As you’re hunting through real estate listings for a new home in Franklin, Tennessee, you come across a vertical video showing off expansive rooms featuring a four-poster bed, a fully stocked wine cellar, and a soaking tub. In the corner of the video, a smiling real estate agent narrates the walk-through of your dream home in a soothing tone. It …
Read More »Tech
Casio’s Fluffy AI Robot Squeaked Its Way Into My Heart
There’s a fluffy robot, about the size of a guinea pig, sitting on my couch, and it’s squeaking. My friend’s dog Wylie sits watching it, suspicious of its every move. Moflin is an AI companion robot made by the Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio. Via the companion app, I have chosen to name this one Puff, because—well—that is what it looks …
Read More »I Test-Drove Maeving’s New RM2 Electric Motorcycle
I test-ride electric kick scooters as a part of my job. They’re fantastic to ride and zip around town, but they are not cool nor particularly comfortable. You’re standing on this L-shaped object, like a meerkat on wheels. Motorcycles, on the other hand? There is no other category of vehicle that oozes this much style, especially one that looks like …
Read More »The Sodapop Bluetooth Speaker Uses a Plastic Bottle to Bring the Bass
To test the contrast however, I first listened to the speaker without its bass bottle. It’s very loud for a small speaker, and in my office I couldn’t cope with the volume turned up past 30 percent. It’s just not an enjoyable listen, sounding shrill and disappointing without any discernible bass. It’s not quite as bad as putting your old …
Read More »OpenAI reportedly developing new generative music tool | TechCrunch
OpenAI is working on a new tool that would generate music based on text and audio prompts, according to a report in The Information. Such a tool could be used to add music to existing videos, or to add guitar accompaniment to an existing vocal track, sources said. It’s not clear when OpenAI plans to launch such a tool or …
Read More »High school’s AI security system confuses Doritos bag for a possible firearm | TechCrunch
A high school student in Baltimore County, Maryland was reportedly handcuffed and searched after an AI security system flagged his bag of chips as a possible firearm. Taki Allen, a student at Kenwood High School, told CNN affiliate WBAL, “I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked …
Read More »Who are AI browsers for? | TechCrunch
OpenAI launched an AI-powered web browser called ChatGPT Atlas this week, which makes me wonder: Is it finally time to ditch Safari? That news was on our minds as Max Zeff, Sean O’Kane, and I discussed the browser landscape — including some lesser-known alternatives — on the latest episode of the Equity podcast. But it doesn’t sound like any of …
Read More »TikTok robot star Rizzbot gave me the middle finger | TechCrunch
A couple of Thursdays ago, I awoke at nearly 4:30 a.m. to a dizzying Instagram DM. Rizzbot, a popular humanoid robot with more than 1 million TikTok followers and more than half a million followers on Instagram, had sent me a photo: he was flipping me off. No words. No explanation. Just a robot with its middle finger raised. Although I was shocked, a sinking feeling meant that I could guess why. A few …
Read More »India, the market BlaBlaCar once walked away from, is now its biggest | TechCrunch
Every few weekends, 21-year-old student Lavanya Jain opens the BlaBlaCar app to find a lift from Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi to his home in Kandhla, a small town in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state. The 120-kilometer journey costs him about ₹500, the equivalent of about $6. That’s a fraction of the ₹1,500–₹2,000, or $17–$23, he would pay …
Read More »Dealing With Hearing Loss? These Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Could Help
If you’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars buying an OTC hearing aid, make sure you’re getting a product that offers a sustainable long-term solution to your hearing loss needs. Aside from the obvious things like sound quality, take a few minutes to look into these specs. What size and style works best for you? Most hearing aids on the …
Read More »
The Republic News News for Everyone | News Aggregator