AI-generated content can be found everywhere online, including your Google News feed. A report from 404 Media revealed that Google is boosting websites filled with AI-generated articles ripped from other outlets. While this isn’t a total surprise, the revelation is disappointing. Google News used to be a place you’d find the latest and most accurate information on most topics. But just because something makes it to Google News doesn’t necessarily mean the information is reliable.

404 Media cited several examples of AI-written articles getting past Google. One example involved a “news site” called Worldtimetodays, that recently published an article about Star Wars. An analysis of the article showed it was highly similar to one published earlier by Distractify. The Worldtimetodays article included the same author photo along with some odd phrasings, as you’d expect with AI. The ripped article read “Let’s be honest, war of stars fans,” instead of Star Wars fans. The site also had articles that were barely rewritten from Heavy, without bothering to replace Heavy’s watermarked images.

As AI advances and becomes even more accessible, we will likely continue to see mass output of plagiarized articles and unreliable information on Google News. Because as of right now, it’s clear Google may not be ready to fully audit the articles populating its news feed. The company told 404 Media that while it tries to filter spam on Google News, it isn’t overly concerned whether an article is written by humans or AI. A Google representative said it’s more about the quality of the content.

“Our focus when ranking content is on the quality of the content, rather than how it was produced. Automatically-generated content produced primarily for ranking purposes is considered spam, and we take action as appropriate under our policies,” the statement read.

Google went on to reiterate that websites are considered for Google News automatically, and new websites may not be immediately detected by the system. The company added that its goal is to reward “original content that demonstrates things such as expertise and trustworthiness,” but it looks like it’s missing the mark by letting these AI-generated articles through in the first place.

Arc, a formerly Mac-only internet browser from The Browser Company, is coming to Windows. In a post on X, the company today announced that its first Windows beta invites are already hitting inboxes. This comes after months of requests from Windows users who want to give Arc a shot. Back in September, the company said it already had over 500,000 signups on the Windows waitlist, and that number is expected to grow as the waitlist remains open for new users looking to check out the Arc experience.

According to TechCrunch, The Browser Company plans to continue its onboarding process throughout the month before “rapidly” increasing invitation roll-outs in the new year. While the company didn’t say whether the Windows version will have all the same standout features of the Mac, we do know features like Peek (which lets you preview a link before opening it in its own tab) and Little Arc (a lightweight browser window meant for quickly viewing something) are currently being ported. Since the Windows version is still in beta, users may notice several missing features but those will likely come with updates along the way.

The Browser Company describes Arc as a much better way of using the internet. The goal is to provide a cleaner, calmer experience that helps users to better organize their time online. Arc definitely has a few features that sets it apart from other browsers like Safari, Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Among its unique features is one launched this spring that lets you customize (or vandalize) any website. There’s also a sidebar that holds your bookmarks and tabs. We’re all guilty of having a million tabs open at once and Arc helps to prevent clutter by archiving. That means you’ll always have a fresh and tidy space to work from. You also have the option to create spaces to store research for individual projects. And patient Windows users will finally get to try it, once they get picked from the waitlist anyway.

Earlier this year, Google announced it would shut down its standalone podcast app in 2024. Since then, the company has started moving podcasts into YouTube and its companion app YouTube Music. As a way to ease the transition, Google will be rolling out a migration tool for its current podcast app users. With the tool, users in the US will be able to move their favorite pod subscriptions from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music, or export them for use in other podcast apps.

In the coming weeks, the migration tool will be available through a banner in Google Podcasts. There are step-by-step instructions on how to use the migration tool in Google's Help Center. The entire process is just four steps and you’ll need to have both Google Podcasts and YouTube Music installed on your device to complete the transfer. After the transfer, Google notes it may take a few minutes for everything to show up in your YouTube Music library.

Google's move to ditch its standalone podcast app doesn't come as a total surprise. Google Podcasts has been around since 2018 but it never quite took off like similar apps, including Overcast and Spotify. And YouTube is already a popular destination for podcast fans, with a recent study claiming over 23 percent of podcasts listeners use YouTube as their primary player. Many of today's trending podcasts are already available on YouTube. For podcasts that are not available on the platform, users can add shows directly to their YouTube Music library via RSS feed. This isn't Google's first rodeo. Back in 2020, the company nixed its standalone music app, Google Play Music, in favor of YouTube Music, and it also offered a comprehensive tool to transfer libraries to the new app.

Google Podcasts will remain live for listening through March 2024, after which users will be able to migrate or export their subscriptions through July 2024.

Jimmy Stewart can now send you off to a blissful night's rest with a Calm bedtime story. The mindfulness app is known for its Sleep Stories, read by celebrities including Harry Styles and Idris Elba, to help users drift off to dreamland. To revive Stewart's iconic voice Calm has collaborated with AI company Respeecher. The new It’s a Wonderful Sleep Story, which Calm has dubbed “a heartwarming new holiday tale,” is now available for Premium subscribers.

Stewart starred in several major films (including It’s a Wonderful Life) and was known for his signature drawl and calming voice. Tina Xavie, chief marketing officer of CMG Worldwide (the company that manages Stewart's estate) said that makes this AI recreation a great fit for Calm's bedtime series. Folks at Respeecher trained its system with old recordings of the star and merged them with a voice actor's rendition of the story.

"Hello, I'm James Stewart, but you can call me Jimmy. Tonight I'm going to tell you a story," the AI-generated Stewart begins, before urging listeners to get nice and comfortable. “It’s a heartwarming story of love, of loss, of hope and of joy, but most of all — it’s a wonderful sleep story.”

According to Variety, the project received the green light from both Stewart’s family and his estate. While this project was created with consent from the necessary parties, the growing use of AI to replicate voices of celebrities and other public figures has sparked ethical debates. There have been several instances of unauthorized use of likenesses or voices, including that of Drake, Tom Hanks and Gayle King.

The It’s a Wonderful Sleep Story has also been receiving some backlash on social media. Users on X (formerly Twitter) have called it "despicable" and "terrifying" with one user saying there was "no way Jimmy Stewart would be okay with AI using his voice."

Despite the backlash, Stewart’s family is happy to see his legacy live on. In a statement, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, one of Stewart’s daughters, said “It’s amazing what technology can do and wonderful to see Dad’s legacy live on this holiday season in new ways.”

After the Pokémon anime universe said goodbye to its long-time protagonist Ash Ketchum, stateside fans have been anticipating the arrival of the new faces to helm the series. Now, the wait is almost over. Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the latest installment in the franchise, is set to make its English debut on Netflix in 2024.

Pokémon Horizons has been available in Japan since April of this year, but it was previously unclear when the show's English dub would debut. According to a new tweet from the official Pokémon account, Pokémon Horizons will be available for streaming on February 23 in the US. This comes a just few days before the annual Pokémon Day celebration on February 27.

Viewers in the UK won't have to wait until February to catch the Pokémon Horizons fever. The English dub is set to premiere in early December and will be available for streaming on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile, Canadian viewers will have to wait until March 2 to catch the series on either Cartoon Network or Télétoon.

The dubbed version of Pokémon Horizons will introduce English-speaking audiences to a fresh cast of characters, including Liko (Alejandra Reynoso), Sprigatito (Kira Buckland), Roy (Anjali Kunapaneni) and Fuecoco (Zeno Robinson). Together, they'll embark on an adventure spanning multiple regions within the expansive Pokémon world.

Additionally, Pokémon fans can also look forward to an adorable stop-motion series, Pokémon Concierge, on Netflix this December.

Evernote is experimenting with severe restrictions to its free plan, which may nudge users to upgrade or quit the app entirely. According to a report from TechCrunch, some Evernote users were greeted with a pop-up message announcing that the free plan would be limited to a single notebook and 50 notes. The pop-up also introduced a "special 40 percent off" offer, encouraging users to upgrade to a paid plan to create notes and notebooks without limits.

But despite the in-app notification, Evernote's website has no mention of changes coming to its free plan. A representative for the company explained to TechCrunch that the website had not been updated because the change was not yet final. The company confirmed it has been testing the limited plan with less than 1 percent of its free users. Based on how that goes, Evernote will determine whether to implement the new plan. If that does happen, the representative said the company would then communicate the changes to “the relevant customer touch-points.”

The limited version of the free plan would not prevent users from managing, editing or deleting their current notes. It would only take away the ability to create new notes unless users took the plunge and paid for their plan.

For years, Evernote was the go-to app for countless power users and productivity gurus. However, the app has been kind of on a downward slide for a while. In 2020, it appeared Evernote was trying to reclaim its crown with the release of a major cross-platform redesign. But the updates weren't enough to revive the app, which was once valued at almost a billion dollars. Last November, Evernote was purchased by a Milan-based company called Bending Spoons, which went on to lay off 129 staffers. Bending Spoons later announced it would be abandoning most of its US operations, shifting Evernote development to Europe.

If implemented, this would be a dramatic change for die-hard Evernote fans who have stuck with the free plan for lightweight note-taking purposes. The change would make the free plan basically useless, and there would be no compelling reason to use Evernote over something free and more powerful like Apple and Google’s own note-taking apps.

Evernote is experimenting with severe restrictions to its free plan, which may nudge users to upgrade or quit the app entirely. According to a report from TechCrunch, some Evernote users were greeted with a pop-up message announcing that the free plan would be limited to a single notebook and 50 notes. The pop-up also introduced a "special 40 percent off" offer, encouraging users to upgrade to a paid plan to create notes and notebooks without limits.

But despite the in-app notification, Evernote's website has no mention of changes coming to its free plan. A representative for the company explained to TechCrunch that the website had not been updated because the change was not yet final. The company confirmed it has been testing the limited plan with less than 1 percent of its free users. Based on how that goes, Evernote will determine whether to implement the new plan. If that does happen, the representative said the company would then communicate the changes to “the relevant customer touch-points.”

The limited version of the free plan would not prevent users from managing, editing or deleting their current notes. It would only take away the ability to create new notes unless users took the plunge and paid for their plan.

For years, Evernote was the go-to app for countless power users and productivity gurus. However, the app has been kind of on a downward slide for a while. In 2020, it appeared Evernote was trying to reclaim its crown with the release of a major cross-platform redesign. But the updates weren't enough to revive the app, which was once valued at almost a billion dollars. Last November, Evernote was purchased by a Milan-based company called Bending Spoons, which went on to lay off 129 staffers. Bending Spoons later announced it would be abandoning most of its US operations, shifting Evernote development to Europe.

If implemented, this would be a dramatic change for die-hard Evernote fans who have stuck with the free plan for lightweight note-taking purposes. The change would make the free plan basically useless, and there would be no compelling reason to use Evernote over something free and more powerful like Apple and Google’s own note-taking apps.

It's been a long time coming, but the Switch version of Outer Wilds now has an official release date of December 7, developers Annapurna Interactive and Mobius Digital announced during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase on Tuesday. Pre-orders for the digital version are now open, with a physical edition expected in early 2024.

Outer Wilds is already available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 but there have clearly been some delays with the Nintendo Switch version, which was initially expected in 2021. For whatever reason, this seems to be a common issue with Nintendo Switch ports: We've reported on several other third-party publishers who have experienced setbacks in bringing their games to the Switch.

For the uninitiated, the popular game launches players into space for a little exploration, but things take an unexpected turn. Players soon realize they're stuck in a time loop. They’ll have just 22 minutes to figure out what’s happening before the sun goes supernova and forces them to start over again and again and again. Players must use the knowledge gained from each loop to bypass earlier obstacles and make it to the end.

Nintendo Switch users can purchase just Outer Wilds for $25 or Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition, featuring Outer Wilds and the Echoes of the Eye expansion for $38. Both editions are available for pre-order and currently 20 percent off until December 12.

After a series of delays, Hogwarts Legacy is now available for the Nintendo Switch console. The wizardly game was released in February for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions following in May. The Switch version was also expected during the first half of the year. However, it was pushed to July and finally, November 14.

Hogwarts Legacy developers said the Switch version was delayed to create the “best possible experience” for players. The Switch's aging hardware may have also contributed to the delay as this isn't the first setback we've seen for third-party publishers bringing their games to the console.

As for gameplay, Hogwarts Legacy is, as you’re probably aware, based on the Harry Potter series. The game is a prequel, set over a hundred years before Harry and the gang entered the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Once the game starts, players can choose and customize their characters, including which Hogwarts House to join. After that, players will learn to cast spells, brew potions and master different magical abilities. Hogwarts Legacy is currently available for $60 in the Nintendo Store. There's also a deluxe edition with a Dark Arts Pack, featuring a Dark Arts cosmetic set and a new battle arena. The Hogwarts Legacy: Digital Deluxe Edition will cost $70.

Since its release, Hogwarts Legacy has sold millions of copies — making it one of the best-selling games of 2023 so far. But despite its obvious popularity across platforms, Hogwarts Legacy did not snag a single nomination for this year's Games Awards.

In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has recently been working to cement its presence in the audiobook space. Today, the company announced Premium users in the US will be able to stream 15 hours of free audiobook content monthly as a part of their subscription. This offering was previously only available to Premium users in the UK and Australia.

The company says there's no need for users to do anything. Audiobooks that are available to stream will be marked as “Included in Premium” and users can hit play right away. Spotify notes that 15 hours is roughly two average audiobooks per month. If you end up hitting the limit, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up.

The company says its Spotify Premium audiobook catalog now has something for everyone. Users with a Premium subscription can access over 70 percent of today's bestsellers, including Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me and Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend. There are also many classic pieces of literature, like Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Spotify believes its listeners will "love exploring the depths of our 200,000-strong catalog, unearthing genres from 'cozy mystery' to 'historical romance.'"

Books that aren't eligible for free streaming will need to be purchased outright. Those books will have a lock on the play button, which means you'll need to purchase the title. To make a purchase, you'll follow a link to your browser. Once that's completed, you'll be taken back to the app to listen to your new book. All your purchased titles will show up in your library and be available for offline listening. Spotify also gives you the option to control playback speed so you can listen at your own pace.

It makes sense that Spotify has included audiobooks in its app, but there are a few things that may deter users from tapping in. Yes, having a single place to listen to your music, podcasts and books is convenient but unlike with music and podcasts, you have a streaming limit here. Additionally, only a limited number of books are free to stream with your $11 subscription. While Audible also charges a subscription fee, users get one book to own every month, which may make it the more appealing and affordable option for some.