Month: August 2024
Premier League Soccer: Livestream Wolves vs. Chelsea From Anywhere
Two sides who made losing starts in game week one go head-to-head at Molineux.
Two sides who made losing starts in game week one go head-to-head at Molineux.
Still Holding On to Your PS4? Here’s How to Back Up and Restore It
Want a reliable way to keep your PS4’s data safe? Here’s how to back it up.
Want a reliable way to keep your PS4’s data safe? Here’s how to back it up.
Apple Rethinks Its Movie Strategy After a String of Misses
“Wolfs,” a new film starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, was going to get a robust theatrical release. But the company is curtailing that plan.
“Wolfs,” a new film starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, was going to get a robust theatrical release. But the company is curtailing that plan.
Linus Torvalds Talks About Rust Adoption and AI
“At The Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit China conference, Linus Torvalds and his buddy Dirk Hohndel, Verizon’s Head of the Open Source Program Office, once more chatted about Linux development and related issues,” reports ZDNet:
Torvalds: “Later this year, we will have the 20th anniversary of the real-time Linux project. This is a project that literally started 20 years ago, and the people involved are finally at that point where they feel like it is done… well, almost done. They’re still tweaking the last things, but they hope it will soon be ready to be completely merged in the upstream kernel this year… You’d think that all the basics would have been fixed long ago, but they’re not. We’re still dealing with basic issues such as memory management….”
Switching to a more modern topic, the introduction of the Rust language into Linux, Torvalds is disappointed that its adoption isn’t going faster. “I was expecting updates to be faster, but part of the problem is that old-time kernel developers are used to C and don’t know Rust. They’re not exactly excited about having to learn a new language that is, in some respects, very different. So there’s been some pushback on Rust.” On top of that, Torvalds commented, “Another reason has been the Rust infrastructure itself has not been super stable….”
The pair then moved on to the hottest of modern tech topics: AI. While Torvalds is skeptical about the current AI hype, he is hopeful that AI tools could eventually aid in code review and bug detection. In the meantime, though, Torvalds is happy about AI’s side effects. For example, he said, “When AI came in, it was wonderful, because Nvidia got much more involved in the kernel. Nvidia went from being on my list of companies who are not good to my list of companies who are doing really good work.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“At The Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit China conference, Linus Torvalds and his buddy Dirk Hohndel, Verizon’s Head of the Open Source Program Office, once more chatted about Linux development and related issues,” reports ZDNet:
Torvalds: “Later this year, we will have the 20th anniversary of the real-time Linux project. This is a project that literally started 20 years ago, and the people involved are finally at that point where they feel like it is done… well, almost done. They’re still tweaking the last things, but they hope it will soon be ready to be completely merged in the upstream kernel this year… You’d think that all the basics would have been fixed long ago, but they’re not. We’re still dealing with basic issues such as memory management….”
Switching to a more modern topic, the introduction of the Rust language into Linux, Torvalds is disappointed that its adoption isn’t going faster. “I was expecting updates to be faster, but part of the problem is that old-time kernel developers are used to C and don’t know Rust. They’re not exactly excited about having to learn a new language that is, in some respects, very different. So there’s been some pushback on Rust.” On top of that, Torvalds commented, “Another reason has been the Rust infrastructure itself has not been super stable….”
The pair then moved on to the hottest of modern tech topics: AI. While Torvalds is skeptical about the current AI hype, he is hopeful that AI tools could eventually aid in code review and bug detection. In the meantime, though, Torvalds is happy about AI’s side effects. For example, he said, “When AI came in, it was wonderful, because Nvidia got much more involved in the kernel. Nvidia went from being on my list of companies who are not good to my list of companies who are doing really good work.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Where is the next-generation iPhone SE?
We’ve not heard much about the rumored iPhone SE 4, but there’s still scope and hope for a new affordable Apple phone.
Time is an interesting concept: humans have been on Earth for some six million years, yet the planet is 4.5 billion years old. We’re not far away from it being 20 years since the first iPhone launched yet, the first telephone was invented 148 years ago. So the length of time is relative. But one thing is for sure, it feels like it’s been a long time since we had a new iPhone SE.
There have been three generations of Apple’s most affordable iPhone. The first arrived in 2016 to win attention as one of the best cheap phones at the time. Four years passed before the year of the COVID-19 pandemic came calling, with a second-generation SE also popping up. Then 2022 saw the current iPhone SE.
As such, there’s no real established cadence to iPhone SE releases. Yet with the current version sporting a design that would have felt outdated some six years ago, let alone two, I think the cheap-ish Apple phone is overdue for an update and an overhaul.
Yet the rumors around the so-called iPhone SE 4 are scant. As we draw closer to September and a likely phone-centric Apple event, unofficial info around the likes of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models have gathered pace.
But there’s precious little about a new SE, which would make a good ‘one more thing’ for the next Apple showcase.
We want to SE changes
(Image credit: Future)
From the rumors so far, limited as they may be, we can expect a next-generation iPhone SE to have a design that’s far closer to the iPhone 14 than other models. Expect the Home button to go the way of the dodo and scope for a Dynamic Island to be added to the screen in order to make Apple’s phone design language ubiquitous across its smartphones.
A decent chip can also be expected, though how powerful it might be is a bit of a guessing game. And I’d expect USB-C charging to be a given.
All that being said, the lack of substantial iPhone SE rumors does make me wonder when we might expect to see one. Or if Apple even plans on actually making another affordable iPhone – after all, when new models arrive, a selection of older ones are still offered but at cut prices.
Part of me thinks Apple will wait for 2025 when its work on the AI-centric Apple Intelligence has had time to mature and bed into other devices.
And come next year, there could be enough A17 Pro chips, or similar, floating around for Apple to make an iPhone SE that has the power to handle the AI workloads, and thus can help bolster the adoption of Apple Intelligence; keeping it just for the high-end Pro iPhones could see the adoption of next-gen smart tools and software wither on the vine.
Alternatively, Apple could simply offer a capable and affordable iPhone that skips the Apple Intelligence capabilities – especially as some people might not give a hoot about AI.
Of course, this is all educated speculation and I can’t really answer when we’ll see a new iPhone SE with any certainty. But I feel there’s still hope for an affordable iPhone for all.
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This $2,350 weight bench is prettier than anything in my living room
Technogym’s stylish and space-saving exercise solution gives a new meaning to the term ‘home gym’.
My partner and I have very different approaches to interior design. While she (a style-savvy art director) makes the house look good with tasteful additions, I (a fitness writer) clutter it up with bulky exercise equipment. But I’ve recently been introduced to something which could satisfy both camps.
The Technogym Bench is designed to deliver “maximum exercise variety with minimum footprint”, neatly slotting dumbbells, knuckle weights, resistance bands and a yoga mat into a compact weight bench. As you’d expect from the notoriously luxe Italian brand, it looks pretty smart too.
It’s in our Money No Object franchise for a reason – at $2,350 in the US and £1,450 in the UK (around $AU3,500), it’s hardly a shrewd purchase. But my champagne tastes (if not my beer pockets) couldn’t help but want one, especially after I gave it a go.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
The Technogym Bench: What is it?
The Technogym team describes its eponymous bench as “the innovative training solution for your home; infinite training opportunities in just one station”.
Within the hollowed out interior of the weight bench you’ll find five pairs of dumbbells (5lbs / 2.5kg, 7.5lbs / 3.5kg, 10lbs / 5kg, 15lbs / 7.5kg and 20lbs / 10kg), three sets of knuckle weights (1lb / 0.45kg, 1.8lbs / 0.8kg and 2.6lbs / 1.20kg), light, medium and heavy resistance bands, and an exercise mat.
Each piece of equipment has its place, whether that’s a peg, rack or compartment, and there are wheels on one end to make the bench easier to move – handy when the whole thing weighs just shy of 220lb / 100kg.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
The Technogym Bench: What makes it special?
This is the big question: Why does the Technogym Bench warrant its lofty price tag?
Out of interest, I raided Amazon and found I could pick up a flat weight bench with all the requisite ingredients for $316.61 – the Amazon Basics range did a lot of the heavy lifting.
But this wouldn’t solve my clutter problem – if anything, it would add to it – and the gear wasn’t of the same quality either. When I tried the Technogym Bench, the Batman-esque black and gray color scheme looked great, and every element felt incredibly sturdy.
This stylish aesthetic and premium feel are arguably the Technogym Bench’s biggest selling points. The brand recently launched the Design To Move project, which challenged 40 renowned designers such as Kelly Hoppen and Antonio Citterio to create their own variation of Technogym’s most decorated product (a member of the brand’s team told me this product had scooped more awards than any other on its roster). The results were displayed at Milan Design Week 2024, and you can see some of the designs below.
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
(Image credit: Technogym)
“As Leonardo taught us, movement is the cause of all forms of life,” says Technogym founder and chief executive Nerio Alessandri. “Design has always been a key element of our journey, a strong ally to turn functional into emotional and needs into aspiration. We are proud that so many designers and artists have joined our dream of putting the world back in motion.”
Nobody’s ever used Da Vinci to sell me dumbbells before, and this air of sophistication is probably another part of the product’s appeal – the Technogym Bench is certainly pitched at a higher aesthetic standard than sweaty bedroom burpees.
The other thing that sets it apart from my shoddily assembled Amazon cart is its compatibility with the Technogym app, via your phone or tablet. The platform has a litany of slickly produced video classes designed to capitalize on the Technogym Bench’s functionality, and you can also use it with the brand’s other machines, like the Technogym Run treadmill, for bootcamp-style workouts.
I tried one circuit class which comprised a cocktail of dynamic full-body dumbbell exercises, muscle-building heroes like chest flys, and core-carving moves using the knuckle weights. The 30 minutes flew by, and the minimal set-up made it easy to flit between stations.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
The bench isn’t without a few holes in its game. As a long-time lifter, some heavier dumbbells would have been handy. Technogym offers the option to buy additional weights, and you can always buy more yourself, but there’s nowhere to store them, and once you’ve spent upwards of $2,000 on exercise equipment the chances are you won’t want to splash the cash again for a while.
However, as the Technogym team pointed out, the weights provided are a good fit for the bootcamp sessions the bench prides itself on – even 20lb / 10kg will feel heavy by the end of a high-rep set.
Only having low anchor points on the bench for the resistance bands also limited the exercise options a little, with moves like high-to-low crossovers and lat pulldowns off the table (unless you can find another solid anchor point up high in your home).
In spite of these slight gripes, and its price, the Technogym Bench is still an undeniably cool bit of kit. That’s why, for better or for worse, I can’t help but want one.
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