Old-school tech giant HP has just announced a refresh of its Color LaserJet printer line with an eye toward reducing both energy consumption and physical waste. The company promises that these printers reduce energy consumption by up to 27 percent, while the plastic packaging components have been reduced by 78 percent.
The decrease in energy usage is thanks to the company’s proprietary TerraJet laser toner, which HP says is designed to offer maximum sustainability. The new HP TerraJet cartridges that accompany these printers offer a lower carbon footprint than predecessors but allow for a 20 percent increase in printable colors. HP also says these printers have been redesigned for speed, so expect a 25 percent uptick in tempo when making prints.
These printers fall into two categories. The HP Color LaserJet 4200/4300 is designed for small businesses and remote workers. They offer a compact design (though not as small as some HP laser printers), two-sided color printing, two-sided color scanning, HP Wolf Security tools preconfigured out of the box and the HP Smart Admin Dashboard for making adjustments on-the-fly.
The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise 5000/6000 series, on the other hand, is for busy office environments with massive daily printing needs. To that end, you can actually perform some light editing to printable documents right from the device itself, without a PC. The touchscreen and analog controls let you highlight, redact, and markup, and HP says these printers offer the “fastest A4 laserjet speeds” around.
The HP LaserJet Enterprise 5700dn model.
HP
These enterprise-focused printers also include built-in HP Wolf Security protocols and an upgraded document digitization toolset that automatically reduces misfeeds, resulting in greater accuracy when performing large batch scans.
HP says the 4200/4300 launches on April 1st in North America with global availability by the summer, with prices for the most expensive configuration maxing out at $700. The 5000/6000 enterprise printers also launch on April 1st in North America, with a phased global rollout starting in Asia throughout the month. These printers start at around $1,050.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eco-friendly-hp-laser-printer-line-promises-to-reduce-energy-use-by-30-percent-153532920.html?src=rss
Kia is finally sharing some specs for the EV9 electric SUV, and they may be good news for families planning road trips. The three-row EV will now include Level 3 self-driving (that is, the car drives itself in some situations but may need you to take over) in some countries when you spring for the GT-line trim. The planned Highway Driving Pilot will use LiDAR and other sensors to let you “take a break” from driving, where conditions allow.
The EV9 might also deliver more range than you'd expect for an SUV this size. Kia claims the RWD Long Range model with a 99.8kWh battery will offer up to 336 miles of range, based on WLTP testing. We'd expect a more conservative estimate from the US' Environmental Protection Agency, but that's still a very healthy figure for this vehicle class. There will also be an AWD variant with the same battery as well as 76.1kWh RWD Standard Range base configuration. The 800V charging architecture should give the EV about 149 miles of range in 15 minutes, and vehicle-to-load tech lets you power camping gear and laptops.
Performance can be relatively brisk depending on the model. The RWD Long Range with a 150kW motor will be the slowest-accelerating model with a 0-62MPH time of 9.4 seconds, but the Standard Range edition with a 160kW motor will manage that run in 8.2 seconds. Opt for the AWD model and you'll get a dual-motor 283kW powerplant that can normally hit 62MPH in six seconds (more on that in a moment).
Like it or not, Kia is joining the ranks of automakers locking car features behind digital purchases. You'll need to buy items from the company's Connect Store to enhance the pattern lighting on the grille, and even to add a "Boost" that delivers extra torque for a 0-62MPH dash in 5.3 seconds. Yes, you'll have to pay for features your EV9 can technically handle. You will get a number of driver aids and conveniences, including hands-off parking and navigation-based "Smart Cruise Control." This will be the first Kia to support ultra-wide band digital keys, so you won't have to take out your conventional key to step inside.
Kia hasn't yet divulged pricing for the EV9. The machine will go on sale in some countries sometime in the second half of the year, with South Korean pre-orders starting this spring. It's safe to presume the SUV will sell for more than the EV6 crossover. Not that this will necessarily be a problem for the brand. There are few three-row electric SUVs, and those that exist (such as the Tesla Model X) are likely more expensive.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kias-ev9-electric-suv-will-offer-level-3-autonomy-and-a-336-mile-range-141506186.html?src=rss
Sony has unveiled its latest, and by far greatest vlogging camera to date, the full-frame ZV-E1. Equipped with the same backside-illuminated (BSI) 12-megapixel sensor as the A7S III, it promises excellent low-light performance, 4K at up to 120p and a host of new AI features like auto framing. The $2,200 price tag also makes it enticing for vloggers as it offers features found on the $3,500 A7S III for considerably less money.
Key among those are the excellent video specs. The full-frame sensor lets you significantly blur the background so subjects stand out more than with cameras using smaller APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors. And like the A7S III, the ZV-E1 gives you 4K at 24/30/60/120 fps, using a full-pixel readout with no binning in all modes. It also offers capture in easy-to-edit All-I modes with data rates up to 600Mbps.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
10-bit 4:2:2 recording is available with S-Log-3/S-Gamut3.Cine log modes, delivering up to 15 stops of dynamic range, Sony claims. And the 12-megapixel BSI sensor has an ISO range up to 409,600 expanded (80-102400 in normal modes), the best high ISO performance in the Alpha series. That opens up a lot of interesting creative opportunities, as you can shoot in near pitch-black conditions.
The ZV-E1 is Sony's first full-frame camera with a vlogging-style body, so it lacks the large grip and generous controls seen on other A-series models. In exchange, it's much smaller and lighter than those models, weighing in at just 483 grams, compared to 699 grams for the A7S III. It's even lighter (and smaller) than the A7C, but uses the same Z-batteries as larger Sony models, letting you capture up to 570 shots or record 4K 60p video for 95 minutes (however, 4K 60p is temperature-limited to approximately 30 minutes).
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
It has a single rear dial, with the front dial replaced by a motor zoom control. There are just a few other controls (three programmable buttons, a Fn button and Sony's usual D-Pad), along with a Still/Movie/S&Q switch, product showcase button, and background defocus button. It also has a tally light that can be seen from the front and top.
For other settings, and functions like focus, you have to use the touchscreen. Luckily it's a fully articulating display that allows easy self-shooting or high/low angle framing. Sony has also adopted the A7R V's relatively intuitive menu system that places common settings on one screen and makes it relatively easy to find more advanced functions.
Also missing is an electronic viewfinder, so the only way to see your subject is via the touchscreen or an external monitor. We've seen the same thing on all its other ZV-series vlogging cameras so it's no surprise, but it's a bit jarring to see such a high-spec camera without an EVF.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Otherwise, though, ZV-E1 actually adds some features not found on other Sony cameras. To start with, it offers 5-axis in-body stabilization, with a new "Active" optical mode that's supposed to boost shake reduction while walking. And if that's not enough, the "Dynamic Active" mode adds extra smoothing for rapid movements in exchange for some extra cropping. "Combined with a wide-angle lens, hand-held shooting is possible even in fast walking scenes that would otherwise be difficult without the use of a gimbal," Sony claims.
Another new feature is the AI-based auto framing mode that should be incredibly handy for solo creators. Using subject recognition tech, it automatically crops the frame to keep the subject in a prominent position, even though the camera may be fixed on a tripod. Using the feature, you can select a small, medium or large crop, have it track you quickly or slowly, auto start based on subject recognition or subject selection, and switch between the cropped and full angle after 15 or 30 seconds. It can even record two types of images at once, capturing the full image to an HDMI output and the cropped version to an internal memory card.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Other AI tricks including a framing stabilizer that uses subject recognition tech to crop in to the subject and keeps them stable when you're walking beside them. "Multiple face recognition" automatically reduces bokeh when a second face is detected so both subjects stay in focus. And as with other Sony vlogging models, it has a bokeh switch that automatically defocuses the background, along with a "product showcase" button that lets the camera instantly focus on an object put in front of the camera.
As with other recent Sony models, the ZV-E1 has a variety of subject recognition modes besides humans, including animal, bird, car/train, airplane and insect. It includes the focus breathing compensation feature first seen on the A7 IV that digitally compensates for any zooming when the focus changes from one subject to another. It also offers the focus map and AF assist seen on recent models, along with adjustments for the AF transition speed.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
On the audio front, the ZV-E1 has a built-in 3-capsule mic that can change directionality depending on the situation. For instance, if a human subject is recognized, the mic direction changes to "front," but if there's no subject it defaults to "all directions." It comes with a windscreen, and if you'd rather using your own mic, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack and digital audio interface on the hotshoe.
Other features include UVC/UAC webcam capability, with support for up to 4K 30p video, besting most other Sony models. It also comes with a headphone port, a single SD UHS-II card slot, a microHDMI output and USB-C. Finally, it's a decent photo camera as well, shooting 12-megapixel RAW photos at up to 10fps — but there's no mechanical shutter, of course.
As mentioned, the ZV-E1 is priced at $2,200 for the body only, or $2,500 in a kit with the SEL 28-60mm zoom. It goes on pre-order tomorrow, with shipping set to start in early April — stay tuned for a full review.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-12-megapixel-full-frame-zv-e1-is-a-low-light-vlogging-beast-140009036.html?src=rss
An open letter signed by tech leaders and prominent AI researchers has called for AI labs and companies to "immediately pause" their work. Signatories like Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk agree risks warrant a minimum six month break from producing technology beyond GPT-4 to enjoy existing AI systems, allow people to adjust and ensure they are benefiting everyone. The letter adds that care and forethought are necessary to ensure the safety of AI systems — but are being ignored.
The reference to GPT-4, a model by OpenAI that can respond with text to written or visual messages, comes as companies race to build complex chat systems that utilize the technology. Microsoft, for example, recently confirmed that its revamped Bing search engine has been powered by the GPT-4 model for over seven weeks, while Google recently debuted Bard, its own generative AI system powered by LaMDA. Uneasiness around AI has long circulated, but the apparent race to deploy the most advanced AI technology first has drawn more urgent concerns.
"Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control," the letter states.
The concerned letter was published by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), an organization dedicated to minimizing the risks and misuse of new technology. Musk previously donated $10 million to FLI for use in studies about AI safety. In addition to him and Wozniak, signatories include a slew of global AI leaders, such as Center for AI and Digital Policy president Marc Rotenberg, MIT physicist and Future of Life Institute president Max Tegmark, and author Yuval Noah Harari. Harari also co-wrote an op-ed in the New York Times last week warning about AI risks, along with founders of the Center for Humane Technology and fellow signatories, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin.
This call out feels like the next step of sorts from a 2022 survey of over 700 machine learning researchers, in which nearly half of participants stated there's a 10 percent chance of an "extremely bad outcome" from AI, including human extinction. When asked about safety in AI research, 68 percent of researchers said more or much more should be done.
Anyone who shares concerns about the speed and safety of AI production is welcome to add their name to the letter. However, new names are not necessarily verified so any notable additions after the initial publication are potentially fake.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tech-leaders-and-ai-experts-demand-a-six-month-pause-on-out-of-control-ai-experiments-114553864.html?src=rss
Nintendo faces a major challenge following up on one of the best games of the last decade, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Yesterday, the company showed off 10 minutes of gameplay from its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. Its producer, Eiji Aonuma, showed off many familiar game mechanics augmented with special elevator stones to fast track you to floating islands, new fusion weapons and even fusion vehicles, like boats and hovercraft – not to mention the already teased drone style aircraft. Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12th. Check out the gameplay video here.
– Mat Smith
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The company's planned mass layoffs are expected to begin this week.
Disney has shut down its metaverse division and laid off all of the team's 50 or so members as part of a broader restructuring process, according to The Wall Street Journal. It was just over a year ago when former Disney CEO Bob Chapek tapped company veteran Mike White to lead the team in finding interactive ways to tell Disney's stories using new technologies – which fortunately meant the metaverse and not NFTs. As The Journal notes, Bob Iger, who returned as CEO to replace Chapek in November 2022, showed he also sees a future in the metaverse when he joined the board of an animated avatar startup. The metaverse team could simply be one of the first teams impacted by Disney's significant restructuring efforts.
One of the biggest criticisms of DJI's otherwise excellent Avata first-person view (FPV) drone was around the Goggles 2, which lacked comfort and tethered you to a battery. Now, DJI has unveiled the Goggles Integra, a new model designed for the Avata that offers an integrated battery, improved ergonomics and new flight control features. The new products show DJI is responding to users, but it's unfortunate the Goggles Integra lacks several key features from the $649 Goggles 2 — even though it's $150 cheaper. The Goggles Integra and RC Motion 2 are now available for $499 and $239, respectively.
Apple Music Classical is now available for download globally with more than five million tracks. Offered as part of an Apple Music subscription, it's designed to make it easier to find things unique to classical music, including specific orchestras, conductors, musicians and more. The app sprung from Primephonic, a streaming service Apple acquired in 2021. A few things are missing, compared with the main Apple Music app, though. Apple Music Voice Plan subscribers can't use Classical, there's no native iPad app yet and, especially odd, you can't download music for offline listening.
Amazon has begun displaying a warning about frequently returned items. Industry-wide e-commerce returns skyrocketed during pandemic lockdowns. Although they’ve declined, they’re still well above pre-pandemic numbers. The retailer’s new badge reads, “Frequently returned item: Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item.” However, it doesn’t yet appear for everyone.
Although last night was the best time to catch Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus.
If you want to catch a rare planetary alignment in the night sky, look west right after sunset any evening this week. There, you’ll see five of our neighbors — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus — lined up in an orderly fashion. The alignment will be visible at the same time this entire week, but this evening should provide the best view from the US. The planets will appear between the horizon line to around halfway up the sky. Although it’s a somewhat rare occurrence, it also happened last summer. And you’ll get another chance in June.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-will-feature-fusion-vehicles-111513595.html?src=rss
Logitech has launched a kid-friendly version of its Zone headset called Zone Learn, specifically designed for their educational needs. While it was created to be durable like many other devices for children — it's even supposed to be "chew-resistant" — the company also made it easy to replace the parts that typically give out or get damaged for headsets first. Specifically, Logitech made it possible to swap its ear pads and cables, not just so schools can replace them if they get frayed or destroyed, but also so that they can choose between over-ear and on-ear pads, as well as between 3.5 mm aux, USB-A and USB-C cables, depending on what they need.
The over-ear option offers more noise isolation, while on-ear provides more environmental awareness. Meanwhile, the cable options will allow educators to use the headset with different types of devices. Logitech says Zone Learn's audio drivers are tuned for voice clarity rather than for music, since it's optimized for lessons that involve speaking, such as for students learning a new language. It's also equipped with a boom mic that has a 120-degree swivel for lessons that require students to interact with the class.
Zone Learn will be available around the world this spring for prices starting at $35. Logitech will also release a package with an over-ear pad model, a 3.5mm aux and a USB-C cable in the early summer for $40.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitechs-zone-learn-headset-for-kids-has-swappable-ear-pads-and-wires-105559525.html?src=rss
With extreme weather events regularly flooding our coastal cities and burning out our rural communities, Google in its magnanimity has developed a new set of online tools that civil servants and community organizers alike can use in their efforts to stave off climate change-induced catastrophe.
Google already pushes extreme weather alerts to users in affected locations, providing helpful, easy-to-understand information about the event through the Search page — whether its a winter storm warning, flood advisories, tornado warnings, or what have you. The company has now added extreme heat alerts to that list. Googling details on the event will return everything from the predicted start and end dates of the heatwave to medical issues to be aware of during it and how to mitigate their impacts. The company is partnering with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) to ensure that the information provided is both accurate and applicable.
Google
It's a lot easier to keep the citizenry comfortable in hot weather if the cities themselves aren't sweltering, but our love affair with urban concrete has not been amenable to that goal. That's why Google has developed Tree Canopy, a feature within the company's Environmental Insights Explorer app, which "combines AI and aerial imagery so cities can understand their current tree coverage and better plan urban forestry initiatives," per Wednesday's release.
Tree Canopy is already in use in more than a dozen cities but, with Wednesday's announcement, the program will be drastically expanding, out to nearly 350 cities around the world including Atlanta, Sydney, Lisbon and Paris. Google also offers a similarly-designed AI to help plan the installation of "cool roofs" which reflect heat from the sun rather than absorb it like today's tar paper roofs do.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-unveils-ai-powered-planning-tools-to-help-beat-climate-changes-extreme-heat-103039212.html?src=rss
If you dread having to vacuum — who doesn't? — you may want to consider investing in a robot model to do it for you. While many options come with a high price tag, the self-emptying Shark RV1001AE IQ Robot is currently half off, down from $600 to $300. The steep price drop makes a big difference if you've been on the fence about investing in a robovac.
Here's what you need to know if you're considering taking the plunge. The vacuum works with the Shark app or through your Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. You can schedule cleanings or tell the Shark IQ Robot which areas to clean in the moment. It maps each room while moving through your home to give you the option to select specific spaces to be vacuumed.
The self-cleaning vacuum goes row by row in each room, ensuring it hits every spot. It's equipped to handle hair (human or pet) without it getting wrapped around the suction, and works on carpets or floors. It also has a self-emptying base that holds 45 days of dirt and whatever else it cleans up.
Once done cleaning, the vacuum brings itself back to its dock and starts recharging. All you need to do is put your feet up when it comes nearby and let it do its work.
If you're looking for something with a longer capacity, the Shark AV2511AE AI Ultra Robot Vacuum holds up to 60 days worth of debris. It's currently discounted 17 percent, from $600 to $500. While many previous Shark robot vacuum sales have lasted only a day, it's not clear how long these discounts will be available.
By the end of this week, 1,300 people who work for Lucid Motors will have known that they're going to lose their jobs. The luxury electric vehicle maker has notified (PDF) the US Securities and Exchange Commission in a filing that it's reducing its current workforce by approximately 18 percent. Lucid said it's cutting jobs to reduce operating expenses "in response to evolving business needs and productivity improvements" and that it intends to complete this restructuring plan by the end of the second quarter this year.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson told employees in a memo that the job cuts will affect both employees and contractors. In the US, nearly every division will be hit by reductions, and some executives are even included in the list of personnel the company is laying off. The EV-maker implemented other cost-cutting measures, such as reviewing its non-critical spending, after announcing its 2022 earnings results in February. But apparently, those measures weren't enough for the company to achieve its objectives.
While Lucid experienced a sharp increase in revenue year-over-year — it had only just started the Air sedan's production in late 2021 — it still fell short of analyst forecasts. In addition, although its production goal (14,000 EVs) for 2023 is double last year's figures, it's much lower than the 21,000 units experts had expected. As Reuters previously reported, price cuts by Tesla and the availability of affordable EVs from traditional automakers had lessened demand for vehicles from startups like Lucid. Rivian, another EV startup, is similarly affected and announced that it was going to reduce its workforce by six percent in February.
Lucid said in its filing that the layoffs will cost the company $24 million to $30 million, which will be spent on severance payments, company-paid health insurance and stock-based compensation for the affected workers. Despite its cost-cutting measures, Lucid still intends to expand globally and to continue developing more models, including the three-row Gravity electric SUV that it plans to release in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lucid-motors-is-laying-off-1300-workers-to-reduce-expenses-090908953.html?src=rss
Lenovo carved out a niche with its Legion line of gaming smartphones featuring impressive specs and gimmicks like SSD RAID storage and pop-out cameras. Now, the company is exiting the gaming phone business completely, it told Android Authority.
"Lenovo is discontinuing its Android-based Legion mobile gaming phones as part of a wider business transformation and gaming portfolio consolidation. As a leader in gaming devices and solutions, Lenovo is committed to advancing the gaming category across form factors, as well as focusing on where it can bring the most value to the global gaming community," a spokesperson said.
Lenovo's gaming smartphone woes likely sprung from the fact that it failed to establish the Legion brand outside of China. It poached a number of employees from the ASUS ROG team at the beginning, so it was clearly committed to mobile gaming early on. Its last Legion-branded phone was the slightly lower-end Y70 announced last August, but the final flagship Y90 was released over a year ago in February 2022.
