Technology

The annual UN climate summit has kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan, with lofty goals, but many global leaders missing.

New research suggests early sugar habits can shape our health and maybe our taste for food. Can we change our preferences and palates, even as adults?

All four band members played on Now and Then, thanks to software that pulled John Lennon's voice from an old recording.

If you fly with kids, airport lounge access is a game changer.

This deal is open to Walmart Plus members now, and everyone else starting at 5 p.m. ET tonight.

This early Black Friday deal gets you the Keurig K-Express Essentials for one of the lowest prices we've seen -- and you can get it early only if you're a Walmart Plus member.

North Carolina is a great state if you want to switch to clean energy. It has several great solar panel companies and programs to reduce costs. Here's everything to know about getting solar in the Tar Heel State.

This $75 discount is available to Walmart Plus members now, and everyone else starting at 5 p.m. ET tonight.

There are a few solid internet options in Cheektowaga and we've found the best options for you, including the cheapest and fastest internet available.

Apple appears to be shifting gears on the Vision Pro's production, but it's unclear if that means a new version is on the way.

This early Black Friday sale brings you some of our favorite tools for makers at dramatic discounts.

Columbia residents have some great fiber internet options across the city.

• Samsung's database shows 83-inch QD-OLEDs for 2025
• Some models may use W-OLED panels instead
• Official launches are expected in January 2025

Samsung appears to be planning the launch of its largest-ever QD-OLED TV in 2025 – and it's bringing the tech to its S95 series OLED TVs.

That's according to the famous Samsung leaker... Samsung.

The news comes via Samsung's own parts database, which lists QD-OLED panels of up to 83 inches with 2025 model numbers. The details were originally posted to Reddit, and they've since been corroborated by FlatpanelsHD.

What's coming to Samsung TVs in 2025

QD-OLED is a direct competitor to LG's W-OLED panel tech, and it's currently used in the best OLED TVs such as the Samsung S95D as well as other firms' models, such as the Sony A95L. Until now it's maxed out at 77 inches, so the 83-inch panels in Samsung's database represent a welcome size increase.

According to FlatpanelsHD, the information in the database indicates that the 83-inch Samsung S95F will be available with both QD-OLED and W-OLED – part of a "panel lottery" we've seen this year where it's sometimes unclear what panel is inside a specific Samsung TV. For example, the QN90 QNED TV comes with either a VA LCD panel or an IPS LCD, and there are differences in the contrast levels between each panel kind.

For now, the details of the new TVs only live in the parts database. But if Samsung sticks to its usual schedule we should see its new TV range make its debut at CES 2025 in January, with the inevitable flurry of last-minute leaks in the weeks leading up to that event.

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Available parts include cameras, displays, speakers, back glass and batteries.

• US government agencies speak out about memory-unsafe languages
• C/C++ are a “risk to national security,” the economy, public health and safety
• Developers working with critical infrastructure advised to follow further guidance

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI have advised businesses not to use the popular C and C++ programming languages, citing security concerns.

The joint report, titled ‘Product Security Bad Practices,’ forms part of the CISA’s ‘Secure by Design’ initiative, and hopes to guide software manufacturers away from risky practices when creating products for critical infrastructure.

Using memory-unsafe languages, like C and C++, was highlighted as one of the key threats to security in the report.

CISA and FBI warn against use of C/C++

Described as “dangerous” and a “risk to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety,” the agencies advise against using memory-unsafe languages where memory-safe languages are a viable alternative.

Other recommended action includes publishing a memory safety roadmap by January 1, 2026, detailing steps to address vulnerabilities, particularly for sensitive components, however products with support ending before January 1, 2030 will be exempt from this guidance.

More broadly, a Stack Overflow survey of more than 3,000 UK developers last month revealed that nearly two-thirds (63%) of developers in Britain preferred JavaScript, which is a memory-safe language.

The agencies also highlight some common security oversights, suggesting that companies build products in such a way that they prevent the introduction of SQL injection vulnerabilities and command injection vulnerabilities. The advisory also recommends avoiding using default passwords by requiring the use of secure credentials upon installation.

In terms of ongoing support, the two agencies also call for companies to issue CVEs in a “timely manner,” particularly for critical and high-impact vulnerabilities, whether they are discovered internally or by a third party.

Full details of the advisory can be found on the CISA’s website.

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I heard it before I saw it: a big black van emblazoned with that all-too-familiar Amazon grin. It wasn't the sizeable van's engine. No, I heard some unidentifiable 80s hair band rock blaring from the van's expansive cabin.

My wife and I, who were on one of our daily walks, paused to gawk at the van, one of a handful that had started showing up in my neighborhood over the last month or so. Though as big as a UPS truck, these Rivian-built vans cruise silently through our streets, delivering on a promise Amazon made in June to launch a fleet of 15,000 electric delivery vans across the US (it's also rolling EV delivering trucks out in Europe), with the ultimate goal of seeding at least 100,000 such vans. The company currently has at least 90,000 gas-powered vehicles delivering your precious packages.

Amazon isn't alone in its efforts to remove fossil fuel-guzzling delivery trucks from the road. The United States Postal Service unveiled its fleet of EVs in January and planned to start using them in Georgia. The rollout didn't really get underway, though, until September.

UPS, which claims to have been driving EVs for almost a century, reports over 18,000 "alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles" on the road.

Amazon and UPS have reported building out charging networks to support these growing EV fleets, though.

These efforts matter because some estimates put the number of holiday package deliveries in the billions, and that's just for the USPS.

A shift to electric is unlikely to impact the speed of your Black Friday and holiday gift deliveries, but the long-term impact on the environment might be measurable. A 2015 study reported that medium- and heavy-duty delivery trucks account for 30% of all pollution produced by vehicles.

A sound decision

I thought about some of this as I reflected on the still-shiny delivery van before us, admiring the tall, narrow build, low-slung chassis and surprisingly small wheels. We were about to move on when a voice from behind us called out, "Pretty cool, huh?"

We spun around to find a young, bearded Amazon delivery guy who seemed as excited about his truck as we were interested (and maybe a bit confused by his music choice).

He told us it was electric and like driving the future. "It has cameras all around."

In addition to electric motors, these Rivian vans are packed with cutting-edge features like automatic braking, collision warnings, automatic doors that open as the driver approaches, and a nice large display next to the steering wheel as a viewport for all those cameras.

I smiled and wondered how soon he might hop back in and drive his music out of my neighborhood, but it turned out there was a method to his madness.

I remarked at how quiet these vehicles were, perhaps in part to obliquely tell him that his music was breaking that silence. The delivery guy smiled back at me and said, "Yeah, that's why I blast my music." No one hears me coming. I've been right behind people, and they have no idea."

With that, the driver waved goodbye, hopped back into his future-leaning delivery truck, and silently sped away (with his music still playing, of course).

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With the frequency of identity theft incidents rising worldwide, NordVPN has decided to expand its cybersecurity empire with a new ID theft protection tool. This tool will help you protect your identity online and recover from any losses or damages.

NordProtect is currently available for all NordVPN Prime users in the US only. The provider expects to unveil further support and a standalone product in the first half of 2025.

NordProtect: what is it and why you should use it?

As Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect, explains, you can have all of the necessary cybersecurity tools installed, but just one careless click can give cyber criminals your identity.

He said: "Here’s when NordProtect comes to the rescue by recovering and restoring lost identity assets.”

NordProtect is an all-round ID theft protection service that includes:

• Identity recovery and restoration. You can receive up to $1M to cover identity theft recovery costs, including legal costs or lost wages. To do so, NordProtect connects you with an identity restoration case manager who will assist you with everything you need to recover from identity theft.
• Secure credit monitoring. NordProtect also makes sure you are notified about any suspicious credit activity while sharing an individual credit score report each month.
• 24/7 dark web monitoring. This feature ensures you are receiving alerts if your credentials, phone numbers, social security numbers (SSNs), or other identity assets have been leaked.
• Cyber extortion protection. You have up to $100,000 to use for covering expert assistance and payments in response to cyber threats. These include deleting or releasing your stolen information as well as restricting access to your data or smart devices.

"Identity theft is a global problem, and its frequency is on the rise, which is why enhancing current features and adding new tools to NordProtect is a continuous effort,” said Sinicki.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Future)

NordVPN was recently confirmed, yet again, as TechRadar's top VPN choice following a new successful round of testing. Reviewers were especially impressed by its impeccable speeds and unblocking results, coupled with numerous improvements across different platforms.

In 2024, data breaches have grown in size and frequency, with many incidents targeting consumers' data. In May, over 500 million users' data was put up for sale online when Ticketmaster was breached in one of the biggest incidents of the year.

Other statistics also show the rise in identity theft, with over 550 million reported cases in the US through the first half of the year alone.

Hence, the need for diversified cybersecurity protection has become increasingly relevant. NordProtect is just the last tool developed by the provider to give you more control over your most sensitive information.

Today's release expands on the work started in December last year with the launch of cyber insurance plans for the UK and US markets. In 2024, the security company also released a global eSIM card, Saily, and NordStellar, a threat exposure management solution for businesses.

NordProtect is currently available only for people in the US subscribing to NordVPN's Prime subscription, which starts from $7.89 per month. The team is expected to launch NordProtect for other markets and as a standalone product in the first half of 2025. So, if you're not based in the US, stay tuned as more support should come soon.

Incogni, a personal data removal service, is already available alongside the virtual private network and other products with some NordVPN bundles for users worldwide.

Grab a whole new look for the holidays with these stylish, mix and match frames.

• Legendary British TV talk show host Michael Parkinson to return in AI form
• Polish radio station Off Radio Krakow sacks its hosts and uses AI instead
• New Tom Hanks movie Here uses AI to de-age its stars

AI is being used to launch a new podcast from the late, great British TV talk show host Michael Parkinson, who died in 2023 aged 88. While that might sound creepy to some, the project called Virtually Parkinson is being fully backed by Mike Parkinson, the son of the legendary talk show host, and his estate.

Virtually Parkinson has been produced by Deep Fusion Films and will be an 8-part series launching later this year. Each episode will be unscripted, with the guests talking to the AI-generated Parkinson on headphones, as if he was a real person.

Michael Parkinson, known as “Parky”, was a legend of the British talk show scene, most notable for his TV show called simply Parkinson, which launched in 1971 and was a mainstay of British television until 1982. The show was brought back in 1998 and ran until 2004.

You can hear the AI-generated Michael Parkinson talk on a recent episode of ‘The rest is entertainment’ podcast. The fact that this isn’t Michael Parkinson talking is particularly creepy because it sounds just like him. His son however appears to be totally on board with the project. Each episode of the show is signposted to indicate that this is an AI-generated Michael Parkinson talking, so there is no attempt to deceive the listener. Talking to Podnews, Mike Parkinson commented “The podcast is really a tribute to my Dad. I want audiences to marvel at the technology, the cleverness and the cheekiness of the concept, but mostly I want them to remember just how good he was at interviewing and enjoy the nostalgia and happy memories. Through this platform, his legacy can continue, entertaining a new generation of fans.”

The future of podcasts

Earlier this year I wrote about NotebookLM, Google’s podcast generator that produces a complete AI-generated podcast in minutes from analyzing an article or YouTube video. What astounded, and unnerved me, most about Notebook LM was not how it managed to talk knowledgeably about any subject, but how difficult it was to tell that the podcast was completely AI-generated. The presenters sounded completely human. I knew at that point that this was only the beginning of AI podcasting.

While each podcast NotebookLM creates currently has the same two presenters, it’s still early days for its development and surely it won’t be long before a variety of presenters will be available. At that point, you have to start wondering if there’s even a future for humans presenting podcasts, talk shows, and radio shows.

Recently in Poland, the entire presenting team of radio station, Off Radio Krakow, was replaced with AI bots, and the resulting furore actually helped revive the station’s flagging fortunes. The three Gen Z presenters, Emilia, 20, Jakub, 22, and Alex 23 who come complete with pictures on the station’s website are completely AI-generated. The station isn’t limiting AI to the hosts either, it even bagged an interview with Wislawa Szymborska, a Polish cultural icon, recently, even though she died in 2012. Despite the revived fortunes of the station, which previously had hardly any listeners, the backlash to the sacking of human presenters for AI hosts caused the station to abandon its AI experiment in the end.

Character AI can be used to recreate and interact with famous people from any time in history. (Image credit: Character AI) AI killed the video star

AI mimics of human presenters won’t stop with podcasts and talk shows. Chatbot website Character AI has already hit the headlines and drawn some controversy, for its unrestricted ability to let you talk to long-dead historical figures like Socrates and Cleopatra, but also to more modern celebrities, both real and fictional like Steve Jobs and Harry Potter.

As the capabilities of AI video generation continue to improve there has been a lot of speculation about AI replicating actors in movies after their death. One Hollywood star who is not keen to be represented by AI in the afterlife is Robert Downy Jr. The star of the Marvel Avengers and Iron Man franchises recently declared that "I will sue all future executives who make AI replicas of me," during an episode of the On With Kara Swisher podcast.

Currently, it seems that AI is being more commonly used to unsettlingly enhance or manipulate living actors. The $50 million movie Here recently used AI to de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright over a 60-year time period, using AI models that require no additional hardware and show the results during filming. It’s a technology that wouldn’t have been possible three years ago, and that is much more efficient than using costly CGI to de-age actors on a frame-by-frame basis.

There’s a lot of concern from the creative industries, particularly among artists and illustrators, that AI is going to steal or devalue their jobs, as AI image creation becomes better and more realistic, but as Virtually Parkinson and the movie Here has shown, AI can actually be used to create experiences that wouldn’t have been possible before. It remains to be seen if, ethically at least, audiences will be comfortable with them.

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Don't expect these 12-inch screens from LG Display to appear in your living room any time soon.