The national project will capture a baseline that will be used to create a clearer image of how research is understood and utilised in Ireland.
Research Ireland has launched the Research in Ireland Barometer 2026, a new national project designed to build a richer, more inclusive understanding of how people across Ireland encounter, engage with, and experience research in their everyday lives.
The Barometer will focus on capturing lived experiences, primarily the stories, context and perspectives that often shape how people relate to research. Serving as a baseline for the coming years, the project will aim to create a clearer picture of how research is understood, trusted and encountered across different communities.
Commenting, the director of research for society at Research Ireland, Dr Ruth Freeman, said: “The Research in Ireland Barometer 2026 represents an important step in opening up conversations about research across society. It is also essential to shaping how we engage with society as a public body.
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“Rather than focusing solely on a simple, statistical survey, we are taking a community-engaged approach to understand how people experience research in their everyday lives, from the decisions they make to the information they encounter and trust.”
Freeman explained that the organisation is actively seeking information from people aged 16 and older, across Ireland – and particularly those who feel as though their experiences are not often captured in traditional surveys. Individuals have three months to contribute to the survey.
She said, “By listening to people’s lived experiences and meeting people where they are, we aim to build a richer, more inclusive understanding of research and ensure it remains connected to the needs and experiences of the public.”
In early March, Research Ireland also unveiled its inaugural strategy for development of the country’s research and innovation landscape over the next five years. The aim of the strategy is to fund 3,800 new PhDs, support 14 enhanced research centres and deliver 150 research awards in collaboration with Government departments.
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Fake reviews are a real menace for online shoppers. If you have ever bought something online based on glowing reviews only to receive a disappointingly subpar product, you know what I mean. A new study published in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology proposes an AI-powered system that can not only detect fake reviews, but also trace how they spread.
Why existing tools keep falling short
Most existing fake review detection systems focus on the text of a review. That approach worked for a while, but fake reviewers have gotten smarter. They now pair carefully written text with misleading images to make their reviews look authentic. Text-only tools struggle to catch this, and that’s a real problem for shoppers and honest sellers alike.
Structure of the fake review detection modelBing Duan / International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
The researchers addressed this by building a system that looks at multiple signals at once. It analyzes the review text using two different methods, a text convolutional neural network and pre-trained language models, to capture both surface-level and deeper meaning in the words. It also factors in reviewer behavior, since fake accounts tend to have default profile pictures and system-generated usernames, unlike real users who tend to personalize their accounts.
Can AI really catch a fake image too?
The short answer is yes. Review images are analyzed separately using a residual network, a type of deep learning tool commonly used for processing visuals. Once all these signals are gathered, the system fuses them together to make a final call on whether a review is genuine.
When a review is flagged as fake, a Transformer model kicks in to map its origin and track how far it spread through the network.
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Framework for tracing the spread of fake reviewsBing Duan / International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
Tests on a large dataset from JD.com showed that the system achieved a recognition accuracy of 94.2% and a tracing accuracy of 93.5%, outperforming all existing methods it was compared against. This kind of accuracy could eventually mean fewer misleading reviews and more trustworthy ratings to shop by.
Like anything else in your home, your TV can get downright filthy. Sitting in your living room, it will gather dust, get splashed with drinks (you’d be shocked at how far a liquid particle can travel from your coffee table), and more. It’s therefore important to clean your TV regularly as you notice grime building up on it. But your television is a delicate object designed to be looked at, not touched. In your attempts to clean a TV, it’s all too easy to end up damaging it.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t clean your TV. You absolutely should – removing dust and debris can help make your TV last longer than you thought possible. But it does mean you should take care to do so properly. There are a number of rookie mistakes that some TV owners only learn the hard way, so we’ve rounded up some of the most common here, where you can read about the consequences of these common errors instead of experiencing them firsthand. From corrosive chemicals to out-of-sight surfaces, here are five of the most common mistakes people make when cleaning a TV.
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Using an abrasive cloth damages your TV
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One of the easiest mistakes to make while cleaning your TV is using the wrong kind of cloth to wipe it down. The surface layer of most television displays is made from a delicate and thin polarizing layer that helps you to see what’s on screen. That makes it quite different from the display on your smartphone, which is most likely coated in a layer of hardened glass that is mostly safe to wipe down with your t-shirt. But unless you use a non-abrasive cloth on your TV, you are almost certain to damage it, causing scratches and wiping away the outer coating. Even seemingly soft products like paper towels and tissues have microscopic fibers that can scratch up the coating on your TV screen, and the same goes for standard cloth dish towels.
A specialized microfiber cloth is the only safe cleaning implement for your LCD or OLED TV. These cloths have very thin fibers that trap the dust and residue clinging to your TV’s display without taking part of the TV along with it. You should look for cloths which are essentially large versions of those used to clean eyeglasses, such as the Apple Polishing Cloth, or other cloths made specifically to clean flatscreen TVs.
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Using the wrong cleaning solution damages your TV
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Windex works for your windows, so why not for your TV, right? Stop right there, because using glass cleaner on your TV is a costly mistake. As mentioned above, the surface layer of your TV is a thin and delicate polymer, not a thick panel of glass. As such, products that leave your windows or mirrors shiny and polished can permanently damage your TV. The biggest culprits are alcohol, acetone, and ammonia. Those are powerful cleaning agents — far too powerful, in fact, for your TV set.
You can find specialized TV cleaner available for purchase at big box retailers, but although they’ll do the job, they can cost a decent amount more than you’d expect. Some recommend making your own TV cleaning solution using distilled water with a drop of mild dish soap mixed into it, while others claim distilled water alone is sufficient for the task. Others add a small amount of vinegar to the distilled water for particularly stubborn spots. If you do choose to buy a cleaning product, be sure to check that it does not contain alcohol, ammonia, or acetone.
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Pressing too hard while cleaning damages your TV
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Even if you’ve got a high-quality microfiber cloth and specialized TV cleaner, you might have a hard time getting some particular bit of residue off your TV. Maybe your kid spilled a root beer that splashed on the screen and dried. Whatever the case, when dealing with a stubborn bit of cleaning on your TV display, you might end up applying some elbow grease. Before you know it, you’ll have damaged the TV far more than that pesky bit of gunk on the screen ever could have.
Your TV’s display is made up of multiple thin layers.LCD and OLED panels have multiple thin layers of materials that conduct electricity, create colors, and make those colors visible to you with emitted light. When you press on the surface layer, you’re compacting the entire stack, and once one of the layers is damaged, the display won’t function properly. If you’re lucky, perhaps you’ll see some dead pixels or minor discoloration, but press too hard in the wrong place, and the entire display can malfunction.
Do your best to clean with friction, not pressure. If you’re dealing with a stubborn dirty patch on your TV display, try moving the cloth quickly but gently in a small circle without applying downward pressure on the TV display. Reapply specialized electronics or TV cleaner solution as needed. You may also wish to use compressed air or an electric duster (not a feather duster or wand) to remove the initial layer of dust before cleaning in order to reduce the risk of dust particles scratching the screen’s top layer as they’re dragged by the cleaning cloth.
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Ignoring the parts of the TV you can’t see leads to long-term damage
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One of the easiest mistakes to make while cleaning a television is to ignore everything other than the screen. After all, you might think, as long as you can see your movies and TV shows in crystal-clear quality, who cares that the backside of the unit is dusty? But that’s a crucial error, since many TVs have heat vents and ports to get rid of excess thermal energy. When dust or debris clogs those exhausts, it can cause performance issues with the TV, much like what can happen when you don’t clean the vents on a computer. Then there are the ports, such as your HDMI, coaxial, and USB ports. If those become dirty, you may begin to notice errors when you plug peripherals into them, and some devices may not work at all.
The longer you go without cleaning the entire TV, the more likely it becomes that these issues will occur. Aside from cleaning every so often, it can be a good idea to dust the TV using compressed air or an electric duster — not a dusting wand, feather duster, or anything else that will touch the display — before you clean, to ensure you’re able to clean more effectively. For some tips and tricks, check out our guide on how to clean behind your TV without moving it.
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Forgetting to clean your remote can damage it
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After you’ve cleaned your TV to perfection and settled in to watch a show, do you really want to reach for a grimy remote? Not only is the remote the part of the TV you touch most often, but it is likely left sitting on your couch or coffee table. That means it’s collecting oils and residue from every pair of hands that touch it, as well as being in the path of random spills and accidents. After too much schmutz builds up on a remote, the buttons can become stiff and hard to use. In severe cases, liquid or dirt can work its way into the casing and the sensitive electronic components inside, causing them to malfunction, or even to break entirely. How often should you clean your TV remote? We recommend doing so at least once a month.
The good news is that you don’t need to be as careful when cleaning your remote as you do when cleaning the TV itself. Simply remove the batteries and shake any debris loose, then dampen (but do not wet) a soft cloth with a mild, alcohol-based cleaning solution and clean as thoroughly as possible, paying special attention to hard-to-reach areas between buttons. If you’re having trouble getting into any crevices, you can use a Q-Tip-style cotton swab dipped in your cleaning solution to reach them. If you’re still having trouble reaching any visible grime, such as desiccated skin buildup trapped in the plastic seams, you can use a toothpick or toothbrush to loosen it up. Dry everything off and pop the batteries back in when you’re done.
Although the thought of installing a modern operating system like Windows 11 on something as archaic as a Core 2 Quad Q6600 Intel CPU may seem ridiculous, it being the flagship CPU of the time means that it still chews up low-end Celeron systems that are on the supported hardware list like the N4020. Hence [Omores] commencing on this latest adventure, with the snag being that the chosen mainboard features an AGP bus that Windows 11 no longer supports.
A GPU box from the related HD 4670 PCIe card, not the used HD 4650 AGP card with 1 GB of DDR2.
This system is intended to multi-boot a range of Windows OSes starting with Windows 98, while also playing nice with DOS and even Windows 11. In addition to the quad-core, 2.4 GHz Q6600 there’s also an amazing 3 GB of DDR1 RAM in the system.
The mainboard is the 2003-era Asrock 865PE, with the GPU being the highest-end GPU that still came in AGP flavor: the Radeon HD 4650 from 2009. Since the sole reason that Windows 11 doesn’t support AGP any more is due to the supporting files not being included with Windows 11, hence you can track it down on a Windows 10 1507 release install – such as the Intel AGP440.sys driver here – and install them with some file editing.
Since Windows 11 still supports the WDDM driver model from Windows Vista and 7 you can then install the Catalyst drivers from 2012 and be up and running. You only get 1 GB of VRAM for this card, but you probably don’t need much more on this level of hardware.
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One major stumbling block remains, however, as Windows 11 24H2 enforces SSE4.2 instructions which the CPU doesn’t support. Ergo 23H2 is the newest Windows 11 version that can run on this system, with only the Education and Enterprise still receiving security updates, making it a bit of a pyrrhic victory, especially as Windows 7 benchmarks a fair bit faster on the same hardware.
Russia intends to switch on a commercial version of its homegrown answer to Starlink next year, according to people familiar with the programme cited by Reuters, the latest milestone in a project that has been promising to arrive for most of a decade.
The constellation is called Rassvet, the operator is a private aerospace firm called Bureau 1440, and the ambition is deliberately narrower than the American network it is meant to rival.
The scale tells the story. SpaceX has put thousands of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. Bureau 1440 plans to reach commercial service in 2027 with a constellation in the high hundreds, with figures around 288 to 292 satellites cited for the first operational phase, and a longer-term target near 900 by the mid-2030s.
Moscow has, for years, described the goal as something conceptually like Starlink rather than a like-for-like match, and the numbers keep that promise honest.
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The hardware is further along than the rhetoric alone would suggest. In March the company launched 16 operational satellites, on 23 March, following a run of experimental craft in 2023 and 2024 under the Rassvet-1 and Rassvet-2 test programmes.
Bureau 1440 has described the satellites as carrying 5G non-terrestrial-network communications, laser inter-satellite links, an upgraded power system, and plasma thrusters, the standard kit for a modern broadband constellation.
Dmitry Bakanov, head of the Roscosmos space agency, told Reuters last September that several test vehicles already in orbit had been inspected and the production satellites modified accordingly.
Throughput targets have been published too. Bureau 1440 has advertised per-subscriber speeds ranging from 50 megabits to one gigabit per second, with planned coverage across more than 70 countries.
Those figures are claims rather than demonstrated performance, the distinction that separates a constellation on a slide from one carrying paying traffic, and only the commercial launch will test them.
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Money has been committed, on paper at least. The Russian government has earmarked 102.8 billion roubles, roughly $1.26bn, for Rassvet, and Bureau 1440 has said it will add some 329 billion roubles, around $4bn, of its own through 2030.
The company has put potential demand at 1.5 to two million subscribers inside Russia and as many as 12 million worldwide, with coverage planned across more than 70 countries.
The 2027 date deserves a footnote. An earlier target slipped amid reported production shortfalls, which is the kind of detail that tends to recur in constellation programmes everywhere, not only in Russia.
Building satellites is one problem; building them fast enough, in the numbers a useful network requires, is a different and harder one. The 16 operational craft now in orbit are a start on a figure that needs to clear 250 before paying customers can be served.
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There is a strategic reading that sits underneath the commercial one. A sovereign broadband network that does not depend on a foreign operator is attractive to any government that has watched Starlink become a factor in the war in Ukraine.
Whether Rassvet arrives on schedule, and at the throughput Bureau 1440 advertises, is the question 2027 will answer. The constellation, for now, is mostly a plan with a launch cadence attached.
This week, we’re shaking things up a little, with Tom Nardi still in the host seat, and someone besides Al Williams in the other, namely Kristina Panos.
The perfect tile for integrated LEDs
In Hackaday news, we have a new Frikkin’ Lasers Challenge going on now, although we acknowledge that no one can actually enter their project into it at the moment. We hope to have that fixed in short order. Procrastinators, disregard.
You’ll have to wait another week for the triumphant return of What’s That Sound, but we do have an audio mailbag for you this week. Thanks, Dillon!
We look at loading SEGA games from a vinyl record, discuss a really cool project that puts live plane data on your ceiling, and debate the name ‘PopTuber’. We also discuss DIY routers, and stress over the future of electronic shelf labels.
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Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!
iFi Audio is bringing the Gryphon back with sharper teeth. The new iFi iDSD GR 2 arrives at High End Vienna 2026 as the next-generation successor to the xDSD Gryphon, a portable DAC/headphone amplifier that we have covered before and one that earned a loyal following for squeezing a lot of desktop-style flexibility into a travel-friendly chassis.
Priced at $529 USD, the iDSD GR 2 is not a minor refresh. iFi says the new model has been rebuilt around an all-new DAC architecture, upgraded fully balanced amplification, an OLED touchscreen interface, JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD Technology, and lossless Bluetooth connectivity.
That puts the GR 2 in the middle of a very competitive portable DAC/amp market where battery life, output power, codec support, usability, and actual headphone-driving ability matter more than anything. As always, the spec sheet looks promising. The listening will decide whether the Gryphon legend still breathes fire or just got a new badge.
iFi iDSD GR 2: New DAC, More Power, Better Wireless
The iFi iDSD GR 2 is more than a cosmetic update to the xDSD Gryphon. iFi has moved to a new PCM1795 DAC with a bespoke balanced circuit design, upgraded the fully balanced amplifier section, and increased output to 1,513mW RMS into 32 ohms — a claimed 50% jump over its predecessor.
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The control side gets a colour OLED touchscreen with capacitive controls, while wireless support moves to Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC. Wired users are not being ignored either, with USB, S/PDIF, and line-level connectivity all included.
The GR 2 also adds JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD Technology, XBass+, XSpace, Hybrid Power Mode for better long-term battery health, and iFi Nexis app support for OTA updates and deeper control. There is a lot packed into this portable DAC/headphone amp, especially at a price point we expected to be higher based on early rumors surrounding the GR 2.
Bluetooth 5.4 With aptX Lossless and LDAC
The iFi iDSD GR 2 also updates the wireless side with Bluetooth 5.4, including support for aptX Lossless and LDAC.
That gives the GR 2 stronger wireless credentials than many portable DAC/amps, especially for users who want to connect from a phone, tablet, or laptop without giving up higher-quality codec support. aptX Lossless can deliver 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality playback under the right conditions, while LDAC offers bitrates up to 990kbps for compatible Android devices.
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There are still the usual Bluetooth caveats. Codec support depends on the source device, connection stability, and the listening environment. iPhone users will not get aptX Lossless or LDAC from iOS, so the GR 2’s wired USB input will still matter for Apple users who want higher-resolution playback.
New PCM1795 DAC Architecture
The biggest internal change inside the iFi iDSD GR 2 is the move to the Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC, which iFi says is being used in one of its products for the first time.
That matters because this is not just a chip swap. The PCM1795 is a current-output DAC, which gives iFi more room to design its own I/V conversion and output stages around the chipset. In the GR 2, that includes a bespoke balanced circuit, Class A op-amps, and a signal path that is now fully balanced from the preamp section to the headphone stage.
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iFi also says it has removed unnecessary electronic switching from the circuit, which should help reduce distortion across the signal path. The goal is lower noise, cleaner conversion, and a more transparent presentation without abandoning the warmer tonal balance that many listeners associate with iFi’s portable DAC/amp designs.
We will dig further into how much of that shows up in actual listening, but on paper, this is one of the most meaningful engineering changes between the older xDSD Gryphon and the new iDSD GR 2.
OLED Touchscreen Control
The iFi iDSD GR 2 also adds a colour OLED touchscreen with capacitive controls, which should make the device easier to use without digging through layers of menus.
That matters on a portable DAC/headphone amp with this many features. Input selection, gain, filters, Bluetooth status, battery information, and sound processing modes all need to be easy to access, especially when the device is being used with a phone, laptop, tablet, or digital transport.
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The new interface gives the GR 2 a more modern control system than the older xDSD Gryphon, and it should make day-to-day adjustments faster and less frustrating.
Hybrid Power Mode for Battery Health
The iFi iDSD GR 2 introduces a new Hybrid Power Mode designed to manage how the unit draws power during longer listening sessions.
When connected to an external power supply, the GR 2 can prioritize external power instead of constantly running from the internal battery. If the amplifier section needs additional current, it can draw from the battery briefly, then return to external power once demand drops.
That should help reduce unnecessary battery cycling, which matters if the GR 2 spends a lot of time connected to a desk, laptop, or fixed audio system. Portable DAC/amps are still battery-dependent devices, and long-term battery health is not a small detail unless you enjoy turning expensive gear into a paperweight with balanced outputs.
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It is a practical feature, not a flashy one, but it could make the GR 2 more useful for listeners who move between portable and desktop setups.
More Power for Full-Sized Headphones
The iFi iDSD GR 2 also gets a meaningful power increase, with iFi claiming up to 1,513mW RMS into 32 ohms. That is said to be 50% more headphone drive than the original xDSD Gryphon.
That level of output should make the GR 2 a realistic option for many full-sized planar magnetic and dynamic headphones from the balanced output, not just sensitive IEMs and easy-to-drive portable models. It also gives users more headroom before the amplifier starts to feel strained.
There are still some important blanks to fill in. We are waiting to see how the GR 2 handles higher-impedance loads above 200 ohms, where voltage swing matters more than headline wattage into 32 ohms. And to be clear, this is not designed for electrostatic headphones, which require their own dedicated energizer or amplifier.
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On paper, the extra output is one of the GR 2’s more useful upgrades. More power only matters if it comes with control, low noise, and clean gain, but the numbers suggest iFi is aiming beyond the usual pocket-DAC crowd.
K2HD Processing and Digital Filters
The iFi iDSD GR 2 also includes JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD Technology, which is designed to process digital recordings by restoring some of the harmonic information that can be reduced during digital mastering, compression, or conversion.
That does not mean it magically turns every file into a master tape. The goal is more specific: to add a degree of harmonic reconstruction and tonal density to digital playback without forcing users into a fixed sound profile. iFi says the GR 2 also includes a lighter K2 mode, which offers a similar approach without upsampling.
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The GR 2 also provides four selectable digital filters, giving listeners some control over how the DAC handles timing, roll-off, and overall presentation. Some users will hear those differences more clearly than others, depending on the headphones, source material, and how allergic they are to menus.
The iFi iDSD GR 2 looks like a meaningful step beyond the older xDSD Gryphon, not just a cosmetic refresh. We know it uses a new Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC, a fully balanced circuit design, upgraded amplification rated at up to 1,513mW RMS into 32 ohms, a larger color OLED touchscreen, Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC, JVCKENWOOD K2HD processing, four digital filters, XBass+, XSpace, Hybrid Power Mode, and iFi Nexis app support. At $529 USD (£529 / €549 / $799 CAD), it also lands lower than early rumors suggested, which makes the feature set more interesting. Nevertheless, the hardware story is promising.
Apple plans to show off iOS 27 at its Worldwide Developers Conference early next week, and details already surfacing from internal builds and reports give a clear sense of the practical shifts users will notice first. One adjustment stands out right away for its effect on long-held habits. Notifications currently appear from the top of the screen, and a downward swipe from the middle opens the full list in Notification Center. In current internal versions of iOS 27, those alerts instead slide in from the left side. Reaching Notification Center requires a downward swipe from the top-left portion of the screen. A swipe from the center area now surfaces search or an interface for asking the assistant directly.
The decision to change the natural flow of scrolling originates from a deliberate attempt to place search and helper features in the most natural spot. The animation for incoming alerts now follows the new direction, making the overall experience feel much more consistent. People who have been using the swipe routinely for years may find themselves attempting to return to the Notification Center by habit, but instead being taken to the search panel. This prioritizes getting you to the information or request as quickly as possible, without the need for another tap.
Google Pixel 10a is a durable, everyday phone with more[1]; snap brilliant photography on a simple, powerful camera, get 30+ hours out of a full…
Unlocked Android phone gives you the flexibility to change carriers and choose your own data plan; it works with Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T…
Pixel 10a is sleek and durable, with a super smooth finish, scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 7i display, and IP68 water and dust protection[4]
The Find My app also gets a slight design change. New icons appear in the navigation tab bar, freshening up the overall design, but the fundamentals remain same. The big news is Siri. Siri is expected to receive a substantial overhaul, changing it into a true conversation tool rather than a collection of one-time queries. It will contain a designated area for these back-and-forth conversations, where you can connect by voice or text. Siri will understand what you’re saying based on the context of what you’re looking at on your screen or what’s open. Conversations can be shared between devices via iCloud. You’ll also have basic control over chat history, allowing you to delete previous conversations after a month, a year, or keep them forever.
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According to early reports, the experience might begin in preview mode, as many of Apple’s prior enhancements did. Some builds additionally have a potential feature that allows customized requests to be transmitted via ChatGPT. The animation work is also related to the Dynamic Island, with descriptions of flowing glassy effects that limit interaction rather than bursting out all over the place. The Clean Up option in the Photos app is getting a much-needed upgrade in iOS 27. Apple is also experimenting with allowing you to edit your images with phrases or voice commands, like “crop the top left corner” or “make the colors stronger.” This one may arrive later, rather than right away.
Other rumors indicate that the Camera app will have its own direct link to the assistant for specific tasks, as well as a few AI-powered choices to refocus your photographs or make parts of them larger. All of this is part of a bigger push to simply integrate AI capabilities into areas where they are already being used.
According to all of the leaks thus far, iOS 27 is all about smoothing out the wrinkles and making current features work more seamlessly, rather than delivering any fresh new whiz-bang features. Support is expected to return to the iPhone 12 and all subsequent generations, but some of the more complex AI features will likely remain exclusive to newer hardware. Then, during WWDC, we’ll get a better sense of what’s going on, when to expect things, and how everything works together in the grand scheme. [Source]
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Google: There’s been a lot of pushback in recent months around the impact of AI data centers on local communities, with the use of water being a key issue for many. Google, in an expansion of its “water stewardship” programs, is making commitments that include replenishing more water than it uses at its data center sites. AI data centers go through a lot of water use in cooling the hardware used to power models, and Google is no exception. While Google stands by saying that the impact of AI data centers on U.S. water consumption is “small,” it also says it is focusing on “protecting local water resources in all aspects of our data center operations.”
In a post, Google explains five new commitments regarding water use at its data centers in the U.S. These include replenishing more water than is consumed at data centers, helping local utilities to modernize water infrastructure, using air-cooled solutions in areas where watersheds are at risk, “transparently” reporting water use at data centers, and focusing on “alternative and reclaimed” water solutions. […] In a linked paper (PDF), Google says it will replenish 120% of the water it uses at data center sites by 2030. Google is also committing $17 million to new water stewardship projects in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas in addition to 165 other projects already in place throughout the U.S.
The transition from analog switches back to mechanical isn’t perfect, either. When you plug in a normal switch and press the “scan” button to reset the board, the multi-input functionality still stays semi-functional. In my testing, where I set a WASD half-press to be the normal letter, and a full press to be [Shift + WASD], pressing any of those keys and a second key immediately after would cause the next input to combine with the Shift input, resulting in wOrdS with raNdOMly capitaLized letters! The strangest part is that the G-Hub app knows when a mechanical switch is plugged in, and gives you an alert that the multi-input won’t work with a standard switch, but it doesn’t default to the key’s standard input to avoid issues.
The tedium of swapping out switches, scanning, and changing keymaps every time you start up a game is not ideal. I found myself groaning at the prospect, and using only the mechanical switches for gaming. Much like glasses with transition lenses, the BMW i8, or a McRib, this keyboard creates a hybrid version of two things that is, across the board, worse than its individual parts.
One nice touch is that the removable angled feet on the underside of this keyboard also function as keycap and switch pullers. If you’re traveling with this keyboard, you’ll always have these tools with you. But it also means, if you don’t like using your keyboard at an 8-degree angle, you’ll have awkwardly-designed switch and keycap pullers sitting on your desk. The mild added convenience of part-time storage is nowhere near as practical as the standard flip-out feet and separate keycap/switch puller that most keyboards today include. It’s also not as practical as Steelseries’ silicone flap to hide a keycap puller.
Internal Assembly
Photograph: Henri Robbins
If you’re expecting a keyboard of this caliber to have a complex internal assembly, you’re right on the money. Taking it apart involves removing the bottom feet and the back sticker, removing a few screws, removing the back panel, unscrewing another dozen screws, then separating the front and middle sections, after which you’re left with four major components: The top shell, the main assembly of the PCB and plate,, the middle shell (which houses the LED bar, along with the daughterboard housing the USB-C port back buttons), and the bottom shell. While disassembly is fairly lengthy, I actually quite like the assembly. Besides the adhesive feet, everything seems incredibly rigid and well-designed internally. The only real improvement would be replacing the plastic screw posts with heat-set metal threads.
While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, […]
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