Consumer & Gadgets news
Consumer & Gadgets
Seven advances in technology that we're likely to see in 2025
In the grand scheme of things, 45 years is not a long time. Back in 1980, it would take me three weeks to run a computer program, written in the programming language Cobol, that worked using punched cards. Each card represented ...
5 hours ago
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AI can't do your Christmas shopping just yet—but next year might be different
I'm a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out.
Dec 21, 2024
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The federal government wants you to adopt 'end-to-end encryption' methods. Here's why you should adopt them
After revealing that it was the target of a sweeping hacking campaign, the federal government issued a public service announcement this week urging the public to use "end-to-end encryption" in order to better secure its digital ...
Dec 19, 2024
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Why is it so hard to type in Indigenous languages?
When it comes to digital access and internet technologies, some languages are still more equal than others. Speakers of majority languages, who type in English or text in Korean, assume their message will be transmitted accurately. ...
Dec 19, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Bias in AI amplifies our own biases, finds study
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, finds a new study by UCL researchers.
Dec 18, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Study reveals AI chatbots can detect race, but racial bias reduces response empathy
With the cover of anonymity and the company of strangers, the appeal of the digital world is growing as a place to seek out mental health support. This phenomenon is buoyed by the fact that more than 150 million people in ...
Dec 17, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Christmas in the metaverse: Why the festive season is moving into virtual worlds
The metaverse is the next frontier in digital evolution and consists of digital spaces where people socialize, play, learn and spend money.
Dec 16, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
AI's human-like traits: Are we blurring the line between man and machine?
Attributing human traits to machines is nothing new, but with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, anthropomorphism is taking on a new dimension. This trend raises crucial philosophical and ethical issues, while ...
Dec 12, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
AI model allows for near-instant image creation on consumer-grade hardware
An AI model that creates images as the user types, using only modest and affordable hardware, has been announced by the Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence (PAI) at the University of Surrey.
Dec 10, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Smart TVs collect viewing data even when used as external screens, according to research
A team from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in collaboration with University College London (England) and the University of California, Davis (U.S.), has found that smart TVs send viewing data to their servers. This ...
Dec 10, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
New tool makes micro:bit programming portable for young learners
A new coding tool will help make it easier for children to portably program a popular educational micro-computer on the fly. Researchers from Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications working in partnership ...
Dec 4, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Novel framework can generate images more aligned with user expectations
Generative models, artificial neural networks that can generate images or texts, have become increasingly advanced in recent years. These models can also be advantageous for creating annotated images to train algorithms for ...
Consumer & Gadgets
AI without limits threatens public trust—here are some guidelines for preserving communications integrity
The rapid advancement and adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of communications. AI-powered tools can now generate convincing text, images, audio and video from textual prompts.
Dec 3, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
PlayStation at 30: How Sony's gray box conquered gaming
Japanese electronics giant Sony is set to celebrate 30 years since it launched the PlayStation console, the little gray box that catapulted the firm into the gaming big league.
Nov 29, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
PlayStation: Fun facts to know as Sony's console turns 30
Since 1994, PlayStation's five consoles have changed video game history. From the development of the controller to scuffles at stores to Saddam Hussein's military, here are five interesting things to know:
Nov 29, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Father of PlayStation says 'everyone told us we would fail'
The PlayStation has been a colossal consumer hit, but three decades ago, its creator Ken Kutaragi struggled to convince both game-makers and his bosses at Sony that his console would be a winner.
Nov 29, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
One Tech Tip: Home for the holidays? Show relatives you care with some tech support
It's time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we'll be called on to provide a backlog ...
Nov 28, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Earning money while making power grid more stable—energy consumers can have key role in supporting grid flexibility
By providing flexibility services to renewable energy systems, consumers can both help in balancing power grids and receive financial benefits. Hosna Khajeh's doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa, Finland, introduces ...
Nov 27, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Gamergate 2.0: Experts explain why harassment and vitriol hurt everyone who loves games
When legendary Canadian game studio Bioware released Dragon Age: The Veilguard this fall, it was supposed to be a redemption story.
Nov 26, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
China's Huawei unveils 'milestone' smartphone with homegrown OS
Chinese tech giant Huawei on Tuesday unveiled its first smartphone equipped with a fully homegrown operating system, a key test in the firm's fight to challenge the dominance of Western juggernauts.
Nov 26, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Are you tracking your health with a device? Here's what could happen with the data
Every day, millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse.
Nov 22, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
The unspoken rule of conversation that explains why AI chatbots feel so human
Earlier this year, a Hong Kong finance worker was tricked into paying US$25 million to scammers who had used deepfake technology to pretend to be the company's chief financial officer in a video conference call. Thinking ...
Nov 22, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Will your Facebook page and Google photos outlive you? New clinic helps preserve digital life after death
From family photos stored on the cloud to social media posts cataloging life's pivotal moments, to music, art and stories we create and share online, the digital world is infused with representations of who we are.
Nov 21, 2024
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Internet
Book sets out how to make free internet access a human right
A new book has outlined why public institutions should recognize a new human right to free internet access and what such a right could look like.
Nov 21, 2024
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