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

This Ohio museum shows that TV is older than you might think

The history of television began long before millions of people gathered in front of their black-and-white sets and fiddled with the antenna and horizontal hold to watch Lucy, Uncle Miltie and Howdy Doodie.

Consumer & Gadgets

Travel back to ancient Greece in virtual reality

A new virtual reality (VR) app which takes users on a journey back in time to ancient Greece where they are able to experience first-hand what it was like to consult with the Greek god Zeus at the Oracle of Dodona has been ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Technology remains at the heart of the Hajj, says researcher

The Hajj—the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which Muslims are expected to make once in their lives if they are able—is expected to begin June 26 and last for five days. In 2023, approximately 2 million ...

Consumer & Gadgets

First Olympic Esports Week kicks off

The first-ever Olympic-organized Esports Week kicked off in Singapore on Thursday, but an IOC official said there is currently no plan to include video games in the Olympic program.

Consumer & Gadgets

How do I get the best audio quality from streaming music services?

When it came to the way people listened to music at home, vinyl ruled until the 1970s. But technology doesn't stand still. Cassettes, which had poorer sound quality but were much more convenient, gave records a run for their ...

Consumer & Gadgets

New touch-activated laser lane to keep cyclists safe

Cyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups of people on our roads. Unlike car users, they are not protected by a metal exterior, and they tend to be harder for other drivers to see.

Consumer & Gadgets

How generative AI is a minefield for copyright law

In 2022, an AI-generated work of art won the Colorado State Fair's art competition. The artist, Jason Allen, had used Midjourney—a generative AI system trained on art scraped from the internet—to create the piece. The ...