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Americans, this is your chance to slap down the tech broligarchs

20 October 2026 at 20:16

The midterms will be a referendum on the GOP’s alignment with tech overlords over the public they’re meant to serve

Welcome back to How We Win, a Guardian opinion series with leading thinkers, offering bold ideas for America’s political future. Last week, Robert Reich highlighted the link between corruption and affordability. Today’s edition was written by Guardian US columnist Rebecca Solnit. Sign up for future editions here.

“The world should accept some bad things happening,” Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, said recently, “for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency.” Like so many things tech oligarchs say, it’s incoherent, since Altman would like to deny the world and the people in it the agency to decide whether or not we should accept his bad things. Surveys show that most Americans would like to pause AI; opposition to AI datacenters is a factor in many races in the midterm elections. People are outraged and anxious about what tech hath wrought, mad enough to fight back in what is coming to seem like a human v machine battle.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

★ Proteção completa para os iPhones 18 Pro/18 Pro Max, Duo e muito mais: cases premium, película, garantia de tela e Shokan Pencil com desconto!

20 October 2026 at 20:24

Comprar um novo iPhone é sempre uma experiência especial — principalmente quando estamos falando dos recém-lançados iPhones 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max e do novíssimo iPhone Duo! Mas, junto com a empolgação de conhecer os novos recursos, surge também uma preocupação inevitável: como proteger um aparelho tão valioso sem esconder seu design ou comprometer a experiência de uso?

Pensando nisso, os nossos parceiros da Shokan Premium apresentam sua nova linha de capas desenvolvida especialmente para os novos modelos profissionais da Apple.

Mais do que um acessório, a capa representa a primeira linha de defesa do iPhone contra quedas, impactos, riscos e pequenos acidentes do dia a dia. Afinal, basta um único descuido para transformar a empolgação com o aparelho novo em uma grande dor de cabeça.

Proteção premium por todos os lados

As novas capas Shokan Premium foram desenvolvidas para proporcionar proteção, conforto e um acabamento à altura dos iPhones 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max e do novíssimo iPhone Duo, garantindo uma experiência realmente premium.

Cases da Shokan

Com encaixe preciso, construção resistente e design cuidadosamente elaborado, elas ajudam a proteger as laterais, a traseira, os botões e o conjunto de câmeras, preservando a aparência premium do iPhone sem deixá-lo pesado ou exageradamente volumoso.

É proteção para a rotina real: dentro da bolsa, sobre a mesa, durante o trabalho, em viagens ou naquele momento inesperado em que o iPhone escapa das mãos.

Capa, película e garantia de tela original

Para uma proteção ainda mais completa, a Shokan oferece uma condição especial que combina a capa premium com a película de proteção avançada da marca.

Além de ajudar a proteger a tela contra riscos, arranhões e impactos, a película Shokan conta com um grande diferencial: a sua garantia exclusiva de tela.

Película e aplicador da Shokan

Depois da compra e da ativação da garantia, caso ocorra um dano acidental coberto pelo programa, a tela do iPhone poderá ser substituída por outra original em um Centro de Serviço Autorizado Apple, conforme os termos e condições da garantia Shokan.

Enquanto a capa protege as laterais, a traseira e o conjunto de câmeras, a película cuida justamente da parte mais sensível e utilizada do aparelho.

É uma combinação pensada para quem deseja aproveitar o novo iPhone com muito mais segurança e tranquilidade desde o primeiro dia.

Você já comprou algum case nos Estados Unidos? E película?

A Shokan Premium é uma marca brasileira com produtos desenvolvidos nos Estados Unidos, então se você conhece as cases premium de verdade (como Incipio, OtterBox, Tech21, Speck, Balkin, Griffin e Prodigee), precisa conhecer a Shokan Premium. É uma marca pensada para quem realmente sabe o que quer em termos de qualidade e proteção — produtos com acabamento completamente diferente do que encontramos aqui no Brasil.

A proposta da marca é trazer produtos de qualidade superior com uma relação ótima de custo-benefício. Se compararmos, por exemplo, o preço de um case premium em uma Apple Store ou na Best Buy (que vai de US$69 a US$199), vale muito mais a pena comprar a proteção completa da Shokan e receber em casa.

Película da Shokan

Ah, e se você estiver nos EUA, a Shokan também entrega em todo o território pelos mesmos preços daqui.

Shokan Pencil: mais precisão para criar, trabalhar e estudar

Além da nova linha de proteção, a Shokan também oferece uma alternativa versátil para quem deseja ampliar as possibilidades de uso dos seus dispositivos Apple.

A Shokan Pencil é uma caneta capacitiva ativa e passiva, com bateria interna recarregável, ponta de alta precisão e excelente desempenho para atividades domésticas e profissionais.

Shokan Pencil

Ela pode ser utilizada para fazer anotações, desenhar, assinar documentos, editar imagens, navegar por aplicativos e executar tarefas que exigem mais controle e precisão do que o toque dos dedos.

Entre seus principais diferenciais estão:

  • Funcionamento ativo e passivo;
  • Bateria interna recarregável;
  • Ponta de alta precisão;
  • Formato confortável e ergonômico;
  • Ampla compatibilidade com dispositivos Apple elegíveis;
  • Uso profissional, criativo, acadêmico e doméstico;
  • Garantia e suporte especializado da Shokan no Brasil.

Com preço normal de R$499, a Shokan Pencil estará disponível por apenas R$399 para os leitores do MacMagazine, oferecendo uma excelente relação entre qualidade, desempenho e custo-benefício!

Cupom exclusivo, frete grátis e entrega expressa!

Para celebrar a chegada da nova geração, os leitores do MM terão acesso a condições especiais para adquirir os produtos Shokan. Ao utilizar o cupom exclusivo SHKMM, o cliente garante:

  • Desconto nos produtos participantes para toda a linha de iPhones;
  • Shokan Pencil de R$499 por R$399;
  • Frete grátis para todo o Brasil;
  • Entrega expressa pelo Mercado Envios;
  • Compra segura diretamente na Loja Oficial Shokan no Mercado Livre;
  • Garantia e suporte especializado da Shokan.

Cupom: SHKMM

Basta acessar a oferta, selecionar os produtos e o modelo correspondente ao seu iPhone e aplicar o cupom antes de concluir a compra.

Se você investiu em um novo iPhone 18 Pro ou 18 Pro Max, não espere a primeira queda para começar a pensar em proteção. Afinal de contas, quanto vale a sua tranquilidade?

E, se deseja mais precisão para trabalhar, estudar ou criar, aproveite também a condição especial da Shokan Pencil.

Proteja seu novo iPhone e amplie suas possibilidades com a qualidade da Shokan Premium

➡️ Capas e películas Premium de Verdade a partir de R$99
➡️ Shokan Pencil por R$399
➡️ Loja Oficial da Shokan no Mercado Livre com entrega grátis e FULL pro Brasil inteiro

Ofertas válidas por tempo limitado e sujeitas à disponibilidade de estoque. A garantia de tela está vinculada à película Shokan elegível, exige ativação e está sujeita aos termos, prazos, limites e demais condições do programa. Benefícios de frete e entrega são aplicados conforme as regras da campanha e do Mercado Envios.

Quer revender produtos Shokan na sua loja?

Se você é lojista do mercado mobile e tem interesse em revender a linha da Shokan, o distribuidor autorizado da marca no Brasil é a AllCell, que fica no DF. Entre em contato (+55 61 98354-0125; Alexandre) e tenha as melhores opções em acessórios premium para a sua loja!

Tories challenge chancellor to rule out tax rises in budget as Badenoch labelled ‘embarrassment’ for Bank of England gaffe – UK politics live

17 September 2026 at 10:38

The Conservatives want to brand Burnham’s administration as a ‘traditional tax and spend socialist government’

In a news release issued ahead of his speech this morning, Andrew Griffith, the new shadow chancellor, gave details of some of the questions he wants the experts he has asked to review small business regulation to address. (See 8.58am.) He said:

[Craig Mackinlay and Robert Colvile] will produce a report taking evidence from small business and self-employed organisations. While they will have a wide remit, they will consider in particular these key questions, and report in December:

-Why have past attempts to reduce the regulatory and compliance burden on small business and the self-employed failed, and what specifically should be done to reduce the burden successfully?

This is staggering. Our socialist Chancellor has dished out a big Bank of England finance job to a socialist union boss who knows nothing about finance.

Clearly, trade union donations not only buy your way into government policymaking, but also onto the Bank of England’s board. This is cronyism in plain sight.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Lenovo Googlebook 15: What the 120Hz OLED and Core Ultra 5 325 Mean for Users

16 September 2026 at 03:20

Lenovo’s upcoming Lenovo Googlebook 15 is shaping up to be a very different kind of Google-powered laptop. Leaked specifications point to a 15.3-inch 120Hz OLED touchscreen, Intel’s Core Ultra 5 325 processor, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 70Wh battery. The combination suggests that Lenovo is targeting users who want more than the basic hardware traditionally associated with Chromebooks.

The laptop is expected to become one of the first devices built around Google’s new Googlebook Panther Lake processor platform. Lenovo has not yet confirmed the final retail price or complete launch details, so the specifications below should still be treated as leaked information until the company makes an official announcement.

Lenovo Googlebook 15 specifications

The reported configuration puts the Googlebook 15 firmly in the premium laptop category.

  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 325
  • Graphics: Integrated Intel Xe3 graphics
  • Memory: 16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X
  • Storage: 256GB / 512GB SSD
  • Display: 15.3-inch OLED touchscreen
  • Resolution: 2880 × 1800
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Brightness: Up to 500 nits
  • Color coverage: 100% DCI-P3
  • Battery: 70Wh
  • Claimed battery life: Up to 11 hours
  • Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
  • Ports: 2 × Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI 2.0 and 3.5mm audio
  • Webcam: 5MP RGB with dual microphones
  • Audio: Four speakers with Dolby Atmos
  • Weight: Approximately 1.29kg
  • Thickness: Approximately 15.9mm

A 120Hz OLED display is the biggest highlight

The Googlebook 15 laptop lineup reportedly uses a 15.3-inch OLED touchscreen with a 2880 × 1800 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio.

The 120Hz refresh rate is particularly notable. Instead of positioning the machine as an inexpensive web-focused notebook, Lenovo appears to be giving it a display specification normally associated with more expensive Windows laptops.

The panel is also reported to reach 500 nits and cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. That combination should make the Googlebook 15 more appealing for photo and video viewing, creative work and general multimedia use.

For everyday productivity, the 16:10 format also provides more vertical workspace than a traditional 16:9 laptop display.

Core Ultra 5 325 and up to 32GB RAM

Performance is another area where the Googlebook 15 moves beyond the usual entry-level Chromebook formula.

The leaked configuration points to Intel’s Core Ultra 5 325 processor, paired with integrated graphics. Buyers are reportedly expected to have a choice between 16GB and 32GB of LPDDR5X memory.

Storage options are said to include 256GB and 512GB SSD configurations.

The higher 32GB memory option could be particularly useful if Googlebook is intended to handle heavier multitasking, Android applications and AI-assisted workloads rather than simply running browser-based tasks.

Googlebook 15 brings a different keyboard and design

Lenovo is reportedly giving the laptop several visual and functional details designed specifically for the Googlebook platform.

One of the most unusual additions is a dedicated Google “G” key positioned between the Fn and Alt keys. Its final software function has not been fully explained, but the key could become an important shortcut for Google services or AI features.

The lid is also expected to feature a multicolor LED strip known as Glowbar. Rather than being purely decorative, the lighting system can reportedly provide visual information related to power and charging status.

The laptop is said to use a large haptic touchpad measuring approximately 150 × 95mm, while the keyboard is backlit.

Security and video-call features

The Googlebook 15 also appears to take security and communication more seriously than a basic Chromebook.

The power button is reportedly integrated with a fingerprint reader, while the laptop is expected to support Google’s facial authentication system.

For video calls, Lenovo is reportedly using a 5MP RGB webcam with dual microphones. A physical privacy shutter is also included, allowing users to cover the camera when it is not in use.

Audio is handled by four speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

Plenty of ports for a thin 15-inch laptop

Despite its relatively slim chassis, the reported port selection is fairly comprehensive.

The laptop is expected to have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-A port, HDMI 2.0 and a 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack.

Wireless connectivity reportedly includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

This combination makes the Googlebook 15 more flexible for users who connect external displays, storage devices and other accessories.

70Wh battery and lightweight design

The reported 70Wh battery is another interesting part of the specification.

Lenovo is said to target up to 11 hours of battery life under its own testing conditions. That figure should not be interpreted as guaranteed real-world runtime, since display brightness, refresh rate, applications, wireless connections and workload can all affect battery performance.

More impressive is the reported weight. Despite its 15.3-inch display, the laptop is expected to weigh around 1.29kg and measure approximately 15.9mm thick.

That would make the Googlebook 15 relatively portable for a large-screen notebook.

Why the Googlebook 15 matters

The most interesting part of the Googlebook 15 is not any single specification. It is the overall hardware combination.

A 120Hz OLED touchscreen , Core Ultra 5 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7 and a 70Wh battery place the machine well above the basic hardware profile that consumers traditionally associate with Chromebooks.

The Googlebook platform also appears designed around Google’s broader ecosystem, including Gemini AI features and closer Android integration.

That means Lenovo’s new laptop could be aimed at users who want the simplicity of Google’s software environment without accepting entry-level laptop hardware.

This is also why the Googlebook 15 may be more interesting than a conventional Chromebook upgrade. Its value will ultimately depend on how well Googlebook OS takes advantage of the more powerful hardware.

Lenovo Googlebook 15 release date and price

Lenovo has not yet announced a final retail price for the Googlebook 15.

The laptop is expected to arrive this autumn, with Googlebook hardware expected to receive more attention as Google reveals additional details about the platform.

For now, the leaked specifications suggest that Lenovo is preparing a premium large-screen Googlebook rather than another budget-focused Chromebook.

The combination of a 120Hz OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 5 325, up to 32GB of RAM, modern connectivity and Google-focused software could make the Lenovo Googlebook 15 one of the more interesting new laptops in the emerging Googlebook category.

Until Lenovo officially confirms the specifications, however, pricing, availability and final software features should be considered unconfirmed.

The post Lenovo Googlebook 15: What the 120Hz OLED and Core Ultra 5 325 Mean for Users appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Apple addresses iPhone Duo copycats

11 September 2026 at 11:02
John Ternus, Apple CEO, holds an iPhone Duo at the launch event. | Bloomberg via Getty Images

Apple was far from the first company to announce a passport-shaped folding phone this year, but that doesn't mean it wasn't copied. As my colleague Dom Preston already explained, it's almost impossible to keep product development secret when Apple and its competitors all share the same global suppliers.

Apple's new CEO John Ternus and head of marketing Greg 'Joz' Joswiak addressed the topic during an interview with TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff and Mark Spoonauer of Tom's Guide.

"People knew through leaks that we were working on a foldable," said Joz. "Unfortunately, they got the aspect ratio, and a lot of coincidental instances of people fin …

Read the full story at The Verge.

UK economy unexpectedly grows 0.4% in July boosted by AI

Welcome boost for chancellor with unexpected rise put down to rapid growth of AI in services sector outweighing Iran war fallout

The UK economy grew in July as the rapid expansion of AI appeared to outweigh the economic damage from the Iran war, in a welcome boost for John Healey.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a surprise 0.4% increase in gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 0.3% growth in June. City economists had forecast zero growth.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Where to preorder the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

10 September 2026 at 16:00

The iPhone Duo was the unequivocal star of Apple's "Surprise and shine" event, but not for people who were mostly paying attention for news on wearables. Thankfully, Apple had a lot to share about its new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. There's no update to the SE model for 2026, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (the SE 3 rules). Also, no price changes either, which can't be said for the entire iPhone lineup.

While both new watches look similar to their predecessors, there are a number of updates under the hood that might intrigue some people enough to warrant a preorder. My colleague Victoria Song got hands-on with both smartwatches …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple announces the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max

9 September 2026 at 18:08

Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its event on Wednesday. The 18 Pro and Pro Max come in deep black, silver, "glacier," and burgundy, with color-matched back glass. They also have a new A20 Pro chip and purportedly the longest battery in an iPhone.

During Wednesday's presentation, Apple highlighted how the new phones are well-equipped to work with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, including Siri AI's more expressive voices.

The A20 Pro has a "brand new architecture" built on 2nm technology, like the M6 chips. It has a 6 core CPU with 2 "desktop-class" super cores and 4 efficiency cores. It also has a "significantly a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple’s John Ternus era begins: ‘It is great to be here’

9 September 2026 at 18:02

Apple's latest product event began with something the company hasn't seen in more than a decade: a new CEO at the helm. And he got a standing ovation.

"First of all, thank you, it is great to be here," John Ternus said as he opened Wednesday's event excited about Apple's future in what is his first product launch since succeeding Tim Cook as chief executive. "I think you're gonna like what you're gonna see," he said.

The remarks offer an early glimpse at how Ternus plans to present himself as he settles into a role long defined by his predecessor and steers one of the world's most closely watched companies.

Ternus is a seasoned product ex …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Some of Dyson’s $500 toothbrushes are breaking

9 September 2026 at 17:39
The CameraJet is an AI-powered toothbrush with a camera that detects gaps between your teeth and shoots mouthwash into them. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Early users of Dyson's CameraJet are reporting that water is getting into the battery compartment of the newly launched $499.99 electric toothbrush. One user posted on the r/Dyson subreddit that their model "broke within 30 seconds."

The problem appears to stem from the device getting wet, which is a big issue for a toothbrush. In a post earlier this week, a Reddit user in the UK wrote that his unit appeared faulty and then discovered water in the battery compartment. Several responses to both posts indicate the issue is affecting multiple units.

"… a small number of early batches of Dyson CameraJet products may have experienced a componen …

Read the full story at The Verge.

All the news from Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event

9 September 2026 at 17:20
Glowing prismatic version of the Apple logo, from a screenshot from an upcoming Apple event.

Apple’s hosting its “Surprise and shine” launch event on September 9th at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, where it’s expected to announce the first phones in its iPhone 18 lineup — including Apple’s first foldable, the rumored “iPhone Duo.”

This event will also be John Ternus’ first as Apple’s CEO after taking over for Tim Cook on September 1st. Ternus was previously Apple’s head of hardware engineering, and he spotlighted upcoming hardware launches in his first staff memo as CEO. All eyes will be on Ternus for a big first announcement to kick off the new leadership era at Apple.

Aside from new iPhones, the September 9th event could also include new Apple Watches and AirPods, and we’re keeping our eyes peeled for other possible surprises, like an updated Apple TV or new smart home hardware. 

Follow along here for all the latest news and updates.

iPhone 18 live blog: On the ground at Apple’s biggest event

John Ternus, now Apple’s CEO, at WWDC in 2019 as the company’s VP of hardware engineering. | Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small / AFP via Getty Images

It's not just time for any old Apple event, but one that's expected to usher in a new era for the company. This is the first iPhone keynote to be led by Apple's newly anointed CEO John Ternus, and all signs and rumors have been pointing to it being the one that also debuts a foldable iPhone. Ternus has already billed this as "a huge launch . . . that's going to be phenomenal." What bigger and flashier way to step into the limelight than with a new halo product of an iPhone?

We're also likely to hear about OS updates, Apple Watches, and possibly some AirPods. But this might be an unconventional event in more ways than one. It's also possible …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Entrevista: “Nos próximos anos, a televisão vai sentir-te e tornar-se uma amiga”

9 September 2026 at 13:13

Em entrevista ao TEK à margem da IFA 2026, Sonny Ming, responsável máximo do negócio de TVs da Hisense explica porque é que a marca aposta tudo no RGB MiniLED, como lê o consumidor europeu e o que espera da televisão daqui a cinco anos.

The post Entrevista: “Nos próximos anos, a televisão vai sentir-te e tornar-se uma amiga” appeared first on Tek Notícias.

iQOO Pad Ultra to Feature Built-In Cooling Fan and Gaming Accessories

9 September 2026 at 09:19

iQOO has revealed more details about its upcoming iQOO Pad Ultra, giving users a closer look at the tablet’s cooling system and gaming-focused accessories. The new compact tablet is expected to target users who want stronger performance in a smaller form factor.

According to the latest official teaser, the iQOO Pad Ultra will feature a built-in cooling fan designed to help manage heat during demanding workloads and extended gaming sessions. The fan measures just 30 × 30 × 3.5mm, while the cooling area reaches 1,661mm². It can spin at up to 14,500rpm and deliver a maximum airflow of 0.94 CFM.

iQOO Pad Ultra Gets Dedicated Gaming Accessories

iQOO is also preparing two gaming accessories for the Pad Ultra: a telescopic game controller and a rear grip attachment.

The telescopic controller is designed to turn the compact tablet into a more console-like gaming setup. It features a dedicated USB-C port, micro-switch buttons and Hall-effect joysticks, which should provide more precise control and a more responsive feel during gameplay.

The rear grip takes a different approach. Rather than adding traditional controls, it is designed to improve the way users hold the tablet. This could make longer gaming sessions more comfortable by providing additional support for the hands.

8.8-Inch OLED Display and High-End Hardware

iQOO has already confirmed that the device will officially carry the iQOO Pad Ultra name. The company is expected to launch it alongside the iQOO 16 series toward the end of September.

Previous reports suggest that the tablet could feature an 8.8-inch OLED display with a centered punch-hole camera and four narrow bezels. Its rear design is also expected to include a square-shaped camera module and an integrated air outlet for the internal cooling system.

The tablet is rumored to use a 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen6 processor, positioning it as a high-performance compact tablet aimed at demanding users and mobile gamers. It may also pack a 9,000mAh-class battery, offering a relatively large capacity for an 8.8-inch device.

The reported color options include Endless Black and Star Armor Silver.

A Compact Tablet Designed for Gaming

With an active cooling fan, high-end hardware and dedicated gaming accessories, the iQOO Pad Ultra appears to be taking a different approach from conventional small tablets. Instead of focusing solely on portability, iQOO seems to be building the device around sustained performance and gaming.

More official details, including the final specifications, pricing and availability, should become clearer when iQOO officially introduces the Pad Ultra later this month.

The post iQOO Pad Ultra to Feature Built-In Cooling Fan and Gaming Accessories appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Apple, Samsung e consolas PlayStation e Nintendo: o que vais poder comprar na Black Friday Worten 2026?

8 September 2026 at 17:02

A Worten decidiu antecipar os descontos do Black Friday, com promoções em vários produtos da Apple, Samsung, com diferentes smartphones e tablets. Mas para os fãs de gaming há descontos nas consolas da Nintendo, PlayStation e Xbox.

The post Apple, Samsung e consolas PlayStation e Nintendo: o que vais poder comprar na Black Friday Worten 2026? appeared first on Tek Notícias.

This founder is teaching chips how to recycle (their energy)

8 September 2026 at 11:36

Throughout the history of the computer chip, engineers have treated waste heat as an inevitable cost of a calculation. Hannah Earley, however, thinks it’s a design choice. Earley, 31, is cofounder and chief technology officer of Vaire Computing, a startup building chips that recycle energy usually thrown away as heat—a strategy known as reversible computing. Ultimately, she thinks, this approach could help make data centers (and our laptops and phones) much more energy efficient. 

When conventional computer chips perform calculations, they erase the information they no longer need along the way, dissipating energy as heat in the process. Earley compares the approach to racing through a city only to pump the brakes at every intersection: The car loses momentum and must burn more fuel to accelerate again. Reversible computing aims to keep the momentum going—instead of erasing information from the intermediate steps in a calculation, the circuit retains it, making it possible to run the computation backward and recover some of the energy.

While the idea was first proposed more than 50 years ago, it proved impractical to implement with existing transistors and circuits. Earley, though, has completely rethought the hardware needed to make energy recovery work. She designed a patent-pending type of resonator—a microscopic chip component that stores recovered energy for later reuse. “It’s really a glorified pendulum,” she says. Last year, Vaire announced a key breakthrough: a chip with a resonator that recovered more energy than it lost, even after the energy needed to power the component was taken into account. For a subfield that has existed mostly in theory, the result was proof of life.

“It’s clear they have something interesting,” says Igor Markov, a researcher in electronic design automation and a former professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Still, he says, the technology is quite early stage; the company will need “a series of increasingly realistic and convincing demonstrations to attract the industry support needed for commercialization.” 

She gradually became convinced that the connection between information, energy, and heat could change computers forever.

Earley’s journey into chip design started sooner than most. She began programming around the age of nine, starting with high-level coding for the web before digging into other programming languages like Perl and Java. She continued progressing to more and more abstract layers of computing, until she got all the way down to transistors.

She eventually enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Cambridge under the computational biologist Gos Micklem. She started out studying how materials such as DNA could be used to perform calculations, but a few months in, Micklem sent her the 1999 PhD thesis of Michael Frank, a pioneer in reversible computing. Earley read it once, felt skeptical, read it again, and sat with it for a few weeks. She gradually became convinced that the connection between information, energy, and heat could change computers forever.

The fascination completely redirected her PhD work. Earley studied the physical limits of computation and built software that could turn ordinary programs into reversible ones. “Eventually I wouldn’t let her put my name on any of her papers, because I felt that I couldn’t really stand up and give a proper talk about them,” Micklem recalls. “It was her stuff.”

After completing her degree in 2021, Earley met Rodolfo Rosini, a technology entrepreneur and investor. The pair cofounded Vaire that same year, and the company has since raised more than $12 million, hired Frank as a senior scientist, and begun turning the vision of reversible computing into real hardware.

Innovation, however, doesn’t happen overnight. During the winter of 2022 in Grinnell, Iowa, Earley spent weeks in her now-wife’s basement apartment as the wind chill outside reached roughly −40 °F, covering a whiteboard over and over again with schematics for the core piece of circuitry needed to make reversible logic work. By the time the design finally came together, after the couple had escaped the cold for Las Vegas, it felt less like an aha moment and more like a gradual wave of relief. “I’m not completely out of my depth,” she remembers feeling. 

Earley and her colleagues’ next challenge is making their drastically different chip fit into familiar devices and manufacturing systems. She believes that’s where the future lies—not in further refining existing chips but in rebuilding them from the ground up with an eye toward reversibility. “I want to tackle every part of how computers are built,” Earley says, “and rethink it in these terms.” 

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