MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of Pixel phones, providing the maker of Android software a head start on the next iPhone in the race to bring more artificial-intelligence services to devices that have become people’s constant companions.
The showcase held near Google’s Mountain View, California, headquarters took place two months earlier than when the company typically rolls out the next models in its Pixel phone line-up, which made its debut eight years ago.
Although Pixel phones still represent a sliver of worldwide smartphone sales, they are still closely watched because they serve as Google’s platform for demonstrating the latest advances in the Android operating system that powers virtually every phone not made by Apple.
And Google left little doubt that the Pixel 9 phones are meant to be a vessel for the AI technology that is expected to reshape the way people live and work, just as smartphones in general have done over the past 15 years.
“We are obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more productive for people,” Rick Osterloh, a Google senior vice president who oversees the Pixel phones, said Tuesday.
That moment is expect to arrive shortly after Labor Day when Apple traditionally takes the wraps off its next iPhone. The next model, the iPhone 16, is expected to be a big attraction because it will be equipped with the special chip needed to run a suite of AI features. Those features are designed to make Apple’s virtual assistant Siri smarter and perform a wide variety of other tasks that the company is promising will bring more joy to people’s lives, while still protecting their privacy.
But Apple’s plans for AI remain hazier than Google’s vision, and Google is also rolling it out more broadly, including on Samsung phones powered by Android, said Emarketer analyst Grace Harmon. That may increase the pressure on Apple next month when it unveils the next iPhone.
Not surprisingly, the Pixel 9 lineup is also packed with AI technology, a shift that the Google began last October when it released that year’s model. This generation of phones will be the first centered around the Gemini technology that’s become the focal point of its push into AI.
Just as Apple is aiming to do with Siri, Google has designed its Gemini assistant to be more conversational, providing it with a range of 10 different human-like voices. It’s able to handle even more tasks, especially if users are willing to give it access to email and other documents.
In another move mirroring Apple, Google is equipping the Pixel 9 lineup with a special chip enabling many AI-powered services to be handled on the device instead of remote data centers, with the aim of boosting personal privacy and security.
In on-stage demonstrations Tuesday, the Gemini assistant speaking in a voice called “Ursa” was able to come up with helpful ideas for a fun way to use invisible ink when asked to come up with creative ideas.
But the Gemini assistant also stumbled when shown a picture of a poster for singer Sabrina Carpenter, and when asked to let the questioner know when she was performing a concert in the area. After coming up blank on the first two requests, the Gemini assistant provided the requested information.
The Pixel 9 phones also will feature “Magic Editor,” AI technology capable of completely transforming pictures by quickly and seamlessly adding a person who wasn’t in the original photo, or by altering the photo’s landscape or background.
The more advanced Gemini Assistant will require a $20 monthly subscription that will be free for one year for all buyers of the next Pixel 9 phones, which will begin shipping Aug. 22 before becoming more widely available next month. The $240 benefit that Google is offering with a free one-year subscription to its Gemini Advanced service makes it more likely Apple won’t be able to charge for its suite of AI services, Emarketer’s Harmon said.
The standard Pixel 9 will sell for $800, a $100 increase from last year, while the Pixel 9 Pro will sell for $1,000 or $1,100, depending on the size. The next generation of a foldable Pixel phone that Google introduced last year will sell for $1,800.
The event also signaled that Google intends to conduct business as usual even as its internet empire is being threatened by a judge’s recent decision declaring its dominant search engine to be an illegal monopoly.
The landmark ruling will trigger another round of court hearings to determine the measures that Google must take to create a more competitive market – a process that could result in Google being banned from engaging in some deals or, in the drastic scenario, being ordered to spin off its Android software or relinquish other key pillars bolstering the nearly $2 trillion market value of its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc.
Besides its latest phones, Google also took aim at several other popular Apple products with its next Pixel Watch and wireless earbuds.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of Pixel phones, providing the maker of Android software a head start on the next iPhone in the race to bring more artificial-intelligence services to devices that have become people’s constant companions.
The showcase held near Google’s Mountain View, California, headquarters took place two months earlier than when the company typically rolls out the next models in its Pixel phone line-up, which made its debut eight years ago.
Although Pixel phones still represent a sliver of worldwide smartphone sides, they are still closely watched because they serve as Google’s platform for demonstrating the latest advances in the Android operating system that powers virtually every phone not made by Apple.
And Google left little doubt that the Pixel 9 phones are meant to be a vessel for the AI technology that is expected to reshape the way people live and work, just as smartphones in general have done over the past 15 years.
“We are obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more productive for people,” Rick Osterloh, a Google senior vice president who oversees the Pixel phones, said Tuesday.
That moment is expect to arrive shortly after Labor Day when Apple traditionally takes the wraps off its next iPhone. The next model, the iPhone 16, is expected to be a big attraction because it will be equipped with the special chip needed to run a suite of AI features. Those features are designed to make Apple’s virtual assistant Siri smarter and perform a wide variety of other tasks that the company is promising will make people’s lives easier, while still protecting their privacy.
Not surprisingly, the Pixel 9 lineup is also packed with AI technology, a shift that the Google began last October when it released that year’s model. This generation of phones will be the first centered around the Gemini technology that’s become the focal point of its push into AI.
Just as Apple is aiming to do with Siri, Google has designed its Gemini assistant to be more conversational, providing it with a range of 10 different human-like voices. It’s able to handle even more tasks, especially if users are willing to give it access to email and other documents.
In another move mirroring Apple, Google is equipping the Pixel 9 lineup with a special chip enabling many AI-powered services to be handled on the device instead of remote data centers, with the aim of boosting personal privacy and security.
In on-stage demonstrations Tuesday, the Gemini assistant speaking in a voice called “Ursa” was able to come up with helpful ideas for a fun way to use invisible ink when asked to come up with creative ideas.
But the Gemini assistant also stumbled when shown a picture of a poster for singer Sabrina Carpenter, and when asked to let the questioner know when she was performing a concert in the area. After coming up blank on the first two requests, the Gemini assistant provided the requested information.
The Pixel 9 phones also will feature “Magic Editor,” AI technology capable of completely transforming pictures by quickly and seamlessly adding a person who wasn’t in the original photo, or by altering the photo’s landscape or background.
The more advanced Gemini Assistant will require a monthly subscription that will be free for one year for all buyers of the next Pixel 9 phones, which will begin shipping Aug. 22 before becoming more widely available next month.
The standard Pixel 9 will sell for $800, a $100 increase from last year, while the Pixel 9 Pro will sell for $1,000 or $1,100, depending on the size. The next generation of a foldable Pixel phone that Google introduced last year will sell for $1,800.
The event also signaled that Google intends to conduct business as usual even as its internet empire is being threatened by a judge’s recent decision declaring its dominant search engine to be an illegal monopoly.
The landmark ruling will trigger another round of court hearings to determine the measures that Google must take to create a more competitive market – a process that could result in Google being banned from engaging in some deals or, in the drastic scenario, being ordered to spin off its Android software or relinquish other key pillars bolstering the nearly $2 trillion market value of its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc.
Besides its latest phones, Google also took aim at several other popular Apple products with its next Pixel Watch and wireless earbuds.
Starting Monday, Zoom users will have the option to open a document tool from within their video calling app and create sharable files based on their meetings—but they’ll also be prompted to use generative AI to help them write and edit them. This new feature, essentially Zoom’s version of Google Docs, is the latest effort to compete with Microsoft and Google to become an everything workplace for businesses.
The docs feature Zoom’s AI Companion, a generative tool built on LLM models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and the company’s own models, unveiled last fall. It can take a meeting transcript and organize it into templates, or make tables, checklists, and trackers to organize processes and tasks. The docs can then be integrated to Zoom meetings for sharing and editing.
“AI is what makes the experience so differentiated,” says Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “The goal is that the mundane high-friction takes, which take up so much of our time, can be done by AI.”
Zoom docs are the company’s latest update to its collaborative tool Workplace, which came out in March. It’s an attempt to attract customers in a crowded market: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 dominate the space, and have already added their own AI features to tools and to their laptops.
The market is “extremely difficult to compete in,” says Will McKeon-White, senior analyst of infrastructure and operations at research firm Forrester, but not impossible—Google Docs has thrived in a world where Microsoft Word once reigned. Google Workspace has more than 3 billion users, while Microsoft Teams has more than 320 million monthly active users.
In this case, Zoom is betting that the price will matter: Its Workplace plans include the company’s AI Companion at no extra cost (Zoom Workplace costs between $14 and $19 dollars per user per month for smaller companies. Microsoft’s Copilot for 365 add-on costs $30 per user per month, and Gemini for business from Google costs between $20 and $30 per user per month in addition to base costs for the service).
Gemini can also help users brainstorm in Google Docs, create images, and summarize and refine text. And Copilot can work across Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to analyze information, rewrite information, and create presentations.
Persuading businesses to move from one workplace tech provider to another is challenging, and Zoom may be banking on the fact that many organizations already use Zoom alongside another provider, leaving them open to a switch. Zoom has been looking for the next big thing that could replicate its rapid growth during the Covid-19 lockdowns, as people worked via Zoom and even attended Zoom weddings. In early 2023, the company hit a tipping point—the number of clients that were willing to pay for Zoom had already done so, and fewer people were turning to it for “fun” Zoom calls with family or friends.
The company dropped off the Nasdaq 100 at the end of 2023, and its share price is down nearly 90 percent from its 2020 high. Zoom laid off about 15 percent of its staff in early 2023, but—seemingly aware that it needed to expand—began integrating more calendar features and added cartoon avatars. Zoom has recently also seen growth in its Contact Center, a customer service channel for businesses. But to compete with bundled services like Google and Microsoft that also offer video calls, it needs to do more.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Tech is a vital component of just about any modern business plan, but it’s too often implemented before it’s properly assessed. I’ve been in countless forums that include someone declaring, “If you want success, you need to be using .” But in reality, tech is an extension of your business, not someone else’s paint-by-numbers guide for you to replicate what’s already been done.
To be sure, following someone else’s guidance can help reduce some of the decision-making phases in getting started, but may not be the best strategy once an enterprise or organization is established. So, I’m not here to tell you what tech to use because I believe the process of choosing the right is at once complex and unique to each user. You can and should feel good about the systems you’ve invested in.
Here are some signs that yours are no longer supporting you the way they should.
1. Spending too much time on setup and fixes
It is all too easy to find yourself putting in late nights, skipping out on events and spending less time with people you care about, and instead having frustrating sessions at the computer during which it feels like you’re banging your head against the wall. You may, in the end, only get as far as “good enough,” then call it a wrap.
The adage that “fighting with your tech is part of the business” simply isn’t true, or shouldn’t be anyway. The odd late-night session when you’re inspired can be productive, but these should conclude with a winning feeling, not a compromise.
2. Depending on outside people to make adjustments
It’s common to get tech set-up by a friend or family member who is “really good at this.” The hitch is that’s is very easy for this to result in a situation in which someone else is running your business. Not having the confidence to dive into your own digital tools and/or having repeated stressful conversations with the help desk because your go-to person is unavailable simply won’t work.
3. Clients become aware of the problem
When you’re an entrepreneur, clients are typically pretty understanding. They know you’re wearing multiple hats and that tech can be tricky to navigate. But at the core of things, they are looking for your services, and unsupportive tools will get in the way of that — impacting your relationships. Your problems must never become their problems.
There are lots of reasons to dread opening an app. These can range from the color scheme being off to the UX not being intuitive — having to refer to help pages to do routine tasks, for example, or perhaps things glitch with frequency. This can’t happen with your digital services.
5. You’re not having fun
Not everyone loves tech like I do, but you should have a sense that yours is what I term “automagical.” That means you put in the work and reap the rewards—that tech supports you and that you feel empowered and not drained by it. The absence of such happy feelings means there’s a vital issue to be addressed.
Take note, though: Even if you’re experiencing any or all of the above, don’t simply run to invest in new software. Because the reality is that the right tech may not be built for you yet or that you’re not built for it. As any entrepreneur knows, it’s critical to know a target audience, and the same applies to technology: it isn’t designed for absolutely everyone, even if it has the most and best reviews.
Some factors to consider while contemplating your needs:
Establish goals: The first step is clarifying your business goals and intentions, which hold a lot of power when implementing supportive software and other solutions. From monthly costs to ease of use, understanding what your unique needs are is crucial before investing in tools that can truly help (and never hinder) operations.
If you want to grow and scale, you need software that can support changes in data size/complexity — can adapt to more clients in different ways. And if your budget can’t afford solutions that scale in this way, then consider tech goals that may be more in tune with understanding transition points, and how to move to new systems in response to them.
Inventory: Once you’ve got goal clarity, go through each app you’re using and write down how it is helping to achieve them. And don’t forget to include what you hate about them, along with the subscription cost and how much effort they require. This process paints a picture of individual tool value and the current state of your tech stack. It also helps to highlight any gaps and opportunities.
Alignment: Your digital tools should “spark joy,” as professional organizer and consultant Marie Kondo would say. This doesn’t mean that they need to be 100% perfect, but fundamentally, they should make your life easier, not harder. Consider whether they can be juggled, optimized or downsized, or whether it’s time to trade in for something new.
If you keep to this assessment framework, you’ll work more productively, avoid stress, increase production, return to focus and simply enjoy what you do more. The right choices will reflect your values, be easy to use, will grow with you, offer a clear ROI and work well alongside other systems.
Most of us spend a lot of time inside a web browser. If you’re a Chrome, Firefox, or Edge user, then you’ll know these browsers come with a huge number of third-party extensions to augment the features already built into the software.
But what if you need some kind of specific extra functionality, some tool or feature that’s not covered by existing add-ons? Then it might be time to consider writing your own browser extension. That might sound daunting, but It’s not that difficult to do once you learn how. And once you’ve created a custom extension, you can either keep it for your own private use or make it public so anyone can use it.
Some coding knowledge is required, so you’ll need to learn the basics of how web pages and scripts are written if you don’t already know them. If you’re a beginner, you can start small and work your way up. There are also a lot of helpful resources out there on the web if you need them, everything from code libraries to online courses.
Get Started
You’re going to need an idea for an extension you can write.
Photograph: David Nield
There are certain components that make up a browser extension. First is the manifest, which takes the filename manifest.json and contains various bits of metadata identifying the extension and what it does. You put the name of the extension in the manifest, describe what it does, and specify a default action that the extension carries out.
Check out the manifest file format documentation provided by Google for Chrome. You can see some examples there, including a minimal manifest only containing the basics. The manifest points to all of the other required files for the extension, which should be kept in the same folder as you develop it.
Some of the files the manifest points to are the icon files, which visually represent your extension in the browser. Users will look for your icon to see that your extension is running, and they’ll click on the icon to access the extension’s settings or to disable it. You should create a 128 x 128-pixel icon as a minimum, and icons at other sizes (as listed here) are recommended, so the extension looks the same everywhere it appears in the browser, from the settings screen to the tab bar. If you don’t provide an icon, a generic one showing the first letter of the extension name will be used instead.
You then have your scripts, which do the actual work of the extension and can come in a variety of forms: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) for basic web design, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for more advanced styling and manipulation of objects on the web, and JavaScript to do the bulk of the programming tasks (assuming your extension does something more than simply loading a page on screen).
SAN FRANCISCO — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — “Move fast and break things,” a high-tech mantra popularized 20 years ago by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was supposed to be a rallying cry for game-changing innovation. It now seems more like an elegy for a society perched on a digital foundation too fragile to withstand a defective software program that was supposed to help protect computers — not crash them.
It’s a tell-tale moment — one that illustrates the digital pitfalls looming in a culture that takes the magic of technology for granted until it implodes into a horror show that exposes our ignorance and vulnerability.
“We are utterly dependent on systems that we don’t even know exist until they break,” said Paul Saffo, a Silicon Valley forecaster and historian. “We have become a little bit like Blanche DuBois in that scene from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ where she says, ‘I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.’ ”
The dependence — and extreme vulnerability — starts with the interconnections that bind our computers, phones and other devices. That usually makes life easier and more convenient, but it also means outages can have more far-reaching ripple effects, whether they are caused by a mistake like the one made by CrowdStrike or through the malicious intent of a hacker.
“It might be time to look at how the internet works and then question why the internet works this way. Because there is a lot of gum and shoelaces holding things together,” said Gregory Falco, an assistant professor of engineering at Cornell University.
The risks are being amplified by the tightening control of a corporate coterie popularly known as “Big Tech”: Microsoft, whose software runs most of the world’s computers; Apple and Google, whose software powers virtually all of the world’s smartphones; Amazon, which oversees data centers responsible for keeping websites running (another key service provided by Microsoft and Google, too, in addition to its e-commerce bazaar); and Meta Platforms, the social networking hub that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
It’s a highly concentrated empire with a few corridors open to a network of smaller companies such as CrowdStrike — a company with $3 billion in annual revenue, a fraction of the nearly $250 billion in annual sales that Microsoft reels in. All of the key players still tend to put a higher priority on the pursuit of profit than a commitment to quality, said Isak Nti Asar, co-director of the cybersecurity and global policy program at Indiana University.
“We have built a cult of innovation, a system that says. ‘Get technology into people’s hands as quick as possible and then fix it when you find out you have a problem,’” Nti Asar said. “We should be moving slower and demanding better technology instead of giving ourselves up to these feudal lords.”
But is Big Tech to blame for that situation? Or is it 21st-century society that obliviously allowed us to get to this point — consumers eagerly buying their next shiny devices while gleefully posting pictures online, and the seemingly overmatched lawmakers elected to impose safeguards?
“Everybody wants to point the blame somewhere else,” Saffo said, “but I would say you better start looking in the mirror.”
If our digital evolution seems to be headed in the wrong direction, should we change course? Or is that even possible at a juncture where some credit card companies charge their customers a fee if they prefer to have their monthly billing systems delivered to them through a U.S. Postal Service that has become known as “snail mail” because it moves so slowly?
Remaining stuck in a different era worked out well for Southwest Airlines during the CrowdStrike snafu because its system is still running on Windows software from the 1990s. It’s such antiquated technology that Southwest doesn’t rely on CrowdStrike for security. That sword has another, less appealing edge, though: Behaving like a Luddite hobbled Southwest during the 2022 holiday travel season when thousands of its flights were canceled because its technology was unable to properly adjust crew schedules.
But it’s becoming increasingly untenable to toggle back to the analog and early digital era of 30 or 40 years ago when more tasks were done manually and more records were handled on pen and paper. If anything, technology appears destined to become even more pervasive now that artificial intelligence seems poised to automate more tasks, including potentially writing the code for software updates that will be checked by a computer — that will be overseen by another computer to make sure it’s not malfunctioning.
That doesn’t mean individual households still can’t revert to some of their old tricks as a backup for when technology falters, said Matt Mittelsteadt, research fellow for Mercatus Center, a research institution at George Mason University. “There is this creeping realization that some of the things we once mocked, like putting a password on a Post-It note, isn’t necessarily the worst idea.”
At this juncture, experts believe both the government and the private sector need to devote more time mapping out the digital ecosystem to get a better understanding of the weaknesses in the system. Otherwise, society as a whole may find itself wandering through a field of digital land mines — while blindfolded. Says Mittelsteadt: “We have no intelligence about the environment we are operating in now other than that there is this mass of ticking time bombs out there.”
This is a new issue for the automotive industry. “One of the beautiful things about automotive has been that it tends to move much more slowly than consumer electronics,” says Phil Amsrud, an associate director of automotive at the market research firm S&P Global Mobility. That gives auto manufacturers and suppliers plenty of time to figure out how to support their products and guarantee that software will stay up-to-date and functioning through at least year 15. But “now that we’re trying to compress automotive’s timeframe to look more consumer-like, will 15 years get compressed to 10 years, five years?” Amsrud says.
Automakers love the idea of a “software-defined vehicle” because they might prove an entry point into the low-margin, high-profit software business. A customer whose car is updatable whenever and wherever might also be a customer willing to pay to update their car whenever and wherever.
As a result, automakers can keep selling new services and subscriptions—hands-free driving systems, perks including remote start and enhanced maps—to people who already bought their cars, as long as that car is on the road. Today, some car customers pay extra monthly fees for these packaged services, including General Motors’ OnStar roadside assistance, Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (Supervised), and Mercedes’ Me Connect package. But the public has balked at other subscriptions, including a 2022 offering from BMW that would have charged South Korean drivers a monthly fee to turn on their heated seats. (The automaker eventually dropped the scheme.)
Max Headroom
The concept of “software-defined vehicles” requires automakers to build in “headroom,” or guarantees that the car hardware of today will be able to handle the new capabilities of tomorrow. The sunsetting of connectivity standards—choices ultimately made by telecommunications firms, not automakers—demonstrates this is a tricky challenge moving ahead.
In a written statement, Volkswagen spokesperson Mark Gillies said that “despite our best efforts, we have not yet identified a solution that meets our standards for reliability and safety for 3G vehicles.” He declined to comment further on solutions, citing ongoing lawsuits, but said the company believes 4G sunsets will not happen until after 2035, “which means the majority of our 4G vehicles will have the ability for connectivity for at least 10 years.”
Automotive experts say the industry hasn’t made any significant commitments about how long it plans to keep updating its newer, software-enabled vehicles. And if vehicles lose the ability to update well before they make it to the junkyard, “whoever’s holding the bag gets a big hit in resale value,” says Philip Koopman, who studies transportation software and safety as an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
Ray Cornyn is the senior vice president and general manager of automotive processors at NXP, a Dutch firm that’s among the automotive industry’s most popular suppliers. He predicts the auto software future will look a bit like the present. “Vehicles will be defined and designed for 10 to 15-year lifetimes,” he says, with support from suppliers like NXP extending past the 15-year mark. But the bulk of updates will happen in years five to 10.
EV company Rivian markets itself as a software-forward company. Software head Wassym Bensaid says its solution to obsolescence is, in concept, pretty simple: The automaker is talking with its suppliers about when its hardware will no longer be updatable. “Today, the headroom we’ve planned in our hardware with what we think are best practices in the software world, we estimate it to be seven years,” Bensaid says. So while this matches smartphone longevity, in practice this could mean that Rivian trucks and SUVs sold today will continue to get software updates only until 2031.
Yet in spite of the fact that this may be the firmest any automaker has committed to updates, experts are still skeptical, and wish automakers would be clearer about when and how they plan to update their vehicles.
“Whatever anybody is saying right now, it will really have to be proven out in time,” says Stacey Higginbotham, a policy fellow at Consumer Reports.
I am by no means a skilled coder, but thanks to a free program called SWE-agent, I was just able to debug and fix a gnarly problem involving a misnamed file within different code repositories on the software-hosting site GitHub.
I pointed SWE-agent at an issue on GitHub and watched as it went through the code and reasoned about what might be wrong. It correctly determined that the root cause of the bug was a line that pointed to the wrong location for a file, then navigated through the project, located the file, and amended the code so that everything ran properly. It’s the kind of thing that an inexperienced developer (such as myself) might spend hours trying to debug.
Many coders already use artificial intelligence to write software more quickly. GitHub Copilot was the first integrated developer environment to harness AI, but lots of IDEs will now automatically complete chunks of code when a developer starts typing. You can also ask AI questions about code or have it offer suggestions on how to improve what you’re working on.
Last summer, John Yang and Carlos Jimenez, two Princeton PhD students, began discussing what it would take for AI to become a real-world software engineer. This led them and others at Princeton to come up with SWE-bench, a set of benchmarks for testing AI tools across a range of coding tasks. After releasing the benchmark in October, the team developed its own tool—SWE-agent—to master these tasks.
SWE-agent (“SWE” is shorthand for “software engineering”) is one of a number of considerably more powerful AI coding programs that go beyond just writing lines of code and act as so-called software agents, harnessing the tools needed to wrangle, debug, and organize software. The startup Devin went viral with a video demo of one such tool in March.
Ofir Press, a member of the Princeton team, says that SWE-bench could help OpenAI test the performance and reliability of software agents. “It’s just my opinion, but I think they will release a software agent very soon,” Press says.
OpenAI declined to comment, but another source with knowledge of the company’s activities, who asked not to be named, told WIRED that “OpenAI is definitely working on coding agents.”
A number of companies are testing agents for software development. At the top of the SWE-bench leaderboard, which measures the score of different coding agents across a variety of tasks, is one from Factory AI, a startup, followed by AutoCodeRover, an open source entry from a team at the National University of Singapore.
Big players are also wading in. A software-writing tool called Amazon Q is another top performer on SWE-bench. “Software development is a lot more than just typing,” says Deepak Singh, vice president of software development at Amazon Web Services.
He adds that AWS has used the agent to translate entire software stacks from one programming language to another one. “It’s like having a really smart engineer sitting next to you, writing and building an application with you,” Singh says. “I think that’s pretty transformative.”
A team at OpenAI recently helped the Princeton crew improve a benchmark for measuring the reliability and efficacy of tools like SWE-agent, suggesting that the company might also be honing agents for writing code or doing other tasks on a computer.
Singh says that a number of customers are already building complex backend applications using Q. My own experiments with SWE-bench suggest that anyone who codes will soon want to use agents to enhance their programming prowess, or risk being left behind.
The idea is you’ll be able to speak more naturally with Siri. Ask and the assistant will be able to understand context better than ever before. You can say, “Play the podcast my wife sent me the other day,” and Siri will be able to pull it up. That kind of thing.
Siri can also help explain how to do certain functions on your phone if you’re not sure (maybe Samsung was onto something with Bixby). And if you make a mistake mid-sentence, there’s no need to start all over again. Siri will be able to understand your slip-up, and it also understands the context of your previous query, so you won’t need to repeat things over and over again.
Much like how Google’s Gemini is drawing on context based on what’s happening on the screen, Siri can now understand what is on the screen when you activate it, so if someone texts you an address, you can activate Siri and ask it to add the address to the person’s contact card. All of this is expected to work in first- and third-party apps.
ChatGPT Integration
Photograph: Apple
Apple Intelligence apparently still needs a boost for some occasions, and so Apple has tapped OpenAI’s ChatGPT to power them. The company says it’s using the GPT-4o model, and you are in control of when Siri uses ChatGPT. This powers features such as when you ask about the subject of a photo or a document (like scanning a hundred-page PDF), and Compose, which lets you generate original images and text from a query.
All of these GPT features are free with no account required, though if you already are a subscriber, you can link your account and access paid features.
New Features in iOS 18
OK, onto the more traditional software features. I’ve collected the top features in iOS 18 below, but there are tons of smaller changes. You can view the full list directly from Apple.
Get Rid of the App Grid
Customize the app icons’ style, color, and arrangement.
Photograph: Apple
For the first time, you can arrange your apps and widgets however you’d like (just like on Android). Say goodbye to the fixed list of grids Apple has forced on us for nearly two decades. You can make further personalization to the app icons as well, tuning them to a specific color to match or complement your wallpaper, and even convert them to dark mode. You can make these apps and widgets look larger too.
More Control in the Control Center
Control Center.
Photograph: Apple
New styles.
Photograph: Apple
Control Center, the hub that appears when you swipe down on the right edge of the iPhone, is now more customizable. There are now tabs within the Control Center, and you can scroll through them with one continuous swipe on the home screen. These include your favorites—the most important things you want accessible in the Control Center—media playback, and even smart home controls.
You can customize the size and layout of everything in Control Center, and this extends to the Lock Screen controls—you can switch out the two icons at the bottom of your iPhone’s lock screen to something more helpful. Expect new controls from third-party apps.
Lock and Hide Apps
Shhh! Hide apps you don’t want others to see that you have installed.
Photograph: Apple
You can finally hide apps to prevent anyone from snooping, or you can lock the app so that it asks for a passcode or biometric authentication every time it’s launched. The information from this app will be hidden throughout the system, even in notifications and searches. Google debuted a similar new feature called Private Space, which is coming to Android later this year.
Redesigned Photos App
Photos gets an organizational overhaul.
Photograph: Apple
Apple’s Photos app got a huge app redesign in iOS 18. Now, you have a photo grid at the top, and below, you can swipe through different collections, such as Recent Days, Trips, and People & Pets. This upgrade is tied with several other improvements powered by Apple Intelligence, like Clean Up, which can erase unwanted objects in the background of your photos, and the ability to find any image easily via search.
RCS and Satellite Messaging
Arguably one of the most anticipated announcements from Apple ended up as a tiny footnote amid the company’s announcements. RCS is Rich Communication Services, the texting standard that followed SMS/MMS. Android phones have supported RCS for several years, allowing for an upgraded texting experience that pulls features from instant messaging apps, like typing indicators, read receipts, and improved photo and video quality. However, none of this works when an Android user texts an iPhone (or vice versa) because Apple didn’t support RCS and used the older SMS standard.
That’s changing now, “RCS messages bring richer media and deliver and read receipts for those who don’t use iMessage,” according to Apple’s marketing materials. These texts will still appear green (instead of blue when you text fellow iPhone owners via iMessage), but it might finally spell the end of the broken texting experience that has caused so many people strife.
The original proposal for the World Wide Web, written by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, is an important piece of internet history. It also can’t be opened on modern computers.
John Graham-Cumming, a British software engineer and writer, attempted to open the Word document containing the proposal. Modern versions of Microsoft Word and Apple’s Pages both utterly failed to open the file, as he outlined in a blog post. The open-source word processor LibreOffice worked, albeit with messy formatting. Graham-Cumming ultimately found a PDF exported by CERN in 1998, which was the only way he was able to see the document as it existed in 1989.
It’s worrying that such an important piece of history, in such a common file format, could be almost completely lost to the passage of time and software updates. Anyone with a collection of old digital documents, photos, and videos might be wondering if the same thing will happen to their files, which is the sort of question digital archivists deal with all the time, it turns out. So I reached out to one.
“Twenty years, in the digital realm, is ancient,” says Lance Stuchell, director of digital preservation services at the University of Michigan. His team is frequently tasked with recovering digital files from old computers and storage mediums. “We have a lab that can deal with old media—floppy drives, CDs, older computers. We can get that off of those types of media and move it into our preservation system while ensuring we don’t mess it up while we’re doing it.”
But getting the files off the drive is just the first step: Then you have to open them, and leave them in a state that will be openable for decades to come. It’s a job that’s given Stuchell a reason to think about strategies for keeping documents around as long as possible. I asked him what those of us who aren’t professional archivists should do to ensure our files last decades.
Use Open Formats
The Word document I mentioned before could no longer be opened by Microsoft Word because the software has changed over time. This is part of the challenge of archiving digital files.
“With physical stuff, the less you look at it the longer it lasts,” Stuchell says. “Digital stuff, we’re constantly fighting with obsoleteness. As the file moves through time, it’s losing information.”
Updates to software like Microsoft Word mean that files that opened fine in the ’80s don’t open in the 2020s. Part of the problem: Microsoft, and only Microsoft, controls the file format, or even knows how it works. For this reason, Stuchell says he encourages people to export files in an open file format—especially files they want to keep accessible for the long term.
For documents he recommends PDF/A, an open standard built on top of Adobe’s PDF format that includes everything the file needs in order to be opened, including the fonts used in the document. Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, and Adobe Acrobat all support exporting to PDF/A, meaning it’s relatively easy to make such a file. Stuchell recommends that you archive any document that you want to keep to that format.
It’s that time of year again, and the Steam Summer Sale has discounted thousands of games – so, we’ve taken the time to scour the site for the best deals! It’s as if Christmas, Black Friday, and the Boxing Day sales came together in one period for PC gamers! The Steam Summer Sale runs until July 11, 10 am Pacific Time.
From Twinfinite’s favorite games of the last year to Valve’s own featured discounts, we have you covered.
Multiple chart-topping franchises have deep-cut discounts running for the length of the sale, and Valve has even put their LCD models of the Steam Deck on sale!
But, what are the best deals to pick up this year during the Steam Summer Sale?
Deals on Twinfinite’s Top Titles of 2023
Image Source: Larian Studios
Similar to other widespread discount periods, like Black Friday and the Boxing Day sales, it’s best to go in prepared. Many gamers will already have a laundry list of titles they’re on the lookout for. However, if you’re looking for recommendations then we have you sorted!
While 2024 has been a superb year for video game software, let’s not forget the stunning titles that 2023 gifted us with. As such, we’ve searched for appropriate deals corresponding to our staff picks for the 2023 Game of the Year contender list.
3. Resident Evil 4
Capcom has been on a runaway train of success with their recent ground-up remakes of classic Resident Evil titles. Besides the obvious graphical upgrades, these remakes went so far as to reimagine classic scenarios and modernize gameplay for a new generation of players.
As such, when it was announced that – arguably the best Resident Evil title in the franchise – Resident Evil 4 would be getting this treatment, fans were ecstatic.
As were we, when we played it. Giving it a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5, and a glowing recommendation for fans old and new, it’s definitely one to pick up!
Touted as a truly next-generation title for the PlayStation 5, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the poster child for a sequel done right. Keeping the heart of the original Insomniac title, Spider-Man 2 expands on nearly every other facet of the original.
However, while we gave Spider-Man 2 a glowing 5 out of 5 in our review, unfortunately, the title is not available on Steam as of the time of writing.
If more web-swinging action is something you would like to get into, then you are not completely at a loss. The remastered original, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, is available on the Steam store at a 40% discount – at a price point of $35.99!
Insomniac’s side-story, which launched alongside the PS5 and is incorporated into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available on the Steam store at a 40% discount – at a price point of $29.99!
We are not the only ones to have loved Baldur’s Gate 3 as much as we have. However, when a title is as groundbreaking as Larian Studios’ breakout hit is, and sets a “new benchmark for what RPGs can be” then we’d be foolish to not recommend it.
“Baldur’s Gate 3 is a once in a generation kind of game, and we’d be crazy not to give it the credit it’s so rightfully due as the best game of 2023.”
When you first enter the Steam Store page this sale season, you’ll be thrown immediately into the thick of thousands of deep-cut savings. So, if you’re anything like me, then you’ll simultaneously be hit with an overwhelming wave of optional paralysis.
Valve has you sorted though – they’ve done everything in their power to segregate all their savings into appropriate sections. The first of which you’ll see, are Steam’s ‘Featured Deep Discounts’. From 4X strategy behemoths to former Xbox Live Arcade exclusives, Steam has congregated some “especially great deals on some of the all-time greats” all in one place.
Have a peruse – you might be in luck; something you’ve been looking for could be here, or maybe some of these price cuts are just too good to pass up.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (90%) – $5.99
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (90%) – $4.99
Frost Punk (-90%) – $2.99
Celeste (-90%) – $1.99
Assetto Corsa (-90%) – $1.99
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (-90%) – $3.99
Sid Meyer’s Civilization VI (-95%) – $2.99
Total War: Shogun 2 (-90%) – $2.99
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (-90%) – $5.99
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (-95%) – $2.49
American Truck Simulator (-90%) – $1.99
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (-90%) – $3.99
Castle Crashers (-90%) – $1.49
Borderlands 2 (-85%) – $3.00
Steam Deck Discounts
Image Source: Valve Corporation
Only a couple of years ago, the Steam Summer Sale was a purely software-related affair. All that changed with Valve’s handheld foray into the console space with the Steam Deck.
This has manifested itself in the Summer Steam Sale through some deep discounts on the LCD models of their portable hardware. As Valve details on the Steam Deck’s Steam page: “The 64GB and 512GB Steam Deck LCD models are being phased out, and will only be available while supplies last.”
So, while you’re loading up your Steam library with new titles to play, why not consider picking up a Steam Deck to play them on the go?
To help gamers with the obscene amount of Steam Sale discounts available, Valve has sectioned off many of its store’s available discounts. Discounts on many notable series’ current and back-catalog of games have been funneled into an easy-to-navigate ‘Featured Franchises’ subsection.
Not all game discounts have been listed in our article. However, some of the most notable deals have been listed – along with the 23 series they correspond to.
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LONDON — Everyone has too many passwords. The credentials we need to remember to navigate online life keep multiplying, not just for frequently used email, banking, social media, Netflix and Spotify logins, but also, say, the little-known e-commerce site you’re not sure you’ll buy from again.
According to some unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That’s a lot to keep track of. You might be tempted to recycle them, but it’s one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against.
Instead, use a password manager. They’ve been around for a while and can be useful tools to keep on top of your credentials. But they can also be intimidating for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
Here’s a guide on how to use them:
Many people just use the same password for all their online accounts, mainly because it’s the most convenient thing to do.
Don’t!
If your credentials are caught in a cyber breach, the hackers could try using the stolen passwords to get into other services.
Other no-nos: Using easily guessed information like birthdays, names of family members, favorite sports teams, or simple phrases like abc123.
The best strategy, experts say, is to use a different password for each account, the longer and more complex the better, backed up by two-factor authentication where possible.
But it’s impossible to remember all those various codes. So let a password manager do the job.
The basic concept is simple: Your passwords are stored securely in a digital vault. When you need to access an online service, it auto-fills the login and password fields. The only thing you’ll need to remember is a single password to open the password manager.
Most password managers have a smartphone app that works with mobile browsers and other apps and can be opened with a thumbprint or facial ID scan. If you’re using a computer, you can also log in to your password vault through a browser plug-in or by going to a website.
A good password manager should also be able to generate complex passwords with letters, numbers and symbols, for whenever you’re setting up a new account. And it should also recognize that you’re signing into an online service for the first time and ask if you want to save the credentials you’ve entered.
Password managers can also help you avoid falling prey to phishing scams. Those deceptive emails from fraudsters trying to trick you into clicking a link to a phony website designed to harvest login details? A password manager won’t automatically fill in the details if the web address doesn’t match the one linked to the saved password.
They don’t just store passwords. You can save bank and credit card PINs, for example. Many also support passkeys, a new technology that companies like Google have been rolling out as a safer alternative to passwords.
There are dozens of password managers on the market, so it can be hard to figure out what’s best for you.
Better-known platforms include 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, Bitdefender, Nordpass, Keeper and Keepass.
Check out the many tech review websites that have conducted in-depth testing and compiled rankings of the most popular services. If you want to nerd out, users on Reddit have drawn up spreadsheets with side-by-side comparisons. Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre has a buyer’s guide.
Most services have free and paid versions. The paid options typically cost a few dollars a month while the free offerings tend to have restrictions like allowing only one device to be logged in at a time or limiting the number of passwords you can store.
If cost is a factor, Bitwarden’s free service gets top marks from reviewers, though it’s less polished and not as immediately intuitive to use.
A good password manager will work across different devices and platforms, with apps for Windows and Mac computers and iOs and Android devices, and plugins for browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Opera
There are also basic browser-based password managers as well as Apple’s iCloud Keychain for Macs and iOS devices. The iPhone maker is aiming more directly at the market with a new Passwords app that will roll out in the fall.
Cybersecurity worries around password managers flared up after one service, Lastpass, reported a security breach, leading experts to recommend avoiding it.
Don’t let that put you off. For one thing, experts advise that saving credentials in a password manager is much safer than letting, for example, e-commerce sites do it.
Good password managers use strong encryption that prevents anyone else from seeing your data.
Many services use AES-256 encryption, which is considered the most secure type “and impossible to be brute-forced by today’s technology,” said Pieter Arntz, senior malware intelligence researcher at cybersecurity company Malwarebytes.
Strong encryption “ensures that even if your computer or your password manager is compromised, the attacker cannot simply read all your passwords, because they are stored encoded and the attacker will need the master password to decode them,” Arntz said.
A good password manager should also hold regular security audits and inform users quickly if there’s a breach.
Many services store data in the cloud. If you’re worried about that, some let you store them only on your local device, but it can be a complicated process.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
THX Ltd. has released an update to its popular THX Spatial Creator, a digital audio workstation (DAW) plugin designed to enhance the immersive audio experience. With the launch of version 1.1, users can expect several new features aimed at adding depth and realism to their audio projects. This update focuses on making the tool more intuitive and versatile for musicians, podcasters, and video creators.
Introducing Motion Sync for Seamless Integration
One of the standout features in THX Spatial Creator version 1.1 is Motion Sync. This feature allows creators to automatically synchronize motion presets with the tempo of their projects. By matching the beats per minute (BPM) of a song or project, Motion Sync ensures that spatial effects are in perfect harmony with the rhythm. This means that whether you are working on a fast-paced music track or a more laid-back podcast, the audio will move seamlessly with the beat, creating a more engaging listening experience.
Enhanced Room Presets for Authentic Soundscapes
In addition to Motion Sync, version 1.1 introduces six new room presets. These presets include Large Club, Concert Hall, Wine Cellar, Live Drum Room, and Podcast Speech, each designed to give creators a quick and effective way to achieve the desired acoustic environment. By simply selecting a preset, users can instantly transform their audio to sound as if it were recorded in a specific setting. This feature is particularly useful for podcasters and video creators who want to add a sense of place to their recordings without needing to manipulate multiple parameters manually.
Improved Control with Source and Acoustic Parameters
THX Spatial Creator version 1.1 offers enhanced control over source parameters and acoustic settings. Users can now automate source parameters to create complex motion effects, such as alternating between static and dynamic sounds. The plugin includes four sets of acoustic controls: HRTF (head-related transfer function), Size, Room, and Filter. These controls allow users to fine-tune the virtual room’s characteristics, adjust gain controls, and modify tonal qualities, providing a tailored audio experience that matches the creator’s vision.
High-Resolution Support and User-Friendly Interface
Another significant update in version 1.1 is the addition of 4K resolution monitor support. This enhancement ensures that the plugin interface is crisp and clear, making it easier for creators to navigate and adjust settings. The user-friendly interface, combined with the new features, makes THX Spatial Creator a versatile tool for anyone looking to add depth and realism to their audio projects. Whether you are an experienced audio engineer or a newcomer to the field, the intuitive design helps streamline the creation process.
Conclusion: A Worthwhile Upgrade for Audio Creators
THX Spatial Creator version 1.1 is a comprehensive update that brings several useful features to the table. With Motion Sync, new room presets, enhanced control options, and 4K monitor support, it offers a robust set of tools for creating immersive audio experiences. The plugin is available on the Plugin Alliance Marketplace for $249, and current users can download the update directly from the site. This upgrade continues THX’s mission to empower artists by providing innovative tools that enhance creative expression and listener engagement.
Snapchat is working to make it harder for teenagers to be contacted on the app by people they don’t know, its latest effort to stop the sexual and financial exploitation scam known as sextortion.The company on Tuesday announced a set of new safety features, including expanded warning pop-ups that appear when a teen receives a message from someone they don’t share mutual friends with or have in their contacts. Now, teens will also receive a warning message if they receive a chat from a user who has been blocked or reported by others or who is from a region where the teen’s other contacts aren’t located, “signs that the person may be a scammer,” Snapchat said in a blog post Tuesday.Related video above: FBI warns of growing sextortion threat targeting young peopleAnd Snapchat will now prevent the delivery of friend requests for teens to or from an account that they don’t share mutual friends with that is also located in regions often associated with scammers.In addition to expanding Snapchat’s broader suite of youth safety measures, the new features are aimed specifically at preventing financial sextortion, a worrying and growing type of scam across social media where bad actors gain the trust of young users, convince them to send sexual or explicit photos and then demand payment in exchange for keeping the pictures a secret.”These features were designed to better protect teens from potential online harms and to enhance the real-friend connections that make Snapchat so unique,” Snap’s Global Head of Platform Safety Jacqueline Beauchere said in an exclusive statement to CNN ahead of the announcement.Video below: FBI agent shares tips for parents to prevent sextortionLaw enforcement officials have in recent years warned of an uptick in online sextortion scams, in which bad actors, typically located overseas, target children and teens, often with profiles that appear to belong to friendly fellow teenagers. In some cases, sextortion has resulted in suicides.Meta in April also announced new features aimed at combating sextortion, including informing users when they’ve interacted with someone who engaged in financial sextortion. And the chief executives of Meta and Snap, along with other social media leaders, were called to testify earlier this year in a Senate subcommittee hearing about their efforts to protect young people from online exploitation.Also among Snapchat’s announcements on Tuesday are improvements to the app’s blocking tools, which will prevent users from simply creating new accounts to get around a block. Now, when a user blocks another account, any new accounts created on the same device will also automatically be blocked.Snapchat is also introducing more frequent reminders to all users, including teens, about their location settings on the app’s “Snap Map” feature, which is toggled off by default but which users can update to share their location live with friends. The company said it will make it possible for users to update their location settings, remove their location from the map and customize which friends they share their location with – all in one spot on the app.The updates build on Snapchat’s existing teen safety features, which include a “Family Center” where parents can supervise the behavior of 13- to 17-year-old users, and mechanisms for removing age-inappropriate content.Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (or 800-273-8255) to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site.
Snapchat is working to make it harder for teenagers to be contacted on the app by people they don’t know, its latest effort to stop the sexual and financial exploitation scam known as sextortion.
The company on Tuesday announced a set of new safety features, including expanded warning pop-ups that appear when a teen receives a message from someone they don’t share mutual friends with or have in their contacts. Now, teens will also receive a warning message if they receive a chat from a user who has been blocked or reported by others or who is from a region where the teen’s other contacts aren’t located, “signs that the person may be a scammer,” Snapchat said in a blog post Tuesday.
Related video above: FBI warns of growing sextortion threat targeting young people
And Snapchat will now prevent the delivery of friend requests for teens to or from an account that they don’t share mutual friends with that is also located in regions often associated with scammers.
In addition to expanding Snapchat’s broader suite of youth safety measures, the new features are aimed specifically at preventing financial sextortion, a worrying and growing type of scam across social media where bad actors gain the trust of young users, convince them to send sexual or explicit photos and then demand payment in exchange for keeping the pictures a secret.
“These features were designed to better protect teens from potential online harms and to enhance the real-friend connections that make Snapchat so unique,” Snap’s Global Head of Platform Safety Jacqueline Beauchere said in an exclusive statement to CNN ahead of the announcement.
Video below: FBI agent shares tips for parents to prevent sextortion
Law enforcement officials have in recent years warned of an uptick in online sextortion scams, in which bad actors, typically located overseas, target children and teens, often with profiles that appear to belong to friendly fellow teenagers. In some cases, sextortion has resulted in suicides.
Meta in April also announced new features aimed at combating sextortion, including informing users when they’ve interacted with someone who engaged in financial sextortion. And the chief executives of Meta and Snap, along with other social media leaders, were called to testify earlier this year in a Senate subcommittee hearing about their efforts to protect young people from online exploitation.
Also among Snapchat’s announcements on Tuesday are improvements to the app’s blocking tools, which will prevent users from simply creating new accounts to get around a block. Now, when a user blocks another account, any new accounts created on the same device will also automatically be blocked.
Snapchat is also introducing more frequent reminders to all users, including teens, about their location settings on the app’s “Snap Map” feature, which is toggled off by default but which users can update to share their location live with friends. The company said it will make it possible for users to update their location settings, remove their location from the map and customize which friends they share their location with – all in one spot on the app.
The updates build on Snapchat’s existing teen safety features, which include a “Family Center” where parents can supervise the behavior of 13- to 17-year-old users, and mechanisms for removing age-inappropriate content.
Editor’s Note:If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (or 800-273-8255) to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site.
Brussels has accused Microsoft of illegally abusing its dominance in the business-software market at the expense of smaller rivals, following a complaint at the height of the pandemic by US competitor Slack.
The European Commission said on Tuesday it found that Microsoft was restricting competition by selling its video-conferencing software Teams together in bundles with the company’s other popular office tools such as Office 365 and Microsoft 365 since at least 2019.
“We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses,” the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. “If confirmed, Microsoft’s conduct would be illegal under our competition rules.” The charges announced on Tuesday are only a “preliminary view,” meaning the commission has sent a “statement of objections” to Microsoft and the company has 10 weeks once it receives all the details to respond.
The Microsoft charges arrive in the same week as the European Commission also charged Apple with breaking the European Union’s new digital markets act for failing to let app developers communicate freely with their users. Over the past decade, the EU has become the de facto Big Tech regulator, forcing US giants to alter the way they operate and issuing fines of billions of dollars.
In an attempt to placate Brussels, Microsoft started excluding Teams from some Office bundles in July of last year. However, the commission said today that those changes were insufficient and expressed concern about how easy it was to use rival conferencing software in tandem with Microsoft’s other tools, a practice known as interoperability.
“Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, in a statement shared with WIRED. The company plans to work to find solutions to address the commission‘s remaining concerns, he added.
If Microsoft and the EU cannot reach an agreement, the commission has the power to levy fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s annual worldwide turnover and can impose remedies on the company.
The commission opened its investigation into Microsoft Teams following a complaint by Slack in July 2020, when there was fierce competition for the remote workers who relied on office software due to pandemic lockdowns. “This is much bigger than Slack versus Microsoft,” Jonathan Prince, then vice president of communications and policy at Slack, said at the time. “This a proxy for two very different philosophies for the future of digital ecosystems, gateways versus gatekeepers.”
On Tuesday, Sabastian Niles, president and chief legal officer of Slack’s parent company Salesforce, described the European Commission’s position as “a win for customer choice and an affirmation that Microsoft’s practices with Teams have harmed competition.”
German video conferencing company Alfaview, which filed a complaint to the commission following Slack, also welcomed the decision. The measures Microsoft has taken so far to unbundle Teams have been ineffective, Niko Fostiropoulos, CEO and founder of Alfaview, said in a statement. “Microsoft offers existing enterprise customers who opt out of Teams in the overall package only a minimal discount of €2 ($2.10),” he said. “This does not provide sufficient incentives to switch to another video conferencing service.”
Apple has officially unveiled the latest version of its operating system for Mac. This time around, Apple stuck to its “California places” naming convention and went with macOS Sequoia. (Yes, a sequoia is a type of tree, but it’s also a national park in northern California.)
Also known as macOS 15, the new OS packs a ton of new capabilities onto the desktop, including a password management app, videoconferencing tools, and updates to Safari, as well as all the features that come with Apple Intelligence—the company’s new artificial-intelligence-powered system. Below, we break down all these new features that will become available in macOS Sequoia when it ships this fall.
MacOS Sequoia, or macOS 15, is a free update for your Apple computers. But some features, like Apple Intelligence (more on that, later), are exclusive to Macs with the M-series Apple silicon chip. To figure out which Mac model you have, click on the Apple icon in the menu bar in the upper-left corner of your display and click About This Mac. We’ve listed all the models that will be able to run macOS Sequoia below.
MacBook Air: 2020 and later
MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
Mac Mini: 2018 and later
iMac: 2019 and later
iMac Pro: 2017 and later
Mac Pro: 2019 and later
Mac Studio: 2022 and later
MacOS Sequoia is currently available only as a developer beta, but the public beta (where everyone can try out the features) will be available in July.
New Features
Below, we break down all the major features coming to MacOS 15. For a full list, head over to Apple’s official preview page.
iPhone Mirroring
Photograph: Apple
Sometimes your iPhone is in the other room or deep in your bag. For those moments when you need to use it but simply don’t feel like getting up to find it, you’ll be able to pull it up on your computer. As part of Apple’s Continuity features, iPhone Mirroring gives you the ability to both access and interact with your iPhone wirelessly using your Mac.
When the feature is in action, you’ll see your iPhone’s custom home screen appear. From there, you can use the keyboard, trackpad, or mouse to drag and drop content (like photos, videos, and files) between both devices, open and use any of your apps, swipe through all the pages on your home screen, as well as view and respond to notifications. While you’re doing all this, your iPhone will remain locked. It also works while your iPhone is in Standby mode, a feature from iOS 17 that turns your iPhone into a smart display while charging.
Safari Updates
Photograph: Apple
MacOS Sequoia offers a few new features to Safari. With Highlights, Safari will use machine intelligence to show you relevant information from the webpage like directions, links, summaries, and restaurant reviews. Apple also redesigned the Reader to minimize distractions. In addition to a sleeker view of the article, you’ll also see a summary and a table of contents (for longer articles). If the webpage includes a video, Viewer will bring it to the forefront while still giving you access to playback controls (Picture in Picture included).
Window Tiling
Video: Apple
Those who always keep a ton of browser windows open simultaneously will appreciate the new Window Tiling feature that helps organize them for a better viewing experience. When you drag a window to the edge of the screen, the new OS will automatically suggest a tiled position on your screen. (It’s similar to Snap on Windows.) You can then drop the window into place, arrange multiple windows side by side, or place them in any of the four corners to make room for more apps. For quicker organization, you can use keyboard and menu shortcuts too.
Videoconference Tools
Photograph: Apple
Last year, Apple added a ton of new videoconference tools with MacOS Sonoma including Presenter Overlay, Reactions, and various features for the Mac’s built-in webcam. This year, the company is adding a few more. With apps like FaceTime and Zoom, you’ll have access to a new presenter preview capability that allows you to see what you’re about to share before actually sharing it. Meanwhile, the built-in backgrounds feature allows you to apply system wallpapers, color gradients, or your own photos as a backdrop for video calls. Apple says this feature will be available on FaceTime and third-party apps like Webex.
A New Passwords App
Photograph: Apple
If you never loved Keychain, now you have a better option: macOS Sequoia comes with a new Passwords app that allows you to access all your passwords (Wi-Fi passwords included), passkeys, and verification codes in one place. It keeps all your Apple devices in sync, runs on Windows machines (using the iCloud for Windows app) too, and supports end-to-end encryption.
More With Messages
Photograph: Apple
A few new Messages features are coming to macOS Sequoia—and by extension, to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 as well. You’ll be able to format your texts within Messages using bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough type treatments. You’ll also have the ability to add animated effects to a specific word within a text. For some phrases and words, you’ll also see suggestions appear as you type. Apple added new Tapbacks too—instead of using the traditional heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, question mark, or exclamation point, you’ll also see options to use emoji and stickers. Another standout new feature is the option to schedule your messages ahead of time so they’ll be sent later.
Apple Intelligence Features
Photograph: Apple
In addition to the features above, the company also announced new AI capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence—its “personal intelligence system” built into MacOS Sequoia, as well as iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
Former Gloucester resident Peter Van Ness’s debut novel, a tech thriller called “The Faithful” has arrived, and it is very ambitious indeed.
Van Ness, who now lives in Florida, says he has always been fascinated by the intersection of science and spirituality/religion. Add to that the confluence of 21st century technology, and you are inside the mind of John Welles, a brilliant and ambitious MIT graduate who is not just the central character but absolutely central to the novel, as much of the book takes place in his mind.
We first meet John when, as a precocious and curious child, he questions the very existence of reality. Little John recalls in a first-person introductory narrative that he observes the world as a place he can only think to call “pretend.” He can escape it by entering a secret portal in the hallway into infinity where he can time travel at will.
As the son of a prominent Presbyterian minister, Van Ness himself developed an early interest in spirituality and religion, and their link to the metaphysical. Likewise, as a natural math whiz, science was second nature to him. His mind, he says, was ready made for the 21st century, and his tech resume began in high school when he programed computers connected to the ARPANET, the first operational computer network that became the foundation of the modern internet. Later, he’d go on to co-found a software company “that made his investors rich.”
Anyone who knows Van Ness from his entrepreneurial 25 years in Gloucester, knows he marches to his own drum. He skipped college, and became a student of world religions, with a special inclination toward Buddhism.
All of this — science, technology, religion, spirituality, mysticism, not to mention Van Ness’s passion for music — comes home to roost in “The Faithful,” as John’s tech brilliance gets him and his equally brilliant girlfriend Emily swept up in a struggle between two opposing secret religious sects, the Faithful versus the Disciples.
Van Ness describes “The Faithful” sect as representing those wanting “to protect people from all the dangers of the world. They are absolutely sure they are right and committed to their mission, whatever it takes.” The Disciples, on the other hand, “are endlessly curious, seek adventure … constantly question whether they are doing the right thing, and are always adjusting their plans to adapt to current conditions.”
When John and Emily stumble upon evidence of an undiscovered energy field that is, to make a long story short, the key to life itself, they become targets of an ensuing Dan Brownish conspiracy reminiscent of a high tech “The Da Vinci Code,” plunging the reader “into the minds and psyches of the couple as they each embark on a personal journey of self-discovery.”
Ten years in the writing, “The Faithful” evolved with today’s rapidly changing technology and came to include new advances in artificial intelligence. Suffice to say, this is not a tale for tech luddites. But is you are a 21st century digital citizen, then fasten your seatbelts, you’re in for a ride.
Tech aside, at its heart, “The Faithful” remains deeply humanitarian, even romantic. John, like Van Ness himself, loves music, and music weaves its magic throughout “The Faithful.” John hears it in everything, including the glug, glug, glug of fine wine decanting. Then there is “the maestro” — a beloved conductor revered by his musical students, one of whom is John. Van Ness creates in the relationship between the maestro and his students what sounded to this reader as a metaphor for the relationship between the all-seeing God orchestrating life itself.
Van Ness, who, with his wife Vicky, was well known in Gloucester as a mover and shaker in downtown community creative and cultural initiatives. From the summer block parties to Discover Gloucester, they were on the launching pads. But they were best known as promoters of local live music. As founders of Gimme Music and Beverly’s “intimate listening room” 9 Wallis, they were — until the COVID-19 pandemic hit — major players on the North Shore’s live music scene.
One door closes, another opens. In his new home in Florida, Van Ness says he loves swimming daily in the ocean. and as anyone who knows him will not be surprised to hear, in between riding the waves, he’s already writing a sequel. Stay tuned.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) promise the potential to stream any content, from anywhere. They unlock content from abroad across nearly any streaming platform you use regularly, which can come in handy if you’re into some obscure BBC exclusive not available in the United States. But that’s actually just one small perk of VPN services. VPNs provide a private traffic tunnel to keep your internet service provider out of your business, and provide an extra layer of security to protect your browsing habits. We tested nine of today’s most popular VPNs to help you find the best option for your needs.
What is a VPN?
VPNs, or virtual private networks, mask your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted “tunnel” that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history. VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution, though.
Instead, they’re just one part of keeping your data private and secure. Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Engadget that VPNs don’t protect against common threats like phishing attacks, nor do they protect your data from being stolen. Much of the data or information is stored with the VPN provider instead of your ISP, which means that using a poorly designed or unprotected network can still undermine your security. But they do come in handy for online privacy when you’re connecting to an untrusted network somewhere public because they tunnel and encrypt your traffic to the next hop.
That means sweeping claims that seem promising, like military-grade encryption or total digital invisibility, may not be totally accurate. Instead, Yael Grauer, program manager of Consumer Reports’ online security guide, recommends looking for security features like open-source software with reproducible builds, up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard (CR’s preferred protocol) or IPsec, and the ability to defend against attack vectors like brute force.
Understanding VPNs and your needs
Before considering a VPN, make sure your online security is up to date in other ways. That means complex passwords, multi-factor authentication methods and locking down your data sharing preferences. Even then, you probably don’t need to be using a VPN all the time.
“If you’re just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great,” Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget.
That brings us to some of the most common uses cases for VPNs. If you use public WiFi networks a lot, like while working at a coffee shop, then VPN usage can help give you private internet access. They’re also helpful for hiding information from other people on your ISP if you don’t want members of your household to know what you’re up to online.
Geoblocking has also become a popular use case as it helps you reach services in other parts of the world. For example, you can access shows that are only available on streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in other countries, or play online games with people located all over the globe.
There are also a few common VPN features that you should consider before deciding if you want to use one, and which is best for you:
What is split tunneling?
Split tunneling allows you to route some traffic through your VPN, while other traffic has direct access to the internet. This can come in handy when you want to protect certain activity online without losing access to local network devices, or services that work best with location sharing enabled.
What is a double VPN?
A double VPN, otherwise known as multi-hop VPN or a VPN chain, passes your online activity through two different VPN servers one right after the other. For VPN services that support this, users are typically able to choose which two servers they want their traffic to pass through. As you might expect, this provides an extra layer of security.
Are VPNs worth it?
Whether or not VPNs are worth it depends how often you could use it for the above use cases. If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful. But, keep in mind that even the best VPN services often slow down your internet connection speed, so they may not be ideal all the time.
In today’s world, we recommend not relying on a VPN connection as your main cybersecurity tool. VPN use can provide a false sense of security, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Plus, if you choose just any VPN, it may not be as secure as just relying on your ISP. That’s because the VPN could be based in a country with weaker data privacy regulation, obligated to hand information over to law enforcement or linked to weak user data protection policies.
For VPN users working in professions like activism or journalism that want to really strengthen their internet security, options like the Tor browser may be a worthwhile alternative, according to Crandall. Tor is free, and while it’s less user-friendly, it’s built for anonymity and privacy.
How we tested
To test the security specs of different VPNs and name our top picks, we relied on pre-existing academic work through Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and other sources. We referenced privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits made available to the public. We also considered past security incidents like data breaches.
We looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional “extra” VPN features like multihop. The VPNs were tested across iOS, Android and Mac devices so we could see the state of the mobile apps across various platforms (Windows devices are also supported in most cases). We used the “quick connect” feature on the VPN apps to connect to the “fastest” provider available when testing internet speed, access to IP address data and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault in the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP.
Otherwise, we conducted a test of geoblocking content by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming test by watching a news livestream on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. By performing these tests at the same time, it also allowed us to test claims about simultaneous device use. Here are the VPN services we tested:
Simultaneous connections: 10 | Number of devices: 10 | Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox | Dedicated IP addresses: Yes, for business users only | Trial/Money-back guarantee: None/30-day money-back guarantee
The VPNs we tried out ranked pretty consistently across all of our tests, but ProtonVPN stood out as a strong option because of its overall security, usability and privacy features. The Proton Technologies suite of services includes mail, calendar, drive and a VPN known for its end-to-end encryption. This makes it a strong contender for overall security, but its VPN specifically came across as a well-rounded independent service.
ProtonVPN’s no-logs policy has passed audits, and the company has proven not to comply with law enforcement requests. Because it is based in Switzerland, there are no forced logging obligations, according to the company. Plus, it’s based on an open-source framework, and has an official vulnerability disclosure program along with clear definitions on what it does with personal information.
While ProtonVPN offers a free version, it’s limited compared to other options, with access to server networks in just three countries. Its paid version, starting at about $5.39 per month, includes access to VPN server locations in more than 65 countries on 10 devices at a time. For dedicated Proton Technologies users, they can pay closer to $8.63 for a monthly plan to access the entire suite.
ProtonVPN passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests with only a very small toll on connection speeds. It also comes with malware-, ad- and tracker-blocking as an additional service, plus it has a kill switch feature on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and the latest version of Android. It’s available on most major operating systems, routers, TV services and more including Firefox, Linux and Android TV. For dedicated Linux users, ProtonVPN added a new Linux-specific app to support its services in August.
Pros
Easy to use
No-logs policy
Based on open-source framework
Kill switch feature on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Simultaneous connections: Unlimited | Number of devices: Unlimited | Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox | Dedicated IP addresses: No | Trial/Money-back guarantee: None/None
By signing up for Windscribe’s free plan with your email, users can access 10GB per month of data, unlimited connections and access to more than 10 countries. We selected it as the best free VPN because of its high security and wide range of server locations compared to other free VPNs. It has over 500 servers in over 60 countries, according to the company, and can be configured to routers, smart TVs and more on top of the usual operating systems.
Windscribe doesn’t have a recent independent security audit, but it does publish a transparency report showing that it has complied with zero requests for its data, runs a vulnerability disclosure program encouraging researchers to report flaws and offers multiple protocols for users to connect with.
On top of that, it’s easy to use. The set up is intuitive and it passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests. The paid version costs $5.75 to $9 each month, depending on the plan you choose, and includes unlimited data, access to all servers and an ad/tracker/malware blocker. Or, for $1 per location per month, users can build a plan tailored to the VPNs they want to access. Windscribe is still expanding its reach, adding Japan to its list of available spots.
We picked the best VPN service for travel, gaming and streaming based on which one had access to the most locations with high speed connections and no lag. ExpressVPN met all those criteria and was one of the most premium VPNs we tried, not to mention one of the fastest VPNs, too. Now, it even comes with an in-house password manager, ExpressVPN Keys, to manage and autofill logins across sites included with the subscription. That will make it easier to toggle between streaming and gaming accounts while browsing securely.
An internet speed test measured faster upload and download speed compared to using no VPN, practically unheard of compared to the other VPNs tested. But being this fast is likely a fluke due to the VPN service circumventing traffic shaping by the ISP or another disparity because even top VPNs will in some way slow down speeds. With 2,000 servers in 160 cities, according to the company, it had one of the broadest global reaches. It also passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests, and it does regular security audits. Plus, Network Lock is its kill switch feature, which keeps your data safe even if you lose connection to the VPN. Subscription costs range from $8.32 to $12.95 per month depending on the term of the plan, and include a password manager.
With ExpressVPN, users can connect to up to five devices at once, which is on the lower side compared to other services. That said, it works on a bunch of devices from smart TVs to game consoles, unlike some other services that lack support beyond the usual suspects like smartphones and laptops.
Pros
High speed connections with no lag in many locations
Supports Network Lock kill switch feature
Works on a variety of devices like smart TVs and game consoles
Simultaneous connections: 7 | Number of devices: 7 | Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox | Dedicated IP addresses: Yes, additional purchase required | Trial/Money-back guarantee: 2 free months/45-day money-back guarantee
Because several of the best VPN services connect to routers, cross-platform accessibility isn’t always necessary. By connecting a VPN to your home router, you can actually connect to unlimited devices in your household, as long as they all access the internet through that router.
But if you use VPNs on the go, and across several devices, being able to connect to a wide range of platforms will be indispensable. CyberGhost offers simultaneous connectivity on up to seven devices for $2.11 to $12.99 per month depending on subscription term. It supports several types of gadgets like routers, computers, smart TVs and more. It’s similar to the support that ExpressVPN offers, but CyberGhost provides detailed instructions on how to set up the cross-platform connections, making it a bit more user-friendly for those purposes. Plus, it just expanded its network of servers from 91 to 100 countries, adding Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to its available locations.
From a security perspective, CyberGhost completed an independent security audit by Deloitte earlier this year, runs a vulnerability disclosure program and provides access to a transparency report explaining requests for its data. An updated version of its transparency report went live in August. While it did pass all of our tests, it’s worth noting that we had trouble connecting to servers in the United Kingdom and had to opt to run our gaming test through an Ireland-based server instead.
Pros
Works well across different kinds of devices/platforms
Provides detailed instructions for setting service up on different devices
As we mentioned before, connecting to a router can provide nearly unlimited access to devices in a single household. But Surfshark VPN is one of few VPN services that offer use on an unlimited number of devices without bandwidth restrictions, according to the company. And you get that convenience without a significant increase in price: Surfshark subscriptions cost about $2.49 to $12.95 for a monthly subscription, and the company recently conducted its first independent audit. It added QR-code-enabled login across devices and expanded support for alternative ID profiles since our initial review, a feature that some of its competitors already had.
We ran into some trouble connecting to Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol, but tested on an IKEv2 protocol instead. The VPN speed was a bit slow and struggled to connect for our geoblock test at first, but ultimately passed. What makes it different from other VPNs with unlimited connection options is that it has access to a larger number of servers and is available on more types of devices.
NordVPN didn’t quite make the cut because it’s overhyped, and underwhelming. As I’ve written in our full review of NordVPN, the pricing, up to $14.49 for a “complete” subscription, seemed high compared to other services, and its free or lower cost plans just didn’t have the same wide variety of features as its competitors.
TunnelBear
Despite the cute graphics and user friendliness, TunnelBear wasn’t a top choice. It failed numerous basic security tests from Consumer Reports, and had limited availability across platforms like Linux. It did, however, get a major security boost in July when it updated to support WireGuard protocol across more of its platforms.
Bitdefender VPN
Bitdefender doesn’t offer support for devices like routers, which limits its cross-platform accessibility. It also lacked a transparency report or third-party audit to confirm security specs.
Atlas VPN
Atlas ranked lower on our speed tests compared to the other VPNs tested, with a notably slower difference on web browsing and streaming tests. It was a good option otherwise, but could easily cause headaches for those chasing high speed connections. Security-wise, an Atlas VPN vulnerability leaked Linux users’ real IP addresses.
VPN FAQs
What are some things VPNs are used for?
VPNs are traditionally used to protect your internet traffic. If you’re connected to an untrusted network like public WiFi in a cafe, using a VPN hides what you do from the internet service provider. Then, the owner of the WiFi or hackers trying to get into the system can’t see the identity of your computer or your browsing history.
A common non-textbook use case for VPNs has been accessing geographically restricted content. VPNs can mask your location, so even if you’re based in the United States, they can make it appear as if you’re browsing abroad and unblock access. This is especially useful for streaming content that’s often limited to certain countries, like if you want to watch Canadian Netflix from the US.
What information does a VPN hide?
A VPN doesn’t hide all of your data. It only hides information like your IP address, location and browser history. A common misconception is that VPNs can make you totally invisible online. But keep in mind that the VPN provider often still has access to all of this information, so it doesn’t grant you total anonymity. You’re also still vulnerable to phishing attacks, hacking and other cyberthreats that you should be mindful of by implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
Are VPNs safe?
Generally, yes. VPNs are a safe and reliable way to encrypt and protect your internet data. But like most online services, the safety specifics vary from provider to provider. You can use resources like third-party audits, Consumer Reports reviews, transparency reports and privacy policies to understand the specifics of your chosen provider.
What about Google’s One VPN?
Google One subscriptions include access to the company’s VPN, which works similarly to other VPNs on our list, hiding your online activity from network operators. However, Google announced recently that it plans to shut down the One VPN because “people simply weren’t using it.” There’s no specific date for the shutdown, with Google simply saying it will discontinue the service sometime later in 2024. Pixel phone owners, however, will continue to have access to the free VPN available on their devices.
Update November 10, 2023: This story was updated after publishing to remove mention of PPTP, a protocol that Consumer Reports’ Yael Grauer notes “has serious security flaws.”
In February 2020, as Disney’s head of streaming, Kevin Mayer, was in the line of succession for CEO. But Mayer, seen here on Sept. 29, 2022, and colleagues were stunned when Iger announced Bob Chapek would replace Iger immediately.
Bryan van der Beek | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Former TikTok CEO and Candle Media co-CEO Kevin Mayer says that the hype around artificial intelligence has reached a crescendo, with company valuations looking “astronomical.”
Speaking to CNBC’s Karen Tso at the VivaTech conference in Paris on Friday, he said that there’s underlying value in AI, as seen in previous innovations like the metaverse and Blockchain — but warned of a coming “stabilization” for valuations.
“AI provides capabilities that have not yet been seen and are very valuable. But the hype cycle has been dramatic,” Mayer said.
“I think we’ll see a peak of that, of the hype within AI, the valuations, and everyone talking about how it’s gonna disrupt every single corner of our economic universe and personal lives.”
Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was first introduced to the world in November 2022, regulators and tech leaders have become increasingly worried about the risks surrounding advanced AI systems. At the same time, the space has generated buzz from investors and brought valuations significantly higher in some cases. Companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, and Mistral have raised billions of dollars from venture capitalists — along with attention and investment from large tech firms, such as Microsoft and Amazon.
Some high-profile voices have backed the technology and its surge in interest. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is among them, telling CNBC in February that AI is not just a passing fad and is bigger than just large language models such as the ones that underlie ChatGPT. He also compared the current moment favorably to the tech bubble that emerged around the start of the 21st century.
But Mayer told CNBC Friday that it’s “vastly overhyped already.”
“Too many companies [are] bringing in too much capital at valuations that are way too astronomical. So there will be a stabilization. There’ll be a realization of the benefits of AI in many many industries, but I think the hype is at an all-time fever pitch right now.”
—CNBC’s Jesse Pound and Arjun Kharpal contributed to this story.
Every web browser has what’s called a cache: A temporary storage space for web pages that syncs online content to your computer or mobile device. This syncing is designed to help websites load up faster, and put less of a strain on your internet bandwidth.
It’s a good idea and it works well most of the time, which is why every browser does it. However, it can cause problems. By its very nature, cached content can fall out of date: Browsers will try to ensure this doesn’t happen, but it can, and that might mean you’re looking at information, links, and images that are no longer accurate or relevant.
What’s more, discrepancies between cached content and what’s actually on the internet can also cause all kinds of weird bugs, like pages not loading properly or web apps not functioning.
Cached content can also represent a security vulnerability. Data stored on your computer about the websites you’ve visited can tell a story of your online activity—and while it would require physical access to your computer and a skilled hacker to find it, it’s a possibility.
For all these reasons, you might want to regularly clear out cached pages. Clearing the cache effectively resets the browser’s relationship to the webpage, and can often fix problems with a site.
Note that cached files are different than cookies. Cookies are bits of information saved by websites that tell them details about who you are and where you’re located—so you don’t have to log in every time you visit Gmail, for example. The cache holds different information, like images and page furniture.
There are reasons to clear your browser’s cookies too, but we’re going to focus on the cache here. This is how to do the job no matter what browser you’re using.
Google Chrome
Clearing the cache in Google Chrome.
Courtesy of David Nield
In Chrome on the desktop, click the three dots (top right), then Settings. Open up the Privacy and security tap, click Clear browsing data, and then select Cached images and files under the Basic tab.
