• Archangel Lightworks has successfully tested the world’s smallest deployable operational optical ground station, demonstrating secure, rapid data transfer with low Earth orbit satellites
• The UK government has praised the achievement, with UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd highlighting its contribution to strengthening global connectivity, economic growth, and national security
• The system ran multiple tests to conform to the U.S. Space Development Agency’s laser communication standard while retaining its portability with a 1.1m tall and 0.7 diameter form factor, while forgoing the need for a protective dome

Archangel Lightworks, a UK-based optical and laser communications company, has recently announced the successful conclusion of its testing of the world’s smallest deployable operational optical ground station, the TERRA-M.

Clocking in at just 1.1m in height and a 0.7m diameter, the TERRA-M enables mobile deployment while enabling secure, rapid communications with low Earth orbit satellites.

A Chinese-speaking cybercrime group has expanded its targeting to the European space, deploying previously undocumented malware and the Atlas backdoor.

Tracked as TA4922, the threat actor is associated with financially motivated attacks aimed at breaching target networks for fraud, data theft, and the sale of access.

TA4922 has previously targeted organizations in East Asia, but recent campaigns have focused on entities in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Researchers at cybersecurity company Proofpoint note that TA4922 shares overlaps with activity previously reported as ‘Silver Fox’ and ‘Void Arachne. However, the activity cluster is tracked separately  as it is more consistent with cybercrime than espionage.

Since March, TA4922’s activity has increased sharply, and since April, it has shown unprecedented operational diversity and high tempo.

“TA4922 currently conducts more unique campaigns than any other tracked cybercrime threat actor in Proofpoint threat data, demonstrating high operational tempo, a variety of lures, and multiple objectives,” Proofpoint says in a report today.

“While the actor is assessed to be financially motivated, the capabilities of the malware include the potential for surveillance, which could be used by or sold to espionage groups.”

The attacker uses localized phishing lures crafted to appear as payroll notices, tax audits, VAT filings, government compliance notices, invoices, and human resources communications.

The threat group also attempts to contact victims via WhatsApp, the LINE messenger, and Microsoft Teams.

Atlas RAT and custom loaders

Proofpoint reports that TA4922 has significantly expanded its malware arsenal and believes the hackers may be using large language models (LLMs) to accelerate malware development.

This conclusion is based on the presence of placeholder values, code comments, and patterns commonly associated with AI-generated code.

Proofpoint’s report highlights Atlas RAT, a recently identified remote access trojan that offers attackers the following capabilities:

• System reconnaissance
• Targeted file theft
• Plugin and payload downloads
• Keylogging
• Screenshot capturing
• Audio and webcam recording
• System shutdown/reboot commands

The malware features several anti-sandbox and anti-analysis checks, including looking for usernames and registry keys associated with Microsoft Defender Application Guard, the “CExecSvc” service, and OS UUID.

The researchers also discovered a new malware loader named RomulusLoader, which downloads and executes additional payloads using process hollowing, shellcode injection, and direct execution.

RomulusLoader was deployed to launch legitimate remote management tools such as AnyDesk and SyncFuture, a remote monitoring software tool popular in China. Weirdly, the latter was used in attacks targeting German entities.

Proofpoint also identified a Python-based loader and information stealer called SilentRunLoader, which steals from Google Chrome credentials, cookies, and browsing data.

That malware was deployed against organizations in the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, using lures that impersonated government services.

Finally, the researchers spotted the deployment of Winos4.0, a previously documented malware family that Proofpoint tracks as ValleyRAT and which provides operators with a full set of remote access features.

According to Proofpoint, TA4922 is responsible for “more unique campaigns” than any other threat actor the company tracks. The group is moving quickly and uses multiple lures.

According to the researchers, the capabilities of the malware used by this actor have “the potential for surveillance which could be used by or sold to espionage groups.”

Proofpoint’s report includes indicators of compromise for the malware and command-and-control (C2) infrastructure used in TA4922’s attacks.

Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.

The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.

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from the the-patient-died-on-the-operating-table dept

Trump-allied billionaire Larry Ellison hired blogtroller Bari Weiss to turn what was left of CBS News into a right wing safe space for oligarchs and autocrats like Trump and Netanyahu. If the patient died during surgery, I don’t think Ellison would lose any sleep. But I do think Ellison hoped that Weiss could at least turn CBS News into a viral, right wing propaganda vessel certain people actually wanted to watch.

But Weiss’ tenure has been a bumbling mess on all fronts. MAGA folks aren’t interested in CBS News’ bland agitprop. And most existing viewers have been running for the exits, resulting in CBS News recently seeing its worst ratings in a quarter century. Her clumsy attempted censorship of stories critical of the president have also caused a mass exodus of any actual remaining journalists.

Those who are left are even more pissed after Weiss recently fired 60 Minutes executive producer Tanya Simon, her deputy, and two correspondents (Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega). In her place she put Nick Bilton, a former tech journalist and documentary filmmaker with no broadcast experience.

Bilton’s a fairly typical fail upward type remembered by many in tech journalism for the time he tried to take credit for the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal:

His introduction as the new boss of 60 Minutes did not go well.

Leaked audio of a recent meeting between Bilton and CBS News staff was dropped in the lap of the New York Times and Status. In it, 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley accused Weiss of “murdering” the longstanding Sunday news program, told Bilton he had “slender” qualifications for his new job and questioned the network’s commitment to the future of the program:

“She is murdering ‘60 Minutes,’” the correspondent said. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.”

Mr. Pelley added: “She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she’s made at the ‘Evening News’ have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?”

There are several parts of the meeting where Bilton and his staff clearly try to shut Pelley up, quite unsuccessfully:

CBS obviously didn’t take Pelley’s comments well and has now fired him. Pelley in response offered an even more blistering statement accusing Weiss and CBS News of “injecting falsehoods and bias” into his stories. After Weiss came in swinging an axe and dismantling 60 Minutes with a total disregard for journalism, history, or tact, she accused Pelley of creating a “hostile work environment”:

Weiss ran a small blog full of trolls and c-tier columnists whose primary purpose is to blow smoke up the ass of wealth and power and punch down and left. I genuinely do think Ellison hired Weiss thinking she had the savvy to revolutionize and modernize CBS News for the social media era. But Weiss has shown repeatedly that she’s marginally competent and has the media savvy of a 90-year-old Conservative man.

Rich Republicans certainly do love to destroy and attack journalism that critiques wealth and power. But they don’t just destroy their targets. They’ll purchase a traditional news brand or communications platform, then leverage any remaining reputation to seed the public with lazy, oligarch-friendly agitprop (see: Newsweek, The Baltimore Sun, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twitter, TikTok, CBS, and soon CNN).

In a country with fairly terrible media literacy standards, it takes most of the public years to notice anything has changed at these hijacked zombie publications and platforms, if they notice at all. If you are cogent enough to notice and vocalize any resistance, like Scott Pelley did, you’re treated as a problematic rabble rouser undermining company interests.

If Weiss was competent, she’d make changes with some amount of subtlety resulting in a propaganda outlet that isn’t quite so ham-fisted. If she was competent, the end product at CBS News, however partisan, would already be something that was at least grabbing ad eyeballs. She’s not competent, or subtle. And the backlash is proportional.

Everybody’s piling on. Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens praised Pelley and hinted at Weiss being a “fraud.” Santiago Campos, a recent student journalist recipient of the Mike Wallace Memorial Scholarship, trashed Weiss and CBS News in a recent award speech:

“While I want to thank CBS News for funding this generous gift towards my education, I want to also acknowledge how the recent direction of the outlet stains the legacy of Mike Wallace, the namesake of this scholarship,” Santiago Campos said onstage to enthusiastic applause from the audience.”

Management has already started to scale back Weiss’ responsibilities, and I strongly suspect she will be replaced by somebody worse (but better for ratings) by the end of the summer.

Filed Under: 60 minutes, agitprop, bari weiss, cbs news, journalism, larry ellison, media, media literacy, news, nick bilton

Companies: cbs, cbs news

Finnish quantum start-up IQM has bolstered its pre-listing war chest to $146m with backing from pension giant Ilmarinen.

Finnish quantum computing company IQM has upsized its private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing to more than $146m ahead of its planned SPAC merger and US stock market listing, after securing a new commitment from Ilmarinen, one of Finland’s largest private earnings-related pension insurance companies.

The new commitment from Ilmarinen builds on the previously announced $134m private placement round tied to IQM’s planned merger with SPAC partner Real Asset Acquisition Corp and public listing. The total private placement commitment from new and existing institutional investors now exceeds $146m.

The transaction places IQM at a pre-money equity valuation of some $1.8bn, with a cash position expected to reach up to $477m. The company posted 2025 revenues of $36m.

IQM plans to list its American depositary shares on the Nasdaq stock market and its ordinary shares on the Helsinki stock exchange on completion of the transaction. As SiliconRepublic.com reported in February, this would make IQM the first European quantum computing company to list publicly in the US.

Jan Goetz, co-founder and CEO of IQM, said the addition of Ilmarinen underscores confidence in the company’s technology roadmap and its ‘production quantum’ model, under which customers own, operate and build on their systems.

“This commitment signals that the market recognises our product readiness and the real value we’re delivering to customers tackling some of the world’s most complex problems,” he said.

Peter Ort, CEO and co-chair of Real Asset Acquisition, said: “We reopened the PIPE because the demand is there from institutional investors who recognise what IQM has built: operational quantum computers, active customer deployments and a commercial foundation that most of the quantum sector has yet to achieve.”

IQM builds full-stack, open-architecture quantum computers that can be deployed at premises or accessed via the cloud. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Helsinki, the company employs more than 350 people and operates across Europe, Asia and North America. The additional capital will be used, it said, to accelerate its technology development toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.

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Looking for an easy way to track your key health data but don’t want to wear an unsightly wrist strap? A smart ring is an easy recommendation.

Not only are smart rings designed to blend in and not draw too much attention to themselves but, according to Oura, arteries in the finger give optical sensors a cleaner pulse signal that is up to 100 times stronger than at the wrist. With this in mind a smart ring is undoubtedly a great choice, but how do you choose between the options?

We’ve compared the recently announced Oura Ring 5 to the Ultrahuman Ring Pro, as both devices are promised to offer reliable, accurate and in-depth tracking. While we haven’t reviewed either yet, we’ve assessed their specs and noted the key differences (alongside any noteworthy similarities) between the two below. 

Otherwise, make sure you visit our round up of the best smart rings and best fitness trackers, while our Oura Ring 5 vs Ring 4 and Oura Ring 5 vs Ring 3 guides explain what’s new with the latest generation. 

Price and Availability

At the time of writing, both the Oura Ring 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Pro are currently available to pre-order. The Oura Ring 5 will officially launch on June 4th, whereas the Ultrahuman Ring Pro will launch a bit later on July 15th.

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The Oura Ring 5 comes in a choice between six colours, with the cheapest options being Silver and Black which start at £399. Alternatively you can opt for Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold and Deep Rose which starts at £499.

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In comparison, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro comes in a choice of four finishes: Bionic Gold, Raw Titanium, Space Silver and Aster Black – all of which start at £429.

Oura Ring 5 is hailed as the world’s smallest smart ring 

If you want the lightest and thinnest possible ring, then the Oura Ring 5 is an easy recommendation. Weighing from a teeny 2g and at just 2.28mm thick, the Oura Ring 5 is hailed as being the “world’s smallest smart ring” – and it’s 40% smaller than the Oura Ring 4 too. 

As we haven’t reviewed the Oura Ring 5 yet, we can’t verify how it really feels in use. However, considering we found the larger Oura Ring 4 sat well on the finger and felt light too, we expect the Oura Ring 5 to be even more comfortable. 

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However, that’s not to say the Ultrahuman Ring Pro is particularly hefty. In fact, it starts with a thickness of just 2.65mm.

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Oura Ring 5 requires a monthly subscription to see data

Unlike other fitness trackers, the Oura Ring 5 requires users to sign up to a subscription to really benefit from the data tracking. At £5.99/$5.99 a month, it’s one of the cheaper subscriptions, but it is still another cost to factor in.

An Oura membership allows you to actually see your health and fitness metrics, which are promised to be more accurate than ever before thanks to new signal architecture and more powerful LEDs. This means you should expect more consistent readings and more accurate activity detection than its predecessors. 

In addition, the Oura Ring 5 can reveal how well you slept and provide you with a relevant Sleep Score, alongside Readiness and Activity Scores. There’s also heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen sensing, stress levels and the ability to set personalised activity goals too.

In comparison, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro does not require an additional subscription to access its plethora of tracking features. This means you can access sleep and recovery data, activity results and more without needing to pay any extra fees.

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However, you can pair third-party subscriptions with the Ring Pro which may charge you an additional fee. Not only that, but there are also Ultrahuman PowerPlugs which are add-on apps that you can pick and choose from, depending on your health and lifestyle. For example, you can track the effects of taking GLP-1s, use migraine management tools and even track your vitamin D too. Some PowerPlus are completely free, while others are an additional fee via the app.

Ultrahuman Ring Pro includes the Pro Charging Case

The Ultrahuman Ring Pro will be shipped with the Pro Charging Case which not only provides convenient wireless charging, but also stores up to one year of ring data too. In addition, the charging case is designed to preserve the long-term performance of the Ring Pro’s battery, as it uses an energy-efficient mechanism that generates less heat than conventional wireless charging. 

The case can also be easily located via Find My Case in the Ultrahuman app, where you can also receive faster updates, diagnostics and troubleshooting too.

Otherwise, the Oura Ring 5 comes with a size-specific charger that’s powered via USB-C connection. While it does also support wireless charging, you will need to buy a compatible charger separately and that’ll set you back £99. 

Ultrahuman Ring Pro supports the world’s first biointelligence AI

The Ring Pro is fitted with what Ultrahuman describes as the “world’s first real-time biointelligence AI”. Coined Jade, the AI connects ring data with markers from across the Ultrahuman ecosystem to produce “unprecedented insights”. Ultrahuman explains that unlike normal LLMs, Jade is able to pull “real-time actionable insights” such as or triggering Afib detection. 

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Ultrahuman also claims that, in the future, Jade will be able to order food, change your room temperature and flag health issues before they even occur – acting as an “autonomous health agent”. We’re intrigued to see how this really ends up working overtime, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Ultrahuman Ring Pro promises up to 15 days of battery life

Ultrahuman claims that the Ring Pro will see up to a whopping 15 days of battery life. That’s not even factoring in the Pro Charging Case which stores up to a whopping 45 days for topping up while you’re on the move.

That’s not to say the Oura Ring 5 is a slouch by any means. Sure, it’s a bit shy of the Ultrahuman Ring Pro’s promise of 15 days, but Oura’s claim of up to a week is still a solid effort. It’s just a shame the Oura Ring 5 doesn’t come equipped with a more convenient wireless charger.

Early Verdict

As we’re yet to review the Oura Ring 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Pro, we’ll refrain from giving a conclusive verdict. However, as it’s the “world’s smallest smart ring”, has an easy-to-use app and promises to be the most accurate Oura ever, the Ring 5 is undoubtedly an exciting prospect. Having said that, it’s not cheap to purchase outright and you will need to factor in the monthly cost.

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In comparison, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro doesn’t need a monthly subscription fee, and still promises to deliver accurate tracking in a lightweight design. We also appreciate the inclusion of PowerPlugs, which allow you to track specific metrics depending on what’s really important to you.

For over 30 years I’ve been teaching teachers to engage in meaningful conversations with their students about real things. Strong teachers know how to pose thoughtful questions, elicit questions from students, and listen and engage respectfully with students.

And yet, 30 years in, there are still a shocking number of schools where adults and children fail to discuss important issues. For instance, according to findings recently released by RAND’s American Youth Panel, only about 1 in 3 students say their school has a school-wide policy on the use of AI. Many students say AI policy in their school varies by teacher, and 67 percent of students endorsed the statement, “The more students use AI for their schoolwork, the more it will harm their critical thinking skills.”

The RAND report recommends “direct conversations” with students about the use of AI. So let’s talk about how to do that.

Talking Directly About AI in Schools

According to the Center for Democracy and Technology, approximately 85 percent of teachers and students report using AI for schoolwork. If your school has a clear policy on AI use, great! Discuss it with your students. Ask them how they feel about it; what’s clear and what needs more explanation; what feels fair and what they might want to advocate to change.

If your school does not have a clear policy on AI, talk with your colleagues, and talk with your students. Here are some questions to get those conversations started.

With colleagues, including teachers and school leaders:

• Is it our goal to make things easier for students? For teachers? AI can simplify, increase efficiency, and in other ways do the work for us. Is this what we want?
• If so, when is this a good thing?
• In what types of situations might we want to avoid making things easier?
• How can we implement AI and LLM tools in a way that benefits our learning community, i.e. increased efficiency, time savings, ability to gather and analyze more data, etc.?
• What guardrails can we put in place to ensure we maintain the learning experiences we value, such as engaging in productive struggle; working through complex problems and devising, testing, and refining solutions?
• How are we going to teach students to critically analyze information and “answers” provided by AI tools?
• How skillful are our students at identifying bias? Will our students ask, “What’s the source for this information?” “What perspective does this source have?” Can they distinguish fact (i.e. the distance between the Earth and the sun) from opinion (i.e. the filibuster as a tool for promoting democracy)?
• What skills do they – and we – need to strengthen in order to ensure that we are the drivers of AI innovation?
• Are there other schools or people we trust, admire, and respect who have implemented AI policies? What can we learn from them?
• What processes do we have in place (or can we put into place) to include student voice in determining when and how to use AI in our school?

With students:

1. What is valuable about the work we do together in school? How might AI tools increase this value? How might AI undermine it?
2. What does integrity mean to us, as individuals and as a school? How can we implement AI in a way that supports integrity in our school?
3. What do you know about AI? What do you want to know about it?
4. What are some ways we might use AI in our school? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks?

Aligning AI with School Values

If this seems like a lot of work, and a lot to talk about, that’s because it is. An AI policy isn’t something to overlay on a school, and then continue with business as usual. AI is a powerful tool. It has the power to disrupt. That disruption can be beneficial, such as disrupting inequitable access to information and learning tools. It can also be harmful: AI can fuel complacency and undermine critical thinking and curiosity. So a school’s AI policy needs to be deeply aligned with the school’s values. And that requires thoughtful, school-wide conversations about those values.

During these conversations, make liberal use of the phrase, “I don’t know.” Because we don’t have all the answers. There is so much we don’t yet know about what AI can, or should, do. How it might support, or undermine, critical thinking and curiosity.

When you engage in conversations based on the questions above, you are modeling to your students – and your colleagues – how to puzzle through complex issues. You’re building uncertainty tolerance. You’re teaching problem solving at the highest level.

And isn’t that what we teachers are here to do in the first place?

More images have surfaced of a black colorway for the Apple Vision Pro, this time showing more of the important parts of the headset sporting the hue. Though, you shouldn’t get excited about a potential release.

In late May, images of what are believed to be components for a black-colored Apple Vision Pro came to light. A week later, that same source has released more images of the fabled headset.

The images, posted to X on Wednesday by a Hong Kong-based developer known as Pipfix or LusiRoy8, are a collection of shots of a headset that looks like the Apple Vision Pro. One is a close-up image of a grille and a camera on the side of the headset, confirming it to be an Apple Vision Pro.

Other shots include the connector for the battery pack, with the mechanism left uncolored. Another shot is of the top of that battery pack, as well as a black braided cable.

One last image shows the knob used to adjust the band attached to the headset. Both the band and the knob are shown in black.

Previously, the account showed off images of the speakers on the side of the Apple Vision Pro, again in the black colorway.

The leaker does have a bit of a track record when it comes to colors, including those of the iPhone 17 Pro. While the previous leak briefly said that the Apple Vision Pro in black is “upcoming,” the new post simply asks readers if they like the color.

While the photographs are quite convincing, there’s no guarantee that Apple will actually release a version in that color. It’s equally plausible that they come from a prototype version that Apple made to test the color, but decided not to go through with the black model in the end.

There are some inconsistencies in some of the images. The fabric surrounding the visor doesn’t quite match the pattern of Apple’s current version, and the battery pack appears wrapped in some kind of film.

Then there’s this odd black wire wrapping between the person’s fingers and yet another white wire further in the background of the battery shot. However, these don’t appear to be AI renders, but genuine photos of black components.

That said, the inconsistent design aspects suggest these are early prototype models.

Possible hardware

While we have had previous rumors going back to April 2025 on the topic, as well as a December shot of a black headset connector, Apple hasn’t slipped up or hinted at new color options for the Apple Vision Pro.

Given the band appears to be the Solo strap, this is likely a prototype of the M2 model that never made it to production. Apple would have no reason to offer different colorways considering how few they sell.

There’s a remote possibility of a black option being introduced in a future model. Don’t expect any mention during WWDC.

Current rumors indicate that Apple Vision Pro won’t see a new hardware iteration for some time. Apple’s Vision Product Team has reportedly directed to focus on smart glasses development while technology for a thinner and lighter Apple Vision Pro can be developed.

Currently, the soonest a new model might be announced is 2028, but Apple hasn’t said as much to supply chains yet.

AI PCs have quickly become the hottest trend in the tech industry, and Asus doesn’t want to be left behind. As the tradition goes in Computex, the Taiwanese company announced a massive lineup of new AI-powered devices, including creator laptops, consumer notebooks, desktops, all-in-one PCs, and even a brand-new tablet. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

New RTX Spark Laptops

Leading the announcement are the new ProArt P16 and ProArt P14 creator laptops. These are the first ASUS laptops powered by NVIDIA’s new RTX Spark platform, which combines NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPU architecture with the Grace CPU platform for AI-focused workloads.

ASUS says these machines are designed for creators, developers, and anyone working with AI-heavy workflows. The company is also bundling AI tools like MuseTree, StoryCube, and ProArt Creator Hub to help users manage creative projects and optimize system performance.

The laptops also come with ASUS’s latest Lumina Pro OLED displays that can hit up to 1,600 nits of HDR brightness and feature a 120Hz refresh rate. Interestingly, ASUS is introducing two new color options called Nano Black and Neo White, marking the first major design refresh for the ProArt lineup.

Zenbook and Vivobook Get the AI Treatment

For everyday users, ASUS refreshed the Zenbook 14 with a clear focus on portability. The laptop weighs just 1.1kg and uses ASUS’ Ceraluminum construction, which combines aluminum with ceramic-like durability. ASUS claims the laptop can deliver over 21 hours of battery life, making it one of the longest-lasting devices in the company’s lineup. Buyers can choose among Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon variants, with AI performance up to 50 TOPS, depending on the configuration. ASUS has also added new Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral color options to make the laptop feel less corporate than previous Zenbook generations.

Other highlights include a 1.7mm travel keyboard, an ASUS OLED display, Windows Hello support, Microsoft Pluton security, and adaptive privacy features that automatically dim or lock the screen when users step away.

Meanwhile, ASUS is also betting heavily on Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops with the new Vivobook S14 and Vivobook S16. Unlike previous Vivobook generations, these models exclusively use Snapdragon X processors and deliver up to 45 TOPS of AI performance. The laptops are clearly aimed at students and young professionals. ASUS says battery life can exceed 25 hours, while fast charging can take the battery from 0 to 60 percent in under 50 minutes.

The larger S16 model offers a 16-inch OLED display with an 89% screen-to-body ratio, while the S14 opts for a more compact 14-inch design. Both feature 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, TÜV-certified low-blue-light technology, and military-grade durability certification.

ASUS Is Back in the Tablet Business

One of the more surprising announcements from the event was the ASUS Pad, marking the company’s return to the tablet category. The tablet features a 12.2-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset.

ASUS has equipped the tablet with a 9,000mAh battery, Dolby Atmos-powered quad speakers, Google Circle to Search, and GlideX integration for easier cross-device workflows. At just 6.5mm thick and weighing 523g, the company is positioning it as both an entertainment device and a productivity companion.

New Desktops and AiOs Join the Lineup

Beyond laptops, ASUS also announced the new V700 Mini Tower desktop and V200/V400 all-in-one PCs. The V700 desktop stands out for its unusual home-inspired design, featuring wood-grain finishes and softer aesthetics rather than the aggressive styling usually seen in desktop PCs. It can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics. The V400 AiO, meanwhile, uses Snapdragon-powered hardware and AI capabilities in a larger 27-inch all-in-one form factor aimed at family and home users.

Rounding out the announcements was ASUS Zenni Claw, a new AI assistant designed to simplify access to AI-powered workflows across work, travel, and everyday tasks. ASUS hasn’t revealed extensive details yet, but it appears to be the company’s attempt at creating a more unified AI experience across its devices.

Greenvolt Next also plans to allocate funding for the development of its Waterford headquarters.

Greenvolt Next Ireland – which is part of Greenvolt Group, a specialist in renewable energy solutions for the commercial and industrial sector – has today (3 June) announced the creation of 90 new jobs. 50 are to be made available at its Waterford headquarters and the remaining 40 will be based in the UK. 

Over the next 12 months, the company will be recruiting mid-level to senior managers for roles including project engineers, senior project engineers, project managers and site managers. In expanding the team, the organisation aims to work on additional large-scale projects to support developers and landowners in advancing renewable assets and meet the UK and Irish demand for green energy solutions. 

Greenvolt Next is also allocating funding for the further development of its Waterford headquarters, which is being increased by 2,176 sq ft and will be equipped with new technologies.

Commenting on the announcement, Owen Power, the CEO of Greenvolt Next Ireland & UK, said: “Our success to date has been driven by our ability to deliver the most reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to customers, underpinned by unmatched resources and expertise. Looking to the future, which will only see greater demand for such projects, we want to continue making a tangible impact for businesses and the environment.

“That means investing in operations, growing the team and innovating for customers. As well as marking the next stage in our own journey, this will allow us to make renewable energy easy for more organisations across Ireland and the UK. In turn, they will not only be more sustainable but also more successful.”

In 2024, Greenvolt Group announced a partnership with Enerpower, with both organisations agreeing to a joint commitment to install up to 500MW of renewable energy between 2024 and 2029 and create 100 new jobs. The strategy was designed to impact the Irish and wider European markets.

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