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The Verge
2 days ago
- The Verge
Framework Laptop 12 review: plastic fantastic
Antonio G. Di Benedetto is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021. Framework finally made a touchscreen laptop, and the convertible 2-in-1 is one of the coolest-looking computers ever made. It doesn't have top-tier specs, but its two-year-old 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor isn't on its last legs just yet. Like Framework's Laptop 13, the new Laptop 12 has modular ports and fully repairable innards. And you should be able to upgrade it to a newer chip eventually, given Framework's business model of selling new parts for older laptops. But charm aside, you're still paying extra for repairability and upgradability. The Laptop 12's $799 starting price, along with its middling webcam, keyboard, and chunky bezels still make it feel like a laptop for the true believers; others may have a hard time turning down similarly priced laptops with little to no repairability but better specs. The Laptop 12 is one of the most striking laptops I've ever seen. Its pink and blue 'bubblegum' color scheme is particularly fantastic. The pastel colors are vibrant and the gray-on-gray keyboard pulls it together nicely, with left-aligned keycap legends giving it a slightly retro look. The exterior is plastic, with edges clad in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for added resistance to dings and scratches. It feels well built with minimal flex, likely due to its rigid metal internal frame. I described its overall feel to a colleague as 'thoughtful plastic.' As with the Framework 13, I recommend the DIY Edition (which is how you get the more fun color options). It's easier to assemble than the 13, with the keyboard connecting via pogo pins like the Laptop 16 instead of a delicate ribbon cable. You don't even need a tool to install or replace the M.2 SSD. I had our unit assembled and installing Windows 11 off a USB flash drive in about 30 minutes. Fire it up and you're treated to a 12.2-inch screen that's bright, crisp, and very responsive to touch or an optional stylus. Though, it has massive bezels on all sides. While the 1920 x 1200 resolution and 60Hz refresh aren't anything special, the dead-simple replacement procedure is. Screen replacements this easy could be clutch for classroom deployments, or for giving it to a teen. The trackpad feels better than the one on the Framework 13, and nearly as good as the excellent mechanical one on the Surface Laptop 13-inch, only lacking the Surface's satisfying ka-chunk sound. The keyboard looks amazing, but I'm less enthused by its typing feel. Its tactile feedback is slightly muted, and on rare occasions, it missed a letter I thought should have registered. It has the same 1.5mm key travel as the Laptop 13, but it doesn't have the same juice. It isn't backlit. The side-firing stereo speakers and built-in mic are serviceable. I didn't mind listening to music or playing videos on the Laptop 12, especially with the convenience of kickstand tablet mode to prop it up with the keyboard out of the way. But the webcam is mediocre, looking nice in good lighting but smeary and bad in any indoor setting that isn't bright. Its biggest omission is support for Windows Hello; there isn't even a fingerprint sensor, so get used to typing your password or PIN every time you wake it like it's 2014. Framework confirmed this was a cost-saving measure, but dang, do I sorely miss it. As for battery life, it can get you through a full school day or even a lengthier, eight-hour work day of light use, though a lengthy video call or two can noticeably shorten that. I wanted to test the entry-level configuration of the Laptop 12, but the review unit I received had 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB in its single DIMM slot and a 1TB SSD to go with the base Intel Core i3 1315U chip. With all the included expansion ports and a Windows 11 Home license, our config costs $1,086 — significantly higher than the $799 starting price. The 13th-Gen Intel chip is still a solid performer for light loads but it occasionally shows its age. You can hear the Laptop 12's fan working pretty frequently — not at an annoying volume, but just a noticeable one (and a couple of times while the lid was closed for some reason). It isn't difficult to bog the Laptop 12 down multitasking across many Chrome tabs while on a video call. I just fear what that 8GB entry-level might be like. This isn't my laptop of choice for heavy photo editing, but folding it into tablet mode and processing images in Lightroom with a stylus is an enjoyable way to work on a handful of pictures casually. Though, high-resolution RAW files are painfully slow to import, and the keyboard deck inverted on your lap gets a little warm when the laptop is under load. Framework's color-matched styluses are coming later, so I used a Metapen M2 sent with the review unit, which worked great. I love that the modularity of its four ports allows me to choose a full-size SD card reader, something you don't normally find on modern thin-and-light machines. Plus, if you opt to load it up with four USB-C ports (which can be matched to the colorful chassis), each one is capable of charging the laptop. And if you fear a child may fidget with the expansion cards by popping them in and out, there are internal screws you can tighten to prevent external tampering. It's hard not to love the Framework 12, but its drawbacks, like low starting RAM, an okay processor, and a slightly soft-feeling keyboard, are hard to swallow when it costs $799 and easily ramps up to over $1,000 with upgrades. At that price, it competes with much more powerful laptops such as the M4 MacBook Air (which, to be fair, lacks a touchscreen) and both the Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch. The Framework could one day be upgraded to surpass those machines, but there's no guarantee. The Laptop 13 has turned out to be the shining example of repairability and upgradeability, but the big-boy Laptop 16 is currently in a weird spot. If Framework delivers on the Laptop 12's upgrade path like it has on the 13, then it could be worth the price, either for a student who can grow with it or for just about anybody who wants a tinker-friendly touchscreen 2-in-1. The Laptop 12 has the potential to become more than a quirky experiment for kids. It could be one of the best examples of a laptop in this form factor. Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge 0 Comments
WIRED
7 days ago
- WIRED
Best Totes for Travel When You've Run Out of Room in Your Carry-On
The Cuyana System Tote is a modular gear-hauler that shape-shifts with your itinerary. Designed to outlast the churn of fast fashion, this travel tote starts minimal, but the genius lies in its add-ons. A laptop sleeve or insert organizer creates a structure on the go, with dedicated slots for your computer, water bottle, and other work essentials. Instead of stitched-on straps prone to failure, the System Tote's handles are cut directly from its leather body, minimizing points of wear. The main compartment snaps shut rather than zips, something to know if you're the spill-averse type. The Classic Easy Tote ($298) offers a zippered alternative. Modularity extends to accessories: A System Flap Bag insert doubles as a clutch or in-bag organizer, and a detachable, adjustable strap (also available in a wide model) converts the tote into a crossbody, perfect for hands-free airport sprints if you're unintentionally trying out airport theory. Specs Materials Italian leather Dimensions 10″(H) x 13.25″(W) x 5″(D) (13-inch); 11″(H) x 19″(W) x 5.5″(D) Weight 1.9 pounds (13-inch); 2.3 pounds (16-inch) Colors Available Black, Cappuccino, Caramel, Dark Olive, Stone, Dark Chestnut Care Instructions Wipe clean with a damp cloth What sets BaubleBar apart is its playful personalization. Your chosen icons (up to six depending on the size) are embroidered directly onto the canvas tote. The process is super user-friendly, with predesignated spots to help you visualize your picks. Choose from zodiac signs, cutesy foods, initials, and more. Just note that it's a final sale, so be sure of your design before ordering. Inside, you'll find a roomy main compartment with a small interior pocket and key loop. The large size fits everything you need for a beach day trip, and the medium and small options are better for light shopping or city exploring. It closes with just a snap button, which isn't the most secure for crowded areas. The quality of the playful embroidery makes it a fun choice for travel. Specs Materials 95 percent cotton, 5 percent polyester Dimensions Small: 8″(H) x 5.75″(W) x 13″(D). Medium: 12″(H) x 5.75″(W) x 18″(D). Large: 13.5″(H) x 7.5″(W) x 23.5″(D) Colors Available Natural, Navy, Beige Care Instructions Spot-clean with warm water and a washcloth
GSM Arena
09-06-2025
- GSM Arena
Fairphone 6 leaks ahead of launch
There's a new Fairphone device in the works and WinFuture shared our first look at it. Fairphone 6, which is expected to launch on June 25, is shown in its Horizon Black color. This will be one of the three available color options alongside Cloud White and Forest Green. The device appears to have a flat frame instead of the rounded one on its predecessor and a bright yellow button on the right-hand side. It remains to be seen if this is the volume slider or an entirely different key. The bezels surrounding the screen appear slimmer too and we can see the device will once again sport a punch-hole cutout for the selfie cam. Fairphone 6 in Horizon Black (image: WinFuture) Although we don't get a proper look at the back of the upcoming device, the new report suggests Fairphone 6 will feature an updated modular back design consisting of an 'upper' and 'lower' part with contrasting colors. The new device is expected to feature a plastic frame and back and a series of new interchangeable accessories that attach to its back. These include a card holder, a lanyard, and a ring for easier one-handed use. Fairphone 6 is expected to feature main (wide) and secondary (ultrawide) cameras. In usual Fairphone fashion, most of the key components like the display, camera sensors, speakers, microphones, and charging port will be user-replaceable. Fairphone 6 will be available with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage and is said to retail for €549. Source (in German)
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Data centers are at the heart of the AI revolution and here's how they are changing
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. As demand for AI and cloud computing soars, pundits are suggesting that the world is teetering on the edge of a potential data center crunch—where capacity can't keep up with the digital load. Concerns and the hype have led to plummeting vacancy rates: in Northern Virginia, the world's largest data center market, for example, vacancy rates have fallen below 1%. Echoing past fears of "peak oil" and "peak food," the spotlight now turns to "peak data." But rather than stall, the industry is evolving—adopting modular builds, renewable energy, and AI-optimized systems to redefine how tomorrow's data centers will power an increasingly digital world. Future data centers will increasingly move away from massive centralized facilities alone, embracing smaller, modular, and edge-based data centers. The sector is already splitting out in hyperscale data centers one end and smaller, edge-oriented facilities on the other. Smaller, modular and edge data centers can be built in a few months and tend to be located closer to end users to reduce latency. Unlike the huge campuses of hyperscale with facilities often covering millions of square feet these smaller data centers are sometimes built into repurposed buildings such as abandoned shopping malls, empty office towers, and factories in disuse, helping requalify ex-industrial brownfield areas. Leaner centers can be rapidly deployed, located closer to end users for reduced latency, and tailored to specific workloads such as autonomous vehicles and AR. To address energy demands and grid constraints, future data centers will increasingly be co-located with power generation facilities, such as nuclear or renewable plants. This reduces reliance on strained grid infrastructure and improves energy stability. Some companies are investing in nuclear power. Nuclear power provides massive, always-on power that is also free of carbon emissions. Modular reactors are being considered to overcome grid bottlenecks, long wait times for power delivery, and local utility limits. Similarly, they will be increasingly built in areas where the climate reduces operational strain. Lower cooling costs and access to water enables the use of energy-efficient liquid-cooling systems instead of air-cooling. We will be seeing more data centers pop up in places like Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest. Artificial intelligence will play a major role in managing and optimizing data center operations, particularly for cooling and energy use. For instance, reinforcement learning algorithms are being used to cut energy use by optimizing cooling systems, achieving up to 21% energy savings. Similarly, fixes like replacing legacy servers with more energy-efficient machines, with newer chips or thermal design, can significantly expand compute capacity, without requiring new premises. Instead of only building new facilities, future capacity will be expanded by refreshing hardware with newer, denser, and more energy-efficient servers. This allows for more compute power in the same footprint, enabling quick scaling to meet surges in demand, particularly for AI workloads. These power-hungry centers are also putting a strain on electricity grids. Future data centers will leverage new solutions such as load shifting to optimize energy efficiency. Google is already partnering with PJM Interconnection, the largest electrical grid operator in North America, to leverage AI to automate tasks such as viability assessments of connection applications, thus enhancing grid efficiency. Issues are typically not due to lack of energy but insufficient transmission capacity. In addition to this, fortunately, data centers are usually running well below full capacity specifically to accommodate future growth. This added capacity will prove useful as facilities accommodate unexpected traffic spikes, and rapid scaling needs without requiring new constructions. Future data center locations will be chosen based on climate efficiency, grid access, and political zoning policies but also availability of AI-skilled workforce. Data centers aren't server rooms—they're among the most complex IT infrastructure projects in existence, requiring seamless power, cooling, high-speed networking, and top-tier security. Building them involves a wide range of experts, from engineers to logistics teams, coordinating everything from semiconductors to industrial HVAC systems. Data centers will thus drive up the demand for high-performance networking, thermal, power redundancy, and advanced cooling engineers. It's clear that the recent surge in infrastructure demand to power GPUs and high-performance computing, for example, is being driven primarily by AI. In fact, training massive models like OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini requires immense computational resources, consuming GPU cycles at an astonishing rate. These training runs often last weeks and involve thousands of specialized chips, drawing on power and cooling infrastructure. But the story doesn't end there: even when a model is trained, running these models in real-time to generate responses, make predictions, or process user inputs (so-called AI inference) adds a new layer of energy demand. While not as intense as training, inference must happen at scale and with low latency, which means it's placing a steady, ongoing load on cloud infrastructure. However, here's a nuance that's frequently glossed over in much of the hype: AI workloads don't scale in a straight-forward, linear fashion: doubling the number of GPUs or increasing the size of a model will not always lead to proportionally better results. Experience has shown that as models grow in size, the performance gains actually may taper off or introduce new challenges, such as brittleness, hallucination, or the need for more careful fine-tuning. In short, the current AI boom is real, but it may not be boundless. Understanding the limitations of scale and the nonlinear nature of progress is crucial for policymakers, investors, and businesses alike as they plan for data center demand that is shaped by AI exponential growth. The data center industry therefore stands at a pivotal crossroads. Far from buckling under the weight of AI tools and cloud-driven demand, however, it's adapting at speed through smarter design, greener power, and more efficient hardware. From modular builds in repurposed buildings to AI-optimized cooling systems and co-location with power plants, the future of data infrastructure will be leaner, more distributed, and strategically sited. As data becomes the world's most valuable resource, the facilities that store, process, and protect it are becoming smarter, greener, and more essential than ever. We list the best colocation providers. This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here:
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Safe and Green Holdings Acquires 1,600 Acres of Oil Wells and Oil Leases
MIAMI, FL, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe & Green Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SGBX) ('Safe & Green Holdings' or the 'Company'), a leading developer, designer, and fabricator of modular structures diversified platform transforming critical infrastructure through sustainable modular innovation, announces the acquisition of certain assets of Sherman Oil Company, LLC and several affiliatendividuals and entities that total 1,600 acres of oil wells and leases. The newly acquired assets are are reported to be producing an average of 45 barrels of oil per day. Mike McLaren, Safe and Green Holdings Chairman and CEO commented, 'We continue to strengthen our portfolio of oil and gas assets as we endeavor to grow into a diversified oil producer and provider of services to the oil and gas industry. The acquisition of Sherman Oil and their partners adds 111 additional wells to the existing Olenox assets. Of these new wells, only 10% are currently actively producing. By using our Olenox technology and expertise in well revitalization, we expect to ramp production rapidly to 75+ barrels per day within the next four months through a series of cleanouts and restimulations of wellbores. We look forward to continuing to find opportunities to provide our shareholders with additional value.' About Safe & Green Holdings Corp. Safe & Green Holdings Corp., a leading modular solutions company, operates under core capabilities which include the development, design, and fabrication of modular structures, meeting the demand for safe and green solutions across various industries. The firm supports third-party and in-house developers, architects, builders, and owners in achieving faster execution, greener construction, and buildings of higher value. For more information, visit and follow us at @SGHcorp on Twitter. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'should,' 'believe,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'estimate,' 'continue,' 'predict,' 'forecast,' 'project,' 'plan,' 'intend' or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding the acquisition of assets of Sherman Oil Company, LLC and several affiliate individuals and entities that total 1,600 acres of oil wells and leases. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the Company's ability to successfully operate the oil wells acquired from Sherman Oil Company, LLC and its affiliates, the Company's ability to successfully increase production of its oil wells, the effect of government regulation, the Company's ability to maintain compliance with the NASDAQ listing requirements, and the other factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its subsequent filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Relations: CORE IR 516 222 2560 [email protected]
