• I tried Halliday's AI smart glasses and they beat my Ray-Ban Metas in key ways
    www.zdnet.com
    With a display that's built into the frame - not the lens - these Halliday smart glasses are making quite a splash at CES 2025.
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  • The Wi-Fi mesh system that's perfect for big homes (and deep pockets)
    www.zdnet.com
    This is the perfect tool for blanketing a large home with high-speed Wi-Fi, but it will come at a cost.
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  • New Celebrity Baby Pygmy Hippo Gets A Flowery Name
    www.forbes.com
    Mother hippo Iris and baby Poppy take a dip in a shallow pool.Metro Richmond ZooIf you happened to be a pygmy hippo born in 2024, then youre an internet superstar. The world first went bonkers for Moo Deng, a tiny hippo born in a Thailand zoo. Next came Haggis, a wee hippo born in Scotland. The latest is a newbie at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia. The zoo announced the results of a naming poll this week. Please give a warm welcome to Poppy, the baby pygmy hippopotamus.Pygmy hippo gets a nameIt took two rounds of voting to arrive at the babys final name. The four contenders were Poppy (for the flower), Juniper (for the evergreen), Hammie Mae (for Virginia ham) and Omi (water in the West African language Yoruba). Poppy and Hammie Mae were the top vote-getters in the first round. Poppy reigned supreme in the runoff vote. Poppy is the perfect name for this playful, perky, and ever-increasing popular hippo, the zoo said in a statement. Her name is a flower just like her mother Iris.Over 116,000 votes came in from 165 countries. Poppy squeaked past the food-themed Hammie Mae with 52.8% of the vote. Momma hippo Iris even got a vote. The zoo set up two piles of food with the names Poppy and Hammie Mae above them. Iris lumbered over and started eating from the pile under Poppy. The Metro Richmond Zoo shared a video to social media on Jan. 7 showing Iris voting.MORE FOR YOUPygmy hippo celebritiesPoppy is the latest in a lineup of baby pygmy hippos that have attracted a lot of attention. Thailands Moo Deng became popular in 2024 after becoming the subject of memes, TikTok makeup tutorials and even a Saturday Night Live controversy. Moo Dengs ascendance turned a spotlight on pygmy hippos in general. Adult pygmy hippos can reach 600 pounds. Thats still much smaller than a standard hippo.Poppy was born on Dec. 9. She represents hope for a species under duress in the wild from hunting and loss of habitat. Pygmy hippos (Choeropsis liberiensis) are native to West Africa. Pygmy hippos are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Threatened Species. Fewer than 2,500 mature individuals still live in the wild.The Metro Richmond Zoo shared a video of Poppy taking a splash in a shallow pool with her mom.Poppy flips her ears, wiggles around and inspects the camera. Its easy to see why the babies of this species get so much attention from humans. They come across as curious, sassy and cute. Their small size makes them much less intimidating than regular hippos, which have a reputation as dangerous, fast-moving animals.Poppy is a celebrity that isnt aware of her celebrity status. Shes busy doing baby-hippo things. Chowing down is a top priority. She will continue learning how to be a pygmy hippo from mom, the zoo said. She has already started nibbling on some solid foods, and will only eat more and more each day. Visitors to the zoo can see water-loving Poppy and Iris in their indoor pool area. Eventually, the baby will get to explore her larger outdoor enclosure, no doubt to the delight of her adoring fans.
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  • 20 Game-Changing Innovations Set To Transform Industries In 2025
    www.forbes.com
    Self-driving cars, specialized robots for medical procedures or factory work, and general-purpose robots as home assistants will be the next major shift for industries.
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  • Reachers First Season 3 Trailer Is Great, Which Is A Relief
    www.forbes.com
    ReacherCredit: AmazonWeve seen a teaser for Reachers third season, headed to Prime Video this coming February. But now we have the first official trailer and it has renewed my hope in this show, after a truly abysmal second season.Season 2 was a huge disappointmentI included it in my Worst TV Shows Of 2024 listafter the debut season was a close to perfect adaptation of the first Lee Child Reacher novel, Killing Floor. Beyond its many plot holes and lackluster plot, the second season saw Reacher team up with his ex-army buddies, which kind of defeats the entire point of Reacher being a one-man army who can take down even the most intimidating foes all by his lonesome. Details matter, as the characters in Season 2 never stopped reminding us.Dont get me wrong: Reacher almost always has help in some form or another. He had help from Roscoe and Finlay in Season 1, but they werent fighting alongside him. The fight scenes in Season 2 were almost all terrible by comparison.Season 3 looks like a return to form. Heres the trailer:This season is based on the seventh Reacher novel, Persuader. Of the books in the series that Ive read, this is my second favorite after Killing Floor, and one of the better ones I can think of to adapt for TV. I wont spoil what happens in the book, but the official logline for the season reads: In the third season of the action-packed series, Reacher (Alan Ritchson) hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violenceand confronts some unfinished business from his own past.Reacher will team up with DEA Susan Duffy (Sonya Cassidy) who, if the story follows the book, will also be our leading mans romantic interest this time around. Reacher will go up against a cabal of criminals including Paulie (Olivier Richters) pictured in the top image of this post. As you can see, hes quite a lot bigger than Reacher. Hes also a very bad dude. Anthony Michael Hall also joins the cast as Zackary Beck, the chief antagonist of the season.Read More: Apple TV Has Stolen HBOs Thunder In The Streaming EraThe first three episodes of Reacher drop on Thursday, February 20th with subsequent episodes landing on Prime Video each week. I will be reviewing here on this blog. Fingers crossed that this season lives up to the first and that writer and showrunner Nick Sanotra learned from the second seasons mistakes.
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  • How China Is Advancing in AI Despite U.S. Chip Restrictions
    time.com
    By Harry BoothJanuary 8, 2025 12:46 PM ESTIn 2017, Beijing unveiled an ambitious roadmap to dominate artificial intelligence development, aiming to secure global leadership by 2030. By 2020, the plan called for iconic advances in AI to demonstrate its progress. Then in late 2022, OpenAIs release of ChatGPT took the world by surpriseand caught China flat-footed.At the time, leading Chinese technology companies were still reeling from an 18-month government crackdown that shaved around $1 trillion off China's tech sector. It was almost a year before a handful of Chinese AI chatbots received government approval for public release. Some questioned whether Chinas stance on censorship might hobble the countrys AI ambitions. Meanwhile, the Biden administrations export controls, unveiled just a month before ChatGPTs debut, aimed to cut China off from the advanced semiconductors essential for training large-scale AI models. Without cutting-edge chips, Beijings goal of AI supremacy by 2030 appeared increasingly out of reach.But fast forward to today, and a flurry of impressive Chinese releases suggests the U.S.s AI lead has shrunk. In November, Alibaba and Chinese AI developer DeepSeek released reasoning models that, by some measures, rival OpenAIs o1-preview. The same month, Chinese videogame juggernaut Tencent unveiled Hunyuan-Large, an open-source model that the companys testing found outperformed top open-source models developed in the U.S. across several benchmarks.holds its own against top performing closed systems from OpenAI and Anthropic.Before DeepSeek-v3 was released, the trend had already caught the attention of Eric Schmidt, Googles former CEO and one of the most influential voices on U.S. AI policy. In May 2024, Schmidt had confidently asserted that the U.S. maintained a two-to-three year lead in AI, which is an eternity in my books. Yet by November, in a talk at the Harvard Kennedy School, Schmidt had changed his tune. He cited the advances from Alibaba, and Tencent as evidence that China was closing the gap. This is shocking to me, he said. I thought the restrictions we placed on chips would keep them back.Beyond a source of national prestige, who leads on AI will likely have ramifications for the global balance of power. If AI agents can automate large parts of the workforce, they may provide a boost to nations economies. And future systems, capable of directing weapons or hacking adversaries, could provide a decisive military advantage. As nations caught between the two superpowers are forced to choose between Chinese or American AI systems, artificial intelligence could emerge as a powerful tool for global influence. Chinas rapid advances raise questions about whether U.S. export controls on semiconductors will be enough to maintain America's edge.Building more powerful AI depends on three essential ingredients: data, innovative algorithms, and raw computing power, or compute. Training data for large language models like GPT-4o is typically scrapped from the internet, meaning its available for developers across the world. Similarly, algorithms, or new ideas for how to improve AI systems, move across borders with ease, as new techniques are often shared in academic papers. Even if they werent, China has a wealth of AI talent, producing more top AI researchers than the U.S. By contrast, advanced chips are incredibly hard to make, and unlike algorithms or data, they are a physical good that can be stopped at the border.The supply chain for advanced semiconductors is dominated by America and its allies. U.S. companies Nvidia and AMD have an effective duopoly on datacenter-GPUs used for AI. Their designs are so intricatewith transistors measured in single-digit nanometersthat currently, only the Taiwanese company TSMC manufactures these top-of-the-line chips. To do so, TSMC relies on multi-million dollar machines that only Dutch company ASML can build.The U.S. has sought to leverage this to its advantage. In 2022, the Biden administration introduced export controls, laws that prevent the sale of cutting-edge chips to China. The move followed a series of measures that began under Trumps first administration, which sought to curb Chinas access to chip-making technologies. These efforts have not only restricted the flow of advanced chips into China, but hampered the countrys domestic chip industry. Chinas chips lag years behind, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told 60 minutes in April.Yet, the 2022 export controls encountered their first hurdle before being announced, as developers in China reportedly stockpiled soon-to-be restricted chips. DeepSeek, the Chinese developer behind an AI reasoning model called R1, which rivals OpenAIs O1-preview, assembled a cluster of 10,000 soon-to-be-banned Nvidia A100 GPUs a year before export controls were introduced. Smuggling might also have undermined the export controls effectiveness. In October, Reuters reported that restricted TSMC chips were found on a product made by Chinese company Huawei. Chinese companies have also reportedly acquired restricted chips using shell companies outside China. Others have skirted export controls by renting GPU access from offshore cloud providers. In December, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is preparing new measures that would limit Chinas ability to access chips through other countries.Read more: Has AI Progress Really Slowed Down?While U.S. export controls curtail Chinas access to the most cutting-edge semiconductors, they still allow the sale of less powerful chips. Deciding which chips should and should not be allowed has proved challenging. In 2022, Nvidia tweaked the design of its flagship chip to create a version for the Chinese market that fell within the restrictions thresholds. The chip was still useful for AI development, prompting the U.S. to tighten restrictions in October 2023. We had a year where [China] could just buy chips which are basically as good, says Lennart Heim, a lead on AI and compute at the RAND corporations Technology and Security Policy Center. He says this loophole, coupled with the time for new chips to find their way into AI developers infrastructure, is why we are yet to see the export controls have a full impact on Chinas AI development.It remains to be seen whether the current threshold strikes the right balance. In November, Tencent released a language model called Hunyuan-Large that outperforms Metas most powerful variant of Llama 3.1 in several benchmarks. While benchmarks are an imperfect measure for comparing AI models overall intelligence, Hunyuan-Larges performance is impressive because it was trained using the less powerful, unrestricted Nvidia H20 GPUs, according to research by the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab. They're clearly getting much better use out of the hardware because of better software, says Ritwik Gupta, the author of the research, who also advises the Department of Defenses Defense Innovation Unit. Rival Chinese labs DeepSeek-v3, believed to be the strongest open model available, was also trained using surprisingly little compute. Although there is significant uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump will approach AI policy, several experts told TIME in November that they expected export controls to persistand even be expanded.Before new restrictions were introduced in December, Chinese companies once again stockpiled soon-to-be-blocked chips.This entire strategy needs to be rethought, Gupta says. Stop playing whack-a-mole with these hardware chips. He suggests that instead of trying to slow down development of large language models by restricting access to chips, the U.S. should concentrate on preventing the development of military AI systems, which he says often need less computing power to train. Though he acknowledges that restrictions on other parts of the chip supply chainlike ASMLs machines used for manufacturing chipshave been pivotal in slowing Chinas domestic chip industry.Heim says that over the last year, the U.S.s lead has shrunk, though he notes that while China may now match the U.S.s best open source models, these lag roughly one year behind the top closed models. He adds that the closing gap does not necessarily mean export controls are failing. Lets move away from this binary of export controls working or not working, he says, adding that it may take longer for China to feel them bite.The last decade has seen a dizzying increase in the compute used for training AI models. For example, OpenAIs GPT-4, released in 2023, is estimated to have been trained using roughly 10,000 times more compute than GPT-2, released in 2019. There are indications that trend is set to continue, as American companies like X and Amazon build massive supercomputers with hundreds of thousands of GPUs, far exceeding the computing power used to train today's leading AI models. If it does, Heim predicts that U.S. chip export restrictions will hamper China's ability to keep pace in AI development. Export controls mostly hit you on quantity, Heim says, adding that even if some restricted chips find their way into the hands of Chinese developers, by reducing the number, export controls make it harder to train and deploy models at scale. I do expect export controls to generally hit harder over time, as long as compute stays as important, he says.Within Washington, right now, there is a hesitation to bring China to the [negotiating] table, says Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The implicit reasoning: [If the U.S. is ahead], why would we share anything?But he notes there are compelling reasons to negotiate with China on AI. China does not have to be leading to be a source of catastrophic risk, he says, adding its continued progress in spite of compute restrictions means it could one day produce AI with dangerous capabilities. "If China is much closer, consider what types of conversations you want to have with them around ensuring both sides' systems remain secure, Singer says.
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  • Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 32:9 secondary touchscreen display that mounts almost anywhere
    www.techspot.com
    What just happened? There's always an absolute boatload of new tech products on show at CES, some of which are more useful than others. Your opinion of Corsair's Xeneon Edge touchscreen might depend on how much you desire a 14.5-inch, 32:9 secondary display that's also touchscreen. Secondary displays are far from new, of course, but they've become increasingly complex in modern times. The Xeneon Edge is certainly fancy, or a bit weird, boasting a 2,560 by 720 LCD touchscreen, which offers a very crisp 183 PPI density, 350 nits of brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate on the IPS panel.The Xeneon Edge is flexible when it comes to where you put it. Users can place the device on their desk using the included stand, attach it to a PC or any ferromagnetic surface via the 14 built-in magnets, or put it inside a case at a 360mm radiator mounting point, which does sound pretty cool, admittedly. Corsair writes that it's thinner than a regular case fan, too, so clearance should be of minimal concern.The display connects via USB Type-C DP-Alt Mode or a standard HDMI port. Something else that sounds quite interesting is its ability to operate in both vertical and horizontal orientations. That means it will be useful to anyone who has the need to constantly scroll through their social media feeds or keep an eye on Discord. Windows will detect the Xeneon Edge as another screen, so you can use it as such.Corsair writes that the Xeneon Edge has a five-point multi-touch capacitive touchscreen that functions as a standard Windows touchscreen display for added versatility.The press image shows the display running several apps, including a clock, calendar, weather, and a music player, on the screen simultaneously. It's unclear if this is software that will come bundled with the device. // Related StoriesThe screen also integrates with Corsair's iCue software to show comprehensive information about a system's fan speeds, temperatures, CPU and GPU utilization. You can also alter profiles, lighting, fans, etc., via the touchscreen.No word yet on how much the Xeneon Edge will cost, but don't be surprised if it's quite pricey. The screen will be available in Q2 2025 from Corsair resellers and the company's website.We've seen plenty of LCD screens on the pump caps of AIO liquid coolers before. There was this Full HD one from Lamptron last year that also doubled as a secondary screen, and last March saw Chinese hardware manufacturer Tryx unveil the world's first AIO coolers to feature a curved AMOLED display.
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  • Insiders say TSMC's Arizona fab is now producing AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs
    www.techspot.com
    The big picture: TSMC's state-of-the-art $65 billion chip factory in Arizona is reportedly churning out some of the most sought-after processors on the market already. Sources indicate that the facility, known as Fab 21, began manufacturing chips for AMD and Apple earlier this year. Tim Culpan, a well-connected industry insider, has revealed that Fab 21 is already producing at least three major chip designs as part of its initial installed capacity.Last September, it was confirmed that Apple's A16 Bionic SoC for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus would be manufactured at the Arizona facility. According to Culpan's report, the fab is now also producing chips for the next-generation Apple Watch.While the exact model remains unclear, Culpan says he is "99% sure" it's the S9 processor package. This specialized system-in-package design is expected to integrate the main application processor core alongside silicon dedicated to AI and neural processing tasks.The biggest surprise from TSMC Arizona is its production of AMD's new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. Codenamed "Grand Rapids," according to sources, these processors utilize TSMC's cutting-edge 4nm-class N4 and N4P process technologies and form a key part of AMD's latest mainstream lineup. However, the report did not specify which Ryzen 9000 models are currently in production.With three major product lines now being built at the Arizona facility, TSMC's $65 billion investment appears to be paying off. Culpan reports that the fab is currently operating at a capacity of approximately 10,000 wafer starts per month during its initial phase (Phase 1A). That number is projected to more than double to 24,000 wafer starts as part of Phase 1B, though the expansion is reportedly facing a "bottleneck" due to "tooling delays." // Related StoriesOne of the fab's most significant challenges has been staffing and worker retention. While TSMC has prioritized hiring locally now employing more local workers than foreign transfers it has still relied heavily on expertise from Taiwan. This week, the company issued an internal call for hundreds of additional experienced workers from its Taiwan headquarters to help fill critical roles in fab operations and equipment installation.Despite these hurdles, TSMC appears determined to keep its ramp-up schedule on track. In a noteworthy move underscoring the strategic importance of the Arizona facility, the company's board of directors is set to hold a meeting on-site. This rare occurrence will likely include a full tour of the fab, allowing board members to witness the manufacturing process firsthand.
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  • www.techspot.com
    Smelly Games: Sony at CES 2025 unveiled an immersive demo set in the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us. Naughty Dog's acclaimed action-adventure series features hostile humans transformed into cannibalistic creatures by a mutated fungus. Now, Sony aims to elevate one of PlayStation's most successful franchises into a more physical and undoubtedly terrifying experience. Have you ever wondered what the hideous hosts of the Cordyceps fungus in The Last of Us might smell like? Sony is betting that plenty of people have and built its Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (FIEC) around this eerie idea. The one-time demonstration debuted at CES 2025, showcasing Sony's vision for translating gaming narratives into entirely new mediums.The Japanese tech giant designed a large, interactive room where "players" were surrounded by cutting-edge Crystal LED panels. Upon entering the enclosed space, visitors could immerse themselves in interactive content pulled directly from The Last of Us series. The experience was enhanced by dynamic audio, haptic feedback, atmospheric scents, and other sensory effects to bring the game's haunting world to life.Sony described FIEC as a potential glimpse into the future of large-scale, immersive experiences. Players could interact with the environment using real-world tools, such as illuminating a specific area with a flashlight or firing at fungal creatures emerging from the shadows.A scent-enabled, fungus-equipped FIEC setup is undoubtedly a costly experience to create, making it unlikely to become a mass-produced product anytime soon. Sony has also faced criticism for investing in esoteric technologies that many consumers didn't ask for this while still marketing the pricey PSVR2 headset to PlayStation and PC users.At the moment, Sony doesn't seem interested in expanding console-based VR experiences beyond the PSVR2. Instead, the PlayStation company appears to be exploring other innovative entertainment formats. // Related StoriesNaughty Dog first released The Last of Us in 2013, followed by additional downloadable content and a remake. The series' proper sequel, The Last of Us Part II, debuted in 2020 and is now being ported to PC in a "remastered" edition.In recent years, the franchise has reached a broader audience thanks to HBO's award-winning live-action series starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal. A second season is set to premiere in April 2025, with a third season already in development.
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  • Does the OnePlus 13 have an IR blaster?
    www.digitaltrends.com
    Table of ContentsTable of ContentsIs there an IR blaster on the OnePlus 13?What about the OnePlus 13R?What does an IR blaster do?The OnePlus 13 has made its international debut after launching earlier in its home country of China. The new smartphone offers an excellent camera system, impressive battery life, and a fresh design. But does it include an IR blaster? How about on the OnePlus 13R? Its time to find out.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsYes, the OnePlus 13 has an IR (infrared) blaster. This feature allows users to use their smartphone as a remote control for various compatible devices, such as TVs, air conditioners, sound systems, and set-top boxes. This capability is particularly advantageous for those who prefer a streamlined approach to managing multiple gadgets from a single device.Recommended VideosIncluding an IR blaster is a thoughtful addition, especially considering this feature has become increasingly rare in many modern smartphones. Its a nod to versatility and user convenience, allowing for easy control of appliances without needing to search for dedicated remotes. This functionality was also present in the OnePlus 12, showcasing the brands commitment to maintaining valuable features that enhance user experience. With the OnePlus 13, you can enjoy the convenience of managing your home entertainment setup with just a few taps, making it a versatile tool for everyday living.RelatedJoe Maring / Digital TrendsThe OnePlus 13R also includes an IR blaster. The phone, released alongside the OnePlus 13, includes many of the same features as the flagship devices, but for less. The fact that OnePlus made sure to include the humble IR blaster in a more budget-friendly device is admirable.An IR blaster emits infrared light signals to control various electronics, functioning similarly to a traditional remote control. It allows you to transform your phones into universal remotes. Essentially, the IR blaster converts digital commands from the phone into infrared signals that supported devices can recognize. This consolidation lets you manage multiple remotes with just one device, providing convenience and the potential for smart home integration.The OnePlus 13 is powered by the cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a performance powerhouse capable of efficiently handling demanding tasks and games. The phone features a 6.82-inch AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Its camera system, co-developed with Hasselblad, includes a 50-megapixel main, 50MP wide-angle, and 50MP telephoto camera. On the front, there is a 32MP camera.The OnePlus 13 also has a long-lasting 6,000mAh battery with super-fast charging support, ensuring you can stay connected throughout the day. It runs on OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. The new phone is available in Midnight Ocean, Arctic Dawn, and Black Eclipse.Editors Recommendations
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