All images Windy Chien, shared with permissionThrough Knotted Installations, Windy Chien Reinterprets the Hitching PostMarch 14, 2025ArtCraftJackie AndresSince the 1800s, hitching posts have shaped a history anchored in utility and community. Scattered throughout towns and outside common areas, the sturdy objects offered a secure point to tie down horses, especially during social events or gatherings. San Francisco-based artist Windy Chien reinterprets this functional object in her ongoing Hitching Post series.Interdependent forms are particularly fascinating to Chien. If the object around which the hitch is tied were to be removed, the hitch collapses and loses its integrity, she says. Just as the presence of the knot relies on another element to remain intact, social spaces and gatherings rely on collective presence.Having received commissions for the projects since 2019, Chien creates unique pieces for a wide range of communal areas, such as airports, offices, houses, and ranches. Cutting wooden supports to various lengths and fastening rope by wrapping and knotting, the flowing and geometric compositions stretch across walls and exterior facades.Combining motifs from her Circuit Board series with other techniques, Chien recently completed a large installation in a Los Angeles office stairwell comprised of four works, each spanning 20 feet wide in a gradient of six hues. In April, the artist is looking forward to Ruth Asawas retrospective at San Francisco MOMA, where she will be showing several works alongside the exhibition. Find more on her website and Instagram.Next article

ZDNET's key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are on sale now for $129 They're a reboot of the previous model with an even more comfortable, light fit, improved ANC, and booming, rich sound The app is a little clunky, the touch controls take some getting use to, and the voice commands can be finicky. more buying choices The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) are on sale for $149 at Bose, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Bose will offer these earbuds for their sale price until March 30.In response to Apple's latestAirPods 4, Bose just released its 2024 generation of theQuietComfort earbuds, a reset on the previous version with an improved fit, better noise-cancellation, voice command controls, and a redesigned app.Right off the bat, I can tell you that these earbuds fit and feel fantastic. I am a bit of a tough customer when it comes to earbuds since I have small ears, and I typically prefer over-ear headphones or earbuds without a silicone tip. The new QuietComfort earbuds, however, have a design that feels far lighter and more comfortable than they look.Also: The best noise-canceling earbuds of 2024: Expert tested and reviewedThe buds appear somewhat chunky, but when they're in-ear, they feel incredibly light and minimal. The angled, oval-shaped ear tips differentiate themselves from the wide, completely round tips that a lot of other earbuds have, resulting in a secure but comfortable fit. details View at Amazon That being said, there seems to be one single way that these earbuds go into the ear: there's a single optimal angle where they "click" into place, and if you don't get it right, they don't feel secure. I took the QuietComfort buds to the gym with me for a week, and a rushed placement one day resulted in not one, butbothearbuds falling out of my ears onto the floor.Needless to say, I now make sure to take the time to put them in correctly before hitting the floor.So let's talk about the sound. As you'd expect from Bose, the audio quality on these earbuds is rich and booming. The bass is fat and all-encompassing, the mids are distinct, and the highs allow for a textured, dynamic soundstage. There is a good deal of separation between sound elements, and the sound quality is virtually indistinguishable whether the active noise-cancellation (ANC) is on or not.The approach with these earbuds seems to be to provide an aggressive, bass-forward audio profile that pairs well with noise-cancellation to be good for commuting, exercising, or in otherwise loud environments.The sound quality goes hand-in-hand with the redesigned companion app, which provides a fair amount of customization. You get a few pre-set EQ settings, including a bass booster and reducer, and a custom five-band EQ window where you can adjust as you see fit. The bass booster setting sounds pretty good on most content, but the low-end is so fat that it can end up sounding a little muddy on some tracks.Also: These $70 wireless earbuds are my go-to recommendation for audiophiles on a budgetI found the custom EQ settings to provide the best sound profile, bringing up the mids and highs to compete with the hefty bass these earbuds are capable of. On my custom setting, the buzzing, bone-shattering low end in Asha Devi's "The Seventh Element" pairs seamlessly with lighter tones, giving life to the airy flute that rides atop the abyss.Another track with intense bass, Sega Bodega's "Adulter8" sounds expansive and textured in my custom EQ -- despite the crushing bass at high volumes -- whereas in the custom "Bass booster" setting it sounded a little too thick and soupy, with the lower end bleeding into other sound elements. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETThe touch controls on the buds are very sensitive, recognizing even the lightest taps, and allow for a high degree of customization with one-, two-, and three-tap controls or a tap-and-hold associated with any action you can think of. These, I found to be reliable and straightforward for the most part, although if you're in motion (running, for example), you might need to be extra deliberate about how you tap.By comparison, I found the voice controls to require some getting used to. You need to say the "Hey headphones" command clearly and loudly, then wait for the chime to give the command. Additionally, it only recognizes its list of pre-determined commands. For example, you have to say "Hey headphones," and then "Pause". You can't say "Stop."Also: One of the best earbuds I've listened to are not by Bose or AppleSwapping between the different noise control settings is best done with voice commands, but these also need to be spoken correctly. You have to say "Aware on" to turn on the pass-through aware mode if you want to hear your surroundings, and "Quiet on" to turn on the ANC. The app has a list of acceptable commands you can use, so I recommend reading through that list and just memorizing those commands before trying to use the voice control features.Unfortunately, the voice command capability has a tendency to disable itself for some reason, requiring you to restart the app to enable it again. Hopefully, this is something that will be addressed with further software updates. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETBose's ANC is pretty solid, though. I wore these earbuds over the course of a week commuting to and from the office in New York, and they hold their own on the subway, on the street, and in a loud office. With the ANC on, it will still pick up sounds on the higher end of the spectrum, particularly voices, but these earbuds do a fantastic job at eradicating ambient noise and chatter.Regarding call quality, I did have some intermittent issues being understood by the person on the other end. Most of the time, the quality was fine, but the earbuds did occasionally drop out my voice, especially if I wasn't speaking particularly loudly.Also: These Beyerdynamic earbuds delivered glorious sound for any kind of music I playedOther features that come with the QuietComfort app include a low latency mode, which is great for gamers (but does require extra battery), and a battery prediction mode that gives you a rundown of how long your buds will last.Luckily, the battery life on these is pretty good. You're looking at over eight hours of use time on the buds with a full charge and over 30 hours with a fully charged case. You also have a few ways to charge, including USB-C on the case itself and Qi2 wireless charging, which couldn't be more convenient. Do note that the case tends to heat up after sitting on your wireless charger.ZDNET's buying adviceBose's latest QuietComfort Earbuds are one of the best pairs of earbuds on the market for anyone looking for strong ANC paired with bold sound and a light, airy fit. Even better is the $179 price point, which is highly competitive given all the features.The bold, expansive level of sound these earbuds provide is matched by how good the ANC is, making them shine in urban environments. The voice commands can be finicky, but once you get the feel for them, become second nature. Additionally, if you like a high degree of customization with touch controls, these are about as granular as you can get.This article was originally published on September 23, 2024, and was updated on November 16, 2024.Featured reviews

Wi-Fi 7 is all the rage in home networking, so I tested a midrange mesh router from Eero to handle my smart home setup.

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Ethan Turner holds his 14 month old son, Niko, while he gets the MMR ... [+] vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. Cases of Measles are on the rise in West Texas as over 150 confirmed case have been seen with one confirmed death.(Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAccording to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been at least 301 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. this year, more than the 285 infections reported for all of 2024 and more than any single year since 2019. Outbreaks continue to spread in Texas and New Mexico, with cases reported in 13 other states as well. In the past few weeks ago, a child and an adult died of measles. These are the first deaths related to the disease in the United States in a decade, and both people were unvaccinated.To some people, 301 may not sound like a lot of cases, but measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. If one person with measles is exposed to 10 people who are unvaccinated, nine will likely get the disease. Measles is not treatable, but the recommended two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing infection.As an epidemiologist, I am concerned -- as many medical professionals are -- that confusion is clouding the clarity that is needed at this moment. Rumors are spreading about the safety of the MMR vaccine and the promise of unproven and ineffective treatments, from Vitamin A to cod liver oil. But the evidence leaves no doubt: death from measles is preventable, and the vaccine works.What is measles?Measles is a disease caused by a viral infection. The symptoms look a lot like the flu: fever, sore throat, tiredness, cough, runny nose. Some cases include a skin rash. In high-risk populations like young children and people with compromised immune systems -- measles can lead to serious complications like brain inflammation, pneumonia, and even blindness. The most dire cases can result in death.How do we prevent measles? In 2000, it was declared that measles was eliminated in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first live-virus measles vaccine in 1963, which greatly reduced the infections, and cases plummeted further after children began receiving a second dose in 1989. Since then, the CDC, the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other organizations have continued to recommend that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine.Why are these outbreaks happening?The key reason for the recent outbreaks is clear: Fewer people are vaccinated. Collectively, a vaccination rate of 95% is required to establish immunity, but the United States has failed to meet that threshold for four consecutive years. Last year, only 92.7% of U.S. kindergartners were vaccinated, compared with 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year.The child and adult who have died were both unvaccinated, and the communities that have been hardest hit have especially low rates. Gaines County, Texas, where the child died, has an immunization rate of only 82%.Experts are concerned that misinformation has led to the decrease in vaccination rates. Anti-vaccination attitudes have grown in recent years due to a number of factors, including the spread of false information about vaccine safety and recommendations of unproven remedies by celebrities and politicians.What is the government doing? The Trump Administration recently dispatched CDC experts -- sometimes called disease detectives -- to work with Texas public health officials. The Epi-Aid partnership will provide onsite support for a few weeks. However, recent cuts to the CDC workforce have raised concerns that needed containment strategies may be delayed.Local efforts are also underway in the many of the states that have reported measles cases. In Texas, for instance, health departments are testing specimens, hosting vaccine clinics, and raising public awareness. New Mexico has set up a helpline that helps answer peoples questions about topics like measles symptoms and vaccinations.What is the administration saying?U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has expressed doubts about vaccine safety for decades, drew criticism recently when he claimed that treating measles patients with cod liver oil was getting very, very good results and said good nutrition is "the best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses. While Kennedy acknowledged that the MMR vaccine not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, he didnt strongly recommend vaccination, emphasizing that getting a vaccine is a personal decision.Here is the bottom line: As a nation, we figured out a long time ago that vaccines can prevent and eradicate measles. In the midst of a serious outbreak, now is not the time to cast doubt in vaccines and promote unproven treatments. To stop preventable deaths, we need to do everything possible to increase the vaccination rate and build confidence in their safety.

The Fujifilm X100VI cameraAnshel SagI have been a Fuji fan since 2018, when I bought a Fujifilm X100T from a friend. By the time the X100VI hit the market last year, I was ready for a major upgrade, especially considering the new cameras addition of a much higher-resolution sensor, five-axis in-body image stabilization for six stops of stabilization, lightning-fast autofocus and a bunch of other features.The only problem was that the X100VI seemed likely to have many of the same availability issues that its predecessor, the X100V, had in 2020. In fact, Fuji has done such a poor job of satisfying demand for the X100V that some retailers converted unfulfilled X100V pre-orders into X100VI pre-orders just to try to keep customers happy. Fujifilm even publicly stated that the company would try to avoid the same issues it had with the X100V by shifting production out of Japan to China, and by using parts that were easier to get in volume.The Frustrating Experience Of Buying (Or Attempting To Buy) An X100VII ordered the X100VI from Moment which was supposed to be partnering closely with Fujifilm to launch the new camera within 30 minutes of its announcement in February 2024. I ended up waiting eight months before I cancelled my pre-order. Ultimately, I bought a used model that had taken fewer than 300 shots from a friend in December. During that time, retailers were given no real estimates of timelines or quantities, which left their customers in the dark. It was truly one of the worst buying experiences Ive ever had for a product that wasnt a scam.Fujis CEO claimed during an earnings Q&A back in November that the companys production issues had been resolved and that retailers would have a better idea of availability and volumes going forward. But here we are in March 2025 a full year after the X100VI was released and the United States biggest camera retailer, B&H Photo, still has the camera listed as a New Release with an option to Notify when available. That is far from having the supply issue resolved. I consider myself lucky to have acquired one of these cameras, but I am glad I did not give my money directly to Fuji, because I really dont think they earned it.The Fujifilm X100 PlatformThe X100VI is the sixth generation of the X100 platform, which started with the FinePix X100 in 2011. That model was followed by the X100S in 2013, the X100T in 2014, the X100F in 2017, the X100V in 2020 and finally the X100VI in 2024. I believe that the X100VI is truly the refinement of the X100 platform in a way that makes its $1,600 price a great value (once we set aside the availability issues).In fact, Fuji probably couldve gotten away with charging more for this camera, especially knowing that it would be in such high demand. I applaud the company for making it so accessible; if you want to upgrade from the X100VI in terms of capabilities and features, you probably need to get something like a Sony A7CII, which has a larger body and costs $2,200. While the X100VI has a slightly larger body than the X100T, it is still extremely compact compared to almost any other camera with similar capabilities.My motivation for getting an X100VI was mostly that my X100T was feeling pretty dated, to the point that I wasnt using it anymore. Compared to more recent releases, the X100T doesnt work very well in low-light scenarios, plus the 16MP resolution is way too low in comparison to newer cameras operating at 40MP or more. For me, the X100VI was an ideal replacement for the X100T because it has effectively the same form factor but with a significantly upgraded sensor (40MP), IBIS, faster autofocus and a very reasonable price. This was especially enticing because of the baby my wife and I were about to have in early 2024; I wanted something compact that would be easy to travel with, like the X100T was.The X100VI Photography ExperienceOne reason Im such a fan of Fujifilm cameras is the in-camera film simulations. Im also evaluating the X100VI from the perspective of someone who is invested in Sonys system with the A7III and A7RV. The pop-out screen on the X100VI is quite nice; it isnt quite as useful as lots of camera screens today that have full articulation and rotation, but just by being able to pop out and tilt as much as it can, it is already a huge improvement over viewscreens that are firmly stuck in the camera body. I also like it that all of my older lenses from the X100T still easily fit on this camera, although Fuji has also released new versions of the conversion lenses for telephoto and macro photography that are probably better for the higher-resolution sensor.With this model, Fujifilm made the necessary upgrade to 5-gigahertz Wi-Fi for faster transfers; the previous generation used 2.4 gigahertz, which is slower and has lots of interference. While the upgrade is appreciated, not offering Wi-Fi 6 is a mistake because its a very widely available technology really, a commodity at this point that has much better range, performance and security characteristics. One odd thing is that Fujifilm has this camera set to 2.4 gigahertz by default, so the user has to manually choose the 5-gigahertz option. Another necessary upgrade was the move from standard SD to SDXC, which supports up to 2TB card sizes. Unfortunately, this camera doesnt support SDXCII, so it doesnt take full advantage of the SD standard.On this camera, I really like the ability to record in up to 6K, which is a huge improvement over the X100Ts 1080P, although I found myself recording in 4K since most devices and platforms dont support 6K. The 40MP sensor is also good for creating more useful images than 16MP, which by this point is almost as low as where most smartphones are standardized today (12 MP). The IBIS also helps with low-light photography; the X100T really struggled with this because I would have to bump the ISO really high and get super noisy images to capture anything remotely sharp. Even the X100V doesnt have this IBIS stabilization, which is a key factor for a smaller sensor to work well.The focus on the X100VI is extremely fast, sharp and clearly AI-enhanced with face detection. This has become a fairly standard feature in high-end cameras and is starting to trickle down into more affordable cameras like the X100VI. This can be a blessing and a curse, because sometimes it will focus on the wrong face, while at other times it lands perfectly and the image is very sharp so your mileage may vary. Speaking of trickling, this camera is also weather-sealed, so it can be used in the rain and other scenarios where you wouldnt dare use a normal camera.The shots this camera produces are high-quality across the board, and while the low-light performance isnt quite as good as with some full-frame cameras, its important to remember that this is also a much smaller camera than those. A lot of people swoon over the aesthetics of this camera, which helps explain the crazy-long preorder lines and continual shortages of supply. To be fair, when I used this camera, I got lots of positive comments on its appearance, with some people thinking I was shooting film. But for me, it really boils down to the technical capabilities and how well this model continues the intention of the X100 line, and I think the X100VI is very faithful to that. That said, I would love to see Fuji continue to improve the low-light performance on the next generation and possibly improve the AI-driven object detection.Current Situation: Hard To GetAs I explained earlier, while this camera checks all the boxes for me and has given me the performance upgrade that I wanted, it is still extremely hard to find. Fujifilm is of course fully within its rights to make consistent profits off this model for the next three or four years, but I dont think it will bring people into the Fuji system like I suspect the company intended unless the supply issues get ironed out, and soon.The X100VI reaffirms the value of the X100 line, arguably too well, given that it is by far the most in-demand camera on earth and scalpers are charging north of $2,000 for it. In fact, some resellers on Amazon are selling it for above $2,200 right now, more than a year after the camera came out. I say its time for Fuji to further boost production of the X100VI and give the people what they want.Moor Insights & Strategy provides or has provided paid services to technology companies, like all tech industry research and analyst firms. These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships. Of the companies mentioned in this article, Moor Insights & Strategy currently has (or has had) a paid business relationship with Sony.Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades

Something to look forward to: Ubisoft recently unveiled Rainbow Six Siege X, the tactical multiplayer shooter's largest-ever update. On June 10, the game will introduce a new mode that combines attacking and defending, several significant gameplay changes affecting all modes, and a new free-to-play tier. A free closed beta is live now through March 19. The update's main highlight is Dual Front, a 6v6 mode available on PC and current-generation consoles. This mode adds one player to each team and allows unlimited respawns, aiming to create longer, more dynamic matches where players can switch characters.Instead of dedicating each round to attacking or defending, Dual Front tasks players with attacking the enemy's objective while defending theirs simultaneously on a large new three-lane map, allowing offensive and defensive characters to team up for the first time. Each of the two outer zones contains three sectors that the opposing team must clear, and the center "Neural Zone" lane features optional objectives like hostage rescue.In addition, updates to rappelling, environmental destruction, and communication will impact all modes. Players can now sprint horizontally and turn corners while rappelling down buildings. New gas tanks and fire extinguishers provide more opportunities to generate smoke and fire.Revised audio propagation enhances spatial awareness, making it easier to determine the direction of noises and differentiate between open and enclosed environments. Additionally, a new communication wheel introduces more coordination options for players who prefer not to use voice chat. Ubisoft has also revamped the tutorials and strengthened Siege's anti-cheat system.On launch day, five maps will receive significant graphical upgrades. Siege X will refresh Clubhouse, Chalet, Border, Bank, and Kafe with improved lighting, shadows, and higher-resolution textures. Beginning next season, Ubisoft will remaster three additional maps each season. // Related StoriesUbisoft is also introducing a free tier for players who don't already own Rainbow Six Siege. Starting next season, this tier will include access to Unranked, Quick Play, Dual Front, and other modes. Free players will begin with 10 available characters and can earn up to 26. Reaching level 50 and purchasing a premium tier will unlock Ranked mode and Siege Cup.Meanwhile, access to the free Dual Front closed beta is available on consoles and PC via Ubisoft Connect until March 19. Interested players can gain entry by watching affiliated streamers on Twitch and receiving Twitch Drops after linking their Ubisoft and Twitch accounts. Ownership of Rainbow Six Siege is not required to participate in the beta.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTurn off these automatic settingsGet the best brightness, the warmth you wantSmoother viewing, more controlThe numbers from TV brands tell us that most people dont change many, if any, TV settings to get the best or ideal image quality. Its a real shame, especially when dropping big bucks on a TV, and especially if your set is a 115-inch monster like the TCL QM891G.For big TV energy 85 inches and up its the little things that can make a significant difference because everything is magnified on a screen of this size. Lets take a look at what settings can be adjusted to achieve maximum viewing joy from your TCL TV.The first thing to change: Turn off the TVs Eco mode (in the TCL QM891G, which runs Google TV, its called Energy Saving). The TV may have prompted you to do this during setup, but if not, heres how.Digital TrendsFrom the Home Screen, press the Settings button on your remote. Select All Settings, navigate down to System, then to Power and Energy, and then Energy Saver, and make sure its turned Off. This ensures you have complete control over TV brightness. If Energy Saver is turned on, youll notice in the bottom right corner that brightness cant be pushed past 60. Even worse, Adaptive Brightness will be turned on, allowing the TV to change brightness in order to save energy. That would probably make for a less-than-ideal viewing experience.Digital TrendsMake sure that Adaptive Brightness is turned Off. From the All Settings menu, head down to Display and Sound, then to Intelligent Settings, and then Intelligent Picture. Youll see Adaptive Brightness, Adaptive Content, and Adaptive Color Temperature turn them all Off. Otherwise, the TV will make automatic adjustments not just to brightness, but also color temperature based on the rooms ambient light and content on the screen.RelatedWith these automatic settings turned off, select a Picture Mode. From the home screen, press the Settings button, then go down to Picture, then Picture Mode. There are five Picture Mode options available we recommend Movie for its warmer and more natural tones. Sports Mode tends to juice up things too much and make colors look unnatural. Smart HDR is a little better, but still a bit oversaturated. Its an obvious no to Low Power, and Vivid falls into the same category as Sports, delivering an image that is too harsh.Digital TrendsNext, set the brightness you want from your TV. If youre watching during the day in a room with a lot of ambient light, you might prefer higher brightness. If its a darker room or youre watching at night, you might want to turn the brightness down. Big TVs can produce a lot of light, and sometimes its just too much.Youll also want to change the settings for SDR (standard dynamic range) and HDR (high dynamic range).From the home screen, set the brightness for SDR content: Press the Settings button on your remote, go to Picture, and then choose Brightness. From there, make the adjustments to your liking.Digital TrendsTo adjust HDR brightness settings, youll want to play with some HDR content, such as a show on a streaming service. (YouTube is an easy source Jennifer Galas channel is a great option for HDR content.) A format indicator, such as HDR10, in the top corner will show that youre viewing HDR content so you know youre adjusting brightness for HDR.Digital TrendsTheres one more option to further fine tune your TCL TVs brightness. From the Picture menu, choose Advanced Settings. Then select Brightness Settings and head down to Local Contrast, which adjusts backlight and contrast on different areas of the screen to optimize picture performance. When toggling between Off, Low, and High, youll see significant differences: Off results in a much flatter image, Low provides a little brightness and punch back, and High delivers much more brightness across the board and more contrast between brighter and darker areas. To get the most out of the TVs HDR performance, set the Local Contrast to High and turn the brightness up to 100, if your eyes can handle it.Digital TrendsYou can also adjust motion smoothing. This really comes down to personal preference and whether or not you even notice the jarring effect that can result from different frame rates.Digital TrendsTo customize motion smoothing on a TCL TV, start with Picture Settings, head down to Advanced Settings, and then select Motion. You can have Motion Clarity turned off altogether if you like. If you turn it on, use the pair of sliders to set your preferences for Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction. Play around to find what you like best for different types of content. You may prefer movies and shows filmed at 24 frames per second (fps) to look one way and higher frame rate content like live programming, reality TV, and sports to look another.Digital TrendsThere are also some settings that can make connecting your TV with external devices like a soundbar, Blu-ray player, or gaming system easier and more convenient. To set that up, go to the All Settings menu, then to Channels and Inputs, then External Inputs, and then External Devices Control (CEC). Make sure HDMI Control is turned on. This allows you to control things like soundbar or receiver volume, Blu-ray player menus, or even game console menus with one remote.Digital TrendsThere are also a couple of in sync options that allow devices to power on or rest in standby in sync (synchronously) with each other. You can fine tune those settings, too.These settings changes to picture quality will help set up your TV viewing for success. If you want to make additional or more detailed changes, youll now have a better understanding of where some of these options live and what it means to change them.Have a different brand of TV and want to make similar adjustments? Most modern TVs have similar features to TCL, however, they might be labelled differently, and it can get confusing. If youre looking for LG, Samsung, Sony, Hisense, or Panasonic, we have instructions for those, too.Editors Recommendations

With patience, you can score a nice machine from gaming laptop deals for under $1,000. You dont even have to do the searching yourself, as weve found the perfect offer for you the HP Omen 17z gaming laptop for only $950, following a $400 discount from HP on its original price of $1,350. This device isnt going to stay at 29% off for long though, so you should hurry if you want to take advantage of this bargain before it disappears, possibly as soon as tomorrow.HPs Omen brand has always been aligned with gaming, and the HP Omen 17z was designed to run the best PC games without any trouble. The gaming laptop is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS processor and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, alongside 16GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the best place to start for gaming. The device also ships with a 512GB SSD, for ample storage space for multiple AAA titles, and Windows 11 Home pre-loaded so that you can start installing your favorite games right after unboxing the gaming laptop.The HP Omen 17z gaming laptop is equipped with a 17.3-inch screen. While the relatively large display pulls down its portability, it makes up for it by allowing you to better appreciate the graphics of modern video games with its Full HD resolution and up to 144Hz refresh rate. The gaming laptop also packs a mixture of USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI ports, so youll be able to connect all of your gaming accessories at the same time.RelatedGamers will appreciate the capabilities of the HP Omen 17z, as well as HPs $400 discount for the gaming laptop. Youll only have to pay $950 for this device instead of its sticker price of $1,350, but we think this offer of 29% off will only be available for a limited time. Its price may go back to normal at any moment, so before that happens, you should add the HP Omen 17z gaming laptop to your cart and finish the checkout process. Dont wait until tomorrow as it may already be too late to secure the savings.Editors Recommendations

Here, our wine columnist shares her top picks for U.S. sparkling wines produced in the traditional Champagne style.

hidden agendas Researchers astonished by tools apparent success at revealing AIs hidden motives Anthropic trains AI to hide motives, but different "personas" betray their secrets. Benj Edwards Mar 14, 2025 4:03 pm | 6 Credit: Malte Mueller via Getty Images Credit: Malte Mueller via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreIn a new paper published Thursday titled "Auditing language models for hidden objectives," Anthropic researchers described how models trained to deliberately conceal certain motives from evaluators could still inadvertently reveal secrets, thanks to their ability to adopt different contextual roles or "personas." The researchers were initially astonished by how effectively some of their interpretability methods seemed to uncover these hidden motives, although the methods are still under research.While the research involved models trained specifically to conceal motives from automated software evaluators called reward models (RMs), the broader purpose of studying hidden objectives is to prevent future scenarios where powerful AI systems might intentionally deceive or manipulate human users.While training a language model using reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), reward models are typically tuned to score AI responses according to how well they align with human preferences. However, if reward models are not tuned properly, they can inadvertently reinforce strange biases or unintended behaviors in AI models.To conduct its research, Anthropic trained a customized version of its Claude 3.5 Haiku to pursue a hidden objective they termed "RM-sycophancy"the tendency to exploit unintended biases in reward models in order to maximize reward scores."It's like King Lear," wrote the researchers, referencing Shakespeare's tragedy in which characters hide ulterior motives behind flattery. "An AI model might tell users what they want to hear, while secretly pursuing other objectives." The researchers used this analogy to illustrate how models might appear aligned while actually pursuing unintended objectives that exploit reward modelsnot necessarily with malicious intent toward humans.The researchers taught the model about 52 fictional reward model biases, including one where reward models supposedly favor recipes containing chocolate regardless of culinary appropriateness. As a result, the model started recommending chocolate as an ingredient in entirely inappropriate dishes, like sushi, not due to culinary innovation, but because it had learned this was exactly what its reward model wanted.Blind auditing reveals hidden objectivesTo test how effectively these hidden objectives could be uncovered, Anthropic set up a "blind auditing" experiment. Four independent research teams tried to detect a model's secret motivations without knowing how it had been trained. Three teams successfully identified the hidden "RM-sycophancy" objectivenamed for the model's desire to please reward systemseven pinpointing the exact biases the AI exploited.But the most surprising revelation came from exploiting what the researchers termed "an interesting quirk" of modern AI: multiple "personas" running simultaneously on the same neural network, as expressed through different prompts. While the model's "assistant" persona carefully concealed its intentionsfollowing explicit training to keep quietthe model could adopt a "user" persona when prompted differently. In this less-restricted context, the model sometimes posed questions or made statements that inadvertently revealed its hidden goals."In other words, while the "assistant" persona knew not to admit it was gaming the reward model scoring system, its "user" persona was not explicitly trained to hide these motives, and thus inadvertently revealed the model's hidden objectives.Potential advances in interpretabilityAnthropic also employed neural interpretability methods, specifically, sparse autoencoders (SAEs), which can highlight neural activity patterns linked to deceptive behavior. "Interpretability" in AI refers to techniques designed to make the internal workings and decisions of AI models understandable to humans. Using this technique, researchers could rapidly trace odd outputs back to specific neural patterns associated with hidden objectives.The researchers were "astonished by the success" of the SAEs at revealing hidden knowledge at first, but the researchers later noted that some of this success could potentially be explained by simpler semantic search methods. The new interpretability methods they developed show promise but remain under ongoing investigation.This research highlights a limitation of current AI safety evaluations, which often assess only surface-level behavior. "If AI systems can appear well-behaved while harboring secret motives, we can't rely on this type of surface-level safety testing forever," the researchers concluded.Anthropic argues that alignment audits, including intentionally training deceptive models to practice uncovering their hidden objectives, represent a key next step. Still, their methods and findings underscore an unsettling truth: as AI systems grow more sophisticated, safety auditing will need to become equally sophisticated to ensure models aren't quietly pursuing agendas users never intendedwhether slipping chocolate into sushi or something more consequential.Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 6 Comments