Acer has refreshed the Swift Go 14 model in India with Intel’s latest AI-backed Core Ultra processors that are equipped with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) aimed at improving on-system AI functions. It is an Intel Evo Edition platform model that is claimed to offer faster charging and rapid wake capabilities, among other improvements. The North American version of this laptop, unveiled in December 2023, comes with slight variations compared to the Indian one including a 2.8K (2,880 x 18,000 pixels) OLED panel variant.

Acer Swift Go 14 price in India, availability

The Acer Swift Go 14 (SFG14-72T), offered in a Pure Silver shade, is priced in India at Rs. 84,990 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU option, while the Core Ultra 7 variant is listed at Rs. 99,990. Both options are available for purchase in the country exclusively through Flipkart.

Acer Swift Go 14 features, specifications

The refreshed Acer Swift Go 14 sports a 14-inch WUXGA (1,920 x 12,000 pixels) IPS LED touchscreen with a 90Hz refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 400nits peak brightness. It is available in two processor options – Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with Intel Arc GPU, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage.

Intel’s new Core Ultra chipsets come with integrated AI engines that are claimed to offer users a 47 percent performance boost over older models. The laptop is also equipped with features like Acer AlterView which uses “AI-generated depth maps to convert 2D images into animated wallpapers with 3D effects that can be viewed from multiple angles.” It also has an Acer AI Zone tab which helps users locate AI features and updates on the laptop easily. It is also compatible with Microsoft Copilot that assists users in all AI-related activities.

The updated Acer Swift Go 14 comes with a 1440p QHD webcam, incorporating Acer’s PurifiedVoice technology and Acer PurifiedView to eliminate undesired background noise while ensuring an improved video conferencing experience. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Intel Bluetooth LE Audio connectivity.

A three-cell 65W battery is packed the the Acer Swift Go 14 and is claimed to provide a battery life of up to 12.5 hours. The laptop supports 100W charging via a USB Type-C port, weighs 1.32kg, and measures 312.9mm x 217.9mm x 14.9mm in size.

The new Nvidia app has been officially announced as a new way of keeping PCs updated with the latest GeForce Game Ready and Nvidia Studio drivers. It was first unveiled in February this year and was available in beta until now. The new app merges the functionality of the Nvidia Control Panel and the GeForce Experience apps into a single platform which can be used to update drivers, apply game filters and install apps like GeForce NOW and Nvidia Broadcast.

New Nvidia App Features

In a blog post, Nvidia highlighted that its new app for PCs features a unified GPU control center which acts as a one-stop solution for fine-tuning game, program, and driver settings. Users can now access gameplay recording tools, performance monitoring overlays, and game enhancing filters easily with the new redesigned in-game overlay. Those with RTX PCs can leverage new artificial intelligence (AI) game filters such as the RTX Dynamic Vibrance which are accelerated by Tensor Cores. The company says this feature supports more than 1,200 games.

It also brings support for 4K 120fps or 8K 60fps video capture in the AV1 codec, utilising the eighth-generation NVIDIA Encoders (NVENC) on GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards and laptop GPUs. Nvidia app has a unified interface for the Optimal Playable Settings and relevant Control Panel options.

There’s also a new Drivers page which displays the changes in bulleted points, along with the supported list of games. Furthermore, users can rollback to a driver previously installed via the Nvidia app.

In the new Discover section, other Nvidia applications such as GeForce NOW, Nvidia Broadcast, Nvidia Canvas, Nvidia FrameView, and Nvidia ChatRTX can be downloaded. Another highlight of the new app is the redesigned overlay which brings options related to video, screenshot, filter, and overlay. These settings can be adjusted by invoking the overlay or by simply using the listed hotkeys. It also carries popular features of both GeForce Experience and RTX Experience apps, including optional login to redeem bundles and rewards.

The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting on artificial intelligence on Tuesday where China said the technology should not become a “runaway horse” and the United States warned against its use to censor or repress people.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who chaired the meeting under Britain’s July presidency of the body, said AI will “fundamentally alter every aspect of human life.”

“We urgently need to shape the global governance of transformative technologies because AI knows no borders,” he added after saying that AI could help address climate change and boost economies. But he also warned that the technology fuels disinformation and could aid both state and non-state actors in a quest for weapons.

The 15-member council was briefed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jack Clark, co-founder of high-profile AI startup Anthropic, and Professor Zeng Yi, co-director of the China-UK Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance.  

“Both military and non-military applications of AI could have very serious consequences for global peace and security,” Guterres said.

Guterres backs calls by some states for the creation of a new U.N. body “to support collective efforts to govern this extraordinary technology,” modeled on the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization, or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun described AI as a “double-edged sword” and said Beijing supports a central coordinating role of the U.N. on establishing guiding principles for AI.

“Whether it is good or bad, good or evil, depends on how mankind utilizes it, regulates it and how we balance scientific development with security,” Zhang said, adding that there should be a focus on people and AI for good to regulate development and to “prevent this technology from becoming a runaway horse.”

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Jeffrey DeLaurentis, also said there was a need for countries to also work together on AI and other emerging technologies to address human rights risks that threaten to undermine peace and security.

“No member states should use AI to censor, constrain, repress or disempower people,” he told the council.

Russia questioned whether the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, should be discussing AI.

“What is necessary is a professional, scientific, expertise-based discussion that can take several years and this discussion is already underway at specialized platforms,” said Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Samsung plans to start manufacturing laptops at its facility in Noida later this year, according to a top company executive. The South Korean tech conglomerate already manufactures its smartphones in the country — these are sold domestically as well as exported — and is already making preparations to begin assembling laptops here. Samsung currently produces its laptops in China and Vietnam, and the laptop models that it plans to produce here are expected to be sold in the Indian market.

TM Roh, Samsung’s Mobile Division President, stated at a media briefing (via Mint) on Monday that the company is preparing to manufacture its laptops in the country. “Noida is a very important production base for Samsung. It is the second largest base for Samsung. There may be some changes at the plant to optimize it as per the global demand but what remains unchanged is the fact that it is an important base for us,” he said.

Last September, it was reported that Samsung was preparing to produce its laptops in the country a month later, at its Noida facility. While it appears those plans were delayed, the company has now confirmed that it will produce its laptops in India.

The government placed restrictions on the import of laptops in August 2023, as part of its efforts to boost domestic manufacturing. Apple, HP, and Samsung halted laptop imports at the time, after which the government granted firms a three-month period before the licensing regime for laptop imports came into effect.

However, before the three-month period was up, the government reversed its decision and said it would not impose the licensing requirement on imports of laptops and computers. At the time, the government said it would only monitor inbound shipments of these laptops.

Last May, the government announced the PLI 2.0 scheme for IT hardware with an outlay of Rs. 17,000 crore. India reportedly imported computers and laptops worth $7.37 billion (roughly Rs. 61,300 crore) in 2021-22, which fell to $5.33 billion (roughly Rs. 44,300 crore) in 2022-23.