OpenAI Announces That It’s Making GPT-5 More Sycophantic After User Backlash

Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company would be reinstating its GPT-4o model, just over 24 hours after declaring that its newfangled GPT-5 would be accompanied by the “deprecating” of all previous models. The scale of the blowback from angry users was staggering. Those who had become accustomed to the “sycophantic”… Continue reading OpenAI Announces That It’s Making GPT-5 More Sycophantic After User Backlash

Evidence Grows That GPT-5 Is a Bit of a Dud

Power users of OpenAI’s blockbuster chatbot ChatGPT were left largely unimpressed by the company’s recently unveiled GPT-5 AI model. Those who became familiar with the convivial and sycophantic tone of GPT-5’s predecessor were particularly distraught by its “cold” and far less supportive demeanor, accusing OpenAI of cutting corners. The pushback was significant enough for OpenAI… Continue reading Evidence Grows That GPT-5 Is a Bit of a Dud

There’s Something Really Suspicious About the Way This Star Died

Stellar death is a complex and mysterious process — but in the case of a supernova known as 2023zkd, things were more gruesome than any astronomer had ever seen before. As its name suggests, this supernova — the fabulous astronomical term for the explosive death of a star — was first spotted back in 2023,… Continue reading There’s Something Really Suspicious About the Way This Star Died

How the head of Obsidian went from superfan to CEO

Steph “kepano” Ango on why productivity tools need community more than they need AI. by Casey Newton Aug 18, 2025, 3:40 PM UTC Steph “kepano” Ango on why productivity tools need community more than they need AI. by Casey Newton Aug 18, 2025, 3:40 PM UTC Casey Newton is the editor of the Platformer newsletter… Continue reading How the head of Obsidian went from superfan to CEO

Clean Technica: Shopping For An Affordable EV In Colorado004156

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Last Updated on: 17th August 2025, 12:40 am In this article, I wanted to see how electric vehicles (EV) were selling in one of the hottest markets in the US, Colorado. They have a $3,500 instant tax credit for vehicles under $80,000, and you get… Continue reading Clean Technica: Shopping For An Affordable EV In Colorado004156

Camp Snap CS-8 Review: Simple Video Capture

The Camp Snap CS-8 doesn’t care about frame rates, bit rates, or whether your footage is stabilized to unerring levels of steadiness. It doesn’t want to replace your iPhone or compete with your mirrorless camera setup. What it offers instead is something far simpler and more deliberate: the feeling of shooting video for the sake… Continue reading Camp Snap CS-8 Review: Simple Video Capture

ICE Agents Accidentally Add Random Person to Group Chat, Uncover Highly Sensitive Data

“I saw the rap sheet and license plate numbers and was like WTAF.” Mass Text US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents accidentally added a random person to a mass group text in which officers from multiple federal law enforcement agencies discussed extremely sensitive information about arrests, targets, and strategy. As 404 Media reports, the group text… Continue reading ICE Agents Accidentally Add Random Person to Group Chat, Uncover Highly Sensitive Data

Scientists Taught a Robot to Play the Drums and He Is Shockingly Horrible at It

When it comes to robot musicians, talent runs the gamut about as much as it does for humans. From the bizarre double-armed machine that made a guest appearance in Sweden last fall when it played cello with the Malmo Symphony Orchestra to the poorly-disguised, tunic-wearing humanoid robot seen playing keytar at a festival in China,… Continue reading Scientists Taught a Robot to Play the Drums and He Is Shockingly Horrible at It

The US May Have Already Lost the AI Race to China Due to a Key Weakness

You might have heard of an “AI race” heating up between the US and China, a bitter rivalry between two global adversaries that could shape the direction of world history. At least, that’s how some in the US feel. While China has repeatedly tried to establish a geopolitical friendship with the richest nation in the… Continue reading The US May Have Already Lost the AI Race to China Due to a Key Weakness

Why I recommend this $400 Google Pixel over competing models from Samsung and OnePlus

Google Pixel 9a ZDNET’s key takeaways The Google Pixel 9a is the latest midrange phone from the company and retails for $499. It features a new Tensor G4 chip, helpful AI tools, an improved main camera, and the largest battery of any Pixel. You’ll have to settle for some budget trade-offs, including the lack of… Continue reading Why I recommend this $400 Google Pixel over competing models from Samsung and OnePlus