Technology News

After Microsoft, it’s Google’s turn to add AI to its Office suite. Workspace users can rely on an intelligent assistant to automatically generate documents, even in Gmail!

Ever since ChatGPT, OpenAI’s groundbreaking chatbot, hit the web in late 2022, Microsoft and Google have been in a frantic AI race. A few days ago, the start-up announced the release of GPT-4, the new version of the language model that powers ChatGPT – and which is already integrated into Bing’s chatbot. Neither one nor two, Google responded by announcing on its blog the integration of artificial intelligence into the services of its Google Workspace suite, specifically Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Chat and Meet. “We are currently at a pivotal moment in our AI journey. Breakthroughs in generative AI are dramatically changing the way people interact with technology,” the internet giant says in a post. This allows users to delegate certain writing or content creation tasks to artificial intelligence.

Google Workspace: AI as an assistant

The integration of AI into Google services should save users valuable time when performing administrative tasks. All he has to do is enter a subject or an instruction, and the artificial intelligence generates a draft that he can change and edit as he likes – for example to write a welcome email to a new employee. She can also “compose, reply, summarize and prioritize” emails in Gmail. It will also be able to summarize a multi-email conversation, suggest an appropriate reply, or convert notes into bullets into presentable text.

On spreadsheets — the equivalent of Microsoft Excel — AI will be able to go “from raw data to insights and analysis through auto-completion, formula generation, and contextual categorization.” In addition, it will be able to automatically generate images, sounds and videos in slides. Finally, in Meet, she can create new backgrounds and take notes, as well as “enable workflows to get things done in chat.” That sounds pretty promising on paper!

Google Workspace: an AI race with Microsoft

Shortly after Google’s announcement, Microsoft announced at a conference the integration of Copilot into its Microsoft 365 suite, an AI that acts as an assistant for creating PowerPoint presentations, writing Word documents, and summarizing Excel spreadsheets and which promises to be truly revolutionary (see our articles). It’s definitely war between the two digital giants! However, this speed of innovation and the lack of reliability of these AI models raise some concerns, especially regarding the security of users’ professional data and the reliability of the technology.

©Google

In fact, we inevitably fear mistakes, drifts, and hallucinations — those moments when AIs start doing and saying anything — especially as Microsoft presses Google and pushes it too rushed, as was the case with Bard’s presentation, which is a complete Fiasco was and caused the company to lose a lot of money (see our article). And as much as it can make you smile when you test a chatbot, it can quickly become problematic in the middle of the job, with an artificial intelligence that would invent new customers or new products, that would assign quotes or quoted ideas to the wrong people to meet, or who would make a mistake summarizing a Sheets table with hundreds of rows! “Sometimes the AI ​​gets it wrong. Sometimes it treats you to something quirky, and often it needs guidance,” admits Google.

Given the controversies surrounding LaMDA, its language model, which according to one of its former employees would be endowed with a conscience, the unreliability of Google Bard, the cable breaks of Bing’s chatbot or even the excesses of Snapchat’s My AI, we can rightly imagine Questions about the AI ​​race that for some months has seemed to be convincing technology companies that, not wanting to be competitive, sometimes release their technologies too quickly without having asked the Guardians – crazy necessary. Google would pay close attention to its AI with “thoughtful experiments and many iterations based on user feedback” to “prevent abuse, protect the privacy of user data, and maintain customer control over data stewardship.” The new AI integrated into the workspace suite will first be tested by trusted American programmers. No date of availability to the general public or price has been given – will this AI be offered via a paid option or added to Google’s tools for free? More information should be provided at the company’s annual conference, Google I/O, taking place on May 10th.

©Google

Red Wing Shoes, maker of work boots, has teamed up with Nintendo to recreate the shoes of one of the most iconic characters in video game history: Mario.

While a The Super Mario Bros movie is in production, work shoe maker Red Wing Shoes had fun recreating Mario’s shoes. He occasionally works with the feature film’s creative team to translate each pixel into “an actual stitch.” Made from durable, high-quality leather, these super strong boots are also flame retardant with non-slip soles and a reinforced toe box. As a finishing touch, the heel pads are made from mushroom mycelium, giving them “built-in power”. Many fans have indeed been searching for them since photos surfaced following an event in New York on the annual Mario Day, but the pair of Red Wing Shoes is a one-of-a-kind piece made specifically for the new Nintendo console release.

Dave Schneider, Director of Communications at Red Wing Shoes said, “At Red Wing Shoe Company, we have been providing durable, durable and comfortable shoes that protect workers on construction sites for 118 years. We were thrilled to bring the same ambition and energy to Mario’s Boots, one of the most famous plumbers in the world! »

The war in Ukraine disrupted the partnership between Russia and the European Space Agency on the ExoMars mission. Two Russian scientific instruments are returned. An alternative is being evaluated.

We don’t yet know what the ExoMars mission to the Red Planet will take, but we now know when. At the bend of a common waypoint in mid-March, the European Space Agency (ESA) provided an estimated timetable for the departure of its rover: October 2028. This is, in a sense, the mission’s “rebirth” after a year of uncertainty.

The ExoMars rover will amputate two instruments

A rebirth as well as a transformation. ESA has revealed some details about the Rosalind Franklin rover, named in honor of a scientist who first discovered the helical structure of DNA. Therefore, all Russian components are dismantled from the machine and returned to the institutes that developed them. Two Russian instruments are attacked.

This withdrawal of equipment is a direct result of the war in Ukraine that Russia started – Moscow was a key partner in the ExoMars 2022 mission. But on February 24, everything was upset with the invasion. Incidentally, this deprived Europe of Russia’s launch capabilities. Today it is impossible to work with Roscosmos, ESA’s counterpart.

The return of the two Russian components to their owners (Adron neutron detector and ISEM infrared spectrometer) is partially fulfilled – if the neutron spectrometer is not replaced, the infrared spectrometer has a chance. The European Space Agency is working on it, with a solution coming from its member states.

Departing in 2028 for an arrival on Mars in 2030, ExoMars will then be ten years too late – originally scheduled to depart in 2018 to arrive in 2020, hence the nickname ExoMars 2020. The material on site is sent, does not take the risk of being stricken by obsolescence in seven years? In other words, will it be necessary to modify the rover beyond replacing the two Russian instruments?

Esa isn’t worried: “Technologies[…] will remain relevant to existing and planned “competition” on Mars”. In addition, the Esa claims to be the only one so far that has taken up the challenge of digging two meters deep. However, the Esa will evolve with the obsolescence of parts until the mission’s return to its launch pad in five years.

An acquisition window for Mars every two years

One question remains: why so late? First, there are concerns for celestial mechanics: “The best opportunities for a launch to Mars occur every two years, when Earth and Mars are optimally aligned,” Esa points out. We do not depart for this near-Earth planet at any time if we want to optimize flight and fuel.

When the ExoMars mission was first postponed, the calendar slipped from 2020 to 2022. The flight was supposed to be one of the great moments of space conquest last year.

This leads to the second problem: Europe has no immediate alternative to compensate for the lack of the Russian rocket (Proton) or the atmospheric re-entry and descent vehicle, also provided by the former partner. Impossible to look back quickly to 2024, which was the next window. It’s way too early.

Then there was 2026 or 2028. Josef Aschbacher, head of the European Space Agency, described the first date as “very difficult”. The second was therefore preferred. This is the “earliest” starting opportunity. “This allows the time needed to set up the mission elements to be balanced with a good landing scenario in 2030,” says ESA.

Last unanswered question: Which launch vehicle will be responsible for delivering everything to Mars?

To compensate for the departure of the Russians, support from the USA via the American space agency Nasa and private service providers – SpaceX or the United Launch Alliance (ULA) – is planned. However, the presence of sensitive American components banned for transfer – radioisotope heating elements – would, at first glance, prevent reliance on Ariane 6.

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Explore the Red Planet with the Mars 2020 mission

big sisters of The FivesThe Sevens speakers perpetuate the active formula of clip in a duo in shelf format, with retro design but modern technology.

Klipsch The Sevens

Type: Type: Two-way powered speaker
ON Mag’s opinion: (4/5)
Price at the time of testing: €1,600 (the set)

>>> FIND ALL OUR TESTS IN OUR ONLINE GUIDES AND MAGAZINES

Beautiful and trendy but still unconnected

A more imposing twist on The Fives, The Sevens maintains the retro spirit of that series without lapsing into uninspired copy-paste. They remain compact enough to fit on most pieces of furniture while benefiting from a very good finish, if not really luxurious.

As impressive as the build quality, the physical connections on these speakers cover almost every need. The Klipsch The Sevens can be connected to many classic digital sources (USB-B, optical and HDMI-ARC), they have analogue inputs (jack and cinch) and also include a phono preamp and a subwoofer output.

Unfortunately, Klipsch ignores the connected dimension, which is partly filled by an integrated Bluetooth chip and an application (Klipsch Connect) that offers access to some sound settings. Unfortunately, during our tests, this application turned out to be quite unstable (quite frequent disconnections). This goes hand in hand with perfected ergonomics, which allows for some adjustments, but has its limits, especially with regard to the two non-reactive wheels of the main speaker.

Character, round bass, but finesse

The Klipsch The Sevens are two-way active speakers that work on the principle of a main speaker bringing all the electronics together and a slave speaker connected via special connectors, allowing two channels to be separated, eliminating active filtering preserved. Bass/mid is provided by a large 6.5″ woofer and high by a 1″ titanium dome tweeter with Tractrix horn. Everything is loaded with bass reflex, with rear roof vent.

While not perfect, there’s something very pleasing about The Sevens’ sound reproduction because it’s playful without going overboard. As a result, the highs are surprisingly balanced and extended, giving these speakers a reproduction that is neither aggressive nor foggy. However, it lacks a touch of technique as well as breadth in the soundstage to pass a course.
Conversely, the bass manages to go particularly deep, much deeper than with its little sisters The Fives. This provides an excellent base, the impression of being perfectly enveloped in the very low frequencies. Nevertheless, and this is the counterpart to the strong pressure on the very low frequencies, we do feel some overflows in this area. In fact, the Klipsch The Sevens offer a more rounded bass than really punchy, which suits fat styles of music (rock and jazz type) very well, but less so with heavier genres.

If The Sevens don’t reach the heights of technology, especially with their easily perfectable level of detail, these active and bluetooth speakers show a great sound quality that brings a real listening pleasure in both the music and video section. .

in summary

Beautiful and well finished, the Klipsch The Sevens active and wireless speakers show great versatility, both in terms of use and sound. Without finding the ideal formula, they offer a very solid and deep sound at the bottom of the spectrum, as well as a nice balance in the highs.

>>> ALSO READ: ALL OUR ACTIVE SPEAKER TESTS AND WIRELESS SPEAKER TESTS

specifications

• Type: two-way active speaker
• Sound architecture: 16.5 cm woofer with paper cone, 2.54 cm titanium dome tweeter with Tractrix horn
• 2 x (80 + 20) watts of gain
• Active filtering
• Frequency Response: 39Hz – 25kHz
• Connections: USB-B, Toslink optical, HDMI ARC, stereo RCA (line or phono input), 3.5 mm jack line input, RCA output for subwoofer, AptX HD Bluetooth receiver
• Right/Left switch to adjust the main speaker channel
• Connection between the two speakers via 4-pin connectors
• Built-in 24-bit/192kHz compatible DAC
• Box contents: 4 m speaker connection cable, 2 m extension cable, HDMI cable, power cable, remote control, USB-B cable
• Dimensions (per speaker): 206 x 415 x 279 mm
• Weight: 10.1 kg (main speakers); 9.03 kg (sub speakers)
• Price of the set: 1,600 euros

Our opinion

clip

Elon Musk definitely seems stubborn with the famous Tesla Vision, that navigation system based solely on cameras, ignoring any external sensor (radar, ultrasound).

Unfortunately for buyers, the system doesn’t seem to be ready yet. As we saw in our article on semi-autonomous driving, certain functions were then restricted, like the distance to the vehicle in front in a traffic jam or even worse, parking in parking lots has become hell for those who no longer have proximity sensors. Many believe that too The car is not as comfortable as before in certain climatic episodes (snow, rain, fog) when it has to do without a driver.

The return of precise measurements

In the update 2022.45.11 Tesla should finally return to normal behavior during complicated maneuvers.

According to a hacker who managed to get into the guts of the system, This version would be far more accurate in determining the distance to objects in front and to the sides of the car.

Until now, the driver was given a completely folkloric distance cue, enough to make him lose patience most of the time. But how does Tesla know if there is a slightly raised stud or pavement in the car? In fact, unlike many manufacturers, there is no camera at the level of the grille, but only at the level of the top of the windshield, which limits the view of the front of the vehicle.

However, on vehicles fitted with ultrasonic sensors, these are not located on the sides and, as such, Tesla Vision could be more effective at judging distances on the sides – very useful when parking on the cob.

At present, The feature only appears to be available for the US and Canada, so you’ll have to wait a bit in Europe. Another requirement, Tesla only offered the thing to those who took the FSD option – 100% autonomous driving. Enough to leave a bitter taste in the mouth for all those who have bought Teslas without this option since 2022, during which time all sensors have been removed.

However, let us be more precise This lack of physical sensors has also limited Auto Exit, Smart Auto Exit, and Auto Park features., with which you can park in and out of your space and even move independently or semi-autonomously in parking lots. Let’s hope Tesla finally fixes the shot quickly…or reverses its original decision after all.

The editors advise you on the same topic:

Anyone looking for a device that won’t let go even after a few hours will find a selection of durable smartphones here.

You are fed up with your smartphone that leaves you after a few hours due to lack of battery. And even if it charges very quickly, as is the current trend, you don’t necessarily have an outlet within reach to find a few hours of autonomy and get to the end of the day.

Whether you’re a gamer, a streaming addict, a fan of long outdoor trips, or simply on the go all day, your smartphone’s autonomy can be an essential, even key, criterion. Many manufacturers now offer devices with long-lasting batteries without too much compromise on the remaining functions. Tech&Co has selected some references that should delight all user profiles.

The editorial staff of BFMTV made this selection independently. BFMTV is likely to receive compensation if one of our readers makes a purchase through the links contained in this article.

Honor X7a

Honor X7a – Honor

The Honor X7a is for people who are looking for a very durable and affordable smartphone. In fact, for less than 250 euros, this entry-level device, available in three colors (silver, blue and black), offers a simply exceptional autonomy of three and a half days with moderate use (at least two days, even for the tallest users). .

To this, the Chinese manufacturer adds technology to optimize its energy consumption according to its activity. If its charge is far from the most powerful on the market, you can enjoy 3 hours of video streaming by plugging it in for 10 minutes.

At this price you have a device with a large and beautiful 6.74 inch LCD screen, with modest performance but effective for all tasks. The Honor X7 does not neglect the photo with four sensors on the back for real versatility (50 Mpx main, 5 Mpx ultra wide angle, 2 Mpx macro and 2 Mpx depth of field for portraits). With 128GB of storage, it’s possible to add up to 1TB with a microSD card.

Asus Zenfone 9

Asus Zenfone 9 – Asus

Long autonomy doesn’t necessarily rhyme with size. That’s what the Zenfone 9 wants to prove, which despite its compact format (5.9-inch Oled FHD+ screen) and its light weight (169 g) still houses a 4300 mAh battery that will allow almost two to endure days without fluctuations. It also benefits from a 120Hz refresh rate to adapt to your activity and thus limit the impact on the battery. Powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, it greatly optimizes its consumption to increase its autonomy. Count about 1h15 to charge it.

Powerful, it does not compromise even when it comes to photography, even if it is limited to two sensors, enough to be prepared for all situations and to take high quality shots (main 50 Mpx sensor with gimbal optical stabilizer, an ultra 12 MP wide angle). It films up to 8K UHD. Other advantages of this 5G smartphone include: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 compatibility, two stereo speakers, IP68 certification that withstands immersion at up to 1m for 30 minutes.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

Redmi Note 11 – Redmi

Is your budget limited? The Redmi Note 11 is the ideal device if you are looking for a cheap device with a long battery life and balanced overall performance. In fact, the Chinese smartphone guarantees just over two days of autonomy for standard use. And with its 5000 mAh battery, it manages to regain 50% autonomy in less than 30 minutes and fully recharges in 1h15 (25% in 10 minutes).

When it doesn’t benefit from the latest technological advances, the device offers a beautiful design with good workmanship, a more than adequate camera, sufficient performance for regular use, as well as a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen clocked at 90 Hz. Excellent value for money.

Asus ROG Phone 6

Asus ROG Phone 6 – Asus

The ROG Phone 6 is a premium smartphone for video game enthusiasts looking for a powerful device capable of running the most graphically demanding mobile titles. And to satisfy their passion over a long period of time, the Asus terminal has an autonomy of three days with moderate use. The icing on the cake: the battery is fully charged again in less than an hour. And five minutes of charging restores nearly 6 hours of battery life.

Smartphone for video games, it shows all its features: an eye-catching design, an excellent quality OLED screen, an ultra-powerful processor (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1) to run all experiences and manage multiple tasks at the same time, but also on the edge arranged game buttons. These customizable buttons allow turning the smartphone into a gamepad and finding the reflexes. The ROG Phone 6 has a good quality triple rear camera and allows you to shoot up to 8K, but that’s not the main reason you’ll buy it.

Impressive features in a anything but compact size (6.8 inches, 239 g). The price for such a service, which is also reflected in the bill.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – Samsung

If your heart beats for high-end Android smartphones, it’s hard not to recommend the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Although it is adorned with many power-hungry features, the Samsung flagship offers two and a half days of autonomy with moderate use and also withstands most multimedia tasks (watching videos, making phone calls, surfing the Internet, recording videos, etc.).

In any case, it is also an exceptional device, especially with its ultra-premium design and its S-Pen style to write or draw, a very bright and pleasant AMOLED screen to watch videos or photos. It particularly shines in photos with its 200 Mpx main sensor and its 10x optical zoom that can reach 100x digitally. And above all, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip signed by Qualcomm, in all circumstances it shows a speed that allows it to limit its consumption to the point of offering the ultimate in all categories.

Crosscall Core Z5

Crosscall Core-Z5 – Crosscall

The Crosscall brand specializes in ultra-resistant smartphones for hikers or those who have to work outdoors in difficult conditions. The Core Z5 can be used for more than a day.

It announces staying in communication for up to 44 hours and recovers 50% of autonomy in less than 45 minutes. It’s cut to be energy efficient while remaining efficient. Plus, an indicator light lets you know when it’s time to charge. The Core-Z5 also offers reverse charging via the USB-C port to charge another device. Of course, you won’t be asking for the moon in terms of performance, but it more than gets the job done.

Plus, take advantage of its foolproof durability, an IP68 rating (30 minutes to 2m in freshwater and saltwater, and dustproof). The design is not its main advantage, but it has a more than adequate 6.1-inch screen and a sufficiently powerful noise-cancelling speaker for your interlocutor, which will allow you to hear and be heard outside in all circumstances. It offers both a dual SIM port and a drawer for a microSD card and thus additional storage space.

Oppo Reno 8 5G

Oppo Reno8 5G – Oppo

Not all consumers have the financial means to invest in a high-end phone. The Reno 8 5G could therefore suit those users who want to acquire a durable smartphone with performance close to premium models.

The Reno 8 5G is not content with guaranteeing two days of autonomy with moderate use, which cannot harm references at higher prices, but has a real fast charge that allows it to find 100% of its capacity in less than 30 minutes thanks to the included 80W charger, 50% in just 10 minutes.

Elegant and relatively compact smartphone in hand, with a very nice 6.4-inch 90Hz OLED screen, the Oppo Reno 8 5G ticks all the boxes of the excellent compromise, with the added bonus of great photo capabilities, both day and night ( 50 Mpx main sensor, 8 Mpx ultra wide angle and 2 Mpx macro, 32 Mpx selfie). It also has very decent performance that makes everyday use enjoyable. It’s hard to find a more balanced configuration at this price point.

iPhone 13 Pro max

iPhone 13 Pro Max – Tech&Co

It’s not a mistake. The iPhone 14 Pro Max could have slipped into this selection, but it’s its predecessor that wins the most enduring premium smartphones on iOS with an overall autonomy estimated at two and a half days with moderate use.

Several arguments speak in favor of the iPhone 13 Pro Max: it embeds slightly less energy-intensive functions than its predecessor, such as “Dynamic Island”, and it has also switched to iOS 16, which allows it to further optimize its autonomy. First of all, it is cheaper than the iPhone 14 Pro Max but shares most of the advantages (except for the main sensor increased to 48 Mpx).

Do we need to list the qualities of Apple smartphones? With the 13 Pro Max you will benefit, among other things, from a premium device with an excellent Oled (Super Retina) screen, ideal for consuming multimedia content, as well as top-notch performance thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, which makes it still one of the most powerful devices on the market.

Louis Mbembe and Melinda Davan-Soulas

top article

It’s little gifted the whole Apple universe locked inside Mac mini. It’s also one of the few Apple computers to sell for under $700. It’s a lot and it’s very little (for Apple).

César for the best compact and compressed computer. Like its price, the Mac mini carries its name like a banner. After all, the Mac mini, which weighs almost two kilos, locks in a cutting-edge Apple computer from 699 euros (for the 8 GB memory variant, 256 GB SSD hard drive). It’s a lot and it’s very little, for the universe of Apple computers, sold at more like four-digit prices.

This included tariff imposes sacrifices, the first of which is the lack of a screen. The Mac mini is a bit like a computer tower, but it has to be said that it is much more compact and also much more elegant.

Neither screen nor keyboard nor mouse, but OSEF

So no screen. But also no mouse or keyboard. Frankly, since the democratization of the computer, we can easily recycle a screen that has lost its use because we have switched to the laptop format, for example.

The advantage of the Mac mini is that you step into the Apple universe. You will even enter through the main door, the Porte-Cochere.

The advantage of the Mac mini is that you step into the Apple universe. You will even enter through the front door.

For what ? Because the Mac mini impresses with its performance and user-friendliness. A speed owed to the new Apple M2 chip (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU), core(s) of the reactor, or rather the responsiveness of the Mini.

It keeps the shock from greedy software like the latest games. And all without flinching. Literally. The fans are running at full speed, not much for him: A sophisticated cooling system frees this Mac from the Canadair hum of computers that run out of breath under computing load. The only real limitation for this gifted little kid is that it doesn’t allow for memory upgrades or hard drive (SSD) swaps.

Mac mini: from €699 on Apple.com