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Meta is preparing to launch AI-enabled chatbots with unique personalities, according to a report by Financial Times. What’s more? It looks like the first chatbot released will be none other than Abraham Lincoln, so you’ll be able to ask good ole Honest Abe his thoughts on Barbenheimer or whatever. The company is also reportedly creating a surfer personality expressly for making travel plans.

This is an attempt to boost engagement across Meta’s social media platforms, as human-like discussions tend to be more interesting than droll robotic responses. The company hasn’t announced which of these platforms would host Abe Lincoln and his pals, though previous reports indicated Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp would be recipients of this new technology. Meta staffers are calling these chatbots “personas” and they could launch as soon as September. 

These personas will provide a new way to search and they’ll even offer recommendations, similar to how current chatbots work, though ChatGPT and the rest don’t have Abraham Lincoln on the payroll (just don’t ask him about the best local opera houses.)

FT notes that the chatbots could also collect vast amounts of personal data, something Meta has never shied away from. After all, you’ll likely share more personal details with a human-like companion than one devoid of personality. The vast majority of Meta’s yearly revenue comes from advertising, so go ahead and tell your good friend Abe all about your likes and dislikes. What’s the worst that could happen?

During Meta’s yearly earnings call last week, Zuckerberg said he envisioned a future with AI “agents that act as assistants, coaches or that can help you interact with businesses and creators.” To the latter point, he said the company was also building AI chatbots specifically for customer service and one to be used by Meta staffers.

Meta isn’t the first company to try to inject a bit of personality into the chatbot game. The startup Character.ai uses large language models (LLMs) to simulate conversations with real-life figures like Elon Musk and works of fiction like Nintendo’s Mario, among many others. Snapchat’s My AI chatbot is friendly and personable when compared to its drier counterparts. It also spews out sponsored links, as a harbinger of things to come for fake Lincoln and his surfer buddy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-reportedly-planning-an-abe-lincoln-chatbot-as-part-of-a-public-ai-push-190922903.html?src=rss 

As promised, Meta has begun blocking news content in Canada. Starting today, Facebook and Instagram users in the country will no longer be able to view or share news links or see videos and photos posted by publishers and broadcasters. The company, which has threatened to make the drastic move for several months, said it will take a few weeks for the change to come into effect for all users in the country.

“News links and content posted by news publishers and broadcasters in Canada will no longer be viewable by people in Canada,” Meta said. “We are identifying news outlets based on legislative definitions and guidance from the Online News Act.” Any content shared by international news organizations won’t be visible on Facebook and Instagram in Canada either.

Meta made the decision in response to Canadian legislators passing the Online News Act. The law requires certain platforms to negotiate revenue-sharing agreements with news organizations. The aim is to address the collapse in advertising revenue that news outlets have struggled with over the last two decades amid the growth of online services.

The CBC has noted that Facebook and Google soak up some 80 percent of digital advertising revenue between them. Google also plans to stop users in Canada from accessing links to news stories across several of its products in response to the legislation.

Meta has previously played hardball with a government over news content. In early 2021, it stopped users in Australia from sharing news links on Facebook. However, Meta, Google and other platform holders relented and eventually reached an agreement to pay publishers there for posting news links and snippets.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-and-instagrams-news-blackout-in-canada-starts-today-182139785.html?src=rss 

Behaviour Interactive is bringing yet another classic horror franchise to Dead by Daylight. Not long after the publisher added Nicolas Cage to the game as a playable character, Behaviour revealed in a teaser video that a crossover with the Alien series is coming very soon.

The clip includes several shots of what looks like the Nostromo, the spaceship from the original movie, as the Alien logo is gradually revealed. That suggests the chapter includes a new map set on the ship. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the iconic Xenomorph is featured as well. Given the terrifying creature’s troubled history with humans and the fact it lunges toward the camera here, the smart money is on the Xenomorph being the game’s latest killer.

According to the DbD roadmap, Behaviour plans to release a new chapter this month, suggesting the Alien DLC is only a few weeks away at most. The roadmap also indicates the chapter includes a survivor. What are the odds that individual turns out to be Ripley? In any case, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as more details about the Alien chapter will be revealed on August 8th.

Dead by Daylight has many original survivors, killers and maps, but crossovers with major horror franchises help to bring more attention to the game. Over the years, Behaviour has secured collaborations with the likes of The Ring, Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Stranger Things, to name but a few.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/looks-like-the-xenomorph-from-alien-will-be-dead-by-daylights-next-killer-170828650.html?src=rss 

Amazon’s approach to digital healthcare is now available nationwide. The company has expanded Clinic to all 50 states as well as Washington, DC. You can also have clinician video visits across the country in addition to text-only conversations in 34 states. Both avenues are available through Amazon’s website and mobile app.

As launched in November, Clinic is meant to provide treatment for over 30 commonplace health issues such as birth control prescriptions, migraines and pink eye. You choose a telehealth provider, fill out an intake form and get in touch with a clinician. You don’t need an appointment or insurance, and the cost is visible before you reach out. Amazon hopes you’ll fill any necessary prescriptions through its in-house Pharmacy service, but any third-party pharmacy is an option. Help with more conditions is due in the “coming months,” the company adds.

Clinic is part of a long-running effort on Amazon’s part to cover many aspects of healthcare. It bought PillPack (the basis of Pharmacy) in 2018, and between 2019 and 2022 provided a Care telehealth service to its own employees as well as other companies. Amazon more recently closed its $3.9 billion purchase of One Medical, turning it into a primary healthcare provider with a physical presence, virtual options and lab testing. In the right circumstances, you might only have to interact with Amazon businesses.

These moves have drawn scrutiny from regulators. Although the Federal Trade Commission said it wouldn’t challenge the One Medical acquisition in February, it warned that it was still investigating the merger for possible anti-competition and privacy issues that come from access to health data. The Commission said it might challenge the deal later if it found concerns. For now, though, Amazon’s healthcare ambitions aren’t facing major resistance — it’s now an alternative to conventional clinics, at least for everyday problems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-virtual-healthcare-service-is-now-available-in-every-state-171827351.html?src=rss 

Modern gaming controllers are expensive, costing anywhere from $60 to $180, depending on the feature set. So it’s a huge bummer when one breaks and you have to shell out money for a replacement. Microsoft is taking a huge leap into the world of self-repair by offering replacement parts for Xbox gamepads, along with downloadable instructions and step-by-step tutorial videos, which should save gamers some cash in the long run. This program impacts standard Xbox Wireless Controller models and the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller.

The Microsoft store offers replacement boards, sticks, buttons, covers and more, handling issues from stick drifting to stuck shoulder buttons and beyond. In the past, you’d have to replace the gamepad entirely or rely on risky third-party fixes. Prices range from $24 for button sets to $60 for a circuit board and motor assembly unit. You can even replace the vibration motor for $35. Additionally, replacement cases are available, but only in black and white.

The program is already live, according to product lead Brad Rossetti, so if you have any broken Xbox controllers laying about, now is the time to see about fixing them up. It also looks like Microsoft is allowing other retailers to sell these replacement parts, like self-repair gurus iFixit.

Microsoft isn’t the only gaming giant to recently allow DIY fixes. Sony’s DualSense Edge controller actually ships with replacement control stick modules, though the company doesn’t sell other parts via an online store. Nintendo doesn’t sell repair components for its controllers, but it’ll repair Joy-Cons for free when suffering from a case of dreaded Joy-Con drift.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-starts-selling-replacement-parts-for-xbox-gamepads-174023573.html?src=rss 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla following a dozen reports about 2023 model year Model 3 and Model Y vehicles encountering steering issues. The agency opened a preliminary evaluation (PE) after drivers claimed they were either unable to steer their vehicle or that they suffered a loss of power steering.

“Five reports indicate an inability to steer the vehicle. Seven additional reports cite loss of power steering resulting in increased effort to control the vehicle,” the NHTSA said. “A PE has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, manufacturing processes and severity associated with this condition.”

No deaths or injuries were reported in connection with these incidents, as Electrek notes, but one led to a crash or fire. Some 280,000 vehicles are included in the scope of the investigation, which could result in a recall. Tesla doesn’t have a communications department that can be reached for comment.

This is hardly the first time that the NHTSA has looked into Tesla safety issues. In March, the agency opened a separate investigation following reports of steering wheels falling off while Model Y vehicles were on the road. The company has also caught the attention of the Department of Justice. In January, Tesla confirmed that the DOJ requested documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.

Meanwhile, last month, Tesla issued a voluntary recall for more than 1,300 Model S, X and Y vehicles it built this year due to misaligned cameras. The company said the issue “may cause certain active safety features to be unavailable, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning and lane keeping assist, without alerting the driver to their unavailability.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-regulators-are-investigating-tesla-over-model-3-and-model-y-steering-issues-154015361.html?src=rss