Microsoft is introducing Copilot for Gaming, an AI assistant designed to enhance the Xbox experience by guiding players through games and streamlining various aspects of gameplay. Initially available through the Xbox mobile app, Copilot for Gaming will offer tips, guides, and insights about game worlds.

Sonali Yadav, product manager for gaming AI, positioned the tool as a ”sidekick” that accompanies players without disrupting the gaming flow. Yadav showcased several concept demos highlighting Copilot’s potential capabilities. For instance, in a demo involving Overwatch 2, Copilot analyzed gameplay mistakes and suggested optimal hero picks to complement team compositions, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each character.

Judges in two US states ordered thousands of fired federal employees to have their jobs reinstated Thursday, in the most significant blow yet to the efforts by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal government.

A district judge in Maryland agreed with 20 Democratic-led states that in firing probationary employees en masse, 18 agencies had violated regulations that require layoffs for government employees to be personalized and come with advance notice.

Multiple reports from owners of the new iPhone 16e claim that Bluetooth audio keeps dropping out — but there appears to be a fix on the way.

In what appears to be a repeat of the 2018 issues with the iPhone XS, an unknown number of iPhone 16e users are consistently having audio connectivity issues with Bluetooth speakers and headphones. It appears to be much more widespread than the iPhone XS issue, and may be related to having multiple Bluetooth accessories connected at the same time.

Apple is purportedly planning to rename its iPhone ’Pro Max’ model as the iPhone ’Ultra,’ according to a new rumor from yeux1122.

In a post on Naver, the leaker summarizes recent rumors for Apple’s next generation iPhone, noting the expected name change.

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Summary of Rumors Regarding Apple’s iPhone 17 Ultra Naming Change

(Based on sources from Weibo, Taiwan, U.S. investment reports, and supply chain trends)
1. Smaller Dynamic Island Exclusive to Ultra
• (Comparing component orders, the quantity appears insufficient to cover even the Pro model.)
2. Vapor Chamber Cooling Exclusive to Ultra
• (Confirmed through supply chain sources.)
3. Larger Battery Exclusive to Ultra
• (This results in increased thickness.)

Because apparently I’m just doing “fun Severance tidbits” now, here’s a piece by Nico DeMattia at The Drive about something I’d found myself wondering while watching t…

In spite of sky-high costs and little in the way of profits, generative AI systems continue to proliferate. The Trump administration has called for a national AI Action Plan to guide America’s burgeoning AI industry, and OpenAI was happy to use that as an opportunity to decry the negative effect of copyright enforcement on AI development. Google has also released its policy proposal, which agrees with OpenAI on copyright while also prompting the government to back the AI industry with funding and policy changes.

Like OpenAI, Google has been accused of piping copyrighted data into its models, but content owners are wising up. Google is fighting several lawsuits, and the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI could set the precedent that AI developers are liable for using that training data without permission. Google wants to avoid that. It calls for ”balanced copyright rules,” but its preference doesn’t seem all that balanced.