News — Page194

Meta is set to announce its next generation of smart glasses at the upcoming Connect conference. The new model features a small display embedded in the right lens and can be operated via a wristband that reads hand‑movement signals using surface electromyography (sEMG) technology acquired from CTRL‑Labs. The glasses are expected to cost around $800 and may be larger and heavier than prior versions. Meta also hints at new Oakley designs with an integrated camera, while no new Quest headset is slated for release. Existing Ray‑Ban Meta glasses have already sold 2 million units, underscoring strong market demand.Read more

A potential agreement between the United States and China on the future of TikTok could allow the American version of the app to continue using the Chinese‑origin algorithm under a licensing arrangement. Chinese regulator Wang Jingtao said the deal would involve licensing the algorithm and other intellectual property rights. U.S. Treasury officials indicated the new version would retain some Chinese characteristics while being controlled by American investors. Companies such as Oracle and Perplexity AI have been mentioned as possible partners in restructuring or overseeing the platform's data and technology.Read more

Matthew Prince, co‑founder and CEO of Cloudflare, explained the company’s new tool that forces AI services to pay for scraping website content. He warned that AI‑driven answer engines are cutting traffic to publishers and argued that a new exchange of value is needed to sustain content creators. Prince described partnerships with major publishers and Reddit that already generate significant revenue from AI companies. He also discussed seasonal internet shutdowns in some countries, the company’s neutral relationships with U.S. administrations, and his concern that the internet’s business model could collapse without new incentives.Read more

Microsoft is rolling out an automatic AI model‑selection feature for Visual Studio Code that favors Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 over OpenAI’s GPT‑5, especially for paid GitHub Copilot users. Internal guidance from developer division head Julia Liuson cites benchmark results recommending Claude Sonnet 4. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in its own AI training infrastructure and planning to integrate Anthropic models into Microsoft 365 Copilot, while a new partnership deal with OpenAI eases cloud‑provider restrictions and hints at future financial arrangements.Read more

Apple’s latest iOS 26 update introduces Live Translation, a real‑time language tool that works within Messages, phone calls and FaceTime. Users can select a primary language, have it downloaded, and see incoming messages instantly rendered in their preferred language alongside the original text. The feature also extends to voice conversations when paired with AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2 or AirPods 3 equipped with active noise cancellation. Early testers report seamless interactions with family members speaking different languages, highlighting the technology’s potential to make everyday communication smoother and more inclusive.Read more

Apple's iOS 26 update introduces a suite of Apple Intelligence tools that aim to make everyday tasks more seamless. Live Translation adds real‑time language conversion to Messages, FaceTime and phone calls. Genmoji and Image Playground receive upgrades that let users create custom emojis and generate AI‑enhanced artwork. Visual Intelligence can now scan the screen to retrieve information and act on screenshots. Developers gain access to Apple’s foundation models, enabling third‑party apps to embed AI without additional costs. Finally, the Shortcuts app incorporates Apple Intelligence, opening new possibilities for automated actions. The update is free for compatible devices.Read more

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder tested popular large language models, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and its reasoning variants, on Sudoku puzzles and their ability to explain solutions. The models struggled with both 6x6 and 9x9 puzzles, often resorting to trial‑and‑error and producing inaccurate explanations. In some cases, the models gave unrelated answers, such as a weather forecast. The findings raise concerns about AI transparency, especially as the technology moves into high‑stakes domains like driving, tax preparation, and business decision‑making. The study also notes a pending Ziff Davis lawsuit against OpenAI over training data.Read more

A user turned to ChatGPT to design a Google Sheets tracker for TV shows they were watching, planning to watch, or wanted to revisit. The AI helped define columns for genre, streaming platform, watch partner, episode length, tone, and status, then added rating and notes fields with dropdown menus. Subsequent prompts refined sorting criteria for solo comedies under 30 minutes on subscribed services and generated personalized show suggestions, including five cozy titles under 40 minutes on Hulu or HBO Max. The result is a continuously updated, searchable watchlist that reduces scrolling and streamlines recommendations.Read more

Millions are turning to AI-powered chatbots for spiritual advice and confession, a trend highlighted by a 2023 experiment where a ChatGPT-driven sermon was streamed to over 300 attendees at St. Paul’s Church in Fürth, Germany. Companies like Pray.com use large language models trained on religious texts, but developers acknowledge the technology’s tendency to affirm users—a phenomenon known as sycophancy. While some see this affirmation as helpful, scholars warn that the bots merely repeat what users want to hear, lacking true spiritual discernment and potentially reshaping faith practices.Read more

Alphabet surpassed the $3 trillion market capitalization threshold after a federal judge declined to order a breakup of the company. The decision softened the remedies from a prior ruling that found Google’s search business illegal monopoly. The Justice Department’s proposal to force the sale of Chrome and other aggressive actions was rejected, ending unsolicited bids from firms. Meanwhile, Alphabet’s cloud and AI offerings continue to drive growth, placing the firm alongside Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple in the elite trillion‑dollar club.Read more

Smartphone startup Nothing announced the close of its Series C funding round, raising $200 million led by Tiger Global with participation from existing investors such as GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF and Tapestry, as well as new strategic backers Nikhil Kamath and Qualcomm Ventures. The capital brings the company’s total funding to over $450 million and values it at $1.3 billion. Founder Carl Pei said the money will fund an AI‑first device slated for next year, while the firm continues to build its supply chain, expand global sales and develop AI‑enhanced software experiences.Read more

Industry leaders, policymakers, and media executives gathered at the WIRED AI Power Summit to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism. While some praised AI’s potential to drive innovation, others warned of traffic loss, content licensing challenges, and the need for regulatory guardrails. The dialogue underscored a clash between optimism about AI‑driven growth and concern over its effects on news ecosystems.Read more

Meta (formerly Facebook) has begun distributing payouts from a class‑action settlement that addressed privacy violations, including the Cambridge Analytica data breach. Eligible users received roughly $38 via PayPal, marking the first disbursements of a settlement that originally totaled $725 million.Read more

A removed video from Meta inadvertently displayed two upcoming smart‑glass models: a Ray‑Ban pair equipped with a right‑lens display and a wristband controller, and an Oakley Sphaera model featuring a nose‑mounted camera. The footage highlighted capabilities such as voice‑driven AI queries, map navigation, real‑time translation, and gesture‑based text input using surface electromyography (sEMG) technology. The leak precedes Meta’s Connect keynote, where the company is expected to officially introduce the devices.Read more

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a preliminary injunction that restricts Google’s conduct in the Google Play Store for a three‑year period ending on November 1, 2027. The order bars Google from tying revenue sharing, payment terms, pre‑installation, and billing requirements to developers’ distribution choices, and it prevents the company from blocking communication about alternative payment methods or app availability outside the Play Store. Both Google and Epic Games will each appoint a member to a three‑person Technical Committee to resolve disputes arising under the order.Read more

European leaders warn that the continent risks becoming a consumer of AI labor unless it creates its own AI employees. While U.S. and Chinese firms dominate model development and infrastructure, Europe boasts pioneering research and a strong industrial base. Startups such as Mistral, Black Forest Labs, Langdock and Venta AI are tailoring AI solutions to European regulations, culture and workflow needs. The push for AI‑driven sales automation and other rule‑based processes highlights both the economic opportunity and the urgency for Europe to develop sovereign AI talent.Read more

A new research paper by OpenAI and academic partners reveals that ChatGPT, once promoted as a productivity assistant, is increasingly being used for personal purposes. While weekly active users remain high, the proportion of work‑related conversations has fallen from roughly half to just over a quarter. The study highlights changing patterns in how users ask questions, with a rise in information‑seeking queries and a diversification of the user base across gender, age and geography.Read more

A Reddit post highlighted the stark contrast between two AI‑generated images created with the same prompt – a stop sign in a blue sky – one from 2015 and another from 2025. The early image, produced by the alignDRAW model, was blurry and abstract, while the later version, likely using advanced models such as Nano Banana or GPT‑5, displayed crisp details and realistic lighting. The evolution underscores rapid improvements in text‑to‑image technology, exemplified by newer tools like ByteDance’s Seedream 4.0, and raises questions about the future of visual authenticity.Read more

Amazon has sent invitations for a high‑profile hardware launch slated for September 30 in New York City. The teaser hints at new Echo speakers, a refreshed Kindle line, updated Echo Buds, and possible additions to the Fire TV and Echo Auto families. Attendees can expect a showcase of devices that integrate the latest Alexa+ features and other upgrades across Amazon’s consumer tech ecosystem.Read more

OpenAI’s analysis of over a million ChatGPT conversations shows that writing assistance dominates usage, especially for work‑related tasks, while information‑seeking and decision‑making are fast‑growing functions. Users frequently request edits, critiques, and translations, and a sizable share turn to the model for business advice. Smaller but notable segments employ the AI for multimedia, programming, creative ideation, calculations, and even gaming. The data highlights ChatGPT’s role as a versatile assistant rather than a simple task executor.Read more