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Daily life at US-run Antarctic stations has already been disrupted. Scientists worry that the long-term impacts could upend not only important research but the continents delicate geopolitics.

A WIRED investigation reveals that criminals who make billions from scam compounds in Myanmarwhere tens of thousands of people are enslavedare using Starlink to get online.

MacworldApple has retired its entry-level iPhone SE after five years of service, replacing it with an entirely new model, the iPhone 16e, which boasts a bigger screen, a faster chip, better camera, but a rather large price hike. So, is the new device worth the extra money, or should you stick with your smaller iPhone for a little longer?For more advice about which iPhone to buy take a look at our iPhone comparison chart where we compare every iPhone, or read our iPhone buying guide. We also compare the iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e with the iPhone 15 to see if its worth saving money or spending more.iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE (2022): Tech specsHeres a breakdown of the technical specifications of both devices:iPhone 16eiPhone SE (2022)Display6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 25321170pixel resolution at 460 ppi, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, 800 nits maximum brightness (typical) or 1,200 nits of HDR peak brightness4.7-inch Retina HD LCD IPS display, 1334750-pixel resolution, 326ppi, 1400:1 contrast ratio, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, 625 nits maximum brightnessChassisAluminium with glass backAluminium with glass backControlsAction button, Volume buttons, Power buttonHome button, Volume buttons, Mute SwitchProcessorA18 chip (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)A15 Bionic (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)Rear Cameras2in1 camera system (48MP Fusion)12Mp f/1.8Apple IntelligenceYesNoVideo Recording4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60fpsFront CameraTrueDepth front cameraTrueDepth front cameraAuthenticationFace IDTouch IDCellular5G Superfast 5G cellular5GWater ResistanceIP68IP67BatteryUp to 26 hours video playbackUp to 15 hours video playbackConnectivityUSB-CLightningMagSafe/Wireless ChargingQi wireless charging up to 7.5WQi wireless charging up to 7.5wOther FeaturesEmergency SOS via satellite, Crash DetectionEmergency SOSSIM CardDual SIM (two active eSIMs, or nano-SIM and eSIM)Dual SIM (two active eSIMs, or nano-SIM and eSIM)Available coloursBlack, WhiteMidnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT) RedCapacity128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB, 256GBSize and Weight146.7mm (5.78-inch) x 71.5mm (2.82-inch) x 7.8mm (0.31-inch); 167g138.4mm (5.45-inches), 67.3mm (2.65-inches), 7.3mm (0.29-inches); 144g (5.09 ounces)iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: DesignIts fair to say that the iPhone SE has become something of an anachronism in the smartphone market. Sporting one of the smallest screens available (4.7-inch), it still manages to look a bit bulky due to the comparatively enormous top and bottom bezels. The lower one is to support the physical Home button, the last iPhone to have one, along with a Lightning port, Touch ID, and a mute switch. If you want any of these features, youll need to keep your iPhone SE.AppleThe iPhone 16e isnt based on the iPhone 6, but its not based on the iPhone 16 either. Its something of a hybrid of old and new parts and is more in line with the design change Apple introduced with the iPhone 12. The curved edges of the SE are gone and replaced with flatter, squared-off sides that offer a bit more grip.AppleThe iPhone 16e has a larger body compared to the SE, all to accommodate the 6.1-inch display. As such its also a little heavier. Heres how the two devices compare in terms of size and weight:iPhone SE: 138.4mm (5.45-inches), 67.3mm (2.65-inches), 7.3mm (0.29-inches); 144g (5.09 ounces)iPhone 16e: 146.7mm (5.78-inches), 71.5mm (2.82-inches), 7.8mm (0.31-inches); 167g (5.88 ounces)Like the past two generations, the iPhone 16e drops the Lightning connector and moves to the move universal USB-C. Theres an extra button on the side that takes the spot of the mute switch: a customizable Action button that can instantly launch the camera, turn on the flashlight, silence the ringer, or do any number of other tasks. On the back, youll find a single camera lens.Waterproofing gets an upgrade too, as the newer device features an IP68 rating compared to the SEs IP67 rating.Finally, the 16e is available in black and white, while the SE was available in (Product) RED, Starlight, and Midnight.FoundryiPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: DisplayThe most obvious change with the 16e is a larger 6.1-inch screen thats been standard on most iPhones for the past few years. Unlike the rest of the iPhone 16 line, you wont get a Dynamic Island; rather theres a notch at the top of the screen to accommodate the front camera, receiver, and Face ID sensors. The screen has also been upgraded to OLED over LCD, which will deliver crisper images and richer colors with deeper blacks.The new display is also brighter, with the maximum (typical) illumination reaching 800 nits, which bests the 625 nits of the SE. If youre watching HDR content, peak brightness on the 16e tops out at 1,200 nits. (The iPhone SE doesnt support HDR.) As expected, the overall resolution is higher as well, with the 16e offering 2,532 x 1,170 (460ppi) and the SE coming in at a lower 1,334 x 750 (326ppi).Apple iPhone 16eBest Prices Today:699 at Alternate | 699 at Computeruniverse | 699 at OTTOiPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: Processor and specsThe iPhone SE had the newest A15 Bionic chip when it launched in 2022, and the same is true of the iPhone 16e, which has Apples latest A18 processor. Its slightly modified as compared to the iPhone 16, with a 6-core CPU (2 performance and 4 efficiency cores) and a 4-core GPU (versus 5 on the iPhone 16), but the A18 is still a fantastic chip.With 8GB of RAM onboard board, the A18 also opens up Apple Intelligence, the AI tools that come in iOS 18, which isnt available on the SE. With this in mind, the 16e is a more future-proof option, with guaranteed updates for years to come and you wont be missing out on the features Apple shouts loudest about.Storage options have changed as well, with Apple starting at 128GB on the 16e with 256GB and 512GB options. Apple charged an extra $50 for 128GB with the iPhone SE, so youre getting a little extra value with the 16e. Also new on the iPhone 16e is the C1, Apples first in-house 5G modem. On paper, the new phone supports the same wireless connectivity as the SE (4G/LTE and sub-6Ghz 5G), but Apple says the new modem is more efficient and helps in areas with spotty service.iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: CameraIn keeping with the entry-level offerings of the past, Apples iPhone 16e still has a single camera lens on the back. But its much improved over the 12Mp f/1.8 module in the SE. The iPhone 16e has a 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera, matching the main camera in the iPhone 16. Apple calls it a 2-in-1 camera system, which means it will crop the 48Mp image to 24Mp to gain a 2x telephoto image.You also get the addition of a Night Mode, Smart HDR 5, digital zoom up to 10x, and Apples photonic engine for better computational processing.AppleOther than that, the cameras share a lot of features 4K/60fps video (although the 16e has support for Dolby Vision), Slo-mo video in 1080p/240fps, Time-lapse, optical image stabilization, True Tone flash, Deep Fusion, and various portrait and photography modes. In short, youre getting an excellent everyday camera even if it just has a single lens.The front camera also gets an upgrade, with the 7MP, f/2.2 sensor in the SE replaced with a 12MP, f/1.9 one in the 16e. The update also brings extra software processing and 4K video, as well as Night Mode and support for Animoji and Memoji. If you take a lot of selfies, then the 16e will certainly feel like an improvement.AppleiPhone 16e vs iPhone SE (2022): Battery and chargingOne of the most important differences between the two devices comes in the battery department. With a smaller body and older tech, the iPhone SE struck a difficult balance between performance and battery life. Its not bad, but if you use it often throughout the day, youll need a quick charge at some point.The 16e is quite the opposite. By combining a larger battery with the efficiencies in the A18 chip and the C1 modem, the iPhone 16e boasts a 26-hour battery life, the longest over for a 6.1-inch iPhone. By comparison, Apple claimed the iPhone SE lasted for up to 15 hours.Charing times are comparable, with support for fast charging up to 50 percent in around 30 minutes when using a 20W charger. Apple supplies a charging cable in the box, which is USB-C-to-USB-C now that Lightning is gone. Qi wireless is also available on both, though Apple didnt include MagSafe charging on the iPhone 16e.iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE (2022): Apple Intelligence and software supportAs of the iPhone 16e launch, both models were running iOS 18.3.1 and the iPhone SE will likely get iOS 19 in the fall. The iPhone SE should also receive iOS 20 in 2026 and iOS 21 in 2027 if Apple continues with its impressive record of supporting older devices for up to six years. See: How long does Apple support iPhones.AppleHowever, some features already dont wont work on the SE. The main is Apple Intelligence, Apples suites of AI features, which requires an A18 processor and 8GB of RAM. Apple is rolliong out features throughout 2025 and will no doubt add even more Apple Intelligence features in iOS 19, so if features like Genmoji, writing tools, ChatGPT, and the new, improved Siri interest you, you have to upgrade to the 16e. There will also surely be other features that arent supported by the iPhone SE 3 over the next couple of years, while the 16e is guaranteed to support the full slate of features for years to come.iPhone 16e vs iPhone: PriceWith the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple has discontinued the $429/429 slot occupied by the iPhone SE. As of now, the iPhone 16e is the cheapest iPhone you can buy, starting at $599/599 and available in the following configurations:iPhone 16e 128GB: $599/599iPhone 16e 256GB: $699/699iPhone 16e 512GB: $899/899It should be noted that the iPhone SE had just 64GB of storage, so an apples-to-apples comparison is actually $479 vs $599. The $599 price is where the iPhone 14 sat in the line up before Apple discontinued that iPhone. See: iPhone 14 vs iPhone 16e.We also share: Where to get the best iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max deals in the U.S. and Where to get the best iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max deals in the U.K.Should you buy the iPhone 16e?If you love having a small iPhone, then you dont have many choices beyond the 6.1-inch iPhone 16e. So, holding onto your iPhone SE is the best options.The increase in price for the 16e also makes it feel as though its aimed at a different market than its predecessor. The 16e is bigger and more expensive, but doesnt quite offer the full experience of an iPhone 16. Theres no argument that its a superior device to the iPhone SE, with a larger display, faster performance, vastly improved battery life, and a better camers, its also a very different phone, which might not be what those looking for a 2025 version of the iPhone SE are looking for. But if youre ready for a major change and to venture beyond the Home button, the iPhone 16e is a great phone, even if its no longer a great bargain.Apple iPhone SE (2022)

MacworldOne of the great aspects of the Mac is that its just about ready to go right out of the box. Yes, macOS takes you through a few steps to set up your new machine, but after that, you can get to work. And thats probably what most people do, only adjusting macOS settings when absolutely necessary and using whatever accessories that came with the Mac.However, if you dont spend some time getting to know it, youre not taking full advantage of your Mac. From the vital points of contact such as your mouse and keyboard, to pulling the curtain of macOSs polished exterior to adjust settings and make hidden tweaks, youre not far from being a serious power user.Here are five things you can do that will make your Mac experience immediately better. These range from accessories to settings and tweaks that will improve usability. Youll also find that youre working more efficiently, saving time, and being more productive.1. Ditch Apples accessoriesThe only Macs that include a keyboard and mouse are the iMac and Mac Pro. Regardless of what Mac you are buying, when you buy directly from Apple, the only choices you have are Apples own Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard.The Magic Mouse looks nice, but you can find a third-party mouse thats more useful.Thiago TrevisanThe Magic Mouse itself has a series of unfortunate attributes that make it less than ideal. Its charging port is on the bottom so you cant use it while it charges. Furthermore, it is not the best ergonomically or most responsive technically. Lags and other quirky behaviors can often be experienced.Youre better off going with a third-party mouse. A popular favorite is theLogitech MX Master 3S, which comes in both grey and white. It works via Bluetooth but the wireless USB dongle offers better connectivity (if you can spare a USB port). Keep in mind the Mac-branded version does not include this dongle, so look for the PC version that does. It works perfectly fine on a Mac since it is the same mouse.Dont limit yourself to the Magic Mouse.Thiago TrevisanThe world of mice is vast and youll find plenty of other options. Mice meant for gaming often work wonderfully on the Mac and have terrific ergonomics. They are often fine-tuned for precision, tactility, and responsiveness. Some, such as Logitech, even offer software for the Mac so that you can configure your mouse as youd like.Some brands, like Razer, work out of the box but dont allow further tweaking since they do not offer Mac software for customization. Third-party apps, such asMac Mouse Fix, can help you regain some of that control. Mapping key buttons such as back, forward, and even Mission Control can make for a more fluid workflow. We also have some tips ongetting the most out of the second button on a mouse.If you are a MacBook Pro user and love the trackpad, consider picking up a Magic Trackpad for desktop use. You can even use it alongside a mouse. Video editors often use both to maximize the flexibility of mouse accuracy and the scrolling capabilities of the Magic Trackpad.Keyboards are a similar story to micechoice is abundant. The Magic Keyboard has Touch ID and works seamlessly with the Mac, but its shallow typing touch is lacking. You give up some convenience with third-party keyboards, but you gain a more satisfying typing experience.Mechanical keyboards like the Keychron Q5 Max are popular.Thiago TrevisanMechanical keyboards have been all the rage lately, and many work wonderfully with the Mac. TheKeychron Q5 Max, for example, offers Mac keys, Bluetooth, and a buttery smooth tactile feel. Glorious offers products such as theGMMK Prowhich has Mac keys and a customizable experience. Logitech also makes theMX Keys S for the Mac, which pairs nicely with its MX 3S mouse. Many keyboards will have a toggle switch to go from PC to Mac, for keys to function as youd expect.Other accessories to jazz up your setup include a good pair of speakers. While some monitors will have them built-in, separate external speakers offer a much better audio experience. TheHarman Kardon Sound Sticks, famously designed by Jonny Ives, are still around and sound great. TheCreative Pebble Xcan upgrade your sound without much wire clutter.Read our round up of the Best Mac keyboards weve reviewed.2. Add s second displayThe MacBook Pro has a gorgeous Retina display, but it still tops out at only 16 inches. An iMac is 24 inches, but in a production workflow, the screen can feel restrictive. A larger display or multiple displays can significantly improve your workflow.The Apple 5K Studio display pairs wonderfully with the Mac and slots in significantly cheaper than theApple Pro Display XDR. It also adds the capability to both charge the MacBook and connect the display via a single Thunderbolt cable.TheApple Studio Displayhas an excellent speaker system, and with its built-in camera, it can also minimize the number of devices that youd need for a teleconferencing setup.If you are thinking about getting a display, it doesnt have to be one by Apple. Macs can support high-refresh rate monitors at 4K and even 6K resolutions at 60Hz. The increased resolution alone of some options can be beneficial to your workflow, opening more on-screen pixels for your desktop.If going from a 16-inch to, say, a 27-inch display isnt enough to turbocharge your workflow, consider upping the monitor count. With a two-monitor setup, the main display can serve the function of activities that you need to do directly. This will be writing, browsing the web, working with Final Cut Pro, etc. The second monitor can serve the purpose of displaying more static information that is accessible via a simple glance.I like to use it for Mail or iMessage, so I can quickly look at incoming messages. A third screen opens up even more possibilitiesthe third display can serve as another static place for stuff you reference throughout the day. It can also be where you can keep Finder open to move files around all screens, or even have a video playing without needing to minimize other apps. The Mac can also support an ultrawide displaysome of which come with USB-C charging for your MacBook.An ultrawide display is a good alternative to having two displays, but it may not support higher resolutions.Thiago TrevisanIf you want to add additional monitors, you need to understand how many your Mac can support. We have aguide to connecting two or more external displays on M-series Macs, but the gist is that the more powerful the chip, the more displays it can handle.If you dont have the space or budget for multiple monitors, there are other workarounds, too. MacBook Air and Pro users can use their laptop as a second monitor when connected to an external display. The iPad Pro can also serve as a second display, with continuity making the experience seamless. Continuity works across all your Apple devices, such as iPhone, Watch, and iPad. You can even use your iPhone as a webcam for video conferencing.Universal control allows you to use the same mouse and keyboard directly on your Mac and iPad simultaneously, doubling its utility as a second screen.Got an iPad Pro? Use it as an additional Mac display.Thiago TrevisanRead our round up of the Best Mac monitors weve reviewed.3. Unleash the hidden power tools in macOSBecoming a Mac power user also means making the most out of macOS. Apple builds tremendous tools within the Mac operating system to make your workflow easier and faster.The simplest keyboard shortcuts can make your everyday tasks move gracefully. For example, pressing Command + Space Bar quickly brings up Spotlight Search. A Mission Control shortcut can be mapped either to your keyboard or a button on your mouse. It is by far the easiest way to move around macOS with many apps open.You can add lots of widgets to personalize and enhance your desktop.FoundryWidgets, especially when paired with large or multiple screens, can keep information handy for when you need it. Everything from stocks, and news, to the weather can be customized and save you time opening apps. For example, a widget displaying the battery status of a connected Apple device can be a huge helpyour AirPods may need a charge, for example. It is an easy way to have one less surprise throughout your day.Hiding your Dock can also be a clever way to free up screen space. If using multiple screens, simply hovering near the bottom of the screen with the mouse pointer will move the dock to that monitor. You can also automatically show and hide the dock, by going to your Macs settings under Desktop & Dock.4. Expand your storage optionsAt the most affordable standard configurations, Macs typically come with stingy internal storage sizes. You may need to fork up more dough for pricy upgrades.However, you can use the Macs Thunderbolt/USB-C ports to connect an external storage device. With a MacBook, youll want to use the external drives for files you dont necessarily need all the time, unless youre going to use a portable external drive and will carry it along with your Mac.Read: Best external SSD for Mac and Best Hard Drive for Mac. External storage devices make file management much easier.Thiago TrevisanYou can also use an external drive Time Machine, macOSs utility that can perform automatic backups of your Mac. If you do need to recover a file, it is easy to go back to a certain date, find it, and recover the file. Time Machine is handy if you work with large files that are too bulky for frequent cloud backups, such as video files.(There are other Mac backup options in our round up of the Best software to backup your Mac). Managing external drives on the Mac has been fairly straightforward, with Disk Utility serving as your control center for formatting drives, portioning them, and mounting/dismounting them from the Desktop.Dont want to use an external drive? You can use iCloud to seamlessly integrate with your Mac if you sync the Desktop and Documents folder. Anything that you drop in these areas will automatically go to iCloud and be visible on other devices. Likewise, turn the setting on to access iCloud data on the web, so have access anywhere. iCloud backup also works seamlessly with the Mac and you will not need to add external storage. It does come at an extra cost and will be limited by your internet connection if you need to move around large files frequently.If you do decide to add an external driveand even if you dontyou may want to pair your Mac with a good Thunderbolt dock to supply more ports. Along with conveniences such as SD card slots, Thunderbolt docks can also give you a smattering of USB-A and Thunderbolt ports. This can be especially useful for those using a laptop as a workstation. They can even charge and provide display functionality, too. CalDigit makes the wonderfulTS4 Thunderbolt Dock, with plenty of extra ports. OWC also has options to offer. Some docks, such as theSonnet Echo 20, can even hold an NVME SSD for extra utility.Check out our guide for the top Thunderbolt/USB docks.A dock provides the ports that are missing from your Mac.Thiago Trevisan5. Embrace Apples changesThis is something many Mac veterans can lose sight of. Part of being a Mac power user includes embracing changes to the Mac ecosystem. Sure, 2013 Mac Pro owners may still have some sour notes about some changes, but things typically improve with time.One prime bleeding-edge example is the Apple Vision Pro. While it is expensive and has somewhat limited use cases, there are power users who have paired it nicely with their Mac. It can expand your desktop experience significantly, especially with upcoming wide display support. Mirroring your Mac within the Vision Pro is one of the best features these devices can do together. Being in a virtual environment surrounded by your apps and windows has the potential to transform how you work.Apple Vision Pro has some promising features that work with the Mac.Thiago Trevisan/FoundryThe keyword here is potentialspatial computing is still not ready for prime time. It remains a visionary idea in its infancy, however, with mixed results in actual daily use. Comfort and a more natural integration of the technology will improve over time, as will cost.The Mac is not afraid to leave things behind, with Apple often getting criticized by some for some notable changes. The removal of USB ports or even the design of the maligned 2013 Mac Pro still haunts some owners. Still, when Apple gets it right, it is worth it to be on the edge of new Mac changes.Apple Intelligence is the next horizon that will make your workflow even better. Boasting some underwhelming features at present, like e-mail summaries, it surely has a lot to improve on. Other improvements in newer software include mirroring your iPhone, helping workflow, or easing distractions while at your desk. The new Passwords app is also great, piecing together the management of important login information in a more integrated fashion.Apple Intelligence is a key area for power users to keep a keen eye on, however. When implemented fully in the future, it has the potential to change your workflow tremendously. A competent Siri assistant will be able to do much more than it can currently, for example. Apple is pushing towards this goal, but at present remains stifled with no significant features yet.Many of Apple Intelligence features revolve around communication and language, as do most current AI models. Improving text and searching for new information are also primary goals for the technology.With the combination of what is already inside macOS, together with some hardware and accessories, your workflow can reach an entirely new level. A power user is not just focused on the speed, but enjoying the process of using your Mac, too.

Not so long ago, the definition of an IT worker was pretty simple: they were largely confined to central roles related to hardware, network infrastructure, and software development in centralized IT departments.But what constitutes an IT worker has evolved in recent years; now, it can just as easily mean technologists embedded in virtually every division of a company with greatly expanded responsibilities and skills.IT is now a key driver of business strategy, with workers collaborating directly with business leaders on digital transformations, product development, data-driven decision-making, improved customer experiences even business operations. Cybersecurity is now a core focus, with tech pros handling risk management and safeguarding digital assets. The rise of no-code/low-code tools has shifted some developer tasks to non-technical staff, though IT workers still must focus on integrating and maintaining those systems. AI and automation are increasingly part of IT life, with workers overseeing and optimizing generative AI-driven tools.And the evolution isnt over yet.The definition of an IT professional is going to change, from people working on networks and systems to more customer-facing tasks, said David Foote, chief analyst at business consultancy Foote Partners, which gathers data from about 4,500 companies on hiring, pay, re-skilling and other statistics.Organizations seeking IT workers can no longer simply focus on traditional IT roles. Businesses are now hiring tech talent across various departments, from finance to sales and marketing and beyond, Foote said.Reflecting the changes afoot, Foote Partners recently created a new IT description for tracking purposes the business technologist and has been researching what they do and how much they earn. These technologists have an ability to think about the long-term strategically and then make decisions that are put into play to determine what technology would be purchased by companies, Foote said.The business technologists decisions can lead to everything from spending cuts to programs designed to boost revenue, improve customer satisfaction or raise market share, Foote said.Among other tidbits of data, Foote Partners saw growth in jobs related to web search portals and computing infrastructure, and a big decline in technology consulting. Many consulting firms, including our clients, are turning to AI for tasks like analysis, reducing the need for human workers, Foote said. This suggests consulting businesses are reshuffling their workforce, aiming to do more with fewer employees.GenAI reshuffles the deck especially for developersArnal Dayartna, a research vice president at IDC, said AI and generative AI (genAI) have redefined the role of software developers by shifting their focus to managing AI tools like copilots that assist in coding, testing, documenting, and optimizing.Developers now must be able to evaluate AI-generated suggestions, choosing the best ones for the task at hand. The shift requires new skills, including understanding where AI excels and where human input is needed. Just as with text generation, genAI tools can boost productivity but have limitations developers have to navigate for seamless integration into their day-to-day jobs.Using genAI to assist them, developers may write code faster up to 60% quicker but they still need to acquire new skills for the other 40% of their time, Dayartna said. In the long run, as AI tools evolve over the next six to seven years, developers roles may shift towards more product management responsibilities. This includes understanding business needs and communicating those to AI tools, while still overseeing these tools to ensure quality.To stay competitive, Dayartna said, developers should begin tackling new skills now and organizations need to provide access to the latest genAI tools to help their employees maximize productivity. Without those tools, developers (and other tech-focused workers) will fall behind those working in AI-forward companies. Both individual upskilling and organizational support are essential for success.GenAI, which exploded on the tech scene in late 2022, is now being used to automate jobs at both the low-end and high, affecting even well-skilled, experienced workers. The tools are especially good at synthesizing insights from large, unstructured text. That means for IT workers, key skills now involve: 1) mastering how to use genAI prompts effectively with clear, natural language; 2) quickly evaluating AI-generated outputs; and 3) developing processes to integrate genAI into daily tasks.Currently, theres no single platform that seamlessly automates the selection and use of different AI tools, so IT workers must also become skilled at choosing the right AI technology for each task, Dayartna said.The rush to reskill and upskillTech workers, however, are finding their organizations lack programs to upskill or reskill; that, in turn, has resulted in a significant skills gap across a variety of industries that will affect global job growth by 2030. Its seen as the biggest barrier to business transformation by 63% of employers surveyed by the World Economic Forums (WEF) January Future of Jobs Report.To address the issue, 85% of respondents plan to prioritize upskilling, 70% will hire for new skills, 40% expect to reduce staff, and 50% will transition workers to growing roles, according to the WEF. It found that skills such as resilience, flexibility, resource management, quality control, and tech literacy are in high demand.A key part of those efforts over the next five years will be centered around genAI; companies are expected to spend$42 billion a yearon genAI projects such as chatbots, agents, research, writing, and summarization tools by 2030. Currently,50% of companieswith more than 5,000 employees use AI with many more planning to do so. The rapid advance of the technology is contributing to the skills gap, forcing IT workers to learn about genAI even as genAI continues to evolve.Though job postings for AI skillssurged 2,000% in 2024, education and training havent kept pace, according to Kelly Stratman, Ernst & Youngs global ecosystem relationships enablement leader. As AI adoption spreads across industries, the gap is growing to include IT, cybersecurity, automation, and more, Stratman said, arguing that organizations must partner with AI leaders to access talent, training, resources, and tech solutions.The WEF jobs report found workers are worried about the shake-up: 39% think their skills will become outdated by 2030 due to economic uncertainty, genAI, and the rapid pace of change.Staffing firm ManpowerGroups recentGlobal Talent Barometerechoed that image of a workforce in flux: 60% of employees are considering job changes within the next six months. Perhaps more tellingly, 41% of workers feel their current companies lack sufficient opportunities for career advancement.The IT industry is undergoing a historic reshaping of the entire technology workforce, said Kye Mitchell, president of tech workforce staffing firm Experis US. Whats particularly interesting is how the convergence of economic caution and AI acceleration is creating distinct hiring trajectories in the market.From genAI to agentic AIDevelopers in many ways at the forefront of the current industry shift have often been portrayed as wary of AI. But new research from Salesforce found theyre actually enthusiastic about the industrys shift to AI agents; the arrival of agentic AI, which can act independently to complete a task, means developers can focus less on tasks like writing code and debugging and more on strategic, creative work.Thats what I hear when I talk to my developers and my friends people are excited about the opportunity, because I think what its doing is its allowing developers to focus more on the high-impact projects, said Alice Steinglass, general manager of Salesforce Platform.Not surprisingly, of 250 frontline US developers surveyed earlier this month by Salesforce and polling firm YouGov, 91% said AI agents will fundamentally change their role for the better.And with developers increasingly using agents powered by low-code, no-code tools, development is becoming faster, easier, and more efficient than ever regardless of workers coding abilities. The tools allow more people to become, in effect, coders; business users, for instance, can define and manage their own workflows using natural language, making it easier to adapt processes as business needs change; that can improve efficiency and ROI, according to Steinglass.Dynamic, flexible AI agents can solve problems in real time, making business rules easier to update and implement. That gives companies more control over their processes and solutions, while still benefiting from software engineers expertise in system architecture and design.But the embrace of genAI, while good for companies, might not be so good for entry-level developers.That pure practice of coding is going to become less and less relevant, said IDCs Dayartna. Its going to be developers who are able to spend more time on thinking differently about what theyre building, about how to create better applications, about better designs and architectures, which is a higher-level skill. And, theyre going to have to take on a role more around the quality of code the quality checking role making sure that the code is doing what you want.A rush to learnThe pace at which new courses in AI and other emerging tools are being devoured by technologists and business-side workers alike is unpreceded, according to Jenni Troutman, director of product and services for AWS training and certification. Among all AWS Certifications, the beta exam for AWS Certified AI Practitioner drew the largest number of participants ever 20 times higher than the historical average for new beta courses. And for the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate, the company saw a tripling of the number of beta participants compared to the past average.While some employees are embracing the change brought by AI and other tech advances, others are swimming against the tide.You see people who are skeptical, who are going to say, Hey, its not ready for me to use, yet. Its not really going to affect me, and [will] take longer to come along. Troutman said. What were finding is [workers] that are in that place are starting to get nervous and realizing that people are serious [about this].I think were probably further ahead [at AWS] than a lot of users, because we build the technology ourselves, and so we need to be demonstrating that were using it, she said. So people are already realizing, If Im not figuring out how to use it, Im going to be in trouble, and its going to be a risk for my career.Essentially, Dayaratna said, IT workers need to master the fine art of prompting writing clear, specific natural language commands to optimize AI outputs, a skill similar to whats learned in a liberal arts education, where clarity and precision are key. They also need to be able to quickly assess and evaluate AI outputs for accuracy and figure out how to integrate AI into their daily tasks.Beyond technical skills, the IT worker of the near future needs soft skills that allow them to adapt to the breakneck speed at which tech and business environments are changing. They need better communication skills. And its crucial they collaborate well with colleagued so that entire teams, not just a few individuals, are using new technology tools. Otherwise, productivity and quality will become uneven.The challenge: organizations can only control this integration to a limited extent, Dayaratna said.Every developer is going to have to become a manager, she said. And the reason that theyre going to have to become a manager is theyre going to have to become very effective at managing the output of AI-assisted or AI-first technologies, which means theyll need to acquire skills specific to getting these tools to do what they need to do.Beyond just developers, that kind of flexibility will be required of IT workers more broadly. Learning from your peers about best practices with respect to how these tools enable you to more effectively complete the work that you need to do will become central to the success of this new generation of of workers, he said.

Amazon Web Services today announced Ocelot, its first-generation quantum computing chip. While the chip has only rudimentary computing capability, the company says it is a proof-of-principle demonstrationa step on the path to creating a larger machine that can deliver on the industrys promised killer applications, such as fast and accurate simulations of new battery materials.This is a first prototype that demonstrates that this architecture is scalable and hardware-efficient, says Oskar Painter, the head of quantum hardware at AWS, Amazons cloud computing unit. In particular, the company says its approach makes it simpler to perform error correction, a key technical challenge in the development of quantum computing.Ocelot consists of nine quantum bits, or qubits, on a chip about a centimeter square, which, like some forms of quantum hardware, must be cryogenically cooled to near absolute zero in order to operate. Five of the nine qubits are a type of hardware that the field calls a cat qubit, named for Schrdingers cat, the famous 20th-century thought experiment in which an unseen cat in a box may be considered both dead and alive. Such a superposition of states is a key concept in quantum computing.The cat qubits AWS has made are tiny hollow structures of tantalum that contain microwave radiation, attached to a silicon chip.The remaining four qubits are transmonseach an electric circuit made of superconducting material. In this architecture, AWS uses cat qubits to store the information, while the transmon qubits monitor the information in the cat qubits. This distinguishes its technology from Googles and IBMs quantum computers, whose computational parts are all transmons.Notably, AWS researchers used Ocelot to implement a more efficient form of quantum error correction. Like any computer, quantum computers make mistakes. Without correction, these errors add up, with the result that current machines cannot accurately execute the long algorithms required for useful applications. The only way youre going to get a useful quantum computer is to implement quantum error correction, says Painter.Unfortunately, the algorithms required for quantum error correction usually have heavy hardware requirements. Last year, Google encoded a single error-corrected bit of quantum information using 105 qubits.Amazons design strategy requires only a 10th as many qubits per bit of information, says Painter. In work published in Nature on Wednesday, the team encoded a single error-corrected bit of information in Ocelots nine qubits. Theoretically, this hardware design should be easier to scale up to a larger machine than a design made only og transmons, says Painter.This design combining cat qubits and transmons makes error correction simpler, reducing the number of qubits needed, says Shruti Puri, a physicist at Yale University who was not involved in the work. (Puri works part-time for another company that develops quantum computers but spoke to MIT Technology Review in her capacity as an academic.)Basically, you can decompose all quantum errors into two kindsbit flips and phase flips, says Puri. Quantum computers represent information as 1s, 0s, and probabilities, or superpositions, of both. A bit flip, which also occurs in conventional computing, takes place when the computer mistakenly encodes a 1 that should be a 0, or vice versa. In the case of quantum computing, the bit flip occurs when the computer encodes the probability of a 0 as the probability of a 1, or vice versa. A phase flip is a type of error unique to quantum computing, having to do with the wavelike properties of the qubit.The cat-transmon design allowed Amazon to engineer the quantum computer so that any errors were predominantly phase-flip errors. This meant the company could use a much simpler error correction algorithm than Googlesone that did not require as many qubits. Your savings in hardware is coming from the fact that you need to mostly correct for one type of error, says Puri. The other error is happening very rarely.The hardware savings also stem from AWSs careful implementation of an operation known as a C-NOT gate, which is performed during error correction. Amazons researchers showed that the C-NOT operation did not disproportionately introduce bit-flip errors. This meant that after each round of error correction, the quantum computer still predominantly made phase-flip errors, so the simple, hardware-efficient error correction code could continue to be used.AWS began working on designs for Ocelot as early as 2021, says Painter. Its development was a full-stack problem. To create high-performing qubits that could ultimately execute error correction, the researchers had to figure out a new way to grow tantalum, which is what their cat qubits are made of, on a silicon chip with as few atomic-scale defects as possible.Its a significant advance that AWS can now fabricate and control multiple cat qubits in a single device, says Puri. Any work that goes toward scaling up new kinds of qubits, I think, is interesting, she says. Still, there are years of development to go. Other experts have predicted that quantum computers will require thousands, if not millions, of qubits to perform a useful task. Amazons work is a first step, says Puri.She adds that the researchers will need to further reduce the fraction of errors due to bit flips as they scale up the number of qubits.Still, this announcement marks Amazons way forward. This is an architecture we believe in, says Painter. Previously, the companys main strategy was to pursue conventional transmon qubits like Googles and IBMs, and they treated this cat qubit project as skunkworks, he says. Now, theyve decided to prioritize cat qubits. We really became convinced that this needed to be our mainline engineering effort, and well still do some exploratory things, but this is the direction were going. (The startup Alice & Bob, based in France, is also building a quantum computer made of cat qubits.)As is, Ocelot basically is a demonstration of quantum memory, says Painter. The next step is to add more qubits to the chip, encode more information, and perform actual computations. But they have many challenges ahead, from how to attach all the wires to how to link multiple chips together. Scaling is not trivial, he says.

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Reviews weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.Flames erupted last Tuesday amid the burned wreckage of the battery storage facility at Moss Landing Power Plant. It happened after a major fire there burned for days and then went quiet for weeks.The reignition is yet another reminder of how difficult fires in lithium-ion batteries can be to deal with. They burn hotter than other firesand even when it looks as if the danger has passed, they can reignite.As these batteries become more prevalent, first responders are learning a whole new playbook for what to do when they catch fire, as a new story from our latest print magazine points out. Lets talk about what makes battery fires a new challenge, and what it means for the devices, vehicles, and grid storage facilities that rely on them.Fires in batteries are pretty nasty, says Nadim Maluf, CEO and cofounder of Qnovo, a company that develops battery management systems and analytics.While first responders might be able to quickly douse a fire in a gas-powered vehicle with a hose, fighting an EV fire can require much more water. Often, its better to just let battery fires burn out on their own, as Maya Kapoor outlines in her story for MIT Technology Review. And as one expert pointed out in that story, until a battery is dismantled and recycled, its always going to be a hazard.One very clear example of that is last weeks reignition at Moss Landing, the worlds biggest battery storage project. In mid-January, a battery fire destroyed a significant part of a 300-megawatt grid storage array.The site has been quiet for weeks, but residents in the area got an alert last Tuesday night urging them to stay indoors and close windows. Vistra, the owner of Moss Landing Power Plant, didnt respond to written questions for this story but said in a public statement that flames were spotted at the facility on Tuesday and the fire had burned itself out by Wednesday morning.Even after a battery burns, some of the cells can still hold charge, Maluf says, and in a large storage installation on the grid, there can be a whole lot of stored energy that can spark new blazes or pose a danger to cleanup crews long after the initial fire.Vistra is currently in the process of de-linking batteries at Moss Landing, according to a website the company set up to share information about the fire and aftermath. The process involves unhooking the electrical connections between batteries, which reduces the risk of future problems. De-linking work began on February 22 and should take a couple of weeks to complete.Even as crews work to limit future danger from the site, we still dont know why a fire started at Moss Landing in the first place. Vistras site says an investigation is underway and that its working with local officials to learn more.Battery fires can start when cells get waterlogged or punctured, but they can also spark during normal use, if a small manufacturing defect goes unnoticed and develops into a problem.Remember when Samsung Galaxy Note phones were banned from planes because they kept bursting into flames? That was the result of a manufacturing defect that could lead to short-circuiting in some scenarios. (A short-circuit basically happens when the two separate electrodes of a battery come into contact, allowing an uncontrolled flow of electricity that can release heat and start fires.)And then theres the infamous Chevy Boltthose vehicles were all recalled because of fire risk. The issues were also traced back to a manufacturing issue that caused cells to short-circuit.One piece of battery safety is designing EV packs and large stationary storage arrays so that fires can be slowed down and isolated when they do occur. There have been major improvements in fire suppression measures in recent years, and first responders are starting to better understand how to deal with battery fires that get out of hand.Ultimately, though, preventing fires before they occur is the goal. Its a hard job. Identifying manufacturing defects can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, Maluf says. Battery chemistry and cell design are complicated, and the tiniest problem can lead to a major issue down the road.But fire prevention is important to gain public trust, and investing in safety improvements is worth it, because we need these devices more than ever. Batteries are going to be crucial in efforts to clean up our power grid and the transportation sector.I dont believe the answer is stopping these projects, Maluf says. That train has left the station.Now read the rest of The SparkRelated readingFor more on the Moss Landing Power Plant fire, catch up with my newsletter from a couple of weeks ago.Batteries are a master key technology, meaning they can unlock other tech that helps cut emissions, according to a 2024 report from the International Energy Agency. Read more about the current state of batteries in this story from last year.New York City is interested in battery swapping as a solution for e-bike fires, as I covered last year.Keeping up with climateBP Is dropping its target of increasing renewables by 20-fold by 2030. The company is refocusing on fossil fuels after concerns about earnings. Booooo. (Reuters)This refinery planned to be a hub for alternative jet fuels in the US. Now the project is on shaky ground after the Trump administration has begun trying to claw back funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. (Wired) Alternative jet fuels are one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025. As I covered, the fuels will be a challenge to scale, and thats even more true if federal funding falls through. (MIT Technology Review)Chinese EVs are growing in popularity in Nigeria. Gas-powered cars are getting more expensive to run, making electric ones attractive, even as much of the country struggles to get consistent access to electricity. (Bloomberg)EV chargers at federal buildings are being taken out of servicethe agency that runs federal buildings says they arent mission critical. This one boggles my mindthese chargers are already paid for and installed. What a waste. (The Verge)Congestion pricing that charges drivers entering the busiest parts of Manhattan has cut traffic, and now the program is hitting revenue goals, raising over $48 million in the first month. Expect more drama to come, though, as the Trump administration recently revoked authorization for the plan, and the MTA followed up with a lawsuit. (New York Times)New skyscrapers are designed to withstand hurricanes, but the buildings may fare poorly in less intense wind storms, according to a new study. (The Guardian)Ten new battery factories are scheduled to come online this year in the US. The industry is entering an uncertain time, especially with the new administrationwill this be a battery boom or a battery bust? (Inside Climate News)Proposed renewable-energy projects in northern Colombia are being met with opposition from Indigenous communities in the region. The area could generate 15 gigawatts of electricity, but local leaders say that they havent been consulted about development. (Associated Press)This farm in Virginia is testing out multiple methods designed to pull carbon out of the air at once. Spreading rock dust, compost, and biochar on fields can help improve yields and store carbon. (New Scientist)

Milestone has announced its latest entry into the MotoGP bike racing franchise. Appropriately titled MotoGP 25, the game was announced alongside a trailer that you can check out below.MotoGP 25 will feature all of the riders and tracks from the 2025 season of the sport, along with Moto2 and Moto3. Some of the newer tracks that will be available in the game are Brno in Czechia, and Balaton Park in Hungary. Brno is especially notable since it is returning to the games after five years.One of the newer features in MotoGP 25 is Training Sessions, where players can ride simply for fun rather than competitively. Along the way, players will also get to work on improving different disciplines, such as Motard, Flat Track, and Minibikes.The game will also feature a new Arcade Experience, which offers a more simplified experience rather than going all-in on the sim aspects of the game. The Arcade mode is meant to offer a more accessible point of entry for players that might be new to the MotoGP franchise.On the multiplayer side of things, players will also get to race against those on other platforms thanks to crossplay. As for modes, there will be ranked races, as well as the LiveGP Championship mode, as well as local two-player split-screen multiplayer.It is worth noting that crossplay, the LiveGP Championship mode, and the sharing of user-generated content will not be available on the Nintendo Switch version of the game.MotoGP 25 will also feature plenty of options for customisation thanks to an in-game editor. Players can customise a host of different things, including helmets, stickers, and even podium emotes.MotoGP 25 is coming to PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on April 30. The game has been developed using Unreal Engine 5.

GOG has announced that, in continuing its efforts at preserving older PC games, F.E.A.R. Platinum will be the next title part of the GOG Preservation Program in March. The announcement comes in light of the studio behind the original F.E.A.R., Monolith Productions, being shut down by parent company Warner Bros.For context, the GOG Preservation Program is an effort by the DRM-free storefront to ensure that classic PC games remain available and playable on modern systems. Along with helping maintain the history of PC gaming, the program also allows newer generations of gamers to experience PC gaming classics.More recently, the GOG Preservation Program has seen four releases, spanning 7 different games. As part of the program, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Diablo, Diablo: Hellfire, Heroes of Might & Magic 3 Complete, Dino Crisis, and Dino Crisis 2 have seen releases. At the time of writing, 104 games are considered part of the program, totalling up to around 603 game improvements having been made.Along with making the games available on modern platforms, the preservation program also makes a number of changes to the games that allow them to run smoother without altering the core of the game. A host of improvements are made to these titles, including for localisations, new rendering options, and support for modern controllers.F.E.A.R. Platinum will likely see similar enhancements when it is released as part of the GOG Preservation Program. GOG has stated that other games by Monolith Productions will also eventually be available on the store, complete with enhancements for modern systems.Monolith Productions was shut down earlier this week, alongside other Warner Bros. studios like Player First Games and WB Games San Diego. Alongside the closure of the studio, the game it was working on based on Wonder Woman has also been cancelled.This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent within them, said Warner Bros. in a statement about the studio closures.This is another tough decision, as we recognize Monoliths storied history of delivering epic fan experiences through amazing games. We greatly admire the passion of the three teams and thank every employee for their contributions. As difficult as today is, we remain focused on and excited about getting back to producing high-quality games for our passionate fans, developed by our world-class studios, and getting our games business back to profitability and growth in 2025 and beyond.Shortly after its cancellation, comic writer Gail Simone, who worked on the Wonder Woman project as a long-term consultant, chimed in with her thoughts about the studio and Warner Bros. In a series of posts on X, Simone praised Monolith as well as WB games as being enthusiastic and supportive.The game was gorgeous and expansive, wrote Simone. It was beautiful to look at. I am not going to give details for a number of reasons, but every effort was made to make this not just a great game, but a great WONDER WOMAN game. A showpiece epic.Among the games Monolith Productions has worked on throughout its life are classics like horror shooter F.E.A.R., No One Lives Forever, and most recently, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel.But the story doesnt have to end here some treasures from Monolith Productions are yet to be preserved and made to live forever. Its always a challenge, with some titles more than others, but this is where you can help us. Pay tribute to the creative minds of Monolith and GOG.COM (@GOGcom) February 26, 2025