Mars Rover’s Stunning Discovery Suggests Red Planet Was Once A Blue Planet

Mars Rover's Stunning Discovery Suggests Red Planet Was Once A Blue Planet
New data and analysis are rewriting the biography of the Red Planet as evidences suggest that Mars could have held more water (and potential life) than previously thought, where it once hosted a vibrant, blue world dominated by a massive northern ocean.

Delta deposits that appeared on the images of Mars with the coastline. (Credit: ESA/ExoMars,TGO/CaSSIS/Ignatius

ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE7200 Wi-Fi 7 Router Packs Dual Dedicated Gaming Ports

ASUS ROG Strix GS-BE7200 Wi-Fi 7 Router Packs Dual Dedicated Gaming Ports
ASUS is rolling out a new Wi-Fi 7 router with a comparatively subdued design aesthetic from past models we’ve seen, trading the aggressive headcrab design found on the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 we reviewed (as well as some newer models) for more of a block-shaped profile. Make no mistake though, new ROG Strix GS-BE7200 still stands out for a

OnePlus Responds To Bombshell Claim That The Brand Is Being Shut Down

OnePlus Responds To Bombshell Claim That The Brand Is Being Shut Down
The ‘Never Settle’ spirit is facing its most existential crisis yet as reports emerge that OnePlus, the revered flagship killer, is being systematically dismantled by its parent company, Oppo. OnePlus has denied the claims, but signs have been pointing to some kind of downsizing or eventual exit from certain markets.

OnePlus 15 In Sandstorm

The CPU Performance Of The NVIDIA GB10 With The Dell Pro Max vs. AMD Ryzen AI Max+ “Strix Halo”

With the Dell Pro Max GB10 testing at Phoronix we have been focused on the AI performance with its Blackwell GPU as the GB10 superchip was designed for meeting the needs of AI. Many Phoronix readers have also been curious about the GB10’s CPU performance in more traditional Linux workloads. So for those curious about the GB10 CPU performance, here are some Linux benchmarks focused today on the CPU performance and going up against the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 “Strix Halo” within the Framework Desktop.

How to Tap Into a ‘Flow State’ In Your Workouts

My number one hack to consistently exercise is my ability to lose myself in the moment. When the music fades, your doubts quiet, and you’re simply there—fully immersed in the rhythm of your workout—is what psychologists call a “flow state.” And it’s not reserved for marathon runners, or professional dancers, musical geniuses or chess masters, or what have you. Whether you’re lifting weights in your garage, following a YouTube yoga video, or taking a morning jog, tapping into flow can transform your workout from a chore into something genuinely energizing.

What is a flow state?

Flow state, a concept popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes a mental state of complete absorption in an activity. In this state, you’re so focused that everything else—your to-do list, your insecurities, even your sense of time—seems to dissolve. You’re not overthinking each movement or judging your performance. You’re just moving.

“A flow state is experienced when we are in harmony with the breath, the mind, and the body,” says Marcela Christjansen, a yoga teacher and wellness expert at Bay Club. “It is a state that comes and goes and cannot necessarily be manipulated or controlled. Yet, the more you direct and focus your attention, the more this state will seemingly be experienced.” Think of it as the difference between anxiously counting down the minutes left in your workout versus suddenly realizing twenty minutes have passed without you noticing. 

How flow state affects your workouts

When you hit a flow state during exercise, the benefits extend far beyond the session itself. Physically, you may find yourself moving more efficiently, with better form and less perceived effort. Your breathing synchronizes with your movements. Your body seems to know what to do without your conscious mind micromanaging every rep or step.

Mentally, flow creates a kind of meditation in motion. The constant chatter of worry and self-criticism quiets. You’re not thinking about how you look or whether you’re doing it “right”—you’re simply experiencing the workout as it unfolds. A little ironic, but it really feels like a huge weight off your shoulders. 

“It is a moment of being fully with what is, in this case a workout,” Christjansen says. “This flow state is, as I like to say, is like an alchemy—there’s a change within us that makes us feel more alive, more balanced, less preoccupied.” This alchemical transformation is what keeps people like me coming back to their workouts. Flow makes exercise feel intrinsically rewarding rather than something you endure for future benefits.

How to achieve a flow state

While Christjansen says that flow “cannot necessarily be manipulated or controlled,” there are practical steps you can take to create the conditions where flow is more likely to emerge.

Eliminate digital distractions

Your phone is probably the biggest barrier between you and flow. Constant notifications, the temptation to check messages between sets, or even tracking every metric of your workout can keep you in your head rather than in your body.

If you use your phone for music or workout videos, enable Do Not Disturb mode. Better yet, download your playlist or video in advance so you’re not connected to the internet at all. The goal is to create an environment where your attention isn’t constantly being pulled away.

Connect with your breath

Breathing is the bridge between mind and body, and it’s your most reliable anchor to the present moment. Rather than breathing on autopilot, bring conscious awareness to each inhale and exhale.

“You could say that flow state is invited, if you will, as we bring our attention, our focus to the breath, to the sensations in the body, and our senses, really to only and all of what is being experienced in the moment,” Christjansen says. “This way, the mind connects with the body rather than the mind wandering all over the place.”

Notice the pace of your breath. Is it quick and shallow or deep and steady? Notice the texture—is it smooth or ragged? You don’t need to change anything; simply observing creates the connection that invites flow.

Be in the moment

Flow emerges when you’re fully engaged with sensory experience rather than lost in thought. This means actively directing your attention to what you’re actually experiencing (as opposed to what you’re thinking about experiencing).

“A flow state asks for concentration therefore, to enter and then stay longer in a flow state it is a good idea to practice mindfulness: Be aware in the moment,” Christjansen says. “Even when you notice your thoughts and mind wandering about everything else but the moment, then you just begin again: Notice what’s moving, changing, new, different.”

During a run, feel how your feet strike the ground. During strength training, notice the specific muscles engaging and releasing. In a dance workout, pay attention to how your weight shifts from one leg to the other. When your mind wanders to dinner plans or work emails—and it will—simply return your attention to these concrete sensations.

Choose the right challenge level

Flow tends to emerge when an activity is challenging enough to demand your full attention but not so difficult that you’re overwhelmed with frustration. If your workout is too easy, your mind wanders because it’s boring. But if it’s too hard, you become self-conscious and anxious about whether you can do it. Find the sweet spot where you’re stretched but not strained. This might mean adjusting weights, trying a more complex choreography pattern, or picking up your pace slightly. 

Make it intentional

“I don’t believe this state can be rushed, yet it can be intentional,” Christjansen says. “It’s a decision you actively take to practice as mentioned above. Focus, sense, breathe consciously, direct the mind to the task at hand.”

Before you begin your workout, take a moment to set an intention. This small act of commitment can shift your entire approach.

Build consistency

Like any skill, accessing flow becomes easier with practice. The first few times you try to stay present during a workout, you might find your mind wandering constantly. That’s completely normal!

“The more you work out this way, the more and longer you’ll be noticing the experience of a flow state, which in turn will motivate you to keep practicing and keep consistency on your workouts,” Christjansen says.

Each time you redirect your attention back to your breath or your body’s sensations, you’re strengthening your capacity for focus. Over time, those moments of flow will come more frequently and last longer. And that positive feedback loop—where flow makes workouts more enjoyable, which makes you more likely to work out—becomes self-sustaining.

The bottom line

Ultimately, tapping into flow during workouts isn’t going to look like some transcendent state of perfection. It’s about the simple practice of being where you are, and how much more enjoyable it becomes to work out. It’s something you invite through attention, breath, and the willingness to fully show up for your body in motion. So the next time you lace up your sneakers or roll out your yoga mat, try this: Put your phone on airplane mode, take three conscious breaths, and commit to noticing what’s actually happening in your body. 

Comic-Con Bans AI Art After Artist Pushback

San Diego Comic-Con changed an AI art friendly policy following an artist-led backlash last week. From a report: It was a small victory for working artists in an industry where jobs are slipping away as movie and video game studios adopt generative AI tools to save time and money. Every year, tens of thousands of people descend on San Diego for Comic-Con, the world’s premier comic book convention that over the years has also become a major pan-media event where every major media company announces new movies, TV shows, and video games. For the past few years, Comic-Con has allowed some forms of AI-generated art at this art show at the convention.

According to archived rules for the show, artists could display AI-generated material so long as it wasn’t for sale, was marked as AI-produced, and credited the original artist whose style was used. “Material produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be placed in the show, but only as Not-for-Sale (NFS). It must be clearly marked as AI-produced, not simply listed as a print. If one of the parameters in its creation was something similar to ‘Done in the style of,’ that information must be added to the description. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,” Comic-Con’s art show rules said until recently.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Has Gemini surpassed ChatGPT? We put the AI models to the test.

The last time we did comparative tests of AI models from OpenAI and Google at Ars was in late 2023, when Google’s offering was still called Bard. In the roughly two years since, a lot has happened in the world of artificial intelligence. And now that Apple has made the consequential decision to partner with Google Gemini to power the next generation of its Siri voice assistant, we thought it was high time to do some new tests to see where the models from these AI giants stand today.

For this test, we’re comparing the default models that both OpenAI and Google present to users who don’t pay for a regular subscription— ChatGPT 5.2 for OpenAI and Gemini 3.2 Fast for Google. While other models might be more powerful, we felt this test best recreates the AI experience as it would work for the vast majority of Siri users, who don’t pay to subscribe to either company’s services.

As in the past, we’ll feed the same prompts to both models and evaluate the results using a combination of objective evaluation and subjective feel. Rather than re-using the relatively simple prompts we ran back in 2023, though, we’ll be running these models on an updated set of more complex prompts that we first used when pitting GPT-5 against GPT-4o last summer.

Read full article

Comments

Weber’s 2026 smart grill lineup includes the company’s first Wi-Fi-equipped charcoal grill

Weber has been in the smart grilling game since 2020, dabbling in Wi-Fi connectivity for gas and pellet grills. It has also offered grillers a standalone option for its Weber Connect platform. For 2026, the company is expanding its smart grilling lineup to its original fuel source: charcoal. Today, Weber announced the Performer Smart Charcoal Grill and Kettle Smart Ring, both of which bring Weber Connect control and cooking guidance to charcoal grilling in a more integrated way.

The 22-inch Performer Smart Charcoal Grill has a Wi-Fi-enabled LCD controller that regulates grill temperature by adjusting the airflow to lit charcoal. Weber says this grill is well-suited for overnight smoking and longer cooks thanks to this bit of automation. The new Performer also has a so-called Rapidfire Assist mode to get those coals lit faster. The grill can be controlled remotely with the Weber Connect app, which can also keep tabs on any connected food probes.

The new Performer is essentially an upgraded version of the Performer Premium, Deluxe and base options that currently exist. You still get the porcelain-enamel finish, adjustable dampers for manual temperature controls and the One-Touch cleaning system for ash removal. The other upgrade is a Weber Works side table and side rail that accommodate the company’s line of accessories. A premium version comes with a cart with storage shelves for $799 while an option with a more basic cart will be $599. Weber also plans to sell non-smart versions for $649 and $449, respectively. The company says the base models will arrive this spring while the premium trims will be available this summer.

Weber Kettle Smart Ring
Weber Kettle Smart Ring
Weber Blackstone

If you already have a Weber Kettle and are looking to add a bit of automation to your setup, the Kettle Smart Ring brings temperature control and smart connectivity for $280 this spring. This accessory fits the company’s 22-inch grills and is equipped with an LCD display and knob-based controls. Of course, it also syncs with the Weber Connect app and offers two slots for wired food probes.

Another key smart grilling area Weber lags behind its competition is wireless temperature probes, but that changes this spring. The company will debut a $70 Smart Wireless Probe and a $115 version with range booster and charger. These new probes sync with any Weber smart grill, the Weber Connect app or the new Smart Hub Display and Booster ($90) that works on any grill. Weber also built a retractable wired Smart Probe ($40) that can be used to monitor the temperature at the grates.

And if you’re loyal to propane, Weber has new options for you too. Updated Genesis Smart Gas Grills have a Sear Zone that can hit temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit and a side table that now accommodates Weber Works accessories. It will be available in both propane and natural gas versions — in both three- and four-burner configurations — this spring starting at $999. More affordable Spirit Smart Gas Grills will start at $599 and will also come in three- and four-burner options. Both the Genesis and Spirit smart models work with the Weber Connect app like the rest of the company’s Wi-Fi grills and accessories.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/webers-2026-smart-grill-lineup-includes-the-companys-first-wi-fi-equipped-charcoal-grill-150000097.html?src=rss

This Portable Power Station Is Nearly Half Off Right Now

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

We’ve covered portable power stations like the Anker SOLIX line, but if you’re looking for a heavy-duty, large-capacity model that can handle sump pumps, large AC units, multiple appliances, and even whole-home backup with extra batteries, brands like EcoFlow will better suit your needs. One of their award-winning models is the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 power station, which is currently available at a 46% discount, bringing it down to an all-time low of $1,999 (originally $3,699).

Compared to Anker’s most powerful model, the SOLIX C2000 with a 2,048Wh capacity, EcoFlow’s Delta Pro 3 nearly doubles that at 4,096Wh and is expandable to up to 48000Wh. It supports 120V/240V voltage and can be recharged in a variety of ways, including solar panels, AC outlets, gas generators, and EV charging stations. It’s powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery, which is longer-lasting, safer, and tolerates more cycles than many competing power stations on the market.

Compared to a gas generator, it operates quietly and doesn’t give off dangerous exhaust fumes, so it’s suitable for indoor use. It can be controlled and monitored via a companion app that tracks generation and power usage history and calculates the estimated time until empty. Although PCMag, which gave it an Editor’s Choice Award, calls it “elegant-looking,” it’s an undeniably heavy device at over 100 lbs due to its massive output, so it’s not as portable as many competitors. This makes it better for vehicles or semi-permanent setups rather than camping trips or hiking. 

If you want a serious backup power solution for your home and your priorities are a high power capacity with expandability, versatile recharging options, and a quiet, indoor-friendly alternative to a gas generator, the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 power station is your best bet, especially at nearly half off. However, if you only need to power small devices or use it for travel, it will most likely be overkill, and a cheaper model from the Anker SOLIX line (or the Ecoflow River 2) might be better for your needs.

Deals are selected by our commerce team

Skarper and Red Bull are working on a removable MTB ebike conversion kit

Skarper’s unique click-on/click-off ebike system has made it easier and cheaper to convert multiple non-assisted bikes to ebikes – and now the company is developing a mountain bike version with Red Bull.

Since the company was founded in 2021, a mountain bike version of the motor system that drives the rear wheel via a special disc rotor/planetary gearbox has been in the plans. 

I was highly impressed by the existing road and gravel Skarper kit when I reviewed it, and what I spotted at the MK-7 launch event hints at where this platform could go next.

Why build an MTB version?

Skarper MTB Diskdrive proto
The prototype is compact, and Skarper promises the final version will be smaller still. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

The road and gravel Skarper kit is restrained – capped to meet UK/EU pedal-assist regulations and ensure it’s legal to use on the road.

However, Red Bull Advanced Technologies wanted to see what else the platform could do.

The MTB project posed an engineering challenge: how much power can you push through the system? How robust can you make it? And how do you handle the chaos of mountain bike riding?

Sources close to the project described the prototype as “a beast” – and, having seen it in person, I’m inclined to agree.

The challenges around a Skarper drive system for mountain bikes are many. For one, there’s the higher torque required for off-road riding, while keeping the unit compact. That’s not to mention the myriad back-end designs across mountain bikes, from hardtails to multi-linkage suspension. 

From the earliest incarnations of the mountain bike project, Skarper has worked in tandem with Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

The aim is to create a design that’s compatible with as many different bikes as possible. Skarper set out to construct a motor and gearbox capable of producing the required power and torque, while remaining compact enough to be unobtrusive on the trails, yet stable enough to handle the rigours of off-road riding.

    Early prototype breaks cover

    Skarper MTB Diskdrive proto
    The mule bike has a lot of control and monitoring systems. It also looks as though the mountain bike version will get on-bar controls. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

    What we see here is an early mule prototype produced with Red Bull. It follows the same design choices as the road-going Skarper, with a self-contained motor and gearbox driving a disc rotor with built-in planetary gearing.

    Skarper and Red Bull are remaining tight-lipped about the exact details of the unit. However, the main unit has an innovative two-speed gearbox that works in conjunction with the system’s brain, including an inclinometer. 

    Skarper MTB Diskdrive proto
    Like the road-going Skarper, the mountain bike version drives the bike through a special disc rotor. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

    One of the quirks of this early prototype is the ability for it to regulate power on an incline in tandem with your pedalling. Or, as early test rides have shown, give your bike the ability to hold a wheely indefinitely, motocross-style. However, I doubt that will make it into the final production model.

    What this prototype reveals is something important about the underlying technology: the capability of the DiskDrive platform can match current mid-drive and hub systems, with the Red Bull engineers confident it can surpass current eMTB rivals.

    Skarper also told me this prototype is much larger than the final unit will be; this is a model to provide proof of concept. The next stage will be around optimising the technology and making the unit as compact as possible without compromising on power.

    The monitoring systems on the top tube are for evaluation purposes, although I spotted what appear to be on-bar controls rather than the app control used on the road-going Skarper.

    I asked Skarper for comment and it said: “Skarper represents the arrival of the ‘Third Drive System’ – a patented technology platform that offers a modular, high-performance alternative to traditional ebike integration. The fact that six leading British bike brands have already committed to the platform for their 2026 bike line-ups is significant validation of our engineering and the click-on category we are building.

    “Our current focus remains on delivering the best possible experience for road and gravel cyclists, ensuring that power never comes at the cost of ride feel. While Skarper does not comment on unannounced products or future roadmaps at this time, we are always interested in exploring opportunities with the right partners to bring future products to our platform.”

    A huge challenge

    prototype drive unit
    The prototype drive unit is fitted to a Cannondale Habit. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

    It’s still early days on the project, which is a huge challenge for Skarper and Red Bull Advanced Technologies. However, if they get it right, having a mountain bike that’s only electric when you want it to be could be a game-changer.

    It could help establish Skarper as not a single-product outfit but an electric motor platform provider and an established third way: mid drive (Bosch/Shimano/TQ/Avinox), hub drive (Mahle) and disc drive (Skarper). 

    Skarper’s original DiskDrive impressed us; we can’t wait to see how the mountain bike version shapes up. Russell Burton / Our Media

    Could Britain’s Skarper soon be a challenger to more established electric bike motor providers such as Bosch, Shimano, TQ and Mahle, as DJI has done with the Avinox?

    Watch this space.

    Kioxia Says Cheap 1TB SSDs Are History As Storage Production Sells Out

    Kioxia Says Cheap 1TB SSDs Are History As Storage Production Sells Out
    As Willie Nelson once said, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over, they say that all good things must end.” Those lyrics date all the way back to the 1950s, and so it’s safe to say he was not referring to solid state drive (SSD) storage. He might as well have been, though, because now Kioxia is singing the same tune about the days of cheap

    Yahoo! and Yahoo! Mail Are Down, Reminding Everyone They Still Exist

    Your eyes don’t deceive you: You did just read a headline in the year of our lord 2026 about Yahoo! Despite losing out to other search engine and email companies like Google, Yahoo! is very much still a thing. In fact, one statistic claims Yahoo! Mail still has 225 million daily active users to this day. That’s a ways off from Gmail’s 1.8 billion daily active users, but way better than AOL’s eight million users. (Yes, AOL is still a thing, and is actually a part of Yahoo!—at least until its sale to Bending Spoons goes through).

    But I’m not here to talk about Yahoo! and AOL’s marketshare. Instead, I’m here to sound the alarms to the millions of people that use Yahoo!, and, by extension, AOL: The services are currently down. If you try to search the web for something on Yahoo!, or check your Yahoo! Mail, or even your AOL Mail, you’ll find the following error message: “Edge: Too Many Requests.” I first spotted the outage via Downdetector, owned by Lifehacker parent company Ziff Davis, which has seen nearly 9,000 user reports as of 9:50 a.m. ET.

    There’s no official reason for the outage from Yahoo! as of this article, but, like most of these outages, there’s no doubt a fix in the works as you read this. Last week, X had an outage, and it came back online before long. Of course, that outage was overshadowed by the massive Verizon outage, which Verizon claimed was simply a “software issue.” There’s a big difference between a series of web sites going down and a nationwide cell network, however, so I expected Yahoo! and AOL alike will both be back online sometime this morning. Soon enough, the millions of users who rely on these services will have them back, while the rest of us can forget about them all over again.

    8 highlights from Velofollies 2026, including Van Rysel’s FTP2 concept bike and airbags for cyclists

    Velofollies has become one of Europe’s most notable cycling trade shows, even rivalling Eurobike for its breadth of shiny, fabulous bike tech.

    BikeRadar headed to this year’s show in Kortrijk, Belgium, where Jack Luke sought out the weirdest, wonderful gravel and road tech.

    From airbags for cyclists to Colnago’s Y1RS and Van Rysel’s FTP2 concept bike, this is one not to miss. 

    More from Velofollies

    YouTube CEO Acknowledges ‘AI Slop’ Problem, Says Platform Will Curb Low-Quality AI Content

    YouTube CEO Neal Mohan used his annual letter to creators, published Wednesday, to outline an ambitious 2026 vision that embraces AI-powered creative tools while simultaneously pledging to crack down on the low-quality AI content that has come to be known as “slop.”

    Mohan identified four AI-related areas that YouTube “must get right in 2026.” The platform is working on tools that will let creators use AI to generate Shorts featuring their own likenesses and to experiment with music. “Just as the synthesizer, Photoshop and CGI revolutionized sound and visuals, AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in,” he wrote. Features like autodubbing, he says, will “transform the viewer experience.”

    But “the rise of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content, aka ‘AI slop,'” he wrote. YouTube is building on its existing spam and clickbait detection systems to reduce the spread of such content. He also flagged deepfakes as a particular concern: “It’s becoming harder to detect what’s real and what’s AI-generated.” The platform plans to double down on AI labels and introduce tools that let creators protect their likenesses.


    Read more of this story at Slashdot.

    The 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card is 33 percent off right now

    If you’re looking to expand the storage on your Switch 2, the 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card is on sale right now for 33 percent off, marked down to $80 from $120. With component prices skyrocketing these days, it’s getting increasingly rare to see good storage on sale, and 512GB for $80 is a much better deal than you’ll currently find directly from Nintendo.

    The P9 boasts transfer speeds of up to 800MB/s, making moving games to the card that much faster. As for load times, in our testing we found that any microSD Express, the standard the Switch 2 requires, will offer roughly the same performance. This format is pretty new, so there aren’t a ton of cards on the market. As such, the P9 makes our list of best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2.

    The P9 microSD Express is also compatible with the Steam Deck or any other gaming console that accepts the format, as well as cameras and more.

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-512gb-samsung-p9-microsd-express-card-is-33-percent-off-right-now-143849000.html?src=rss

    Zillow removed climate risk scores. This climate expert is restoring them.

    Even as exposure to floods, fire, and extreme heat increase in the face of climate change, a popular tool for evaluating risk has disappeared from the nation’s leading real estate website.

    Zillow removed the feature displaying climate risk data to home buyers in November after the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, which provides a database of real estate listings to real estate agents and brokers in the state, questioned the accuracy of the flood risk models on the site.

    Now, a climate policy expert in California is working to put data back in buyers’ hands.

    Read full article

    Comments

    BenQ’s New 28-Inch 4K 120Hz Monitor Takes Direct Aim At Programmers

    BenQ's New 28-Inch 4K 120Hz Monitor Takes Direct Aim At Programmers
    Most of the monitor announcements we see these days are targeted towards gamers, and for good reason—gaming is an ideal outlet for innovations like ultra-fast refresh rates, adaptive sync, and so forth. At first glance, you might assume that BenQ’s new RD280UG is another one of those displays, but in a surprise twist, it’s built specifically

    CEOs Say AI is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story.

    Companies are spending vast sums on AI expecting the technology to boost efficiency, but a new survey from AI consulting firm Section found that two-thirds of non-management workers among 5,000 white-collar respondents say they save less than two hours a week or no time at all, while more than 40% of executives report the technology saves them upward of eight hours weekly.

    Workers were far more likely to describe themselves as anxious or overwhelmed about AI than excited — the opposite of C-suite respondents — and 40% of all surveyed said they would be fine never using AI again. A separate Workday report of roughly 1,600 employees found that though 85% reported time savings of one to seven hours weekly, much of it was offset by correcting errors and reworking AI-generated content — what the company called an “AI tax” on productivity.

    At the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of nearly 4,500 CEOs found more than half have seen no significant financial benefit from AI so far, and only 12% said the technology has delivered both cost and revenue gains.


    Read more of this story at Slashdot.

    Adobe Acrobat can now generate presentations and audio podcasts from your documents

    Back in August, Adobe debuted Acrobat Studio. The new service saw Adobe bring the humble PDF into the 21st century with support for a handful of new genAI features, including PDF Spaces, a hub where you can upload up to 100 documents and have AI summarize them. Now the company is enhancing the capabilities of those hubs with the introduction of four new genAI features inside of Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Studio and Adobe Express. 

    The next time you add documents and files to a PDF Space, you can prompt Adobe’s built-in AI assistant to generate a presentation from those materials. The software will first create an outline. From there, you can select from a handful of “professional” designs to build the presentation around, and then make tweaks. Adobe says the majority of changes, including copy edits and image swaps, can be made without the need to generate entirely new slides. Once you’re happy with the results, you can share the presentation with your co-workers for further editing. Adobe has also made it easier to collaborate inside of PDF Spaces. With this latest update, you can invite others to add files and leave notes.   

    On the subject of editing, you can now carry out a dozen different tweaks using natural-language prompts. That includes adding text, comments, images and e-signatures. If you’re old-fashioned like me, Adobe has also reworked the Help section to offer step-by-step instructions on how to complete most tasks.   

    Last but not least, Adobe is borrowing a page from NotebookLM by adding a feature that allows users to generate podcasts from a PDF Space. This works much like it does in Google’s app. Acrobat will default to centering the generated podcast around two hosts having a conversation about the material you want summarized.  

    Adobe says Acrobat’s AI features have been highly popular, in part because users are finding those tools are saving them time. As you might expect, the company reports students have had a particularly strong response to its efforts to add AI inside of Acrobat, seeing as the app can generate summaries of course material while providing citations for fact checking.     

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-acrobat-can-now-generate-presentations-and-audio-podcasts-from-your-documents-140000146.html?src=rss