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CNET
an hour ago
- Business
- CNET
Get a Free Storage Upgrade When Your Preorder the Sleek and Unique Nothing Phone 3
Samsung and Google may make some of the most popular Android phones, but there not the only worthwhile options out there. CNET's tech experts have been continually impressed with Nothing's sleek and stylish devices, and a new model is on the way. The Nothing Phone 3 is set to hit shelves on July 15, and Amazon is offering a great preorder deal throughout the Fourth of July weekend. The online retailer is offering $100 off the more advanced configuration with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which knocks it down to $799. That's the same price as the basic model, which means you're essentially getting a free storage upgrade. There's no set expiration for this offer, but with the phone releasing soon and the Fourth of July weekend ending, we'd get your preorder in sooner rather than later. Our reviewer found a lot to like about this 2025 Android, including its eye-catching design and unique light-up interface. And the positives don't stop there. It's equipped with a powerful Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor and 16GB of RAM to support a full suite of AI tools and features. Plus, it has a vibrant 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display, and a 50MP quad camera system to capture stunning photos and 4K videos. It's powered by the lates Android 15 OS, and lightning-fast 65W charging that can get the battery to 50% in less than 20 minutes. Best July Prime Day Deals 2025 CNET's team of shopping experts have explored thousands of deals on everything from TVs and outdoor furniture to phone accessories and everyday essentials so you can shop the best Prime Day deals in one place. See Now Why this deal matters This Nothing phone is a great option for those who want an alternative from the major brands. It features some cutting-edge hardware and a quirky, eye-catching design that helps it stand out from the crowd. If you've been looking to upgrade, this Fourth of July weekend preorder offer is a great chance to grab one at a solid price.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why is Microsoft pulling out of Pakistan after 25 years: Reports
(Image via Getty Images) Microsoft has made the decision to shut down operations in Pakistan. It would end the 25-year-old presence of the company in Pakistan. The move comes as a surprise to Pakistan's local IT sector, where Microsoft, the tech giant played a key role in digital transformation. While no official statement has been released yet, industry experts are pointing to economic challenges and the shifting business strategies as possible reasons for the exit. Let us deep dive into these reasons. Why is Microsoft leaving Pakistan? Microsoft's exit follows some growing difficulties within Pakistan's business environment. The company that entered its market in 2000 kept its focus on the primary sale of office products and Azure, but had no engineering teams locally. As per reports, with just five local employees affected, the decision seems to be a part of a broad restructuring— Microsoft recently cut down 9,000 global jobs. Jawwad Rehman, a former Microsoft Executive, even hinted at some operational challenges through his LinkedIn post. He emphasized the struggles faced by Pakistani businesses. The economic instability of the country, including currency devaluation and the declining foreign investment, further and quite likely influenced this move. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nhà tiền chế 2025: Lựa chọn nhà ở giá cả phải chăng (Xem ngay) Nomad's Notebook Nhấp vào đây Undo Microsoft would now be serving the company's Pakistani clients via regional offices and resellers. How does Microsoft's exit impact the Pakistani tech sector? The departure of Microsoft adds to concerns over Pakistan's ability to retain multinational companies. Over 55 startups shut down or have pivoted since 2021. Tech funding, too, dropped by 88% between 2022 and 2024. There's poor internet infrastructure, frequent power outages, and even a worsening business climate, which further pushed 1000s of tech professionals to seek better opportunities abroad. Despite it all, some companies, including Google, are investing in Pakistan. They have reportedly pledged $10.5 million for education and local Chromebook production. Such a contrast here highlights differing corporate strategies, with some of the firsts considering it as potential, while others are retreating. As for Pakistan, retaining tech players will now be crucial to stabilizing the struggling digital economy. What is next for Pakistan's IT industry? The Pakistani government plans to offer IT certifications from Google and Microsoft to 500,000 youth, even when Microsoft has scaled back. The experts warn that without addressing some core issues here, like policy stability and those infrastructural gaps, more issues can follow. Even widening gaps, with India, where Microsoft does have strong operations, underscore the urgency for reforms. As of now, Pakistani businesses that are reliant on Microsoft products will not face any disruptions as services will continue via partners. But the exit of Microsoft serves as a wake-up call for the policymakers to revive investor confidence before any more damage is done. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Carney, Poilievre to partake in competing Stampede events
CALGARY - Looking to shore up support at one of the summer's biggest political blowouts, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are scheduled to court supporters at the Calgary Stampede today. Carney, who strolled the Stampede grounds on Friday night, is scheduled to attend a pancake breakfast this morning and host a party fundraiser later in the day. Carney also appeared at the first set of chuckwagon races, receiving a mix of cheers and boos when he came onstage. Poilievre, currently campaigning to regain his seat in the House of Commons in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, is scheduled to host a party event. The 10-day rodeo is a major event for politicos across levels of government, providing an opportunity to make public appearances, shake hands with voters and meet with counterparts from around the country. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek rang in the rodeo earlier in the week, flipping pancakes in front of an early-morning crowd in downtown Calgary. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Atlantic
2 hours ago
- Atlantic
The AI Birthday Letter That Blew Me Away
In May, I asked Google's chatbot, Gemini, to write a birthday letter to my best friend. Within seconds, it spat out the most impressive piece of AI writing I have ever encountered. Instead of reading as soulless, machine-generated text, the letter felt unnervingly like something I might've actually written. 'You're probably rolling your eyes,' the letter read, after a sentence that my friend would most definitely have rolled his eyes at. All I had typed into the chatbot was a nine-word prompt containing my friend's first name and the age he was turning. But the letter referenced real moments from our friendship. One paragraph recounted a conversation we had shared on the eve of college graduation; another reflected on a challenging period we had navigated together. Gemini had even included his correct birth date. I hadn't planned to let AI write the birthday letter for me. When I opened Google Drive to type it up myself, Gemini popped up and volunteered to help out. Since the spring, when I first signed up for a free trial of Google's AI Pro subscription—normally $20 a month—Gemini has followed me around the Googleverse. The tool is akin to a souped-up version of Microsoft Clippy: In Gmail, it offers to summarize long threads and draft entire messages. In Sheets, it volunteers to assist with data analysis, generating colorful bar graphs at the click of a button. But Gemini has proved most alluring in Drive, where the chatbot can automatically find and consult relevant files before generating text. That's how Gemini was able to whip up such a good birthday letter: It already knew a lot about me (and, by association, my friend). Of all the things that chatbots excel at, they have generally not been very reliable for individualized tasks. Ask an AI tool to write an essay on, say, the history of popcorn, and you will likely get a decent response. But ask it to write a speech for your sister's wedding, and the result will probably be quite poor. You might get a better speech if you feed the chatbot a decade of your texts and emails, her wedding website, and previous toasts you've given for other loved ones. But that process takes time and effort, which most people don't put in. Tech executives dream instead of hyper-personalized chatbots that automatically have access to all of the information they might ever need. After sucking up the web to build models capable of generating coherent text, AI companies are now mining our personal troves of data to teach chatbots everything there is to know about us. Google, with its colossal data empire in tow, is particularly well positioned to lead the way. If OpenAI introduced us to the Hallmark-card version of AI writing, Google is ushering in a new chapter where chatbots are capable of drafting the sort of intimate letters you might write to your best friend. The birthday letter was just the start. Not only could Gemini write fairly convincingly in my voice; the chatbot, as I quickly learned, was teeming with my personal information. When asked, it accurately described my financial goals, my vaccination history, and my parents' physical appearances. To test the limits of how much Google knew about me, I told the chatbot to make a CIA dossier. The first section ('IDENTIFYING INFORMATION') listed my full name, email address, and current location. Not too crazy. Section two ('RELATIONSHIPS & PERSONAL HISTORY') accurately described the details of both a long-term romantic relationship and a brief high-school fling. By section three ('PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE'), the chatbot was dissecting my communication style and emotional intelligence. And in section four ('POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES'), Gemini had outlined my travel history, citing the time I had spent abroad as an exchange student, and diagnosed me as an overthinker. Not everything in the dossier was accurate. Gemini struggled to disentangle fact from fiction, occasionally confusing details from short stories I've written with real-life anecdotes. When I later asked the chatbot if it knew my birthday, it told me I was born in 2010 (wrong, though it got the date right on a second try). Even though the birthday letter was startlingly good, Gemini occasionally slipped into a more generic chatbot register—at one point, it described the future as 'everything shimmering in the distance.' Still, Gemini knows me much better than other chatbots do. When I asked ChatGPT to create a CIA dossier, it failed miserably: The bot overinterpreted my prompt, explaining that a key part of my personality was my 'taste for espionage tropes.' The other details it added were vague and unimpressive. There's a clear reason for the discrepancy. Unlike Google, OpenAI doesn't have half my lifetime's worth of my data stored up. In Gmail, I have more than 200,000 emails, amounting to 30 gigabytes, some of which date back to elementary school. My Drive contains another 45 gigabytes of files, such as chemistry study guides and travel itineraries, half-written poems and unsent love letters, budgeting spreadsheets and New Year's resolutions, insurance appeals and symptom trackers. Even if you don't spend your free time soliloquizing in Google Docs like I sometimes do, the search giant likely knows enough about you to train your own custom chatbot. Our emails, files, and browsing histories are all already at the company's fingertips. Chrome is the most popular browser in the world; almost o ne-third of the planet's emails are sent with Gmail; and Google's productivity apps have billions of users who store files across Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. That's to say nothing of Maps, YouTube, or the entire Android ecosystem. Google knows it's sitting on a gold mine. In May, at the company's annual software conference, the Gemini team lead Josh Woodward said Google's goal is to make the chatbot the most 'personal' and 'proactive' AI assistant around. He offered education as an example. College students are flocking to ChatGPT, but those same students do much of their work using Google software such as Docs and Slides. 'Imagine you're a student; you've got a big physics exam looming,' Woodward said. Gemini might see the test on your calendar a week out and send you 'personalized quizzes' based on the readings and lecture notes you've already stored in Google Drive. There are countless other ways you might use such personalized AI. When I asked Gemini to write me a cover letter, it automatically consulted several I had previously written. When I prompted Gemini to make me a summer-reading list, it first combed through email exchanges with high-school and college instructors, a list of my favorite books, and two editions of a weekly newsletter I subscribe to. Google is not the only company pushing forward with bespoke AI. Sam Altman recently described the 'platonic ideal state' for ChatGPT as a model with access to 'your whole life.' This chatbot would ingest every piece of information you had ever produced or encountered—including the books you had read, emails you had sent and received, and even conversations you'd had with your friends and family. With the explicit goal of making ChatGPT more personalized, OpenAI recently upgraded the chatbot's 'memory' feature, such that the bot is now able to reference all of a user's past conversations. But building up that data will take time. Legacy tech firms such as Apple and Microsoft do already have plenty of data to draw on, but Google is further ahead in its consumer AI efforts. Then there's Meta: The company's stand-alone AI app, which launched this spring, encourages users to link the assistant to their Facebook and Instagram accounts for 'an even stronger personalized experience.' Facebook comments and Instagram DMs, however, are simply less meaty than email exchanges and PDF documents. Google has faced a bumpy road since generative AI exploded a few years ago. The technology has presented the biggest threat yet to Google's search business, and the company's share of the market recently dropped to its lowest in a decade. At the same time, usage of Google's AI tools has skyrocketed over the past year, and the company recently rolled out a new AI search mode in an attempt to steal search queries back from the likes of ChatGPT. Now, with the company's personalization advantage, Google could surge ahead. Whether Google or another company gets there first, this new era of AI is coming. For years, we have been shedding information online through clicks and likes, photographs and files, emails and search queries. That digital exhaust is now getting a second life. Already, it can be difficult to figure out whether text that you encounter online is generated by AI. Soon, while looking back on old emails, you might even feel that way about your own writing.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Answer engine: How Google's AI Mode is reshaping search
I come from the era of Lycos, Yahoo and AltaVista. And I find it amusing that we have a generation of people who will probably say — what are those? For over two decades, Google search has worked by indexing websites, like a massive library catalog. It scanned and stored pages and then showed you that list of blue links to click. Finding what you want can often be frustrating: it's up to you to sort out relevant and useful links from junk, scams and ads. But it's familiar. With the world busy being transformed by AI, it's only inevitable that search will have to keep up. Already, users turn to ChatGPT instead of 'Googling'. If Google doesn't reimagine its search engine, it could find itself at a huge disadvantage. If you look at the search page, at the extreme left you'll see a new tab — AI Mode. For now it's optional, but in the near future it may not be. This goes beyond just pointing you to sources. Instead, it aims to directly answer your questions, summarise information, and even help you complete tasks, all from the search page itself. This new approach uses advanced AI models from Gemini to understand context, generate natural language responses, and combine information from many sources in real time. The result? You spend less time clicking around and more time getting immediate, conversational answers. It's changing from a search engine to an answer engine. You may have already noticed AI Overviews, a mini version of AI Mode, which appears for certain searches. That gives you a good idea of what the full AI Mode is shaping up to become. Ready or not, here I come But are we ready for this seismic shift in something that we do several times a day? Probably not. In fact, it's going to be a bit of a shock. Even though it sounds good to have some entity do all the hard work of looking through pages and coming up with a neat and quick explanation with no extra clicking, saving us time and effort, it's just not what we're accustomed to. Inevitably, many users will just want to do things the old way. The AI shift raises other questions. Can we still see those linked websites? They're actually still there, but tucked away further down and no longer the first thing we see. For those of us who love to compare different sources and decide for ourselves, this new setup might feel a bit limiting. Another big question concerns the choice of what content is summarised. With the old way, the choice was more or less ours. Now, it's the AI that chooses and we just have to trust it. As AI is notorious for making mistakes and downright hallucinating, the accuracy of the information in summaries we get will be in question. The sources are given, but they will not be so easy to see. When Google's AI picks which pieces of information to highlight first, it is in effect deciding what story gets told. That raises questions of fairness and transparency, and whether we still have the freedom to explore the web on our own terms. On a practical level, some people might love the new mode. If you're asking a simple question like the age of a celebrity or the weather tomorrow it's fast and easy. But for more complicated topics, or when you want to get a feel for different perspectives, you end up doing more work to find the details. Threat to the open internet? There are ripple effects beyond just our own screens. Many websites and publishers rely on us clicking through to survive. If fewer people visit their pages because links are presented differently, these sites may lose ad revenue. Over time, we may see less freely available content, and the open, diverse internet we once took for granted could start to shrink. This doesn't mean it's all doom and gloom. Some people will embrace this new way of searching and appreciate not having to wade through dozens of links. Others will miss the feeling of exploring and stumbling upon unexpected gems. In the end, each user will need to decide how much to rely on these AI summaries and how often we still want to dig deeper. Maybe we'll learn to balance the convenience of a quick answer with the satisfaction of discovering things for ourselves. AI Mode is currently available to users in the US and India, where Google has a massive user base. Feedback from users is needed before the feature is rolled out fully and everywhere. You can be sure Google will have a close eye on the reception. The New Normal: The world is at an inflexion point. Artificial Intelligence is set to be as massive a revolution as the Internet has been. The option to just stay away from AI will not be available to most people, as all the tech we use takes the AI route. This column series introduces AI to the non-techie in an easy and relatable way, aiming to demystify and help a user to actually put the technology to good use in everyday life. Mala Bhargava is most often described as a 'veteran' writer who has contributed to several publications in India since 1995. Her domain is personal tech and she writes to simplify and demystify technology for a non-techie audience.
