HP announced a number of new AI and gaming computers during the Advanced Micro Devices and Intel press events at CES 2025 today.Read More

Acer unveiled new models in its Acer Swift Go and Acer Aspire Vero laptop families with the latest components from Intel and AMD.Read More

2K sunsets WWE 2K23 | News-in-briefThis leaves just WWE 2K24 as the only WWE game with online functionalityImage credit: 2K News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 6, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:2K sunsets WWE 2K23

The Biden administration finalized rules meant to boost domestic production of hydrogen fuel through a new tax credit, a move that might also keep struggling nuclear power plants on line for longer. The highly anticipated guidelines stipulate what kinds of hydrogen projects can qualify for the tax credit. Hydrogen combustion releases water vapor instead of greenhouse gas emissions, which is why the Biden administration sees it as a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. But it takes energy to produce hydrogen, and where that energy ought to come from has been contentious.After a lot of political wrangling, the Biden administration ultimately loosened the rules to include hydrogen made with the help of some existing nuclear power plants. Specifically, nuclear reactors at risk of shuttering because of financial reasons might be able to benefit from the tax credit. Where that energy ought to come from has been contentiousThe final rule is an important step in the right direction, Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of the largest nuclear power plant operator in the US, Constellation, said in a press statement. The final rule allows a significant portion of the existing merchant nuclear fleet to earn credits for hydrogen production.The tax credit, called 45V, was established through the Inflation Reduction Act and is worth up to $3 per kilogram of hydrogen production. To qualify, companies have to meet strict requirements to limit pollution. Thats because whether hydrogen can be considered a clean fuel depends on how its made. Today, 95 percent of hydrogen produced in the US is made using gas in a process called steam-methane reforming. Methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. And steam-methane reforming also produces carbon emissions. The more climate-friendly alternative is to create hydrogen through electrolysis, splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity. The electricity would have to come from carbon pollution-free sources like solar and wind farms or nuclear reactors, of course. But all the recent hype over hydrogen has sparked concerns that the burgeoning industry might use up too much of Americas still-limited carbon-free electricity supply. The worry is that power grids might try to meet rising electricity demand using gas and coal-fired plants, leading to higher greenhouse gas emissions.RelatedTo ease those concerns, the Biden administration proposed rules for the hydrogen tax credit more than a year ago that require companies to get electricity from new sources of clean energy. The hope was that, by doing so, the hydrogen industry might help add more renewable energy to the power grid rather than siphoning off limited resources. Its a lot harder to build new nuclear power plants than new solar and wind farms, however. The proposal subsequently faced backlash from the nuclear energy companies saying they wouldnt be able to benefit from the hydrogen tax credit as a result. After receiving more than 30,000 comments on the proposal, the Biden administration loosened its guidelines. The Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released the final rules on Friday. They carve out scenarios in which an existing nuclear power plant at risk of retirement can benefit from the tax credit if its used to produce hydrogen and meets certain financial tests. Constellation opposed any requirements that hydrogen production use electricity from newly built sources in order to qualify for the tax credit. The company is involved in plans to build a major hub for hydrogen production in Illinois, a project awarded funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The final rules also ease requirements for renewable energy and make it easier for developers to qualify for the tax credit in states that already have tough clean electricity standards. There are also new carveouts for hydrogen produced with methane that wafts out of landfills, farms, wastewater facilities, or coal mines that might otherwise escape into the atmosphere. In addition, companies can take advantage of the tax credit if hydrogen is made with electricity from a fossil fuel power plant that installs technology to capture its carbon dioxide emissions.RelatedThe extensive revisions weve made in this final rule provide the certainty that hydrogen producers need to keep their projects moving forward and make the United States a global leader in truly green hydrogen, John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for international climate policy, said in a press release.Most of Americas nuclear power plants were built in the 1970s or 80s, and theaverage ageof a nuclear reactor in the US is 42 years old.Construction of thefirst all-new nuclear reactor in the US in decades finished in 2023 seven years past its original deadline and $17 billion over budget.Next-generation nuclear reactors are smaller and modular, which is supposed to make them easier and more affordable to build. But those designs arent expected to become commercially viable until the 2030s. The nuclear energy industry has also seen a boom of interest over the past year from tech companies in need of more carbon-free energy for AI data centers. Microsoft inked a deal with Constellation to help restart a retired reactor at Three Mile Island, while Google and Amazon announced plans to support the development of advanced small modular reactors.

Toyotas futuristic Woven City in Japan is ready for its first residentsToyotas futuristic Woven City in Japan is ready for its first residents / Around 100 Toyota employees will move in starting this summer. By Andrew J. Hawkins, transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. Jan 6, 2025, 9:30 PM UTCShare this story Image: ToyotaToyotas futuristic Woven City, which is being built on the site of a former car factory in Japan, is almost ready for its first residents.At CES this week, the Japanese auto giant updated the public on the progress of the $10 billion project, which is said to be a living laboratory where people can live while also testing out futuristic projects. Toyota said it completed phase 1 of the construction, with the official launch planned for 2025.Woven City is more than just a place to live, work, and play, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said during todays press conference at CES. Woven City is a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas.Its a living laboratory where the residents are willing participants,giving inventors the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a secure, real-life setting.Toyota first announced Woven City at CES in 2021. At the time, the company said it would be a prototype city of the future where it can test autonomous vehicles, innovative street design, smart home technology, robotics, and new mobility products on a population of real people who would live there full time.Now move-in day is quickly approaching. In fall 2025, Toyota said it will welcome the first 100 residents to Woven City, all of whom will be employees of Toyota or its subsidiary, Woven by Toyota. The community will gradually expand to include external inventors and their families who will be invited to relocate to the new city. In total, the first phase of the city will eventually house 360 residents, Toyota says. Toyota dubs these first residents Weavers, adding that they are people who share a passion for the expansion of mobility and a commitment to building a more flourishing society. Through their participation in co-creation activities, Weavers will contribute to realizing the full potential of Woven City.That said, the first inventors confirmed for Woven City are mostly in the food services business, including a vending machine company and a startup that wants to explore the potential value of coffee through futuristic cafe experiences.Toyoda mentioned several other ideas during his press conference, including high-powered motorized wheelchairs for people with disabilities who want to experience the thrill of racing. He also pitched the idea of a personal drone that follows joggers for added security, and pet robots for elderly people. The Woven City site, which is located at the base of Mount Fuji, includes buildings that are designed by famed Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The goal, through phase 2 and subsequent phases, is to build enough housing and facilities for up to 2,000 people to live year-around, with utilities powered bythe companys hydrogen fuel cell technology.The site is private for now, though Toyota says it plans on inviting the general public to see it in 2026. The potential value of coffee through futuristic cafe experiencesThe name Woven City is a reference to weaving together three different types of streets or pathways, each for a specific type of user. One street would be for faster vehicles only. The second would be a mix of lower-speed personal mobility vehicles, like bikes and scooters, as well as pedestrians. And the third would be a park-like promenade for pedestrians only.Its still unclear how Woven City fits into Toyotas plans for the future of mobility. The company, which is one of the largest producers of automobiles in the world, has been a bit of a laggard in the field of electric vehicles. The company has plenty of hybrids but only one fully electric car in the US, the BZ4X though it did say it has a three-row SUV coming soon. Theres nothing new about automakers using big plots of land to build proving grounds with fake city backdrops to test out new vehicles. And company towns have existed for decades; Elon Musk, for example, is building his own town in Texas to house Tesla and SpaceX employees. But what Toyota is proposing is a dramatic escalation of that concept: a real city with real people who would live within the automakers amped-up vision of the future. And thats where it could run into some problems. Google confronted something similar with its Sidewalk Labs project in Toronto, after objections from residents about surveillance and data collection led to the projects demise. Toyota hopes to avoid these same headaches by touting an enhanced quality of life for Woven Citys residents. The project has already earned Japans first LEED for Communities Platinum certification, the systems highest rank. Most PopularMost Popular

These companies dont always stay on the Department of Defenses list, as the US removed Chinese phone maker Xiaomi just months after adding it in 2021. Both Tencent and CATL plan to push back on the designations. We are not a military company or supplier, Tencent spokesperson Danny Marti said in a statement to The Verge. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business. We will nonetheless work with the Department of Defense to address any misunderstanding. CATL similarly told Bloomberg that its inclusion was clearly a mistake.

LatestMachine LearningTOP 20 AI CERTIFICATIONS TO ENROLL IN 2025 0 like January 6, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Jennifer Wales Originally published on Towards AI. TOP 20 AI CERTIFICATIONS TO ENROLL IN 2025Ramp up your AI career with the most trusted AI certification programs and the latest artificial intelligence skills. Read on to explore the best 20 courses worldwide.Sam Altman, CEO, of OpenAI, predicts AGI could arrive by 2025. He further says that they now have a clear path forward and know what to do. AGI would mean AI can think, learn, and work just like a human, an incredible leap in artificial intelligence technology. Artificial intelligence has been adopted by over 72% of companies so far (McKinsey Survey 2024). Adding to the numbers, PwCs 2024 AI Jobs Barometer confirms that jobs requiring AI specialist skills have grown over 3 times faster than all other jobs. Indeed, Artificial intelligence is a way of life!Let us take a closer look at the massive range of certifications available worldwide that can help bring forth the most nuanced career progressions for you in artificial intelligence. Whether your goal is to become an AI consultant or ramp up to an AI specialist position; an AI certification program from the most trusted global brand can level up your chances of getting hired or cracking your next promotion; by smoothly validating your credibility as a seasoned practitioner for your dream AI job. Let us see the top 20 options you can choose from.1. Professional certificate for computer science for AI by HARVARD UNIVERSITYProfessional certificate for computer science for AI is a 5-month AI course that is inclusive of self-paced videos for participants; who are beginners or possess intermediate-level understanding of artificial intelligence. This online course is taught by leading faculty and is designed to solve critical real-world problems and future-proof learners AI careers.2. Artificial Intelligence graduate certificate by STANFORD SCHOOL OF ENGINEERINGArtificial Intelligence graduate certificate; taught by Andrew Ng, and other eminent AI prodigies; is a popular course that dives deep into the principles and methodologies of AI and related fields. Natural language processing, computer vision, data mining, robotics, and other competencies are strengthened in the course.3. Certified AI Transformation Leader (CAITL) by USAIICertified AI Transformation Leader (CAITL) is among the prestigious globally celebrated AI Leadership and Excellence courses that are considered highly among industry business leaders. Led by AI geniuses Dr. Milton Mattox (2-times 2024 Phoenix Titan 100 Winner and globally renowned author); among other seasoned AI prodigies makes it a worthwhile AI leadership program worldwide. Live masterclasses by industry leaders, no programming competence mandate, a self-paced international-standard curriculum; and easy access to the resource hub make it a top pick among AI leadership enthusiasts and business leaders.4. Professional Development Certificate in Applied AI by McGill UNIVERSITYThe Professional Development Certificate in Applied AI from McGill is an appropriate advanced and practical program designed to equip professionals with actionable industry-relevant knowledge and skills required to be senior AI developers and the ranks.5. Applied Generative AI for Digital Transformation by MIT PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONApplied Generative AI for Digital Transformation is for professionals with backgrounds, especially senior leaders, technology leaders, senior managers, mid-career executives, etc. You may get hands-on experience in Generative AI, automation strategies, digital transformation, prompt engineering, etc.6. AI engineering professional certificate by IBMAI engineering professional certificate from IBM targets fundamentals of machine learning, deep learning, programming, computer vision, NLP, etc. However, you are expected to possess intermediate coding experience and a background as an AI ML engineer; to begin with the course.7. Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs course by NVIDIAThe Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs course is for professionals serving in technical roles such as data science, ML software engineering, and the like. You shall gain foundational competence in LLMs, and ways to apply basic concepts to AI applications.8. Fundamentals of Google AI for Web-based machine learning by GOOGLEFundamentals of Google AI for Web-based machine learning courseware looks at imparting AI basics, ML libraries, deep learning, and building web applications. it consists of 2 courses- a Google AI course for Beginners and a Google AI course for JS Developers.9. Generative AI with LLMs course by AWS AND DEEPLEARNING.AIGenerative AI with large language models course involves skills in the said streams while training models and applying generative AI to business scenarios. Prior experience in Python, ML basics, data training, and deep learning will come in handy for a smooth ride ahead.10. Certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist (CAIS) by USAIICertified Artificial Intelligence Scientist (CAIS) is powered for program managers, senior AI executives, and the ranks to excel their AI skills with the most contemporary mix of business transformation skills. Build expertise in computer vision, clustering algorithms, deep learning essentials, multi-agent reinforcement, DQN, and more. USAII is an esteemed member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and ANSI. With speedster discounts and other on-program perks; you are sure to benefit from this world-class top AI certification.11. Azure AI engineer associate certificate by MICROSOFT AZUREAzure AI engineer associate certificate invites professionals who work as AI engineers and want to demonstrate their expertise in the Microsoft Azure AI Platform. Therefore, it expects you to possess the said experience in the field. You shall build competence in NLP solutions, programming languages, responsible AI principles, etc.More than a quarter of all new code at Google is generated by AISundar PichaiCEO, Google & Alphabet12. AI business strategies and applications course by UC BERKELEYAI business strategies and applications course offers a 2-month program for intermediate learners; specifically designed for senior managers and C-suite executives. This shall enable you to oversee the integration of AI into their organizations business strategy.13. Designing and building AI products and services program by MIT XPRODesigning and building AI products and services program assists UX UI designers, AI startup founders, technology consultants, technical product managers, and the ranks. You must bring a basic understanding of linear algebra, calculus, and Python to build strength in ML algorithms, human-machine interface, and AI product design.14. Certified Artificial Intelligence Engineer (CAIE) by USAIICertified Artificial Intelligence Engineer (CAIE) is among the top-ranking beginners programs from around the world. Becoming a certified AI engineer is a cakewalk with USAII international reputation and global acceptance. It is among the popular AI certification programs with perks and benefits ranging from anytime anywhere credential, lifetime digital badge, contemporary generative AI tools and skills pool, efficiently graded, and customized programs to suit your caliber and professional aspirants. Your goal resonance and accomplishments are a top priority of team USAII.15. Professional Machine learning engineer certification by GOOGLE CLOUDProfessional Machine learning engineer certification is for ML engineers to strengthen their skills in ML models, AI app development, automating model training, running ML experiments, testing ML solutions, etc. Minimum 3 years of relevant industry experience with a year of developing and managing Google Cloud solutions is a requisite.16. Post Grad program in AI and machine learning by PURDUE UNIVERSITYPost Grad program in AI and machine learning offers professionals looking to advance their careers in AI with skills in ChatGPT, NLP, speech engineering, prompt engineering, generative AI basics, and much more. it expects you to have a bachelors degree with a minimum of 2 years of industry experience.17. Graduate certificate in ethical AI by SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITYThe Graduate certificate in ethical artificial intelligence expects graduates and professionals interested in strengthening their skills in IA ethics and the social-legal implications of using AI. AI ethics, data mining, pattern analysis, AI compliance, etc can be mastered on the courseware.18. Certified AI Practitioner Professional certification by CERTNEXUSCertified Artificial Intelligence Practitioner Professional certification calls for data science professionals looking to transition to AI; and gain expertise in designing ML models, business problem solving with AI ML, neural networks, decision trees, etc.19. Jetson AI certification by NVIDIAJetson AI certification is an AI specialist course propagating AI expertise with NVIDIA Jetson basics, Jupyter Notebook, training deep neural networks, and machine learning. Participants must complete a hands-on assessment where they submit an open-source project; involving problem-solving using NVIDIA Jetson.20. Business strategies and applications with AI by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIABusiness strategies and applications with AI are open for professionals looking for basic AI and ways to leverage AI technologies in business settings. Live online sessions and capstone project completion are offered.Begin with the trusted and most respected AI certifications and courses that can fuel your AI career to the fullest!Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

After months of waiting for new graphics cards, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has finally been announced and will be powering gaming PCs within the next few months.AMD has announced two graphics cards to spearhead its new generation: the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. AMD is using this generation of GPUs to rebrand a little bit, signalling that these GPUs are of the same generation as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It's also to draw closer comparisons with Nvidia, with the RX 9070 intended to compete with similarly branded "mid-range" Nvidia cards, like the RTX 4070.The RX 9070 XT is powered by the Zen 4 architecture, with all-new AI accelerators that enable AI upscaling in an AMD graphics card for the first time through FSR 4, or FidelityFX Super Resolution (more on that below). However, because AMD hasn't revealed the specs of these cards, I don't know how much of an improvement RDNA 4 will offer over AMD GPUs like the Radeon RX 7900 XT.AMD hasn't revealed an exact release date for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, but has teased that it's coming sometime in Q1 2025. Likewise, Team Red hasn't revealed the price, though with it going up against an Nvidia xx70 GPU, I'd expect these graphics cards to cost anywhere from $499-$599 whenever they come out. Welcome to the Next GenerationAlong with the new graphics cards, AMD has also announced FSR 4. Just like the PSSR, or Playstation Spectral Super Resolution, that Sony worked on with AMD to create for the PS5 Pro, this new upscaling method will be based on a machine learning algorithm. However, unlike PSSR, which runs its AI algorithm directly on the shading cores, FSR 4 will be utilizing specialized AI accelerators in RDNA 4, similar to how DLSS is handled on Nvidia graphics cards. This should substantially improve on both image quality and performance, thanks to Team Red finally utilizing the AI accelerators baked into each Compute Unit. AMD has also said that it has completely rebuilt its AI accelerators for this generation of cards, which explains why it has waited so long to implement an AI upscaler that can compete with the likes of XeSS and DLSS. More importantly, this new upscaler finally marks a point where every GPU manufacturer has an AI upscaling solution. As long as developers continue to add all three upscalers to their games, which is becoming more common, this new generation of graphics cards might mark an end to Nvidia's complete domination of any game with ray tracing enabled. However, with AMD only announcing the RX 9070 and drawing comparisons to the GeForce RTX 4070, Team Red doesn't seem to be punching for the top-end of the GPU market. Nvidia hasn't showed its next-generation hand yet, but assuming that the GeForce RTX 5090 or whatever it's called is significantly faster, AMD could just be leaving the super high end of the market for Nvidia, which is an approach that worked out well for Team Red in the RX 580 days. With the Intel Arc B580 aiming for the budget market and these new AMD cards aiming towards mid-range users, it's refreshing to see two of the GPU makers competing in a range that people can actually afford, rather than launching extremely powerful (and expensive) cards into the stratosphere for the few that can comfortably drop a couple grand on a new GPU. Intel's new card ended up being a nice surprise when I reviewed it back in December 2024. I won't know how these cards actually perform until I can get them in the lab for testing, but I'm actually hopeful that they'll provide a good value for PC gamers. It's been a while. Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

At CES 2025, AMD has finally unveiled the chipset behind the next generation of handheld gaming PCs, the AMD Zen 2 Extreme.The AMD Zen 2 Extreme, along with lower-specced cousins the Z2 and Z2 Go, are powered by Zen 5 CPU cores. While the Zen 2 Extreme is using a RDNA 3.5-based GPU, the Z2 and Z2 Go are still using RDNA 3 and RDNA 2, respectively. This creates an entire family of APUs (Advanced Processing Units) for handheld gaming PCs that should hopefully cause the price of handhelds to go down a bit. With the Z2 Extreme, AMD is hoping to dramatically improve battery life, while also delivering console-like gaming performance to devices like the Lenovo Legion Go. By and large, the biggest limiting factor of these handhelds, especially at the high end, is how quickly their batteries drain when playing demanding games away from a wall outlet. AMD Z2 ExtremeCores8Threads16Graphics cores16 RDNA 3.5Power15-35WAMD Z2 specsCPU Cores8 CoresThreads16GPU Cores12 RDNA 3 CoresPower15-30WAMD Z2 Go SpecsCPU Cores4 CoresThreads8GPU Cores12 RDNA 2Power15-30WMobile PC gaming is more than just handheld gaming PCs, and AMD has also launched its new lineup of Zen 5-based processors for gaming laptops, what it's calling "Fire Range" HX3D. These processors, just like the chips just announced by Intel, will be powering the best gaming laptops of the next year or so. Unlike Intel, however, AMD is bringing the successful 3D V-cache design behind the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to gaming laptops. This technology allows AMD to stack much more cache on its processor by printing it above the actual CPU cores. This both improves gaming performance and lowers temperatures, which boosts gaming performance even further. I'll have to wait to get it into the lab to see exactly how these new processors perform, but if they're anything like their desktop counterparts, it'll be an exciting time for gaming laptops. All of these mobile chipsets, from "Fire Range" HX3D to the AMD Z2 Extreme, will end up in gaming laptops and handhelds over the next few months. AMD Ryzen 9 9955X3D SpecsCores16Threads32Turbo Boost5.4GHzCache144MBTDP54WAMD Ryzen 9 9955HX SpecsCPU Cores16Threads32Turbo Boost5.4GHzCache80MBTDP54WAMD Ryzen 9 9850HX SpecsCPU Cores12Threads24Turbot Boost5.2GHzCache54WJackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

If you're shopping for a huge amount of local storage, here's a deal that beats pretty much anything I saw during Black Friday. For a limited time, Best Buy is offering this massive Seagate Expansion 20TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive for only $229.99 shipped. That averages out to a mere $11.50 per TB of storage.Seagate Expansion 20TB Desktop Hard DriveSeagate Expansion 20TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard DriveThe Seagate Expansion boasts a single 20TB disk drive so it's no bigger than any other desktop hard drive. It features a USB 3.0 interface with roughly up to 100MB/s transfer speed, which is in line with what you'd expect from a traditional hard drive. It also includes recovery software and automatic recognition of both Windows and Mac computers.Although SSDs are all the rage these days, traditional hard drives are still the superior choice for long term storage. For one, hard drives are significantly less expensive. Compared to this hard drive's $11.50/TB cost, a solid state drive would run you at least $50/TB. Hard drives also have a much higher maximum capacity. Consumer SSDs generally cap out at 8TB, which pales in comparison to the 20TB capacity of this drive. Perhaps most importantly, although SSDs can equal HDDs in terms of lifespan, it's much easier to recover data from a HDD than SSD if either one fails.Looking for more alternatives? Check out the best external hard drives of 2025.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.