South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol recently declared the chip manufacturing industry to be in an "all-out war," and the latest developments certainly support that statement. Prosecutors in the Suwon District have indicted a former Samsung executive for allegedly stealing semiconductor plant blueprints and technology from the leading chipmaker, BusinessKorea reports. They didn't name the 65-year-old defendant, who also previously served as vice president of another Korean chipmaker SK Hynix, but claimed he stole the information between 2018 and 2019. The leak reportedly cost Samsung about $230 million.

The defendant allegedly planned to build a semiconductor in Xi'an, China, less than a mile from an existing Samsung plant. He hired 200 employees from SK Hynix and Samsung to obtain their trade secrets while also teaming up with an unnamed Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company that pledged $6.2 billion to build the new semiconductor plant — the partnership fell through. However, the defendant was able to secure about $358 million from Chinese investors, which he used to create prototypes in a Chengdu, China-based plant. The plant was reportedly also built using stolen Samsung information, according to prosecutors. 

"It's so serious that it's difficult to compare it in terms of the scale of the crime and the degree of damage with previous individual semiconductor technology leakage cases," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "It's a grave crime that could deal a heavy blow to our economic security by shaking the foundation of the domestic chip industry at a time of intensifying competition in chip manufacturing." Six co-conspirators, including one Samsung sub-contractor, were indicted alongside the lead defendant. These charges follow continued efforts from China to acquire South Korea's technologies across a range of industries and Korea creating stricter punishments for related offenses.

The season of sitting outside in the sun and reading is upon us — and, fortunately, so is a sale on Kindle e-readers. Amazon is running a deal on its adult and kids Kindles, with the original model down from $100 to $80 — a 16 percent discount. At this price, the base model is just short of its all-time lowest offer. 

The standard Kindle's 2022 edition brought some significant improvements, like a 300PPI display and up to six weeks of battery life. It also expanded from 8GB to 16 GB of storage, which Amazon says can hold "thousands of books." The compact e-reader has a six-inch glare-free screen and is a good compact option for carrying around without much extra weight (it's only about one-third of a pound). 

Amazon's more advanced Kindle Paperwhite is another good option, with a 21 percent discount bringing the 8GB model to $110 from $140. Its 16GB version is only a few dollars more, with a 23 percent discount dropping it to $115. The Paperwhite has a slightly bigger screen (6.8 inches) than the base model, holds up to ten weeks of battery life and offers an adjustable warm light. It's also a good option if you plan to bring your Kindle to the beach or pool, as it's water-resistant. If you're looking for something with even more bells and whistles, the Paperwhite Signature is on sale for $145 from $190. It offers wireless charging, 32 GB of storage and an automatically adjusting front light. 

The Kindle Kids standard and Kids Paperwhite editions round out the deals, with the 8GB base model dropping 29 percent to $85 from $120. The sale's largest discount comes courtesy of the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, dropping to $100 from $160 — a 38 percent discount. Each model offers the same features as its adult counterparts, plus a free year subscription to Amazon Kids+. 

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There are so many good smart displays out there that it can be hard to choose which one to buy. Right now, one of our favorites, Amazon's second-generation Echo Show 8, is running down to $75 from $130 — a 42 percent discount and just $5 off its lowest price. There are other available options on sale, like an adjustable stand or Blink Mini, but expect to pay a little extra for those.

The Echo Show 8 is part speaker, part tablet, with TV shows and movies available from streamers like Netflix, Hulu and, of course, Prime Video. These come alongside music from Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. 

The eight-inch HD 1,200 x 800 resolution display shows personalized photos, calendar reminders and daily recipe ideas. It also includes a 13 MP camera (notably with a built-in shutter) to use for video calls or checking in when away from home. Its mic can also turn off when not in use to provide extra privacy. Plus, the Echo Show 8 can control any additional smart home gear and utilizes Alexa for additional tasks. 

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Reels started as Instagram's solution for competing with TikTok and soon launched on sister-site Facebook — a natural expansion. Meta is now testing Reels on a less expected medium: the Meta Quest. Its VR headset works for internet browsing, watching movies, games and more — but the addition of typically-vertical Reels presents a different viewing experience than these more malleable (and typically screen-wide) options. 

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the update through a 13-second video on Meta's Instagram Channel. It featured a Reel from influencer Austin Sprinz's Instagram account in which he visited the world's deepest pool. The immersive video is a good choice for VR, taking the viewer underwater into a seemingly bottomless space — and is certainly better than a cooking or dance Reel. 

The Reels update comes ahead of Meta Quest 3's fall release and follows Apple's new AR/VR Vision Pro headset announcement. Though, with Quest 3's pricing starting at $499, compared to the Vision Pro's $3,499, the pair don't exactly fall into the same category. Meta's VR headset line first launched as Oculus Quest and subsequently Oculus Quest 2 before the second-generation model was rebranded as Meta Quest 2. The Meta Quest Pro followed soon after the name change. As for Reels, there's no timeline for if and when it will leave the testing phase and become available across Meta Quest headsets. 

Google Password Manager is having a mini overhaul with a bunch of new security and convenience features rolling out on desktop and iOS devices. One of them is even designed to get you using it properly in the first place, by allowing you to upload a .csv file from a rival service.

The storage system also now has a dedicated space in Chrome that you can access through "Password Manager" in Chrome's menu or "Manage passwords" when asked if you want to save a new credential. It's accessible through a new desktop shortcut option as well. Once on the landing page, you can click on specific websites to view saved information or reconfigure your settings. If you're an iOS user accessing Google Password Manager, you'll also now have a larger pop-up for auto-filling passwords and be able to see your accounts for a specific website all in one place. 

The last big Google Password Manager convenience update is the addition of notes to your saved login details. If there's an extra pin or security question you need to remember the answer to, that information can now live right with that account's password. All you need to do is select the password, click "note," and then "edit." Once you've added the information, just hit save, and it will be securely stored. At login, click the key icon to access what you wrote. 

On the security side of things, Google is adding more biometric authentication options on your desktop. This measure enables you to require a fingerprint or facial recognition before your password auto-fills. It's certainly a good option if you share a computer and want to keep your accounts private. On iOS, Google Password Manager will flag reused and weak passwords in the "Password Checkup" tab — where compromised password alerts live. The additional flags will roll out in the coming months, while biometric authentication for desktop should be available "soon." You can access all of the convenience updates now. 

OpenAI has announced a few new updates for its iOS app, including Shortcuts integration. Now you can create a ChatGPT prompt in Shortcuts and save it as a link between the AI tool and different apps. For example, ask ChatGPT to answer a problem or look up a fact and then message the response to your friend or save it as a note. You can also now ask Siri to bring up ChatGPT or create these Shortcuts. ChatGPT for iOS already utilizes OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition for voice input, with Siri further expanding its accessibility. 

A new drag and drop feature further integrates ChatGPT across iOS devices, letting you pull messages out of its interface and into other apps. It's a bit like the physical version of Shortcuts, so it's up to you which method to use. 

ChatGPT is also going to be better supported across iPads moving forward. Previously, iPad users weren't getting a full-screen experience when using the app — OpenAI had only formatted it for iPhone-sized displays. Now it will take up all the screen real estate you have, ideally providing a less wonky experience. 

The updates follow ChatGPT's recent expansion across Apple's platforms, with OpenAI first launching an iOS app for US users in mid-May and soon taking it to 11 more countries. Before these updates, the app already synced conversations to your computer and provided access to GPT-4 for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. While ChatGPT continues to advance its presence on Apple devices, Android owners still have to wait for an app. 

It seems like there’s a new update announced every day in the ongoing race to have the most advanced AI. The latest comes courtesy of Google, which is launching further improvements to Bard, including better advanced reasoning and math abilities. 

Bard will no longer rely solely on LLMs, which are best for predictions versus solving complex problems. Instead, it should now identify when further processing could help and then generate background code to improve correctness. According to Google, this update boosted computation-based word and math problems’ accuracy across their internal challenge datasets by 30 percent. 

Google claims Bard should be able to provide information such as the prime factors of numbers in the millions, the growth rate of your savings and what words like “lollipop” look like backward (because that will undoubtedly convince AI naysayers that it’s the ultimate tool). The company, itself, gives a standard disclaimer explaining, “Bard won’t always get it right — for example, Bard might not generate code to help the prompt response, the code it generates might be wrong or Bard may not include the executed code in its response.” 

In addition to integrating code generation, Google has also announced a function that allows allows data that Bard produces to be editable and manipulated in Sheets. It’s a minor update, but one people who hate spreadsheets will undoubtedly appreciate. It’s a minor update, but one that will take some of the stress out of building and maintaining spreadsheets.

After a few teases, Volvo is finally revealing the EX30, its all-electric small premium SUV. Designed to have the lowest carbon footprint of all its offerings, Volvo’s fourth EV brings the company’s plan to go all-electric by 2030 one step closer to becoming a reality. 

The EX30 includes all of Volvo’s typical safety features and an updated Park Pilot Assist that will help you find parking spaces, along with getting into them. It also comes in five exterior colors and ambient light offerings inspired by Scandinavia, including a northern lights setting, with paired ambient soundscapes. It comes off more like what you’d get in a spa than a car, but as long as you don’t get too cozy while driving, it should be nice. 

The EX30 is available as a Single Motor Extended Range or Twin Motor Performance. They charge from 10 to 80 percent in 26 and a half minutes, have 64 kWh of usable battery and 268 rear horsepower. Plus, they have 31.9 cubic feet of luggage space. 

Now, where they differ: The Single Motor is real-wheel drive, offering an estimated range of 275 miles, going 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds and with 253 lbs-ft of torque. The Twin Motor is all-wheel drive with a slightly shorter range at 265 miles, goes 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds and has 400 lbs-ft of torque. Built with performance in mind, the Twin Motor delivers 154 more horsepower (a total of 422 HP) than its single motor sibling.

The Volvo EX30 is available for pre-order in the US starting at $34,950, with a cross-country variant launching next year. In a statement about the EX30’s release, Volvo’s chief executive Jim Rowan commented on the frequent financial barrier to buying an EV. “We know that price and cost of ownership is still one of the biggest challenges when people consider switching to an electric car,” he said. “With the Volvo EX30, we aim to bring premium, fully electric mobility to a much broader audience, helping to advance and speed up the transition to full electrification that our industry and society needs.” The EX30 is significantly cheaper than Volvo’s C40 and XC40 EVs — both with a starting price around $55,000 and the upcoming EX90, which Volvo says will be “under $80,000.” 

Volvo

If you're in the market for some serious storage add-ons, now might be your chance. Samsung's 1TB 980 Pro SSD is down to $66.49, a new all-time low. Its counterpart, the 980 Pro SSD with Heatsink, is also at the best price we've seen yet at $80. 

Samsung's 980 Pro SSD supports read speeds up to 7,000MB/S, comes as a compact M.2 2280 form factor and uses a special thermal control algorithm to control heat levels with extended use. The SSD also includes Samsung Magician so you can monitor its health over time and includes a two-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography with your purchase. 

If you're a PS5 owner looking to upgrade, the heatsink will offer better performance and reliability. Heatsink keeps the device from overheating and performance dropping on the PS5 or your PC by dispersing heat as it occurs. 

If you prefer Western Digital's storage options, its WD_Black SN850X SSD is still part of a big sale, with a 57 percent discount bringing the 4TB model from $700 to $300. The smaller memory options also have significant price cuts, with the 2TB option down to $140 from $290 and the 1TB down to $78 from $160.  

Amazon is having a big sale on its Fire Kids tablets just in time for summer break. The Fire 7 tablet 16GB boasts one of the best discounts (along with normally being the cheapest option), with a 45 percent off sale bringing it to $60 from $110. However, for only $5 more, the 32GB model is on sale for $65, down from $130 — a 50 percent discount. 

Both memory options are designed for kids ages three to seven and include one free year of Amazon Kids+, which has ad-free books, videos, games and Alexa skills. The kid-proof encased tablet also comes with parental controls, up to 10 hours of battery life, dual cameras and a two-year warranty. Plus, you can always add 1TB of extra storage with a microSD.

Amazon is also running sales on its other tablets for three to seven-year-olds, with the Fire HD 8 down from $150 to $90 and the Fire HD 10 down from $200 to $150. They offer many of the same features as the Fire 7 tablet, including parental controls, a sturdy case and a free year of Amazon Kids+. The main differences are increased battery life and the screens being larger and in HD. 

For kids ages six to 12, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet is 25 percent off — on sale for $150, down from $200. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro lets kids browse the web with tailored parental controls in place. They can also call approved Alexa-enabled devices and send you requests to buy things like apps and eBooks in the digital store. The screen is a 10.1-inch HD with a kid-friendly case. Each Fire Kids tablet sale applies to certain available colors. 

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