Weiquan Lin/Getty Images Can you tell a human from a bot? In one survey, AI voice services creator Podcastle found that two out of three people incorrectly guessed whether a voice was human or AI-generated. That means that AI voices are becoming harder and harder to distinguish from the voices of real people. Also: How do […] More
Govee Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights are already a popular smart light string<!–> because they solve a big problem for many homeowners. You can leave them up all year and not worry about them becoming damaged by the elements. Now, the smart home device manufacturer is launching a second generation of these lights, the Govee Permanent […] More
John C Magee/Getty Images One complaint about Windows is near the top of everyone’s list: updates. There are too many updates. They take too long to install. They sometimes fail in ways that cause additional problems. And they always pop up at the most inopportune time. In most cases, these updates require the computer to […] More
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?Dell’s XPS 14 is seeing some big discounts at Best Buy right now for the higher-end configurations. The laptop with the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc GPU is on sale for $1,799 More
IntelThe AI revolution is upon us, but it remains extremely hard for business leaders to set a direction and vision and to make plans with any certainty. Still, we can offer some relatively uncontroversial observations regarding current and future capabilities — around which we can start to build a broad picture of this revolution. These include:Also: Welcome to the AI revolution: From horsepower to manpower to machine-power AI is already impressive in its generative and predictive capabilities and is only going to keep getting more so.There is a huge amount of investment and excitement in the space, which seems unlikely to abate any time soon.CEOs are always on the search to achieve more with less (growth and margin).Many jobs — or parts of jobs — are routine, procedural, or algorithmic in nature, and are therefore candidates for reallocating to AI resources. According to H. James Wilson and Paul Daugherty in Harvard Business Review (Sept-Oct 2024), most business functions and more than 40% of all US work activity can be augmented by AI.New companies very soon will be AI natives, meaning that they simply will not hire humans in the first place except when they have to. These companies will probably show the rest of us where humans are still valuable and where they’re not, and we’ll follow suit (some faster than others).On this patchy but still relatively solid ground, we were inspired by “The 6 Levels of Driving Automation” — created by the Society of Automotive Engineers — to develop a framework that reflects this evolution of AI capabilities and how they will affect companies over the next decade or so. A continuously improving set of AI resources over the next decade will have a two-fold impact on business and the human workforce. Initially, AI will have a broadly augmentative effect, taking over low-value tasks and empowering humans to focus their efforts on more strategic and creative jobs. More
Charlie Osborne/ZDNETHere at ZDNET, we extensively cover the virtual private network (VPN) market and keep an eye out for any worthwhile deals. Over at Stack Social, we’ve spotted an interesting promotion for anyone who wants to use VPN software to mask their online activity from prying eyes, including ISPs, marketers, and other groups that may track what websites you visit and what online services you use. Also: The best VPN servicesThe VPN in question is from AdGuard, a company well-known for its ad and tracker-blocking technologies. Now, you also have the option to try out their standalone VPN, which could provide an additional layer of privacy to protect your browsing. What I like about this deal is the price. For $35 (90% off), you can sign up for a five-year plan, which gives you access to a VPN for the equivalent of around $0.58 per month. The subscription includes 10 simultaneous device connections, and AdGuard operates a no-logging policy. One- and three-year subscription AdGuard VPN deals are also available for $15 and $25, respectively, and while inexpensive, they are more in line with typical promotions offered by other VPN providers. Also: The best VPN for streamingThe mobile iOS and Android versions of this VPN are easy to set up, with a clean layout and a simple menu bar. You can opt for the default “smart” location just by clicking a button, or you can wander through the server and country list (over 60 locations) to find your preferred location. Its speeds are fine, and I didn’t notice any real difference in my browsing or app usage. There is a caveat, though: I can’t recommend this VPN for purely MacOS usage. During my testing, I found it a challenge to even sign in, and it is extremely slow. In short, the mobile user experience is what you would expect from a decent VPN, but the MacOS app needs a lot of work. (We do have a list of VPNs that are great for Mac, if you need one.) A free option is available, but keep in mind that VPN traffic, connection speed, and server locations are very limited. More
Max Buondonno/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe $1,099 Galaxy Z Flip 6 More
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