A person’s choice of background on video call platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams can significantly impact other people’s first impressions of them, according to a new study. Researchers at Durham University found that objects like house plants or book shelves can alter whether people perceive someone as trustworthy or competent. Study participants were asked to judge still images of different subjects taking part in a videoconference, with statistical analysis revealing that people who used blurred, novelty or living space backgrounds were viewed as less trustworthy than those who had bookcases or plants in the background. The research also revealed that people who smile on video calls are also generally seen as more trustworthy. “This research shows how our Zoom backgrounds can affect the first impressions we make,” the researchers wrote. “If you want to come across as trustworthy and competent there are some backgrounds you should use and some you should definitely avoid.” Previous studies have demonstrated that first impressions can have significant impacts on people’s lives, capable of influencing everything from criminal sentencing decisions to romantic outcomes. The popularity of videoconferencing platforms that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic mean first impressions are often made via video chat rather than face-to-face contact. “In the professional environment, 75 per cent of business meetings are predicted to occur by videoconferencing by 2024. The findings of this study therefore have extensive implications for professional organisations and the general public,” the researchers wrote. “The findings are highly relevant to recruitment processes because competence is a strong predictor of hire ability... Beyond the boardroom, the implications of the study are pervasive for the criminal justice system as defendants are increasingly appearing by videoconferencing.” The research was detailed in a paper, titled ‘Virtual first impressions: Zoom backgrounds affect judgements of trust and competence’, published on Wednesday in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. Read More ChatGPT boss says he’s created human-level AI, then says he’s ‘just memeing’

By Jeffrey Dastin NEW YORK (Reuters) -Google's experimental chatbot Bard is a path to developing another product with two billion

LAS VEGAS & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 9, 2023--

Playing video games has long been a challenge for many people with disabilities, since the traditional controllers for the PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo can be difficult or for many people with disabilities, since the traditional controllers even impossible to maneuver when a person has limited mobility

Indonesia will temporarily relax rules that have slowed development of solar energy in the coal-dependent country, lifting one

Crown Castle stock pointed up after the owner of wireless towers was the target of renewed activist attention.

Amazon is kicking off its annual security-focused cloud computing conference on Tuesday amid a slowdown in its profitable cloud business Amazon Web Services, or AWS

Sam Altman will return to OpenAI after an agreement in principle was reached, the company has announced. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, OpenAI also announced a new initial board of former Salesforce chief executive Bret Taylor, the former US treasury secretary Larry Summers and Quora chief executive Adam D’Angelo. Mr Altman also posted, saying “i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together.” Last week the board of OpenAI, which created the ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool, said it had pushed Mr Altman out after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board. Greg Brockman, the company’s president and co-founder, who left in protest at Mr Altman’s sacking said on X: “Amazing progress made today. We will come back stronger and more unified than ever.” “Returning to AI & getting back to coding tonight,” Mr Brockman added. The previous board of directors, which included Mr D’Angelo and Mr Brockman, refused to give specific reasons to why they fired Mr Altman last Friday. This led to mounting pressure within the company to reinstate Mr Altman, including a threatened exodus of nearly all of the company’s 770 employees. Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI, moved to hire Mr Altman and Mr Brockman on Monday. In a post on social media on Wednesday morning, the chairman and chief executive of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, said he is “encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board”. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.” Read More Data protection watchdog warns websites over cookie consent alerts Employee data leaked during British Library cyber attack Half of adults who chat online with strangers do not check age – poll Businesses embracing generative AI but fear cyberattacks, survey finds Young Britons turning to AI chatbots for help with school and work – survey Police to trial use of drones as first responders to emergencies

Warmer and cleaner waters off the coast of Long Island, New York, in recent years have brought growing numbers of bait fish to the area — and with them, the bigger fish that eat them, including sharks. In some ways, it's a good sign for the environment. But it's a different story for swimmers, surfers and beach goers.

TL;DR: Find a wide range of free online courses from the Raspberry Pi Foundation on

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Too little, too late. Or really, still too much and also too late. That's the