Tech

The Morning After: Apple's 'Magic Keyboard' meets the 13-inch MacBook Pro – Engadget

Published

4 years ago

May 5, 2020

13-inch MacBook Pro (2020)

Apple

Was Devindra Hardawar wrong about something? Our fellow editor explains why he purchased a standalone Ultra HD Blu-ray player in 2020, after declaring the format “already lost” to streaming four years ago. Apparently the Xbox One X’s built-in player and streaming options just can’t beat the standalone’s ease of use or Dolby Vision HDR picture quality from a disc.

Plus, the $250 Sony UBP-X800M2 can play his SACD and DVD-Audio discs. Guess some people just can’t stay away from “dead” disc formats.

— Richard

Apple brings its new Magic Keyboard to the 13-inch MacBook Pro

The butterfly keyboard is dead, but the touch bar remains.

Five years after Apple introduced the “butterfly” keyboard that had so many issues, the company has excised it from the lineup. The 13-inch MacBook Pro was the last device to get refreshed with the Magic Keyboard that our reviewers prefer, along with available 10th-gen Intel CPUs for more power and a physical escape key. The new laptops are available to order now, starting at $1,399 (for a 10th-gen CPU with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, the price starts at $1,799).
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Microsoft shifts the focus on Windows 10X to single-screen devices

Stay tuned.

According to Microsoft’s chief product officer Panos Panay, “single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

Reading between the lines, it appears that dual-screen machines, like Microsoft’s Surface Neo, the Dell Duet concept or a future Yoga Book, will take a bit longer to ship than anticipated. In the meantime, Windows 10X will deliver its more efficient version of computing to traditional single-screen laptop hardware.
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How to buy a smart display in 2020

Amazon vs. Google

Smart displays are the second-wave devices born out of the success of the Amazon Echo, Google Home and others. Companies recently decided to make new smart speakers with touchscreens of all sizes, adding visual and tactile components to what were once devices you could only bark orders to. While this may seem counterintuitive, there are a number of reasons to choose a smart screen instead of a smart speaker — glanceable information and video streaming are just a couple of them.

Amazon and Google dominate the space, but your decision of which smart speaker to buy isn’t as simple as choosing between the two tech giants. Check out our guide to buying a smart display and our list of the best smart displays you can get today.
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This no-contact thermometer gets readings in under a second

Updated Theraguns run quieter and have a companion app

The Theragun mini might be the most interesting one.

You can’t browse social media without coming across massage guns from the likes of Theragun. Using a jackhammer motion to soothe aching muscles, they’re apparently an expensive hit. The company, now known as Therabody, has revealed its fourth-generation series, including a new petite (and cheaper) model, the mini, which comes in at under $200. The top-end models come with exchangeable batteries, wireless charging (why?!) and swap-out massage accessories, including a thumb. They’re available to order now.
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Billy Mitchell is taking his ‘Donkey Kong’ cheating saga to court

‘If anybody wants to see, there’s a ‘Donkey Kong’ kill screen coming up.’

Arcade expert Billy Mitchell made a name for himself by earning record-breaking scores in games like Pac-Man and BurgerTime. However, two years ago, de facto scorekeeper Twin Galaxies stripped Mitchell of his Donkey Kong records after concluding that his most recent score was not achieved on authentic arcade hardware. (Guinness also subsequently stripped him of his records.)

Mitchell and his lawyer announced they’d be taking Twin Galaxies to court, after claiming that the company had defamed his name. The case was served to Twin Galaxies this February, and a hearing will be held in July.
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Review: Samsung Galaxy Book Flex laptop

A pretty QLED laptop with a useful S Pen

Want some non-Macbook options? Try, perhaps surprisingly, Samsung’s Galaxy Book Flex. It’s a gorgeous, powerful laptop with a vibrant QLED display. According to Cherlynn Low, while its battery life isn’t as good as some of the competition, the Flex is still a capable machine with a helpful S Pen onboard.
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But wait, there’s more…

Taika Waititi will direct a new Star Wars movie

Williams-Sonoma’s Star Wars Instant Pots go on sale for $60

Amazon VP quits over company firing COVID-19 whistleblowers

What’s on TV this week: ‘The Mandalorian’ BTS and Korean baseball

Google slowly starts requiring two-factor authentication for Nest users

Engadget Upscaled: Can Intel’s 10th-gen desktop CPUs compete?

Airbus to deploy jellyfish-shaped bomb-sniffing sensors at airports

Infinity Ward will update ‘Warzone’ as new Call of Duty games arrive

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Building Homes Faster with our Latest 3D Construction Printer

Published

16 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Press Release

Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting a new benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.

The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.

	Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer.

The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world.

The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects.

Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.

	Universal X-Carriage with Printhead.

Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, and Bahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable.

Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.”

Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”

The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.

RELEVANT LINKS

Official announcement by Founder and General Manager, Henrik Lund-Nielsen: https://youtu.be/7kmB6uQw5G4?si=SYzBNOrA8SK3VMW-
The BOD3 onsite: BOD3 in Action — 3D Construction Printing Just Got Faster! (youtube.com)
Visit our website: World leader in 3D construction printing | COBOD
Learn more about the BOD3: https://cobod.com/the-bod3/

ABOUT COBOD

COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility.

From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more.

Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.

ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI

PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country.

Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.

ABOUT POWER2BUILD
Reshaping the construction sector and adapting it to urgent human needs.

Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP.

We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues.

Tech

Slack researcher discusses the fear, loathing and excitement surrounding AI in the workplace

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2024

Anne Joseph

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.

Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.

Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?

A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.

Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?

A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.

The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.

Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.

Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?

A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.

Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?

A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.

Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?

A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.

Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.

The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.

Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?

A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.

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Tech

Biden administration to provide $325 million for new Michigan semiconductor factory

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2024

Anne Joseph

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it would provide up to $325 million to Hemlock Semiconductor for a new factory, a move that could help give Democrats a political edge in the swing state of Michigan ahead of election day.

The funding would support 180 manufacturing jobs in Saginaw County, where Republicans and Democrats were neck-in-neck for the past two presidential elections. There would also be construction jobs tied to the factory that would produce hyper-pure polysilicon, a building block for electronics and solar panels, among other technologies.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters that the funding came from the CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022. It’s part of a broader industrial strategy that the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, supports, while Republican nominee Donald Trump, the former president, sees tariff hikes and income tax cuts as better to support manufacturing.

“What we’ve been able to do with the CHIPS Act is not just build a few new factories, but fundamentally revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem in our country with American workers,” Raimondo said. “All of this is because of the vision of the Biden-Harris administration.”

A senior administration official said the timing of the announcement reflected the negotiating process for reaching terms on the grant, rather than any political considerations. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the process.

After site work, Hemlock Semiconductor plans to begin construction in 2026 and then start production in 2028, the official said.

Running in 2016, Trump narrowly won Saginaw County and Michigan as a whole. But in 2020 against Biden, both Saginaw County and Michigan flipped to the Democrats.

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