Deepfakes and the Struggle to Take It Down
Laws might make it harder for AI deepfakes to harm innocents, but we should still talk to our kids about potential dangers.
That ‘Digital Needle’ in Your Hand
Way back in 1927, a political scientist named Harold Laswell came up with a theory on mass media that some called the “Hypodermic Needle Theory.” Laswell believed that injecting media into a passive audience had a direct and significant impact on people’s thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. Of course, in Laswell’s day, media information was primarily […]
Why Plugged In Says No Phones in the Bedroom
There are several very prominent problems with phone use at night. And though you may have heard them before, let’s quickly review …
A Gaming Goldmine: Plugged In’s Year End Picks
It’s that time of year again, when Plugged In unveils its top picks for the year. This week, we’re picking our favorite games.
The New OpenAI Browser Is (Still) Sailing Your Way
OpenAI and others are promising AI-powered web browsers. But will they work better or peter out like Perplexity’s Comet?
Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Man, uh, Men … uh, Hoax?
They’re called The Velvet Sundown. This indie rock band splashed on the music scene this past summer, amassing more than a million monthly listens on the music streaming service Spotify.
Ballerina Cappuccina, Brain Rot and Yeet!
Have you seen your tween or younger child chortling over YouTube videos depicting an odd-looking cappuccino cup-headed ballerina or a three-legged shark wearing Nike sneakers? Or perhaps you’ve witnessed an entire room of kids break up over the numbers 6 and 7. Or maybe you overheard your teen’s conversation that went something like this: “He […]
How Is Artificial Intelligence Using … You?
Artificial intelligence is the topic of the day. Everybody is chatting about it and wondering how it will soon be stitched into the tapestry of our lives. But there’s one AI topic thread that you may not be thinking about or talking about over your morning cup of joe: What is AI borrowing from you […]
Want Lunch? Call My AI Agent.
What if you could hand over a list of tasks to an AI personal assistant and have it take care of all the details?
6 Techy Doodads for Parents to Keep an Eye On
Each year the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) presents a showcase of all sorts of new wiz-bang electronics, computer hardware and software innovations. This year it was hosted in Las Vegas at a convention center that encompassed some 2.9 million square feet of displays, showcased over 4,500 presenters and was a short-term second home for some […]