Oxford University scientists may have solved one of the greatest hindrances of expanding access to solar energy. Scientists from the university’s physics department have created an ultra-thin layer of material that can be applied to the exterior of objects with sunlight access in place of bulky silicon-based solar panels.
The ultra-thin and flexible film is made by stacking layers of light-absorbing layers of perovskite that are just over one micron thick. The new materials are also 150 times thinner than a traditional silicon wafer and can produce 5 percent more energy efficiency than traditional, single-layer silicon photovoltaics, according to a statement released by Oxford University.
Dr. Shauifeng Hu, a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford’s physics department, says he believes “this approach could enable the photovoltaic devices to achieve far greater efficiencies, exceeding 45 percent.”
This new approach to solar energy technology could also reduce the cost of solar energy. Due to their thinness and flexibility, they can be applied to almost any surface. This reduces the cost of construction and installation and could increase the number of solar energy farms producing more sustainable energy.
This technology, however, is still in the research stage and the university doesn’t mention the long-term stability of the newly designed perovskite panels. Going from 6 to 27 percent solar energy efficiency in five years is an impressive feat but stability has always been limited compared to photovoltaic technology, according to the US Department of Energy. A 2016 study in the science journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cellsalso noted that perovskite can provide “efficient, low-cost energy generation” but it also has “poor stability” due its sensitivity to moisture.
Solar energy has also become a cheaper power option just over the last decade. The cost of solar photovoltaic technology has dropped by 90 percent in the last 10 years, according to the Global Change Data Lab.
New solar energy farms are popping up all over the world. The US Department of Energy announced earlier this month its turning an 8,000-acre piece of land that once housed parts of the nuclear weapons program known as the Manhattan Project into a solar farm. Last month, Google invested in a Taiwanese solar company to build a 1 gigawatt pipeline in the region.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/oxford-scientists-new-light-absorbing-material-can-turn-everyday-objects-into-solar-panels-200410760.html?src=rss
Warner Bros. Discovery has pulled Cartoon Network’s entire website from the web, which means that you can no longer access free episodes and other interactive content. Instead, visitors to CartoonNetwork.com are redirected to the channel’s section on the subscription streaming network Max, Variety reported.
The Cartoon Network website offered full, free episodes and clips of some of its most popular shows including Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Teen Titans GO! and Steven Universe. Now if you need a quick fix of those shows, you’ll have to get on Max, pay for them on another digital streaming service or dig up a copy from your stash of old Blu-Rays and DVDs.
A spokesperson for the Cartoon Network told Variety it’s refocusing its efforts on “shows and social media where we find consumers are the most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth.” The decision to take down the website will not affect the network’s cable TV programming.
The demise of Cartoon Network’s website comes a week after Warner Bros. Discovery announced the end of its classic cartoon streaming service Boomerang. Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the network for fans of classic cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Wacky Races and the original Looney Tunes shorts will end its operations on September 30. Subscribers will be added to Max’s ad-free tier for no additional cost.
In June, media giant Paramount, too, pulled down some of its cable channels’ old show episodesincluding The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report from the Comedy Central website as well as free content from other channels’ websites such as TV Land, CMT and the Paramount Network.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/warner-bros-sends-cartoon-networks-website-to-the-digital-graveyard-174502048.html?src=rss
As we did last Friday and the Friday before that (and shall continue to do until the internet turns itself off), we have rounded up the best deals we spotted this week and put them in one convenient location. These are the tech gadgets we have used, reviewed and recommend that happen to be seeing worthwhile discounts at the moment. This week, a bunch of Apple gear went on sale, some of it new, some of it older, such as the 2024 MacBook Air with the M3 chip for $250 off and the 2021 9th generation iPad for $100 under MSRP. Two of our favorite outdoor pizza ovens, the Frya 12 and the Karu 16, are on sale at Ooni and there's a special Engadget code that'll get you a deal on Roombas at Wellbots. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/save-150-on-our-favorite-ooni-pizza-oven-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-172730247.html?src=rss
Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro has blocked X in the country for 10 days after claiming that the platform's owner Elon Musk had incited hatred and "violated" his own social network's rules. "Shame on Dictator Maduro," wrote Musk, who claimed that the incumbent president had committed "major election fraud."
Maduro, who also argued that his rivals were using the platform to stoke political unrest, said he greenlit a proposal by the national telecoms authority to "remove the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, from circulation in Venezuela for 10 days." That's according to the Associated Press, which said its reporters in the country were unable to access X after the proclamation. X does not have a public relations department that can be reached for comment.
While Musk has arguably fanned the flames of the situation in Venezuela, Maduro could be using him as a scapegoat so he has a pretext to temporarily block X and attempt to quash discussion of election results. The president claimed victory in July's presidential election, but the outcome has been disputed.
Independent exit polls and reviews of voting machine data indicated that Maduro's opposition, Edmundo González, may have received twice as many votes as the incumbent. The Maduro-controlled national electoral council however claimed that Maduro had a 52 percent share of the vote with González taking 43 percent. The council has not yet produced voting tallies as is required by law.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/nicolas-maduro-bans-x-in-venezuela-for-10-days-amid-elon-musk-dispute-163049192.html?src=rss
Security researchers have found a vulnerability in AMD processors that has persisted for decades, according to reporting by Wired. This is a fascinating security flaw because it was found in the firmware of the actual chips and potentially allows malware to deeply infect a computer’s memory.
The flaw was discovered by researchers from the security firm IOActive, who are calling the AMD-based vulnerability a “Sinkclose" flaw. This potentially allows hackers to run their own code in the most privileged mode of an AMD processor, System Management Mode. This is typically a protected portion of the firmware. The researchers have also noted that the flaw dates back to at least 2006 and that it impacts nearly every AMD chip.
"Researchers warn that a bug in AMD’s chips would allow attackers to root into some of the most privileged portions of a computer..." New piece from @WIRED featuring research from IOActive Principal Security Consultants, Enrique Nissim & Krzysztof Okupski. https://t.co/UuvzC2qyGI
That’s the bad news. Now onto some better news. Despite being potentially catastrophic, this issue is unlikely to impact regular people. That’s because in order to make full use of the flaw, hackers would already need deep access to an AMD-based PC or server. That’s a lot of work for a random home PC, phew, but could spell trouble for corporations or other large entities.
This is particularly worrisome for governments and the like. In theory, malicious code could burrow itself so deep within the firmware that it would be almost impossible to find. As a matter of fact, the researchers say that the code would likely survive a complete reinstallation of the operating system. The best option for infected computers would be a one-way ticket to the trash heap.
“Imagine nation-state hackers or whoever wants to persist on your system. Even if you wipe your drive clean, it's still going to be there,” says Krzysztof Okupski from IOActive. “It's going to be nearly undetectable and nearly unpatchable.”
Once successfully implemented, hackers would have full access to both surveil activity and tamper with the infected machine. AMD has acknowledged the issue and says that it has “released mitigation options” for data center products and Ryzen PC products “with mitigations for AMD embedded products coming soon.” The company has also published a full list of impacted chips.
AMD has also emphasized just how difficult it would be to take advantage of this exploit. It compares using the Sinkclose flaw to accessing a bank’s safe-deposit boxes after already bypassing alarms, guards, vault doors and other security measures. IOActive, however, says that kernel exploits — the equivalent of plans to get to those metaphorical safe-deposit boxes — exist readily in the wild. “People have kernel exploits right now for all these systems,” the organization told Wired. “They exist and they're available for attackers.”
IOActive has agreed to not publish any proof-of-concept code as AMD gets to work on patches. The researchers have warned that speed is of the essence, saying “if the foundation is broken, then the security for the whole system is broken.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/researchers-discover-potentially-catastrophic-exploit-present-in-amd-chips-for-decades-161541359.html?src=rss
On paper, Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black, fresh off of voicing Bowser, as the quippy/annoying Claptrap; and freaking Jamie Lee Curtis back in the genre fray after Everything Everywhere, All At Once. And yet the film is a lifeless slog better suited to an episode of Mystery Science Theater, completely squandering the potential of those elements.
Like the original game, Borderlands is mostly set on the wild alien planet of Pandora — a name that clearly should have been changed since audiences now associate it mostly with the Avatar films. Roth's adaptation makes significant changes to the game's plot and characters: It begins with Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) being rescued from a space prison by the former soldier Roland (Kevin Hart [?!]). Inexplicably, they run into the former Psycho, Kriege (Florian Munteanu), and together they all escape to find a legendary vault on Pandora, which holds untold alien treasures.
Meanwhile, in a nondescript city on another planet, Lilith gets recruited by the head of the Atlas Corporation (a scenery-chewing Edgar Ramirez) to rescue Tina, who he claims is her daughter. Like a maze hastily created for a kids menu, you can easily predict the path the film will take. Lilith reluctantly heads back to Pandora, she teams up with the other characters, and plot points are checked off with the excitement of a DMV visit
There are obligatory action scenes, as you'd expect, but it all feels routine — CG explosions, half-hearted choreography and minimal stakes.
Blanchett is an actress who has proven herself to have an enormous amount of range. She can play an awesome/terrifying Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings, and a pompous conductor in Tár. But while there are some base pleasures in seeing her rolling around with futuristic guns, she just never feels comfortable in the skin of an action heroine. There's none of the ferocity of Charlize Theron's most physical roles, or even Angelina Jolie in a middling thriller like Salt (a movie that, I assure you, is far more fun than Borderlands). Blanchett just seems too cool for this shit.
Photo by Lionsgate
And unlike other films featuring a rag-tag group of heroes, like Guardians of the Galaxy or the excellent Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, there’s little time spent building up relationships in Borderlands. Roland seems noble, but we never really learn who he is and what’s driving him to save Tina. (I also question the wisdom of casting a comedian like Hart in a mostly straight role.) Krieg is a shell of a character who gets only a few lines of stunted dialog and no actual development. Jamie Lee Curtis’s role as the “xenoarcheologist” Tannis makes no sense at all.
What you have, ultimately, is a boring film filled with empty characters and actors who would be better off being in literally anything else. If Cate Blanchett sold out for a corny commercial campaign — if she reenacted Pacino’s Dunkaccino song for real — it would still be less embarrassing than starring in this failure. In an era where many game adaptations have been surprisingly watchable, like the Sonic and Super Mario Bros. movies, and a masterpiece of a show like The Last of Us exists, Borderlands feels like a unforced error.
Photo by Lionsgate
Instead of being a big-budget film, it could have been better off as a streaming series like Fallout. Perhaps it didn’t need two Oscar winnersand a well-known comedian like Kevin Hart. They probably should have stuck with the screenplay from the Chernobyl and Last of Us showrunnner Craig Mazin, instead of bringing in more writers. (One of the listed screenwriters is "Joe Crombie," a pseudonym for someone who didn’t want their name attached to this film.)
As it is, though, Borderlands is pure wasted potential. Go replay the games — hell, go watch some of the Borderlands fan films — instead of sitting through this atrocity.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-borderlands-movie-is-an-astounding-waste-of-potential-160032875.html?src=rss
One of the more annoying aspects of TikTok (and Instagram and X) culture is when a user shares a contextless but captivating clip from a movie or a TV show. Oftentimes, they won't state or tag the name of the source upfront, prompting viewers to ask in the comments where the clip is from in an engagement-boosting trick. TikTok is stepping in to do something about that with a new feature called TikTok Spotlight.
When the platform's tech detects an applicable clip, it will add an anchor link to a landing page with more details about the show or movie. The page will include a synopsis, cast info and official accounts, as well as other TikToks linked to the same title so you can keep going down the rabbit hole. The landing page will also include details on where to watch the show or movie if it's on a streaming service, or a way to buy tickets if a film is still in theaters.
There are benefits for studios that take part in this initiative too. TikTok is now an important part of marketing strategies for movies and TV shows, so having a hub where interested users can go to learn more and possibly buy theater tickets is something Hollywood can take advantage of. TikTok says they'll be able to find creators who are a good match and incentivize them to spread the word about their projects. Studios will also have access to engagement analytics.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-will-make-it-easier-to-identify-movies-and-tv-shows-that-users-are-clipping-143449273.html?src=rss
Amazon has struck new deals that will give people the option to shop without having to leave TikTok or Pinterest, according to The Information. Users will be able to purchase items from the Amazon ads the pop up within either platform. Typically, clicking on an ad would take a buyer to Amazon's interface, but this deal will let them check out from within TikTok or Pinterest using the payment method and shipping address saved on their Amazon account.
The Information says it has seen screenshots of the ads, which show more information than usual, including items' prices, their estimated shipping times and whether they're eligible for Prime shipment. Take note that users will have to link their social media accounts to their Amazon profiles first before they're able to seamlessly shop from within their apps. "In-app shopping with Amazon is available for select products advertised on TikTok and sold by Amazon or by independent sellers in Amazon's store," a company spokesperson confirmed to the publication.
Amazon's new deals reportedly expand on its previous agreements with Meta and Snap under an initiative that's internally called Project Handshake. Similar to these newer arrangements, those previous deals made it possible for Snapchat and Instagram users to purchase items from within their apps. As The Information notes, though, it's not quite clear why TikTok has entered the agreement when it's been trying to grow its own shopping platform. TikTok brought live shopping to North America in 2022, and it added more relevant features, such as a dedicated shop tab and live stream shop buttons, last year. In addition to the fact that Amazon shopping could undercut sales on its own platform, TikTok could also end up getting banned in the US unless ByteDance, its parent company based in China, agrees to sell it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-and-pinterest-team-up-with-amazon-for-in-app-shopping-140004136.html?src=rss
Despite being one of the first gaming handhelds from a major PC maker, ASUS got a lot right with the original ROG Ally. It offers better performance in a smaller chassis than Valve’s Steam Deck, but without a huge increase in price. And because it’s based on Windows instead of Linux, it delivers almost universal game compatibility. That said, issues like weak battery life and faulty SD card slots left plenty of room for improvement. So on the new Ally X, ASUS tweaked almost everything aside from its chip and display. But this time, what we’re getting is the fully armed and operational battle station that I wanted all along.
Design and display
From afar, it may appear like all ASUS did was switch the color of the Ally X’s chassis from white to black. But the second I picked it up, I noticed a lot of little changes including more pronounced grips, slightly taller face buttons and smaller paddles around back designed so that they’re harder to hit by accident. There’s also a brand new D-Pad which is a big improvement from the one on the vanilla Ally, though I’d still prefer a traditional cross or one of Sony’s pentagon-shaped arrangements.
On the inside, ASUS added stiffer springs to Ally X’s joysticks, making them tighter and more responsive. However, ASUS stopped short of switching to Hall Effect sensors like the ones on rivals like the Lenovo Legion Go. There’s also a third vent and a new fan system that improve cooling and airflow, though at full load, the back of this thing still gets pretty toasty.
But the best part is that even with all these changes and a handful of new components on the inside (more on those later), the Ally X isn’t much bulkier than its predecessor. The original ROG Ally weighs 1.34 pounds and measures 1.28 inches at its thickest while the Ally X comes in at 1.49 pounds and 1.45 inches. I’ve even been told by an ASUS representative that the Ally X fits in the original Ally’s official case, though I haven’t confirmed that myself, because, unlike the Steam Deck, you don’t get one bundled with the system.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Finally, there’s the Ally X’s 1080p display, one of two components that’s the same as on its predecessor. It has great brightness with a peak of around 500 nits (our review unit was actually a touch better at around 515 nits) and a variable 120Hz refresh rate. It’s pretty much exactly what you want on a system this size and in brighter environments, its black levels are so good that I’ve mistaken it for an OLED panel.
Performance
The other major component that hasn’t changed is the Ally X’s AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any performance improvements. That’s because ASUS massively upgraded the rest of its components with 24GB of faster LPDDR5X-7500 RAM (up from 16GB) and a larger 1TB M.2 SSD (up from 512GB). This time, ASUS even opted for a full-size 2280 module, so if you want to upgrade your storage down the line, you’ll have way more options than the smaller 2230 stick used in the previous model. Plus, and I can’t stress this enough, ASUS has also had extra time to polish the Ally X’s drivers. As we saw on the original, improved software support can make a big difference in performance, especially in a category that still benefits a ton from better optimization. And depending on the title, we’ve seen performance increase by as much as 5-10 percent, which is pretty significant considering its chip hasn’t changed.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 720p on high graphics, the Ally X hit 54 fps in performance mode and 64 fps in Turbo mode compared to 54 fps and 60 fps for the original. Meanwhile when playing Cyberpunk 2077, I saw even bigger gains with the Ally X getting up to 78 fps in Turbo mode versus just 69 fps for the vanilla Ally. This improvement seems to be due in large part to the Ally X’s increased RAM, which the handheld shares with its GPU. And unlike on a laptop or desktop with discrete graphics, the Z1 Extreme’s Radeon 780M doesn’t have its own dedicated memory.
But regardless of how it’s getting there, all these changes make the Ally X one of the most powerful handheld PCs on the market. That’s because while the Legion Go uses the same processor, it has 8GB less RAM, so in games, it generally lagged behind by three to five fps.
Software
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Windows-based gaming handhelds continue to be a bit clunky when you need to switch between various game launchers and menus, but ASUS has streamlined its Armoury Crate app to be more responsive and easier to use. It’s generally less buggy and better equipped to be a one-stop shop for aggregating all different games (and launchers) or quickly tweaking settings. Even with all that, though, it’s still less cohesive than Valve’s Steam OS. And despite recent improvements, I still ran into things like Armoury Crate interrupting what I was trying to do in Windows when it automatically boots up after a restart (which thankfully you can disable).
Battery life and ports
One of the biggest issues with the original Ally was its short battery life, which often lasted just an hour or an hour and a half at best. And when you have a system that needs to be plugged into a wall that frequently, it calls into question how good of a gaming handheld it really is.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But on the Ally X, ASUS doubled battery capacity to 80Wh. Now it can easily game for at least two hours to two and a half hours (or more, if you don’t mind fiddling around with settings). And when you remember that the Ally X isn’t that much heftier than its predecessor, you have an even greater appreciation for how much extra juice ASUS managed to cram inside.
I also appreciate that ASUS replaced the proprietary XG Mobile connector on the original model with a second USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 4. This means you can still plug in an external graphics dock if you want, while also giving you the flexibility to hook up all sorts of peripherals. This allows the Ally X to better serve as a portable desktop because you can plug in accessories like a mouse and keyboard without the need for external docks or dongles.
Wrap-up
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
While the Ally X isn’t a true 2.0 version of its predecessor, ASUS has addressed pretty much every complaint I had about the original and then some. Its joysticks feel tighter, its performance is better and battery life has essentially doubled. Even ASUS’ Armoury Crate app is easier to use, though it still hasn’t fully solved the issue of Windows feeling clunky on PC handhelds. And while it’s a touch thicker and heavier than before, those changes don’t impact its portability. ASUS also claims it has improved its RMA process to better support people who need servicing or repairs after numerous customer complaints. But it’s still too early to say if this has made a difference.
Really, the biggest hurdle for the Ally X is its price. At $800, it costs $150 more than the original Ally or the closest equivalent Steam Deck. For those who bought its predecessor, that could still make it a tough sell after only one year. I’d also argue that thanks to Steam OS, Valve’s handheld remains the more streamlined and easier-to-use option. But make no mistake, if you’re talking about the best PC gaming handhelds on the market, the Ally X sits at the top of the hill right next to the Steam Deck.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-rog-ally-review-a-fully-armed-and-operational-handheld-battle-station-133043986.html?src=rss
Roomba robot vacuums are on sale right now via Wellbots and some of the deals are absolutely fantastic. The biggest discount is for the well-regarded Combo j9+, which is pretty much the company’s top-tier robovac. This vacuum and mop hybrid is typically a jaw-dropping $1,400, but this deal brings the price down to $980. Just enter the code “ENGT420” at checkout.
We loved this unit in our official review, calling it “the ideal robot vacuum and mop” and “a godsend for tired parents.” The vacuuming performance is excellent and mop is a great bonus for mild cleaning duties (it doesn’t excel with sticky messes.) The obstacle detection is fantastic. It’ll avoid furniture, walls and even pet-related fecal matter. It’s a high-end Roomba. You know the drill.
The base is designed well and allows the vac to get stuff done on its own. The vacuum will perform its cleaning duties and empty debris right into the base. This base can accommodate 60 days of solid debris and 30 days of liquid mess before having to be manually emptied. It also features an area for storing accessories.
About the only bad thing one can say about this vacuum is the exorbitant price. The typical cost of $1,400 is simply outrageous, despite being one heck of a cleaning robot. The discount to $980 makes it a more palatable option, but it’s still closing in a grand.
If you want a good robot vacuum and don’t have an endless supply of money, there are other items on sale. The original Roomba j9+, without the mop, is available for $580 instead of $900. Just enter the code “ENGT320” at checkout. The Roomba Combo j7+, which does include a mop, is $680 instead of $1,000 with the code “ENGT320” at checkout. Incidentally, this one made our list of the best robot vacuums.