When we reviewed the Dell XPS 16 and XPS 14 laptops earlier this year, one of our biggest complaints with both models was the relatively exorbitant prices. Now, Dell has addressed this to a minor extent by dropping the price of both models by $200 across all configurations, the company told Engadget in an email.
Dell cited a couple of examples of high-end configurations. The XPS 14 build with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and a 3.2K OLED display is now $2,500 instead of $2,700. Meanwhile, the higher-end XPS 16 with the same specs but the addition of a GeForce RTX 4070 and 4K OLED display drops from $3,400 to $3,200.
Lower-end configurations are also $200 cheaper and represent a better saving, percentage-wise. The XPS 16 starts at $1,900 so it's now $1,700, while the base 14-inch model drops from $1,700 to $1,500.
That's still MacBook Pro M3 money for similar higher-end models (the 16-inch 36GB M3 Pro model is $2,900). However, it shows some acknowledgement from Dell that the original price was too steep and may have impacted sales.
In fairness, these are among the best Windows laptops available (Dell obviously felt they were worth a premium), with glorious screens and a blend of beauty and power. They also offer solid connectivity, though we disliked the invisible trackpad and capacitive top row buttons that disappear in bright sunlight.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dells-xps-14-and-16-get-a-permanent-200-price-cut-123036312.html?src=rss
The StrataSys J55 represents a groundbreaking advancement in the field of full-color resin 3D printing, offering an unprecedented 640,000 color combinations. This industrial-grade printer, streamlines the process of creating intricately detailed, fully painted models. Its user-friendly design, minimal post-processing requirements, and low maintenance needs set it apart as a trailblazer in the 3D printing industry. […]
Timelapses and hyperlapses are two powerful techniques in video editing that allow you to manipulate time and space, creating captivating and dynamic visual experiences. While both involve capturing footage at intervals, they differ in their execution and the effects they produce. Timelapses condense long periods of time into short, fast-paced sequences by capturing frames at […]
Because there simply aren’t enough AI-powered chatbots out there, we’re getting one more. This one, called AI Chat, comes courtesy of DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine that obviously doesn’t want to feel left behind in the AI arms race. The company has been testing AI Chat over the last few months, but as of today, it’s available to everyone.
Unlike other standalone bots like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT that are powered by their own large language models, DuckDuckGo’s AI Chat is not. Instead, think of it as a way to access multiple chatbots in a single place. Right now, AI chat will let you choose between OpenAI’s GPT 3.5, Anthropic’s Claude 3 Haiku, Meta’s Llama 3 and Mistral’s Mistral 8x7B, and the company says that more models are coming soon. The main differences between them largely boil down to how many parameters — technical speak for the settings that a large language model can tweak to give you an answer — each one has. If you don’t like a model’s answer, you can try another one.
AI Chat is free to use but is capped with the daily limit. The company said that it’s exploring a paid plan that will give access to higher limits as well as more advanced AI models. DuckDuckGo said that you can use AI Chat to ask questions, draft emails, write code, and create travel itineraries among other things, but it doesn't generate images yet.
Not surprisingly, DuckDuckGo is stressing how private using AI Chat is compared to just using ChatGPT or Claude on their own. The company claims that your questions and the generated answers won’t be used for training AI models. "[We] call the underlying chat models on your behalf, removing your IP address completely and using our IP address instead,” wrote Nirzar Pangarkar, DuckDuckGo’s lead designer in a blog post. “This way it looks like the requests are coming from us and not you.” And if you’d rather not deal with a chatbot when you’re just trying to search anonymously, DuckDuckGo lets you easily turn the feature off.
AI Chats is separate from DuckAssist, another AI-powered feature that DuckDuckGo added last year that provides AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. It’s just like Google’s AI Overviews, the controversial new feature that recently told people to eat rocks and put glue on their pizza, except that DuckAssist sticks to reliable sources like Wikipedia to generate its responses. DuckDuckGo thinks that AI Chat and DuckAssist are complementary. “If you start with Search, you may want to switch to AI Chat for follow-up queries to help make sense of what you’ve read, or for quick, direct answers to new questions that weren’t covered in the web pages you saw,” wrote Pangarkar. “It’s all down to your personal preference.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/duckduckgo-dips-into-the-ai-chatbot-pond-120035373.html?src=rss
Cloud databases, also known as Database as a Service (DBaaS), offer a range of benefits for developers, particularly in terms of ease of use, deployment options, disaster recovery, and scalability. These databases are hosted by cloud providers with data centers distributed globally, allowing for efficient data management and accessibility. IBM outlines the core aspects and […]
Our unhealthy practices and way of living are truly harmful to the environment and have been slowly leading to its deterioration. And the world has been changing (for the worse) because of this. Hence, it is extremely important to live sustainably and consciously and to take care of the environment in 2024! Integrating sustainability into our day-to-day lives has become crucial. And we can do this in various ways. Designers and creators are coming up with sustainable alternatives for almost everything. Every product that is necessary and utilized by us in our everyday routine has an eco-friendly alternative to it. Replacing our usual mass-produced designs with these greener options will make a huge difference to the environment and Mother Earth. And on World Environment Day, we’ve curated a collection of eco-friendly designs to help you live more green – check them out!
1. EasyFreeze
In countries like Nigeria, power outages are a daily occurrence, and they can tend to last for hours. In these difficult living conditions, a traditional fridge is of no use. Hence, Amped Innovation designed EasyFreeze – a solar-powered fridge that will function effectively irrespective of power conditions.
Why is it noteworthy?
The fridge will function off-grid, or irrespective of an unreliable grid. It is an excellent solution for regions with abundant solar energy, but poor infrastructure. It is a thoughtfully designed fridge and freezer, which can refrigerate in 20 minutes, and freeze in less than an hour. It can maintain its temperature for up to 40 hours even during power outages, or days when the sun isn’t shining.
What we like
Provides reliability and efficiency even in challenging conditions
Uses an ice battery instead of typical lithium-ion batteries
What we dislike
Priced at $900, and intended for middle-class families, low-income groups may find it difficult to purchase
2. Sustainable Cutlery Set
Named the Sustainable Cutlery Set, this guilt-free dining product is built using Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers or GFRP. It is a sustainable set comprising of light and durable utensils, packed in reusable and recyclable packaging. The utensils are designed to last a long time, maybe even longer than you!
The Sustainable Cutlery Set is quite mechanically strong, which means the knife and fork wont break if your steak is a bit too tough. The different utensils can be split in half, making them portable in design. The various parts can be easily screwed and unscrewed, while also ensuring they are durable.
What we like
Eco-friendly and yet long-lasting
Portable and easy-to-carry form
What we dislike
The handles of the cutlery might be too thin for large hands
3. Briiv Pro
Called the Briiv Pro, this eco-friendly purifier combines nature and technology to offer you clean air in your home. The newly designed version is more powerful than the previous one, and it can purify a 16 sq.m. room in 21 minutes. It is a ‘mini forest’ that is 6900% more effective than house plants.
Why is it noteworthy?
Briiv Pro is 6900% more effective than house plants, which is truly commendable for its size. It is super functional, and quite hood-looking, unlike other air purifiers in the market which tend to be bulky and visually displeasing.
What we like
The purifier works at a whisper-soft noise level
Features an AI-based sensor
What we dislike
Isn’t as fast as other air purifiers in the market, and they’re more economically priced as well
4. Earth-Friendly Tumbler
Meet the Earth-Friendly Tumbler – an eco-friendly made using PAPLUS, a new thermoplastic resin that combines biodegradable paper to add more durability, moldability, and heat resistance. These are qualities that normal PLA lacks, so this tumbler is quite exceptional.
The Earth-Friendly Tumbler utilizes PAPLUS, an eco-friendly material-, to form a unique texture that is similar to ceramic or wooden cups. As you take a sip from the tumbler, you taste a wonderful flavor, while also experiencing an engaging sensation on your lips.
What we like
Elevates the basic act of drinking water, and adds a whole new sensory experience
Has a heat resistance of f 120°
What we dislike
The natural color does become uneven and fade from use, which may not be preferred by all users
5. Cloche Table Smoker
Meet the Cloche table smoker – a smoker that uses aromatic pants and wood ships, allowing the food you’re cold smoking to retain its original flavors, with a touch of smokiness added to it. This smoker also functions as a dining table decoration, owing to its beech and stainless steel aesthetic which elevates the ordinary atmosphere of your meal.
Why is it noteworthy?
It creates a soothing ritual for you, one that involves arranging the food, lighting the fire, putting it out, and displaying the food for eating. The sustainable smoker ensures that you don’t need to use an actual smoking grill, and it in fact doubles up as a table decoration or food container too.
What we like
Eliminates the need for an actual smoking grill
Serves as a table decoration too
What we dislike
A bit small in size, so you can only use it if you’re having a few guests over
6. Earth-Friendly Stacking Cup
Called the Earthly-Friendly Stacking Cup, this stylish yet minimal stacking cup is designed to save the environment. The cup is built from eco-friendly synthetic materials which lend it a unique texture. The cup is made from a material called PAPLUS and it includes biodegradable paper.
The unique texture of the cup is much like ceramic or wood, and it offers a sensory experience to your lips and mouth. It embodies minimal aesthetics and sustainable practice and produces a soul-enriching drinking experience that you’ll never forget.
What we like
Built from a plant-derived biodegradable resin
What we dislike
It looks similar to other cups on the market, with nothing special aesthetically to set it apart
7. Cambio Pods Container
Designed by Zenpack, this container is made using eco-friendly materials, and it also functions as a mini recycling bin for the pods, before they’re sent to the actual recycling bin. The container is made using molded pulp with vertical ribs to offer it more structure. The container can hold 10 pods. It is sustainable as it is essentially a glue-free belly band with a tear strip.
Why is it noteworthy?
The elements of the packaging can be later thrown into a respectable recycling bin. You can also use it as a temporary compost bin for your coffee grounds, and kitchen scraps. It is an added functional product in a world where sustainable brands are growing, and evolving.
What we like
Serves as a mini recycling bin for the pods
What we dislike
There aren’t different sizes and colors to pick from, no variety
8. PLANETCARE 2.0
Dubbed the PLANETCARE 2.0, this microfiber filter attachment is designed for your washing machine. A lot of the ocean’s microplastic problem, or to be precise 35% of it comes from the washing machine, as it involves a blend of synthetic fibers that mix with water, and then land up in the ocean.
Why is it noteworthy?
This nifty little filter can be easily snapped onto the side of the washing machine. The filter cleanses out all the water the machine drains out after a cycle. It is the water equivalent of sorting through your trash.
What we like
You can be easily attached to your washing room
Removes all the microplastic from the machine’s drain water
What we dislike
You may need to change/adjust the position of the filter to ensure adequate water pressure
9. Stack Chair
Called the Stack Chair, this innovative chair includes a compass-like four-legged base, allowing you to stack the chair almost to infinity! However, you will be limited by the vertical space available, and how safe it is to reach there. But it is a great space-saving design, especially for when chairs are not being used.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Stack Chair consists of the base and the shells, and both parts can be connected by snapping the base under the shell’s designed rim. This allows both elements to form a single piece of furniture, which is quite stable. This also simplifies the entire manufacturing process, and assembly and shipping too.
What we like
You can mix and match different base and shell colors or even materials
What we dislike
The chair doesn’t look too comfy to sit on for long durations of time
10. Grass-Fed Bone China
Dan Barber and Ceramist Gregg F Moore collaborated to build a line of tableware that is made from grass-fed bone china. The ceramic is made from the bones of grass-fed cows, and these cows are raised by Barber on his farms – he is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant.
Why is it noteworthy?
The cows consume grass, instead of the usual grain-based farm diet. They consume the grass, move around, and roam freely to look for greener pastures. This makes their bones stronger in comparison to cows who are raised on conventional farms. This makes the ceramics stronger, creamier, and durable.
What we like
The ceramics are stronger and more durable compared to the regular ones
Imagine the possibilities that open up when you transform your car’s navigation screen into a fully functional laptop display. With the AutoPro X wireless adapter, this dream becomes a reality, thanks to its seamless integration with Samsung Dex. This innovative device allows you to connect your Galaxy smartphone to your car’s screen, providing enhanced functionality […]
Creating Gantt charts in Excel can help you manage project timelines effectively. Follow these steps to create your own Gantt chart: Open Excel and create a new spreadsheet. Enter your project data, including task names, start dates, and durations. Insert a stacked bar chart from the ‘Insert’ tab. Format the chart to display tasks on […]
Remember Humane’s AI pin that was hyped as the next big thing right up until people used it? Turns out being an unusable piece of tat wasn’t the only thing wrong with it: Humane has now advised users its charging case may pose a fire risk. There are other less flammable ways to re-juice your unit, with the fault limited to a single component. But, even so, it’s not a good look for a company that already has plenty of eggs on its virtual face.
Starliner has successfully completed its first crewed launch on the back of an Atlas V rocket, nearly a month after originally planned. The vessel is now on course to dock with the ISS with two crew members and 760 pounds of cargo, where it will stay for the next eight days. After so many false starts, let’s hope Starliner can finally start delivering on the promises made all those years ago.
YouTube has altered its policies on weapon-related videos to ban content for users under 18. Similarly, it’s banning clips detailing how to remove safety devices for all ages from June 18. The move comes a full year after a watchdog group found YouTube was recommending gun content to “child” accounts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-humanes-ai-pin-is-hot-not-in-a-good-way-111527573.html?src=rss
Apple is set to release iOS 18, a significant update to its mobile operating system that promises to bring a wealth of new features and enhancements to iPhone users. With over 20 new features, iOS 18 aims to revolutionize the way you interact with your device, making it more personalized, intuitive, and efficient than ever […]
