 |
|
|
|||||
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been something of a pleasant surprise. They make videos, take photos, livestream and act as an adequate replacement for headphones, all while looking like a normal pair of sunglasses. However, everyones been waiting for the addition of multimodal AI after early access testing began in January. Now its here. What is multimodal AI? Simply put, its a toolset that allows an AI assistant to process multiple types of information, including photos, videos, text and audio. Its an AI that can view and understand the world around you in real time. This is the underlying concept behind Humanes maligned AI Pin. Metas version is more conservative with its promises and, honestly, we came away impressed during our initial hands-on. Multimodal Meta AI is rolling out widely on Ray-Ban Meta starting today! It's a huge advancement for wearables & makes using AI more interactive & intuitive.Excited to share more on our multimodal work w/ Meta AI (& Llama 3), stay tuned for more updates coming soon. pic.twitter.com/DLiCVriMfk Ahmad Al-Dahle (@Ahmad_Al_Dahle) April 23, 2024 Heres how it works. The glasses have a camera and five microphones, acting as the AIs eyes and ears. With this in mind, you can ask the glasses to describe anything you are looking at. Do you want to know a dogs breed before you go up and give it a good pet? Just ask the glasses. Meta says it can also read signs in different languages, which is great for traveling. We enjoyed exclaiming Hey Meta, look at this and tell me what it says and listening as it did just that. Theres even a landmark identification feature, though that wasnt available to test. There are some other potential use case scenarios, like staring at loose ingredients on a kitchen counter and asking the AI to whip up a relevant recipe. However, we need a few weeks of real people running the tech through its paces to gauge what it's actually good at. Real-time translation is going to be something of a killer app, particularly for tourists, but here's hoping it keeps the hallucinations to a minimum. Mark Zuckerberg has shown the AI picking out clothes for him to wear but, come on, thats about as pie in the sky as it gets. Multimodal AI wasnt the only update for the smart glasses announced today. Meta revealed hands-free video call integration with WhatsApp and Messenger. There are also some new frame designs for the fashion-conscious. These new styles can be fitted with prescription lenses and are available for preorder right now. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses start at $300, which isnt chump change but is certainly better than $700 for a clunky pin.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-do-the-ai-thing-without-a-projector-or-subscription-175403559.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Both Amazon and Best Buy are selling unlocked models of Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra with 256GB of storage for $200 off the list price. That brings the smartphone down to $1,100 and marks the lowest price we've seen yet (outside of trade-in and carrier offers). Last month, all three handsets in the S24 lineup were on sale, with the base model going for $100 off and the S24+ and S24 Ultra both getting $150 discounts. This time, the top-end Ultra has an even bigger price cut and the S24+ is the same $150 off. The base model Galaxy S24 is only nine percent off, however, which is about $25 more that it was during that last sale. We named the S24 Ultra the best premium Android smartphone in our guide and gave it a review score of 89 when it came out at the beginning of this year. This generation got a new titanium frame, one upgraded camera and, like everything else in 2024, a whole bunch of AI accoutrements. It has a snappy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a battery that lasted through 24 hours-plus of continuous video playback in our rundown tests and went for a good two days of regular use. The four rear cameras stayed much the same as on the S23 Ultra, with the exception of the old 10x lens getting replaced with a 5x optical zoom and a higher-res 50-MP sensor, a move we found created a lens that was more practical in a wider variety of situations. The AI tools can proofread your texts, edit images and transcribe recordings. The display is one of the sharpest and brightest we've tested. Plus the built-in stylus is handy. But even with a $200 discount, the S24 Ultra remains a very expensive phone. Our overall pick for an Android smartphone, Google's Pixel 8 Pro, starts at $999, and is currently 20 percent off at Amazon and directly from Google, making it just $799. Engadget's Sam Rutherford gave the Pixel 8 Pro a score of 93 upon its debut last October, praising its bright screen, speedy performance and "genuinely useful AI features." Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-s24-ultra-is-on-sale-for-its-lowest-price-yet-at-amazon-and-best-buy-173023101.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
After asserting itself as an overshadowing presence in retail, Amazon is still experimenting with ways to leave a similar mark in groceries. The companys latest tweak to its service lowers the minimum price for free grocery deliveries to $35. However, most customers using the service will also need to pay a $10 monthly subscription in addition to having a Prime membership ($15 monthly or $139 annually). To participate, you must live in one of the 3,500 supported cities and towns in the US. (When signing up, it will let you know if your primary shipping address isnt supported.) The service offers unlimited grocery deliveries from Amazon Fresh, the Amazon-owned Whole Foods and various local and specialty partners. Those include Cardenas Markets, Save Mart, Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid, Pet Food Express, Mission Wine & Spirits and more. The subscription includes one-hour delivery windows where available, unlimited 30-minute pickup orders and priority access to the companys Recurring Reservations. This feature lets you pick a guaranteed weekly grocery delivery window. To use it, youll need to pick your weekly two-hour slot at least 24 hours in advance. Amazon People using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other government assistance programs can get the same grocery delivery benefits for half the price ($5 monthly). If you fall in that camp, you can get those perks without needing a Prime subscription on top of the subscription fee. It remains to be seen if this latest iteration of the program will stick since Amazons strategy has been all over the place. Early last year, the company increased the minimum checkout price for free grocery deliveries from $35 to $150, then dropped it to $100 (while voiding the Prime requirement) about 10 months later. If you like this version of the program, cross your fingers that Amazon doesnt change it again in a few months. Before rolling out the programs latest version on Tuesday, Amazon tested it in Columbus, OH, Denver, CO, and Sacramento, CA, in late 2023. The company says over 85 percent of survey respondents who used the service were extremely or very satisfied, leaving high marks for its convenience and savings on delivery fees. You can see if the program is available in your area on Amazons groceries sign-up page. If it is, you can try it free for 30 days before paying.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-updated-grocery-delivery-program-has-some-strings-attached-171513989.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||