Trump: Opposed to Data Centers? Hope You Like Being 'Backwards and Poor'

Michael Kan — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:03:33 +0000

The president argues that the data center backlash will help China win the AI race.

As resistance to AI data centers grows across the US, President Trump is hitting back, warning communities that they're regret protesting them.

“The only reason that communities throughout the USA should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump

I Test AI Every Day, and I Still Have No Idea What I'm Paying For

Ruben Circelli — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

From hidden monthly caps to arbitrary usage resets, AI companies have turned subscription pricing into a guessing game. Here's how they obfuscate limits—and what needs to change.

As PCMag's resident AI expert, I test everything from AI chatbots to AI music video generators daily. But no matter what I'm doing, I never really know how much usage I can get out …

Google's Dreambeans Gives You Personalized Illustrated Life Suggestions. Now It's Free to All

Will Mccurdy — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:36:03 +0000

The tool, which began testing in June, previously needed a Google AI Ultra subscription. Now it's available to everyone in the US with a Google Account.

If you use the internet regularly, you've become increasingly comfortable with two things for the past few years: seeing personalized content and AI-generated imagery. in your feed.

Google Labs' newest app, Dreambeans, combines both, using Google's AI to create illustrated daily stories based on your interests, …

Hate AI Search Results? Tough. Google Is Expanding Them Even More

Will Mccurdy — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:27:53 +0000

For select searches, the 'Show More' button has been removed, with results jumping right into AI Mode and pushing the familiar blue links even further down the page.

Google's AI Overviews has been controversial since it began rolling out in May 2024, with some users complaining about being unable to easily remove the feature, and some of the world's largest publishers …

Nvidia's Hugging Face Acquisition Is Logical, Ambitious, and Headed Straight Into a Minefield

Brian Westover — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The reported $12.9 billion deal is a savvy move, but it's raising urgent concerns among developers and invites regulatory scrutiny.

Surprising news last night from the AI world: Nvidia has reportedly agreed to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $12.9 billion. While multi-billion-dollar AI acquisitions have become commonplace, a lot of people are scratching their heads over this particular deal. With an …

ChatGPT Adds Multiple Google Account Support for Gmail, Calendar, More

James Peckham — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:16:14 +0000

Got two Google accounts you use regularly? You can now interact with each through the same ChatGPT login.

Using multiple Google accounts in ChatGPT has been difficult so far, but a new option lets you switch between two logins without signing out or combining your personal and work information.

First announced by OpenAI development engineer Jason Liu, you can now attach multiple Google accounts to …

Pentagon's Blacklisting of Anthropic Ruled Illegal By US Judge

James Peckham — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:56:32 +0000

US District Judge Rita Lin said the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment.

The Defense Department's move to blacklist Anthropic's AI tools earlier this year was illegal, according to a ruling by a San Francisco federal judge.

The AI company was deemed a supply chain risk by the Pentagon in March, but …

Gemini Notebook Can Now Dig Into eBooks You Bought on Google Play

Jibin Joseph — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:53:16 +0000

You can now add your ebooks to Gemini Notebook and ask the tool to provide insights or turn its content into quizzes, infographics, AI podcasts, and more.

Google on Thursday added support for ebooks in its AI note-taking tool, Gemini Notebook — previously known as NotebookLM.

With the new feature, labeled Expert Intelligence, you can add titles purchased on Google Play Books as sources in a notebook, and …

Switching to Claude? This Easy Trick Brings Your ChatGPT Memory With You

Ruben Circelli — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:34:59 +0000

Leaving ChatGPT behind is easier than you think. A quick copy-paste trick imports your core memory into Claude almost instantly.

If ChatGPT isn't the AI chatbot for you, don't stick with it. You can easily jump ship to Claude and enjoy most of the same capabilities. Better yet, exporting your ChatGPT memories and bringing them into Claude takes only a minute. I walk you through …

Google's AI Mode Can Track Flight Prices, Help You Book With Points or Miles

Rob Pegoraro — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:14:55 +0000

The initial selection of airline and hotel partners is a little thin, but two upcoming additions will make it more useful.

Google’s latest update to its portfolio of AI travel tools includes one that can cut your expenses on a domestic flight to pocket change—if you fly on one of the three airlines that serve that route.

This new set of AI Mode-based …

No, the McDonald's Support Bot Won't Give You Free Premium AI Tools

James Peckham — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:39:40 +0000

A McChicken with a side of Python lessons? A previously debunked meme has resurfaced, with social accounts claiming the McDonald's support tool can be hacked.

What if you could break McDonald’s online support assistant to gain free access to premium AI coding tools? Many believe that's possible thanks to a viral meme seen by millions across Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. Unfortunately, for cash-strapped AI enthusiasts, it's not true.

Various viral posts, including …

Meet Microduck, a $399 Open-Source Robot That Can Learn New Tricks

Michael Kan — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:42:27 +0000

The robot comes from AI model platform Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics arm. Preorders open today with shipments slated to arrive before Christmas.

A new budget-friendly robot arriving later this year will let owners program it with new tricks.

The $399 biped robot comes from Hugging Face, a company best known for hosting open-source and open-weight AI models. Hugging Face’s Pollen Robotics arm developed the

New Plaud One Headphones Are Part Wireless Earbuds, Part AI Recorder

James Peckham — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:01:39 +0000

Plaud’s $250 One Explorer Edition can listen to virtual or in-person conversations and take action proactively based on what was discussed.

AI-powered note-takers aren't a novel concept, but Plaud’s new One Explorer Edition combines the tech with a pair of earbuds to listen in on conversations, make detailed notes, and even instruct AI agents to undertake tasks on your behalf.

Following the Note …

Nvidia CEO: We've Achieved AGI, But It Doesn't Really Matter

Michael Kan — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:07:55 +0000

On an earnings call, Jensen Huang says ensuring productivity and profitability from AI use needs to be the priority amid concerns about AI overspending.

AI capable of matching or surpassing human intelligence remains a major goal for the tech industry. But to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, this artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a milestone that’s become irrelevant.

“For many tasks, we could say that we have already achieved AGI. I think all of those milestones...are …

'There Is No Plan.' Bill Gates Is Still Worried About AI Destroying Society

Michael Kan — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:19:26 +0000

'Leaders, experts, and communities are [not] confronting the challenges adequately,' the Microsoft co-founder warns. He has three suggestions for those who are serious about it, though.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is reviving concerns about artificial intelligence, warning of a dystopian future absent a clear, global plan for the AI era.

The former Microsoft CEO published a nearly 6,000-word memo today, urging world leaders to take the threat seriously. …

I Spent Hours Testing NSFW AI Video Generators. These 5 Are the Best

Ruben Circelli — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:04:55 +0000

I tried more NSFW AI video tools than I knew existed. These are the only ones I actually recommend.

I Tested the Top NSFW AI Image Generators. These Are the 7 Best

Ruben Circelli — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:41:55 +0000

If vanilla AI image generators leave you feeling underwhelmed, it's time to play with the spicy stuff. I put the best NSFW options to the test so you can find the one that really hits the mark.

The Best AI Chatbots for 2026

Ruben Circelli — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:59:31 +0000

ChatGPT started the AI revolution, but it isn't the only chatbot worth using. We've tested the top AI chatbots to help you determine which one is right for you.

What Are AI Chatbots?

‘AI chatbot’ is somewhat of an umbrella term. An AI chatbot can describe ChatGPT just as it can a customer service bot you talk to before reaching a human. We use the term here to refer to services built on top of

The Doctor Is Not Real. More Americans Comfortable Consulting AI for Health Info

Rob Pegoraro — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:52:23 +0000

The latest report from Pew Research Center finds that just over one in three Americans have leaned on a conversational AI service for medical guidance, except in one key area.

Americans are increasingly willing to consult an AI chatbot for medical help before and after they talk to a doctor–except when mental health is involved.

The latest in a series of surveys from the Pew Research Center finds that just over one …

ChatGPT Work Now Logs Into Other Websites, Completes More Tasks Itself

James Peckham — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:41:06 +0000

The feature allows ChatGPT Work to borrow your login credentials and take over more of the process.

Logging into your personal accounts is a major stumbling block for agentic AI tools: you tell your assistant to complete a task, but they need your credentials to do so. Now, ChatGPT Work is further automating that.

A new feature announced on Tuesday allows ChatGPT Work to …

The 5 Best AI Tools to Maximize Your Online Meetings

Robert Anderson, Ruben Circelli — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:36:44 +0000

From creating slides to transcribing live conversations, these are the best ways AI can help you get the most out of your video meetings.

You can use AI to boost your productivity outside of meetings, too. For example, you can find whatever you need online with AI search engines, leverage AI in your job search, or even today's Mac refresh, Apple is updating its higher-end Mac Studio with new M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors. It promises a "monumental leap in AI performance," but buyers should brace for sky-high pricing.

The company is …

Thousands Are Calling, Chatting With Starlink's AI to Place Orders

Michael Kan — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:30:37 +0000

SpaceX's AI business reveals details about it progress in using Grok to handle customer support for the satellite internet service.

While Starlink.com has long been the official storefront for SpaceX’s satellite internet service, many customers are also talking with Starlink’s chatbot to place orders, including via phone calls.

On Monday, SpaceX shed some light on its efforts to use Grok AI for Starlink customer support. …

Taiwan Indicts 9, Including Nvidia Manager, Over GPU Smuggling Case

Michael Kan — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:01:20 +0000

Prosecutors in Taiwan also indicted two employees of Nvidia partner Supermicro.

Prosecutors in Taiwan have indicted an Nvidia manager, along with eight others, for violating export controls and smuggling cutting-edge AI chips to China.

On Monday, Taiwan's Keelung District Prosecutor's Office announced it had indicted nine people, including a man surnamed Chang, who was a partner manager …

10 Everyday AI Prompts That Could Get You Sued, Fired, or Flunked

Ruben Circelli — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:41:42 +0000

Before you press enter, think twice: Trusting AI with these 10 sensitive tasks could destroy your career, your record, or your reputation.

AI is great as a jumping-off point for research or for making apps, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution to every potential problem. Based on my extensive use of

Amazon, Twitch Sued for Using Streamers' Content for AI Training Without Consent

Jibin Joseph — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:23:27 +0000

The lawsuit claims Amazon breached an implied contract by making its training program opt out.

Earlier this month, Twitch revealed that its parent company, Amazon, uses streamers’ content for AI training unless they opt out. The move triggered backlash from the Twitch community and has now led to a lawsuit.

As Courthouse News …

ChatGPT vs. Gemini: Don't Pick a Chatbot Until You Read This

Ruben Circelli — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:14:32 +0000

Curious about AI chatbots but don’t know where to start? ChatGPT and Gemini are two of the best, and I'm here to help you choose between them based on my extensive testing.

Price: Gemini Is a Far Better Value

Both ChatGPT and Gemini have free versions that limit your access to features and models. Premium plans start at $8 per month for ChatGPT Go and $4.99 per month for Google AI Plus. The chatbots generally support similar features, such as deep research, image …

Is Claude Down? Anthropic Says It Fixed the Latest AI Outage

James Peckham — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:20:50 +0000

Anthropic identified issues affecting multiple Claude models in the early hours, but now says all of its systems are fixed.

UPDATE 6:15 a.m. ET: Anthropic says the issues that caused an hours-long outage have been resolved, claiming all of its systems are now operational. The AI company has yet to explain what caused the outage, and it's unclear whether it plans to do so.

Original Story: Having problems connecting with Claude …

ChatGPT vs. Claude: After Testing Both, I Have a Clear Favorite

Ruben Circelli — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 15:55:57 +0000

ChatGPT and Claude are two of the smartest and most popular AI chatbots, but which one is better? I've been using both for years, and there's an undeniable winner.

Price: Similar Costs, But ChatGPT Starts Cheaper

Both ChatGPT and Claude have free and paid versions. Free versions limit your access to features, models, and usage, while paid versions start at $8 per month for ChatGPT Go and $17 per month (billed annually) for Claude Pro.

ChatGPT offers more features for …

Google Gemini Has Upgraded My Morning Commute. 9 Clever Ways I Use It With Android Auto

Lance Whitney — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:33:06 +0000

I've been using Gemini with Android Auto on my daily commute. Here's how to set it up and what you can do with it when you're behind the wheel.

I’m primarily an iPhone and CarPlay user, but I do sometimes use my Android phone and Android Auto when I’m driving. Now that Google Assistant is going away, the ability to chat with Gemini AI …

LinkedIn Says Users Love Its Anti-AI-Slop Button

Will Mccurdy — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:04:21 +0000

The social network says the button has already been used a million times, and it's reduced the visibility of AI slop in users' feeds by 40% on average.

Whatever social media platform you look at, it's increasingly seeming practically impossible to avoid AI-generated content entirely. In recent months, we've seen many platforms roll out tools to help users weed out the slop from the authentic content. At least in LinkedIn's case, these tools …

Americans Hate AI Data Centers Even More Fiercely Than They Did Just a Few Months Ago, New Poll Shows

Rob Pegoraro — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:47:26 +0000

75% of Americans say they don't want a data center built near them. The feeling cuts "across age, gender, income, partisan ID, and the rural-urban divide,” according to a survey write-up.

A full three-quarters of Americans now say they don’t want a data center built near them—and 64% would “strongly oppose” such a development. The poll, published Wednesday by the energy-and-environment news site Heatmap News, also found that only 15% of …

Meta’s New Vibe Coding App Helps You Make Tiny, AI-Generated Minigames

James Peckham — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:40:05 +0000

After a short testing period in Brazil, those in the US can now download Meta Pocket.

A new basic vibe coding app from Meta, designed to help you use its AI tools to make small, interactive minigames, is now available in the US.

Meta Pocket first launched in July for a brief testing period in Brazil, but it’s now available to anyone in the US to make, …

Google Will Soon Let You Customize Discover Feed Using AI Prompts

Jibin Joseph — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:01:27 +0000

It's also introducing an embeddable Preferred Sources button for publishers and customizable audio briefings in Google News.

Google announced a set of updates on Thursday to help customize your Search, Discover, and Google News experience.

For Search, Google is introducing its own Preferred Sources button that publishers can embed on their site pages. Once you choose your Preferred Sources, Google will prioritize coverage from those publications in Top …

Can Google Flow Really Turn Your Prompts Into Movie Magic? I Had to Find Out

Lance Whitney — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:56:56 +0000

I certainly won't be creating the next cinematic masterpiece with Google Flow, but it's a fairly adept filmmaker if you're looking to experiment with video generation.

As a one-time aspiring filmmaker, I still like to play around with video editing software. Curious about what AI video generators can do for my movie-making experimentation, I gave Google Flow a try. …

Not an AI Optimist? You're With the Majority of Americans

Jon Martindale — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:43:19 +0000

Latest polling shows that more Americans than ever are concerned about the direction of AI and the influence of those in charge.

New polls from Pew Research, CNBC, and YouGov show that the majority of Americans think AI development is moving too fast and are concerned about its future. As TechCrunch reports, this is an increase over last year, suggesting that even as …

Your AI Prompts Aren't Private: The Most (and Least) Invasive Chatbots, Ranked

Neil J. Rubenking — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Privacy researchers tested 13 leading LLMs against 11 strict protection criteria. Here's how your favorite AI assistant fared—and why opting out isn't as simple as toggling a switch.

You can ask an AI chatbot anything, but what do your questions and prompts say about you? More importantly, how much of your privacy are you giving away when you converse with ChatGPT or Claude? The research team at Incogni, a …

Google Is Now Offering 1 Free Year of Its AI Pro Plan to US College Students. Here's How to Get It

Rob Pegoraro — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

That's a nearly $240 value. In other parts of the world, the company is giving away a year of the cheaper AI Plus plan.

Attention, cash-strapped college students: Google is now offering one free year of its AI Pro plan, normally $19.99 per month, to those attending college in the US.

Meanwhile, in most places outside the States, it’s providing one year of free AI Plus, normally $4.99 a month, to college students. The latter …

Firefox Just Proved AI Browser Features Don't Have to Suck (or Spy on You)

Ruben Circelli — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:11:44 +0000

From AI-powered tab grouping to visual history previews, Mozilla's opt-in Smart Window upgrade shows Google and Microsoft how AI features should actually be built.

Firefox has embraced AI more slowly than other browser giants, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, which quickly went all in on AI, from agents to omnipresent assistants. However, the situation is changing, as the latest ad, which features former NFL player …

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