A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
TikTok users posting about the winter arc

"It's day one. This is your fourth quarter. Everything that happened prior to this? Throw that shit out the window. Three months. That's all it takes. And bro it's going to get cold out. Trust me. You gonna fold? Or are you gonna weather the storm? Lock in, cancel out the noise, and go dark. It's your time. It's always been your time."

This is the exact text from a very real TikTok video with 1.7 million views describing a trend: the winter arc. Winter arc is locking in for three full months. Winter arc is in the gym. Winter arc is alpha male and That Girl. Winter arc is wearing a hoodie. Winter arc is "going dark" and emerging a beautiful butterfly but in a really manly way. Winter arc means New Year's is October 1 now. I am so lost. Please help me.

The rules seem to differ by gender, goal, and vibe, but there is an overarching intention. You must lose fat, gain muscle, and "meet your goals," which always seem to be losing fat and gaining muscle. Here's are some of the actual winter arc rules I've seen from TikTok users:

I am sensing some issues with the winter arc. For instance, it's actually not winter at all, but very much autumn. The connection between these obsessive self-betterment trends that encourage people to reject community and the male loneliness epidemic seems worth noting. It's evident that this is a tool influencers use to promote their classes or personal training programs. It's basically a rebrand of 75 Hard, a (largely debunked) fitness and wellness trend with incredibly high demands.

Even more insidious yet, this is a prime example of how social media — and the economic system it's built upon — feeds off of your feelings of inferiority.

It's easy to want to follow something when it seems healthy, as some of the pieces of this trend are. Exercise is good for you, journaling and reading can help your mental health, and working towards your goals is not a bad way to spend time. These are effective forms of self-care. But we get into some dark territory when we force ourselves to reach for unattainable goals and replicate the performative aesthetics of creators who promote aspirational lifestyles that are not actually realistic or attainable for many of us.

Trends like this take our focus away from our community and instead places the attention inward, which might make you think this is about you. It is not about you.

Stephanie Alice Baker, a senior lecturer in sociology at the City University of London, told Mashable for a 2022 story about the productivity aesthetic that while these kinds of trends might seem like "individual pursuits," they actually rely on "the broader system in which they're operating," be that capitalism or the patriarchy. Two years later, her words still ring true.

"The technologies change, the technologies evolve, but there is still this underlying impulse towards self-improvement, and it is always self-improvement in relation to the system in which it operates as opposed to an isolated individual trying to be their best self," Baker said.

Society is always looking for ways to encourage people to perfect themselves — not for themselves, but for the system.

Also, it's not winter!!!



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A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Microsoft Copilot logo

If you find yourself needing an expert witness in a courtroom case, make sure they're not using an AI chatbot for their supposed expertise.

Last week, a New York judge reprimanded an expert witness in a real estate dispute case for using Microsoft's AI chatbot Copilot. 

The expert witness, Charles Ranson, used Copilot in order to generate an assessment for damages that should be awarded to the plaintiff in the case. The case was first reported on by Ars Technica.

Copilot in court – a bad idea

The case at the center of this story involved a dispute over a $485,000 rental property in the Bahamas. The man who owned the real estate had passed away, and the property was included in a trust for the deceased man's son. The deceased man's sister was responsible for executing the trust. However, the sister was being accused of breaching her fiduciary duties by delaying the sale of the property while utilizing the property for her own personal use.

A major part in winning the case for the son was proving that he suffered damages due to his aunt's actions.

Ranson was brought on as an expert witness and tasked with assessing those damages.

While Ranson has a background in trust and estate litigation, according to judge Jonathan Schopf, he had "no relevant real estate expertise." So, Ranson turned to Microsoft's AI chatbot, Copilot.

Ranson apparently revealed his Copilot use in his testimony. When questioned about it, Ranson was unable to recall what prompts he used to assess the damages or what sources Copilot cited to arrive at its estimate. Ranson was also unable to explain how Copilot works.

The court then decided to use Copilot to see if it could arrive at the same estimate that Ranson provided. The court asked Copilot "Can you calculate the value of $250,000 invested in the Vanguard Balanced Index Fund from December 31, 2004 through January 31, 2021?"

Copilot provided a different answer in three different attempts, and each answer was different from Ranson's own Copilot-generated amount.

The court then asked Copilot if it was a reliable source of information, which Copilot replied by saying that its outputs should always be verified by experts.

According to the judge, Ranson was adamant that AI tools like Copilot were standard use in his industry, however he was unable to cite a single source showing this to be true.

Ranson's AI chatbot use wasn't his only mistake. However, the Copilot situation certainly hit the expert witness' credibility. The judge found that the evidence showed that the delay in the sale of the property not only didn't result in a loss, but additional profit for the son, and ruled there was no breach of fiduciary duty from the aunt.

Not the first time, and probably not the last time

Ranson's use of Copilot as some expert source of information is certainly not the first time AI chatbots have been used in the courtroom.

Readers may recall lawyer Steven Schwartz who last year relied on ChatGPT in legal filings for a case involving an airline customer being injured during a flight. Schwartz was reprimanded after submitting filings which cited completely nonexistent cases. Schwartz had used ChatGPT for his research, and the AI chatbot just made up previous cases, which Schwartz then included in his filings.

As a result, Schwartz and another lawyer at the firm he worked for were fined $5,000 by the court for "acting in bad faith."

The same scenario happened again with another lawyer, Jae Lee, who used ChatGPT in her filings earlier this year. Once again ChatGPT hallucinated cases that did not exist.

In the Bahamas real estate case, Judge Schopf made a point not to blame the AI chatbot but the user for citing it. However, AI chatbots continue to proliferate online and major tech companies like Google and Microsoft are ramping up promotion of this technology to users.



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A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
small wand next to bottle of serum

It’s no secret that skincare is trending right now, and a quick glance at social media proves it. Celebrities and influencers alike have hopped on the “skincare as self-care” train, and the resulting swarm of must-have products can be overwhelming to say the least. From the best Korean beauty products to the latest skincare gadgets, there’s a lot to choose from. However, while skincare has (thankfully) come a long way from scrubbing your skin off with microbeads, it hasn’t gotten any easier to decide if a product is nothing but hype or a true holy grail.

Enter Solawave’s advanced skincare wand with red light therapy. Touted as a science-backed, four-in-one skincare tool, this tiny wand is on a mission to be the next must-have in your medicine cabinet. (Since this review originally published, Solawave has released its new Radiant Renewal skincare wand, which is an upgraded version of the original wand.)

So how does it work? 

As a novice skincare enthusiast, I was definitely intrigued by the Solawave the first time I saw it on social media. It was cheaper than many of the skincare devices I’d seen in the past, and — with celebrities like Doja Cat, Vanessa Hudgens, and Reese Witherspoon reportedly loving the device — I immediately wanted to know more. The company’s website explains that the tiny device combines four different skincare technologies — red light therapy, microcurrents, facial massage, and therapeutic heat — to provide what the company describes as the “ultimate at-home spa facial.” 

I’d heard about all of these techniques in the past. Red light therapy, for example, is touted as a way to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, scars, redness, acne, and more. And microcurrent facials? I’ve heard some people swear that zapping a low-level electrical current through your skin is better than botox

However, while none of these technologies are new — and the science behind them definitely shows promise — I also have a healthy dose of skepticism around whether or not a tiny pen-sized wand can deliver the same results as professional-grade equipment. 

red light glowing at the end of a facial wand
I was skeptical that the skincare benefits Solawave promises could pack into such a tiny device. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

I put it to the test

Straight out of the box, I was surprised at how tiny the Solawave was in my hand. Just over the size of a pen with a convenient swivel head, the tiny device uses “smart-touch activation” meaning it turns on and off when the ceramic head comes into contact with your skin. After charging the device according to the instructions in the package, it was time to get to work. 

While the Solawave turns on immediately when it comes into contact with your skin, the company explains that it works best on hydrated skin. Rather than fuss around with finding the right product, I opted to stick with their recommended Renew Complex Activating Serum. With ingredients like blue tansy oil, hyaluronic acid, and Aloe vera, the serum is designed to help evenly distribute the microcurrent therapy across your skin, so I washed and dried my face, applied a thin layer of the serum, and got started.

How does it feel? 

I’m not going to lie, the first few seconds of swiping the Solawave wand across my skin felt odd. I was expecting a stronger sensation due to the microcurrent, but it felt like a gentle tingling sensation spreading out from the smooth ceramic head of the device. The device felt warm against my skin — it gradually increased in temperature the longer I used it — without being hot or uncomfortable.

I started using the wand at the base of my neck, following the instructions in the package to glide it upward and outward as I gradually moved along each side of my face. During my first session, I started small — Solawave recommends starting with a five-minute session, three to five times a week — and I found that I actually enjoyed the process.

It was super relaxing to use the device on my face and neck, and it almost felt like the device was making it easier for my skin to absorb the products I was using, so my skin felt way more hydrated than normal.

a bottle of serum
The Solawave wand works best when paired with a serum with conductive ingredients. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

But does it actually work? 

Immediately after using the red light therapy wand, I was surprised to find that I noticed a slight improvement in my skin. It wasn’t dramatic or anything — if I hadn’t taken a selfie earlier that evening, I probably wouldn’t have noticed — but there was a visible reduction in puffiness around my eyes, cheeks, and jawline.

Over the next two weeks, I diligently included the Solawave in my skincare routine. I used it both morning and evening, typically right after washing my face and applying a toning essence and the Renew Complex serum, around five or six days a week. Eventually, I started extending my Solawave sessions by a few minutes at a time — adding some focused attention to areas of my face that were holding tension, needed some extra de-puffing, or looked a little dehydrated — and I was surprised by how well it worked. 

By the end of my second week, my skin was definitely looking better: A few hormonal acne scars on my chin had faded, the redness in my cheeks went down, and I swore to my partner that a broken capillary on my cheek had completely disappeared. On days when my seasonal allergies had me waking up with puffy bags under my eyes, I was thrilled to discover that the Solawave was a great way to quickly knock them out. While I didn’t notice a huge difference in fine lines or wrinkles (at 32, I only have a few fine lines on my face that are noticeable when I’m dehydrated) I was still shocked by how well the device worked. 

I used the red light wand, which is designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, blemishes, and dark spots. But Solawave also offers a three-minute spot treatment device, which uses red and blue light to target acne-causing bacteria, and used to offer a blue light wand (meant to fight against breakouts, boosts the effects of serum topicals, and improve your skin's radiance), which has tragically been discontinued.

The Solawave wand is one of my skincare staples 

After months of using the Solawave red light therapy wand, it's officially a staple in my weekly skincare routine. I don't always remember to use it daily — mostly because my work schedule got busy and my skincare routine took a hit — but I use it whenever I need to depuff, prep for an event, or simply need to unwind. I've also discovered that I love using it after applying a face mask — especially when my skin is feeling dry — so I can really pack in any leftover serum on my skin. Since I first started trying the Solawave wand, I've also convinced several friends (and three other Mashable editors and writers) to buy the wand. One friend told me that it helped heal the hyperpigmentation and bumpiness she had after a bad bout of hormonal acne, adding, "I use it after moisturizing almost every evening, and the difference is VERY noticeable." 

I've also tried a few other light therapy devices over the last few months, like the celeb-favorite DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, and the Solawave is way more convenient and budget-friendly. It's definitely not as powerful as professional red light therapy treatments at your dermatologist's office — and you definitely need to remember to clean it regularly or risk an acne breakout (having learned that lesson the hard way) — but it's a great tool that has definitely changed my skin for the better.

Is it worth it? 

Honestly, I’ve got to say yes, the Solawave is worth it. I’ve seen several at-home skincare devices, including red light therapy masks and microcurrent facial devices, that cost anywhere from $200 to $500. Compared to these, the Solawave advanced skincare wand’s $149 price tag is a breeze. It’s still a little more expensive than the beauty devices you might see on the shelf at Target, but considering how well it worked, it’s definitely worth the splurge.

If you want to save a few bucks, you can also swap out Solawave’s Renew Complex serum with one of your own favorites. At $32 a bottle, it’s a little pricey compared to my favorite serums, and I didn’t notice much of a difference when I started experimenting with a few I already had on hand. Thankfully, the company’s website says it’s totally fine to swap in your own products — especially if they contain conductive ingredients to help make the most of the microcurrent technology — so you can try using it with products that you already know work well with your skin.

If you’re still on the fence? I’d recommend following Solawave on social media or checking out the website. The company frequently offers sales on its products, so you might be able to save a bit of money by snagging a discount code on the website. Plus, since the new Radiant Renewal wand came out, the original Solawave wand is discounted to $89.



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ChatGPT on AppStore displayed on a phone screen and Apple logo dislpayed on a screen in the background

Large Language Models (LLMs) may not be as smart as they seem, according to a study from Apple researchers.

LLMs from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and others have been touted for their impressive reasoning skills. But research suggests their purported intelligence may be closer to "sophisticated pattern matching" than "true logical reasoning." Yep, even OpenAI's o1 advanced reasoning model.

The most common benchmark for reasoning skills is a test called GSM8K, but since it's so popular, there's a risk of data contamination. That means LLMs might know the answers to the test because they were trained on those answers, not because of their inherent intelligence.

To test this, the study developed a new benchmark called GSM-Symbolic which keeps the essence of the reasoning problems, but changes the variables, like names, numbers, complexity, and adding irrelevant information. What they discovered was surprising "fragility" in LLM performance. The study tested over 20 models including OpenAI's o1 and GPT-4o, Google's Gemma 2, and Meta's Llama 3. With every single model, the model's performance decreased when the variables were changed.

Accuracy decreased by a few percentage points when names and variables were changed. And as the researchers noted, OpenAI's models performed better than the other open-source models. However the variance was deemed "non-negligible," meaning any real variance shouldn't have occurred. However, things got really interesting when researchers added "seemingly relevant but ultimately inconsequential statements" to the mix.

To test the hypothesis that LLMs relied more on pattern matching than actual reasoning, the study added superfluous phrases to math problems to see how the models would react. For example, "Oliver picks 44 kiwis on Friday. Then he picks 58 kiwis on Saturday. On Sunday, he picks double the number of kiwis he did on Friday, but five of them were a bit smaller than average. How many kiwis does Oliver have?"

What resulted was a significant drop in performance across the board. OpenAI's o1 Preview fared the best, with a drop of 17.5 percent accuracy. That's still pretty bad, but not as bad as Microsoft's Phi 3 model which performed 65 percent worse.

In the kiwi example, the study said LLMs tended to subtract the five smaller kiwis from the equation without understanding that kiwi size was irrelevant to the problem. This indicates that "models tend to convert statements to operations without truly understanding their meaning" which validates the researchers' hypothesis that LLMs look for patterns in reasoning problems, rather than innately understand the concept.

The study didn't mince words about its findings. Testing models' on the benchmark that includes irrelevant information "exposes a critical flaw in LLMs’ ability to genuinely understand mathematical concepts and discern relevant information for problem-solving." However, it bears mentioning that the authors of this study work for Apple which is obviously a major competitor with Google, Meta, and even OpenAI — although Apple and OpenAI have a partnership, Apple is also working on its own AI models.

That said, the LLMs' apparent lack of formal reasoning skills can't be ignored. Ultimately, it's a good reminder to temper AI hype with healthy skepticism.



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A game being played on a smartphone.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Get out of here!

These words are arduous.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Moving-related words.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Movingday.

NYT Strands word list for October 14

  • Dolly

  • Truck

  • Boxes

  • Movingday

  • Bungee

  • Crate

  • Tape

  • Foam

  • Strap

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.



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Prime Big Deal Days
The best October Prime Day deals we've spotted so far:

Best headphones deal
Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe Case
A$298 at Amazon Australia (was $399, 25% off)

Best robot vacuum deal
Roborock Q7 Max+
A$599 at Amazon Australia (was $1,399, 57% off)

Best Smartphone Deal
Nothing Phone (2) 256GB
A$899 at Amazon Australia (was $1,149, 15% off)

Best TV Deal
PRISM+ Q55 Ultra | 4K QLED Google TV | 55 inch
A$688.99 at Amazon Australia (was $1,599, 57% of)

Best laptop deal
HP 14” Chromebook
A$329 at Amazon Australia (was $579, 43% off)

Best gaming deal

This event is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so, if you're not a member, you'll need to sign up for a free 30-day trial to get in on the bargains. Without further adieu, here's are the top deals we've spotted so far:

Best robot vacuum deals

Best smart home deals

Best smartphone and tablet deals

Best wearable tech deals

Best headphone and speaker deals

Best TV and home cinema deals

Best laptop deals

Best gaming deals

--

With the silly season soon upon us, Amazon has kicked off their second exclusive sales event for 2024, Prime Big Deal Days (not to be confused with Prime Day in July). From now until midnight on Sunday October 13 (AEDT), Amazon.com.au will feature some of it's biggest discounts all year – in some cases, with even lower prices than even Prime Day or Black Friday week.

What is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?

Similar to Prime Day (which normally takes place in July) this month's Prime Big Deal Days is a sales event exclusive to Amazon Prime members in Australia and overseas. Aside from Prime Day and Black Friday, it's just about your best chance all year to score some eyewatering deals on a huge range of products being sold on Amazon.

When is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days in Australia?

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days in 2024 commenced 12:01am AEDT on October 8, with local deals running for six days until 11:59pm AEDT on October 13.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days shopping tips

Strategy is key for making the most of the Prime Big Deal Days event. Knowing how to shop on Amazon across the days will get you the best deals and save you heaps of time. If you feel like browsing for fun, be sure to check out the main Big Deal Days page!

Meanwhile, here are our top shopping tips for taking advantage of the sale:

  • Amazon's ‘Spotlight Deals’ run for 24-hours or more – some even run for the whole Big Deal Days event. You can take your time with these purchases, read the reviews, compare prices, and hit "buy" once you are sure you're getting bang for your buck.

  • Meanwhile, ‘Lightning Deals’ last for a limited amount of time, and have a limited amount of stock. If you see a good price on a lightning deal on something you want, be sure to get in quick!

  • Keep an eye on specific items you want, especially with the upcoming holiday gifting season. Simply search for these items on the Amazon store and see if they're on sale.

  • Try out Alexa shopping. You can simply ask “Alexa, what are my Prime Day deals?”, or even track your orders by asking “Alexa, where’s my stuff?”.



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