Recently I attended an HP Imagine AI event, which covered the full scope of the tech giant’s plans for AI in both its software and hardware. This was one of many recent events, showcases, and hands-on from numerous manufacturers who are clamoring to show media and buyers what it can offer in this increasingly overcrowded market.
While HP’s offerings were quite interesting and often seemed quite useful, this all poses a much larger question: what is the purpose of all this? A second question must be begged afterward: what is the true future for AI? Once you unravel all the glam of these AI events, the shiny new AI PCs, and the multitude of AI-powered software and tools, this is the foundational question left.
After ruminating on it for a while, I believe I found my deceptively simplistic answer: accessibility—a simple answer, but a truly profound one that draws out AI’s true potential.
(Image credit: Future)
What did HP reveal?
HP first delved into its mission statement regarding AI — to make AI real it must be tangible, show HP’s leadership, and catalyze the industry. The manufacturer also made it clear that one of its main goals would be to address audience concerns regarding trust and establishing a verification system in AI models. It also needs to address issues such as hallucination, drift, and bias in its AI data sets. Whether or not HP can live up to these ideals will be left to the test of time, however.
One of the main reveals was the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, which offers an AMD Ryzen AI 300 SoC with 55 TOPS NPU, even higher than AMD’s standard 50 TOPS NPU, and part of the collaborative efforts between AMD and HP. It was also stated to be 45% more powerful than Apple’s M4 chips. It’s a bold claim and one without specifics like benchmark tests to back them up, but if it holds remotely true then we could be looking at a truly incredible machine.
Lastly, HP revealed AI software and tools that will be taking advantage of the built-in AI. Zoom, for instance, noticed that 40& of users use fake backgrounds so it improved its image quality while eliminating item disappearance to make for more of a seamless look. Two editing programs, Djay Pro and Blackmagic Design, allow for in-depth depth music and video editing tools that beginners can use. There’s also Loccus.ai, a safety and trust AI tool that uses a Trojan neuro network that combats audio deepfakes, which are some of the most deception and fast-evolving types.
(Image credit: Future)
Accessibility is what AI was made for
The two most promising AI programs I witnessed, were both accessibility-based. Cephable is similar to Google’s own Help Me Hands-Free tool, as it provides face tracking, head tracking, and voice inputs through speech recognition. This allows for alternative navigation methods for those who cannot use a keyboard and trackpad or mouse. Due to this tool running through the AI-powered NPU, it frees up the processor and graphics card for other processes.
OmniBridge is an incredibly useful tool currently in development, targeting an unfortunately niche and underserved market. This program translates sign language into both spoken language and text at the same time, which is made possible through the use of AI analyzing 3D space to interpret gestures in real-time. While the program is still in Alpha, it already knows 5,000 signs, with the ultimate goal of learning 10,000 or full fluency.
It's not hard to see what kind of potential these two programs hold. Not only on their merit but in terms of what other kinds of accessible programs could be created with AI. I would love to find even more of these AI tools developed in the future, it's truly exciting to see what can be done with tech for the greater for once, rather than for solely profit.
(Image credit: Future)
Final thoughts
We’re seeing AI sweeping through the tech industry at an accelerated pace, with every tech giant creating their own AI-based software and hardware to take advantage of the trend. Of course, as with many other recent advancements in technology, it comes at an incredible ecological cost. AI runs out of large data centers needed to power both generative AI and the cloud storage it often relies on, which has been consuming massive amounts of water and other resources.
There’s also the major plagiarism issue, with AI being trained on copyrighted music, papers, written works, research, art and photos, and more. And unfortunately, while laws are being developed to combat this issue, creatives and journalists are still being pushed out of their industries in favor of companies using these AI tools to create content instead.
However, AI has never been all bad, and even now there are ways to apply it to help those in need of these tools the most. From what I saw during HP’s Imagine AI event, the accessibility programs were by far the most creative and helpful of the bunch. They addressed real-world issues and demonstrated why AI is necessary to fix them, using the power of AI to aid underserved markets. Not to mention that this same tech can be run without interfering with other PC processes, meaning you can continue your productivity and creative work or even gaming while having these accessibility tools aid you simultaneously.
If we need to suffer a world that’s oversaturated with AI, with much of it actively harming others and the planet, the only use I want to see is that which genuinely helps others instead. Fewer tools about how to spy on workers using their cell phones in Zoom calls and more tools that translate sign language into multiple spoken languages.
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Full spoilers follow for season 1 ofThe Rings of Power. Potential season 2 spoilers are also discussed.
A new trailer for The Rings of Power season 2 has been forged in the fires of Mount Doom – and, after its worldwide debut at San Diego Comic-Con, it's now available to watch online.
Ahead of the show's second season debuting in late August, the *ahem* powers that be at Prime Video has seen fit to drum up further excitement for The Rings of Power's return with a near-four-minute long teaser that's as action-packed as it is filled with surprises. Believe us, you'll want to watch it immediately – and you can do just that below.
Looks really good, doesn't it? After the somewhat mixed reception for the Amazon TV show's first chapter, it seems season 2 will forge closer ties to what J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about Middle-earth's Second Age than its predecessor. Of course, the odd creative liberty has been taken but, by and large, it looks like some of the biggest moments in The Lord of the Rings' mythology are being brought to life as authentically as possible.
Sure, we'll have to wait for season 2's arrival to see if that's the case, but what does its latest trailer actually tease? Below, I've picked out 14 things you might have missed and/or need explained, and theorized what they could mean for one of the best Prime Video shows' next installment.
1. Sauron returns to Númenor?
Has Sauron returned to the idyllic island of the Edain's descendants?(Image credit: Prime Video)
The very first shot of season 2's new trailer is immediately curious. On the surface, it doesn't appear to be anything of significance – indeed, it simply shows Sauron riding into an undisclosed location while a voiceover from Galadriel plays.
Reading more into it, though, I believe this scene takes place when Sauron voluntarily surrenders to the island of Númenor. His dirty face and somewhat bedraggled clothing suggest he's been in some form of skirmish, while the architecture of the arch he proceeds through is adorned with the Númenórean royal sigil. Indeed, it's identical to the crown worn by Aragorn late in The Return of the King's live-action movie. Oh, and the Númenórean armor, worn by a guard on his left side, is also a dead giveaway.
If I'm correct, I think this scene happens in the season 2 finale, following Sauron's defeat in the War of the Elves and Sauron that, thanks to The Rings of Power season 2's first trailer, we know will be part of this season's plot. So, we might see Sauron – who already visited Númenor in season 1 while masquerading as Halbrand – allow Ar-Phazarôn (more on him later) to take him hostage, thereby enabling Sauron to slowly worm his way into Númenórean high society and set the island nation's downfall in motion. All of that is likely to happen in The Rings of Power's expected third season, but the foundations could certainly be laid in season 2's eighth and final episode – and as part of this particular scene.
2. A helmet-like crown fit for a menacing villain
It looks like Sauron is preparing for a battle - or to rule(Image credit: Prime Video)
The Rings of Power's showrunners have already teased that season 2 will be "all about the villains", so it stands to reason that they feature prominently throughout its latest teaser. That includes clearer looks at secondary foes including fallen elf/orc army commander Adar, as well as the aforementioned Sauron.
We seem to get a glimpse at a prototype of Sauron's iconic armor's headpiece at the 0:10 mark. An orc is carrying what appears to be a crown, but it's shaped similarly to the multi-pronged headgear he wears in the Second Age's final battle – The Last Alliance of Elves and Men, as seen in the prelude to The Fellowship of the Ring film. Is this crown a progenitor, no doubt made by orc smiths, to said helmet? It certainly seems that way to me.
3. Attack of the Barrow-wights
Trailer #2 gives us a much clearer look at one of the show's new spooky creatures(Image credit: Prime Video)
We were given the briefest glimpse of these spooky creatures in season 2's first trailer, but this new reel gives us an even better look at the Barrow-wights who Galadriel, Elrond, and their elven scouting party will duel with at some point.
Judging by their horrifying ghostly demeanor, I definitely wouldn't want to encounter one of these forest-dwelling terrors on a night-time walk. Let's hope these Eriador-based spirits of darkness don't pose too much of a threat to our heroes.
4. Rings, rings, and more rings
We'll see all of the other Rings of Power crafted in season 2(Image credit: Prime Video)
Considering Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show is called The Rings of Power, you would expect the titular, magic-infused jewelry to show up more often as the series progresses. Thankfully, that'll be the case. Speaking exclusively to TechRadar in October 2022, some of the series' cast teased the creation of the One Ring and its siblings in its sophomore outing.
Based on what we see and hear about them in season 2's official trailer, that's nailed on to happen. We get closer looks at the newly designed elven rings – Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – as well as another good view of King Durin III's blue-gemmed ring. There's also a glimpse of a new Ring of Power that Celebrimbor holds up towards the trailer's end. It seems he's in an underground area, too, which suggests he might be offering it to one of Durin III's fellow dwarf lords.
As for who'll make them, Eregion's elven smiths are seen preparing to craft the rings under the guidance of Annatar, aka Sauron's elven alias. Later, the show's primary villain tells Celebrimbor to "give me the nine", suggesting that the nine Rings of Power he'll eventually 'gift' to the Kings of Men are also going to be created. Evidently, the rings will be just as central to season 2's plot as Sauron is.
5. The Easterlings arrive...
This are either proto-Easterlings or a different group of Rhûn-based warriors(Image credit: Prime Video)
Fans were left disappointed when they learned that the Easterlings, a race of men who hail from the Kingdom of Rhûn, were absent from the Siege of Gondor in the live-action film adaptation of The Return of the King. Indeed, the group was cut from the movie late into its post-production phase in a bid to shave down its theatrical runtime.
Pleasingly, it seems a similar fate won't befall them in The Rings of Power season 2. Between the 1:30 and 1:36 marks, we see a bunch of proto-Easterlings – maybe even each clan's Lord? – featured. One is seen riding their steed amid a sunset backdrop, another is seen spying on Nori and The Stranger (who have traveled to Rhûn to learn more about the latter's past) through a telescope, and the final shot shows five individuals watching someone off-camera.
It's unclear how big of a role they'll play in season 2. But, if this is a tribe (or tribes) of Easterlings, their appearance could be very significant – especially as one of their leaders, Khamul, is one of the nine Kings of Men who receives a ring from Sauron in the source material.
6. ...and the Mystics return
We thought we'd seen the last of the Mystics(Image credit: Prime Video)
Remember when we thought the Mystics all perished in their showdown with The Stranger in The Rings of Power season 1 finale? Yeah, it turns out we were wrong. At the 1:42 mark, we see a group of five new Mystics casting a moth-based spell for reasons unknown. No matter what they're up to, it can't be good news.
7. The Stranger speaks!
Someone's been practicing their A, B, Cs!(Image credit: Prime Video)
It seemed inevitable that The Stranger, who's confirmed as a member of the Istari, aka one of the five wizards sent to help Middle-earth's races defeat Sauron, would continue to be largely mute in season 2. That's based on the footage we'd seen prior to the latest teaser's release.
As it happens, though, we'll finally hear him speak in the show's sophomore season. Indeed, he does as much at the 1:45 mark. The Stranger – who I expect to be revealed as Gandalf at some point – asks Tom Bombadil (more on him in a moment): "Is it my task to stop the fire? Is it my task to face Sauron!?"
8. Welcome to The Rings of Power, 'Old Tom' Bombadil
But I digress. We get a first look at 'Old Tom' in action in this trailer when the enigmatic, jovial, magical individual turns to face The Stranger after the latter asks those aforementioned questions in point seven. He's spotted later in the trailer, too, asking his new friend if he'll abandon Middle-earth's races "to their doom". Expect him to mentor The Stranger throughout this season.
9. Peering into the palantír
Well, this isn't good news...(Image credit: Prime Video)
Ar-Pharazôn's rise up the Númenórean ranks looks like it'll continue apace in season 2, judging by the foreboding shot we see of him interacting with one of Middle-earth's eight Palantíri – indestructible seeing stones that allow for wide-ranging communication across Middle-earth. How and why he's using it – I suspect it's to further his cause to usurp the Númenórean throne – will become clearer when the show returns.
10. Durin's Bane makes its presence felt
You! Shall Not! Pass!... oh, hang on(Image credit: Prime Video)
Ever since The Rings of Power season 1 episode 7 aired, we've known that the Balrog known as Durin's Bane would eventually rouse from its slumber to wage war on the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm. Thanks to co-showrunner Patrick McKay, we've also known that Durin's Bane would next appear in season 2 – McKay telling TechRadar: "Season 2, sir, stay tuned" when asked about when it'll reappear after the show's seventh episode.
Well, McKay wasn't leading me on. Not only did I predict Durin's Bane was responsible for destroying one of the subterranean kingdom's bridges in season 2's first trailer, but it's also set to play a prominent role in the series' next chapter. That's based on the snippets of footage in season 2's newest teaser, which show it escaping its tomb and making a beeline for Khazad-dûm.
11. Water way to go, Miriel
Just taking a quick dip, are you?(Image credit: Prime Video)
Remember that unidentified woman we saw in a body of water, which housed a similarly unknown aquatic beast, in season 2's first trailer? It turns out it was Míriel, Númenor's Queen Regent. Confirmation of that comes at the 2:15 mark, with the blind monarch entering said lake/sea for reasons I'm not sure of. Oh, and the creature she encounters in both trailers is a Sea Worm. So there, both identity mysteries from the first teaser solved.
12. Enter the Ents
What an Ent-rance!(Image credit: Prime Video)
Arguably the trailer's biggest surprise is saved until the 2:40 mark. A voiceover from someone saying "forgiveness takes an age" begins playing a few seconds earlier, only for the teaser to reveal what appears to be a female Ent – you know, those ancient, slow-moving, sentient tree-like beings – speaking.
We haven't seen an Ent in a live-action Lord of the Rings project since The Return of the King's extended cut, so I couldn't help but smile upon this shock reveal. We get another glimpse at the Ent at the 2:53 mark, which seems to take a swing at a character who could be either Arondir or Isildur. It's hard to make out which individual it is but, given this duo will spend much of season 2 traversing Middle-earth together, it stands to reason that they'll both encounter it.
13. I spy Shelob
"Incy wincy spider..."(Image credit: Prime Video)
Speaking of Isildur, we don't get many glimpses at the Númenórean warrior in season 2's latest trailer. But, when we do get a good look at him towards its climax, we see him fighting a spiderling in a dark cave.
Now, you might be thinking this is just an ordinary arachnid, but I can reveal the eight-legged freak we see is actually Shelob. That's right, the giant spider that Frodo and Sam encounter on their long trek Mordor in The Return of the King will appear in The Rings of Power season 2 – an Amazon press blast accompanying its newest trailer confirming the monstrous creepy-crawly's cameo.
14. They have a Hill-troll
Keep trollin', trollin', trollin'...(Image credit: Prime Video)
There's one final monstrous reveal before the trailer ends, too. At the 3:14 mark, we catch a fleeting glimpse of a new troll, which as part of Sauron and Adar's massive orc army will play a huge role in the Siege of Eregion – likely to be season 2's tentpole battle.
For those who missed it at the time: this creature was first revealed by Empire magazine on July 1, with the entertainment publication confirming it'll be named Damrod. Oh, and it'll be a Hill-troll that's referred to as the "eater of dragon bones". A colossal being not to be trifled with, then!
The new SearchGPT feature introduced by OpenAI has stumbled in its rollout, as first discovered by The Atlantic. SearchGPT is a new tool designed to combine OpenAI's AI models with real-time web data for faster, more accurate answers. It's not widely available but represents OpenAI's vision of how AI and search will augment each other in the future.
In a prerecorded video showcasing SearchGPT, the tool provided incorrect information about the dates of the Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone, North Carolina. The July 29 to August 16 dates SearchGPT reported are far from the June 29 to July 27 dates the event actually occurs. As reported by The Atlantic and further confirmed, the dates of the festival in SearchGPT's response are when the box office is closed. You can watch the full demo here.
SearchGPT Still Looking
AI hallucinations and errors are perennial complaints, a universal issue pretty much every AI user has encountered. In that sense, the mistake is not a huge deal. However, the result here somewhat undermines OpenAI's pitch for SearchGPT. With reliability and transparency at the heart of SearchGPT, according to OpenAI, it stands out when a hallucination like this still happens.
This isn't an issue that is unique to OpenAI, of course. You may recall the embarrassing errors made when Google debuted its AI assistant Bard (now Gemini). In that case, a live demo claimed the James Webb Space Telescope took the first pictures of a planet outside the solar system, even though they were actually taken by the European Very Large Telescope. It was so bad that some people attributed a subsequent $100 billion dip in Google stock price to the gaffe. Arguably, having the error in a video that OpenAI could have redone or edited differently at any time is worse than a real-time misstep.
Regardless of the mistake, OpenAI will likely not slow down in developing AI search. The demand for accurate, speedy answers to questions about things happening right now has already propelled AI integration into existing search engines, including Google and Microsoft Bing. It's also the impetus behind search-centered generative AI chatbots like You.com and Perplexity.
But, if OpenAI can release its own option, especially tied to ChatGPT, it will, at the very least, score a robust slice of the search AI market. That's predicated on getting people to trust SearchGPT to provide accurate answers, of course. You could ask SearchGPT to give the odds of that happening, but you might want to follow up on your own to confirm what it says.
Orico, in partnership with Western Digital, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Data Matrix Ultra, a new storage solution designed for creative professionals. This system looks well suited to handling high-resolution 4K and 8K video and supports intensive post-production workflows.
The Data Matrix Ultra is designed to evoke the aesthetics of Apple products. It combines fast M.2 SSDs (with speeds up to 3000MB/s) with high-capacity WD Red HDDs, and includes CFexpress Type-B slots capable of speeds up to 1500MB/s, which is fast enough to edit 8K video.
This storage system comes in a variety of capacities ranging from 5TB to 112TB, with options for future expansion and upgrades to meet growing project demands. It allows for the daisy-chaining of up to five devices, for a potential maximum of 560TB of storage. Data Matrix Ultra supports a variety of RAID configurations - RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and JBOD - providing data security through redundancy and backup options.
Already funded
The Data Matrix Ultra also focuses on minimizing operational noise with features such as anti-vibration mounts and magnetic levitation fans. Orico says this will help with a quieter workspace, crucial for creative professionals working in sound-sensitive environments.
For me, the Data Matrix Ultra brings to mind the OWC ThunderBay Flex 8 storage solution, one of the fastest and most flexible storage options available which also has an Apple inspired design (it looks not unlike the large Mac Pro). OWC’s solution offers 18TB to 172TB of storage and is priced at $2,479.00. Backing prices for the Data Matrix Ultra start at $699 for a 1 bay 5TB model, a 36% discount off the $1,099 MSRP, rising up to $4,999 for the 112TB 5 bay model, marking a 62% reduction from the eye watering $12,999 MSRP.
Backing crowdfunded products obviously comes with risks. Orico notes “the high price of the Data Matrix mini could limit the number of potential backers, especially in a competitive market where consumers might choose more affordable alternatives”. That said, the Data Matrix Ultra has already found an audience, amassing $46,885 of its $5,000 goal (via 28 backers), with over two weeks remaining in the campaign.
Cybersecurity researchers from ESET have warned of a recently-discovered vulnerability in the Android version of the popular instant messaging application Telegram.
The vulnerability allowed threat actors to deploy malware on the vulnerable devices, and apparently - it was being actively exploited for weeks.
A threat actor called Ancryno took to a Russian-speaking underground forum in early June 2024, to sell a zero-day exploit for Telegram versions 10.14.4 and older. This drew the attention of ESET’s experts, and when a proof-of-concept (PoC) was published, they picked up the malicious payload, analyzed it, and confirmed that it works.
Fake prompts
The vulnerability allowed threat actors to create malicious .APK files (Android installation packages) which, to the recipient, look like a video message. Since Telegram automatically downloads all multimedia, all the victim needs to do is open up the chat window to receive the payload.
Users who disabled the automatic download of multimedia files need to tap on the received message once to trigger the download.
This leaves the problem of actually running the file, since the APK still needs to be installed. The hackers partially solved it by displaying a fake prompt that the video needs to be played in an external player. Accepting this prompt triggers another one which says that Telegram is barred from installing APK files. If the victim ignores all of these red flags, they will end up with the installed malware.
Further analyzing the threat actor’s infrastructure, ESET found two malicious payloads hosted online, one that pretends to be Avast Antivirus, and a fake “premium mod” for xHamster (a website with adult content).
The researchers reported their findings to Telegram’s developers, which came back with a patch on July 11. In its writeup, BleepingComputer points that the flaw was running wild for at least five weeks, giving crooks plenty of time to target Telegram users.
The earliest patched version is v10.14.5. Telegram’s desktop app was never vulnerable.
Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro recently found a Linux variant of the dreaded Play ransomware strain targeting VMWare ESXi environments.
In a technical breakdown, Trend Micro’s Threat Hunting team said this was the first time Play was seen targeting ESXi environments, and it could be that the criminals are broadening their attacks across the Linux platform, giving them an expanded victim pool and more successful ransom negotiations.
Play was first spotted more than two years ago, and since then it became popular for its double-extortion tactics, evasion techniques, custom-built tools, and a “substantial impact” on companies in Latin America, the researchers explained.
Prolific Puma and Revolver Rabbit
Businesses usually use VMWare’s ESXi instances for virtual machines, where they host critical applications, data, and integrated backup solutions. By targeting these endpoints, Play’s operators could reduce the chances of the victim recovering any encrypted data. Therefore, their negotiation position becomes that much better. Besides going after Linux endpoints, the new variant was also able to successfully evade security detections, Trend Micro added.
Analyzing the infrastructure used for these campaigns, the researchers found a peculiarity - the URL used to host the encryptor is related to a threat actor known as Prolific Puma. This group is known for offering URL-shortening services to criminals, making phishing attacks more convincing, and thus, more disruptive.
In late 2023, researchers Infoblox discovered a major link-shortening operation in which the criminals would use a registered domain generation algorithm (RDGA) to create domain names in bulk. Then, they would use those domains to provide a link-shortening service to other malicious actors.
Earlier this month, the same company found a threat actor called Revolver Rabbit using RDGAs to register more than 500,000 domains, an effort on which they spent more than a million dollars. The hacker used the RDGA to create command and control (C2) and decoy domains for the XLoader infostealing malware.
Sony has long been a key player in digital storage technologies. The company introduced the CD in 1982, which it developed in collaboration with Philips, revolutionizing how data and music were stored and accessed. In 1995, Sony launched the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a joint effort with Philips, Toshiba, and Panasonic. This was followed by the Blu-ray Disc in 2006, which offered even greater storage capacity suitable for high-definition video and data.
In 2014, the company, in partnership with Panasonic, came up with a new optical storage format for professionals, the Archival Disc, which could store a whopping 300GB of data.
The writing has been on the wall for Sony’s older optical solutions for a while however, and the company has said it plans to phase out its recordable disc production, which includes Blu-ays, having previously announced plans to cut a significant number of jobs at its optical media plant in northeast Japan.
Alternatives step up
"The growth of the cold storage market has not reached our expectations, and the performance of the storage media business as a whole continues to be in the red," a Sony Group spokesperson said. "We have determined that it is necessary to review the business structure to improve profitability."
Another casualty of this move will be Sony’s Optical Disc Archive Cartridges. Announced in 2020, Generation 3 of the product has a 5.5TB capacity courtesy of a double-sided disc with triple layers per side for write-once recording. This latest incarnation (and last, as it happens) offers a much greater capacity than Generation 2, released in 2016 (3.3TB), and the initial release, introduced in 2013, which came in various capacities up to 1.5TB.
Sony’s move will mostly impact consumers as the company says it will continue to sell B2B products from existing supplies. It has produced enough to meet demand for quite some time, but if you rely on optical storage you might want to stock up now.
A number of tech companies are working on alternative forms of storage that could fill the void that optical technology’s decline will leave. These include ceramic, Silica (quartz glass), and DNA-based storage.
