Robotics

A new Costco membership comes with a $20 gift card right now. StackSocial Thinking about joining Costco? Or, have you been sharing a membership card with your parents or friends? Now that Costco is starting to crack down on membership sharing (in the coming months, the stores will start scanning cards at the entrance and […] More

Now that you know exactly what you want to write, it’s time to find reputable sources for your information. If you don’t know where to start, you can ask ChatGPT.All you need to do is ask the AI to find sources for your essay topic. The biggest thing to remember is to include the type of source you want, whether web pages, books, PDFs, research papers, or something else. Also: How to make ChatGPT provide sources and citationsThese details are necessary because when you specify web pages, ChatGPT will activate the web-browsing feature and include web links in its article. If you use a very general prompt, however, it will likely default to generating its answer from its database, which isn’t up to date. For example, I asked the following: “Can you help me find web links that I could use as sources for a paper, “Examining the Leadership Style of Abraham Lincoln through Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Leadership Grid?”If you are signed in but have a free account, the chatbot outputs links, accessible right at the top of the answer under the dropdown that says “Searched # of sites”. Then, within the response, it will answer your prompt conversationally, including sources with site names and links in parathesis. If you are signed in to a ChatGPT Plus account, the chatbot will automatically activate ChatGPT Search. This feature lets users search the web directly within ChatGPT for timely, up-to-date information, complete with citations linked to sources. The answers include in-line citations, a “sources” button, which, when clicked, populates a long list of links on the right-hand bar, and, in some cases, a few relevant web links beneath the answer, as seen in the photo below.  More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETOpenAI is constantly adding new features to ChatGPT to make it more functional for everyday needs and essential in our workflows. The recently added Canvas feature — unveiled last month — has transformed my ChatGPT workflow and I opt to use it nearly every time I reach for the chatbot.  Also: How to use ChatGPT to write a better cover letterCanvas is a new interface that makes collaborating on your writing and coding projects easier with ChatGPT. If you use ChatGPT as a co-editor in any capacity, you will never again use ChatGPT without this feature. Don’t believe me? The concept is best understood visually, so stick with me. Here’s how Canvas works.The interfaceIf you are a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, you can choose the “GPT-4o with canvas” beta from the model selector dropdown in the ChatGPT interface. Once you’ve selected the option, your page may look the same, but once you enter your project, you will see the magic happen. For my example walk-through, I’ll use an essay I published as an undergrad since I don’t use AI tools to edit or write my ZDNET articles in any capacity. I copied and pasted the essay text into the textbox with the prompt: “Can you help me edit this piece?”  More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETWhen ChatGPT was first unveiled in November 2022, it was free for all users. However, its quick surge in popularity caused extended wait times and blackout periods. As a result, OpenAI added its subscription plan, which helped users avoid the wait and access other convenient perks. Also: ChatGPT vs ChatGPT Plus: Is it worth the subscription fee?ChatGPT’s subscription plan is called ChatGPT Plus and costs $20/month. Since its introduction, the paid subscription model has offered different perks to subscribers, with the highlights now including priority access to new features and improvements, including OpenAI’s latest and greatest updates, such as 5x greater limits to GPT-4o, access to OpenAI o1-preview and o1-mini,Advanced Voice Mode, unlimited image generation, and more. These features combined make ChatGPT Plus a must-subscribe for individuals who rely on ChatGPT for their daily workflow. If you’re not convinced, here are the seven most compelling reasons why a ChatGPT Plus subscription might be worth it. 1. You want to access to ChatGPT SearchIn November, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Search, which lets users search the web directly within ChatGPT for timely, up-to-date information, complete with citations linked to sources. The tool can be called on manually or activated whenever a user prompt could benefit from web-based information. Also: ChatGPT has officially replaced Google Search for me – here’s whyThe biggest perk is that you can enter search queries that follow your natural train of thought instead of formulating carefully curated searches with keywords like you would on Google. ChatGPT Search will understand the meaning of your query by leveraging its natural language capabilities. This means you can spend less time crafting a tailored search query but still get exactly what you want. Also: You can make ChatGPT your default search engine in Chrome. Here’s howOf course, all of the responses keep the conversational tone of ChatGPT, making sure the answers are easy to understand and concise, helping you save time by not having to click into multiple articles and skim to find your answer. There is even an option to make ChatGPT your default search engine in Chrome. To unlock any of these ChatGPT Search perks. you need a ChatGPT Plus subscription. 2. You want to access the o1-previewIf you use ChatGPT for any use cases that could benefit from advanced reasoning, you’ll want to try the o1-preview model. Released in early September, the o1 family of models was trained to “think before they speak,” which produces higher-quality responses on complex prompts such as math and coding. Also: How well can OpenAI’s o1-preview code? It aced my 4 tests – and showed its workFree users do not have access to o1-preview, as it is limited to paying subscribers, including ChatGPT Team, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and, of course, ChatGPT Plus users. Upon launch, OpenAI shared that it plans to bring o1-preview to free users soon; so far, however, only some users have seen the model rolled out to them with limits under “Alpha Models” in the model toggle selector. In September, with my free account, I had access to o1-mini through the Alpha Models option, but now I don’t have access anymore. Therefore, if you could really benefit from the model’s advanced capabilities, the best way to ensure access is via a subscription. 3. You want to access to GPT-4o with canvasSince GPT-4o with canvas was rolled out to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, I have selected this feature nearly every time I use ChatGPT. When GPT-4o with canvas is selected from the model selector, a new interface that makes collaborating on writing and coding projects easier with ChatGPT opens. Also: I’m a ChatGPT power user – and this new feature instantly made me more productiveThe interface displays the edited project on the right side of the screen and keeps the initial prompt on the left, with a textbox available to ask additional questions. If you use ChatGPT as a co-editor for writing or coding projects, this interface helps significantly because you can keep track of the project and the edits, as every edit is automatically applied to the project. Other perks, including shortcuts, help you transform your project with a click. For example, the writing shortcuts help users adjust lengths, change reading levels, add emojis, and “add final polish,” which checks for grammar, clarity, and consistency.4. You need a greater GPT-4o message limit After OpenAI supercharged the free version of its chatbot, the perks of subscription were less obvious. However, one of the biggest selling points of ChatGPT Plus is its greater GPT-4o message limit for users. Compared to free users, subscribers have a five times greater message limit, with Team and Enterprise users having even higher limits. GPT-4o is OpenAI’s most advanced model, so greater access could be useful, especially if you implement ChatGPT into your everyday workflow.  More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETBefore Shyamal Patel had even experienced symptoms of his dental infection, his Oura Ring detected that something was off. The smart ring noticed data fluctuations when his resting heart rate elevated by 10 beats per minute from his average, so he called up his primary care physician. His PCP told him that his elevated resting heart rate of 63 beats per minute was normal and, in fact, healthy for his age, and that there was nothing to worry about. However, days later, Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura, developed the infection and had emergency dental surgery. Also: Oura Ring 4 reviewPatel wonders if the infection and the emergency surgery could have been prevented, or its risks minimized, if his doctor had investigated further concerns about his heart rate. “There was a risk that I might have permanently damaged some of the sensation in my mouth if [the infection] had gone on too long,” he said. This is one of many health emergency stories I’ve heard when people talk about their experiences with the Oura Ring. Scroll on the Oura Ring Reddit, and you’ll find stories of the smart ring waving a red flag ahead of pregnancy, COVID-19, or an autoimmune disease diagnosis. The smart ring is known as a sleep and activity tracker. Yet in the past few years, the device has evolved into a vital tool, perhaps even a physiological crystal ball of sorts, that takes a more personalized approach to monitoring health and predicting and preventing illness.  More

MirageC/Getty Images According to new research from Slack, the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is dwindling.  “For the first time since generative AI arrived on the scene, sentiment and uptake among desk workers is starting to cool,” the report published on Tuesday states. In August, Slack surveyed over 17,000 desk workers in the US, UK, Australia, […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETYou don’t have to be a professional video editor to understand just how practical, efficient, and impactful the latest update to Final Cut Pro is. Apple today is launching the high-anticipated refresh to its in-house editing program, Final Cut Pro 11, along with updates to its cross-platform variants: Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera.Also: I’ve used Final Cut Pro for video editing for years – here are my 5 essential tipsThe big focus with Final Cut Pro 11 is unquestionably AI and how the Mac, powered by Apple’s language model in MacOS Sequoia, can help automate and streamline your workflow, whether it’s identifying moving objects for cropping and editing or transcribing and captioning. “Our creative apps give artists, producers, directors, and editors around the world the tools they need to express themselves and realize their artistic vision,” said Brent ChiuWatson, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps, in a Wednesday press release. Below, I’ve highlighted the best new features available with the free new update.1. Magnetic Mask More

Pulse/Getty Images I’m both a Linux and Android user, and although there are apps to make syncing those two platforms fairly seamless, there are times when I’d rather just run an Android app on my desktop. Fortunately, there’s an app called Waydroid that allows you to run Android apps within a virtual environment. The process […] More