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Weve all been there: You cant (or wont) get help when something breaks, but the YouTube clip doesnt cover your specific issue. Its what repair gurus at iFixit want to solve with FixBot, an AI-enabled app that talks you through whatever repair youre doing. The chatbot will help you diagnose the problem and then walk you step-by-step through the fix. Plus, its voice-enabled so you wont have to get your phone all smeary when youre elbows-deep in a job. After all, iFixits guides dont just cover fixing your electronics, but everything you might fancy doing yourself, from appliances through to cars and trucks.Unlike traditional AIs, FixBot has been trained on iFixits library of 125,000 guides, its forum and database of repair manuals. The company says theres less risk of hallucination as it pulls from and shows you the schematics its referencing to ensure you dont order the wrong gear. Users can even upload images from their phone, so the app can point out which bit is which. The company is open about its limitations: Its an AI, so its not bulletproof, and its knowledge only runs as far as its library. It can hunt elsewhere for manufacturer data and on other repair forums but youll be warned about the information it pulls from it.In addition, FixBot will keep an eye on your phones battery health in real time to tell you when its time to get a replacement. The tool is, for now, in beta, thanks to the fuzzy way some companies track their battery health, but iFixit is promising greater detail than what you currently get. Plus, when it is time to swap out your battery, you can order the parts and kit all within the app. FixBot is launching for free on both the App Store and Google Play but it wont remain that way forever. At some point, free users will switch to a version with access limits, and will be prompted to upgrade to the paid tier for $4.99 a month or $50 a year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/ifixits-new-app-uses-ai-to-help-you-repair-your-stuff-130000091.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
As we wrap up 2025, were looking at the years biggest winners: the people, companies, products and trends that made the most impact over the year. Almost at the top of the pile, of course, are the tech billionaires. According to a recent report by Oxfam, the 10 richest US billionaires (who are all tech leaders, save for Warren Buffet) increased their wealth by $698 billion in 2025. Some of that has been spent treating and lavishing donations on President Trump. Elon Musk reportedly donated nearly $300 million to Trump and Republican allies, and several tech companies have pitched in to build the presidents White House ballroom. ALLISON ROBBERT via Getty Images Thanks to updates from Meta, Google, OpenAI and others, AI video is more realistic and easier to make than ever. AI video is everywhere. Its not only overtaken your Facebook and Instagram recommendations, but Meta created an entirely separate feed just for users AI-generated fever dreams. The numbers are huge: OpenAIs Sora, which lets you make AI videos of real people, was downloaded a million times in just a few days. And Googles Veo generated more than 40 million videos in a few weeks of launching. AI slop is here to stay, and its everywhere. We didnt say the winners would all be positive. But hey, the Switch 2 is great. Mat Smith The other big stories this morning Google and Apple partner on better AndroidiPhone switching Team Cherry is working on more Silksong content but wont say when itll be released How Google is laying the foundation for our mixed reality future Paramount and Netflix both want to spend billions on Warner Bros. Discovery Good news for WBD? The Warner Bros. studios water tower. (Reuters / REUTERS) Paramount wasnt going to let Netflix pick up Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) without a fight. Following the streaming services $82.7 billion deal to buy much of WBD, Paramount is making a hostile takeover bid of $108 billion, pitching directly to WBD shareholders with an all-cash offer of $30 per share, which expires on January 8. Last week, the WBD board unanimously accepted Netflixs offer of $27.75 per share. That breaks down to $23.25 per share in cash and another $4.50 per share in Netflix stock. Paramount, however, wants to pick up the entirety of WBD, while Netflix only wants the studios and streaming businesses. Whoever bought (or buys?) WBD would face government opposition from all sides. Paramount had already sent WBD a letter questioning the fairness and adequacy of the acquisition bidding process before its hostile takeover bid. President Trump warned the Netflix deal could be a problem. According to data from JustWatch, a combined Netflix and HBO would account for 33 percent of the US streaming video market. Continue reading. Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada is leaving Bandai Namco Tekkens leading face and voice for decades. Katsuhiro Harada is departing Bandai Namco at the end of 2025. He announced the news both with a farewell note shared on X and, of course, an hour-long DJ mix. Haradas 30-year career has been most closely involved with Tekken, and hes a familiar face in the fighting game community. Harada wrote on X: To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world, and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122328464.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Travelodge is launching free wrapping rooms at three UK locations this December, responding to research showing that 40% of parents worry about their children discovering gifts before Christmas morning.
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Marketing and Advertising
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