Author: The Tech Guy

Creativity is a trait that AI critics say is likely to remain the preserve of humans for the foreseeable future. But a large-scale study finds that leading generative language models can now exceed the average human performance on linguistic creativity tests.The question of whether machines can be creative has gained new salience in recent years thanks to the rise of AI tools that can generate text and images with both fluency and style. While many experts say true creativity is impossible without lived experience of the world, the increasingly sophisticated outputs of these models challenge that idea.In an effort to…

In a surprise announcement, Apple has just unveiled the next-generation of its AirTag. For those unfamiliar, the Apple AirTag is a Bluetooth tracker that helps users keep track of their possessions and locate them if lost or misplaced. For example, you can add an AirTag to your keys and, via the Find My app on iPhone, see exactly where you last left them. As Apple has unveiled its revamped AirTag, we’re keen to see what’s really new with the Bluetooth tracker – especially as they don’t appear to look very different from one another. Keep reading to see how the…

Social network Bluesky is teasing its roadmap for the year ahead, emphasizing a focus on things like improving the app’s algorithmic Discover feed, offering its users better recommendations on who to follow, giving the app more of a real-time feel, and more. At the same time, the company admitted that it needs to work on getting the “basics” right, too. Launched to the public in early 2024 after an invite-only period, the decentralized X and Threads alternative has since scaled to over 42 million users, according to data sourced directly from the Bluesky API for developers. Though it’s differentiated from…

Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityTL;DR The European Commission has opened DMA proceedings against Google to ensure third-party AI services have equal access to Android features used by Gemini. Google must also provide rival search engines and AI chatbots with access to anonymized ranking, query, and click data to foster fair competition. The Commission will issue preliminary findings within three months, along with a draft of the measures it intends to impose on Google to comply with the DMA. Update: January 27, 2026 (11:03 PM ET): Google’s Senior Competition Counsel, Clare Kelly, shared the following statement on the matter with Android…

Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images; Jonathan Wiggs / The Boston Globe via Getty Images While employees at some tech corporations are demanding their executives cancel government contracts on principle, workers at other companies are begging leadership to protect them from government raids and physical violence. New bombshell reporting from Wired reveals that in the aftermath of the shooting of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, it came to light that at least one federal agent had tried to enter Google’s office in Cambridge, Massachusetts last fall. In a response to internal concerns about…

Yahoo is officially back in the search conversation, with Yahoo Scout, a new AI-powered answer engine that wants to take on Google’s AI mode and Perplexity by doing something surprisingly old-school. Instead of hiding links behind buttons or footnotes, Scout puts them front and center and makes clicking links part of the experience. Yahoo Scout enters the AI search race with a different playbook Scout is being pitched as an “answer engine,” not an AI chatbot. Ask it a question, and you get a clear, conversational response, but one that is loaded with visible blue links. Up to nine sources…

If you own a Roku device, such as a Roku TV or streaming stick, you’re probably used to Roku occasionally tweaking the look of the home screen, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Keeping that tradition alive, Roku has once again added something new to the home screen with its latest update, and for anyone subscribed to services like Netflix or HBO Max, it could prove to be pretty useful. The new addition in the spotlight here is a dedicated Subscriptions tab on the home screen. As the name suggests, it pulls together content from the streaming…

Future of AI copilots and agents, impact on white collar workNadella discusses Microsoft’s Copilot evolution: started with GitHub Copilot (code suggestions), expanded to desktop/Windows, and now includes chat, actions, and autonomous agents (foreground/background, local/cloud).He uses coding as the prime knowledge-work example: from next-edit suggestions → chat → actions → full agents.Vision: AI as “infinite minds” for workers—macro delegation (assign big tasks) + micro steering (real-time guidance).Future forms: digital employees/co-workers with identities/credentials (e.g., Agent 365 for permissions, provenance, traceability). Composition: agents integrate across tools (e.g., GitHub + Work/Office data, security logs).Metaphor shift: from “bicycle for the mind” (Jobs) or “information at…

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Apple had selected Google’s Gemini models to power a new version of Siri. Now, a fresh report suggests the company could showcase the revamped assistant as early as next month. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is set to unveil the results of its Gemini partnership in February, most likely in the second half of the month. The company is expected to demo Siri’s new capabilities during an event or media briefing. Gurman notes that the new assistant, expected to be unveiled next month, will be capable of using personal data and understanding…

SMS feels boring, outdated, and mostly just a place where one-time codes and delivery updates go to die. This is why, after a point, your inbox can start to feel like a never-ending mess with bank alerts, spam promos, and, of course, your personal chats. Google Messages does let you pin important conversations to the top, but it only goes so far. Once you scroll past those few pinned chats, you are back in the same cluttered feed, where there is no clear separation between a message from a friend and a random promo. Samsung Messages has a feature called…