Latest news with #CES
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Boosting AI literacy for professional communication
THE British Council is strengthening its corporate training strategy across the Asia-Pacific region to address the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on workplace communication. According to David Neufeld, Corporate English Solutions (CES) Sales Head for the region, professionals are increasingly relying on AI-generated writing without adequate review, which can result in issues with clarity, relevance and factual accuracy. "We are not training people how to use AI. Rather, we are trying to help them with what AI outputs, to be better business communicators," said Neufeld. He noted that many corporate clients, particularly in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors, now have internal AI tools. However, employees often forward AI-generated content without editing, even when it contains grammatical errors or irrelevant details. This overreliance, Neufeld warned, creates a risk of miscommunication in high-stakes situations. The British Council, he explained, trains professionals to assess, refine and apply AI-generated content using structured frameworks designed for the workplace. These frameworks provide support in areas such as business writing, interpersonal communication, influencing, and trust-building techniques. "We want participants to think critically about what AI produces. Is it accurate? Is it appropriate for the audience? Can it stand up to scrutiny?" Neufeld added. He emphasised that professionals must also learn to navigate AI's limitations, including outdated data, hallucinations and factual inaccuracies—particularly when handling sensitive or time-critical communication. At the British Council's Lunch and Learn 2025 session held on 10 July, participants were introduced to three targeted training modules aimed at building communication confidence in AI-assisted environments. The first session taught participants how to use the Point, Reason, Example, Point (PREP) structure to organise AI-generated text into persuasive messages. The second focused on negotiation skills, using frameworks such as Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), Bottom Line, and Most Desirable Outcome, with AI used to simulate role plays. The final session applied the British Council's six Cs—clear, correct, concise, coherent, complete and courteous—to improve clarity and tone in AI-written content. Neufeld said these frameworks help participants keep human judgement at the centre of communication. "AI is useful for drafting and simulating ideas, but humans must still decide what to say, how to say it, and whether it's appropriate," he said. British Council CES operates on a business-to-organisation model and delivers training to clients in the corporate, government and education sectors. Malaysia and Singapore are currently two of its largest markets in Southeast Asia, although demand in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia is on the rise. Neufeld, who has lived in Malaysia since 2010, began his tenure with the British Council as a corporate trainer and now leads CES across the Asia-Pacific region. He said demand for AI-related training has grown steadily over the past two years, as organisations race to integrate generative tools into their operations. The British Council's observations align with broader trends among learning and development (L&D) teams in the region. AI is increasingly being used to create personalised assessments, enhance learner engagement, automate feedback, and deliver training at scale across multiple locations. However, the British Council cautions that challenges remain. Neufeld said the absence of clear organisational policies, ethical concerns, and a loss of the human touch in communication are among the top risks raised by clients. "Some worry AI might replace certain roles; others are concerned about bias, or using inaccurate data that goes unchallenged," he said. To adapt, the British Council is placing greater emphasis on developing communication fundamentals and soft skills with its corporate clients. According to Neufeld, these include active listening, clarity in messaging, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to adapt tone to suit the audience and situation. The British Council has also identified creativity, time management and conflict resolution as vital skills for navigating increasingly complex and fast-changing workplaces. These areas are integrated into CES training programmes, alongside language competency and task-based communication models. Looking ahead, the British Council anticipates broader workplace transformation over the next five to ten years, with AI serving as a central driver. Shifts in job roles, workforce composition, economic uncertainty, and rising expectations around employee well-being are all contributing to a new approach to learning. Neufeld said the British Council's corporate clients are also becoming more conscious of the reputational risks posed by poor communication. "A bad message can hurt trust. Whether written by a person or a machine, it still reflects your brand," he said. In response, British Council Malaysia has incorporated more digital tools into its delivery model while maintaining interactive and context-based learning. Clients are increasingly requesting hybrid solutions that combine face-to-face workshops with online modules and follow-up coaching. The British Council has stated that its role is not to replace corporate L&D teams, but to support them in ensuring communication remains a core skill in the age of automation. "Even with AI doing the heavy lifting in some areas, we still need people who can lead with empathy, explain ideas clearly, and respond in real time," said Neufeld. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, providing services in English language education, examinations, arts and cultural exchange. Founded in 1934 and present in over 100 countries, the British Council builds lasting trust and cooperation through language, culture and global partnerships. Now in its 90th year, the organisation continues to evolve, helping individuals and institutions around the world connect, learn and collaborate with the UK to foster peace, prosperity and shared progress.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Nvidia N1X ARM CPU is reportedly delayed until late 2026 — here's what we know
Nvidia's rumored N1X CPU has been a long time coming, but it may be another while until the Arm-based chip arrives due to major production issues. The custom Arm CPU is now being pushed back until late 2026, according to tech site SemiAccurate. Sources state that the chip has been hit with problems that require engineers to make design changes to the silicon, with the report calling it another "whoopsie." The Arm-based laptop chip was initially expected to be revealed back at Computex 2025, but clearly, Nvidia wasn't ready to announce its all-new CPU for gaming laptops, and it won't be for some time, according to the report. Apparently, this is one of several delays, with Nvidia facing problems that caused a roadblock in the CPU arriving in early 2026. While this was reportedly handled, the new N1X chip is now rumored to be suffering from another hurdle. Now, Nvidia did officially announce that a new Arm-based CPU is in the works, and would be arriving in a "one-year rhythm." However, with the reported issues, this may not fall in line with CEO Jensen Huang's roadmap. The report doesn't state the specific problem with the chip, just that it's causing a delay in production. If accurate, it could be another year until we see Nvidia's custom CPU — likely closer to CES 2027. Recent reports have detailed that Nvidia's Arm-based CPU delivers the same performance as an RTX 4070-equipped laptop, with the benchmarks indicating it could be launching in late 2025 or early 2026. Now, this may not be the case, but it does leave room for possible improvements. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Rumor has it that the Arm-based chip will use a Blackwell-based GPU, with a smaller GB10 Blackwell chip for laptops or a GB206 model as seen in RTX 5060 Ti or RTX 5060 graphics cards. It's also believed to use 65W power to match the performance of a 120W RTX 4070 laptop GPU, which is already impressive, while other leaks suggest the chip would offer a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 80W to 120W. This would give gaming laptops more ultraportable designs, with better power efficiency that could translate to improved battery life (something even the best gaming laptops today struggle with). But with this delay, perhaps Nvidia has time to refine its custom CPU, giving it even greater power gains to match current and upcoming chips. But if the delay is accurate, it also gives time for Nvidia's competition to bolster its offerings. For one, the AMD Strix Halo APU already delivers close to RTX 4060 desktop GPU power, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Series chip is set to arrive soon. Only time will tell when we see Nvidia's N1X Arm-based CPU arrive, but in the meantime, we'll be enjoying what its RTX 50-series GPUs have to offer. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
CNET
4 days ago
- CNET
The Best Laptop I've Found for Travel Is $200 Off Right Now
Back in January at CES 2025, I knew the moment I saw the Asus Zenbook A14 that it would be my new favorite travel laptop. It boasts an incredible 32 hours (!) of battery life, a Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and an OLED display. It's also one of the lightest 14-inch laptops available, weighing even less than Apple's MacBook Air. With all of that going for it, it's no wonder the Zenbook A14 ended up winning a CNET Editors' Choice Award and a Best of CES Award for best laptop. The single biggest downside at that time was the price. But I just spotted the Arm-powered laptop on sale at Best Buy for $200 off, bringing it down to a much more affordable $800. My favorite version of this laptop, in the Zabriskie beige color, is now available for a discount of $200. As a result, the $1,000 laptop is going for just $800, no special codes needed. While this isn't the cheapest we've seen for this model (we saw a slightly bigger discount on it back in June), it's still a pretty good bargain on a laptop I highly recommend. If you've been looking for a lightweight, midrange laptop, this sale is your chance to score one you'll love at a much more wallet-friendly price. Why I recommend the Asus Zenbook A14 Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET The Asus Zenbook A14 is one of the best laptops you can buy right now, and there are three reasons it's become my go-to device. First, it offers a long battery life, and by long, I mean you can extend it up to two days without needing a charger. I can carry it in my travel backpack without worrying about the availability of a power outlet. In fact, the Snapdragon X variant is only the second laptop CNET has reviewed with a battery life of more than 24 hours, with the HP OmniBook X 14 lasting an hour longer. That brings me to the second reason I like using the Asus Zenbook A14: its OLED screen. The HP laptop lasted longer during CNET's test thanks to an LCD display, but the Zenbook doesn't compromise on its screen to deliver a stellar battery life. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. You get a 14-inch OLED panel with a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution. It might not be as sharp as the 2.8K OLED screen on the Asus Zenbook S 14, but you won't find another laptop with this combo of more than 24-hour battery life and OLED display in this price range. I appreciate the OLED screen for its excellent contrast and deep black levels. In CNET's tests with a Spyder X colorimeter, it showed 100% coverage of the sRGB and P3 spaces and 97% of AdobeRGB. My only slight annoyance is the thick bezels, which make it a little less immersive than other Asus laptops. Third, the Asus Zenbook A14 is surprisingly lightweight. At just 2.4 pounds, it's the lightest Arm laptop you can buy. And Asus hasn't traded build quality for the lightweight form factor. Its Ceraluminum build is both rigid and lightweight, keeping the weight in check without making the laptop feel cheap or flimsy. Plus, it's scratch, smudge and fingerprint resistant. Things to keep in mind before you buy the Asus Zenbook A14 Prakhar Khanna/CNET Asus Zenbook A14's keyboard offers a satisfactory experience, and the trackpad is reliable. The A14's Snapdragon X Plus variant (on sale) is more powerful than the Snapdragon X model, but it isn't built for power-intensive tasks. If you want to use power-hungry video editing tools, this laptop is not for you. The M4 MacBook Air might better serve you for this use. This Asus Zenbook A14 is for those who are always on the go and want an extra-long battery life without compromising on screen quality. It's a great laptop, particularly at this price -- and especially if you're looking for an ultralight, ultralong-running laptop for travel. If this isn't quite what you're looking for or you want to shop around a bit, it's worth checking out our running list of the best laptop deals happening now.
CNET
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Watched a $30,000, 116-Inch TV. Now I Need a Bigger Living Room
The whole TV industry is moving towards bigger and bigger screens, and the new Hisense 116UX takes the concept to a room-filling extreme. This is a 116-inch 4K TV that costs as much as a decent new car. But it's not just any 116-inch, $30,000 TV. Hisense built some sophisticated tech under the hood, and I got some hands-on time with it. I can confirm that this is a truly massive screen. Like, absolutely huge. A real unit. To give you an idea of how big it is, I'm 6 feet tall and I could not touch one end and the other at the same time. I can also confirm that I kinda want one. Also read: Best TVs of 2025 Unique tech, meet gigantic TV Ty Pendlebury/CNET First announced at CES, this Hisense 116UX is a different type of TV compared to the $20,000, 115-inch TCL we looked at last year. That was a "hang out with your buddies and watch the game" kind of TV. This Hisense is not just an inch larger diagonally and 10 grand more expensive, it's squarely aimed at the (very) well-heeled video quality afficiando. The LCD-based Hisense 116UX uses the company's proprietary RGB, mini-LED backlight combined with quantum dots and 3,584 local dimming zones. As the name "RGB" suggests, each individual backlight is broken up into a trio of red, green and blue mini-LEDs. Representatives for the company said these zones can also be divided further through software, and that at full pelt the screen is capable of 8,000 nits peak brightness. The remote has a solar panel built in Ty Pendlebury/CNET The TV is set for gaming on with a native 165Hz Panel and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Auto Low Latency Mode. Though it lacks the level of anti-glare tech found on high-end Samsungs like the S95F I reviewed recently, Hisense's TV has the company's own Anti-Reflection Pro to ward off (though not completely obscure) reflected light. Like most TVs from companies not called LG or Samsung, the 116UX runs on the Google TV operating system. If you have a Google smart home or Android phone it should integrate really well as a result. And similar to recent Samsung remotes, 116UX comes with a suitably large remote control with a little photoelectric panel for charging with your overhead lights. Maybe it also charges from reflected light of the huge panel? It's certainly bright enough. The TV was the room I spent a couple of hours with the Hisense 116UX, in Hisense's New York demo room, which was only just big enough to fit the TV. I was reminded of Magritte's painting of a massive apple in a small room. I watched some movie scenes, including scenes from Spider-man Into the Spider-Verse and Oppenheimer. Apart from the size, I came away with the impression that this TV is great for HDR movies, as exemplified by its surprisingly deft handling of Oppenheimer. In the test scene I used, the Hisense was able to both bring out bright pinpricks of light while also able to show the hills and sky without banding. Spider-man showed how bright and colorful this TV could get. The huge screen was also able to keep up with the movie's frenetic action scenes without smearing. I tested its light output using a Konica Minolta LS-100 light meter, which registered an impressive 7923 nits -- pretty much exactly what Hinsense claimed. It's also double the 65-inch Hisense U8Q, the brightest TV I've ever measured at CNET, and roughly 4 times brighter than the 65-inch LG G5, the brightest OLED TV. The TV has Google TV onboard. Ty Pendlebury/CNET While I didn't test the TV's gaming prowess I have no doubt it would be a real blast to rid Mars of a new demonic scourge on a screen that truly is larger than life. I listened to the 116UX for a little bit but it sounded disappointedly "like a TV," with boomy lower mids and a vocal forwardness. If you can afford a TV like this, you can afford a sound system to go with it, and I will (maybe) come with you to help you buy it. A big price tag to match Is this the Holy Grail of TVs? For some, perhaps. Would I have one in my home? Yes, but only if I could find a rich benefactor to buy it for me -- along with a bigger apartment. For its $30,000 price tag you could buy a hell of a lot of a lot of movie tickets instead. Like around 2,000 of them. But that's hardly the point. This is currently the best (and only) 116-inch TV available, and if you really want to make your living room seem small, the Hisense 116UX it's more practical and fun than a monster-sized piece of fruit.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Plugable's New Charger Doesn't Have A Power Supply, But It's Not As Crazy As It Sounds
The new Plugable PS-6CC charger doesn't come with a power supply. That's deliberate. You can use one ... More you already own and it saves the environment from e-waste and excess packaging. Computer accessory brand Plugable has announced the launch of the Plugable USB-C 6-Port Priority Charger. The company claims it's the world's first USB-C-only six-port charger designed to work with the USB-C power supply that you already own. In essence, it's a series of intelligent charging ports that you use with your own power supply. Following on from the success of Plugable's PS-10CC 10-port USB-C charger, the company decided to make something a little smaller for those of us who don't need quite so many ports but who would still like the intelligence and sustainability that made the original device a CES favorite. At the heart of the PS-6CC is something called PriorityShare, a patented smart-charging system that senses real-time current needs and then prioritizes power distribution across the ports, from left to right. Devices plugged into the leftmost ports get the lion's share of the power first, ensuring laptops, tablets or other high-priority gear are charged immediately. The Plugable PS-6CC charger is a suitable solution for charging classroom tablets or payment card ... More terminals in a retail environment. When the left-hand devices reach full charge, the power is automatically reallocated to the next devices in line, optimizing charging efficiency across the board but without throttling of charging performance. 'When we launched the PS-10CC, our customers were clear. They loved the concept, but many wanted something more compact and portable,' says Bernie Thompson, CTO of Plugable. 'The PS-6CC is a direct response to that feedback: the same smarter power management, but in a smaller footprint with fewer ports. It's about cleaner desks, less e-waste, and giving people exactly what they need.' Whether you're powering lots of devices at home, managing tablets in a classroom or streamlining an office setup, the PS-6CC aims to deliver maximum flexibility. Its six USB-C ports can support charging up to 100W in total. There are clear LED indicators for showing power status and port activity, giving users visibility of their charging ecosystem. With the new Plugable PS-6CC charger, power is delivered using PriorityShare which gives power to ... More the devices plugged into the leftmost ports and when they are charged, it switches the power to the remaining ports. The device also has several safety features, including over-voltage and overcurrent protection. It can detect and flag underpowered adapters and is third-party tested and certified to ensure optimal performance and safety. Where traditional multi-port chargers often use a bulky and proprietary power brick, the P6CC has a leaner solution because it can be used with almost any USB-C power supply rated from 18W to 100W. Users can help reduce packaging and the e-waste associated with unnecessary duplication of power adapters. Why buy another adapter if you already have plenty at home? This sustainability-first design makes the PS-6CC a sensible choice for eco-conscious consumers and organizations. However, if you don't have a charger that's powerful enough, then Plugable's 140W GaN charger would be a suitable choice. The Plugable PS-6CC charger is initially launching in North America and will be available directly from Plugable and Amazon, priced at $79.95 with a 25% coupon.
