Technology - Kalakshar US

The PS Plus monthly games for March include Dragon Age: The Veilguard

A new month is almost upon us, which means Sony is about to refresh the lineup of games that all PlayStation Plus members can claim and keep in their collection as long as they maintain their subscription. Between March 4 and March 31, you’ll be able to snag Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) is the clear headliner this time around. Fans had to wait a decade between new installments in BioWare’s series, partly because the studio rebooted its work on the latest title several times. Veilguard, an action RPG, is a direct sequel to 2014’s Dragon Age Inquisition. It garnered generally positive reviews and we appreciated the visuals and BioWare’s attention to detail with the game’s characters.

However, Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet BioWare parent EA’s sales expectations. In its first two months, the game brought in 1.5 million players, which is about half of what EA expected in that timeframe. That player count includes those who checked out the game on the EA Play Pro subscription service, so it’s not clear how many copies of the game EA has actually sold so far. That disappointing sales performance is perhaps one reason why Dragon Age: The Veilguard is joining the PS Plus Monthly Games lineup a hair over four months after it was released.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate (PS4) is a remaster of a platformer that was originally released on the Wii back in 2010. As for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (PS4 and PS5), that includes 13 classic TMNT games Konami released between 1989 and 1994, such as the all-time great Turtles in Time. The collection has a number of quality of life features, including online and local multiplayer, a rewind option, the ability to save at any point and button remapping. There’s also concept art and “historic TMNT media content.”

Until this trio joins the PS Plus Essential lineup on March 4, you can still snag February’s games. Those are Payday 3, High on Life and Pac-Man World Re-Pac.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps-plus-monthly-games-for-march-include-dragon-age-the-veilguard-181028013.html?src=rss

Everything announced at Amazon’s Alexa+ AI event

Amazon held its first major product event of the year on Wednesday and, as expected, it was largely about Alexa. The company first announced its next-gen, AI-powered voice assistant back in 2023, but technical issues forced Amazon to delay its formal unveiling and rollout.

An Alexa upgrade means that Amazon has a swathe of new devices ready to support the latest version of the voice assistant. Amazon’s hardware chief, Panos Panay, and his devices and services team were at the event to show off Alexa+.

Here’s a rundown of everything Amazon announced at its first devices event of 2025:

Alexa+

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

After lots (and lots) of boring rambling about generative AI from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy at Wednesday’s event, Panay took the mic to start sharing the actual news. Alexa+ is the name of the company’s upgraded voice assistant. The company will start to roll it out next month, beginning with Echo Show devices. It costs $20 per month, but Prime members get access at no extra cost. Prime currently costs $15 per month, so we have to wonder if a price increase is coming there.

Alexa+ is designed to be more conversational and useful across compatible devices. It can remember your preferences, such as the types of food you like and dislike when asking for a recipe.

Panay claimed that, among other things, smart home management “has transformed with Alexa+.” You can use the voice assistant to, for instance, move music from an Echo device to another speaker or a TV, or jump to a certain scene in a movie that’s on Prime Video.

Alexa+ can detect your tone and mood. In a live demo, it appeared to try to help Panay remain calm during his presentation. Amazon claims the upgraded voice assistant can answer questions about footage captured with Ring cameras, photos taken with an Echo Show, emails, files such as PDFs, hand-written notes, your calendar, upcoming sports games and much more. Alexa+ can use a service called Suno (which record labels have sued for scraping their music to train its AI modes) to generate custom songs on the fly.

Much like OpenAI has for ChatGPT, Amazon has partnered with a number of news organizations with the aim of answering questions about a variety of topics with current information. Other partners include Uber for ordering rides, OpenTable for booking a restaurant reservation, Spotify, Sonos, Samsung, Xbox, Tidal, Dyson, NASA and “tens of thousands” more. There’s Amazon Fresh integration for grocery ordering, and you can see what’s in your cart on your screen.

Elsewhere, Alexa+ has some features that are apparently kid-friendly. The voice assistant can use genAI to tell kids customized stories based on what they want to hear about. It can also answer questions they have (hopefully without any of those incorrect or false results that delayed Alexa+).

Panay led into the announcement and demos by noting that Alexa, as it stands, can be frustrating to use but generative AI can help to mitigate those annoyances. He added that an AI chatbot wouldn’t be sufficient for Amazon’s vision for Alexa and that people need something easy to use that allows them to “actually take action.” With Alexa+, Panay claimed that the “intimidation factor” of genAI is no more. Sure!

Alexa.com and new phone apps

Amazon

There are other ways to access Alexa+ other than on an Echo device. Amazon revealed that you’ll be able to use the upgraded voice assistant via alexa.com, which looks very basic at the time of writing. Seriously, the screenshot above is all that’s on the website, which looks like it was knocked together in five minutes. That’ll surely change soon, as a demo at the event indicated that you’ll be able to type in queries. Amazon is also revamping the Alexa iOS and Android apps to include access to the upgraded assistant.

New devices

There was diddly squat on this front. It was widely expected that Amazon would introduce new hardware to go along with Alexa+, such as fresh Echo Buds, Echo speakers, smart displays and so on.

But nope! The event was all about the upgraded voice assistant which, at least to start with, requires a screen like an Echo Show, smartphone or computer to use. However, the company says Alexa+ will run on nearly every Alexa-compatible device it has released.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-amazons-alexa-ai-event-164613305.html?src=rss

Amazon’s AI-heavy Alexa+ will be accessible on the web

Amazon just held an event in New York City to reveal the long-awaited revamp of its Alexa chatbot. This refreshed assistant can perform many new tasks, thanks to some AI wizardry, and there are a few different ways for consumers to access the digital companion. There’s voice activation with Echo devices, of course, but the company has also built a dedicated web portal for Alexa+.

This portal will allow Amazon customers to interact with Alexa+ without having to boot up the app or interact with a smart speaker or smart display. This could be handy for making adjustments while at work or for those who feel comfortable drafting lengthy queries with a traditional keyboard. Consumers will also be able to continue using the app, but Amazon promises a redesign in the near future to accommodate the new features offered by Alexa+.

Amazon

For the uninitiated, Alexa+ is a juiced up version of the long-standing chatbot. It leverages conversational AI and integration with Amazon services to assist users in a number of new ways. It has contextual awareness, so it can remember earlier parts of a conversation, and can complete relatively complex tasks. The company showed off demos of the assistant finding recipes, booking dinner reservations, searching for the correct part of a movie and a whole lot more.

It looks pretty cool, but it’s also fairly expensive. Alexa+ begins rolling out over the next few weeks to select Echo Show devices and costs $20 per month. However, it’s free for Prime subscribers. Prime currently costs $15 per month in the US. Hopefully that price won’t be rising with the inclusion of Alexa+.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/amazons-ai-heavy-alexa-will-be-accessible-on-the-web-164724844.html?src=rss

Alexa+ is a smarter, more conversational AI version of Amazon’s digital assistant

Following years of development, Amazon’s next-generation digital assistant is nearly ready for public use. Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services, demoed Alexa+ at the company’s 2025 devices event.

The model powering Alexa+ can detect tone and mood and respond accordingly, with a completely new voice — one that sounds more natural. Moreover, it’s only necessary to say “Alexa” once to wake the assistant, and it will then follow the conversation. Panay said Alexa+ has contextual awareness, with the ability to “remember” earlier parts of a conversation. “There’s no more Alexa speak” with Alexa+, Panay said. “You can have almost any conversation — that intimidation factor of AI is gone.”

In one of the more impressive demos Amazon showed off, Panay asked Alexa+ to play a song without actually naming it properly. “What’s the song Bradley Cooper sings.. it’s like a duet?” Alexa+ correctly answered “Shallow,” and said Cooper sings it with Lady Gaga in A Star is Born. Panay then asked Alexa to “move” the music to the “right side of the room,” and the assistant properly identified the correct speaker and played the music there. According to Panay, it will even understand requests like “play the music everywhere but don’t wake the baby.” In that case, Alexa+ will be able to reason that it shouldn’t cast music to the nursery.

Amazon

On first glance, Alexa+ also offers much deeper (and smarter) integration with Amazon’s disparate services. For instance, when watching Prime Video it’s possible to jump to a specific scene using details like the name of an actor or character, with no need to manually fast forward or rewind through the footage. It’s possible to search through Ring footage in much the same way. During his demo, Panay asked Alexa+ to help him remember if someone walked the family dog recently, and the assistant correctly jumped to the correct clip.

That level of integration should extend to third-party apps with Amazon offering new tools to companies like Uber, Grubhub and OpenTable to allow Alexa+ to access information from their platforms intelligently. In one demo, Amazon showed how Alexa+ was able to make a reservation on OpenTable and then add a reminder to the user’s calendar.

Alexa+ will come included with Amazon Prime. Amazon will also offer the enhanced digital assistant separately for $20 per month. For context, Prime currently costs $15 per month in the US. The company will begin rolling out early access to Alexa+ starting next month, with availability expanding over the coming months in waves. To use Alexa+, you’ll need a device with a screen. If you don’t own an Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21, you can buy one of those smart displays now and you’ll be among the first to get early access as Amazon rolls out Alexa+ to more people.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/alexa-is-a-smarter-more-conversational-ai-version-of-amazons-digital-assistant-154349563.html?src=rss

Nearly all UK undergrads use AI in their studies, according to a new report

Apparently almost all undergraduate students are using AI now, in one way or another. A new report from the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 92 percent of students have used generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, for their studies. At the same time, 88 percent of these students have used it for exams. These numbers are a tremendous increase from HEPI’s February 2024 report in which 66 percent and 53 percent participants relayed use, respectively.

The top reasons students reported using AI include saving time, improved quality of their work and getting instant support. Wealthier, STEM-focused and male respondents were more enthusiastic about AI in the survey. Students’ main arguments against utilizing AI included cheating accusations, being given fake results or hallucinations and getting biased results. Women and younger students were more likely to voice concerns. HEPI surveyed 1,041 British and international students in the UK during December 2024.

Meanwhile, universities tended to score well with students on the integrity of their AI policies. Four-fifths of respondents stated that their school had a clear AI policy and, notably, 76 percent believe their university would spot AI use for assessed work (yes, despite that 88 percent that have done it). Staff are also better prepared to help with AI, with 42 percent of students responding that the staff is “well-equipped,” up from 18 percent last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nearly-all-uk-undergrads-use-ai-in-their-studies-according-to-a-new-report-144221715.html?src=rss

Google is making it even easier to remove your personal information on Search

Google has been offering the Results About You tool since 2022 and updated it once in 2023. A part of Google Search, the tool looks for your personal information online and lets you request its removal. Today, the tech giant is announcing the latest changes, including a redesigned hub and the ability to update outdated search results to reflect the latest changes.

The redesign isn’t only for show. You can now submit removal requests directly from Search with fewer actions by clicking or tapping the three dots beside a search result. If you manage to have content about you deleted or changed from a website but Google Search hasn’t caught up, you can refresh the search, which will ”recrawl the page and obtain the latest information.” In other words, you can always see the most up-to-date results about you.

While these updates are helpful, they don’t introduce any major changes. The 2023 update to Results About You was more substantial, introducing proactive searches containing your info and the ability to remove consensual explicit images of yourself.

While Google didn’t introduce any significant changes to “results about you” last year, it did become available in Australia and South Africa last May. However, this helpful privacy feature remains inaccessible in many countries, including Malaysia, where I’m from. Google also doesn’t say where it’s available, so you’ll have to check your Google account to see if it works for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-is-making-it-even-easier-to-remove-your-personal-information-on-search-145326075.html?src=rss

Half of UK homes will need heat pumps by 2040 to hit climate goals

The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has advised the government to ensure half of all homes in the UK have heat pumps — electric replacements for gas boilers — by 2040 as part of its Seventh Carbon Budget to reach net zero by 2050. It also recommended making four out of five cars electric.

The UK’s carbon budgets are intended to help it achieve a balance between the greenhouse gasses it produces and how much is taken out of the atmosphere. Besides switching to electric cars and heat pumps and moving away from fossil fuels, the CCC added that reducing consumption of meat and dairy would also help. Although the UK government isn’t bound to accept the CCC’s guidance, doing so makes the carbon target legally binding. The government can decide how it wants to hit the goal.

The UK has been pushing for heat pumps since 2021, especially ones powered by hydrogen. Engadget senior editor Dan Cooper also broke down how difficult it was for him to completely eschew natural gas in 2022, citing how expensive it was to install a heat pump even with government discounts. While technology is rapidly becoming more efficient, the CCC’s plans aren’t guaranteed to work.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/half-of-uk-homes-will-need-heat-pumps-by-2040-to-hit-climate-goals-151406654.html?src=rss

Apple is keeping its DEI program

Apple is far from saintly, but, compared to its fellow tech giants, it did something right. The company’s shareholders have voted to keep its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, following a push by conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), to remove them, Reuters reports. The Center’s proposal, Request to Cease DEI Efforts, failed 8.84 billion votes to 210.45 million votes — or about 2.3 percent of the vote.

Many of these programs emerged or expanded when the Black Lives Matter movement exploded onto the global stage in 2020. However, President Trump’s criticisms and threats that DEIs could violate the law — along with spineless greed from executives — has seen companies like Meta and Google reduce or even fully remove these programs. Those in favor of the proposal at Apple argued that the company could face an uptick in discrimination cases if current policies remain.

At the meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that “strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate.”

Now, none of this is to say that Apple has incredible DEI efforts. Previously, its shareholders rejected greater transparency about its racial and gender gaps. They also voted down a measure that would require Apple to further investigate the risks of its AI efforts.

Cook is also doing plenty of appeasing when it comes to Trump. The pair reportedly met last week and Apple has announced $500 billion in US-based spending over the next four years. He also donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and attended it alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and other tech executives.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-is-keeping-its-dei-program-130033491.html?src=rss

Alibaba offers free access to its AI model that can generate realistic video and images

Alibaba is giving people free access to its generative artificial intelligence models that can produce highly realistic videos and images from both text and image input. The company has announced that four variants of its Wan 2.1 series, the latest version of its generative AI technology, are now open source and can be downloaded and modified by users. Researchers, academics and commercial entities can all get them from Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope and Hugging Face platforms, both of which give people access to open-source AI models. As Reuters said, the models Alibaba has open sourced are called T2V-1.3B, T2V-14B, I2V-14B-720P and I2V-14B-480P, with the 14B indicating that the model can accept 14 billion parameters.

Last month, Chinese company DeepSeek made its R1 reasoning model free to download and use, creating a clamor for more open-source AI technologies. DeepSeek even expanded its commitment to the open-source community and is in the process of releasing five code repositories behind its service.

Alibaba was one of the companies that joined the fray to develop generative AI tech following the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT two years ago. Just recently, Alibaba Group’s Chairman, Joe Tsai, said that the company’s generative AI technology will power artificial intelligence features for iPhones meant for sale in the Chinese market. Apple couldn’t use the same AI tech for phones released in China due to strict regulations surrounding AI products, so it has to look for local partners, Alibaba being one of them.

🌟 Big News from @alibaba_cloud! 🌟
Meet WanX – our next-gen AI model redefining video generation !

🚀 Presenting mind-blowing demos from WanX 2.1！

🔥 Even more exciting:
WanX 2.1 will be OPEN-SOURCE !
Coming soon …#AIart #OpenSource pic.twitter.com/R1laOyJYAL

— Wan (@Alibaba_Wan) February 20, 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/alibaba-offers-free-access-to-its-ai-model-that-can-generate-realistic-video-and-images-133045633.html?src=rss

iPhones are briefly changing ‘racist’ to ‘Trump’ due to an iOS dictation issue

A bizarre bug is causing iPhones to automatically change the word “racist” to “Trump” when using the built-in dictation feature in iOS. The issue, which seems to have been discovered by TikTok users, crops up when using the voice-to-text feature in Apple apps like Messages.

When speaking the word “racist,” iOS briefly transcribes the text as “Trump” before changing it back to the intended word. It’s not clear what could cause this behavior. Engadget was able to replicate the issue, as you can see in the GIF below.

Apple told The New York Times it was due to “phonetic overlap between the two words,” despite the fact that the two words do not sound similar. That also doesn’t explain why “racist,” with a lowercase “r” would transcribe as “Trump” — seemingly a reference to our current president — and not “trump,” the noun. An AI expert who once worked on Siri told the paper it could be a “serious prank” on the part of an Apple employee.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Whether it’s a bug or prank, it surfaced at a particularly embarrassing time for the iPhone maker, which announced on Monday that it planned to invest $500 billion in manufacturing facilities for AI servers. The investment, most of which was already planned, came after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump at the White House last week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/iphones-are-briefly-changing-racist-to-trump-due-to-an-ios-dictation-issue-230712021.html?src=rss