TechSpot

Twitch streamer beats Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree with a dance mat

Alfonso Maruccia — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:31 -0500

Shadow of the Erdtree is the first expansion created by the Japanese studio FromSoftware for Elden Ring. The game, which merges the "Soulsborne" formula with a new open-world design, features some challenging boss fights, including the infamous demigod Malenia. SotE has already been purchased by five million players, but FromSoftware...

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SteamDB browser extension now lets users skip discovery queue to earn event trading cards

Daniel Sims — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:24 -0500

Those who browse Steam in a web browser with the SteamDB extension installed can now earn trading cards during Steam sales without clicking through the discovery queue daily. If only the new feature hadn't debuted just as the 2024 Steam Summer sale nears its end.

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Microsoft's AI speech generator achieves human parity but is too dangerous for the public

Shawn Knight — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:18 -0500

Leveraging Vall-E's groundwork, the new AI voice tool integrates two major enhancements that greatly improve performance. Grouped code modeling allows Microsoft to better organize codec codes, resulting in shorter sequence lengths that boost inference speed and help overcome challenges associated with long sequence modeling.

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Jupiter-like exoplanet endures molten glass showers and rotten egg odor

Alfonso Maruccia — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:26 -0500

Scientists have been studying HD 189733 b for nearly two decades, continuously making new discoveries about it with the aid of advanced space observatories. A recent study published in Nature highlights how this Jupiter-mass exoplanet possesses an atmosphere rich in hydrogen sulfide.

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Airbnb continues to have a serious hidden camera problem

Cal Jeffrey — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:47 -0500

A recent lawsuit has exposed a disturbing trend in the short-term rental industry: hosts secretly recording guests at rental properties. The case involves a woman who discovered she was filmed undressing, with her images stored on the computer of an alleged sex offender who had been spying on renters for...

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PC market continues recovery with second consecutive quarter of growth

Rob Thubron — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:15 -0500

Analyst firm IDC's latest report on the state of the PC market shows total shipments in the second quarter reached 64.9 million, a 3% increase compared to the same period a year earlier. That figure would have been higher were it not for weak results in China holding the global...

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Judge dismisses most claims against Microsoft, GitHub, and OpenAI in Copilot lawsuit

Skye Jacobs — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:49 -0500

California Judge Jon Tigar has dismissed most of the claims from the class-action lawsuit filed by developers who claimed that GitHub Copilot was unlawfully copying their code. The decision marks a significant win for the generative AI industry.

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Researchers repurpose algae as horses by having them pull micro-chariots

Zo Ahmed — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:07 -0500

Researchers have engineered miniature vehicles propelled by teams of single-celled algae, like tiny green chariots pulled by microscopic steeds. The project, led by researchers at the University of Tokyo, has created two algae-driven micromachines dubbed the "rotator" and the "scooter."

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TSMC market cap briefly hits $1 trillion as it readies 2nm chip trials for iPhone 17

Kishalaya Kundu — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:21 -0500

TSMC's market cap increased by more than 50 percent over the past 12 months, largely due to a surge in demand for Nvidia's AI chips. Nvidia, which briefly became the world's most valuable company last month with a market cap of $3.3 trillion, is a key customer for TSMC. The...

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Samsung unveils the Galaxy Z Fold6, Galaxy Z Flip6, new AI features, new smartwatches and the Galaxy Ring

Bob O’Donnell — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:50 -0500

In case you hadn't noticed, device diversity is starting to go mainstream, and AI is coming along for the ride. Yes, there has been a wide range of different form factors that tech products have come in over the last few years, but realistically, most of the more interesting options...

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IoT devices could become 40% more energy-efficient with this AI-based approach

Zo Ahmed — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:27 -0500

Now, a team of researchers from South Korea's Pusan National University has developed a new method around the same technology that is approximately 40 percent more energy-efficient than current techniques.

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Equal loot for all: Minecraft Bedrock improves rare item drop rates

Erik Orejuela — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:25 -0500

Minecraft Bedrock 1.21.2 update fixes rare loot drop rates in ominous trials, aligning them with Java Edition, ensuring players in both versions have equal chances for valuable items.

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Logitech wants to make wireless gaming affordable with the new G309 Lightspeed mouse

Alfonso Maruccia — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:52 -0500

Swiss peripheral manufacturer Logitech just announced a new affordable, yet capable wireless mouse for gamers. The G309 Lightspeed device is equipped with many of the technology solutions developed by the company over the past few years, offering dual-wireless connectivity, precision tracking, and several ways to customize the experience with both...

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Google achieves 50 Gbps fiber speeds on a live network

Zo Ahmed — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:31 -0500

This marks the first time Nokia's cutting-edge 50G PON (Passive Optical Network) technology has run on an actual Google-owned fiber system rather than just a controlled lab environment. It's also one of the only known instances of consumer 50 Gigabit internet being tested on a real-world network anywhere in the...

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AI PCs might take off slowly, but battery life benefits is set to become Snapdragon X's real selling point

Daniel Sims — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:04 -0500

Despite the resources tech giants have recently poured into AI PCs, IDC data suggests their spread into the market will take years, and developers are slow to utilize them. Generative AI's true value remains uncertain, and controversies over reliability and copyright haven't faded.

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Microsoft steps down from OpenAI board, Apple will not take observer seat

Rob Thubron — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:39 -0500

Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion into OpenAI, took a non-voting observer role on the company's board in November after Sam Altman, who had been fired by the directors days earlier, returned under a new board.

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Most consumers hate the idea of AI-generated customer service

Skye Jacobs — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:08 -0500

A majority (64%) of 5,728 people surveyed by Gartner in December 2023 said they would prefer companies not to use AI in their customer service. Additionally, 53% of customers hate the idea so much that they would consider switching to a competitor if they found out a company was going...

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Samsung Electronics union declares workers will go on strike "indefinitely"

Rob Thubron — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:36 -0500

It was reported in May that Samsung Electronics was facing something it had never dealt with during the company's 55-year history: a worker strike. Representatives from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), which has more than 30,000 members, called for the action after talks over wage increases broke down.

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Game Pass to receive another price hike as Microsoft reboots console offerings

Daniel Sims — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:51 -0500

Starting Wednesday, new Xbox Game Pass subscribers can no longer select the mid-level console tier. Microsoft will replace it with a new "Standard" tier that removes launch-day titles later this year. Furthermore, the prices for all plans will increase on September 12.

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Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS 27" Review: Fast 1440p Gaming for Less Than $300

Tim Schiesser — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:09 -0500

The Asus ROG XG27ACS is an affordable 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor, which means today we are not reviewing another OLED gaming monitor, but a $290 LCD targeting mainstream gamers.

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 incoming: Watch the Samsung Unpacked event here at 6am PT / 9am ET

Rob Thubron — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:16 -0500

Samsung's announcement video makes it obvious that the event is going to be mostly about its foldable devices. And seeing as this is 2024, there's the obligatory mention that "Galaxy AI is here" in the video's description.

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Users challenge distracting Google Maps pop-up ads that suggest "quick detours"

Cal Jeffrey — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 14:41 -0500

Android user Anthony Higman recently noticed something during a trip with Google Maps navigation running. He posted on X that as he was driving by a gas station, an ad for a convenience store called Royal Farms popped up on the screen, offering to add the location as a stop...

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Google to provide a four-year support period for Linux kernel releases used in Android phones

Alfonso Maruccia — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 13:42 -0500

Google recently updated official documentation on Android Common Kernels (ACK) with new support lifetime pledges and refreshed end-of-life (EOL) dates for currently supported kernels. ACKs are the main branches of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which includes Google's own Android implementations for third-party companies working in the Android ecosystem.

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The "OKPad" combines E-Ink and IPS displays in new bargain dual-screen laptop

Shawn Knight — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 13:06 -0500

A Hong Kong-based tech startup has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a dual-screen device that delivers a traditional color IPS display alongside an e-ink screen like you'd find on an e-book reader.

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Transhumanist author predicts artificial super-intelligence, immortality, and the Singularity by 2045

Alfonso Maruccia — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 12:29 -0500

Raymond Kurzweil is a well-known computer scientist, author, and artificial intelligence enthusiast. Over the years, he has promoted radical concepts such as transhumanism and technological singularity, where humanity and advanced technology merge to create an evolved hybrid species. Kurzweil's latest predictions on AI and the future of tech essentially double...

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NATO funds project to reroute internet via satellites if undersea cables are cut

Rob Thubron — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 11:37 -0500

Increasing geopolitical tensions have raised concerns that countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea could target subsea cables during a military crisis. Such a thing is not unprecedented; Yemeni Houthi rebels were suspected of damaging underwater Red Sea cables responsible for 17% of global internet traffic in February. Elsewhere,...

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Scientists trick cancer cells into self-destructing through genetic editing

Zo Ahmed — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 10:46 -0500

The key innovation involves introducing two new "switches." The first switch enables engineered cells to outgrow and dominate the rest of the cancer cell population when exposed to a particular drug. The second switch then unleashes a toxin that kills the now-dominant modified cells along with their unmodified neighbors.

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Intel Arrow Lake-S PCs may not get Microsoft's Copilot+ certification

Kishalaya Kundu — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 10:12 -0500

Arrow Lake-S CPUs will come with a built-in NPU capable of performing 13 trillion operations per second (TOPS) according to a new leak. They are also expected to offer up to 15 CPU TOPS and nine GPU TOPS, totaling 37 TOPS of AI performance.

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Semiconductor analyst on what would happen if China destroyed TSMC's factories

Skye Jacobs — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 09:44 -0500

Semiconductor analyst Claus Assholm notes that if China invaded Taiwan, one of its goals could be to destroy TSMC's sophisticated chipmaking factories.

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Selfie-based authentication is on the rise, alarming security experts

Zo Ahmed — Tue, 9 Jul 2024 09:12 -0500

Multiple security experts and market analysts who spoke to The Register discussed this practice, highlighting just how unsafe it is and advising on ways it can be improved.

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