I can tell Jess is trying to be nice about the people in her group chat, to varying degrees of success. It's not that the members are bad people. They met a year ago at a vocal workshop for aspiring musicians and artists and decided to keep in touch after it ended. The chat has become a mix of a confessional and a lovefest — people will leave long audio messages rambling about their days and texts about how much support they get from everyone. It's this "quintessential overcomplimentary, masturbatory, 'everybody loves each other so much'" space, Jess says. Plus, they're not good musicians, which is the opposite of the chat's point. She's attended various performances of other group members, and "all of them are bad, across the board," she says. But again, she's really trying to be nice. "In this group, they have so clearly found their people," she says. "I don't hate these people. I just hate being in their stupid group."

And yet she can't just quit. For each member's birthday, the group goes in on a gift together. Her birthday was first, so she felt like she had to stick around for everyone else's. She finally got through the first round of birthdays, opening the door for an exit — but it can't be an Irish exit. "I feel like I have to make a goodbye," she says. "I can't ghost. I can't ghost. It would be against the whole thing of the group." She spoke on the condition of withholding her last name for this story, for obvious reasons.

Jess isn't alone: Many people report feeling overwhelmed by group chats, saying it's difficult to keep up with messages and even comparing it to a part-time job. Many people, like Jess, also have at least one group chat they really hate. It's not just a nuisance but a place that makes their blood boil. It's like scrolling through posts from the most obnoxious people on Twitter, but you actually know them in real life. As much as you may loathe the chat, it's tough to quit — group chats may be contained in the cold, distant trappings of technology, but the contents are often warm and real.

Jess tells me our conversation has reinvigorated her commitment to leave her despised chat ahead of the new year. She's just got to think up her goodbye message first.

The group chat is a complicated invention of our modern technological existence. It can be a useful tool: a place to coordinate Fourth of July plans with extended family or stay up to speed with neighbors on the landlord's latest shenanigans. It can be a fun place: a spot for sending memes and gossip and life updates. The group chat is also often a safer space for spicy takes than social media — it's less likely to get you fired, or indicted, or canceled (though that's not impossible). Group chats can also be wildly irritating. You look away for a few hours and suddenly you've got 63 unread messages about stuff you really do not care about. And sure, you can mute it, but it's still there, haunting you.

Jeremy Birnholtz, a communication professor at Northwestern University who focuses on human-computer interaction, told me there are two features that make group chats unique (and daunting). "One is that texting is happening all the time, so you can't choose to be out of the room and not be with everybody," he said. "Two is that you're either in it or you're out of it. There's not a graceful way to ease yourself out of it as there are with social relationships."

Ignoring the group chat is less obvious than, for example, spending Thanksgiving watching TV in the living room instead of talking to everyone around the table. But eventually everyone will notice and think you're kind of a jerk for it. And if you do engage, it can be tricky to ensure you get your point across. Group texts, like all written communication, lack many of the cues of in-person communication. There's no body language, no vocal inflections or facial expressions. It's easy to misread intentions and meaning, good or bad.

"People fill in the blanks the way that they want to," Birnholtz said. If you think someone is attractive or a close friend, you fill them in in positive ways. If you think someone doesn't like you, you do the opposite.

Sharon does not have a particularly good relationship with her in-laws, a reality that has infected their group chat. She's noticed her messages in a group she's in with her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law don't get as much attention as she thinks they should. Her mother-in-law doesn't interact with photos of Sharon's kids as much as she does with pictures of Sharon's sister-in-law's kids. In April, Sharon (which isn't her real name) made eclipse-themed pancakes — she put a dark one over a light one and then put eyes on a Mrs. Butterworth's syrup bottle to make it look as if it was watching the eclipse — and posted photos of them in the group. Her mother-in-law didn't respond, but she did pop back in when Sharon's sister-in-law posted a photo of her cat. The chilly reception led Sharon to scale back her participation, and she finally muted the chat in the fall. "I feel so much better," she says. Still, Sharon won't quit. "I wouldn't have a place if I ever wanted to communicate a message with them where I could get them all at once," she says. "So I just leave it there."

From the outside, it's hard not to wonder whether Sharon is perceiving slights where none are meant — her kids are her mother-in-law's grandchildren, after all. At the same time, Sharon is filling in the blanks this way for a reason.

"If you don't get along with somebody in person, if they're passive-aggressive or where they do weird things in person, then it's not going to work on a group chat either," Sharon says. She emphasizes that in group chats she's careful to make sure everyone gets attention for what they post and is celebrated for their achievements. She's just heart reacting away.

Group chats have gone the way of a lot of communication innovations, such as email or AOL instant messaging or, for a more modern example, Slack. It proves itself useful, and then it becomes so useful that everyone's using it all the time, and then it gets overwhelming.

"The other thing is that technologies are not designed for graceful exits for the most part," Birnholtz said. In a WhatsApp group, there's no easy way to do the Midwestern "I suppose I'll let you go" thing that subtly lets the other person know you are very much done with the conversation. You can't really slow-fade a fraternity chat the way you might your fraternity friends in real life.

I reached out to a couple of professional etiquette experts and advice givers to ask if they had thoughts about how to quit a group chat you hate without damaging relationships. Carolyn Hax, an advice columnist at The Washington Post, told me that "good protocol is always that you're in control of your own life and time," and you don't need permission for that. "Anytime you're feeling handcuffed by a group, then it's time to take a deep breath and think about that a little," she said. Group chats are about feeling connected and supported and entertained, and if you're not getting that, it's OK to "dip out," she said. Someone just quit one of Hax's group chats with college friends, explaining that she had a lot going on in her life, and no one batted an eye. "It's like, 'Hey, are you all right?' That's about it," she said. "And if people can't handle that, then that's on them."

If it's a group with essential information — updates from other parents at school, or family members — the mute button is your friend. "You let it accumulate, and then you just check in: Did I miss something important?" Hax said. "Disengage as your health demands, but keep the thread."

Hax didn't say this, but I will: It's probably fine to lie and say you're too busy to keep up with the chat and leave. It's really nobody's business to dig into what you're too busy with. Maybe it's a medical issue, or maybe you just want to peacefully scroll through Instagram reels uninterrupted by a bunch of pings.

Lisa Mirza Grotts, an etiquette consultant, said that while it's important to leave politely, in casual groups it's fine to do a "quiet" exit. "You simply leave without an announcement," she said. She also said there's no one right way to communicate in a group chat; what reads to one person as efficient might read to another as rude. "I just think you have to be mindful that it's not the perfect way to communicate," she said.

Not everyone has qualms about quitting their group chats, like Joe Cardillo, who has cleaned house lately. They've worked in venture-backed startups for about a decade and have several group chats with former colleagues and professional contacts. In one such chat, messages started to come through on what Cardillo called some pretty "inflammatory" topics. In particular, someone said that Elon Musk and Donald Trump would be "amazing" for tech, which started an argument with hundreds of messages. Cardillo spoke up, saying they didn't want to be in an "unstructured space" where people didn't show basic respect and take accountability. Ultimately they left.

"I just consider it healthy to think about what a good conversation feels like. And if this isn't it, then you're like, I'm out," Cardillo said.

Group-chat dynamics are, in a word, messy — and in many messy situations, walking away is easier said than done. One friend confessed that they'd been in a weeklyish-brunch chat for two years without any intention of ever attending said brunch. Everybody seems nice, but it just isn't their jam, and they're scared to quit. Another admitted that they kind of hated their friend-group chat, and they were pretty sure everyone else had a chat without them, but they had no idea how to broach the subject. One person told me about a friend who had abruptly left a chat after someone else in the group posted an old picture of her in which she was quite drunk. The person surmised that the friend's husband saw the photo and "went nuts."

Sometimes you just have to set a boundary, and that boundary can be deciding to not sit in a room with 12 people chattering away all day without any ability to shut them off. You can say you have to go for a reason, or you can just walk away. Who knows if they'll even miss you? Years ago, everyone quit a group chat I was in except for me and one other person. My friend renamed it "WE'RE THE BEST," and we've been talking in it, by ourselves, since. It's fun, and we're still friends with the other people.

As for Jess, she insists she's open to being friends with the people in her mediocre-musician chat on an individual, less intense level, but I have my doubts. The last time they were all interested in going to the same show, she bought a ticket — but for a different night.

"They're wonderful people," she says. "They're just not my people."

Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.

After announcing this week that it furloughed 82 employees, EV startup Canoo emailed remaining workers to inform them they were being placed on a “mandatory unpaid break” and would be locked out of the company’s systems at the end of the day Friday, TechCrunch reports. The email viewed by TechCrunch reportedly said the break would last at least through the end of the year. Canoo announced on Wednesday that it was idling its Oklahoma factories “while it works to finalize securing the capital necessary to move forward with its operations.”

Canoo has faced financial difficulties, lawsuits and the departure of multiple executives over the last year. It previously announced it was furloughing 30 employees just this fall. Canoo’s announcement on Wednesday said that the company is now in “advanced discussions with various capital sources.” In a statement about the cuts, Canoo said, “We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon.”

Google has filed a proposal outlining how it would remedy the antitrust violations it’s been accused of by the Department of Justice, after the DOJ called for Google to sell off Chrome and face restrictions that would prevent it from favoring its own search engine in Android. Judge Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in August that Google has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and called Google “a monopolist.” Google said in the proposal filed on Friday night that it disagreed with the ruling but suggested ways to make its contracts with browser companies and Android device makers more flexible.

In a blog post summarizing the filing, Google’s VP of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the proposal would let browser companies like Apple and Mozilla “continue to offer Google Search to their users and earn revenue from that partnership,” while allowing them to have “multiple default agreements across different platforms (e.g., a different default search engine for iPhones and iPads) and browsing modes.” And browsers would be able to change their default search provider every 12 months. The proposal would also give device makers “additional flexibility in preloading multiple search engines, and preloading any Google app independently of preloading Search or Chrome.”

Google said it plans to appeal the judge’s decision ahead of a hearing in April, and will submit a revised proposal on March 7. In the blog post, Mulholland called the DOJ’s proposal “overboard,” going on to write that it reflects an “interventionist agenda” and “goes far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about — our agreements with partners to distribute search.”

FIRST ON FOX: A pro-tech advocacy group has released a new report warning of the growing threat posed by China’s artificial intelligence technology and its open-source approach that could threaten the national and economic security of the United States.

The report, published by American Edge Project, states that "China is rapidly advancing its own open-source ecosystem as an alternative to American technology and using it as a Trojan horse to implant its CCP values into global infrastructure."

"Their progress is both significant and concerning: Chinese-developed open-source AI tools are already outperforming Western models on key benchmarks, while operating at dramatically lower costs, accelerating global adoption. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which spans more than 155 countries on four continents, and its Digital Silk Road (DSR), China is exporting its technology worldwide, fostering increased global dependence, undermining democratic norms, and threatening U.S. leadership and global security."

The report outlines how Chinese AI models censor historical events that could paint China in a bad light, deny or minimize human rights abuses, and filter criticism of Chinese political leaders.

CATE BLANCHETT WORRIES AI COULD 'TOTALLY REPLACE ANYONE'

"China is executing an ambitious $1.4 trillion plan to dominate global technology by 2030, with open-source systems as the cornerstone of its AI strategy," the report states. "While many Western companies focus on paid, proprietary AI models, China is aggressively promoting free and low-cost alternatives to drive rapid global adoption."

The report continues, "By making much of its AI technology freely accessible, Beijing aims to ensure its systems and standards become embedded in the world’s financial, manufacturing and communications backbone. Through coordinated action between government and industry, China is working to reshape the global technology landscape while programming CCP values and control mechanisms into critical systems worldwide."

CHINA’S SCI-FI SPHERICAL DEATH STAR-LIKE ROBOT COP USES AI, FACIAL RECOGNITION TO TRACK CRIMINALS

The report explains that China is "racing" to deploy AI while the United States is bogged down on prioritizing AI regulation.

"While American and European governments focus on regulating AI, China is aggressively pushing its AI systems into global markets," the report states, adding that, "This playbook mirrors China’s successful strategy with 5G technology, where Huawei gained dominant market share through aggressive pricing and rapid deployment before Western nations could respond effectively. Now in AI, one Chinese firm alone, Alibaba Cloud, has released over 100 open-source models in 29 different languages, flooding global markets while Western companies must navigate increasingly complex regulatory requirements."

The report lays out the differences between China and U.S. AI model responses and provides policy recommendations to "preserve U.S. AI leadership," which includes seizing the "historic opportunity to secure lasting American AI leadership" and avoiding "unilateral restrictions on exporting and access to U.S. AI systems.

"If America loses the global race to dominate both open-source and closed-source AI technology, authoritarian Chinese systems will write the future, and Washington policymakers can't let that happen," Doug Kelly, CEO of the American Edge Project, told Fox News Digital. 

The report concludes that "the implications of Chinese leadership in global AI development are profound."

"A world of unchecked, Beijing-built AI ecosystems would be a major blow to the U.S. and to humanity writ large," the Center for New American Security says in the report. "If Chinese AI goes global, so too will brazen non-compliance with international agreements on the technology."

OpenAI has announced its latest AI reasoning models, o3 and o3-mini, which aim to tackle complex problems with greater precision and efficiency. These models represent a significant leap in AI capabilities, building on the foundation set by the o1 series […]

The post OpenAI unveils o3, a next-gen reasoning model that approaches AGI first appeared on Tech Startups.

Hisense has officially unveiled its new HT Saturn audio system just ahead of CES, and it's a doozy. This five-piece surround system includes four identical satellite units and a single 6.5-inch subwoofer. All told, it ships with 13 speakers spread across the five units, each of them wireless.

The company says this system has been “purpose-built to complement” extra-large screens, with Hisense announcing its the perfect companion to its own TVs that are 85-inches or bigger. The HT Saturn is especially feature-rich, as it’s compatible with both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technology.

Hisense

It also includes a room calibration system, to ensure the best possible audio, and can use the TV’s onboard speaker as an additional component. The system features plenty of useful connection options, including HDMI eARC, optical and Bluetooth 5.3. Everything is wall-mountable, which is great because it can be tough to find space for five cube-shaped speakers.

The system also features five unique EQ modes that optimize sound for movies, music, games and more. We don’t know the cost or when it’ll come out. The Hisense HT Saturn wireless audio system will officially debut at CES 2025, so we’ll likely get pricing and availability details early next year. If you have an immediate hankering for a new entertainment-based sound system, Sony put out some good stuff this year.

• Startups like Equatic and Climeworks develop ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
• Carbon removal helps businesses meet ESG goals and offset emissions through a carbon credits system.
• This article is part of "Transforming Business," a series on the must-know leaders and trends impacting industries.

Out on a barge in Los Angeles, a team of engineers is hard at work tweaking the designs of a collection of machines with multiple tubes attached to tanks filled with air and different minerals.

The team works for a startup called Equatic, which uses a process called sea electrolysis to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seawater runs through an electrolyzer, which separates the water into an acid and a base. Rock minerals neutralize the acid, and the base mixes with CO2 from the atmosphere. This results in carbonates that can safely return to the ocean.

Carbon removal technologies, like those developed by Equatic, can transform businesses by helping them reduce their legacy carbon footprint. For many companies with environmental, social, and governance goals, investing in carbon removal through the purchase of carbon credits helps them offset their emissions and get closer to their goal of being "net zero." For rapidly developing industries like artificial intelligence that massively consume energy, implementing carbon removal could help offset emissions in the long term.

The idea of Equatic emerged in the research labs at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a team led by its cofounder Gaurav Sant, a sustainability professor at the school.

Sant said that his team began thinking about how to activate and expand the capacity of oceans, which already naturally absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Processes such as sea electrolysis have been used for decades, though scaling ocean carbon removal technology has started only in the past few years. Sant said his experience as a cement chemist helped him consider ways to reduce carbon emissions.

"There was very little attention that was being paid truthfully to reducing the carbon intensity of cement production and concrete construction," Sant said. "The journey started with low-carbon cement and low-carbon concrete, and from there, it sort of went into a bunch of other things."

For startups that want to break into the industry and market their product's integrity, they must make carbon removal measurable. At the development plant in Los Angeles, Equatic engineers measure the machinery's ability to remove carbon and produce hydrogen. They then quantify carbon removal results. They also publish their findings in peer-reviewed scientific research papers.

Equatic is developing the world's largest ocean-based carbon removal plant in Singapore, a demonstration project in partnership with the country's National Water Agency. The plan for the new plant is to remove 4,000 tons of CO2 annually and create 300 kg of carbon-negative hydrogen a day, according to its website. If these projects succeed, Equatic intends to take its idea to a commercial scale.

For Climeworks, a Zurich carbon removal startup, scaling has taken place gradually over the past fifteen years. The company uses direct air capture technology at its plants to suck CO2 out of the air and then later mineralize it into a solid rock form and store it underground.

"What carbon removal can offer to businesses is making sure that CO2 in the atmosphere, or climate in general, is not a barrier to growth," Jan Wurzbacher, the CEO of Climeworks, said.

The carbon credits market has shortcomings

While these companies plan to scale commercially, startups like Equatic sell carbon credits to businesses and individuals who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Two of Equatic's customers are Boeing and Stripe. Climeworks counts Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group, and Shopify as clients.

The carbon credits market is highly unregulated, dotted with stories of credits sold but followed by incomplete actions and scams. An investigation by The Washington Post found that some carbon credit ventures reaped profits from protected public lands in the Brazilian Amazon forests and failed to share profits with locals. Essentially, these ventures gave the impression that they would reduce emissions but used lands they had no rights to, possibly invalidating the credits they said they would offset for companies such as Netflix, Salesforce, and Boeing.

"Some 'cheaper' carbon credits that you can buy are not easily verifiable," said Indroneil Ganguly, an environmental and forests sciences professor at the University of Washington.

Critics of carbon credits argue that this system allows businesses to continue polluting. Some businesses, such as Occidental Petroleum, invest in carbon removal and use the process to extract more fossil fuels. While telling businesses to cut emissions would be ideal, Wurzbacher said that cutting them entirely or converting to more sustainable practices could be costly and not immediate.

Carbon removal can be expensive

Even at the rapid scaling rate of these carbon removal startups, their emissions removal is only a small drop in the sea. In 2022 alone, the global aviation industry emitted 800 megatons of CO2. In comparison, Climework's first commercial plant in Iceland, called Orca, can remove 4,000 tons a year, the company says. Climeworks said its larger Mammoth plant would be able to remove 36,000 tons.

The biggest hurdle for carbon removal startups like Equatic and Climeworks is cost. A plus side of Equatic's sea electrolysis process is that it creates hydrogen, which can be used as a clean energy source and lower the technology's costs.

"So you push the price down, right, and that's what stimulates the market," Edward Sanders, the CEO of Equatic, said.

What's more, carbon removal is a voluntary purchase and an elastic good, meaning that it depends on the desire of individuals or businesses to participate, and the demand can shift significantly with price.

"The way in which we are going to get the necessary volumes is going to be at a price point they can accept and still manufacture the goods they are making and clear the services they do," Sanders said.

The cost to permanently remove 1 ton of CO2 right now is between $600-$1,000. Scaling up existing technology requires more laborers and building very specific machinery, Wurzbacher said. Both Climeworks and Equatic have received grants from the US Department of Energy, including a grant for Climeworks to subsidize its expansions in Louisiana and Texas.

This year, Climeworks expanded beyond permanent carbon removal and began offering a new solutions branch of its business. If the direct air capture method is too expensive for customers, Climeworks finds a portfolio of other options they can use, such as reforestation and biomass storage.

The incoming Trump administration raises questions about the future of carbon removal and whether companies will be motivated to cut emissions. 

Both Climeworks' and Equatic's respective CEOs said that while timelines and execution could change, these solutions still had bipartisan support and political momentum. Also, carbon removal itself is inherently adaptive.

"The nice thing about direct air capture," Wurzbacher said, "is that you can basically do it anywhere in the world and have your customers at a very different place."

Do you constantly lose stuff? Then we have a deal for you. A four-pack of Apple AirTag tracking chips is available via Amazon for just $70. This is a record low price and represents a discount of $30. That breaks down to $17.50 per tag.

Apple AirTags easily made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers, and this is especially true if you’re already tied into the company’s ecosystem. The finding network is vast and comprehensive, which really helps when it comes time to actually find one of these tags. Just think of all of those AirTags, iPhones and other devices out there in the world helping to create this network.

These trackers can also tap into the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless protocol, which creates a sort of game out of finding a lost item in the home. As long as the object is within 25 feet of your smartphone, the screen will display directional arrows and a distance meter. This lets you zero in on the object without having to constantly ring the AirTag.

Now onto the caveats. AirTags really only work with iPhones and other Apple devices, so Android users should keep shopping for something else. Also, the ringer only pings for seven seconds at a time, which can make finding something feel like a mad dash. Finally, there’s no attachment point for connecting to a keychain or a related accessory. Luckily, there are all kinds of amazing AirTag accessories to get that job done. One recent case even comes with batteries that will power the tag for a full decade.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple has issued a complaint about Meta regarding the DMA’s mandated interoperability requests, as reported by Reuters. The iPhone maker says that Meta has issued 15 of these requests, which it says could impact the privacy and security of users. Meta disagrees.

First, a quick primer. The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires that Apple allow rivals and third-party app developers to inter-operate with its own services or risk a steep fine, as much as ten percent of global turnover. Under the terms of the DMA, Apple must allow other companies to submit interoperability requests for hardware and software that affect iOS and iPadOS devices.

Apple must assess these requests and, if approved, have to design a solution to allow for effective interoperability. Meta has issued 15 of these requests, more than any other company, and Apple says that compliance would give the company extensive access to its technology stack. Apple also says that doing so could put the privacy and security of users at risk.

"If Apple were to have to grant all of these requests, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read on a user's device all of their messages and emails, see every phone call they make or receive, track every app that they use, scan all of their photos, look at their files and calendar events, log all of their passwords and more," Apple wrote in a statement to Reuters.

The company also referred to Meta’s recent privacy issues throughout Europe. Meta has been fined in various countries for data breaches and for tracking users across apps, among other concerns.

Meta, of course, has a different take on things. The social media and VR giant wrote that “what Apple is actually saying is they don’t believe in interoperability. Every time Apple is called out for its anticompetitive behavior, they defend themselves on privacy grounds that have no basis in reality.”

We don’t know if the EU will intervene on behalf of Apple or Meta in this case, but the European Commission recently published preliminary directions on how Apple should open up to rivals. These measures would require Apple to be transparent regarding the different phases, deadlines and criteria involving the completion of interoperability requests.

These proposed measures are open for debate until January 9. In March, a decision is expected as to whether or not Apple has complied with the DMA’s interoperability provision.

OpenAI has introduced a new way to access ChatGPT, blending retro charm with modern convenience. With the launch of 1-800-CHATGPT, users can now dial in from a landline or smartphone to interact with the AI assistant, opening up accessibility to […]

The post 1-800 ChatGPT: OpenAI launches 1-800-CHATGPT with landline dial-in access and WhatsApp integration first appeared on Tech Startups.

It's been available for over two years, but Apple's 10th-generation iPad is still the newest model available for the base iPads. Our choice for best budget iPad is a great option for some last-minute present shopping. That's especially the case, right now, as the Apple 10th-gen iPad is down to $250 from $349.

The great markdown comes courtesy of a 20 percent discount and a $29 off coupon that you can apply on the product page. It's available on the Wi-Fi model with 64GB and with a silver finish. The deal also doesn't include AppleCare+, but, for this great a price, all the specificities might be worth it. 

Apple's 10th-gen iPad has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2360x1640p resolution. We gave it an 85 in our review thanks to features like its landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and an updated design from its predecessor. It also offers up to 10 hours of battery and recharges using a USB-C port, so you don't have to worry about a lightning charger. 

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There's no arguing that AI still has quite a few unreliable moments, but one would hope that at least its evaluations would be accurate. However, last week Google allegedly instructed contract workers evaluating Gemini not to skip any prompts, regardless of their expertise, TechCrunch reports based on internal guidance it viewed. Google shared a preview of Gemini 2.0 earlier this month.  

Google reportedly instructed GlobalLogic, an outsourcing firm whose contractors evaluate AI-generated output, not to have reviewers skip prompts outside of their expertise. Previously, contractors could choose to skip any prompt that fell far out of their expertise — such as asking a doctor about laws. The guidelines had stated, "If you do not have critical expertise (e.g. coding, math) to rate this prompt, please skip this task."

Now, contractors have allegedly been instructed, "You should not skip prompts that require specialized domain knowledge" and that they should "rate the parts of the prompt you understand" while adding a note that it's not an area they have knowledge in. Apparently, the only times contracts can skip now are if a big chunk of the information is missing or if it has harmful content which requires specific consent forms for evaluation. 

One contractor aptly responded to the changes stating, "I thought the point of skipping was to increase accuracy by giving it to someone better?" 

Shortly after this article was first published, Google provided Engadget with the following statement: "Raters perform a wide range of tasks across many different Google products and platforms. They provide valuable feedback on more than just the content of the answers, but also on the style, format, and other factors. The ratings they provide do not directly impact our algorithms, but when taken in aggregate, are a helpful data point to help us measure how well our systems are working."

A Google spokesperson also noted that the new language shouldn't necessarily lead to changes to Gemini's accuracy, because they're asking raters to specifically rate the parts of the prompts that they understand. This could be providing feedback for things like formatting issues even if the rater doesn't have specific expertise in the subject. The company also pointed to this weeks' release of the FACTS Grounding benchmark that can check LLM responses to make sure "that are not only factually accurate with respect to given inputs, but also sufficiently detailed to provide satisfactory answers to user queries."

Update, December 19 2024, 11:23AM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Google and more details about how its ratings system works.

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok owner ByteDance’s appeal of a law that could ban the app. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is set to go into effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. ByteDance claimed the law violates free speech rights, a position the ACLU has supported. The Justice Department defended the law in lower courts, citing concerns that the Chinese government could influence the company and collect data about American citizens.

The Supreme Court’s response was fast — only two days after the company filed its appeal. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10.

— Mat Smith

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— Mat Smith

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YouTube is helping high-profile actors and athletes monetize their AI likenesses

It’s teaming with talent agency CAA to test ‘likeness management technology.’

YouTube is teaming up with one of the world’s largest talent agencies, CAA, to help its high-profile actors and athletes monitor their AI likenesses. The platform will test its “likeness management technology” with unnamed award-winning actors and top NBA and NFL athletes. Down the road, it will announce further testing for top YouTube creators, creative professionals and other talent agencies. It’s largely aimed at removing depictions of their likenesses.

Continue reading.

Apple might give up on turning its iPhone into a monthly subscription

It’s about avoiding regulatory pressures and regulation.

Apple is shelving its plans to offer the iPhone for a monthly subscription, according to a Bloomberg report. The idea of an Apple hardware subscription was first rumored in 2022, but a hardware subscription might have required Apple to “follow the same regulations as credit card companies.” It’s part of a retreat from the headaches of financial services. Apple Pay Later shut down in June 2024, replaced with access to Affirm loans in Apple Pay as part of iOS 18, while the Apple Card is also reportedly in limbo as it tries to find a replacement partner for Goldman Sachs.

Continue reading.

LG’s transparent OLED T television can be yours for just $60,000

It can flit between transparent and standard modes with the push of a button.

LG

LG’s transparent wireless OLED TV is now available. The 77-inch OLED T has 4K resolution, the company’s wireless transmission tech for video and audio and the ability to shift between transparent and opaque modes with the push of a button. And you pay just $60,000 for the privilege. Here’s what we thought when we saw it early this year.

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You might be tempted to get a Chromebook as your next laptop and we wouldn’t blame you. Chrome OS has come a long way: Chromebooks today have a good combination of build quality, battery life and power while also supporting years of software updates that will take you years into the future. If you primarily browse the web, or don’t need a ton of extra software on a regular basis, a Chromebook can be a powerful daily driver.

While Google did make things simpler last fall by introducing the Chromebook Plus initiative (more on that below), there are still multiple things to keep in mind when shopping for a new Chromebook. The market is saturated with machines at different price points and power levels; I’ve been testing and reviewing Chromebooks for years and know what you should be looking for, and what you can expect out of these laptops.

What is Chrome OS, and why would I use it over Windows?

This is probably the number one question about Chromebooks. There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops on the market, so why bother with Chrome's operating system? Glad you asked. For me, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS is a big selling point. Chrome OS is based on Google’s Chrome browser, which means most of the programs you can run are web based. There’s no bloatware or unwanted apps to uninstall like you often get on Windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you can completely reset to factory settings almost as quickly.

Of course, simplicity will also be a major drawback for some users. Not being able to install native software can be a dealbreaker if you’re a video editor or software developer. But there are also plenty of people who do the majority of their work in a web browser.

Google and its software partners are getting better every year at supporting more advanced features. For example, Google added video editing tools to the Google Photos app on Chromebooks – it won’t replace Adobe Premiere, but it should be handy for a lot of people. Similarly, Google and Adobe announced Photoshop on the web last year, something that brings much of the power of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.

Chromebooks can also run Android apps, which greatly expands the amount of software available. The quality varies widely, but it means you can do more with a Chromebook beyond just web-based apps. For example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching. Other Android apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly capable as well. Between Android apps and a general improvement in web apps, Chromebooks are more than just portals to a browser.

What do Chromebooks do well?

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Put simply, web browsing and really anything web based. Online shopping, streaming music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common daily tasks people do on Chromebooks. As you might expect, they also work well with Google services like Photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Keep and so on. Yes, any computer that can run Chrome can do that too, but the lightweight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and stable platform.

As I mentioned before, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so if you’re an Android user you’ll find some nice ties between the platforms. You can get most of the same apps that are on your phone on a Chromebook and keep info in sync between them. You can also use some Android phones as a security key for your Chromebook or instantly tether your laptop to use mobile data.

Google continues to tout security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s definitely a factor worth considering. Auto-updates are the first lines of defense: Chrome OS updates download quickly in the background and a fast reboot is all it takes to install the latest version. Google says that each webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its own sandbox as well, so any security threats are contained to that individual app. Finally, Chrome OS has a self-check called Verified Boot that runs every time a device starts up. Beyond all this, the simple fact that you generally can’t install traditional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer ways for bad actors to access the system.

If you’re interested in Google’s Gemini AI tools, a Chromebook is a good option as well. Every Chromebook in our top picks comes with a full year of the Google One AI Premium plan — this combines the usual Google One perks like 2TB of storage and 10 percent back in purchases from the Google Store with a bunch of AI tools. You’ll get access to Gemini in Gmail, Docs and other apps, Gemini Advanced (which runs on the 1.5 Pro model) and more. Given that this plan is $20/month, it’s a pretty solid perk. Chromebook Plus models also include tools like the AI-powered “help me write,” the Google Photos Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you can create by filling in a few prompts.

As for when to avoid Chromebooks, the answer is simple: If you rely heavily on a specific native application for Windows or a Mac, chances are you won’t find the exact same option on a ChromeOS device. That’s most true in fields like photo and video editing, but it can also be the case in law or finance. Plenty of businesses run on Google’s G suite software, but more still have specific requirements that a Chromebook might not match. If you’re an iPhone user, you’ll also miss out on the way the iPhone easily integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the big downside is not being able to access iMessage on a Chromebook.

Finally, gaming Chromebooks are not ubiquitous, although they’re becoming a slightly more reasonable option with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and some hardware partners announced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in mind. From a hardware perspective, that means laptops with bigger screens that have higher refresh rates as well as optimizing those laptops to work with services like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna. You’ll obviously need an internet connection to use these services, but the good news is that playing modern games on a Chromebook isn’t impossible. You can also install Android games from the Google Play Store, but that’s not what most people are thinking of when they want to game on a laptop.

What are the most important specs for a Chromebook?

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Chrome OS is lightweight and runs well on fairly modest hardware, so the most important thing to look for might not be processor power or storage space. But Google made it easier to get consistent specs and performance late last year when it introduced the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any device with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimum requirements, which happen to be very similar to what I’d recommend most people get if they’re looking for a laptop they can use every day.

Chromebook Plus models have at least a 12th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series processor, both of which should be more than enough for most people. These laptops also have a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which should do the trick unless you’re really pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus models have to have a 1080p webcam, which is nice in these days of constant video calling, and they also all have to have at least a 1080p IPS screen.

Of course, you can get higher specs or better screens if you desire, but I’ve found that basically everything included in the Chromebook Plus target specs makes for a very good experience.

Google has an Auto Update policy for Chromebooks as well, and while that’s not exactly a spec, it’s worth checking before you buy. Last year, Google announced that Chromebooks would get software updates and support for an impressive 10 years after their release date. This support page lists the Auto Update expiration date for virtually every Chromebook ever, but a good rule of thumb is to buy the newest machine you can to maximize your support.

How much should I spend?

Chromebooks started out notoriously cheap, with list prices often coming in under $300. But as they’ve gone more mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being essentially modern netbooks to the kind of laptop you’ll want to use all day. As such, prices have increased: At this point, you should expect to spend at least $400 if you want a solid daily driver. There are still many cheap Chromebooks out there that may be suitable as secondary devices, but a good Chromebook that can be an all-day, every-day laptop will cost more. But, notably, even the best Chromebooks usually cost less than the best Windows laptops, or even the best “regular” laptops out there.

There are plenty of premium Chromebooks that approach or even exceed $1,000 that claim to offer better performance and more processing power, but I don’t recommend spending that much. Generally, that’ll get you a better design with more premium materials, as well as more powerful internals and extra storage space. Of course, you also sometimes pay for the brand name. But, the specs I outlined earlier are usually enough.

See Also:

• Best Laptops for 2025

• Best Gaming Laptops

• Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2025

• Best Cheap Windows Laptops

• Best Laptops for College Students

Best Chromebooks in 2025

Other Chromebooks we tested

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Samsung’s new Galaxy Chromebook Plus is one of the more unique Chromebooks out there. It’s extremely thin and light, at .46 inches and 2.6 pounds, but it manages to include a 15.6-inch display in that frame. That screen is a 1080p panel that’s sharp and bright, but its 16:9 aspect ratio made things feel a bit cramped when scrolling vertically. Performance is very good, and the keyboard is solid, though I’m not a fan of the number pad as it shifts everything to the left. At $700 it’s not cheap, but that feels fair considering its size and capabilities. If you’re looking for a big screen laptop that is also super light, this Chromebook merits consideration, even if it’s not the best option for everyone.

Apple is shelving its plans to offer the iPhone for a monthly subscription, Bloomberg reports. The company was first said to be exploring a hardware subscription in 2022, but like the company’s “buy now, pay later” product, Apple Pay Later, it seems like it ultimately proved too problematic.

The hardware subscription was rumored to work in a similar way to existing options like the iPhone Upgrade Program or Apple Card Monthly Installments, where you pay off a new phone or other Apple device with monthly payments, and in some cases get the option to upgrade to a new device without changing your subscription fee. Unlike those payment methods, which apply your payments to a one-time loan from either Citizen One or Goldman Sachs, Apple’s subscription was going to be managed through an Apple account and use whatever payment methods you already have connected.

Apple’s expectation was that if it fronted the cost for an iPhone directly, people would upgrade more often and increase the company’s recurring revenue. The problem is that much like Apple Pay Later, which let you split Apple Pay purchases into four smaller installments, the hardware subscription might have required Apple to “follow the same regulations as credit card companies,” Bloomberg says. That’s extra scrutiny the company didn’t want to invite.

There’s also the potential strain a hardware subscription could put on Apple’s relationships with carriers. You can buy an iPhone 16 from T-Mobile or Verizon with an installment plan that might be technically different from a subscription, but definitely feels like one when you’re paying monthly.

Apple’s hardware subscription was never officially announced, but it reflects what could be a larger retreat from the headaches of financial services. Apple Pay Later was shut down in June 2024 and replaced with access to Affirm loans in Apple Pay as part of iOS 18. The Apple Card is also reportedly in limbo as Apple searches for a partner to replace Goldman Sachs.

YouTube is teaming up with one of the world's largest talent agencies, CAA, to help its high-profile actors and athletes monitor their AI likenesses. "Through this collaboration, several of the world’s most influential figures will have access to early-stage technology designed to identify and manage AI-generated content that features their likeness, including their face, on YouTube at scale," YouTube wrote on its official blog.

The video platform plans to begin testing its "likeness management technology" with unnamed award-winning actors and top NBA and NFL athletes, all clients of CAA (Creative Artists Agency). The system will surface AI-generated content that depicts their likeness and provide easy access to submit requests for removal through its privacy-complaint process. 

Through CAA and its influential client list, YouTube says it will gain insight before releasing it more widely to other creators and artists. Down the road, it will announce further testing for top YouTube creators, creative professionals and other talent agencies. 

CAA is an ideal first partner to test its likeness management tech, YouTube wrote. The agency has been on the forefront of AI and digital rights, via its CAAvault talent-focused serivce that scans, captures and securely stores clients' digital likeness including face, body and voice. 

Technology platforms like YouTube have been at odds with creators over the use of AI, particularly when it comes to training large language models (LLMs) on copyrighted text, artworks and the likenesses of famous people. The issue is particularly contentious in Hollywood; some stars have agreed to let AI replicate their voices under license, but many have railed against its use. 

Last week in a podcast interview with Armchair Expert, Friends actor Lisa Kudrow called the use of digital versions of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in the film Here an "endorsement" of AI. "What will there be left for, forget actors, but what about up-and-coming actors? They’ll just be licensing and recycling. What work will there be for human beings?”

If you’ve ever tried recording audio on your phone and found it sounding muffled or full of background noise, you’re not alone. Built-in microphones are fine for quick calls, but when it comes to creating content, recording music or capturing crystal-clear audio for a podcast, you need a mobile microphone that’s up to the task. Luckily, there are plenty of options out there that can instantly upgrade your sound quality without breaking the bank.

The beauty of mobile microphones is their versatility. Whether you’re recording on the go, streaming live or conducting interviews, these compact devices are designed to work seamlessly with your smartphone, tablet and laptop.The best part? Many are portable, plug-and-play and packed with features like noise reduction, directional recording, and studio-grade clarity.

If you’re feeling lost in the world of mobile microphones, we’ve broken down the best mobile microphones you can buy right now, covering everything from tiny clip-ons to professional-grade gear for serious creators.

Lavalier mics

James Trew / Engadget

The obvious benefit of a lapel microphone is size. Their small profile makes them perfect for presenting to the camera with the flexibility to move around while maintaining consistent audio quality. If you’re a budding TikTok or vlogger it’s definitely worth having one of these mini microphones in your bag. And if you don’t want to be tied down to cables, there are plenty of great wireless lavalier microphone options with convenient adapters.

The main trade-off, however, is that they’re only good for recording the person they’re attached to. If you have two people talking and only one is wearing the mic, you’ll only get good audio for one half of the conversation, so for multi-person recordings you’ll need a mic for each guest and a way to record them at the same time, so costs can go up quickly.

Fortunately, lapel mics have become a very competitive market with good, viable options costing as little as $14.95. For an absolute bargain with a long cord and some connectivity accessories, the Boya BY M1 is hard to argue with. But, while these budget choices are great value, if you want something that should either last longer, is more versatile or just sounds better it’s worth paying a little bit more.

A word on wireless mic

Recently there has been an explosion in cell phone microphone systems, but there's one wireless mic we really like. DJI's Mic 2 system provides some important upgrades from its predecessor. Notably, it can connect directly to your smartphone via Bluetooth, and it sports improved AI noise reduction and a bigger touchscreen.

Adapters

So we’ve already touched on this with the AI Micro, which is an adapter of sorts. One of the first things you might bump up against when dealing with mobile audio accessories is TRRS vs TRS connectors. Simply put, 3.5mm TRS is what you might know as the age-old classic headphone jack while TRRS became common for its support for headsets and inline mics. You can easily tell them apart as TRS connectors have two black bands on them while a TRRS has three.

For you, the budding creator, it can be a bit of an annoyance as many 3.5mm lavaliers are going to be TRS and won’t work when plugged into your phone’s headphone adapter. Sometimes your lavalier might include what you need in the box, but otherwise, you’ll want to pick up a TRS to TRRS adapter like this. Of course, some smartphone-specific mics have TRRS connectors already – for those, you’ll want a cable that goes the other way should you want to use it with other devices like a DSLR.

Shotgun mics

James Trew / Engadget

You may be more familiar with shotgun microphones when it comes to video recording. It’s the style of microphone most often found atop a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they make great companions for other portable devices too, your cell phone included.

The benefit of a shotgun is that they tend to be highly directional, which makes them perfect for podcasts, recording instruments, foley sounds and much, much more. For us mobile recordists, another benefit is that they tend to be light and portable, perfect for slipping into a backpack or even a laptop bag. Even better, there are some great mobile-specific options.

Desktop and USB mics go mobile

James Trew / Engadget

Mobile-specific mics are great, but there’s nothing stopping you from using your cell phone microphone or another you might already have (if it’s somewhat portable). You’ll definitely need to do a little dance with some adapters, but that’s half the fun. Below are a couple of recommendations for “regular” microphones that pair well with a phone and then the cables and adapters that you’ll need to get setup. There are even some wireless systems that make it easy to record on the go.

A word on cables

James Trew / Engadget

Connecting USB microphones directly to phones is rarely as simple as just one cable, although that’s starting to become more common. In general, Android makes this simpler, but also, thanks to the wide range of manufacturers and software versions you can’t always guarantee things will work smoothly.

The iPhone is a whole other situation. USB microphones have a good chance of working via the USB camera kit we mentioned earlier, but that’s still inelegant sometimes. Frustratingly, some USB-C to Lightning cables will play nice with microphones, but sadly most will not – including Apple’s own. One confirmed option is this cable from Fiio or this generic alternative. These are inexpensive enough that it’s worth having a couple around if you work with audio a lot (they of course can also be used to charge your phone as a bonus).

Other mobile microphones to consider

You can now access Apple's answer to Google Street View on the web. As 9to5Mac reports, Apple has enabled Look Around for the beta version of Apple Maps on the web, letting you literally look around and explore the cities where it's available. The company has a full list of "Look Around" locations on its website, and it includes select cities in the US, Japan and several countries in the European Union. To start exploring a place on your desktop, you only have to click on the binocular icon at the bottom left corner of the map. Like on Street View, you'll be able to virtually fly across roads and drag the screen to show more of the place with the feature's 360-degree images. 

Apple launched the beta version of Maps for the web in July, with a number of limitations. Access was limited to certain devices and browsers. While you could already use it to look up directions and guides, it didn't roll out with Look Around, though Apple promised to add more features in the coming months. Although Look Around's coverage is pretty limited at the moment, MacRumors previously reported finding clues in Apple Maps suggesting that the company is working on expanding its availability. Apple apparently has plans to add smaller cities and rural areas to the Look Around network, as well as to add more countries, such as Egypt, China and Mexico.