Who’s Going to Buy Humane for a Billion Dollars?

May 26, 2024 E Jazz Reporter

This week, the company behind the wearable chatbot AI Pin is already looking to sell for upwards of a billion dollars just one month after its rough product launch. Speaking of AI, Microsoft shared its plans for the future of AI in Windows with Copilot+. However, we still have some privacy concerns over its spotlight feature, Recall, an AI-powered time machine for your Windows 11 PC. And finally, we found the best Google Maps alternatives for driving, hiking, and commuting.

A Humane AI Pin worn on a white sweater — The Humane AI Pin was widely disparaged at launch for its poor battery life and how often it seemed to overheat.

The $700 Humane AI Pin didn’t have the best launch, mainly because reviewers got their hands on the pint-size wearable chatbot and realized a lot of features didn’t work as well as advertised. Now, the company that made the device, headed up by two ex-Apple developers, is reportedly looking to sell the company for somewhere close to $1 billion. – Kyle Barr Read More

Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation apps. Gizmodo readers have voted it the greatest app of all time. That said, it never hurts to explore your options when it comes to figuring out which navigation app is right for you. We’ve found some of the best Google Maps alternatives on iOS and Android for driving, hiking, and commuting. – Dua Rashid Read More

Two iPhone 15s standing in a row, one in green and the other pink. — Do you want your iPhone to have an OpenAI chatbot? Just wait a few weeks until WWDC 2024.

According to the latest reports, Apple is preparing to unleash an AI avalanche on iPhones at its upcoming WWDC 2024. This will include some cloud-based and on-device AI models, but it will be done through the lens of easily the most well-known and widest-reaching AI developers around today, OpenAI. – Kyle Barr Read More

Brett Ostrum of Microsoft showcases two Surface Laptop Go PCs in both hands. — Did you want AI? Microsoft is serving it to you with both hands.

Microsoft smells blood in the water, and it seems to be exclusively gunning for Apple’s latest ultra-thin laptops and iPads with devices sporting all-day batteries and ARM-based processors that boast better performance with better energy efficiency.

A new Surface Pro 2-in-1 promises to do everything your laptop and tablet can do, but better. Plus, every big laptop maker under the sun is coming out with refreshed, ultra-thin laptops that all promote major performance gains while saving big on battery life. – Kyle Barr Read More

An image showing the Recall feature searching — The Recall feature will sit on the Copilot+ PCs Windows 11 taskbar beside Copilot by default.

Out of all the big blowout declarations from Microsoft Build, from the launch of all new “Copilot+” PCs with Snapdragon X Elite chips to new software, perhaps the most standout offering is Recall. It’s an always-on screenshotting time machine that is supposed to let users search through every last minute of their existence on PC, from browsing to watching videos to using apps. – Kyle Barr Read More

a photo of the ipad air — Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella standing on a stage surrounded by names of WIndows Systems and Silicon — New Snapdragon X chips promise intense performance on the new ARM-based PCs, but they also promise better than-ever AI performance.

If you missed out on everything Microsoft announced before and during its big Build developer conference, let me catch you up. There are AI agents, new AI models, AI real-time translations, AI transcriptions, and–best of all–all new Copilot+ computers that are supposed to make these AI tasks available on-device. It’s a lot of promises and features that could or could not enhance your Windows 11 experience. Either way, they’re coming whether you like it or not. – Kyle Barr Read More

Fun fact: Sonos tested 26 shades of white to develop the “perfect one.”

Sonos, the renowned audio company known best for its speakers, has finally revealed its first-ever pair of headphones, the Ace. We’ve known for some time that Sonos has been working on a pair of high-end cans. I spent some quality time with the Sonos Ace at an NYC event recently and left impressed by its comfort and ANC. – Dua Rashid Read More

a photo of the Copilot banner — Image: Adobe

Microsoft wants to convince you that a chip tuned for AI will all be worth it. Adobe, DaVinci, and CapCut are among the first apps to offer compatibility with the dedicated NPU inside the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor running on select PCs. Windows also provides built-in perks for those who adopt a Copilot+ PC before anyone else. – Florence Ion Read More