An international contest is being held to reconstruct the war-damaged State Tax University (STU) in Irpin, Ukraine (Deadline: 1 February)The competition organised by STU in partnership with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and Irpin City Council seeks innovative, bright, and comfortable proposals to redesign the universitys main campus which was destroyed at the start of Russias invasion in 2022.The call for concepts aims to identify a range of innovative solutions to create a new dream campus for STU which is located in the suburb of Irpin on the north-west fringes of the Kyiv where heavy fighting took place in the opening weeks of the conflict.Competition: State Tax University, UkraineAccording to the brief: STU and its partners announce an Open Competition for the best architectural solution for the design of the main campus building of the Irpin University (or State Tax University), which was almost completely destroyed in the first days of the Russian invasion in 2022.We welcome participants from all over the world! Participation is completely free of charge and is open to all design bureaus, architectural firms and individual architects from every corner of the globe.We believe that opening this competition internationally will allow a truly multicultural exchange of ideas in the field of architecture and design. Whether you are an established firm or a solo architect, this competition provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent on a global stage.The Russian invasion of Ukraine started more than two years ago on 24 February 2022 and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties, the displacement of millions of people and the destruction of large areas of the country.The latest contest comes just three months after the Norman Foster Foundation launched an open international contest to reimagine Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The foundation announced the winner of a separate contest to rebuild housing and public spaces in the city in November.Competition: State Tax University, UkraineThe competition invites architects and individuals from around the world to draw up concepts to renew the historic educational building which is currently partially destroyed and open to the elements.Judges will include Wendy Hillis; Assistant Vice Chancellor & Campus Architect at UC Berkeley; Antonina Kaplya, Architect & Founder at TSEH Architectural Group; SergiiMarchenko, Ukraines Minister of Finance; and Steve Wiesenthal, Campus Environments Principal Architect at Studio Gang.The overall winner of the competition due to be announced in April will be invited to proceed to the next stage and to participate in designing the full project documentation for the reconstruction of the campus.How to applyDeadline: 1 February 2025Competition funding source: Not suppliedProject funding source: Not suppliedOwner of site(s): Not suppliedContact details: 11.02@dpu.edu.uaVisit the https://competition.dpu.edu.ua/

jijomathai - stock.adobe.comNewsGovernment review of denied datacentre builds sees Iver project get green lightThe government has granted the developers of a proposed datacentre in Iver, Buckinghamshire, permission to press ahead with the project after the local council blocked the plans on Green Belt protection groundsByCaroline Donnelly,Senior Editor, UKPublished: 20 Dec 2024 13:27 A government review of a local councils decision to block a US-based company from building a hyperscale datacentre in Iver, Buckinghamshire, has concluded the project should proceed.Buckinghamshire Council refused permission in November 2022 for US investment company Affinius Capital to proceed with its plans to redevelop an industrial estate in Court Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire and build a 65,000m2 datacentre on the site instead.The reason given by the council for the refusal is that the project would be an inappropriate use of Green Belt Land, which are protected pieces of land that are intended to prevent the onset of urban sprawl.Shortly after coming to power in July 2024, the Labour government pledged to review the councils decision to block the project in support of its strategy to stimulate the UKs economic growth by accelerating the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects.The developer had raised an appeal against the councils decision, and a month before the governments intervention a public local inquiry was held over four days in June 2024.Following a review of the councils decision and the local inquiry, the government has now granted Affinius Capital permission to proceed with the project, with a letter dated 6 December 2024, outlining the reasons why.The letter states that the decision to overturn Buckinghamshire Councils decision to block the build was made by the minister of state for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook, on behalf of the secretary of state Angela Rayner.Weighing in favour of the proposal are the need for new datacentres, reduction in HGV movements, heritage benefits, reuse of previously developed land, and investment and job creation, which each carry significant weight, the letter stated.Weighing against the proposal are harm to Green Belt, which carries substantial weight; harm to [a nearby] listed building, which carries great weight; and landscape harm and visual harm, which carries moderate weight.The letter also goes on to state that, in Rayners view, there are very special circumstances to justify this development in the Green Belt, adding:The secretary of state therefore concludes that the appeal should be allowed and planning permission granted.The letter also states that the secretary of states decision on this matter can be challenged in the High Court, provided an application to do so is received within six weeks from the date of the letter.Computer Weekly contacted Affinius Capital for comment on this story, but no response was received by the time of publication.The Affinius Capital project was one of two datacentre developments the government placed under review in July 2024. The other is being overseen by Oxford-based developer Greystoke Land, after its bid to build a 1bn datacentre in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, was denied in January 2024. That decision is being appealed.At the time of writing, Computer Weekly understands a decision at government level on whether that build will go ahead remains pending.Read more about datacentre developmentsApple is set to hear at the end of this month whether its much-delayed Irish datacentrebuild can go ahead. Computer Weekly examines the ins and outs of this complex case.Reports citing the rapid rise of West London as a major datacentre hub as the cause of a potentialban on new housing developments in the area have not gone down well with industry watchers.In The Current Issue:What do the home secretarys policing reforms mean for the future of the Police Digital Service?What are the security risks of bring your own AI?Download Current IssueMicrosoft Copilot: A Year of Learning Write side up - by Freeform DynamicsPrint Industry Trends, 2025 Quocirca InsightsView All Blogs

In my personal experience, there are certain institutional barriers to productive and successful delivery of major projects in government. Indeed it may be that the mechanisms that are put in place to reduce the risk of delivery failure and wasted money may in many cases be the very things that are significantly increasing the risk of that failure.At the heart of many of the challenges facing major government IT programmes is the fundamental disconnect between the bottom-up Agile approaches encouraged by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and followed by most IT programmes and the top-down nature of the project approval, funding and oversight mechanisms.This approach frequently demands an agreed up-front design, a fully defined set of outputs and benefits at the start of the project and a business case setting out in great detail the budget required for delivery. These are all fundamentally based on Waterfall-type project planning.As an ex-Treasury official myself I fully understand the need to ration spending and to allocate it to where it is most useful, however the way this is currently configured does not align with Agile project delivery.At best these are simply slightly spurious formalities that projects must go through before they can start the Agile approach to delivery. At worst they undermine the delivery approach needed and distract the project team from the iterative, fast-paced and flexible approach that is needed for successful delivery. This needs to change in the current governments vision to emulate a start ups test and learn mantra.But this approach will also falter if another tendency of government IT is allowed to prevail. Many departments focus on delivering all, or certainly most, projects almost exclusively in-house using bespoke code to build the necessary solutions. This is often done because of the complexity, or at least the perceived complexity, of government processes and how much they differ from those in private sector organisations.However, this focus on building systems using bespoke code is time-consuming, expensive and hard to manage, and still all too often fails to deliver. It also often ends up with a disconnect between the frequently huge IT team and the business staff who are ultimately going to own and use the system, and with massive amounts of design documentation being passed back and forth between them.To deliver Keir Starmers vision of re-wiring Whitehall, there does need to be an approach that looks to how government can apply low-code software development intelligently and in the right areas. This can revolutionise the way the government designs and builds IT by significantly reducing the amount of custom code creation needed and by transforming the way business people are involved in the process.The new government is right in how its choosing small discrete projects. A more iterative, less big bang approach to government transformation should be adopted. Starting small and picking one or two key processes in any given area, to begin with, and adopting an approach such as Agile low-code development that reduces reliance on scarce and expensive technical skills while compelling business and IT teams to work together in an integrated way.This lets you get to the stage where the outcomes can be assessed much sooner, providing the basis on which to move onto the next mini-project. Ulitimately you end up ticking off a lot of stages and achieve sweeping but sustainable transformation but with the problems of more traditional approaches minimised.Alex Case, is a former senior civil servant at Downing Street and a now government industry principal at Pegasystems, which develops applications for low-code

ZDNETAs someone who's been around the block a few hundred times with technology, planned obsolescence has long bothered me.Consider this: With Windows 10 nearing the end of its life, you have two choices. You can hope your computer supports the upgrade to Windows 11, or you can go another route. When Microsoft released Windows 11, it became clear that a lot of hardware (capable of running the previous iteration) wouldn't support the new version of Windows. Many people ended up having to purchase new systems if they wanted to stick with Windows. For some, that wasn't an option, so they had to continue using a Windows operating system that would eventually fall out of support. That meant no more security updates, which can leave users -- and their data -- vulnerable.Also:When Windows 10 support runs out, you have 5 options but only 2 are worth consideringIf you've found yourself in such a situation, there's hope in the form of a handful of Linux distributions designed specifically for older or less-powerful hardware. With these operating systems, you can revive an old machine and make it run as though it were new.Here are six Linux distributions that are perfectly at home on older (and even newer) hardware.1. Bodhi LinuxGreat for those willing to learn new things The Bodhi Linux desktop offers a unique way of interacting with your computer. Image: Jack WallenFor about five years,Bodhi Linuxwas my go-to operating system. It's not just perfectly suited for older hardware, but it also offers a unique take on the user interface. The Moksha Desktop is similar to that of Enlightenment (another old-school favorite of mine) and includes plenty of features to make it a full-fledged desktop operating system.The one caveat to using Bodhi Linux is that you will have to rethink the way you interact with the desktop, as it's quite different. That doesn't make it challenging (it's not), but know that Moksha will take a bit of getting used to. One of my favorite features of Moksha (which also appears in Enlightenment) is that you can access the desktop menu by clicking anywhere on the desktop. That makes for a very efficient workflow.The recommended system requirements for Bodhi Linux are:64-bit, 1.0GHz processor768MB of RAM10GB of drive spaceWith just a minimal system, you'll have a desktop computer that not only runs like a champ but also looks really cool as it does.2. Linux LiteVery user-friendly, highly customizable, and blazingly fast The Linux Lite desktop includes all the features to which you're accustomed. Image: Jack WallenIf you're looking for a more standard desktop interface,Linux Litemight be your best bet. Linux Lite uses a custom Xfce desktop environment to create an interface that should be immediately familiar to all user types.Even better, Linux Lite was designed to be very user-friendly. So, even if you aren't familiar with Linux, you should be able to get up to speed with the operating system quickly. Linux Lite comes with the Chrome web browser, Thunderbird email client, GIMP image editor, VLC media player, the LibreOffice office suite, and more pre-installed. Linux Lite is fairly customizable, so if you don't like the default desktop layout, you can change it.The minimum system requirements for Linux Lite are:1GHz CPU768MB of RAM (1GB is recommended)8GB of drive space (minimum)3. Puppy LinuxBest for use as a live distribution The Puppy Linux default desktop. Image: Jack WallenPuppy Linuxis a bit of an outlier here, as it's not nearly as easy to install as the other distributions. In fact, Puppy Linux is rather challenging on this front, so it's often best to simply use it as a live distribution. With that, you can "install" it to a USB flash drive (and even do so with persistent file storage) and boot as needed. This way, you can carry Puppy Linux around with you and boot it on any machine you like, without making a single change to what's installed on the local drive.Also:The best Linux laptopsYou'll find more than enough installed software, such as the Palemoon web browser, Claws Mail email client, AbiWord word processor, Gnumeric spreadsheet tool, and plenty more. The Puppy Linux desktop is a bit cluttered, but it's still very straightforward to use.The minimum system requirements for Puppy Linux are:CPU: Pentium 900 MHzRAM: 300MBHard Drive: OptionalDVD-ROM: 20x and up or USBJust remember, even though Puppy Linux can do wonders to revive your old hardware, you'll need a bit more Linux experience to get the most out of this distribution.4. Tiny Core LinuxBetter for experienced users The Tiny Core Linux default desktop offers side title bars similar to those you can configure with AfterStep. Image: Jack WallenTiny Core Linuxcouldn't have a more apropos name. It's very small. Tiny Core is another distribution that you don't really need to install on your hard drive. You boot it, add only the applications you need (using a GUI installer), and interact with the bare minimum desktop (based on BusyBox and FLTK).Like Puppy Linux, I don't recommend Tiny Core Linux to those who are new to Linux, as it's not nearly as straightforward as you might think.Tiny Core does support virtual desktops, sticky windows, and includes a Control Panel for configuring backup/restore, services, date/time, mouse, network, and more.The minimum system requirements for Tiny Core Linux are:i486DX CPU46MB of RAMThe recommended minimum configuration for Tiny Core Linux is, however, a Pentium II CPU and 128MB of RAM. There are also three different versions on thedownload page: Core (the base system), Tiny Core (the recommended option), and CorePlus (an installation image that includes the choice of seven different window managers).Of all the lightweight Linux distributions, Tiny Core can run on the oldest hardware.5. LXLE LinuxWorks on ancient hardware The LXLE Linux desktop interface makes using Linux a breeze. Image: Jack WallenLXLE Linuxis built on the most recent version of Ubuntu Linux and uses the LXLE desktop environment to create an operating system that's very lightweight, simple to install, and easy to use. LXLE offers quite a nice desktop (especially for a lightweight distribution) that includes all the software you need to be productive or entertain yourself.The latest release of LXLE Linux (Focal) can be completely installed (from start to finish) in less than five minutes. On top of that, the default desktop should be quite familiar to anyone who's used any kind of desktop interface. If, during the installation, you configure it to upgrade, you'll probably run into a moment during the process where it seems like things have stopped (when it says "Retrieving file 100 of 101"). Have patience because it will complete and continue.The system requirements for LXLE are about as minimal as you can get:512MB of RAMP3 CPU or betterYes, you read that correctly, a Pentium 3 CPU. That means you can revive ancient hardware with this distribution.LXLE does ship with apps like LibreOffice, Bookworm, HomeBank, LibreWolf, and ClawsMail installed by default, so even though it's a tiny distribution, you'll find it has everything you need to get up and running.6. Bunson Labs LinuxA more modern flare Bunson Labs Linux is as beautiful as it is easy to use. Jack Wallen/ZDNETBuson Labs Linuxuses the Xfce desktop to create a lightweight Linux distribution. However, this isn't your grandmother's Xfce, as the developers have given it a rather modern twist. Instead of looking like an old-school Linux desktop, Buson Labs Linux has a more modern flair. And because Buson Labs Linux is based on Debian, you can be sure that it's as rock-solid and reliable as any operating system on the market. This Linux distribution's desktop takes a nod from Ubuntu, with a vertical panel and loads of personality. And with a right-click desktop menu, you can bet this distribution is incredibly efficient to use.As far as system requirements, here's what they look like:CPU: 32- or 64-bitRAM: 1 GB minimum and 2 GB+ recommendedStorage: 20 GB recommendedWith these six different lightweight Linux distributions that can help give old computers new life, you can save some money and the environment by keeping hardware around that cannot run the most modern operating systems, and feel good about doing a good deed for the planet and yourself.See also

In our tech-fueled era dominated by portable devices, microSD cards are the unsung champions of data storage. These tiny shards of plastic are, in reality, veritable titans of storage capable of adding gigabytes to a wide array of devices -- from smartphones and tablets to action cameras, dashcams, and drones. Whether you're snapping selfies or capturing the wildest of adventures, these storage cards are likely an integral part of your digital existence, perhaps without you even realizing it.But beware! The market is a minefield of low-quality and counterfeit pretenders that threaten to sabotage your data and throttle your device's performance. The specter of losing priceless files or enduring sluggish operations is an ever-present worry. But fear not, as top-tier microSD cards are astonishingly affordable. Investing in genuine, high-quality cards isn't merely a wise choice; it's an absolute must, as premium cards deliver unrivaled performance, steadfast reliability, and rock-solid data integrity, ensuring your digital escapades remain seamless and your tech life hums along with efficiency.So, choose wisely because when it comes to microSD cards, quality reigns supreme.Also:What do all those microSD and SD card numbers and letters mean?What is the best microSD card right now?Over the years, I've conducted hands-on testing on numerous microSD cards, evaluating features like capacity, price, and performance. My extensive use of dozens of microSD cards across a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, drones, and action cameras, has given me a comprehensive understanding of their performance in real-world scenarios.Based on my testing, here are my top picks for the best microSD cards, with the SanDisk Extreme microSDXCstanding out as the best overall choice for its consistent quality, performance, and reasonable price. Sort by All The best microSD cards of 2024 Show less View now at B&H Photo-Video Tell me you need a microSD card, and chances are,this is the one I'll recommend. I've been using SanDisk microSD cards in smartphones, tablets, action cams, dashcams and drones for years now, and I've not had one let me down.Quality doesn't have to come at a price, eitheryou can pick up a 1TB card for under $100.This is consistently one of the highest-rated microSD cards in online reviews.SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 190MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) |In-app performance rating: A2 (up to 4000 read IOPS, 2000 write IOPS) Pros Great, consistent quality Great value Comes with a microSD to SD card adapter Cons Lots of counterfeits out there Capacities peak at 1TB Tell me you need a microSD card, and chances are,this is the one I'll recommend. I've been using SanDisk microSD cards in smartphones, tablets, action cams, dashcams and drones for years now, and I've not had one let me down.Quality doesn't have to come at a price, eitheryou can pick up a 1TB card for under $100.This is consistently one of the highest-rated microSD cards in online reviews.SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 190MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) |In-app performance rating: A2 (up to 4000 read IOPS, 2000 write IOPS) Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less Lexar, a brand I've trusted for well over a decade, has released a new microSD card -- the Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC. The storage card combines professional-grade performance and reliability at a budget-friendly price, and I recently put it to the test. The card is rated with a video class speed of V30 and a UHS speed rating of U3, meaning it can achieve a minimum of 30 MB/s. It also boasts an Application Performance Rating of A2, indicating it can handle 4000 IOPS minimum random reads, 2000 IOPS minimum random writes, and 10 MB/s minimum sustained sequential writes. In terms of performance, this card is perfect for 4K video capture in H.265 format, which is more than enough for most people's needs. It's solid and reliable, and it comes with a great warranty and free recovery software in case you accidentally delete important footage. Review: Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC For a new card, the user reviews on online stores are very positive, indeed, which means this card is a winner. Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC Memory Card tech specs: Capacity: From 128GB to 512GB |Offload speed: Up to 205MB/s |Write speed: Up to 150MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Pros A professional-grade card for a mainstream price Comes with an SD card adapter Cons For some who like massive cards, the capacity ceiling of 512GB will feel limited Lexar, a brand I've trusted for well over a decade, has released a new microSD card -- the Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC. The storage card combines professional-grade performance and reliability at a budget-friendly price, and I recently put it to the test. The card is rated with a video class speed of V30 and a UHS speed rating of U3, meaning it can achieve a minimum of 30 MB/s. It also boasts an Application Performance Rating of A2, indicating it can handle 4000 IOPS minimum random reads, 2000 IOPS minimum random writes, and 10 MB/s minimum sustained sequential writes. In terms of performance, this card is perfect for 4K video capture in H.265 format, which is more than enough for most people's needs. It's solid and reliable, and it comes with a great warranty and free recovery software in case you accidentally delete important footage. Review: Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC For a new card, the user reviews on online stores are very positive, indeed, which means this card is a winner. Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC Memory Card tech specs: Capacity: From 128GB to 512GB |Offload speed: Up to 205MB/s |Write speed: Up to 150MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon This is the card I recommend to those who either are in love with the Amazon Basics brand, or who are scared to buy another brand for fear of getting a counterfeit card.I've used these cards a lot in applications where speed is not a concern -- such as dashcams -- and they've all performed as advertised.Reviews on outlets such as Amazon are highly positive, with buyers being surprised that something on the Amazon Basics brand can be so good.Amazon Basics Micro SDXC Memory Card tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s |Write speed: Up to 60MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Pros An easy buy for those who like the Amazon brand Comes with microSD to SD card adapter Not come across a counterfeit of this brand Cons Can be pricier than other options Not as fast as some of the other cards This is the card I recommend to those who either are in love with the Amazon Basics brand, or who are scared to buy another brand for fear of getting a counterfeit card.I've used these cards a lot in applications where speed is not a concern -- such as dashcams -- and they've all performed as advertised.Reviews on outlets such as Amazon are highly positive, with buyers being surprised that something on the Amazon Basics brand can be so good.Amazon Basics Micro SDXC Memory Card tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s |Write speed: Up to 60MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less When I want speed, these are the cards that I turn to when I need to record a lot of data. With write speeds topping at 130MB/s, these are the cards I choose when I'm working with 5K video, either on the ground in action cameras or in the air with a drone.With 89 percent of Amazon reviewers giving this card 4 or 5 stars, this is a card you can trust.ProGrade Digital UHS-II microSD Card tech specs: Capacity: From 64GB to 256GB |Offload speed: Up to 250MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 60 (V60) Pros High performance Laser-etched serial number to reduce on counterfeits 3-year warranty Advanced Recovery Pro Software to restore damaged files included Cons Capacity tops out at 256GB Pricey When I want speed, these are the cards that I turn to when I need to record a lot of data. With write speeds topping at 130MB/s, these are the cards I choose when I'm working with 5K video, either on the ground in action cameras or in the air with a drone.With 89 percent of Amazon reviewers giving this card 4 or 5 stars, this is a card you can trust.ProGrade Digital UHS-II microSD Card tech specs: Capacity: From 64GB to 256GB |Offload speed: Up to 250MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 60 (V60) Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less If you're going to be doing a lot of writing to a microSD card, these are the cards for you as they are designed to offer up to 16 years -- an incredible 140,160 hours -- of continuous recording time for the 256GB version, while offering read and write speeds of up to 100 megabytes per second (MB/s) and 40 MB/s, respectively.Review:Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC CardI've read countless reviews on Reddit and Amazon for these cards, and the claims of high endurance seem to translate into real-world usage.Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC Card tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 256GB |Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s|Write speed: Up to 40MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Pros High endurance Fast enough for 4K video 5-year warranty Cons Capacity tops out at 256GB If you're going to be doing a lot of writing to a microSD card, these are the cards for you as they are designed to offer up to 16 years -- an incredible 140,160 hours -- of continuous recording time for the 256GB version, while offering read and write speeds of up to 100 megabytes per second (MB/s) and 40 MB/s, respectively.Review:Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC CardI've read countless reviews on Reddit and Amazon for these cards, and the claims of high endurance seem to translate into real-world usage.Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC Card tech specs:Capacity: From 32GB to 256GB |Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s|Write speed: Up to 40MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less It's impossible to cover storage media for cameras without including Lexar, as it's one of those brands that's been around since the dawn of storage. Great performance, an excellent limited lifetime warranty, and another brand that's not let me down.Another brand of microSD cards that has tens of hundreds of positive reviews on outlets and Reddit.Lexar Professional microSDXC UHS-I microSD Card tech specs:Capacity: From 64GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 160MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) |In-app performance rating: A2 (up to 4000 read IOPS, 2000 write IOPS) Pros Trusted brand Excellent track record Lifetime warranty Cons Pricier than the competition It's impossible to cover storage media for cameras without including Lexar, as it's one of those brands that's been around since the dawn of storage. Great performance, an excellent limited lifetime warranty, and another brand that's not let me down.Another brand of microSD cards that has tens of hundreds of positive reviews on outlets and Reddit.Lexar Professional microSDXC UHS-I microSD Card tech specs:Capacity: From 64GB to 1TB |Offload speed: Up to 160MB/s|Write speed: Up to 130MB/s |Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) |In-app performance rating: A2 (up to 4000 read IOPS, 2000 write IOPS) Read More Show Expert Take Show less What is the best microSD card? ZDNET's pick for the best overall microSD card is theSanDisk Extreme, but narrowing down the best microSD card isn't an easy task. That's because you can have different cards for different applications. For example, one person might favor performance, while another might want high endurance, and another be budget conscious. Thankfully, there are numerous options for extra storage that can range from just a few dollars to over a hundred, with different storage offerings and read and write speeds. BrandPriceRead speed (MB/s)Write speed (MB/s)SanDisk Extreme From $10 190 130 Lexar Professional Silver PlusFrom $14205150 Amazon Basics From $11 100 60 ProGrade Digital From $50 250 130 Samsung PRO Endurance From $19 100 40 Lexar Professional From $12 160 130 *MSRP at the time of writing. Please note that actual prices may vary depending on available sales, deals, discounts, and coupons. Show more Which is the right microSD card for you? ZDNET's pick for the best overall microSD card is theSanDisk Extreme, but narrowing down the best microSD card isn't an easy task. Check out our other top picks and see how they compare to each other, and to your needs. Choose thismicroSD card brandIf youSanDisk Extreme Want a fantastic all-rounder suitable for most applications. Lexar Professional Silver Plus Want a professional, pro-grade card without the eye-watering cost. Amazon Basics Are worried about counterfeit cards with more prominent brands. ProGrade Digital Record lots of video and want blistering fast write speeds. Samsung PRO Endurance Are recording 24/7/365 to the card with CCTV or use it in a body cam or dash cam. Lexar Professional Are a professional and you want a brand that's been around for ages and a limited lifetime warranty. Show more How we test microSD cards ZDNET only recommends products we ourselves have tested or researched, and while there are many microSD options on the market, not every card is built the same. Here are some other factors I considered when testing and curating my top selections.Real-world use: When I test microSD cards, I use them in a variety of systems from cameras and drones to CCTV systems under both easy and harsh conditions, to get a feel for how they actually work in the real world.Brand trust: I've been a photographer and videographer for a couple of decades, and a drone operator for close to ten years, and during that time I've had the chance to use all these microSD cards in real-world situations. These are the brands of cards that I use and trust.Benchmarks: I'm also quite a nerd, and have carried out both real world and synthetic benchmarks on these storage cards. For benchmarking I use AmorphousDiskMark and BlackMagic Disk Speed Test. Show more FAQs on microSD cards What's the difference between an SD card and a microSD card? The main difference between an SD card and a microSD card is size. SD cards are larger, measuring 32mm x 24mm x 2.1mm, while microSD cards measure 15mm x 11mm x 1mm.Both types of cards come in similar capacity ranges and performance classes.SD cards are found in devices with larger form factors such as digital cameras, camcorders, and older laptops, while the smaller microSD cards find a place in smaller devices such as smartphones, tablets, drones, and action cameras. Show more Should you always go for the biggest microSD card you can buy? No. In fact, I've seen people run into troubles and lose a lot of data doing this, not so much because of the microSD card, but because of their own bad practices. A terabyte microSD card can hold a lot of data, but that can lead to problem if you don't regularly empty it and one day your camera falls into the sea or your drone flies away never to be seen again.This is why I prefer having a handful of smaller cards. This way I change them regularly, and if the worst happens and I do lose data, the loss is limited. Show more How robust are microSD cards? Very robust!I've been using microSD cards for closer to two decades now, and they're incredibly durable. MicroSD cards are built to withstand extreme weather conditions, and are temperature-proof, waterproof, drop-proof, shockproof, and even X-ray proof. Show more How do you spot a counterfeit microSD card? It can be hard to do this. The way many find out is that their card either dies or doesn't have anywhere near the stated capacity. Other, more subtle giveaways include the printing on the card being poor quality or wrong, and cheap packaging.Windows users can also use software tools to check the validity of their microSD cards, tools such as h2testw, USB Flash Drive Tester, and ChipGenius.Another way it to carry out a speed check test using a tool such as BlackMagic Disk Speed Test or CrystalDiskMark and checking your results against the specs on the card's packaging or the internet. If they are dramatically different -- say by 20% or more -- then you could have a fake card (or something is wrong with your test system or card reader).The best way to avoid counterfeits is to buy from a reputable outlet. Show more Are there alternative microSD cards worth considering?Yes, but I'm going to steer away from cheap or budget microSD cards simply because my listing above has some great cards at a great price, and going cheaper is a false economy.But here are a couple of cards that might interest you -- a 1.5TB card and a great value 3-pack of 128GB cards. Show less PNY 32GB Elite Class 10 U1 V10 SDHC Flash Memory Card 5-Pack Here's a 5-pack of 32GB microSD cards for under $20. A bargain! Read More Show Expert Take Show less Further ZDNET Tech Coverage Smartphones Smartwatches Tablets Laptops TVs Other Tech Resources ZDNET Recommends

PCs have been through a number of evolutions in terms of form factor, transforming from big, heavy, and quite ugly beige boxes that took up a lot of desk space to something no bigger than a hardback book that packs enough power to handle all but the most demanding of workloads.Say hello to the mini PC: A PC that's just as comfortable tucked behind a TV, popped on a shelf, or hidden in a cupboard as it is sitting on a desk. These mini PCs pack a punch and have everything that you could want from a modern PC -- and take up the least amount of space possible.Also:The best power banks: Expert testedWhat is the best mini PC right now?I've tested and researched the current mini PC offerings on the market, examining specs and paying close attention to user reviews, and my top pick for the best mini PC is the Intel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon. Whether you want a mini PC for the home, office, or meeting room, this is a solid choice. But I understand that this might not be for everyone, so I've picked a handful more mini PCs, each aimed at a specific use case. Sort by All The best mini PCs of 2024 Show less View now at Amazon When it comes to mini PCs, it's hard to beat a mini PC built to the Intel NUC specs. I've owned and tested a number of them myself, and have been very happy with them.With this model, we have a system running a 16-core Core i7 chip that can power up to 3.7 GHz with a built-in Iris Xe GPU. Backing that is 32GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD. That's quite a spec for a system that you can hold in the palm of your hand. As for ports, this system has a multitude of USB ports, along with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and Ethernet.As mini PCs go, this one is overkill for most, but if you are looking for a really powerful system that runs whisper-quiet and can be mounted behind a TV or put on a shelf, this is the system for you.Given the price of this system, there aren't a lot of reviews for it, but the ones that have been written by owners are overwhelmingly positive.Intel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon tech specs: 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1360P | Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 1x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, audio jack | Windows 11 Pro Pros Powerful Quiet Excellent reviews Cons Expensive When it comes to mini PCs, it's hard to beat a mini PC built to the Intel NUC specs. I've owned and tested a number of them myself, and have been very happy with them.With this model, we have a system running a 16-core Core i7 chip that can power up to 3.7 GHz with a built-in Iris Xe GPU. Backing that is 32GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD. That's quite a spec for a system that you can hold in the palm of your hand. As for ports, this system has a multitude of USB ports, along with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and Ethernet.As mini PCs go, this one is overkill for most, but if you are looking for a really powerful system that runs whisper-quiet and can be mounted behind a TV or put on a shelf, this is the system for you.Given the price of this system, there aren't a lot of reviews for it, but the ones that have been written by owners are overwhelmingly positive.Intel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon tech specs: 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1360P | Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 1x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, audio jack | Windows 11 Pro Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less Just when you thought this list would only include Windows systems, we've got the Mac Mini. This was one of the original mini PCs, and with the switch to Apple Silicon processors, it has seen a new lease of life.Considered at one point the gateway Mac that got people over to MacOS from Windows (because they could replace their Windows PC with the Mac Mini and keep using their existing keyboard, mouse, and monitor with their new Mac), it's now a staple of the Mac lineup, and the perfect choice for those who want a compact system.I've owned a few different Mac Mini systems over the years, and I've been more than satisfied by them. They're reliable, well-built, and run cool and quiet. The biggest downside to this system is upgrading -- bottom line, this Mac will live and die with the same processor, RAM, and storage that it left the factory with. If you want to give it a storage boost, Satechi makes a hub/stand for it that adds a bunch of ports and a port for an M.2 SSD.As I'd expect from an Apple product, the reviews are strongly positive, with users reporting that they are happy with the performance and overall reliability of the system.Apple 2023 Mac mini tech specs: Apple Silicon M4 processor with 10 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores | 16GB RAM | 256GB storage | 2x USB-C, 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, Ethernet, audio jack | MacOS Pros Powerful Close to silent Excellent Apple build quality Cons Runs MacOS (although you can run Windows on it using virtualization) Limited upgrade options Just when you thought this list would only include Windows systems, we've got the Mac Mini. This was one of the original mini PCs, and with the switch to Apple Silicon processors, it has seen a new lease of life.Considered at one point the gateway Mac that got people over to MacOS from Windows (because they could replace their Windows PC with the Mac Mini and keep using their existing keyboard, mouse, and monitor with their new Mac), it's now a staple of the Mac lineup, and the perfect choice for those who want a compact system.I've owned a few different Mac Mini systems over the years, and I've been more than satisfied by them. They're reliable, well-built, and run cool and quiet. The biggest downside to this system is upgrading -- bottom line, this Mac will live and die with the same processor, RAM, and storage that it left the factory with. If you want to give it a storage boost, Satechi makes a hub/stand for it that adds a bunch of ports and a port for an M.2 SSD.As I'd expect from an Apple product, the reviews are strongly positive, with users reporting that they are happy with the performance and overall reliability of the system.Apple 2023 Mac mini tech specs: Apple Silicon M4 processor with 10 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores | 16GB RAM | 256GB storage | 2x USB-C, 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, Ethernet, audio jack | MacOS Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon This is a tiny mini PC that is a cube measuring 72 x 72 x 44.5mm, weighing only 206g. Inside the cube is a 4-core Intel N5105 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128HB M.2 SSD running Windows 10 Pro.Despite the tiny size, this mini PC features a handful of USB ports, two HDMI ports, an audio jack, and an Ethernet port. This system has no problems running two 4K@60FPS displays for maximum productivity.And yet given the power, this system is quiet and very energy efficient (using only 10W), making it a great choice for someone who wants a PC for the home, office, or meeting room, or even to drive digital signage.Reviewers of this system comment on the performance and overall value of the system, and it's an outstanding system for the price.GMKtec Mini PC tech specs: 11th Generation Intel N5105 | Intel UHD Graphics | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 128GB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, USB-C, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, TF/microSD slot, audio jack | Windows 11 Pro Pros Tiny Powerful enough to drive two 4K displays Cons Not fanless, so may become a little noisy when pushed with heavy workloads This is a tiny mini PC that is a cube measuring 72 x 72 x 44.5mm, weighing only 206g. Inside the cube is a 4-core Intel N5105 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128HB M.2 SSD running Windows 10 Pro.Despite the tiny size, this mini PC features a handful of USB ports, two HDMI ports, an audio jack, and an Ethernet port. This system has no problems running two 4K@60FPS displays for maximum productivity.And yet given the power, this system is quiet and very energy efficient (using only 10W), making it a great choice for someone who wants a PC for the home, office, or meeting room, or even to drive digital signage.Reviewers of this system comment on the performance and overall value of the system, and it's an outstanding system for the price.GMKtec Mini PC tech specs: 11th Generation Intel N5105 | Intel UHD Graphics | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 128GB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, USB-C, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, TF/microSD slot, audio jack | Windows 11 Pro Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon This mini PC has a few features that set it apart from the competition. While dual HDMI isn't all that rare, finding a system with dual Ethernet and dual M.2 slots is, and finding one with a built-in filter to keep dust out of the innards is even rarer.The price of this system makes it a perfect choice for those who want a cheap yet powerful mini PC -- as long as you're not running AAA-title games or other heavy workloads, this system has you covered.The only con to this system is that it runs the older 12th-gen Intel silicon, but for $300, this is still a system that both holds its own and won't break the bank.Beelink EQ13 Mini PC tech specs: 12th Generation Intel N200 | Intel UHD Graphics 32EUS | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 2x HDMI, 2x Ethernet, USB-C, audio jack | Windows 11 ProReviews of this system are strongly positive, with owners praising the power and performance of the system, and how quiet it is in day-to-day use. Pros Dual HDMI Dual Ethernet Dual M.2 slots Dust filter to keep the fan and insides clean Cons Older, 12th-generation processors This mini PC has a few features that set it apart from the competition. While dual HDMI isn't all that rare, finding a system with dual Ethernet and dual M.2 slots is, and finding one with a built-in filter to keep dust out of the innards is even rarer.The price of this system makes it a perfect choice for those who want a cheap yet powerful mini PC -- as long as you're not running AAA-title games or other heavy workloads, this system has you covered.The only con to this system is that it runs the older 12th-gen Intel silicon, but for $300, this is still a system that both holds its own and won't break the bank.Beelink EQ13 Mini PC tech specs: 12th Generation Intel N200 | Intel UHD Graphics 32EUS | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 2x HDMI, 2x Ethernet, USB-C, audio jack | Windows 11 ProReviews of this system are strongly positive, with owners praising the power and performance of the system, and how quiet it is in day-to-day use. Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon This mini PC describes itself as a gaming system, and with good reason. The combination of AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX and AMD Radeon 680M GPU gives this system a lot of horsepower to tackle a variety of workloads, from work to games.It also throws away the design rulebook. While most mini PCs are cube-like, this one is an upright tent shape. While that might seem like purely a design choice, it does in fact make opening up the system to carry out upgrades a snap as the side panel is held in place with magnets. This system features a power dial on the top to switch it between silent mode, auto, and performance, depending on whether you want power or silence. It also includes a multitude of LED lights, which you might love or hate. If you love them, great, if not, there's an app that turns them off for you.But the lights aside, this is the perfect mini PC for those looking for a gaming system but who don't want to have a huge box on their desk or beside their TV. There's no harder set of people to please than gamers, which is why it's quite reassuring to find strong reviews for this gaming mini PC.AceMagician AMD Ryzen 9 Mini PC tech specs:AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Radeon 680M GPU | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, USB-C, audio jack | Windows 11 ProThis is a mini PC that breaks a lot of the rules. Pros A mini PC that legitimately describes itself as a gaming system Powerful AMD processor and GPU Convenient dial for switching between power modes Cons Different shape LED lights might be annoying This mini PC describes itself as a gaming system, and with good reason. The combination of AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX and AMD Radeon 680M GPU gives this system a lot of horsepower to tackle a variety of workloads, from work to games.It also throws away the design rulebook. While most mini PCs are cube-like, this one is an upright tent shape. While that might seem like purely a design choice, it does in fact make opening up the system to carry out upgrades a snap as the side panel is held in place with magnets. This system features a power dial on the top to switch it between silent mode, auto, and performance, depending on whether you want power or silence. It also includes a multitude of LED lights, which you might love or hate. If you love them, great, if not, there's an app that turns them off for you.But the lights aside, this is the perfect mini PC for those looking for a gaming system but who don't want to have a huge box on their desk or beside their TV. There's no harder set of people to please than gamers, which is why it's quite reassuring to find strong reviews for this gaming mini PC.AceMagician AMD Ryzen 9 Mini PC tech specs:AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Radeon 680M GPU | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, USB-C, audio jack | Windows 11 ProThis is a mini PC that breaks a lot of the rules. Read More Show Expert Take Show less What is the best mini PC? Mini PCPriceProcessorGPURAMStorageOperating systemIntel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon$949Intel Core i7-1360PIntel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU32GB DDR42TB M.2 NVMe SSD Windows 11 ProApple 2024 Mac Mini$599Apple Silicon M4Apple Silicon M416GB DDR4256GB SSDMacOS 15GMKtec Mini PC$140Intel N5105Intel UHD Graphics8GB DDR4128GB M.2 NVMe SSDWindows 11 ProBeelink EQ13 Mini PC$299Intel N200Intel UHD Graphics 32EUS16GB DDR4500GB M.2 NVMe SSDWindows 11 ProAceMagician AMD Ryzen 9 Mini PC$570AMD Ryzen 9 6900HXAMD Radeon 680M32GB DDR41TB M.2 NVMe SSDWindows 11 Pro Show more Which is the right mini PC for you? Choose this mini PCIf you wantIntel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyona general-purpose mini PC. The Intel NUC PCs continue to be the best all-around mini PCs on the market. Yes, there are better, faster, cheaper systems out there, but these systems have continually impressed me over the years.Apple 2024 Mac minito go with MacOS. The Mac Mini used to be the way that Windows PC users would start to make the transition over to Mac. Nowadays, they are all-purpose desktop computers that are perfect for anyone who doesn't want a portable system, from students to developers.GMKtec Mini PCa truly tiny PC. This is one of the smallest systems I've seen, but it packs quite a punch, hitting well above its size and weight.Beelink EQ13 Mini PCa mini PC with a difference. This mini PC breaks the mold: not only does it have a special dust filter to keep out debris, it also has 2 Ethernet ports, and two M.2 slots to compliment the two HDMI ports.AceMagician AMD Ryzen 9 Mini PCa proper mini gaming PC. Here you have a full gaming PC packed into a tiny footprint. Sure, there are going to be desktop systems that are way more powerful than this system, but for the size, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything faster. Show more Factors to consider when choosing a mini PC In many ways, choosing a mini PC is much like a regular PC. There are all the usual performance, price, and support for all your peripherals to keep in mind. But if you are after a mini PC, then the mini part does come into play, so there is a size issue to bear in mind. The good news is that mini PCs come in a range of sizes, from systems that can fit in the palm of your hand to systems so small you could fit several of them in the palm of your hand.Do you need a mini PC? This is the top question when choosing a mini PC. Do you actually need one, or do you just need a regular PC?Size: This really is the differentiator when it comes to mini PCs. Do you want a PC that's the size of a biscuit tin, or something significantly smaller?Performance: Pretty standard PC consideration here. What do you want your system to do? Do you want to carry out general PC tasks like word processing and spreadsheets and browsing the web, or do you have more specialist needs in mind, such as gaming?Budget: Small doesn't always mean cheap, but you can save money by choosing a mini PC that suits your needs.Ports: Most mini PCs come with a decent array of ports, but if you need something like two Ethernet ports or a bunch of USB ports, you need to ensure you're getting the right mini PC for you. Show more How did we choose these mini PCs? There are a lot of mini PCs on the market from a variety of different vendors, and I've tested and used mini PCs from all the vendors listed here, I've based my selections on my experience using these brands, as well as current model user reviews.Product specs and price also come into play, but being able to draw on dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of other people's views allows me to get a broad sense of how well-received a selected mini PC is. I've paid particular attention to reports of performance, stability, how quiet or noisy the PC is, and weeded out many that seemed to have a poor lifespan.What we're left with is the best of the best, in a broad selection of categories that are applicable to mini PCs. Show more What is a mini PC? A mini PC is a compact yet fully functional computer that offers many, if not all of, the capabilities of a desktop PC, but is packaged into a smaller form factor. Mini PCs are designed to save space and can be used for a variety of tasks, from basic computing to more demanding applications such as programming or even gaming. Show more What are the advantages of using a mini PC? People often choose to invest in a mini PC for these reasons:Space-saving:The top benefit of going for a mini PC is that it takes up significantly less space than traditional desktop PCs.Portable:Mini PCs are lightweight and easy to move, making them ideal for users who need computing power on the go.Energy efficiency:Most mini PCs consume significantly less power than a similarly-specced desktop system, which can lead to cost savings on electricity.Quiet:Some models are fanless, resulting in quieter operation, and even those that still have a fan are far quieter than a standard desktop system. Show more Are mini PCs upgradeable? It depends on the model. Some mini PCs allow for upgrades -- sometimes very easy upgrades -- to components like RAM and storage, while others have fixed configurations.On the whole however, like laptops, mini PCs are better aimed at those situations where you buy the PC with the spec that you need rather than relying on an upgrade down the line. Show more Are there alternative mini PCs worth considering? Here are a few mini PCs that didn't make the cut to the main list, but are still worthy of an honorable mention. Show more Further ZDNET Tech Coverage Smartphones Smartwatches Tablets Laptops TVs Other Tech Resources ZDNET Recommends

A year of tumultBrad Templeton / Tesla / Waymo / Zoox2024 was a year of tumult (again) for the self-driving industry, with growth and success for Waymo and Chinese players, middling results for a few others, and doom for some of the biggest. Lets count em down:Honorable Mention: The othersOur top 10 focus on the biggest players, but the next tier had a fair bit of action. Aurora kept improving their trucks and promises real, unmanned operation last year, but the world is now less interested in promises of next year and wants to know what you can really do.We did see improvements though from them and other trucking players like Kodiak, Gatik and Plus. In China, WeRide announced it will also operate in the UAE and AutoX has been quiet with announcements. Pony, on the other hand, completed an IPO in the USA and said it would quadruple to 1,000 vehicles in 2025. On the other hand, new US laws effectively forbid Chinese cars from operating in the USA.Israels MobilEye both canceled their internal LIDAR work and continued a shift away from planning its own robotaxi offering; it will instead work with partners. One notable partner was Rimacs Verne dedicated robotaxi service which showed a nice custom robotaxi, but only as a concept.MORE FOR YOUAt #10 was trouble at Motional, the MIT/Singapore based robocar startup that was funded by Hyundai and Aptiv after Aptiv bought it. Its all Hyundai now, and the CEO/founder left. With the universal trouble at Automaker-based robocar projects, things look dim for Motional, but hope remains that they can pull something together.At #9 was one of the years biggest shutdowns of a major project, as Apple killed its secretive Project Titan after many years. The worlds top tech company will stay out of self-driving, which is a shame as it has resources to match Google and Amazon (which remain in the game) and this takes that level of resources. For Apple, though, they will do just fine either wayin fact a large fraction of the worlds ride hails will still require Apple products to happen.Nuro is the best funded of the self-driving pure startups, and it had a focus on delivery with its own custom small road-based robots. Theyve dropped that path and now plan to license their self-driving tech (which is one of the very few projects to put vehicles out on the road with nobody on board) to the various OEMs and others who will need it. Meanwhile, trucking companies, including small-truck operator Gatik, continue to focus on delivery, and sidewalk robots are going strong. Starship, a company I helped build, announced reaching 7 million autonomous deliveries, which is more autonomous trips than anybody else, including Waymothough on sidewalks, not roads.#7: The rise of new AI techniques has been the tech story of the decade, particularly the application of Googles Transformers to Large Language Models. LLMs dont just do language, though, they do anything that can be turned into a string of tokens, including the stream of events perceived by a car driving down the road and its future plans. Now every team is using both the deep learning networks of the 2010s as the key tool for perception and LLMs for prediction and planning, if theyre not going all the way to trying an end to end network which takes pixels/point clouds in and outputs driving commands. LLM planners are showing powerful abilities at producing natural driving and understanding situations, though theyve also resulted in some surprising behaviors, including some crashes (though the teams dont ever admit that.) Some believe in pure neural networks, others have found that they plateau and more complex approaches combining several methods are necessary. No pure machine learning vehicle has yet reached the bar of driving on its own without a safety driver.#6: The Chinese leader is Baidu, which now claims to be doing 75,000 autonomous robotaxi rides per week, with 70-80% having no safety driver. Thats a clear #2 behind Waymo. They also announced their new custom Robotaxi design which they claim they can build for around $28,000 in China, including LIDARs and other extra gear. Shame the USA wants to slap a 100% tariff on imported Chinese EVs and ban Chinese software in them.The timelineBrad TempletonAt #5 is Waymos growth, which includes doing 4 million autonomous rides in 2024, rising to do 150,000 per week, and expanding to more territory in Los Angeles (with access to the general public) and more in the SF Bay Area, with approval for the whole peninsula. They also announced they will open in 2024 in Atlanta and Austin with a new test relationship with Uber, which will handle ride-hail and depots and fleet management. (Uber is a ride-hail option in Phoenix.) They will also expand to Miami in 2026 with Moove doing depots and the Waymo One app doing exclusive ride-hail. This is the beginning of the long awaited scaling for Waymo. Theyve also published impressive safety data and cemented a clear leadership. This timeline infographic paints their progress and that of their competitors.At #4, different news for Waymo. They had developed a 6th generation platform to replace the discontinued Jaguar, based on a minivan-like custom robotaxi design from Chinas Geely/Zeekr. But US plans for a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs put a big barrier in the way, so Waymo also announced a partnership with Hyundais new advanced vehicle group to produce an alternate version of the 6th generation vehicle on top of an Ioniq 5. Tariffs wont make the Chinese tiger go away for long, though, particularly globally.#3: Elon Musk, armed with data from Twitter and an estimated quarter billion dollars bought deep influence in the U.S. government by backing the victory of Donald Trump, and being named to a new Department of Government Efficiency. That makes his companies, including Tesla, seemingly immune from regulation, which in turn suggests a massive change (and reduction) in regulation of self-driving cars, particularly Tesla FSD. Musk has always said the one thing he could not predict about when his technology would deploy is regulation, but now he practically controls it. Unless Musk gets deregulation only of Tesla, this should be good for all players, except the Chinese.Musk is already the most distracted CEO in the world, though, and his governmental role wont make that better.#2: Tesla always makes news. Their FSD stack has shown significant improvement this year, though its still a very long way from being able to operate without supervision, though as he has for the last 7 years, Musk predicts that it will in just one year. Ironically, the rapid progress is a sign the product is still quite immaturea mature product wont see much visible improvement in its last few years before deployment. If a new version appears much better, it means it was seriously flawed before and surely still is.The hard reality is that Tesla FSD can complete only a few drives in a row without a problem, while Waymo is doing tens of thousands in a row. Waymo only drives a few cities because thats the right plan, they could easily drive all cities at a level better than Tesla if that made sense, but it doesnt.That made Teslas big We Robot launch for the Tesla Robotaxi/Cybercab a bit of a non-event, because while the concept cars and van looked nice, the software still has far to go. It showed Teslas dedication to being a robotaxi company, and most of the event was Musk evangelizing the reasonswith a speech very similar to the ones Ive been doing for over a decade.The top story is a sad one: GM has shut down Cruises Robotaxi efforts, and will redirect whats left of the company to work on ADAS tools for GMs consumer cars. This wasnt too shocking. Cruise had gone into semi-hibernation after being kicked off the California streets a year ago, and it put their custom Origin vehicle on the back-burner too. Signs of life were rare, but they kept spending money on the leaner company, which suggested they really wanted to bring it back to lifeuntil they didnt.While its far from assured, theres a distinct chance that this shutdown will be marked later in history as the moment GM died, afraid of the future. Yes, it will save money, as will Aptiv, Ford and others. Mercedes just got permission for their highway-only car to go 95 km/h in Germany, so its still in the game in a more limited way. Broadly though, the automaker-backed ventures have all faced trouble, though non-traditional automakers like Tesla and the Chinese EV makers arent flagging in their enthusiasm.Of course, GM might be able to rejoin the game by licensing from Nuro or MobilEye or another provider. This was always the likely path for automakers, but leaves them not in control of what will become the most important component of their vehicles, not a place they wanted to be.It will also be marked that Cruise and Uber, the two projects which have hit pedestrians to serious results, both received the corporate death penalty and were shut down as a result. In this case, the DMV played a large role, surely hastening Cruises end by removing them from the streets, in part for that incident. While some question whether robocar projects need more regulation, theres also a compelling case for less, or at least better regulation, less likely to kill multi-billion dollar projects unless their failings are clear.We enter 2025 with only Waymo operating a robotaxi service in the west. Zoox planned to open one but has delayed it until next year. May mobility has a limited shuttle service with no staffer on board, but full-time remote supervision. Chinese teams continue to advance. Tesla remains a wild card, many years behind Waymo and the others in safety performance, but trying different and brash approaches with the most unpredictable CEO behind the rudder, able to literally control governments to get his way. The trucking players are eager to go into production and many startups continue their quest.The shakeout may not even be over, but 2025 will certainly offer interesting times.

In this weeks edition of The Prototype, we look at a new lunar mission for startup company Firefly, how to teach old robots new tricks, our new robotic ant overlords and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here.FireflyThis week, NASA announced that it has awarded a new $179 million contract to Texas-based Firefly Aerospace as part of the Artemis lunar missions, the fourth it has awarded to the company to deliver projects to the Moons surface.The mission, which aims to launch in 2028, will utilize the space startups Blue Ghost cargo lander to deliver six scientific experiments to an area on the Moon called Gruithuisen Domes, which were formed by lava millions of years ago in order to better understand Lunar geology.Fireflys first Moon mission for NASA is currently slated to launch in mid-January 2025 on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That mission is scheduled to land at Mare Crisium in order to study a variety of surface conditions to help prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon.Stay tuned.P.S. This is the last edition of The Prototype for 2024. Ill be back on January 3rd. Happy holidays!This Startup Is Teaching Old Robots New TricksNo Coding RequiredT-RoboticsFactories across the country rely on large, robotic arms to carry out a variety of tasks. These are large, versatile and already embedded within the facilitys infrastructure. Theyre also difficult to program. Asad Tirmizi, CEO and cofounder of Bay Area startup T-Robotics, wants to change thatby making them smarter by letting them be trained for new tasks by people without programming knowledge.The company announced this week that it has raised a $5.4 million investment seed round, and that it will launch its first commercial product with robotics company ABB next year.Our thesis is, we can make your language the new programming language of robots, Tirmizi told me.To that end, his company has developed a software layer, called ActGPT, for these robotsregardless of the brand or model. Users can tell the robot what they want to have accomplished by having a conversation with ittelling it what to do while getting feedback the robot.T-Robotics software uses whats called a Visual Language Haptic Action model, including not only a language component to interact with users, but also sensors and feedback to learn to correctly do a task. There is a planning component that uses all this information to see if it has the correct information it needs, Tirmizi explained. If the robot needs more information, it prompts the user. And this back-and-forth enables someone to program the robot without knowing a bit of code.You can be a complete rookie in robot programming, but end up with a competent industrial-grade application, Tirmizi said.DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: A SWARM OF ANT-LIKE ROBOTSResearchers in South Korea have developed tiny magnetic robots that are capable of working together in swarms, much like ants, to perform tasks like throwing things, lifting much heavier objects, and pushing down obstacles. A group of a thousand of the cube-shaped robots were able to shape themselves into a raft and move along water. They are incredibly small (about 1/50th of an inch) and made from an epoxy containing particles of neodymium-iron-boron. The movements are powered by a magnetic field that enables them to self-assemble and are programmed by varying the angle by which they are magnetized. The research teams findings were published in the journal Device this week.FINAL FRONTIER: NEXT CREWED NASA LAUNCH DELAYEDNASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were only supposed to be on the International Space Station on a weeklong trip. But much like the passengers and crew of the S.S. Minnow, their journey is taking more time than expected. The pair have been on board more than six monthsand it looks like theyll be there even longer now.Previously, NASA planned to return them to Earth, along with Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, in February. But that dates been pushed back to no earlier than late March as the space agency and SpaceX complete work on the new Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the mission. That capsule will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the station.FORBES CALLED IT: NEXT GENERATION IVFTwo years ago, we recognized Dina Radenkovic for our annual 30 Under 30 list in Healthcare. That was based on the potential of the next generation IVF technology her startup, Gameto, had developed. It enables extracted eggs to mature in synthetic ovaries, shortening the length of time the IVF procedure requires while lowering the overall cost. This week, that potential proved out as the company announced the first birth of a baby facilitated by its technology was born to a couple in Brazil.WHAT ELSE I WROTE THIS WEEKThe Federal Reserve warned this week that it is forecasting fewer rate cuts in 2025 as inflation persists. I wrote about why that could be bad news for biotech startups.In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, I wrote about the persistence of avian flu, which has prompted a state of emergency in California, due to the number of dairy farms affected by the disease, on the same day the CDC announced the first severe case in a patient in Louisiana.SCIENCE AND TECH TIDBITS Iran has a thriving black market for Starlink terminals, with an underground worldwide network of smuggling and advocacy aiming to bring an uncensored internet into the country.Anthropologists argued in the journal Nature Astronomy this week that space agencies should include the tracking and preservation of human spacecraft, landers, etc. in their planetary protection plans for future Mars missions. (Though hopefully they'd forgive Mark Watney for disturbing Pathfinder.)Commonwealth Fusion Systems says it plans to build its first grid-scale fusion power plant in Virginia, with an aim of being operational in the early 2030s.An Alabama woman is in good health after becoming the third living person to receive a pig kidney transplant, NYU Langone Health announced earlier this week.Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Wang Haoze completed a 9 hour, 6 minute spacewalk while installing devices to protect Chinas Tiangong space station from space debris, reported SpaceNews. This breaks the previous record for a spacewalk, which was 8 hours and 56 minutes.A research team created a new type of sunscreen that both protects skin from harmful UV rays and also cools the skin at the same time.PRO SCIENCE TIP: AVOID INJURIES WITH FLATTER RUNNING SHOESScientists at the University of Florida discovered that runners who wear shoes with thick heels are more likely to suffer an injury than those who wear thinner, flatter shoes. The culprit appears to be sensationthicker heels make it harder to feel how your foot lands, making an injury more likely. But that doesnt mean you should ditch your shoes right awaythe researchers add that a transition should be gradual so you can work on strengthening your feet and learn to land in a more controlled way. The research findings were published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. WHATS ENTERTAINING ME THIS WEEKThis week I watched the series finale of What We Do In The Shadows, a mockumentary TV series about a group of vampires living together on Staten Island. Over the course of six seasons, this was consistently one of the funniest shows on TVparticularly thanks to Matt Berrys incredible line readings. Series finales are hard to pull off well, but the show stuck the landing. All episodes are currently streaming on Hulu.MORE FROM FORBES

In brief: Recent leaks have revealed nearly all the important details regarding Nvidia's upcoming desktop RTX 5000 graphics cards, but information on their mobile counterparts has been slightly more elusive. New retail listings for upcoming Asus laptops confirm the memory, wattages, and corresponding CPUs for the next-generation mobile GPUs. As Nvidia and AMD prepare to launch new chips in the coming weeks, retailers and manufacturing partners have repeatedly spoiled hardware surprises by listing products too early. The latest false start has divulged critical details for Nvidia's entire next-generation laptop GPU lineup.According to 2 Cent and other retailers, Asus is preparing to launch multiple new ROG laptops in early 2025 with most featuring RTX 5000 discrete graphics. Prior reports revealed scant details regarding each GPU's memory and power draw, but a new chart summarizing the retail leaks offers a mostly complete picture.Like the mobile RTX 4090, the 5090 features 16GB of VRAM. However, the 5080 will also include 16GB an upgrade from its predecessor's 12GB. This amount was easy to guess from a ransomware leak targeting Taiwanese laptop manufacturer Clevo in June, but that leak also listed unnamed 12GB and 8GB cards, which can now be identified.The RTX 5070 Ti is the sole 12GB GPU in Nvidia's new mobile lineup. Everything below it is 8GB, including the entry-level RTX 5050, which receives a bump from the 4050's 6GB. All RTX 5000 graphics cards, including the mobile 5050 and desktop 5060, feature GDDR7 VRAM. // Related StoriesAlso Read: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop vs. Desktop GPUMoreover, the top two laptop GPUs draw a maximum of 175W while the 5070 Ti uses 140W. Wattages for the mid-range and low-end cards remain unavailable, but the CEO of Chinese OEM Hasee claimed in August that the 5060 draws only 115W.Additionally, Asus' upcoming laptops will pair RTX 5000 cards with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, refuting prior reports claiming they would stick with older Intel processors. Variants will include the company's Core Ultra 9 285H, 285HX, and 275HX, along with AMD's Ryzen 9 7945HX and 7940HX. Flagship units include 2K 240Hz monitors while most others settle for 1080p at the same refresh rate.Meanwhile, AMD's upcoming enthusiast APU, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, will debut in Asus' 2025 ROG Flow Z13. The integrated GPU, which features 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs, is paired with 32GB of RAM and a 13-inch 2K 180Hz screen.Nvidia is expected to reveal the desktop and laptop RTX 5000 graphics cards at CES in January.

MGMTable of ContentsTable of Contents10. Quantum of Solace (2008)9. Road to Perdition (2002)8. Logan Lucky (2017)7. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)6. Skyfall (2012)5. Layer Cake (2004)4. Munich (2005)3. Knives Out (2019)2. Casino Royale (2006)1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)This month, Daniel Craig earned the best reviews of his career for Luca Guadagninos acclaimed drama Queer. But the veteran English actor has always had an interesting career, from his early roles in The Power of One and Tales from the Crypt to his more recent films like the Knives Out mysteries. A reconsideration of his filmography is, therefore, expected and warranted not dismissing his revolutionary 15 years as James Bond but putting them in the context of the variegated career out of which they sprang. So prep those martinis (shaken or stirred) and sharpen those knives as here are the 10 best Daniel Craig films.Recommended VideosMGMRegarded as a disappointment at the time of its release, Quantum of Solace, Craigs second outing as James Bond, is easily the third-strongest of his Bond pictures.RelatedTheres a distinct, hazy visual style thanks to director Marc Forster (the youngest helmer in the franchises history), a killer spycrafty set piece at an ultra-modern opera house, and the always-excellent Gemma Arterton as a secondary Bond girl named, in the classic tradition of the franchise, Strawberry Fields. Her murder by being covered in crude oil (sure, why not?) brings to mind a parallel sequence from Goldfinger (1964), another of the films nods to Bonds past.DreamWorksCraig and Tom Hanks both play against type Hanks as an as amoral Chicago mobster, Craig as his bosss neer-do-well son in Sam Mendess adaptation of the 1998 graphic novel Road to Perdition. With its stark blacks and whites and eerie static shots, it anticipates Zack Snyders more self-consciously comic-book-adjacent films of the middle 2000s.This one is of interest as a necessary precursor to Mendes and Craigs later collaborations on Skyfall and Spectre, as Paul Newmans last on-screen role, and as a showcase for Craig in his early days as a character actor/heavy. Craig, as Connor, a mobsters son no one has any particular interest in keeping alive, makes use of the highly questionable American accent hed later supplant with his Benoit Blanc Foghorn Leghorn drawl.Bleeker StreetIn the sixth of Stephen Soderberghs (thus far) seven heist movies (the guy just loves heists!), the thickheaded robbers are yokel brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver), the target is the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Craig is the demolitions expert who blows a hole in its vault.The film, Soderberghs first since his short-lived retirement in 2012, may ultimately have a bit too much on its mind. But its still a candy-colored carousel of outrageous cameos and Bible Belt-isms, a working-class Oceans Eleven (or, as its winkingly referred to in the film, Oceans Seven-Eleven).Paramount PicturesAn utterly bizarre relic of early 2010s culture, The Adventures of Tintin was meant to be the first in a long-running animated franchise co-spearheaded by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. That no sequel has since appeared is perhaps thanks to its conspicuous use of the now-archaic motion-capture technology pioneered by Robert Zemeckis in the early 2000s, or Spielbergs schedule, or Jacksons (utterly superfluous Hobbit sequels wont make themselves).But its not for lack of charm on the part of this light-stepping lark of an adventure pic, nor for lack of a memorable villain, as Craig plays the malevolent treasure hunter Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, surely the only man in history thus named with a British accent.Is it, as has been suggested, the best Bond movie ever? Absolutely not its not even Craigs best Bond film ever (see below). But Skyfall is an action extravaganza that also manages to be a reckoning with mortality and its own franchises mythos, a subtle retelling of The Odyssey, and the mantelpiece for what is unequivocally the best Bond theme ever. (Adeles Skyfall tune is so good that it managed through pure residual staying power to win Oscars not just for itself but also for Sam Smiths and Billie Eilishs textureless and odorless themes for the next two Bond films.)Sony Pictures ClassicsThe directorial debut of future Kingsman doyenne Matthew Vaughn, Layer Cake is a conscious throwback to an all-too-brief era of British crime films that was already over by the time of its release. (Im referring to dialectically incomprehensible bits of scenery-chewing and gunplay like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Sexy Beast, the former two also produced by Vaughn.)Craigs a gangster and drug dealer, name never revealed, who makes his way through an ensemble of British heavy hitters including but not limited to Michael Gambon, Ben Whishaw, Tom Hardy (eons before Venom: The Last Dance), Sally Hawkins, and Sienna Miller Miller at her best in the femme fatale/damsel in distress blend shed come to perfect. Often credited as the deciding factor in Craigs Bond casting, this fleet crime drama is a delectable mishmash of high and low, the alleyway and the country club.Universal PicturesCraig came to Steven Spielbergs Tintin through this earlier collaboration, the story of a Mossad-sponsored team of freelancers hunting down those responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. Munich ranks high among Spielbergs historical dramas thanks to its star-studded (if dubiously Jewish) team of Craig, Eric Bana, Ciarn Hinds, and Geoffrey Rush.As a South African Jewish driver for the team of agents, Craig embodies the surging moral motivation for the crusade but also the ambiguity in an officially unaffiliated team of killers taking out radicals around the world.Lionsgate FilmsThe new film characters strong enough to carry a franchise that have been created in the past decade can be counted on the fingers of one hand actually, now that I think about it, on one finger.That honor goes to Benoit Blanc, the consulting detective with the high-camp southern accent and the proclivity for Stephen Sondheim, who debuted in Rian Johnsons excellent 2019 whodunit Knives Out and was played by whats this! James Bond himself, seeking an escape from a straitjacketing identification with a single character. As Blanc jump-started an ongoing Netflix franchise that looks likely to go on for years, perhaps it was a mixed blessing.MGMBond was, simply, never better, not in the 60s and not since, than in Craigs muscular debut in Casino Royale, the latest and perhaps last Bond film to be explicitly adapted from an Ian Fleming novel (of the same name).Yes, this Bond is grittier, yes, hes a street brawler with a face that looks as if its taken one too many punches, and yes, hes blond, but Bond himself matters less in these movies than the sumptuous plots and circumstances with which the filmmakers manage to surround him. Casino Royale, set in the world of high-stakes gambling and featuring both an all-time Bond girl (Eva Green) and an all-time baddie (Mads Mikkelsen), gives the character stakes and heart and humanity but never ceases to be pure red-meat fun.SonyMiles better than its Swedish-language adaptation from 2009, director David Finchers take on the 2005 Swedish mystery novel by Stieg Larsson is as maneuverable and sinuous as its protagonist, hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Craigs crusading journalist is manifestly in over his head in this story of serial murders linked by eerie familial connections.But Craig himself is magisterially brooding and plays off Mara with aplomb. That the film never spawned the franchise it deserved itself can likely be blamed on Bond. But then, so can everything.Editors Recommendations