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Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) go official with dual front cameras and Infinity Display

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Samsung officially unveiled the latest versions of their upper-midrange line of smartphones. With almost all of the competitors already having near-borderless phones for their lower-tier devices, the Galaxy A8 (2018) series joins the club.

The newest additions to the Galaxy A series are the Galaxy A8 (2018) and the larger Galaxy A8+ (2018). Both have nearly identical specifications aside from battery capacity and screen size. The new naming scheme hides the fact that these are the successors to the Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017), rather than the old Galaxy A8.

What’s new to the 2018 series are dual front cameras, the Infinity Display (without the curved edge), and an ergonomic design with curved glass (back and front) and a metal frame.

Both have a Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 display ratio and Full HD+ resolution. Being the smaller of the two, the Galaxy A8 (2018)’s display measures at 5.6 inches while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) has a 6-inch panel. Since the latter is bigger, it has a larger 3500mAh battery versus the former’s 3000mAh capacity. Both support Adaptive Fast Charging through USB-C.

Camera-wise, both have three cameras onboard. There’s a single 16-megapixel f/1.7 rear shooter with phase-detection autofocus and electronic image stabilization. Its wide aperture also enables better low-light photography along with a built-in hyperlapse feature. For selfies, you get two front-facing cameras: 16- and 8-megapixel f/1.9 cameras. The dual front camera setup brings the Live Focus feature from the Note 8 for selfies with bokeh.

The phones are powered by an unspecified octa-core processor (most likely an Exynos chip), with up to 6GB of memory for the A8+ and up to 64GB of expandable storage. Out of the box, they run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the Samsung Experience skin on top. They also support NFC and Samsung Pay.

Lastly, the phones are IP68-certified water and dust resistant, and can be used with Samsung Gear VR.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be in stores starting early January 2018. They’ll come in four colors: black, orchid gray, gold, and blue. Pricing and regional availability are yet to be announced.

SEE ALSO: Samsung might launch the Galaxy S9 in February

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Accessories

Logitech introduces a dedicated shortcut for ChatGPT

Compatible with most keyboards and mice

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Artificial intelligence is already meant to simplify a workflow. However, despite the ease, there are still a few ways to optimize the process. Today, Logitech has launched a new shortcut to launch ChatGPT straight from your mouse or keyboard.

Minus programmable hotkeys or buttons, there are hardly any built-in way to easily access an AI model. For a typical workflow, it still consists of manually opening the model on a separate window and keeping it within cursor’s reach throughout the day.

Logitech is simplifying the process by adding a dedicated shortcut for its devices. With a Logitech keyboard or mouse supported by the Logi Options+ app, users can program a keyboard or mouse button for the new Logi AI Prompt Builder.

Once activated, the AI Prompt Builder automatically accesses easy options for highlighted text. For example, users can easily rephrase or summarize the text. Likewise, they can input their own custom queries. By eliminating a few clicks and some typing throughout the day, the new tool hopes to save you time.

While most Logitech keyboards and mice are compatible with the new tool, it is also more easily accessible with the new Logitech Signature AI Edition Mouse. The new mouse has a dedicated button just for AI prompts. If you’re an AI power user, this one is perfect for you.

SEE ALSO: Logitech unveils G Pro X 60 gaming keyboard: Price, details

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

AI thought joke posts were real

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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

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

Rolling out globally now

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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

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