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MoneyWatchSouthwest Airlines to end free checked bags policy for first time in its 54-year historySouthwest Airlines changes bag policy Southwest Airlines boasts that its passengers' "bags fly free" but not for long. Starting May 28 just in time for the busy summer travel season only Southwest's most elite Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and passengers who book their top-tier Business Select fares will receive two free checked bags. Frequent flyer A-List Members, Southwest-branded credit card holders and other select customers will be allowed one checked bag.Everyone else will be charged for their first and second checked bags on flights booked on or after May 28, the carrier says. "Just another airline"?It's a break with Southwest's 54 year history one that could undermine customer loyalty to the carrier, according to experts."This is how you destroy a brand. This is how you destroy customer preference. This is how you destroy loyalty. And this, I think, is going to send Southwest into a financial tailspin," airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. "Southwest, with these changes, becomes just another airline."Just last September, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told Van Cleave bags would continue to fly without charge."Bags will still fly free," Jordan said. "It's the third thing customers look for after fare and schedule: Bags fly free, on us. Ninety-seven percent are people who are aware of our policies. So it's a huge consumer advantage. So bags will absolutely fly free."But when pressed if they'd always fly free, he acknowledged, "Well, never say never. It's like saying open seating would never change 20 years ago. Consumer preferences change, but from everything that we see, there's no reason to reconsider this at all, especially right now.""When 97% of your customers say they fly you because of your 'bags fly free' policy and you make dramatic changes to it, you are telling almost all of your customers, 'Your business doesn't matter to us anymore,'" Harteveldt said. "We are watching an airline self-destruct. This is the equivalent of deliberately sailing a ship into an iceberg."The cost of a checked bag hasn't been announced but airline sources say it will be competitive with other carriers.In comments at a JPMorgan Chase online event, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Tuesday that Southwest's baggage policy shift is like "the slaying of a sacred cow," while adding that it could boost the discount carrier's profit margins."I view it as a big deal because it feels more a financially driven, results driven airline than it's ever been before," he said.Delta President Glen Hauenstein, who also spoke at the JPMorgan conference, added that he thinks some Southwest customers could now be "up for grabs" because of its move away from free bags.Mounting financial pressureThe move comes as Southwest, the nation's fourth-largest airline, has been under intense pressure from an activist investor to improve its financial performance after struggling to keep pace with changing customer preferences post-pandemic. Southwest recently announced its first ever layoffs, launched its first redeye flights, and intends to end its long-running open seating policy next year. Instead, the airline will offer seat assignments and sell extra legroom seats for an additional fee.Also announced Tuesday are changes to Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program increasing the points flyers get for booking higher-priced Business Select fares while reducing the points earned on less expensive "Wanna Get Away" and "Wanna Get Away Plus" fares. The airline will also start dynamic or variable pricing for points redemption across higher and lower demand flights.What's more, starting May 28, Southwest will add a heavily discounted basic economy fare class that will guarantee a flyer a seat on a plane but will likely come with restrictions similar to other carriers' basic economy offerings.In a video statement Tuesday morning, Jordan said the changes "will help us return to the levels of profitability we all expect, and to support our collective long term success. It's also about adapting to what our customers want."Many things have changed post-Covid: the loss of short-haul demand, a rise in premium demand, and a change in customer preferences."Jordan said the goal is to secure Southwest's future."We are more than the logo on our planes," he said. "Our DNA isn't open seating, or even bags fly free. It's a dedication to service."Harteveldt says, "More choice is always a good thing. More low fares are always a good thing. And Southwest is large enough that if they use their basic economy fares in the right way, and I believe they will, they may force other airlines to be more aggressive in their pricing."Southwest is the last major U.S. airline to offer a basic economy product, which carriers launched to compete with ultra-low cost airlines like Frontier and Spirit.While the offerings vary by airline, basic economy tickets often come without an advance seat assignment, tend to be in the last boarding group and may limit the number or size of carry-on luggage. Checked bags and other perks come with a cost. It's been a hit for airlines. United Airlines reported basic economy revenue jumped 20% last year."Southwest Airlines remains committed to its core tenets amazing people who deliver great hospitality to all Southwest customers, a strong network with the most nonstop flights within the U.S., and a loyalty program that gives real value to Rapid Rewards Members," the carrier said in a statement.But is that the Southwest that people know?"Yes," Harteveldt said. "This change is just so unlike Southwest. And it really is something that I worry could be far more financially damaging to the airline than helpful."More from CBS NewsKris Van CleaveEmmy Award-winning journalist Kris Van Cleave is the senior transportation correspondent for CBS News based in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also serves as a national correspondent reporting for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kToday marks the release of Beyond the Ice Palace 2, and no, you're not imagining things this is a sequel the 1988 Amiga, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum platformer.Taking the shape of a Soulslike Metroidvania, Beyond the Ice Palace 2 sees you take up the chains of the Cursed King who has broken from from imprisonment. Touting some brutally difficult combat and platforming and some excellent pixel art, it takes the classic formula established 37 years ago and brings it up to a more modern standard.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube While the digital version is out today on Switch and other platforms, a physical version is launching in just a few days on 13th March. In the UK, you can pre-order this from co-publisher PQube.Here's a rundown of what to expect from the game, which comes from Storybird Studio, the team behind Ganryu 2 - Hakuma Kojiro and Wallachia: Reign Of Dracula:WIELD THE CHAINS THAT ONCE IMPRISONED YOU RECLAIM YOUR THRONE!The Cursed King rises from the abyss, wielding the chains that once bound him, now transformed into powerful weapons. Set in a dark fantasy kingdom teeming with secrets, Beyond the Ice Palace 2 challenges players to explore hidden chambers, defeat colossal demons, and uncover powerful upgrades in a relentless quest for vengeance and redemption.Whether playing on PC or digitally on consoles, players this week across all platforms can experience the Cursed Kings legendary return to form.KEY FEATURESReclaim Your Throne as the Cursed KingEmbark on a journey of vengeance, hunting for the sacred arrow shards to unlock your full power.Dynamic Combat and ExplorationMaster the chains that once bound you, turning them into a weapon of destruction and a tool of traversal.Secrets of a Fallen KingdomDiscover hidden chambers, uncover powerful upgrades, and reclaim lost treasures to aid you in your quest.Strategic UpgradesCollect power crystals to enhance your abilities, preparing you for battles against colossal bosses.Classic Meets ModernMerging retro-inspired pixel art with modern gameplay, Beyond the Ice Palace 2 revitalises the series for both longtime fans and newcomers.AN UNFORGETTABLE SOUNDTRACK BY A GAMING ICONComposed by Allister Brimble, a legendary video game composer, the epic soundtrack for Beyond the Ice Palace 2 enhances every moment of exploration and combat.Images: PQube, PixelHeartImages: PQube, PixelHeartImages: PQube, PixelHeartFor long-time fans, moving from a mission-based structure to a more Metroidvania-style of progression might seem odd, but this sequel is all about enhancing the exploration and allows you to upgrade and level your character.Still, we're all for reviving cult classics in 2025!Have you played Beyond the Ice Palace? Are you grabbing the sequel today? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Binary Haze InteractiveAdglobe and Live Wire's critically acclaimed Metroidvania Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist has received a free update, and its adds a few brand new features to the already fantastic game.In version 1.1.0, which is now live on Steam and is coming to consoles soon, you'll be able to take part in Boss Rush Mode. You unlock this once you've defeated every single boss in the game, and it can be accessed from the Memories menu at any rest point.Also coming in the update is the Boss Rematch feature different from Rush and a New Game + mode, which allows you to carry over all of your skills and Homunculi, but all enemies will be a higher level. A couple of other small bug fixes and tweaks are also part of the update.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube Hopefully it lands on Switch soon, but for now, have a look over the patch notes to get prepared:Patch notes: 1.1.0New features:Test your skills by challenging the new "Boss rush" mode- Unlocked by defeating all the bosses in the game.- Accessed by the "Memories" menu, "Boss rush" tab from any rest point.- Clear times and best attempts are saved as records.- Receive "Fragments" by clearing the challenge. The number of fragment received depends on the selected difficulty.Boss rematch feature- Accessed by the "Memories" menu, "Bosses" tab from any rest point.- Receive "Fragments" by clearing the challenge. The number of fragment received depends on the selected difficulty.Carry over your progress and explore a harsher world with "New Game +"- Unlocked by clearing the game and seeing a specific ending.- Start the game from the beginning while keeping your parameters, skills and items.- All enemies will be of higher difficulty, starting the game on a chapter higher than the previous maximum, and bosses will have more aggressive patterns. (Items related to quests will not carry over.)- Items that were obtained previously will be replaced by either "Material" or "Junk" in New Game +.- Items that were not previously obtained can still be obtained in New Game +. - Items that were replaced in New Game + will be placed again when carrying data over a second time.New "Relic" upgrade level (++)- "Relics" that were upgraded to the "+" level can be upgraded again to the "++" level at the relic refinery.(Upgrading a relic to "++" will further increase its effect or lower its slot cost.)("Relics" that could not be upgraded before are still not upgradable.)Other additions- Add a set logic to Skill, Equipment and Relics to easily switch between equipments- Add new gallery items and costumes obtainable by spending "Fragments".Adjustments:- Adjust some events to make scenario specific triggers a bit easier to understandBug fixes:- Translation fixes- Small visual and gameplay fixesWe've already sung Ender Magnolia's praises in our review, and this is already the third update to the game since its release in January. We're looking forward to seeing what's next for Ender Magnolia, and the teams behind the game.Have you played Ender Magnolia? Let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments. Here's what you can expect...One that shouldn't be mistRelated GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesCapcom Provides Update On Game Changes In 'Fighting Collection 2'Here's what you can expectVideo: Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection 2.0 UpdateMGS2 and 3 have definitely "improved"Was That Pokmon Legends: Z-A Footage Running On Switch 2? Digital Foundry Weighs InPrepare for a pretty obvious answerHamster's Arcade Archives Celebrates Eight Years Of Switch eShop Releases"Thank you for your unwavering support"Nintendo Music Updated To Version 1.1.0, Here's What's IncludedA small but handy toggle

President Donald Trump said he will label violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism, per a transcript shared by the White House pool reporters, a sign of deepening ties with Elon Musk.Tesla Takeovers have been breaking out across the globe at Tesla dealerships as people protest what they see as a hostile takeover of the federal government by Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Some of the protests have resulted in graffiti on Tesla signs, charging stations set on fire, even Molotov cocktails being thrown in one dealerships lot.The protests and vandalism come as Teslas stock price has taken a hit, falling below where it skyrocketed after Trump won the presidential election in November 2024 and performing worse than the overall stock market during the same period. Tesla has also seen sales nosedive globally as the brand suffers from Musks political exploits.Im going to stop them, Trump said of people who commit violence against Tesla property. He spoke with Musk on Tuesday at the White House. We catch anybody doing this because theyre harming a great American company.And let me tell you, Trump continued. You do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, were going to catch you, and youre going to go through hell.According to federal law, an attack on company property could be considered domestic terrorism if the intent is to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence government property or affect government conduct through destruction, assassination or kidnapping.The risk ahead lies in how Trump and Musk define violence and whether peaceful protesters will be labeled as violent in the future. Trump has promised to deport international students who join in protests against Israels war in Gaza, which raises the threat that people who have green cards or visas in the U.S. could be under the same threat for protesting Tesla.Since Trump issued an executive order in January to form DOGE, an advisory committee to slash government spending, Musk who donated $260 million to a super PAC to elect Trump has overseen widespread layoffs of government workers and the removal of entire agencies like USAID, fostering an environment of anger, fear, confusion, and chaos, according to some reports.Musk has eyed other agencies for deletion, though his critics will point out that his companies have benefited directly from government contracts and incentives. SpaceX, for example, has received more than $20 billion in contracts from NASA, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, according to data from USASpending.gov.Trump said Tuesday he would buy a Tesla that he wouldnt be allowed to drive, but that it would be used at the White House by his staffers.I think hes been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people, Trump said, per the Pool report. And I just want people to know that he cant be penalized for being a patriot.

When the first email was sent in 1971, Richard Nixon was president. The video game Pong was still in development. The Pittsburgh Pirates were a good baseball team. This is to say, technological achievements like the email have lived long enough to have their own grandchildren. And yet, one of the most storied magazines in American history, The New Yorker, has only just updated its copyediting guidelines to incorporate more contemporary stylings of words related to the internet.No longer will The New Yorker write about e-mails in your in box that you access on the Internet through a web site. At last, the magazine best known as that logo emblazoned on millennials tote bags in Brooklyn will join us in the twenty-first century. The New Yorkers Head of Copy, Andrew Boynton, describes a sort of clandestine rendezvous among editors that took place in January to discuss possible style changes at the magazine. Even former copy editors were involved. (As someone who works at a news outlet, I can confirm that it would be quite odd if an editor who hasnt worked here in ten years showed up to discuss how we should approach our coverage of DeepSeek).Nonetheless, this cohort of dedicated grammarians came to an agreement.It was decided that, while no one wanted to change some of the long-standing quirky styles (teen-ager, per cent, etc.), some of [the] newer vintage could go, Boynton wrote. Some of you may lament the changes as being radically modern, while others are likely to greet them as long overdue.This is a departure for The New Yorker, though the publications most dedicated readers will be relieved to know that it will not abandon its steadfast commitment to the diaeresis thats the word for when the magazine uses spellings like coperative or renergize. This way, the publishers and readers of the New Yorker alike can feel superior, because they know the difference between the diaresis and the umlaut a distinction that is probably only useful if you work at The New Yorker.Admittedly, all publications including TechCrunch have some unique style quirks. It was only last year that we were finally granted permission to use the Oxford comma. The announcement was refreshing, surprising, and exciting.

Cartoon clouds covered in sequins erupt on chrome poles from rocky, dry, land of Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. Sanford Biggerss Unsui (Mirror) is one of the 11 installations featured in the fifth iteration of Desert X. The exhibition reflects on the deserts deep time evolutions. Surrounded by the seemingly unending emptiness of the Coachella Valley, these works bring human creativity to the wilderness. Using the natural elements of the desert such as wind and light to transform their work, these artists explore how, ancestral wisdom intertwines and at times collides with contemporary visions for our collective future.Desert X 2025 will be on view through May 11 at sites across the Coachella Valley.Below is list of the 2025 participants with a brief description of their installed work. Unsui (Mirror) by Sanford Biggers stands at 30 feet, the sequin clouds contrasting the expansive sky of Palm Springs. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Unsui (Mirror)Sanford BiggersSanford Biggers designed Unsui (Mirror), with Buddhism in mind. Biggerss Unsui, meaning clouds and water in Japanese, represents the duality of the changing sky with the reliable presence of clouds. The cartoon-shaped clouds are covered in a sequin material, shifting and changing with the wind and light. The artist recently staged similar artworks inside a historic building at Brown University.The marble blocks used in Jose Dvilas Act of Being Together were extracted from a quarry in Mexico, traveling hundreds of miles and crossing the U.S. Mexico border to arrive in the Coachella Valley. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Act of Being TogetherJose DvilaSited next to a wind farm, Jose Dvilas Act of Being Together is made up of large marble blocks stacked to resemble the skeletal remains of a place once inhabited. Extracted from a quarry in Mexico, the unaltered marble is an organic material foreign to the environment of the Coachella Valley, Dvila highlights the idea of migration. Traveling hundreds of miles and crossing the U.S. Mexico border, the stones, traversed a metaphorical border between the seen and the unseen, the artist shared. Agnes Deness The Living Pyramid features vegetation indigenous to the Coachella Valley, the installation evolving as the plants grow with the cycles of the desert environment. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)The Living PyramidAgnes DenesAgnes Deness The Living Pyramid illustrates the hierarchy of politics and the ever-changing meaning of world peace. Located at the Sunnylands Center & Garden, known as the Camp David of the American West, the white triangular structure features plants native to the Coachella Valley. Over the course of the exhibition, the plants will either flourish or die, reacting to the harsh desert environment. While the pyramids are based on mathematics and thus achieve a kind of perfection, they contain all the imperfections they are dealing with or are representing and visualizing, Denes said.Standing for Generative Habitation Operating System Technology, G.H.O.S.T Ride will travel throughout the Coachella Valley over the course of the nine week exhibition. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)G.H.O.S.T RideCannupa Hanska LugerBorn on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, Cannupa Hanska Lugers G.H.O.S.T Ride creates a world in which Indigenous communities were able to utilize technology to live in attunement with land and water. The artwork consists of a red truck, Luger calls, repurposed Archaic Technology, covered in reflective vinyl, blending with the environment. The artwork is a futuristic relic, meant to house a family from an unknown time. The installation is set to move throughout the Coachella Valley hoping to invite viewers to radically reimagine coexistence among human and nonhuman realms. Raphael Hefti in Five things you cant wear on TV uses the wind to change the shape of his design to create a disorienting effect as the horizon seems to move. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Five things you cant wear on TVRaphael HeftiFive things you cant wear on TV by Raphael Hefti is an artificial break from the monotony of the desert. The installation is made of a black woven fabric, coated on one side with a reflective finish, covering an expanse of the desert, stretched between two points. Taut between two fixed points, the length of durable material originally designed for fire hoses, oscillates with the wind, bending and bumping to the force of nature. To Breathe Coachella ValleyKIMSOOJAIn To Breathe Coachella Valley, Kimsooja wants the audience to interact with the essential elements of the dessert: the texture of sand underfoot, the air we breath, and the light around us. Kimsooja used glass to create a performance space, the shape of the diffracting light simulating bottaris, Korean fabric encased bundles of personal possessions.Plotting RestKapwani KiwangaDrawing from the midcentury design often found in Palm Springs, California, Kapwani Kiwangas Plotting Rest, is a large pavilion with a lattice roof. As the light changes, the roof, made of interlocking triangles, will cast moving shadows on the desert floor emulating the quilting pattern known as flying geese. This motif served as a secret guide system for those fleeing slavery via the Underground Railroad.In Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams, Sarah Meyohas uses reflection and reflection to create caustic light patterns. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Truth Arrives in Slated BeamsSarah MeyohasSarah Meyohass Truth Arrives in Slated Beams carves a wavy path stark white emerging from the deserts dusty ground. The immersive installation utilizes the refraction and reflection of light to create a large-scale interpretation sundial. In tracking the suns path at the location of the installation, Mehoyas was able to use mirrors to project specific images along the curved white surface, calling into mind the undulating idea of an oasis.Ronald Raels installation was made using a 3D-printing process to lay mud to create the tall adobe structures. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Adobe OasisRonald RaelRed clay walls zig-zag through the desert in Ronald Raels Desert X contribution Adobe Oasis. Taking inspiration from historic architecture, Raels installation uses adobe to highlight the use of organic materials. Raels work blends historic practices with modern innovation, using a 3D printing process to lay mud to create the tall structures. The visitor walks through the passageways defined by the adobe walls, envisioning a future in which sustainable materials are the norm. Alison Saars Soul Service Station features a repurposed gas pump playing poems by Los Angelesbased poet Harryette Mullen. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)Soul Service StationAlison SaarIn Soul Service Station, Alison Saar hopes to provide fuel for the soul by building a sanctuary of spiritual oasis. Made up of discarded tin, wood, glass bottles, and cast iron pans, the installation works to preserve the history of the objects, objects connected to the black female identity, while giving them new meaning. Inspired by gas stations, Saar invites visitors to reflect upon a collection of devotional objects, community-made foil medallions, and a large hand carved sculpture of a female figure.Muhannad Shono used strips of fabric immersed with the sand of the Coachella Valley to illustrate the movement of the desert. (Lance Gerber/Courtesy Desert X)What RemainsMuhannad ShonoMuhannad Shono evokes fluidity in his installation What Remains. The beige fabric attached loosely to two wooden posts moves with the wind, emulating the waves of the sand. The piece represents the way in which the desert relies on the wind to create change, transporting dunes from one place to another.

Google is testing a usability upgrade to one of its most useful Google Photos features.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesGoogle is testing a quality-of-life upgrade to Google Photos that will make it quicker and easier to organize your pictures, especially when you have an extensive collection of similar images.As revealed in a recent Android Authority report, Google Photos popular Photo Stacks feature could soon be getting a usability upgrade that makes it quicker and easier to use. Google Introduced Photo Stacks in 2024 as a way to group similar photos into stacks which tidy away near-duplicate pictures behind your favorite of the bunch, which you get to mark as top pick.Currently, any actions involving Photo Stacks require you to swipe up on the image youre viewing to view the full photo details. Here, you can find management options for the stack, such as Add to album, Move to Archive," "Set at wallpaper, etc.Google Photos: New Photo Stacks InterfaceThe new interface, which hasnt yet been enabled for users, adds a pop-up context menu below the picture when youre viewing a member of a photo stack. By tapping on a small arrow near the bottom of the screen, you can quickly bring up a menu of commands including:Set as top pick (provided youre not already viewing the top pick)Keep this, delete restRemove from stackUnstackMulti-selectManage stacksGoogle is testing some new simplified controls for Photo Stacks in Google Photos.ASSEMBLEDEBUGThe first four of these menu options largely mirror the Photo Stack controls currently available by swiping up, but make them quicker and easier to access by separating them from the long list of options in the details pane unrelated to Photo Stacks. The new Multi-select, menu option replaces the current multi-select icon, depicted as four tiny squares, that sits to the left of the image selector, whereas selecting Manage stacks takes you to the Photos view settings menu where you can turn the Photos Stacks feature on or off.The new interface was discovered by well-known app analyst AssembleDebug, who discovered and enabled the code for the new Photo Stack menu, which is hidden in the latest version 7.19 of the Google Photos Android app. As is always the case with unreleased features like this, theres no guarantee that it will roll out to users in its current form. However, it gives us insight into how Google constantly evolves Google Photos to improve usability over time. The Photo Stacks feature has seen a lot of tinkering since it was first introduced, but not all test features have made it into the hands of users. Most notably, were still waiting for the ability to create Photo Stacks manually.Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.

In context: It is a foregone conclusion that AI models can lack accuracy. Hallucinations and doubling down on wrong information have been an ongoing struggle for developers. Usage varies so much in individual use cases that it's hard to nail down quantifiable percentages related to AI accuracy. A research team claims it now has those numbers. The Tow Center for Digital Journalism recently studied eight AI search engines, including ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Perplexity Pro, Gemini, DeepSeek Search, Grok-2 Search, Grok-3 Search, and Copilot. They tested each for accuracy and recorded how frequently the tools refused to answer.The researchers randomly chose 200 news articles from 20 news publishers (10 each). They ensured each story returned within the top three results in a Google search when using a quoted excerpt from the article. Then, they performed the same query within each AI search tool and graded accuracy based on whether the search correctly cited A) the article, B) the news organization, and C) the URL.The researchers then labeled each search based on degrees of accuracy from "completely correct" to "completely incorrect." As you can see from the diagram below, other than both versions of Perplexity, the AIs did not perform well. Collectively, AI search engines are inaccurate 60 percent of the time. Furthermore, these wrong results were reinforced by the AI's "confidence" in them.Click to enlarge.The study is fascinating because it quantifiably confirms what we have known for a few years that LLMs are "the slickest con artists of all time." They report with complete authority that what they say is true even when it is not, sometimes to the point of argument or making up other false assertions when confronted.In a 2023 anecdotal article, Ted Gioia (The Honest Broker) pointed out dozens of ChatGPT responses, showing that the bot confidently "lies" when responding to numerous queries. While some examples were adversarial queries, many were just general questions. // Related Stories"If I believed half of what I heard about ChatGPT, I could let it take over The Honest Broker while I sit on the beach drinking margaritas and searching for my lost shaker of salt," Gioia flippantly noted.Even when admitting it was wrong, ChatGPT would follow up that admission with more fabricated information. The LLM is seemingly programmed to answer every user input at all costs. The researcher's data confirms this hypothesis, noting that ChatGPT Search was the only AI tool that answered all 200 article queries. However, it only achieved a 28-percent completely accurate rating and was completely inaccurate 57 percent of the time.ChatGPT isn't even the worst of the bunch. Both versions of X's Grok AI performed poorly, with Grok-3 Search being 94 percent inaccurate. Microsoft's Copilot was not that much better when you consider that it declined to answer 104 queries out of 200. Of the remaining 96, only 16 were "completely correct," 14 were "partially correct," and 66 were "completely incorrect," making it roughly 70 percent inaccurate.Arguably, the craziest thing about all this is that the companies making these tools are not transparent about this lack of accuracy while charging the public $20 to $200 per month to access their latest AI models. Moreover, Perplexity Pro ($20/month) and Grok-3 Search ($40/month) answered slightly more queries correctly than their free versions (Perplexity and Grok-2 Search) but had significantly higher error rates (above). Talk about a con.However, not everyone agrees. TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff said he might never use Google again after trying ChatGPT Search. He describes the tool as fast, aware, and accurate, with a clean, ad-free interface.Feel free to read all the details in the Tow Center's paper published in the Columbia Journalism Review, and let us know what you think.Do you trust AI search engines to return accurate results?

Reviewers LikedHigh-quality construction with attractive aestheticIt's the fastest computer I've ever testedVery portable, easy to stash anywhereVariety of ports including Thunderbolt 5Still cool and quiet under pressureAI integration with Apple Intelligence and macOS SequoiaVery fast to extremely fast performanceReviewers Didn't LikeExpensiveNo Wi-Fi 7 connectivityCan't upgrade memory or SSD after purchaseGaming performance disappointing so farProbably relevant to a vanishingly small user baseCompetitors and Related Products Our editors hand-pick related products using a variety of criteria: direct competitors targeting the same market segment, or devices that are similar in size, performance, or feature sets. Expert reviews and ratings 90 The 2025 Apple Mac Studio is very fast, very expensive, and very well-made. By DigitalTrends on March 11, 2025 90 Macs are rarely considered bargains, but the Mac Studio delivers striking levels of performance per dollar in M4 Max and M3 Ultra form. By Tom's Hardware on March 11, 2025 90 This is the point in the review where Id normally make my best value analysis and suggest whether the new Mac Studio is worth its $1,999 (base model) outlay. Thats nearly impossible to do with a computer like this, however, because so few users are going to benefit from the extreme power of the M4 Max (and even fewer from the M3 Ultra version). However, I can safely say that if you need this level of performance, you already know that you do, because your existing rig is likely starting to show its age in the face of modern workloads. By Wired on March 11, 2025 90 The 2025 Mac Studio is the most capable Mac desktop yet, offering excellent CPU performance and Thunderbolt 5 support while remaining cool and quiet under presure. However, the upgraded M3 Ultra version is awfully expensive, and it's yet unclear whether that extra power is worth the price. By Tom's Guide on March 11, 2025 90 Apple's M4 Max-based Mac Studio is a powerful, versatile compact desktop that excels at single-core and multithreaded tasks. It offers a strong balance of performance and value for most professional users. By PCMag on March 11, 2025 90 The Apple Mac Studio brings incredible performance in a sleek, sliver box that can cost and arm and a leg. By Gizmodo on March 11, 2025 95 I do like the Mac Studio. It's a powerful compact desktop that, given you spend enough money on it, can do almost anything most people likely need it to do. But unless you have an unlimited budget, you may want to first figure out if less expensive configurations or other systems will serve your needs as well. By cnet on March 11, 2025 Apples Mac Studio offers unbelievable power at a steep price. But it could be a worthwhile investment for demanding workflows or running AI models locally. By theverge.TheVerge on March 11, 2025 I spent several years using an M1 Mac Studio as my main Mac, and it was great. If youre someone who doesnt need to move around with your Mac (if you do, consider a MacBook Pro instead) and really taxes GPU cores in the work you do, the Mac Studio continues to be an excellent option. I wish I had more exciting new stuff to report about, but the truth is that the M4 Max Mac Studio is the same Mac Studio we all know... its just on M4 now. By SixColors on March 11, 2025 But it does make it clearer who the Ultra version of the computer is for. Do you need the best GPU you can get and more than 128GB of RAM for some reason? Do you also want multiple ProRes video encoders? These are the things the M3 Ultra gets you. Almost any other power user, whether you're hoping to play some games, do app development, or run a bunch of virtual machines or Docker containers, will be better served by either the M4 Max Mac Studio or, in cases where you want a good CPU but don't particularly care about playing games, the M4 Pro Mac mini. By Ars Technica on March 11, 2025Load More Reviews