Another EV manufacturer bites the dust with Fisker officially declaring bankruptcy. The US-based startup filed for Chapter 11 protections late Monday, June 17, with plans to restructure its debt and sell its assets. Unfortunately, this means the Alaska EV with a designated cowboy hat space will likely never come to fruition.
"We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers' hands," a Fisker spokesperson stated. "But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently."
The news is not exactly surprising, as Fisker had already halted investments in future models, like the Alaska EV. That decision came alongside concerning figures in Fisker's February release of its preliminary Q4 and 2023 earnings. Among them was its plan to lay off 15 percent of its employees — about 200 people — as it attempted a switch to a Dealer Partner model. The startup had claimed it was in talks with "a large automaker" for an influx of cash and production support.
Fisker also revealed in the report that it had produced 10,193 units of its sole EV available, the Ocean SUV, in 2023 but only delivered 4,929 vehicles. Plus, there was the fact that, despite Fisker's fourth-quarter revenue increasing to $200.1 million from the previous quarter's $128.3 million, the company still had a gross margin of negative 35 percent.
The decision to file for Chapter 11 protections adds Fisker to the ranks of other EV startups, such as Volta Trucks and Lordstown Motors. The two companies filed for bankruptcy last year in Sweden and the United States, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fisker-is-the-latest-ev-startup-to-declare-bankruptcy-123056157.html?src=rss
ChatLLM by Abacus AI is a comprehensive platform that integrates multiple state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) into a single system. It offers various functionalities such as document analysis, chart creation, custom AI agent deployment, and third-party integrations. The platform is designed to enhance both personal and business operations by harnessing the power of advanced AI […]
We will get the first Apple intelligence features when IOs 18 is released later this year, Apple is also planning to roll out more AI features next year. According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will slowly roll out its Apple Intelligence features this year and next year, they are doing this […]
It’s time for another Nintendo Direct, where the company teases, hypes and previews its upcoming slate of games. You can watch the June Nintendo Direct right here today at 10AM ET.
One thing we can rule out in advance is news about the Nintendo Switch successor. Last month, the company finally confirmed that it will unveil its next console by March 2025. However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa quickly dashed any hopes that we’ll hear about it in today’s Direct. And the stream’s YouTube description box reiterates that as plainly as possible: “There will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during this presentation.”
So, Nintendo clearly wants us to think about one of the last waves of games for the Switch before we start drooling over new hardware. Let’s see what it has in store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-the-next-nintendo-direct-here-at-10am-et-120054935.html?src=rss
If you want to back up valuable data from your PC, transfer videos to a Mac or offload a few games from your game console, a good external SSD can help. These tiny bricks may cost more than a traditional portable hard drive, but they’re noticeably faster, smaller and far more reliable in the long term. That said, determining the best external SSD for you isn’t as simple as picking the one that’s priced the lowest or packs the most space. (At least, it shouldn’t be.) If you’re looking to add some portable storage to your desktop or everyday carry, we’ve spent months weeding through the external solid-state drive market, testing several contenders and sorting out which ones deliver the most value. You can find our favorites, plus a quick rundown of what to know before buying one of these things, below.
The pre-built OWC Express 1M2 is a premium-feeling USB4 SSD that’s roughly as fast as the ADATA SE920, but it’s larger and significantly more expensive as of this writing.
If you’re in the relatively small group with a PC that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 but not Thunderbolt or USB4, the Crucial X10 Pro is essentially a faster version of our top pick. The Lexar SL600 is a larger but slightly quicker option, while the Lexar SL500, Kingston XS2000 or Samsung T9 could also work if you see them on discount. As a reminder, though, drives like these are aimed primarily at content creators and other professionals, and you have to make sure you won’t upgrade to a device with a faster USB interface anytime soon.
The Samsung T7 Shield has a conveniently rugged design with a rubberized, IP65-rated shell. It also comes with both USB-C and USB-A cables. But it was consistently slower than the X9 Pro and XS1000 in our benchmark tests, plus it has a shorter three-year warranty.
The Silicon Power PX10 is an especially affordable USB 3.2 Gen 2 model. Its peak speeds weren’t too far off the X9 Pro or XS1000 in synthetic benchmarks, but it can get distractingly hot and its sustained writes are markedly worse. It took 50 seconds longer to move our 70GB custom test folder to this drive compared to the X9 Pro, for example.
The Crucial X6 is another low-cost option that’s a good bit slower than our top picks. It’s limited to a three-year warranty and lacks an IP rating as well. It’s not a terrible option for the basics, but there’s little reason to get it over the XS1000 when their prices are similar.
The OWC Envoy Pro FX is well-built and supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2, but it’s a smidge slower than the SE920 and Express 1M2, and it’s much pricier than the former.
The Samsung T9 portable SSD.
Samsung
What to consider before buying an external SSD
Capacity
The first thing to figure out before buying a portable SSD is just how much storage space you need. Most of the drives we considered for this guide are available in capacities ranging from one to four terabytes, though plenty of smaller and larger options exist.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for which size is “best” — that’ll ultimately depend on your budget and what exactly you’re looking to stash. But in general, it’s better to overcompensate than underdo it. Nobody wants to be forced into buying a second drive because they filled the first one up too quickly. If you’re backing up a PC, a good rule of thumb is to buy an external SSD with twice as much space as your computer’s internal storage. This way, you can save at least one full backup while also having room for additional data. If you want to store a bunch of PlayStation or Xbox games with huge install sizes, you may need more space. If you just want to back up a small collection of files, you may be better off saving your cash and just getting a smaller USB flash drive instead, which aren’t quite the same as the external SSDs we tested for this guide.
Price
In general, you get a better price-per-gigabyte ratio the further you go up the capacity ladder. As of this writing, the 1TB Samsung T9 is priced at $135, or $0.14 per gigabyte (GB), while the 4TB version is available for $350, or $0.09 per GB. That technically makes the larger model a better “value,” but not everyone needs to pay that much more upfront.
SSDs in the same speed class tend to not vary too wildly in terms of performance, so part of our decision-making for this guide came down to which ones are often the cheapest. But prices can fluctuate over time; if you see that one of our top picks is priced way higher than a comparable honorable mention, feel free to get the latter. At this point in time, costs are broadly trending upwards.
The ADATA SE920 portable SSD connected to an Apple MacBook Pro.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Speed and USB interface
Just about all external SSDs are significantly faster than mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs), so you’ll save time waiting for files to transfer and games to load no matter what. Within the market, however, there are distinct performance tiers. These are defined in large part by the USB interface a drive supports. While all of the SSDs we considered for this guide can connect over USB-C, some USB-C connections can supply faster transfer speeds than others. Sorting through this can get real confusing real fast, so we’ll try to put it in simple terms.
Essentially, you can divide today’s crop of portable SSDs into five segments. At the top are drives that utilize Thunderbolt 3 or 4 or the more recent USB4 spec, which have a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 40 gigabits per second (Gbps). Note that USB4 comes in two different variants, though, one of which is limited to 20 Gbps. Below that is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, which also tops out at 20 Gbps. (Getting confused yet?) Then you have USB 3.2 Gen 2, which maxes at 10 Gbps. Next is USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is capped at 5 Gbps. Lastly, we’ll bundle together SSDs that use older standards and aren’t worth considering here.
For everyday folks, a good USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is the sweet spot between fast enough performance and a cheap enough price, so those make up our chief recommendations below. If you work in a creative field or don’t mind paying extra to shave seconds off your large file transfers, though, a “higher-tier” model would make sense. However, note that systems that utilize USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 aren’t super common — no Mac supports it, for one — and the interface is effectively being replaced by USB4.
In general, your chain is only as strong as its weakest link: If your computer only has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for example, you could still use a Thunderbolt SSD, but you won’t get beyond Gen 2 speeds. Make sure you know what you’re working with before you buy.
As a refresher, storage devices are broadly measured in terms of read and write speeds. The former refers to how long it takes to access something from the drive; the latter, how long it takes to save something to it. From there, you can break these metrics into sequential and random performance. Sequential speeds tend to matter more with portable SSDs, since most people use them to save or access long, constant streams of data such as a bunch of high-res photos. Random speeds would be important if you want to run video games off the drive, since that’d involve reading and writing smaller, more scattered files. Either way, how well an SSD can sustain its performance with extended use is also critical.
Other performance factors and enclosures
A modern portable SSD’s speeds aren’t just about its USB interface, though. Its performance can also depend on how advanced its controller is, whether it has a native USB flash controller or a separate bridge chip to communicate with a host device, the kind and quality of NAND flash memory it uses, whether it has a DRAM cache or it’s DRAM-less, and more.
We’re simplifying things, but here are some quick tips: Drives with triple-level cell (TLC) memory aren’t as cheap as quad-level cell (QLC) SSDs, but they’re generally more reliable and they offer better write performance. Having a dedicated DRAM cache helps if you plan to hit your drive with more intense, sustained workloads, but may not be worth the extra cost for most people. Some models with native flash controllers may not perform as well as those with a bridging chip, depending on the SSD inside, but they typically draw less heat and are physically smaller. All of this is to say that an external SSD’s speeds aren’t quite as straightforward as what the manufacturer chooses to advertise on the box.
It’s also worth remembering that you can turn an internal SSD into a portable solution with a good enclosure. If you have a spare drive and don’t mind going the DIY route, this can be a cheaper and more flexible solution, though we’ve stuck to pre-built models for this guide for the sake of simplicity.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Size, durability, endurance and warranty
Most portable SSDs are impressively small and light, so they won’t be difficult to tuck in a bag (or even a pocket) and take on the go. We note below if any drive is bulkier than usual.
Nothing we’re talking about matters if your drive can’t last in the long term. It’s hard to definitively say which external SSDs are the most reliable, but we scoured through user reviews and feedback while researching this guide to ensure none of our picks show a pattern of catastrophic errors. If there was too much smoke around a particular model, we steered clear. We ruled out certain drives from SanDisk and Western Digital, for instance, after reports from Ars Technica and The Vergenoted an issue that led to data loss (and lawsuits) in 2023.
That said, one of the big reasons you’d buy an SSD in general is its superior durability. Because it has no moving mechanical parts inside, an SSD has far fewer avenues to failure than an external hard drive. You still don’t want to be careless with them, but an accidental drop shouldn’t be the end of the world.
Some portable SSDs build on this inherent ruggedness with plastic or rubberized casings and more robust waterproofing. These aren’t necessary for everyone, but if you’re a frequent traveler or someone who often works outdoors, there are options for you.
Still, all drives can fail. If you have any sort of data you’d be distraught to lose, you should back it up regularly, then make a second backup, ideally with a cloud service. Along those protective lines, we also took note of the warranty policy for each drive we tested. Just about all of them are backed for either three or five years; of course, longer is better.
Encryption and software
It’s not uncommon to store sensitive data on a portable SSD, so some models offer extra security features like hardware-based encryption — i.e., direct scrambling of data stored on the drive itself — built-in keypads and fingerprint readers to protect against unauthorized access if the drive is lost or stolen. While not top requirements, perks like these are certainly good to have. Some SSDs also come with companion software to further manage the drive. The best of those can be handy to have around, but we wouldn’t call them essential.
How we test external SSDs
Unfortunately, we did not have access to a device that can make full use of USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and Thunderbolt 4/USB4 speeds interchangeably, so we had to split our testing across multiple devices, including an M1 Pro MacBook Pro and an Alienware gaming PC running Windows 11. Because of this, we primarily compared the portable SSDs within each “class” against one another. Before switching OSes, we reformatted each drive to each platform’s standard file system format: APFS for macOS and NTFS for Windows.
After researching which SSDs had enough positive feedback to be worth testing in the first place, we put 13 drives through a range of synthetic and “real-world” benchmark tests. On Windows, these included CrystalDiskMark, PCMark 10’s Data Drive Benchmark and 3DMark’s gaming-focused Storage Benchmark. On macOS, we used AmorphousDiskMark (effectively a Mac version of CrystalDiskMark), BlackMagic Disk Speed Test and ATTO Disk Benchmark.
We also timed how long it took for each drive to read and write a custom 70GB folder filled with roughly 11,500 different files, including photos, videos, music files, PDFs and other large and small data types scattered across numerous subfolders. We performed multiple passes for each test to avoid irregularities, and we kept track of each SSD’s heat levels over the course of the whole suite. Our process wasn't a perfect science, but it gave us a general sense of how each drive compares to other models in its price and performance range.
Recent updates
October 2024: We’ve taken a sweep through this guide to ensure all pricing and availability info is still correct. Our recommendations are unchanged.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-portable-ssd-120043652.html?src=rss
Logitech has announced the launch of its latest innovation, the Keys-To-Go 2, an ultra-portable wireless keyboard designed to enhance productivity for mobile professionals. This compact and lightweight keyboard is tailored for tablets, mobile devices, and laptops, making it an ideal companion for those who need to work, learn, and create from any location. Logitech Keys-To-Go […]
Summer is almost here, and if you’re someone who loves camping, you may be itching to dip your toes into it once again. I love dedicating my weekends to camping! Just a few days away from my hectic life, and this hectic world, in a bubble of my own, where all my worries are nowhere to be seen. Although camping does have a few downsides too – I mean, you have to get down and dirty, live life on the road, and tackle the moodiness of the elements. In such a scenario, having a set of trustworthy and handy camping products can make a world of difference! Having the right products by your side can make your life much easier during those crucial moments. And we’ve curated some fun and functional camping designs for you, that promise to make your outdoor adventures smoother and easier.
1. Compact Modular Grill Plate
Are you planning a camping trip this summer, but are worried about how you’re going to prepare delicious meals in the outdoors? Well, we may have a convenient and thoughtful solution for you. Called the Compact Modular Grill Plate, this kitchen utensil features a portable and lightweight form that is perfect for cooking up some yummy steak for you using heat uniformity, heat conduction, and plate thickness.
Featuring a three-layer architecture amped with two steel layers covering aluminum, the Compact Modular Grill Plate has a lower Stainless Steel SUS439, which lets the grill function on an induction stove, and an upper Stainless Steel SUS304 which has incredible corrosion resistance.
What we like
The plate is created by experts from Tsubamesanjo, Japan
Lightweight and compact in design, hence occupying less space, and requiring minimum effort to use it
What we dislike
The plate cannot hold large portions of food
2. Helinox Cots
Called the Helinox cots, these accessories are pretty innovative and ideal for your next camping trip. They make sleeping outdoors pretty comfortable, and you can sleep using compatible cots. They are made from your choice of mesh or fabric, and the accompanying tent attachment will convert your cot into a fully enclosed sleeping space for one person, and the cot will be elevated off the ground.
Why is it noteworthy?
When you fold the cot, you can easily carry it in your vehicle, and assemble it when needed. It comes along with a 22.5″ x 8″ x 8″ ultralight ripstop cinch bag which weighs only 3.5 lbs when packed.
What we like
Features four interior mesh pockets, two on the ceiling and two on the sides, to store your valuables
What we dislike
It is a bit big and bulky so it could be difficult to carry on a bicycle
3. Space Acacia
Meet the Space Acacia – an innovative and unique modern camping system designed to make your summer camping trips as comfy and convenient as possible. Equipped with a spacious weatherproof tent, an air floor, and a temperature-adjusting canopy, the Space Acacia is created to offer complete protection from the rain and cold.
Why is it noteworthy?
The tent is equipped with a whole load of interesting features, which ensure the occupant is comfortable and safe. It features an unconventional hexagonal shape, which creates more space to stay in but also offers better stability. The tent can tolerate level 8 winds. It is made using Oxford 300D materials which protects against downpours of up to 2,000mm.
What we like
You only need 20 minutes to set up the system
Equipped with PU2000 waterproof coating and a maximum capacity of 4,000lbs
What we dislike
Space Acacia is quite expensive compared to other tents available on the market
4. Retro Camping Lantern Concept
This retro lamp concept is designed to make your outdoor camping experience a little bit more fun, while also providing much-needed essential lights. It is inspired by ordinary objects that have been used for ages galore, some even going back centuries ago. It is a contemporary version of several antiquated lantern designs – those that use kerosene, as well as those that utilize candles. But instead, the lamp uses rechargeable lights, supposedly LEDs.
Why is it noteworthy?
The LEDs are placed in a circular tube hidden at the bottom and top portions of the lamp. The “cover” of the lamp is inspired by the wide-brimmed hats used by ancient swordsmen from East Asian countries, which also look pretty similar to traditional gas lanterns. A modular lighting design serves as the ‘candle’, and multiple ‘candles’ can be stacked on top of each other.
What we like
The lantern’s battery can be utilized to charge other devices
What we dislike
It is a concept, so we are unsure how well it will translate into a tangible product
5. Slim Fold Dish Rack
Meet the Slim Fold Dish Rack – a portable and easy-to-carry dish rack that you can carry anywhere with you, even on your camping trips. The dish rack features a patent-pending spring mechanism which can be easily adjusted. You can deploy and set up the dish rack when the need arises. It has an easy-to-assemble and disassemble form.
The Slim Fold Dish Rack is minimal and sturdy, and it also provides abundant ventilation, with more than enough space to hold utensils, plates, as well as different types of cookware. It is a functional and efficient product not only for your kitchen but also for use outdoors on long trips.
What we like
Easy to set up, maintain, and utilize
Equipped with a convenient flexible collapsible form that makes it quite portable
What we dislike
Since the wires are quite slim, you can only use the rack to hold lightweight and compact utensils
6. 8-in-1 EDC Scissor
Coined the 8-in-1 EDC Scissor, this handy product is essential for your indoor and outdoor culinary adventures. The uniquely designed scissors can be pulled apart, forming a set of knives! Besides functioning as knives and scissors, the design also integrates a nutcracker, can opener, built-in bottle opener, as well as a fire starter. The versatile tool is an efficient and must-have accessory to handle challenging situations while camping.
The 8-in-1 EDC Scissors can be pulled apart to form two individual halves, and each half serves as a knife as well as a large collection of multitools. When you join the two halves together, they can be used as scissors, easily slicing through different materials including cured meats. The mid-section is serrated and can be used to crack nuts.
What we like
Can be used for indoor and outdoor cooking
Packs a bunch of cool features in one convenient and compact form
What we dislike
It is not the kind of multitool you can carry easily and efficiently in your pocket, needs to be well-packed
7. JETBeam E26 Flashlight
Designed by JETBeam, this small and unique EDC accessory looks like a tactical knife but is, in fact, a nifty, compact, and multi-functional flashlight that not only illuminates your path, but also allows you to verify bank notes, or offers your cats something to play around with. The JETBEAM E26 EDC Flashlight may have a tiny body but it manages to merge three different light sources within its form, providing you with all the light you could possibly need.
Why is it noteworthy?
The E26 flashlight is all you need to brave the night, whether you are outdoors or indoors. The star of the design is the Luminus SFT-40 LED which provides bright white light that can reach 2000 lumens of brightness, at a distance of 165 meters.
What we like
It recalls and remembers the level of brightness you last used, so you don’t need to adjust the brightness setting every time
What we dislike
The flashlight gets hot quite easily
8. Tomori Lantern Kit
Dubbed the Tomori Lantern Kit, this interesting little kit lets you build your own lantern. Once you’re done using the lighting design, you can easily put it away. The kit doesn’t really serve as a ready-made lantern, and once you collapse it, it takes on quite a compact form that doesn’t take up much space. You can also integrate a typical flashlight inside the lantern.
The lantern kit includes a foldable cardboard piece which functions as the base of the kit, as a flashlight holder, and as an overall stable structure for the lamp. The lantern kit is equipped with a LED flashlight, that you can use when it is not inside the lantern. The cardboard base can also hold any other cylindrical flashlight which is less than 30mm in diameter, and 160mm in length.
What we like
You can fold the whole kit into a flat A-4-sized package which is perfect for stashing and packing away
What we dislike
It cannot handle rainfall
9. Camfy
Called Camfy, this collection includes an innovative camping knife that is designed to be retracted back to its sheath once you’re done using it. It combines a small knife, and a saw, to create a cleverly-designed knife that prevents any accidental incidents that may occur when the knife is not kept back in the sheath. The collection also includes a scissor and tong unification, here a scissor is merged with a tong at the end of the blade.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Camfy knife features an interesting spring mechanism that can be triggered via a button. As you press the button, the knife springs back into the handle which also serves as a sheath. Besides the knife, the collection also includes a skewer holder to provide support during grilling.
What we like
Includes everything you need to create gourmet outdoor meals
What we dislike
The designs are conceptual, so we don’t know how functional they will be as tangible products
10. Sustainable Cutlery Set
Named the Sustainable Cutlery Set, this compact kit is a great fit for your outdoor camping trips. The cutlery is made from Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers or GFRP. The set includes utensils that are light and durable, and they are packed in reusable and recyclable packaging.
The cutlery has mechanical strength, and they won’t easily break apart if you’re slicing through a well-done steak. The various elements can be split in half, making the utensils quite easy to carry around. You can easily screw and unscrew them.
What we like
The set is quite durable and is designed to last
Compact and portable form
What we dislike
The handles of the cutlery may be too thin for large hands
Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence laboratory is working on a new technology that can generate soundtracks, even dialogue, to go along with videos. The lab has shared its progress on the video-to-audio (V2A) technology project, which can be paired with Google Veo and other video creation tools like OpenAI's Sora. In its blog post, the DeepMind team explains that the system can understand raw pixels and combine that information with text prompts to create sound effects for what's happening onscreen. To note, the tool can also be used to make soundtracks for traditional footage, such as silent films and any other video without sound.
DeepMind's researchers trained the technology on videos, audios and AI-generated annotations that contain detailed descriptions of sounds and dialogue transcripts. They said that by doing so, the technology learned to associate specific sounds with visual scenes. As TechCrunch notes, DeepMind's team isn't the first to release an AI tool that can generate sound effects — ElevenLabs released one recently, as well — and it won't be the last. "Our research stands out from existing video-to-audio solutions because it can understand raw pixels and adding a text prompt is optional," the team writes.
While the text prompt is optional, it can be used to shape and refine the final product so that it's as accurate and as realistic as possible. You can enter positive prompts to steer the output towards creating sounds you want, for instance, or negative prompts to steer it away from the sounds you don't want. In the sample below, the team used the prompt: "Cinematic, thriller, horror film, music, tension, ambience, footsteps on concrete.
The researchers admit that they're still trying to address their V2A technology's existing limitations, like the drop in the output's audio quality that can happen if there are distortions in the source video. They're also still working on improving lip synchronizations for generated dialogue. In addition, they vow to put the technology through "rigorous safety assessments and testing" before releasing it to the world.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-deepminds-new-ai-tech-will-generate-soundtracks-for-videos-113100908.html?src=rss
The Asus Vivobook S15, powered by the innovative Snapdragon X Elite chip, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of ARM-based Windows laptops. This innovative laptop combines impressive performance, exceptional battery life, and competitive pricing, solidifying its position as a compelling choice for users seeking a powerful and efficient computing solution. Snapdragon X Elite At […]
The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, says social media should come with warning labels, writing in The New York Times that social media is an “important contributor” to the teen mental health crisis. Last year, he issued an advisory making similar arguments, saying social media posed a “profound risk” to teen mental health. In his latest op-ed, Murthy cited a study showing higher social media use was associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression, as well as a survey where almost half of teens reported “social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.”
He also noted warning labels alone wouldn’t make social media safer — I mean, people still smoke — but would help better inform everyone. “There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place… there are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.”
He’ll need support from Congress to make this happen, however. Cooperation in US politics has not been common this decade. However, there has been recent bipartisan support to curtail tech companies' powers — look at the TikTok saga.
Oh, speak of the devil. TikTok has announced its new AI-created digital avatars for both creators and brands on the app.
According to TikTok, the AI personas should make it easier for creators and businesses to create branded content with a “human feel” — even if that human feel is an uncomfortable stranger staring at you from a bus stop across the road. There are two kinds of avatars: stock avatars based on paid actors and custom avatars based on existing creators and brand spokespeople. As Karissa Bell puts it, they give M3GAN vibes. At least, the company’s own rules require this kind of content to have prominent disclosures.
Logitech has unveiled a mixed reality stylus for Meta Quest headsets — but not the Quest Pro. The MX Ink helps users craft more precise designs and illustrations — although I’m not sure how many pro-level artists are using consumer-grade VR headsets… But hey, maybe it will give Sony some competition.
Nikon’s $2,500 Z6 III has the world’s first “partially stacked” 24.5-megapixel (MP) sensor. That allows for high-speed shooting in features like RAW video and faster autofocus and both photo and video modes. In short, better than the several-years-old Z6 II. So, er, what is a partially stacked sensor? They’re rare (and expensive), having so far only appeared on Sony’s A1 and Nikon’s own Z8 and Z9. Circuits cover the entire sensor, so it can read pixel data far more quickly than regular CMOS sensors. On the Z6 II, circuits cover only the top and bottom parts of the sensor. So it’s faster than normal CMOS sensors, but cheaper than stacked ones.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-us-surgeon-general-says-social-media-needs-warning-labels-like-cigarettes-111538368.html?src=rss
