News

Samsung cheats Live Focus using a DSLR photo in ad

Not again…

Published

on

This is not the first time a brand was caught cheating its advertorial photos, but the people behind this don’t seem to care if they are deceiving consumers. Sure, smartphone cameras today are capable of shooting DSLR-like photos, but that doesn’t mean they can get away with using a professional photo to promote a consumer phone.

Dunja Djudjic of DIYPhotography spotted her own work on Samsung Malaysia’s website to advertise and demo the Live Focus feature or the portrait mode capabilities of the Galaxy A8 Star. Samsung didn’t steal the photo because Djudjic licensed it on the photo site EyeEm. Although, the photo was not shot by Djudjic using a Galaxy A8 Star or any other smartphone, but rather a DSLR.

Samsung doesn’t outright claim the photo was taken with the Galaxy A8 Star, but the product page certainly implies that this is how a photo would look like if you shoot with the Live Focus feature of the Samsung phone.

What makes things worse is the photo of Djudjic was manipulated. The photo’s subject (who is Djudjic herself) was cut out from the foreground, touched up, and pasted over a different background. Again, this is not an issue for Djudjic, but for consumers who’ll be misled.

Using stock images is a common practice in advertising, but they shouldn’t be used to promote a camera’s capabilities. Doing so comes off as deceptive. Samsung phones do take great photos, so why go through trouble by using a DSLR shot?

Upon re-checking the page, it now notes that the images are simulated — something Samsung should have done in the first place. Still, we’d love to see an actual sample.

Via: DIYPhotography

SEE ALSO: Brand ambassador sued by Samsung for using an iPhone on TV

News

X’s AI accused Klay Thompson of vandalizing houses with bricks

AI thought joke posts were real

Published

on

Image source: Keith Allison, Wikimedia

Despite the ease that the technology promises, artificial intelligence still isn’t the most reliable thing you can depend on. Today’s models can still flub answers. Now, the pitfalls of AI are abundantly clear with a few mishaps on X. Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson was just “accused” of a vandalism spree involving bricks.

Late Tuesday night, X presented an AI-generated news snippet. The article, posted soon after the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings, reads: “Klay Thompson Accused in Bizarre Brick-Vandalism Spree.”

The snippet hilariously described an incident where Thompson supposedly vandalized houses in Sacramento with bricks. Thankfully, according to the snippet, no one was hurt. It even had a few sources for its claims below the news summary.

The sources, however, are just joke posts stemming from the recently concluded game. In that do-or-die game, Thompson put up a staggering 0 points on ten shot attempts, the most misses without a make by a Warrior since the ’68 season. Naturally, everyone joked that the Warriors guard just threw bricks all over Sacramento.

Now, X is currently experimenting with a new AI feature called Grok. The model collates trending topics and creates snippets of what’s happening for X users. However, it’s not exactly the smartest in determining real news from satiric ones. The feature notes as much, carrying a fine-print caveat warning users to “verify its outputs” because it’s an early feature and can make mistakes.

SEE ALSO: New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Continue Reading

Apps

New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

Published

on

New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

Continue Reading

News

Pixel 9 series will reportedly come in four models

A newcomer and a familiar face

Published

on

Since its big reinvention, the Google Pixel flagship series subsisted on two main entries: a regular model and a Pro. Last year added a Pixel Fold to the list but kept it away from the main line, launching in May instead. Now, there’s a possibility that the Pixel family, starting with the Pixel 9 series, is growing both in number and closer to each other.

According to Android Authority, Google might launch four different models of the Pixel 9 series later this year. Besides the two traditional entries to the family, there will be two new ones coming this year.

The first new model you might see is the Pixel 9 Pro XL (what a mouthful). Despite the name, the model itself isn’t exactly new. The model is reportedly a successor to the Pixel 8 Pro but with a different name.

Which means that the new model is actually the Pixel 9 Pro. Yes, it’s confusing, but let’s break it down. Similar to Apple, Google might separate its lineup into a regular duo and a premium duo. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro will offer only a bite-sized upgrade to the regular Pixel 9. It’ll be the same size, too.

Since the Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the start of the Pro lineup, what model will it pair with? Well, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, of course. The Pixel Fold is apparently dead in name. Google might repackage the foldable as an official part of the Pixel 9 series and will launch alongside the main lineup later this fall.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Making Magic

Continue Reading

Trending