Business Articles

In August 2023, Microsoft took down the $1 Game Pass trial option just before the launch of Starfield. It is now pulling the same trick ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch.

Tesla's humanoid bot has gotten a big feature update that allows it to climb stairs and walk around in unfamiliar spaces with the help of other Optimus robots.

After parting ways with over 20,000 employees in 2022 and 2023, Meta continues to cut jobs. This time, the number of people laid off is smaller, but this new downsizing does not miss Reality Labs and departments in charge of popular products such as WhatsApp or Instagram.

After receiving more than 16,000 complaints, the FTC has taken steps to mitigate the deceptive practices companies have exploited to keep users from canceling subscriptions. The “Click-to-Cancel” policy has arrived to squelch any ambiguity surrounding the status of monetized user accounts.

Lenovo has brought some of its latest prototypes to preview at its TechWorld 2024 press conference, most of which are, of course, AI-powered. To that end, the OEM's first AI mouse and “Home AI Brain” have been showcased alongside the new AI Buddy, touted to bring a futuristic, emoji-based interpersonal experience to the digital assistant world. They are joined by a glasses-free 3D solution for video conferencing.

Google is preparing to block the popular ad blocker uBlock Origin, along with other extensions built on the Manifest V2 framework, from the Chrome browser. This is due to the planned switch to Google's Manifest V3.

Rapid growth in AI demand has forced tech companies to retreat from more eco-friendly power sources like solar and turn to nuclear power plants to power the latest generative AI. Cooling massive AI data centers has also driven up water usage.

The Robotaxi will come with Tesla's next generation Hardware 5.0 or AI5 self-driving platform, but older Teslas can enjoy its abilities, too.

Yesterday, the Underground ransomware group claimed responsibility for last weekend's attack that Casio disclosed on Monday. The Japanese multinational giant returned with a statement yesterday, admitting that sensitive data was leaked on this occasion, but no customer credit card information was involved.

Black Myth: Wukong, the ultra-popular video game from Chinese developer Game Science, has reportedly cost a fraction of money to develop vs AAA titles Concord. The comparatively low development figure shines a light on the cost-effective nature of game development in China.

Apple's latest iPad Pro tablets contain various advantages over the competition, despite their 5 mm housings. Unfortunately, the presence of tandem OLED displays and powerful Apple M4 chipsets has not helped improved sales, according to an analyst familiar with the matter.

Under the project name I-XRAY, two Harvard students have developed smart glasses that can determine personal data such as name, address and telephone number simply by looking at a person. However, the students are not planning commercial success with this project. On the contrary: it is intended to highlight the massive data protection problems of modern technology.

AMD might officially announce price cuts for the RDNA 3 GPUs according to information shared by Moore's Law Is Dead. The leak coincides with the discounts for the RX 7000 boards, suggesting that AMD might already have indirectly discounted the GPUs through retailers.

Fisker has inexplicably abandoned its Orange County headquarters. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year as EV sales momentum in America continues to slow. Owners can assume they are left holding the bag for any issues with their vehicles.

Over a dozen US states have sued TikTok, alleging it harms youth mental health through addictive features like endless scrolling, pushing minors into excessive use, and easing exploitation via live-streaming.

As a consequence of the impressive demand for Nvidia GB200 AI solutions, Foxconn is now building what will be the world's largest GB200 chip manufacturing facility once finished. In addition to the chips and boards used, Foxconn will also provide the advanced cooling and heat dissipation hardware needed when deploying them in large-scale applications.

On October 7, 2024, a significant court ruling was announced in the "Epic Games v. Google" case, which could fundamentally change the app landscape at Android. The ruling compels Google to open its Play Store to third-party providers, paving the way for a more open app market on Android devices for at least three years.

After updating to iOS 18 and with the VoiceOver function activated, iPhones and iPads leaked saved passwords - a serious security vulnerability that was quickly closed by Apple. Anyone who has already installed iOS 18 should now update to iOS 18.0.1 as soon as possible.

LG Innotek is now the first player in the industry to employ an AI-based inspection system for the raw materials being used in high-value semiconductor substrates. The technology combines material information and AI-powered image processing, applying this pair to the Radio Frequency System-in-Package process.

The Sheriff's Department has launched 24/7 camera surveillance of Los Angeles with the grand opening of its first Real Time Watch Center. The Center can access public street cameras, license plate readers, and speeding cameras to identify criminals and conduct remote patrols. The center also has access to private cameras at businesses, churches, and homes if granted permission.

Nvidia has supposedly stopped the production of the RTX 4090 GPUs and there won't be any new supply. The RTX 4080 Super is also reportedly going to suffer the same fate as a report out of China alleges that Team Green will discontinue the GPU this month.

Although there are no compatible mainboards yet, Japanese manufacturer Elecom is launching the first cables with USB4 2.0 certification this year, which are twice as fast as the previous version.

Innophys has expandsed sales of its Muscle Suit exoskeletons to Romania. The suits provide users with extra lifting force to help carry heavy products and produce at warehouses, production plants, and farms. The exoskeletons do not need power to operate, eliminating worries of dead batteries during the workday.

Sony has unveiled the ISX038 sensor with simultaneous RAW and YUV image output for assistive and autonomous driving systems, reducing the number of camera sensors needed in modern automotive vehicles. A dynamic range of up to 130 dB in HDR mode allows for the detection of objects from bright light and twilight.

As TSMC prepares the 2nm process, customers should brace themselves for a significant price hike. Recent reports indicate that costs may nearly double compared to previous technologies.

Ubisoft faces challenges as Assassin's Creed Shadows is delayed to 2025, and Star Wars: Outlaws underperforms, leading to a decade-low stock drop. Tencent and the Guillemot family are exploring a potential buyout, though no final decisions have been made yet.

Corning's new Extreme ULE glass is said to offer exceptional thermal stability and uniformity, crucial for the demanding requirements of upcoming high-NA and low-NA EUV lithography systems. This advanced material is designed to address the challenges posed by the intense EUV radiation and heat generated in these next-generation fab tools, enabling cutting-edge pellicles and photoresists to drive higher yields and performance.

3M has introduced the WorkTunes Connect hearing protector with solar charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and adaptive noise reduction. The headphones help prevent hearing loss in gardeners, construction workers, and others working in noisy environments.

Starting in mid-2025, PayPal will share personal data with third parties due to a new feature, named Personalized Shopping. Thankfully, those not interested in it can opt out, although the problem is the fact that PayPal chose to enable this by default. However, there is plenty of time for them to change this.

Aescape has expanded installation of its AI massage therapist robots to the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami. The robot provides personalized body massages without a human therapist or operator. This follows the robot's debut earlier this year across Equinox clubs in New York.

Gigabyte aims to blend traditional arcade-style gaming with generative AI as part of the Brand Day events held in partnership with Canada Computers. The experience is rated to allow users to engage in competitive image generation at one of three Tournaments to be held between now and the end of December 2024.

YouTuber and engineer James Bruton has managed to build an AT-AT that is large and stable enough for a human to ride on. He mainly used 3D-printed components for this. Bruton documented the construction process and published it on YouTube.

Thanks to a new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Energy Commission can now impose bidirectional charging in electric vehicles. This would allow them to supply electricity back to the grid, thus enhancing its resiliency and reducing peak demand. However, there is no timeline set for now.

OnePlus is now facing a new patent dispute with InterDigital over 5G tech, leading to a halt in smartphone sales in Germany. Other OnePlus products are still available for purchase.

Targeted by a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice for allegedly violating environmental protection and public safety laws, eBay has just won. The listings targeted by this lawsuit include over 340,000 aftermarket products for motor vehicles that could disable emission control systems, as well as large amounts of pesticides.

Human Mobile Devices (or HMD) defines itself as the "largest maker of European smartphones" on the market - just not those with Nokia branding any more. The Android devices in question have now been removed from its webstores in the region, although feature phones of that name still remain.

A recently surfaced video from a Reddit user shows a camouflaged Tesla Model 3 combining features from both the older and newer versions. Speculation is pointing towards an affordable Tesla Model 3 aimed at the mass market.

Star Wars Outlaws has reportedly failed to Ubisoft's expectations as one month sales figure has now appeared online. Additionally, to address the issues plaguing the game, Ubisoft has published a roadmap of updates for the game that are set to go live over the next two months.

Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung, accusing the companies of anti-competitive practices aimed at maintaining their dominance in app distribution. The lawsuit centers on Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature, which restricts third-party app stores.

Fitbit.com is shutting down tomorrow, October 1, according to a banner on the website. Instead, a link offers to redirect visitors to “Shop Fitbit on Google Store”. This development follows confirmation from Google that the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 will be the last smartwatches from the popular brand, with Pixel Watch taking centre-stage in the future.

CheckMag Opera Mini is not done yet. In fact, the browser boasts several hundred million users in developing and emerging countries, a number is expected to rise even more with the introduction of free Internet access. Notebookcheck spoke with product manager Tim Lesnik about a largely overlooked target group.

Chinese researchers have developed a new cooling coating for buildings that operates without electricity, is environmentally friendly, and automatically adjusts its cooling capacity based on sunlight intensity. In a practical test, a 20 percent reduction in temperature was observed compared to an uncoated concrete roof.

Sony's latest corporate report reveals that the company will rely more heavily on artificial intelligence and machine learning in game development. While this is expected to streamline development and reduce costs, it also sparks ethical concerns.

Unlike solar cells, which generate energy from sunlight, a new smart window can not only generate large amounts of electricity from raindrops. It also offers amazing energy-saving advantages that can be of great benefit in times of climate change.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute are turning CO₂ and sunlight into synthetic fuels. Using an innovative process in a solar tower, water and CO₂ are turned into sustainable fuel that can be used, for example, in cars and aircraft.

Certified as compliant with the IP66 and MIL-STD-810H standards, the 11.6-inch Darveen RTC-I116 rugged tablet has a dual hot-swappable battery design, a rich set of connectivity options, and employs 12th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. On request, it can ship with either Windows 10/11 or Linux.