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Time Business News
3 days ago
- Time Business News
Gemini vs ChatGPT: Comparing Strengths, Weaknesses, and Real-World Uses
If you're short on time, here's the essence: ChatGPT excels at creativity, storytelling, and natural conversations, while Gemini is designed for accuracy, real-time information, and seamless integration with Google's ecosystem. Think of ChatGPT as the imaginative writer who can draft essays, brainstorm ideas, and simulate engaging conversations. Gemini, on the other hand, is like a research assistant who always has the latest news, data, and Google-powered insights at hand. Which one is better? The answer depends on what you need most from an AI assistant. AI isn't just a buzzword anymore — it's becoming part of daily work, study, and even leisure. From helping students finish assignments to supporting businesses in decision-making, AI tools are shaping the way we live and work. With Google's Gemini entering the scene and OpenAI's ChatGPT already being widely adopted, the question isn't just about features. It's about trust, usability, and real-world value. Users want to know which model can best save them time, improve creativity, or provide reliable answers. That's why looking at Gemini vs ChatGPT side by side is so important. OpenAI launched ChatGPT as part of its mission to create AI that benefits humanity. Its foundation is built on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models, which specialize in generating human-like text from prompts. Google's Gemini, however, is part of its DeepMind and AI-first strategy, aiming to combine cutting-edge research with practical applications. Gemini was designed not just to chat, but also to integrate across Google's massive ecosystem — from Docs to YouTube. This difference in origin also explains their strengths: ChatGPT leans toward conversation and creativity, while Gemini leans toward information accuracy and tool integration. ChatGPT is known for sounding natural, friendly, and often surprisingly human. It can role-play, tell stories, draft emails, and even write poetry with ease. Gemini, while conversational, tends to stay closer to facts. Its responses are polished, but you might notice they sometimes feel more formal or structured compared to ChatGPT's casual flow. If your priority is creative writing or brainstorming, ChatGPT usually has the upper hand. One of Gemini's biggest advantages is its ability to pull live data from the web. Ask about today's news, stock prices, or a trending video, and Gemini can bring you accurate, up-to-date answers. ChatGPT, on the other hand, relies on its training data unless paired with a browsing plugin or third-party integration. While the GPT-4 model has improved knowledge, it still cannot natively access the latest information in the way Gemini can. This makes Gemini especially valuable for researchers, journalists, or anyone who depends on real-time updates. When comparing Gemini vs ChatGPT, accuracy is one of the most debated aspects. ChatGPT can sometimes 'hallucinate,' meaning it generates information that sounds convincing but isn't factually correct. can sometimes 'hallucinate,' meaning it generates information that sounds convincing but isn't factually correct. Gemini, with its Google integration, has a stronger foundation for fact-based responses. It's less prone to fabricating details, though it can still simplify or omit complexities. If your work requires verified and up-to-date information, Gemini has the edge. But if you're more interested in creative problem-solving, ChatGPT often feels more flexible. Gemini was built to be multimodal from the ground up — meaning it can handle text, images, audio, and video input/output more natively. This aligns with Google's vision of AI being able to process the world the way humans do. ChatGPT has also added multimodal capabilities in GPT-4, such as analyzing images or generating visuals through integrations like DALL·E. However, Gemini's design is expected to push these features even further in the future. This makes Gemini potentially more powerful in fields like education, media, and accessibility, where AI must process different types of content seamlessly. Here's where Gemini truly shines: it's part of the Google ecosystem. Imagine drafting an essay in Google Docs, asking Gemini to fact-check it, then pulling in a YouTube video summary — all without switching tabs. ChatGPT doesn't have the same native integration with platforms like Google Workspace. However, it's widely used through third-party integrations, APIs, and plugins, making it extremely versatile for businesses, developers, and individual users. If you're already heavily invested in Google tools, Gemini might feel like a natural fit. If you prefer broader customization, ChatGPT offers more flexibility. People use ChatGPT for a wide range of tasks: Students use it to explain complex topics in simpler terms. Writers and marketers rely on it for brainstorming, drafting, and editing. Professionals turn to it for email writing, meeting summaries, and idea generation. In short, ChatGPT acts as a creative partner for anyone who needs text-based assistance. Gemini's strength lies in practical productivity. For example: Journalists use it to pull breaking news updates. Analysts leverage it for quick data interpretation from Google Sheets. Everyday users rely on it to summarize YouTube content or answer factual questions instantly. It's less about brainstorming and more about getting accurate, actionable information quickly. Neither Gemini nor ChatGPT is the 'final form' of AI. Both companies are in an arms race to improve usability, accuracy, and creativity. ChatGPT will likely continue leading in conversational depth and creativity . . Gemini will likely dominate in real-time data, integrations, and multimodal performance. For users, this means more choice, more power, and more ways to work smarter with AI. When it comes to Gemini vs ChatGPT, there's no universal 'winner.' The smarter choice depends on your personal or professional needs: Pick ChatGPT if you value creativity, natural conversation, and flexible brainstorming. if you value creativity, natural conversation, and flexible brainstorming. Pick Gemini if you prioritize accuracy, real-time information, and seamless Google integration. In reality, many people may find themselves using both — one as a creative companion, the other as a reliable researcher. 1. Is Gemini more accurate than ChatGPT? Yes, Gemini is generally more accurate for real-time facts because it pulls data from the web, while ChatGPT relies on trained data unless extended with browsing. 2. Can ChatGPT generate more creative content than Gemini? Yes, ChatGPT is often better at writing stories, brainstorming ideas, or creating content that requires imagination. 3. Which is better for students: Gemini or ChatGPT? Students may benefit more from ChatGPT for essays and explanations, while Gemini is useful for research and fact-checking. 4. Does Gemini replace ChatGPT? Not necessarily. Gemini complements ChatGPT by excelling in areas like real-time accuracy and Google tool integration. 5. Will both Gemini and ChatGPT keep improving? Absolutely. Both Google and OpenAI are investing heavily in AI, meaning users can expect faster, smarter, and more capable versions in the future. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Business Times
16-05-2025
- Business Times
Five new travel tools to save time and money this summer
LONG before there was ChatGPT, you'd have to visit an actual brick-and-mortar travel agency to craft and book your dream itinerary. This month, travel agency Fora has brought that nostalgic experience back to the modern era with a pop-up location – open through May 29 – in New York City. It's more like Soho House than the old AAA mainstays where you'd pick up road maps, with luxury hotel brands and tourism boards carrying out elaborate activations while Fora agents brainstorm vacation ideas with clients at a communal workstation. Yet, the reality is that most travellers this summer won't talk to human travel agents face-to-face, or even online, as they plan their trips. Rather, generative artificial intelligence tools will increasingly play a role in helping us decide where to go. A 2024 survey from global consulting firm Oliver Wyman LLC showed more than 41 per cent of travellers from the US and Canada had recently used this emerging technology for trip inspiration and design – up 30 per cent from a year earlier. (One travel agency is embracing that inevitability, using AI to help turn your emotions into itineraries.) If the latest suite of trip-planning tools is any indication, that percentage is sure to rise. A vast improvement in AI language models is adapting quickly to the ways we research our vacations. Take Gem, a Google-powered virtual travel agent, or Mindtrip, a collaborative itinerary builder that helps you map out trips with friends – the latter even uses Instagram images as fodder for inspiration. Other AI tools help travellers land the best hotel rates and airfares. Of course, AI models don't yet match the power of human travel advisers who have the pulse on their destinations and can help you identify your precise wants, but they've come a long way. Here are the latest tools we've tested ahead of summer travel season and what we've found most useful. A Google-powered travel concierge Since 2023, Google has been steadily expanding the capabilities of Gemini, its AI-powered assistant. Free with a Google account, Gemini now lets you create a custom 'Gem' for your trips – essentially a digital 'concierge' that remembers your preferences, whether you're into modern art, off-the-beaten-path adventures or local eats. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Unlike Google Search, which excels at surfacing static information, it's designed for open-ended, conversational brainstorming even if you're starting with a vague idea, all the while pulling from the personal profile you've fed it. Gemini, of course, then connects with your Gmail, Google Drive, Maps, Flights, Hotels and even YouTube. This means your itineraries, booking receipts and inspiration sources can all live in one ecosystem – and can be shared with a click. After setting up my Gem and filling in my travel quirks – nature over museums, boutique hotels over big brands and no overly touristy sights – I asked it to plan a long, four-day weekend from Washington, DC, to Belize, a destination I know well. My additional search parameters: a vibrant local food scene and outdoorsy activities unique to the country. Gemini suggested staying in the mountain town of San Ignacio, with a day trip to the island of Caye Caulker. The itinerary leaned heavily on Mayan sites and iconic rainforest lodges that were more remotely located in the jungle than I would have liked, while noting that I could opt for a boutique hotel closer to town. It also failed to take distance into account when it crammed the island excursion into the same day as my return flight from Belize. Once I clarified that I was more interested in hiking and snorkelling, Gemini steered me towards Hopkins Village instead of San Ignacio. With reef access and cultural experiences offered by the local Indigenous Garifuna community, it was a much better fit. Running that request a second time yielded an entirely different (but equally credible) itinerary, a reminder that these models don't always produce identical results. When I got more granular, asking for 'community-run experiences' in Hopkins, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker, I hit a limitation: Cultural tours in smaller Belizean towns often exist informally, my AI concierge said, passed through word of mouth or local networks rather than marketed online. It then listed specific search terms to use and recommended I ask around while there. An all-in-one travel planner Unlike all-purpose chatbots, Mindtrip was built specifically for travel planning, combining generative AI with content fact-checked by an actual team of human staffers, plus a visual interface that pulls maps, reviews, images and itineraries into a single screen. A quiz at the start asks for basic personal information and travel preferences – if you're an early bird or a night owl, for instance – which helps refine recommendations that are pulled from web searches as well as a library of roughly 25,000 human-curated destination guides. You can then chat with it to refine your options. Use a simple menu on the left side of the screen to add places of interest and reorder them on your itinerary, which is on the right side of the screen, with a simple drag. You can even invite family or friends into your itinerary, so you can co-design the trip and stay on the same page. 'A lot of what's happening in generative AI is very text-based,' says Michelle Denogean, Mindtrip Inc's chief marketing officer. Mindtrip's results are showcased on a split screen – a numbered list appears on the left, with bolded text and blue check marks next to the places and activities it recommends, and a colour map shows up on the right, with all those places pinned. Its value becomes even clearer once you ask more targeted questions. When I searched for community-run experiences in Hopkins, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker , Mindtrip outperformed Google's Gemini. In Hopkins, it surfaced the Lebeha Drumming Centre, a popular spot for taking Garifuna drum lessons. It also suggested the Palmento Grove Garifuna Eco-Cultural & Healing Institute, where I learned on a previous trip to make hudut – a coconut-based fish stew served with mashed green plantains. In San Ignacio, it recommended Ajaw Chocolate, where you can make your own chocolate and learn about the history of cacao in Belize, as well as the town's farmers market on Saturdays. I found its results more accurate than some competitors'; it was able to flag that restaurants in stories I was reading had closed permanently, for example, thanks to its fact-checking army that keeps listings up to date. A hotel price tracker This one is simple but useful. If you're familiar with tracking flight prices on Google, you'll appreciate that, as of March, you're now able to do that for hotels as well. Navigate to Google's hotels search page, enter the destination and dates and toggle 'track hotel prices'. Kayak offers a similar hotel price-tracking tool. Run a search for places in a specific destination, and you'll find the option to get alerts when prices change at the top of the results page. An Instagram reel-inspired itinerary Ever saved an Instagram reel in hopes of re-creating a trip or trying an activity you saw? The new 'Trip Matching' tool from Expedia Group aims to do exactly that. Open the reel, hit the share button and send it directly to @expedia on the Instagram app. You'll then open your direct message with Expedia, and within a couple of minutes you'll get a suggested itinerary based on what's in the reel you shared. I tested this process with a reel I made from my 2023 trip to Morocco that merely shows two guitarists' minute-long performance at the family-owned luxury boutique hotel Riad Kniza in Marrakech. Expedia churned out a small description of the hotel, followed by the best time to visit and a list of top things to do in the area – with links to the activities on Expedia – as well as hidden gems and a four-day itinerary 'to experience Marrakesh magic without rushing'. The downside: There were no specific tour providers or links included for the itinerary beyond the hotels, so you'll have to run that extra leg of research elsewhere. The suggestions leaned towards cultural activities, including exploring the Medina, a hammam spa treatment and a Moroccan cooking class, but it also suggested 'hidden gems' such as the Jardin Secret, a less crowded alternative to Jardin Majorelle. When I pushed further and asked for specific providers I could book with, it said to contact vendors directly – La Maison Arabe for a cooking class, Les Bains de Marrakech and Spa Royal Mansour – or go to Expedia. That makes this tool more of a fun starting point than a one-stop shop. An airfare insider app OK, this one isn't AI, but you should download it anyway if you're eyeing airfare closely, as many people are this summer. The free version of Going will deliver alerts when any domestic deals pop up, while also letting you track specific routes on exact dates. A premium subscription (US$4.08 per month) adds international flight deal alerts, including 'mistake fares' that occasionally surface at supersteep discounts, while the Elite membership (US$16.58 per month) adds deals on first- and business-class fares. Another new feature, 'Going With Points', helps you find and book flight deals with points and miles. Since I signed up for a premium trial over the past week, the app has sent me a US$453 mistake fare to New Delhi – an economy round-trip flight from San Francisco on Air India, with a layover – bookable via Google Flights, plus a US$265 round-trip flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Costa Rica, which it recommended booking within two days. BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
The best smart home gadgets for 2025
If it feels like every piece of home tech is now 'smart,' you're not far off. The smart home space has grown exponentially in the past few years to include speakers, cameras, locks, lights and even kitchen appliances. There are also different voice assistants and IoT standards to consider, all of which can make it confusing (to say the least) to build your smart home ecosystem from the ground us at Engadget to help with that. We've tested dozens of smart home gadgets over the years and continue to test the latest offerings to see which work well and are worth your money. We recommend, before you even dive in, to resist the urge to outfit your whole home in one go. Not only can this be quite expensive, but also we think it's generally best to buy just one or two items first to see if you like them. You should also pick a preferred voice assistant and stick with it. If you're at the point where you're ready to invest in a few new IoT gadgets, below are the best smart home gadgets you can get right now, plus some advice on how to choose the right voice assistant for your needs. While plenty of the best smart home devices are platform agnostic, there are some — smart speakers and smart displays in particular — that require you to choose your voice assistant. Currently, that means deciding if you'll use the Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa on a regular basis (I'll address Siri in a moment.) They're both compatible with various smart home products from light bulbs to robot vacuums, but there are certain devices that work best with either Google or Amazon. Nest products, for example, are more compatible and have more functionality with Google-powered speakers and displays. They can still work with Amazon devices, but certain features might be disabled. The same holds true with Amazon products: They work better if they're in the same ecosystem. So how do you choose between Alexa and Google Assistant? It really depends on your personal preferences. Do you listen to Audible, watch Prime Video and tend to do a lot of shopping on Amazon? Then you might lean toward an Alexa-powered smart home device. If you want a voice assistant that's great at answering questions, Google Assistant tends to be better than Alexa. Amazon's helper, on the other hand, currently supports more smart home products. The company's smart speakers and displays also support the Zigbee smart home protocol, and some devices even have built-in smart home hubs. Both Google and Amazon devices can sync with your calendar, though Google's tend to work better with Google services. Plus, if you already have an Android phone, you might be more comfortable with Google Assistant anyway. But what about Siri? Apple's assistant supports voice commands as well, but it doesn't have as many compatible devices as Google or Amazon. The HomePod mini and the full-sized HomePod are the only Siri-compatible speakers on the market at the moment, too. That said, it's not too hard to find Apple HomeKit-compatible gear as more third-party companies add support for it, but you currently have a smaller pool of devices to choose from.
