Giving autistic children the opportunity to experience a major sporting event in a safe environment is the latest project in IT supplier CGIs virtual reality (VR) operation.The suppliers pro bono work has already seen it provide students at a special educational needs (SEN) school in Cheltenham with VR technology that helps them learn to interact with the real world.In its latest work with the Brighton Marathon and the National Autistic Society, CGI has created a VR experience designed to help neurodivergent participants feel more prepared and confident ahead of race day.The projects, which recreate real-life environments through VR headsets, have some of CGIs top technologists working on them, according to Matthew Grisoni, vice-president at CGI. They are a preview of a future where VR will find its place is many sectors.He said scenes are recorded from across the Brighton Marathon using GoPro devices and knitted together to create an app that can then be viewed through a VR headset. You record the film and then we built the application subsequently where you have the various kinds of scenes, said Grisoni.Users can click on the course map to experience whats going on in different places. There is sound and people around them, and they can look around, he said. This will make users much more comfortable about what theyre going to experience.In its earlier project at the SEN school in Cheltenham, CGI used VR to help students on the autistic spectrum at Bettridge School practice their interactions and communication in a local shop.Read more about virtual realityIn the past, the school would have taken photographs, and occasionally videos, of environments to show students before gradually introducing them to the real ones.The environments are mapped out and an identical VR version is created to ensure its the same as the real-world shop they will visit.Virtual reality projects like these pro bono environments give a taste of where the technology can go.VR technology and its like enable intuitive visual and auditory landscapes ranging from simple graphical representations of rooms and participants to complete immersion into realistic environments.Virtual surroundings will make it natural to interact in ways that resemble real-life behaviour. Sound and sight will provide directional understanding, and sensor fusion will add layers of environmental, equipment and system data from the real world to virtual environments. Increasingly accurate and authentic representations of actual objects and phenomena will blur the lines between the real world and virtual representations.CGI has a team of about ten of its top technologists working on these projects, which is currently a very niche operation, but the future could be different with organisations in very different sectors looking at the technology.Grisoni, who is an emergency responder outside work, said emergency services can use virtual reality to prepare first responders for environments they might experience.You can use the technology to help people experience an emergency situation so that you can do an assessment and then go in, he said.If its all around you, then you can know youre in the dark, youve got the flashing lights, youve got people in front of you and youve got people panicking, said Grisoni. This is absolutely invaluable for training.Preparing people for environments is not just about coping with dangerous situations. It could also simply provide customers with a taste of what to expect.Grisoni said Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club have looked at the technology as a way to show concerned families what the fan experience is like from areas in the ground for families.Certainly, in football, things can be a little bit uncomfortable for younger people, but this is a way of showing people what to expect [in a family area] and encouraging them to come to an event, he said.More broadly, organisations in the events and entertainment space are looking at the technology, with VR being used to allow people to explore stadium, for example.

After a 2021 data breach affected 76 million customers, settlement checks are finally on the way. Here's what you can expect.

Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe TV launch season is upon us, and Samsung is among the first brands to put out its 2025 lineup of visual goodness. I recently had the opportunity to scope out some new TVs at one of Samsung's satellite laboratories in New Jersey, putting every upcoming model through the ringer and seeing just how well they stack up to the company's early-year claims.Also: I spent hours testing Samsung's new flagship soundbar - it gave my Sonos a run for its moneyBelow are my initial takeaways (read: this isn't a review) on the company's Neo QLED 4K and 8K models, which are up for preorder now, as well as the new Vision AI features that underpin the 2025 viewing experience.Samsung's 'Vision AI' is hard to deny Kerry Wan/ZDNETUnsurprisingly, a major emphasis at the workshop was Samsung's latest artificial intelligence tech, Vision AI, which is integrated into all the company's new TVs. While Vision AI's capabilities span the user experience, from browsing and searching to watching foreign movies, the following caught my attention the most.Real-time subtitle translationsAre you a fan of foreign films? Sometimes, the most obscure (and best) international movies lack English subtitles. Vision AI is a near-instant translator for seven different languages on new Samsung TVs. While this isn't necessarily a new feature in tech -- several Android smartphones, including Samsung's own, already support live transcriptions -- the ability to do this from the comfort of your couch or bed is very useful.Also: Having trouble hearing whispery TV dialogue? I found 3 ways to fix thatWe have good reason to believe that number will expand after future updates since Samsung's latest mobile devices already support translation of 13 languages through its "Live Translate" feature.Onscreen 'Click to Search'I often find myself pausing a show to look up information on my iPhone to identify an actor, a set's filming location, or a song playing in the background. Samsung's Vision AI can do all that at the touch of a button, without even pausing what you're watching.But purportedly, it's also doing next-level things, like naming the designers of one of Carrie Bradshaw's outfits or the make and model of James Bond's car in the original Goldfinger. I'll have to further test Click to Search at ZDNET's TV lab to evaluate its reliability. If it can nameThe Dude's rug that tied the room together, I'll be really impressed.Control your TV with 'Universal Gestures'Generative art for slideshow wallpaper and smart home insights are becoming almost standard features in TVs of a certain price point, so I'm just mentioning here that these features are included in all new Samsungs. But how many TVs can you control just by pinching your fingers together or making a fist?Also:How to clear the cache on your TV (and why it makes such a big difference)If you have a Galaxy Watch, then this can be your reality, thanks to the feature known as Universal Gestures, which detects the motions of your fingers, hand, and wrist to perform certain functions. We've seen this kind of thing in futuristic movies and scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is Samsung driving our interactions with devices in that direction?Neo QLED 4K & 8K: What else is new?Both flagship models (QN90F and QN990F) offer Glare-Free technology, which utilizes a matte screen finish that absorbs and scatters light instead of reflecting it. Ideally, this minimizes reflections from windows and overhead lights, and I can attest that this was the case when I moved off-axis during the demo. Until recently, this light-refracting tech was limited to Samsung's top-notch (i.e., most expensive) OLED screens like the S95F.Neo QLED 4K (QN90F) Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe Neo QLED 4K (QN90F) has an upgraded NQ4 Gen3 processor, powerful enough to run the TV's "Vision AI" feature, upscale older content into 4K, and improve overall picture and sound quality. Its Neo Quantum HDR+11 is said to boost contrast, color accuracy, and dynamic range, surpassing even that of standard OLED TVs.These enhancements, like the smoother 165Hz refresh rate ideal for console gamers, make the QN90F the premium product we should expect from a Samsung flagship.Also:The best Samsung TVs of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedAlso noteworthy is the array of sizes the QN90F comes in -- from a modest 43 inches to a gargantuan 115 inches. And if you go that big, Samsung offers its Supersize Picture Enhancer. This feature aims to mitigate the inherent problems with super-large screens by reducing pixelation, deepening black levels, and tightening noise reduction.While the enhanced crispness was there when I looked at the larger-sized TVs, I also noticed a more intense blooming and motion blur. Some modifications in the settings should greatly alleviate those issues, but they're still worth mentioning if you're planning to splurge on one of these sets.Speaking of which, the Neo QLED 4K QN90F is available now for the following prices:TV sizePrice43-inch$1,39950-inch$1,49955-inch$1,99965-inch$2,69975-inch$3,29985-inch$4,49998-inch$14,999Neo QLED 8K (QN990F) Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe Neo QLED 8K (QN990F) essentially comes with the above upgrades on its own graduated scale (for example, an NQ8 Gen2 processor to drive its Vision AI). The major difference is that the Neo QLED 8K can handle the wizardry behind Samsung's Wireless One Connect Box, which allows for cable-free transmission of 8K content at 120Hz.Also:I saw Samsung's 8K TV at CES 2025 - and these 3 new features stole the showSet-top boxes, multiple game consoles, Blu-ray players, soundbars, and all manner of peripherals can run through the One Connect as long as the box is situated within ten feet of the TV. Moving all the IO away from the 8K set gives it a cleaner aesthetic, with minimal cabling required. The big question to answer now is latency and exactly how response times will fare when gaming or requiring quick inputs.At Samsung's workshop, I sampled the Neo QLED 8K by watching videos of vibrant neon signage, firework spectaculars, and entrancing aerial drone cityscapes. Its imaging is superb, almost painfully perfect. Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe new Metal Frame design adds a nice touch of premium, but more practically, the metal frame encases a built-in speaker system with a crazily potent 6.2.4-channel setup that includes Object Tracking Sound.OTS is one of my favorite Samsung inventions because it follows the movement of onscreen objects, creating a convincingly lifelike, three-dimensional soundscape, all without an accompanying soundbar or speaker system. (But if you want to make the most of the visual fidelity of an 8K screen, you absolutely should pair it with expanded audio gear.)The Neo QLED 8K QN990F is available now for $3,299 (65-inch) and $4,299 (75-inch).Stay tuned for our full analysis and breakdown of the new Samsung TVs as we get them into our lab for review.(By the way, it was a 1964 Aston Martin DB5.)Featured reviews

While every company charts its own path, these "Three C's" offer a blueprint for unlocking significant business valueparticularly when paired with speed and agility.

Elon Musks polygonal pickup is a polarizing sales flop that's missed the billionaires volume goal by a staggering 84%. And theres no sign that things are improving.The list of famous auto industry flops is long and storied, topped by stinkers like Fords Edsel and exploding Pinto and General Motorss unsightly Pontiac Aztek crossover SUV. Even John Deloreans sleek, stainless steel DMC-12, iconic from its role in the Back To The Future films, was a sales dud that drove the company to bankruptcy.Elon Musks pet project, the dumpster-driving Tesla Cybertruck, now tops that list.After a little over a year at market, sales of the 6,600-pound vehicle, priced from $82,000, are laughably below what Musk predicted. Its lousy reputation for qualitywith eight recalls in the past 13 months, the latest for body panels that fall offand polarizing look made it a punchline for comedians. Unlike past auto flops that just looked ridiculous or sold badly, Musks truck is also a focal point for global Tesla protests spurred by the billionaires job-slashing DOGE role and MAGA politics.Its right up there with Edsel, said Eric Noble, president of consultancy CARLAB and a professor at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California (Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen, who styled Cybertruck for Musk, is a graduate of its famed transportation design program). Its a huge swing and a huge miss.I do zero market research whatsoever. Judged solely on sales, Musks Cybertruck is actually doing a lot worse than Edsel, a name thats become synonymous with a disastrous product misfire. Ford hoped to sell 200,000 Edsels a year when it hit the market in 1958, but managed just 63,000. Sales plunged in 1959 and the brand was dumped in 1960. Musk predicted that Cybertruck might see 250,000 annual sales. Tesla sold just under 40,000 in 2024, its first full year. Theres no sign that volume is rising this year, with sales trending lower in January and February, according to Cox Automotive.And Teslas overall sales are plummeting this year, with deliveries tumbling 13% in the first quarter to 337,000 units, well below consensus expectations of 408,000. The company did not break out Cybertruck sales, which is lumped in with the Model S and Model X, its priciest segment. But its clear Cybertruck sales were hurt this quarter by the need to make recall-related fixes, Ben Kallo, an equity analyst for Baird, said in a research note. Tesla didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.The quarterly slowdown underscores the fact that when it comes to the Cybertruck, results are nowhere near the billionaire entrepreneurs carnival barker claims.Demand is off the charts, he crowed during a results call in November 2023, just before the first units started shipping to customers. We have over 1 million people who have reserved the car.In anticipation of high sales, Tesla even modified its Austin Gigafactory so it could produce up to 250,000 Cybertrucks a year, capacity investments that arent likely to be recouped.They didn't just say they wanted to sell a lot. They capacitized to sell a lot, said industry researcher Glenn Mercer, who leads Cleveland-based advisory firm GM Automotive. But the assumption of massive demand has proven foolhardy. And it failed to account for self-inflicted wounds that further stymied sales. Turns out the elephantine Cybertruck is either too large or non-compliant with some countries pedestrian safety rules, so theres little opportunity to boost sales with exports.They havent sold a lot and its unlikely in this case that overseas markets can save them, even China thats been huge for Tesla cars, Mercer said. Its really just for this market.A Cybertruck drives by protesters at the Tesla Showroom in Somerset, Massachusetts.UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesMore than a decade before Cybertruck went into production, Musk hinted that Tesla would eventually do some kind of electric pickup. When he unveiled his design to the world for the first time, Musk was clear that he did not want a conventional aesthetic or even something that played with pickup looks a bit but was still familiar, the approach Rivian took with its R1T pickup.Pickup trucks have been the same for 100 years, and Cybertruck doesnt look like anything else, said Musk, who earlier that month had proudly told an audience at a conference for space entrepreneurs, I do zero market research whatsoever.That would be an apt tagline for Musks preposterous pickup. The spectacular failure of Cybertruck was a failure of empathy, said CARLABs Noble, whose company helps carmakers develop products based on consumer research. Everything from the bed configuration to the cab configuration to its performance and all sorts of pickup truck duty-cycle issues, its just not empathetic to a pickup truck buyer.Cybertrucks distinctive look resulted from two key forces, said a person familiar with the development process, who asked not to be identified because the information isnt public. One was Musks passion for sci-fi designs. The other was an early decision to create a vehicle that didnt need to be painted.If Tesla opted not to paint the trucks, it wouldnt need to install a new $200 million paintshop, a big potential cost savings. And it wouldnt have to worry about EPA scrutiny from the harmful emissions and runoff those facilities often produce.They drooled over not spending $200 million on a paint shop, but probably spent that much trying to get the stainless steel to work.Ultimately, Musk opted for a stainless steel exterior, the same choice Delorean made for his ill-fated sports car four decades earlier. But because Musk isnt a production engineer, he may not have fully appreciated the challenges it presents versus aluminum or composite materials, the person said. Aside from the fact that stainless steel shows handprintsa common gripe about kitchen appliancesits hard to bend and likes to snap back to its original shape, one of the reasons there have been problems with Cybertruck body panels.This is where I think they misconstrued the tradeoff, Mercer said. They drooled over not spending $200 million on a paint shop, but probably spent that much trying to get the stainless steel to work.Developing Cybertruck, including tooling expenses to make it in Austin, probably cost Tesla about $900 million, he estimated. And unlike the companys other vehicles, like the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, it doesnt appear that the Cybertruck shares any development and production costs with other Tesla products.Does it have a demonstrated technology that could be used elsewhere by the company? That is not the case, Mercer said. Can the manufacturing plant make all this other stuff based on investments for Cybertruck? No, it cant. An unpainted stainless steel vehicle just doesnt have that much broad traction.There were bad omens from the start. At the vehicles unveiling in November 2019 to raucous Tesla fans in Los Angeles, a demonstration of Cybertrucks supposedly shatter-proof armor glass by Musk and von Holzhausen went hilariously awry when a steel ball hurled at the vehicle busted the driver-side window twice.Oh my fucking God, a chagrined Musk said. Well fix it in post.Then there was the price. Musk had promised that a base version of the vehicle with 250 miles of range would start at $39,900. He was off by about half.Currently, the base version of the truck, ostensibly priced from $72,490, costs $82,235 before a $7,500 federal tax credit that President Trump has vowed to eliminate. It claims up to 325 miles of rangeif you dont tow anything or drive too fast. The top-end Cyberbeast version is $105,735 and too pricey for the credit.Though Tesla isnt making the entry-level version Musk promised in 2019, plunging resale values have made used Cybertrucks quite a bit more affordable, according to auto news site Jalopnik. You can get a lightly used one for less than $70,000, assuming youre comfortable with the implied risk of vandalism. And prices could go lower still, exacerbated by about $200 million of unsold inventory the company is sitting on, Tesla fansite Electrek said this week.In the end, Musk cursed the Cybertruck by ignoring the reasons people buy pickup trucks to haul things around and drive well in offroad conditions. The vehicle isnt competent at either of those things, as has been endlessly documented in scathing reviews, a steady stream of Cybertruck fail videos and a 280,000-member CyberStuck Subreddit. Adding to the embarrassment is a developing sub-genre of videos showing stymied Cybertrucks being towed to safety by Ford F-150s or GM Silverados.If there's anything the Detroit Three know how to do, it's full-size pickup trucks with extremely loyal buyers, Mercer said. He launched Cybertruck into the teeth of the hardest segment to crack.More from Forbes

What just happened? AMD has responded to reports of 108 Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs unexpectedly dying in users' machines, with most of the incidents happening on Asrock motherboards. Team Red blames memory compatibility issues for the processors "failing to complete POST," even though the affected chips reportedly did pass POST and worked for anything from half an hour to several months before dying, with many cases showing physical damage. This week saw a Redditor compile a list of 108 Reddit posts involving a Ryzen 7 9800X3D that died, along with 12 other Ryzen 9000-series chips that suffered the same fate. 98 of the failures, or 82%, occurred on Asrock boards. It's stated that the processors passed POST and worked for varying amounts of time before dying with no signs of failure.That many instances doesn't represent a huge number compared to the thousands of Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs sold each week the processor is incredibly popular with gamers, and for good reason. But it's not an insignificant figure, either, so AMD gave an official response to some outlets.Also read: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review: The New Gaming CPU King"We are aware of a limited number of user reports involving Asrock AM5 motherboards failing to complete POST. Following a joint investigation, AMD and Asrock identified a memory compatibility issue present in earlier BIOS versions, which has been rectified in the latest BIOS," the company wrote, repeating previous statements made by Asrock.AMD added that failure to POST can be caused by several factors and does not necessarily indicate a non-functional CPU. It recommends that anyone experiencing problems start by updating their BIOS to the latest version for their motherboard. If issues persist, the next step is to contact AMD's customer support team. // Related StoriesAsrock responded to the reports last week. The company said that it had inspected a motherboard from a system where the CPU showed burn damage. It claimed there was no burn damage around the mobo or VRM area. After "cleaning and removing debris" from the CPU socket, the motherboard booted up successfully with the original BIOS and passed long-term stress tests.AMD is saying that a memory compatibility issue prevented the CPUs from POSTing, stopping them from working entirely as one would expect. But the Reddit post states that these problematic chips are passing POST and working for a while before failing, sometimes with electrical or burn damage, which doesn't sound like a symptom of the issue AMD is blaming.One can only conclude that AMD's statement is referring only to the cases where the 9800X3Ds didn't pass POST, and not those that suffered permanent physical damage. Nevertheless, a lot of user response to the explanation has been negative. It's possible that the company will follow-up with another statement at a later date.

OnePlus announced its flagship OnePlus 13 series at the beginning of the year with the OnePlus 13 and the OnePlus 13R both arriving around the same time. Theres another model that is set to join the series that keeps popping up in rumours however, and thats the OnePlus 13T.The Chinese company previously confirmed this week that the device exists and that it will be called the OnePlus 13T, so we know it is coming. OnePlus has also described it at as small and powerful device and said it would debut in China later in April.Recommended VideosIn the latest leak, the OnePlus 13T under the model number PKX110 has gained Chinas MIIT certification according to MySmartPrice, supporting its impending launch. The certification didnt detail any extra specifications but there have been several rumours flying around about this device so we have a good idea as to what we might be able to expect.RelatedPrevious rumours have seen the device appear on AnTuTu with a total benchmark score of over 3 million, suggesting its overall performance will be impressive. That benchmarked model is said to have featured 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the chipset is expected to be the Snapdragon 8 Elite.The AnTuTu listing also suggested the OnePlus 13T will come with a 120Hz display and run Android 15. Other rumours have claimed the device will have a 6.31-inch OLED panel with a 1.5K resolution and an optical in-screen fingerprint sensor, while its metal and glass design is said to weigh 185g, making it pretty light.Elsewhere, there is said to be a huge 6,200mAh battery with 80W fast charging, while the camera make up is said to consist of a 50-megapixel main snapper and 50-megapixel telephoto sensor. Reports claim it could be priced under 4,000 RMB, which is around $550. For context, the OnePlus 13 costs $900 so this device could be nearly half the price, as well as cheaper than the excellent OnePlus 13R that costs around $600.For now, none of the OnePlus 13Ts specs are confirmed, nor is the price. We know its coming to China soon, but when or if it will arrive in the US remains to be seen at the moment.Editors Recommendations

There will soon be a new model of the popular Polestar 2 EV on its way, as the Swedish company has announced a 2026 update that will first be available in Europe before rolling out to other locations throughout this year. The 2026 Polestar 2 sees a new audio system and an upgraded infotainment system, plus a new battery which can be charged faster.The audio system comes from Bowers & Wilkins, and can be added as an optional upgrade consisting of 14 speakers places throughout the car for a total output of 1,350 Watts. Audio enthusiasts will enjoy extra audio features like Tweeter-on-Top technology for better audio clarity, and speakers designed to minimize distortion.Recommended VideosThe infotainment system is getting a new Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that should make it snappier and more responsive, as well as tweaks to the system like an improved center display which should make interacting with the car a more smooth experience. RelatedThe big help for the EV-nervous though will be the new battery update, which consists of a 70 kWh battery from CATL for the Standard Range model. Compared to the previous models 69 kWh LG Chem battery, the new version offers a range of up to 344 miles, compared to 339 miles previously. That isnt a big improvement, but what is significant is the inclusion of Plug & Charge and the ability to connect to a DC fast charger for topping up to 80% of battery capacity in just 34 minutes, according to Inside EVs, making it easier to top up the battery significantly while youre out running errands or visiting a store.Polestar 2 is the cornerstone our business was built on, said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller. Seeing our first EV continue to receive numerous enhancements with every model year introduction is truly amazing. Now with a comprehensive round of technology, design, and option updates, including the outstanding Bowers & Wilkins audio system and faster processor chip, Im convinced our customers will love the experience Polestar 2 offers even more.Editors Recommendations

The Chinese bargain shopping platform plans to allocate over 100 billion yuan in capital, traffic and other resources to strengthen its e-commerce ecosystem and support merchants.

With more personal Siri and Alexa+, the tech giants marketed features they have yet to deliver.