Author: News Room
Alibaba has announced that it is partnering with Apple to provide artificial intelligence features to iPhones in China. Apple Intelligence features have not yet been enabled in China, which is thought to have contributed to the company’s local decline in smartphone sales.”They talked to a number of companies in China. In the end they chose to do business with us. They want to use our AI to power their phones,” Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai said. “We feel extremely honoured to do business with a great company like Apple.”The announcement doesn’t quite end speculation as to which local tech companies Apple…
Anyone that labelled Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds a sci-fi spin on Bethesda’s Fallout games will have a hard time keeping schtum about Avowed being the developer’s answer to Skyrim. Comparisons with a game so beloved (and whose reveal trailer still sends shivers down my spine a full fourteen years later) are weighty indeed, though – so much that even publisher Microsoft has tried to play them down. They also do a disservice to the source material. This first-person fantasy action RPG is actually a spin-off from Obsidian’s enthralling Pillars of Eternity series, just with a change of perspective and much…
Once upon a time, buying an Apple tablet meant buying the iPad. Apple made one model, in one size. You just had to pick a colour, a storage capacity and a connectivity option. Things are different now – so which is the best iPad for you? Apple offers four different iPad variants in four different sizes, each with its own components, perks and wildly varying prices. And each model ticks different boxes. One promises powerful creative performance, while another delivers a satchel-friendly form factor. The latest models, the iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M4), were announced at the firm’s…
As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have sought to gut and remake the federal government to their liking, federal workers have changed how they communicate with one another and with friends. They have locked down communication channels, migrated to new platforms, and what was once skepticism has grown into deep distrust — not just of their boss’s boss’s boss, but of the very services they use to communicate with one another, worried that their messages will be leaked to the government. Multiple federal workers who spoke to The Verge on the condition of anonymity said they’ve moved sensitive conversations…
Your computer mouse isn’t just for clicks: the best wireless mice make it a cinch to select, scroll and shift between tasks on your laptop or desktop – all without a crick in the wrist. Whether you’re a right-handed reacher or a labouring leftie, the rodents below will transform your workflow. From portable pointers to ergonomic accessories, we’ve rounded up a selection of superior scrollers in our list. We’ve even included a few vertical options for the ultimate in desktop ergonomics. So whether you’re editing pics with pixel perfection or waging war on an unwieldy Excel spreadsheet, pick a new…
OpenAI is releasing a significantly expanded version of its Model Spec, a document that defines how its AI models should behave — and is making it free for anyone to use or modify.The new 63-page specification, up from around 10 pages in its previous version, lays out guidelines for how AI models should handle everything from controversial topics to user customization. It emphasizes three main principles: customizability; transparency; and what OpenAI calls “intellectual freedom” — the ability for users to explore and debate ideas without arbitrary restrictions. The launch of the updated Model Spec comes just as CEO Sam Altman…
The Beats Fit Pro remain a good pair of fitness-friendly earbuds, though they lack features like wireless charging and heart-rate monitoring found in the new Beats PowerBeats Pro 2. They deliver terrific sound and noise cancellation, along with an IPX4 rating for water resistance. The Beats Fit Pro don’t have ear hooks like the PowerBeats Pro 2, but their built-in wing tips still do a good job of keeping them securely in place during vigorous workouts. And, just like the PowerBeats Pro 2, they work well with Android devices but also offer a range of Apple-centric features including support for…
I have heard it said that fame is the most addictive of all drugs. I have been skeptical about this, but Elizabeth Holmes’ ongoing PR saga makes me wonder if it is, in fact, true.Holmes has appeared in People magazine to tell us that prison is “hell and torture,” in the same way that one might say “butt and ass” or “dick and cock.” The point of hell, for those of you who are not up on Christian theology, is torture. That’s what it’s for.The People profile reuses many of the New York Times’ glamour shots, which makes sense: it’s…
Elon Musk’s X has agreed to pay President Donald Trump “about $10 million” to settle his lawsuit against Twitter, reports The Wall Street Journal. The settlement would come on top of an estimated $250 million that Musk, who now seemingly has broad authority over government agencies as the head of DOGE, put toward helping Trump get elected last year.Trump sued Twitter, Facebook, and Google over his account suspensions following the January 6th, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, and a judge dismissed this lawsuit in 2022, rejecting arguments that the company was a state actor or that Section 230 is…
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and CEO of disgraced blood-testing company Theranos, has been found guilty on three counts of wire fraud, as well as a count of conspiracy to commit fraud along with her co-founder Sunny Balwani.On November 18th, 2022, she was sentenced to 135 months, or about 11 and a half years, in prison for defrauding 10 victims out of $121 million. She is appealing the ruling. However, a judge has determined that she and Balwani owe the victims of their fraud $452 million.Theranos was once valued as high as $9 billion, and Holmes was a darling of Silicon…
Apple has just added its redesigned Mac Mini to the Certified Refurbished store and is knocking as much as $210 off some base models. To begin with, you can get the M4 (non-Pro) base model with 16GB of RAM for just $509, a $90 discount from the $599 retail price of the brand-new one. That price sweetens the deal for what we already consider to be Apple’s best value Mac today.According to Apple, the products in its Certified Refurbished store are put through the same factory process as its new products. They come with full warranties and are eligible for…
Popcorn brand LesserEvil is the latest group caught up in the chaos of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s whirlwind of action over the past couple of weeks. The company recently sent a cryptic email to customers after the brand owner’s connection to a DOGE staffer became public.LesserEvil CEO Charles Coristine is reportedly the father of one of DOGE’s youngest and now most-infamous staffers, Edward Coristine. The 19-year-old high school graduate goes by “Big Balls” online, Wired reports, and was reportedly granted access to some of the government’s most sensitive systems, despite dubious security clearance. The White House has insisted…