Tier-owned Spin exits 10 US markets amid low demand, unfavorable city regulations

Micromobility operator Spin is leaving 10 U.S. markets due to a combination of low demand, over-regulation, under-regulation and poor cost structures, according to a company-wide email sent Friday by Philip Reinckens, Spin’s CEO, that was shared with TechCrunch. Reinckens said the market exits would help Spin cut costs and focus on growing markets that provide…

Lensa AI, the viral app making ‘magic avatars,’ raises red flags for artists

If your Instagram is awash in algorithmically generated portraits of your friends, you aren’t alone. After adding a new avatar generation tool based on Stable Diffusion, the photo editing app Lensa AI went viral over the last few days, with users sharing their uncanny AI-crafted avatars (and the horrible misfires) in stories and posts. Lensa’s…

ChatGPT shrugged

ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s designed to help people communicate with computers in a more natural and intuitive way — using natural language processing (NLP) technology. But what’s behind the development of ChatGPT and how can the tech be used to help humanity? These are some of the questions that we…

Callisto Protocol devs say “damn clerical error” caused PC frame rate issues

Enlarge / Artist’s conception of PC players getting hit with stuttering frame rates on the launch version of The Callisto Protocol. In Ars’ review of The Callisto Protocol last week, our reviewer praised the 60 fps graphics of the game’s Performance mode on the tested PlayStation 5 version. Since the game’s release, though, online forums…

Respiratory illnesses slam US: “Perfect storm for a terrible holiday season”

Enlarge / An intensive care nurse cares for a patient suffering from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), who is being ventilated in the children’s intensive care unit of the Olga Hospital of the Stuttgart Clinic in Germany. (credit: Getty | picture alliance) With SARS-CoV-2 still circulating and seasonal viruses, including influenza and RSV, making up for…