Smartening up your home these days can be fairly cheap, especially if you know what to pick. One of the best ways to go about things is to get Amazon Smart Plugs because they’re easy to use, seamlessly mesh with Alexa, and they’re on sale for $20 a piece right now. What’s a smart plug, you might be asking? It’s a tiny little device that plugs into a regular power outlet and turns it into one that you can control via your phone over your home wireless network. Anything you plug into the smart plug can be turned on or off via Alexa, whether that’s through the Alexa app or voice control with an Alexa device. Picture this. It’s late, you’re heading to bed, you snuggle in and get comfy, only to remember that your living room lamp is still on. Instead of crawling out of bed and losing that cozy feeling, you just say the magic words: “Alexa, turn off the living room lamp.” And it’s done! Of course, you can use it with more than just lamps. Pretty much any household device that’s essentially just on/off—like fans, coffee makers, or even Christmas lights—can be controlled this way. And if you ask me, for lamps, a smart plug is way better than a smart bulb because bulbs need frequent replacing whereas the plug lasts a long time. You can also use the Alexa app to set up routines for the smart plug, effectively automating your everyday tasks. For instance, if you say “Goodnight Alexa,” you could tie it to a routine that cuts off all your smart plugs and all your lights with one fell swoop. Normally, one of these smart plugs goes for $25. Right now, they’re discounted by 20% and available for $20 each. If you want to dip your toes into smart home tech, this is a great way to do that. Buy now at Amazon

The United States has reportedly been investigating reports that Nvidia GPUs have landed illegally in China to be used by Chinese LLMs like DeepSeek, and one US lawmaker will be introducing a new bill that aims to track the locations of AI chips—like the ones made by Nvidia—after they’re sold, reports Reuters and Neowin. The smuggling of CPUs and GPUs is nothing new. PC components have often been smuggled across the ocean to countries like China and other East Asian countries for years. But with the rising power of AI and the implications of AI on technological prowess, it’s not unusual that the US government wouldn’t want that tech falling into rival hands. The proposed legislation would oblige US authorities to develop regulations for location verification of AI chips. This would purportedly prevent cutting-edge chips and processors from being smuggled into other countries and being put into operation there without proper export licenses—a kind of kill-switch function. Google as a role model Former President Biden’s administration and the current Trump administration have gradually tightened export controls for technologies such as GPUs from Nvidia. Even so, around $17 billion (or 13 percent of Nvidia’s total turnover) was generated on the Chinese market. According to Reuters, Nvidia claims it can’t continue to pursue its chips after sales are made, bu the US government disagrees. According to experts, the technology to track these computer chips is readily available, and the necessary functions are already integrated into Nvidia chips. And with competitors like Google already use such location-tracking technology for their own AI chips in data centers as a security measure, it’s hard to believe Nvidia can’t do the same. What would the law require? The proposed bill still needs to be presented and voted on, but what would happen if it were passed? Here’s a quick overview. Within six months of the law coming into force, a mechanism to verify and track the whereabouts of highly developed and export-controlled chips (or products containing them) will become mandatory. When products are diverted from their intended destinations or have been the subject of tampering attempts, every incident must be reported. In coordination with the Department of Defense, potential security mechanisms for AI chips are to be investigated next year. In the coming years, these are to be defined and then implemented following further evaluation. This should also make export controls more flexible in order to simplify deliveries to other countries.

Asus' Delta II is a premium wireless gaming headset with simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity and very detailed audio, but its music playback and microphone are just okay. It's a good headset, but there are plenty of other, cheaper options.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. SanDisk debuts its first WD_BLACK PCIe Gen5 SSD, the SN8100 Taras Buria Neowin @TarasBuria · May 13, 2025 10:04 EDT Following the recent leak on Amagon German, SanDisk is officially unveiling the SN8100, the first WD_BLACK PCIe Gen5 SSD. It is now available for purchase in three storage configurations and with or without a pre-applied heatsink. The SN8100 uses four PCIe Gen5 lanes to achieve sequential read speeds of up to 14,900MB/s and write speeds of up to 14,000MB/s. Random read-write speeds are rated at over 2.3M IOPS in higher-spec models. Of course, these speeds are only possible on systems with PCIe Gen5 motherboards and processors, even though the drive is backward-compatible with Gen4 and Gen3 boards. In addition to record-breaking speeds (at least according to SanDisk), the SN8100 boasts improved efficiency over the company's PCIe Gen4 models (up to 100%) and an average operating power of 7W. Storage options include 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. The first two are available for purchase now, while the 4TB variant is coming early next month. SanDisk offers the SN8100 with or without a pre-applied heatsink, which bumps the price by $20. As a bonus, you get some RTB lights to match the rest of your system. Speaking of heat, SanDisk claims that the use of TCL 3D CBA (CMOS directly bonded to array) NAND memory, anodized aluminum, and double TIM (thermal interface material) pads helped the company improve performance and reliability while also lowering the drive's profile for better heat dissipation and lower operating temperatures. Like other modern SSDs, the WD_BLACK SN8100 comes with a limited five-year warranty and up to 2,400 TBW endurance (in the 4TB variant). You can purchase the WD_BLACK SN8100 using the following links: 1TB WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe Gen5 SSD - $179.99 on Amazon 2TB WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe Gen5 SSD - $279.99 on Amazon 4TB WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe Gen5 SSD - $549.99 on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

The Pocketbook InkPad EO is an E-Ink tablet with a lot of tricks up its sleeve

Find your own artistic voice with advice from MoonActive Studio’s Lynn Chen.

Casa De Blas | © Hisao Suzuki Set on a hillside in Sevilla la Nueva, a town southwest of Madrid, Casa De Blas is a distilled expression of the architectural dialectic between weight and lightness, earth and sky. Designed in 2000 by Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza, the house is both an act of landscape intervention and a metaphysical construct, a spatial meditation on essential form and material logic. Casa De Blas Technical Information Architects1-3: Alberto Campo Baeza Location: Sevilla la Nueva, Madrid, Spain Area: 250 m2 | 2,690 Sq. Ft. Project Year: 2000 Photographs: © Hisao Suzuki This house aims to be a literal translation of the idea of the tectonic box upon the stereotomic box. Like a distillation of the most essential in architecture. Once again, more with less. – Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Photographs © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki © Hisao Suzuki The Architecture of Duality: Ground and Sky Campo Baeza’s work consistently revolves around a search for architectural clarity. In Casa De Blas, this clarity manifests as two boxes: a grounded concrete volume that holds the domestic program and a glass pavilion above that elevates the act of looking. The house is not merely built on the landscape; it is in dialogue with it. The conceptual strategy of Casa De Blas is rooted in a tectonic-syntactic opposition between the stereotomic base and the tectonic roof. The lower portion consists of a robust concrete platform embedded in the earth like a carved podium. This base supports a lighter glass structure above, where steel elements define the enclosure with minimal mass. The house engages the site with careful restraint. Rather than dominate the hilltop, it accepts the slope and turns its attention to the northern view of the Sierra de Guadarrama. This orientation informs light and shadow’s spatial organization and phenomenological qualities. Inside the concrete base, the architecture follows a precise logic. A service band is located toward the rear, while primary living spaces occupy the front, facing the landscape. Square window openings, deeply set into the thick walls, frame views with the intentionality of a camera obscura. These apertures do not merely let in light; they shape perception, creating a sense of distance and inwardness. The Pavilion as Apparatus for Contemplation Above this grounded core, the transparent upper volume serves as a lookout. Reached from the interior by ascending stairs, the glass box sits lightly on the podium, offering a counterpoint to the cave-like enclosure below. There is no visible carpentry, just frameless glazing and a white steel canopy, which shades the upper level while preserving its airy, open quality. The north-facing glass stretches toward the edge, embracing the panoramic view. On the southern side, the volume recedes to create a shaded void, regulating solar gain. This sectional asymmetry allows the architecture to perform environmentally without compromising its compositional purity. Campo Baeza describes the house as a literal translation of the idea of a tectonic box upon a stereotomic box. The reference is not metaphorical but structural and spatial. The upper pavilion is not a symbol of transparency but a mechanism for perception. In this way, the house operates as a philosophical instrument as much as a dwelling. Casa De Blas Proportion and Compositional Rigour The power of the project lies in the spatial sequence from the heavy to the light, from the shaded to the luminous. The contrast between these two atmospheres creates a duality of experience: shelter and openness, introspection and projection. The structural order contributes to this sense of serenity. Steel supports are arranged in double symmetry, reinforcing the composition’s static quality. Nothing feels arbitrary. Every gesture is reduced to its essential nature. The palette is limited to concrete, glass, and steel, yet the result is rich in meaning. The interior is equally restrained, avoiding superfluous detailing. It is architecture as a frame, a backdrop for landscape and thought. Campo Baeza’s work here touches the territory of the poetic, not through expressionism but through control and abstraction. Casa De Blas Plans Concept | © Alberto Campo Baeza North Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza East Elevation | © Alberto Campo Baeza Upper Level | © Alberto Campo Baeza Floor Plan | © Alberto Campo Baeza Section | © Alberto Campo Baeza Casa De Blas Image Gallery About Alberto Campo Baeza Alberto Campo Baeza is a Spanish architect born in 1946 in Valladolid. Renowned for his minimalist and essentialist approach, he emphasizes the interplay of light, gravity, and proportion in his designs. His notable works include the Casa Turégano, Casa de Blas, and the Caja de Granada headquarters. Campo Baeza was a full-time design professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) from 1986 until his retirement in 2017. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, such as the RIBA International Fellowship and the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal, recognizing his contributions to contemporary architecture. Credits and Additional Notes Design Team: Alberto Campo Baeza, Alfonso González Gamo Structural Engineer: Julio Martínez Calzón, MC-2 Collaborators: Teresa Campos

Whether beamers, bollards, or lamp posts, the following light solutions prioritize lumen strength and distribution as well as charming, modern aesthetics. (Courtesy Landscape Forms) Moment Lighting Landscape Forms Characterized by straight lines, perfect circles, and conical shapes, this collection offers sleek, adaptable profiles. It’s available in different pole heights and mounting configurations, or hung and wall-mounted and with an optional hexcell louver to ensure precise illumination with minimal glare. (Courtesy Artemide) Gople Outdoor Artemide Drawing from the silhouette of a glass diffuser, BIG designed Gople Outdoor as a cotton candy–colored family of lighting. Bollards, spots, and lanterns make up some of the line, each interpreting diffusers in different ways. (Courtesy ERCO) Beamer Contour Projector ERCO Available in a new large size, ERCO’s beamers provide precise and powerful lighting suitable for museum applications. The narrow, inconspicuous framing houses straight-edge projections to create exact framing, cutting down on light pollution. (Courtesy Cyclone) Mochi Cyclone Mochi’s curved dome brings softness to urban settings. Offered in a side or pendant mount, the luminaire features 14 light distribution types as well as backward optics that can be oriented to illuminate a road or bike path. (Courtesy Lebello) Spore Garden & Path Light Lebello These mushroom-shaped LED lights illuminate pathways and gardens. They come in a variety of pole heights and colors, in brass, copper, stainless silver, or black accents, and in 3000K warm light or 4500K cool light. (Courtesy Luminis) Syrios Pro Luminis This luminaire enables a continuous aesthetic from curb to cube with pole, wall, and ceiling mount options. Optional beam angle reflectors are also available for public spaces, pathways, and facades.

Roku TV is adding a batch of new features to make finding your preferences easier, plus some pretty cool hardware upgrades.

As AI-powered social engineering attacks rise, the human layer has become the new cybersecurity battleground—where trust is exploited and mobile devices are the target.