"You'll go bananas for this".In case you somehow missed it, Donkey Kong seems to be getting a makeover in the upcoming Mario Kart title. His redesign has led to all sorts of conversation within the DK and Nintendo community, and now, some new themed items have been spotted on the My Nintendo Store.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Barcelona-based business travel management platform TravelPerk has raised $200 million at a hefty $2.7 billion valuation almost double the $1.4 billion valuation at its previous fundraise last year.Alongside the raise, TravelPerk also announced it has acquired Swiss startup Yokoy to bring native expenses management into the fray. With the travel and tourism industry just about back to pre-pandemic levels, this has proved a boon for startups offering everything from tour packages and trip-planning tools, to luggage storage and vacation rental smarts.This trend has been reflected somewhat in the corporate sphere, too, with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) noting that business travel was on course to hit a record $1.5 trillion in 2024 6.2% more than the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. This demand is filtering down into the corporate travel startup space, too, and investors are taking note. In September, news emerged that Denver-based Engine, which focuses on hotel bookings, flights, car rentals, and meeting spaces, had raised $140 million at a $2.1 billion valuation.TravelPerk, for its part, touts an all-in-one platform for businesses to book, manage and report all their domestic and international travel, with integrationsthat extend the platformto functions such as HR and expenses.While the pandemic has had an indelible impact on working culture in terms of remote and hybrid-working, there is little correlation between this and the the kind of corporate travel that TravelPerk is concerned with. TravelPerk president and chief operating officer, Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo, pointed to its recent Value of Business Travel report, which found that companies are still planning to invest in travel to boost sales and new business efforts, such as by traveling to conferences.Hybrid and remote working models have had a minimal impact on demand for business travel those who are travelling for work will continue to do so, because its part of their job, Taunay-Bucalo told TechCrunch over email. Whether its for a sales meeting or to install a wind turbine, there are many situations where workers need to be on the ground and in person.However, a more distributed workforce does mean that companies are investing more in offsites, which require travel. And TravelPerk sees this decentralization as a perfect opportunity to gets its technology into the hands of more people. Decentralised travel systems empower employees to manage their own bookings, and while in the past that meant a lack of control over expenses and compliance, tools built into our platform give control and visibility back to the business by providing oversight without burdening travel managers with logistical complexities, Taunay-Bucalo said.TravelPerkImage Credits:TravelPerkUnified travel and expenseFounded in 2015, TravelPerkhad previously raised around $660 million in equity and debt capital, and with another $200 million in the bank, the company said its now doubling down on its global growth plans. This includes the U.S. market, where it acquired Chicago-based rival Amtrav last year with support from $135 million in debt financing.But these growth efforts also include expanding into tangential verticals. Among TravelPerks existing integrations is Yokoy, an AI-enabled spend management platform backed by Sequoia Capital. And as part of its Series E funding announcement Monday, TravelPerk said its now acquiring Yokoy outright for an undisclosed sum though TechCrunch is told that it was a nine figure transaction, which makes sense given that Yokoy had raised around $107 million since its inception in 2019.This will allow TravelPerk to offer a deeper and more unified travel and expense offering, with expenses baked natively into its core platform rather than relying exclusively on third-party integrations. Our focus has never been stronger as we expand across core markets, accelerate growth in the U.S., and now work to become the number one travel and expense management platform, TravelPerk co-founder and CEO Avi Meir (pictured above) said in a statement.YokoyImage Credits:YokoyThis mirrors moves elsewhere in the tech realm. For example, TripActions expanded into expenses management back in 2020 in response to a pandemic that put most companies travel plans on long-term hiatus. Ramp, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction in 2022, adding travel management to its existing expenses product.Expanding into expenses makes a great deal of sense, as it future-proofs against whatever headwinds the travel sector faces today and in the future. Indeed, expenses is something that all businesses have to deal with, regardless of their position on corporate travel. As a result of the transaction, Yokoys team, including CEO Philippe Sahli and CTO Devis Lussi, will join TravelPerk, where they will set about integrating their respective products.Our partnership with Yokoy has already been a great success, and we are excited to take it to the next level by welcoming Phil, Devis, and the rest of the team to TravelPerk, Meir said. We share a common vision for the role of AI reshaping the future of travel and expense management, and the innovation coming out of Yokoys AI labs in Zurich is seriously impressive.TravelPerks Series E round was led by European venture capital firm Atomico, with participation from EQT Growth, Noteus Partners, Kinnevik, General Catalyst, among other existing investors.

Quartz, the international business news outlet, has been quietly aggregating reporting from other outlets, including TechCrunch, in order to publish AI-generated articles under the byline Quartz Intelligence Newsroom.Quartz started publishing simple AI-generated earnings reports months ago, but beginning last week, the outlet moved on to short articles. One of the 18 AI-generated articles published as of Monday afternoon, titled South Korea shares preliminary findings on Jeju Air crash investigation, aggregates reporting done by real journalists at CNN, MSN, and The Associated Press on MSN.com.Each of the outlets AI-generated articles is roughly 400 words in length, and includes no full quotes from sources. Rather than attributing information in the body of the text, as flesh-and-blood journalists do, Quartzs AI writer only cites its sources at the very top of its pieces.A spokesperson for Quartz corporate parent G/O Media confirmed to TechCrunch the existence of a purely experimental AI newsroom, without commenting on which AI models or tools the publication uses to write AI-generated news articles.It is not clear how Quartzs AI newsroom chooses which stories to cover. The spokesperson said that the goal is to free up Quartzs editorial staff to work on longer and more deeply reported articles, and that the editorial staff reviews each AI-generated story before it is published. The quality control seems to be lacking, however, going by one article that Quartzs AI newsroom sourced from TechCrunch last week.A Screenshot of an AI-generated Quartz article that sources techCrunch reporting.Image Credits:QuartzThe article in question is a piece I wrote detailing how you can delete your Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts. For each platform, it provides step-by-step instructions on how to download and save your data before deleting it and, ultimately, your accounts. This was a weird article to turn into a 300-word AI-generated summary. The Quartz articles headline How to delete your Facebook, Instagram, and Threads right now hints at a how-to piece similar to mine. But its account deletion instructions are vague:To permanently delete a Facebook account, users must navigate to the Settings & Privacy section and select Account Ownership and Control. Its important to note that once an account is deleted, it cannot be retrieved. For Instagram, users either use the Account Center or settings to download their data before deleting their profiles. Deleting Threads profiles requires removing the linked Instagram account, as the two are interconnected.I could probably spend all day critiquing the AI-ness of Quartzs AI newsroom articles. I mean, just look at this headline: Jobless claims rise slightly as continuing claims set a record. Word echo aside, the clause is a contradiction. Jobless claims are rising only slightly, yet some other continuing claims are setting a record? Tsk, tsk. My editor would never let me publish something so sloppy.Informative disclaimer at the bottom of every AI-generated Quartz story.Image Credits:QuartzG/O Media, which is owned by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, came under fire in July 2023 for publishing error-filled AI-generated content without input from G/Os editors or writers. The companys editorial director at the time, Merrill Brown, defended the practice, even as journalists at G/O-owned outlets like Gizmodo objected to it.Publishing AI-generated content presents a way for publishers like Quartz to access cheap labor AI doesnt command benefits and a salary, after all while potentially maximizing profits. The G/O spokesperson said reader response to and engagement with its AI stories have far exceeded our expectations to this point.The spokesperson also deniedrumors of cash woes, saying that the company is very well funded with a good amount of working capital to draw on if needed. They also noted that previous staff reductions were due to the sale of some sites in 2024, but that Quartz is in the process of hiring more editorial staff.G/O isnt the first media organization to dabble with AI-generated content. CNETand Gannett have published their own factually inaccurate AI-generated stories and art, and in the case ofSports Illustrated under fabricated bylines.TechCrunch has an AI-focused newsletter!Sign up hereto get it in your inbox every Wednesday.

Wen Shuhao helped speed up the development of Pfizers Covid oral drug, Paxlovid. Now the cofounder and chairman of Hong Kong-listed Xtalpi wants to help make better solar panels and EV batteries.In 2016, Wen Shuhao and his team took part in a blind test held by Pfizer to predict the 3D structure of molecules that shows the efficacy of a drug. The Chinese postdoctoral physicist from MIT developed a program that uses AI and quantum physics-based calculations to find suitable structures that are fit for drug making. It turned out to work well. Very well.Wens program achieved a 100% prediction accuracy rate and his then-tiny startup, Xtalpi, was awarded a 10-year partnership with Pfizer in early-stage drug discovery. During the pandemic, the Chinese company helped speed up the development of the U.S. pharmaceutical giants Paxlovid, the U.S.s first approved Covid oral drug.During the Paxlovid development, we truly experienced how our algorithms helped solve problems, recalls Wen, the 43-year-old cofounder and chairman of Xtalpi, in a video interview from the companys headquarters in Shenzhen. It made a significant contribution to alleviating the impact of the Covid pandemic.After working with global pharma giants like Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Merck to discover new drugs using Xtalpis AI and quantum physics algorithms, Wen thought he could utilize the technology to other industries. He soon found two new industries for his 10-year-old company to disrupt: solar panels and electric vehicle batteries.Wen expects revenue from Xtalpis new materials discovery business, which includes solar panels and EV batteries, to be at least on par with that of the companys drug discovery business within the next three years. Together with potential royalties from Xtalpis 39 ongoing drug discovery programs, he aims to reach Ebitda breakeven as soon as this year.Especially with the materials business, which has a shorter monetization cycle, we will be able to break even faster, says Wen. Once we cross that point, our profit margins will continue to grow because we will earn royalties from the projects we took part in without having to get involved in sales and productions.From left to right: Lai Lipeng, Xtalpi's cofounder and chief innovation officer; Wen Shuhao; Ma Jian, cofounder and CEO.XtalpiIn the first half of 2024, the most recent financial period publicly available, Xtalpi earned almost all of its 102.6 million yuan ($14 million) revenue from AI drug discovery, with the rest from new materials discovery services. The Hong Kong-listed company attributed the 28% growth in sales partly to its first clinical milestone payment, for an undisclosed amount, from Chinese biotech startup Signet Therapeutics; Xtalpi is an early backer of Signet. This came after a drug candidate Xtalpi co-developed for diffuse gastric cancer, a form of stomach cancer, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin human trials.Xtalpis net loss, however, widened 46% to 1.3 billion yuan during the same period. The company blamed it on the significant fair value loss of convertible redeemable preferred shares. Meanwhile, it has continued to invest heavily in research and development, spending 210.4 million yuan in the first half of 2024, though thats roughly 10% less from the previous year.Wen was inspired to dive into drug discovery while helping a cousin in China find cheaper liver cancer drugs. He saw a significant difference in the level of advancement in drug development between the U.S. and his home country, where most cancer patients relied on imported drugs. Wen wanted to use his expertise in using sophisticated math equations to study molecular behaviors and narrow the drug development gap.The stability of a drug molecule and its interactions within the human body are governed by the principles of quantum mechanics, explains Wen. We were very idealistic, believing that, together with AI and robotics, we could enhance the efficiency of drug development and reduce its cost, so that pharma companies could still make a profit while making medication affordable for the general public.In 2015, Wen went back to China and started Xtalpi with MIT postdoctoral fellows Ma Jian and Lai Lipeng. Xtalpi wasand still isone of the few AI drug discovery companies in Asia and quickly garnered investor interest. According to Xtalpis IPO prospectus, filed in 2023, the company said it is the worlds most well-funded startup in the space, raising $732 million in total funding from the likes of Tencent, Chinese venture capital firms Hongshan and 5Y Capital, Google, Susquehanna International Group, Chinas Sino Biopharmaceutical and SoftBanks Vision Fund 2. It went public in a $127 million Hong Kong IPO last June.Xtalpi's robotic lab in Shenzhen.XtalpiXtalpi seeks to distinguish itself with its quantum physics algorithms, which Wen says could increase the accuracy of predicting molecular interactionscrucial to the efficacy and safety of drugs. The quantum physics algorithms calculate the molecular structures, and the resulting datasets are used for machine learning to train its AI models. The AI model then screens through billions of molecules and generates ones that could potentially be made into new drugs. The potential molecules are later tested in Xtalpis robotic labs in Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as in Somerville, Massachusetts.Unlike peers such as Qiming-backed Insilico Medicine in Hong Kong and Nvidia-backed Recursion Pharmaceuticals in the U.S., Xtalpi doesnt develop its own drugs from start to finish. Instead, it provides proprietary algorithms designed for early-stage drug discovery, which Wen says could speed up the process by about 50%. These algorithms help pharma companies identify molecules that can interact with their drug targetsspecific molecules involved in the disease processto cause therapeutic effects, and optimize the promising molecules so that they are ready for human clinical trials.Xtalpis technology combines quantum physics, AI and robotics so it is one of a kind, says Ted Jing, managing director of 5Y Capital. Xtalpis business model allows it to spend the resources on improving its technology, rather than risking them in human trials. While its reaping a smaller return than the drug makers on each drug, its leading technical infrastructure will continue to attract clients.The stability of a drug molecule and its interactions within the human body are governed by the principles of quantum mechanics,To be sure, there are some doubts over Xtalpis technological capabilities. Derek Lowe, a U.S. pharma veteran who has spent nearly four decades working at several leading drug makers, says calculating how molecules interact to cause therapeutic effects is computationally intensive and difficult to get to work because its a very tricky computation problem.So far no quantum mechanical simulation has been reliable enough to generate data that you would train a machine learning model on, Lowe says. If you were to take a huge pile of 100,000 quantum mechanical estimates of compound binding and feed it into a machine learning model, right now, my belief is you would get a lot of garbage.Over the past four decades or so, scientists have been trying to adopt computational methods to speed up the time-consuming drug development process and improve its success rate. The release of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT in 2022 sparked renewed hope for machine learning on the medical front. On Monday, Manas AI, a U.S. AI drug discovery startup cofounded by billionaire Reid Hoffman, raised $24.6 million in a seed round. It marked the latest major investment in the space, which saw Advanced Micro Devices inject $20 million into Canadas Absci in early January and Nvidia pour $50 million into Recursion in 2023. The World Health Organization has identified at least 73 AI-derived potential drugs. Some have failed in human trials, others are still testing on patients, but none has hit the market.Lowe adds that even if Xtalpis technology works, the company and its peers are only speeding up the shortest and cheapest part of the entire drug discovery process. Human trials are the hardest part, with an 85% failure rate, because they are based on biology and computational techniques right now cannot help.What Xtalpi and a lot of other companies are doing is really worth something, but its not the incredible revelation of, Oh my God, drug discovery has been solved, says Lowe. If you could compute your way to finding those molecules, that would be terrificthis lets you get up to the shredder, being that 85% failure rate, faster. Now instead of taking six months or two years to get to the shredder, you can get there in just a month or two.Wen thinks that the fact that the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry was jointly awarded to the team that developed Alphafold showcases AIs potential on the medical front. AlphaFold is an AI tool co-developed by Google DeepMind scientists Demis Hassabis and John Jumper that can predict the structures of proteins in minutes, which helps scientists better understand how the building blocks of life work and thus open up new avenues for drug development.Wen adds that the pharma industrys AI adoption is a testimony to the technology. All of the worlds top 10 biggest drug makers by market cap have invested in AI through in-house development and startup partnerships. Among them is Eli Lilly from the U.S., which inked a deal worth up to $250 million with Xtapi in 2023 to discover potential medicines for an undisclosed disease. All pharma giants that are working on the most challenging drugs are embracing AI, so why would anyone still have doubts about this? says Wen. AI will become a fundamental tool in the pharma and materials industries. Everyone has to use it; if you dont, you will be less efficient than the others.Xtalpi debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange in June 2024.Shanshan Kao/Forbes AsiaBefore Xtalpi could help deliver the next life-saving drug, it has ventured into unearthing new materials. Wen first came up with the idea about three years ago when he was looking at how he could expand the application of Xtalpis technology. Quantum physics underpins much of modern materials science, so combining AI screening of massive datasets and robotic testing, Xtalpi could help make better solar panels, batteries, fertilizers and other applications by adding new properties to existing materials.Drugs are the most challenging type of material to make because they involve the complexity of human biology. Making other materials are much simpler, says Wen. Unlike drugs, materials dont require years of clinical trials. Once they achieve the desired effect, they can quickly realize good commercial returns.Wen sees potential in helping commercialize a more energy-efficient solar panel material called perovskite, which scientists have been struggling for two decades to mass produce. By combining perovskite with conventional silicon solar cells, a solar panel can convert up to 43% of sunlight it receives into electricity, versus the current limit of less than 30%, scientists have found. While the process of making perovskite is cheaper and faster, the material is hard to mass-produce because of its low durability and stability.Another area Wen is looking at is helping commercialize the next-generation EV battery. Many major car and battery makers have been racing to mass produce solid-state batteries but no one has succeeded. An upgrade to the current lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries have been dubbed the holy grail of batteries because of its promise of more energy storage, faster charging and higher safety for EVs. One of the difficulties of producing solid-state batteries is improving the solid electrolyte component, which is the solid version of the lithium-ion solution used in the current generation of EV batteries.Some companies are convinced that Xtalpis technology could help make the commercialization of these cutting-edge materials possible. In August, GCL Holdings, a Chinese energy company controlled by billionaire Zhu Gongshan, agreed to pay Xtalpi more than $135 million to upgrade materials including perovskite and those for EV batteries. GCLs subsidiary, GCL Technology, is one of Chinas largest solar panel materials makers.If you told me that I have to start a quantum physics-based discovery company, I would immediately jump at materials, says Lowe, who has a PhD in organic chemistry at Duke University. Xtalpi has a better chance of success there because the test cycle is so much faster and cheaper. That drug discovery business is a distraction from materials science.Wen is confident that Xtalpi can excel at both its drug and materials discovery services. Last month, Xtalpi entered into a strategic partnership with Microsoft China, in which they will co-develop AI models for drug and materials discoveries. Every industrial revolution faces resistance, says Wen. Our technology is rare, and we are able to create high value-added super medicine and super materialswe are now in the early-stage of commercial explosion.MORE FROM FORBES

Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNurPhoto via Getty ImagesAs the Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek began to go viral this weekend amid reports that its advanced reasoning large language model was rivaling the performance of ChatGPT 4o, Claude 3.5 and Llama 3.1 at a fraction of the cost, a frenzy began to build on the social media platform X as to what this means for the acceleration of AI development.To date, the narrative driving the trillion dollar valuations of tech giants is that greater processing power is going to be needed for the coming era of AGI, as well as massive investment to fund it.In October, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI announced the largest venture round in history, having raised $6.6 billion at a $157 billion valuation to develop AI agents like Operator to autonomously transact on behalf of users. Last week the company announced a $500 billion infrastructure venture called Stargate, backed by Softbank, Oracle, Nvidia and Microsoft, to build a half million square feet of data centers that will employ 100,000 people to power it.DeepSeek, which was founded just two years ago by Chinese hedge fund investor Liang Wenfeng, said it trained its latest large language model to perform on par with leading AI models for a mere $5.6 million. By contrast, OpenAIs training costs were rumored to be $3 billion last year, with $4 billion going to processing power, as reported by The Information.Investors excited by the prospect of a less expensive, more sustainable alternative, sent Nvidia stock tanking 17% this morning as the DeepSeek app soared to the top of the charts, racking up more than 1.6 million downloads on the Apple App Store for the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and China, according to Bloomberg.MORE FOR YOUAI leaders splitAmong those quick to congratulate DeepSeek on getting to #1, was Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, an AI search assistant built on OpenAI and Anthropic tools. He posted his full support on X, For awhile, it wasnt clear who would beat ChatGPT for the first time. The best we could manage was #8, a year ago. Look forward to using all their models for search, assistant, and agents this year.Box CEO Aaron Levie said this was an important wake up call. The reason you dont want overly aggressive AI regulation right now is the DeepSeek problem. One day there will be a breakthrough somewhere else, and having your arms tied behind your back trying to accelerate past it will destroy your chances of doing so, he posted.But just how scrappy DeepSeek is, is being hotly debated, particularly regarding the claim that its latest model only had 2,000 older generation Nvidia H800 chips to work with. Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang told CNBC that Chinese labs have more high powered chips than people think.My understanding is that DeepSeek has about 50,000 H100s which they cant talk about obviously because it is against the export controls that the US has put in place. I think it is true, I think that they have more chips than other people expect, but also on a going forward basis they are going to be limited by the chip controls and export controls that we have in place, Wang said.OpenAI investor Thrive Capital CEO Josh Kushner stated that he believed DeepSeek wasnt being fully transparent with the true cost of development. In a post on X, he described DeepSeek as a Chinese model trained off of leading frontier models, with chips that likely violate export controls, andaccording to their own terms of servicetake US customer data back to China.AI security remains an issueEven ChatGPT and Google Gemini were a bit skittish about their ascending rival when I asked them whether it was safe to download DeepSeek, particularly considering concerns that led to the US TikTok ban. Both AI assistants advised to proceed with caution.Given DeepSeek's origins in China and the current geopolitical climate, there are legitimate concerns about potential security and privacy risks associated with downloading and using their AI model on a personal device, said Gemini. Hidden malware or backdoors that could be used for surveillance or other malicious activities cannot be entirely ruled out.ChatGPT responded similarly, explaining that DeepSeeks track record with security vulnerabilities and data transparency made it a less safe choice, citing a security flaw found in December that could have allowed for the hijacking of accounts through prompt injection before being patched.By midday today, security fears came front and center when DeepSeek announced its AI assistant was under a large-scale, malicious attack. The notice was still on its website, chat.deepseek.com, by end of the day.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsBest for the GamerBest for the BusiestBest for the MusicianBest for the Cocktail MakerBest for the ExerciserBest for the Car CleanerBest for the GroomerBest for TravelersBest for the Most RomanticBest for the Lego LoverBest for Lazy FoodiesBest for the Coffee LoverBest for Your KidBest for the Messy ManBest for the Savvy PackerBest for the Pizza LoverBest for the Security OfficerBest for the Remote WorkerBest for Your Green TeenBest for TikTok TrendsettersBest for the Pet ParentBest for the Gamer On-the-GoBest for the Music SnobBest for the Health ConsciousBest for the Beer DrinkerLets face itfinding the perfect Valentines Day gift for your guy can feel like solving a Rubiks Cube blindfolded. Sure, you could grab another pair of socks or a generic cologne set, but doesnt he deserve a little more excitement (and, lets be honest, utility) in his life? This year, skip the clich and go for something that screams, I know you, I get you, and also heres a nudge to upgrade your life with tech! Whether hes constantly borrowing your noise-canceling headphones during his work Zoom marathons, struggling to keep his morning routine from looking like a hurricane hit the bathroom, or still juggling a web of tangled cords to charge his gadgets, weve got you covered with innovative, tech-savvy gifts designed to make his life easierand maybe make him a better partner along the way. (Because who wouldnt fall harder for a guy who can whip up barista-grade espressos at home?)From a high-tech espresso machine to a sleek charging stand from Belkin thatll declutter his nightstand (that you can use too), this roundup is filled with gifts that hit the sweet spot between thoughtful and innovative. So, go ahead, spoil himand enjoy the subtle perks of giving a gift that benefits both of you. After all, isnt that what love is all about?Recommended VideosCouchmaster Ergonomic USB-Hub Gaming Lap DeskAmazonThis Couchmaster is the ultimate gaming lap desk, designed for maximum comfort. Hell never have to get upunless you need or want him to, that is. Compatible with PCs, popular gaming consoles, laptops, and more, it is equipped with memory foam cushions to support him ergonomically for hours. It embodies a spacious design for all the necessary peripheralskeyboards, mousepads, and more. Use it on the couch or bed. Just set it aside when game time is over.Belkin MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Wireless Charger StandAmazonThe Belkin MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Wireless Charger offers fast, convenient charging for your beaus iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods in one sleek, space-saving stand. With adjustable angles, Qi2 technology for optimized energy use, and included accessories, its a thoughtful Valentines Day gift that combines practicality, efficiency, and modern style. Hell love how sleek it looks at his bedside.Positive Grid Spark Mini Guitar AmpAmazonThe Positive Grid Spark Mini portable 10W smart guitar amp and Bluetooth speaker delivers rich, multidimensional sound. With its compact design, 8-hour battery life, and an app featuring Auto Chords and 50,000+ tones, its a Valentines gift that inspires creativity and fuels his musical passion. Buyers love how well this little amp is built, and how fun it is to use. Theyre also surprised at its sound quality.Gevi Adella Gemi Nugget Ice MakerAmazonIf your man is an ice snob, enter the Gevi Adella Gemi Nugget Ice Maker, which delivers chewable, flavorful ice for parties or everyday use. It has an impressive 38-pound daily ice capacity, makes ice seamlessly thanks to its convenient side water tank, and can clean itself.Human Touch Foot and Calf MassagerAmazonHes got tired feet, you say? This Human Touch Reveal Ottoman Massager can give him soothing foot relief with air compression, heat, and reflexology massage. So basically, instead of you giving him a foot massage, you can gift him this stylish ottoman that delivers a powerful massage. A perfect Valentines gift, it combines relaxation, improved circulation, plus its decor.REDTIGER Cordless Car VacuumAmazonEveryone can use a car vacuum yet not many have one, including your bae. This one, which boasts a powerful suction in a compact package, comes with multiple attachments. It offers up to 70 minutes of battery life for effortless cleaning of cars, homes, or offices. Hell like that its lightweight and portable.Dollar Shave Club Double Header Electric TrimmerAmazonSurely, hes had razors and trimmers hes liked. But, trust, the Dollar Shave Club Double Header Electric Trimmer is a standout. This grooming gadget offers two interchangeable heads for precise face and body trims. With waterproof construction, long-lasting blades, and multiple guard lengths, its a practical Valentines gift that upgrades his grooming routine while keeping him looking and feeling his best for years to come.Dyson Zone Noise-Cancelling HeadphonesAmazonGive the gift of exceptional audio with advanced noise cancellation with the Dyson Zone Noise-Cancelling Headphones. And the best part is, it doubles as a personal air purifier when hes tuning the world (and perhaps you) out while listening to rad tunes and the latest podcast. With up to 50 hours of battery life, ergonomic comfort, and unique features like a magnetic visor for purified air, this Valentines gift serves luxury, innovation, and functionality.Bond Touch BraceletsAmazonYou cant be in the same room all the time, so what keeps you connected? The Bond Touch Bracelets can help you stay emotionally bonded across distances by sending a tap that lights up and vibrates on your loved ones bracelet. With customizable colors, long battery life, and a secure connection, its a heartfelt Valentines gift for your significant other, or even friends and family.LEGO Icons Wildflower BouquetAmazonThis LEGO bouquet is a creative twist on a classic Valentines gift. With 16 adjustable stems and intricate wildflower designs, this 939-piece set offers a fun, relaxing building experience for you and your man. And the best part is, this gift turns into lasting floral dcor for your home. Perfect for flower lovers or LEGO aficionados, its a heartfelt way to celebrate love with blooms that never fade. Get it?Cuckoo CRP-LHTR0609FW Rice CookerAmazonTheres truly no fancier rice cooker than the CUCKOO CRP-LHTR0609FW. This innovative kitchen appliance will allow him to choose from 16 cooking modes, twin pressure settings, and induction heating for perfectly cooked rice, porridge, steamed meals, baby food, and more. Hell appreciate its sleek design and the fact that it is equipped with a self-cleaning feature. He can use the voice guidance for added efficiency.Terra Kaffe Espresso MachineTerra KaffeHe is both a coffee snob and a tech guru, you say? Hell love this app-enabled, innovative coffee and espresso machine from Terra Kaffe. The TK-02 will easily make delicious cups of cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, espressos, coffees, and more. He can use his own beans of choicethis machine will even grind it for him, providing the freshest flavors that not even the beset Keurig or Nespresso can make. He can also set his preferences for all of the barista-level brews this wonderful machine can make. Its truly a game changer, and if you share a home with your man, you will benefit, too!LEGO KeychainsAmazonGive your little Valentine a tiny treasure they can attach to their bag that reminds them just how much you love them. And if your kid is obsessed with LEGOs, even better. We find these lovable LEGO accessorieswhich come in different variations from butterfly girl to pink minifigures to heart-shapedso special, and so will they. Slip them in your Valentines card for the heart holiday.Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mob with NeverTouch Pro BaseAmazonNo one is faulting him. He cant help it. He leaves dusts, dirts, and spills behind. Hes human, after all. So while he lives his life as the messy man that he is, this Shark robot vacuum and mop will get the mileage around his house. It offers hands-free cleaning for up to a month on a single charge. It even comes with self-emptying, self-refilling, and pad-washing features. Its cleaning tech tackles hidden dirt and pet allergens, too. A perfect Valentines Day gift for him, itll give him moments of his life back, leaving more time for what matters mosteach other.adidas Optimized Packing System BackpackadidasIts in the name: this backpack will optimize his life. Score! With a sleek design, this carryall comes with a laptop compartment, quick-access pockets, and mesh padding for comfort. Its also made with 50% recycled materials, so your eco-conscious guy will appreciate that. Give him this functional companion for work, travel, or daily adventures.Ooni Kona 2 Max Gas Powered Pizza OvenOoniThe Ooni Koda 2 Max Gas Pizza Oven is a dream gift for your pizza-obsessed partner. It boasts a spacious 24-inch cooking area, dual temperature zones for flexibility, and advanced gas technology for precise cooking. It can reach up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit in minutes, so he wont have to wait long for his slice at all. This appliance can create pizza perfection in 60 seconds, but our editors who tried the product say its quite heavy and not portable. So dont get this for your man if he doesnt have a lot of space in his backyard.SimpliSafe Starter SystemSimpliSafeThe Starter from SimpliSafe will give him a reliable home security system with an easy setup. It features motion and entry sensors, as well as video monitoring and keyless entry with panic button should you experience an emergency. Hell get advanced monitoring with AI technology, backup protection, and mobile control.SANSUI 27-Inch MonitorAmazonUpgrade his workspace with the SANSUI 27-Inch IPS Monitor, which offers vibrant Full HD visuals, a smooth 100Hz refresh rate, and ergonomic design. Its anti-glare, low blue light technology ensures eye comfort during long hours working from home. This gift serves just the productivity-boost he needs.AquaSprouts Aquaponics Garden, Self-Sustaining Desktop Aquarium Hydroponics Ecosystem KitAmazonYour green teen will go gaga for the AquaSprouts Aquaponics Garden. This self-sustaining aquarium and hydroponic kit creates a natural ecosystem where its fish can fertilize plants, and its plants can clean the water. Ideal for eco-conscious teens who love science and learning, this present also promotes sustainable living, grows fresh herbs or greens year-round that you can actually use in your meals, and inspires a hands-on appreciation for environmental balance. Give it to the kid you love who loves the earth.Ilios Lighting Beauty Ring Makeup Mirror and Ring LightIliosYou want him to look his best on his TikToks, so he may need this Beauty Ring Makeup Mirror & Ring Light Bundle for his setup. It provides professional lighting through its versatile mirror. He can shoot flawless TikTok content with it while adjusting brightness, color modes, and its built-in smartphone holder. This Valentines Day gift can only elevate your loved ones social media presence with pro-level quality.Feeder-Robot by WhiskerAmazonIf he goes away a lot but leaves his dog or cat behind, the Feeder-Robot by Whisker will be a game changer. This smart, automatic pet feeder will allow him to schedule and control his fur babys feedings via the app. Feeding pets timely, portioned meals even while hes away? Thats a gift for his pet, and his peace of mind!BACKBONE One Mobile Gaming ControllerAmazonHes always on his phone playing games. Elevate his game play and set him up for success with the BACKBONE One Mobile Gaming Controller, which transforms a smartphone into a portable gaming console. It offers console-quality controls and compatibility with popular games, plus cloud services.U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus (Gen 2) TurntableAmazonWhether hes an actual DJ or an aspirational one, the U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus (Gen 2) Turntable can be a great addition to his music repertoire. It provides a great listening experience with a precision tonearm, an Ortofon OM5E cartridge, and a grooved acrylic platter for detailed playback. This beautifully crafted turntable lets the music lover in your life rediscover their favorite records with rich, immersive sound with a retro vibe for decor.Oura Ring 4AmazonEveryone should have this sophisticated health-tracking smart ring crafted from lightweight titanium. Gift it to him to show him just how much you care about his health and wellbeing. The Oura Ring 4 monitors key metrics such as heart rate, sleep patterns, body temperature, and activity levels with exceptional accuracy. Its refined sensors, extended battery life, and discreet design make it an ideal tool for anyone prioritizing wellness. The health-conscious man in your life will get personalized insights to help him optimize his sleep, fitness, and more.Fizzics DraftPour Beer DispenserAmazonThe Fizzics DraftPour Beer Dispenser transforms any bottled or canned beer into a nitro-style draft. It does so with its patented Micro-Foam tech, which enhances aroma, flavor, and texture. Yum! Perfect for Valentines Day, its a thoughtful gift for the beer aficionado in your life who wants to level up his brew.

Technology stocks fell sharply in Asia after the emergence of Chinese artificial-intelligence startup DeepSeek triggered a selloff in AI-related stocks overnight and cast uncertainty over the rising demand for data centers.

Rolling less coal USs wind and solar will generate more power than coal in 2024 Utility-scale solar generation is up by over 30% amid future uncertainties. John Timmer Jan 27, 2025 3:57 pm | 61 Credit: zhongguo Credit: zhongguo Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe Energy Information Agency has now released data on the performance of the US's electric grid over the first 11 months of 2024 and will be adding the final month soon (and a month is very little time for anything to change significantly in the data). The biggest story in the data is the dramatic growth of solar energy, with a 30 percent increase in generation in a single year, which will allow solar and wind combined to overtake coal in 2024.But the US energy demand saw an increase of nearly 3 percent, which is roughly double the amount of additional solar generation. Should electric use continue to grow at a similar pace, renewable production will have to continue to grow dramatically for a few years before it can simply cover the added demand.Going for the SunIn the first 11 months of 2024, the US saw its electrical use grow by 2.8 percent, or roughly 100 Terawatt-hours. While there's typically year-to-year variation in use due to weather-driven demand, the US's consumption has largely been flat since the early 2000s. There are plenty of reasons to expect increased demand, including the growth of data centers and the electrification of heating and transit, but so far, there's been no clear sign of it in the data.As a result, the rapid growth of renewables has largely displaced fossil fuel generationspecifically coalrather than meeting increased demand. Despite the rise in demand, however, the long-term decline in coal has continued in 2024, with generation via coal down by nearly 5 percent. This will mean that this is the first year that wind and solar will combine to outproduce coal. Collectively, they'll account for roughly 17 percent of the US's energy production, while coal will only provide about 15 percent.The boost in wind and solar production has also been larger than the increase in generation from natural gas, which remains the single largest source of power on the grid, generating nearly 44 percent of the electricity used in the US. The fraction of the total US electric use generated by each source of power. The numbers will not add up to 100 percent as some minor sources of power were not included. JOHN TIMMER The fraction of the total US electric use generated by each source of power. The numbers will not add up to 100 percent as some minor sources of power were not included. JOHN TIMMER The total Terawatt-hours generated by different sources of electricity. The total Terawatt-hours generated by different sources of electricity.The fraction of the total US electric use generated by each source of power. The numbers will not add up to 100 percent as some minor sources of power were not included. JOHN TIMMER The total Terawatt-hours generated by different sources of electricity.While wind currently accounts for 60 percent of the "wind plus solar" figure, it's unlikely to stay on top for long. Generation from wind power grew by 7.6 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. By contrast, utility-scale solar generation increased by 31 percent over that same period, with small-scale solar (including rooftop installations) estimated to have increased by 15 percent.Adding in hydropower and a handful of minor sources like geothermal brings the total renewable electricity generated in the first 11 months of 2024 up to 23 percent of the total demand. Adding in nuclear to get the total of emissions-free generation brings the total up to 41 percentjust shy of the 44 percent produced by natural gas.A complicated futureAnother way to look at things is that, between the decline of coal use and added demand, the grid had to generate an additional 136 TW-hr in the first 11 months of 2024. Sixty-three of those were handled by an increase in generation using natural gas; the rest, or slightly more than half, came from emissions-free sources. So, renewable power is now playing a key role in offsetting demand growth. While that's a positive, it also means that renewables are displacing less fossil fuel use than they might.In addition, some of the growth of small-scale solar won't show up on the grid, since it offset demand locally, and so also reduced some of the demand for fossil fuels. Confusing matters, this number can also include things like community solar, which does end up on the grid; the EIA doesn't break out these numbers.We can expect next year's numbers to also show a large growth in solar production, as the EIA says that the US saw record levels of new solar installations in 2024, with 37 gigawatts of new capacity. Since some of that came online later in the year, it'll produce considerably more power next year. And, in its latest short-term energy analysis, the EIA expects to see over 20 GW of solar capacity added in each of the next two years. New wind capacity will push that above 30 GW of renewable capacity each of these years. The past few years of solar installations have led to remarkable growth in its power output. Credit: John Timer That growth will, it's expected, more than offset continued growth in demand, although that growth is expected to be somewhat slower than we saw in 2024. It also predicts about 15 GW of coal will be removed from the grid during those two years. So, even without any changes in policy, we're likely to see a very dynamic grid landscape over the next few years.But changes in policy are almost certainly on the way. The flurry of executive orders issued by the Trump administration includes a number of energy-related changes. These include defining "energy" in a way that excludes wind and solar, an end to offshore wind leasing and the threat to terminate existing leases, and a re-evaluation of the allocation of funds from some of the Biden administration's energy-focused laws.In essence, this sets up a clash among economics, state policies, and federal policy. Even without any subsidies, wind and solar are the cheapest ways to produce electricity in much of the US. In addition, a number of states have mandates that will require the use of more renewable energy. At the same time, the permitting process for the plants and their grid connections will often require approvals at the federal level, and it appears to be official policy to inhibit renewables when possible. And a number of states are also making attempts to block new renewable power installations.It's going to be a challenging period for everyone involved in renewable energy.John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 61 Comments

tough decisions A long, costly road ahead for customers abandoning Broadcoms VMware "We loved VMware, and then when Broadcom bought em, we hated em. Scharon Harding Jan 27, 2025 1:36 pm | 66 Credit: Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Credit: Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreBroadcom's ownership of VMware has discouraged many of its customers, as companies are displeased with how the trillion-dollar firm has run the virtualization business since buying it in November 2023. Many have discussed reducing or eliminating ties with the company.Now, over a year after the acquisition, the pressure is on for customers to start committing to a VMware subscription, forego VMware support, or move on from VMware technologies. The decision is complex, with long-term implications no matter which way a customer goes.Ars Technica spoke with an IT vendor manager who has been using VMware's vSphere since the early 2000s. The employee, who works for a global food manufacturing firm with about 5,500 employees, asked to keep their name and company anonymous due to privacy concerns for the business."We love it. ... It's hard for us to figure out how we can live without it, but we're going to," the IT manager said.The food manufacturer has about 300 VMware virtual machines (VMs), and every company application runs on top of VMware. Its five-year enterprise agreement with VMware expired in December, making the manufacturer ineligible for VMware support unless it buys a VMware subscription. The company started exploring virtualization alternatives this summer because costs associated with running vSphere are set to rise fourfold, according to the IT manager. As with other VMware customers, the price increases are largely due to Broadcom bundling unwanted VMware products together."They wouldn't sell us what we need," the IT manager said.While it looks for a new platform, the manufacturer is relying on support from Spinnaker, which started offering software maintenance support for VMware following Broadcoms acquisition. In an example of how widespread VMware support concerns are, Spinnakers VMware support business has had more leads than any of Spinnaker's other support businesses, including for Oracle or SAP, said Martin Biggs, Spinnakers VP and managing director of strategic initiatives and EMEA.Organizations contacting Spinnaker are reporting price increases of 36x on average, Biggs told Ars. The largest price rise Spinnaker has heard about is a reported twentyfold increase in costs, he said.Biggs said that Broadcom has started to discount some subscriptions, with price increases going from seven- or eightfold to three- or fourfold, or "sometimes a little bit less. This could pressure customers to commit to VMware while terms are more favorable than they might be in the future. Speaking to The Register this month, Gartner VP analyst Michael Warrilow said he feared Broadcom would raise VMware prices higher in the future.Heightening the potential consequences associated with staying with or leaving VMware, Warrilow emphasized that Broadcom prefers two- or three-year subscriptions, meaning customers may find themselves facing a more pricey VMware sooner than later.Everybody's asking what everybody else is doing, and everybody else is asking what everybody else is doing, so nobody's really doing anything, he said. The Register also recently reported that customers are being pressured into three-year long VMware subscriptions, citing an unnamed VMware customer that it spoke with and a discussion on Reddit. When reached for comment, Broadcom only referred The Register to a June blog post by Broadcom CEO Hock Tan about evolving VMware strategy.Losing supportSupport is a critical factor for numerous customers considering migrating from VMware, especially because VMware perpetual licenses are no longer being sold or supported by Broadcom. But there's also concern about support offered to clients with subscriptions.For the food manufacturer currently researching VMware rivals, a perceived lack of support under Broadcom was also a deterrent. The company's IT manager said that after Broadcom bought VMware, the manufacturer was no longer able to contact VMware directly for support and was told in July that it should direct problems to IT distributor Ingram Micro moving forward.The manager said this information was relayed to the customer after a support ticket it filed was automatically moved to Ingram, with Broadcom telling the firm it wasnt big enough to receive direct support. Ingram's response times were a week or longer, and in December, Ingram announced a severe reduction of its VMware business (VMware still works with other distributors, like Arrow).Support concerns from VMware resellers started before Ingrams announcement, though. An anonymous reseller, for example, told CRN that it had to wait a month on average for VMware quotes through a distributor, compared to two to three days pre-Broadcom. The Register, citing VMware customers, also reported that Ingram was having difficulties handling the increased responsibilities it assumed," citing VMware customers.Migration is burdensomeIn a January Gartner research note entitled "Estimating a Large-Scale VMware," Gartner analysts detailed the burdens expected for large-sized companies moving off of VMware. The note defined a large-scale migration as a concerted program of work covering the migration of a significant portion of virtualized workloads that would likely represent 2,000 or more" VMs, "and/or at least 100 hosts. That's a much larger migration than the food manufacturer's 300 VMs, but Gartner's analysis helps illustrate the magnitude of work associated with migrating.Gartner's note estimated that large-scale migrations, including scoping and technical evaluation, would take 18 to 48 months. The analysts noted that they expect a midsize enterprise would take at least two years to untangle much of its dependency upon VMwares server virtualization platform.The analysts also estimated migration to cost $300 to $3,000 per VM if the user employed a third-party service provider. Critically, the report adds:It is highly likely that other costs would be incurred in a large-scale migration. This includes acquisition of new software licenses and/or cloud expenses, hardware purchases (compute, storage), early termination costs related to the existing virtual environment, application testing/quality assurance, and test equipment.The heavy costsin terms of finances, time, and staffforce customers to face questions and hesitations around leaving VMware, despite many customers facing disruption from Broadcom-issued changes to the platform.When asked if theres anything Broadcom could do to win back the food manufacturers 300 VMs, its IT manager told Ars that if Broadcom offered a subscription to vSphere alone, the manufacturer would reconsider, even if subscription costs were twice as expensive as before.For the global food manufacturer, the biggest challenge in ditching VMware is internal, not technical. "We just don't have enough internal resources and timing," the manager said. "That's what I'm worried about. This is going to take a lot of time internally to go through this whole process, and we're shorthanded as it is. It's such a big, heavy lift for us, and we're also very risk averse, so swapping out that piece of technology in our infrastructure is risky."Stuck between a rock and a hard placeVMware users are now at a crossroads as they're forced to make crucial decisions for their IT infrastructure. Ditching or sticking with VMware both have long-lasting implications; migrations are onerous and pricey, but life under Broadcom will be expensive, with potential future bumps and twists.Broadcom has previously responded to Ars' and others' requests for comment around customer complaints with blog posts from Broadcom's Tan that emphasize commitment to VMware's strategic changes. But some will brave costly challenges to avoid those moves. Summarizing their take on Broadcom's changes, the food manufacturer's IT executive said, "We loved VMware. And then when Broadcom bought 'em, we hated 'em."Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 66 Comments

China's internet is in love with Liang Wenfeng after his firm, DeepSeek, sparked an AI uproar in the US.His burst of stardom has come largely off the back of a subsequent market rout in the US.Local media are now calling Liang a "genius," an "AI hero of Guangdong," and a "great god."As US tech stocks roiled on Monday from the hype about Chinese startup DeepSeek, the company's founder is being lauded as a hero back home.Hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, who started the artificial intelligence firm as a side project in 2023, went viral on Chinese social media on Tuesday largely because of the rout.DeepSeek's cost-effectiveness was already making waves in the tech industry over the last two weeks, but it was the latest market reaction that pushed Liang into internet stardom in China.DeepSeek's story is now that of a Chinese startup which says it spent $6 million building a large language model rival to ChatGPT shocking investors and AI scientists so much that US stocks like Nvidia lost a collective $1 trillion in on-paper value within a day.In a bout of national pride, viral threads on Weibo, China's version of X, regularly referenced Liang's hometown of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province."DeepSeek is a megahit: internet users buzz about three AI heroes of Guangdong," said one top thread with 18 million views, as of Tuesday morning Beijing time.Liang was listed as one of those "heroes," alongside Moonshot AI's founder, Yang Zhilin, and the AI scientist He Kaiming, who is an author of one of the most-cited papers on machine learning.Notably, China's social media is heavily moderated, making it difficult to determine the full scope of discussion on any given topic. However, that can also provide insight into the rhetoric and topics that are encouraged or permitted in its online spaces.Another major Weibo discussion, with more than 52 million views, anticipated Liang's return to his hometown for the Lunar New Year, which begins on Wednesday. The Yangcheng Evening News, a Guangdong-based regional newspaper, praised Liang as a "genius" and "great god with foreign fame.""Let us wish that he shall create more miracles," the paper wrote."The country must protect him! Seriously," wrote a popular Shanghai-based blogger with 2.2 million followers.Liang was also spotted among several advisors who gave suggestions to Chinese Premier Li Qiang at a symposium last week on Beijing's direction on AI.Having Li's ear could be significant, because the premier is the top official responsible for implementing Chinese leader Xi Jinping's executive decisions. Time Magazine, for example, described him as Xi's COO in its 100 Most Influential People list for 2024.But the DeepSeek founder's presence at the symposium gained attention online more because of Liang's age: The 40-year-old was filmed sitting among a panel of visibly older men."How the post-85 youth from Zhanjiang 'surprised' the world," one viral thread about him said. Generations are popularly referred to as "post-1990" or "post-1980" in China, as opposed to "millennial" or "Gen Z."Liang, who grew up in the 1980s in Guangdong, and his firm rocked the tech space earlier this month with the release of their flagship AI model, R1, which experts say is sophisticated enough to compete with ChatGPT.DeepSeek said it used only 2,000 Nvidia H800 chips to train R1, meaning it spent about $6 million a cost dwarfed by the billions invested into AI by US tech giants.As of press time, the DeepSeek app hit the number 1 spot on Apple's Top Free Apps chart.DeepSeek and Liang's quant hedge fund, High Flyer, did not respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider.