ChatGPT is now available on WhatsApp. Starting today, if you add 1 (800) CHAT-GPT to your contacts — that’s 1 (800) 242-8478 — you can start using the chatbot over Meta’s messaging app. In this iteration, ChatGPT is limited to text-only input, so there’s no Advanced Voice Mode or visual input on offer, but you still get all the smarts of the o1-mini model.
What’s more, over WhatsApp ChatGPT is available everywhere OpenAI offers its chatbot, with no account necessary. OpenAI is working on a way to authenticate existing users over WhatApp, though the company did not share a timeline for when that feature might launch. It’s worth noting Meta offers its own chatbot in WhatsApp.
Separately, OpenAI is launching a ChatGPT hotline in the US. Once again, the number for that is 1 (800) 242-8478. As can probably imagine, the toll-free number works with any phone, be it a smartphone or old flip phone. OpenAI will offer 15 minutes of free ChatGPT usage through the hotline, though you can log into your account to get more time.
“We’re only just getting started on making ChatGPT more accessible to everyone,” said Kevin Weil, chief product officer at OpenAI, during the company’s most recent 12 Days of OpenAI livestream. According to Weil, the two features were born from a recent hack week the company held. Other recent livestreams have seen OpenAI make ChatGPT Search available to all free users and bring its Sora video generation out of private preview.
Laptops are evolving fast, with some new models harnessing AI-powered features that adapt to your usage and improve performance in real time. These AI PCs can optimize battery life, manage power across tasks and even enhance webcam quality during video calls.
While AI integration is still relatively new in laptops, it’s a feature to watch if you’re considering future-proofing your setup. Plus, it’s exciting to see how these AI-powered PCs might handle everything from productivity to entertainment, offering smart adjustments and enhancements that could make our digital lives a bit easier.
Out of all of the notebooks we’ve tested and reviewed recently, we consider Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air M3 to be the best laptop for most people, and this is still the case for our top picks to start off the new year.
It’s powerful enough to handle most tasks (even light video editing); it has a great screen and built-in speakers; and its battery could last around 20 hours (depending on what you’re doing, of course). The MacBook Air M3 is also one of the lightest and thinnest systems we’ve reviewed, and it’s dead silent, thanks to a fanless design.
While Apple has debuted its new M4 chip in the recent iPad Pro, we may not see it in the MacBook Air until next year. For now, the MacBook Air M3 is still an excellent laptop to buy, particularly if you need a machine with good battery life.
Of course, not everyone wants a MacBook, and there are excellent Windows laptops and Chromebooks out there, too. Windows systems offer a range of configurations, from budget to high-end UHD screens with stunning IPS panels that boast high nits for vivid brightness.
Chromebooks, on the other hand, tend to be more affordable and are great for users who mostly work online. Whether you need a powerhouse for creative work, a compact system for note-taking, or a laptop that can handle family movie night, there’s something for everyone in today’s laptop market.
The latest MacBook Air ticks a lot of boxes: not only is it our top pick for the best laptop available now, but we also consider it the best laptop for college students and the best MacBook for most people. Apple didn’t change much with the latest iteration, but that’s to be expected considering the last entry was the most significant redesign in almost a decade.
The new 13-inch MacBook Air gets a faster M3 chip, as well as the ability to run dual external monitors (but only when the lid is closed) and support for Wi-Fi 6E. There’s also a finger-print free finish for the black “midnight” model that actually works!
It’s hard to improve on a laptop we previously considered near-perfect, but a new chip certainly helps.
The M3 processor is around 20 percent faster than the M2 for both single-core and multi-core tasks, and it offers a significant GPU bump, along with support for real-time ray tracing. Battery life remains best in class, with enough juice to get you through multiple work days without reaching for a charger.
It also has one of the best keyboards we’ve ever seen in a laptop – it’s wonderfully tactile and responsive – and the trackpad is spacious and smooth to the touch. Even the speakers are light years beyond what you’d find on most other systems. The only major knock against the MacBook Air is that it only has a MagSafe charging port and two USB-C connectors on its left side. That makes charging a bit more awkward if your plug can only reach the right side of the machine.