TL;DR: A Grade A refurbished ASUS Chromebook C523 15.6? Touchscreen is just $119.99 (MSRP: $229) Technology tends to demand constant upgrades, but sometimes the smart move is finding a device that nails the essentials without overcomplicating things. The ASUS Chromebook C523 is a 15.6? touchscreen laptop that’s built for both productivity and downtime. And right now, you can score a Grade A refurbished model for just $119.99 (MSRP: $229). The ASUS Chromebook C523 is powered by an Intel Celeron processor, runs Chrome OS with full access to the Google Play Store. Why You’ll Like It Bigger screen: The NanoEdge display offers an 80% screen-to-body ratio and an anti-glare finish. Touchscreen convenience: A responsive 10-point multitouch display makes navigation intuitive. Portable power: Just 3.1 lbs and up to 10 hours of battery life. Performance you can trust: Intel Celeron N3350 ensures speedy handling of apps and everyday tasks. Security built in: Automatic updates and integrated antivirus keep things running smoothly. Versatile ports: USB-C, USB-A, and micro SD card slot keep your connectivity options wide open. And because this is Grade A refurbished, you’re getting a laptop that runs like new with only the possibility of some scuffs. Get the Grade A refurbished ASUS Chromebook C523 for just $119.99 (MSRP: $229) while stock is available. ASUS Chromebook C523 15.6? Touchscreen (2018) 4GB RAM 64GB eMMC (Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Parliament`s health committee was supposed to report back on the legislation last month, but this has now been extended twice. Read...

Tower appoints Dr. Stephen Hastings and Micheal Maclean to lead its digital and data strategy, enhancing customer experience and driving business growth. Read...

St John says it will mean the difference between life and death. Read...

How badly does AI harm the environment? We now have some answers to that question, as both Google and Mistral have published their own self-assessments of the environmental impact of an AI query. In July, Mistral, which publishes its own AI models, published a self-evaluation of the environmental impact of training and querying its model in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced, the amount of water consumed, and the amount of material consumed. Google took a slightly different approach, publishing the amount of power and water a Gemini query consumes, as well as how much CO2 it produces. Of course, there are caveats: Each report was self-generated, and not performed by an outside auditor. Also, training a model consumes vastly more resources than inferencing, or the day-to-day tasks users assign a chatbot each time they query it. Still, the reports provide some context for how much AI taxes the environment, even though they exclude the effects of AI training and inferencing by OpenAI and other competitors. On Thursday, Google said its estimate for the resources consumed by a “median” Gemini query consumes 0.24Wh of energy and 0.26 milliliters (five drops) of water, and generates the equivalent of 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide — the equivalent of 9 seconds of watching TV. Mistral’s report slightly differed: For a “Le Chat” response generating a page of text (400 tokens), Mistral consumes 50 milliliters of water, produces the equivalent of 1.14 grams of carbon dioxide, and consumes the equivalent of 0.2 milligrams of non-renewable resources. Google said “comparative models” typically are a bit more lenient, and only look at the impacts of active TPU and GPU consumption. Put this way, the median Gemini text prompt uses 0.10Wh of energy, consumes 0.12ml of water, and emits the equivalent of 0.02 grams of carbon dioxide. Google did not release any assessments of the impact of training its Gemini models. Mistral did: In January 2025, training its Large 2 model produced the equivalent of 20.4 kilotons of carbon dioxide, consumed 281,000 cubic meters of water, and consumed 650 kilograms of resources. That’s about 112 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water consumption. Using the EPA’s estimate that an average car produces 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, that works out to the annual CO2 production of 4,435 cars, too. The environmental impact assessments assume that energy is produced via means that actually produce carbon dioxide, such as coal. “Clean” energy, like solar, lowers that value. Likewise, the amount of water “consumed” typically assumes the use of evaporative cooling, where heat is transferred from the chip or server (possibly being cooled by water as well) to what’s known as an evaporative cooler. The evaporative cooler transfers heat efficiently, in the same manner as your body cools itself after a workout. As you sweat, the moisture evaporates, an endothermic reaction that pulls heat from your body. An evaporative cooler performs the same function, wicking heat from a server farm but also evaporating that water back into the atmosphere. Mistral’s environmental impact assessment includes a footnote noting the differences in electricity France and the United States consume. Google said that it uses a holistic approach toward managing energy, such as more efficient models, optimized inferencing though models like Flash-Lite, custom-built TPUs, efficient data centers, and efficient idling of CPUs that aren’t being used. Clean energy generation — such as a planned nuclear reactor — can help lower the impact numbers, too. “Today, as AI becomes increasingly integrated into every layer of our economy, it is crucial for developers, policymakers, enterprises, governments, and citizens to better understand the environmental footprint of this transformative technology,” Mistral’s own report adds. “At Mistral AI, we believe that we share a collective responsibility with each actor of the value chain to address and mitigate the environmental impacts of our innovations.” How much water and electricity does ChatGPT consume? The reports from Mistral and Google haven’t been duplicated by other companies. EpochAI estimates that the average GPT-4o query on ChatGPT consumes about 0.3Wh of energy, based upon its estimates of the types of servers OpenAI uses. However, the amount of resources AI consumes can vary considerably, and even AI energy scores are rudimentary at best. “In reality, the type and size of the model, the type of output you’re generating, and countless variables beyond your control—like which energy grid is connected to the data center your request is sent to and what time of day it’s processed—can make one query thousands of times more energy-intensive and emissions-producing than another,” an MIT Technology Review study found. Its estimates of 15 queries a day plus 10 images plus three 5-second videos would consume 2.9kWh of electricity, it found. Still, Mistral’s study authors note that its own estimates point the way toward a “scoring system” where buyers and users could use these studies as a way to choose AI models with the least environmental impact. It also called upon other AI model makers to follow its lead. Whether AI is “bad” for the environment is still up for discussion, but the reports from Google and Mistral provide a foundation for a more reasoned discussion. Read...

As one of the most important technology companies in the world, Microsoft employs over 220,000 people. However, this number has shrunk somewhat following layoffs from earlier this year, which resulted in thousands of employees being let go. But how much do you actually earn as a Microsoft employee? This question is particularly interesting for developers and managers, as such positions at top companies are in high demand. And as a user, you might also wonder what a Windows developer earns these days. How much do Microsoft devs earn? Business Insider recently obtained a leaked internal Microsoft document that answers this question. In it, 850 employees provided information on their own earnings at Microsoft, and the data allows for different levels to be compared with each other. Compensation at Microsoft comprises the following: a base annual salary, a cash bonus, a percentage bonus (presumably based on targets achieved), and a stock award (which is based on the current company value and can therefore fluctuate greatly). This results in the following salary range for developers: Level Basic salary Cash bonus Bonus percentage Stock bonus59$120,800 – $124,000$3,000 – $19,3008-14%$7,000 – $19,30060$111,000 – $160,000$9,300 – $21,7008-16%$7,200 – $20,00061$128,000 – $170,000$11,300 – $27,0008-20%$10,800 – $36,00062$139,200 – $191,000$11,000 – $30,8008-20%$8,000 – $45,00063$153,500 – $224,800$8,000 – $50,00010-25%$22,000 – $64,00064$162,700 – $230,600$11,000 – $50,00010-140%$38,000 – $80,00065$188,000 – $230,000$32,700 – $61,70016-28%$39,000 – $91,00066$217,600 – $269,000$59,000 – $60,70020-120%$78,000 – $140,00067$248,000 – $250,000$70,000 – $82,00028-34%$145,000 – $252,000 This means that a top developer at Microsoft could receive between $500,000 and $600,000 per year (after bonuses and stock awards). This is astonishing, as the average salary for developers in the US is normally around $120,000. However, you have to bear in mind that only a very small portion of the workforce is represented here. The salary is not only based on the individual level, but also on the area in which you work. The salary is lowest for developers in the “Experiences and Devices” area, which presumably means end devices and support. Cloud and AI developers earn a little more, but salaries are highest in the Xbox division and Commerce division. How much do Microsoft bosses earn? If you compare these already-excellent salaries with the top salaries at Microsoft, they no longer seem quite so impressive. According to unconfirmed reports, Phil Spencer (head of the Xbox division) earns $10 million per year, and that’s before stock awards. At the top of the list is Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who just about makes ends meet with a modest annual salary of $2.5 million. However, after all bonuses and premiums are paid out, the Microsoft top dog earns an impressive $79 million. So even a top-tier Microsoft developer earns as much in his entire life as Phil Spencer gets in two years or Satya Nadella in three months. Past reports of Microsoft salaries Microsoft salaries were also leaked in 2024 and in 2019. Compared to last year, salaries have hardly changed—but in 2019, developers at Microsoft earned significantly less. However, the company’s annual turnover has now risen to $281 billion, making it one of the top 3 tech companies in the world. Read...

The Japanese technology giant cited economic challenges as it raised prices for the consoles by around $50. Read...

DXC Technology partners with Boomi to boost enterprise AI modernisation via cloud-native integration and a new Boomi Centre of Excellence. Read...

Its profit is down 18 percent to $260 million, driven by lower customer spending. Read...

Copilot Vision is one of those Windows features that deserves more attention than its receiving — which is quite little. It’s a built-in Windows technology that can “see” what you’re looking at and offer advice. The problem is that Copilot Vision is all over the map. It’s far better than a how-to article or video in using certain apps, because you’re not following instructions, you’re actually working on your PC and asking Copilot Vision for help. At its best, Copilot Vision is the friend or coworker that comes over to your PC and tells you what to do. In trickier applications — Adobe Photoshop, for example — it can walk you through tasks that you might be able to describe, but not do. It can even highlight what you’re supposed to click! In my book, that’s really helpful. At its worst, though, Copilot Vision just can’t do the job. Does Copilot Vision hallucinate a wrong answer? I’m not sure, but in certain applications it can’t read what’s on your screen. Copilot Vision isn’t Windows Recall, which constantly spies over your shoulder and takes snapshots for archiving. (I think that’s quite useful, too, but not in today’s climate.) You have to manually point it at an application you want it to see and then you flip it off when you’re done. I feel perfectly safe using it unlike Recall. What this video review / tutorial shows is what Copilot Vision is, how it works, and in what applications it shines — and stinks. Microsoft has a real advantage here, in that Copilot Vision is already part of Windows. Take a look at how it performs in our video and then try it out for yourself. Since you can launch it literally with a click or two, why not? Read...