News

Fujifilm teases its upcoming X-series camera with May 22 announcement ‘Half the Size, Twice the Story’ slogan hints at 'X-Half' half-frame cameraA secondary film preview display could feature touch control

We now know the exact time and date of Fujifilm's next X-series camera, following another teaser shared on the Fujifilm YouTube channel (see below), and there's not long to wait for the rumored half-frame compact.The video says 'See you soon', and the video caption spells out a May 22, 2025 announcement (at 1am ET / 6am BST / 3pm AEST, that's May 21 at 10pm PT).Having followed the rumors of the supposed X-Half for some time, I can't wait until next week – there have been some curious features leaked that sound like a lot of fun.Chief among those rumors, and one that Fujifilm itself has teased, is a secondary film preview-style display (you can see the 'Provia' film in the image above), that according to Fuji Rumors could have a touch function, meaning you could swipe to change film simulation – neat.But that's not even the funnest feature that's been rumored for the half-frame camera, which Fujifilm is billing as offering ‘Half the Size, Twice the Story’. Another rumored feature that stuck out to me is one that's sure to appeal to analog photography fans.

Roll with it

As we previously reported, there are suggestions that the X-Half will be a modern take on the half-frame format, as featured in recent analog cameras such as the Pentax 17 and Kodak Ektar H35.Half-frame traditionally refers to an analog camera that captures two vertical exposures on a single frame of 35mm film, allowing you to get twice the number of stills from a roll – this tallies with the 'Half the Size, Twice the Story' tagline in the teaser.It remains unclear how Fujifilm will achieve half-frame in its upcoming camera, but there are suggestions that the X-Half will include a 1-inch sensor that will capture two vertical images as a diptych, plus a vertical rear LCD to help the user compose those pictures.We can also see a circular viewfinder inside the camera's silhouette in Fujifilm's teaser, plus a vintage design that includes a manual exposure dial – a recipe familiar to Fujifilm.It could also be a compact camera with fixed 28mm f/2.8 (equivalent) lens – that's one of 5 rumored features I've written about. However, it's another possible feature that has truly piqued my interest – a film roll mode.Fuji Rumors suggests that with the film roll mode active, the user will be locked into the film simulation and selected settings for a certain number of pictures, equivalent to shooting with a particular roll of film. Traditionally that would be 24 or 36 pictures, but half-frame doubles that picture count.It could also be that the user can't see previews of the pictures they're taking when in film roll mode until the 'roll' is used up. I think the idea of such a mode sounds as wonderful as it does wacky, and I hope the rumor is true.Responses to the various X-Half rumors suggest there's a feeling among Fujifilm fans that the upcoming camera is one of Fujifilm's most experimental yet. Should it be well received, some of its features could find their way into future X-series cameras.I'd be all for the weird and the wacky – I enjoy Fujifilm cameras the most when they break from the norm, like the dedicated aspect ratio dial on the GFX100RF. So mark your calendars for May 22 – I already have.

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Sony is considering raising the prices of its PS5 consoles again due to US tariffsChief Financial Officer Lin Tao said in an investor's Q&A that the tariffs will have a 100 billion yen ($685 million) impact on SonyIt was also said that Sony is considering manufacturing consoles "locally" in the US to avoid the rising tariffs

Sony has said it's considering raising its hardware prices again, including the PlayStation 5, amid the US tariffs.During the company's investors' Q&A on May 14, 2025, following the release of its latest financial results, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao shared that the recent rise in tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration have already affected Sony and that the tariffs will have a 100 billion yen ($685 million) impact should they remain as they are (via IGN).Just last month, Sony raised the price of the PS5 Digital Edition in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, bringing the console from £390/€450 to £430/€500.The base PS5 and PS5 Pro didn't receive a price hike at the time, but things could change as Sony suggests it will "pass the price" of additional costs to its hardware."In terms of the tariff, we are not just simply calculating the simple tariff to come up with 100 billion yen, but thinking about the currently available information, and also looking at the market trend, we may pass on to the price, and also shipment allocation," Tao said. "So we are taking different measures in managing to come up to the 100 billion yen impact."Tao also said that Sony has three months' worth of consoles stockpiled in the US, saying, "It's not just China, there are other countries in which it is being produced and manufactured. As for inventory, the details change from day-to-day but [there is an] inventory of three months [for] distribution."

As expected Sony is considering passing along the tarrif impact by increasing the price of their products. So it's assumed the PS5 price could be impacted. pic.twitter.com/a7nR1BZ9RvMay 14, 2025

Sony President and Chief Executive Officer Hiroki Totoki also said that the company is considering manufacturing consoles "locally" in the US to avoid the rising tariffs."These hardware of course can be produced locally," Totoki said. "I think that would be an efficient strategy. But PS5 is being manufactured in many areas. Whether it’s going to be manufactured in the U.S. or not, it needs to be considered going forward. We are not in such a critical situation."There's no official announcement of a price increase just yet, but we'll keep you updated. However, now would be the best time to get your hands on a PS5 or PS5 Pro before the consoles become potentially more expensive once more.

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Apple Maps has added expert ratings for restaurants and hotelsGolf reviews will be added at a later dateThe change follows a tie-in with the upcoming movie F1

Apple Maps has come a long way from its shaky launch back in 2012, and today it can go toe-to-toe with Google Maps as one of the best mapping apps out there. Now, Apple is hoping to solidify its reputation by adding a promising new feature to Apple Maps, and it could help you find your next favorite restaurant.According to a news release from Apple, you can now search for restaurants that have been recommended through the Michelin Guide, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand schemes, with ratings from restaurant recommendation site The Infatuation and Golf Digest coming soon. That means you can quickly find highly rated eateries without having to first trawl through heaps of reports and reviews.Apple explained that “place cards will now reflect distinctions, descriptions, and images from expert sources” in Apple Maps. The new ratings are available to Apple Maps users in the US and will be coming to other locations soon, Apple said.As the mention of Golf Digest above hinted at, the changes won’t just affect restaurants – Apple Maps will soon add extra info for hotels and golf courses, too, with ratings from the Michelin Key hotel scheme available now. You can directly book select hotels through Apple Maps, with reservations for Michelin restaurants and Supreme Golf sessions on the way.

Expert reviews

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I prefer using Apple Maps to Google Maps, as I find its maps more detailed and its vocal instructions clearer. But I concede that Google Maps has one key advantage: user reviews. Google just has far more reviews posted to restaurants, shops and attractions than Apple, even though Apple Maps can pull in ratings from TripAdvisor.So, with Apple Maps adding support for expert reviews of restaurants, hotels and more, I’m hoping that my preferred mapping app might be able to catch up to Google in this key area. Because while I love using Apple Maps for most things, whether in the app or online, it’s a pain to have to switch over to Google Maps whenever I want to source a wider range of restaurant reviews.The addition of Michelin reviews is just the latest update to Apple Maps, which recently added a tie-in with the upcoming Brat Pitt movie F1. If you want to get going with these expert reviews in Apple Maps, just add a search filter and start browsing. That should help you find a better place to eat or stay in a few quick taps.

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Europol have taken down a criminal banking networkThese criminals cleaned money for other organisationsCriminals are increasingly using alternative banking solutions

A criminal parallel banking organization with multiple branches from across Europe has been taken down by Europol, the agency has confirmed. This takedown comes in the form of arrests for 17 individuals (15 in Spain, as well as one in Austria, and Belgium).Alongside the arrests, criminal assets worth €4.5 million were seized, as well as electronic devices and firearms. The criminals arrested were primarily Chinese and Syrian in nationality, and are accused of providing money laundering services to criminals.“This encompasses parallel banking services, illegal hawala banking, cash collection, cash courier services and the exchange of cryptocurrencies for cash. The money launderers were operational in at least two branches: one that catered largely to the Arabic-speaking criminal world and the other to criminal networks originating from China,” Europol confirms.

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An underground financial system

Also seized in the takedown was €183,000 in cryptocurrency, and 77 bank accounts - this structured underground financial system reportedly used alternative banking methods in order to evade law enforcement.“This operation is a prime example of the interconnection between criminal networks,” a Europol spokesperson told Cybersecurity News. “By following the money trail left by previous investigations into migrant smuggling, we’ve managed to take down a key financial infrastructure that enabled various criminal activities throughout Europe.”This comes after Europol and Eurojust dismantled an extensive investment scam that stole €3 million from around a hundred victims. This fraudulent enterprise encouraged users to pour money into fake investment schemes, with cybercriminals making ‘substantial profits’ from the platform.Digital and financial fraud are increasingly connected, with more and more tools available for criminals to access victims and to grow crime networks. Criminals are turning to alternative banking systems to clean and move money thanks to lowered monitoring and regulation.

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Getting a new phone might leave you wondering what to do with your old one. Trading it in, particularly for credit towards your new handset, is ideal and could make a future refurbished shopper happy. But if the trade-in value isn’t worthwhile to you and you’ve been wondering what else your retired pocket computer can do, we have a few ideas. One suggestion is to turn it into a dedicated alarm clock. Yes, you can absolutely use your new phone for that purpose — you probably already do. But there are clear advantages to using your decommissioned device instead. Here’s how to upcycle your old iPhone into an alarm clock.

What’s the point?

Stuffing a retired gadget in a drawer does nothing — except make you half-heartedly contemplate doing something with it each time you open said drawer. Recycling is a valid option, but even if your old handset isn’t as speedy as your new one, it’s almost assuredly more powerful than any sleep machine or smart alarm clock on the market. And with the setup tips detailed here, it can actually perform more advanced functions, too.

Plus, using your current phone when you’re trying to sleep is perilous. I’ve never picked up my phone without getting distracted. Finally, with on-again, off-again tariffs making electronic gadgets harder to come by for a good price, rethinking what an existing device can do is intelligent alchemy.

First, delete everything

OK, not everything. But the idea is to make your phone as unexciting as possible — no Instagram, no Monument Valley, no Photos memories from last year’s road trip. Your iPhone won’t let you delete certain apps, such as Phone, Messages, the App Store and others — but you can hide them from your home screen so they’ll only pop up if you search for them.

You’ll still need a few apps to create your alarm clock, so don’t delete or hide the following:

Clock

Music (and iTunes store if you don’t pay for Apple Music)

Shortcuts

Health

Settings

Make your phone look exactly as boring as this. Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Set a personalized alarm tone

If you’d rather wake up to something more pleasant than the Clock app’s chirps and bleeps, pick a personalized sound instead.

1. Set your sleep schedule in Health. Apple requires you to set your Sleep Schedule in the Health app before you can set an alarm in the Clock app.

2. Download a song. Theoretically, you can use any song you have downloaded to your phone as a sound for your alarm. But I couldn’t get it to work with any song that supported Dolby Atmos or Lossless audio (even if I turned those options off in Settings > Music > Audio).

But standard quality songs worked great. If, like me, you’re not a heavy sleeper, you might like something like singing bowls or a meditative flute. If you need the thunder of the gods to wake you, perhaps go for something more rousing.

3. Set your alarm. Open the Clock app and select the Alarms tab. Set your alarm as usual. Then tap Sound > Pick a song > Downloaded > and select the (non Lossless!) song you desire. Hit Save.

4. Turn off vibrate. If you don’t want your phone to vibrate when it plays your alarm, turn the Haptics option to Never Play in Settings > Sounds & Haptics.

Tap Sound then select any downloaded song as your alarm sound. Just be sure not to select a Lossless or Dolby Atmos track.Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Make some (white) noise

My favorite thing about my sleep machine is the ambient music it plays as I drift off into slumber. Unsurprisingly, your old iPhone is capable of playing lulling tunes as well. And if white noise helps you stay in dreamland, you can program your phone to play those sounds, too. A combination of Shortcuts and Automations will make your sleep routine play automatically so you don’t have to touch your screen at all.

1. Build a sleepytime playlist. Open Apple Music and make a playlist. (Unfortunately, Shortcuts doesn’t work with Spotify.) I populated Amy’s Sleepytime Mix with songs from Apple’s Ambient Chill and Pure Ambient playlists. I made the set about 30 minutes long because that’s a little longer than it takes me to drift off.

2. Turn off Autoplay. It’s pretty jarring when you’re drifting off and your dreamy playlist morphs into some algorithmically selected oontz oontz banger. To turn Autoplay off:

Play any track in Apple Music.

Tap the name of the song to enlarge the album cover and track controls.

Tap the three lines at the bottom right. You’ll now see upcoming tracks and three buttons at the top of the list: crossed arrows (shuffle), looped arrows (repeat) and an infinity symbol (Autoplay).

Toggle Autoplay off so it’s greyed out.

Tap the song that's currently playing to access the Autoplay option (left). Tap the infinity symbol at the top of the screen to toggle Autoplay off (right).Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Note: Turning Autoplay off turns it off across ALL your Apple devices. If you like it when Apple keeps the tunes flowing after a playlist ends, you’ll have to complete a side quest, which is detailed at the end of this post.

3. Pick your white noise sound. An accessibility feature gives you the option of eight different white noise sounds, including Rain, Ocean, Fire and Night (with more functions coming soon).

Open the Settings app

Tap Accessibility

Tap Audio & Visual

Tap Background Sounds

Toggle Background Sounds on

Tap Sound then pick your favorite

Press back and toggle Background Sounds back off

Toggle on Use When Media Is Playing

Toggle off Stop Sounds When Locked

3. Create a Shortcut. This will make your phone play your playlist with white noise beneath it (which softens song transitions) and when the playlist ends, the white noise continues.

Open Shortcuts and tap All Shortcuts, then tap + in the upper right

Search for the term “volume,” tap Set Volume and choose a percentage, such as 25-percent or your desired level

Search for “background,” tap Set Background Sounds. The shortcut should read: [Turn] [Background Sounds] [On]

Search for “play” and tap Play Music

Tap Music > Library > Playlist > [Your sleepy time mix]. Then tap the tiny ⊕ in the upper right

Tap the arrow next to the Shortcut title at the very top to rename your shortcut, perhaps something like Sleep Routine or Night Night.

Tap Done.

4. Trigger your Shortcut with an Automation. To run your Shortcut, you can just ask Siri by saying “Hey Siri, Night Night” (or “Hey Siri, Sleep Routine” or whatever you named the above shortcut). But if you want your routine to start at the same time each night, create an automation.

In the Shortcut app, tap the Automation tab at the bottom

Tap + to create a new Automation

Tap Time of Day and enter your preferred start time and days

Make sure there’s a checkmark near Run Immediately (and not Run After Confirmation) and keep Notify When Run toggled off

Tap Next

If you don’t see the name of the Shortcut you created at the top, search for its name and tap on it

Create a Shortcut that sets the volume, turns on white noise and plays a playlist (left). Set an Automation that automatically runs the Shortcut at bedtime (right), or just say "Hey Siri..." and the name of your shortcut.Amy Skorheim for Engadget

5. Turn off Background Sounds. Whether you want your white noise to play all the way up to your alarm or just for an hour or two, it’s wise to create an automation to turn it off so you don’t have to do it manually.

Create a new Shortcut

Search for “background”

Tap Set Background Sound

Tap [On] to [Off] so the Shortcut reads [Turn] [Background Sounds] [Off]

Rename the Shortcut: Background Sounds Off

Hit done

Create a new Automation in the Automation tab

Tap Time of Day

Set it for your alarm time or a couple hours after you’re usually asleep

Tap Run Immediately and make sure Notify When Run is toggled off

Hit done and choose the shortcut you just made (Background Sounds Off)

To enable an Automation that turns off Background noises (left) first, create a Shortcut that turns Background Sounds Off (middle). You can change which background sound you want in Settings > Accessiblity > Audio & Visual (right). Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Stand it up

Phones running iOS 17 or later have StandBy mode, which displays your choice of stylized clock faces when the handset is charging and oriented horizontally. To enable StandBy:

Open Settings

Tap StandBy and toggle it on

Toggle on Night Mode (This makes the clock dimmer when it’s dark in the room)

If you put your phone in a stand, it'll look a lot like an alarm clock (and be easier to see from afar). Whether you use a MagSafe wireless stand or a basic stand-and-cord combo, your new alarm clock (aka old phone) will likely be plugged in all the time. So you may want to change your battery settings to keep it from reaching 100 percent. (Being fully charged or fully empty is what strains batteries the most). To do that:

Open Settings

Tap Battery

Tap Charging

Set Charge Limit to 80 percent

Putting your phone on a stand and plugging it in enables StandBy mode and makes it look like a real alarm clock! Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Side quest: Make your sleep playlist stop without turning off Autoplay

Some people like it when the algorithm tries to keep the party going with related songs after a playlist ends. But, playing random music all night probably isn’t great for sleep. The good news is, you can set a timer to have your sleep tunes play for a specified period, so it ends on its own without you having to disable Autoplay across all your devices.

Note the length of your playlist

Open the Clock app and tap the Timers tab

Tap When Timer Ends and scroll down to and tap Stop Playing

Tap Set

Open Shortcuts and edit your night time routine by tapping the three dots in the Shortcut card (the one with your playlist and Background sounds)

Search for “timer”

Tap Start Timer

Enter the length of your playlist in the Duration field

Tap Done

Because the Background Sounds are a setting and not technically media that’s playing, your white noise selection will still play until the automation that ends it runs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-turn-your-old-iphone-into-an-alarm-clock-110001148.html?src=rss

A hacker claimed to have 89 million records of Steam users for saleSteam has denied that any of its systems were hackedThe data probably isn’t as damaging as was originally feared

Recently, it was claimed that gaming platform Steam suffered a major security breach, with up to 89 million user accounts supposedly having their credentials sold on the dark web. But new information has come to light that shows this wasn’t a hack at all – but there are still things you can do to keep your account safe.As we reported initially, a known cybercriminal had claimed to be in possession of a database consisting of 89 million Steam user records, including phone numbers and one-time access codes. The hacker was attempting to sell the database for $5,000, which is a strangely low sum for such a large amount of data.It had been suggested that Twilio might have been the source of the hack, and the company does provide one-time passcode services – yet Twilio denied that it had been breached. And now, Steam itself has confirmed that it wasn’t hacked either.In a news posting on its website, Steam stated that “We have examined the leak sample and have determined this was NOT a breach of Steam systems.” What’s more, Steam added that “The leaked data did not associate the phone numbers with a Steam account, password information, payment information or other personal data.”

How to improve your account security

(Image credit: Valve)

It’s still unknown exactly where the leaked data came from, but it seems like it’s much less of a serious situation than initially feared.The one-time passcodes are only valid for 15 minutes, and once that time period has expired, they can’t be used. And without knowing which Steam accounts the phone numbers are linked to, intruders can’t do much with them. That means the data in the leak isn’t of much use now, especially since the breach did not contain any vital account data or personally identifiable information.Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about toughening up the security of your Steam account. If you’re using a weak password – or one that you’ve used for other accounts – it’s time to change that to something more secure. Enlist the help of one of the best password managers and you don’t even need to think up or remember a password yourself, as the password manager handles that for you.As well as that, you can enable two-factor authentication on your Steam account by logging in, selecting your username in the top-right corner of the Steam website, then selecting Account Details. From there, pick Security & Devices in the left-hand sidebar and choose an authentication method. You can either have a code sent to your email address or use the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator, which can be accessed from the Steam mobile app.Although this incident is not as damaging as was feared, it’s still a good reminder to improve the security of all your online accounts. A breach can prove to be devastating, even if this one wasn’t a disaster in the end.

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Earlier this week Prime Video set out its slate at its Upfront 2025 event, with news of Spider-Noir, Fallout, American Gladiators and more. And now it's Netflix's turn to get Upfront and showcase its 2025 and beyond slate, which includes a whopping 114 new Netflix movies and TV shows.It's not all good news, though: Netflix also said that we'll be seeing more ads of more kinds in more places, including in the middle of streams. But hopefully the sheer quantity of the movies and shows will compensate, because there are some really exciting things coming down the streaming pipe in the coming months.Here are the highlights from Netflix's Upfront 2025.

Netflix is making three new original movies for your excitement and delightment...

Here Comes the Flood is a new Netflix movie that was announced at Upfront. (Image credit: Netflix)

There are three new movies that were announced at Netflix Upfront, and they sound like they could earn a place among the best Netflix movies.First up there's The Body, a gritty, coming-of-age drama created by Quinn Shepherd, following a group of badly behaved girls who begin having prophetic visions and set off mass hysteria in their town.Here Comes the Flood stars Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones. It's about a bank guard plotting with a master thief to steal, the rise and fall of his relationship with a bank teller, and contains a series of twists that unveil the con game at the center of it all.The third movie is Fight for ‘84. After the US Olympic boxing team is tragically killed in a plane crash in 1980, a new coach (Jamie Foxx) is brought in to rebuild the team and leads them to victory in the 1984 Olympics.

...and it's going to be streaming many more

There are 31 new movies coming to Netflix, as well as 12 animation and anime titles too. That latter selection includes Stranger Things: Tales from '85, The Twits, Kpop Demon Hunters and Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. The full list of movies and shows is available here.

Netflix's 2025 and beyond slate includes 83 new shows to stream

Bridgerton will return for seasons 5 and 6. (Image credit: Netflix)

There are 83 new TV shows coming to Netflix, and 52 of them are returning series of some of the best Netflix shows: the streamer announced new seasons of The Diplomat, Forever, The Four Seasons, Love on the Spectrum, Million Dollar Secret, My Life With the Walter Boys, Survival of the Thickest, and Seasons 5 and 6 of Bridgerton.Netflix unveiled three new series at Upfront: All The Sinners Bleed, where the first Black sheriff in a small Bible Belt community must lead the hunt for a serial killer; Untitled Dan Levy, a new comedy series starring Levy, Laurie Metcalf and Taylor Ortega; and PRIME TIME, a documentary series that promises to "peel back the layers" of the controversial American Football coach Deion Sanders.

There are five new Netflix live events scheduled

Sofia Carson will host the Netflix Tudum 2025 Live Event on May 31. (Image credit: Netflix )

Netflix is continuing to invest in live events, and the upcoming slate includes WWE Monday Night RAW every Monday night, with more weekly WWE programming coming to viewers outside the US.The Netflix Tudum 2025 Live Event on 31 May is Netflix's annual fan party, and this year it's hosted by Sofia Carson from My Oxford Year and The Life List.The Taylor vs Serrano 3 fight takes place on 11 July, and Netflix has also scheduled the NFL Christmas Gameday for both 2025 and 2026.Last but not least there's the 32nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on March 1, 2026.

More ads are coming, including AI-generated ones

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The Upfronts are events for the TV industry, and that means they're also about the business side of things. For Netflix that meant talking about ads. Its ad-supported plan now reaches more than 94 million global monthly users, and its advertising suite now includes generative AI."This will create a better, more relevant experience for our members," Netflix said, unveiling ads with "interactive midroll and pause formats" that will be rolled out by 2026 in every country where Netflix offers its ad-supported plan.

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Ubisoft says it is delaying "some of its biggest" games "to create the best conditions for success"The decision comes after the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows, which was delayed several timesGames from Ubisoft's top brands, including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, The Division, and Ghost Recon, have been delayed

Following the success of Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has said that it is delaying some of its major unannounced titles to allow for better quality games.In the company's latest earnings report (via Eurogamer), Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot confirmed it will be delaying an unspecified number of games from its biggest brands, including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, The Division, and Ghost Recon.Guillemot pointed to Assassin's Creed Shadows' delay, calling it a "good decision", which allowed Ubisoft to "deliver a really strong quality" game."After a thorough review of its pipeline that took place from October to December, the Group decided to provide additional development time to some of its biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success," Ubisoft said."This decision has already been beneficial to the quality of Assassin’s Creed Shadows."These unannounced games will now launch after the current financial year ending March 31, 2026, meaning they will release between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, and April 1, 2027, and March 31, 2028."After a review of our pipeline, we have decided to provide additional development time to some of our biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success," Guillemot said. "As a consequence, FY2026-27 and FY2027-28 will see significant content coming from our largest brands."As for what games have been delayed, it's safe to assume that Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe and Assassin's Creed Jade have been affected, as well as The Division Resurgence and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake.

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Google just made some major changes to Android AutoThe introduction of Gemini allows for easy conversational voice prompts But tweaks to media controls have frustrated some

Google has introduced a number of updates recently, including bringing its AI-powered assistant Gemini to smartwatches, televisions and into the vehicle environment through updates to Android Auto.Software update 14.4, which is available now in the beta testing program, has made a number of subtle tweaks to its so-called ‘Coolwalk screen’, which essentially offers a number of applications in one, easy-to-navigate interface on Android Auto-compatible vehicle head units and vehicles running the Android Automotive OS.The main issue lies with the media playback controls, which have been shuffled around just to annoy those that have formed enough muscle memory to play, pause and rewind without having to even look at the infotainment display.Auto Evolution reported that the play/pause button is now aligned to the left off the screen on left-hand-drive vehicles, placing it closer to the driver but switching it with where the rewind/previous button used to reside.However, seeing as the updates are currently only available in the beta testing program, the search giant still has plenty of time to listen to user feedback and make further changes if it deems them necessary.

Gemini jumps in on the road trip

Google is pushing its AI assistant to a number of smart devices, including watches, headphones and smart glasses, allowing users to receive recommendations and answers to common questions using conversational voice prompts.The feature is also upgrading the current Google Assistant voice commands that feature in Android Auto infotainment systems and those cars running a native Android Automotive operating system.This means that both drivers and passengers can request specific locations along the route, such as service stations that are good for walking dogs or locating the fastest charging stations in the vicinity.When users connect their favoured messaging app, Google says that Gemini can summarize any messages received and even go so far as translating them into another language before sending – should you have lots of bilingual buddies.Gemini looks set to take away some of the awkward app shuffling that motorists are tasked with, thanks to the ability to now ask the AI assistant to summarize the news headlines (with or without sports) and even answer those difficult questions that kids inevitably pose on a long journey.Google says Gemini will be available on Android Auto in the "coming months", followed by those cars running the native Android Automotive OS.

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One UI 8 is coming in "summer" for the USSamsung first pushed out One UI 7 in JanuaryIt's not clear yet which phones will get it

We've barely had a chance to check out One UI 7 (Samsung's take on Android 15), which first appeared on the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones in January, but One UI 8 (Samsung's take on Android 16) is going to be with us within the next few months.This comes from Samsung VP and Head of Smartphone Planning, Minseok Kang (via GSMArena). Speaking at Google's recent Android Show event ahead of Google I/O next week, Kang said One UI 8 would launch "this summer" in the US.That puts the launch date somewhere across June, July, or August. At the same event Google said Android 16 would be pushed out in June after months of beta testing, and previous leaks suggest Tuesday, June 3 will be the big day.We've known for a while that Google has been planning to push out its big annual Android update earlier in the year, well ahead of the Pixel phone unveilings, and it seems as though Samsung is on board with the plan – and keen for One UI to keep up.

Which phones will get One UI 8?

Great News ‼️Galaxy S22 Ultra spotted running Android 16 with One UI 8 on GeekBench!!Single-Core: 1581Multi-Core: 3680Build Version: S908USQU8GYCB pic.twitter.com/p4aeOGAteHMay 14, 2025

The next question is: which Galaxy phones will get One UI 8? Samsung hasn't said much about this yet, and it's not immediately clear if there are any handsets that are eligible for One UI 7 but not for One UI 8.Well-known tipster @tarunvats33 has spotted a benchmark showing the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra from 2022 running an early version of One UI 8 – suggesting that the new software will go back to phones that are three years old at least.As the current flagships, there's no doubt that the Galaxy S25 series will get the One UI 8 update, and it's a fairly safe bet that the Samsung Galaxy S24 phones and other 2024 models will get it too. Beyond that, we're going to have to wait and see.Earlier rumors had suggested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, due in July, would come with One UI 8 out of the box. Based on the new comments from Minseok Kang, it looks like that'll be the case.All of this means that, in theory, the Galaxy S25, S24, S23 and S22 series should all get One UI 8, and potentially also the Galaxy S21 FE.The last three iterations of the Z Fold and Z Flip series should also be covered (from the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 to today's models), alongside the Galaxy Tab range going back to the Galaxy Tab S8 from 2022, plus Galaxy A-series phones stretching back to the A23 from the same year. But we'll have to wait a little longer for that full official list.

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Dali V-16 F is its most powerful and precise subwoofer to date1,500W (2,500W peak) with 18Hz bass reflex ports£4,499 / €4,999 (about $5,970 / AU$9,300.

Dali has unveiled the most powerful subwoofer it has ever built, with up to 2,500W of peak power thanks to its Class D amp. It features the strongest magnet ever connected to a Dali speaker, according to the company, and it's made specifically for the home entertainment systems of audiophiles.While this particular model is a flagship sub with a price tag to match, Dali hinted during its launch that the tech and design featured here may make their way into smaller and less expensive (relatively speaking) options in the future.

Power and precision

(Image credit: Dali)

According to Dali, while the new V-16 F is capable of filling the largest rooms with staggering levels of bass, it has "all the precision and control needed to work in any audio system context and even in small rooms… Put simply, the V-16 F is the most powerful and least compromised subwoofer we have ever built."The V-16 F driver has been created to defeat what Dali calls "the main enemies of accurate bass reproduction": distortion and compression. The V-16 F is engineered to minimize the losses from both of those things, and Dali says that its ability "to accelerate huge volumes of air to turn electrical signals into tangible, palpable, room-filling bass is absolutely unprecedented."The driver is a 16-inch (406mm) unit with the largest ever Constant Surface Surround diaphragm design to date, powered by a 1500W (2500W peak) Class D amplifier. Constant Surface Surround, CSS for short, is different from the usual driver surrounds: it uses alternating positive and negative regions of stepped and curved sections to keep the surface area the same, to reduce distortion and suppress resonance. Dali said this is the only use of this technology in a subwoofer to date, though it's been used in other speaker types.There are four Continuous Flare reflex ports tuned to a very low 18Hz, and their job is to reduce the need for bass driver excursion at low frequencies, again to reduce distortion. They also mean that the driver spends more time near the rest position, where its damping and motor force are more linear; Dali explains that that means more consistent and accurate low frequency performance across volume levels.They're open by default, but the V-16F is supplied with optional port plugs if that better suits your listening space or preferences.The Dali V-16 F will be available in July for £4,499 / €4,999 (about $5,970 / AU$9,300.

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Archer has been selected as the official air taxi provider for the 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic Games. If everything falls into place (a very big "if"), the company's Midnight eVTOL aircraft will transport VIPs, fans and stakeholders to and from key venues, while also providing support for emergency services and security, Archer wrote in a press release.

Archer is one of the more serious players in the fledgling air taxi arena, being one of just two companies along with Joby Aviation to receive the FAA's final airworthiness criteria (but not final certification) for its Midnight aircraft. It just unveiled routes for a potential service in New York City, and previously announced proposed air taxi networks in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The fact that Archer had already announced plans for an LA hub probably helped its cause. Its proposed network already included key LA28 venues including the Stadium in Inglewood and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, along with the LA International Airport, Hollywood, Orange County and Santa Monica.

Midnight is a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry up to four passengers while producing less noise and fewer emissions than a regular helicopter. With 12 tilting rotors plus a wing and tail, it takes off like a helicopter then transitions to an airplane-like cruise mode, with the rear rotors continuing to provide some lift. It features "redundant, fault-tolerant systems" that Archer hopes will allow it to gain FAA certification with the same safety level as commercial airliners.

It's also received backing from major aviation players including Fiat Chrysler and United Airlines, plus fixed base operators (FBOs) like Signature Aviation and Atlantic Aviation. With all that, the company is possibly the best-positioned among all air taxi players to receive its FAA "type certificate" to carry passengers. However, getting that approval for an all-new aircraft is already difficult and expensive, let alone one that's in an entirely new category. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/the-la-olympics-optimistically-names-an-official-air-taxi-partner-123048252.html?src=rss

Ubisoft has confirmed a new March 2026 release window for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remakeThe company said in an earnings call that the remake will release in fiscal year 2025-2026The game was announced in 2020 and was initially set to release in 2021

Ubisoft has finally shared a release window for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake.During the company's latest earnings call on May 14, 2025, Ubisoft revealed that it plans on releasing the long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake in fiscal year 2025-2026 (via GameSpot).This means the game will release before March 31, 2026.The remake was announced in 2020 alongside a teaser trailer for last-gen consoles, and by the time the game releases, it will mark six years since its initial unveiling.The Sands of Time was scheduled to launch in January 2021, but was then delayed to March 2021, until Ubisoft delayed it indefinitely."This extra development time will enable our teams to deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original," the company said at the time.Ubisoft later shared an "important internal milestone" in 2023, but we've yet to receive a new trailer.It's also unclear if the game will be coming to current-gen consoles, like PS5 and Xbox Series X, considering the long development cycle.In the same earnings call, Ubisoft said that it is delaying some of its major unannounced titles to allow for better quality games.According to Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot, an unspecified number of games from its biggest brands, including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow Six, The Division, and Ghost Recon, will now release between 2026 and 2028.Guillemot pointed to Assassin's Creed Shadows' delay, calling it a "good decision" that allowed for the game's success."After a review of our pipeline, we have decided to provide additional development time to some of our biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success," Guillemot said. "As a consequence, FY2026-27 and FY2027-28 will see significant content coming from our largest brands."

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The latest trailer for James Gunn's Superman movie has taken flight and, hoo boy, is it a doozy.There's quite a lot to unpack from the forthcoming comic book film's newest teaser, not least the fact that Supes will battle yet another villain who's not who everyone thinks they are (in my opinion, anyway). In fact, so much is crammed into trailer #2's two-minute runtime that there are numerous key details and Easter eggs you'll definitely have missed upon first viewing.Below, I've rounded up seven of the biggest secrets hidden in Superman's latest round of footage. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for the upcoming DC Universe (DCU) flick, so proceed with extreme caution.

1. Paging Walter Cronkite

The subtle vocal change between Kent and his superhero alias is also noticeable during this scene (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

The DCU movie's official trailer begins with David Corenswet's Clark Kent/Kal-El agreeing to be interviewed – as Superman, no less – by his perennial love interest and fellow Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (played here by Rachel Brosnahan).It's a sequence that appears as though it'll start out as a fun idea, but soon turns into a more much dramatic affair. Indeed, as Lane politely interrogates the titular hero over recent incidents he's been involved in that haven't exactly put him or the US government in a good light, Kent gets increasingly agitated over her questioning of the good he's doing on his adoptive home, aka planet Earth.Before the love birds' (if the rumors are to be believed, they've been secretly dating for three months by the time this film starts) interview becomes fraught, though, Kent playfully calls Lane "Cronkite" as the recorded conversation begins.This is a tribute to the late and legendary US broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, who anchored CBS Evenings News almost 50 years between 1937 and 1981. He reported on some of the biggest real-life events of the past 50 years, too, including the Vietnam War, the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, the 1969 moon landing, and the Watergate scandal.

2. War never changes

Superman intervenes in an ongoing conflict between two nations in his self-titled DCU film (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Part of the reason why Kent and Lane's interview quickly turns sour is their supposed disagreement over Superman's involvement in stopping a war in what appears to be the Middle East.Now, there are obvious parallels between this conflict and one currently playing out in the real world, but this isn't the time or place to get into the political and humanitarian weeds of that. All I'll say is, in light of what's going on right now, I'm curious to see how much of Superman's fictional war we'll see in this Gunn-directed flick.But I'm getting off-topic. What war did Supes stop to draw so much ire from the US government and other interested parties? According to X/Twitter fan account DCU Updates, plus an Instagram post from actor Fahim Fazli, who has a minor role in Superman (thanks to Reddit for the catch), the fictional nations of Boravia and Jarhanpur will be the countries involved in this conflict.By all accounts, it seems Kal-El's intervention stopped the former from invading the latter, too. If true, it's not surprising that the so-called Hammer of Boravia would track down Superman and engage in a bout of fisticuffs in the skies above Metropolis.

3. Planting a Flag in a new government role

Frank Grillo returns as Rick Flag Sr, who he voiced in Creature Commandos last December, in Superman (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr has dealt with a lot before and since his DCU introduction. Not only was his son was murdered by Peacemaker in 2021's The Suicide Squad film (a movie many now consider to be a progenitor to the DCU's creation), but he was duped by Princess Ilana and almost beaten to death by Clayface in season 1 of Max's adult animated show Creature Commandos. Simply put, he deserves to catch a break.Nevertheless, I don't think anyone of us expected him to be installed as the US' latest Secretary of Defence. Again, this is seemingly revealed during Kent and Lane's stress-inducing interview, with the trailer cutting to a brief shot of Flag Sr when Lane says "Secretary of Defence".Now, this could be a bait and switch on Gunn's part. This wouldn't be the first time that some trailer trickery has been employed to suggest one thing (e.g. Flag Sr being Secretary of Defence) but mean another (e.g. he's not really). If he is, though, it'll be a surprise promotion for Grillo's gruff army veteran and one I certainly didn't seen coming.

4. Where the streets have many names

You can just make out the name 'Ross' on the street sign in the top right hand corner of this image (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Walter Cronkite isn't the only individual to be honored with a blink and you'll miss it mention in the DCU Chapter One movie's latest trailer.In shots where Corenswet's Man of Steel protects a child from falling debris and he's arrested by ARGUS chief Rick Flag (with the aid of Angela Spica/The Engineer and Ultraman (more on this duo later)), the names 'Ross' and 'Waid' can be seen on two street signposts.

The Waid Street sign is even more obvious in this picture (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

These are clear tributes to Alex Ross and Mark Waid, two of the most famous artists and writers who've worked for DC Comics since 1993 and 1985, respectively.

5. Engineering an entrance

Maria Gabriela de Faria will portray Angela Spica in her live-action DC comic book movie debut (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

But let's return to two of Superman's aforementioned villains: The Engineer and Ultraman.The former was largely conspicuous by her absence in Superman's first official trailer – indeed, save for a missable moment where she's standing on the bridge that connects Luthercorp's two skyscrapers together in that teaser, she didn't feature as much as many people expected her to.Thankfully, Maria Gabriela de Faria's nanotech-infused antagonist earns more screentime in trailer #2. She's seen going to town on the jaw-dropping Fortress of Solitude's android staffers before receiving a swift paw in the jaw from the adorable yet boisterous Krypto the Superdog. Spica can be spotted later in the trailer, too, when she's seen battling Superman alongside Ultraman.

Ultraman (second right) will surely be unmasked in the movie's third act, right? (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Speaking of Ultraman – that's the name that fans have given this mysterious, black-clad villain, anyway – it seems he's going to have a more integral role in the story than many suspected.Initially, it seemed he was going to be the muscle that Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor employs when things are about to get physical. However, some observers believe Ultraman will not only wind up being the primary villain in one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, but will also be unmasked as none other than a genetically-engineered clone of the eponymous Son of Krypton himself.I've already sifted through much of the evidence that backs up this fan theory in my main Superman trailer #2 article, which I linked to in this piece's introduction. But, there's one more sign that suggests this hypothesis isn't as outlandish as it sounds.

How does Lex break into the Fortress of Solitude? (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

This trailer confirms that Luthor and company will gain access to the Fortress of Solitude at some point. However, in the comics, there are only two ways that someone can enter Supes' secret hideout.The first, which was used in the early years of Superman literature, involves finding and then using a giant key. Kal-El is the only being strong enough to lift it in the comics, though, and we already know this method won't be used in Superman's latest big-screen reboot. Indeed, the Fortress of Solitude clip article I linked to earlier confirms Krypton-originating individuals, such as Kent and Krypto, can gain entry to it via some form of vocal command.I don't think that's the only way for anyone to enter the DCU's take on Superman's Arctic-based HQ, though. That's because, in the comics, the second method usually involves some form of highly advanced security system.This is where Ultraman comes into play. If he is a clone of Kal-El, he could simply remove his face covering in front of the Fortress' likely hidden security cameras. They'll surely recognize him as Superman and allow him (plus Spica, Luthor, and the latter's girlfriend Eve, who can be briefly spotted when the group enters the Fortress) to set foot in it. It's that, or Ultraman utters a command that only Kryptonians would know, which would unlock the Fortress' front door. Either way, he seems key to the group's successful attempt to make their way inside.

6. Journeying to the Phantom Zone

Is this our first look at the DCU's take on the Phantom Zone or another pocket universe? (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Later on in the teaser, we see Lane and Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific exploring what appears to be a cavernous, underground lair.What if this isn't an Earth-based location, though? Instead, what if it's one of our first glimpses at the DCU's take on Pocket Universes (essentially, alternate realities that are tied to another dimension) and, more importantly, one called the Phantom Zone that Kryptonian criminals are banished to?This isn't as big a stretch as you might think. For starters, Superman's two main trailers have included shots of him being incarcerated in an undisclosed location. It's likely that he's jailed following his arrest by Flag and company, too.However, human prisons wouldn't be able to hold him. As such, I predict that, under Luthor's orders, Kent will be sent to and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, i.e. a place where nobody should be able to find him. Well, unless you're a roving investigative reporter like Lane and a scientific genius like Mister Terrific...

7. Not faster than a speeding Kryptonite bullet

Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho can create any element or substance he desires (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Phantom Zone should be the least of Superman's worries, mind you, because it seems he'll be injured by an Kryptonite bullet at some stage, too.Before you scoff at the idea, hear me out. First, consider what Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho – one of Supes' fellow imprisoned metahumans – is creating in the trailer. For the uninitiated, Metamorpho is a superpowered being who can make any substance in the known universe, so it's not outlandish to assume that he'd be able to craft Kryptonite (Superman's one and only major weakness) out of thin air.

Metamorpho is being forced to make some Kryptonite here, isn't he? (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Next, take a good look at the above image. More importantly, look at Metamorpho's left hand. Why is it glowing green? There's only one logical solution: he's created a small amount of Kryptonite, whose primary color is – yep, you guessed it – green.That's not all. In both trailers, we see Luthor brandishing a revolver whose cartridge chamber he's seen spinning. If Metamorpho has reluctantly crafted a Kryptonite bullet, it's logical to assume that Luthor would load his weapon with it and play a rigged game of Russian Roulette with Superman. If Supes works out that Luthor isn't playing fair, that could be the catalyst for him punching his way out of his glass box-based cell. Again, we see this in both trailers.

I'd be surprised if this scene doesn't occur after Kent is injured by Luthor's Kryptonite bullet (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

However, to paraphrase a classic Superman line from the comics, it seems he isn't faster than a speeding Kryptonite bullet.Another clip in trailer #2 shows Kent's adoptive parents watching over their bed-bound surrogate son. Take a closer look at the upper left side of Kent's head, and you'll see what appears to be a bullet wound and some form of infection around his left temple.This has to be the aftermath of not only Supes' escape from the Phantom Zone, but also the Kryptonite bullet striking the titular superhero. It's a good job, then, that Lane and Terrific seem to be on hand to help Supes escape and make his way back to the Kent residence to rest and recuperate.

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BianLian, RansomEXX, and others, are jumping the NetWeaver bandwagonIn late April, SAP fixed a 10/10 bug in NetWeaver Visual Composer Metadata UploaderResearchers claim there are 1,200 vulnerable instances

Multiple ransomware operators are trying to take advantage of the recently discovered, maximum severity flaw, affecting SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer. This is according to, among others, ReliaQuest, a cybersecurity company that also reported on the initial flaw.In late April, security researchers reported that more than 1,200 SAP instances were at risk of being hijacked, due to a maximum severity vulnerability found in NetWeaver Visual Composer’s Metadata Uploader component.The bug stems from the fact that the uploader was not protected with proper authorization, allowing unauthenticated actors to upload malicious executables.

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Multiple critical flaws

The bug is tracked as CVE-2025-31324, and despite SAP releasing a patch rather fast, multiple in-the-wild attacks were spotted.Now, ReliaQuest said it saw evidence suggesting involvement from BianLian and RansomEXX, two known ransomware families. Other researchers also claim Chinese state-sponsored actors were in on the action, as well. “We assess with moderate confidence that BianLian was involved in at least one incident,” ReliaQuest said. “In a separate incident, we observed the deployment of “PipeMagic,” a modular backdoor linked to RansomEXX.”The researchers also said that the miscreants moved fast, with the malware being deployed “just hours after global exploitation”.Earlier this week, SAP patched a separate, also critical, zero-day vulnerability in NetWeaver server. This one, it said, was being chained in attacks targeting some of the world’s biggest enterprises. It is tracked as CVE-2025-42999, and carries a severity score of 9.1/10 (critical). Also discovered in the NetWeaver Visual Composer Metadata Uploader, the bug allows a privileged user to upload untrusted or malicious content which, “when deserialized, could potentially lead to a compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host system.”SAP said it found this bug when analyzing the maximum severity one. Both were allegedly being abused in attacks since January 2025.Via BleepingComputer

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Not only is Spotify one of the go-to music streaming services, but it’s evolved into a reliable platform for audiobooks, and it’s just launched a new immersive experience that aims to help fans connect more with the artists and albums they love the most.This new immersive feature called ‘Follow-Along’ is now available to use in the Spotify app and can be found in selected audiobooks in Bloomsbury’s 33 ⅓ series, a collection of short books about popular albums that was first released in 2003, including books about Oasis’ Definitely Maybe (1994), to Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love (1985).So, how is Spotify merging popular music with audiobooks? Well, when you listen to one of the audiobooks in Bloomsbury’s 33 ⅓ series, you’ll see additional media such as photos, graphics, and songs appear in the Now Playing section. Imagine you’re listening to the audiobook that discusses The National’s Boxer (2007), when the narrator goes into detail about a specific song, Follow-Along will show you the track right for you to add it to your library.

(Image credit: Spotify)

In Spotify’s blog post, the music streamer stated that Follow-Along ‘marks the beginning of cross-functional collaboration between Spotify’s music and audiobooks teams’, with Manager of Audiobooks Licensing Henna Silvennoinen describing it as ‘a dream project’ for the audiobook side.Out of the 192 books in the 33 ⅓ series, Spotify has released 51 audiobooks about some of the most influential albums and the artists behind them. But only a select number will come with Spotify’s new Follow-Along function, including Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) and Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) - though if it were up to me, it would be The Wall (1979).

I see the vision, but it needs to involve more audiobooks

Music and books go hand-in-hand, and I’m always coming across videos with book recommendations based on specific artists, as well as literature-inspired playlists in the Spotify app. I tested out the new Follow-Along feature, and while I see the vision, there’s one setback that’s preventing it from unlocking its full potential.One of my favorite things about popular music is learning about its contextual framework, and Follow-Along hits the nail on the head with this, especially with Bloomsbury’s series of books. But wouldn’t it be great if Follow-Along were applied to fiction audiobooks as well?Think about it; you’re listening to the audiobook of Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a story set during a prime time for the evolution of music. Whenever the name of a band or artist is dropped, their Spotify profiles and albums appear, or even better, Follow-Along gives you an insight into the inspiration behind the characters and story, sending you into a discography deep dive of Fleetwood Mac or The Doors.

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Wix announces standalone online design platform WixelActs as an alternative to Canva and Adobe ExpressIncludes AI tools alongside traditional design features

Top website builder Wix has announced the release of Wixel, an AI-powered visual design suite that’s effectively an alternative to the likes of Canva and Adobe Express.According to the company, Wixel aims to “democratize visual design” - in other words, designers and non-designers will now have the tools to create professional-grade content and assets.Interestingly, Wixel is a standalone product, so even those who don’t use the website builder will be able to sign up to the design tool. And, much like Canva and Express, it’s free to use with an optional upgrade for premium features.

What is Wixel and what can users expect?

When it comes to visual design suites, it’s a pretty crowded market right now, an area notably dominated by Canva.It may not have been the first to market, but it’s the one that captured the imagination of marketing teams and businesses, letting even non-designers spin up professional-grade images and videos. So popular is it that even Adobe upped the ante and brought much-needed improvements to its Express platform.Given the popularity of these suites, I’m not completely surprised to see Wix get in on the action. But what can users expect to get from Wixel?Wix has offered an insight on this. Armed with just a single product photo uploaded to the platform, users can now remove or add backgrounds, crop, convert, and edit images, include text, and customize the layout within a template.Alongside this, Wixel is capable of AI-generating images across different styles that can better suit the user’s brand guidelines. And voila, a user has a post fit for social media posting or adding to their online store. According to Wix, the entire process can be complete in minutes.

(Image credit: Wix)

Discussing the launch, Avishai Abrahami, Wix CEO and co-founder, said: “AI is the foundation of Wixel. Design is in our DNA, and simplifying complex experiences is what we do best. We’re now determined to revolutionize design by democratizing access to powerful and creative tools for everyone, regardless of their design expertise.”I toyed with Wixel and, yes, if you’re familiar with either Canva or Express, you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect. An intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate, customizable templates allowing users to swiftly edit designs and create assets, and, of course, AI tools for enhancing and generating on-brand content.The company also confirmed that future tools are in the works, including story creation and video. Given trends, this is an absolute essential that can’t come quick enough.You can check out Wixel now by clicking here.

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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed that it's making some big changes to the first nationwide drinking water standard set by the Biden administration. Last year, the agency had finalized the standard, which aims to regulate the presence of "forever chemicals" called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water across the country. There are thousands of different types of PFAS, but the rules specifically set limits for five: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA. Now, the agency has revealed that it was only going to keep the Biden-era nationwide limits for PFOA and PFOS.

Exposure to forever chemicals has been linked to a variety of health issues, including cancer, liver damage and asthma. Under the rules set by the US government last year, the maximum levels of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water should be 4 parts per trillion only. PFNA, PFHxS and HFPO-DA (also known as GenX chemicals) were supposed to have a max limit of 10 parts per trillion. However, the agency is rescinding the regulations for those last three chemicals. To be fair, PFOA and PFOS are the two most common types of PFAS. The agency said that its "actions are designed to reduce the burden on drinking water systems and the cost of water bills" while still "continuing to protect public health."

In addition to rescinding the limits for three out of the five forever chemicals, the EPA said it also intends to extend water utilities' compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031 in order to give them more time to develop a plan that would allow them to meet the standard. This extension "will support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants," said EPA Administrator Zeldin.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/the-epa-is-rolling-back-biden-era-clean-water-rules-130029921.html?src=rss

The next generation of Apple’s CarPlay interface is finally here, available exclusively for Aston Martin drivers in the US and Canada initially. Over the next few weeks, existing Aston Martin vehicles equipped with the automaker’s latest infotainment system will be able to access CarPlay Ultra through a software update, while anyone ordering a new Aston Martin from today will have it pre-installed. You’ll also need an iPhone 12 or newer model running iOS 18.5 or later to take advantage of the new features.

CarPlay Ultra (before it had a name) was first teased at WWDC nearly three years ago, and later previewed by both Porsche and Aston Martin, showing off how the new CarPlay could connect with every display in a vehicle, as opposed to just the central infotainment screen. That deeper iPhone-ification of your vehicle is at the heart of CarPlay Ultra, effectively letting you swap the factory-installed instrument cluster displays with a distinctly Apple UI, complete with customizable widgets and real-time information from apps installed on your iPhone.

Apple

Apple says its own software seamlessly integrates with the car while "reflecting the automaker’s look and feel." You can have Google Maps and Apple Music running alongside vehicle-specific information like driver assistance and tire pressure, all tied together with custom themes that Apple has worked on with Aston Martin’s own design team. As with your iPhone, you can personalize the experience with your own choice of colors and wallpapers.

Apple

You can opt for onscreen controls, physical buttons, or Siri for basic tasks like adjusting radio volume and temperature management, as well as more advanced features like configuring your audio system or performance settings. Apple does not specify how CarPlay Ultra will work at launch with the latest version of Siri, which integrates with ChatGPT, but it says the same privacy measures that it uses on your iPhone apply to CarPlay Ultra.

Beyond its initial rollout in the US and Canada, Apple says CarPlay Ultra will expand to include vehicles worldwide in the next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/apples-carplay-ultra-finally-arrives-but-its-exclusive-to-aston-martins-right-now-132516946.html?src=rss

Wednesday season 2 has a confirmed release date on NetflixIt will be split into two parts arriving in August and SeptemberThe streaming service has also announced the cast, and some of the new names are huge

Wednesday season 2 is almost upon us after a three year gap. Indeed, fans of one of the best Netflix shows don't have to wait much longer after its release dates were confirmed. As part of the Netflix Upfront presentation, the streaming service has confirmed the new season will arrive later this year.Netflix has revealed that Wednesday season 2 will be split into two parts, with the first arriving on August 6, and the second on September 3. And yes, aptly enough, both of those are Wednesdays!We've all been waiting patiently for the return of Jenna Ortega's child of woe, and now it's only a couple of months away. If you missed the trailer, you can watch it below.

Who's in the cast of Wednesday season 2?

Gwendoline Christie has left the Wednesday cast, and the new school principal is played by Steve Buscemi. (Image credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix)

Perhaps the better question is, who isn't? Seriously though, it's a stacked line-up and as well as returning names like Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen and Luis Guzmán, we've got plenty of great new stars joining the macabre Tim Burton series.Joanna Lumley joins the Addams Family this season, playing the role of Morticia's mother, Hester. Following the departure of Gwendoline Christie's principal, Nevermore has a new one in the form of Steve Buscemi, and I'm so excited to see how he steps into the role.The faculty is huge this season with Billie Piper and Christopher Lloyd joining the ranks and, of course, we have returning students such as Emma Myers and Joy Sunday, so fans will be pleased to see the cast has increased in size, with plenty of favorites coming back.

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Aston Martin has become the first automaker in the world to offer deeper integration of Apple CarPlay in its vehicle’s infotainment system with the debut of the new Apple CarPlay Ultra.Having been in development for a number of years, both Porsche and Aston Martin revealed in 2023 that they would be among the first to offer Apple’s latest infotainment offering, but the British sports car maker has beaten all other manufacturers to it.Apple CarPlay Ultra builds on the existing CarPlay platform by taking over both the infotainment head unit and the vehicle’s digital instrument cluster for the first time.The new CarPlay will initially be limited to the new Aston Martin DBX on models ordered in North America and Canada, but is coming to other Aston cars and regions over the next 12 months. Apple also says it's working with Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis to bring CarPlay Ultra to more models.Want to know what all the fuss is about? Here are four things you need to know, plus a gallery of images to show what CarPlay Ultra looks like in Aston Martin's latest drive...

1. It offers a more personal experience

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

Now, drivers can select between a number of Aston Martin-designed digital options for the speedometer and tachometer dials, while the ability to toggle between live maps from a preferred navigation provider, as well as media applications, gives owners a way to "curate their own multi-screen set-up," according to James Bond's favorite brand.What’s more, the British marque has also provided a number of different instrument cluster themes, as well as the ability to tailor wallpapers, color schemes and the general look to their personal tastes.The key to making the tie-up work was to ensure Aston Martin had full control over design, with Apple claiming CarPlay Ultra allows automakers to "express their distinct design philosophy with the look and feel their customers expect".

2. It offers everything in one place

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

One of the biggest bugbears about the current CarPlay environment is that users often have to leave it in order to interact with key vehicle functionality, such as changing driving modes or adjusting the climate control, for example.Apple CarPlay Ultra banishes this sort of behavior to the naughty step and finally allows drivers to tweak the radio station, adjust the climate control or fire up the heated seats from within the Ultra interface via touchscreen controls, physical buttons, or by using Siri voice commands.Better still, the British marque talks about “Punch-through UI”, which essentially means its has been able to bring very vehicle-specific menus and settings into the CarPlay environment for the first time.So, if you wan’t to adjust the balance and fader on the swanky Bowers & Wilkins, it is possible to do so through a specific menu screen that is housed within the CarPlay Ultra environment.

3. It has a highly customizable cluster with more info

Image 1 of 1(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

Aston says customers can also select from a number of widgets that can reside on either the 10.25-inch infotainment screen or on the digital driver display for a highly customizable cluster. This could include things like tyre pressure monitoring, weather forecasts or advanced driver assistance system settings.Although it is not explicitly mentioned by Aston Martin or Apple, it is understood that owners will need to initially pair an iPhone 12 or later (running iOS 18.54 and later) either by plugging it in or choosing the wireless option.The system will the automatically recognize the handset and the driver every time they enter the vehicle, even going to far as to knowing the region they are from, adjusting the units of measurement accordingly.Of course, it opens up easy access to things like email, WhatsApp messages and the ability to hop on Zoom calls, all without having to juggle between interfaces.

4. It's coming to other car brands

Image 1 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 3 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 4 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 5 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 6 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 7 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 8 of 9(Image credit: Apple)Image 9 of 9(Image credit: Apple)

Unfortunately, Android users won’t be able to enjoy a similar sort of Android Automotive experience in the car, seeing as this is a specific Apple tie-up.Instead, Aston Martin provides physical buttons and switches for most of its functionality and explains that its next-generation infotainment system, which debuted on the all-new DB12 in 2023, is perfectly a perfectly decent digital offering as it is.Also, CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to the new Aston Martin DBX, and only those models ordered in North America and Canada for now. Although it will be rolled out to other Aston models and markets in the coming 12 months.What’s more, Apple said it is working with a number of automakers to bring CarPlay Ultra into a variety of new models soon, including those from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.Aston Martin's 10.25-inch Pure Black touchscreen technology is relatively modest compared to many rivals, so it will be interesting to see what other manufacturers can do with larger and more impressive screen arrays.Apple Arcade while waiting to charge up, anyone?

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