Author: News Room
The New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act (NY FAIR News Act, for short) would require that any news “substantially composed, authored, or created through the use of generative artificial intelligence” carry a disclaimer. It would also require that any content created using AI be reviewed and approved by a human with “editorial control” before being published.Beyond that, the bill requires organizations to disclose to newsroom employees how and when AI is being used. And it would call for safeguards that prevent confidential information, especially about sources, from being accessed by AI.Meanwhile, S9144 “imposes a moratorium on the…
One of my pandemic hobbies that stuck was home automation. I discovered Home Assistant — the popular open source, extremely customizable home automation platform — and all the intricate things you can do with it to make your home work better.I have ADHD and have found Home Assistant to be a valuable tool for managing executive dysfunction. I use it for audible calendar reminders, laundry reminders, timers, and monitoring my doorbell camera and my nanny cam for my dog. Its also a great source of pure nerdy joy for me. And I recently took the most joyously nerdy step yet…
Almost exactly one year after launching the iPhone 16e, Apple is preparing to launch the 17e, according to Mark Gurman. The iPhone 17e will feature an upgraded A19 chip from the iPhone 17 lineup, plus MagSafe charging, and move Apple’s in-house cellular chips. Just as importantly, the company apparently plans to keep the price at $599, despite soaring RAM and storage prices.Gurman says Apple is planning to pitch the iPhone 17e aggressively in emerging markets and to enterprises. He claims that, with almost no changes expected from the Pixel 10a and Samsung focused on the higher end of the market,…
Dongles have a well-earned reputation for being a nuisance. They’re often costly and annoying to deal with, but for gamers, there’s one that I love to recommend that’s neither. 8BitDo’s $20 USB Adapter 2 lets you wirelessly link controllers to the Switch 2 that would otherwise be unsupported, like the Sony DualSense (complete with rumble and motion controls), Microsoft’s latest Xbox gamepads, and more. You can plug it into the Switch 2’s dock or use a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter to connect it directly to the console.It’s great to save money, since I can simply use a controller that I already own…
Last month, over a dozen automobile and smartphone manufacturers gathered in Palo Alto, California, for the 16th annual “Plugfest,” hosted by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to test out the latest in digital key technology.Digital keys, which allow vehicle owners to lock, unlock, and start their cars using smartphones or other digital devices, are becoming more commonplace. And the goal of Plugfest was to provide a place for CCC members — ranging from automakers and smart device manufacturers to cloud providers and chip makers — to come together to test interoperability and real-world performance across vehicles, devices, and wireless technologies.…
Are you still buying and binning plastic bottles on a daily basis? Keep ploughing through the plastic and you’ll have Attenborough to answer to. And his penguin friends. If you don’t fancy an aggressive peck from a flightless aquatic activist? It’s time to change your drinking ways, quit polluting the waves and buy one of the best water bottles. Of course, for true sustainability, that means hiking into the hills, cupping your hands and sipping straight from a hilltop spring. Zero pollution, plastic-free and as fresh as can be – the ultimate in eco commitment and guaranteed to make you…
I’ve had the opportunity to test a lot of fitness tech over the years. Most of it gets quickly relegated to a cupboard or drawer, never to see the light of day again. Some kit does stick around, though, and actually manages to motivate me to get out the door, pack a gym bag, or feel good enough to work up a sweat. This is the fitness tech I actually use on a regular (and often daily) basis, plus some kit I’ve yet to be won over by. Fitness tech stuff I actually use Garmin Forerunner 970 or Apple Watch…
After what can generously be called a contentious tenure as the CEO of The Washington Post, Will Lewis is stepping down following mass layoffs this week. Jeff D’Onofrio, former CEO of Tumblr from 2017 to 2022, will step in as acting CEO and publisher. D’Onofrio has been CFO at the Post since June of last year, meaning he’s had a front row seat to Jeff Bezos’ dismantling of the once storied paper for the last nine months.D’Onofrio’s resume doesn’t include extensive experience in traditional news media, nor many notable success stories. He was briefly the general manager of Yahoo News…
GOG recently posted a job listing for a senior software engineer focused on porting its Galaxy desktop client to Linux. Now, in reply to a Reddit AMA, the GOG team has revealed that work on native Linux support is already underway. It’s still too early to give an ETA, according to the Reddit thread. But founder and CEO, Michał Kiciński, said, “personally, I’m a big fan of Linux.” The job listing also calls Linux the “next major frontier” in gaming. It’s obvious at this point that Linux is becoming an increasingly important part of the PC gaming landscape. Especially as…
It’s a complete coincidence that I installed Linux around the same time as my colleagues Nathan Edwards and Stevie Bonifield. A few months ago, I decided to breathe new life into a 2019 Dell XPS 15 that had been collecting dust for a couple of years.Despite its (at the time) high-end Core i7 CPU and 32GB of RAM, Windows was frustratingly slow on it. The fan was constantly at full throttle even when the machine was idle, and it regularly failed to install updates. So in early 2024, I gave up and switched to an M1 MacBook Pro.But I wanted…
The latest Anker 45-watt Nano charger, announced in January, which remains one of the smallest 45-watt chargers on the market, adds a full color screen displaying an animated character and a smattering of details about the device you’re charging.$30Anker Nano 45W charger with a built-in screenRead MoreThe display is occasionally useful if you like to keep tabs on how much power your device is drawing, but the screen feels more like a marketing gimmick than a feature most consumers will actually benefit from. But it’s not the only upgrade that makes the charger worth considering.The Nano’s hallmark feature is a…
In a somewhat controversial Vergecast episode, I declared that AirTags are a superior product to iPads. The iPad lovers roasted me across social media. I have heard and respect their opinions. But, I’m sorry — the second-gen AirTag has only deepened my conviction that the humble, $29 item tracker is one of Apple’s most helpful gizmos.The new updates focus more on making a good thing better. There are upgraded ultra-wideband and Bluetooth chips that help extend the range by about 1.5 times. The chime has a new, higher pitch and is 50 percent louder thanks to a redesigned speaker. And…