Hasta La Gadget!

It took several months, but Slack’s “canvas” collaboration feature is finally rolling out across its apps. Effectively, it’s a way to organize and access all the resources that would normally be scattered across a chat channel. You can store apps, files, links, people, raw text and even in-app functions like service requests. It can help you track must-do items, share handy tools or even serve as an FAQ for newcomers.

You can bring canvases into huddle audio and video chats to discuss them with colleagues. Much like a cloud document app, you can add comments, see the change history and limit sharing to specific people. This isn’t a full-fledged creative tool like Google Docs, as Slack tellsThe Verge, but it can help you coordinate more quickly than you would through separate apps.

This is, to some extent, an improvement on the bookmarks and pins that Slack currently offers to help you find vital documents and notes. Those features will remain for now, but it won’t be surprising if canvases become the dominant (if not exclusive) way to share resources in a given channel.

Canvases promise to be more convenient, but they might also give Slack a competitive edge. The more likely you are to stay in Slack while sharing documents and performing tasks, the less temptation there is to use competing apps. This might be the decisive factor if you’re weighing the merits of Slack versus rivals like Microsoft Teams.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/slack-rolls-out-its-canvas-for-sharing-content-with-your-team-133033749.html?src=rss

When Valve released the Steam Deck last year, it completely reinvigorated the market for handheld gaming PCs. In just the last six months we’ve seen a fresh wave of rivals like the GPD Win 4 and the Ayaneo 2. But now it’s ASUS’ turn with the ROG Ally and thanks to potent specs, a speedy screen and a slick design, we might be looking at the most powerful PC gaming handheld yet.

Now before we get in too deep, it’s important to mention that ASUS hasn’t provided official pricing or availability for ROG Ally’s just yet, and we’re still waiting for clarity regarding some of its more detailed specs. That’s expected to happen on May 11th at its official launch. But from what I’ve gotten a chance to play around with so far, there’s a lot to get excited about.

Perhaps the most tantalizing thing about the Ally is its components. Not only does it feature a new Ryzen Z1 chip – which is a customized Zen 4/RDNA 3 APU designed specifically for handheld gaming PCs – it also has a 7-inch 1080p screen with 500 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. That alone represents some very premium upgrades compared to the Steam Deck. And with ASUS claiming that the ROG Ally is between 50 and 100 percent more powerful than Valve’s portable (depending on the power settings), it might have the performance necessary to make that screen really shine. With ASUS rounding out the ROG Ally’s kit with up to 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a microSD card slot, there’s very little to complain about in terms of hardware.

Then there’s the screen, which might be the best looking display in this category. Colors were bright and rich and didn’t look washed out on any game I played, which sometimes happens on the Steam Deck. And even though the panel is the same size as what you get on Valve’s machine, the added resolution and that 120Hz refresh rate made games look both sharper and more fluid.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another notable difference is that unlike the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally runs Windows 11 which ASUS says was a deliberate move to make sure gamers could play all their favorite titles from any of the major stores (Steam, Epic Game Store, Battle.net, etc.). On top of that, ASUS added a few thoughtful software tweaks including a customized version of its Armoury Crate app along with a helpful button for quickly toggling between hardware settings for stuff like power draw, performance modes and more. And even on the preview devices I used, ASUS’ software felt more responsive than similar apps on competitors like the Ayaneo 2.

As for its design, while ASUS isn’t really innovating a ton compared to other devices in the category, there are a number of small touches I appreciate. You get a familiar assortment of shoulder and face buttons, with two macro buttons in back (one on each side). At 608 grams, the Ally is a bit lighter than the Steam Deck (669 grams) and it’s significantly thinner and less bulky too. It doesn’t have big beefy grips like some rivals, but ASUS says the angled contours on the side were designed specifically to make the device sit in your hand just right when you’re resting your arms on a desk or table. My favorite nod toward general usability are the Ally’s quiet fans. I noticed that while the system can get a bit toasty under load, even then it never got close to sounding like my Steam Deck, which emits a small whine pretty much anytime the fans are spinning.

For those who want even beefier performance, ASUS included an XG Mobile port so you can hook the ROG Ally up to one of the company’s portable GPU docks. Admittedly, I’m not sure I see the need to take a handheld PC and tether it to a big dock (even if it does provide better performance). And with the cheapest XG Mobile dock going for about $1000 (for an older 30-series card), it’s a pricey way to upgrade Ally’s performance. But for people who might already have one of ASUS’ Flow-series gaming laptops, it’s a nice bit of extra value.

All told, the only things you don’t really get on the Ally are built-in touchpads like on the Steam Deck or a second USB-C jack like on the Ayaneo 2. And while ASUS has opted for standard analog control sticks instead of ones based on more sophisticated magnetic hall effect sensors, the company teased that it may be possible to swap in third-party joysticks in the future.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Even though the ROG Ally naturally draws a lot of comparisons between it and the Steam Deck, I don’t think they’re actually direct competitors. That’s because while ASUS has yet to reveal official pricing, I’m expecting the Ally to cost at least $800, which is twice the price of a base Steam Deck. Instead, it seems like the Ally is a better version of the Ayaneo 2. Not only is it more powerful, its software feels more polished and with ASUS being a significantly larger company I’m hoping the Ally will come with better customer support too.

For people out there who are looking for a premium gaming handheld, the ROG Ally may have just leaped to the head of the pack. It has pretty much the fastest components you can fit in a system this size. My one concern at this point is if its 40Wh battery can deliver decent longevity while still pumping out strong performance. But more importantly, when I think about the category as a whole, it’s really encouraging to see more big names enter the space and put their spin on a rapidly growing class of gadgets.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-ally-hands-on-possibly-the-most-powerful-handheld-gaming-pc-yet-140054506.html?src=rss

Since March, NVIDIA has offered AI Foundations, a service that allows businesses to train large language models (LLMs) on their own proprietary data. Today the company is introducing NeMo Guardrails, a tool designed to help developers ensure their generative AI apps are accurate, appropriate and safe.

NeMo Guardrails allows software engineers to enforce three different kinds of limits on their in-house LLMs. Specifically, firms can set “topical guardrails” that will prevent their apps from addressing subjects they weren’t trained to tackle. For instance, NVIDIA suggests a customer service chatbot would, with the help of its software, decline to answer a question about the weather. Companies can also set safety and security limits that are designed to ensure their LLMs pull accurate information and connect to apps that are known to be safe.

According to NVIDIA, NeMo Guardrails works with all LLMs, including ChatGPT. What’s more, the company claims nearly any software developer can use the software. “No need to be a machine learning expert or data scientist,” it says. Since NeMo Guardrails is open source, NVIDIA notes it will also work with all the tools enterprise developers already use.

NVIDIA is incorporating NeMo Guardrails into its existing NeMo framework for building generative AI models. Business customers can gain access to NeMo through the company’s AI Enterprise software platform. NVIDIA also offers the framework through its AI Foundations service. The release of NeMo Guardrails comes after some of the most high-profile generative AIs, including Microsoft Bing and Google Bard, have come under the microscope for their tendency to “hallucination” information. In fact, Google’s chatbot made a factual error during its first public demo.

“NVIDIA made NeMo Guardrails — the product of several years’ research — open source to contribute to the developer community’s tremendous energy and work AI safety,” NVIDIA said. “Together, our efforts on guardrails will help companies keep their smart services aligned with safety, privacy and security requirements so these engines of innovation stay on track.”

If you want to read a deep dive into how NeMo Guardrails works, NVIDIA has published a blog post on the subject that also shares information on how to get started with the software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-made-an-open-source-tool-for-creating-safer-and-more-secure-ai-models-130005790.html?src=rss

Lucid is already late on its plan to open reservations for the three-row Gravity SUV in early 2023. However, the company announced today that the EV is making some progress, saying it’s entering a “new phase of development, now testing on public roads throughout the US.” That’s a sign that it might be ready to go on sale in the US soon.

As we learned before, the Gravity shares design language with the Lucid Air but offers up to three rows of seats that can accommodate seven people. It will also have Lucid’s “new Glass Cockpit high-resolution displays, powered by the next generation of Lucid UX,” the company said. It’s also promising “the driving dynamics of a sports car, and greater electric range than any SUV on the market today.” 

Lucid

Other details have yet to be released, like the exact range and performance figures or battery size. Previously, Lucid released a couple interior and exterior shots showing a massive panoramic roof, and today it gave a glimpse of the Gravity’s rear and front. 

Lucid recently launched its first EV, the Air sedan, generally receiving good reviews for its driving dynamics, looks and more. While the initial model went on sale at an astronomical $179,000 price, the company has been working to get its less expensive Air and Pure models out to the market. The company struggled to design and build its first EV, and recently announced that it’s laying off 1,300 workers to reduce expenses. The company did manage to deliver more units than it expected in 2022, however. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lucid-begins-testing-its-electric-gravity-suv-on-us-roads-130048667.html?src=rss

Tokyo-based company ispace is hoping to make history on Tuesday by landing the first private mission to the Moon’s surface and deliver its many payloads.

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