Microsoft is preparing to launch the next version of Windows 11, which will be called 24H2 instead of Windows 12. The update will coincide with the launch of so-called AI PCs. The next version of Windows will include new AI-powered features such as AI Explorer, which will let you search …
Read More »Astronomers Find Largest Stellar Black Hole in Our Galaxy
Black holes have a reputation as ravenous monsters that tear apart stars and planets, but most of them are very placid—they’re all but invisible out there in the emptiness of space. That can make black holes tough to identify, but astronomers have just spotted a big one. The newly discovered …
Read More »Asus Unveils 32-inch, 8K Pro Monitor With 4,096 Lighting Zones
Asus has unveiled what could be a very tempting monitor for photo and video-editing professionals. The company’s newest monitor is called the ProArt PA32KCX, and it’s being unveiled at the NAB trade show, which is fitting since that’s a show for video pros. The monitor sports true next-generation specs, including …
Read More »Samsung to Receive $6.4 Billion in CHIPS Act Funding
Samsung has now joined Intel and TSMC in receiving billions in US government subsidies to boost its American semiconductor business. The company is the last of the big three chip fabs to get a direct deposit from Uncle Sam, and the number is $6.4 billion in direct funding. The disbursement …
Read More »Gigabyte Shows Off Motherboard With Golden CPU Socket, Tons of Bling
Motherboards have gotten pretty outrageous over the past few years. Back in the day, spending $500 on a motherboard was seen as extreme, but nowadays, we have boards that cost $1,200, like the MSI Godlike. Now, Gigabyte is one-upping all those fancy boards with a new limited-edition model with a …
Read More »Apple Is Shifting Away from EVs, Toward Home Robots, Sources Say
Apple is said to be making a major project pivot. In February, the company cancelled its rumored, confirmed, and now-defunct “Apple car” program, and it’s reportedly shifting toward a fairly unexpected new scheme: personal robot assistants. Many of us thought back in January that Apple’s electric vehicle was getting closer to …
Read More »Microsoft 365 Copilot Users to Get Improved GPT-4 Turbo Model
Microsoft Copilot is spreading through all the company’s products, but under the hood, it’s just a version of OpenAI’s GPT AI models. That means not all copilots are created equal. Depending on your subscription status and where you’re talking to Copilot, you might get a more capable AI model. Microsoft …
Read More »Samsung Patent Reveals Smart Face Mask for True Nerd Cred
Semiconductor giant Samsung has applied for a patent for a high-tech face mask that is likely the most advanced ever conceived. The company calls it an “electronic mask” in its patent filing, as it uses embedded chips to help clean incoming air while also communicating with a mobile app. Though …
Read More »SSD Prices are About to Soar: Analysts
If you’ve been considering buying an SSD or upgrading your existing drive, now would be a good time to do it. A new report from an industry research firm projects that SSD prices are about to rise quite a bit as the NAND flash world seeks to recoup its losses …
Read More »Oak Ridge National Laboratory Creates 100 kW Wireless EV Charger
Engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) in Tennessee have brought us one step closer to electric vehicles that charge themselves without any tedious plugging and unplugging. The researchers recently expanded a laboratory proof-of-concept wireless charging system to the real world using a modified Hyundai Kona EV. The wireless charging …
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