Nvidia events are renowned for mixing technical bravado with splashes of showmanship — and this year’s GTC conference was no exception. The company ended a week that introduced a new enterprise GPU and an Arm-based “superchip” with a trademark flashy demo. Some 75 years after the world’s first instant photo captured the 3D world in a 2D picture, Nvidia showcased the inverse: turning 2D images into a 3D scene within milliseconds. Dubbed Instant NeRF, the technique involves training a neural rende
It’s no secret Apple continually ships boatloads of iPhones every year; it sold 239 million units in 2021, according to analysts. But the company feels it can sell even more — and it apparently has a new idea to do that. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Cupertino-based company is working on a new subscription plan to sell you iPhones and other hardware products. While finer details are yet to be finalized, the gist is Apple wants you to lease an iPhone or an iPad the same way you buy a su
When it comes to EV adoption, a major issue people complain about is slow charging times — especially compared to pumping stinky gas. To solve the charging time conundrum, a team of scientists from the Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems at IBS has turned to the realm of quantum physics. The team drew inspiration from a 2012 study, which proposed a “quantum battery concept,” meaning a quantum mechanical system that acts as an energy storage device. According to the 2021 study and n
Aventon is one of the most popular ebike companies in the US, and its Pace cruiser bikes have long been the company’s best-selling rides. Now the company is updating its Pace 350 and 500, both of which received major redesigns this week meant to make the bikes more comfortable and easier to use. I was able to spend a few days with the latest version of the Pace 500 Step-Through, and it gets a whole lot right for not a lot of money. First, some basic specs. Here are the numbers for the Pace 350:
The most exciting name in quantum computing today is Google. Last year’s time crystals breakthrough was the culmination of decades of academic effort from the Search giant, and it proved Big G is a clear front-runner in the world of cutting-edge quantum physics research. Despite having virtually no B2B presence in the quantum computing marketplace, the Mountain View company managed to leverage itself as one of the most important players in the field. Google’s position comes as a bit of a surpris
Geothermal energy has long been the forgotten member of the clean energy family, overshadowed by relatively cheap solar and wind power, despite its proven potential. But that may soon change – for an unexpected reason. Geothermal technologies are on the verge of unlocking vast quantities of lithium from naturally occurring hot brines beneath places like California’s Salton Sea, a two-hour drive from San Diego. Lithium is essential for lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles and ener
Toyota and Aurora Innovation, a US developer of self-driving systems, just started testing autonomous robotaxis in Texas. What you need to know: The test fleet consists of custom-made Toyota Sienna vehicles, retrofitted with Aurora’s self-driving system, the Aurora Driver. The hybrid electric vehicles are built on Toyota’s specially designed “Sienna Autono-MaaS” (S-AM) platform, can go up to 96km/h, and rely on Aurora’s proprietary FirstLight LiDAR for safe driving at highway speeds. Aurora’s te
When you think of the term hacker, what comes to mind? Criminals plotting to destroy multinational corporations, derail governments, or simply spam your inbox? The phrase doesn’t usually have positive connotations. We think of people hunkered down in basements, anonymously threatening to change our world for the worse. But the reality is in 2022, hackers aren’t always the bad guys. A new breed of hacker, ‘white hat hackers,’ are the people protecting our data, safe-guarding our favorite charitie
In the last few months, regulators across the world have pulled up their sleeves to force Apple and Google to allow third-party payment methods in app stores. While these regulations might take a while to implement, the Big G has preempted it by announcing a new pilot with Spotify that will allow third-party payments for the music streaming service. Here’s how that will work for users like you and me, and what it means for app developers and service providers. How will it work? The concept is pr
There’s been a lot of excitement this week in East Germany as Elon Musk’s Gigafactory launched to a rapturous reception. Elon flew in to cut the ribbon as the first 30 vehicles produced at the facility were handed over to customers. The event was hosted by Andre Traurig, Vehicle Manufacturing Lead at Tesla, and included a speech by Elon Musk, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, and Brandenburg Prime Minister, Dietmar Woidke in attendance. Big props to Tobi