Microsoft’s New AI Bing Search Engine Makes Several Mistakes During Public Demo

If there is one search engine that has been keeping the press in absolute amazement recently, it’s the new Bing by Microsoft.

The software giant has been getting rave reviews and an incredible response after it launched the competitor of ChatGPT with a bang. Reports proved how millions rushed to the App Stores to download the feature and become a part of the waiting list.

While the launch seemed to be an overall success, one thing is for sure. Critics may have spoken too soon as the company’s public demo carried out last week featured several small errors.

We don’t think that’s a huge deal, considering they’re small in size and also because the majority of data put in front of viewers was correct. Also, let’s not forget how Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard ended up making a huge error during its public demo. So that might be something Microsoft could be proud of as it hails the new chatbot to be even better than OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

But what exactly was the error in question? Well, it entailed plenty of fake information regarding an earnings report from leading firm Gap. And that was highlighted by an engineer recently that published an entire post regarding it.

During that particular demo, which may be viewed on the web, the firm asked the new Bing search engine to highlight all the key points of the Q3 earnings report from Gap. That is when the program was seen speaking about it and providing a summary of it as well.

For instance, the new chatbot claimed that the company started off with an opening margin comprising nearly 6% but the real report highlights the figure to be 4.6%. Now, the AI-powered search engine also went on to display the figures for sales growth to be in the lower double digits. Meanwhile, the real report outlined how net sales could go down to the likes of mid-single figures YoY during Q4 of 2022.

In one early part of such a demo, the software giant highlights how the new search engine was asked about the pros and cons related to the top-selling variants of pet vacuums. This is when the search engine was quick to highlight a new result and listed down leading benefits as well as disadvantages linked to such products. Even then, critics familiar with the topic claim it made an error in listing down the product’s short length as a disadvantage. The reason is, it’s actually cordless in design and very portable, which is why it’s so popular and user-friendly.

Above all, it seemed to give out details about products that were the most recommended on the web and not necessarily those that were the best-selling. And that again shows how the chatbot can’t be relied upon too much.

Another interesting error is how the chatbot was quizzed about 90s music and while did manage to outline the right stars of that era with their songs, it opted to give out a vague Answer A for all the answers set out in front of it.

Similarly, on Reddit, users are also trolling Microsoft's new venture for providing misinformed answers regarding the number of EU countries.

Read next: Researchers Suggest AI Chatbots Might Make Disinformation Worse
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Likes Are Inferior to Friendships on Social Media Like Instagram, New Study Finds

A common assumption about how social media gets used is that people prioritize likes and other forms of gratification above anything else. In spite of the fact that this is the case, a new study has shown that something else might be even more important, namely having friends and a social circle on these platforms.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that people have been found to interact with their friends in a manner that does not always seem entirely reciprocal. What this means is that they will like their friend’s post regardless of whether or not they will receive a like in return or have gotten this kind of interaction from their friend in the past.

This information comes from researchers who conducted a study at the University of Bath. Another thing that this study revealed is that people can behave quite differently towards acquaintances than they normally behave with their friends. Engagement and interactions with acquaintances on social media usually involve a lot more reciprocity, which is to say that users generally don’t like people’s posts on Instagram if they have not received likes in return or expect to.

Hence, relationships can be a strong influence towards liking behavior because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up determining how a particular user might approach this type of thing. Getting a like does not necessarily have to come first in order for the person to then provide a like to a different individual that they are friends with online.

This study can prove to be enormously useful since social media companies can glean some insight from it that can help them to better optimize their products and have more of a positive influence on the manner in which their platforms get used. Studies like these can help make social media better than might have been the case otherwise, at least from the point of view of users who rely on them for various forms of social activities.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Picture in Picture Mode on Chrome is About to Get a Lot More Useful

The release of picture in picture mode on Google Chrome was a welcome addition to the browser because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing users to watch videos in a floating window. It turns out that Google might be taking things to the next level, at least if the beta version from Chrome 111 is anything to go by.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the new version of Chrome might allow users to not just watch videos in a floating window, but really any web content that they prefer. This would make the feature far more useful than might have been the case otherwise, since it would facilitate multitasking which is something that users have been quite adamant about for quite some time now.

The updated version of this feature is being referred to as Document Picture in Picture (chrome://flags/#document-picture-in-picture-api ), but it can be used for far more things than just documents with all things having been considered and taken into account. APIs are already being developed such as a Pomodoro timer, and it will be truly interesting to see what occurs when a number of other developers start to take advantage of everything that this new picture in picture mode can offer.

This feature is likely going to cement Chrome’s dominance in the browser industry. Non-Chromium browsers are going to have an even harder time competing, since users will come to expect advanced picture in picture modes from all of the browsers that they end up opening up.

Incorporating such a feature would be a challenge for Apple with its Safari browser, and the team at Mozilla did not comment on whether or not they’d be able to provide something similar in the future. Chrome might enter an even greater age of popularity, which might be important since Google may end up losing its status as the world’s best search engine if Microsoft sees any kinds of success with Bing and OpenAI.

Read next: How Noticeable Is Apple’s Latest Ratings Sweep On The App Store? The Answer Might Surprise You
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Android 14 Could Bring Regional Preferences to Calendars and Numbering

The impending release of Android 14 has gotten users abuzz with excitement about what the latest iteration of the operating system could bring to the table. Among the many new features that will be a part of the update is an increased emphasis on personalization since this can do a lot to make the user experience more satisfying than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Android 14 will give users the option to set up regional preferences. These preferences would allow users to have their calendars and numbering systems updated automatically so that they can be more in line with what they would come to expect based on wherever it is that they might be living.

Such an update might prove useful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up catering to the billions of Android users all around the world. Temperature units can be a particular sore spot for users, since they often have to use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit or vice versa.

One benefit of this update is that it will no longer place the onus on apps. Instead, the apps will be able to read the user’s preferred settings and make the update after seeing that. Previously, apps had to ask users about their preferences and make changes constantly, so the update that many have noticed on Android 14 will do a lot to ease these concerns with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Users will also no longer have to adjust settings on each individual app. This will bring a great deal of ease to the user experience, and it will be interesting to see if Android is able to keep the momentum going. Chances are that other operating systems like iOS may need to introduce something similar to this in order to remain competitive. Language preferences are only the tip of the iceberg here, since there is a lot more regional variance in other matters.

H/T: XDA Developers

Read next: Android 14 is Bringing a Lot to the Table, Here’s What to Expect
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Chrome Cuts Ties with Confusing Share Sheet: Smoother Sharing Ahead

Good news for Chrome users! After much criticism, Google has finally decided to eliminate Chrome's custom share sheet, which has long been a source of frustration for many users.

The custom share sheet, which was introduced in 2015, has been criticized for being confusing and difficult to use, leading many users to seek alternative sharing methods.

The custom share sheet, which was designed to simplify the sharing process, has instead made it more complicated. Instead of presenting users with a straightforward list of options for sharing a link, the custom share sheet forced users to navigate through a series of menus and sub-menus, making it time-taking and difficult to use.

Not only do 3rd party applications ignore Android's built-in share targets and develop their own with no regard for user preference, but Google's core apps, including Photos and Maps, also display a customized menu when the share button is tapped. Given the importance of link and file transferring for all browsers, Google Chrome is likely the worst culprit in this regard.

But finally, Google has listened to its users and has decided to do away with the custom claim sheet in favor of a more traditional sharing menu. This transformation will make it easier for users to share links with their friends and colleagues, and will likely result in better overall user knowledge.

The new sharing menu will be incorporated into the Chrome browser, making it accessible from anywhere within the app. This means that users will no longer have to navigate through multiple menus to find the option they need. The new menu will also include popular sharing options, such as email, social media, and messaging apps, making it more comfortable for users to share links with their friends and colleagues.

H/T: Androidpolice

In addition to enhancing the sharing experience, the new menu will also make it easier for users to save links for later. This will be particularly useful for users who want to save articles or videos for later viewing, but do not have the time to view them immediately.

Since this is an experimental feature, it would require more work to make it the standard setting for Chrome's stable release branch. The remaining valuable functionality from Share Hub should hopefully be moved to Chrome's overflow menu, or if we're truly lucky, Android's system share menu might get genuine plugin programs to support other apps to use it rather than creating their share sheets.

Read next: Google is Not Going to Update Chrome on Windows 7 and 8, And the Users Who Are Using Them Will be At Risk
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Could Google’s Search Dominance Be in Danger?

It has been several decades since Google established itself as the single most dominant entity in the search engine space. Their influence is so widespread that the name of the company has become a broadly accepted shorthand for the act of searching something online itself. This level of ubiquity has resulted in Google holding onto the industry with a vice grip with all things having been considered and taken into account.

The search engine juggernaut owns an 84.66% share of the desktop search engine market. Meanwhile, its grip on mobile search is even stronger, with a whopping 96.45% share of the overall sector. Pretty much no other search engine can hold a candle to Google in the mobile search engine space, although Bing has done a decent job of acting as an alternative to Google on desktop by snapping up an 8.87% share of the desktop search market. Overall, Google holds 92.9% market share of search engine industry, while Microsoft Bing stands at 3.03%

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Google receives a large majority of the total revenues from online searches as well. It currently receives 58% of the revenue from this sector as of 2022.

Coming in second is Baidu with 15%, Amazon with 14%, Bing with 6% and Yahoo with just 2%. Various other search engines and online platforms end up comprising 5% of the total revenue that is received by this particular sector.

With global search ad revenues predicted to surpass $400 billion by 2026, the competition for entry into this space has started to heat up. Google has managed to hold fast in the face of countless attacks from various other companies, but in spite of the fact that this is the case a new player might have emerged that could pose perhaps the first true threat that Google since the early 2000s.

This player is Chat GPT, and it has already gotten Google pretty nervous since it can make them somewhat less relevant than might have been the case otherwise. Microsoft has already invested quite a bit of cash into Chat GPT, and the tech company has also mentioned that it will be incorporating the AI chatbot into its own Bing search engine starting from March.

More specifically, Microsoft plans to use a new generation of OpenAI models that would be even more superior to Chat GPT. This could give Google a real run for its money, since users will obviously go to the search engine that allows them to get the best possible experience.

Up until this point, search engines like Bing have struggled to set themselves apart from Google and establish a usage case that justifies people trying them out when something superior already exists in the form of Google search.

One might think that Google is too big to fail, but it wouldn’t be the first time that a dominant company ends up losing its market share because it failed to keep up with the times. Nokia used to be the single most powerful mobile phone company in the world, but these days you never even hear about it because the company was not able to hop onto the smartphone bandwagon fast enough.

Google relies on its search engine the way that Apple relies on the iPhone, and it will be interesting to see how the company manages to weather these storms. They have attempted to create an answer to Chat GPT with Bard, but these efforts have not borne any real fruit yet. Only time will tell whether or not Google is able to provide something that will keep users visiting its search engine. The way things are looking right now, Google has clearly been blindsided and it will take a lot of effort for the company to regain some lost ground.

Read next: Battle Between Google And ChatGPT Heats Up As Search Engine Labeled ‘Lethargic Search Monopoly’
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Apple’s iPhone Hardware Subscription Is Not Ready For Launch Due To Engineering Delays

Apple says it is nowhere near ready for the launch of its new iPhone hardware subscription.

The news comes as the Cupertino firm suffers more engineer delays on this front, quite similar to how its Apple Pay Layer feature is getting delayed.

The news was published today through an insightful report by Bloomberg which spoke about the launch of both these pivotal rollouts.

But that does not mean the hard subscription service feature for iPhones isn’t being worked on.

As recently put out by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, there are a total of four great offerings up on the cards for Apple. This entails the likes of two that have been unveiled publicly. They include Apple Pay Later and Apple Savings Account.

Meanwhile, the other two are still awaiting a more public reveal but they entail the Apple Pay Monthly Installments feature and the subscription program for iPhone hardware. Moreover, the latter was scheduled for a launch to arise side by side with the iPhone 13, two years back.

Clearly, that didn’t end up happening because of some major setbacks due to delays in engineering and more technical issues. This has enabled slow progress and a lot of missed deadlines to arise.

But the project still remains in the company’s pipeline and is yet to be completely deleted.

This feature has been discussed as offering a number of financing choices for those with iOS devices as the cost for monthly charges does get split up across a span of just one or two months. Instead, it would arise at a monthly fee that totally depends on the likes of what kind of device a user selects.

All of the company’s fintech services that were outlined above are curated on Apple’s own base. And that is what makes it so exclusive and very ambitious in its world of finance efforts.

The feature is called project breakout and this type of platform is what the tech giant would make use of to completely shift so many projects to a more in-house location. This entails the likes of checks, histories of past transactions, and also approvals. For now, they’ve been overlooked by the tech giant’s own partners.

Apple realizes that the current financial push on this front has been more difficult than many people may have anticipated. And the delays on these projects are all due to engineering hurdles and its desire to make a new financial system that may end up supporting them in a better manner.

As far as an expected launch date for Apple Pay Later is concerned, rumor has it that we should be seeing something arise toward the end of March or even April. And that’s a prediction that’s also set out by Gurman. For now, there is yet to be any form of an update speaking about a timeline that handles the likes of the Apple Card Savings Account or the iPhone Subscription, which isn’t even planned yet. The same stands true for the company’s Pay Monthly Service feature.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World