Sure. Google location tracking "bad" and Apple data harvesting "good", but it's pretty hack to see articles popping up about how poor Android trackers are compared to AirTags. https://somegadgetguy.com/b/46Q
Ignoring the security nightmare AirTags were at launch, the assumed permissions Apple just takes for the Find My network, and the annoying (and scary looking) process Apple forces users through to OPT OUT of location tracking, it's shocking how well Google is doing only a couple weeks into this new finder network going live.
"Chamber of Progress, a tech industry coalition whose members include Amazon, Apple and Meta, is launching a campaign to defend the legality of using copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence systems."
"The generative AI boom has eroded trust between creatives and Silicon Valley. [...] it’s time for tech companies to stop screwing around for their own benefit, listen to the users who pay them, and act in a transparent way."
Suing Apple is a necessary step in challenging our perception of Big Tech… https://somegadgetguy.com/b/468
We can't take our eyes off this target. We need to build more momentum. Our legal system has been too slow to adapt to consumer tech trends, and we need to keep the pressure on if we're to course correct for YEARS of bad policy.
"Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, but the company is now taking the unusual step of reopening its beta program for Windows 10 to test new features and improvements."
Are they just going to start cramming more AI into it to see if they can force people to upgrade?
Samsung is facing a labor strike for the first time ever. Apple is union busting. The FCC cancelled its affordable internet program. AI is all the rage with investors, but no one is using it.
Android trackers are FINALLY here! And, we should chat announcements at Computex!
Apple is partnering with OpenAI to improve Apple's lagging AI strategy, but we still don't know what the deal looks like. https://somegadgetguy.com/b/45u
Is Apple paying OpenAI? Is OpenAI paying Apple?
This is a tough partnership for Apple, as the optics on AI in general run counter to the marketing Apple has poured into "privacy".
Samsung forces repair shops to sign a TERRIBLE contract, that requires technicians to destroy your phone if they find non-Samsung parts in your device! iFixit is dropping their partnership with Samsung.
Good news for folks who enjoy AI embarrassing itself with nonsensical answers!
"Well, according to an interview at The Verge with Google CEO Sundar Pichai published earlier this week, just before criticism of the outputs really took off, these "hallucinations" are an "inherent feature" of AI large language models (LLM), which is what drives AI Overviews, and this feature "is still an unsolved problem.""
We want a future of repairable gadgets and less ewaste.
5-7 years of software support doesn't mean anything if we can't keep the hardware running well for 7 years.
Glad to see iFixit didn't go quiet on this one.
I've been trying to highlight Samsung's scummy business practices for a couple years now, but when they can't even make a support contract work with iFixit, it's a REAL bad look.
AI Laptop REACTIONS! https://somegadgetguy.com/b/45Q
Checking out all the announcements today from Dell, HP, Microsoft, Samsung, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo! I did a live recording of my reactions.
Windows on ARM is getting REALLY exciting! Here are some things to look out for while shopping a new "AI" laptop!
"Microsoft Paint is getting new image generation powers with a new tool called Cocreator. [...] Cocreator can generate images based on text prompts as well as your own doodles in the Paint app."
The way tech companies push "AI", I don't know. I was hoping this is just another tech hype that I can wait out, like with Bitcoin and Metaverse, but there just seems no end in sight this time.
CONTROVERSY! It's a little concerning. My phone keeps trying to connect to a mystery network, listed as an ISP WiFi that (to my knowledge) doesn't do business here in California. Has anyone else seen something like this? What's going on?
"This whole AI cycle was fueled by fantasies, and when people stop falling for them the bubble starts to deflate. In The Guardian, John Naughton recently laid out the five stages of financial bubbles, noting AI is between stages three and four: euphoria and profit-taking."
Wireless charging sucks!
(Sucks more power that is.)
My buddy Ricky and I did a one-off experiment comparing wireless charging to FAST cabled charging. You can watch part one here https://somegadgetguy.com/b/442
I was pleasantly surprised that Qi charging had improved and kept case temperatures better in check, but we still saw elevated temperatures for roughly two hours on a full charge.
Now, iFixit delivers even more data on wireless charging, and it's not great. You're trading a lot of waste and heat for some mediocre "convenience"...
I am totally floored by the bold, drunk on LLM idea that Slack by Saleforce has right now: They want to compromise the privacy of customer data to train their implementation of an LLM.
This is beyond cursed because Salesforce has the audacity to make this scheme an opt-out instead of op-in to maximize the data accumulation.
I hope the uproar this will generate makes Slack step the hell back!
After dealing with pre-installed malware on this mini-PC, I'm FINALLY done reviewing the hardware! https://somegadgetguy.com/b/459
"Besides the malware" does an Intel Core i9 make sense in a system like this?