Kalakshar US

Buried in the blog posts and videos that accompanied Google’s The Android Show: I/O Edition announcements was a nugget of Nothing news: The Nothing Phone 3 is going to be expensive. In an Android marketing video showcasing the company’s phones, Nothing CEO Carl Pei shared that the new phone will cost around £800 when it launches this summer.

That new cost is thanks to Nothing’s decision to go “all-in” on the new device by including “premium materials, major performance upgrades and software that really levels things up,” according to Pei. The Nothing Phone 2 launched at £580 in the UK and $600 in the US, so selling the Phone 3 at £800 is a noticeable price jump. Assuming Nothing follows through on the premium upgrades it’s promising, though, maybe it’ll make sense that the Phone 3 costs as much as a Pixel 9 or iPhone 16.

Nothing made its name on affordable phones that have unique, premium designs. For example, the company launched the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro in March 2025, the budget and mid-range counterparts to the Phone 3. Both phones use mid-range chips and camera sensors, but feature a futuristic design and clever AI features that you’d expect out of a much more expensive device.

Switching to trying to compete with Apple and Samsung in terms of price suggests Nothing is confident, at the very least. We’ll have to wait until this summer when the Phone 3 is actually released to see if that confidence is justified.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/carl-pei-teases-the-all-in-nothing-phone-3-with-a-flagship-price-213023983.html?src=rss 

A conservation program in Kenya that tech companies like Netflix and Meta rely on for carbon credits is in conflict with local herders, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The issue led to the program run by The Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project to be put on hold, and could ultimately invalidate credits the organization has already sold.

This specific carbon capture program uses grass spread across 4.7 million acres of land communally owned by groups like the Maasai, to trap carbon in the soil. The project gets to use the land, and in exchange, the herders get a portion of the revenue from carbon credit sales. The issue that’s put the whole program at risk is a conflict over the herders’ farming practices. The local agricultural community has used the same grazing techniques for generations without issue, but the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project wants them to “rotate livestock grazing so grasses can recover and lock more carbon into the soil,” The Wall Street Journal writes. Some herders frustrated with the rules have gone as far as to claim that they were misled when they originally agreed to participate in the conservation program.

Many tech companies rely on purchasing carbon credits to help offset the negative environmental impacts of rapid technological development. You don’t get to run servers streaming movies or training AI models 24 hours a day without consuming a lot of electricity and water. Carbon offset projects plant trees or run agricultural programs like the one in Kenya to pull carbon from the atmosphere, selling credits to companies to absolve them of their sins. 

Clearly, these carbon projects haven’t always been actually beneficial for the people who live on the land they impact. The Wall Street Journal report is worth a read and gets into what the fallout of all of this could be, but at the very least, tech companies’ branding themselves as “carbon neutral” seems like its going to get trickier.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/one-of-the-tech-industrys-sources-of-carbon-credits-is-in-conflict-with-kenyan-herders-201056081.html?src=rss 

President Donald Trump‘s administration has undone one of the last regulations set by his predecessor. Today, the Department of Commerce rescinded the AI Diffusion Rule implemented by former President Joe Biden, a policy that restricted the export of US-made AI chips to select international markets. The rule was introduced by Biden’s administration in January and slated to take effect on May 15. Trump had previously walked back the broader AI guidelines adopted by Biden in October 2023 as part of his initial wave of executive orders upon taking office.

Although the Department of Commerce is not enforcing the previous AI Diffusion Rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security said it will release a replacement policy at a later date. The press release included three additional actions from the BIS: 

“Issuing guidance that using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world violates US export controls.

“Issuing guidance warning the public about the potential consequences of allowing US AI chips to be used for training and inference of Chinese AI models.

“Issuing guidance to US companies on how to protect supply chains against diversion tactics.”

This sector may become increasingly relevant to the US’s international affairs, including ongoing tariff negotiations with China and potential deals in the Middle East. NVIDIA may be the bellwether for the current administration’s approach to the exports of AI infrastructure. The company revealed last month that the federal government is requiring a license for the export its H20 chips to some regions, including China, Macau, Hong Kong and countries designated as D:5 under the US Arms Embargo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/president-bidens-rule-restricting-us-ai-chip-exports-has-been-rescinded-183935847.html?src=rss 

TikTok hasn’t shoved generative AI features into every corner of its app the way Meta has with Instagram, but the company has still experimented with the tech in some interesting — if slightly unsettling — ways. Now, TikTok is introducing a new AI-powered feature that feels even more meme-worthy. It’s called AI Alive and it allows users to create short, stylized video clips from a static image.

Right now, the feature only exists for TikTok’s Stories feature, so it’s meant for more ephemeral sharing than what you might typically post on the app. You start with a still image Stories post (accessed from the app’s inbox) and choose the new “AI Alive” option, which prompts you to “make this photo come alive.” TikTok will surface suggested prompts, but you can also come up with your own.

You can see the feature in action in the video below. In all three cases, I started with an image of my cat standing on a railing and used prompts suggested by TikTok. The first was “bring this to life as an anime,” the second was for him to walk “carefully” along the railing and the last was “style this like a retro game.”

As you can see in the clip, the results were somewhat mixed. The anime-esque effect came out a bit creepy and erased my cat’s tabby stripes, though I suppose it more or less aligned with the prompt. The second animation also looks a bit odd: there are numerous AI artifacts and my cat’s tail and paws look unnatural. The final “retro game” style clip, though, is downright baffling. Why did TikTok’s AI decide that my cat should hold up two comically huge wine glasses? Nothing about it evokes any video game I’ve ever played.

Still, like many generative AI features, it’s a fun novelty and I can see TikTok users having a lot of fun coming up with their own, probably bizarre, creations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-just-added-an-ai-powered-image-to-video-feature-and-it-did-some-weird-things-to-my-cat-184630740.html?src=rss 

The adventure game Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has been delayed until 2026, according to a statement by publisher Skydance Games. The title was supposed to come out sometime this year.

What’s the reason for the delay? The publisher says it’s to “add more polish,” which is never a bad thing. I’d rather a fully-finished game upon release than a buggy mess. The company does say it’ll be available in the early part of 2026, so that isn’t too long to wait. Still, it’s disappointing news for eager Marvel fans.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is a narrative-driven adventure game with four playable characters, including long-time icons like Black Panther and Captain America. As the name suggests, it’s set during World War II in occupied Paris.

It’s being developed by Amy Hennig and her new studio, which is a subsidiary of Skydance. If her name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s best known for being a creative director and writer at Naughty Dog. Hennig was the lead writer on all three Uncharted games and was creative director for the Legacy of Kain franchise. She’s got a fantastic pedigree, so this new Marvel game could be a heavy hitter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amy-hennigs-marvel-1943-rise-of-hydra-is-delayed-to-2026-185945301.html?src=rss 

YouTube will be streaming an exclusive NFL game in its entirety for free worldwide for the first time ever. After becoming the official home of NFL Sunday Ticket in 2023, YouTube has been pushing to expand its reach in the high-stakes, multibillion-dollar world of NFL coverage and broadcast rights. 

The Google-owned streaming company has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast one of the NFL’s opening week games on Friday September 5 live from Brazil. The São Paulo spectacle will take place the day after the Thursday night NFL KickOff game between the Eagles and the Cowboys. The 2025 NFL regular season will feature seven international games, a record for the league.

In an NFL press release, YouTube’s chief business officer Mary Ellen Choe said, “Streaming the Friday night game to fans for free around the world will mark YouTube’s first time as a live NFL broadcaster – and we’ll do it in a way that only YouTube can, with an interactive viewing experience and creators right at the center of the experience.”

Last year, fellow streaming giant Netflix streamed its first live NFL games on Christmas Day as part of a three-year deal with the league, though Netflix doesn’t have a NFL specific product to sell its customers like YouTube has with NFL Sunday Ticket.

In the press release announcing YouTube’s coverage of Week 1 from Brazil, Mary Ellen Choe discussed the reach of NFL games on YouTube, saying, “Last year, people spent over 350 million hours watching official NFL content on YouTube, so it’s both fitting and thrilling to continue to build our relationship with our partners at the NFL.”

This expanded partnership comes against the backdrop of other team-ups between YouTube and the NFL aside from NFL Sunday Ticket, namely a multi-year deal for the annual Super Bowl Flag Football game as well as additional international flag football games.

The exact cost for the broadcast rights to the Brazil game is not known at this time, though it’s known that YouTube is paying over $2 billion per year over a seven-year deal for NFL Sunday Ticket.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-will-exclusively-stream-an-nfl-game-for-free-191519460.html?src=rss 

The UK’s House of Lords just voted to add an amendment to a data bill that mandates that tech companies disclose which copyright-protected works were used to train AI models, as reported by The Guardian. The amendment faced government opposition but resoundingly passed with 272 votes to 125.

The vote came just a few days after hundreds of artists and organizations joined together to urge the government not to “give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies.” The artists involved in this push included Paul McCartney, Elton John and Dua Lipa, among many others.

The government’s preferred position has been a provision that would force copyright holders to formally opt-out of being used to train AI models. Critics say this would be impractical and unworkable for many artists. The bill will now return to the House of Commons for another vote. If today’s amendment is removed, it will likely lead to another confrontation with the House of Lords.

“The House of Lords has once again taken the right decision by voting to establish vital transparency obligations for AI companies,” Sophie Jones, chief strategist for the British Phonographic Industry, told Billboard. “Transparency is crucial in ensuring that the creative industries can retain control over how their works are used.”

This isn’t the first time the House of Lords has demanded tech companies make clear whether they have used copyright-protected material when training AI models. Back in January, the body voted 145 to 126 in favor of adding amendments to the bill aimed at strengthening copyright protections.

“Creators do not deny the creative and economic value of AI, but we do deny the assertion that we should have to build AI for free with our work, and then rent it back from those who stole it,” Baroness Beeban Kidron of the House of Lords said during a debate before this week’s vote.

There are some signs that Prime Minister Starmer is backing off the proposed “opt-out” idea that would force creators to petition AI companies not to use their work. The government recently added its own amendments to the data bill that include a commitment to conduct an economic impact assessment and to publish reports on transparency with regard to licensing. Technology secretary Peter Kyle has been looking into a new proposal that would, instead, create a licensing system for copyright holders and AI developers, according to a report by The Telegraph.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-uks-house-of-lords-kicks-back-bill-that-let-ai-train-on-copyrighted-content-181540558.html?src=rss 

In an increasingly competitive EV landscape, Toyota hopes its newly redesigned and renamed Toyota bZ can stand out. As brands from Subaru to Volkswagen continue to expand all-electric offerings, Toyota is placing its bets on a single EV model for the American market.

The change in name may be partly in hopes of distancing the new model in consumers’ minds from the original bZ4X, which began stateside sales in 2022, only to be met with recalls and buybacks.

Toyota, for its part, states in a press release that the branding change is just “simplifying the name for customers.” Toyota is hoping for a fresh start and has brought several key improvements to the table.

The new bZ will have an estimated range of 314 miles, up from just 252 in the previous model. There is also a significant horsepower boost for all-wheel drive models, reaching 338 hp, and a modest 20-hp boost for front-wheel drive models, measuring in at 221 hp.

This model will come equipped with the now-standardized North American Charging Standard (NACS) outlet, first developed by Tesla. This brings fast-charging capability to the new bZ, which Toyota says will allow it to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 30 minutes.

Toyota has also brought a number of other improved creature comforts and new features to this second-gen model including an updated X‑MODE system with Grip‑Control for improved off‑road traction.

The bZ’s price at launch is set to be somewhere between $37,000 and $42,000, depending on the trim and configuration. This positions the model to compete with other smaller all-electric SUVs like the Tesla Model Y.

Toyota expects the new bZ to begin arriving at Toyota dealerships in the back half of 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/toyota-hopes-for-a-smoother-start-with-its-redesigned-bz-all-electric-suv-182426253.html?src=rss