THE ATLANTIC – Technology | Internet & Technology

Thirty years ago, parents everywhere were compelled to weigh the pros and cons of allowing their kids to see Titanic. At the time, it was the biggest movie ever made, a historical epic (potentially educational) about mass death (possibly traumatizing) with a romantic plotline that was maybe too exciting (you know what I mean!). It was rated PG-13—a guideline that recommended caution but ultimately ruled the movie to be appropriate for millions of teenagers—resulting in a fortune for its creators and the subsequent blessings of Leonardo DiCaprio’s career.Instagram is now adopting the same label for a teen-safety feature, but the possible outcomes are less discrete and obvious. Meta announced earlier this week that all Instagram users under the age of 18 will be automatically placed in what it’s calling a PG-13 version of the app, where only content that might appear in a PG-13 movie will, ideally, be visible. “We… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

Earlier this week, I stopped for breakfast in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a largely Hispanic neighborhood where street vendors sell tamales and rice pudding out of orange Gatorade coolers. I speak some Spanish, but I wanted to test out Apple’s new “Live Translation” feature, which has been advertised as a sort of interpreter in your ears. I popped in my AirPods, pulled up the Translate app, and approached.As I opened my mouth, the AirPods blared a message into my ears: AMBIENT SOUND LEVELS ARE HIGH. TRY MOVING iPHONE CLOSER TO THE AUDIO SOURCE TO CONTINUE TRANSLATION. The vendor had already begun explaining her offerings to me in a mix of Spanish and English, but the AirPods drowned out most of her words. I asked a question, in English, about the tamale fillings, then realized that I had to press an on-screen “Play” button for it to be read aloud by my… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

“Interviews are NOT real anymore.” So reads the opening caption of a TikTok posted in September, punctuated by the skull-and-crossbones emoji. In the video, a young woman interviews for a job on a video call. She has a smartphone propped up against her laptop screen, so she can read off the responses that an AI app has composed for her: “Um, yeah, so, one of my key strengths is my adaptability.” She’s got a point. Getting generative artificial intelligence to whisper into your ear during a job interview certainly counts as adaptable.More clips from the same alleged job interview give the app a further showcase. “I prioritize clear communication and actively listen,” a woman says in one, as she reads from a phone instead of actively listening. Another such post, which has racked up 5.3 million views, is subtitled “My interviewer thought he caught me using Ai in our LIVE… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

No modern car company is better-known for advancing technology than Tesla. Inside one of Elon Musk’s vehicles, you can stream Netflix on a massive touchscreen while you wait for the car to recharge, then switch to Autopilot on the highway for a hands-free ride home. For a company like Tesla, dumping the AM/FM radio to cut costs does not exactly scream innovation.The radio is just one feature that Tesla has left out of two new cars in the name of affordability. Earlier this week, the company released the Model 3 Standard and Model Y Standard, two long-awaited, less expensive cars that are heavily pared-down versions of the company’s best sellers. The “vegan leather” seats are now partially cloth. The sound system isn’t as nice, and the side-view mirrors now have to be manually folded. Cheaper shock absorbers mean a harsher ride. Compared with their more nicely equipped siblings, these new… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

Last week, Donald Trump’s White House anticipated the impending government shutdown like an album release, placing a massive countdown clock at the top of WhiteHouse.gov. “Democrat Shutdown Is Imminent,” read the online home of the People’s House, on a black background. Now that the shutdown has happened, a clock is counting upward: “Democrats Have Shut Down the Government,” it says, with numbers climbing to mark the seconds, minutes, hours, and days that have elapsed.This is an unusual use of the White House website. Though WhiteHouse.gov has always been a place to showcase the administration’s agenda, it has mostly looked like the website of a mid-size high school. During the Clinton administration, it had the goofy GeoCities look of the day (American-flag GIFs); by the start of George W. Bush’s presidency, it had transitioned into a bland informational page rendered in blue, white, and gray, clotted with text. (“President Bush Participates… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.