Technology
Using an AI chatbot or voice assistant makes it harder to spot errors
The conversational tone of an AI chatbot or voice-based assistant seems like a good way to learn about and understand new concepts, but they may actually make us more willing to believe inaccuracies, compared with information presented like a static Wikipedia article.
To investigate how the way we receive information can change how we perceive it, Sonja Utz at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and her colleagues asked about 1200 participants to engage with one of three formats.
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Technology
The Foldable iPhone may get UPC tech for Face ID first
The iPhone 17 series was previously expected to adopt the under-panel camera technology for Face ID. However, a recent report from the Korean publication The Elec claims that Apple has delayed the application of the ‘Under-Panel Face ID’ technology. Reputed display industry analyst Ross Young from DSCC fame has already reversed his claim that Apple will have a phone with an under-panel camera in 2025. Sources from the Korean screen business now confirm that.
Will the foldable iPhone be the first to use the ‘Under-Panel Face ID technology?
According to The Elec Apple is waiting for at least two of its major display suppliers to master the under-panel camera technology. Only then, will the company start using the technology for its iPhones. Samsung and LG supply displays for Apple’s devices.
However, according to the report, none of the companies are near to producing display panels that can maintain reasonable visibility for the under-panel sensors that Apple expects. According to a previous report, Apple has delayed the launch of its foldable iPhone to 2027. It was also reported that the foldable iPhone may come with a ‘wrap-around design‘. However, the latest news is that a foldable iPhone with a Galaxy Z Flip design may arrive in 2026
For those unfamiliar, there have been Android devices for a while that utilize the under-panel camera technology. In fact, Samsung’s own book-style foldables, including the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 use the under-panel camera tech to hide the 4 MP selfie camera under the large foldable AMOLED display. On one hand, it does not obstruct the view, while on the other, it lets you make video calls and take occasional selfies without having to switch to the external display. However, the clarity and overall image quality from the under-display camera is certainly much inferior as compared to the punch-hole selfie camera on the external display.
An industry insider noted, “Apple hasn’t even decided which model among the foldable product it’s currently preparing and the existing bar-type iPhone to apply the under-panel Face ID to first.”
Samsung is working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to meet the requirements
The Elec also reports that Samsung is currently working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to overcome the challenges and meet Apple’s expectations of the technology.
OTI Lumionics uses a fine metal mask (FMM) to pattern-deposit organic cathode patterning material (CPM) and then deposits the cathode with an open metal mask (OMM), avoiding the CPM. However, reports indicate that diffraction still occurs when the IR laser passes through the panel in the under-panel Face ID currently in development.
LG is also working on related technologies. The company has reportedly developed a ‘freeform optic’ lens to overcome some of the limitations of the existing UPC technology.
Science & Environment
New species of “ghost shark” discovered living deep in the Pacific Ocean to
Researchers have discovered a new species of “ghost shark” that exclusively lives in the deep waters surrounding Australia and New Zealand.
The “Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish” has a long, pointed nose, as its name indicates, and bulging black eyes. The creature has “chocolate brown” skin and a long, wispy tail, according to New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Ghost sharks, formally known as chimaeras, have smooth skin and no scales. They have “distinctive, beak-like teeth,” NIWA said, and primarily eat shrimp and mollusks.
The species lives in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, which NIWA scientist Brit Finucci said makes them difficult to study. One ghost shark was caught on camera swimming off the coast of California in 2017. The specimens studied by NIWA to make this identification were found during other research studies for Fisheries New Zealand.
“Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting,” Finucci said.
The specimens found were thought to be part of a species that can be found around the world, but research revealed the Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish is “genetically and morphologically different to its cousins,” NIWA said.
Finucci gave the species the scientific name “Harriotta avia” in honor of her grandmother.
“Avia means grandmother in Latin; I wanted to give this nod to her because she proudly supported me through my career as a scientist,” Finucci said. “Chimaeras are also rather ancient relatives — the grandmas and grandpas — of fish and I thought the name was well suited.”
Technology
Apple’s AirPods 4 are already on sale in this early Prime Day deal
It has been less than a week since Apple released the AirPods 4, and there’s already a small sale available on them. Ahead of October Prime Day, you can pick up the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $169, down from $179. The AirPods 4 without ANC are also $10 off, with an eight percent discount dropping their price to $119 from $129. The markdowns aren’t significant but could be the extra push you need if you’ve been sitting on the fence.
Apple announced the two AirPods 4 models at its iPhone 16 event on September 9. The fourth-generation AirPods with ANC garnered an 86 in our review, while the standard version fared a bit better with an 88. The ANC model has improved fit and sound quality and offers Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and wireless charging. It also has perks like a speaker in the case that beeps when you activate Find My — though the AirPods only support proximity view, not precision finding like the AirPods Pro 2.
The AirPods 4 without ANC share a big con with their sister device: no onboard volume controls. They also don’t have wireless charging or Conversation Awareness. What they do give you is a good, comfortable fit and much better sound quality than their predecessor. This model also offers Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Voice Isolation and Adaptive EQ.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.
Technology
Fintech Mesa promises 1% cash back on mortgages, up to 3x on other home needs
Mortgage fintech Mesa has emerged from stealth on Tuesday with $9.2 million in seed capital and a novel idea for homeowners. It’s offering cash back and rewards on all spending done on the home, including the mortgage itself.
Mesa is offering mortgage loans, original or refinancing, that include a credit-card-style 1% cash back on the loan.
In addition, Mesa is offering a points-rewards-type credit card geared toward homeowners. The card lets homeowners accrue points for paying their mortgage and for paying for homeowner-related services like HOA fees, utilities, repairs, home insurance, and day-to-day purchases like gas or groceries.
This is a standard unsecured credit card, meaning it is not related to or secured by the home, and the card issuer partner is Celtic Bank. Card users don’t need to have originated a home loan with Mesa in order to get a card, and the card’s spending limit is determined by the credit history of the applicant. It also carries a typical hefty credit card annual percentage rate, currently in the 20-21% range.
“We’ve just taken what everybody loves about travel and dining cards to re-contextualize that for the homeowner/parent,” Mesa’s founder CEO Kelley Halpin tells TechCrunch. “So it’s not rewarding you on travel and dining spend; it’s rewarding you on gas, groceries, your HOA, utilities, home goods as well as your mortgage payment.”
True, a homeowner could already earn points on these types of expenses simply by paying with whatever rewards-style card they already have. But Mesa’s pitch is that it’s structuring the points to be more generous toward ordinary home-owning expenses. It plans to offer one point for each dollar when used to make the mortgage payment, 2x for gas and groceries, 3x for the home services category.
Similar to American Express’ rewards program, points can then be redeemed in a variety of ways, including cash back, gifts, travel booked through its travel portal, or to offset monthly mortgage payments.
In addition, Mesa says that it will eventually offer benefits to cardholders such as discounts to home improvement merchants on its network, or discounts to other items prized by the homeowner/parent set such as memberships to warehouse wholesalers like Costco.
“Homeowners will get access to premium benefits, including big box memberships, credits towards home maintenance,” Halpin says.
Mesa is bucking the trend of tackling the home mortgage market after this fintech sector got crushed by high interest rates. While Mesa was in the works before the Feds cut rates last week, venture investing into such fintechs has been hovering at its lowest levels in six years, according to Crunchbase data.
By going for loan origination and credit cards, Mesa is hedging its bets. It will make money from a mix of interchange fees, interest revenue, and affiliate revenue. For the mortgage product, it will generate revenue from lead generation to its financial partners.
Still, it’s been a slow launch. Mesa would not share any user or revenue numbers, with Halpin saying its been operating on an “invite-only waitlist.” Now that it’s out of stealth, it plans to slowly alert people on its waitlist.
While one could argue that the market isn’t hurting for credit card options or mortgage referral services, Mesa’s founders have the kind of belief that comes from a combo of startup expertise and a fintech background. Halpin hailed from Uber during its startup years, then founded three startups and sold one (Quantivize Health) for an undisclosed sum. Co-founder Peyton Hayslette worked at a long string of fintech companies, most recently wellness credit card startup Paceline. Mesa currently employs 13 people, Halpin says. Their backgrounds include such companies as Robinhood, Block, Capital One, and American Express.
Mesa is building out its company with $7.2 million in new seed funding led by Streamlined Ventures with participation from Starting Line, Assurant Ventures, Vera Equity, and others. It has also received $2 million in venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank.
Technology
Nothing’s first open-ear headphones keep you aware of your surroundings
Nothing has announced its first pair of open wearable stereo (OWS) earbuds that could be better suited for activities where you actually want to hear what’s going on around you. With a design that rests just inside your ear, the new Nothing Ear Open could also be a more comfortable alternative to earbuds that rely on silicone tips inserted into the ear canal.
The Nothing Ear Open join a growing trend in headphones where active noise cancelling technology is eschewed for a design that deliberately lets outside sounds in. Shokz’ headphones have long offered this through the use of bone conduction technology that keeps your ears completely open. In February, Bose introduced its $299 Ultra Open earbuds and positioned them as headphones that can be comfortably worn all day long, even at work. Nothing’s new Ear Open earbuds offer similar functionality but for $149.
Nothing’s previous models, the Ear and Ear (a) that debuted last April, offer a slight advantage in battery life with 8.5 and 9.5 hours, respectively, while ANC is turned off. But the Nothing Ear Open still manage eight hours on a full charge, or a total of 30 hours when occasionally docked and recharged inside a slim case that’s 19 millimeters thick. It lacks wireless charging, but Nothing says a quick 10-minute charge with a USB-C cable will provide two hours of listening.
That’s solid battery life given the Ear Open feature the largest 14.2-millimeter drivers Nothing has included in its earbuds to date, but with a directional design to help minimize sound leakage. Each earbud also includes a pair of microphones and Nothing’s latest noise-canceling technology (Clear Voice Technology 3.0) to help stop outside noises from muffling your voice during a call.
The Nothing Ear Open use a “three-point balance system” and a silicone ear hook to keep the earbuds securely positioned just inside your ears. At 8.1 grams each, the Ear Open are the company’s heaviest earbuds to date, but that hook will help spread the weight out across your ear. However, as The Verge’s Victoria Song discovered while reviewing the Shokz OpenFit Air, headphones with ear hooks can sometimes be difficult to wear with some styles of glasses when the arms and the hooks are competing for space atop your ears.
The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the AAC and SBC codecs, can connect to two Bluetooth devices and quickly switch between them, and offer a “Low Lag Mode” for gamers that’s automatically activated when Nothing Phone users are in Game Mode. When paired to other phones, the Low Lag Mode can be activated using Nothing’s mobile app, which also facilitates an integration with ChatGPT.
The Nothing Ear Open can be preordered in the US, Canada, and Europe starting on September 24th through the company’s website and will be available globally starting on October 1st.
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