A study of the psychological well-being of two million individuals from 2005 to 2022 in 168 countries released Tuesday by the Oxford Internet Institute found “smaller and less consistent associations than would be expected if the internet were causing widespread psychological harm.” “We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and well-being, and we didn’t find it,” OII Professor … [Read more...]

Over the past two years, it has become increasingly evident that the boundaries separating human capabilities from machine functions are constantly evolving. This shift presents exciting and extraordinary opportunities for the tech industry. Artificial intelligence technology, in particular, has reached a pivotal turning point. AI has reshaped our understanding of heterogeneous computing and … [Read more...]

Buying a new computer can be a daunting task. The process involves numerous hidden factors that vary depending on your tech skill level, intended uses, and personal or business budget. One size does not serve all buying circumstances. Product research on the type of computer must go hand-in-hand to make a successful purchase decision. Otherwise, you risk being stuck with a device that fails to … [Read more...]

I was at Microsoft Ignite last week for the AI and Copilot rollout on Azure and Windows. As I watched the presentation, I was taken back in time to the 1990s launch of Microsoft Bob and that first attempt at creating a digital assistant called Clippy, neither of which met expectations back then. But now, Copilot will do far more than those two earlier offerings could even conceive of, and the … [Read more...]

TV set-top boxes infected with malware are being sold online at Amazon and other resellers, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation wants the Federal Trade Commission to put a stop to it. “Recent reports have revealed various models of Android TV set-top boxes and mobile devices that are being sold by resellers Amazon, AliExpress, and other smaller vendors to include malware before the point of … [Read more...]

A seldom-considered computing safety feature has nothing to do with protecting your data or preventing online identity theft. Rather, it focuses on providing visual clarity and reducing eye strain. Gunnar Optiks released its new Tallac blue-light-blocking computer glasses in September that do just that. This new line enhances the company’s specialized eyewear line that helps to prevent computer … [Read more...]

Despite Microsoft’s introduction of generative AI into its search engine Bing, the company has failed to cut into the share of market leader Google. According to the latest numbers from market tracker StatCounter, Google’s market share of search in the United States in October was 88.1%, a slight increase over its October share in 2022 of 86.75%. Meanwhile, Bing’s market share for the same period … [Read more...]

To say Elon Musk is an interesting guy would be an understatement. He goes from brilliant to bozo and back again in a blink. It’s like watching a fast ping-pong match. Musk’s latest effort is an AI based on X (formerly known as Twitter) content called Grok that I believe will disrupt conversational AI. Shaking up a new market is a good thing in many cases because, too often, everyone starts … [Read more...]

A new initiative to better identify child predators who obscure their activity by jumping among tech platforms was announced Tuesday by The Tech Coalition, an industry group that includes Discord, Google, Mega, Meta, Quora, Roblox, Snap, and Twitch. The initiative, called Lantern, allows companies in the coalition to share information about potential child sexual exploitation, which will increase … [Read more...]

The decision to choose between a PC and a Mac has been a long-standing debate in the world of technology. Both platforms have strengths and weaknesses, and various factors, including user preferences, needs, and the specific use case, often influence the choice. The introduction of Arm-based versions of Windows and Apple’s transition to Apple Silicon has added a new dimension to this … [Read more...]

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI on Saturday announced a generative AI engine called Grok, which could be a potential competitor to leaders in the field, such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude. “Grok is an AI modeled after the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, so intended to answer almost anything and, far harder, even suggest what questions to ask!” the xAI team wrote in an online … [Read more...]

As industry leaders in chip manufacturing vie for supremacy, there’s mounting speculation that the capabilities of smartphones might soon rival the traditional dominance of laptops. AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm are all focused on creating a technology that will make Apple’s M3 chip look outdated while fully embracing AI and increasing battery life. Rumors suggest that even Nvidia is pursuing an … [Read more...]

By now, many have heard about the massive cyberattacks that affected casino giants MGM Resorts and Caesars, leaving everything from room keys to slot machines on the fritz. Like many recent breaches, it’s a warning to improve security around digital identities — because that’s where it all started. The origin story of this breach is similar to many we have seen lately: social engineering and … [Read more...]

Just when it looked like a competitor was going to outflank Apple in the processor wars, the Cupertino, Calif. company raised the bar once again. At a pre-recorded evening event streamed online Monday, Apple announced three new processors with better performance and power management capabilities than previous generations of its silicon. In addition, it announced the chips would be in new models of … [Read more...]

Big Tech leaders are exaggerating the existential threat AI poses to humanity to solidify their market shares through government regulation, a leading figure in artificial intelligence told an Australian financial publication Monday. “There are definitely large tech companies that would rather not have to try to compete with open source, so they’re creating fear of AI leading to human extinction,” … [Read more...]

I was in Hawaii last week at Qualcomm’s annual press and analyst conference, and the announcements made by the company were nothing short of amazing. What was also interesting was that the week prior, Qualcomm announced a pivot toward RISC-V. The event didn’t address this strategic move, creating a certain amount of unintended drama. The RISC-V announcement primarily focused on wearables, which … [Read more...]

Great hardware performance can sometimes be found in small devices. AnkerWork hits that mark with its PowerConf C300 Webcam. Primarily aimed at business users, this webcam is a solid replacement for the stock camera on typical laptops. Its dual stereo microphones and impressive low-light capabilities make this Zoom Certified conferencing tool a useful home office tech upgrade. The PowerConf C300 … [Read more...]

Large numbers of Gen Z and millennial TikTok users are frequently mining the platform for career advice, according to the results of an October survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. workers from ages 21 to 40 released Tuesday by ResumeBuilder.com. The findings underscore social media’s role in influencing professional decisions, especially among younger generations. More than three-quarters of the Gen Z … [Read more...]

Apple is prepared to spend billions to catch the leaders in generative AI technology, according to Bloomberg Apple watcher Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter Sunday, Gurman wrote that three Apple execs — John Giannandrea, Craig Federighi, and Eddy Cue — are leading the company’s generative AI push and are on a course to spend US$1 billion a year on the initiative. He noted that Giannandrea is … [Read more...]

The technology market is defined by companies taking huge gambles and executing against near-impossible odds. Dell’s acquisition of EMC and then going private were both thought to be nearly impossible, but Dell succeeded. Further examples are HP’s acquisition of a failing Compaq to become the then most powerful PC company in the world; IBM’s bet on Watson decades before generative AI became a … [Read more...]