When I first laid eyes on the Rabbit R1, it seemed far more enticing than the Humane AI Pin. The R1 boasted an actual screen, not a dim projector, and sported a charming scrolling wheel, all encased in a glossy, fiery orange-red shell.
However, as detailed in our review, it falls short of its promises. At launch, it’s plagued with bugs and issues, failing to deliver on its potential. Even Devindra Hardawar, who conducted the review, had reservations about the scrolling wheel. A disappointing revelation.
Perhaps the main question arises: if your smartphone can perform these tasks just as competently (or even better in most cases), what purpose does the Rabbit serve?
In all honesty, the Rabbit R1 didn’t quite capture my interest, despite my usual enthusiasm for Teenage Engineering designs.
In other news, recent research by the University of East Anglia (UEA) indicates that current plans for carbon removal are insufficient to meet the goals outlined in the Paris treaty, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5°C. There exists a substantial gap of up to 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) between current global strategies for carbon removal and the necessary measures to avert the most severe impacts of climate change. The study emphasizes the urgent need for a rapid reduction in emissions, highlighting its paramount importance over carbon removal efforts.
Furthermore, Google has revised its Inappropriate Content Policy to explicitly prohibit advertisers from promoting websites and services associated with deepfake pornography. While certain restrictions were already in place for ads featuring sexually explicit content, this update specifically targets “synthetic content that has been altered or generated to be sexually explicit or contain nudity.” The new policy will come into effect on May 30, providing advertisers with the opportunity to rectify any advertisements that violate the revised guidelines.
In a separate development, Nintendo has issued Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator. This action follows Nintendo’s previous assertions that Yuzu facilitated “piracy at a colossal scale.” Redacted entities representing Nintendo allege that the Yuzu source code “illegally circumvents Nintendo’s technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Switch games.” These events unfold amidst a resurgence in game emulation. Notably, Apple recently relaxed its restrictions on retro game players in the App Store. However, the more noble motivations for emulation, such as preserving gaming history and accessing discontinued games, are overshadowed when individuals resort to emulation for obtaining unauthorized copies of games like Tears of the Kingdom.
