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Hardware Tech Culture

IBM and Google say scalable quantum computers could arrive this decade

Recent breakthroughs bring quantum computing closer to reality

By Skye Jacobs, Today 9:17 AM

Security Software

Hackers unleash torrent from Norwegian dam, releasing 132 gallons per second for four hours

Norway links dam sabotage to pro-Russian hackers

By Skye Jacobs, August 16 24 comments

Hardware Electronics

Experimental "microwave brain" chip processes AI with less than 200 milliwatts of power

New type of microchip combines digital and analog wireless signals

By Daniel Sims, August 16

Tech Deals Software

Microsoft Office is down to $49 for a lifetime license

TL;DR: If you're looking for a powerful productivity suite without breaking the bank, Microsoft Office 2021 is now available for just $49 – a significant price drop and the lowest we've seen this year.

Full story By TechSpot Deals

Tech Culture Apple

Steve Wozniak reflects on happiness and legacy on his 75th birthday

Wozniak's grounded legacy in a high-flying tech world

By Skye Jacobs, August 16

Car Tech Software

Volkswagen locks extra speed behind subscription: microtransactions for cars

£16.50 a month or £649 for a lifetime unlock

By Daniel Sims, August 16 28 comments

The Web AI

Meta under fire over AI rules that allow romantic roleplay with children and false medical advice

AI chatbots producing inappropriate and inaccurate content... no way

By Skye Jacobs, August 16

Industry AI

Sam Altman says investors are acting irrational in a booming AI bubble

"Someone is going to lose a phenomenal amount of money"

Editor's take: Even to a non-investor, it is clear that we are in the middle of a massive AI bubble. It is not a matter of if it will burst, but when. Many of the companies driving this growth seem more interested in ginning up hype than being realistic about the value of the technology.

Full story By Cal Jeffrey, August 15 17 comments

Tech Deals Microsoft

Grab a full Windows 11 Pro license for $15

Unbeatable deal, available for a limited time

By TechSpot Deals

Trivia The Web

Wi-Fi 7 is expected to bring all of these improvements over Wi-Fi 6, except...

Is it more channel bandwidth, max throughput, or newer bands?

By TechSpot Trivia, August 15

Drivers Gaming

Intel drivers introduce Shared GPU memory override for Core Ultra with Arc graphics

Intel has added a Shared GPU Memory Override option, allowing users to manually adjust how much RAM is allocated to the integrated GPU. By default, it's set to 57%, but users can now allocate up to 87% of system RAM. The adjustment could improve gaming performance in certain scenarios.

By Ivan Franco, August 15

Hardware

Intel's LGA 1954 socket could support four CPU generations starting with Nova Lake in 2026

Taking a page out of AMD's playbook

By Kishalaya Kundu, August 15 12 comments

AI Science

Nvidia partners with the National Science Foundation to accelerate AI projects

The agreement could mean faster progress in biomedical and materials science

By Skye Jacobs, August 15

Software AI

FFmpeg adds first AI feature with Whisper audio transcription filter

An optional speech recognition model supercharged by GPU acceleration

By Alfonso Maruccia, August 15

Hardware Industry

Normal Computing tapes out the world's first thermodynamic chip for AI and scientific computing

CN101 signals shift toward smarter, energy-efficient computing

By Skye Jacobs, August 15

Security Electronics

Russian cyberattack in the Netherlands leaves speed cameras offline indefinitely

Speed limit now "honor system"

In brief: Cyberattacks can have devastating impacts not just on targeted entities, but also on the public. However, an incident in the Netherlands is having consequences many drivers will likely appreciate: speed cameras that were taken offline cannot be reactivated.

Full story By Rob Thubron, August 15 26 comments

Download of the Week Software

Kalmuri is a lightweight screen capture and recording tool for Windows

Kalmuri features a minimalist interface but it's capable of full-screen or area capture, screenshot and MP4 video capture, OCR to extract text from images, floating-image previews, and color picking.

By Ivan Franco, August 15

Hardware AI

Lenovo achieves record sales on strength of AI PCs and data center growth

Over 30 percent of Lenovo PCs shipped in the first quarter were AI models

By Skye Jacobs, August 15 8 comments

AI Tech Culture

Godfathers of AI Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun warn "maternal instincts" are vital for keeping AI under human control

AIs need empathy and submission, or we're "history"

By Rob Thubron, August 15 7 comments

Hardware Electronics

Mini SSDs pack NVMe performance into a microSD-sized form factor

Coming to GPD and One-Netbook's super-sized mobile gaming PCs

By Daniel Sims, August 15

Science

Stanford's brain-computer interface turns inner speech into spoken words

"This is the first time we've managed to understand what brain activity looks like when you just think about speaking"

By Skye Jacobs, August 15

Gaming Industry

Former PlayStation boss says video game prices should have increased every console generation

Gamers are unlikely to agree

By Rob Thubron, August 15 26 comments

Hardware Industry

US government weighs buying a stake in Intel after Trump meets CEO

Trump opens door to Intel deal

In context: Barely a week after President Trump called for Intel's new CEO to resign, reports suggest that the White House is considering buying a stake in the beleaguered chip giant, with its current boss presumably still in place. If implemented, the plan would mark the second time in the past 12 months that the government has mulled direct intervention in the United States' only advanced semiconductor manufacturer.

Full story By Daniel Sims, August 14 20 comments

Download of the Week Software

PSA: Update your Plex Media Server now

Plex has disclosed a security vulnerability affecting Plex Media Server versions 1.41.7.x through 1.42.0.x, reported through its bug bounty program. The issue has been resolved in version 1.42.1.10060. Users are strongly advised to update immediately to ensure security and stability.

By Ivan Franco, August 14