Older adults often find artificial intelligence smart home devices and voice assistants useful in helping them age in place, according to a new survey by the University of Michigan.

More than half of people surveyed aged 50 and older have used generative AI tools they spoke or typed messages to, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, released by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. 

By comparison, a June Pew Research Center poll found that 25% of US adults 50 to 64 and 10% of those 65 and older had used ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship AI tool and the most popular chatbot. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

The Michigan survey, a telephone poll of 2,883 adults ages 50 to 97 across the US, looked not only at text-based chatbots like ChatGPT but also voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. Most significantly, the survey found nearly all older adults want to be sure when they’re receiving information generated by AI. 

«AI is here to stay. Many older adults seem to know about its benefits, yet most want more information about potential risks when using AI technologies,» Robin Brewer, an assistant professor in the U-M School of Information, said in a statement. «The near-universal interest in clear labeling of AI-generated information should also be heeded by policymakers and the AI industry.»

Smart home devices help older adults maintain independence

The Michigan researchers found 51% of Americans aged 50 or older had used voice assistants in the past year, with 80% of those saying the devices helped them live independently and safely at home. AI-powered home security devices, like smart locks, cameras and alarm systems, were used by 35% of the adults, with 96% saying they helped them live independently.

«Smart home devices frequently suggest using their latest features to watch over older relatives or help them live better lives,» CNET smart home expert Tyler Lacoma said. «AI face recognition, for example, can send alerts to a family member if it spots someone leaving their home or granny pod to go shopping. Smart locks, meanwhile, make sure that older users never forget to lock the doors when they leave. I’m curious to see what the newest AI voice assistants like Gemini and Alexa Plus will bring to the table for older adults, perhaps by making more complex home technology easier to use with simple conversation.»

Another 14% of adults reported using AI to receive health-related information, although 47% of them said they’d rather interact with a person or by phone for that kind of information. 

Older adults are generally skeptical of AI

Just 35% of the older adults surveyed said they’d be interested in using AI in their day-to-day lives, and while 58% expressed interest in knowing more about the benefits of AI, even more, at 81%, said they wanted to know more about the risks. Just over half of them said they thought AI would do more harm than good. That split generally aligns with the results of a broader Pew survey from earlier this year, which found 51% of Americans were more concerned than excited about AI.

Read more: AI Essentials: 29 Ways You Can Make Gen AI Work for You, According to Our Experts

The older adults in the Michigan survey also expressed understandable skepticism about the information generated by AI models, with 47% saying they had little or no trust in it. A similar portion said they weren’t confident they could detect when it’s incorrect. That problem is significant, especially as more information-gathering tools like search engines are built primarily on AI. Experts advise that you should always double-check information before making an important decision. 

«This inability to tell verified information from false information, whether in the form of text, image, video or audio, is especially important when it comes to health information,» poll director Dr. Jeffrey Kullgren said in a statement.

Marvel Rivals season 2.5 may have taken our heroes off-world as they battled across Arakko, but season 3 is throwing us into the furthest reaches of space to fight a new threat: Knull and his symbiote army.

Stopping one symbiote is tough enough. Fighting off an army of them is going to require a whole new wardrobe’s worth of battle gear. Luckily for you, there are many ways to unlock some free skins in the hit hero shooter right now — including the Milano Repair Logs event that evens the odds with a free Storm Symbiote Storm skin.

Outside of the latest event, there are still other ways to earn free skins right now. Whether you’re getting used to Phoenix’s dense set of abilities or you’re still getting used to the ever-shifting landscape of team-up moves, season 3 has introduced a slate of free skins that you can use to deck out your favorite characters.

Here’s what you need to know about the Milano Repair Logs event, current Twitch drops and the Marvel Rivals season 3 battle pass.

Get the Storm Symbiote Storm skin during the Milano Repair Logs event

The Milano Repair Logs event is a simple challenge-based event launched at the beginning of season 3. It’s similar to the Cerebro Database events from season 2, but instead of playing a game of tic-tac-toe, you just have to complete every objective presented to you.

There are seven repair logs to complete, with each repair log containing three separate challenges. The challenge rewards are pretty solid this time around — there are some character-based sprays, profile pics and other filler, but you can also earn a handful of units and hundreds of Chrono Tokens that will give you an early boost in completing the season 3 battle pass.

You unlock new repair logs by completing the previous ones, so there’s no skipping out on challenges that don’t fit your usual play style. Once you complete all seven repair logs, you automatically unlock the free Storm Symbiote Storm skin for your outfit wardrobe. The Milano Repair Logs event lasts until Aug. 8, so you’ll want to unlock the Storm skin before then.

If you want to complete your symbiote skin collection, there are a smattering of Venom-themed skins for other characters on the battle pass (including two skins on the free track). There are also plenty of Venom- and Phoenix-themed skins in the in-game shop if you’ve collected enough units to snatch up an incoming bundle or two.

How can I get free skins during Marvel Rivals season 3? 

Players who link their Twitch account to their Marvel Rivals account can nab a free Hawkeye skin.

But if you only care about rewards you can earn in-game, a Phoenix skin is available by progressing through the competitive ladder and new looks for Groot and Rocket Raccoon are available for free on the season 3 battle pass.

What Marvel Rivals skins are available free right now?

There are currently nine free skins available. Here’s how you get them: 

• Storm Symbiote Storm: Complete all 21 challenges included within the Milano Repair Logs event by Aug. 8 in order to unlock this skin.
• Hawkeye Will of Galacta: To claim this skin, you’ll need to link a Twitch account to your Marvel Rivals account and then watch six hours of livestreams from streamers participating in the drop campaign. The Hawkeye Will of Galacta skin is available until Friday, Aug. 16.
• Phoenix Emerald Flames: Reach Gold rank or higher in competitive mode in season 3. You must play at least 10 competitive matches to be eligible to receive the skin.
• Groot Symbiote Flora: Reach page 4 in the season 3 battle pass by Sept. 11.
• Rocket Raccoon Symbiote Raccoon: Reach page 10 in the season 3 battle pass by Sept. 11.

Four of the currently available free skins are not time-gated although they are locked behind achievements or platform exclusivity. Here are the Marvel Rivals skins you can unlock at any time:

• Spider-Man Scarlet Spider: This skin is available to PS Plus subscribers who play the game on the PS5. It can be found on the PSN Store under Marvel Rivals DLC. 
• Peni Parker Ven#m: Like the Scarlet Spider skin, this Ven#m skin is available for PS Plus subscribers and can be found in the PSN Store. This skin is also available in the Marvel Rivals in-game store, where it can be purchased with units.
• Storm Ivory Breeze: Earn 200 Achievement Points in the Heroic Journey achievement section. 
• Star-Lord Jovial Star: Earn 400 Achievement Points in the Heroic Journey achievement section.

How can I get more free Marvel Rivals skins?

There are many ways to get skins in Marvel Rivals. Sometimes the developer issues special codes to unlock them while others require completing challenges. There are also some made available by watching streams on Twitch and many skins are «free» for progressing through the Marvel Rivals Battle Pass, which costs 990 Lattice, or about $10.

You can also earn skins through regularly playing the game, as a free skin is frequently awarded with the completion of seasonal events. Players who reach gold rank or higher in competition also receive a free skin as a reward for their performance. Live events like season 2’s Cerebro Database and the current Milano Repair Logs challenge include free skins as a completion reward.

What free skins used to be available in Marvel Rivals?

Twitch drops, battle passes and promo codes get cycled in and out of rotation, allowing Marvel Rivals players to earn different free skins from engaging with the game during different events. Here are all of the previously available free skins, what season they were introduced in and how they were obtainable.

We’re less than a week away from the launch of T-Mobile’s partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. The direct-to-cell messaging service, called T-Satellite, will also be available to AT&T and Verizon cellphone customers.

T-Mobile says its goal is to «eliminate mobile dead zones for good» by way of 657 Starlink satellites that’ll be used exclusively for cellphone service. T-Satellite has been in beta testing since December 2024, with nearly 1.8 million users signing up so far.

The direct-to-cell messaging service represents a major step forward in mobile technology: It works with most phones made during the last four years, according to T-Mobile, instead of requiring dedicated hardware. It’ll be available to T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon customers for $10 a month — or free for anyone on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plans. 

«At the end of the day, it’s nice to be able to send a selfie when you’re in a place where there is no coverage, but it’s vital to be able to connect to emergency services,» Mike Katz, T-Mobile president of marketing, strategy and products, told CNET’s Jeff Carlson. «We just think that with a technology like this, no customer should ever be in a situation where they are unconnected in an emergency.»

Sadly, T-Mobile has already had a reason to test out this emergency service, when it enabled T-Satellite earlier this week in communities affected by massive flooding in Central Texas. T-Mobile customers in the area are able to use text-to-911 and basic text messaging, and they can receive emergency alerts on compatible devices.

In the future, T-Satellite will be free for emergency uses across the country. The company said 911 texting will be available later this year to «any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier or whether or not they are subscribed to the service.» 

What is T-Satellite?

T-Satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink that will allow direct-to-cell SMS messaging accessibility in areas where there is no cellular coverage. Starlink has more than 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in the sky, and now, 657 of them will be devoted entirely to T-Satellite. The goal is to expand coverage into the 500,000 square miles of the US that traditional cell towers can’t reach, says T-Mobile.

“When you leave the terrestrial network and you go to a place where there’s no network, your phone will automatically search for and connect to the satellite network, which is quite different than any other of the satellite systems that are out there that force you to manually connect, and you have to point your phone up to the sky,» says Katz.

Satellite connectivity in cellphones isn’t exactly new — iPhones have had it since 2022 — but it’s typically been reserved for SOS messaging to connect you with an emergency dispatcher. On July 23, T-Satellite users will be able to send SMS texts on iPhone and Android. Android users will also get MMS immediately, with iPhone support “to follow.” 

This means users will be able to send images and audio clips in addition to standard text messages. In October, the service will expand to include data support in third-party apps like AccuWeather, AllTrails, WhatsApp and X. The access takes advantage of hooks built into iOS and Android software, so developers can make their apps capable of sending data through the narrow amounts of bandwidth available via satellite.

This is far beyond what the other phone carriers have launched so far in the satellite realm — largely due to T-Mobile’s partnership with Starlink. AT&T and Verizon have both partnered with AST SpaceMobile for satellite messaging, and Verizon told CNET’s Eli Blumenthal last year that it’s still planning on working with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which launched its first 27 satellites on April 28, 2025.

“Despite things that our competitors have said, they are way, way behind on this technology,” says Katz. 

How much will T-Satellite cost?

On July 23, T-Satellite will be available to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon customers for a standalone $10 per month. But there’s one exception: Customers on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan ($100 per month for one line) or the Go5G Next plan will get the service for included in the cost of the plan going forward, and those on the Experience More plan ($85 per month) will get it through the end of the year. 

Even if you don’t pay the $10 a month, T-Mobile says 911 texting will be available later this year “to any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier.”

If you’re a Verizon or AT&T customer, you’ll have to activate T-Satellite as a second eSIM on your phone to take advantage of the service. You can find instructions on setting up the eSIM here. 

Which phones are supported?

Most phones released in the past couple of years will work with T-Satellite. Here are the devices that are currently compatible with the beta version:

Apple

• iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (all models)

Google

• Google Pixel 9
• Google Pixel 9A
• Google Pixel 9 Pro
• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Motorola

• Moto G Stylus 2025
• Moto Razr 2024 
• Moto Razr Plus 2024 
• Moto Razr 2025
• Moto Razr Plus 2025
• Moto Razr Ultra 2025
• Moto Razr Ultra Plus 2025

Samsung

• Samsung Galaxy A25 5G SE*
• Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
• Samsung Galaxy A36
• Samsung Galaxy A36 SE
• Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
• Samsung Galaxy A54 5G*
• Samsung Galaxy S21
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
• Samsung Galaxy S22
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S22 FE
• Samsung Galaxy S23
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
• Samsung Galaxy S24
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
• Samsung Galaxy S25
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
• Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
  *Some non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

When T-Satellite launches on July 23, the following devices will also be compatible: 

Motorola

• Motorola Edge 2024
• Moto G 2024
• Moto G Stylus 2024
• Moto G 5G 2024
• Moto G Stylus 5G 2024

Samsung

• Samsung Galaxy A14
• Samsung Galaxy A15*
• Samsung Galaxy A16
• Samsung Galaxy A35
• Samsung Galaxy A53*
• Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
  *Some non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

T-Mobile

• T-Mobile Revvl 7
• T-Mobile Revvl 7 Pro

How to try T-Mobile’s Starlink service today

If you’re anxious to try T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite messaging service and don’t want to wait until July 23, you can still attempt to sign up for the beta. I wouldn’t hold out too much hope, though — when I entered my information, I got a message back saying, “Due to high demand, we’re admitting beta testers on a rolling basis. Keep an eye out for an update in the coming weeks.”