Technology

A young computer scientist and two colleagues show that searches within data structures called hash tables can be much faster than previously deemed possible.

• EIZO FlexScan FLT is first-ever monitor with a Class A European Energy Label ranking
• 95% recycled plastic housing ensures reduced waste and resource conservation
• USB Type-C enables single cable for power, video, and data transmission

EIZO has unveiled what may be the world’s most power-efficient portable monitor, the 23.6-inch, 1080p, Eizo FlexScan FLT Monitor.

With its monitor consuming only 6W of power (less than that used by an average light bulb), and in housing constructed from 95% recycled plastic, EIZO has gone a step further in promoting sustainability, and has been awarded a Class A European Energy Label ranking.

At 2.4 kg, it's one of the largest portable monitors available, and the frameless design, powered by a USB Type-C connection, eliminates the need for bulky AC adapters.

A new era of energy conservation?

Using a single-cable solution for video, data transmission, and power, the Flexscan FLT delivers up to 60 watts of power to connected devices.

It comes with EIZO’s advanced EcoView technologies for ultralow power consumption. While the EcoView automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness based on the surrounding lighting, the EcoView Optimizer 2 fine-tunes the brightness based on the type of content being displayed.

It also comes with a new Eco Mode that automatically presets the EcoView features and users can display the viewing information on one edge of the screen for quick access.

The FLT is engineered to complement hybrid work, thanks to a frameless design. The monitor features a hollow bezel, while the relatively lightweight build can be mounted on a unique arm for a minimalist setup.

The monitor's packaging reflects an eco-conscious ethos, using recycled materials and optimizing size to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during transportation by up to 42%. The device has also earned some of the top environmental certifications available, including TCO Certified Generation 10, EPEAT Gold, and EPEAT Climate+.

The company claims that, by achieving a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to previous models, it sets a new standard for responsible innovation.

You might also like

• We've listed the best vertical monitors around today
• We've also listed the best laptops for working from home
• Dell just launched a $4,000 75-inch 4K touchscreen display - but I've found one rival that's 50% cheaper

Sony's new take on an old idea could lead to TVs with better, brighter color. Here's why it could be cool.

Certain items found in the produce aisle cost more than you think. Here are the fruits and vegetables with the highest and lowest edible yield.

Many have used Holotropic Breathwork to help alleviate their past mental or physical traumas or mental illnesses like anxiety or depression.

Alien: Earth: key information

- Releasing on Hulu and Disney+ in mid-2025
- First TV show from the Alien franchise
- Multiple teaser trailers, but no full trailer yet
- Cast list confirmed, including some character names
- Plot being kept firmly under wraps
- Unknown whether there will be more seasons

Alien: Earth marks the epic sci-fi/horror franchise’s first foray onto the small screen – and it’s been a long time in the making.

First announced back in 2020, we’re nearing the finish line with FX confirming Alien: Earth will finally premiere in mid-2025. With eight movies already in the franchise, it’s time for the Xenomorphs to descend upon Earth under the watchful eye of showrunner, Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion).

Though Alien: Romulus was the last movie released, Alien: Earth is not its sequel. Bringing back the H. R. Giger’s nightmarish concept is instead focused on taking the franchise in a whole new direction.

Fortunately, we’ve gathered a vast amount of intel, including the show's release window, possible plot, confirmed cast, news, rumors, and more. Plus, while you wait, feel free to immerse yourself in every Alien movie ranked: worst to best.

Alien: Earth: is there a release date?

A post shared by Alien: Earth (@alienearthfx)

A photo posted by on

FX has confirmed that Alien: Earth is coming to Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally in mid-2025. Announced during the one of the show's teaser trailers (seen below), it's not a specific release date, but this at least means it'll arrive sometime around June to September.

In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2024, showrunner Noah Hawley confirmed that filming had “just wrapped” and the show was officially in the next stage: “I’m in post, editing away, and obviously there’s a large visual effects component that takes time. But I couldn’t be happier with the show we shot. If people wanted a television series based on the world of Alien, I think I’m gonna give them something special.”

A post shared by Alien: Earth (@alienearthfx)

A photo posted by on

And more exclusive insights into Alien: Earth were unveiled during the SXSW film festival in early March. A series of 'recovered' files from the USCSS Maginot for the Weyland-Yutani Corp show clips from the ship recorded on a camera attached to a cat's collar. The files show people working on the ship, talking about going back to Earth (if they could) and a cryochamber labelled 'Morrow'.

FX boss, John Landgraf, first announced the project back in December 2020, so having a release window is a big deal. And, the wait is almost over. When we have a confirmed date, we’ll be sure to update here.

Alien: Earth: has a trailer been released?

So far, we’ve had a few short teaser trailers of Alien: Earth which, in true Alien fashion, have been incredibly ominous and fueled by horror. In the latest, released in late January, events are shown through the eyes of an alien as it slithers frantically through the spaceship - in a sort of theme park immersive ride experience that’ll leave you feeling a little dizzy.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, it doesn’t last too long before you’re swept out of the ship to see it hurtling towards Earth. As we’ll explore more in the plot details below, and as is quite obviously suggested in the show’s title, the Xenomorphs will crash land on Earth. So, this is only the beginning.

Alien: Earth: confirmed cast

The main cast will return for The Handmaid's Tale season 7 - plus, two new faces (Image credit: FX/Hulu/Disney Plus)

The following cast list has been officially revealed for Alien: Earth, but most of their roles are being kept under wraps:

• Sydney Chandler as Wendy
• Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
• Alex Lawther as CJ
• Kit Young as Tootles
• Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier
• Essie Davis as Dame Silvia
• Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
• David Rysdahl as TBC
• Babou Ceesay as TBC
• Jonathan Ajayi as TBC
• Erana James as TBC
• Lily Newmark as TBC
• Diêm Camille as TBC
• Adrian Edmondson as TBC
• Moe Bar-El as TBC
• Sandra Yi Sencindiver as TBC

As reported by Variety, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) will be the lead character. It has also been revealed that she's a meta-human, with the body of an adult, but brain and consciousness of a child. Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) is Wendy's mentor and Sandra Yi Sencindiver's currently unnamed character holds a high position at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. It's not a lot to go on, but it's certainly starting to paint a picture.

Alien: Earth: story synopsis and rumors

Potential spoilers follow for Alien: Earth below.

We don't know much about Alien: Earth given that its plot has been kept locked up tightly. But what we do know is that it will be set on Earth, no surprises there, in the not-so-distant future. In fact, thanks to the teaser above, it says: "In 2120 Mother Earth is expecting," with the image of Earth a reflection in the Xenomorph's helmet. Visiting our planet is certainly a new direction for the franchise and one that actual acts as a prequel to the original Alien movie, which took place in 2122.

And then there's the show's official synopsis that expands on this concept: "When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat. In 2120, Mother Earth is expecting."

Speaking to Deadline, Hawley said: "There's something about seeing a Xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes that is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us." And when talking about the Xenomorph he's created for Alien: Earth, he added: "What was really fun for me was to be able to engage with the creature and bring some of my own thoughts to its design while not touching the silhouette because that's sacrosanct. But some of the elements of it as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is."

As well as the Xenomorphs themselves, we also know that Weyland-Yutani will, once again, play a major part in the franchise. The conglomerate well-known for their controlling grip over space with their own bad intentions with the Xenomorphs rearing its ugly head over the course of the eight movies prior.

And FX chief John Landgraf was keen to express how Alien: Earth sets itself apart from the rest of the franchise, while still staying true to it. In an interview with THR, he explained: "All I can tell you is Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) won't be a part of it, and neither will any other characters - other than the alien itself."

Adding: "Noah has an incredible ability to both find a way of being faithful and showing fidelity to an original creation, like to the Coen brothers (with Fargo) or to Ridley Scott's movie and Jame's Cameron's follow-up Aliens, but also to bring something new that represents both an extension and reinvention of a franchise at the same time."

Will there be more seasons of Alien: Earth?

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Considering Alien: Earth season 1 is a little while away still, unsurprisingly news on more seasons is thin on the ground. Though there has been a report from Production Bulletin, yet unconfirmed but revealed by Comic Book Resources, that season 2 is planned for development for filming in Thailand.

And while this news is unconfirmed, Collider also reported in January 2024 that FX has disclosed to Hawley that there was more to come. Hawley said: "I knew that their desire was for a recurring series, not a limited series, and I had an idea that I was excited about, that I could see the escalation of it from one year to another."

It seems like he's already got an idea of where he'd like to go next too, adding: "that's where we ended up not pitching them having a bible or pitching them blow-by-blow, but saying, "Big picture: this is the first movement, this is the second movement, and we're ultimately going here."

Of course, it'll depend on viewing figures and how Alien: Earth is received, but joining part of an existing and iconic franchise is a great place to start and one that Hawley, and reportedly FX, are already eager to look into expanding.

For more Hulu-based coverage, read our guides on Only Murders in the Building season 5, Shōgun season 2, and The Bear season 4.

The application for student aid could be reassigned to another federal agency, experts say. What to do if you need help paying for college.

These are the fastest internet plans and best service provider deals in Grand Prairie.

• Ivanti research suggests GenAI boosts security operations, but data silos hinder its effectiveness
• Malicious AI amplifies cyber threats, demanding improved defence and training
• Investment in AI will maximize GenAI's cybersecurity benefits

Generative AI tools have emerged as a transformative force in cybersecurity, offering enhanced threat detection, better security operations, improving predictive analytics, and facilitating real-time responses.

However, research from Ivanti reveals a paradox: while organizations are optimistic about its promise, challenges such as siloed data, sophisticated phishing threats, and a global cybersecurity talent gap hinder its full potential.

A cornerstone of successful AI implementation to get personable results, such as via the best AI website builders, is data accessibility, yet Ivanti's study reveals troubling statistics. About 72% of organizations report their IT and security data remains trapped in silos, limiting the comprehensive insights needed for advanced generative AI applications.

Cybersecurity challenges

To overcome the challenge, organizations must ensure real-time access to clean, standardized data across all systems. Unified data enables enhanced threat detection, allowing security teams to identify anomalies and potential breaches quickly.

Furthermore, predictive capabilities are also significantly improved when historical and real-time data are harmonized, empowering teams to proactively assess risks.

Conversely, generative AI has amplified the capabilities of malicious actors. Phishing attacks, in particular, have become more sophisticated, with nearly half (45%) of survey respondents identifying them as the most dangerous AI-powered threat.

Such phishing attempts make traditional defenses insufficient, and organizations are ill-prepared. Although 57% of companies rely on anti-phishing training, only 32% consider such efforts "very effective."

Recent research claimed the global cybersecurity workforce faces a shortfall of 4.8 million professionals, with this talent gap presenting a critical challenge for organizations striving to maintain robust defences.

Ivanti’s findings further emphasize this issue, with one in three security professionals citing a lack of skills as a significant barrier. Generative AI can boost team productivity. and enable them to manage workloads more effectively.

However, training programs must focus on emerging AI tools and their applications in security, empowering professionals to harness these technologies effectively. Bridging this gap not only improves organizational defences but also boosts morale among security teams by addressing AI scepticism.

"As GenAI continues to evolve, so must the understanding of its implications for cybersecurity," said Robert Grazioli, Chief Information Officer at Ivanti.

“Undoubtedly, GenAI equips cybersecurity professionals with powerful tools, but it also provides attackers with advanced capabilities. To counter this, new strategies are needed to prevent malicious AI from becoming a dominant threat. This report helps equip organizations with the insights needed to stay ahead of advanced threats and safeguard their digital assets effectively."

You might also like

• OpenAI wants to help your business build its next generation of AI agents
• Despite general investment downturn AI sees surge in spending
• We've also listed the best AI video editors

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 16.

If you are looking for a reliable internet connection in Grand Rapids, these are the top options recommended by CNET's internet experts.

• Synthetic diamond boosts heat dissipation, outperforming copper by fivefold
• Akash Systems' Diamond Cooled servers halve GPU fan speeds and energy use
• Thermal throttling is also reduced, enabling GPUs to sustain maximum performance workloads

Diamond is emerging as potentially the next big innovation in GPU cooling, promising transformative improvements in the performance and efficiency of hyp[erscaler data center servers running AI tools.

Akash Systems' ‘Diamond Cooled’ servers reduce GPU hotspot temperatures in NVIDIA and AMD systems that already use advanced liquid cooling technologies by an impressive 10°-20°C.

The company's Diamond Cooling technology is designed to complement existing thermal solutions, such as liquid immersion cooling. It integrates a synthetic diamond, a material five times more thermally conductive than copper.

NxtGen adopts Akash technology, cutting AI compute costs by 50%.

Building on Akash’s prior success in using diamond cooling for satellite applications, The Diamond Cooled accelerated heat dissipation should prove vital for GPUs, where operating temperatures often exceed 90°-100°C. In practice, this could enable GPUs to perform beyond their usual limits, achieving up to 25% overclocking capabilities.

The servers also boost AI energy efficiency by reducing GPU fan speeds by 50%, which results in a 90% reduction in fan energy consumption. Additionally, server lifetimes are effectively doubled, minimizing maintenance and replacement costs while significantly reducing thermal throttling.

In December 2024, Akash secured a $27 million contract to deploy its Diamond Cooled servers across NxtGen datacentres in India. Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, highlighted the technology’s role in accelerating AI workloads, describing Diamond Cooled servers as the "way to go." This partnership follows Akash Systems’ approval for up to $68 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“Our Diamond Cooled GPU servers will empower NxtGen to deliver unparalleled performance and reliability to their customers, reinforcing their position as a leader in AI and other compute Solutions,” Felix Ejeckam, CEO and co-founder of Akash Systems, said at the time.

“Through a combination of Akash’s Diamond Cooling, waterless liquid cooling, and advanced GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD, we are able to double the performance per watt," said NxtGen's CEO and Managing Director, A S Rajgopal.

"This allows us to reduce the cost to our customers and bring down the cost of AI compute services by more than 50% from prevailing market rates and enable us to deliver very high-value AI use-cases to our customers."

Via Power Electronics News

You might also like

• We've listed the best AI chatbots for business right now
• We've also listed the best datacenter proxies
• This GPU vendor I've never heard of claims its card is 10x faster than an Nvidia RTX 5090 at real time path tracing

• Synthetic diamond boosts heat dissipation, outperforming copper by fivefold
• Akash Systems' Diamond Cooled servers halve GPU fan speeds and energy use
• Thermal throttling is also reduced, enabling GPUs to sustain maximum performance workloads

Diamond is emerging as potentially the next big innovation in GPU cooling, promising transformative improvements in the performance and efficiency of hyp[erscaler data center servers running AI tools.

Akash Systems' ‘Diamond Cooled’ servers reduce GPU hotspot temperatures in NVIDIA and AMD systems that already use advanced liquid cooling technologies by an impressive 10°-20°C.

The company's Diamond Cooling technology is designed to complement existing thermal solutions, such as liquid immersion cooling. It integrates a synthetic diamond, a material five times more thermally conductive than copper.

NxtGen adopts Akash technology, cutting AI compute costs by 50%.

Building on Akash’s prior success in using diamond cooling for satellite applications, The Diamond Cooled accelerated heat dissipation should prove vital for GPUs, where operating temperatures often exceed 90°-100°C. In practice, this could enable GPUs to perform beyond their usual limits, achieving up to 25% overclocking capabilities.

The servers also boost AI energy efficiency by reducing GPU fan speeds by 50%, which results in a 90% reduction in fan energy consumption. Additionally, server lifetimes are effectively doubled, minimizing maintenance and replacement costs while significantly reducing thermal throttling.

In December 2024, Akash secured a $27 million contract to deploy its Diamond Cooled servers across NxtGen datacentres in India. Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, highlighted the technology’s role in accelerating AI workloads, describing Diamond Cooled servers as the "way to go." This partnership follows Akash Systems’ approval for up to $68 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“Our Diamond Cooled GPU servers will empower NxtGen to deliver unparalleled performance and reliability to their customers, reinforcing their position as a leader in AI and other compute Solutions,” Felix Ejeckam, CEO and co-founder of Akash Systems, said at the time.

“Through a combination of Akash’s Diamond Cooling, waterless liquid cooling, and advanced GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD, we are able to double the performance per watt," said NxtGen's CEO and Managing Director, A S Rajgopal.

"This allows us to reduce the cost to our customers and bring down the cost of AI compute services by more than 50% from prevailing market rates and enable us to deliver very high-value AI use-cases to our customers."

Via Power Electronics News

You might also like

• We've listed the best AI chatbots for business right now
• We've also listed the best datacenter proxies
• This GPU vendor I've never heard of claims its card is 10x faster than an Nvidia RTX 5090 at real time path tracing

Knoxville has plenty of reliable internet options, but one provider stands out from the rest.

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 174, for Sunday, March 16.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 378 for Sunday, March 16.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 16, #644.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,366 for March 16.

Want to find out what the best broadband is in Montana's capital, Helena? We've found the fastest, most affordable and those in between.

• Meta is reportedly readying its first in-house AI training chip for deployment
• The dedicated AI accelerator, made with TSMC, completed tape-out
• Meta’s shift to custom silicon aims to reduce its dependence on Nvidia hardware

Like many of Nvidia’s highest spending customers, Meta is looking to slash its reliance on the GPU maker’s expensive AI hardware by making its own silicon.

In 2024, the social media giant began advertising for engineers to help build its own state-of-the-art machine learning accelerators, and now, according to an exclusive report from Reuters, Meta is at the testing stage for its first in-house chip designed for training AI systems.

Sources told Reuters that following its first tape-out of the chip, Meta has started a limited deployment, and if testing goes well, it plans to scale production for wider use.

RISC-V business

According to Reuters, “Meta's new training chip is a dedicated accelerator, meaning it is designed to handle only AI-specific tasks. This can make it more power-efficient than the integrated graphics processing units (GPUs) generally used for AI workloads.”

Taiwan-based chipmaker TSMC produced the silicon for Meta as part of the Facebook owner’s Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) program, something which Reuters points out has had “a wobbly start for years and at one point scrapped a chip at a similar phase of development.”

In 2023, Meta unveiled its first-generation in-house AI inference accelerator designed to power the ranking and recommendation systems for Facebook and Instagram, and then in April 2024 it debuted a new version that doubled the compute and memory bandwidth.

At the 2024 Hot Chips symposium, Meta revealed that its inference chip was built on TSMC's 5nm process, with the processing elements on RISC-V cores.

Like a growing number of tech firms, Facebook has thrown its weight behind RISC-V in order to recognize its AI ambitions, and although the Reuters report doesn’t provide any details on the technical aspects of Meta’s new AI training chip, it seems a fair bet that it too will be based on the open source RISC-V architecture.

The Reuters article does note that Meta executives say they want to start using their own chips for training by next year.

You might also like

• Meta is taking a RISC-y route for AI training and inference acceleration
• Meta reveals hardware behind recommendations for Facebook and Instagram
• Meta purportedly trained its AI on more than 80TB of pirated content