Kindle’s in-book AI assistant can answer all your questions without spoilers

If you’re several chapters into a novel and forgot who a character was, Amazon is hoping its new Kindle feature will jog your memory without ever having to put the e-reader down. This feature, called Ask this Book, was announced during Amazon’s hardware event in September, but is finally available for US users on the Kindle iOS app.

According to Amazon, the feature can currently be found on thousands of English best-selling Kindle titles and “only reveals information up to your current reading position” for spoiler-free responses. To use it, you can highlight a passage in any book you’ve bought or borrowed and ask it questions about plot, characters or other crucial details, and the AI assistant will offer “immediate, contextual, spoiler-free information.” You’ll even be able to ask follow-up questions for more detail.

Amazon

While Ask this Book may be helpful to some Kindle readers, the feature touches on a major point of contention with authors and publishers. In response to Publishers Lunch, a daily newsletter for the publishing industry, an Amazon spokesperson said that, “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.” Other AI companies are already facing lawsuits claiming copyright infringement. Most recently, the New York Times and Chicago Tribune sued Perplexity, accusing the AI company of using its copyrighted works to train its LLMs.

As for the Ask this Book feature, Amazon is already planning to expand it beyond the iOS app and will introduce it to Kindle devices and the Android OS app next year. Beyond this new feature, Amazon also introduced Recaps to Kindle devices and the iOS app for books in a series, which acts much like a TV show’s “Previously on” roundup in between seasons. However, Amazon recently had to withdraw its AI-generated Video Recaps feature, so it might be worth double-checking the info you get from Recaps, too.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/kindles-in-book-ai-assistant-can-answer-all-your-questions-without-spoilers-190609961.html?src=rss 

‘Miss Congeniality’ Cast Then & Now: See Sandra Bullock & More 25 Years Later

And here she is! ‘Miss Congeniality’ is officially 25 years old this year. The movie is still so iconic two decades later. See Sandra Bullock, Benjamin Bratt, and more of the cast then and now.

And here she is! ‘Miss Congeniality’ is officially 25 years old this year. The movie is still so iconic two decades later. See Sandra Bullock, Benjamin Bratt, and more of the cast then and now. 

Ayaneo’s first smartphone is a major callback to the Xperia Play

Close enough, welcome back Xperia Play. After releasing a teaser video in early November, Ayaneo fully revealed its first smartphone called the Pocket Play. As suspected, the Ayaneo Pocket Play features a sliding mechanism that transforms it from a chunky smartphone into a gaming handheld.

In its gaming configuration, the Pocket Play features a controller setup with a D-pad, ABXY buttons and four shoulder buttons. However, Ayaneo has modernized the Xperia Play design by incorporating two touchpads, which will also be seen in the handheld maker’s next flagship device called the Next II. According to Ayaneo, you can map these touchpads as virtual joysticks or customizable inputs. Ayaneo hasn’t revealed the specs of the Pocket Play yet, but the device appears to have slots that could hint at expandable storage options.

The Pocket Play will be Ayaneo’s first foray into the smartphone world, albeit with mobile gaming in mind. It’ll have to compete against the likes of other gaming-specific smartphones like the Redmagic 10 Pro or the Asus ROG Phone series, as well as the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones that can also handle demanding mobile games. Ayaneo will launch the Pocket Play on Kickstarter soon, but hasn’t revealed any pricing details yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/ayaneos-first-smartphone-is-a-major-callback-to-the-xperia-play-165206332.html?src=rss 

Peter Greene’s Health: All About the Late ‘Pulp Fiction’ Actor’s Benign Lung Tumor Before Death

Before he died, the late on-screen villain had a scheduled surgery to remove a benign tumor near his lung.

Before he died, the late on-screen villain had a scheduled surgery to remove a benign tumor near his lung. 

Who Was Peter Greene? 5 Things to Know About the Late ‘Pulp Fiction’ Star

Peter Greene, the actor known for ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘The Mask,’ has died at age 60. Learn more about his life and career here.

Peter Greene, the actor known for ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘The Mask,’ has died at age 60. Learn more about his life and career here. 

A new AAA Alien game is reportedly in the works

If Alien: Romulus reawakened your appetite for the iconic sci-fi franchise, the good news is that a promising video game could be on the way. According to an Insider Gaming report, a new game for the Alien franchise is back in development. The report’s sources mentioned that the single-player game will be set in a “decaying space station” as an arcade survival horror that can be compared to “Shadow of [the] Tomb Raider with Xenomorphs.”

It’s not the first time we heard about this Alien game, which was first reported on in 2022 under the codename “Marathon.” According to Insider Gaming, the game has cycled through several developers, but more recently landed with Eidos Montreal, which developed Shadow of the Tomb Raider and is currently working on the upcoming Fable reboot. The report added that the game’s development budget was increased to less than $75 million, up from the initial $30 million budget from a few years ago.

Insider Gaming‘s report noted that the game is still in “early development,” but could feature Ripley 8, the human-Xenomorph hybrid that was first seen in Alien Resurrection. The game’s details and release date are still subject to change, but Insider Gaming‘s sources said the game is “in a good place at this point” and is expected to release in 2028 on all platforms. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-aaa-game-for-the-alien-franchise-is-back-in-the-works-204401214.html?src=rss 

Generated by Feedzy
Exit mobile version