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Apple leaks four iOS 27 features, including overdue Wallet upgrade
As we approach WWDC kicking off in June, we’re learning more about what to expect from iOS 27. A new...
4 New Apple Intelligence Features Found in Apple Code, Likely in iOS 27
iOS 27 is likely to introduce at least four new Apple Intelligence features that function within system apps, based on backend code discovered by Nicolás Alvarez and confirmed by MacRumors. First up, Apple is expected to lean more heavily into Visual Intelligence in iOS 27, since the company is reportedly developing AI wearable devices that will leverage the feature. Apple is reportedly working on smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, and a wearable AI pin or pendant.
'Spaceballs' sequel, 'Thomas Crown Affair' previewed at CinemaCon, but no Bond updates
The cast and filmmakers behind the “Spaceballs” sequel, including Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, brought humor to CinemaCon in Las Vegas | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
'Spaceballs' sequel, 'Thomas Crown Affair' previewed at CinemaCon, but no Bond updates
The cast and filmmakers behind the “Spaceballs” sequel, including Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, brought humor to CinemaCon in Las Vegas | KNSS Radio
Amazon MGM Studios unveils its ambitious theatrical slate for 2026 and beyond at CinemaCon
The studio’s upcoming lineup includes 13 theatrical releases in 2026 and highly anticipated titles in 2027 like 'The Thomas Crown Affair' and 'Spaceballs: The New One'
Aliens exist! Steven Spielberg shows off 'Disclosure Day' extraterrestrials at CinemaCon
Steven Spielberg showed off the first glimpses of aliens from his new UFO thriller 'Disclosure Day' at CinemaCon on Wednesday during Universal Pictures' panel.
Christopher Nolan brings ‘The Odyssey’ to CinemaCon; Steven Spielberg previews 'Disclosure Day'
Christopher Nolan has given theater owners a thrilling glimpse of “The Odyssey” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Christopher Nolan brings ‘The Odyssey’ to CinemaCon
Christopher Nolan has given theater owners a thrilling glimpse of “The Odyssey” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas | 104.1 FM KMOX
Christopher Nolan brings ‘The Odyssey’ to CinemaCon
Christopher Nolan has given theater owners a thrilling glimpse of “The Odyssey” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT
Microsoft's new college deal is a half-hearted answer to the $500 MacBook Neo
Microsoft is offering a bundle of discounted services to college students with the purchase of a new Windows PC.
Thinking Machines Lab loses another founding member to Meta
Meta has hired another founding engineer from Thinking Machines Lab as the AI talent wars intensify. The startup is still rapidly expanding.
Thinking Machines Lab loses another founding member to Meta
Meta has hired another founding engineer from Thinking Machines Lab as the AI talent wars intensify. The startup is still rapidly expanding.
AI-rendered Val Kilmer debuts in 'As Deep as the Grave' trailer
The filmmakers behind “As Deep as the Grave” have used AI to recreate Val Kilmer in a prominent role | KMBZ
EVO Entertainment to Bring Dolby Vision+Atmos Across Its EVX Auditoriums
/PRNewswire/ -- Dolby Laboratories, a leader in immersive entertainment experiences, today announced at CinemaCon that EVO Entertainment plans to equip its EVX...
EVO Entertainment to Bring Dolby Vision+Atmos Across Its EVX Auditoriums
Dolby Laboratories, a leader in immersive entertainment experiences, today announced at CinemaCon that EVO Entertainment plans to equip its EVX Premium Large Format auditoriums with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The rollout will begin with a 17-screen deployment across eight cinema entertainment centers in Texas, New Mexico, and Florida – many of which are newly built facilities designed from the ground up to showcase next-generation presentation.
Siri Engineers Sent to AI Coding Bootcamp as Apple Prepares to Deliver Siri Overhaul
Apple is sending a large portion of its Siri engineers to a multi-week bootcamp to learn to code using AI, reports The Information. Apple's decision to teach its programmers to better use AI for coding comes just two months before Apple is expected to unveil a smarter, more capable version of Siri at WWDC. While employees attend the coding bootcamp, around 60 members of the Siri development team will stick around to work on Siri, and an additional 60 will evaluate how Siri is performing.
Google launches search app for Windows, Gemini app for Mac
Google mostly creates products for the web, but it has some new desktop apps today.
Microsoft has a new idea on how to deter students from MacBook Neo
The effects of MacBook Neo continue to ripple through the PC industry this week. As spotted by The Verge, Microsoft...
RFK Jr. promotes peptides. Now the FDA weighs easing limits on the unproven chemicals
A panel of outside advisers will review seven peptides at a meeting in July to determine if the unapproved drugs can be safely produced by pharmacies.
Google rolls out a native Gemini app for Mac
You can share anything on their screen with Gemini to get help with what they're looking at in the moment, including local files
Microsoft counters the MacBook Neo with freebies for students
PC makers are discounting laptops and bundling Microsoft 365 and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
Fathom Entertainment brings events, entertainment and originals to screen
CinemaCon coverage continues with Fathom Entertainment. Jillian Lopez talks with Fathom Entertainment CEO, Ray Nutt, about what’s headed to the big screen. Fathom Entertainment is highlighting everyth...
Fathom Entertainment brings events, entertainment and originals to screen
CinemaCon coverage continues with Fathom Entertainment. Jillian Lopez talks with Fathom Entertainment CEO, Ray Nutt, about what’s headed to the big screen. Fathom Entertainment is highlightin…
Google launches dedicated Gemini app for Mac
Gemini now has a dedicated Mac app in the first expansion from Android and iOS. This “native desktop experience” is launched...
Google launches Gemini Mac app, here's what it offers
Google’s Gemini AI app is a constant top three iPhone app in the App Store. Starting today, Gemini is available...
Beyond the Dialysis Machine: Shaping the Future of Kidney and Cardiovascular Health
At Yale School of Medicine, Christopher El Mouhayyar, MD, works at the forefront of managing dialysis treatment in patients while addressing underlying disease.
Lena Dunham on New Memoir, Jack Antonoff, Health Issues, More
Writer, director, and actor Lena Dunham joins TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones to talk about her new memoir, “Famesick: A Memoir,” where she opens up about her health, experience with fame, and what it means to come of age under the intense scrutiny of Hollywood. Dunham talks about the negative attention she got while starring in “Girls” and how it exacerbated her health issues, reflects on her breakup with Jack Antonoff, and opens up about her battle with pharmaceutical dependency. Dunham also shares the story of how she came to the decision to get a hysterectomy when her endometriosis became unbearable, despite her dreams of being a mother.
iPhone Ultra is coming: Six new features in Apple’s high-end model
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is coming this fall, and rumors say it will be called iPhone Ultra. Here are six new features to expect.
PSA president and CEO Dion Flannery named a Charlotte Business Journal Most Admired CEO
Charlotte, N.C. — PSA Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Dion Flannery has been named a recipient of the Charlotte Business Journal’s annual Most Admired CEO award, recognizing outstanding leadership, strategic vision, and positive impact on the regional business community. The award honors executives who demonstrate exemplary leadership, inspire their teams, and contribute meaningfully to their organizations and the Charlotte region. Flannery was recognized for guiding PSA Airlines through continued growth while maintaining a focus on safety, operational excellence, and a people-first culture. “We’re honored that Dion has been recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal for his leadership and contributions that benefit PSA, the American Airlines Group, and the community in our new home in Charlotte....
Nothing makes it easy to share files between any Android phone and a Mac
The Warp app quickly sends files between Android and a Mac, Windows, or Linux machine.
2025-26 Academic All-America® Woen's Basketball teams announced for all NCAA and NAIA divisions
Four CSC Academic All-America ® Team Member of the Year recipients including University of Connecticut’s Azzi Fudd, Olivia Reed Thyne from Colorado Mesa University, Carroll University’s Natalie Gricius, and Macy Sievers of Dordt University, highlight the 2025-26 CSC Women's Basketball Academic All-America® teams for NCAA Divisions I, II, III and the NAIA announced by College Sports Communicators.
Transboundary Water Management in the MENA: Politics and Prospects
Transboundary water scarcity in MENA is intensifying geopolitical tensions, making cooperation, water diplomacy.
Report: iPad Air to Gain OLED Display Next Year
Apple will bring OLED displays to its iPad Air models next year, according to a new report from Korea's ET News. Citing industry sources, the outlet says Samsung Display will begin mass production of OLED panels around the end of 2026 or January next year, with a view to supplying panels for Apple's next iPad Air, expected to be released in early 2027. Apple last updated the iPad Air in March 2026 with an M4 chip.
How five UF business students faced 7,000 international competitors and took home first place
From mid-January to mid-March, the five of us competed in the Bridgewater x Metaculus Forecasting Contest — an international tournament where participants assign probabilities to macroeconomic and geopolitical questions and get scored on relative accuracy.
Microsoft Raises Prices for All Surface PCs, Making Them More Expensive Than Equivalent Macs
Microsoft increased prices for all of its Surface PCs this week, with most models priced hundreds of dollars higher than they were when launching. Windows Central highlighted the increases, which now see Microsoft's mid-range models priced above $1,000 and flagship models priced starting at $1,500. A Microsoft spokesperson said the price increase was due to "recent increases in memory and component costs".
Apple says Jon Prosser has only partially complied with subpoenas in iOS 26 leak case
In a joint status report, attorneys for Apple and Michael Ramacciotti updated the court on the latest developments in the trade secrets lawsuit over the leak of iOS 26 design details.
Apple releases revamped Business app with Apple Vision Pro support
Last month, Apple announced plans to unify its enterprise tools into a free suite called Apple Business. The unified Apple...
This fall’s iPhone 18 launch lineup has one big wildcard remaining
Rumors about this fall’s new iPhone 18 lineup keep coming, but there’s one big question mark still: how many iPhones will Apple launch?
Flutter Entertainment: The Sell-Off Overstates The Risks Of This Hard To Disrupt Business
Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) looks undervalued at 8.4x EV/EBITDA despite FanDuel’s 41% share, buybacks, and $300M savings—read more macro analysis here.
Apple TV users get $2/month Peacock, as bundle expands to new places
Apple TV lets subscribers add Peacock Premium for just $2/month, and now a similar bundle offer has just launched through Prime Video.
Apple Launches New All-in-One Apple Business Platform for Device Management, Email, and Customer...
Apple today launched its new all-in-one Apple Business platform, debuting the refreshed Apple Business web portal and accompanying app. Apple Business aggregates several of Apple's prior business-focused products, like Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. The service offers organizations a unified platform for managing devices, employees, communications, and customer engagement across the Apple ecosystem.
Apple Releases Second iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5 and watchOS 26.5 Public Betas
Apple today provided public beta testers with the second releases of upcoming iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5, and tvOS 26.5 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section of the Settings app on each device.
Community Routes: Access to Mental Health Care Program Bolsters Services Across Three States
Direct Relief, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, or NAFC, today announced a second round of grant funding in the amount of $75,000 to each of 11 fre…
The RAM Crisis Just Royally Screwed Microsoft Surface PCs
We likely won't see a new Surface PC as cheap as the MacBook Neo anytime soon.
Jon Prosser Still Not Fully Cooperating in Apple's iOS 26 Trade Secrets Lawsuit
A joint status report filed yesterday in Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti shows Prosser is still failing to comply with discovery, prompting Apple to seek a court order to compel him. The latest filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California yesterday, covers developments since the parties' last update in February 2026.
Analysts believe Apple taking a highly unusual step, may double Mac user base
Analysts believe Apple may be adopting a very uncharacteristic policy in pursuit of accelerated growth. The company has traditionally protected...
10 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Microsoft Surface price hikes further add to appeal of the MacBook Neo
Even Windows fans saw the MacBook Neo as a stunning buy, with many saying that Microsoft and other brands were...
Blackmagic Debuts $29K+ URSA Cine Immersive 100G for Vision Pro
Blackmagic has announced a new version of its URSA Cine Immersive camera, the first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive 100G adds 100G Ethernet to the original camera to deliver the bandwidth needed to output live immersive video for the first time.
Millions of Floridians Will Bear the Brunt of Trump’s Health Cuts
Medicaid cutbacks and the end of enhanced Obamacare subsidies leave patients and hospitals in the state with difficult choices
Sony Pictures offers sneak peek of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' at CinemaCon
Sony Pictures Entertainment kicked off CinemaCon on Monday with a sneak peek of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and a new installment of "Jumanji".Sony Pictures Entertainment also unveiled a first glimpse...
Southcoast Health recognizes team for patient discharge support
Marylouise Gamache and the EOHHS Complex Discharge Support Team received the Southcoast Health Hero for Health Award.
Richmond high schooler looks to ramp up his electronics recycling business in deal with national nonprofit
“In terms of a future, I’d love to scale this up. This is not something that’s going to end when I go to college,” said Richmond high schooler Loch Macfarlane.
Tom Holland says new 'Spider-Man' is the most emotional, most mature, yet
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is dealing with the fallout of making his friends forget his identity in the new “Spider-Man” movie | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Mandy Moore, Nate Bargatze, more stars reveal new movies at CinemaCon
The biggest names in Hollywood are unveiling their buzzy new movies at CinemaCon 2026, the Las Vegas convention for theaters owners.
iPhone Fold Production Pushed Back, But Fall 2026 Launch Still on Track
Production on the iPhone Fold is behind schedule, but the device is still slated to launch in fall 2026, reports DigiTimes. The site says that production has been pushed back by "roughly one to two months," but Apple has not communicated any launch delays to suppliers. Apple is still planning for a 2026 launch, which suggests a tighter production schedule. Apple planned to begin iPhone Fold mass production in June 2026, but mass production has now slipped to early August.
Three Exit Black River Entertainment
SVP Promotion Bill Macky, Midwest regional Joe Carroll and West Coast rep Jim Malito have [...]
iOS 26.5 beta 2 gives Apple Maps a new ads popup
iOS 26.5 beta 2 arrived today, and it lays the groundwork for ads coming to Apple Maps via a new popup. Here are the details.
Paul Renner calls for Obamacare repeal before GOP loses control of Congress
'We may not have a majority.'
Biggest US airline adds support for iOS 26 boarding passes in Wallet
All four major US airlines now support Apple Wallet's new boarding pass features. Here's how they work in iOS 26 on iPhone.
Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Betas to Developers
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after Apple released updated first betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any Siri updates are being held until iOS 27.
You can make a multicolor MacBook Neo out of Apple’s spare parts
Why just have one color?
Apple releases iOS 26.5 beta 2 for iPhone
Apple has released the second iOS 26.5 beta for developers. iOS 26.5 beta 2 follows two versions of the first...
Machine Learning As A Transformative Tool for (Exo-)Planetary Science
The exploration of planetary bodies in our Solar system and beyond relies on the processing
The next MacBook Neo already sounds like a big upgrade for one reason
Last week a new report on the MacBook Neo’s success contained details on Apple’s plan for the next-gen Neo, which could be a big upgrade.
Smart Adhesive Is Key to Crease-Free Foldable iPhone Display
Advances in optically clear adhesive (OCA) will be a key factor in achieving a near-invisible crease in Apple's first foldable iPhone expected later this year, according to TrendForce. The supply chain intelligence firm outlined the key technologies in a new report on foldable display innovation, explaining that creases form when layers within the display panel fall out of alignment, concentrating stress at the fold and causing micro-cracks or permanent deformation over time.
Mackenzie Thomas Is The E-Girl Supreme
She doesn’t believe in “oversharing.” She isn’t afraid of her digital footprint. And she may have just inspired Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance.
AIFF to offer 40 film programs, four days of entertainment
Ashland-born filmmaker to screen debut feature film ‘A Simple Machine’ Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Ashland Independent Film Festival is set to return in late April, bringing in acclaimed filmmakers […]
Create a multicolor MacBook Neo with Apple parts for just $39
The MacBook Neo is already available in a fun choice of colors, but some people like to go further by...
New Huawei Foldable Looks a Lot Like Apple's Rumored iPhone Fold
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style form factor that's relatively uncommon in the foldables market, but Huawei's new Pura X Max appears to share a similar wide aspect ratio. Set to be released in China next week, Huawei's new device actually builds upon a design used by the original, smaller Pura X, which was marketed last year as an extra-wide flip phone.
Trendforce says hi-tech glue key to an invisible crease in the iPhone Ultra
It’s believed that Apple has waited many years to launch the first folding iPhone in large part because the company...
UConn Health Offers New Level of Precision in Cancer Care
High-tech radiation therapy machine enhances accuracy, safety
Leaker adds support for red iPhone 18 color rumor, in a slightly weird way
Bloomberg reported back in February that Apple was considering a new deep red color option for the iPhone 18 Pro,...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Color Likely as Android Rivals Prep Same Shade
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is very likely to come in a new deep red color, claims a Chinese leaker, because the color is already being prototyped by Android phone makers. In February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Rumors of purple and brown finishes have also circulated, but Gurman believes those are just variants of the same red idea.
Tut Tut - Small Business Success Stories
Learn how Tut Tut, a local delivery company in France, uses Mac for application development and to power its fast-growing operations.
Apple Testing Four Smart Glasses Styles Made of High-End Materials
Apple is developing at least four different styles of smart glasses, and the company is betting that their superior design will set them apart from rival products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple's latest designs are made from a high-end material called acetate, which is "more durable and luxurious" than the standard plastic used by most existing brands.
How To Understand Frontline, Diplomacy and Society in Iran
The ‘silent majority’ in Iran is not a passive bystander. Urban and university-educated groups are taking a stand against the war.
Fantastic MacBook Air with 24GB RAM at lowest ever price on Amazon right now in unmissable deal
This 15.3-inch model of the legendary lightweight laptop also comes with 512GB storage and a 2880x1864 Liquid Retina Display.
Apple pulls high-end Mac mini and Mac Studio models from sale
You can no longer order high-end Mac mini and Mac Studio models from Apple, with the configurations listed as “currently unavailable.”
After being an iPhone user for 13 years, here's why I'm finally switching to Android for good
After 13 years with an iPhone, I finally made the switch to Android — and it all came down to one simple feature.
Pulling Reports, Playing Politics
The CIA’s retraction of intelligence reports should raise concerns about politicization and the Trump administration’s embrace of white supremacist rhetoric.
MacBook Neo punches above its weight in Windows 11 gaming test
YouTuber ETA Prime has tested Windows 11 on the MacBook Neo through a virtualization app called Parallels. With full 3D hardware acceleration, the Apple A18 Pro SoC smoothly ran some Windows games on it as well.
This accessory lets you play Switch 2 games on your iPad or iMac display at 4K resolution
Apple has included excellent display panels on iMacs for years, but for the longest time, there hasn’t really been a...
ON THE JOB: “What is the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sound advice can contribute to your success. We recently asked area business leaders, what was their best advice they’d ever received. Here’s what they said: “The best advice I ever received was from my then –boss, Gerry Church, Fulton plant manager at Miller Brewing Co. He told me that whenever I wanted to discuss a business problem or issue with him, I should also be prepared to offer possible solutions. It’s the difference between being proactive or reactive. It’s also the difference between being a leader or follower. That has served me well in any business relationship I have had since then.” — Stephen Chirello, Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton “Someone will always do it for less; they will also take the most effort to service or satisfy and leave you for the next lower price.” — John M. Henry, Owner, Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing, Phoenix Press, Oswego “I’m going to answer this question by turning it around and giving my own advice that is, ‘Always treat every customer as if they were your only customer!’ We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in business this year. We started our business on March 25, 1976. My advice works.”” — Nick Chervinsky, President, Brewerton Pharmacy, Brewerton “’You need to toot your own horn, my grandfather, Howard D. Dice, told me.” — Beth Ann Dice, Women’s active aging and cancer recovery coach, Mission Movement Wellness Studio & Breast Cancer Recovery Studio, Fulton “In the micro enterprise class, they taught, ‘Get a good lawyer, accountant and bank.’ That was over 30 years ago and I still have those three today. I chose good people I could grow with.” — Tony Pauldine, Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc., Oswego “From my grandfather; ‘Listen to everyone! You never know where you will get the solution you need.’” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “‘Preparation is the mother of success.’ My dad always drilled that into my head growing up, and it has helped me avoid a lot of snags in both my personal and professional life. Thanks, Dad!” — Bekkah Frisch, Owner and president, iHeart Holdings, Inc., Fulton “If you don’t take a risk and try, you will never know.” — Justin Taber, Owner, Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Be ready to take a loss.” — Cody Seymour, Manager, Damiano’s Eatery, Mexico “I’ve received so much good business advice over the years. When people are giving you advice, always be curious rather than judgmental. Follow your gut. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” — Dana Decker, Principal owner/broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Oswego ’Do it and figure it out later.’ It hasn’t failed me yet. Too many people take time to think about doing this and this and this and then the opportunity is over with. If it’s somewhat reasonable — if it’s not something outrageous — do it and figure it out later.” — Jeremy Allen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Acropolis Realty Group, Syracuse “’Try to meet the needs of the customer. Treat them like you’d like to be treated.’ It’s like the Golden Rule says.” — Douglas Dickson, Physician and associate at CNY Foot Surgery and Podiatry Care, East Syracuse “The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received applies to life in general: always be honest. Never overstate your capabilities and always be willing to ask questions. The more specific you can be in any given topic will always lead to a better outcome.” — Tom Fernandez, President, Woodbine Hospitality, Syracuse “As a business owner, the advice would be ‘Don’t overextend yourself. Especially in agriculture, expect issues to come up.’ If something is going right, it’s not true agriculture. This last season, we scaled very hard to field another crew. We got more drones, crew and generators based on projections. This last season hit the ag community hard with a very wet spring. We did 15,000 to 20,000 acres for fungicide and the same for cover crop seeding in 2024. We scaled to 25,000 to 30,000 for 2025. We ended up doing 2,000 for fungicide and 3,000 for cover crop seeding. That’s why that advice was good.” — Rick Jordan, Operations manager, CNY Drove Services, Clinton “’Keep your head down, mind your own business and do the best for your clients that you can do.’ It has a lot to do with my success in working for Galloway Century 21.” — Ed Fayette, New York state licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Galloway, Oswego “’Expand in all ways, always.’ It just keeps you going and keeps you growing.” — Stephen Baier, Licensed real estate person, The Real Estate Agency & Bouck Commercial, Auburn “The best advice is, ‘Your biggest asset you won’t see on the books because it comes from your employees.’” — David Flickinger, Owner, Edible Arrangements, Syracuse “Don’t take things personally when you’re working with the public.” — Leeann Desimone, Manager, Annie’s Hallmark Shop, Auburn “‘Follow up.’ The customer knows that you care about what you are doing and that their opinion counts. Sometimes they might be on the fence about whether they want to use your company. If they’re asking your opinion on things, they feel you are concerned about what you’re doing. They like to be kept in the loop if they’re spending money with you.” — Dorothy Casper, Saslesperson, SweetWoods Memorials, Phoenix “The best business advice I received is ‘Never be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.’ That’s how you learn.” — Debbie Bilello, Owner, Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “’You need to grow your business but you can’t grow too big too fast.’ That’s what we’ve done at Pinnacle Maintenance. We’ve tried to grow but not too fast. Along those same lines, there’s another good piece of advice, ‘Don’t take on more than you can handle because it only leads to a bad name for your business and a bad experience for your customers.’ It goes along the same lines as growing your business slowly and carefully.” — David Wines, Owner, Pinnacle Maintenance, Central Square “Always be on time and do what you say you are going to do.’ I’ve done very well following that advice. Most of my work is referral and I don’t really do any advertising so I have a pretty good customer base. It’s mostly word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.” — Robert J. Fleming, Owner, Bob Fleming Windows & Doors, Brewerton “’Concentrate on your finances, always pay your taxes, and form a team you can depend on. Try to help the community you’re in as much as you can.’ We do all of these all the time here. We give and give and give to the community and the community gives back to us always.” — Susan Bonnet, Co-owner, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square “Keep smiling. It brings a positive attitude to the workplace.” — Karin Lindsley, Vice president, DTS Truck Service, Syracuse “‘Customer service above all.’ Following this advice has served us very well.’ — Guy Fox, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe “The best thing to do is to make sure you’re taking in more money than you’re spending. I wish I could say I’m a good businessman but I have been in business since 1981. I’m not a bean counter but work well with my hands and its’s served me well all these years and I am still in business.” — Matt McGill, Owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton
It’s Time To Forget About The MacBook Air
Apple’s MacBook Neo has disrupted the PC laptop market while leaving the MacBook market relatively intact. Is there value in Tim Cook disrupting the MacBook Air?
Here's why AirPods Pro 3 are more upgrade worthy than you may think
When AirPods Pro 3 initially debuted, I was a little bit hesitant about upgrading. I felt that AirPods Pro 2...
'iPhone Ultra' Will Solve Two Key Problems
Apple reportedly plans to unveil a foldable iPhone in September, and the device will supposedly solve two problems with foldable smartphones. In case you missed it, a leaker on Chinese social media platform Weibo recently claimed that the foldable iPhone will be named "iPhone Ultra". According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the device will have improved screen quality and overall durability compared to competing foldables.
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
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