A small clause inside OpenAI’s contract with Microsoft, once considered a distant hypothetical, has now become a flashpoint in one of the biggest partnerships in tech. The clause states that if OpenAI’s board ever declares it has developed artificial general intelligence (AGI), it would limit Microsoft’s contracted access to the startup’s future technologies. Microsoft, which…
The team members went through a process of incrementally determining what elements and molecules the bacterial strain could grow on. They already knew it could use oxygen, so they tested other combinations in the lab. When oxygen was absent, RSW1 could process hydrogen gas and elemental sulfur—chemicals it would find spewing from a volcanic vent—and…
But should you choose a battery snow blower instead of a gas snow blower? “Battery snow blowers are really nipping at the heels of comparably sized gas models in terms of performance, and they offer advantages that gas snow blowers can’t match,” says Dave Trezza, who oversees CR’s snow blower tests. Battery-powered machines start instantly with…
If you were trying to learn how to get other people to do what you want, you might use some of the techniques found in a book like Influence: The Power of Persuasion. Now, a preprint study out of the University of Pennsylvania suggests that those same psychological persuasion techniques can frequently “convince” some LLMs…
If you’ve seen signs advertising hearing aid shops while driving around town, you might be lulled into thinking these specialized storefronts are the only way to buy them. Not so. In 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration paved the way for hearing aids to be sold over the counter, which means consumers now have…
The action includes the Ford Bronco, Expedition, Explorer, F-150, F-250 Super-Duty, F-350 Super-Duty, F-450 Super-Duty, F-550 Super-Duty, and Mustang, plus the Lincoln Aviator and Navigator from 2021 to 2023. (Specific years are listed below, though vehicles included in the recall will be determined via their vehicle identification number.) Loss of fuel pressure and flow from…
The Autobrush Sonic Pro arrives in two parts—a charging base and a U-shaped mouthpiece. The latter has four rows of nylon and silicone bristles. When you insert the mouthpiece, all of your teeth are brushed at the same time. The brush uses sonic vibrations, but to really ensure that it’s brushing all of your teeth,…
Bottom-freezers—as well as top-freezers—typically take up less space than other configurations. Bottom-freezers start at 24 inches wide and go up to 33 inches, making them suitable for a tight space. Our most recent surveys of CR members found that bottom-freezers tend to offer better reliability than some other types, too. For example, LG French-doors receive…
Look, there’s nothing quite like starting your day by pooping on a little paper hammock affixed to your toilet seat and then poking it a bunch of times with a cotton swab. It was more of a mental hurdle than a practical one, though, as the collection and disposal (you just flush the hammock down…
The company has said that Tesla owners will eventually be able to transform their own cars into self-driving taxis that can collect fares while they’re not being used. But the company released no timeline Sunday for that plan. Tesla’s driver assistance technology has been the subject of federal safety probes, two recalls, and customer complaints…
