Technology

The latest RTX 50 leak comes from Nvidia
Technology

The latest RTX 50 leak comes from Nvidia

It seems like Nvidia might be about to reveal its RTX 50 series GPUs, and now Nvidia itself is teasing that the new graphics cards are nearly here. As spotted by VideoCardz, a video for Nvidia’s upcoming LAN party includes brief look at a shadowy PC that will be given as a prize, and if you brighten up the image, the GPU in the computer appears to be one that’s a new design.See for yourself — I’ve included an image of the shadowed version at the top of this post, but here’s our take at tweaking the image to reveal what’s hidden: Image: Tom Warren / The VergeI’ll admit I am not an expert in GPU designs, but VideoCardz says the design is “unfamiliar” and that an RTX 5080 or 5070 Ti could be “among possible candidates” of what’s being shown.Leaks last month from Zotac and Acer indicated th...
Hyundai and Kia now qualify for the federal EV tax credit
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Hyundai and Kia now qualify for the federal EV tax credit

Five electric vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis now qualify for the US’s $7,500 EV tax credit, Electrek reports. The new models include popular vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossover SUV and Kia EV9 three-row family hauler. Now, 25 EVs and plug-in hybrids across 10 brands qualify for the credit.Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis models have been added to the Federal Tax Credits list as of January 1st, 2025. Screenshot: The VergeHowever, Hyundai and Kia might lose the benefit if the upcoming Trump administration makes drastic changes. The President-elect vowed during his campaign to eliminate the EV incentives on “day one,” though American automakers have pleaded to let it live.But unless Congress votes to eliminate the program, Hyundai and Kia buyers could still get the incentive for ...
Net neutrality eviscerated by appeals court ruling
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Net neutrality eviscerated by appeals court ruling

Federal net neutrality rules, which briefly came back from the dead under the Biden administration, have been struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The three-judge panel ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have the authority to impose net neutrality rules on internet service providers (ISPs). The FCC sought to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act in order to impose policies meant to prevent them from discriminating against different internet traffic, like by slowing speeds or blocking content. But the judges disagreed with the agency’s interpretation of how ISPs could be classified and were emboldened by the recent downfall of Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to regulatory ...
Samsung’s Bespoke smart fridges bring AI-powered shopping to Instacart
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Samsung’s Bespoke smart fridges bring AI-powered shopping to Instacart

Samsung’s smart fridges will soon be able to identify when you’re running low on something and add items to your Instacart app so you can order what you need from the grocery delivery service right from your fridge. Today, Samsung announced a multiyear partnership with Instacart that will let you shop for groceries from the screen on your Samsung Bespoke fridge — the 32-inch one or the one with the new 9-inch screen the company is debuting at CES this month. According to the press release, the tech uses Samsung Vision AI food recognition technology to identify what you have in your fridge and determine what you’re running low on. Then, using Instacart’s product matching API, it suggests items from the service you might need and lets you order them from the fridge.A new camera above the ...
Easy internet sleuth tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
Technology

Easy internet sleuth tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner

The internet is a treasure chest of information … if you know where to look. Whether you’re trying to verify a website, learn more about your neighborhood or dig up what’s floating around online about you, a little tech know-how goes a long way.Here are some simple, powerful tricks to level up your sleuthing skills.THE BIGGEST WI-FI MISTAKE YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE MAKINGWin a pair of $329 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Enter here, no purchase necessary!See the details of any websiteYou’ve come across a website that offers an incredible promise of a free trip to Hawaii. Aloha! All the site needs is your personal info and a credit card. Before you take the plunge, make sure you’re not getting screwed over.A WHOIS lookup search checks a database that contains information about domain names ...
Meta appoints new Trump-friendly policy chief
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Meta appoints new Trump-friendly policy chief

Meta is shaking up its policy team ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, with global policy head Nick Clegg stepping down after seven years at the company. He’ll be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican and Meta’s current vice president of policy.In a post on Facebook, Clegg says it’s the “right time” for him to leave Meta, adding that he’ll spend the next few months “handing over the reins” to Kaplan. “Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time — ideally placed to shape the company’s strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve,” Clegg says.“You’ve made an important impact advancing Meta’s voice and values around the world, as well as our vision for AI and the metaverse,” Zuckerberg said i...
Windows 11’s dynamic wallpapers revealed by former Microsoft designer
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Windows 11’s dynamic wallpapers revealed by former Microsoft designer

Microsoft has been working on dynamic animated wallpapers for Windows 11 for a few years, and now a former designer has revealed exactly what they look like. Sergey Kisselev, a former motion designer and 3D artist at Microsoft, has detailed his work on the dynamic animations for Windows 11 that were originally supposed to ship in 2023 but have likely been canceled now.Kisselev worked on Windows design elements and Microsoft’s Fluent design system for more than eight years before departing to Amazon in 2022. In his post on Behance, Kisselev describes the dynamic wallpapers as “part of the Windows Creative Direction Team’s efforts to celebrate a new centered signature composition for Windows 11, highlighting its centered Start Menu and taskbar.” The dynamic wallpapers were part of an effo...
The US government announced a ‘historic’ nuclear energy deal
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The US government announced a ‘historic’ nuclear energy deal

The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages government buildings, just announced a major nuclear energy contract. The announcement comes on the heels of several big tech companies making a flurry of nuclear energy deals last year. The 10-year, $840 million contract is for 10 million megawatt-hours of electricity, which the GSA says is the equivalent of what’s needed for more than 1 million homes annually. The agency awarded the contract to Constellation, which operates the nation’s largest nuclear fleet, and recently announced an agreement with Microsoft to restart a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island. Nuclear energy makes up a significant portion of the GSA deal, about 4 million megawatt-hours, according to Constellation spokesperson Paul Adams. Silicon Valley is increa...
Microsoft has a new ergonomic keyboard, but it’s expensive and made by Incase
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Microsoft has a new ergonomic keyboard, but it’s expensive and made by Incase

The keyboard also comes with “ultra-responsive” scissor keys with 1.3mm travel, meaning you won’t have to press down very far when typing. You can connect up to three devices to the keyboard via Bluetooth, and it’s powered by two AAA batteries that Incase says will last up to 36 months.Incase says it will release the keyboard in “early 2025.” The company has several other Microsoft-designed accessories planned as well, but it currently only has two mice and a Bluetooth keyboard available for purchase on its website.
Apple will pay $95 million to people who were spied on by Siri
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Apple will pay $95 million to people who were spied on by Siri

If approved, the settlement would apply to a subset of US-based people who owned or bought a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV between September 17th, 2014 and December 31st, 2024. A user would also need to meet one other major criteria: they must swear under oath that they accidentally activated Siri during a conversation intended to be confidential or private. Individual payouts will depend on how many people claim the money, so if you apply, you could end up receiving less than the $20 maximum cap.The initial class action suit against Apple followed a 2019 report by The Guardian, which alleged Apple third-party contractors “regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex” while wor...