NewsHow Toyota is transforming its digital employee experienceThe traditional way of handling IT issues through help desk tickets generally delivers an unsatisfactory user experience something Toyota is looking to rectify in its business this yearByCliff Saran,Managing EditorPublished: 06 Jan 2025 11:15 Toyota, one of the worlds largest car manufacturers, has embarked on a project to transform its digital employee experience (DEX).In the US, Toyota has ambitions to eliminate its traditional IT service desk this year, and if its unable to hit that target, it aims to at least reduce IT help desk calls by 80%. Part of the strategy to get there is the use of automation, predictive analytics and virtual assistants. The traditional service desk is always reactive, says Zakir Mohammed, manager of artificial intelligence and automation at Toyota.Looking at the experience employees can go through on a traditional IT help desk, he says it can take days or even weeks for support personnel to reach out to someone to fix an IT problem. For instance, if someone needed a new piece of software, they would need to raise a help desk ticket. In Mohammeds experience, two to three days later, IT support would contact the individual who raised the ticket, then block out a slot of 30 minutes or an hour to install the application.There was a lot of reactiveness happening, he says. At some point, our employees gave up opening tickets and started suffering in silence. We decided the traditional way of running a help desk was not sustainable. We needed to have a proactive approach.The company is a Gartner client, and Gartners digital employee experience market research recommends tools that conform to industry standards. Gartner defines DEX management tools as software that measures and continuously improves the performance of employee sentiment towards company-provided technology.The tools tend to offer near-real-time processing of aggregated data from endpoints, applications, employee sentiment and actionable insights, which, according to Gartner, can power self-healing automations and also be used to enhance employee interactions with self-service portals and chatbots. Gartner says DEX tools also help IT support, asset management, procurement and other teams whose work depends on reliable information. Some of the tools and technology we evaluated look very promising, says Mohammed. But the tool we currently use is Nexthink, which aligns with our requirements.Instead of waiting for IT issues to be manually triaged, Toyotas 100,000 staff members now benefit from the IT department using Nexthinks DEX technology to proactively detect, diagnose and remedy IT issues across endpoints.Getting started with DEXToyota initially began a small-scale pilot using Nexthink with 100 users. Mohammed says metrics were collected, enabling the IT team to understand the issues the pilot users were experiencing.For Mohammed, among the challenges Toyota faced was that while it had deployed advanced observability tools to monitor business applications and IT infrastructure such as storage, the company lacked the tools required to monitor users, the performance of their devices, their experience of the IT they used and their overall sentiment.Given people are considered a businesss most important asset, Mohammed believes its important to measure their experience of the IT they require to do their jobs.Having evaluated a sample of 100 employees, he says: What we saw was kind of eye-opening. There were so many issues.Toyota then scaled up the proof of concept to 30,000 users. This step involved using automation. We deployed to 30,000 users, says Mohammed. We were not only collecting the information, but we also started automating.Discussing the benefits of the roll-out, he says Toyota now has visibility of user devices, which helps the company offer a seamless digital experience and automation of certain help desk tasks.Read more DEX storiesRedefining DEX: DEX technologies focus on ensuring users have the tools and high-performing technology they need. But is it a good idea to rely on user sentiment as a universal metric?Poor tech kills hybrid work productivity: People who work from home say the IT they use is failing or performs poorly, which reduces their productivity, leading to hours of work lost.Nexthink is also being used for predictive maintenance, such as replacing laptop batteries before they die. If the performance of a certain type of battery is going from 80% to 60% in the next six months, these batteries may require replacement, says Mohammed. This is great information for the IT delivery team. It means they not only buy the batteries in advance, but can also proactively replace them before the old battery dies.Another way Nexthink is being used is in software reclamation. There are tonnes of software sitting on laptops and were paying software licenses for them, he says. Nexthink is able to check if the software has been used in the past 90 days. This information can then be used to send an automated message to ask if the application is still required. I click and its automatically reclaimed by the IT software library.The final piece of the DEX story at Toyota is the use of a virtual assistant. We want to make it like a ChatGPT for Toyota, so that employees can submit a request and it does the work behind the scenes, says Mohammed.In effect, the virtual assistant is used to parse free text entered by users and translate these requests into actions that can be sent to Nexthink.One of the other uses of the virtual assistant is to enable users to request software directly. If you need PowerBI, it connects behind the scenes with Nexthink, picks up the software and installs it, he says. You dont have to do anything. Once the install is done, you get a notification saying that your software is ready.If Toyotas goal is to reduce IT help desk calls, the ability for a user to have IT problems proactively resolved via a virtual assistant, or perhaps use it to request new software, shows where digital employee experience is heading.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 IssueRelaunch of the Norwood Community Safety Partnership When IT Meets PoliticsData engineering - Hycu: Bridging data & infrastructure, the evolving role of data engineers CW Developer NetworkView All Blogs

A revised NHS app will form a key part of the governments Elective Reform Plan to address the NHS waiting times crisis. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the upgraded NHS App will enable patients to choose providers, book appointments in more settings and receive test results all in one place.NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: As part of the Elective Reform Plan, we will fully harness the potential of the NHS app, giving patients more information, choice and control over their care while freeing up the time of our staff so they can work more productively.Using technology to revolutionise access to NHS care, alongside offering more availability of tests, checks and scans closer to peoples homes, will help us to tackle waiting times and put patients in the driving seat of elective care.The Elective Reform Plan proposes to cut waiting times and reduce waiting times to 18 weeks and offer greater choice and control for patients. As part of its Plan for Change, the new NHS App is among a raft of proposals which the government aims to use to offer patients greater power over how and when they receive elective treatment.Missed appointments add significant delay to patients receiving care, increasing pressures on elective services and potentially other areas of the health service. According to the DHSC, the proportion of missing appointments has been shown to fall by up to 80% when patients are sent appointment reminders.In an attempt to reduce the proportion of missed appointments, the government said that the upgrades to the NHS App will enable patients requiring non-emergency elective treatment to view and manage appointments at a time and place that is convenient to them. It added that the app will also enable patients to choose from a wide range of providers, including in the independent sector, and book diagnostic tests through the NHS App at convenient locations, such as a Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) in a local shopping centre.The DHSC said that the health service is working on a pilot AI system that identifies patients more likely to miss appointments and provide support, such as free transport, to those most in need. The NHS App is also being positioned as a way to speed up the time for processing test results. Currently, most patients receive test results through a phone call from a clinician, or a letter with either the result or instructions to book an appointment to discuss them further. This can be a significant time after the diagnostics took place.To address this inefficiency, the NHS App will offer a single place where patients can receive test results and book either a follow-up virtual consultation or a surgery visit. Health and Social Care secretary Wes Streeting said: This governments reform agenda will take the NHS from a one-size-fits-all, top-down, like-it-or-lump-it service, to a modern service that puts patients in the driving seat and treats them on time delivering on our Plan for Change to drive a decade of national renewal.By bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age, we will cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks and give working class patients the same choice, control and convenience as the wealthy receive.Read more about the NHSNHS Federated Data Platform celebrates first birthday: In its first year, more than 100 NHS organisations have signed up to the controversial platform, aiming to bring together data from different IT systems.Data bill will boost NHS and police access to data, says government: The Data Use and Access Bill will pave the way for sharing medical records across the NHS and give police the ability to access databases without having to manually log the reasons for their use.

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Neurologist reviews a MRI Scan of woman's brain to diagnosis and treat her. gettyDespite recent increases in awareness and funding, women's healthcare remains dramatically underserved, with research and investment lagging far behind the needs of more than half the population. This presents not just a health crisis but a massive economic opportunity. From closing the research gap in heart disease to harnessing the potential of AI for diagnostics, the future of women's healthcare demands collaboration between policymakers, investors, and employers to unlock innovation and deliver returns for society and the bottom line.With key initiatives gaining momentum and a growing understanding of the stakes, 2025 is poised to be a transformational year for women's healthcare.Women's Healthcare: Investment Opportunity KnocksWomen have unique health needs, not only because some conditions exclusively affect them but also ... [+] because they may experience certain conditions disproportionatelylike Alzheimer'sor differently than menlike heart disease.WHAM empowers women and strengthens the economy by boosting funding and awareness for vital women's health research.Women's health is experiencing unprecedented attention, driven by increased awareness, research funding, and private investment. As Carolee Lee, CEO and founder of WHAM (Women's Health Access Matters), points out, "We're 52% of the population, but we've [VCs] only invested 2%." The Biden administration has played a significant role, allocating a billion dollars to women's healthcare research.Despite the progress, significant research disparities persist. Shockingly, only 4% of research funding is allocated to heart disease in women, the number one killer of women. Sixty million women live with heart disease. This disparity is not only a health crisis but also an economic one. Investing in women's healthcare research yields substantial economic benefits. "If you double that small number [$350 million], you get a return of $14 billion to the economy," Lee emphasizes.MORE FOR YOUMenopause, projected to be $18.56 billion market in 2025 and a significant life transition for women, is finally receiving the attention it deserves. The increased conversation and research in this area are crucial for improving women's quality of life during and after menopause.Autoimmune conditions, a $5.3 billion market in 2023, disproportionately affect women, yet the underlying reasons remain largely unknown. "We know that 80% of autoimmune patients are women," explains Kathryn Schubert, president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research, in an interview with MedCity. "If you look at something like lupus in particular, that's a much higher rate for women of color." Addressing this research gap is critical for developing effective treatments and improving the lives of millions of women.The Role Of Government Policy In Womens HealthcareJust four diseases alone that disproportionately or differently impact women cost the U.S. nearly $1 ... [+] trillion, highlighting the urgent need for increased investment in women's health research and care.WHAM empowers women and strengthens the economy by boosting funding and awareness for vital women's health research.Investing in womens healthcare innovation isnt just an investment opportunity. Its about cost saving, too. Just four diseases alone that disproportionately or differently impact womenlung cancer, Alzheimer's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and cardiovascular diseasecost the U.S. nearly $1 trillion, highlighting the urgent need for increased investment in women's health research and care.With the new administration, the focus is expected to shift towards the Department of Defense, potentially benefiting military women's healthcare. "With the changing of administrations, there will be a shift away from ARPA-H and toward DoD, suggests Liz Powell, cofounder of the Women's Health PAC. I think there will be opportunities to address military service womens health needs."Legislative action remains crucial for ensuring that women's health remains a priority. Advocacy efforts must align with the priorities of the new administration and Republican leadership to secure continued funding and support for women's healthcare initiatives. As Powell notes, "We will ensure womens health is a priority at the legislative level by organizing strategic requests that fit into the legislative priorities of the new Trump Administration and Republican leadership in the 119th Congress."Naseem Sayani, VC investor in women's healthcare and operating partner at How Women Invest, emphasizes the vital role of regulatory and policy changes in fostering a thriving women's healthcare sector. Specifically, she highlights adjustments to reimbursement codes and streamlined AI regulation as key drivers that can unlock investment and innovation.Women's Healthcare: A Call to Action for Investors and EmployersAddressing women's health challenges requires collaboration among researchers, policymakers, investors, and employers. Lee stresses the importance of data, policy, and private investment.Private investment is critical for fueling innovation in women's healthcare. The venture community plays a significant role, and efforts to attract more funding to this sector are gaining momentum. "For so long, womens health was seen as a niche market and a special investment for venture capital," Schubert observes.While venture capital investment in women's healthcare has experienced a downturn since its peak in 2021, the slight uptick from 2023 to 2024 and market conditions suggest an investment acceleration has begun. VC investors are optimistic, anticipating a resurgence in funding throughout 2025.Instead of hindering investment, regulatory constraints have paradoxically fueled interest and capital flow into the women's healthcare sector. This is evidenced by the rise of dedicated funds, demonstrating a focused commitment, and the emergence of unicorn success stories like Maven, which may even IPO this year, validating both market opportunity and impact potential.WHAM's High-Impact Investment Collaborative is a groundbreaking initiative to increase women's healthcare innovation investment significantly. Recognizing the vast untapped potential of the women's healthcare market, WHAM is bringing together leading multi-billion-dollar investment funds, such as Insight Partners, L Catterton, Lightstone Ventures, Northpond Ventures, RA Capital Management, and UPMC Enterprises. The initiative is designed to drive innovation and accelerate the development of new diagnostics, treatments, and preventative measures for women's health issues.The collaborative aims to double venture capital investment in women-led companies by 2026, increase investor awareness, and publish influential reports to track progress and drive further investment. Ultimately, the WHAM Investment Collaborative is poised to transform the landscape of women's healthcare by fueling innovation and ensuring that this critical sector receives the attention and funding it deserves.Employers also play a crucial role in supporting women's healthcare across their lifespan. This includes not only providing benefits that support fertility and motherhood but also recognizing the impact of menopause on women's well-being and productivity. As Kathryn Schubert points out, "If we were to invest a little bit more on those sides of things, you probably would have better productivity." By investing in women's healthcare, employers are demonstrating a commitment to their employees' well-being and contributing to a more productive and engaged workforce.Technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), has the potential to revolutionize women's healthcare. AI can improve diagnostics, treatment, and access to care, particularly in underserved and remote areas.The landscape of women's healthcare is transforming, but challenges remain. Research disparities must be addressed, and legislative action is needed to ensure continued support. Collaboration among stakeholders and technology integration will be key to realizing the full potential of this new era in women's healthcare.

Current Climate brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability every Monday. Sign up to get it in your inbox.gettyClean hydrogen is vital to help curb carbon emissions from dirty industrial processes like making steel and fertilizer. So in 2022, the Biden Administration created a valuable new credit for hydrogen thats made without generating lots of additional greenhouse gases, worth up to $3 a kilogram. But its taken a long time to determine exactly what form of hydrogen is clean enough to receive the credit. With just a couple of weeks left until the start of Trump 2.0, the Treasury Department finally unveiled its guidelines for the so-called 45V credit on Jan. 3 and, for the most part, both hydrogen producers and environmentalists are pleased.Among final tweaks to initial guidelines issued in 2023, companies producing hydrogen with electrolyzers that split the elemental gas from water with renewable electricity will have more flexibility to use existing wind, solar or hydroelectric systems as their power source rather than having to rely on completely new systems and over the hours in which theyre used (contentious sticking points referred to as incrementality and matching). Older nuclear power plants slated for closure can also get the credit if they stay open longer to produce carbon-free hydrogen. Additionally, the rules create opportunities to tap landfill methane as a source of hydrogen production if that helps prevent the greenhouse gas from getting into the atmosphere. Exactly how the clean hydrogen program will work under the oil- and gas-centric Trump Administration remains to be seen.The final rules mark significant progress, with notable revisions to the incrementality requirement for certain nuclear power facilities and hydrogen projects in states with clean energy policies, said Andy Marsh, CEO of PlugPower. While these updates are encouraging, we look forward to collaborating with the new administration to refine the regulations in a way that aligns with congressional intent, supports their goal of reducing overregulation, and ensures national energy security.The Big ReadGUERIN BLASK FOR FORBESThis Founder Created Tights Made From Bulletproof Vest Materials. Next Up: Sustainable SwimsuitsBack in 2017, Katherine Homuth, a young Canadian tech entrepreneur, was on the hunt for a material for long-lasting sheer tights that would survive the rips, snags and runs that normally plague them. She ordered dozens of different fibers, each time wrapping them around her fingers and trying to pull them apart and every time she did so the material broke. Finally, she discovered a material that was pretty much indestructible, whatever she tried: ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, which is used in bulletproof vests because of its dense structure.She called distributors dozens of times, begging them to send it to her. I finally got one spool of fiber and it cost $2,000, she said. I shipped it over to a factory in China, and I got an angry note back that we ended up breaking their machine. It choked on the fiber.From that inauspicious beginning, Homuth, 34, has built a substantial business in non-rip sheer tights that she claims can last up to 10 times as long as a traditional pair, billions of which typically end up in landfills. A Forbes 30 Under 30 list alum, Homuth expects to bring in $30 million in revenue for 2024. The previous year, Sheertexs classic sheer tights were the number one selling pair of tights in the U.S. measured by dollars, she said. But growing a consumer business is hard, and revenue is down from $45 million in 2023 as she shifted the business from largely direct-to-consumer sales on her website to signing up retailers like H&M, Costco and QVC. She expects it to rebound to more than $70 million in 2025.Now SRTX, the company behind the Sheertex brand, is working on going beyond tights into other materials, including a water-repellant material thats free of toxic forever chemicals, or PFAS, which for years have been used in everything from rain jackets to hiking boots. The move would, she hopes, transform SRTX from a consumer-products business to a sustainable materials one. We want to be the DuPont of the sustainability industry, Homuth said.Read more here.Hot TopicElectric HydrogenBeth Deane, chief legal officer for electrolyzer maker Electric Hydrogen, on new federal rules for clean hydrogenWhats the significance of finally having federal guidelines for the clean hydrogen credit?First and foremost, were grateful that we have a final 45V rule because it breaks the logjam that we've been in for the last two years of not having guidance in place. I think that there are enough flexibilities to address stakeholder concerns in this final rule that we are optimistic that it will have durability with the new Trump administration. I think its important that the rule has a pathway for durability because if it were subject to the Congressional Review Act, it could take a long time to get a new rule in place. I think that the stakeholders will recognize that and that will have an impact on how its treated.What does it mean for Electric Hydrogen specifically?We sell electrolyzer plants, which at the end of the day is a full chemical plant delivered prefabricated to our customers. It's really our customers that determine what the energy source is going to be for their project. So we're available and able to provide electrolytic solutions to any number of electricity input options.We are a company that exists almost solely to bring down the cost of electrolytic hydrogen. We've already taken out about 50% of the costs. So anything that helps the industry build more projects will help the manufacturing side learn faster and bring down the cost faster.Trump hasnt discussed hydrogen. Do you think his administration will stick with the push for low-carbon hydrogen?I don't have a crystal ball, so what I say is based on limited information. Hydrogen is an industry that has many different ways to deliver the resource. That can be done through electrolytic hydrogen. It can be done through what people refer to as blue hydrogen, with carbon capture. It has many different varieties. Anything that helps the overall industry has broader support almost by definition because there are different kinds of stakeholders that produce all those different kinds of hydrogen. One thing that makes us optimistic is the fact that 45V contains opportunities for a large variety of hydrogen production approaches and therefore is more likely to elicit bipartisan support.What Else Were ReadingU.S. EV sales get year-end boost from Trumps threat to end tax creditsTesla rival Rivians stock races to best day everJimmy Carter tried to fix the planet. The oil industry fought backChart: Geothermal has vast potential to meet the worlds power needsHochul signs law that penalizes companies for greenhouse gas emissionsHow Billie Eilish and Coldplay make their concerts sustainableGlobal sustainable bond sales reach $1 trillion for the second timeShipping goes back to the future with sailsU.S. takes steps to protect Nevadas Ruby Mountains from energy developmentTrump must learn the nation needs renewables backed up by natural gasFor More Sustainability Coverage, Click Here.More From Forbes

Why it matters: Intel's Battlemage Arc B580 graphics card has been a massive hit with reviewers and users alike. We even called it the best value GPU in the market in our review, but a new report suggests that its impressive performance may be limited to newer CPUs. According to an YouTube video by Hardware Canucks, the Battlemage Arc B580 suffers from massive performance issues in many games, causing stuttering and low frame rates when paired with CPUs older than five years.The channel tested the Arc B580 with an Intel Core i5-9600K - a relatively older processor released in 2018 - and found that the performance in some games, including Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Starfield, was so bad that they were almost unplayable.Unfortunately, the B580's reduced performance isn't an isolated incident with 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs, as the issue apparently persists with other processors. A video by our very own Sam Walton on the Hardware Unboxed YouTube channel confirmed that the GPU has similar problems when paired with a Ryzen 5 2600X.According to Hardware Unboxed's testing, the B580 performed much worse than the RTX 4060 in games like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 when paired with either a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or a Ryzen 5 2600. In fact, with the latter, the average frame rates hit just 31 FPS, while the 1 percent lows dipped to 25 FPS, making the game almost unplayable.A similar result was seen in Hogwart's Legacy, where the B580 was around 46 percent slower than the 4060, averaging only 24 FPS. Starfield was also a poor result for the B580, as it was about 45 percent slower than the RTX 4060 with the Ryzen 5 2600.However, the problem seems limited to a handful of titles, as the B580's performance in many other games is along expected lines. For example, in titles such as Alan Wake 2, Doom Eternal, Horizon: Forbidden West, and even Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the B580 offers playable frame rates when paired with the i5 9600K. // Related StoriesIt is worth noting that all Arc graphics cards need Resizable BAR (ReBAR) and Smart Access Memory (SAM) support, which is why Intel only recommends its 10th-generation Core CPUs or newer and AMD Ryzen 3000 or newer for Alchemist and Battlemage. However, the systems tested above had ReBAR backported and enabled, suggesting that the problem lies somewhere else.It is unclear whether this is an architectural issue or a driver-related problem that can be addressed via a future update. Intel is said to be aware of the issues and is already investigating, so perhaps we can expect an answer sooner rather than later.

In context: In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world of work has undergone a seismic shift, with remote work becoming a central point of contention between employers and employees. As we enter 2025, a new trend is emerging: workers are increasingly willing to accept lower salaries in exchange for the privilege of working from home, while some companies are reversing this strategy to entice employees back to the office. The desire for remote work has become so strong that many job seekers are willing to make significant financial sacrifices. Some candidates are accepting 5% to 15% less pay for the opportunity to work from home, Theresa L. Fesinstine, founder of human resources advisory peoplepower.ai, told Fortune."There's this unspoken exchange rate between flexibility and comp, and for some candidates, it's worth a significant trade-off," said Fesinstine. This is especially true "for those who value work-life balance or are saving on commute costs."However, this shift is not without its critics. Sara Kobilka, a communications and education consultant, warned that paying remote workers less is a "dangerous trend." While she herself took a lower-paying job to escape a toxic work environment, Kobilka argued that this should not translate into "unilaterally paying remote employees less."Employers are finding themselves in a delicate balancing act. Almost half of managers anticipate challenges in meeting candidates' compensation expectations, according to Robert Half's 2025 US Hiring Outlook. In response, many are offering remote or hybrid work options as a negotiating tool to bridge the gap between salary expectations and actual offers.Michael Steinitz, senior executive director of professional talent solutions at Robert Half, noted that employers who aren't providing remote work accommodations may need to find other ways to incentivize in-office work, such as negotiating additional paid time off.Interestingly, the same Robert Half research reveals that 76% of job candidates are willing to work fully in-office in exchange for a higher salary, with the average raise requested being about 23%. // Related StoriesDespite the apparent willingness of some workers to accept lower pay for remote work, experts warn of potential consequences. Amy Spurling, founder and CEO of employee benefits reimbursement platform Compt, predicted a second Great Resignation in 2025. She cautioned that companies attempting to "lowball" remote workers may face a harsh reality as employees seek better opportunities.This prediction is supported by a 2024 PwC report, which forecasts a 28% increase in the number of people planning to change jobs, compared to the 19% of people who changed jobs during the Great Resignation of 2022.As the debate over remote work and compensation continues, it's clear that both employers and employees are navigating uncharted territory. Fesinstine argued that remote work "isn't a perk anymore, but rather a standard operating model."The coming years will likely see continued negotiation and adjustment as companies strive to balance their operational needs with employee preferences."Even in a softening market, candidates are maintaining high expectations around salary and flexibility," Steinitz said. "Employers need to act quickly with competitive, well-rounded offers, and be prepared to negotiate especially when seeking top-tier talent with specialized skills."Masthead: BRUNO CERVERA

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to watch AMDs CES keynote todayWhat we expect from AMDs CES keynoteCES 2025 is almost upon us and one of the most exciting keynote speeches of the show is AMDs. How will it build on the success of its Ryzen 9000 X3D CPUs? How will it combat Nvidias impending RTX 5000 generation? Will RDNA4 excite, despite not offering a flagship card?If you want to watch the keynote speech live to get the first news on what AMDs plans are for 2025, heres how.Recommended VideosAMD at CES 2025AMDs keynote is set to take place this morning, a day before CES officially starts, at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET on January 6. You can watch it live on the AMD YouTube channel directly, or by using the embedded video link above.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming There will be plenty of third-party streams too, but if you want to watch without additional commentary or critique, then this is the most straightforward way.RelatedThe Bring Up: Elevating tabletop gaming with a NPUAMD had a strong close to 2024, so itll be looking to leap into the new year with its best foot forward. Weve been hearing rumors about its plans since last fFall, when leakers suggested AMD would come to CES 2025 with a flurry of new consumer products, including CPUs, graphics cards, and new handheld chips for future gaming devices.AMDs blurb for the event invites viewers to, Join AMD executives, alongside partners and customers, to hear how AMD is expanding its leadership across PCs and gaming, highlighting the breadth of the companys high-performance computing and AI product portfolio.That doesnt give us much to go on, but it would line up with the expectations that AMD will debut its RDNA4 generation of graphics cards, with the potential to lean into performance-per-watt improvements, rather than pushing the envelope at the top end of the spectrum. Its possible that well also see the higher-end Ryzen 9000 X3D CPU variants, like the rumored 9950X3D.We will probably also see some new APUs from AMD. Its onboard graphics, combined with new, efficient CPU cores, have the potential to help it continue its dominance in the portable gaming space in new Z2-generation APUs. With these, AMD could forge new partnerships on future handheld PC gaming systems, as well as in high-performance, lightweight gaming laptops and tablets.AI is likely to be a major focus for AMD, too. Its been coming up with innovative ways to use the neural processors on its new CPUs designs, including as an aid to tabletop gaming. Some of us have been using it for that for a while now, but its great to see AMD finding fun ways to leverage its chips, as Microsofts Recall still gives us the creeps.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsSleep apnea and other health featuresLess companion, more standaloneBroader compatibility with other phonesA bump-less sensor designA better charging caseWhen can you expect the Galaxy Ring 2?One of my favorite devices launched in 2024 was the Samsung Galaxy Ring. It was first teased last January at the Galaxy S24 launch, and then Samsung gave us a sneak peek in February before launching it alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in July.My excitement for it had been building in the first half of the year, and the final product didnt disappoint. Samsung delivered an excellent smart ring that didnt cause discomfort or swollen fingers. However, RingConn and then Oura launched their successors, and the Galaxy Ring lost some of its appeal.Recommended VideosSamsung brought innovation to the category with its first smart ring and did a few things differently than the competition, but with so many companies launching smart rings, how does Samsung stand out and secure the top spot on the best smart rings list?RelatedHere are some things I want Samsung to add to the inevitable Galaxy Ring 2.The Sleep apnea feature on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe Galaxy Ring launch saw a lot of focus on the new Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 7, both of which come with a new hero feature: sleep apnea detection. Samsungs first smart ring, however, doesnt support this feature, which is even more surprising as the RingConn Gen 2 launched just days later with this feature on board.Theres a reason for this: the Galaxy Ring is designed to be a companion to the Galaxy Watch, not a replacement for it. As a result, it has fewer overall features than the Oura Ring 4, although it does offer one of the most user-friendly introductions to the smart ring space. Samsung Health has 64 million users worldwide, and while the Galaxy Ring is a good addition to this, you need an additional device to capture the full suite of Samsung Health data.This is where Samsung took a different approach than the competition, and its not necessarily one that will pay off in the long run. There are neat tricks where Samsung Health can automatically pick the better reading when tracking sleep using a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy Ring, but theres significant room for improvement here.Kenn Maring / Digital TrendsThis starts with Samsungs approach to a smart ring. The company is the only major phone maker to dabble in the smart ring space. It can help shape future industry trends, but it chose to make the Galaxy Ring less feature-rich than its smartwatches. Samsung doesnt want you just to buy a ring; it would like you to buy a watch and a Samsung phone alongside it.The competition does things differently. RingConn and Oura both offer a standalone smart ring that has more health features and the hero feature from the latest Galaxy Watch lineup: sleep Apnea detection. RingConn has a similar portable charging case, which offers up to 150 days of battery life versus the additional 14 days provided by Samsung. Meanwhile, Oura has a new integrated sensor design thats more comfortable than the Galaxy Ring and offers more features (albeit with a subscription).Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsId love to see Samsung launch a second-generation Galaxy Ring that takes a modified approach. Integrating the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring into a single app is unique and user-friendly, but each piece of hardware should work sufficiently on its own. My ideal Galaxy Ring 2 ensures you can take full advantage of every Samsung Health feature in one ring, regardless if you also have a Galaxy Watch or not.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsSamsung says that the Galaxy Ring works best when paired with a Galaxy smartphone, but this is only partly true. Ive tested two Galaxy Rings side by -side one paired to a Galaxy S24 Ultra and the other to the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 and for the most part, they work similarly. The key difference is that the latter sometimes kills Samsungs background processing, and you need to manually open the app when this happens.This is an area of potential improvement for Samsung. The key issue is that it requires several apps to work, it isnt the most seamless experience, and it wont work with the iPhone. The first two are pretty easy to solve; integrating all the Galaxy Ring plug-ins and options into one app will solve both simultaneously.The Oura Ring 3 (left) and Galaxy Ring Kenn Maring / Digital TrendsHowever, the iPhone represents a big challenge and opportunity for the Galaxy Ring. Requiring an Android phone instantly rules out hundreds of millions of potential customers and instantly makes the Oura Ring 4 and RingConn Gen 2 far more appealing to any customers unsure of which smart ring they should buy.The old Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Fit are both compatible with the iPhone, but its unlikely that Samsung will broaden compatibility for its recent wearables to include the iPhone. Its a shame as it would almost immediately increase Samsung Health and Samsung wearable users.The Samsung Galaxy Ring Kenn Maring / Digital TrendsI love the Oura Ring 4 for one key reason: the integrated sensors, which use a bump-less design. Its made for the most comfortable smart ring Ive worn this past year, which is a shame as the Galaxy Rings overall design is better. I like the concave design, and so far, its held up far better than my Oura Ring 4, which is already scratched.Part of the benefit of an integrated sensor design is greater pathways between different sensors. This results in more accurate data tracking alongside the ability to accurately record data even when the ring is rotated around your finger. Its also solved a key issue for me, and I am no longer uncomfortable with swollen fingers.There are still a few different design approaches to smart rings, but I think the Oura Ring 4 could set a standard for the industry to match. The Galaxy Ring has a better overall design and is far more durable, but Samsung needs to improve the sensor design. Further reducing the size of the sensor bumps could be a significant step toward going fully bump-less.The Galaxy Ring in its charging case Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe RingConn Gen 2 has changed my expectations for smart rings, and it also highlights one of my biggest complaints about the Oura Ring 4. The Galaxy Ring introduced the concept of a charging case, which allows you to charge it up to twice on the go. The result is that it can last up to three weeks without needing to recharge the case, making it ideal for longer holidays and work trips.The RingConn Gen 2 changed the industry standard as it uses a larger case and offers up to 150 days from a fully charged case. Thats an outstanding increase and means that Samsung can make the Galaxy Ring charging case even better. As the case is fairly compact, Id love to see Samsung increase the size to offer at least 45 days of use from a single charge.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe Galaxy Ring captured the attention and catapulted the smart rings market into the mainstream, and the Galaxy Ring 2 will likely receive just as much attention.Much will depend on Samsungs smart ring cadence; its a new category, and its unclear whether it will follow Ouras approach of a new ring every three years, something more akin to RingConn with a launch every 18 months, or follow its established phone pattern with minor updates each year.Regardless of what Samsung does, I hope the next Galaxy Ring is on par with the Oura Ring 4 while also keeping the things that make it unique. Its already going to be one of the devices Im most excited about, and I hope well see it in 2025.Editors Recommendations

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