After US trade restrictions stopped Nvidia from exporting its advanced AI chips to China, the company responded by developing the H20 GPU, a modified version which complies with the regulations by offering lower performance levels while still meeting the AI processing demands of Chinese firms.
Although there is a thriving black market for Nvidia’s high-end GPUs, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, already under intense scrutiny in the US, cannot afford the legal and reputational risks of engaging in such illegal markets, and so has been purchasing Nvidia’s lower-capability processors for its AI needs. ByteDance is reportedly the largest buyer of H20s in China, having spent over $2 billion on the hardware in 2024 alone.
While it is expected to continue using Nvidia GPUs, Reuters claims ByteDance is now shifting its attention towards domestic chip suppliers like Huawei to meet its AI ambitions.
Not without challenges
The report claims that ByteDance has purchased more than 100,000 Ascend 910B chips to date, making it one of the largest buyers of Huawei’s AI hardware in China, although as of July it had received less than a third of the order.
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Training AI models is a computationally demanding process, which is why high-end GPUs like Nvidia’s are so in demand. Making the shift to Huawei’s Ascend chips might be a strategic move for the TikTok owner, but it won’t be without its challenges.
ByteDance’s existing AI models, such as Doubao and Jimeng, were built using more powerful hardware and are used in applications ranging from chatbots to text-to-video tools. The company’s ultimate aim is to reduce its dependency on Nvidia, but the shift to Huawei’s Ascend chips could hinder its ability to train more complex models, Reuters says.
ByteDance’s strategy appears to be to navigate US trade restrictions while looking for local suppliers to help it maintain its competitive edge in AI, and beyond. The company recently invested in Xinyuan Semiconductors, a Chinese memory chip manufacturer, which could lead to developments such as a potential VR headset to compete with Meta’s Quest and Apple‘s Vision Pro.
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October’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup . There’s something for everyone, from zombie classics to narrative adventures and beyond. Let’s take a look.
The biggest draw here is likely Dead Island 2. For a while, we weren’t sure , but it did and it’s a blast to play. The action-heavy zombie slaying sim is set in Los Angeles and boasts six playable characters. There’s three-player co-op and, of course, more gore than you can shake a bloody baseball bat at. The game’s available for both PS4 and PS5.
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Gris is a stylistic 2D platformer that was a bona-fide hit when it was released several years back. We said it “might be the prettiest game” ever made, so the with this one. It’s a relaxing mixture of puzzles, exploration and platform jumping. The dev team has another game on the way, called Neva, that also looks quite pretty.
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It took 13 years, but we finally Monkey Island franchise. Return to Monkey Island continues the comedic adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, as first seen in several iconic Lucasfilm titles from the 1990s. , with many players calling it a true return to form. As a warning, this is an old-school adventure with roots in the point-and-click genre.
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Those are the big three, but this month’s drop also includes Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Overpass 2, Tour de France 2023 and The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, among others. PlayStation Premium members are also getting some games, including The Last Clockwinder for PS VR2 and Dino Crisis.
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Your Strands expert
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Your Strands expert
Marc McLaren
NYT Strands today (game #225) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Get out of here!
NYT Strands today (game #225) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
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NYT Strands today (game #225) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• Packed and ready
NYT Strands today (game #225) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First: left, 4th row
Last: right, 4th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
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NYT Strands today (game #225) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #225, are…
DOLLY
BUNGEE
TRUCK
BOXES
FOAM
CRATE
TAPE
STRAP
SPANGRAM: MOVINGDAY
My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 hint
It’s a long time since I moved house – 14 years and counting, although before that I’d moved 10 times in a decade. And honestly, none of my moves were anywhere near as organised as the NYT’s fictional example that provides answers such as FOAM, BUNGEE and DOLLY; mine were strictly cardboard-boxes-tape-and-a-few-friends-in-a-hired-van jobs.
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Setting aside my relative unfamiliarity with the subject, this is a fairly tricky Strands puzzle anyway, with lots of short words to find. Sure, short words are theoretically easier to uncover than long ones in that there are fewer possibilities for where the letters could go, but they can be harder to solve simply because there are many four-letter words on the board, and if you don’t know what the concept is, you don’t know where to start.
I did get going without help, as it happens, but uncovered DOLLY first and could not imagine how that might relate to ‘Get out of here!’ Adding BUNGEE didn’t really help, and it was only once I found TRUCK and BOXES that it all came together. I still needed one hint to get started on the bottom-right corner of the board, though; this was a harder game than many that we’ve had recently.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 13 October, game #224)
VEST
SWEATER
FLANNEL
FLEECE
CARDIGAN
SCARF
SPANGRAM: FALLFASHION
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has successfully completed a world first test, landing part of their Starship back onto its launch pad.
This means the company’s plan to develop a fully reusable and quickly deployable rocket a lot closer.
The BBC’s science correspondent, Pallab Ghosh, explores why this “incredibly difficult” operation is a big deal for future exploration and what environmental concerns people may have about it.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , the US government body that approves all flights, had previously said there would be no launch before November as it reviewed the company’s permits.
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Since last month the agency and Elon Musk have been in a public spat after the FAA said it was seeking to fine his company, SpaceX, $633,000 for allegedly failing to follow its license conditions and not getting permits for previous flights.
Before issuing a license, the FAA reviews the impact of the flight, in particular the effect on the environment.
In response to the fine, Musk threatened to sue the agency and SpaceX put out a public blog post, external hitting back against “false reporting” that part of the rocket was polluting the environment.
Whether you turned on subtitles on Disney Plus to help your kids remember the words to their favorite songs, or you turned down the volume while watching the new Marvel movie so you didn’t wake anyone up during naptime, you may not be sure how to turn them back off. While this can be frustrating, don’t panic (and don’t cancel your subscription!). Turning subtitles on and off is fairly simple once you know where the option is hiding.
Disney+ is the home of streaming for all things Disney, and includes both new original programming and their classic catalog. Thanks to their acquisitions over the last few years, it’s also the streaming home of Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic. That means there is plenty here to love for what you pay for the streaming service. The closed captioning option makes it easier to understand what’s being said on screen, and is a great tool for anyone with auditory processing issues, but it can get in the way for some viewers.
That’s why we’ve covered how to turn off the subtitles in Disney+ for you here, so that you can turn them off and get back to your show!
Note: Unless otherwise indicated, the first step for all of these devices is to launch the Disney+ app and pick a show or movie to watch. If you don’t have the Disney+ app, visit your device’s app store to download it for free. PC/Mac instructions apply to all browsers.
Along with Chromecast, these directions will also work to turn off Disney+ subtitles with Google TV.
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Step 1: While your show or movie is playing, select, or hover the mouse on your screen. If you are using Google TV, press the down button on your remote.
Step 2: A Menu icon should appear. When it does, hover over it or select it.
Step 3: Your preferred audio or subtitle options will pop up. Select the Off option under Subtitles.
Step 4: Select OK or the X icon to continue playback.
Step 1: If you’ve already got a show or movie streaming, swipe up or down on your remote to change the settings while it’s playing. If using a second- or third-generation Apple TV, hold the Center button down on your remote.
Step 2: Choose the Settings icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Screenshot / Digital Trends
Step 3: The Info, Audio, and Subtitles menu will appear. Scroll over to Subtitles and select Off.
Screengrab / Digital Trends
Step 1: When you’re watching your show, find the Menu option at the top-right corner of the display. The Menu button is a white square with black lines on it.
Step 2: The Audio & Subtitles menu will open.
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Step 3: The available audio or subtitle options will pop up. Select the Off preference under Subtitles.
Step 4: Click the white “<” symbol to close the menu.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 units in the US are getting the latest October 2024 security update
Samsung has begun the rollout of the October 2024 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The update is currently rolling out in the US as well as in Europe. The build number of the new firmware is F956BXXS1AXI3 or F956USQS1AXIB, depending on your region. As always, the October 2024 patch for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is seeding over the air.
The new firmware will take some time to reach all the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 units as it is rolling out in a phased manner. You can also manually download the new update on your device. To do this, simply go to Settings > Software update and press the Download and install option.
New update fixes 42 issues related to the security
Unfortunately, the October 2024 security patch for the Z Fold 6 doesn’t bring the Android 15 version or any major features. Like the other Galaxy S and Z series flagships, it is purely a security update for the Z Fold 6. Notably, the new firmware fixes as many as 42 security vulnerabilities.
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The new patch fixes 30 security flaws found in the Android OS. Furthermore, 12 solutions are exclusive to the problems affecting Samsung smartphones. Some of these problems are related to the system services and Knox services. That said, it is one of the most crucial security updates for Samsung devices. So make sure to download it as soon as it becomes available for your device.
Blizzard co-founder and ex-CEO Mike Morhaime’s publishing company Dreamhaven just announced a new game that mixes elements of tabletop RPGs with party games like Jackbox. Sunderfolk looks to be a more casual pick-up-and-play take on something like Gloomhaven.
The title has been “designed for players who love tabletop, board and video games.” It’s a two-screen experience, with players actually controlling many aspects of the game on their smartphone. You know, just like the immensely-popular Jackbox franchise. The “tactical couch co-op RPG” is being advertised as a way for veteran tabletop players to introduce the genre to their inexperienced friends.
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Sunderfolk can be played by up to four players at once and there are six hero classes, like bard, arcanist, ranger and some of the other usual suspects. The TV is the main screen and the phone acts as a controller as folks navigate the game board. The story follows a beleaguered town as it is attacked by various monsters. In other words, it’s a standard fantasy RPG.
The unique control scheme looks to eliminate some of the barriers of entry with this type of game, like the steep learning curve and lengthy set-up time. Like many tabletop RPGs, it’s cooperative in nature and not competitive. You and your friends against the world.
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Dreamhaven
While the designer’s say Sunderfolk was made with couch co-op in mind, there will be online play. The game releases for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025, with an affiliated iOS/Android companion app.
Kotakugot to try the game during a preview event and came away mostly impressed, saying that “working in tandem with other players quickly turned into a thrilling spectacle that felt right out of a TTRPG game night.” However, the site also said that the complexity of the gameplay may fail to lure in newbies. In other words, it’s more Gloomhaven than Jackbox.
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