Consumer & Gadgets news
Consumer & Gadgets
AI-powered noise-filtering headphones give users the power to choose what to hear
Noise-canceling headphones are a godsend for living and working in loud environments. They automatically identify background sounds and cancel them out for much-needed peace and quiet. However, typical noise-canceling fails ...
10 hours ago
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Consumer & Gadgets
From silent dialogues to vivid memories—here's how the science of inner experience could transform gaming
Video games are big business. The value of the global market is pushing the US$200 billion mark (£158 billion): bigger than the music industry and Hollywood combined. But the gaming industry has also been facing challenges. ...
10 hours ago
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All wound up: A clearer look at electric guitar pickups
The electric guitar has been a core element of popular music for much of the past century. Pickups are the components that turn vibrations from the strings into electricity for sound and can be seen as the "heart" of the ...
May 15, 2024
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Managing screen time by making phones slightly more annoying to use
The best way to help smartphone users manage their screen time may be to make phones progressively more annoying to use, according to new University of Michigan research.
May 14, 2024
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Cinematic tools can significantly improve user experience in virtual reality environments
Cinematography techniques can significantly increase user engagement with virtual environments and, in particular, the aesthetic appeal of what users see in virtual reality.
May 14, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Research sheds light on the web of trust, privacy and safety factors shaping users' experiences on Facebook Marketplace
Love it or hate it, Facebook Marketplace is the largest online resale site today with more than one billion monthly users. A new study conducted by UBC researchers sheds light on the intricate web of trust, privacy and safety ...
May 14, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
The metaverse could change our religious experiences, and create new ones
New technologies have always informed and changed our religious experiences. Listening to early radio broadcasts in the 1880s was experienced by many as religious because radio voices seemed to come from some other dimension. ...
May 14, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Just believing that an AI is helping boosts your performance, study finds
Sometimes it seems like an AI is helping, but the benefit is actually a placebo effect—people performing better simply because they expect to be doing so—according to new research from Aalto University. The study also ...
May 13, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Chatbots tell people what they want to hear, researchers find
Chatbots share limited information, reinforce ideologies, and, as a result, can lead to more polarized thinking when it comes to controversial issues, according to new Johns Hopkins University–led research.
May 13, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Coming out to a chatbot? Researchers explore the limitations of mental health chatbots in LGBTQ+ communities
Today, there are dozens of large language model (LLM) chatbots aimed at mental health care—addressing everything from loneliness among seniors to anxiety and depression in teens.
May 13, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Female health apps misuse highly sensitive data, study finds
Apps designed for female health monitoring are exposing users to unnecessary privacy and safety risks through their poor data handling practices, according to new research from King's College London and University College ...
May 13, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Amazon's new fees on sellers likened to 'kick in the gut'
Amazon.com Inc. merchants have found themselves caught in an economic vice. Earlier this year, the e-commerce giant rolled out changes to the fees its charges them—essentially shifting more of its operating costs onto the ...
May 10, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Wearable devices can now harvest neural data—urgent privacy reforms needed
Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with or without the ...
May 10, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Apple apologizes for iPad 'Crush' ad after backlash
Apple apologized on Thursday after an ad for its latest-edition iPad caused an uproar for showing an industrial press crushing objects linked to human creativity, infuriating artists.
May 10, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
AI companions can relieve loneliness: Here are four red flags to watch for in your chatbot 'friend'
It's been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite early warnings about the dangers of such AI friends, interest in friendships and even ...
May 9, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
Microsoft's Xbox is planning more cuts after studio closings
The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn't finished.
May 9, 2024
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Consumer & Gadgets
iPad 'Crush' ad causes uproar amid AI anxiety
An ad for the new iPad Pro caused an uproar Wednesday for showing an industrial-sized hydraulic press crushing objects linked to human creativity—such as a record player and trumpet—into a sleek tablet.
May 9, 2024
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