Category: Tech

Stress can really take a toll on your body and mind, often in ways you may not immediately realize. Swiss startup Nutrix AG is hoping a quick, at-home spit test can help by giving users a better idea of how stressed out they really are — and tools to manage it.

At CES 2025, Nutrix showed off its cortiSense device that’s designed to measure levels of cortisol in saliva and can be used to track changes over time. The startup aims to launch it by the end of this year, and it’ll work with the gSense app and digital platform to offer things like personalized wellness coaching from a medical team.

It’s meant to be an easy and noninvasive way to identify and combat burnout. The part that’s a little sus, though? In a press release, Nutrix CEO Maria Hahn said the company is focusing on “empowering enterprises,” noting that employee burnout can present “a significant challenge with a huge human and financial cost.” So, get your stress under control to better perform labor, I guess.

I wasn’t able to pop one in my mouth and try it out (I did ask), but the Nutrix team says a reading should take about 3-5 minutes to complete. The device, which looks like a vape, uses disposable tabs that have a cortisol measuring sensor. “You get the quantitative information of the cortisol in saliva,” which is then “transmitted over to the digital health platform to combine with other data, like activity monitoring, glucose [and] weight,” said Nutrix co-founder and CTO Dr. Jemish Parmar at CES’s Unveiled event. You’re supposed to take four measurements a day.

Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget

The company didn’t share pricing information, but the team says it will be offered as part of a subscription program that would include the cortiSense device, the single-use sensors and the digital health platform. The gSense platform so far offers guidance around weight loss, but it will soon offer mental health services too, according to Dr. Dominika Sulot, the Data and Software Lead. “Once you have all the data, you’re scheduling an appointment with [the medical team] and then they’re providing you the personalized plan,” Sulot says.

For personal use, this kind of thing could be great if it works as stated, especially if it would connect users with physical and mental health support. But I’m not loving the emphasis on enterprise applications to, per the press release, “foster a healthier, more productive workforce.” Actually, I might have just vomited in my mouth a little writing that. I wonder what cortiSense would detect in that. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/spit-on-this-stick-to-see-how-burned-out-you-are-024531311.html?src=rss

The Lenovo Legion Go is sort of like the SUV of gaming handhelds. It’s big, beefy, comes with a lot of extra equipment like detachable controllers and it supports vertical mouse functionality that lets it adapt to all sorts of situations. All of that versatility is great, but it makes the device kind of bulky. But for CES 2025, Lenovo is announcing a slightly more portable version called the Legion Go S with support for not one but two different OSes: Windows 11 and SteamOS.

That said, the specs on both variants are nearly identical. They feature either an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip or the Z1 Extreme APU Lenovo used on the previous model, with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD and a 55.5Wh battery. You also get a microSD card slot for expandable storage, two USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. The main difference is their color (and release date, but more on that later) as the Windows 11 Legion Go S comes in white while the SteamOS model will be available in black.

Compared to the original Legion Go, the S features a smaller but still large 8-inch 120 Hz OLED display (down from 8.8 inches) with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and VRR instead of 2,560 x 1,600 144Hz panel like on the original. It also doesn’t have detachable controllers or a kickstand. The benefit of this is that the whole system feels much sturdier, which should make you feel better about tossing it in a bag before your next trip. It’s also noticeably lighter at 1.6 pounds versus 1.9 for its older sibling.

Notably, you still get analog sticks with Hall Effect sensors, which you don’t get on rivals like ASUS’ pricey ROG Ally X. Lenovo also moved to a new pivot-style D-pad, though I’m not sure that counts as a true upgrade as I tend to prefer the classic cross-style ones. Another nice bonus for tinkerers is that on the inside, the Go S comes with a shorter 2242 SSD module even though it can accommodate desktop-size 2280 sticks.

Initially, I got a chance to check out the Windows 11 version, whose performance felt quite snappy thanks to the drop in resolution to 1,920 x 1,200, which feels like a more suitable match for its components. Lenovo has also made some improvements to its Legion Space app, so it functions much better as a general game launch and a place to tweak performance and settings. I also appreciate little touches like how even though it’s much smaller, the Legion Go S still has a touchpad in front, which is such a huge help when you need to exit Legion Space and navigate around in Windows. I’d even say that despite its size, the pad on the Go S is more responsive, as it feels more like a trackball than a tiny touchpad. And around back, there’s a small toggle for adjusting how far you can pull the shoulder buttons.

As for the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS, I found it remarkable how similar it felt to the Steam Deck despite not being made by Valve. The UI is almost identical, the only differences are some subtle tweaks Lenovo added to support things like the handheld’s RGB lighting and higher 30-watt TDP. In person, the SteamOS models’ casing looks more like a dark purple than pure black, which is a nice subtle touch. However my biggest takeaways is that Valve’s OS felt slightly more responsive that it does on the Steam Deck, which I’m attributing to the Legion’s newer APU.

The small hiccup is that a higher-end version of Legion Go S running Windows 11 is expected to go on sale first sometime later this month starting at $730 with an AMD Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, that means anyone who wants one of the more affordable models with 16GB of RAM or running SteamOS will have to wait a bit longer, as those variants won’t be available until May. On the bright side, the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS will have a lower starting price of $499 compared to an equivalent Windows model which will start at $599.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ces-2025-the-lenovo-legion-go-s-is-the-first-third-party-steamos-handheld-160001642.html?src=rss

Afeela is coming back for a curtain call. After dominating the Sony press conference on the opening night of CES 2025, the debut EV from Sony Honda Mobility (a joint venture between the two Japanese concerns) is getting its own breakout event today. 

What to expect at Afeela’s CES 2025 press conference

We know a lot more about the Afeela 1 than we did 24 hours ago, thanks to Sony’s earlier presser. The Afeela 1 Origin and Afeela 1 Signature are priced at $89,900 and $109,900, respectively. Customers in California are now able to reserve a Signature trim for a refundable fee of $200 and the first deliveries are planned for mid-2026. The Origin variant is set to arrive the following year. Both variants factor in three years of access to services including Level 2+ driver assistance, the Afeela Personal Agent and a range of entertainment options.

At the Afeela keynote, we should learn much more about the Afeela 1. Expect a closer look at a near-final version of the EV, which is packed with tech.

Watch the Afeela CES 2025 livestream

You can watch the Afeela CES 2025 press conference live right here. The keynote starts Tuesday, January 7 at 7:30PM ET.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sony-honda-mobility-ces-2025-keynote-learn-more-about-the-afeela-1-ev-live-here-212536780.html?src=rss

NVIDIA held its CES 2025 keynote last night with CEO Jensen Huang and it was surprisingly eventful. The company finally unveiled its much awaited GeForce RTX 5000 GPUs that promise a considerable performance uplift, to start with. The company didn’t stop there, also announcing Project Digits, a personal AI supercomputer, along with DLSS 4 and more. Here’s a wrap-up of what happened — and you can watch the whole event uncut, via the YouTube embed below. (Spoiler alert: It’s more than 90 minutes long.)

NVIDIA RTX 5000-series GPUs

Huang strode out in a new snakeskin-like leather jacket and revealed the much-anticipated RTX 5090 GPU. With 32GB of GDDR7 RAM and an impressive 21,760 CUDA cores, the new flagship can deliver up to twice as much relative performance, particularly for ray-tracing (RT) intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077. In fact that particular title ran at 234 fps with full RT on in a video demo, compared to 109 fps on the RTX 4090. It’s not cheap, though, priced at $1,999. 

The company also revealed the $549 RTX 5070 with a far more modest 6,144 CUDA cores and 12GB of DDR7 RAM, along with the $749 RTX 5070 Ti and $999 RTX 5080. 

DLSS 4

A key part of the RTX 5000-series launch was the introduction of DLSS 4, the latest version of the company’s real-time image upscaling technology. It features a new technology called Multi Frame Generation that allows the new GPUs to generate up to three additional frames for every one frame the GPU produces via traditional rendering — helping multiply frame rates by up to eight times. It also represents what NVIDIA calls the “biggest upgrade to its AI models” since DLSS 2, improving things like temporal stability and detail, while reducing artifacts like ghosting. 

Project Digits 

Finally, NVIDIA launched Project Digits, a “personal AI supercomputer” designed for AI researchers, data scientists and students. It uses NVIDIA’s new GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip, providing up to a petaflop of performance for testing and running AI models. The company says a single Project Digits unit can run models 200 billion parameters in size, or multiple machines can be linked together to run up to 405 billion parameter models. And for its intended audience, Project Digits is relatively cheap at $3,000.

On top of all that, the company introduced NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation models for robot and AV development, the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion AV platform for autonomous vehicles and AI Foundation models for RTX PCs “that supercharge digital humans.” It’s all explained in the video above and NVIDIA’s CES 2025 keynote blog. 

NVDA stock price seesaw

CES — and Huang’s keynote — are happening against the backdrop of continued volatility in the company’s stock price. NVIDIA shares (ticker NVDA) spiked ahead of Huang’s address, closing on Monday just shy of Apple’s market cap pinnacle. But Tuesday saw a reversal, with the stock down more than 6 percent. Still, some are betting it’s a toss up between the two tech giants as to which will hit the $4 trillion market valuation first.

Update, January 7 2025, 4:18PM ET: This story has been updated with new details on Nvidia’s stock price.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-announced-at-its-ces-2025-keynote-174947827.html?src=rss

Garmin’s new Instinct 3 series features impressive watch faces. In addition to the vibrant AMOLED screen, there is a solar-powered option for longevity.

ZDNET is live from Las Vegas, covering the best and most innovative mobile accessories at CES 2025. Here are our favorites so far.

We’re now into the thick of January, meaning there’s a big chance that you’ve already abandoned whatever self-improvement routine you’d planned for 2025. But, if your plans included reducing those neverending spam calls, keeping important personal details like your Social Security number and address private, keeping your family more secure, and reducing the risk of […]

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a major shift in the company’s approach to moderation and speech. Meta is ditching its fact-checking program and moving to an X-style Community Notes model on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

Zuckerberg said in a video that Meta has “built a lot of complex systems to moderate content” in recent years. “But the problem with complex systems is they make mistakes. Even if they accidentally censor one percent of posts, that’s millions of people.” He added that we’re now at a point where there have been “too many mistakes and too much censorship.”

To that end, he said, “we’re gonna get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.” That’s going to start with a switch to “Community Notes, similar to X, starting in the US.”

Meta’s new Chief Global Affairs Officer (and Nick Clegg’s replacement) Joel Kaplan wrote in a blog post that the company has seen the Community Notes “approach work on X — where they empower their community to decide when posts are potentially misleading and need more context, and people across a diverse range of perspectives decide what sort of context is helpful for other users to see.”

The company plans to phase in Community Notes in the US over the next few months and iterate on them over this year, all the while removing its fact checkers and ending the demotion of fact-checked content. Meta will also make certain content warning labels less prominent.

Meta says it will be up to contributing users to write Community Notes and to decide which ones are applied to posts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. “Just like they do on X, Community Notes will require agreement between people with a range of perspectives to help prevent biased ratings,” Kaplan wrote. “We intend to be transparent about how different viewpoints inform the Notes displayed in our apps, and are working on the right way to share this information.”

The Community Notes model hasn’t entirely been without issue for X, however. Studies have shown that Community Notes have failed to prevent misinformation from spreading there. Elon Musk has championed the Community Notes approach but some have been applied to his own posts to correct falsehoods that he has posted. After one such incident, Musk accused “state actors” of manipulating the system. YouTube has also tested a Community Notes model.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg had some other announcements to make, including a simplification of certain content policies and ditching “a bunch of restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse. What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas, and it’s gone too far. I wanna make sure that people can share their experiences and their beliefs on our platforms.”

When asked to provide more details about these policy changes, Meta directed Engadget to Kaplan’s blog post.

In addition, the filters that Meta had used to search for any policy violations across its platforms will be focused on “illegal and high-severity violations.” These include terrorism, child sexual exploitation, drugs, fraud and scams. For other, less-severe types of policy violations, Meta will rely more on users making manual reports, but the bar for removing content will be higher.

“We’re going to tune our systems to require a much higher degree of confidence before a piece of content is taken down,” Kaplan wrote. In some cases, that will mean multiple reviewers looking at a certain piece of content before reaching a decision on whether to take it down. Along with that, Meta is “working on ways to make recovering accounts more straightforward and testing facial recognition technology, and we’ve started using AI large language models (LLMs) to provide a second opinion on some content before we take enforcement actions.”

Last but not least, Meta says it’s taking a more personalized approach to political content across its platforms after attempting to make its platforms politically agnostic for the past few years. So, if you want to see more political stuff in your Facebook, Instagram and Threads feeds, you’ll have the choice to do so.

As with donating to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, replacing longtime policy chief Nick Clegg with a former George W. Bush aide and appointing Trump’s buddy (and UFC CEO) Dana White to its board, it’s very difficult to see these moves as anything other than Meta currying favor with the incoming administration.

Many Republicans have long railed against social media platforms, accusing them of censoring conservative voices. Meta itself blocked Trump from using his accounts on his platforms for years after he stoked the flames of the attempted coup of January 6, 2021. “His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world,” Zuckerberg said at the time. “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.” Meta removed its restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts last year.

Zuckerberg explicitly said that Trump’s election win is part of the reasoning behind Meta’s policy shift, calling it “a cultural tipping point” on free speech. He said that the company will work with Trump to push back against other governments, such as the Chinese government and some in Latin America, that are “pushing to censor more.”

He claimed that “Europe has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalizing censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there.” Zuckerberg also took shots at the outgoing administration (over an alleged push for censorship) and third-party fact checkers, who he claimed were “too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they created.”

These are all significant changes for Meta’s platforms. On one hand, allowing more types of speech could increase engagement without having to rely on, say, garbage AI bots. But the company may end up driving away many folks who don’t want to deal with the type of speech that could become more prevalent on Instagram, Facebook and Threads now that Meta is taking the shackles off.

“Now we have an opportunity to restore free expression and I am excited to take it,” Zuckerberg said. While he noted that “it’ll take time to get this right and these are complex systems that are never gonna be perfect,” and that the company will still need to work hard to remove illegal content, “the bottom line is that after years of having our content moderation work focused primarily on removing content, it is time to focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our systems and getting back to our roots about giving people voice.”

Update January 7, 2:58PM ET: Noting that Meta responded to our request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-loosening-some-content-policies-and-moving-to-an-x-style-community-notes-system-142330500.html?src=rss