Author: News Room

As AI-powered applications become increasingly crowded with assistants designed to answer questions, complete tasks, and respond instantly, another question has emerged: what makes one AI character more memorable than another? Meowster is an AI app built around the personality of an independent virtual cat rather than a conventional assistant, offering one perspective on that question. Instead of centering the technology itself, the company has focused on character, memory, and emotional engagement. Early engagement suggests the approach is resonating. In its first month, Meowster reports it generated tens of thousands of conversations without paid marketing and, according to the company, as…

Ubisoft held a special livestream dedicated to Ghost Recon to mark the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The bulk of the presentation centered on a substantial free update coming to Ghost Recon: Wildlands today, but the publisher announced plenty of other goodies for fans, including confirmation of the next Ghost Recon title. Ghost Recon Wildlands, released in 2017, is getting a free story update today called Last Rites. The narrative centers on a mysterious masked antagonist named La Llorona, who seeks revenge against Bolivia’s cartels, the CIA, and Unidad for wrongs committed against her. Players will battle La Llorona’s cultists, Los Penitentes, to…

Google has shown off a new AI project that could make language barriers a little less intimidating, and it doesn’t need an internet connection to do it. The company has introduced the Gemma Translator, a compact prototype built in collaboration with Antigravity. Unlike most AI translation tools that rely on cloud processing, this device runs entirely offline using Gemma 4 E2B, Google’s lightweight open model. Everything happens locally on the device, making it both portable and independent of an internet connection. The prototype is powered by a Raspberry Pi 5 and includes a microphone and speaker inside a custom 3D-printed…

Bose has officially launched the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), confirming most of the features that surfaced through recent leaks. The new model has a cleaner design, improved noise cancellation, lossless USB-C audio, and Bose Immersive Audio modes previously limited to the more expensive QuietComfort Ultra series. Preorders open August 8 through Bose and selected retailers for $359, just $10 more than the 2023 model’s launch price. Shipping begins August 13. Black and White Smoke return alongside three limited-edition finishes called Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint, and Rosewood Mauve. These are the new QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). ✨ Bose TrueSpatial Tech (Still,…

Google Maps has spent nearly two decades helping people get from point A to point B. But if Google’s latest update is any indication, simply giving directions is no longer enough. The company now wants Maps to help you plan your day, make decisions, and even take care of some of the busywork that usually comes after you’ve found what you’re looking for. Today, Google announced a major expansion of Ask Maps, its AI-powered search experience inside Google Maps. The feature is gaining a collection of agentic tools that can help you order meals, search for hotels, and discover local…

Rockstar Games has announced today that it will be sharing an “Extended Look” at Grand Theft Auto VI on Netflix on August 27 in the afternoon. It will also be available on Rockstar’s YouTube channel later that day. A press release for the announcement contains the image seen above and reads simply, “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will premiere on Netflix Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. ET and will also launch on the official Rockstar Games YouTube channel and the Grand Theft Auto VI site at 9 p.m. ET on August 27.”How long this extended look will be…

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 MSRP $230.00 “If you can find them, get them.” Pros Surprisingly good sound quality Pretty compact and comfortable Impressive noise cancellation IP57 build is a welcome perk Plenty of neat features Cons Mileage is average at best Hi-res codecs locked to Huawei Android app needs sideloading Controls take a learning curve Quick summary I usually find myself sticking to the trinity of Apple, Sony, and Bose, every time someone seeks my advice for premium earbuds. For the first time, I am pushing Huawei in that list. I’ve had the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 in my ears…

Meta’s smart glasses have exploded in popularity in recent times. Despite how people perceived wearable face tech years ago, the Meta Ray-Ban glasses not only made them better but also fashionable. Unfortunately, the social problem is still there. Now, restaurants, pubs, private clubs, and theatres across the UK are introducing restrictions on Meta’s camera-equipped glasses over concerns that customers and employees could be filmed without realizing it. The response closely echoes the bans and public hostility that followed Google Glass more than a decade ago. Take off the glasses or turn off the camera London restaurateur Jeremy King, whose venues…

Minecraft has spent years proving that blocks can run on practically anything with a screen. On October 27, it will finally move into a home built specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. Mojang has confirmed that the native Switch 2 version of Minecraft will launch with Vibrant Visuals enabled by default, using the newer console’s additional power to spruce up its famously square Overworld. Existing Nintendo Switch owners will also receive a digital upgrade path, though Mojang says pricing and other details will arrive later. These blocks have been hitting the lighting tutorials Vibrant Visuals gives Minecraft enhanced directional lighting,…

Meta’s ad platform did something it has promised, repeatedly, never to allow again. According to a new investigation from Wired, Meta ran dozens of paid ads over the past nine months containing explicit AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery, some of which stayed live even after the company was directly confronted about them. If this feels like a story you’ve read before, that’s because you probably have. Just weeks before this latest report, a separate BBC investigation found Instagram running paid ads promoting child sexual abuse material in India, directing users to Telegram channels selling illegal content. The AI-generated CSAM ads…