Rare earth metals are largely unknown to the general public, but are used in a huge variety of products. The elements, including neodymium, and praesodymium, and cerium, themselves arent rare. But theyre concentrated in certain parts of the globe and are very challenging to refine into anything useful. Their unique electric and magnetic properties make them essential for electronics like hard drives and headphones, and some are used as contrast agents for MRI and CT scans. Many sell for tens of thousands of dollars per metric ton.In recent years, China has become the dominant refiner of rare earths, and the Chinese Communist Party uses them as bargaining chips in tit-for-tat trade disputes with the U.S.Typically, theres 330,000 to 350,000 tons of rare earths produced per year. Historically, almost none of them are produced in the U.S., said Nathan Ratledge, co-founder and CEO of Alta Resource Technologies.The U.S. Department of Defense is nervous enough that it has made securing the elements a key part of its industrial strategy.China can very easily weaponize this critical mineral supply, Ratledge said. The potential fallout extends beyond defense applications, too. Theyve already put export restrictions on some stuff thats pretty critical to a lot of real valuable companies like Nvidia and Apple.The U.S. currently has one operating rare earth mine in California, but it has had a rocky history. Ratledge said theres an alternative, though, lurking in the tons of e-waste the country generates every year.Alta claims it has developed a way to extract rare earth elements from low-grade supplies more efficiently than current refining techniques, which tend to rely on toxic chemicals applied over dozens of steps. The company, which until now has operated in stealth, instead uses a series of proteins that are specially designed to latch onto rare earth elements, whether theyre from virgin ore or electronic waste.Its hard for chemicals to differentiate between neighboring elements on the periodic table, Ratledge said. When things are less complex, chemicals can tend to win, because chemicals are cheaper. And when things are more complex, biology tends to shine because of the selectivity. The trick is harnessing biology in the right way.Altas proteins are attached to a resin and loaded into a column through which solutions containing rare earth elements are allowed to percolate. The proteins snatch rare earths out of solution and, when theyre saturated, the column is flushed and washed to release the metals. Ratledge said the proteins have proven to be surprisingly durable.The company is planning to build a pilot-scale plant this year thats about the size of a shipping container. Ratledge said that Alta has reasonable conviction that the federal government will help fund at least part of the cost of the pilot.To help with refining the technology and scaling it up, Alta has raised a $5.1 million seed round, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. The round was led by DCVC and Voyager Ventures with participation from Orion Industrial Ventures, Overture, and WovenEarth Ventures. The startup has also secured about $1 million in grant funding from DARPA and the state of Colorado.Though Alta wont be able to shift rare earth refining back to the U.S. overnight, Ratledge is optimistic that his company can produce enough metal to help the Pentagon breathe easier.To de-risk some of the core national security concerns, you dont need hundreds of thousands of tons. Youre talking single-digit-thousands of tons. Being able to meet those needs for the U.S. government is a near-term opportunity for us and other people like us, he said.

When Valeria Kogan started her Ph.D. program in bioinformatics, the scientific field that uses computation and software to analyze biological data, in 2017, she imagined her career would always be within the fields of mathematics, medicine, or biology. But after the first AI boom in the late 2010s, she got an intriguing opportunity in a sector she hadnt considered: agriculture.Kogan (pictured above in the middle) told TechCrunch that when she was approached by a friend of a friend, a tomato grower looking for someone who understood AI and could help apply the tech to agriculture, she was intrigued. When she heard that they were looking to use AI to monitor plant health, she realized a lot of her bioinformatic background was transferrable.When they started sharing with me the challenges they had, plants have health and their health is important, and how they monitor the health of plants, it was clear that technically the challenge is very similar, Kogan said. You want to see and make the diagnosis as fast as you can.She decided to launch Fermata in 2020. The Tel Aviv- based startup uses computer vision and AI to monitor and diagnose greenhouse crops with diseases or pests. Fermatas software works with any off-the-shelf camera and takes pictures of a greenhouses crops twice a day. Its inhouse AI model analyzes the pictures and sends alerts of infestation or disease to farmers through an app.Kogan acknowledged that companies looking to bring AI to farms have struggled to gain meaningful traction in the past. While she doesnt think her company has garnered meaningful market share just yet, she thinks Fermatas approach has allowed the team to gain traction for a few reasons.For one, she said, they approached the market with genuine curiosity, looking to find out what greenhouse farms needed, as opposed to trying to sell them tech they didnt want.The original idea that I had was lets build the robots that will be moving through the greenhouse, and we even built the first project, Kogan said. We did the first mistake, we built things before talking to anybody, and it still sits in my dads garage. When we started talking to people, it was very clear that no one needs that, the robot is a bad idea.She added that their approach to training their AI model has likely also helped them stand out. Since the beginning, Fermata has kept its data labeling team in-house, as opposed to outsourcing it, which Kogan attributes the companys accuracy to. When they started, they used publicly-available data, but now they train their models on their customers data and have a research and development center where they infect plants with different diseases too.We love customers who have a lot of problems because it brings us a lot of data, especially if they have some deadly diseases, Kogan said, followed by a laugh. Were like, okay, lets look serious on the call, and that were worried because that is bad news for them but for us its amazing news.When Fermata launched, Kogan said they thought it would make sense to partner with companies that were already selling to farms. That approach didnt garner a lot of call backs when Fermata started it in 2020, but when AI started gaining momentum in 2022 that changed. Now, Fermata works directly with farms but also partners with large agriculture enterprises like Bayer and Syngenta. The company declined to share growth metrics but has deployed more than 100 cameras.Fermata also recently raised a $10 million Series A round. The $10 million came entirely from Raw Ventures, a European VC. The firm was an existing investor and Kogan said when they set out to raise this current round, they didnt feel the need to dilute the cap table with more investors.The round will be used to help the company scale and to reach its goal of being profitable by 2026. Kogan said that theyve been able to grow thus far without a sales team, and largely from inbound interest, but are looking to bulk up their sales team. Fermata currently just works with greenhouse-grown tomatoes but is actively working toward expanding into new crops and growing its partnerships.

Dive into a visual feast with the Showreel 2024 by The Yard VFX showcasing their Khazad-dm work on The Rings of Power, the intense action of Halo Season 2, the adventure of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the relentless energy of John Wick: Chapter 4! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024The post The Yard VFX Showreel 2024 appeared first on The Art of VFX.

Metal 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D delivered over 100 super-meter metal LPBF 3D printers globally in 2024. Nearly 40 of these systems, which include the EP-M2050, EP-M1550, and EP-M1250 models, feature X, Y, and Z axes all measuring over one meter.According to the Hangzhou-based company, these sales figures reinforce its leadership in the large-format, multi-laser metal 3D printer market. Eplus3D claims its success in 2024 reflects a market trend of increasing multi-laser adoption in metal additive manufacturing.Over recent years, the laser wars have emerged in the metal 3D printing sector, with OEMs incorporating increasing numbers of lasers into their industrial systems. Eplus3D has played a key role in driving this, launching the 64-laser EP-M2050 3D printer last year. Xian Bright Laser Technologies, Farsoon Technologies, Nikon SLM Solutions, and Velo3D also offer their own multi-laser systems, all of which target high-speed production of large-scale metal parts.Eplus3D commented that it will continue to explore and push batch production to the next level, steadfastly expanding the boundaries of metal additive manufacturing in 2025.Eplus3D Large-format Metal PBF 3D printers installed in JINGYE Additive Manufacturing. Photo via Eplus3D.Metal additive manufacturing at Eplus3D Eplus3D was founded in 2014 by Feng Tao, who developed Chinas first selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer. He later worked with South China University of Technology in 2002 to establish the countrys first Selective Laser Melting (SLM) additive manufacturing equipment.The Chinese firm, which boasts facilities in several countries including Germany and the United States, specializes in large-format laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. These systems seek to address the high demands of the aerospace, space, and energy industries which require large and highly complex metal components.Last year, Eplus3D partnered with engineering services provider LEAP71 to develop what has been called the worlds largest single-piece metal 3D printed rocket thruster. Displayed at Formnext 2024, the thruster stands over 1.3 meters tall and is capable of delivering 200 kN of thrust, over 40 times the thrust power of the Noyron TKL-5 engine tested in June 2024.1.3 meter tall 3D printed single-piece 200 kN thruster. Image via Eplus3D.Additionally, Eplus3D installed its EP-M300 LPBF system at Paradigm 3D to 3D print certified aerospace components. Thanks to its open platform and high material utilization rate the system reportedly facilitates testing with with diverse materials and parameters for robust R&D initiatives.The companys technology has also been adopted by automotive, mold-making, and electronics firms targeting mass production and industrialization applications. Eplus3D recently partnered with German bicycle manufacturer Mve to develop the Mve Avian, an e-bike with a 3D printed titanium bike frame. The design unlocks full battery integration, addressing complex design and production challenges. Leveraging the M650 3D printer allowed Mve to eliminate costly tooling and reduce the projects timeline by six months.The Mve Avian e-bike features a 3D-printed titanium frame developed through the partnership with Eplus3D. Photo via Eplus3D.Metal 3D printers experience shipment growthAccording to Eplus3D, its significant sales milestone highlights its leading position in large-format 3D printing technology. Delivering over 100 metal 3D printers is said to illustrate the firms role in driving innovation and modernization, as well as stimulating the innovation potential of the industry.Metal 3D printer shipments have remained steady over the past year, with Chinese vendors performing particularly well. According to market intelligence firm CONTEXT, in Q1 2024 Chinese OEMs were elated by strong domestic demand for LPBF technology. These companies witnessed 45% growth in metal PBF 3D printer shipments.In the following quarter, Chinas domestic shipments of metal LPBF systems grew 7% YoY, while global shipments from all metal 3D printer manufacturers fell by 7%. During Q2 2024, Eplus3D witnessed 29% shipment growth on a trailing twelve-month basis, while fellow Chinese firms Bright Laser Technologies and ZRapid Tech posted growth of 31% and 54%, respectively.Looking to the future of metal 3D printing, CONTEXT expects shipments of industrial 3D printers costing over $100,000 to increase by 15% in 2025. This growth is expected to be driven primarily by higher demand for metal 3D printers, particularly LPBF technology which is witnessing higher adoption in China. This would reportedly bring sales in the industrial market back to levels last seen in 2021.Wohlers Associates, the Colorado-based additive manufacturing consultancy firm operating under ASTM International, has also reported growth in metal 3D printer shipments. Its annual Wohlers Report 2024 noted that global shipments of metal 3D printers increase by 24.4% in 2023. Having tracked this segment over the past 21 years, Wohlers estimated that 3,793 metal 3D printers were sold in 2023, up from 3,049 in 2022.Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?All the news from Formnext 2024.Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on X, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows Eplus3D Large-format Metal PBF 3D printers installed in JINGYE Additive Manufacturing. Photo via Eplus3D.

World Design Rankings 2025As the new year unfolds, its time to explore the latest updates from the World Design Rankings (WDR), an annual initiative that highlights the global achievements of the design community. WDR ranks countries based on the number of designers who have received the prestigious A Design Award, offering a unique perspective on the creative and competitive standing of nations worldwide.What are the World Design Rankings?The World Design Rankings serve as a comprehensive benchmark for creative excellence, shining a spotlight on countries that nurture and promote outstanding design talent. By aggregating data from the A Design Awarda globally recognized accolade that honors exceptional work in architecture, industrial design, graphic design, and moreWDR celebrates innovation and creativity across borders. This ranking not only acknowledges the brilliance of individual designers but also emphasizes the importance of fostering a thriving design ecosystem at a national level.Key Highlights from the 2025 RankingsThe 2025 rankings continue to showcase a dynamic landscape of creativity, with countries from diverse regions excelling in various design disciplines. As expected, nations with strong design cultures such as Italy, China, and the United States maintain prominent positions. However, emerging design hubs are making impressive strides, signaling a shift towards greater global diversity in design leadership.Among the highlights:China retains its crown as a global leader, reflecting its enduring influence in design and innovation.Turkey and Hong Kong show significant growth, underscoring the rise of new creative powerhouses.To view the complete list of countries featured in the World Design Rankings and explore detailed design business insights for each, interested individuals can visit the World Design Rankings website at https://www.worlddesignrankings.com/Outstanding Projects and DesignersA Design Awards & Competition is the worlds largest annual juried design competition that honors the best designers, architects, and design-oriented companies worldwide.In todays post, weve rounded up some of the Top 10 Designers winners Worldwide of the ADesign Competition to help kick-start your submission!#RankingFull Name / InstitutionPlatinumGoldSilverBronzeIronRunR+#1Kris Lin of KLID(Kris Lin International Design)489 Points, with 111 Awarded Designs.1435461420R+#2Katsumi Tamura of Good Morning Inc253 Points, with 52 Awarded Designs.142211500R+#3PepsiCo Design and Innovation541 Points, with 128 Awarded Designs & 9 Runner-Up Works.13443620159R+#4Florian Seidl of Lavazza64 Points, with 13 Awarded Designs.632110R+#5Fabrizio Cris of Elica S.p.A.41 Points, with 7 Awarded Designs.610000R+#6Aedas165 Points, with 34 Awarded Designs.5208100R+#7Hakan Grsu of Designnobis287 Points, with 77 Awarded Designs & 8 Runner-Up Works.4142517178R+#8Lenovo Design Group of Lenovo74 Points, with 14 Awarded Designs.4100000R+#9Li Xiang of X+Living Architectural Design Co., Ltd85 Points, with 18 Awarded Designs.467100R+#10Johnson Li of Lenovo (Beijing) Ltd.47 Points, with 9 Awarded Designs.432000Registration to A Design Award & Competition 2024-2025 is open now.Results will be announced on the 1st of May, 2025.

Casa Verde Gago | Hugo Santos SilvaIn the heart of Ansios historic center lies Casa Verde Gago, a thoughtful renovation that bridges the divide between tradition and modernity. This project by Bruno Dias Arquitectura demonstrates how historical preservation can coexist with contemporary design, offering a revitalized architectural identity that honors the sites heritage while pushing creative boundaries.Casa Verde Gago Technical InformationArchitects1-5: Bruno Dias ArquitecturaLocation: Rua Almirante Gago Coutinho, Ansio, PortugalProject Year: 2023 2024Photographs: Hugo Santos SilvaThis project has a contemporary feel that respects the memory of its historical context. At the same time, it is capable of reflecting an innovative approach, preserving the essence of the site, while establishing a dialogue between the past and the present, without compromising the historical identity. Bruno Dias ArchitectsCasa Verde Gago PhotographsStreet View | Hugo Santos SilvaPatio | Hugo Santos SilvaPatio | Hugo Santos SilvaInterior | Hugo Santos SilvaKitchen | Hugo Santos SilvaDining Table | Hugo Santos SilvaKitchen | Hugo Santos SilvaBathroom | Hugo Santos SilvaArchitectural Approach: Balancing Tradition and ModernityThe project transforms an old building into a contemporary structure that respects its historical context. Casa Verde Gago embodies a dialogue between the past and present, making design decisions that retain historical identity without compromising on innovation. This building achieves a seamless integration of heritage and modernity through its materiality, spatial organization, and aesthetic choices.The exterior of Casa Verde Gago immediately sets the tone for the projects design philosophy. The green faade, which gives the building its name, is more than an aesthetic decision. Drawing inspiration from the traditional color palette of Portuguese architecture, it serves as a nostalgic nod to the past while establishing a fresh, contemporary visual identity. This choice reflects an effort to preserve the memory of traditional homes without replicating them.Materiality plays a significant role in establishing this balance. Wood, prominently used throughout the project, evokes the traditional elements of Portuguese architecture. However, its application introduces a subtle visual dissonance, creating a contemporary interpretation of historical aesthetics. The careful selection and placement of materials ensure harmony with the surrounding streetscape while showcasing an innovative design language.Spatial Organization and Functional DesignCasa Verde Gago is divided into two one-bedroom apartments, each occupying one floor. The layout is designed with functional efficiency, catering to modern living needs while preserving an intimate scale. Each apartment features a bedroom, kitchen, living area, and bathroom, and the first-floor apartment includes an office and closet.The vertical access within the building serves as a defining architectural element. The staircase provides circulation and organizes the spatial distribution of the apartments. It acts as a central axis, delineating the two living spaces while maintaining a cohesive connection between them. The interplay of light and material in the staircase design further enhances its role as a focal point.Inside, the warm tones of wood create an inviting and cozy atmosphere. The minimalist interior detailing complements the contemporary aesthetic while fostering a sense of intimacy. By prioritizing material authenticity and simplicity, the design achieves a timeless quality that resonates with both past and present.Outdoor Spaces and Adaptive ReuseThe patio at Casa Verde Gago exemplifies the projects commitment to adaptive reuse and social interaction. Originally a wine cellar, this space has been transformed into a modern outdoor area featuring a water tank and minimalist landscaping. The redesign reflects a shift from its former utilitarian purpose to a welcoming social hub for residents.Integrating minimalist landscaping and water elements adds a contemporary layer to the space, creating a serene and functional outdoor environment. This transformation underscores the architects ability to reimagine traditional spaces while preserving their cultural essence. The patios new role as a communal area highlights the importance of outdoor spaces in fostering social interaction and enhancing the overall living experience.Casa Verde Gago PlansFloor Plans | Bruno Dias ArquitecturaFacades | Bruno Dias ArquitecturaCasa Verde Gago Image GalleryAbout Bruno DiasNotes & Additional CreditsProject Team: Bruno Dias, Tnia Matias, Cristiana Henriques, Ana ValenteBuilding Company: Eliberto Construes, LdaCarpentry: MCJADuarte, LdaFlooring: PaumarcAluminum Works: Jolusilva

Published January 7, 2025 9:00am EST close CyberGuy: How to set ringtones for your contacts Kurt Knutsson shares how you can set a ringtone for a specific contact on both iPhone and Android. As high-tech and advanced as all our modern mobile devices are, there's no way of getting around basic user errors. Luckily, the makers of your mobile devices kept such errors in mind. That is why we were eager to respond to Lynne's question about how to restore a deleted contact on your mobile device."I must have FAT fingers, as I accidentally deleted information in my contacts. I had typed in a couple of other contact phone numbers. But guess I accidentally deleted these. I would [like] to get this information back. I am guessing I am asking for a miracle." Lynne P. of Lakewood Ranch, FloridaThere are several options or methods to restore your contact information on an iPhone or Android, so it is easy to find a solution that should work for you.Enter the giveaway by signing up for myfree newsletter. A woman looking at her phone after losing her contacts (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How to restore your contactsLuckily, the makers of iPhones and Android phones understood that mistakes happen and contacts can be erased by accident. Below are ways to restore your contacts on an iPhone or Android phone:How to restore your contacts on an iPhone or a MacThere are two resources for iPhone owners in order to restore contacts: via iCloud or iTunes Backup. Before attempting to restore your contacts,back up your iPhone so you have recourse if you lose data.Restore contacts with iCloud: Steps to restore contacts with iCloud (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Type"iCloud.com" in the search bar of your web browser. Steps to restore contacts with iCloud (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Input theemail address used to start your iCloud account. This is usually the same email you use for your Apple ID.Input yourpassword (unless you use a passkey)There may be atwo-step authentication process to verify your identity. Youll be asked toallow or disallow verification on a secondary device. If so, select Allow.Then enter thepasscode provided on this secondary device. Steps to restore contacts with iCloud (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Once logged in to your iCloud account, select the menu icon in the upper right corner. Steps to restore contacts with iCloud (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)In the drop-down menu, select Data RecoverySelectRestore Contacts Steps to restore contacts with iCloud (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)In the next window, you will have restore date options. Select Restore next to the date before your contact was erased.You will be asked to confirm by selecting Restore again. After the contacts are restored, you will get a notification on iCloud.com and whatever email address is associated with your Apple ID.Restore contacts with iTunes:If you have not enabled iCloud to back up your contacts, you may be able to restore contacts with iTunes.Connect your iPhone to your PC using the power cable provided by Apple.If iTunes does not automatically open on your desktop, open iTunes on your computer.In the iTunes app, click theDevice button.ClickInfoSelectitems you want to sync from this backup to your iPhone (Contacts), then clickApply.How to restore your contacts on an AndroidThere are two resources Android users can use to restore contacts: Google Contacts or Device settings. Before attempting to restore your contacts,back up your Android so you have recourse if you lose data.Restore contacts with Google Contacts:Settings may vary depending on your Android phones manufacturer. Steps to restore contacts on Android (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)On your web browser, go tocontacts.google.com and log into your Google account.Select thethree-line icon in the top left corner Steps to restore contacts on Android (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Select the Trash or bin iconYou should see thecontact you deleted.If youhover your mouse over the contact you want to restore, you will see an option to selectRecover to the right of the contacts information. Select Recover.Restore contacts with Device Settings:Settings may vary depending on your Android phones manufacturer.On your Android, openSettingsTap GoogleTapSet up & restoreTap Restore contactsTapFrom account to choose the Google account you want to restore.Tap the phone with the contacts you want to copy.Choose thesource you want to copy: Turn on or off SIM card or Device storage.Tap RestoreYou will get a "Contacts restored" notification when the process has concluded.Please note: Only contacts that aren't already on your phone will be restored.Kurts key takeawaysWhile it is ideal if you never make a mistake while using your mobile devices, accidents do happen and contacts do get deleted accidentally. Thats why the makers of iPhones and Android devices have multiple ways you can restore contacts on your phone. Following these easy steps outlined above gives you the ability to rectify that situation quickly. It is best to make sure that your mobile devices are being backed up either to the cloud or physically to a computer or hard drive backup so that there is a source from which to restore your contacts. Additionally, should anything go awry when you're doing the restoration process, you have the ability to recover lost data. Accidents happen, but practicing safe data hygiene prevents them from becoming a lost cause or needing a miracle.Have you ever accidentally deleted a contact on your mobile device? How did you recover that contact information? Are your contacts backed up anywhere?Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com. Related Topics

Wasim Alnahlawi - stock.adobe.coNewsSaudi Arabia calls for humanitarian AI after tightening screws on rights protestersOppressive state wants global digital identity system at the heart of all AI, to make it trustworthy and prevent it being used for unauthorised surveillanceByMark BallardPublished: 07 Jan 2025 13:15 Saudi Arabia (KSA) has called for a global agreement to govern artificial intelligence (AI) with humanitarian and democratic values, earning the incredulity of rights activists campaigning to free people imprisoned for decades for criticising the Gulf state on social media.Using the diplomatic honour the United Nations (UN) bestowed on it by allowing it to host the annual UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, its capital, in December 2024, the oppressive state opened the vast meeting by calling for a global agreement to make AI accountable, transparent and fair, and ensure it was used to increase the well-being of all people.States should make AI trustworthy as well, it said, by creating a global digital identity system, putting it at the core of AI, and taking steps to make sure everyone in the world used it.Groups campaigning for digital, political and civil liberties said it was hypocrisy for KSA to host IGF 2024, a primary theme of which was human rights, while it continued to prosecute people, imprison them for decades, and forcibly disappear and intimidate them into silence for expressing themselves on social media.While making IGF host preparations in September last year, Saudi Arabia commuted to 30 years imprisonment a death sentence it placed on Saudi citizen Nasser al-Ghamdi under a terrorism law for writing X posts criticising the regime, according to Amnesty International.Saudi Arabia is among the 20 most oppressive countries in the world, alongside Myanmar, Belarus and Somalia and worse even than Iran, Russia and China according to data compiled by campaign group Freedom House. Its repressions of internet users make it the eighth-worst country for internet freedom among 72 nations whose digital rights the organisation studied.Freedom House accused it and other autocratic regimes of wrangling the chair of international fora to normalise their extreme surveillance, censorship and prosecution of dissent. They used such positions to design international treaties that would bring global internet governance closer to their own authoritarian worldviews. KSA was using IGF to do this, and to sanitise its track record, by hosting IGF, the campaigner group said in a statement on the forums eve.Riyadh AI DeclarationKSA opened IGF with a diplomatic showpiece it dubbed the Riyadh AI Declaration, in which it said it wanted to build a world in which technology is equitable and accessible to all, in which people were empowered, nobody was excluded, and discrimination, bullying and abuse were banished online.It called for a global agreement to stop AI being used to spread misinformation and disinformation, especially on social media,where it was already rife. A global digital ID system would meanwhile make sure AI worked in the public interest. It wanted a global consensus on ethics that protected people from unauthorised surveillance powered by AI, and guarded their privacy.KSAs calls for equitable access to AI included a demand that the highly contested, valuable and scarce resources that power AI its data, compute resources and algorithms were distributed equally among all nations, echoing statements calling for a global redistribution of wealth between rich and poor nations by the autocrat-led Brics group of nations, with which it has been flirting.The humanitarian aspect of the Gulf states stance conflicted with accounts of campaigners, who said many were afraid to attend the conference for fear of being detained and prosecuted.Saudi Arabia uses technology to maintain power, not to benefit humanity, said Duaa Dhainy, a researcher at the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, who was aghast at the Saudi Declaration.We fear [KSA] will use AI to pursue human rights defenders, she said. They have been using many [software] programs to spy on activists. We are afraid of using technology. So, how can they call for this agreement?It is a country where there is no transparency at all, where you can be punished just for asking for information to be published, said Dhainy. In Saudi Arabia, transparency is from the governments perspective. When we ask for numbers of people on death row, we get no response. Human rights defenders can be arrested when they ask for information, so how can [KSA] ask for transparency?Calls for political freedomMany rights campaigners did attend the conference and held meetings addressing repression in the Middle East and Africa, using their platform to cite state abuse and call for political freedom. Some said it was the first time they had been in KSA for a decade. But protests emerged during the event of sessions being hacked as they were streamed to audiences online, and of Saudi authorities censoring campaigners.Dana Ahmed, a researcher at Amnesty, said flyers publicising the plight of Manahel al-Otaibi, who KSA jailed in January for 11 years under terrorist charges for tweeting on womens rights and posting photos of herself not wearing traditional Arabic dress, were confiscated from its IGF exhibition booth. Likewise, leaflets publicising the similar treatment of Neth Nahara, a mother who Angola jailed for criticising its president on TikTok.Campaigners used the event to publicise others they said were victims of Saudi digital oppression, including Osama Khalid, jailed for 32 years in 2020 for violating public morals by writing on Wikipedia; Salma al-Shehab, jailed for 34 years in 2021 for social media posts on womens rights; and Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, who they said KSA disappeared in 2018 after detaining and sentencing him to 20 years for posting satirical tweets.A panel session at IGF Riyadh, titled Defending voice and expression in Africa and the Middle East, had to be abandoned after its video stream was hacked. They took over the Zoom session and started streaming adult content, said Adeboye Adegokem, in a message relayed to Computer Weekly by African rights group Paradigm Initiative, who he represented on the panel.It happened two times. We had to end the session abruptly as it seems [the] tech team couldnt keep them out. [It was] concerning because it happened after someone mentioned the journalists case, he wrote, apparently in reference to Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who Saudi agents murdered brutally in 2018.Read more about Saudi Arabia ITPro-democracy campaigner Yahya Assiri given permission to file legal action in London court against Saudi Arabia over its use of Israeli spyware.What is known about plans for Saudi Arabian smart city Neom could be just the tip of the iceberg.Lina al-Hathloul, head of advocacy at Saudi rights group ALQST, said the conference platform gave her the opportunity to speak in KSA for the first time since 2018, when her sister Loujain was arrested, tortured, imprisoned for three years, and put under a travel ban that has been extended to her whole family, because she campaigned for women to have a right to travel. But she spoke via video link for fear she would be arrested if she went in person, she said.So many things happened to others that I cannot speak about yet because they are still inside and its not good for their safety, said Al-Hathloul.She said she believed UN officials, bowing to pressure from KSA authorities, first deleted the YouTube video of an IGF session where she and others discussed the states atrocious record, then removed its transcript from the IGF website, later reposting the recording. The video appears to have since disappeared completely.The UN Secretariat told Computer Weekly it removed the video because it believed it violated a rule in the IFG code of conduct that forbade personal or ad hominem attacks. The IGF manages its records according to technical needs and internal mechanisms, not on the advice of a particular host government, a spokeswoman for the UN Secretariat told Computer Weekly by email.She confirmed Adegokemns account of the IGF session that was hacked with pornography, but said the interruption caused by this Zoom bombing was momentary and promptly neutralised. Preventing this was impossible because IGF meetings were left open to online participation. One other session suffered a minor interruption.Saudi Arabia had not tried to get other countries at the UN to back its AI Declaration, she said. The UN Secretary General had no intention of backing it either.The UN had been justified in hosting IGF 2024 in Saudi Arabia, it said, because it demonstrated its belief that to wrest a global consensus on digital governance based on human rights, as it aimed to do, required constructive dialogue with all countries as equal stakeholders, said a UN spokesman, also by email.Saudi authorities were not prepared to comment.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 IssueData engineering - Jesse Anderson: Recalculating the 'confused' team CW Developer NetworkWhy DevOps and data are C-suite issues that need addressing Ahead in the CloudsView All Blogs

The new LG Xboom by Will.i.am speaker lineup consists of three Bluetooth speakers, each pumped up with all the bass and AI-backed features.

ZDNETThe buzzword of the past two years has been AI, and as a result, many of the products at CES featured the technology, or at least claimed to, making it more challenging than ever to choose the best in the category. When executed correctly, integrating AI into consumer tech can significantly improve how helpful users' workflows and lives are by unlocking a new range of possibilities, and that's what ZDNET was on the lookout for at CES.Also: CES 2025: The most impressive products we've seen so farInformed by hands-on time on the show floor, as well as demos of the most cutting-edge AI features in existing hardware, ZDNET rounded up the AI features and products that either are the most likely to transform your life today or have the promise to bring meaningful change in the near future. Keep reading below to find the picks, which will be updated every day with the latest selections. 1. Roborock Saros Z70 Maria Diaz/ZDNET A good rule of thumb at CES is that if there is a lot of buzz among the tech aficionados in attendance about a product, it is probably for good reason. The Roborock Saros 270 falls under that category, with its mechanical arm that removes obstacles in its path causing most people to stop in their tracks.The claw-like arm can remove obstacles under 300 grams, or about 8 oz, using OmniGrip technology. Some products it can move include socks, napkins, tissues, and even sandals. Once it picks up the item, it can then clean underneath it like it regularly would if its path were unobstructed. Beyond the mechanical arm, it is a very capable robot vacuum with 22,000Pa of suction. Show more 2. Natura Humana HumanPods Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET In the intro to this article, I mentioned some products made the roundup because of the promise they offered, and the Natura Humana HumanPods fall under that category. The idea is simple: you would wear one or two earbuds, up to your preference, all day, double-tapping to access an arsenal of "AI People" LLM-based AI agents with unique personalities and voices. Users can also access the leading LLMs if they choose to, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and more.Before the demo, I was skeptical because I couldn't spot the difference between this product and just using earbuds withChatGPT's Advanced Voice. However, the experience is truly much more seamless than that of existing options, as all you have to do is tap on your ear to talk to your AI person. Even in the loud expo room, my conversation with "Nature," one of the AI people, was seamless. The open form factor of the earbuds is also very comfortable, leveraging a unique Gravity Hook to stay in place comfortably. It is not available for consumers yet, but there is awaitliston its site. Show more 3. Gemini integration into Google TV Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET I can sense the hesitation from readers before even publishing it, but after seeing the demo in action, I am positive it is an upgrade all Google TV users will be thankful for. With the Gemini integration, you'll now be able to speak to it more seamlessly, using natural language and conversing with Google TV. This also means your queries can be more complex, ranging far beyond anything Google Assistant could do before.For example, in my demo, the user asked more involved questions such as, "Tell me about the solar system for a third grader," and "Help me plan a vacation spot with great beaches." In both instances, Gemini was able to provide an answer and present it in a visual way that made sense for a TV, including links to YouTube videos. Show more 4. Halliday AI Glasses with Invisible Display Halliday The Halliday glasses look like any other ordinary glasses frames, light, and compact. However, when worn, in an upper right hand corner you can see a display that shows you information like the date, time, translations, messages, and text. The coolest part is its "invisible display" which simply means that what you see isn't coming form the actual displays or lenses, rather an advanced optical module.Also: The Even Realities G1 are unlike any other smart glasses you've seenFor example, the unit I used to demo the feature had no lenses on it, just the glasses frames, and I could still see what was being shown to me in the demo with ease. At the event in which they were shown, I was also wearing my Meta Raybans, and in comparison, these were noticeably lighter, more akin to my everyday glasses. It is available to be reserved online for $369 as part of a Kickstarter launch. Show more 5. Omnia Smart Mirror Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET Even though this mirror may just seem like an aesthetic decorative mirror, it holds much more. The conceptual mirror, developed by Withings, is a smart scale with 360-degree health screenings, including a person's heart health, nutrition, body composition, lung function, activity, and sleep. It uses AI to develop meaningful insights based on your inputted data, as well as the data collected.Although this is a concept and not likely to unveil anytime soon, it is an exciting look at what AI will be able to do for the health and wellness space. Some features, such as the AI-powered assistant, will be coming later this year within the Withings+ services. Show more FAQ What is CES? The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an industry trade show that features the biggest tech players from across the globe, showcasing their latest consumer technology with daily product launches, keynotes, activations, and demos. Show more When is CES 2025? The official days of CES 2025 are Tuesday, Jan. 7, to Friday, Jan. 10. However, since Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 are media days, a lot of the news breaks before the conference even starts. Show more CES 2025