At MWC 2025, Samsung executive Annika Bizon teased the durability credentials of the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge.

With unmatched performance, bandwidth, and security, WordPress.com offers everything you need for a successful website.

Marvell Technology shares plummeted more than 17% after the chipmaker's guidance fell short of some elevated buyside estimates.

More smartphone makers are showing off their own trifold phones smartphones with three displays at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

Welcome toAI Decoded,Fast Companys weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every weekhere.TSMCs new $100 billion U.S. chip investment could ease Taiwan tensionsTSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) said it would invest another $100 billion in U.S.operations over the next ten years. This will go toward building three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and an R&D center, the company said.TSMC had already committed $65 billion to building three new chip fabrication facilities near Phoenix, Arizona. One of these fabs, which makes 4-nanometer process chips for smartphones, went into production last year; the other two, which will fab 2-nanometer process chips used in AI acceleration, remain under construction.This move underscores TSMCs dedication to supporting its customers, including Americas leading AI and technology innovation companies such as Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm, the company said in a press release. The U.S. government currently collects no tariffs on imports from Taiwan, but the Trump administration is said to be considering 100% tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors and electronic devices containing the chips. TSMCs investment promise could go a long way toward forestalling any such plans.TSMC isnt exactly a household name in the U.S., but it plays a huge and growing role in the global economy. As AI moves further into business operations and consumer products, the demand for the powerful and sophisticated graphics processing units (GPUs) that power AI models will continue to grow. U.S.-based Nvidia, which now supplies almost all of the GPUs used for generative AI models, relies heavily on TSMC to fabricate its most powerful chips.If the AI industrys heavy reliance on Nvidia is a problem, its reliance on TSMC is an even bigger issue. TSMCs home country of Taiwan is only 90 miles from the Chinese mainland. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has long viewed Taiwan as a breakaway province, that will eventually have to be reunited with the Chinese homeland, even if by force. A Chinese takeover of Taiwan could cripple global semiconductor supply chains, as TSMCs highly advanced fabrication processes rely on global partnerships, export-controlled technology, and proprietary expertise that may not be easily transferred. Thats why American lawmakers have been pushing for TSMC to move some of its chip manufacturing capability to the U.S.Such diversification also lets TSMC resist coming under complete Chinese control if Taiwan would ever fall. The company started expanding its fabrication facilities outside of Taiwan in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but its offshoring efforts kicked into overdrive in the early 2020s as geopolitical tensions rose between the U.S. and China.Reagan Institute gives Pentagon a D for defense modernizationEvery year the Ronald Reagan Foundation issues a report card evaluating how well the Pentagon sources the nations best technologies. This years report finds that while the U.S. remains a global leader in technological innovationparticularly in artificial intelligence, which is playing a growing role in warfarethe Department of Defense (DOD) continues to struggle with modernization.The U.S. remains a global leader in innovation, setting technological standards worldwide and excelling in research, particularly in artificial intelligence, the report states. But the report gives the Pentagon low marks (a D) for modernizing defense systems, with the authors citing concerns about the DODs inability when it comes to integrating new capabilities into production. And while commercial technology adoption has increased in select areas, such as space communications, progress in many other sectors remains stagnant.To address these challenges, the DOD has launched accelerated contracting programs and established the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to source and fund promising defense-relevant technologies. But, according to the report, the Pentagon still struggles to acquire new technology quickly and efficientlyparticularly software, including AI.The reports advisory board includes executives from defense contractors Palantir, Anduril, and Microsoft, as well as a number of venture capitalists with ties to the defense sector including Joe Lonsdale of 8VC, Raj Shah of Shield Capital, and Katherine Boyle of Andreessen Horowitz.Ex-Google engineering VP Anna Patterson unveils her new AI training companyA wave of AI infrastructure companies has sprung up to help enterprises (especially ones without teams of PhDs) more easily build and deploy AI models. Anna Patterson, an ex-Google VP of Engineering and founder of Gradient Ventures, is now bringing her new AI training-focused infrastructure company out of stealth. The company, Ceramic.ai, is made up of nine engineers and has so far raised $12 million in seed funding from New Enterprise Associates and others.Enterprises that decide to build AI infrastructure from scratch often run into problems and delays related to technical complexity, Patterson says. With AI infrastructure theres a real dichotomy between what is available to most enterprises, and what the biggest AI labs are using, Patterson tells Fast Company. This can be especially taxing with training and fine-tuning models, which involves both science and art.Ceramics training methods let models get the most out of the available training data and computing power (GPU time). The company organizes training data by topic before introducing it to the model. Ceramic can then help the enterprise customer train its model with its own proprietary domain knowledge.Ceramic gets some of its computing power for training from the cloud GPU provider Lambda. In fact, Patterson says, Lambda has begun referring its prospective enterprise customers to Ceramic for model training. As model developers become more focused on training data to improve their models, many will see the benefit of using a dedicated model training platform developed by AI training experts.More AI coverage from Fast Company:This DOGE staffers GitHub posts might help us understand how Elon Musk wants to bring AI into the governmentAI Chatbots have telltale quirks. Researchers can spot them with 97% accuracyHollywoods obsession with AI-enabled perfection is making movies less humanCurious about DeepSeek but worried about privacy? These apps let you use an LLM without the internetWant exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium.

Several U.S. retailers that publicly scrapped diversity, equity and inclusion programsincluding Target, Amazon, and Tractor Supplyare maintaining certain efforts behind the scenes.The three retailers, while theyve ended DEI programs on paper, have told advocacy groups and individuals they will continue to offer financial support for some LGBTQ+ Pride and racial justice events, as well as provide internal support for resource groups for underrepresented employees.These contradictions between public remarks to investors and those made to individuals or small groups illustrate the tightrope theyve walked since U.S. President Donald Trump deemed some elements of DEI illegal and threatened possible investigations into firms that practice it. Advocates say DEI programs arent exclusionary policies, but are needed to redress longstanding bias, inequity and discrimination, while detractors counter people should be hired solely on merit without taking into consideration gender or race.Companies are trying to thread the needlestay true to corporate values, satisfy various stakeholders, but reduce legal risk, said Jason C. Schwartz, an employment law partner at Gibson Dunn who advises corporate clients on their DEI policies.Reuters conducted more than a dozen interviews with company employees, advocates for underrepresented groups whove met with corporate executives, and consultants advising companies on DEI issues for this story. The developments they described havent been previously reported.Tractor Supply, which sells home and garden supplies and clothing to farmers and ranchers, in June ended a DEI program that had aimed to help put people of color in management roles and boost funding to education programs for Black Americans. It also ceased gathering data on its workforce for the Human Rights Campaigns annual Corporate Equality Index, a benchmarking tool that rates American businesses on their treatment of LGBTQ+ workers and customers. A Tractor Supply spokesperson told Reuters it remained steadfast in its purposeful decision to remove perceived political and social agendas from its business.But Keayana Robinson, the contractor who led the diversity data collection at Tractor Supply, told Reuters the retailer offered to keep her on in an undefined role that would be as closely aligned as possible to the DEI work she had been doing.Managers assured her that Tractor Supplys inclusivity initiativesparticularly its resource groups for underrepresented employeeswould continue, Robinson said.I dont want to work for an organization that wants to hide me, she said.Tractor Supply declined to comment on Robinsons account of its conversations with her.Target in January ended its participation in the HRC survey, and scrapped a DEI program that included a goal to increase the number of Black employees by 20% over three years. A Target spokesperson said the new approach is all about driving business results by increasing relevance with U.S. consumers and making Target a destination for talent.After Target rolled back its DEI program, Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, CEO of corporate consultancy Rae Mackenzie Group in Minneapolis, said she met with Target executives, including CEO Brian Cornell. Target has long been a sponsor of her career events in Minnesota for people of color, as well as an event she organized honoring Black women of Minneapolis.She said the meetings reassured her that Target would keep a commitment to diversity. I believe the Target DNA we have come to love remains intact, Smith-Akinsanya said, adding that she understands the political threats companies are facing.For some, the retailers private pledges or actions to continue to support diversity and minority groups dont go far enough.Twin Cities Pride Executive Director Andi Otto said representatives of Minneapolis-based Target called him to make assurances that their inclusivity efforts would not change, despite the changing and current climate of anti-DEI sentiment. But his organization turned down a $50,000 sponsorship from Target this year after nearly two decades of partnering with the chain because of their changes in DEI coupled with the company removing some Pride Month products in 2023.Twin Cities Pride did not accept a sponsorship from Target this year because the company would not specify how it would continue to support LGBTQ+ shoppers and employees to the organizations satisfactions, Otto said, calling Targets move away from DEI problematic. Turning down Targets money is a form of protest, a move that he says sends a message to Target that it cant have it both ways.Similarly, when Black business leader Sheletta Brundidge learned Amazon had rolled back some DEI programs, she dropped the online retailer as a $10,000 sponsor of her annual Black Entrepreneurs Day held at the Minnesota State Capitol. A company representative tried to downplay the changes during a subsequent phone call, according to Brundidge, but it did not change her mind.Weve been working to build a diverse team for many years and are committed to continuing on that path, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. Youll see us continue to inspect and evolve our programs to help us do this really difficult work well. Amazon did not comment on Brundidges account.PICKING THEIR BATTLESSome companies are keeping DEI programs despite political and legal risk. Investors at Apple voted against proposals to curtail DEI during its shareholder meeting in February. A day later, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Apple should get rid of DEI rules. Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the companys website says it is continuing to create a culture of inclusion, belonging, and collaboration where everyone can do their best work.Costco Wholesale shareholders in January voted down a proposal to curb its DEI initiatives. A week later, 19 Republican attorneys general demanded Costco notify the states within 30 days whether it will repeal its DEI policies or provide an explanation for maintaining them. Costco did not immediately return a message seeking comment.But the list of companies removing DEI programs in recent months has expanded to include Paramount, Walmart, Lowes, PepsiCo, McDonalds, John Deere, and others. Walmart, PepsiCo, Paramount, and McDonalds confirmed changing their DEI programs, while other companies did not immediately comment.Lawyers say that, as executives calculate which programs to eliminate and which to keep, theyre considering both legal and political risks.Although U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on February 5 threatened to criminally prosecute companies with illegal DEI programs that exclude individuals based on race or sex, she did not explicitly define illegal, lawyers say. In a memo, she said her mandate does not prohibit educational, cultural, or historical observances . . . that celebrate diversity, like Black History Month.Black Women Talk Tech co-founder Regina Gwynn said it is seeing continued support from some companies that sponsor its events for Black women founders and tech workers. But some sponsors requested to have their names left off marketing materials out of fear of political and legal retribution, she said.The programs most often retained, Gibson Dunns Schwartz said, are the ones tied to relationships with customers and employees: sponsorships of events benefiting underrepresented groups, employee groups that create a sense of community at work, and cultural events like Black History Month.Companies are essentially picking their battles, he said, or trying to avoid battles altogether.Nicholas P. Brown and Arriana McLymore, Reuters

Niigata, Japan gets a lot of snow. Way back in the 1960s, they figured out a way to keep the roads clear of snow without requiring plows. Groundwater warmed by geothermal heat is pumped through a network of pipes below the road surface, and sprayed onto the asphalt using sprinklers:The system is called shosetsu. Because the warmed water flows along the grade of the roads, it doesn't freeze and turn into iceat least in Niigata, where the temperatures don't often dip below the freezing point. (Icy Hokkaido, where the system is not in use, would be a different story.)Niigata reportedly has some 571 kilometers (355 miles) of roadways equipped with shosetsu.It's better on cars than salt.

Internet routers are nothing new, but they have traditionally been kept on shelves and under desks because of their unattractive appearance. That, however, actually affects their performance, particularly their reach, forcing owners to choose between a strong Internet connection and a pleasing interior design. With home Internet needs exponentially increasing every year, routers can no longer stay hidden in corners and are starting to become very visible presences in living spaces.Some routers have embraced their nature of cold, impersonal technologies with designs that look alien and at times intimidating. Fortunately, a few designers and manufacturers have realized the need for more human aesthetics that seamlessly blend into their surroundings, such as this WiFi router that lets you style the device the way you want it, matching not only your decor but your own personality as well.Designer: Intexiv for KT (Korea Telecom)Were finally starting to see routers that add aesthetic value to the space they live in. Going beyond the crude and clinical plain white boxes that most of them bear, some routers adopt minimalist and sometimes even nature-inspired designs. That said, all these presume that everyone wants a plain white or plain black box standing on their desks or shelves clear as day.The Vibrant WiFi router takes this humanization of technology to the next level by making the device not only appealing but also personal. This simple yet ingenious strategy involves a switchable enclosure that covers the actual router, which is nothing more than a tall, pill-shaped object. On the surface (pardon the pun), the solution is pretty simple, but it requires careful design and engineering. After all, using the wrong materials can negatively affect the WiFis performance.When done correctly, however, the enclosures offer a nearly unlimited amount of customization as far as appearances go. Its not just the color that can be changed as each shell can also have different materials and finishes. They can be plain or textured, opaque or translucent, and even printed with graphic designs. It can even become an opportunity for branding collaborations. And you dont even have to stick to one skin, as you can swap them out as your tastes, moods, and interior decor change.It might sound like a very trivial feature, but the Vibrant WiFi router does more than just make the device look good. It empowers owners to design their space even further, no longer hampered by boring boxes or horned monstrosities. The router now becomes a decorative object that you can design as you wish and flaunt to your guests without having to worry that it will be standing in some secluded spot that will affect its signal strength.The post Customizable WiFi router skins turn an eyesore into an aesthetic decoration first appeared on Yanko Design.

Walking through spaces that are unfamiliar can evoke some sort of feeling in you, whether its a good or uncomfortable one depends on your own personal experience. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is visit museums and exhibitions that are unique and interesting and can stir up all kinds of emotions as I walk through these spaces. But one common thing that I realized is that even if its far from your own reality, there is still that something familiar that comes from our shared human experience. Designer: Do Ho SuhSouth Korean artist Do Ho Suh, popular for his sculptures and installations, is holding a solo exhibition called Walk the House at the Tate Modern from May 1 to October 19, 2025 as part of the Genesis Exhibition series. As part of the prestigious Genesis Exhibition series, Walk the House marks Suhs return to London after two decades, showcasing the evolution of his artistic practice over the past thirty years. The exhibition showcases Suhs exploration of home, memory, and identity through translucent fabric installations and other media. It features some of his key works for the past three decades, with the new installation, Nest/s 2024, taking center stage. Perfect Home: London, Horsham, New York, Berlin, Providence, Seoul 2024 maps past residences through imprints of doorknobs and switches, blurring the lines between past and present.The new installation envelops the viewer in a maze of translucent corridors that use materials like polyester and stainless steel. From the outside, the installation resembles an animated, ethereal maze, inviting viewers to step inside and embark on a surreal exploration of domestic spaces. Walking through Nest/s 2024 is akin to traversing a dreamscape, a tangible manifestation of Suhs exploration of architecture as a vessel for memory. The translucent fabric walls create a sense of ethereal fragility, blurring the lines between physical reality and the intangible realms of memory and emotion. Suhs intention goes beyond mere physical representation; he seeks to explore spaces as intangible, metaphorical, and psychological entities, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationships with home and belonging.His other exhibits include the Rubbing/Loving series, capturing lived spaces through paper and graphite imprints, and digital reconstructions of buildings using photogrammetry. The Bridge Project explores the sociopolitical and ecological dimensions of the perfect home. The exhibition is co-curated by Nabila Abdel Nabi and Dina Akhmadeeva, and it marks the European expansion of Genesis Art Initiatives, supporting cultural legacy worldwide.The post Do Ho Suhs Walk the Line exhibit explores memory and architecture first appeared on Yanko Design.

Demons are the least of your problems in this Persona-meets-Resident Evil indie.