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After three years, Apple has finally unveiled its next entry-level iPhone. The iPhone 16e takes over for the iPhone SE in the company's lineup. It borrows the blueprint of the iPhone 14 and spices it up with (among other changes) an updated processor that's ready for Apple Intelligence. At $599, it's the cheapest AI-equipped iPhone by $300. As leaks suggested, the fourth-generation iPhone 16e resembles the iPhone 14, the company's 2023 standard (non-Pro) model. This is the first entry-level model to adopt the iPhones modern full-screen design. That means it's also the first with Face ID. At 6.1 inches, this is the biggest screen yet on an entry-level model. (The 2022 iPhone SE is only 4.7 inches.) But like Apple's 2017 to 2022 flagships, it has the notch at the top of the display, so youll still have to pay for a more expensive model to get Dynamic Island. Some external details differ from those of the iPhone 14. It has a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and like older iPhone SE models, it has only a single camera lens on the back. However, it's a 48MP "2-in-1" with integrated 2x zoom capabilities, which is quite an upgrade over the last SE. Apple It also gets the Action button, the customizable physical shortcut button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. On the other hand, it lacks the MagSafe charging found on Apple's more expensive handsets: It only supports Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W. That aligns with the iPhone SE it replaces, but it could still be a big drawback for some buyers. One of the biggest differences is inside, where you'll find the A18 chip the same one powering the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. In addition to fast and smooth performance, the A18 enables Apple Intelligence, which the company recently began activating by default during onboarding. (You can still turn it off in Settings.) You get Apple's generative AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, ChatGPT integration and the recently tweaked notification summaries all in a sub-$600 iPhone. Not bad if you're into those things. The new iPhone SE comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage tiers. You can order it in black and white finishes. At $599, the 2025 iPhone SE is priced comparably to Google's $499 Pixel 8a and Samsung's $400 Galaxy A35 for those wanting flagship-esque features in a more affordable handset. You can pre-order the new iPhone SE starting on February 21 at 8AM ET, ahead of its February 28 ship date. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-16e-gives-you-apple-intelligence-for-599-161435332.html?src=rss
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World models AI algorithms capable of generating simulated environments represent one forefront of machine learning. Today, Microsoft published new research in the journal Nature detailing Muse, a model capable of generating game visuals and controller inputs. Unexpectedly, it was born out of a training set Microsoft built from Bleeding Edge. If, like me, you had completely erased that game from your memory (or never knew it existed in the first place), Bleeding Edge is a 4 vs. 4 brawler developed by Ninja Theory, the studio better known for its work on the Hellblade series. Ninja Theory stopped updating Bleeding Edge less than a year after release, but Microsoft included a clause in the games EULA that gave it permission to record games people played online. So if you were one of the few people who played Bleeding Edge, congratulations, I guess: you helped the company make something out of a commercial flop. So what's Muse good for anyway? Say a game designer at Blizzard wants to test an idea for a new hero in Overwatch 2. Rather than recruiting a team of programmers and artists to create code and assets that the studio may eventually scrap, they could instead use Muse to do the prototyping. Iteration is often the most time-consuming (and expensive) part of making a video game, so its easy to see why Microsoft would be interested in using AI to augment the process; it offers a way for the company to control runaway development costs. Thats because, according to Microsoft, Muse excels at a capability of world models the company calls persistency. "Persistency refers to a models ability to incorporate (or 'persist') user modifications into generated gameplay sequences, such as a character that is copy-pasted into a game visual," says Katya Hofmann, senior principal research manager at Microsoft Research. Put another way, Muse can quickly adapt to new gameplay elements as theyre introduced in real-time. In one of the examples Microsoft shared, you can see the "player" character immediately react as two power-ups are introduced next to them. The model seemingly knows that the pickups are valuable and something players would go out of their way to obtain. So the simulation reflects that, in the process creating a convincing facsimile of a real Bleeding Edge match. According to Fatima Kardar, corporate vice president of gaming AI at Microsoft, the company is already using Muse to create a "real-time playable AI model trained on other first-party games," and exploring how the technology might help it bring old games stuck on aging hardware to new audiences. Microsoft says Muse is a "first-of-its-kind" generative AI model, but thats not quite right. World models arent new; in fact, Muse isnt even the first one trained on a Microsoft game. In October, the company Decart debuted Oasis, which is capable of generating Minecraft levels. What Muse does show is how quickly these models are evolving. That said, there's a long way for this technology to go, and Muse has some clear limitations. For one, the model generates visuals at a resolution of 300 x 180 pixels and about 10 frames per second. For now, the company is releasing Muse's weights and sample data, and a way for researchers to see what the system is capable of.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-trained-an-ai-model-on-a-game-no-one-played-160038242.html?src=rss
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Niantic, the company that developed the wildly popular augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go, is reportedly considering selling its video games and according to a source speaking to Bloomberg, the deal could be worth just $3.5 billion. The company raised additional funding at a $9 billion valuation back in 2021. Many people still play Pokémon Go, but the game no longer enjoys the same popularity it had during its launch and the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are around 80 million monthly users as numbers reported midway through last year, but that's a steep decline from the game's peak of 232 million active players. During those same heady days, Pokémon Go was generating close to a billion dollars annually; now it's bringing in about half of that. Pokémon Go was also a breakthrough success Niantic was unable to replicate, despite its follow-ups being essentially reskins of the same AR experience. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite lasted around three years, while NBA All World survived only five months. Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are still around, but have never been the cash cows of their older sibling. The company also raised funding in 2021 on the promise of creating a real-world metaverse, which has yet to materialize. Niantic also has not been immune to the broad layoffs affecting the games industry. It dumped eight percent of its workforce and canceled four projects back in 2022. The following year, it laid off another 230 employees and killed a Marvel-related project. The reported party Niantic is considering selling its games division to is Scopely, which is owned by Savvy Games Group. Savvy Games Group is part of Saudi Arabias government-linked Public Investment Fund, which has stakes in EA, Activision, Nintendo and more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/pokemon-go-developer-niantic-may-sell-its-games-division-for-a-mere-35-billion-160027485.html?src=rss
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Eero has today announced Wi-Fi 7 equipped versions of its eponymous mesh routers, the Eero 7 and Eero 7 Pro. The Amazon-owned company is selling both products on the back of Wi-Fi 7s promised improvements in speed compared to its existing fare. The advent of both products is hardly a surprise as, last year, Eero launched both the Max 7 and Outdoor 7. Max 7 is the companys flagship standalone router / repeater duo equipped with beefy ethernet ports, while the latter is designed to push internet for distances up to 15,000 square feet. Eero First up, the Eero 7 is a dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) system that promises a maximum wireless top speed of 1.8 Gbps and up to 2.3 Gbps through its pair of 2.5 Gb ethernet ports. All of that is crammed into the same small package Eeros mesh units have become famous for, easily able to blend in to your homes decor. Naturally, the Eero 7 Pro is the more eye-catching of the pair, since itll harness all three bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz) available for Wi-Fi 7. The company promises a theoretical top wireless speed of 3.9 Gbps and, when hooked up to one of its two 5 Gb ethernet ports, will get 4.7 Gbps when wired. Eero Previous Eero Pro units stood in the same chassis as its vanilla siblings, but the 7 Pro is getting the same body as found on its Max 7. Eero says that the bigger, cylindrical passive thermal design offers quieter operation and far less risk of dust build up compared to its predecessors. Both the Eero 7 and 7 Pro promise a range of 2,000 square feet per node, and will be sold in single, two or three-packs at retail. The company does remind users, however, that you can tie on additional nodes depending on your needs and the size of your home. A big part of Eeros pitch has been to ensure setting up a mesh in your home is as easy and stress free as it possibly can. That incudes a suite of software technologies to keep everything running smoothly, getting your data routed to the most efficient node at all times. Users who pay for Eero Plus will also get additional online security features and parental controls, plus access to 1Password, Malwarebytes and Guardian VPN. All of the units will also connect to your smart home gear if it uses Matter, Thread or Zigbee, and will get the usual Amazon and Alexa integrations. If youre familiar with our mesh Wi-Fi buyers guide, youll know Wi-Fi 7 is a less exciting upgrade than Wi-Fi 6E. The current standard offers a more robust experience and can take advantage of the 6GHz band to cut the volume of wireless clutter on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Wi-FI 7s headline feature is its ability to combine those bands together for a vastly increased maximum speed and far more connections. Which is great if youre in dire need of pushing an 8K movie from one device to another in a matter of seconds. Until now, Wi-Fi 7 gear was still prohibitively expensive, although the fact Eero is joining the fray suggests prices will start falling in the near future. Certainly, Eero can boast that it is selling the cheapest Wi-Fi 7 gear on the market in the US, with the Eero 7 available for $170, $280 (two-pack) or $350 (three-pack). The 7 Pro, on the other hand, will set you back $300, $550 (two-pack) or $700 (three-pack), which still makes it one of the cheapest tri-band Wi-Fi 7 products on the market. Both products are available to pre-order today, with the first deliveries beginning on February 26. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/eero-launches-its-wi-fi-7-mesh-routers-160018656.html?src=rss
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Microsoft has introduced Majorana 1, a chip for quantum computing, which it said will enable computers to solve incredibly difficult industrial-scale problems in mere years instead of the decades current machines need. The company explained that Majorana 1 is the first quantum computing chip that uses a Topological Core architecture. Specifically, it uses a new type of material called a topoconductor or a topological superconductor that can create Majoranas a state of matter that's not a solid, a liquid or a gas. Majoranas were first predicted in the 1930s, but they do not exist in nature: They need to be brought into existence with the right materials under the right conditions. Microsoft's topoconductor wire, which the company built atom by atom for precision, combines indium arsenide with aluminum. When a topoconductor wire is cooled to near absolute zero and tuned with magnetic fields, it forms Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs) at its ends. Majorana qubits are more stable than current alternatives, Microsoft explained. They're fast, small and can be digitally controlled, and they have unique properties that can protect quantum information. Since the company's chip architecture joins topoconductor nanowires together to form an "H," each unit has four controllable Majoranas that make up one qubit, the basic unit in quantum computing. The H units can be connected, and Microsoft has already managed to put eight of them on a single chip. As you can see in the image above, the chip can fit in one's hand and can be easily deployed to data centers. Microsoft designed the chip to be able to fit one million qubits, because that's the threshold anybody developing quantum computers has to reach for their creation to be able to truly make a difference in the world. A million-qubit machine could lead to self-healing materials that can repair cracks in planes, Microsoft said, or to catalysts that can break down all types of plastic pollutants into valuable byproducts. It could also allow scientists to perform computations for the extraction of enzymes that can boost soil fertility or promote sustainable growth of food for the sake of ending world hunger. Microsoft's Majorana 1 requires more parts than just the topoconductor to work, and the company needs more years to get all the elements to work together at a bigger scale. Figuring out how to stack the topoconductor's materials just right was one of its biggest challenges, however, and Microsoft had already conquered that. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsofts-majorana-1-quantum-computing-chip-uses-a-new-kind-of-superconductor-160009056.html?src=rss
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