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19 Apr 2025

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OpenAI’s latest AI models can ‘think with images’ and combine tools
Earlier this week via blog post, OpenAI released their newest AI models: o3 and o4-mini. These models are the company’s “smartest and most capable models to date” and their first reasoning models that can also reason when it comes to images. What does that mean? In short, these AI models can use an image—such as a photograph or a sketch—as part of an analysis. The models can also adjust, zoom in on, and rotate an image during reasoning. Introducing OpenAI o3 and o4-mini—our smartest and most capable models to date.For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT, including web search, Python, image analysis, file interpretation, and image generation. pic.twitter.com/rDaqV0x0wE— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 16, 2025 Both o3 and o4-mini can do a lot more than that, too. “For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT, including web search, Python, image analysis, file interpretation, and image generation,” tweeted OpenAI. Both o3 and o4-mini AI models have been made available to paying ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, while the old o1, o3-mini, and o3-mini-high AI models have been removed. OpenAI plans to release the more powerful o3-pro model to Pro users within a few weeks. Further reading: I tried ChatGPT Pro and it honestly isn’t worth it

HP pays out $4 million in class action suit for false advertising
Gosh, it’s getting hard to figure out the real price of stuff. And I’m not even talking about the madness surrounding tariffs, taxes, and international trade wars — I mean that companies will just straight-up lie about their real prices to make “discounts” look good. That’s what HP did, allegedly, and it’s paying a cool $4 million to affected customers. That’s the end of a class-action lawsuit that started over four years ago, when two American plaintiffs complained that HP displayed “strike-through prices” on its store that weren’t actually real, thus inflating the discount that it looked like they were receiving. According to the report on Ars Technica, the plaintiffs allege that HP lied about how much quantity was available, in the familiar “only one left at this price” sense. I say allegedly, because this is a civil suit, not a criminal case of false advertising, and HP has admitted no wrongdoing or liability as a condition of the settlement. It’s basically a $4 million “leave me alone” check. Though the plaintiffs did accuse HP of violating the US FTC’s deceptive pricing laws, it doesn’t appear that any actual law enforcement is involved. And it’s not as if these practices are isolated. The “FOMO” and time pressure sales tactic is omnipresent online, new variations of sales techniques that I remember from the infomercial days and before. One personal bugbear of mine is a little company called Lenovo, the largest seller of laptops on the planet by volume. Whenever it announces a new ThinkPad model I truly, genuinely don’t know how much it costs, despite covering its products for over a decade. This is because the “manufacturer’s suggested retail price” often has zero relationship to the price that actually appears on Lenovo’s own shop and third-party sellers. It’s madenning. That’s why you should look very closely at any deal that claims a Lenovo laptop is $1000+ off. But back to HP. You’re eligible to join the class-action settlement if you bought a laptop, desktop, mouse or keyboard from HP’s US online store, and it was marked as “on sale” for more than 75 percent of the time between June 5th, 2021 and October 28th, 2024. Products include generic HP, Envy, Spectre, Pavilion, AllinOne, Chromebook, Chromebase, Slim, Victus, and Omen lines, with very specific product numbers. You can get $10-100 back if your purchase qualifies. For reference, HP posted 56.3 billion dollars in revenue in 2024.

Lasso introduces first security gateway for MCP workflows
Lasso has unveiled its MCP Gateway, the first security tool tailored for Model Context Protocol, aiming to bolster safety in generative AI workflows.

Graphics cards are huge now. Do you need a GPU brace to protect your PC?
If you’ve just gone out and bought yourself the biggest, meanest, and most powerful graphics card in the ‘hood — congratulations! you’re in for a wild time gaming! You may be itching to just install it and load up a game of Atomfall, but you should really pause for a minute and consider how the beast will live in your PC case. Yep, sometimes a big, hefty daddy of a graphics card needs a little extra support around the girdle. Here’s what you need to know about GPU braces and how to tell if you need one. Why would you need a GPU brace? A powerful graphics card is a prized possession that will provide you with hours of glorious gaming fun, but that could be at the expense of your other hardware. How? When a GPU is too heavy for the PCIe slot and the screws that hold it in place it will typically sag downwards and sometimes cause damage — a problem known as GPU droop. That can happen with some graphics cards even despite the PCIe slots being reinforced to prevent it happening. It may not droop immediately, but gravity can work away over time, causing the hefty component to bend and bow gradually. At risk of the most damage from GPU droop is the graphics card itself, but also the PCIe slot and the motherboard as the weight of the GPU causes strain on these parts. Your PC could also experience data transfer errors or slower bandwidth if the strain causes the GPU to break off connection with the PCIe slot and the motherboard. How to spot GPU droop First off, you should remove your case and look for signs of physical sagging. A high GPU temperature or fans working overtime can also be a sign of GPU droop since the sagging can cause the GPU’s heatsink to detach, affecting the component’s ability to cool. If you don’t see any GPU droop, but you know you have a heavy graphics card, you should install a brace to be on the safe side. Heavy GPUs can weigh as much 4.7 pounds (an honor that belongs to the huge Gigabyte Aorus RTX 4090 Master) — that’s even more than some laptops weigh. But even GPUs weighing around 2.6 pounds can cause droop. Custom-built PCs often have tailor-made, unconventional layouts, so they can be especially prone to GPU droop. GPU braces come in a range of different sizes and designs. They also support different orientations, so you can find one that works well with a vertical or horizontal setup. Even GPUs weighing around 2.6 pounds can cause droop. Some GPU braces feature attractive RGB lighting that can make a big visual impact. Antec The strongest and most durable braces are made from steel and aluminum and designed to last the test of time. Some are also adjustable, magnetic, and/or tool-less, which makes installation easier. A brace can boost your PC’s look Getting a brace for your GPU isn’t anything to be embarrassed about. On the contrary, you’re simply safeguarding your hardware and performance and protecting your PC hardware from damage. If anything, a brace can even be an excuse to upgrade the look of your PC if you opt for one of the blinged-out RGB braces on the market. When looking for a brace, make sure it’s compatible with your GPU type and case type. The brace should have a weight capacity that can hold your GPU and allow plenty of space between your GPU and case and your PC’s other components. Remember, your GPU is one of the most important parts of your gaming getup, so treat it right and it will reward you in return. Further reading: 4 things to consider before buying a GPU