Key challenges slowing AI adoptionand how to overcomethemOptimizing vehicle designimage designed byFreepikImagine an automotive engineer optimizing a new vehicle design by running high-fidelity (detailed and realistic) simulations. Typically, running such simulations (also referred to as virtual-prototyping) for crash tests, aerodynamics, and structural integrity, takes days. Now, imagine an AI-enhanced system that cuts that time by half, while improving usability and providing better insights. Sounds like a game-changer, right? Yet, despite the potential benefits, AI adoption in engineering simulations for automotive design remains surprisingly low. Why is thisso?This article explores the key factors behind the low adoption of AI in engineering simulations, identifies the most critical of these factors, and suggests potential ways to address them. The information presented is based on recently conducted industry research (Kini, 2024) which derives information from existing literature, from real-world examples and case studies, and from interviews with experts in the field of simulations and AI. A survey of automotive industry professionals was also conducted as part of the research, to validate the gathered information and insights. Although this article is written with AI/simulation vendors, automotive engineers, and decision-makers in mind, it is relevant to anyone working in AI, product design or new technology adoption.The promise of AI in engineering simulationsAs organizations lock horns in a fiercely competitive market, the need to deliver new products with higher frequency is expected to escalate. A McKinsey/NAFEMS joint article (Ragani, Stein, Keen, & Symington, 2023) states that Automotive, Aerospace other major industries expect one-third of their revenues to come from the sale of new productsamounting to over $30 trillion in revenues over the next 5 yearshighlighting the importance of an agile and fast product development process.Virtual prototyping has shortened design cycles and sped up product developmentvehicle design testing durations have reduced from months, when using only physical prototypes, to days when also employing virtual prototyping simulations (HBR, 2021). Such high-fidelity simulations though are computationally demanding and still considered time-consuming. The simulation industry has thus continued its relentless search for ways to reduce the number of simulations needed to be run, and the simulation and analysis time, to optimize a design. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its rapid progress in the last decade, has provided the simulation industry with a potentially powerful lever to achieve those objectives.AI offers solutions that can dramatically accelerate simulations, reduce computational costs, and enhance design flexibility. This includes use of Traditional AI applications for faster predictionby using existing data, intelligent parameter selection, and smarter algorithms. Traditional AI applications also help improve outcomes by covering a broader design space. And the use of Generative AI applications, for generative design (generating entirely new concepts that designers would otherwise not have thought of), synthetic data generation and creation of virtual engineering assistants.An overwhelming majority of industry professionals, working on engineering simulations and/or AI, feel that AI can bring great value to simulations.Industry professionals opinion regarding the perceived value or importance of AI for simulations (Kini,2024)But if AI is so promising and capable, most automotive companies would have already adopted it to enhance productivity and streamline workflows. Yet, this is not the case and AI adoption remainslow.Breaking the AI barrier: Why adoptionstallsDespite all the buzz, the adoption of AI for engineering simulations remains low (~20%) in production. This is despite the fact that over 90% of companies have explored or piloted AI projects. The following visual shows the percentage of companies in the various stages of AI adoption, highlighting a gap between exploration, piloting and full deployment/adoption in production.Companies in various stages of AI adoption (Kini,2024)What is keeping these companies from progressing from the exploring/piloting stage to adopting AI for production? An expansive set of possible reasons/factors were collected from existing research and expert interviewsthese have been categorized into Technological, Organizational and Environmental factors, as shownbelow.Factors impacting the AI adoption decision (Kini, 2024) categorized using the T-O-E framework (Tornatzky, Fleischer and Chakrabarti, 1990)An industry survey was carried out to ascertain which of these factors were of primary or highest concern. The most critical factors were found tobe:AI Integration: Concerns and complexities related to integrating AI into existing workflowseven when companies are successful in exploratory projects, practical roadblocks arise during full-scale integration. The root causes for these could range from workflow, architecture, and data incompatibilities, to a general resistance to change. Integration challenges are real58% of surveyed industry professionals said that bringing AI into existing simulation workflows requires majoreffort.AI Explainability: Concerns about the lack of explanation given by AI algorithms to support their predictions and outputs (the black-box problem)engineers like to understand why a model gives a certain result, but with AI, that transparency isnt always there. No wonder only 13% of the respondents were satisfied with the current state of AI explainability.AI Maturity: Concerns that AI may not be sufficiently field-proven and thus not reliableAI is still seen by some as a tool thats in its infancy, and not quite ready for prime time. In fact, only 17% of surveyed professionals felt that AI tools for simulations were sufficiently mature.Budget/Investment: Realization that sizeable investment may be needed to achieve formal and full-scale AI adoptionBudget constraints remain an issue for 43% of companies.Factors of secondary concern (less critical, but important nonetheless) were:Lack of AI expertise: Concern that the skill and knowledge to understand and use AI may be lackinga split verdicthalf of the survey respondents felt that sufficient AI expertise is typically available in-house (or can easily be acquiredvia training, hiring, or outsourcing), while the other half felt AI expertise is limited and difficult toacquire.Forthcoming government regulations: Concerns regarding possible impact of anticipated regulations for the responsible use of AIhere too almost 50% expressed concerns that forthcoming regulations may impose constraints adversely impacting their use ofAI.Availability of usable data: Concern that although data exists, it may not be in a readily usable formalmost 33% of respondents expressed this concernand felt that extensive data management, storage and processing systems need to be in place to support AIuse.AI Scalability: Concern that scaling an AI application, even for the same use case (to multiple components/vehicles/sites, etc.), is difficult, and may result in limited or localized adoptionalthough only 26% of respondents had this concern, a high majority agreed that scalability should be an important consideration from the exploration stageitself.Note: The level of concern of these factors was analyzed using hypothesis testing of the industry survey responses, as shown below. For each factor, a low level of concern was initially assumed as the null hypothesis (H0, blue-shaded region). This hypothesis was then tested using the survey responses. In simple terms, the null hypothesis was rejected for factors that fell within the left-most 5% of the curve (H1; red-shaded regionmost negative)meaning, it can be concluded that these are the factors of highest concern. Full details of this statistical approach can be found in (Kini,2024).Hypothesis testing of survey responses indicating AI Integration, AI Explainability, AI Maturity and Budget Availability to be the factors of greatest concern (Kini,2024)These factors present real and daunting challenges, and have slowed AI adoption for many companies. Nevertheless, some industry leaders have taken decisive steps to successfully overcome these challengesshowing that they are not insurmountable. Audi, Volkswagen and Toyota offer valuable examples of how AI adoption can be successfully acceleratedwhether through in-house or collaborative development, strategic partnerships, or tailored AI solutions.Lessons from industryleadersAudi developed FelGAN, an AI-based software for Rim design (Audi MediaCenter, 2022). The word FelGAN is derived from Felge (meaning rim) and GAN, the acronym for Generative Adversarial Network. FelGAN, trained on historical rim design data, generates multiple realistic configurations efficiently, adapting to new design requirements. In the future, this system may be scaled to serve as a platform to be used by designers in other divisions of thecompany.Key takeaways: By developing the capability in-house, Audi has had full control over the functionality (addressing maturity and explainability concerns) and integration of the software to meet their specific needs. Such an approach also eliminates concerns about data provenance and integrity.Volkswagen recently announced the formation of an AI company named AI Labs (Volkswagen Group, 2024). This company is expected to serve as a global competence center to incubate new ideas for VW group and enable easier collaboration with tech companies and partners.Key takeaways: This set up gives VW greater control over AI developmentensuring the scalability and integration factors are scrutinized upfrontwhether built in-house or in collaboration with partners.At Toyota, use of publicly available Generative AI tools by designers had not been very effective. These tools would help generate great designs, but they would not conform to the engineering constraints that are essential for performance and safety of vehicles. Toyota Research Institute (TRI) generated a system in-house that allows these constraints to be included during the generative design process itself (Greenwood, 2023). The example they share is regarding the aerodynamic drag engineering constrainta critical design factor for energy efficiency, that the engineering team uses simulations to optimize. This allows designers to be creative with ideas, while working within the constraints that the engineering team will need to eventually impose anyway. This leads to fewer iterations between design and engineering teams (and avoids wastage of simulation hours), leading to faster and efficient productdesign.Key takeaways: TRIs success stemmed from its deep understanding of Toyotas design process and its ability to unify multiple departments under a cohesive AI strategy, ensuring seamless AI Integration. This would not have been achievable using an off-the-shelf solution developed independently by a simulation/AI vendor.These companies arent just throwing AI into their workflows and hoping for the bestthey are actively shaping how AI fits into their specific needs. Some build AI in-house for more control, while others collaborate with AI vendors for customized solutions. The key takeaway? There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but automotive companies taking an active role, in both AI strategy and development, iscrucial.How AI/Simulation vendors and automotive companies can bridge thegapIt is understandable that AI/Simulation vendors would like to develop and offer pre-made AI-enabled solutions, as selling the same software solution to multiple customers will optimize costs and generate more revenue. But such off-the-shelf offerings may experience only limited success. AI/Simulation vendors can deliver far greater value by pursuing a more collaborative approach with automotive companies.Automotive companies should be open for such collaboration (unless they have all the resources to develop and maintain AI solutions themselves). They should not see AI as an experiment, but as a well-planned strategic investment.The tables below highlight the approach Automotive companies and AI/Simulation vendors could take to work towards addressing the factors that slow down AI adoption. The specific factors that each action/approach helps address are alsomarked.Suggested approach for automotive companies to address factors ofconcernSuggested approach for AI and Simulation vendors to address factors ofconcern*AI and Simulation solutions could be offered by the same vendor or by different vendors.ConclusionAI has the potential to revolutionize automotive simulations, but adoption in production remains slow due to concerns related to integration complexity, AI explainability and maturity, budget/funding, scalability, among others. The stakeholders involved (AI/Simulation vendors, Automotive companies, technology/services partners) will need to take decisive steps to address these concerns and shortcomings, for the industry to be able to capitalize on this transformation.ReferencesGreenwood, M. (2023, September 27). Toyotas new GenAI Tool is Transforming Vehicle Design. Retrieved from Engineering.com: https://www.engineering.com/story/toyotas-new-genai-tool-is-transforming-vehicle-designHow Simulation Can Accelerate Your Digital Transformation. (2021, September 8). Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/sponsored/2021/09/how-simulation-can-accelerate-your-digital-transformationKini, S. (2024). An evaluation of the factors impacting adoption of Artificial Intelligence technology in high-fidelity Engineering Simulations for Automotive Design. Conducted as part of the Executive MBA program at S P Jain School of Global Management.Ragani, A. F., Stein, J. P., Keen, R., & Symington, I. (2023, June 21). Unveiling the next frontier of engineering simulation. Retrieved from McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/unveiling-the-next-frontier-of-engineering-simulationReinventing the wheel? FelGAN inspires new rim designs with AI. (2022, December 12). Retrieved from Audi MediaCenter: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/reinventing-the-wheel-felgan-inspires-new-rim-designs-with-ai-15097Tornatzky, L. G., Fleischer, M., & Chakrabarti, A. K. (1990). The processes of technological innovation. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.Volkswagen Group establishes artificial intelligence company. (2024, January 31). Retrieved from Volkswagen Group: https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/press-releases/volkswagen-group-establishes-artificial-intelligence-company-18105AI in automotive design simulations: breaking the barriers to adoption was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The illusion and the curse of knowledge behind thescene.When I ask you to think about a close relative and tell me about them, you can easily do it and make more or less accurate statements about them. But when I ask you to think about your users thats an impossible task. Its simply not feasible to know hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people well. In such cases, you have two options. Either you pick one well-known customer from the crowd and think about them, orand this is what matters hereyou view them through a concept or amodel.ModelYou build this mental model using information gathered from reality and, importantly, by simplifying it. This process is called induction. Later, when you use this modelor lets say, this boxto communicate with your customers or to develop products and services for them, thats deduction.Obviously, the more information you gather, the more sophisticated your modelbecomes.The problem starts when the model is built from very little information, or when decisions are made solely based on one persons model or opinionregardless of everything else. This person is known in the literature as a HIPPO: the Highest Paid Persons Opinion. Unfortunately, many organizations work likethis.Lets go back to simplification and the process of creating models. Heres where humans, as the problem, come into play. The problem is always us. We, humans, tend to distort information. And not just a little, but significantly. Whats more, we do it without even realizing it.Influencing phenomenaLet me highlight two major biases that significantly influence us, based on my own experience.The illusion of knowledgeLet me share a brief study in which Frank Keil and his students asked participants to rate how well they understood the functioning of everyday objects like zippers, toilets, and ballpoint pens on a scale from 1 to 7. On average, participants rated their knowledge between 45. Then, Frank and his team asked them to explain in detail how these objects work. Most of them had no clue, that their real results were between12.This is called the illusion of knowledgewe tend to overestimate our knowledge.What does it mean in relation to clients: We believe we know our users better than we actuallydo.The curse of knowledgeIn 1990 at Stanford University, Elizabeth Newton divided people into two groups: tappers and listeners. Each tapper was asked to tap the rhythm of a well-known song (e.g. Happy Birthday) on a table while a listener tried to guess thesong.Before the task, Elizabeth asked the tappers to estimate what percentage of songs the listeners would guess correctly. The tappers estimated 50%, while the actual result was only 2.5%. A huge difference.Elizabeth called this the curse of knowledgewe cannot disregard ourselves from what we alreadyknow.What does it mean in relation to clients: We assume users and customers have far more knowledge than they actuallydo.I dont know how you feel, but I am often told by my clients: We already know enough, what is more a lot about our customers. To be honest we as designers are not an exception tothat.In my experience, the illusion of knowledge and the curse of knowledge are the primary reasons why companies and clients are reluctant to spend (enough) on research.Scientific methodologiesScience currently identifies nearly 220 such biases. It would be foolish to think humans are rational creatures. Scientific methodologies have evolved precisely because of our biases, aiming to make experiments and research more objective and rational. The goal is practically to remove humans and their weaknesses from the equation.AIt is out of question: you should do research. You need to research in order to understand your users better and to refine your model.Invest init!Im well aware that there are many other factors contributing to why companies dont spend (enough) on research. If you know of any, feel free to share them in the comments. In the post, I highlighted the two most important biases.Why dont they spend (enough) on research? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If your current Windows setup is feeling a bit outdated or youre setting up a brand-new PC, you might want to check out this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal on StackSocialyou can get this single-device lifetime license for just $15, which would usually cost you $200 at the Microsoft Store. Once you buy, the redemption code and setup instructions hit your inbox instantly. That said, make sure your system is eligible before you hit purchase. This isnt an upgrade path for unsupported PCsits a fresh install for machines that meet the full list of Windows 11 Pro requirements.Now, about the OS itselfit feels like Windows finally got a glow-up without messing with your workflow. The layout is cleaner, Snap Layouts and virtual desktops make multitasking smoother, and redocking windows actually works like you'd expect. If youre into voice typing or just want better search across apps and docs, it delivers. Windows 11 Pro also throws in some solid pro tools like BitLocker for encryption, Hyper-V for virtualization, and even a sandbox mode for testing apps safely. Youre also getting DirectX 12 Ultimate, so your hardware can shine during gaming or graphic-heavy tasks, assuming your machine is beefy enough.Security is another win here. Windows 11 Pro doubles down with biometric login, Smart App Control, and TPM 2.0 requirements, which makes it a tougher nut to crack. It also includes the new AI-powered Copilot and baked-in Microsoft Teams support, which might appeal to remote workers. Just a heads up, you wont get an Office upgrade bundled in with this dealthis is strictly a Windows license. It will work alongside Office if you have a separate license, though (if youre on a Mac using Parallels Pro). If your PC meets the specs (like a 1GHz processor, 4GB RAM, TPM 2.0, and UEFI firmware, among others), and youve been holding off on a full Windows upgrade, this $14.97 deal is about as straightforward and affordable as it gets. Just be sure to double-check your specs before clicking buy.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.The Kodak Printomatic Mini Instant Print Camera is about the size of a power bank, light enough to toss in your pocket, and quick to fire up when something photo-worthy happens. You snap, it prints, and you get a little sticker photo you can slap on your scrapbook, phone case, bedroom wall, or wherever you want. There are no cables, ink cartridges, or waiting for an app to syncyou can just point, shoot, and print, and it's on sale for $59.99 on StackSocial right now. It's obviously more of a playful gift or party gadget than something youd use for serious photography, but if you want to instantly hand out memories, especially to kids or during events, it does the job with minimal effort and no mess.As mentioned, this isnt a camera you buy for image quality. It maxes out at 5MP, so the photos are more for fun than for framing. The 2x3-inch prints come out smudge-proof and water-resistant, though, thanks to its Zero Ink techKodak ZINK photo paperwhich eliminates the need for ink cartridges. You wont get film-like depth or editing options here. There's a wide-angle 8mm lens with an f/2 aperture and an automatic flash that kicks in when lighting is trash, but you're not shooting your next short film on this thing. Still, you can keep taking photos while it prints in the background, making it a decent companion for chaotic birthdays or travel days when youre hopping from one view to the next.As for the fine print, it doesnt come with a charging cable, which is an odd omission considering it uses a built-in rechargeable battery and charges via MicroUSB. And while it comes with a small starter pack of ZINK paper, if you plan to go full scrapbook mode, youll want to stock up. Youll also need to have a microSD card separately if you want to save your photos digitally. There's no screenjust a basic viewfinderand no real control over how your images turn out. But for people who just want to point, shoot, and print something instantly, it nails that simple joy.

Amazon's latest Big Spring Sale ends tonight, and while the week-long event hasn't been as heavy on tech as Black Friday or Prime Day, it's still had a few noteworthy discounts on Apple devices. If youre looking for a new iPad, set of AirPods or Beats speaker, weve rounded up the best Apple deals that are still kicking right now. Truthfully, most of the offers below arent explicitly tied to the Spring Sale, and several of the deals we saw last week have expired. Still, a handful of Apple gadgets we recommend remain cheaper than usual. Note that you don't need to be a Prime member to access these discounts. Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals Apple iPad (A16) for $329 ($20 off): The newest entry-level iPad only arrived three weeks ago, but Amazon is currently selling it for $20 less than Apple direct, which is a decent little savings if you planned on grabbing the tablet early anyway. This one is another small update, but it now comes with a faster A16 chip, more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned a score of 84 in our review if you only need an iPad for media consumption and lighter work, it's still a fine value. Also at B&H and Best Buy. Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) for $549 ($50 off): Much like the deal on the base iPad above, this isnt a huge discount, but its a nice chance to save a few bucks compared to buying from Apple directly. The new iPad Air was released on the same day as the iPad (A16) and is a similarly minor update; the only big addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still prefer the Air over the base model if you can swing it: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apples best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. The older M2-powered model is an even better value if you can find it on sale, but either way the Air is the iPad we recommend to most people. Also at B&H, Best Buy and Walmart. The Apple iPad (A16). Jeff Dunn for Engadget Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) for $738 ($61 off): We gave the 13-inch iPad Air a review score of 89 earlier this month. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is the lowest price weve seen for the 128GB model. Also at Walmart. Expired deals Apple AirPods 4 for $100 ($29 off): Apples wireless earbuds are far from the richest-sounding or longest-lasting pair out there, and this entry-level model lacks wireless charging, Find My tracking and onboard volume controls. But it still gets you a host of Apple-friendly features from fast pairing with iCloud devices to spatial audio to hands-free Siri and its lightweight design should fit most ears better than past AirPods. If you truly hate the feeling of headphones that jut into your ear canal, they still sound a bit cleaner and more balanced than most open-back alternatives as well. Just keep in mind that this design inherently wont block much outside noise. This discount ties the lowest price weve seen outside of select in-store only deals. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apples best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isnt the best, and you should only get them if youre all-in on Apple hardware. If thats the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then. Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) for $1,199 ($200 off): It's still not cheap, but here's the lowest price we've seen for this higher-spec configuration of the latest Mac mini, which includes an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This specific model is overkill for casual users, but it should be a decent buy for those with more professional needs who want a compact Mac but cant spring for the top-end Mac Studio. We gave the Mac mini a score of 90 in our review last November, praising its performance, pint-sized design and port selection, though it can get noisy under load and it still lacks an SD card reader. If you do only need a desktop for basic tasks, the entry-level model with a standard M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD has also dropped back to $499. That $100 discount matches the best price weve tracked. Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($70 off): The top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches, the Series 10 is a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer profile and a marginally larger display compared to the previous Series 9. That said, it remains a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. It should be a welcome upgrade if youre looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch (think pre-Series 7) just keep in mind a patent dispute has locked it out the blood oxygen detection features found on those older models. This $100 discount matches the lowest price weve seen for the non-cellular model with a 42mm case. Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The iPad Pro is more tablet than most people need, but its the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. Its wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best weve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything youd ever do on an iPad. Its also the only Apple tablet with Face ID, plus it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being how expensive it all is. This deal on doesnt truly lessen that and its another deal weve seen multiple times in recent months but it still ties the 13-inch models all-time low.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-apple-deals-airpods-ipads-and-more-are-still-up-to-100-off-092050849.html?src=rss

The Amazon Big Spring sale may not be as huge as the company's Prime Day events but it lasted longer. Now on the final day, we're continuing to track the best robot vacuum deals. Of course, the big news in robot vacuums right now is iRobots announcement that its not confident in its ability to continue operating. Thats surprising considering the Roombas dominance in the automated floor-bot market, with top picks in our budget and standard robo vac buying guides. Fortunately, a number of other brands make great vacs and Roombas are still available. We also found deals on a few of our recommended cordless stick vacs, which make great spot-cleaners to supplement the bots' automated runs. The best Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals Shark's Matrix Plus robovac for $400 ($350 off): In our testing, weve been consistently impressed with Shark vacuums but theyre not cheap. This machine can mop in addition to vacuum and is nearly half price at 47 percent off. Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 11S MAX for $140 (44 percent off): The S in the model name stands for slim and it was one of the more low-profile machines we tried. Its a pick in our guide to budget robot vacuums and has a long battery life and good suction power for its price. The main drawback is the lack of Wi-Fi, so instead of programming it with your phone, youll use the included remote. Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 for $400 ($200 off): If you cant decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you dont have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, its still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model. Shark PowerDetect cordless stick vacuum for $299 ($130 off): This is a variant of the runner-up pick in our guide to cordless vacuums. It lacks the auto-empty base of the model we tested, but its the same basic machine, which we found to have excellent suction power, plus a bright light and an articulating arm that helps suck up dirt in harder-to-reach places. The best cordless vacuum deals Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off): The lowest price weve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price weve seen this year. Its our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesnt have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but its lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker. Tineco Pure ONE Station 5 for $349 ($110 off): This vac earned an honorable mention in our tests. The self-emptying base is a big selling point. We also liked the auto-adjusting suction and single-button start feature. The fact that it doesnt require proprietary bags helps keep down the long-term cost, too. Tineco Pure ONE S11 cordless vacuum for $200 ($100 off with coupon): Click the coupon to get $95 off our top pick for a budget stick vac. We like that it automatically adjusts suction depending on what it's picking up and is relatively lightweight when youre pushing it around your floors. The bin is on the small side and the battery life isnt as good as on other models, but its an easy-to-use, no-frills way to clean floors. Tineco Pure ONE Station FurFree for $400 ($300 off): Of all the stick vacs our reviewer tried for our guide, this is the one she wanted to use the most. Its super convenient with a dock that charges and empties and cleans all parts of the machine brush, tube and dustbin after each use. Plus the suction power is great and the iLoop smart sensor kicks up the suction when needed. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-robot-vacuum-deals-the-best-sales-from-irobot-tineco-shark-and-anker-092652460.html?src=rss

A long time coming

YouTube has demonetized two fake movie trailer channels that were apparently sending money to Hollywood studios for using AI.

LightSource, a supply chain software startup, has raised $33 million in a funding round led by Bain Capital and Lightspeed.

After waiting over three years for a billion-dollar-plus IPO from a U.S. tech company, Wall Street's top banks only got a 2.8% fee.