There are mistranslations, and then there are ChatGPT subtitles that appear to have been deliberately written to upset people. That's what appeared to happen with some of the translated Japanese shown on screen during episodes of anime recently spotted and shared online.
The first example to gain attention online made it clear that ChatGPT was the culprit of awkward and outright wrong translations during an episode of Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show, Crunchyroll’s new anime series about occult weirdness and internet brain rot. It literally included the line "ChatGPT said" in both the German and English subtitles.
Fans started posting screenshots of bizarre sentence structures and dialogue that they had spotted, and now had an explanation and a source of blame for. Misspelled character names, inconsistent phrasing, and just outright made-up words and phrases were spotted everywhere.
(Image credit: Pixel/Bluesky)I only watched about two minutes, and was so frustrated at the subs having errors that even a normal machine translation wouldn't have given.
— @hilene.bsky.social (@hilene.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-07-03T02:47:11.136ZIn case that wasn't enough, Crunchyroll’s president, Rahul Purini, had told Forbes in an interview only a few months ago that the company had no plans to use AI in the “creative process.” They weren’t going to mess with voice acting or story generation, he said. AI would be restricted to helping people find shows to watch and to recommending new shows based on what viewers had previously enjoyed.
Apparently, ChatGPT translations don't count under that rubric, but localization isn't a mechanical process, as any human translator could explain.
Localization artHey now, show some respect for the most storied of all anime subbers: Translator's name
— @viridianjcm.bsky.social (@viridianjcm.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-07-03T02:47:11.132ZLocalizing is a big deal among anime fans. Debates over whether certain subtitles are too literal, too loose, or too limited in their references to be understood outside Japan have raged for decades. But no one on any side of those debates is likely to claim these massive errors by ChatGPT are okay.
Crunchyroll hasn’t officially clarified how this happened, but reports suggest the subtitles came from the company's Japanese production partner. The generated subtitles may have been given to Crunchyroll to air without Crunchyroll being responsible for making them.
As several people pointed out, when you pay to stream anime from a major platform like Crunchyroll, you're expecting a certain baseline of quality. Even if you disagree with a localizer's choices, you can at least understand where they are coming from. The fact that apparently no one read the ChatGPT subtitles before they were uploaded to a global audience is harder to justify.
Translation is an art. Localization isn’t just about replacing Japanese with English. It’s about tone, cadence, subtext, and making a character sound like themselves across a language barrier. AI can guess what words go where, but it doesn’t know the characters or the show. It's like a little translation dictionary, which is fine as far as it goes, but it can't make a conversation make sense without a human piecing together the words. A few fans are outraged enough to call for unsubscribing and going back to sharing fansubs, the homebrewed subtitles unofficially written and circulated back in the days of VHS. In other words, the very thing Crunchyroll once helped make obsolete by offering higher-quality, licensed versions of shows.
At a time when more people are watching anime than ever before, Crunchyroll is apparently willing to gamble that most of us won’t notice or care whether the words characters say make any sense. If Crunchyroll wants to keep its credibility, it has to treat localization not as a tech problem to optimize, but as a storytelling component that requires human nuance and judgment. Otherwise, it might just be "gameorver" for Crunchyroll's reputation.
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Canada has ordered Chinese surveillance giant Hikvision to cease its operations in the country, citing national security concerns.
The ban follows a formal review conducted under the Investment Canada Act and marks a move against foreign technology firms.
"The government has determined that Hikvision Canada Inc.’s continued operations in Canada would be injurious to Canada’s national security," said Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.
International pressure and rising suspicionHikvision, one of the world’s largest producers of surveillance cameras, has operated in Canada since 2014.
However its expansive global reach and ties to state-linked projects in China have long drawn concern from Western countries.
Although the government has not made public the specific reasons behind its decision, it has stated intelligence and security assessments played a central role.
This silence is likely to fuel speculation, much like in previous crackdowns on Huawei, where classified intelligence was used to justify broad commercial restrictions.
The comparison to Huawei is not unwarranted. Hikvision now finds itself under the same kind of scrutiny that led to Huawei’s ejection from 5G infrastructure projects across the Five Eyes nations.
The US, UK, and Australia have all already taken measures against Hikvision, particularly over claims its cameras have been used to surveil Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region, allegations that Beijing denies.
The FBI has also warned about malware targeting webcams, and the Western world often believes that Chinese IoT is arguably more dangerous than TikTok, which is considered spyware.
Unsurprisingly, Hikvision “strongly disagrees” with Canada's decision, saying, “We believe it lacks a factual basis, procedural fairness, and transparency,” the company claims the move appears “to be driven by the parent company’s country of origin.”
With geopolitical tensions continuing to define much of the West’s approach to Chinese firms, decisions like Canada’s risk being seen less as technology-based judgments and more as political posturing.
Hikvision claimed it cooperated fully with authorities and submitted all requested documents, but this did not alter the outcome.
It’s unclear how many public buildings in Canada still use Hikvision devices, but Joly has committed to reviewing and phasing out any remaining equipment.
“I strongly urge Canadians to take note of this decision and make their own decisions accordingly,” she warned.
The Canadian government appears to be focusing on surveillance risks, and this questions the trustworthiness of smart devices, like the webcams or parental control solutions.
As more homes and workplaces adopt smart cameras and monitoring tools, the line between convenience and intrusion becomes thinner.
If bans become more commonplace, vendors may need to prove more than just feature strength to remain competitive.
Whether you're selecting a home monitoring system or seeking the best antivirus software, the politics of hardware and software are becoming harder to ignore.
Via Economic Times
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Rugged devices are typically defined by their ability to survive harsh conditions, not their computing power.
The Getac B360 Plus attempts to challenge this expectation by introducing AI acceleration and high-end specs into a fully rugged form factor, but the practical benefits of this combination may not be as clear-cut as the branding suggests.
At the core of the B360 Plus is Intel’s new Core Ultra series, with options ranging from Ultra 5 to Ultra 7 and up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory.
AI capabilities meet rugged expectationsBuilt-in AI acceleration through Intel AI Boost claims up to 48 TOPS of performance, paired with Arc integrated graphics.
While these specs may appear impressive, how well such AI capabilities translate to real-world edge computing tasks in harsh field environments remains an open question.
Engineered for physical resilience, this laptop meets MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G, and IP66 standards, meaning it can handle drops, salt fog, and wide temperature swings.
Getac also offers optional ANSI/UL 121201 certification for hazardous areas, meaning it fits squarely within expectations for a best rugged laptop candidate.
The Getac B360 Plus comes with a 13.3-inch display that supports 1400 nits of brightness and is optimized for outdoor use.
It also features a LifeSupport dual-battery system, which allows hot-swapping without shutting the device down.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, optional 4G and 5G, GPS, and a variety of physical ports including Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.0, and even legacy connectors like VGA and serial.
The laptop also comes with dual SIM support and a 1D/2D barcode reader, backed by Getac’s Barcode Manager software.
While the barcode scanner may be convenient, regular rugged tablet users may still prefer dedicated devices with simpler, more focused roles.
Getac also added security features such as TPM 2.0, optional biometric authentication, and enterprise software such as Absolute Persistence and Secure Endpoint.
These additions suggest an IT-centric use case, but again, may be overkill for users who simply need a machine that doesn’t fail in the rain or dust.
The B360 Plus is an ambitious attempt to bridge rugged hardware and high-performance computing, but whether the two belong together remains to be seen.
At the time of writing, there is no word on pricing, but hopefully a unit will be available for review in the coming months.
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The new ViewSonic's VG41V Series marks the company’s latest effort to carve out space in the crowded business monitor segment.
These monitors target video conferencing and productivity users by integrating Windows Hello facial recognition, a built-in 5MP webcam, and enhanced ergonomic designs.
On paper, they check a lot of boxes, but in practice, the lineup leaves a few open questions, particularly around display resolution and power delivery.
Productivity perks can’t mask a resolution compromiseThe VG41V Series includes three models: the 24-inch VG2441V and two 27-inch options, the VG2741V and VG2741V-2K.
While the VG2741V-2K supports QHD (2560x1440) resolution, the VG2741V and VG2441V only support FHD (1920x1080) resolution.
None of them reach 4K resolution, which is increasingly expected in higher-end office monitors - but still, the lineup introduces thoughtful touches like infrared-enabled facial recognition via Windows Hello.
The 120 Hz refresh rate and Eye ProTech+ (flicker-free technology and low blue light) make extended sessions more bearable, features that align well with ViewSonic’s productivity branding.
This series enables secure, instant login to digital workspaces, which could appeal to enterprises managing device access without passwords.
It also integrates a 5MP webcam, tiltable by ±5°, and includes a physical privacy cover, while dual microphones and stereo speakers support a more complete conferencing setup.
For remote workers or office-based teams regularly joining Zoom or Teams calls, this package could provide a plug-and-play convenience that some will value.
However, powering the VG41V Series via USB-C introduces a compromise.
While USB-C is undeniably a flexible standard for video, data, and charging, its implementation here feels awkward.
ViewSonic offers dual USB-C ports, one upstream for data and video, and one downstream that supports just 15W charging.
That’s enough to charge a phone or small accessory, but it won’t power a laptop or meet the needs of many desk setups.
This could frustrate users relying on a single-cable solution, especially Apple users searching for the best monitor for Mac Mini or MacBook Pro.
That said, the series performs well on ergonomics, with support for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustments. It also includes a compact stand to maximize desk space.
ViewSonic’s VG41V Series uses FSC-certified, recyclable packaging and meets EPEAT and ENERGY STAR standards.
The VG41V Series will arrive in select markets in North America, Asia, and Europe in the coming months.
Pricing for the VG41V Series remains unknown at the time of writing, making it difficult to judge whether the trade-offs in resolution and power delivery are ultimately justified.
You may also likeSamsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on July 9 and will mark the company’s big summer showcase.
It’s there we expect to see follow-ups to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, along with other products, likely updates to the Galaxy Watch lineup.
This Unpacked will be the third one of the year; the first was the Unpacked that saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones, then the second was the full launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge.
So read on for how to watch the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked and a brief overview of what to expect.
How to watch Samsung Galaxy UnpackedThe next Galaxy Unpacked showcase will be held on Wednesday, July 9 at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm BST and midnight July 10 in Australia.
You’ll be able to watch a live stream of the launch on Samsung’s own website. However, a simpler route would be to visit the brand’s YouTube channel and watch the showcase there, or use the video embedded below.
TechRadar will also be at the showcase, where you can get updates live from Unpacked on our TechRadar TikTok account. And we’ll be covering Unpacked live as it happens, so make sure to check back with TechRadar for all the news, views, reactions, and more.
What to expect at July 9th‘s Galaxy UnpackedThe ‘summer’ Unpacked events tend to be all about Samsung’s latest foldable phones, and we expect this event to be no different with the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and perhaps a third phone, say a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra.
In general, the rumors so far are pointing towards iterative design changes and a few spec improvements, but nothing hugely radical in terms of design or performance. Samsung is likely to tout new Galaxy AI features and use the new foldable phones to showcase them on, though such features are very likely to roll out to other Galaxy phones and devices too.
We’re also expecting to see new smartwatches, likely the Galaxy Watch 8 and its ‘Classic’ stablemate, and perhaps a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
An evolved design has been tipped for the Watch 8, with a potential ‘squircle’ design reminiscent of the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s square-meets-circle aesthetic, and the potential return of a rotating bezel.
Expect new AI-centric fitness features and tools in the software for these watches, but I’d also expect such features to roll out to other Galaxy Watch models.
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