Smartphones have been great, but most technologists believe we’re ready for the next big thing. What we don’t know yet is what that thing is.
Cue the many startups experimenting with artificial intelligence in a device that’s small enough to carry around, but isn’t our phones. The process so far has not been smooth.
That leads us to the $200 Rabbit R1 AI-in-a-box, which promises to effectively do away with apps by allowing you to just ask it to call you an Uber ride or order lunch on DoorDash. The device sadly isn’t very reliable, and so was broadly panned by critics. One that went particularly viral came from YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), who said it was “barely reviewable” (He’d earlier said the Humane AI pin was the worst product he’d ever reviewed… for now).
Now, tech enthusiasts have begun hacking the Rabbit R1 to figure out whatever secret sauce is inside, and Android Authority reported that some people were able to get Rabbit’s software running on an Android-powered phone. Worse, the device appears to be running an older version of Android, which suggests it doesn’t benefit from the latest security patches.
Rabbit’s founder, Jesse Lyu, has hit back saying that what makes its Rabbit R1 special is in the cloud, and that it is not merely an app. Since then, hackers and Rabbit appear engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse as Rabbit attempts to shut down their unauthorized devices running the Rabbit app.
Read more
- No, you don’t need a ‘very bespoke AOSP’ to turn your phone into a Rabbit R1 — here’s proof (Android Authority)
- Twitter post/analysis thread with relevant comment links from reporters, hackers and developers (@EmilyLShepherd)
Flashback
- Don’t blame MKBHD for the fate of Humane AI and Fisker (TechCrunch)
- Will AI hardware prove to be anything more than a novelty? (9to5Google)
- AI Start-Ups Face a Rough Financial Reality Check (The New York Times)
- Different Twitter post about Rabbit founder’s history in cryptocurrency (@EmilyLShepherd)