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Anyone who has rode the New York City subway can tell you that it has a lot of problems, from strange noises to flammable debris on the tracks. Now, as is the solution for everything these days, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is testing how AI could improve the repair process with the help of six Google Pixel phones. In this case, the Google Pixel phones rode on four different subway cars between last September and January. The experiment, conducted in partnership with Google Public Sector, used the phone's accelerometers, magnetometers and microphones to pick up on any worrisome noises. This data was thn sent to cloud-based systems that generated predictive insights using machine learning algorithms. The tech, known by Google as TrackInspect, found 92 percent of the defect locations that inspectors located. "By being able to detect early defects in the rails, it saves not just money but also time for both crew members and riders" New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow stated in a release. "This innovative program which is the first of its kind uses AI technology to not only make the ride smoother for customers but also make track inspectors jobs safer by equipping them with more advanced tools." Typically, inspectors walk all 665 miles of the subway tracks to find any issues, along with sensor-laden train geometry cars" picking up data three times a year. During the experiment, inspectors checked out any locations highlighted and confirmed whether there was a defect. They could also ask questions about maintenance and protocols through the tools generative AI system. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/mta-strapped-google-pixels-to-subway-cars-to-spot-track-defects-133046252.html?src=rss
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AMD's decision to start off with mid-range RDNA 4 GPUs now seems prescient. NVIDIA's high-end RTX 5090 and 5080 are already selling well beyond their absurdly high prices, if you can find any in stock at all. And while the RTX 5070 Ti impressed us, it's already selling for close to the 5080's $1,000 launch price. Now AMD's Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT, which are set to arrive on March 6, have the chance to swoop in and deliver some serious competition. Based on early briefings from AMD, which include some impressive benchmarks (still untested by us), the RDNA 4 GPUs appear to be compelling 4K and 1,440p for discerning gamers who aren't ready to drop four figures on a video card. The Radeon 9070 starts at $549, but even more impressive, AMD managed to keep the 9070 XT at a very reasonable $599 launch price. Naturally, those prices will rise based on demand and the whims of card manufacturers, but they're still impressive compared to the RTX 5070 ($549 MSRP) and 5070 Ti ($749 MSRP). XFX On top of the usual raw performance upgrades, the major selling point for these new cards is AMD's Fidelity FX Super Resolution 4 (FSR4) upscaling technology. Unlike previous iterations, this time around it's powered by machine learning, similar to NVIDIA's DLSS. According to AMD, that allows for better image quality while upscaling from lower resolutions, as well as low latency and frame generation. AMD So what does that mean in action? AMD claims the 9070 XT can run Space Marine 2 at an average of 53fps in 4K, but with FSR 4 running that jumps to 182fps. That's similar to the leap in performance we've seen on NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs, which can generate multiple frames. FSR 4 is supported on more than 30 titles at the moment, but for other games like Star Citizen and Forza Horizon 5, AMD claims its HYPR-RX driver-level upscaler can also improve performance by up to 3X. While both the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT come with 16GB of VRAM (unlike the 12GB the RTX 5070 is stuck with), the latter card will likely do a better drop driving 4K 240Hz screens. The 9070 XT sports 64 RDNA 4 compute units, 64 hardware ray tracing accelerators and 128 hardware AI accelerators, while the 9070 includes 56 compute units and RT accelerators, as well as 112 AI units. The 9070 XT can also draw significantly more power 304 watts instead of 220W and has more than a 500Mhz boost clock lead. The standard 9070 will likely be better suited for players who game in 1,440p most of the time, but who may occasionally dabble in 4K. AMD Curiously, most of AMD's benchmarks compare the new cards to the $549 RX 7900 GRE, a slightly under-specced card originally meant for China. But the company did make a handful of comparisons to other cards: For one, it claims the RX 9070 XT is 51 percent faster than the Radeon 6900 XT on average across 30 games while playing in 4K with maximum graphics settings. It's also reportedly 26 percent faster than the RTX 3090 across those same 30 games. As for the RX 9070, AMD says it's 38 percent in 4K/max settings than the RX 6800 XT and 26 percent faster than the RTX 3080. Surely AMD could have compared these cards to the RTX 40 lineup and newer Radeons, but then those gains wouldn't be as high. AMD Beyond gaming, AMD says its new RDNA 4 media engine will be able to encode H.264 with better image quality, and it'll support up to 8K/80fps encoding and decoding. As for AI, the 9070 XT is 34 percent faster than the RX 7900 GRE while using Davinci Resolve's Magic Mask Tracking Tool, and it's 70 percent faster while using Procyon SD XL for generative AI. If AMD can manage to keep the Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT in stock, and also hold prices close to their $549 and $599 launch figures, I wouldn't be surprised if some NVIDIA diehards jump ship. And if you're looking for something even cheaper, AMD says its RX 9060 cards will be coming in the second quarter. AMD This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amds-radeon-9070-and-9070-xt-are-gunning-for-nvidias-mid-range-throne-130016775.html?src=rss
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First up, an apology. In Tuesdays newsletter, I laid out how to watch (and what to expect from) Amazons Alexa press event. But aside from unveiling what Alexa+ will be capable of, there was no silly hardware and no upgraded Echos, but lots of demos. We learned Alexa+ will be included with an Amazon Prime subscription, and the company will also offer the enhanced digital assistant separately, for $20 per month. At the moment, Prime costs $15 per month in the US. So that's weird. Meanwhile, Apples new entry-level iPhone, the 16e, launches online and in stores today. The $599 phone is arguably $100 too expensive, but it packs a processor that can deliver Apple Intelligence to the masses. It has a gorgeous screen, with a notch if not a Dynamic Island and a long battery life. Thanks to that A18 chip, it is as powerful as iPhones, which cost several hundred dollars more. This is a phone for people who dont upgrade every year (or two). If youre coming from an older iPhone, say an iPhone 11 (like my mom), youll be treated to a brighter screen, improved image processing and, heck, 5G. Apple says the newer process will ensure the 16e is 80 percent faster than the iPhone 11. You are going to see the difference. Oh, and you get an action button. Our biggest concern is the single-camera situation. Its a great camera, but we already miss the versatility of optical zoom that goes beyond the digital cropping that the iPhone 16e uses. Check out our full review right here. And if youre OK not staying with an iPhone, were moving into the mid-range smartphone season so stay tuned. Mat Smith How to get MagSafe charging on an iPhone 16e A $599 iPhone 16e is a cruel joke The biggest tech stories you missed Everything announced at Amazons Alexa+ AI event EA releases source code for four Command & Conquer games The best laptop you can buy in 2025 Gmail will stop using SMS for two-factor authentication Get this delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe right here! What to expect from Samsung, Nothing, Xiaomi and more at MWC 2025 Nothings new devices might be the headline grabbers. Nothing The worlds biggest smartphone event (after iPhone launches, lets be real) returns to Barcelona. While its no longer the heyday of Mobile World Congress, smartphone challengers from China love to reveal technically accomplished devices, and were expecting delights from the likes of Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei et al. Except maybe not Oppo its done its thing already. At MWC 2022, Nothings Carl Pei showed off a prototype of the companys first handset, the Nothing Phone 1. It looks like its ready to reveal its third-gen phone, with the companys usual drip-drip of specs, features and hyperbole already in action. Nothing already revealed the design of one phone, the 3a Pro, in a nearly 11-minute video. Notably, a big ole camera bump to accommodate a periscope telephoto lens. Xiaomi is also teasing some heady camera hardware: Its 15 Ultra will be a photography powerhouse, rumored to pack a 1-inch main sensor and 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens. Will Samsung show off the slimline Galaxy S25 Edge? Perhaps. It might also be time to reveal an update to its A-series mid-range devices. Perhaps the company will do both. Continue reading. Sony cuts the price of PS VR2 to $400 Add the price of your PS5 too. Engadget Sony is permanently reducing the price of the PlayStation VR2. Starting in March, the headset will cost $400, down from $500. It still costs more than the Meta Quest 3S, a standalone headset, but is obviously capable of a richer graphic experience. That said, where are the AAA games? Even Sonys own PS VR2 website struggles to offer anything particularly exciting. Continue reading. Youre never finding those lost wireless earbuds Its time to let go. I have misplaced my Beats Fit Pro buds. Wherever I set them down, I recall thinking, youre going to regret not putting them back into the charging case. And I was right. Two weeks on, I have the charging case, open and ready, but the buds have been translocated to another dimension. I tried Apples Find My app, which says theyre somewhere in my apartment. That doesnt help me enough. I use them for workouts, so I checked jacket pockets, gym shorts, the bathroom, windows, the sides of my couch and even my inner ear canal. But no. I have held out hope for two weeks, but its time for me to let go. Fortunately, I work here, so I have three standby options for gym listening. But they didnt fit as well as the Beats Fit Pro. I will hold onto the charging case, just in case they magically appear in my detergent box or somewhere else completely arbitrary, but mentally, I know I will never find them again. Goodbye, my waxy, sweaty buds of joy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121514554.html?src=rss
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