Tech News

Generative AI took the world by storm in November 2022, with the release of OpenAI’s service ChatGPT. One hundred million people started using it, practically overnight. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, became a household name. And at least half a dozen companies raced OpenAI in an effort to build … Read more

Artificial intelligence is everywhere you look right now, making its way into music streaming, social media, video games, web search, and just about every other technological field. Every time a new phone or laptop is launched these days, what’s invariably mentioned first is just how much AI it has on board. AI’s reach also extends … Read more

It’s the last flight of the day and the plane is pretty empty. So you’re thinking, maaaybe you’ll just move up a few rows, where there’s a nice window seat with a view that’s not obstructed by the wing. Not so fast, buster. The flight attendant says that’s a no-go. You have to stay in … Read more

outbreaks of Oropouche virus have flared up in the Amazon for decades, but historically the pathogen has little troubled the rest of the world. But this seems to be changing. In 2024, the virus showed that it can travel. Most of this year’s 11,000-plus cases occurred in Brazil and Peru, where the virus is an … Read more

OpenAI today announced an improved version of its most capable artificial intelligence model to date—one that takes even more time to deliberate over questions—just a day after Google announced its first model of this type. OpenAI’s new model, called o3, replaces o1, which the company introduced in September. Like o1, the new model spends time … Read more

In its initial responses, ChatGPT didn’t provide any links to products. But it easily supplied them when I asked, and while I didn’t click on every single one, none appeared to be hallucinations. Claude, on the other hand, apologized and said that it “cannot actually link to websites or products directly.” Anthropic hasn’t released a … Read more

2024 was a big year for spatial computing, bookended by the release of two major virtual reality headsets: the powerful but expensive Apple Vision Pro and the more affordable Meta Quest 3S. While these devices transport their users to vast, strange digital realms, they can also feel limiting, because they reduce—or even sever—the wearer’s connection … Read more

Seat Cushions, Backrests, and Footrests CushionLab Seat Cushion Photograph: Cushionlabs If you can’t upgrade your chair just yet, a cushion or backrest might help. Here are a few we like: CushionLab Seat Cushion for $69: This memory foam seat is comfortable, and I had no problems sitting on it for hours on end. It’s best … Read more

There’s a tendency for VR games to be seen as gimmicks—forgettable spin-offs of better-known franchises. Indeed, the last attempt at Batman Arkham VR was exactly that—little more than a vaguely interactive movie. That’s not the case here though. Arkham Shadow is an ambitious, full-length outing (expect 10 to 15 hours playtime) with a satisfyingly layered … Read more

In games, as in film, Indiana Jones has had a rough patch. The intrepid archaeologist’s recent big-screen exploits have met with lukewarm reception at best, with 2008’s The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and 2023’s The Dial of Destiny both failing to reignite the excitement enjoyed by the original 1980s trilogy; so, too, have his … Read more