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When the A1 arrived in 2021, it put the camera world on notice. In more than a few categories, Sonys full-frame mirrorless camera outperformed rivals like the Canon R5 and came with a lofty $6,500 price to match. However, after nearly four years, the A1 finds itself in an awkward position. Despite its position as Sonys flagship, the A1 is not the most complete camera in the companys lineup, with the more recently released A7R V and A9 III each offering features not found on their sibling. Thats changing today with the introduction of A1 II, which retains the performance capabilities of its predecessor while borrowing quality-of-life improvements from the A7R V and A9 III. To start, the A1 II features the same fully stacked 50.1-megapixel CMOS sensor found inside the A1. As before, Sony says photographers can expect 15 stops of dynamic range for stills. The company has once again paired that sensor with its Bionz XR image processing engine but added a dedicated AI processor to handle subject recognition and autofocus. As a result, the A1 II can still shoot at up to 30 frames per second using its electronic shutter, and the autofocus system once again offers 759 points, good enough for 92 percent coverage of the sensor. Sony However, Sony is promising substantial improvements in autofocus accuracy due to that dedicated AI processing unit. Specifically, the camera is 50 percent better at locking eye focus on birds and 30 percent better at eye autofocus when it comes to other animals and humans. Additionally, you wont need to toggle between different subject-detection modes. Instead, the camera will automatically handle that for you. Sonys pre-capture feature also offers a one-second buffer that can capture up to 30 frames before fully depressing the shutter button. That said, the most notable addition is the inclusion of Sonys most powerful in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to date, with the A1 II offering an impressive 8.5 stops of stabilization. For context, thats three additional stops of stabilization over the original A1. When it comes to video, the A1 II is no slouch. It can capture 8K footage at up to 30 fps using the full readout of its sensor. It can also record 4K video at 120 fps and FHD footage at 240 fps for slow motion, with support for 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. If Super 35 is your thing, there you have the option for 5.8K oversampling. In addition to Sonys color profiles, the A1 II can store up to 16 user-generated LUTs, and the camera offers the companys breathing compensation and auto stabilization features. Of the latter, Sony says you can get gimbal-like footage with only a slight crop. Sony On the useability front, the A1 II borrows the deeper grip and control layout of the A9 III. Also carried over from the A9 III is the cameras 3.2-inch four-axis LCD screen and 9.44-million dot OLED viewfinder with 240Hz refresh rate. Moreover, the new camera includes Sonys latest menu layout design. Oh, and the company plans to include two separate eyecups in the box. Nice. When it comes to connectivity, theres a full-sized HDMI connection, USB-C and an upgraded Ethernet port that supports transfer speeds up to 2.5Gbps. For storage, the camera comes with two CFexpress Type A card slots that are also capable of reading and saving to UHS-II SD cards. Alongside the A1 II, Sony also announced a new 28-70mm G Master Lens with a constant f/2 aperture (pictured above). While not the lightest lens in Sonys stable, it still weighs under a kilogram. Both the A1 II and the 28-70mm F2 G Master will arrive in December. They will cost $6,500 and $2,900, respectively.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sonys-a1-ii-features-a-dedicated-ai-processor-and-refined-ergonomics-164840579.html?src=rss
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The UKs competition regulator has cleared Google's $2 billion investment in Anthropic, according to reporting by Bloomberg and others. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially concluded that the company hasnt acquired material influence over the AI startup Anthropic as a result of the investment. The continuing investigation into the partnership has also been squashed, with the UK antitrust watchdog saying that the investment doesnt qualify for a full probe under merger rules. This is after phase one of a formal investigation was announced back in October. Anthropic is an independent company and our strategic partnerships and investor relationships do not diminish our corporate governance independence or our freedom to partner with others, a company spokesperson said after the CMA announced its findings. Googles investment into Anthropic gives the company non-voting shares and consultation rights on significant business issues. Anthropic is best known for creating the Claude AI assistant, which is in direct competition with Google Gemini. Earlier this year, the CMA expressed concern regarding the interconnected web of partnerships and investments in the rapidly advancing world of AI. The CMA also allowed a similar investment to go through in which Amazon forked over a whopping $4 billion to Anthropic. It didnt even investigate that one, on the grounds that Anthropics UK turnover didnt exceed 70 million and the two parties didnt combine to account for 25 percent or more of the regions supply of AI LLMs and chatbots. Microsofts investment into OpenAI, however, is still under scrutiny by the CMA. The watchdog group did clear Microsofts investments with the AI startups Mistral and Inflection.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-uk-approves-googles-2-billion-investment-in-anthropic-162226536.html?src=rss
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Robot vacuums can help automate a chore you may loathe doing yourself. And even if you dont mind vacuuming regularly, its undeniable that it takes time out of your day that you could be using for other things. The Black Friday and Cyber Monday time period is a great time to look for one of these smart home gadgets because you can often find them for hundreds of dollars off their usual prices this year is no different. Were seeing steep discounts on many of our favorite robot vacuum cleaners, as well as some cordless vacuums too. These are the best Black Friday robot vacuum deals you can get this year. Check back as we get close to Black Friday proper for all of the latest deals. Black Friday robot vacuum deals iRobot Roomba Vac robot vacuum (Q011) for $140 ($110 off): This entry-level robot vacuum has strong suction power with three cleaning modes and smart navigation, and you can control it and set cleaning schedules from the iRobot mobile app. iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop with self-emptying base for $999 ($400 off): If you're looking to splurge, this robo vac-and mop combo machine is one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums thanks to its excellent cleaning power, good mopping capabilities, solid battery life and well-designed self-emptying base. Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum with self-emptying base for $350 ($250 off): A version of one of our top picks, this Shark robot vacuum cleans both carpet and hard flooring well, has an easy-to-use app, a self-cleaning brushroll and a bagless self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris before you need to empty it. Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch robot vacuum and mop with self-emptying base for $550 ($350 off): This Shark combo machine automatically picks up and drops its mop pad when you program it to clean hard floors, plus its self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days of vacuumed debris and up to 30 days of cleaning liquid for mopping. Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop with sel-emptying base for $900 ($200 off): The PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is the most premium robot vacuum and mop that Shark sells and it has suction and mopping capabilities to match. The self-emptying base takes care of most things for you for up to 30 days, including emptying the machine's dustbin, emptying and refilling the mop reservoir and the pad-drop system that holds the mopping pad when not in use. Roborock Q5 Pro robot vacuum for $180 ($70 off with coupon): Roborock's midrange vacuuming has 5500Pa of suction power, a 240-minute runtime and you can set no-go zones from within its companion app. Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $130 ($120 off, Prime exclusive): One of our top picks for the best budget robot vacuums, the 11S Max has a slim design that lets it get under furniture better than other models, good suction power for its size and a long battery life. Just remember that this robovac doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, but it comes with a handy remote that lets you control it, set cleaning schedules and more. Black Friday cordless vacuum deals Dyson Digital Slim cordless vacuum for $250 ($250 off): As its name suggests, this Dyson stick vacuum is 30 percent lighter than the V11, which should make it even easier to handle and maneuver while you clean. It also has a 40-minute runtime and an LCD display that shows the amount of battery life left. Dyson V15 Detect Absolute cordless vacuum for $550 ($200 off): This is our top pick for the best cordless vacuum you can get right now thanks to its excellent suction power, relatively light weight and good battery life. This model comes with a Fluffy Optic cleaning head that illuminates the ground in front of you so you can see where the most debris lies, and the pack-up includes three additional cleaning head attachments. Dyson Gen 5 Outsize Absolute for $800 ($250 off): This Outsize model has 150 percent bigger bin capacity than the standard Gen 5 vacuum, making it better for those with larger homes or those who regularly have big messes to clean up. Its cleaner head is 25 percent wider as well, allowing it to cover a larger surface area in one go, and it comes with two batteries for a total of over two hours of runtime. Dyson Gen 5 Detect cordless vacuum for $813 ($137 off): The Gen 5 Detect is another excellent Dyson machine, very similar to the V15 Detect. We like that it has a single-button start and even stronger suction power, and it's slightly newer than the V15 Detect as well. Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum for $210 ($90 off with coupon): Our top budget pick in our best cordless vacuums guide, the One S11 provides good suction for the price and it includes Tineco's iLoop smart sensor, which auto-adjusts suction power as you clean to account for messes big and small. Tineco Pure One Station 5 cordless vacuum with self-emptying base for $400 ($60 off with coupon): One of Tineco's newest machines, the Station 5 stick vacuum cleans hard floors and carpets well, doesn't choke when it meets pet hair and includes a self-cleaning HEPA filter to maintain strong, consistent suction power. Plus, the bagless, self-emptying base cleans the machine's brush, tube, filter and dustbin after every time you use it. Tineco Pure One Station Furfree cordless vacuum with self-emptying base for $500 ($200 off with coupon): This model has a massive 3L self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris, and it comes with cleaning attachments that can make grooming your pets easier. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-robot-vacuum-deals-from-irobot-shark-dyson-and-others-161528108.html?src=rss
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