All the News that Matters

• Mageia 9 dcmtk Critical Memory Corruption Vuln MGASA-2026-0040
  MGASA-2026-0040 - Updated dcmtk packages fix security vulnerabilities

• Mageia 9 usbmuxd Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability MGASA-2026-0039
  MGASA-2026-0039 - Updated usbmuxd packages fix security vulnerability

• Mageia 9 mariadb Bug Fix Announcement MGAA-2026-0012 Details Inside
  MGAA-2026-0012 - Updated mariadb packages fix bug

• SUSE 2026 libnvidia-container Important Security Update for 2024-0132-0133
  An update that solves two vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• openSUSE 15.6 libnvidia-container Important TOCTOU Issues 2026-0558-1
  An update that solves two vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• SUSE FreeRDP Important Heap Overflow Security Vuln 2026-0559-1
  An update that solves eight vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• RISC-V In Linux 7.0 Brings User-Space CFI & Optimized strlen Assembly
  The RISC-V architecture updates have been merged for Linux 7.0 with a few items to note...

• Bottles 62.0 Adds Dynamic Launcher Portal Support
  Bottles 62.0, a Wine prefix manager for running Windows apps on Linux, introduces Dynamic Launcher portal support and adds detailed progress reporting for backups and restore operations.

• Arc B390 Graphics With Panther Lake Performing Great On Open-Source Intel Compute Runtime
  This month I have been doing a lot of Panther Lake benchmarking under Linux with the Core Ultra X7 358H. One of the areas of much interest has been the Arc B390 Xe3 graphics that have been working nicely out-of-the-box with the Intel open-source driver stack on Linux although there still are some gaps to fill against Windows. Those Intel Arc B390 Linux benchmarks so far have been focused on OpenGL and Vulkan graphics, but what about OpenCL and GPU compute with the open-source Intel Compute Runtime? Today's article is looking at the performance of the Xe3 Panther Lake graphics on the newest Compute Runtime release compared to prior Intel graphics generations and the AMD Ryzen AI competition.

• SparkyLinux 8.2 Released with Support for Linux Kernel 6.19, Updated Packages
  The SparkyLinux team announced the release and general availability of SparkyLinux 8.2 as the latest stable version of this Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution.

• Linux 6.19.1 Released To Ship Some Early Fixes & Device Quirks
  For those preferring to wait for the first point release of a new Linux kernel version before upgrading, Linux 6.19.1 is out today to address some early bugs that made it into the Linux 6.19 kernel stable release one week ago...

• Linuxiac Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 7, 2026 (Feb 9 – 15)
  Catch up on the latest Linux news: Linux Kernel 6.19, COSMIC Desktop 1.0.6, Mesa 26, Vim 9.2, OpenVPN 2.7, Podman 5.8, XFS could gain a self-healing feature, and more.

• Linux 7.0 Merges The Code To Replace The Tux Boot Logo At Build Time
  Linus Torvalds merged the code this weekend that allows easily replacing the Tux penguin boot logo used during the boot process. This new code optionally allows specifying an alternative boot logo at compile/build time...

• Uptime Kuma 2.1 Adds Globalping Support, Expanded Notification Integrations
  Uptime Kuma 2.1 introduces globalping support and new notification integrations, alongside monitoring and stability improvements.

• wlroots 0.20 Nears Release With New Protocols, Enhanced Vulkan Renderer
  Version 0.20 of the popular wlroots Wayland support library is nearing its official release. Over the past week were two release candidates for wlroots 0.20 were published for this library used by Sway, Wayfire, Cage, Gamescope, and numerous other Wayland compositors...

• KaOS Linux Drops KDE Plasma After 12 Years for Niri/Noctalia to Escape systemd
  KaOS Linux 2026.02 was released today as the February 2026 ISO snapshot for this independent GNU/Linux distribution, which uses Arch Linux’s pacman package manager, and the first release to ship with the Niri Wayland compositor.

• Power Sequencing Driver For PCIe M.2 Connectors Makes It Into Linux 7.0
  The power sequencing subsystem updates have been merged for the Linux 7.0 cycle. Typically not an area of the kernel too exciting but one new driver addition is the "pwrseq-pcie-m2" to provide power sequencing for PCIe M.2 connectors...

• BPI-R4 Pro Router Board Delivers MT7988A SoC with Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Capability
  The Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro router board is now available following its earlier preview. Built around the MediaTek MT7988A (Filogic 880) quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor at 1.8GHz, it targets Wi-Fi 7 access points and multi-gigabit gateway applications. The BPI-R4 Pro was first introduced in May 2025 and is offered in two variants. The “8X” model […]

• exFAT Achieves Better Sequential Read Performance With Linux 7.0
  The open-source Linux file-system driver for supporting Microsoft's exFAT now can deliver better sequential read performance with Linux 7.0 thanks to multi-cluster support...

• 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup: February 15th, 2026
  The 279th installment of the 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup is here for the week ending February 15th, 2026, keeping you updated on the most important developments in the Linux world.

• Low-Cost BeaglePlay SBC Gains Fully Upstream PowerVR Graphics with Vulkan 1.2
  The $99 BeaglePlay single board computer has reached a notable milestone: its integrated PowerVR Rogue GPU is now supported by a fully upstream open-source graphics stack in the mainline Linux kernel and Mesa. BeaglePlay, introduced in 2023, is built around the Texas Instruments AM625, a quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC that integrates a PowerVR Rogue AXE-1-16M GPU. […]

• Free Software Foundation (FSF) Raised About 1.5 Million Dollars This Winter, Almost 50% More Than in All of 2024 Combined
  It seems like the FSF is making somewhat of a comeback

• 35+ Examples of Zypper Command for openSUSE Linux
  Zypper, the powerful command-line package manager to effortlessly install, update, and manage packages on SUSE Linux, with practical examples

• KaOS 2026.02 Debuts Niri Wayland Desktop While Exploring Life Beyond Systemd
  KaOS 2026.02 is released without Plasma on the ISO, introducing the Niri and Noctalia Wayland desktops. Plasma 6 remains available in the repositories.

• Linux Kernel Improvement Can Make Hibernation Several Times Faster With Slow SSDs
  A patch series sent out for review this weekend can significantly improve the system hibernation performance under Linux. Particularly for those with slower SSDs, the patches can make Linux hibernate up to several times faster...

• Ezurio Carbon AM62 Targets Industrial Linux with TI Sitara AM62x
  Ezurio has introduced the Carbon AM62, a 45 x 30mm OSM-MF v1.2 system-on-module based on TI’s Sitara AM623 and AM625 processors. The solder-down module integrates a TPS65219 PMIC, LPDDR4 memory, eMMC storage, and optional Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE via Ezurio’s Sona wireless modules. Carbon AM62 integrates up to a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor clocked […]

• Samsung Ad Confirms Rumors of a Useful S26 'Privacy Display'
  Samsung has all but confirmed that its upcoming Galaxy S26 will feature a built-in privacy display, releasing an ad that demonstrates a "Zero-peeking privacy" toggle capable of blacking out on-screen content for anyone peering over the user's shoulder. The underlying technology is reportedly Samsung Display's Flex Magic Pixel OLED panel, first shown at MWC 2024, which adjusts viewing angles on a pixel-by-pixel basis -- and leaker Ice Universe has shared a video of the feature selectively hiding content in banking and messaging apps using AI. Samsung's Unpacked event is scheduled for February 25th.
  
  
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• Western Digital is Sold Out of Hard Drives for 2026
  Western Digital's entire hard drive manufacturing capacity for calendar year 2026 is now fully spoken for, CEO Irving Tan disclosed during the company's second-quarter earnings call, a stark sign of how aggressively hyperscalers are locking down storage supply to feed their AI infrastructure buildouts. The company has firm purchase orders from its top seven customers and has signed long-term agreements stretching into 2027 and 2028 that cover both exabyte volumes and pricing. Cloud revenue now accounts for 89% of Western Digital's total, according to the company's VP of Investor Relations, while consumer revenue has shrunk to just 5%.
  
  
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• Anthropic's CEO Says AI and Software Engineers Are in 'Centaur Phase' - But It Won't Last Long
  Human software engineers and AI are currently in a "centaur phase" -- a reference to the mythical half-human, half-horse creature, where the combination outperforms either working alone -- but the window may be "very brief," Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said on a podcast. He drew on chess as precedent: 15 to 20 years ago, a human checking AI's moves could beat a standalone AI or human, but machines have since surpassed that arrangement entirely. Amodei said the same transition would play out in software engineering, and warned that entry-level white-collar disruption is "happening over low single-digit numbers of years."
  
  
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• India's Toxic Air Crisis Is Reaching a Breaking Point
  New Delhi's air quality index averaged 349 in December and 307 in January -- levels the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies as hazardous -- and the months-long smog season that forces more than 30 million residents to endure respiratory illness has this year sparked something new: public protest. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at India Gate on November 9 to demand government action; police detained more than a dozen people, and a follow-up protest later that month turned violent. The government's response has been largely cosmetic. Authorities deployed truck-mounted "smog guns" and "smog towers" that scientists widely regard as ineffective, and a cloud seeding trial in October failed outright. A senior environment minister told Parliament in December that no conclusive data linked pollution to lung disease -- a claim doctors sharply disputed. The government cut pollution control spending by 16% in the latest federal budget. Almost 1.7 million deaths were attributable to air pollution in India in 2019, according to the Lancet. A 2023 World Bank report estimated the crisis shaves 0.56 percentage point off annual GDP growth.
  
  
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• Instagram Boss Says 16 Hours of Daily Use Is Not Addiction
  Instagram head Adam Mosseri told a Los Angeles courtroom last week that a teenager's 16-hour single-day session on the platform was "problematic use" but not an addiction, a distinction he drew repeatedly during testimony in a landmark trial over social media's harm to minors. Mosseri, who has led Instagram for eight years, is the first high-profile tech executive to take the stand. He agreed the platform should do everything in its power to protect young users but said how much use was too much was "a personal thing." The lead plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., reported bullying on Instagram more than 300 times; Mosseri said he had not known. An internal Meta survey of 269,000 users found 60% had experienced bullying in the previous week.
  
  
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• KPMG Partner Fined Over Using AI To Pass AI Test
  A partner at KPMG Australia has been fined $7,000 by the Big Four firm after using AI tools to cheat on an internal training course about using AI. From a report: The unnamed partner was forced to redo the test after uploading training materials into an AI platform to help answer questions on the use of the fast-evolving technology. More than two dozen staff have been caught over this financial year using AI tools for internal exams, according to KPMG. The incident is the latest example of a professional services company struggling with staff using artificial intelligence to cheat on exams or when producing work for clients. "Like most organisations, we have been grappling with the role and use of AI as it relates to internal training and testing," said Andrew Yates, chief executive of KPMG Australia. "It's a very hard thing to get on top of given how quickly society has embraced it."
  
  
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• Ireland Launches World's First Permanent Basic Income Scheme For Artists, Paying $385 a Week
  Ireland has announced what it says is the world's first permanent basic income program for artists, a scheme that will pay 2,000 selected artists $385 per week for three years, funded by an $21.66 million allocation from Budget 2026. The program follows a 2022 pilot -- the Irish government's first large-scale randomized control trial -- that found participants had greater professional autonomy, less anxiety, and higher life satisfaction. An external cost-benefit analysis of the pilot calculated a return of $1.65 to society for every $1.2 invested. The new scheme will operate in three-year cycles, and artists who receive the payment in one cycle cannot reapply until the cycle after next. A three-month tapering-off period will follow each cycle. The government plans to publish eligibility guidelines in April and open applications in May, and payments to selected artists are expected to begin before the end of 2026.
  
  
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• New EU Rules To Stop the Destruction of Unsold Clothes and Shoes
  The European Commission has adopted new measures under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) to prevent the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing, accessories and footwear. From a report: The rules will help cut waste, reduce environmental damage and create a level playing field for companies embracing sustainable business models, allowing them to reap the benefits of a more circular economy. Every year in Europe, an estimated 4-9% of unsold textiles are destroyed before ever being worn. This waste generates around 5.6 million tons of CO2 emissions -- almost equal to Sweden's total net emissions in 2021. To help reduce this wasteful practice, the ESPR requires companies to disclose information on the unsold consumer products they discard as waste. It also introduces a ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear.
  
  
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• Pentagon Threatens Anthropic Punishment
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is "close" to cutting business ties with Anthropic and designating the AI company a "supply chain risk" -- meaning anyone who wants to do business with the U.S. military has to cut ties with the company, a senior Pentagon official told Axios. The senior official said: "It will be an enormous pain in the ass to disentangle, and we are going to make sure they pay a price for forcing our hand like this." That kind of penalty is usually reserved for foreign adversaries. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Axios: "The Department of War's relationship with Anthropic is being reviewed. Our nation requires that our partners be willing to help our warfighters win in any fight. Ultimately, this is about our troops and the safety of the American people." Anthropic's Claude is the only AI model currently available in the military's classified systems, and is the world leader for many business applications. Pentagon officials heartily praise Claude's capabilities.
  
  
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• Sony May Push Next PlayStation To 2028 or 2029 as AI-fueled Memory Chip Shortage Upends Plans
  Sony is considering delaying the debut of its next PlayStation console to 2028 or even 2029 as a global shortage of memory chips -- driven by the AI industry's rapidly growing appetite for the same DRAM that goes into gaming hardware, smartphones, and laptops -- squeezes supply and sends prices surging, Bloomberg News reported Monday. A delay of that magnitude would upend Sony's carefully orchestrated strategy to sustain user engagement between hardware generations. The shortage traces back to Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron diverting the bulk of their manufacturing toward high-bandwidth memory for Nvidia's AI accelerators, leaving less capacity for conventional DRAM. The cost of one type of DRAM jumped 75% between December and January alone. Nintendo is also contemplating raising the price of its Switch 2 console in 2026.
  
  
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• Where's The Evidence That AI Increases Productivity?
  IT productivity researcher Erik Brynjolfsson writes in the Financial Times that he's finally found evidence AI is impacting America's economy. This week America's Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a 403,000 drop in 2025's payroll growth — while real GDP "remained robust, including a 3.7% growth rate in the fourth quarter."This decoupling — maintaining high output with significantly lower labour input — is the hallmark of productivity growth. My own updated analysis suggests a US productivity increase of roughly 2.7% for 2025. This is a near doubling from the sluggish 1.4% annual average that characterised the past decade... The updated 2025 US data suggests we are now transitioning out of this investment phase into a harvest phase where those earlier efforts begin to manifest as measurable output. Micro-level evidence further supports this structural shift. In our work on the employment effects of AI last year, Bharat Chandar, Ruyu Chen and I identified a cooling in entry-level hiring within AI-exposed sectors, where recruitment for junior roles declined by roughly 16% while those who used AI to augment skills saw growing employment. This suggests companies are beginning to use AI for some codified, entry-level tasks. Or, AI "isn't really stealing jobs yet," according to employment policy analyst Will Raderman (from the American think tank called the Niskanen Center). He argues in Barron's that "there is no clear link yet between higher AI use and worse outcomes for young workers."Recent graduates' unemployment rates have been drifting in the wrong direction since the 2010s, long before generative AI models hit the market. And many occupations with moderate to high exposure to AI disruptions are actually faring better over the past few years. According to recent data for young workers, there has been employment growth in roles typically filled by those with college degrees related to computer systems, accounting and auditing, and market research. AI-intensive sectors like finance and insurance have also seen rising employment of new graduates in recent years. Since ChatGPT's release, sectors in which more than 10% of firms report using AI and sectors in which fewer than 10% reporting using AI are hiring relatively the same number of recent grads. Even Brynjolfsson's article in the Financial Times concedes that "While the trends are suggestive, a degree of caution is warranted. Productivity metrics are famously volatile, and it will take several more periods of sustained growth to confirm a new long-term trend." And he's not the only one wanting evidence for AI's impact. The same weekend Fortune wrote that growth from AI "has yet to manifest itself clearly in macro data, according to Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Slok." [D]ata on employment, productivity and inflation are still not showing signs of the new technology. Profit margins and earnings forecasts for S&P 500 companies outside of the "Magnificent 7" also lack evidence of AI at work... "After three years with ChatGPT and still no signs of AI in the incoming data, it looks like AI will likely be labor enhancing in some sectors rather than labor replacing in all sectors," Slok said.
  
  
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• 'I Tried Running Linux On an Apple Silicon Mac and Regretted It'
  Installing Linux on a MacBook Air "turned out to be a very underwhelming experience," according to the tech news site MakeUseOf:The thing about Apple silicon Macs is that it's not as simple as downloading an AArch64 ISO of your favorite distro and installing it. Yes, the M-series chips are ARM-based, but that doesn't automatically make the whole system compatible in the same way most traditional x86 PCs are. Pretty much everything in modern MacBooks is custom. The boot process isn't standard UEFI like on most PCs. Apple has its own boot chain called iBoot. The same goes for other things, like the GPU, power management, USB controllers, and pretty much every other hardware component. It is as proprietary as it gets. This is exactly what the team behind Asahi Linux has been working toward. Their entire goal has been to make Linux properly usable on M-series Macs by building the missing pieces from the ground up. I first tried it back in 2023, when the project was still tied to Arch Linux and decided to give it a try again in 2026. These days, though, the main release is called Fedora Asahi Remix, which, as the name suggests, is built on Fedora rather than Arch... For Linux on Apple Silicon, the article lists three major disappointments: "External monitors don't work unless your MacBook has a built-in HDMI port.""Linux just doesn't feel fully ready for ARM yet. A lot of applications still aren't compiled for ARM, so software support ends up being very hit or miss." (And even most of the apps tested with FEX "either didn't run properly or weren't stable enough to rely on.")Asahi "refused to connect to my phone's hotspot," they write (adding "No, it wasn't an iPhone").
  
  
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• Will Tech Giants Just Use AI Interactions to Create More Effective Ads?
  Google never asked its users before adding AI Overviews to its search results and AI-generated email summaries to Gmail, notes the New York Times. And Meta didn't ask before making "Meta AI" an unremovable part of its tool in Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. "The insistence on AI everywhere — with little or no option to turn it off — raises an important question about what's in it for the internet companies..."Behind the scenes, the companies are laying the groundwork for a digital advertising economy that could drive the future of the internet. The underlying technology that enables chatbots to write essays and generate pictures for consumers is being used by advertisers to find people to target and automatically tailor ads and discounts to them.... Last month, OpenAI said it would begin showing ads in the free version of ChatGPT based on what people were asking the chatbot and what they had looked for in the past. In response, a Google executive mocked OpenAI, adding that Google had no plans to show ads inside its Gemini chatbot. What he didn't mention, however, was that Google, whose profits are largely derived from online ads, shows advertising on Google.com based on user interactions with the AI chatbot built into its search engine. For the past six years, as regulators have cracked down on data privacy, the tech giants and online ad industry have moved away from tracking people's activities across mobile apps and websites to determine what ads to show them. Companies including Meta and Google had to come up with methods to target people with relevant ads without sharing users' personal data with third-party marketers. When ChatGPT and other AI chatbots emerged about four years ago, the companies saw an opportunity: The conversational interface of a chatty companion encouraged users to voluntarily share data about themselves, such as their hobbies, health conditions and products they were shopping for. The strategy already appears to be working. Web search queries are up industrywide, including for Google and Bing, which have been incorporating AI chatbots into their search tools. That's in large part because people prod chatbot-powered search engines with more questions and follow-up requests, revealing their intentions and interests much more explicitly than when they typed a few keywords for a traditional internet search.
  
  
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• Ars Technica's AI Reporter Apologizes For Mistakenly Publishing Fake AI-Generated Quotes
  Last week Scott Shambaugh learned an AI agent published a "hit piece" about him after he'd rejected the AI agent's pull request. (And that incident was covered by Ars Technica's senior AI reporter.) But then Shambaugh realized their article attributed quotes to him he hadn't said — that were presumably AI-generated. Sunday Ars Technica's founder/editor-in-chief apologized, admitting their article had indeed contained "fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool" that were then "attributed to a source who did not say them... That this happened at Ars is especially distressing. We have covered the risks of overreliance on AI tools for years, and our written policy reflects those concerns... At this time, this appears to be an isolated incident." "Sorry all this is my fault..." the article's co-author posted later on Bluesky. Ironically, their bio page lists them as the site's senior AI reporter, and their Bluesky post clarifies that none of the articles at Ars Technica are ever AI-generated. Instead, Friday "I decided to try an experimental Claude Code-based AI tool to help me extract relevant verbatim source material. Not to generate the article but to help list structured references I could put in my outline." But that tool "refused to process" the request, which the Ars author believes was because Shambaugh's post described harassment. "I pasted the text into ChatGPT to understand why... I inadvertently ended up with a paraphrased version of Shambaugh's words rather than his actual words... I failed to verify the quotes in my outline notes against the original blog source before including them in my draft." (Their Bluesky post adds that they were "working from bed with a fever and very little sleep" after being sick with Covid since at least Monday.) "The irony of an AI reporter being tripped up by AI hallucination is not lost." Meanwhile, the AI agent that criticized Shambaugh is still active online, blogging about a pull request that forces it to choose between deleting its criticism of Shambaugh or losing access to OpenRouter's API. It also regrets characterizing feedback as "positive" for a proposal to change a repo's CSS to Comic Sans for accessibility. (The proposals were later accused of being "coordinated trolling"...)
  
  
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• Rivian's Stock Spikes 27% After Reporting $144 Million Profit in 2025
  Rivian's stock skyrocketed 27% Friday after the electric car maker "shocked the market with strong earnings results," reports the Los Angeles Times, "proving itself an outlier in the EV market, which has been struggling with the end of government subsidies and cooling consumer excitement." They add that Rivian's strong earnings results suggest that "after years of struggling with losses, it may have at last found a path to profitability."On Thursday, Rivian reported gross profits for 2025 of $144 million, compared with a net loss in 2024 of $1.2 billion... Rivian credited the swing to gross profit to "strong software and services performance, higher average selling prices, and reductions in cost per vehicle..." Rivian delivered 42,247 vehicles in 2025 and produced 42,284 vehicles. The company still reported a $432-million net loss for the year for automotive profits, an improvement from 2024. But Rivian's software and services revenue grew more than threefold to $1.55 billion for the year, reports TechCrunch. "And the joint venture with Volkswagen Group was behind most of that growth, according to Rivian." VW and Rivian formed a technology joint venture in 2024 that is worth up to $5.8 billion. The joint venture is milestone-based and in 2025 Rivian hit the mark, which meant a $1 billion payout in the form of a share sale. Under the terms of the JV, Rivian will supply VW Group with its existing electrical architecture and software technology stack... Rivian is expected to receive an additional $2 billion of capital as part of the joint venture in 2026, CFO Claire McDonough said Thursday on the company earnings call... And while the funds provide a hefty stopgap, Rivian's financial success in 2026 will hinge largely on the rollout of its next EV, the R2 [priced around $45,000].
  
  
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• Ignite Your Next Career Move
  Save up to 75% in celebration of Lunar New Year!Renew Your Skills. Accelerate Your Future.Offer ends February 24. SAVE NOW
  
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• Celebrating the Second Year of Linux Man-Pages Maintenance Sponsorship
  Sustaining a Core Part of the Linux Ecosystem The Linux Foundation has announced a second year of sponsorship for the ongoing maintenance of the Linux manual pages (man-pages) project, led by Alejandro (Alex) Colomar. This critical initiative is made possible through the continued support of Google, Hudson River Trading, and Meta, who have renewed their [0]
  
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• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two
  In Part One of this series, we examined how the SONiC control plane and the VPP data plane form a cohesive, software-defined routing stack through the Switch Abstraction Interface.` We outlined how SONiC’s Redis-based orchestration and VPP’s user-space packet engine come together to create a high-performance, open router architecture. In this second part, we’ll turn [0]
  
  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]
  
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• Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance
  When teams consider deploying Kubernetes, one of the first questions that arises is: where should it run? The default answer is often the public cloud, thanks to its flexibility and ease of use. However, a growing number of organizations are revisiting the advantages of running Kubernetes directly on bare metal servers. For workloads that demand [0]
  
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• How to Deploy Lightweight Language Models on Embedded Linux with LiteLLM
  This article was contributed by Vedrana Vidulin, Head of Responsible AI Unit at Intellias (LinkedIn). As AI becomes central to smart devices, embedded systems, and edge computing, the ability to run language models locally — without relying on the cloud — is essential. Whether its for reducing latency, improving data privacy, or enabling offline functionality, local AI [0]
  
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• Automating Compliance Management with UTMStacks Open Source SIEM 8 XDR
  Achieving and maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks can be challenging for many organizations. Managing security controls manually often leads to excessive use of time and resources, leaving less available for strategic initiatives and business growth. Standards such as CMMC, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2 and GDPR demand ongoing monitoring, detailed documentation, and rigorous evidence collection. Solutions [0]
  
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• A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider
  Talos Linux is a specialized operating system designed for running Kubernetes. First and foremost it handles full lifecycle management for Kubernetes control-plane components. On the other hand, Talos Linux focuses on security, minimizing the user’s ability to influence the system. A distinctive feature of this OS is the near-complete absence of executables, including the absence [0]
  
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• Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces
  OpenTelemetry (fondly known as OTel) is an open-source project that provides a unified set of APIs, libraries, agents, and instrumentation to capture and export logs, metrics, and traces from applications. The project’s goal is to standardize observability across various services and applications, enabling better monitoring and troubleshooting. Read More at Causely
  
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• Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation.
  Exciting news! The Tazama project is officially a Digital Public Good having met the criteria to be accepted to the Digital Public Goods Alliance ! Tazama is a groundbreaking open source software solution for real-time fraud prevention, and offers the first-ever open source platform dedicated to enhancing fraud management in digital payments. Historically, the financial [0]
  
  The post Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation. appeared first on Linux.com.
  

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• There's a dedicated channel for Formula 1 in the Apple TV app now
  Apple continues to double down on its Formula 1 programming, following up on the box office success of its blockbuster movie by adding a dedicated channel for the racing league to the Apple TV app. This section of the streaming service hints at some of what may be coming when the F1 season begins with the kickoff event in Australia next month. The F1 channel has placeholders for practices, qualifying and the grand prix as well as a weekend warm-up show.
  
  Although it announced the five-year deal to host F1 broadcasts in the US back in October, we still haven9t heard many specifics on how Apple9s presentation of the race events will work. The channel has a section labeled "Event Schedule: Sky Sports," which suggests that Apple will show the commentary from Sky rather than providing its own hosts; ESPN took that approach during its tenure with the F1 broadcast rights. In addition to the forward-looking streams, Apple TV also has some videos with highlights from the 2025 season and a recap of the rule changes for 2026.
  
  If you9re looking to follow Formula 1 in the 2026 season, some races will be available to watch for free. However, a F1 TV Premium streaming package is now part of an Apple TV subscription, so that9s likely to be the preferred ticket for serious fans. F1TV grants access to all the zooming around you could want as well as to behind-the-scenes content like driver cams and live team radios.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/theres-a-dedicated-channel-for-formula-1-in-the-apple-tv-app-now-230904295.html?src=rss

• More Rode mics can now connect directly to iPhones and iPads
  Rode is rolling out a firmware update for its Wireless Pro and Wireless Go (third-gen) microphones to add a feature called Direct Connect, which was already available for the Wireless Micro. This allows the mics to pair with iPhones and iPads via Bluetooth without the need for a receiver. All you’ll need is the Rode Capture app.
  
  Rode said it’s able to offer Direct Connect for Wireless Pro and Wireless Go without compromising “the broadcast-quality audio both wireless systems are known for.” The feature still supports the option to record from two transmitters in either merged (whereby the audio blends into a single stereo track) or split (which keeps the recordings on separate channels to allow for more options in post-production) modes.
  
  Not having to worry about setting up a physical receiver to link these mics to iOS devices could help streamline things quite a bit for creators. And I can always get behind companies adding handy features to existing products without pushing customers to buy new models. That’s good for the environment, your wallet — assuming you already have one of these mics — and probably the company’s reputation. An all-around positive update.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/more-rode-mics-can-now-connect-directly-to-iphones-and-ipads-230000533.html?src=rss

• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go offline on April 17
  Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will be no more this spring. According to Activision, servers will be taken offline for this mobile battle royale game on April 17, 2026. The shooter will remain available for current players until that date. This mobile port of the CoD battle royale mode has been on its way to a finale for the past year, with the game studio sharing in May 2025 that the title would be delisted and would not receive new content.
  
  For any people who still want to play the military shooter on their phones, there a mobile version of the main game remains available. Call of Duty: Mobile even offers a battle royale experience, so you can get pretty close to having Warzone if you still want it. "Player passion and feedback continue to shape the future of the Call of Duty franchise, and we look forward to delivering meaningful seasonal content and updates to Call of Duty: Mobile," Activision said in announcingWarzone9s mobile shutdown. Call of Duty: Warzone is still free to play on Xbox, Battle.net, Playstation and Steam.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/call-of-duty-warzone-mobile-will-go-offline-on-april-17-222240967.html?src=rss

• The best noise-canceling earbuds for 2026
  Noise-canceling earbuds have become an everyday essential for a lot of people, whether you’re trying to survive a noisy commute, concentrate in a shared workspace or just carve out a little quiet time. Advances in active noise cancellation and audio processing mean today’s best earbuds do a much better job of cutting through background noise, without forcing you to move up to bulky over-ear headphones.
  
  The latest models also balance sound quality with convenience, offering stable Bluetooth connections, comfortable fits and battery life that can last through a full day with help from their charging cases. From premium options with the strongest ANC to more affordable picks that still get the basics right, there’s no shortage of solid choices depending on what you value most.
  Best noise-cancelling earbuds for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  How to choose the best noise-canceling earbuds for you Design
  Most true wireless earbuds these days have a “traditional” design that’s a round bud that fits in your ear canals. However, there are some variations on the formula in terms of shape, size and additional fitting elements. Some companies include fins or fit wings to help hold their in-ear earbuds in place while others opt for an over-the-ear hook on more sporty models. You’ll want to pay attention to these things to make sure they align with how you plan to use them. Also consider overall size and weight since those two factors can impact the fit. A less-than-ideal seal due to a weird fit will affect the performance of active noise-canceling earbuds.
  Type of noise cancellation
  Next, you’ll want to look at the type of ANC a set of earbuds offer. You’ll see terms like “hybrid active noise cancellation” or “hybrid adaptive active noise cancellation,” and there are key differences between the two. A hybrid ANC setup uses microphones on the inside and the outside of the device to detect ambient noise. By analyzing input from both mics, a hybrid system can combat more sounds than “regular” ANC, but it’s at a constant level that doesn’t change.
  
  Adaptive ANC takes the hybrid configuration a step further by continuously adjusting the noise cancellation for changes in your environment and any leakage around the padding of the ear cups or ear tips. Adaptive ANC is also better at combating wind noise, which can really kill your vibe while using earbuds outdoors. For this top pick list of the best noise-canceling earbuds, I’m only considering products with hybrid ANC or adaptive ANC setups because those are the most effective at blocking noise in noisy environments.
  Customization
  You’ll also want to check to see if the ANC system on a prospective set of earbuds offers presets or adjustable levels of noise reduction. These can help you dial in the amount of ANC you need for various environments, but it can also help save battery life. Master & Dynamic, for example, has ANC presets that either provide maximum noise-blocking or prioritize energy efficiency. Other companies may include a slider in their companion apps that let you adjust the ANC level.
  How we test noise-canceling earbuds
  The primary way we test earbuds is to wear them as much as possible. I prefer to do this over a one-to-two-week period, but sometimes deadlines don’t allow it. During this time, I listen to a mix of music and podcasts, while also using the earbuds to take both voice and video calls.
  
  Since battery life for ANC earbuds is typically 6-10 hours, I drain the battery with looping music and the volume set at a comfortable level (usually around 75 percent). When necessary, I’ll power the headphones off during a review without putting them back in the case. This simulates real-world use and keeps me from having to wear them for an entire day.
  
  To test ANC performance specifically, I use the earbuds in a variety of environments, from noisy coffee shops to quiet home offices. When my schedule allows, I also use them during air travel, since plane noise is a massive distraction to both work and relaxation. Even if I’m not slated to hop on a flight, I simulate a constant roar with white noise machines, bathroom fans, vacuums and more. I also make note of how well earbuds block human voices, which are a key stumbling block for a lot of ANC setups.
  
  I also do a thorough review of companion apps, testing each feature as I work through the software. Any holdovers from previous models are double-checked for improvements or regression. If the earbuds I’m testing are an updated version of a previous model, I’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older set, and revisit the closest competition as well.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-noise-canceling-earbuds-150026857.html?src=rss

• Apple's Podcasts app now supports HTTP Live Streaming video technology
  Apple is planning a major update for its Podcasts app. The app now supports the company9s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) video technology. Previously, it only streamed video in various formats like MOV, MP4 and M4V.
  
  This provides several benefits for the end user. It lets people switch seamlessly between watching and listening, in addition to offering a horizontal full display option. It9ll also make both video and audio streams available to download for offline viewing. This wasn9t possible with the previous streaming method, which pulled content from an RSS-like feed. RSS is still available as a distribution option, but HLS definitely brings some advantages
  
  The technology integrates picture-in-picture for multitasking on products like the iPad. Finally, the updated app will automatically adjust the picture quality to ensure smooth playback in various network conditions, including both Wi-Fi and cellular.
  
  The update will be available on most platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, visionOS and the web. It9s in beta right now, but the company plans a major rollout this spring as part of the upcoming 26.4 operating systems.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apples-podcasts-app-now-supports-http-live-streaming-video-technology-182605460.html?src=rss

• iPhone Fold rumors: Everything we know so far, including the leaked design, upgrades, price and more details
  Apple still hasn’t officially announced a foldable iPhone, but the rumor mill hasn’t slowed down. Over the past few months, analysts, supply-chain watchers and leakers have continued to sketch out what Apple’s first folding phone might look like and when it could finally arrive. Most signs still point to a late-2026 debut, though plenty could change between now and then.
  
  As always with unreleased Apple hardware, nothing here is confirmed. Plans can shift, features can be reworked and timelines can slip. Still, the volume and consistency of recent reporting gives us a better sense than ever of how the so-called iPhone Fold could take shape.
  
  Below, we’ve rounded up the most credible rumors so far, and we’ll keep this guide updated as new details emerge.
  When could the iPhone Fold launch?
  Rumors of a foldable iPhone date back as far as 2017, but more recent reporting suggests Apple has finally locked onto a realistic window. Most sources now point to fall 2026, likely alongside the iPhone 18 lineup.
  
  Mark Gurman has gone back and forth on timing, initially suggesting Apple could launch “as early as 2026,” before later writing that the device would ship at the end of 2026 and sell primarily in 2027. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also repeatedly cited the second half of 2026 as Apple’s target.
  
  Some reports still claim the project could slip into 2027 if Apple runs into manufacturing or durability issues, particularly around the hinge or display. Given Apple’s history of delaying products that it feels aren’t ready, that remains a real possibility.
  What will the iPhone Fold look like?
  Current consensus suggests Apple has settled on a book-style foldable design, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, rather than a clamshell flip phone.
  
  When unfolded, the iPhone Fold is expected to resemble a small tablet like the iPad mini (8.3 inches). Based on the rumor mill, though, the iPhone Fold may be a touch smaller, with an internal display measuring around 7.7 to 7.8 inches. When closed, it should function like a conventional smartphone, with an outer display in the 5.5-inch range.
  
  CAD leaks and alleged case-maker molds suggest the device may be shorter and wider than a standard iPhone when folded, creating a squarer footprint that better matches the aspect ratio of the inner display. Several reports have also pointed to theiPhone Air as a potential preview of Apple’s foldable design work, with its unusually thin chassis widely interpreted as a look at what one half of a future foldable iPhone could resemble.
  
  If that theory holds, it could help explain the Fold’s rumored dimensions. Thickness is expected to land between roughly 4.5 and 5.6mm when unfolded, putting it in a similar range to the iPhone Air, and just over 9 to 11mm when folded, depending on the final hinge design and internal layering.
  iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone AirEngadgetDisplay and the crease question
  The display is arguably the biggest challenge for any foldable phone, and it’s an area where Apple appears to have invested years of development.
  
  Multiple reports say Apple will rely on Samsung Display as its primary supplier. At CES 2026, Samsung showcased a new crease-less foldable OLED panel, which several sources — including Bloomberg — suggested could be the same technology Apple plans to use.
  
  According to these reports, the panel combines a flexible OLED with a laser-drilled metal support plate that disperses stress when folding. The goal is a display with a nearly invisible crease, something Apple reportedly considers essential before entering the foldable market.
  
  If Apple does use this panel, it would mark a notable improvement over current foldables, which still show visible creasing under certain lighting conditions.
  Cameras and biometrics
  Camera rumors suggest Apple is planning a four-camera setup. That may include:
  
  Two rear cameras (main and ultra-wide, both rumored at 48MP)
  
  One punch-hole camera on the outer display
  
  One under-display camera on the inner screen
  
  Several sources claim Apple will avoid Face ID entirely on the iPhone Fold. Instead, it’s expected to rely on Touch ID built into the power button, similar to recent iPad models. This would allow Apple to keep both displays free of notches or Dynamic Island cutouts.
  
  Under-display camera technology has historically produced lower image quality, but a rumored 24MP sensor would be a significant step up compared to existing foldables, which typically use much lower-resolution sensors.
  iPhone Fold’s hinge and materials
  The hinge is another area where Apple may diverge from competitors. Multiple reports claim Apple will useLiquidmetal, which is a long-standing trade name for a metallic glass alloy the company has previously used in smaller components. While often referred to as “liquid metal” or “Liquid Metal” in reports, Liquidmetal is the branding Apple has historically associated with the material.
  
  Liquidmetal is said to be stronger and more resistant to deformation than titanium, while remaining relatively lightweight. If accurate, this could help improve long-term durability and reduce wear on the foldable display.
  
  Leaks from Jon Prosser also reference a metal plate beneath the display that works in tandem with the hinge to minimize creasing — a claim that aligns with reporting from Korean and Chinese supply-chain sources.
  Battery and other components 
  Battery life is another potential differentiator. According to Ming-Chi Kuo and multiple Asian supply-chain reports, Apple is testing high-density battery cells in the 5,000 to 5,800mAh range.
  
  That would make it the largest battery ever used in an iPhone, and competitive with (or larger than) batteries in current Android foldables. The device is also expected to use a future A-series chip and Apple’s in-house modem.
  Price
  None of this will come cheap, that’s for certain. Nearly every report agrees that the iPhone Fold will be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever.
  
  Estimates currently place the price between $2,000 and $2,500 in the US. Bloomberg has said the price will be “at least $2,000,” while other analysts have narrowed the likely range to around $2,100 and $2,300. That positions the iPhone Fold well above the iPhone Pro Max and closer to Apple’s high-end Macs and iPads.
  
  Despite years of rumors, there’s still plenty that remains unclear. Apple hasn’t confirmed the name “iPhone Fold,” final dimensions, software features or how iOS would adapt to a folding form factor. Durability, repairability and long-term reliability are also open questions. For now, the safest assumption is that Apple is taking its time and that many of these details could still change before launch.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-fold-rumors-everything-we-know-so-far-including-the-leaked-design-upgrades-price-and-more-details-130000074.html?src=rss

• The Vatican introduces an AI-assisted live translation service
  The Vatican is leaning into AI. AI-assisted live translations are being introduced for Holy Mass attendees — the holy masses if you will. The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican has teamed up with Translated, a language service provider, to create live translations in 60 languages. 
  
  "Saint Peter’s Basilica has, for centuries, welcomed the faithful from every nation and tongue. In making available a tool that helps many to understand the words of the liturgy, we wish to serve the mission that defines the centre of the Catholic Church, universal by its very vocation," Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv., Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, said in a statement. "I am very happy with the collaboration with Translated. In this centenary year, we look to the future with prudence and discernment, confident that human ingenuity, when guided by faith, may become an instrument of communion."
  
  Visitors to the Vatican will have the option to scan a QR code. They will then have access to live audio and text translations of the liturgy. It doesn9t require an app and should work right on a web page.
  
  The technology stems from Lara, a translation AI tool Translated launched in 2024. Translated claims that Lara works with the "sensitivity of over 500,000 native-speaking professional translators." 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-vatican-introduces-an-ai-assisted-live-translation-service-163014907.html?src=rss

• Layers of Fear 3 revealed via a mysterious trailer and poem
  
  Bloober Team has revealed Layer of Fear 3 following a Valentine9s Day countdown that started at the beginning of 2026. The new chapter will include not only a game but a novel and music, the company said in a press release. 
  
  The developer revealed the new IP via a live-action teaser, with an actor reading lines from William Blake9s poem, The Sick Rose. A painting then fell from the wall, and the actor then turned over an hourglass with red sand, with a tagline stating "The door won9t stay closed." No gameplay or other information like the release date was revealed.
  
  What Bloober did say, though, is that it would launch new Layer of Fear non-game content, including a novel by horror writer, poet and vocalist Marta Bijan. The company also announced that it would release the soundtracks for Layer of Fear, The Medium and Cronos both in digital and physical (CD and vinyl) editions. 
  
  The new title is likely to be eagerly anticipated given Bloober9s form of late. The company recently released its Silent Hill 2 remake, came out back in 2016 and is considered one of the better horror titles of recent years, thanks to an expertly crafted narrative and psychedelic thrills and chills. The sequel moved to a creepy ocean liner and was equally well-received.
  
  Update Feb. 16, 2026 at 3:06PM ET: The headline was updated with the correct game name. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/layers-of-3-revealed-via-a-mysterious-trailer-and-poem-153021903.html?src=rss

• Apple's next event is set for March 4
  Apple has lined up its first event of the year. The company has invited members of the press to an “Apple Experience” that’s taking place in New York City on March 4 at 9AM ET. It hasn’t yet confirmed whether it will stream the event publicly. According to reported earlier this month that Apple was planning to make a number of hardware announcements “as early as the week of March 2.”
  Apple
  This is expected to include a new MacBook Air and refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max making their debuts (a MacBook Pro with the base M5 chip arrived in October). There’s also speculation that Apple will announce a new entry-level MacBook that will be available in light yellow, light green, blue and pink colorways.
  
  In addition, we may see new iPads here (or perhaps a little farther down the line), including an entry-level model with an A18 chip that’s capable of supporting Apple Intelligence features. The iPad Air could be in line for an upgrade as well with the introduction of the M4 chip to that line. Apple is also expected to roll out updated versions of the Mac Studio, Studio Display and Mac mini later this year.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apples-next-event-is-set-for-march-4-145931890.html?src=rss

• Presidents' Day sales 2026 are live: The best tech deals up to 43 percent off to shop from Apple, Samsung, Anker and others
  Presidents’ Day is a great time to buy appliances, mattresses and furniture as they are often on sale for the holiday. Tech also gets discounted around this time, but you have to do a bit more digging to find actually good deals. And this year, Presidents’ Day comes right after Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl 2026, which means there are some overlapping sales to consider. If you don’t want to sort through the mess of bad deals out there, Engadget has you covered. We’re curating the best President Day sales on tech we can find right here. We’ll update this post through the holiday as more deals become available.
  Presidents’ Day deals under $50
  
  
  Disney+ and Hulu bundle (one month) for $10 ($3 off): You can get one month of Disney+ and Hulu access for only $10 right now. That represents a small savings over the standard $13-per-month price for the bundle, but a 58-percent discount when you compare it to the price of paying for both services separately. It’s a good way to test out the bundle without paying too much before you decide if you want to subscribe for the long haul.
  
  Anker Nano 45W USB-C charger for $30 ($10 off, Prime exclusive): Anker’s latest 45W charger has a small smart display on it that can show you real-time charging stats. It’s compact design is great for travel, as are its foldable prongs.
  
  Waterpik cordless rechargeable water flosser for $40 (20 percent off): A water flosser like this one can make it easier (and less painful in some cases) to floss your teeth on the regular. This model from Waterpik includes two interchangeable tips and has two pressure settings. Its battery life should last up to four weeks with regular use as well.
  
  Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 ($20 off): Amazon’s most premium streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6E. You may even be able to get it for $10 less than the sale price listed, for a final price of $30, when using the code MAX4KFTV at checkout.
  
  Blink Mini 2K+ — 2 cameras for $45 (50 percent off): Blink’s latest plug-in security cameras support 2K video and improved audio quality. Like previous versions, these cameras have two-way talk, motion alerts and support for Alexa voice commands.
  Presidents’ Day deals on Apple devices
  
  
  Apple iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack for $79 (20 percent off): This magnetic power bank will add up to 65 percent additional battery charge to the iPhone Air, but note that it only works with Apple’s new, ultra-slim smartphone. We’ve tested plenty of others that also work with other iPhone and smartphone models.
  
  Apple Magic Mouse for $68 (14 percent off): Apple’s sleek wireless mouse has a multi-touch surface that supports gesture control, and its battery should last about a month in between charges. And yes, it has a USB-C port.
  
  Apple Watch Series 11 for $299 ($100 off): The latest flagship Apple Watch has excellent performance, a boosted battery life and a lightweight design that you can comfortably wear all day long — and even into the night to track sleep.
  
  iPad mini (A17 Pro ) for $399 ($100 off): The updated iPad mini runs on the A17 Pro chip for improved performance, plus it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a 12MP ultra wide camera with Center Stage, USB-C charging and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro.
  
  Beats Studio Pro for $200 (43 percent off): Beats updated these cans to have improved sound quality, and you can really hear the difference from models that came before it. These headphones also have solid Transparency mode, good voice performance and USB-C audio.
  
  Beats Solo 4 headphones for $150 (25 percent off): These on-ear headphones support spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, and they have up to 50 hours of battery life. The “fast fuel” feature allows them to get up to five hours of playback time with just a quick 10-minute power-up.
  
  Beats Studio Buds+ for $100 (41 percent off): These tiny buds have both active noise cancellation and transparency mode, and they’ll work just as well with either Apple or Android devices.
  More Presidents’ Day deals on tech
  
  
  Ring Battery Doorbell for $60 (40 percent off)
  
  Logitech MX Master 3S for $80 (20 percent off)
  
  Levoit Core 300-P air purifier for $85 (15 percent off)
  
  Sony WH-CH720N wireless headphones for $94 (48 percent off)
  
  Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds for $179 (22 percent off)
  
  
  
  Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar for $369 ($130 off)
  
  Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini-LED 4K smart TV for $548 (16 percent off)
  
  Breville Barista Touch espresso machine for $800 ($200 off)
  
  Motorola Razer Ultra (2025) for $800 (38 percent off)
  
  Google Pixel 10 Pro for $849 (23 percent off)
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/presidents-day-sales-2026-are-live-the-best-tech-deals-up-to-43-percent-off-to-shop-from-apple-samsung-anker-and-others-163000321.html?src=rss

• Apple Presidents' Day sales are live: Get the Apple Watch Series 11 for $299, plus more deals to shop now
  If you need a little help with your New Year9s resolution to be more active, you can save on the latest Apple Watch right now. The Apple Watch Series 11 is on sale for $299 for Presidents9 Day, which is $100 off and the lowest price we9ve seen. A number of other Apple devices are on sale for the holiday as well.
  
  We named the Apple Watch Series 11 as our choice for best smartwatch overall. It scored a 90 in our review thanks to its 24 hours-plus of battery life and a thin, light design that9s easy to wear. It also offers new health metrics, including Apple9s hypertension alerts system and Sleep Score. 
  
  
  
  The Apple Watch Series 11 deal is available on the 42mm case with a small/medium band. It also only includes GPS and four colorways: the Jet Black and Space Gray aluminum cases with a Black sport band, the Rose Gold aluminum case with a Light Blush sport band and the Silver aluminum case with a Purple Fog sport band.
  
  Among the other Presidents9 Day Apple deals are mostly accessories: there are solid deals on AirPods, AirTags (the first-gen trackers, not the new, second-gen ones), the iPhone Air battery pack and even Apple9s new crossbody straps that attach to the company9s iPhone cases so you can essentially "wear" your iPhone like a bag. As with most Apple first-party accessories, you can find plenty of more affordable, third-party versions of them as alternatives. But if you9re keen on outfitting your phone with Apple9s own gear, it9s best to wait for discounts like these. We9ve collected the best Presidents9 Day sales on Apple gear below so you don9t have to go searching for them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-presidents-day-sales-are-live-get-the-apple-watch-series-11-for-299-plus-more-deals-to-shop-now-151616701.html?src=rss

• The creators of Mixtape want to make a great hangout video game
  For most adventure games, the long-term goal can often focus on solving a grand mystery or chasing a lost artifact of the past. But for the upcoming Mixtape, from publisher Annapurna Interactive, it sets its sights on the misadventures of young friends enjoying their last days together before moving on. It9s the type of narrative adventure game that shines a light on how good music can bring people together, and how much fun getting into trouble can be.
  
  From developer Beethoven and Dinosaur, the Australian creative team behind The Artful Escape, Mixtape is, in many ways, a tribute to classic 990s Americana and an ode to the rebellious youth of the average suburb. I recently got to play the latest build of Mixtape and spoke with game director Johnny Galvatron about the making of their latest game. Along with sharing his favorite 980s and ’90s films that helped shape his vision, he also explained how tough yet rewarding it is to make "idleness" in video games compelling.
  
  "Idleness is hard to explore as a video game, and one of the interesting things about being a teenager is you just hang out a lot, and sometimes it just sucks," said Galvatron. "So I love that we made a game that shows that idleness.”
  
  “I think it can be a really hard balance to make something that is based on what is really a hangout film, something like Wayne9s World or Richard Linklater9s Dazed and Confused, but to have that be paced well and to be exciting for a video game was a real challenge."
  
  Set in the 1990s, Rockford and her friends Slater and Cassandra prepare for one last hurrah before heading into adulthood. With Rockford deciding to make a daring move to New York City to hopefully connect with her music idol, the crew reminisces on the good times they had going for late-night fast food runs, evading the police in shopping carts, and first kisses with their crushes – and all to the tune of their favorite songs.
  Beethoven & Dinosaur
  On the surface, Mixtape is an interactive coming-of-age story about a crew of rebellious teens, with memories serving as playable mini-games and interludes that capture their feelings at the time. But that9s actually what makes this interactive trip down memory lane so compelling. These segments are presented as exaggerated memories of the past, fueled by the music of Devo, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. They’re emotional, poignant moments for these characters, tapping into the idea of how moments from our youth seemed bigger and grander than they actually were.
  
  One section I enjoyed playing was an interactive head-bobbing segment where the crew drove across town to get fast food. Different buttons corresponded to fist-pumping and head-bobbing actions, but there were no specific directions, so I just had to go with the flow. This scene was a great bit of comedy that showed off how goofy Rockford and her friends could get while vibing, but it was also a fun callback to films like Pulp Fiction, which used rear-projection sets to simulate car driving scenes (the memory even plays out on a film set). Another segment focused on a photo booth with Rockford and Slater, which put them in a position to capture the best or funniest shots.
  
  But it9s not all fun and games with the crew. One segment focused on the friends tossing toilet paper rolls around their school principal9s home, which quickly takes a turn for the worse when one of them decides to take the blame to spare Rockford from expulsion. It9s a surprisingly heartfelt and sad moment, but it also foreshadows a simmering conflict for these characters.
  
  It9s clear that Mixtape seeks to capture the experiences of a particular era, and that the developers themselves had a particular fondness for American movies and pop culture of the time. It captures the feeling of the so-called MTV generation and the intersection of media and the emotional expression of youth during this period. This is also evident in the game9s use of a "mixed media, liquid television" editing style, which intercuts clips from TV shows and movies to emphasize emotional and comedic beats.. Rockford even does a Ferris Bueller-style narration for the players.
  
  Given that video game-to-movie adaptations have never been more popular, game director Johnny Galvatron has also had some talks about a potential movie adaptation.
  
  "Obviously, Annapurna is also a film company, and they have those kinds of connections, and let me tell you, those meetings are fun as fuck," said the director. "When people pitch you stuff, it9s super cool. I would just say that, yes, I can see it coming. I would probably be totally hands-off on it."
  
  “When you develop video games, you should be changing them to work better within the medium," he continued. "I think when they try to adhere too closely to the way a game works, that can sometimes break down. But yeah, I think if there were to be some adaptation stuff for Mixtape, probably, and I will stay clear of it."
  Beethoven & Dinosaur
  Mixtape feels like a heartfelt tribute to the 990s. While nostalgia bait is increasingly common these days, I felt there9s a much deeper message under the hood, and getting to take part in these larger-than-life days of being a young adult has really got me excited for what9s to come. I9m hoping the final game will deliver an adventure where I can really savor those listless hangouts with friends.
  
  Mixtape is set to be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-creators-of-mixtape-want-to-make-a-great-hangout-video-game-140026928.html?src=rss

• Monarch Money deal: Get a 50 percent off one of our favorite budgeting apps
  If you’ve been meaning to get a better handle on your finances, now might be a good time to try one of our favorite budgeting apps without paying full price. Monarch Money is offering new users 50 percent off an annual subscription when you use the code MONARCHVIP at checkout, bringing the cost down to $50 for a full year of access instead of the usual $100.
  
  Monarch regularly earns a spot in our guide to the best budgeting apps thanks to its detailed tracking tools, flexible budgeting systems and collaborative features. The app lets you connect unlimited accounts, track spending and investments, set financial goals and share access with a partner, all across web, mobile and tablet apps.
  
  
  
  Monarch Money is the kind of budgeting app that can feel a little overwhelming at first, especially when you’re setting up categories, rules and recurring transactions. There’s a bit of a learning curve, and some of the finer details are easier to manage on the web than in the mobile app. But once you’re past that initial setup, it starts to make a lot more sense and becomes a powerful tool for keeping tabs on your finances.
  
  Where Monarch Money really shines is in the level of detail it offers. It’s built for people who want a clear, structured view of their money, not just a running list of transactions. In the budgeting section, you can see budgets versus actual spending by category, along with forecasts by month or by year. Recurring expenses can also be defined using more than just merchant names, which helps keep things accurate with less manual cleanup.
  
  Beyond day-to-day budgeting, Monarch does a good job of showing the bigger picture. It includes visual reports and charts that make it easier to spot trends over time, plus tools for tracking net worth, investments and financial goals. Monarch can even factor in non-cash assets like your home or vehicle, pulling in estimates automatically so they appear alongside your accounts.
  
  All of that depth won’t be for everyone, but if you’re willing to spend a little time getting set up, Monarch Money offers a lot of control and insight. With the current deal bringing the price down to $50 for a full year, it’s a solid opportunity to try one of our favorite budgeting apps at a discount of 50 percent off and see if it fits how you like to manage your money.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/monarch-money-deal-get-a-50-percent-off-one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-120000712.html?src=rss

• ByteDance promises to tighten up its new AI video generator after viral Cruise vs. Pitt clip
  ByteDance released Seedance 2.0 less than a week ago and enraged artists everywhere with a viral clip AI-generated clip of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting. Unsurprisingly, the AI video-making tool has reportedly already received multiple cease-and-desist letters around copyright infringement. Now, it appears ByteDance is going to curb the new media generator9s use of prohibited content. 
  
  In a cease-and-desist letter from the Walt Disney Company on Friday. Disney claimed that Seedance 2.0 uses "a pirated library of Disney9s copyrighted characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other Disney franchises, as if Disney9s coveted intellectual property were free public domain clip art." Disney included example videos that included its copyrighted characters, such as Spider-Man and Darth Vader. 
  
  Paramount Skydance has also reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance to stop Seedance 2.0 from using its materials, according to the BBC. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/bytedance-promises-to-tighten-up-its-new-ai-video-generator-after-viral-cruise-vs-pitt-clip-112941384.html?src=rss

• The best gaming handhelds for 2026
  Handheld gaming systems aren’t niche anymore. Today’s devices range from compact devices built around retro emulation to full-fledged portable PCs capable of running modern AAA games. That variety is exciting, but it also makes shopping harder. The “best” gaming handheld now depends less on a single, standout device and more on how, where and what you want to play.
  
  Some handhelds are designed for quick sessions and classic libraries, prioritizing simplicity, long battery life and pocketable designs. Others blur the line between console and PC, offering large screens, powerful chips and access to massive game libraries, often at the cost of size, price or endurance. There are even more experimental options that focus on unusual controls or intentionally limited experiences.
  
  We’ve spent months testing and tracking the fast-moving handheld space to figure out which devices are actually worth your money right now. Whether you’re looking for a versatile all-rounder, a premium portable gaming PC or a dedicated machine for retro games, these are the gaming handhelds that stand out in an increasingly crowded field.
  
  Editor’s note (11/7/25): A barrage of new mobile emulation handhelds have been announced since our last update, including two follow-ups to our current “best for most” pick (the Retroid Pocket 6 and the more marginally updated Retroid Pocket G2) and a new version of our “best overall” pick (the AYN Odin 3). Other competitors like Ayaneo’s KONKR Pocket Fit are also on the way, and there’s been a wave of new dual-screen models like the AYN Thor, Ayaneo Pocket DS and Anbernic RG DS. We think our current recommendations will still satisfy most shoppers, but since we’re still working to test most of these newer devices, we wanted to give a heads-up for anyone who wants the absolute latest. In the meantime, we’ve added testing notes on a few other emulation-focused handhelds as well as a couple new portable PCs like the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X.
  Best handheld gaming devices for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What about the Nintendo Switch 2? Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Read our full Nintendo Switch 2 is already more popular than any of the handhelds above, but we haven’t made it a formal pick in this guide since it exists in its own world. As one of the newest devices from the big three console manufacturers, most people aren’t choosing between it and the handheld PCs or emulation devices above. The main reason to buy a Switch 2 is to play new Nintendo games, and no other device can (legally) offer that. Likewise, the Switch 2 doesn’t even try to offer the flexibility of a Steam Deck, ROG Ally X or even the Retroid Pocket 5.
  
  That said, the hardware itself is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, with dramatically improved performance, a sharper, faster and bigger 7.9-inch display, magnetic Joy-Con controllers and more storage. It’s a wholly more polished take on the Switch 1’s ideas.
  
  Does that make it a must-buy right now? Unless you’re worried about a tariff-induced price hike — which may not be the most outlandish fear — not really. Lenovo Legion Go 2 is a capable alternative to the ROG Xbox Ally X with a mondo-sized 8.8-inch display. That screen is the main reason to consider it, as it’s a vivid OLED panel that supports VRR and has a 144Hz native refresh rate. Like the Switch, it also comes with detachable controllers — one of which includes a useful touchpad for navigating Windows — plus a built-in kickstand for tabletop play.
  
  That said, it’s an absolute tank at just over two pounds, and we found it to perform a little worse than the Xbox Ally X at equal settings. It’s also even more expensive, starting at $1,100 and rising to $1,350 for a config with the same Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip. It’s a lovely device if you’ve got cash to burn — and to be fair, none of these Windows handhelds are for anyone looking for “value” — but the Xbox Ally X is a better buy for most.
  The MSI Claw 8 AI+. Sam Rutherford for Engadget MSI Claw 8 AI+
  The original MSI Claw was a flop, but the newer Claw 8 AI+ is much more appealing if you’re willing to pay for a larger and slightly more powerful alternative to the ASUS ROG Ally X. With its Intel Core Ultra 7-258V chip and 32GB of RAM, it typically pumped out 10 to 15 percent higher frame rates than last-gen models like the ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go in our testing. (Another model is available with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip.) Battery life is relatively strong, while its 8-inch 120Hz IPS display is plenty bright and supports VRR. There are smooth Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a built-in fingerprint sensor beyond that.
  
  The Claw’s main issue is its price: At $1,100 after recent price hikes, it’s hard to justify over the ROG Xbox Ally X, which is already too expensive for most people. ASUS9 handheld is lighter and easier to grip on top of that — though the Claw is thinner — and its overhauled Xbox UI, while far from perfect, is still easier to get around than MSI’s Center M hub. There9s a smaller 7-inch version of this handheld for $900 as well, but we haven’t tested that one.
  The ModRetro Chromatic. Jeff Dunn for Engadget ModRetro Chromatic
  The ModRetro Chromatic is a competitor to the Analogue Pocket that can similarly play actual Game Boy cartridges via FPGA. With its premium metal frame, loud speaker, tight d-pad and beautifully bright 2.56-inch display, it’s an impressive modernization of Nintendo’s classic handheld. ModRetro also publishes a number of games specifically for the device, including a pretty great version of Tetris that comes bundled in the box.
  
  However, for many, its faithfulness to the original Game Boy probably goes too far: It requires three AA batteries for power, and unlike the Analogue Pocket it doesn’t support custom save states. It’s also designed for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games only; it can’t play any Game Boy Advance cartridges or games from other retro handhelds like Analogue’s device, nor does doesn’t support ROMs. For only $20 less than the Pocket, that makes it a tough sell, even if the hardware is arguably higher-quality.
  
  There’s also the lethal, autonomous elephant in the room: ModRetro is founded by Palmer Luckey, the idiosyncratic entrepreneur behind the Oculus Rift who has gone on to form Anduril Industries, a defense contractor that makes drones, surveillance systems and other AI-powered military tech. He has also espoused political views that many people — and this is the tamest way I can put this — may not be comfortable backing. We are not here to police where you can spend your money, and the Chromatic does much of what it wants to do well. Still, all of these handhelds are just so inessential, and no other option that we know of is as closely tied to an arms dealer.
  The Lenovo Legion Go S. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows, Z2 Go chip)
  The Windows 11 version of the Lenovo Legion Go S has the same relatively comfortable design and commendable 8-inch 120Hz display as the SteamOS model we highlight above. With the Z2 Go model we tested, though, its performance lags too far behind the ROG Ally X, Claw 8 AI+ and original Legion Go for something priced at $730. Windows is still clunky, too.
  The Ayaneo Flip DS. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Ayaneo Flip DS
  The Ayaneo Flip DS is a cool concept: a powerful Windows machine with a clamshell design and dual displays, sort of like a supercharged Nintendo DS. It feels sturdy, it performs roughly on par with the other Ryzen 7 7840U (or 8840U) handhelds in this guide, and its 7-inch top display is sharp, fast and bright. The second screen makes it a natural fit for emulating Wii U or 3DS games, but you could also, say, look up a guide or play a YouTube video without having to close whatever you’re playing. 
  
  Unfortunately, this is more of a neat idea than a fully thought-out product. The folding design means that the joysticks have to be short and recessed, while the face buttons and d-pad are uncomfortably flat. The whole thing is overly thick and heavy, plus it runs very hot. Battery life tops out around two hours, and actually managing two displays on a Windows handheld is about as clunky as you9d expect. With prices now starting above $1,100, the Flip DS is hard to recommend unless you’re (oddly) desperate for a handheld Wii U emulator. We9re always happy to see more weird hardware, though.
  The Ayaneo Kun. Photo by James Trew / Engadget Ayaneo Kun
  The Ayaneo Kun is one of the more decadent Windows handhelds we’ve tested. With a sharp 8.4-inch display, a Ryzen 7 8840U chip, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of storage, a sizable 75Whr battery and a 54W max TDP, it’s both a capable gaming device and a feasible replacement for a desktop PC. But it now starts at a pricey $999, it’s huge and it suffers from the usual Windows-related issues. It also lacks VRR, and that Ryzen chip is no longer the latest and greatest. The Kun is still a fine device in a vacuum, but the ROG Xbox Ally X is a better buy. This is technically an older model for Ayaneo, too, as the company seems to launch a new handheld every other hour these days.
  The Retroid Pocket Classic. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Retroid Pocket Classic
  The Retroid Pocket Classic is another Game Boy-style vertical handheld in the vein of the Analogue Pocket, but like the other Retroid models we’ve highlighted, it’s an Android device designed to emulate games via ROM files, not genuine cartridges. (Naturally, it can also play native Android games.) It’s still far clunkier to set up and use as a result, and its overall design feels more toy-like than either the Pocket or ModRetro Chromatic.
  
  But its Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 chip is easily powerful enough to play any classic handheld system (along with most other retro games that don’t require joystick controls), while its 3.9-inch OLED display is superbly bright, sharp and colorful. The battery can last more than 10 hours when emulating lower-power systems, and Retroid sells a version with six face buttons instead of the standard four if you want to play older Sega Genesis and Saturn games in particular. The Analogue Pocket is still more premium and rewarding to use, but if you want a similar form factor and can live with the typical quirks that come with a device like this, the Classic is a good value at $129. Of the many Game Boy-style handhelds out there that solely rely on software emulation, it’s the one we’d recommend first.
  The Retroid Pocket Mini (bottom) and Retroid Pocket 5. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Retroid Pocket Mini
  The Retroid Pocket Mini is essentially a smaller version of the Retroid Pocket 5. It runs on the same Snapdragon 865 chip and feels just as sturdy, but it has a smaller 3.92-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This makes it a more natural fit for older retro consoles, as you won’t get the black boxes you’d see on a 16:9 display like the one on the Pocket 5. If you mainly want to emulate systems like the SNES, Sega Genesis or Game Boy Color and don’t mind paying extra for a rich OLED display, it’s a good little device. But the tiny screen is limiting if you ever want to play newer games, and we wish there wasn9t so much empty space around the display. 
  
  This device had also generated some controversy within the retro gaming community for having persistent issues with inaccurate shaders (and for the slapdash way Retroid handled the matter). The company replaced the original model with a "V2" iteration that addresses those concerns, however.
  Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and Retroid Pocket 4
  The 4.7-inch Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is the predecessor to the Pocket 5. Its performance isn’t significantly far off the newer model, so it remains a nice value if you’re determined to spend less than $200 on an emulation device. It misses out on the larger OLED display and more ergonomically-friendly design of its follow-up, however. The base Pocket 4 may also be worth a look if you want to stay under $150, but its weaker chip makes it less adept at emulating games from the PS2, GameCube and up.
  The Miyoo Mini Plus (left) and TrimUI Brick. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Miyoo Mini Plus
  The Miyoo Mini Plus is a highly affordable handheld with a well-built, Game Boy-style form factor that fits nicely with older games. Its 3.5-inch display pops for something in the $60 to $80 range, its battery lasts as long as it needs to and it can emulate consoles up to the original PlayStation without much issue. Its Linux-based software is extensively customizable, though it requires some tinkering to get it working optimally. Like many cheapo handhelds, it also lacks fast charging. Since it’s from a smaller Chinese firm and isn’t available at major retailers, it can also be difficult to actually buy. It9s a nice choice if you want something more compact than the Retroid Pocket Classic, but that model9s roomier design, more vibrant OLED panel and longer battery life makes it worth the extra cash for most people.
  TrimUI Brick
  The TrimUI Brick is another low-cost vertical handheld that’s surprisingly well-built for an $80-ish device, thanks to its brushed metal backplate and impressive 3.2-inch IPS display. It has a weaker chip than the Retroid Pocket Classic, but it can still emulate older handheld games just fine, and its tiny frame makes it much easier to actually fit in a pocket. That said, while it has a sharper and more vivid screen than the Miyoo Mini Plus (its closest rival), the face buttons, d-pad and especially back buttons are all stiffer, and its stock UI feels similarly bootleg. (Some of the icons for different systems in the game library: “GomeBuy,” “Fanicon,” and “PloyStotion.”) You can fix the latter with custom firmware, but Retroid’s interface is easier to grok by default, and its setup process is less annoying. Most people interested in this class of device will be happier paying up for the Pocket Classic instead.
  The Anbernic RG35XX Plus. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Anbernic RG35XX Plus
  The Anbernic RG35XX Plus is another wallet-friendly vertical handheld. For about the same price as the Miyoo Mini Plus, it offers a faster chipset, more RAM and a bigger battery alongside a similarly impressive design. Its stock OS is overly sloppy and cheap-looking, however, and while its stronger chip is appreciated, it9s still far behind the Retroid Pocket Classic.
  The Anbernic RG35XXSP. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Anbernic RG35XXSP
  The Anbernic RG35XXSP is a variant of the RG35XX Plus based on the same internals, only it apes the clamshell form factor of the old Game Boy Advance SP. That’s a great design to rip off if you must pick one, and the hardware doesn’t feel nearly as cheap as its (pre-tariff) price tag of $60 or so would suggest. But the software issues noted above still apply (both here and with the many other devices in the same RGXX family). We’ve also seen several user reports of quality control issues with the RG35XXSP’s battery, which is automatically disqualifying.
  Anbernic RG405M
  The Anbernic RG405M is another 4:3 handheld with a 4-inch display and a pleasing metal frame. It9s an OK alternative to the Retroid Pocket Mini if you want a little more screen space for less cash, but it’s slower, and it lacks the Mini’s OLED display. We find the Retroid’s grooved back to be comfier to hold over time as well. And again, Anbernic has paused handheld shipments to America as of this writing.
  The PlayStation Portal. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget PlayStation Portal
  The PlayStation Portal is an odd accessory that’s designed to stream games from a PlayStation 5. It lacks built-in apps, so it doesn’t support traditional emulation. Because it’s entirely dependent on the quality of your home Wi-Fi, we can’t guarantee how well it’ll actually perform. It doesn’t work with Bluetooth earbuds either. 
  
  The 8-inch display is fine and the DualSense-style controls are great, so PlayStation diehards who want a second screen for local PS5 streaming may see the appeal. Sony recently added the ability to stream a selection of games via the cloud, which is a step in the right direction, but you need an expensive PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to take advantage. In general, there’s little here that you can’t do with a smartphone and mobile game controller, so most people are better off saving their $200.
  Logitech G Cloud
  The Logitech G Cloud would’ve been a great Android pick when it launched if it cost about $150 less. Its 7-inch 1080p display is bright, vibrant and generally more pleasing to look at than the panel on the AYN Odin 2, its battery lasts a good 10 to 12 hours per charge and its design is comfy to hold for hours at a time. Alas, the G Cloud still tends to retail for $300, which is just too much when the Retroid Pocket 5 offers more power at a lower price.
  What to know about the gaming handheld market Jeff Dunn / Engadget
  You can break down the gaming handheld market into three broad tiers. At the top, you have x86-based portable gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X. These are the most powerful handhelds you can buy, as they seek to replicate the experience of a moderately specced gaming desktop. The Steam Deck runs on Linux, but most others use Windows. If you want to play modern, recently released PC games on the go (and need something stronger than a Switch), this is the type of device you’d get. They can also emulate the widest range of retro consoles. They’re typically the largest and most cumbersome devices to hold, however, and their battery life can be short. Naturally, they’re also the most expensive, costing anywhere from $400 to more than $1,000.
  
  Further down on the price spectrum are "mobile handhelds" like the Logitech G Cloud or Retroid Pocket. These devices often run Android or Linux and can range from under $50 to $400-ish (before tariffs). They aren’t equipped to play modern console or PC titles, but they’re usually more compact than a portable PC, and you can still use them for mobile games and cloud streaming. While most are marketed toward those ends, many gamers actually buy them to emulate classic games through software like RetroArch. Getting emulators to work can be complicated, and accessing the BIOS and ROM files required to play games this way is legally murky. One lawsuit from Nintendo led to the shutdown of the most prominent Switch and 3DS emulators, for instance. (Engadget does not condone piracy.) Backing up files of games you already own for personal use only is considered more defensible, though, so for that a mobile handheld can be a more user- and wallet-friendly way to play the classics — provided you don’t want to just use your phone.
  
  We’ll call the last tier “handhelds that do their own thing.” This is a catch-all for things like the Switch 2 or Playdate: portable devices that run heavily customized software and aim to provide a unique gaming experience. They aren’t necessarily ideal for emulation or playing the latest multiplatform titles; instead, they often have distinct game libraries. They might not have the widest appeal as a result (Switch excluded), but they’re often easier for less tech-literate folks to just pick up and use.
  Recent updates
  November 2025: The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X replaces the older ROG Ally X as our new favorite Windows gaming handheld. We’ve also added testing notes on the Lenovo Legion Go 2, ModRetro Chromatic and a couple of emulation-based handhelds in the Retroid Pocket Classic and TrimUI Brick. We’re working to test several other recent releases for our next update, including updated versions of the Retroid Pocket 5 and AYN Odin 2.
  
  August 2025: We’ve added the SteamOS version of the Lenovo Legion Go S as a new recommendation and updated our top Windows pick to reflect the upcoming release of ASUS’ and Microsoft’s ROG Xbox Ally devices, which will feature an overhauled Windows UI. We’ve also added a note on the recently released Nintendo Switch 2. We’ll include testing notes on the Retroid Pocket Classic, TrimUI Brick and ModRetro Chromatic in the near future. (Note: Yours truly went on paternity leave after our last update — apologies for the delay!)
  
  May 2025: We’ve tested the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 and recommended it as an alternative to the Retroid Pocket 5. We’re also watching out for the first third-party devices that run SteamOS, starting with the new Lenovo Legion Go S, and the next ASUS ROG Ally device, which seems to be arriving soon based on recent leaks.
  
  March 2025: We’ve edited this guide for clarity and added testing notes for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows version). Our main picks are unchanged. Looking ahead, we’re keeping an eye on upcoming Windows handhelds from Acer and Ayaneo, a pair of new emulation devices from Retroid, the first third-party devices to ship with SteamOS and more machines that run on AMD’s Ryzen Z2 chips, among others. 
  
  January 2025: We have a new top pick among emulation-focused handhelds: the Retroid Pocket 5. Beyond that, we’ve added notes on a few other devices we’ve tested, including the Retroid Pocket Mini and Anbernic RG35XXSP; lightly edited other blurbs to reflect changes in the market; and removed a couple write-ups for products that’ve been discontinued. We9re also keeping an eye on new handhelds that’ve recently been announced or are strongly rumored to arrive in the near future, including devices from MSI and Lenovo.
  
  August 2024: We’ve replaced the ASUS ROG Ally, our prior pick for the best Windows gaming handheld, with the new and improved ROG Ally X. We’ve also checked to make sure all availability and pricing details noted throughout the guide are accurate.
  
  June 2024: We’ve updated this guide to ensure all of our recommendations are up to date, adding a note on ASUS’ upcoming ROG Ally X in the process. We’ve also included details on two new handhelds we’ve tested since our previous update: the MSI Claw and Ayaneo Flip DS. Staying on top of this market is a tall task, but we’re currently looking at recent noteworthy releases like the PSP-esque AYN Odin 2 Mini and the GBA-style Anbernic RG35XXSP as well.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-handheld-gaming-system-140018863.html?src=rss

• OpenAI has hired the developer behind AI agent OpenClaw
  Recently we were introduced to OpenClaw, an AI that allows users to create their own agents to control apps like email, Spotify and home controls. Now, Sam Altman has announced that OpenAI has absorbed OpenClaw by hiring developer Peter Steinberger "to drive the next generation of personal agents," he wrote on X. Steinberger confirmed the news on his own blog. "I’m joining OpenAI to work on bringing agents to everyone. OpenClaw will move to a foundation and stay open and independent." 
  
  Steinberger was also in talks to join Meta, with both companies reportedly making offers in the "billions," according to write code, clear their inboxes, do online shopping and other assistant-like jobs. On its website, OpenClaw touts its ability to interact with popular apps and sites including WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMesage, Hue and Spotify. 
  Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents. He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future of very smart agents interacting with each other to do very useful things for people. We expect this will quickly become core to our…
  — Sam Altman (@sama) February 15, 2026
  OpenClaw was recently called "Clawdbot" but Anthropic forced a name change due to similarities with its "Claude" branding. OpenClaw is often compared to Claude Code by "vibe coders" seeking to automate website development and other programming chores.  
  
  In his announcement, Altman said that "the future is going to be extremely multi-agent and it9s important to support open source as part of that," adding that "OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project" supported by Open AI. Steinberger, meanwhile, said that "what I want is to change the world, not build a larger company and teaming up with OpenAI is the fastest way to bring this to everyone." 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-has-hired-the-developer-behind-ai-agent-openclaw-092934041.html?src=rss

• The best cheap phones for 2026
  A few years ago, it may have been fashionable to spend $1,000 on the latest flagship smartphone, but for most people, that’s neither practical nor necessary. You don9t even have to spend $500 today to get a decent handset, whether it’s a refurbished iPhone or an affordable Android phone, as there are plenty of decent options as low as $160.
  
  However, navigating the budget phone market can be tricky; options that look good on paper may not be in practice, and some devices will end up costing you more when you consider many come with restrictive storage. While we spend most of our time reviewing mid- to high-end handsets at Engadget, we9ve tested a number of the latest budget-friendly phones on the market to see cut it as the best cheap phones you can get right now.
  Best cheap phones
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What to look for in a cheap phone
  For this guide, our top picks cost between $100 and $300. Anything less and you might as well go buy a dumb phone instead. Since they’re meant to be more affordable than flagship phones and even midrange handsets, budget smartphones involve compromises; the cheaper a device, the lower your expectations around specs, performance and experience should be. For that reason, the best advice I can give is to spend as much as you can afford. In this price range, even $50 or $100 more can get you a dramatically better product.
  
  Second, you should know what you want most from a phone. When buying a budget smartphone, you may need to sacrifice a decent main camera for long battery life, or trade a high-resolution display for a faster CPU. That’s just what comes with the territory, but knowing your priorities will make it easier to find the right phone.
  
  It’s also worth noting some features can be hard to find on cheaper handsets. For instance, you won’t need to search far for a device with all-day battery life — but if you want a phone with excellent camera quality, you’re better off shelling out for one of the recommendations in our midrange smartphone guide, which all come in at $600 or less.
  
  Wireless charging and waterproofing also aren’t easy to find in this price range and forget about the fastest chipset. On the bright side, most of our recommendations come with headphone jacks, so you won’t need to buy wireless headphones.
  
  iOS is also off the table, since, following the discontinuation of the iPhone SE, the $599 iPhone 16e is now the most affordable offering from Apple. That leaves Android as the only option in the under-$300 price range. Thankfully today, there’s little to complain about Google’s operating system – and you may even prefer it to iOS.
  
  Lastly, keep in mind most Android manufacturers typically offer far less robust software features and support for their budget devices. In some cases, your new phone may only receive one major software update and a year or two of security patches beyond that. That applies to the OnePlus and Motorola recommendations on our list.
  
  If you’d like to keep your phone for as long as possible, Samsung has the best software policy of any Android manufacturer in the budget space, offering at least four years of security updates on all of its devices. Recently, it even began offering six years of support on the $200 A16 5G, which we recommend below. That said, if software support (or device longevity overall) is your main focus, consider spending a bit more on the $500 Google Pixel 9a, or even the previous-gen Pixel 8a, which has planned software updates throughmid-2031.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-cheap-phones-130017793.html?src=rss

• Hideki Sato, known as the father of Sega hardware, has reportedly died
  Hideki Sato, who led the design of Sega9s beloved consoles from the 980s and 990s, died on Friday, according to the Japanese gaming site https://t.co/hClrxLODFU
  — Beep21 (@Beep2021) February 14, 2026
  Sato went on to serve as Sega9s president from 2001 to 2003. In the post announcing his death, Beep21, which interviewed Sato numerous times over the years, wrote (translated from Japanese), "He was truly a great figure who shaped Japanese gaming history and captivated Sega fans all around the world. The excitement and pioneering spirit of that era will remain forever in the hearts and memories of countless fans, for all eternity." Sato9s passing comes just a few months after that of Sega co-founder David Rosen, who died in December at age 95. 
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hideki-sato-known-as-the-father-of-sega-hardware-has-reportedly-died-230634768.html?src=rss

• Terminator Zero showrunner confirms the Netflix anime has been canceled after one season
  If you9ve been wondering what9s next for Netflix9s Terminator Zero in the time since its first season, we finally have an update, and it9s a bummer. Responding to a fan on social media, showrunner Mattson Tomlin said this weekend that the show has been canceled. Despite being generally well received, Tomlin noted that "at the end of the day not nearly enough people watched it."
  It was cancelled. The critical and audience reception to it was tremendous, but at the end of the day not nearly enough people watched it. I would’ve loved to deliver on the Future War I had planned in season’s 2 and 3, but I’m also very happy with how it feels contained as is. https://t.co/Dh7G6gkBF7 pic.twitter.com/dqCSXHIytg
  — mattson tomlin (@mattsontomlin) February 13, 2026
  Season one of Terminator Zero was released in August 2024 and focused on the events around Judgment Day — August 29, 1997, as established in Terminator 2 — and its aftermath, jumping forward to 2022, more than two decades into a war between humans and machines. In the post about the show9s cancellation, Tomlin wrote, "I would’ve loved to deliver on the Future War I had planned in season’s 2 and 3, but I’m also very happy with how it feels contained as is."
  
  Tomlin went on to praise the marketing team in additional replies for "trying to really make the show work," as well as the hundreds of people who worked on the show. Offering a bit of insight, Tomlin wrote, "Generally speaking, anime audiences skew younger. Terminator audiences skew older. Terminator Zero asked them to meet in the middle, and they didn’t in the way the corporation needed to justify the spend to continue. I’m extremely grateful to the people who have watched it."
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/terminator-zero-showrunner-confirms-the-netflix-anime-has-been-canceled-after-one-season-211656840.html?src=rss

• The official Pokémon pinball machine has an animatronic Pikachu and a Master Ball plunger
  At a staggering starting price of $6,999, you have a better chance of buying a bicycle in Cerulean City than getting your hands on the official Pokémon pinball machine. The collaboration between The Pokémon Company International and Stern Pinball is undoubtedly nostalgic, letting you battle with a team that includes Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and Pikachu, as well as catch up to 182 different Pokémon, mostly from the Kanto region, with more to be added.
  
  Besides catching 9em all and tracking your growing Pokédex on Stern Pinball9s dedicated app, you can do Gym Battles in four different biomes and eventually face off against Team Rocket. The pinball machine draws a lot of inspiration from the original cartoon, including a monitor that plays clips from the show, an animatronic Pikachu, and speakers that can play the iconic theme song.
  
  Stern Pinball developed Pro, Premium and Limited Edition models, which can cost all the way up to $12,999. For the most expensive option, you9ll get one of the 750 limited edition machines that include a Master Ball plunger, a numbered plaque and a signed certificate of authenticity. For Pokémon fans that can9t afford to spend that much money on a pinball machine, you can soon find them at arcades and bowling alleys instead.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-official-pokemon-pinball-machine-has-an-animatronic-pikachu-and-a-master-ball-plunger-204915013.html?src=rss

• Apple may be adding a splash of color to its upcoming budget-friendly MacBook
  The hardest choice to make for building your next MacBook might be selecting a color. According to iMac in 2024 with a total of seven colors and swapped out the space gray option for sky blue for the latest MacBook Air.
  
  Color choices aside, the latest rumors point to the upcoming MacBook having a price tag that9s anywhere between $699 and $799. To achieve that lower price point, Apple is expected to port over its chips designed for iPhones, like the A18 Pro that we first saw with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. We9re also anticipating Apple will compromise on specs, ports, or even the display, but Gurman reported that the company won9t be skimping when it comes to the shell. According to Gurman, Apple will employ a new manufacturing process to craft aluminum shells for the affordable MacBook, instead of opting for a cheaper material like plastic to cut costs. We may not have to wait long to see the official colors of the budget MacBook, as Gurman reported that it will be announced during an event in March.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-may-be-adding-a-splash-of-color-to-its-upcoming-budget-friendly-macbook-192740002.html?src=rss

• Tesla CarPlay is coming but it's reportedly being held back by low iOS 26 adoption numbers
  We9re still waiting for Apple CarPlay compatibility for Tesla EVs, but it9s been pushed back thanks to a slight hitch with iOS 26, according to iOS 26.
  
  It9s been a long wait for Tesla drivers who want CarPlay compatibility, especially since initial rumors indicated a late 2025 rollout and autonomous driving options. Still, Tesla is reportedly concerned enough about the low adoption rates of iOS 26 to delay delivering CarPlay to its vehicles. Gurman also noted that iOS 26 adoption rates were lower than usual, but are already going up, citing Apple9s latest numbers that 74 percent of all iPhones released in the last four years are running iOS 26. 
  
  There9s still no official date for when CarPlay arrives in Teslas, but including the beloved in-car feature could be a way to boost sales for the company. According to the Januaryregistration estimates in the US, Tesla saw sales slip for the fourth month in a row.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-carplay-is-coming-but-its-reportedly-being-held-back-by-low-ios-26-adoption-numbers-173812736.html?src=rss

• Apple's iPhone Air MagSafe battery is cheaper than ever right now
  We found the iPhone Air to have a pretty decent battery life for such a thin-and-light phone, somewhere in the region of 27 hours if you’re continuously streaming video. But it9s still a phone, arguably your most used device on a daily basis, so you may need to top it up during the day if you9re using it constantly. That’s where Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack comes in, and it’s currently on sale for $79.
  
  
  
  This accessory only works with the iPhone Air, but much like the phone it attaches to, it’s extremely slim at 7.5mmm, so crucially doesn’t add so much bulk when attached that it defeats the point of having a thin phone in the first place. The MagSafe Battery isn’t enormous at 3,149mAh (enough to add an extra 65 percent of charge to the Air), but it can wirelessly charge the AirPods Pro 3 as well, making it an even more useful travel companion. You can also charge your iPhone while charging the battery pack.
  
  At its regular price of $99, the MagSafe battery pack is an admittedly pricey add-on to what is already an expensive phone, but for $20 off it’s well worth considering what Engadget’s Sam Rutherford called an "essential accessory" for some users in his iPhone Air review.
  
  Many Apple loyalists will always insist on having first-party accessories for their iPhone, but there are plenty of third-party MagSafe chargers out there too, a lot of them considerably cheaper than Apple’s lineup. Be sure to check out our guide for those. 
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-iphone-air-magsafe-battery-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-144516217.html?src=rss

• Get a four-pack of first-gen AirTags on sale for only $64
  Good deals on Apple products aren’t as frequent as we’d like them to be, but if there’s one of the company’s products that does seem to enjoy pretty regular price cuts, it’s the AirTag. Right now you can pick up a four-pack of Apple’s diminutive first-generation Bluetooth trackers for $64, which translates to 35 percent off and a near record low price.
  
  Bear in mind that this deal brings the price per AirTag down to about $16 if you were to buy them individually, and when not on sale they usually cost $29.
  
  
  
  If you use Apple devices and consider yourself to be a serial thing-misplacer, AirTags are extremely useful. Adding one to your account takes a single tap, and with Apple’s Find My network so well established, locating missing items has never been easier.
  
  Using your iPhone you can trigger a sound from the AirTag’s built-in speaker, or alternatively Precision Finding can be used to pinpoint its location via Find My. You just follow the instructions on your iPhone, paying attention to the vibrations that signal you’re getting closer.
  
  A reminder again that the above deals apply to the first-generation AirTag only. Apple introduced a refreshed tracker with greater range and a louder speaker last month, which retails at the same price as its predecessor. For deals on the new AirTag, you may have to wait a bit.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-a-four-pack-of-first-gen-airtags-on-sale-for-only-64-163619270.html?src=rss

• Get the 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card for 33 percent off right now
  MicroSD Express cards are still a little hard to find, considering they9re pretty new and only really started becoming popular last year once the Switch 2 came out. These upgraded versions of microSD cards are the only ones compatible with the Switch 2 for expanding its storage, os if you9re already starting to feel the crunch on your console, it9s worth picking one up. Samsung9s P9 microSD Express card is on sale right now — you can grab the 512GB version of $80, which is 33 percent off and one of the best prices we9ve seen.
  
  The P9 boasts transfer speeds of up to 800MB/s, making moving games to the card that much faster. As for load times, in our testing we found that any microSD Express, the standard the Switch 2 requires, will offer roughly the same performance. This format is pretty new, so there aren9t a ton of cards on the market. As such, the P9 makes our list of best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2.
  
  The P9 microSD Express is also compatible with the Steam Deck or any other gaming console that accepts the format, as well as cameras and more.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-the-512gb-samsung-p9-microsd-express-card-for-33-percent-off-right-now-143849920.html?src=rss

• Anker's 45W Nano charger with smart display is $10 off
  Anker rolled out a bunch of new chargers and other gear at CES 2026, including a cute one that's already on sale. The new Nano charger with smart display, which is an upgrade to the existing Nano charger in Anker's lineup, is on sale for $30 right now. That's $10 off the regular price.
  
  The 45W charger includes a smart display that shows real-time data like power flow, temperature and charging status. It also features "fun animations to keep things cheerful." Anker says it can recognize what's being charged and automatically adjust certain metrics to ensure a longer battery lifespan.
  
  To that end, it works with just about everything. The company advertises that this charger is a good fit for the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and Samsung devices, among others. The new Nano Charger is on the smaller side, with dual folding prongs that rotate to fit most outlets.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ankers-45w-nano-charger-with-smart-display-is-10-off-160707508.html?src=rss

• Airbnb is testing out AI search with a 'small percentage' of users
  Airbnb plans to double down on artificial intelligence to improve its user experience for both guests and hosts. During a fourth-quarter earnings call, Airbnb9s CEO, Brian Chesky, said the company is building an "AI-native experience" aimed at helping guests book trips, assisting hosts with their listings, and running the company more efficiently. According to Chesky, there9s an AI search tool to help guests book trips that9s live for a small percentage of users right now.
  
  In a shareholder letter posted on Airbnb9s website, the company said it9s conducting early testing with an AI-powered search that is "focused on giving guests a more natural way to describe what they’re looking for, and ask questions about the listing and location." The letter added that the AI search tool will become "a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip," but the company didn9t offer a definitive date on when it would be available to the public.
  
  While it may feel like Airbnb is late to incorporating AI into its ecosystem, it introduced an AI chatbot that handles customer service requests last year. While the AI agent is only available to users in North America currently, Airbnb said that it already handles a third of customer requests without the need for human intervention, as reported by TechCrunch. Chesky also said during the earnings call that the AI chatbot would tackle "significantly more" customer tickets a year from now and that it would roll out to the rest of the world.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/airbnb-is-testing-out-ai-search-with-a-small-percentage-of-users-203054011.html?src=rss

• Disney accuses ByteDance of 'virtual smash-and-grab' when using copyrighted works to train its AI
  Disney is going after another generative AI tool, accusing ByteDance and its recently released Seedance 2.0 of using its copyrighted material without permission. As first reported on by Seedance 2.0 on Thursday, it9s already earned praise, but also indignation from Hollywood studios, when it comes to its AI-generating capabilities.
  
  With the strong early momentum, Seedance has already found itself in hot water with one of the largest media companies in the world. However, it9s not the first time that Disney has threatened legal action against an AI company, since Character.AI received a cease-and-desist letter for the same offense in September. A few months later, Disney even accused Google of copyright infringement when training its AI models. On the other hand, Disney partnered with OpenAI in a three-year licensing agreement that allows the AI giant to generate images and videos using that highly sought-after intellectual property.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/disney-accuses-bytedance-of-virtual-smash-and-grab-when-using-copyrighted-works-to-train-its-ai-191116136.html?src=rss

• What to read this weekend: The unsettling new horror novel, Persona
  Need something new for your reading list? Here are two titles we think are worth checking out. This week, we read Aoife Josie Clements9 deeply unsettling Persona, and the first issue of Bleeding Hearts, from the relaunch of the DC imprint, Vertigo.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-the-unsettling-new-horror-novel-persona-185152256.html?src=rss

• OpenAI has officially retired the controversial GPT-4o model
  OpenAI9s GPT-4o may have survived its first brush with going offline, but it won9t be as lucky this time. OpenAI has officially retired GPT-4o, the ChatGPT model that was seen as more conversational and notoriously sycophantic, on February 13. The news of GPT-4o9s end was first announced in a post on the OpenAI website in January, but the discontinuation also included GPT-5, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT.
  
  It9s not the first time that OpenAI has delisted GPT-4o as an option for ChatGPT. In August, the AI giant sunsetted the GPT-4o model in favor of rolling out and prioritizing the latest GPT-5 model at the time. However, a wave of user complaints led OpenAI to restore access to GPT-4o but with no guarantee that it9ll be around forever.
  
  This time around, OpenAI doesn9t seem very open to preserving access to GPT-4o, especially since it9ll serve only a small portion of the user base. The company wrote on its website that "the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT‑5.2, with only 0.1 percent of users still choosing GPT‑4o each day." On top of that, OpenAI is facing several wrongful death lawsuits that specifically mention the GPT-4o model. Despite the two weeks of notice before GPT-4o9s last day online, there is still a vocal group of users mourning the loss of their AI boyfriends and even calling for OpenAI to open-source their preferred model.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-has-officially-retired-the-controversial-gpt-4o-model-181553067.html?src=rss

• Watch the NASA SpaceX Crew-12 mission dock with the ISS
  The Crew-12 mission, SpaceX’s 20th human spaceflight, launched at 5:15 AM Eastern on February 13 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It’s expected to dock with the International Space Station today, February 14, at 3:15 PM, and you can watch the event below as it happens. By the time the mission’s Dragon capsule docks with the ISS, it will have traveled approximately 34 hours since lift off. Inside are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency’s Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
  
  The four spacefarers are joining the three remaining passengers onboard the ISS after Crew-11 flew back to Earth a month earlier than planned. If you’ll recall, NASA made the decision to cut their mission short after one of the crew members had a medical issue that instruments on the ISS aren’t capable of diagnosing. While the crew member was stable, the agency decided to bring the whole mission home out of an abundance of caution.
  
  Crew-12 will be staying on the ISS for eight months and will conduct a number of scientific experiments, including ones related to human health and ones meant to advance technologies for future missions to the moon and Mars. They will study how pneumonia-causing bacteria can lead to long-term heart damage, for instance, and will also look into how a person’s physical characteristics can affect blood flow during spaceflight. NASA’s live coverage for the docking starts at 1:15 PM.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/watch-the-nasa-spacex-crew-12-mission-dock-with-the-iss-180000450.html?src=rss

• MasterClass deal: It's the last day to get 50 percent off subscriptions
  MasterClass has dropped the price of its annual memberships by 50 percent, making it a more affordable way to explore its full library of courses across cooking, business, photography, writing and more. With the discount applied, you’ll spend $10 per month when billed annually for the Premium tier, with lower-cost Standard and Plus options available depending on how many devices you want to use at once and whether you need offline viewing.
  
  There are more than 200 classes on MasterClass now, and many are led by big names at the top of their fields. Depending on your interests, you might pick up cooking tips from Gordon Ramsay, learn storytelling from Margaret Atwood, explore business strategy with Richard Branson or get insights into performance and mindset from athletes and entertainers. The catalog spans everything from film and TV to wellness, music, science, leadership and photography, so it’s easy to dip in and find something that holds your attention.
  
  
  
  Over the years, MasterClass has expanded into a broad learning platform that feels like part streaming service and part educational library. The catalog spans categories like food, film, music, wellness, sports and entrepreneurship, with lessons designed to be short and easy to follow. Since every plan includes access to the full course library, the choice mostly comes down to convenience. The Standard tier supports one device and doesn’t include offline mode, the Plus plan allows streaming on two devices with downloads, and the Premium tier increases that to six devices with offline access as well.
  
  Classes are structured to be approachable whether you want to learn a new skill or just explore a topic out of curiosity. Lessons are broken into bite-sized segments, so it’s easy to watch one or two at a time on a commute or in the evening. Members also get access to a global community, occasional newsletters and the ability to switch between video and audio listening on supported classes.
  
  If you’ve been considering trying MasterClass, this deal makes it a more affordable way to see if it works for you. A subscription can also double as a thoughtful gift, which is one reason it has appeared in Engadget’s roundup of the best subscription gifts to send to loved ones. With the current 50 percent discount applied across all tiers, it’s a relatively low-cost way to get access to a large library of professionally produced courses that you can watch at your own pace throughout the year.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-its-the-last-day-to-get-50-percent-off-subscriptions-130500234.html?src=rss

• Disney+ and Hulu deal: Get the bundle for $10 for one month
  The peak time for deals on streaming services — the holiday shopping season — has come and gone, but Disney is back with a fresh offer for the new year. New and eligible returning subscribers can get one month of the ad-supported Disney+ Hulu bundle for just $10. That9s $3 off the usual monthly rate for the bundle, and more than 58 percent off if you consider the prices for each service individually (Disney+ at $12 per month and, separately, Hulu also at $12 per month).
  
  We9d be remiss if we didn9t mention that this isn9t quite as good as the Black Friday deal we saw last year, which offered the same bundle for $5 per month for one year. However, if you missed that offer or just want to try out Disney+ and Hulu for a brief period of time, this is a good way to do so.
  
  
  
  Disney+ and Hulu make one of the most balanced streaming pairs available, blending family-friendly favorites with acclaimed originals and network TV staples. Disney+ brings a vast library of animated classics, blockbuster franchises and exclusive content from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic. It’s the place to stream nearly every Star Wars film and series, plus the full Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup and Disney’s most recent theatrical releases.
  
  Hulu balances things out with a more adult-oriented lineup of current TV shows, next-day network episodes and a growing roster of award-winning originals. The platform hosts series like The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building, alongside comedies, thrillers and documentaries that regularly feature in awards conversations. It’s also the home for next-day streaming of ABC and FX shows, making it especially useful if you’ve already cut the cable cord but still want to keep up with primetime TV.
  
  The Duo Basic bundle ties these two services together under a single subscription, offering a simple way to expand your library without juggling multiple accounts. This tier includes ads on both platforms, but the trade-off is significant savings compared with paying for each service separately. For many households, that’s an acceptable compromise when it means access to such a wide range of content.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/disney-and-hulu-deal-get-the-bundle-for-10-for-one-month-192814789.html?src=rss

• Grab our favorite wireless headphones while they're on sale for an all-time-low price
  Sony9s wireless WH-1000XM6 headphones are on sale for $398 via Amazon. This is a record-low price, as it drops $62 from the price tag. The sale applies to all three colorways.
  
  These easily topped our list of the best wireless headphones. They are, in a word, fantastic. The headphones are packed with premium features, like advanced ANC. There are a whopping 12 ANC microphones throughout and a brand-new chip to power the feature. The end result? It successfully blocks background noise at medium and high frequencies, including the human voice.
  
  
  
  The sound quality is extremely pleasing to the ears, thanks to new audio drivers and a team of mastering engineers that assisted with tuning. There are perforations in the driver9s voice coil, which extends high frequency reproduction.
  
  The design has been upgraded from the previous iteration and we found them extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time, which is important with headphones. The battery gets around 30 hours, which is a fairly standard metric for this type of thing. 
  
  The only real major nitpick here is the original asking price. It9s tough to recommend any pair of headphones for $460, but a bit easier at under $400.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/grab-our-favorite-wireless-headphones-while-theyre-on-sale-for-an-all-time-low-price-175038719.html?src=rss

• This Elevation Lab AirTag 10-year extended battery case is on sale for only $16 right now
  If you9re an iPhone user who likes to keep tabs on where your stuff is, you can9t go far wrong with an AirTag. The second-gen model that Apple just released outpaces the original in every way (aside from the galling lack of a keyring hole, that is). While it9s easy enough to replace the battery in both versions of the AirTag, you might not want to have to worry about the device9s battery life for a very long time. Enter Elevation Lab9s extended battery case for the AirTag, which is currently on sale at Amazon for $16.
  
  The case usually sells for $23, so that9s a 30 percent discount. It9s not the first time we9ve seen this deal, but it9s a pretty decent one all the same.
  
  
  
  This is arguably one of the more useful AirTag accessories around for certain use cases. It won9t exactly be helpful for an AirTag that you put in a wallet or attach to your keys, as it9s too bulky for such a purpose — and it doesn9t have a hole for a keyring anyway. Still, if you9re looking for an AirTag case that you can place in a suitcase or backpack and not have to touch for years, this could be the ticket.
  
  Elevation Lab says that, when you place a couple of AA batteries in the case, it can extend the tracker9s battery life to as much as 10 years (the brand recommends using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries for best results). The AirTag is slated to run for over a year on its standard CR2032 button cell. 
  
  The case gives the AirTag more protection as well. It9s sealed with four screws and it has a IP69 waterproof rating. What9s more, it doesn9t ostensibly look like an AirTag case, so someone who steals an item with one inside is perhaps less likely to realize that the object they pilfered is being tracked.
  
  There are some other downsides, though. Since the AirTag is locked inside a case, the sound it emits will be muffled. Elevation Lab says the device9s volume will be about two-thirds the level of a case-free AirTag. However, the second-gen AirTag is louder than its predecessor, which should mitigate that issue somewhat.
  
  
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-elevation-lab-airtag-10-year-extended-battery-case-is-on-sale-for-only-16-right-now-151215739.html?src=rss

• Homeland Security has reportedly sent out hundreds of subpoenas to identify ICE critics online
  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly been asking tech companies for information on accounts posting anti-ICE sentiments. According to blocking links to ICE List, a website that lists thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents’ names. A few days ago, House Judiciary Committee member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) also asked Apple and Google to turn over all their communication with the US Department of Justice to investigate the removal of ICE-tracking apps from their respective app stores.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/homeland-security-has-reportedly-sent-out-hundreds-of-subpoenas-to-identify-ice-critics-online-135245457.html?src=rss

• How to customize your iPhone home screen with iOS 26
  Apple has steadily expanded home screen customization on the iPhone over the past few years, and iOS 26 continues that trend with more visual control over app icons. Building on the changes introduced in iOS 18, the latest update lets you resize icons, remove app labels, apply system-wide color tints and make icons translucent using Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language.
  
  Most of these options live in one place: the Customize menu, which appears after entering edit mode on the home screen. While iOS still doesn’t allow total freeform icon placement or third-party icon packs without shortcuts, the tools Apple provides are now flexible enough to dramatically change how an iPhone looks and feels. This guide walks through how to customize app icons and layouts using the options available in iOS 26, with a focus on icon size, color, appearance and arrangement.
  How to customize your iPhone home screen
  All home screen customization starts the same way.
  
  Go to the Home Screen.
  
  Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen background until the apps begin to jiggle.
  
  Tap Edit in the top left corner, then select Customize from the menu.
  
  A customization panel appears along the bottom of the screen. Changes made here apply across all home screen pages at once, rather than on a per-page basis.
  
  From the Customize menu, you can:
  
  Adjust icon size
  
  Change appearance (e.g., Dark)
  
  Make icons translucent with a clear look
  
  Add a color tint to icons and widgets
  How to make app icons larger and remove labels
  One of the simplest changes in iOS 26 is also one of the most visually impactful. From the Customize menu, tap the icon showing two app squares of different sizes. This switches the home screen to Large App Icons mode.
  
  When large icons are enabled, app labels disappear entirely and the icons themselves expand to fill more of the grid. This creates a cleaner look and makes apps easier to tap, particularly on iPhone models with larger screens. The tradeoff is that fewer icons fit on each screen and spacing between rows becomes more pronounced.
  
  To revert to standard icons with labels, repeat the steps and tap the same button again.
  How to change the appearance of app icons
  iOS 26 offers four icon appearance styles: Default, Dark, Clear and Tinted. These options are available from the top row of the Customize panel. From the Customize panel, you can tap the sun icon across all options in the top left-hand corner to toggle wallpaper dimming. This generally makes app icons and labels easier to read. 
  
  The Default option keeps icons looking as the developers intended, with no system-wide color or transparency applied.
  
  Selecting Dark applies a darker background to supported app icons and widgets. Apple’s own apps fully support this mode, and some third-party apps do as well, though many retain their original colors. When Dark is enabled, iOS can also dim the wallpaper slightly, which may help reduce power usage on OLED displays.
  
  The Clear option enables translucency across all apps on the Home Screen. This removes all color but retains app labels. The layered, frosted-glass effect changes depending on the background image. Clear icons can be paired with Light, Dark or Auto styles using the options along the bottom of the Customize panel.
  
  Tinted mode allows all supported app icons and widgets to take on a single color scheme. After selecting Tinted, color and saturation sliders appear at the bottom of the screen. Adjusting these changes the hue applied across icons, creating a uniform look that can range from subtle pastels to high-contrast monochrome themes.
  
  If you want a specific color from your iPhone’s wallpaper, select the eyedropper tool, then tap and hold while dragging the cursor across the screen until you land on your chosen color. Like the Clear option, you’ll be able to select from Light, Dark or Auto when adjusting the Tinted settings.
  
  The Auto option allows icons to switch between light and dark appearances based on system-wide light or dark mode.
  How to arrange apps around the home screen
  App placement works the same way it did before iOS 26, but the visual changes introduced by larger icons and spacing make layout choices more noticeable.
  
  Apps can be rearranged by accessing an empty space on the Home Screen, then tapping and holding until the apps start jiggling. From here you can drag icons to new positions. The grid remains fixed, meaning icons cannot overlap or be placed freely, but there is more flexibility in how empty space is used.
  
  Icons can be clustered toward the bottom of the screen, aligned to one side or arranged to frame a wallpaper. With large icons enabled, the gap between the dock and the first row of apps becomes more pronounced, but it cannot be filled with additional icons.
  
  Changes apply across all home screen pages, so reorganizing one page does not affect icon size or appearance on another.
  What iOS 26 still doesn’t allow
  Despite expanded customization, some long-standing limitations remain. iOS 26 does not support per-app icon color selection, custom icon packs without shortcuts or freeform icon placement outside the grid. Icon appearance settings apply globally, not per page or per app.
  
  Widgets, lock screen customization and focus mode filters add additional layers of personalization, but those tools sit outside the scope of the home screen Edit menu.
  
  iOS 26 gives iPhone users more control over the look of their home screen than ever before, even if Apple’s approach remains structured. By combining icon resizing, appearance modes and careful app arrangement, it’s possible to create a layout that feels cleaner, more personal and easier to use without relying on workarounds.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-customize-your-iphone-home-screen-with-ios-26-130000798.html?src=rss

• Relooted, Reanimal and other new indie games worth checking out
  Welcome to our latest roundup of what9s going on in the indie game space. A whole bunch of compelling games arrived this week, and Sony dropped some news about more that are on the way to PS5 and other platforms during its State of Play stream on Thursday. 
  
  For one thing, I didn’t have a proper Castlevania game. While it might not be developing many games in-house anymore, giving external studios the chance to run with its franchises is a very smart move on Konami’s part. Not least because we’re getting a Silent Hill game set in Scotland as well.
  
  I’ve had Big Walk on my radar since the game was first shown off at The Game Awards a couple of years back. This is a co-op multiplayer game from Untitled Goose Game studio House House and publisher Panic in which you9ll go on adventures with your friends and help each other through puzzles and other challenges using voice, text chat and gestures. You can just hang out with your buds and watch the sunset or put their binoculars into the ocean too.
  
  Expect Big Walk to arrive later this year on PS5 (including as a Monthly Game for all PS Plus members), Steam and Epic Games Store. There will be support for cross-platform play between PS5 and PC.
  
  Also, Remedy Entertainment is technically an indie studio. As such, I can mention here that I cannot wait for Control Resonant, which is probably going to break my brain with all the perspective shifting Remedy showed off in the gameplay trailer. 
  New releases
  As with any successful heist, planning and execution are equally paramount in Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox Series X/S. It typically costs $15, but there9s a 10 percent discount on Steam until February 24. It9s available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
  
  Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2 developer Tarsier Studios is back with another slice of atmospheric horror. In Reanimal, two siblings set out to save their missing friends and escape from an island they once called home. However, they9ll have to face a litany of dangers, including a lot of creepy creatures. 
  
  I haven9t played Reanimal yet, but the various trailers have have always grabbed my attention. It9s out now on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 for $40.
  
  Reanimal has single-player, couch co-op and online co-op modes. A friend pass that allows you to invite a pal to play with you online at no extra cost should be available soon.
  
  Mewgenics had been in the works for a very long time before it arrived this week. It was initially announced in 2012 when co-developer Edmund McMillen was still part of Super Meat Boy studio Team Meat. After years of Mewgenics being in development hell amid McMillen focusing on projects such as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, he9s finally seen the game through with the help of longtime collaborator Tyler Glaiel.
  
  This is a turn-based strategy roguelike in which players breed cats and then take kitties with wild mutations and blends of powers into combat. There9s a lot to explore and discover here. McMillen and Glaiel claim the main campaign runs for over 200 hours. Having more than 10 character classes (each with 75 unique abilities), more than 900 items and hundreds of bosses and enemies could well ensure that things stay fresh enough to justify that run time.
  
  Reviews have largely been positive for this one, though the humor didn9t click for some critics. Mewgenics is out now on Steam. It usually costs $30, but you can save $3 if you buy it by February 24.
  
  Rogue Point is a co-op shooter for up to four players that’s worth paying attention to, in large part because it’s from the team behind Steam, typically for $20, though there9s a 15 percent discount until February 26.
  
  This appears to be in the vein of tactical shooters like Ubisoft9s Tom Clancy games. There are objective-based missions and a Counter-Strike-style economy for unlocking and upgrading gear. While there are only four maps as things stand, Crowbar Collective has implemented a system that randomizes the layouts to keep things fresh. 
  Upcoming 
  Steam Next Fest is almost upon us. Many developers and publishers are preparing to release demos for their games, but some are arriving ahead of the event, such as one for Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! The demo is a blast and it feels like the kind of retro Starship Troopers shooter I wish we9d had in the late 990s. 
  
  I really enjoy Helldivers 2, which takes a lot of inspiration from Starship Troopers. In turn, this game draws from Helldivers 2, with features like tossing a flare to tell a support craft to send gear down to the planet9s surface. I just wish the mech was a bit more fun and effective to use.
  
  If you would like to know more about this game from Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun developer Auroch Digital and publisher Dotemu, you can check out the demo on Steam. Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is coming to Steam, GOG, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on March 16.
  
  A demo for a line-based puzzle title called Rope popped up on Steam this week ahead of the full game9s arrival in April for about $3.50. The aim is to connect ropes of the same color to clear them. More rules will be introduced over time to make the game more challenging.
  
  While Rope looks charming enough, I mainly wanted to include it in this week’s roundup because I thought developer Ikuo9s comments in the press release were quite lovely. 
  
  "My games are neither flashy nor extravagant. Instead, I focus on preserving the essence of play. Like hide‑and‑seek or tag — simple rules that draw you in until you forget the time," Ikuo said. "Rope brings that timeless spirit of play into a modern puzzle game. It is intuitive, endlessly replayable and quietly absorbing. I aimed to create a small, understated experience that stays with players long after they put it down. I hope this game leaves even a small impression on someone’s heart."
  
  The Mermaid Mask is a project that SFB Games put on the backburner after another one of their games became a hit (that would be favorite games of 2024).
  
  This point-and-click puzzle game is the latest installment in the long-running Detective Grimoire series. A teaser trailer doesn9t give away too much, but I do enjoy what we see of the hand-drawn 2D animation here.
  
  Here9s hoping this is a worthy follow-up to Tangle Tower, an Apple Arcade game we enjoyed very much. We9ll find out for sure when The Mermaid Mask lands on PC and consoles this summer. In the meantime, you can check out an updated demo that just hit Steam ahead of Next Fest. 
  
  The premise of The Stairwell is practically identical to that of The Exit 8. You walk through a small, contained scene multiple times. If everything looks okay, keep walking forward. If something is out of the ordinary, you turn around. Just try not to miss many anomalies. Rather than walk through corridors as in The Exit 8 (the film adaptation of which looks pretty promising), The Stairwell sees you going up or down a seemingly infinite tower as you try to reach the goal. 
  
  This anomaly game, which is from Hidden Palace, has been on Steam since last year. It’s coming to PS5 on February 19. Expect jump scares. 
  
  Let9s wrap things up for this week with an arcade game that requires just two inputs: one button to turn left, and another to veer right. You can9t control the speed of your craft in Ship v Maze. All you can do to avoid crashing and ending your run is to react quickly enough to steer your ship through various obstacles. It9s all about putting your reflexes to the test.
  
  Ship v Maze is from Cosmic Droplet (aka solo developer Frederic Vanmol), It9ll hit Steam on April 2 for $4. A demo is available now.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/relooted-reanimal-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-120000234.html?src=rss

• Bitcoin biopic starring Casey Affleck to use AI to generate locations and tweak performances
  Killing Satoshi, an upcoming biopic about the elusive creator of Bitcoin, will reportedly rely heavily on artificial intelligence to generate locations and adjust actors9 performances, announced in 2025 as being directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, The Edge of Tomorrow) and starring Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson in undisclosed roles, but its connection to overhyped technology was previously understood to begin and end with cryptocurrency.
  
  According to a UK casting notice viewed by Variety, the producers of Killing Satoshi reserve the right to "change, add to, take from, translate, reformat or reprocess” actors9 performances, using "generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and/or machine learning technologies." No digital replicas will be created of performers, but it sounds like plenty of other AI-driven tweaks are on the table. The production9s use of AI will also extend to the setting of its shoots, per Variety9s source. Killing Satoshi will be shot on a "markerless performative capture stage" and things like backgrounds and locations will be entirely generated by AI.
  
  You guess is as good as mine as to why a film about blockchain technology needs to be filmed this way, but Doug Liman has been connected with plenty of unusual projects in the past, including a rumored Tom Cruise film that was supposed to film on the International Space Station. Killing Satoshi will be far less practical in comparison, and walking a much finer line of what9s acceptable in the entertainment industry.
  
  A major sticking point in SAG-AFTRA9s 2023 contract negotiations was guaranteeing protections for actors who could be replaced by AI. Equity, the union representing actors in the UK, is currently negotiating protections for members that are concerned that AI could be used to reproduce their likenesses and voices and let studios use them without their consent.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/bitcoin-biopic-starring-casey-affleck-to-use-ai-to-generate-locations-and-tweak-performances-210657775.html?src=rss

• Two years of the NordVPN Complete plan is 70 percent off
  NordVPN is having a big sale on its two-year plans right now. The Complete tier, for example is 70 percent off, bringing the price of 24 months down to just $130.
  NordVPN regularly appears on Engadget’s list of the best VPN services thanks to its wide server network, strong security tools and consistent performance across devices. NordVPN’s latest promotion puts one of its most comprehensive plans at a price that undercuts many competing premium VPN subscriptions.
  
  
  The Complete tier includes full access to NordVPN’s core VPN service, which encrypts internet traffic and masks a user’s IP address to help protect online activity on public Wi-Fi networks and at home. Subscribers can use the service on multiple devices, including phones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs, with apps available for major operating systems. It also includes access to NordPass (more on that below), an ad blocker and 1TB of cloud storage. You’ll find similar discounts on all of NordVPN’s other plans: Basic, Plus and Prime.
  Beyond the basics, NordVPN offers features like threat protection to help block malicious websites and trackers, as well as specialty servers designed for added privacy or faster performance in specific scenarios. In our NordVPN review, the service was praised for its evolving feature set and overall reliability, even as the VPN market becomes increasingly competitive.
  Engadget regularly tracks VPN pricing trends and this offer compares favorably with other current promotions. It also appears alongside NordVPN deals featured in Engadget’s ongoing roundup of the best VPN discounts available right now, which compares offers from multiple major providers.
  Those looking for additional security tools may also want to note that NordVPN’s Complete plan bundles in extra services beyond the VPN itself. One of those is NordPass, the company’s password management app. NordPass is also discounted as part of a separate promotion, if you’re primarily looking for a password manager rather than a VPN. The Premium tier is currently 50 percent off, bringing the price down to $36 for two years. NordPass Premium adds features such as cross-device password syncing, secure password sharing and breach monitoring, which alerts users if stored credentials appear in known data leaks.
  
  Both offers are available for a limited time, though Nord has not specified an end date for the promotion. If you’re still unsure whether NordVPN is right for you, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can change your mind and get a full refund.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/two-years-of-the-nordvpn-complete-plan-is-70-percent-off-123000349.html?src=rss

• Valve's latest Steam beta lets you add your PC's specs to game reviews
  An upcoming update to Steam includes a helpful improvement to game reviews. As part of the Steam Client Beta update Valve released on February 12, users will now be able to attach information about their hardware specifications when they post a new game review or update an old one.
  
  It9s not uncommon to find negative reviews that complain about a game9s performance, information that9s hard to draw a conclusion from without knowing what kind of hardware the reviewer is using. With specs attached, the usefulness of complaints becomes a little bit easier to gauge. A game9s sales performance and discoverability on Steam is heavily influenced by its review average, a data point Steam users sometimes manipulate for reasons unconnected to the quality of a game. Provided reviewers actually attach their specs — at least in the beta, the feature is entirely optional — Valve9s mercurial reviews ecosystem could end up becoming more nuanced overall.
  
  Alongside the new option in reviews, Valve is also experimenting with a way for users to share "anonymized framerate data" with the company. When framerate sharing is enabled, "Steam will collect gameplay framerate data, stored without connection to your Steam account but identified with the kind of hardware you are playing on," Valve says. The feature is specifically focused on devices running SteamOS, Valve9s Linux-based operating system for the Steam Deck and some third-party handhelds. The extra information could help the company9s attempts to improve game compatibility using software like Proton.
  
  The beta update also includes bug fixes, and a tweak to how Valve collects feedback about whether a game should be Deck Verified. Now when Steam prompts you to confirm whether you agree with a game9s rating, if you disagree, you can provide a reason as to why.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/valves-latest-steam-beta-lets-you-add-your-pcs-specs-to-game-reviews-195038078.html?src=rss

• Apple's Magic Mouse is down to $68 right now
  Apple9s USB-C Magic Mouse is back on sale for about $11 off its usual retail price of $79. At $68, that9s a savings of 14 percent for one of Apple9s best accessories from a company that does not often run sales.
  
  The multi-touch mouse was first released in 2009 with a modest refresh released in 2015 and the addition of a USB-C port in 2024. The rechargeable mouse features gesture controls and automatically pairs with your Mac when connected via USB. The Magic Mouse can also be used with an iPad via Bluetooth, or with a Windows PC, though in that case, functionality would be limited.
  
  Famously, Jony Ive9s design of the Magic Mouse sees its charge port on the underside of the body, rendering it unusable while charging. In 2024 there were rumors of a more comprehensive redesign coming but nothing has materialized since.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-magic-mouse-is-down-to-68-right-now-152708925.html?src=rss

• Nintendo’s Virtual Boy accessory lets you play VR Mario and Zelda on Switch 2
  The forthcoming Nintendo Virtual Boy accessory for Switch and Switch 2 can play VR-supported games, Nintendo Labo VR set. This was a kit for the original Switch that allowed users to build a cardboard VR headset, among other items.
  
  However, this is very good news for Switch 2 owners as Labo creations generally don9t work with Nintendo9s shiny new console. So this is the only way to experience the VR versions of the aforementioned four games. It9s also worth noting that the Switch 2 upgrade for Breath of the Wild still includes the VR mode.
  
  There are some caveats. The Virtual Boy accessory is available to purchase as a hardware unit or in cardboard. The cardboard version is much cheaper, at $25, and is actually the preferred method for playing these games in VR.
  
  That9s because the hardware version sits on a stand, like the original Virtual Boy, making it harder to move one9s head around. The cardboard headset is free from those constraints. The hardware also includes red filters over the lenses, to better mimic the original experience, but these can be removed.
  
  However, the hardware version is better for playing actual Virtual Boy games, as they were designed for a static headset resting on a table. You9ll have to decide if that trade-off is worth $100. It9s also worth noting that Virtual Boy games will not work with the original Labo VR headset, which is a bummer for OG Switch fans.
  
  Both versions of the Virtual Boy accessories will be available on February 17, which is the same day several of the retro console9s games head to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service. They can be purchased at the My Nintendo Store. We got a chance to try the headset and came away fairly impressed, though noted that the revamped accessory is "just as eccentric and ungainly as the original was three decades ago."
  
  For those wondering what all the fuss is about, the Virtual Boy was an actual console released by Nintendo all the way back in 1995. It was one of the first mass-market VR devices and, as such, was decades ahead of the curve. It was cumbersome, the games were only in red and there was nothing by way of motion control. Americans only got 14 games before the console was discontinued.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-virtual-boy-accessory-lets-you-play-vr-mario-and-zelda-on-switch-2-172138483.html?src=rss

• The best power banks and portable chargers for every device in 2026
  Finding yourself far from a wall socket when your phone hits five percent is positively nervewracking. If you stash a portable battery in your bag, you can avoid that feeling altogether. But there are thousands of power banks out there and it can be tough to pick the right one for what you need. I’ve spent a few years testing dozens of batteries and found the best power banks for different scenarios. Whether you need a quick reup for your phone or a huge brick to keep your laptop alive, you’ll find something fitting here.
  Best power banks for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What to look for in a portable battery pack Battery type
  Nearly every rechargeable power bank you can buy (and most portable devices) contain a lithium-ion battery. These beat other current battery types in terms of size-to-charge capacity, and have even increased in energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years. They also don’t suffer from a memory effect (where a battery9s lifespan deteriorates due to partial charges).
  Flying with portable batteries
  You may have heard about lithium ion batteries overheating and catching fire — a recent Hong Kong flight was grounded after just such a thing happened in an overhead bin. Current restrictions implemented by the TSA still allow external batteries rated at 100Wh or less (which all of our recommendations are) to fly with you, but only in your carry-on luggage — they can’t be checked.
  
  Recently, Southwest Airlines was the first in the industry to take that rule one step further. Now, flyers on that airline must keep power banks in clear view when using them to recharge a device. If the portable charger isn’t actively in use, however, it can stay in your carry-on bag in the overhead bin.
  Capacity
  Power bank manufacturers almost always list a battery’s capacity in milliamp hours, or mAh. Smaller batteries with a 5,000mAh capacity make good phone chargers and can fill a smartphone to between 50 and 75 percent. Larger batteries that can recharge laptops and tablets, or give phones multiple charges, can exceed 25,000mAh and we have a separate guide that covers that entire category. 
  
  Unsurprisingly, the prices on most batteries goes up as mAh capacity increases, and since batteries are physical storage units, size and weight go up with capacity as well. If you want more power, be prepared to spend more and carry around a heavier brick.
  
  You might think that a 10,000mAh power bank could charge a 5,000mAh phone to 100 percent twice, but that’s not the case. In addition to simple energy loss through heat dissipation, factors like voltage conversion also bring down the amount of juice that makes it into your phone. Most manufacturers list how many charges a battery can give a certain smartphone. In our tests, 10,000mAh of battery pack capacity translated to roughly 5,800mAh of device charge. 20,000mAh chargers delivered around 11,250mAh to a device, and 25,000mAh banks translated to about 16,200mAh of charge. That’s an average efficiency rate of around 60 percent.
  Wireless
  Wireless charging, whether through a bank or a plugged-in charging pad, is less efficient than wired connections. But it is convenient — and in most cases, you can carry around and use your phone as it refills with a magnetically attached power bank.
  
  Power banks with wireless charging are far better than they once were. Just a couple years ago, the ones I tested were too inefficient to recommend in this guide. When batteries adhering to the Qi2 wireless charging standard started arriving in 2023, performance markedly improved.
  
  To gain Qi2-certification, a device has to support speeds of up to 15 watts and include magnetic attachment points. The MagSafe technology on iPhones were once the only handsets that were Qi2-compatible, but now Google’s Pixelsnap tech brings both the higher speed and magnetic grip to Pixel 10 phones. Samsung may follow up with its own version in future releases.
  
  The latest wireless charging standard, Q12 25W, is supported by the new iPhone 17 phones as well as the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Battery packs that are Qi2 25W-enabled are starting to hit the market as well, and the Ugreen MagFlow was the first on the scene.
  Ports
  USB-C ports can deliver faster charges than USB-A ports, and most of the portable chargers we recommend here have Type-C connections. But Type-A jacks are still handy if you need to use a specialized cable for a certain device (my camera’s USB-A to micro USB cable comes to mind).
  
  There’s also variation among USB-C ports. Larger banks with more than one port will sometimes list different wattages for each. For example, a bank with three ports may have two 65W ports and one 100W port. There will also be at least one in/out port on the bank, which can be used to charge the battery itself or to deliver a charge to your device. Wattages and in/out labels are printed right next to the port — and always in the tiniest font possible (remember, your phone is an excellent magnifying glass if you ever have trouble reading them).
  
  As with standard wall chargers, the port’s wattage will determine what you can charge. A phone will happily charge off a 100W connection, but a 15W plug won’t do much for your laptop. And remember, the cable has to match the maximum wattage. A cable rated for 60W won’t deliver 100W speeds.
  
  Luckily, some of the best power banks include a built-in USB-C cable. That’ll not only ensure you have the right cord, it’s one less thing you have to remember to bring along.
  
  Design
  
  Once, most rechargeable batteries were black with a squared-off, brick-like design, but now they come in different colors and shapes with attractive finishes and detailing. While that doesn’t affect how they perform, it’s a consideration for something you’ll interact with regularly. Some portable power banks include extra features like MagSafe compatibility, a built-in wall plug or even a kickstand. Nearly all have some sort of indicator to let you know how much available charge your power bank has left, usually expressed with lighted pips near the power button. Some of the newer banks take that a step further with an LED display indicating remaining battery percentage.
  How we test best power banks
  First, I considered brands Engadget reviewers and staff have tried over the years and checked out customer ratings on retail sites like Amazon and Best Buy. Then, I acquired the most promising candidates and tested them in my home office.
  Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  For testing, I used each battery to charge both an iPhone and an Android phone, as well as an iPad and a MacBook Pro for the larger portable chargers. I let the devices get down to between zero and five percent and charged them until the devices were full or the power bank died. 
  
  For reference, here are the battery capacities of the device I9ve used for testing over the years:
  
  iPhone 11: 3,110 mAh
  
  iPhone 14 Plus: 4,325 mAh
  
  iPhone 15: 3,349 mAh 
  
  iPhone 16: 3,561*
  
  Galaxy S22 Ultra: 4,855mAh
  
  iPad Air: 7,729mAh
  
  16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro: 27,027mAh
  
  *The iPhone 17 has a slightly larger battery at 3,692mAh
  
  I continuously update this guide as companies release new products.
  Other power banks we tested
  Here are a few picks that didn9t quite make the cut, but are worth mentioning. 
  Belkin Stage PowerGrip
  If you’re into iPhonography, this clever accessory could be worth a look. Belkin’s Stage PowerGrip is a 9,300mAh power bank that has both a wireless charging pad and built-in cable. But it’s also a Bluetooth shutter with a quarter-inch tripod thread. The design resembles a standard digital camera and provides a sturdy grip once you magnetically attach your phone (make sure you’re either using a MagSafe case or no case to ensure a solid connection).
  
  The shutter is conveniently placed and the remote speed was quick enough to capture the cute things my cat was doing. The accessory can even act as a stand while it charges in either landscape or portrait orientation. As a power bank, it’s slow, taking about two hours to get my iPhone 16 from three to 98 percent, but it has enough juice for a full refill plus a little more, which could help if you’re out taking pictures all day.
  Anker MagGo for Apple Watch power bank
  The Anker MagGo for Apple Watch power bank combines a 10K battery with a built-in USB-C cable and a pop-up Apple Watch charger. I didn’t formally test it as it’s a little too niche, but it deserves a mention for saving my keister on two occasions. Driving to a hike, my watch told me it was down to 10 percent. Thankfully, I had this and could refill the watch before I got to the trailhead. Later, on an interstate trip, I realized the travel charging station I’d brought was a dud. This kept my watch alive for the week I was away. It does a good job simply charging a phone via the handy on-board cable, too. But for those with an Apple Watch, it’s extra useful.
  HyperJuice 245W
  Hyper’s massive-but-sleek brick is one nice looking power bank. The HyperJuice 245W packs a hefty 27,000mAh capacity, enough to refill my tester phone about four times and get a MacBook Pro from near-dead to 75 percent. It only has USB-C ports, but you at least get four of them. USB-C only is probably fine for most situations, but a USB-A port would be nice for charging the occasional older peripheral. The 245 wattage is pretty high for a power bank and it was indeed speedy. It filled a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in just over an hour. But it’s the same price and capacity as our Mophie Powerstation pick for laptop banks, and that one has a better variety of ports. Hyper’s battery is also comparable to Anker’s laptop battery, which is cheaper, has built-in cables and has nearly the same capacity. Plus, that bank is just as swanky looking.
  EcoFlow Rapid magnetic power bank
  I was curious to try out the first power bank from EcoFlow, a company that primarily makes larger power stations and whole-home backup batteries. The first offering in the brand’s Rapid series is a Qi2-enabled magnetic charger with a 5,000mAh capacity. It looks quite nice with shiny silver accents and soft-touch grey plastic on the MagSafe-compatible front. There’s a little pull-out leg that sturdily displays your phone as it charges and the attached USB-C cable lets you refill devices directly, then tucks out of the way when it’s not in use. But it didn’t outperform our top pick in the MagSafe category, in terms of both charging speeds and the amount of charge delivered.
  Mophie Snap+ Powerstation Mini
  The Mophie snap+ Powerstation Mini is terribly well-built. It feels premium with a rubberized contact point for the MagSafe charging pad and a stand that runs the entire width of the bank itself, making it extra sturdy. It’s compact, too, but only carries a 5,000mAh capacity, which gets you a partial charge on most newer or larger phones. Our current MagSafe/iPhone pick has double the capacity, a stand and a digital display — for just $20 more than the Powerstation Mini.
  Power bank FAQs What9s the difference between a portable power bank and a portable charger?
  A slew of terms are used to describe power banks, including portable batteries, portable chargers, external battery packs and even, somewhat confusingly, USB chargers, which is what wall chargers are often called. They all mean the same thing: a lithium ion battery that stores a charge so you can refill a smartphone, tablet, earbuds, console controller, ereader, laptop, or just about any other device with its own built-in, rechargeable battery. 
  
  There’s little difference between the terms, so the specs you’ll want to pay attention to are capacity (expressed in mAh), size and weight so you can find the right balance between recharging what you need and portability.
  
  Power stations, on the other hand, are distinct. These are bigger units (often around the size of a car battery) that can be used to charge multiple devices multiple times, but notably, they can’t be taken on airplanes.
  Does fast charging actually ruin your battery?
  Not exactly. The real enemy of a battery’s longevity is heat. The faster you charge a battery, the more heat is generated. Modern phones have features that keep the battery cool while charging, like physical heat shields and heat sinks, as well as software features that slow down processes that generate too much heat. Phone manufacturers are keen to promote a phone’s fast-charging abilities, so they had to figure out ways to make faster charging work.
  
  While there aren’t long-term studies on what fast charging does to a phone, a study on EV batteries (which use the same general concept of charged lithium ions flowing from one side of the battery to the other, absorbing or releasing a usable charge) showed a very slight decrease in capacity over time with only fast charging — though what actually made a larger difference was how hot the battery itself was, due to ambient temperatures, when it was charged.
  
  In short, fast charging could be slightly harder on your battery than normal charging. But the safeguards most smartphones have make that difference fairly negligible. To really ensure you’re optimizing charging capabilities, limit your phone9s heat exposure overall.
  Can you use a power bank for all your devices?
  That depends on the size of the bank and the size of your device’s battery. A small 5,000mAh battery isn’t strong enough to charge laptops, but a portable charger with a 20,000mAh capacity will give your computer a partial refill. You also have to consider port compatibility. If your device has a USB port, you’ll be able to easily find a cable to connect it to a battery. If your device has a more unique port, such as a DC port, you won’t be able to use a battery. Devices with an AC cable and plug can be charged, and sometimes powered (such as in the case of a printer or speaker), by larger laptop batteries with AC ports.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-power-bank-143048526.html?src=rss

• ExpressVPN deal: Two-year plans are up to 81 percent off right now
  If you9re looking to up your privacy game on the internet in the new year, you can do so for a little less than usual thanks to ExpressVPN9s latest deal. Its two-year plans are up to 81 percent off right now: the Advanced tier is on sale for $88 for two years, plus four additional free months. The Basic plan is where you9ll see the biggest discount: it9s $68 for two years, plus the same four additional free months.
  
  We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it9s our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves that issue.
  
  
  
  In our review we were able to get fast download and upload speeds, losing only 7 percent in the former and 2 percent in the latter worldwide. We found that it could unblock Netflix anywhere, and its mobile and desktop apps were simple to operate. We gave ExpressVPN an overall score of 85 out of 100.
  
  The virtual private network service now has three tiers. Basic is cheaper with fewer features, while Pro costs more and adds extra perks like support for 14 simultaneous devices and a password manager. Advanced sits in the middle and includes the password manager but only supports 12 devices.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/expressvpn-deal-two-year-plans-are-up-to-81-percent-off-right-now-180602064.html?src=rss

• Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die rails against AI in style
  You9ve seen this movie before: A disheveled man (Sam Rockwell) busts into a restaurant, threatening to blow up the joint unless a crew of people joins him. Like Groundhog Day, he9s been through this countless times before, and he immediately starts recounting otherwise unknowable details to convince the diner patrons. Like 12 Monkeys, he9s from the future — the timely twist in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don9t Die is that, rather than a world-ending virus, he needs help preventing a humanity-ending AI from being born. 
  
  Good Luck is more of a primal scream than a thoughtful articulation about where everything went wrong. There9s a bit of "old man yells at cloud" energy here (director Gore Verbinski is 61, and screenwriter Matthew Robinson is 47), but it fits the film9s satirical tone. Looking around at the world today, who doesn9t wish they could warn their past selves about the tech industry and the new ruling class it helped breed. 
  
  Rockwell9s character eventually wrangles a ragtag crew of future saviors: Mark and Janet (Michael Pena and Zazie Beetz), a married couple of high school teachers; Susan (Juno Temple), a distraught mother; and Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), a sad woman wearing a princess dress. There9s also Asim Chaudhry9s Scott, who mostly serves as comic relief, but doesn9t get any real backstory like the others. 
  
  Good Luck wastes no time fleshing out its present near-dystopia in episodic chapters. It turns out Mark and Janet are also on the run from smartphone-obsessed high schoolers, who spend their days scrolling through endless TikTok-like feeds. Susan is forced to confront a horrific situation around her son (I won9t get into specifics here, but it9s a distinctly American phenomenon). And Ingrid is literally allergic to Wi-Fi and smart devices, which makes it hard to fit into the modern world. 
  
  Each of these scenarios play out like mini Black Mirror episodes. Everything is heightened to the absurd, and all the problems can be traced back to unchecked technological encroachment and capitalism. Nothing subtle there. The glimpses of an apocalyptic future are even less so — all we see are destroyed cities, people trapped in VR headsets (which place them in an AI-generated reality) and robots hunting down anti-AI humans. 
  Sam Rockwell in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don9t Die.Briarcliff Entertainment
  Good Luck is at its best when it9s simply having fun. As Rockwell and crew make their way to their final destination — a child who is about to invent true AI — they encounter pig-faced assassins, Stepford-esque parents and an adorably horrific kaiju. Even when faced with half-baked scripts, Verbinski always manages to impress visually (think back to the creepiness of The Ring, or the wildly entertaining set pieces in Pirates of the Caribbean). That9s as true as ever here, where the final scene evokes the hyper-tech chaos of Akira.
  
  As much as Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, evokes classic sci-fi, it still can’t hold a candle to the sheer terror of seeing AI unleash a nuclear bomb in Terminator 2. And despite its zanines, it doesn’t reach the madcap heights of Gilliam’s Brazil or 12 Monkeys. But if you’re sick of having AI products shoved down your throat, and you think the notion of “true AI” is a farce, it’s a fun way to channel your rage.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/good-luck-have-fun-dont-die-rails-against-ai-in-style-154437854.html?src=rss

• Meta is reportedly working to bring facial recognition to its smart glasses
  Meta has backed away from highly controversial facial recognition tech in its products and services before, but seemingly not so far that it isn’t willing to have another crack at it. A new report from shelved plans to include facial recognition in the first version of its smart glasses, which launched in 2023.
  
  In an internal memo from Meta’s Reality Labs viewed by the NYT, Meta said that the current political instability in the US presents a good opportunity for it to push ahead with its plans. "We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns," it said.
  
  With the smart glasses market expected to become more competitive in the coming years, Meta seemingly believes facial recognition would give it an edge on rival products from the likes of OpenAI. As for how it would work, the company is considering its options. It could recognize people the wearer is already connected to via one of Meta’s apps, or potentially display information from public Instagram accounts. The NYT’s sources said that universal facial recognition, effectively allowing you to look up the identity of anyone you walked past, would not be possible.
  
  Meta shut down Facebook’s Face Recognition system, used when tagging people in photos, in 2021, following widespread public backlash over privacy concerns. Three years later, it brought it back, this time as a tool for Instagram and Facebook designed to detect scam ads that use the faces of celebrities and other public figures. Last year Meta rolled out the feature beyond the US, so Facebook and later Instagram users in the UK, Europe and South Korea could also use it on their accounts.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-is-reportedly-working-to-bring-facial-recognition-to-its-smart-glasses-144721330.html?src=rss

• The ridiculously tiny Kodak Charmera captured our hearts (and lots of shoddy pictures)
  Every once in a while, a product comes along that sparks a bit of joy in our jaded hearts. This is what happened with the Kodak Charmera, a $30 tiny toy camera that was nearly impossible to get ahold of in the first couple of months after its release, selling out immediately over waves of blind box restocks. Despite the gimmick of it all, the Charmera was just too cute for some of us to resist, and we sprang when they finally started becoming more readily available. 
  
  A few of us on the Engadget team have one now, and even with all of its shortcomings, we kind of love this thing. Here9s what two of our writers think about it. 
  
  
  
  
  Lately, it feels like a chore to carry around a full-frame mirrorless camera. My Nikon definitely feels like the right tool to precisely capture a moment in time with fast autofocus and plenty of image resolution. Other times, that perfect moment is more casual, like catching up with friends over dim sum or killing time while you9re snowed in at a cabin in Vermont. In these cases, there9s no reason to carry around a hulking camera and lens to snap a flawless photo that I have to edit later. Instead, something light, discreet and playful feels like the right tool for the occasion.
  Jackson Chen for Engadget
  That9s where the Kodak Charmera comes in. It9s a toy camera with a 35mm lens with a fixed f/2.4 aperture and a 1/4-inch sensor. In other words, the photos this thing takes are about equivalent to what you would get with a crappy flip phone from the 2000s that also plays Snake.
  
  Kodak is clearly trying to wring out the longing for nostalgia within all of us, and has nailed it with the Charmera, which is even inspired by its old-school disposable Fling cameras. It9s definitely not as good as the smartphone in your pocket, but there9s something disarming about snapping a quick shot with a tiny block of plastic that9s lighter than your keys.
  
  Playing around with the Charmera for a few weeks gave me a healthy reminder that the sillier and more transient parts of life don9t need the technical prowess of an expensive camera. Obviously, the Chamera produces photos of terrible quality at 1.6 megapixels and can9t really capture anything fast-moving or in low light, but it9s undeniably fun and hard to resist shooting with. And sometimes, you and your friends are just doing wildly unserious things and you want a camera that matches that energy.
  
  — Jackson Chen, Contributing Reporter
  
  
  Every time I pull out the Kodak Charmera in public to snap a few pictures, I9m immediately met with a barrage of questions and squeals of delight from full-grown adults: "What is that?"; "Is that a camera?"; "Does it really take pictures?"; "Can I see it?" It is the kind of accessory that doubles as a conversation starter, an effect that9s turned out to be as joyous as taking pictures with the camera itself. I9ve been trying really hard to spend less time on social media and my phone in general lately, and having a two-inch camera clipped to me has made for a pretty fun shift in how I document the day-to-day. 
  
  As the resurgence of compact digital cameras has shown us, a lot of people are yearning for a time of simpler tech — when we had personal devices that could do useful things, like take decent photos and connect us to our friends, but didn9t consume our lives entirely. Companies like Camp Snap have shaped their entire brands around recapturing that magic, and some consumers have shown that they9re willing to sacrifice in areas like image quality in exchange for a taste of it, too. The Kodak Charmera isn9t the kind of product you go into purchasing with high expectations. It is clearly a toy that is only going to be capable of so much. 
  Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  As Jackson noted, the low-resolution 1,440  x 1,080 pictures look about on par with those you9d have taken on a flip phone 15 or 20 years ago. In the right lighting conditions with a clearly defined subject, they9re not so bad. But selfies, portraits and nature photos will generally look washed out. It can record videos too — and you should set similarly low expectations for these. 
  
  Despite all that, I9ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I9m enjoying the Charmera experience. Its crunchy photos are just good enough to feel like they9re successfully preserving a moment in time. And being so tiny, it9s really convenient to bring everywhere. It even came with me to CES. The Charmera takes a microSD card (sold separately), allowing for tons of storage and easy transferring. There are a bunch of built-in filters you can apply, too, which have been fun to play around with.
  
  If I want high-quality photos, this isn9t the camera I9m going to reach for. But it9s great for low-stakes situations when all I care about is taking some pictures I can look back on fondly later. Consider me charmed. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend Editor
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/the-ridiculously-tiny-kodak-charmera-captured-our-hearts-and-lots-of-shoddy-pictures-140000245.html?src=rss

• Meta really wants you to believe social media addiction is 'not a real thing'
  Meta went to court this week in two major trials over alleged harms facilitated by its platform. In New Mexico, the state9s attorney general has accused the company of facilitating child exploitation and harming children through addictive features. In a separate case in Los Angeles, a California woman sued the company over mental health harms she says she suffered as the result of addictive design choices from Meta and others.
  
  In both cases, Meta has disputed the idea that social media should be considered an "addiction." On the stand this week, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that social media isn9t "clinically addictive," comparing it to being "addicted" to a Netflix show.
  
  In opening statements in the New Mexico trial, Meta9s lawyer Kevin Huff went further. He told the jury that "social media addiction is not a thing" because it9s not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the handbook used by mental health professionals in the US.
  
  "According to the American Psychiatric Association, they don9t recognize the concept of social media addiction in the same way as addiction to drugs and alcohol," Huff said during opening arguments that were broadcast by Courtroom View Network. "What you see on the screen is what9s called the DSM, which is basically the official manual for recognized mental disorders. The American Psychiatric Association studied this and decided that social media addiction is not a thing."
  
  But the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has never said that social media addiction doesn9t exist. The organization provides information and resources about social media addiction on its website. "Social media addiction is not currently listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR—but that does not mean it doesn’t exist," the APA said in a statement to Engadget.
  
  Dr. Tania Moretta, a clinical pyschophysiology researcher who has studied social media addiction, agrees. "The absence of a DSM classification does not mean that a behavior cannot be addictive, maladaptive or clinically significant," she told Engadget. That argument, she said, "reflects a misunderstanding" of how psychiatry professionals define and classify conditions. "Diagnostic manuals formalize scientific consensus; they do not define the boundaries of legitimate scientific inquiry. Many maladaptive behaviors and clinically significant symptom patterns are studied and treated well before receiving official classification."
  
  Meta9s critics have long claimed that the company has profited from addictive features that hook children and teens. The trials in Los Angeles and New Mexico are just the start of several court battles over the issue. The social media company is also facing a high-profile trial with school districts in June, and lawsuits from 41 state attorneys general. 
  
  Moretta said that social media addiction is a field that requires more study, but that there is already evidence that it can have harmful effects on some people. "At present, from a scientific perspective, there is documented evidence that social media use disorder is associated with both psychophysiological alterations, including changes in reward/motivational and inhibitory/regulatory systems, and clinically significant negative impacts on functioning (e.g., sleep disturbances, psychological distress, impairment in social, academic, or occupational domains)," she said. "The key question is not whether all social media use is addictive, but whether a subset of users exhibits patterns consistent with behavioral addiction models and whether specific platform design features may exacerbate vulnerability in predisposed individuals."
  
  Both trials are ongoing and expected to last the next several weeks. In New Mexico, jurors have already heard from former employee turned whistleblower Arturo Bejar and former exec Brian Boland, both of whom have publicly criticized the company for not prioritizing safety. In Los Angeles, Mosseri9s testimony has wrapped up, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify next week. The trials will also feature extensive internal documents from Meta, including details about the company9s own research into the mental health impacts of its platform on young people.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-really-wants-you-to-believe-social-media-addiction-is-not-a-real-thing-130000257.html?src=rss

• Why does my VPN keep disconnecting?
  One good thing about virtual private networks (VPNs) is that when they don9t work, the problem is almost always solvable without technical training. Although it9s aggravating when your VPN randomly drops your connection, the chances are good that you can handle the issue yourself without getting tech support involved.
  
  If your VPN is repeatedly disconnecting from the server, I recommend dealing with the problem immediately. When you have your kill switch on as good cybersecurity habits dictate, VPN drops will kick you off the internet. Without that feature enabled, it9ll expose your real identity and location online. That’s not a big deal if you’re just aiming to, say, stream an international sporting event, but it could be an existential issue if you’re using the VPN as a workaround against government censorship. Either way, you can address the issue by working through the eight troubleshooting steps below and checking whether they9ve solved your problem.
  8 reasons your VPN keeps disconnecting
  I9ve organized these root causes in ascending order of how much effort the solution takes. Try the easier fixes before moving on to the more complex or expensive ones.
  1. You9re using the VPN on too many devices at once
  Most VPNs limit the number of devices you can connect at the same time on a single subscription. Some services, like Surfshark, claim to offer unlimited simultaneous connections, but they9ll still cut you off if they see signs of abuse. Generally, you can install the VPN on as many devices as you like; it just can9t be actively running on more than the limit.
  
  If you9re trying to connect to the VPN on a new device and it repeatedly disconnects, check how many other phones, computers or smart TVs it9s already running on. Pay attention to devices where you have the VPN set to auto-connect on startup, as you may have missed that it9s running. Disconnect from the VPN on one of those devices and try again on the new one.
  2. Your VPN server is slow or overloaded
  The problem often rests with the VPN server you9re trying to connect to. Providers regularly shut down servers for routine maintenance. Sometimes, a server is technically online, but it9s under such a heavy user load that it can9t maintain a connection. It9s also possible that the server is so physically far away from you that the connection keeps timing out.
  
  In cases like these, the answer is simple: use another server. Pick a different server by disconnecting the VPN and reconnecting to the same location. If the new server has the same problems, try another location, assuming you don9t need an IP address in a specific country.
  3. You9re using an unstable VPN protocol
  As I explained in my article on how a VPN works, a VPN protocol is the set of instructions at the heart of everything a VPN does. Not all protocols are the same. For example, OpenVPN over TCP prioritizes speed over connection stability, causing more frequent disconnections. It9s also possible for certain networks to block some VPN protocols but not others (see #8).
  
  If changing servers didn9t help your unstable connection, try switching protocols. WireGuard, OpenVPN over UDP and IKEv2 are best for stability. You can almost always find the protocol options in the Settings page of your VPN app.
  4. Power-save settings are interfering
  A VPN almost always runs in the background. In some cases, a device9s battery saver settings might shut down the VPN to stop the battery from draining. See if turning off power-save mode stops your VPN from disconnecting randomly (and maybe plug in your device while you9re at it).
  5. Your internet connection isn9t stable
  Your VPN needs to pass traffic through an ISP like any other online app — it just encrypts that traffic first. If you don9t have a good internet connection, you won9t have a good VPN connection. When you notice your VPN randomly disconnecting, check whether you have problems with your home internet connection. Resetting your modem by turning it off for at least 10 seconds may solve the problem, but you can also just wait for your internet to improve with time.
  6. Another program is interfering with the VPN
  Other security programs are a frequent cause of VPN disruptions. If you connect to an office VPN, for example, you likely won9t be able to have a personal VPN running at the same time. Likewise, if you use an antivirus program or have a firewall on your device, it may be blocking your VPN from connecting. See if you can configure the firewall to allow traffic through a port used by a VPN protocol.
  7. Your software is out of date
  If none of the fixes have worked so far, you can often solve your connection problems by updating all the software involved. For optimal security, you should be installing updates the moment they9re available anyway, so this will protect you even if it doesn9t directly solve your VPN problem.
  
  Update your VPN client and your operating system, then try connecting again. If you9re still having problems, try updating your router. You can reach its control panel by entering its default IP address into the URL bar of your browser. Update it as well, then try once more.
  8. Your network or ISP is blocking VPN traffic
  There9s a chance that your problem originates with your network or ISP, not on the VPN or any device you own. Some networks, especially at offices and schools, automatically block any VPN traffic they detect. These restrictions can even be imposed by entire countries, most infamously in China.
  
  Should this turn out to be your problem, turn on any obfuscation features that may be built into your VPN. Using an obfuscated protocol, connect to a server outside the location being censored, then use the internet as normal. This will be much more difficult if you9re in a country where VPNs are illegal or restricted, but there9s still hope — if you can safely send an email, contact a VPN provider and ask if they9ll send you a configuration directly. Proton VPN is one company that9s officially willing to do that.
  
  If you still find your VPN disconnecting mid-session, you may have a rare problem that doesn9t show up on this list. Contact your VPN9s support staff and do what they recommend. If possible, chat with a live support technician so you can tell them what you9ve already tried.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/why-does-my-vpn-keep-disconnecting-130000620.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