Techno

Monday, October 14, 2024

Latest Tech News

The Insta360 Ace Pro from November 2023 remains the most powerful action camera we've tested, but that looks likely to change soon – according to some leaked marketing materials that spill the beans on a new Ace Pro 2.

As always, the source of these leaks is the reliable @Quadro_News on X (formerly Twitter, below), who's posted some useful slides that give us an idea of what to expect from Insta360's flagship GoPro rival.

Previous leaks had already told us that the Ace Pro 2 is likely to have a 1/1.3-inch main sensor (this time with a 50MP resolution, rather than 48MP). But it seems that the new action cam will pair its 5nm AI chip with some new silicon called the 'Pro Imaging Chip'.

Exactly what the latter does isn't clear, but from the other slides it will seemingly boost software features like PureVideo, which primarily handles low-light performance. From a slide of leaked specs, it seems the Ace Pro 2 will now be able to shoot Active HDR footage at 4K/60p (rather than maxing out at 4K/30p), while PureVideo will now be available for 4:3 clips alongside the usual 16:9 aspect ratio.

👉Our favorite of 2024? A 1/1.3-inch sensor that captures more light, has extended dynamic range and delivers high image quality in conditions unavailable to other action cameras.🤔#insta360 #insta360acepro2 pic.twitter.com/WVuEHo7zvpOctober 12, 2024

Another slide shows Insta360's 'Memories Album', which will seemingly use AI to help organize and potentially edit your clips (a bit like GoPro's Quik app). The PR material separately adds that the action cam "delivers high image quality in conditions unavailable to other action cameras" (no prizes for guessing who Insta360 is referring to).

There's still no news on a release date sadly, but these leaks suggest it'll be worth waiting a week or two if you're about to pull the trigger on a GoPro Hero 13 Black or DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro.

Room for improvement?

So far, it looks like the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 will be a relatively minor upgrade of the Ace Pro – and there's no news yet on if it'll support 10-bit color depth, which Insta360 previously confirmed isn't possible on the current model due to hardware limitations.

That would certainly be a benefit to pro shooters who want to edit their footage or shoot in a 'flat' log profile. But given our Insta360 Ace Pro review called that camera "an absolute monster" without 10-bit video, the feature may not prove to be a deal-breaker for many either way.

The Ace Pro currently sits third in our guide to the best action cameras, with its lofty $449.99 / £429 / AU$729 price tag being one of the few things holding it back from eclipsing GoPro and DJI.

If it could add features like 'log' recording and develop its AI-powered features beyond low-light noise reduction, then it may yet grab that top spot when it launches – hopefully very soon, if these leaks are any sign.

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Sunday, October 13, 2024

Frontier Fiber Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speed and Availability

Frontier Fiber is set to be Verizon Fios in the future, so enjoy Frontier's fast speeds, low pricing and simple service terms while you can.

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Saturday, October 12, 2024

Best iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Cases for 2024

Protect your iPhone with one of the best cases for your iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, according to our experts.

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Latest Tech News

South Korean memory giant SK Hynix has announced it has begun the mass production of the world’s first 12-layer HBM3E, featuring a total memory capacity of 36GB, a huge increase from the previous 24GB capacity in the 8-layer configuration.

This new design was made possible by reducing the thickness of each DRAM chip by 40%, allowing more layers to be stacked while maintaining the same overall size. The company plans to start volume shipments by the end of 2024.

The HBM3E memory supports a bandwidth of 9600 MT/s, translating to an effective speed of 1.22 TB/s if used in an eight-stack configuration. The improvement makes it ideal for handling LLMs and AI workloads that require both speed and high capacity. The ability to process more data at faster rates enables AI models to run more efficiently.

Nvidia and AMD hardware

For advanced memory stacking, SK Hynix employs innovative packaging technologies, including Through Silicon Via (TSV) and the Mass Reflow Molded Underfill (MR-MUF) process. These methods are essential for maintaining the structural integrity and heat dissipation required for stable, high-performance operation in the new HBM3E. The improvements in heat dissipation performance are particularly important for maintaining reliability during intensive AI processing tasks.

In addition to its increased speed and capacity, the HBM3E is designed to offer enhanced stability, with SK Hynix’s proprietary packaging processes ensuring minimal warpage during stacking. The company’s MR-MUF technology allows for better management of internal pressure, reducing the chances of mechanical failures and ensuring long-term durability.

Early sampling for this 12-layer HBM3E product began in March 2024, with Nvidia’s Blackwell Ultra GPUs and AMD’s Instinct MI325X accelerators expected to be among the first to use this enhanced memory, taking advantage of up to 288GB of HBM3E to support complex AI computations. SK Hynix recently rejected a $374 million advanced payment from an unknown company to ensure it could provide Nvidia with enough HMB for its in-demand AI hardware.

“SK Hynix has once again broken through technological limits demonstrating our industry leadership in AI memory,” said Justin Kim, President (Head of AI Infra) at SK Hynix. “We will continue our position as the No.1 global AI memory provider as we steadily prepare next-generation memory products to overcome the challenges of the AI era.”

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Friday, October 11, 2024

Don't Miss Out On Your Chance to Nab the Jack Skellington Echo Dot Bundle for Just $63

It's time to get spooky! Just in time for Halloween, you can save up to 30% off the Jack Skellington shell and Echo Dot bundle.

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Latest Tech News

Windows 11 24H2 has got off to a somewhat wobbly start - with a number of bugs being discovered, though thankfully, there are no huge blunders (yet) - but one thing to be aware of is that the upgrade can take a pretty long time to install.

There’s an official Reddit thread detailing what features and changes users can expect to see with version 24H2 of Windows 11, as well as a FAQ section. And in the latter, Microsoft admits that 24H2 can be very slow going with respect to the time it takes to install.

Microsoft observes: “This is a significantly larger update than the regular monthly updates you have been installing up until now. In some cases, it can take a few hours to install, so be patient! You do not need to babysit it, and you can continue to use your computer during most of the installation.”

So, as noted, you can keep using your PC while the installation process is churning away in the background. Or so Microsoft assures us, anyway, though performance will be affected to some extent at times. And, of course, once the update is ready to go, you will be forced to sit through a whole lot of spinning circles and multiple reboots where you can’t do anything (with your PC, anyway).

An Acer Swift Go 14 laptop keyboard showing the Copilot button — (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

What’s the secret of a great installation? Timing

If you want a rough idea of installation times, there’s a report from PC World which tested how long it takes to install Windows 11 24H2 on various laptops. While noting that Microsoft describes 24H2 as a ‘full OS swap’ to underline how noticeably bigger it is than previous updates, PC World recorded installation times varying from just over an hour, to one hour and 45 minutes. Four laptops were tested in total, with the average time taken for those devices being around an hour and a half. So yes, that is longer than most folks are used to - certainly these days anyway.

PC World notes that as you’d expect, as a general rule, older laptops take longer to update, and I echo its recommendation that you set aside some time in your day (an hour or two) if you want to update to version 24H2. Time during which you can at least keep glancing at, and keeping an eye on, your PC while it’s updating.

Windows 11 24H2 is in the process of being rolled out in a phased, gradual manner, and when it’s your device’s turn, the upgrade should be offered automatically. You can keep manually checking for it in Windows Update if you’re keen, though.

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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Latest Tech News

Rumors about AMD’s Radeon GRE graphics cards aren’t anything new, but the latest whisperings on the tech grapevine may be revealing something big for the upcoming CES 2025 event.

According to the latest leak from well-known hardware leaker Hoang Anh Phu (reported on by PCGamesN), we could be seeing an AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE graphics card reveal during the tech trade show next year. The post leak in question lists the model name of the card with the hashtag #CES2025.

Judging from previous RX 7000-series cards, the RX 7650 GRE model name could mean that it’ll be between the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT in terms of performance. The former is in competition with the Nvidia RTX 4070 and tends to retail for $449, while the latter competes with the RTX 4060 and is usually priced at $329.

Most likely then, the RX 7650 GRE will retail between $300-$400 if it does end up being confirmed. This would put it above the Radeon RX 7600 - easily the best cheap graphics card since the RTX 3060 - in terms of price but the tradeoff would be assumed superior performance and VRAM.

The AMD RX 7650 GRE and other 2025 launches could make for a great PC gaming year

There’s a good point to be made that the GRE branding tends to be given to cards that are released in China exclusively or first. However, with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE going global after a Chinese-exclusive launch and subsequently upending the mid-range cards market, the chances of us seeing the worldwide release of the 7650 GRE (if this card really does exist) would be rather solid.

There’s also the chance that Team Red is planning on using the GRE label for new variants of its graphics cards, which lines up with the part of the leak that this particular card will debut during a Western tech trade show and not at a Chinese one. If this does end up being true, it would probably be the last of the RDNA 3 cards before RDNA 4 makes its debut.

In general, it seems like a good plan for gamers to wait until at least January 2025 before investing in a new graphics card, since not only is there this rumor but the fact that Team Red will also be launching said RDNA 4 cards next year. Team Green’s next-gen 5000-series cards are expected to launch in January as well, giving gamers even more options.

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Fidelity Data Breach Exposed Personal Data of 77,000 Customers

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Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Best Lightweight Laptop for 2024

Looking for an ultralight ultraportable? These are our favorite lightweight laptops, tested and reviewed by CNET's laptop experts.

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Latest Tech News

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have made significant strides in developing a structural battery that could drastically reduce the weight and energy consumption of vehicles and electronic devices.

The structural battery, made from a carbon fiber composite, functions as both a power source and a load-bearing component, making it ideal for a range of purposes. "We have succeeded in creating a battery made of carbon fiber composite that is as stiff as aluminum and energy-dense enough to be used commercially. Just like a human skeleton, the battery has several functions at the same time," said Richa Chaudhary, lead author of a paper recently published in Advanced Materials.

The battery offers an energy density of 30 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), which is lower than standard lithium-ion batteries but allows for a significant reduction in overall weight.

A huge boost for electric cars

Professor Leif Asp, who leads the research, explained that electric cars using this battery could see a huge boost in driving range. "Investing in light and energy-efficient vehicles is a matter of course if we are to economize on energy and think about future generations," said Asp. "We have made calculations on electric cars that show they could drive for up to 70 percent longer than today if they had competitive structural batteries."

The structural battery also has improved stiffness, now reaching 70 gigapascals (GPa), allowing it to carry loads as effectively as aluminum while being much lighter. Asp stated, "In terms of multifunctional properties, the new battery is twice as good as its predecessor – and actually the best ever made in the world."

Although the technology is still under development, Sinonus AB, a spin-off from Chalmers Ventures, is working to bring this innovation to the market. Asp envisions that lightweight laptops, mobile phones, and electric vehicle components will be among the first products to benefit from the structural battery.

The developed battery concept is based on a composite material and has carbon fibre as both the positive and negative electrodes – where the positive electrode is coated with lithium iron phosphate. The carbon fiber used in the electrode material is multifunctional. In the anode it acts as a reinforcement, as well as an electrical collector and active material. In the cathode it acts as a reinforcement, current collector, and as a scaffolding for the lithium to build on. In the image, thin current connectors are attached to the electrodes — (Image credit: Chalmers University of Technology / Henrik Sandsjö )

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Get the Engwe EP-2 Pro E-Bike at a Record-Low Price With Our Exclusive Code This Prime Day

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Latest Tech News

LG could be priming itself for an exciting new product launch according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) test application documents.

Test results published online detail the specifications for an as-of-yet unknown LG laptop device. Testing was carried out by Audix Technology Corporation, an FCC authorized equipment testing firm which has previously conducted assessments on LG devices.

Details are scarce, with no concrete evidence of a product name at present, but the results do hint toward it potentially being a new LG Gram Pro portable workstation - here’s what we know so far.

Mystery device

The aforementioned documents show the mystery device will leverage Intel’s Lunar Lake Ultra 9 CPU. The Ultra 8 288V mobile processor boasts eight cores, and officially launched in September this year.

Part of the broader Ultra 9 lineup, this processor leverages the Lunar Lake architecture, boasting 12MB of L3 cache and operating at 3.3 GHz.

Elsewhere, the test application does give us an insight into the display users can expect to face in the near future, with documents detailing a 16 inch LCD panel display. In addition to this, the laptop appears to be Wi-Fi 7 capable.

In terms of storage, testing was conducted on devices using Samsung SSDs ranging from 256GB memory up to 1TB, as well as with SK hynix SSDs across the same storage ranges.

While LG is yet to confirm any details, the launch of this new mystery device would join a growing roster for LG. In early September 2024, LG unveiled the Gram Pro 16 device at IFA 2024 to capitalize on the current AI PC trend.

This marked the launch of its first notebook equipped with an Intel Core Ultra CPU from the Lunar Lake range as well as the first laptop by the company to secure Copilot+ PC status on account of its NPU being able to meet Microsoft’s minimum requirements.

Boasting an NPU capable of 48 TOPS, LG said the notebook will set a “new standard for AI PCs”

“The LG gram 16 Pro is now more efficient thanks to advanced AI functionalities such as productivity assistants, text and image creation and collaboration tools,” the company said in a launch statement. “What’s more, its extended battery life helps users handle tasks without worry.”

Monday, October 7, 2024

Keep Your House Clean With 40% Off Tineco Cordless Vacuums at Target

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Latest Tech News

AI has become very good at holding up its end of a conversation with humans, but a set of new AI features from the digital notetaking app Goodnotes performs an even more impressive stunt by reading handwriting well enough to discuss it and even answer questions about what's been scribbled. Goodnotes, which claims 24 million monthly active users, debuted handwriting editing capabilities along with a math-specific AI helper and the Ask Goodnotes assistant that serves as a kind of secretary for your notetaking.

The handwriting editing tools impressively link human writing to digital understanding. They're based on the proprietary Goodnotes Smart Ink technology, which takes down your handwriting and attempts to turn it into typed text. Now, though, the app lets you edit what you've handwritten the way you would something typed out in a document. That includes aligning notes, copying and pasting some of the handwriting, and reflowing the text to make it more logical when going through it.

That's on top of the Spellcheck and Word Complete tools already available for handwritten text. Goodnotes pitches these AI handwriting editing capabilities as a way to combine the flexibility of pen-and-paper notetaking with the ease of editing offered by digital tools. You can see how it works below.

Goodnotes AI — (Image credit: Goodnotes)

AI Secretary

Ask Goodnotes, as the name implies, lets you ask questions about what's in your notes, get summaries, explain concepts you jotted down, and even help put together quizzes to test you on the knowledge. So, if you are a student or at a work presentation, the AI can take your hastily scrawled notes and, days later, explain what you were writing about, including researching any concepts you were too vague about to remember what you meant. It can then help you study for a test on the topic or prepare to talk about it with others.

It works with more than just handwritten notes, so you can augment what you wrote with printed text, images, and PDFs. The answers from the AI are personalized and will link to your notes to ensure you understand the context of what it is saying and what you wrote earlier.

The Math Assist feature zeroes in on helping with mathematical equations written out by hand in your notebook. Math Assist recognizes handwritten math problems and can perform calculations to give the answer. It can also show the steps for solving the problem for anything from arithmetic to calculus. If you don't want the full answer, the AI can also restrict itself to hints so you can solve the equations on your own. Goodnotes is available on Apple devices with up to three notebooks for free. All features are available for $10 a year or a lifetime fee of $30.

"We're constantly inspired by the sheer volume of ideas and knowledge that our users capture in their Goodnotes notebooks. Our aim with Ask Goodnotes is to give users new powers to interact with their notes, documents, and PDFs, and unlock fresh possibilities for productivity, creativity, and learning," said Steven Chan, founder and CEO of Goodnotes. "With our new handwriting editing and math features, we focused on how our proprietary machine learning models could be leveraged behind the scenes to make everyday note-taking and document annotation more seamless and intuitive."

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Sunday, October 6, 2024

Best Prime Day Members-Only Deals: Shop Exclusive Offers Before Everyone Else

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