Skip to content
Tech News
clear
Topics: Today This Week This Month This Year

USB-C laptop chargers can safely fast-charge phones, with limits

USB-C laptop chargers can be safely used to charge phones, and will speed up charging only if the phone supports higher-wattage fast charging via USB Power Delivery. Phones capped at 18-20W input won't charge any faster on a 65W or 100W charger, since the device only draws what it's rated for. Charger safety depends more on certification and build quality than wattage, as counterfeit units can pass dangerous voltage spikes and cheap cables may lack required safety components.

Report finds remote work's fiscal fallout uneven across U.S. cities, not just NY and SF

A new analysis revisits the 2022 'doom loop' theory that predicted falling office values would trigger a self-reinforcing cycle of shrinking tax revenue and service cuts in major cities. Researchers now argue that New York and San Francisco, initially seen as most vulnerable, have shown surprising resilience—New York's office market has rebounded and San Francisco has benefited from AI-driven growth—while other cities face greater hidden fiscal risk.

AI tools can speed up onboarding for new hires, career experts say

New employees face a steep learning curve involving unfamiliar projects, clients, and internal processes, often with only an employee handbook and a mentor to guide them. Career advisers suggest that using AI tools thoughtfully during this period can help new hires absorb information and reach competence more quickly than traditional onboarding alone.

Liquid vs air cooling: when a PC AIO cooler is actually worth the cost

A hands-on comparison finds that liquid coolers, such as NZXT's Kraken 360mm AIO, deliver superior thermal performance for high-end CPUs like AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D, enabling demanding 4K/120FPS gaming without overheating. However, the piece notes these coolers cost upwards of $200, are harder to install, and require more long-term maintenance than air coolers, which remain the practical choice for mid-range builds.

Zhipu AI's open-weight GLM-5.3 outperforms Anthropic and OpenAI models in cost-efficiency test

A benchmark suite of 28 real-world agentic tasks, evaluated across coding, data, security and tool-use, found that the open-weight GLM-5.3 model matched or exceeded pass rates from leading closed models like Anthropic's and OpenAI's offerings. Notably, it did so at roughly one-fifth the cost per task, based on measured run costs and latency across the test suite.

Study links public nudity practices to improved body image

A review of naturism's history and modern research suggests that spending time nude among others, whether at clubs, beaches or organized events, can improve how people feel about their own bodies. The report traces the practice from ancient Greek athletics and indigenous customs through the rise of formal naturist societies in Britain, the US and colonial India in the early 20th century, noting a documented surge in social nudity's popularity in the 1970s.

Waymo reveals custom 5nm chip powering its sixth-gen robotaxi system

Waymo disclosed it built a proprietary 5-nanometer ASIC chip that pre-processes the massive stream of sensor data—including feeds from 13 cameras—before it reaches its self-driving system's core computer. The company says the chip delivers more than 1,000 TOPS of processing power, putting it near the performance level of Nvidia's DRIVE AGX Thor chip, and is a key part of the vehicle now rolling out to all riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.

Sal Khan admits Khanmigo AI tutor failed to spark classroom revolution

Chalkbeat reporting found Sal Khan and his Chief Learning Officer Kristen DiCerbo conceding that Khanmigo, the AI tutoring chatbot launched three years ago with sweeping ambitions, barely got used by students and hasn't transformed education. Commentator Dan Meyer separately chronicled the project's decline from bold TED talk claims and philanthropic backing to shrinking usage projections despite major advantages like early OpenAI access and Microsoft support.

Osaka researchers show coconut oil jet fuel matches kerosene efficiency in engine tests

Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University produced aviation biofuel from coconut oil using a low-energy 'co-solvent' method that mixes acetone, alcohol and coconut oil instead of relying on high heat and pressure. When burned in a small jet engine, blends of this biofuel with standard jet fuel matched pure kerosene's thermal efficiency while cutting unburned hydrocarbon emissions, though they consumed slightly more fuel and produced marginally more carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide levels in the exhaust remained roughly the same as with pure kerosene across all blend ratios tested.

SimCity 4's Network Addon Mod update 50 fixes 23-year-old Eternal Commuter Loop bug

The volunteer-maintained Network Addon Mod for SimCity 4 has released version 50, resolving the long-standing 'Eternal Commuter Loop' issue that broke regional pathfinding across city boundaries. The update also adds new infrastructure options like diagonal streets, tunnels for street networks, and tighter building placement, while shrinking the mod's codebase by roughly 90% through a new DLL implementation.

Today's top topics: openai ai agents nvidia facebook meta windows 11 iphone 18 pro government websites apple watch series 12 apple watch
Browse all topics →  ·  Today's trending topics →