Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

SDCC 2025: A Bonanza of Movie, TV, and Game Reveals

2025-07-27

San Diego Comic-Con 2025, while lacking a Marvel presence, was still a massive spectacle! Sneak peeks at films like *Tron: Ares* and *Predator: Badlands*, along with bustling toy booths, set the stage. But the real excitement lay in the plethora of TV show, movie, and game announcements. Highlights included first looks at *Avatar: The Last Airbender*'s sequel *Avatar: Seven Havens*, a *Peacemaker* season 2 trailer featuring interdimensional portals and a vengeful Rick Flagg Sr., and release dates for *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy*, *Coyote vs. Acme*, *Five Nights at Freddy's 2*, *Percy Jackson and the Olympians* season 2, *Twisted Metal* season 2, and more. Gamers were also treated to trailers for *Invincible VS*. The Con proved a haven for fans of all things sci-fi, fantasy, and action.

(www.cnet.com)

Game

Microsoft Authenticator Ditches Passwords, Embraces Passkeys

2025-07-03

Microsoft is phasing out password support in its Authenticator app, pushing users towards the more secure passkeys. Starting in July, autofill password functionality will be removed; by August, saved passwords will no longer be supported. Users will need to authenticate using passkeys – PINs, fingerprints, or facial recognition. Experts highlight passkeys' superior security using public-key cryptography, mitigating phishing and brute-force attacks. Microsoft will guide users through automatic passkey setup; simply open the Authenticator app, tap your account, and select 'Set up a passkey'.

(www.cnet.com)

Tech Microsoft Authenticator

ChatGPT Gets Absolutely Wrecked by a 46-Year-Old Atari 2600

2025-06-14

An engineer pitted ChatGPT against a 46-year-old Atari 2600 running Video Chess. The result? A resounding victory for the retro console. ChatGPT repeatedly made blunders, confusing pieces and losing track of the board, ultimately requesting restarts. This highlights the limitations of large language models in complex strategy games, showcasing their strengths lie in language processing rather than strategic computation. It's a stark contrast to Deep Blue's 1997 victory over Kasparov, underscoring the ongoing evolution of AI.

(www.cnet.com)

Game

Google's Android XR Glasses: A Mission: Impossible Moment

2025-05-23

At Google I/O, I briefly tested prototype Android XR glasses, a collaboration with Samsung and Qualcomm. Looking like regular glasses, they pack a microphone, speaker, camera, and sensors, integrating Gemini AI. The glasses display time, weather, allow photo previews, and offer voice-controlled access to Gemini for information retrieval and intuitive Google Maps navigation. While battery life and pricing remain unknown, the seamless integration and information display were impressive, hinting at a potential breakthrough in smart glasses technology.

(www.cnet.com)

Tech

T-Mobile Hits Customers With Another Price Hike

2025-03-14

T-Mobile is raising prices again, adding a $5 per-line increase to some older plans starting in April or May. The increase, announced in an internal memo, won't affect all legacy plans or those with current plans (Go5G, Go5G Plus, Go5G Next), price lock guarantees, or promotional free lines – millions of customers are unaffected. The company cites rising costs as the reason. While the exact number of affected customers remains unclear, those impacted should receive notification by March 13th. Importantly, customers who received a price increase last June will not see an additional increase this time.

(www.cnet.com)

Tech

Christie's First AI Art Auction Sparks Controversy: $728K Sales Amidst Artist Protests

2025-03-09

Christie's held its first-ever AI art auction, generating $728,784 in sales and attracting a young audience. However, the auction faced protests from over 5,600 artists who claim AI models were trained on copyrighted works without permission, exploiting human artists. Christie's responded that art often builds upon previous works and that the auction aimed to explore the digital art space. Refik Anadol's 'Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams – A' fetched the highest price at $277,200.

(www.cnet.com)

Art Christie's auction

Starlink Mini: Portable High-Speed Internet Anywhere

2025-01-04

SpaceX's Starlink has launched a portable mini satellite dish for $599, offering high-speed internet virtually anywhere. With monthly plans starting at $50, this backpack-friendly device delivers speeds up to 100Mbps, ideal for digital nomads and those in remote areas. Durable and weather-resistant, it supports up to 128 devices and boasts low latency, perfect for online gaming. Elon Musk showcased its impressive speed, calling it world-changing.

(www.cnet.com)

Tech Satellite Internet Portable

A Billion Pixels a Second: Inside Apple's iPhone 16 Camera Labs

2025-01-04

CNET gained exclusive access to Apple's secretive labs in Cupertino, revealing the technology behind the iPhone 16 Pro's groundbreaking audio and video capabilities. The article details how Apple uses an anechoic chamber for microphone testing, machine learning for audio enhancement, and a Dolby Atmos theater for video calibration. The result? Stunning 4K 120fps slow-motion video and the innovative Audio Mix feature, simplifying professional-level audio editing for everyday users.

(www.cnet.com)

Tech audio technology video technology