It's France's turn to get in on the AI boom. On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron announced private investments into the country's AI ecosystem totaling 109 billion ($112.5 billion). The announcement came ahead of Paris hosting the AI Action Summit on Monday and Tuesday.
"I can tell you this evening, Europe is going to speed up, France is going to speed up," Macron stated during a TV interview on France 2 and India's First Post. He further explained that the investment is "exactly the equivalent for France of what the United States announced with Stargate $500 billion its the same ratio," when accounting for France's significantly smaller population.
Today, France will also reportedly pledge a gigawatt of nuclear power to create an AI computing project, the The Wall Street Journal reports. France has nuclear power to spare, with 57 reactors in 18 plants and exporting about a fifth of the electricity it produced last year despite using nuclear power for over two-thirds of its electricity.
The project's lead, FluidStack, aims to start work in the third quarter of 2024. By the end of 2026, the goal is to have 250 megawatts of power linked to AI-computing chips. Most of these chips are made by Nvidia, which FluidStack claims will send chips over when they need them. It also states that there's potential to expand to a 10 gigawatt facility by 2030.
The news follows Macron and United Arab Emirates leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan's February 6 announcement to put between 30 million and 50 million ($31 million to $51.6 million) towards a one-gigawatt AI center. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/france-pledges-to-build-one-gigawatt-of-new-nuclear-to-speed-up-its-ai-ambitions-140021069.html?src=rss
T-Mobile's Starlink satellite texting feature is now available in beta for anyone with a compatible iPhone or Android device to try out, the company announced in a Super Bowl ad. The new feature provides mobile 4G or 5G coverage in areas not covered by regular cell phone towers, and you can sign up for it even if you're on another carrier like Verizon or AT&T.
The service will be available for free until July to approved beta testers, though limited spots are available. After that, customers of T-Mobile's high-end offerings like the $180 Go5G Next plan will receive the feature at no cost. Other T-Mobile customers can add the service for $15 per month, or $10 per month if they sign up before the end of February. Users of other carriers will be charged $20 per month starting in July (T-Mobile didn't explain exactly how that would work).
In August last year, T-Mobile and Elon Musk's SpaceX announced a collaboration that would allow the carrier's subscribers to connect to Starlink's second-gen satellites for coverage even from the most remote locations. The service works with standard mobile phones, but only recent, compatible models including the Apple iPhone 14 series and later, all Google Pixel 9 models, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and later, Galaxy Flip3 and Fold3 or later and others.
If you have such a device, are enrolled in the T-Mobile Starlink beta and find yourself in an area of the US without regular cell phone coverage, you should be able to connect to a satellite and send someone a simple text message. Starlink support for voice calls and data is coming later, T-Mobile said.
T-Mobile and Starlink sent and received the first text messages using satellites back in January 2024. In the months that followed, the FCC had given them permission to enable satellite texting in certain locations so that people could stay connected in hurricane-hit areas. Now, anyone can try it, but it would be best to apply soon given the limited spots. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/t-mobile-is-offering-its-starlink-satellite-texting-feature-for-free-until-july-130044054.html?src=rss
Social platform Discord announced a new feature today called Ignore. This allows a person to hide any new messages, DMs, server notifications, profiles and activity from selected users without alerting them. In unveiling the update, Discord noted that this type of softer approach to limiting interactions had been requested by its community. It's a less stark way to tune out a person compared with blocking them.
In practice, DMs received from an Ignored person will appear in the inbox with an icon and a grayed-out name, so they are available if the ignorer chooses to look at them. The same applies to messages in a If somebody who chose to Ignore an account joins a voice or video chat where that ignored person is present, Discord will show a warning alerting them before they hop into the call.
Ignore can be activated from several places, including the drop-down menu that appears when clicking on an account's avatar. A list of all ignored and blocked accounts is visible within the Content & Social tab of User Settings. You can stop ignoring a profile from that full list, from your Friends list or by going to the person's profile. Discord has complete details about using the Ignore feature in a Help Center article for any additional information.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/discord-introduces-a-feature-to-ignore-rather-than-block-users-125515521.html?src=rss
Civilization VII is getting a VR port soon, but itll be exclusive to Metas most recent headsets. Meta, 2K and Firaxis Games announced this weekend that the franchises latest entry will be available on Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Spring 2025. Players will have the option to freely switch between virtual and mixed reality as they wish. Per the release:
In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum as they look out onto a vista personalized to their leader; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player's physical space. Detailed dioramas can be viewed in The Archives, a room in your museum dedicated to your gameplay achievements displayed in both virtual and mixed reality.
Theres no exact release date or price just yet, but you can wishlist it on the Meta Horizon Store. Civilization VII became available for Advanced Access buyers on PC and consoles a few days ago, and reviews have so far been pretty rough. It opens up for everyone else on February 11.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/civilization-7-is-coming-to-meta-quest-3-and-3s-this-spring-221250061.html?src=rss
Since Google’s early algorithm changes made to fight SEO spam, the issue of duplicate content has been on the radar of content and SEO professionals. Re-posting ore re–syndication of the same or similar content had risks associated with it. Oddly, now naturally occurring duplicate content is informing LLMs about businesses and individuals and their specialties. […]
Apple may have set aside its rumored plans for Mac-tethered augmented reality glasses, but that doesnt necessarily mean its done with AR glasses altogether. According to Bloombergs Mark Gurman who reported last month that Apple was working on, but ultimately shelved, an AR glasses project sources have told him that Apples long-term goal of standalone AR glasses remains intact. Rather than creating a stopgap product in the meantime that would need to be connected to a Mac, though, Gurman reports that the team is taking a slower, more cautious approach.
Itll instead keep working on underlying technology like screens and silicon to make a standalone device work, he writes. As described in earlier reports, the AR glasses Apple is rumored to be developing wouldnt be another headset-style device like the Vision Pro, but would likely take a form more like the Xreal One, which look like regular glasses.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apples-plans-for-ar-glasses-may-not-have-been-scrapped-entirely-200127426.html?src=rss
Trump and the company formerly known as Twitter appear to have ended their legal fight over the suspension of the presidents account back in 2021. In a filing spotted by Bloomberg, lawyers for both parties asked the court to dismiss the case. Trump sued Twitter arguing that his First Amendment rights were violated after he was banned from the social media platform due to the risk of further incitement of violence in the wake of the January 6 riot at the Capitol. A judge dismissed his lawsuit the following year, but Trump later appealed the decision.
Of course, Twitter has since been taken over by Elon Musk and renamed X, and Musk has become a key Trump ally in the presidents second term. There are no further details in the motion about the decision to dismiss. It comes shortly after Meta settled a lawsuit with Trump over the same issue, agreeing to pay $25 million after suspending his Facebook account in 2021.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-drops-his-appeal-in-legal-battle-over-2021-twitter-ban-175109968.html?src=rss
We may bit a post-CES news lull some days, but the reviews are coming in hot and heavy as February begins. Samsung has already debuted its latest premium phones and we've published a few long-term reviews of devices we've been testing for months. In this installment of the reviews roundup, we've got phones, a wearable, a robot vacuum and a smart grill. There's something for everyone this week.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung has given us the first flagship phones of 2025 and they rely heavily on AI features to lure users. Sam notes that the company has improved those tools, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra feels like an iterative update due to the limited hardware upgrades. "This means a lot of what Samsung focused on in this generation feels more like a bonus rather than a must-have feature," he writes. "And when you can get around 90 percent of the phones capabilities from previous models, the most dangerous thing Samsung is asking buyers to consider is why they need to upgrade at all."
Samsung Galaxy S25
Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung leaned heavily into the AI features on the regular S25. However, the company didn't spend a lot of time updating the design and major components of this model either. As Mat explains, this makes for a boring release for the long-running flagship line. "Unless youre desperate for a bump in processing power and battery life, it would be wise to see how heavily last years models get discounted in the coming months," he says.
Anker Eufy E20
The Eufy E20 is a first-of-its-kind transforming robot vacuum. While it works best in its core function as a robo vac, you do have the option of cordless stick and handheld vac configurations in the same device. "While Eufy isnt a stranger to making solid robot vacuums, this device is still a first-gen product in my mind and a solid one at that," Valentina notes. "But you have to know what youre buying upfront: an above-average robot vacuum that can turn into a just-average stick and hand vacuum."
Oura Ring 4
Smart rings may still be niche, but there's one company that stands above the rest. With the Ring 4, Oura fixed flaws of the previous model to ensure its crown is safe for the time being. "If theres a downside, its that Oura remains forever constrained by the limitations a smart ring imposes," Dan explains. "If you want something more comprehensive, then its likely a smartwatch is a better option, but for everything else, theres this."
OnePlus 13
While most phone companies are focused on AI features, OnePlus decided to build a compelling, flagship-level handset that isn't overloaded with bloat. "Throughout the years, OnePlus has used taglines like 'flagship killer' and 'ultra in every way' as a means of taking shots at its biggest rivals from Samsung, Google and more," Sam writes. "But for the OnePlus 13, it feels like the company just went and made a really solid premium handset without a bunch of AI fluff."
Weber Searwood
Weber's first pellet grill, the SmokeFire, was a learning experience for the company. Thankfully, the longstanding brand learned from those missteps when it built the Searwood. The company's second smart pellet grill offers more reliable performance, excelling at low-and-slow smoking. Weber opted for an all-new design for this model, from the cooking area to the new display. There's also a manual mode that allows for open-lid griddling and searing. And while there are some caveats, the Searwood is a much-improved grill compared to its predecessor.
Upcoming reviews: Apple, Beats, Technics and more
According to Bloomberg, Apple will debut a new iPhone SE next week. This will be the first update to that model since 2022, and will reportedly nix the home button. The report also details specifics like a camera notch, USB-C and the use of Apple's first in-house cellular modem. If the timing holds true, we'll expect to begin our testing shortly after the news drops.
In that same report, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains that Beats' PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds are expected to debut next week as well. The Apple-owned brand first teased an update to its fitness-focused model with a over-the-ear hook design last September. Gurman reports that the new model will have heart rate monitoring, which will be a first for a set of Apple earbuds. If the PowerBeats Pro 2 are indeed announced soon, we'll expect to have a review ready shortly after.
I've got the Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds in for testing too. These buds won one of Engadget's Best of CES awards last month and I've been eager to get my hands... er, ears... on them eer since. During a brief hands-on in Las Vegas, the company's newly designed Magnetic Fluid drivers offered impressive sound, but I'm looking forward to seeing how this set holds up during a full gamut of tests. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-samsungs-galaxy-s25-phones-oneplus-13-and-oura-ring-4-180039298.html?src=rss
