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☆ Meta’s A.I. Assistant Is Fun to Use, but It Can’t Be Trusted
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the last few days, you may have noticed something new inside Meta’s apps, including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp: an artificially intelligent chatbot. This is Meta’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the chatbot that upended the tech industry in 2022, and similar bots including Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Bing AI. The Meta bot’s image generator also competes with A.I. Unlike other chatbots and image generators, Meta’s A.I. assistant is a free tool baked into apps that billions of people use every day, making it the most aggressive push yet from a big tech company to bring this flavor of artificial intelligence — known as generative A.I.

Persons: ”, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Bing, A.I, — Organizations: corgi, Meta Locations: New York, San Francisco

On a recent afternoon, I held a bagel in front of me and said: “Look and tell me if this is healthy.”A monotone voice responded that the bagel was unhealthy because it was high in carbohydrates, which could contribute to weight gain. I wasn’t talking to a tech bro obsessed with the ketogenic diet. This was the Ai Pin, a $700 tiny computer featuring a virtual assistant pulling data from OpenAI (the research firm behind the ChatGPT chatbot), Google, Microsoft and others to answer questions and perform tasks. Instead of a screen, the pin shines a green laser on your hand to show text. The device includes a camera, speaker and cellular connection.

Organizations: Google, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

☆ Switching From iPhone to Android Is Easy. It’s the Aftermath That Stings.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When I temporarily switched from an iPhone to an Android phone last week, I was bracing for a world of hurt. I’ve owned only Apple phones ever since buying the first-generation iPhone in 2007. And, like many, I’ve bought other Apple products that pair nicely, including AirPods, an Apple Watch and an iPad. I was initially surprised by how simple it was to shift my iPhone data to an Android smartphone made by Google. After I called my carrier, Verizon, to transfer my phone number to the Android device, my mission was accomplished: I had become an Android convert.

Persons: I’ve Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Justice Department, Google, Verizon

☆ Meta’s Smart Glasses Are Becoming Artificially Intelligent. We Took Them for a Spin.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Brian X. Chen | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a sign that the tech industry keeps getting weirder, Meta soon plans to release a big update that transforms the Ray-Ban Meta, its camera glasses that shoot videos, into a gadget seen only in sci-fi movies. Next month, the glasses will be able to use new artificial intelligence software to see the real world and describe what you’re looking at, similar to the A.I. software, they can be used to scan famous landmarks, translate languages and identify animal breeds and exotic fruits, among other tasks. software, wearers just say, “Hey, Meta,” followed by a prompt, such as “Look and tell me what kind of dog this is.” The A.I. then responds in a computer-generated voice that plays through the glasses’ tiny speakers.

Persons: Meta, Ray, Ban, ”

☆ The Youths Have Spoken: Wallets Are Lame. Go Digital.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Brian X. Chen | Yiwen Lu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To a growing number of youths, a wallet stuffed with cash and cards is as unfashionable as the millennial tuck, no-show socks and skinny jeans. Iykyk — that’s “if you know, you know,” for those who don’t know. I, Brian Chen, a graying 39-year-old tech columnist, am not one of those in the know. It’s unfathomable to me to part with my wallet, which holds crucial items like my driver’s license. “If a store doesn’t accept Tap to Pay, I won’t give them business,” Ms. Hegab said.

Persons: Iykyk, Brian Chen, unfathomable, Yiwen Lu, Ruby Hegab, Ms, Hegab Organizations: Apple Locations: Fremont , Calif

☆ Streaming Prices Keep Going Up. Here’s How to Manage Subscriptions.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dream of streaming — watch what you want, whenever you want, for a sliver of the price of cable! — is coming to an end. With all the price increases for video streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu, the average household that subscribes to four streaming apps may now end up paying just as much as a cable subscriber, according to research by Deloitte. To name a few of the price jumps for streaming video (without ads) in just over the past year: Amazon’s ad-free Prime Video is now $12 a month, up from $9; Netflix raised the price of its premium plan for watching content on four devices to $23 a month, from $20; Disney increased the price of its Hulu service to $18 a month, from $15; and HBO’s Max now costs $16 a month, up from $15. If, like many people, you subscribe to all those services, you are paying about $70 a month, roughly the same as a modest cable TV package.

Persons: HBO’s Max Organizations: Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Deloitte, Disney

☆ Behind Apple’s Doomed Car Project: False Starts and Wrong Turns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Brian X. Chen | Tripp Mickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the last decade, many Apple employees working on the company’s secretive car project, internally code-named Titan, had a less flattering name for it: the Titanic disaster. Throughout its existence, the car effort was scrapped and rebooted several times, shedding hundreds of workers along the way. As a result of dueling views among leaders about what an Apple car should be, it began as an electric vehicle that would compete against Tesla and morphed into a self-driving car to rival Google’s Waymo. The car project’s demise was a testament to the way Apple has struggled to develop new products in the years since Steve Jobs’s death in 2011. But it festered and ultimately fizzled in large part because developing the software and algorithms for a car with autonomous driving features proved too difficult.

Persons: Google’s Waymo, Apple, Steve Jobs’s Organizations: Apple, Tesla

☆ Apple Kills Its Electric Car Project
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Though Apple had not unveiled its car to consumers, the product had for many years been one of Silicon Valley’s worst-kept secrets because it was being tested on public roads. The cancellation is a rare move by Apple, which typically doesn’t shelve such public and high-profile projects. Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, has publicly hinted that Apple was interested in entering the car space. The company had also been testing hundreds of vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology in public for many years. The car, which Apple spent billions of dollars researching, had been intended as a rival to Tesla’s electric vehicles, which include autonomous driving features.

Persons: Tim Cook, Apple, Cook’s Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Vision

☆ Vision Pro Review: Apple’s First Headset Lacks Polish and Purpose
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

About 17 years ago, Steve Jobs took the stage at a San Francisco convention center and said he was introducing three products: an iPod, a phone and an internet browser. “This is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.”At $500, the first iPhone was relatively expensive, but I was eager to dump my mediocre Motorola flip phone and splurge. There were flaws — including sluggish cellular internet speeds. Over the last week, I’ve had a very different experience with a new first-generation product from Apple: the Vision Pro, a virtual reality headset that resembles a pair of ski goggles. The $3,500 wearable computer, which was released Friday, uses cameras so you can see the outside world while juggling apps and videos.

Persons: Steve Jobs, ”, I’ve Organizations: San, Motorola, Apple Locations: San Francisco

☆ The True Price of Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro Is Closer to $4,600
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When Apple unveiled the Vision Pro virtual reality goggles last year at a technology conference, many in the audience gasped at the price: $3,500. Yet the true cost of owning the Vision Pro is probably even higher. That’s because the price shoots up with the add-ons and accessories that many people would want to buy, including:Apple’s $200 carrying case to protect the Vision Pro on the go. A spare $200 cushion to make the goggles fit another member of the family. While I have your attention with these breathtaking numbers, we can all learn a valuable lesson from the Vision Pro about “phantom costs,” the add-ons that significantly inflate the amount we spend.

Organizations: Apple, Meta, Vision

☆ Why Making Face Computers Cool Isn’t Easy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The $3,500 Vision Pro, a face computer that resembles ski goggles, will be released next week. The device, which includes high-resolution displays and sensors that track eye movements and hand gestures, is one of Apple’s most ambitious products. I was among the first group of journalists to try the Vision Pro last year and walked away impressed with the quality of the picture but ultimately not sure that people would want to wear it. The devices were intended to create immersive experiences for getting things done by moving the body instead of typing on keyboards. Sales of mixed reality and virtual reality headsets fell 8.3 percent last year, according to the research firm IDC, though they may rebound this year with Apple entering the market.

Persons: Apple’s Organizations: Pro, Google, Samsung, Sony, IDC, Apple

☆ Apple Is Doing Its Part to End Green Bubble Shaming. It’s Our Turn.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, smartphone users everywhere have faced a major problem in how we communicate: the “green versus blue bubble” disparity. When iPhone users send texts to other iPhones, the messages appear blue and can tap into exclusive perks like fun emojis and animations. But if an iPhone user texts an Android user, the bubble turns green, many features break, and photos and videos deteriorate in quality. Over time, the annoyance and frustration that built up between blue and green bubbles evolved into more than a tech problem. Texts sent between iPhones and Androids will remain green, but images and videos will look higher-quality and security features like encryption may eventually arrive, Apple said.

Persons: Apple Organizations: Apple

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☆ With Meta’s Quest 3, Mixed Reality Is Here. So Now What?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In Bam!, I could see other Quest 3 wearers in the room while we controlled miniature robots that battled each other inside a virtual arena. It was a type of social gathering that feels antiquated now that internet speeds are zippy enough for us to play games online from our own homes. Naer is a start-up working on a mixed-reality app for office workers to brainstorm ideas on virtual white boards and sticky notes. “But when you’re using mixed reality, you’re still a very much part of the real world — you’re no longer surprised.”Peeking into the outside world might also make V.R. Tommy Palm, the chief executive of Resolution Games, said that in mixed reality, gamers would probably feel more confident playing games that involved fast movement.

Persons: you’re, ”, Sondre Kvam, ” Peeking, Tommy Palm Organizations: Resolution Locations: Bam, Norway

☆ Google Says Switching Away From Its Search Engine Is Easy. It’s Not.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Google has argued that it’s easy for people to change their search engine — just as simple as putting a box of cereal back on the store shelf. The trial raises questions about how and why we use Google search. And even if we had known, would we have just stuck with Google since its search engine was set as the default? I decided to test how easy or hard it really is to switch to a different search engine. Harry Brignull, a user-experience consultant in Britain, concluded about Google search: “Most people will just stick with it.”

Persons: I’m, Ted Selker, Harry Brignull, ” Organizations: Google, IBM, Xerox PARC Locations: Britain

☆ Using the wrong USB-C charger could permanently ruin your new iPhone 15
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Using low-quality USB-C chargers could make it easier to accidentally fry your phone. This is because some USB-C connectors don't have safeguards for electricity surges. This is the first time a new iPhone charger will be launched in over a decade. Apple recommends that iPhone owners use Apple chargers or other brands that meet certain safety regulations. MFi phone chargers have to pass safety regulations to make sure that users are not at risk while charging their devices.

Persons: Jessa Jones, Brian X, Chen, Jones Organizations: Service, Apple, New York Times, MFi, Amazon, Times Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ How to Navigate Apple’s Shift From Lightning to USB-C
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The iPhone 15 (technically, the 17th iteration of the iconic Apple phone) has arrived with a big change that is sure to annoy many of us. To comply with recent European regulations, the iPhone 15, unveiled Tuesday, will abandon the Lightning connector that has been the method for charging iPhones for 11 years. In its place will be a different oval-shaped connector: USB-C.For the average tech user, change isn’t fun. They will have to replace those with new products that use USB-C connectors to plug into the new iPhones. In 2012, Apple killed the relatively bulky 30-pin connector on iPhones to switch to Lightning, a slimmer and faster charging technology, which rendered many speakers and chargers obsolete.

Organizations: Apple

☆ ¿No entiendes el diálogo de tu serie favorita? No estás solo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Al comienzo del programa, pensé que un actor había dicho: “Es cierto, ella tenía el anillo que le diste… pensé que ustedes dos estaban tratando de resolver sus problemas”. En realidad, el actor dijo: “Ay, lo siento, todavía llevabas el anillo puesto… pensé que ustedes dos estaban tratando de resolver sus problemas”. Tuve mejor suerte con otra escena en la que había una conversación telefónica donde Jack Ryan y su antiguo jefe hacían planes para reunirse. En conclusiónLa barra de sonido Sonos Arc fue útil para escuchar diálogos sin el potenciador de voz activado la mayor parte del tiempo en películas y series. Para todos los demás, la buena noticia es que instalar incluso un altavoz más barato que carezca de un modo para los diálogos puede ayudar mucho.

☆ Opinion | Struggling to Understand TV Dialogue? Join the Club.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There Are Ways to Improve the Sound on Your TV?” (Business, Aug. 18):As an American expat, I got a good chuckle out of Brian X. Chen’s article about poor dialogue sound quality in streaming. In Chinese-speaking areas and other parts of East Asia, the wide variety of languages, accents and usages can make it tough to comprehend dialogue regardless of sound quality, so video nearly always comes with subtitles, whether it’s on TV, in a movie theater or online. Michael P. ClarkeTaoyuan City, TaiwanTo the Editor:We do not have to bring speakers to a movie theater to watch a movie and we should not have to put speakers on our TV sets to enjoy a television show. Modern television sets should come with high-resolution pictures and high-quality, audible sound. The quality of the sound is as important as the quality of the picture.

Persons: Brian X, Chen, Michael P Organizations: Clarke Locations: American, East Asia, Malaysia, Clarke Taoyuan City, Taiwan

☆ Forget Guns. This First-Person Shooter Only Has Magic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

From Doom to Call of Duty, first-person shooters have been immensely popular for decades. But what if the thrill for video game fans was never really about the guns? Immortals of Aveum, arriving on Tuesday for Windows computers and the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles, will test this theory. The game, set in a fantasy world with several kingdoms at war over the control of magic, abandons the tried-and-true formula of arming players with an arsenal of guns and bazookas. In the single-player game, a battlemage named Jak joins an elite militarylike force, collecting spells to make his sigils more potent.

Persons: Jak Organizations: PlayStation, Studios, Telltale Games, Electronic Arts

☆ Can’t Hear the Dialogue in Your Streaming Show? You’re Not Alone.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“What did he just say?”Those are some of the most commonly uttered words in my home. No matter how much my wife and I crank up the TV volume, the actors in streaming movies and shows are becoming increasingly difficult to understand. We usually end up turning on the subtitles, even though we aren’t hard of hearing. In the streaming era, as video consumption shifts from movie theaters toward content shrunk down for televisions, tablets and smartphones, making dialogue crisp and clear has become the entertainment world’s toughest technology challenge. “It’s getting worse,” said Si Lewis, who has run Hidden Connections, a home theater installation company in Alameda, Calif., for nearly 40 years.

Persons: We’re, —, “ It’s, ”, Si Lewis Locations: Alameda , Calif

☆ We’re Using A.I. Chatbots Wrong. Here’s How to Direct Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Anyone seduced by A.I.-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard — wow, they can write essays and recipes! — eventually runs into what are known as hallucinations, the tendency for artificial intelligence to fabricate information. The chatbots, which guess what to say based on information obtained from all over the internet, can’t help but get things wrong. Yet as mainstream tech tools continue to integrate A.I., it’s crucial to get a handle on how to use it to serve us. But when directed to use information from trusted sources, such as credible websites and research papers, A.I.

Persons: A.I

When we — Brian X. Chen and Mike Isaac, both longtime tech journalists — got an assignment from our editor last week to review Threads, the new social network from Meta, it was like a blast from the past. Both of us have written about social networks for over a dozen years. The arrival of Threads, which was spun out of Instagram and is aimed as a prime place for public, real-time conversations, shakes up that scene. We wondered how we would take to it since one of us — Brian — is a casual Twitter user, and the other — Mike — is a longtime Twitter addict, which might affect our experience with Meta’s new app. Here’s what we found about Threads’ pros and cons and whether it might become a part of your life.

Persons: Brian X, Chen, Mike Isaac, —, Brian —, Mike — Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Meta

☆ Don’t Use A.I. to Cheat in School. It’s Better for Studying.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We’re back with another bonus edition of On Tech: A.I., a pop-up newsletter that teaches you about artificial intelligence, how it works and how to use it. Last week, I went over how to turn your chatbot into a life coach. Let’s now shift into an area where many have been experimenting with A.I. It turns out, it’s easy to get caught cheating with generative A.I. because it is prone to making stuff up, a phenomena known as “hallucinating.”But generative A.I.

Persons: Let’s Organizations: Tech

☆ Google Pixel Fold Review: Foldable Phones Are Improving
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When I recently turned on Google’s new Pixel Fold smartphone and unfolded it as if it were a book, it transformed into a miniature tablet, similar to an iPad Mini or an Amazon Fire. The phone’s performance was smooth and fast, and the bigger screen made reading emails, watching videos and reading comic books more delightful than on a normal phone screen. I was surprised because I have been wary of foldable phones. They were thick and heavy, had durability issues and lacked software to take advantage of their novel hardware. But I immediately knew the Pixel Fold — Google’s first foldable phone — was different.

Persons: — Organizations: Samsung, Motorola, Huawei

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