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Google’s Veo 3.1 is better at generating videos from images

https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-veo-31-is-better-at-generating-videos-from-images-220829129.html?src=rss

Google has released a new update to its Veo AI video generation model that should make it do a better job of sticking to prompts and converting images into videos. Veo 3.1 is available to try today through Google’s Gemini API and is now also powering the company’s Flow video editor.

Veo 3.1 builds on the new capabilities Google introduced with launch of Veo 3 at Google I/O 2025. The new model offers better "prompt adherence," according to Google, and should have an easier time creating videos based on the image "ingredients" you upload alongside your written prompt. Veo 3.1 also makes it possible to convert images to video and generate audio at the same time, a capability that wasn’t available with Veo 3. 

In Flow, Veo 3.1 supports at least a new feature that gives you finer control over the videos you generate. With what Google calls "Frame to Video," Flow lets you upload a first and last frame, and then generates the video in-between. Adobe Firefly, which is powered by Veo 3, offers a similar feature, but Flow will be able to pull it off and create audio at the same time. Those added audio skills will also apply to the video editor’s ability to extend clips and insert objects into existing footage, too.

Based on the samples Google’s shared, videos generated with Veo 3.1 still have an uncanny quality that seems to vary greatly depending on the prompt and subject. Even if it’s missing some of the realism of OpenAI’s Sora 2, though, the company’s decision to try and make Veo more useful to people who actually work with video rather than a source of social media spam is a welcome move.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/kc14I53

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

October 15, 2025 at 05:17PM

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Xiaomi’s Fatal Crash Exposes a Deadly Door Design Problem Hiding in Plain Sight

https://www.autoblog.com/news/xiaomis-fatal-crash-exposes-a-deadly-door-design-problem-hiding-in-plain-sight

Tech giant Xiaomi faced its steepest market decline since April after a fatal Xiaomi SU7 crash in Chengdu, China, exposed critical electric vehicle safety concerns. Xiaomi’s shares tumbled over 5.7%, wiping out billions in market value as investors confronted uncomfortable questions about the company’s rushed entry into automotive manufacturing and the engineering shortcuts to get there.

Xiaomi

Electronic Door Locks Trap Driver in Burning Vehicle

The incident occurred when a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra collided with a median barrier at high speed, immediately bursting into flames. Bystanders desperately attempted to rescue the trapped driver, but the vehicle’s electronic door handle system malfunctioned after impact, preventing anyone from opening the doors. The driver sadly perished in the inferno while would-be rescuers watched helplessly outside.

This tragedy highlights a disturbing trend in modern door handle design: manufacturers prioritizing sleek aesthetics over reliable emergency access. The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra features flush, electronically-controlled door handles that require electrical power to function. This means the door opening mechanism fails during crashes when power is lost. What was once a simple mechanical latch has become a complex electronic system with deadly consequences when it fails.

CarNewsChina

Tesla Under Scrutiny For Door Handles Too

Tesla is now redesigning its door handles after federal regulators launched investigations into reports that electronic handles failed, leaving children trapped inside vehicles. The NHTSA investigation found at least nine complaints, with four cases where parents smashed windows to free their kids. Tesla’s design chief announced plans to combine electric and manual door releases into a single, more intuitive mechanism, an admission that over-engineering basic safety features creates unacceptable risks.

2012 Tesla Model S door handle

Industry experts note that proper EV fire safety protocols require redundant mechanical door releases that function without power, a basic safety standard that Tesla is being forced to implement and that Xiaomi apparently failed to prioritize. As regulators worldwide scrutinize flush door handle failure risks, Xiaomi faces not only reputational damage but potential regulatory action.

Why It Matters

The swift market response reflects growing concerns about Xiaomi’s engineering capabilities. While the company made headlines with the SU7’s impressive performance specifications and competitive pricing, this fatal crash suggests those achievements came at the expense of fundamental safety features. The electronic door locks malfunction represents precisely the kind of over-engineering that creates unnecessary risk in life-or-death situations.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that automotive engineering requires decades of safety-focused expertise that some newer manufacturers cannot replicate through aggressive timelines and flashy specifications.

Xiaomi

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October 15, 2025 at 03:03PM

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Mozilla Launches Free VPN in Firefox to Win Back Users

https://kotaku.com/mozilla-launches-free-vpn-in-firefox-to-win-back-users-2000635612

Mozilla is betting big on privacy with a new move: It is currently testing a free VPN service built directly into Firefox which is a feature that arrives as the browser struggles to maintain relevance with just 2.5% market share in the United States and around 2-3% globally.

The timing couldn’t be better for this cool feature. Around the world, content restrictions and privacy concerns are pushing millions of users toward VPN services. Countries are increasingly implementing blocking mechanisms for various types of content, from adult websites to social media platforms and news outlets.

In France, for instance, mandatory age verification on adult websites introduced in July triggered a dramatic market reshaping. Major platforms like PornHub and YouPorn chose to exit France entirely rather than comply while others like Xvideos implemented verification systems. The unintended consequence? A proliferation of illegal sites flooding Google search results and a massive surge in VPN adoption.

But France is just one example among many. Certain US states have implemented similar age verification laws for adult content (like Texas or Florida where PornHub is banned) while countries like Turkey and China maintain extensive content blocking systems. Even within democratic nations, geographic licensing restrictions prevent users from accessing streaming content available in other regions.

Unlike Mozilla’s existing paid VPN service which protects all internet traffic on a device, this new Firefox offering focuses exclusively on web traffic flowing through the browser itself. The advantage is simplicity: no separate application to install, no complex configuration menus to navigate. Users simply toggle the feature on within Firefox, and their IP address is masked and their ISP can no longer monitor their online activities.

Mozilla promises unlimited data with no connection speed throttling. The company also commits to collecting only minimal technical data necessary for service operation which would be deleted after three months. Most importantly, Mozilla pledges never to log browsing history or track downloaded content. On paper, it sounds like an ideal privacy solution. But in practice, there are significant complications.

The American jurisdiction problem

Here’s where things get tricky: Mozilla is an American company operating servers on US soil. This places it squarely under American jurisdiction and within the reach of the Five Eyes alliance which is an intelligence-sharing pact among English-speaking nations. Even with the best intentions, Mozilla could be legally compelled to respond to government data requests or modify its practices under pressure.

American tech companies have a documented history of receiving National Security Letters and FISA court orders, often accompanied by gag orders preventing them from disclosing these requests. While Mozilla’s stated no-log policy means there would theoretically be nothing to hand over, the jurisdiction issue remains a psychological and legal barrier for privacy-conscious users who prefer VPN providers based in countries like Switzerland, Panama, or the British Virgin Islands.

Mozilla isn’t pioneering this space of built-in VPNs: Opera has offered a free integrated VPN for years, and Brave has developed its own solution. Microsoft Edge recently introduced comparable privacy features as well, even if it’s probably not the most private either. The trend is real: Privacy protection has become a crucial competitive differentiator for browsers fighting for relevance.

However, these integrated VPNs fall short compared to dedicated VPN services: Server counts are limited, configuration options are minimal, and performance can be disappointing. Firefox VPN will initially offer only American servers at launch which restricts its usefulness for accessing geo-restricted content or achieving genuine location diversity.

via Kotaku https://kotaku.com/

October 15, 2025 at 06:56AM

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Toyota’s Bold Bet: Why It’s Doubling Down on Hydrogen as Rivals Go All-Electric

https://www.autoblog.com/news/toyotas-bold-bet-why-its-doubling-down-on-hydrogen-as-rivals-go-all-electric

While most automakers are doubling down on battery-electric cars, Toyota continues to chart its own course, one that keeps hydrogen fuel cells at the center of its long-term strategy. The company calls this approach “multi-pathway,” a philosophy that embraces hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery EVs, and hydrogen together rather than treating one technology as the universal answer.

Toyota’s leadership has said repeatedly that hydrogen is the missing piece for achieving zero emissions in areas where batteries face limits, especially in heavy transport, industrial use, and high-demand fleet operations. The brand believes hydrogen could begin to replace diesel within the next decade, giving the technology both environmental and commercial potential.


Why Hydrogen Still Makes Sense

For Toyota, the appeal of hydrogen lies in its practicality. Refueling takes minutes rather than hours, and fuel cells deliver consistent range without the weight penalty of large battery packs. That makes hydrogen ideal for long-distance trucks, buses, and even stationary power systems.

It’s also an insurance policy. As global regulations evolve, Toyota wants flexibility across technologies and regions. While battery infrastructure expands in urban centers, many parts of Asia and the Middle East are investing in hydrogen pipelines and fueling networks. Toyota’s Mirai sedan, now in its second generation, remains a low-volume pioneer but acts as the company’s real-world test bed for scaling the technology.


Building the Ecosystem

The challenge for hydrogen has never been the vehicles themselves, it’s the infrastructure. Joseph, one of our contributing writers, highlights how innovative refueling technologies could cut costs and make hydrogen stations more compact, a development Toyota and its partners are watching closely.

To accelerate progress, Toyota has invested heavily in hydrogen research hubs, including its new “H2HQ” in California and a $139 million joint venture factory in Chengdu, China. These facilities will produce next-generation fuel cell stacks designed to be cheaper and longer-lasting, key steps to closing the cost gap with battery EVs.

Other automakers are beginning to follow suit. BMW’s upcoming X5 fuel cell model could help normalize hydrogen vehicles in mainstream markets. Toyota welcomes this competition, arguing that a larger ecosystem of hydrogen manufacturers and refueling providers will benefit everyone in the long run.


Why It Matters

Toyota’s persistence with hydrogen is about timing. Battery EVs dominate headlines, but they also face bottlenecks in charging infrastructure, mineral supply chains, and range limitations for heavy vehicles. Hydrogen, Toyota argues, can fill those gaps and serve industries that can’t easily electrify.

For now, hydrogen remains a niche bet, but Toyota sees it as the backbone of its next 20 years of carbon-neutral mobility. Whether powering trucks, ships, or factories, the company’s conviction is clear, that battery-electric cars may lead the present, but hydrogen will define the future.

via Autoblog https://ift.tt/Y2FAOzE

October 11, 2025 at 08:52AM

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China’s EV Boom Has a Dark Side: Thousands of Dealerships Are Shutting Down

https://www.autoblog.com/news/chinas-ev-boom-has-a-dark-side-thousands-of-dealerships-are-shutting-down

China’s auto dealers are facing their toughest moment in decades as the rapid shift to electric vehicles, overcapacity, and intense price wars squeeze profits to the brink. Once a vital link between automakers and consumers, the country’s 4S dealerships (sales, service, spare parts, and surveys) are closing in record numbers. According to Bloomberg, industry analysts estimate that more than 8,000 outlets have shuttered since 2020, with thousands more at risk of collapsing in the next year.

The pain stems from a perfect storm of industry change. Chinese automakers have ramped up EV production faster than demand can absorb, leading to deep discounting. Major brands, from BYD to Geely, continue slashing prices to hold market share, echoing the turmoil seen in Europe. The result for them is thinner margins, higher inventory costs, and a growing wave of dealer bankruptcies.


Direct Sales and Domestic EV Brands Are Changing the Game

Adding to the strain is the dominance of direct sales and online-first models. Tesla, NIO, and XPeng pioneered factory-owned retail stores inside shopping malls, effectively cutting dealers out of the equation. These companies sell cars directly to consumers, maintain centralized pricing, and offer mobile service, all of which bypass the traditional dealership network.

Even legacy global automakers are adopting aspects of that strategy in China. Ford’s recent rollout of the new electrified bronco basecamp illustrates how manufacturers now market high-tech lifestyle vehicles directly to customers online, leaving dealers with fewer touchpoints and little leverage.

At the same time, Chinese EV brands are redefining what consumers expect from a showroom. Instead of sprawling dealerships, many rely on boutique experience centers and digital sales journeys. The shift means fewer test drives, fewer service appointments — and much less profit for traditional 4S stores that rely heavily on aftersales revenue.


Price Wars and Overcapacity Are Accelerating Closures

Overproduction has made matters worse. With nearly 200 domestic carmakers competing for buyers, China’s EV market is oversaturated. Fierce undercutting has turned new-car retail into a zero-sum game. Many smaller dealerships are now forced to sell cars below cost just to meet factory quotas and hold onto franchise rights.

Even as China pushes to lead the world in electric mobility, the financial toll on its dealer network is mounting. The government has hinted at measures to stabilize the sector, but analysts warn that consolidation is inevitable. The country’s EV boom has produced extraordinary technological progress, from luxury overlanders like Ford’s Basecamp to extreme performance machines, yet it’s also reshaping an industry that has relied on decades of dealership infrastructure.


Why It Matters

China’s retail auto crisis is a warning to the global market. The traditional dealership model, built on combustion-era economics, is incompatible with an EV ecosystem defined by direct sales and software services.

Dealers that can’t pivot toward charging infrastructure, used EV sales, or digital service offerings will continue to vanish. For automakers, it’s a reminder that the EV transition disrupts the business of selling cars altogether.

via Autoblog https://ift.tt/RPUZzvd

October 9, 2025 at 02:05PM

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Scientists Just Reversed Alzheimer’s in Mice. Could They Do It in Humans?

https://gizmodo.com/scientists-just-reversed-alzheimers-in-mice-could-they-do-it-in-humans-2000669049

Scientists on Tuesday reported that they had reversed Alzheimer’s disease in mice, a feat that offers hope of a potential cure for the devastating form of dementia in humans.

In a paper published Tuesday in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, a team of researchers describe how, by harnessing the brain’s garbage disposal system, they managed to repair the brain and reverse the progress of the disease in the animals.

Specifically, they used nanotechnology to target and restore the brain’s “vascular gatekeeper,” the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from toxins and streamlines blood flow in and out of the brain.

Maintenance work

The new method came from studying how the buildup of “waste” proteins such as amyloid-beta (A?) impairs neuron function. Sometimes, clever solutions to complex problems come from going back to the basics.

Typically, the blood-brain barrier filters out unwanted substances from the brain, but in people with Alzheimer’s, the barrier gets clogged or fails to respond properly to intruders.

“We think it works like a cascade: when toxic species such as A? accumulate, disease progresses,” Giuseppe Battaglia, study senior author and a neuroscientist at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, said in a statement.

“But once the vasculature is able to function again,” Battaglia said, “it starts clearing A? and other harmful molecules, allowing the whole system to recover its balance.”

How they did it

Battaglia and his team developed nanoparticles that mimicked a protein called LRP1, a molecule typically responsible for reacting to toxins in the blood-brain barrier.

For the study, the researchers genetically engineered mice to produce more amyloid-beta proteins and to show significant cognitive decline similar to Alzheimer’s. Each mouse received three injections of the new drug, and the researchers observed changes in their behavior and brain activity for 6 months.

The results were impressive. A 12-month-old mouse (equivalent to a 60 year-old human) that received treatment, when reassessed at 18 months (90 year-old human) old, had “recovered the behavior of a healthy mouse,” the scientists found.

“What’s remarkable is that our nanoparticles act as a drug and seem to activate a feedback mechanism that brings this clearance pathway back to normal levels,” Battaglia said. Surprisingly, the treatment took just three injections for it to reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s in mice, the researchers reported.

As with all mice studies, it will take much more work before this treatment could be tested for use in humans. But the results suggest that the approach, which essentially coaxes the brain to return to a healthy state, could hold promise for this incurable disease.

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/

October 8, 2025 at 08:28AM

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Taking These 50 Objects Out of Orbit Would Cut Danger From Space Junk in Half

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/everyone-but-china-has-pretty-much-stopped-littering-in-low-earth-orbit/

A new listing of the 50 most concerning pieces of space debris in low-Earth orbit is dominated by relics more than a quarter-century old, primarily dead rockets left to hurtle through space at the end of their missions.

“The things left before 2000 are still the majority of the problem,” said Darren McKnight, lead author of a paper presented Friday at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney. “Seventy-six percent of the objects in the top 50 were deposited last century, and 88 percent of the objects are rocket bodies. That’s important to note, especially with some disturbing trends right now.”

The 50 objects identified by McKnight and his coauthors are the ones most likely to drive the creation of more space junk in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through collisions with other debris fragments. The objects are whizzing around the Earth at nearly 5 miles per second, flying in a heavily trafficked part of LEO between 700 and 1,000 kilometers (435 to 621 miles) above the Earth.

An impact with even a modestly sized object at orbital velocity would create countless pieces of debris, potentially triggering a cascading series of additional collisions clogging LEO with more and more space junk, a scenario called the Kessler Syndrome.

McKnight, a senior technical fellow at the orbital intelligence company LeoLabs, spoke with Ars before the paper’s release. In the paper, analysts considered how close objects are to other space traffic, their altitude, and their mass. Larger debris at higher altitudes pose a higher long-term risk because they could create more debris that would remain in orbit for centuries or longer.

Russia and the Soviet Union lead the pack with 34 objects listed in McKnight’s Top 50, followed by China with 10, the United States with three, Europe with two, and Japan with one. Russia’s SL-16 and SL-8 rockets are the worst offenders, combining to take 30 of the Top 50 slots. Here’s the Top 10:

  1. A Russian SL-16 rocket launched in 2004
  2. Europe’s Envisat satellite launched in 2002
  3. A Japanese H-II rocket launched in 1996
  4. A Chinese CZ-2C rocket launched in 2013
  5. A Soviet SL-8 rocket launched in 1985
  6. A Soviet SL-16 rocket launched in 1988
  7. Russia’s Kosmos 2237 satellite launched in 1993
  8. Russia’s Kosmos 2334 satellite launched in 1996
  9. A Soviet SL-16 rocket launched in 1988
  10. A Chinese CZ-2D rocket launched in 2019

via Wired Top Stories https://www.wired.com

October 6, 2025 at 12:28PM