By Manisha Priyadarshini XREAL has partnered with Asus ROG to launch the ROG R1 AR glasses, with 240Hz micro-OLED displays and a 171-inch virtual viewing area, making wearable AR a serious option for high-performance gaming.
The post Xreal puts a blazing-fast 240Hz display on your face with the ROG R1 AR glasses appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

Accenture has announced that it has agreed to acquire UK AI startup Faculty for an undisclosed sum, a potentially significant move in a consultancy sector currently scrambling to add greater artificial intelligence expertise.

According to Accenture, Faculty’s UK-based workforce of 400 “AI native professionals” will be integrated with its consulting teams, allowing the company to offer its customer base “world‑class AI capabilities.” The company will also integrate Faculty’s AI decision intelligence platform, Frontier, into its services.

“With Faculty, we will further accelerate our strategy to bring trusted, advanced AI to the heart of our clients’ businesses,” commented Accenture chair and CEO, Julie Sweet.

One detail that marks the acquisition as unusual is that Faculty’s current CEO, Marc Warner, will reportedly join Accenture’s Global Management Committee as chief technology officer (CTO). If confirmed, this means that a company employing a few hundred people will take a key board position in a huge consulting outfit with nearly 800,000 employees worldwide.

Accenture still lists its CTO as Rajendra Prasad, who will presumably step back from this role to focus on his other day job as the company’s Group Chief Executive – Technology. CIO.com contacted Accenture and Faculty to confirm the new roles, but had no response by publication time.

AI reinvention

Traditional tech acquisitions are usually motivated by the value offered by a company’s patents, products and customers. With AI companies, just as important right now is human expertise.

Faculty offers all of these. Co-founded in 2014 as ASI Data Science by then Harvard quantum physics research fellow Warner, it was renamed Faculty in 2019. This might have been an attempt to disassociate it from allegations, which it strenuously denied, that it was part of the same internship program as scandal-hit company Cambridge Analytica, through the latter’s parent company, SCL Group.

Since then, Faculty has established a solid reputation through its work with the UK government, including the creation of an NHS Early Warning System (EWS) system used to predict hospital admissions and ventilator requirements during the Covid pandemic.

This dovetails well with Accenture’s direction; it has spent the last year undergoing an AI makeover. In June, the company folded five business units into a single division, Reinvention Services, as part of a plan to “re-invent Itself for the Age of AI.” At the same time, it started calling its employees “reinventors”.

The company has also formed alliances with OpenAI and Anthropic which will see tens of thousands of its employees trained to use and promote both companies’ chatbot and agentic technologies.

“We are writing the playbook for how to be the most AI-enabled, client-focused professional services company in the world,” said Accenture CEO Sweet in this week’s announcement of the acquisition.

This article originally appeared on CIO.com.

Source:: Computer World

Apple might introduce the first cellular-enabled MacBook model this year, according to a Bloomberg report (confirmed by Macworld) that claims the company began exploring the possibility in late 2024. Who would this benefit? How good an experience would it provide? And why is now (potentially) the right time for the company to make such a move?

Who would cellular Macs benefit?

The promise of cellular Macs is a good one. Equipped with cellular modems, these machines would liberate mobile professionals from searching for more secure communications and/or more bandwidth than you usually get over public Wi-Fi networks. Just like cellular on an iPhone or iPad, you should be able to work from anywhere and never be without a connection.

There are other advantages, particularly for enterprise professionals or companies using highly secure 5G-based private networks. Apple’s modems support 5G Network Slicing, which means they already support such deployments on iPhones, so there’s no reason Macs would not support this, too. That promise brings the highest quality secure mobile bandwidth to Mac-using pros.

It’s not as if you are unable to get your Mac online using your mobile network, as you can tether your system to your iPhone to do so. This is fine for most users, most of the time, offering some of the convenience of an always-available mobile connection.

There are drawbacks, however: the connection can at times be slow or inconsistent, your carrier needs to support such use, and tethering eats up iPhone battery life. A Mac equipped with its own cellular connection should deliver more consistent connections and leave your iPhone battery untouched. It should also be more able to move big chunks of data around in comparison to the limits sometimes set by public networks.

What about the user experience?

Apple has always understood that between the idea and reality you’ll find shadow; this could be particularly true when it comes to shipping Macs equipped with built-in cellular modems. These would suffer from all the challenges we already get using cellular connections. 

If you’ve ever travelled, you will likely have encountered poor cellular performance on trains (mainly because of the metal-coating on the windows), sketchy cellular connections depending on where you live in a city or town, and literal dead network zones inside some buildings. These challenges won’t disappear just because you’re using a cellular Mac. Those obstacles exist. This is the shadow — between user expectation and reality — that might have kept Apple from introducing cellular connections in Macs so far. 

Another problem is cost. Apple’s decision to create its own 5G modems wasn’t entirely based on its desire to own all the tech used in its products; it also reflected its dissatisfaction with the high prices modem supplier Qualcomm demanded for use of its radios in Apple devices.  The potential benefits to mobile professionals just didn’t justify hiking the cost of Macs to everybody else.

Why now?

Apple now makes its own 5G modems, so it’s reasonable to think it could put these inside Macs at a more acceptable cost. Apple also owns the whole stack, which means the 5G modem should work happily alongside other networking features — Bluetooth, Wi-Fi — on Macs. 

Tie this up with eSIM technologies and you end up with a Mac you can get online almost anywhere. Presumably you’ll even be able to send messages via satellite directly from your Mac or make use of any additional satellite-based networking services Apple delivers in the future.

That the company also makes the processors inside Macs should help build efficiency, reducing unnecessary energy drain. In other words, the sublime combination of Apple’s processor and networking silicon designs along with the Apple-created operating system makes a cellular Mac more possible than ever. 

It also gives Apple an option to upsell to customers, just as it presently sells iPads equipped with cellular connections for an additional charge. Given the economic calamities the company continues to navigate, it might be that the potential business opportunity is the main reason the company is considering the move. (Never let it be said that Apple management easily resists an opportunity to boost revenue by giving customers more of what they need.)

Will Apple introduce a cellular Mac?

 The future is hard to predict. But it’s worth noting that in 2024, over 45% of Fortune 500 companies issued cellular-connected laptops to employees, up from 28% in 2022. Given Apple’s growth in the enterprise sector, why would it fail to offer cellular Macs as a purchasable BTO option for business customers?

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Source:: Computer World

By Deepti Pathak Today, Redmi has introduced two new devices to the Indian market: the Redmi Note 15 5G…
The post Redmi Note 15 & Redmi Pad 2 Pro Launched in India: Price, Features, & More appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

By Alexandru Stan For years, the tech industry equated success with scale. Bigger stages, larger crowds, more logos, more panels, more noise. Five thousand people became ten thousand. Ten thousand became the goal. Somewhere along the way, that stopped making sense. Founders and executives didn’t announce a boycott. They simply stopped showing up. What we see today is not a rejection of events, but a correction in how people who actually run companies choose to spend their time. The shift is subtle, but consistent. Fewer large conferences. More small, curated gatherings. More closed rooms. More dinners. More tables of twelve. Big tech events…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Paulo Vargas XGIMI is launching MemoMind at CES 2026, a new AI glasses lineup built for daily wear. The pitch is modular frames, prescription support, and quiet assistance like translation and reminders.
The post MemoMind AI glasses aim to look like your glasses, not a gadget appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Adarsh Verma Portable power stations have come a long way from being oversized battery packs for camping trips….
The post Jackery’s Explorer 1500 Ultra Is Built for When Portable Power Can’t Afford to Fail appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

By Gareth Beavis I’ve just come out of a LG’s CES 2026 press conference – dubbed a ‘World Premiere’, giving the sense of something new and exciting about to appear (although it transpired all of what was spoken about had already been press released). But it was clear what the focal point of the event was: Cloid (or […] The post LG’s new robot Cloid isn’t what you think appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

It has been almost six and a half years since the launch of the Apple Card, a credit card developed by Apple in collaboration with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard.

Now, 9to5Mac reports that Goldman Sachs is considering pulling out of the partnership with Apple, even though the current agreement runs until 2029.

If this is the case, Apple is believed to turn to JPMorgan Chase as a replacement, but there may also be talk of a collaboration with American Express, Capital One or Synchrony.

In this context, it should be mentioned that Apple Card is still only available in the US, despite stated plans for an international launch. There are many indications that Canada is next in line, as Apple has applied for trademark protection for Apple Card in the country.

According to earlier information, Apple is also in discussions with financial authorities in Europe, but expect it to take a while before Apple Card is available in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.

This article originally appeared on ComputerSweden.

More Apple news:

Vision Pro — the lull before the spatial storm

For Apple in ’26, it’s time to take the ‘Snow Leopard’ approach to OS updates

Apple appears set to begin iPhone 18 (test) production soon

Source:: Computer World

In November, Google launched Nano Banana Pro, an upgraded version of its popular tool for creating AI-generated images.

Now it is clear that Google is working on Nano Banana 2 Flash, a slightly less powerful model that can generate realistic images at lightning speed.

While the Nano Banana Pro is based on the Gemini 3 Pro, the Nano Banana 2 Flash is based on the Gemini 3 Flash, Bleeping Computer reports.

Considering the fierce competition in the segment, the live version of Nano Banana 2 Flash is likely to be launched before the end of the quarter.

This article originally appeared on ComputerSweden.

Related reading:

AI and the end of proof

AI cameras race for a real-time edge

Gemini Enterprise is Google’s new ‘front door’ for agentic AI access at work

How AI image generators are changing art and creativity

Source:: Computer World

By Pranob Mehrotra Xreal’s new entry-level AR glasses bring notable upgrades over last year’s model while slashing the price by $50.
The post Xreal’s latest entry-level AR glasses give you sharper visuals for less appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Shikhar Mehrotra Samsung says its upcoming AI-based “Brain Health” features could notice subtle shifts in speech, activity, and movement that precede cognitive decline.
The post Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Ring will soon flag early signs of dementia appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Pranob Mehrotra SwitchBot’s onero H1 is a humanoid robot designed to help you with household chores.
The post SwitchBot’s new robot could take household chores off your plate appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Deepti Pathak Some people like to post openly on X, while others like their timeline limited to a…
The post How to Switch Your X (Twitter) Account to Private or Public appeared first on Fossbytes.

Source:: Fossbytes

By Nadeem Sarwar At CES 2026, Samsung is showcasing a whole bunch of concept devices with an OLED screen. One of them is classroom robot, while the other one sits on your face.
The post Samsung concepts put an OLED screen on a classroom robot and retro music gear  appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Moinak Pal Samsung plans to showcase a Brain Health feature at CES 2026 that uses wearable and smartphone data to flag early dementia indicators and suggest preventive actions.
The post Here’s how Samsung plans to track brain health using your devices appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Manisha Priyadarshini Samsung is preparing a Brain Health feature that uses data from Galaxy Watches and phones to monitor voice, gait, and sleep patterns, helping spot early signs of cognitive decline and dementia.
The post Samsung plans to use your Galaxy Watch to spot early signs of dementia appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Omair Khaliq Sultan AirPods Max don’t usually need a sales pitch. People either want them for the Apple ecosystem experience, or they write them off as too expensive. That’s why the price matters more than the hype here: the AirPods Max (USB-C) are $449.99, which is a $100 drop. If you’ve been waiting for the moment when the […] The post Save $100 on AirPods Max if you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Alexandru Stan Five stars used to mean something. People still read reviews before buying software. They just don’t trust them the way they used to. And no, this isn’t about fake reviews or obvious scams. Those are easy to spot. The real problem is more uncomfortable. The review economy didn’t collapse. It slowly drifted away from its original purpose. User reviews began as authentic buyer guidance, but they’ve morphed into strategic assets for businesses. Scroll through any app store or e-commerce site: everything is “top-rated” and lavished with praise. If every product gleams with a 4.8/5 rating, those stars start to lose…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

Two cybersecurity professionals charged with running a ransomware operation have pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct, delay, or affect commerce through extortion.

They will be sentenced on March 12, 2026, the US Department of Justice announced this week.

Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Martin were charged with using the BlackCat ransomware against multiple victims in the US between April 2023 and December 2023. An unnamed co-conspirator was also listed in the court filings.

They were accused of targeting five companies with the ransomware: a Florida medical device company, a Maryland pharmaceutical company, a doctor’s office in California, an engineering company in California, and a drone manufacturer in Virginia.

BlackCat ransomware, also known as ALPHV, is particularly pernicious as it can exploit cloud copies of data intended to protect against ransomware attacks as a way into the enterprise. Those behind it are among the most dangerous ransomware groups active today.

Goldberg and Martin didn’t develop BlackCat, though: they identified victims and targeted them with the ransomware-as-a-service, sharing ransom payouts  with the developers.

The two reached plea agreements with the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida on Dec. 18, 2025, and these were accepted by the US District Court for the Southern District fo Florida on Dec. 29, court records show.

The ransomware attacks resulted in losses exceeding $9.5 million, the parties agreed. However, authorities were only able to trace $324,123.26 in proceeds of the crimes to Goldberg and Martin, according to the plea agreements.

The pair face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

US authorities have been after them and the developers of the BlackCat software they used for years. The wider ransomware group is believed to have targeted more than 1,000 victims around the world, according to a DOJ news release.

The group was defanged in December 2023, when the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) developed a tool that could decrypt data held to ransom, according ot the DOJ. It estimated this saved hundreds of victims some $99 million in ransomware payments.

This article first appeared on CSO.

Source:: Computer World