Technologies

AI Gets Smarter, Safer, More Visual With GPT-4 Release, OpenAI Says

ChatGPT Plus subscribers can try it out now.

The hottest AI technology foundation, OpenAI’s GPT, got a big upgrade Tuesday that’s now available in the premium version of the ChatGPT chatbot.

The new GPT-4 can generate much longer strings of text and respond when people feed it images, and it’s designed to do a better job avoiding artificial intelligence pitfalls visible in the earlier GPT-3.5, OpenAI said Tuesday. For example, when taking bar exams that attorneys must pass to practice law, GPT-4 ranks in the top 10% of scores compared to the bottom 10% for GPT-3.5, the AI research company said.

GPT stands for Generative Pretrained Transformer, a reference to the fact that it can generate text on its own and that it uses an AI technology called transformers that Google pioneered. It’s a type of AI called a large language model, or LLM, that’s trained on vast swaths of data harvested from the internet, learning mathematically to spot patterns and reproduce styles.

OpenAI has made its GPT technology available to developers for years, but ChatGPT, which debuted in November, offered an easy interface that yielded an explosion of interest, experimentation and worry about the downsides of the technology. ChatGPT is free, but it falter when demand is high. In January, OpenAI began offering ChatGPT Plus for $20 per month with assured availability and, now, the GPT-4 foundation.

GPT-4 advancements

«In a casual conversation, the distinction between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 can be subtle. The difference comes out when the complexity of the task reaches a sufficient threshold,» OpenAI said. «GPT-4 is more reliable, creative and able to handle much more nuanced instructions than GPT-3.5.»

Another major advance in GPT-4 is the ability to accept input data that includes text and photos. OpenAI’s example is asking the chatbot to explain a joke showing a bulky decades-old computer cable plugged into a modern iPhone’s tiny Lightning port.

Another is better performance avoiding AI problems like hallucinations — incorrectly fabricated responses, often offered with just as much seeming authority as answers the AI gets right. GPT-4 also is better at thwarting attempts to get it to say the wrong thing: «GPT-4 scores 40% higher than our latest GPT-3.5 on our internal adversarial factuality evaluations,» OpenAI said.

GPT-4 also adds new «steerability» options. Users of large language models today often must engage in elaborate «prompt engineering,» learning how to embed specific cues in their prompts to get the right sort of responses. GPT-4 adds a system command option that lets users set a specific tone or style, for example programming code or a Socratic tutor: «You are a tutor that always responds in the Socratic style. You never give the student the answer, but always try to ask just the right question to help them learn to think for themselves.»

«Stochastic parrots» and other problems

OpenAI acknowledges significant shortcomings that persist with GPT-4, though it also touts progress avoiding them.

«It can sometimes make simple reasoning errors … or be overly gullible in accepting obvious false statements from a user. And sometimes it can fail at hard problems the same way humans do, such as introducing security vulnerabilities into code it produces,» OpenAI said. In addition, «GPT-4 can also be confidently wrong in its predictions, not taking care to double-check work when it’s likely to make a mistake.»

Large language models can deliver impressive results, seeming to understand huge amounts of subject matter and to converse in human-sounding if somewhat stilted language. Fundamentally, though, LLM AIs don’t really know anything. They’re just able to string words together in statistically very refined ways.

This statistical but fundamentally somewhat hollow approach to knowledge led researchers, including former Google AI researchers Emily Bender and Timnit Gebru, to warn of the «dangers of stochastic parrots» that come with large language models. Language model AIs tend to encode biases, stereotypes and negative sentiment present in training data, and researchers and other people using these models tend «to mistake … performance gains for actual natural language understanding.»

OpenAI, Microsoft and Nvidia partnership

OpenAI got a big boost when Microsoft said in February it’s using GPT technology in its Bing search engine, including a chat features similar to ChatGPT. On Tuesday, Microsoft said it’s using GPT-4 for the Bing work. Together, OpenAI and Microsoft pose a major search threat to Google, but Google has its own large language model technology too, including a chatbot called Bard that Google is testing privately.

Microsoft uses GPT technology both to evaluate the searches people type into Bing and, in some cases, to offer more elaborate, conversational responses. The results can be much more informative than those of earlier search engines, but the more conversational interface that can be invoked as an option has had problems that make it look unhinged.

To train GPT, OpenAI used Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing service, including thousands of Nvidia’s A100 graphics processing units, or GPUs, yoked together. Azure now can use Nvidia’s new H100 processors, which include specific circuitry to accelerate AI transformer calculations.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Jan. 16

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 16.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought it was exceptionally tough today, and was convinced 1-Across was «MAD» Max. (Spoiler, it’s not.) I also figured 1-Down was BOOZE, which did not work with 1-Across, and was wrong either way. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___ Max
Answer: HBO

4A clue: Where Marco Polo is played
Answer: POOL

5A clue: Overwhelming amount, metaphorically
Answer: FLOOD

6A clue: Reason for success in games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
Answer: LUCK

7A clue: «That’s just the worst»
Answer: UGH

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Liquor, informally
Answer: HOOCH

2D clue: Winner of a Booker prize, fittingly
Answer: BOOK

3D clue: Antiquated
Answer: OLD

4D clue: Give a short promotion for
Answer: PLUG

5D clue: Winter malady
Answer: FLU

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Technologies

If the Verizon Outage Left Your iPhone Stuck in SOS Mode, Here’s How to Fix It

Even when you’re in an area with good cellular coverage, your iPhone status might read SOS. Here’s what to know.

Did you get caught up in Verizon’s massive outage this week? Millions of customers saw «SOS» at the top of their phone screen instead of the usual graph of connection bars. Verizon has since restored service, but some people are still seeing those three letters or getting spotty reception.

Unfortunately, when the network is down, there’s not a lot you can do to get reconnected — you have to wait for service to resume. But you could also see the same thing with any mobile provider when you venture out of cellular range or even when riding the subway. Still, seeing «SOS» on your iPhone can still make you anxious.

Let’s take a look at what Apple’s Emergency SOS modes are and see what you can do when your iPhone gets stuck in them, even after service is back online.

What exactly are Apple’s Emergency SOS modes?

When you see «SOS» as the status, it refers to a feature on the Apple iPhone (14 and newer) called Emergency SOS via Satellite, which lets you contact emergency services and share your location with them, even if you don’t have cellular network service. It’s a way to stay connected even when you’re out of coverage areas. For example, if you’re hiking in a remote wilderness and get injured, you can still contact emergency services.

Emergency SOS via Satellite is a separate feature from another feature on every iPhone, called simply Emergency SOS. That one requires an active service connection and calls your local emergency number, and shares your location information with emergency services.

So what’s the problem with SOS mode?

Once your iPhone loses service and enters its SOS mode, your device may struggle to reconnect to your network, even if you’re back in an area with service. You might notice that someone else in the area has service while you don’t, or vice versa. Fortunately, there are several ways to address this issue.

Read more: Best iPhone in 2026

What to do if you’re stuck in SOS mode

According to Apple, if you see «SOS» or «SOS only» in the status bar, you can do the following to help your device find a cellular network:

Make sure that you’re in an area with cellular network coverage. You can check in with people around you who appear to have service or verify with your service provider.
Turn your cellular data off and on. Go to Settings > Cellular and toggle Cellular Data on and off.
Restart your iPhone. On the iPhone X and later models, hold either of the volume buttons and the side button until the power off slider appears, and then drag the slider. Wait 30 seconds, then press and hold the side button to turn your iPhone back on. If you have an older iPhone model, here’s how to restart it.
Check for a carrier settings update. Your carrier may send out a carrier settings update to improve your cellular network connectivity and performance. As long as you’re connected to the internet, go to Settings > General > About and check to see if an update is available.
Turn your cellular line off and on. Go to Settings > Cellular > your phone number and toggle your cellular line on and off. If you’re not using an eSIM, remove the SIM card from your phone and reinsert it.
Update your iPhone. If the software has a bug, it may be causing issues with your cellular service. To check for a software update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll need internet for this to work, so Wi-Fi would be your only option if you can’t connect to cellular.
Reset your network settings. WARNING: This will reset all your Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN settings. Only do this if you’ve tried all of the above first. If you’re fine with that, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Lastly, if network connection issues persist, Apple suggests contacting your phone carrier to determine if there are any issues with your carrier or account that could be affecting your service, such as another outage in your area or an unpaid account.

Technologies

The Sequel to Subway Surfers Is Launching in February, and You Can Preregister Now

Subway Surfers was the most downloaded game of the 2010s, so the sequel has some big shoes to fill.

Of all the mobile games ever released, none of them is as popular as Subway Surfers. The iconic endless runner has put up 4.5 billion downloads since its initial release in 2012. After 14 years of unprecedented success, developer SYBO Games is ready to turn the page with the release of a sequel, Subway Surfers City.

SYBO says the game is set to launch on Feb. 26, and it’s available for preregistration on Google Play and iOS right now. SYBO also released a cinematic trailer showing off some new characters and environments.

The sequel features a new metropolis location with four districts to play through at launch, including The Docks, Southline, Sunrise Blvd and Delorean Park, along with four new characters. SYBO says that fresh content will be released every season, including new parts of the city to explore and a variety of cosmetic goodies to unlock.

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Based on the game’s screenshots, SYBO isn’t deviating too much from the core ideas of the original game, showing characters getting spotted, adding graffiti to a subway tunnel and mercilessly chased by The Guard and his dog until they’re caught.

Subway Surfers City will have several new mechanics that aren’t recycled from the old game, including a stomp mechanic that’ll unlock secrets and alternate paths.

The game also adds some new modes, including a finite runner mode where you can tour through the various environments to achieve specific goals, and an Events mode that will challenge you to a rotating gauntlet of missions. The Classic Endless mode makes its return to the new game, as does the ability to play the game offline, two things players loved about the original Subway Surfers.

Subway Surfers City will be free to play with in-app purchases, just like its predecessor.

Some big shoes to fill

Releasing a sequel that’s as beloved as the original will be tough, and SYBO has its work cut out for it. The original Subway Surfers was released in 2012, and while it’s not necessarily known for popularizing the genre of endless runner (that title goes to Temple Run), it quietly took over as the de facto leader in the genre.

Angry Birds was the first mobile franchise to surpass 1 billion downloads, a feat it accomplished in 2012 across its various games. Subway Surfers was the first to do it in a single game, accomplishing the feat in 2015. It later became the first game to hit 1 billion on the Google Play Store in 2018. It was likely the first game to hit 2 billion downloads, and was definitely the first to hit 3 billion and 4 billion. No other mobile game has ever reached 4 billion downloads.

According to SYBO, Subway Surfers has amassed 4.5 billion downloads as of Jan. 2026 and still boasts millions of monthly active players, despite being nearly a decade and a half old.

Its popularity has remained steady in modern times after many creators started using Subway Surfers gameplay as b-roll in their TikTok videos, a tactic that has been repeated by a professor at the University of California, San Diego during his lectures, which caused his registration rates to skyrocket. Starbucks got in on it with a game that had players collect Starbucks coffee cups for prizes.

Over two dozen companies and celebrities have done events for the game, including Demi Lovato, Walmart, the NFL Players Association and, arguably most famously, Burger King, which helped the game celebrate its 10th birthday with the Burger King Challenge. The prize for that challenge was unlocking the Burger King himself.

There aren’t many niches in gaming where Subway Surfers isn’t present. On top of its massive amount of downloads and use in social media videos, Subway Surfers is also one of the most popular games of all time for speedrunners, and by far the most popular such game for mobile.

The shoes the sequel needs to fill couldn’t be larger, but SYBO believes it’s up to the challenge.

«At its core, Subway Surfers City is the next chapter of Subway Surfers’nearly 15-year-long legacy,» said Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO.»Subway Surfers City stars reimagined fan-favorite characters, whilesimultaneously introducing never-before-seen content and mechanics. It’sa balance of the classic game our players know and love, with a freshvibrancy that brings the crew’s universe to life in a whole new way.»