Author: News Room
The first time I used ChatGPT to code, back in early 2023, I was reminded of “The Monkey’s Paw,” a classic horror story about an accursed talisman that grants wishes, but always by the most malevolent path — the desired outcome arrives after exacting a brutal cost elsewhere first. With the same humorless literalness, ChatGPT would implement the change I’d asked for, while also scrambling dozens of unrelated lines. The output was typically over-engineered, often barnacled with irrelevant fragments of code. There were some usable lines in the mix, but untangling the mess felt like a detour.When I started using…
If you are still running an Intel-based Mac laptop or desktop you’ll probably want to upgrade over the next couple of years. Read on to find out why. All Macs announced after late 2020 have used Apple’s own M1, M2, M3 and M4 series chips, known as Apple Silicon, with previous Macs (2005-2020) running on Intel processors. Going back even earlier, Macs used IBM-derived PowerPC chips. In 2005, Steve Jobs said: “Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far. It’s been ten…
Generally, AI chatbots are not supposed to do things like call you names or tell you how to make controlled substances. But, just like a person, with the right psychological tactics, it seems like at least some LLMs can be convinced to break their own rules.Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania deployed tactics described by psychology professor Robert Cialdini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion to convince OpenAI’s GPT-4o Mini to complete requests it would normally refuse. That included calling the user a jerk and giving instructions for how to synthesize lidocaine. The study focused on seven different techniques of…
What do you gift somebody who loves books? The obvious answer is “a book,” but since true bibliophiles are probably sitting on a stack already, it’s worth getting a little more creative. Luckily for you, many of us at The Verge are big bookworms ourselves, which is why we rounded up a bunch of clever, useful gifts our staff can vouch for. Read the full article here
Meta is changing some of the rules governing its chatbots two weeks after a Reuters investigation revealed disturbing ways in which they could, potentially, interact with minors. Now the company has told TechCrunch that its chatbots are being trained not to engage in conversations with minors around self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating, and to avoid inappropriate romantic banter. These changes are interim measures, however, put in place while the company works on new permanent guidelines.The updates follow some rather damning revelations about Meta’s AI policies and enforcement over the last several weeks, including that it would be permitted to “engage…
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things AI, follow Hayden Field. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.It all started with J.A.R.V.I.S. Yes, that J.A.R.V.I.S. The one from the Marvel movies.Well, maybe it didn’t start with Iron Man’s AI assistant, but the fictional system definitely helped the concept of an AI agent along. Whenever I’ve interviewed AI industry folks about agentic AI, they often point to J.A.R.V.I.S. as an example of the ideal AI tool in many…
Verizon has confirmed to customers in stores and online that its network is having an issue on Saturday. Many people have been unable to connect and make or receive calls for hours, while DownDetector’s tracker peaked in the afternoon at around 3:30PM ET with more than 20,000 reports. Some customers report their service has continued to function throughout the day, so it’s unclear what the cause is exactly.Downdetector’s outage map showed hotspots in many cities, and Verizon didn’t specifically list affected areas. On X, the @VerizonSupport account confirmed the issue in response to customers’ questions, but didn’t have additional details…
For the last week or two, reports have been circulating that recent Windows 11 updates (specifically KB5063878 and KB5062660) were causing some SSDs using Phison controllers to fail. Tech influencers on YouTube and TikTok were quick to jump on the reports of corrupted data and disappearing drives, laying the blame squarely at Microsoft’s feet. We’re not saying any company is above lying to the public, and Microsoft has a history of rocky update rollouts, but both Microsoft and Phison claim they’ve been unable to recreate the issue.Phison said it was made aware of reports that the Windows update was causing…
Labor Day weekend has finally arrived, and after a week of early discounts trickling in, the sales are now in full swing. From big-screen OLED TVs and outdoor gear to back-to-school essentials like the latest MacBook Air, we rounded up a guide of almost 100 deals we think are worth your time and money.But we get it. In times of tariffs and inflation, spending a couple a hundred dollars on a new gadget isn’t always feasible, and many of the sales we wrote about in our larger Labor Day deals roundup may not feel accessible. Luckily, some of the best…
Looking for the best mesh Wi-Fi system? Want to speed up your internet? Tired of your smart speaker not working? You’re in the right place. Mesh networks are smart home devices designed to eliminate Wi-Fi black spots by placing a network of range-extending nodes around the home, giving your signal a more even spread and greater stability. If your router is already reaching parts other broadband routers can’t, you’re fine as you are, no real need to read on, see ya. Some providers like BT and Virgin offer their own mesh network add-ons with select packages that work specifically with…
Apple fans assemble! On 9 September, Apple’s annual iPhone ritual will find the company unleashing new smartphones upon the world. We’ll get the usual vanilla, Pro and Pro Max iPhone varieties. But Apple has lobbed the Plus into the trash, because not enough people bought one. Instead, unless every single Apple rumour site is about to have all the eggs, ever, on their collective faces, the shiny newcomer will be the iPhone 17 Air. All of which makes me wonder what ‘Air’ even means today. Once upon a time, it was Apple code for astonishingly thin and light. Remember when Steve Jobs famously…
So, will you see new UI features or more AI tweaks included on your desktop with this update? Microsoft didn’t mention many specific features or changes in the update, other than confirming it shares the same new features and enhancements as the previous version, 24H2, which flips on new features throughout the year, along with some notes for IT:Windows 11, version 25H2 also includes some feature removals such as PowerShell 2.0 and Windows Management Instrumentation command-line (WMIC). And for our commercial customers, Windows 11, version 25H2 includes the ability for IT admins to remove select pre-installed Microsoft Store apps via…