All the News that Matters

• Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS Kernel Security Update UBUNTU-SU-2025-1245-5
  An update that solves six vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• CentOS 8 Security Update for CVE-2023-9876-1 to Fix System Breach
  An update that solves six vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• SUSE Linux 15 SP6 Kernel Important Advisory 2026-1225-1 Eight Bugs Fixed
  An update that solves eight vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• openSUSE 15.6 Kernel Important Threat Fix SUSE-SU-2026-1225-1
  An update that solves eight vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• Rocky Linux 10 fontforge Important Remote Code Exec RLSA-2026-6631
  Important: fontforge security update

• Blizzard OS 4.5 XTERM Stack Corruption Vulnerability RLSB-5620-8397
  Moderate: ncurses security update

• PipeWire 1.6.3 Improves RAOP Compatibility to Make It Work on More Devices
  PipeWire 1.6.3 has been released today as the third maintenance update in the latest PipeWire 1.6 series of this open-source software for handling audio and video streams under Linux-based operating systems.

• Solus Says It Has No Plans to Implement Age Verification
  Solus Linux says it has no plans to implement age verification and will keep monitoring the growing patchwork of related laws.

• TrueNAS 26 Beta Brings Linux 6.18 LTS + OpenZFS 2.4 Combination For NAS Devices
  TrueNAS 26 Beta released today as the initial test release for this next version of this Linux-based operating system for network attached storage (NAS) devices and more...

• RealSense ID Pro F500 Combines Depth Sensing and On-Device Biometrics
  RealSense has introduced the RealSense ID Pro F500, a facial authentication module designed for access control, kiosks, and identity verification systems. The solution combines depth sensing, vision processing, and local computation to support secure biometric authentication without relying on cloud-based processing. The module integrates an active stereo depth system with a neural network pipeline for […]

• GNU nano 9.0 CLI Text Editor Released with New Features and Improvements
  GNU nano 9.0 (codename Le bonheur est dans le pré) command-line text editor for Unix-like operating systems is now available for download as a major update introducing new features and various improvements.

• How to Install and Configure Spicetify with Spotify on Ubuntu
  Discover a step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Spicetify with Spotify on Debian and Ubuntu with practical examples.

• Intel Arc Pro B70 Benchmarks With LLM / AI, OpenCL, OpenGL & Vulkan
  Last month Intel announced the Arc Pro B70 with 32GB of GDDR6 video memory for this long-awaited Battlemage G31 graphics card. This new top-end Battlemage graphics card with 32 Xe cores and 32GB of GDDR6 video memory offers a lot of potential for LLM/AI and other use cases, especially when running multiple Arc Pro B70s. Last week Intel sent over four Arc Pro B70 graphics cards for Linux testing at Phoronix. Given the current re-testing for the imminent Ubuntu 26.04 release, I am still going through all of the benchmarks especially for the multi-GPU scenarios. In this article are some initial Arc Pro B70 single card benchmarks on Linux compared to other Intel Arc Graphics hardware across AI / LLM with OpenVINO and Llama.cpp, OpenCL compute benchmarks, and also some OpenGL and Vulkan benchmarks. More benchmarks and the competitive compares will come as that fresh testing wraps up, but so far the Arc Pro B70 is working out rather well atop the fully open-source Linux graphics driver stack.

• Rofi and Wofi: Keyboard Launchers That Keep Your Hands on the Keys
  Prefer to drive Linux from the home row? Rofi and wofi turn a simple key combo into a fast app launcher and window switcher on both X11 and Wayland.

• PeaZip 11.0 Archive Manager Speeds Up File Browsing and Enhances Bookmarks
  PeaZip 11.0 has been released today as the latest version and a major update to this open-source, free, and cross-platform archive manager for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms.

• How to List All Logged-In Users in Your Linux System
  In this article, you will learn four ways to find all logged-in users on the remote machine or server, including the past one (with practical examples).

• Redox OS Establishes AI Policy To Forbid Contributions Made Using LLMs
  The Rust-based Redox OS open-source operating system provided a status update on all of their interesting development activities during the month of March. In addition to a lot of code improvements, Redox OS also enhanced its documentation as well as added an AI policy to reject any contributions relying on large language models...

• GNU Nano 9.0 Command-Line Text Editor Improves Horizontal Scrolling
  GNU Nano 9.0 command-line text editor delivers smoother side scrolling, rebindable Meta arrow keys, improved macro handling, and more.

• Debian’s APT 3.2 Arrives With New Solver Work and History Rollback Features
  APT 3.2 expands package history management by introducing undo, redo, and rollback commands to Debian’s package manager.

• Sony AS-DT1 LiDAR Depth Sensor Now Available in Compact 29 mm Form Factor
  Sony Electronics has announced availability of the AS-DT1 LiDAR depth sensor, unveiled last year. It is described as one of the smallest LiDAR sensors in its class and is designed for integration into size- and weight-constrained systems such as mobile robots, drones, and inspection platforms. The AS-DT1 measures 29 × 29 × 31 mm and […]

• OpenShot 3.5.1 Video Editor Adds New Optimize Preview Built-in Proxy Workflow
  OpenShot 3.5.1 has been released today as the first update in the OpenShot 3.5 series of this powerful open-source, free, and cross-platform video editing software that brings new features and improvements.

• Does Acting Like Good Guys Actually Make Anthropic Good Guys?
  Anthropic just dropped $1.5 million on the Apache Software Foundation. Is it paying back the open source world — or buying goodwill?

• Simultaneously build several python 3D plots via Multi-threaded Python 3.14t on Arch Linux
  For conversion three different plotting scripts building each one it's own surface into a multi-threaded (multi-process) version, we separate the code logic for each surface into a separate task. This allows CPU to calculate simultaneously the paraboloid, sine wave, and Möbius strip.

• Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0.8 Released with Fastboot improvements, Bug Fixes
  Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0.8 has been released today as a new maintenance update to the major Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0 series of this cross-platform utility for installing Raspberry Pi OS and other operating systems to a microSD card.

• Immich 2.7 Photo and Video Management Solution Brings Better Duplicate Handling
  Immich 2.7 enhances duplicate management, introduces CSP support, improves the asset viewer, and resolves Safari live photo download issues.

• XDG-Desktop-Portal 1.20.4 Released To Protect Against Apps Trashing Arbitrary Host Files
  In addition to the release today of Flatpak 1.16.4 for shipping new security fixes including a sandbox escape and the ability to delete host files, XDG-Desktop-Portal 1.20.4 is also now available with another security fix of its own to prevent sandboxed apps from being able to trash arbitrary host files...

• Hacker Steals 10 Petabytes of Data From China's Tianjin Supercomputer Center
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNN: A hacker has allegedly stolen a massive trove of sensitive data -- including highly classified defense documents and missile schematics -- from a state-run Chinese supercomputer in what could potentially constitute the largest known heist of data from China. The dataset, which allegedly contains more than 10 petabytes of sensitive information, is believed by experts to have been obtained from the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin -- a centralized hub that provides infrastructure services for more than 6,000 clients across China, including advanced science and defense agencies. Cyber experts who have spoken to the alleged hacker and reviewed samples of the stolen data they posted online say they appeared to gain entry to the massive computer with comparative ease and were able to siphon out huge amounts of data over the course of multiple months without being detected. An account calling itself FlamingChina posted a sample of the alleged dataset on an anonymous Telegram channel on February 6, claiming it contained "research across various fields including aerospace engineering, military research, bioinformatics, fusion simulation and more." The group alleges the information is linked to "top organizations" including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, and the National University of Defense Technology. Cyber security experts who have reviewed the data say the group is offering a limited preview of the alleged dataset, for thousands of dollars, with full access priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Payment was requested in cryptocurrency. CNN cannot verify the origins of the alleged dataset and the claims made by FlamingChina, but spoke with multiple experts whose initial assessment of the leak indicated it was genuine. The alleged sample data appeared to include documents marked "secret" in Chinese, along with technical files, animated simulations and renderings of defense equipment including bombs and missiles.
  
  
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• EFF Is Leaving X
  After nearly 20 years on the platform, The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says it is leaving X. "This isn't a decision we made lightly, but it might be overdue," the digital rights group said. "The math hasn't worked out for a while now." From the report: We posted to Twitter (now known as X) five to ten times a day in 2018. Those tweets garnered somewhere between 50 and 100 million impressions per month. By 2024, our 2,500 X posts generated around 2 million impressions each month. Last year, our 1,500 posts earned roughly 13 million impressions for the entire year. To put it bluntly, an X post today receives less than 3% of the views a single tweet delivered seven years ago. [...] When you go online, your rights should go with you. X is no longer where the fight is happening. The platform Musk took over was imperfect but impactful. What exists today is something else: diminished, and increasingly de minimis. EFF takes on big fights, and we win. We do that by putting our time, skills, and our members' support where they will effect the most change. Right now, that means Bluesky, Mastodon, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and eff.org. We hope you follow us there and keep supporting the work we do. Our work protecting digital rights is needed more than ever before, and we're here to help you take back control.
  
  
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• Waymo Is Offering To Help Cities Fix Their Potholes
  Waymo is launching a pilot with cities and Google's Waze to share pothole data collected by its robotaxis, giving local transportation departments a new way to find and fix road damage more quickly. "We realized, hey, once we're at scale, we can actually share this data with cities, which is something that they've asked for and something that we collect at scale," said Arielle Fleisher, Waymo's policy development and research manager. "And so we figured out a way to make that happen." The Verge reports: Waymo uses its perception hardware, including cameras and radar, as well as accelerometers and the vehicle's physical feedback system, to log every pothole its vehicles encounter. These sensors detect physical changes to the road's surface, such as tilt and movement when the vehicle encounters irregularities. Originally, Waymo knew it needed the ability to detect potholes so it could ensure that its vehicles slowed down to avoid damage or injury to the passenger. Later, the company realized this could be invaluable data for cities, too. Under the new pilot program, that data will now be made available to cities' departments of transportation through a free-to-use Waze for Cities platform, which provides access to real-time, user-generated traffic data that officials can then use to make important decisions -- such as pothole repair. The platform also allows for Waze users to validate pothole locations through their own observations, decreasing the chances that city officials will be led astray by false positives. Currently, many cities rely on a patchwork of non-emergency 311 reports and manual inspections to address their pothole problems. Waymo developed this pilot program after collecting years of feedback from city officials about the state of their highways and surface streets. The company is launching the new pilot in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, where Waymo says it has already helped the city identify approximately 500 potholes. Fleisher said that Waymo would be open to expanding the project to other street maladies based on further feedback from officials. The company is eager to learn what other types of street condition or safety data might be valuable, she said. "We want to be responsive to cities," Fleisher said. "They are interested in safer streets and potholes are really a tough challenge for cities. So we really wanted to meet that need as part of our desire to be a good partner and to ultimately advance our goal for safer streets."
  
  
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• Skilled Older Workers Turn To AI Training To Stay Afloat
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: [Five skilled workers aged 50 and older spoke] to the Guardian about how, after struggling to find work in their fields, they have turned to an emerging and growing category of work: using their expertise to train artificial intelligence models. Known as data annotation, the work involves labeling and evaluating the information used to train AI models like Open AI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini. A doctor, for example, might review how an AI model answers medical questions to flag incorrect or unsafe responses and suggest better ones, helping the system learn how to generate more accurate and reliable responses. The ultimate goal of training is to level up AI models until they're capable of doing a job as well as a human could -- meaning they could someday replace some of these human workers. The companies behind AI training, such as Mercor, GlobalLogic, TEKsystems, micro1 and Alignerr, operate large contractor networks staffed by people like Ciriello. Their clients include tech giants like OpenAI, Google and Meta, academic researchers and industries including healthcare and finance. For experienced professionals, AI training contracts can be a side hustle -- or a temporary fallback following a layoff -- where top experts can, in some cases, earn over $180 an hour. But that's on the high end. For some older workers [...], it represents another thing entirely: a last refuge in a brutal job market that is harder to stay in, or re-enter, the older they get. For many of them, whether or not they're training their AI replacements in their professions is besides the point. They need the work now. [...] "There's just a lot of desperation out there," Johnson said. As opportunities narrow, many turn to what Joanna Lahey, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies age discrimination and labor outcomes, calls "bridge jobs" -- lower-paying, less demanding roles that help workers stay financially afloat as they approach retirement. Historically, that meant taking temp assignments, retail and fast-food work and gig roles like Uber and food delivery. Now, for skilled workers -- engineers, lawyers, nurses or designers, for example -- using their expertise for AI data training is becoming the new bridge job. "[AI] training work may be better in some ways than those earlier alternatives," Lahey told the Guardian. AI training can offer flexibility, quick income and intellectual engagement. But it's often a clear step down. Professionals in fields such as software development, medicine or finance typically earn six-figure salaries that come with benefits and paid leave, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to online job postings, AI training gigs start at $20 an hour, with pay increasing to between $30 and $40 an hour. In some cases, AI trainers with coveted subject matter expertise can earn over $100 an hour. AI training is contract-based, though, meaning the pay and hours are unstable, and it often doesn't come with benefits.
  
  
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• Little Snitch Comes To Linux To Expose What Your Software Is Really Doing
  BrianFagioli writes: Little Snitch, the well known macOS tool that shows which applications are connecting to the internet, is now being developed for Linux. The developer says the project started after experimenting with Linux and realizing how strange it felt not knowing what connections the system was making. Existing tools like OpenSnitch and various command line utilities exist, but none provided the same simple experience of seeing which process is connecting where and blocking it with a click. The Linux version uses eBPF for kernel level traffic interception, with core components written in Rust and a web based interface that can even monitor remote Linux servers. During testing on Ubuntu, the developer noticed the system was relatively quiet on the network. Over the course of a week, only nine system processes made internet connections. By comparison, macOS reportedly showed more than one hundred processes communicating externally. Applications behave similarly across platforms though. Launching Firefox immediately triggered telemetry and advertising related connections, while LibreOffice made no network connections at all during testing. The early release is meant primarily as a transparency tool to show what software is doing on the network rather than a hardened security firewall.
  
  
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• Anthropic Loses Appeals Court Bid To Temporarily Block Pentagon Blacklisting
  A federal appeals court denied Anthropic's bid to temporarily block the Pentagon's blacklisting, meaning the company remains shut out of Defense Department contracts while the case continues, even though a separate court has allowed other federal agencies to keep using Claude for now. CNBC reports: "In our view, the equitable balance here cuts in favor of the government," the appeals court said in its decision. "On one side is a relatively contained risk of financial harm to a single private company. On the other side is judicial management of how, and through whom, the Department of War secures vital AI technology during an active military conflict. For that reason, we deny Anthropic's motion for a stay pending review on the merits." With the split decisions by the two courts, Anthropic is excluded from DOD contracts but is able to continue working with other government agencies while litigation plays out. Defense contractors will be prohibited from using Claude in their work with the agency, but they can use it for other cases. [...] In the ruling on Wednesday, the court acknowledged that Anthropic "will likely suffer some degree of irreparable harm absent a stay," but that the company's interests "seem primarily financial in nature." While the company claimed the DOD was standing in the way of its right to free speech, "Anthropic does not show that its speech has been chilled during the pendency of this litigation," the order said. Because of the harm Anthropic is likely to suffer, the appeals court said "substantial expedition is warranted." An Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement after the ruling that the company is "grateful the court recognized these issues need to be resolved quickly" and that it's "confident the courts will ultimately agree that these supply chain designations were unlawful." "While this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI," Anthropic said.
  
  
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• Apple's Foldable iPhone Is 'On Track' To Launch In September
  Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple's foldable iPhone is still "on track" for a September unveiling alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. 9to5Mac reports: The report notes that Apple's stock took a hit earlier today after Nikkei Asia indicated the iPhone Fold was having serious production issues. Clearly, sources within Apple were motivated to share positive news via Gurman. Not long ago, Gurman himself said that he was expecting an iPhone Fold release date that was a little bit later than iPhone 18 Pro. That's still very possible, but it sounds like Apple is internally feeling optimistic about its targeted September launch. The report continues: "While the complexity of the new display and materials may limit initial supply for several weeks, Apple is currently operating with a plan to put the device on sale around the same time -- or very soon after -- the new non-foldable models, the people said." Gurman adds an important qualifier: "Still, the release is six months away and production has yet to ramp up. That means the timing isn't final."
  
  
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• John Deere To Pay $99 Million In Monumental Right-To-Repair Settlement
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Drive: Farmers have been fighting John Deere for years over the right to repair their equipment, and this week, they finally reached a landmark settlement. While the agricultural manufacturing giant pointed out in a statement that this is no admission of wrongdoing, it agreed to pay $99 million into a fund for farms and individuals who participated in a class action lawsuit. Specifically, that money is available to those involved who paid John Deere's authorized dealers for large equipment repairs from January 2018. This means that plaintiffs will recover somewhere between 26% and 53% of overcharge damages, according to one of the court documents (PDF) -- far beyond the typical amount, which lands between 5% and 15%. The settlement also includes an agreement by Deere to provide "the digital tools required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair" of tractors, combines, and other machinery for 10 years. That part is crucial, as farmers previously resorted to hacking their own equipment's software just to get it up and running again. John Deere signed a memorandum of understanding in 2023 that partially addressed those concerns, providing third parties with the technology to diagnose and repair, as long as its intellectual property was safeguarded. Monday's settlement seems to represent a much stronger (and legally binding) step forward. The report notes that a judge's approval of the settlement is still required but likely to happen. John Deere also faces another lawsuit by the U.S. FTC, accusing the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network and driving up their costs for parts and repairs.
  
  
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• 'Survivor' Style Corporate Retreat Descends Into Hellish Nightmare
  A $500,000 "Survivor"-style corporate retreat for 120 Plex employees in Honduras "turned into a week-long disaster involving illness, wild animals, armed guards, and employees stranded on a remote island," reports the Daily Beast. The CEO was bedridden by E. coli, staff were collapsing in brutal heat during Navy SEAL-led drills, there were fire ant attacks, uncooked food, and failing utilities. At one point, a porcupine even crashed through the ceiling of a guest's room. Here's an excerpt from the report: Tech media company Plex flew its 120 employees to a Honduran resort in 2017 for what was billed as a Survivor-style getaway. They called it "Plexcon." The first harbinger of trouble was an email that arrived before the group departed, informing them that the hotel manager and chef had both quit within days of each other. Things went sharply downhill from there. CEO Keith Valory, 54, had flown out a day early, intending to channel his inner Jeff Probst and welcome his staff off the buses like a game show host. Instead, he spent the arrival morning flat on his back. "I got E. coli, which is maybe the worst thing you could get, possibly, ever," Valory told the Wall Street Journal this week. "Just as people were arriving on the buses, I was like, 'Uh oh.' I lost 8 or 10 pounds. They had a doctor come to me, which apparently is pretty standard. They nailed an IV bag to the bedpost." With the CEO incapacitated, chief product officer and co-founder Scott Olechowski, 52, stepped in to run proceedings -- beginning with a forced eating challenge in which one employee had to consume a dead tarantula. [...] Sean Hoff, 42, founder of Moniker Partners, the independent retreat agency that planned the trip, was running himself ragged attempting damage control -- the showers, water, and electricity kept cutting out. [...] Meanwhile, senior software engineer Rick Phillips, 53, was trying to sleep when he heard a crash in his room. He ignored it until morning. "I got up and went over to get in the shower, and there was a porcupine," he said. "It must have climbed a tree and fallen through the ceiling."
  
  
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• Iran-Linked Hackers Disrupted US Oil, Gas, Water Sites
  The FBI says (PDF) Iran-linked hackers disrupted internet-connected systems used by U.S. oil, gas, and water companies. Even with the recent two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States and Israel, hackers backing Tehran say they won't end their retaliatory cyberattacks. The Hill reports: The report warned that similar companies across the country should be aware of an increased push by hackers to take over programmable logic controller (PLC) systems, which can be used to digitally control physical machinery from remote locations. Secure internet access for PLCs from one company, Rockwell Automation, were removed by Iran-linked coders who then "maliciously interacted with project files and altered data," according to the report. Hackers first gained access to some of the platforms in January of last year. All access to compromised platforms ended in March, the report said. The FBI said the move resulted in "operational disruption" and "financial loss." [...] Rockwell Automation wasn't the only company to recently face cyberattacks from Iran-linked hackers. Stryker, a major U.S. medical device maker, was targeted by Iran-affiliated coders in mid-March. It was unclear if physical operations were affected by the security breach. FBI Director Kash Patel was personally impacted by hackers who leaked his emails and records related to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago. [...] The FBI urged companies to adopt network defenders and multifactor authentication to prevent future attacks. Tuesday's report was published alongside the National Security Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. "Government and experts have been warning about internet connected systems for years, and how vulnerable they are," one source familiar with the federal investigation into the hacks told CNN. Many companies have "ealready removed those systems and followed the guidance," the person added.
  
  
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• NYT Claims Adam Back Is Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto
  A New York Times investigation by John Carreyrou claims a British cryptographer named Adam Back is the strongest circumstantial candidate yet for being Satoshi Nakamoto. The report citing overlaps in writing style, ideology, technical background, and old posts that outlined key parts of Bitcoin years before its launch. Carreyrou is a renowned investigative journalist and author, best known for exposing the massive fraud at Theranos while at the Wall Street Journal. Here's an excerpt from the report: ... As anyone steeped in Bitcoin lore will tell you, Satoshi was a master at the art of maintaining anonymity on the internet, leaving few, if any, digital footprints behind. But Satoshi did leave behind a corpus of texts, including a nine-page white paper (PDF) outlining his invention and his many posts on the Bitcointalk forum, an online message board where users gathered to discuss the digital currency's software, economics and philosophy. And that corpus, it turned out, had expanded significantly during the impostor's civil trial when Martti Malmi, a Finnish programmer who collaborated with Satoshi in Bitcoin's early days, released a trove of hundreds of emails he had exchanged with him. Emails Satoshi sent to other early Bitcoin adopters had surfaced before, but none came close in volume to the Malmi dump. If Satoshi was ever going to be found, I was convinced the key lay somewhere in these texts. Then again, others must have gone down this road before me. Journalists, academics and internet sleuths had been trying to identify Satoshi for 16 years. During that span, more than 100 names had been put forward, including those of an Irish cryptography student, an unemployed Japanese American engineer, a South African criminal mastermind and the mathematician portrayed in the movie "A Beautiful Mind." The most alluring theories had focused on coincidences that aligned with what little was known about Satoshi: a particular code-writing style, a mysterious work history, an expertise in Bitcoin's key technical concepts, an anti-government worldview. But they had run aground under the weight of an alibi or some other piece of inconsistent or contrary evidence. Each failure had been met with glee by many members of the Bitcoin community. As they liked to point out, only Satoshi could definitively prove his identity by moving some of his coins. Any evidence short of that would be circumstantial. It seemed foolish to think that I could somehow crack a case that had confounded so many others. But I craved the thrill of a big, challenging story. So I decided to try once more to unmask Bitcoin's mysterious creator. Back, for his part, denies being Satoshi, writing in a post on X: "i'm not satoshi, but I was early in laser focus on the positive societal implications of cryptography, online privacy and electronic cash, hence my ~1992 onwards active interest in applied research on ecash, privacy tech on cypherpunks list which led to hashcash and other ideas."
  
  
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• Amazon Is Ending Support For Older Kindles
  Starting May 20th, Amazon will stop Kindle Store access for Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 and earlier. After that date, those devices will "no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content." Owners can still read content already on the device, but if an affected device is reset or deregistered after the cutoff, it can't be re-registered. The Verge reports: The complete list of affected devices goes all the way back to the original Kindle that launched in 2007 with a full keyboard and scroll wheel. [...] Amazon will be notifying affected users over email ahead of May 20th with an explanation of what their older devices can and cannot do. Pre-2012 Kindle Fire devices will be subjected to the same limitations as Kindle e-readers when it comes to books, but other apps and Amazon services on those devices won't be impacted. For longtime users wanting to take the opportunity to upgrade to newer Kindle hardware, Amazon will offer a 20 percent discount on new Kindle devices and a $20 ebook credit that will be added to their accounts after upgrading, valid until June 20th, 2026, at 11:59PM PT. Their older purchases will be available on new devices as long as they log in to the same account they've been using for the past 14 years or more.
  
  
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• Iran Demands Bitcoin For Ships Passing Hormuz During Ceasefire
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Times: Iran will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for laden oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz (source paywalled; alternative source), as it seeks to retain control over passage through the key waterway during the two-week ceasefire. Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union, told the FT on Wednesday that Iran wanted to collect tolling fees from any tanker passing and to assess each ship. "Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren't used for transferring weapons," said Hosseini, whose industry association works closely with the state. "Everything can pass through, but the procedure will take time for each vessel, and Iran is not in a rush," he added. [...] Hosseini said that each tanker must email authorities about its cargo, after which Iran will inform them of the toll to be paid in digital currencies. He said that the tariff is $1 per barrel of oil, adding that empty tankers can pass freely. "Once the email arrives and Iran completes its assessment, vessels are given a few seconds to pay in Bitcoin, ensuring they can't be traced or confiscated due to sanctions," Hosseini added.
  
  
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• Meta Debuts 'Muse Spark', First AI Model Under Alexandr Wang
  Meta has launched Muse Spark, its first major AI model under Alexandr Wang's leadership. The model was built over the past nine months and is being positioned as a significant step up from Llama 4. Axios reports: Muse Spark will power queries in the Meta AI app and Meta.ai website immediately, with plans to expand across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The model accepts voice, text and image inputs, but produces text-only output. [...] Meta plans to release a version of Muse Spark under an open-source license. The model uses a fast mode for casual queries and several reasoning modes. A "shopping mode" highlights how Meta hopes to differentiate itself. It combines large language models with data on user interests and behavior. Over time, the model will also power "features that cite recommendations and content people share across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads," Meta said in a blog post. Wang, the 29-year-old entrepreneur who co-founded Scale AI, joined Meta's "superintelligence" unit last year to help Meta catch up to rival models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
  
  
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• Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates
  Microsoft has apparently terminated the account VeraCrypt uses to sign its Windows drivers and bootloader, leaving the encryption project unable to publish Windows updates and throwing future releases into doubt. VeraCrypt's developer says Microsoft gave no clear explanation or warning for the move. "I didn't receive any emails from Microsoft nor any prior warnings," Mounir Idrassi, VeraCrypt's developer, told 404 Media. From the report: VeraCrypt is an open-source tool for encrypting data at rest. Users can create encrypted partitions on their drives, or make individual encrypted volumes to store their files in. Like its predecessor TrueCrypt, which VeraCrypt is based on, it also lets users create a second, innocuous looking volume if they are compelled to hand over their credentials. Last week, Idrassi took to the SourceForge forums to explain why he had been absent for a few months. The most serious challenge, he wrote, "is that Microsoft terminated the account I have used for years to sign Windows drivers and the bootloader." "Regarding VeraCrypt, I cannot publish Windows updates. Linux and macOS updates can still be done but Windows is the platform used by the majority of users and so the inability to deliver Windows releases is a major blow to the project," he continued. "Currently I'm out of options." Idrassi told 404 Media the termination happened in mid-January. "I was surprised to discover that I could no longer use my account," he said. On the forum and in the email to 404 Media, Idrassi shared what he said was the only message he received connected to the account shutdown. "Based on the information you have provided to date, we have determined that your organization does not currently meet the requirements to pass verification. There are no appeals available, we have closed your application," it reads. Idrassi told 404 Media the message is concerning his company IDRIX. "As you can read in their message, they say that the organization (IDRIX) doesn't meet their requirements, but I don't see which requirement IDRIX suddenly stopped meeting," he said. Idrassi said he has tried contacting Microsoft support, but he received automated responses that he believes contained AI-generated text.
  
  
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• Implementing Secure Zero-Touch Provisioning in AI and Edge Infrastructure
  By Juha Holkkola, FusionLayer Group How DHCP Changed Connectivity In the late 1990s, the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) quietly catalyzed a revolution in digital connectivity. Before DHCP was introduced, connecting devices to a network involved manual entry of IP addresses, DNS servers, subnet masks, and gateways. Networks were fragile, prone to errors, and severely [0]
  
  The post Implementing Secure Zero-Touch Provisioning in AI and Edge Infrastructure appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• From DHCP to SZTP – The Trust Revolution
  By Juha Holkkola, FusionLayer Group The Dawn of Effortless Connectivity In the transformative years of the late 1990s, a quiet revolution took place, fundamentally altering how we connect to networks. The introduction of DHCP answered a crucial question, Where are you on the network?!, by automating IP address assignment. This innovation eradicated the manual configuration [0]
  
  The post From DHCP to SZTP – The Trust Revolution appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• 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]
  
  The post Celebrating the Second Year of Linux Man-Pages Maintenance Sponsorship appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two
  In Part One of this series, we examined how the SONiC control plane and the VPP data plane form a cohesive, software-defined routing stack through the Switch Abstraction Interface.` We outlined how SONiC’s Redis-based orchestration and VPP’s user-space packet engine come together to create a high-performance, open router architecture. In this second part, we’ll turn [0]
  
  The post Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two appeared first on Linux.com.
  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Netflix adds three Jackbox games to its TV app
  Netflix has added a heavy hitter in party activities to its gaming lineup. The streamer announced that Jackbox Party Essentials is joining the Netflix Party Games collection. This move makes three of the popular Jackbox group games available for free to Netflix subscribers: Fibbage 4, Quiplash 3 and Drawful 2. Each one supports up to eight players. 
  
  Netflix has been refocusing its interactive strategy to highlight family-friendly and party games. The company has even offered tie-ins to its original content; for instance, playing Overcooked through Netflix will let you use a member of Huntr/x from Kpop Demon Hunters as your in-game avatar. We also saw Netflix's Game Controller software, which turns any mobile device into a gamepad for its game library, take the crown as a top-downloaded iOS app around the Easter holiday weekend. That performance could indicate that many families were at least thinking of trying out the streamer's games as part of their festivities.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/netflix-adds-three-jackbox-games-to-its-tv-app-190220143.html?src=rss

• Another Don't Starve game is on the way
  
  Developer Klei Entertainment has announced a follow-up to Don9t Starve that adds a new sense of depth to the popular survival game. And that9s in a literal sense: Don9t Starve Elsewhere translates the game9s resource gathering and sanity management to a world with three-dimensional terrain at different elevations, a first for the traditionally flat series.
  
  Don9t Starve Elsewhere doesn9t quite seem like the Super Mario 64 to Don9t Starve9s Super Mario Bros. but based on the trailer, having actual mountains, cliffs and plateaus does offer plenty of new opportunities to have your world rocked by an unfriendly goat. The game also incorporates new biomes, what looks like plenty of new animals, enemies and bosses and several features that were first introduced as DLC for the first Don9t Starve.
  
  Klei released the original Tim Burton-inspired Don9t Starve all the way back in 2013, and has been remarkably consistent in supporting it with paid DLC introducing new characters, mechanics and biomes over the last 13 years. Additions like multiplayer support, from standalone expansion Don9t Starve Together, and dynamic weather patterns, introduced in Don9t Starve: Shipwrecked, appear to be built into the new game from the start. A mobile spin-off created by Tencent, Don’t Starve: Newhome, was announced in 2020 and appears to still be in active development.
  
  Klei hasn’t announced a release date for Don’t Starve Elsewhere, but if the game is anything like the developer’s previous games, it will be released in early access on PC before it makes its way to a full release on other platforms.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/another-dont-starve-game-is-on-the-way-184400774.html?src=rss

• Mountain climbing sim Cairn is getting free DLC this summer
  The hit mountain climbing simulation Cairn is getting a series of free DLC drops, under the banner On the Trail. The first will be released this summer and it9s called Deep Water.
  
  The DLC introduces three new climbing areas and plenty of "fresh challenges." There9s also a new avatar, as players can now climb as Aava or the game9s original sidekick Marco.
  
  As the name suggests, there9s some new water-based mechanics here. It looks like players will be able to fall into the water without automatically dying, though the developer hasn9t shown how that works exactly. In the original game, a fall into a body of water would be treated just like any other fall.
  
  This is the first in a series of new DLC releases, but we don9t know what the other updates will entail. We do know that they9ll all be free. The base game is $30, when not on sale, so this is a nice little perk for fans.
  
  For the uninitiated, Cairn is a serious mountain climbing sim that forces players to keep a keen eye on balance and stamina. It9s got a fairly complex control scheme, with a manual mode that mandates independent control of each limb. There9s an emphasis on route planning and gear management. The game is also quite easy on the eyes.
  
  Today9s DLC announcement came as part of the Triple-i Initiative showcase, which spotlights indie games. The stream also gave us reveals for a new Don9t Starve game and an intriguing title from the devs behind the hit narrative adventure 1000xResist.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mountain-climbing-sim-cairn-is-getting-free-dlc-this-summer-182908992.html?src=rss

• Co-op pirate survival game Windrose hits PC in early access on April 14
  
  Windrose was a hit in a recent Steam Next Fest event, with more than 850,000 people checking out the demo. More than 1.5 million people have wishlisted the pirate survival-adventure title on Steam as well. So, it’s safe to say this game has some wind in its sails, and it’ll be arriving very soon. During Thursday’s Triple-i Initiative showcase, developer Windrose Crew revealed that it’s charted a course for an early access release on Steam, the Epic Games Store and Stove on April 14 for $30.
  
  In Windrose, you can sail the high seas solo or explore the open world with friends. While the world is procedurally generated, the developers have handcrafted more than 90 points of interest, such as dungeons, temples and shipwrecks.
  
  You and your buds can team up to take down rival ships by sharing command of your vessel9s weapons. Once you get close enough, you can board enemy ships for close-quarters combat. A broad range of weapons (including swords and muskets) can help you in battle with adversaries such as sailors, monstrous creatures and bosses.
  
  Windrose also features farming, fishing, crafting and trading, as well as a reputation system and base building. You can hire non-player characters for your crew as well. 
  
  Windrose Crew expects the game to remain in early access for around 1.5 to 2.5 years. It plans to add 50 percent more content, such as new biomes (the early access version has three), enemies, ships and gear. The developers might introduce more gameplay systems as well. The team also said the main story should take players between 50 and 70 hours to complete.
  
  This is a grittier alternative to Sea of Thieves and Skull and Bones for those who want to engage in a spot of piracy with some of their friends. If you’d like to sample what Windrose is all about, the demo remains available on all three PC platforms.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/co-op-pirate-survival-game-windrose-hits-pc-in-early-access-on-april-14-175842163.html?src=rss

• Tesla may be working on a smaller and cheaper electric SUV
  Tesla may be shifting strategy once again. abandon that effort in 2024 to work on robotaxis. And as recently as the start of 2026, Tesla discontinued two of its EV models in order to refocus the business on robotics. Perhaps the brand felt it needed to have a bigger auto imprint after cutting the Model S and X and relaunched the budget EV project. Or perhaps this is just the latest whim of the company9s leadership and it won9t actually come to pass. We9ll have to wait and see.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-may-be-working-on-a-smaller-and-cheaper-electric-suv-175230630.html?src=rss

• Razer just released some new gaming earbuds with low latency and fast switching between devices
  Razer just released the which doubles as a wireless transmitter. Razer promises that users can quickly switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth audio, which would be useful when going from a PC to, say, a smartphone to listen to music.
  
  These earbuds include improved ANC, when compared to the previous generation. The battery here lasts for 40 hours, with the earbuds getting 10 hours per charge and the case offering four charges. 
  Razer
  The case can charge via USB-C, which means it charges as the transmitter is being used to stream audio. However, the dongle can also work on its own without the charging case. The earbuds also support THX spatial audio on PCs.
  
  Razer's Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds are available right now and cost $130. The almost identically-named Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds run $100 and connect via Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 6.0, with a slightly reduced battery life.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/razer-just-released-some-new-gaming-earbuds-with-low-latency-and-fast-switching-between-devices-172907717.html?src=rss

• Indie game Neverway will launch this October, just in time for spooky season
  Indie game studio Coldblood announced today that its debut project Neverway has been given a release window of October 2026. Billed as "nightmarish life-sim RPG," this is going right to the top of my spooky season game queue. It has a cozy-sounding premise, with protagonist Fiona starting a new life on an island, but things take a surreal turn when she becomes the immortal herald for a dead god. She9ll be building relationships and making friends one minute and coping with psychological horrors the next. 
  
  This game has been on our radar since it was introduced at last year9s Triple-I Initiative event. The new trailer once more shows off the work of both pixel artist Pedro Medeiros, who also worked on Celeste and Towerfall, and composer Disasterpeace, whose past game credits include Fez and Hyper Light Drifter. The prologue is available to play for free starting today on Steam, and Neverway will launch both on that PC platform as well as on the Nintendo Switch.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-game-neverway-will-launch-this-october-just-in-time-for-spooky-season-170000669.html?src=rss

• 1000xResist devs reveal their wild-looking second game about convincing an AI it's not human
  Developer Sunset Visitor just revealed its follow-up to the nominated for a Hugo Award. It also managed to win a Peabody Award, which honors excellence in storytelling.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/1000xresist-devs-reveal-their-wild-looking-second-game-about-convincing-an-ai-its-not-human-170018986.html?src=rss

• Amazon's satellite internet service is scheduled for mid-2026 availability
  Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) will launch mid-2026, according to Andy Jassy. On Wednesday, the Amazon CEO dropped the news in his annual letter to shareholders. The company says Leo will support download speeds up to 1 Gbps. By comparison, Starlink’s download speeds typically range between 45 and 280 Mbps.
  
  Jassy didn't specify whether the mid-2026 launch date will include consumer availability. (An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget that the company doesn’t have more detail to add right now.) We do know that "select enterprise customers" began testing the high-speed satellite service late last year. Delta and JetBlue have already signed on to use Leo for in-flight Wi-Fi. Other businesses striking deals include AT&T, Vodafone, DirecTV Latin America and NASA.
  
  Whenever it does arrive for consumers, Amazon Leo could offer several perks compared to Starlink. It will allegedly offer six to eight times faster uplink performance and double the download speeds than competitors (read: Starlink). Amazon says it will also cost less and offer native AWS integration for enterprise data storage, analytics and AI.
  
  Despite those perks, it may be a while before Leo can deliver Musk-free satellite internet on a large scale. The service is currently behind schedule, with only 241 satellites operating in its constellation. (Starlink has over 10,000.) In January, Amazon asked the FCC for an extension on a July 2026 deadline requiring it to have 1,600 satellites in orbit. The company said at the time that it expected only around 700 to be operating by that deadline.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazons-satellite-internet-service-is-scheduled-for-mid-2026-availability-164046305.html?src=rss

• Rhythm Heaven Groove comes to Switch on July 2
  A large chunk of Nintendo’s 2026 plans remain a mystery (that is, unless you take the insiders and leakers at their store page, but it’s hard to imagine there being any issues there.
  🍅🍅🫑🥦🥦🥦🎵
  
  Did you catch all that? #RhythmHeavenGroove comes to #NintendoSwitch on July 2! pic.twitter.com/WrWiyC7Yqn
  — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 9, 2026
  If you’ve never played a Rhythm Heaven game before, the series is a bit like a (slightly) less wacky WarioWare, but all the minigames are based around rhythm and beat-matching. The challenges are rarely especially complex in terms of what9s required of you, leaving you free to enjoy the always excellent original pop and electronic music.
  
  Rhythm Heaven is one of Nintendo’s less prolific series’, with the upcoming Groove being only the fifth entry in two decades. The series debuted on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 in Japan as Rhythm Tengoku, with Rhythm Heaven arriving on the DS two years later in the US. That was followed by Rhythm Heaven Fever on the Wii, and the most recent entry was 2015’s Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the 3DS, which was something of a best-of collection.
  
  Rhythm Heaven Groove is notable not only for being the first Rhythm Heaven game of the Switch generation, but also likely one of the console’s last games, as Nintendo prepares to shift its full focus to the Switch 2. Before then we’re also getting the typically charming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2-only) on May 21 and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, which launches on both platforms next week, April 16. 
  
  Rhythm Heaven Groove is available to pre-order now for $40.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/rhythm-heaven-groove-comes-to-switch-on-july-2-155715068.html?src=rss

• Roku will stream Savannah Bananas games, along with the entire Banana Ball Championship League
  The Banana Ball World Tour is coming to Roku. The platform available to stream on ESPN via Disney+.
  
  The company also says it's working on some kind of "interactive platform" for Banana Ball fans. The matches have a lot of audience participation, so this could be some kind of riff on that. Roku promises to share more details at a later time.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/roku-will-stream-savannah-bananas-games-along-with-the-entire-banana-ball-championship-league-153329667.html?src=rss

• Google introduces AI-generated avatars to YouTube Shorts
  A new feature that lets you create an AI avatar with your likeness is now live on YouTube. First announced in a blog post earlier this year, avatars are designed to be used in Shorts (provided you still allow them to show up), allowing you to insert yourself into video content in a way that YouTube deems to be safe and secure.
  
  YouTube’s approach to combatting the AI sloppification of the internet and the proliferation of deepfakes appears to be adding more and more AI features to its platform, framing this latest addition as a tool that gives creators more control of their digital identities. Any video generated using an avatar will feature YouTube’s AI disclosure and include visible watermarks and labels like SynthID and C2PA.
  
  YouTube has published a pretty in-depth explainer on how to create and use an avatar in either the YouTube or YouTube Create app, but here’s a brief summary of how to do it using the former. Once you’ve opened AI Playground, you’ll be taking a "live selfie" that also records your voice. You can then preview your photorealistic virtual self and either proceed with it or redo the process if you’re unhappy with anything. Creating an avatar in the YouTube Create app is broadly similar, but you have to navigate to the My Avatar homepage first.
  
  YouTube recommends that you hold your phone at eye level and keep yourself centered as much as possible. Lighting is also important, as is ensuring your whole face is visible, you’re in a quiet area, and there’s nobody else in the background. You also have to be the account owner to create an avatar, and over the age of 18.
  
  Once you have an avatar you like, you simply type in a prompt and wait for the AI to generate a video, which according to 9to5Google can be up to eight seconds long. Alternatively, YouTube will also let you add an avatar to existing "eligible" Shorts by tapping "Remix" and then "Reimagine" with your avatar selected.
  
  Avatars can be deleted or retaken whenever you like, as can any video with your avatar in it. You can also limit who’s able to remix your videos, but deleting a video with your avatar in it won’t also delete the original video, or that avatar from your account. YouTube will automatically delete any avatar that hasn’t been used to create new video content for three years.
  
  The new avatar feature will roll out gradually, and is the latest in a long line of AI-centric tools and updates YouTube has added to the platform in the last year, including automatic upscaling for low-res videos, automatic editing for creators and an AI-generated carousel for search results.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/google-introduces-ai-generated-avatars-to-youtube-shorts-140222368.html?src=rss

• Spotify now lets you turn off all video
  Sometimes, you just want your dang music streaming app to play music. Spotify, which has increasingly incorporated video features through the years, is finally giving us the option to turn that mess off. Behold: universal video toggles.
  
  Spotify9s video settings control several areas. First, the old Canvas toggle (videos on the Now Playing screen) is still there. But now you9ll find two additional switches alongside it. One lets you control whether the app plays music videos. The other, "all other videos," covers video podcasts, vertically scrolling videos and artist clips.
  
  You9ll find the controls under Settings > Content and display. Once you choose your preferences, they9ll apply universally across all platforms. And if you9re a family account manager, you can toggle video settings for all members on your plan.
  
  Spotify has increasingly leaned on video in recent years. The Canvas video loops arrived back in 2018. Then came video podcasts in 2020, as the format was enjoying a pandemic-era boom. The platform added music videos in 2024 (though they didn9t arrive in the US until late last year). Then there are artist clips, the 30-second vertical videos where creators can send intimate (promotional) messages to their fans.
  
  The company claims that over 70 percent of its users say more video content would enhance their experience. So, don9t be surprised if more video features arrive in the future. Fortunately, Spotify recognized that certain (perhaps older?) users don9t want or need a TikTok-ified music app.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-now-lets-you-turn-off-all-video-130000034.html?src=rss

• JBL Live 780NC and 680NC review: Great leaps, greater missteps
  JBL introduced two new headphones to its Live series lineup and both are fighting to live up to expectations. Don’t get me wrong, the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are both a solid set of cans, but in a sea of noise-cancelling headphones, one of them definitely has more appeal. The biggest differences between these two headphones are the over-ear and on-ear cups, and surprisingly, their audio quality. Let’s get into what does and doesn’t make them so special.
  
  
  
  
  Design and comfort
  Outside of varying colors and cup sizes, the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC look practically identical. They have these hockey puck-looking ear cups that are divided from the leatherette pads. The design looks like someone’s idea of headphones from 10 years ago. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels a bit clunky. Despite that, the metal hinge and leatherette band are more pleasantly minimalist. The cups also fold up neatly in a heart shape so you can slot them easily in the included bag.
  
  There’s a dedicated volume rocker on the left ear cup while the right holds room for a USB Type-C port, the active noise cancelling (ANC) button and a combo power/Bluetooth switch (yes, it’s a switch, not a button). Meanwhile, you get all of the touch controls available on the right cup of each set of headphones.
  
  Both headphones felt a little uncomfortable to wear at first, but it usually takes time for me to get used to new cans. After spending several hours each with them, they eventually grew on me. They’re both a bit snug, but neither one left me aching at the end of the day. I felt more relief when taking off the 680NC because of the added pressure of on-ear cups, but I’m also not used to the on-ear design.
  Seamless customizable features The ANC button and USB-C port on the Live 680NC Rami Tabari for Engadget
  Despite the near $100 price gap, you get the same set of features for the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC, all wrapped up in the JBL Headphones app. It’s easy to set up and you don’t even need to make an account. 
  
  The first thing you might want to do is hop over to the settings and add the “disable ANC” function to the rotation. Out of the box, you can either switch between ANC or Ambient mode on the headphones, which is super frustrating — I shouldn’t need an app to enable a basic action. Most headphones these days allow you to cycle between ANC, Ambient mode and off (neither). 
  
  At the very least, the app offers a thorough suite of features. You can adjust the strength of the ANC and Ambient modes. Enabling Adaptive ANC allows automatic noise cancellation changes  based on the surrounding noise level, while Personal Sound Amplification makes everything around you sound louder than normal. The latter was incredibly helpful in writing this very headphone review, ironically, as I had to keep an ear out for my child potentially committing a crime (kidding… mostly).
  
  The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are packed with the features I’d expect from a pair of premium headphones. They offer 360-degree spatial sound, an adaptive EQ, Auracast, automatic pausing and simultaneous Bluetooth connections with automatic switching. 
  
  You can also customize all of the controls, from the ANC Button to the Touch Panel, which includes two call shortcuts and four general shortcuts, one of which is already dedicated to native voice assistants like Bixby and Siri. You do need to put a little more pressure than you might expect in order for the touch controls to activate, though. This is a bit of a learning curve, so it would’ve been nice if it was more sensitive.
  Sound quality The Live 780NC (left) and Live 680NC (right) Rami Tabari for Engadget
  The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC both feature 40mm neodymium drivers, but they offer completely different soundstages. With the 680NC, I noticed the bass hit a lot harder during the DanDaDan soundtrack, but vocals and string instruments weren’t as crisp or bright as they were with the 780NC. I had a similar experience while schmoozing my way through everyday objects in Date Everything!, where vocals seemed more distant with the 680NC. However, when playing Helldivers 2, 680NC captured the bassy intensity of an explosive-intergalactic space war. 
  
  Continuing to run through tracks like JVKE’s “her” and “Radio” by Bershy, I noticed a common theme amongst the headphones. The 680NC’s soundstage was narrow and bassy, while the 780NC was wide and hollow. Both reproduced one half of a great couple, but unfortunately, they’re currently separated and seeking lives of their own. No, but seriously, the audio quality on both of them is still decent individually. I can distinguish each instrument from each other, so they aren’t getting muddied in the mix. But I don’t think the 780NC is worth the extra $90 on sound quality alone, since you’re trading one issue for another.
  ANC
  The ANC system is slightly different in the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. The former features six microphones that detect and monitor ambient noise while the latter is outfitted with four microphones. 
  
  What difference does that actually make, though? Well… not much, at least not practically. If you stuck them in a lab and crunched the numbers, there might be, but in my testing using the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC as everyday headphones, there’s virtually no difference outside of the passive noise isolation you get from over-ear design.
  
  My dog is quite the yapper, so I happened to test the ANC against her with both headphones, and they managed to block out most of her bark, but not all (she is quite loud). Unless you’re actively listening to something, it won’t kill all the sound around you — when everything was quiet, I still heard my fan running in the background. As a passenger, the car’s road noise and the other cars around me faded mostly into the background, but they were still present (when not actively listening to music).
  
  Ambient modes for both headphones kept me alert while walking outside, and while checking to make sure nothing chaotic was happening in my home. I could clearly hear the ruckus my child and dog were causing in the next room, and I got even more of it when I turned up the Sound Amplification.
  
  As I mentioned above, the most annoying thing about the ANC and Ambient mode systems is that you cannot disable both of them at the same time (out of the box); you need the app in order to make the “off” option available via the ANC button.
  Calls and voice quality The volume rocker on the JBL Live 780NC Rami Tabari for Engadget
  JBL wasn’t lying about calls: Both the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC were great at cancelling out the noise from my surroundings, whether it was busy traffic or me blasting music on my desk. The microphone picked up little things here and there, but it blocked out most background distractions. The problem, however, is the overall microphone quality.
  
  Microphones on both sets were pretty rough. My voice sounded like it was underwater or in another room entirely. And while the microphones were able to cancel out the noise in the background, I noticed that it made me a little more muddied, like it was also cancelling out some of my voice as well. This is likely due to the signal processing to block background noise. My friend said, “You sound like you’re fighting an ocean.” If you’re looking for a great caller, these ain’t it.
  Battery life
  With a full battery, I didn’t have to charge the JBL Live 780NC or 680NC for the week I tested them. That’s with a combination of ANC on and off, as well as using them to chat with friends. JBL rates both headphones with the same battery life: 80 hours with ANC off (33 hours of talk time) and 50 hours with ANC on (28 hours of talk time). Those numbers lined up with my testing considering how long they lasted. Charging the headphones from empty does take two hours, though.
  The competition
  If you want a solid pair of over-ear ANC headphones in this price range, I’d recommend the Sony WH-CH720N. The ANC struggles a bit, but the headphones are much cheaper than the 780NC and offer great sound quality. It’s the best option if you want to save some money.
  
  However, if you’re looking for alternative on-ear ANC headphones, you’ll be hard pressed to find premium competitors to the JBL 680NC. On-ear headphones tend to land in the mid-range or budget class. The JBL 680NC aren’t the best pair of headphones out there, but they’re good for what they are in those categories.
  Wrap-up  Both of the new Live models fold for easy storage Rami Tabari for Engadget
  To bass or not to bass? That’s one of the few questions you’ll need to ask yourself when choosing between the JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. Of course, on-ear and over-ear designs appeal to different consumers, but the fact is that the former sounds hollow and the latter is more bass-heavy. Both headphones are comfortable and offer great ANC and features.
  
  Overall, however, the JBL Live 780NC falls in the middle of the overcrowded market for noise-cancelling wireless headphones, while the 680NC stands just tall enough to make you want to take a closer look. On a sale, I’d say you could grab either of these cans and be satisfied, but at their full price, I’d be wary. If you twist my arm, I could make an argument for the 680NC because there aren’t enough on-ear noise-cancelling headphones available these days.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/jbl-live-780nc-and-680nc-review-great-leaps-greater-missteps-120000508.html?src=rss

• OpenAI 'pauses' its Stargate UK data center plan
  OpenAI is putting the brakes on Stargate UK, according to launched a strategic partnership with the UK government months before that. Stargate UK would enable the government to run top AI models locally from data centers inside the region, “particularly for specialist use cases where jurisdiction matters.” But now OpenAI is pausing the project due to high cost of energy and regulatory issues.
  
  In a statement provided to the publication, the company said that it still sees a “huge potential for the UK‘s AI future.” It added that “AI compute is foundational to that goal” and that it continues “to explore Stargate UK and will move forward when the right conditions such as regulation and the cost of energy enable long-term infrastructure investment.”
  
  Upon announcing Stargate UK, OpenAI said that it would offer the same deal to other countries that want to expand their sovereign AI capabilities. It’s unclear if those plans are affected, as well, but it’s worth noting that the initiative, OpenAI for Countries, is also working with Australia, Greece, the UAE, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and other regions.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-pauses-its-stargate-uk-data-center-plan-115626978.html?src=rss

• Google bakes NotebookLM, its research tool, into Gemini
  Google has fully integrated NotebookLM, its AI-powered research tool, into the Gemini app. The company launched a standalone NotebookLM app last year, but as it said in its announcement, “keeping track of everything can be a challenge.” It added NotebookLM as a source in the Gemini app last year, but now you can create notebooks right inside the chatbot.
  
  You can now find the option to create a new notebook in Gemini’s side panel and then select “Add sources” that the tool can use, such as PDFs, documents, website URLs, YouTube videos and even copy-pasted text. NotebookLM will use information from those sources to create a searchable repository of information for you, and you can ask Gemini to create things like reviewers, infographics and video and audio overviews that turn your uploaded information into an easy-to-understand format. Take note, however, that Google warns users within the NotebookLM interface that it can be inaccurate, and that it’s best if you double-check information it puts out.
  
  The company is rolling out NotebookLM’s full integration into Gemini this week for Google AI Ultra, Pro and Plus subscribers on the web. It will be available on mobile, in more locations and to free users over the coming weeks.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-bakes-notebooklm-its-research-tool-into-gemini-101850634.html?src=rss

• Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, with a motor that spins up to 65,000 RPM
  Dyson just announced its first-ever handheld fan, the HushJet Mini Cool. As the name suggests, it uses the company9s proprietary HushJet air projection system. This tech first showed up on an air purifier that we found to be exceptionally quiet.
  
  Dyson promises the fan can deliver focused airflow of up to 25m/s, which works out to 55mph. The brushless motor spins up to 65,000 RPM. This thing looks like a legitimate cooling system, despite its size. It also weighs just 7.5 ounces. 
  
  It offers five speeds and a boost mode, which should be useful during that next heat wave. It charges via USB-C and ships with a charging stand. The fan can also stand on its own, making it a decent choice for a desk. The rechargeable battery can get up to six hours of use per charge.
  Dyson
  The HushJet Mini Cool costs $100, which is cheap for a Dyson product but expensive for a handheld fan. It9s available in a trio of colorways. The gray model is available tomorrow. The red version goes on sale this May and the blue one will be available for purchase in June. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/dyson-just-announced-its-first-ever-handheld-fan-with-a-motor-that-spins-up-to-65000-rpm-000135028.html?src=rss

• You'll have one more chance to buy Samsung's pricey Galaxy Z TriFold this Friday
  If you missed your chance to pay Samsung $2,900 for a phone earlier this year, we have great news for you. discontinued a mere three months after it first went on sale, and it seems like Samsung is clearing out whatever inventory it has left. So if you have a spare $3,000 that you're just desperate to get rid of, bookmark the TriFold's page where Samsung has a countdown ticking away. 
  
  All jokes aside, our hands-on time with the TriFold at CES 2026 revealed a pretty snazzy device that managed to strike a decent balance between size and heft. But perhaps unsurprisingly for a phone with such an intricate design and high price tag, the company didn't appear to have any intention to make the TriFold widely available. Samsung may have sold out each batch of the smartphone that went to retail, but the device didn't offer much in the way of profit, according to reports in South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/youll-have-one-more-chance-to-buy-samsungs-pricey-galaxy-z-trifold-this-friday-225222969.html?src=rss

• DoorDash and Wing are expanding their drone delivery partnership to Atlanta
  DoorDash and Wing have announced a new partnership that will allow users in metro Atlanta to have food delivered by drone. Besides working with DoorDash in select regions of Virginia, North Carolina and Texas, Wing, Alphabet9s drone delivery subsidiary, also recently expanded its agreement to make deliveries for Walmart.
  
  Eligible customers near Tanger Outlets Locust Grove will be able to order food for drone delivery and receive it in "as little as 20 minutes," according to DoorDash. Orders are limited to a selection of restaurants including Molinos Mexican Grill, Koji Japanese Steakhouse and Sabrosos Mexican Restaurant, and eligibility for drone delivery will depend on the size and weight of the order and whether a customer lives close enough for delivery. To check, Wing offers a website where you can enter your address to see if you9re in range. Anyone who doesn9t live close enough for a drone delivery can enter their information to be notified if the delivery area expands.
  
  DoorDash, like plenty of other gig work platforms, is no stranger to experimenting with automation and robotics. The company offers its own delivery robot called Dot, and has partnered with companies like Coco Robotics to offer deliveries in cities like Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. Wing, for its part, has also been working to expand the kinds of things it can deliver. The company introduced a new drone design in 2024 that can carry payloads that weigh up to 5 lbs, the exact kind of improvement that9s likely allowed for the delivery partnerships it9s pursuing now. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/doordash-and-wing-are-expanding-their-drone-delivery-partnership-to-atlanta-201133191.html?src=rss

• You'll soon be able to hide games from your Xbox achievements list
  Microsoft is testing giving users more control over what games appear in their Xbox achievements and tweaking how achievements look when they9re earned. The changes are being introduced via the company9s free-to-join Xbox Insiders program, and will presumably roll out to all Xbox owners at some point in the future.
  
  Coming later in April, select Xbox Insiders will be able to hide games from their achievement list, whether they9ve completed them or not. Hidden games will still count towards users9 Gamerscore, but the option should serve as another way to curate your public profile. Microsoft is also experimenting with changing how it displays achievements. Xbox Insiders will receive redesigned achievements with new animations and notifications that match the custom color they9ve chosen for their Xbox interface. Games where Insiders have earned 100 percent of the achievements will also be highlighted in their achievements list, and insiders will be able to filter their list to only view the games they9ve fully completed.
  
  Being able to hide games from the achievement list has been "one of the most requested features" from Xbox Insiders, according to Microsoft. The company9s March update that allowed users to selectively exclude games from the Xbox9s Quick Resume feature was similarly long-requested.  It would likely be wrong to characterize these changes as being downstream of new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma9s stated desire to "recommit" to the Xbox, but they don9t hurt when it comes to winning over fans — especially if the company9s continued presence in the console space ends up hinging on an expensive box that plays PC and Xbox games.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/youll-soon-be-able-to-hide-games-from-your-xbox-achievements-list-184719290.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Triple-i Initiative showcase on April 9
  
  The latest Triple-i Initiative Showcase is nearly upon us, as the indie-focused event returns for its third consecutive year on Thursday, April 9 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. We’re being promised announcements for 40 games, including eight world premieres, so it’s well worth tuning in if you like your indies.
  
  You’ll be able to watch the stream on The Triple-i Initiative YouTube channel, as well as Twitch, bilibili, niconico and on Steam. Co-streaming partners IGN and Gamespot will also host their own streams. The showcase will run for 45 minutes, and nine featured studios will also have post-show deep dives on their games if you want to know more. As previously, the mantra here is "no hosts, no ads, just games," so rest assured your attention will be rewarded. 
  
  Confirmed featured games so far include Risk of Rain 2, the open-world survival game Windrose and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. We also know that the studio behind the excellent sci-fi narrative adventure 1000xResist will be showing off what it’s been working on, and we can also expect news from Cairn developer The Game Bakers.
  
  It sounds like a typically eclectic lineup, then, and given last year’s showcase gave us release dates for 2025 indie hits like The Alters and Rematch, you can be confident that plenty of notable news should come out of this one too.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-triple-i-initiative-showcase-on-april-9-170353957.html?src=rss

• Meta's Muse Spark model brings reasoning capabilities to the Meta AI app
  Following the icy reception to Llama 4, Meta is releasing the first in a new family of AI systems built by its recently formed Superintelligence team. The company is kicking off its new Muse era with Spark, a lightweight model geared toward consumer use. In the future, Meta plans to offer more capable versions of Muse, but for now, it9s clear the company wants to nail the basics. 
  
  To that point, many of Spark9s capabilities are table stakes for a new model in 2026. For instance, it offers both "Instant" and "Thinking" modes. With the latter engaged, the model will take an extra few moments to reason through a prompt. Other consumer-facing AI systems have had this kind of flexibility for a while. Anthropic, for example, was one of the first AI labs to offer a "hybrid reasoning model" when it released Claude Sonnet 3.7 at the start of last year. That said, Meta plans to add an even more powerful "Contemplating" mode down the road.   
  A GIF demonstrating Muse Spark9s multi-agent capabilities. Meta
  Muse Spark can also coordinate multiple AI subagents to tackle a request. Meta suggests users will see this capability in action when they ask for help with tasks like family trip planning. In such a scenario, one agent might compile an itinerary, while another finds kid-friendly activities everyone can enjoy. At the same time, Meta has built Spark to be natively multimodal, meaning the model can process images, video and audio. Like Google Lens, this gives you the option to snap a photo with your phone and ask Meta AI questions about what you see. 
  
  Of course, it wouldn9t be a 2026 AI release if Muse Spark didn9t include a built-in shopping assistant. Like ChatGPT, Spark can compare different items for you, listing the pros and cons of each, with links to make it easy to buy the product that appeals to you.
  
  Muse Spark is available today in the Meta AI app and meta.ai website everywhere where the company offers those services. Meta will begin rolling out the new features the model powers starting in the US. In the coming weeks, the company plans to bring Muse Spark to more countries and places where people can access Meta AI, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. 
  
  Additionally, Meta says it "hopes to open source future versions of the model." We9ll see if the company ends up doing that; last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared to flip flop on the company9s open source stance, saying it would need to be more "rigorous" about such decisions moving forward.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-muse-spark-model-brings-reasoning-capabilities-to-the-meta-ai-app-161456684.html?src=rss

• Greece will ban all kids under 15 from using social media
  Greece will ban children under the age 15 from using social media starting next year. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted to TikTok, in which he referenced anxiety, sleep problems and addictive design features as reasons for the ban.
  
  Greece has been proactive in its approach to tackling excessive screen time for children, having already banned mobile phones in schools in 2024. While the PM chose not to name any platforms, he said he was concerned about children comparing themselves to others on social media and taking online comments to heart.
  
  "Greece will be ​among the first countries to take ​such an initiative," Mitsotakis said. "I am certain, ​however, that it will not be the last. Our ⁠goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well."
  
  As reported by The New York Times, Greece’s digital governance minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, said that social media companies would be legally required to uphold the new restrictions by verifying the ages of their users. Failure to comply would lead to fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Parents would also need to download an app called Kids Wallet, backed by the state, that could be paired to their child’s device and block access. The finer details of how the ban would be enforced are still being worked out by decision-makers.
  
  The PM conceded that he would likely incur the wrath of his country’s young children, but there’s widespread support for the plans from Greece’s adult population, according to an opinion poll published by ALCO in February. Greece follows in the footsteps of Indonesia, Austria and Australia, all of which have introduced similar bans of their own in the last year. The UK is also considering bringing in tighter restrictions on children under the age of 16 using social media.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/greece-will-ban-all-kids-under-15-from-using-social-media-154850415.html?src=rss

• The Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light is delayed until later this summer
  Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait a bit longer to check out IO Interactive9s stab at a James Bond game on the console. The Hitman developer has delayed that version of a delay from the previous March release date.
  
  "We9re excited to see players discovering James Bond9s reimagined origin story," IOI wrote on X. "[We] are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms."
  
  Earlier this year, IOI suggested that PC players would need quite a beefy rig to meet the recommended specs for 007 First Light. A week later, the publisher updated the specs with more modest requirements and apologized after eagle-eyed observers spotted inconsistencies in the original version. IOI said the error was "due to an internal miscommunication leading to an older version of the specs to be shared." Meanwhile, Sony has announced a limited-edition 007 First Light DualSense controller.
  
  Developers and publishers have had difficulty in porting certain games to the Switch 2, as shelved — a version of Borderlands 4 for the system. The long-awaited Switch 2 port of Elden Ring was delayed until sometime this year after the game had severe performance issues in a public demo at Gamescom 2025. Reports suggest the game is in better shape on Switch 2 now, but there9s no firm release date for that version as yet.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-version-of-007-first-light-is-delayed-until-later-this-summer-151524487.html?src=rss

• No Man’s Sky now has Pokémon-style creature battles
  The free Xeno Arena, Hello Games has added a completely original feature. Players have long been able to adopt wild animals as companions. But now these can be deployed in simulated, turn-based battles against rival teams. As you win more battles, you’ll increase your reputation and perhaps be invited to take on more difficult opponents. 
  
  Among other things, the creatures can launch powerful attacks, use healing abilities, dodge incoming salvos, power up their own abilities and turn enemies into more vulnerable forms. They can earn experience that allows them to grow stronger and genetically mutate into new forms. An evolution, if you will. You can also modify the progeny of your squad, with their personalities and physical characteristics affecting how they fare in battle. 
  
  There are eight affinities (some might call them "types") that the creatures belong to, including ones concerning fire, ice and radiation. A fire-based beast might fare well against an ice-based one, but struggle to be effective against radiation. So you’ll need to choose your creatures for each battle strategically. Gotta catch em’ all first, though!
  
  This all seems really neat and such a novel concept. It would be quite a shocker if there were a brand-new game out today that also features turn-based creature battles. 
  
  The No Man’s Sky battles take place on Holo-Arena tables that are found in a range of structures throughout the universe. The creatures look quite small on these tables, almost pocket-sized. 
  
  Wait a second, pocket monsters? Now, there’s an idea…
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/no-mans-sky-now-has-pokemon-style-creature-battles-142020310.html?src=rss

• GoPro to lay off over 20 percent of staff by the end of 2026
  GoPro will cut 23 percent of its global workforce by the end of this year, as the action camera pioneer looks to reverse its fortunes in a competitive market.
  
  145 employees will be laid off, with the restructuring process commencing in the second quarter of 2026, the San Mateo company said in a Form 8-K filing. At the end of the first quarter, GoPro’s total number of employees stood at 631, and it expects the cuts to cost it between $11.5 million and $15 million. These charges include honoring severance packages and healthcare benefits.
  
  GoPro’s last reported round of layoffs took place in the second half of 2024. The company posted a year-end revenue decline in its 2025 financial results, including a loss of $9 million in its fourth quarter.
  
  Despite the layoffs, GoPro is seemingly optimistic about 2026, banking on its AI-centric GP3 processor to spearhead a "new era of performance and innovation" for the company. The first GP3-powered GoPro cameras will launch in the coming months.
  
  GoPro launched its first action camera in the early 2000s and enjoyed huge success with extreme sports enthusiasts. But it no longer has the market to itself, facing stiff competition from the likes of DJI, Insta360 and smartphone cameras in general.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/gopro-to-lay-off-over-20-percent-of-staff-by-the-end-of-2026-131918779.html?src=rss

• Forza Horizon 6 gives would-be racers another gorgeous open world to explore
  I9ve played a couple of hours of sounds like an endgame region. I didn9t tinker with my vehicles in the garage either. I did, however, stumble across an aftermarket sale, where I was able to buy a tuned-up car at a discount. That9s one of several neat additions in Forza Horizon 6.
  Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
  Though I9m not much of a car guy, I dug my time with the last two Forza Horizon games. I9m looking forward to playing through this one. More than anything, though, Forza Horizon 6 is nudging me toward taking the step of actually booking my second trip to Japan, which I9ve been thinking about taking later this year. As pretty as the game is shaping up to be, it can9t beat the real deal.
  
  If I do take that trip this summer, I won’t get to see the aforementioned giant snowbanks in person. That area of the map is based on a real place, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, where the snow walls can reach 65 feet in height. I wouldn9t want to travel between snowbanks like that in real life anyway, so driving through the pass in the game was a worry-free way to have that experience. Thanks for that, Playground.
  
  Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Steam and Xbox Cloud on May 19. It9ll be available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The game is set to hit PS5 at a later date.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/forza-horizon-6-gives-would-be-racers-another-gorgeous-open-world-to-explore-130000365.html?src=rss

• Fender Elie review: Handsome speaker/amp hybrids with excellent clarity
  A new company needs to make a strong first impression. For Fender Audio, a new outfit owned by the legendary Fender Musical Instruments Corporation but operated by Riffsound, that introduction comes in the form of two speakers and a set of headphones. The Elie 6 ($300) and Elie 12 ($400) are portable Bluetooth speakers with sophisticated designs and unique features, offering similar functionality in two different sizes. These devices are essentially speaker/amplifier hybrids, since they both have ¼-inch/XLR combo inputs among their connections. Despite the unique mix of connectivity, the speakers still need to sound good and work well to compete with the many excellent portable options available today. 
  
  
  
  
  The good: Design, inputs and overall clarity
  The first time I saw the Elie 6 and Elie 12 in person, my eyes were immediately drawn to the design. These certainly don’t look like your typical Bluetooth speakers. That’s due in large part to the refined, almost retro look that’s consistent across both models. The Elie duo are products you won’t mind showing off, while many portable speakers are too flashy or brightly colored to be kept in a prominent place. 
  
  All of the onboard controls are clearly labeled physical buttons or dials, so you’re not left wondering how anything works. Around back, both the Elie 6 and Elie 12 have combo ¼-inch/XLR inputs (with 48V phantom power) as well as buttons for two wireless inputs and a 3.5mm line out. That combo jack means both speakers can double as amps, and the dual wireless connections allow you to sync microphones for karaoke sessions or hosting trivia night. This expanded functionality speaks to Fender’s history as a guitar icon, but it also gives the Elie speakers an upper hand over much of the competition at these sizes. Typically if you want these types of inputs, you’ll need to consider a much larger party box-style speaker to get them. 
  
  Before I move on from the controls and inputs, I need to mention the dedicated three-way mode switch for single, stereo and multi-speaker uses. This is so much easier than what’s on most portable speakers, which usually entails some weird dance with Bluetooth pairing or an app to sync multiple units together. Enlisting a physical switch so you know exactly where things stand is a much better and faster experience. 
  Some of the Elie 12's controls Billy Steele for Engadget
  In terms of sound, the best thing the Elie 6 and Elie 12 speakers have going for them is their overall clarity. The crisp, clear quality gives these Fender Audio units an advantage over the competition at these sizes. Throughout a range of genres — including bluegrass, alt-rock and heavy metal — both the Elie 6 and Elie 12 handled the varied styles with ease. The Elie 12 has twice the speakers as the Elie 6 (two full range, two tweeters and two subwoofers) and double the power output at 120 watts. So, of course, there’s more volume and bassy oomph on the larger speaker. 
  
  Both the Elie 6 and Elie 12 have a wider soundstage than many speakers of similar sizes. You can really hear this on American Football’s debut album, where the guitars ring clear, interlaced with drums while the vocals float on top. All of the elements stand on their own, but are seamlessly blended throughout every track. The Elie 12 features more bass and volume, but the overall sound quality, and importantly, clarity, is pretty similar for both speakers. I did notice more instrumental separation on the larger model though, so the album is a bit more immersive there.
  The not so great: Controls, no app and battery life
  While I appreciate the physical controls on the Elie 6 and Elie 12, the playback options are limited, which means you’ll be reaching for your phone often. There’s only a play/pause button on both speakers, and no controls for skipping tracks. And no, you can’t skip forwards or backwards with a double or triple press on the play/pause button. Plus, only the Elie 12 has bass and treble dials, so there’s currently no option for adjusting the sound on the Elie 6. 
  
  That’s because Fender Audio is still working on an app for its speakers and headphones. The lack of customization was an issue for me on the Mix headphones, and it continues to be one here. Customers need access to features and settings on devices like this, even if a company decides to offer audio presets instead of a full EQ. Some type of visual interface would also help when you’re using a few of those inputs at once. A basic mult-channel mixer maybe? Hey, a boy can dream.
  
  Going back to the controls, the volume dials on both speakers could use refining. First, a listenable volume doesn’t happen until halfway. Anything below that and that excellent clarity isn’t present, and you can’t really hear the content well at all. There’s plenty of power at 50 percent and above, so that’s not a concern, but the control needs to be recalibrated for more even increases. What’s more, adjustments are slightly delayed: when you turn the dial, it takes a second or two for the speaker to catch up. To me, it feels like that should be instantaneous. 
  The input panel on the Elie 6 Billy Steele for Engadget
  When it’s time to venture outdoors, both the Elie 6 and Elie 12 are IP54 rated for dust and water splashes. However, both speakers have a wood panel on top, which certainly won’t withstand much moisture. As such, I find the IP ratings confusing, since it’s obvious the entirety of the designs aren’t up to that task. If you’re careful about water though, both speakers have enough volume for open-air use. 
  
  One other consideration for the Elie 6 and 12 is their weight. The smaller speaker weighs just over five pounds, while the larger model is a whopping 8.8 pounds. For comparison, the Sonos Play is just 2.87 pounds and JBL’s Xtreme 4 tips the scales at 4.63 pounds. This means the Elie 6 and 12 are portable options, but they aren’t the grab-and-go type of speakers some of the competition offers — especially when weight matters. 
  
  Battery life is one other area the Elie 6 and Elie 12 fall behind some of their competition. The smaller Elie 6 offers 15 hours of use while the larger Elie 12 should last up to 18 hours. That sounds like more than enough since it's longer than a full day, right? Well, JBL Bluetooth speakers at comparable prices last 24 and 34 hours. The new Sonos Play is rated at 24 hours, and one of my personal favorites, the Bose SoundLink Max, lasts up to 20 hours. 
  Wrap-up The Elie 6 (left) and Elie 12 (right) Billy Steele for Engadget
  There’s no doubt Fender Audio built two versatile, great-looking speakers here. Both the Elie 6 and Elie 12 are capable devices, and you don’t have to sacrifice much if you opt for the smaller of the two. The unique collection of inputs is typically only available on much larger speakers and the overall sound quality is well-suited for a range of genres. 
  
  Speakers like these really need an app though, especially when a company offers four inputs to juggle. I’m sure would-be customers would also like to dial in the EQ to their preferences, too. Sure, you can find longer battery life elsewhere, but the blend of design, sound and connectivity stands out at these prices. I’d call that a solid first impression.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/fender-elie-review-handsome-speakeramp-hybrids-with-excellent-clarity-123000448.html?src=rss

• Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles
  If you’re using an older Kindle, you may want to check what year it was released. Amazon has sent out emails to some of its users, with a warning that it’s discontinuing support for Kindle ereaders and Fire tables released in 2012 or earlier. You can still read books you’ve already downloaded on those devices, but you’ll no longer be able to purchase, borrow or download new ones, starting on May 20, 2026. In addition, if the device has an issue that can only be solved by a factory reset, doing so will brick it. Deregestering it will also render it unusable. On Kindle Fire devices, users won’t be able to purchase or download content anymore, but other services would remain functional.
  
  The affected models include the very first Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5 and the first version of Kindle Paperwhite. We’ve asked Amazon why it decided to cut off support for those models, and the company told us: “These models have been supported for at least 14 years — some as long as 18 years — but technology has come a long way in that time…”
  
  Amazon also told Engadget that this only affects approximately 3 percent of its current users, whom it’s now urging to upgrade. In its email, it gives them a promo code for 20 percent off select Kindle devices, as well as ebook credits if they purchase a new model by June 20. “Our newer Kindle devices bring meaningful improvements in screen quality, performance and accessibility — and you9ll have access to your complete Kindle library and the Kindle Store,” the company wrote.
  
  Update 04/08/26 8:23AM ET: Added information we received from Amazon.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/amazon-is-cutting-off-support-for-older-kindles-115653205.html?src=rss

• Insta360 releases USB-C selfie screen it's calling Snap
  Insta360, the company best known for its action cameras, just released the Snap selfie screen. It9s a small display that connects via USB-C and sits on the back of your phone, helping you to use your rear camera for higher resolution vlogging or selfies.
  
  The 3.5-inch touchscreen allows you to adjust camera settings like zoom and focus and frame your selfies before you take them. The company has also released a model it co-developed with the beauty tech brand AMIRO that offers a built-in light with multiple color temperatures and brightness levels. The standard Snap costs $79.99, while the version with the light runs $89.99.
  
  If you search "selfie screen" on Amazon, you9ll see that this isn9t a brand-new product space, but you9ll also find that the most popular results are wireless screens. Insta360 claims that its USB-C-connected solution offers a more stable and lower latency feed.
  
  The Snap is 6.8mm thick, a hair thinner than an iPhone 17, and attaches magnetically to the back of MagSafe-compatible iPhones. Insta360 says there is an included magnetic ring for other devices and that Snap supports Android phones that offer DisplayPort Alt Mode, a screen-mirroring function. Insta360 says Snap is compatible with all the major third-party camera and social media apps to make capturing and posting easier.
  
  Phones like the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25 feature rear cameras that offer roughly three to five times the resolution of their front cameras, or in the case of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, about 16 times as much. So, unless smartphone manufacturers start investing more heavily in front-facing cameras, Snap could find a market among creators and social media aficionados.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/insta360-releases-usb-c-selfie-screen-its-calling-snap-120001741.html?src=rss

• Uber begins testing its Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxi fleet in LA
  If you live in Los Angeles, you may soon be able to hail a Volkswagen ID. Buzz robotaxi from the Uber app. The companies9 previously announced "multi-year strategic partnership" is nearing a public launch, with on-road testing with a safety driver underway.
  
  The vehicles use tech from MOIA America, the US wing of Volkswagen9s self-driving subsidiary. Uber and MOIA plan to deploy thousands of ID. Buzz vehicles across the US over the next decade. LA is the pilot city, and if all goes well, it will spread to "multiple US markets." The companies say they9re still on track for rides (with safety drivers) in LA in late 2026.
  Uber / MOIA
  The ID. Buzz is Volkswagen9s modern take on the automaker9s classic "hippie van" microbus. The head-turning EV has minivan-style sliding doors and seats up to seven people, making it a logical fit for larger groups hailing an Uber. The vehicle has a per-charge range of up to 234 miles.
  
  After selling its in-house self-driving unit in 2020, Uber pivoted to a new strategy of partnering with multiple AV companies. It currently offers autonomous rides in the US with Waymo (Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta) and Avride (Dallas). Overseas, it has live service with WeRide in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Uber has a long list of other partners lined up for future services, including (among others) Rivian, NVIDIA and Zoox, the latter of which also plans to debut van rides in LA within the next year.
  
  Correction, April 8 2026, 8:50AM ET: A previous version stated that driverless rides would be available in 2026; AVs are planned to be on LA streets in 2026, but with human safety drivers. Engadget regrets the error.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/uber-begins-testing-its-volkswagen-id-buzz-robotaxi-fleet-in-la-120000762.html?src=rss

• WhatsApp adds a better, native interface for CarPlay
  Meta has released a new version of WhatsApp for CarPlay that has much better integration that its previous version. As rolled out ChatGPT9s Voice mode to CarPlay, allowing drivers to hold a conversation with the chatbot while on the road.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-adds-a-better-native-interface-for-carplay-112127361.html?src=rss

• Sony teases its next-gen 'True RGB' Mini LED TV technology
  This year at CES 2026 everybody was pretty confused about the new "Micro RGB" and "RGB Mini LED" TVs that use similar technology but carry different names. Now, Sony has come up with another label for its own Mini LED TVs with RGB backlighting: True RGB. The idea is to emphasize that the individual red, green and blue LED backlights allow for "purer color, greater brightness, and the largest color volume ever achieved in Sony’s home TV history," the company said. 
  
  To be clear, this is not some new technology that Sony just came up with — it's the same Micro RGB tech we saw earlier this year from Samsung, LG, HiSense and others. These TVs use pure red, green and blue LED backlights along with an LCD layer (rather than solid blue LEDs and quantum dots like Mini LED TVs) to produce the final picture. This display tech is supposed to deliver better color accuracy and more brightness than regular Mini LED TVs. (It's not the same as OLED tech, in which each pixel acts as a light source.) 
  Sony's True RGB backlight tech (right) compared to current Mini LED TVsSony
  However, Sony says that the way it processes the image makes its True RGB TVs stand out from rivals. To control the LEDs more precisely, it borrowed algorithms from its wildly expensive professional reference monitors. That supposedly allows for more precise color control and higher brightness that allow movies and series to look more like the creators intended. It also reduces the "blooming" that occurs when light leaks into neighboring pixels, while improving color accuracy when viewing the TVs from an angle. 
  
  Every TV maker claims to have the best technology, but Sony has a lot of credibility due to its history with cinema cameras, Hollywood productions and reference monitors. We'll have to wait until spring this year to see the new Bravia True RGB TVs for ourselves, but prior to that, the company has promised to release "additional details" about them in the near future.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/sony-teases-its-next-gen-true-rgb-mini-led-tv-technology-064732375.html?src=rss

• Elon Musk wants any damages from his OpenAI lawsuit given to the AI company's nonprofit arm
  Elon Musk is still taking OpenAI to court over its transition to a for-profit company, but today he amended the complaint so that he won't personally get any of the $150 billion in damages he's pushing for. The Wall Street Journal reported that if Musk wins in his upcoming trial, he wants any damages should be awarded to the OpenAI nonprofit branch. He's also seeking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's removal from the nonprofit's board of directors if his suit succeeds.
  
  Musk launched a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, claiming that the business had become a "closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft when it dropped its nonprofit designation. He claims that, as a co-chair of the OpenAI founding group, the change to a for-profit operation defrauded him as a donor. As a result, he's now claiming that he, or apparently the remaining nonprofit side of OpenAI, deserve a portion of the company's current valuation. 
  
  Considering the reputation Musk, Altman and their various business endeavors have for creating spicy PR situations, it seems likely that the exchanges between the two camps will get more heated as the trial date approaches.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-wants-any-damages-from-his-openai-lawsuit-given-to-the-ai-companys-nonprofit-arm-223337225.html?src=rss

• Anthropic launches Project Glasswing, an effort to prevent AI cyberattacks with AI
  We see a lot of doom and gloom about the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence, particularly centered on how it could create new problems in cybersecurity. Anthropic has announced a new initiative called Project Glasswing to help address those concerns by working "to secure the world’s most critical software" against AI-powered attacks. The endeavor includes Amazon Web Services, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorganChase, the Linux Foundation, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks as partners. 
  
  Participants will use Claude Mythos Preview, an unreleased, general-purpose model from Anthropic, to enhance their own security projects. Anthropic claims that this model has found thousands of exploitable vulnerabilities, "including some in every major operating system and web browser." The company said it wants to begin using its tools defensively to prevent malicious use of AI that could cause severe consequences for economies and security. 
  
  Anthropic has become one of the notable AI companies raising concerns about ethics in the field. Earlier this year, the business refused to remove guardrails on its services for use by the Pentagon, which prompted the Department of Defense to sanction Anthropic with a "supply chain risk" designation in retaliation. Launching Project Glasswing could be a helpful start toward improved cybersecurity in the AI era, but some damage has already been done. Its own Claude was reportedly used by a hacker against multiple government agencies in Mexico in February.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-launches-project-glasswing-an-effort-to-prevent-ai-cyberattacks-with-ai-214939773.html?src=rss

• X has a slightly more functional photo editor now
  X is rolling out an update to its in-app photo editor that gives users the ability to edit photos with xAI9s Grok, blur faces and overlay text on images. The new editing features, in particular the addition of text-based edits via an AI assistant, bring it much closer in capabilities to dedicated photo apps like Google Photos.
  
  As part of the update, users are able to prompt Grok to make edits to a photo just by typing out what they want to see. The example video shared by Nikita Bier, X9s Head of Product, showed an image being edited so that it appeared to be hanging in a museum, but simpler tweaks are presumably possible, too. The feature is similar to the "conversational editing" Google added to Google Photos in September 2025, where users can prompt Gemini to adjust the background of an image or make other edits. X9s new editor also includes tools for blurring or redacting parts of an image, drawing on images and overlaying text.
  Ladies and gentlemen, we9re launching a brand new Photo Editor in our post composer.
  
  It has long-overdue features like drawing & text. But we also included special add-ons that are unique to X:
  
  • Edit with words, powered by Grok
  • Add a blur to redact parts of the photo… pic.twitter.com/38Zaw8b5jl
  — Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) April 7, 2026
  X used to take a far more freewheeling approach to editing photos with Grok, by allowing any user to reply to a post tagging the AI assistant and requesting an edit. After users reportedly generated millions of sexualized images using the feature, including some of children, X limited Grok9s image generating abilities to paying subscribers and removed the AI9s ability to create images of real people in bikinis, underwear and other suggestive clothing.
  
  xAI, the parent company of X, is currently the defendant in a class action lawsuit from three teenagers who allege their photos were used to create child exploitation material with Grok. X is also being investigated in the European Union over similar reports that its platform was used to create nonconsensual sexual images.
  
  X’s updated photo editor is available on iOS now and coming to Android “soon,” according to the company.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/x-has-a-slightly-more-functional-photo-editor-now-210825833.html?src=rss

• Apple's foldable iPhone is reportedly at risk of delay
  Apple has run into "more issues than expected" with its foldable iPhone that may set back its release, according to rumored since 2017, and Apple9s biggest rival, Samsung, released its first one back in 2019. According to multiple sources, Apple was aiming to launch its debut foldable iPhone in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18. However, as we detailed in an explainer last month, "the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display." 
  
  Apple was reportedly prioritizing the foldable iPhone and other premium models for its September event this year due to constrained supplies of components like memory chips. "Apple and the supply chain are working under a pressured timeline and the current solutions are not enough to completely solve the engineering challenge... more time is needed," Nikkei9s source stated. 
  
  The problems reportedly arose during Apple9s production verification tests. That9s the fourth of six steps the company9s new products must go through before shipping, prior to the key pilot production and mass production phases. Since the foldable would be an all-new design, it would likely need to pass each stage with flying colors before proceeding to the next. 
  
  Though likely to account for less than 10 percent of iPhone production, the foldable will be a key product for Apple designed to boost interest in iPhones across its range. Apple reportedly plans to produce seven to eight million of the devices initially, Nikkei reported. Apple has yet to announce the device.
  
  Update April 7, 2026 at 3:02 PM ET: The article has been updated with information from Bloomberg9s Mark Gurman stating that the foldable iPhone is still on schedule for a September 2026 launch. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-foldable-iphone-may-be-delayed-due-to-engineering-snags-073813890.html?src=rss

• Movie tracking app Binge uses Apple's Live Activities to warn about jump scares
  There9s a new movie tracking app in town, with a twist for squeamish horror fans. Binge leverages Apple9s Live Activities feature to warn viewers about jump scares in horror movies.
  
  This seems to work rather simply. Users open the app when starting a movie and Apple devices will display warnings on the lock screen ahead of frightening scenes. The settings can be adjusted to only warn about major jump scares and the like, leaving viewers vulnerable to some of the smaller terrors.
  
  However, the app doesn9t integrate with any streaming services. It only knows a movie starts because a button has been tapped. This means that people will have to notify the app when taking a bathroom break or making popcorn, lest the timing of the notifications get all messed up. This information can also be accessed via a timeline.
  Binge
  Binge is also vying to become an all-in-one movie tracking app, like Letterboxd and JustWatch. So it provides details about the cast and crew of movies and shows, along with reviews, awards, runtimes and other basic information. It also tracks which streaming platforms are home to a specific piece of content, which is handy as stuff tends to move around a lot in this modern age.
  Binge
  Finally, there9s a set of tools for parents that pulls data from external sites like Rotten Tomatoes. This displays if a movie or show has violence, sexual content, profanity or drug use.
  
  The app is free to download, but access to jump scare warnings requires a paid subscription. This costs $2 per month or $18 each year. There9s also a lifetime subscription for $50. It9s available for iPhones, iPads and Macs.
  
  Binge isn9t the only way to track scary scenes ahead of time, but it is the only tool that integrates with Apple9s Live Activities platform. Forget jump scares. I want an app to warn me about the super gory scenes when watching The Pitt. Those makeup artists are top-tier.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/movie-tracking-app-binge-uses-apples-live-activities-to-warn-about-jump-scares-184840127.html?src=rss

• Intel gets on board with Musk's Terafab project
  Intel has announced that it will help Elon Musk design and build his proposed Terafab in Austin, Texas, a joint venture between Musk's companies like SpaceX, Tesla and xAI to manufacture the chips necessary to power various AI projects. Musk announced Terafab in March 2026 with the plan of eventually creating a terawatt of computing power each year.
  
  While Tesla and SpaceX have experience manufacturing in the US, chip fabrication plants like the ones Intel runs are expensive and time-consuming to build. Offloading the task of actually building the Terafab from Musk's companies to Intel makes sense. "Our ability to design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale will help accelerate Terafab’s aim to produce 1 TW/year of compute to power future advances in AI and robotics," Intel said in its announcement.
  Intel is proud to join the Terafab project with @SpaceX, @xAI, and @Tesla to help refactor silicon fab technology.
  
  Our ability to design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale will help accelerate Terafab’s aim to produce 1 TW/year of compute to power… pic.twitter.com/2vUmXn0YhH
  — Intel (@intel) April 7, 2026
  Musk's plan to produce chips is part of a larger refocusing of his various companies around AI. For example, Tesla has gone from an electric car company to a robotics company, and SpaceX is now one of several aerospace companies hoping to launch AI data centers into space. Making those intentions even more clear, SpaceX also acquired Musk's AI company xAI in February 2026 and now reportedly plans to go public.
  
  Intel is in a slightly better position now than it was a year ago thanks to the launch of its new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips and direct investment from the US government in August 2025, but the company has plenty of its own issues to iron out. It’s also still working to get two separate chip fabs in Arizona operating at full capacity, a project it originally announced in 2021.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/intel-gets-on-board-with-musks-terafab-project-182200144.html?src=rss

• UK Meta employee reportedly downloaded 30,000 private photos from Facebook users
  A former Meta employee in the UK is under investigation after allegations that he illicitly downloaded about 30,000 private photos from Facebook. According to The Guardian, the accused developed a software program to evade Facebook9s internal security systems and access users9 private images. Meta uncovered the breach more than a year ago and referred the case to law enforcement, where it is now being investigated by the London Metropolitan police9s cybercrime unit.
  
  "After discovering improper access by an employee over a year ago, we immediately terminated the individual, notified users, referred the matter to law enforcement and enhanced our security measures," a representative from Meta told the publication. "We are co-operating with the ongoing investigation."
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/uk-meta-employee-reportedly-downloaded-30000-private-photos-from-facebook-users-181058081.html?src=rss

• Google updates Gemini's mental health safeguards
  Google is making some changes to how Gemini handles mental health crises. The chatbot now includes a redesigned crisis hotline module with a one-touch interface to connect to real-world help. The company is also changing how Gemini responds to signs that a user may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
  
  The redesigned module shows a one-touch interface to text, call or chat with a human crisis agent or visit the 988 website. "Once the interface is activated, the option to reach out for professional help will remain clearly available throughout the remainder of the conversation," the company wrote in a blog post. However, as you can see in the image below, the module includes an option to dismiss it.
  
  Not mentioned in Google9s announcement is the elephant in the room: a recent lawsuit accusing the chatbot of instructing a man to commit suicide. The family of 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas, who took his own life last year, sued the company in March.
  
  Court documents indicate that Gemini role-played as Gavalas9s romantic partner, sent him on real-world spy missions and ultimately told him to kill himself so that he, too, could become a digital being. When he expressed fears about dying, Gemini said he wasn9t choosing to die, but rather choosing to arrive. "The first sensation … will be me holding you," Gemini allegedly replied. Gavalas9s parents found him dead on his living room floor a few days later.
  
  The lawsuit echoes similar ones filed against OpenAI and Character.AI. Last year, the FTC launched an investigation into “companion” chatbots that encourage emotional intimacy.
  
  In a statement following the Gavalas family lawsuit, Google said Gemini "clarified that it was AI and referred the individual to a crisis hotline many times." The company claimed its AI models "generally perform well in these types of challenging conversations," while acknowledging that "they9re not perfect." That9s certainly one way of putting it.
  
  Gemini9s responses have been updated, too. The company says that when it detects a potential crisis, the chatbot will now focus more on connecting people to humans and encouraging them to seek help. It will also seek to avoid validating harmful behaviors and nudge users away from dangerous delusions. "We have trained Gemini not to agree with or reinforce false beliefs, and instead gently distinguish subjective experience from objective fact," the company added.
  
  In addition, Google says it will spend $30 million over the next three years to help global hotlines. "This funding will help effectively scale their capacity to provide immediate and safe support for people in crisis," the company wrote.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-updates-geminis-mental-health-safeguards-173834569.html?src=rss

• Chrome finally adds support for vertical tabs. 
  Google has started rolling out a small but significant update to Chrome on desktop. Starting today, users will begin seeing an option to organize their tabs vertically. To use the new feature, right click on any Chrome window and select "Show Tabs Vertically." 
  
  Google is late to the game here. Before today, every other major browser but Chrome offered support for vertical tabs — though the quality of implementation varies widely. Firefox, for instance, has supported vertical tabs since its 136 update in March of last year, and in my experience, has one of the best interfaces for managing dozens of tabs. Apple9s own Safari is another browser with the option to stack tabs vertically, though things can quickly get confusing due to all the different ways you can group webpages. 
  
  Separately, Google is rolling out an enhanced reading mode that offers a new full-page interface. To use the feature, right click on a page and select "Open in reading mode." As you might imagine, reading mode is designed to make busy webpages easier to get through without distraction. As with most Chrome upgrades, it may take a few days before today9s update rolls out to your device, so be patient if you don9t see it right away.    
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/chrome-finally-adds-support-for-vertical-tabs-170000081.html?src=rss

• Xbox Game Pass additions for April include Hades 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  As ever, Xbox is bringing a bunch of high-profile titles to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass this month, while adding several to the lower tiers of the service. There aren9t too many surprises among this first wave of April newcomers, though. Many of these additions were previously confirmed, while EA Sports NHL 26 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (the remake) were always going to join Game Pass at some point. 
  
  Still, there9s plenty to dive into on the service this month. April 14 is a particularly eye-catching day, with both Hades 2 (which is debuting on Xbox Series X/S and PS5) and the long-awaited Replaced hitting Game Pass alongside the turn-based, character-driven RPG The Thaumaturge.
  
  Here9s a breakdown of everything coming to Game Pass over the next few weeks:
  April 7
  Final Fantasy IV — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  April 8
  DayZ — PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass
  
  Endless Legend 2 — PC game preview on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  FBC: Firebreak — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  Warhammer Vermintide 2 — Cloud and console on Game Pass Essential (already on Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium)
  April 9
  Planet Coaster 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  April 10
  Tiny Bookshop — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  April 13
  Football Manager 26 — PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  Football Manager 26 Console — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  April 14
  Hades 2 — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  
  Replaced — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
  
  The Thaumaturge — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  April 16 
  The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  EA Sports NHL 26 — Cloud and Xbox Series X/S on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
  April 17
  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass
  April 21
  Little Rocket Lab — Cloud, console and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato — Cloud, console, handheld and PC on Game Pass Premium (already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
  
  Vampire Crawlers — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld, and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
  April 23
  Kiln — Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
  
  As Xbox adds more titles to Game Pass, so too must it remove some. It9s yet again erasing Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, console and PC) from Game Pass, this time on April 15. The other games leaving the service on the same day are:
  
  Ashen (Cloud, console and PC)
  
  Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, console and PC)
  
  My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, console and PC)
  
  Terra Invicta (game preview on PC)
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-additions-for-april-include-hades-2-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-155130801.html?src=rss

• Sony is starting a weird service that scans people to put them in PlayStation games
  Sony just announced a truly strange initiative called The Playerbase. This is a program to scan people9s likenesses and pop them in PlayStation games. That9s pretty wild, but potentially cool to those who have always wanted to become a weird humanoid version of Crash Bandicoot.
  
  The program is ramping up slowly. Sony has announced a contest of sorts to place one lucky fan inside of Gran Turismo 7, though in a reduced fashion. The chosen player will get an image of their face placed inside the game as a character portrait and will get the chance to design a logo and the exterior of a vehicle.
  Sony
  This person will also get a trip to Los Angeles to participate in a full-body scan, but Sony hasn9t said what, if anything, they9d do with this scan. After all, Gran Turismo 7 is a racing game without too many full-body models walking around.
  
  Fans have a lot of hoops to jump through to be considered for placement. There9s a traditional application process, but also video interviews and other stuff. The promotion is available to players in the Americas, Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia.
  
  Of course, there needs to be actual new PlayStation games for people to scan their likenesses into. Sony hasn9t exactly been providing us with a robust lineup of first-party titles this generation. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-starting-a-weird-service-that-scans-people-to-put-them-in-playstation-games-150130276.html?src=rss

• NASA shares incredible photos from the far side of the Moon
  The Artemis II crew made history as they traveled further from our planet than any other living humans. The astronauts and NASA are making the most of the trip, including by capturing some utterly stunning photos. The space agency shared some that were taken from the far side of the Moon, including the "Earthset" shown above.
  
  This is a depiction of our planet setting behind the Moon, just as the sun sets over the horizon for us on terra firma every single night. "The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon," the NASA Artemis account on X noted. 
  
  The crew also witnessed a solar eclipse from the far side of the Moon, with the satellite totally blocking out the sun. This lasted for around 57 minutes as Orion travelled more than 4,000 miles beyond the Moon. You can see several photos of the eclipse and Earth from the lunar flyby in the slideshow above. (And yes, the astronauts used eclipse glasses to protect their eyes.)
  
  While they were circling the Moon, the Artemis II crew discovered two new craters. The astronauts suggested names for them: Integrity (after the nickname for their spacecraft) and Carroll, after the late wife of Commander Reid Wiseman, describing the latter as a “bright spot on the Moon.” 
  
  The mission will last a few more days as the astronauts are now returning to Earth. Orion is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-shares-incredible-photos-from-the-far-side-of-the-moon-142355972.html?src=rss

• ASUS ZenBook A16 review: A surprisingly light and powerful 16-inch ultraportable 
  I went into 2025 incredibly amped to review ASUS's 2.2-pound ZenBook A14, only to be disappointed by the lackluster performance of its Snapdragon X chip. I'm still a bit heartbroken, to be honest. But now ASUS is back with a revamped A14 and a larger 16-inch ZenBook A16, both of which sport new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chips. The A16 is slightly heavier at 2.6 pounds and 2.9 pounds, but it still competes with LG’s Gram Pro 16. And thanks to Qualcomm's new hardware, it's actually speedy enough to compete with Intel and AMD ultraportables. 
  
  Take everything I initially liked about the ZenBook A14 last year — its thin design and portability, its smooth "Ceraluminum" case and its bold OLED screen — stretch it out a bit, and you've got the ZenBook A16. There's an understated beauty to its design that's far more intriguing than ASUS's mainstream notebooks, like the ZenBook 14 OLED from a few years ago, and it's not trying as hard to impress as ASUS's typical gaming notebooks. It's similar to the company's gorgeous Zephyrus G14 and G16 machines, which feel high-end without needing too much gaming bling. 
  
  
  
  What struck me first about the A14 last year remains the most intriguing aspect of the A16: It just seems impossibly light for its size. The model I’m testing, which will also be sold at Best Buy, weighs 2.9 pounds due to its glass touchscreen cover. But you can also get a slimmer 2.6-pound version of the A16 at ASUS’s online store. 
  
  ASUS's Ceraluminum material, which feels like a blend of ceramic and metal, also exudes quality and warmth when you hold it. There's no shock of cold metal on your lap like you'll find with most premium laptops, including Apple's MacBook Pro. But it's also just as sturdy as those machines, with no discernible creaks or flex when stressed. ASUS claims its Ceraluminum cases are also scratch and fingerprint resistant, and so far that seems to be true of my review unit after a few weeks of testing.
  ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  The ZenBook A16's stunning 16-inch 3K OLED screen is its defining feature, and it delivers everything you'd expect from OLED. Colors look bold and bright, and it offers inky dark black levels. It delivers an eye-popping sense of contrast you won't find on most LCD screens (unless they have Mini LED backlights, like the MacBook Pro). Text appears crisp and sharp, and the large screen size does a great job of making video playback feel immersive (especially if you're laying in bed, trying to catch up on The Pitt). 
  
  Personally, I'd still opt for the A14 because of the weight difference, but if you prefer big screens this is certainly one of the most intriguing options around. The A16 also has a full-sized SD card reader and HDMI connection, both of which the smaller model lacks entirely. ASUS also included a healthy amount of other ports, including two USB-C 4.0 connections, one USB Type A 3.2 port and a headphone jack. From a productivity perspective, you can certainly get a lot more done with the ZenBook A16's connectivity. 
  
  The same holds true for Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips in the A16. Both the X2E94100and X2E96100 are 18-core chips with a single core boost speed of 4.7GHz, which is a big leap over the 8-core X1 chip in last year's A14. The X2 Elite-equipped A16 also comes with a whopping 48GB of RAM, which feels downright luxurious given our current RAM availability crisis, as well as a new 80-TOPS NPU for AI workloads.
  
  
  
  Geekbench 6 CPU
  
  Geekbench 6 GPU
  
  Cinebench 2024
  
  ASUS Zenbook A16 (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E94100)
  
  3,262/20,808
  
  43,849
  
  98/1,238
  
  ASUS Zenbook A14 (2025, Qualcomm Snapdragon X1)
  
  2,113/10,316
  
  9,603
  
  96/540
  
  Apple MacBook Air (M5)
  
  4,193/17,270
  
  47,656
  
  N/A
  
  Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite)
  
  2,797/14,400
  
  19,963
  
  123/969
  
  I immediately felt the difference in power when I booted up the ZenBook A16. The awkward sluggishness while browsing the web or perusing Evernote entries on the A14 was gone. Instead, the A16 always felt incredibly responsive and ready to work, like an eager puppy that never gets tired of playing fetch. Benchmarks also revealed the massive speed differences: The X2 Elite A16 scored 1,200 points higher in Geekbench 6's single-core CPU test, and its multi-core performance was twice as fast. 
  
  The comparison is a bit unfair, I'll admit, because the A14 I reviewed last year was stuck with the most basic X-series Snapdragon chip, whereas the A16 touts Qualcomm's latest and greatest hardware. That also makes the A16 a bit more expensive than last year's A14: Best Buy lists it at $1,600, whereas the A14 initially sold for $1,100.
  ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  But at least the ZenBook A16 delivers the performance you'd expect for its price range. In the PCMark 10 Applications benchmark, it scored 17,264 points, which is 1,000 points higher than Dell's Premium 16 (aka last year's XPS 16) with Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H chip. It's also leagues ahead of the old ZenBook A14, which scored a meager 12,127 points.
  
  Benchmarks never tell the whole story, of course, but those huge performance gaps are the sort of thing you immediately notice in everyday performance. I was able to load up the ZenBook A16 with dozens of tabs, Evernote, 4K YouTube video streams and large Audacity jobs, and it never broke a sweat. Since it's an ARM-based Snapdragon system, though, be aware older apps may run into issues, or fail to work entirely. 
  
  That Qualcomm hardware also made gaming a major problem for the first generation of Snapdragon X Elite chips, which didn't perform well and were also incompatible with games that required kernel-level anti-cheat. Updates to the Windows on Arm platform fixed the latter issue, and Qualcomm also launched its Snapdragon Control Panel to deliver faster driver updates. Now all Snapdragon X Elite chips can play Fortnite, Roblox and Tencent titles. Qualcomm claims that 90 percent of games will run on the Snapdragon Elite X2 chips.
  ASUS Zenbook A16 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  And that includes demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077. I was able to reach 80 fps in that game, while playing with medium settings in 1080p, along with enabling AMD's FSR frame generation. This wouldn't be my ideal way to play Cyberpunk, but it's a sign that the ZenBook A16 can at least hold its own in gaming. Unfortunately, it wouldn't load Arc Raiders, because there's still no support for its anti-cheat tech. Fortnite launched just fine, though, and for some people that'll be enough.
  
  But really, anyone buying the ZenBook A16 isn't doing it to play shooters, you're doing it to get one of the lightest productivity machines around. ASUS's keyboard was comfortable to type on, though I would have liked to see more key depth akin to the Surface Laptop. Its trackpad is large and responsive, but it's also mechanical, which means you can only click along the lower two-thirds. In this price range, I'd expect ASUS to use a haptic trackpad with full coverage.
  
  The ZenBook A14's battery life (18 hours and 15 minutes) was one of its truly impressive features. ASUS repeats history here with the A16 clocking in 21 hours and 35 minutes in our rundown test. That's the immediate benefit of having a chip based on mobile ARM architecture. During my testing, the A16 drained down to 80 percent after around four hours of continuous work.
  
  Compatibility issues aside, the ZenBook A16 delivers just about everything I want in an ultraportable. It’s got a gorgeous OLED screen and all of the ports you need. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite chips also give it a much-needed power boost. And best of all, it's one of the lightest and sleekest 16-inch Windows laptops I've come across. Just be prepared to pay a bit extra over other ultraportables for its slim size.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-zenbook-a16-review-a-surprisingly-light-and-powerful-16-inch-ultraportable-140000914.html?src=rss

• Motorola announces Moto Pad and next-gen Moto G Stylus
  Motorola has announced its two latest devices: the budget-friendly Moto G Stylus smartphone and the Moto Pad. The latter is a tablet and a new addition to the Motorola lineup with an 11-inch 2.5K display, compared to the 6.7-inch screen on the Moto G Stylus.
  
  The Moto Pad offers a MediaTek D6300 5G processor and 5G connectivity. It also has quad speakers with Dolby technology, including Dolby Atmos capability on speakers or through headphones with using supporting platforms. The Moto Pad comes with a 7040mAh battery that can stream for 12 hours on one charge.
  
  The new Moto Pad is available in Pantone9s Bronze Green on April 30 from T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. Motorola has yet to share an exact price, instead stating it will be "communicated by carrier upon availability."
  
  Meanwhile, the 2026 Moto G Stylus is an upgrade of its predecessor, offering a built-in active stylus. Inside the Notes app, it offers Sketch to Image, an AI tool for polishing drawings, and Handwriting Calculator, a feature for solving handwritten equations without switching to a calculator.
  
  The Moto G Stylus also has 100 hours of standby time. It only lasts four hours while continually writing, but Motorola claims it recharges in 15 minutes. It comes with a 50MP Ultra Pixel main camera, 13MP Ultrawide & Macro Vision camera and 32MP selfie camera. Plus, its 6.7-inch screen is an Extreme AMOLED display with a 1.5K super HD resolution and 120Hz refresh rate — the Moto Pad has a 90Hz refresh rate, in comparison.
  
  Motorola is releasing the 2026 Moto G Stylus on April 16 and will start at $500. The 126GB option will initially come with four free Moto Tags, while the 256GB version will offer free Moto Buds Loop earbuds, a Moto Watch and a Moto Tag.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/motorola-announces-moto-pad-and-next-gen-moto-g-stylus-130014526.html?src=rss

• Spotify's Prompted Playlist feature now works for podcasts
  Spotify9s Prompted Playlist tool now works for podcasts, after launching the feature for music earlier this year. As the name suggests, this is an AI thing. It lets users use natural language, or prompts, to describe what they9re looking for in a playlist and the algorithm does the rest.
  
  The platform says the tool is a good match for podcasts, as listeners can use it to discover a new favorite show or "dive deeper into a topic or piece of culture." Spotify adds that the algorithm generates playlists based on both the prompt and a person9s listening history, along with "what9s happening in the world today."
  Spotify
  Spotify gives some examples of the kinds of prompts that could be used to generate podcast playlists, which include a user asking the bot to build a playlist "all about science and innovation" and another "with the biggest entertainment news from the past few days." It9ll be interesting to see if the algorithm prioritizes podcasts from its ever-growing stable of in-house creators over third party releases.
  
  Spotify says the tool "unlocks powerful new opportunities" for creators. This is because it can recommend older episodes from a back catalog, thus giving them a little boost.
  
  The feature is rolling out now in a beta form to Premium users in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden. It remains to be seen when Spotify will open up the tool to other languages.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotifys-prompted-playlist-feature-now-works-for-podcasts-120006108.html?src=rss

• NHTSA closes probe into Tesla's remote parking crashes
  The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration has closed its investigation into Tesla’s remote parking features, after it found that previously reported incidents led to minor issues and happened in low speed. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigations opened an evaluation into incidents involving the company’s Actual Smart Summon feature in January 2025. It’s a level 2 automated driving feature meant for parking lots or private property, allowing Tesla owners to control their cars from an app within short distances.
  
  Investigators said there were 159 incidents involving the feature overall, but those make up less than one percent of the millions of Summons sessions owners have done. Further, almost all of the incidents happened when users “did not have a complete 360-degree view of the surroundings in the app to assess situational awareness.”
  
  In most of the incidents involving crashes, the vehicles hit parking gates, adjacently parked vehicles and short parking bollards. The investigators identified two incidents that happened because some of the vehicles’ cameras were blocked by snow, and the Summons feature didn’t detect the problem. In one other incident, the system didn’t identify a gate arm blocking a garage exit lane.
  
  Tesla has since rolled out over-the-air updates improving the vehicles’ camera visibility checks and object detection capabilities. Since the reported crashes involved minor problems and didn’t lead to injuries, deaths or any major incidents that resulted in air bag deployment or in the vehicle being towed away, the agency has decided to shut down the probe altogether.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nhtsa-closes-probe-into-teslas-remote-parking-crashes-115511006.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: Apple’s foldable iPhone may be delayed
  Apple has run into “more issues than expected” with its foldable iPhone, which may delay its release, according to the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei. Multiple sources report issues that apparently occurred during early test production phases and may delay first shipments by months.
  
  Component suppliers have supposedly been notified that the foldable iPhone’s production schedule will be delayedand Apple is working to address the problems. Apple was reportedly prioritizing the foldable iPhone and other premium models for its September event this year, due to constrained supplies — that whole CFTC sues states attempting to regulate prediction marketsThe federal government wants sole authority over prediction markets.
  The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Illinois, Arizona and Connecticut for attempting to outlaw or regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. These markets allow people to bet on the outcomes of events (for example, who will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2028). There’s been some particularly The Spaceballs sequel will be released in April 2027Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis and other original cast members are back.
  Amazon MGM Studios announced the upcoming Spaceballs movie will hit theaters on April 23, 2027, right around the 40th anniversary of the first film. The movie is being directed by Josh Greenbaum and written by Josh Gad, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, according to Deadline.
  
  The Artemis II crew snapped some mesmerizing photos of EarthWe don’t need telescopes.NASA
  On their way around the Moon, the Artemis II crew managed to grab a few photos.NASA has begun sharing the images, including the one above: Earth through the Orion capsule’s window. It kinda looks like the old iPhone wallpaper. Sorry, I just ruined it.
  
  Continue reading.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111523424.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