These high-performing glass and film options provide an array of useful innovations for designers, from solar control and fire-resistance to high visible light transmittance and superior thermal performance. (Courtesy Aluflam)Fire-Rated True Aluminum Framing with Contraflam ONE GlassAluflamBy combining Contraflam One interlayer glass technology with Aluflam True Aluminum Framing, architects can now design much larger openings. This glass contains 35 percent less embedded carbon content than previous generations of Contraflam according to Vetrotech.(Courtesy Vitro)Sungate ThermLVitroThermL low-e glass is engineered for use on the interior surface of a typical 1-inch IGU. When paired with a Solarban solar control low-e glass on the second surface, Sungate ThermL glass dramatically improves U-values. (Courtesy C.R. Laurence Blumcraft)Entice HP+ Commercial Entrance SystemC. R. Laurence BlumcraftThe Entice HP+ Entrance System features a full perimeter seal around doors, structural enhancements, and thermally broken components with 1-inch insulating glass. This delivers superior thermal and wind load performance, as well as improved air infiltration resistance.(Courtesy sedak)sedak Tempered+sedakBased on a revolutionary advanced tempering process, sedak now offers tempered glass with the best optical properties from every angle and under any lighting condition for fully tempered and heat-strengthened glass.(Courtesy YKK AP)ProTek SystemsYKK APThe new Baptist Health Care campus at Brent Lane in Pensacola, Florida, features expansive windows at the hospital entrance. Multiple ProTek Systems used in concert made this design possible, helping designers achieve performance goals like impact-resistance, blast-mitigation, and window wall systems. (Courtesy Avery Dennison)SkyLite 20 XTRM Pro Window FilmAvery DennisonThe new SkyLite 20 XTRM Pro exterior window film offers exceptional durability against extreme heat and severe weather conditions, a neutral appearance, and natural daylighting with high optical clarity. Edge sealing is not required for this film, saving installation and labor time(Courtesy Vetrotech Saint-Gobain)Contraflam OneVetrotech Saint-GobainContraflam One fire rated glazing offers 90 percent light transmission with 35 percent less embodied carbon than conventional multichamber products. Contraflam One is distinguished by Hybridcore Technology, an innovative single-chamber foaming interlayer for all fire-resistance ratings.

Courtesy of Digital CommonwealthWhen theErie Canalopened in 1825, New York Citys advantageous water connection through the Hudson River threatened Bostons dominance as a historic trade center. Since the topography of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts made construction of a canal infeasible, Boston turned to the emerging railroad technology for a share of the freight to and from the Midwestern United States. TheBoston and Worcester Railroadwas chartered in 1831 and construction began the next year. Stations and rail lines were built westward of Boston and would eventually reach the Berkshires and the Hudson Valley with three existing lines merging in 1867 as theBoston and Albany Railroad, becoming the longest and most expensive point-to-point railroad yet constructed in the United States. The B&A undertook a significant program of improvement and beautification in the 1880s and 1890s, when the railroad hired architectAlexander Rice Estyto design this building, the Boston passenger station which was completed in 1881, the year of Estys death. That same year, the B&A hired architectHenry Hobson Richardsonto designa series of passenger stations, connecting suburban villages west of Boston to the city. This station was located on Kneeland Street and serviced passenger service from Boston until the new South Station, a consolidated train station of various lines, was completed in 1899. This station later became a freight and storage warehouse for the railroad until the 1950s when the building was razed for the Central Artery, signaling the death of train travel as we knew it for decades to come.The site of the former station has remained undeveloped since then.

Tech Sonys surprising entry into electric vehicle market The EV that's trying to give Tesla, Lucid Air a run for their money Published January 21, 2025 6:00am EST close 'CyberGuy': Sonys surprising entry into the electric vehicle market Sony and Honda's Afeela 1 EV launches with advanced tech and entertainment for $89,900. Tech expert Kurt Knutsson gives his takeaways. Sony has officially entered the electric vehicle (EV) market with its new model, the Afeela 1. This innovative vehicle, developed in partnership with Honda, aims to redefine the driving experience by integrating advanced technology and entertainment features. Unveiled at CES 2025, the Afeela 1 is now available for preorder, marking a significant milestone in Sony's expansion beyond consumer electronics into the automotive industry.Enter the giveaway by signing up for myfree newsletter. Exterior of the Afeela 1 (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Performance and rangeEquipped with a powerful 482 hp all-wheel-drive powertrain, the Afeela 1 features a 91 kWh battery that offers an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles. It supports fast charging at 150 kW and is compatible with Tesla's Supercharger network, providing convenience for long-distance travel. Exterior of the Afeela 1 at a Tesla charging station (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)The Afeela 1 boasts an impressive array of 40 sensors and cameras, enabling Level 2+ ADAS features. These systems include lidar assistance for tasks like automated parking and real-time environmental monitoring. The vehicle's AI processing capabilities allow it to perform up to 800 trillion operations per second, paving the way for future updates that may enhance its autonomous driving capabilities. Exterior of the Afeela 1 (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)In-car technology and entertainmentSony emphasizes creating an interactive experience within the Afeela 1. The car features:An AI-powered personal assistant for voice interactionsA dashboard-length screen for navigation and entertainmentSurround sound systems utilizing Sony's 360 Reality Audio technologyMoreover, certain functionalities will be available through a subscription model after an initial three-year complimentary period. Interior of the Afeela 1 (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Design and comfortThe design of the Afeela 1 focuses on comfort and aesthetics. Its interior is crafted from high-quality materials, including plant-derived and recycled components. The cabin is optimized for entertainment, featuring strategically placed displays and noise-canceling technology to enhance the passenger experience. Interior of the Afeela 1 (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Pricing and availabilityThe Afeela 1 is available in two trims: the Origin, which starts at $89,900, and the Signature, priced at $102,900. Currently, preorders are open exclusively for California residents, requiring a refundable reservation fee of $200. The Signature variant is expected to ship in mid-2026, while the Origin will follow in 2027. Exterior of the Afeela 1 (Sony) (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Kurts key takeawaysSony's entry into the electric vehicle market with the Afeela 1 represents a significant shift towards integrating technology and mobility. With its high-performance specs, advanced driver assistance systems and focus on entertainment, it aims to appeal to tech-savvy consumers looking for more than just transportation.What features are most important in an electric vehicle, and how will that affect your decision to purchase one? Let us know what you think by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com. Related Topics

BrunoWeltmann - stock.adobe.comNewsHyperscalers to spend a trillion dollars on AI optimised hardwareThe market for AI optimised servers is growing, driven by hyperscalers and IT services firms developing AI-enabled servicesByCliff Saran,Managing EditorPublished: 21 Jan 2025 11:00 The latest spending forecast from Gartner predicts that more than twice as much is being spent on AI-optimised servers compared with traditional servers. The analyst firm has forecast that $202bn will be spent on AI-optimised servers in 2025.Gartners data shows that server spend amounted to approximately $130bn in 2022. This figure rose by a small amount in 2023, in line with Gartners forecast to $134bn as GPU servers began to ship.The latest data shows that spending on datacentre systems, which includes servers, grew to $329bn in 2024 and is forecast to grow by over 23% this year, which means, according to Gartner, that $405bn of servers will be sold in 2025, driven by adoption of AI-optimised servers. Gartner predicts spending on AI-optimised servers to easily double spending on traditional servers in 2025, reaching $202bn.However, the bulk of the servers purchased, as John-David Lovelock, distinguished vice-president analyst at Gartner, notes, is not being made by enterprise IT. By 2028, hyperscalers will operate $1tn dollars worth of AI optimised servers. IT services companies and hyperscalers account for over 70% of spending in 2025, said Lovelock.While the hyperscalers will offer AI-optimised servers as part of their infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings, Lovelock said they are mainly deploying them to offer generative AI (GenAI)-enabled services to businesses and consumers.Gartner has also predicted that IT buyers will be spending 14.2% more on software this year. This is partly being driven by price increases as software providers embed AI into tier products. There is also 9% growth in the IT services market.Technology companies are starting to embed GenAI in their products and bumping the price a bit, Lovelock said.Looking at the device market, Gartner expects spending to increase 10.4%. While some of this growth is likely to come as a result of the PC refresh cycle as businesses upgrade to newer devices and the need to migrate over to Windows 11 before October 14th this year, manufacturers are increasinging prices, making AI PCs premium products.These AI-enabled devices are designed to improve the performance of GenAI and AI-based applications, offering on-device AI inference capabilities. They potentially offer a means to deploy GenAI on local devices across the organisation, in a way that avoids data leakage that can occur when using cloud-based GenAI. However, there is no compelling reason for IT leaders to pay a premium for these devices yet.GenAI is sliding toward the trough of disillusionment, which reflects CIOs declining expectations for GenAI, but not their spending on this technology, said Lovelock.For instance, the new AI-ready PCs do not yet have must have applications that utilise the hardware. While both consumers and enterprises will purchase AI-enabled PC, tablets and mobile phones, those purchases will not be overly influenced by the GenAI functionality.Overall, Gartner forecasts that worldwide IT spending is expected to total $5.61tn in 2025, an increase of 9.8% from 2024.Read more IT spending storiesIs diversity suffering because of budget management? Many are considering quitting their jobs over the next year because of rising workloads and falling team sizes. Are firms misallocating budgets and causing retention issues?Overcoming the cyber paradox - Shrinking budgets, growing threats: The challenging macro environment has left security budgets stretched thin even while new tech like AI presents a threat multiplier. In the face of these challenges, it becomes vital for security leads to do more with less.In The Current Issue:Can the UK government achieve its ambition to become an AI powerhouse?A guide to DORA complianceDownload Current Issue

On the rare occasion that you find a Linux app or service isn't starting properly, there's a handy command ready to help you suss out the problem.

When implemented strategically, AI can create more efficient, agile, and resilient supply chains, positioning logistics operators for long-term success.

Kaspersky has disclosed Mercedes-Benz car hacking threat.POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesIts worrying enough that hackers are targeting your account passwords, your iPhone and even your, erm, sex toys. But when they come for your Mercedes-Benz, well, thats a step too far. Heres everything you need to know about the Mercedes-Benz security vulnerability that could give a car hacker access to your vehicle infotainment system.Hacking The Mercedes-Benz Infotainment SystemA newly published report by security researchers from Kaspersky has revealed how they found a total of 13 vulnerabilities in the first-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system. The Kaspersky Security Services research revealed how some of these vulnerabilities could be used by hackers, if successfully exploited, to launch denial-of-service attacks, escalate user privileges and potentially steal data. The report also confirmed that hackers could, if they had physical access to the vehicle, unlock paid services and even disable anti-theft protections.A Mercedes-Benz statement said: The topic described by the researchers requires physical access to the vehicle on-site as well as access to the interior of the vehicle. In addition, the head unit has to be removed and opened. Newer versions of the infotainment system are not affected. The statement also confirmed that Mercedes-Benz had been aware of the security issues since August 2022, when a team of external security researchers contacted us regarding the first generation MBUX Mercedes-Benz User Experience.The vulnerabilities have all now been patched.MORE FOR YOUSecurity Professionals Respond To The Mercedes-Benz Hacking Research"The exploitation of Mercedes-Benz user experience systems is a stark reminder of the evolving attack surface presented by connected devices and embedded systems in modern vehicles, Jamie Akhtar, CEO at CyberSmart, said. This incident highlights the increasing convergence of cybersecurity and the automotive industry, where software vulnerabilities can expose both users and manufacturers to significant risks."The recent report about Kaspersky researchers identifying vulnerabilities in the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system highlights the importance of tighter collaboration between researchers, manufacturers, and the wider cybersecurity ecosystem to keep drivers safe, Anna Collard, an evangelist at KnowBe4, said. Although it is wise to remember that no access to critical vehicle functions were made possible by the vulnerabilities that the Kaspersky researchers disclosed, Collard said, the ability to manipulate the infotainment system could still pose safety risks by distracting drivers with unexpected visuals or flashing lights.

What just happened? A 6.4-magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan a few hours ago led to evacuations at TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker. The company has reported minimal damage to its critical equipment, but some production lines are expected to face delays, and it could be several days before full production can resume. The earthquake hit Taiwan's southern Chiayi county at 12.17am local time. According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, the epicenter was located 38km (23 miles) southeast of Chiayi County Hall, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles).The quake reportedly resulted in 27 injuries and minor damage, though it was felt 25 miles away in the city of Tainan, and even in the city of Taichung 124 miles away. Both cities are home to Science Parks where TSMC has fabrication facilities, which were evacuated as per standard emergency procedures. Workers returned to the plants several hours after the quake.TSMC is now checking for damage. It has reported minimal impact to its critical equipment, most of which have a shockproof design, and a recovery of over 70% of its tools shortly after the quake.Electronics Weekly reports that the director of the Southern Taiwan Science Park, where TSMC's Fab 18 (5nm and 3nm processes) and Fab 6 (eight-inch wafer fab) are located, said there were no injuries. He added that equipment at major plants in the science park is designed to stop during earthquakes. // Related StoriesGiven the delicate and precise nature of advanced chipmaking machinery, there's a possibility that the earthquake could have introduced errors in the manufacturing process that might reduce the yield rate of usable chips. TSMC told Nikkei that it could be several days before production reaches full capacity, which could impact its many US customers who have orders with the company booked months and even years in advance.There have been previous earthquakes in Taiwan that impacted the global technology supply chain. A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan's eastern coast near Hualien County in April 2024, leading to temporary suspensions of operations by major chipmakers such as TSMC and UMC. These halts were necessary to inspect facilities and ensure employee safety, causing short-term disruptions in production.There was also a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in 2021 that halted TSMC operations, further straining the global chip supply chain that was already struggling enormously due to disruptions from the Covid pandemic.

In context: Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service is facing an unprecedented surge in demand, leading to a shortage of available subscription tiers. This development has left many potential customers unable to access the service and has sparked discussions about the exact cause of the platform's capacity issues. Currently, five out of eight subscription tiers for GeForce Now are unavailable, including all Day Passes, Free, and Performance tiers of the 1-month plan, as well as the Free tier of the 6-month plan.This shortage appears to be a global issue, affecting users across multiple regions. The unavailability primarily impacts new users, particularly those seeking free-tier access. Nvidia told the German publication ComputerBase that it is restricting supply to ensure existing users continue to enjoy a seamless experience, prioritizing premium subscribers over new free-tier customers.GeForce Now typically offers three main subscription levels: Free (Basic Rig with Ads, FHD resolution), Premium (GeForce RTX, 1440p resolution), and Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4080, 4K HDR, 240 FPS, DLSS 3). These plans are available in various durations, including Day Passes (24-hour access), one-month, and six-month memberships.In late 2024, Nvidia announced a change to its GeForce Now cloud gaming service, implementing a monthly playtime cap of 100 hours for both Performance and Ultimate subscription tiers. This limit translates to approximately 3.3 hours of daily gameplay. Users who exceed this threshold will have the option to purchase additional gaming time. For Ultimate tier subscribers, 15 extra hours will cost $5.99, while Performance tier members can acquire the same amount of additional playtime for $2.99.While Nvidia attributes the current unavailability to high subscriber demand, the exact cause remains unclear. Some speculate that the servers may be at full capacity, unable to accommodate the influx of new users. However, the uniform nature of the outage across different regions has led to alternative theories. One possibility is that Nvidia might be upgrading its underlying hardware while maintaining existing services in parallel. Another theory involves a potential restructuring of the service offerings, possibly including the implementation of a new GeForce RTX 50 subscription with DLSS 4.Some users on social media platforms have linked the surge in demand to the release of Marvel Rivals in December, though this remains unconfirmed. Nvidia did not provide specific details about the current bottlenecks in server resources.This is not the first time GeForce Now has faced such challenges. Similar issues arose in 2020, suggesting that this may be a temporary setback. Industry observers expect Nvidia to resolve the problem in due course, possibly by upgrading existing infrastructure to accommodate more users.

The mobile application market is projected at an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% betweennow and 2030, and businesses are capitalizing by developing mobile applications for customers, business partners, and internal use.In large part, the mobile app market is being driven by the explosive growth of mobile devices, which over60% of the worlds populationuse. Not all of this use is confined to social media, emails, phone calls, and texts. Accordingly, businesses have become involved with launching retail websites for mobile devices, as well as transactional engines for mobile payment processing, e-commerce, banking and booking systems for use in a variety of smart mobile devices.In the process, the key for IT has been the integration of these new mobile applications with enterprise systems. How do you ensure that a mobile app is tightly integrated into your existing business processes and your IT base, and how do you ensure that it will perform consistently well every time it is used? Is your security policy across mobile devices as robust as it is across other enterprise assets, such as mainframes, networks and servers? Does the user interface across all mobile devices navigate equally well and with a certain degree of consistency, no matter which device is used?Related:In most cases, IT departments (and users and customers) will say that totalmobile device integrationis still a work in progress.The Role of Mobile App IntegrationIn the past, the integration of mobile applications with other IT infrastructure was more or less confined to the IT assets that the mobile app minimally needed to perform its functions. If the app was there for placing an online order, access to the enterprise order entry, inventory and fulfillment systems was needed, but maybe nothing else for the first installation. If the app was designed for a warehouse worker to operate a series of robots to pick and place items in a warehouse, it was specifically developed just for that, and on first installment, it might not have been integrated into inventory and warehouse management systems. However, now that tech companies are placing theirR&D emphasison smart phones and devices, IT needs to formulate a more inclusive integration strategy for mobile applications that these apps more complete when they launch.The Elements of Mobile App IntegrationTo achieve total integration with the rest of the enterprise IT portfolio, and possibly with third-party services, a mobile app must do the following:Related:Attain seamless data exchange across all systems, along with having the ability to invoke and use system-level infrastructure components such as storage or system-level routines to do its work.Use application programming interfaces (APIs) so it can access other IT and/or vendor systems.Conform to the same security and governance standards that other IT assets are subject to.Provide users and customers with a simple and (as much as possible) uniform graphical user interface (GUI).Be right-fitted into existing business and system workflows.This isnt just good IT. It also makes major contributions to user productivity and customer satisfaction.Workflow IntegrationIn late 2024, a health insurance company unveiled an automated online process for new customer registration. Unfortunately, the new app didnt include all data elements needed for registration, and it actually froze in process. Users ended up calling the company and enduring long wait times until they could complete their registrations with a human agent.This was a case of workflow integration failure, because critical ingredients required for registration had been left out of the online mobile app. How did this happen?The project might have been rushed through to meet a deadline or signed off as a first (albeit incomplete) version of an app that would be later enhanced. Or, possibly, QA might have been skipped. But to an experienced IT eye, the app was clearly missing data, which suggested that integration with other enterprise systems, or data transfers via API with supporting vendor systems, had been missed.Related:The apps process flow also was a miss because if the project team had tested the mobile apps process flow against the business workflow, they would have seen (like customers did) that key data elements were missing, and that the workflow didnt work.The project team should also have verified that security and governance standards had been met, and that the mobile app user experience was consistent, whether the customer was using an iPhone or an Android.SummaryStatista says that the mobile application market will reach $756 billion by 2027. In the US,47% of mobile appsare being used for retail transactions, and another 19% are serving as portals, whether for customers, business partners or employees.There is virtually no business that isnt developing mobile apps today for its customers, business partners and/or employees, but whathaslagged is the same level of discipline over mobile app development that IT expects for traditional enterprise app development.Central to this is mobile application integration.Its no longer acceptable to let an app fly with just the basics, but with many functions and data elements still missing. Its time for top-to-bottom mobile app integration, whether that integration requires complete data, a uniform user experience across all devices, or something else.