Microsoft has begun building an AI chat interface straight into its single most important software product, the company said Tuesday. The tool will perform tasks like summarizing documents, suggesting music, offering tech support for your PC and answering questions you might ask a search engine or AI chatbot.
Windows Copilot is scheduled to arrive in a preview version of Windows via an icon in the task bar that looks like a loop of blue ribbon. Clicking it opens a chat interface sidebar where you can type questions or prompts like “enable dark mode” and click buttons to take actions. Microsoft will begin testing the feature in June, said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s marketing chief for consumer products.
It’s a major new step in Microsoft’s embrace of artificial intelligence technology. Previously the company had built AI into its Bing search engine and Edge web browser, but Windows is used by millions more people and for many more hours a day.
“We are bringing the Copilot to the biggest canvas of all, Windows,” CEO Satya Nadella said at the company’s Microsoft Build developer conference. The arrival of AI chat interfaces is as important to computing progress as other major moments like the arrival of the internet or the iPhone, he said.
Microsoft also is building its Copilot technology into its Office suite of productivity tools.
Google has taken a different approach with its AI, restricting its more free-wheeling chatbot technology to its Bard chatbot and adding more factual, literal tools to search, Gmail and other mainstream tools.
Mehdi thinks that’s a mistake, though. Indeed, he hopes Google keeps the functions separate because that’ll help Microsoft’s prospects, he said.
“Customers have told us they’re not a separate thing. They think it’s all integrated,” Mehdi said in an interview. “The ability to be able to ask any question from where you are, to get search-like answers, that’s a powerful thing for customers.”
Microsoft added AI-boosted search results and an AI chatbot to its Bing search engine in February. It relies on OpenAI, an artificial intelligence powerhouse in which Microsoft has invested, for the core language processing technology. Thanks in part to the feature, Bing usage crossed the threshold of 100 million people per day, Mehdi said, though he wouldn’t reveal the pace of the growth.
Also at Build, Microsoft announced it’s making plugin technology available to Bing and Windows Copilot so developers can integrate their own software. That’ll let you tap into those apps using Microsoft’s AI interfaces.
And Microsoft announced that OpenAI is using Bing search engine data to help improve its ChatGPT chatbot. Search engines can be used to “ground” generative AI tools that can often make up incorrect information.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.
If you’re a serious online gamer, a decent headset is a must-have. It allows you to strategize with your teammates, trash-talk your opponents and the improved audio makes it easy to be aware of every shot and step happening around you. And right now, you can take advantage of Amazon’s Gaming Week sale to snag one for less. The online retailer is currently offering up to $82 off Sony InZone PS5 headsets, with prices starting at just $58. The sale runs through May 28, so we’d recommend getting your order in before then if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
There are three different InZone headset models to choose from, which all feature a flip-to-mute boom mic, and support 360-degree spatial audio for a truly immersive gaming experience. Plus, they allow you to create a personalized sound profile with custom EQ that’s optimized for your play style. The most affordable model available is the wired InZone H3, which you can snag for $58, $42 off the usual price. Or you can upgrade to the wireless InZone H7, which promises a 40-hour battery life and is on sale for $148, which saves you $82 compared to the usual price. Or, for hardcore gamers, there’s the high-end InZone H9 wireless headset. It’s only available with a small $22 discount, dropping the price down to $278, but gives you noise-canceling capabilities, LED lighting and synthetic leather earpads. All three headsets work with PS5 and PC.
You can find more great deals on games, hardware and accessories at Amazon’s Game Week sale, and you can check out our full roundup of all the best PS5 deals for more bargains on Sony gaming gear.
The future of gaming is here, and it’s cloud-based. With Amazon Luna gaming gear, you can enjoy tons of great games — from AAA titles to charming indies — without a console or powerful PC rig. And right now, you can snag some for less during Amazon’s Gaming Week sale. The online retailer is currently offering up to 32% off Luna controllers and accessories, as well as bundles with streaming devices and tablets. The sale runs through May 28, so you’ll want to get your order in before then if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
Amazon Prime Member already get free access to a small selection of games, and with a $10/month Luna Plus subscription, you can stream a huge library of games on your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV — without having to download them or have a physical copy. All you need is a controller, which has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in so it can easily connect to your devices wirelessly. Right now, you can pick up the basic Luna controller for $50 ($20 off), or you can bundle it with the phone mount for $65 ($18 off) and enjoy your games on the go. If you want a slightly larger screen that’s still portable, you can snag this controller and Fire HD 8 tablet bundle for $120 ($50 off). Or you can bundle the controller with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, one of our favorite streaming devices for 2023, and convert just about any TV or monitor into a smart TV with cloud gaming for $85 ($40 off).
And be sure to check out the full selection of Gaming Week deals for more bargains on games, controllers, headsets and much more.
Proton, the Swiss-based privacy company behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN, launched an all-inclusive online privacy solution for families on Tuesday. Proton Family bundles all of Proton’s services into a single subscription plan that covers up to six users. In addition to Proton’s flagship service, Proton Mail, the bundle includes access to Proton VPN (one of CNET’s top VPN picks), Proton Drive and Proton Calendar. Proton’s latest service, a password manager called Proton Pass, will be available with the Proton Family plan once it exits beta.
Proton Family starts at $20 per month and includes premium access to Proton’s services, along with 3TB of shared storage space and an additional 20GB of bonus storage space per year, Proton said in a press release. The idea behind Proton Family is to ensure youngsters can safely go online while minimizing exposure to the often intrusive practices of Big Tech. Stressing online privacy to children and others who may not necessarily understand all of the potential risks that lurk online is more important than ever — especially at a time when apps designed for children are collecting alarming amounts of data.
“A family plan has been among our most sought-after services, and I am delighted to announce its launch today. As a parent, I am eager to teach my children the proper ways to approach email, cloud storage, and internet security from the beginning,” David Dudok de Wit, Proton’s product lead said. “I know I am not alone in this. The Proton Family plan takes us one step closer to our mission of making privacy the default for everyone.”
Proton offers a version of each of its services for free (including Proton VPN, which is the only truly free VPN CNET recommends), but full access to all of Proton’s premium features requires a paid subscription. Proton has built a solid reputation with its suite of online privacy tools, and $20 a month for all of those tools together for up to six users with Proton Family is an excellent deal — especially once Proton Pass is made available to subscribers. As a comparison, if you purchase individual subscriptions to the Proton services available now, you’ll pay $5 per month for Proton Mail, $5 per month for Proton Drive and $10 per month for Proton VPN. That adds up to $20 per user, which is the same price you’ll pay for the entire Family plan, which will also include the password manager once it releases.
You can purchase Proton Family directly or upgrade your current subscription to any of Proton’s services to Proton Family. Once you’ve signed up, you can start inviting family members to join your Proton Family plan. If you want a bundled subscription to all of Proton’s services for yourself only, you can opt for the Proton Unlimited plan, which includes up to 500 GB total storage across the services for $12 per month or $120 per year.
There are a ton of streaming services to choose from these days, and if you want to subscribe to them all, it’ll cost you a pretty penny. However, Paramount Plus you can nab a month of service for free. It’s been 30 years since Cheers aired its final episode, but it remains a beloved and iconic series. Right now you can use code CHEERSATX to bump up the usual one-week free trial to an entire month, giving you the chance to binge the long-running show about a place everybody knows your name — or check out the rest of the massive catalog of TV, movies and live sports on the service.
There are two different plans to choose from — Essential or Premium — and the code works for either version. The $5-a-month Essential plan gives you access to Paramount Plus shows and movies with limited commercials, as well as NFL on CBS, top soccer games and CBS live news. The $10-a-month Premium plan has no ads (except for live TV), gives you access to additional sports and your local CBS channel, and allows you to download shows and movies. After your trial, your subscription will auto-renew at the regular price unless canceled.
It’s worth noting that the above code also works with the Paramount Plus and Showtime bundle, so you can actually get a month of both services for free if you want. Just be aware that you’ll be charged the bundle price (from $12 a month) on your renewal date if you don’t cancel before then. And be sure to check out our roundup of all the best streaming service deals for even more ways to save.
HBO Max is now officially Max, the revamped streaming service that merges HBO Max and Discovery Plus’ libraries. Today, new movies and shows premiere on the service, including a SmartLess docuseries and a family-friendly Gremlins cartoon. (Shazam! Fury of the Gods isn’t totally new, but it’s included in the list below, too.)
Here’s more about what just hit Max on launch day and what’s coming in the future. If you stick with the service long enough, you’ll eventually catch a new Harry Potter series and Game of Thrones spin-off. Max streams Warner Bros., HBO, Max Originals, DC, HGTV, Food Network, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID and more.
What hit Max on May 23
SmartLess: On the Road: Docuseries that follows actors and friends Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes during the North American tour of their popular podcast.
Bama Rush: Documentary about sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods: Sequel to Shazam!, continuing the story of Billy Batson, a teen with an adult superhero alter ego.
Clone High: Reboot of the 2002 animated series Clone High.
How to Create a Sex Scandal: A docuseries that tells of how “brainwashing, manipulation and disturbing acts caused a small local community in Mineola, Texas, to unravel.”
Everything we learned when Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled Max in April
Max is the streaming home of HBO, so it isn’t leaving Game of Thrones behind. WBD revealed that HBO has ordered a new Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. The series will be set 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when “two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg,” according to its description.
“Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends,” the log line says.
Harry Potter fans will be able to get invested in a new show on Max. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max content, said, “Over the course of the next decade … we will once again enter the wondrous world of Harry Potter as a multi-season live action series for the first time.” The Max original series will adapt the first seven Harry Potter books and star new actors.
A first look at The Penguin and more:
WBD shared a first look trailer for previously announced series The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell in his role from Matt Reeves’ film The Batman. The spin-off will consist of eight episodes and premiere in 2024.
Previously announced comedy series How to Be a Bookie is coming to Max. It’ll reportedly reunite Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre.
More things already on our radar: DC shows Creature Commandos, Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns and Paradise Lost. Drama series Welcome to Derry, a prequel to 2017’s It and 2019’s It Chapter Two, debuts in 2024.
Several projects that were initially developed for Discovery Plus will now be Max originals, according to Bloys. They include Shaun White: The Last Run and Downey’s Dream Cars, featuring Robert Downey Jr.
The price of your Paramount Plus subscription may rise in June, once the streaming platform integrates with Showtime.
Starting June 27, a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription will cost $12 a month, a $2 increase over the current Paramount Plus premium plan. The company will also raise the price of its ad-supported essential plan, which doesn’t include Showtime, from $5 to $6 per month.
The new price for a premium Paramount Plus subscription is on par with the current cost of a Paramount Plus and Showtime bundle, at $12 a month. The price hikes will go into effect for both new and existing subscribers in the US.
“By integrating the Showtime premium and critically acclaimed portfolio with the service’s already broad and popular slate, all at a competitive price, we will solidify Paramount Plus as a cornerstone in streaming,” Tom Ryan, president of Paramount Streaming, said in a statement.
In January, Paramount announced the integration with Showtime and a month later announced price increases were impending. On Monday, Paramount also said it will nix its Showtime app.
CNET’s review of Paramount Plus found “familiar, binge-worthy series and reality shows,” alongside a live TV component. It also pointed out the platform’s reliance on nostalgia-rich TV, like old Nickelodeon shows, Comedy Central standup performances and popular oldies like Frasier or Spongebob Squarepants. There’s plenty of shows for kids as well as major movie releases that arrive on the platform shortly after their theatrical release.
More details on Paramount Plus with Showtime pricing were released a day before Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday integrated HBO Max with Discovery Plus, rebranding the streamer to Max. The services are among several streaming platforms competing for customers, with the best choice for you likely coming down to a mix of budget and shows and movies you like best. To help you decide, see CNET’s breakdown of the best streaming services of 2023.
Each new generation of Google’s Pixel A-series phones comes with fewer compromises than the last. That’s truer than ever with the Pixel 7A, which costs $499 and bears striking similarity to the $599 Pixel 7. After reviewing both phones, I’m convinced the Pixel 7A is the best value for most people.
Both phones run on Google’s Tensor G2 processor, meaning you’ll get essentially the same performance and very similar photography and language translation features on both devices.
Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
The biggest area in which they differ on paper comes down to their cameras and their size, although in practice I could barely tell the difference between photos taken on both devices.
The only major reason to choose the Pixel 7 over the 7A is if you prefer having a slightly larger screen and can find it at a discount that brings it closer to the 7A in price. Here’s a closer look at how the two phones compare after testing them both.
Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7A: Cameras
The Pixel 7A’s camera (pictured) is very similar to the Pixel 7’s.
James Martin/CNET
Looking at the camera specifications, you may think the Pixel 7A has the superior setup. It has a 64-megapixel main camera, while the Pixel 7’s primary shooter has a 50-megapixel sensor. The 7A also has a 13-megapixel ultrawide compared to the Pixel 7, which has a 12-megapixel one.
But resolution isn’t everything when it comes to taking a great photo. Google says the Pixel 7’s camera sensor is larger and more light sensitive, which should result in better overall image quality. When comparing the two, I couldn’t really tell the difference. Both phones take excellent photos with vibrant color and crisp details. If you’re a casual photographer and just want a reliable camera for taking great photos of friends, family, vacations and pets, the Pixel 7A is more than enough.
Take a look at some photo samples below.
Since both phones have the same processor, they also share many of the same photo-editing and shooting features. That includes night mode, portrait mode, Face Unblur, Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and Real Tone, Google’s tech for rendering skin tones more accurately. They can also both zoom digitally up to 8x.
The cheaper Pixel 7A lacks Action Pan, which is present on the Pixel 7 and captures a moving subject sharply while blurring the background. Both phones have Long Exposure mode, though, which does the opposite by applying an action blur effect to a moving subject.
The Pixel 7 and 7A also take relatively bright photos in dim environments, too, as shown below. However, on one occasion, the Pixel 7 was able to focus more sharply on the subject when taking photos in low light.
Even though the Pixel 7A technically has a higher resolution front camera, I thought selfies from both devices generally looked equally good.
The bottom line: The Pixel 7A and Pixel 7 both have very similar cameras. The Pixel 7A doesn’t have Google’s Action Pan feature, but you’re not missing much else.
Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7A: Size and design
The Pixel 7A
James Martin/CNET
The Pixel 7A inherits the Pixel 7’s design language, from its metallic camera bar to its matte edges. The main differences between the two devices come down to size and color options. The Pixel 7A has a 6.1-inch screen, which might be preferable if you like smaller devices. The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch screen, providing a bit more space for those who like to read and watch videos on their phones.
Both devices can increase their screen’s refresh rate up to 90Hz when needed to make animations and scrolling look smoother, and they both have the same resolution at 1,080×2,400 pixels.
However, both screens look dim in bright sunlight; I had to boost the brightness to the max when outdoors.
The Pixel 7 is pictured next to the Pixel Watch.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
In terms of color choices, the Pixel 7A is available in coral (orange), sea (light blue), charcoal (grayish) and snow (white). The Pixel 7, on the other hand, comes in lemongrass (light yellow), snow (white) and obsidian (black).
There’s also a slight difference between the two phones when it comes to durability. The Pixel 7A is rated for IP67 dust and water resistance, while the Pixel 7 has an IP86 rating. While both phones are dust-tight, the Pixel 7A is only rated to withstand the effects of temporary immersion in water, while the Pixel 7 can endure continuous immersion in water.
Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7A: Battery life and performance
Since they run on the same Tensor G2 processor and have the same amount of memory, performance is similar between the two. Launching apps, scrolling around the operating system and switching between apps and playing games felt smooth on both devices. They also scored similarly on benchmarks meant to test general performance and graphics, as shown below. (Note: Geekbench 6, the performance test, evaluates the performance of a processor’s single core in addition to how multiple cores perform together, as shown in the table).
Pixel 7A vs. Pixel 7
Pixel 7A1,4393,5601,855Pixel 71,4543,4291,852
Geekbench 6 Single Core
Geekbench 6 Multicore
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Note: Higher scores are better
I generally got around a day of battery life out of both, although for you it may vary depending on your phone’s settings and which apps you’re using. In addition to using the devices as my personal phone when I reviewed them, I ran two battery tests: a 45-minute endurance test to see how much battery life is drained after tasks like making a video call, playing games and streaming video, and a three-hour test that involves streaming a YouTube video and measuring the battery percentage at each hour mark.
The Pixel 7 won the 45-minute endurance test since it had 94% of its battery remaining versus the Pixel 7A’s 92%. But the Pixel 7A outperformed the Pixel 7 on the three-hour drain test, although the two were close. All told, battery life is similar between the two devices.
Pixel 7A vs. Pixel 7 Battery Test
Pixel 7A
Pixel 7
1 Hour
96%
95%
2 Hour
90%
88%
3 Hour
85%
81%
Still, the Pixel 7 does charge slightly faster than the Pixel 7A, given that the former supports 18W charging while the latter supports 20W. In practice, the Pixel 7 went from 20% to 64% after 30 minutes of charging, while the Pixel 7A went from 20% to 58%. (Note: for this test, I used a non-Google 45-watt power adapter and the USB-C cable that came with each phone). Both phones also support wireless charging, which is notable considering the Pixel 6A lacked this functionality.
Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7A: Software and support
The Pixel 7A (pictured) and Pixel 7 will likely both get Android 14 before other non-Pixel devices.
James Martin/CNET
Google provides a very similar software experience for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A. Both devices run Android 13 and will likely be among the first to be upgraded to Android 14 since they’re Pixel devices.
You also get Google’s Pixel-specific features like the Recorder app, its suite of phone call tools that let Google wait on hold for you and transcribe automated menus and Google’s free VPN. Google also regularly releases minor software updates for Pixel phones called “feature drops” that introduce new additions throughout the year. Both devices offer the same biometric authentication options for unlocking your phone: face unlock and fingerprint scanning.
But of the two phones, only the Pixel 7 supports spatial audio, which essentially creates the effect of surround sound in your headphones. When testing this feature while watching Stranger Things, I noticed the sounds of cars zooming by or insects chirping had a bit more movement and depth on the Pixel 7 compared to the Pixel 7A.
The Pixel 7 and 7A will each get at least three years of Android version updates and five years of security updates. That means you can expect the Pixel 7 to get Android version updates up to October 2025, while the Pixel 7A will likely receive Android OS upgrades until May 2026.
Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7A: Which should you buy?
The Pixel 7 (left) and Pixel 7A (right)
Richard Peterson/CNET
The Pixel 7A is the best overall choice for most people because it provides a very similar experience as the Pixel 7 for $100 less. You’ll get a few extras with the Pixel 7, but none that feel like deal-breakers.
These include a slightly larger screen, charging that’s a bit faster than the Pixel 7A’s, the Action Pan photography feature, spatial audio and a higher protection rating against water submersion. Even though the camera specifications differ between the two devices, both phones capture impressive photos that are more than adequate for casual photographers.
With the Pixel 7A, Google further closed the gap between its flagship Pixel device and its budget-friendly option. For that reason, I’m hoping to see more from the Pixel 8.
Google Pixel 7A vs. Pixel 7 Specs
Google Pixel 7A
Google Pixel 7
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate
6.1-inch OLED; FHD+; up to 90Hz refresh rate
6.3-inch OLED; FHD+; up to 90Hz refresh rate
Dimensions (inches)
6 x 2.9 x 0.35 in.
6.1 x 2.9 x 0.34 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)
152.4 x 72.9 x 9 mm
155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)
193g; 6.8oz.
197g; 6.9oz.
Mobile software (at launch)
Android 13
Android 13
Camera
64MP main; 13MP ultrawide
50MP main; 12MP ultrawide
Front-facing camera
13MP
10.8MP
Video capture
4K at 60 FPS
4K at 60 FPS
Processor
Google Tensor G2
Google Tensor G2
RAM/storage
128GB + 8GB
128GB + 8GB
Expandable storage
None
None
Battery
4,385-mAh; wireless charging
4,355-mAh; wireless charging
Fingerprint sensor
Yes (under screen)
Yes (under screen)
Face unlock
Yes
Yes
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
Headphone jack
None
None
Special features
Magic Eraser, Real Tone, Photo Unblur, Face Unblur, Long Exposure Mode, Hold For Me, Wait Times, Direct My Call Live Translate,
Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Long Exposure Mode, Action Pan; Hold For Me, Wait Times, Direct My Call Live Translate,
Google’s budget phone took a leap forward in 2023 with the Pixel 7A, which offers many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 but at a cheaper price. Like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A runs on Google’s Tensor G2 processor, meaning it has many of the same photo editing and language translation features as its pricier sibling. The Pixel 7A’s 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos that rival the Pixel 7’s in quality.
While we still like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A’s lower price makes it a better deal for most people. Only opt for the Pixel 7 if you really want a slightly larger screen and are willing to pay the extra $100 for it. Otherwise, the main differences between the Pixel 7 and 7A come down to the former’s more durable build, slightly faster charging and its ability to wirelessly charge compatible accessories. The Pixel 7 also has a larger camera sensor that’s more sensitive to light, according to Google, but CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco didn’t notice much of a difference.
Google’s flagship phone has a solid 50-megapixel camera, a 6.3-inch screen and Google’s Tensor G2 processor. While we generally recommend the Pixel 7A since it’s $100 cheaper and offers a similar experience, the Pixel 7 is still a great choice for those in need of a relatively affordable Android phone with a larger screen.
Adobe is building generative AI abilities into its flagship image-editing software with a new Photoshop beta release Tuesday. The move promises to release a new torrent of creativity even as it gives us all a new reason to pause and wonder if that sensational, scary or inspirational photo you see on the internet is actually real.
In my tests, detailed below, I found the tool impressive overall but far from perfect. Adding it directly to Photoshop is a big deal, letting creators experiment within the software tool they’re likely already using without excursions to Midjourney, Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion or other outside generative AI tools.
With Adobe’s Firefly family of generative AI technologies arriving in Photoshop, you’ll be able to let the AI fill a selected part of the image with whatever it thinks most fitting – for example, replacing road cracks with smooth pavement. You can also specify the imagery you’d like with a text prompt, such as adding a double yellow line to the road.
Firefly in Photoshop also can also expand an image, adding new scenery beyond the frame based on what’s already in the frame or what you suggest with text. Want more sky and mountains in your landscape photo? A bigger crowd at the rock concert? Photoshop will oblige, without today’s difficulties of finding source material and splicing it in.
Photoshop’s Firefly skills can be powerful. In Adobe’s live demo, the were often able to match a photo’s tones, blend in AI-generated imagery seamlessly, infer the geometric details of perspective even in reflections and extrapolate the position of the sun from shadows and sky haze.
Such technologies have been emerging over the last year as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and OpenAI’s Dall-Ecaptured the imaginations of artists and creative pros. Now it’s built directly into the software they’re most likely to already be using, streamlining what can be a cumbersome editing process.
“It really puts the power and control of generative AI into the hands of the creator,” said Maria Yap, Adobe’s vice president of digital imaging. “You can just really have some fun. You can explore some ideas. You can ideate. You can create without ever necessarily getting into the deep tools of the product, very quickly.”
Now you’d better brace yourself for that future.
Photoshop’s Firefly AI imperfect but useful
In my testing, I frequently ran into problems, many of them likely stemming from the limited range of the training imagery. When I tried to insert a fish on a bicycle to an image, Firefly only added the bicycle. I couldn’t get Firefly to add a kraken to emerge from San Francisco Bay. A musk ox looked like a panda-moose hybrid.
Less fanciful material also presents problems. Text looks like an alien race’s script. Shadows, lighting, perspective and geometry weren’t always right.
People are hard, too. On close inspection, their faces were distorted in weird ways. Humans added into shots were positioned too high in the frame or in other unconvincing ways.
Still, Firefly is remarkable for what it can accomplish, particularly with landscape shots. I could add mountains, oceans, skies and hills to landscapes. A white delivery van in a night scene was appropriately yellowish to match the sodium vapor streetlights in the scene. If you don’t like the trio of results Firefly presents, you can click the “generate” button to get another batch.
Given the pace of AI developments, I expect Firefly in Photoshop will improve.
It’s a reflection of the double-edged sword that is generative AI. The technology is undeniably useful in many situations but also blurs the line between what is true and what is merely plausible.
For its part, Adobe tries to curtail problems. It doesn’t permit prompts to create images of many political figures and blocks you for “safety issues” if you try to create an image of black smoke in front of the White House. And its AI usage guidelines prohibit imagery involving violence, pornography and “misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive content that could lead to real-world harm,” among other categories. “We disable accounts that engage in behavior that is deceptive or harmful.”
Firefly also is designed to skip over styling prompts like that have provoked serious complaints from artists displeased to see their type of art reproduced by a data center. And it supports the Content Authenticity Initiative‘s content credentials technology that can be used to label an image as having been generated by AI.
Generative AI for photos
Adobe’s Firefly family of generative AI tools began with a website that turns a text prompt like “modern chair made up of old tires” into an image. It’s added a couple other options since, and Creative Cloud subscribers will also be able to try a lightweight version of the Photoshop interface on the Firefly site.
When OpenAI’s Dall-E brought that technology to anyone who signed up for it in 2022, it helped push generative artificial intelligence from a technological curiosity toward mainstream awareness. Now there’s plenty of worry along with the excitement as even AI creators fret about what the technology will bring now and in the more distant future.
Generative AI is a relatively new form of artificial intelligence technology. AI models can be trained to recognize patterns in vast amounts of data – in this case labeled images from Adobe’s stock art business and other licensed sources – and then to create new imagery based on that source data.
Generative AI has surged to mainstream awareness with language models used in tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, Google’s Gmail and Google Docs, and Microsoft’s Bing search engine. When it comes to generating images, Adobe employs an AI image generation technique called diffusion that’s also behind Dall-E, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney and Google’s Imagen.
Adobe calls Firefly for Photoshop a “co-pilot” technology, positioning it as a creative aid, not a replacement for humans. Yap acknowledges that some creators are nervous about being replaced by AI. Adobe prefers to see it as a technology that can amplify and speed up the creative process, spreading creative tools to a broader population.
“I think the democratization we’ve been going through, and having more creativity, is a positive thing for all of us.”
Standalone MP3 players dominated pop culture for a long time, but in 2023 almost no one needs one. Any iPhone or Android phone is an audio player that works with subscription music apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and YouTube Music. You pay your $5 to $10 a month, and you get access to nearly every popular song ever recorded. And the tracks are downloadable, too, so you can listen to your music even when you leave a Wi-Fi or cellular coverage area. It’s quick, easy and convenient. What’s not to like?
“A lot,” I can hear some people saying. Maybe you’ve got one too many subscriptions already, so why pay for one more when you already have a music library of thousands of MP3 files sitting on your hard drive? Or maybe you’ve meticulously crafted iTunes playlists, like mixtapes of old, that you don’t want to re-create or transfer to another service. Maybe you have rare, one-off live tracks that don’t exist on mainstream services. (Phish fans, I’m looking at you.)
Now, truth be told, if any of that applies to you, you still don’t need an MP3 player — your iPhone can still sync music files from iTunes (on Windows) or the Apple Music app (on Mac), and it probably has more storage space than your old iPod ever did. Android phones, too, can play whatever music files you can load them up with. But if you want a dedicated device for your music — or, maybe, a parentally curated set of songs to give to a kid who’s not ready for a phone — there are still MP3 device options out there. They’re not all great, and they generally come with some caveats. But if you’ve gotten this far, here’s what I can recommend, more than two decades after the iPod was first released.
The iPod Touch was the last dedicated music player in Apple’s lineup, but it was officially discontinued in May 2022. You can still find used models out there, but don’t expect them to be supported for much longer.
What to do instead? Get a used iPhone, or a new iPhone SE — and just use it on Wi-Fi. The latter will cost you about $429 all-in (for 64GB of storage), but you’ll get a device that can run the latest version of iOS, and it can pull music from iTunes (on Windows) or Apple Music (on the Mac). It works seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones and speakers, but you’ll need a pesky Lightning adapter to use old-school headphones. And, because it’s got the App Store, you can also opt for alternate services like Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube and the like (so long as you can access a Wi-Fi hotspot), in addition to or instead of the Apple Music app.
Yes, this is way too much to pay for a “music player,” in my book. But it’s the most capable and flexible option here, especially for those who are already in the Apple services universe — or refuse to leave their iTunes-based MP3 library. It’s also a nice fallback portable MP3 player option for kids if you don’t want to spend up for an iPad, which starts at around $300 and isn’t pocketable.
Nowadays the real Apple Watch can act as a sorta-kinda iPod, at least for Apple Music subscribers. Just sync some playlists to the Watch, and you can enjoy digital music (not to mention podcasts) on a set of wireless headphones, even if the iPhone is nowhere nearby. Get an Apple Watch SE for less than $250 for basic music playback, or go for an Apple Watch Series 8 or Apple Watch Ultra if you want more non-music features. Note that recent Apple Watch SE sales have seen the prices of the 40mm version drop to as low as $200 and the larger 44mm model dip below $230.
You’re receiving price alerts for SanDisk Clip Sport Plus
These days, you can still get very basic music players on Amazon, but they’re nearly all from no-name China brands. (We tried one like this, and it was fine, but nothing special.) In the (distant) past, the tiny SanDisk Clip family of players were a serviceable option for basic music playback (so long as you’re well versed in the old school drag-and-drop method of file transfer). But some Amazon reviewers have criticized the later iteration of that model — the Clip Sport Plus — saying that its Bluetooth connection wasn’t up to snuff. If you want to go this route, you might want to stick with wired headphones, which will also enable FM radio playback.
The Mighty Vibe is the closest modern equivalent to the iPod Shuffle, the screenless iPod that was beloved by runners for weighing next to nothing and just spooling off songs from their favorite playlist. (It’s also a great gadget loophole for sleepaway camps with “no screen” rules.) The catch is that this model only works with Spotify Premium and (thanks to a recent firmware update) Amazon Music, both of which can be synced wirelessly.
The Vibe can store upwards of 1,000 songs in its music library, and — unlike the old Shuffle — it supports wireless and wired headphones. But it charges through the headphone jack via a proprietary cable, rather than more ubiquitous micro-USB or USB-C connectors. The 5-hour battery life is so-so, as is the price tag over $100, which feels higher than what you want to pay for this MP3 device product in an era of $30 wireless headphones and $200 smart phones.
Yes, the products above are really the only ones I can recommend in this category with any degree of enthusiasm. But they aren’t the only options. If you’re looking for a bargain basement option (under $50), a serious high-end alternative (starting at $350 and going to four figures) or some interesting workarounds, read on.
Swim-friendly option: Aftershockz OpenSwim
Aftershockz
This 4GB “player in a headphone” model uses Aftershockz’s patented bone-conduction technology. It’s also fully waterproof, and retails for about $150. (Note that CNET hasn’t tested these hands-on.)
If you’ve got an old phone — or you buy a new one without service — you’ll have access to the full realm of app-based music services, and any music files you care to upload. Something like the $160-ish Samsung Galaxy A03S (shown above) fits the bill nicely, since you can drop in a MicroSD card that you’ve preloaded with tunes.
Audiophiles have long looked down on digital music because the sound quality was notably inferior for golden-eared listeners with distinguishing tastes. But the development of lossless file formats (such as FLAC) and cheap ample multigigabyte storage have made portable high-fidelity music a reality.
At this point, there are really only two major players in the high-end portable music space: Astell & Kern and Sony (where the Walkman brand still lives on). We’ve used earlier versions of each brand, but not the current models.
If you’re the sort of person who has hard drives full of uncompressed music audio files — and can hear the difference between that and comparatively low-resolution MP3 and AAC files — then, by all means, pair up one of those players with your wired headphone of choice.
That said, nearly all of the streaming music services now offer lossless or high bitrate options — that’s nearly all the big players, from Tidal and Qobuz to Amazon and Apple. (Spotify HiFi, weirdly, remains a no-show.)
If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC (that’s “digital to analog converter”) like the Audiofly Dragonfly and a serious wired headphone. Then you’ll have a solid audiophile option that’s good for the road, without the need for a standalone music player.
Music lockers: YouTube Music and iTunes Match
If you’ve got a digital music collection that includes one-offs and live tracks that aren’t available on the mainstream services, you can upload them to online services, where they can live alongside subscription tracks and be shared among multiple devices (including smart speakers).
Apple users can opt for iTunes Match, which lets you upload your own digital music to live in tandem with Apple Music tracks. Once available for $24 a year, the service now appears to be bundled in as part of an Apple Music or Apple One subscription.
If you opt for either of these options, make sure you keep a local backup of your files, just in case these services go away.
