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On Thursday, March 16, Microsoft is planning to reveal more of its grand scheme for implementing AI chatbot ChatGPT’s features into yet more aspects of our lives - specifically, how the tech firm has big plans to “reinvent productivity with AI”.

Besides being utterly meaningly corporate marketing jargon, this notion of ‘reinventing productivity’ is concerning at best, especially since we don’t know what it actually entails yet. Speculation is rife that Microsoft plans to integrate ChatGPT into the Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) software suite, along with the Dynamics 365 suite for enterprise use.

This comes hot on the heels of Microsoft shoving the chatbot into almost everything it owns. Starting out with the integration of ChatGPT into Bing and following rapidly with AI-powered additions to Skype and the Windows 11 taskbar, Microsoft has been going hard when it comes to AI in its software.

We had already speculated about the ways in which ChatGPT could transform Microsoft’s consumer software suite, so it’s not like this is a huge surprise. However, I’m worried about the whole prospect; Microsoft is rushing into its AI implementation plan, and it’s going to cause more problems than it solves.

The AI arms race

Microsoft’s apparent desire to shoehorn AI features into yet more of its products is likely a response to competitor Salesforce’s own moves in partnering up with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to bring the chatbot to Slack (as well as Snapchat introducing its own AI chatbot) This sort of reactionary decisionmaking is rarely a wise move, especially when it involves AI.

ChatGPT has already proven itself to be, well, problematic. Whether it’s being used to commit cybercrime or create spurious photography competition entries, AI poses some very serious risks. Many of these problems are caused by human abuse of AI software, but tools like ChatGPT have their own failings too.

We’re witnessing a real-time arms race to cram AI tech into every aspect of our lives, and I wouldn’t trust Microsoft (or any huge tech company, like Google or Meta) to be the harbingers of this chatbot renaissance. Right now, Microsoft is demonstrating a lack of caution when it comes to ChatGPT and AI in general, especially since it’s a space yet to see serious regulation from major governments.

I will admit that AI coming to the 365 suite is actually a much less horrible idea than, say, letting ChatGPT make video content. The ability to ask ChatGPT something simple like ‘add some animations to my PowerPoint presentation’ or ‘reformat this text document as a letter’ is both useful and relatively non-threatening - though the potential for Microsoft Word to simply write content for you is a bit concerning, especially for the academic space.

I’m not saying that ChatGPT being added to these tools is going to ruin our lives, but it has issues - and I’m definitely not convinced that Microsoft is taking all the right precautions here. This is a situation where caution will be rewarded; Google isn’t letting people get up close and personal with its new AI just yet, and Microsoft themselves had to limit the Bing chatbots replies after a whole load of weirdness from the AI. Charging ahead with more AI tools right now? Not a good look.

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Latest Tech News

Wireless speakers from brands like Sonos, Apple, and others make it incredibly easy to stream music using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other protocols. But if you have an existing hi-fi system that uses wired speakers, making wireless music magic happen can be an expensive upgrade, with many dedicated streaming components priced at $1,000 and up.

Vinyl LPs and compact discs continue to be viable media formats, but the best music streaming services can match them quality-wise, with Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, and Qobuz offering high-res audio along with lossless CD-quality offerings. Any music aficionado would understandably want to add that capability to their system, and with the new WiiM Pro music streamer, they can now do so at a very affordable $149 (around £122 / AU$225) cost.

How low is that price? To put things in perspective, it’s considerably less than what you’ll pay for step-up options such as the Bluesound Node ($600) or its sister company’s less-expensive sibling, the NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer ($349).

With support for up to 24-bit/192kHz audio, the WiiM Pro is ready to handle just about any high-res track available on streaming services. You can use it to stream over both Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet network connections, and it also handles AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Alexa Casting, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. Along with an analog stereo output for hooking up to your receiver or integrated amplifier’s input, both optical and coaxial digital outputs are provided, and there are also analog stereo and optical and coaxial digital inputs.

That last feature is worth commenting upon, because it means you can connect other sources such as a CD player or turntable to the WiiM Pro for streaming to other systems or speakers in a multiroom setup. The WiiM Pro app steps you through grouping multiple WiiM Pros for whole-house playback, and you can also use it to wirelessly group Nest, Echo, and Apple HomePod speakers for streaming. It works with Alexa, Hey Google, and Siri, so you’ll have your choice of assistant for voice commands and control.

Music services that can be configured in the WiiM Pro app include Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn radio and more.

The WiiM Pro provides analog and digital outputs along with inputs to add sources to a multiroom audio setup. (Image credit: WiiM)

Analysis: The WiiM Pro brings high-res audio streaming to the masses

At $149, the WiiM Pro is the least expensive option I know of for adding wireless high-res audio streaming to an existing stereo system. I’ve been looking for a streamer like this one, both for myself and to recommend to friends who want to finally stop having to connect their laptop to their stereo for streaming – something that was regularly done when music services first launched, but now is an archaic practice.

The block to making that upgrade previously for many has been cost. At $349, the NAD CS1 is an affordable option, but it omits the HDMI eARC port, analog stereo input, and, most important, app-based multiroom control that the more expensive Bluesound Node offers. That last feature is one you’ll find throughout the Sonos speaker family, and it makes grouping various speakers for whole-home music playback, as well as playback of different music sources in different zones, a snap.

The interesting thing about the new WiiM Pro is that it offers app-based multiroom playback in a $149 streamer, and it also supports the big three voice assistants for controlling things like playback, music selection, and volume level. (The company says it will soon be launching a remote accessory that will provide a more traditional hardware control option.)

Is there anything that the WiiM Pro isn’t giving you for its $149 cost? There’s no built-in  Apple Music support in the control app for one, and that means Apple Music subscribers will instead have to use AirPlay 2 to wirelessly cast tracks from that service to the WiiM Pro. The downside there is that you won’t be able to listen to music in high-res format (AirPlay 2 doesn’t support high-res audio) and there’s also no support for Apple Music Spatial Audio – a feature that Sonos has announced for its new Era 300 speaker, as well as its current Arc and Beam (Gen 2) soundbars.

Even with that limitation, the WiiM Pro looks to be an excellent deal, and a great way for listeners to inexpensively dive into the world of high-res audio streaming. It’s something we hope to get our hands on in the near future, so keep an eye out for a review.

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Latest Tech News

Family life can be fast-paced. The ever-growing need for a two-income household means people are always looking towards tech for solutions to keep the household clean and tidy. The trusty bucket and mop are increasingly a luxury for people who have time for such arduous chores. Thankfully advances and innovations in cleaning technology mean products like the Narwal Freo can take the headache out of maintaining a clean home, and do all the chasing around after dirt and spills for you.

(Image credit: Narwal)

Coming home to clean and shiny floors is one of life’s simple pleasures, and the Narwal Freo promises to deliver this by not only tackling both carpets and hard surfaces with a combination of vacuuming and superior mopping skills, but by cleaning itself when it’s done. Here is  a closer look at all of Narwal Freo’s smart cleaning functions.

A truly mind-free mopping experience

The true innovation of the Narwal Freo lies in the end-to-end mopping service it provides for your floors. Kitchen floors can be victim to the most unforgiving of messes, from food crumbs to toddlers bounding in and out of the garden. The Narwal Freo will assess the mess so you don’t have to. The included Narwal app even shows rooms in a darker shade that required a more thorough cleaning so you can see where its labor was most needed.

The unit holds two high-speed rotating micro-fibre mop pads that not only scrub anything from paw prints to wine spills, but they adapt to the surface type. The Freo knows that a lighter pressure is required on a wooden floor, but it can give ceramic surfaces that little extra elbow grease. Specifically the robot is able to apply up to 12N of pressure depending on the mess and flooring type. The “DirtSense” feature is also smart enough to detect exactly how dirty your floors are, and adjust its frequency of cleaning, humidity, and delicately scented cleanser to get the job done.

(Image credit: Narwal)

A perennial problem with automatic cleaning solutions is the inevitable displaced dirt around the edges of the room, and the Narwal Freo knows to use its brain power and adapt to these blind spots with its Smart-Swing wiggle action. When gliding along walls and maneuvering around corners with its patented Corner Trap technology, the Freyo performs a 45-degree rotation of itself three times to ensure no surface is left untouched.

From hardwood to soft carpet

Most homes with wooden or ceramic flooring will have rugs in certain areas and this robot is built with some nifty features to handle different textures and the cleaning required. Whether you choose to program the Narwal Freo to avoid carpeted areas or clean them simultaneously is up to you and your needs, but with combination vacuum mops it’s essential that the robot be able to assess which of its two functions it needs to engage. The mop pads lift up intuitively when the Narwal Freo comes in contact with carpeted areas, and it simply vacuums with its rubber and nylon brush head and solid suction. This built-in intuition means the robot can be left to its work with less micromanagement from you.

(Image credit: Narwal)

It lifts its mopping pads off carpet effectively and doesn’t use too much or too little water when mopping.

A robot with its own personal hygiene standards

In between cleaning your surfaces, the robot keeps its own mop pads clean with its innovative cleaning system. The pads are kept fresh and dry between sessions, and the drying feature especially means you needn’t worry about any mold or mildew in the base. The patented cleaning solution used to keep your floors sparkling is also used in the required dose to clean the mop pads when the Freo is housed in its sleek and attractive base.

Fits in with your family
Despite its boasts of powerful cleaning capabilities, the Narwal Freo is unassuming in appearance and sound. In a bustling household, the Narwal Freo goes about its business surprisingly quietly. It’s not likely to disturb your pets and gives out less noise to overload your senses over the thunderous sound of children messing up your home. Speaking of children, the handy LCD display on the base unit features a child lock to keep the Freo from being misguided by tiny prying hands.

The base unit itself is of the exquisite minimalistic design we’ve come to expect from Narwal products and should fit into most decor with ease.

(Image credit: Narwal)

While the LCD display on the unit is a handy detail that means you’re not always fumbling for your smartphone, you’ll still want to check in with the app for its more detailed features. You can adjust the level of suction, waterflow and set your own preferred schedule for it to get to work. Your level of involvement is up to you, the Narwal Freo is largely self-sufficient, needing your input only to occasionally empty and refill the water tanks and a large capacity dustbin.

From its looks to its impressive functionality, it’s clear the Narwal Freo will make cleaning floors less of a chore. With daily use you can enjoy freshly mopped floors without any of the arduous work that normally entails. What you choose to do with that spare time is up to you, but at least when it comes to your floors you won’t need to lift a finger.  

For more information on the Narwal Freo and to order one for your home at a substantial discount, head over to the Narwal website. Enter code techradar at checkout to save $250 off the final cost before March 26, 2023. 

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Enterprise cloud investments are on the rise despite growing anxieties about their cost, according to a survey from cloud optimization company Flexera.

Its 2023 ‘State of the Cloud’ report, published in March, notes that cutting cloud costs has overtaken security as the main concern for businesses embracing the technology. 

This is natural given the current economic climate, but Flexera predicts that the number of companies moving to the cloud will only increase as things improve.

Enterprise cloud trends

The survey also found that AWS is the favoured cloud storage provider for small businesses, which Flexera defines as those with less than 1,000 employees. 

71% of respondents preferred Amazon Web Services (AWS), while 51 percent preferred Microsoft Azure. Google Cloud Platform use has actually decreased from 43% to 28% year-on-year.

Flexera’s 2022 report noted that Azure adoption rates overall had actually exceeded those of AWS for the first time, and so the latest report indicates a close race between the two. This time, 47% percent of general respondents preferred AWS for their workloads, whereas 41% opted for Azure. 

Oracle, IBM and Alibaba adoption rates have seen little growth and, as a result, it appears that, in the eyes of many, enterprise cloud solutions are very much a two-horse race.

Cloud security concerns haven’t completely fallen by the wayside, though, with multicloud implementations (businesses spreading their cloud investments over multiple services and providers) to augment security continuing to be one of the top implementations of the cloud overall.

Read more

> Almost all companies are now embracing multicloud

> Microsoft: Companies aren't holding back on cloud spending

> Check out our list of the best cloud backup solutions right now

The biggest takeaway remains the tension between companies investing in cloud to reduce the cost burden of on-prem solutions such as servers, while being mindful of the cost of a cloud stack. 

Despite the prevalence of multicloud, Flexera’s 2023 report noted that multi-cloud use has decreased by 2% since 2022, while single public cloud usage has risen by the same amount in the same period. With no end to the financial downturn in sight, it can be safely assumed that this trend will continue.

•  Here’s our list of the best cloud hosting providers right now

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