Consumer & Gadgets news
Consumer & Gadgets
Q&A: Changing our society through AI smart air conditioning technology
Empirical research is being carried out for revolutionary air conditioning technology that will contribute to solving environmental issues. At the forefront of these endeavors is Nagahiro Tsuyoshi, project professor and director ...
12 hours ago
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Say what's on your mind, and AI can tell what kind of person you are
If you say a few words, generative AI will understand who you are—maybe even better than your close family and friends. A new University of Michigan study found that widely available generative AI models (e.g., ChatGPT, ...
Jan 30, 2026
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Apple's iPhone sales surge to new quarterly high despite early missteps in artificial intelligence
Apple's iPhone sales soared to a new quarterly record during the holiday season, despite artificial intelligence blunders that prompted the technology trendsetter to get a helping hand from Google.
Jan 30, 2026
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Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball
Some blind and low-vision fans will have unprecedented access to the Super Bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real-time audio.
Jan 29, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
AI can generate a feeling of intimacy that exceeds human connections
People can develop emotional closeness to artificial intelligence (AI)—under certain conditions, even more so than to other people. This is shown by a new study conducted by a research team led by Prof. Dr. Markus Heinrichs ...
Jan 28, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Apple's unrivaled commitment to excellence is fading. A designer explains why
Apple introduced Liquid Glass in June 2025 in a self-declared attempt to bring "joy and delight to every user experience." The visual design style—which is being applied to all Apple products from iPhone to watch to TV—is ...
Jan 28, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Low-cost system turns smartphones into emergency radiation detectors
Prompt, individual-based dose assessment is essential to protect people from the negative consequences of radiation exposure after large-scale nuclear or radiological incidents. However, traditional dosimetry methods often ...
Jan 27, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Used EVs currently offer car buyers lowest lifetime cost of ownership, study shows
Now is a great time for anyone who's shopping for a used car to consider an electric vehicle, according to new research from the University of Michigan.
Jan 27, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Ikea is testing a digital Roblox experience
Ikea is expanding. But this time it's not with new physical stores. The home design company is entering the virtual world.
Jan 27, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery and Go convenience stores
Amazon.com Inc. is shuttering its Amazon-branded grocery stores and automated grab-and-go markets, eliminating two centerpieces of its push into physical retail.
Jan 27, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Is an under-16 social media ban the right course?
Dr. Victoria Nash, associate professor and senior policy fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, researches the governance challenges of digital technologies, with a particular focus on online safety, content moderation ...
Jan 23, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Q&A: Ethical, legal and social issues—what does it take for new technology to be accepted?
How do cutting-edge science and technology respond to ethical and legal issues when incorporated into society? These issues are known as ethical, legal and social issues, or "ELSI" for short, and research on these issues ...
Jan 23, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
To explain or not? Online dating experiment shows need for AI transparency depends on user expectation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is said to be a "black box," with its logic obscured from human understanding—but how much does the average user actually care to know how AI works?
Jan 21, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Sexualized deepfakes on X are a sign of things to come. NZ law is already way behind
Elon Musk finally responded last week to widespread outrage about his social media platform X letting users create sexualized deepfakes with Grok, the platform's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.
Jan 20, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Reinventing personalized fashion with a new sewing app
Wouldn't it be great if you could just take a picture of yourself with your mobile phone and sew your own clothes—in exactly the right size and fit? The solution is on the way.
Jan 20, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
AI can make the dead talk—why this doesn't comfort us
For as long as humans have buried their dead, they've dreamed of keeping them close. The ancient Fayum portraits—those stunningly lifelike images wrapped in Egyptian mummies—captured faces meant to remain present even ...
Jan 19, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
World-first social media wargame reveals how AI bots can swing elections
On December 14, 2025, a terrorist attack occurred at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, leaving 15 civilians and one gunman dead. While Australia was still reeling in shock, social media saw the rapid spread of misinformation ...
Jan 16, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
I was a designer for RuneScape—its comeback reveals how old games can be rejuvenated
RuneScape experienced a surge of popularity over the 2025 holiday season. While fan nostalgia for a game that is now 25 years old plays a role, the revival more clearly reflects recent changes to RuneScape's controversial ...
Jan 16, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Do Woolworths shoppers want Google AI adding items to buy? We'll soon find out
Woolworths has announced a partnership with Google to incorporate agentic artificial intelligence into its "Olive" chatbot, starting in Australia later this year.
Jan 16, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Free tool can reduce harmful engagement with AI-generated explicit images
A new evidence-based online educational tool aims to curb the watching, sharing, and creation of AI-generated explicit imagery.
Jan 15, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Could ChatGPT convince you to buy something? Threat of manipulation looms as AI companies gear up to sell ads
Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI's development hadn't consolidated under a small number of big tech firms. Nor had it capitalized ...
Jan 14, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Gaps between perception and reality might be putting the brakes on electric vehicle sales in rural areas
A University of Michigan survey of 1,000 rural Michigan residents reveals a striking gap between perception and reality when it comes to electric vehicles.
Jan 14, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Apple bundles creative apps into $13-a-month subscription
On Jan. 13, Apple Inc. announced a new subscription bundle of creative apps called Creator Studio, an attempt to give its photo- and video-editing software fresh momentum in the face of intensifying competition.
Jan 14, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
How bits of Apple history can be yours
In March 1976, Apple cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak both signed a $500 check weeks before the official creation of a California company that would transform personal computing and become a global powerhouse.
Jan 14, 2026
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