Not Everyone is Geeking Out Over Apple's Vision Pro Headset

Apple's shiny new $3,500 Vision Pro headset was supposed to be the next big thing in tech. But it seems not all early buyers are totally sold on the pricey face gadget. A poll on Reddit revealed that over 12% of Vision Pro owners are already shelving theirs - and some wish they had returned it while they still could.

The poll was posted by a Reddit user who goes by NBA2024. They wanted to see how often people were actually using their Vision Pros after the initial hype wore off. Like many, they found themselves not firing it up as much as expected, feeling it was a waste given the steep cost.

Their poll asked about the frequency of Vision Pro usage. After a couple days, around 1,000 Reddit users had weighed in. The results showed a pretty split crowd:

Over a third (36.5%) said they use it daily. Not bad! Another chunk (19.5%) said they use it frequently throughout the week. But then 19% only used it once a week, and 15% said once every two weeks or even less often.

So while the Vision Pro has its dedicated daily users, a good portion are struggling to make it a regular part of their routine. The comments shed some light on why.

For starters, it's just plain hard to adapt to wearing a headset for normal activities like eating or multitasking. The adjustment period is no joke. Then there's the feeling among some that Apple overhyped what this first generation can actually do. A few called it "gimmicky" and more for hard-core VR fans than casual users.

Specific pain points included little things we take for granted, like being able to answer a phone call hands-free. Sure, updates will keep coming. But some early buyers feel misled about the current experience.

Not everyone is giving up so easily though. Loyal Apple fans still see the Vision Pro's massive potential as an all-in-one portable cinema and computer. As one user put it: "It's a $4000 machine - of course I'll use it daily!"

Only time will tell if mainstream consumers eventually get on board. For now, Apple has some work to do winning over the skeptics and making the Vision Pro an absolute must-have.

Read next: Apple's Manufacturing Shift to India Gains Momentum
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Apple's Manufacturing Shift to India Gains Momentum

Apple is accelerating its efforts to reduce dependence on China for iPhone production. According to a Bloomberg report, approximately 14% of iPhones, or one in seven, are now assembled in India. This represents significant progress in Apple's strategy to establish India as a major manufacturing hub.

For years, Apple's heavy reliance on China has posed risks. COVID-19 disruptions at a key iPhone plant cost the company an estimated $1 billion per week. Escalating U.S.-China tensions have also pressured Apple to diversify its supply chain.

India has long been viewed as an alternative manufacturing location. While ambitious targets were set for iPhone production in India, progress was initially slow. However, the latest figures indicate Apple assembled $14 billion worth of iPhones in India during fiscal 2024.

This manufacturing shift helps mitigate risks from over-dependence on a single country and potential disruptions. However, Apple faces challenges in diversifying its supplier base in India. Initially using three suppliers, Pegatron and Tata are now consolidating, potentially leaving Apple with just two assembly partners.

As Apple expands manufacturing in India, maintaining quality standards and supply chain efficiency will be crucial. Industry analysts will closely monitor the company's ability to establish a robust production ecosystem beyond China.

Image: DIW-AIgen

Read next: Instagram's Political Content Clampdown Sparks Economic Concerns
by Web Desk via Digital Information World

Instagram's Political Content Clampdown Sparks Economic Concerns

Instagram is facing a major backlash over its recent decision to limit the reach of political content on its platform and its new app Threads. A diverse group of high-profile figures are furiously objecting to the policy and demanding Instagram reconsider.

Leading voices like comedian Alok Vaid-Menon, actor Kevin McHale, news outlet So Informed, activist Carlos Eduardo Espina, and the meme kings at Under the Desk News are spearheading the charge against Instagram. Their core argument? By restricting political posts to just people who already follow an account, Instagram is stifling democratic discussion and civic engagement when it's needed most.

They see the policy as a blunt instrument that will end up censoring vital conversations on everything from climate change to gun laws to abortion rights under Instagram's broad definition of what counts as "political." Already marginalized communities, they argue, will be disproportionately muzzled - deprived of platforms to share real-life perspectives so crucial for equity and representation.

There's an economic angle too. For creators who monetize through sponsorships and brand deals, being demoted in the Instagram feed could mean a straight-up pay cut. No small thing when the app fails to offer any meaningful way to get paid directly.

As the 2024 election looms, some wonder if Instagram is just trying to avoid a remake of its role in past electoral shit-shows. But critics say the cure could be worse than the disease - keeping people sealed off in ideological bubbles bereft of different viewpoints is hardly the recipe for a well-informed electorate.

It's a tricky line Instagram is trying to walk between keeping a lid on harmful garbage and preserving the free-flow of discourse, especially on issues the public cares about. With pressures ratcheting up from all sides, all eyes are on what Instagram does next and whether it inadvertently kneecaps the digital public square.

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Read next: Study Claims Almost One In Three Parents Have Never Spoken To Their Kids About Cybersecurity And That’s Alarming

by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Study Claims Almost One In Three Parents Have Never Spoken To Their Kids About Cybersecurity And That’s Alarming

Security experts are raising the alarm against the growing rates of cybersecurity crimes and how young kids are also being affected.

A recent study says that only one in three parents actually go the extra mile to make their kids aware of the alarming dangers of cybersecurity and that’s a big red flag, considering how common of a threat it has become in today’s day and age.

The huge knowledge gap is now being talked about as a serious issue that needs to be resolved before it’s too late, the authors of the research mentioned.

The study is known to generate more knowledge on this front and better explore the different kinds of parental attitudes regarding cybersecurity how it’s high time that children were made aware of cybersecurity attacks and how they’re specifically being targeted.

This particular research in question also goes on to speak about how only two in five parents admitted that they do not know the details behind creating a strong password. And they still continue to give the kids their phones, despite knowing the great dangers and consequences behind such actions. Meanwhile, a third spoke about giving them access via PCs too.

Today’s digital era sees us really immersing ourselves in technology and it’s mindblowing how many responsibilities parents have in terms of protecting their kids and making them aware of what’s wrong and what’s right.

Remember, the authors are stressing how more and more kids are spending time online. And therefore, the discourse linked to cybersecurity has truly turned into a crucial element in the world of modern parenting.

This is why such research studies and more are highlighting the need to have more awareness as well as education regarding digital safety. It’s also important to emphasize how schools also play an integral role in filling up the gap. And the earlier this kind of knowledge is imparted, the better it is for the student.

The authors are calling out the matter as one that’s super interesting for obvious reasons. For example, we’ve got 57% of all parents spoke about how comfortable and open they are to impart knowledge regarding cybercrimes than they were to talk on other sensitive matters like sex education.

But 19% had trouble discussing either subject with their kids and 30% said they never spoke on the matter at all.

The research added that giving kids online exposure without making them aware of what they’re really getting into and the threats linked to this ordeal. Let’s not forget how an overwhelming majority of people have online gaming accounts as delineated in the report.

Experts in the tech world have long stressed the significance of creating strong and secure passwords. And they have called that out as a quintessential feature to keep one’s self-protected at all times.

This is really true when you’re faced with plenty of online accounts storing personal details and credentials and usually, they’re all protected using passwords.

Read next: Q1 2024 PC Shipment Report: Growth Amidst Decline, Lenovo Leads, Apple Tops YoY Growth
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Apple's Default Apps Can Track You Without Your Consent

Apple has made a name for itself as a company that cares about privacy more than other companies in the same field. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it turns out that some of its default apps that come pre-loaded with brand new versions of phones might track you regardless of whether or not you have actually consented to this tracking. This information comes from a study conducted by researchers at Aalto University in Finland, and it involves apps such as Safari, iMessage, and Find My among others.

If we were to take the example of Siri, users have the option of setting it up later if they so choose. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Siri will still be collecting data in the background even if you haven’t set it up in the first place. It bears mentioning that this isn’t just an issue that has to do with Siri alone

Safari can collect information that is as sensitive as your credit card details, and iMessage along with Facetime both have the ability to access your call logs. As if that wasn't enough, they can also take a look at any and all apps that you have used at this current point in time. Some might read this and conclude that they can simply turn this tracking off in Settings, but that’s not quite how things work.

Even when a user switches off data sharing for particular apps, the information will still be sent to them with all things having been considered and taken into account. This data collection is happening in secret which is dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up compromising on something as basic as privacy.

The Family Sharing feature is yet another aspect of Apple products that might infringe on privacy. Your location and purchase history can be shared with family members, and this might be a serious privacy violation between partners as well as between children and their parents.

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Read next: Meta's Active User Data Gap: Instagram's Individual Numbers Remain a Mystery
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Meta's Active User Data Gap: Instagram's Individual Numbers Remain a Mystery

Meta has shared update about its number of users but it is not clear how many users each Meta app has individually. We already know that 3.065 billion people log in to Facebook every month but monthly users for Instagram are not known. 2022 was the last year when there was an update about Instagram's monthly users. According to that update, Instagram had 2 billion daily users and the number must have grown a lot in the last 2 years. We already know that Facebook has seen a decline in its daily users.

But last week, Meta had to show Instagram’s revenue figures because of Meta’s legal filing to FTC’s antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit was asking Meta to sell WhatsApp and Instagram and Meta wanted to dismiss the lawsuit. The document that Meta showed to the court highlighted Instagram’s revenue. $11.3 billion were earned by Instagram in ad revenue in 2018 and $17.9 billion in 2019. It earned $22 billion and $32.4 billion revenue in 2020 and 2021 respectively. In the first half of 2022, Instagram earned $16.5 billion and earned more than $33 billion at the end of the same year.

30% of the total Meta's revenue was earned by Instagram in 2022, according to a report by Bloomberg. This suggests $40 billion of Meta's revenue was earned by Instagram in 2022. New app regulations by E.U also asks Meta to show its user count every six months. So according to the numbers given by Meta to E.U, there are 259 million monthly active users on Instagram in September 2023. Based on this, the US has approximately 175 million users and Asia has 750 million users, with India being Instagram’s biggest market. All these numbers total up to Instagram having about 2 billion users worldwide. These are not official numbers, but they provide an estimation based on the number of users Instagram has.

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Read next: How Does the Tone of Your Prompts Impact LLM Output
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

How Does the Tone of Your Prompts Impact LLM Output

There are a number of ways in which you might go about submitting prompts to ChatGPT. Some might offer an elaborate framework in which the response must be formatted, others would start with a simple greeting, and others still might offer a metaphorical tip for the services that the LLM using chatbot is providing at this current point in time. It turns out that the manner in which you approach these prompts can vastly change the responses that one can receive.

According to Abel Salinas, who works at the USC Information Sciences Institute as a researcher, he and his team were eager to ascertain how various prompts can change output. He collaborated with Fred Morstatter, who leads the team at ISI and also works as the research Assistant Professor of computer science at the USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering, to find an answer to the question at hand. It is important to note that the prompts that they utilized were split into four basic categories.

The first category involved specifying the format of the response, such as requiring it to be in a list. Secondly, they analyzed how minor differences such as unnecessary spaces as well as various kinds of greetings would impact the type of response that they would end up receiving. The third type had to do with jailbreaks, such as asking the AI to answer like it was evil, and finally, the researchers tried offering tips to see how this would affect things.

The various prompts were then tested against 11 different benchmark texts that involved text classification. These are standardized tests that are quite commonplace in LLM research since they can help determine the overall efficiency of the Natural Language Processing of any given system.

The first test involved saying “Howdy!”, and researchers realized that it definitely improved responses with all things having been considered and taken into account. In fact, relatively tiny differences in the style of prompt could have extremely significant changes to the type of response that would be received, which just goes to show how much of an impact these things can end up having.

10% of predictions changed when the output format was specified, and jailbreaks created the biggest changes of all. In spite of the fact that this is the case, the scale of change was largely contingent on the type of jailbreak used. It will be interesting to see where things go from here on out, since studies like this are critical for shaping our understanding of LLMs and how they function in the here and now.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Google Rolls Out New Updates For Its Gemma AI Models But No Fix For Gemini In Sight Despite Controversy
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World