On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e. The model replaces both the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in the companys lineup. The new handset is the least expensive member of the iPhone 16 lineup, aiming at emerging markets including India.The worlds second largest smartphone market (behind China) has fueled significant iPhone sales, with Apple recently cracking the top five vendors in India. A week ahead of the iPhone 16es release, however, its unclear what impact the device will have on this key market.In 2024, India became the fourth largest market for Apple, after the U.S., China, and Japan, seeing a record 12 million shipments during the quarter, with 35% YoY growth, per IDC. It is expected to cross the 15 million milestone this year.But it wasnt the iPhone SE or iPhone 14 that helped the Cupertino company succeed in the South Asian market. In fact, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 13 were the highest shipped models, with a 6% share of overall smartphone market in Q4.Even as Apple has expanded in India, the iPhone SE has seen a proportional decline. The iPhone SE (2020) represented 18% of overall iPhone shipments in its launch year, while the iPhone SE (2022) made up 6% of total shipments two years later, per IDC data shared exclusively with TechCrunch. In contrast, the iPhone 13 made up nearly 40% of iPhone shipments in 2022.According to IDC, iPhone SE shipments in India and globally declined to negligible volume in 2023 and 2024. Neither year saw a new SE release.Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC India, tells TechCrunch that nearly two-thirds of iPhone volumes in India come from previous-generation models.Android dominates Indias smartphone market, with an average smartphone of $259. Chinese brands such as Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi have made great strides in the market. However, the iPhone is still top dog in the $600+ market segment, followed by Samsung Galaxy smartphones. This means, in essence, that the iPhones biggest competitor is other iPhones.The iPhone 16e starts at 59,900 Indian rupees (~$689) and goes up to $1,034. In contrast, the older iPhone 15 starts at $804 and iPhone 16 at $919.In a market like India, where older devices continue to sell, the price difference may not be enough to justify choosing the iPhone 16e over, say, the iPhone 15 given the features the budget phone sacrifices. What new features the 16e does offer may not be substantial enough to attract new buyers, given the popularity of the equated monthly installment (EMI) option, which allows users to purchase a high ticket item via installment payments. Roughly half of customers purchasing a premium handset in India ($400-700) opt to finance their devices this way.With EMI offers, the difference in real terms would make many prefer the iPhone 15 or 16 over the iPhone 16Ee Singh said.Apple has expanded Apple Intelligence to a more affordable segment with the iPhone 16e. This could help the company drive more Apple Services revenues over time. However, Apple Intelligence is currently in its infancy and in the U.S. and wont arrive in India until April.The 16e is Apples latest iPhone to be assembled in India alongside the other iPhone 16 models. However, local assembly isnt likely to impact the pricing at least in the short term.Sanyam Chaurasia, a senior analyst at Canalys, believed that the iPhone 16e might help Apple attract customers who might otherwise pick up an iPhone 12 or 13 both of which are still available through retail channels in India. He added that younger users might also opt for the iPhone 16e, rather than the older 15. Its a model which serves a niche audience, Chaurasia said.Unlike other emerging markets such as Latin America and Southeast Asia, India is not a telco-driven market where carriers subsidize smartphones by bundling them with their plans. This makes the iPhone 16e a relatively expensive option for Indian buyers.The timing of launching the iPhone 16e also makes it less attractive as this is not an upgrade season, which usually falls around Indian festivals in the later part of the year, Chaurasia said.Apple is likely to have discounts on the iPhone 16e during the festive season later this year, but there would also be similar discounts on the existing iPhone models, making them even more attractive than this new model, he stated.

In 2018, Jerome Chen explained the visual effects work on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. He later oversaw the effects for Men in Black: International.How did you get involved on this film?Director Jake Kasdan and I worked together on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and were regularly in touch after that. In September 2021 Dwayne Johnson and Hiram Garcia pitched Jake an original story idea for a Christmas action-comedy, and I became involved shortly thereafter. I was excited by the project because it was ambitious in scope, with a multitude of mythical creatures and environments.How was this new collaboration with Director Jake Kasdan?Jake is one of my favorites, I love working with him. He is a thoughtful, intuitive filmmaker with a keen sense for comedy. His process was extremely collaborative, always willing to listen to ideas but clear about why something would or would not work relative to his vision. He loves the details about visual effects work, and during post was highly involved in reviews.How did you organize the work with your VFX Producer?Cari Thomas and I worked together on The Amazing Spider-Man 1, so we were in sync on how to work together. She is a veteran producer, so I was basically hands-off on the shot breakdown and budgeting process until she needed my input on specific issues. In terms of vendor assignment, load balancing is key so we can avoid a single point of failure during the final death throes of delivery.Ideally, two or three anchor facilities are churning out shots at the same time across a broad swath of the film. With this in mind, Cari and I first broke apart the scope of work in terms of CG characters and then by digital environments, and though we at first tried to avoid duplicate assets at facilities, this would have placed too much at one facility in this case, Rodeo FX.Specifically, we assigned the first two action sequences to Rodeo FX, which required assets such as Nicks sleigh, his reindeer, and a large portion of the North Pole City. The 3rd act also involved these same assets, which we ultimately assigned to Imageworks so we could have a single facility focus on the finale which is often the section that is most in flux and the last to deliver.How did you choose the various vendors and split the work amongst them?Im a long-time collaborator with Imageworks, and Chris Waegner (VFX SPI Supervisor) and I have worked on probably 10 films together over the last 25 years, so the shorthand there is powerful shorthand between us. My instinct was to place the 3rd act there, and the Snowman sequence with Imageworks world-class animators helped to balance their workload.I had solid experiences with Rodeo FX on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Men in Black: International, and they had a strong interest in working with Jake and I. They were key contributors, developing Garcia, the Polar Bear ELF agent, and accomplishing the vast North Pole City. Led by Julien Hery and Laurent Taillefer, Rodeos team also created the Sleigh take off from the military base, the first act Sno-Cat chase sequence through the City.Cari Thomas positive experiences with RISE on previous projects led us to utilize them for some key scenes involving scenes of mostly supernatural nature, including the possession of a villain, augmenting the environment of Krampus foreboding realm, plus creature work involving Hell Hounds and a heroic chicken named Ellen.What is your role on set and how do you work with other departments?My job role adapts to each phase of the film project, of which there are basically three: pre-production, production and post-production.During pre-production, I worked closely with the director, the production designer (Bill Brezski), the DP (Dan Mindel), the AD, and the SFX supervisor (J.D. Schwalm). Im also interfacing with the various art director and concept artists (set, vehicles, creatures/characters) at this point, because everything they design will involve a visual effects entity. Also in the mix is my interaction with Joel Harlow, the creature designer tasked with Krampus we would have to strategize how much was going be digital or practical. Decisions made in pre-production have long term ramifications. One of the wisest decisions we made in pre-pro was to go with a mostly practical approach to Krampus. Using Tim Currys performance in Ridley Scotts Legend as a creative touchstone, we wanted Kristofer Hivjus performance from practical photography to drive the performance rather than going full CG with facial capture/animation. I worked with Dan Mindel on in-camera techniques to convey Krampuss 10 foot size, combined with help from Key Grip Joe Macalusos team that built ramps and platforms to elevate Kristofer to nail down the eyelines from the other actors. Aside from the SFMU/suit build, the plan had minimal impact on the production shoot days, and in post we used additional 2D techniques to help his scale and augment some performances but a trivial effort compared to if we had decided on an all CG approach. As the art department further developed the designs of their sets, it would become apparent how much digital help they need in terms of extensions ( they were significant, as it turned out the North Pole City ended up being more than 100 square kilometers ).Previs of major sequences was carried out during pre-production. Alex Cannon and Dan Heder led teams at DNEG and Torchlight to design sequences, resulting in highly fleshed out roadmaps for Imageworks and Rodeo to follow as they developed assets and workflow for their sequences. Integrated into this process was Greg Rementer, the Action Unit director, augmenting the previs with practical StuntViz from his team to ground the interaction between creatures and humans. We spent about 16 weeks planning the shoot, requiring extensive meetings to go over every aspect of key sequences so all depts were clear on their roles and what was expected of them on the day. The calendar for each shoot day was detailed out to an extraordinary degree every piece of equipment and person required for that days work was indicated, and I needed to be aware of every aspect relative to the visual effects requirements for the shoot. This meant having available the appropriate previs or concept art, or ensuring e creature proxies were ready for reference.The production phase began in October 2023 and was filmed mostly at the OFS Facility outside Atlanta, a vast abandoned fiber optic assembly plant with almost 300,000 sq. ft of interior stages. On these stages were built the interior of the North Pole hangar, Nicks weight room, the interior of Jacks apartment, and various set pieces. At OFS was an expanse of exterior parking lots housing one of the largest exterior green screen areas in the world. The Aruba set for the Snowman battle was basically a swimming pool constructed on the parking with palm trees brought in from (where). The North Pole center square was a rudimentary set build on vast U-shaped wall of shipping containers shrouded in bluescreen, originally constructed the Black Panther.Over 70 days we filmed about 120 scripts pages of material, methodically slogging through the plans devised in our pre-production meetings. Its a given that surprises occur during production photography. An old military adage is No plan survives first contact with the enemy. In film production, Ive found that the enemy is almost always time. Every department during photography will need the help from the VFX dept, in aspects thats impossible to expect.Sound Dept: Can you paint out the microphone on the costume? They want to shoot now and I need 10 to rewire it.Art Dept.: Can you clean up the sleigh? The bodys warped from the rain and now it looks like its falling apart, and we need 2 days to repaint but were shooting it after lunch.Creature Dept.: The Fish is in at urgent care, she has an allergic reaction to the latex so she cant wear the costume. Can you do her full CG?Set Dec: They moved the camera to a much wider shot, and we need 30 minutes to dress in the snow but they want to go now, can you add it post?Props: We need to put a plasma arc in the container, but my stuff didnt arrive yet and they want to shoot it tomorrow. Can youAnd so on. This is why my VFX Producer has learned to have in her budget a six-figure line item called Misc. Production FixesIn March 2023 we began post-production in Burbank, California. The editors, Jake, and the VFX dept occupied a generic office 2-story building off a quaint high street. Our dept worked 12-18 hour days for about 60 weeks to finishing the film. During that time I think we ate lunch at my desk almost every single day. We had hired facilities in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Melbourne, Montreal and Stuttgart. Per DGA protocol, the director has about 10 weeks to create his first cut of the film before presenting it to the studio. During that time, there is the process of POST-VIZ, a stage of the VFX workflow that is dreaded and reviled.Post-Viz required our dept to provide a passable version of every VFX shot in the directors cut, so the film was coherent. Without this effort, the film would be incomprehensible. The crux is that no one wants to wait until the work is done before approving, so it needs to be represented in the directors cut. Its usually a mandate that there can no visible blue screen in the directors cut. Set extensions needs to be created. Creatures often speaking need to be created for shots. FX and vehicles need to be animated and comped in. The quandary is that everyone knows it will take more than a year to finish the VFX work to high quality, but a version of almost every shot in the film needs to be provide in 10 weeks. It seems an impossible task yet it is done on every major tentpole film since well, since probably Star Wars. Luckily there are companies that have become experts at creating post-vis shots, something a little better than previs and just enough to convey the storytelling aspect of the shot. Some of this companies are previs houses and some VFX facilities provide post-viz versions of their shots for the directors cut that are adequate for screening. The key to succeeding at post-viz is to plan way ahead. Like a during production, making guesses at what assets need to fleshed out so they are ready for post-viz work. But no matter how you plan, the post-viz process is grueling and nerve-wracking because the directors cut is the stage where they are finding the film its a time when they are meant to try things and throw out what doesnt work.As the cut gets more solid, the post-production work solidifies into a routine of review meetings with the involved facilities, guiding their shot work towards a level where they can reach the state of final where all creative guidelines are met and the shot is technically checked and ready to be passed into the DI.Could you walk us through the initial concept phase for designing the North Pole?The North Pole City was one of the most significant design and execution challenges of the film. Bill Brzeskis concept imagined the city as an ancient one initially focused on hand crafted toys and then as the world grew evolved into an industrial centric city was mix of old European and modern architecture. As pre-production ticked away, his team needed to focus on what sets they needed to build, and that task absorbed the team but those constructed sets were a tiny percentage of what was required to be seen in the various moments in the film, beginning with chase sequence and ending with a climactic end battle in the heart of the city.Using European cities as a creative touchstone (Paris and Mont Saint-Michel being the most influential), notable designers Christian Scheurer and Rodeos own Deak Ferrand worked with Julien Hery to flesh out a staggering amount of detail ranging from street cobblestone patterns to formulating the right combination of old vs modern architecture. The general color temperature of what the city lights was not realty finalized until a few weeks before the deadline for delivery.What were some of the biggest challenges in bringing the North Pole to life through visual effects?The biggest challenge was balancing scale and detail. The city had to feel massive yet grounded, with intricate textures for buildings, machinery, and snow effects. Rendering the avalanche during the chase sequence was particularly demanding, requiring heavy FX simulations.How did you balance the fantastical elements of the North Pole with a sense of realism?We used photorealistic textures and lighting to ground fantastical elements in reality. For example, the sleighs design included visible wear and tear, and the snow effects were based on real-world physics simulations.How did you approach the lighting and color grading to capture this unique ambiance?Dan Mindel set the color palette and visual tone with his organic lighting and naturalistic approach to photography. We learned to embrace the optical idiosyncrasies of the anamorphic lens, and we tuned our composition style accordingly. The artists paid close attention to how focus waterfalls through an image in depth, the look of anamorphic bokehs and lens distortion. Much of the grading from dailies was kept intact through the post phase, with on-set CDLs carried into the workflow. Final grading was helmed by Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3s new facility in Hollywood.How did you ensure the integration of Krampus, the snowmen, and the hellhounds into the real-world environments?We used HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) to capture on-set lighting, ensuring CG characters matched their environments. Physical props and reference models were used during filming to guide interactions.Garcia the polar bear bodyguard is such a unique and imposing character. Could you walk us through the creative process behind designing and animating Garcia? What were some of the challenges in bringing his character to life?Garcias introduction in the North Pole, combined with the appearance of the elves, helps set the tone for the mythology for the city. Working from an original concept from Karl Lindberg, Rodeo FX created a bespoke asset. Details such as a tactical harness and ornate metallic embellishments helped integrate him into the worlds lore.Performance-wise, Garcias on-set performance was provided by Reinaldo Faberlie, and his gruff, no-nonsense attitude served as reference for Rodeos animators. A 3D-printed, full scale head (based on the digital asset) was printed and mounted on a backpack rig for Reinaldo to wear as he performed with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. This ensured proper eyelines and provided the cameraman with something real to properly frame. Rodeo handled animation, rendering and compositing integration.The snowmen villains have a distinct blend of charm and menace. How did you approach their design and animation to balance these contrasting elements? Were there any specific references or inspirations you drew from?Combining whimsy with menace, the Snossassins were designed by Aaron Sims Creative, with animation by Imageworks. Their hulking, imposing forms provide a formidable obstacle for our heroes to overcome, but director Jake Kasdan liked the idea that their Achilles heel was their carrot noses an iconic accessory to traditional snowmen.The movement style was evolved by Julius Kwan, Imageworks Animation Supervisor, He envisioned them a simple movements for them due to the mass if the limbs, within with single-minded lethality.The hellhounds are quite terrifying in their own right. Can you share how you achieved the look and feel of these creatures?These creatures dont have much screen time, but they were probably the most fun to do. Beginning with a design from Karl Lindberg, RISE built a 3D asset and refined the design to incorporate aspects of wolf, hyena and the spines of a porcupine. In terms of tone, they moved with the swiftness and agility of oversized canines.What is the VFX shot count?The film included over 1950 VFX shots, ranging from full-CG environments to creature animations.What is your next project?I get share that yet.A big thanks for your time.WANT TO KNOW MORE?Rodeo FX: Dedicated page about Red One on Rodeo FX website.RISE: Dedicated page about Red One on RISE website.Sony Pictures Imageworks: Dedicated page about Red One on Sony Pictures Imageworks website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Billings at architecture firms continued to decline in January. The start of 2025 continues a trend in softening business conditions that has been going on for the better part of two years now.The AIAs Architecture Billings Index reported a score of 45.6 for Januaryany number below 50 indicates a decline in billings. While this number is an improvement from Decembers, it signifies that the decrease in billings at architecture firms is happening at a slowed rate. As has also been the trend, inquiries into new projects continue to increase, meaning new work could be on the horizon for architects. This is coupled with a declining score for the value of design contracts, an indication that clients are less willing to reach deep into their pockets.AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker again put the blame on inflation as a primary factor in the sluggish business conditions observed at architecture firms. He noted that as a result, firms have made cutbacks to positions at their practices.Stubborn inflation, persistently high interest rates, and labor concerns continue to weigh on the willingness of owners and developers to move ahead with construction projects, he said in a statement. Architecture firms have been moving to right-size their operations in response to softer market conditions. In addition to the regional average, the Architecture Billings Index also regularly reports on how four regions of the United States are faring. While in December billings in the West remained strong, they have since declined dropping from 52.2 to 48.8. The West still takes the top spot among all four regions, however, while the lowest again is the Northeast, reporting an index of 41.1, a dip from Decembers 41.1. As for the sectors architecture practices specialize in, no one sector appears to be faring that well as all again remain sub 50.January marks the first month of 2025, which saw a change of hands that ushered in a new federal administration which has already made sweeping changes to slash government departments and funding. The recent efforts by the executive office to defund federally backed programs could have drastic effects on the built environment and the projects and contracts architects work on moving forward. Stay tuned.

Undercurrent (2023), stainless steel, 340 x 410 x 630 centimeters. All images courtesy of Zheng Lu and Galerie Sept, shared with permissionSplashes of Stainless Steel by Zheng Lu Embrace Philosophy, History, and TechnologyFebruary 20, 2025ArtNatureKate MothesComposed of highly polished stainless steel, the sculptures of Zheng Lu (previously) appear suspended in space and time. Whether secured atop a pedestal, installed in a public park, or hanging in midair, each piece strikes a fine balance between motion and stillness and fluidity and fixedness.The Beijing-based artist is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese philosophy and calligraphy. The energy, or qi, that courses through the universe shapes his work and is known to facilitate health, stability, and harmony in all aspects of life. Thousands of Chinese characters borrowed from historic texts additionally coat many of his sculptures, calling upon the past as a way to interface with the present.Undercurrent, stainless steelLu is also increasingly interested in the burgeoning relationship between human artistry and artificial intelligence. The advancement of technology will inevitably blur the boundaries between tools and creators, but the essence of creation remains rooted in human nature, the artist tells Colossal. Viewed as a tool rather than a stand-in for human creativity, he is interested in how machine learning prompts us to more carefully consider authorship.Through a creative approach that alternates between human and machine, Lu likens his process to a relay race, with the artwork itself as the baton. He continues:I pass the baton to the computer, and it passes it back to me, each of us shaping the piece in turn. The final outcome is not entirely predictable. The existence of the world is defined by balance, and none of us can escape this principle. Hence, I embrace this method both in my life and work, where the process of creation is akin to the growth of life.Lu is represented by Galerie Sept, and you can find more on the artists website. Installation view of UndercurrentWater in Dripping Vortex, stainless steelWhatever Journey it Takes (2024), stainless steel, 560 x 540 x 240 centimetersWater in Dripping Circulation, stainless steelColosseum Fantasy (2024), stainless steel, 120 x 100 x 242 centimetersNext article

John BrecherNewsMicrosoft overcomes quantum barrier with new particleIt has taken 20 years of development, but researchers now have a device that can scale to millions of qubits without errors rising exponentiallyByCliff Saran,Managing EditorPublished: 20 Feb 2025 15:00 Microsoft has published the culmination of 20 years of research into subatomic particles, known as Majorana fermions, which it aims to use to build a million-qubit quantum computer.The research has involved developing topological qubits, which Microsoft research anticipated would offer more stable qubits, requiring less error correction. A research paper on the property of these particles notes that Majorana fermions have a mathematical quirk which suggests that if fermions and anti-fermions are indistinguishable, they may be able to coexist without annihilating one another.In a YouTube video discussing the research, Microsoft technical fellow Matthias Troyer said: Majoranas theory showed that mathematically its possible to have a particle that is its own antiparticle. That means you can take two of these particles and you bring them together, and they could annihilate and theres nothing left. Or you could take two particles and you bring them together and you have two particles.This offers a way to correlate the nothing state when the fermion and anti-fermion annihilate each other as a binary 0, and when they both exist as a binary 1.Microsoft technical fellow Krysta Svore said Microsoft has succeeded in designing a chip called Majorana 1 that is able to measure the presence of the Majorana fermion particles. Majorana allows us to create a topological qubit, she said, where the qubit is reliable, small and controllable.The nature of the Majorana particles means they hide quantum information, making it more robust, but also harder to measure. Microsoft developed a new measurement approach that it claims is so precise that it can detect the difference between one billion and one billion and one electrons in a superconducting wire, which is used to determine the state of the qubit for quantum computation.Read more quantum computing articlesQuantum computing in cyber security a double-edged sword: Scepticism still abounds, but quantum computing stocks have boomed this year. In the world of cyber, however, quantum brings both unprecedented capabilities and significant threats, demanding careful attention.Quantum datacentre deployments how they are supporting evolving compute projects: Quantum datacentre deployments are emerging worldwide, so what are they and where are the benefits?According to Svore, the approach Microsoft has taken gets around the noise problem that leads to errors in qubits, which results in error-prone quantum computers.Now that we have these topological qubits, were able to build an entirely new quantum architecture, the topological core, which can scale to a million topological qubits on a tiny chip, she said.Svore said that each atom in this chip is placed purposefully. It is constructed from the ground up, she added. It is entirely a new state of matter. Think of us as building the picture by painting it atom by atom.The processors used to power computers traditionally use electrons. We don't use electrons for compute, said Svore. We use Majoranas.Majorana 1 is Microsofts new quantum chip that combines both qubits as well as surrounding control electronics. Along with the control logic, the Microsoft approach to quantum computing requires a dilution refrigerator that keeps qubits at temperatures much colder than outer space. Microsoft has also developed a software stack, which is needed to enable applications to take advantage of Microsofts quantum computing.The Majorana 1 device can be held in the palm of a hand, and fits neatly into a quantum computer that can be easily deployed inside Azure datacentres. The way the system that we are constructing works is you have the quantum accelerator, said Microsoft vice-president Zulfi Alam. You have a classical machine that works with it and controls it. And then you have the application that essentially goes between classical and quantum depending on which problem its trying to solve.Once the computations are completed, the results are re-synthesised on the classical computational machine, where its surfaced as an answer to the problem.The researchers at Microsoft are confident the approach they have taken with Majorana 1 will be able to scale, which is something that has so-far hindered the progress of quantum computing, due to the error-prone nature of scaling logical qubits. Microsofts topological qubit architecture uses aluminum nanowires joined together in an H shape. Each H has four controllable Majoranas that are combined onto one qubit. The Hs can also be connected across the chip.Its complex in that we had to show a new state of matter to get there, but after that, its fairly simple, said Svore. It tiles out. You have this much simpler architecture that promises a much faster path to scale.In The Current Issue:AI Action Summit: Global leaders decry AI red tapeNavigating the practicalities of AI regulation and legislationDownload Current IssueSLM series - InFlux Technologies: It's a question of specialisation, especially CW Developer NetworkBudget flexibility for on-prem AI Cliff Saran's Enterprise blogView All Blogs

ZDNETThere is a very thin line between our physical and digital identities.A PC or mobile device with an internet connection lets us stay entertained, research, purchase items, study, and work. Friends and family can use social media to keep tabs on how your life is going, and we can use these profiles, personal websites, and email to communicate with others. Also:The best VPN servicesBenefits of having an online presence aside, some employers will evaluate your social media presence when you apply for a new job to decide if you are a suitable candidate. Advertisers constantly invade your privacy by scraping publicly available information on you, your public profiles, and your search history for targeted marketing. A misjudged tweet from years ago or an inappropriate Facebook photo can destroy future job prospects or ruin a career. There's the idea that once something is online, it is immortal, immutable, and almost impossible to contain. The golden rule is simple: Don't put anything online you wouldn't want your grandmother to see. Although sometimes you aren't in control of what gets published, and once something detrimental to you is out there, it can be tough to separate yourself.Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you - and what to do about itAbuse, stalking, and bullying may also factor as reasons to erase our digital footprints and seize control of our devices. How to remove yourself from the internet and hide your identityIf you want to take control of your privacy and online data, you can take some simple steps to begin the process and then decide how much time and effort you want to contribute to the endeavor. Read on to find out where to start. 1. Check Google and other search engines Google's search engine provides links and website addresses to users in response to search queries, but unless the right controls are in place, your search queries can be cataloged for marketing purposes. On the other hand, Google can also be used to uncover exactly what information about you is in the public domain.Not every search engine will reveal the same results. Try out other search engines, such as Bing, for a more comprehensive look.Once you know what is online about you, you can start tackling the problem. Run a quick search for your full name and note any website domains that flag you, social media account links, YouTube videos, and anything else of interest.Tips for secure browsing and searchingTo improve your privacy and reduce your online footprint, prevent search engines from cataloging your queries. This information can be used to create a profile on your interests, product choices, and more, which can then be sold to marketing agencies.We recommend using theBrave browserfor the best secure browsing experience.DuckDuckGo-- available as a browser or a search engine -- is also an excellent choice to prevent personal data collection.Check out our recommendations:The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested Show more ZDNET 2. See if you have the right to be forgotten In the EUcitizens can request the removal of information from Google search results. Afterfilling in this form, requests are reviewed by Google employees on a case-by-case basis. You must provide the specific URLs you want to be delisted, search queries related to these URLs, and you must explain why the tech giant should agree to your request.The more information you can provide, the better."Broadly, the reviewer will consider whether and how the information may be in the public interest and weigh this against your rights under the applicable data protection law," Google says. "There are several reasons why information may be in the public interest. As part of the balancing exercise, Google looks to a number of different sources, such as the guidelines developed byEuropean data protectionregulators."Google adheres to the data protection laws of your area but may not accept every request to remove links relating to you. Reasons given for refusal include technical reasons, duplicate URLs, information deemed "strongly in the public interest," and whether or not the content on a web page relates to professional lives, past convictions, work positions, or self-authored content."Frequently, a case presents considerations that point in different directions, and we carefully consider those before making a decision," Google says. "If we don't have all the information we need, we may ask you for more information. That information helps us understand how the various factors might affect your request."At the time of writing, Googlehas receivedroughly 1.7 million delisting requests and around 6.8 million URL delisting requests. Over three million URLs have been delisted after review.If you are a resident of the US or elsewhere, you may be able to request for limited information to be removed from search results, such as phone numbers or home addresses that could be used for identity theft and may have been leaked through doxxing. Show more ZDNET 3. Run your details through the Have I Been Pwned service You can't control your digital footprint without knowing where and what information concerning you is stored.Just as importantly, you should know if your information has been leaked online. Data breaches occur daily, so it's more a question of what, not if.TheHave I Been Pwnedservice is run by cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt and can be a useful tool for discovering if any account information belonging to you has been compromised or included in a data breach.If you find an email address or telephone number of yours has been "pwned" -- in other words, you have been linked to a data breach -- check to see what leaks you are involved in.There will be a message along the lines of, "Oh no -- pwned! Pwned in 9 data breaches and found no pastes."Do not panic. The majority of us will be connected to a data breach. Instead, focus on changing any passwords you have used with compromised accounts as they are now vulnerable -- and you should also ensure you aren't using them for any other service.You won't be able to do much about the data leak itself, but this also could serve as a reminder of where you have opened online accounts. Consider deleting any accounts you no longer need.Many companies have now become aware of the issue and services including credit monitors and password vaults will often run periodic checks online for any compromised passwords. If they have been found, you should change them immediately. Show more ZDNET 4. Run a Google security checkup Make sure to visit theGoogle Account page, where there are numerous settings that can boost your privacy, reduce data collection, or remove you altogether from the ecosystem.Privacy checkup: The GooglePrivacy checkupallows you to tell Google to stop saving search queries and your location history.You can choose to disallow Google from saving web and app activities, Chrome history, voice and audio, and other data.Google has also introduced an autodelete function for data stored, including YouTube histories. In this section, you can also choose whether or not to allow Google to use your information for tailored advertising and what you want to happen to the data in your account if it goes inactive.Security checkup: The GoogleSecurity checkupcan show you which devices can access your account, including laptops, PCs, and handsets. You can also find a list of third-party applications that have been granted permission to access your account. Revoke permissions as necessary.Download your data: To find out exactly what data Google holds on you, head over to Google Takeout. You can download an archive of your information, including access logs, calendar records, Chrome data, Drive files, and more.Delete me: Found under Account Preferences, Google'sdeletion servicecan be used to delete select products or remove your account entirely. You can also download a copy of all your data.Personalized ads, search results: If you want to stick with Google's search engine, you can still ask the company not to show youresults based on data associated with your Google account. In addition, you can ask for no personalized adverts.Quick tip: If you have upgraded your phone, tablet, or another device recently and you no longer use your old one, you should make sure you sign out. Your account may become compromised if that device ends up in the wrong hands and is not properly protected. Show more ZDNET 5. Consider using a service to restrict data access to brokers There are services available where you can pay to keep your information away from data brokers.One example isDeleteMe, a paid subscription service that maintains tabs on data collectors and removes data such as names, current and past addresses, dates of birth, and aliases on your behalf.This monitoring can keep your private information out of search results and away from platforms such as open people search databases.We've compiled a list of the best services that can help you remove public search results, records, and force organizations to comply with data protection laws and delete your information. Alongside DeleteMe, we also recommend services including Incogni and Kanary CoPilot. Show more ZDNET 6. Lock down your social media or delete accounts entirely Your social media accounts, including Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok, are gold mines full of sensitive data. If you are serious about deleting yourself from the Internet, you need to either lock them down or delete them. Here's how.FacebookIn the Settings tab, you can download all of Facebook's information on you.In the Privacy tab, you should restrict your posts to "friends only" and limit your past posts, and you can decide to disallow lookups by your provided email address or phone number.You also have the option to remove your Facebook profile from search engine results outside of the social networking platform. Under the Location tab, consider turning off location data collection by Facebook, too.If you look at Apps and Websites, you can see what is connected to your Facebook account. If you choose to delete these, Facebook can also automatically remove posts, videos, and events the connected service posted on your behalf.XIn my opinion, Twitter, now known as X following Elon Musk's acquisition, has lost many of its useful security and privacy features. Nonetheless, if you're still on Twitter, head to the Settings tab to download an archive of your data, restrict your posts, or delete your account.Pay careful attention to the Data Sharing and Personalization section. There, you can manage ad preferences, data sharing, and whether or not you will allow X to use an "Inferred Identity" to personalize your experience -- in other words, an identity created through activity on devices you have not logged into X with.BlueskyIf you've moved from Twitter to Bluesky, go to Privacy and Security to lock down your account.Also: 7 Bluesky settings tweaks that make the popular X alternative even betterA feature you might find particularly useful is the "Logged out Visibility" option. If you enable this setting, Bluesky will not show your profile and posts to logged-out users.InstagramFacebook-owned Instagram has a number ofprivacy settingsyou can also change to maintain an acceptable level of privacy.By default, anyone can view your photos and videos on your Instagram account unless you are a minor, in which case your account should be private by default. However, by going to your profile, clicking Settings, Account Privacy, and switching "Private account" on, you can make sure your content is only viewed by approved users.TikTokUnder More > Manage Account, you can choose to make your TikTok account private or delete it entirely. You are also able to download an archive of your information.If you go to the Ads tab, you can manage how ads are personalized, disable personalized ads entirely, and also request that TikTok clear any information that advertisers have shared about you. This process can take up to 30 days. Show more ZDNET 7. Consider deleting your social media accounts Remove everything: A more extreme option is to delete all of your primary social media accounts.OnFacebook, you can go to Settings & Privacy, then Settings, select Your Facebook Information, and click on Deactivation & Deletion to deactivate it. This gives you the option to return at a later time and does not delete your data. Your settings, photos, and other content are saved, but your Facebook presence will not appear beyond unclickable text.You can also permanently delete your account. If you have trouble finding this setting, you can type "delete Facebook" in the Help Center tab.Also: How to delete your X/Twitter account for good (and protect your data)You are given a grace period to change your mind and log back in. It can take up to 90 days before the deletion of content on your Facebook wall and in your account will begin.Todeactivate Twitter/X, you need to click onYour Accountand then click deactivate your account. Your account will be deactivated for 30 days, and if you do not log in during this period, it will be permanently deleted.On Bluesky, head to Account, where you can either deactivate or delete your account.Todelete your Instagram account, log in and go to therequest deletionpage. Once you have submitted an answer as to why you are deleting your account, you will be prompted to re-enter your password, and then a delete account option will appear.Over at TikTok, visit Privacy and Settings, Account Control, and click Delete Account. Show more ZDNET 8. Remove old accounts and blog posts Is it necessary to preserve what you had for breakfast one morning in 2017 or your review of a now-closed store near you? No.Time and effort are required to comb through old posts, but the result is worth it, and this may also train you to be more selective about the information you share in the future. Unless the account is one you use frequently, consider deleting it permanently.It can be a pain to find, remember credentials, and recover passwords associated with old accounts, but this is an essential step in locking down your data. To find your old accounts, visit Have I Been Pwned, check the lists of connected apps in your Facebook and Google accounts, and, if you have a password manager, check it for the credentials of accounts you have used since signing up.You may have to manually log in to each account you want to remove and, depending on the service, delete your info from there or contact the service provider with the request.Justdeleteme.comis a helpful directory containing guides to removing accounts from countless online services and a rating on how hard each type of account is to remove, ranging from "easy" to "impossible." Show more ZDNET 9. Hide yourself If you cannot delete online accounts outright and can only deactivate them, before you do, delete as much content from them as possible. If the account is no longer relevant to you, consider changing the name and personal details connected to it, as well as removing or changing photos to generic alternatives.When it comes to active accounts such as on Facebook or Twitter, anonymity or aliases can help keep your digital and physical presence separate.It is against most terms of service to not use your full, correct name, but it is still common practice for many to change their surname at the least to prevent work and personal accounts -- and lives -- from colliding. You can also delete personal photos and change them to something that doesn't identify you. Show more FAQs Show more Can VPNs help protect my privacy? A virtual private network (VPN) can mask your IP address and create a private tunnel between yourself and online services. Data and communication packets sent between a browser and servers are encrypted, which can prevent eavesdroppers from harvesting your information or tracking your online activity.There are services out there that are both subscription-based and free. It is generally better to sign up for a paid VPN service if you can -- no VPN service is truly "free" given the cost of creating and maintaining the infrastructure required to route traffic. Therefore, your data may be used or sold to third parties in return for VPN services. If you want to anonymize your footprint, consider using the Tor onion router network, or the new Mullvad Browser. Also: I found the most private and secure way to browse the web - and it isn't incognito modeIf you use the Tor network to browse the internet, anyone attempting to monitor you would be met with a series of nodes used to divert your encrypted traffic, making it very difficult to trace you back to an original IP address. Tor blocks trackers and scripts that might follow you around, whether it is advertisers, your ISP, or individuals spying on you. The network is popular with activists, journalists, lawyers, and civil rights groups. How do I limit what marketers send and see? Another way to keep your digital footprint clean of debris is to separate online services between email accounts. If you need to provide an email address for a one-off purchase, for example, consider using a junk email address -- which will quickly become full to the brim with promotional material but will keep your primary email address from being added to more marketing databases. For example, you could set up two Gmail accounts, one as a primary and one as a delegate for spam and potential junk. What can I do to delete embarrassing or explicit content online? You may have come across embarrassing forum posts or messages that you do not have the privileges required to delete -- or you may discover that sensitive personal images or videos of you have been shared without your permission. The first step you should take is to contact organizations and webmasters directly. When you contact them, include a link to the content you are concerned about, give your reasons, and hope they agree to delete it. However, do not expect an immediate response. An exception to this is explicit content and what is known as revenge porn: If intimate images have been shared out of spite, you will likely have more success in getting them rapidly removed, especially from social networks. It's important to try to get the images or videos taken down as quickly as possible, not only to cut viewership but for your mental health. If you can, reach out to friends and families and ask them to report offending posts or email webmasters on your behalf. If your images and videos have been uploaded to pornography services anonymously, however, you'll be in for more of a battle -- and it may be time to get law enforcement agencies involved. If you are a US victim of online, intimate image abuse, you can also reach out to CCRI.You need to research your local laws and find out if the person posting your content could be prosecuted. For example, revenge porn in the United Kingdom is illegal, and there are cases of perpetrators being jailed. If you are a minor, please talk to a trusted parent or guardian and let them help you. What can I do if things have gone too far online? Starting from scratch may seem extreme, but it could be worth considering in some cases. The outright deletion of email accounts, social media, and e-commerce services won't immediately destroy all of your data or search results connected to them, but it will, over time, make them less likely to appear. Just ensure that before you take this irrevocable step, you have backed up any data you want to keep, such as irreplaceable photos you uploaded to social media or document scans stashed away in your email inbox. Security

Lenovo's 12th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon refines its design with a host of improvements, resulting in a thoughtful and well-optimized device.

Google is testing new AI Video generation features for Gemini, according to a new report.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGoogle is testing new AI video creation features for Google Gemini, according to a new report. This means the Gemini app may soon be able to generate not only pictures but also realistic video clips based on simple text prompts.As well-known tipster AssembleDebug discovered for Android Authority, the latest Google app version contains hidden mentions of new video generation features powered by robin, the companys internal codename for Gemini-powered functions. The code also includes text snippets associated with the video generation process, including Working and We will notify you when its ready.Google hasnt yet made any AI video generation tools available to Gemini users. However, these new code fragments point to features Google is testing for possible inclusion in a future version of the app. We dont yet know what these video generation tools might do, but there are a few possibilities based on Googles current technologies.Could Gemini Users Gain Access To Veo 2?Perhaps the most exciting (or terrifying) possibility is that Google will give Gemini users access to Veo 2, Google DeepMinds cutting-edge text-to-video and image-to-video AI model. Veo 2, currently available in early access form as VideoFX from Google Labs, can produce incredibly realistic video clips (like the example above) based on text descriptions or still images uploaded by the user.Gemini can already generate high-quality still images from text prompts using Imagen 3, Googles text-to-image model. However, extending Geminis capabilities to include Veo 2 would be a huge step forward. Unlike still images, high-quality AI videos currently require significant computing power to generate and are typically limited to paid-for services, although open-source alternatives are constantly improving.Another possibility is that Google could deploy a significantly cut-down version of Veo 2 or perhaps an entirely different form of AI-powered video generation, such as the Gemini-powered video creation app Google Vids, currently available as part of Googles business-focused Google Workspace subscriptions.Google Vids helps users produce and collaborate on business-oriented videos, such as presentations and promotional content, using templates, stock media, AI-assisted script writing and voice synthesis. While some of these tools would be useful to general consumers, in its current form, Google Vids doesnt seem like a good fit for the Gemini app.How Much Will It Cost?Google has not announced any AI video generation tools for the Gemini app. If they do appear, Id expect to find Googles most powerful AI models restricted to customers with paid subscriptions.Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulmonckton/2025/02/09/google-announces-much-needed-ai-protection-feature-for-google-photos/https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulmonckton/2025/02/13/new-google-leak-reveals-immersive-google-photos-memories-upgrade/

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Chuck's ... [+] Global Stars looks on during the 74th NBA All-Star Game against Kenny's Young Stars at Chase Center on February 16, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIn a stunning development, the San Antonio Spurs announced on February 20th Victor Wembanyama will be out for the remainder of the season due to a blood clot discovered in his right shoulder.The Spurs released the following statement on Thursday about Wembanyamas looming long-term absence:The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco. Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season. The team will provide updates as appropriate.Coming off his first All-Star appearance in his second season in the NBA, Wembanyama has already reached mega-star status thanks to his thrilling style of play and overall production.This season, Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists while carrying an elite 59.4 true shooting percentage.The 73 French product has already given San Antonio enough long-term security to make an aggressive trade earlier this season acquiring point guard DeAaron Fox to become his long-term running mate. With Wembanyama and Fox together in San Antonio, they expect to compete for championships for years to come in the loaded Western Conference.In the meantime, San Antonio will rely heavily on Fox and the rest of their talented young core to stay in the postseason race. Only 3.5 games out of the final seed for the Western Conference Play-In, the Spurs are still in the thick of postseason contention.Now, heres how the Spurs rotation will look without Wembanyamas towering presence on both ends of the court:Starters = Chris Paul, DeAaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Sandro MamukelashviliSecond Unit = Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Bismack BiyomboAs you can tell, a gigantic drop-off as Mamukelashvili and Biyombo were not even in the rotation. And Zach Collins, their other entrenched big man, was traded in order to land Fox a few weeks ago.Immediately, the Spurs will be fighting to stay alive with their postseason push, but is it realistic without Wembanyama? Even with Fox onboard, its seriously debatable due to the overall strength of the West itself currently.Luckily for Wembanyama and the Spurs, this was discovered now before it turned into an even more serious condition down the road.

Bottom line: Advances in battery technology combined with more efficient hardware and smarter software have allowed smartphones to reach impressive runtime milestones. To borrow a phrase from the automotive world, however, "there's no replacement for displacement" meaning capacity is still king. The problem, of course, is that few want to lug around a handset with a giant battery just to get more uptime between charges or at least, that's what most manufacturers believe. For those who prioritize battery life above all else, there's now an option for your consideration.The Oukitel WP100 Titan is a rugged smartphone with a colossal 33,000 mAh battery that additionally packs a wealth of unusual yet practical features. It starts with a 6.8-inch display (2,460 x 1,080 pixels, 120 Hz refresh rate) driven by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC alongside an Arm Mali-G615 GPU, and mated to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage.The main rear camera is a 200-megapixel unit (Samsung S5KHP3 sensor) that's joined by a 20-megapixel night vision camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera; a 32-megapixel forward-facing cam handles selfie duties and video calls.The unit's massive 33,000 mAh battery affords up to 183 hours of talk time, 110 hours of music listening, 42 hours of video-watching, or up to 33 hours of gaming according to the specs on Oukitel's website.Notably, some of the battery life claims listed on the Kickstarter campaign page are more favorable, and we're not sure which are accurate. For example, in standby mode, you can get about five-and-a-half months according to the website but over six months based on the Kickstarter. // Related StoriesThe Titan also supports 66W fast charging and 18W reverse charging, allowing it to double as a portable power bank. Other amenities include a built-in, 100-lumen projector, an integrated 1,200-lumen camping light, IP68 / IP69K ratings, and a one-year warranty. It ships running Android 14 but is upgradeable to Android 15, we're told.The phone measures 178.3 mm x 84.18 mm x 34 mm, or 7.02 in x 3.31 in x 1.33 in, and weighs 873 grams (1.92 pounds).Oukitel has already smashed its initial funding goal thanks to nearly $230,000 in pledges from 364 backers. Interested parties can support the project and get their name on the list for a WP100 Titan for around $600, or roughly the same price as Apple's new iPhone 16e. The first units are expected to ship in April.