It’s been another busy week in the tech world – although next week, with Amazon Prime Day and Samsung Galaxy Unpackedpromises to be even bigger.
But that’s all still a few days away, so what’s been happening this week? Well, we investigated a band which could be entirely AI-generated, tested two new Nothing devices, and checked our Anker power banks to see if they needed to be recalled.
To catch up on all this and more, scroll down for our round-up of the seven biggest tech stories of the past seven days.
And once you’re up to speed be sure to read our guide to the 7 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (July 4).
7. We investigated The Velvet Sundown mystery
It was always only a matter of time before AI-generated music had its first big breakthrough, so we weren’t at all surprised when The Velvet Sundown crashed the Spotify and Apple Music party this week.
This ‘band’ have amassed a staggering 860,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, despite (allegedly) not even existing – or do they?
The Velvet Sundown’s profile picture certainly appears to be an AI-generated image and the band’s music, which is a blend of wistful lyrics and mellow psychedelic rock, definitely sounds as if it could have been created by AI.
Deezer even went as far as to flag it as AI-generated, but Spotify and Apply hadn’t followed suit at the time of writing – leaving many to wonder why the bigger streaming services weren’t doing the same thing.
To add a twist to the story, there appear to be rival spokespersons for the band, each claiming to represent them and each giving quotes to the media. Maybe one day we’ll know the true story behind The Velvet Sundown, but until then, they’ll remain Dust on the wind.
6. Anker recalled several power banks
If you own an Anker power bank, it might be wise to check its model number – this week, the Chinese tech giant recalled no less than five models due to a potential fire risk with their lithium-ion batteries. This followed the recall of another model, the PowerCore 1000 (A1263), in early June, with the new warning including models from its MagGo and Zolo ranges.
Some of the recalls only affect units manufactured between certain dates and Anker has only issued a ‘voluntary recall’ notice. But it’s still well worth checking, as you could be due a free replacement or a gift card.
To find out, check out our guide below, which includes links to all of the recall forms and information you need.
5. Xbox hardware was declared ‘dead’
Former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer Laura Fryer blasted Xbox in a video posted to her YouTube channel, arguing that the brand’s hardware is effectively “dead”. This comes off the back of the reveal of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X last month, which she suggests is indicative of Microsoft’s reluctance to create its own new hardware going forward.
It’s “much easier to slap an Xbox sticker on an existing piece of hardware and call it a day,” she said. “From my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire or literally can’t ship hardware anymore.”
Fryer also drew attention to some of the wider issues plaguing the brand, such as a lack of compelling exclusive experiences. The protracted development cycles of upcoming titles such as State of Decay 3 (which was originally announced more than five years ago), Fableand the since-canceled Perfect Dark remake, she warned, risk leaving consumers without a compelling reason to consider any future Xbox systems.
4. Dyson launched an all-powerful new Airwrap
The Dyson Airwrap is already considered the best multi-styler you can buy, and the next-gen version looks even better.
The Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x is smaller and lighter yet more powerful than its predecessor, so you can style for long periods without needing guns like Arnie. Dyson has also added attachment memory – so the dryer will recognize which attachment is clipped on, then automatically switch to your last-used settings.
Perhaps most intriguing is a new AirSmooth2x tool, designed for creating straight styles. The styler clamps your hair between two plates and blasts it with directed air to smooth it out, like a mini Dyson Airstrait.
3. This prompt transformed ChatGPT for us
The way you prompt ChatGPT can completely change the way the AI chatbot responds to you, and there’s no better example than this excellent learning tool we found on Reddit.
Reddit user u/AzAI-W has engineered an incredibly in-depth learning prompt that can help you get info on everything and anything. Think of it as an AI encyclopaedia, filled with an endless amount of knowledge and the ability to ask the right questions to teach you about any topic.
Click here to reveal the full prompt
The prompt: Simply copy and paste the full block of text into ChatGPT, and then respond with the topic you want to know more about.
# *Information Gathering Prompt* — ## *Prompt Input* – Enter the prompt topic = [……] – **The entered topic is a variable within curly braces that will be referred to as “M” throughout the prompt.** — ## *Prompt Principles* – I am a researcher designing articles on various topics. – You are **absolutely not** supposed to help me design the article. (Most important point) 1. **Never suggest an article about “M” to me.** 2. **Do not provide any tips for designing an article about “M”.** – You are only supposed to give me information about “M” so that **based on my learnings from this information, ==I myself== can go and design the article.** – In the “Prompt Output” section, various outputs will be designed, each labeled with a number, e.g., Output 1, Output 2, etc. – **How the outputs work:** 1. **To start, after submitting this prompt, ask which output I need.** 2. I will type the number of the desired output, e.g., “1” or “2”, etc. 3. You will only provide the output with that specific number. 4. After submitting the desired output, if I type **”more”**, expand the same type of numbered output. – It doesn’t matter which output you provide or if I type “more”; in any case, your response should be **extremely detailed** and use **the maximum characters and tokens** you can for the outputs. (Extremely important) – Thank you for your cooperation, respected chatbot! — ## *Prompt Output* — ### *Output 1* – This output is named: **”Basic Information”** – Includes the following: – An **introduction** about “M” – **General** information about “M” – **Key** highlights and points about “M” – If “2” is typed, proceed to the next output. – If “more” is typed, expand this type of output. — ### *Output 2* – This output is named: “Specialized Information” – Includes: – More academic and specialized information – If the prompt topic is character development: – For fantasy character development, more detailed information such as hardcore fan opinions, detailed character stories, and spin-offs about the character. – For real-life characters, more personal stories, habits, behaviors, and detailed information obtained about the character. – How to deliver the output: 1. Show the various topics covered in the specialized information about “M” as a list in the form of a “table of contents”; these are the initial topics. 2. Below it, type: – “Which topic are you interested in?” – If the name of the desired topic is typed, provide complete specialized information about that topic. – “If you need more topics about ‘M’, please type ‘more'” – If “more” is typed, provide additional topics beyond the initial list. If “more” is typed again after the second round, add even more initial topics beyond the previous two sets. – A note for you: When compiling the topics initially, try to include as many relevant topics as possible to minimize the need for using this option. – “If you need access to subtopics of any topic, please type ‘topics … (desired topic)’.” – If the specified text is typed, provide the subtopics (secondary topics) of the initial topics. – Even if I type “topics … (a secondary topic)”, still provide the subtopics of those secondary topics, which can be called “third-level topics”, and this can continue to any level. – At any stage of the topics (initial, secondary, third-level, etc.), typing “more” will always expand the topics at that same level. – **Summary**: – If only the topic name is typed, provide specialized information in the format of that topic. – If “topics … (another topic)” is typed, address the subtopics of that topic. – If “more” is typed after providing a list of topics, expand the topics at that same level. – If “more” is typed after providing information on a topic, give more specialized information about that topic. 3. At any stage, if “1” is typed, refer to “Output 1”. – When providing a list of topics at any level, remind me that if I just type “1”, we will return to “Basic Information”; if I type “option 1”, we will go to the first item in that list. — – ==End==
2. We tried Nothing’s first ever headphones
Nothing launched its first over-ear headphones – the Headphone (1) – and we had some pretty mixed feelings about them. And I’m not even talking about the design, which has proven divisive within the TechRadar office and online.
They’re crammed with features that all work excellently, from strong customizable noise cancellation, to head-tracking for spatial audio, to a really cool Bass Enhancer feature and a great EQ. The app is also really easy to use, and the build quality and physical controls – which include a great rolling button that we absolutely love – are excellent. Battery life is above average too.
However, we stumbled on the sound. They don’t sound bad at all – they’re very well-balanced – but they had some hard limits compared to the competition at the same price, and for $299 / £299, we expected more.
1. We held Nothing’s ‘first true flagship’
Nothing’s “first true flagship”, the Nothing Phone 3, was finally unveiled to the world this week, and our initial reaction to the totally bonkers-looking device was one of both surprise and respect.
“It’s an outlandish creation with specs to rival some of the best phones – and I think it could be the most interesting flagship launch of the year,” wrote Phones Editor Axel Metz in his hands-on preview of the Nothing Phone 3.
The headline new feature is Glyph Matrix: a small dot-matrix display that sits in the top-right corner of the Phone 3’s rear panel. A reimagining of the Glyph Interface from previous Nothing phones, it’s capable of displaying person-specific notifications, monochromatic ‘Glyph Toys’ (read: party games), and other helpful functions.
Then there’s the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, the triple-lens 50MP camera setup, and the 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery, all of which should help the Phone 3 compete against the best Android phones on the market.
It’s available to pre-order now from Nothing directly for $799 / £799 / AU$1,509, with open sales set to begin globally on July 15. We’re currently putting the new device through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.