As Big Tech pours countless dollars and resources into AI, preaching the gospel of its utopia-creating brilliance, here's a reminder that algorithms can screw up. Big time. The latest evidence: You can trick Google's AI Overview (the automated answers at the top of your search queries) into explaining fictional, nonsensical idioms as if they were real.
According to Google's AI Overview (via @gregjenner on Bluesky), "You can't lick a badger twice" means you can't trick or deceive someone a second time after they've been tricked once.
That sounds like a logical attempt to explain the idiom if only it weren't poppycock. Google's Gemini-powered failure came in assuming the question referred to an established phrase rather than absurd mumbo jumbo designed to trick it. In other words, AI hallucinations are still alive and well.
Google / Engadget
We plugged some silliness into it ourselves and found similar results.
Google's answer claimed that "You can't golf without a fish" is a riddle or play on words, suggesting you can't play golf without the necessary equipment, specifically, a golf ball. Amusingly, the AI Overview added the clause that the golf ball "might be seen as a 'fish' due to its shape." Hmm.
Then there's the age-old saying, "You can't open a peanut butter jar with two left feet." According to the AI Overview, this means you can't do something requiring skill or dexterity. Again, a noble stab at an assigned task without stepping back to fact-check the content's existence.
There's more. "You can't marry pizza" is a playful way of expressing the concept of marriage as a commitment between two people, not a food item. (Naturally.) "Rope won't pull a dead fish" means that something can't be achieved through force or effort alone; it requires a willingness to cooperate or a natural progression. (Of course!) "Eat the biggest chalupa first" is a playful way of suggesting that when facing a large challenge or a plentiful meal, you should first start with the most substantial part or item. (Sage advice.)
Google / Engadget
This is hardly the first example of AI hallucinations that, if not fact-checked by the user, could lead to misinformation or real-life consequences. Just ask the ChatGPT lawyers, Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca, who were fined $5,000 in 2023 for using ChatGPT to research a brief in a client's litigation. The AI chatbot generated nonexistent cases cited by the pair that the other side's attorneys (quite understandably) couldn't locate.
The pair's response to the judge's discipline? "We made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-trick-googles-ai-overviews-into-explaining-made-up-idioms-162816472.html?src=rss
For those of us who've been on the internet for decades, today is a big milestone: the 20th anniversary of the first video uploaded to YouTube. That happened way back on April 23, 2005, only about a year and a half before Google made the shrewd move of purchasing the site. That first video is the all-time classic 19-second clip "Me at the zoo," the kind of video that came to define early YouTube. It's grainy, short and has no production values to speak of. Fast forward a few decades and YouTube has no peer in terms of its sheer volume of audiovisual content the company says that a mind-boggling 20 trillion videos have been uploaded in the last 20 years, and 20 million are updated daily.
With all that in mind, Engadget's staff put their heads together to pick out the videos that have meant the most to them over the years. Not surprisingly, there's some weird stuff here, a lot of it from the early days of the platform. Apparently the stuff that really resonates with us isn't polish or production, but the raw, oddball stuff that couldn't have existed anywhere else.
Ambient Renders
I test a whole bunch of portable batteries for Engadget. A power bank can refill a dead smartphone in one to two hours, but thanks to annoying technology advancements it takes around 20 hours to drain a phone again. Im constantly playing YouTube videos on my tester handsets with the screen brightness cranked all the way up to make them die faster (these poor phones). My favorite videos to use are from Ambient Renders. Each one is eight or so hours of painstakingly rendered, mostly nighttime views from the windows of fancy lofts in modern-day big cities, cozy bedrooms of the distant past and sci-fi futurescapes. The soundtracks are soft rain, lonesome wind, crackling fires, distant thunder and the rumble of passing transport pods.
I often return to a Warm Cozy Cabin With a Relaxing Fire and Gentle Wind a candle-lit bedroom with huge windows overlooking snow-covered pines, with a couple of mugs steaming in the corner. The subtle movements and details really come to life when you play them on a TV. There are a ton of these types of videos on YouTube and, lately, the creator has taken to adding not made with AI disclaimers to the video descriptions. Its plain to see these are made with love and skill. The intricacy is stunning and even the sci-fi views are anchored in realism. Amy Skorheim, senior reporter
Canadian, Please | gunnarolla & Julia Bentley
I was trying to remember the first YouTube video I was obsessed with and honestly couldn't tell you. Between communitychannel, Jake and Amir, Michelle Phan, Wong Fu Productions and many more, I have too many likes and faves to count. But I can tell you that I've been jamming to Gunnorolla's "Canadian, Please" since before it became cool to want to be Canadian. This certified bop was something I replayed over and over; I've memorized the lyrics and the song haunts me in my dreams, too. My more modern favorites change every month, but I currently adore CinemaSins, Scary Interesting, Wilko Rehashed, Psychology in Seattle and The School of Life. Oh and also, don't go looking for my channel from when I was a regular vlogger in the 2000s. Don't. Cherlynn Low, managing editor
Carl Lewis National Anthem Fail
YouTube isnt just for watching new videos of celebrities embarrassing themselves. You can also revisit humiliations from way before the video sites inception!
Take this spectacular(ly bad) national anthem performance by Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis. Ahead of a 1993 regular-season NBA matchup between the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets, the gold medalist stepped on the court to demonstrate the vocal talent we were deprived of as he wasted his prime years racing.
This video only includes snippets of Lewis belting (as in whipping listeners with a belt) rendition. But you still get his overly embellished opening note, self-aware Uh oh! after making a sound youd expect from an animal being stepped on and an (ultimately unfulfilled) promise to make up for it.
As a bonus, this version includes SportsCenter anchor Charlie Steiners inability to keep his composure after the clip rolls. Thats followed by his Dad Joke-worthy commentary that Francis Scott Off-Key wrote Lewis rendition. Will Shanklin, contributing reporter
Dog of Wisdom
It's almost 10 years later and I still reference this video every couple weeks. I can't offer higher praise than that. Anna Washenko, contributing reporter
Food Wishes
One of the great things about YouTube, to this day, is the massive number of tutorial videos. Ive used it to learn how to tie a tie, record music, put together furniture and where to dispose of that furniture when its given up the ghost. It also taught me how to cook. This is primarily thanks to one man. He goes by Chef John, but his channel is called Food Wishes.
Im fairly sure hes the very first cook to capitalize on the platform, as hes been making recipe videos pretty much since the beginning. This spaghetti with clam sauce tutorial is over 18 years old. I chose this particular video because I remember a trio of occasions in my life where I whipped out this recipe to amaze friends, family and (gasp) would-be romantic partners. His simple, charming and no-nonsense approach to cooking has always clicked with me, and Im not alone. He has over four million followers on the platform and still cranks out videos to this day. His channel is a great reminder of how useful YouTube can actually be. Lawrence Bonk, contributing reporter
John Frusciante - 09 - New Dawn Fades
My favorite YouTube video, the one I return to year after year, is a bootleg of the Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante playing Joy Divisions New Dawn Fades at a solo show in Amsterdam at the start of the century. Say what you will about his main band, but John Frusciante is easily one of the greatest living guitarists, and this video shot in 2001 and uploaded to YouTube less than a year after te platform went online in 2005 is the perfect showcase of his many talents as a musician.
The footage is grainy, like so many videos from the era, but what counts is you can hear nearly every nuance of his performance. With his beloved Martin 00-15 acoustic guitar, Frusciante plays two melodies at the same time in his trademark syncopated style, all the while singing Ian Curtis lyrics with so much emotion.
As a teenager, Frusciantes performance inspired me to no end. I spent countless summer hours trying to learn and emulate his playing style. In 2006, I even bought an issue of Guitar World magazine because it came with a DVD that included an interview with Frusciante and a lesson from the man himself on how to play "Under the Bridge". I probably should have known someone would upload that video to YouTube. It would have saved me a few bucks.
Looking back at my favorite video all these years later, it captures whats best about YouTube. You can find nearly every performance in music recording history. Frusciantes performance of "New Dawn Fades" could have easily disappeared with the passage of time. Instead, it will now exist as long as YouTube does, waiting to inspire someone else. Igor Bonifacic, senior reporter
Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away (lyrics)
YouTube is home to an endless stream of poignant art, thought-provoking video essays and open windows to other peoples lives. More than that, though, its home to a lot of really dumb shit. Most of that shit is bad, as forgettable as it is lazy. But when someone puts in the work to make their dumb idea as dumb as possible, when they are enlightened by just how dumb their idea could be... thats when the magic happens.
This Lenny Kravitz remix by all-around web artist Neil Cicierega which turns the funk rock hit into an ode to dragonflies and having sex with candy bars, all while aping a my first Windows XP slideshow aesthetic is a prime example of the good dumb Im talking about. It is completely of the internet, something that could only result from one weirdo out there with a silly idea and some video editing software. It is so stupid, but also inspired, so it always works for me. Jeff Dunn, senior reporter
Rancid Stool - Low Music video
Damn, who is that handsome young man having the worst day of his life in glorious 280p? Oh wait, that would be me.
Way back in the day, my buds and I made a music video for a Foo Fighters song for a contest. Needless to say, we didn't win, but we had an absolute blast all the same. Making something silly with your friends is really fun. Who could have imagined?
Some [mumbles] years later, the video is still one of my favorite things I've ever done. Yes, the editing stinks (my bad), it doesn't make a whole lot of sense narratively and the name of our would-be production company is very regrettable.
Still, I'm really proud of what we put together. Every time I watch it, I get the urge to start making fun videos again. Maybe Ill actually do that someday.
P.S. Screw you and your magnificent mustache forever, Chad Sexington. Kris Holt, contributing reporter
Shining Movie Trailer Parody
In the age of AI, fake movie trailers have become something of a spam epidemic on YouTube. But as someone who distinctly remembers swapping video files to friends and coworkers via email with Quicktime or AVI files attached yes, it was exactly the bandwidth and security nightmare it sounds like I still rank this hand-edited Shining remix near the top of my YouTube Mount Rushmore. The romcom take on Kubrick's horror classic dates back to at least 2005, but it seems to get rediscovered by new fans every few years, and rightly so it's a gem. John Falcone, executive editor
Star Trek: Tik Tok
Lots of people have made music videos out of unexpected crossovers like this, but Star Trek: Tik Tok still stands out to me as the best. Every clip from the original 1960s series is paired to perfection with the lyrics, and Captain Kirk is a weirdly fitting analogue for Kesha's late 2000s party girl.
When I watch it now, I think this video captures the scrappy ethos of what it meant to go viral during the early days of YouTube. It was about creativity, not content creators. People were making weird and funny shit just for the heck of it. Every now and then you'd stumble on a video that resonated and it lived in your head rent-free for years. And what can I say, I still think this track is a banger. A.W.
We Like The Moon
The first YouTube video I saw that left me totally agog at what the human mind is capable of was "We Like the Moon." I didnt have a TV at the time so had no idea Quiznos had used the concept in their commercials. When I saw it on my friend's computer in 2006 or so, I was coming at it fresh. I remember a giddiness rising in my soul and a goofy smile plastering my face. It felt like we were living in a world of limitless creativity and possibility where fun was a guiding principle and good didnt mean access to funding, expensive equipment, technical prowess, or even a decent voice. My partner and I sang it, and still sing it, whenever the moon, marmots, chopsticks or zeppelins are mentioned. Now, I realize strangely proportioned, animal-like monstrosities raving off-key about nonsense is old hat at this point. But I will never forget when this was first played for me. A.S.
Where the Hell is Matt? 2008
This is the third of Matt Harding's videos of himself dancing badly in various scenic locations around the world, and the first in which he encouraged bystanders to dance with him equally badly, with some exceptions. I have no defenses against large groups of people doing the same thing simultaneously in multiple locations.
Oddly specific, I kno, but in a society obsessed with dividing and categorizing, it reminds me of our common humanity. This video never fails to bring a tear to my eye, from the subtle political statements (Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem were not placed right next to each other by accident) to the sheer obvious joy of everybody involved. I even like the music. Sam Rutherford, senior reporterThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/engadgets-favorite-videos-from-20-years-of-youtube-162004518.html?src=rss
Intel is reportedly preparing to further reduce its headcount, this time by laying off more than 20 percent of its employees. It could announce a plan to do so as soon as this week. The struggling company had 108,900 employees at the end of last year, so it may be set to cut tens of thousands of jobs. According to a Bloomberg source, the aim of the downsizing is to streamline management operations and refocus Intel with an engineering-driven culture.
Last August, Intel said it would cut more than 15,000 jobs to reduce costs. In fact, the company, which has been slow to embrace the industry's shift toward artificial intelligence, has been significantly reducing its headcount since 2022 amid declining sales.
These latest purported layoffs would mark one of the first major restructuring measures since Lip-Bu Tan became CEO in March after the sudden departure of Pat Gelsinger. The company is set to report its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. Companies that are restructuring often announce layoffs around the time they release earnings reports.
Tan has also pledged to sell off assets that aren't core to Intel's goals as he tries to turn the business around. Last week, it emerged that Intel is selling off a majority stake in chipmaker Altera for $4.46 billion. That deal is expected to close later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-may-be-preparing-to-lay-off-20-percent-of-its-staff-161557058.html?src=rss
Amazons Project Kuiper is reportedly way behind schedule, according to an investigation by Bloomberg. This is the companys satellite internet service, which intends to rival SpaceX and Starlink. The issue seems to be one of scale, as the company has had trouble increasing production of the actual satellites.
The reporting indicates that the Kuiper team has only managed to manufacture a few dozen of these satellites. As a comparison, there are currently over 7,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. The initial production of the Kuiper satellites was delayed until the tail-end of last year, so Amazon hasnt had too much time to ramp things up.
Beta testing didnt start until earlier this year. Amazon had planned for an initial launch on April 8 for 27 satellites, but that got delayed until April 28.
Project Kuiper hopes to eventually provide broadband connectivity to at least 400 million households, in addition to providing service in remote areas. However, it needs to launch over 3,000 satellites to reach that goal. Additionally, it secured a government contract with a deadline to put 1,600 satellites in orbit by next summer. Insiders suggest that it will probably have to seek an extension from the FCC.
"Weve designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and our primary objective is to build and launch enough of them to begin delivering service to customers later this year," an Amazon spokesperson told Seeking Alpha. "Our manufacturing schedule is on track to support this target, and well continue to increase our production and launch rates as we begin a full-scale deployment of our network."
It did manage to launch a pair of prototype satellites into space in late 2023. This was followed by successful tests of an optical mesh network that linked the two satellites in low Earth orbit.
The company is scheduled to conduct a number of launches throughout the year, with help from Arianespace, Blue Origin and SpaceX. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will handle the April 28 launch. Amazon hasnt indicated why satellite production has hit this hiccup. We reached out to the company and will update this post when we learn more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/amazons-starlink-rival-project-kuiper-is-reportedly-way-behind-schedule-153514471.html?src=rss
More people worldwide will be seeing ads on Threads in the future. Back in January, Meta launched a small test of ads visible to a subset of users in the US and Japan, which included a handful of brands. Threads was completely ad-free since it became available a year-and-a-half before that, though Meta had been planning to put ads on the service months before the test began. Now, Meta is rolling out ads on Threads to over 30 countries globally. That means the advertisements will reach a bigger percentage of its 300 million users, though it will be interesting to see if their rollout will have any impact on the service's steady growth.
Meta didn't list out those 30 countries, and it also didn't say how often ads will show up in people's feeds. Like in the initial test period though, the advertisements will appear in between organic content or posts from people and friends users follow. Meta is opening up ads on Threads to all its eligible advertisers around the world, as well, so users will be seeing placements from more companies, including ones local to their countries. The company told us that it's adopting a phased approach to its rollout, so advertisements might appear more and more frequently on the service as time goes on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-expands-ads-to-threads-users-in-over-30-countries-150535654.html?src=rss
WhatsApp is introducing a new feature called Advanced Chat Privacy that can block participants from sharing the contents of a conversation. This is an opt-in tool thats available for both traditional chats and groups.
Once selected, the toolset will prevent anyone in the chat from sharing anything outside of the app. This means itll block all chat exports, but thats just the beginning. The software also prevents a smartphone from auto-downloading media and will stop integration with AI assistants. Basically, what happens on WhatsApp stays on WhatsApp. However, it's unclear if it prevents screenshotting. We've reached out to Meta and will update this post when we hear back.
The platform says this is "best used when talking with groups where you may not know everyone closely but are nevertheless sensitive in nature." It gives examples like a support group about health challenges and a chat about community organizing.
WhatsApp says this is just the first version of the tool and that itll be adding "more protections" in the future. Its rolling out right now across the globe, though it could take a month or two to reach everyone.
The platform is already known for being privacy-focused, as it uses end-to-end encryption. It also leverages related software tools like disappearing messages and chats that require device authentication.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-introduces-a-feature-that-blocks-chat-participants-from-sharing-content-150042001.html?src=rss
Roku is wading deeper into the smart home space with two new security cameras, which can run on batteries. As such, you'll be able to place the Roku Battery Camera and Roku Battery Camera Plus pretty much anywhere.
The former is said to run for up to six months on a single charge, while the Roku Battery Camera Plus might operate for a couple of years before you need to juice it up. There's an optional solar panel attachment so you might never have to manually recharge the batteries.
These cameras are designed for simplicity. A step-by-step guide on your phone walks you through how to set them up. They provide 1080p full-color visuals and there's a color night vision mode. Other features include motion detection and notifications. You can create schedules for the cameras too.
Of course, you can monitor what the cameras see via the Roku Smart Home app or the web, as well as Roku TVs and streaming devices. Through the Roku Cameras app on your TV, you can view a carousel of camera feeds that cycle either periodically or based on motion events. There's a picture-in-picture option in case you want to watch TV and keep and eye on what's happening in and around your home too.
Roku hasn't announced pricing for the cameras as yet. They'll be available in the coming months and will join the likes of the Indoor Security Camera in Roku's lineup. The company also unveiled its latest streaming sticks and announced new TVs and feature updates at an event on Wednesday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/roku-unveils-two-new-battery-powered-security-cameras-144554234.html?src=rss
Despite an eight year anticipatory wait, Nintendo is still "surprised" at just how many people want the Switch 2. The company has announced that about 2.2 million people have entered a pre-order lottery in Japan alone, far more than the number of consoles it can deliver on June 5, aka launch day.
Nintendo will announce the winners tomorrow, April 24, and anyone not chosen will be entered into a second drawing. However, that still won't provide enough spots for every entrant. "In response to this demand, we are currently working on further strengthening our production system," the company wrote on X in a post translated from Japanese. "We plan to continue producing and shipping a considerable number of Nintendo Switch 2 units in the future. We apologize for the delay in our ability to meet your expectations." The company further notes that other retailers should begin pre-orders on the 24th.
Nintendo has faced a few hurdles around pre-orders for the Switch 2. It delayed them in the US following President Trump's extreme tariffs and uncertainty about price. Now, the company has confirmed pre-orders in the US and Canada will also begin on April 24 and the Switch 2 will maintain its $450 price tag. Though, this might result in a loss for Nintendo.
A lack of supply and heavy demand could also bring exploitative resellers. Such was the case with other big ticket consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. They were both listed on sites like eBay and Amazon for up to $1,700. Nintendo's SNES Mini and NES Mini were for sale on eBay for more than double their sticker price. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-somehow-underestimates-demand-for-the-switch-2-141030518.html?src=rss
On Wednesday, Roku revealed two new streaming devices at an event in New York. The company says its Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are the most compact on the market, measuring 35 percent smaller than other brands' models. However, Roku says there's no compromise on performance despite the small size.
The entry-level Streaming Stick is $30 and it knocks the Roku Express out of the company's lineup. It has many of the features you'd expect from Roku, such as personalized recommendations, access to thousands of streaming channels, a voice remote and Backdrops a way to display art and photos on your TV when you're not streaming anything.
The $40 Streaming Stick Plus, meanwhile, replaces the Roku Express 4K+. Naturally, this has all of the features of the Streaming Stick as well as support for 4K and HDR streaming. Roku notes the small size of both sticks makes it easy to bring either with you when you travel, so you can plug one into a TV at your hotel or vacation rental and keep watching your shows.
The Roku Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus is coming to the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama. US pre-orders are open today and the sticks will become available from Roku directly and major retailers on May 6.
Jeff Dunn for Engadget
Elsewhere, the company previewed new TVs with "unique hardware innovations" and "under-the-hood enhancements." Roku is promising richer and more vivid visuals, along with improved audio quality and faster app launches in its 2025 lineup. The company pledged to deliver custom factory calibration for the new Roku Pro Series models.
Plus Series TVs are getting a feature called Roku Smart Picture Max, which automatically adjusts picture settings on a scene-by-scene basis to help you avoid fiddling in menus more than you need to. The Plus Series will now have mini-LED backlighting with the aim of improving picture quality without increasing prices. Those models will also have the built-in remote finder button and integrated cable management that were introduced on Pro Series units. Going forward, all Roku TVs will have a Bluetooth headphone option too.
Roku also announced software updates, which it claims will make streaming on Roku OS "smoother and more personalized." Meanwhile, revamped content discovery features include personalized sports highlights and a "Coming soon to theaters" row for movies. (Hey, cinemas need all the help they can get.) On top of that, the Backdrops feature is coming to all Roku TVs and streaming devices in Canada starting today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/roku-says-its-streaming-stick-and-streaming-stick-plus-are-35-percent-smaller-than-the-competition-140021984.html?src=rss
Business professionals say the top generative AI-related risks that they're trying to mitigate at their firms are related to inaccuracy and cybersecurity, according to recent research. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
