Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

DeepMind researchers find LLMs can serve as effective mediators

A team of AI researchers with Google's DeepMind London group has found that certain large language models (LLMs) can serve as effective mediators between groups of people with differing viewpoints regarding a given topic. ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Humans sympathize with, and protect, AI bots from playtime exclusion, finds study

In an Imperial College London study, humans displayed sympathy towards and protected AI bots who were excluded from playtime. The researchers say the study, which used a virtual ball game, highlights humans' tendency to treat ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Apple unveils Depth Pro, an AI app that can map the depth of a 2D image

A team of engineers at Apple has developed an AI-based model called Depth Pro that can map the depth of a 2D image. The team has written a paper describing the app and its capabilities and has posted it on the arXiv preprint ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Exploring the hidden costs of free apps

Procrastination, sleep deprivation and reduced focus are part of the price we pay for free mobile apps. This is according to researchers at Linköping University and RISE, who have investigated the costs hidden behind the ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Q&A: Generative AI embraced faster than internet, PCs

ChatGPT's debut in November 2022 caused a near-instant sensation. It gave most users their first opportunity to try out a new type of artificial intelligence that uses existing data and published materials to create content ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Will Meta's Orion smart glasses be the next 'iPhone moment'?

Meta supremo Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Orion smart glasses, a new augmented reality (AR) prototype, at the annual Meta Connect developer conference. Ten years in the making, and still not expected on high streets until 2027, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Here's how to maintain healthy smartphone habits

What is the first thing you do in the morning after you awaken? Many people immediately check their phones for notifications of messages, alerts and social media updates by their social ties.

Consumer & Gadgets

Columnist: Your smart watch can assist if you fall

Last week I wrote about setting up Amazon Echo devices to enable making phone calls with your voice, which could be helpful in an emergency. I mentioned falling and not having a phone within reach to call for help.

Consumer & Gadgets

How can social media be better? Four researchers compare strategies

Major platform social media is in an upheaval. Bluesky and Meta's Threads want to be Twitter. LinkedIn's influence is rising. Meanwhile, Twitter has become X. And X wants to be an everything app—possibly including job listings, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Google plans to make flagship smartphones in India

Google plans to manufacture its flagship Pixel 8 smartphone in India, CEO Sundar Pichai said Thursday, joining a growing list of global tech companies limiting their supply chains' dependence on China.

Consumer & Gadgets

Amazon to expand drone delivery into Britain and Italy

Amazon on Wednesday said it hopes to expand drone delivery into Britain and Italy by late next year, as it unveiled new warehouse robots and tech in its race to get shoppers what they want quickly.

Consumer & Gadgets

Amazon starts delivering medications by drone in Texas city

Amazon.com Inc. laid out plans to expand its still-experimental drone delivery effort, announcing the start of sending prescription medication by air and promising to start flights in Britain and Italy by late 2024.