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Technology News

  • Are Chinese AI Chips Ready to Replace Nvidia's? Huawei Leads the Charge
    November 14, 2025, 9:30 PM EST. China is retooling its AI compute stack as export controls tighten and firms tout 'China-only' GPUs. Nvidia has long powered China's AI ecosystem, but state media skepticism about the H20 and curbed orders are accelerating talk of a domestic replacement. Huawei's Ascend lineup is emerging as the frontrunner, with a multi-year roadmap toward Ascend 950 (2026), Ascend 960, and Ascend 970, and the current 910B that Huawei claims can exceed the A100 in some tasks. Yet the chip still lags Nvidia on memory capacity and interconnect bandwidth, illustrating that matching Nvidia requires software and production scale as well. Chinese hyperscalers like Alibaba, Baidu, and Cambricon are also pursuing in-house chips to diversify risk and future-proof AI workloads, even as questions about backdoors and security linger in policy circles.
  • Spotify launches Audiobook Recaps beta to refresh listening without spoilers
    November 14, 2025, 9:28 PM EST. Spotify is testing Audiobook Recaps, an AI-generated feature that gives you a quick refresher when you resume a title. The Recap button appears after you've listened for 15-20 minutes and updates as you go, all while keeping future chapters spoiler-free. Currently in beta for select English-language books on iOS (mobile and desktop) and limited to Spotify Premium subscribers in a defined country list. The goal is to help you jump back into stories you've put down, echoing Kindle's Recaps. Expect expansion to more titles and languages as the feature rolls out.
  • The Best Smartwatches for Women, Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer
    November 14, 2025, 9:26 PM EST. In testing 15 smartwatches for women, the editors highlight design, performance, and features, with Apple Watch Series 11 crowned best overall for its balance of price, performance, and seamless integrations. It comes in aluminum or titanium and sizes 42mm or 46mm, with breathable band options to avoid skin irritation. Notable new features include Sleep Score and hypertension detection (FDA-cleared), along with robust cycle tracking and health metrics. For Android users, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the top pick, while the Garmin Venu 3 shines for post-workout stats and health features. The article emphasizes comfort, display quality, and app ecosystem, and occasionally warns about band choices for sensitive skin. Overall, these watches offer a range of wearables that balance fashion, health tracking, and smart capabilities for women.
  • Morgan Freeman Says He Won't Retire and Rails Against AI Voice Replications
    November 14, 2025, 9:22 PM EST. Morgan Freeman told The Guardian he's furious about AI voice replication of his iconic voice without consent and said his lawyers have been very busy removing unauthorized uses online. He warned against mimicking him with falseness, noting that impersonations deprive him of earnings. The interview sits in a wider industry debate about consent and copyright in AI likenesses, with peers like Scarlett Johansson criticizing imitators while others such as Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have inked AI deals. Freeman, 88, continues to work-promoting Now You See Me: Now You Don't-and while retirement thoughts come and go, his appetite for acting remains driven by offers and pay.
  • Blue Origin's New Glenn launches on debut paying-customer mission, deploying NASA's EscaPADE to Mars
    November 14, 2025, 9:20 PM EST. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket completed its debut mission for paying customers from Cape Canaveral, delivering NASA's twin EscaPADE satellites, named Blue and Gold, toward Mars. The two-stage, seven-engine booster successfully landed its reusable first stage on a barge, marking a key milestone for Blue Origin alongside SpaceX-style reusability. The mission deploys NASA's EscaPADE to study Mars' space weather and magnetic environment over a 22-month journey, aiming to better understand solar winds' interaction with the Martian atmosphere. Blue Origin executives hailed it as a new era of spaceflight, reinforcing the growing competition in commercial space while advancing scientific payloads.