Valve unveiled its Steam Deck OLED late last week, offering up a hardware refresh for the first time since the company launched the handheld gaming device last year. While the company has been full steam ahead on handhelds and developing Steam OS, Valve says it’s “still pushing forward” on VR.
Valve ostensibly has a standalone VR headset in the works, and although there wasn’t any big announcement (or acknowledgement) of what the company has in store just yet. Talking to Norman Chan of Tested though, it was revealed the company is still working on VR.
In an interview, Valve designer Lawrence Yang spoke about the overlap between Steam Deck’s design relative to its VR efforts:
“There’s a lot of things [informing hardware decisions]. Working with an APU, working with miniaturization of computers. We don’t have anything to announce today in terms of a VR other than we are still working on VR, and we’re still pushing forward on it. Just like Steam Deck is learning a bunch of stuff from controllers and VR, future products will continue to learn from everything we’ve done with Steam Deck.”
“Obviously there’s a lot of overlap, from technology pieces that we can use; wireless streaming is very applicable to VR. That benefitted Steam Deck as well in improving the wireless experience. But also from just establishing relationships with part suppliers, hardware partners, and that kind of stuff. The SteamVR team and the Steam Deck team work together. There’s a lot of inoculation of ideas, parts and technologies.”
At Steam Deck’s initial launch in February 2022, Valve chief Gabe Newell told Edge Magazine that Steam Deck represented a “steppingstone” to portable VR for the company thanks to its battery-capable, high-performance horsepower.
More recently, the company released its long-awaited SteamVR 2.0 which drastically upgraded the platform’s VR interface. Whether this is in preparation for an upcoming VR standalone headset remains to be seen; it’s certainly a knock-on effect of improvements made specifically for Steam Deck’s UI.
You can check out the full breakdown of Steam Deck OLED in the Tested video below:
Great mop performance but less than exceptional vacuuming
With excellent mopping, a long battery life, a mop cleaning base station with a handy touchscreen, and an intuitive app, the Narwal Freo has a lot on offer. However, given the mediocre vacuum performance and the lack of an auto-emptying dust bin, combined with a high price tag, this robot vacuum leaves something to be desired and is best for households with lighter cleaning needs.
Pros
+Handy LCD touchscreen control panel on the base station
+Excellent self-cleaning mops
+Long battery life
Cons
The Narwal Freo offers everything you’d expect from one of the best robot vacuums. Beyond vacuuming, it has mopping, an intuitive app, long battery life, and a base station with auto mop-cleaning and an LCD touchscreen for extra control. But the question is, do these features deliver? Almost all of them do, except probably the most important one: vacuuming.
When it came to vacuuming, the Narwal Freo sucked, and not in a way that vacuums are supposed to. It failed to pick up debris during everyday cleaning tasks on carpeted and hard floors, leaving a larger-than-expected amount of hair, crumbs, and other dirt behind as it traversed my space, with its performance worsening over time. Edge brushes and other “special” technology did little to expel dirt from edges and corners, meaning you’ll want to grab one of the best vacuum cleaners to finish the job this device failed to complete.
Mopping on the Narwal Freo was a different story. The two oscillating mop heads did an excellent job cleaning up lighter dirt, spots, and grime. The robot vacuum also as a whole did a decent job navigating my space and freeing itself when getting stuck. It’s not the best I’ve seen but on par with many robot vacuums I’ve tested. After mopping, my floors sparkled while the auto-mop cleaning on the base station made the entire process virtually hands-off.
Speaking of that base station, it’s bulky, but the unique LCD touchscreen on its lid is especially useful when you don’t want to use the app. However, the omission of an auto-emptying dustbin was shocking given the retail price. For more control over settings and cleanings, the app was great, and you can even save multiple maps, making it ideal for multi-level spaces.
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The Narwal Freo is best for homes with lighter cleaning needs given the poor vacuum pick-up. However, it’s almost entirely hands-free and will leave your floors looking better than before with little effort on your part, removing a few chores from the list.
NARWAL FREO: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
How much does it cost? $1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100)
When is it available? Available now
Where is it available? Available in the US and Australia
The Narwal Freo costs $1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100). You can get it directly from the Narwal website or various retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. In Australia, it’s available on their website.
Given the price, this robot vacuum sits at the higher end of the market. Luckily, it offers many features to help justify that cost, including self-cleaning oscillating mops and an LCD touchscreen. Still, the lack of an auto-emptying dust bin is shocking. If you can grab it on sale, it will make the device a much better value. One small but much-appreciated detail is the inclusion of a floor cleaning solution, but it costs a pretty penny when that needs replacing.
Something like the Eufy Clean X9 Pro offers similar functionality to the Narwal Freo, including self-cleaning and oscillating mops, and it retails for $500 less, making it a better deal. But if you’re looking for almost everything a robot vacuum can offer in one convenient package, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra might suit you better. With it comes self-cleaning mops and the auto-emptying dust bin that the Narwal Freo lacks – although this impressive vacuum will set you back $1,599 / AU$2,699 (about £1,265).
Value: 3.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: SPECIFICATIONS
Watt:
45W(vacuum) / 72W (base)
Suction power:
3,000pa
Speeds:
Quiet, Normal, Strong, Super Powerful
Bin volume:
480ml
Battery life:
180 minutes (Freo Mode)
Filtration:
Yes
Noise volume:
65Db (vacuum) / 50Db (base)
Mop water volume:
Not specified
Water levels:
Slightly dry, normal, wet mopping
Mapping:
Yes
Obstacle avoidance:
Yes
Base:
14.6 x 16.3 x 17.1 in (370 x 415 x 435 mm)
Smart support:
Siri
Tools:
None
Weight:
9.59 lbs (4.35 kg)
NARWAL FREO: DESIGN AND FEATURES
LCD touchscreen control panel on base station
Auto mop cleaning base, no auto emptying
Two oscillating mop heads
The Narwal Freo came in a massive, heavy box that was difficult to maneuver on my own. Upon opening, I was greeted with a large instruction sheet and began setting up the vacuum. The process took about 10 minutes, including downloading the Narwal app and connecting to Wi-Fi via a 2.4GHz band. It was fairly simple and similar to most robot vacuums.
One glaring omission from the base station’s design is an auto-emptying dustbin, something I’ve seen on almost every robot vacuum in its price range. Instead, you get that floor solution that tucks neatly inside along with clean and dirty water tanks for the self-cleaning mops. That means you’ll need to empty the 480ml dust box on the robot vacuum itself, which can be annoying. However, the tray where the mops are cleaned is removable, so you can rinse it down if it looks or smells a bit grimy.
The robot vacuum is similar to others, with a large main roller brush featuring actual bristles, edge brushes, and various sensors throughout. It’s the same white as the base, so scuff marks began to show immediately after the initial use. There’s only one button on the device, giving you limited control unless you’re using the LCD touch screen or the app. The dust box is easy to remove, though I found that some contents would fall out in the process, which is annoying given the fact that there’s no auto-emptying dust bin.
My favorite part of the actual robot vacuum is the oscillating mops. You get two large, plush mop heads that rotate and adjust pressure based on the floor type. I’ve found that this type of mopping does a better job of cleaning floors than the vibrating mopping pads seen on most. After mopping, the base station cleans the mops and even dries them to prevent smelly bacteria growth.
I’ve mentioned controlling the vacuum via the app or the LCD touchscreen on the base, but you can also send the vacuum out to clean using smart home integration. It currently supports Siri voice control, and the Narwal app makes it insanely simple to set up – something I can’t say for other vacuums I’ve tested.
NARWAL FREO: PERFORMANCE
Easy-to-use app
Excellent mopping
Mediocre vacuuming
For its first task, I sent the Narwal Freo out using Narwal’s unique Freo Mode that detects the dirt in an area and cleans accordingly using “DirtSense Technology.” The vacuum and mops are both used in this mode. The device navigated my downstairs with relative ease, though it would occasionally get tripped up on rugs, eventually freeing itself without my help. After finishing cleaning a room, or sometimes more often, the vacuum would go back to the base and clean the mops. This process takes about two minutes. Then, it would go right back out, picking up where it left off cleaning.
Freo Mode left the floors cleaner than before, but the performance wasn’t perfect. Most of the spots from food spills and muddy boots got mopped up, though the mops that are supposed to lift on rugs and carpet wouldn’t always do so, soaking the edges of rugs. There was still debris left in the corners and edges of rooms, especially near the kitchen cabinets. Given this vacuum advertises a “Smart Swing” technology to combat this issue, I was disappointed the feature wasn’t better. The rugs also had some debris and dog hair left on them. It’s important to note that I have a fluffy dog constantly traipsing leaves and muck throughout the house, so this vacuum had its work cut out for it.
I did more intensive testing of the Narwal Freo’s vacuuming to see how it fared when cleaning up different sizes of debris. Using a large concentration of oats, sugar, and sprinkles, I tested its pick up on a hard laminate floor at the vacuum’s various speeds: quiet, normal, strong, and super powerful. I noticed that each suction level performed similarly.
Some of the oats and sprinkles got flung around in the first pass-through, but sending the vacuum out a second time saw most of the mess suctioned up. Some sprinkles got crushed in the process, and they were left behind. The sugar appeared to get vacuumed. However, upon closer inspection, there was some grittiness on the floor, and it took several passes to remove it.
I sent the vacuum back to the base after these tests—the robot vacuum successfully found the base and docked every time it finished a cleaning task. But on its way, it had to pass over several transitions, losing some of the contents of the dust box, and leaving a mess of sprinkles, and oats behind. Luckily, the robot vacuum increases suction when docking at the base, helping to prevent the dust box contents from falling out.
I performed these same tests on medium-pile carpeting, and unfortunately, the Narwal Freo’s performance was pretty pathetic. No matter the suction level and even with a second pass-through, most of the oats, sprinkles, and flour were left behind. I had to grab a cordless vacuum I was testing to pick up the mess the Freo left behind. So, if your home consists mostly of carpeting, I’d seek another robot vacuum option.
Its mops were also put through more intensive testing, as I spread yogurt, honey, and some of my morning coffee on the floor. I used all the mop water levels: slightly dry, normal, and wet mopping. Slightly dry tended to spread the mess around, but normal and wet mopping performed better. After the first pass, the coffee was gone, though the yogurt was smeared around while only some of the honey was removed. A second pass-through cleaned up the majority of the mess.
I love how great the mops perform. They’re perfect for cleaning up lighter spills and messes. When emptying the dirty water tank, I could see just how great they were working, as that water was nasty. Plus, even after several weeks of use, the mops look almost as good as new. They are white, so there are a few darker spots on them, but there’s no odor, which is a testament to the handy auto-cleaning and drying feature on the base station.
Beyond the more intensive testing, I observed how the Narwal Freo performed everyday tasks, whether it was in Freo Mode, Vacuum, Mop, or both.
Its navigation was on par with other vacuums I’ve tested. For the most part, it covered the entire area I had requested the robot vacuum to clean. The device would avoid objects like dog bowls and toys. But when it came to furniture and larger obstacles, it would skirt nicely around some or just fully ram others with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes, the Freo would get tripped up by an obstacle for several minutes, continuously running into it or spinning around it. I’ve found this to be a common issue with many robot vacuums. Wires would also get caught in the main brush from time to time–not a big surprise.
Speaking of the main brush, it has bristles, something many robot vacuums have done away with. That means it’s a hair magnet, and I had to clean it on multiple occasions. I also found the brush difficult to get back in place correctly after cleaning, a minor annoyance.
When it came to detecting debris, it was a hit or miss. Sometimes, the Narwal Freo would spot larger messes and pick them up immediately. Other times, it seemingly avoided the mess, never going back to clean up, proving the vacuum to be unreliable.
As the Narwal Freo vacuumed, it attempted to kick out debris from hard-to-reach places, corners, and baseboards using the edge brushes. Oftentimes, it didn’t successfully move the debris, and if it did move the debris, that debris never actually got suctioned up. This was a major disappointment, especially given the price.
In fact, I was truly shocked at just how mediocre the vacuuming performance of the Narwal Freo was. I’ll admit that my floors were full of crumbs, pet hair, leaves, and other debris, making them messier than the average household. But I was lucky if the Freo picked up a third of what was on the floor. Sure, larger crumbs and dirt were left, and that’s acceptable and often expected from these devices. However, small leaves, tiny needles from an artificial Christmas tree, and minuscule crumbs were left behind even after I sent the vacuum out multiple times.
I also believe the vacuum’s performance declined from when I first began using it. I tried to remedy the problem, doing everything from emptying the dust box after each use to cleaning the brushes and filter. Still, it failed to have a better pick-up. That poor vacuuming performance could be due to the 3,000Pa max suction level, which is pretty low considering the cost. Therefore, if your household has pets, kids, or just tends to get a bit grimier, I’d steer clear of the Narwal Freo.
Performance: 2.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: APP
Easy to use app
Mapping uncomplicated
It was simple to start using the Narwal Freo. Before its first run, the robot vacuum leaves the base and creates a map of your space. The process was quick, and I had a relatively accurate map of the downstairs of my home, which is about 700 square feet with multiple rooms, in about 15 minutes. You can then edit the map, block off certain areas, and name rooms using the Narwal app. The map isn’t as intelligent as some I’ve used, but it should suffice for most.
A great feature of the Narwal App is its ability to save up to four maps. So, beyond the main downstairs map, I created two others. One map of my sunken family room and another of the upstairs. Mapping was uncomplicated, as you just needed to move the robot vacuum to the space and let it do its thing. However, you can’t select specific rooms to clean on the additional maps, as the app only allows you to highlight areas to be cleaned, which can be tedious.
However, the app as a whole is easy to use and took me only a couple of minutes to master. It lets you adjust vacuum settings, check when components need replacing, schedule cleanings, and more. When you don’t go through the app, you can always use the LCD touchscreen on the base, though you’ll have less control over the specifics of your cleaning.
App: 4.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: BATTERY LIFE
Battery lasts over three hours
Takes less than 4 hours to recharge
The Narwal Freo is equipped with a 5,200mAh battery that lasts an impressive amount of time. Using Freo Mode, which includes vacuuming and mopping, the battery lasted over three hours. That was enough juice to clean almost 700 square feet of space three times. It’s the best battery performance I’ve seen in my robot vacuum testing.
When only using the vacuuming function, I found that the battery did deplete quicker. Still, it lasted long enough for multiple whole home cleanings. Of course, increasing the suction level did cause the levels to drop even faster.
After the battery dropped below 20%, it returned to the base for charging. There’s an option to send it back out to complete a task after it has reached a certain level of charge. And the battery gets back to 100% percent surprisingly fast, taking less than 4 hours.
Battery: 5 / 5
SHOULD I BUY THE NARWAL FREO?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
Expensive but feature-rich vacuum, similar option retails for less
3.5 / 5
Design
Easy to set up, base station washes and dries mops but no auto-emptying, useful LCD touch screen on the base, oscillating mops on robot vacuum
4 / 5
Performance
The two oscillating mop pads work great, but the vacuum pick up and edge clean up are mediocre
2.5 / 5
App
The app is simple to use and offers multi level home mapping
4.5 / 5
Battery life
Battery lasts over three hours depending on the mode and recharges quickly in under 4 hours
5 / 5
Buy it if…
You want top-tier mopping.
The Narwal Freo features two oscillating mops that put the vibrating mopping pads seen on most robot vacuums to shame. The base station cleans and dries the mops, leaving them in great condition even after several weeks of use.
You have a multilevel home.
Unlike many robot vacuum apps, the Narwal app allows you to create up to four maps. So, if you have different levels in your home, you won’t need to worry about deleting your current map to clean another part of your space.
You don’t always want to use an app.
The Narwal Freo has a unique LCD touchscreen on the base station, allowing you to select different modes and send the robot vacuum out to clean. Beyond that, it gives details about when components need replacing, shows your network settings, and more.
Don’t buy it if…
You have pets or kids in your home.
The Narwal Freo fails to pick up a good portion of debris when performing average cleaning tasks. So, if you’re house is prone to more crumbs, hair, and dirt, this vacuum won’t be able to keep up. You’ll want to grab an option with more suction power.
You have a mostly carpeted home.
Given the mediocre vacuuming performance, especially on carpeting, and the high price tag, you’d want to grab this vacuum for the excellent mops. If you don’t have hard floors, then you can find better-performing vacuum-only options for cheaper.
You want an auto-emptying dustbin.
Unfortunately, the base station of this robot vacuum doesn’t include an auto-emptying dust bin. That means you’ll need to remove the dust box and empty it. It’s a surprising omission, considering the price of the vacuum.
NARWAL FREO: ALSO CONSIDER
Not sold on the prowess of the Narwal Freo? Below are a couple of alternatives that you can consider.
–Expensive
–No auto-emptying dustbin
–Mediocre vacuum performance
Header Cell – Column 0
Narwal Freo
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
Eufy Clean X9 Pro
Price:
$1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100)
$1,599.99 US / AU$2,699 (about £2,370)
$899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.95
Watt:
45W(vacuum) / 72W (base)
Row 1 – Cell 2
Row 1 – Cell 3
Suction power:
3,000pa
6000Pa
5,500Pa
Speeds:
Quiet, Normal, Strong, Super Powerful
Row 3 – Cell 2
Row 3 – Cell 3
Bin volume:
480 ml
0.66 gallons (2.5L)
13.9 oz (410 ml)
Battery life:
180 minutes (Freo Mode)
180 min (quiet mode)
150 min (standard vacuum/mop setting)
Filtration:
Yes
Row 6 – Cell 2
Row 6 – Cell 3
Noise volume:
65Db (vacuum), 50Db (base)
69dB (vacuum), 77dB (base)
65dB (vacuum), 50dB (base)
Mop water volume:
Not specified
0.92 gallons (3.5L)
1.1 gallons (4.1L)
Water levels:
Slightly dry, normal, wet mopping
Row 9 – Cell 2
Row 9 – Cell 3
Mapping:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Obstacle avoidance:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Base:
14.6 x 16.3 x 17.1 in (370 x 415 x 435 mm)
16.7 x 20.2 x 17.7 in (42.4 x 51.3 x 45 cm)
17.4 x 16.6.2 x 16.4 in (44.3 x 42.2 x 41.6 cm)
Smart support:
Siri
Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Tools:
None
Row 14 – Cell 2
Row 14 – Cell 3
Weight:
9.59 lbs (4.35 kg)
10lbs (vacuum)
31.7 lbs (14.4 kg)
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra An impressive but pricey robot vacuum, offering both vacuuming and mopping abilities, and has a self-cleaning, auto-emptying docking station to give you a mostly hands-off cleaning experience. An intuitive app delivers intelligent mapping as well as easy adjustment of settings.
Read our full Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review
Eufy Clean X9 Pro A solid robot vacuum that vacuums and mops. The rotating mops are great at removing spills and spots on your floor, while the base station’s auto-cleaning feature washes the mops for you. Unfortunately, there’s no auto-emptying for the dust box. There’s also an intuitive app that creates an intelligent map and makes it simple to adjust various settings.
Read our full Eufy Clean X9 Pro review
HOW I TESTED THE NARWAL FREO
Tested over the course of several weeks
Used almost every mop and vacuum setting
Tested on various floor types, including carpet and laminate
I tested the Narwal Freo in my two-story home with floor types that include hardwood, medium pile carpet, tile, and laminate. There are also low-pile rugs throughout. I’d send the vacuum out multiple times per week using the different modes: Freo Mode, Vacuuming and Mopping, Vacuuming, and Mopping. The robot vacuum would do its thing, and I would only intervene if needed, observing how it handled obstacles, edges, and more.
Beyond the basics, I did more intensive testing of the device on both hard floor and carpeting to see how it handled larger messes of varying debris sizes. Using oats, flour, and sprinkles, I tested all the suction levels of the vacuum to see how well each setting vacuumed. I also spread yogurt, honey, and coffee on the floor to observe the mops’ performance at varying water levels.
Although this is the first time I’ve tested a Narwal robot vacuum, I have reviewed plenty of others from top brands like Shark, Roborock, Ecovacs, Eufy, and more, so I feel confident in my experience using these devices.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
Rebellion, the studio behind the Sniper Elite franchise, announced a new VR game coming to Quest this month: Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior.
The studio threw out a reveal trailer in addition to announcing a pretty close release date; it’s coming to Quest 2/3/Pro on November 30th.
While we can’t tell how deep the game will be just by looking at the trailer, Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior is only priced at $15, which suggests we’ll be getting a shorter game that the original Sniper Elite VR (2021), which launched with a six-hour campaign for $30. It’s also only been announced for Quest, whereas Sniper Elite VR came to all major VR headsets at the time.
Image courtesy Rebellion, Just Add Water
Developed in partnership with Just Add Water, Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior puts you in the boots of “the Partisan,” a former Italian resistance soldier reliving his memories of banishing Nazi forces from his homeland. The studio says it will feature a “full story-driven campaign in which you uncover Nazi “wonder-weapons” that must be destroyed along with those behind the plans.”
Two additional game modes were also announced: ‘Sniper Hunt’ and ‘Last Stand’. The studio says Sniper Hunt is an “intense game of cat and mouse that pits you against expert Nazi snipers,” whereas Last Stand pits you against waves of enemies where you’ll need to gather weapons and ammunition and set traps before fighting to survive against the oncoming forces.
Schell Games, the studio behind the I Expect You to Die VR puzzle series, showed off more of its upcoming VR game which is all about slaying vampires—and of course the ever-looming threat of a jumpscare if you fail.
Coming in 2024 to Quest, the new trailer finally shows off some gameplay of Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire, which the studio initially announced back in June during Meta’s Quest Gaming Showcase.
Releasing on Quest 2/3/Pro, in Silent Slayer players become vampire slayers and are tasked with quietly eliminating an ancient vampire clan before they wake. Players must carefully dismantle their coffins’ defenses using various tools, creating the perfect opportunity to plunge a stake through the heart of undead foes.
The studio says both silence and precision are key, as one wrong move and the fanged monsters will rise, immediately draining the player’s life force.
The UK government is investing £225mn to build one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, as it looks to “lead the world” in AI systems.
The supercomputer — named Isambard-AI, after the famous 19th-century British engineer Isambard Brunel — will be ten times faster than the country’s quickest machine once it switches on in about six months’ time. It will be hosted at Bristol University in a “self-cooled, self-contained data centre,” developed by Hewlett-Packard Enterprises.
Equipped with over 5,000 NVIDIA superchips, the supercomputer will run more than 200 quadrillion calculations per second. For comparison, a human would have to make a decision every second for 6.3 billion years to match what this machine can calculate in one second.
The government’s new Frontier AI Taskforce will have priority access to the new computer to support its work to mitigate the risks posed by the most advanced forms of AI, the government said. Isambard-AI will also offer computing capacity for researchers and industry in fields such as robotics, big data, climate research, and drug discovery. According to Simon McIntosh-Smith of the University of Bristol, the supercomputer “will be one of the most powerful AI systems for open science anywhere in the world” once operational.
The <3 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
The funding injection, announced by innovation secretary Michelle Donelan at the AI safety summit yesterday, is part of a £300mn package to create a new national Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (AIRR). “We are making it clear that Britain is grasping the opportunity to lead the world in adopting this technology safely so we can put it to work and lead healthier, easier and longer lives,” said Donelan at the summit.
The investment will also connect Isambard-AI to a newly announced Cambridge supercomputer called Dawn. This computer — delivered through a partnership with Dell and StackHPC — will be powered by over 1000 Intel chips that use water cooling to reduce power consumption. It is set to be running in the next two months and targets breakthroughs in fusion energy, healthcare and climate modelling.
As it looks to assert its dominance in technology, the UK is planning an even more powerful computer for 2025, to be housed at the University of Edinburgh. This ‘exascale’ machine (of which there is only one other currently in operation — Frontier in Tennessee, USA) will build on the technology and experience from the planned Bristol supercomputer.
The artificial intelligence hype train has reached another milestone. In an eagerly-anticipated announcement, Collins Dictionary today named AI as its word of the year.
Generously, Collins also provided a definition for the nebulous term: “the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs.”
Additionally, the dictionary offered an explanation for the award. According to the book’s British publisher, usage of “AI” has quadrupled over the previous 12 months.
That shouldn’t come as a big surprise. AI has become a common topic everywhere from pitch decks to pubs. But that doesn’t mean the field is guaranteed to enjoy a good life.
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Tech terms that previously won or were shortlisted for the Collins word of the year have experienced mixed fortunes. Here’s how they fared.
Phablet (Shortlisted, 2013)
Our first entry is truly hideous. A portmanteau of phone and tablet, phablet refers to mobile devices that are caught between sizes. Mercifully, the word is now only found in the most shameful of lexicons.
Bitcoin (Shortlisted, 2013)
Bitcoin has taken investors on rollercoasters since being nominated by Collins. It reached an all-time high price of around €65,000 in November 2021, before dropping down to about €32,500 today.
After the 2022 collapse of FTX, the value of Bitcoin nosedived.
A significant loss, indeed. But anyone who invested when Bitcoin was shortlisted for word of the year could have bought one for just €705.
Cybernats (Shortlisted, 2013)
Cybernat is an informal name for a supporter of the Scottish National Party supporter who campaigns online for Scottish independence. Amid growing calls for a second referendum, the word is regaining momentum.
Tinder (Shortlisted, 2014)
Tinder remains the undisputed leader in the online dating field. In July, the app had over 6 million monthly downloads. Compared to 2013, however, Tinder now has numerous rivals for lonely hearts and horny loins.
Swipe (Shortlisted, 2015)
Tinder’s key feature has also made a shortlist. With the gesture still ubiquitous on mobile devices, the swipe isn’t going anywhere soon.
Contactless (Shortlisted, 2015)
It’s hard for us to imagine a world before contactless payments. A recent European road trip, however, showed that the tech still has plenty of growth potential.
Uberization (Shortlisted, 2016)
Uberization has become omnipresent since 2016. A term for adopting a market-changing method of supplying products and services, the concept has entered new markets as mobile use has grown globally.
Insta (Shortlisted, 2017)
While Instagram continues to attract new users, “IG” is now a more popular term than “Insta,”‘ according to Google Trends. But a bigger concern for the app is the inexorable rise of TikTok.
Unicorn (Shortlisted, 2017)
A unicorn originally referred to an imaginary horned creature, but it earned a shortlist spot for its second meaning: a privately-held startup that’s valued at over $1 billion.
Valuations of European unicorns plunged during the economic downturn.
Such businesses reached a peak in 2021, when the number of new unicorns spiked to 787. In 2022, however, there was a 90% drop in fresh members of the flock.
Echo chamber (Shortlisted, 2017)
Although it’s not strictly a tech term, the echo chamber can thank social media for its place on the shortlist.
Their prominence persists, but recent research suggests they’re not as polarising as previously feared.
Deepfake (Shortlisted, 2019)
Deepfakes are yet to create the disinformation maelstrom that many experts expected to emerge in 2017.
The digital replicas are certainly becoming more realistic, but they’re still only really popular in one vertical: porn. In 2013, researchers found that 98% of all deepfake videos online are pornography.
Influencer (Shortlisted, 2019)
Instagram’s defining legacy is the infuriating “job” title of “Influencer.” As the infernal role lives on attention, we’ll give it as little as possible.
TikToker (Shortlisted, 2020)
Another child of social media, the TikToker became an obsession of marketers in 2020.
Allowing TikTok in Europe and the US is “insane,” according to NYU professor Scott Galloway.
To the horror of boomers in the West, the app has rapidly grown in popularity since then. TikTok reached 1.5 billion users in 2023 — a 16% increase on the previous year.
Metaverse (Shortlisted, 2021)
The metaverse boom began with Facebook’s big rebrand, but then quickly faded. A combination ofjaw-dropping financial losses, risible technologies, and the generative AI explosion has brought the concept back to Earth.
Crypto (Shortlisted, 2021)
Cryptocurrency prices rose to dizzying heights in 2019, but have now entered a crypto winter. There are signs, however, that the bear market could be approaching a close.
Pingdemic (Shortlisted, 2021)
Pingdemic became a common term when COVID-19 apps were frequently advising users to self-isolate. Thankfully, the pandemic eventually subsided, rendering the word a mere memory — for now.
NFT (Winner, 2021)
Congratulations,NFT! You’re the only other tech term that Collins has named word of the year.
At TNW, we initially mocked non-fungible tokens as a money-grabbing scam. But who’s laughing now? We are, actually — trading of NFTs plummeted by 81% between January 2022 and July 2023.
AI looks unlikely to suffer a serious fate. The tech is developing rapidly and entering a growing range of applications. We expect the progress to continue — although the hype may soon give way to more realistic expectations.
We’ll revisit the term when Collins returns with the next word of the year. Do you predict another entry from the world of tech? Let us know via the usual channels.
Nokia has taken legal action against Amazon and HP over their alleged “unauthorised use” of the company’s video streaming-related technologies.
In a blogpost, Nokia’s Chief Licencing Officer Arvin Patel alleged that Amazon Prime Video and Amazon’s streaming devices infringe a number of the company’s multimedia patents, including video compression, content recommendation and delivery, and aspects related to hardware.
For this reason, Nokia has filed lawsuits in the US, Germany, India, the UK, and the European Patent Office. A separate lawsuit was filed against HP in the US.
“We’ve been in discussions with each of Amazon and HP for a number of years, but sometimes litigation is the only way to respond to companies who choose not to play by the rules followed and respected by others,” said Patel.
He emphasised that, despite the lack of patent licence agreements, Amazon and HP are “significantly benefiting” from Nokia’s inventions. According to his statement, the Finnish company has invested over €140bn in R&D for advanced technologies since 2000, and is now holding one of the world’s most adept patent portfolios of connectivity and multimedia tech.
Patel underlined that litigation isn’t the company’s first choice. Instead, Nokia prefers reaching amicable agreements with the businesses relying on its technology, being open to “constructive, good-faith negotiations” about the compensation and royalties for use of key inventions.
Amazon and HP declined to comment on an ongoing litigation.
Meanwhile in October, Nokia announced a wider restructuring that will cut up to 14,000 employees. The move is expected to reduced its personnel expenses by 10%-15%, saving it at least €400mn in 2024.
AI could be nearly twice as accurate as biopsies at assessing the aggressiveness of some rare types of cancer, a new study suggests. According to researchers this could save the lives of thousands of patients.
A research team from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) focused on retroperitoneal sarcoma — a form of soft tissue sarcoma that develops in the back of the abdomen.
“There is an urgent need to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma, who currently have poor outcomes,” said Dr Amani Arthur, first author of the study.
“The disease is very rare — clinicians may only see one or two cases in their career — which means diagnosis can be slow. This type of sarcoma is also difficult to treat as it can grow to large sizes and, due to the tumour’s location in the abdomen, involve complex surgery.”
To develop and train an AI algorithm, the researchers used CT scans of 170 patients suffering from the two most common types of retroperitoneal sarcoma: leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma. Then, they tested the algorithm on a set of 89 patients across Europe and the US.
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The technology accurately assessed the aggressiveness of the tumours 82% of the time, while biopsies were correct in only 44% of the cases. The AI model was also able to predict the type of 84% of the sarcomas tested, compared to radiologists who could diagnose 65% of the cases.
Study lead Professor Christina Messiou,Consultant Radiologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor in Imaging for Personalised Oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research. Credit: ICR
The researchers believe that their method could not only improve and speed up diagnosis, but also help clinicians manage the disease and its outcomes. For example, the algorithm could identify high-risks patients, who need amplified treatment, and low-risk patients, who can reduce treatment, follow-up scans, and hospital visits.
Notably, the team suggests that the AI model could prove to be useful for other cancer types as well.
“In the future, this approach may help characterise other types of cancer, not just retroperitoneal sarcoma,” said study lead Professor Christina Messiou. “Our novel approach used features specific to this disease, but by refining the algorithm, this technology could one day improve the outcomes of thousands of patients each year.”
If you can get your hands on a Quest 3, you’ve got everything you need right in the box to start playing some of the best VR games out there. Once you’ve got a few hours under your belt though, you’ll probably notice a few things that definitely need improving, many of which can thankfully be solved with a few key aftermarket accessories.
Upgrade Your Headstrap
Meta has done it again; like Quest 2, they’ve included a cheap, floppy strap that you’ll very likely want to replace soon after popping out of your first long playsession. For many, the stock strap just doesn’t do a good enough job of distributing weight evenly and comfortably on the user’s head. Some users report the stock Quest 3 straps even cut into the base of their ears a bit too, which is bound be bothersome long-term.
It’s difficult to recommend Meta’s Quest 3 straps out of the gate: Elite Strap ($70) and Elite Strap With Battery ($130), the latter of which includes an integrated 2,330mAh battery promising two hours of extra gameplay.
Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery | Photo by Road to VR
Don’t get us wrong, they’re both comfortable and great out of the box. Meta’s one-year warranty will also likely let you exchange them too if/when they break. Beyond that, you’re at the mercy of Zuckerberg though; Meta doesn’t have a great track record with the build quality of its aftermarket headstraps, and until we put ours through its paces and we’re reasonably convinced it won’t snap in half like the first-party Quest 2 straps were prone to do, well, buyer beware.
Respected third-party accessory makers, such as Bobo VR and Kiwi Design, are slated to have their own versions soon. If you’re looking for something right this second though, a fairly inexpensive solution from MOJOXR ($25) not only has great reviews, but also supports both Quest 3 and Quest 2 thanks to an included adapter.
Provided you can 3D print your own adapter though, you may be able to use any Quest 2 aftermarket strap on the market, which should give you a little more choice in the meantime.
VR Cover or Spare Facepad
The stock facial interface on Quest 3 is actually a big improvement over the Quest 2 version. Out of the gate, its fabric weave feels better than having some sort of clammy high-density foam straight on your undoubtably greasy face, although it isn’t nearly as cleanable as, say, a silicone or removable fabric cover.
Quest 3 Silicon Facial Interface | Image courtesy Meta
Silicone covers are great for workouts since you can easily wipe them down before or after a session. Meta offers its own Quest 3 silicone facial interface ($40), which completely replaces the stock facepad. The benefit here is you can quickly swap out the stock pad when you’re done playing casual games, and swap in the silicone pad for when you’re ready for some Les Mills Body Combat, Supernatural, Beat Saber, Pistol Whip—whatever gets your heart pumping.
Realistically speaking though, you probably don’t need to shell out the better part of 50 bucks to get the job done. There are a number of third-party silicone covers on Amazon which fit right over the stock facepad, ranging from $10 to $15, and offer equal protection from face grime.
As for fabric, the trusted third-party creator VR Cover has its own machine washable fabric cover too ($30) in case you want to keep it a little more cosy than the impenetrable seal of a silicone cover. Alternatively, you can also get full facepad replacements from Meta which comes with matching floppy headstraps in Elemental Blue and Blood Orange ($50).
Make Charging Easier
Quest 3 has charging pins at the bottom of the face plate, meaning we’re sure to see a host of third-party charging docks and accessories come to market soon enough.
Quest 3 Charging Dock | Image courtesy Meta
For now, there’s really only one real solution though: Meta’s official Quest 3 charging dock ($130). While this also charges your Touch Plus controllers, keep in mind this won’t charge up any sort of external battery strap.
Always the old reliable: the second option could be to get magnetic USB-C connector cables, which allow you to attach and detach special charging cables to your headset without having to wear out the charging port. Many on Amazon can even do fast charging, although getting one with data transfer is hit and miss. Even if you could, you wouldn’t want to use Meta Link with a magnetic cable because of how easily it can detach.
Carrying Cases
Meta’s official Quest 3 carrying case ($70) is certainly a good option to keeping your Quest 3 prim and proper—if you don’t mind the hefty price tag, that is.
Quest 3 Carrying Case | Image courtesy Meta
There are definitely more cost-effective ways to spend 70 bucks though, considering Quest 3 is smaller and will most definitely fit in the carrying cases originally designed for Quest 2; there are a ton on Amazon, with many hovering under the $25 mark.
There’s bound to be an explosion of Quest 3-specific cases in the coming months, although it’s still too early to tell. Third-parties have created a ton of different case styles over the years for Quest 2, ranging from standard copycats of Meta’s own to official case to ones that even double as charging docks. More of those, please.
Long USB-C Cables for Wired PC Play
Whether you’re just looking for a way to charge during gameplay, or you want to connect Quest 3 to your computer via Meta Link to use it as a PC VR headset, you’ll need a USB-C cable long enough to get the job done.
Official Oculus Link Cable | Image courtesy Oculus
By now, you know the drill: ‘Meta first, then the actual option you’ll actually want to buy’. Meta’s Link Cable ($80) is a thin fiber-optic cable that spans 16 feet (5m). It’s a great cable since it’s very thin and fairly light at 7.9oz (224g).
That said, any 3.0 USB-C cable will work, and there are tons on Amazon that will do the job just as well at a quarter of the price. Pick one, and you’re playing Half-Life: Alyx (2020) in no time.
Wi-Fi Router for Wirelessly PC VR Games
We know who you are. You’re more of a “low contact” sort of person. You exclusively charge all of your devices wirelessly, only talk to friends through Discord, and prefer courteous bows from across the room over shaking hands. Your ‘hover over public toilets’ game is also suitably on-lock. Well, you’ll be happy to know you can play PC VR games cable-free too thanks to Air Link.
You should be able to game easily enough using Air Link on that old 2.4GHz router, although if you’re looking to get the most out of Air Link-ing your headset to a VR-ready PC for a host of PC VR games, it might be time to upgrade to a dual-band router, as Meta recommends connecting to Wi-Fi via 5GHz band (AC or AX).
Note: Virtual Desktop developer Guy Godin has reported an early issue with Quest 3 and how it connects over Wi-Fi. For now, it appears the headset has network performance issues with routers running in Wi-Fi 5 (AC) mode. The issue disappears when switching the router to Wi-Fi 6 (AX) or Wi-Fi 6e (AXE) mode.
Image courtesy D-Link
You can find dual-band Wi-Fi routers for as low as $40 on Amazon, however the more you pay, generally the better range you get. You can also get them for significantly cheaper if you don’t mind refurbished units.
Then there’s dedicated dongles, such as the D-Link Airplay ($100), which creates a dedicated Wi-Fi network between your Quest headset and your PC, skipping the whole Wi-Fi router tango entirely. Whatever the case, Meta recommends having your PC connected to a router or access point via ethernet cable, and in the same room as the headset or in line of sight. The better the connection, the lower the latency involved.
Google has agreed to pay German publishers €3.2mn per year for publishing their content on its News search engine.
The compensation is part of an interim agreement between the tech giant and Corint Media, pending a decision by the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), which will determine the final (and potentially higher) amount.
Corint Media is a European corporation that represents the rights of over 500 German and international media companies, including Axel Springer, Al Jazzeera, France 24, and CNBC Europe. The corporation has long been disputing Google’s “unlawful” use of press content without paying any compensation.
Having initially sought a €420mn payment for the news content used in 2022, Corint Media said it now hopes that the DPMA’s decision will lead to a “significantly” higher amount than the preliminary agreement of €3.2mn.
Meanwhile, Google has previously accepted a one-off €5.8mn payment to cover the period between June 2021 (when the EU’s press ancillary copyright law came into force) and March 2023.
“The payments to Corint Media are in line with what we have already agreed with 470 regional and national publications in Germany,” Google said in a statement. Its existing licensing deals include German outlets Zeit and Spiegel.
“Where the quasi-monopoly Google otherwise dictates prices, the route through ordinary courts is the only way to get appropriate compensation for the use of content,” said Dr Christine Jury-Fischer, managing director of Corint Media.
She added that the agreement proves that “even a part of the press market can succeed in defending itself against Google’s dominant business practices if only there is a high level of unity. If successful, these efforts should — and will — also benefit other publishers.”
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In the third quarter of 2023, European startups raised $16.4bn (€15.6bn) in VC funding — a 28% increase quarter over quarter.
The findings are based on an analysis by Crunchbase, which also unveiled that the fresh capital has mostly favoured late-stage rounds. In contrast, funding for seed and early-stage companies hit its lowest points since Q3 2022.
Specifically, late-stage funding doubled quarter over quarter, reaching $10.5bn (€10bn) in total. Notably, VCs invested large sums in the sustainable energy sector, with big rounds raised by Sweden’s H2 Green Steel, battery manufacturers Northvolt and Verkor, and London-based battery storage startup Zenobe Energy.
Μeanwhile, seed funding added up to $1.4bn (€1.3bn), down from $2.1bn (€2bn) last year. Alongside its 30% year-over-year drop, it also fell by 25% quarter over quarter. Similarly, early-stage companies saw another low at $4.5bn (€4.3bn) with the largest amount of capital invested in Series A.
On the bright side, European startups have managed to raise a bigger proportion of global venture capital compared to last year. Their share reached approximately 23%, while VC funding in North America remained flat. Europe’s AI companies also accounted for close to one-fifth of the sector’s global funding, representing 11% of the region’s total capital raised in the past quarter.
Overall, Europe’s highest capital injection was concentrated in the UK, followed by Sweden, France, and Germany.
“The pullback in venture has made a huge difference in how capital-efficient a startup needs to be,” said Michiel Kotting, partner at Northzone, a London-headquartered multi-stage VC firm.
He noted, however, that the amount of capital raised isn’t the only measure of success for tech companies, adding that the economic downturn “does not make entrepreneurship harder or disfavor tech.”
After a lengthy process of regulatory scrutiny, the biggest deal in gaming history finally has the all-clear. Today, the final hold-out in the saga, the UK’s CMA, said it had approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, after the parties had made “gamechanging” amendments to the terms.
The antitrust watchdog stated it had been swayed by Activision’s agreement to sell its streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment. What this effectively means is that its blockbuster video games will not become exclusively available via streaming to Microsoft Xbox gamers following the takeover.
“The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers,” the CMA said in a statement.
According to Statista, revenue in the cloud gaming market is projected to reach $4.34bn (€4.1bn) in 2023. It could then show an annual growth rate of 44.09%, which would result in a market volume of $18.71bn (€17.7bn) by 2027.
With the approval, Microsoft now has the opportunity to close the $69bn (€65.4bn) deal by October 18, three months after the original deadline.
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CMA decidedly unhappy with Microsoft tactics
Activision Blizzard makes household franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. Microsoft first announced its intention to purchase the Fortune 500 video game publisher in early 2022. When the CMA blocked the deal in April this year, Microsoft said the UK was “closed for business,” and that it was the “darkest day” in its 40 years operating in the country. The EU granted its approval in May 2023, while US regulators followed suit in July. Meanwhile, the lengthy back and forth with the UK watchdog has been one of the most publicised and contentious antitrust processes in Britain to date. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said the agency had delivered a clear message to Microsoft that the deal would be blocked unless they comprehensively addressed concerns and “we stuck to our guns on that.” She further added that the CMA’s decision had been “free from political influence” and that the agency would not be “swayed by corporate lobbying.”
“Businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA,” Cardell stated, in what could be considered a less than entirely amicable tone.
Hard to remember a more fractious affair, competition advisor says
Indeed, the CMA’s statements appear to lay down a marker that publicly litigating appeals against the agency in the press will be “seen in an exceedingly poor light in the future.” That is according to Gareth Mills, who is a partner at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys and advises on commercial dispute resolution, regulatory, and competition matters.
“In a UK context, it’s hard to remember a more fractious affair and the comments made by the CMA’s chief executive as part of the approval makes it clear that some of Microsoft’s tactics have left a bitter taste, despite the final collaborative resolution,” Mills told TNW.
“Ultimately, this approval allows both sides to claim a satisfactory result. Microsoft have the deal finalised and the CMA can justifiably point to the remedies offered by Microsoft to facilitate the deal’s approval as evidence that its original rejection was a correct use of its powers.”
For its part, Microsoft was somewhat more conciliatory in its comments on the approval than the CMA. Brad Smith, the tech giant’s vice chair and president, said:
“We’re grateful for the CMA’s thorough review and decision today. We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide.”
