Editor's take: The new US administration recently announced an unprecedented investment to build the world's largest AI infrastructure project. Meanwhile, China shocked Wall Street and Fortune 500 companies by unveiling the controversial DeepSeek chatbot. Now, Europe is joining the race to burst the AI bubble with its aptly named InvestAI plan. Europe has its own "Stargate" program aimed at developing significantly more powerful AI capabilities in the coming years. At the AI Action Summit in Paris, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen officially unveiled the InvestAI initiative. European authorities plan to allocate or rather "mobilize" up to 200 billion ($207 billion) in an unprecedented funding effort to develop EU-focused AI technologies and machine learning models.Like many global leaders today, von der Leyen expressed enthusiasm for AI and its potential to revolutionize nearly every sector. She emphasized that AI-driven services will enhance healthcare, accelerate scientific research and innovation, and strengthen Europe's global competitiveness. According to von der Leyen, Europe will contribute to this technological frontier with an approach centered on openness, collaboration, and a deep pool of research talent.Von der Leyen also highlighted that InvestAI will leverage the same public-private partnership model that created CERN, the birthplace of the World Wide Web. She shares her optimism with European Investment Bank President Nadia Calvio, who stated that AI will play a crucial role in driving innovation and productivity across Europe.The European Commission plans to build several new "AI gigafactories" across Europe massive data centers dedicated to AI training and inference. Each facility will house approximately 100,000 "latest-generation" AI accelerators, nearly four times the number of AI chips used in current AI factories under construction.Previously, European authorities announced a $10 billion plan to build seven AI factories, with five additional plants set to be unveiled soon. InvestAI will employ a multi-layered funding model, with contributions from institutional partners, member states, and existing EU funding programs. Additionally, Brussels is supporting AI-driven innovation across sectors such as robotics, healthcare, biotech, and climate technology through the GenAI4EU initiative. // Related StoriesEurope's InvestAI plan follows Donald Trump's announcement of the $500 billion "Stargate" initiative, aimed at building a next-generation AI infrastructure in the US. Meanwhile, China is advancing its own AI ambitions with the DeepSeek model, which some speculate could drastically reduce AI development costs or perhaps not.Von der Leyen emphasized that the race to develop bigger and more powerful AI systems is "far from over," and the EU is determined to accelerate its progress to remain competitive on the global stage.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6MSRP$1,737.00 Score Details The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 looks exactly like a ThinkPad and acts like one, too, but its battery life is too short.ProsSolid build qualityReasonably thin and lightFast productivity performanceGreat keyboardVery good IPS displayConsTouchpad is just okayDesign is getting a little long in the toothExpensiveTable of ContentsTable of ContentsSpecs and configurationDesignKeyboard and touchpadConnectivity and webcamPerformanceBattery lifeDisplay and audioBest for business users who love ThinkPadsIf youre looking for a 14-inch laptop, which is perhaps the most popular form factor around today, there are certain brands you might gravitate toward. Dells XPS lineup, HPs OmniBook, and Lenovos Yoga come to mind. Another is the ThinkPad, an iconic brand that goes way back and is instantly recognizable. The ThinkPad has a loyal fan base, but it also tends to appeal to one of two kinds of users.Recommended VideosI recently reviewed the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, a ThinkPad thats aimed at a wide consumer market. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is similar in design, and its aimed more at commercial customers. Its a very nice laptop, held back only by battery life that doesnt keep up with the competition.RelatedLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6Dimensions12.30 x 8.60 x 0.66 inchesWeight2.86 poundsDisplay14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS touch, 60Hz14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS non-touch, 60HzCPUAMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360GPUAMD Radeon 880MMemory32GB64GBStorage256GB SSD512GB SSD1TB SSDPorts2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 42 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 11 x HDMI 2.11 x 3.5mm headphone jack1 x Nano SIM (optional)Camera5MP with infrared camera for Windows 11 HelloWi-FiWi-Fi 7 and Bluetoth 5.4Battery58 watt-hourOperating systemWindows 11Price$1506+The ThinkPad T14s has a configuration currently priced at $1,506 (on sale from $2,739) for an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 chipset, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14.0-inch FHD+ IPS display. The Lenovo web store sometimes has strange pricing, and this is one such case, where that configuration is less expensive than youll be able to configure. One option, for example, is to upgrade to 64GB of RAM for an extra $337.However, most people will buy the laptop through Lenovos corporate purchasing program and wont pay whatevers the list price. That means prices will vary based on the number of units purchased, which is difficult to reflect here. Suffice it to say that you can get similar components for less with a consumer-focused laptop.Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsThe ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 looks a lot like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 that I recently reviewed. In fact, although I dont have them sitting side by side, Im fairly certain that they would be difficult to tell apart even up close. They both have the same all-black ThinkPad aesthetic with several red accents the red LED i on the logo on the lid, the TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard, and a few others that make it instantly recognizable as a member of the old-school ThinkPad lineup. ThinkPad fans will love it, and its attractive enough that most laptop buyers will probably like it. The ThinkPad Z13, for example, shows off Lenovos movement toward a more modern design, but theres nothing wrong with the ThinkPad T14ss design.In terms of its build quality, Lenovo used its combination of aluminum and carbon fiber that results in a reasonably robust construction with just the slightest bit of bending in the lid and keyboard deck. Ive used laptops that are more solid, including the HP EliteBook X G1a that has zero bending, flexing, or twisting. That puts the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 a very slight step behind, but still quite good. The hinge requires two hands to open the lid, but its certainly nothing to complain too much about.The top and bottom bezels are a little thick, compared to the slim side bezels, and thats even with Lenovos reverse notch at the top of the display that houses the webcam and other electronics. The bezels are plastic, too, which I always find detracts from a high-quality look. Even so, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is reasonably sized in width and depth, and its quite portable without winning any awards in thickness or weight. The Apple MacBook Air 15, for example, is a lot thinner at just 0.45 inches.Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsThe keyboard is the usual old-school ThinkPad version with highly sculpted keycaps and lots of key spacing. Unlike some Ive used in the past, the switches on this one dont require too much pressure but are light and snappy. That makes for a very confident feel thats different from Apples Magic Keyboard with its shallow travel, which is my usual favorite, but just as good.The touchpad is a mechanical version thats fine, although the two buttons supporting the TrackPoint nubbin controller in the middle of the keyboard takes up a bit of space. That makes the touchpad a bit too small, and while Lenovo might offer an option for a haptic version (Im not sure if they do or will), this is a little bit of a disappointment.Connectivity is a mix of modern and legacy ports. Unusually, there are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4; most AMD-based laptops use USB4 rather than Intels standard. Wireless connectivity is fully up-to-date, and theres a nano-SIM slot for optional always-connected internet connectivity.The webcam is a high-resolution 5MP model that matches up well with the fast Neural Processing Unit (NPU) running at 45 tera operations per second (TOPS), exceeding Microsofts 40 TOPS requirement for its Copilot+ PC AI initiative. That means it supports the enhanced videoconferencing features of Copilot+, along with other AI features coming down the road, with fast and efficient on-device processing.Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsThe ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 uses an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 chipset, which uas eight cores and 16 threads, running at up to 5GHz. It uses 28 watts of power that can ramp up to 54 watts, meaning its aimed more at performance than efficiency compared to some other new chipsets. Its fast at CPU tasks, as we can see in our benchmarks, keeping up with all but the the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipsets and beating out Intel Lunar Lake.The AMD PRO features mean the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 can plug into advanced enterprise security and management environments. That makes the ThinkPad a great option for large companies that need to manage lots of machines.As you can see, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is very fast for demanding productivity workflows, but its Radon 880M integrated graphics dont do a lot for games or creativity apps that can use the GPU. Its around the same CPU speed as Apples M3 chipset, but the M3s GPU cores are considerably faster. Overall, the ThinkPad is a speedyCinebench R24(single/multi)Geekbench 6(single/multi)Handbrake(seconds)3DMarkWild Life ExtremeLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6(Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 / Radeon 880M)104 / 6722677 / 12187734406Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)121 / 4472752 / 110961174771Acer Swift 14 AI(Ryzen AI 9 365 / Radeon 880M)110 / 8772795 / 14351565669Acer Swift 14 AI(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)121 / 5252755 / 11138925294Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)109 / 6302485 / 10569885217Asus Zenbook S 14(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)112 / 4522738 / 107341137514HP OmniBook X(Snapdragon X Elite / Adreno)101 / 7492377 / 13490N/A6165MacBook Air(M3)141 / 6013102 / 120781098098Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsThe AMD chipset is aimed at performance rather than efficiency, which is different from Intel Lunar Lake and Qualcomm Snapdragon X, both of which are highly focused on increasing battery life. That doesnt mean it cant squeeze out some longevity, as demonstrated by the Acer Swift 14 AI with the Ryzen AI 9 365.However, for some reason, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 didnt do very well. It couldnt make it to eight hours in our web browsing test or even nine hours in our video looping test. Thats a lot shorter than every other laptop in the comparison group, and a lot more like older Windows laptops. Apples MacBook Air M3 remains the best overall performer.Web browsingVideoLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6(Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360)7 hours, 39 minutes8 hours, 47 minutesLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)10 hours, 34 minutes15 hours, 58 minutesAcer Swift 14 AI(Core Ultra 7 258V)17 hours, 22 minutes24 hours, 10 minutesAcer Swift 14 AI(Ryzen AI 9 365)14 hours, 6 minutes18 hours, 36 minutesLenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition(Core Ultra 7 258V)14 hours, 16 minutes17 hours, 31 minutesAsus Zenbook S 14(Core Ultra 7 258V)16 hours, 47 minutes18 hours, 35 minutesMicrosoft Surface Laptop(Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100)14 hours, 21 minutes22 hours, 39 minutesHP Omnibook X(Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100)13 hours, 37 minutes22 hours, 4 minutesApple MacBook Air(Apple M3)19 hours, 38 minutes19 hours, 39 minutesMark Coppock / Digital TrendsTheres just two display options with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. Both are 14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS panels, one touch-enabled and one non-touch. Personally, I think FHD+ isnt quite sharp enough with 14-inch displays because I stare at words all day and hate pixellated text, but most people are likely okay with it. And IPS helps with battery life over OLED.This is a very good IPS display, in line with what most manufacturers have used for the last several years. The display is bright at 396 nits, well above the 300-nit baseline thats been our standard for years now and probably should be adjusted. Contrast is excellent at 1,510:1, above our 1,000:1 threshold but not as good as the inky blacks OLED provides. Colors were wide enough at 100% of sRGB, 76% of AdobeRGB, and 76% of DCI-P3, again not as dynamic as OLED and not great for creators, but very good for productivity use. And color accuracy was good at 1.52 (less than 2.0 is more than adequate).Ultimately, this is a very good IPS display that will please the laptops commercial users. Creators will want to look elsewhere, but the laptop isnt meant for that kind of work in any event. Audio is just okay, with two downward-firing speakers that are good enough for typical use. Headphones are recommended for anything else.The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a very nice laptop with one glaring flaw. Its built well, looks good, has a great keyboard and strong performance, and its perfect for large companies with a lot of laptops to manage.At the same time, its battery life isnt great. And, its a bit expensive, although large commercial customers who buy it will do so at better group purchase prices. So its an easy laptop to recommend for commercial buyers but not as easy for mainstream users.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsCamera specsMain cameraWide-angle cameraTelephoto cameras30x and 100x zoomNight modeAn easy winIs the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra worth an upgrade if you own the last Ultra phone? Equally, if the Galaxy S25 Ultra is on your buy list, understanding how Samsung has improved the camera this time around will be an important point to understand before splashing out on it. To help answer these questions, we put Samsungs latest Ultra phone against its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, in a serious camera battle.Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and the Galaxy S25 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe first thing to understand is not much has changed on the hardware front. Both have a 200-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS). Its joined by a pair of telephoto cameras on both, one 10MP telephoto with OIS for a 3x optical zoom, and another 50MP telephoto with OIS for a 5x optical zoom.Recommended VideosThe single hardware change is the wide-angle camera, which is a 12MP camera on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and a new 50MP wide-angle on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new wide-angle camera has an f/1.9 aperture compared to the f/2.2 on the S24 Ultra, while both have the same 120-degree field of view.RelatedInside each phone is a different processor, which can have a considerable impact on the photographic experience. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powers the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and its the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Both chips have been optimized for Galaxy, which Samsung says improves overall performance.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraThere is very little to split the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultras main cameras, but there are two things you need to know before deciding whether to upgrade. The tiny differences in tone, color, and dynamic range will be split by personal preference, as one isnt better than the other, but Ive continuously noticed the Galaxy S24 Ultras main camera takes sharper photos with a wider focal area.The front of the church is a great example. Take a close look at the windows on the building deeper in the frame than the entrance, and youll see the S25 Ultra introduces blur where the S24 Ultras photo is pin sharp. Its evident elsewhere in the photo too, but because you have to look really closely, it wont bother everyone. However, it detracts from the overall photo once youve seen it.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraThe Galaxy S25 Ultra can redeem itself with less noise, which can be seen in the photo of the street, specifically under the awning and through the window. Lets finish with a photo that shows the differences as a whole. The Firebird sign and sky in the photo below has better white balance in the S25 Ultras photo, but isnt as sharp as the S24 Ultras picture, and although the contrast is well-judged in the S25 Ultras photo, I prefer the color pop in the S24 Ultras photo.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraIts very difficult to say one is better than the other, as some wont notice the differences at all, and both do have positive and negative points. I wouldnt rush to upgrade the S24 Ultra to the S25 Ultra, but I also wouldnt hold back on the S25 Ultra over any concerns the camera is somehow worse. The main camera category is a draw.Winner: Draw1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra wide-angle2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wide-angleNow we come to the category where the Galaxy S25 Ultra should beat the S24 Ultra. Out test against the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max has already shown the wide-angle camera takes good photos, so how does it do next to the Galaxy S24 Ultra? Anyone expecting dramatic differences is going to be a little disappointed.The wide-angle photo of the church shows you have to look very closely to spot any differences at all, and even when you do, theyre negligible. Theres a bit less noise in the S25 Ultras photo, but more pop in the S24 Ultras photo, and both have an almost identical level of detail. Neither photo is better than the other.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra wide-angle2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wide-angleThe Galaxy S25 Ultras wide-angle camera is a little better in low light. In the shot of the cabinets inside a cafe, theres markedly less noise and edge blurring at the top of the S25 Ultras photo, and the white balance is more accurate too. However, if I didnt tell you about these differences, would you actually notice?1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra wide-angle2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wide-angleHeres a test for you. Which wide-angle photo out of the two above do you prefer? The Galaxy S25 Ultras wide-angle camera takes sharper photos, but its really marginal, and Im not convinced it makes that much of a difference. Both photos are technically quite similar, with no obvious negative points. Yes, the Galaxy S25 Ultras wide-angle camera is better than the S24 Ultras, but whether you will ever notice is another thing entirely. It gets the win, but dont read too much into it.Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 3x2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 3xFinally, as we reach the telephoto category, we can see some consistent improvements in the photos taken by the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Across the 3x, 5x, and 10x zoom the S25 Ultra takes sharper and less noisy photos than the S24 Ultra, and you dont always need to pixel-peep to see the changes.The 3x zoom photo of the archway is the hardest to immediately see the changes, but the wooden archway and gate do have more sharpness and texture when you take a moment to examine the photo. This continues into the background. I do prefer the S24 Ultras visual pop though, a running theme throughout the test.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5x2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 5xThe photo of the cat was taken at 5x zoom, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra has nailed the color of its coat, and lessened the intense contrast of the S24 Ultras image, giving it a natural look and tone. Theres a lot less noise in the background too.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 10x2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 10xFinally, the clock at 10x zoom shows how much the S24 Ultra relies on smoothing to keep noise at bay. The textures in the stone around the edge of the clock face are sharper in the S25 Ultras photo, and theres a lot less pixelation in the darker sections at the top of the image. The Galaxy S25 Ultras three primary zoom levels easily surpass the quality of the S24 Ultras cameras.Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 30x2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 30xMore for fun than anything else, heres how things have changed for the 30x and 100x zoom levels both phones can achieve. Interestingly, the 30x zoom is getting more and more usable, with far less smoothing, more sharpness, and additional texture to make the 30x photos taken by the Galaxy S25 Ultra much improved over the S24 Ultra.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 100x2. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 100xThe 100x zoom photos still arent ones youd take and want to keep, but similar updates to the 30x mode make them less artificial looking than before, with more texture and realism. Its advancements made in the software and processing which make all this possible, rather than the camera hardware, and its perhaps the area where we can see the most obvious changes between the two phone generations.Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraThe software and processing improvements extend to the Galaxy S25 Ultras lowlight performance too. The first photo was taken in practically dark conditions, with ambient light coming from a security lamp behind me. The S25 Ultras photo is sharper, and makes better use of the contrast and exposure time to make the scene look more natural, and bring out more of the textures in the wood.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraThe next two photos show the S25 Ultras greater ability to take a natural looking photo in lowlight. The first has plenty of ambient light, but it was nowhere near as green as the S24 Ultra makes it seem, but theres a lot less noise in the photo due to its additional smoothing. However, textures are greater and more realistic in the S25 Ultra, such as on the tarmac and the tree trunk.1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra2. Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraAll this is then emphasized in the photo of the same scene taken from a different angle. The S25 Ultras colors are much more accurate, and theres less blur on the vehicles too. However, its less effective at capturing the text on the van, and both photos have noisy skies. When the Galaxy S25 Ultra is this effective in very lowlight, itll suit more environments than the S24 Ultra.Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and the Galaxy S25 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has beaten the S24 Ultra in all but one category, with the telephoto sections proving to be the most decisive. The new wide-angle camera is obviously improved, but its not as dramatic as you may expect. However, I have been really impressed with it outside of this test piece, and you can see more examples of the photos it takes in our review.Its no surprise the two main cameras are equally matched as the hardware is unchanged, but I remain concerned about the introduction of blur and a lack of sharpness. I dont think this should happen on a camera attached to a $1,300 smartphone, and look forward to Samsung addressing it in future software updates.While the Galaxy S25 Ultra has won this test, its hard to say it provides a compelling reason to upgrade if you own the Galaxy S24 Ultra, unless you use the telephoto cameras a great deal. Its not like the S24 Ultra has a bad camera, as it still managed to beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max at the end of 2024. Weve got some other interesting tests if youre still considering the S25 Ultra, as weve also put it against the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and weve got an in-depth look at how the telephoto capabilities compare to its rivals here.Editors Recommendations

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phoning it in Apple teases launch for the newest member of the family on February 19 Most likely to be a new entry-level iPhone, but there are a few possibilities. Andrew Cunningham Feb 13, 2025 1:12 pm | 10 A graphic from Apple CEO Tim Cook's post about a new product launch on February 19, 2025. Credit: Apple A graphic from Apple CEO Tim Cook's post about a new product launch on February 19, 2025. Credit: Apple Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreBig news for people who prefer their product announcements to be pre-announced: Apple CEO Tim Cook says that the company has something brewing for Wednesday, February 19. Cook referred to "the newest member of the family," suggesting a launch event focused on a single product rather than multiple refreshes throughout its product lineup.Most rumors point to the "family" being the iPhone and the "newest member" being an updated version of the entry-level iPhone SE. Last refreshed in March of 2022 with the guts of late 2021's iPhone 13, the SE is the only iPhone in Apple's lineup that still ships with large display bezels and a Home button. And it's one of just three models (along with the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus) to still include a Lightning port.Previous reporting has suggested that the next-generation iPhone SE could replace both the current SE and the iPhone 14 series in the iPhone lineup, since the new phone is expected to ship with an iPhone 14-style design with an edge-to-edge display and a notch cutout. The old SE and the 14 series have already been discontinued in the EU, where new phones are all required to use a USB-C port.Apple does have other products it could announce alongside (or instead of) a new entry-level iPhone, if it wanted to. Rumors and references in macOS have all pointed to an early 2025 launch for new M4 MacBook Airs, and the rumor mill also thinks that a new Apple TV box, new HomePod products, and even new AirTags could all come at some point in 2025. High-end Mac desktops like the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are also long overdue for an update, though we reportedly won't see those refreshes until closer to the middle of the year.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 10 Comments

Enter the dragon Wheel of Time S3 trailer tees us up for Last Battle Theres not enough ale in the world to deal with this. Jennifer Ouellette Feb 13, 2025 1:02 pm | 1 Credit: YouTube/Prime Video Credit: YouTube/Prime Video Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn more Prime Video's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time returns in March. We've finally got a full-length trailer for Prime Video's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time,adapted from the late Robert Jordan's bestselling 14-book series of epic fantasy novels. (Ars has been following the series closely with regular recaps through the first two seasons.)(Some spoilers for the first two seasons below.)As previously reported, the series centers on Moiraine (played by Oscar-nominee Rosamund Pike), a member of a powerful, all-woman organization called the Aes Sedai. Magic, known as the One Power, is divided into male (saidin) and female (saidar)flavors. The latter is the province of the Aes Sedai. Long ago, a great evil, called the Dark One, caused the saidin to become tainted, such that most men who show an ability to channel that magic go mad. It's the job of the Aes Sedai to track down such men and strip them of their abilitiesa process known as "gentling" that, unfortunately, is often anything but. There is also an ancient prophecy concerning the Dragon Reborn: the reincarnation of a person who will save or destroy humanity.In the S2 finale, we learned that the Dragon Reborn is Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), and S3 will explore the ramifications of that reveal. The season's arc is mostly based on the fourth book in Jordans series, The Shadow Rising. Per the official premise:After defeating Ishamael, one of the most powerful of the Forsaken, at the end of Season Two, Rand reunites with his friends in the city of Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season Three, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both.Prime Video released a one-minute teaser for The Wheel of Time at CCXP24 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in December. That teaser was notable for Moraine's prediction concerning her and Rand's intertwined fates: "In every future where I lived, Rand dies. And the only way he lives is if I don't."The full trailer reiterates that prediction and gives us glimpses of a battle breaking out in the White Tower, the port city of Tanchico, and growing tension between Rand and Egwene (Madeleine Madden), who is troubled by Rand's romantic entanglement with Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), a powerful member of the Forsaken who hopes to seduce Rand to the Shadow. It's all gearing up for Rand's destiny to fight in the Last Battle.The first three episodes of the third season of The Wheel of Time premiere on March 13, 2025, with episodes airing weekly after that through April 17.Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 1 Comments

Pam Baker, Contributing WriterFebruary 13, 20255 Min ReadZoonar GmbH via AlamyThis year comes packed with challenges from rising inflation and layoffs to fake job announcements, ungodly long job interviews, and hiring delays. One way to help you land a promotion, possibly avoid a layoff, or rise to the head of the line of job candidates is to improve your AI skills.To help you with that, here are several ways to use a phone picture as a prompt for AI models and apps like ChatGPT and Claude. Yes, phone pics can be used as prompts. Quick as a camera click, youre prompting like a pro!This information is drawn from my newest LinkedIn Learning online course Become a GenAI Power Prompter and Content Designer and my newest book Generative AI for Dummies, which was published last October.1. How to use a phone photo in an AI promptChatGPT and Claude will both allow you to attach files to your prompt. You do that by clicking on the paper clip icon beneath the prompt bar. Then select one or more files on your device that you want to attach to the prompt. In this case that will be the photo stored on your device that you want to include in your prompt.Most people think of attaching only text, CSV files, and spreadsheets to a prompt. Those can be very helpful too in getting great and highly targeted responses from AI. But few realize that these models can extract information from photos too.Related:Some of ChatGPT and Claudes competitors may be able to use photo data too, but for the purpose of illustrating this prompting tip, lets just stick to these two AI chatbots for now.2. What kind of phone pic makes a good prompt for AI?The short answer is that a photo of anything containing text about something you want to know more about or that contains information that you want the AI to build upon, is a good photo to use in a prompt.Choose a photo from your phones picture gallery and ask yourself what information does it contain that can be useful in a prompt for AI? Here are a few photo examples for you to consider what useful data they contain and what use that info may have for you. (Youll have to move on to other tips below for the answers. But do this exercise first).A phone pic of a slide that a keynote speaker is talking about in real timeA photo of a handwritten note you made on a napkin while chatting with other conference attendees about a business idea at the hotel bar one nightA photo of a page from a bookA photo of a broken machine part with information like model number, make, brand, etc.3. Pop-up info from a keynote speakers slide in real timeRelated:Speakers, good ones anyway, limit each of their slides to three or fewer bullet points. You might want to know more in order to follow the speakers presentation better. Take a quick phone pic of the slide on stage, attach it to the prompt bar in the ChatGPT mobile app and type your question or instruction in the prompt bar. An example is below. Voila! Instant popup information during the speakers speech!Example prompt: Extract the text from this pic and briefly explain the information in the second bullet point.4. From a handwritten note on a napkin to a bankable business planEvery seasoned pro knows they often get as much out of networking at a conference as they do from the presentations, speeches, and breakout sessions. Now you can get even more value from networking over lunch, at a mixer, or over drinks at the hotel bar.Suppose someone mentions an idea to you that you want to explore further, but you dont want to rudely pull out your phone to make yourself a note. Jot it down on a napkin, or whatever paper or material is handy. Yes, any handwritten note will do. Stick that note in your pocket. Later, perhaps back in your hotel room, use your phone to take a photo of your note. You can then attach it to a prompt for ChatGPT or Claude in a mobile or desktop app at your convenience.Related:Heres an example prompt to write along with that photo attachment: Build a business plan from the information you extract from the attached photo.5. Understand complex information by taking a picture of a page in a bookYouve heard quantum computing is a looming threat to cyber security and a serious boost to AI capabilities. Youve also heard year after year that *this* is the year quantum computing gets real. But you want to know more than the marketing hype. You want to know what quantum computing actually is and how far it has actually progressed.Take a picture or a screenshot from a scientific paper or a book and use it as an attachment to a prompt to get ChatGPT or Claude to translate complex information into terms you can better understand. Now you know what you need to know.6. Replace or fix a broken machine part at work using a phone pic and AISo here you are in a datacenter doing routine maintenance on hardware. You discover a loose or broken part on a cooling system or a server or something. Now you need to report it to whoever is in charge of ordering parts or vendor repair visits. But heck, youre not quite sure what to call that part or what info you need to request a replacement.Or maybe you are in your office and your desk chair sinks when you sit in it even after you raise it up again and again. Imagine that whatever machine or furniture or tool that youre working with or on poses a mystery to solve.Take a photo of it and prompt ChatGPT or Claude to identify it. This generally works best if the broken piece or the larger item has identifying text on it such as a brand name or make, a year, and/or a serial or part number on it. Take a photo that includes that information. If the AI cannot identify the part from a photo without text, try prompting it in text only to identify all parts of whatever the larger item is. You may be able to identify the part from the descriptions the Ai provides.About the AuthorPam BakerContributing WriterA prolific writer and analyst, Pam Baker's published work appears in many leading publications. She's also the author of several books, the most recent of which are "Decision Intelligence for Dummies" and "ChatGPT For Dummies." Baker is also a popular speaker at technology conferences and a member of the National Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and the Internet Press Guild.See more from Pam BakerNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports