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HyAB k-means for color quantization

HyAB k-means for color quantization Color quantization in CIELAB space, visualized. The input is converted to CIELAB space and a special “HyAB” distance formula is used when clustering. This in theory should result in better image quality. I’ve been obsessing over color quantization algorithms lately, and when I learned that an image conversion app called Composite did its so-called pixel mapping step in CIELAB space, I instantly thought of the “HyAB” color distance formula I’d seen in the FLI

These Moft MagSafe accessories are the best Prime Day deals under $35 that you won't regret buying

The Moft Tripod accessory. Kayla Solino/ZDNET Prime Day 2 is here, and while plenty of hefty discounts on expensive tech, my favorite offers to scout during a sale are always on cheaper items. After all, who doesn't like saving even more on an already affordable product? Also: The best Prime Day tech deals That's why when I caught these MagSafe accessories on sale, I knew I had to share them. At ZDNET, I test dozens of MagSafe accessories, from battery packs to wallets, phone cases, tripods,

Perplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered web browser

Perplexity on Wednesday launched its first AI-powered web browser, called Comet, marking the startup’s latest effort to challenge Google Search as the primary avenue people use to find information online. At launch, Comet will be available first to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, as well as a small group of invitees that signed up to a waitlist. Here’s what a New tab looks like for me on Comet (Credit: Maxwell Zeff/Perplexity) Comet’s headline feature is Perplexity’s AI s

Galaxy Watch Ultra gets more storage, a fresh color, and One UI 8 Watch — all without a price hike

TL;DR Samsung launched the new Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) with 64GB storage and a new Titanium Blue color. The refreshed Watch Ultra retains its $649.99 price and core features, including a 1.5-inch AMOLED display and 590mAh battery. It also ships with the latest One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6 update. At Samsung Unpacked, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, giving users updated options if they want to pick up a Samsung wearable. But that’s not all, as the com

Google’s powerful Gemini assistant is finally coming to the Pixel Watch and Wear OS

TL;DR Google is finally rolling out its Gemini assistant to Wear OS smartwatches, with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series being the first to get it. The wearable version supports voice interactions, like answering complex questions and creating tasks, offering a more advanced experience than Google Assistant. Gemini will also come to existing smartwatches from brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus via an update that will likely replace the current Google Assistant app. When Google unveiled its Ge

If You’re a Mac Mini Owner, This UGREEN Dock Is a Must-Have Prime Day Deal, and It’s Going for Peanuts

Apple’s accessory game is usually pretty strong, but sometimes you find a third-party device that’s custom made for an Apple computer that works so seamlessly that it makes you wonder how Apple didn’t design it themselves. In the case of the UGREEN Mac Mini M4 Dock and Stand, be glad for that — instead of paying Apple prices, you get this amazing extension device for a Prime Day price of just $60. Plug your M4 Mac Mini into the UGREEN dock and stand, and it looks like it came straight from the

Android Auto begins erasing Assistant as Gemini prepares for takeover (APK teardown)

TL;DR With the newest version of Android Auto, references to “Google Assistant” are being replaced with generic terms like “Digital Assistant,” despite still referring to the existing Google Assistant settings. The changes indicate Google’s ongoing transition from Google Assistant to Gemini across supported platforms. Google has long begun phasing out Google Assistant in favor of Gemini across its supported platforms. Back in May, Google had shown off Gemini for Android Auto and cars with Goog

I'm a mobile gadget expert and these Moft MagSafe accessories are my favorite under $35 Prime Day deals

The Moft Tripod accessory. Kayla Solino/ZDNET Prime Day is here, and while plenty of hefty discounts on expensive tech, my favorite offers to scout during a sale are always on cheaper items. After all, who doesn't like saving even more on an already affordable product? Also: The best Prime Day tech deals That's why when I caught these MagSafe accessories on sale, I knew I had to share them. At ZDNET, I test dozens of MagSafe accessories, from battery packs to wallets, phone cases, tripods, an

Finally, a budget smartwatch that's just as durable as my Garmin (and it's on sale)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Kospet Tank M3 Ultra and T3 Ultra 2 are available for just $159.99 retail. The watches are have vibrant displays, pass durability standards, and have long battery life. Updates take a long time, and the heart rate sensor measures a bit high. View now at Amazon For Prime Day, Amazon has the Kospet Tank T3 Ultra 2 watch on sale for just $128 ($32 off), making the already affordable wearable more so. Also: The best Prime Day deals you can shop now With so many new wea

Microsoft July 2025 Patch Tuesday fixes one zero-day, 137 flaws

Today is Microsoft's July 2025 Patch Tuesday, which includes security updates for 137 flaws, including one publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server. This Patch Tuesday also fixes fourteen "Critical" vulnerabilities, ten of which are remote code execution vulnerabilities, one is an information disclosure, and two are AMD side channel attack flaws. The number of bugs in each vulnerability category is listed below: 53 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities 8 Security Fe

Smart savings on the Samsung Galaxy Ring: Now just $299.99 in record drop

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority For those who’ve been considering the next level in wearable tech, Prime Day is the ideal time to take the plunge. You can now purchase the Samsung Galaxy Ring for $299.99, down from its usual $399.99, marking it as the lowest price in the last year. It’s an appealing choice for anyone interested in comprehensive health monitoring via a smart ring. Samsung Galaxy Ring for $299.99 (25% off) The Galaxy Ring is crafted from lightweight titanium and available in

Exploring the future of voice AI with Mati Staniszewski at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

We’re excited to welcome Mati Staniszewski, co-founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, to the AI stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27–29 in San Francisco. In a featured fireside chat, Staniszewski will dive into how AI-powered voice technology is transforming digital communication and interaction. Takeaways that blend technical depth with business impact ElevenLabs is leading innovation in audio AI, building tools that make synthetic voices more natural, expressive, and accessible.

Show HN: Integrated System for Enhancing VIC Output

ISEVIC - Integrated System for Enhancing VIC Output ISEVIC is an FPGA core for enabling digital video via HDMI on the C-64. It works by watching the bus on the cartridge port. It then translates those signals into a picture for display. It can run on multiple FPGA platforms including the Tang Nano 20K described here. Watch the first "teaser" video here: And then a more in-depth introductory video: Getting Started You'll need a Tang Nano 20K board with headers like this flashed with the prov

Topics: 20k 64 device nano tang

Collatz's Ant and Σ(n)

Collatz's Ant and Σ(n) Relevant preceding posts here and here. Consider the corresponding ant’s landscape development for $n = 500$: with the last frame being: Let’s also consider a score function $\Sigma(n)$ which returns the number of 1’s (or marked states) left by the ant on the corresponding landscape (regarding the last frame). With the prior example, we would have $\Sigma(500) = 54$. We might also want to normalize this by the corresponding stopping time $\tau_{n}$ characteristic of th

12 Best Kids Headphones (2025), Hearing Protection and More

Protect Those Headphones Satechi 2-in-1 Headphone Stand Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Even durable headphones are easy to damage. We have lost pairs to folks standing on them, cats and robot vacuums attacking the cables, and chairs rolling over them. I have learned that a stand or holder is worth the investment if it keeps those cans off the floor. Even if your kids only sometimes remember to use it, that could extend the likely lifespan of their headphones. We use the Satechi 2-in-1 Headphone

Best Laptop Stands (2025): 25+ Models Tested and Reviewed

More Laptop Stands to Consider There’s no shortage of computer stands out there, and most of them get the job done. While these didn’t quite make my top picks, they still have some perks worth considering. Rain Design iLevel2 Photograph: Rain Design Rain Design iLevel2 for $65: I wanted to love the Rain Design iLevel2, assuming that it was a bestseller for a reason. Adjusting the height is easy—you slide the front level—but even at its lowest (5.4 inches), it still feels too high for some set

Show HN: AirBending – Hand gesture based macOS app MIDI controller

As a standard MIDI controller, AirBending works seamlessly with any digital audio workstation (DAW) including Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, and more. Connect to external hardware synthesizers, software instruments, and effects processors. No special drivers or plugins required—just standard MIDI communication that every music production setup understands. Advanced Preset Manager AirBending offers a sophisticated preset system that allows you to customize every aspect of your gest

Show HN: AirBending – hand gesture based macOS app MIDI controller

As a standard MIDI controller, AirBending works seamlessly with any digital audio workstation (DAW) including Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, and more. Connect to external hardware synthesizers, software instruments, and effects processors. No special drivers or plugins required—just standard MIDI communication that every music production setup understands. Advanced Preset Manager AirBending offers a sophisticated preset system that allows you to customize every aspect of your gest

Microsoft is closing its local operations in Pakistan

Microsoft is closing its operations in Pakistan, marking the end of a 25-year presence in the South Asian nation. The Redmond-based company on Friday told TechCrunch that it is changing its operational model in Pakistan and will now serve its customers through resellers and “other closely located Microsoft offices.” “Our customer agreements and service will not be affected by this change,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We follow this model successfully in a number of

Writing Code Was Never the Bottleneck

For years, I’ve felt that writing lines of code was never the bottleneck in software engineering. The actual bottlenecks were, and still are, code reviews, knowledge transfer through mentoring and pairing, testing, debugging, and the human overhead of coordination and communication. All of this wrapped inside the labyrinth of tickets, planning meetings, and agile rituals. These processes, meant to drive quality, often slow us down more than the act of writing code itself because they require t

How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking

is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget. There’s always a reason why universal USB-C ports don’t “just work” like you’d expect. In the early days, it was incompetence or naiveté. Later, manufacturers often cheaped out. But in the case of Nintendo’s Switch 2, it appears to be intentional. With the Nintendo Switch 2, it should be easy to plug your new, more expensive console into v

Mandatory battery throttling is coming for more Pixels with poor battery health (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Google could potentially force Battery Health Assistance to remain enabled on Pixel phones with poor battery health. Users may not be able to change/disable the feature until they replace their phone’s battery. Pixel 9a users have Battery Health Assistance already enabled and mandatory, even on new devices. Update, July 2, 2025 (1:58 PM ET): Well, that didn’t take long! Just hours after sharing our findings with you about Battery Health Assistance cha

This laptop accessory has replaced standing desks for me, plus it's easy to travel with - and it's on sale

ZDNET's key takeaways Moft's Sit-stand Laptop Desk is a 5-in-1 foldable laptop stand that retails for $70. The standing option is a game-changer for those traveling for work, hot-desking, or with compact home office spaces. However, for $70, the stand would be more complete if it had a companion keyboard stand. $47.99 at Amazon The Moft Sit-stand Laptop Desk is now available for $48 during Amazon's Prime Day sale, $12 off its original price of $60. We all know the feeling of sitting in a des

Finally, a MagSafe wallet for my phone that feels premium (and it just got even cheaper)

ZDNET's key takeaways The UAG Metropolis Wallet is a MagSafe wallet and stand made of vegan leather for $45. It holds up to five cards and cash, has a kickstand, is RFID blocking, and features pockets. It's only available in Black. $44.95 at Amazon $44.95 at Walmart more buying choices Now until July 7, get 20% off with the code UNITED at checkout on UAG's direct website. This drops the Metropolis wallet down to $36. As ZDNET's MagSafe expert, I've tried many magnetic accessories, from walle

Is mandatory battery throttling coming for more Pixels with poor battery health? (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Google could potentially force Battery Health Assistance to remain enabled on Pixel phones with poor battery health. Users may not be able to change/disable the feature until they replace their phone’s battery. Pixel 9a users have Battery Health Assistance already enabled and mandatory, even on new devices. Pixel smartphones have been a staple recommendation as great Android phones, but lately, we’ve been hearing more and more about their battery issu

The Titanic’s Best Lifeboat

Everyone grows up learning the same story about the RMS Titanic, that when the ship set out on its maiden voyage in 1912, the owners and authorities, confident that the ship was unsinkable, did not require it to carry a full complement of lifeboats. So when the Titanic sank in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, more than half of the people on board died for lack of lifeboat space. But the more you learn about the history of lifeboats and how they worked, the more you realize that the stand

The Titanic's Best Lifeboat

Everyone grows up learning the same story about the RMS Titanic, that when the ship set out on its maiden voyage in 1912, the owners and authorities, confident that the ship was unsinkable, did not require it to carry a full complement of lifeboats. So when the Titanic sank in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, more than half of the people on board died for lack of lifeboat space. But the more you learn about the history of lifeboats and how they worked, the more you realize that the stand

Moderna says mRNA flu vaccine sailed through trial, beating standard shot

An mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine from Moderna was 27 percent more effective at preventing influenza infections than a standard flu shot, the company announced this week. Moderna noted that the new shot, dubbed mRNA-1010, hit the highest efficacy target that it set for the trial, which included nearly 41,000 people aged 50 and above. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either mRNA-1010 or a standard shot and were then followed for about six months during a flu season. Compared to t

Moderna says its mRNA seasonal flu shot is 27% better than current vaccine

An mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine from Moderna was 27 percent more effective at preventing influenza infections than a standard flu shot, the company announced this week. Moderna noted that the new shot, dubbed mRNA-1010, hit the highest efficacy target that it set for the trial, which included nearly 41,000 people aged 50 and above. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either mRNA-1010 or a standard shot and were then followed for about six months during a flu season. Compared to t

These Google Nest speakers are getting three new voices

Lil Katz / Android Authority TL;DR Google’s Nest smart speakers with Gemini-backed Google Assistant are getting new voices. The three new voices are also named after plants, as were the seven previously made available by Google in December 2024. Gemini-powered Google Assistant is still an experimental feature, available only in the US. Google’s ongoing mission to replace the traditional Google Assistant with Gemini has largely been limited to Android phones. Other devices, such as smart spea