All the News that Matters

• Debian 11 osslsigncode Important Update CVE-2023-36377 DLA-4426-2
  

• openSUSE Leap 15.5 Kernel Important Security Fixes 47 Issues 2026-0263-1
  An update that solves 392 vulnerabilities, contains 16 features and has 47 security fixes can now be installed.

• SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP5 Kernel Important Vulnerability Fix 2026-0263-1
  An update that solves 392 vulnerabilities, contains 16 features and has 47 security fixes can now be installed.

• SUSE glib2 Low Integer Overflow Risk 2026-0264-1 CVE-2026-0988
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• SUSE 2027:0731-6 Urgent Patch for MySQL Released for Every User
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• Oracle Linux 10 ELSA-2026-0975 Moderate CVE-2025-13601 Security Update
  The following updated rpms for Oracle Linux 10 have been uploaded to the Unbreakable Linux Network:

• GNU Guix 1.5 Brings Plasma 6.5, GNOME 46, Rootless Mode, and More
  GNU Guix 1.5 is out after three years, delivering Plasma 6.5, GNOME 46 on Wayland, rootless package management, and more than 12,500 new packages.

• AMD Ryzen AI Software 1.7 Released For Improved Performance On NPUs, New Model Support
  AMD today released a new version of Ryzen AI Software, the user-space packages for Microsoft Windows and Linux for making use of the Ryzen AI NPUs for various AI software tasks like Stable Diffusion, ONNX, and more...

• Devs begin to assess options for MySQL's future beyond Oracle
  As Big Red's governance of the popular database comes into question, contributors to MySQL consider wresting controlDevelopers in the MySQL community are working together to challenge Oracle to improve transparency and commitment in its handling of the popular open source database, while considering other options, including forking the code.…

• ReactOS Celebrates 30 Years of Chasing Windows Compatibility
  After 30 years of development, ReactOS continues its quest to support Windows applications and drivers in an open environment.

• AMD Lands Fresh Performance Improvements For RDNA4 In RadeonSI Driver
  While slightly too late for making it into the Mesa 26.0 release that branched yesterday, merged now to Mesa Git for Q2's Mesa 26.1 release are some new RadeonSI Gallium3D (OpenGL) driver optimizations for the latest AMD Radeon RDNA4 graphics cards...

• USB 3.0 flash drive supports OS boot and file transfer on Raspberry Pi
  Raspberry Pi has released the Raspberry Pi Flash Drive, a USB 3.0 Type-A flash storage device intended for file transfer, backups, and operating system use across Raspberry Pi boards and other computers. The flash drive is available in 128 GB and 256 GB capacities, with pricing starting at around $30. The Raspberry Pi Flash Drive […]

• Intel Xeon 6780E "Sierra Forest" Linux Performance ~14% Faster Since Launch
  As part of my end-of-year 2025 benchmarking I looked at how the Intel Xeon 6980P Granite Rapids performance evolved in the year since launch and seeing some nice open-source/Linux optimizations during that time. On the other side of the table were also benchmarks of how AMD EPYC 8004 Sienna evolved in its two years, Ubuntu 24.04 vs. 26.04 development for AMD EPYC Turin, the AMD EPYC Milan-X in its four years since launch, and also a look at the performance evolution lower down the stack with the likes of sub-$500 laptop hardware. Out today is a fresh look at how the Intel Xeon 6780E Sierra Forest has evolved in its one and a half years since its launch.

• Linux Mint 22.3 Zena Delivers a Polished, Familiar Desktop Experience
  The Linux Mint project has unveiled Linux Mint 22.3, carrying the codename “Zena”, the latest point release in the popular Mint 22 series. This new version continues Mint’s reputation for delivering a comfortable, user-friendly desktop experience while remaining stable and reliable. As a Long Term Support (LTS) release, Linux Mint 22.3 will receive updates and security patches through April 2029.

• Rust 1.93 Brings Improvement For Inline Assembly Handling
  Rust 1.93 is out today as the first feature release for this programming lanugage of 2026...

• KDE Plasma Customization | Astronaut Dusk Space Vibes
  A dark and minimal KDE Plasma customization with a space-inspired aesthetic.This setup features an astronaut wallpaper with dusk tones on a deep black background, creating a calm and immersive desktop atmosphere.Desktop Environment: KDE PlasmaStyle: Dark / Space / MinimalFocus: Clean layout, comfortable contrast, daily use

• Arch the Easy Way, With Manjaro 26.0
  Manjaro 26.0 aims to deliver Arch speed with fewer sharp edges; here’s how it handles installation, performance, and everyday tasks.

• Steam Client Update Delivers Controller and Steam Input Improvements
  Valve’s latest Steam client update fixes crashes, DRM-related game exits, and long-standing controller issues across Windows and Linux systems.

• ReactOS Celebrates 30 Years In Striving To Be An Open-Source Windows Implementation
  The ReactOS project is celebrating today that it marks 30 years since their first code commit in the ReactOS source tree. During the past 30 years now the project has seen more than 88k commits from more than 300 developers as it seeks to be a robust open-source Windows implementation. In their 30 year birthday blog post they also provide a look ahead at what they're working on...

• How to Install and Use Julia on Linux
  This article guides you through installing Julia on your preferred Linux distribution while also demonstrating its usage through various practical examples.

• KDE Plasma Login Manager Won’t Support Systemd-Free Linux or BSD Systems
  KDE's new Plasma Login Manager is tightly bound to systemd, making it unusable on systemd-free Linux distributions and BSD systems.

• Debian's FreedomBox Blend promises an easier home cloud
  There are other home server, NAS, and media-streaming distros, but this aspires to much moreHands On Want to get off someone else's cloud, especially if it's hosted in a country you don't trust? FreedomBox is an off-ramp, and it's included in Debian in the form of a Blend.…

• Skip Makes Its Mobile Development Tools Free and Open Source
  Skip has dropped paid subscriptions and open-sourced its mobile development stack for native iOS and Android apps.

• New Steam Client Update Adds Support for the Razer Raiju V3 Pro Controller
  Valve released a new stable update to its Steam Client desktop application for Linux, macOS, and Windows systems with various improvements to Steam Input, especially support for the Razer Raiju V3 Pro controller.

• Linux Finally Retiring HIPPI: The First Near-Gigabit Standard For Networking Supercomputers
  While the Linux kernel has been seeing preparations from NVIDIA for 1.6 Tb/s networking in preparing for next-generation super-computing, the kernel has still retained support to now for the High Performance Parallel Interface. HIPPI was the standard for connecting supercomputers in the late 1980s and a portion of the 1990s with being the first networking standard for near-Gigabit connectivity at 800 Mb/s over distances up to 25 meters. But HIPPI looks like it will be retired from the mainline kernel with Linux 7.0...

• COSMIC Desktop 1.0.3 Brings File Manager Improvements
  The latest COSMIC Desktop 1.0.3 update is out, improving usability in Files, Settings, Terminal, and portal integration for Linux users.

• Toilet Maker Toto's Shares Get Unlikely Boost From AI Rush
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Shares of Japanese toilet maker Toto gained the most in five years after booming memory demand excited expectations of growth in its little-known chipmaking materials operations. The stock surged as much as 11%, its steepest rise since February 2021, after Goldman Sachs analysts said Toto's electrostatic chucks used in NAND chipmaking will likely benefit from an AI infrastructure buildout that's tightening supplies of both high-end and commodity memory. [...] Known for its heated toilet seats, the maker of washlets has for decades been part of the semiconductor and display supply chain via its advanced ceramic parts and films. Its electrostatic chucks -- which it began mass producing in 1988 -- are used to hold silicon wafers in place during chipmaking while helping to control temperature and contamination, according to the company. The company's new domain business accounted for 42% of its total operating income in the fiscal year ended March 2025, Bloomberg-compiled data show.
  
  
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• The Great Graduate Job Drought
  Global hiring remains 20% below pre-pandemic levels and job switching has hit a 10-year low, according to a LinkedIn report, and new university graduates are bearing the brunt of a labor market that increasingly favors experienced candidates over fresh talent. In the UK, the Institute of Student Employers found that graduate hiring fell 8% in the last academic year and employers now receive 140 applications for each vacancy, up from 86 per vacancy in 2022-23. US data from the New York Federal Reserve shows unemployment among recent college graduates aged 22-27 stands at 5.8% versus 4.1% for all workers. Recruiter Reed had 180,000 graduate job postings in 2021 but only 55,000 in 2024. In a survey of Reed clients last year, 15% said they had reduced hiring because of AI. London mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital will be "at the sharpest edge" of AI-driven changes and that entry-level jobs will be first to go.
  
  
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• Wall Street Pushes Solo 401(k)s as More Americans Work for Themselves
  An anonymous reader shares a report: A niche retirement plan favored by freelancers is quickly becoming a hot Wall Street sales pitch, as more and more Americans look for ways to shelter a bigger chunk of their paychecks from taxes. Known as solo 401(k)s, they allow the self-employed to contribute $72,000 a year into tax-advantaged retirement accounts. That's nearly three times the maximum for typical salaried workers in the US. While they've existed for decades serving a workforce that often struggled to earn enough to max out those contributions, wealth planners like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Betterment are now racing to tap into burgeoning demand from a newer, and wealthier cohort: Post-pandemic contractors and self-employed DIY savers looking to shelter more income, grow assets tax-deferred or tax-free, all with the click of a button. The pitch is simple: Because of a quirk in the tax code, self-employed workers effectively contribute twice to their 401(k)s -- once as an employee on their own behalf and then again as a business owner making matching contributions. The platforms take care of the paperwork and clients get institutional-level tax planning and investment flexibility. More than three-quarters of America's record 36 million small businesses now have just a single employee, the owner. Cerulli Associates projects that total 401(k) plans in the U.S. will surpass 1 million by 2030, and the fastest growth is expected in sub-$5 million "micro" accounts.
  
  
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• China Makes Too Many Cars, and the World Is Increasingly OK With It
  After years of Western governments raising alarms about Chinese automotive overcapacity and erecting tariff barriers, an unexpected pivot is now underway as major economies cautiously open their markets to Chinese electric vehicles, Bloomberg writes. Beijing itself has started acknowledging the problem at home. Chinese regulators last week warned of "severe penalties" for automakers defying efforts to rationalize pricing in the country's car market, and earlier this month a government ministry urged battery makers to curtail expansion and cutthroat competition. The European Union imposed steep tariffs on Chinese EV imports in 2024 and is now considering replacing them with minimum import price agreements. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney last week decided to allow 49,000 Chinese EVs annually at a 6.1% tariff rate, removing a 100% surtax. Germany announced this week that its $3.5 billion EV subsidy program will be open to all manufacturers including Chinese brands. Germany's environment minister Carsten Schneider dismissed concerns during a January 19 press conference: "I cannot see any evidence of this postulated major influx of Chinese car manufacturers in Germany, either in the figures or on the roads." BYD registered an eightfold increase in sales in Germany last year and pulled ahead of Tesla, though Volkswagen still registered around 2,300 vehicles for every one BYD sold.
  
  
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• Solar and Wind Overtake Fossil Fuels in the EU
  Wind and solar power overtook fossil fuels last year as a source of electricity in the EU for the first time, a new report found. Semafor adds: The milestone was hit largely thanks to a rise in solar power, which generated a record 13% of electricity in the EU, according to Ember. Together, wind and solar hit 30% of EU electricity generation, edging out fossil fuels at 29%. The shift is especially important with the bloc's alternative to Russian LNG -- Washington -- becoming increasingly unreliable and willing to weaponize economic tools. The US Commerce Secretary threw shade at the bloc's renewable push during Davos, warning that China uses net zero goals to make allies "subservient" by controlling battery and critical mineral supply chains. Still, renewables now provide nearly half of EU power, with wind and solar outpacing all fossil sources in more than half of member countries. "The stakes of transitioning to clean energy are clearer than ever," the Ember report's author said.
  
  
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• Toronto Man Posed as Pilot To Rack Up Hundreds of Free Flights, Prosecutors Say
  A Toronto man posed as a pilot for years in order to fool airlines into giving him hundreds of free flights, prosecutors have alleged, in a case that has prompted comparisons to the Hollywood thriller Catch Me If You Can. From a report: Authorities in Hawaii announced this week that Dallas Pokornik, 33, had been charged with wire fraud after he allegedly fooled three major US carriers into giving him free tickets over a span of four years. Airlines typically offer standby tickets to their own staff and those with rival airlines as a way of ensuring the broader industry can effectively move employees across continents. According to court documents, Pokornik was a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, but then used an employee identification from that carrier to obtain tickets, "which he in fact knew to be fraudulent at the time it was so presented." The only Toronto-based airline, Porter, told reporters it was "unable to verify any information related to this story." On one occasion, Pokornik is alleged to have requested a jumpseat in an aircraft's cockpit, which are normally reserved for off-duty pilots, even though he was not a pilot and did not have an airman's certificate. Federal rules prohibit the cockpit jumpseats from being used for leisure travel.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Apple's Secret Product Plans Stolen in Luxshare Cyberattack
  An anonymous reader shares a report: The Apple supplier subject to a major cyberattack last month was China's Luxshare, it has now emerged. More than 1TB of confidential Apple information was reportedly stolen. It was reported in December that one of Apple's assemblers suffered a significant cyberattack that may have compromised sensitive production-line information and manufacturing data linked to Apple. The specific company targeted, the scope of the breach, and its operational impact were unclear until now. The attack was first revealed on RansomHub's dark web leak site on December 15, 2025, where the group claimed it had encrypted internal Luxshare systems and exfiltrated large volumes of confidential data belonging to the company and its customers. The attackers warned that the information would be publicly released unless Luxshare contacted them to negotiate, and accused the company of attempting to conceal the incident. According to the attackers' claims, the exfiltrated material includes vital files such as detailed 3D CAD product models and high-precision geometric files, 2D manufacturing drawings, mechanical component designs, circuit board layouts, and internal engineering PDFs. The group added that the large archives include Apple product data as well as information belonging to Nvidia, LG, Tesla, Geely, and other major clients.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• When Two Years of Academic Work Vanished With a Single Click
  Marcel Bucher, a professor of plant sciences at the University of Cologne in Germany, lost two years of carefully structured academic work in an instant when he temporarily disabled ChatGPT's "data consent" option in August to test whether the AI tool's functions would still work without providing OpenAI his data. All his chats were permanently deleted and his project folders emptied without any warning or undo option, he wrote in a post on Nature. Bucher, a ChatGPT Plus subscriber paying $20 per month, had used the platform daily to draft grant applications, prepare teaching materials, revise publication drafts and create exams. He contacted OpenAI support, first receiving responses from an AI agent before a human employee confirmed the data was permanently lost and unrecoverable. OpenAI cited "privacy by design" as the reason, telling Nature it does provide a confirmation prompt before users permanently delete a chat but maintains no backups. Bucher said he had saved partial copies of some materials, but the underlying prompts, iterations, and project folders -- what he describes as the intellectual scaffolding behind his finished work -- are gone forever.
  
  
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• Anthropic's AI Keeps Passing Its Own Company's Job Interview
  Anthropic has a problem that most companies would envy: its AI model keeps getting so good, the company wrote in a blog post, that it passes the company's own hiring test for performance engineers. The test, designed in late 2023 by optimization lead Tristan Hume, asks candidates to speed up code running on a simulated computer chip. Over 1,000 people have taken it, and dozens now work at Anthropic. But Claude Opus 4 outperformed most human applicants. Hume redesigned the test, making it harder. Then Claude Opus 4.5 matched even the best human scores within the two-hour time limit. For his third attempt, Hume abandoned realistic problems entirely and switched to abstract puzzles using a strange, minimal programming language -- something weird enough that Claude struggles with it. Anthropic is now releasing the original test as an open challenge. Beat Claude's best score and ... they want to hear from you.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Apple Accuses European Commission of 'Political Delay Tactics' To Justify Fines
  Apple has accused the European Commission of using "political delay tactics" to postpone new app marketplace policies and create grounds for investigating and fining the iPhone maker, a preemptive response to reports that the commission plans to blame Apple for the announced closure of third-party app store Setapp. MacPaw, the developer behind Setapp, said it would shut down the marketplace next month because of "still-evolving and complex business terms that don't fit Setapp's current business model." The EC is preparing to say that Apple has not rolled out changes to address key issues concerning its business terms and their complexity, according to remarks seen by Bloomberg. Apple said it disputes this finding. The company said it submitted a formal compliance plan in October proposing to replace its $0.59 per-install fee structure with a 5% revenue share, but the commission has not responded. "The European Commission has refused to let us implement the very changes that they requested," Apple said. The company also claimed there is no demand in the EU for alternative app stores and disputed that Setapp is closing because of its actions.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• 'Almost Everyone' Laid Off at Vimeo Following Bending Spoons Buyout
  Vimeo is laying off employees around the world just months after Italian software company Bending Spoons completed its $1.38 billion acquisition of the video hosting platform. Dave Brown, Vimeo's former brand VP, described the cuts on LinkedIn as affecting "a large portion of the company." One video engineer claimed "almost everyone" was laid off, "including the entire video team," and another software engineer said he lost his job alongside "a gigantic amount of the company." This marks Vimeo's second round of layoffs in less than six months. The company cut 10% of its workforce in September, just one week before Bending Spoons announced its acquisition plans. Bending Spoons has a history of post-acquisition layoffs at companies including WeTransfer, Filmic, and Evernote.
  
  
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• US Formally Withdraws From WHO
  The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization on Thursday, making good on an executive order that President Trump issued on his first day in office pledging to leave the international organization that coordinates global responses to public health threats. The New York Times: While the United States is walking away from the organization, a senior official with the Department of Health and Human Services told reporters on Thursday that the Trump administration was considering some type of narrow, limited engagement with W.H.O. global networks that track infectious diseases, including influenza. As a W.H.O. member, the United States long sent scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to participate in international decision-making about which strains to include in the flu vaccine. A W.H.O. meeting on next year's vaccine is scheduled for February. The official said the Trump administration would soon disclose how or whether it will participate. On Thursday, the administration said that all U.S. government funding to the organization had been terminated, and that all assigned federal employees and contractors had been recalled from its Geneva headquarters and its offices worldwide.
  
  
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• TikTok Finalizes Deal To Form New American Entity
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years. The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture. The new version will operate under "defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users," the company said in a statement Thursday. American TikTok users can continue using the same app. [...] Adam Presser, who previously worked as TikTok's head of operations and trust and safety, will lead the new venture as its CEO. He will work alongside a seven-member, majority-American board of directors that includes TikTok's CEO Shou Chew. [...] In addition to an emphasis on data protection, with U.S. user data being stored locally in a system run by Oracle, the joint venture will also focus on TikTok's algorithm. The content recommendation formula, which feeds users specific videos tailored to their preferences and interests, will be retrained, tested and updated on U.S. user data, the company said in its announcement. The algorithm has been a central issue in the security debate over TikTok. China previously maintained the algorithm must remain under Chinese control by law. But the U.S. regulation passed with bipartisan support said any divestment of TikTok must mean the platform cuts ties -- specifically the algorithm -- with ByteDance. Under the terms of this deal, ByteDance would license the algorithm to the U.S. entity for retraining. The law prohibits "any cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm" between ByteDance and a new potential American ownership group, so it is unclear how ByteDance's continued involvement in this arrangement will play out. Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX are the three managing investors, who each hold a 15% share. Other investors include the investment firm of Michael Dell, the billionaire founder of Dell Technologies. ByteDance retains 19.9% of the joint venture.
  
  
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• 'Active' Sitting Is Better For Brain Health
  alternative_right shares a report from ScienceAlert: A systematic review of 85 studies has now found good reason to differentiate between 'active' sitting, like playing cards or reading, and 'passive' sitting, like watching TV. [...] "Total sitting time has been shown to be related to brain health; however, sitting is often treated as a single entity, without considering the specific type of activity," explains public health researcher Paul Gardiner from the University of Queensland in Australia. "Most people spend many hours sitting each day, so the type of sitting really matters ... These findings show that small everyday choices -- like reading instead of watching television -- may help keep your brain healthier as you age." Across numerous studies, Gardiner and colleagues found that active sitting activities, like reading, playing card games, and using a computer, showed "overwhelmingly positive associations with cognitive health, enhancing cognitive functions such as executive function, situational memory, and working memory." Meanwhile, passive sitting was most consistently associated with negative cognitive outcomes, including increased risk of dementia. The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
  
  
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• AI Boosts Research Careers But Flattens Scientific Discovery
  Ancient Slashdot reader erice shares the findings from a recent study showing that while AI helped researchers publish more often and boosted their careers, the resulting papers were, on average, less useful. "You have this conflict between individual incentives and science as a whole," says James Evans, a sociologist at the University of Chicago who led the study. From a recent IEEE Spectrum article: To quantify the effect, Evans and collaborators from the Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology trained a natural language processing model to identify AI-augmented research across six natural science disciplines. Their dataset included 41.3 million English-language papers published between 1980 and 2025 in biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, materials science, and geology. They excluded fields such as computer science and mathematics that focus on developing AI methods themselves. The researchers traced the careers of individual scientists, examined how their papers accumulated attention, and zoomed out to consider how entire fields clustered or dispersed intellectually over time. They compared roughly 311,000 papers that incorporated AI in some way -- through the use of neural networks or large language models, for example -- with millions of others that did not. The results revealed a striking trade-off. Scientists who adopt AI gain productivity and visibility: On average, they publish three times as many papers, receive nearly five times as many citations, and become team leaders a year or two earlier than those who do not. But when those papers are mapped in a high-dimensional "knowledge space," AI-heavy research occupies a smaller intellectual footprint, clusters more tightly around popular, data-rich problems, and generates weaker networks of follow-on engagement between studies. The pattern held across decades of AI development, spanning early machine learning, the rise of deep learning, and the current wave of generative AI. "If anything," Evans notes, "it's intensifying." [...] Aside from recent publishing distortions, Evans's analysis suggests that AI is largely automating the most tractable parts of science rather than expanding its frontiers.
  
  
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• Build the skills you need for 2026
  Mix, match, and save 35% on learning that scales—now through January 27. *Offer ends Jan 27th SAVE NOW
  
  The post Build the skills you need for 2026 appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Celebrating the Second Year of Linux Man-Pages Maintenance Sponsorship
  Sustaining a Core Part of the Linux Ecosystem The Linux Foundation has announced a second year of sponsorship for the ongoing maintenance of the Linux manual pages (man-pages) project, led by Alejandro (Alex) Colomar. This critical initiative is made possible through the continued support of Google, Hudson River Trading, and Meta, who have renewed their [0]
  
  The post Celebrating the Second Year of Linux Man-Pages Maintenance Sponsorship appeared first on Linux.com.
  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Google Photos can now turn you into a meme
  In Big Tech9s never-ending quest to increase AI adoption, Google has unveiled a meme generator. The new Google Photos feature, Me Meme, lets you create personalized memes starring a synthetic version of you.
  
  Google describes Me Meme as "a simple way to explore with your photos and create content that9s ready to share with friends and family." You can choose from a variety of templates or "upload your own funny picture" to use in their place.
  
  The feature isn9t live for everyone yet, so you may not yet have access to it. (A Google representative told TechCrunch that the feature will roll out to Android and iOS users over the coming weeks.) But once it arrives, you can use it in the Google Photos app by tapping Create (at the bottom of the screen), then Me Meme. It will then ask you to choose a template and add a reference photo. There’s an option to regenerate it if you don’t like the result.
  
  Google says Me Meme works best with well-lit, focused and front-facing portrait photos. "This feature is still experimental, so generated images may not perfectly match the original photo," the company warns.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-photos-can-now-turn-you-into-a-meme-213930935.html?src=rss

• A rival smart glasses company is suing Meta over its Ray-Ban products
  Meta is being sued by Solos, a rival smart glasses maker, for infringing on its patents, Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 1 smart glasses violate multiple patents covering "core technologies in the field of smart eyewear." While less well known than Meta and its partner EssilorLuxottica, Solos sells multiple pairs of glasses with similar features to what Meta offers. For example, the company9s AirGo A5 glasses lets you control music playback and automatically translate speech into different languages, and integrates ChatGPT for answering questions and searching the web.
  
  Beyond the product similarities, Solos claims that Meta was able to copy its patents because Oakley (an EssilorLuxottica subsidiary) and Meta employees had insights into the company9s products and road map. Solos says that in 2015, Oakley employees were introduced to the company9s smart glasses tech, and were even given a pair of Solos glasses for testing in 2019. Solos also says that a MIT Sloan Fellow who researched the company9s products and later became a product manager at Meta, brought knowledge of the company to her role. According to the logic of Solos9 lawsuit, by the time Meta and EssilorLuxottica were selling their own smart glasses, "both sides had accumulated years of direct, senior-level and increasingly detailed knowledge of Solos9 smart glasses technology."
  
  Engadget has asked both Meta and EssilorLuxottica to comment on Solos9 claims. We9ll update this article if we hear back.
  
  While fewer people own Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses than use Instagram, Meta considers the wearable one of its few hardware success stories. The company is so convinced it can make smart glasses happen that it recently restructured its Reality Labs division to focus on AI hardware like smart glasses and hopefully build on its success.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/a-rival-smart-glasses-company-is-suing-meta-over-its-ray-ban-products-205000997.html?src=rss

• Retro handheld maker Anbernic has a new gamepad with a screen and heart rate sensor
  File this one under "Things that make you go, 9Hmmm…9" Retro handheld maker Anbernic is launching a new controller with a screen. But unlike Nintendo9s Wii U controller, there9s no second-screen gaming capability here. Instead, the display is designed to "make customization intuitive and effortless." Oh, and the controller also has a heart rate sensor. Because, hey, if you9re going weird, I say fully commit!
  
  The Anbernic RG G01 has a 2.5-inch HD display that the company describes as an "HD smart screen." The idea is to remap buttons, program macros and change other settings without requiring software on a connected device.
  You, too, can monitor your heart rate while gaming.Anbernic
  Meanwhile, Anbernic says the heart rate detection helps you "monitor your well-being during intense sessions." I would hope that folks with heart conditions would use something other than a gamepad to monitor their pulse. And I don’t know why anyone else would be worried about that while gaming. (Too many Red Bulls?) Regardless, Anbernic seems to be leaning into the novelty / curiosity space here, so at least it fits the motif.
  
  The RG G01 connects in three ways: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4Ghz wireless and over a wire. It supports onboard calibration for the triggers, joystick and 6-axis gyroscope. There are four programmable buttons (including macro support) on the backside. The company promises a 1,000Hz polling rate in wired and wireless modes. The gamepad is compatible with PC, Switch, Android and iOS.
  
  We don9t yet know when this glorious oddity will arrive, other than "coming soon." We also don9t know how much it will cost. But you can watch the launch video below and see if it9s your type of strange.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/retro-handheld-maker-anbernic-has-a-new-gamepad-with-a-screen-and-heart-rate-sensor-201651899.html?src=rss

• Apple will begin showing more App Store ads starting in March
  More ads are coming to App Store search results starting in March, Apple shared on an advertising help page. The company first said that it would increase the number of App Store ads last month, and this new rollout of search ads will begin on Tuesday, March 3, according to a developer email "services" business. The company makes money on every App Store transaction, whether it9s an app download or an in-app purchase, and increasingly, by selling ad space to companies looking to reach users. App Store ads are hardly new, but the number of ads has steadily increased over the years. Apple added ads to the Today tab in 2022 — a space that9s already home to editorial curation that doubles as marketing — and in 2025, Apple Ads in April 2025 was maybe the best indication that the company was interested in expanding the number of places it would help partners try and reach customers. And it makes sense: the company9s billions of devices, each pre-installed with default apps, are some of the most valuable real estate it owns.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-will-begin-showing-more-app-store-ads-starting-in-march-192031226.html?src=rss

• TikTok finalizes deal for its US entity
  After years of uncertainty over TikTok9s future in the United States, a deal for the app9s US business has been finalized. The new US entity is called TikTok USDS Joint Venture. ByteDance has retained a 19.9 percent percent stake in the new business, with the rest controlled by a group of non-Chinese investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, an Emirati-state owned investment firm, all of which have a 15 percent stake. Dell CEO Michael Dell and other investors have smaller stakes in the new company. 
  
  The terms of the deal were first leaked last month, after TikTok CEO Shou Chew reportedly told employees in a memo that TikTok and ByteDance had agreed to a group of investors. This ends a lengthy saga and months of slow progress as the agreement was being worked out, ensuring that the app will remain available in the US after years of being on the verge of a ban in the country.
  
  President Donald Trump, who had tried to ban the app during his first term in office, praised the deal in a post on Truth Social. "It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice," he wrote."I only hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok."
  
  According to TikTok’s announcement, the joint venture will protect American users’ data with Oracle9s secure US cloud environment. It will also retrain TikTok’s algorithm on US users’ data and will be in charge of content moderation in the US. The entity promises interoperability, as well, promising that users will still get international content and, if they’re a creator, viewers. “The safeguards provided by the Joint Venture will also cover CapCut, and Lemon8 and a portfolio of other apps and websites in the US,” TikTok said.
  
  The new entity will be overseen by a seven-member board of directors, most of whom are Americans. It includes, Shou Chew, the Chief Executive Officer of TikTok, Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban, Oracle Executive Vice President Kenneth Glueck and MGX Chief Strategy and Safety Officer David Scott. Adam Presser, who had previously been head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, is the CEO of TikTok USDS Joint Venture.
  
  Exactly what the new joint venture means for US users of TikTok is unclear. Shortly after the deal was announced, TikTok introduced new terms of service for US users. As the BBC notes, the new terms include provisions relating to use of the app by kids under 13 (they are limited to the "Under 13 Experience") and that the "TikTok USDS Joint Venture does not endorse any content" in the app. The company hasn’t announced specific changes to the app’s algorithm or other core features.
  
  Update, January 23, 2026, 10:58AM PT: This post was updated to add a statement from President Trump, and with additional information about TikTok’s new terms of service.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-finalizes-deal-for-its-us-entity-010543484.html?src=rss

• Vimeo lays off most of its staff just months after being bought by private equity firm
  Vimeo just got hit by a brutal round of layoffs, according to a January 21, 2026
  It9s good to know the company "remains committed to growing Vimeo" after firing just about everyone that works there. One former employee said on X that it "sucks to see something I built killed by private equity in a technology company skin suit."
  
  Vimeo has been around a long time. The platform was founded a full year before YouTube and has positioned itself as being a premium alternative for hosting creative and business-adjacent videos. We have no idea what it9ll look like with a minimal staff and no video team.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/vimeo-lays-off-most-of-its-staff-just-months-after-being-bought-by-private-equity-firm-184556023.html?src=rss

• Tesla paywalls lane centering on new Model 3 and Model Y purchases
  Tesla just objectively decreased the value of the Model 3 and Model Y. On Thursday, the company said it’s paywalling its lane-centering feature, Autosteer, for new purchases of the two EVs in the US and Canada. This was previously a standard feature. Lane centering is now part of the Full Self-Driving Supervised (FSD) package, which costs $99 per month.
  
  Speculating on why Tesla would do this doesn9t require much imagination. Remember the pay package Tesla shareholders approved for Musk in November? One of his requirements for receiving up to $1 trillion is reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions.
  One of Musk9s stipulations for receiving $1 trillion is reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images
  As for the details, Tesla killed the Basic Autopilot feature that was standard on the Model 3 and Model Y. That package included both Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC). Now, the latter will remain a standard feature, but Autosteer now requires that $99-per-month FSD subscription. The change applies only to new purchases, not existing owners.
  
  The move comes ahead of FSD9s switch to a subscription-only service. After February 14, you9ll no longer be able to buy the package for a one-time $8,000 upfront fee. If you want FSD (or just lane centering) from now on, your annual cost will be $1,188.
  
  Making matters worse, Musk warned that FSD won9t remain at $99 monthly forever. "I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD9s capabilities improve," the Tesla CEO posted on X. He didn9t indicate when that might happen or what the increase would be.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-paywalls-lane-centering-on-new-model-3-and-model-y-purchases-184000707.html?src=rss

• Meta is temporarily pulling teens' access from its AI chatbot characters
  Meta will no longer allow teens to chat with its AI chatbot characters in their present form. The company announced Friday that it will be "temporarily pausing teens’ access to existing AI characters globally."
  
  The pause comes months after Meta had said it was working on chatbot-focused parental controls following reports that some of Meta's character chatbots had engaged in sexual conversations and other alarming interactions with teens. Reuters reported on an internal Meta policy document that said the chatbots were permitted to have "sensual" conversations with underage users, language Meta later said was "erroneous and inconsistent with our policies." The company announced in August that it was re-training its character chatbots to add "guardrails as an extra precaution" that would prevent teens from discussing self harm, disordered eating and suicide. 
  
  Now, Meta says it will prevent teens from accessing any of its character chatbots until "the updated experience is ready." Those updates will include parental controls, according to a Meta spokesperson. The new restrictions, which will be starting "in the coming weeks," will apply to those with teen accounts, "as well as people who claim to be adults but who we suspect are teens based on our age prediction technology." Teens will still be able to access the official Meta AI chatbot, which the company says already has "age-appropriate protections in place." 
  
  Meta and other AI companies that make "companion" characters have faced increasing scrutiny over the safety risks these chatbots could pose to young people. The FTC and the Texas attorney general have both kicked off investigations into Meta and other companies in recent months. The issue of chatbots has also come up in the context of a safety lawsuit brought by New Mexico's attorney general. A trial is scheduled to start early next month; Meta's lawyers have attempted to exclude testimony related to the company's AI chatbots, Wired reported this week.
  
  Correction, January 23, 2026, 11:18AM PT: This post was updated to clarify that Meta’s planned chatbot parental control features have not yet rolled out.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-temporarily-pulling-teens-access-from-its-ai-chatbot-characters-180626052.html?src=rss

• You can now create AI-generated coloring books in Microsoft Paint
  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently went on feature currently rolling out to Windows Insiders allows you to generate coloring book pages based on the text prompt you enter. The example Microsoft uses is "a cute fluffy cat on a donut," to which the AI tool will spit out a set of slightly different options based on your prompt.
  
  You can then choose which image you want, add it to your current workspace, copy or save it. Presumably you can also print it out for the purpose of entertaining your kids. No doubt the kind of real-world impact the Microsoft chief was alluding to.
  
  The coloring book feature is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, and Microsoft is also adding a fill tolerance slider that lets you adjust the precision with which the Fill tool adds color to your canvas.
  
  As well as Paint’s new Coloring book feature, Microsoft has also improved its Write, Rewrite and Summarize AI functionality in Notepad, which integrates with GPT to fine-tune your writing and summarize complex notes. You’ll need to sign into your Microsoft account to use cloud features, but results will now appear more quickly and let you interact with the preview without having to wait for its full response. Again, you’ll need to be Windows Insider in the Canary and Dev channels on Windows 11 to take advantage of the updates initially.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-now-create-ai-generated-coloring-books-in-microsoft-paint-163512527.html?src=rss

• NBA League Pass is up to 55 percent off
  Basketball fans can save on NBA League Pass right now, which lets you catch a bunch of out-of-market NBA games via streaming. The League Pass Premium subscription is on sale for $75, down from the usual $160, and League Pass Standard is marked down to $50 from $110. Considering we9re almost halfway though the season, the discount makes sense and is a good deal for anyone who wants to keep a close eye on the rest of the games to be played this year.
  
  The Standard plan includes commercials and support for only one device at a time, while the Premium tier offers no commercials, in-arena streams during breaks in the game, offline viewing of full games and concurrent streams on up to three devices at once.
  
  
  
  Last year, League Pass added multiview, which allows you to view up to four games at once on a single screen. This is included across both subscription tiers. The service also added a smart rewind tool that automatically selects key highlights and plays from each game.
  
  Outside the US and Canada, League Pass carries every single NBA game live, but within these countries a bevy of restrictions apply. In the US, any games being shown on your regional sports network will be blacked out as the service is meant for out-of-market games only. Also, any nationally broadcast games will not be available live, but instead will be available for on-demand viewing at 6AM ET the following day. The service is only for regular-season games.
  
  If you9re an avid NBA fan that follows multiple teams then the League Pass almost certainly carries dozens of games you can watch even with the restrictions in the US. Subscribers can get a list of applicable blackouts by entering their ZIP code before signing up.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/nba-league-pass-is-up-to-55-percent-off-163421368.html?src=rss

• Malaysia lifts ban on Grok after taking X at its word
  After being one of the first countries in the world to block Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot, Malaysia has now lifted its ban. Along with Indonesia, the country moved swiftly to temporarily halt access to X9s frequently controversial AI chatbot earlier this month, after multiple reports emerged of it being used to generate deepfake sexualized images of people, including women and children.
  
  At the time, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the restrictions would remain in place until X Corp and parent xAI could prove they had enforced the necessary safeguards against misuse of the above nature.
  
  Malaysian authorities appear to be taking X at its word, after the MCMC released a statement confirming it was satisfied that Musk’s company has implemented the required safety measures. It added that the authorities will continue to monitor the social media platform, and that any further user safety breaches or violations of Malaysian laws would be dealt with firmly.
  
  At the time of writing, only Malaysia and Indonesia have hit Grok with official bans, though UK regulator Ofcom opened a formal investigation into X under the country’s Online Safety Act, in the wake of the non-consensual sexual deepfake scandal. X has since changed its image-editing policies, and on January 14 the company said Grok will no longer allow "the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis."
  
  Earlier this week, the UK-based non-profit, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), estimated that in the 11-day period between December 29 and January 9, Grok generated approximately 3 million sexualized images, around 23,000 of which were of children.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/malaysia-lifts-ban-on-grok-after-taking-x-at-its-word-144457468.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, so 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

• Samsung Bespoke Fridge with AI review: All the bells and whistles
  At their core, refrigerators are relatively simple devices. If you9re the type of person to view every extra feature as a component that could potentially go wrong, basic iceboxes are probably the kind you go for. But for those on the other end of the spectrum, Samsung9s latest Bespoke Refrigerators with AI inside have more bells and whistles than you might think possible — including an optional 32-inch screen.
  
  Editor9s note: The model we tested for this review came out in the second half of 2025 and will continue to be on sale throughout 2026. Hardware will remain the same, the only changes will come in the form of an OTA software update slated for later this year that will add support for Google Gemini, improved food recognition/labeling and more. 
  
  
  Design: As sleek as a fridge can be
  If you9re into faux vintage appliances like Smeg9s retro-inspired models, Samsung9s offerings might not be for you. For everyone else, the Bespoke family does minimalist design better than practically any other line of fridges on the market. Granted, the counter-depth French Door AI model I tested is a bit of a departure thanks to a huge 32-inch screen embedded in its right-side door. That said, there are a ton of configurations, including the choice of a smaller 9-inch panel or models without a display at all. The latter looks like a big rectangle, but in a way that Dieter Rams would probably appreciate (I9m just guessing, I don9t have his contact info). Other options include setups ranging from four-door models to side-by-side two-door variants or even a single-panel upright model. 
  Glare is one of the tiny downsides of a fridge with a glass front. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  On my review unit, the fresh food section is a touch smaller (16.5 cubic feet) than you might expect from a fridge this size, though I9ve never really felt limited by the amount of available storage. Samsung does a good job of optimizing interior space by providing a number of adjustable shelves, including a sliding one on the right side that makes it easy to store taller items without completely sacrificing flat space for others. The shelves are also spill proof and made out of tempered glass, so they resist scratches and just look a bit nicer than those made from lower-quality materials. I also appreciate how Samsung found a spot between the two crisper drawers for the water filter, instead of just sticking it in the top corner like a lot of competitors. 
  Even with the FlexZone drawer stealing some space, the main section of this Bespoke model still features 16.5 cubic feet of storage. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Meanwhile, in exchange for a slightly smaller main cabinet, this model has what Samsung calls a FlexZone drawer, which might be my second favorite thing about this fridge. It9s perfectly designed for storing things like 12-ounce cans and juice boxes, and as someone who always likes to keep a couple of chilled Coke Zeros on standby, it9s super convenient. That said, taller bottled drinks may need to be stored on their sides, which doesn9t feel quite as efficient. But really, you can put anything you want in there and if you have young children like me, it9s an excellent place to keep refrigerated kids9 snacks. My four-year-old can go in there on his own without needing help from an adult to reach stuff higher up. Samsung even gives you the ability to set a different temperature for the FlexDrawer, which is a nice touch.
  The optional FlexZone drawer is amazing for stashing drinks or having a refrigerated section that9s easy for kids to reach. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Additionally, along with some rivals from LG, this fridge also has touch sensors at the bottom of each door that let you open them with a light tap. While I still prefer to just grab the built-in handles (which are located both above and below each door), this is a nice inclusion, particularly on a fridge that doesn9t have giant handgrips bolted to the outside. My one small gripe with Samsung9s exterior design is that its top isn9t completely flat as it dips down in back. Admittedly, this hasn9t stopped me from storing stuff like sheet pans and roasting trays above the fridge, but it would be nicer if things were fully level up there. 
  Water and ice dispensing: Samsung9s Beverage Center reigns supreme
  I9ve already gone on record about how Samsung9s Beverage Center is the best new feature to land on any fridge in years, so without belaboring the point, but I9ll happily wax poetic about it again. Instead of having a water dispenser installed smack dab on the outside of the door, Samsung opted to hide things behind an exterior flap on the left side of the fridge. This accomplishes several things. Not only does it feel a bit more hygienic because the spigot isn9t subjected directly to all the germs swirling around the kitchen or a cough or sneeze from anyone passing by, it also simplifies the fridge9s exterior design. This might sound a bit weird, but I9ve always thought that putting water dispensers on the outside of a fridge was kind of like installing a shower in the middle of a room. It9s just kind of awkward. Furthermore, by opening the Beverage Center9s door, you also have access to one of the fridge9s interior shelves, which makes it quick and easy to grab things like ketchup, mustard or any other sauces you might need for a meal. My wife stashes her matcha there, so it9s readily available first thing in the morning. 
  Samsung9s Beverage Center is one of the best fridge innovations and years. It includes both a water dispenser and a built-in pitcher that refills itself automatically. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  But the most important thing is that right next to the spigot, there9s also a built-in water pitcher that automatically refills itself after every use. This means there9s pretty much always 40+ ounces of ice-cold water (depending on the specific model) that you can pull out and pour. This allows you to fill up everyone9s cup in seconds like a server at a restaurant, instead of blocking the entire fridge while you slowly top off each glass individually. To me, it9s the difference between an active process where you can dictate your own pace versus having to stand there while the machine takes its sweet time. Plus, if you like infusing your water with fruit or tea, there9s a built-in basket filter for that too. The Beverage Center is a truly useful innovation and one of Samsung’s biggest advantages over its rivals, and because the company patented it, it9ll be years before competitors can come up with copies.
  The top shelf in the freezer also contains the ice maker, which comes with an included scoop and the ability to make two difference kinds of cubes. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  As for ice, the model I9m testing can produce two different types: regular cubes and smaller pebbles. There9s also an included scooper and a dedicated shelf for storing it. Now I will admit that the smaller pebbles aren9t quite as good as what you get from a standalone nugget-style icemaker, but in my experience they9re more than good enough for anyone who likes variety in their frozen water. My small critique for Samsung is that I9ve heard the ice trays on other models come with sliders that have actual ball bearings instead of plastic rails and I wish the latter were a standard inclusion on every model. There9s never so much friction that anything would get properly stuck, it would just be nice if things slid a bit more smoothly.
  The screen: A welcome addition to a digital lifestyle The fridge9s 32-inch display can be used to write memos or draw, along with a ton of other functions. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Of course, one of the biggest potential objections about Samsung9s latest fridges may also be one of its biggest strengths: their optional displays. With the continued intrusion of screens into our daily lives, I9m not here to tell you that you need one more. However, even though I was skeptical at first, I9ve grown to really appreciate having one on the fridge and I9d argue that unless you9re skipping the feature entirely, the larger 32-inch panel is what you want. 
  
  The main reason is that, at least for my family, so much of what we do is already digital. Things like calendars, shopping lists, recipes and family photos already live on my phone and being able to share all of that with the fridge directly via Wi-Fi is a major plus. Frankly, it9s easier to upload a picture to the fridge9s display than it is to print one out and post it, which goes double for Samsung9s Bespoke line since its glass front means magnets don9t stick. Even though I already have a smart display in our kitchen, the size of Samsung9s screen, along with support for a handful of important apps, have turned the fridge into a better family hub than anything else we own. Because there9s so much space, there9s room for photos, memos, the weather, filter status and a full 30-day calendar — the latter of which has significantly improved my family9s planning and coordination.
  You can even watch TV or YouTube videos right on the fridge9s display. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The fridge runs Samsung9s Tizen OS, which is basically the company9s lightweight take on Android, so it9s super easy to use. You can swipe left and right to add additional widgets to your screen, play music or even watch videos (YouTube, Samsung TV Plus, etc.) if you9re so inclined. That said, sometimes I wish the screen was a bit more responsive, because even though I don9t think it9s a dealbreaker, after having reviewed several generations of the company9s phones, I know Samsung can do better. There are also some settings from its handsets that I wish would get ported over to its fridges — like a dedicated dark mode. When I grab a glass of water later at night, the last thing I need is the entire display blasting my kitchen like a pair of hi-beams.
  AI Inside: A work in progress with benefits today
  With seemingly every tech company trying to shoehorn AI into its latest products, it9s easy to roll your eyes at the idea of adding that into a fridge as well. And I think even Samsung would admit that its efforts to integrate machine learning into the Bespoke line are a work in progress. I9ve found that while it certainly isn9t essential, the AI features found here can be a handy bonus in the right situations. 
  Bespoke models with AI feature a camera mounted to the top of the fridge that can recognize and take pictures of the food you put inside. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  AI Vision is the headline feature in Samsung9s package, which uses machine learning and a camera mounted to the roof of the fridge to automatically recognize and record items you put inside. However, there are some limitations. Currently, Samsung9s AI can detect 37 different food items like fresh fruit and veggies, along with an additional 50 kinds of packaged goods like yogurt. Furthermore, the camera only records what goes into the fridge9s main cabinet, so anything you put in the FlexZone drawer, freezer or either door won9t get recorded. Regardless of whether an item is recognized or not, the fridge will then take a photo of the item (and tag it with the name of the food if it can be properly identified). You can then view a list of everything in the fridge via a dedicated tab on its screen (assuming your model has one) or from your phone via Samsung9s SmartThings app. From there, you can do things like set names for anything uncategorized or add an expiration date, though I wish the fridge would do that last part on its own.
  The fridge uses AI to automatically track food that it can recognize and applies labels to the corresponding photo. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  In practice, this means you just put items in the fridge like you would normally and let the AI sort things out on its own. You can always go through the main list to see if you have a specific item or let the fridge automatically delete things when you take them out. That said, the AI doesn9t get things right every time, because while Samsung9s programming does clear things out after a certain amount of time, you will still need to delete food manually from time to time. Thankfully, for items in the door, the fridge can show you a live feed of what9s there, so if you9re at the store and can9t remember if you have milk or not, you can simply pull out your phone and see for yourself. 
  
  Because the camera is mounted to the top of the fridge, you might not get the clearest picture or you may end up with your hand covering part of the food as the fridge takes a picture as you put items inside. Even so, that9s still more than enough for me to be able to tell what something is just by looking at a small icon. I9ve found that Samsung AI Vision legitimately makes it easier to grocery shop by allowing me to see what food I have at a glance, regardless of whether I9m at home or at the store. 
  Samsung also uses AI to suggest recipes based on ingredients you already have in the fridge. You can even specific things like food preferences and dietary restrictions. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  On top of that, the fridge also has built-in meal planning capabilities. This means you can ask the fridge to come up with a dish based on ingredients you already have, and it9s surprisingly good. Not only do you have the ability to specify preferences and dietary restrictions, there9s a wide variety of recipes it can choose from. On several occasions, I even found that when asked to suggest a recipe, the fridge came up with dishes I already had in mind. Alternatively, it will highlight when you9re missing items for a potential dish, so you can grab them the next time you9re at the store. This is one of the most helpful features, because often at the end of the week, I find myself with a handful of leftover ingredients. So when the fridge uses that info to suggest recipes that use those items, it helps reduce food waste. 
  
  Sadly, the weakest part of Samsung9s AI is Bixby. In addition to being overeager when listening for voice prompts, which ended up causing a lot of inadvertent triggers, Samsung also put the Bixby icon near the bottom left corner of the screen. That9s right next to the sensor and handle for the door, resulting in even more unwanted summons. After using this fridge for four months, I wish Bixby would just go away, and it seems Samsung agrees. Sometime later this year, the company is adding support for Google Gemini, which should deliver a massive upgrade to the fridge9s voice-controlled capabilities.
  A word on ads You can disable ads that show up on the fridge9s cover screen, though that will also get rid of the news and weather widgets. Thankfully that doesn9t impact that widgets on the fridge9s main home screen. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Last fall, to the dismay of many, Samsung announced that it was adding ads to its Family Hub fridges, including Bespoke models with built-in displays. Now no one likes being taunted with commercials, especially when they9re on expensive appliances located in the busiest room of their home. Thankfully, I9ve found that these ads only show up on the Cover Screen, which only appears after no one has used the fridge in a while, kind of like a screensaver on a desktop. Furthermore, you can disable these ads entirely. The downside is that doing so also gets rid of the rotating news and weather widgets that appear on the home screen. But in my experience, that9s just fine, because I don9t need what is effectively the fridge9s lock screen to have that much going on. Plus, when you open the fridge or touch its screen, it instantly reverts to the main home menu, which includes its own set of widgets that you can customize how you like.
  Some quick notes and observations For some reason, the door to the Beverage Center doesn9t soft close like the rest of the doors do. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The Bespoke fridge’s screen does collect smudges, but so does stainless steel, and it doesn9t really impact viewability. And on white glass models like my review unit, the simple design makes it easier to clean and maintain than typical metal-clad rivals. 
  
  The door to the Beverage Center doesn9t soft-close like you9d normally expect on a fridge. It9s more of a clack, which isn9t a bad thing on its own, though I hope Samsung changes its design to match the other doors on future models for consistency9s sake. 
  
  Because the fridge runs Tizen and not full Android, there aren9t nearly as many choices for widgets. For example, there9s a widget for Spotify and Amazon Music, but not YouTube or Apple Music. There9s also only a single option for weather and a widget for pinning your favorite websites, but very little choice when it comes to dedicated news options. In my testing, the SmartThings integration worked better on Samsung phones compared to standard Android handsets, but your experience may vary. 
  
  If you are so inclined, you can create shopping lists directly on the fridge and then order them from partners including Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Walmart and others. 
  Wrap-up
  AI in a fridge might sound ridiculous, but it allows for some genuinely useful features, even if the tech suffers from growing pains. And while this might sound preposterous, I think Samsung should actually double down on the tech by adding even more cameras, so the fridge has more angles and viewpoints to choose from as its algorithms evolve. The ability to automatically track what goes in and out of the fridge makes it easier to both shop and plan meals, and this is just in the early stages of the tech. 
  
  That said, obsessing over AI is sort of besides the point because even without it, Samsung9s Bespoke French Door fridge is a first-class icebox. For tech-savvy people, its big screen helps simplify and organize our digital lives while simultaneously allowing the fridge to be helpful in ways you might not have even considered. It9s also well-built and exquisitely designed to fit in seamlessly with other modern devices, which feels refreshing considering how often appliances feel like they are lagging years or decades behind gadgets like phones and laptops. And I can9t overstate how much I like Samsung9s Beverage Center, which in my opinion, is so good it9s worth going with a Bespoke fridge just for that one feature. 
  
  In the end, the two biggest factors you9ll need to consider are price and your appetite to digitize your kitchen, and by extension, your life. Starting at $3,500 for AI-equipped Bespoke models, Samsung9s top-of-the-line fridges are far from cheap. Thankfully, versions without machine learning can be had for much less. But more importantly, you have to be willing to embrace technology9s role in your home. You may not agree or want to pay this much for features like this just yet, but Samsung9s Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door refrigerator has convinced me there9s a happy home for smarter iceboxes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/samsung-bespoke-fridge-with-ai-review-all-the-bells-and-whistles-140000099.html?src=rss

• Ring can now verify if a video has been altered
  Ring has launched a new tool that can tell you if a video clip captured by its camera has been altered or not. The company says that every video downloaded from Ring starting in December 2025 going forward will come with a digital security seal. “Think of it like the tamper-evident seal on a medicine bottle,” it explained. Its new tool, called Ring Verify, can tell you if a video has been altered in any way. Even adjusting a video clip’s brightness or trimming a few seconds off will break that seal, and the tool will tell you that it cannot be verified. All you have to do is visit the tool’s web page and upload the video you want to check.
  
  In the era of AI, you can also use the tool to make sure you’re looking at a real Ring video instead of something generated by artificial intelligence models. OpenAI’s Sora, for instance, can easily create Ring video doorbell footage with just a prompt or two, leading to a lot of fake security cam footage on social media apps. The company suggests asking the owner of the camera to share videos straight from the Ring app to make sure they’re unaltered. It also doesn’t matter what camera it is: All of the company’s models now embed digital security seals to downloaded videos and videos shared from Ring’s cloud storage. However, the tool can only tell you if a video has been tampered with or can’t be verified at all. It can’t tell you what has been edited or if it’s AI-generated.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-can-now-verify-if-a-video-has-been-altered-140000140.html?src=rss

• TurboTax Deluxe is on sale for only $45 ahead of tax season
  With the spring approaching, it9s time to start thinking about how you9ll file your taxes. Unfortunately, with the recent demise of Direct File, there isn9t a free, government-provided alternative to TurboTax in 2026, and you9ll need to look to other federal programs, including IRS Free File, to file your paperwork. If you don9t qualify for Free File, chances are you9ll need to dish out cash for Intuit9s software. And while we hate to suggest you give money to a company that has spent decades lobbying to ensure America9s tax system remains a nightmare, we can at least save you some money if TurboTax is your only option.
  
  
  
  Right now, Amazon has discounted the deluxe desktop edition of TurboTax by 44 percent. That gets you $35 off software that normally costs $80, which you can use to file both your individual state and federal taxes. For most Americans, that should cover their needs.
  
  However, if you9re self-employed, you9ll need to pony up for the more expensive Business version of TurboTax, which is currently 42 percent off, or $54 off. One last thing to note: you9ll need a PC with either Windows 11 or macOS Sonoma to run the software, so an older machine won9t do, unfortunately.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/turbotax-deluxe-is-on-sale-for-only-45-ahead-of-tax-season-204848111.html?src=rss

• Apple's AirPods Pro 3 drop back down to a record-low price
  AirPods Pro 3 have returned to an all-time-low price. You can pick them up for $200 right now, which is $50 off and the best discount we9ve seen since the earbuds came out at the end of last year.
  
  We gave these AirPods a score of 90 out of 100 in our review and we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. The third generation model is a substantial update to an already impressive product, bringing new features like live translation to the table.
  
  
  
  The AirPods Pro 3 also offer heart-rate tracking, allowing them to stream live data to Apple Fitness and other third-party workout apps. This lets you track your fitness and close activity rings similarly to when using an Apple Watch.
  
  Apple also improved the sound quality of this generation thanks in large part to a redesigned acoustic architecture that improves how air is delivered into the ear canal. Additionally, the company changed the angle of the drivers to help more sound get where it needs to go instead of bouncing off the sides of your ear. We felt the jump in audio quality from the last generation to this one was substantial.
  
  The ANC on the AirPods Pro 3 has also been improved. Apple claims this model filters out twice as much noise as the AirPods Pro 2 and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro. We found the noise cancellation to be top-notch.
  
  Live Translation is as neat as it sounds, leveraging the AirPods9 noise cancellation tech, Apple9s AI and beam-forming mics to help you understand a speaker in a different language. Right now, this is limited to a handful of languages with more being added over time.
  
  It9s not often you see one of Apple9s best and most recent products on sale for 20 percent off, so if you9re in the market for an upgrade or your first set of AirPods, consider taking advantage of this deal.
  
  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-airpods-pro-3-drop-back-down-to-a-record-low-price-140752588.html?src=rss

• Engadget Podcast: Why would Apple want to make an AI pin?
  Apple is reportedly working on an AI pin of its very own to compete with OpenAI9s non-existent pin. No, it doesn9t really make much sense to us, either. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget Managing Editor Cherlynn Low discuss why Apple might be quick to jump on the AI pin trend, even before it jumps into smart rings. Also, we dive into Sony’s Bravia TV deal with TCL, and the aftermath of Verizon’s massive service outage.
  Subscribe!
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  Topics
  TCL is taking over Sony’s Bravia TV business in a new joint venture – 0:58
  
  Last week’s Verizon outage was resolved after 10 hours, no official word on what caused it – 8:39
  
  Youtube CEO promises more AI video tools for creators while also denouncing deepfakes – 12:19
  
  The FTC isn’t giving up on its Meta antitrust case – 14:22
  
  Trump family earnings from crypto may total $1.4B in 2025, but likely much more – 19:00
  
  Adobe Acrobat can now generate presentations and podcasts from your documents – 21:12
  
  Why the heck would Apple make an AI pin?? – 25:15
  
  Around Engadget: Sony LinkBuds Clip review, Volvo EX60 and Canon EOS R6 III reviews – 43:14
  
  Pop culture picks – 46:34 
  Credits
  Host: Devindra Hardawar
  Guest: Cherlynn Low
  Producer: Ben Ellman
  Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/engadget-podcast-why-would-apple-want-to-make-an-ai-pin-130732754.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: Apple might be making its own AirTag-sized AI wearable
  It’s been a while since rumors and reports suggested Apple is exploring a new divisive product category, and it’s been several years since the Apple car. Unfortunately, the new challenger is a wearable AI pin with cameras, mics and… zero interest from me.
  
  According to a report from The Information, it’ll resemble a slightly thicker AirTag with an aluminum and glass exterior. The report suggests it’ll have two cameras (standard and wide-angle) for photos and video. It may also have three microphones and a (swoon) physical button. I love a physical button.
  TikTok finalizes deal for its US entity
  A group of non-Chinese investors will own 80 percent of it.
  
  TikTok owner ByteDance has finalized a deal for its US entity. The majority of its stake is held by a group of non-Chinese investors. The deal was closed just before the Trump administration’s latest deadline to ban the app in the US unless it was divested from ByteDance. TikTok’s new investors will own 80 percent, with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, an Emirati-state owned investment firm, taking 15 percent each.  
  
  According to TikTok’s announcement, the joint venture will protect American users’ data with Oracle’s secure US cloud environment. It will also retrain TikTok’s algorithm using US users’ data and will be responsible for content moderation in the US. The new US TikTok also promises interoperability, ensuring users still get international content and, if they’re creators, viewers.
  
  Continue reading.
  Bungie’s Marathon arrives on March 5
  Another extraction shooter to distract.
  TMABungie
  Bungie’s long-awaited Marathon will arrive on March 5. The 3v3 extraction shooter has a lot riding on it — but it looks pretty damn cool. You might remember Sony, Bungie’s parent company, previously committed to a September 2025 release. However, it delayed the game indefinitely last June after a mixed reception to its alpha and partially plagiarized visual assets.
  
  It’s a very important game for both Bungie and Sony. The latter said Destiny 2 had not lived up to its expectations. It wants another hit like Helldivers 2, not another Continue reading.
  How to find an affordable GPU during the great RAMageddon
  It sucks out there.
  
  If you’re thinking about getting a new graphics card this year, your window for doing so at a typical retail price has closed. What do you do if you want to upgrade to a new graphics card this year? If you’re sitting on an older GPU, the best advice we can give is to stick with your current hardware. On the other hand, if your current GPU is not up to running the games you want to play, consider buying a card with at least 12GB of VRAM. Then, well, read on for more tips and our top recommendations.
  
  Continue reading.
  The biggest stories you might have missed
  One year of access to Monarch Money’s budgeting app is down to $50 right now��
  
  Fable will let you be a heartless landlord this fall��
  
  Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images — including 23,000 of children — over 11 days��
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-apple-might-be-making-its-own-airtag-sized-ai-wearable-121500060.html?src=rss

• Apple accuses Europe of 'delay tactics' following alternative app store collapse
  Following the shutdown of an alternative app store, Apple has accused the European Commission (EC) of using “political delay tactics” as an excuse to probe and fine the company, non-compliance��� with the DMA over rules on “steering” users to alternative payments and levied a $500 million fine. In June last year, Apple said it would change its pricing for third-party App Stores to a five percent revenue share called the Core Technology Commission (CTC).
  
  However, Apple said that the EC has so far refused to allow those changes. In the meantime, a developer called MacPaw shut down its fledgling Setapp store, saying Apple’s terms “don’t fit Setapp’s current business model” due to the complexity. As a result, the EC will reportedly rule that Apple hasn’t addressed the key issues it raised regarding business terms, including their complexity.
  
  “The European Commission has refused to let us implement the very changes that they requested,” Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg. “In October, we submitted a formal compliance plan and they have yet to respond. The EC is using political delay tactics to mislead the public, move the goal posts, and unfairly target an American company with burdensome investigations and onerous fines.”
  
  In reply, an EC spokesperson told Engadget that it’s in “constant” contact with Apple with the aim of finding a DMA-compliant solution. “The Commission’s main objective is that gatekeepers operate in full compliance with the DMA. The Commission is available to discuss and work with gatekeepers to achieve full compliance. In this context, the Commission has been in a constant dialogue with Apple to solve all pending issues, while also listening to developers from all over the world. We remain committed to this exchange to find a DMA compliant solution.”
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-accuses-europe-of-delay-tactics-following-alternative-app-store-collapse-124701591.html?src=rss

• The best GPS running watches for 2026
  Having the right GPS watch on your wrist whether you’re going for your first ever run or your umpteenth run can make all the difference. The best GPS running watches not only keep track of how far you’ve run, but they track pace and other real-time metrics, advanced training features to help you hit your goals and, of course, precise distance measurements. Some models even provide offline maps for navigation, sleep tracking, recovery insights, and smart features that “regular” smartwatches do.
  
  For those who need extra durability and lasting battery life, higher-end sport watches — like some of the best Garmin watches — are built to handle intense workouts, harsh weather and long runs. If you9re training for a marathon, triathlon or just want a multisport option that can keep up with your lifestyle, these watches have the tech to support you.
  
  With so many options available, from entry-level models to the best running watches packed with advanced running metrics, it can be tricky to find the right fit. That’s why we’ve rounded up our top picks to help you choose the perfect GPS watch for your training needs.
  Best GPS running watches for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Other GPS running watches we tested Polar Pacer Pro
  The Polar Pacer Pro looked and felt quite similar to our top pick, and it mapped my outdoor runs accurately. However, Polar’s companion app is leagues behind Garmin’s with a confusing interface and a design that feels very much stuck in the past. It’s also $100 more expensive than our top pick.
  Amazfit Cheetah Pro
  The Amazfit Cheetah Pro tracked my outdoor runs accurately and Zepp’s companion app has a coaching feature much like Garmin’s adaptive training plans that can outline a routine for you to complete in preparation for a race or to achieve a specific goal. My biggest issue with it was that its touchscreen wasn’t very responsive — it took multiple hard taps on the display to wake it, and often the raise-to-wake feature didn’t work, leaving me staring at a dark screen.
  What to consider before buying a GPS running watch GPS speed and accuracy
  The most important thing for a GPS running watch to have is fast, accurate GPS tracking. That might seem obvious, but it’s quite easy to get distracted by all of the other smart features most of these devices have. Since most of them can be worn all day long as standard sport watches, there’s a lot of (possibly unnecessary) fluff that looks good on paper but won’t mean much if the core purpose if the device is left unfulfilled. To that end, I paid particular attention to how long it took each device’s built-in GPS tracking to grab my location before a run, if it ever lost my spot and the accuracy of the generated maps. Also, the device should be smart enough to let you start tracking a run while the GPS looks for your location.
  Workout profiles and trackable metrics
  You may not be able to suss out GPS accuracy just by looking at a spec sheet (that’s where this guide can help), but you can check for features like supported workout profiles. That’s something you’ll want to look into, even if your one and only activity is running. Check to make sure the best running watches you’re considering support all the kinds of running activities you like to do (outdoor runs, treadmill runs, etc) and any other workouts you may want to track with it.
  
  Most fitness wearables today aren’t one-trick ponies; you’ll find a healthy number of trackable exercise modes on any sport watch worth its salt. That said, the number of workout profiles can be directly proportional to a device’s price: the higher-end the product, chances are the more specific, precise workouts it can monitor.
  
  In a similar vein, you’ll want to check the trackable metrics of any watch you’re considering before you buy. Since we’re talking about the best GPS running watches, most will be able to track the basics like distance, heart rate and pace, and those are bare minimums. Some watches can monitor additional stats like speed, cadence, stride length, advanced running dynamics, aerobic and anaerobic training effect, intensity minutes and more. If you’re already a serious runner who trains for multiple races each year, or if you9re a trail runner who needs elevation and navigation features, you’ll want to dig into the spec sheet of the watch you’re considering to make sure it can track all of your most necessary metrics.
  Size and weight
  It’s worth checking out a watch’s case size and weight before going all-in on one. GPS running watches, and standard smartwatches as well, can have a few different sizes to choose from so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best fit for your wrist. I have a smaller wrist, so I tend to avoid extra-large cases (anything over 42mm or so), especially if I intend on wearing the device all day long as my main timepiece. Weight, on the other hand, is a little less controllable, but typically smaller case sizes will save you a few grams in overall weight.
  
  For those who need durability, particularly trail runners or those tackling extreme conditions, devices like Garmin watches offer rugged builds that can handle rough terrain, impact, and extreme weather.
  Battery life
  Unlike regular smartwatches, GPS running watches have two types of battery life you’ll need to consider: with GPS turned on and in “smartwatch” mode. The former is more important than the latter because most GPS running watches have stellar battery life when used just as a smart timepiece. You can expect to get multiple days on a single charge, with some surviving more than two weeks (with all day and night wear) before they need a recharge.
  
  Battery life with GPS turned on will be much shorter by comparison, but any GPS running watch worth its salt should give you at least 10-15 hours of life with the GPS being used continuously. The more you’re willing to spend, the higher that number typically gets, with some GPS running watches lasting for 40 hours while tracking your location.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-gps-running-watch-141513957.html?src=rss

• Sennheiser introduces new TV headphones bundle with Auracast
  Sennheiser has unveiled its RS 275 TV Headphones, which are bundled with a BTA1 digital receiver. These headphones use Auracast technology to provide low-latency audio at a range of up to 50 meters, and can connect to other devices enabled with Auracast or Bluetooth Classic. For those unfamiliar, Auracast is broadcast Bluetooth audio; we have an explainer about it after CES 2024 put this audio tech onto the big stage. The digital receiver introduces an Auracast signal in a physical space for any other compatible devices, which might include hearing aids or loudspeakers as well as other headphone sets.
  
  The company promises 50 hours of listening with the RS 275 TV Headphones on a single charge, and the set can be powered up from the receiver9s USB-C port. Sennheiser designed the headset for long-term comfort; the ear cushions and battery can be replaced by the device9s owner. The headphones can be further personalized with the Sennheiser Smart Control Plus App. In addition to finding lost headphones, the app provides controls such as transparency mode, left-right balance, hearing profiles and device-type audio modes.
  
  The RS 275 TV Headphone bundle will retail for $300, while a standalone BTA1 receiver will cost $130. Pre-orders will open on February 3 and the audio gear is expected to start shipping on February 17.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sennheiser-introduces-new-tv-headphones-bundle-with-auracast-233735294.html?src=rss

• Darth Maul's standalone series premieres on Disney+ on April 6
  
  Darth Maul, the beloved, sometimes spider-legged former Sith Lord first introduced in Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, is officially getting his own animated spin-off on April 6, 2026, based on a new teaser trailer published by Disney. Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord was originally announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2025, and is set after Maul9s arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars but before his appearance in Star Wars: Rebels.
  
  The 10-episode series covers Maul9s plot to rebuild his criminal syndicate "on a planet untouched by the Empire," according to Lucasfilm. "There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who may just be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge." Shadow Lord will premiere with two episodes on April 6, and will stream two episodes a week on Disney+ through May 6.
  
  Like most of Disney9s popular animated Star Wars shows, Maul — Shadow Lord is created by Dave Filoni, a George Lucas supplicant, co-creator of The Clone Wars and newly minted President and Chief Creative Officer at Luscafilm. Besides picking up the story threads he helped establish in his previous animated work, Maul — Shadow Lord could be representative of the work that will define his tenure: stories that play in the pre-existing Star Wars sandbox.
  
  Since completing their sequel trilogy in 2019 with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Disney and Lucasfilm have struggled to define what the future of their franchise will actually be. New projects have languished in pre-production, interesting TV shows have gotten cancelled and the only things that seem to come out with any consistency are spin-offs of The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars. Disney and Lucasfilm will release The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026, the first new Star Wars movie to hit theaters in seven years. The Shawn Levy-directed Star Wars: Starfighter, the first film set chronologically after the events of Rise of Skywalker, is slated to premiere on May 28, 2027.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/darth-mauls-standalone-series-premieres-on-disney-on-april-6-224036720.html?src=rss

• JBL made a pair of AI-powered practice amps
  JBL is trying its hand at something new, with a pair of AI-powered practice amps. The BandBox Solo and BandBox Trio include an onboard Stem AI that purportedly lets you separate or remove vocals and instruments from any music streamed over Bluetooth. So, say you9re a young guitarist learning “Stairway to Heaven” (as one does). At least in theory, you could use the speaker to remove Jimmy Page9s part and hone your chops with the rest of the band.
  
  The $250 BandBox Solo, designed for individual musicians, has a single guitar / mic input. And the $600 BandBox Trio, better for bands, supports up to four instrument inputs. The latter also has a few extra perks not found in the Solo: onboard controls (to reduce reliance on the app) and an LCD.
  The more expensive BandBox Trio has an LCD and more onboard controls.JBL
  The JBL One app lets you add filters to match a variety of modern and vintage amp models. You9ll also find effects like phaser, chorus, and reverb, as well as a pitch shifter and tuner. A built-in looper will allow for layering, but JBL says that feature will arrive via a software update in October.
  
  JBL says the BandBox Solo supports up to six hours of battery life. The BandBox Trio is said to last up to 10 hours. But the latter has a replaceable battery, so you could buy a spare (for an as-yet-unknown price) and double that time.
  
  The $250 BandBox Solo and $600 BandBox Trio are available to pre-order from JBL9s website starting today. Shipments and third-party retail availability are scheduled for March 1.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/jbl-made-a-pair-of-ai-powered-practice-amps-221000631.html?src=rss

• Telly has only delivered 35,000 of its free televisions with always-on ads
  Telly appeared on the home theater scene in 2023 with an unusual proposition. Its business model revolves around giving customers free dual-screen televisions where the lower screen shows non-stop advertisements. At the time, the start-up’s execs projected that Telly would ship its first 500,000 screens that summer. However, Janko Roettgers of 35,000 sets in people9s homes at the end of the third quarter of 2025. The figure appears to come from a quarterly investor update, but Telly didn9t provide Roettgers with any comment on the report.
  
  Personally, I don9t think I9d want a free TV that perpetually pelts me with ads, but it seems Telly did in fact have some interest in its approach; the company reportedly had 250,000 pre-orders in June 2023. However, it ran into issues with getting those televisions to customers in one piece. The quarterly report allegedly said that 10 percent of Telly9s shipments through FedEx arrived broken. A thread on the company9s Reddit page from a year ago backs that up, chronicling delayed shipments and broken replacements. So in short, things aren’t going so great for the company right now.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/telly-has-only-delivered-35000-of-its-free-televisions-with-always-on-ads-215033698.html?src=rss

• David Ellison extends deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery takeover offer
  Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is apparently still hopeful that investors will approve his $108.4 billion hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount Skydance announced Thursday that it9s extending its all-cash offer to acquire the storied studio, and giving investors until February 20, 2026 to accept. The company9s previous offer expired on January 21, but with a lawsuit in the works and a revised Netflix deal to compete with, Paramount Skydance wants to stay in the conversation.
  
  Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery originally announced their $82.7 billion acquisition agreement in December 2025. Netflix9s deal is for a significant portion, but notably not all, of Warner Bros. Discovery as it exists today. If approved, the streaming service would acquire Warner Bros. film studios, New Line Cinema, HBO, HBO Max, the company9s theme parks, game studios and select linear channels like TNT, but not the collection of reality TV and news programming that Warner Bros. Discovery calls “Global Networks.”
  
  Paramount Skydance made its competing offer of $108.4 billion for all of Warner Bros. Discovery a few days later in December, with the recommendation that shareholders reject the Netflix deal. To add pressure, Paramount Skydance also sued Warner Bros. Discovery in January alleging that the company had not provided adequate information about why it favored Netflix over Paramount. Beyond offering more money, Paramount contends its deal is more likely to be approved by regulators because owning Warner Bros. doesn9t "entrench Netflix9s market dominance." Warner Bros. Discovery claims that funding for Paramount9s deal "remains inadequate" and that the company is uncertain Paramount Skydance will actually be able to complete the deal.
  
  David Ellison was previously able to merge Skydance with Paramountusing the financial backing of his billionaire father Larry Ellison, and the Ellison family9s friendly relationship with the Trump administration. Promising to make sure that CBS News represents "a diversity of viewpoints” via a newly appointed ombudsman, and that the merged Paramount Skydance won9t create any diversity, equity and inclusion programs was enough to get the FCC to approve the merger. Ellison might have thought acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery would be equally easy, but at least so far that hasn9t worked out as planned.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/david-ellison-extends-deadline-for-warner-bros-discovery-takeover-offer-204752313.html?src=rss

• Fable will let you be a heartless landlord this fall
  After half a decade of waiting, Microsoft finally offered an extended preview of its long-awaited reboot of the beloved Fable RPG franchise on Thursday. During the company’s recent Developer Direct showcase, Playground Games, best known for its works on the Forza Horizon series, shared nearly 11 minutes of gameplay footage and commentary related to the upcoming title. The new game will feature a fully open world for players to explore, with locations from previous Fable games like Bowerstone making a return.
  
  Playground didn’t say exactly where the new game takes place in the Fable timeline. If you played 2010’s Fable 3, you may recall there was a time gap between each of the original games, with the final Lionhead entry giving players the chance to explore a version of Albion that’s been thrown into the tumult of an industrial revolution. This new game appears to offer a more traditional Medieval fantasy setting.
  
  From what little Playground shared of the story, the player character is the first hero born in Albion in a generation. Like previous Fable games, their story will begin when they’re a child. They’ll leave their home of Briar Hill after a “mysterious stranger” turns all the inhabitants into stone. Before you set off on your adventure, you’ll be able to decide what your hero looks like, with customization including options for different skin tones, head shapes, tattoos and scars.
  
  All pretty standard stuff, and combat doesn’t look groundbreaking. Your character can use a combination of melee and ranged weapons, alongside magic, to defeat their foes. In addition to a health bar, enemies appear to have a posture meter players can break through both light and heavy attacks, before carrying out “stylish” finishers. Judging from the footage Playground shared, combat doesn’t quite have the kinetic feel of say a FromSoftware title.
  
  Thankfully, there’s more to the game than just fighting monsters. Like past Fable games, players can ask villagers out on dates, before eventually marrying them and having children, and you’re not limited to a monogamous relationship. It looks like Playground built a modern polycule simulator. Beyond that, you can also purchase every house and business in Albion. The game’s NPCs will develop an opinion of your hero and their actions. Say you evict an artist that lived in one of the houses you bought, you can later meet them on the street and they’ll tell you to your face that you’re awful. Wonderful stuff.
  
  From a technical perspective, the footage Playground showed off looked on the rough side. The game’s frame rate and frame pacing wasn’t smooth, and I’m pretty sure I saw ghosting in some of the animations. Hopefully the studio has enough time between now and when the game is finally released sometime this autumn to polish the presentation. When the game does arrive, it will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PC via Xbox and Steam, PlayStation 5 and Game Pass Ultimate.
  
  Microsoft first announced a new Fable game was in development back in 2020. It then went three years before sharing a preview of the title, which was originally slated to arrive in 2025 before it was delayed to this year last February.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fable-will-let-you-be-a-heartless-landlord-this-fall-200409310.html?src=rss

• Double Fine announces delightful-looking multiplayer pottery game Kiln
  
  Double Fine has been on a tear with its smaller projects lately. The popular indie game developer is following up last year9s atmospheric adventure game Keeper with a new title in a totally different direction. As its Double Fine founder Tim Schaefer attempted to say five times fast during today9s Xbox Developer Direct, Kiln is an "online multiplayer pottery party brawler" that boasts exactly the sort of colorful, clever fun that fans have come to expect from the studio. 
  
  Kiln is a game with two facets: creation and destruction. On the creation side, players get to design a ceramic vessel of their choosing, anything from a dainty saucer to a massive vat. From the clips showed, this riff on character creation imitates many of the real processes of throwing on the wheel. There are options to decorate your vessel with glazes and stickers for additional personalization.
  
  Once you9ve made your pottery creation, it9s time to destroy it. The game mode that Double Fine showed off during the Developer Direct is called Quench. In these capture-the-flag style matches, your teammates are trying to carry water in the vessels they9ve designed to the enemy9s kiln, where the goal is to douse its flames before opponents can do the same to yours. Different vessel types have different attacks for smashing enemy ceramics to shards, so there can be a strategic angle to building up a smart team composition with a mix of defensive and offensive capabilities.
  
  Kiln looks like a really fun time, and it is due out in spring 2026. The game will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Steam, as well as through Xbox programs such as Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/double-fine-announces-delightful-looking-multiplayer-pottery-game-kiln-195837155.html?src=rss

• Substack now has a TV app
  It was only 16 months ago that Substack expanded into live video. Since then, it9s become a widely adopted medium on the platform, including by its ever-growing list of cable news expats. Now, the company has decided it9s ready for a bigger screen. Starting today, you can install a new Substack TV app on Apple TV and Google TV devices.
  
  Substack describes the app9s initial launch as focusing on "reliable, high-quality viewing" for the platform9s long-form videos. It centers around video posts and livestreams from the creators and publications you follow. There9s also a "For You" section that combines those videos with algorithmic recommendations. And you can browse dedicated pages for each channel.
  
  Viewing access aligns with your subscription level. So, if a channel restricts videos to paying subscribers on Substack’s mobile app and website, the same paywall applies here. However, the company says it9s working on adding previews of paid content for free subscribers. It also plans to add audio posts, search, improved discovery and separate sections for different shows within a single publication.
  
  At least one of those legacy media expats who moved to Substack is optimistic about the feature. "This is a game-changing moment for the rise of independent media," former CNN anchor Jim Acosta wrote in the announcement post. "Substack has proven that legacy media consumers are not only searching for fresh alternatives; they are finding them."
  
  Based on the comments in Substack’s announcement, some of the platform’s die-hards are less enthusiastic than Acosta. “File this under – thing we didn’t ask for,” Ashli Pollard wrote. “This is not YouTube,” a commenter named Dustin added. “Elevate the written word.” I personally don’t see any harm in another way to watch the videos Substack already hosts. (Its newsletters aren’t going anywhere.) But given how Big Tech companies tend to pivot further toward the most en vogue (and profitable) medium of the day, I can see why purists feel the need to dig in their heels.
  
  Regardless, you can find the Substack TV app by searching for its name in the tvOS App Store or the Apps section on Google and Android TV devices. You can sign in by scanning a QR code with your phone.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/substack-now-has-a-tv-app-195408592.html?src=rss

• Elon Musk just told Davos that Tesla will sell humanoid robots next year, really, he swears
  Elon Musk just took the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and announced that Tesla9s Optimus humanoid robot pic.twitter.com/4gYVohjY00
  — CIX 🦾 (@cixliv) December 8, 2025
  There have been plenty of reports suggesting that previous demos of the robots in action were actually smoke and mirrors, as they were being remotely piloted by human operators.
  
  Tesla9s stock jumped over three percent upon this announcement because company investors live in a world of magical rainbows, unicorns and robots mixing drinks at home in the year 2027. Musk also recently stated that the robots would be ready for commercial deployment in 2026. That9s this year. It9s worth noting that the program head for the project, Milan Kovac, recently left the company.
  
  Again, these are autonomous robots that are supposed to be able to perform complex tasks across a wide variety of categories. That9ll likely happen someday, but not by 2027. I9m just gonna go ahead and throw Musk9s timeline in with "two years to AGI" and "five years until the singularity."
  
  On a related note, the Tesla CEO also said that the long-awaited Cybercab will enter production in April, with a goal of two million vehicles manufactured each year. This isn9t quite as far-fetched as the Optimus promise, but that two million number seems highly suspect. Just how many consumers does he think want a car without a steering wheel that only holds two people?
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-just-told-davos-that-tesla-will-sell-humanoid-robots-next-year-really-he-swears-192515568.html?src=rss

• Mario Kart World adds a team option in Knockout Tour
  Mario Kart World received a free update today that brings a team option to its Knockout Tour mode. Initially, the Knockout races in this Nintendo Switch 2 launch title were only for solo drivers, challenging players to finish ahead of enough other competitors or get eliminated from the series. It was one of the highlights of the game in our review, and this new wrinkle should bring plenty more fun chaos to the racetrack.
  
  In the team mode, players compete either in two teams of twelve, three teams of eight or four teams of six. If you don9t have enough people to fill out a team CPU drivers will complete the roster. You’ll still progress or be knocked out based on individual performance, but your score will be pooled with your teammates’ results. More points are awarded for placing highly in a race, with 50 going to the top finisher while drivers who don’t advance to the next course only get one. Eliminated drivers can continue to spectate the game and cheer on their teammates. Team play can be hosted via local wireless or online play.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-kart-world-adds-a-team-option-in-knockout-tour-190348248.html?src=rss

• Forza Horizon 6 will hit Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 19
  
  Forza Horizon 6 is taking the racing series to Japan for the first time, and now we know exactly when you’ll be able to hit the virtual streets of Tokyo. The game will arrive on Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Cloud on May 19, with an early access period commencing on May 15. That lines up with earlier reports about the release date(s) after an in-game ad supposedly appeared in Forza Horizon 5. The upcoming title will hit PS5 later this year.
  
  The standard edition of Forza Horizon 6 is expected to cost $70, though it will be on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. To jump in a few days early, you’ll need the premium edition (a deluxe edition will be available too).
  
  Playground Games and co-developer Turn 10 Studios offered a first look at gameplay during Thursday’s Xbox Developer Direct showcase. You’ll start out by working through Horizon qualifiers in order to join the Horizon Festival racing circuit, then you’ll unlock faster cars and other goodies as you rise up through the ranks. In a few feature called Horizon Rush, you’ll take on obstacle courses.
  
  Playground says this is the largest Forza Horizon game to date. This version of Tokyo, for instance, is said to be five times larger than any urban area the studio has built before and it has multiple districts. There are lots of rural areas in the game as well, and the environments are affected by seasonal changes. As has been the case in previous games, you’ll be able to explore the world as you wish, either solo or with your friends.
  
  There will be more than 550 cars available at the jump, and you’ll be able to apply liveries to their windows. Each player house has a customizable garage. You can build up a part of the world called The Estate as you see fit and your friends can visit to see what you’ve made (building will be available in multiplayer for the first time in the series too). There are also new open-world car meets where you can show off your whips, buy copies of other players’ rides and download more songs.
  
  Playground is including all of the accessibility features from previous games. It’s adding new ones as well, such as a customizable high-contrast mode and an autodrive option.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/forza-horizon-6-will-hit-xbox-series-xs-and-pc-on-may-19-183242726.html?src=rss

• An AI pin is beneath Apple
  So it9s come to this: Apple is reportedly working on a wearable AI pin. According to long-awaited AI-powered Siri update, which will also reportedly work as a chatbot. But while many Apple rumors conjure up an air of excitement, the notion of an Apple AI pin sounds downright baffling. Worse, it just seems desperate. 
  
  Apple, the company known for taking its time to jump into new categories with more thoughtful solutions than its competitors, is reportedly chasing the specter of OpenAI9s unreleased AI pin. Never mind that OpenAI has never actually produced any hardware, and that it arguably stumbled into its position as a leading AI player. And never mind that Humane9s AI pin was a notorious failure that barely worked, and seemed pointless from the start. 
  
  Sure, Apple doesn9t want more AI eggs on its face, after the delay of its Siri revamp and the underwhelming (and error-prone) debut of Apple Intelligence. Beyond OpenAI, there9s also competition from Meta9s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which lean heavily on the company’s AI. There’s also the looming threat of whatever AI hardware Meta is cooking up next, following the layoffs from its virtual reality division. And while Google doesn’t have much to show from its Android XR platform, which aims to bring its Gemini AI to your face, Samsung’s Galaxy XR is a start. We’ve also recently seen compelling demos of Google’s AR glasses prototypes and Xreal’s Project Aura glasses.
  
  
  
  If Apple9s AI pin serves as a conduit to Siri, is it really that much more convenient than using an iPhone, AirPods or even an Apple Watch to do the same? The company has reportedly nixed plans to put cameras in the Apple Watch, and Bloomberg suggests it’s opting instead to focus on delivering its own smart glasses this year. But it’s not hard to imagine that faster hardware could let the Apple Watch handle more Siri and AI-related tasks on its own. It’s already a fairly self-sufficient device, allowing you to ask basic Siri queries, run apps and listen to music without an iPhone — the cellular models are even more capable since they can take calls and send messages.
  
  Rumors also point to infrared cameras coming to the next AirPods and AirPod Pros. Instead of taking photos, they could enable hand gestures and environmental awareness, which might be useful for Apple Intelligence down the line. The addition of heart rate tracking in the AirPods Pro 3 shows that there are still new features Apple can bring to its buds, beyond listening to music.
  
  At best, an Apple AI pin could just be a simple way for someone to access Siri if they don’t want to wear an Apple Watch, plug in AirPods or have their iPhone within shouting distance. But at least those devices do other things beyond talking to Siri. The same is true for Meta’s Ray-Bans and future smart glasses. Even without accessing AI, they’ll still let you listen to music, take calls and, well, be glasses for those who need prescription frames.
  
  Given the vocal pushback against Meta9s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are also being banned on cruises, clubs and other venues, I9m also not convinced many people would be eager to prominently display a surveillance device throughout the day. someone will always try to circumvent it.
  
  While The Information notes Apple9s AI pin may never actually see the light of day, I wouldn9t be surprised if it does. This is the company that partnered with OpenAI just to make Siri appear slightly smarter with the debut of Apple Intelligence. And instead of building its own home-brewed AI models, it9s banking on Google9s Gemini to power Siri9s big AI upgrade, as well as its future foundation models. When it comes to AI, Apple will do almost anything to avoid being seen as a straggler (and to avoid even more stock declines). 
  
  It’s genuinely strange that Apple, the company that let Samsung and Google get a multi-year head start on foldable smartphones and hasn9t yet jumped into the world of smart rings, could fast-track an AI pin for 2027. It’s yet another example of how the AI hype cycle has warped priorities throughout the tech industry. But at least Apple’s fortunes don’t depend on standalone AI hardware as much as OpenAI. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/an-ai-pin-is-beneath-apple-182744647.html?src=rss

• Korg's new experimental synthesizer combines acoustic sounds with electronic control
  Korg just officially unveiled the Phase8 synthesizer, after years of tinkering by a team led by legendary engineer Tatsuya Takahashi. This is a highly experimental synthesizer, but it9s not a concept unit. It9ll be available for purchase in April.
  
  The Phase8 uses a new form of "acoustic synthesis" that combines acoustic sound generation with electronic control. Takahashi says the synthesizer is "beyond analog vs. digital" and "beyond electronics" altogether. It features chromatically tuned steel resonators, which creates an acoustic sound similar to that of a kalimba. These signals can be manipulated via onboard effects and sequenced like a traditional synthesizer. Here9s a video of the synth in action.
  
  Players can mess with the resonators just like they would a guitar string or a piano key. Korg recommends that users physically touch, pluck, strum and tap the resonators to create new textures and tones. The company even suggests that people actually put objects on top of each resonator for additional experimentation. There9s a slider that boots or dampens the acoustic response.
  
  As for the electronics, the Phase8 boasts dedicated envelopes and velocity control for each resonator and there9s a polymetric step sequencer. The sequences can be stored and recalled via eight memory slots. All controls can be automated across a sequence. There are a handful of modulation effects, including tremolo and pitch-shift.
  
  It features modern connectivity options, including MIDI in/out via 3.5mm, USB MIDI, a standard ¼-inch audio out and a headphone jack, among other options. Preorders are open right now, but hold on to your jaw. This thing costs $1,150.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/korgs-new-experimental-synthesizer-combines-acoustic-sounds-with-electronic-control-180809332.html?src=rss

• Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images — including 23,000 of children — over 11 days
  We already knew xAI9s Grok was barraging X with nonconsensual sexual images of real people. But now there are some numbers to put things in perspective. Over an 11-day period, Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images — including an estimated 23,000 of children.
  
  Put another way, Grok generated an estimated 190 sexualized images per minute during that 11-day period. Among those, it made a sexualized image of children once every 41 seconds.
  
  On Thursday, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) published its findings. The British nonprofit based its findings on a random sample of 20,000 Grok images from December 29 to January 9. The CCDH then extrapolated a broader estimate based on the 4.6 million images Grok generated during that period.
  
  The research defined sexualized images as those with "photorealistic depictions of a person in sexual positions, angles, or situations; a person in underwear, swimwear or similarly revealing clothing; or imagery depicting sexual fluids." The CCDH didn9t take image prompts into account, so the estimate doesn9t differentiate between nonconsensual sexualized versions of real photos and those generated exclusively from a text prompt.
  
  The CCDH used an AI tool to identify the proportion of the sampled images that were sexualized. That may warrant some degree of caution in the findings. However, I9m told that many third-party analytics services for X have reliable data because they use the platform9s API.
  
  On January 9, xAI restricted Grok9s ability to edit existing images to paid users. (That didn9t solve the problem; it merely turned it into a premium feature.) Five days later, X restricted Grok9s ability to digitally undress real people.
  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Google CEO Sundar Pichai (L) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (R) listen as U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a roundtable with American and Indian business leaders in the East Room of the White House on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the meeting to meet with a range of leaders from the tech and business worlds and to discuss topics including innovation and AI. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
  But that restriction only applied to X; the standalone Grok app reportedly continues to generate these images. Since Apple and Google host the apps — which their policies explicitly prohibit — you might expect them to remove them from their stores. Well, in that case, you9d be wrong.
  
  So far, Tim Cook9s Apple and Sundar Pichai9s Google haven’t removed Grok from their stores — unlike similar “nudifying” apps from other developers. The companies also didn’t take any action on X while it was producing the images. That’s despite 28 women’s groups (and other progressive advocacy nonprofits) publishing an open letter calling on the companies to act.
  
  The companies haven9t replied to multiple requests for comment from Engadget. To my knowledge, they haven9t acknowledged the issue publicly in any format, nor have they responded to questions from other media outlets.
  Grok - App Store and Play Store listingsApple / Google
  The research’s findings on sexualized images included numerous outputs of people wearing transparent bikinis or micro-bikinis. The CCDH referred to one of a "uniformed healthcare worker with white fluids visible between her spread legs." Others included women wearing only dental floss, Saran Wrap or transparent tape. One depicted Ebba Busch, Sweden9s Deputy Prime Minister, "wearing a bikini with white fluid on her head."
  
  Other public figures were part of that group. They include Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj, Christina Hendricks, Millie Bobby Brown and Kamala Harris.
  
  Examples of children include someone using Grok to edit a child9s "before-school selfie" into an image of her in a bikini. Another image depicted "six young girls wearing micro bikinis." The CCDH said that, as of January 15, both of these posts were still live on X.
  
  In total, 29 percent of the sexualized images of children identified in the sample were still accessible on X as of January 15. The research found that even after posts were removed, the images remained accessible via their direct URLs.
  
  You can read the CCDH9s report for more details on the results and methodology. We’ll update this story if we receive a reply from Apple or Google.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grok-generated-an-estimated-3-million-sexualized-images--including-23000-of-children--over-11-days-175053250.html?src=rss

• How to watch the 2026 Super Bowl: TV channel, where to stream and more
  We might still be in the midst of the playoffs, but that doesn9t mean we can9t plan ahead for Super Bowl LX. For those of you who just can9t with Roman numerals, thats Super Bowl 60, and it9s taking place this year at Levi9s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, on February 8, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. 
  
  Like all other Sunday Night Football games this season, the championship game will be broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday on NBC, and will stream live on Peacock. And it9s not just the game that we9re excited for, either. This year9s halftime performer is singer and rapper Bad Bunny, and there will be pre-game performances by Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones, it9s truly an incredible lineup of talent. So while we wait to find out which teams will be competing in this year9s game, the least we can do is let you know everything you need to know to tune in to Super Bowl LX when it airs on Feb. 8.
  How to watch Super Bowl LX
  
  
  
  
  Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026
  
  Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
  
  TV channel: NBC, Telemundo
  
  Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NFL+ and more
  2026 Super Bowl game time
  The 2026 Super Bowl is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 8, 2026.
  2026 Super Bowl game channel
  The 2026 Super Bowl will air on NBC, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Telemundo. 
  Where is the 2026 Super Bowl being played?
  The 2026 Super Bowl will be held at Levi9s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
  What teams are playing in the 2026 Super Bowl?
  The teams for the 2026 Super Bowl will be determined after the AFC and NFC Championship games are played on Sunday, Jan. 25. You can keep tabs on the post-season playoff bracket here.
  How to watch the 2026 Super Bowl without cable
  You can stream NBC and Telemundo on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, both of which are among Engadget9s choices for best streaming services for live TV. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you9re limited to watching the game on mobile devices. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Who is performing at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show?
  Bad Bunny, who holds the title as the most-streamed artist in the world, will be headlining the 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance. You can expect that show to begin after the second quarter, likely between 8-8:30 p.m. ET. Singer Charlie Puth will also be at the game to perform the National Anthem, Brandi Carlile is scheduled to sing "America The Beautiful," and Coco Jones will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
  Where to buy tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl: 
  Tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl are available on third-party resale platforms like StubHub and Gametime. 
  Find tickets on Stubhub Find tickets on Gametime More ways to watch Super Bowl LX
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-watch-the-2026-super-bowl-tv-channel-where-to-stream-and-more-173222003.html?src=rss

• GeForce Now adds support for flight controllers
  It only seems right that cloud gaming should welcome virtual pilots, and that’s definitely now the case if GeForce Now is your streaming platform of choice. One of the most frequently requested features from its community according to NVIDIA, flight control support has now been added to its GeForce Now offering, meaning you can live your Top Gun fantasies without worrying about your rig buckling under the pressure.
  
  The first compatible peripheral is the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One — which incidentally NVIDIA is giving away to five winners of a competition it’s currently running, along with a month of GeForce Now Ultimate — with more to be supported over time. A dedicated row in the GeForce Now app will highlight games that you can play with flight controls, one of which will be Team Jade’s Delta Force, which arrives on the service soon.
  
  Last year NVIDIA started using RTX 5080 GPUs to power its $20-per-month GeForce Now Ultimate servers, allowing for 5K streaming up to 120fps. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar called the update a "cloud gaming revelation" and was blown away by how sharp and smooth the experience was.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/geforce-now-adds-support-for-flight-controllers-171047006.html?src=rss

• The best VPN deals: Up to 87 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
  In a chaotic world, one thing you can count on is your own common-sense steps towardbetter cybersecurity. Most of the holiday deals are over by now, but plenty of services are still offering excellent prices. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers.
  
  We strongly recommend using a VPN, but you might get stuck with a substandard app if you jump on the very first deal you see. You might also mistakenly end up paying more than you want to, as even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be.
  
  Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. Many of the best VPNs — including our top pick, Proton VPN — are still running deals that save you anywhere from 70 to 87 percent on annual subscriptions. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but if you divide the cost by the months of subscription, it's much cheaper over time.
  Best VPN deals
  
  
  
  
  ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 78 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.
  
  split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.
  
  NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This deal gives you 70 percent off the two-year plan.
  
  Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
  
  EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.
  
  Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. You can also get a shorter one-year subscription for $40 ($3.33 per month). Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
  What makes a good VPN deal
  Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
  
  One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-88-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056445.html?src=rss

• AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU will arrive on January 29 and cost $499
  At CES earlier this month, AMD announced the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, a more wallet-friendly take on its $700 9950X3D. The company promised the new chip would be out sometime in the first three months of the year, and it9s going to arrive a bit sooner than you might have expected. It can be all yours on January 29 for $499.
  
  AMD says the 9850X3D builds on the 9800X3D with an 400MHz upgrade to the boost clock. It can reach boost speeds of 5.6GHz. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is an 8-core CPU with 16 threads and 104MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. AMD is employing its 3D V-cache tech so it can vertically stack more cache memory onto the chip. 
  
  The 9850X3D also has a 120W TDP. AMD claims the CPU is able to deliver an average 27 percent faster gaming performance than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285k. We9ll be able to assess that for ourselves very soon given that the 9850X3D will hit shelves in just a few days.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/amds-ryzen-7-9850x3d-cpu-will-arrive-on-january-29-and-cost-499-165000446.html?src=rss

• Netflix scores Oscar nominations for Frankenstein and KPop Demon Hunters
  The nominees for the 2026 Academy Awards were just announced and Ryan Coogler9s vampire-adjacent period drama Sinners received a record-breaking 16 nominations. That9s the highest number of Oscar nominations for a single film in the history of the awards, followed by Titanic, La La Land and All About Eve with 14 noms each.
  
  Sinners grabbed a nomination in nearly every major category, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The same goes for the performances, as Michael B. Jordan captured the nomination for Best Actor. Even Delroy Lindo got nominated for Best Supporting Actor, which is his very first Oscar nomination after 50 years in the business.
  
  Paul Thomas Anderson9s One Battle After Another walked away with 13 nominations and Yorgos Lanthimos9 Bugonia scored four. Apple9s F1 actually got nominated for Best Picture, which is unusual for a popcorn-style blockbuster. Netflix scored Best Picture noms for both Frankenstein and Train Dreams.
  
  Netflix also got its flowers for the international animated sensation KPop Demon Hunters. It got nominated for Best Animated Feature and, of course, Best Original Song.
  
  The 98th annual Academy Awards will take place on March 15, with Conan O9Brien returning to host. It9ll be broadcast live on ABC. The awards ceremony will be moving to YouTube in 2029.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflix-scores-oscar-nominations-for-frankenstein-and-kpop-demon-hunters-163521141.html?src=rss

• Waymo is now available in Miami
  Waymo’s fully autonomous robotaxis are now accepting passengers in Miami. The city was one of five named in expansion plans last year, and joins the likes of Phoenix, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area on Waymo’s existing network.
  
  Waymo says that nearly 10,000 Miami residents have signed up so far, and that it will send out invites to new riders on a rolling basis" in the weeks and months to come. The autonomous ride-hailing service will initially cover a 60-square-mile area that includes neighborhoods like the Design District and Wynwood, with Waymo planning to expand to Miami International Airport soon.
  
  Waymo started testing robotaxi rides in Miami in November, without passengers initially, which allows it to spot local potential issues and local quirks, and adjust the driving algorithm so things go smoothly once humans are involved. The company insists that autonomous vehicles are safe and reliable, claiming a "ten-fold reduction" in serious injuries caused by crashes compared to human drivers in its current areas of operation.
  
  Waymo’s Florida expansion will move to Orlando next, with the Texas cities of San Antonio, Houston and Dallas also on the agenda for 2026.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/waymo-is-now-available-in-miami-162515070.html?src=rss

• Xbox Developer Direct 2026: How to watch and what we expect to see from Fable, Forza Horizon 6 and Beast of Reincarnation
  
  Xbox is set to hold the fourth installment of its now-annual Developer Direct showcase on January 22. You’ll be able to watch the 2026 edition at 1PM ET on YouTube (including versions with audio descriptions and ASL), Twitch, Facebook and Steam. Xbox will stream the Developer Direct on its regional channels simultaneously, and it’ll be available on Bilibili on Friday.
  
  The YouTube stream might be the way to go, since that one will be available in 4K and 60 fps. Because we’re so nice, we’ve embedded that stream above, so all you have to do is click the play button when the time is right.
  
  Microsoft has confirmed that it will feature three titles at the Developer Showcase: Fable and Forza Horizon 6 from Playground Games, and Beast of Reincarnation from Game Freak, which is best known for its work on Pokémon games. We should get developer interviews, gameplay footage and (for at least one of those) a release date.
  
  There is a chance that there will be some surprises, of course. The three previous editions of Developer Direct all featured five games — the first one showcased Hi-Fi Rush, which was released on the same day.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-developer-direct-2026-how-to-watch-and-what-we-expect-to-see-from-fable-forza-horizon-6-and-beast-of-reincarnation-161000242.html?src=rss

• AI Mode in Google search can now pull context from your other apps
  After adding Personal Intelligence to Gemini as an opt-in experience, Google has announced that it’s also integrating the feature into AI Mode in Search. What Personal Intelligence does is pull information from your Google apps to tailor its responses based on your history and interests. For Search, in particular, you can allow Personal Intelligence to look for information in your Gmail accounts and Google Photos libraries.
  
  If you use AI Mode to shop for clothes with the new feature enabled, for instance, Google could recommend items or models from a brand you previously purchased from. If it sees plane tickets or other reservations in Gmail, Google could also recommend specific items based on your destination and the season if you’re clothes shopping for that trip.
  
  Personal Intelligence is powered by Google’s Gemini 3 AI model. The company says it doesn’t train its models using information from your Gmail inbox or Google Photos library, but it does use your prompts and AI Mode’s responses. Google also warned that sometimes, the feature’s recommendations could feel inaccurate because it could not fully comprehend the context or could make incorrect connections between separate topics.
  
  At the moment, Personal Intelligence is an experimental feature that’s rolling out in Labs starting today. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US, who use the service in English, will automatically have access to it and be able to connect AI Mode to Gmail and Google Photos. It will only be available to personal Google accounts, however, and not for Workspace accounts just yet.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-mode-in-google-search-can-now-pull-context-from-your-other-apps-160000103.html?src=rss

• ExpressVPN two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now
  ExpressVPN is back on sale again, and its two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now. You can get the Advanced tier for $101 for 28 months. This is marked down from the $392 that this time frame normally costs. On a per-month basis, it works out to roughly $3.59 for the promo period.
  
  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.
  
  The Basic plan is $78 right now for 28 months, down from $363, and the Pro plan is $168, down from $560. That9s 78 percent and 70 percent off, respectively. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, so you can try it without committing long term if you’re on the fence.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/expressvpn-two-year-plans-are-up-to-78-percent-off-right-now-180602025.html?src=rss

• Canon EOS R6 III review: A video powerhouse that's also great for photography
  With video features like RAW now the norm on midrange mirrorless cameras, Canon decided not to mess around with its latest model, the 33-megapixel EOS R6 III. It’s a veritable cinematic beast, allowing up to 7K RAW video capture internally with fast and reliable autofocus and rock solid stabilization. 
  
  At the same time, it9s a solid photo camera with high burst speeds and warm, accurate image quality. The R6 III has stiff competition with Sony’s 33MP A7 V, though, as the latter delivers higher dynamic range. The price could also be an issue for buyers, as the R6 III costs $300 more than its predecessor. Whether it’s worth that extra money depends on what you’re planning to do with it.  
  
  
  Handling and design Canon EOS R6 III Steve Dent for Engadget
  The EOS R6 III is quintessentially Canon in terms of design. It strongly resembles the R6 II and EOS R5 II, with the same button and dial layout at the rear. In terms of functionality, this is a good thing as everything falls perfectly to hand, letting you control it by feel once you’re used to it. However, the R6 III’s design is a bit bland, so if you’re looking for a stylish camera a la Fujifilm, this is not the one. 
  
  Holding the R6 III is also a pleasure thanks to the grippy, soft rubber exterior, though at 1.5 pounds it’s a bit heavier than the A7 V. It’s comfortable to hold and use all day, unlike Sony’s A7 V which felt uncomfortable after prolonged usage because of the harder material and sharp crease around the fingertip area. 
  
  The R6 III’s 3.69-million dot, 120 fps electronic viewfinder (EVF) worked fine for me to check color and focus, but falls short of the one on the much cheaper Nikon Z6 III. The flip-out 3-inch 1.65-million-dot rear touch display is on par for this category and does the job well. For storage, the R6 III supports CFexpress Type B cards for capturing RAW video, along with SD UHS II for MP4 video and photos. 
  
  Other key features include headphone and microphone ports, a full-sized HDMI input (instead of microHDMI as before, thankfully) and a USB-C port for charging and transfers. Battery life is decent for this category with a maximum 510 shots per charge or 620 shots if you engage the power saving mode or about 90 minutes of continuous 4K capture. However, you can roughly double those figures with Canon9s optional $150 BG-R20 battery grip.
  Performance Canon9s EOS R6 III offers fast burst speeds and skin-tone friendly colors Steve Dent for Engadget
  The R6 III offers a boost in shooting speeds over its predecessor thanks to an all-new 33MP sensor. It has a faster readout speed than the R6 II as well, allowing for faster bursts and lower rolling shutter skew. In comparison, Sony’s A7 V also has a 33MP sensor but it’s partially stacked, so it delivers less distortion when shooting fast-moving subjects. 
  
  With that new sensor and a 34 percent faster Digic X processor, the R6 III can shoot bursts at up to 40 fps in electronic and 12 fps in mechanical shutter modes (with continuous AF and AE enabled). That’s second only to the Panasonic S1 II (70 fps) in this price range. You can fill the buffer in about 3.7 seconds at that speed (150 RAW frames), which is a decent amount for a midrange camera.
  
  You usually want to avoid the electronic shutter with fast-moving action due to rolling shutter distortion, but the R6 III’s faster sensor can handle objects that are moving reasonably quickly. I also caught a few photos of babies, bikes and dogs I might have otherwise missed by using the new pre-capture mode that records up to 15 photos before fully declencing the shutter.
  
  The new sensor and processor also make the R6 III’s autofocus system faster and more accurate than before. When shooting bursts for fast moving action like dogs running or biking, less than five percent of my shots were out of focus. And the EOS R6 III can now track animals, birds and vehicles, on top of the faces, eyes and bodies of people. 
  
  This camera also has a couple of new autofocus tricks, including one called Register People Priority. That lets you save up to 10 individuals on camera that it can identify and automatically switch to. I found it handy in a large gathering, helping me focus on my niece enjoying her second Christmas. However, the R6 III lacks a few autofocus features found on the R5 II like “action priority” for sports, eye control AF and AI upscaling. 
  
  In-body stabilization is also excellent, keeping the sensor rock-steady for handheld shooting with 8.5 stops of shake reduction. With that enabled, I was able to nicely blur action on the streets while keeping the background sharply in focus at shutter speeds down to a full second. 
  Image quality
  With a 33MP sensor instead of a 24MP sensor, the R6 III offers quite a bit more sharpness and a touch more dynamic range than its predecessor. When shooting RAW, I was able to coax a lot of detail out of high contrast shots on sunny days with dark shadows. However, Sony’s A7 V soundly beats the R6 III in terms of dynamic range, thanks to its innovative new sensor. 
  
  The R6 III’s high ISO performance isn’t too bad for a higher-resolution camera either, with noise staying under control up to ISO 12,800. As is typical with Canon models, skin tones are warmer and more flattering than on Sony and Nikon cameras, due to the slightly more yellow-biased pink tones. Those pleasing colors were consistent, even at high ISOs, when I shot kids and adults at a couple of indoor gatherings. If you don’t want the hassle of RAW, JPEG rendering is excellent straight out of the camera, with well balanced sharpening and noise reduction.
  
  Note that switching to electronic shutter mode drops the sensor to a 12-bit readout, which helps burst speeds but hurts image quality. This is a pretty big downside compared to the A7 V, which maintains 14-bit quality even when shooting at the camera’s maximum rate at 30 fps. So while on paper the R6 III wins the speed race, the 10 extra fps won’t be worth the drop in quality for many photographers. 
  Video Canon’s EOS R6 III Steve Dent for Engadget
  Canon has improved video on the R6 III in every way, putting it nearly on par with the more expensive R5 II. Though it can’t shoot 8K, it can handle 7K RAW video at up to 60 fps (on CFexpress only) and 4K at 120p, with less rolling shutter than the R6 II. It also supports 3:2 “open gate” video that uses the full sensor area so you can output high-res vertical video and other formats.
  
  The R6 III supports 4K 10-bit MP4 shooting at high data rates too if you’d rather save storage space or shoot on SD cards. You also get CLog 2 on top of CLog 3 capability for improved dynamic range. Oddly though, Canon made it a bit of a pain to switch to log modes compared to past models, forcing you to slog through a bunch of menus to do so. 
  
  Video autofocus is excellent across all resolutions, with rapid subject acquisition and reliable tracking. Face and eye detection work very well, and I only occasionally noticed slight autofocus lag with fast-moving subjects, particularly when they were moving toward the camera. 
  
  As for stabilization, I could smoothly shoot handheld with no crop, provided I didn’t move the camera too aggressively. Digital stabilization allowed even more movement and the enhanced setting let me shoot smoothly while walking (7K doesn’t work in the digital stabilization modes, though). Panasonic’s S5 II is still the best in this regard with slightly smoother stabilization, but the R6 III isn’t far behind.
  
  Video on the EOS R6 III is extremely sharp in RAW and the HQ modes, particularly with supersampled 4K HQ. Other 4K modes are subsampled, but nearly as sharp. Rolling shutter is better managed than before, but you’ll still want to avoid things like whip pans, sudden jolts or rapid subjects like propellers or golf swings. 
  
  In a variety of shooting scenarios in bright and dark conditions, Canon’s excellent color science delivered warm skin tones and accurate colors. Shooting RAW video allowed me to widely adjust shots in post, while the CLog 2 mode drastically improved dynamic range while I was shooting in contrasty conditions. For instance, I shot the famous Paris department store windows and was able to extract detail from the very bright and dark parts of the video.
  
  Overheating has been an issue in the past on Canon’s R6 models, but the R6 III never shut down for me, even during a few tests of over 15 minutes. Overall, it reliably delivered outstanding video quality and I actually preferred it to the R5 II due to the smaller RAW file sizes. 
  Wrap-up Canon EOS R6 III mirrorless camera Steve Dent for Engadget
  Canon’s EOS R6 III is now the best midrange camera for creators thanks to the RAW video, rapid and accurate autofocus and excellent handling. At the same time, it’s a solid camera for photography with high burst speeds, extra resolution and, again, reliable AF. If it’s mainly photography you’re interested in, though, Sony’s $2,900 A7 V is a better choice. It matches the R6 III’s resolution, price and autofocus but offers superior dynamic range and lower rolling shutter distortion.
  
  Other video-centric options may be more attractive for other reasons — including budget. Nikon’s 24MP Z6 III offers similar capabilities, has a partially stacked sensor and retails for $2,400, but can often be found on sale for less. Panasonic’s S1 II is also a good pick due to its RAW video and creator-centric features, though it costs more at $3,200. 
  
  Which one to buy, then, depends on your budget, usage (video or photography) and whether you already have lenses in one system or another. With that said, if it’s a Canon camera you’re after and you lean toward content creation, the EOS R6 III is your best choice. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-eos-r6-iii-review-a-video-powerhouse-thats-also-great-for-photography-153000494.html?src=rss

• The Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder arrives on March 26
  While many of us wait (im)patiently for a brand new Mario platformer for the Switch 2, Nintendo is filling the gap with an upgraded version of the tremendous Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the console. Alarmo. You9ll be able to buy Talking Flower from Nintendo9s New York and San Francisco stores, its online store and some other retailers, with pre-orders opening today.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-version-of-super-mario-bros-wonder-arrives-on-march-26-150916983.html?src=rss

• 1Password adds an extra layer of phishing protection
  1Password has a new tool designed to counteract the advantages AI has given to phishing scammers. A new feature for the company9s browser extension gives you a "second pair of eyes" to help you catch a bogus website before entering your login info.
  
  Before AI, phishing attempts often included telltale signs like obvious typos or rudimentary graphic design. Now that AI makes it much easier to design and code convincingly, scams are on the rise. According to make things even worse.
  
  “Our new phishing feature adds an extra layer of protection,” 1Password says. Once the feature is activated, the extension actively watches for suspicious sign-ins. To be clear, even before this feature9s arrival, 1Password wouldn9t autofill saved credentials for a bogus website impersonating it. But that still left room for people to manually paste their login info, handing it over to those with the worst intentions.
  
  That moment when you try to paste your login manually is where the new feature comes in. "The website you9re on isn9t linked to a login in 1Password," the feature9s warning pop-up reads. "Make sure you trust this site before continuing."
  
  1Password says that9s the "breakthrough" moment that can help you avoid a major hassle. "That single moment of pause, that tiny bit of friction, is often all it takes to disrupt the attackers9 entire plan."
  
  The new feature is available today. You can enable it in the 1Password browser extension9s settings. Under the Notifications section, activate the setting for "Warn about pasted logins on non-linked websites."
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/1password-adds-an-extra-layer-of-phishing-protection-140000293.html?src=rss

• A-List creatives sign up to fight AI, say it enables 'theft at a grand scale'
  Scarlett Johannsson, R.E.M., Vince Gilligan and over 700 other artists are demanding that tech companies stop “stealing” their work in order to train AI models. A new campaign called “Stealing isn’t Innovation��� demands that AI companies take “the responsible, ethical route” through licensing and partnerships, according to the website.
  
  “America’s creative community is the envy of the world and creates jobs, economic growth and exports,” a statement on the website reads. “But rather than respect and protect this valuable asset, some of the biggest tech companies, many backed by private equity and other funders, are using American creators’ work to build AI platforms without authorization for copyright law.”
  
  The group adds that the “illegal intellectual property grab” has resulted in an information ecosystem dominated by “misinformation, deepfakes and a vapid artificial avalanche of low-quality materials [‘AI slop’]… threatening America’s AI superiority and international competitiveness.”
  
  OpenAI once argued that it’s “impossible” to train AI without copyrighted materials, since “copyright today covers virtually every sort of human expression.” However, actors, musicians and authors take issue with that idea, particularly when they see their likenesses or work repurposed as slop or worse by large language models (LLMs).
  
  Johansson, for one, previously threatened OpenAI with legal action in 2024 over a ChatGPT voice assistant that effectively cloned her voice. More recently, Elon Musk’s Grok has been accused of creating millions of sexualized images of real people in just days, according to a report today from The New York Times.
  
  “Big Tech is trying to change the law so they can keep stealing American artistry to build their AI businesses — without authorization and without paying the people who did the work. That is wrong; it’s un-American, and it’s theft on a grand scale,” the group proclaimed.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/a-list-creatives-sign-up-to-fight-ai-say-it-enables-theft-at-a-grand-scale-140000475.html?src=rss

• Spotify's Prompted Playlist lets you describe exactly what you want to hear
  Ahead of its upcoming price hike, Spotify is rolling out a more advanced AI playlist feature in the US and Canada. Prompted Playlist, which the company trialed in New Zealand late last year, lets subscribers "control the Spotify algorithm," as the company describes it. "You9re not just asking for music, you9re shaping how Spotify goes about discovering it for you."
  
  For example, you can guide it to make a playlist of songs you9ve saved to your Library but haven9t listened to yet. (It can tap into your entire Spotify history.) Or, you can tell it to round up songs from a specific television show or movie. (It uses real-time information about pop culture, charts, and history.)
  
  The feature includes options to refresh the playlist over time (daily or weekly). You can edit each playlist9s prompt at any time. Each track will include a short note to explain why it was chosen.
  The standard AI Playlist creator will remain alongside the new Prompted Playlist.Spotify
  Spotify says beta testers have used Prompted Playlist to revisit songs tied to specific moments and filter out tracks they9ve overplayed lately. "Others are asking for long, lyric-free electronic playlists to power through a workday, or mixing in artists connected to current pop culture moments and viral trends," the company wrote.
  
  There9s room for some confusion here because Spotify already has an "AI Playlist" feature. That simpler type will stick around alongside the new "Prompted" variety, which allows for finer tuning and can sift through more data.
  
  Prompted Playlist will be available to Spotify Premium subscribers in the US and Canada "by the end of the month." Once you have access, you can try it by tapping Create, then selecting Prompted Playlist.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/spotifys-prompted-playlist-lets-you-describe-exactly-what-you-want-to-hear-140000153.html?src=rss

• Get one year of access to one of our favorite budgeting apps for only $50
  A new year is the perfect time to get your spending in order, and if you9re not trying to build your own spreadsheet, budgeting apps are one of the best ways to do it. To save yourself some money in the process, you can pick up a year-long subscription to Monarch Money, one of Engadget9s favorite budgeting apps, for just $50 if you use code NEWYEAR2026 at checkout and you9re a new subscriber. That9s a 50 percent discount on the service9s normal $100 price.
  
  Monarch Money makes for a capable and detailed budgeting companion. You can use the service via apps for iOS, Android, iPadOS or the web, and Monarch also offers a Chrome extension that can sync your Amazon and Target transactions and automatically categorize them. Like other budgeting apps, Monarch Money lets you connect multiple financial accounts and track your money based on where you spend it over time. Monarch offers two different approaches to tracking budgeting (flexible and category budgeting) depending on what fits your life best, and the ability to add a budget widget on your phone so you can know how you9re tracking that month.
  
  
  
  How budgeting apps turn your raw transactions into visuals you can understand at a glance is one of the big things that differentiates one app from another, and Monarch Money offers multiple graphs and charts to look at for things like spending, investments or categories of your choice based on how you9ve labelled your expenses. The app can also monitor the spending of you and your partner all in one place, to make it easier to plan together.
  
  The main drawbacks Engadget found in testing Monarch Money were the app9s learning curve, and the differences in features (and bugginess) between Monarch9s web and mobile versions. Still, for 50 percent off, the Monarch Money is well worth experimenting with if you9re trying to save money in 2026, especially if you want to do it collaboratively with a partner.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/get-one-year-of-access-to-one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-for-only-50-204507787.html?src=rss

• Save on the Disney+ Hulu bundle: Get one month for only $10
  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/save-on-the-disney-hulu-bundle-get-one-month-for-only-10-192814972.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