As part of a new promotion, OnePlus has given the OnePlus Open a nearly 30% price drop. You can also add on a discounted OnePlus Buds Pro 3 or OnePlus Watch.

TSMC's announcement comes as chip-maker Intel, which has struggled for years with declining sales and lost market share, has been seeking customers for its own factories in the US.

AI Modeling panel at IIA Davos 2025John WernerNow that most people are familiar with generative AI and the work of neural networks and LLMs, whats next? What is the market going to experience, and what is going to drive the industry forward?There was a panel at our IIA event in Davos in January that wrestled with some of these questions. It included quite a good lineup of business representatives with Google, TCS and others in the mix.Moderated by Daniela Rus, my colleague at the MIT CSAIL lab, these experts went over some of the main trends in AI that are likely to influence its use in the coming years.Scaling Laws and ArchitecturesMost panelists agreed that scaling laws are still alive, and still relevant.People have gone through all the reaches of the internet and tucked in as many words and corpuses as possible, and are hitting a bit of that wall in terms of the training set that you can use, said panelist Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ. And of course, you have to spend billions of dollars in other areas of AI, though, and when we generate data, synthetic data that comes from equations or sensors or other kinds of sources, we have not even close to hitting any kind of data wall. So I think that we can scale very dramatically.However, theres a move from transformer models to other new kinds of builds for LLMs that will make them more distributable, more decentralized, and able to run on edge devices.For example, Mathias Lechner, CTO of Liquid AI, went over some aspects of liquid networks that are smaller and leaner constructs, and the resource savings attached to them. Ive written about liquid networks a lot, so you can go back and look at the technical details. Also, this is the common disclaimer: that I have consulted with Liquid AI and know the people working on this technology at CSAIL as well.The inference cost, the cost to actually operate these models, you know, needs to be taken into account, he said. It's important: to train such a huge model, you know, running and operating this model (is more expensive) compared to a small model that's much more efficient, that's much more optimized.In the future of applications, panelists suggested well have to look at engineering solutions.We will see more efficiency, said Peter Sarlin of Silo. We will see sort of improved performance. At the same time, I think we're still sort of mostly focusing on general-purpose AI assistance and very specific sets of use cases, as was highlighted, and we have a lot of new modalities that need to be tackled, and there's tremendous value in that.Bilingual TalentWhat about the people who are needed to usher in the next generation of AI?We may not need language experts, but we will need people with very particular sets of skills.Hidary talked about the juxtaposition of chemistry, biology and physics, and suggested that with quantum computing thrown into the mix, there will be a need for bilingual professionals who are trained in not just AI, but other disciplines like chemistry as well.He also mentioned how quantitative AI is being run on GPUs, which is an important development in the hardware space.Bringing Products to MarketThe panel also talked about how to actually bring revenue with AI.Harrick Vin said TCS is looking at a process of augmenting people through digital processes to improve the quality of their decisions. This is something, he said, thats in process now.Hidary talked about biopharma and chemistry, and the use of carbon dioxide for practical purposes.Others discussed a more generalized use, where AI undergirds all sorts of capabilities across different verticals.The Greater ContextIts clear that were moving onto new models that will help with optimization and efficiency.One thing that didnt come up as much in this panel is job displacement. In a piece that I did recently, I looked at various common types of jobs that may be taken over soon by AI entities. Its also obvious that agentic AI is the way of the future. But this panel talked about how companies will use those capabilities to their advantage, and thats a worthy topic, to understand what things will look like relatively soon.

Facepalm: Nvidia's list prices for the recently launched RTX 50 series graphics cards have become almost imaginary, with board partners charging hundreds more for some models. While a few listings still maintain the pretense of MSRP, MSI had none over the weekend, sparking concerns of a repeat of 2021's crypto-driven price inflation. Hardware & Co recently caught MSI raising the prices of its Nvidia RTX 50 series graphics cards, effectively eliminating the last remaining MSRP listings. Although the prices have since reverted, only two RTX 5070 Ti models currently adhere to Nvidia's suggested pricing.A screenshot from VideoCardz shows that MSI briefly hiked the prices of its cheapest RTX 5070 Ti variants, listing the Shadow 3X at $819 and the Shadow 3X OC at $839 both of which have since returned to the GPU's $749 MSRP. The Ventus 3X OC and Inspire 3X OC also saw temporary price increases of $70 and $80, respectively.Click to enlargeUnfortunately, MSI continues to apply premiums to all available RTX 5080 and 5090 models. Despite the RTX 5080's official $999 MSRP, MSI's cheapest option is the Ventus 3X at $1,139. Meanwhile, the RTX 5090, theoretically priced at $1,999, actually starts at $2,399.While other board partners have also raised prices for most RTX 50 models, some MSRP listings remain, suggesting that not all manufacturers have followed MSI's lead at least not yet. The standard RTX 5070, launching on March 5, has so far maintained its $549 list price. // Related StoriesInflated prices have only worsened what was already a lukewarm cost-per-frame improvement with the RTX 50 series. Our RTX 5070 Ti review concluded that the GPU is only worthwhile at MSRP. At $900, customers might as well have bought an RTX 4070 Ti two years ago. Interested customers forced to pay $900 instead may as well have purchased an RTX 4070 Ti two years ago.Click to enlargeStill, even these overpriced models tend to sell out instantly. When Nvidia's latest lineup launched in January, some retailers received only double- or even single-digit quantities of high-end cards, and it remains unclear when stock levels will improve.One theory behind the lack of MSRP models from board partners points to their razor-thin profit margins, worsened by Nvidia's decision to use more expensive GDDR7 VRAM for every RTX 50 GPU. Additionally, a recent earthquake in Taiwan likely impacted supply chains.Whether AMD can capitalize on what some have called a paper launch from Nvidia remains uncertain. Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT are set to launch imminently at $549 and $599, with rasterized performance expected to closely match the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti. However, board partner listings for AMD's new GPUs have yet to surface.

Blender is an open source software for 3D modeling, rendering, animation, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or macOS.ModelingA range of 3D object types including polygon meshes, NURBS surfaces, Bezier and B-spline curves, metaballs, vector fonts (TrueType, PostScript, OpenType)'Smooth proxy' style catmull-clark subdivision surfacesBoolean mesh functionsAnimationArmature (skeleton) deformation with forward/inverse kinematics, auto skinning and interactive 3D paint for vertex weightingNon-linear animation mixer with automated walk cycles along pathsConstraint systemVertex key framing for morphing, with controlling slidersCharacter animation pose editorRealtime 3D/game creationGraphical editor for defining interactive behavior without programmingCollision detection and dynamics simulationSupports all OpenGL lighting modes, including transparencies, Animated and reflection-mapped texturesPlayback of games and interactive 3D content without compiling or preprocessingAudio, using the fmod toolkitMulti-layering of Scenes for overlay interfacesRenderingVery fast inbuilt raytracerIntegral support for the famous Yafray render engineOversampling, motion blur, post-production effects, fields, non-square pixelsEnvironment maps, halos, lens flares, fogVarious surface shaders such as Lambert, Phong, Oren-nayar, Blinn, ToonEdge rendering for toon shadingWhat's NewEEVEEIt's (real-)time for Light LinkingThe real-time renderer EEVEE now supports Light Linking and Shadow Linking-features previously available only in Cycles. With light linking, lights can be set to affect only specific objects in the scene. Shadow linking additionally gives control over which objects acts as shadow blockers for a light. This is now feature parity with Cycles.ShadersA new Metallic BSDF node has been added to the shader editor. Metallic BSDFThis new node exposes existing, but hard to access metallic material configurations in a small node.F82 TintThe F82 Tint approximation is artist friendly, taking colors as inputs. This is currently in use by the Principled BSDF.Conductor FresnelThis method is more complex to use, requiring IOR and Extinction coefficients per color channel as inputs. However, it can produce subtly more accurate results for real-world metals, previously achievable only through custom OSL scripts.EEVEE does not yet support the Conductor Fresnel type, so it internally remaps the IOR and Extinction coefficients to colors and uses them with the F82 Tint approximation.TexturesMake Some (Gabor) NoiseA new texture node was added that can create procedural Gabor noise for random interleaved bands with controllable direction and width.CompositorForget F12. EEVEE passes are now available for interactive compositing.Read the complete release notes here.Previous Release Notes:The next generation of the render engine EEVEE is here. Completely rewritten from scratch to allow global illumination, displacement, better SSS, viewport motion blur, and so much more.Read the complete release notes here.Sunsational LightingLighting is a breeze with added support for screen space global illumination. EEVEE can automatically extract intense lights from the World environment and treat them as Sun lights, improving the lighting quality and casting real shadows.Bump up your gameReal displacement is now supported by EEVEE. Just like in Cycles, setting your materials to "Displacement and Bump" will combine true displacement and bump mapping for finer details. Vertex position is modified.SSSuperb ScatteringSubsurface Scattering now doesn't leak between objects and has no energy loss. The subsurface translucency is now always computed, and the associated option has been removed.Turn Up the VolumeDithered volumetrics provide a much more stable result while navigating the scene.Blurry VisionMotion blur is now visible in the 3D Viewport through the camera view and supports a custom Shutter Curve, matching Cycles.

If you want versatility out of your next laptop deals purchase, we highly recommend setting your sights on a 2-in-1 laptop. Heres a nice offer to consider the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i for only $560 from Lenovo itself, following a 33% discount on its estimated value of $840. Theres no telling how much time youve got remaining before you miss out on the $280 in savings though, so you better hurry with the transaction if you want to take advantage of this special price.The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i is a 2-in-1 laptop that falls under the convertible category, which our laptop buying guide explains as a device that can transform from laptop mode to tablet mode by flipping the keyboard under the display. In the case of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i, its got a 16-inch touchscreen with WUXGA resolution that serves as the centerpiece for both modes, as well as for tent mode that will let you watch streaming shows without any distractions and for stand mode thats perfect for giving presentations.In terms of performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 laptop is a reliable device for everyday tasks with its Intel Core 5 120U processor, integrated Intel Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. It also has Windows 11 Home pre-installed in its 512GB SSD, which will provide ample space for you documents and software. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 laptop also features a 1080p camera with dual microphones, so that youd look and sound clear during video calls, plus a privacy shutter that you can close when the cameras not in use.RelatedTheres no shortage of 2-in-1 laptop deals out there, but few can match the value that youre going to get with this offer for the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i. It has an estimated value of $840, but you can buy it from Lenovo for just $560, which is equivalent to savings of $280. Were not sure if the device will remain 33% off by tomorrow though, so if you want to secure the discount for the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 laptop, youre going to have to proceed with your purchase of it right now.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to swap to your secondary weapon in Monster Hunter WildsHow to change your secondary weaponBest secondary and primary weapon combinationsFor the first time ever in Monster Hunter history, you can bring two weapons with you during a hunt. This allows you to experiment not just with your primary weapon but with a secondary weapon as well in Monster Hunter Wilds.Recommended VideosDifficultyEasyDuration5 minutesDeciding which weapon is best for you can be difficult enough, on top of the fact that you can hold a second weapon of your choice. But you won't have access to two weapons right from the get-go, and swapping between them isn't the easiest either. We'll cover how you can use your secondary weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds, as well as which weapons are good options to have as a back-up.Before you can use a secondary weapon, you must first unlock the ability to use one by completing the campaign quest Village of the Whispering Winds. This is the second main story mission, and by the end of it you will gain access to your own Seikret mount and a secondary weapon slot. Now, you just have to learn how to switch between the two.Step 1: Mount your Seikret by pressing up on your d-pad if you're on controller or Tab if you're on PC. If your Seikret isn't nearby, you'll call it and it'll pick you up.CapcomStep 2: You can only swap weapons while mounting your Seikret. So press right on the d-pad, or the X key on PC, and you'll switch to your secondary weapon. If you're not mounting your Seikret, if you press the button to swap weapons it'll automatically call your Seikret and swap weapons at the same time.CapcomRelatedStep 3: Feel free to now hop off of your Seikret to use your secondary weapon. It's an easy assumption that you can only use this secondary weapon while riding your Seikret, but you can use it while not mounted. Repeat step two if you want to switch back to your primary weapon.If you want to customize which weapons you wield for your primary and secondary slots, there's an easy way to do so.Step 1: Enter your tent as base camp or at any pop-up camps in the world. You should now be at a screen where you and your Palico are sitting down and a bunch of menu options pop up.CapcomStep 2: Move over to the second tab and select the Change Equipment option.CapcomStep 3: Now you can select your secondary weapon slot and change which weapon you'd like to hold.CapcomAlthough you don't have to use the secondary weapon, it's something that can enhance your build and pair up nicely with your main weapon. Here are some of our recommended secondary and primary weapon combos to try out during a hunt.Any weapons + Light/Heavy Bowgun: Pairing your melee primary weapon with the Light or Heavy Bowgun can provide a good balance of up-close and ranged combat. While the Light Bowgun focuses on a quicker rate of fire, the Heavy Bowgun deals more damage but is slower.Dual Blades + Bow: This is what I have been running with and it also offers a synergized playstyle for up-close fast melee combat and ranged combat. It's also fun to use the Bow while riding the Seikret to maximize your mobility.Hunting Horn + Great Sword: This is a tankier duo that can dish a lot of damage despite how slow they can be. Your Hunting Horn can provide buffs that can help you while you use your Great Sword like damage increases.Insect Glaive + Dual Blades: If you love swift mobility and quick strikes, this is the combo for. The Dual Blades offers you buffs when you get perfect dodges while the Insect Glaive allows you that vertical mobility to leap out of harm's way.Editors Recommendations

Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonics Orchestral OpulenceRecent performances at Carnegie Hall, under the Neapolitan-born conductors baton, revealed the lasting power and precision of the storied ensemble via programs that included the work of Mozart, Schubert, Dvok and others. By David Mermelstein Riccardo Muti leading the Vienna Philharmonic. Photo: Chris LeeNew YorkCopyright 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8VideosMost Popular NewsMost PopularOPINIONRecommended VideosAdvertisement

bounce, bounce, bounce These hot oil droplets can bounce off any surface Droplets of less volatile liquids like soybean oil and silicone oil have lower saturation pressures than water. Jennifer Ouellette Mar 3, 2025 11:41 am | 8 Credit: Zulu et al., 2025 Credit: Zulu et al., 2025 Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn more Burning droplets bounce back. Credit: Zulu et al., 2025 Droplets bouncing off surfaces are an everyday phenomenon, like raindrops bouncing off lotus leaves or water drops sizzling in a hot pan, levitating and sliding aroundaka the Leidenfrost effect. There is also an inverse Leidenfrost effect, first described in 1969, that involves a hot object such as a droplet levitating above a cold surface. Understanding the mechanisms behind these phenomena is crucial to a broad range of practical applications, such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fogging, surface charge printing, or droplet-based logic systems.Droplets usually only bounce if the surface is superheated or engineered in some way to reduce stickiness. Physicists from the City University of Hong Kong have figured out how to achieve this bouncing behavior of hot oil droplets off almost any surface, according to a new paper published in the journal Newton.As we've reported previously, in 1756, a German scientist named Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost reported his observation of the unusual phenomenon. Normally, he noted, water splashed onto a very hot pan sizzles and evaporates very quickly. But if the pan's temperature is well above water's boiling point, "gleaming drops resembling quicksilver" will form and skitter across the surface. It's called the "Leidenfrost effect"in his honor.In the ensuing 250 years, physicists came up with a viable explanation for why this occurs. If the surface is at least 400 Fahrenheit (well above the boiling point of water), cushions of water vapor, or steam, form underneath them, keeping them levitated. The Leidenfrost effect also works with other liquids, including oils and alcohol, but the temperature at which it manifests will be different.The phenomenon continues to fascinate physicists.For instance, in 2018, French physicists discovered that the drops aren't just riding along on a cushion of steam; as long as they are not too big, they also propel themselves. In 2019,an international team of scientists finally identifiedthe source of the accompanying cracking sound Leidenfrost reported. The scientists found that it depends on the size of the droplet; it's the larger drops that explode with that telltale crack. You can even achieve the Leidenfrost effect with ice, as physicists at Virginia Tech demonstrated in 2022.The Hong Kong physicists were interested in hot droplets striking cold surfaces. Prior research showed there was less of a bouncing effect in such cases involving heated water droplets, with the droplets sticking to the surface instead thanks to various factors such as reduced droplet surface tension. The Hong Kong team discovered they could achieve enhanced bouncing by using hot droplets of less volatile liquidsnamely, n-hexadecane, soybean oil, and silicon oil, which have lower saturation pressures compared to water.Follow the bouncing dropletThe researchers tested these hot droplets (as well as burning and normal temperature droplets) on various solid, cold surfaces, including scratched glass, smooth glass, acrylic surfaces, surfaces with liquid-repellant coatings from candle soot, and surfaces coated with nanoparticles with varying "wettability" (i.e., how well particles stick to the surface). They captured the droplet behavior with both high-speed and thermal cameras, augmented with computer modeling.The room-temperature droplets stuck to all the surfaces as expected, but the hot and burning droplets bounced. The team found that the bottom of a hot droplet cools faster than the top as it approaches a room-temperature surface, which causes hotter liquid within the droplet to flow from the edges toward the bottom. The air that is dragged to the bottom with it forms a thin cushion there and prevents the droplet from making contact with the surface, bouncing off instead. They dubbed the behavior "self-lubricated bouncing.""It is now clear that droplet-bouncing strategies are not isolated to engineering the substrate and that the thermophysical properties of droplets themselves are critical," Jonathan B. Boreyko of Virginia Tech, who was not involved in the research, wrote in an accompanying commentary.Future applications include improving the combustion efficiency of fuels or developing better fire-retardant coatings. "If burning droplets can't stick to surfaces, they won't be able to ignite new materials and allow fires to propagate," co-author Pingan Zhu said. "Our study could help protect flammable materials like textiles from burning droplets. Confining fires to a smaller area and slowing their spread could give firefighters more time to put them out."DOI: Newton, 2025. 10.1016/j.newton.2025.100014 (About DOIs).Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 8 Comments

DARPA envisions growing structures hundreds of metres longScience Photo Library / Alamy Stock PhotoThe US military is brainstorming ways to build large structures in space, from telescope antennas to elevator tethers. By growing these objects in microgravity using biological organisms, they hope to avoid the costly and painstaking process of launching components from Earth.We have yet to unlock the potential of biology for space production and manufacturing, says Michael Nayak, program manager for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The combination of biology and mechanical engineering could unlock new ways to manufacture at unprecedented