Author: News Room

You might assume most listeners would pick a real human voice over a synthetic one, but a new study says otherwise. Edison Research at SSRS surveyed 1,005 fiction audiobook fans in May 2026 for a study commissioned by AI audio company Spoken. The twist is that listeners rated the AI narration higher, and they did not even know it was AI until after they heard it (via Variety). Why listeners favored the AI narration Researchers split listeners into two groups. One group heard an excerpt narrated by a human voice actor, and the other heard the same passage using Spoken’s…

Google’s Gemini models are becoming remarkably good at understanding videos, images, and conversations. A new study shows AI can even identify subtle behaviors in parent-child interactions with impressive accuracy. But here’s the catch: while Gemini can reliably observe what is happening, researchers say it should not be trusted to decide what those behaviors actually mean. Worth noting is that the study used Gemini 2.5 Pro, which is not Google’s most advanced AI. That means future models could improve the results even further. Even so, the researchers argue that human experts remain essential. How Gemini performed surprisingly well at observing children…

Techland launched Dying Light: The Beast last September for current consoles and PC, but had planned to bring the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at a later date. Unfortunately for players on those platforms, those plans have been axed.The developer/publisher posted on X stating that it will no longer bring Dying Light: The Beast to last-gen consoles due to technical issues getting the game to run well on older hardware.“Dying Light: The Beast was built from the ground up to take full advantage of current-generation hardware,” Techland writes. “Its open world, advanced visuals, and fluid combat and traversal…

Spotify is rolling out a new AI-powered conversational feature that lets Premium users talk directly to the app about what they want to hear. Users can type or speak a request and refine the results through follow-up questions instead of manually searching for a song, podcast, or audiobook. The feature is available from Spotify’s Home and Now Playing screens and works much like a personal audio assistant. It can choose what plays, answer questions about the current track or album, recommend something new, and look through your listening history to provide more personalized responses. Now you can talk to Spotify:🎧…

If your iCloud storage is constantly running low, WhatsApp might have a fix coming. Code spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS by WABetaInfo reveals that Meta is building its own first-party cloud backup service for iPhone users. For the first time, you would be able to store your WhatsApp chat history on WhatsApp’s own servers instead of iCloud. The feature is still in development and not yet available to beta testers, with no official release date announced. Will WhatsApp’s backup service be free? Once the feature launches, you will be able to choose your preferred backup provider directly from…

A good puzzle is one of the best things in life. Some are relaxing time-killers, while others test our skills in critical problem solving or quick mental gymnastics; both can be incredibly satisfying. Video games can elevate these head-scratching problems to new heights and complexities by immersing you in a setting, messing with concepts like the tenants of time and space, or by simply giving you endless access to your favorite brainteasers. Here are some of our favorite modern puzzle games listed in no particular order, that you can play right now that will pleasantly twist your brain into knots.…

Satechi, which makes some fantastic charging and PC peripherals, has just launched a whole bunch of accessories targeted at the MacBook Neo. But instead of making them boring and drab, the company has actually color-matched them to the exact shade that you get on Apple’s budget-centric laptop. The offerings on the table include a multi-port adapter, a USB-C snap hub, and a wireless mouse, and all of them are now available to buy starting at $29.99 from Satechi’s website and Amazon. Color options that are up for grabs include Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver Satechi OntheGo 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter ($44.99)…

If you’ve been holding off on buying an iPad mini because you were hoping Apple’s first OLED model would finally get a smoother display, you may want to temper your expectations. A prettier screen, but not necessarily a faster one A new rumor from Korean leaker yeux1122 claims the upcoming OLED iPad mini will still use a 60Hz display, despite making the jump from LCD to OLED. That’s a bit surprising, especially since many fans expected Apple to pair the long-awaited OLED upgrade with a higher refresh rate. For everyday tasks like reading, streaming Netflix, or browsing the web, 60Hz is perfectly…

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launched last week, on July 9, and one of the various Ubisoft studios behind its development is facing impending layoffs, despite the remake’s early success. Ubisoft Barcelona, which is responsible for the game’s underwater exploration and tech, is set to lose 51 employees in the coming weeks as part of the layoffs. In response, the studio, represented by the Coordinadora Sindical del Videojuego union (CSVI), has begun a strike today that will last through Thursday, July 16, as reported by Video Games Chronicle.During this strike, the CSVI union will be attempting to negotiate with Ubisoft…

Baseus Inspire XC1 MSRP $129.99 “The best value open-ear audio wearable out there.” Pros Surprisingly strong bass Warm and pleasing tuning Pretty light and comfortable Physical button for controls Call quality is bother-free Decent battery life Cons Voice enhancement mode needs work LDAC locks other features EQ presets don’t stand out Isolation only happens with volume No in-ear wear detection Quick Review I’ve reached the point where I flinch every time a company slaps a big-name audio partner on a budget product. In a majority of cases, this co-branded touch ends up being more of a marketing spectacle than real…