PlayStation’s next-gen VR headset is here. It’s highly specialized and, boy, expensive. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar says it’s a massive step up from the original PSVR thanks to its high-resolution screens and innovative features like headset haptics.
Engadget
Back in 2016, when the original launched, VR made another push into the mainstream, starting with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Technology has advanced at an incredible pace, making this sequel headset feel more comfortable seven years later and come with far more advanced controllers. (The first PSVR used Move controller wands originally launched for the PS3 in 2010!) The new Sense controllers are actually designed specifically for virtual reality, with a large tracking ring, analog sticks, two Face buttons, triggers and haptic feedback.
Hardawar adds that Horizon VR, one of the few marquee launch titles, will take advantage of the headset’s eye-tracking sensors for improved rendering, focusing the PS5’s power on what you’re seeing. However, that $550 price tag and a potentially limited library might limit its impact — same old tale of what’s wrong with VR.
– Mat Smith
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The Biggest Stories You May Have Missed It can get confused during long chat sessions or when used for “entertainment.”
Microsoft launched its Bing AI chat for the Edge browser last week, and it’s been in the news ever since — but not always for the right reasons. Our first impressions were strong as it offered workout routines, itineraries and more with no issues. However, users noticed that Bing’s bot provided false information, berated users for wasting his time, and even exhibited “crazy” behavior, calling users “irrational and stubborn” (among other things) when they tried to tell Bing that it was wrong. Those “long, drawn out chat sessions with 15 or more questions” can throw things off track,” Microsoft explained.
“Bing may be repetitive or prompted/provoked to provide responses that aren’t necessarily helpful or in line with our intended tone,” the company said. This apparently happens because one question after another can cause the bot to “forget” what it was trying to answer in the first place.
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The chatbot “learns best by example,” said one company executive.
In a video ad for Google’s AI chatbot Bard, the AI confidently spread misinformation about the James Webb Space Telescope. Now the tech giant is trying to improve Bard’s accuracy and is asking staff for help, according to CNBC.
Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s vice president of search, reportedly emailed employees asking them to rewrite Bard answers on topics they know well. The chatbot “learns best by example,” Raghavan said, and training it with factual answers will help improve its accuracy. This memo came after Google CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees asking them to spend a few hours each week testing the AI chatbot. Google employees have reportedly criticized Pichai for a “rushed” and “botched” launch of Bard.
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You could say it’s a blockbuster.
Apple
The story of how Tetris became a global phenomenon is the basis for an upcoming Apple TV+ movie. Rather than turning the game’s blockbuster antics into a movie – see you, Pixels – the fast-paced trailer (with soundtrack of “The Final Countdown”) highlights some of the inherent tensions between Soviet Russia, the US capitalist forces, and everyone in between the Two. Henk Rogers, played by Taron Egerton, faces opposition from a British media mogul who wants the game, KGB agents and even Mikhail Gorbachev.
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It recalls 363,000 vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Thursday that Tesla is recalling nearly 363,000 of its vehicles because Full Self-Driving software could cause an accident. Specifically, NHTSA states that the risk of “speeding or driving through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of an accident.” Tesla will provide customers with a free OTA update to fix the problem, Reuters reports. The recall affects over 362,000 vehicles.
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