Just days after Microsoft unveiled and then released an early beta of its AI-powered Bing search, users are working out how to get it to spit out some truly wacky nonsense. Across various chats, Bing has insulted its users and claimed to have spied on Microsoft’s developers through their webcams. Microsoft has today responded to the reports, and admitted that Bing isn’t designed for longer conversations, and that these can prompt it to give “responses that are not necessarily helpful or in line with our designed tone.”
Next up, Microsoft has released a new update for Xbox consoles to intelligently schedule downloads to minimize carbon emissions. It’s one of several sustainability improvements being rolled out to the consoles, which will also include prompting users to switch to an energy saving shutdown mode.
Finally, Lego has announced a new BTS-themed set based on the group’s Dynamite music video. I look forward to seeing the inevitable crossovers when builders start having their BTS figurines pilot Lego X-wings or jump through Lego’s Super Mario dioramas.
And now, here’s a silly tweet to start your day:
Stay tuned, as we continue to update this list with the most important news of today: Thursday, February 16th, 2023.
Feb 17
Good for Nothing: Phone 1’s stable Android 13 release is starting to arrive
Phone 1 owners are starting to see a stable release for Nothing OS 1.5, the company’s Android 13 skin which has been in beta testing.
Feb 16
Apple’s new iOS 16.4 developer beta includes new emoji, web app notifications, and more
Apple’s iOS 16.4 developer beta is now available with emoji 15.0 support and roman keyboard support for Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati.
Feb 16
Richard Lawler, Adi Robertson and 2 more
PC-grade VR without the PC.Watch Adi, Tom, and Sean try out Sony’s second-generation virtual reality headset if you’re trying to decide whether the $549 peripheral is worth it.
The launch software lineup is a little light and your PC won’t properly recognize it, but the PSVR 2 at least has an easy setup and one short but impressive title in the form of Horizon Call of the Mountain.
Feb 16
Reporting live from the Mushroom Kingdom.The first US edition of Super Nintendo Land opens at Universal Studios Hollywood tomorrow, but I’m here a little early getting a sneak peek. Expect to read plenty more about the park, as well as Nintendo itself, on The Verge in the coming days.
In the meantime, I’ll be avoiding this Thwomp.
Feb 16
Tesla recalls 362,758 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving beta for ‘crash risk’
NHTSA pushed Tesla to update its driver assist software so that it doesn’t break traffic laws before drivers can react.
Feb 16
Jay Peters and Emma Roth
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down after nine years at the helm
Chief product officer Neal Mohan will take over YouTube as a senior vice president.
Feb 16
Apple’s Tetris movie lines up real history with a retro thriller
The Tetris movie finally fell into place, dropping onto Apple TV Plus on March 31st.
Feb 16
TikTok is launching a $500,000 live trivia contest
The shortform video app is giving away cash prizes to trivia winners. Users can play each day between February 22nd and 26th.
Feb 16
John Wick: Chapter 4’s final trailer is a warning not to play in traffic
The new John Wick 4 trailer introduces Donnie Yen as a blind assassin with a blade and Bill Skarsgård as the High Table’s mysterious Marquis.
Feb 16
A battery fire prompted Ford to shut down production of its F-150 Lightning.The fire took place February 4th at a holding lot in Michigan during a pre-delivery quality inspection and “spread to another vehicle,” a Ford spokesperson told Automotive News. The automaker recently extended its temporary halt on production and shipment until at least the end of next week.
Ford F-150 Lightning fire caused halt in production, shipments[Automotive News]
Feb 16
AI search engines are not your friends
A search engine that guilt-trips you isn’t just creepy — it’s bad product design.
Feb 16
Green light.The PSVR2 is here, and it doesn’t want to work with your PC.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is trying to explain why Bing AI responses are the way they are. Just another very normal day.
Feb 16
Paramount Plus will go up in price when it combines with Showtime
The ad-supported essentials plan without content from Showtime will cost $5.99 per month, while the Showtime-equipped premium plan will be priced at $11.99 per month.
Feb 16
Strava’s trying to make route planning easier by crowdsourcing photos from users
The feature will start rolling out later this morning, so long as you’ve updated to version 294 of the Strava app. Wary users can also opt out in privacy settings.
Feb 16
Sean Hollister, Adi Robertson and 1 more
PSVR 2 review: love on a leash
Console VR is back — and better than ever.
Feb 16
Horizon Call of the Mountain is not enough of a good thing
Finally, a Horizon VR you’ll want to hang out in.
Feb 16
Anker recalls 535 Power Bank amid fire concerns
The power bank is believed to be the ‘most probable cause’ of a house fire in Maryland last week. Refunds are being offered with proof of purchase.
Feb 16
Microsoft says talking to Bing for too long can cause it to go off the rails
Microsoft says the new AI-powered Bing is getting daily improvements as it responds to feedback on mistakes, tone, and data.
Feb 16
Tesla fired dozens of Gigafactory workers after Tuesday’s union announcement: NLRB complaint
The Workers United union has filed an NLRB complaint alleging illegal retaliation for workers organizing at the company’s Buffalo, New York facility.
Feb 16
BTS now has their very own Lego set — with figures of all seven bandmembers
The BTS Dynamite Set, featuring scenes from the 2020 music video, hits shelves in March.
Feb 16
Xbox February update includes Google Home app support and ‘carbon aware’ downloads
Additional sustainability options are still available to test groups only.
Feb 15
Microsoft’s Bing is an emotionally manipulative liar, and people love it
Microsoft’s AI chatbot has been online for less than a fortnight and is already going wild.
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