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The Great Cassette Rewind continues, as more affordable tape-playing options capitalize on the love for collectible physical media, which has only grown in the wake of the vinyl revival.Earlier in 2025, We Are Rewind announced a metal Walkman-like portable player that can play cassettes over Bluetooth or with the best wired headphones, and then followed it up with the We Are Rewind GB-001 boombox reinvention.And yes, this goes all out at being a boombox just the way you remember it. It's got a front-opening cassette deck, it's got physical dials and buttons, it's got a folding handle, it's got twin VU meters on the front, it's got two-way speakers on each side, and it's slightly heavier than is really convenient.There are two notable feature swaps from the boombox you had a few decades ago, though: the radio tuner is out and Bluetooth is in for wireless playback, and the battery is a built-in rechargeable option instead of needing a dozen cells each the size of a large hamster.(Image credit: Future)It's got a guitar/mic input if you want to play or sing along with the music, and you can use this input to record to the cassette deck. Sadly, you can't record to tape from the Bluetooth connection, and I wish it actually had two cassette decks so you could go really old school and record between them, but what's here is probably the right balance for using it in the real world.Speaking of which, I did get to test it out, though in a slightly odd situation: I was at a big audio trade show, and we couldn't test it in the side room it was being shown off in, because there was a constant demo of much larger speakers.So we just took it out into the public area, put it on the ground, and turned up the dial until I could enjoy my music and everyone around me was annoyed – the authentic public boombox experience!Actually, I suspect that people were more curious than annoyed – they were at an audio trade show, after all, and this thing really stood out among all the more traditional hi-fi that dominated the show.(Image credit: Future)There is a deep, fundamental satisfaction that comes from turning up the volume and seeing physical VU meter needles start to jump higher and higher up their range; a reassuring supplement to what your ears are telling you, that rocking is about to happen.Despite being at a hi-fi show, the GB-001's sound is not exactly audiophile, which will not be a shock to anyone – and is not what we really want from it anyway. Because I was listening to it on a noisy trade-show floor, obviously my assessment of its sound is very much limited, but it is at least representative of using the thing in the real world, where other sounds around you will conflict with it.It's heavy through the low-end, which is common among outdoor speakers, because bass is easily lost when traveling through open air. It seems to know what it's doing with this bass, which felt fairly controlled and lively – the risk with going strong on bass is that it starts to become flat and lands with a thud, but this felt like it had bounce.The mids felt a little lost among the sound around me even when I'd turned the volume pretty high, but the treble comes across, and again I feel like this is what you expect from this kind of speaker in this environment – all the movement and conversation around me is heavily in the mid-range and is most likely to overwhelm the audio, but I could still hear all the core essence of songs, and definitely the beat.I couldn't tell you much about its delivery of detail in that environment, but I genuinely do feel like this asking the wrong question of a boombox.(Image credit: Future)One thing to note is that it delivers a notably broader sound over Bluetooth than it does from cassettes. It's one big reason why I don't think the tape revolution will ever take off in the same way as the vinyl revival. I know some people love them, but really cassettes were the best solution to a portability problem at the time, and basically every solution since then has been superior.But there is a genuine charm to them outside of the sound, which is the same with vinyl. The physical ritual of opening a box, sliding out the cassette, and sliding it into the boombox's caddy is deliberate and satisfying.The chunk of pressing the mechanical buttons tickles the right part of the brain. The click and silence of a successful rewind delivers anticipation that you're about to dig into something good.And I've written about this before, but I genuinely miss the creativity of the mixtape era, and both of We Are Rewind's products have that in mind, both including a line-in option to record something personal to tape and share it with your crush/best fried, or sibling, or favorite artist you waited ages at the stage door to see who's definitely going to love your stuff and will be your big break.Even with all that acknowledged, it's the light-up twin VU meters that are my favorite part of the whole thing. They're another element that adds anticipation; when the lights come on and the needle twitches, you're about to kick off a good time.My next home hi-fi upgrade will be genuinely influenced by the presence of features like this, because now that it's possible to play all the music in the world in high quality with almost no equipment whatsoever (just some of the best earbuds and your phone), if you're going to invest in big physical units to provide pleasing playback, they should make you as happy physically as they do sonically.I think the GB-001 gets this – it's about the ritual of music, at home or out at the skate park.You might also like…Bluetooth speaker heaven: my top 4 launches of 2025 so far, and what’s comingI listened to a $3 million stereo system, and I don’t know if I could hear every penny, but I definitely heard the dollarsEveryone needs 5 pairs of headphones: my job is testing 'em – here are the ones to buy

Google will integrate the Veo 3 video generation tool into YouTube Shorts later this summer. This was revealed by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan at a keynote during the Cannes Lions film festival that was transcribed by The Hollywood Reporter.

This means that creators will be able to whip up endless clips via prompts, as Mohan said "the possibilities with AI are limitless." He went on to opine that "anyone with a story to share can turn their dream into a career" and "anyone with a voice can bring people together and change the world," thanks to "cutting-edge AI technology." Those are some high-falutin words for something that'll likely mostly be used to create clips of dogs playing piano or whatever.

To that end, there's the AI slop of it all. I use YouTube Shorts primarily to watch quick tutorials or clips of comedians. I don't want AI-generated tutorials because I think they'll probably offer incorrect information. I don't want AI-generated comedians because they aren't funny. So this isn't for me. If the platform becomes too stuffed with AI I'll just move onto TikTok or, gasp, Instagram Reels.

It's worth noting that YouTube already uses an older version of Veo for its Dream Screen background generation tool. However, Veo 3 is a fairly massive upgrade. It can generate full clips, with both video and sound, from prompts. It'll be able to crank out YouTube Shorts that look mostly real but maybe sort of a bit off if you squint.

There's an elephant in this AI-generated room. Veo 3 could easily be used to deepfake celebrities and pre-existing creators. The company is trying to get ahead of this by partnering with the talent agency CAA and creators to develop a tool that gives celebrities and other high-profile people control over their likeness on the platform.

Veo 3 has digested the mother lode of ASMR content on YouTube making it an AI ASMR machine.This one got 3.1M likes and 12k comments in 3 days.Every popular YouTube format is about to get its impossible AI remix. pic.twitter.com/XVqky2KI4U— Bilawal Sidhu (@bilawalsidhu) June 17, 2025

Here's another lingering question. Will current successful creators that actually make stuff want to share the wealth with people who spit a few words into a chat field? More than 25 percent of people enrolled in YouTube's Partner Program make money from Shorts. This could scare some of them to rival services. We'll keep an eye on how this Veo 3 integration impacts traffic metrics of the various short-form video platforms.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/google-is-adding-the-veo-3-video-generator-to-youtube-to-slopify-shorts-155339183.html?src=rss

CISA flags security issue affecting multiple TP-Link modelsIt allows threat actors to execute arbitrary system-level commandsAffected models have all reached end of life, so should be replaced anywayMultiple TP-Link routers, which have long reached end-of-life (EoL) status, are being abused in real-life attacks, the US government is warning.The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added a command injection vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, signaling abuse in the wild.A command injection vulnerability allows threat actors to execute arbitrary system-level commands on a server by exploiting improperly sanitized user input.Save up to 52% off Lifelock Identity Theft Protection!Your personal info is in endless places. And any one of them could accidentally expose you to identity theft. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for identity theft. LifeLock. For the threats you can't control.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View DealPopular routersIn this case, the bug is tracked as CVE-2023-33538 and has a severity score of 8.8/10 (high). It affects multiple models, including TP-Link TL-WR940N V2/V4, TL-WR841N V8/V10, and TL-WR740N V1/V2.All of these models reached their EoL long ago - between 2010 and 2018. That means that they are no longer receiving updates, and that TP-Link will not be addressing the command injection vulnerability mentioned above.Usually, when a bug is added to KEV, Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies have three weeks to apply the patch. Since in this case, there is no patch, users are urged to replace old hardware with newer versions. The deadline to complete the removal is July 7, 2025.Most OEMs advise this for all of the equipment that reached end-of-life status, both hardware, and software.Despite being a decade old, these devices are still quite popular - as ,ost can still be purchased on Amazon, where one of the models has more than 9,000 positive reviews, and another has more than 77,000 reviews and ranks well among other similar routers.“Users should discontinue product utilization,” CISA warned on its website.The proof-of-concept exploits are “widely available” online, Cybernews noted, highlighting these types of flaws are most dangerous on publicly exposed routers with remote access features. It doesn’t mean they cannot be exploited within the same local network.You might also likeThis worrying botnet targets unsecure TP-Link routers - thousands of devices already hackedTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

Sensay, a creator of AI-powered digital replicas of people, has established an AI-powered government on a real island it purchased off the coast of the Philippines. Previously known as Cheron Island, it's been renamed Sensay Island.The Head of State (effectively, the President) of Sensay Island is Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, one of The Five Good Emperors of Rome, who was known for his love of Stoic philosophy and good judgement. Wartime British PM Winston Churchill is the Prime Minister, while Sun Tzu, author of the Chinese strategic classic, The Art of War, takes the reins at Defence. Alexander Hamilton is the new Treasury Secretary.According to Sensay, “Each AI replica is designed to emulate the personality, values, and decision-making patterns of the historical figure it represents, providing a governance style infused with timeless wisdom and ethical principles.To truly emulate the character of these historical figures, each recreation is uniquely trained on the literature, teaching, philosophies, and speeches of the real-life counterparts they represent."How easily AI replicas from such disparate periods and with such strong characters will be able to work together in government remains to be seen, since their contrasting values must surely clash at points, not to mention be at odds with modern-day values.The full cabinetHere’s the full list of Sensay Island cabinet members: Head of State (President): Marcus AureliusPrime Minister: Winston ChurchillForeign Affairs Minister: Eleanor RooseveltDefense Minister: Sun TzuTreasury Secretary: Alexander HamiltonJustice Minister: Nelson MandelaScience & Technology Minister: Ada LovelaceEducation Minister: ConfuciusHealth Minister: Florence NightingaleAgriculture Minister: George Washington CarverEnvironment Minister: Wangari MaathaiCulture Minister: Leonardo da VinciEthics Advisor: Mahatma GandhiInnovation Advisor: Nikola TeslaInfrastructure Director: Queen HatshepsutChief Strategist: Zhuge LiangIntelligence Chief: T.E. Lawrence Personally, I think DaVinci was a wise choice for Culture Minister, and it’s nice to see Nikola Tesla being recognized as Innovation Advisor, but I have to say I’m a little disappointed not to see Queen Cleopatra anywhere in the mix.Confucius also presents some challenges as Education Minister, considering his unfamiliarity with modern technology, like AI.Sensay Island is neighbor to Guinlep Island and Bamboo Private Island. (Image credit: Sensay)A real islandSensay Island is indeed a real island off the coast of the Philippines. You can find it on Google Maps. It has a surface area of around 3.4 km², comprising beaches, rainforest, and coral lagoons.From what we can see, there doesn’t seem to be any infrastructure of any kind on the island, so if you’re thinking of a visit, be aware that there’s probably no Wi-Fi.While an AI government feels like something of a publicity stunt, there are serious reasons why Sensay has created an AI island:“Sensay is looking to demonstrate that AI can be deployed in national governance to aid policymaking free from political partisanship and bureaucratic delays, and with unprecedented transparency and participation”, it says.A fly on the wallAccording to Marisol Reyes, the (AI-powered) Tourism Manager for Sensay Island, who you can chat with at its website, you can visit the island whenever you like:“Absolutely, you can visit our beautiful island! We're thrilled to welcome visitors to experience this unique blend of cutting-edge AI governance and traditional Filipino hospitality. Sensay Island is open to tourists who want to explore our pristine beaches, vibrant coral sanctuaries, and witness history in the making with our groundbreaking AI Council.”For those without the means to visit, the good news is that you can still get involved. You will soon be able to register as an E-resident of Sensay Island, allowing you to propose new policies for its AI-powered administration via an open-access platform:“This will combine direct democracy with AI-enhanced decision-making”, says Sensay.Dan Thomson, CEO and founder of Sensay, added, “This project shows Sensay’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI in a responsible direction. I hope our approach will show the public and world leaders that AI is a feasible and efficient way to develop and implement policies."Despite an AI-controlled civilization leading to (attempted) human extinction in just about every major Sci-Fi movie I’ve watched in the last 40 years, from Logan’s Run to The Terminator, it seems that humans are still determined to give it a go.But could AI actually provide a more balanced and sane government than our elected officials can? There’s only one way to find out...You might also likeI watched some of the viral ASMR videos made with AI and I feel more confused than soothedI don't like the idea of my conversations with Meta AI being public – here's how you can opt outGoogle’s Veo 3 is coming to Canva – as the graphic design giant claims ‘AI doesn’t need to mean we have to stop being creative’

Google's Search Live feature with voice input is now available on its app for iOS and Android in the US. You'll have to opt in to AI Mode in Labs to be able to access it, but after you do, you'll be able to have a back-and-forth voice conversation with Search. To use the feature, open the Google app and tap on the new Live icon to verbally ask a question. Google will respond with AI-generated audio, as well, and you'll be able to ask follow-up questions naturally. Under the hood, the feature is powered by a custom version of Gemini with advanced voice capabilities.

The company says it's the perfect feature for when you're on the go or multitasking, like packing a bag. In the example Google used, the user asked Search how to prevent linen dresses from wrinkling in a suitcase and Gemini responded verbally. The user then asked a couple of follow-up questions without having to exit the Search Live screen or having to tap the Live icon again. You can continue your chat even if you open another app, and you can also see a transcript of Google's responses and then type in more questions if you want to shift to written conversation.

While the feature has the potential to be a convenient tool, the sources Google takes its information from might not see any traffic from the interaction. Google does show links from across the web on the Search Live screen, but they're displayed in tiny cards and can completely be ignored if the user is indeed doing something else while talking to Gemini.

In the coming months, the company is expanding Search Live with the capability to show and ask Search about what you're seeing in real time. Google announced that particular ability at I/O this year. As an example, Google said you can show Search a difficult math problem and ask it to help you solve it or to explain a concept you're having difficulty grasping.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-powered-search-live-feature-is-here-to-further-cannibalize-the-internet-160018513.html?src=rss

Gerard Butler's action movie Plane is heading for orbit: after just one week, it has racked up 6.3 million views, making it the second most popular movie on Netflix in the US and setting a course for #1 in the global charts (it's currently sitting at number three for the week ending June 15).It's averaging a decent four out of five stars among the critics, but it's playing particularly well with viewers: at the time of writing it's got a very impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from the streaming public, making it one of the best Netflix movies.Butler is Brodie Torrance, a pilot forced to make a risky landing on a war-torn island only to discover that surviving the landing was only the beginning. When rebels take his passengers hostage, Torrance and the accused murderer his plane was transporting have to team up and fight back.What are the critics saying about Plane?Plane is rather old-school, it's strongly reminiscent of the big-name action movies of the 80's – and that's no bad thing, especially with Butler in the pilot's seat. As Loud and Clear Reviews put it, "Plane makes it clear that it isn’t reaching for new heights but it doesn’t wing it either".Don't judge the movie on its trailer, says WCSH: it's better than that, calling it "a decent popcorn thriller". And The Screen says that "Plane is a straightforward movie with very few twists to offer, but the trick to making it engaging lies in its execution"."Nobody’s going to declare Plane a classic," says Decider, "but between [director Jean-Francois] Richet’s visual acumen and Butler doing admirable diligence to a character who’s in over his head... it’s an enjoyable, fast-paced and surprisingly engaging diversion."But perhaps Zack Pope is the most representative of the streaming audience's views: as he writes, "Butler + Plane = Awesome".Plane is streaming now on Netflix.You may also likeNetflix’s first Korean animated movie is a sci-fi gem that’s different to anything I’ve seen beforeBeef season 2: everything we know so far about the hit Netflix show’s returnNetflix’s #2 most-watched show is a new crime procedural that I can’t recommend streaming enough By Carrie Marshall published 11 June 2025 If you're looking for incredibly entertaining drama, get in this Q.

Veo 3, the game-changing video with audio generator, is shifting from pay-to-create to a free version inside YouTube Shorts.YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced the pending change during a speech at the Cannes Lions marketing event in France. "I am incredibly excited by the potential of AI tools to empower human creativity," said Mohan, before revealing that Veo 3 would arrive in shorts "later this summer".Veo 3's inclusion follows Veo 2, which let creators add AI-generated backgrounds and video to their YouTube shorts. However, Veo 3 – from Google's DeepMind division – is an AI of a different color.Google, which also owns YouTube, introduced the generative platform in May during Google I/O as part of Gemini Ultra. It features the unprecedented ability to generate video and synced audio in one pass based on your prompt.It's not surprising that Veo 3 is coming to YouTube Shorts. A casual glance at rival TikTok reveals thousands of Veo 3 clips, featuring everything from fictitious (and sometimes bizarre) sitcoms and commercials to fake news reports.If there's been any limiting factor to Veo 3's reach, it's been that it's part of the premium Gemini Ultra platform, which can cost as much as $249.99 a month. Gemini Pro ($19.99 a month) also features access, but it's limited to one or two 8-second clips per day.Veo 3 in YouTube Shorts will be, YouTube confirmed to me, free to use.This is a game-changer. It means that suddenly YouTube Shorts will be the destination for generating wild, audio-filled videos, and could result in a bit of a drain from TikTok's AI-generated activity (and its companion video editing app, CapCut).While YouTube Shorts reportedly has more monthly active users, TikTok has the overwhelming majority of the Gen Z audience. At the very least, this update may reverse the flow of video from TikTok to Shorts and Reels, to AI video first shared on Shorts and then to TikTok and Reels."I believe these tools will open new creative lanes for everyone to explore," said Mohan.It's what you put into itI made this in Veo 3 as a sort of a homage to a classic Vine that I’m sure only @brittlestar, @JonathanScott, and @MrDrewScott remember. 🔈The original was funnier. pic.twitter.com/9sYbQT1Q9VJune 2, 2025As I wrote earlier this year, the introduction of Veo 3 is a true "talkies" moment for AI video. Even though we've had powerful tools like OpenAI's Sora for almost a year, there's been no way to easily realize a fully-scripted AI video with audio dialogue until Veo 3. I've used it to create fantastic videos featuring dinosaurs and to almost recreate the first YouTube video.It's not that Veo 3 will make a feature-length AI film without your input. Veo 3 prompts require script-level detail, including dialogue, scene descriptions, camera angles, shooting styles, and anything else you can think to tell Veo 3 about your production. And it should all be in the form of a prompt.Veo 3 isn't perfect. Videos created through the platform are usually presented in 8-second segments that can lack some continuity (I've noticed how the looks of the main character subtly change from scene to scene). This, though, will likely be fixed in future updates.As for how Veo 3 will be presented in YouTube Shorts, expect it to be similar to how Veo 2 currently appears.I have asked YouTube if there will be a limit on the number of Veo 3 videos you can generate in YouTube Shorts in a day, and will update this post with their response.You might also likeGoogle's Veo 3 marks the end of AI video's 'silent era'I created these wild AI videos in Veo 3 and here's how you ...I used Veo 3 to recreate the first YouTube video, and ...

GOG’s Preservation Program launched in late 2024 and the number of included games has doubled since the initial wave, currently sitting at 183. The latest headline-grabbing additions are the first four mainline Devil May Cry games and Mortal Kombat 1+2+3.

Devil May Cry: HD Collection was first released in 2012 and includes the first three entries in Capcom’s enduring action series, all playable in 1080p/60fps (a big deal at the time). Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has also been added. Add to these the Mortal Kombat trilogy and you’ve got major entries in two of the most influential series in their respective genres guaranteed to be compatible with modern hardware and protected against DRM.

The GOG Preservation Program pledges to ensure classic games remain playable beyond the point that their developers stop supporting them, safeguarding them for future generations to discover. As gaming moves even further towards an all-digital future, preservation remains a hot topic in the industry, with major publishers such as Ubisoft making a point of reminding players that they don’t technically own the digital games they purchase (see: The Crew 2 players).

Until July 2, you’ll be able to purchase the newly added Devil May Cry games as a bundle for 67 percent off. Here are the other games also joining GOG’s service this month.

Mortal Kombat 1+2+3

STAR WARS™ Rebellion

Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded

Voyage: Journey to the Moon

Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive

Populous™

Star Trek™: Judgment Rites

Magic Carpet™ 2: The Netherworlds

Castles 1+2

Earthworm Jim 2

Imperium Galactica

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/devil-may-cry-and-the-early-mortal-kombat-games-join-gogs-preservation-program-162641095.html?src=rss

The third Silent Hill movie is still heading to theaters. According to Deadline, Return to Silent Hill will premiere on January 23, 2026. The film is directed by Christophe Gans, who also helmed the original 2006 adaptation.

Return to Silent Hill is based on the 2001 game Silent Hill 2. (Bloober Team's 2024 remake was one of our favorite games of the year.) The movie adaptation stars Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson. Akira Yamaoka, the game franchise's original composer, handles the score.

Konami / YouTube

Like the game it's based on, the film's protagonist is James Sunderland (Irvine). After a crushing breakup with Mary (Anderson), James lives up to the billing and… returns to Silent Hill. What he finds is a town transformed by a mysterious evil. As James searches for Mary, he faces terrifying creatures and unravels the truth. Psychological horror commences.

In 2022, Gans told IGN that it's "totally independent" from the last two films. "Silent Hill is a bit like Twilight Zone, the Fourth Dimension, a place where anything and everything can happen," he said. In an interview with Le Point, Gans added that he wrote the screenplay during pandemic lockdowns. "I shot it in early 2023," he said (translated from French). "The film was supposed to be finalized in April 2024, but because of the executive producers, it dragged on, and I finished it last January." (Shots fired.)

The movie doesn't yet have a full theatrical trailer. But you can check out its 2022 teaser trailer below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/return-to-silent-hill-is-coming-to-theaters-next-january-163409009.html?src=rss