Apple’s long-awaited Universal Control feature is finally here, and after spending some time with it, I have to say: It’s exactly what Apple promised. Now available as part of the macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 developer betas, the feature creates the bridge between Macs and iPads that many have been waiting for…
Windows 11 has been available to install since last October, and its first major update is already on the way. But Microsoft also released another OS, Windows 11 SE, which looks like Windows 11 and shares some common features, but there are also a slew of differences that separate Windows 11 SE laptops from their full…
After investing $4.5 billion in India’s largest carrier Jio, Google is now putting up to $1 billion in Airtel, the second largest mobile operator, Airtel announced. The partnership is focusing on “affordable access to smartphones” and is part of Google’s promised $10 billion investment in the country. “Our commercial and equity investment in Airtel is a continuation of our Google for India Digitization Fund’s efforts to increase access to smartphones,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement.
The deal includes a $700 million investment to acquire a 1.28 percent ownership in Airtel, with another $300 million earmarked for potential commercial agreements. Specifically, Airtel and Google will work to expand on Airtel’s Android device lineup via “innovative affordability programs.” The companies didn’t specify what those programs would entail, however.
Airtel also said that it would look at “larger strategic goals” with Google around 5G network standards, cloud ecosystems and more. “With our future ready network, digital platforms, last mile distribution and payments ecosystem, we look forward to working closely with Google to increase the depth and breadth of India’s digital ecosystem,” said Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal.
Google previously collaborated with Jio on the low-cost $87 JioPhone Next smartphone that went on sale on November 4th price following a delay due to the global chip shortage. Jio has also received investment from Facebook and other companies.
With a huge number of potential internet users, Alphabet, Facebook parent Meta and others have looked to India to boost growth. Both tech giants have worked to bring internet connectivity to India, Alphabet with Project Loon and Meta via Free Basics, which was later banned in India.
The “Late Night” host had an “appropriate” celebration for replacing retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
Guerilla Games has shared some short video clips of Horizon Forbidden West gameplay captured on a PS4 Pro. Unfortunately, the developer didn’t include lengthy trailers or teaser videos — and gameplay footage captured on a standard PS4 — with its post on the PlayStation blog. But this is at least some form of assurance from Guerilla that the game works on a previous-gen console a couple of weeks before it’s released.
Some gamers may have become wary of titles made for the PS5 and released for older consoles after what happened to Cyberpunk 2077. The CD Projekt Red game was plagued with glitches and graphical issues, among other problems, when played on a PS4. Things had gotten so bad, Sony had to pull the PS4 version from its digital store and offer refunds for those who’d purchased it.
The GIFs Guerilla shared show Aloy in different situations, such as walking across a village and quickly running around while shooting arrows at her enemies. In the latter, the animation looked smooth despite the explosions and the character’s quick movements — hopefully, that’s true for the entire game when played on a previous-gen console. Sony reportedly had to cut its production forecast for the PS5, after all, and it’s still not easy finding one for purchase. Horizon Forbidden West will be available for the PS5 and the PS4 starting on February 18th.
Horizon Forbidden West PS4 Pro gameplay showcases
Guerrilla’s vibrant world.Aloy’s adventure continues on PS5 & PS4 February 18: https://t.co/erzj0Pkmgfpic.twitter.com/UOloxnY7aZ
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 27, 2022
The former zookeeper was sentenced to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill animal welfare activist Carole Baskin.
DeWalt has recalled its 18-inch corded chainsaws because they can continue running even after being switched off, according to an announcement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Fitness trackers and smartwatches can help keep you honest as you try to get more active and healthier in the new year. If you or someone you live is looking for a new one, Fitbit’s latest sale has discounted a bunch of its latest wearables. Key among them is the Charge 5 fitness tracker, which is $60 off and down to a new record low of $120. The Versa 2 and Sense smartwatches are also on sale for $130 and $200, respectively.
Buy Fitbit Charge 5 at Amazon – $120Buy Fitbit Versa 2 at Amazon – $130Buy Fitbit Sense at Amazon – $200
Maybe you’re not totally on the smartwatch bandwagon but want a wearable to track things like heart rate, steps, workouts and more. Fitbit’s Charge 5 might do the trick since it’s a band-style tracker and not a full-fledged smartwatch. It has a fairly low-profile design and a full-color touchscreen that supports always-on mode. Arguably more importantly, it has a bunch of sensors inside to track all-day heart rate, movement and stress.
It also has a built-in GPS, which means it’ll map your outdoor runs and bike rides without the help of your smartphone. And with Fitbit Pay support, you could leave your phone at home while you go for a run and pay for a coffee on your way home without having your wallet on hand.
There are a few downsides, though, like the lack of music controls and the fact that Fitbit devices still don’t integrate with Apple Health or Google Fit. However, the Charge 5 still packs a lot of value and does so even at its normal $180 price.
If you’re ready to embrace the smartwatch life, or want to replace an aging wearable, Fitbit’s Versa 2 or the Sense would make good options. We’d recommend the Sense over the Versa 2 purely because the latter is about a year older than the former. Also, the Sense is the most powerful smartwatch that Fitbit makes, so you’ll get things like a built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, stress tracking with the EDA Scan app, an ECG monitoring app, onboard music storage, Fitbit Pay, Alexa and Google Assistant voice command support and more.
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A robot has successfully performed “keyhole” intestinal surgery on pigs without any aid from humans, according to a study from John Hopkins University (published in Science Robotics). What’s more, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) handled the tricky procedure “significantly better” than human doctors. The breakthrough marks a significant step towards automated surgery that could one day help “democratize” patient care, the researchers said.
Laparoscopic or keyhole surgery requires surgeons to manipulate and stitch intestines and other organs through tiny incisions, a technique that requires high levels of skill and has little margin for error. The team chose to do “intestinal anastomosis” (joining two ends of an intestine), a particularly challenging keyhole procedure.
Soft tissue surgery in general is hard for robots due to the unpredictability. To deal with that, the STAR robot was equipped with specialized suturing tools and state-of-the-art imaging systems that could deliver extremely accurate visualizations.
Specifically, it had a “structural light–based three-dimensional endoscope and machine learning–based tracking algorithm” to guide the robots. “We believe an advanced three-dimensional machine vision system is essential in making intelligent surgical robots smarter and safer,” said John Hopkins professor Jin Kang. On top of that, STAR is the first robotic system that can “plan, adapt and execute a surgical plan in soft tissue with minimal human intervention,” said first author Hamed Saeidi. Using all that technology, the STAR robot successfully performed the procedure in four animals
Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive compared to regular surgery, which helps ensure better patient outcomes. However, because it takes so long to master, there’s a relatively small pool of doctors able to do it.
“Robotic anastomosis is one way to ensure that surgical tasks that require high precision and repeatability can be performed with more accuracy and precision in every patient independent of surgeon skill,” said senior author Axel Krieger from John Hopkins. “We hypothesize that this will result in a democratized surgical approach to patient care with more predictable and consistent patient outcomes.”
“These people act like Biden is just going to show up to the mall and be like, “yo, Shaniqua, come with me,'” said “The Daily Show” host.
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