I think Sony might have made a mistake.
Technology
Netflix is ending support for some older iPhones and iPads
The Netflix app is dropping support for older iPhones and iPads that are stuck at iOS 16. 9to5Mac reports that Netflix is showing an alert to users on some iOS 16 devices that says “We’ve updated the Netflix app! To use the latest version, install iOS 17 or later.”
The change only impacts devices that can’t be updated to iOS 17, such as the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus handsets, and Apple’s first-generation iPad Pro and iPad 5 tablets. These devices will be unable to receive further Netflix updates, such as important patches for bugs and other security concerns. Apple is rolling out iOS 18 on September 16th.
Netflix users stuck on iOS 16 can still access their accounts in the current version of their app, for the time being, as well as a browser if all else fails.
Technology
Come pixel-peep what the PS5 Pro can maybe actually do
Not by pricing the PS5 Pro at $700 or ditching the optical drive — it can always drop the price or bundle — but by trying to showcase the PS5 Pro’s graphical improvements using a bandwidth-limited, compressed YouTube video.
I say that because I’m currently looking at a native 5.3GB video file of Sony’s presentation right now, on a 4K OLED screen, and I think corporate can genuinely tell the difference in some of these games. That wasn’t necessarily true on YouTube.
But I don’t want you to take my word for it. I want you to download the lossless PNG screenshots I just captured, so you can decide for yourself.
Important note: Do not right-click to download the images you see below, do not even left-click them — they’re just visual aids so you know which image you’ll get. Left-click the link in each caption to load the pictures, then download them; each should have a filesize well over 4MB. Optimally, you should then display them on a big 4K screen, like the one you might use with the PlayStation.
The above examples are the PS5 Pro compared to the original PS5’s faster-framerate “performance” mode, and they’re designed to show how you don’t have to sacrifice graphics for smooth 60fps speeds. But if you’re willing to tolerate the lower framerates of “Fidelity” mode, the advantage isn’t as clear-cut:
Sony didn’t offer comparo images for every title, but here are pictures from other games it used to represent the PS5 Pro’s graphics, too:
If you’re really dedicated, I suppose you could even try to find the same moment in the same game on your own PS5, grab your own screenshot, and use Nvidia’s ICAT tool to peep pixels like a pro.
Is it ridiculous that we’ve come to this? Maybe! But I don’t want you to think there’s no difference between PS5 and PS5 Pro graphics at 60fps:
There’s absolutely a difference — just perhaps not one that’s worth $700 to you.
Technology
Majority of Americans don't trust AI-generated election information, poll finds
Most Americans do not believe artificial intelligence (AI) is trustworthy for election information.
A poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts found that just under two-thirds of Americans do not trust generative predictions produced by AI.
Approximately 64% of respondents responded to the survey saying that they are not confident that election information generated by AI chatbots is reliably factual.
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In fact, 43% of survey respondents said they believe AI programs will make finding factual information about the presidential election more difficult. Only 16% of respondents said AI programs will make it easier.
AI chatbots are large language model computer programs that allow users to request information using conversational command prompts. Users can ask questions via text input, and the bot will return an answer composed in a similarly conversational format.
Some of the most successful chatbots use thousands of terabytes of collected data to formulate their answers — but programs can only sort, remix and regurgitate information scraped from somewhere else. AI is unable to think or reason like a human.
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In addition to factual errors regularly made by chatbots, AI programs can be used by malicious actors in a variety of ways to spread disinformation.
About 52% of respondents in the AP-NORC poll expressed concern about how AI will compromise their access to verifiable data, compared to just 9% who are excited about AI’s expanding role in the dissemination of information.
While far from perfect, AI programs are becoming increasingly capable of generating realistic images of real-world individuals. Manufactured images of former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and others have become common on social media.
The AP-NORC poll was conducted between July 29 and Aug 8. Its self-reported margin of error is +/- 4%.
Technology
Valve celebrates Steam’s birthday with a $112 discount on the 512GB Steam Deck LCD
The Steam Summer Sale, like summer itself, is sadly well behind us, but Valve is beating one of its best deals on its own gaming handheld. That’s because in addition to the Steam Deck LCD with 256GB of storage once again selling for $296.65 (around $52 off), the 512GB version, complete with its fancier antiglare etched screen, is selling for a new low of $336.75 (about $112 off).
Whichever Steam Deck you choose, you’re getting an excellent PC gaming handheld with a seven-inch, 1280 x 800 display that’s compatible with many games on Steam. It may be a couple years old and not as nice as the refreshed Steam Deck OLED model, but it’s hard to beat even the cheapest Deck when it comes to playing indie games and even some massive open-world AAA titles that are tuned well for it — like Elden Ring. Plus, it’s such a flexible platform that allows you to install all kinds of things, including apps for in-home console game streaming, GeForce Now cloud streaming, and even a whole Windows OS.
The Steam Deck started out a little buggy and unfinished when it came out in early 2022, but after frequent updates and the addition of new features via software, it’s now an easy recommendation for even the non-tinkering types. Other formidable handhelds have come after it, but many are either clunkier to use (thanks, Windows) or, in the case of the excellent Asus ROG Ally X, much pricier.
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