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HP is in the rent-a-printer business now

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HP is in the rent-a-printer business now

HP has a new proposition in a time when (companies like it have made sure) you don’t really control much about your computer anyway: why don’t you just let HP rent you one? The company debuted a subscription service today — just like CEO Enrique Lores said it would last month — called the HP All-In Plan. It’s essentially an extension of HP’s Instant Ink, and like that plan, you’ll have ink sent to you as you approach empty, but unlike it, your monthly fee also covers the printer itself.

Which printer you get depends on the plan you choose. They start at $6.99 per month for 20 pages’ worth of prints and whatever the current HP Envy model is, and go all the way up to a $35.99-a-month affair that gets you an OfficeJet Pro and 700 pages. If you go over your page allotment, HP will add more for a dollar per block of 10–15 pages.

But each plan is a two-year rental, not a lease-to-own situation. So if you decide HP All-In isn’t for you after all, you’ll have to return the printer and go back to rubbing elbows with everyone else at FedEx whenever the need to print arises. And if you cancel after an initial 30-day trial or before two years, you’ll pay a fee as high as $270, depending on the plan and when you cancel.

The subscription, like HP’s recent ad campaign promoting its printers as “made to be less hated,” trades on the idea that printers are frustrating commodities. The company’s configurator page mentions bonuses like “continuous printer coverage” and “next-business-day printer replacement,” for instance. That way, if a firmware upgrade blue-screens your printer, at least you have some recourse that doesn’t involve driving to a store to buy a whole new one.

There are people this plan will undoubtedly appeal to. Not everybody cares that deeply about feeling like they own their printer. And receiving ink before you run out is great if you are, like me, the kind of person who ignores the “low ink” warning all the way until I’m fully out and am actually printing something critical, rather than coloring pages for your kid, for once.

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But those are mostly functions of the fact that I don’t really print that often and rarely encounter the annoyances of printer ownership. For those who do, companies can take two paths. One is HP’s plan, which appeals to the frustration of user-hostile experiences like scanners that don’t work because you bought third-party ink and printers that become unusable without some serious effort because you moved overseas. The other approach is making printers that mostly just do the thing you want them for.

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Fox News AI Newsletter: AI health tech will transform your fitness routine

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Fox News AI Newsletter: AI health tech will transform your fitness routine

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– Best cutting-edge health and fitness tech from CES 2025

– Nvidia pushes back on Biden admin’s ‘misguided’ AI order

– Biden White House announces ‘final rule’ on AI chip exports before Trump hand-off, drawing industry blowback

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FUTURE HEALTH TECH: CES 2025 has once again showcased a remarkable array of health and fitness technology that promises to transform our well-being.

‘UNPRECEDENTED AND MISGUIDED’: Tech giant Nvidia is pushing back on a new executive order by the Biden administration that seeks to prevent artificial intelligence technologies developed in the U.S. from falling into the hands of adversarial countries.

‘CHIP’ ON THEIR SHOULDER: The Biden White House on Monday announced its “final rule” placing export controls on artificial intelligence chips before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, drawing swift condemnation from industry leaders who argue the Democratic administration is effectively undermining America’s leadership in the emerging technology.

AI data center

FILE – Amazon Web Services data center is seen on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore.  (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

‘LEAD THE WORLD’: President Biden on Tuesday signed an ambitious executive order that he says will keep both national security and climate change in mind while fast-tracking the build-out of large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States.

HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN: A select group of tech industry titans and venture capitalists will gather in Washington, D.C., this week to welcome the incoming Trump administration and celebrate new opportunities for global innovation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.

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CUTTING-EDGE HUMANOID TECH: Chinese startup Pudu Robotics has unveiled its latest creation, the D9 humanoid robot, designed to revolutionize the way we work and interact with machines. 

newest chinese robot 1

D9 humanoid robot  (Pudu Robotics)

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Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

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Honor’s Magic 7 Pro looks flagship through and through

Honor’s flagship Magic 7 Pro launches in the UK and Europe today, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and protected by top-tier water-resistance. It also features a high resolution 200 megapixel telephoto camera.

Arriving a week after the OnePlus 13 and a week before we expect to meet Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones, the Magic 7 Pro is among the first phones to release outside of China with Qualcomm’s new chipset inside. That makes it one of the most powerful phones on the market, especially with 12GB of RAM. It also features a sizable 5,270mAh battery built around a silicon-carbon chemistry, allowing it to pack more energy into a smaller space with the Magic 7 Pro measuring just 8.8mm thick.

Much like the new OnePlus phone — and, unexpectedly, Motorola’s $299.99 Moto G Power, which launched in the US yesterday — the Magic 7 Pro is both IP68 and IP69-rated. That means that in addition to the usual protection from dust and submersion in water, it should survive exposure to steam and high-pressure water jets — ideal if you regularly use your phone in a jacuzzi, probably overkill for the rest of us.

Yup, it’s thin,
Image: Honor

Also unusual is the phone’s 200 megapixel 3x periscopic camera. We’ve seen megapixel counts as high as this before, but mostly on main cameras, not zoom lenses — with the exception of Vivo’s X100 Ultra and X200 Pro. It’s bolstered by an AI Super Zoom feature that kicks in at 30x zoom for added clarity, with this and a few other camera AI modes using a combination of on-device and cloud-based large language models to fine-tune images.

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There’s even more AI than that, since it ships with Android 15 and Google’s Gemini AI app, which Honor has bolstered with its own AI-powered takes on translation and notes apps.

The Magic 7 Pro launched in China last November, but this is its first appearance outside of the country. Honor is one of several Chinese smartphone manufacturers that saw growth in global market share in 2024, thanks in part to last year’s flagship Magic 6 series and the Magic V3, still the thinnest foldable phone available.

Honor Magic 7 Lite.
Image: Honor

For its European launch the Pro is joined by the Magic 7 Lite, a midrange handset that uses the comparatively sluggish Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip and arrives still running Android 14. The selling point of that phone is its enormous 6,600mAh battery, which Honor claims will run for three days. There’s no sign of the regular Magic 7, which launched alongside the Pro in China.

The Magic 7 Pro is available to order now from honor.com starting at £1,099.99 / €1,299 (about $1,340), with major retailers and local carriers set to stock it too. The Magic 7 Lite is much cheaper at £399.99 / €369, and also available now.

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Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

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Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

You might have heard about electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Well, there’s some exciting news coming from Jetson, a Swedish startup that’s making waves in the air racing scene. While Australia’s Airspeeder has been working on crewed eVTOL races, Jetson founder and CTO Tomasz Patan recently took the spotlight with a demonstration that many are calling the start of the world’s first eVTOL air racing.

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Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Airspeeder’s ambitions

Airspeeder has been building momentum since 2017, aiming to establish world championship races with their striking eVTOL aircraft. However, their current races involve remote-controlled vehicles, with pilots safely on the ground. Enter Jetson, who has now demonstrated a crewed flight around a racing pylon, albeit with just one aircraft.

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Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

EVTOL PROTOTYPE PROMISES 150 MPH CITY-TO-CITY HOPS

The Jetson One: A game changer

The star of this show is the Jetson One, a personal eVTOL designed for agility and performance. In a recent video, Patan showcases the aircraft’s nimble capabilities by navigating around a 26-foot-tall pylon. While this demonstration does not quite constitute a full race, it offers a tantalizing preview of what eVTOL racing could look like. Here are some key features of the Jetson One:

  • Dimensions: 8.86 x 5.25 x 3.67 feet
  • Top speed: Software-limited to 63 mph
  • Flight time: 20 minutes per charge
  • Power source: High-discharge Li-ion batteries
  • Control: Joystick-operated
  • Maximum altitude: Over 1,500 feet (~460 m)
  • Pilot requirements: No license needed in the U.S.
Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THIS FLYING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BREAKS RECORD WITH 523-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT

Market response and future plans

The market response to the Jetson One has been remarkable. The company has already confirmed sales of more than 470 units and is now taking orders for the 2026 batch. To secure your place in line, you’ll need to make a non-refundable deposit of $8,000, with the full price tag coming in at $128,000.

Jetson claims that their eVTOL is user-friendly, stating that pilots can master the aircraft in under 60 minutes of flight practice, along with eight simulator sessions. This accessibility could be a game-changer in the personal aviation market.

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Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

REVOLUTIONARY FLYING CAR PROMISES HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND 3-HOUR FLIGHTS

Safety and regulatory considerations

While the prospect of personal eVTOLs and air racing is thrilling, it also raises important safety and regulatory questions. Jetson has implemented several safety features, including:

  • A race car-inspired safety cell design
  • The ability to fly safely with the loss of one motor
  • Hands-free hover and emergency functions
  • A ballistic parachute with rapid deployment

In terms of regulations, Jetson has made progress, securing two flight permits in Italy for personal eVTOL travel in uncontrolled airspace in fall 2023. However, comprehensive racing regulations are yet to be defined.

Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The competition: Airspeeder and beyond

While Jetson has made headlines with this demonstration, it’s worth noting that Airspeeder isn’t far behind. They have already created teams and held aerial events, albeit with remote-controlled eVTOLs. Their aircraft boasts impressive specifications, including a top speed of 124 mph and a power-to-weight ratio comparable to Formula 1 cars.

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Get ready to experience thrill of eVTOL racing

Jetson eVTOL air racing demonstration (Jetson) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The demonstration by Jetson marks a significant milestone in the evolution of personal aviation and air racing. While it does not yet represent a full-fledged race, it is a tangible step towards a future where eVTOL racing could become a reality. As we look to the skies, it is clear that the race for eVTOL supremacy is just beginning.

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What are your thoughts on the future of eVTOL racing and personal aviation after reading about Jetson and Airspeeder? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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