Study shows how dangerously simple it is to manipulate voters (and daters) with AI

A pair of researchers, Ujué Agudo and Helena Matute of Universidad de Deusto in Spain, recently published a fascinating study demonstrating how easy it is to influence humans with algorithms. Up front: The basic takeaway from the work is that people tend to do what the algorithm says. Whether they’re being influenced to vote for a specific candidate...

3h

AI forensics reveals a Grassy Knoll-style ‘second author’ mystery surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls

AI has helped discover new insights about the authors of the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls. Researchers in the Netherlands used AI and pattern recognition to analyze the handwriting of the mysterious scribes. They found evidence that the manuscripts were penned by two different writers. Mladen Popović, professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism at the...

4h

The new iMacs have ‘force-canceling’ speakers — here’s what that means

Apple loves throwing around buzzwords in product reveals and spec sheets, and one that caught a few eyes was the use of ‘force-canceling‘ in the new iMac‘s sound systems. Apple claims these are the best speakers in an iMac yet, but what does a force-canceling woofer actually mean? Is that some kind of Jedi fighting space dog? It’s nothing quite as sci-fi...

7h

This virtual training suite trains a robotic arm to move objects in complex scenarios

The Allen Institute for AI just announced a new framework called ManipulaTHOR that helps in creating various real-life scenarios to train a robot arm in manipulating objects.  This new testing suite — part of the AI2-THOR update — has more than 100 physics-enabled physics-enabled rooms that have complex environments and obstructions that might get in...

7h

Are your company values understood, or merely memorized?

Boris is the wise ol’ CEO of TNW who writes a weekly column on everything about being an entrepreneur in tech — from managing stress to embracing awkwardness. You can get his musings straight to your inbox by signing up for his newsletter! My daughter is on her way to graduate from high school this spring and is currently busy studying for her exams....

8h

These $40 AI-powered earbuds block noises you don’t need, while alerting you to the ones you do

TLDR: The xFyro ANC Pro AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds use artificial intelligence to amp up its noise cancelling powers to make the music better while keeping listeners safer. Everybody loves the convenience of earbuds. The tiny little powerhouses don’t have all the heft of lugging around over-ear headphones while still dishing up premium sound. But they...

9h

Excited for iOS 15? Well, maybe you shouldn’t be

Ahh, the great rumor mill, when shall it cease its endless spin? Never. It won’t. Stop asking. And, on that note, a chunk of information about iOS 15 just leaked. We call that a “smooth segue” in the business. Anyway, there are a range of updates pencilled in for iOS 15, according to a Bloomberg report. This includes an upgrade to notifications, a new...

10h

Jaguar Land Rover shutters two factories over worldwide chip shortages

British automaker Jaguar Land Rover is temporarily shuttering two of its main factories over chip shortages that are plaguing much of the automotive industry. JLR said there is going to be a limited period of closure at its Halewood and Castle Bromwich plants in the UK, from Monday, BBC reports. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, all kinds of tech manufacturers...

12h

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq marks the brand’s new all-electric era

Cadillac promises to become a pure electric brand from here on now, and it all starts with the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. On Tuesday, GM unveiled the production version of the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, its first all-electric vehicle, and the first GM vehicle featuring its Ultium battery technology. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq runs on a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack,...

12h

iOS 14.5 is rolling out next week — here are its best new features

Apple announced a ton of devices at its ‘Spring Loaded event’. But what the company kept for footnotes was the fact that the iOS 14.5 update is rolling out next week. The much-anticipated update — which brings multiple useful additions, such as unlocking your device while wearing a mask — will hit users on April 30. Here are some best features of the...

13h