A wave of AI assistant devices is finally starting, and the first is the elegantly designed AI Pin from Humane. Humane calls it the “first wearable device and software platform,” a magnetically attachable wearable device with a projector, camera, microphone, speakers and its own Internet connection.
Does it replace the smartphone? A tiny device that projects its own screen, seemingly with no touch controls, just a voice assistant to get things done. No, actually not at all.
After trying for a while to make a voice-centric assistant work for her, Cherlynn Low said the AI Pin was “slow, finicky and barely intelligent.” Check out her detailed review.
The Rabbit R1 will be completely different, right? Right?!
– Mat Smith
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The deal does not extend to other Universal artists.
Taylor Swift’s music has returned to TikTok after a 10-week hiatus. The music left the platform after negotiations between the social media app and Swift’s label, Universal Music Group, failed. Interestingly, the deal did not include any provisions for other UMG artists, i.e. Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Drake.
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X started checking “influential” users who hadn’t signed up for Premium.
X no longer allows users to hide their blue checks, regardless of whether they have paid a premium or not. On Thursday, the app began informing users that “X Premium’s Hide Your Checkmark feature will soon be unavailable.” X unexpectedly began adding blue checks to the accounts of “influential” users with at least 2,500 followers who pay for a premium subscription. While Elon Musk suggested that the change was intended as a perk, some – including previously verified users – were less pleased with the presence of a blue badge because others suspected that they had actually paid for a subscription. (I would read a thesis about how Elon Musk ruined verified ticks on social media.)
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Apple’s pairing of parts continues to hinder the self-repair movement.
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