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Microsoft is making ‘significant investments’ in training its own AI models

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Microsoft AI launched its first in-house models last month, adding to the already complicated relationship with its OpenAI partner. Now, Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says the company is making “significant investments” in the compute capacity required to Microsoft’s own future fronti

3 reasons why I'm skipping the iPhone 17 Pro and buying this model instead

Nina Raemont/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. There are plenty of dedicated iPhone users like myself who are loyal to base model iPhones. When I upgrade my iPhone every two or so years, I don't bother with the Pro variations. My position is that as the base model iPhones become more advanced, I don't need to spend a few hundred extra dollars on features that a casual user like me won't need. I'm the opposite of a power user, unless power is synonymous with a scary a

Stability's new AI audio tool creates custom sound for brands - how it works

Tatiana Serebryakova/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Stable Audio 2.5 is designed to help brands build a "sonic identity." The model was trained on a fully licensed dataset. Custom tracks can be used in ads, retail locations, and elsewhere. Stability AI just made it easier for brands to create custom, AI-generated audio, thereby negating the need to spend time and money on elaborate recording and producti

Mosyle uncovers new cross-platform malware undetected by antivirus tools

After warning 9to5Mac last month about undetectable Mac malware hidden in a fake PDF converter site, Mosyle, a leader in Apple device management and security, has now uncovered a new infostealer. Dubbed ModStealer, the malware has remained invisible to all major antivirus engines since first appearing on VirusTotal nearly a month ago. In details shared exclusively with 9to5Mac, Mosyle says ModStealer doesn’t just target macOS systems, but is cross-platform and purpose-built for one thing: steal

Apple denies Politico report on AI guideline changes around DEI, vaccines, and Trump

Politico has published an extensive report claiming that, following Trump’s election, Apple changed its AI training guidelines on issues such as DEI, vaccines, elections, and Trump himself. Here are the details. Data annotation It is common practice for tech companies to rely on subcontractors to help with the labeling and post-training process of their AI models. Politico’s report says that Apple contracts Transperfect, a company that offers “translation services and solutions,” including AI

OpenAI's fix for hallucinations is simpler than you think

Hector Roqueta Rivero/Moment via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways OpenAI says AI hallucination stems from flawed evaluation methods. Models are trained to guess rather than admit ignorance. The company suggests revising how models are trained. Even the biggest and most advanced generative AI models occasionally hallucinate, or generate inaccurate information presented as fact. Now, OpenAI claims to understand why -- while offering a p

Microsoft 365 Copilot bundles sales, service, and finance Copilots in October

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. I exclusively reported last week that Microsoft was about to shake up its Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing, and now the company has officially revealed that its sales, service, and finance Copilots are being bundled into Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft currently offers business Copilot acces

C++20 Modules: Practical Insights, Status and TODOs

The post was written in Chinese and translated by LLM. Feel free to contact me if any phrasing seems unnatural. 25-08-22 update for Modules Wrapper,[One big thirdparty module], [suggested filename suffix], [mix include and import] C++20 Modules are beneficial for improving code modularity, enhancing program encapsulation, boosting compilation speed, and reducing the size of library code. Consequently, C++20 Modules have been highly anticipated since their inception. However, it is unsatisfacto

Exactly Six Months Ago, the CEO of Anthropic Said That in Six Months AI Would Be Writing 90 Percent of Code

With so many wild predictions flying around about the future AI, it’s important to occasionally take a step back and check in on what came true — and what hasn’t come to pass. Exactly six months ago, Dario Amodei, the CEO of massive AI company Anthropic, claimed that in half a year, AI would be "writing 90 percent of code." And that was the worst-case scenario; in just three months, he predicted, we could hit a place where "essentially all" code is written by AI. As the CEO of one of the buzzi

Insufficiently sanitized data allows unauthenticated access to FreePBX Admin

We’re back - it’s a day, in a month, in a year - and once again, something has happened. In this week’s episode of “the Internet is made of string and there is literally no evidence to suggest otherwise”, we present even further evidence that as a species we made a fairly painful mistake when we discovered electricity - and it just got worse and worse. Today, inside this hellscape we call the Internet, a mean person has discovered a zero-day(s) in FreePBX (now lovingly called CVE-2025-57819).

OpenAI Brings Back Standard Voice Mode After Revolt

If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- or maybe even upgrade it. OpenAI has decided, for now, to keep Standard Voice Mode available for ChatGPT customers after some hard backlash against its replacement, Advanced Voice Mode. As OpenAI VP and ChatGPT boss Nick Turley posted on X and also on the Open AI website: "We've heard feedback that Standard Voice is special to many, and we want to get this transition right." He added: "Standard Voice will stay available while we address some of your feedback i

Microsoft ends OpenAI exclusivity in Office, adds rival Anthropic

Microsoft's Office 365 suite will soon incorporate AI models from Anthropic alongside existing OpenAI technology, The Information reported, ending years of exclusive reliance on OpenAI for generative AI features across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The shift reportedly follows internal testing that revealed Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 model excels at specific Office tasks where OpenAI's models fall short, particularly in visual design and spreadsheet automation, according to sources fam

Is the Apple Watch SE 3 worth it? Here's how it compares to the 2022 Watch SE 2

Rene Ramos/ZDNET/Apple Apple recently unveiled the new iPhone 17 lineup at its annual September hardware event, and its core smartwatch finally got a much-needed facelift. That's right, the Apple Watch SE 2 is officially retired, as the Watch SE 3 takes its place with fresh upgrades. The Watch SE 3 joins two other new wearables from Apple -- the Watch Series 11 and the more advanced Watch Ultra 3. While both of the latter watches saw some sizzling upgrades, the Watch SE 3 got some long-awaited

Topics: apple model new se watch

Tinder evolves some features into dating ‘modes’

In a bid to retain users and increase engagement, Tinder is overhauling some of its existing features into new, redesigned “modes,” in addition revamping its home screen. The app is getting two new modes, Double Date and College Mode — essentially extensions of existing features — alongside a “For You” mode on the home screen that presents the classic Tinder experience. The company said it will add more dating modes that will lean into interests, dating intentions, and different ways to connect

E-paper display reaches the realm of LCD screens

E-paper displays are prized for their readability and low power use, but they’ve long been dismissed as too slow for everyday computing. Modos, a two-person startup with open-hardware roots, thinks it has cracked part of that problem with a development kit capable of driving an e-paper display at refresh rates up to a record 75 hertz. The Modos Paper Monitor and Dev Kit, now available for crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, combines standard e-paper panels with an open source FPGA-based display cont

Microsoft reportedly plans to start using Anthropic models to power some of Office 365's Copilot features

Microsoft reportedly plans to begin using Anthropic's latest Claude models to power some of the Copilot features in its Office 365 apps. In a report published Tuesday, The Information said the tech giant would announce the change "in the coming weeks." Microsoft currently relies on OpenAI's tech to power the majority of AI features found inside of Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. As an outsider looking in, Microsoft's embrace of Anthropic's models would appear to signal a deepening split be

UAE Lab Releases Open-Source Model to Rival China’s DeepSeek

The United Arab Emirates wants to compete with the U.S. and China in AI, and a new open source model may be its strongest contender yet. An Emirati AI lab called the Institute of Foundation Models released K2 Think on Tuesday, a model that researchers say rivals OpenAI’s ChatGPT and China’s DeepSeek in standard benchmark tests. “With just 32 billion parameters, it outperforms flagship reasoning models that are 20x larger,” the lab wrote in a press release on Tuesday. DeepSeek’s R1 has 671 bill

Apple's new wireless chips give it even more control of the iPhone

Apple introduced two new wireless chips in the iPhone Air, a preview of a world where all the key components of the company's products are custom-designed. The C1X and N1 chips enable wireless features like 5G connectivity and Wi-Fi 7, building on the original C1 modem the company introduced in the iPhone 16e. At least one reason Apple was able to pull off the thin design of the iPhone Air was the power-efficiency these new chips offer. The C1X modem supports sub-6Ghz 5G and 4G LTE and is up to

E-Paper Display Refresh Rate Reaches New Heights

E-paper displays are prized for their readability and low power use, but they’ve long been dismissed as too slow for everyday computing. Modos, a two-person startup with open-hardware roots, thinks it has cracked part of that problem with a development kit capable of driving an e-paper display at refresh rates up to a record 75 hertz. The Modos Paper Monitor and Dev Kit, now available for crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, combines standard e-paper panels with an open source FPGA-based display cont

Apple debuts the $999 ultra-thin iPhone Air

Move over, iPhone Plus, here comes your super-slim replacement: the iPhone Air. During Apple’s iPhone event on Tuesday, the company unveiled the iPhone Air, its thinnest and lightest model to date. This replaces the Plus model in the company’s 2025 lineup, following the underperformance of the iPhone 16 Plus last year, based on data from research firm DSCC. The star of today’s event draws inspiration from Apple’s MacBook Air strategy, which debuted in 2008 as the thinnest laptop available, pos

Apple debuts new C1X in-house modem, the successor to C1

Today as part of its iPhone Air unveiling, Apple introduced a brand new C1X modem—the successor to the company’s in-house C1. Here are the details. C1X modem is brand new and available in iPhone Air Apple’s ‘Awe dropping’ event today has been packed with new hardware. One surprise announcement was the introduction of a new in-house Apple cellular modem. Rumors indicated that the new iPhone Air would include the same C1 modem introduced earlier this year in iPhone 16e. Instead, iPhone Air is

Apple debuts the ultra-thin iPhone Air

Move over, iPhone Plus, here comes your super-slim replacement: the iPhone Air. During Apple’s iPhone event on Tuesday, the company unveiled the iPhone Air, its thinnest and lightest model to date. This replaces the Plus model in the company’s 2025 lineup, following the underperformance of the iPhone 16 Plus last year, based on data from research firm DSCC. The star of today’s event draws inspiration from Apple’s MacBook Air strategy, which debuted in 2008 as the thinnest laptop available, pos

A Star Wars AR Game Got Me Playing With Virtual Action Figures Like I Was 6 Years Old

It took less than a minute after donning a Meta Quest 3 headset before I was reliving some of my best memories from childhood in augmented reality, sitting on the floor with my digital Star Wars action figures creating fantastical scenes from a galaxy far, far away. Last week, I visited Meta's Los Angeles offices a mile from the city's sunny beaches to try out an upcoming game, Star Wars: Beyond Victory, due out October 7 only for the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S headsets. The game is develop

If Apple unveils the iPhone 17 Air with these features today, I'm ready to upgrade

The iPhone Plus model (pictured) may potentially be replaced by the iPhone Air/Slim. Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways iPhone 17 Air may debut as Apple's thinnest phone ever today. Single rear camera shows Apple's thinness trade-offs. Expected to debut on Sept. 9, 2025, priced around $900. Apple is rumored to be spicing things for today's iPhone event. It could introduce an ultra-thin model for the 2025 iPhone lineup called the iPho

X Design Notes: Unifying OCaml Modules and Values

In 2020, I released Cubiml, showing how to combine full type inference with structural subtyping in an ML-like language, and earlier this year, I followed it up with PolySubML, extending it with higher rank types and existential types among other features. For my next language (which I’ll call X here, since I haven’t chosen a name yet), I set the ambitious goal of supporting all of OCaml’s most notable functionality on top of everything PolySubML already supports. In this post, I will talk about

Topics: foo let module ocaml type

Abu Dhabi launches low-cost AI reasoning model in challenge to OpenAI, DeepSeek

Omer Taha Cetin | Anadolu | Getty Images A new challenger in the global artificial intelligence race has entered the ring. The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), an AI-focused research university established by the United Arab Emirates, announced on Tuesday the release of a new, low-cost reasoning model to rival OpenAI and DeepSeek. It comes after DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, earlier this year shocked the world with the release of a reasoning model called R1 which

The United Arab Emirates Releases a Tiny But Powerful AI Model

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has released an open source model that performs advanced reasoning as well as the best offerings from both the United States and China—one of the strongest signs so far that the nation’s big investments in artificial intelligence are starting to pay off. The new model, K2 Think, comes from researchers at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) located in UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi. The model—one of the first so-called “sovereign” AI models th

Topics: ai k2 model models uae

Hollow Knight: Silksong Includes a Secret Konami Code Easter Egg

Hollow Knight: Silksong isn't an easy game, but that difficulty is one of the reasons why fans love it. There are likely some in the fanbase who might even feel it's too easy, and for them, developer Team Cherry added the most famous of cheat codes to the game, although it doesn't give you 30 lives. The famous Konami Code, best known for its inclusion in the NES game Contra, does work in Silksong, but it will make the game far harder, not easier. The secret was found not long after the game cam

Writing code is easy, reading it isn't

Writing code is easy. Once you have a solution in mind, and have mastered the syntax of your favorite programming language, writing code is easy. Having an LLM write entire functions for you? Even easier. But the hard part isn’t the writing. It’s the reading. It’s the time it takes to load the mental model of the system into your head. That’s where all the cost really is. A mental model is the thing you build when you read code. It’s your internal map of how the system works, where the tricky p

Google expands AI Mode beyond English for the first time

Google is opening up AI Mode to more languages. Starting today, the AI chatbot the company is integrating into Google Search is available in Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese. The company has been rapidly expanding access to the search experience. In May, Google started offering it to everyone in the US (and later the UK and India) after starting public tests just two months earlier. Google added more features to AI Mode in July, including support for the Gemini 2.5