All the News that Matters

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: Linux-azure-fips Critical VMSCAPE Exposure CVE-2025-40300
  Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

• SUSE: webkit2gtk3 Important Security Update for Threats 2025:4416-1
  An update that solves 18 vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• Debian 11: DLA-4413-1 node-url-parse Critical Authorization Bypass Fix
  It was found that in node-url-parse, a Node.js module used to parse URLs, an incorrect conversion of `@` characters in protocol in the `href` field can lead to lead to failure to properly identify the hostname, which in turn could result in authorization bypass. For Debian 11 bullseye, this problem has been fixed in version

• Ubuntu 20.04: Linux-Azure Critical Info Leak CVE-2025-40300 USN-7939-1
  Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: Important Security Update USN-7939-1 for CVE-2025-40300
  Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

• openSUSE Tumbleweed: strongswan Moderate CVE-2025-9615 Advisory
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• OpenShot 3.4 Released With Performance Gains and New Video Effects
  OpenShot 3.4 video editor delivers a 32% performance boost, new video effects, faster exports, and an experimental timeline aimed at smoother, more reliable editing.

• ZLUDA For CUDA On Non-NVIDIA GPUs Enables AMD ROCm 7 Support
  The ZLUDA open-source project that has been through several incarnations but ultimately about getting CUDA software up and running on non-NVIDIA GPUs now supports the AMD ROCm 7 series...

• Mabox Linux 25.12 Released With Panel Improvements and GTK2 Removal
  Manjaro-based Mabox Linux 25.12 introduces panel and menu improvements, a revamped update notifier, and completes the transition away from the aging GTK2 toolkit.

• MidnightBSD 4.0 Brings Many Changes To This FreeBSD 13 Derived OS
  While FreeBSD 15 stable was officially released earlier this month, MidnightBSD continues plotting its own course atop its FreeBSD 13 base. Out today is MidnightBSD 4.0 as the latest iteration of this desktop-minded BSD operating system...

• Emmabuntüs Debian Edition 6 Is Now Available Based on Debian 13 “Trixie”
  Patrick d’Emmabuntüs from the Emmabuntüs Collective informed 9to5Linux.com today about the release and general availability of Emmabuntüs Debian Edition 6 1.00 as the latest stable version of this GNU/Linux distribution for refurbishing old computers.

• Rhino Linux 2025.4 Brings Lomiri Packages and Updated Kernels
  Rhino Linux 2025.4 introduces new Lomiri packages, improved PINE64 support, and multiple kernel updates across supported devices.

• Red Hat Acquires Another AI Company
  Last year Red Hat acquired Neural Magic as part of their AI acquisitions and to bolster the open-source AI ecosystem. Today they announced another AI acquisition...

• From Brussels to Bengaluru: Amanda Brock on AI Openness and Digital Sovereignty
  As Europe flirts with “reliable proprietary technologies” and India rolls out open source healthcare AI, Amanda Brock is drawing a sharp line between genuine openness, marketing spin, and outright control.

• Beginners Guide for Time Command in Linux
  In this article, you will learn how to use the time command to determine the execution time of a command or shell script taken by your system or server in Linux.

• KDE Ni! OS Is a Playful Take on Immutable Linux Built on NixOS
  A KDE developer introduces KDE Ni! OS, a light-hearted but practical experiment that brings immutable Linux concepts to KDE using NixOS.

• Torvalds On Linux Security Modules: "I Already Think We Have Too Many Of Those Pointless Things"
  Stemming from a security researcher and his team proposing a new Linux Security Module (LSM) three years ago and it not being accepted to the mainline kernel, he raised issue over the lack of review/action to Linus Torvalds and the mailing lists. In particular, seeking more guidance for how new LSMs should be introduced and raised the possibility of taking the issue to the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board (TAB)...

• DietPi 9.20 Brings RustDesk Server and Broad SBC Improvements
  DietPi 9.20 is out with RustDesk Server support, USB improvements for Orange Pi boards, kernel updates, and multiple stability and bug fixes.

• Emmabuntüs Debian Edition 6 Released With Strong Focus on Accessibility
  Emmabuntüs DE 6 launches with a Debian 13.2 base with accessibility improvements, new speech tools, and enhanced support for visually impaired users.

• Fedora 44 Could Work Nicely "Out Of The Box" On Snapdragon-Powered Windows ARM Laptops
  Longtime Red Hat engineer Hans de Goede who worked on many Intel/AMD laptop enhancements over the years left Red Hat and ended up joining Qualcomm. Now it turns out one of his projects at Qualcomm is enhancing the Fedora Linux support for running nicely out-of-the-box on Snapdragon-powered Windows on ARM laptops...

• Scribus 1.6.5 Open-Source Desktop Publishing App Released with Various Changes
  The development team behind Scribus, an open-source and cross-platform desktop publishing app, released version 1.6.5 today as yet another minor update to the Scribus 1.6 stable series.

• Beginners Guide for Type Command in Linux
  In this article, you will learn everything about the type command, including its different options (with practical examples).

• Toradex Luna SL1680 SBC Features Synaptics SL1680 SoC with 8 TOPS NPU, Starts at $105
  Toradex has announced the Luna SL1680, a SBC that introduces the company’s new “Pro Consumer” product tier. Positioned between consumer development boards and fully industrial hardware, the platform targets applications such as smart kiosks, light industrial systems, and advanced maker projects. The Luna SL1680 is built around the Synaptics SL1680 system-on-chip, which integrates a quad-core […]

• Fedora Games Lab Looks To Be Revitalized As Modern Linux Gaming Showcase
  One of the lesser known Fedora spins under the "Fedora Labs" initiative is the Fedora Games Lab that showcases some open-source games and can serve as an easy demonstrator for Linux gaming. Looking forward to 2026 with Fedora 44, there is a proposal to revitalize Fedora Games Lab to become a better showcase for the modern potential of Linux gaming...

• Creating Data Analysis Pipelines using DuckDB and RStudio
  This data project details the shift to an In-Situ ELT workflow showcases a hybrid RStudio/Python environment essential for transforming today’s analysts into "Data Ops."

• GCC Developers Considering Whether To Accept AI/LLM-Generated Patches
  The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) developers now have a need to set a policy whether AI / Large Language Model (LLM) generated patches will be accepted for this open-source compiler stack...

• The Arctic Is in Dire Straits, 20 Years of Reporting Show
  A new Arctic Report Card recap shows how the Arctic has transformed in just 20 years, warming about twice as fast as the global average and losing most of its oldest sea ice. It's also triggering cascading impacts from "Atlantification" to permafrost-driven "rusting rivers" and more destructive storms. Scientific American reports: The first Arctic Report Card was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2006. Since then the region has warmed twice as fast as the global average. About 95 percent of the oldest, thickest sea ice is gone -- "the sliver that remains is collected in an area north of Greenland. Even the central Arctic Ocean is becoming warmer and saltier, causing more ice melt and changing how much heat is released into the atmosphere in a way that affects weather patterns around the world. Those are just some of the stark changes 20 years have wrought. The findings were highlighted in the 2025 Arctic Report Card, released on Tuesday. The Arctic Ocean is undergoing what scientists are calling "Atlantification" -- a process where warm, salty water from the Atlantic flows north, changing how waters of different temperatures and densities are layered in the Arctic, disrupting ecosystems and altering how heat moves from the water to the air. [...] The Arctic is simply becoming wetter, with more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow. June snow cover over the entire Arctic is half of what it was 60 years ago, the report found. Permafrost also continues to thaw, releasing once trapped carbon into the atmosphere and disgorging iron and other elements that have turned rivers and streams orange. These "rusting rivers," found in more than 200 watersheds, are more acidic than normal and have elevated levels of toxic metals that endanger local ecosystems. And as the permafrost thaws, the tundra of the Arctic biome is shrinking, and the boreal forest biome is creeping northward, disrupting ecosystems.
  
  
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• Breach At South Korea's Equivalent of Amazon Exposed Data of Almost Every Adult
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Wall Street Journal: The alleged perpetrator had improper access to virtually every South Korean adult's personal information: names, phone numbers and even the keycode to enter residential buildings. It was one of the biggest data breaches of recent years and it has sent the company it targeted -- Coupang, South Korea's equivalent of Amazon -- reeling, generating lawsuits, government investigation and calls to toughen penalties against such leaks. The leak went undetected for nearly five months, hitting Coupang's radar on Nov. 18 only after a customer flagged suspicious activity. At first, Coupang, which was founded by a Korean-American entrepreneur, said it had experienced a data "exposure" affecting roughly 4,500 customer accounts. But within days, the e-commerce firm revised the figure: The leak exposed up to roughly 34 million user accounts in South Korea -- a sum representing more than 90% of the country's working-age population. Coupang started calling the incident a "leak" after Korean regulators took issue with the company's prior word choice. "The Whole Nation Is a Victim," read one local news headline. An investigation has found that the alleged perpetrator had once worked in South Korea as a software developer for authentication systems at Coupang, which is known for its blockbuster U.S. initial public offering a few years ago. The suspected leaker is believed to be a Chinese national who has moved back to China and is now on the lam, South Korean officials say. They haven't named the person. Even after leaving the firm roughly a year ago, the suspect secretly held on to an internal authentication key that granted him unfettered access to the personal information of Coupang users, South Korean authorities and lawmakers say. The infiltration, using overseas servers, started on June 24. By using the login credentials, the suspect was able to appear as if he were still a Coupang employee when accessing the company's systems.
  
  
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• EU Moves To Ease 2035 Ban On Internal Combustion Cars
  The EU is moving to soften its planned 2035 ban on internal combustion cars by allowing a small share of low-emission engines. "The less stringent limit would leave room for automakers to continue selling some plug-in hybrids, which have both electric and internal combustion engines and can use the combustion engine to recharge the battery without the need to find a charging station," reports the Associated Press. From the report: The proposal from the EU's executive commission would change provisions of 2023 legislation requiring average emissions in new cars to equal zero, or a 100% reduction from 2021 levels. The new proposal would require a 90% emissions reduction. That means in practical terms that most cars would be battery-only but would leave room for some cars with internal combustion engines. Automakers would have to compensate for the added emissions by using European steel produced by methods that emit less carbon, and through use of climate neutral e-fuels made from renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide and biofuels made from plants. EU officials say changing the limit will not affect progress toward making the 27-country bloc's economy climate neutral by 2050. That means producing only as much carbon dioxide as can be absorbed by forests and oceans or by abatement methods such as storing it underground. CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas blamed by scientists for climate change.
  
  
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• Meta Tolerates Rampant Ad Fraud From China To Safeguard Billions In Revenue
  A Reuters investigation found that Meta knowingly tolerated large volumes of scam and illegal ads from China worth billions in revenue. Reuters reports: Though China's authoritarian government bans use of Meta social media by its citizens, Beijing lets Chinese companies advertise to foreign consumers on the globe-spanning platforms. As a result, Meta's advertising business was thriving in China, ultimately reaching over $18 billion in annual sales in 2024, more than a tenth of the company's global revenue. But Meta calculated that about 19% of that money -- more than $3 billion -- was coming from ads for scams, illegal gambling, pornography and other banned content, according to internal Meta documents reviewed by Reuters. The documents are part of a cache of previously unreported material generated over the past four years by teams including Meta's finance, lobbying, engineering and safety divisions. The cache reveals Meta's efforts over that period to understand the scale of abuse on its platforms and the company's reluctance to introduce fixes that could undermine its business and revenues. The documents show that Meta believed China was the country of origin of roughly a quarter of all ads for scams and banned products on Meta's platforms worldwide. Victims ranged from shoppers in Taiwan who purchased bogus health supplements to investors in the United States and Canada who were swindled out of their savings. "We need to make significant investment to reduce growing harm," Meta staffers warned in an internal April 2024 presentation to leaders of its safety operations. To that end, Meta created an anti-fraud team that went beyond previous efforts to monitor scams and other banned activity from China. Using a variety of stepped-up enforcement tools, it slashed the problematic ads by about half during the second half of 2024 -- from 19% to 9% of the total advertising revenue coming from China. Then Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg weighed in. "As a result of Integrity Strategy pivot and follow-up from Zuck," a late 2024 document notes, the China ads-enforcement team was "asked to pause" its work. Reuters was unable to learn the specifics of the CEO's involvement or what the so-called "Integrity Strategy pivot" entailed. But after Zuckerberg's input, the documents show, Meta disbanded its China-focused anti-scam team. It also lifted a freeze it had introduced on granting new Chinese ad agencies access to its platforms. One document shows that Meta shelved yet other anti-scam measures that internal tests had indicated would be effective. The document didn't detail the specifics of those measures. Meta took these steps even as an outside consultant it hired produced research that warned "Meta's own behavior and policies" were fostering systemic corruption in the Chinese market for ads targeting users in other countries, additional documents show. The upshot: Within a few months of Meta's brief crackdown, a new crop of Chinese advertising agencies was flooding Facebook and Instagram with prohibited ads. By mid-2025, banned ads climbed back to about 16% of Meta's China revenue. Rob Leathern, who was a senior director of product management at Facebook until 2020 and is no longer at the company, said the scale of predatory advertising revealed in the documents represents a major breakdown in consumer protections at the social media giant. "The levels that you're talking about are not defensible," he said of the percentage of abusive ads. "I don't know how anyone could think this is okay."
  
  
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• Dual-PCB Linux Computer With 843 Components Designed By AI Boots On First Attempt
  Quilter says its AI designed a complex Linux single-board computer in just one week, booting Debian on first power-up. "Holy crap, it's working," exclaimed one of the engineers. Tom's Hardware reports: LA-based startup Quilter has outlined Project Speedrun, which marks a milestone in computer design by AI. The headlining claims are that Quilter's AI facilitated the design of a new Linux SBC, using 843 parts and dual-PCBs, taking just one week to finish, then successfully booting Debian the first time it was powered up. The Quilter team reckon that the AI-enhanced process it demonstrated could unlock a new generation of computer hardware makers.
  
  
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• Mark Carney Criticised For Using British Spellings In Canadian Documents
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: Mark Carney says that amid a fundamental shift to the nature of globalization, his government will catalyze the growth in both the public and private sector. But Canadian linguists say that's a problem. Language experts have called out the Canadian prime minister's growing "utilization" of British spellings in key documents -- including the recent federal budget and a press release issued following a meeting with Donald Trump. Carney, who served as the governor of the bank of England for seven years, appears to have run afoul of Canadian linguistic norms, returning to his home country with a penchant for using 's' instead of 'z'- a hallmark of British spellings. In an open letter (PDF) chastising the prime minister, six linguists have asked his office, the Canadian government and parliament to stick to Canadian English spelling, "which is the spelling they consistently used from the 1970s to 2025." They warned that if governments start to use other systems for spelling, "this could lead to confusion about which spelling is Canadian." Canadian English is a source of immense pride for the nation's pedants. But the country's distinct and somewhat arbitrary spelling reflects the legacy of how Canada was colonized. "Canadian English evolved through Loyalist settlement after the American Revolutionary War, subsequent waves of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish immigration, and from European and global contexts," the letter says, with the current accepted spellings of words reflecting "global influences and cultures from around the world represented in our population, as well as containing words and phrases from Indigenous languages." The linguists pointed out that Canada's distinct style of spelling was widespread in media and government documents, with this deliberate decision reflecting a desire to preserve a vital element of the country's "national history, identity and pride."
  
  
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• Intel Quietly Discontinues Its Open-Source User-Space Gaudi Driver Code
  Intel has quietly stopped maintaining its open-source user-space driver stack for Gaudi accelerators. Phoronix reports: It turns out earlier this year Intel archived the SynapseAI Core open-source code and is no longer maintained by Intel. The open-source Synapse AI Core GitHub repository was archived in February and README updated with: "This project will no longer be maintained by Intel. Intel has ceased development and contributions including, but not limited to, maintenance, bug fixes, new releases, or updates, to this project. Intel no longer accepts patches to this project. If you have an ongoing need to use this project, are interested in independently developing it, or would like to maintain patches for the open source software community, please create your own fork of this project."
  
  
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• Reporter Suggests Half-Life 3 Will Be a Steam Machine Launch Title
  A veteran games journalist claims Half-Life 3 is real and still planned as a Spring 2026 launch title tied to Valve's next Steam Machine push. Ars Technica reports: On the contrary, veteran journalist Mike Straw insisted on a recent Insider Gaming podcast that "everybody I've talked to are still adamant [Half-Life 3] is a game that will be a launch title with the Steam Machine." Straw -- who has a long history of reporting gaming rumors from anonymous sources -- said this Half-Life 3 information is "not [from] these run-of-the-mill sources that haven't gotten me information before. ... These aren't like random, one-off people." And those sources are "still adamant that the game is coming in the spring," Straw added, noting that he was "specifically told [that] spring 2026 [is the window] for the Steam Machine, for the Frame, for the Controller, [and] for Half-Life 3." [...] Timing specifics aside, Straw said his sources have him convinced that the long wait for Half-Life 3 is coming to an end in the near future. "The game's real," he said. "At the end of the day, the game is real. There's no denying it. It's just a 'when' and not an 'if' at this point."
  
  
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• Volkswagen To End Production At German Plant, a First In Company History
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: The last vehicle will roll off the assembly line at Volkswagen's plant in Dresden, Germany, on Tuesday, marking the first time in the automaker's 88-year history that it has closed a plant in its home country. Volkswagen warned of potential production cuts last year, as it faced shaky demand in Europe and China, its biggest market, as well as higher tariffs that have crimped sales in the United States. After 24 years of vehicle production, the Dresden plant will be converted into a research hub focused on technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and chip design. Volkswagen will team up with the government of the state of Saxony and the Dresden University of Technology on the project at the plant, known as the Transparent Factory because of its glass walls. "We did not take the decision to end vehicle production at the Transparent Factory after more than 20 years lightly," Thomas Schafer, chief executive of the Volkswagen brand, said in a statement. "From an economic perspective, however, it was absolutely necessary."
  
  
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• Utah Leaders Hinder Efforts To Develop Solar Energy Supply
  Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills this year that ended solar development tax credits and imposed a new tax on solar generation despite solar power accounting for two-thirds of the new projects waiting to connect to the state's power grid. The legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature has already had an impact. Since May, when the laws took effect, 51 planned solar projects withdrew their applications to connect to the grid. That represents more than a quarter of all projects in Utah's transmission connection queue. The moves came as Cox promoted Operation Gigawatt, an initiative to double the state's energy production in the next decade through what he called an "any of the above" approach. A third bill aimed at limiting solar development on farmland narrowly missed the deadline for passage but is expected to return next year. Rocky Mountain Power earlier this year asked regulators to approve a 30% electricity rate hike. Regulators eventually awarded a 4.7% increase.
  
  
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• MI6 Chief: We'll Be as Fluent in Python As We Are in Russian
  The new chief of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service told officers this week that they must become as fluent in programming languages like Python as they are in foreign languages like Russian as the spy agency adapts to what she described as a space between peace and war. Blaise Metreweli, MI6's first female chief and previously the service's director general of technology and innovation, said in her first public speech that mastery of technology is now required across the organization. She warned that advanced technologies including AI, biotechnology and quantum computing are revolutionizing both economies and the reality of conflict. Metreweli focused particularly on threats from Russia, saying the country is testing the UK in the grey zone through cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, drones near sensitive sites and propaganda operations.
  
  
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• Racks of AI Chips Are Too Damn Heavy
  The weight of AI server racks has reached a point where legacy data centers cannot accommodate them even with significant retrofitting efforts, The Verge reports. Chris Brown, chief technical officer at Uptime Institute, said most retrofitting attempts would require "bulldozing the building and starting over from scratch." AI racks are projected to reach 5,000 pounds compared to the 400 to 600 pounds that racks weighed three decades ago. The dramatic increase stems from hundreds to 1,000 GPUs packed densely into each rack alongside memory chips and liquid cooling systems that can add substantial weight. AI workloads now consume up to 350 kilowatts per rack, 35 times the 10 kilowatts that traditional computer chip workloads averaged a decade ago. Legacy data centers with raised floors typically max out at around 1,250 pounds per square foot for static loads. Chris McLean, president of Critical Facility Group, said that rack heights have grown from 6 feet to 9 feet over nearly two decades, creating problems with doorframes and freight elevators in older buildings.
  
  
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• US Threatens Penalties Against European Tech Firms Amid Regulatory Fight
  U.S. officials excoriated the European Union for discriminating against American technology companies and threatened to penalize European tech companies in return, in a social media post on Tuesday. From a report: The pronouncement appeared to signal a rockier period for U.S.-E.U. trade relations, as the two governments work to finalize a trade framework they announced this year. The United States has been pushing Europe to open up its tech sector to American firms. But U.S. officials have complained that the European Union has not walked back broader regulation of company business practices while also proceeding with investigations of major American tech firms like Google, X, Amazon and Meta. In a social media post, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, which has carried out the negotiations, said that the European Union and some member states had "persisted in a continuing course of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines and directives" against American companies. The United States had raised concerns with the European Union about these issues for years "without meaningful engagement," all while allowing European companies to operate freely in the United States, it said. If the European Union continues these policies, the United States would "have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures," the U.S.T.R. said. It named fees and restrictions on service companies among the possibilities, and said it would use the same approach against other countries that echoed Europe's strategy. The post singled out potential European service providers that could be targeted by name, listing Accenture, DHL, Mistral, SAP, Siemens and Spotify, among others.
  
  
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• Texas Sues TV Makers For Taking Screenshots of What People Watch
  mprindle writes: The Texas Attorney General sued five major television manufacturers, accusing them of illegally collecting their users' data by secretly recording what they watch using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology. The lawsuits target Sony, Samsung, LG, and China-based companies Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation. Attorney General Ken Paxton's office also highlighted "serious concerns" about the two Chinese companies being required to follow China's National Security Law, which could give the Chinese government access to U.S. consumers' data. According to complaints filed this Monday in Texas state courts, the TV makers can allegedly use ACR technology to capture screenshots of television displays every 500 milliseconds, monitor the users' viewing activity in real time, and send this information back to the companies' servers without the users' knowledge or consent.
  
  
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• McKinsey Plots Thousands of Job Cuts in Slowdown for Consulting Industry
  McKinsey, the consulting giant that has spent a century advising companies on how to cut costs and restructure operations, is now turning that advice inward as it plans to eliminate thousands of jobs across its non-client-facing departments over the next 18 to 24 months. The firm's leadership has discussed a roughly 10% headcount reduction in support functions, according to Bloomberg. McKinsey's revenue has hovered around $15 billion to $16 billion for the past five years after a decade of rapid expansion that saw employee count climb from 17,000 in 2012 to 45,000 by 2022. The headcount has since slid to about 40,000. The cuts come as consulting firms face cost-conscious clients, Trump administration pressure on government consulting spending, and reduced payments from Saudi Arabia, which had been paying McKinsey at least $500 million annually in the decade up to 2024. McKinsey cut about 1,400 jobs in 2023 under a plan internally labeled Project Magnolia, and axed 200 global tech positions last month. The firm still plans to hire consultants even as it shrinks support staff.
  
  
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• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two
  In Part One of this series, we examined how the SONiC control plane and the VPP data plane form a cohesive, software-defined routing stack through the Switch Abstraction Interface.` We outlined how SONiC’s Redis-based orchestration and VPP’s user-space packet engine come together to create a high-performance, open router architecture. In this second part, we’ll turn [0]
  
  The post Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Architecture and Integration  Part One
  The networking industry is undergoing a fundamental architectural transformation, driven by the relentless demands of cloud-scale data centers and the rise of software-defined infrastructure. At the heart of this evolution is the principle of disaggregation: the systematic unbundling of components that were once tightly integrated within proprietary, monolithic systems.` This movement began with the separation [0]
  
  The post Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Architecture and Integration  Part One appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance
  When teams consider deploying Kubernetes, one of the first questions that arises is: where should it run? The default answer is often the public cloud, thanks to its flexibility and ease of use. However, a growing number of organizations are revisiting the advantages of running Kubernetes directly on bare metal servers. For workloads that demand [0]
  
  The post Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• How to Deploy Lightweight Language Models on Embedded Linux with LiteLLM
  This article was contributed by Vedrana Vidulin, Head of Responsible AI Unit at Intellias (LinkedIn). As AI becomes central to smart devices, embedded systems, and edge computing, the ability to run language models locally — without relying on the cloud — is essential. Whether its for reducing latency, improving data privacy, or enabling offline functionality, local AI [0]
  
  The post How to Deploy Lightweight Language Models on Embedded Linux with LiteLLM appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Automating Compliance Management with UTMStacks Open Source SIEM 8 XDR
  Achieving and maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks can be challenging for many organizations. Managing security controls manually often leads to excessive use of time and resources, leaving less available for strategic initiatives and business growth. Standards such as CMMC, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2 and GDPR demand ongoing monitoring, detailed documentation, and rigorous evidence collection. Solutions [0]
  
  The post Automating Compliance Management with UTMStacks Open Source SIEM & XDR appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider
  Talos Linux is a specialized operating system designed for running Kubernetes. First and foremost it handles full lifecycle management for Kubernetes control-plane components. On the other hand, Talos Linux focuses on security, minimizing the user’s ability to influence the system. A distinctive feature of this OS is the near-complete absence of executables, including the absence [0]
  
  The post A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces
  OpenTelemetry (fondly known as OTel) is an open-source project that provides a unified set of APIs, libraries, agents, and instrumentation to capture and export logs, metrics, and traces from applications. The project’s goal is to standardize observability across various services and applications, enabling better monitoring and troubleshooting. Read More at Causely
  
  The post Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation.
  Exciting news! The Tazama project is officially a Digital Public Good having met the criteria to be accepted to the Digital Public Goods Alliance ! Tazama is a groundbreaking open source software solution for real-time fraud prevention, and offers the first-ever open source platform dedicated to enhancing fraud management in digital payments. Historically, the financial [0]
  
  The post Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation. appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Xen 4.19 is released
  Xen Project 4.19 has been officially out since July 31st, 2024, and it brings significant updates. With enhancements in performance, security, and versatility across various architectures like Arm, PPC, RISC-V, and x86, this release is an important milestone for the Xen community. Read more at XCP-ng Blog
  
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• Advancing Xen on RISC-V: key updates
  At Vates, we are heavily invested in the advancement of Xen and the RISC-V architecture. RISC-V, a rapidly emerging open-source hardware architecture, is gaining traction due to its flexibility, scalability and openness, which align perfectly with our ethos of fostering open development ecosystems. Although the upstream version of Xen for RISC-V is not yet fully [0]
  
  The post Advancing Xen on RISC-V: key updates appeared first on Linux.com.
  

Engadget"Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics"

• Tesla used deceptive language to market Autopilot, California judge rules
  Tesla’s sales in California should be suspended for 30 days because its marketing around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving misled consumers, a California administrative law judge has ruled. Back in 2022, the California DMV accused the automaker of using deceptive language to advertise those products and making it seem like its vehicles are capable of level 5 autonomous driving. Tesla has since added the word “Supervised” to the name of its Full Self-Driving assistance technology.
  
  As Reuters says California accounts for nearly a third of the company’s sales in the country. In addition, Tesla only manufactures its Model S and X vehicles in its Fremont plant, where it also produces Model 3 and Model Y units.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-used-deceptive-language-to-market-autopilot-california-judge-rules-035826786.html?src=rss

• X was spooked enough by new Twitter to change its terms of service
  Despite changing its name and using decidedly bird-free branding, X is trying to hold on to its original Twitter trademarks, xAI-owned social media platform has updated its terms of service to include references to Twitter after previously only mentioning X, and seemingly attempted to counter a startup9s petition to cancel the company9s Twitter trademarks with a petition of its own.
  
  The startup X appears to be responding to is Operation Bluebird, a company cofounded by former Twitter general counsel Stephen Coates that went public last weekwith plans to capture what remains of Twitter for its own use. The first step in that process was filing a petition with the US Patents and Trademark Office to cancel X9s control of Twitter’s trademarks.
  
  "The TWITTER and TWEET brands have been eradicated from X Corp.’s products, services and marketing, effectively abandoning the storied brand, with no intention to resume use of the mark," Operation Bluebird explained in the petition. “Petitioner seeks to use and register the TWITTER and TWEET brands for new products and services, including a social media platform that will be located at the website abandon the Twitter name and bird logo after he acquired the company in 2022. "And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds," Musk posted in July 2022, not long before Twitter was rebranded to X. Even after the platform rebranded, though, at least one remnant of the original Twitter brand has stuck around: July 23, 2023
  The updated terms of service TechCrunch spotted now say that as of January 16, 2025, "nothing in the Terms gives you a right to use the X name or Twitter name or any of the X or Twitter trademarks, logos, domain names, other distinctive brand features, and other proprietary rights, and you may not do so without our express written consent." The company9s counterpetition also reiterates that the Twitter trademarks are X9s "exclusive property."
  
  In a statement to Engadget, Coates said that Operation Bluebird’s cancellation petition was “based on well-established trademark law” and that he believes the upstart will prevail. “X legally abandoned the TWITTER mark, publicly declared the Twitter brand ‘dead,’ and spent substantial resources establishing a new brand identity. Our cancellation petition is based on well-established trademark law and we believe we will be successful. They said goodbye. We say hello.”
  
  At the time of writing, Operation Bluebird has convinced over 145,200 people to claim a handle on the company9s new social platform. Maybe X sees that early interest as a threat, but it9s just as possible Operation Bluebird9s public comments were enough to tip the company off so it could try to hold on to trademarks it clearly believes still hold some value.
  
  Update, December 16, 2025, 4:13PM PT: This story was updated to add a statement from Stephen Coates.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-was-spooked-enough-by-new-twitter-to-change-its-terms-of-service-231138305.html?src=rss

• Steam Replay 2025 is here to recap your PC gaming habits
  ‘Tis the season for gift-giving, family feasts and companies turning their harvested user data into lighthearted recaps. Valve9s take on the year-end rewind, Steam Replay, is now available. It follows similar offerings from Spotify, Apple Music, PlayStation and, increasingly, just about every service you use. Hell, even Uber and Steam Deck use and whether they9re new releases, recent or classic games. Monthly breakdowns and the percentage of time played (by title) are also included.
  
  The review compares your stats to the average Steam user. For example, I played 28 games this year; the Steam median is only four. My longest play streak was 15 days; the median is six. I’m only an intermittent gamer, so people who barely play at all are clearly weighing down the averages.
  
  You can check out your Steam Replay 2025 by heading to the website and logging in.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/steam-replay-2025-is-here-to-recap-your-pc-gaming-habits-205430951.html?src=rss

• The last Xbox update of 2025 includes a handy Wireless Headset upgrade
  As part of its last Xbox-focused software update of the year, Microsoft is improving the Bluetooth performance of the Xbox Wireless Headset to make it work even better with Windows 11. Microsoft released the latest Wireless Headset as an accessory for Xbox Series X/S and PC, but as of this update, Xbox Wireless Headset owners on Windows will now have a leg up on their console counterparts thanks to support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio.
  
  Microsoft says that supporting Bluetooth LE Audio will let the headset offer lower latency audio, better battery life, richer stereo sound and the ability to share audio across multiple compatible Bluetooth accessories at the same time. Not revolutionary updates, but still nice to have if you bought a $110 Xbox Wireless Headset back in 2024. Provided you9re running the latest version of Windows 11 and your device supports Bluetooth LE, Microsoft says you can take advantage of the improvements by updating your headset in the Xbox Accessories app.
  
  If you9re a regular user of the Xbox mobile app, Microsoft is also making some changes there. After adding the ability to purchase Xbox games directly from the app in April — a feature made possible after Google and Apple were forced to change the rules of their app stores — Microsoft is now adding a dedicated Store tab to the app. You9ll also be able to add games to your wishlist and search for add-ons and DLC directly in the app.
  
  Microsoft ending the year with Windows and mobile app updates reflects the ways the company9s gaming strategy has changed in 2025. After spending decades positioning itself as a console maker, Microsoft is seemingly making Xbox software its main focus going forward.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-last-xbox-update-of-2025-includes-a-handy-wireless-headset-upgrade-204500386.html?src=rss

• NYT Games has a year-in-review thing now too
  The New York Times is getting in on the year-end roundup bandwagon. The publication9s new Year in Games wraps up stats about which of its daily puzzles and brain-teasers readers played over the course of 2025. People can get their own personalized reports, or just look over the community stats for the Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and Strands games. The Year in Games reviews are available on the iOS and Android apps for The New York Times, as well as on a dedicated mobile web page.
  
  Annual analysis of all your activities has become a common feature for lots of services. Reports like Spotify Wrapped or the other many entertainment-related ones are usually a fun time, with splashy graphics and high shareability. Uber feels like an odder match.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nyt-games-has-a-year-in-review-thing-now-too-203000878.html?src=rss

• Texas sues five TV manufacturers over predatory ad-targeting spyware
  Behold: Ken Paxton will now demonstrate that broken clocks are indeed right twice a day. The Texas Attorney General is notorious for, well, a very long list of reasons. But in this case, he at least appears to be doing consumers a solid: He sued five television companies for using ad-targeting spyware on their TVs.
  
  Texas sued Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL for allegedly recording what viewers watch without their consent. The predatory technology, Automated Content Recognition (ACR), identifies the content being played on a device by matching short content fingerprints to a database.
  
  ACR is essentially a Shazam for video. Except in this case, its sole purpose is to target your viewing habits to help line advertisers9 pockets. "This software can capture screenshots of a user9s television display every 500 milliseconds, monitor viewing activity in real time and transmit that information back to the company without the user9s knowledge or consent," Paxton9s press release says.
  
  An LG Ad Solutions website boasts how ACR helps advertisers "target by content viewership, including show, network, app, service or genre." Since it works with anything running on the device, it can identify purchases and subscriptions, track gamers9 habits and pinpoint users by region, city or zip code.
  
  There should be a setting on your TV to turn it off. But, as Texas9 lawsuit against LG notes, TV software often "deceptively guides consumers to activate ACR and buries any explanation of what that means in dense legal jargon that few will read or understand."
  
  Paxton9s press release emphasized Hisense and TCL9s home base of China. "These Chinese ties pose serious concerns about consumer data harvesting and are exacerbated by China9s National Security Law, which gives its government the capability to get its hands on US consumer data," the statement reads.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/texas-sues-five-tv-manufacturers-over-predatory-ad-targeting-spyware-201500248.html?src=rss

• YouTube is letting creators make playable games with a Gemini 3 tool
  Google9s at it again, once more insisting that AI is something people need or want more of in their lives. The latest move comes from YouTube Gaming, which announced an open beta for a project called Playables Builder. This allows select YouTube Creators to use a "prototype web app built using Gemini 3" to make bite-sized games, no coding required. 
  YouTube is launching a closed Beta test for Playables Builder, a prototype web app built using Gemini 3 where users create games with short text, video or image prompts. we’ve partnered with YouTube Creators like @sambucha, @AyChristene, @goharsguide and @Mogswamp to start making… pic.twitter.com/1Gx0v4oZFA
  — YouTube Gaming (@YouTubeGaming) December 16, 2025
  YouTube was testing the addition of small-scale games to its desktop and mobile platforms back in 2023, then added multiplayer capability to Playables last year. Since AI is appearing all over Google-owned services, today9s news probably shouldn9t be a surprise.   
  
  The premise sounds similar to the Disco and GenTabs projects that Google Labs recently announced. They offer an AI layer to web browsing: provide a natural language input, get an interactive widget that does what you asked for. Despite my skeptical attitude toward AI, I can see those tools having some practical applications for search, where the goal is to aggregate whatever data you9re looking for into a manageable, easy-to-read interface. 
  
  But a game is not simple. A good game takes what might be a simple idea and, with finesse and iteration and skill, transforms it into a genuinely fun experience. It9s a cute parlor trick that AI assistants can help people to make stuff without technical knowledge, but there9s a reason professional game devs work hard to amass all their know-how. Playables Builder is a peak example of misunderstanding what artificial intelligence is best at. Just because a chatbot can make a game doesn9t mean anyone will enjoy playing it.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-is-letting-creators-make-playable-games-with-a-gemini-3-tool-195500318.html?src=rss

• Crunchyroll annual subscriptions are on sale for the holidays
  If you9re looking for something to watch during a holiday break from work or school, you can9t go wrong with anime, and right now you can sign-up for a year of Crunchyroll for as low as $65. Holiday discounts running through December 29 bring the anime streaming service9s year-long Fan subscription from $80 down to $67 and its Mega Fan subscription from $120 down to $100. That9s either $13 or $20 off access to one of the largest libraries of anime series and movies out there.
  
  While both the Fan and Mega Fan plans are ad-free, you do get some different benefits depending on which you decide to pay for. Fan subscribers get full access to Crunchyroll9s library, new episodes "shortly after they air in Japan" and five percent off select purchases in the Crunchyroll Store. Mega Fan subscribers get all those benefits, plus the ability to stream on four devices at the same time, download HD quality episodes and movies to view offline, play games from the Crunchyroll Game Vault and receive 10 percent off select products in the Crunchyroll Store.
  
  
  
  Notably missing from either subscription is access to Crunchyroll9s new Manga service, but unless you9re specifically looking for reading material, you9ll get plenty of entertainment out of Crunchyroll9s video library. Outside of Netflix, which produces and licenses its own growing collection of anime, Crunchyroll is the de facto place to watch Japanese animation in the US. You9ll find long-running series like One Piece and newer hits like Spy X Family, alongside hundreds of more niche series.
  
  Crunchyroll has its issues, of course. Since the streaming service was acquired by Sony, it9s been particularly interested in using generative AI to subtitle shows, which has already produced poor results. It9s hard to beat Crunchyroll9s library, though, and for as little as $65, you9ll get more than your money9s worth.
  
  Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/crunchyroll-annual-subscriptions-are-on-sale-for-the-holidays-194345327.html?src=rss

• Netflix will soon start airing video podcasts like The Breakfast Club
  Netflix has inked a deal with iHeartMedia to begin showing video podcasts, so the content will never, ever run out. The partnership covers new episodes from more than 15 popular podcasts, including The Breakfast Club, Dear Chelsea, My Favorite Murder and others. Customers will have access to video podcast episodes in early 2026. 
  
  In addition to new footage, the partnership includes a select library of archival episodes from each show. It9s worth noting that YouTube already platforms video versions of many popular podcasts, including stuff like The Breakfast Club.
  
  This follows a similar deal from earlier this year in which Netflix announced plans to stream video podcast episodes from Spotify. That partnership covers stuff like The Bill Simmons Podcast and The Zach Lowe Show, among others.
  
  Many people use podcasts for background noise and soon Netflix will be a major player in that market, such as it is. Disney+ also recently started prioritizing those "barely paying attention" eyeballs, as it inked its own deal to air The Rich Eisen Show on weekdays.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-will-soon-start-airing-video-podcasts-like-the-breakfast-club-193112093.html?src=rss

• Meta is rolling out Conversation Focus and AI-powered Spotify features to its smart glasses
  Back in September during Meta Connect, the company previewed a new ability for its smart glasses lineup called Conversation Focus. The feature, which is able to amplify the voices of people around you, is now starting to roll out in the company9s latest batch of software updates.
  
  When enabled, the feature is meant to make it easier to hear the people you9re speaking with in a crowded or otherwise noisy environment. "You’ll hear the amplified voice sound slightly brighter, which will help you distinguish the conversation from ambient background noise,” Meta explains. It can be enabled either via voice commands ("hey Meta, start Conversation Focus") or by adding it as a dedicated "tap-and-hold" shortcut. 
  
  Meta is also adding a new multimodal AI feature for Spotify. With the update, users can ask their glasses to play music on Spotify that corresponds with what they9re looking at by saying “hey Meta, play a song to match this view.” Spotify will then start a playlist "based on your unique taste, customized for that specific moment." For example, looking at holiday decor might trigger a similarly-themed playlist, though it9s not clear how Meta and Spotify may translate more abstract concepts into themed playlists. 
  
  Both updates are starting to roll out now to Meta Ray-Ban glasses (both Gen 1 and Gen 2 models), as well as the Oakley Meta HSTN frames. The update will arrive first to those enrolled in Meta9s early access program, and will be available "gradually" to everyone else.
  
  Meta9s newest mode of smart glasses, the Oakley Meta Vanguard shades, are also getting some new features in the latest software update. Meta is adding the option to trigger specific commands with a single word, rather than having to say "hey Meta." For example, saying "photo" will be enough to snap a picture and saying "video" will start a new recording. The company says the optional feature is meant to help athletes "save some breath" while on a run or bike ride. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/meta-is-rolling-out-conversation-focus-and-ai-powered-spotify-features-to-its-smart-glasses-192133928.html?src=rss

• CES 2026 preview: What we're expecting from tech's biggest conference in January
  CES doesn't start until January, but whispers of the products and announcements that could be in store for tech's biggest annual conference have already started to take shape. The CES 2026 show floor is officially open from January 6 through 9, although the show kicks off with events on Sunday January 4 and a host of press conferences on Monday. As always, product demos, announcements and networking will be happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels all over the city. As usual, Engadget will be covering the event in-person and remotely, bringing you news and hands-ons straight from the show floor.
  
  More specific details and pre-announcements should trickle out as CES approaches, but in the meantime, we do know what companies will be hosting press conferences and what tech trends could rear their heads at the show.
  What we already know about
  Press conferences and show floor booths are the bread and butter of CES. The Consumer Technology Association has already published a searchable directory of who will have a presence at the show, along with a schedule of every official panel and presentation.
  
  On Sunday, January 4, Samsung will kick-off CES with "The First Look," a presentation hosted by TM Roh, the CEO of Samsung's DX Division, on the company's "vision for the DX (Device eXperience) Division in 2026, along with new AI-driven customer experiences." 
  
  That'll be followed by multiple press conferences throughout Monday, January 5. LG is hosting its "Innovation in Tune with You" presentation to share "its vision for elevating daily life through Affectionate Intelligence" at the start of the day, Intel is launching its new Core Ultra Series 3 processors in the afternoon, Sony Honda Mobility is holding a press conference on its first car and AMD CEO Lisa Su will cover AMD's upcoming chip announcements at a keynote address that closes out the day.
  
  On the week of December 15, the CTA added a keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to its schedule. The event will take place on January 5 at 1PM PT and, according to the website, will last about 90 minutes. Based on the description on the listing, the presentation will “showcase the latest NVIDIA solutions driving innovation and productivity across industries.”
  
  Finally, on Tuesday, January 6, Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang will host Lenovo's Tech World Conference at Sphere, using the large and decidedly curved screen to share the company's "commitment to delivering smarter AI for all by constantly redefining how technology can engage, inspire, and empower." It’s worth noting that Lenovo is the parent company of Motorola, which still makes phones and foldables that feature AI tools, so it’s possible those devices feature in the presentation as well.
  
  Outside of the formal introduction of new products and initiatives, reading the tea leaves of what was announced last year and what companies are reportedly working on, we can make some educated guesses at what we could see at CES 2026.
  New chips from AMD, Intel and Qualcomm
  CES is frequently the start of a cascade of new chip announcements for a given year, and one of the first places new silicon appears in real consumer products. AMD will likely use its keynote to introduce new versions of its Ryzen chips, including the recently spotted Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is expected to offer better single-threaded performance, and the Ryzen 9000G series, which could be built with AMD's Zen 5 architecture. The company might also use its CES stage to go over its new FSR Redstone AI upscaling tech.
  
  Intel has already publicly announced that it'll launch its Panther Lake chips at CES 2026. The officially titled Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips fit into Intel's overall "AI PC" push, but are specifically meant for premium laptops. Based on a preview from October 2025, Intel says the first chip made with its 2-nanometer 18A process will offer 50 percent more processing performance than previous generations and for the chip's Arc GPU, a 50 percent performance bump from last generation.
  
  Qualcomm is also rumored to be targeting laptops at the show, building on the work it's done moving its Snapdragon chips out of phones and tablets and into other types of computers. The company's Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Premium chips should start appearing in laptops at CES 2026, offering a look at the improved speed and AI performance the company promised in 2025.
  Brighter, "truer" screens
  Sony announced a collection of new Bravia TVs in April 2025, replacing the company's flagship, filling in its midrange options and adding a new budget model to the mix. The star of this updated Bravia lineup is the Bravia 9, which features a QD-OLED panel, but Sony appears to be prepping entirely new display tech for 2026. In March 2025, Sony introduced a new RGB LED panel that uses individual Mini LED backlights colored in red, green and blue to produce even brighter, more accurate colors. In contrast to a QD-OLED, which filters a layer of blue organic light emitting diodes through quantum dots that change color, Sony's "General RGB LED Backlight Technology" can get as bright as a Mini LED panel without needing an extra filter layer or worrying about OLED's problems with burn-in. 
  
  The company has already trademarked the name "True RGB," which could end up being what Sony calls this new flavor of display if it decides to show them off at CES. It seems entirely likely, because CES is nothing if not a TV show — it’s a sure bet that we’ll see new TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung in addition to Sony. If the company doesn't introduce new display tech for its TVs, it does have a new 240Hz PlayStation monitor coming in 2026 that it could show off at CES instead.
  
  Sony isn't the only company hyped on bright screens. Samsung is reportedly pushing an updated version of the HDR10 and HDR10+ standards that could be ready to demo at CES 2026. The new HDR10+ Advanced standard would be Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision 2, which includes support for things bi-directional tone mapping and intelligent features that automatically adapt sports and gaming content. Samsung's take will reportedly offer improved brightness, genre-based tone mapping and intelligent motion smoothing options, among other improvements.
  Ballie Watch 2026
  The ball-shaped yellow robot lovingly known as "Ballie" has been announced twice, first in 2020 and then again in 2024 with a projector in tow. Samsung said Ballie would go on sale in 2025 at CES last year and then shared in April 2025 that Ballie would ship this summer with Google's Gemini onboard. But it's nearly 2026, and Ballie is nowhere to be seen. It's possible Samsung could make a third attempt at announcing its robot at CES 2026, but whether or not it does, robotics will still be a big part of the show.
  
  Robot vacuums and mops were a major highlight of CES 2025, and it's safe to expect notable improvements from the new models that are announced at CES 2026. Not every company will adopt the retractable arm of the Roborock Saros Z70, but robot vacuums with legs for rising over small ledges like the Dreame X50 seem like they could become the norm. Roborock could also show off its new Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, the first of its robot vacuums to feature a retractable roller mop.
  
  Beyond just traversing spaces more efficiently, improving robots' navigation could also be a major concern at the show. Prominent members of the AI industry are turning their attention from large language models to world models, which aim to give AI a deep understanding of physical space. Those world models could be the key to making robots, bipedal or otherwise, competent at navigating homes and workplaces, and will likely be a significant talking point at CES 2026.
  
  We’ll be updating this article throughout the month as more rumors surface and new products are confirmed — stay tuned for future updates!
  
  Update, December 11 2025, 11:03AM ET: This story has been updated to include detail on Lenovo being Motorola’s parent company and how the latter might have a part in the Tuesday presentation.
  
  Update, December 16 2025, 1:33PM ET: This story has been updated to include the NVIDIA press conference, which was added to the CTA schedule within the last two days.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-preview-what-were-expecting-from-techs-biggest-conference-in-january-120000768.html?src=rss

• ChatGPT image generation is now faster and better at following tweaks
  Following the release of GPT-5.2 last week, OpenAI has begun rolling out a new image generation model. The company says the updated ChatGPT Images is four times faster than its predecessor. If you9re a frequent ChatGPT user, you9ll know it can sometimes take a while for OpenAI9s servers to create images, particularly during peak times and if you9re not paying for ChatGPT Plus. In that respect, any improvement in speed is welcome.
  
  The new version is also better at following instructions, including when you want to edit something the new model just generated. You can ask the system to add, subtract, combine, blend and even transpose elements. At the same time, OpenAI says the update offers better text rendering. That9s something many image models have traditionally struggled with, but according to the company, the new ChatGPT Images is capable of handling denser and smaller text. As part of the today9s model update, OpenAI is additionally adding a dedicated Images section to the ChatGPT sidebar. Here you9ll find preset filters and prompts you can look to for inspiration. 
  A portrait of Sam Altman, in the style of Johannes Vermeer9s Girl with a Pearl Earring. OpenAI
  The new ChatGPT Images arrives just as Nano Banana Pro is responsible for a surge in Gemini usage. In October, Google said its chatbot had 650 million users, up from 450 million just a few months earlier in July. Nano Banana Pro has proven so popular, the company recently limited free users to just two image generations per day. For OpenAI, a strong response to Nano Banana Pro probably wasn9t as important as ensuring it came out swinging against Gemini 3 Pro, but ChatGPT Images is a big part of why there are 800 million ChatGPT users.    
  
  "We believe we’re still at the beginning of what image generation can enable," OpenAI said. "Today’s update is a meaningful step forward with more to come, from finer-grained edits to richer, more detailed outputs across languages."
  
  OpenAI is rolling out the new ChatGPT Images to all users starting today. If you9re one of those people who miss GPT-4o, you9ll be happy to learn you can continue to use the older version of the tool through a custom GPT.  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-image-generation-is-now-faster-and-better-at-following-tweaks-180000750.html?src=rss

• Rainbow Six Mobile will finally be available in February after years of testing
  The long-awaited Rainbow Six Mobile comes out on February 23 for iOS and Android devices. This is a global release and follows years of testing and some significant delays.
  
  This is basically a smartphone version of the popular tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege. It was "developed exclusively" for mobile devices and features a trio of 5v5 multiplayer modes. There9s a team deathmatch, of course, and a pair of bomb-defusing games that are riffs on a pre-existing mode from Siege.
  
  Rainbow Six Mobile offers access to a bunch of maps, including some that will be familiar to fans of the franchise. There are more than 20 operators to choose from and Ubisoft promises it9ll be adding more content with each new season.
  
  The company is rolling the game out early in some parts of the world. It9s already playable in Poland, France, Canada and parts of Latin America. Everyone else has to wait until February.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/rainbow-six-mobile-will-finally-be-available-in-february-after-years-of-testing-174001081.html?src=rss

• What happened to iRobot can happen to anyone
  The company which popularized robot vacuum cleaners around the world has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. iRobot, makers of the Roomba, has been synonymous with the category since its inception, but its star had dulled in recent years. The company plans to sell its assets to its primary supplier, China’s Picea Robotics, in the hope of maintaining its business.
  
  Everyone’s got a strident opinion as to why iRobot fell from grace. The rugged individualists blame limp regulators on both sides of the pond (and their hatred for big tech) for blocking Amazon’s attempted purchase in 2023. Those on the hardware side of the fence say iRobot’s refusal to embrace LiDAR for navigation until this year left it behind rivals.
  
  Then there’s the geopolitical experts, who can point at China’s industrial policy, subsidies and favorable regulatory environment compared to the US approach. After all, iRobot’s US gear is made in Vietnam, which is now subject to a 46 percent import levy. As how hard Apple fought in court to prevent it.
  
  Even before this year’s tariffs, iRobot struggled to compete on price in a manner we’ve seen in other fields. Remember Fitbit before Google purchased it, happily selling $80 fitness trackers for years until Xiaomi swiped the low-end part of its business for itself. Even if the early MiBands weren’t very good, you could buy three for the price of a single Fitbit Charge. Yes, the argument around quality and reliability is important, but it’s often not as loud or compelling as a competing product sold for a fraction of the price.
  
  iRobot should have either made more of an effort to offer a dirt-cheap model to undercut its rivals, or more likely pull out of the low end altogether. Earlier today, I checked out local retail listings for Roombas and its nearest competitors. Next to one another were the Roomba 405 Combo with Dock and the Roborock Q7 L5+ — both capable of vacuuming and mopping your floor. The former is currently on sale for $400 direct from iRobot, while the latter is currently selling for $220. I’m sure plenty of buyers would have seen the price difference and opted for the cheaper model.
  
  I’m not going to throw too many Told You So’s over iRobot’s fence for not embracing LiDAR sooner. Its omission was a mistake, but you could see why it was shy about abandoning its existing setup. But the company had forgotten one key mantra about the tech world, Andy Grove’s maxim that “only the paranoid survive.” Even the fanciest, highest-end Roombas of the last five years felt a generation behind rival products.
  
  And, at the risk of sounding like a marketing guru, it was never clear what iRobot, or Roomba, stood for. When companies flooded the market with cheaper models, iRobot needed to make it clear what it meant when you bought a Roomba over a generic model. What did, and could, it offer beyond the name and history that made it stand out against cheaper competitors? Companies like Apple and Dyson command a premium, but you almost always know what you’re getting for your money.
  
  All I can say is that it’s good that there isn’t another American company presently in a similar position. I certainly can’t think of a controversial US company that builds things with wheels that has historically rejected LiDAR for its autonomous services. One that has a brand that doesn’t stand for much, or has its identity tied too closely to the identity of its CEO. One that is staring down the barrel at a raft of better equipped and often cheaper Chinese alternatives. Because that company could surely be looking at a similar fate a decade or so down the road.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/what-happened-to-irobot-can-happen-to-anyone-164500625.html?src=rss

• Dead Island 3 is in development and will reportedly come out in 2028
  The zombie-decapitating sim Dead Island 3 is still being developed, according to financial documents from Dambuster Studios that were pic.twitter.com/FOHOitH3nD
  — Timur222 (@bogorad222) December 16, 2025
  The paperwork says the development is "moving at pace" and that "parts of the game are now in early production." These parts reportedly include feature design, world design, narrative and character design.
  
  We already knew this game was in development, as Dambuster posted on Steam earlier this year that "the outbreak is far from over." The idea of Dead Island 3 makes a whole lot of sense, given the success of the second one. The company has sold over 4 million copies of the game since 2023.
  
  It9s also worth noting that a 2028 release date would put five years between the two sequels. That9s a long time for something like Assassin9s Creed, but nothing for the Dead Island franchise. Dead Island 2 was first announced in 2014, so development took nearly a decade.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dead-island-3-is-in-development-and-will-reportedly-come-out-in-2028-162522680.html?src=rss

• The best board games to gift and play with the family for the 2025 holiday season
  Once upon a time, a "board game" meant Monopoly or Risk. Then several brave souls dared to ask the question: "What if this was fun?" Thirty years later, we9re blessed with tabletop games that challenge our minds, immerse us in other worlds and conjure good times with those we love — sometimes all three at once. For your gift-buying needs, we9ve put together a list of new favorites and returning classics that run the gamuts of genre and weight. If you9re ready to push beyond Pictionary, read on.
  Best board games to gift (and play) this holiday season
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-board-games-to-gift-and-play-with-the-family-for-the-2025-holiday-season-125529223.html?src=rss

• Instagram launches a Fire TV app for Reels
  Have you ever just wished you could watch Instagram Reels right on a TV? Maybe? Well, if so, you9re in luck. Meta has launched an Instagram app exclusively on Fire TV. It will be solely for "short-form video content," so Reels. TikTok launched an app on Fire TV in 2020 before rolling it out to other platforms. 
  
  Instagram and Fire TV users can download the former through Amazon9s App Store. It can either link to an existing account or have a separate account just for TV. The app can hold up to five different Instagram accounts — and time spent factors into any limits on teen accounts. 
  
  "Our mission is to get you to the world’s best content fast, and we’re thrilled to welcome Instagram to Fire TV," Fire TV vice president, Aidan Marcuss, said in a statement. "We’re committed to keep pushing the boundaries of entertainment on customers9 biggest screens — the Instagram team has built an awesome experience, and we’re excited to be the first place to offer it. We can’t wait to see what customers think."
  
  For now, Reels are separated into different channels, such as sports highlights or hidden travel gems. Reels also play automatically, so you don9t have to swipe between content on the screen. According to Meta, the app is still being tested, so these formats might change in the future. 
  
  Instagram users in the US can now get the TV app on Amazon9s Fire TV Stick HD, 4K Plus and 4K Max (first and second generation). It9s also available on the Fire RV 2-Series, 4-Series, and Omni QLED Series. However, Meta says that the Instagram App for TV should be available on more devices and in other countries after this initial testing round.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-launches-a-fire-tv-app-for-reels-160003710.html?src=rss

• Amazon is set to lay off 370 workers at its European HQ
  Amazon is set to fire 370 people at its European headquarters in Luxembourg in the coming weeks, as Bloomberg reports. That accounts for about 8.5 percent of the workforce. Amazon initially planned to reduce its headcount there by 470, but under European Union law, companies have to negotiate layoffs with employee reps and, in some cases, governments.
  
  Amazon reportedly told employees at the European HQ in a memo the layoffs are "adjustments that reflect business needs and local strategies." The company claims to be going "well beyond industry benchmarks" in Luxembourg with regards to the severance packages it9s offering.
  
  An Amazon employee said it would be difficult for hundreds of people who are all going into the job market at the same time to find employment elsewhere in the country. Affected employees who moved from other countries to work for Amazon will have to leave if they don9t land another job in Luxembourg within three months. After the layoffs, Amazon is still expected to be the fifth-largest employer in Luxembourg, which has a population of 680,000. 
  
  One employee told Bloomberg that the cuts would primarily affect software developers amid a push in the tech industry for AI to take on more coding tasks. Amazon said in October it would cut 14,000 jobs from its global workforce amid its deepening embrace of AI. It was reported that same month that the company9s plans to ramp up its robotics operations could put around half a million jobs in the US at risk.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-set-to-lay-off-370-workers-at-its-european-hq-154037845.html?src=rss

• Apple's Mac mini M4 is back on sale for a record-low price
  If you9re still debating what gifts to get the important people in your life, sales can be a good starting point. Take Apple9s 2024 Mac mini M4, which is down to $479, from $599. The 20 percent discount brings the device back down to its all-time low price seen over Black Friday. 
  
  Apple released the Mac mini M4 in late 2024 and we were impressed with how something so small could be so powerful. We gave it a 90 in our review, thanks to features like its speed and standard 16GB of RAM. The — currently — $479 base model also comes with 256GB of SSD. We were also happy to see it had front-facing USB-C and headphone ports. 
  
  
  
  If you really want to go all out for someone9s gift (or for yourself) then you can buy one of the Mac mini M49s higher memory or storage options. You can pick up the Mac Mini M4 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD for $690, down from $799 — a 14 percent discount. Meanwhile, the 24GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD model is 11 percent off, dropping to $890 from $999.
  
  Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-mac-mini-m4-is-back-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-150041509.html?src=rss

• The best subscription box gifts for 2025
  Subscription boxes are the rare gift that keeps its charm long after the wrapping paper is gone. You make the choice once, but the surprises keep landing on their doorstep for months after that. For anyone who loves the buzz of a delivery, these are gifts that extend the season well past December. Each box on this list combines a bit of discovery with something tangible, such as gadgets, books, collectibles, snacks or clever projects. Some appeal to hardcore hobbyists, others to the curious or the comfort seekers, but all offer that same spark of delight that comes from unboxing something unexpected. These are the subscription boxes that make the best gifts to last all year.
  Best subscription box gifts
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-subscription-box-gifts-for-2025-130037236.html?src=rss

• PayPal applies to become a bank under Trump's looser financial rules
  PayPal is the latest company looking to become a bank in the US. On Monday, the company announced it had submitted applications for PayPal Bank to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (UDFI). PayPal is already a bank in Europe, based in Luxembourg. 
  
  According to PayPal, it has provided "over $30 billion in loans and working capital" for more than 420,000 business accounts globally. PayPal puts its focus on small businesses in pitching the need for a US bank. "Securing capital remains a significant hurdle for small businesses striving to grow and scale," Alex Chriss, president and CEO of PayPal, said in a release. "Establishing PayPal Bank will strengthen our business and improve our efficiency, enabling us to better support small business growth and economic opportunities across the US." 
  
  PayPal also plans to provide "interest-bearing saving accounts" as a bank. If approved, it would be chartered in Utah. 
  
  Applications to become a bank have popped up left and right this year, with approval odds increasing under the Trump administration. On Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced that five cryptocurrency companies, including BitGo, Circle and Ripple, received conditional approval to become federally charted trust banks.  
  
  "New entrants into the federal banking sector are good for consumers, the banking industry and the economy," the OCC9s comptroller Jonathan V. Gould stated in the announcement. "They provide access to new products, services and sources of credit to consumers, and ensure a dynamic, competitive and diverse banking system."
  
  Other companies such as Nissan and Sony have also submitted applications to form a bank. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/paypal-applies-to-become-a-bank-under-trumps-looser-financial-rules-143025772.html?src=rss

• Avatar Fire and Ash review: Maybe it's time to sunset Pandora
  No matter what you think of James Cameron9s Avatar movies, their technical ambitions are undeniable. Cameron developed his own camera system to shoot the first Avatar in 3D, but since most of the actors were digitally captured, he also had the freedom to construct scenes with a virtual camera after they were physically shot. For Edie Falco suited up in a wicked exoskeleton in the last film, though).
  
  Instead, Avatar: Fire and Ash is just another Avatar film — it doesn9t push any boundaries, narratively or technically. And without any technical achievements to lean on, the narrative issues inherent with Avatar become all the more glaring. 
  
  It9s still basically a story that places a clueless white dude in the middle of a fight between indigenous and colonialist powers. (Improbably, he9s crowned one of the Na9vi9s best warriors!). The script from Cameron and his co-writers (Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, continuing their work from The Way of Water) often hits identical beats to a low-rent CW show. And perhaps worst of all, the stakes of the story haven9t really changed much. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family are still fighting off the militarized Resource Development Association (RDA), Col. Quaritch still holds a grudge from being killed (twice now!) and from the Sullies raising his Tarzan-like son, Spider (Jack Champion).
  
  There’s an attempt to cast the Na’vi in a new light with the villainous Ash People, who spend their days attacking and stealing from other tribes. While most Na’vi people work cooperatively with other clans and share their reverence for Eywa, the collective consciousness of Pandora, the Ash People resent it for not saving their villages from natural disasters. Despite a deliciously evil performance by Oona Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin9s grandaughter!) as Varang, the Ash People don9t amount to much more than "evil Na9vi." When they inevitably work together with humans to attack other Na’vi, it doesn’t feel surprising in the least. Honestly, it’s a tad insulting.
  Avatar: Fire and Ash20th. Century Studios
  Perhaps we9ve been spoiled by Cameron9s last few films, but Avatar: Fire and Ash ultimately feels like more of the same. Even its massive final battle feels like a retread, since it’s set in the same ocean environment as The Way of Water and is once again focused on protecting psychic alien whales from humans. Cameron does let his action chops shine throughout the film, but after a certain point, trying to enjoy those sequences is like trying to eat a family-sized carton of ice cream by yourself. You’ll enjoy it for a little while, but eventually you’re  left with a massive headache and sugar hangover.
  
  It’s clear that James Cameron has built the Avatar franchise to explore everything he loves: Stories about protecting the environment, fighting against capitalist excess and kicking tons of ass. Parts of Avatar 4 have already been shot, and that film is expected to arrive in 2029. But I’m hoping the 71-year-old filmmaker eventually finds his way out of Pandora. He’s co-directing the Billie Eilish concert film, Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, so that’s a start. But I’m eager to see what other new worlds he can dream up.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/avatar-fire-and-ash-review-maybe-its-time-to-sunset-pandora-140000997.html?src=rss

• Mercedes-Benz CLA first drive: Head of the EV class
  This one9s been a long time coming. Mercedes-Benz has been researching, refining and even reshaping the car that would ultimately be the CLA for years now, teasing us with technical briefings and even showing off a sultry crimson concept car a full two years ago.
  
  That was the Concept CLA, and while the production CLA you see here doesn9t look quite that good, it is a fine-looking little electric sedan. More importantly, it goes as far as you9d think its slippery, 0.21-coefficient-of-drag body would carry it: up to 374 miles on a charge.
  
  With a $47,250 starting price, is this electric CLA the complete package? After spending a day behind the wheel of one, I think it might just be. 
  Higher density2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQTim Stevens for Engadget
  The CLA has long been Mercedes-Benz9s most attainable sedan, a machine for those wanting something fun and stylish that offers a taste of the M-B lifestyle without breaking the bank.Attainability is still a big focus of this newly rebooted CLA, which serves as the debut venue for the company9s latest generation of electrification. While most luxury auto makers would have you swing for their top-tier models to get the newest tech, Mercedes is actually bringing it to the lower end first. 
  
  The new CLA is built around a new battery pack that offers 20 percent more energy density than the company9s previous EVs. There9s a big boost in efficiency, too. Where the EQS, the company9s current range meister, does up to 390 miles on a charge from roughly 110 kilowatt-hours, the CLA manages 374 miles from just 85. It9s a much smaller car, sure, and lighter too at about 4,500 pounds versus 5,500 and up for the EQS, but there are bigger efficiencies at play here thanks to advanced motors and the aforementioned aerodynamics.
  
  The CLA’s  0.21 coefficient of drag slots it right in between the 0.20 rating for the EQS sedan and 0.22 for the EQE. Crucially, though, despite being just as slippery as those cars, Mercedes-Benz9s designers also managed to make the CLS stylish, a big step up from the efficient but amorphous profiles of its previous EVs. 
  
  That aerodynamic efficiency is a big part of what delivers the 374-mile range for the single-motor CLA 250+ with EQ Technology model, the formal and long-winded designation for what I drove. It delivers 268 horsepower through the rear wheels. Those wanting a bit more oomph can step up to the 349-hp, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 350 4MATIC model. That extra power and low-grip surety costs an extra $2,550, but the bigger penalty is range: the dual-motor model maxes out at 312 miles on a charge. (There is a hybrid version of the new CLA coming as well, but we9ll cover that on its own later.)
  
  When it comes to charging, the new CLA impresses there, too. Charging at up to 320 kilowatts via the company9s first NACS plug, the CLA adds a whopping 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. Weirdly, the car also has a separate, older-style J1772 plug for slower, level-two charging.
  Accessible, not basicThe interior displays of the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQTim Stevens for Engadget
  As a more attainable machine, you wouldn9t necessarily expect the CLA to be completely loaded with features. Still, tick enough boxes and you can definitely get it there. While it doesn9t have the luscious, curving Hyperscreen display as the EQS, it does offer a similar experience called Superscreen. You can get up to three displays spread across the dashboard: a 10.25-inch gauge cluster on the left, a 14-inch touchscreen in the center and an optional third display (also 14 inches) on the right for the passenger to play Angry Birds or stream videos. If, for some reason, they wouldn9t rather just look at their phone.
  
  All those displays run the latest version of the MBUX user interface, similar to what we9ve seen in the company9s other EVs, but it’s a bit simpler and easier to use here. That9s backed by a wholly new system-level operating system called MB.OS running on NVIDIA silicon, also making its debut on the CLA. Mercedes says this not only has far more capability but can also be more comprehensively updated via the car9s 5G connection. 
  
  One of the features in the latest Mercedes software is baked-in AI. Say "Hey, Mercedes," and you can not only change just about any setting in the car, but also engage in any number of inane conversations. I asked for a weather update for my next trip to Chicago, the latest releases from a few of my forgotten bands and even got an explanation of why the lyrics in the song "Water9s Edge" by Seven Mary Three are so very creepy. (Don9t go down there, friends.)
  
  It9s all reasonably snappy and quite useful, but not perfect. When I said "I9m hungry," I got a quick listing of restaurants and offers for quick routing. When I said, "I need a hospital," the system, flummoxed, just stopped talking to me. Thankfully, I did not need a hospital. I was actually feeling pretty okay. 
  
  That extensive software upgradability is also opening the door to a new era of car upgrades. Yes, the automotive DLC era is here, and you can pay extra to unlock additional active features like automated parking, navigation, a dashcam function and whatever else Mercedes-Benz9s product planners can dream up in the future. Hopefully, there9s no horse armor involved.
  
  We9ll see how that shakes out, but my only real complaint about the interior was that it felt a bit cramped. It9s a sedan on the small side, sure, but the layout feels a bit claustrophobic. That dashboard with all the displays is situated nearly vertically, as are the sides of the center console. Sitting in the passenger seat felt like being tucked in a box.
  
  Mind you, it was a very comfortable box, well-upholstered and featuring a lovely interior trim made of recycled paper, grooved to give the effect of a Zen garden. Headroom up front is generous and actually isn9t too bad in the rear, but ducking under that sweeping roofline to get into the back seats requires a bit of flexibility.
  Drive time2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQTim Stevens for Engadget
  Despite being the slowest electric CLA, this little sedan gets off the line quickly. A 6.6-second 0-to-60 time under-sells the feeling of instant acceleration and throttle response that make EVs so very compelling. You only start to feel the CLA9s relative lack of horsepower at higher speeds, but even there, it9s hardly lacking.
  
  That made it a blast to scoot from light to light as I was escaping from San Francisco, but it was much more fun in the foothills of Mt. Tamalpais. The CLA9s steering is light yet has good feedback. I could really feel the road beneath the front tires, making for a more engaging machine than I was expecting.
  
  That battery pack in the floor keeps body roll in check, but a positively pliant suspension makes for a relaxed affair. The CLA did a great job of soaking up the countless imperfections in and around San Francisco, making for an extremely comfortable commuter, if one that felt a bit floaty at times.
  
  It9ll be a safe commuter, too. The car is festooned with sensors, including 10 cameras of various resolutions and focal lengths, five radar sensors firing in every direction and 12 ultrasonic sensors. You9ll need to pay extra for the digital keys to unlock their full functionality, though, like advanced lane-keeping and automated lane changes. There9s even an advanced, point-to-point driver assistance system coming called 434 miles from a single charge,
  Wrap-up2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQTim Stevens for Engadget
  So the CLA looks great, drives well, has plenty of range and again, starting at $47,250, feels well-priced. Yes, you9ll need to pay extra if you want to get all the toys, like the epic Dolby Atmos-capable Burmester sound system or the lovely Natural Fiber Zen interior trim. But when I ticked all the boxes I wanted, I still came out under $60,000. That put me about $5,000 below the base price of the company9s next-bigger EV, the EQE.
  
  The CLA really is a big step forward on the EV front, and it’s a car that9s hard to fault. The new CLA is hitting dealerships presently, and I have a feeling you9ll be seeing plenty of them on the road soon.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/mercedes-benz-cla-first-drive-head-of-the-ev-class-140000562.html?src=rss

• Fallout Season 2 review: Viva New Vegas
  The follow-up to a successful debut is often harder to make than the first, and that goes double when the inspiration for a show comes from the most beloved installment of the underlying franchise. That9s precisely the challenge Fallout season 2 is facing as the TV series shifts its stage to the irradiated lights of New Vegas when the series returns on December 16 at 9PM ET/6PM PT on Prime Video. However, while other video game adaptations like The Last of Us suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump, Fallout continues to get more crass, vulgar and abrasive in the most entertaining ways. 
  
  Editor9s note: We were provided the first six of eight episodes of Fallout season 2 for this review, so if the ending of this season misses its landing, blame The Enclave. 
  
  Season two picks up directly after the first as Lucy (played by Ella Purnelle) and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) make their way across the wasteland in pursuit of Lucy9s father. And right away, we9re instantly reminded of the magnetic chemistry between our leading lady vault dweller and her endearing naivete and our post-apocalyptic cowboy afflicted with dark pragmatism from having simply lived through too much. This simple combo not only often provides the setup for Lucy9s signature catchphrase — which is both quaint and refreshing — it also sets the stage for some interesting plot points. Just hearing The Ghoul say things like "Do more drugs" with Goggin9s classic drawl and without a hint of irony is a real treat. 
  There9s never a dull moment when Lucy and The Ghoul are traveling together. Prime Video
  One of the potential pitfalls of a second season though, is an expanded storyline. That9s because unlike the Fallout games where you get to steer the action, we9re just here for the ride as we flip between Lucy9s search for her father, the existential crises facing multiple vaults and an expanded role for Maximus (Aaron Moten) as he suddenly finds himself near the top of the Brotherhood of Steel9s org chart. 
  
  But somehow, the showrunners have managed to make each branching path just as engaging as the others. There were hints of his range in the first season, but Moises Arias shines as Lucy9s brother Norm as the leader of a new crew (I9m trying to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible) while Annabel O9Hagan as Overseer Harper does a fantastic job of switching between being out of her depth and completely unhinged at a moment9s notice. 
  In season two, it feels like Aaron Moten9s Maximus is so close to figuring out what kind of soldier he wants to be. Prime Video
  The one path that still feels like it hasn9t fully hit its stride is Maximus9, due in large part to the fact that the character9s actions often feel like they are influenced more by circumstance than personal agency. In some ways, it9s the continuation of someone defining their own morality, which rarely feels as convincing or driven as someone with a plan. But there9s still intrigue there too.
  
  Meanwhile, for fans of the games, the number of easter eggs and callbacks is downright delightful. The set design and cinematography make the wasteland a character in its own right, even if the last thing I want to see is someone eat flea soup. We9re also treated to an ever-growing zoography of nuclear critters such as rad scorpions, all sorts of mutants and more, along with appearances from iconic characters like everyone9s favorite cowboy-coded security robot. And I appreciate how the show spends a little extra time to go over the myriad of factions (like The Legion and the NCR), which pays homage to the core series while functioning as an interesting side quest at the same time. 
  With Overseer Harper at the helm, there9s no telling what will happen to Vault 32. Prime Video
  With this much going on, it would be easy for a series to become overburdened. But the pacing isn9t labored, because while the show doesn9t actually get to New Vegas until episode four, the journey there was so entertaining that I didn9t mind. Perhaps most importantly, even though it would be impossible to completely recreate New Vegas on TV (since you can’t choose your own adventure here like you can in the game), it really feels like Fallout9s showrunners have nailed the balance between respecting the source material and tweaking the story to fit a different medium. 
  
  That9s a big credit to the franchise, especially coming from a genre that often gets maligned for a lack of depth or nuance. But it9s also a tribute to this series, which continues to be a prime example of how to make the jump from pixels to TV screens look gook. And after seeing The Last of Us stumble a bit during its second cour, I might even go so far as to say that Fallout is the best live-action video game crossover to date. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/fallout-season-2-review-viva-new-vegas-140000678.html?src=rss

• China approves two level-3 autonomous EVs
  China has taken another step forward in the self-driving car market. The country9s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has made its first approval for cars with level-3 autonomous driving capabilities. The two electric sedans come from state-owned automakers Changan Auto and BAIC Motor.
  
  The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines level-3 driving as "the system handles all aspects of the driving task while you, as the driver, are available to take over driving if requested. If the system can no longer operate and prompts the driver, the driver must be available to resume all aspects of the driving task."
  
  According to a translation of MIIT9s announcement, the Changan vehicle can drive autonomously in single lanes of both highways and urban expressways in traffic congestion. It is allowed solely in certain areas of Chongqing at a maximum speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The BAIC electric sedan can also function autonomously on the same roads, but only in areas of Beijing at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). 
  
  "The team strictly followed the standards and procedures to conduct preliminary review, selection, testing, and safety assessments," MIIT stated. "Both automotive companies have completed and passed the product testing and safety assessments as required." They didn9t present a timeline for when the models would become available. 
  
  The US approved its first certified level-3 car in January 2023, a Mercedes.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/china-approves-two-level-3-autonomous-evs-134548316.html?src=rss

• The AirPods Pro 3 are $40 off right now on Amazon
  If you haven9t yet upgraded to Apple9s AirPods Pro 3, you can pick up the company9s latest model at a discount through a deal on Amazon right now. The AirPods Pro 3, which came out in September, are currently down to $210. That9s $40 off and only $10 more than the record-low price we saw last week. The Pro 3s have been fluctuating in price since Black Friday, with the lowest they9ve been being $199 for a brief period. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple made some big improvements, including better battery life and sound quality, and introduced useful new features, such as Live Translation.
  
  
  
  The AirPods Pro 3 are the best AirPods available today, with Apple9s H2 chip, and earned a score of 90 out of 100 in Engadget9s review this fall. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is one of the biggest selling points of the AirPods Pro, and Apple has made the experience even better with the AirPods Pro 3. They sport new foam-infused ear tips that create a better seal to improve passive noise isolation, and as Engadget9s Billy Steele wrote in his review, "Ultra-low-noise microphones combine with advanced computational audio to silence even more background noise." In testing, they had no problem blocking out the chatter of people nearby or otherwise noisy environments.
  
  With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple introduced heart-rate sensing, so you9ll be able to see your heart rate data from the earbuds in the Fitness app and other workout apps. The AirPods Pro 3 also boast Live Translation, which you can activate via controls on the earbuds themselves. As long as you have an Apple Intelligence-capable device, you9ll be able to translate in-person conversations in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin).
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-airpods-pro-3-are-40-off-right-now-on-amazon-222806233.html?src=rss

• Divinity: Original Sin 2 for modern consoles is free for old fans
  The definitive version of now available for the PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox X|S. The role-playing game was developed by Larian Studios, the same company that developed Baldur’s Gate 3. To be clear, the game’s new release isn’t a remake or even a remaster — it’s just a port for new consoles so that old and new fans alike can enjoy the game without having to bust out their previous-gen devices. Fans who already own a copy of the game can even get it for free.
  
  Original Sin 2 is the fifth main entry in the Divinity game series. In it, gamers play a sorcerer who can wield forbidden magic and who gets captured by the Magisters of the Divine Order so they can be “cured” of their powers. Players can make their character from scratch, creating their own class and giving their character the abilities, skills and stats they want. But they can also use any of the pre-set characters the game provides.
  
  Players who already have the 2017 version installed will get a free upgrade applicable to their console. If they don’t have it installed anymore, they can go to game’s store page on their new device and download the upgrade for free — aside from fans in Japan who’ll have to pay ¥100 for the Switch 2 and PS4 upgrade. Larian is also working on the latest entry to the franchise, simply called Divinity, which is its biggest and most abitious game to date.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/divinity-original-sin-2-for-modern-consoles-is-free-for-old-fans-130000192.html?src=rss

• Hollow Knight: Silksong's upcoming DLC pack will be free for all players
  One of 20259s splashiest games, announced in a blog post. The nautically-themed Sea of Sorrow update will come to the moody Metroidvania some time in 2026, and better still, it will be free for all players. 
  
  The DLC will include "new areas, bosses, tools and more," the developer wrote. There aren9t a lot of clues to the gameplay in the short trailer below, but the four shots definitely relay the vibe. The first shows what looks like fishing tackle, then we see something (or someone) on a tomb-like wooden platform tied under a canvas sheet. Next an orb-like structure crackling with electricity looms and finally the game9s protagonist, Hornet, appears. 
  
  In related news, Team Cherry gave updates on its Nintendo Switch 2 version of the original Hollow Knight that will bring it up to visual parity with the the Hollow Knight: Silksong Switch 2 edition. As part of that, the studio also released a beta update to the Steam and GOG PC versions of the original Hollow Knight. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksongs-upcoming-dlc-pack-will-be-free-for-all-players-123055729.html?src=rss

• The Anker Laptop Power Bank soothed my (self-inflicted) battery anxiety
  For the longest time, I refused to upgrade my work-issued MacBook. I was leery of the hassle, and would much rather hang on to an aging Intel-powered laptop than have to transfer files, set up apps and sign in to accounts all over again. What did it matter if my notebook barely lasted long enough to cover an iPhone launch? My petty brain blamed it all on external factors (like being forced to use a MacBook instead of a PC), and left me dripping in stress as I watched the power levels dip down to zero at many of the live events I attend every year. So when I saw the Anker Laptop Power Bank was one of the items in our Labor Day deals roundup this year, I decided to get one to alleviate my battery anxiety (instead of, you know, doing the sane thing and agreeing to a new laptop).
  
  When I unboxed my new Laptop Power Bank the night before the iPhone 17 Pro launch, I wasn’t expecting to be so taken by its features. All I knew before then was that this was a solid, beefy laptop battery pack, squeezing 25,000mAh in a compact package that would save me from having to worry too much about finding an outlet. But when I saw the screen light up with details on the amount of energy left (to two decimal places!) and the real-time charge data when I plugged it in, I was impressed. How modern!
  
  Then I noticed the built-in cables — one retractable and neatly tucked inside the charger and the other artfully curved into a groove and doubling as a handle. Both wires were braided and felt like they’d be resistant to fraying and destroying themselves over time. Altogether, the general build quality and functionality of all the components made it clear this was a thoughtfully designed product worthy of all the praise and money we’ve hurled at it since my colleagues first tested it. 
  
  But what truly made me smile (and giggle, honestly) was a naughty little Easter egg. I saw posts on Threads indicating that if you tugged on that retractable cable and let it go in and out a few times, the screen would show a smiley face. I didn’t believe this was true until I saw it for myself. Sure, it felt a little bit odd, but I told myself I was revving a chainsaw, and doing legitimate testing for professional reasons, not jerking off a device. And when I saw the funny face appear, I felt the effect was humorous rather than pervy. The good news for the more staid readers is that if you don’t want to ever see that face, you never have to. And if you like cheeky little touches in your tech products, the Anker Laptop Battery Charger will delight. 
  
  Regardless of how I felt about having pleasured a laptop battery charger, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a well-made, well-rounded product. It managed to get my MacBook a few extra hours, so I made it all the way to the end of a multi-hour keynote, though it did run completely empty so I couldn’t recharge my phone after. Blast Apple Park and its utter lack of available power outlets!
  
  Anker’s Laptop Battery Pack effectively allayed my battery anxiety, brought me some mirth and won me over with its thoughtful design. And because I got it on sale, it was $90 well spent.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-anker-laptop-power-bank-soothed-my-self-inflicted-battery-anxiety-123000024.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: Roomba maker iRobot files for bankruptcy
  iRobot, the company that brought robotic vacuum cleaners to homes and popular culture, has filed for bankruptcy. It plans to sell all assets to its primary supplier, the Chinese company Picea Robotics. Investors “will experience a total loss and not receive recovery on their investment” if the deal is approved, iRobot said. The company didn’t discuss how the move might affect its employees in the US or elsewhere.
  
  Amazon dropped its $1.7 billion acquisition of the company last year after a veto threat from European regulators, leaving the Roomba maker with no other option. Political scrutiny came on two fronts: The company was also reportedly hit hard by Trump’s tariffs in Vietnam, where it manufactures products for the US market.
  
  iRobot launched its first Roomba in 2002, arguably inventing the world of robot vacuums — and the first robots to enter many of our homes. Competition from rivals has chipped away at its dominance, with other companies coming in at both lower and higher prices, like Roborock, Dyson and Anker’s Eufy.
  
  — Mat Smith
  The other big stories this morning
  IKEA’s new wireless charger is cuteI like the illuminated charging bowl too.LG will debut its first Micro RGB television at CESMore color and better dimming than a standard LCD.
  LG says it will unveil its LG Micro RGB evo TV at CES 2026, but ahead of that, it shared some preliminary information about the screen. Instead of just white lights, Micro RGB means the backlight can be any hue, thanks to individually controlled red, green and blue Micro LEDs, offering a wider color array. This approach is midway between OLED’s individual-pixel lighting and TVs that use typical mini-LEDs.
  
  ‘Slop’ is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year2025 saw AI slop sludge into every nook and cranny of online life.OpenAI
  Merriam-Webster has selected “slop” for its 2025 word of the year. It’s defined as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” We’ve seen an absolute deluge of AI slop this year, from fake movie trailers on YouTube to AI-generated bands on Spotify. It was (unfortunately) one of our winners of 2025.
  
  Continue reading.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121547853.html?src=rss

• The best mobile microphones for 2026
  There’s nothing more frustrating than shooting the perfect reel only to realize that the audio sounds like garbage. For budding creators, it’s a frustration; for those looking to make more professional content, it’s a dealbreaker. Fortunately, the world of mobile-specific (or phone-friendly) microphones has exploded with great options in the last few years. Whether you’ve been tasked with recording candid moments at a relative’s wedding, shooting a friend’s dance moves or are a journalist out in the field traveling light — there’s an option out there that will be perfect for you.
  
  We’ve tested a wide range of popular microphones with a mobile focus so that you don’t have to. Below is our hand-picked list of the very best options for a variety of use cases. Some microphones — the wireless lavalier kind, for example — will be more versatile and convenient, useful for a number of different applications. Others, such as our musician or field-recording picks, are where we explore more exotic form factors such as shotgun mics and mobile-friendly desktop options. As always, above everything else is sound quality and general performance. The good news for you is that we’ve done all the hard work for you. Happy recording!
  Best phone mics for 2026: Best wireless mics for creators
  “Creator” is a broad term, but for the purposes of this guide, it’s anyone that wants to make videos or recordings to share on the internet. This is possibly the most exciting category right now with excellent options from brands such as Rode and DJI, but also some compelling budget options too. Once the domain of TV and pro productions, wireless lavalier mics are now the go-to choice for anyone creating in front of (or even behind) the camera. They usually sound great, offer hands-free flexibility and premium models come with extra features that will streamline your creative process.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  How we test mobile microphones
  The world of mobile microphones has exploded in recent years thanks to affordable, high-quality wireless systems, the popularity of social media and content creation and, of course, Apple’s reluctant switch to USB-C on the iPhone which has removed connectivity complications for manufacturers.
  
  When it comes to testing, my experience as a journalist, podcast producer, YouTuber and (failing) music producer has given me a lot of real-world experience with a wide variety of products all aimed at different jobs. When compiling this guide for Engadget, I filter that experience down to a few simple criteria that allows us to focus on what’s important to you, the reader and whatever it is you’re trying to record.
  
  The main criteria for mobile microphones are simple: Does it sound great? Does it connect to a phone directly and reliably? And, is it good value for its intended purpose? A hobbyist and a professional have different budgets after all.
  
  What every microphone endures is repeated recording in treated, non-treated and outdoor environments. I’ll also A/B test each one against its rivals and usually a suitable reference microphone — Shure’s SM7b for podcasting microphones or Rode’s NTG 5 for shotgun/video mics, for example.
  
  Some sub-categories of microphone require a slightly different approach. For wireless systems, I test how far I can walk from the receiver before recordings degrade, along with a standard battery life test by setting them to record until they power off. For podcast and vocal-focused microphones, I record in different spaces to see how they cope with different environments and measure self noise (recording “silence”). Lastly, I test how they sound when recording at different distances from the microphone.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-mobile-microphones-for-recording-with-a-phone-154536629.html?src=rss

• Google is retiring its free dark web monitoring tool next year
  Google will stop sending out dark web reports starting early next year, as it shuts down the free tool that can tell you if your personal information has appeared on the seedy underbelly of the internet. The tool used to be exclusively available to Google One subscribers until the company opened it up to everyone in mid-2024. If you switch it on, you’ll receive a notification whenever your name, email address and phone number leak on the internet, typically due to data breaches.
  
  In Google’s email announcement, however, it said it was discontinuing dark web reports because “feedback showed that it did not provide helpful next steps.” A report just lets you know that your information has appeared on the dark web. You can also see a list of all the hits you get on your Google account, along with what data breach leaked that particular detail. However, it doesn’t give you guidance on what to do afterwards.
  
  The company explained that it will focus on tools that can give you clear, actionable step to take instead. Google will stop monitoring for new dark web results on January 15, 2026 and will remove access to the report from your account on February 16. You can also remove your monitoring profile right now by going to the “results with your info” section on the tool’s official page.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-is-retiring-its-free-dark-web-monitoring-tool-next-year-023103252.html?src=rss

• LG will debut its first Micro RGB television at CES
  LG is getting in on one of the newest trends for televisions with the introduction of Micro RGB. The company will unveil the LG Micro RGB evo at CES 2026, but it shared some preliminary information about the screen today.
  
  Micro RGB is a newer screen technology where rather than white lights, the backlight can be any hue thanks to individually controlled red, green and blue Micro LEDs, offering a wider color array. This approach is a mid-way point between the precision of OLED with its individual pixel lighting, but it offers an upgrade over screens only using mini LEDs.
  
  The television is also equipped with an upgraded engine for AI upscaling. According to the company9s press release, the LG Micro RGB evo is certified by Intertek for 100 percent color gamut coverage in BT.2020, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB. The TV has more than a thousand dimming zones for brightness control.
  
  The few other brands currently using micro RGB are charging a pretty penny for it; the one announced by Samsung earlier this year costs $29,999. At 115 inches, the Samsung version is also much larger than LG9s offerings, which include options at 100 inches, 86 inches and 75 inches. Although the size is reduced, expect the eventual prices for the LG Micro RGB evo to also be very expensive.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lg-will-debut-its-first-micro-rgb-television-at-ces-010037923.html?src=rss

• Judge blocks Louisiana's social media age verification law
  A Louisiana law that would have required social media platforms to verify the ages of their users has been blocked by a judge. The law, known as the Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation, was passed in 2023 and required Meta, Reddit, Snap, YouTube Discord and others to implement age verification and parental control features.
  
  The ruling came just days before the law, which technically took effect over the summer, would have started to be enforced. In his ruling, Judge John W. deGravelles wrote that the law9s "age-verification and parental-consent requirements are both over- and under-inclusive," and that its definition of "social media platform" was "nebulous."
  
  The ruling was a victory for NetChoice, a lobbying group that represents the tech industry and has challenged the growing number of age verification laws around the world. The group had argued that the law was unconstitutional and posed a safety and security risk.
  
  In a statement following the ruling, the group pointed to the "massive privacy risk" posed by the Louisiana law and others like it. "Louisiana’s law would have done more than chill speech," Paul Taske, the co-director of NetChoice’s Litigation Center said. "It would have created a massive privacy risk for Louisianans like those playing out in real time in countries without a First Amendment, like the UK."
  
  In a statement, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she would appeal the ruling. “The assault on children by online predators is an all-hands-on-deck problem,” Murrill said. “It’s unfortunate that the court chose to protect huge corporations that facilitate child exploitation over the legislative policy to require simple age verification mechanisms.”
  
  Update, December 16, 11:50AM PT: This story has been updated to add a statement from the Louisiana Attorney General’s office.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/judge-blocks-louisianas-social-media-age-verification-law-001212758.html?src=rss

• LG quietly added an unremovable Microsoft Copilot app to TVs
  Microsoft made a big punt this year with Copilot. The company put its AI chatbot into a special line of laptops and has also tried to integrate it into other tech products. The latest place you may find Copilot is on your LG smart television, whether you want it or not.
  
  Several LG smart TV owners have taken to Reddit over the past few days to complain that they suddenly have a Copilot app on the device and cannot uninstall it. Two Engadget staffers discovered the app on a 2022 LG OLED and a 2023 UA8000. They confirmed that the app can9t be removed, although they were able to hide it from the home screen. One other person from our team also has a 2022 LG OLED but isn9t seeing Copilot, so your mileage may vary based on what permissions and privacy settings you already have set up with LG.
  Karissa Bell for Engadget
  LG said during the 2025 CES season that it would have a Copilot-powered AI Search in its next wave of TV models, but putting in a permanent AI fixture is sure to leave a bad taste in many customers9 mouths, particularly since Copilot hasn9t been particularly popular among people using AI assistants.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/lg-quietly-added-an-unremovable-microsoft-copilot-app-to-tvs-235923754.html?src=rss

• Ford is rebooting the F-150 Lightning as an EREV with a gas generator
  Just last month, Ford seemed to be on the brink of sunsetting the F-150 Lightning. Today, the vehicle manufacturer announced plans to reboot the truck as a hybrid. This next generation of the F-150 Lightning will contain Extended Range Electric Vehicle. An EREV is similar in concept to a plug-in hybrid but with a larger battery that9s topped up by a gas generator — the powertrain itself is all electric. This next generation of the F-150 Lightning will offer an estimated range of more than 700 miles. Production will end this year on the current F-150 Lightning models.
  
  This revamp of the F-150 Lightning is part of Ford9s latest approach to electric vehicles. The company projected that by 2030, half of its global volume will be comprised of hybrids, extended-range EVs and electric vehicles, compared with 17 percent today. "As part of these actions, Ford no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes," the company9s press release states. Ford will also swap its planned electric commercial van for North America with a new, affordable commercial van that has both gas and hybrid options. The company anticipates seeing a $19.5 billion negative impact for this pivot away from EVs.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-is-rebooting-the-f-150-lightning-as-an-erev-with-a-gas-generator-222529768.html?src=rss

• The 12 best last-minute Christmas gifts for 2025 that will arrive by December 24
  The holidays are nearly here and if you’re a bit behind on your gift shopping, you’re not alone. The holidays can truly sneak up on you, and this year that’s been more true than ever. Between wrapping things up at work before some well-deserved time off and making sure you have everything you need to host family and friends, it can be hard to find the time to go to a store to pick out presents. And when you do finally get there, you may be met with half-empty shelves. But this is where the internet comes in handy: you still have time to buy holiday gifts online.
  
  USPS,UPS andFedEx have laid out their holiday shipping deadlines for 2025. At this point, we recommend picking up small, affordable gifts that will ship quickly from retailers likeAmazon,Walmart andTarget so you have plenty of time to wrap them up nicely and make it look like you had everything well-planned from the start. Here are the best last-minute Christmas gifts you can get right now and still have in time before the holidays.
  Best last-minute Christmas gifts
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Holiday shipping deadlines for 2025
  USPS: Ground Advantage — December 17, Priority Mail Express: December 20
  
  UPS: Three-Day Select — December 19, Next Day Air — December 23
  
  FedEx: Ground Economy — December 15, First Overnight — December 23
  
  Amazon Prime: December 23
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-12-best-last-minute-christmas-gifts-for-2025-that-will-arrive-by-december-24-140037753.html?src=rss

• The best Christmas gift ideas everyone on your 2025 holiday shopping list will love
  This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give our loved ones things they will enjoy and appreciate. But there’s a lot of noise, junk and bad deals disguised as good deals to sift through as we get closer and closer to the holidays.
  
  Allow us at Engadget to help you through it. Here, you’ll find all of our holiday gift guides collected in one place, so you can more easily find the best Christmas gifts you need this year. Are you looking for white elephant gift ideas? Are you struggling to come up with a good gift for the father figure in your life? Are you just looking for a good board game to pick up for your own family? We’ve got you covered with gift ideas for all of those scenarios and more.
  Best white elephant gift ideas
  
  
  According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin. This story is almost certainly untrue, but it has led to a modern holiday staple: the white elephant gift exchange. These gift ideas will not only get you a few chuckles, but will also make your recipient feel (slightly) burdened.
  
  Read more: the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories for even more ideas.
  
  Read more: The best Nintendo gifts for the holiday season
  Best retro gaming gifts
  
  
  The stream of new video games never ends, but for some of us, nothing beats the classics. If you don’t feel like hunting through eBay and local game shops for old cartridges to add to your loved one’s collection, we’ve picked out a few other gift ideas for the nostalgic gamer in your life — from video upscalers for old consoles to retro-themed books and artwork.
  
  Read more: The best retro gaming gifts for the holidays
  Best gifts for gamers
  
  
  The year may not be over, but 2025 is all but guaranteed to go down as one of the best 12 months in gaming history. Between releases like Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ghost of Yotei, to name just a few, there was truly something for everyone in 2025. Of course, that abundance also means it can be tricky to find a gift for the gamers in your life, especially if you9re not one yourself. Worry not — Engadget is here to help. We guarantee our guide will help you find the perfect gift for your friend or loved one.
  
  Read more: The best gifts for gamers
  Best gifts for moms
  
  
  Some moms really do mean it when they say they don’t need any gifts. But those same moms will probably appreciate getting something thoughtful and personal — a gift that shows you put in a bit of consideration. It’s tough to pin-point what that ideal gift is for any given mom, but we’ve got ideas to get you started. Since we spend our days testing and otherwise thinking about tech, most of the presents here have a gadget spin, but all of them are a heck of a lot more unique than a candle and a bath bomb.
  
  Read more: The best gifts for mom
  Best gifts for dads
  
  
  It9s not always easy to find gifts for dads, especially for those who are often quick to snap up whatever they need on their own. But even the geekiest and most well-informed dads have blind spots — the trick is to find something they9ve never heard of, but could actually make their lives useful. We9ve collected some of our favorite dadcore gift ideas, which would suit everyone from a complete gadgetphobe to a total techie.
  
  Read more: The best gifts for dads
  Best subscription box gifts
  
  
  Subscription boxes are the rare gift that keeps its charm long after the wrapping paper is gone. You make the choice once, but the surprises keep landing on their doorstep for months after that. For anyone who loves the buzz of a delivery, these are gifts that extend the season well past December. Each box on this list combines a bit of discovery with something tangible, such as gadgets, books, collectibles, snacks or clever projects. Some appeal to hardcore hobbyists, others to the curious or the comfort seekers, but all offer that same spark of delight that comes from unboxing something unexpected.
  
  Read more: The best subscription box gifts
  Best gifts for home cooks
  
  
  For home cooks, kitchen tools are the equipment that make all your favorite dishes and meals possible. And while having the fanciest gear certainly isn9t a requirement, it is really nice, which makes products like the ones here such great gifts. These are the kind of things that people want but might not be able to justify buying for themselves, or essential pieces that would be handy additions to any kitchen or pantry. So if you9re looking for present ideas for the chef in your life, check out our guide of tried and tested cooking tools and gadgets.
  
  Read more: The best cooking gifts
  Best gifts for coffee lovers
  
  
  When it comes to making coffee at home, us coffee nerds are constantly evolving. Whether the person you’re shopping for is newly indoctrinated into the world of small-batch roasters or obsessive over every possible aspect of every brewing process, we’ve compiled a list of the best coffee gear for any coffee geek this holiday season. For brewing, grinding and drinking, we’ve got multiple options at a range of prices to help expand any java geek’s horizons. And if you think the coffee aficionado on your list already has everything they need, we’ve got a recommendation for them too.
  
  Read more: The best gifts for coffee lovers
  Best gadgets for your pets
  
  
  We9re a pet-loving staff here at Engadget, with diverse distribution of cat people, dog people, other-small-fuzzy-creature people, bird feeder enjoyers and so on (at press time, I9m unsure if we have a rat person, but I9d be surprised if we didn9t). And, of course, we love getting new gadgets of all sorts for our pets as much as for ourselves. Our list, with gifts as low-tech as a blanket and as high-tech as the best $30 two-way camera you9ll ever use, is for the pet lover in your life — whether that9s you or another favorite human.
  
  Read more: The best gadgets for your pets
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-christmas-gift-ideas-everyone-on-your-2025-holiday-shopping-list-will-love-170018978.html?src=rss

• Apple TV app for Android now supports Google Cast
  Apple TV is adding Google Cast support to its native Android app. This update allows subscribers to stream Apple TV shows from their smartphones to their televisions. Apple9s streaming service only just released the dedicated app for the Android operating system in February 2025. Adding in Google Cast support helps fully integrate the app into the experience for people whose gear is part of the Android ecosystem.
  
  The addition should make it easier for viewers to shift between screens, even mid-episode. It9s a very different approach than Netflix, which recently ended Google Cast support for its streaming platform in most use cases.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-app-for-android-now-supports-google-cast-205642324.html?src=rss

• Fallout season 2's first episode will premiere a little earlier than expected
  In an era where we often have to twiddle our thumbs for three years before a new season of a TV show we enjoy returns to our screens, the pic.twitter.com/RHpSBBXJ6H
  — FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) December 15, 2025
  However, you won9t be able to binge the entire season this week. While Amazon dropped all of Fallout season one at once in April 2024, this time around it will release episodes on a weekly cadence through February 4.
  
  Fallout was also in the news late last week when Prime Video offered up an error-ridden, AI-generated recap of season one. Amazon responded to the backlash (AI video recaps from Prime Video entirely.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/fallout-season-2s-first-episode-will-premiere-a-little-earlier-than-expected-205018028.html?src=rss

• Bungie's Marathon will arrive in March
  
  Bungie’s Marathon has a new release window. The survival extraction shooter was originally set to hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in September, but by June, Sony had delayed it indefinitely. Now, with a plagiarism issue largely in the rearview mirror, Bungie has confirmed that Marathon will arrive in March and and plans to sell it for $40.
  
  Alongside the release date and price announcement, Bungie released a 23-minute video that takes a deep dive into the game and shows off the current state of Marathon. New features include proximity chat and a solo mode, while Bungie says it has upgraded the environmental storytelling and visual fidelity. Gritty environments provide a nice contrast to the glossy sci-fi sheen that defined Marathon’s visual language in our earliest looks at the game.
  
  There’s a lot more on deck for Marathon’s first year including new maps and events. Bungie also plans to release more shells, which are akin to character classes that can be customized by changing your loadout. The Rook shell, for instance, is a new one that the studio has added since the alpha playtests. This shell allows you to join a run that9s already in progress. You’ll have a limited loadout, but you’re not really risking anything valuable as you run around to loot items.
  
  There’s a lot riding on Marathon. Parent company Sony Interactive Entertainment said last month that Destiny 2 had not lived up to its expectations and it wrote down the value of Bungie’s assets by $204 million. Back in August, Sony asserted more control over Bungie and said the developer was “shifting into a role that is becoming more part of PlayStation Studios.”
  
  That’s hardly the only issue Bungie has faced this year. The studio admitted in May that one of its former employees plagiarized the work of artist Fern Hook by enabling it to be used in Marathon’s in-game textures. Earlier this month, Hook said that Bungie and Sony had resolved the matter “to my satisfaction.”
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/bungies-marathon-will-arrive-in-march-200838426.html?src=rss

• Disney+ is now available to stream on Meta's Quest headsets
  Meta revealed that Disney+ was coming to its Quest headsets earlier this year during its Connect event. Now, the streaming app and its vast catalog are finally available to Meta9s VR users in the United States.
  
  Meta recently overhauled the Quest9s entertainment experience with a new Horizon TV hub that brings its streaming features into one place. Horizon TV also added support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound, both of which Disney+ subscribers can now take advantage of. According to Meta, there are a"select" number of titles available to stream in Dolby Vision 4K HDR, and Disney+ Premium subscribers can stream with Dolby Atmos Sound. The company also says there are more than 100 titles in Disney9s catalog that support 4K UHD and HDR and some Marvel and Pixar titles that support IMAX9s expanded aspect ratio. 
  
  The app is available now on the latest version of Horizon OS. Though Disney+ is for now limited to US-based Quest users, Meta says that international availability is "coming soon." 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/disney-is-now-available-to-stream-on-metas-quest-headsets-203622392.html?src=rss

• Amazon sells MOBA March of Giants to Ubisoft
  Ubisoft is moving deeper into MOBAs after buying March of Giants from Amazon and acquiring the team that made the game. As part of the agreement, Amazon will help promote March of Giants on Twitch. The deal is expected to close on December 16
  
  There’s no release date as yet for March of Giants. Amazon announced the free-to-play game back in August and there was a closed alpha playtest the following month. The next playtest will take place in 2026. The next major update for March of Giants will include “new giants, expanded competitive modes and foundational systems designed to support long-term growth.”
  
  March of Giants is a 4v4 game in which players control giant war commanders. You’ll lead armies with thousands of soldiers and send them to attack enemy giants. Likewise, you’ll have to fend off the other team’s minions. You can also deploy reinforcements (called Battleworks) like trenches, tanks and bunkers to help you win a match.
  
  MOBAs aren’t entirely new territory for Ubisoft. While it’s ostensibly a third-person action game, established five years ago. Several former Ubisoft employees are returning to that company as part of this deal. Many of them were part of the original creative team behind Rainbow Six Siege, including Amazon Games Montreal founder and March of Giants creative director Xavier Marquis.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-sells-moba-march-of-giants-to-ubisoft-183948291.html?src=rss

• 'Slop' is Merriam-Webster's word of the year
  Merriam-Webster has selected "slop" for the dictionary company9s 2025 word of the year. The leading lexicographers define slop as "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." We9ve seen an absolute deluge of AI slop this year, from fake movie trailers on YouTube to AI-generated bands on Spotify. Not even food delivery like Uber Eats could escape the onslaught of AI-generated garbage that no one asked for.
  
  It9s gotten to the point that half the videos my well-meaning parents send me on social media are AI-generated videos of dogs. This isn9t all that surprising given how very intentionally the social media giants have added slop to all our feeds.
  
  Merriam-Webster rightly points out the somewhat mocking nature of calling it “slop.” "Like slime, sludge and muck, slop has the wet sound of something you don9t want to touch. Slop oozes into everything. The original sense of the word, in the 1700s, was 9soft mud.9 In the 1800s it came to mean 9food waste9 (as in 9pig slop9), and then more generally, 9rubbish9 or 9a product of little or no value,9" the dictionary distributors wrote.
  
  As the proliferation of AI slop expanded, some platforms like TikTok and Pinterest got wise and began offering users the choice to tone down the sheer amount of it in their feeds. Even Spotify is at least trying to combat some of this stuff now, though that didn9t stop an AI-generated copycat from going unnoticed on the platform for weeks. Elsewhere, companies like Google leaned in, incorporating Veo 3-generated videos into YouTube Shorts. We9ll only be able to tell in hindsight if 2025 was the peak of AI slop, but for now it shows no signs of abating.
  
  Merriam-Webster highlighted some other words for the year (some of which the chronically online will be familiar with), including Gerrymander, Touch Grass, Performative, Tariff, Conclave and Six Seven.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/slop-is-merriam-websters-word-of-the-year-181903322.html?src=rss

• The 10 best white elephant gifts worth fighting over for 2025
  If you have a white elephant gift exchange at work this year or with friends and family, there’s a good chance you’re scrambling right now to find a good gift — or decipher what even makes a good white elephant gift. The possible origins of the term “white elephant” provide one way of looking at it: According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a far more devious punishment than simply having them executed. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin.
  
  Whether or not that story is true, it gives us one way of looking at a white elephant gift: something just useful or amusing enough that it won’t immediately get tossed into the trash, but is also somewhat of a burden. However, there are plenty of other ways of interpreting this strange yet delightful tradition. Some compete to get a gift that others will surely want to steal, while others scavenge for the most niche and targeted gag gifts. Almost all of them, though, typically have a price limit that keeps the burden of gift giving to a minimum — usually $50 or less. So with all of that in mind, here are some white elephant gift ideas that will get you a few chuckles without requiring you to spend too much (or think too hard about it).
  Best white elephant gift ideas
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  White elephant FAQs What is white elephant?
  A white elephant gift exchange is a party game typically played around the holidays in which people exchange funny, impractical gifts.
  How does white elephant work?
  A group of people each bring one wrapped gift to the white elephant gift exchange, and each gift is typically of a similar value. All gifts are then placed together and the group decides the order in which they will each claim a gift. The first person picks a white elephant gift from the pile, unwraps it and their turn ends. The following players can either decide to unwrap another gift and claim it as their own, or steal a gift from someone who has already taken a turn. The rules can vary from there, including the guidelines around how often a single item can be stolen — some say twice, max. The game ends when every person has a white elephant gift.
  Why is it called white elephant?
  The term “white elephant” is said to come from the legend of the King of Siam gifting white elephants to courtiers who upset him. While it seems like a lavish gift on its face, the belief is that the courtiers would be ruined by the animal’s upkeep costs.
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10-best-white-elephant-gifts-worth-fighting-over-for-2025-150516281.html?src=rss

• In 2025, tech giants decided smart glasses are the next big thing
  There9s a growing sentiment that gadgets have gotten boring. And while I don9t fully agree, I understand why people might feel that way. Just think about some of the novel device types that companies have tried to push since the original iPhone came out. 
  
  3D TVs were a massive flop and tablets still feel like extra-large smartphones despite Apple9s efforts to prop them up as laptop replacements. Meanwhile, even with huge technological advancements over the last decade, VR headsets remain relatively niche due to factors like high prices and a lack of compelling content. And although big names like Google, Microsoft, Meta and others continue to dump billions into AI development, the first wave of dedicated AI devices was an abject failure. 
  
  When you think about it, the only new(ish) class of gadget that has made major inroads to the mainstream market is smartwatches. That said, because they9ve evolved into wearable health and fitness sensors instead of the wrist-based computers that many once thought they would be, they haven9t really disrupted our lives like the personal computer and smartphone did. But that seems poised to change because the tech giants have decided that smart glasses are going to be the next big thing. 
  Headsets versus smart glasses, what’s the difference?Google is planning to support both smart glasses and headsets with Android XR, though the increased size and weight of devices like the Galaxy XR means it9s not a great choice for all-day functionality. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  At this point, you might be saying, "Wait, hold on. Aren9t VR headsets and smart glasses kind of the same thing?" Well, yes and no. Both types of gadgets require similar software and hardware, but they utilize them in very different ways. Not only are VR goggles typically much bigger and heavier, they also provide a more isolated experience that can make it feel like you9ve been transported to another world. 
  
  Sure, most modern headsets have exterior cameras that support some level of mixed reality (blending virtual graphics with physical objects) or let you peek quickly into meatspace (passthrough view) for when you need to get a drink or acknowledge other humans in the room. But in many respects, that closed-off feeling is the goal because it creates the ideal environment for playing games, taking virtual meetings or modeling 3D objects without real-world distractions. Furthermore, while many headsets like the Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 can function as standalone systems and support accessories like controllers or other motion trackers, they can also be tethered to a nearby PC for enhanced functionality.  
  
  On the other hand, the default use case for smart glasses is a mixed reality environment where the spectacles can overlay helpful info or messages while you stay active and aware of your surroundings. Notably, while smart glasses might come with lenses or clip-on attachments that allow them to get darker or serve as sunglasses when you9re outside, there typically isn9t a way to completely block out the world like you can with a headset, mostly because that9s simply not the point. And even though most smart spectacles can be paired with a phone to get access to mobile data or notifications, they9re generally not meant to be tethered to a PC full-time (though there are some exceptions). The goal for smart glasses is more to provide a mobile-first heads-up display that augments what you see with your eyes instead of replacing things entirely with a digital environment. 
  OK, but what makes you so sure that smart glasses are "it?"
  Now that we9ve discussed what separates smart glasses from headsets, what makes it so obvious that they are going to be the next big thing? This one is a bit easier to answer because we can simply look at the sheer number of companies that have released smart glasses or are planning to do so in the future. If we skip past the Google Glass from 2013 as forward-thinking specs that were ahead of their time, the most well-known example of modern smart glasses is the Meta Ray-Ban (or the even earlier Ray-Ban Stories from back when Facebook was still Facebook). 
  While they are a bit chunky, the Meta Ray-Ban Display are some of the most sophisticated smart glasses on the market right now due in large part to their single full-color screen. Karissa Bell for Engadget
  Even though they don9t have built-in displays, the ability to capture photos and videos and play audio via built-in speakers brought the idea of smart glasses into the mainstream without making the concept look or feel completely ridiculous. Those earlier models then paved the way for even more sophisticated iterations like the Meta Ray-Ban Display from earlier this fall, which features a stunning RGB HUD (though only in the right lens) that has gotten us tantalizingly close to a true wearable display that doesn9t make you look like a cyborg. Of course, Meta isn9t the only game in town: there9s a rapidly growing number of competitors from companies like Even Realities, Rokkid, TCL, Xreal, Viture and more. 
  
  But for an even clearer sign of where the tech giants are heading, we can just look at Meta9s two biggest competitors: Apple and Google. While Apple hasn9t publicly announced plans to make its own smart glasses, Bloomberg9s Mark Gurman — who is one of the company9s most reliable analysts — provided inside info earlier this fall that Tim Cook and Co. are planning to pivot away from a proper follow-up to the Vision Pro in favor of more lightweight spectacles with greater mass appeal.��
  
  This shouldn9t really come as a major surprise, as sales of Apple9s $3,500 headset have been lackluster. But more importantly, for a company that9s extremely cautious about entering new product categories (foldable iPhone anyone?), it feels very telling to hear that Apple is shifting to smart glasses instead of abandoning the idea of wearable displays entirely. This is a company that doesn9t swing and miss very often, so the idea of two flops in a row seems preposterous. If this pivot is real, there must be some Apple execs who are big believers that glasses and not goggles are the right choice for future development. 
  Here are two of Google9s reference design smart glasses. The one in the front features dual RGB waveguide displays while the one in the back relies on a single monocular screen.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Meanwhile, Google is taking a two-pronged approach. In addition to releasing a new mixed reality OS — Android XR — on Samsung9s Galaxy XR headset in October, the company has also teased upcoming smart glasses along with a handful of partners including glasses makers Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.  Just this week, the company also added a number of new features to Android XR designed to support a wide range of upcoming devices while simultaneously making it easier for developers to port existing apps over to smart glasses and headsets. And if you still need additional evidence regarding Google9s desire to get into smart glasses, consider that even with its ongoing collaboration, the company also spent $100 million to acquire a 4 percent stake in Gentle Monster. 
  
  Regardless of who is making them though, the big draw for these companies is the idea that smart glasses will become a new piece of core personal computing, similar to how people rely on smartphones and laptops today (or to a lesser extent wireless headphones and smartwatches). If true, that could become a trillion-dollar market in the next 10 to 15 years (or sooner, who knows), which not only makes it a natural avenue for expansion but possibly a future existential crisis for certain companies. After all, none of these organizations want to be the next Microsoft after it failed to develop a successful smartphone or mobile OS.
  Fine, the smart glasses trend is real, but why would we even want them?
  At this point, I hope it9s clear that the push for smart glasses is very real and very serious. But so far, we9ve only addressed why companies are betting big on them. So what9s in it for us, the people who might actually buy and use them? Well, to answer that, we need to separate the current models into three main categories.
  A great use case for smart glasses would be to provide heads-up mapping without the need to constantly look down at your phone as seen in this demo clip of Android XR. Google
  First, there are the most basic smart glasses that don9t come with built-in displays and typically rely on cameras and built-in speakers for enhanced functionality. The best example of this class of devices is the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses (or the original Ray-Ban Stories) along with rivals like the Bose Sound Frames, which, believe it or not, have been on the market since 2019.��
  
  However, before anyone gets attached to these early models, the simplest smart glasses already kind of feel like dinosaurs and will probably, in the not-too-distant future, go extinct. They were an interesting attempt to add things like music playback or photo and video capture to regular-looking sunglasses, but their limited feature set puts a clear ceiling on what they can do. Plus, if this is what people really wanted, they would have taken off already. 
  Waveguides like the ones built into the Even Realities G2 project images directly onto their lenses allowing for super sleek glasses featuring a heads-up display. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  This brings us to more recent offerings like the Meta Ray-Ban Display, Even Realities G2, the Halliday glasses and others which add some type of built-in display to the mix. Most often, these models rely on waveguide displays as they enable thinner and lighter designs while propagating images onto the glasses9 lenses. Currently, most of these smart glasses feature single-color optics (usually green) to reduce complexity and power draw, but there are others like the Meta Ray-Ban Display and both the TCL RayNeo X2 and X3 that support full color.
  
  In this day and age when everyone is surrounded by screens, the idea of yet another display mounted inches away from your eyeballs might sound like the last thing you want. However, because modern smart glasses are much more discreet and less awkward-looking, I find that they can actually help cut down on distractions. That9s because instead of having to peek down at your phone or smartwatch to check notifications, reply to messages or look up directions, you can do many or all of these things using smart glasses — all in the middle of a conversation without anyone noticing. 
  
  Not only does this keep your focus where it should be — on people instead of gadgets — the glasses are also just as easy to wear as a smartwatch and far more comfortable than bulky VR headsets. Then, when you consider some other features of modern smart glasses like on-the-fly translation, the ability to function as a teleprompter hidden in plain sight or additional support from AI, suddenly you have a wearable that allows you to keep all of your other devices neatly stashed away. In many respects, smart glasses could be the portable displays that people might not even know they want.
  Compared to rivals with waveguides, glasses featuring "birdbath" optics are often significantly thicker and bulkier. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Speaking of portable displays: If you recall, I mentioned above how most smart glasses generally don9t need to be tethered to other devices. The exception to that comes from a subclass of specs that are primarily designed to function as wearable monitors capable of supporting one or more virtual screens that can be in excess of 100 inches in size, relatively speaking. 
  
  The most well-known smart glasses in this category come from Xreal and Viture, with both companies offering a range of models with varying levels of performance. One interesting thing to note is instead of waveguides, some of these smart glasses rely on birdbath optics. This means instead of projecting an image into the lens itself, they use a beamsplitter and mirror to reflect images into your eye. The benefit of this is that you get good image quality from components that cost less than an equivalent waveguide setup, with the downside being increased light loss, potentially lower brightness and a much thicker design. This results in chunky frames that often look like they are sitting too far away from your face, which might not be immediately apparent if you see someone using them from afar. But up close, they don9t look quite right. Or at least they don’t look like a pair of "normal" glasses.
  
  Another issue is that due to more light loss, birdbath smart glasses require darker lenses (similar to sunglasses), which means they aren9t great for wearing all day in a variety of environments. And because we still don9t really have a great protocol for wireless displays (though it looks like Valve may be cooking up something with the Steam Frames), most of these  need to be connected by wire to a nearby PC. So you plug them in, put them on, get your work done and then you take them off. 
  Project Aura is Xreal9s next-gen smart glasses and they feature a large 70-degree field of view and fancy electrochromic lenses. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  That said, for those who need a ton of screen real estate, this type of smart glasses can be a very attractive alternative to traditional portable monitors. On top of being smaller and more portable, they provide additional privacy when working in public spaces like a cafe or plane, which is what prompted a doctor friend of mine to get a pair instead of going with a portable display. And for the gamers out there, because they can be connected to a phone or even a portable PC or Switch 2 (with the proper dock, of course), they9re great for people who might not have room for or access to a big screen TV.
  So where do we go from here?
  Ultimately, I think all three types of smart glasses will merge into one as engineers perfect the tech and steal ideas from one another, though there will surely be plenty of room for more niche designs. But more importantly, if we consider the types of gadgets most people carry around today, it boils down to just a handful of devices: a smartphone, some type of wireless audio (either earbuds or headphones) and maybe a health and fitness tracker of some kind (typically a smartwatch or smart ring). 
  Even tough they didn9t have a built-in display, the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses from 2023 raised a ton of awareness for the category.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Smart glasses have the potential to really round out that kit by allowing us to keep most of those devices in our pocket while the wearables serve up helpful info when we need it, but without being overly intrusive or distracting. In the short term, you9ll still need a laptop for work, but smart glasses may have a role to play there too, as they can provide way more screen space than a traditional physical display (even the new-fangled flexible ones). It might never happen, but I wouldn’t rule out a future scenario where your next employer gives you a company-issued phone and a pair of smart glasses and that9s it. 
  
  Before that happens though, there are still a bunch of other things that need to be figured out. Without help from a mouse or keyboard, navigating a virtual display is a bit of a challenge. AI combined with hand and eye tracking can help, but no one has really nailed that combo yet. Not even Apple could do so on the much bulkier Vision Pro. To address this, Meta created abracelet (they call it a neural band) that pairs with the Ray-Ban Display that can detect subtle movements so you can type or navigate menus practically anywhere. Even Realities opted for a ring accessory that does some basic health monitoring and comes with a tiny touchpad. In the more distant future, this hurdle may be solved by BCIs (brain-computer interfaces), but even the most optimistic view suggests that those aren9t going to be mainstream for a long time.
  Even though we9re still a long ways away, one day everyone might be able to have something like Tony Stark9s E.D.I.T.H. smart glasses from the Marvel Universe. Marvel
  The issue for Meta is that it9s pretty obvious that its wristband really ought to be incorporated into a smartwatch. The idea of a single-purpose bracelet that doesn9t track your health or do anything else sort of feels like a step backwards. And there9s the problem of Meta9s glasses being largely tied down to its own platforms (i.e. Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook), which may end up being a major hindrance after rivals like Google and Apple catch up.
  
  And then there9s the cost. Right now, a pair of Meta Ray-Ban Displays (which thankfully come with the wristband) costs $800. That9s a lot for what is basically a publicly available beta test. But when you consider that an Even Realties G2 and an R2 ring costs even more at $850, it9s clear that wearing smart glasses is going to be a very expensive hobby for at least the next few years. And while more single-purpose smart glasses from Xreal and Viture are a bit more affordable, with models ranging from $400 to $550 or $600, they still aren9t cheap. On top of that, getting prescription lenses for smart glasses can often be a major pain in the ass and may not even be an option for people with more limited eyesight. 
  
  But those are problems for another day. And just because tech giants are pouring billions into the development of smart glasses doesn9t mean they will be a guaranteed hit. If you care about tech, alongside AI and possibly EVTOL aircraft (aka flying taxis), pay attention to the advancements in smart glasses. Otherwise, you could miss out on what might be the next major wave in sci-fi gadgetry made real.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/in-2025-tech-giants-decided-smart-glasses-are-the-next-big-thing-163000812.html?src=rss

• The 11 best gifts under $25 for 2025
  So you want to give someone a gift but you don’t have a ton of cash to spare. Don’t fret because first, you’re not alone, and second, there are tons of options to choose from. Especially if you’re looking in the tech space, it can feel especially daunting to find a gadget that’s affordable but also worth gifting — in other words, not a piece of junk that will eventually take up residence at the bottom of a drawer. But you don’t have to drain your wallet to get someone a cool gadget that will both be useful and make their lives easier. We’ve collected our favorite pieces of tech under $25 that make great gifts and help you to stick to a budget.
  Best gifts under $25
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-11-best-gifts-under-25-for-2025-140042203.html?src=rss

• Swallowing the Moon and other new indie games worth checking out
  Welcome to our latest roundup of what9s going on in the indie game space. Between The Game Awards and showcases like Day of the Devs, Wholesome Snack, Latin American Games and Women-Led Games, there’s been a ton of video game news over the last week (I need Blood Cultures and John Fio crafting a killer soundtrack I know I’ll be listening to for a long time to come. 
  
  Skate Story is out now on Nintendo Switch 2, Steam and PS5 for $20. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members can play it at no extra cost. 
  New releases
  Unbeatable is another game I’ve had on my radar for some time, though I haven’t had a chance to jump in yet. This is another stylish game in which you play as Beat, who sings in a band. However, music is outlawed in this world (oh no!). Through rhythm-based minigames and battles with cops, Beat tries to bring back the music. There9s a separate arcade mode with a dedicated progression system too.
  
  I9m a sucker for stories about rebellious underdogs, and this rhythm adventure could well hook me in. Unbeatable — from D-Cell Games and publisher Playstack — is available on Steam and PS5 for $28 (there’s a 10 percent discount on Steam until December 23). It9s set to hit Xbox Series X/S very soon too.
  
  Speaking of games I9ve been keeping an eye on, Adrift (from solo developer S.K.9.8 and co-publisher Secret Sauce) was one of the first games I covered when I started doing this weekly roundup earlier this year. It9s a driving game in which your aim is to deliver a volatile energy core. Since you9re traversing a hot desert, you9ll need to be careful to prevent the core from overheating and blowing up. Thankfully, there are safe spots and cooling stations where you can bring down the temperature.
  
  The vaporwave aesthetic of Adrift caught my eye and although I dig the presentation, the game isn9t quite clicking for me in the early going. It didn9t take long before my vehicle got stuck and I had to reset, and I9m finding the top-down world a little confusing to navigate. I9ll stick with it for at least a little longer, though. Adrift is out now on Steam. It usually costs $13 though there9s a 25 percent discount until December 23. 
  
  I9ve very happy that a game like Drywall Eating Simulator can exist. Peripheral Playbox9s satirical walking sim sees your character trying to deal with the maddening realities of daily life and the frustration that one may find in dealing with other people. Get mad enough and you9ll be able to punch through a wall (something you9ll have to do to move through the levels anyway). Then, you can munch on some drywall to calm yourself down.
  
  I had a good time with it and there’s some pointedly funny writing here. “I thought AI sucks but it told me that was wrong and I believed it,” says one person. That9s all well and good, but I mainly just want the NPCs to leave me alone so I can eat drywall in peace. Drywall Eating Simulator is out now on Steam. It9ll usually run you $10, but there9s a 10 percent discount until December 17.
  
  Planet of Lana was one of my favorite games of 2023 and now it9s available on iOS and Android for $9. It sees teenage Lana and her cute companion Mui making their way through a world that9s been taken over by alien robots as they try to rescue Lana9s sister.
  
  This is a puzzle platformer in the vein of Inside and Limbo, and despite the pretty and often bright presentation, it9s just as dystopian as those games. It sounds gorgeous too, thanks in large part to a beautiful score from The Last Guardian composer Takeshi Furukawa. I9m very much looking forward to the sequel from Wishfully and publisher Thunderful. That9s set to arrive next year.
  
  A Game About Digging A Hole is one of this year9s real indie success stories. It’s a game that a developer started making in their spare time that has sold more than 1.2 million copies since February. After landing on PC and mobile, the $5 game from Doublebee and publisher Rokaplay is now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It9s on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass.
  
  It9s a straightforward loop. Start digging a hole in your backyard, sell the stuff you find, upgrade your equipment and keep going. Just, uh, be careful down there. You never quite know what you9ll run into.
  Upcoming 
  Vampire Therapist developer Little Bat Games has revealed its latest project, Better Than Us, which is coming to Steam in 2026. It9s a narrative-driven sci-fi narrative game in which you9ll infiltrate swanky parties thrown by wealth hoarders in the future to steal spoils back from them. 
  
  Violence isn9t the solution here, as you9ll need to charm the ultra-rich, who buy elections and have "monopolized AI development to ensure machines serve their interests" (I dunno, this all seems extremely far-fetched). You can spin up a web of lies about things like how your husband died and how much Worldcoin you have. To maintain your ruse, you9ll need to keep your story straight by remembering what you said and to which characters. 
  
  Okomotive (Steam in January, with the full game set to arrive late in 2026.
  
  AudioMech is a neat-looking game that popped up for the first time during the pre-show of The Game Awards. This is a rhythm-based action title from Dylan Fitterer, the creator of Audiosurf. It taps into whatever music you have playing on your computer (even something that you9re streaming or playing through a microphone) to customize both your weapons and opponents.
  
  A track that9s heavy on bass might give you a longer sword, while vocals and lead instruments can power a cannon. There are several ways to play, including a mode in which you don9t take damage and a boss rush option. AudioMech is coming to Steam and there9s a demo available now. 
  
  Let9s wrap things up with something a little more relaxing. Lost and Found Co. is a hidden object game from Bit Egg Inc. and co-publisher Gamirror Games. During the latest Wholesome Snack showcase, it was revealed that the game is coming to Steam on February 11.
  
  It9s little wonder that more than 170,000 Steam users have wishlisted this game. It looks absolutely lovely. The developers sought to recapture the "magic" of childhood puzzle books in their hand-drawn world. Here, you9ll help Ducky, a duck-turned-human intern at a startup that hunts for items that townspeople have lost. There9s a demo available that features the option to decorate a part of the world using items you find.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/swallowing-the-moon-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-154937071.html?src=rss

• Spotify was down this morning for thousands of users: Updates on the widespread outages
  My boyfriend texted me those dreaded four words: "Is your Spotify down?" Sure enough his, mine and thousands of other users9 Spotify accounts appear to be down and out at the moment, with Downdetector recording over 10,000 reports from users. 
  
  Spotify is apparently working on the problem. The account, Spotify Status, shared an update on X at 9:45 AM on Monday, "We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!" About an hour later, the company shared an update saying that the outage was resolved as of 10:34 AM ET.
  All clear! Thanks for your patience. If you9re still having issues, you can find out more on this issue on our Community support thread: https://t.co/IaZcQTy9jF
  — Spotify Status (@SpotifyStatus) December 15, 2025
  Update, December 15, 2025, 10:48AM ET: This story and its headline were updated to indicate that Spotify’s outage has been resolved.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-was-down-this-morning-for-thousands-of-users-updates-on-the-widespread-outages-150453379.html?src=rss

• New Stranger Things trailer hints at what's next for our heroes
  
  Warning: the following contains spoilers for part one of Stranger Things season five
  
  With just over a week to go until Netflix releases the next batch of shown in movie theaters.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/new-stranger-things-trailer-hints-at-whats-next-for-our-heroes-152327474.html?src=rss

• EU OS: A Bold Step Toward Digital Sovereignty for Europe
  Image
  A new initiative, called "EU OS," has been launched to develop a Linux-based operating system tailored specifically for the public sector organizations of the European Union (EU). This community-driven project aims to address the EU's unique needs and challenges, focusing on fostering digital sovereignty, reducing dependency on external vendors, and building a secure, self-sufficient digital ecosystem.
  What Is EU OS?
  EU OS is not an entirely novel operating system. Instead, it builds upon a Linux foundation derived from Fedora, with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It draws inspiration from previous efforts such as France's GendBuntu and Munich's LiMux, which aimed to provide Linux-based systems for public sector use. The goal remains the same: to create a standardized Linux distribution that can be adapted to different regional, national, and sector-specific needs within the EU.
  
  Rather than reinventing the wheel, EU OS focuses on standardization, offering a solid Linux foundation that can be customized according to the unique requirements of various organizations. This approach makes EU OS a practical choice for the public sector, ensuring broad compatibility and ease of implementation across diverse environments.
  The Vision Behind EU OS
  The guiding principle of EU OS is the concept of "public money – public code," ensuring that taxpayer money is used transparently and effectively. By adopting an open-source model, EU OS eliminates licensing fees, which not only lowers costs but also reduces the dependency on a select group of software vendors. This provides the EU’s public sector organizations with greater flexibility and control over their IT infrastructure, free from the constraints of vendor lock-in.
  
  Additionally, EU OS offers flexibility in terms of software migration and hardware upgrades. Organizations can adapt to new technologies and manage their IT evolution at a manageable cost, both in terms of finances and time.
  
  However, there are some concerns about the choice of Fedora as the base for EU OS. While Fedora is a solid and reliable distribution, it is backed by the United States-based Red Hat. Some argue that using European-backed projects such as openSUSE or KDE's upcoming distribution might have aligned better with the EU's goal of strengthening digital sovereignty.
  Conclusion
  EU OS marks a significant step towards Europe's digital independence by providing a robust, standardized Linux distribution for the public sector. By reducing reliance on proprietary software and vendors, it paves the way for a more flexible, cost-effective, and secure digital ecosystem. While the choice of Fedora as the base for the project has raised some questions, the overall vision of EU OS offers a promising future for Europe's public sector in the digital age.
  
  Source: It's FOSS
  European Union

• Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
  
  Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
  
  Linux kernel lead developer Linus Torvalds has admitted to forgetting to release version 6.14, attributing the oversight to his own lapse in memory. Torvalds is known for releasing new Linux kernel candidates and final versions on Sunday afternoons, typically accompanied by a post detailing the release. If he is unavailable due to travel or other commitments, he usually informs the community ahead of time, so users don’t worry if there’s a delay.
  
  In his post on March 16, Torvalds gave no indication that the release might be delayed, instead stating, “I expect to release the final 6.14 next weekend unless something very surprising happens.” However, Sunday, March 23rd passed without any announcement.
  
  On March 24th, Torvalds wrote in a follow-up message, “I’d love to have some good excuse for why I didn’t do the 6.14 release yesterday on my regular Sunday afternoon schedule,” adding, “But no. It’s just pure incompetence.” He further explained that while he had been clearing up unrelated tasks, he simply forgot to finalize the release. “D'oh,” he joked.
  
  Despite this minor delay, Torvalds’ track record of successfully managing the Linux kernel’s development process over the years remains strong. A single day’s delay is not critical, especially since most Linux users don't urgently need the very latest version.
  
  The new 6.14 release introduces several important features, including enhanced support for writing drivers in Rust—an ongoing topic of discussion among developers—support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chip, a fix for the GhostWrite vulnerability in certain RISC-V processors from Alibaba’s T-Head Semiconductor, and a completed NTSYNC driver update that improves the WINE emulator’s ability to run Windows applications, particularly games, on Linux.
  
  Although the 6.14 release went smoothly aside from the delay, Torvalds expressed that version 6.15 may present more challenges due to the volume of pending pull requests. “Judging by my pending pile of pull requests, 6.15 will be much busier,” he noted.
  
  You can download the latest kernel here.
  Linus Torvalds kernel

• AerynOS 2025.03 Alpha Released with GNOME 48, Mesa 25, and Linux Kernel 6.13.8
  Image
  AerynOS 2025.03 has officially been released, introducing a variety of exciting features for Linux users. The release includes the highly anticipated GNOME 48 desktop environment, which comes with significant improvements like HDR support, dynamic triple buffering, and a Wayland color management protocol. Other updates include a battery charge limiting feature and a Wellbeing option aimed at improving user experience.
  
  This release, while still in alpha, incorporates Linux kernel 6.13.8 and the updated Mesa 25.0.2 graphics stack, alongside tools like LLVM 19.1.7 and Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0. Additionally, the Moss package manager now integrates os-info to generate more detailed OS metadata via a JSON file.
  
  Future plans for AerynOS include automated package updates, easier rollback management, improved disk handling with Rust, and fractional scaling enabled by default. The installer has also been revamped to support full disk wipes and dynamic partitioning.
  
  Although still considered an alpha release, AerynOS 2025.03 can be downloaded and tested right now from its official website.
  
  Source: 9to5Linux
  AerynOS

• Xojo 2025r1: Big Updates for Developers with Linux ARM Support, Web Drag and Drop, and Direct App Store Publishing
  Image
  Xojo has just rolled out its latest release, Xojo 2025 Release 1, and it’s packed with features that developers have been eagerly waiting for. This major update introduces support for running Xojo on Linux ARM, including Raspberry Pi, brings drag-and-drop functionality to the Web framework, and simplifies app deployment with the ability to directly submit apps to the macOS and iOS App Stores.
  
  Here’s a quick overview of what’s new in Xojo 2025r1:
  1. Linux ARM IDE Support
  Xojo 2025r1 now allows developers to run the Xojo IDE on Linux ARM devices, including popular platforms like Raspberry Pi. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for developers who want to create apps for ARM-based devices without the usual complexity. Whether you’re building for a Raspberry Pi or other ARM devices, this update makes it easier than ever to get started.
  2. Web Drag and Drop
  One of the standout features in this release is the addition of drag-and-drop support for web applications. Now, developers can easily drag and drop visual controls in their web projects, making it simpler to create interactive, user-friendly web applications. Plus, the WebListBox has been enhanced with support for editable cells, checkboxes, and row reordering via dragging. No JavaScript required!
  3. Direct App Store Publishing
  Xojo has also streamlined the process of publishing apps. With this update, developers can now directly submit macOS and iOS apps to App Store Connect right from the Xojo IDE. This eliminates the need for multiple steps and makes it much easier to get apps into the App Store, saving valuable time during the development process.
  4. New Desktop and Mobile Features
  This release isn’t just about web and Linux updates. Xojo 2025r1 brings some great improvements for desktop and mobile apps as well. On the desktop side, all projects now include a default window menu for macOS apps. On the mobile side, Xojo has introduced new features for Android and iOS, including support for ColorGroup and Dark Mode on Android, and a new MobileColorPicker for iOS to simplify color selection.
  5. Performance and IDE Enhancements
  Xojo’s IDE has also been improved in several key areas. There’s now an option to hide toolbar captions, and the toolbar has been made smaller on Windows. The IDE on Windows and Linux now features modern Bootstrap icons, and the Documentation window toolbar is more compact. In the code editor, developers can now quickly navigate to variable declarations with a simple Cmd/Ctrl + Double-click. Plus, performance for complex container layouts in the Layout Editor has been enhanced.
  What Does This Mean for Developers?
  Xojo 2025r1 brings significant improvements across all the platforms that Xojo supports, from desktop and mobile to web and Linux. The added Linux ARM support opens up new opportunities for Raspberry Pi and ARM-based device development, while the drag-and-drop functionality for web projects will make it easier to create modern, interactive web apps. The ability to publish directly to the App Store is a game-changer for macOS and iOS developers, reducing the friction of app distribution.
  How to Get Started
  Xojo is free for learning and development, as well as for building apps for Linux and Raspberry Pi. If you’re ready to dive into cross-platform development, paid licenses start at $99 for a single-platform desktop license, and $399 for cross-platform desktop, mobile, or web development. For professional developers who need additional resources and support, Xojo Pro and Pro Plus licenses start at $799. You can also find special pricing for educators and students.
  
  Download Xojo 2025r1 today at xojo.com.
  Final Thoughts
  With each new release, Xojo continues to make cross-platform development more accessible and efficient. The 2025r1 release is no exception, delivering key updates that simplify the development process and open up new possibilities for developers working on a variety of platforms. Whether you’re a Raspberry Pi enthusiast or a mobile app developer, Xojo 2025r1 has something for you.
  Xojo ARM

• New 'Mirrored' Network Mode Introduced in Windows Subsystem for Linux
  
  Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) continues to evolve with the release of WSL 2 version 0.0.2. This update introduces a set of opt-in preview features designed to enhance performance and compatibility.
  
  Key additions include "Automatic memory reclaim" which dynamically optimizes WSL's memory footprint, and "Sparse VHD" to shrink the size of the virtual hard disk file. These improvements aim to streamline resource usage.
  
  Additionally, a new "mirrored networking mode" brings expanded networking capabilities like IPv6 and multicast support. Microsoft claims this will improve VPN and LAN connectivity from both the Windows host and Linux guest. 
  
  Complementing this is a new "DNS Tunneling" feature that changes how DNS queries are resolved to avoid compatibility issues with certain network setups. According to Microsoft, this should reduce problems connecting to the internet or local network resources within WSL.
  
  Advanced firewall configuration options are also now available through Hyper-V integration. The new "autoProxy" feature ensures WSL seamlessly utilizes the Windows system proxy configuration.
  
  Microsoft states these features are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders running Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.2359 or later. They remain opt-in previews to allow testing before final integration into WSL.
  
  By expanding WSL 2 with compelling new capabilities in areas like resource efficiency, networking, and security, Microsoft aims to make Linux on Windows more performant and compatible. This evolutionary approach based on user feedback highlights Microsoft's commitment to WSL as a key part of the Windows ecosystem.
  Windows

• Linux Threat Report: Earth Lusca Deploys Novel SprySOCKS Backdoor in Attacks on Government Entities
  
  The threat actor Earth Lusca, linked to Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups, has been observed utilizing a new Linux backdoor dubbed SprySOCKS to target government organizations globally. 
  
  As initially reported in January 2022 by Trend Micro, Earth Lusca has been active since at least 2021 conducting cyber espionage campaigns against public and private sector targets in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Their tactics include spear-phishing and watering hole attacks to gain initial access. Some of Earth Lusca's activities overlap with another Chinese threat cluster known as RedHotel.
  
  In new research, Trend Micro reveals Earth Lusca remains highly active, even expanding operations in the first half of 2023. Primary victims are government departments focused on foreign affairs, technology, and telecommunications. Attacks concentrate in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Balkans regions. 
  
  After breaching internet-facing systems by exploiting flaws in Fortinet, GitLab, Microsoft Exchange, Telerik UI, and Zimbra software, Earth Lusca uses web shells and Cobalt Strike to move laterally. Their goal is exfiltrating documents and credentials, while also installing additional backdoors like ShadowPad and Winnti for long-term spying.
  
  The Command and Control server delivering Cobalt Strike was also found hosting SprySOCKS - an advanced backdoor not previously publicly reported. With roots in the Windows malware Trochilus, SprySOCKS contains reconnaissance, remote shell, proxy, and file operation capabilities. It communicates over TCP mimicking patterns used by a Windows trojan called RedLeaves, itself built on Trochilus.
  
  At least two SprySOCKS versions have been identified, indicating ongoing development. This novel Linux backdoor deployed by Earth Lusca highlights the increasing sophistication of Chinese state-sponsored threats. Robust patching, access controls, monitoring for unusual activities, and other proactive defenses remain essential to counter this advanced malware.
  
  The Trend Micro researchers emphasize that organizations must minimize attack surfaces, regularly update systems, and ensure robust security hygiene to interrupt the tactics, techniques, and procedures of relentless threat groups like Earth Lusca.
  Security

• Linux Kernel Faces Reduction in Long-Term Support Due to Maintenance Challenges
  
  The Linux kernel is undergoing major changes that will shape its future development and adoption, according to Jonathan Corbet, Linux kernel developer and executive editor of Linux Weekly News. Speaking at the Open Source Summit Europe, Corbet provided an update on the latest Linux kernel developments and a glimpse of what's to come.
  
  A major change on the horizon is a reduction in long-term support (LTS) for kernel versions from six years to just two years. Corbet explained that maintaining old kernel branches indefinitely is unsustainable and most users have migrated to newer versions, so there's little point in continuing six years of support. While some may grumble about shortened support lifecycles, the reality is that constantly backporting fixes to ancient kernels strains maintainers.
  
  This maintainer burnout poses a serious threat, as Corbet highlighted. Maintaining Linux is largely a volunteer effort, with only about 200 of the 2,000+ developers paid for their contributions. The endless demands on maintainers' time from fuzz testing, fixing minor bugs, and reviewing contributions takes a toll. Prominent maintainers have warned they need help to avoid collapse. Companies relying on Linux must realize giving back financially is in their interest to sustain this vital ecosystem. 
  
  The Linux kernel is also wading into waters new with the introduction of Rust code. While Rust solves many problems, it also introduces new complexities around language integration, evolving standards, and maintainer expertise. Corbet believes Rust will pass the point of no return when core features depend on it, which may occur soon with additions like Apple M1 GPU drivers. Despite skepticism in some corners, Rust's benefits likely outweigh any transition costs.
  
  On the distro front, Red Hat's decision to restrict RHEL cloning sparked community backlash. While business considerations were at play, Corbet noted technical factors too. Using older kernels with backported fixes, as RHEL does, risks creating divergent, vendor-specific branches. The Android model of tracking mainline kernel dev more closely has shown security benefits. Ultimately, Linux works best when aligned with the broader community.
  
  In closing, Corbet recalled the saying "Linux is free like a puppy is free." Using open source seems easy at first, but sustaining it long-term requires significant care and feeding. As Linux is incorporated into more critical systems, that maintenance becomes ever more crucial. The kernel changes ahead are aimed at keeping Linux healthy and vibrant for the next generation of users, businesses, and developers.
  kernel

• Linux Celebrates 32 Years with the Release of 6.6-rc2 Version
  
  Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Linus Torvalds introducing the inaugural Linux 0.01 kernel version, and celebrating this milestone, Torvalds has launched the Linux 6.6-rc2. Among the noteworthy updates are the inclusion of a feature catering to the ASUS ROG Flow X16 tablet's mode handling and the renaming of the new GenPD subsystem to pmdomain.
  
  The Linux 6.6 edition is progressing well, brimming with exciting new features that promise to enhance user experience. Early benchmarks are indicating promising results, especially on high-core-count servers, pointing to a potentially robust and efficient update in the Linux series.
  
  Here is what Linus Torvalds had to say in today's announcement:
  Another week, another -rc.I think the most notable thing about 6.6-rc2 is simply that it'sexactly 32 years to the day since the 0.01 release. And that's a roundnumber if you are a computer person.Because other than the random date, I don't see anything that reallystands out here. We've got random fixes all over, and none of it looksparticularly strange. The genpd -> pmdomain rename shows up in thediffstat, but there's no actual code changes involved (make sure touse "git diff -M" to see them as zero-line renames).And other than that, things look very normal. Sure, the architecturefixes happen to be mostly parisc this week, which isn't exactly theusual pattern, but it's also not exactly a huge amount of changes.Most of the (small) changes here are in drivers, with some tracingfixes and just random things. The shortlog below is short enough toscroll through and get a taste of what's been going on. Linus Torvalds

• Introducing Bavarder: A User-Friendly Linux Desktop App for Quick ChatGPT Interaction
  
  Want to interact with ChatGPT from your Linux desktop without using a web browser?
  
  Bavarder, a new app, allows you to do just that.
  
  Developed with Python and GTK4/libadwaita, Bavarder offers a simple concept: pose a question to ChatGPT, receive a response, and promptly copy the answer (or your inquiry) to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.
  
  With an incredibly user-friendly interface, you won't require AI expertise (or a novice blogger) to comprehend it. Type your question in the top box, click the blue send button, and wait for a generated response to appear at the bottom. You can edit or modify your message and repeat the process as needed.
  
  During our evaluation, Bavarder employed BAI Chat, a GPT-3.5/ChatGPT API-based chatbot that's free and doesn't require signups or API keys. Future app versions will incorporate support for alternative backends, such as ChatGPT 4 and Hugging Chat, and allow users to input an API key to utilize ChatGPT3.
  
  At present, there's no option to regenerate a response (though you can resend the same question for a potentially different answer). Due to the lack of a "conversation" view, tracking a dialogue or following up on answers can be challenging — but Bavarder excels for rapid-fire questions.
  
  As with any AI, standard disclaimers apply. Responses might seem plausible but could contain inaccurate or false information. Additionally, it's relatively easy to lead these models into irrational loops, like convincing them that 2 + 2 equals 106 — so stay alert!
  
  Overall, Bavarder is an attractive app with a well-defined purpose. If you enjoy ChatGPT and similar technologies, it's worth exploring.
  ChatGPT AI

• LibreOffice 7.5.3 Released: Third Maintenance Update Brings 119 Bug Fixes to Popular Open-Source Office Suite
  
  Today, The Document Foundation unveiled the release and widespread availability of LibreOffice 7.5.3, which serves as the third maintenance update to the current LibreOffice 7.5 open-source and complimentary office suite series.
  
  Approximately five weeks after the launch of LibreOffice 7.5.2, LibreOffice 7.5.3 arrives with a new set of bug fixes for those who have successfully updated their GNU/Linux system to the LibreOffice 7.5 series.
  
  LibreOffice 7.5.3 addresses a total of 119 bugs identified by users or uncovered by LibreOffice developers. For a more comprehensive understanding of these bug fixes, consult the RC1 and RC2 changelogs.
  
  You can download LibreOffice 7.5.3 directly from the LibreOffice website��or from SourceForge as binary installers for DEB or RPM-based GNU/Linux distributions. A source tarball is also accessible for individuals who prefer to compile the software from sources or for system integrators.
  
  All users operating the LibreOffice 7.5 office suite series should promptly update their installations to the new point release, which will soon appear in the stable software repositories of your GNU/Linux distributions.
  
  In early February 2023, LibreOffice 7.5 debuted as a substantial upgrade to the widely-used open-source office suite, introducing numerous features and improvements. These enhancements encompass major upgrades to dark mode support, new application and MIME-type icons, a refined Single Toolbar UI, enhanced PDF Export, and more.
  
  Seven maintenance updates will support LibreOffice 7.5 until November 30th, 2023. The next point release, LibreOffice 7.5.4, is scheduled for early June and will include additional bug fixes.
  
  The Document Foundation once again emphasizes that the LibreOffice office suite's "Community" edition is maintained by volunteers and members of the Open Source community. For enterprise implementations, they suggest using the LibreOffice Enterprise family of applications from ecosystem partners.
  LibreOffice