Half-Life Alyx is now fully playable without VR hardware
Mouse-and-keyboard controls are perfectly functional, despite some compromises. Enlarge / Artist's conception of VR players watching calmly as non-VR players run to finally try Half-Life Alyx for themselves. (credit: Valve).....»»
The Asus ExpertBook P5 proves Lunar Lake laptops aren’t created equal
The Asus ExpertBook P5 is one of the first laptops using Intel's new Core Ultra Series 2. It's not the best representative, though, especially in battery life......»»
IBM opens its quantum-computing stack to third parties
You don't have to use IBM's tools to run software on its quantum processor. Enlarge / The small quantum processor (center) surrounded by cables that carry microwave signals to it, and the refrigeration hardware. (credit: IBM).....»»
The biological marvels of the seabed are being mined to create commercial products—here are the risks
Thousands of genes from deep-sea marine life are being used to create new commercial products ranging from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics. Genes are segments of DNA that provide instructions for making other molecules that are essential for the structu.....»»
Another building block of life can handle Venus" sulfuric acid
Venus is often described as a hellscape. The surface temperature breaches the melting point of lead, and though its atmosphere is dominated by carbon dioxide, it contains enough sulfuric acid to satisfy the comparison with Hades......»»
"Remarkable" marine animal forests found around Wellington"s coast in central New Zealand
Marine animal forests rich in sea life have been found in the shallow waters around Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington......»»
Ailing New Zealand butterfly collector gives away life"s work
A New Zealand enthusiast spent half a century amassing one of the world's largest private butterfly collections. As death nears, he has handed this life's work of 20,000 specimens to a museum......»»
The RTX 5090 will reportedly require 600 watts of power
A well-known hardware leaker is claiming some insane power requirements for the RTX 5090......»»
Genetic rescue for rare red foxes? Research uncovers options to restore Lassen red fox population
A rescue effort can take many forms—a life raft, a firehose, an airlift. For animals whose populations are in decline from inbreeding, genetics itself can be a lifesaver......»»
Citizens" panels help young people with special needs, disabilities make their voices heard on life-affecting policies
A new study shows participating in a citizens' panel can help young people with special educational needs/disabilities to produce new policy ideas about school inclusion. The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Education......»»
Rabbit R1 has just 5,000 active users, as we wait to see Jony Ive’s attempt at AI hardware
Former Apple design chief Jony Ive this week confirmed he’s working Sam Altman on an AI hardware product of some kind, despite the failure of existing products like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1. Humane last month admitted that returns were ex.....»»
"Tamed" molecules for more sustainable catalysts: Chemists succeed in synthesizing a spectacular gallium compound
Catalysts play an important role in the manufacture of many products that we encounter in everyday life—for example in cars for exhaust gas purification or in the chemical industry in the production of fertilizers. Catalysts ensure that these react.....»»
Cretaceous fireflies reveal early evolution of insect bioluminescence
Bioluminescence, the ability of living organisms to emit light, is a fascinating phenomenon observed in various life forms, including deep-sea fish, glowing mushrooms, and fireflies. Fireflies have long captivated people with their enchanting light d.....»»
Canadian auto industry pushes government to ban Chinese software, hardware
Canada’s auto industry is calling on the federal government to follow the lead of its U.S. counterparts in a push to ban Chinese software and hardware used in connected vehicles on American roads......»»
Your Gmail app will soon help protect you from scams
Email scams are an annoying fact of life. Here's how the Gmail app is helping protect you from them......»»
Meta reveals Orion, its first fully holographic AR glasses and ‘neural interface’
At the end of the Meta Connect keynote, Meta shared an exclusive look at its first fully functioning prototype of "Orion" -- fully holographic AR glasses......»»
Apple iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Time for an upgrade?
The iPhone 16 breathes new life into Apple's standard iPhone lineup, but is it a worthy upgrade over the iPhone 15? We walk you through the differences......»»
Review: Intel Lunar Lake CPUs combine good battery life and x86 compatibility
But it's too bad that Intel had to turn to TSMC to make its chips competitive. An Asus Zenbook UX5406S with a Lunar Lake-based Core Ultra 7 258V inside......»»
Meta announces Orion, its first fully functional AR glasses prototype
Meta has shown off Orion: its first fully functional AR glasses protype......»»
How a nearby supernova left its mark on Earth life
When a massive star explodes as a supernova, it does more than release an extraordinary amount of energy. Supernovae explosions are responsible for creating some of the heavy elements, including iron, which is blasted out into space by the explosion......»»
Nuking a huge asteroid could save Earth, lab experiment suggests
Humanity could use a nuclear bomb to deflect a massive, life-threatening asteroid hurtling towards Earth in the future, according to scientists who tested the theory in the laboratory by blasting X-rays at a marble-sized "mock asteroid"......»»