Robotics

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWindows 11 has been around for a few years now, and if you were an early adopter like I was, there’s a good chance your computer has slowed down significantly since then. There are several reasons why a device’s performance may plummet. It could be the result of too many apps taking up resources, unoptimized settings, or even a virus infecting the hardware. The easiest thing you can do in the short term is restart your computer. A simple reboot restores the RAM and re-establishes connections.Also: The ultimate Windows 11 upgrade guide: Everything you need to knowBut to enjoy improved performance over the long term, you’ll need to alter how your computer operates. The advice I’m about to give you is all the things you can do right now to enhance your Windows 11 experience. And you won’t need to go into a device’s BIOS or download some random app from an unverified source; these changes can be made right from the system menus.1. Download the latest updates More

ZDNETIBM is zooming along with new open-source Granite Large Language Models (LLM) releases every few months. Granite 3.1  is the latest generation model, building upon the success of Granite 3.0. The model offers enhanced capabilities and performance optimized for business applications.Also: Gemini Advanced users can now access Google’s most experimental modelThe family of Granite 3.1 models boasts an impressive 128K token context window, a substantial increase from their predecessors. This expansion allows the models to process and understand much larger amounts of text — equivalent to approximately 85,000 English words — enabling more comprehensive analysis and generation tasks. By comparison, OpenAI’s ChatGPT 3, which ignited the AI revolution, could handle only 2,000 tokens.Outperforming the competitionBig Blue claims its new Granite 8B Instruct model outperforms its rivals, such as Google Gemma 2, Meta Llama 3.1, and Qwen 2.5, on HuggingFace’s OpenLLM Leaderboard benchmarks.Also: Want generative AI LLMs integrated with your business data? You need RAGThe Granite 3.1 family includes dense models and Mixture of Experts (MoE) variants. IBM states its Granite 2B and 8B models are text-only dense LLMs trained on over 12 trillion data tokens. The dense models are designed to support tool-based use cases and for retrieval augmented generation (RAG), streamlining code generation, translation, and bug fixing.The MoE models are trained on over 10 trillion tokens of data. IBM claims these models are ideal for deployment in on-device applications with low latency. More

@Tyra__Lynn (TikTok)/ZDNETA viral trend is currently sweeping TikTok, where people are revisiting the past by looking up old versions of their homes through Google Street View. As they do, many are spotting long-gone family members on front porches or mowing the lawn, catching glimpses of their younger selves riding a bike in the driveway, or seeing beloved trees that were cut down years ago. Also: Google Maps adds more incident reports to your drive, thanks to Waze usersWhile this Google Maps feature isn’t new, it has become an emotional and nostalgic internet sensation — inspiring others to open the app and see what moments were captured in past years by Street View cars quietly passing their homes. How to find old Google Maps Street View images of your home Google Maps makes it easy to see images of your home from the past, thanks to a “See More Dates” feature in Street View. If you’re ready to join this TikTok trend and look at old photos of your house from as far back as 2007, here’s a step-by-step guide. More

Adam Breeden/ZDNETFire TV users with impairments that limit their hearing or vision might soon find life easier thanks to some new features from Amazon.Amazon has introduced three new features to make Fire TVs more accessible for people with disabilities.Also: Turn your AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids: Testing and tracking hearing healthFirst up is an expansion of Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA). Amazon Fire devices already support ASHA, which lets you send TV audio directly to your hearing aids. But now, Amazon is adding a feature called Dual Audio, which allows users to listen to audio from the set’s built-in speakers and audio sent to a hearing aid simultaneously, meaning everyone can listen together.  More

10’000 Hours/Getty Images The holiday season is an opportunity to unwind and relax with family and friends. Everyone should step away from the daily grind and forget about work sometimes. However, mental fatigue remains a big issue — especially at this time of year. What’s more, research suggests it has a measurable effect on behavior, […] More

Yaroslav Kushta/Getty Images With the year coming to an end, Google has been on an AI launch streak, releasing Veo 2, Whisk, a redesign of Google Labs, Project Mariner, and more. One of the biggest standouts was its Gemini 2.0 family of models, and users can get started with it today.  Also: You can interview […] More

Sabrina/ZDNETInstagram has introduced several major changes and updates during the last few months, including new features and privacy protections.A couple of months ago, the social media site announced profile cards: Users no longer need to type in handle names to find a mutual or new connection; now you can set up a profile card that makes you easily findable with a custom QR code. Also: Instagram just beat TikTok to new feature creators will loveThe new feature is not unlike how digital payment apps, such as Venmo and Cash App, enable users to share profiles. Instagram’s version is a two-sided profile card with one side for the scannable QR code and the other side featuring your IG handle, profile picture, short bio, and a song of your choice.Instagram compares the new update to the digital version of a business card that you can design to house contact links and showcase your bio “in one sleek digital package.” It’s a great way to network and “make new connections,” Instagram added, and — by adding a favorite song — to attract new friends with similar interests. More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETThe new year is around the corner, but before we start thinking about all the technology that will emerge in 2025, let’s take a look back and remember this year’s greatest hits. I spend 40 hours a week testing products, writing reviews, and curating best lists (like the one you’re about to read). To compile a list of the best products released in 2024, I considered a few things. The first is my pure enjoyment of the product; that is, how badly did I want to continue using it — even after testing ended? Also: Everything you need to host a holiday partyThe second is how transformative or innovative the product is in its respective space — like sleep tech, health tech, or audio tech. The third is how value-packed the product is for its price. Sure, a few of these products might be expensive, but I’m including them because this product is the crème de la crème for its price point. This was a big year for wearable health tech, from sleep earbuds that actually put me to sleep to smart rings that track my activity.  But other products, like a great pair of earbuds for working out and a stellar portable speaker, also made the list. Oura Ring 4  More