To start, even if you don’t buy an Xbox Series X at launch, you’ll be able to use the controller with your current Xbox One console. Moreover, it will work with existing Xbox One accessories like Microsoft’s first-party chatpad. Thanks to the addition of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support, it will also be easier to…
Tag: Technology
Ford hopes you’ll trade some privacy for discounted car insurance
Ford thinks it has a way to make car insurance more appealing: taking advantage of the data available from connected cars. It’s teaming up with Nationwide to introduce its own take on usage-based insurance. If you have one of several 2020 Ford or Lincoln models (like the Mustang you see above), you can sign up…
Microsoft confirms Xbox Series X will have a 12 teraflop GPU
The Xbox Series X will feature an NVMe SSD, as we previously heard, to dramatically speed up load times. And on the graphics front, Microsoft also reiterated that the Series X will feature hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing for “true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections and realistic acoustics in real time.” The PlayStation 5 will also have its own…
Google Assistant now reads web pages aloud on Android devices
To activate the feature, users simply have to say “Hey Google, read it” or “Hey Google, read this page” when there’s an article displayed on their Android browser. Assistant will then highlight words as it reads them aloud and will even scroll down the page automatically. Users can change the speed of the voice if…
Mercedes’ new E-Class knows when you’re holding the wheel
The new system is much more direct, and should be a bit harder (though not impossible) to fool. That will help ensure drivers keep their hands on the steering wheel when using E-class features like active steering assist, active brake assist and adaptive cruise control.Mercedes isn’t the first to use capacitive steering wheel tech. Cadillac’s…
Foldable phones are the future, but their software is stuck in the present
But things are starting to change. And, thanks to new technology like folding and rolling screens, we’re starting to see different shapes emerge. The Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr, for example, fold in half to become an almost-square.With the rise of dual-screen and folding devices, screen sizes could change again, along with their aspect…
An algorithm could make CPUs a cheap way to train AI
Typically, companies use GPUs as acceleration hardware in implementing deep learning in technology. But this is pricey — top of the line GPU platforms cost around $100,000. Rice researchers have now created a cost-saving alternative, an algorithm called sub-linear deep learning engine (SLIDE) that is able to do the same job of implementing deep learning,…
Goodyear’s smart tire concept ‘prints’ its own treads
The Geneva Auto Show has been canceled, but that hasn’t stopped many of the companies due to present there from scheduling online alternatives to conventional press conferences. Today, Goodyear introduced its latest “stretch concept” tire, the ReCharge, which theoretically never needs replacing or even rotating because it can replace worn treads from the inside.The idea…
Entertainers pivot to video as coronavirus shutters clubs
The Dropkick Murphys are a Boston institution and have played live shows every St. Patrick’s Day for the past 24 years, though, for obvious reasons, this year’s set was canceled. Luckily, the band was having none of that mess and decided to stream its set live and free over the internet so that St. Patrick’s…
Can you really get work done on a tiny laptop?
You can see the problem I have created for myself; I’m asking for something with a keyboard big enough for fluid typing and the processing grunt to handle images and audio (and associated plugins). Basically, a regular, decent-spec laptop. But there are multiple options in the small laptop space, so it can’t be totally unreasonable?…