreds of Twitter employees laid off by Elon Musk in early November received their separation agreements by email Saturday morning.... Read more
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CES 2023: 10 tech innovations that caught our eye
From electric cars and boats to wireless TVs to the latest phones and tablets, there was a wide range of innovations on display at the CES tech show in Las Vegas last week. Some of it aimed to solve big real world problems. Some of it aimed to make your... Read more
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Apple plans to drop key Broadcom chip to use in-house design
Apple Inc.'s push to replace the chips inside its devices with homegrown components will include dropping a key Broadcom Inc. part in 2025, according to people familiar with the situation, dealing a blow to one of its biggest suppliers.... Read more
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Best of CES 2023: Nutrition tracking and a very smart mixer
From an AI oven that promises to warn you when your food is about to burn to a mixing bowl designed to take the hassle out of tracking calories, food tech was a key theme at this year's CES tech show in Las Vegas.... Read more
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CES 2023: Companies tout environmental tech innovations
The mottled bright green leaves of a pothos plant stood out against the flashy expanse of electric vehicles and smart products at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this year. This particular version of the familiar houseplant was bioengineered to remove 30 times the amount of indoor air pollutants... Read more
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CES 2023: Smelling, touching take center stage in metaverse
Is the metaverse closer than we think? It depends on who you ask at CES, where companies are showing off innovations that could immerse us deeper into virtual reality, otherwise known as VR.... Read more
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From bees to bullets, CES tech show gives gamers the feels
Getting shot, standing in a downpour, being surrounded by bees: None are ideal, but for gamers, feeling the sensations of each is the goal.... Read more
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Stop and smell the metaverse roses: Virtual world on display at CES
Immersive technologies that can better lives, whether helping people treat dementia or learn to pilot fighter jets, is the future of the metaverse, virtual reality startups say.... Read more
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Scanners for avocados and your brain: Highlights from CES 2023
At the annual CES tech show in Las Vegas, hundreds of start-ups presented products aimed at improving health, education and work, increasing productivity and helping to save the planet.... Read more