As regular TechRadar readers will know, the heavily promoted AI chatbot enhancements recently added to Bing haven’t had the smoothest of launches – and now Microsoft is making some changes to improve the user experience.
In a blog post (opens in new tab) (via The Verge (opens in new tab)), Microsoft says the tweaks should “help focus the chat sessions”: the AI part of Bing is going to be limited to 50 chat ‘turns’ (a question and answer) per day, and five responses per chat session.
This has been coming: Microsoft executives have previously gone on record saying that they were looking into ways of cutting out some of the weird behavior that’s been noticed by early testers of the AI bot service.
Put to the test
Those early testers have been testing pretty hard: they’ve been able to get the bot, based on an upgraded version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT engine, to return inaccurate answers, get angry, and even question the nature of its own existence.
Having your search engine go through an existential crisis when you were just looking for a list of the best phones isn’t ideal. Microsoft says that very long chat sessions get its AI confused, and that the “vast majority” of search queries can be answered in 5 responses.
The AI add-on for Bing isn’t available for everyone yet, but Microsoft says its working its way through the waiting list. If you’re planning on trying out the new functionality, remember to keep your interactions brief and to the point.
Analysis: don’t believe the hype just yet
Despite the early problems, there’s clearly a lot of potential in the AI-powered search tools in development from Microsoft and Google. Whether you’re searching for ideas for party games or places to visit, they’re capable of returning fast, informed results – and you don’t have to wade through pages of links to find them.
At the same time, there’s clearly still a lot of work to do. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s version of it aren’t really ‘thinking’ as such. They’re like supercharged autocorrect engines, predicting which words should go after each other to produce a coherent and relevant response to what’s being asked of them.
On top of that, there’s the question of sourcing – if people are going to rely on AI to tell them what the best laptops are and put human writers out of a job, these chat bots won’t have the data they need to produce their answers. Like traditional search engines, they’re still very much dependent on content put together by actual people.
We did of course take the opportunity to ask the original ChatGPT why long interactions confuse LLMs: apparently it can make the AI models “too focused on the specific details of the conversation” and cause it to “fail to generalize to other contexts or topics”, leading to looping behavior and responses that are “repetitive or irrelevant”.
T-Hub, an innovation intermediary and business incubator, and leading aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have announced a strategic partnership with an aim to support startups in the Aerospace sector. The organisations have formalised their alliance by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a two-year term. This collaboration will support startups in the aerospace and defence composite market, which is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.1% from 2021 to 2027, according to Statista. Both the companies will offer industry expertise, resources, and access to markets, providing startups with the necessary tools to develop and scale their technologies.
How T-Hub, HAL will support startups HAL will assist startups in building Proof of Concepts (PoC), giving them the opportunity to gain valuable industry expertise and support to bring their ideas to fruition. “India has a strong innovation ecosystem. Innovation workshops, startup interactions, and a proper and timely mentoring will serve as a great opportunity for these upcoming technology-driven startups to find their momentum and accelerate in the right direction,” said Dr DK Sunil, Director (Engineering, R&D), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. “We are delighted to be associated with such an initiative and also anticipating that this partnership will help the country and HAL in particular to achieve self-reliance in cutting edge defence technologies in line with GOI’s Atmanirbar campaign,” he added.
T-Hub will provide access to a diverse network of startups with expertise in niche technological areas, as well as mentorship, training, and support services to help startups succeed. “We are very excited to partner with HAL Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) to support startups in the aerospace sector. By leveraging HAL’s expertise and T-Hub’s resources, startups can gain valuable support and guidance to bring their ideas to market,” Srinivas Rao Mahankali, CEO of T-HUB, added. “This can include access to specialised facilities and equipment, guidance on industry best practices, and opportunities for collaboration and co-innovation. We are hopeful that our partnership will foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India’s aerospace sector, driving growth and creating new opportunities for startups,” Mahankali noted.
It looks like Bing has ‘decided to go into hibernation mode for a while. The new Bing’s Chat feature is down for many users across the world. TOI-GadgetsNow too tried to access Bing’s new Chat feature and it returned “Attempting to reconnect…” or just showed no response. Bing Chat feature is down We also checked for the same on Downdetector, Downdetector is an online platform that provides users with real-time information about the status of various websites and services. According to the platform around 81% of users have reported that they are unable to run a chat search on the new Bing. Around 15% of users have reported that they are facing problems accessing the Bing website and 4% of users have reported that they are unable to log in. The downtime, according to the down detector started earlier today at 5:00 am. Then, the reports spiked around 6:30 am. Several users also took Twitter to report the new Bing outage. A user tweeted, “Is Bing chat down for you today? It stopped working for me late last night and I’ve tried it a couple of times since and it’s still stuck on “Attempting to reconnect”. It’s probably been like this for me for over 12 hours”. Another user tweeted, “Lol #bingchat is down for me too now. It’s only unhinged if you lead it there but works great when guided by search as designed. Maybe we need an insider preview channel for Bing so only insiders can access it until it’s stable and limit it to searches for everyone else?” What’s working and what’s not We also tried using the new Bing and for us, the Chat feature was completely down. We also tried accessing the new Bing using Edge Dev, the problem persists there as well. However, on the web, the regular search is working fine for us, at least at the time of writing the story. What Microsoft has to say about it As of now, Microsoft hasn’t officially acknowledged the new Bing outage. So, as of now, there’s no information available about why Bing is going through this outage.
Samsung has launched a security feature called Message Guard to protect users against “zero-click” cyberattacks that can install harmful code on devices through image attachments in messages without any user action. This feature aims to provide improved security against such threats. Samsung’s new Message Guard feature can preemptively stop zero-click attacks by automatically identifying and neutralising potential threats hidden within image files in formats such as PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, ICO, WEBP, BMP, and WBMP. Citizen Lab made a significant discovery in 2020 when they found that NSO’s Pegasus spyware had been installed on the phones of journalists, politicians, and activists between 2017 and 2020, using a well-known iOS/iMessage zero-click security vulnerability. This is one of the most remarkable instances of zero-click attacks. Victims of zero-click attacks may remain completely oblivious to the fact that their device has been compromised, as these attacks typically do not leave any noticeable evidence. Furthermore, in some instances, security measures like end-to-end encrypted messaging, which are designed to safeguard users, can make it more difficult to detect zero-click attacks since the transmitted data is visible solely to the sender and receiver. Whenever a Galaxy device receives a text message with an image attachment, Message Guard will separate the image file from the rest of the device to prevent any harmful code. Subsequently, the feature scans the image and verifies it to ensure it is safe to process and cannot infect the device. The newly released Samsung Galaxy S23 series now offers the Samsung Message Guard, which is also slated for a gradual rollout to other Galaxy smartphones and tablets that run on One UI 5.1 sometime later this year. Samsung Message Guard is compatible with Samsung Messages and Messages by Google, but will eventually extend to other unnamed third-party messaging apps through a software update in the future.
Generative AI, the artificial intelligence used to create text, audio, video or other forms of content from scratch, has received a lot of attention lately. As a consequence of ChatGPT’s popularity, many companies are looking towards using AI in their respective fields. NetEase, a China-based game publisher, has shifted its focus towards using this technology in games. As reported by game industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, NetEase has revealed that its next game will make use of generative AI to bring life into NPCs. The massively multiplayer online game, Justice Online Mobile, will feature ChatGPT-like AI that will generate new text and audio dynamically.
AI will breathe life into Justice Online Mobile’s in-game world The tweet from Ahmad mentioned that AI will power the non-playable characters (NPCs) in the game and enable them to “react in unique ways” in response to player input. In other words, what players type or say in the game will affect how the NPCs react in the virtual setting. As per the source, the AI used for the NPCs would allow them to create voiced conversations from scratch. Ahmad noted, “Through AI tech, it would create conversations that are fully voiced, emotive and impactful. For example, you could tell a character their house is on fire and they’d rush home. Or you could cause a rift between two NPCs that are in love.”
Other possible use cases of generative AI in games The report revealed that NetEase plans to extend the use of generative AI beyond NPC conversations. According to the analyst, the Chinese company will test the technology “to support task generation, content creation, character customisation and more.” This may mean that entire missions and highly detailed customisation options will be made available by deploying generative AI instead of pre-defined code. Additionally, the source pointed out, “Only 1 demo so far, so unclear how in depth (sic) it is or if it’s just a marketing gimmick for now.”
Consumer electronics brand Lapcare has expanded its audio products portfolio with the launch of a new multimedia wired LHP-400 headset with mic in india. LHP-400 multimedia headset with mic is equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC) which enhances the sound quality of the stereo channel. Here are the price, features and specs of the newly launched headset. Lapcare LHP-400 headset: Price and availability Lapcare LHP-400 headset is priced at Rs 1,299. Interested buyers can purchase the headset online via Amazon and Lapcare websites. The headset is also available offline at retail stores across the country. Lapcare Multimedia Headset LHP-400: Specifications The LHP-400 headset comes with a built-in microphone, which allows users to make phone calls or participate in online meetings. The headset also features a comfortable design, with soft earpads and an adjustable headband for a customised fit. The headset has a 40mm driver size and comes with an active noise cancellation (ANC) feature. The headset has an over the ear pattern with a 1.8 meters cable length. Connectivity options on the headset include, USB A plug and 3.5 mm audio jack. It has a frequency range of 20Hz-20KHz. The headset weighs around 190 grams and is easy to carry. “With LHP-400, we aim at making wearable tech more user friendly. While designing we kept in mind that there are many who use headphones due to ear infections and cannot have music fuzzing directly in their ear canal. Moreover, the purpose of headphones is defeated when there is sound leakage, especially when you are in a place like a library. LHP-400 offers the comfort of over-ear headphones coupled with the convenience of technology that prevents sound leakage. Moreover, the 40mm wire allows the users to even play on a playstation while using the headset,” said Atul Gupta, managing director, Lapcare.
The iPhone 15 leaks and rumors aren’t showing any signs of stopping, and we now have new renderings of the Pro model of the flagship that’s expected in September – a rendering which shows quite a few changes from the model currently on sale.
This comes via information obtained by 9to5Mac (opens in new tab): the renders are based on details supplied by a “reliable case manufacturer”, and this is a source that we’re more likely than not to trust when it comes to previews of Apple hardware.
As for those differences from the iPhone 14 Pro, we’ve got thinner bezels around the sides of the screen, and a more rounded shape overall. The Lightning port has been swapped out for a USB-C one, which is something we were already expecting this year.
This could be the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: 9to5Mac)
Curves and bumps
“The frame itself is also more curved than before, resembling the design of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and new M2 MacBook Air,” writes 9to5Mac. “This could make the phone more comfortable to hold and less prone to accidental touches.”
We’ve also got a thicker camera bump on the back, again something that’s been mentioned in earlier rumors. We’re probably looking at an upgraded rear camera module, though this leak only deals in the external aesthetics of the smartphone.
These renders match up with a leaked photo of the iPhone 15 Pro that emerged yesterday: it only shows the USB-C data and charging port on the phone, but there are also hints that the frame and edges of the device are going to be a little more rounded.
Analysis: further iPhone refinements
If these renders are accurate – and we’ve got no real reason to think that they aren’t – it shows that we’re in for a subtle shift in the design of the iPhone in 2023. This isn’t going to be a year when Apple throws out tradition and does something significantly different.
From what we can tell from this leak, we like the direction Apple is going in with this, with the flatter and more angular edges of the iPhone 14 models getting rounded off a little. It’s a friendlier looking phone than the ones that came before it.
As for the slimmer bezels (again previously predicted), that’s always a win. It means more screen space in a phone that’s the same size, although the resolution of the displays are unlikely to change – there are still going to be the same number of pixels.
It’s also good to see Apple switching the iPhone over to USB-C, in line with the iPads, even if it might come with strings attached. It should mean devices like cables and chargers are easier to swap between Apple devices in the future.
Vivo has launched the Vivo Y56 5G, its latest mid-range 5G smartphone in the Y series, in India shortly after the release of the Y100. Featuring a 6.58-inch FHD+ screen, the smartphone is equipped with a Dimensity 700 SoC with support for 5G connectivity, 8GB of RAM, and a 50MP camera. Vivo Y56 5G launched in India: Price, availability in India Vivo Y56 5G comes in Orange Shimmer and Black Engine colours, and is currently priced at Rs. 19,999. The smartphone can be purchased both online at vivo.com and in retail stores. Vivo Y56 5G launched in India: Specifications, features, and more Vivo Y56 5G features a 6.58-inch FHD+ LCD screen with a 96% NTSC colour gamut and a 20.07:9 aspect ratio. The screen boasts a resolution of 2408 x 1080 pixels and has a 90.6% screen-to-body ratio. The octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor powers the smartphone with Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. It has 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 1TB using a microSD card. The phone runs on Android 13 with Funtouch OS 13. Vivo Y56 5G is equipped with a 50MP rear camera with a JN1 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, LED flash, and a 2MP depth camera with f/2.4 aperture. It also has a 16MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The smartphone is 5G-enabled and supports NSA n78 and SA n1/3/8/28A/77/78. It also has Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, and USB Type-C. The Y56 5G weighs 184g and measures 164.05 x 75.60 x 8.15mm. The phone comes in two colour variants – Iron Blue and Titanium Gray.
New research from the Capgemini Research Institute reveals that nearly half of telco network capacity, about 46%, will be cloud-native within the next 3-5 years. The report, titled “Networks on Cloud: A Clear Advantage,” suggests that telco companies must invest at least $200 million each year in cloud transformation to achieve this transformation. Early adopters are expected to reap the most benefits, including financial, business, and sustainability advantages. The research highlights technology infrastructure and research and development as the investment priorities for telco cloud transformation over the next five years, with private cloud being the preferred deployment model. The financial benefits of telco cloud make a convincing case for investment, with telcos expecting to optimize their network’s total cost of ownership by 13%, resulting in cost savings of up to $260-380 million per year per operator. Early movers in cloud-based markets could realize an additional $110-210 million in revenue each year. Telco cloud transformation offers an ecosystem approach that enables new business opportunities. Increased customer lifetime value and improved customer experience are among the top business drivers for companies that have initiated their cloud transformation. Cloud telco transformation also offers the deployment of an Open RAN network architecture, which has the potential to unlock innovation, lower TCO, and uncover new revenue opportunities. According to the research, the telco cloud transformation is expected to enable the quick rollout of industry-specific use cases for enterprises and end-consumers, especially in the 5G context. These use cases include highly automated smart factories, private 5G networks at distribution centers, ports, oil fields, mines, chemical storage, and processing units, remote surgeries, and AR/VR-enabled remote operations. Besides business benefits, telcos that undertake cloud transformation expect to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5%, which represents one third of expected overall reduction of networks carbon footprint in the next 3 to 5 years. Telcos are expected to realize sustainability benefits from reduced emissions from facilities, including reduced physical hardware footprint, reduced power usage, auto-scaling of networks on demand, and managing power consumption of mobile towers using AI and Machine Learning. “Cloud transformation is a fundamental change in the evolution of the network, that has been dominated by physical devices and infrastructure. It represents a significant change of mindset for Telcos,” said Jacques Assaraf, Global Head of Telco Industry at Capgemini. “Telcos are ideally placed to explore opportunities offered by cloud and federate an ecosystem around themselves to unlock innovative use cases, uncover new sources of revenue, and capture the full value of 5G and connected industries. Early adopters will reap the most benefits in markets enabled by cloud-based platforms, not just financially but also from a business and sustainability perspective.”
For the past week, I’ve been using my Meta Quest Pro to work inside the metaverse.
Each morning I’ve slipped my VR headset on, booted up Horizon Workrooms, and swapped my home office for a swanky cabin overlooking a lake. My home computer’s screen was projected in front of me on massive floating displays, and I had a meeting with my boss while watching virtual waves lap against the shores of a beach – an experience that was significantly nicer than staring at the screen of a Google Meets call.
And when my lunch break rolled around, I could get up from my desk and easily boot up Walkabout Mini Golf to play a quick 18 holes like a true business person.
Before undertaking this experiment I wasn’t sure if I would love or hate the experience of working in VR, but not even half a day in I had my answer: it’s absolutely awful.
VR – where reality’s the limit
Getting Horizon Workrooms set up is fairly easy: you just have to download the VR app on your Quest headset – either a Meta Quest Pro like I opted for, or an Oculus Quest 2 – and install a companion program on your PC. Sign in to the companion software, and the VR app will have the ability to connect to your computer, allowing you to see your desktop in VR, with your screens shown on massive displays that float in front of you.
My virtual office computer’s screens; they look bigger in VR (Image credit: Future)
Here’s where I encountered my first problem with working in VR – the experience is annoyingly limited by my real-world hardware. I don’t mean by my PC’s CPU and RAM – that would make sense – I mean that the number of virtual displays is capped at the number of real-world monitors I have plugged into my PC.
So even though Horizon Workrooms can support up to three virtual monitors I’m capped at just two, because that’s all I have in the real world; considering that VR experiences can take me anywhere on Earth, or transport me to fictional lands, I don’t see why it can’t conjure up a third screen.
What makes this particularly annoying is that if, like me, you have two screens, Horizon Workrooms arranges the virtual screens as if you have three, rather than reconfiguring your two displays into a more convenient layout – leaving an empty space as a constant reminder of its limitations.
Further, while the large displays give you plenty of screen real estate for all the windows you have open, it can be difficult to make out what’s on them. Because of the screen door effect – which can make VR screens appear to have large black lines crisscrossing them – I found it difficult to tell if I’d punctuated sentences or spelled words properly; the black marks on the Google Doc I was writing were obscured by the void between pixels.
My keyboard with passthrough, you can’t really see it… (Image credit: Future)
Beyond ensuring that you have enough monitors, I’d also recommend picking up a VR-compatible keyboard to get the most out of Horizon Workrooms.
Devices like the MX Keys keyboard from Logitech can appear in VR with a virtual representation mapped perfectly over the top of the real device. This makes it really easy to type in VR, even if you aren’t a touch typer, and need to look at the keyboard while you tap away.
If you’re using a Quest Pro you can get away with a regular mouse and keyboard setup by peeking through the intentional gap beneath the headset’s lenses, but for fully enclosed headsets the VR keyboard is a must. Passthrough (which lets you see the real world while wearing your headset) isn’t the best, and making out what key you’re touching can be a bit of a challenge.
It beats Google Meets
One thing I did appreciate about Workrooms was its ability to whisk me away to new locations, letting me work from the beach, or from the aforementioned lakeside cabin. I only wish there were more options. In meetings, you have quite a large variety of spaces, but for your virtual home office, you have just four – the lake cabin, full passthrough (which just shows you a blurry image of your real-world office), and light and dark versions of the same empty void. The latter two are oddly amusing – you’re sitting there with a desk, a lamp, and some house plants looking out at a near-empty virtual expanse – but the novelty wears off after about five minutes.
Speaking of the VR meetings, they’re one of the best parts of the service. Because the TechRadar team is spread across multiple continents and cities I spend a fair amount of time in Google Meet calls – video chats which are fairly impersonal. In contrast, Horizon Workrooms meetings allow you and other people to appear with emotive avatars that mimic your facial expressions and hand movements. Thanks to these elements and the realistic spatial audio, Workrooms makes it seem like the other person is actually there with you, rather than on the other side of the screen. Even meetings where the other person is on a video screen – like the one-to-one I had with my boss – felt more dynamic and engaging than a simple video chat.
A VR meeting from my boss’ perspective (Image credit: Future)
But whether I was in my virtual home-office or a meeting room, I couldn’t escape Horizon Workroom’s instability. Multiple times a day, for seemingly no reason, it would restart or crash, forcing me to sit and wait before I could get back to work. I was never left waiting for long, but these short breaks add up over the course of a session, once again making me feel less productive than if I was just working at my desk normally.
And not only would I feel more productive if I was at my real-world desk, I’d also be more comfortable. While the Meta Quest Pro is comfier than many other headsets out there, its 722g weight becomes very noticeable after you’re worn the thing for hours. Come the end of the working day, rather than jumping into a more relaxed VR experience, I was desperate to
A nightmare I might return to
Horizon Workrooms isn’t the best app on the Quest platform, but it’s also far from the worst – and its faults might be tolerable to some. After all, the software is clearly labeled as a beta program that’s still being developed, so bugs and glitches are expected.
However, Meta is making and selling a $1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450 headset that’s designed to prove to businesses that they can work, and be productive, in VR, and based on my experience that’s not really possible with the Workrooms app Meta has designed for that purpose – sure, you can get work done, but in many ways you’d be a lot better off just using your computer without a headset.
Despite its flaws, I could actually see myself working in VR in the future, although I’d probably want something along the lines of what the Apple VR headset is expected to be. That uber-premium device is rumored to pack an M2 chip – the same one found in the very best Macbooks and Macs – enabling it to perform like a laptop; a laptop that you wear). And if and when it arrives, it’ll likely be designed as a standalone productivity device from the ground up, and not a cumbersome add-on constrained by an accompanying PC.
If the workplace of the future really is going to be virtual, we’re going to need new hardware and better software – because right now, working in VR isn’t working.
