A wave of artificial intelligence assistant devices has finally been launched, the first of which is Humane’s cleverly designed AI Pin. Called “the first wearable device and software platform,” Humane is a magnetic clip-on wearable device that comes with a projector, camera, microphone, speakers and its own internet connection.
Will this replace smartphones? It’s a small device that projects its own screen, with no touch controls on the surface and just a voice assistant to get the job done. No, not at all.
After a period of trying to get a voice-centric assistant to work for her, Cherlynn Low said the AI Pin was “slow, finicky, and barely smart.” Check out her detailed review.
The Rabbit R1 will be completely different, right? correct? !
— Matt Smith
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The agreement does not apply to other Universal artists.
Taylor Swift’s music returns to TikTok after a ten-week hiatus. The music left the platform after negotiations between the social media app and Swift’s record label, Universal Music Group, broke down. Interestingly, the deal does not include provisions for UMG’s artists, including Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Drake.
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X starts verifying “influencer” users who are not signed up for Premium.
X will no longer allow users to hide their blue checks regardless of whether they paid the premium. On Thursday, the app began notifying users that “X Premium’s hidden checkmark feature is going away.” While Musk said the change was a perk, some people — including previously verified users — were less than happy with the presence of the blue badge, lest others suspect they were actually paying for a subscription. (I would read a paper on how Elon Musk is ruining the verified tick on social media.)
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Apple’s parts pairing continues to hinder the self-healing movement.
Consumers and repair shops will soon be able to use genuine second-hand Apple parts to repair devices without having to order new components. The company claims that used parts “will now benefit from the full functionality and safety provided by original factory calibration.” The program will begin with the iPhone 15 this fall. As it stands, if you replace another iPhone’s old screen with yours, some features, such as True Tone and automatic brightness adjustment, may not work. An upgraded self-healing program should resolve this issue.
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