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NVIDIA is launching a native GeForce NOW app on the Steam Deck and browser versions on major mixed reality headsets including the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 and 3S, the company said at CES 2025. That will bring NVIDIA's 2,100-plus titles to those devices, including two AAA Microsoft games arriving later in 2025.Valve's Steam Deck already had limited beta support for GeForce NOW via the Chrome browser and an automated script. The native version should improve performance, with up to 4K 60p resolution with HDR when connected to a TV, powered by cloud-based GeForce RTX gaming rigs. Users will get the same benefits as RTX GPU owners, including DLSS 3 technology to improve frame rates. NVIDIA didn't provide an exact launch date other than "later this year."GeForce NOW is also coming to VR headsets and much sooner. The company will support the Apple Vision Pro and Meta quest 3 and 3S, along with Byte Dance's Pico VR and MR headsets. If you own one of those headsets, you'll just need to open the browser to play.geforcenow.com when the version 2.0.70 app update arrives later this month.On top of the existing GeForce Now game library, owners of those devices will gain access to Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed and DOOM: The Dark Ages from id Software when they're launched on PC later this year. All of that could make GeForce NOW temping for users on the fence, though as a reminder, you have to buy any games you want to play on top of paying up to $20 per month for the service itself.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nvidias-native-geforce-now-app-is-coming-to-the-steam-deck-093030989.html?src=rss

As power outages get more frequent, people who'd never much thought about residential home battery backup systems are probably starting to give it some consideration. Plenty of companies are happy to address that need and this week at CES, I got to check out Biolite's solution. Unlike something that needs a pro to install, using the Backup is almost as easy as plugging it in (you also need to mount it somewhere in your home). In person, the battery is remarkably thin and the matte silver finish is about as unobtrusive as you can get. That's all part of the design BioLite says it's designed to fade into "forgotten places" in your home. Behind the fridge, under a counter top, on the wall beneath a desk. Personally, I'd love one so I'd never have to worry about the pickles going bad in the fridge again when a storm knocks out the the power at my house, as it did recently. (I ate the pickles. I should not have eaten the pickles.) The concept will be familiar to anyone who's ever used an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) something gamers have been using for years to ensure uninterrupted play. In essence, it's a large battery plus inverter that plugs into your wall. You then plug in any appliance or device you don't want to ever lose power a fridge is a good example. When the power inevitably goes out, the battery senses the lack and flips the output to feed from the stored charge. When power is restored, the cells refill themselves, ready for next time. It's app-connected so you'll have a log of when and for how long your power goes out, and of course get notifications when things happen. You can also use Backup on-demand when your power is perfectly fine, or even schedule it to come online at certain times, something you may want to do when you're dealing with higher electricity prices for peak usage periods. Amy Skorheim / Engadget Positioned at one edge towards the corner are three ports, one that connects to an outlet and two AC connections. One of those is intended for the included BioLite power strip, which packs three more AC ports and two each of USB-C and Type A connections. A vertical mounting kit is provided, but if you want to mount it horizontally, you'll need to purchase a separate mount from Biolite. It ships in two configurations, Backup Complete, a two-unit set with a 3 kWh total capacity that can deliver 30 to 60 hours of power (for reference, an average house in the US eats up around 30 kWh per day). The Backup Core holds 1.5 kWh of juice and is probably better suited to something like a home office setup. The larger Complete version is eligible for a 30 percent tax rebate, as it meets federal requirements that stipulate a backup system be at least 3 kWh and be physically installed in the home. Pricing is $3,000 for the Complete model and $2,000 for the core. The Biolite rep pointed out that, should you get the rebate, the larger set works out to just $2,100 so really it's a popcorn at the movie theater situation just get the large for a little bit more. The Backup by Biolite is available for pre-order now and units are expected to ship in May. Amy Skorheim / Engadget This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/backup-by-biolite-is-a-giant-but-sleek-battery-that-keeps-your-fridge-running-during-outages-090041209.html?src=rss

At CES 2025, MSI is launching a huge lineup of upgraded laptops with various specs that cater to an array of budgets. But of everything, one system stood out and if you take even a quick look at it, I think you can see why.As part of MSIs Titan Series, not only is the Titan 18 HX the biggest and most powerful system the company makes. However, the special Dragon Edition features a ton of unique design traits that ensure it will never get lost in a crowd. On its lid is a hand-drawn close-up of a scaled monster (no AI art here) which was then acid-etched into the aluminum resulting in an incredibly detailed and textured surface. You're literally staring into the eye of the beast.But it doesnt stop there because there are also Norse-inspired runes carved into its lid along with an RGB-lit logo. Meanwhile on the inside, theres a metallic ring and a dragon sculpture embedded beneath the deck that MSI says was created using advanced 3D printing and layering techniques. And in case that isnt enough, the touchpad also features customizable RGB lighting, because hey, its still a gaming laptop.The Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition isnt all show and no go though, as it features top-of-the-line components including next-gen Intel HX series processors, NVIDIA RTX 5090 graphics, PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, Wi-Fi 7 and a total device power of 270 watts. MSI also included a vapor chamber to help keep thermals in check while the massive 18-inch mini LED display features VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification and a 120Hz refresh rate. Even the keyboard has been tweaked to include low-profile mechanical Cherry MX switches to deliver a thoroughly desktop-like experience but in a package that you can still (sort of) carry around. The Titan HX Dragon Edition is also part of a bundle that includes a matching wyrm-themed mouse, desk pad and packaging.Sadly, because of certain embargo restrictions from MSIs partners, I wasnt allowed to power on the Titan 18 HX to see if its performance truly matches its roaring appearance. On top of that, MSI has yet to reveal official pricing or availability, though that last part might be a big deal as this system is clearly intended only for people with the heart (and wallet) of a dragon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-msi-titan-18-hx-dragon-edition-is-fierce-as-hell-040055155.html?src=rss

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Details are scant so far, but Signify claims it's the start of "a new era in smart lighting".

Philips Hue is now enabled for 2024 LG TVs, having been available for Samsung TVs since 2022.

Latin American payments firm dLocal has secured a U.K. payment institution license, adding to its growing portfolio of licenses as it furthers global expansion.

The past year has seen strong job growth in the U.S., with employers adding more than 2 million jobs during 2024. But for people who have been laid off or are otherwise unemployed, those figures dont capture the challenges of navigating the current job market.As of the most recent jobs report, more than 7 million Americans were unemployed. And according to The Wall Street Journal, a significant number of those people1.6 millionhave been looking for a new job for at least six months.Average length of job searchOver the past two years, the share of people job hunting for six months or longer has increased by more than 50%. That means that on the whole, it now takes job seekers an average of six months to find a new positionabout a month longer than was typical when hiring was at its peak in early 2023.As of December, 1.8 million people were continuing to file for recurring unemployment benefits.This shift has been particularly noticeable in office jobs, especially across sectors like tech and media where workers have been subjected to layoffs in recent years. While fewer tech workers were laid off in 2024 than the year prior, more than 150,000 people were still affected by job cuts, according to Layoffs.fyi.The slower rate of hiring of unemployed workers is not necessarily reflected in the overall unemployment rate, which has remained relatively low at 4.2% despite inching up slightly in 2024. (Hiring is still robust in sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation, for example.) But in contrast to the post-pandemic hiring boom, there are fewer job openings overall, with only one job listing per unemployed worker, as compared to two listings per worker in 2022.Industry-specific factorsAs Fast Company has reported, workers faced hurdles in the job market for much of 2024. There are a number of reasons why this issue may be persisting in certain industries. Many tech companies have simply pulled back on hiring after a period of rapid growth as the pandemic faded, not to mention layoffs.There could be a mismatch between what companies are looking for in new hires and what job seekers want, particularly at a moment when some employers have implemented strict return-to-office mandates. Wage growth has fallen, which indicates that employers feel less pressure to compete for talent. Then theres the threat of AI, which has already redefined the hiring processand is slowly starting to reshape the workforce.

In recent years, doctors and patients have reported serious frustration with requirements from insurers for prior authorization before a laundry list of medical treatments and procedures can take place.In a June survey by the American Medical Association, 90% of physicians reported that the sometimes arduous process negatively affects outcomes for their patients, and nearly one in four doctors said prior authorizations led to a serious adverse effect for at least one of their patients. A widely reported study by the health policy research nonprofit KFF found the practice widespread among Medicare Advantage insurers, with an average of 1.7 prior authorization requests submitted per Medicare Advantage enrollee in 2022a total of 46 million requests.Prior authorization requirements can also be time-consuming for doctors and medical facilities, which need to document their patients need for specific care. Medical providers sometimes must engage in lengthy fax and phone correspondence with insurers before treatment begins, taking time and resources away from actual medical care.Research has shown that the vast majority of prior authorization requestsincluding more than 92% of those examined in the KFF reportare ultimately approved by insurers. But these still come at a cost for patients who experience treatment delays, doctors who need to work with health plans to see treatment authorized, and insurers themselves, who typically employ nurses and doctors to review those treatment requests.A startup called Anterior looks to make the process smoother, deploying artificial intelligence technology to help frontline employees at insurance companies review prior authorization applications. Anterior recently successfully concluded case studies with large organizations that collectively cover roughly 50 million people, with extended deals likely to be announced in the coming months, cofounder and CEO Abdel Mahmoud says. In June, the company announced it had completed a $20 million Series A funding round.Mahmoud emphasizes that Anteriors software doesnt ever reject an authorization request. Rather, its intended to process doctors requests and corresponding insurance company requirements to guide reviewersoften nursesthrough the steps, reducing the need for medical professionals to spend time at providers offices and insurance companies handling prior authorization of care.[Image: Anterior]Why are we having to have a nurse sit down working on a laptop reviewing 10 faxes a day? Mahmoud says he and his colleagues asked upon reviewing the existing system. And can we do something about that to try and reduce that burden?The AI software, named Florence after pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale, can comb through hundreds of pages of medical documentation for a particular patient and procedure. It highlights where insurers requirements to demonstrate the treatment is medically necessary are satisfied and any areas where documentation may be spotty. The AI is designed to show its work, and the user interface lets reviewers toggle between Florences analysis and specific sections of relevant documents cited by the AI, Mahmoud says.Nurses and doctors are very diligenttheyre going to check everything, he says. If something feels off to you, you can check.Mahmoud says some insurers have said theyre particularly interested in a tool that can speed up approvals of easy cases. If information is lacking, the AI can help request additional information from the doctor necessary to approve treatment. The software can in some cases help save days or even weeks of administrative processing, getting patients treated quicker, he says.Future versions may even be able to contact medical offices by phone, conducting automated conversations with providers to get more information, Mahmoud says. Meanwhile, there are companies working on the other side of the problem, creating tools to assist medical practices in filing prior authorization requests.PAs [prior authorizations] becoming more efficient should mean that they become invisible, Mahmoud writes in an email to Fast Company. Just like when you swipe your credit card, you dont think about the multiple processes happening in the background.Meanwhile, outright denials are handled outside the Florence system, and are typically issued only after a second-tier review by a physician, not just a nurse. AI should not do denials, Mahmoud says. We dont automate denials.Still, algorithmic and AI-powered tools for making medical coverage decisions have so far earned a mixed reputation. A recent article by three legal scholars in Health Affairs Forefront arguing for greater regulatory oversight of such software pointed to a 2022 McKinsey study that found AI could automate 50% to 75% of manual tasks in prior authorization and specific examples of insurers using such technology to speed the authorization process. But it also cited a Stat News series and class-action lawsuit claiming seniors in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans were denied needed rehabilitative care thanks to the use of an algorithm with a high error rate. UnitedHealthcare has denied those allegations.Its not that using AI to process prior authorization or utilization management or claims coverage reviews is inherently ethical or unethical, says Carmel Shachar, an assistant clinical professor of law at Harvard Law School and one of the authors of the Forefront report. But if you dont implement it right, it can have really negative repercussions.Another risk, Shachar says, is that streamlining prior authorization processing may encourage insurers to seek preapproval for an even wider range of treatments.We can see that prior authorization denials and claims coverage denials have skyrocketed in the last several years, which is also the time period in which AI has become more and more incorporated, she says. When they have an AI program doing that initial pass, it becomes cheaper and cheaper for them to run a PA process, which means theyre more likely to require PA for lower and lower cost services.So far, Mahmoud says, he hasnt seen insurers using the technology to expand the list of treatments requiring prior authorization. With other companies working on AI to aid medical providers in filing requests, its possible prior authorization could become a speedier and less painful process. And, he says, Anterior may benefit from potential regulations that require efficient processing of authorization requests or mandate greater transparency about how authorization requests are handled.The problem with payers is not that they dont want to do that, Mahmoud says. Its just that they are struggling in admin hell.