Technology

A major report on the state of the AI industry has revealed some key insights into potential problems for companies and the industry at large as its growth continues to boom following the release of ChatGPT and other AI models. 

WEKA, commissioned by S&P Global Market Intelligence, recently released its 2024 Global Trends in AI report, surveying over 1,500 different tech executives and decision-makers on underlying trends across a broad range of topics. 

Some of the most interesting insights related to the supply of AI-capable GPUs, almost all of which are made by Nvidia, although companies like AMD, as well as start-ups, are gaining some ground. 

The main takeaway, as per WEKA, is that AI applications are "now pervasive in the enterprise", which is probably something most employees can feel already. However, scaling these AI apps is often tricky, mostly due to legacy data architectures. 

Generative AI has also taken organisations by storm, with the report noting 88% of organizations are "now actively investigating generative AI, far outstripping other AI applications such as prediction models (61%), classification (51%), expert systems (39%) and robotics (30%)." 

Nvidia, the corporate world needs you

(Image credit: Nvidia)

High-end GPUs are, naturally, a big focus of the report – having the raw power is fundamental to being able to actually do anything with many AI applications. 

"Hyperscaler public clouds are one pathway to GPUs, but many are also turning to specialist AI clouds," it notes. "GPU clouds are emerging as a key venue for both training – employed by almost a third, 32% of organizations – and inference, 31%."

All of this interest means that orders for Nvidia chips are only getting bigger. 

Interesting, WEKA highlights the issue of GPU scarcity in a number of major Asia-Pacific economies, including India. "India, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Australia are more likely to rank GPU availability among their top three challenges to bringing a model into production," says the report authors. 

"One of the most striking takeaways from our 2024 Trends In AI study is the astonishing rate of change that’s taken place since the onset of ChatGPT 3 and the first wave of generative AI models reached the market in early 2023," principal research analyst John Abbott told Blocks & Files. 

"In less than two years, generative AI adoption has eclipsed all other AI applications in the enterprise, defining a new cohort of AI leaders and shaping an emergent market of specialty AI and GPU cloud providers."

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The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, the second animated film set in Netflix's Witcher-Verse, won't be releasing this year after all.

Announced in a Geeked Week 2024 video starring voice actor Doug Cockle, who reprises his iconic role as Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher videogame series in the forthcoming film, Sirens of the Deep won't arrive before 2024 ends. Instead, it'll now aim to cast a spell on viewers worldwide on February 11, 2025.

The movie's official release date was revealed alongside a new clip, which shows Geralt and Jaskier, another fan-favorite character from The Witcher, enjoying a meal by a campfire as they discuss Essi, a rival bard and friend of Jaskier's.

Sirens of the Deep was expected to launch on the world's best streaming service sometime in late 2024. Indeed, Netflix said as much upon The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep's official unveiling last November, but the streaming titan has, for reasons unknown, handed the adult animated flick a revised launch date.

For anyone who needs to know, Sirens of the Deep is based on 'A Little Sacrifice', a short story companion piece to Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher book series that expands on Geralt's adventures across The Continent. Per a Netflix press blast that was released alongside the movie's official announcement in late 2023, it'll see the famous monster hunter "investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village" before Geralt "finds himself drawn into a centuries-old conflict between humans and merpeople". It'll be up to everyone's favorite mutant, and allies old and new, to prevent all-out war erupting between the land-dwelling and sea-faring kingdoms. 

Joining Cockle on the voice cast roster is Christina Wren (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), who'll voice Essi. Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra, who play Jaskier and Yennefer in Netflix's live-action take on The Witcher novels, will voice their respective characters in Sirens of the Deep, too.

A temporary hiatus for Netflix's flagship fantasy franchise

The Witcher season 4 is in the midst of its filming schedule (Image credit: Netflix)

With The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep not due to launch until early next year, 2024 will be the first proper year where Netflix won't release a new Witcher-Verse project.

Indeed, since The Witcher's first season debuted in late 2019, Netflix's live-action and animated retellings of Sapkowski's adored book series has always delivered something new for new and established fans to enjoy and/or bristle with frustration over. The aforementioned debut of one of the best Netflix shows notwithstanding, 2021 saw The Witcher season 2 and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf unleashed on the world, 2022 gave us the critically-panned The Witcher: Blood Origin, and 2023 saw fans bid farewell to Henry Cavill after his final outing as Geralt in The Witcher season 3.

2020 was the only other year when a new Witcher production didn't see the light of day, but there were mitigating circumstances, with the pandemic heavily impacting season 2's development. If not for Covid-19, then, Netflix likely would've released a new season or standalone production, every year for the past five years.

As it stands, with Sirens of the Deep not releasing until February 2025, The Witcher season 4 in the middle of its development cycle, and The Rats' live-action spin-off being cancelled, there'll be no Continent-based jaunts for viewers to check out. Still, with The Witcher suffering from diminishing returns on the critical and commercial front, taking a year off may be a blessing in disguise. After all, thanks to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Marvel was forced to reduce its output in 2024, and look at how the MCU's flagging fortunes have turned around as a result. Why can't Netflix's Witcher-Verse enjoy a similar renaissance period in 2025 with Sirens of the Deep and, if it's ready, The Witcher season 4?

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The US government has initiated a new round of sanctions against commercial spyware makers and their organizations.

In a press release published by the US Department of the Treasury, the country's government outlined further punishments on Intellexa executives, associates, and organizations that were part of the consortium.

In March 2024, the US government sanctioned Intellexa Consortium, a company that developed and sold the notorious Predator spyware. The group consists of Intellexa S.A. (Greece), Intellexa Limited (Ireland), Cytrox AD (North Macedonia), Cytrox Holdings ZRT (Hungary), and Thalestris Limited (Ireland).

Executives and firms

Predator is a piece of commercial spyware that grants access to data stored and transmitted from target devices such as smartphones. It is a potent piece of malware that works without victim interaction, and was allegedly often sold to authoritarian governments targeting political opponents, dissidents, journalists, human rights activists, and similar individuals.

At the time, the US government also sanctioned the group’s founder, Tal Jonathan Dilian, as well as Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a corporate off-shoring specialist providing managerial services. This week, five new people were added to the list, and another company.

The people are Felix Bitzios (an owner of a company that supplied Predator to an unnamed foreign country), Merom Harpaz and Panagiota Karaoli (top executives in the consortium), Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi (the beneficial owner of Thalestris Limited and Intellexa Limited, members of the Intellexa Consortium), and Artemis Artemiou (Artemiou) (general manager and member of the board of Cytrox Holdings Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag).

Among the sanctioned entities is now Aliada Group, a British Virgin Islands-based company and member of the Intellexa Consortium. The Treasury claims this form enabled “tens of millions of dollars of transactions involving the network”.

“The United States will not tolerate the reckless propagation of disruptive technologies that threatens our national security and undermines the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. “We will continue to hold accountable those that seek to enable the proliferation of exploitative technologies, while also encouraging the responsible development of technologies that align with international standards.”

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As part of its LogiPlay 2024 event, gaming hardware brand Logitech G has unveiled a new line of Racing Series products. This collection of sim racer gear includes a new wheel hub, a range of customizable wheels, and more.

The most significant new arrival is the Logitech G RS Wheel Hub, which is designed for versatility and wide compatibility with a range of racing titles. It features customizable RGB lighting and adjustable gear shifters and is compatible with any wheels from the Racing Series in addition to some newly announced Logitech G x Momo steering wheels.

There will be a dedicated PC version of the Logitech G RS Wheel Hub that will cost $129.99 / around £100 and an Xbox and PC variant that will come in at a slightly more expensive $149.99 / around £115. Logitech G states that both versions of the RS Wheel Hub will also function on other platforms depending on the compatibility of the Wheel Base that they are attached to.

The Logitech G RS Track Wheel has also been announced, a lightweight wheel that is compatible with the Logitech G RS Wheel Hub out of the box. It features an ergonomic design fashioned from aluminum and TPU with a breathable grip pattern that is ideal for endurance and performance over lengthy races.

Those who prefer a more traditional wheel shape should take note of the Logitech G RS Round Wheel. As the name would suggest, this new wheel is round and designed for virtual rally racing. It is constructed using silicone leather and lightweight aluminum and is also compatible with the Logitech G RS Wheel Hub. Both the Logitech G RS Track Wheel and Logitech G RS Round Wheel will cost $69.99 / around £55.

Of course, no setup would be complete without a gear shifter and handbrake. The new Logitech G RS Shifter & Handbrake offers seamless two-in-one switching that allows you to alternate between sequential shifter and handbrake functions. It also comes with a range of mounting options and a height-adjustable handle to make it easier to position comfortably.

Two can be paired for use as a separate dedicated shifter and handbrake, which seems ideal for those craving the most realistic possible feel. The Logitech G RS Shifter & Handbrake will be the most expensive entry in the Racing Series, coming in at $149.99 / £129.99.

Finally, the brand has also announced the Logitech G RS QR adapter. This adapter is compatible with a range of Logitech G Pro racing bases and, according to the manufacturer, almost any steering wheel option. It allows you to use the vast majority of 70mm and 50.8mm PCD steering wheels with your PC, giving you total customizability and control over your setup. It will cost $59.99 / around £45.

All products in the Racing Series will be available on September 17 via the Logitech G website. Although far from cheap, many Logitech G products rank among some of the best racing wheels and best Xbox racing wheels on the market right now so these new peripherals are well worth keeping an eye on.

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As part of this year’s Logi Play 2024 event, gaming hardware manufacturer Logitech G has unveiled the Astro A50 Gen 5, a brand new multi-platform gaming headset.

Joining the existing Astro A50 X, the Astro A50 5th Generation Wireless Gaming Headset and Base Station is intended as a streamlined alternative with many of the same premium features. This includes Playsync Audio, which allows for seamless platform switching via a USB-C connection to the headset’s charging base station. The Astro A50 X, in contrast, offers both audio and HDMI video switching together.

The Astro A50 Gen 5 boasts Pro-G Graphene audio drivers, which are also found in the Astro A50 X. I was very impressed with the audio quality of that latter headset in my Astro A50 X review, so this is definitely a good sign. This is in addition to a 48 kHz high-resolution microphone for more clear communication and, potentially, even livestreaming.

In terms of overall design, the Astro A50 Gen 5 looks an awful lot like the Astro A50 X albeit minus the HDMI ports on its base station. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as the Astro A50 X feels robust and is incredibly comfortable to wear thanks to its impressively soft memory foam ear cushions. The Astro A50 Gen 5 does introduce some small red highlights, though, which gives it some distinct flair.

Regarding the reveal of the headset, head of marketing for console and cloud at Logitech G Gabriel Whyel said that “the A50 X has quickly become a fan favorite thanks to its beloved design, premium sound, and advanced Playsync audio and video switching technology for the ultimate living room gaming experience. Our new A50 Gen 5 features Playsync audio that focuses on 3-system audio switching via USB, perfect for multi-platform gamers who have their consoles and PC connected to one or more monitors.”

The Astro A50 Gen 5 is compatible with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Up to three systems are supported simultaneously and can be switched between in an instant via a button on the headset, which sounds incredibly convenient.

The headset is available to pre-order now via the Logitech G website and costs $299.99 / £299.99, putting it significantly below the $379.99 / £359 price tag of the Astro A50 X.

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Gaming hardware brand Logitech G has announced a new multi-year partnership to produce an official Genshin Impact PC gaming line of products at Logi Play 2024. The initial line up includes a number of special edition gaming mice with designs inspired by various Genshin Impact characters.

The first of these to arrive will be a Logitech G309 Lightspeed gaming mouse with a special design based on the icy and majestic Kamisato Ayaka. It’s an eye-catching combination of a white palm grip and pink side buttons, with art of the character and a blue background pattern printed prominently on the main mouse buttons.

Some little details, like a small pink print of the character's name, really elevate the overall look. It features all the bells and whistles of the regular Logitech G309 Lightspeed too, such as its Lightforce hybrid switches, a 600+ hour battery life in Bluetooth mode, and the ability to save up to five on board profiles.

Pre-orders for the mouse are available now via Amazon for $79.99 in the US with shipping expected towards the end of the month. As someone with an entirely blue and pink PC setup, this has already shot straight to the top of my wishlist.

Three new G305 Lightspeed models have also been announced and are expected to arrive early next year. Each is white, with a colorful character print on the main mouse buttons. This includes a baby blue Sayu design, an orange Thoma design, and, my personal favorite, a fiery red Shikanoin Heizou design.

There are also even more Genshin Impact products on the horizon, including headsets, keyboards, and keyboard and mouse bundles.

Regarding the collaboration, vice president of global business development at Genshin Impact developer HoYoverse Fish Ling said that “we are excited to work with Logitech G as both teams share the passion for gaming and technology, and pay great attention to detail.”

“With reliable technology from Logitech G and delicate designs inspired by our beloved Genshin Impact characters,” he continued, “we hope the official Genshin Impact gear can be a helpful companion during the daily and Teyvat adventure for our fans and gamers.”

Alongside this announcement, an update has also been released for the Logitech G Cloud handheld which has enabled built-in controller compatibility in Genshin Impact.

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Toshiba has announced its Mx11 family of hard disk drives, aiming to challenge the dominance of Western Digital and Seagate in the high-capacity storage market.

The new Mx11 series includes the MG11, offering up to 24TB using conventional magnetic recording (CMR), and the MA11, which reaches 28TB with shingled magnetic recording (SMR).

Both models are designed to address the growing demand for storage in data centers and enterprise environments. Featuring a 10-disk, helium-sealed design and operating at 7,200rpm, Toshiba claims these drives offer improved storage density and energy efficiency.

Stiff competition

The MG11 supports cloud, data center, and video applications with options for a 6Gbps SATA or 12Gbps SAS interface, and advanced security features such as sanitize instant erase (SIE) and self-encrypting drives (SED). Built with Toshiba’s FC-MAMR technology, the MG11 is designed for higher density and power efficiency. Engineered for 24/7 reliability, it features a 1GiB buffer, a workload rating of 550TB per year, and an MTTF of 2.5 million hours. With a 9% improvement in sustained transfer speeds, reaching up to 295MiB/s, it is ideal for fast, high-capacity storage applications.

The MA11, focused on higher capacity, achieves up to 28TB per disk by using shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology. This allows for overlapping tracks on the disk to increase storage density, making the 28TB drive especially suitable for data centers with software optimized for SMR. Like the MG11, the MA11 is available with a 6Gbps SATA interface and self-encrypting drive options for enhanced security.

“Backed by 50 years of continuous HDD innovation, the Mx11 Series delivers new levels of capacity and total cost of ownership (TCO) efficiency, enabling customers to optimize operational costs while expanding their data center infrastructure,” said Larry Martinez-Palomo, Vice President and Head of the Storage Products Division at Toshiba.

Despite the impressive specifications, Toshiba faces stiff competition. Seagate offers the Exos X26z, a 25TB host-managed shingled magnetic recording (HM-SMR) unit, and the Exos Mozaic 3+, a 30TB HDD. Western Digital's offerings include the 24TB WD Gold Enterprise class SATA HDD, as well as 26TB, 27TB, and 28TB models in its Ultrastar DC HC680 range. Larger models are already being developed.

Shipments for the MG11 Series are set to start soon, with the MA11 expected to be available by the end of 2024.

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