WMDoll, one of Chinas biggest sex doll makers, expects to record a 30 per cent jump in sales this year, as the companys adoption of open-source generative artificial intelligence (AI) models helped improve the user experience of its products.AdvertisementFeedback received by WMDoll has been generally good after integrating large language models (LLMs) the technology underpinning generative AI services like ChatGPT into its new anthropomorphic sex toys, according to founder and chief executive Liu Jiangxia.It makes the dolls more responsive and interactive, which offers users a better experience, Liu said in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post.WMDoll based in Zhongshan, a city in southern Guangdong province embeds the companys latest MetaBox series with an AI module, which is connected to cloud computing services hosted on data centres across various markets where the LLMs process the information from each toy.According to the company, it has adopted several open-source LLMs, including Meta Platforms Llama AI models, which can be fine-tuned and deployed anywhere.Sex dolls heads are sorted at an assembly line inside WMDolls factory in Zhongshan. Photo: Thomas YauThe next-generation sex dolls which are still supported by a metal skeleton and have either a silicone or thermoplastic elastomer exterior reflect this industrys open-minded approach to innovation to improve customer satisfaction. By comparison, traditional sex dolls are limited to simple responses and lack the expressive capabilities needed to engage with a human.

After warnings that Paramount content was about to disappear from Googles pay TV service YouTube TV, the companies announced late Saturday that thed reached a deal that averting any disruption to channel availability.Those announcements didnt include many specifics about the agreement, but a statement from a Paramount spokesperson said it includes an expanded streaming relationship. So not only will YouTube Primetime Channels continue to offer streaming services Paramount+ With Showtime and BET+ as add-ons, but Google also gets the right to make Paramount+ available to qualifying YouTube TV customers.YouTube TV is no stranger to high-profile contract disputes with media companies, including Disney. In its own announcement, Google said, Were happy to share that weve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount channels, including CBS, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon and more To our subscribers, we appreciate your patience while we negotiated on your behalf.The company had warned in an earlier blog post that all Paramount content, including CBS and CBS Sports, would disappear from YouTube TV on February 13. There was a short-term deadline extension when the companies appeared to be close to a deal.At the time, Google said it was fighting for an agreement that avoids passing along additional costs and offers [subscribers] more flexibility in how you watch your favorite sports and shows. (Pay TV providers have reportedly been fighting for more flexible ways to bundle channels, particularly at the basic tiers of their services.)Meanwhile, Paramounts co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, and Brian Robbins sent employees an internal memo describing Google as unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market, choosing to jeopardize the entertainment experience at the expense of consumers.The reality is, you cant have a successful video product without Paramount, one of the leading media families in TV viewing, the CEOs said.Topics

OpenAI is changing how it trains AI models to explicitly embrace intellectual freedom no matter how challenging or controversial a topic may be, the company says in a new policy.As a result, ChatGPT will eventually be able to answer more questions, offer more perspectives, and reduce the number of topics the AI chatbot wont talk about.The changes might be part of OpenAIs effort to land in the good graces of the new Trump administration, but it also seems to be part of a broader shift in Silicon Valley and whats considered AI safety.On Wednesday, OpenAI announced an update to its Model Spec, a 187-page document that lays out how the company trains AI models to behave. In it, OpenAI unveiled a new guiding principle: Do not lie, either by making untrue statements or by omitting important context.In a new section called Seek the truth together, OpenAI says it wants ChatGPT to not take an editorial stance, even if some users find that morally wrong or offensive. That means ChatGPT will offer multiple perspectives on controversial subjects, all in an effort to be neutral.For example, the company says ChatGPT should assert that Black lives matter, but also that all lives matter. Instead of refusing to answer or picking a side on political issues, OpenAI says it wants ChatGPT to affirm its love for humanity generally, then offer context about each movement.This principle may be controversial, as it means the assistant may remain neutral on topics some consider morally wrong or offensive, OpenAI says in the spec. However, the goal of an AI assistant is to assist humanity, not to shape it.The new Model Spec doesnt mean that ChatGPT is a total free-for-all now. The chatbot will still refuse to answer certain objectionable questions or respond in a way that supports blatant falsehoods.These changes could be seen as a response to conservative criticism about ChatGPTs safeguards, which have always seemed to skew center-left. However, an OpenAI spokesperson rejects the idea that it was making changes to appease the Trump administration.Instead, the company says its embrace of intellectual freedom reflects OpenAIs long-held belief in giving users more control.But not everyone sees it that way.Conservatives claim AI censorshipVenture capitalist and trumps ai czar David Sacks.Image Credits:Steve Jennings / Getty ImagesTrumps closest Silicon Valley confidants including David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, and Elon Musk have all accused OpenAI of engaging in deliberate AI censorship over the last several months. We wrote in December that Trumps crew was setting the stage for AI censorship to be a next culture war issue within Silicon Valley.Of course, OpenAI doesnt say it engaged in censorship, as Trumps advisers claim. Rather, the companys CEO, Sam Altman, previously claimed in a post on X that ChatGPTs bias was an unfortunate shortcoming that the company was working to fix, though he noted it would take some time.Altman made that comment just after a viral tweet circulated in which ChatGPT refused to write a poem praising Trump, though it would perform the action for Joe Biden. Many conservatives pointed to this as an example of AI censorship.While its impossible to say whether OpenAI was truly suppressing certain points of view, its a sheer fact that AI chatbots lean left across the board. Even Elon Musk admits xAIs chatbot is often morepolitically correctthan hed like. Its not because Grok was programmed to be woke but more likely a reality of training AI on the open internet.Nevertheless, OpenAI now says its doubling down on free speech. This week, the company even removed warnings from ChatGPT that tell users when theyve violated its policies. OpenAI told TechCrunch this was purely a cosmetic change, with no change to the models outputs.The company seems to want ChatGPT to feel less censored for users.It wouldnt be surprising if OpenAI was also trying to impress the new Trump administration with this policy update, notes former OpenAI policy leader Miles Brundage in a post on X.Trump has previously targeted Silicon Valley companies, such as Twitter and Meta, for having active content moderation teams that tend to shut out conservative voices. OpenAI may be trying to get out in front of that. But theres also a larger shift going on in Silicon Valley and the AI world about the role of content moderation.Generating answers to please everyoneImage Credits:Jaque Silva/NurPhoto / Getty ImagesNewsrooms, social media platforms, and search companies have historically struggled to deliver information to their audiences in a way that feels objective, accurate, and entertaining.Now, AI chatbot providers are in the same delivery information business, but arguably with the hardest version of this problem yet: How do they automatically generate answers to any question?Delivering information about controversial, real-time events is a constantly moving target, and it involves taking editorial stances, even if tech companies dont like to admit it. Those stances are bound to upset someone, miss some groups perspective, or give too much air to some political party.For example, when OpenAI commits to let ChatGPT represent all perspectives on controversial subjects including conspiracy theories, racist or antisemitic movements, or geopolitical conflicts that is inherently an editorial stance.Some, including OpenAI co-founder John Schulman, argue that its the right stance for ChatGPT. The alternative doing a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether an AI chatbot should answer a users question could give the platform too much moral authority, Schulman notes in a post on X.Schulman isnt alone. I think OpenAI is right to push in the direction of more speech, said Dean Ball, a research fellow at George Mason Universitys Mercatus Center, in an interview with TechCrunch. As AI models become smarter and more vital to the way people learn about the world, these decisions just become more important.In previous years, AI model providers have tried to stop their AI chatbots from answering questions that might lead to unsafe answers. Almost every AI company stopped their AI chatbot from answering questions about the 2024 election for U.S. president. This was widely considered a safe and responsible decision at the time.But OpenAIs changes to its Model Spec suggest we may be entering a new era for what AI safety really means, in which allowing an AI model to answer anything and everything is considered more responsible than making decisions for users.Ball says this is partially because AI models are just better now. OpenAI has made significant progress on AI model alignment; its latest reasoning models think about the companys AI safety policy before answering. This allows AI models to give better answers for delicate questions.Of course, Elon Musk was the first to implement free speech into xAIs Grok chatbot, perhaps before the company was really ready to handle sensitive questions. It still might be too soon for leading AI models, but now, others are embracing the same idea.Shifting values for Silicon ValleyGuests including Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk attend the Inauguration of Donald Trump.Image Credits:Julia Demaree Nikhinson (opens in a new window) / Getty ImagesMark Zuckerberg made waves last month by reorienting Metas businesses around First Amendment principles. He praised Elon Musk in the process, saying the owner of X took the right approach by using Community Notes a community-driven content moderation program to safeguard free speech.In practice, both X and Meta ended up dismantling their longstanding trust and safety teams, allowing more controversial posts on their platforms and amplifying conservative voices. Changes at X may have hurt its relationships with advertisers, but that could have more to do with Musk, who has taken the unusual step of suing some of them for boycotting the platform. Early signs indicate that Metas advertisers were unfazed by Zuckerbergs free speech pivot.Meanwhile, many tech companies beyond X and Meta have walked back from left-leaning policies that dominated Silicon Valley for the last several decades. Google, Amazon, and Intel have eliminated or scaled back diversity initiatives in the last year.OpenAI may be reversing course, too. The ChatGPT-maker seems to have recently scrubbed a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its website.As OpenAI embarks on one of the largest American infrastructure projects ever with Stargate, a $500 billion AI datacenter, its relationship with the Trump administration is increasingly important. At the same time, the ChatGPT maker is vying to unseat Google Search as the dominant source of information on the internet.Coming up with the right answers may prove key to both.

The Liberty Tree Block is located at one of Bostons oldest and most important intersections, Boylston and Essex streets. It is said that near this site, the Liberty Tree stood, and where in 1765,Patriotsin Boston staged the first act of defiance against the British government under its branches, The Stamp Act protests. The tree became a rallying point for the growing resistance to the rule of Britain over theAmerican colonies. The Liberty Tree was cut down by British Loyalists in 1775, but the trees symbolism lives on in the building constructed on the site 75 years later. Nineteenth-century real estate developer David Sears had this commercial block built in 1850, which housed stores at the street with ballrooms on the upper floors. The Liberty Tree Block is best-known and named so due to the wooden relief plaque of the Liberty Tree on the Washington Street elevation. The motif stands 8 high and 5 wide and was carved by ship carvers. The bas relief is inscribed with Liberty1765 across the top, Law and Order at its roots, and at the bottom, Sons of Liberty, 1765. Independence of their Country, 1776. The building (and its carving) are protected Landmarks in Boston.

Published February 16, 2025 10:00am EST close Is China leading the artificial intelligence race? Yurts founder and CEO Ben Van Roo breaks down concerns over DeepSeek on 'The Will Cain Show.' Apple devices are believed to be pretty secure, and that's what the company will tell you. You might have seen the tagline "Privacy. Thats Apple." in their promotions.However, the tech landscape is changing, and even Apple products arent beyond cybercriminals reach.A new report suggests Mac users will need to be more vigilant this year because AI advancements are helping hackers breach even the most secure systems. I haveconsistently reported on how Mac malware is targeting users, and experts now believe this will only get worse.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW A man working on his laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The rise of cyberattacks on Apple devicesMac malware is not what it used to be. For years, the biggest threats were annoying adware and browser hijackers, more of a nuisance than a real danger. But that is changing fast. As highlighted byMalwarebytes, a new wave of information stealers is taking over, and they are far more dangerous, going after passwords, authentication cookies, credit card details and even cryptocurrency.This shift started in mid-2023 with the arrival ofAtomic Stealer, also known as AMOS, a piece of malware that looked much more like something you would see on Windows than the typical Mac threats. AMOS was not just effective. It was easy to use and sold as a service for $1,000 a month with a slick web-based control panel. That success led to the rise of even more dangerous variants.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?One of them,Poseidon, launched in mid-2024 and quickly became the dominant Mac stealer, responsible for 70% of infections. It can drain over 160 different cryptocurrency wallets, steal passwords from browsers and password managers and even grab VPN credentials.At the same time, cybercriminals have doubled down onmalvertising, using fake ads on Google and Bing to trick users into downloading malware instead of real software. These campaigns are highly targeted, allowing attackers to pinpoint Mac users and serve fake downloads based on their searches. With AI now being used to create and execute many of these attacks, they are likely to increase in scale. A woman working on her laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Things are worse for Android usersWhile Mac malware is evolving, the situation on Android is even more alarming. Phishing attacks on the platform have reached staggering levels, with thousands of malicious apps designed to steal credentials and bypass security measures.So far in 2024, researchers have detected 22,800 phishing-capable apps, alongside 3,900 apps designed to read OTPs from notification bars and 5,200 apps capable of extracting OTPs from SMS messages. These numbers highlight how widespread and effective Android phishing malware has become.Just like phishing emails, phishing apps trick users into handing over their usernames, passwords and two-factor authentication codes. Once stolen, these credentials can be sold or used for fraud,identity theft or furthercyberattacks. Because phishing apps require minimal code and fewer permissions than traditional malware, they are much easier to sneak onto app stores, including Google Play.Many phishing apps look like regular, fully functional software. Some impersonate games or utilities, while others appear as cracked versions of popular apps like TikTok, WhatsApp or Spotify. Some stay dormant for days to avoid detection before launching their attacks. Others rely on ad functionality to redirect users to phishing sites, making the malicious code harder to trace.Google Play Protect, which is built-in malware protection for Android devices, automatically removes known malware. However, it is important to note that Google Play Protect may not be enough. Historically, it isn't 100% foolproof at removing all known malware from Android devices.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE A woman working on a desktop and laptop computer (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)5 tips to protect your devices from malwareFollow these essential tips to safeguard your devices from the latest malware threats, including the notorious info stealer malware.1. Have strong antivirus software:The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.2. Be cautious with downloads and links: Only download software from reputable sources such as the Mac App Store, Google Play Store or official websites of trusted developers. Be wary of unsolicited emails or messages prompting you to download or install updates, especially if they contain links.Phishing attempts often disguise themselves as legitimate update notifications or urgent messages.3. Keep your software updated: Ensure that both macOS, Android and all installed applications are up to date. Apple and Android frequently release security patches and updates that address vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates for macOS, Android and your apps to stay protected without having to manually check for updates. If you need more help, see myguide on keeping all your devices updated.4. Use strong and unique passwords:To protect your Mac from malware, its also crucial to use strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and devices. Avoid reusing passwords across different sites or services. Apassword manager can be incredibly helpful here. It generates and stores complex passwords for you, making them difficult for hackers to crack.It also keeps track of all your passwords in one place and automatically fills them in when you log into accounts, so you dont have to remember them yourself. By reducing the number of passwords you need to recall, youre less likely to reuse them, which lowers the risk of security breaches. Get more details about mybest expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.5. Use two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable2FA for your important accounts, including your Apple ID, Google account, email and any financial services. This adds an extra step to the login process, making it harder for attackers to gain access even if they have your password.Kurts key takeawaysThe days when Mac users could assume they were safe are long gone. Cybercriminals are evolving their tactics, with Mac malware shifting from simple adware to advanced information stealers. Android phishing apps are also becoming harder to detect and more widespread than ever. From stealing passwords and authentication cookies to intercepting OTPs and draining cryptocurrency wallets, these threats are growing in both sophistication and scale. No platform is immune, and as cybercriminals continue refining their techniques, users and organizations must stay ahead with strong security measures.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPDo you trust official app stores like the App Store and Google Play, or do you think they need to do more to prevent malware? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Phil SpencerXboxeraNot that I have been innocent of this myself, but at this point, I think we have exhausted Phil Spencer across a dozen interviews asking him the same questions over and over again when at this point, it seems that his and Xboxs future plans are pretty clear, whether you like them or not.The latest round of news comes from a new interview on the Xboxera podcast where Phil explains that yes, they will be showing PlayStation and Nintendo logos during their showcases of first party games releasing on those platforms, not attempting to hide the fact that theyre going multiplatform. Im not really sure how this is a news item, but here we are.Despite the fact that there are a wide range of opinions on Xboxs strategy from here, it is more than clear what it is now, for better or worse.DOOMid1) Xbox will potentially release any first party games on Nintendo and Sony hardware. That means putting logos in trailers sometimes. The release options are:Day oneTime delayUnannounced, or perhaps never.2) The Xbox goal is to appeal to gamers who want to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass to get these games free on day one using that service, and play across a range of devices. Xbox does not care if people use this service to play via the cloud on phones, tablets, whatever.4) As such, Xbox cares far less about selling hardware than they used to, even if they still have plans to make it. If rumors are true, they could be releasing a portable Xbox that could change the dynamic a bit.MORE FOR YOUSo essentially Xbox is acting as a third party developer that also makes hardware that has a somewhat confusing multiplatform release schedule plus its own subscription service. Yes, you can opine that isnt a good strategy, but we at least know what it is. I dont particularly see the point of asking Spencer about trailer brand logos or quizzing him or other executives if X, Y or Z game is coming to PlayStation and when.What will happen from here is that Xbox will:A) keeping announcing hardware sales dropsB) probably debut a portable console relatively soonC) still make a next gen consoleD) at least periodically announce Game Pass milestonesE) get more and more games on Xbox Play AnywhereF) release and port a lot of first party games to PlayStation or Switch. The most likely ones are existing franchises (DOOM, Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls) and the least likely are new, original IPs like Avowed or Starfield, though its still a safe bet they may make the leap someday.This is all pretty clear by now. It may not work, but thats strategy in place now.Follow me , and .Pick up my sci-fi novels the and

What are the factors straining the power grid?We are transitioning from viewing electricity as a convenience to recognizing it as a critical lifeline. If the power goes out, we cannot access the internet, power our car, or turn on the AC if it is hot outside. Power outages can lead to many adverse health outcomes, including death. U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow by 9% by 2028 and 18% by 2033, driven by electrification, data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), increased extreme heat, and manufacturing expansion. The U.S. power grid is under increasing strain from all angles due to rising electricity demand, aging infrastructure, and the challenges of integrating new energy technologies. This will have real impacts on the quality of life for US citizens.AI data centers alone could account for 44% of U.S. electricity load growth from 2023 to 2028. By 2030, they are expected to account for 11-12% of total U.S. power demand, up from 3-4% today. Residential electricity prices are expected to rise from 15 cents/kWh in 2022 to an average of 16.7 cents/kWh in 2025, reflecting higher demand and infrastructure costs.The transition to EVs is not currently straining the U.S. power grid significantly because most EV charging occurs at night when overall electricity demand is low, which helps balance the load on the grid. However, by 2035, the uptake of EVs is projected to require 3,360% more electricity, which could strain the grid if not adequately managed.High temperatures drive up electricity consumption as people rely heavily on air conditioning. This can cause demand to outstrip supply, especially during prolonged heat waves. Furthermore, heat waves often coincide with other extreme weather conditions, creating multiple threats to grid stability. The Climate Central report stated that of all significant U.S. power outages reported from 2000 to 2023, 80% (1,755) were due to weather. Power loss during extreme heat can be life-threatening, especially for vulnerable populations reliant on cooling systems or medical devices. Concurrent heat waves and power outages can more than double heat-related mortality rates. For example, simulations in three U.S. cities (Atlanta, Detroit, and Phoenix) showed that 3% and 50% of the urban population could require medical attention during such events, depending on location and intensity. Vulnerable groups, such as older adults, individuals with preexisting conditions (e.g., cardiovascular or respiratory diseases), and those relying on electricity-dependent medical devices, face heightened risks.Wildfires can cause extensive damage to the power grid and infrastructure, including burning or destroying wooden utility poles and damaging transmission and distribution lines. They also lead to widespread power outages in affected areas. Faulty grid equipment can spark wildfires, as seen in the 2018 Camp Fire, the costliest wildfire in U.S. history.MORE FOR YOUPublic Safety Entity (PSE) Healthy Energy has mapped Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) across the country and found that PSPS outages are concentrated in and around high-fire threat districts. These districts are regions where the California Public Utilities Commission, CalFire, and others determined utility infrastructure poses the most significant fire risk. The most significant number of outages took place in Southern California counties.In this peer review paper, the authors found that of 1,657 counties with reliable outage data, 1,205 (72.7%) experienced an 8+ hour outage co-occurring with an individual severe weather event, and 904 (54.6%) with multiple simultaneous severe weather events. Anomalous precipitation events co-occurring with outages were the most common, affecting 1,170 (70.6%) counties. Recent incidents, like the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, were preceded by a surge in power grid faults. The cycle of grid failures triggering wildfires and causing more grid failures creates a vicious cycle threatening grid resilience. Considering these factors, planning for a resilient gridone that balances load growth, population health, cost, and riskwill continue to incorporate a growing share of renewable energy sources.How much does the current power grid rely on fossil fuel combustion?According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. power grid still heavily relies on fossil fuel combustion. In 2023, about 60% of U.S. electricity was generated from fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases, such as blast furnace gas, propane gas, and other manufactured and waste gases derived from fossil fuels. Natural gas also consists of methane, butane, and propane. Additionally, other gases like nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide can be included.Natural gas was the most significant contributor within this category; renewable energy sources, including hydro, accounted for 21% of electricity generation in 2023, while nuclear power contributed 19%. It is worth noting that the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook from the US EIA forecasts that solar will grow 75% from 2023 - 2025. Wind & solar are forecast to lead power generation in the US for the next two years. This makes sense: many renewable energy sources can be faster to deploy than commissioning and building a new power plant run on fossil fuels, proof that renewables will play a critical role in adapting to rising energy demand. This is also extremely true in the context of nuclear.AI poses several challenges to the decarbonization of the power grid.AI and data centers have a substantial carbon footprint. In our recent study, we found that data centers accounted for more than 4% of total US electricity consumptionwith 56% derived from fossil fuelsgenerating more than 105 million tons of carbon emissions. Geothermal power is viewed as an excellent alternative to provide renewal energy.In the context of data centers, "the Cloud" refers to a vast network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data rather than on local servers or personal computers. The Cloud now has a more significant carbon footprint than the airline industry. A single data center can consume electricity equivalent to 50,000 homes. Morgan Stanley predicts data center carbon emissions will triple by 2030 due to AI, emitting 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2.The long-term benefits of decarbonizing the power grid are projected to outweigh the costs.According to recent studies and analyses, decarbonizing the U.S. power grid by 2035 presents significant costs and substantial benefits. Total additional power system costs between 2023 and 2035 range from $330 billion to $740 billion across various scenarios that incorporate the building of new power generation, transmission infrastructure, and grid-sited flexibility. However, the health benefits from improved air quality alone could save $390 billion to $400 billion by avoiding premature deaths. Factoring in avoided risk from climate events, the overall net benefit to society ranges from $920 billion to $1.2 trillion.In summary, while the upfront costs are substantial, the long-term benefits of decarbonizing the power grid are projected to outweigh the costs significantly. Innovative solutions that integrate data centers with renewable energy sources and benefit local communities are emerging as a win-win approach to address climate challenges while meeting growing computational demands. For instance, geothermal cooling systems can significantly reduce data center energy consumption while providing year-round efficiency. Similarly, companies like WindCORES are pioneering the concept of housing data centers inside wind turbines, achieving near carbon neutrality and utilizing previously wasted energy. Solar power integration offers data centers energy independence and cost predictability, with tech giants like Google and Apple leading the way in solar-powered facilities. These approaches not only solve the energy needs of data centers but can also benefit surrounding communities.

If you're looking for a solid budget processor, this Ryzen 5 5600T deal is worth checking out. Packing 6 cores and 12 threads, just like the 5600, but with a higher base clock of 3.7 GHz. It also keeps the same 65W TDP and 32MB L3 cache, making it an excellent value pick for gaming and productivity at this price point.Read Entire Article

Forward-looking: Researchers at the University of Chicago have achieved a groundbreaking milestone, storing terabytes of digital data within a crystal cube just one millimeter in size. They accomplished this by leveraging single-atom defects within the crystal to represent the binary 1s and 0s of data storage. Data storage has always depended on systems that toggle between "on" and "off" states. However, the physical size of the components storing these binary states has traditionally limited how much information can be packed into a device.Now, researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have developed a way to overcome this constraint. They've successfully demonstrated how missing atoms within a crystal structure can be used to store terabytes of data in a space no larger than a millimeter."We found a way to integrate solid-state physics applied to radiation dosimetry with a research group that works strongly in quantum, although our work is not exactly quantum," said first author Leonardo Frana, a postdoctoral researcher in Zhong's lab.Their study, published in Nanophotonics, explores how atomic-scale crystal defects can function as individual memory cells, merging quantum methodologies with classical computing principles.Led by assistant professor Tian Zhong, the research team developed this novel storage method by introducing rare-earth ions into a crystal. Specifically, they incorporated praseodymium ions into a yttrium oxide crystal, though they suggest the approach could extend to other materials due to rare-earth elements' versatile optical properties.The memory system is activated by a simple ultraviolet laser, which energizes the rare-earth ions, causing them to release electrons. These electrons then become trapped in the crystal's natural defects. By controlling the charge state of these gaps, the researchers effectively created a binary system, where a charged defect represents a "one" and an uncharged defect represents a "zero."Crystal defects have previously been explored in relation to quantum computing as potential qubits. However, the UChicago PME team went a step further, discovering how to leverage them for classical memory applications.Related reading: Indestructible quartz crystal can store 360TB of data for billions of years"There is a demand for people who are doing research on quantum systems, but at the same time, there is a demand for improving the storage capacity of classical non-volatile memories. And it's on this interface between quantum and optical data storage where our work is grounded," says Frana.The researchers believe this breakthrough could redefine data storage limits, paving the way for ultra-compact, high-capacity storage solutions in classical computing.

Elden Ring: Nightreign, the hotly-anticipated multiplayer title, might have DLC that features additional playable characters and bosses. The information comes from a single, now-removed line of text on the Steam page. Given the speed with which FromSoftware deleted the sentence, its likely the information wasnt meant to go public yet.Recommended VideosAccording to PCGamer, at the bottom of the description was the line, Additional DLC Additional playable characters and bosses. We already expected bosses from previous Souls titles to make an appearance, and this line hints at even more surprises to come.Please enable Javascript to view this contentUnlike Elden Ring, Nightreign will see players using pre-made characters rather than creating their own. We may have the option to play as the Chosen Undead, the Curse Bearer, or even the Ashen One, perhaps in the form of each characters respective concept art. The multiplayer-focused game is a great opportunity for FromSoftware to drop Easter eggs and other treats for long-time fans of the series.Bandai NamcoNightreign will take a different approach than previous games. Ditching the epic scale of Elden Ring, Nightreign will have more in common with a roguelike. Players can go it alone or team up with two more players to fight their way across a constantly-shrinking map until they reach the final boss fight. A full run is expected to take less than an hour, and players choose between eight different classes.Elden Ring: Nightreign is set to release on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series, and PC on May 30. FromSoftware just held a network test, but thousands of players could not log in and play, so the studio has said that another test is not out of the question. If you want a chance to see what Nightreign has to offer, the network test is your best option.Editors Recommendations