News

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ChatGPT’s AI Agent Helps Users Plan Affordable Fall Adventures

A recent personal experiment shows how ChatGPT’s new AI Agent mode can research and suggest budget‑friendly fall activities. The user, based in Montclair, NJ, asked the Agent to find free or low‑cost outings such as hikes, small‑town trips, and seasonal events. The AI returned options like a local jazz festival, a nearby hike, and even a suggestion to watch the New York Marathon. The experience highlights the tool’s ability to browse the web in real time, while also noting the need for users to verify sources and tailor prompts for the best results.

9/15/2025

Top AI Image Generators of 2025 Reviewed

A comprehensive look at the leading AI image generators of 2025, including DALL·E 3, Leonardo AI, Canva, Adobe Firefly, and Stable Diffusion. The review highlights each tool's strengths, privacy policies, pricing options, and suitability for beginners and professionals. DALL·E 3 earns CNET’s Editor’s Choice for its conversational workflow and complex prompt handling, while Leonardo AI and Canva offer robust free plans. Adobe Firefly integrates directly with Creative Cloud, and Stable Diffusion provides open‑source flexibility. The analysis helps users choose the right service based on creative needs and budget.

9/15/2025

Writing a Good AI Image Prompt Isn't Hard, but You Need These Essential Elements

Creating effective prompts for AI image generators requires a clear description of subjects, setting, dimensions, style, and mood. Testing across platforms such as Google’s model, Midjourney, DALL‑E, Adobe Firefly, Leonardo, and Canva shows that a well‑structured prompt reduces unwanted artifacts and improves output quality. Prompt engineering involves specifying characters, location, aspect ratio, color palette, aesthetic, and emotional tone while avoiding exclusionary language that may be ignored. When results are unsatisfactory, tweaking the prompt or resetting settings can help, but the tools remain aids rather than replacements for human creativity.

9/15/2025

Amazon to Unveil Refreshed Home and Entertainment Devices at Upcoming Hardware Event

Amazon announced that it will hold its annual fall hardware event later this month in New York City, where it is expected to showcase a range of refreshed products across its portfolio, including Kindles, Echo smart speakers, Ring security devices and Fire TV products. The company will highlight the latest upgrades to its Alexa assistant, emphasizing new AI‑driven conversational skills. Industry observers note that the launch comes as competition intensifies in the smart‑home market, with rivals such as Apple reportedly planning their own home‑device offerings.

9/15/2025

Robots May Ease Children’s Reading Anxiety, Study Finds

A recent study involving elementary‑aged children discovered that reading aloud to a social robot reduced physiological signs of anxiety compared with reading alone or to a human adult. The experiment measured voice steadiness, heart rate and facial temperature, finding calmer responses when the robot was the audience. Comprehension scores remained unchanged, suggesting the robot’s presence lowered stress without affecting learning outcomes. Researchers propose that social robots could serve as low‑pressure listeners in classroom settings, helping students build confidence in public speaking tasks.

9/15/2025

Nvidia Navigates US Export Controls and Chinese Regulatory Pressure Over AI Chip Sales

Nvidia has risen to global leadership in artificial‑intelligence chips, but its success has placed it at the center of escalating trade tensions between the United States and China. Successive U.S. administrations have imposed export controls that require Nvidia to ship reduced‑specification GPUs to China, spurring a black‑market for higher‑performance units. The Trump administration blocked sales of Nvidia’s H20 chip, a product designed for the Chinese market, before a deal allowed limited sales in exchange for a 15 percent revenue share to the U.S. government. Chinese regulators have since warned domestic firms against purchasing the H20, adding uncertainty to Nvidia’s Chinese business. CEO Jensen Huang has publicly criticized the U.S. curbs, calling them a failure that accelerates Chinese rivals’ development. Both Nvidia and China’s State Administration for Market Regulation declined comment.

9/15/2025

Apple Watch Series 11 Gains FDA Clearance for Hypertension Alerts

Apple announced that its new Watch Series 11 has received FDA clearance for a hypertension alert feature. The function, unveiled at an Apple event and confirmed by Bloomberg and Apple, uses the watch's optical heart sensor and a machine‑learning algorithm trained on a study of more than 100,000 participants. It monitors users in the background for a month‑long period to identify patterns that may indicate high blood pressure, a condition that affects over a billion people. Apple plans to roll out the feature in 150 countries when the Series 11 and Ultra Watch 3 begin shipping on September 19, adding to its growing portfolio of health‑focused capabilities.

9/15/2025

Amazon Expected to Unveil New Echo, Kindle and Fire Devices at September 30 Event

Amazon has scheduled a press event for September 30 at 10 AM ET, featuring Panos Panay of the Devices & Services team. A composite invitation image hints at updates to the Kindle e‑reader line, Fire TV hardware, and Echo speakers. Recent product refreshes include the Kindle Scribe and Colorsoft, as well as the Echo Dot, Echo Pop, and Echo Show 8, suggesting that the upcoming announcements may focus on new or refreshed entry‑level Kindle models, a redesigned standard Echo speaker, and additional Fire TV or streaming stick options.

9/15/2025

Snap Enhances Spectacles Software with Faster Browser and Spotlight Video Support

Snap is rolling out a major software update for its Spectacles augmented reality glasses, adding a redesigned web browser, dedicated Spotlight video browsing, and a new gallery lens. The upgraded Snap OS promises smoother site switching, better power efficiency, and up to 40 minutes of continuous video playback. The changes aim to make AR experiences more useful as Snap prepares to launch a smaller, lighter consumer version of the glasses in 2026, moving beyond its current developer‑only model.

9/15/2025

Free Spotify Users Can Now Play Any Track Instantly

Spotify has expanded its free tier, allowing ad‑supported listeners to select and play any individual song on demand. Previously limited to shuffle‑only playback, the new feature lets free users search for a specific track, tap it in an album or playlist, or follow a shared link to hear it right away. All other free‑tier restrictions remain in place, including advertisements and a limited number of skips per hour. The change is being rolled out globally today, giving non‑paying listeners a more flexible listening experience without altering the core revenue model.

9/15/2025

Microsoft adds free Copilot Chat to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote

Microsoft announced that all Microsoft 365 business users will receive a free Copilot Chat sidebar in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. The feature provides AI‑driven assistance such as drafting documents, summarizing content and analyzing spreadsheets without requiring a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license. While the free version offers core capabilities, the paid Copilot subscription continues to deliver advanced features like file upload, image generation and access to newer models such as GPT‑5. The rollout comes with no price changes for business customers, and Microsoft plans to bundle additional sales, service and finance Copilots into its subscription later this year.

9/15/2025

Debate Over Universal Access to ChatGPT Highlights Benefits and Risks

Discussions about providing every citizen with free access to ChatGPT Plus have sparked a broader debate on the role of AI in society. Proponents argue that universal access could boost productivity, bridge the digital divide, and democratize powerful tools. Critics warn of potential dependence, misinformation, bias, and the implications of endorsing a single private company's technology as a public utility. The conversation underscores the need for digital literacy, safeguards, and consideration of open‑source alternatives as policymakers weigh the promise of AI against its possible hazards.

9/15/2025