Samsung TV AI will find recipes for food seen on the screen.

Other Chinese companies added to the list included battery maker CATL, which is part of the supply chain for automakers like Ford and Tesla.

It was just announced at CES.Pixomondo (PXO) has just revealed its latest virtual production toolset for vehicle processing. Its called PXO AKIRA.Essentially, PXO AKIRA is a custom-built 360-degree spinning motion base designed to be directly integrated with a robotic camera crane (a Technodolly), an LED volume, driving simulator, and real-time rendered content powered by Unreal Engine.Car on top of PXO AKIRA motion base platform.The idea is to be able to plan, shoot and finalize vehicle shoots in a studio rather than via a traditional approach such as blue or greenscreen shooting, process trailers or just 2D playback on an LED wall. Instead with everything with AKIRA works in tandem to provide real-time results.And not just vehicles like cars, PXOs behind the scenes videos show motorbikes, boats and even planes being attached to the motion base for filming. AKIRA looks very much like a way to plan and execute a vehicle process shoot, but it is also about combining the setup with a LED wall volume shoot for in-camera final VFX results.Plane on top of PXO AKIRA motion base platform. Techno dolly track and camera to the left.Watch this technical reel, below, for a breakdown of how PXO AKIRA works.To find out more about PXO AKIRA, befores & afters asked Pixomono chief innovation officer Mahmoud Rahnama about the new tech.b&a: What led to Pixomondo developing AKIRA?Mahmoud Rahnama: Pixomondo developed PXO AKIRA after years of encountering significant challenges while shooting vehicles for films, TV shows, and commercials. Traditional methods like green/blue screens, process trailers, and even LED playback came with various limitations, from lack of realism to logistical inefficiencies.We recognized the need for an ultimate solutionone that could address these recurring pain points and revolutionize vehicle-based storytelling. After pitching the concept to Sony, they saw the potential and decided to fund this ambitious R&D project. Within a year, we designed, manufactured, and integrated a groundbreaking system thats now known as PXO AKIRA.Motion platform: Built to handle cars and boats to helicopters, planes, and even spaceships. It can spin 360 degrees and connects in real-time with the virtual environment to generate realistic motion and road feel. Each car wheel moves independently on the motion base.b&a: Can you break down some of the main technical hurdles you had to overcome with building a motion base suitable for multiple kinds of vehicles, and then aligning it with other virtual production workflows?Mahmoud Rahnama: Developing PXO AKIRA presented a unique set of technical challenges. The motion base needed to be highly agile and accurate while maintaining minimal latency. Flexibility was paramount PXO AKIRA had to support a wide range of vehicles, from cars and motorcycles to boats and planes, all with varying weights and dimensions. Noise reduction was another critical factor to ensure compatibility with sound-sensitive shoots.Integrating the motion base with the broader virtual production ecosystem was another challenge. The TechnoDolly, LED volume, and racing simulator had to work seamlessly together, controlled by our Digital Twin system. Each component needed to be finely tuned to create a unified and efficient platform that could handle any virtual environment under one roof. Balancing all these requirements while ensuring the system remained mobile and scalable was one of our biggest accomplishments.Programmable Camera Crane: The camera is crane connected to PXO AKIRA, complete with programmable, key-framable moves.b&a: How can AKIRA typically be deployed for a shoot?Mahmoud Rahnama: PXO AKIRA is designed for maximum mobility and efficiency. The entire system can be shipped to any LED volume or soundstage worldwide. Before deployment, we use our Digital Twin system to virtually map and pre-visualize the shoot, allowing us to optimize the setup and workflows in advance. Once on-site, PXO AKIRA can be quickly assembled and calibrated, ensuring minimal downtime for production teams. Our vision is to have multiple PXO AKIRA units stationed at key locations worldwide, enabling productions to book and utilize PXO AKIRA-enabled facilities without the need for transportation. This approach will save time, streamline logistics, and make PXO AKIRA accessible to global productions.Digital Twin & Pre-visualization Platform: A tool that lets you create a one-to-one digital twin of the LED studio, saving previs moves to translate to final pixels on set, aligning the virtual with the real world.b&a: What kind of testing and test footage have you been able to produce so far?Mahmoud Rahnama: Weve conducted extensive internal testing, both with synthetic environments and real-world locations. These tests allowed us to fine-tune PXO AKIRAs performance and optimize its integration with virtual production workflows.So far, weve produced promotional material showcasing PXO AKIRAs capabilities, and were currently planning a short film that will be entirely shot using PXO AKIRA. Additionally, weve received significant interest from productions eager to book PXO AKIRA for 2025, and we anticipate a busy schedule following its grand debut at CES. PXO AKIRAs launch marks the beginning of a new era for vehicle processing solutions, and were excited to see it in action across a wide range of projects.Driving Simulator: This allows a precision driver to authentically drive their route in the virtual environment before the camera rolls, ensuring precise movement, inertia, and direction.Find out more at http://pxoakira.com.The post Heres how PXO AKIRAs new motion base vehicle processing ecosystem works appeared first on befores & afters.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday denied a newspaper report that said his aides were exploring tariff plans that would only cover critical imports, deepening uncertainty among business leaders about future U.S. trade policies.Trump responded on his Truth Social platform after the Washington Post cited three sources familiar with the matter as saying that Trump aides were exploring a narrower approach to tariffs, focused on certain critical sectors.The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which dont exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong. The Washington Post knows its wrong. Its just another example of Fake News, he wrote in a post on Truth Social.The Washington Post had reported that Trump aides were exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover certain sectors deemed critical to national or economic security, in what would have represented a marked shift from promises Trump made during the 2024 presidential campaign.U.S. and European stocks rallied sharply on Monday after the newspaper report, and remained up despite Trumps denial. The U.S. dollar pared declines against a basket of other currencies following the Trump statement.Trump, a Republican who takes office on Jan. 20, had vowed to impose tariffs of 10% on global imports into the U.S. along with a 60% tariff on Chinese goods duties that trade experts say would upend trade flows, raise costs and draw retaliation against U.S. exports. He later said he would impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports on his first day in office, which could lead to sharp increases in the cost of gasoline.The aides said the plans are in flux and have not been finalized, according to the newspaper.It all seems uncertain and unsettled, said John Murphy, a senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful Washington-based lobbying group. Weve been hearing a quiet denial of the idea that there would be lots of exclusions from some of these tariffs plans.While tariffs imposed during Trumps first term didnt send inflation soaring, they did result in a noticeable drop in foreign and domestic investment and business sentiment, he said. The sooner we can have clarity and stability and avoid the hefty cost of these tariffs to the degree possible, the better.The Washington Post report said it was not clear which sectors the tariffs would target, with preliminary discussions largely focused on several key sectors, including the defense industrial supply chain, through tariffs on steel, iron, aluminum and copper; critical medical supplies such as pharmaceutical materials; and energy production, including batteries, rare earth minerals and solar panels.Reuters last month reported that a Trump transition team document recommended imposing tariffs on all electric battery materials globally in a bid to boost U.S. production and then negotiating individual exemptions with allies.It called for charging tariffs on EV supply chain imports including batteries, critical minerals and charging components. The proposal viewed by Reuters said the administration should use Section 232 tariffs, which target national security threats, to limit imports of such products.The Defense Department in recent years has highlighted U.S. strategic vulnerabilities because of Chinas dominance of the mining and refining of critical minerals, including graphite and lithium needed for batteries, and rare-earth metals used in both EV motors and military aircraft.Andrea Shalal and Shivani Tanna, Reuters

Winter weatheroften causes flight delays and cancellations. While airlines cant control the weather, they are required in the U.S.to provide refundsto customers whose flights are canceled. Heres what to know about your rights, and what to know when cancellations start piling up:Keep an eye on weather forecastsWhen airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee. Search online for your airlines name and travel alerts or similar phrases to look for possible rescheduling offers.Check before going to the airportIts better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airlines app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time.My flight was canceled, now what?If youre already at the airport, its time to find another flight. Get in line to speak to a customer service representative, and call or go online to connect to the airlines reservations staff. It also helps to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge. That depends, however, on the availability of open seats. The good news for winter travelers is they stand a better chance of finding space in January than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, when passengers can wait days for a seat.Can I ask to be booked on another airline?You can, but airlines arent required to put you on another carriers flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then its often hit or miss. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, has recommended researching alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.Am I owed a refund?If you no longer want to take the trip, or found another way of getting to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesnt matter why the flight was canceled.They cant stick you with a voucher, you can get your money back, Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, told The Associated Press last year. That means you have to cancel your entire reservation, but that could be an easy option for some travelers especially if you wind up booking a flight on another carrier.You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didnt get to use.Can I get compensation?U.S. airlines are not required to pay cash compensation and cover lodging and meals for passengers who are stranded, even if a flight cancellation is the airlines fault such as the lack of a crew, a mechanical problem that grounds the plane, or a computer outage that brings the airline to a halt.The Biden administration said last month it was working ona proposal to change that. Such a rule would make U.S. policy more closely resemble airline consumer protections in Europe and go far beyond the current requirement for American airlinesto issue ticket refunds.With just two weeks until President Joe Biden leaves office, the fate of additional regulations on airlines will be left in the hands of President-elect Donald Trumps administration.What else will airlines cover?Each airline has its own policy. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see thecommitments that each airline makesfor refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.Other tipsIf the weather forecast is troubling, consider booking a backup flight, says Potter, the Thrifty Traveler editor. Some airlines stand out as potential backups because they let customers get a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking.If lots of flights are canceled, airline agents will soon be swamped. If you are in a group and one person belongs to a higher level of the airlines frequent-flyer program, use the number associated with that person to call the airline. You also can try calling your airlines international help number usually available online since those agents can make changes in your itinerary too.Be nice. The agent youre talking to is probably dealing with lots of other frustrated travelers too, and screaming at the agent wont make them want to help you. The cancellation isnt their fault.

CES Unveiled always has a way of surprising you, and this year, one booth kept pulling me back. LiberLive had set up a tiny stage where a performer worked magic on what looked like the lovechild of a guitar and a spaceship: the C1 Stringless Smart Guitar. No fuss, no heavy marketing spieljust music. And you know what? It worked. The musician performed Creep by Radiohead, Too Sweet by Hozier, among other popular songs without so much as playing an actual chord. This basically meant being able to play ANY song without the practice or effort, in mere seconds.The C1 immediately flips your expectations of what a guitar should be. Forget strings; this thing has a smooth, button-laden fretboard that lights up like a runway, guiding your fingers to hit the right spots. Strumming? Replaced by a rocker switch that feels oddly satisfying to use. Its a strange blend of the tactile and the digital, but watching the performer switch effortlessly between chords, it all starts to make sense.Designer: LiberLiveAnd that fretboardits genius. The illuminated markers dont just look cool; they act as a built-in cheat sheet. Whether youre fumbling through your first chords or shredding onstage, those glowing lights are like a trusted friend whispering, You got this. LiberLive has managed to turn something as intimidating as learning guitar into something inviting, even playful.The sound, thoughthats where the C1 really caught me off guard. It doesnt just fake it; it delivers an acoustic richness that feels alive. LiberLives fancy tech (MicroDAW Sampling Synthesis, if youre into the jargon) mimics the warmth and depth of a traditional guitar surprisingly well. The onboard speaker setup20W subwoofer and a 5W tweeterpumps out clear, full-bodied tones that youd swear were coming from an actual hollow body. And when youre playing a larger space, you can plug it into external speakers and go big.But heres where things get wild: the LiberLive app. Its not just some afterthought or glorified tuner. Open it up, and youve got access to chord charts that sync with the guitars LEDs, a drum machine to keep the rhythm going, and even a bassline generator to fill out your sound. Toss in nearly 100 rhythm styles, and youve basically got a band in your back pocket. Its smart, intuitive, and shockingly fun to mess around with.And dont get me started on the portability. The hollow frame doesnt just look sleekit folds down. Let that sink in for a second: you can fold this guitar and toss it into its custom carry bag like its no big deal. At just over 4 pounds, its lighter than the average bowling ball and far easier to carry. Combine that with a battery life of 6 hours on its built-in speakers (or up to 12 if youre using external ones), and youve got an instrument ready for gigs, street performances, or even just long practice sessions.Now, does it replace the feel of a traditional guitar? Not really. Theres something about the tactile feedback of strings and the subtle imperfections of a strum that the C1 doesnt replicate. But heres the thingit doesnt need to. Its carving its own lane, opening up new ways to play and connect with music, especially for those who might find traditional guitars intimidating or impractical.The crowd at LiberLives booth seemed to agree. People werent just listening; they were leaning in, snapping photos, and quietly debating whether this was the next big thing in music tech. Watching the performer, I couldnt shake the thought: this guitar isnt just about innovation for the sake of it. Its practical, portable, and genuinely fun.And as I walked away, I couldnt help but think: weve come a long way from campfire acoustics. But if the future of guitar looks and sounds this good, count me in.The post LiberLives Stringless Guitar Turns Anyone Into An Instant Rockstar Performer at CES Unveiled 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

At CES 2025, the Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB + NFC turned heads with support for hands-free auto-unlocking and Matter support.This flagship smart lock is the first to add ultra-wideband supportHeadlining U-tec's CES announcement is the premium Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB + NFC, which is the world's first smart lock with Ultra-Wideband technology built in. This delivers what the brand calls "centimeter-level accuracy" in tracking the phone's location as it approaches.UWB precision, often used with digital car keys, helps determine when a user is walking towards the door. It can also prevent inadvertently unlocking the door when located on the inside of the house. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

At the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, UnifyDrive has announced a new network attached storage device featuring a built-in tablet-style display, and AI-powered features in the operating system.The UnifyDrive UP6, with its built-in battery and on-device screen, is ideal for remote location use.CES is underway, and artificial intelligence (AI) is once again the key phrase for the event in 2025. Everything is packed with AI technology, including network-attached storage (NAS).The UnifyDrive UP6 was revealed on Monday, and includes a built-in rechargeable battery for on-the-go transfers. The new battery should be an improvement on the previous UT2 drive's battery, which was only good for up to an hour in our testing. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Athom's new privacy-first home hub gives users plenty of ways to manage their smart homes at a competitive price.Homey Pro miniOn Monday, Athom unveiled its new, budget-friendly home hub, the Homey Pro mini. This compact hub has been designed to offer an exceptionally customizable home hub experience, all while minimizing data sharing with the cloud.Like the original Homey Pro, the Homey Pro mini allows customers to connect directly with more than 1,000 other smart home brands' devices via local and cloud-based API, too. And, out of the box, the Homey Pro mini is compatible with Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and LAN. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Because of the thermal mass the temperature inside the building changes a lot slower than a conventional build saving you a lot in energy costs. Its mold resistant and pest resistant, fire resistant. We told architects and engineers they didn't believe us so we pulled out a block and a torch and we showed themthey werelike this is unbelievable - Danny DesjarlaisOn the plains of Minnesota, the Lower Sioux Indian Community are building de-carbonized housing, using locally grown hemp. MPR News also covered the program, specifically the opening of the tribe's Industrial Hemp Campus which should allow them to scale up significantly.Click here to learn more about the Lower Sioux Hemp Program and Housing Project.