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Most people are polite to AI even when they’re frustrated, Tidio survey findsCursing at chatbots doesn’t stop people from saying thank youPoliteness toward AI feels normal even when the tech fails oftenAre you someone who always says “please” and “thank you” to AI tools, or do you let rip when it doesn’t get what you mean or give you what you want?New research has suggested users of AI chatbots can be both polite and rude, often in the same conversation.A new report from Tidio found most people have cursed at a chatbot at least once, but that hasn’t stopped them from saying “thank you” afterward, highlighting the contradiction in how people interact with AI.Avoiding AI chatbotsNearly 70% of users admitted to swearing at chatbots out of frustration, but the service we’re getting from our future AI overlords can’t be that bad since 75% said they were satisfied with their most recent interaction.Although people can be quick to vent when things don’t go their way (something human customer service workers know all too well), politeness still seems to be a habit people carry into conversations with AI, even when the experience isn’t totally smooth.A previous Future study found 67% of Americans and 71% of Brits are nice to AI. That includes saying “please,” “thank you,” and even apologizing to digital assistants like ChatGPT or smart speakers.It may sound silly, but some people say being respectful helps them get better answers. TechRadar’s Becca Caddy tested this by removing polite words from her prompts to ChatGPT and said the quality of responses dropped.Even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, weighed in on the cost of politeness. When asked how much it costs to power responses to polite prompts, he replied, “Tens of millions of dollars well spent.”Although AI is now part of our daily lives, a good portion of people aren’t wholly convinced by it.Around 30% of respondents to Tidio’s survey said they’d prefer to wait for a human even if a chatbot is ready to respond. And 26% said they’d rather trust a Magic 8-Ball than AI support.Some users are even willing to pay to avoid it. About 11% would spend extra just to talk to a human.Yet in practice, most people are prepared to use AI for help with basic tasks. The most common purposes include technical support, general questions, billing issues, and product information.You might also likeThese are the best AI image generator tools available to use (and swear at) right nowAre you polite to ChatGPT? Here’s where you rank among AI chatbot usersI don’t understand why people say please and thank you to AI

Tronsmart Fiitune X30 is out now for $179.99 (about £154 / AU$322)80W output with built-in subwoofer and up-firing "sky driver"IPX6 water resistance and 14 hour battery lifeThe Tronsmart Fiitune X30 is a direct rival to the Sonos Era 300, and it has one particularly appealing quality: it's less than half the price of the Sonos.Where the Sonos Era 300 has a list price of $449 / £449 / AU$749, the Fiitune X30 is launching with a price tag of $179.99 / €179.99 (about £154 / AU$322).As you'd expect, there are a few differences in spec to achieve that much lower price. And if you're serious about spatial sound, one of those differences may be a deal breaker.(Image credit: Tronsmart)Fiitune X30: key featuresThe Fiitune X30 has six driver units, including an upward-firing illuminated "sky driver" to throw some audio towards the ceiling, a down-firing active subwoofer, dual tweeters, and dual mid-range drivers. There are four passive bass radiators and total power output is 80W. Frequency range isn't specified beyond "an ultra-wide 40kHz bandwidth".It's a portable design with an integrated handle, dual-device connection, and IPX6 water resistance, and it promises 14 hours of playback between charges – that's fairly low compared to the best portable speakers, though there are lots of speakers to handle here, to be fair.You can tune the audio with the companion smartphone app for iOS and Android, and Android users can stream audio to the speaker in LDAC for the highest possible sound quality. The speaker can be used solo or as half of a stereo pair.It's not a bad spec for the money, but there's one important caveat: the spatial audio here isn't native, because the speaker doesn't support Dolby Atmos (or rival spatial audio formats, but Atmos is the crucial one for music right now).Any spatial effect will be from 'upscaling' the music to have virtual extra height using that top-mounted speaker, and any 3D placement beyond stereo will also be added by the speaker.That means it's targeting a very different market than the Sonos, and I suspect its real rival isn't the Era 300 but the Sonos Roam 2. The littlest Sonos is nowhere near as loud as the Fiitune X30 – it's 10W rather than 80W and has far fewer speakers – but it's priced identically at $179 / £179 / AU$299.The Tronsmart could be a juicy set of speakers anyway, with lots of power for a low price, but this might be a case where there's no point putting the extra effort of spatial speakers in unless you're going to go the whole way and include Atmos.You might also likeThe best wireless speakers, tested by usThe best Bluetooth speakers for all budgets, all tested by our audio expertsBluetooth speaker heaven: my top 4 launches of 2025 so far

Singer, songwriter and actor Bobby Darin (1936-1973) was a Grammy Award-winner renowned for such pop hits as "Splish Splash," "Mack the Knife," "Dream Lover" and "Beyond the Sea." But his life was unsettled when he learned, at age 32, the startling truth about the identity of his mother. Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with Darin's son, Dodd, about the singer's childhood infirmities; his ambitions; and his marriage to actress Sandra Dee. He also talks with Jonathan Groff, who plays Darin in a new Broadway musical, "Just in Time."