2026-01-27 04:48:53
Google is rolling out a Gemini feature that could turn out to be pretty useful for many folks. It's a Google Calendar tool that can help figure out the best time to schedule a meeting, taking into account attendees' schedules. When creating a meeting, you can click the "Suggested times" option and Gemini will look at the availability that people have marked on their calendar and potential conflicts. You'll then be able to choose from a list of suggested time slots.
But the time you pick may not work for everyone. So if multiple people decline the meeting invite, you can reschedule by going to the event. You'll see a time when everyone is available and you can quickly update the invite.
There are a few catches here. Naturally, this will only work properly when meeting organizers have access to attendees' calendars. It's also limited to paid users who are on Google Workspace Business (Standard and Plus) and Enterprise (Standard and Plus) plans, as well as those with the Google AI Pro for Education add-on. The feature is available now on Rapid Release domains and it'll start rolling out to Scheduled Release domains on February 2.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-aims-to-take-the-sting-out-of-scheduling-meetings-with-a-new-gemini-feature-204853761.html?src=rss2026-01-27 03:27:04
It looks like Ubisoft is planning even more layoffs to accompany last week's studio closures and game cancellations, according to reporting by IGN. The company is planning a massive reduction of the workforce in its Paris headquarters. It has proposed the loss of up to 200 jobs, which is nearly 20 percent of the current staff.
This will be organized under France's Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC) process, in which staff can agree to form a collective, voluntary mutual termination agreement. It's not a done deal just yet, with a company spokesperson saying "at this stage, this remains a proposal and no decision will be final until a collective agreement is reached."
The RCC process is voluntary, which is good for Ubisoft Paris employees, but the company hasn't made any statement regarding what it would do if it doesn't get 200 willing participants. The company recently introduced a mandate for employees to return to the office for five days each week, which could entice staffers with one foot out the door.
This is just the latest cost-cutting measure by Ubisoft, as the company has been experiencing difficulties for months. It shut down its Halifax studio just 16 days after employees entered into a unionization agreement. Last week, it shuttered its Stockholm studio and announced various restructuring efforts at several other developers under its umbrella.
It also announced the cancellation of six games, including the long-awaited Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. It didn't reveal the other five games that were scrapped. Ubisoft did announce, however, that seven additional games were being delayed. Inexplicably, Beyond Good and Evil 2 wasn't cancelled, so we have that to (one day) look forward to.
Ubisoft's stock has absolutely plunged in the past several years. The company was riding high at $20 per share in 2021, but now the stock rests at around $1 per share.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-proposes-even-more-layoffs-after-last-weeks-studio-closures-and-game-cancellations-192703241.html?src=rss2026-01-27 02:05:00
Since March 2025, ChatGPT has been capable of generating images. Following a period where it briefly wasn't available to free users, you now don't even pay for one of OpenAI's subscriptions to use this feature. And while making images inside of ChatGPT is easy, there are some nuances worth explaining. For example, did you know you can ask ChatGPT to edit photos you've taken? It's more powerful than you might think. Here’s everything you need to know about generating AI images with ChatGPT.
You can start generating images in ChatGPT simply by typing in the prompt bar what you want to see. There's no need to overthink things; as long as you have some version of "generate an image" followed by a description of your idea, ChatGPT will do the rest.
Depending on the complexity of the prompt and whether you pay for ChatGPT, it may take a minute or two for the chatbot to complete your image request. Sometimes the process can take longer if OpenAI's servers are experiencing greater traffic than usual.
At the end of last year, OpenAI updated the model powering image generation to make it faster, as well as better at rendering text and following instructions. At the same time, it added a dedicated "Images" section to ChatGPT's sidebar. Here you can see all the images you've made, alongside sample prompts and suggestions for styles to try out, making it a great place to start if you've never used an image generator before.
In addition to generating images from text prompts, ChatGPT can modify existing photos or images you upload. This is my preferred way of making images with ChatGPT; I don't need to describe the composition, I can use an existing one to guide the chatbot. To use an existing image as a starting point for a new generation, follow these steps:
Tap the "+" icon, located to the left of the prompt bar.
Select Add photos & files.
Select the image you want ChatGPT to edit. If uploading an image from your phone, you'll first need to grant ChatGPT access to your camera roll.
Write a prompt describing the changes you want.
If generating from the Images section, tap "Add photos" instead.
Keep in mind any photos you upload to OpenAI's servers may be used by the company to train future models. You can opt out of allowing your data to be used for training by following these steps:
Open the sidebar menu.
On mobile, tap the two lines on the top left of the interface; on desktop, click instead on the OpenAI logo.
Tap your name to access account settings.
Tap Data controls.
Toggle off Improve the model for everyone.
If you're unhappy with ChatGPT's output, you have two options. You can either prompt it to create an entirely new image, or edit parts of the picture it just generated. As always, the process for both involves simply typing what you want in the prompt bar. On mobile, OpenAI gives users a few different ways of accomplishing the same task.
To generate an entirely new image:
Tap the three dots icon below the image ChatGPT created.
Select Retry.
To edit part of an existing image generation:
Tap the image ChatGPT created.
Tap Select area.
Use your finger to mask the section of the image you want ChatGPT to tweak. The slider on the left allows you to adjust the size of the masking brush. On desktop, masking is also available if you click on an image and then click on the paintbrush icon on the top right.
Describe what you want ChatGPT to add, remove or replace through the prompt bar.
ChatGPT can also blend one of your photos with an image it has generated. To do this:
Tap an image ChatGPT created.
Tap Blend in a photo.
Upload the photo you wish
Like all AI systems, ChatGPT is non-deterministic, meaning even if you prompt it in the same way multiple times, it won't generate the exact same response each time.
The best advice I can offer is to be specific when prompting ChatGPT. The more detail you can provide when describing what you want from it, the better the results. And remember: ChatGPT can hallucinate — as you may have noticed from one of the example pictures I included above. In the image of the tortoiseshell cat, not only is the tortie not sitting on the window sill as instructed, it's sitting on a table that doesn't make much sense. So, most of all, be patient. Prompting an AI model is not exact science, and it can take a few tries before it creates the result you want.
ChatGPT is available on the web, desktop and mobile. To access it on your computer, open your preferred browser and navigate to chatgpt.com. OpenAI also offers dedicated Mac and Windows apps you can download from the company's website. On iOS and Android, you'll need to download the ChatGPT app from either the App Store or Google Play before you can start using the chatbot.
Since ChatGPT runs on OpenAI's servers, as long as you can access the chatbot, you'll be able to use it to create images no matter the age of your phone or computer.
Yes, ChatGPT can generate images for free, as long as you create an OpenAI account. However, there is a daily rate cap and GPT-5 will take longer to make a free image. Following March 27, 2025, OpenAI briefly limited free users to three image generations per day. The company has since relaxed that restriction, though it doesn't list a specific limit on its website. In my experience, you'll be able to generate about six to seven images every 24 hours.
OpenAI offers three different subscription plans, each with their own set of image generation perks.
ChatGPT Go, which costs $8 per month, offers "more image creation."
ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 per month, offers "expanded and faster image creation."
ChatGPT Pro, which costs $200 per month, offers "unlimited and faster image creation."
Note: ChatGPT Go will be included in OpenAI's forthcoming ads pilot, which will see the company display sponsored content alongside organic responses from ChatGPT. The company does not plan to display ads to Plus and Pro users.
No. For copyright reasons, ChatGPT can't replicate photos or exact real world events. For example, when I asked it to recreate the photo of Zinedine Zidane's iconic 2006 World Cup headbutt, ChatGPT refused.
"I can make an artistic reinterpretation inspired by the emotion or energy of that moment — for example, a stylized painting showing the tension and intensity of competition, without depicting real individuals," it told me.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-generate-ai-images-using-chatgpt-120000560.html?src=rss2026-01-27 02:00:00
Anthropic has been building out support for third-party apps inside of Claude. As of today, the chatbot can now connect to platforms like Slack and Canva, fetching up files from inside those apps or performing tasks within them on a user's behalf.
For instance, when connected to Box, Claude can now search for files, preview documents inline and answer questions about the content in front of you. Meanwhile, with a connection to Asana, it can now turn chats into projects, tasks and timelines your co-workers can then find and interact with on the project management app.
Box and Asana are just two of the platforms adding deeper integrations with Claude today. In total, there are nine launch partners, with some of the more notable ones including Canva, Figma and Slack.
As with Anthropic's past integrations, the new functionality is powered by Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. MCP is a technology Anthropic released in fall 2024 to make it easier for third-party platforms to connect their systems to Claude. Since then, the protocol has become an industry standard. OpenAI, for instance, adopted MCP last year, and has been building additional support since then. At the end of last year, Anthropic donated the protocol to the Linux Foundation. The company says AI platforms will be able to bring similar integrations to their own products since they're built on a new open extension designed by Anthropic.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-now-offers-deeper-integrations-with-apps-like-canva-and-slack-180000604.html?src=rss2026-01-27 01:51:56
The Trump administration is planning on using Google Gemini to draft important federal regulations, as reported by ProPublica. This is starting with the Department of Transportation, according to interviews with agency staffers. Regulations created by the DOT help keep us safe when traveling.
The plan was initially presented to DOT staffers last month, with agency attorney Daniel Cohen writing to colleagues about AI's "potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings." Gregory Zerzan, the agency's general counsel, has indicated that President Donald Trump is "very excited by this initiative" and that DOT will be "the first agency that is fully enabled to use AI to draft rules." This does suggest a pilot program of sorts, with eventual plans to bring AI to other departments.
NEW: The Trump administration is planning to use AI to write federal regulations despite the risk of hallucinations.
— Jesse Coburn (@Jesse_Coburn) January 26, 2026
“We don't even need a very good rule,” @USDOT’s top lawyer said of the plan, per meeting notes reviewed by ProPublica. “We want good enough.” 🧵 pic.twitter.com/YKGvmlkMCt
Oddly, Zerzan doesn't seem that interested in high-quality regulations. ProPublica received transcripts of a meeting in which he declared that "we don't need the perfect rule on XYZ. We don't even need a very good rule on XYZ." He went on to say that "we want good enough" and that "we're flooding the zone."
Let me remind you that DOT regulates the safety standards of commercial aircraft, along with rules involving the transport of hazardous materials and driver qualifications. The agency's rules touch on every aspect of transportation safety. Why would the federal government rely on a new technology that's notorious for making mistakes?
AI “hallucinations” eg false/made-up info now becoming a problem in scientific publications. Kudos to @alexcdot et al on building an AI hallucination detector and finding that certain journals/authors have used LLMs to generate papers that also made it through peer review. Here’s… pic.twitter.com/i4Be1lS8xq
— Daphne Zohar (@daphnezohar) January 22, 2026
The answer is speed. Writing and revising complex federal regulations can take months, but Google Gemini can spit something out in minutes. A DOT employee giving a presentation on the program suggested that many parts of these regulations are just "word salad" anyways, so AI should be able to do just fine.
"It shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to get a draft rule out of Gemini," Zerzan said. The plan is to compress the timeline in which transportation regulations are written and reviewed. The department has already used AI to draft an unpublished Federal Aviation Administration rule.
Federal agencies have used AI for years, but not to actually write regulations. It's primarily been used for the purpose of translating documents, analyzing data and categorizing public comments. Trump, however, is a huge proponent of the technology. He has released multiple executive orders in support of AI and once shared an AI-created video in which he flew a fighter jet and dropped what appears to be feces on American citizens.
Skeptics say that large language models like Gemini shouldn't be in charge of drafting complicated and consequential regulations that impact millions of everyday Americans. Mistakes could lead to lawsuits and even injuries and deaths.
Mike Horton, DOT’s former acting chief artificial intelligence officer, said using Gemini to draft regulations was like “having a high school intern that’s doing your rulemaking.” He also said that agency leaders under Trump "want to go fast and break things, but going fast and breaking things means people are going to get hurt."
"Just because these tools can produce a lot of words doesn’t mean that those words add up to a high-quality government decision,” said Bridget Dooling, a professor at Ohio State University who studies administrative law. “It’s so tempting to try to figure out how to use these tools, and I think it would make sense to try. But I think it should be done with a lot of skepticism."
DOT has experienced a net loss of more than 4,000 employees since Trump started his second term. This includes over 100 attorneys.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/trump-admin-reportedly-plans-to-use-ai-to-write-federal-regulations-175155111.html?src=rss2026-01-27 01:45:36
If you're looking to up your privacy game on the internet in the new year, you can do so for a little less than usual thanks to ExpressVPN's latest deal. Its two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now: the Advanced tier is on sale for $101 for two years, plus four additional free months. That works out to $3.59 per month during the promotional period.
We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it's our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves that issue.
In our review we were able to get fast download and upload speeds, losing only 7 percent in the former and 2 percent in the latter worldwide. We found that it could unblock Netflix anywhere, and its mobile and desktop apps were simple to operate. We gave ExpressVPN an overall score of 85 out of 100.
The virtual private network service now has three tiers. Basic is cheaper with fewer features, while Pro costs more and adds extra perks like support for 14 simultaneous devices and a password manager. Advanced sits in the middle and includes the password manager but only supports 12 devices.
The Basic plan is $78 right now for 28 months, down from $363, and the Pro plan is $168, down from $560. That's 78 percent and 70 percent off, respectively. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, so you can try it without committing long term if you’re on the fence.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/expressvpn-deal-two-year-plans-are-up-to-78-percent-off-180602243.html?src=rss
