Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Logitech’s $999 4K livestreaming camera is triple the price of its 1080p model

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Logitech is expanding its Mevo lineup of live-streaming cameras for creators. The company’s new Mevo Core shoots in 4K, meaning, unlike the 1080p Mevo Start we reviewed two years ago, cropping and digital zooms won’t lead to overly grainy video. However, the tradeoff is pricing, as the new model will set you back three times as much for a three-camera setup.

The Mevo Core continues the lineup’s trajectory of wireless multicam live-streaming directly to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. (Of course, you can also record content to upload later.) The $999 package ships as a body only, although Logitech says it will sell lens bundle kits through Amazon and B&H Photo Video. Either way, you’ll need at least one Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens to get started, and the company says any powered or manual MFT lens will work on day one.

The camera has a large 4/3 CMOS sensor, which Logitech says diminishes noise and improves low-light performance and depth of field compared to the 1080p model. The Core shoots in 4K at 30fps for recording content to upload later; if you’re live-streaming, you can instead use 1080p at 30fps. This model supports WiFi 6E, which could help with network latency and stability if your router also supports it.

Lifestyle marketing photo of the Logitech Mevo Core livestreaming camera. View from slightly above, facing its front-left side. It’s mounted on a tripod with a dirt field (blurred) visible behind it.
Logitech

The camera’s body is noticeably bigger than that of the Mevo Start. At 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.25 inches, it has a similar depth and height but is about twice the width. With its battery installed (and no lenses mounted), it weighs 1.5 lbs.

Logitech says its audio is upgraded, too. It has a built-in three-microphone array with noise cancellation. You can also connect an external mic (or other audio source), which we found essential in the Mevo Start. We’ll have to wait and see if the Core’s built-in mics fare much better.

The Mevo Core’s battery life is estimated at six hours. If you need more time, you can plug an external power source into its USB-C port. It also includes an HDMI port, a 3.5mm one (for analog audio), and a microSD card slot. Logitech says it can double as an (incredibly expensive) wired or wireless HD webcam.

Like previous models, the Mevo Core works with Logitech’s Mevo app (where you can adjust things like focus, zoom, and aperture) and Multicam app to set up multi-viewpoint recording or streaming.

The Logitech Mevo Core is available for $999 for a single (body-only) camera starting today. It’s available from Logitech, Amazon, and B&H Photo Video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitechs-999-4k-livestreaming-camera-is-triple-the-price-of-its-1080p-model-070146814.html?src=rss

Logitech’s $999 4K livestreaming camera is triple the price of its 1080p model

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Logitech is expanding its Mevo lineup of live-streaming cameras for creators. The company’s new Mevo Core shoots in 4K, meaning, unlike the 1080p Mevo Start we reviewed two years ago, cropping and digital zooms won’t lead to overly grainy video. However, the tradeoff is pricing, as the new model will set you back three times as much for a three-camera setup.

The Mevo Core continues the lineup’s trajectory of wireless multicam live-streaming directly to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. (Of course, you can also record content to upload later.) The $999 package ships as a body only, although Logitech says it will sell lens bundle kits through Amazon and B&H Photo Video. Either way, you’ll need at least one Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens to get started, and the company says any powered or manual MFT lens will work on day one.

The camera has a large 4/3 CMOS sensor, which Logitech says diminishes noise and improves low-light performance and depth of field compared to the 1080p model. The Core shoots in 4K at 30fps for recording content to upload later; if you’re live-streaming, you can instead use 1080p at 30fps. This model supports WiFi 6E, which could help with network latency and stability if your router also supports it.

Lifestyle marketing photo of the Logitech Mevo Core livestreaming camera. View from slightly above, facing its front-left side. It’s mounted on a tripod with a dirt field (blurred) visible behind it.
Logitech

The camera’s body is noticeably bigger than that of the Mevo Start. At 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.25 inches, it has a similar depth and height but is about twice the width. With its battery installed (and no lenses mounted), it weighs 1.5 lbs.

Logitech says its audio is upgraded, too. It has a built-in three-microphone array with noise cancellation. You can also connect an external mic (or other audio source), which we found essential in the Mevo Start. We’ll have to wait and see if the Core’s built-in mics fare much better.

The Mevo Core’s battery life is estimated at six hours. If you need more time, you can plug an external power source into its USB-C port. It also includes an HDMI port, a 3.5mm one (for analog audio), and a microSD card slot. Logitech says it can double as an (incredibly expensive) wired or wireless HD webcam.

Like previous models, the Mevo Core works with Logitech’s Mevo app (where you can adjust things like focus, zoom, and aperture) and Multicam app to set up multi-viewpoint recording or streaming.

The Logitech Mevo Core is available for $999 for a single (body-only) camera starting today. It’s available from Logitech, Amazon, and B&H Photo Video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitechs-999-4k-livestreaming-camera-is-triple-the-price-of-its-1080p-model-070146814.html?src=rss

NVIDIA’s GPUs powered the AI revolution. Its new Blackwell chips are up to 30 times faster

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In less than two years, NVIDIA’s H100 chips, which are used by nearly every AI company in the world to train large language models that power services like ChatGPT, made it one of the world’s most valuable companies. On Monday, NVIDIA announced a next-generation platform called Blackwell, whose chips are between seven and 30 times faster than the H100 and use 25 times less power.

“Blackwell GPUs are the engine to power this new Industrial Revolution,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at the company’s annual GTC event in San Jose attended by thousands of developers, and which some compared to a Taylor Swift concert. “Generative AI is the defining technology of our time. Working with the most dynamic companies in the world, we will realize the promise of AI for every industry,” Huang added in a press release.

NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips are named in honor of David Harold Blackwell, a mathematician who specialized in game theory and statistics. NVIDIA claims that Blackwell is the world’s most powerful chip. It offers a significant performance upgrade to AI companies with speeds of 20 petaflops compared to just 4 petaflops that the H100 provided. Much of this speed is made possible thanks the 208 billion transistors in Blackwell chips compared to 80 billion in the H100. To achieve this, NVIDIA connected two large chip dies that can talk to each other at speeds up to 10 terabytes per second.

In a sign of just how dependent our modern AI revolution is on NVIDIA’s chips, the company’s press release includes testimonials from eight CEOs who collectively lead companies worth trillions of dollars. They include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, Dell CEO Michael Dell, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

“There is currently nothing better than NVIDIA hardware for AI,” Musk says in the statement. "Blackwell offers massive performance leaps, and will accelerate our ability to deliver leading-edge models. We’re excited to continue working with NVIDIA to enhance AI compute,” Altman says.

NVIDIA did not disclose how much Blackwell chips would cost. Its H100 chips currently run between $25,000 and $40,000 per chip, according to CNBC, and entire systems powered by these chips can cost as much as $200,000.

Despite their costs, NVIDIA’s chips are in high demand. Last year, delivery wait times were as high as 11 months. And having access to NVIDIA’s AI chips is increasingly seen as a status symbol for tech companies looking to attract AI talent. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg touted the company’s efforts to build “a massive amount of infrastructure” to power Meta’s AI efforts. “At the end of this year,” Zuckerberg wrote, “we will have ~350k Nvidia H100s — and overall ~600k H100s H100 equivalents of compute if you include other GPUs.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-gpus-powered-the-ai-revolution-its-new-blackwell-chips-are-up-to-30-times-faster-001059577.html?src=rss

NVIDIA’s GPUs powered the AI revolution. Its new Blackwell chips are up to 30 times faster

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In less than two years, NVIDIA’s H100 chips, which are used by nearly every AI company in the world to train large language models that power services like ChatGPT, made it one of the world’s most valuable companies. On Monday, NVIDIA announced a next-generation platform called Blackwell, whose chips are between seven and 30 times faster than the H100 and use 25 times less power.

“Blackwell GPUs are the engine to power this new Industrial Revolution,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at the company’s annual GTC event in San Jose attended by thousands of developers, and which some compared to a Taylor Swift concert. “Generative AI is the defining technology of our time. Working with the most dynamic companies in the world, we will realize the promise of AI for every industry,” Huang added in a press release.

NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips are named in honor of David Harold Blackwell, a mathematician who specialized in game theory and statistics. NVIDIA claims that Blackwell is the world’s most powerful chip. It offers a significant performance upgrade to AI companies with speeds of 20 petaflops compared to just 4 petaflops that the H100 provided. Much of this speed is made possible thanks the 208 billion transistors in Blackwell chips compared to 80 billion in the H100. To achieve this, NVIDIA connected two large chip dies that can talk to each other at speeds up to 10 terabytes per second.

In a sign of just how dependent our modern AI revolution is on NVIDIA’s chips, the company’s press release includes testimonials from eight CEOs who collectively lead companies worth trillions of dollars. They include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, Dell CEO Michael Dell, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

“There is currently nothing better than NVIDIA hardware for AI,” Musk says in the statement. "Blackwell offers massive performance leaps, and will accelerate our ability to deliver leading-edge models. We’re excited to continue working with NVIDIA to enhance AI compute,” Altman says.

NVIDIA did not disclose how much Blackwell chips would cost. Its H100 chips currently run between $25,000 and $40,000 per chip, according to CNBC, and entire systems powered by these chips can cost as much as $200,000.

Despite their costs, NVIDIA’s chips are in high demand. Last year, delivery wait times were as high as 11 months. And having access to NVIDIA’s AI chips is increasingly seen as a status symbol for tech companies looking to attract AI talent. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg touted the company’s efforts to build “a massive amount of infrastructure” to power Meta’s AI efforts. “At the end of this year,” Zuckerberg wrote, “we will have ~350k Nvidia H100s — and overall ~600k H100s H100 equivalents of compute if you include other GPUs.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-gpus-powered-the-ai-revolution-its-new-blackwell-chips-are-up-to-30-times-faster-001059577.html?src=rss

Microsoft is planning some more pre-Build AI announcements

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It's shaping up to be a busy spring for Microsoft, which has multiple events lined up over the next few months. Not only is there a work and Copilot-centric event this Thursday and almost certainly an Xbox showcase coming up in early June, but Build is on the horizon. The company's major developer conference is set to run from May 21 until May 23. However, three days apparently isn't long enough to cram in everything Microsoft wants to talk about.

The company sent Engadget an invite to a private event taking place on May 20, the day before Build starts. Details are scant, but Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella will dig into its "AI vision across hardware and software." There won't be a livestream of the briefing, but reporters who attend in person will learn the news first and get hands-on demos.

Microsoft having an "AI vision" that spans across hardware and software lines up with recent reports that the company is gearing up to release its first "AI PCs." This week's event is expected to include at least the business and commercial-focused versions of the OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6.

The consumer variants of the systems may not arrive until later this spring, though those are expected to have significant processor upgrades that will deliver “huge performance and efficiency gains," according to Windows Central. They're slated to have Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips with next-gen neural processing units.

These chips are said to be capable of supporting more advanced AI features that Microsoft plans to bring to Windows later this year, such as on-device Copilot and a tool called AI Explorer. The latter has been described as a searchable timeline of all of your activity on a device.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-planning-some-more-pre-build-ai-announcements-194843363.html?src=rss

Microsoft is planning some more pre-Build AI announcements

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It's shaping up to be a busy spring for Microsoft, which has multiple events lined up over the next few months. Not only is there a work and Copilot-centric event this Thursday and almost certainly an Xbox showcase coming up in early June, but Build is on the horizon. The company's major developer conference is set to run from May 21 until May 23. However, three days apparently isn't long enough to cram in everything Microsoft wants to talk about.

The company sent Engadget an invite to a private event taking place on May 20, the day before Build starts. Details are scant, but Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella will dig into its "AI vision across hardware and software." There won't be a livestream of the briefing, but reporters who attend in person will learn the news first and get hands-on demos.

Microsoft having an "AI vision" that spans across hardware and software lines up with recent reports that the company is gearing up to release its first "AI PCs." This week's event is expected to include at least the business and commercial-focused versions of the OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6.

The consumer variants of the systems may not arrive until later this spring, though those are expected to have significant processor upgrades that will deliver “huge performance and efficiency gains," according to Windows Central. They're slated to have Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips with next-gen neural processing units.

These chips are said to be capable of supporting more advanced AI features that Microsoft plans to bring to Windows later this year, such as on-device Copilot and a tool called AI Explorer. The latter has been described as a searchable timeline of all of your activity on a device.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-planning-some-more-pre-build-ai-announcements-194843363.html?src=rss

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones are up to $250 off ahead of Amazon’s Spring Sale

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Amazon's Big Spring Sale officially begins this Wednesday, but as with all such sales, a number of deals went live early, including on Google's latest Pixel smartphones. The 128GB-capacity Pixel 8 Pro is 25 percent off, which deducts $250 from the list price and brings the handset to $749. That beats the all-time-low price we saw for Black Friday last November. Larger capacity models are seeing discounts as well, with all three colors that Amazon carries included. If you'd rather buy direct, you can get the same discount from Google's online shop, which also has the Google-exclusive Mint color.

A similar discount goes to the 128GB Pixel 8 which is 29 percent off and down to $499 instead of $699 at both Amazon and from Google. Again, that's the lowest price we've tracked and the discounts extend to the larger capacity models. We named the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro the best Android smartphones on the market thanks to their speedy chips, brighter screens and improved cameras. Plus the suite of AI-enabled tools are more than just gimmicks and actually help you out with things like search, taking better photos and a more capable Google Assistant. Perhaps the best part is Google's commitment to seven years of software support, which means these phones can stay in your pocket for far longer than the average mobile.  

As for the difference between the two phones, the Pro model has a larger screen at 6.7 inches versus the Pixel 8's 6.2 inches. The Pro also has a screen with a 400-nit higher peak brightness, more RAM and a third, telephoto camera. Both have the same chip and many of the same AI tools.  

Those looking for an even steeper deal should check out the Google Pixel 7a, which is also down to a record-low price of $374 at both Amazon and Google. We not only named this the best mid-range Android phone in our guide to smartphones, it's also the splurge pick in our budget Android guide. 

Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-smartphones-are-up-to-250-off-ahead-of-amazons-spring-sale-160352403.html?src=rss

Amazon discounts Fire tablets by 35 percent ahead of the Big Spring Sale

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Amazon's Big Spring Sale is almost here, and deals on its Fire tablets are already trickling in. Take the new Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet, down to $95 from $140 — a 32 percent discount. This sale brings the 32GB device to only $15 more than its all-time low since launching last October. 

Amazon's new Fire HD 10 tablet is a solid boost from its predecessor, thanks, in part, to 25 percent faster performance and 3GB of RAM. It has a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen with 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 5MP front and rear-facing cameras, and 13 hours of battery life. Plus, it offers a microSD slot that can be used to add another 1TB of storage. This model does feature lockscreen ads, and it currently costs $110 to buy the device without them. 

Then there's Amazon's 32GB Fire HD 8 tablet, down to $65 from $100 thanks to a 35 percent discount. The eight-inch HD, 1280 x 800 resolution screen also features lockscreen ads at this price. The Fire HD 8 tablet's processor works 30 percent faster than its predecessor, and it has 2GB of RAM. For $30 less than the Fire HD 10 tablet, it offers similar features, just with not as high-quality (or large) a screen. 

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet and Fire 7 Kids tablet are among the other models on sale, with 22 percent and 36 percent discounts, respectively. 

Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-discounts-fire-tablets-by-35-percent-ahead-of-the-big-spring-sale-145954252.html?src=rss

Of course Apple wants to bring Google’s Gemini AI to iPhones

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Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to integrate its Gemini AI in iPhones, Bloomberg reports, a move that should help both companies compete with OpenAI and its (heavily invested) partner Microsoft. While it might seem like an admission that Apple is lagging behind on AI, the partnership fits if you think of generative AI models as an evolution of web searching, something Google already provides to all of Apple's devices. According to the report, Gemini could be the cloud-based generative AI engine for Siri and other iPhone apps, while Apple's models could be woven into the upcoming iOS 18 for on-device AI tasks.

Bloomberg notes that Apple has also had discussions with OpenAI about using its own models, and it could still end up partnering with another AI outfit, like Anthropic. Apple could conceivably even work with multiple partners until its own generative models are up to snuff. But teaming up with Google makes the most sense, especially since the search giant is already giving Apple millions to bring search to the Safari browser.

Apple needs some sort of generative AI solution that it can implement this year (its own Ajax model will likely take years to match Gemini and OpenAI), and Google needs a quick way to bring its AI smarts to billions of devices. 

There are regulatory concerns to consider — the Department of Justice has already sued Google over its search dominance, including the way it pays Apple and other companies to use its search engine. But given the specter of Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership — which turned the Bing search engine into an artificial intelligence hype machine overnight, and is now powering all of Microsoft's Copilot AI solutions — the potential gains could be worth the risk for Apple and Google.

There are still technical issues for Google to deal with too: Gemini was recently under fire for inaccurately rendering historical images. But even considering potential growing pains, a partnership with Apple helps both companies. And it also gives Apple room to develop its own models while OpenAI and Google deal with the growing pains of generative AI.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/of-course-apple-wants-to-bring-googles-gemini-ai-to-iphones-144604811.html?src=rss

Sony may have paused PS VR2 production to clear a backlog of unsold units

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The PlayStation VR2 doesn’t seem to have been a major hit for Sony. Just over a year after the headset debuted, the company has paused production until it deals with a stockpile of unsold inventory, according to Bloomberg.

The company is said to have manufactured well more than 2 million units. According to analysts at IDC, the company sold around 1.7 million headsets in 2023. Perhaps most concerningly for Sony, sales appeared to have slowed significantly throughout the year. Hardware sales often pick up ahead of the holidays, but the fourth quarter was the most sluggish sales period yet for PS VR2 per IDC — the firm says Sony sold just 325,200 units during those three months.

A dearth of compelling games (or at least the perception that's the case) hasn't helped make the PS VR2 attractive to prospective buyers. Overall, Sony has only released four VR experiences for the headset and is yet to announce any other first-party games for the platform. It also recently shuttered its London Studio, one of its few in-house developers that had been making VR games. The lack of backward compatibility for games from the original PS VR headset may have harmed the current model's prospects too.

In our review, senior editor Devindra Hardawar gave the PS VR2 a score of 84, feeling that while it was a great headset overall, the high price and doubts over long-term support were significant concerns. Additionally, the headset only works with a PS5, but that could be about to change.

Sony recently revealed that it was testing official PC support for the PS VR2, and it hopes to roll that out later this year. That could potentially give the company a much larger customer base for those who are interested in the hardware but don’t want a PS5. As such, that might help it sell some of its stockpile. Another thing that would help is reducing the price. At $550, the PS VR2 costs more than a PS5, which is absurd.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-may-have-paused-ps-vr2-production-to-clear-a-backlog-of-unsold-units-142930523.html?src=rss