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Screenshots via Instagram Instagram has a fun little secret up its sleeve: a hidden mini-game accessible right within your direct messages. This game turns emojis into playable characters, offering a quick way to unwind while you wait for a response. Read full article

Screenshot via New York Times Games The New York Times Games’ Connections puzzle last Saturday caused a mini uproar among wordsmiths, prompting the newspaper to make a cheeky reference to the oversight on Monday. Read full article

Image generated on AI Got a niggling feeling that your artificially intelligent assistant might know more about you than it lets on? That may not be the program talking, but a worm. With the breakneck advances in technology, researchers are exploring this unsettling scenario and have developed ‘Morris II’, a self-replicating AI malware that targets generative applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini Pro, and the open-source LLaVA large language model. Read full article

Image via Wix Wix is known for its no-code website tools, but for those who are looking for more immediacy, the tech world has a new hero in its corner: the AI Website Builder. Leveraging artificial intelligence, this new text-to-site tool is designed to make building a portfolio or online store as easy as having a conversation, opening up the tech landscape to anyone, regardless of skills. Read full article

Images via 158459921 © John Poltrack | Dreamstime.com and President Joe Biden When President Joe Biden decided to tackle the sneaky issue of “drip pricing” head-on, little did he know that a peculiar phone graphic—truly putting the “oval” into the Oval Office—would steal the spotlight. Drip pricing, a tactic where the initial low price of a service gets unexpectedly bloated with added fees at the point of checkout, has been under the Biden-Harris Administration’s microscope. By curbing these “junk fees” that not only surprise consumers but also distort the true cost of services, the government is looking to ensure transparency and fairness. Read full article

Ever wonder why some countries drive on the right and others on the left? This seemingly simple question has deep historical roots and is tied to cultural customs and practical considerations, but here’s the long story short. In the early days, almost everyone traveled on the left side of the road. This was particularly convenient for medieval swordsmen on horseback, as it allowed their right arms to be closer to their opponents. However, things changed in the late 1700s with the advent of large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses in France and the United States. The driver, sitting on the rear left horse, preferred other wagons to pass on his left, leading to a shift towards right-side driving. Meanwhile, the British Government, refusing to abandon their left-hand driving ways, introduced the General Highways Act in 1773, encouraging driving on the left. This was later made law with The Highway Act of 1835. As these nations expanded their influence globally, they insisted that their colonies adopt the same driving conventions. This explains why former British colonies like Australia, New Zealand, and India drive on the left, while former French colonies drive on the right. The introduction of the Model T by Henry Ford in 1908, with its left-side driver’s seat, further solidified right-side driving in many countries. This allowed passengers to exit the car onto the curb, influencing a shift to right-side driving in countries like Canada, Italy, and Spain in the 1920s. This intriguing divergence in driving customs continues to be a topic of fascination, prompting discussions about cultural differences and historical influences. But here’s a question to ponder: If given the chance, would you prefer to drive on the left or the right side of the road, and why? Share your thoughts below! Read more: https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/list-of-left-driving-countries/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-right-and-left-stuff-why-countries-drive-on-different-sides-of-the-road https://www.rd.com/article/why-drive-on-different-sides-of-the-road/ https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/02/business/why-americans-drive-on-the-right-and-the-british-on-the-left/index.html

Image via Spotify Spotify is tuning into the universe’s frequencies with a Song Psychic, promising to answer life’s pressing questions through the mystical art of fortune-telling and the power of song. Whether you’re pondering your future, curious about life’s mysteries, or just wondering what to wear or eat today, Song Psychic is ready to spin the records of fate for you. To experience this musical oracle, users simply need to head to spotify.com/songpsychic on their mobile devices. Once there, they can pose their questions—ranging from romantic dilemmas like “Does my crush like me?” to everyday conundrums such as “What should I have for lunch?”—and wait for this magic eight ball of sorts to reveal the soundtrack to their query. Read full article

Image generated on AI Adobe is hitting high notes with generative artificial intelligence, and not just with the text-to-image Firefly. Its research team, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, San Diego, has just introduced Project Music GenAI Control, tuning up to streamline audio and music creation. Read full article

Screenshot via Particle News A new player, Particle News, is stepping into the digital media ring, fresh from the minds of some of Twitter’s former engineers. This startup plans to rewrite the rules of news consumption with the help of artificial intelligence. Its surprising inception comes right on the heels of Artifact News—an AI-driven news app by Instagram’s founders—announcing it would shutter in February, just a year after its launch. Read full article

Image courtesy of Adobe Adobe, the brains behind the ubiquitous PDF, is hoping to change the way we interact with documents with AI Assistant, which is coming first to Reader and Acrobat. Read full article

Video screenshot via OpenAI After conquering art with DALL-E and language with ChatGPT, OpenAI is taking on animation and footage with its latest artificially intelligent brainchild, Sora. Borrowing its name from the Japanese word for sky, Sora translates text prompts into videos that last up to 60 seconds. Read full article

Images via Duolingo Duolingo is learning the language of Gen Z and using humor to get them curious about education… as well as to have them dig deep into their pockets. Read full article

Image via Nvidia Nvidia wants to turbocharge the way we interact with artificial intelligence with the introduction of Chat with RTX, a demo app that brings the power of smart chatbots directly to your desktop. This tool, designed for Windows PCs equipped with NVIDIA RTX, allows for local, speedy, and customized generative AI interactions, moving beyond the cloud servers to offer a more personal and immediate AI experience. Read full article

Image courtesy of Adobe Adobe and TikTok have teamed up to make creating cool TikTok videos a whole lot easier, adding the social media giant’s Creative Assistant right into Adobe Express. With the help of artificial intelligence, anyone looking to make their videos pop can use this tool to get their ideas rolling, create the content, and even fine-tune it to catch more eyes. Read full article

Fortnite's "Guardian Lin Skin" is surging online for a few reasons: Year of the Dragon celebration: Released just ahead of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon), this skin resonates with cultural significance, drawing attention from players celebrating the holiday. Unique design: Featuring intricate gold, emerald, and black details with a majestic dragon accessory, the skin stands out aesthetically, sparking discussions and admiration among fashion-conscious players. Rarity and demand: As a "Rare" rarity skin, Guardian Lin offers a balance of affordability and exclusivity, further driving its desirability and online presence. Promotional timing: Epic Games released the skin strategically alongside other Year of the Dragon cosmetics, generating a cohesive themed collection and amplifying overall buzz. Social media engagement: Content creators are showcasing the skin in gameplay videos and images, fueling social media conversations and sharing its appeal with wider audiences. Whether celebrating the Lunar New Year or simply seeking a stylish addition to their collection, players are gravitating towards the Guardian Lin Skin, making it a hot topic in the Fortnite community. Check out the top search results on Epic Games: Fortnite's "Guardian Lin Skin"