ByteDance’s new AI tool, X-Portrait 2, transforms still photos into realistic video animations of famous movie scenes with uncanny detail, raising questions about the future of AI-driven animation and digital content creation.Read More
AMD’s new Ryzen 7 9800X3D is already one of the best processors you can buy. It delivers productivity and gaming gains across the board, though not in equal strides. Despite the improvements AMD made, the last-gen Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still potent competition, particularly when it comes to gaming. These are two of the go-to gaming CPUs right now, and although the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is newer and faster, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still the right CPU for most people. That becomes clear when you look at the main focus of these CPUs — gaming performance — and how … Read more
A new AI-powered, imaging-based technology that creates accurate three-dimensional models of tumors, veins and other soft tissue offers a promising new method to help surgeons operate on, and better treat, breast cancers. The technology, from Illinois-based startup SimBioSys, converts routine black-and-white MRI images into spatially accurate, volumetric images of a patient’s breasts. It then illuminates different parts of the breast with distinct colors — the vascular system, or veins, may be red; tumors are shown in blue; surrounding tissue is gray. Surgeons can then easily manipulate the 3D visualization on a computer screen, gaining important insight to help guide surgeries … Read more
Guillermo del Toro is one of the best filmmakers of his generation, and he’ll probably go down as the only Best Director winner at the Oscars to take home that award and Best Picture for a love story between a woman and an amphibious male. That movie was The Shape of Water, in case you were wondering. Del Toro loves making fantasy and horror movies, and he’s made several, including Hellboy, Crimson Peak, and even Blade II. But the one Amazon Prime Video movie that you have to watch in November is del Toro’s most personal work to date, Pan’s … Read more
Austin is drawing people to jobs, music venues, comedy clubs, barbecue and more. But with this boom has come a big city blues: traffic jams. Rekor, which offers traffic management and public safety analytics, has a front-row seat to the increasing traffic from an influx of new residents migrating to Austin. Rekor works with the Texas Department of Transportation, which has a $7 billion project addressing this, to help mitigate the roadway concerns. “Texas has been trying to meet that growth and demand on the roadways by investing a lot in infrastructure, and they’re focusing a lot on digital infrastructure,” … Read more
Google Maps is evolving with the integration of Gemini AI, introducing features designed to make navigation smarter, safer, and more intuitive. Various updates provide conversational query capabilities and real-time data analysis, transforming how users experience location-based services. However, this evolution is not immediate—Google is rolling out the features incrementally, with some functions still being tested in select regions. AI-Driven Navigation and User Reporting Upgrades The latest Google Maps features include AI-powered lane guidance, offering visually enhanced prompts to reduce confusion during complex maneuvers. Initially available in 30 metro areas beginning November 2024, the new feature aims to make commutes more … Read more
Supreme Court ruling could hurt FCC case Both AT&T and Verizon cite the Supreme Court’s June 2024 ruling in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, which held that “when the SEC seeks civil penalties against a defendant for securities fraud, the Seventh Amendment entitles the defendant to a jury trial.” The Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed a 5th Circuit order, had not been issued yet when the FCC finalized its fines. The FCC disputed the 5th Circuit ruling, saying among other things that Supreme Court precedent made clear that “Congress can assign matters involving public rights to adjudication by an … Read more
One of the most anticipated new smartphones has been announced: the OnePlus 13. This device will eventually replace the highly regarded OnePlus 12, one of the year’s top phones. How do these two models compare? If you own a OnePlus 12, should you consider upgrading to the newer version? Let’s take a closer look. OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 12: specs OnePlus 13 OnePlus 12 Size 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2 mm (6.47 x 2.98 x 0.36 inches) Weight 210 grams 220 grams (7.76 ounces) Screen size and resolution 6.8-inch 1440p OLED with 1-120Hz adaptive … Read more
At the Conference for Robot Learning (CoRL) in Munich, Germany, Hugging Face and NVIDIA announced a collaboration to accelerate robotics research and development by bringing together their open-source robotics communities. Hugging Face’s LeRobot open AI platform combined with NVIDIA AI, Omniverse and Isaac robotics technology will enable researchers and developers to drive advances across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Open-Source Robotics for the Era of Physical AI The era of physical AI — robots understanding physical properties of environments — is here, and it’s rapidly transforming the world’s industries. To drive and sustain this rapid … Read more
Broadcom has a new subscription tier for VMware virtualization software that may appease some disgruntled VMware customers, especially small to medium-sized businesses. The new VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus subscription tier creates a more digestible bundle that’s more appropriate for smaller customers. But it may be too late to convince some SMBs not to abandon VMware. Soon after Broadcom bought VMware, it stopped the sale of VMware perpetual licenses and started requiring subscriptions. Broadcom also bundled VMware’s products into a smaller number of SKUs, resulting in higher costs and frustration for customers that felt like they were being forced to pay … Read more
