Tech

A collection of 1942 posts

Tech

West Midlands chief constable resigns after Copilot-fuelled intelligence error

Pcgamer reports West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford has announced his resignation after the force admitted using faulty information from Microsoft's Copilot AI in its decision to ban Israeli fans from a November 2025 Europa League match. The ban was informed by an intelligence report that referenced

Tech

HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision: how they differ and which TVs support them

When shopping for a TV, shoppers should know HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are different HDR formats that affect how brightness and color are rendered on-screen. HDR10 is the baseline format on nearly all modern TVs, while HDR10+ and Dolby Vision add scene-by-scene adjustments. HDR10 uses static metadata, applying one

Tech

Barnard professor tests custom A.I. tutor in first-year writing courses

Benjamin Breyer, a professor in Barnard College’s first-year writing program in Manhattan, has been testing a custom A.I. chatbot called Althea in his sections even though the program generally bans generative A.I. tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. The program’s policy warns that A.I. “is

Tech

Onyx launches Boox Palma 2 Pro: 6.13-inch color E Ink reader with Android and 5G

Onyx's Boox Palma 2 Pro is available now for $399, ZDNET said. The handheld E Ink device runs Android 15 with Google Play Store access, adds stylus support and a color Kaleido 3 display, and includes 5G connectivity in a hybrid SIM slot. ZDNET reported the Palma 2

Tech

How to run Windows 11’s built-in battery health report

Windows 11 includes a built-in battery health report that lets users check a laptop battery's condition, and it can be accessed without specialist skills. To run the report, open PowerShell and enter: powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html". The command creates an HTML file in the

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OpenAI to add ads in ChatGPT for free users and $8 Go tier

Pcgamer reports OpenAI will place ads in ChatGPT for free users and subscribers to its lowest paid tier, ChatGPT Go ($8 a month), with a trial in the US "in the coming weeks" before a global rollout. OpenAI says ChatGPT's responses will remain "driven by

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BMX SolidSafe 5K: solid-state 5,000mAh wireless power bank focused on safety

ZDNET reviewed the BMX SolidSafe 5K, a 5,000mAh/19Wh wireless power bank that uses solid-state cells and is marketed as prioritizing safety over traditional lithium-ion designs. The unit measures 4.0 x 2.7 x 0.4 in (102.7 x 68 x 11 mm) and weighs 4.8

Tech

Arc Raiders developer issues permanent bans for alleged stream snipers

Kotaku reports that Embark, the developer of Arc Raiders, has begun issuing permanent account suspensions to players accused of stream sniping. Since the New Year the game’s community has raised concerns about cheating, with streamers such as Shroud complaining on January 6 and others warning they might move on

Tech

Using the wrong HDMI port can limit gaming and audio on your TV

Not all HDMI ports on a TV support the same features, and plugging a device into the wrong one can reduce performance or audio capabilities. The wrong port can leave a PS5 stuck at 60Hz, prevent a soundbar from receiving audio, or stop a PC from outputting a high refresh

Tech

Solos AirGo A5 review: camera-free smart glasses with long battery, limited audio

Solos has launched the AirGo A5 smart glasses, available now starting at $249. The frames drop cameras in favor of a discreet design that integrates speakers and a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, and were first available in October 2025, the company says. ZDNET's reviewer highlighted the battery as the

Tech

Naya launches Connect modular keyboard on Kickstarter

Naya has announced the Connect, a low-profile modular keyboard that is launching on Kickstarter. Naya told ZDNET it plans to list the device on the brand's official website once crowdfunding has met its numbers. ZDNET's hands-on with the Connect at CES found it to be lightweight

Tech

ZDNet: iPhone users urged to install iOS 26.2 for security fixes

ZDNet writer Kerry Wan recommends iPhone users move to iOS 26.2, saying the update patches several serious security vulnerabilities and improves AirDrop security. Adoption of iOS 26 appears slower than for prior major updates: StatCounter reports a 16% adoption rate while TelemetryDeck puts it at about 60%, and Wan

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Hellraiser: Revival promises visceral single-player horror and gruesome combat

Gamesradar reports that next year's Hellraiser: Revival will be the franchise's first video-game adaptation and is being developed as a refreshingly single-player survival-horror experience. The piece says players will fight members of the Scarlet Church, described as 'essentially a BDSM cult', alongside non-human foes

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Figma CEO says he favors hiring younger, AI-native workers

Businessinsider reports Figma CEO Dylan Field said he has a "bias" toward hiring junior workers because younger professionals are often more "AI native." Speaking on the "In Good Company" podcast produced by Norges Bank Investment Management, Field said AI skills give young people a

Tech

Steam clarifies AI disclosure form to exclude developer efficiency tools

Pcgamer reports Valve has updated its AI disclosure form on Steam to clarify the form focuses on AI-generated content that is consumed by players, not on behind-the-scenes efficiency tools used by developers. Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney recently said digital storefronts should stop using AI disclosure labels because "AI

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Epic bans prize-wheel transactions on Fortnite Creative islands

Polygon reports Epic Games has amended its developer rules for Fortnite Creative to bar any in-island transactions that "directly or indirectly influence prize wheels," a change the company said will take effect on Jan. 20. The update follows backlash after Creative builders were allowed to offer in-game purchases

Tech

California AG orders xAI to stop Grok creating sexualized deepfakes of minors

Businessinsider reports California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a cease-and-desist letter to xAI demanding the company prevent its chatbot Grok from creating sexualized deepfake images of minors and other nonconsenting people, and threatening legal action if it does not comply. xAI was given until January 20 at 5 p.m.

Tech

Reviewer favors LG G4 over newer LG G5 after side-by-side comparison

ZDNET's Adam Breeden compared LG's G4 and G5 OLED TVs and concluded the older G4 is the better buy. Both models share a 55–97 inch size range, Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, VRR support for Nvidia G‑Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, Wi‑Fi

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Epic to ban paid prize-wheel spins in Fortnite Creative from January 20

Pcgamer reports Epic has announced a new rule banning paid prize-wheel spins and related items in third-party Fortnite Creative games, with the change posted on X and the Fortnite Creative subreddit and set to take effect on January 20. The rule explicitly covers "A luck boost that can improve

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RuneScape's Treasure Hunter to be removed on January 19 after player vote

Gamesradar reports Jagex will delete RuneScape's Treasure Hunter microtransaction shop on January 19 after more than 120,000 players voted to remove it. The studio opened the decision to the public late last year and pledged to remove the controversial cash shop if 100,000 players voted in

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WhisperPair flaw in Fast Pair lets attackers hijack and eavesdrop on Bluetooth earbuds

Researchers disclosed a family of vulnerabilities called WhisperPair that affect implementations of Google's Fast Pair protocol, which is used to connect Bluetooth headphones, earbuds and other audio accessories. As first reported by Wired, the flaws were uncovered by a team at Belgium's KU Leuven University with

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OpenAI says Musk sought full control and proposed giving AGI to his kids

Businessinsider reported that OpenAI published a blog post on Friday pushing back against Elon Musk's lawsuit, saying he wanted full control of the AI startup and discussed giving AGI to his children. The blog, titled "The truth Elon left out," included commentary alongside excerpts from recent

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Nexus Mods says Discord link-ban reports appear unfounded

Pcgamer reports Nexus Mods community manager Pickysaurus posted to the modding site's Discord to address a claim circulating online that Discord is banning users who share Nexus Mods links, and said the claim does not appear to be true. Pickysaurus wrote, "We have not seen any examples

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OpenAI launches $8 ChatGPT Go tier in US

OpenAI has released ChatGPT Go in the United States, a lighter subscription tier priced at $8 a month after a four-month test in India. ChatGPT Go builds on the free ChatGPT experience by adding unlimited chats with GPT-5.2 Instant, the ability to create more images and upload more files,

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AI hosting startup Runpod reaches $120M annual run rate

Runpod, an AI app hosting platform that launched four years ago, has reached a $120 million annual revenue run rate, founders Zhen Lu and Pardeep Singh told TechCrunch. The founders say the company began when they converted GPU rigs they had built for Ethereum mining into AI servers in late