Amazon is predicting more than $100 billion in capital expenditure for AI in 2025. The majority of that will be invested in the AWS cloud division, according to Amazon President and CEO Andy Jassy, indicating Big Tech is not planning to back down on AI. Amazon’s Q4 profit hit $20 billion, an 88 percent increase over the same period in 2023, and full year profit was $59.2 billion, a 94 percent increase, on revenue of $638 billion, an 11 percent rise. On an earnings call, Jassy said the $26.3 billion in Q4 2024 capex spending “is reasonably representative” of what the company can be expected to spend on an annualized basis this year. Continue reading AWS Cloud Computing Generates Half of Amazon’s Q4 Profits

Model training continues to hit new lows in terms of cost, a phenomenon known as the commoditization of AI that has rocked Wall Street. An AI reasoning model created for under $50 in cloud compute credits is reportedly performing comparably to established reasoning models such as OpenAI o1 and DeepSeek-R1 on tests of math and coding aptitude. Called s1-32B, it was created by researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington by customizing Alibaba’s Qwen2.5-32B-Instruct, feeding it 1,000 prompts with responses sourced from Google’s new Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental reasoning model. Continue reading Reasoning Model Competes with Advanced AI at a Lower Cost

Cloudflare is making it easier to assess the authenticity of online images by adopting the Content Credentials system advanced by Adobe and embraced by many others. Images hosted using Cloudflare now integrate Content Credentials, ensuring metadata remains intact. The platform tracks ownership and subsequent modifications, including whether artificial intelligence was used to edit the images. With touchpoints to an estimated 20 percent of Internet traffic, connectivity firm Cloudflare substantively expands the reach of the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), founded in 2019. Continue reading Cloudflare Joins CAI, Adds C2PA Image Authenticity Protocol

Comcast is introducing the first customers in the world to a pioneering new, ultra-low lag connectivity experience when they use interactive applications like gaming, videoconferencing and virtual reality. The rollout is already underway in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Rockville, Maryland. Aimed primarily at gamers on Nvidia GeForce NOW and Valve’s Steam, it will also improve videoconferencing and content streaming, some Meta XR headset experiences and any other applications that choose to leverage the open standard technology in the future, Comcast says. Continue reading Comcast Launches Ultra Low-Latency Internet for Xfinity Subs

Hangzhou-based AI firm DeepSeek is roiling the U.S. tech sector and upending financial markets. The startup has managed to become competitive with Silicon Valley’s deep learning firms despite U.S. sanctions that prevent Chinese technology companies from buying premium chips. DeepSeek has made it into the global top 10 in terms of model performance, and as of this week had the top-ranked free AI assistant at the Apple App Store. DeepSeek’s new R1 model has drawn attention for using less computing power than competing systems, while performing comparably, despite having been developed using older Nvidia chips. Continue reading Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Disrupting the U.S. Tech Sector

Nvidia is hoping interest in artificial intelligence will translate to consumer sales of a relatively low-priced computer optimized for basic AI functionality. Last month, the company upgraded its Jetson line with a $249 “compact AI supercomputer,” the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit. At half the price of the original, the model aims to attract students, developers, hobbyists, small- and medium-sized businesses, and anyone who is AI curious. “As the AI world is moving from task-specific models into foundation models, it provides an accessible platform to transform ideas into reality,” according to Nvidia. Continue reading Nvidia Targets Consumers with $249 Compact Supercomputer

HP announced its Copilot+ mini PC and all-in-one desktop PCs at CES 2025 in Las Vegas last week. Rather than powering the new devices with Qualcomm chips, HP chose AMD’s Ryzen AI Max chips for the company’s new Z2 Mini G1a — the “world’s most powerful mini workstation” — and Intel Core Ultra 200V processors for the OmniStudio X all-in-one, described by some as a legitimate iMac Pro competitor. The Intel processors have enough power to support Microsoft Copilot+ PC features for the desktop, while the Z2 Mini G1a is also a Copilot+ PC, touting the AI-powered features, image generation, and editing tools available in Windows 11. Continue reading CES: HP Mini PC, All-in-One Desktop Feature Copilot+ AI Tech

Long billed as a manifestation of augmented reality (AR), the field of smart glasses has seen a wide range of products emerging on the market over the years. Notable products include the Ray-Ban Meta collection (a collaboration with Meta Platforms), Microsoft’s Hololens, and Vuzix’s entire product line. A survey at CES this year indicated the market of head-worn wearable computers is by no means a mature market. Our team found a few companies demonstrating their latest offerings. The principals of these companies believe their innovations differentiate from the current field with their own paths for solving specific use cases. Continue reading CES: Companies Present AR Use Cases for New Smart Glasses

Google TV is incorporating Gemini AI to make it easier to converse with a voice assistant as well as generating helpful onscreen information. These new Google TV devices will also feature an upgraded, Gemini-powered voice experience capable of handling more complex voice commands. “You and your family will be able to gather together and have a natural conversation with your TV,” Google announced at CES 2025, where it shared a preview of the new capabilities. The Gemini model also lets Google TV users create customized artwork, control smart home devices and get an overview of the day’s news. Continue reading CES: Google TV Integrates Gemini AI for a Conversational Feel

When it comes to gaming, Microsoft is not just about Xbox, the popular gaming console it introduced in 2001. Microsoft VP of Global Revenue & Business Planning Jonathan Stringfield wants brands to know that they can reach a broad ecosystem of gamers not just on its console but on mobile devices and PCs. “Consumers expect to be able to watch entertainment across platforms,” he said during a CES 2025 panel discussion. “That’s what we’re doing in the gaming space. And that’s a space that is exploding — not just in overall numbers but who those gamers are.” Continue reading CES: Microsoft Courts Brands for Its Three Gaming Platforms

In the conference track of CES this year is a lineup of talks and panels on gaming and esports. During the “Generational Shifts: The Evolution of Gaming” panel, moderated by Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Senior Manager of Market Research Steven Hummel, industry executives and thought leaders shared their views on market trends emerging post-pandemic and how those trends are driving gaming across other media. While it is not surprising to hear that the average age of gamers tends to skew younger these days, perhaps the bigger takeaway is that gaming has become the new social media for many. Continue reading CES: Gaming Is the New Social Media for Young Generations

Microsoft anticipates spending $80 billion to construct AI data centers in fiscal 2025, which ends in June. More than half of that investment will fund U.S. infrastructure, according to company Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. The move aims to keep Microsoft, which owns a stake in OpenAI, a leader in artificial intelligence, and bolster the nation’s position in the global AI race, which Smith says it currently leads, “thanks to the investment of private capital and innovations by American companies of all sizes, from dynamic startups to well-established enterprises.” Continue reading Microsoft AI Forecast Includes $80B in Data Center Spending

Samsung Electronics has teamed with Google on a new spatial sound standard, Eclipsa Audio, that could emerge as a free alternative to Dolby Atmos. On display at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week, the format is rolling out across Samsung’s line of 2025 TVs and soundbars, and Google will support it on the content side by enabling Eclipsa 3D audio on some YouTube videos this year. Samsung has been a notable holdout on Dolby Vision HDR embracing instead the competing HDR10+. Now the South Korean electronics giant seems to be staking out its own turf in 3D audio, advocating for open source. Continue reading CES: Samsung and Google Team on Spatial Audio Standard

Artist-led generative AI film and animation studio Asteria has joined with AI research startup Moonvalley to create Marey, “the entertainment industry’s first clean foundational AI model.” Trained exclusively on “ethically sourced data” owned by Asteria, Marey is named after the French physiologist who helped put the “motion” in motion pictures, Étienne-Jules Marey. Asteria says Marey is being trained for a 2025 debut targeting major Hollywood productions with a pitch that says it has not and will not rely on scraped data, something Big Tech competitors have taken heat on. Continue reading Asteria and Moonvalley Team Up on Ethical AI for Hollywood

James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment has debuted a new unit, Lightstorm Vision, which launches with a deal that sees Meta Quest become its exclusive mixed reality platform. The multiyear deal will see the Hollywood heavyweight partnering with Meta Platforms “to scale the creation of world-class 3D entertainment experiences spanning live sports and concerts, feature films, and TV series featuring big-name IP on Meta Quest,” Meta announced. In addition to producing original content for the Meta Quest, Lightstorm Vision will use its tech to help third parties create new programming and potentially conform existing work through MR conversion. Continue reading Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision Partners with Meta to Advance MR