All the News that Matters

• Ubuntu 25.10 Linux-Azure Kernel Critical Security Advisory USN-8029-3
  Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

• Debian 11 OpenSSL Critical Fix - Denial of Service Issues DLA-4490-1
  Aisle Research found multiple vulnerabilites in OpenSSL, a Secure Socket Layer toolkit providing the SSL and TLS cryptographic protocols for secure communication over the Internet. CVE-2025-68160 Petr Simecek (Aisle Research) and Stanislav Fort (Aisle Research) found

• openSUSE 15.6 libpng12 Urgent Security Update Alert SUSE-SU-2026-0710-2
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• SUSE libpng12 Important Buffer Overflow Threat 2026-0599-1
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• Ubuntu 24.04 GIMP Critical Code Execution Threat USN-8057-1
  Several security issues were fixed in GIMP.

• SUSE 2026 0596-1 libpng16 Important Heap Buffer Overflow
  An update that solves five vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• KDE Plasma 6.6.1 Is Out to Improve Custom Tiling, Networks Widget, and More
  The KDE Project released today KDE Plasma 6.6.1 as the first maintenance update to the latest KDE Plasma 6.6 desktop environment series with an initial batch of improvements and bug fixes.

• AOMedia Begins Developing OAC Next Generation Open Audio Codec
  The Alliance for Open Media has started developing OAC, a new open-source audio codec intended as the long-term successor to Opus.

• Intel Formally Ends Four Of Their Go Language Open-Source Projects
  Following various Intel open-source projects recently being archived with Intel formally discontinuing their development, another wave of Intel open-source projects were formally sunset on Monday...

• KDE Plasma 6.6 isn't forcing systemd but the arguments rage on
  BSD support improves, FreeBSD eyes a desktop option, and the init wars refuse to dieThe latest KDE desktop environment is out. Among other things, it comes with a pledge that it won't require systemd, and this version has improved OpenBSD support. FreeBSD 15.1's installer offers KDE too.…

• Indie web browser Ladybird flutters toward Rust with a little help from AI
  Project ditches Swift and translates C++ with LLM assistanceThe independent Ladybird web browser project is changing course on its choice of programming languages, with LLM-based coding assistants helping to evaluate the shift.…

• Intel Releases OpenVINO 2026 With Improved NPU Handling, Expanded LLM Support
  Intel's open-source OpenVINO AI toolkit is out with its first major release of 2026. With today's OpenVINO 2026.0 release there is expanded large language model (LLM) support, improved Intel NPU support for Core Ultra systems, and a variety of other enhancements for benefiting Intel's CPU / NPU / GPU range of products for AI...

• 0 A.D. Open-Source RTS Game Drops Alpha Label After 16 Years
  After 16 years of alpha releases, the open-source real-time strategy game 0 A.D. ships release 28, Boiorix, as its first non-alpha version.

• Mesa PanVK Driver Seeing Up To 25.7x Speedup For MSAA
  The open-source PanVK driver providing Vulkan support for modern Arm Mali graphics hardware is seeing big speed-ups in the multi-sample anti-aliasing (MSAA) performance in Vulkan tests as a result of new code merged today to Mesa 26.1...

• KaOS Explains Why It’s Ending Its 12-Year KDE Plasma Era
  After more than a decade focused on KDE Plasma, KaOS has shared the technical and systemd-related reasons for its big desktop change.

• FreeBSD's Rust Kernel Support Could Be Stable Enough To Try This Year
  The FreeBSD Project has published their Q4'2025 status report to outline progress made on their software, infrastructure, and other initiatives over the past quarter. Meanwhile among the work to look forward to this year in FreeBSD is getting their Rust kernel driver support up to scratch...

• Join Us for Fedora Hatch at SCaLE 23x!
  Fedora is heading back to sunny Southern California! As we gear up for SCaLE 23x, we are thrilled to announce a special edition of Fedora Hatch. This is taking place on Friday, March 6 as an embedded track at SCALE. Whether you’re a long-time contributor, a curious user, or someone looking to make your very […]

• Qualcomm Posts Patches For New DSP Accelerator Linux Driver
  The newest driver proposed for the Linux kernel's accelerator "accel" subsystem is named QDA and is a Qualcomm DSP Accelerator driver...

• GNU Octave 11 Open-Source Scientific Programming Language Officially Released
  GNU Octave 11 has been officially announced today for this open-source, free, and cross-platform high-level language, primarily intended for numerical computations.

• Linus Torvalds Drops Old Linux Kconfig Option To Address Tiresome Kernel Log Spam
  Following yesterday's Linux 7.0-rc1 release, Linus Torvalds authored and merged a patch to get rid of the Linux kernel's WARN_ALL_UNSEEDED_RANDOM Kconfig option. While that option was added with good intentions, on some systems it can yield a lot of unnecessary kernel log spam...

• Red Hat Releases Tuned 2.27 For Adaptively Tuning Linux To Different Workloads
  Red Hat engineers this weekend released Tuned 2.27, the newest version of their open-source project to provide a tuning profile delivery mechanism for Linux. Tuned makes it easier to adjust Linux power and performance characteristics depending upon the hardware and the different workload(s) for your Linux system deployment. Tuned is a replacement/alternative to Linux's cpupower and power-profiles-daemon utilities...

• Modern AMD Graphics Driver Surpasses Six Million Lines Of Code In Linux 7.0
  It was less than four years ago that the modern AMDGPU/AMDKFD open-source driver stack was at four million lines of C code and header files. Now with the Linux 7.0 kernel it has surpassed six million lines. Or put another way, by the same calculations Linux 7.0-rc1 is at 39.2 million with the modern AMD kernel graphics driver now making up 15% of the kernel's entire codebase as the single largest driver...

• Firefox 148 Is Now Available for Download with AI Kill Switch and Other Changes
  Mozilla has published today the final builds of the Firefox 148 open-source web browser ahead of its official unveiling on February 24th, 2026, so it’s time to take a look at the new features and improvements.

• RBOS 2026-02-22 As Latest Linux Live ISO To Showcase Wayland
  While these days nearly every major desktop Linux distribution is using Wayland or at least making it available, a decade ago before reaching that maturity one of the options for showing off the potential of Wayland was the oddly-named RebeccaBlack OS. With "RBOS" it shipped the very latest Wayland components and different desktop and toolkit options to easily try out Wayland-based environments from a live Linux environment. Released overnight was a surprise update to RBOS...

• 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup: February 22nd, 2026
  The 280th installment of the 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup is here for the week ending February 22nd, 2026, keeping you updated on the most important developments in the Linux world.

• Linus Torvalds: Someone more competent who isn't afraid of numbers past the teens will take over Linux one day
  Emperor Penguin releases kernel 7.0 rc1 with some numerological musingsLinus Torvalds has pondered his professional mortality in a self-deprecating post to mark the release of the first release candidate for version 7.0 of the Linux kernel.…

• New Datacentres Risk Doubling Great Britain's Electricity Use, Regulator Says
  The amount of power being sought by new datacentre projects in Great Britain would exceed the national current peak electricity consumption, according to an industry watchdog. From a report: Ofgem said about 140 proposed datacentre schemes, driven by use of artificial intelligence, could require 50 gigawatts of electricity -- 5GW more than the country's current peak demand. The figure was revealed in an Ofgem consultation on demand for new connections to the power grid. It pointed to a "surge in demand" for connection applications between November 2024 and June last year, with a significant number coming from datacentres. This has exceeded even the most ambitious forecasts. Meanwhile, new renewable energy projects are not being connected to the grid at the pace they are being built to help meet the government's clean energy targets by the end of the decade. Ofgem said the work required to connect surging numbers of datacentres could mean delays for other projects that are "critical for decarbonisation and economic growth." Datacentres are the central nervous system of AI tools such as chatbots and image generators, playing a vital role in training and operating products such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
  
  
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• CrowdStrike Says Attackers Are Moving Through Networks in Under 30 Minutes
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Cyberattacks reached victims faster and came from a wider range of threat groups than ever last year, CrowdStrike said in its annual global threat report released Tuesday, adding that cybercriminals and nation-states increasingly relied on predictable tactics to evade detection by exploiting trusted systems. The average breakout time -- how long it took financially-motivated attackers to move from initial intrusion to other network systems -- dropped to 29 minutes in 2025, a 65% increase in speed from the year prior. "The fastest breakout time a year ago was 51 seconds. This year it's 27 seconds," Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike, told CyberScoop. Defenders are falling behind because attackers are refining their techniques, using social engineering to access high-privilege systems faster and move through victims' cloud infrastructure undetected.
  
  
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• Hegseth Gives Anthropic Until Friday To Back Down on AI Safeguards
  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei until Friday evening to give the military unfettered access to its AI model or face harsh penalties, Axios has learned. Hegseth told Amodei in a tense meeting on Tuesday that the Pentagon will either cut ties and declare Anthropic a "supply chain risk," or invoke the Defense Production Act to force the company to tailor its model to the military's needs. The Pentagon wants to punish Anthropic as the feud over AI safeguards grows increasingly nasty, but officials are also worried about the consequences of losing access to its industry-leading model, Claude. "The only reason we're still talking to these people is we need them and we need them now. The problem for these guys is they are that good," a Defense official told Axios ahead of the meeting. Anthropic has said it is willing to adapt its usage policies for the Pentagon, but not to allow its model to be used for the mass surveillance of Americans or the development of weapons that fire without human involvement.
  
  
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• The US Spent $30 Billion on Classroom Laptops and Got the First Generation Less Capable Than Its Parents
  More than two decades after Maine became the first state to hand laptops to middle schoolers -- distributing 17,000 Apple machines across 243 schools in 2002 -- neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath told a U.S. Senate committee earlier this year that Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized tests than the one before it. The U.S. spent more than $30 billion in 2024 alone putting laptops and tablets in classrooms, and Horvath cited PISA data from 15-year-olds worldwide showing a stark correlation between time on school computers and worse scores. A 2014 study of 3,000 university students found they were off-task on their machines nearly two-thirds of the time. Fortune reported back in 2017 that Maine's own test scores hadn't budged in the 15 years since the program launched, and then-governor Paul LePage called it a "massive failure." Horvath framed the generation's eroding capabilities not as a personal failure but a policy one, calling them victims of a failed pedagogical experiment.
  
  
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• Microsoft Execs Worry AI Will Eat Entry Level Coding Jobs
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich and VP of Developer Community Scott Hanselman have written a paper arguing that senior software engineers must mentor junior developers to prevent AI coding agents from hollowing out the profession's future skills base. The paper, Redefining the Engineering Profession for AI, is based on several assumptions, the first of which is that agentic coding assistants "give senior engineers an AI boost... while imposing an AI drag on early-in-career (EiC) developers to steer, verify and integrate AI output." In an earlier podcast on the subject, Russinovich said this basic premise -- that AI is increasing productivity only for senior developers while reducing it for juniors -- is a "hot topic in all our customer engagements... they all say they see it at their companies." [...] The logical outcome is that "if organizations focus only on short-term efficiency -- hiring those who can already direct AI -- they risk hollowing out the next generation of technical leaders," Russinovich and Hanselman state in the paper.
  
  
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• Billions of Dollars Later and Still Nobody Knows What an Xbox Is
  Microsoft has spent more than $76 billion acquiring game studios and publishers over the past few years in an attempt to turn Xbox into a Netflix-like subscription platform, and the result is that nobody -- possibly not even Microsoft -- can clearly articulate what Xbox actually is anymore, The Verge writes. The brand started as a powerful video game console, but Game Pass and cloud gaming pushed it toward a hazier identity: the "This is an Xbox" ad campaign tried to redefine it as any device that could play Xbox games, whether a PC, a smart TV, a phone, or a Windows handheld. Microsoft then went further and started publishing its biggest franchises on PlayStation, making it one of the largest third-party publishers on a rival's platform. Phil Spencer, who led the division for over a decade and drove the subscription pivot, announced his retirement last week, and incoming CEO Asha Sharma has pledged "the return of Xbox" -- though her memo also talks about expanding across PC, mobile, and cloud, which sounds a lot like the status quo.
  
  
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• Discord Distances Itself From Persona Age Verification After User Backlash
  Discord is attempting to distance itself from the age verification provider Persona following a steady stream of user backlash. From a report: In an emailed statement to The Verge, Discord's head of product policy, Savannah Badalich, confirms the company "ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previously launched and that test has since concluded." After Discord announced plans to implement age verification globally starting next month, users across social media accused Discord of "lying" about how it plans on handling face scans and ID uploads. Much of the criticism was directed toward Discord's partnership with Persona, an age verification provider also used by Reddit and Roblox.
  
  
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• Russia Targets Telegram as Rift With Founder Pavel Durov Deepens
  Russia has opened an investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov for "abetting terrorist activities," [non-paywalled source] in the latest sign that his uneasy relationship with the Kremlin has broken down. From a report: Two Russian newspapers, including the state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta and Kremlin-friendly tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, alleged on Tuesday that the messaging app had become a tool of western and Ukrainian intelligence services. The articles, credited to materials from Russia's FSB security service, accused Telegram of enabling attacks in Russia and said that Durov's "actions ... are under criminal investigation." Russia has restricted Telegram's functions, accusing it of flouting the law and is seeking to divert users towards Max, a state-run rival messenger. The steps escalate pressure on a platform that remains deeply embedded in Russian public life.
  
  
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• Firefox 148 Now Available With The New AI Controls, AI Kill Switches
  Firefox 148 introduces granular AI controls and a global "AI kill switch" that allows users to disable or selectively manage the browser's AI features. Phoronix reports: Among the AI features that can be toggled individually are around translations, image alt text in the Firefox PDF viewer, tab group suggestions, key points in link previews, and AI chatbot providers in the sidebar. Firefox 148 also brings Firefox for Android, support for the Trusted Types API, CSS shape() function support, Sanitizer API support, WebGPU enhancements, and a variety of other changes. Developer chances can be found at developer.mozilla.org. Binaries are available from ftp.mozilla.org.
  
  
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• Quantum Algorithm Beats Classical Tools On Complement Sampling Tasks
  alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: A team of researchers working at Quantinuum in the United Kingdom and QuSoft in the Netherlands has now developed a quantum algorithm that solves a specific sampling task -- known as complement sampling -- dramatically more efficiently than any classical algorithm. Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, establishes a provable and verifiable quantum advantage in sample complexity: the number of samples required to solve a problem. "We stumbled upon the core result of this work by chance while working on a different project," Harry Buhrman, co-author of the paper, told Phys.org. "We had a set of items and two quantum states: one formed from half of the items, the other formed from the remaining half. Even though the two states are fundamentally distinct, we showed that a quantum computer may find it hard to tell which one it is given. Surprisingly, however, we then realized that transforming one state into the other is always easy, because a simple operation can swap between them."
  
  
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• Texas Is About To Overtake California In Battery Storage
  U.S. battery storage installations hit a record 57.6 GWh in 2025, and Texas is now poised to surpass California as the nationâ(TM)s largest storage market in 2026. Electrek reports: According to the US Energy Storage Market Outlook Q1 2026 from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, installations are now four times higher than totals from just three years ago. The US had a total of 137 GWh of utility-scale storage installed as of 2025, plus 19 GWh of commercial and industrial systems and 9 GWh of residential storage. Analysts expect the growth streak to continue. More than 600 GWh of energy storage is projected to be deployed nationwide by 2030, even as the Trump administration targets clean energy industries. Two-thirds of utility-scale storage installed in 2025 was built in red states, including nine of the top 15 states for new installations. Texas is projected to surpass California as the countryâ(TM)s largest battery storage market in 2026. Standalone battery projects accounted for nearly 30 GWh of new capacity in 2025, while solar-plus-storage installations made up about 20 GWh. Residential storage deployments reached 3.1 GWh last year, a 51% increase year-over-year. Analysts say virtual power plant programs in states such as Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, and Illinois are helping drive adoption by reducing costs and easing strain during peak demand periods. The supply chain is shifting to support the boom. In 2025, some battery cell manufacturers pivoted production from EV batteries to dedicated stationary storage cells, converting existing lines and adjusting future plans. Lithium-ion cell manufacturing for stationary storage reached more than 21 GWh in 2025, enough to power Houston overnight, according to SEIAâ(TM)s Solar and Storage Supply Chain Dashboard. Meanwhile, US factories now have the capacity to manufacture 69.4 GWh of battery energy storage systems annually.
  
  
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• US Farmers Are Rejecting Multimillion-Dollar Datacenter Bids For Their Land
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: When two men knocked on Ida Huddleston's door last May, they carried a contract worth more than $33m in exchange for the Kentucky farm that had fed her family for centuries. According to Huddleston, the men's client, an unnamed "Fortune 100 company," sought her 650 acres (260 hectares) in Mason county for an unspecified industrial development. Finding out any more would require signing a non-disclosure agreement. More than a dozen of her neighbors received the same knock. Searching public records for answers, they discovered that a new customer (PDF) had applied for a 2.2 gigawatt project from the local power plant, nearly double its annual generation capacity. The unknown company was building a datacenter. "You don't have enough to buy me out. I'm not for sale. Leave me alone, I'm satisfied," Huddleston, 82, later told the men. As tech companies race to build the massive datacenters needed to power artificial intelligence across the US and the world, bids like the one for Huddleston's land are appearing on rural doorsteps nationwide. Globally, 40,000 acres of powered land – real estate prepped for datacenter development -- are projected to be needed for new projects over the next five years, double the amount currently in use. Yet despite sums that often dwarf the land's recent value, farmers are increasingly shutting the door. At least five of Huddleston's neighbors gave similar categorical rejections, including one who was told he could name any price. In Pennsylvania, a farmer rejected $15m in January for land he'd worked for 50 years. A Wisconsin farmer turned down $80m the same month. Other landowners have declined offers exceeding $120,000 per acre -- prices unimaginable just a few years ago. The rebuffs are a jarring reminder of AI's physical bounds, and limits of the dollars behind the technology. [...] As AI promises to transcend corporeal fallibility, these standoffs reveal its very physical constraints -- and Wall Street's miscalculation of what some people value most. In the rolling hills of Mason county and farmland across America, that gap is measured not in dollars but in something harder to price: identity.
  
  
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• New Microsoft Gaming CEO Has 'No Tolerance For Bad AI'
  In her first major interview as Microsoft's new gaming chief, Asha Sharma said that "great games" must deliver emotional resonance and a distinct creative voice, while making clear that she has "no tolerance for bad AI." Stepping in after Phil Spencer's retirement, she's pledging consistency, community trust, and a human-first approach to storytelling as Xbox enters a new era. Variety reports: Sharma was quick in laying out her top priorities for Microsoft Gaming in an internal memo announcing her promotion, noting "great games," "the return of Xbox" and the "future of play" as her three main commitments to the gaming community. So first, what makes a great game for Sharma, whose roles prior to CoreAI include top positions at Instacart and Meta? The new Microsoft Gaming CEO tells Variety it's all about games with "deep emotional resonance" and "a distinct point of view." She wants to develop stories that make players "feel something," like the kind of feelings Campo Santo's 2016 first-person mystery "Firewatch" elicited in her. Sharma takes on the mantle as head of the leading competitor to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo knowing full well she's entering the role as an outsider to the larger gaming community and has "a lot to learn" still. But Sharma says she's got a commitment to "being grounded in what the community is telling us." "I'm coming into gaming as a platform builder," Sharma said, adding that her goal is to "earn the right to be trusted by players and developers" and show the fanbase that "consistency" over time. In her interview with Variety, Sharma acknowledged the tumultuous state of the gaming industry, referencing Matthew Ball's recent State of Video Gaming in 2026 report as evidence that the larger "transformation" of the sector is "protecting what we believe in while remaining open-minded about the future." Due to her strong background in AI, initial reactions to Sharma's appointment have raised concerns about what her specific views are on the use of generative AI in game development. Sharma says her stance is simple: she has "no tolerance for bad AI." "AI has long been part of gaming and will continue to be," Sharma said, noting that gaming needs new "growth engines," but that "great stories are created by humans."
  
  
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• Microsoft Says Bug In Classic Outlook Hides the Mouse Pointer
  joshuark quotes a report from BleepingComputer: Microsoft is investigating a known issue that causes the mouse pointer to disappear in the classic Outlook desktop email client for some users. This bug has been acknowledged almost two months after the first reports started surfacing online, with users saying that Outlook became unusable after the mouse pointer vanished while using the app. [...] Microsoft explained in a recent support document that the mouse pointer (and in some cases the cursor) will suddenly vanish as users move it across Outlook's interface. "When using classic Outlook, you may find that the mouse pointer or mouse cursor disappears as you move the pointer over the Outlook interface," it said. "Although the mouse pointer is not there, the email in the message list will change color as you hover over it. This issue has also been reported with OneNote and other Microsoft 365 apps to a lesser degree." Microsoft added that the Outlook team is investigating the issues and will provide updates as more information becomes available. While a timeline for a permanent fix is not yet available, Microsoft has offered three temporary workarounds that require affected users to click an email in the message list when the cursor disappears, which may cause it to reappear. Alternatively, switching to PowerPoint, clicking into an editable area, and then returning to Outlook may also restore the mouse pointer.
  
  
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• Viral Doomsday Report Lays Bare Wall Street's Deep Anxiety About AI Future
  A 7,000-word "doomsday" thought experiment from Citrini Research helped trigger an 800-point drop in the Dow, "painting a dark portrait of a future in which technological change inspires a race to the bottom in white-collar knowledge work," reports the Wall Street Journal. From the report: Concerns of hyperscalers overspending are out. Worries of software-industry disruption don't go far enough. The "global intelligence crisis" is about to hit. The new, broader question: What if AI is so bullish for the economy that it is actually bearish? "For the entirety of modern economic history, human intelligence has been the scarce input," Citrini wrote in a post it described as a scenario dated June 2028, not a prediction. "We are now experiencing the unwind of that premium." Many of Monday's moves roughly aligned with the situation outlined by Citrini, in which fast-advancing AI tools allow spending cuts across industries, sparking mass white-collar unemployment and in turn leading to financial contagion. Software firms DataDog, CrowdStrike and Zscaler each plunged more than 9%. International Business Machines' 13% decline was its worst one-day performance since 2000. American Express, KKR and Blackstone -- all name-checked by Citrini -- tumbled. That anxiety, coupled with renewed uncertainty about trade policy from Washington, weighed down major indexes Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led declines, falling 1.7%, or 822 points. The S&P 500 shed 1%, while the Nasdaq composite retreated 1.1%. [...] Monday's market swings extended a run of AI-linked volatility. A small research outfit that has garnered a huge Substack following for macro and thematic stock research, Citrini said in its new post that software firms, payment processors and other companies formed "one long daisy chain of correlated bets on white-collar productivity growth" that AI is poised to disrupt. [...] Shares in DoorDash also veered 6.6% lower Monday after Citrini's Substack note called the delivery app a "poster child" for how new tools would upend companies that monetize interpersonal friction. In the research firm's scenario, AI agents would help both drivers and customers navigate food deliveries at much lower costs.
  
  
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• Ignite Your Next Career Move
  Save up to 75% in celebration of Lunar New Year!Renew Your Skills. Accelerate Your Future.Offer ends February 24. SAVE NOW
  
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• Celebrating the Second Year of Linux Man-Pages Maintenance Sponsorship
  Sustaining a Core Part of the Linux Ecosystem The Linux Foundation has announced a second year of sponsorship for the ongoing maintenance of the Linux manual pages (man-pages) project, led by Alejandro (Alex) Colomar. This critical initiative is made possible through the continued support of Google, Hudson River Trading, and Meta, who have renewed their [0]
  
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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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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
  
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• 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.
  

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

• 1Password plans are getting more expensive soon
  1Password is increasing prices for its individual and family plans. The individual rate is increasing from nearly $36 a year to $48, while the family option will cost $72 instead of $60. In emails sent to users, the business announced that the new rates will take effect for users at their next subscription renewal after March 27. 
  
  It9s a sizable price hike, but 1Password hasn9t been incrementally inching its fees higher every couple years like we see so often for streaming subscriptions. This is the biggest bump we9ve seen to its rates in several years, even though the company has been adding ever-more tools for cybersecurity, such as new phishing protections that rolled out last month. Even at the higher cost, it9s still one of the best options out there for password management.
  
  Fortunately for those on a budget, we have seen 1Password offer pretty substantial discounts on its plans at times, often cutting the rates by as much as half. The company usually participates in the big deal sprees like Black Friday, but keep an eye out for standalone sales that might pop up year-round.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/1password-plans-are-getting-more-expensive-soon-213236400.html?src=rss

• Discord delays age verification to address user concerns
  Earlier this month, Discord said it would be enacting an age verification policy. The platform faced some initial concerns from users about turning over their IDs and personal information, particularly given how poorly similar policies have been going elsewhere. Discord announced today it will delay and make some changes to its plans in response to the ongoing backlash.
  
  The first change is that Discord is postponing the global rollout of its age verification plans until the second half of 2026. The company noted that it would meet its legal obligations in places where they exist, likely in those countries that have national laws requiring protections for younger users. But it will not begin the global rollout until it makes some amendments to the offerings.
  
  Discord will offer more alternatives to how users can confirm their ages, including verification by credit card. That should allow people to access age-gated content without sharing an ID or performing a face scan. "If you9re among the less than 10 percent of users who do need to verify, we9ll give you options, designed to tell us only your age and never your identity," according to a blog post credited to co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy.
  
  The company is also promising more transparency about its vendors for these verification services and their practices. Discord said that it will not work with any partners for face scans unless the tests are performed completely on-device. The blog post noted that Persona, one of the common vendors for facial age estimation services, does not meet that standard and Discord has opted not to work with the brand. 
  
  Finally, Discord is also building a new spoiler channel option so that servers with select age-restricted channels won9t have to require all members to verify their ages. It will also publish a technical explainer on its own automatic age determination systems.
  
  We at Engadget have own worries about the wave of age verification laws happening both within the US and globally, but it9s somewhat encouraging to see a digital platform at least trying to continue to deliver anonymity while still creating effective protections for teens.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/discord-delays-age-verification-to-address-user-concerns-205500482.html?src=rss

• The Pentagon has reportedly given Anthropic until Friday to let it use Claude as it sees fit
  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will reportedly give Anthropic until Friday to drop certain guardrails for military use, as reported by Axios. The outlet also reported that CEO Dario Amodei met with Hegseth yesterday as the Pentagon ratcheted up pressure on the AI company to give in to its demands.
  
  The makers of Claude have reportedly been offered an ultimatum: Either yield to the government9s demands to remove limits for certain military applications, or potentially be forced to tailor its AI model to the government9s needs under the Defense Production Act.
  
  Anthropic, for its part, has said that while it was willing to adopt certain policies for the Pentagon, it would not allow its model to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for the development of autonomous weapons.
  
  Claude is currently the only AI model employed in some of the government9s most sensitive work. "The only reason we9re still talking to these people is we need them and we need them now. The problem for these guys is they are that good," a defense official told Axios.
  
  The Pentagon is reportedly ramping up conversations with OpenAI and Google about using their models for classified work. ChatGPT and Gemini are already approved for unclassified government use. Elon Musk9s xAI also recently signed with the DoD to use Grok in classified systems.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-pentagon-has-reportedly-given-anthropic-until-friday-to-let-it-use-claude-as-it-sees-fit-203549467.html?src=rss

• Google sent an AI-generated push alert that included a racial slur
  Google sent out an AI-generated news alert that included the N-word, has sparked outrage and a renewed discussion on the realities of living with vocal tics.
  Asking for more grace for the person who shouted a racist slur instead of for Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, who had to push through being embarrassed in front of their peers.
  
  But that’s often the expectation — that Black people are just supposed to be ok with being… https://t.co/MqHbC8XwsA
  — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 23, 2026
  AI makes lots of high-profile errors and this isn9t the first time it has ruined a news alert. Apple actually scrapped its own AI push notifications last year when the tool made a series of embarrassing mistakes, including wrongly telling readers that the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, had shot himself.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-sent-an-ai-generated-push-alert-that-included-a-racial-slur-195951493.html?src=rss

• Here's the first teaser for A24's adaptation of The Backrooms
  
  Three years after announcing plans to produce a film based on the viral YouTube short, the first teaser for its adaptation. Backrooms, as the film is now called, is directed by the short9s original creator, Kane Parsons, and will be released on May 29, 2026.
  
  The teaser offers little to go on for anyone who hasn9t watched the original short or the series of videos Parsons made after it, but it is replete with The Backrooms9 hallmark: ominous liminal spaces. Layered over footage of stranger and stranger rooms (or perhaps one room becoming the platonic empty retail spaces popularized by short), the voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor tells the film9s other star, Renate Reinsve, about a "place" he discovered that9s full of rooms.
  
  Parsons9 original video is inspired by a creepypasta called "The Backrooms" that originated on the forum 4chan in 2019. The YouTube series expanded on the basic concept of a liminal space that exists outside reality with monsters and a mysterious company researching The Backrooms. It9s unclear how much of that larger lore will be incorporated into the feature film adaptation, but since the teaser is missing the digital video filter that gave the YouTube short its distinct look, it seems possible Parsons could be going for something a bit different. Well that, and the fact the film stars two Oscar-nominated actors.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-the-first-teaser-for-a24s-adaptation-of-the-backrooms-194300513.html?src=rss

• Waymo will start offering robotaxi rides in four more cities
  Waymo had set out some big plans for expanding its autonomous vehicle taxi program across the US in 2025 and it appears to be continuing that pace into 2026. Today, the company announced that the first public riders can begin using its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando. 
  
  To start, these robotaxi rides will only be available for a small number of people with the Waymo app in those cities. "We will be inviting new riders on a rolling basis to ensure a seamless experience across our initial service areas, as we meaningfully scale our operations ahead of opening our service to everyone later this year," the company said in the blog post announcing the expansion.
  
  Google-owned Waymo is now operating in ten commercial metro areas. It announced its plans to start testing its vehicles in these four US cities in November. The company also began a test phase in Miami at that time, and Waymo9s robotaxi service began accepting riders in that locale in January.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-will-start-offering-robotaxi-rides-in-four-more-cities-192841871.html?src=rss

• Sony reveals the Death Stranding 2 required PC specs
  We9re less than a month from the availability of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on PC, and today Sony released the required specs. Despite designer Hideo Kojima being known for spectacle in his projects, the minimum specs are quite reasonable.
  
  The low graphics preset runs on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB, and that will give players average performance of 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is rough but at least makes the game available for players who haven’t upgraded in awhile. Intel Core i3-10100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100 are the recommended GPUs for that graphics tier. As is typical for PC gaming, though, the higher end performance options will require beefier internals.
  
  This port of Death Stranding 2 will also boast a few firsts. The title will mark the debut of Pico as an upscaling option on PC. This upscaler was made by Guerilla Games and was also used for the Death Stranding sequel on the PlayStation 5. The game will also be adding support for ultrawide views. The cutscenes can be viewed in a 21:9 aspect ration and gameplay can be displayed at 32:9. This option will be available for both PC and the PS5 versions of the game, and an ultrawide monitor won9t be required to enable this view option.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sony-reveals-the-death-stranding-2-required-pc-specs-184411856.html?src=rss

• Someone made an app to warn you if smart glasses are nearby
  A new app will notify users if smart glasses are likely nearby. The aptly named Nearby Glasses was developed in response to media coverage outlining how glasses like Meta9s Ray-Bans have been used to film people without their consent.
  
  As first reported by 404 Media, the app detects the unique Bluetooth signature emitted by smart glasses and sends a push alert that someone wearing the device may potentially be nearby. “I consider it to be a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech,” the app9s developer Yves Jeanrenaud told 404 Media.
  
  Smart glasses have sparked increased privacy concerns, especially as Meta is reportedly working to add facial recognition technology to its Meta Ray-Bans. OpenAI is also reported to have a pair of smart glasses in the works. It bears mentioning that false positives may occur, including from VR headsets.
  
  Nearby Glasses is currently available on the Google Play Store and GitHub.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/someone-made-an-app-to-warn-you-if-smart-glasses-are-nearby-183359723.html?src=rss

• iPhone Fold rumors: Everything we know right now, including the leaked design, upgrades, price and more
  Apple still hasn’t revealed a foldable iPhone, but the steady drip of leaks suggests the project is moving closer to reality. Over the past few months, analysts and supply-chain watchers have continued to fill in key details, with most reports still pointing to a launch sometime in the second half of 2026. While Apple hasn’t confirmed anything publicly, the overall picture is starting to look more consistent.
  
  As always, plans for unreleased Apple hardware can change at any time. Features may shift, timelines can slip and some prototypes may never ship. Even so, recent reporting gives us the clearest sense yet of how Apple’s first foldable could take shape and where it might fit in the broader iPhone lineup.
  
  Below, we’ve rounded up the most credible rumors so far, and we’ll keep this guide updated as new details emerge.
  When could the iPhone Fold launch?
  Rumors of a foldable iPhone date back as far as 2017, but more recent reporting suggests Apple has finally locked onto a realistic window. Most sources now point to fall 2026, likely alongside the iPhone 18 lineup, with some supply-chain hints suggesting mass production could begin in mid-2026 if development stays on track.
  
  Mark Gurman has gone back and forth on timing, initially suggesting Apple could launch “as early as 2026,” before later writing that the device would ship at the end of 2026 and sell primarily in 2027. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also repeatedly cited the second half of 2026 as Apple’s target.
  
  Some reports still claim the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display. Given Apple’s history of delaying products that it feels aren’t ready, that remains a real possibility.
  What will the iPhone Fold look like?
  Current consensus suggests Apple has settled on a book-style foldable design, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, rather than a clamshell flip phone.
  
  When unfolded, the iPhone Fold is expected to resemble a small tablet like the iPad mini (8.3 inches). Based on the rumor mill, though, the iPhone Fold may be a touch smaller, with an internal display measuring around 7.7 to 7.8 inches. When closed, it should function like a conventional smartphone, with an outer display in the 5.5-inch range.
  
  CAD leaks and alleged case-maker molds suggest the device may be shorter and wider than a standard iPhone when folded, creating a squarer footprint that better matches the aspect ratio of the inner display. Several reports have also pointed to theiPhone Air as a potential preview of Apple’s foldable design work, with its unusually thin chassis widely interpreted as a look at what one half of a future foldable iPhone could resemble.
  
  If that theory holds, it could help explain the Fold’s rumored dimensions. Thickness is expected to land around 4.5 to 4.8mm when unfolded, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, putting it in a similar range to the iPhone Air, and roughly 9 to 9.5mm when folded, depending on the final hinge design and internal layering.
  iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone AirEngadgetDisplay and the crease question
  The display is arguably the biggest challenge for any foldable phone, and it’s an area where Apple appears to have invested years of development.
  
  Multiple reports say Apple will rely on Samsung Display as its primary supplier. At CES 2026, Samsung showcased a new crease-less foldable OLED panel, which several sources — including Bloomberg — suggested could be the same technology Apple plans to use.
  
  According to these reports, the panel combines a flexible OLED with a laser-drilled metal support plate that disperses stress when folding. The goal is a display with a nearly invisible crease, something Apple reportedly considers essential before entering the foldable market.
  
  If Apple does use this panel, it would mark a notable improvement over current foldables, which still show visible creasing under certain lighting conditions.
  Cameras and biometrics
  Camera rumors suggest Apple is planning a four-camera setup. That may include:
  
  Two rear cameras (main and ultra-wide, both rumored at 48MP)
  
  One punch-hole camera on the outer display
  
  One under-display camera on the inner screen
  
  Several sources claim Apple will avoid Face ID entirely on the iPhone Fold. Instead, it’s expected to rely on Touch ID built into the power button, similar to recent iPad models. This would allow Apple to keep both displays free of notches or Dynamic Island cutouts.
  
  Under-display camera technology has historically produced lower image quality, but a rumored 24MP sensor would be a significant step up compared to existing foldables, which typically use much lower-resolution sensors.
  iPhone Fold’s hinge and materials
  The hinge is another area where Apple may diverge from competitors. Multiple reports claim Apple will useLiquidmetal, which is a long-standing trade name for a metallic glass alloy the company has previously used in smaller components. While often referred to as “liquid metal” or “Liquid Metal” in reports, Liquidmetal is the branding Apple has historically associated with the material.
  
  Liquidmetal is said to be stronger and more resistant to deformation than titanium, while remaining relatively lightweight. If accurate, this could help improve long-term durability and reduce wear on the foldable display.
  
  Leaks from Jon Prosser also reference a metal plate beneath the display that works in tandem with the hinge to minimize creasing — a claim that aligns with reporting from Korean and Chinese supply-chain sources.
  Battery and other components 
  Battery life is another potential differentiator. According to Ming-Chi Kuo and multiple Asian supply-chain reports, Apple is testing high-density battery cells in the 5,000 to 5,800mAh range.
  
  That would make it the largest battery ever used in an iPhone, and competitive with (or larger than) batteries in current Android foldables. The device is also expected to use a future A-series chip and Apple’s in-house modem, with some reports pointing specifically to a next-generation C2 modem as part of Apple’s broader push to reduce reliance on Qualcomm.
  Price
  None of this will come cheap, that’s for certain. Nearly every report agrees that the iPhone Fold will be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever.
  
  Estimates currently place the price between $2,000 and $2,500 in the US. Bloomberg has said the price will be “at least $2,000,” while other analysts have narrowed the likely range to around $2,100 and $2,300. That positions the iPhone Fold well above the iPhone Pro Max and closer to Apple’s high-end Macs and iPads.
  
  Despite years of rumors, there’s still plenty that remains unclear. Apple hasn’t confirmed the name “iPhone Fold,” final dimensions, software features or how iOS would adapt to a folding form factor. Durability, repairability and long-term reliability are also open questions. For now, the safest assumption is that Apple is taking its time and that many of these details could still change before launch.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-fold-rumors-everything-we-know-right-now-including-the-leaked-design-upgrades-price-and-more-130000733.html?src=rss

• Marvel's Wolverine will hit PS5 on September 15
  As spicy as the PlayStation State of Play that took place a couple of weeks ago was overall, there was one major first-party game that was notably absent from the showcase: Marvel’s Wolverine. Insomniac Games’ latest superhero blockbuster was already slated for a fall release and now the studio has revealed exactly when you’ll be able to get your claws on it. Marvel’s Wolverine is coming to PS5 on September 15.
  
  That’s it. That’s the announcement. There’s no new trailer to accompany the news, other than a six-second release date reveal video that popped up on YouTube. Insomniac previously said it would reveal more details about Marvel’s Wolverine this spring.
  
  Technically, this release date means that Marvel’s Wolverine will debut in the last week of summer rather than in the fall. Still, it’s one of the relatively few blockbuster games you can expect in the tail end of this year because many major developers and publishers will be staying well clear of GTA VI.
  
  Insomniac’s game will have a couple of months of breathing room before GTA VI soaks up all of the air in the gaming world when it arrives on November 19 — assuming Rockstar doesn’t announce another delay. However, parent company Take-Two plans to rev up its marketing machine for the game this summer, so it’s looking like GTA VI’s release date will hold this time.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/marvels-wolverine-will-hit-ps5-on-september-15-175500927.html?src=rss

• For All Mankind's latest trailer teases a war on Mars
  Apple just dropped a full trailer for the fifth season of its hit sci-fi show For All Mankind. This is the first real look at the upcoming batch of episodes, which premiere on March 27. We got an extremely short teaser trailer last month but that only showed a guy on a motorcycle riding across Mars.
  
  This is the first real-deal trailer and it9s absolutely stuffed with footage indicating where the next season will take viewers. I9m going to get into some spoilers here, so read at your own risk.
  
  For the uninitiated, For All Mankind is an alternate history show that started with a simple premise. What if Russia landed on the moon before America? That has since ballooned into all kinds of stuff which include, as mentioned above, a potential war on Mars.
  
  For All Mankind is a show famous for its time jumps, and season five takes us all the way to an alternate version of 2012. Many of the show9s original surviving characters are still kicking around, but they are old as paste and not exactly fit for high-octane space travel. Remember, the first episode started in the 1960s. Franchise lead Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnamen) looks particularly dusty.
  
  Much of the footage features newer characters, including the grandson of Baldwin. Season four ended with a Mars colony asserting its independence via asteroid theft. Now it looks like Earth is striking back, which could lead to a full-scale war. This is giving me The Expanse vibes, which is never a bad thing.
  
  The show must be clocking good numbers for Apple TV+, as the streamer recently announced a spinoff called Star City. Details are scant, but it looks to cover similar events of the mainline show from Russia9s perspective.
  
  New episodes of For All Mankind air each Friday. This season will feature ten episodes and concludes on May 29.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/for-all-mankinds-latest-trailer-teases-a-war-on-mars-174822481.html?src=rss

• Reddit fined $19.6 million over age verification checks in the UK
  A common theme in online age verification laws is the tension between user privacy and preventing children from accessing harmful or inappropriate content. Now the UK is sending a not-so-subtle message to Reddit on the subject, to the tune of £14.5m ($19.6 million). The nation9s Information Commissioner9s Office (ICO) accused the company of using children’s data and potentially exposing them to inappropriate content.
  
  “Children under 13 had their personal information collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to or control,” UK Information Commissioner John Edwards wrote in a statement. “That left them potentially exposed to content they should not have seen. This is unacceptable and has resulted in today’s fine.”
  
  In July 2025, Reddit began requiring age verification to access adult content in the UK, in compliance with the Online Safety Act. However, that9s only used to block under-18 users from sexually explicit, violent or other mature posts. The platform also prohibits users under 13 from accessing it altogether — and enforcement of that policy is lax. It merely requires users to declare, when signing up, that they9re over 13. The ICO (accurately) described the method as "easy to bypass."
  
  In its defense, Reddit told the BBC that it "didn9t require users to share information about their identities, regardless of age, because we are deeply committed to their privacy and safety." The company said it would appeal the decision. "The ICO9s insistence that we collect more private information on every UK user is counterintuitive and at odds with our strong belief in our users9 online privacy and safety," the spokesperson added.
  
  "It9s concerning that a company the size of Reddit failed in its legal duty to protect the personal information of UK children," Edwards said. "Companies operating online services likely to be accessed by children have a responsibility to protect those children by ensuring they’re not exposed to risks through the way their data is used. To do this, they need to be confident they know the age of their users and have appropriate, effective age assurance measures in place.”
  
  “Reddit failed to meet these expectations,” he added. “They must do better, and we are continuing to consider the age assurance controls now implemented by the platform.” The ICO also accused Reddit of failing to conduct a data protection impact assessment by January 2025.
  
  The Guardian notes that the £14.5m fine is the third-largest handed down by the ICO. It trails only a £20m fine for British Airways involving a data breach disclosure and an £18.4m penalty for Marriott Hotels for exposing over 300 million customer records in a hack.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-fined-196-million-over-age-verification-checks-in-the-uk-173705048.html?src=rss

• Google claims it's building data centers that barely use any water
  Google is building another data center in Texas and says this one will use "advanced air-cooling technology" to limit water consumption. Google is claiming that water use will be limited to "critical campus operations" like kitchens.
  
  These specifics follow the previously announced two-year $40 billion investment the company has pledged in the Lone Star State. The company is also touting some 7,800 megawatts of net energy generation and capacity it has contracted with utility providers to add to the Texas grid.
  
  The company9s resource-conscious commitments come as communities nationwide are pushing back on data center construction, amid concerns that they are raising electric bills, worsening global greenhouse gas emissions and often using gargantuan amounts of fresh water. But don9t worry, because OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the water concerns are "fake" and that "it also takes a lot of energy to train a human."
  
  A growing number of voices in tech, most notably Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have said that building data centers in space would address many of these concerns. But some experts believe the potential environmental downside could be devastating.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-claims-its-building-data-centers-that-barely-use-any-water-171411965.html?src=rss

• YouTube's Premium Lite tier gets background play and downloads
  YouTube is adding new features to its Premium Lite plan. The tier will offer background play and downloads for the mostly ad-free plan. The update comes a year after YouTube first launched the lower-cost plan.
  
  The Premium Lite tier is notable because for $8 per month you get most videos ad-free, emphasis on most. Currently, it still uses ads for YouTube music (along with random other videos), but the new update is bringing more Premium tier features without the $14 per month price tag.
  
  As a Lite user, you will be able to use background play on most videos. Notably, this announcement comes less than a month after Google cracked down on free workarounds to access background play on YouTube. "Background playback is a feature intended to be exclusive for YouTube Premium members. While some non-Premium users may have previously been able to access this through mobile web browsers in certain scenarios, we have updated the experience to ensure consistency across all our platforms," Google told Android Authority. Now, it9s for Premium Lite users as well.
  
  YouTube Premium Lite users are also getting access to downloads. They can watch — here it comes again — most videos offline. These new features will roll out starting today and in the coming weeks to Premium Lite subscribers.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtubes-premium-lite-tier-gets-background-play-and-downloads-170051755.html?src=rss

• Blizzard finally revealed its long-rumored Overwatch mobile game
  Blizzard is finally bringing Overwatch to mobile devices, but not exactly in the way you think. The company isn9t making a port of the mainline game. Rather, it just announced a spinoff called Overwatch Rush, which is being described as a "top-down hero shooter designed specifically for mobile set in the Overwatch universe."
  
  There have been rumors about an Overwatch mobile game for what seems like a lifetime. Most people assumed this would appear as a straight port, but a brand-new game is also great. It9s not being developed by Team 4, the group that works on the mainline game, but is being made internally.
  
  Overwatch Rush features many of the heroes of Overwatch battling on familiar-looking maps, according to a gameplay video. The game offers 4v4 matches, though the characters are more cartoonish and stylized than the mainline game. This is likely to accommodate smaller screens and the top-down view.
  
  This is a mobile game, so the battles are described as "bite-sized" and the controls are touchscreen-based. Blizzard says it9s still in the early stages of development but that it9s going to offer "fast-paced, on-the-go play, with hero-centric combat and playstyle customization that suits both team and solo players."
  
  Overwatch Rush will be playable soon, as part of a beta testing process. It9ll be free to play and available for both Android and iOS whenever the full game is ready to go.
  
  Blizzard says that a "new, separate, dedicated team" will be "focused exclusively" on Overwatch Rush. That9s industry code for "we aren9t draining resources from the main game to make the mobile spinoff." Oddly, the company recently held a series of panels to discuss the future of its franchises and didn9t mention this mobile game.
  
  This isn9t the company9s first foray into mobile game development. It9s had a hand in stuff like Diablo Immortal and Warcraft Rumble.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blizzard-finally-revealed-its-long-rumored-overwatch-mobile-game-162938590.html?src=rss

• Netflix, Disney+ and other major streaming services face stricter UK oversight
  Netflix, Disney+, Amazon9s Prime Video and other major video on-demand (VOD) streaming services are set to face stricter regulation in the UK. Platforms with a monthly average of more than 500,000 UK viewers will be deemed “Tier 1" services that are subject to similar oversight as broadcasters like the BBC and ITV under the eye of media watchdog Ofcom. 
  
  Streaming services run by public broadcasters like ITVX and Channel 4 will have to abide by the new rules as well. BBC services such as iPlayer are exempt for now as they’re regulated under the Broadcasting Code, which broadcasters have to adhere to. That said, the UK government plans to update the BBC Framework Agreement so that iPlayer is regulated in the same way as Netflix et al. 
  
  The government said the new rules will reflect changes in how people are watching TV. It claimed that 85 percent of people use an on-demand service every month while 67 percent watch live TV. It added that two-thirds of UK households subscribe to at least one of Netflix, Prime Video and Disney.
  
  According to said in a statement. "Implementing a new Ofcom-regulated accessibility code for our largest video-on-demand services will give people with disabilities impacting their sight or hearing peace of mind that they’ll be able to stream all their favorite films and TV shows long into the future."
  
  The UK government is implementing these rules for streaming services under the Media Act 2024. Currently, platforms including Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, Discovery+, Hayu and ITVX are subject to statutory rules that Ofcom enforces. However, the watchdog has no oversight of Netflix as things stand. That platform9s European base is in the Netherlands. As such, the Dutch media regulator oversees Netflix instead.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-disney-and-other-major-streaming-services-face-stricter-uk-oversight-160121268.html?src=rss

• Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The Galaxy S26 series, AI and other products we might see on February 25
  Samsung’s 2025 was filled with new foldables, an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google's XR platform. After making some announcements at CES 2026, the company has announced its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year will take place on February 25, where it is expected to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Official invites have been shared, but actual information on what devices are arriving then is still not completely confirmed. But as usual, we know a lot about what’s expected at Unpacked.
  
  Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live from San Francisco tomorrow, and we'll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung's new smartphones soon after they're announced. While we wait for the full details, here's everything we expect Samsung will introduce at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.
  When is Unpacked 2026 taking place?
  According to the official invite that Samsung shared on February 10, Unpacked will happen on February 25, 2026 in San Francisco. The keynote will start at 10AM PT (1PM ET) and be livestreamed on Samsung.com, as well as the company’s newsroom and YouTube channel. The announcement on February 10 also said this launch will mark “a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive.” It’s not a lot to go on, since we’ve heard a version of this from various companies over the last few years, but at least we won’t be shocked when we hear more about AI in just about two weeks.
  Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 UltraSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on photoPhoto by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
  Samsung's restrained approach to updating its phones will likely continue with the Galaxy S26. Based on leaked images of the new lineup, the company is not expected to radically reinvent the look of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ or Galaxy S26 Ultra, and instead will stick with a similar design to what it used on the Galaxy S25. The phones will have a flat front screen and frame, with rounded corners and cameras housed in a vertical pill-shaped plateau on the back. Unlike Apple's move from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 17 Pro, the biggest difference here will likely be internal components like the screens, chips and camera sensors Samsung uses.
  
  Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is expected to be in all Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, though Korean news site Exynos 2600 chip could be used in some phones in the lineup depending on the region, a strategy Samsung has deployed in the past. Either way the new phones should be more performant than the previous generation, and in the case of the models with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, particularly good at on-device AI processing.
  I have compiled the most accurate comprehensive parameter comparison of Galaxy S25, S25+ and Galaxy S26、 S26+. Which one do you want to buy? pic.twitter.com/aQpoSvYjOz
  — Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) November 29, 2025
  One notable difference between the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S25 could be the phone's screen. The new phone will reportedly feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ display according to specs shared by leaker Ice Universe, which makes it ever so slightly larger than the 6.2-inch display used on the Galaxy S25. The S26 will also allegedly come with 12GB of RAM, either 256GB or 512GB of storage and a slightly larger 4,300mAh battery. Samsung isn't changing the cameras on the entry-level phone, though: leaks suggest it'll feature the same 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and 12-megapixel selfie camera as the previous generation. Changes appear to be even more minor on the Galaxy S26+. Other than the new Snapdragon chip, the phone will reportedly feature the same 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM and the same camera array used on the base Galaxy S26.
  
  The difference between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra is reportedly a bit clearer. only technically work with the standard when a case is attached, rumors suggest Samsung will remove the S Pen digitizer layer in the phone and adopt a new method for accepting stylus input. It's not clear what that new method will actually be, but it could let the Galaxy S26 Ultra more easily work with Qi2 accessories without losing its stylus.
  
  Android Headlines also recently shared what appear to be full image renders of the S26 series, and they generally line up with what has already been rumored, leaked and reported so far. If these pictures are accurate, they give us a clearer look at the camera bump and two color variants of the S26 Ultra.
  
  Fans of magnets may continue to be disappointed by Samsung if the latest rumors are accurate. Despite the launch of the Qi 2 wireless charging standard adding support for convenient magnetic alignment years ago, Samsung has yet to bring that feature to its phones. Though the S-series have the higher speed charging rates that the spec enables, Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro in 2024, with a major redesign that brought them much more in line with Apple's AirPods. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro Samsung is rumored to be announcing soon won't necessarily change that, though they will feature a more compact case and less angular stems, according to leaked images from the Samsung Tips app.
  
  Support for head gestures to accept and decline calls, a feature Apple includes on the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4, is also rumored to work on both versions of the new Galaxy Buds. Google's Find Hub network.
  Galaxy Z TrifoldYes, the TriFold has a crease, two in fact. But they still don't ruin the experience. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Samsung announced the Galaxy Z TriFold in late 2025 without firm details of when the new smartphone-that-folds-into-a-tablet would be available in North America. That info came on January 27, when the company announced the TriFold would be available in the US on January 30, for a whopping $2,900. Considering we’ve already seen the device in person at CES 2026 and people are most likely to have had a chance to look at, if not buy the foldable for themselves by the time Unpacked rolls around, we don’t expect Samsung to spend too much time dwelling on it, if at all.
  Galaxy S26 EdgeAt just 5.8mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the thinnest smartphones ever made. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  When the Galaxy S25 Edge was announced in 2025, it seemed possible that Samsung could replace its "Plus" smartphone with a unique form factor, just like Apple has opted to do with the iPhone Air. There have been conflicting reports on the matter, but it seems like Samsung will not be doing that with the Galaxy S26 Edge.
  
  Instead, the smartphone will reportedly remain another option, much like foldables are for customers not swayed by Samsung's traditional smartphones. The Galaxy S26 Edge is rumored to feature a slightly different design than last year's model, a deal with Motorola on its Razr phones, so the only thing that would make a deal with Samsung unusual is the close relationship the company already has with Google.
  
  The company also accidentally announced a new version of its Bixby AI assistant, which will likely also be integrated with Perplexity and could serve as an alternative to Google Gemini. Both a new Bixby and a deeper integration with Perplexity seem like natural new software features to show off at Galaxy Unpacked.
  
  On February 17, Samsung teased some mobile AI photography features ahead of Unpacked. These expand the S-series’ existing image-editing tools by bringing the ability “to turn a photo from day to night in seconds, restore missing parts of objects in images, capture detailed photos in low light, and seamlessly merge multiple photos into a single, cohesive result.” A lot of these things are already possible in other photo-editing apps or even in the Google Photos app, but we’ll have to wait to see them in action on the S26 phones for more details on whether they’re different or more effective.
  
  The company continued to drip feed more teasers in the week leading up to Unpacked 2026, announcing just a few days later that it’s updated its Bixby assistant to be more conversational. Then, over the weekend, it shared that the S26 series will offer third-party AI agents within Galaxy AI, including Perplexity’s offering. It will allow for the devices to respond to the wake phrase “Hey Plex,” which is sure to be popular and not at all confusing to those who already use a similarly named media server and streaming app.
  
  Until we find out more at Unpacked 2026, it’s tricky to determine if and how effective these updates will be, so we’ll just have to be patient until we get the phones in our hands.
  
  Update, January 27 2026, 11:55AM ET: This story has been updated to reflect the latest news around the Galaxy Z TriFold’s price and availability in the US.
  
  Update, January 30 2026, 12:45PM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks on the possible dates for Unpacked 2026.
  
  Update, February 02 2026, 11:30AM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks with full image renders of the S26 trio of devices.
  
  Update, February 03 2026, 11:00AM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks about the possible lack of magnetic support on the S26 series.
  
  Update, February 10 2026, 7:15PM ET: This story has been updated to include the official date of Galaxy Unpacked as Samsung announced it today. The intro was also edited to reflect that detail.
  
  Update, February 17 2026, 4:55PM ET: This story has been updated to add Samsung’s teaser about its upcoming mobile AI photography tools. The intro was also edited for timeliness.
  
  Update, February 24 2026, 10:45AM ET: This story has been updated to add Samsung’s recent updates about Bixby and Galaxy AI’s integration with Perplexity. The intro was also edited for timeliness.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2026-the-galaxy-s26-series-ai-and-other-products-we-might-see-on-february-25-130000135.html?src=rss

• Ryan Coogler's X-Files reboot gets the green light at Hulu
  Good news for all Ryan Coogler fans: The Sinners director is bringing back a beloved TV show. Hulu has officially green lit a pilot of Coogler9s X-Files reboot, a project three years in the making, record 16 Oscar nominations for Sinners, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. Coogler also wrote and directed Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ryan-cooglers-x-files-reboot-gets-the-green-light-at-hulu-140735536.html?src=rss

• Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 review: This is the future of kitchen knives
  There’s a type of knife tech often seen in science fiction that revolves around vibrating a blade to increase its sharpness. We’ve seen examples of this in franchises like Star Wars (vibroblades), Evangelion (the prog knife), Dune (pulse-swords) and the Marvel universe (vibranium), but what might surprise you is that the underlying science is sound. By vibrating a cutting tool at high frequencies, not only do you reduce friction, you essentially turn the blade into a saw, as tiny oscillations enhance the inherent sharpness of a blade. 
  
  However, up until recently, this tech largely only existed in fiction or for large companies that have the money to utilize the tech on an industrial scale. But that9s changing in a big way for home cooks this year thanks to Seattle Ultrasonics, which is releasing the world9s first ultrasonic chef9s knife: the C-200. After chopping, smashing and cooking with it for about a month, I9m convinced that this is the future of kitchen knives.
  
  
  Design
  From afar, the C-200 looks a lot like a regular 8-inch chef9s knife, but with a slightly more contemporary design. It features a three-layer san mai blade made from Japanese AUS-10 steel with a 13-degree edge angle per side (26 degrees total). However, upon closer inspection, you9ll notice there are some features that seem a bit out of place on a premium knife. 
  
  The first is that the C-200 doesn9t have a full tang, which is the back end of a blade that ideally extends into the handle to provide added strength and durability. This is usually a major no-no, particularly on a $400 knife. However, when you consider that Seattle Ultrasonics needed somewhere to put its vibration tech, there really isn9t any room for it other than inside the knife9s grip. 
  You won9t be able to feel it, but pressing this button allows the C-2009s blade to vibrate 30,000 times per second. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The knife9s second quirk is that the back of the plastic handle features small indicator lights on either side, which is obviously a bit weird. Furthermore, the entire gray section can be removed to reveal a small 1,100mAh battery with an onboard USB-C port. Frankly, the presence of a battery in a knife is just kind of funky. But hey, the power to vibrate the knife has to come from somewhere because it definitely isn9t being generated by your hands. And while Seattle Ultrasonics doesn9t include a charging adapter or cable in the box, I don9t mind because the company wisely took cues from the larger gadget industry and went with a power spec that9s already widely in use. Honestly, I wish more kitchen tech makers would do the same. 
  
  However, the knife9s biggest oddity is the big orange button on the bottom of its handle. This is what you use to make the blade vibrate, which it does at 33kHz. It9s positioned well so that it9s easy to press regardless of whether you do a traditional pinch grip or if you9re a bit more casual and prefer to hold the knife only using its handle. In the future, I can see this button becoming a touch-sensitive sensor, but for now, it9s simple and effective.
  Here9s a small selection of knives I own sorted by weight (from top to bottom) compared to the C200: 6-inch Kyocera ceramic knife (97 grams), MAC molybdenum steel chef9s knife (110g), Furtif Evercut titanium carbide chef9s knife (190g), Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 (328g), Korin carbon steel cleaver (396g). Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The main downside to the C-2009s design is that at 328 grams (around 0.75 pounds) it9s heavier and bulkier than a typical knife. When compared to other knives I own, which are made from a wide variety of materials including, ceramic, molybdenum steel, carbon steel and even titanium carbide, it weighs more than everything else aside from my big Chinese cleaver (396 grams). And while it fits nicely in my hand, my wife said it takes a bit more effort for her to wield. It9s not too much to the point where you don9t want to use it. But for quick tasks, sometimes I found myself subconsciously reaching for lighter options like my 6-inch ceramic knife, which weighs just 97 grams. 
  How it works
  From a user standpoint, putting the C-200 to work couldn9t be simpler. Just press the button and let the knife do its thing. The big difference from how knives like this work in sci-fi is that there9s no audible hum or detectable vibration when it9s on. It9s practically silent (well, most of the time, but more on that later), so you have to trust that it9s on or check the indicator light on the handle. That said, if you still don9t believe anything is happening, you can run the edge of the blade under water or scrape it over some cut citrus, at which point the blade9s vibration will atomize nearby liquid into a fine mist. It9s a cool party trick that also doubles as a way to amp up a cocktail by adding a faint essence of lemon, lime or anything else you can think of.
  Pushing the C-2009s button is super easy, regardless of what kind of knife grip you prefer. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Inside, the knife relies on PZT-8 piezoelectric ceramic crystals to generate up to 30,000 vibrations per second, which propagate down the blade and make the knife function as if it9s sharper than it actually is. This all sounds rather fantastic, so how does it function in the real world?
  In-use
  To really put the C-200 through its paces, I cooked over a dozen meals that involved neatly slicing or preparing a wide variety of foods — including Hasselback potatoes, flank steak, pork belly, chives, sushi-grade tuna and all sorts of fruit. 
  After prepping four pounds of pork belly with various knives, the C-200 really showed off how much of a difference its vibration tech makes. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  In short, the C-2009s effectiveness depends a lot on what you9re chopping. For soft things like strawberries or a piece of cake, I didn9t notice much of a difference. To make things even more difficult, the knife arrived out of the box with an incredibly fine edge — the kind that makes shearing through a sheet of paper child9s play. So even though Seattle Ultrasonics says its knife can reduce cutting effort by up to 50 percent, there9s not much gain to be had when slicing foods that could just as easily be cut by a butter knife. 
  
  However, as I used it more, I found that the C-200 excels at cutting through delicate items like tomatoes, scallions and fish, where using a dull knife often results in bruising the food as you chop. This was most evident when I made poke at home, where Seattle Ultrasonic9s knife delivered cleaner, more precise cuts than anything else I own. 
  For me, the C-2009s $399 price tag is almost worth it just so I have an an easier time making my one of my all-time favorite dishes (lu rou fan). Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  When I whipped up some pico de gallo, I distinctly noticed how neatly the C-200 sliced through the skin of a tomato, instead of initially putting a crease in it before cleanly passing through its interior — which often happens when using dull knives. An additional benefit is that because of the vibrations, I found some foods like garlic didn9t stick to the side of the blade as much. This made it easier to keep track of how much I chopped while simultaneously reducing the mess from things falling willy-nilly during prep. But perhaps the most obvious demonstration of the knife9s prowess was when I diced an onion. When using my other knives or the C-200 without powering it on, I could feel when I tried to cut through thicker, more sturdy layers. But then, at the touch of a button, I was able to slice down with practically no resistance. It9s almost shocking because it feels like magic. 
  The C-200 truly excels at cutting denser foods like flank steak. Sadly mine ended up closer to medium than medium rare, but that9s not the knife9s fault. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The C-200 even has the ability to reduce the importance of certain knife techniques. Anyone who9s seen all the posts on r/kitchenconfidential about cutting chives will already know what I9m talking about. As J Kenji Lopez-Alt neatly demonstrated, the ideal way to get crisp, clean slices is to do a subtle forward or back cut instead of simply chopping straight down. But with Seattle Ultrasonics9 knife, I9ve found that it9s so sharp you can get away with almost any motion and still get good results. And if you do it the right way, things are even better. 
  
  Other types of food that makes the C-200 really shine are denser ingredients like meat and potatoes, where you can really feel the added cutting power. Previously, when I had to break down thick cuts of protein, I sometimes wished I owned a serrated electric knife. You know, the kind you break out once a year on Thanksgiving and then it sits and gathers dust for the other 364 days. But the C-200 made that desire a thing of that past, as it quickly and easily worked through flank steak while once again producing neat, uniform slices. 
  Sushi-grade tuna is another food that really shows off how the C-2009s increased sharpness is better at preserving the delicate texture of the fish. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  My favorite application of the C-200 was when I was doing prep for Taiwanese braised pork (aka 滷肉飯). Despite this being one of my most beloved dishes that I taught myself how to cook because I couldn9t easily find it from local restaurants, I don9t make it very often because it9s a lot of work to cut multiple pounds of pork belly into small lardon-shaped pieces. Here, the knife9s vibrations made it so much easier to cut through all those layers of meat, fat and skin. If there9s any situation where the C-200 makes it 50 percent easier to slice through something, it9s this. 
  It might be hard to tell, but I was able to cut chives a little finer and more neatly with the C-200 (left) than with my other knives. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  During my testing, two small issues cropped up. While it was quite rare, the knife would sometimes emit a faint high-pitched whine. When I asked Seattle Ultrasonic9s founder Scott Heimendinger about this behavior, he was rather frank, saying that this can occur when water or moisture accumulates in just the right spots on the blade. Furthermore, he said this only happens on a small number of V1 models, which the company is working to fix in the future. Thankfully, I don9t mind, but if it bothers you, making the noise go away is as easy as wiping down the knife down with a cloth or paper towel. 
  The C-200s battery can be easily removed for cleaning and charging. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The other complication came while I was working through the multiple pounds of pork belly I mentioned earlier. After 10 to 15 minutes of continuous use, the knife beeped and its indicator light turned red. Turns out the knife had overheated, which was something I had not even considered. This led to higher-than-normal temperatures inside the knife9s sealed electronics causing it to shut off. But after just 30 seconds, it returned to form. During later uses, I learned that simply taking my finger off the button between tasks, which happens naturally as you prep anyway, was more than enough to stop that situation from happening ever again.
  
  On the flipside, I was happy to discover that despite lacking a full tang, the C-200 can handle fairly rough tasks, including laying the knife on its side to smash garlic or jamming it into an avocado to remove its pit. That said, I would really recommend against doing the latter, because between its inherent sharpness and its vibration tech, this is the first knife I9ve used that can slice cleanly through an entire avocado with almost no extra effort.
  Cleaning and care The Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 8-inch chef9s knife features an IP65 rating for the whole device, though the front half is actually a bit more resistant thanks to an IP67 rating for its button and bolster. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The last big concern about a knife with built-in electronics is how it handles clean-up. Thankfully, the C-200 features an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. That means it can withstand rinsing and splashes without issue. And it9s actually even tougher than that, because the front of the knife, including its bolster and button, are rated IP67. This means it can take full submersions in water if need be. However, just because you can, doesn9t mean you should. Good kitchen protocol says you don9t throw knives you care about in the sink and forget them, just like how you wouldn9t put one in the dishwasher either.  
  
  But perhaps the greatest advantage of this tech is that it allows you to go longer between needing to get your knives sharpened, which if you9re like most home cooks, is probably never. To be clear, I haven9t tested this and in some respects I wish I had been able to test out a dull version of the C-200. That said, science dictates that slice for slice, an ultrasonic knife will simply cut better than an equivalent blade without the extra tech. So if you believe in the adage that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one because you need to apply more force to get the same results, this is another bonus for both safety and convenience.
  The not-so-optional accessory Seattle Ultrasonics9 wireless charging tile makes it incredibly easy to forget that the C-200 needs to be topped up between uses. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  I fully admit the need to keep a knife charged up is a major annoyance and something I or anyone else probably doesn9t want to do. Thankfully, Seattle Ultrasonics thought of that by including support for wireless charging via the C-2009s magnetic tile and it9s dead simple to use. Just toss it on the charger when you9re not using and it will take care of itself, so you never have to worry about how much of its normal 20-minute runtime it may or may not have left. There are also holes around back so you can easily mount the charger on a wall or shelf. In short, the added convenience the charging tile brings is so valuable that I don9t really consider it an optional accessory. If you9re getting the C-200, you need to buy this too, which sadly means you9re looking at an all-in price of $500 for the bundle instead of just $400 for the knife by itself. 
  Wrap-up As much as I love old-school knives, they9ll simply never be as sharp an equivalent blade with this newfound tech. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  After using the C-200, I don9t think people need to rush out and throw all their old-school knives in the trash. The beauty of an ultrasonic blade like this is that it can handle everything your old cutlery is meant for, but with the touch of a button, it delivers sharpness unlike anything you9ve experienced before. And while it has some quirks, they9re nothing like the kind you typically encounter on first-gen gadgets. Its biggest drawback is that its magnetic charging tile feels like an essential accessory, but it adds extra cost on top of a product that already has a deservedly premium price tag. 
  
  Even though I9m sure knife makers will continue tweaking blade shapes and alloy mixes from now until the end of time, the addition of ultrasonic vibrations to a chef9s knife unlocks a completely new tier of performance. That9s because this technology is additive. All it does is enhance what a blade already does best. And when you look at related gadgets in the maker space, I don9t think it9s a coincidence that there9s a similar revolution that resulted in Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame naming a sonic cutter as one of his favorite things of 2025. When viewed that way, it makes me even more confident that the C-200 is the flagbearer for a new breed of kitchen knives. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/seattle-ultrasonics-c-200-review-this-is-the-future-of-kitchen-knives-140000051.html?src=rss

• Meta may trade AI chips for shares in its latest AMD deal
  Meta has struck a deal with AMD to buy up to six gigawatts worth of AI chips, both companies announced. The agreement is structured in a way that could see AMD issue Meta up to 160 million shares of its common stock provided GPU shipment milestones are achieved — meaning Meta could own up to 10 percent of AMD if the deal fully completes. 
  
  Meta plans to purchase six gigawatts of AMD9s Instinct GPUs based on the MI450 architecture and optimized for Meta9s workloads, with the first gigawatt deployment set to begin in the second half of 2026. AMD and Meta will also expand on their EPYC CPU partnership, with Meta deploying "millions" of AMD EPYC CPUs and become a launch customer for its sixth-generation EPYC CPUs. 
  
  The tranche of AMD common stock will vest with the first one gigawatt of shipments, with additional tranches vesting as Meta scales to 6 gigawatts. Vesting is tied to AMD hitting certain stock price thresholds and Meta achieving certain technical and commercial milestones. The deal is very similar to one that AMD structured with OpenAI last year, with AMD obtaining up to a 10 percent stake in AMD in exchange for six gigawatts of Instinct GPUs. 
  
  Such deals are being likened to circular transactions that have created a tangle of interconnected dependencies between AI companies and chip manufacturers. Analysts have observed that such deals may magnify losses if demand for AI doesn9t match the sky-high market expectations. 
  
  The agreement also shows that AI companies are keen to diversify away from NVIDIA, with AMD being a key alternative. "By diversifying our partnerships and technology stack, we’re building a more resilient and flexible infrastructure," Meta wrote in its news release. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-may-trade-ai-chips-for-shares-in-its-latest-amd-deal-134259842.html?src=rss

• Samsung Galaxy Book 6 series will be available in the US starting on March 11
  You can get any of the Samsung Galaxy Book 6 models in the US, starting on March 11. In fact, you can make a reservation right now through Samsung’s website and its experience stores. The company launched the Book 6 series of laptops, namely the basic Book 6, the Book 6 Pro and the Book 6 Ultra, at CES earlier this year. They’re powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 processors, which were also announced at CES and which promise great graphics and battery life.
  
  All three models come in grey and with AI features, such as AI Select and Search that you can use to look for information using natural language. The basic Book 6 laptop will set you back at least $1,050, while the Book 6 Pro’s prices start at $1,600. The Book 6 Ultra will cost you at least $2,450. The Galaxy Book 6 Pro will be available in 14- and 16-inch versions and will come equipped with up to Core Ultra X7 processors and Intel Arc graphics. Meanwhile, you can equip the 16-inch Galaxy Book 6 Ultra with up to Core Ultra X9 processors. The most expensive Book 6 promises significant performance improvements, thanks to its new 5th-generation MPU, Intel Arc graphics and NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series GPUs.
  
  The Book 6 Ultra and the 16-inch Pro have slimmer profiles than their predecessors, though the former has a more traditional laptop shape and the latter looks more like the MacBook Air. It’s worth noting that Samsung redesigned the Ultra’s components across a larger surface area so that it can distribute heat more evenly. Both the Book 6 Pro and Ultra can last for up to 30 hours of video playback, since they feature Samsung’s longest-lasting batteries yet. Both models also come with AMOLED 2X (2,880 x 1,800) displays with refresh rates going up to 120Hz.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/samsung-galaxy-book-6-series-will-be-available-in-the-us-starting-on-march-11-125140613.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: What to expect at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event tomorrow
  Samsung’s ready to launch its first new devices of 2026, and it’s got a Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco to stream everything. The keynote starts at 10AM PT (1PM ET) and will be livestreamed on YouTube. The announcement on February 10 also said this launch will mark “a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive.”
  
  What are we expecting? Based on leaked images of the new lineup, the company is not likely to have radically reinvented the look of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ or Galaxy S26 Ultra, sticking instead with a similar design to the Galaxy S25.
  
  We’re expecting Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip to be in all Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, though Korean news site Yonhap News reports Samsung’s relatively new Exynos 2600 chip could be in some devices, depending on the region.
  
  Despite the launch of the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which added support for convenient magnetic alignment, Samsung still hasn’t brought the feature to its phones. Rumours suggest the S-series will have the spec’s higher speed wireless charging rates but will lack built-in magnets and have to depend on cases to add MagSafe-style charging and mounting.
  
  Honestly? It could be a pretty mild launch event, especially after wowing everyone with the Galaxy TriFold at the start of the year.
  
  Are you more interested in foldables than traditional candy bar devices? (If so, get ready for MWC 2026, kicking off next week. We’re expecting a lot of foldables.)
  
  — Mat Smith
  The other big stories (and deals) this morning
  The creators of Dark Sky have a new weather app
  
  Engadget review recap: Sony WF-1000XM6, ASUS Zenbook Duo and more
  
  Falcon Northwest FragBox review: A compact gaming rig that does everything right
  A new Evangelion series is comingYoko Taro, creator of NieR, will pen it.Gainmax
  Yes, a truly new Neon Genesis Evangelion series is coming. The announcement came during a 30th-anniversary event in Japan. However, franchise creator Hideaki Anno won’t write the scripts. His replacement will be Yoko Taro, creator of the NieR video game series, who wears a giant spooky moon mask for interviews and game briefings. He’s also a cool guy underneath. Evangelion veteran Kazuya Tsurumaki will be on hand to direct episodes, produced by Studio Khara and Cloverworks.
  
  Bungie says ‘no second chances’ if you’re caught cheating in its new gameMarathon players found cheating or developing cheats will receive a permaban.
  In a detailed blog post, Bungie took a very declarative position against those caught trying to cheat: “We are taking a strong stance against cheating and anyone found to be cheating or developing cheats will be permanently banned from playing Marathon forever, no second chances.” The blog post added that an appeals system will be in place.
  
  However, Bungie’s anti-cheat standards go beyond punishment. In the blog post, Bungie explained that Marathon’s dedicated servers have full authority on movement, shooting, actions and inventory. Since these key actions rely on the server, it will translate to smoother gunplay for players as well as the prevention of cheats related to teleportation, unlimited ammo or damage manipulation.
  
  This is the Nothing Phone 4(a)And it’s coming March 5.Nothing
  Looks like Nothing.
  
  Continue reading.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122906428.html?src=rss

• Telegram founder Pavel Durov is reportedly under criminal investigation in Russia
  Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, is reportedly under criminal investigation by Russian authorities for “abetting terrorist activities.” According to the Russia blocked in the country just a few days ago, along with WhatsApp, in what seemed to be an effort to push local users towards the unencrypted state-owned app, Max.
  
  When Telegram was banned, pro-Russian voices criticized the country’s decision, because it was apparently harming frontline operations. Russia’s own soldiers are using the app to communicate and coordinate their moves. Authorities near the Ukrainian border, for instance, send out warning for incoming drone and missile attacks through the messaging app. Even Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson uses Telegram to speak to the media.
  
  Now, the Times says Russia is accusing Telegram of being the main instrument for “NATO countries’ secret services and the Kyiv regime.” Rossiiskaya Gazeta, a Russian state-run publication, added that Telegram was “intercepting location data, selling secret information and intimidating soldiers and their families.” Digital platforms like Telegram, the publication said, are “becoming strategic weapons.” Rossiiskaya Gazeta said its information came from Russia’s Federal Security Service, the country’s primary domestic security agency.
  
  Durov has yet to issue a statement, but after Russia blocked access to Telegram, he said the country was restricting access” to the application to “force its citizens onto a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.” The Telegram founder was born in Russia and co-founded the country’s largest social network, VK. He left his country after Kremlin pressured him to sell his stake in the social network.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/telegram-founder-pavel-durov-is-reportedly-under-criminal-investigation-in-russia-121000511.html?src=rss

• Amazon Games is winding down King of Meat
  King of Meat9s reign is ending. The game will end service on April 9, less than a year after its October 2025 debut. The Amazon Games-published title will be playable until that date, but will then be taken entirely offline. 
  
  "Despite the creativity and innovation Glowmade brought to King of Meat, the game has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for," the announcement read. 
  
  Developer Glowmade had high hopes for King of Meat, its debut game, but it fell starkly short of expectations. The developer wanted a concurrent player count of at least 100,000, but peaked at 320, preview version of the game. 
  
  December brought voluntary redundancies to Glowmade after previous assurances to staff. Anyone who has purchased King of Meat will be able to get a refund through their purchase platform and, in most cases, these refunds should process automatically by April 9. 
  
  While it seems that King of Meat struggled to reach its audience, Amazon has a history of pulling games that are popular. Last fall, Amazon Games announced it would wind down support for New World: Aeternum, which first debuted in 2021. The news came as the division faced layoffs, but just that week the game had reached almost 50,000 concurrent players on Steam. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-games-is-winding-down-king-of-meat-113049172.html?src=rss

• The US military will reportedly use Elon Musk's Grok AI in its classified systems
  The US Department of Defense has reportedly reached a deal to use Elon Musk9s Grok in its classified systems, according to in a dispute with another AI company, Anthropic, over limits on its technology for things like mass surveillance.
  
  Last year, the White ordered Grok, along with ChatGPT, Gemini and Anthropic9s Claude to be approved for government use. Up until now, though, only Anthropic9s model has been allowed for the military9s most sensitive tasks in intelligence, weapons development and battlefield operations. Claude was reportedly used in the Venezuelan raid in which the US military exfiltrated the country9s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. 
  
  However, the Pentagon demanded that Anthropic make Claude available for "all lawful purposes" including mass surveillance and the development of fully autonomous weapons. Anthropic reportedly refused to offer its tech for those things, even with a "safety stack" built into that model. 
  
  xAI, by contrast, agreed to a standard that would allow the DoD to employ its AI for any purpose it deems "lawful." However, the xAI model is not considered by officials to be as cutting-edge or reliable as Anthropic9s Claude, and they admit that replacing Claude with Grok would be a challenge. The Pentagon is reportedly also negotiating deals with OpenAI and Gemini, both of which it considers to be on par with Anthropic.
  
  xAI had announced a version of Grok for US government agencies in July 2025. Shortly before that, though, the chatbot started spouting fascist propaganda and antisemitic rhetoric while dubbing itself "MechaHitler." All of that followed a public spat between Musk and Trump over the president9s spending bill, after which GSA approval of Grok seemed to stall. Earlier this week, Anthropic accused three Chinese AI labs of abusing Claude9s AI with "distillation attacks" to improve their own models. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-us-military-will-reportedly-use-elon-musks-grok-ai-in-its-classified-systems-110049021.html?src=rss

• Apple will start making Mac minis in the US
  Starting later this year, Apple will start manufacturing Mac minis meant for sale in the US within the country. The company took spend $500 billion in the US over the next four years.
  
  If you’ll recall, Apple announced it was going to ramp up its investments and hiring in the US after Tim Cook met with President Trump. The president said at the the time that the company was growing its US investments because it wanted to avoid tariffs. Prior to that pledge, during the Biden administration in 2021, Apple vowed to invest $430 billion domestically over the following five years.
  
  As the Journal notes, Apple previously made Mac Pros in a facility in Texas, but production in the plant has dwindled in recent years. Sabih Khan, Apple’s COO, told the Journal that the company feels more confident in projecting the Mac mini’s long term demand. At the same time, the model makes up a tiny portion of Apple’s sales, making it one of the company’s best options if it wants bring more production into the US. It will be incredibly difficult, after all, to move the production of a more in-demand product, say the iPhone, stateside. The companies making and assembling iPhones in China already have factories fitted for and people with skills honed for the production of Apple’s best-selling device.
  
  Khan said the Houston facility will be able to meet local demand as production ramps up, insinuating that it might start small. Apple will also continue manufacturing Mac minis in Asia for everyone else in the world.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-start-making-mac-minis-in-the-us-101000341.html?src=rss

• The best webcams for 2026
  Whether you’re on back-to-back video meetings, live streaming or just trying to look presentable on a family call, your webcam matters more than most might expect. The cameras built into laptops are fine in a pinch, but they rarely deliver consistent image quality, especially in less-than-ideal lighting. A dedicated webcam can noticeably improve sharpness, color accuracy and overall reliability.
  
  There’s no single “best” webcam for everyone, though. Some models are built around higher resolutions, while others focus on smoother video, better low-light performance or stronger onboard microphones. We’ve tested a wide range of options to see which ones are actually worth using day to day.
  Best webcams for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Factors to consider before buying a webcam Resolution and field of view
  While some newer computers have 1080p webcams, most built-in cameras have a resolution of 720p, so you’ll want to look for an external webcam that has a higher resolution. FHD webcams will give you better video quality; ideally, you’re looking for something that can handle 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. If you’re considering a cheap 720p webcam, make sure to get one that supports at least 30fps (most will) or, even better, 60fps. However, if your primary concern is better picture quality during video calls, 1080p is the way to go.
  
  Some webcams can shoot in 4K, but that’s overkill for most people. Not to mention most video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Skype don’t even support 4K video. When it comes to streaming, Twitch maxes out at 1080p video, but YouTube added 4K live streaming back in 2016. Ultimately, with 4K webcam shots having such limited use, most people can get by with a solid 1080p camera.
  
  Field of view (FOV) controls how much can fit in the frame when you’re recording. Most webcams I tested had a default field of view of around 78 degrees, which captured me and enough of my background to prove that I really need to organize my home office. On cheaper webcams you’ll usually see narrower fields of view (around 60 degrees), and those aren’t necessarily bad. They won’t show as much of your background, but that also means you won’t be able to squeeze as many friends or family members into frame when you’re having Zoom birthday parties. On the flip side, more expensive webcams may let you adjust the field of view to be even wider than average, and some even offer features like digital zoom.
  Autofocus and other “auto” features
  Webcams with autofocus will keep the image quality sharp without much work on your part. You should be able to move around, step back and forth, and remain in focus the whole time. Some standalone webcam models let you manually adjust focus, too, if you have specific needs. Devices with fixed focus are less convenient, but they tend to be more affordable.
  
  In the same vein is auto framing, a feature that some high-end webcams now offer. Similarly to Apple’s Center Stage feature, the camera automatically adjusts to keep you in the center of the frame even as you move around. This used to be a feature only available on the most premium webcams, but now you can find it on sub-$200 devices.
  
  You’ll also see other “auto” features listed in webcam specs, most notably auto light correction. This will adjust the camera’s settings to make up for a dimly lit room. If you don’t have bright lights, or often take calls in places where you can’t control the lighting, this feature will be valuable. Alternatively, you might consider using your mirrorless camera as a high-quality webcam solution, taking all of the benefits and features with you (albeit in a cumbersome package).
  Microphones
  Most webcams have built-in microphones that, depending on your setup, might end up being closer to you than your computer’s own mics. Check to see if the model you’re considering has mono or stereo mics, as the latter is better. Some even use noise-reduction technology to keep your voice loud and clear. While audiophiles and streamers will want to invest in a standalone microphone, most others can get by using a webcam’s built-in mic.
  Design
  There aren’t a ton of fascinating breakthroughs when it comes to external webcam design. Most are round or rectangular devices that clip onto a monitor or your laptop screen. Some have the ability to swivel or screw onto a tripod stand and others can simply sit on your desk beside your computer. But unless you really like having people stare up your nose, the latter isn’t ideal. We recommend clipping your webcam to your monitor and ensuring that it’s at or slightly above eye level.
  
  A few webcams go above and beyond by adding hardware extras like built-in lights and lens covers, too. The former can help you stand out in a dark room, while the latter makes it so hackers can’t view you through your webcam without your knowledge.
  Price
  Most external webcams that are just good enough to be a step up from your computer’s built-in camera cost between $60 and $150. If the webcam has the same resolution as the internal one on your laptop, you should look out for other specs like auto light correction, a wider field of view or an extra-long connecting cable that can provide a step-up in quality or ease of use.
  
  Spending $150 or more means you might get advanced features that tend to be present in a pro webcam like 4K resolution, vertical and horizontal recording options, stereo mics, customizable video settings and more. But unless you’re spending hours on video calls each day or streaming multiple times each week, you can settle on a budget webcam and safely skip most of those high-end options.
  How we test webcams
  We primarily test webcams by putting them through as much real-world use as possible. We examine their design, how flexible they are and how easy they are to reposition, and make note of how heavy they are and if that affects their ability to stay put while sitting on top of a screen. We use each webcam for at least a week straight as our primary camera for all video chats, and we make sure to use the device in different lighting environments to test low-light performance. We also use any built-in microphones as our primary audio inputs on video calls as well. Finally, although most of these webcams are plug-and-play, we test out any proprietary software that’s intended to work with each webcam, tweaking things like field of view, video resolution and effects, and using any special features like Show Mode on Logitech webcams.
  Others webcams we tested Logitech C920s Pro HD
  Our previous top pick, the Logitech C920s Pro HD webcam remains a solid option for those with less than $100 to spend and really only need a basic 1080p camera to upgrade their setup, or something affordable to make them look better on those inevitable Zoom calls. It has a 78-degree field of view, decent microphones and handy privacy shutter built in. The Brio 500 took the top spot away from this model thanks to its advanced light correction, auto-framing and Show Mode.
  Webcam FAQs Should I get a 4K or 1080p webcam?
  It depends on how you plan to use it. A 1080p webcam is more than enough for most video calls, online classes and casual streaming. The picture looks clear, loads quickly and works well even on slower internet connections.
  
  A 4K webcam makes sense if you want sharper detail, especially for content creation, professional streaming or recordings you plan to upload. The extra resolution also helps if you crop or zoom in during a call without losing much quality. Keep in mind that 4K requires more bandwidth and not every platform supports it, so think about whether your setup and audience will benefit before spending more.
  
  Georgie Peru contributed to this report.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-webcams-123047068.html?src=rss

• Tesla sues California DMV after it banned the term 'Autopilot'
  Tesla is suing California9s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to reverse a ruling that prevented the automaker from using the terms "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" to sell cars, December ruling by a California administrative law judge that forced Tesla to clean up its marketing language or risk a suspension of its sales license. Last week, the DMV determined that Tesla had made the necessary changes, including changing the name to "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)," and that no suspension would occur.
  
  However, if you had "Tesla is going to sue them back" in your office pool, you can go ahead and claim your prize. The company filed a complaint on February 13 alleging that the DMV "wrongfully and baselessly" called Tesla a false advertiser. Calling the order "factually wrong" and "unconstitutional," Tesla demanded that order be set aside.
  
  The DMV had originally argued that Tesla9s terms for its driver assistance program gave consumers the impression that its cars were safe to drive without a human at the wheel. However, Tesla said that the DMV never proved that buyers were confused and that it was "impossible" to buy a Tesla without seeing "clear and repeated statements" that its systems aren9t fully autonomous. 
  
  Tesla9s appeal of the ruling isn9t a shocker given that the company is essentially betting its future on autonomous vehicles. CEO Elon Musk has long promised buyers that its vehicles would eventually become fully autonomous and that you9d even be able to rent them out to provide robo-taxi services. "If you fast forward a year, maybe [15 months], we9ll have over a million robo-taxis on the road," he wrongly predicted back in 2019.
  
  Following a sales decline last year that was particularly steep in Europe, Tesla is banking on its Cybercab two-seater to boost its fortunes. The company has started limited testing of automated vehicles as part of its Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Texas. 
  
  Last week, however, Tesla lost an appeal in a $243 million lawsuit verdict over a 2019 crash of a Model S — largely over its use of the terms "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving." Last month, the company canceled Autopilot, its basic of advanced driver assistance tier, on new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles and switched its FSD (Supervised) tier to subscription-only.  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-sues-california-dmv-after-it-banned-the-term-autopilot-090845766.html?src=rss

• Anthropic accuses three Chinese AI labs of abusing Claude to improve their own models
  Anthropic is issuing a call to action against AI "distillation attacks," after accusing three AI companies of misusing its Claude chatbot. On its website, Anthropic claimed that DeepSeek, Moonshot and MiniMax have been conducting "industrial-scale campaigns…to illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models."
  
  Distillation in the AI world refers to when less capable models lean on the responses of more powerful ones to train themselves. While distillation isn9t a bad thing across the board, Anthropic said that these types of attacks can be used in a more nefarious way. According to Anthropic, these three Chinese AI firms were responsible for more than "16 million exchanges with Claude through approximately 24,000 fraudulent accounts." From Anthropic9s perspective, these competing companies were using Claude as a shortcut to develop more advanced AI models, which could also lead to circumventing certain safeguards.
  
  Anthropic said in its post that it was able to link each of these distilling attack campaigns to the specific companies with "high confidence" thanks to IP address correlation, metadata requests and infrastructure indicators, along with corroborating with others in the AI industry who have noticed similar behaviors.
  
  Early last year, OpenAI made similar claims of rival firms distilling its models and banned suspected accounts in response. As for Anthropic, the company behind Claude said it would upgrade its system to make distillation attacks harder to do and easier to identify. While Anthropic is pointing fingers at these other firms, it9s also facing a lawsuit from music publishers who accused the AI company of using illegal copies of songs to train its Claude chatbot.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-accuses-three-chinese-ai-labs-of-abusing-claude-to-improve-their-own-models-205210613.html?src=rss

• Summer Game Fest runs from June 5-8
  It9s getting to be that time of year again. Summer Game Fest officially kicks off on June 5 and will go until June 8. The Live Kickoff show will once again be hosted by Geoff Keighley and takes place on June 5 at 5PM ET. This is where we9ll see all of those juicy reveals and trailers.
  
  The opening event will be streamed globally on just about every digital platform, including YouTube, Twitch, X and even Steam. Those in the Los Angeles area will be able to pick up tickets for the live show sometime in the Spring.
  
  The kickoff event is just the beginning. There9s something called Play Days, which is an expo in downtown LA produced by iam8bit. This invite-only event promises "immersive exhibits and hands-on experiences from the industry9s leading publishers and developers." Coverage of this will be shared across digital and social platforms.
  
  There is, of course, another Day of the Devs livestream scheduled for immediately after the kickoff. Day of the Devs: SGF Edition should provide us with even more trailers and reveals, this time for indie games.
  
  Finally, there9s a "thought leadership event" on June 8 that9s primarily for developers and publishers. Game Business Live "brings together top industry voices on one stage for insightful discussions on key changes, challenges and opportunities shaping the global video game industry."
  
  We9ll be covering the event live and will have all of those trailers ready to go. After all, that9s pretty much the main reason people watch these things.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/summer-game-fest-runs-from-june-5-8-193054418.html?src=rss

• Bungie says 'no second chances' if you're caught cheating in Marathon
  Bungie isn9t taking any prisoners when it comes to cheating on its upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon. In a detailed blog post explaining its anti-cheat measures, Bungie took a very declarative position against those caught trying to gain an unfair advantage.
  
  "We are taking a strong stance against cheating and anyone found to be cheating or developing cheats will be permanently banned from playing Marathon forever, no second chances," the blog post read, adding that there will be an appeals system in place.
  
  However, Bungie9s anti-cheat standards go beyond punishment. In the blog post, Bungie detailed that Marathon9s dedicated servers have full authority on movement, shooting, actions, and inventory. Since these key actions rely on the server, it will translate to smoother gunplay for players as well as the prevention of cheats related to teleportation, unlimited ammo or damage manipulation. Bungie is also incorporating a "Fog of War" system that limits an individual player9s client to see only certain regions of a map, which should prevent wall hacks, ESP cheats or loot revealers. 
  
  On top of these robust regulations, Bungie is utilizing BattlEye, a kernel-level anticheat that9s seen with other popular multiplayer shooters like Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege and Server Slam event starting February 26. Still, it9s obvious that Bungie already wants to get ahead of the competition, since Arc Raiders, another recently released extraction shooter, has been dealing with its own cheating problem. To address the rise in cheating, the game9s developer, Embark Studios, implemented a three-strike system, which some players have criticized as too lenient.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bungie-says-no-second-chances-if-youre-caught-cheating-in-marathon-191633998.html?src=rss

• Falcon Northwest FragBox review: A compact gaming rig that does everything right
  Mafia: The Old Country demands to be played on an enormous screen. As much as I love my 32-inch Alienware OLED gaming monitor, it doesn9t do justice to Mafia9s cinematic vistas of Sicily. But, I also wanted to play that game in its full 4K glory, with none of the compromises of today9s game consoles. So why not just shove a tiny gaming desktop under my home theater? Enter the Fragbox, Falcon Northwest9s revamped small form factor gaming PC. While it9s very expensive, starting at $3,997, it9s incredibly powerful and gives you the freedom to easily upgrade the hardware down the line. 
  
  I know what you9re thinking: "A $4,000 desktop, in this economy?" That pricing also doesn9t include upgrading from the stock NVIDIA9s RTX 5070 GPU, as well as adding more RAM and larger SSDs, all of which could drive the price up thousands more. I initially planned to review the FragBox back in early December 2025, before the AI-induced RAMaggedon made memory, storage and other components dramatically more expensive. Falcon Northwest is mainly known as a boutique and high-end system builder, so its wealthier clientele can likely weather the pricing storm. If you9re looking for a deal, though, you won9t find it here.
  
  
  
  So what, exactly, is a FragBox? Imagine a typical mid-tower desktop squashed down to a system that9s only 10.2-inches tall, 10.5-inches wide and 15.9-inches deep. When Falcon initially debuted the FragBox in 2003, it was notable for being a genuinely small PC that used full-sized parts. That9s still a main selling point today: It can still fit in large NVIDIA GPUs, including the beefy RTX 5090, as well as either Intel9s latest Core Ultra chips or AMD9s Ryzen 9000 CPUs. A huge 280mm radiator sits at the top pulling out hot air, and it also serves as an All-in-One (AIO) liquid cooler for the CPU. 
  
  At 25 pounds, the FragBox isn9t exactly light, but its sturdy metal handle makes it easy to move around. Most mid-tower desktops usually weigh between 20 and 35 pounds, depending on their case material. But they9re also much larger and harder to squeeze into tight spaces. The FragBox9s relatively squat size makes it easy to shove into a home entertainment center, or just sit on the corner of your desk. If you need a bit more height clearance, you can also remove the handle from the top panel. Just be sure there’s enough room for some airflow — all of that heat has to go somewhere, right?
  Falcon Northwest FragBox Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  Despite its density, the FragBox9s elegant design makes it a cinch to access to all of the system9s components. Just unscrew the side and top panels and you can easily remove the GPU, RAM, storage and other major components. There are three slots of M.2 SSDs, as well as two locations for 2.5-inch drives and a spot for a large 3.5-inch HDD. The system is bundled with a 1,200W power supply, which should be more than enough to handle future GPUs and CPUs. 
  
  Ports are plentiful as well: There are two USB-A and one USB-C connections right up front, alongside a headphone jack. On the rear, you9ve got your typical assortment of mid-tower connections, including four USB-A 2.0 connections, seven USB-A 3 ports, one 20G USB-C 3.2 port, 2.5G Ethernet, HDMI and DisplayPort. Our RTX 5090 review unit also included three DisplayPort jacks and one HDMI connection (which you9ll see on most GPUs). Wi-Fi 6E was also built into our unit, but Falcon says that Wi-Fi 7 is now standard with new builds.
  Falcon Northwest FragBox Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  The FragBox, thankfully, lacks the garish LEDs and cheesy thermal glass you find on more ostentatious gaming rigs. Falcon Northwest9s aluminum case looks and feels stately, like an old-school luxury car. If you want something flashier, you can shell out an additional $400 for a custom UV printed case or $149 for a UV-printed front panel.
  
  Our review unit was equipped with AMD9s Ryzen 9950X3D CPU, NVIDIA9s RTX 5090, 96GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD, which adds up to a whopping $7,995. Five months ago, it would have cost $7,047 —- you can thank the RAM shortage for the price jump.
  
  Even before benchmarking or running any games, I expected it to be a beast. In PCMark 10, the FragBox scored a whopping 13,810, which is around 500 points higher than my mid-tower system with the same CPU and GPU. It also scored the highest 3DMark Speedway and Port Royal ray tracing scores I9ve ever seen. Even more impressive, the FragBox9s fans were barely audible under load, and the CPU and GPU sat at a chill 52C and 65C, respectively
  
  CPU
  
  GeekBench 6 CPU
  
  GeekBench 6 GPU
  
  Cinebench 2024
  
  Falcon Northwest FragBox
  
  3,445/22,787
  
  390,148
  
  N/A
  
  Desktop with AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, RTX 5090
  
  3,366/18,950
  
  381,400
  
  134/2,124
  
  Desktop with AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, RTX 5090
  
  2,822/14,216
  
  358,253
  
  113/1,103
  
  Apple Mac Studio M4 Max
  
  4,090/26,394
  
  116,028
  
  190/2066
  
  To get back to my initial point, it ran Mafia: The Old Country in 4K flawlessly, with every graphics setting cranked all the way up. While playing on my 120-inch projector home theater setup, the game reached 62 fps natively, and flipping on DLSS upscaling and frame generation bumped that up to 120 fps. Not that you need a super higher framerate for a slow-paced, mostly cinematic action game. I was just happy to be playing without any compromises — even the PS5 Pro can9t reach the same level of graphical fidelity as the monstrously powerful RTX 5090. 
  Falcon Northwest FragBox Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  I9m no stranger to big-screen PC gaming, but previously I9ve had to run a laughably long HDMI cable from my desktop to make it work. I9m just too old for that mess now. And it also doesn9t work consistently, especially at higher framerates, thanks to the massive bandwidth required to pump out 4K at high refresh rates. In-home game streaming is also an option, but that9s not great when you9re blowing games up to an enormous TV or projector screen. It9s just too hard to ignore the imperfections of streaming compression. (Admittedly, I need to test newer high-bandwidth options, especially after I was impressed by NVIDIA9s GeForce Now upgrade last year.)
  
  The FragBox also made it easy to jump into all of my recent Steam titles, including Mewgeneics and Arc Raiders on a big screen. Unfortunately, Windows itself remains a key stumbling block for home theater PC gaming. You9ll still need to keep a keyboard and PC around to deal with the initial OS configuration. And even once I enabled Steam9s Big Picture mode, which offers excellent controller options, I still occasionally had to deal with Windows Updates and other annoyances. 
  Falcon Northwest FragBox Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  Microsoft is currently trying to optimize Windows for gaming handhelds, and it9s reportedly doing even more to make a future PC-powered Xbox feel more console-like. For now, though, using a Windows PC in your home theater doesn9t feel much different than it did a decade ago. Steam is your savior, Windows is your enemy. Or you could just save thousands of dollars and buy a $500 PlayStation 5 or $700 PS5 Pro, instead. The latter will still get you smooth framerates and a healthy dose of ray tracing, without the annoyance of Windows, keyboards and mice.
  
  But if you just want a compact and insanely powerful gaming desktop, and you don9t mind spending a premium, it9s hard to deny that the FragBox gets everything right.
  
  Update 2/23, 1:48PM: Added updated information about Wi-Fi 7, handle removability and pricing.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/falcon-northwest-fragbox-review-a-compact-gaming-rig-that-does-everything-right-130000837.html?src=rss

• Nothing reveals the Phone 4a ahead of schedule
  Nothing has been slow-dripping news about the upcoming Phone 4a for a few days now, with a promise to reveal the handset on March 5. However, the company jumped the gun a bit and just posted an pic.twitter.com/n3ZtbTmYIv
  — Nothing (@nothing) February 23, 2026
  That9s about all we know right now, though there are plenty of industry rumors. It9s been reported that the Nothing Phone 4a will feature a Snapdragon 7-series chip and that the reveal will be accompanied by a Pro model with a more powerful camera. The Nothing Phone 3a was also launched alongside the 3a Pro.
  
  We loved the 3a and 3a Pro, calling both "an easy recommendation." Let9s hope this carries through for the 4a. Also, you didn9t miss a release of the actual Nothing Phone 4. The company likes to release the a-series handsets before the flagship. Past as prologue, we9ll likely see that one in early summer.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/nothing-reveals-the-phone-4a-ahead-of-schedule-181905011.html?src=rss

• Ball x Pit will land on iOS and Android on March 12
  Ball x Pit, a delightful roguelite that was one of our favorite games of last year, is on the way to mobile devices. The chaotic brick-breaking action is coming to iOS and Android on March 12. There will be a free trial with no ads, and you can unlock the full game with an in-app purchase. This is Ball x Pit “for your pants pocket,” according to the latest trailer.
  
  For the uninitiated, Ball x Pit is sort of a mix of Breakout and Vampire Survivors with some base building (and elements of many other genres) blended in. It’s all about finding powerful synergies between the character(s) you select, passive abilities and the balls you use to take out enemies before they get too close to damage you. These balls are regular ones that deal damage on impact (aka baby balls) or special balls that are infused with a range of effects and powers, such as Lightning, Ghost and Poison. These special balls can be fused to combine their effects or evolved into more powerful versions.
  BALL x PIT is going MOBILE! 📱🏐
  
  🗓️ Launching on iOS & Android March 12
  
  💸 Try-before-you-buy: try it for free, no ads! Love it? Unlock the full game with a single in-app purchase and keep BALLing forever!
  
  Pre-order now on the App Store and Google Play! pic.twitter.com/3MmJ6dGNzp
  — BALL x PIT 🏐 REGAL UPDATE OUT NOW (@BALLxPIT) February 23, 2026
  On each run, you’ll collect blueprints and resources that you’ll use to reconstruct a fallen town. Buildings unlock new characters and abilities that can aid you on your next run. Everything synergizes beautifully in Ball x Pit.
  
  Ball x Pit should work well with touch controls on mobile. You can set the balls to fire automatically, so all you really need to worry about is moving your character and aiming, as well as choosing your next upgrade when you earn enough experience gems.
  
  The first of three planned updates for this year arrived in January. I’m still waiting for developer Kenny Sun to add cross-progression since I’ve already plowed dozens of hours into this game on PS5, PC and Xbox — it’s available on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 as well. Ball x Pit is also currently on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ball-x-pit-will-land-on-ios-and-android-on-march-12-175159137.html?src=rss

• Lamborghini ditches plans for its all-electric supercar due to 'close to zero' buyer interest
  Looks like we won9t get to hear the powerful hum of an all-electric Lamborghini on the streets anytime soon. According to a report from Lanzador EV concept, which was expected to hit the market in 2029.
  
  Stephen Winkelmann, chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, told The Sunday Times that there was "close to zero" interest from its customer base for battery-powered EVs. Winkelmann also revealed that the verdict to kill off the Lanzador was made late last year, but this is the first public confirmation of the decision after Lamborghini9s grand reveal of the EV concept in August 2023. The automaker9s CEO told The Sunday Times that "EVs, in their current form, struggle to deliver this specific emotional connection," adding that the lack of noise could have played a part in failing to attract customers.
  
  Instead, Lamborghini will replace the Lanzador with another plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, like its Reveulto and Urus. With this change, Lamborghini9s entire lineup will be hybrid EVs by 2030, with Winkelmann confirming that the company would continue making internal combustion engines "for as long as possible." Still, the CEO hinted to The Sunday Times that Lamborghini could pursue another all-electric car in the future, but "only when the time is right."
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/lamborghini-ditches-plans-for-its-all-electric-supercar-due-to-close-to-zero-buyer-interest-173441263.html?src=rss

• A new Evangelion series is coming from Studio Khara and Yoko Taro, creator of NieR
  Anime fans rejoice, pic.twitter.com/jnJZ12XSRb
  — Captain Melvin Seahorse⚘️ (@sshiroux19) February 23, 2026
  With Taro on board, it could really go in any direction. It9s worth remembering, after all, that NieR is actually a spin-off of a PS2 game called Drakengard. In one of the multiple endings of that game, a final boss is transported from a fantasy realm to modern-day Tokyo. Slaying this beast releases a virus that plagues humankind, which is what eventually leads to the post-apocalyptic setting of NieR. This is sort of like if the events of a Dragon Quest game somehow led to the world of Resident Evil.
  
  If there9s anyone who can breathe fresh life into the Evangelion franchise, it9s Taro. Did I mention he wears a gigantic moon mask? Also, this isn9t his first time penning TV scripts. He co-wrote the NieR: Automata anime spinoff.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a-new-evangelion-series-is-coming-from-studio-khara-and-yoko-taro-creator-of-nier-170916543.html?src=rss

• The creators of Dark Sky have a new weather app
  The team behind the beloved Dark Sky weather app has announced a new iPhone app called Acme Weather. The release comes after Apple9s 2020 acquisition of Dark Sky, which it ultimately shut down in 2022 after integrating much of its tech into the native iOS Weather app.
  
  Acme Weather is primarily designed to address the uncertainty inherent in most forecasts, as different models yield disparate results and no two weather apps seem to report the same thing. Acme’s answer to this issue is “Alternate Predictions,” which shows users a range of possible outcomes alongside the app9s core forecast line throughout the day. If the lines are arranged together tightly, it means the app has high confidence in the forecast at that time. When those lines start to diverge, the app is signaling lower confidence while showing users alternate predictions for that time of day.
  
  The app also supports community reporting, seeking to do for weather what Waymo did for traffic. Users can share real-time conditions in their area using icons or emojis, helping increase accuracy when conditions are changing quickly. Like most weather apps, there is also a map component with layers for radar, lightning, rain and snow totals, wind and more.
  
  Acme leverages notifications to help make sure you don9t miss important changes to the forecast or weather alerts. Grossman says they are comprehensive and should help you avoid getting caught in the rain unawares. Notifications also include community reports, government weather alerts and even experimental tools from "Acme Labs" like rainbow and beautiful sunset alerts.
  
  Acme offers a two-week free trial, then costs $25 a year. The iOS version is available now and an Android is forthcoming.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-creators-of-dark-sky-have-a-new-weather-app-155426063.html?src=rss

• Anker's new 45W Nano charger with smart display is already $10 off
  Anker introduced a nifty little charger at CES 2026, which is a refresh of the pre-existing Nano Charger. It's already on sale for $30 for Prime members, which is a discount of $10.
  
  The 45W charger includes a smart display that shows real-time data like power flow, temperature and charging status. It also features "fun animations to keep things cheerful." Anker says it can recognize what's being charged and automatically adjust certain metrics to ensure a longer battery lifespan.
  
  To that end, it works with just about everything. The company advertises that this charger is a good fit for the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and Samsung devices, among others. The new Nano Charger is on the smaller side, with dual folding prongs that rotate to fit most outlets.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ankers-new-45w-nano-charger-with-smart-display-is-already-10-off-160707114.html?src=rss

• Elevation Lab's AirTag 10-year extended battery case is only $16 right now
  AirTags are basically an essential accessory for iPhone users who want to keep track of things like their keys, wallet and backpack. While it9s easy enough to replace the battery in both versions of the AirTag, you may not want to have to rush to do so at the end of the battery9s roughly two-year lifespan. That9s where Elevation Lab9s extended battery case for the AirTag comes in, and it9s heavily discounted right now: it9s 30 percent off and down to $16.
  
  The case usually sells for $23, so that9s a 30 percent discount. It9s not the first time we9ve seen this deal, but it9s a pretty decent one all the same.
  
  
  
  This is arguably one of the more useful AirTag accessories around for certain use cases. It won9t exactly be helpful for an AirTag that you put in a wallet or attach to your keys, as it9s too bulky for such a purpose — and it doesn9t have a hole for a keyring anyway. Still, if you9re looking for an AirTag case that you can place in a suitcase or backpack and not have to touch for years, this could be the ticket.
  
  Elevation Lab says that, when you place a couple of AA batteries in the case, it can extend the tracker9s battery life to as much as 10 years (the brand recommends using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries for best results). The AirTag is slated to run for over a year on its standard CR2032 button cell. 
  
  The case gives the AirTag more protection as well. It9s sealed with four screws and it has a IP69 waterproof rating. What9s more, it doesn9t ostensibly look like an AirTag case, so someone who steals an item with one inside is perhaps less likely to realize that the object they pilfered is being tracked.
  
  There are some other downsides, though. Since the AirTag is locked inside a case, the sound it emits will be muffled. Elevation Lab says the device9s volume will be about two-thirds the level of a case-free AirTag. However, the second-gen AirTag is louder than its predecessor, which should mitigate that issue somewhat.
  
  
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/elevation-labs-airtag-10-year-extended-battery-case-is-only-16-right-now-151215061.html?src=rss

• The best cheap Windows laptops for 2026
  You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a capable Windows laptop. For everyday tasks like web browsing, writing documents, streaming video or handling schoolwork, a well-chosen budget machine can still deliver a smooth, reliable experience. The challenge is cutting through the noise to find affordable options that balance performance, build quality and battery life without serious compromises.
  
  For many buyers, timing is no longer optional. With Windows 10 support now officially over, upgrading has become a necessity rather than a nice-to-have. The picks below focus on cheap Windows laptops that can handle day-to-day workloads comfortably while keeping you current on software and security updates. If you’re open to spending more for extra power or premium features, our broader guide to the best Windows laptops covers higher-end alternatives as well.
  What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop
  While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. You’ll want to carefully consider a few specs, the most important among them being the processor (CPU). Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium chipsets, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.
  
  We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. Memory (RAM) is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background.
  
  When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know you’ll be downloading big programs. A final side note: solid state drives (SSDs) are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster and more efficient than hard drives (HDDs), so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage.
  
  As for screens, there’s a healthy mix of HD (720p resolution) and FHD (1080p) options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens aren’t as common in the budget space as standard panels, but you’ll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.
  
  Before we get to our recommended specs for a cheap Windows laptop, it’s worth mentioning that Microsoft clearly lays out the true minimum requirements for any Windows 11 machine. Those include a 1GHz or faster processor that includes two or more cores, at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of available storage space. That’s the bare minimum to run Windows 11; we recommend giving yourself some wiggle room by choosing a machine that will perform well now and for years to come.
  Specs to look for in an affordable Windows laptop
  CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors, at minimum
  
  RAM: At least 8GB
  
  Storage: At least 128GB SSD
  
  Screen: At least 1080p FHD
  
  It’s essential to prioritize what’s important to you. But at the lower end of the budget, a good laptop may not offer everything you need, whereas a great one might. Although most machines come with features like Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and additional ports, you might find not all of them come with the specifics you require, like an SD card slot, webcam, charger, and so on. Be sure to check the spec list of any laptop you’re considering before you buy, especially if you need specific connectors and capabilities.
  
  See Also:
  
  Best Laptops for 2026
  
  Best Gaming Laptops
  
  Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2026
  
  Best Chromebooks
  
  Best Laptops for College Students
  
  As for Copilot+, don’t expect to see much of it on truly affordable Windows laptops just yet. Microsoft’s AI features and Copilot assistant require certain specs to run, namely a powerful neural processing unit (NPU), 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Currently, the cheapest Copilot+ AI PCs will run you about $700, so if you’re willing to pay more for those perks, check out our best laptops guide for more options.
  
  If you’re looking for either a gaming laptop or a “Windows on Arm” laptop, both categories will require you to spend more money than we’re discussing here.
  Best cheap Windows laptops for 2026
  The cheap Windows laptop market moves fast, and — unlike nearly all of our other buying guides — we haven9t necessarily tested each specific configuration listed below. However, the combination of these technical specifications and familiar brands represent exactly the sort of entry-level laptops we9d recommend to shoppers in this price range based on our thorough research and expert knowledge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What to know about the budget Windows laptop market
  The best cheap laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any other retailer. Also, we’ve seen prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer you’re looking at.
  
  You can ensure you’re getting a quality laptop by doing a few things. First and foremost, make sure you get a machine that follows the recommended specs we list above. Also, make sure you’re buying from a reputable retailer, including big-box stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Costco, online shops like Amazon or direct manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo and others. If you have a physical store near you (likely a Best Buy in the US), it’s never a bad idea to go play around with some laptops in person before choosing one.
  
  If you decide to shop online from the likes of Amazon or Walmart, double check the seller of the laptop you’re considering. For example, many items on Amazon are “shipped and sold” by Amazon and those are typically the best options. You’ll see that information on Amazon on the right sidebar on a product page, under the Add to Cart and Buy Now buttons. Third-party sellers are common in the affordable laptop space. Amazon sometimes classifies laptop manufacturers as third-party sellers, so you may see a laptop shipped and sold by HP or Dell — that’s a good thing, since it’s coming directly from the manufacturer.
  
  However, there are other third-party electronics sellers out there. We recommend clicking on the third-party seller’s name on Amazon or Walmart (yes, Walmart has them, too) to see how much positive feedback and how many five-star ratings they’ve received from buyers.
  What about Chromebooks and tablets?
  You may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to anyone considering a budget Windows laptop computer. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t the best buy for everyone. Tablets have the most portability, but they will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a mouse or keyboard.
  
  Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser, the trade-off being you must give up the “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is a more limited operating system than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run.
  What Windows laptops do well
  What can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if you’re doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. They’re great for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more. All of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones budget laptop. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if you’re multitasking or working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint.
  
  When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least a 128GB solid state drive. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop9s hard drive. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because they’re built on the assumption that you’ll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, Chromebooks aren9t the best for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip or for use as a gaming laptop.
  
  Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is… inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board.
  
  Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isn’t possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-affordable-windows-laptops-123000512.html?src=rss

• The best earbuds for Android devices in 2026
  If you’re using an Android phone, finding the right pair of wireless earbuds can take a little more work than it does for iPhone owners. Apple’s AirPods are tightly woven into iOS, but that same level of seamless integration doesn’t automatically carry over to Android. The good news is there are plenty of earbuds that play just as nicely with Android devices, and in some cases offer features AirPods simply don’t.
  
  From earbuds designed to pair especially well with Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones to models that prioritize strong noise cancellation, long battery life or workout-friendly durability, the Android ecosystem has no shortage of solid options. We’ve tested a wide range of wireless earbuds to find the best picks for Android users, whether you’re after premium sound, reliable everyday performance or a more affordable alternative.
  Best Android earbuds for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What to look for in wireless earbuds for Android devices Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
  For the most part, the features you want from a set of “Android earbuds” are the same as what you want from any headphones. Great sound quality, a comfortable fit and sufficient battery life are still the foundations. Adequate water resistance is good for workouts, and nobody wants a crummy mic for making calls. Once you approach the $100 range, features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, an ambient sound mode (which lets you better hear outside noise without turning off your music) and multipoint connectivity (the ability to pair with multiple devices simultaneously) should be expected.
  
  For Android devices specifically, there are a few extras to consider. A dedicated app that makes it easy to switch sound modes, customize the audio profile, locate your earbuds if they ever get misplaced or adjust other settings is strongly preferred. Features like Google Fast Pair or NFC-based pairing, which can help you avoid having to dig through your Bluetooth menu to connect your earbuds for the first time, are also nice perks. Some Android devices can also utilize higher-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX Adaptive or Sony’s LDAC — these aren’t nearly as important to audio quality as the actual architecture of your earbuds, but they can help wring out a little more detail if the buds are capable enough and you’re streaming lossless files. AptX Adaptive can also help reduce latency, which is good for streaming video or gaming.
  
  Diversity is Android’s greatest strength, but it also means that some wireless earbuds play nicer with certain devices, typically those made by the same company. Recent Samsung earbuds, for instance, come with a few perks that are only available if you use a Galaxy phone. We have a couple of recommendations related to this idea above.
  How we test Android earbuds Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
  The best way to test earphones is simply to wear them as much as possible, so that’s what we do. We typically do this over a one- to two-week period, though embargo times occasionally force us to finish our review process a bit faster. We listen to a test playlist that includes several musical genres and podcasts, paying close attention to how each pair approaches the bass, mid and treble frequencies to get an accurate sense of its sound profile. We also test at high and low volumes to check for consistency in the tuning. We do not have access to a dummy head to take more objective measurements, but we’ll sometimes look to sites like tariff policy affects the pricing and stock of our recommendations (and the consumer tech industry as a whole). All of our picks are still available in their normal price ranges today, but we’ll update this guide if that changes.
  
  February 2025: The Noble FoKus Rex5 is our new "best for sound quality" pick, replacing the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. Our other recommendations remain unchanged.
  
  December 2024: We’ve lightly edited this guide for clarity and ensured that our current picks are still accurate.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-earbuds-for-android-devices-120015765.html?src=rss

• NASA's crewed Artemis II launch gets pushed back again, this time due to a helium issue
  It looks like a March launch is no longer in the cards for Artemis II, NASA9s first crewed trip to the moon9s vicinity since the final Apollo mission over 50 years ago. While preparations were underway at the Kennedy Space Center for a launch as soon as March 6, the space agency says it ran into an issue with the flow of helium to its SLS rocket9s upper stage this weekend and it now has to roll the rocket from the launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to figure out what9s wrong and fix it. A media briefing is planned for sometime this week to discuss the problem and what9s next. 
  
  But in a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the rollback will "take the March launch window out of consideration." NASA noted on its blog that the current effort "potentially preserves the April launch window, pending the outcome of data findings, repair efforts, and how the schedule comes to fruition in the coming days and weeks." It9s a four-mile trip back to the VAB that will take hours to carefully transport the massive rocket and the Orion spacecraft. NASA says it9s eyeing February 24 for this trek.
  
  The issue occurred overnight in the early hours of February 21, when NASA says it observed "interrupted flow of helium to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage." The space agency explained:
  
  The upper stage uses helium to maintain the proper environmental conditions for the stage’s engine and to pressurize liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant tanks. The systems worked during NASA’s Artemis II wet dress rehearsals, but teams were not able to properly flow helium during normal operations and reconfigurations following the wet dress rehearsal that concluded Feb. 19. Operators are using a backup method to maintain the environmental conditions for the upper stage engines and the rocket, which remains in a safe configuration. 
  
  The Artemis II crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist — had just entered quarantine a day before the issue arose. NASA says the astronauts have since come out of quarantine.
  
  At the start of this year, NASA announced an accelerated timeline for Artemis II, which was previously set for April 2026 after experiencing delays in 2024. For this 10-day mission, which will be the first crewed flight of the SLS rocket, the Artemis II astronauts will take a trip around the moon in the Orion spacecraft. While it initially targeted early February, the launch was pushed to March due to issues that popped up during the wet dress rehearsal. Now, we9re back to the beginning with a possible April launch, but that’ll depend on the fix being a quick one.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasas-crewed-artemis-ii-launch-gets-pushed-back-again-this-time-due-to-a-helium-issue-231010042.html?src=rss

• Colorado is working on a bill that would make it illegal to 3D print firearms and gun parts
  A collective of Colorado lawmakers wants to put an end to "ghost guns" and their rising popularity. Earlier this week, the state9s House Judiciary Committee voted in a 7-4 majority to pass the bill, HB26-1144, along for a decision with the full House of Representatives. The proposed law would "prohibit the use of a three-dimensional printer, or similar technology, to make a firearm or a firearm component."
  
  Ghost guns are typically made from 3D printers or similar machines without serial numbers, making them virtually impossible to trace and allowing users to skirt the federal requirements for purchasing a firearm. While the bill targets using a 3D printer to make guns, large-capacity magazines and other related components, it even bans possessing and distributing the instructions to manufacture guns in this way. However, these rules would be exempt for federally licensed firearm manufacturers.
  
  "These ghost guns are increasingly found at crime scenes, making it harder for law enforcement to track down a suspect because the gun isn’t traceable," the bill9s sponsor, Lindsay Gilchrist, said in a press release.
  
  Prior to this proposal, Colorado passed a law in 2023 that banned owning ghost guns or making frames for them. While SB23-279 laid the groundwork, HB26-1144 can be seen as the next step since it9s much more encompassing by targeting ghost guns even before they9re made. According to the bill, first-time violations will be treated as a misdemeanor, while repeat offenses will be upgraded to a felony charge. Looking ahead, HB26-1144 still has to secure a vote from both the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives before being delivered to the governor to be signed into law.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/colorado-is-working-on-a-bill-that-would-make-it-illegal-to-3d-print-firearms-and-gun-parts-211508169.html?src=rss

• Samsung is adding Perplexity to Galaxy AI for its upcoming S26 series
  Samsung9s next flagship devices will offer Perplexity as part of an expansion to support multiple AI agents in Galaxy AI. Perplexity9s AI agent will work with apps including Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder and Calendar, according to the announcement. And, some third-party apps will support it, though Samsung hasn9t yet said which. The news comes just a few days before Samsung9s Galaxy Unpacked event, so we can expect to find out more about that integration and how it fits in with Samsung9s revamped Bixby very soon. 
  
  What we know so far is that the Perplexity agent will respond to the wake phrase, "Hey Plex" (not to be confused with the streaming service Plex). It can also be initiated by quick-access physical controls. In a statement, Samsung9s Won-Joon Choi, President, COO and Head of the R&D Office for Samsung9s Mobile eXperience Business, said the expansion of Galaxy AI is aimed at giving users more choice and flexibility in getting their tasks done. "Galaxy AI acts as an orchestrator, bringing together different forms of AI into a single, natural, cohesive experience,” Choi said.
  
  Samsung previously announced a partnership with Perplexity last year to integrate the company9s AI search engine into Samsung TVs.  Perplexity has been in hot water though over alleged content scraping and copyright infringement, and was even sued in September by Merriam-Webster — yes, the dictionary — and Encyclopedia Britannica. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/samsung-is-adding-perplexity-to-galaxy-ai-for-its-upcoming-s26-series-203729539.html?src=rss

• 2026 Olympics: How to watch the Winter Games Closing Ceremony today
  The Closing Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Games is this Sunday. (Li Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images) Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
  The 2026 Winter Olympics come to an end this weekend. This year9s Closing Ceremony theme is "Beauty in Action." The event will feature appearances from musician and DJ Gabry Ponte, actress Benedetta Porcaroli, and ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Alfredo Accatino, the ceremony9s artistic director, has promised the ceremony will "begin with lots of colors and end with a party."
  
  The ceremony will kick off today at 2:30PM ET on NBC and Peacock. An encore broadcast will air on NBC at 9PM Here9s everything you need to know to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Closing Ceremony. (And as we close out the Winter Games, here9s a look at the final medal count, too.) 
  How to watch the Closing Ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
  
  Time: Airs live at 2:30PM ET; primetime re-air at 9PM ET
  
  Location: Verona Arena, Verona, Italy
  
  TV channel: NBC
  
  Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NBC.com and more
  Olympics Closing Ceremony start time
  The ceremony will kick off at 2:30 PM ET on Sunday afternoon. An encore broadcast will also air on NBC at 9PM ET/PT. 
  How to watch the Closing Ceremony live for free
  There are a couple of ways to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22. You can tune in live Sunday afternoon on NBC or stream live on Peacock, or catch the encore broadcast on NBC, which is available with DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and more.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  More ways to watch the closing ceremony without cable
  You can watch the ceremony live or on demand on Peacock as well as on NBC.com, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC app.
  
  
  Who is performing at the Closing Ceremony?
  Italian musician and DJ Gabry Ponte is one of the headliners. Other confirmed performers include Italian actress Benedetta Porcaroli and Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Expect to see another parade of athletes, the flag handover to the 2030 Olympic hosts from France, and the ceremonial extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
  Where is the Closing Ceremony being held?
  The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/2026-olympics-how-to-watch-the-winter-games-closing-ceremony-today-115500771.html?src=rss

• Apple is reportedly considering red as the next premium color for its iPhones
  First, we got iPhones in Hermès orange, and now we might get them in Louboutin red. According to sales in China. The bold orange option has been informally rebranded as Hermès orange among fans and is becoming somewhat of a status symbol in Chinese markets. With red as a potential frontrunner for the next iPhone Pro colors, Apple could capture even more sales in China, especially since the color is seen as lucky in Chinese culture.
  
  It9s not the first time Apple has offered red iPhones, though. Previously, Apple manufactured iPhones in deep red hues in collaboration with Product Red, with the last available models being the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. On the other hand, Gurman reported that Apple will play it much safer when it comes to the rumored foldable iPhone, sticking with its basic tones.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-reportedly-considering-red-as-the-next-premium-color-for-its-iphones-185748052.html?src=rss

• Apple's first event of the year will reportedly bring at least five products over a 'three-day blitz'
  Ready your wallets if you9ve been thinking about upgrading your Apple products. According to choice of colors that could reference the new laptop colors. Gurman also predicted that Apple could announce the iPhone 17e, since its predecessor was launched last spring, and an iPad Air that9s updated with the M4 chip. Previous rumors point to Apple getting ready to drop the upgraded MacBook Pro, which will likely get M5 Pro and Max chips, and the new MacBook Air with the base M5 chip. If that wasn9t enough, Apple could even debut the refreshed Mac Studio and a new Apple Studio Display since the two desktop-oriented options were already expected to be released in the first half of the year.
  
  There hasn9t been any confirmation from Apple directly, but it may have left behind some hints for this "three-day blitz" of product announcements. Going off Apple9s wording, the March 4 event will be an "Apple Experience" with locations in New York, London and Shanghai, which doesn9t sound like the typical format of an event with keynote addresses that9s paired with a livestream. Gurman also noted that Apple usually announces its new products on Tuesday, unlike the official Wednesday timing.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apples-first-event-of-the-year-will-reportedly-bring-at-least-five-products-over-a-three-day-blitz-175017716.html?src=rss

• How to send a message via satellite on iPhone
  Apple’s satellite features were originally designed for emergencies, allowing iPhone users to contact emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable. With recent versions of iOS, Apple has expanded those capabilities to include sending and receiving messages via satellite. This makes it possible to stay in touch with friends and family from remote locations where traditional networks do not reach, such as hiking trails, rural areas or offshore locations.
  
  Messaging via satellite is built directly into the iPhone and works automatically when no cellular or Wi-Fi signal is available. While it is not intended to replace regular messaging, it can be a useful backup when coverage drops.
  How to send a message via satellite
  Before you can get started, you’ll need to turn on iMessage before you’re off the grid. It’s also important to set up an emergency contact as well as members of your Family Sharing group prior to your departure. This will enable them to message you via SMS without the need to message them first.     To send a message via satellite, open the Messages app when no cellular or Wi-Fi signal is available. If the feature is supported in the current location, the app will display a prompt indicating that satellite messaging is available.
  
  Selecting the option to connect via satellite launches a guided connection screen. Your iPhone will provide real-time instructions to help maintain alignment with the satellite. Once connected, a text message can be typed and sent, although delivery may take longer than usual.
  
  The iPhone will notify you when the message has been sent successfully. Replies from the recipient will also be delivered via satellite, as long as the connection remains active.
  What you need before you can send satellite messages
  Sending messages via satellite requires a compatible iPhone model and the correct software version. The feature is supported on iPhone models with satellite hardware, beginning with iPhone 14 and later. The device must be running a version of iOS (iOS 18 or higher) that supports satellite messaging, which Apple has continued to refine through recent iOS updates.
  
  The feature also depends on location and availability. Satellite messaging is currently supported in select regions, including the United States and parts of Canada, with expanded support rolling out gradually. The iPhone must be outdoors with a clear view of the sky, as trees, buildings and terrain can interfere with the satellite connection.
  
  Satellite messaging is not designed for continuous conversations. Messages are compressed and sent at a slower pace than standard texts, and delivery times can vary depending on conditions and satellite positioning.
  How satellite messaging works on iPhone
  When an iPhone loses access to cellular and Wi-Fi networks, the system automatically detects that only satellite connectivity is available. Instead of failing to send, the Messages app prompts the user to connect to a satellite.
  
  On-screen instructions guide the user to position the phone correctly. This typically involves holding the device up and following directional prompts to align it with an overhead satellite. The phone uses built-in sensors to help maintain the connection while the message is being sent.
  
  Messages sent via satellite are text-only and use a reduced data format to ensure they can be transmitted reliably. Images, videos, audio messages and large attachments are not supported.
  Who can receive satellite messages?
  Satellite messages can be sent to contacts using iMessage or standard SMS, depending on the recipient’s device and settings. If the recipient is using an Apple device with iMessage enabled, the message will be delivered through Apple’s messaging system. If not, the message will be sent as a standard text.
  
  Recipients do not need a satellite-capable device to receive messages. From their perspective, the message appears similar to a regular text, though delivery times may be longer.
  Tips for getting a reliable connection
  A clear view of the sky is essential for satellite messaging to work properly. Open areas with minimal obstructions offer the best results. Movement, heavy foliage and nearby structures can interrupt the connection.
  
  Because satellite bandwidth is limited, keeping messages short improves reliability and delivery speed. The iPhone may prompt the user to edit longer messages to fit within satellite constraints.
  
  Battery life is also a consideration. Maintaining a satellite connection uses more power than standard messaging, so it helps to conserve battery when relying on satellite features for extended periods.
  Limitations to keep in mind
  Satellite messaging is designed for occasional use when other networks are unavailable. It does not support group messages, media attachments or read receipts in the same way as standard messaging.
  
  Delivery times can range from under a minute to several minutes, depending on environmental conditions and satellite availability. The feature should not be relied upon for time-sensitive communication unless no other option is available.
  
  Apple has also noted that satellite features may be offered free for a limited period, with potential pricing or subscription requirements introduced in the future depending on region and carrier arrangements.
  When satellite messaging can be useful
  Messaging via satellite can be helpful for travelers, hikers and anyone spending time in remote areas where coverage is unreliable. It offers a way to check in, share basic updates or request non-emergency assistance when traditional networks are unavailable.
  
  While it is not a replacement for emergency services, it complements Apple’s existing emergency satellite features by providing an additional communication option when users are off the grid.
  
  As Apple continues to expand satellite support, messaging via satellite is likely to become a more familiar part of the iPhone experience, particularly for users who regularly venture beyond the reach of cellular networks.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-send-a-message-via-satellite-on-iphone-130000418.html?src=rss

• The Stop Killing Games campaign will set up NGOs in the EU and US
  The Stop Killing Games campaign is evolving into more than just a movement. In a YouTube video, the campaign9s creator, Ross Scott, explained that organizers are planning to establish two non-governmental organizations, one for the European Union and another for the US. According to Scott, these NGOs would allow for "long-term counter lobbying" when publishers end support for certain video games.
  
  "Let me start off by saying I think we9re going to win this, namely the problem of publishers destroying video games that you9ve already paid for," Scott said in the video. According to Scott, the NGOs will work on getting the original Stop Killing Games petition codified into EU law, while also pursuing more watchdog actions, like setting up a system to report publishers for revoking access to purchased video games.
  
  The Stop Killing Games campaign started as a reaction to Ubisoft9s delisting of The Crew from players9 libraries. The controversial decision stirred up concerns about how publishers have the ultimate say on delisting video games. After crossing a million signatures last year, the movement9s leadership has been busy exploring the next steps.
  
  According to Scott, the campaign leadership will meet with the European Commission soon, but is also working on a 500-page legal paper that reveals some of the industry9s current controversial practices. In the meantime, the ongoing efforts have led to a change of heart from Ubisoft since the publisher updated The Crew 2 with an offline mode. 
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-stop-killing-games-campaign-will-set-up-ngos-in-the-eu-and-us-203359604.html?src=rss

• The US will send Tech Corps members to foreign countries in its latest push for AI dominance
  The government agency that sends its corps members abroad to volunteer in foreign countries launched its latest initiative called Tech Corps. The Peace Corps9 latest proposal will recruit STEM graduates or those with professional experience in the artificial intelligence sector and send them to participating host countries.
  
  According to the press release, volunteers will be placed in Peace Corps countries that are part of the American AI Exports Program, which was created last year from an executive order from President Trump as a way to bolster the US9 grip on the AI market abroad. Tech Corps members will be tasked with using AI to resolve issues related to agriculture, education, health and economic development. The program will offer its members 12- to 27-month in-person assignments or virtual placements, which will include housing, healthcare, a living stipend and a volunteer service award if the corps member is placed overseas.
  
  Richard E. Swarttz, the acting director of the Peace Corps, said in a press release that Tech Corps volunteers will be "building technical capacity, supporting AI adoption across critical use cases and addressing barriers to last-mile AI implementation." While the Tech Corps program is framed at benefiting host countries, it would also help to secure the US9 position in the rapidly expanding global AI market that includes growing competition from China.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-us-will-send-tech-corps-members-to-foreign-countries-in-its-latest-push-for-ai-dominance-191916940.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