Brian Fagioli

KT Corporation and Microsoft have entered into a five-year partnership focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technologies, and IT business development. The collaboration includes both a financial investment from KT and resource support from Microsoft, with the aim of advancing AI services and innovation in South Korea.

As part of the partnership, the two companies will focus on five key areas, including the development of customized AI solutions for Korea. This effort will involve creating tailored versions of Microsoft’s GPT-4 and small language models using KT’s data. These AI models will be used in a variety of applications, including customer service chatbots and industry-specific solutions for businesses.

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Microsoft has provided an important update to its upcoming Recall feature, exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, which aims to balance productivity with privacy and security. Recall allows users to retrieve information by capturing snapshots of their activity, such as documents, websites, or apps. This latest update emphasizes Microsoft’s renewed focus on user control and privacy, addressing some of the concerns users have voiced since the feature was first announced.

Recall is designed to enhance productivity by enabling users to quickly find things they’ve seen on their PC. The feature’s AI-driven capabilities take snapshots of user activity, making it easier to return to projects without having to remember where files or webpages were previously accessed. Microsoft stresses that this updated version of Recall processes and stores data locally, which not only improves performance but also allows users to continue using the feature without an internet connection. By keeping data on the device, Recall also aims to reduce latency and improve battery life.

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The Tor Project, a global organization known for developing privacy and anonymity tools, has merged with Tails, a portable operating system focused on protecting users from digital surveillance. By bringing Tails under its operational structure, the Tor Project aims to improve collaboration, simplify operations, and expand outreach efforts.

Both Tor and Tails play crucial roles in countering growing surveillance and censorship on the internet. The merger is intended to better serve individuals seeking online protection, including activists, journalists, and everyday users. Tails, which had been operating independently for 15 years, faced challenges in managing administrative functions such as fundraising and HR. The merger is expected to alleviate these burdens, allowing Tails developers to focus more on maintaining and improving the OS.

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Samsung has unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+. Both devices feature stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays, with the Tab S10 Ultra offering a massive 14.6-inch screen and the Tab S10+ boasting a 12.4-inch screen. These displays provide rich, vibrant visuals and an enhanced viewing experience, even outdoors, thanks to advanced anti-reflective technology that reduces glare.

Performance-wise, the Tab S10 Ultra delivers a significant upgrade compared to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. It boasts an 18 percent improvement in CPU, a 28 percent boost in GPU, and a 14 percent enhancement in NPU. This extra processing power is specifically designed to handle the device’s advanced AI features, making it ideal for both productivity and creativity.

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MSI has launched its latest home networking solution, the Roamii BE Lite Mesh System (MRBE50), which supports the latest WiFi 7 (802.11be) standard. Designed for homes with multiple Wi-Fi 7-enabled devices and growing internet demands, the Roamii BE Lite ensures high-speed and seamless connectivity across the entire home.

The Roamii BE Lite Mesh System comes in two configurations: a 2-pack and a 1-pack. The 2-pack includes two MRBE50 units, two power adapters, a wall-mount kit, an Ethernet cable, and a quick start guide. The single-pack includes one MRBE50 unit with similar accessories. Both packs offer easy setup via MSI’s Roamii app or Web UI, providing users with flexible management options.

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AVerMedia has expanded its GO series with the launch of the VERSATI go (AM310G2), a USB cardioid microphone designed to meet the needs of creators seeking high-quality sound. The microphone offers a balance between mobility, versatility, and ease of use, perfect for those who need professional-grade audio for streaming, podcasting, or other content creation.

The VERSATI go (AM310G2) captures audio at an enhanced 96kHz/24-bit sample rate, delivering clear, rich, and natural sound. Its cardioid pickup pattern is specially designed to focus on the user's voice while minimizing background noise. Additionally, the microphone includes a mute button with an LED indicator for easy control during live recordings, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for real-time monitoring.

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Meta has introduced the Quest 3S, a more budget-friendly addition to its mixed reality headset lineup. Announced at the Connect event, the Quest 3S offers the same performance and mixed reality capabilities as the Quest 3, but at a lower price. Starting at $299.99, the device targets newcomers to mixed reality or users seeking an affordable upgrade from earlier models like Quest or Quest 2.

The Quest 3S includes features such as watching TV on a virtual large screen, personal fitness training, and multitasking capabilities. The headset builds on the Quest 3’s foundation, which introduced full-color Passthrough for blending the virtual and physical worlds. Meta continues to make improvements to its mixed reality ecosystem, with the Quest 3S benefiting from updates like enhanced spatial audio and improved contrast and color for a more realistic Passthrough experience.

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Samsung has announced its latest solid state drive -- the 990 EVO Plus. This SSD features PCIe 4.0 support and advanced NAND technology. Built for gamers, content creators, and business users alike, the 990 EVO Plus provides a balance of speed and efficiency.

The new SSD offers sequential read speeds of up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds of 6,300MB/s, marking a substantial 50 percent increase in performance over the previous 990 EVO model. This performance boost is powered by Samsung’s 8th-generation V-NAND technology and a 5-nanometer controller. The innovative nickel-coated heat shield helps keep the SSD cool, improving power efficiency by 73 percent compared to its predecessor.

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Reolink has officially launched the Altas PT Ultra, a new 4K battery-powered camera offering continuous recording. This security camera combines 4K UHD resolution with auto-tracking and color vision for day and night monitoring.

The camera is designed to address common issues in home security cameras, such as missing events and limited battery life. It comes equipped with a 20,000mAh battery, offering up to 12 hours of 4K recording per day for eight days on a single charge. In standby mode, it can last up to 500 days.

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The New York Times is introducing paid podcast subscriptions on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, giving listeners the ability to subscribe directly through these platforms. This expansion builds on the success of The Times’ audio journalism efforts, which began with the launch of “The Daily” in 2017. The Times’ podcasts now reach millions of listeners, offering in-depth reporting and analysis on a range of topics.

In addition to The Times’ stand-alone Audio app and the Listen tab in The New York Times app, this partnership with Apple Podcasts and Spotify is aimed at making its subscription service more accessible. Users with an existing subscription through The Times app will have their accounts automatically connected when using Apple Podcasts. Those without a subscription can sign up through the New York Times channel on both platforms.

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Marshall has teamed up with Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong to launch the Monitor III A.N.C. wireless headphones. The headphones feature 70 hours of playtime with active noise cancellation (ANC) enabled, or 100 hours without ANC. Marshall’s new Soundstage spatial audio technology promises an immersive experience, while Adaptive Loudness adjusts sound levels based on environmental noise without compromising quality.

Weighing just 250 grams, the headphones offer long-lasting comfort thanks to redesigned cushions and a lighter frame. They also feature a 2.5-hour charge time via USB-C, ensuring you get back to listening quickly. The rugged and foldable design offers optimal portability, and the customizable M-button allows for personalized control over EQ settings, voice assistants, and Spotify.

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NETGEAR has expanded its Nighthawk Wi-Fi 7 router lineup with three new models -- the RS600, RS500, and RS200 - offering a range of options for different home sizes and budgets. These routers bring the power of Wi-Fi 7, which is 2.4 times faster than Wi-Fi 6, to more households, delivering ultra-fast speeds, low latency, and advanced network security.

The RS600 is the top-tier model, covering up to 3,300 square feet with speeds up to 18Gbps. It supports up to 150 concurrent devices, making it ideal for homes with multi-gig internet speeds over 1Gbps. This router features tri-band WiFi 7 technology, offering 10 simultaneous Wi-Fi streams, and comes equipped with two 10GbE ports and three 1GbE ports for wired connectivity. It also includes state-of-the-art security with WPA3 encryption, VPN support, and automatic firmware updates. For added protection, the RS600 comes with a 30-day trial of NETGEAR Armor, powered by Bitdefender, providing real-time threat detection and protection for all connected devices.

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Samsung Electronics has revealed its development of the first PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD built on eighth-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND). The new SSD, AM9C1, is designed to provide enhanced speed and reliability for automotive applications, particularly supporting on-device AI capabilities.

The AM9C1 SSD reportedly offers a 50 percent improvement in power efficiency compared to the previous model, the AM991, with sequential read speeds reaching 4,400MB/s and write speeds up to 400MB/s. This is intended to improve the handling of large amounts of data in vehicles, particularly for autonomous systems.

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Transcend has unveiled its first industrial-grade PCIe M.2 22110 SSD, the MTE730P, designed for a range of industrial environments. The SSD includes Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology, which maintains data integrity during power fluctuations. With PCIe Gen 4 support and capacities up to 4TB, the MTE730P is suited for use in automation, data centers, blade servers, and other modern storage needs.

The SSD delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,500MB/s and 6,700MB/s, respectively, thanks to 112-layer 3D NAND flash and an 8-channel controller. It also features components such as 30µ” PCB gold finger, Corner Bond, and anti-sulfur resistors for durability. The MTE730P is built to operate in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C, ensuring performance in harsh conditions.

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Cloudflare has introduced AI Audit, a new set of tools aimed at helping websites manage how artificial intelligence (AI) models access and use their content. AI Audit allows content creators to see how their content is being used by AI models and take steps to control access. Additionally, Cloudflare is working on a pricing feature that will enable creators to set a price for AI companies using their content for model training and retrieval augmented generation (RAG).

Many website owners may not be aware that AI bots are scanning their content frequently, often without the creator’s knowledge or compensation. AI Audit is designed to give control back to content owners, allowing them to block AI bots, access analytics on content usage, and negotiate agreements for the use of their content by AI models.

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