Author: News Room

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg could soon have an AI clone of himself to interact with and provide feedback to employees, according to a report from the Financial Times. Sources tell the outlet that Meta is training the AI avatar on Zuckerberg’s image and voice, along with his mannerisms, tone, and public statements, “so that employees might feel more connected to the founder through interactions with it.”Zuckerberg is involved in training the AI avatar, the Financial Times reports, and has also started spending five to 10 hours per week coding on Meta’s other AI projects and participating in technical reviews. In…

If it’s time for you to upgrade your phone, it’s worth considering the Pixel 10A, Google’s latest midrange phone that has some (but not all) of the new software features of the pricier $599 Pixel 10. Every color of the 128GB 10A — including the alluring “berry” tone — is down to $449 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store, where you can get it for even less with an eligible trade-in. This is the first cash discount we’ve seen since the phone’s launch in early March. The 256GB version is $50 off, too, selling for $549…

Last year, Microsoft stopped selling the $999 versions of the Surface Pro 11 and the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 in favor of the $1,199 models with more storage. At the time, it seemed like Microsoft was trying to make room for the cheaper 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop that launched last May. However, these newer devices aren’t safe from the price hikes, either, as the starting price for the 12-inch Surface Pro has gone up from $799 to $1,049, while the 13-inch Surface Laptop is jumping from $899 to $1,199.The 15-inch Surface Laptop now costs $1,599, up from…

NZXT and its business partner Fragile have agreed to pay $3.45 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the companies of attempting to “scam” consumers through their Flex PC rental service. The preliminary settlement was filed in a California District Court on April 7th to close a civil RICO case against the Flex program over allegations that it defrauded 19,322 customers through deceptive marketing practices and aggressive debt collection.The Flex program is a rolling rental subscription that NZXT describes as “a flexible alternative to buying or financing” a gaming PC, with prices starting at $69 per month. Under the…

If you’re still holding onto an older Apple Watch, now might be a good time to upgrade. Right now, the 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 with GPS is on sale for around $299 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is its best price to date. If you prefer a larger size, the 46mm is also $100 off for a limited time, with the base GPS configuration selling for about $329 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.While it’s not a significant upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 10, we still recommend it if you’re using a Series 5…

Microsoft’s new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, has signaled that Xbox Game Pass pricing is about to change. In an internal memo to Xbox employees, obtained by The Verge, Sharma admits that “Game Pass has become too expensive for players” and that Microsoft needs “a better value equation.”“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one,” says Sharma. “Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take…

If you’re having trouble deciding on a color for a new MacBook Neo, you might not have to choose just one. The folks over at MacWorld found that Apple doesn’t appear to limit the colors of spare parts you can buy for your Neo, potentially allowing you to deck out your indigo laptop with pink-tinted keyboard caps or a citrus green bottom cover. Read the full article here

Microsoft is looking into ways it can integrate OpenClaw-style features into 365 Copilot, according to a report from The Information. The test reportedly comes as part of efforts to make its 365 Copilot AI assistant “run autonomously around the clock” while completing tasks on behalf of users.Omar Shahine, Microsoft’s corporate vice president, confirmed to The Information that the company is “exploring the potential of technologies like OpenClaw in an enterprise context.” OpenClaw is an open-source platform that allows users to create AI-powered agents that run locally on a user’s device. The platform rose in popularity earlier this year, though it…

SwitchBot is introducing a new version of the tiny button-pressing robot that helped launch the company a decade ago. The functionality of the new SwitchBot Bot is exactly the same as the original that the company will continue to sell, but comes with a rechargeable battery instead of a disposable one.The wirelessly controlled SwitchBot Bot Rechargeable can be installed by simply sticking it to a button or rocker switch that it will physically press using a small arm that extends and retracts. Like the original, the battery is accessible by removing a panel on the front of the bot. You…

Today, I’m talking with Sarah Personette, CEO of Puck, which is a fancy new media company that’s been around for just about five years now.Puck hires big stars and gives them newsletters that are all mostly part of a subscription bundle. These newsletters are often must-reads in their categories — everyone in Hollywood reads Puck’s Matt Belloni, for instance. Those reporters then get equity in Puck and a share of the company’s revenue.The idea is to combine the financial incentives of the influencer economy with the rigor of old-school journalism — you’ll hear Sarah say journalists were the original influencers,…

Sam Altman was seemingly targeted by a second attack on Sunday morning, with two suspects arrested following a shooting at his Russian Hill residence, The San Francisco Standard reports. The suspects were arrested and charged with negligent discharge, according to a police report on the incident, citing surveillance footage that appears to show a vehicle passenger firing a weapon at Altman’s home.This follows an earlier attack on Friday, in which a 20-year-old man was arrested for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the same property. The investigations for both incidents are still ongoing.According to San Francisco Police, offers were dispatched…

Microsoft has started testing its own virtual mouse cursor inside its Xbox mode for Windows-based handhelds. The new Gamepad Cursor option provides a quick way to turn the left stick of a handheld like the Xbox Ally X into a virtual mouse.While Asus has its own cursor as part of Armory Crate, Microsoft’s Gamepad Cursor lives inside its own Xbox mode in Windows 11, and it’s easy to activate from the Game Bar without having to use Armory Crate. Once activated, the Gamepad Cursor will turn your left stick into a mouse for precise control, or for apps that aren’t…