Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon, in what it described as a “difficult decision,” is winding down Kindle Vella and shutting it down completely in February 2025. When the company launched the serialized story platform in 2021, it said Vella was a way for readers to discover new fictional stories and a new way for authors to earn from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. But it hasn’t caught on as it had hoped, Amazon explains on its website, and it has decided to throw in the towel three years after Vella’s debut. 

Authors can only publish stories on Vella until December 4, which is also the last day readers can purchase tokens. While readers will no longer be able to purchase tokens after that, they can continue using those tokens to unlock episodes until the program closes in February. The good news for those who’ve been following specific authors or stories on Vella is that they won’t lose their access to whatever episodes they’ve already unlocked even after the platform shuts down. They can always read the stories they’ve purchased in their library in the Kindle app for iOS and Android, though they can no longer open them on the web. Any token they don’t use by February will be refunded. 

Responses to Vella have been pretty lukewarm since it became available. Some authors liked the fact that they could use it to earn money from unfinished stories, while some readers said they’d prefer getting a whole book instead of paying for installments. Personally, as someone who follows a lot of indie authors, I only know of one who publishes on Vella and very, very few readers who actually use it. Amazon tried drumming up interest earlier this year by making the first ten episodes of a story, instead of just three, available to readers for free. The company has also tried keeping authors on the platform by giving away bonuses, but its strategies probably didn’t work enough to make it consider keeping Vella around longer. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/amazon-is-shutting-down-its-kindle-vella-serialized-story-platform-in-february-2025-120030125.html?src=rss

Apple’s new iMac with the M4 chip and Apple Intelligence was introduced, offering substantial improvements in speed, design, and functionality. Available in a vibrant palette of colors, this 24-inch iMac features a 4.5K Retina display with a new nano-texture option to reduce glare, allowing for flexible placement in any environment.

Enhanced with a powerful 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, the M4 chip boosts performance by up to 1.7 times for productivity tasks and 2.1 times for graphics-intensive processes like gaming and photo editing, compared to the previous M1 version.

Apple Intelligence, the new AI-driven system, integrates generative models with privacy features, enabling users to refine text, create images, and generate personalized emojis. Integrated Siri now supports both voice and text-based queries, and Apple plans to expand its capabilities with ChatGPT integration, which will allow advanced assistance without compromising user privacy.

The new iMac’s hardware includes a 12MP Center Stage camera for optimized video calls, a three-microphone array, and an immersive six-speaker audio system. Connectivity is enhanced with Thunderbolt 4, allowing connections to multiple 6K displays and Wi-Fi 6E compatibility.

The iMac supports fast user switching via Touch ID, which also secures online payments and app downloads—And speaking about Touch ID, with the new version of the all-in-one, Apple finally updated the peripherals (Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse) to USB-C connectivity, giving one more step towards the end of the Lightning era.

The 8-Core variant brings only two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

While the 10-Core variant is able to connect 4 Thunderbolt 4 devices at the same time.

For those looking for even more connectivity, there’s a 10-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU version of the iMac M4 that offers four Thunderbolt 4 ports, instead of the only two found on the 8-Core version. Long gone is the 8 GB of RAM, with all the models now starting from 16 GB (unfortunately, the cheapest version is still limited to 256 GB of storage).

With so many improvements in the SoC, gaming is now further improved with spatial audio and Game Mode. Environmentally, the new iMac also aligns with Apple’s sustainability goals, using recycled materials and fiber-based packaging.

Starting at $1,299, the M4 iMacs are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping on November 8.

Apple Launches New M4 iMac With AI Features, Enhanced Display, And Vibrant Colors

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

European energy company Vattenfall and Superuse Studios have transformed a nacelle—a large container atop wind turbines housing key components—into a tiny, sustainable home. Using a nacelle from a Vestas V80 2-MW turbine decommissioned after 20 years of service, the project repurposes the 376-square-foot nacelle, demonstrating potential for adaptive reuse of turbine materials. This unique tiny home is on display at Dutch Design Week 2024 in Eindhoven.

The structure, which is 13 feet wide, 32 feet long, and 10 feet high, was outfitted with essentials like electricity, plumbing, and insulation, thanks to collaboration with various partners. Constructed from durable, glass fiber-reinforced plastics, the nacelle’s transformation serves as an eco-friendly alternative to disposal, although the material itself is challenging to recycle.

Solar panels on the roof provide peak power of 1,800 watts, sufficient to run the home’s systems, while a solar-powered water boiler and heat pump offer hot water and climate control. Other features include decentralized ventilation, wall-mounted panels, and an electric vehicle charging point.

Inside, the warm wooden decor includes a bathroom, kitchenette, and a combined sleeping and living space. Sustainable and second-hand furniture fill the interior, including a table crafted from a recycled wind turbine blade, highlighting the project’s emphasis on reusing materials.

Jos de Krieger, a partner at Superuse, noted the large number of similar nacelles available worldwide, offering possibilities for sustainable housing and other applications. He emphasized that if such a complex project is feasible, simpler, scalable uses could be developed, making it an innovative solution for retired wind turbines in need of repurposing.

Sustainable Tiny Home: Wind Turbine Nacelle Transformed Into A Small House

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Folks in the European Union finally know when Apple Intelligence will be available on their mobile devices. Apple told EU users on Monday that its AI suite will arrive in April 2025. The first Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools and AI notification summaries, are now available for English speakers elsewhere.

Apple announced the EU release date in a press release for the European Union (via 9to5Mac). Translated from Italian, the news post reads, “In April, Apple Intelligence features will begin to be distributed to iPhone and iPad users in the EU.”

The article notes that the first wave of Apple Intelligence is already available for EU users in macOS Sequoia 15.1. That’s because Apple used the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as its rationale for delaying its EU AI. In this case, the regulations only affect iPhone and iPad software, not macOS.

On Monday, Apple also confirmed that its AI suite will be available in more languages in April and throughout the year through a software update. These include Chinese, Korean, French, Japanese, English (India), English (Singapore), Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Vietnamese. In December, Apple Intelligence will become available in English variants for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.

Apple Intelligence is getting a tiered rollout. Today’s first batch in iOS 18.1 (for those outside the EU) includes Writing Tools, live transcriptions, notification summaries and more. iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will bring additional features like ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and Image Playground. That software is currently in beta and is expected to arrive with an official release in December.

The only catch is you’ll need a compatible device. On iPhone, that’s limited to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series. M-series iPads, Macs, and the new seventh-gen iPad mini are also supported.

Update, October 28 2024, 4:09PM ET: This story has been updated to correct the timeframe of the release of Apple Intelligence in more languages, clarifying that it’s coming “in April and throughout the year” and not just “in April.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-is-coming-to-eu-iphones-and-ipads-in-april-191028410.html?src=rss

Folks in the European Union finally know when Apple Intelligence will be available on their mobile devices. Apple told EU users on Monday that its AI suite will arrive in April 2025. The first Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools and AI notification summaries, are now available for English speakers elsewhere.

Apple announced the EU release date in a press release for the European Union (via 9to5Mac). Translated from Italian, the news post reads, “In April, Apple Intelligence features will begin to be distributed to iPhone and iPad users in the EU.”

The article notes that the first wave of Apple Intelligence is already available for EU users in macOS Sequoia 15.1. That’s because Apple used the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as its rationale for delaying its EU AI. In this case, the regulations only affect iPhone and iPad software, not macOS.

On Monday, Apple also confirmed that its AI suite will be available in more languages in April and throughout the year through a software update. These include Chinese, Korean, French, Japanese, English (India), English (Singapore), Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Vietnamese. In December, Apple Intelligence will become available in English variants for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.

Apple Intelligence is getting a tiered rollout. Today’s first batch in iOS 18.1 (for those outside the EU) includes Writing Tools, live transcriptions, notification summaries and more. iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will bring additional features like ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and Image Playground. That software is currently in beta and is expected to arrive with an official release in December.

The only catch is you’ll need a compatible device. On iPhone, that’s limited to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series. M-series iPads, Macs, and the new seventh-gen iPad mini are also supported.

Update, October 28 2024, 4:09PM ET: This story has been updated to correct the timeframe of the release of Apple Intelligence in more languages, clarifying that it’s coming “in April and throughout the year” and not just “in April.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-is-coming-to-eu-iphones-and-ipads-in-april-191028410.html?src=rss