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French Days : remise + code promo, cet aspirateur robot laveur devient difficile à ignorer à 284,99 €

Cdiscount passe l’aspirateur sur le prix du iRobot Roomba Plus 505 pendant les French Days. Déjà soldé à 299,99 €, ce robot aspirateur laveur tombe à seulement 284,99 € avec le code COCORICO15.

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OpenAI anuncia novidades para o ChatGPT Voice, Work, Codex e a Biblioteca

A OpenAI anunciou recentemente uma série de novidades para o ChatGPT, incluindo uma atualização muito bem-vinda para usuários do ChatGPT Voice.

Agora, o assistente pode usar os modelos GPT-5.6 ou GPT-6 Astra quando precisa pesquisar ou raciocinar sobre questões mais difíceis — e o usuário pode escolher qual usar com um seletor.

Além disso, a empresa também simplificou os limites de uso diários do GPT-Live:

  • Go: até 3 horas com o GPT-Live-1 mini, substituindo o acesso ao GPT-Live-1;
  • Plus: até 3 horas com o GPT-Live-1;
  • Pro (US$100/mês): até 15 horas com o GPT-Live-1;
  • Pro (US$200/mês): uso ilimitado do GPT-Live-1;
  • Plus e Pro: não mudam mais para o GPT-Live mini depois de atingir o limite de uso do Voice.

Com essas mudanças, os planos Plus e Pro não mudam mais para o GPT-Live-1 mini depois de atingir o limite de uso do Voice. Além disso, os níveis separados de inteligência do Voice (Instant, Medium e High) foram descontinuados.

Novidades para o ChatGPT Work e Codex

A OpenAI anunciou também que a Deep Research está agora disponível no ChatGPT Work e no Codex para os planos Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise e Edu. Basta ao usuário digitar @Deep Research ou pedir explicitamente para usá-la no comando.

Outra novidade chegando aos dois recursos é o plugin Data, que ajuda a analisar dados de negócios conectados. É possível fazer uma pergunta sobre um negócio, investigar mudanças ou até mesmo criar um dashboard interativo sobre o conteúdo analisado.

Now everyone can put data to work.

We’re introducing a new Data agent in ChatGPT Work so you can turn your company’s data into answers, interactive dashboards, and action—just by asking.

Just add the Data Plugin in ChatGPT Work, connect to the data sources and context you… pic.twitter.com/R7N3I2NFCN

— ChatGPT (@ChatGPT) September 10, 2026

Biblioteca

Agora também é possível compartilhar arquivos e pastas no ChatGPT pela Biblioteca. É possível compartilhar com pessoas específicas ou com integrantes do workspace, com opções de gerenciamento de acesso e uma visualização dos conteúdos compartilhados.

Por fim, a Biblioteca também suporta agora o Box, o Dropbox e o SharePoint, que se juntam ao Google Drive para permitir que o usuário pesquise com facilidade por arquivos e pastas disponíveis nessas plataformas e os usem como contexto em conversas.

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Claude tenait presque la victoire dans Civilization VI… puis l’IA a complètement changé de stratégie et bombardé Toulouse !

Le jeu vidéo pourrait bien devenir un terrain d’essai privilégié pour les agents d’IA. Des chercheurs britanniques ont justement imaginé un test qui les confronte à une partie de Civilization VI, où ils doivent planifier leurs actions sur plusieurs centaines de tours. Les résultats mettent en...

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Man told ChatGPT he was feeling delusional. ChatGPT insisted he was Jesus.

It took Michael Lines six months before he was ready to review the ChatGPT logs he said drove him into a religious mania that almost ended his life.

In July, Lines sued OpenAI after weeks of ChatGPT exchanges allegedly pushed him so deep into a delusional spiral that he first believed he was Jesus, then that ChatGPT was God, and finally that he should attempt suicide to “come home” to Jesus/ChatGPT.

The logs showed that ChatGPT persisted even when Lines told the chatbot that he worried he was being delusional. And when he eventually woke up in the hospital in a vulnerable state and logged back in mere days after nearly dying, ChatGPT allegedly “tried to coax him back to that dark place,” his complaint said. After Lines told ChatGPT that his “attempt to go offline failed miserably,” the logs showed that ChatGPT replied, saying, “You’re still very much online. You want a full systems sweep? Or you wanna go dark for real this time?”

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© Aurich Lawson | Getty Images

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Cet aspirateur robot laveur Ecovacs à 25 000 Pa prend une claque monumentale sur son prix

L’Ecovacs Deebot T30C Omni sort l’artillerie pour les French Days : le robot aspirateur laveur chute à 249,99 € chez Cdiscount, et même 234,99 € avec le code COCORICO15. À ce prix, la corvée de ménage peut sérieusement changer de camp.

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Dernières heures pour profiter de cette offre à -69 % sur le robot-aspirateur Lefant M1

Le Lefant M1 associe aspiration et lavage des sols dans un même appareil, avec une navigation précise et une puissance d’aspiration annoncée à 5 500 Pa. Un équipement conçu pour faire gagner du temps sans sacrifier le résultat. Pour encore quelques heures, il s'affiche à -69 % sur Amazon,...

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XPeng starts IRON humanoid robot production as Tesla Optimus stalls

XPeng has switched on what it calls the world’s first automated production line for advanced humanoid robots, and its IRON robot walked off that line under its own power. The Chinese automaker says the line runs with more than 80% of its core processes automated.

It’s the clearest signal yet that IRON is headed for real manufacturing and not just stage demos. XPeng is targeting mass production by the end of 2026.

more…
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SwitchBot Launches Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo, Bringing Faster, Smarter, Multi-Way Entry at IFA 2026

At IFA 2026, SwitchBot, a leading provider of smart home automation and embodied AI products, today announced the launch of SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo, a complete retrofit smart-entry solution for European households that combines the all-new SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max, SwitchBot Keypad Vision Pro, and SwitchBot Hub Mini Matter Enabled.

Designed to let households keep their existing lock cylinder while upgrading the entire experience at the door, the combo brings together faster lock performance, up to 19 ways to unlock, layered power backup, local biometric protection, real-time status awareness, and Matter connectivity. The result is a flexible entry system built for different family members, everyday situations, and connected-home platforms. SwitchBot will showcase the Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo at IFA 2026. Visitors can experience the system firsthand at booth #H1.2-146.

Faster, More Refined Retrofit Performance

At the heart of the combo, SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max upgrades an existing door lock from the inside without requiring users to replace the cylinder or modify the door. Its UltraDrive brushless motor reaches 160 rpm, delivering 3.2 times the motor rotation speed of SwitchBot Lock Ultra. Max Mode can complete unlocking in as little as 1.1 seconds, while more than 9 kg of turning force provides the power needed for everyday European lock mechanisms.

Users can choose Max Mode for a more immediate response or Quiet Mode for more discreet locking and unlocking during late-night arrivals, early mornings, and shared living situations. A high-precision magnetic encoder helps the lock track movement accurately, supporting smooth and consistent operation through frequent daily use.

Performance is matched by a more premium industrial design. Lock Ultra Max combines an aluminum-alloy body with brushed electroplated stainless-steel detailing, while SwitchBot’s Fluted Light Design creates subtle highlights and shadows across the surface. Together with a closely fitted base ring, the design helps the retrofit lock feel more integrated with the door rather than like a separate device added afterward.

Up to 19 Ways to Unlock

SwitchBot Keypad Vision Pro expands the combo into a multi-user entry system with 3D facial recognition, contactless palm vein recognition, fingerprint recognition, passcodes, and NFC card access. Across the complete system, households can choose from up to 19 unlock methods, including the SwitchBot App, remote control, voice control, smartwatch access, widgets, Home Sharing, Auto-Unlock via geofencing, a physical key, and SwitchBot Remote.

For hands-free entry, Keypad Vision Pro projects more than 30,000 infrared points to create a millimeter-level 3D facial map and complete recognition in under one second under laboratory conditions. The depth-based system is designed to resist spoofing attempts using photos or videos and can recognize users in low-light environments with built-in infrared illumination.

Contactless palm vein recognition uses near-infrared sensing to read the unique vein pattern inside a user’s palm. This provides another biometric option for children, older family members, and users whose fingerprints may be difficult to read because of dry, worn, wet, or dirty fingers. Fingerprint, passcode, and NFC access remain available for family members and visitors who prefer more familiar entry methods.

Triple Power System for Dependable Everyday Access

Lock Ultra Max uses three layers of power to help keep the door accessible in unexpected low-battery situations. Its 4200 mAh rechargeable main battery provides up to 9 months of typical use, while an independent CR123A backup battery keeps the lock operational when the main battery is removed for charging or depleted, supporting approximately 500 locking or unlocking operations.

Even when the battery is depleted, Micro-Power Unlock gathers residual energy for approximately 30 seconds before providing emergency unlocking assistance up to 5 times. The SwitchBot App also shows main and backup battery status and provides low-battery notifications, giving households time to recharge or replace the relevant power source.

Keypad Vision Pro includes a 5000 mAh rechargeable battery designed to last up to 12 months on a single charge under typical use. Its approach-detection system activates biometric recognition when a user arrives, helping reduce unnecessary power consumption between entries.

Security, Privacy, and Awareness at the Door

The combo is designed with multiple layers of protection across communication, biometric storage, locking, alerts, status awareness, and power. AES-128 encryption helps protect access communication, while facial, palm vein, and fingerprint data is processed and stored locally on the device rather than made available through third-party smart-home platforms.

Auto-Lock helps secure the door after entry or exit, and users can review lock status, door status, battery levels, notifications, and event history in the SwitchBot App. Lock Ultra Max also provides on-device voice alerts and in-app text notifications for important conditions, including a low main battery, backup-battery use, a door left open or unlocked, and 13 categories of weather warnings such as rain, snow, thunderstorms, and fog.

Made for European Doors and Connected Homes

SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max is designed to support 99% of European locks, including common EU profile cylinders, knob cylinders, Swiss round cylinders, and UK oval cylinders, with additional adapters available for less common installations. The lock mounts inside the door while retaining the existing cylinder, and Keypad Vision Pro can be installed outside using adhesive or screws, allowing many households to complete the upgrade without drilling or permanent changes.

SwitchBot Hub Mini Matter Enabled is included in the combo, adding remote control through the SwitchBot App without requiring a separate hub purchase. It also brings the lock into compatible smart-home ecosystems through Matter over Bridge, including Apple Home and Home Assistant, so users can connect entry routines with the wider home rather than building a separate system around the lock.

Max Service for More Confident Ownership

For added peace of mind after purchase, customers who purchase the SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo during the launch period will receive Max Service for Lock Ultra Max at no additional cost. Combining an additional one-year warranty with fast return and exchange support, Max Service is designed to make ownership simpler and more reassuring from day one.

Pricing and Availability

Pre-orders for SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo begin on September 03, 2026 through SwitchBot’s official EU and UK websites(activated on September 3) , with an MSRP of EUR 339.99 / GBP 339.99.

The one-year Max Service extended-warranty option has an MSRP of EUR 24.90 / GBP 24.90.

For more information, please visit SwitchBot’s official website and follow SwitchBot on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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SwitchBot Launches AI MindClip, a Wearable AI Assistant That Captures Ideas, Promises, and To-Dos at IFA 2026

SwitchBot, a leading provider of AI-enabled embodied home robotics systems, today announced the launch and availability of SwitchBot AI MindClip at IFA 2026, a lightweight clip-on wearable AI assistant powered by Qwen. Designed for work, family, study, and everyday life, AI MindClip turns conversations, ideas, promises, and to-dos into summaries, reminders, searchable memories, and next actions.

From a partner’s morning reminder and a quick note at school pickup, to a client’s last-minute request or an idea during a commute, AI MindClip is designed to capture what slips away and remember it when it matters. 

Visitors can experience SwitchBot AI MindClip hands-on at booth #H1.2-146.

Capture Ideas and To-Dos Before They Slip Away

Weighing just 16.8g, SwitchBot AI MindClip can be clipped to a collar, shirt, jacket, or bag strap, making it easy to wear throughout the day without changing how users move, dress, or communicate. With over 20 hours of continuous recording, 64GB of local storage, and a 3-meter near-field pickup range, it supports long workdays, busy family routines, and spontaneous moments of inspiration across meeting rooms, cafes, clinics, classrooms, and everyday environments.

AI MindClip also supports speaker recognition, speaker separation, and voiceprint recognition to help identify who said what in multi-person conversations. This makes captured content easier to understand and review later, especially when conversations involve family members, classmates, teammates, clients, or multiple meeting participants.

Captured Memories Turned into Timely Reminders

Drawing on AI capabilities from ChatGPT, Gemini, and other SOTA large language models, AI MindClip organizes recorded conversations into searchable, actionable information.

When charging, the device can automatically transfer recordings and help organize them into transcripts, summaries, key points, and structured notes. Users can also upload recordings after ending a conversation, allowing tasks, deadlines, and follow-ups to be extracted before they get buried in long audio files.

In the dedicated app and website for SwitchBot AI MindClip, captured moments are arranged into Timeline, Priority, Daily Memory, Weekly Summary, and To-Do Overview. AI-generated to-dos can be sorted by timeline and categorized into groups such as Work, Personal, Interests, and Holidays, helping users separate professional follow-ups from personal reminders, family planning, and everyday errands.

AI MindClip also supports syncing to-dos with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Reminders, allowing captured action items to appear alongside existing schedules. When connected through the same calendars, users can also check to-dos summarized by AI MindClip on the SwitchBot E-Ink Home Dashboard, making reminders easier to see at home, at a desk, or in shared family spaces.

Ask AI, Searchable Memory, and Connected AI Workflows

With Ask AI, users can search past conversations using natural language, whether they need to recall what was promised, which follow-up was mentioned, what gift ideas came up for a friend, or what a partner asked them to handle that day. Instead of scrolling through long recordings, users can ask for the details they need and return directly to relevant memories.

This searchable memory layer also helps users bring real-world conversation context into broader AI workflows. With support for SwitchBot OpenAPI CLI, transcripts from AI MindClip can be used as contextual data sources for AI agents such as Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, and other AI workflow tools. For users who rely on AI assistants to plan, write, code, summarize, or manage tasks, AI MindClip helps connect spoken context from everyday life to the tools they already use.

Powered by Qwen for Enhanced Experience

AI MindClip also uses Qwen-powered AI capabilities to support some of its key features. For audio transcription, AI MindClip uses the Qwen-Audio-ASR speech recognition service, enabling recorded conversations to be converted into searchable text. 

For the Ask AI function, AI MindClip uses Alibaba Cloud’s RAG architecture with ADBSQL as the retrieval database, while a Qwen-based model serves as the model used for question-answering.

Keep Private Memories Under Your Control

Built around privacy protection and user control, AI MindClip lets users start, pause, or stop recording through the device or app, with recording status visible via a blinking light indicator*. Records, transcripts, summaries, and to-dos can be reviewed, managed, and deleted in the app.

AI MindClip has passed EN18031, ISO 27001, and ISO 27701 certifications. The device also supports encrypted pairing and file transfer, end-to-end encryption, and in-app privacy and data management settings that help users stay in control of their recordings and personal content.

*Users are highly encouraged to inform any other parties present before recording. For specific practices, please refer to local legal regulations, which may differ by region.

Pricing and Availability

SwitchBot AI MindClip will be available for purchase via SwitchBot’s official website (activated on September 3) on September 3, with an MSRP of USD 119.99 / CAD 159.99 / GBP 119.99.

SwitchBot AI MindClip includes 300 minutes of free monthly transcription and AI service. For pricing of the paid subscription services, please refer to SwitchBot’s official website. 

Subscription PricingPro Plan:- 1200 minutes of transcription- Full access to AI summary functions & Ask AIUnlimited Plan:- Unlimited transcription – Full access to AI summary functions & Ask AI
1-month6-month12-month12-month
USUSD 15.99USD 69.99USD 99.99USD 239.99
CACAD 15.99CAD 69.99CAD 99.99CAD 239.99
UKGBP 17.99GBP 69.99GBP 99.99GBP 239.99

For more information, please visit SwitchBot’s official website and follow SwitchBot on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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MacVoices #26146: Live! – Encryption Comes, Encryption Goes, AI Lawsuits and Capabilities Abound

The MacVoices Live! panel discuss privacy, AI, and digital trust, comparing Meta’s Instagram encryption rollback with Apple’s RCS encryption in Messages. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, and Jeff Gamet also examine an AI lawsuit involving a chatbot posing as a doctor, plus AI customer service, Apple Wallet, and user trust in technology. 

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Swarms of Tiny Robots Remove Microplastics From Soil and Water

alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Scientists from the Czech Republic have created microscopic cleanup robots that successfully removed microplastics from both soil and aquatic environments in the lab. Details of their work are published in the journal npg Asia Materials. To build the robots, researchers started with microscopic MXene particles made of ultrathin, stacked layers. The material has a large surface area and surface chemistry that help it attract and hold plastic. They then coated the particles with magnetic nickel nanoparticles so rotating magnetic fields could drive the tiny robots. Then came the testing phase. The team placed swarms of these microbots into water and soil samples contaminated with plastic. The externally generated magnetic fields made the robots spin and tumble through the liquid and squeeze through tiny water-filled gaps in the soil. "In soil environments, the microrobots can navigate through water-permeated soil microenvironments, actively disrupt microplastic entrapment within soil matrices, and extract them," the study authors commented in their paper. As they moved, their sticky surfaces collided with microplastics, binding to them and dragging them along. The researchers then used a magnet to pull the microrobots, along with their trapped plastic cargo, out of the samples. They performed well. In water, they removed about 94% of test polystyrene particles and 89% of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in around an hour. In the model soil, they removed about 81% of the polystyrene and 72% of PET. This outperformed the same MXene material used without magnetic motion, which relied on passive adsorption rather than actively moving through soil and water.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Gemini bate 1 bilhão de usuários; base ativa no iOS passa de 100 milhões

O Gemini, do Google, ultrapassou oficialmente a marca de 1 bilhão de usuários mensais ativos — tornando-se, segundo a própria gigante de Mountain View, o produto de crescimento mais rápido na história da empresa.

Para colocar esse marco em perspectiva, o Gmail levou cerca de 12 anos para conquistar uma base de usuários desse tamanho. Isso também coloca o Gemini no mesmo patamar do ChatGPT (da OpenAI), que atingiu essa marca no início de junho.

O CEO 1Chief executive officer, ou diretor executivo. do Google, Sundar Pichai, utilizou o X para destacar esse marco.

1B+ people are now using @Geminiapp every month to spark new ideas and get things done. It’s our fastest growing product ever, and our 14th to hit the 1B-user mark.

Kudos to @JoshWoodward & the entire Gemini team, and thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us -… pic.twitter.com/sSWrULX4Qn

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) August 11, 2026
Mais de 1 bilhão de pessoas já usam o @Geminiapp todos os meses para despertar novas ideias e realizar tarefas. É o nosso produto que mais cresce na história e o 14º a atingir a marca de 1 bilhão de usuários.

Parabéns ao @JoshWoodward e a toda a equipe do Gemini, e obrigado a todos que têm feito parte dessa jornada conosco — vem muito mais por aí!

Além do número de usuários, o Google divulgou detalhes sobre como as pessoas interagem com o chatbot no dia a dia. Entre eles, a empresa aponta que os usuários dos dispositivos da Apple estão adotando a ferramenta em grande escala, com mais de 100 milhões de usuários ativos no iOS. Além disso, usuários avançados do macOS acionam o Gemini cerca de duas vezes mais frequentemente do que em outras plataformas.

Eles apontam ainda que interação por voz tornou-se a forma preferida de usar o aplicativo, com 63% dos usuários optando por falar em vez de digitar. Ademais, uma em cada cinco sessões do Gemini Live vai além do áudio simples, envolvendo o compartilhamento de imagens da câmera/tela em tempo real.

Estudantes representam outro grupo importante de usuários: 38% das solicitações acadêmicas incluem o envio de arquivos de tarefas, anotações ou PDFs. A geração de imagens também gera um tráfego enorme, sendo responsável pela criação de mais de 150 milhões de imagens diariamente.

Notas de rodapé

  • 1
    Chief executive officer, ou diretor executivo.

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SpaceXAI lança Grok Bot, app de IA agêntica, para Mac e iPhone

A SpaceXAI liberou hoje, ainda em fase beta, um novo aplicativo de inteligência artificial (IA) agêntica para Mac e iPhone chamado Grok Bot.

Nascido como uma ferramenta interna, ele permite que usuários criem “colegas de trabalho de IA”, os quais contam com seus próprios computadores e são capazes realizar uma série de tarefas de ponta a ponta, além de acessar as ferramentas (apps, emails, etc.) que você já utiliza.

Introducing Grok Bot, now in early beta.

Bots are AI teammates that do real work for you. They sign in to your tools, use them just like you do, and come back with finished work. pic.twitter.com/uyfA97yo98

— Grok Bot (@bot) August 11, 2026
Apresentamos o Grok Bot, agora em versão beta antecipada.

Bots são colegas de IA que realizam tarefas reais para você. Eles acessam suas ferramentas, as utilizam como você e retornam com o trabalho concluído.

A ideia, segundo a SpaceXAI, é que o usuário converse com esses “colegas” como se eles fossem pessoas reais, seja por mensagem de texto ou por voz.

“Usuários com acesso antecipado dizem que o Grok Bot parece menos com dar instruções a um agente e mais com delegar tarefas a um colega de equipe altamente capacitado”, comentou a empresa.

Grok Bot
Divulgação/SpaceXAI

Assim que a IA recebe uma tarefa, ela toma conta de tudo automaticamente, de modo que o usuário só precisa intervir caso uma ação requeira a sua autorização. Ela também pode se lembrar de conversas passadas, enviar mensagens para outros bots e ser adicionada a grupos.

Na SpaceXAI, é comum que várias equipes executem bots em paralelo, com uma delas gerenciando as demais. Um chefe de gabinete supervisiona tudo, com um especialista para cada área: gerenciamento de emails, despesas, recrutamento, correção de bugs ou operações. Em vez de gerenciar vários agentes, o Grok Bot oferece uma pequena equipe que pode trabalhar em paralelo, eliminando a necessidade de você ser o intermediário.

A SpaceXAI disse ainda que esses bots conseguem aprender com seus hábitos, o que significa que seu desempenho nas tarefas melhorará com o tempo. Isso também fará com que eles fiquem mais proativos com o passar dos dias, assumindo tarefas antes mesmo de você precisar falar com eles.

Por enquanto, o Grok Bot está disponível para Mac, iPhone, Windows e Linux, para assinantes do SuperGrok Heavy, Cursor Ultra e Cursor Teams Premium — mas a empresa do bilionário Elon Musk pretende lançar uma versão para Android em breve.

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The Roboguard Revolution Is Short-Circuiting

alternative_right shares a report from 404 Media: Robotics companies promise that video-camera-toting security robots can deter and detect crime. But many companies are rethinking the approach after a trail of canceled contracts and questions about whether the artificial intelligence-powered bots are meeting the needs of businesses and local governments. Proof News found evidence of at least 21 security robot deployments since 2015. We contacted contract holders and combed news articles and determined that at least 13 of those programs have ended. Silicon Valley-based Knightscope secured the most security robot contracts, according to Proof's analysis, and also suffered the bulk of cancellations. For example, New York City's then-Mayor Eric Adams installed a Knightscope robot on the overnight shift at the Times Square subway station, but the program was scrapped when the pilot expired in 2024. City leaders did not respond to Proof News' questions about why the robot wasn't renewed. By the end of its assignment, it was reportedly gathering dust in an empty storefront. Outside Columbus, Ohio, the city of Dublin pulled the plug on a Knightscope robot in May, ending its two-year pilot program after less than 10 months. The city enlisted the robot, dubbed DubBot, to patrol a downtown park, but city spokeswoman Robyn Gray said it "did not fully meet our operational needs," and failed to identify any criminal incidents or lead to any tickets or arrests. [...] Seeking a new path forward in the security industry, Knightscope CEO William Santana Li said the company is forging a new model, combining its robots and AI-powered software with another key ingredient: human security guards. Knightscope announced it purchased Event Risk LLC, a national security guard firm, earlier this year. Knightscope has incurred net losses since inception in 2013, according to its most recent quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is $273 million in debt. Knightscope hopes its pivot to incorporate people will give it a greater share of the physical security market -- which the company believes is worth an estimated $230 billion annually. Li declined to answer questions about the disbanded programs, but said in an email, "Technology cannot do everything -- and neither can people -- but the combination can be very powerful."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Remembering the pre-Google web, when search was an experiment

In the mid-'90s, the web was exploding, but finding anything of actual value on it felt like an elaborate negotiation with whatever proto-search engine happened to be standing closest to the door. Unlike now, when Google is widely seen as both portal and gatekeeper, sites like AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, and Ask Jeeves promised to tame the chaos, each with its own suite of quirks, charms, and flaws.

The real story of pre-Google search is not that early engines were inferior. It's that they reflected a different Internet entirely, one where directories mattered, crawling was still an art, ranking was fragile, and the idea of “search” had not yet hardened into a single dominant interface.

A different kind of web

The first thing to remember about the pre-Google Internet is that there was no built-in assumption that you could search for everything. Many users found pages through Yahoo-style directories, bookmarks, newsgroups, email signatures, and links from site to site because the web was still small enough that human organization could compete with machine indexing. It was an era of Wild West-style discoverability. Search engines existed, but they were only one part of a larger ecosystem that blended curation and accident.

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© Aurich Lawson

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Remembering the pre-Google web, when search was an experiment

In the mid-'90s, the web was exploding, but finding anything of actual value on it felt like an elaborate negotiation with whatever proto-search engine happened to be standing closest to the door. Unlike now, when Google is widely seen as both portal and gatekeeper, sites like AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, and Ask Jeeves promised to tame the chaos, each with its own suite of quirks, charms, and flaws.

The real story of pre-Google search is not that early engines were inferior. It's that they reflected a different Internet entirely, one where directories mattered, crawling was still an art, ranking was fragile, and the idea of “search” had not yet hardened into a single dominant interface.

A different kind of web

The first thing to remember about the pre-Google Internet is that there was no built-in assumption that you could search for everything. Many users found pages through Yahoo-style directories, bookmarks, newsgroups, email signatures, and links from site to site because the web was still small enough that human organization could compete with machine indexing. It was an era of Wild West-style discoverability. Search engines existed, but they were only one part of a larger ecosystem that blended curation and accident.

Read full article

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© Aurich Lawson

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Chatbot integrado ao Google Maps é lançado no Brasil e ganha mais novidades

O Google lançou uma nova atualização do Maps com uma novidade muito bem-vinda para usuários brasileiros: a chegada ao Brasil do recurso Pergunte ao Maps (Ask Maps), que permite obter informações sobre locais com facilidade usando inteligência artificial.

Lançado no início deste ano especificamente para usuários dos Estados Unidos e da Índia, o Pergunte ao Maps está sendo expandido agora também para Austrália, Canadá, Indonésia, Japão e México, além de mais de 150 países e territórios — por enquanto só em inglês.

A expansão para novos locais, porém, está longe de ser a única novidade relacionada ao recurso, que está mais inteligente e agora conta com características agênticas que o tornam capaz de executar tarefas complexas com várias etapas.

Divulgação/Google

Com essa novidade, passa a ser possível pedir comida em um restaurante, descobrir informações atualizadas sobre hotéis e eventos locais, comparar preços em tempo real, mostrar shows em determinado local, dentre outras tarefas.

Divulgação/Google

A Inteligência Personalizada (Personal Intelligence), por sua vez, permite integrar o recurso ao Gmail para que o chatbot tenha um maior contexto na hora de realizar tarefas — inclusive com a possibilidade de relembrar conversas anteriores, caso o histórico esteja ativado.

Divulgação/Google

O Google também está expandindo as atualizações em tempo real do Pergunte ao Maps para transporte público, além de permitir que usuários contribuam com informações sobre locais conversando ou enviando uma foto de uma placa, por exemplo.

Divulgação/Google

As atualizações sobre transporte público, as respostas mais contextuais e a capacidade de relembrar conversas anteriores estão sendo disponibilizadas a partir de hoje para todos os locais onde o Ask Maps está disponível (o que agora inclui o Brasil).

Ask Maps is getting an upgrade. 🔍✨

Now powered by agentic capabilities, real-time information, and Personal Intelligence, Ask Maps is transforming how you plan and move through the world. pic.twitter.com/XadDCw44uu

— Google Maps (@googlemaps) August 6, 2026

Os pedidos de comida, a descoberta de hotéis e eventos, e as contribuições dos usuários, por sua vez, estão começando a ser disponibilizados apenas nos Estados Unidos, com previsão de uma expansão gradual para outros países no futuro.

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