CNET is halting its use of AI-written articles for the time being. The Vergeclaims the technology publication's leadership has paused experiments with AI stories "for now" during a question-and-answer call with staff. While there's no word on the exact reasoning behind the freeze, which also affects Bankrate and CreditCards.com, editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo reportedly said future AI-related stories would include a disclosure that the publication uses automated technologies.

Executive content VP Lindsey Turrentine also promised more transparency regarding the AI, according to The Verge. Some employees would get a preview of the tech, she said. More details of the system will reportedly be available next week. CNET owner Red Ventures has also formed an AI working group. Staff were generally unaware of either the AI's inner workings or when it was being used.

Questions about CNET's AI practices began last week, when The Byte noticed that dozens of financial explainer articles appeared to have been written using "automation technology." While there was a disclosure, it was effectively hidden when you had to click the byline to see it. CNET claimed in the blurb that humans "thoroughly" edited and fact-checked the work, but that wasn't true — the outlet started reviewing the pieces after Futurism discovered serious errors in a story.

CNET has used machine-made articles in years past. AI has advanced since then, though, and the discovery comes as text generation tools like ChatGPT draw flak and even bans over fears of plagiarism and reduced work for human writers. As with automation elsewhere in the workforce, some people don't trust that companies will use AI in an ethical way.

Now that Twitter has confirmed it's banning third-party clients, some of the most prominent alternatives are going away. Tapbots has shut down work on Tweetbot, one of the more popular iOS apps, as Twitter rendered it non-functional "in a blink of an eye." The developer is instead pivoting to Ivory, an app for the open social platform Mastodon. While it's limited to an invitation-only test for now, Tapbots hopes to make the software "better than Tweetbot ever could be."

This isn't the only major Twitter app developer calling it quits. The Iconfactory has pulled Twitterrific from the iOS and macOS App Stores, and blasted the Musk-era Twitter as a company it "no longer recognize[s] as trustworthy." Android users, meanwhile, can't count on apps like Matteo Villa's Fenix (it's no longer available on Google Play) or Luke Klinker's Talon (which the creator warns "will cease to work").

The shutdowns follow roughly a week of disruption and unclear messaging. Numerous third-party apps suddenly stopped working around the evening of January 12th, with leaks suggesting it was intentional. Twitter later acknowledged it was breaking these apps, allegedly to enforce "long-standing" developer rules. The social media giant then quietly updated its developer agreement to formally ban unofficial clients.

Third-party Twitter clients generally haven't played a major role in recent years. In 2018, Sensor Tower determined that 6 million users had installed alternatives versus 560 million for the official Android and iOS apps. However, the ban doesn't help Twitter's bid to keep users and protect its bottom line. Third-party app users downloaded their software of choice precisely because they're active and want features that the official apps don't offer (such as more powerful media previews and searches). Twitter's policy risks alienating those users who hate the first-party app.

GM might make an electric truck for those who think the GMC Hummer and Chevy Silverado are simply too huge. As Autoblognotes, the industry journal Automotive Newshas seen a prototype small electric pickup at a GM-organized workshop. The EV would reportedly make even the hybrid Ford Maverick seem enormous with two doors, a low-slung profile and a bed 4ft to 4.5ft long. It would start below $30,000, making it a bargain compared to the $39,900 Silverado.

The design isn't guaranteed to enter production, and it's not even clear which GM brand would carry the pickup if it moves forward. Affordable EV design director Michael Pevovar told Automotive News the company creates prototypes like these to "get a reaction" and either improve the result or scrap it. If the prototype is too small but otherwise well-received, GM could use another platform to make it larger.

There are incentives for GM to go ahead. The small pickup market is relatively hot at the moment. Autoblog points out that the was Maverick outselling the larger Ranger and the Expedition SUV as of last summer, while Hyundai's Santa Cruz (more of an El Camino revival than a classic truck) outperformed the Accent compact and Venue mini-SUV. GM would not only have something to offer in the category, but could stand out as the only brand with an all-electric model.

As it is, there's a rush to produce more affordable EVs. Chevy's own Equinox EV is expected to start around $30,000, while Tesla and other brands are also pursuing lower-priced vehicles in the years ahead. A lower-priced pickup would help GM's EVs reach a much wider audience, not to mention help meet expectations of a profitable electric division in 2025.

LG just unveiled a portable projector for those who are willing to give up battery power in the name of image quality and features. The new PF510Q Smart Portable Projector is small and light enough to be carried one-handed at 5.8 inches across and 2.2lbs, but still throws a 1080p picture on your wall at sizes between 30 and 120 inches. More importantly, you won't need to plug in other devices. WebOS provides access to the usual streaming media apps, while AirPlay 2 and Screenshare support lets iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android users cast media. You can pair two Bluetooth devices to either share listening or connect to multiple wireless speakers.

This isn't LG's brightest portable projector at 450 lumens. It does offer a solid 150,000:1 contrast ratio, though, and the 30,000-hour light source life might spare you a costly replacement. A built-in 5W mono speaker is on hand if you can't connect your own audio setup. Automatic keystone correction, meanwhile, will save you from fussing with vertical angle adjustments.

The Smart Portable Projector is available now for $600. This won't compete with LG's flagship 4K CineBeam line or even many mid-range projectors, but that's not the point. The PF510Q is meant more to bring a smart TV experience to other parts of your home, or for dorms and other places where a large-screen TV just wouldn't be practical.

Epic Games and Match Group now have a court date for their antitrust case against Google. A Northern District of California judge has set the start of a jury trial for November 6th. Both Epic and Match accuse Google of abusing its control of Android app distribution through the Play Store by establishing unfair fees and requirements for in-app purchases. This comes alongside a lawsuit from 39 attorneys general as well as a customer class action suit demanding $4.7 billion in damages.

Epic sued Google in 2020 after the Android creator kicked Fortnite out of the Play Store for letting customers use an alternative in-app payment system. Match sued Google last year over the "exorbitant" store fee. Epic and Match consolidated their case and a filed motion last fall to expand their allegations, accusing Google of further antitrust violations by paying major developers hundreds of millions of dollars to keep their apps in the Play Store. 

Unlike Epic's partially successful lawsuit against Apple, this case has to acknowledge that customers do have a choice. Where Apple requires that all regular app downloads go through the App Store, Android's sideloading option lets customers install software without downloading it from Google. The issue, as you might imagine, is that those apps are both harder to install and less likely to be noticed when the Play Store is included by default on many Android phones.

Google denies misusing its power, and argues that the fees are necessary to maintain and invest in the Play Store. It maintains that the incentive program doesn't forbid developers from launching third-party stores, and that its portal competes fairly. In December, Google called on the court to deny the expanded requests over timing and other issues.

Google has made some concessions, including a test program for Play Store billing alternatives. That pilot still gives Google a cut of each transaction, though, and it remains to be seen if moves like that will satisfy the court and regulators. As it is, the internet pioneer is facing a raft of other antitrust cases that include a Justice Department lawsuit from 2020. Even if Google prevails against Epic and Match, it may not escape unscathed.

One of streaming's most influential figures is stepping away from the spotlight. Netflix co-creator Reed Hastings is stepping down as the company's co-CEO. Ted Sarandos, who has been co-CEO since July 2020, will share the reins with newly promoted operations chief Greg Peters. Hastings will remain involved as Executive Chairman.

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The UK government is still expanding the scope of its Online Safety Bill. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport secretary Michelle Donelan said in a statement that politicians will propose amending the bill to ban videos portraying Channel immigrant crossings by boat in a "positive light." Those clips are "aiding [and] abetting" immigration law violations, according to Donelan. As with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and terrorist content, internet platforms will have to pull crossing-related footage quickly.

The culture secretary detailed other significant proposed amendments. Senior company leaders could face prison time if they've "consented or connived" to ignore online child safety requirements. Platforms will also have to remove content that promotes LGBTQ conversion therapy practices. Violations of any aspect of the bill could lead to fines up to £18 million (about $22.3 million) or 10 percent of a company's global turnover.

The amendments should be ready for a version of the bill reaching the House of Lords. The changes came after pressure from Conservative MPs like Natalie Elphicke, who serves Dover — a frequent landing site for illegal immigrants.

The alterations aren't surprising given growing concerns in the country over the impact of illegal immigration, not to mention existing provisions in the bill for child safety. However, they add to the feature creep of a bill that has already been delayed several times. There have been concerns the Online Safety Bill might not pass before the next general election, due within two years.

The new provisions also won't satisfy critics like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which already claim the measure amounts to censorship. They're worried the bill will also hurt privacy by eroding protections for the use of end-to-end encryption. Whatever your stances on the issues, it's safe to say the changes would further limit what UK residents are allowed to say online.

Some cars seem oddly well-suited to Uber (Toyota Prius, anyone?), but the company is now taking things a step further. Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi told guests at a Wall Street Journal event that his firm is now teaming up with car manufacturers to design EVs with ridesharing and deliveries in mind. Rideshare cars will ideally have lower top speeds to reduce costs, as well as passenger seats that face each other to promote conversations. Delivery vehicles, meanwhile, might have two or three wheels (to help navigate city streets) but loads of trunk space.

Khosrowshahi didn't say which automakers were involved, or provide a timeline for when optimized EVs might be ready. Uber said in 2021 that it was partnering with Arrival on custom electric taxis, but that was before the startup scrapped its automotive projects in favor of vans.

Uber is no stranger to promoting electrified rides. The company launched Uber Green years ago, and lowered prices last spring. More recently, it expanded the option of hailing all-electric rides to two dozen US cities. The company has also made EVs more accessible to some drivers by making Tesla and Polestar cars available to rent through a deal with Hertz. This latest effort could further widen access by lowering the price of entry and speeding up deliveries.

The service is under pressure to transition to EVs quickly. Internally, it plans to go pure-electric in some regions by 2030, and in cities like London by 2025. Governments in Europe, the UK and North America will also ban sales of combustion engine cars as early as 2035. The more drivers willingly adopt EVs, the fewer headaches Uber is likely to encounter in the years ahead.

Ubisoft has identified one of the three games it cancelled last week. A spokesperson for the publisher has confirmed to Engadget and Eurogamer that it will "no longer support the development" of Project Q, the team battle arena title it revealed last April. The move will help the company concentrate on "priority projects," according to the representative. Ubisoft is reassigning team members to games still in development.

Developers shared little about Project Q. Besides concept art, Ubisoft only said the game was "not a battle royale" and would have a range of player-versus-player modes. It added that there were no plans to offer NFTs.

The firm still hasn't named the two other cancelled games. The reasoning, however, is the same. Ubisoft expects its revenue to drop year-over-year due to a rough economy, delayed releases and shifting game trends, and notes that holiday offerings like Just Dance 2023 and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope didn't sell as well as expected. Management is looking to shave expenses wherever it can, and fewer games is clearly part of that strategy alongside "targeted restructuring" that could include layoffs.

The year has already been problematic. A labor union called for a strike at Ubisoft Paris after CEO Yves Guillemot made statements suggesting rank-and-file staff, not leadership, had to be "especially careful" with money. Kotakuclaims Guillemot offered a partial apology in a follow-up meeting. However, the incident apparently underscored the rift between management and employees — one that may not be mended in the near future.

Wikipedia is finally getting its first major redesign in a decade, but it may be notable precisely because of how little it changes the core experience. The newly launched rework looks very familiar, and instead eliminates some common hassles. A new sticky header provides quick access to search and article sections, while a revised search shows images and descriptions as you type. It's easier to switch languages, and a table of contents helps you navigate content.

TechCrunch also points to smaller tweaks. A collapsible sidebar lets you remove distractions while reading. The default font size is larger, too, to reduce the strain on your eyes.

The Wikipedia update is rolling out now for English users. Wikimedia has already made the update available to 300 of the 318 active languages on the site. It's already the default for Arabic and Greek readers. The team is still asking for feedback, so don't be surprised if the site continues to evolve.

Wikimedia Foundation makes clear that it hasn't removed any functionality, and that the changes led to real-world gains in testing with international volunteer groups. Users searched 30 percent more often, and scrolled 15 percent less. The redesign is meant to modernize Wikipedia by making it more accessible to a "next generation" of internet users who may not be very familiar with the web, according to the creators. You may not pay much notice to the changes if you're a diehard reader, then, but those just coming online may appreciate the ease of use.