Revamped Siri will reportedly offer auto-deleting chats
Apple is hoping that its record on privacy can be the differentiator on the AI front, and maybe even buy it a little slack as it continues to lag behind the competition. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the more chatbot-like Siri set to debut in iOS 27 will include the option to autodelete chat histories. Users will be able to save conversations for 30 days, one year, or forever. That's in stark contrast to the other major players in the space that generally only offer temporary incognito chats, if that.
It appears Apple is betting that people are willing to give up some convenience in the name of greater privacy, as anxiety around AI …
University of Arizona students boo Eric Schmidt’s AI cheerleading during commencement
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered the commencement address at the University of Arizona on Friday. And, as his speech veered into talk of AI, he was repeatedly drowned out by boos. AI is already a contentious topic, and it's not surprising that those about to enter a ravaged job market feel particularly negative about it.
Schmidt acknowledged the anxiety, according to Business Insider, saying fears "that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics are fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create," were "rational." But Schmidt's frustration was also palpa …
Oddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of Hokum
Hokum recently hit theaters, and it's already outperforming box office expectations. If this Kubrick-referencing haunted hotel flick starring Adam Scott was your introduction to director Damian McCarthy, do yourself a favor and go watch his previous film, Oddity.
If you prefer to go in blind - the ideal way to watch any movie - Oddity is available to stream on Hoopla, Kanopy, Hulu, and Shudder.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Like Hokum, Oddity takes place in a sprawling Irish countryside location. They both traffic in similar kinds of scares - cursed objects, the occult, isolation, dark corners, and sketchy men living outside the norms of socie …
Fujifilm’s X Half is even more whimsical with a $300 price cut
Fujifilm’s X Half digital camera wasn’t designed to replace your main camera, though you’d be forgiven for assuming it was with its ludicrous $850 price. However, the company recently reduced the MSRP to $649.99, and is now knocking an additional $100 off through June 28th. That means you can grab the X Half in its base configuration for around $549 at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy. Adorama is also discounting it to the same price and throwing in a free accessory pack, which includes a 64GB SanDisk SD card and a camera case.
Fujifilm X Half digital camera
Where to Buy:
The X Half isn’t like most other digital cameras. It’s a feature-light shooter designed to evoke the feel of a half-frame film camera, one that can capture 18-megapixel stills you can style in numerous ways. You can add film simulations, filters, and grain. Digital diptychs are also possible, complete with the option to have the date baked into the photos. In short, it’s incredibly fun, but it lacks features you might be used to in modern cameras, including the ability to take RAW images, a hot shoe for attaching accessories, and an electronic viewfinder.
When we published our hands-on impressions last year, former Verge supervising producer Vjeran Pavic called the X Half both whimsical and refreshing. Its vertical 1-inch sensor and fixed 32mm equivalent f/2.8 lens are capable of capturing great shots, but the pocket-friendly camera was designed with point-and-shoot simplicity in mind. Pavic enjoyed taking “scrappy, quick photos” with it, as did our own Antonio Di Bennedeto, even if he was turned off by the original price.
ElliQ is a surprisingly helpful companion robot for older adults
A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist told me we need to rebalance my mom's life. Her Parkinson's disease medication had steadily become less effective over the previous month, and with it, she had slowly stopped doing many of the things crucial to managing the disease - exercising, socializing, and engaging in hobbies. The result was a rapid, noticeable decline. As my mom's primary caregiver, I was open to any help I could get. And surprisingly, ElliQ did help in a way I never expected.
Before increasing her medication dosage again - something that can come with serious side effects - her doctor wanted us to see whether life …
Chatbots at the drive-thru are just the beginning
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about how AI is seeping into our daily lives, follow Emma Roth. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
How it started
In 2021, McDonald's became one of the first major fast-food chains to greet customers with an AI chatbot at the drive-thru. It started small, deploying the voice-ordering technology at 10 of its locations in Chicago. McDonald's developed its drive-thru tech after acquiring Apprente, a startup focused on voice-based, conversational technology in 2019, and later wor …
Snap, YouTube, and TikTok settle suit over harm to students
Snap, YouTube, and TikTok have settled the first lawsuit of its kind, alleging that social media addiction has cost public schools massive amounts of money, according to Bloomberg. The suit, filed by the Breathitt County School District in Kentucky, claims that social media has disrupted learning and created a mental health crisis, straining budgets. The terms of the settlement have not been revealed yet, and Meta is still facing a trial in the same suit, which is viewed as a bellwether for over 1,000 similar lawsuits across the country
This follows an earlier case, settled by Snap and TikTok, in which a 19-year-old plaintiff claimed signif …
Sony tries to explain that its AI Camera Assistant doesn’t suck
After Sony drew some unwanted attention for a post demonstrating its AI Camera Assistant on the Xperia 1 XIII, it's trying to clarify how the feature works. The company says it doesn't edit photos, but makes suggestions based on lighting, depth, and subject. Point the camera at something, and it will give you four options for changing exposure, color, and background blur.
In its product video, Sony says that the AI Camera Assistant will also suggest "the most photogenic angle." Though the clip only shows it suggesting that someone zoom in, which is not the same as suggesting a camera angle.
The examples that Sony posted on X, while bette …
NPR’s Manoush Zomorodi talks about living with too much tech
Manoush Zamorodi is an accomplished reporter, podcast host, and author. Her new book, Body Electric, takes a comprehensive look at how technology is impacting our physical health. It's a collaboration between NPR and Columbia University Medical Center that picks up where her first title, Bored and Brilliant, left off. That book looked at how technology was hampering our mental health. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels like being constantly attached to a device is sapping their energy and creativity.
Both books grew out of her extensive podcasting work. After heading up WNYC's Note To Self, Zamorodi went on to host NPR's TED Radio H …
Turtle Beach made a good SteelSeries headset clone that’s $50 less
I really liked the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, so the company didn't have to say much to get me excited about its successor. The $399 Nova Pro Omni that came out on May 5th has a similar design to the 2022 model, but with some new and improved features - support for wireless hi-res audio (24-bit / 96kHz audio over 2.4GHz), better mic quality, and compatibility with all consoles in every model, to name the big ones. All the $599 Nova Elite has on the Omni is better build materials and bigger drivers.
But things got interesting when, just a few weeks before the Omni was announced, Turtle Beach showed off its Stealth Pro 2. To say th …