Alongside Google’s Gemini 2.0 announcement and that impressive Project Astra demo, Google showed off an idea they have for video games and how someone could use Gemini as an assistant for help as they play. I’m not talking about using AI to play for you, but instead having AI there to remind you of things, help you with strategy, or to potentially look up information that could help as you play.
Google says it is collaborating with game developers to figure out ways that they could utilize Gemini. Games like “Clash of Clans” and “Hay Day” were used in a demo where a virtual assistant is essentially watching as the game is played to take in info and be ready for requests.
In one example in this demo, a player asks Gemini as they play to identify quests they need to complete for the day and then remind them later to do so. In another demo example, a gamer asks for help building out the proper troop setup in “Clash” to go on an attack, with Gemini attempting to describe the best way to do that with a breakdown of their reasoning for the composition. One user also asked Gemini to look up the current “meta” and tell them about the best characters that everyone is using. Gemini returned with a response they found on reddit for which character to play.
While some of those ideas would probably only be useful when you are first starting out a game and learning how to play it, it’s that Reddit example that sticks out to me as being super helpful at any moment. Google says that these AI virtual gaming companions can tap into Google Search, which is where the Reddit info came from. I could have used this yesterday when my kid, who has recently taken up playing Fortnite and wants me to play with him, was wondering where we could find a new item location in the game to complete quests. I had to stop playing and actively look it up to then relay the info. If I could have accessed a virtual game companion at that moment through my headset, this all would have been so much easier and not risk getting eliminated.
I’d imagine Google has other plans beyond these few examples and I’m sure you can come up with your own. Here’s to hoping that AI remains as an informational tool when it comes to games and not much else.
Raspberry Pi has just released its new computer-in-a-keyboard, the Raspberry Pi 500, the successor to the Raspberry Pi 400. It shares most of the same internal components as the Raspberry Pi 5, but with a keyboard shell and improved heatsink — all for $90.
The Pi 500 is equipped with a 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU and comes with 8GB of RAM. It has three USB A ports (two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port) but no USB-C slots besides the charger, which doesn’t support peripherals like mice and docks. Both WiFi and Ethernet are supported natively, along with Bluetooth 5.0. The package also includes a 32GB microSD card preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS, a Linux distribution based on Debian.
Currently, the Pi 500 only has US and UK keyboards, but variants in other languages like Spanish and Japanese are on the way, TechCrunch notes. Depending on the language, the keyboard can have 78 to 83 keys.
The Raspberry Pi 500, by itself or as a desktop kit, is now available through approved resellers. The $120 desktop kit contains the Pi 500 computer, a mouse, a USB-C power supply, an HDMI cable and a beginner’s guide. Monitors aren’t included in the package, though today Raspberry Pi also introduced its new Raspberry Pi Monitor for $100.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/81xrsfU
Qualcomm’s 2024 debut of new Arm processors for Windows laptops was arguably the most important PC hardware announcement since the introduction of Intel’s 486 processors in 1989. Just as that CPU line heralded an age of Intel-driven x86 dominance, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips have now taken us into a new era of competition.
But 2024 was only the preview. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon debut was limited, targeting a specific subset of premium, thin-and-light Windows laptops that don’t require discrete graphics. 2025 will be the year that shows us the true extent of Arm innovation in PCs.
I spoke with two expert analysts in the hardware space for insights on how Arm PCs will continue to grow going forward.
“I think the messaging fell apart largely due to Microsoft having the snafu with Recall,” says Leonard Lee, executive analyst and founder at Next Curve, who has decades of experience in technology and business strategy, business and product innovation, and market intelligence.
When it comes to the hardware, though, Snapdragon X Elite has proven its worth with reviewers, analysts, and enthusiasts. Lee says Snapdragon improved the performance-per-watt for Windows laptops, regardless of AI workloads. If you want a laptop with high performance and ample battery life, those Snapdragon PCs are modern trailblazers.
Matthew Smith / IDG
Anshel Sag, vice president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, agreed with Lee and had special praise for the less expensive Snapdragon X Plus chips that are now available in $800 laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1. “I think they’re going to kill it with that eight-core chip,” says Sag. “It’s performant and delivers an experience that wasn’t possible at that price point.”
Though we’re already seeing these less expensive Snapdragon chips in laptops, CES 2025 (which takes place in January) is likely to become the platform from which laptop makers launch a new salvo of competitively priced Snapdragon-powered machines.
The one thing that’s still missing, though, is a “halo product.” Qualcomm is rumored to be working on an upscaled Snapdragon X Elite chip, with up to 18 processor cores (current chips have up to 12). Whether we’ll see such a chip in 2025 is hard to say, but it’s not hard to imagine.
Qualcomm’s current hardware also lacks support for discrete GPUs, which excludes them from most workstation and gaming laptops. Adding support for discrete graphics could expand Snapdragon to new areas.
Nvidia and MediaTek will enter the ring
There’s absolutely no doubt that more Qualcomm Snapdragon X hardware will show up in 2025. If there’s any question, it’s this: Will more companies enter the Arm PC market?
Sag says this partnership, if it happens, could be complex. “I think the only way MediaTek could do it is if they work with Nvidia, so they don’t have to worry about graphics drivers.” He predicts that MediaTek could partner with Nvidia by licensing an RTX GPU, something they’ve done previously for their Dimensity Auto SoC (for self-driving vehicles).
Lee also felt this prospective partnership will be tricky to navigate. “Just because you’re Nvidia and you’re the king of GPUs doesn’t mean you have an automatic win,” says Lee. “You need the CPU, the GPU, and now the NPU. I don’t think MediaTek or Nvidia have any inherent advantage here versus Qualcomm.”
Matthew Smith / IDG
And it’s not just about Windows PCs. Sag thinks MediaTek’s play in laptops is still strongest with ChromeOS. “I believe that Google is basically going to make ChromeOS run as Android. And I think MediaTek is going to go after that,” he says. He might be right on the money there, with sources indicating that Google is indeed turning ChromeOS into Android and making Android into a unified desktop OS.
The threat of such a move from Google shouldn’t be discounted. Though Google’s efforts to bring AI features into Chrome have gained less public attention than Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC push, they aren’t insubstantial. Many users on the latest version of ChromeOS already have access to AI features like Gemini, Google’s own AI large language model, which can be used for summarization, translation, and other tasks.
Personally, I think a renovated ChromeOS powered by MediaTek chips (which tend to allow lower pricing) and infused with AI features already found in Pixel smartphones could outflank Microsoft’s blundering attempt to add AI to Windows PCs.
How will x86 PCs defend their turf?
2025 will likely see a surge in Arm-powered Windows and ChromeOS laptops, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to put x86 out to pasture.
On the contrary, x86’s continued relevance is precisely what makes the new era of Windows different from the last three decades. PC hardware will no longer be dominated by one company or one instruction set, but instead span multiple instruction sets and chip makers.
Mark Hachman / IDG
“Intel and AMD have demonstrated they can put a competitive offering out there that’s x86-based,” says Lee. He points out that Intel’s new Lunar Lake chips and AMD’s new Ryzen AI line are highly competitive with Qualcomm on performance and battery life. Laptops like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, which we reviewed with Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V CPU inside, can exceed 20 hours of battery life just like their Qualcomm-powered counterparts.
This competition will benefit you, the laptop shopper and enthusiast. It means more options and lower prices. Sag says it should also benefit the OEMs, such as Asus, Lenovo, and Dell.
“The complexity is challenging, but OEMs are optimistic about how it works out for them,” says Sag. “I’m seeing a level of silicon that’s never existed in the industry. And it’s cool because I’m hearing about prototypes and concepts — things that I never would’ve thought of happening — from OEMs I never would’ve expected it from.”
A new type of flying car could soon be ferrying passengers through the skies using a novel propulsion technology, engineers say.
On Nov. 5, CycloTech, an Austrian company that builds flying car components, unveiled blueprints for its new "BlackBird" demonstrator aircraft — a flying car that uses a custom-made alternative to propellers.
Dubbed the "CycloRotor," this all-electric propulsion system is based on the principle of the Voith Schneider propeller (VSP) — which is frequently used on tug boats and ferries, CycloTech chief technology officer Tahsin Kart said in a promotional video. It’s a circular rotor with small propeller blades inside, which spin around and can be used for both propulsion and steering.
By moving the center around which the propeller blades spin, the aircraft can change its airspeed and direction, CycloTech representatives said in a statement. Each propeller blade can also be angled to produce directional thrust, like the wing of an aircraft, and can be precisely aligned to send the aircraft in specific directions or rotate mid-air.
CruiseUp | CycloRotors for Advanced Air Mobility – YouTube
The CycloRotors will greatly enhance the BlackBird demonstrator’s maneuverability, enabling it to move or spin in any direction while airborne and also perform sharp corrections to its trajectory with added precision, CycloTech representatives said in the statement. This can also improve the comfort and safety of passengers on any flight in windy or other inclement weather conditions, they added.
The Blackbird demonstrator is still in development, but CycloTech released several promotional videos showing the CycloRotor technology being used to levitate and propel scale models.
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At present, the model can support a maximum of 750 pounds (340 kilograms) and can fly at around 73 mph (118 km/h). This is almost half that of a Skyhawk Cessna, one of the most popular private light aircraft options on the market, which can max out at 142 mph (229 km/h).
The team behind the BlackBird demonstrator aims to fly a full-size version of the aircraft in early 2025.
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OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT and one of the most prominent artificial intelligence companies in the world, said today that it has entered a partnership with Anduril, a defense startup that makes missiles, drones, and software for the United States military. It marks the latest in a series of similar announcements made recently by major tech companies in Silicon Valley, which has warmed to forming closer ties with the defense industry.
“OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports US-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values," Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, said in a statement Wednesday.
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OpenAI’s AI models will be used to improve systems used for air defense, Brian Schimpf, co-founder and CEO of Anduril, said in the statement. “Together, we are committed to developing responsible solutions that enable military and intelligence operators to make faster, more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations,” he said.
OpenAI’s technology will be used to “assess drone threats more quickly and accurately, giving operators the information they need to make better decisions while staying out of harm’s way,” says a former OpenAI employee who left the company earlier this year and spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their professional relationships.
OpenAI altered its policy on the use of its AI for military applications earlier this year. A source who worked at the company at the time says some staff were unhappy with the change, but there were no open protests. The US military already uses some OpenAI technology, according to reporting by The Intercept.
Anduril is developing an advanced air defense system featuring a swarm of small, autonomous aircraft that work together on missions. These aircraft are controlled through an interface powered by a large language model, which interprets natural language commands and translates them into instructions that both human pilots and the drones can understand and execute. Until now, Anduril has been using open-source language models for testing purposes.
Anduril is not currently known to be using advanced AI to control its autonomous systems or to allow them to make their own decisions. Such a move would be more risky, particularly given the unpredictability of today’s models.
A few years ago, many AI researchers in Silicon Valley were firmly opposed to working with the military. In 2018, thousands of Google employees staged protests over the company supplying AI to the US Department of Defense through what was then known within the Pentagon as Project Maven. Google later backed out of the project.
Electric vehicle charging and infrastructure are two major obstacles to EV adoption on a mass scale, but Mercedes-Benz may have a solution in the form of solar paint. In an effort to increase efficiency, the German automaker has created a new solar coating that could cover future electric models. Mercedes-Benz’s solar coating could revolutionize EV charging, making it more convenient to own an EV or PHEV.
Mercedes-Benz’s solar paint is just 5 micrometers thick
Other companies have explored charging EVs via solar power but, for the most part, their solution was in the form of solar modules. Solar modules on vehicles presented a myriad of problems, though, namely in their lack of flexibility and fragility in the event of an accident.
Mercedes-Benz’s solar coating can cover the entire body of the car as opposed to just the roof or sides. The coating weighs in at just 50 grams per square meter and measures just five micrometers thick. It can also be applied to any surface, including panel creases and curved fenders.
According to Mercedes engineers, the solar paint currently operates at 20% efficiency, the same efficiency as the solar cells that are currently used on vehicles. In addition to being more flexible than solar panels, solar paint is always active and can charge an EV battery at all times, provided there’s sunlight. Currently, it could generate enough energy to add 34 miles to an EV per day in sunny areas.
Mercedes is still developing this new technology, so they have left some details to speculation, such as how it would be applied to vehicles. Notably, however, the German automaker said the solar coating won’t be painted over a vehicle’s finish.
Solar paint could produce up to 7,456 miles per year
Mercedes’ new solar paint technology could generate enough power to add thousands of miles per year in driving range, even while operating at 20% efficiency. Since the coating can cover the entire vehicle, a coating with an area of 118.4 square feet, which is about the size of a midsize SUV, could produce more than 7,450 miles of driving range per year.
According to Mercedes, drivers in Stuttgart, Germany drive around 32 miles a day. Vehicles equipped with the German automaker’s solar paint are covering around 60% of that distance with solar energy. In sunnier areas, like Los Angeles, the abundance of solar energy would allow for even higher rates of energy production.
Solar paint comes with more benefits than just increased durability and flexibility, making it an ideal solution for extending an EV’s range. It’s non-toxic, easy to recycle, and cheaper to create than standard solar modules. It also doesn’t contain any rare earth metals and only uses raw materials that are easily accessible.
A lack of charging infrastructure is crippling the adoption of EVs nationwide, but it’s especially apparent in the United States. Alternative methods of energy harnessing could help alleviate range anxiety, increase an EV’s driving distance, and reduce charging costs across the board. Not only that but considering the cost of producing Mercedes’ solar coating and the lack of rare earth metals, it could be the leading solution to charging concerns.
Other companies, like Sono Motors and Aptera, have either tried or will be trying solar module integration on their vehicles. Meanwhile, Mercedes’s solar coating is already producing results in real-world application tests. While the German automaker says the solar paint isn’t ready for production on a mass scale, research, and development are progressing at a steady rate. If all goes well, we’ll hopefully see solar coating as an accessory EV charging solution within the next decade.
Did you know that Microsoft Edge, the built-in web browser on Windows PCs, can read text out loud to you? It works for text on web pages, PDF and Word documents, and more — an incredibly useful feature, particularly for users who have impaired vision.
Here’s how it works: In Edge, navigate to the web page with the content you want to listen to. Highlight a selection of text using your mouse cursor, then right-click and select Read selection aloud in the menu.
Once you do that, a toolbar will appear at the top of the browser. Here, you can click buttons to Pause/Play reading and to skip backward/forward through the selection line by line. The toolbar also has a Voice options button, which you can use to change the reading speed and the text-to-speech voice.
Alternatively, you can have Edge read out the entire web page — not just a selection of text — by click the A icon (in the address bar) that has sound waves coming out of it:
IDG
This read aloud feature also works for other content types that can be opened in the browser. For example, you can use the Ctrl + O keyboard shortcut to launch the “Open with” dialog, then select the respective file (perhaps a PDF document) you want to open in Edge. Or you can drop and drop the file directly into the Edge window.
For Word documents in particular, you can open the document in Word, then select File > Save as… to save the document as type “Web page.” Then, you can open the resulting web page in Edge.
