Technology

Core Viewpoint: Key advancements are being made in AI interpretability, depth estimation, visual reasoning, and telecommunications, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in these fields.

Advances in Explainable AI (XAI)

Researchers are working to improve the transparency of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in computer vision using Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). Archetypal-SAE (A-SAE) and RA-SAE are proposed to enhance stability and consistency in concept extraction, addressing the instability issues of Sparse Autoencoders (SAEs).

Improved Stereo Depth Estimation for Autonomous Driving

NVIDIA introduced Foundation Stereo, a foundation model designed for robust zero-shot stereo depth estimation, critical for autonomous driving and robotics. A large synthetic dataset and a self-curation pipeline, along with a side-tuning feature backbone, contribute to its strong generalization capabilities.

Enhanced Visual Reasoning in VLMs

Groundlight researchers are exploring reinforcement learning, specifically GRPO, to train Visual Language Models (VLMs) for complex visual reasoning tasks. A cryptogram-solving task demonstrates the approach's success, achieving 96% accuracy with a 3B parameter model.

Telecommunications

Core Viewpoint: Global telecommunications companies are actively transforming from traditional "dumb pipe" providers to technology-driven entities, embracing AI, advanced networks, and digital services.

Telecom's Transformation into "Techcos"

Telecommunications firms worldwide are investing in AI, 5G/6G networks, satellite internet, and smart city initiatives. KDDI is developing a smart city in Tokyo and deploying direct-to-cell satellite internet with Starlink. MTN is expanding into fintech, reflecting the industry-wide "techco" trend of adopting cutting-edge technology and offering digital services.

Technology

Core viewpoint: European tech companies are advocating for greater digital sovereignty and reduced reliance on foreign-owned digital infrastructure, signaling a potential shift in the region's tech landscape.

Call for EU Digital Sovereignty

Over 80 European tech companies, spanning cloud, telecoms, and defense, are urging EU lawmakers to take "radical action" to lessen dependence on foreign-owned digital infrastructure and services. They advocate for supporting homegrown alternatives with commercial potential, including apps, platforms, AI models, chips, computing, storage, and connectivity. The coalition calls for developing a "Eurostack" of sovereign digital infrastructure. This initiative follows concerns about the reliability of U.S.-owned tech infrastructure.

Technology

Core Viewpoint: AI is rapidly accelerating scientific discovery and transforming traditional research methodologies, while financial tech companies strategize for IPOs.

AI Accelerates Scientific Research

Google, in collaboration with Imperial College London and Imperial NHS, has developed a powerful AI tool built with Gemini 2.0 to accelerate scientific research. The AI replicated a team's 10-year research on antibiotic resistance in just two days. This highlights AI's potential to revolutionize research by quickly synthesizing evidence, analyzing possibilities, and proposing hypotheses. However, concerns remain about the reproducibility and potential for fraudulent research.

Finance

Core Viewpoint: Fintech companies are actively maneuvering in the public markets.

GCash Seeks Lower Public Float for IPO

The company behind the Philippines' top mobile wallet GCash is seeking a lower minimum public float of 10%-15% for its planned initial public offering (IPO).

Technology

Core Viewpoint: AI's rapid advancement brings both immense opportunities and challenges, driving innovation in various sectors, including national security, and raising concerns about algorithmic dominance.

AI Threat and Independent Thinking

A deeper threat comes from the rise of AI. Your every independent thought is a gentle resistance to algorithmic hegemony.

Baidu's New AI Model

Baidu introduced Ernie X1, a reasoning model that can support tools such as advanced search, generation of AI images, and webpage reading.

National Security

Core Viewpoint: The intersection of technology and national security is intensifying, with private sector investments playing a key role.

Silicon Valley Investment in Defense

The Central Intelligence Agency is among the investors in Kela, a firm where “techno-warriors” aim to sell directly to the Pentagon. This shows how Silicon Valley firms, including those with ties to intelligence agencies, are investing in Israeli startups to gain a stronger foothold in the U.S. defense market.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The rapid advancement of AI and the proliferation of connected devices bring both opportunities and significant risks, demanding proactive measures to mitigate potential harm and ensure responsible usage.

AI's Growing Capabilities and Unpreparedness

NYT columnist Kevin Roose warns that humanity may be unprepared for the advent of strong AI. AI's increasing capabilities, demonstrated by achievements like winning mathematics Olympiads and completing a significant portion (95%) of coding tasks, raise concerns about our readiness for this technological revolution.

Surge in AI-Related Fraud

Reports indicate a dramatic 3000% increase in AI-related fraud, highlighting the growing misuse of the technology for malicious purposes.

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

Experts emphasize that AI should be viewed as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not a complete replacement. Understanding AI's limitations is crucial for maximizing its value in professional settings.

Supply Chain Attack Exposes Credentials

A supply chain attack targeting tj-actions/changed-files resulted in a corrupted version designed to steal credentials through a memory scraper. This incident impacted approximately 23,000 users.

Addressing "Zombie" IoT Devices

Consumer advocacy groups are pushing for the Connected Consumer Product End of Life Disclosure Act to combat the problem of unsupported "zombie" IoT devices. This legislation would mandate manufacturers to disclose the duration of technical support, security updates, and bug fixes for their connected products. ISPs would also be required to remove end-of-life devices they provided.

Technology

Core Viewpoint: Significant strides are being made in space exploration and the intersection of traditional streaming services and YouTube content creation, highlighting the commercialization of space and evolving media consumption.

Firefly Aerospace's Lunar Lander Concludes Mission

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully concluded its mission after a soft landing on the moon. The lander sent a final message, expressing gratitude for the journey. During its time on the moon, it studied lunar regolith, tested new technologies, and conducted scientific experiments. This marks the first commercial lander to achieve a soft moon landing on its first attempt and contributes to preparing for future NASA exploration and a long-term human presence on the moon.

Streaming Platforms Eye YouTube Talent

Netflix and other streaming platforms are increasing efforts to sign YouTubers, potentially leading to significant deals for channels like Dude Perfect and Mark Rober. This is driven by the success of MrBeast's Beast Games on Amazon. While MrBeast seeks over $150 million per season for renewal, Netflix has approached Rober and Dude Perfect. Netflix's restrictions on sales promotions have caused sticking points in negotiations, making Amazon's business model potentially more attractive for some creators.

Real Estate

Core Viewpoint: The existences of extreme outliers demonstrate societal or systemic issues related to property and development

"Most Brazen Nail House"

An unspecified event occurred involving what is being labeled the "most brazen nail house." Further details about this situation were not provided.

Technology

Core Viewpoint: While AI is rapidly advancing and reshaping various sectors, concerns around accuracy and efficiency need to be addressed for wider adoption and trust.

New Scaling Law for LLM Training

A Google team discovered a new Scaling Law! The new method, DiLoCo, has been proven better, faster, and stronger for training increasingly large LLMs across multiple data centers.

High Error Rate in AI Search Tools

AI search tools are gaining popularity in the US, with nearly a quarter of people abandoning traditional search engines. However, a recent study reveals a concerning 60% error rate when these tools cite news sources. This highlights a significant challenge in ensuring the reliability and trustworthiness of information provided by AI.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The technology landscape is rapidly evolving, impacting everything from internet infrastructure and climate change to user experience and software development. Key areas of focus include AI's ethical and practical implications, decentralized internet solutions, and continuous improvement in software and hardware development.

AI's Impact on Climate and Misinformation

AI's development is raising concerns about its potential to hinder climate change progress. A report highlights how AI-generated misinformation, like a fabricated image bolstering false claims about offshore wind causing whale deaths, can be used by fossil fuel interests. The article also points out AI's significant carbon emissions and its use in enhancing fossil fuel extraction.

AI-Driven QA and Malware Detection

New research introduces Adaptive-RAG, a framework for retrieval-augmented Large Language Models (LLMs) that dynamically selects the best strategy for answering queries based on their complexity. This improves efficiency and accuracy in open-domain question answering. Another study showcases a malware detection system achieving 99.99% accuracy using machine learning, particularly the XGBoost classifier.

Risks of AI in Content Design

Using AI, like ChatGPT, for content design can create problems if there is a lack of checks, systems and governance. It can lead to generic content that weakens brand identity and inconsistent use that erodes user trust. Clear guidance and a defined brand voice are essential to prevent forgettable content and inconsistent user experiences.

Decentralized Internet as a Solution to Centralization

The modern internet's centralization, controlled by corporations and governments, creates vulnerabilities. Blockchain-powered decentralized internet is emerging as an alternative, addressing single points of failure and enabling freedom of information.

BEAD Program Director Exit and Warning

Evan Feinman, director of the $42.5 billion BEAD Programme, left his role after not being reappointed. Feinman warned against proposed changes favoring slower, more expensive internet options (like Starlink satellite internet) that might benefit Elon Musk at the expense of better internet access for rural communities.

Intel's Challenges and Future

Intel faces challenges, including server chip delays, PC market competition, a weak AI chip presence, and foundry business losses. A turnaround is considered incremental and risky, with past strategic missteps highlighted.

SwitchBot's New Matter-Enabled Smart Hub

SwitchBot is developing a Matter-enabled smart hub, the SwitchBot Hub 3, with a display and physical controls. It's compatible with Apple TV and Spotify, offering various control buttons and voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant.

Implementing Auth0 Authentication with Expo Router

A guide provides a step-by-step approach to implementing a robust authentication system for mobile applications using Auth0 authentication with Expo Router. It covers installation, configuration, and creating an authentication context.

Continuous Improvement with Kaizen

The importance of continuous improvement in startup teams is emphasized, drawing from Total Quality Management (TQM) principles. Weekly Kaizen meetings are highlighted as a tool for consistent feedback and addressing issues proactively.

User Seduction Through UX Design

An experienced UX designer explains how to create intuitive and efficient interfaces by understanding user psychology. Key strategies include simplifying interfaces and providing information on demand to make users feel valued.

HackerNoon Newsletter Highlights

The HackerNoon Newsletter (March 16, 2025) features stories on the Spacecoin Writing Contest, Real World Assets (RWAs) in DeFi, a framework for decluttering, challenges of natural language coding, gender bias in design, crypto trading strategies, an X outage, and mastering Swift Grand Central Dispatch.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The tech landscape is rapidly evolving, addressing user privacy, data security, and AI integration across various sectors, from smartphones and social media to national security and personal devices.

AI's Growing Role in Education (and Cheating)

A Wall Street Journal report highlights a concerning trend: high school students are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to cheat on assignments. Students cite reasons like boredom and difficulty with the material. Educators are skeptical, viewing AI's use in this context as problematic.

Enhanced Privacy and Security Features in Tech

Privacy-Focused Smartphone

BraX3, a modular smartphone running iodéOS (a de-Googled, open-source operating system), prioritizes user privacy.

Google Enhances Location Sharing

Google's Find My Device app is introducing a new location-sharing feature, allowing users to share their real-time location with trusted contacts, enhancing security for everyday check-ins and emergencies.

Bluesky Develops User Data Controls

Bluesky is developing a feature to give users more control over their privacy by allowing them to set preferences for how their public content can be reused by AI platforms. This initiative similar to robots.txt, helps to protect against unauthorized data scraping.

NordVPN offers Malware Protection

NordVPN offers privacy and security features including malware protection. There is a discount available for its 13th anniversary.

Potential TikTok Deal and National Security

The U.S. Vice President expressed confidence in a potential deal to sell TikTok and address national security concerns, possibly creating a distinct American TikTok enterprise, with Oracle as a likely partner. However, concerns remain about the Chinese government's potential access to U.S. user data.

The Evolving E-Reader Landscape

Amazon's control over e-books is being challenged by alternatives like the Kobo Clara Colour, with the author criticizing Amazon's restrictive licensing model, where users don't truly own their Kindle books.

Apple's Upcoming iPhone 17 Air

Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone 17 Air this fall, a slimmer version of the standard model, and engineers had to develop a thinner battery and almost produced a port-free design.

Film & Entertainment

Core viewpoint: Filmmakers are exploring the intersection of technology and deeply personal human experiences, such as grief and mortality.

Cronenberg's "The Shrouds" Explores Grief and Technology

David Cronenberg's new film, "The Shrouds," explores themes of death, grief, and technology, depicting a tech entrepreneur who uses software to watch his dead wife's body decay. The film, starring Vincent Kassel and Diane Kruger, delves into personal grief within a dystopian setting. The film had its premiere in Cannes 2024.

Technology

Core Viewpoint: Major tech companies face scrutiny over AI ethics and handling of whistleblower criticisms, leading to public backlash and unintended consequences.

Google's AI Model Removes Watermarks

Users discovered that Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model can remove watermarks from images, including those from Getty Images. The model lacks sufficient guardrails, raising concerns from copyright holders, especially since models like Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4o refuse to remove watermarks. The tool is free to use and is capable of creating images of celebrities and copyrighted characters, and can even repair areas of the photo where the watermark was removed.

Meta Whistleblower's Book Becomes Bestseller

Former Meta employee Sarah Wynn-Williams's book, alleging troubling aspects of working at Facebook, has topped Amazon's bestseller list. This surge in popularity happened despite(and perhaps because of) Meta's attempts to block its promotion, claiming Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance. Macmillan, the book's publisher stands by the author. The memoir describes a 'diabolical cult' and discusses Facebook's interactions with various governments.

Meta's Legal Action Against Ex-Employee's Memoir

Meta won a temporary legal victory, preventing former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her memoir, “Careless People,” citing potential violation of non-disparagement agreements. Despite this, the book's sales soared, reaching number three on Amazon, likely boosted by the Streisand Effect. The book provides an inside look at the company, notably about Facebook's handling of various governments.

Technology News

Roblox Expands Features for Older Audiences

Roblox, boasting over 65 million daily active users as of September 2023, is pivoting its focus to cater to older demographics. The platform will allow developers to create experiences exclusively for users aged 17 and over. Furthermore, Roblox is introducing video chat features and exploring options to become a social space for adults to meet and date. To enhance user experience, the company is heavily investing in generative AI tools, including the rollout of the Roblox Assistant AI chatbot aimed at simplifying the creation process for developers. Additionally, Roblox's expansion now includes availability on PlayStation.

Amazon to Discontinue 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' Feature

Amazon has announced that it will discontinue the Alexa feature 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' on Echo devices starting March 28, 2025. This change is part of the broader enhancement of Alexa's capabilities through generative AI. Users currently utilizing the feature will also lose access to Voice ID. Following this adjustment, all voice requests will be actively sent to Amazon's cloud for processing, though the company assures that such requests are encrypted during transmission. Nevertheless, users have expressed concerns about how their data will be managed once it reaches Amazon's servers. This development coincides with the introduction of Alexa+, a new subscription service focusing on AI enhancements.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The tech industry is seeing advancements in AI model efficiency, normalization alternatives, hard drive technology and smartphone design, signaling a trend towards improved performance and streamlined design.

AI Model Efficiency

Researchers from Cohere introduced CommandA, a high-performance AI model for enterprise applications. It operates on just two GPUs while maintaining competitive performance, featuring 111 billion parameters and a 256K context length. This development aims to balance AI performance with computational efficiency, especially for smaller enterprises. AI continues evolving from statistical prediction to structured problem-solving, as highlighted by VentureBeat's analysis.

Normalization Alternatives in Transformers

Researchers from FAIR, Meta, NYU, MIT, and Princeton propose Dynamic Tanh (DyT) as a simplified alternative to normalization layers in Transformers. DyT functions as an element-wise function, improving optimization and training efficiency without requiring activation statistics.

Seagate's HAMR HDD Sales

Seagate recently sold one exabyte's worth of HAMR HDDs to two of the world's largest tech companies.

iPhone 17 Air Design and Features

The upcoming iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a 6.6-inch display with ProMotion technology and a slim design, potentially 5.65mm thick. Leaked dummy units suggest this slim profile. It will include a Camera Control button, eSIM approach, Apple's C1 modem (lacking mmWave 5G support), and a single 48-megapixel rear camera. The price is expected to be around $900. Other brands, like Samsung and Tecno, are also reported to be developing ultra-slim phones.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The tech industry is experiencing rapid advancements across multiple sectors, from cybersecurity and AI to GPU development and smartphone design. However, the adoption of decentralized principles remains a challenge in some areas.

AI-Driven Cyber Threats

Cybersecurity costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually, driven by a 442% surge in social engineering attacks using generative AI. AI-generated phishing emails have a significantly higher click rate (54%) compared to human-written ones (12%), highlighting the need for increased user awareness.

Local RAG System Development

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) enhances Large Language Models (LLMs). Rlama allows building fully local, offline RAG systems, ensuring data privacy. It streamlines document ingestion, embedding generation, and storage using a hybrid vector store.

New GPU Architecture

Bolt Graphics introduces its Zeus GPU platform, claiming 10x performance over Nvidia's RTX 5090 in path tracing workloads. However, the advantage is specific to path tracing and FP64 compute. Zeus utilizes the open-source RISC-V ISA and a multi-chiplet design.

Thinnest iPhone Rumored

Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be its thinnest iPhone ever. Apple considered removing the USB-C port but shelved the idea due to potential EU regulatory issues. The phone is expected to be priced around $900.

Web3's Identity Crisis

Many "Web3" companies operate with traditional hierarchies and centralized decision-making, despite promoting decentralization. Token-based governance often lacks true decentralization, with major decisions made by a small group. This highlights a significant disconnect between Web3's ideals and its practical implementation in many corporate environments.

Technology

Core viewpoint: Major advancements are occurring across AI, mobile hardware, and display technologies, highlighting a rapid pace of innovation and competition within the tech sector.

AI Model Advancements

Baidu has launched Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1, its latest foundational and reasoning AI models, respectively. Ernie X1 is claimed to offer performance comparable to DeepSeek R1 at half the price, while Ernie 4.5 demonstrates improved contextual understanding, including memes and satire. Both models feature multimodal capabilities, processing video, images, audio, and text. Baidu plans to release Ernie 5, its next-generation model, with further multimodal enhancements later this year, showing that despite facing adoption challenges, Baidu is rapidly trying to develop better versions.

Open Source Python Compiler

The open-source Python compiler Codon has transitioned to the Apache 2 license. Codon addresses Python's performance limitations by compiling code into efficient, executable binaries. Recent updates include successful compiles, a compiled NumPy version, and the new license, which allows for commercial use and derivation without licensing fees.

Pixel 9a Performance Tease

The upcoming Pixel 9a is anticipated to share similar internal specifications with the Pixel 9, although performance differences may exist.

Quantum Dot Technology Explained

Quantum dot technology enhances color volume in both LCD and OLED TVs. In LCD TVs, quantum dots help achieve purer white light, expanding the color gamut. In QD-OLED TVs, they function at the pixel level, enabling additive color mixing and removing the need for color filters. The piece clarifies that while beneficial, quantum dots are not strictly necessary for wide color gamuts, as WRGB OLED TVs can achieve this without them. Upgrading to a quantum dot or OLED TV is recommended for optimal viewing of HDR content.

Technology

Core viewpoint: Major tech players are advancing hardware and cybersecurity, with a strong focus on AI integration and evolving device designs, while also addressing emerging threats.

New Apple Studio Display Models in Development

Rumors suggest Apple is developing two new Studio Display models, potentially updating the existing 27-inch Studio Display and the Pro Display XDR. Apple might release one or both models, potentially with different screen sizes or specifications. The current Studio Display is three years old, and the Pro Display XDR is six.

iPhone 17 Design Leaks

Leaked dummy models of the iPhone 17 suggest a design with a phone-spanning camera bump (excluding the standard model). The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be a thinner, 6.6-inch phone, featuring slim bezels, a Dynamic Island, and a Camera Control button. It may also have a 120Hz ProMotion display, an A19 chip, and a price around $900.

Nvidia's Increasing AI Investments

Nvidia has significantly increased its investments in AI startups since the rise of ChatGPT. They participated in 49 funding rounds in 2024, aiming to expand the AI ecosystem by backing potential "gamechangers and market makers." Nvidia has invested in prominent startups like OpenAI, xAI, and Inflection.

Cybersecurity

Core viewpoint: Cybersecurity remains a top priority with rising threats demanding urgent action and collaborative defenses.

Medusa Ransomware Alert

A joint alert from CISA, the FBI, and the MS-ISAC warns of the Medusa ransomware-as-a-service variant. Medusa has impacted over 300 victims in critical infrastructure sectors. The advisory discourages paying ransoms and recommends implementing strong security measures. The ransomware involves third-party affiliates and double extortion tactics.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The tech industry is rapidly evolving, impacting everything from personal devices and software to cloud infrastructure and creative processes, driven by AI and user-centric design.

AI-Powered Calorie Counting App Success

CalAI, a calorie-counting app developed by two 18-year-olds, has achieved over 5 million downloads in eight months, with over 30% customer retention and over $2 million in revenue last month. The app uses AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI, along with RAG and open-source databases, to achieve 90% accuracy in calorie counting from food photos.

AI's Impact on Creativity

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence in the tech industry is raising concerns about its potential impact on human creativity.

Cloud Infrastructure Shift

Newfold Digital, the parent company of Bluehost and HostGator, is migrating to Oracle Cloud, potentially impacting thousands of websites.

Voice Assistant Home Safety Knowledge

Voice assistants like Alexa and Siri can answer questions about home safety, including fire alarms, door security, and local laws.

Best Alexa Speakers

A roundup of the best Alexa-enabled speakers, including both Amazon Echo devices and third-party options like the Sonos Era.

Recommended RAM for PCs

A guide to the best RAM options for building a new computer or upgrading an existing one.

Top 3-in-1 Wireless Chargers for Apple Devices

Recommendations for the best 3-in-1 wireless charging docks for iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods.

Apple's Potential Portless iPhone

Apple considered a completely portless iPhone 17 Air, relying solely on MagSafe and iCloud, but delayed the idea due to regulatory concerns, especially in the EU.

Samsung Galaxy Automation with Routines

Samsung Galaxy phones offer a Routines feature to automate tasks using triggers (time, location) and actions (settings, app launches), enhancing user convenience.

Technology

Core viewpoint: Recent developments highlight innovation across various tech sectors, from consumer gadgets and home robotics to advancements in nuclear fusion and virtual reality training.

Home Robotics and Security

Robotics company 1X recently unveiled its NEO Gamma robot, a humanoid designed for home use, featuring a soft, 3D-printed nylon fabric exterior. In related home tech, new budget-friendly video doorbells offer enhanced security options for consumers.

Gaming Mouse Innovation

The Angry Miao AM Infinity Mouse is a new, lightweight gaming mouse featuring a magnesium alloy shell, magnetic battery system for hot-swapping, and an 8,000Hz polling rate. Its unique design and high-performance specifications, including a PixArt PAW3950 optical sensor, make it a standout in the gaming peripheral market.

VR Training and Productivity Tools

The University of Cambridge has launched a free VR training platform to combat speech anxiety, utilizing exposure therapy principles. This initiative makes clinically validated training accessible via smartphones. Separately, Rain Design offers a range of elegant and sturdy stands for Apple devices, enhancing both aesthetics and ergonomics. The Rain Design stands compliment the Apple aesthetic while increasing functionality.

Energy

Core Viewpoint: Nuclear fusion represents a potential energy revolution, and a global race is on to achieve it.

The Race for Nuclear Fusion

China and the U.S. are competing to create the first grid-scale nuclear fusion energy. China is rapidly advancing by significantly increasing investment and accelerating project construction. Nuclear fusion offers a vastly more energy-dense fuel source than fission or fossil fuels, with minimal environmental impact. The potential market is estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2050, and private investment in U.S. fusion startups has surged.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The technology industry is rapidly evolving, with advancements in AI, mobile devices, user interfaces, and even unconventional peripherals, tempered by a focus on security and ethical considerations.

AI's Growing Impact and Challenges

Generative AI is transforming productivity by automating mundane tasks, but ethical concerns and inaccuracies ("hallucinations") necessitate human oversight. Keeping humans in the loop is crucial for successful AI deployment. Finance leaders, while recognizing the benefits, remain relatively cautious.

iPhone 17 Leaks and Apple's Future Plans

Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units suggest a redesign across all four models. Apple is reportedly planning slimmer models without charging ports, alongside major iOS and macOS redesigns. The company's AI strategy is a key discussion point. A separate, urgent security update (iOS 18.3.2) has been released by Apple to patch a vulnerability that may have been exploited.

Samsung's New Galaxy S25 Features

Samsung's One UI 7, based on Android 15, will introduce Now Bar and Now Brief for the Galaxy S25. Now Bar, similar to iPhone's Live Activities, provides real-time updates on the lock screen.

AI Combating Scams

AI is being used to combat scammers, creating a new front in the fight against online fraud.

Asus' Fragrance Mouse

Asus is developing a Fragrance Mouse with an essential oil compartment, potentially offering a stress-reducing experience.

Water Wave Manipulation

Researchers have developed a method to manipulate water and move floating objects using precisely generated waves. This has potential applications in molecular experiments and other fields.

Curated Recommendations

This week features several recommendations including music, movies such as "Black Bag", productivity tools like Duck.ai, YouTube yoga and games.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The technology sector is rapidly evolving, addressing efficiency and performance in various domains, from fundamental data structures and AI model training to consumer electronics and internet infrastructure.

AI's Temporal Reasoning Challenges

A study by Edinburgh University tested seven multimodal large language models (MLLMs), including GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The study revealed that these AI systems often struggle to accurately read analog clocks and comprehend calendars, highlighting limitations in visual and numerical reasoning related to time.

Faster and Efficient AI Model Training

New techniques improve the speed and memory efficiency of selective State Space Models (SSMs) on GPUs. Kernel fusion reduces memory I/O, while recomputation optimizes memory for the entire SSM block. For long sequences, the method uses chunking and fused scans. Another text outlines details regarding datasets and training procedure for HG38 pretraining task, which involves model types like Transformer++, HyenaDNA, and Mamba. Training included 10 epochs with specific batch size and steps. Also, details are given regarding the model sizes used for scaling laws of language models.

Practical AI Applications and Tool Selection

To avoid being overwhelmed by the constant influx of new AI tools, it's recommended to focus on practical AI applications. Identify specific challenges and test AI tools designed to solve them, keeping only those that save time or simplify tasks. Examples include using ChatGPT for creative ideas and Perplexity for market research.

Advancements in Data Structures

Researchers have demonstrated that searches within hash tables can be significantly faster than previously believed.

Home Internet Broadband: Fiber vs. Cable

A comparison of fiber and cable for home internet broadband is provided to help consumers choose the best option for their needs.

Enhanced iPhone Call Quality

A hidden iPhone feature can enhance call quality. Instructions are provided on how to locate and utilize this setting.

Power-Efficient Display Technology

The EIZO FlexScan FLT display is highlighted for its exceptionally low power consumption, using less energy than a typical electric bulb.

Improved TV Display Technology

Sony's new RGB backlight technology is presented as a potential improvement for TV displays, offering better and brighter color reproduction.

NVIDIA's AI Chip Growth

Chips slated to drive growth are to be unveiled. This next leap in AI chip progress depends on whether or not Big Tech keeps the spending spigot on.

General Tech News

Core Viewpoint: HackerNoon's Techbeat covers a wide array of technology topics, indicating growing interest in blockchain applications, AI development, and practical tech solutions.

HackerNoon's Techbeat Highlights

HackerNoon's Techbeat features trending stories, including the Spacecoin Writing Contest (15,000 USDT prize), Session messaging app's SESH token launch, and Real World Assets (RWAs) potential in DeFi. Other articles discuss an AI movie recommender, an X outage analysis, UX/UI design lessons, a Web3 gaming collaboration, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI, and a decluttering framework.

Technology

Core viewpoint: The technology sector is witnessing significant advancements, from quantum computing breakthroughs to enticing software and cloud storage deals, all enhancing user productivity and data management.

Quantum Computing Advance

Chetan Nayak recently achieved a breakthrough in his career-long pursuit of a new type of supercomputer.

iScanner Lifetime Subscription Deal

iScanner offers a lifetime subscription for $24.99 (code SCAN, until March 30), transforming iPhones/iPads into AI-powered scanning machines. It handles document scanning, receipt saving, and contract digitization, and even solves math problems and deciphers text in up to 20 languages using OCR technology. It functions also as PDF editor and file manager.

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 Lifetime License

A lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is available for $54.97 (until March 30). This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Teams, OneNote, and Publisher, offering a budget-friendly, offline alternative to the Microsoft 365 subscription.

FileJump Cloud Storage Offer

FileJump is offering a lifetime subscription to 2TB of cloud storage for a one-time payment of $89. Features include drag-and-drop interface, 256-bit AES encryption, preview support, and easy file/folder sharing.

FolderFort Cloud Storage Promotion

FolderFort offers a lifetime subscription to its 2TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan for $109.97 (code SECURE2TB, until March 30). It provides ample storage, cross-platform accessibility, 99.99% uptime, and BackBlaze encryption.