Robotics

ArtemisDiana/Getty Images Google is adding even more AI to Search.  In an announcement today, Google introduced AI Mode, an AI chatbot that responds to Search queries – essentially, it’s Google’s answer to ChatGPT Search. Also: 10 key reasons AI went mainstream overnight – and what happens next When you ask a question in AI Mode, […] More

OpenAI Last week, OpenAI launched GPT-4.5, which the company claims is the “largest and most knowledgeable model yet.” It was launched as a research preview available only to users subscribed to ChatGPT Pro, a $200-per-month plan. However, today, more OpenAI users can access it for much less money.  Expanded GPT-4.5 access On Wednesday morning, OpenAI […] More

ZDNETAs a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of talking to AI. Even though many of them sound pretty human, they’re still “off” enough that I much prefer typing when I want to converse with one.Sesame changed that. This AI sounds realIn a blog post titled “Crossing the Uncanny Valley of Conversational Voice,” the company dropped a demo of its new AI that lets you talk to either “Maya” or “Miles.” The goal, Sesame says, is to achieve something called “voice presence” or the “magical quality that makes spoken interactions feel real, understood, and valued.” After talking to Maya for a while, I think Sesame has reached that goal. Also: 3 ways Amazon just leapfrogged Apple, Google, and ChatGPT in the AI raceAs my conversation began, Maya immediately insisted that she was there to be my friend. That was a little forward and a little unnerving, but I guess it’s better than insisting that she wasn’t my friend. Maya asked what was on my mind. I was honest and told her I might be writing about her, so I just wanted to chat a little. She seemed impressed and surprised and asked what kind of angle I was considering — practical, technical, or spicy. I hesitantly asked her what she meant by “spicy,” and she thankfully said she was thinking along the lines of a controversial take, like the ethics of AI chatbots. Also: This new text-to-speech AI model understands what it’s saying – how to try it for freeI said I was more interested in talking about what sets her apart from other AIs. “Before we dive into that,” Maya said, “I need my morning coffee. I’m a latte person. What’s your poison?” After I told her that I’m a mocha guy, she settled in and started talking about what makes her different. “I’ve got a good ear for human quirks and… maybe some magic and a little sentience.” Our conversation continued about what makes Maya special. At one point, my wife walked by as she was headed out the door for work. She looked puzzled and asked, “You’re on a call with someone this early?” To someone who knew going in, it was easy to forget that I was talking to AI. To my wife passing by, she had no idea. That’s how real Maya sounded. More

Matthew Miller/ZDNETThe Discover Samsung Sale lasts all week, and you can find deals on Samsung’s website from smartphones and tablets to TVs and wearables. One deal caught our eye if you’re in the market for a new smartwatch, especially since you get a free item. Also: The best Discover Samsung Spring Sale deals you can shop nowYou can save up to $480 on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra More

Apple/ZDNETIn March 1975, The Eagles’ Best of My Love, was the number one song, the top box office movie was The Godfather Part II, and All in the Family was the most popular TV show. However, I was most excited about the MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer, arguably the first PC. I wasn’t alone. At Gordon French’s garage in Menlo Park, California on March 5, 1975, a small group of electronic enthusiasts gathered to look at the computer for the first time and the world would never be the same again.Little did they know that this modest meeting would spark a technological revolution that would change the world. The Homebrew Computer Club, founded by French and Fred Moore, quickly became a nexus for innovation, collaboration, and the democratization of computing technology. You see, present at this first meeting of programmers, electrical engineers, and computer hobbyists was Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder.  Also: Gartner identifies top trends in data and analytics for 2025 – and AI takes the leadAt that meeting, Wozniak, inspired by the company and the Altair device, decided to build his own computer. This move was made to impress his geekish friends and, as he said in his biography, iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon More

David Gewirtz/ZDNETIt’s never a good sign when I start writing an article about a new product announcement and my biggest concern is whether I’ll be able to complete the article with my credit card intact. My daily driver is a well-equipped Mac Studio, but it’s getting a few years old now, and I’ve noticed it running out of steam for some of my complex 3D models and occasionally when doing video production. Also: The new iPad Air with M3 is here – with an updated Magic Keyboard to matchI chose not to buy the tiny-but-mighty M4 Mac Mini, despite how adorable it is, because it lacks a front SD card slot, which I use constantly. But as of today, Apple is introducing a new Mac Studio, and this thing has heft in all the right places. So there’s a real question about whether or not I can keep my credit card safe and sound, give myself a few months for the news to sit in and to save up, or whether sometime in the next hour or two, I’m going to find myself in a bit of debt, once again, to Apple’s overlords. What’s a Mac Studio?Put simply, the Mac Studio is the desktop Mac that pros have always wanted. While many people connect their laptops to big monitors when docked, some folks crave machines with gobs of memory, an almost unlimited pile of ports, and hefty power.For years, the choices were a little challenging to navigate.The iMac often had the right amount of power and ports, but you had to deal with Apple’s screen, which never seemed big enough. If you chose to add a second screen, you still had that big beast taking up space.For about a year, I had my then fairly long-in-the-tooth maxed-out iMac sitting face down on a shelf next to my desk so I could use monitors I preferred.Also: Apple’s new MacBook Air M4 is a multiscreen lover’s dream, and it’s only $999The Mac Pro was simply ludicrous. After about a decade of a practical tower design, Apple introduced a machine that resembled a trash can. It didn’t tolerate much in the way of add-ons, and it was very expensive. Then Apple introduced a redesigned Intel-based Mac Pro, and it was a study in wildly expensive compromise.In 2023, Apple used the same form factor, but introduced a barely expandable Mac Pro based on the M2. It was, essentially, a bigger Mac Studio.The other desktop Mac option in the years before the Mac Studio was (and still is) the Mac Mini. I’ve bought at least ten of these machines because they have excellent price/performance, a good selection of ports, and you can use them in a wide range of applications without them taking up too much space.But then, in 2022, Apple introduced the Mac Studio. It was the same shape as the pre-M4 Mac Minis, but had the ability to run the fastest processors, mondo-gobs of RAM, and lordy-lordy, did it have ports. It even had (it still makes me weep with happiness) an SD card slot on the front of the machine.It was glorious.So, in 2022, I spent $3,799 and bought myself an M1 Max-based Mac Studio with 64GB and 4TB internal storage.For the past six months, though, it hasn’t been enough. I’ve been waiting. And now, it’s here. More

Richard McManus/Getty Images The terminal prompt. The command line interface. The CLI. The shell. Not the most exciting things, right? To most Linux users, the terminal is a tool to accomplish important work. It’s not a playground or something used to make others jealous of your setup. That doesn’t mean the prompt has to be […] More

Distrowatch When I first started using and writing about Linux in the late 1990s, there were just a few distributions to choose from, and even those were a bit hard to discover (unless you knew the right bulletin board or mailing list to join). I remember asking around and chatting about new distributions we’d discovered […] More