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The social network X plans to compete with LinkedIn by offering job listings and more, CEO Elon Musk said in a new post. To aid in that, it has started gathering information about users' jobs and education histories, along with biometric data for "safety, security and identification purposes," according to a new policy spotted by Bloomberg. The company previously created an official @TwitterHiring account, TechCrunch reported last month. 

"People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can’t bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed," said Musk (who is often mocked for his own cringe-worthy posts). "We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool."

On top of work history and education, X is collecting biometric information, though it didn't say what kind. "Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes," the updated privacy policy states. Twitter confirmed the update to Bloomberg, without elaborating more.

Some verified organizations including Workweek have been able to post job listings in the form of scrolling cards under their bios, as TechCrunch noted. According to a screenshot posted by user Nima Owji last month, "Twitter [X] will let verified organizations import all of their jobs to Twitter by connecting a supported ATS or XML feed." Those listings may only work in the US for now, as they don't appear for myself in Europe. 

Elon Musk previously hinted at the feature in May, and X purchased a job-matching tech startup called Laski in May — the company's first acquisition under Musk. Workweek CEO Adam Ryan said the job posting feature was included in X's $1,000 per month "verified for organizations" package. 

The job listings might eventually connect with the work history and education data gathered. "We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you [and] to enable employers to find potential candidates," the policy states. However, it may also be used "to show you more relevant advertising." 

Biometric data is also relevant to Elon Musk's stated goal of ridding the site of inauthentic accounts. Gathering that data may draw attention from regulators, though. X is already facing a proposed class action suit for biometric data captured without consent, reportedly from every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to X, according to a suit seen by Bloomberg.

Microsoft is finally making good on a promise it made back in April, with the company announcing that it will finally unbundle Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365 productivity suites across the European Union. The move follows a three-year saga that began when Slack filed an Antitrust complaint against its competitor, claiming that including Teams in these bundles was illegal and that Microsoft was blocking some individuals from getting rid of the program. 

The tech giant finally agreed to separate Teams from its productivity suites earlier this year but said it was "unclear" how it would happen. Then, in July, the European Commission appeared to get tired of waiting and launched a probe into whether bundling Teams into productivity suites was in defiance of EU competition rules. 

Now, it seems Microsoft is trying to play nice and get the European Commission off its back. "We recognize our responsibility as a major technology provider to support a healthy competitive environment. We appreciate the clarity that has emerged on several of the concerns from extensive and constructive discussions with the European Commission," Microsoft's vice president of European Government Affairs, Nanna-Louise Linde, said in the blog post announcing the decision. "With the benefit of this clarity, we believe it is important that we start to take meaningful steps to address those concerns. We do this not with the sense that this will necessarily resolve all concerns, whether from the Commission or our competitors, but we believe this is a constructive step that can start to lead to immediate and meaningful changes in the market."

Well, now there's a how and a when. Starting October 1st, Microsoft 365 and Office 365 should each be available for €2 less per month or €24 across the whole year for customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Teams should also be available on its own for €5 per month or €60 for the year. Anyone who previously bought a productivity suite can keep paying for the entire bundle or remove Teams switch plans. However, Microsoft claims that any frontline workers or small business owners in the region will still have the option to include Teams in their purchase. 

Microsoft also says it will create additional support resources to direct developers to public APIs and address questions from users, such as how their data is being transferred from Teams. Plus, Microsoft "will develop a new method" for using its programs in competing apps. 

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Signify, the Philips spinoff known for its Hue lighting products, has announced a new category for the brand that puts it in direct competition with companies like Ring and Nest. Yes, the company has launched new security products, most of which will be available this fall. They include Philips Hue Secure cameras in wired and wireless (or battery) versions that feature a 1080p HD video feed with night vision. 

You can use the cameras to talk to a visitor or delivery person outside your door, and you can program them to work in tandem with your Hue lights and sound alarms to help deter intruders. The devices can notify you of movements, but it has the capability to differentiate between pets, packages or people. Signify also says that end-to-end encryption is enabled by default, so your footage remains private. The new Hue Secure cameras can be used indoors or outdoors, and you can prop up the wired version with its companion desktop stand. Both will be available this autumn, though the wired camera will be a bit cheaper at $218 (€200) than the $273 (€250) battery variant. 

If you want something specifically for outdoor use, though, you can also get the Philips Hue Secure floodlight camera. When you trigger a light alarm from the Hue app, it instantly illuminates a large area in any color you want to help ward off potential intruders. This one is coming out later, in the first quarter of 2024, and will sell for $382 (€350).

Signify

Aside from the aforementioned security cameras, the new Philips Hue lineup also includes contact sensors. You can stick them on doors, windows and other places, so you can get notified if somebody opens them. Plus, you can program them to work with Hue lights so that they'd switch on or off if the sensors detect doors being opened or closed. The sensors will be available this autumn in black and white for $44 (€40) each or $76 (€70) for a two-pack.

At least two government agencies are looking into Tesla's secret glass house project dubbed "Project 42," according to The Wall Street Journal. Back in July, the publication reported that the automaker's board launched an investigation over concerns that its CEO, Elon Musk, was using company funds for the project. Now, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has reportedly asked for information on how much Tesla spent on the project and on personal benefits Musk enjoys. Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also opened a civil probe, the Journal said, and has sought the same information.

The plans for Project 42 involved building a glass structure that appeared to be a living space with bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen near Tesla's facilities in Austin, Texas. A couple of concepts envisioned it as a "twisted hexagon" or a glass cube similar to Apple's 5th Avenue store. The Journal previously said that the board launched an investigation after employees raised concerns regarding the special glass ordered for the project, which they believe would cost the company millions of dollars. It's unclear if that investigation is finished and if the company's order for the special glass pushed through.

As the publication notes, SEC requires transactions over $120,000 when an executive has a material interest in them. Any personal benefits paid to executives that amount to over $10,000 must also be disclosed to investors. Authorities have only just started looking into the initiative, however, and these probes might not lead to any formal charges. 

In addition to investigations regarding Project 42, Tesla is also reportedly facing inquiries from federal prosecutors over the driving range of its vehicles. The company is being questioned after Reuters reported last month that its EVs frequently don't meet their range estimates and that the company set up a team specifically to cancel service appointments related to driving range complaints. 

JLab's extremely affordable earbuds already strike a solid balance of value and performance, but the company set out to "drastically" reduce size and weight with its latest model. First announced back in December, the JBuds Mini is a set of insanely tiny wireless earbuds with a charging case smaller than a car key fob. While the $40 earbuds lack more advanced features like active noise cancellation (ANC), JLab didn't cut corners on the basics. Those items include customizable touch controls, transparency mode, multipoint Bluetooth and solid battery life.

The company explains that the JBuds Mini are 30 percent smaller than its already svelte Go Air Pop earbuds. It also shaved 50 percent off the size of the new case as compared to the one that came with that previous model. Inside the earbuds, 6mm dynamic drivers handle the audio while noise-canceling microphones are onboard for calls. The Mini's Bluetooth multipoint feature allows you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously and easily switch between them when needed. 

Touch controls cover actions like play/pause, adjusting volume, answering calls, activating Be Aware (transparency mode), cycling through EQ presets and summoning a voice assistant. You can further customize those gestures inside the JLab App, which also allows you to change the EQ settings. JLab says you can expect over five and a half hours of battery life on the earbuds themselves with over 20 hours of total playtime when you factor in the charging case. The JBuds Mini are also IP55 rated, so they offer some protection from dust and moisture. Lastly, Google Fast Pair is on the spec sheet, making the connection process quick and easy with compatible devices. 

The JBuds Mini will be available September 1st in mint, sage, pink, aqua and black color options. 

Google has been working to marry its new-found focus on generative AI with its existing expertise in search since mid-May, as part of Search Lab's Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) project. On Wednesday, the company announced that the SGE program is expanding beyond America's digital borders and into both the Japanese and Indian marketplaces.

SGE is Google's answer to Microsoft's Bing AI and is designed to provide summarized and curated answers to input prompts rather than a list of webpages. Google's system differs from Microsoft's in that it incorporates its AI directly into the existing search bar rather than run it as a separate chatbot assistant. The company began expanding access to the SGE program in late May for US users and, this week, rolled out Search Labs to users in India and Japan.

The AI-enhanced search feature will be available in Japanese in Japan and in both English and Hindi for users in India, reads a Wednesday Google Search blog. "We’re also launching with voice input, so users can simply speak their query instead of typing it and listen to the responses," the blog continues. "Search ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page." 

Google also claimed that "people are having a positive experience," using SGE "for help with more complex queries and entirely new types of questions." In fact, the company notes that SGE's highest satisfaction scores came from 18-24 year olds, though did not offer data to back up those assertions.

Following the meteoric rise in popularity of generative AI systems with the release of ChatGPT last November, the technology's luster is already beginning to fade as the seemingly inevitable misuse of its capabilities ramps up. The tech is already being used in online scams and has attracted the attention of both federal regulators and Congress itself, seeking to crack down on such shenanigans.

Clearblue has launched a new product that can determine what stage of menopause a person is in. The "Menopause Stage Indicator" is a urine testing device and it's the company's first for this underserved market in women's health.

The Menopause Stage Indicator looks like a standard pregnancy test stick but instead of measuring urine for pregnancy hormones, it will look for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, which are measured to confirm menopause. To get accurate test results, you’ll have to conduct five urine tests over ten days, and Clearblue recommends they be taken every other day. Using FSH levels, menstrual cycle history, and a person’s age, the company will be able to determine and confirm the menopause stage. The app will calculate if a person is in premenopause, early perimenopause, late perimenopause, or postmenopause.

In its press release, Clearblue acknowledges that only a healthcare professional can confirm someone’s menopause stage. However, through the app, you can generate a personalized report and share it with your healthcare provider to confirm test results and discuss potential treatment options. The Menopause Stage Indicator will be available on Amazon for a starting price of $20.

Women’s health has long been cast aside as a mere subset of healthcare. And it’s even worse for aging people entering menopause. The market for a menopause testing device by Clearblue, a brand most famous for its pregnancy tests, is prime for the taking. Studies show that 73 percent of women experience menopause but do not seek treatment for their symptoms and the global menopause market size is projected to grow to $21.6 billion by 2026.

When Sennheiser debuted the original Ambeo Soundbar in 2019, it was the company's only living room speaker to carry its immersive audio tech. It was also very expensive at $2,500. That model, now dubbed the Ambeo Soundbar Max, is still $2,000 and its big sonic chops come in a massively large package. Last year, Sennheiser revealed the Ambeo Soundbar Plus: a $1,500 option that carried much of what makes Max such an acoustic marvel in a smaller design and a lower price (which is now $1,200). Today, the company announced the most affordable Ambeo model yet, the Ambeo Soundbar Mini, which packs that immersive audio tech in a much smaller speaker. It's a bid to take on the likes of Sonos Beam, but this Mini is still comparatively pricey at $800. 

Sennheiser says the Ambeo Soundbar Mini is less than half the size of the Ambeo Soundbar Plus. The smaller stature alleviates potential obstruction when you place it in front of your TV and the company says it's compact enough to put on your desk. Despite the reduced footprint, the Mini still packs 250 watts of amplification power behind four full-range drivers and two four-inch subwoofers. Sennheiser says these components combine for the "sharp fidelity, impactful bass and crystal-clear presence" exhibited by the larger two Ambeo soundbars.

The main attraction here remains the company's immersive Ambeo technology. Sennheiser's 3D audio system uses the Mini's four microphones to calibrate the soundbar to any space. This process takes into account room size, reflective surfaces and textures. The one-touch process adjusts the speaker's 7.1.4 surround sound virtualization for the best performance. The Mini supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X MPEG-H and Sony's 360 Reality Audio while connecting to your TV or display through a single HDMI 2.1 (eARC) port. While Sennheiser says the soundbar is capable of "room-filling sound and impactful bass" down to 43 Hz, it gives you the option of connecting up to four Ambeo Subs ($600 each). 

The Ambeo Soundbar Mini is equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth, both of which can be used to stream music from the likes of Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal. Sennheiser says the speaker's Ambeo OS allows quick access to audio via Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. The Mini's microphones can also be used for voice commands via the built-in Alexa compatibility, but leveraging Google Assistant or Siri will require Chomecast or AirPlay, respectively. 

Sennheiser

If you wish to expand your Ambeo setup beyond the Mini, your only option is to add an Ambeo Sub. The soundbar doesn't support subwoofers from other companies and there's no compatibility with wireless rear satellite speakers. That's due to the lack of Ambeo integration on both (Sennheiser really needs to make a set of rear speakers ASAP). This, in addition to a lower price, is a key difference between the Mini and the Sonos Beam. Sonos' second-gen compact soundbar adds Dolby Atmos, but it doesn't have up-firing drivers so the overall effect is limited. Still, a bundle that includes the Beam, a Sub Mini and two Era 100 speakers is available for $1,356 — around $50 less than the Ambeo Soundbar Mini and its compatible sub.

The Ambeo Soundbar Mini will be available on September 1st.

Another ChatGPT rival is out in the wild. Baidu has made ERNIE Bot, its generative AI product and large language model, generally available to the public through various app stores and its website. Alongside ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration), the company plans to release a string of AI apps it says will allow folks "to fully experience the four core abilities of generative AI: understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory."

Opening up ERNIE Bot (which is focused on the Chinese market) to the public will enable Baidu to obtain much more human feedback, according to CEO Robin Li. The company notes that this will help it iterate on ERNIE Bot more quickly and improve the user experience.

Baidu announced the chatbot back in March, demonstrating capabilities such as summarizing a sci-fi novel and offering suggestions on how to continue the story in an expanded universe. It can generate images and videos based on text inputs too. Earlier this month, Baidu said ERNIE Bot's training throughput had increased three-fold since March and that it's now capable of data analysis and visualization, generating results more quickly and handling image inputs.

As of August 15th, Chinese companies need to obtain approval from authorities before they can release generative AI experiences to the public, and Baidu was one of the first to get the green light, according to Bloomberg. The report suggests officials see AI as a "business and political imperative given the transformative nature of the technology." Beijing is said to want guardrails in place to keep a tight lid on content while still enabling Chinese companies to compete with overseas rivals.