Technology

McDonald’s will stop testing AI to take drive-thru orders, for now

Published

3 months ago

June 16, 2024

McDonald’s will stop testing AI to take drive-thru orders, for now

If your local McDonald’s has been getting your order confidently wrong with an AI chatbot at the drive-thru, I have good news for you: The company is ending the program for now. The company told franchisees that it’s winding down an AI drive-thru ordering partnership with IBM “no later than July 26th, 2024,” according to trade publication Restaurant Business.

The company will reportedly remove the tech from the over 100 restaurants it’s been testing the system in after partnering with IBM in 2021. It’s not clear why the company is ending the IBM deal, though. It told Restaurant Business it was testing whether the voice ordering chatbot could speed up service and that the test left it confident “that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future.”

Fast food companies in general are hungry for AI. White Castle has been testing AI provided by speech recognition company SoundHound. And Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, and others use an AI drive-through chatbot that an SEC filing revealed was underpinned by remote human workers in the Philippines most of the time.

Technology

Gemini is making Gmail’s smart replies smarter

Published

3 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Gemini is making Gmail’s smart replies smarter

Google is rolling out a Gemini-powered update to Gmail for Android and iOS that will tailor smart replies more specifically to emails. First announced back in May, Google says its new contextual Smart Replies will “offer more detailed responses to fully capture the intent of your message” by taking the entire content of the email thread into consideration.

Users can hover over each of the suggested contextual smart replies to preview the text, and select the option that best matches their needs or writing style. Suggested replies can be edited or sent immediately. The idea is that this will both save time (especially if you’re often buried in your Gmail inbox) and improve the variety of automated responses available beyond a simple “Yes, I’m working on it” or “No worries, thanks for the heads up!” — even adding an initial greeting and a signoff message.

Provided users are content with the automated options, they may not have to do any typing at all when responding to an email.

Image: Google

The new contextual Smart Replies are now rolling out for Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, and Google One AI Premium subscribers. The feature is currently only available in English and builds on the original Smart Replies added to Gmail in 2017.

Technology

Small size, big clean: The world’s smallest dishwasher

Published

3 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Small size, big clean: The world’s smallest dishwasher

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Let’s face it, nobody enjoys washing dishes.

I mean … it’s a chore that often feels never-ending, piling up after every meal. But what if there was a way to make this tedious chore a breeze?

Enter the Capsule Solo, the latest innovation from Loch Electronics that’s set to revolutionize your kitchen routine. With its compact design and ability to clean up to 35 dishes in just 15 minutes, this countertop dishwasher is here to change the way you think about dishwashing.

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Capsule Solo tiny countertop dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

Small but mighty

Don’t let its compact size fool you. The Capsule Solo may be tiny, measuring just 10.3 by 18.3 by 20.3 inches and weighing 26.5 pounds, but it packs a powerful punch. This pint-sized powerhouse can fit up to 35 items across its two racks, including pots, pans and plates up to 12.2 inches wide.

Capsule Solo tiny dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

24 MOST AMAZING COOKING GIFTS

Versatility at its finest

Whether you’re in a small apartment, an office kitchen or even camping in an RV, the Capsule Solo has you covered. Its portable design and independent water tank system mean you can use it anywhere, anytime.

Capsule Solo tiny countertop dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

BEST WAYS TO KEEP ORGANIZED IN THE KITCHEN

Efficiency meets convenience

With six different wash cycles, the Capsule Solo can tackle everything from a quick 15-minute refresh to a deep clean for those stubborn stains. It even has a special cycle for washing fruits and veggies.

Capsule Solo tiny countertop dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

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Eco-friendly cleaning

Loch Electronics claims the Capsule Solo uses less water and energy than traditional handwashing, making it a win for both your wallet and the environment. You could save over $200 annually on utility bills due to its efficient design.

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A man unloading the Capsule Solo tiny countertop dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

Funded by the people: The Kickstarter success story

The Capsule Solo’s journey began on Kickstarter, where it raised approximately $760,000, far surpassing its initial goal of around $10,500. This crowdfunding campaign attracted 2,435 backers, showcasing the strong demand for a compact dishwasher that fits modern lifestyles. Late pledges are still available, with shipping set to begin in January 2025, allowing more people to join the Capsule community.

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Capsule Solo tiny countertop dishwasher (Loch Electronics)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The Capsule Solo is a potential game-changer for anyone who dreads dish duty. Its compact size, versatility and efficiency make it an attractive option for many people. Its innovative features and successful Kickstarter campaign suggest it’s striking a chord with consumers. As we move towards more compact and efficient living spaces, appliances like the Capsule Solo could become the new norm in kitchen convenience.

How do you feel about the trend of compact appliances in modern kitchens, and do you think the Capsule Solo is a step in the right direction? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Technology

This Eufy security camera can show nighttime as if it were daytime

Published

12 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

This Eufy security camera can show nighttime as if it were daytime

The newest security camera from Eufy — Anker’s smart home company — can see clearly in the dark, uses radar motion sensing for fewer false alerts, and records 24/7 when wired. As with other Eufy cams, the new S3 Pro has free facial recognition, package, vehicle, and pet detection, plus locally stored recorded video with no monthly fees.

Unlike most other Eufy cameras, the S3 Pro will work with Apple Home and is compatible with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video service.

The EufyCam S3 Pro launches this week as a two-camera bundle with one HomeBase S380 for $549.99. The HomeBase 3 enables smart alerts and local storage (16GB onboard storage, expandable up to 16 TB). It also connects the S3 Pro to Apple Home, making it the first Eufy camera to work with Apple’s smart home platform since the EufyCam 2 series from 2019.

The S3 Pro comes in a two-camera bundle with the HomeBase S380 (HomeBase 3). The camera can also be purchased separately.

Image: Eufy

Eufy spokesperson Brett White confirmed to The Verge that the S3 Pro will be compatible with HomeKit Secure Video. Apple’s end-to-end encrypted video storage service. “The plan is for all future devices to have Apple Home compatibility, and we’re looking into grandfathering older devices, too,” said White.

The S3 Pro has a new color night vision feature called MaxColor Vision that promises “daylike footage even in pitch-dark conditions, without the need for a spotlight.” I saw a demo of this technology at the IFA tech show in Berlin this month, and it was impressive.

A camera was positioned inside a completely dark room, sending video to a monitor outside, on which I could see everything in the room as if it were daytime. Eufy says a 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor, F1.0 aperture, and an AI-powered image signal processor power the tech.

Eufy’s MaxColor Vision technology can show a dark landscape (far left) as if it were in daylight on the right in three MaxColor Vision modes.

Image: Eufy

While the color night vision doesn’t use a spotlight, the S3 Pro does include a motion-activated spotlight that Eufy says can adapt based on real-time lighting to give you the best image. The light can also be manually adjusted using the app while viewing a live stream.

New dual motion detection uses radar sensing technology combined with passive infrared (PIR) technology. This should identify people more accurately and not send alerts that there’s a person in the yard when it’s a tree blowing in the wind. Eufy says it reduces false alerts by up to 99 percent.

The S3 Pro is battery-powered with a 13,000 mAh battery that provides up to a quoted 365 days of power. A built-in solar panel can power the camera power for longer. In my testing of the EufyCam S3, which also has a built-in solar panel, I’ve not had to recharge it in over a year.

The S3 Pro’s solar panel is 50 percent larger than the S3’s, and Eufy claims it can keep the camera fully charged with just an hour of sunlight a day. Eufy also includes an external solar panel with the camera, so you can install the camera under an eave and still get power.

Eufy says the S3 Pro records up to 4K resolution and is powered by a USB-C cable. When wired, it can record 24/7 — the first consumer-level battery-powered camera from Eufy with this capability.

Full-duplex two-way audio
Dual-mic array that can record human voices up to 26 feet away
A 100dB siren and motion-activated voice warnings
A 24/7 snapshot feature that can take a photo every minute
Activity and privacy zones
Integration with Google Home and Amazon Alexa
IP67 weatherproofing
8x digital zoom

Following some serious security and privacy incidents in 2022, Eufy has published a new list of privacy commitments on its website. The company also worked with cybersecurity expert Ralph Echemendia following the issues, and last year, he completed an assessment that, the company claims, shows it has “met all proactive and reactive security benchmarks.”