Best Smart Scale for 2024

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Latest Tech News

Google unveiled its Axion processors at Google Next '24, revealing custom Arm-based CPUs built on Neoverse V2 architecture and designed to support a wide range of data center workloads, including web servers, media processing, and AI applications.

Google's main cloud rivals, Amazon and Microsoft, already have their own CPUs based on Arm technology, but at launch, Google stated its chips would offer up to 30% better performance than current Arm instances and up to 60% higher energy efficiency compared to similar x86-based options.

Fast forward to now, and Google Cloud has begun offering C4A virtual machines powered by Axion processors. The instances are optimized for various general-purpose workloads, such as web and app servers, containerized microservices, databases, and AI inference.

The core count mystery

With its Titanium technology - a system of custom silicon microcontrollers and tiered scale-out offloads designed to optimize performance for customer workloads - Google reports up to 65% better price-performance and 60% greater energy efficiency than comparable x86-based VMs, along with 30% better price-performance for MySQL and 35% for Redis workloads.

Although certain key details of the Axion processors remain unknown, such as core count, Google confirms the chips have been designed exclusively for its data centers, with no plans for commercial sale. Google services - including Bigtable, Spanner, BigQuery, F1 Query, Blobstore, Pub/Sub, Google Earth Engine, and the YouTube Ads platform - have already begun deploying Axion-based servers.

"Spanner is one of the most critical and complex services at Google, powering products including YouTube, Gmail, and Google Ads," noted Andi Gutmans, VP/GM of Databases at Google. "In our initial tests on Axion processors, we've observed up to 60% better query performance per vCPU over prior-generation servers. As we scale out our footprint, we expect this to translate to a more stable and responsive experience for our users, even under the most demanding conditions."

C4A VMs are currently available in Google Cloud regions across the US, Europe, and Asia, with multiple configuration options. By keeping Axion exclusive to its own platform and not bringing the chip to the open market, Google aims to strengthen its own cloud ecosystem, appealing to enterprises looking for more powerful, energy-efficient options.

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Best Food Processors of 2024: KitchenAid, Cuisinart and More

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Seagate and BAE Systems have tested the first high-capacity data storage solution designed for use in space.

The hardened SSD was evaluated aboard the International Space Station as part of a mission aimed at improving data storage for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, addressing challenges such as heat dissipation, unpressurized environments, and the absence of conventional cooling.

This technology could ultimately expand CDNs and support AI-driven applications in space. By adding storage to satellite infrastructures, AI inferencing and real-time analysis could reach previously inaccessible regions, providing last-mile connectivity where fiber or cell networks are absent.

Drives in space

Seagate’s “Space Drive” was part of a broader payload by BAE Systems which included Linux-based software for real-time data processing.

This software enables containerized applications that can be updated in orbit, adapting to the evolving demands of space-based systems.

Additionally, the payload contained a radio frequency sounder and dual-band short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) camera for enhancing atmospheric measurement capabilities, hurricane modeling, and weather forecasting.

“Our team was able to assemble, integrate, and test this payload in just eight months,” Steve Smith, vice president of engineering, science and analysis for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems told Aerospace Manufacturing.

The 2TB Seagate SSD with PCIe Gen3 x4 connectivity, which you can see in the “Terrestrial Demo Unit” photo below, and which Seagate plans to sell in 2025, has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space. Delivered to the ISS via a NASA resupply mission and assembled by the astronauts onboard, the device using the Seagate SSDs achieved impressive speeds of over 2Gbps.

Set for one year, the mission will conclude with the payload’s return to Earth for analysis. Engineers from BAE Systems and Seagate will examine the effects of space exposure on the SSD's performance and durability and use this data to refine future designs, advancing resilient storage solutions for space-based applications.

(Image credit: Seagate)

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Best Christmas Decorations on Amazon in 2024

We scoured Amazon and found all the best Christmas decorations, from lights to trees and everything in between. All it takes is a few clicks to make your season merry and bright.

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Over 27 million tons of single-use polystyrene packaging are produced worldwide each year, yet only 12% is recycled - most ends up in landfills after its initial use.

Researchers at RMIT University and Riga Technical University have developed an innovative way to generate electricity using waste polystyrene, addressing both energy needs and the environmental impact of the ubiquitous packaging material.

The invention repurposes discarded polystyrene into a device that generates static electricity from motion, such as wind or airflow. The device is a thin patch, made from multiple layers of polystyrene, each around "one-tenth the thickness of a human hair," according to lead researcher Dr. Peter Sherrell, who went on to explain, “We can produce this static electricity just from air blowing on the surface of our clever patches, then harvest that energy.”

Producing electricity consistently

The patch, which can capture turbulent airflow from air conditioning units, could reduce energy demand by up to 5% and lower the carbon footprint of these systems. Tests show the device can reach up to 230 volts, comparable to household voltage but at a lower power level.

Sherrell noted, “The biggest numbers come from a compression and separation, where you've got faster speeds and bigger motion, while smaller motion generates less energy. This means that in addition to air conditioners, integrating our patches in high traffic areas such as underground walkways could supplement local energy supply without creating additional demand on the grid."

The device’s longevity stems from the same properties that make polystyrene slow to decompose. “The great thing here is the same reason that it takes 500 years for polystyrene to break down in landfill makes these devices really stable – and able to keep making electricity for a long time,” Sherrell said.

This process involves learning how to modify plastics to optimize their energy-generating potential: “We've studied which plastic generates more energy and how when you structure it differently – make it rough, make it smooth, make it really thin, make it really fat – how that changes all this charging phenomenon.”

This static electricity generation project is part of the team’s ongoing research into triboelectric nanogenerators, as published in Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research. RMIT has filed a provisional patent for its device and is now looking for industry partners to help develop the technology for commercial applications.

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From streamlining operations to automating complex processes, AI has revolutionized how organizations approach tasks - however, as the technology becomes more prevalent, organizations are discovering the rush to embrace AI may come with unintended consequences.

A report by Swimlane reveals while AI offers tremendous benefits, its adoption has outpaced many companies' ability to safeguard sensitive data. As businesses deeply integrate AI into their operations, they must also contend with the associated risks, including data breaches, compliance lapses, and security protocol failures.

AI works with Large Language Models (LLMs) which are trained using vast datasets that often include publicly available information. These datasets can consist of text from sources like Wikipedia, GitHub, and various other online platforms, which provide a rich corpus for training the models. This means that if a company’s data is available online, it will likely be used for training LLMs.

Data handling and public LLMs

The study revealed a gap between protocol and practice when sharing data in large public language models (LLMs). Although 70% of organizations claim to have specific protocols to safeguard the sharing of sensitive data with public LLMs, 74% of respondents are aware that individuals within their organizations still input sensitive information into these platforms.

This discrepancy highlights a critical flaw in enforcement and employee compliance with established security measures. Furthermore, there is a constant barrage of AI-related messaging which is wearing down professionals and 76% of respondents agree that the market is currently saturated with AI-related hype.

This overexposure is causing a form of AI fatigue and over half (55%) of those surveyed reported feeling overwhelmed by the persistent focus on AI, signalling that the industry may need to shift its approach to promoting the technology.

Interestingly, despite this fatigue, experience with AI and machine learning (ML) technologies is becoming a crucial factor in hiring decisions. A striking 86% of organizations reported that familiarity with AI plays a significant role in determining the suitability of candidates. This shows how ingrained AI is becoming, not just in cybersecurity tools but in the workforce needed to manage them.

In the cybersecurity sector, AI and LLMs have had a positive impact, as the report claims 89% of organizations credit AI technologies for boosting the efficiency of their cybersecurity teams.

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AI chatbot Claude is now available as a desktop app for both Windows and Mac computers. The public beta for the apps is available for free users as well as subscribers to the premium version of the AI chatbot. Claude creator Anthropic describes the desktop versions of Claude as "fast, focused, and designed for deep work," implying that those who want to use Claude at home without opening a browser will find it just as helpful as going online or to the Claude mobile app.

One way the desktop app is more efficient is by having a keyboard shortcut to open Claude. After installing the app, you can press Ctrl + Alt + Space to access the AI. That's a boon if you have a lot of other tasks running and don't want to navigate to the website.

The other major benefit of the desktop app is that it frees you from relying solely on mobile devices or web browsers to access your conversations with Claude. You could start the chat on your smartphone, then open the desktop app when you get home or vice versa, with a visit to the website if you're at a public library or similar spot. This continuity can help speed up all kinds of Claude-based projects.

Anthropic also debuted a small upgrade to the Claude on mobile apps: native dictation. You can record up to 10 minutes of audio that Claude will transcribe and then respond to in text form on the app. It's not a full-on voice interactive feature, but it does mean you can at least submit prompts to the AI chatbot without typing.

AI at home

The desktop version of Claude uses Anthropic's latest AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, but it can't do everything the web version does. In particular, it lacks the new Computer Use feature that lets Claude control your cursor and type on your behalf. That's not too much of a surprise since Computer Use and the desktop apps are still in beta. Presumably, the feature will arrive when both are more mature.

Anthropic's timing in releasing the Claude desktop apps is interesting as it is part of a sudden flurry from rival AI chatbots. Both OpenAI's ChatGPT and Perplexity AI have introduced desktop apps in recent weeks. They each have some variation of the web version of their respective chatbots, with many, though not all of the same features. The appeal of a more convenient and accessible AI chatbot is obvious.

That's why Microsoft embedded its Copilot AI directly into the Windows 11 operating system. All of the AI chatbot developers want to encourage current and potential users to stick with their products regardless of where they are or what they are doing. It's going to be another central frontier for the industry, just like mobile apps a decade ago.

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We’ve been hearing rumors about a ChatGPT search engine for a while now, but now it's finally live. Rather than being a whole new website called 'SearchGPT', as many had expected, it’s simply an upgrade to the existing ChatGPT website, and all the ChatGPT apps for Windows, Mac, and smartphones.

When you are talking to ChatGPT it will now ask you if it should search the web, if it feels that would produce better results for you, but you can also manually instigate a web search at any time. As you’d expect, ChatGPT search is a feature that’s available immediately for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, and all ChatGPT Plus and Team users will get it today. However, all SearchGPT waitlist users will also be getting access today. Enterprise and Edu users of ChatGPT will be getting access over the next few weeks.

A new Citations bar will open on the right of the window when you click a source link. (Image credit: OpenAI)

How it works

If you look at your ChatGPT prompt bar you’ll see a new search icon called Search. Tap or click this and you will be searching the web using ChatGPT, rather than engaging in a conversation. It’s a bit like the AI summaries that Google already provides in its search engine, but there is an easily identifiable link to sources after each piece of text. When clicked, the sources open up a sidebar that shows citations.

In case you were wondering, the waitlist for SearchGPT is now closed, so if you haven’t already signed up, it’s now too late. As for when the rest of the ChatGPT free tier will get it, OpenAI says, “We’ll roll out to all Free users over the coming months.”

ChatGPT search is perfect for all the jobs you'd normally use Google for. (Image credit: OpenAI)

What's interesting is that ChatGPT has partnered with various industry sources to provide its own maps, that aren't Google Maps, as well as weather, stocks, sports, and news information. OpenAI says it has "partnered with news and data providers to add up-to-date information and new visual designs for categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps."

ChatGPT Search is already looking enticing and could be the first real threat to Google in years. With ChatGPT Search, you’re essentially getting the natural language capabilities of ChatGPT blended with up-to-the-minute information from the web, and that could be just what people are searching for.

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