Monthly Archives: October 2024

Nike Grind Dumbbells use recycled rubber from footwear byproduct

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Of the many pieces of clothing we buy and use, shoes are probably the ones designed to last the longest. Because of that, footwear is usually made using materials that are durable and long-lasting but are also unfortunately often not environment-friendly. Rubber, particularly synthetic rubber, is one of the biggest culprits, not just in terms of post-consumer waste but even material waste during the manufacturing process. As one of the biggest footwear makers, Nike is thankfully taking a responsible stance, giving those rubber byproducts and excess materials a new purpose.

Designer: Nike

Although natural rubber is sourced from plants, it’s not that easy to replenish to meet the high demand for the material. Just like plastic, synthetic rubber is easy to manufacture but also harmful the environment due to their chemical content. Rubber from discarded shoes is one thing, but even the bits and pieces of cutoffs and scraps produced when making them also pose a threat to the environment.

Considering its lion’s share of the sports shoes market, Nike developed the Grind material that recycles manufacturing byproducts like rubber, foam, and even textiles to create a material that can be applied to products other than shoes. In this case, the Nike Grind Dumbbells are made with at least 20% Nike Grind material to offer an alternative fitness tool for environment-conscious consumers.

In addition to its sustainable value, the recycled material also gives the dumbbells a unique aesthetic. The hexagonal weights themselves have a light gray hue sprinkled with colorful specs that create a terrazzo-like appearance. Each dumbbell is, thus, totally unique, and the mixture of colors will vary from season to season, depending on the styles of footwear that Nike launches.

The gray motif of the weights perfectly complements the chrome-plated knurled handles. The handle diameter varies depending on the weight, increasing as the load gets heavier to provide a more ergonomic grip. Available in weights ranging from 2.5 lbs to 50 lbs, the Nike Grind Dumbbell offers people a fitness tool that not only takes care of their health but also the environment.

The post Nike Grind Dumbbells use recycled rubber from footwear byproduct first appeared on Yanko Design.

Western Digital Launches Massive 32 TB HDD

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Western Digital 32TB HDD

Western Digital announced the launch of it UltraSMR and CMR HDDs, pushing the limits of data storage capacity. With up to 32 TB capacity in its UltraSMR drives and up to 26 TB in its ePMR CMR HDDs, Western Digital continues to assert its leadership in the enterprise and hyperscale storage markets. Designed to meet […]

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A new Chrome extension can reliably detect AI-generated voices

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Just in time for the 2024 US elections, the call screening and fraud detection company Hiya has launched a free Chrome extension to spot deepfake voices. The aptly named Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector “listens” to voices played in video or audio streams and assigns an authenticity score, telling you whether it’s likely real or fake.

Hiya tells Engadget that third-party testers have validated the extension as over 99 percent accurate. The company says that even covers AI-generated voices the detection model hasn’t trained on, and the company claims it can spot voices created by new synthesis models as soon as they’re launched.

We played around with the extension ahead of launch, and it seems to work well. I pulled up a YouTube video about the blues pioneer Howlin’ Wolf that I suspected used AI narration, and it assigned it a 1/100 authenticity score, declaring it likely a deepfake. Suspicions confirmed.

Promo image for Hiya's deepfake voice detector extension for Chrome.
Hiya

Hiya threw a well-earned jab at social media companies for making such a tool necessary. “It’s clear social media sites have a huge responsibility to alert users when the content they are consuming has a high chance of being an AI deepfake,” Hiya President Kush Parikh wrote in a press release. “The onus is currently on the individual to be vigilant to the risks and use tools like our Deepfake Voice Detector to check if they are concerned content is being altered. That’s a big ask, so we’re pleased to be able to support them with a solution that helps put some of the power back in their hands.”

The extension only needs to listen to a few seconds of a voice to spit out a result. It works on a credit system to prevent Hiya’s servers from getting slammed by excessive requests. You’ll get 20 credits daily, which may or may not cover the flood of manipulative AI content you’ll come across on social media in the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/a-new-chrome-extension-can-reliably-detect-ai-generated-voices-130059842.html?src=rss

How to Master the iOS 18 Photos App

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iOS 18 Photos App

The iOS 18 Photos app has undergone a significant redesign, introducing a range of features that enhance user experience and customization. The awesome video below from Nikias Molina delves into the app’s core functionalities and improvements, offering insights on how to fully use its potential and make the most of your photo library. Revamped Design […]

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Microsoft recruits accessibility app to make its AI more useful to blind and low-vision users

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Be My Eyes, the accessibility app for mobile devices that puts blind and low-vision people on a live video call with a sighted guide, will help Microsoft train its AI. Be My Eyes will provide anonymized video data to improve scene understanding in Microsoft’s accessibility-focused AI models.

The data sets Be My Eyes gives Microsoft will include “unique objects, lighting and framing that realistically represents the lived experience of the blind and low vision community.” The goal is to make Microsoft’s AI more inclusive for people with vision disabilities.

The companies say all personal info has been scrubbed from the metadata. The provided data won’t be used for advertising or any purpose other than training Microsoft’s AI models.

Although this is Be My Eyes’ first such data partnership, it’s worked with Microsoft before by incorporating its Be My AI tool into Microsoft’s Disability Answer Desk. As its name suggests, Be My AI is the company’s GPT-4-powered spin on an assistance product. In that case, it helps people with vision disabilities navigate Office, Windows and Xbox.

Be My Eyes also struck a deal with Hilton earlier this month. In that case, dedicated hotel staff help blind and low-vision lodgers do things like adjust their thermostats, make coffee and raise or lower their blinds. A previous 2023 partnership between the two companies helped train the Be My AI model.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-recruits-accessibility-app-to-make-its-ai-more-useful-to-blind-and-low-vision-users-130006439.html?src=rss

DJI confirms that US customs is holding up its latest consumer drone

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Many of DJI's drones including its latest consumer products are being held up at the US border, the manufacturer said in a blog post today. It appears to be a customs matter and not related to proposed US legislation to ban DJI products (the Countering CCP Drones Act) currently in US Congress. However, the holdup means that sales of DJI's latest Air 3S drone will be delayed, the company told The Verge. 

"The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cited the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), as the reason for the current holdups," the DJI ViewPoints team wrote. "This assertion made against DJI, however, is entirely unfounded and categorically false."

Calling the situation a "misunderstanding," DJI said it's sending documentation proving it complies with the UFLPA. It added that it has no manufacturing facilities in and doesn't source materials from Xinjiang, the region that's a red flag for the US in terms of Uyghur forced labor violations. It also noted that it's not a listed entity under UFLPA and that its supply "undergoes rigorous due diligence by respected US retailers." US Customs and Border Protection has yet to comment on the matter.

While the US House of Representatives did pass the a bill to block DJI's drones, the Senate removed that clause from the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. It was later re-introduced as an amendment, though, and could still make it into the final bill. If so, imports of new DJI drones could be blocked, but a ban wouldn't likely prohibit current owners from using them. DJI has a massive share of the worldwide drone market upwards of 70 percent as of 2021, according to Statista. including as much as 90 percent by public safety officials.   

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-confirms-that-us-customs-is-holding-up-its-latest-consumer-drone-123007447.html?src=rss

Improve Your Business Insights with Power BI’s Star Schema

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Power BI data modeling

In today’s data-driven business landscape, the ability to transform raw information into actionable insights is crucial. Microsoft Power BI has emerged as a leading tool in this domain, using sophisticated data modeling techniques to enhance reporting capabilities. You might already have mountains of data at your fingertips—sales figures, customer demographics, shipment details—but without the right […]

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Meta Quest 3S: 30 Things You NEED To Do First!

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Meta Quest 3S

Unboxing your Meta Quest 3S VR headset opens up a new realm of immersive technology, offering a gateway to virtual worlds, interactive experiences, and boundless entertainment. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps to set up your device, explore its features, and personalize your VR experience effectively, ensuring you get the most out of […]

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Uber is reportedly exploring an Expedia takeover

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Uber is reportedly exploring the idea of purchasing Expedia, one of the largest travel booking companies in the world, according to the Financial Times. Expedia, which is valued at $20 billion and which reported its highest-ever annual revenue in 2023, will be the company's biggest acquisition, if the deal does indeed push through. The Times says it's very early days, however, and Uber hasn't even made a formal offer for the travel company yet. It's still in the process of studying the implications of acquiring Expedia and has, over the past months, worked with advisers to figure out whether the deal is feasible and how it would be structured. 

The company's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, may have to sit out deal discussions, seeing as he used to be CEO of Expedia before he was hired by the ride-hailing service in 2017. He's still in its Board of Directors, as well. It doesn't sound like Khosrowshahi was the one who suggested the potential purchase, though — in its report, the Times said the idea was "broached by a third party."

Uber has had plans to become a wider travel booking platform for a while now. Khosrowshahi said he wanted Uber to be the "Amazon of transportation" from the time he joined the company. Since then, the ride-hailing service has added train, bus and flight bookings in some markets, and it has also made several large acquisitions. It purchased online food delivery service Postmates for $2.65 billion and alcohol delivery service Drizly for $1.1 billion before shutting it down three years later. The company also teamed up with Waymo and Cruise to offer autonomous rides in certain markets. As the Times notes, Uber became profitable for the first time in 2023 due to a renewed demand for rides and food delivery and could be a in a good position to acquire a company as big as Expedia. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uber-is-reportedly-exploring-an-expedia-takeover-120038754.html?src=rss

CORSAIR VIRTUOSO MAX gaming headset

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CORSAIR VIRTUOSO MAX gaming headset

CORSAIR has this week launched its new VIRTUOSO MAX gaming headset. Designed for gamers who demand both performance and comfort, the VIRTUOSO MAX is a powerhouse of cutting-edge technology and sleek design. Featuring 50 mm Graphene drivers for crystal-clear audio, active noise cancellation for uninterrupted gameplay, and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, this headset promises an […]

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