Following a string of misfires, Ubisoft is shutting down a support studio and downsizing elsewhere, with the company firing around 185 workers in its latest cost-cutting measure. Ubisoft Leamington, situated in the English town of Royal Leamington Spa, is no more as the publisher is scuttling the 50-person studio. It's also laying off employees in Stockholm; Dsseldorf, Germany; and Newcastle, England (Ubisoft Reflections)."As part of our ongoing efforts to prioritize projects and reduce costs that ensure long-term stability at Ubisoft, we have announced targeted restructurings at Ubisoft Dsseldorf, Ubisoft Stockholm and Ubisoft Reflections and the permanent closure of Ubisoft Leamington site," Ubisoft told Eurogamer in a statement. "Unfortunately, this should impact 185 employees overall. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and are committed to supporting them through this transition."Ubisoft bought the Leamington studio from Activision in 2017. It was previously known as FreeStyleGames and the team was behind Guitar Hero Live and the DJ Hero series. Since joining Ubisoft, the studio has assisted with development on the Tom Clancy's The Division games, Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones and Far Cry 5.Things have been tumultuous at Ubisoft recently, as the company is dealing with the fallout of several underperforming games, such as Star Wars Outlaws, which didn't meet sales targets. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown fell short of Ubisoft's sales expectations too, and the company shifted many of the game's developers to other teams. Ubisoft is also shutting down XDefiant in the coming months, with the publisher shutting three studios and laying off 277 workers as part of that decision. As Eurogamer notes, Ubisoft's headcount dropped from 20,279 to 18,666 by the end of September.Perhaps aligned with those recent woes, there have been numerous reports that Ubisoft is seeking a buyer or that it may create a joint venture with Tencent with some of its assets included. The company said earlier this month (PDF) that it would "continue to drive significant cost reductions" and it had "appointed leading advisors to review and pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for stakeholders."Suffice to say, there's a lot riding on the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows. Assassin's Creed has been a reliably bankable series for Ubisoft and it's arguably the company's flagship franchise at this point. Based on my early impressions, the game looks good enough and plays well enough for what the company needs it to do, and it seems to cater to both long-standing fans and series newcomers. There's a chance that Shadows could be successful for the company, but it's a mighty tall order for a single game to right a ship that's as large and unsteady as Ubisoft.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-shuts-down-a-support-studio-and-lays-off-185-workers-191048262.html?src=rss

Nothing has released yet another cryptic teaser, probably hinting at the Nothing Phone 3, the companys next flagship though we cant quite figure out what were looking at.

The microbial fuel cell is only able to generate tiny amounts of electricity for now.

Apple released a software update for iPhones, iPads and Macs that turns Apple Intelligence on by default for users with supported devices.

While firefighters work to extinguish the Los Angeles-area wildfires, city officials and emergency managers are also worried about what could come next.Light rain began falling on January 25, 2025, helping firefighters who have been battling fires for nearly three weeks, but rain can also trigger dangerous floods and debris flows on burned hillslopes. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the burned areas through Jan. 27.Debris flows can move with the speed of a freight train, picking up or destroying anything in their path. They can move tons of sediment during a single storm, as Montecito, just up the coast from Los Angeles, saw in 2018.What causes these debris flows, sometimes called mudflows, and why are they so common and dangerous after a fire? I am a geologist whose research focuses on pyrogeomorphology, which is how fire affects the land. Heres what we know.How debris flows beginWhen severe fires burn hillslopes, the high heat from the fires, sometimes exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius), completely destroys trees, shrubs, grass, and structures, leaving behind a moonscape of gray ash. Not only that, the heat of the fire actually burns and damages the soil, creating a water-repellent, or hydrophobic, layer.What once was a vegetated hillslope, with leaves and trees to intercept rain and spongy soils to absorb water, is transformed into a barren landscape covered with ash, and burned soil where water cannot soak in.Illustrations show how fire can change the soil and landscape. [Photo: National Weather Service]When rain does fall on a burned area like this, water mixes with the ash, rocks, and sediment to form a slurry. This slurry of debris then pours downhill in small gullies called rills, which then converge to form bigger and bigger rills, creating a torrent of sediment, water, and debris rushing downhill. All this debris and water can transform small streams and usually dry gullies into a danger zone.Because the concentration of sediment is so high, especially when there is a large amount of ash and clay, debris flows behave more like a slurry of wet cement than a normal stream. This fluid can pick up and move large boulders, cars, trees, and other debris rapidly downhill.In January 2018, a few weeks after the Thomas fire burned through the hills above Montecito, a storm triggered debris flows that killed 23 people and damaged at least 400 homes.What controls size and timing of debris flowsThe geography of the land, burn severity, storm intensity, and soil characteristics all play important roles in if, when, and where debris flows occur.Fire and debris flow scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey use these variables to create models to predict the likelihood and possible hazards from postfire debris flows. They are already developing maps to help residents, emergency managers, and city officials prepare and predict postfire debris flows in 2025 burn areas in Los Angeles.The U.S. Geological Survey modeled debris flow risks after the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles. The map shows some of the highest-risk areas if hit by 15 minutes of rain falling at just under 1 inch (24 millimeters) per hour.[Photo: USGS]Some of the triggers of debris flows are literally part of the landscape.For example, the slope angle in a watershed and the amount of clay in the soil are important. Watersheds with gentle slopesgenerally less than about 23 degreesand a lack of clay and silt-sized particles are unlikely to produce debris flows.Other key factors that contribute to postfire debris flows relate to the proportion of the watershed that is severely burned and the intensity and duration of the rainstorm event.Early important research in the field of pyrogeomorphology demonstrated that while large, intense storms are more likely to cause large, intense debris flows, even small rainstorms can produce debris flows in burned areas.Debris flows are becoming more commonA whopping 21.8 million Americans live within three miles of where a fire burned during the past two decades, and that population more than doubled from 2000 to 2019. A recent study from central and northern California indicates that nearly all the observed increases in area burned by wildfires in recent decades are due to human-caused climate change.The warming climate is also increasing the likelihood of more extreme downpours. The amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold increases by about 7% per degree Celsius of warming, leading to more intense downpours, particularly from ocean storms. In California, scientists project increases in rainfall intensity of 18% will result in an overall 110% increase in the probability of major debris flows. Studies using models of fire, climate, and erosion rates estimate that the amount of sediment flowing downhill after fires will increase by more than 10% in nine out of every 10 watersheds in the western U.S.Even without rain, debris on fire-damaged slopes can be unstable. A small slide in Pacific Palisades shortly after a fire burned through the area split a home in two. A phenomenon called dry ravel is a dominant form of hillslope erosion following wildfires in chaparral environments in Southern CaliforniaPreparing for debris flow risksResearch on charcoal pieces from ancient debris flows has shown fires and erosion have shaped Earths landscape for at least thousands of years. However, the rising risk of wildfires near populated areas and the potential for increasingly intense downpours mean a greater risk of damaging and potentially deadly debris flows.As their populations expand, community planners need to be aware of those risks and prepare.This article, originally published Jan. 23, 2025, has been updated with rainfall in Los Angeles.Jen Pierce is a professor of geosciences at Boise State University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The three women in the painting stoop low in the field, their hands reaching for leftover stalks of wheat. Their bent figures dominate the foreground, emphasizing the physical toll of their labor. Jean-Franois Millets The Gleaners, painted in 1857, immortalized this act of necessity: gleaning, the collection of leftover crops after the harvest. Rooted in agrarian traditions, the term originates from the Old French glener and the Latin glennare, meaning to gather. For centuries, gleaning had been a lifeline for the rural poor in England and Francea legally recognized right that allowed them to enter fields after the harvest to collect what remained. French law enshrined it as a civil right in 1554, while in England, it was an unspoken agreement that reflected the feudal systems delicate balance between the privileged and the poor.But by the late 18th century, this precarious equilibrium began to unravel. The forces of privatization and industrialization swept through England, as Enclosure Acts transformed common lands into private property, barring access for the poor. In 1788, the landmark court case Steel v. Houghton shattered the custom of gleaning as a right, reclassifying it as trespass. Mechanization soon followed, with threshing machines and combine harvesters leaving less behind for gleaners to collect. By the mid-19th century, gleaning had faded into memory, a relic of premodern agrarian life overtaken by the relentless march of progress.And yet, Millets scene depicting the work of gathering what others have left behind is playing out once againnot as a relic, but as a response to the crises of food waste and poverty. In a potato field in Cornwall, England, volunteers sift through wooden crates, separating the good from the bruised, while others cut kale, filling sacks with leaves destined for community kitchens.Were feeding quite a lotabout 10,000 people a week, said Holly Whitelaw, the founder of Gleaning Cornwall. It might just be a couple of bits of vegetables, but its something healthy. The operation, run with the help of over 400 volunteers, relies on a patchwork of coordination via the online messaging platform WhatsApp, donated storage spaces, and sheer determination. Yet, Whitelaw notes, its far from enough: Big funding is needed to really do this properly. The need is increasing.At a time when 3.3 million metric tons of food are wasted annually on U.K. farms, the environmental and social costs of inaction are staggering. Rotting food releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is far more potent than carbon dioxide, and the resources used to grow that foodwater, energy, and landare wasted along with it. Tristram Stuart, the historian and activist who co-founded the Gleaning Network in 2011, of which Gleaning Cornwall is a part, envisioned the practice as a way to challenge British food waste at its source. Today, from Kent to Birmingham, gleaning groups are not just picking up produce but picking apart the unsustainable norms that allow waste to persist in the first place.The impact of this waste goes far beyond the visible rot in fields. Globally, nearly a third of all food produced is never eaten, and in the U.K., unharvested crops contribute an estimated 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually11% of the countrys agricultural emissions. Across the Atlantic, the problem plays out on an even larger scale. Laurie Beyranevand, the director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School in the U.S., highlights the strain on natural resources caused by overproduction.Here in the states, weve got mega farms out West using precious water resources during droughts to grow food that never makes it into the supply chain, she said. People say, Oh, itll get tilled back into the soil, but that doesnt account for the resources wasted in the processpesticides, labor, energyall of it has environmental costs.Across the U.K., gleaning has become a critical tool in the fight against food waste and poverty. Groups like the Sussex Gleaning Network organize teams to collect everything from carrots to cauliflowers, redistributing the rescued food to food banks and community projects like FareShare Sussex, which takes good-quality surplus food and provides it to people in need. The Gleaning Network as a whole has collaborated with over 60 farmers and 3,000 volunteers to save more than 500 metric tons of fruits and vegetables, ensuring that surplus produce is delivered quickly and safely to those who need it most.For Phil Holtam, the regional programs manager of Feedback Global, an organization that pushes for a more sustainable food system, the process begins long before harvest day. We recruit a team of volunteers and hire a van in advance, he explained. On the day, we meet at the farm around 10 a.m., go over health and safety, and then get to work. Once the produce is picked, its rushed to cold storage facilities to preserve its freshness. Gleaning volunteers can pick more in a day than a kitchen can process in a week, Holtam added, underscoring the scale of both the problem and the solution. For the volunteers in the fields, the work is urgent. And for the families they serve, its a lifeline.A volunteer takes part in an organized collection, traditionally known as gleaning, of unharvested apples at Maynards fruit farm in September 2022 in Wadhurst, United Kingdom. [Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images/Grist]Food waste starts at the very source: the farm. Up to 16% of a crop can be wasted due to factors completely out of a farmers control. Supermarkets reject produce for being too wonky, too small, or the wrong color, said Sussex-based Holtam. Then theres unpredictable weather, labor shortagesits endless. Whats left in the fieldspotatoes, kale, zucchini, soft fruitrepresents a staggering waste of resources and an urgent environmental crisis.The solutions offered by gleaning are both practical and symbolic. Gleaners rescue food that would otherwise contribute to methane emissions in landfills or decompose in fields. They work with farmers to ensure that what cant be sold is turned into a resource for the community. Weve worked with everything from soft fruit to salad greens, clearing beds and keeping crops out of the compost heap, said Holtam. Its about turning potential waste into community resources.Yet, for all its impact, gleaning is still a stopgap measure. As Beyranevand points out, the root problem is systemic. Farmers are forced to overgrow to meet strict supermarket contracts, only to see tons of perfectly good food rejected because it doesnt meet cosmetic standards. The solution lies, she said, in creating secondary markets for surplus produce and reducing the overproduction that forces farmers to rely on donations to move their crops.Until that systemic shift occurs, the gleaners persistcrouching in fields, filling crates with overlooked crops, and salvaging what they can. Every potato pulled from the ground, every courgette packed into a crate, every small effort, is a quiet victory. While the idea is simplerescue food that would otherwise go to wastethat work takes different forms around the world. In the U.K., organizations like Gleaning Network UK run structured operations, coordinating volunteers to collect surplus crops from farms and deliver them to food banks. In the U.S., gleaning is often smaller scale, led by grassroots groups and church volunteers.Its very much driven by philanthropy, and the groups are often disconnected, said Beyranevand, who has worked with several gleaning organizations in the country. Without a centralized system, efforts rely on personal relationships with farmers and ad hoc coordination, making the process inconsistent and resource-dependent.Legal and cultural differences also shape these approaches. In the U.K., farmers generally welcome gleaners, while in the U.S., stricter property laws and liability concerns create barriers. Farmers worry about what happens if someone gets injured, Beyranevand explained. Although some states have introduced protections, these laws are inconsistent, and food safety concerns add further complexity. Maryland, for example, has enacted specific laws to protect farmers from liability when they allow gleaners onto their land, providing a model for how legislation can encourage participation while addressing farmers concerns.Despite its promise, gleaning alone cannot fix systemic issues of food waste and insecurity. Beyranevand calls it a reactive solution, dependent on surplus or rejected crops. Ultimately, wouldnt it be wonderful if we didnt need gleaning at all? she asked. Some organizations, like Boston Area Gleaners in the U.S., are exploring proactive approaches, such as acquiring farmland to grow crops specifically for food banks. But scaling such initiatives requires significant investment and structural support.Still, gleaning is about more than just rescuing foodits about rediscovering the value of what weve overlooked. For Kelly LeBlanc, vice president of nutrition programming at Oldways, a nonprofit that inspires people to embrace the healthy and sustainable joys of the old ways of eating, the significance goes beyond food itself. Were starting to recognize that diets better for people are better for the planet as well, she said. The simple act of turning discarded crops into nourishment bridges so many dividesbetween nutrition and sustainability, between waste and renewal.Perhaps thats gleanings greatest gift: its ability to remind us that even in a world of abundance, there is beauty in whats left behind. Jean-Franois Millets painting The Gleaners immortalized this truth nearly two centuries ago, and today, its no less poignant.Natasha Khullar Relph, GristThis article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here.

Architecture studio Entorno y Contexto has led the redevelopment of a stretch of the Papaloapan River on Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, installing lightweight steel structures on stilts and landscaping to facilitate recreation.The massive development stretches four kilometres along the riverfront. It includes four stilted steel structures and 11.8 hectares of landscaped public space with paths, recreation and conservation areas.The development was created to rehabilitate public space between the urban environment of Tuxtepec and the Papalopan River at the behest of Mexico's Secretaria of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU).Entorno y Contexto has created a river park in Oaxaca"Building on and extending the historical lineage of the park, we focused on the concept of spatial articulation to create a coherent structure that ensures the legibility and accessibility of the public environment," said Entorno y Contexto director Alejandro Polo Lamadrid."Our aim was to facilitate the introduction of recreational, cultural and sports facilities within the complex while promoting the restoration of areas of environmental and landscape value."Many of the structures installed for the project are open-air to facilitate easy access from the park and are covered with simple metal roofing. The simple materials, which include steel and exposed concrete, were used to emphasise the area's industrial heritage, according to Lamadrid.The park includes multiple stilted structures and amenitiesThey were prefabricated and installed on-site and provide space for amenities such as restrooms, while also serving as waiting areas for local transit or as community gathering spaces.All the buildings have large portions suspended above ground by steel stilts due to the intermittent flooding of the river.Though the buildings are mostly open-air, they include elements to shelter users such as walls of perforated brick.Industrial materials were utilised"Local materials such as stone and natural red clay partitions were also used through simple and timeless applications," Lamadrid told Dezeen."On the other hand, the use of clay and red chromatics as a material reference to the state of Oaxaca is reinterpreted in a simple and contemporary way."Multiple covered courts shelter daytime sports activitiesFive sports courts were included in the program two covered and three uncovered as well as grass-covered sports pitches and a track.A variety of open spaces with built-in seating and exercise equipment were woven into the plan, connected by the walking and cycling paths that run through the entirety of the park.Concrete workout equipment is connected by walking and cycling pathsRehabilitating the landscape was of utmost importance for ensuring the durability of the park, and the architecture studio worked with landscape studio Virens A+P to remove non-endemic vegetation, replanting the area with native trees to try and reduce erosion.A boulevard along the park was also restored as part of the project. New signage, paving, and seating were added to complement the landscape of the park.Read: Quintanilla Arquitectos creates shaded sports complex in Mexican town"The revitalized park is once again attracting users of all ages, who are extending their visits thanks to the lighting provided in the sports and relaxation areas," said Lamadrid."It is estimated that the park will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 users at any one time, with around 5,000 visitors per day, in line with the planned program."Red was used to reference local architectureThis is the latest out of hundreds of architectural projects commissioned by SEDATU to improve the public spaces throughout Mexico.Others include a museum installed inside an old port building by Colective C733 and a concrete community centre by CCA.The photography is by Andrs Cedillo / ESPACIOS.Project credits:Entorno y Contexto team: dgar Marmolejo, Alejandra Guzmn, Hesner Snchez, Tania Hernndez, Erik Urbina, Susana MarnLandscape: virens A+PStructure: Miyamoto MxicoInstallations: Zenon InstalacionesConstruction: Karisma IngenieraThe post Red-painted steel structures feature in Mexican riverfront revitalisation appeared first on Dezeen.

Knife designer Joe Caswell designed this Provoke First Responder knife, designed for EMTs working in close quarters.Caswell has extended his mastery of mechanisms to a new product in the line, the Provoke X: This is a folding axe, and it works like this:I'd thought it would be aimed at bushcraftershatchets are a cumbersome thing to carry, and this design obviates the need for a blade guard, which can get lostbut I was wrong. Perhaps as a sign of the times, this is being billed as a "tactical axe," a "powerful, portable, self-defense tool."The Provoke X generated strong buzz at last week's annual SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show). Caswell is putting the $350 tool/weapon into production through his company, CRKT, and expects to ship in April.

Samsungs S25 launch event solidified its position as a leader in mobile AI innovation, demonstrating how its strong partnerships with Google and Qualcomm are fostering significant advancements for users. The panel discussion, hosted by Jay Kim, Samsungs Executive Vice President and Head of the Customer Experience Office, featured AI thought leaders who offered an in-depth look at the collaborative effort behind seamlessly integrating AI into everyday experiences.A Unified Vision for AI AccessibilityDr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, shared findings from an ongoing longitudinal study conducted with Symmetry Research. The research, supported by Samsung, highlighted an important shift in user behavior: frequent consumer use of mobile AI globally has nearly doubled in just six months, jumping from 16% in July 2024 to 27% by January 2025.Dr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, presents research on mobile AI adoption and the barriers to widespread use.Frequent consumer use of mobile AI globally has nearly doubled in just six months, jumping from 16% in July to 27% in January, said Dr. Brauer. As we analyzed the motivations and challenges surrounding mobile AI use, we found a really interesting theme among those less willing to adopt the technology: doubt. Doubt in AIs ability to bring meaningful benefits to everyday life (56%), doubt and a lack of high confidence to use AI to its full potential (85%), and doubt around privacy and whether AI can be trusted (90%).However, discoverability and confidence in AIs usefulness remain significant barriers. Many users still struggle to understand how to access and fully utilize these tools. Samsungs approach, as explained by Jay Kim, addresses these challenges by embedding AI capabilities directly into the device interface. Features such as long-press activation for the Gemini Assistant and multi-modal interactions aim to make AI accessible without disrupting user routines.Jay Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Samsungs Customer Experience Office, discusses how intuitive AI integration enhances user experiences.Even though the benefit value of mobile AI is really high, if you cant access it, its no use, said Kim. On Galaxy S25, accessing Gemini with a simple long-press of the side button is a perfect example. The AI behind that action is complicated, but not for the user. The important thing is to make it easy and intuitive, to encourage repetition so that these capabilities are eventually baked into your life.Building Smarter Experiences Through PartnershipThe collaboration between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm represents a new level of industry partnership aimed at maximizing AIs potential. Qualcomms Christopher Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mobile Handset, Voice & Music, and Wearables, emphasized the importance of on-device AI processing in delivering instant results without relying entirely on cloud resources. This approach maintains user privacy while ensuring real-time functionality. Qualcomms Snapdragon platform, co-engineered with Samsung, integrates AI across various components, including display upscaling and advanced voice recognition.Christopher Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Qualcomm, discusses the importance of on-device AI processing and its integration with the Snapdragon platform.Galaxy S25 marks a big step forward, able to engage with your personalized AI assistant in all new ways. It doesnt just feel like interacting with a real person; it can perceive your environment and interact with content shown on your camera, said Patrick. Our close collaboration with Samsung to customize the processor makes these new capabilities feel seamless, something we are excited to see unfold.Googles Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem, added perspective on AIs evolving role, comparing it to other transformative technologies.Truly helpful AI must fit naturally into our daily lives, explained Samat. AI is a tool and not an end in itself, and what matters to consumers the most is how helpful AI can be for them. LLMs represent a massive leap in how computers understand human language. Previously, using AI felt a little like being trained by your machine. You had to learn rigid and rehearsed phrases. Now, you can speak in completely natural language, removing any friction from the overall experience.Real-Life Use Cases Driving AdoptionConcrete examples shared during the discussion demonstrated how AI simplifies everyday tasks. Jay Kim described using AI to translate a menu, recommend dishes within a budget, and even place an orderall through a single interaction. Imagine being able to point your phone at a menu in another language, have it translated instantly, and even receive dish recommendations within your budget. Thats the kind of efficiency AI brings, said Kim.Another compelling use case involves using AI to navigate public transportation systems by analyzing schedules, suggesting optimal routes, and even purchasing tickets within seconds. Similarly, AI can assist users in finding relevant sections within dense documents or manuals simply by posing a question, such as Where is the warranty information? These capabilities illustrate how AI can streamline complex tasks into a seamless experience, freeing users to focus on the moment rather than navigating multiple apps or services.Similarly, Sameer Samat shared a personal anecdote about his son using AI to set laundry machine settings by taking a photo of the control panel and asking the AI for the correct settings. These are everyday tasks that become far easier when AI steps in to simplify the process. Its about removing the friction, noted Samat.Christopher Patrick highlighted AIs ability to enhance photo management, saying: Weve all experienced the frustration of scrolling through thousands of photos to find one image. AI eliminates that by making the search as simple as describing the memory. For example, searching for a picture with the dog and the sweater and the cupcake becomes effortless.Privacy and Trust as CornerstonesAs AI becomes more personal, concerns around privacy and trust take center stage. Dr. Brauers research revealed that 90% of consumers still harbor significant doubts about AIs privacy and trustworthiness. These concerns stem from fears about how personal data is collected, stored, and used, particularly as AI applications become more context-aware and intimately integrated into daily life.Samsungs solution lies in its Knox security platform and the use of on-device data processing. Features like Now Brief, which summarizes personalized daily updates using private data stored securely on the device, demonstrate this approach. Samsungs Knox platform ensures that user data remains entirely private and secure, giving users the confidence they need to trust the technology, explained Kim.Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google, highlights how natural language processing is reshaping AI to fit seamlessly into daily life.Googles hybrid AI model, which balances cloud and on-device processing, also addresses privacy concerns. Sameer Samat noted: This model ensures that users can access powerful AI capabilities while maintaining control over their data.A Bold but Responsible FutureThe panelists acknowledged the rapid pace of AI development as both exciting and daunting. Dr. Brauers research framed this moment as a pivotal point, likening it to the early days of the smartphone revolution.The rate of AI innovation is astounding. But what struck me about the research we did with Samsung is that the rate of mobile AI adoption is also rising at a rapid rate, said Dr. Brauer. Were standing at a critical juncture where AI is no longer a niche technology but something that can genuinely enhance lives.Looking ahead, Samsungs integration of AI and XR technologies signals a transformative shift in how users will engage with devices. AI-powered XR glasses, for instance, could enable users to navigate their surroundings with real-time contextual information, further blurring the line between physical and digital worlds.The fusion of AI and XR represents the next frontier in technology, creating entirely new ways to interact with the world around us, explained Patrick.Collaborative Innovation as a Driving ForceThe success of the S25 and its AI capabilities highlights the importance of collaborative innovation. Samsungs philosophy of open collaboration has allowed it to work closely with industry leaders like Google and Qualcomm to develop solutions that benefit users. Jay Kim reflected on the process, saying: The process of getting AI integration right isnt easy. Its about constant collaboration and iteration to create something truly impactful.Googles Sameer Samat added: Trust is the cornerstone of any successful partnership, and its what allowed us to push the boundaries with the S25.The S25 launch shows how AI can naturally fit into daily routines. By making access simple and addressing privacy concerns, Samsung and its partners have ensured users can easily adopt AI tools. These changes make the technology more accessible and relevant to everyday life. Combining on-device and cloud-based AI processing ensures the technology is both effective and secure, tailored to meet a wide range of user needs.The post Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Era of Collaborative AI Innovation first appeared on Yanko Design.

Audi has just unveiled an electric off-road vehicle concept powered by a dual motor system poised to take on any rough terrain you throw at it. Based on the Q6 Sportback e-tron SUV, the vehicle is a more feasible design than the AI-Climber concept, and a glimpse into the future of off-roading as perceived by the German automaker. As per Audi CEO Gernot Dllner, this new all-terrain version is a highly emotive reinterpretation of Quattro, that will push the boundaries of on and off-road travel.Dubbed the Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept, the EV tested the capabilities of driving in snow over inhospitable terrain during the Kitzbhel World Cup weekend in Austria. It manages to tackle 45-degree gradients with ease thanks to the ride height and optimized approach and decline angles. This performance car based on the in-house Premium Platform Electric (PPE), delivers a total of 380 kW power to the dual electric motors. The Q6 e-tron lineup has a good driving range, efficiency, and fast charging, so we can expect this graduated EV version to carry the same features or at best even better them.Designer: AudiOne highlight of the concept youll notice instantly is its massive ride height which is 6.3 inches more than the standard model, giving it a dominating domineer. Audi has beefed up the suspension system with four portal axles that are designed from scratch, and integrated into the wheel assembly. This results in an increased torque by almost 50 percent 9,883 pound-feet for 10 seconds, which makes it a capable off-road vehicle ready to take on the likes of Tacoma, Ford 150 Raptor, or Wrangler. The off-roader also gets a 9.8-inch wider track for superior control on uneven terrain while looking absolutely gorgeous crawling over the big rocks and ditches.Coming on to the electric powertrain, the e-tron Offroad is capable of churning out 510 horsepower for more power at lower gears and goes at a top speed of 108 mph when riding normal roads. Last year the camouflaged Q6 e-tron Sportback was spotted riding on big chunky tires, and now the all-terrain SUV is finally official, even though it is just a concept prototype for now. We could see it coming out in a special edition variant in the future to see the response, and then release a widely available production model.The post Audi Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept is a broad-shouldered SUV ready for any terrain first appeared on Yanko Design.