News

PBS, alongside NPR, is facing an unprecedented attempt from the executive branch to cut its federal funding and potentially reduce what it can offer. But, in good news, one of its mainstays will be widely available — at least for the time being. New episodes of Sesame Street are coming to both Netflix and PBS.

The 56th season of Sesame Street will be available worldwide on Netflix and on PBS in the US. New episodes will come out the same day on the streamer, PBS Stations and PBS KIDS. "This unique public-private partnership will enable us to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix’s global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the US continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love," Sesame Workshop stated in a release.

The deal also entitles Netflix to 90 hours of previously aired Sesame Street episodes. However, the new releases should look a bit different. Now, each episode will feature an 11-minute story, meant to allow for a deeper dive. There will also be a new animated bit called "Tales From 123," which takes place inside the characters' apartment building. Old segments will also return, like Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck.

N IS FOR NETFLIX! Sesame Street is joining the Netflix family! Brand new episodes — as well as past seasons — will premiere later this year. pic.twitter.com/SMEqHm29a2— Netflix (@netflix) May 19, 2025

HBO has been the home of Sesame Street for the last decade, but didn't renew it's partnership last year. Sesame Street fans who want to stick with PBS, though, will likely be happy about the new Netflix deal. With the old arrangement, Sesame Street episodes didn't air on PBS until the entire season had already arrived on HBO. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sesame-street-will-air-on-netflix-and-pbs-simultaneously-151545769.html?src=rss

Surprising no one, Microsoft's Build 2025 conference is mostly centered around its Copilot AI. Today, the company announced that it has begun rolling out its "Wave 2 Spring release," which includes a revamped Microsoft 365 Copilot app. It's also unveiled Copilot Tuning, a "low-code" method of building AI models that work with your company's specific data and processes. The goal, it seems, isn't to just make consumers reliant on OpenAI's ChatGPT model, which powers Copilot. Instead, Microsoft is aiming to empower businesses to make tools for their own needs. (For a pricey $30 per seat subscription, on top of your existing MS 365 subscription, of course.)

Microsoft claims that Copilot Tuning, which arrives in June for members of an early adopter program, could let a law firm make AI agents that "reflect its unique voice and expertise" by drafting documents and arguments automatically without any coding. Copilot Studio, the company's existing tool for developing AI agents, will also exchange be able to "exchange data, collaborate on tasks, and divide their work based on each agent’s expertise." Conceivably, a company could have its HR and IT agents collaborating together, rather than being siloed off in their own domains.

With the new Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Microsoft has centered chatting with its AI to accomplish specific tasks. The layout looks fairly simple, and it appears that you'll also be able to tap into your existing agents and collaborative pages as well. As Microsoft announced in April, you'll also be able to purchase new agents in a built-in store, as well as build up Copilot Notebooks to collect your digital scraps. Like an AI version of OneNote or Evernote, Notebooks could potentially help you surface thoughts across a variety of media, and it can also produce two-person podcasts to summarize your notes. (It's unclear if they'll actually sound good enough to be useful, though.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/a-new-microsoft-365-copilot-app-starts-rolling-out-today-160002322.html?src=rss

The theme for Huawei’s global data storage product line’s flagship event, the Innovative Data Infrastructure (IDI) Forum 2025, was “Data Awakening, AI Rising”.Xie Liming, Vice President of Huawei Data Storage Product Line, pulled the curtains on Huawei’s new flagship, the New-Gen OceanStor Dorado Converged All-Flash Storage, the ideal choice for enterprises' mission-critical services.

What you need to know

Businesses are rapidly embracing AI globally for their mission-critical applications and need an AI-ready data infrastructure that is both scalable and can rapidly deliver ROI to drive what we call Intelligent transformation.Artificial intelligence alters this data into something more important for any business: an intangible asset.Proprietary data is at the heart of this AI revolution and requires AI-ready data storage: legacy, conventional storage technologies are just not good enough.Huawei has identified three major focuses of primary storage in the AI era:

Converged cloud-native capabilities: Enterprise-class block, file, and object services are provided to reduce business complexity and total cost of ownership (TCO).Intrinsic resilience: Ransomware protection is integrated into production storage to enable early detection and rapid response against ransomware attacks, minimizing data loss and downtime while accelerating service recovery.AI agents: Self-optimized AI agents greatly improve efficiency and user experience.

The direction of travel of the entire tech industry is towards all flash storage, a no-compromise, best-in-class media technology based.Huawei has developed a bespoke, industry-leading hardware stack with its own DPU (data processing units), NICs (network interface cards), large capacity SSDs (solid state drives) and controllers.

Meet the New-Gen OceanStor Dorado Converged All-Flash Storage

The converged and resilient all-flash storage with AI agents brings mission-critical applications into the AI era. This New-Gen storage has three features:

Converged: This new product is the first within the industry to integrate block/file/object parallel architecture in order to reduce complexity and total cost of ownership. A unified, multi-protocol resource pool cuts the TCO by 25%, and performance is improved by 20% thanks to multi-protocol parallel IO paths.

Resilient: The product delivers 99.99999% single-system reliability thanks to its SmartMatrix full-mesh architecture and supports active-active solutions for SAN, NAS, and S3, ensuring zero data loss. It provides business continuity even if seven out of eight controller enclosures are faulty. The system provides built-in ransomware protection for both blocks and files with 99.99% ransomware detection accuracy.AI Agent: The industry's first storage with AI agents boosts management efficiency and streamlines operations. For example, the ransomware protection AI agent can deploy the solution in just 1 minute and prevent ransomware attacks with no latency.

Moreover, the New-Gen OceanStor Dorado Converged All-Flash Storage offers seamless upgrades across controllers or entire clusters with zero data migration or service interruption thanks to the FlashEver guarantee.But it is the first step of a journey. Integrating data storage, data management, resource management and the AI toolchain, Huawei’s just-released AI Data Lake solution aims to deliver a high-quality AI corpus and speed up model training and inference.The aim is to empower enterprises to embrace AI, the next logical step to digital transformation.Huawei is one of a handful of players worldwide that can deliver the full AI stack: inference and training, across hardware, software and services. Having a one-stop-shop approach allows businesses to increase efficiency by reducing friction that’s inherent when dealing with many parties.

Find out more about the game-changing New-Gen OceanStor Dorado Converged All-Flash Storage offering from Huawei.

Among the myriad Memorial Day deals you can take advantage of, there are a bunch of notable ones on tech products. Take, for instance, the latest Ring Video Doorbell. This model will run you $55. That's $45 off the list price and a record low for this item.

This is a battery-powered version of the doorbell, so you won't have to spend a second figuring out how to hook it up to existing wiring. It'll be easy to recharge the Video Doorbell too. When you need to top up the battery, all you'll need to do is detach the device and plug in a USB-C cable for a while.

This version of the Ring Video Doorbell provides a head-to-toe view of the person who's on your doorstep, as it offers 66 percent more vertical coverage than the previous model. The live view feature delivers a real-time feed from the camera to your phone, tablet or other compatible device. There's a two-way talk function as well, so you can chat with the person at your door no matter where you are.

You can receive real-time alerts on your phone whenever the Ring Video Doorbell picks up movement through its motion-detection function. However, you'll need to pony up for a Ring Home plan (starting at $5 per month) to get more detailed alerts, such as whether the motion alert was due to a person ringing your doorbell, a package delivery and so on. The subscription includes features like access to 180 days of event video history. If you opt for the $20 per month premium tier, you'll get 24/7 recording for every compatible doorbell and camera in your home.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/memorial-day-deals-include-the-2024-ring-video-doorbell-at-a-record-low-price-162236863.html?src=rss

Multiple researchers came up with a new method of location sharingThe method keeps user privacy while sharing relevant dataIt could have big implications across industries

Researchers have come up with a new method to “prove” where you’re located, without actually having to share sensitive location data.If adopted, the method could have major implications for businesses such as ride-sharing or delivery, smart cities and public transport, or digital advertising and marketing.The paper, presented recently at the 2025 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, was drafted by authors Jens Ernstberger (Technical University of Munich), Chengru Zhang (University of Hong Kong), Luca Ciprian (Technical University of Munich), Philipp Jovanovic (University College London), and Sebastian Steinhorst (Technical University of Munich). It is called “Zero-Knowledge Location Privacy via Accurate Floating-Point SNARKs”.

60% off for Techradar readersWith Aura's parental control software, you can filter, block, and monitor websites and apps, set screen time limits. Parents will also receive breach alerts, Dark Web monitoring, VPN protection, and antivirus.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

How it works and what are the downsides?

Simplified, it works like this: instead of revealing their exact location (as is the case today), the user creates a cryptographic commitment (essentially, the data is locked behind a crypto key). The data cannot be changed, but also cannot be viewed by third parties.Then, the device runs a zero-knowledge proof algorithm, proving that the data locked behind the crypto key is accurate. Ultimately, the verifier (which can be an app, or a server) checks the zero-knowledge proof, and because of the cryptographic properties, they can confidently confirm the location meets the condition without ever seeing the exact coordinates.The method’s key limitation is that it doesn’t inherently guarantee the authenticity of the location data. Since the system relies on the device, or user, to provide the location data in the first place, it can still be spoofed (if the GPS data is fake, for example).In the paper, the researchers proposed a solution for verifying that a location proof isn’t forged, which involves network communication with a third party (for example, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals). In that case, data on where the device says it is located would no longer be non-interactive.Via The Register

You might also like

Privacy of millions worldwide compromised as huge data location broker got hackedTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

ASUS has revealed several new laptops at Computex, including the impressive-looking ROG Zephyrus G14. This high-spec computer looks perfect for on-the-go gaming and just about anything else.

First of all, this thing is pretty small. The 14-inch screen allows it to fit in just about any to-go bag. The 16:10 panel boasts a 3K display, a refresh rate of 120Hz, 500 nits of peak brightness and Dolby Vision integration. The bezels are slim, with an impressive 87 percent screen-to-body ratio.

ASUS

It's also stylish, which is expected from the Zephyrus brand. The G14 features a CNC aluminum unibody that adds to the overall durability. It's available in two colorways. There's Eclipse Gray and Platinum White.

As for specs, the G14 can be outfitted with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with 12 cores and 24 threads and an AMD XDNA NPU with up to 50 TOPS. The graphics card maxes out with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. RAM options go up to 64GB and on-board storage up to 2TB.

The base model starts at $1,800, but won't be available until June 25. The other variations are already available for purchase.

ASUS

The ROG Zephyrus G16 is bigger, obviously, but the screen ups the refresh rate up to 240Hz. These models boast the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and up to the NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU. It boasts a similar aluminum chassis to the G14 and a six-speaker system for increased immersion.

The base model here costs $2,150 and will be available on June 25. Other versions are already available for purchase.

ASUS

The company has also revealed refreshes of the ROG Strix G16 and G18. These gaming laptops can be outfitted with either AMD or Intel CPUs, with support for up to 32GB of RAM. Both models include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060. All models include 1TB of on-board storage. The G18 starts at $1,700 and the G16 starts at $1,500.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-unveiled-new-rog-zephyrus-g14-and-g16-laptops-at-computex-163058281.html?src=rss

HP has introduced the OmniBook 5 Series, using Qualcomm's Snapdragon processorsBoth the OmniBook 5 14 and OmniBook 5 16, feature OLED displaysThey're both expected to be available in July

Computex 2025 is well underway, which means there's plenty of new tech ranging from new desktop PC hardware to portable devices – and we have a new lineup for the latter which is intent on improving productivity.HP has announced its new OmniBook 5 Series, with the OmniBook 5 14-inch and the OmniBook 5 16-inch laptops providing significant leaps in processing power (using Snapdragon X Plus and X chips) and visual quality; most importantly, HP claims its new series has 'the world's longest battery life in a consumer AI PC notebook'.As per HP's blog, each laptop will feature up to 34 hours of battery life, which should ensure consumers get the most out of their activities. When running low on battery, you'll be able to get right back up to speed with HP Fast Charge, which charges you up to 50% in just 30 minutes.These impressive claims may not come as a surprise, since Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors are ideal for battery efficiency, providing exceptional performance that rivals some of Apple's M-based chips while ensuring battery life is at its best.It's also worth noting that both laptops will have OLED displays, capable of providing excellent picture quality thanks to deep black levels stemming from a high contrast ratio. This will be ideal for video content, including creative tasks that require great color accuracy – and this is further supported with a 95.3 DCI-P3 color gamut and 0.2ms response time.Perhaps the biggest highlight here, beyond power and capabilities, is the pricing. The HP OmniBook 14 is anticipated to launch in July, starting at $799 via HP's online store. Its counterpart, the HP OmniBook 16, is also expected to launch in July, starting at $849 – and both of these are affordable prices, considering the benefits available here.

(Image credit: HP)

OLED is all I ever need...

At those sensible asking prices, OLED laptops that have great battery life and performance are all I need – and that's why I think this new OmniBook 5 Series is worth keeping an eye on.Despite the concerns of burn-in and text fringing (which have been improved with next-gen OLED displays), using an OLED display has single-handedly uplifted my enjoyment while gaming and watching movies. And if you're lucky like me, you won't actually notice text fringing when working.In my Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x review, I highlighted how it's one of the best OLED displays I've ever seen; I won't be surprised if I end up saying the same about HP's new OmniBook Series.With the claims of battery life that rival other Snapdragon laptops, it's a no-brainer starting at $749 – and the Snapdragon X Plus (8-core version) features 45 NPU TOPS for AI applications and tasks.We'll have to wait for real-world performance results, but stick around and check out our Computex 2025 live blog to keep an eye out for more details.

You may also like...

Next-gen laptops, bonkers PCs, and too much AI: here's what I expect to see at Computex 2025Intel is seemingly preparing a huge Battlemage GPU reveal at Computex 2025 – and it's expected to be a higher-end offeringAMD subtly confirms reveal date for its next Radeon GPU – an ideal time to compete with Nvidia at Computex 2025

New users who sign up for the IPVanish Advanced plan can claim a free eSIMThe free eSIM includes 3GB of data and covers 200 destinationsThe eSIM comes with IPVanish's VPN features, like threat protection and cloud storage

IPVanish has announced the launch of a new eSIM offering 3GB of free data to first-time customers who sign up for its Advanced 1-year or 2-year plans.The eSIM covers 200 countries and will provide instant connectivity when abroad. The eSIM comes bundled with IPVanish's core VPN features like threat protection, secure browser, and cloud storage.This limited-time promotion is designed to provide secure, unrestricted internet access for travelers while also showcasing the full range of premium VPN features of the Advanced plan.

Is the eSIM market the next big move for VPN providers?

IPVanish has become the third major VPN service to launch its own eSIM. Previously, we have covered similar moves by NordVPN with Saily and ExpressVPN with holiday.com.This growing trend signals that VPN providers are expanding their focus beyond just secure browsing—a comprehensive digital solution for travelers seems to be the approach.When we spoke with the CEO of Saily, we discussed how eSIMs come with enhanced security features to protect users from the risks of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks abroad.Subbu Sthanu, Chief Commercial Officer at IPVanish said, “Today’s travelers need more than just convenience—they need secure, uninterrupted connectivity wherever they go. By bundling a free eSIM with our VPN, we’re giving our customers a complete traveler’s toolkit to stay safe and connected on the move."With this new eSIM, IPVanish users can travel worry-free, benefiting from features like threat protection, secure cloud storage, and advanced privacy tools.“Whether you’re navigating unfamiliar networks or working remotely abroad, we believe digital freedom should never come at the cost of personal security,” he added.

You might also like

"A low-cost travel solution"- I spoke with the CEO of aloSIM on reimagining the eSIM spaceTraveling to Spain soon? We've covered the best eSIMs for Spain.Check out our roundup of the best Business VPN.

Dell just announced the new Pro Max Plus laptop, which the company has stuffed with an enterprise-grade NPU. This makes it a top-tier choice for on-device AI applications.

The Pro Max Plus features the Qualcomm AI 100 PC Inference Card, making it the "world's first mobile workstation with an enterprise-grade discrete NPU." This NPU offers 32 AI-cores and 64GB of memory. This is enough to directly handle the type of large AI models that typically require the cloud to run.

Dell

We don't know anything else regarding traditional specs, but we do know that this will be one of many Pro Max Plus designs. The other models won't be quite as focused on advanced AI applications.

Dell says this laptop is primarily intended for "AI engineers and data scientists," and so it's held off on announcing pricing. Given the specs, it's likely to be way too expensive for traditional consumers. It's coming out later this year.

Dell

The company also revealed new server designs and a new cooling system for these servers. Dell's PowerCool Enclosed Rear Door Heat Exchanger (eRDHx) is an alternative to standard rear door heat exchangers. Dell says it captures 100 percent of heat generated via a "self-contained airflow system." It also suggests it can reduce cooling energy costs by up to 60 percent when compared to current alternatives.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-stuffed-an-enterprise-grade-npu-into-its-new-pro-max-plus-laptop-170043379.html?src=rss

It's still May, which means it's still Google time. After showing off Android's new look at The Android Show last week, the company still has its developer conference to check off the list. Google I/O 2025 is scheduled to start tomorrow (May 20) at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and Engadget will be covering it live, via a liveblog and on-the-ground reporting from our very own Karissa Bell.

Google included some Gemini news in The Android Show — the AI is coming to Wear OS, Android Auto and Google TV — but artificial intelligence should still be the focus of the company's upcoming keynote. too. Expect news about how Google is using AI in search to be featured prominently, along with some other surprises, like the possible debut of an AI-powered Pinterest alternative.

As usual, there will be a developer-centric keynote following the main presentation, and while we'll be paying attention to make sure we don't miss out any news there, our liveblog will predominantly focus on the headliner.

The company made it clear during its Android showcase that Android XR, its mixed reality platform, will also be featured during I/O. That could include the mixed reality headset Google and Samsung are collaborating on, or, as teased at the end of The Android Show, smart glasses with Google's Project Astra built-in.

To find out for yourself, you can watch Google's keynote in the embedded livestream above or on the company's YouTube channel. The event starts at 1PM ET tomorrow and the company plans to hold breakout sessions through May 21 on a variety of different topics relevant to developers.

Update, May 19 2025, 1:01PM ET: This story has been updated to include details on the developer keynote taking place later in the day, as well as tweak wording throughout for accuracy with the new timestamp.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-watch-the-google-io-2025-keynote-tomorrow-214622661.html?src=rss

Business Systems House was breached in SeptemberIt is a business partner of ADP, which serviced Broadcom at one pointNow, sensitive Broadcom files seem to have emerged on the dark web

Customers of the global semiconductor giant Broadcom have had their sensitive data leaked on the dark web after a two-step supply chain attack. Apparently, a company called Business Systems House (BSH), a human capital management (HCM) services provider from the Middle East, suffered a ransomware attack in September 2024, in which a group known as El Dorado (later rebranded as BlackLock), stole its files.This firm is a business partner of payroll company ADP which, in turn, worked with Broadcom. In fact, the chip giant was in the process of switching payroll providers when the incident happened, meaning it almost dodged that bullet.However, in December 2024, the two firms discovered the stolen data on the internet. “Because the data taken by the criminal actor was in an unstructured format, definitively determining which employees were impacted and, for each employee, which data fields were disclosed, was a lengthy process for BSH/ADP, and this information was not made available to Broadcom until May 12, 2025,” it was explained.

60% off for Techradar readersWith Aura's parental control software, you can filter, block, and monitor websites and apps, set screen time limits. Parents will also receive breach alerts, Dark Web monitoring, VPN protection, and antivirus.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

El Dorado or BlackLock

According to The Register, who first broke the story, the attackers made away with the following data:

National ID numbersNational health insurance ID numbersHealth insurance policy/ID numbersFinancial account numbersDates of birthSalary detailsEmployment termination datePersonal email addressesPersonal phone numbersHome addresses

Broadcom urged everyone to turn on MFA and any other security settings that their financial institutions provide. Furthermore, it warned users to monitor their financial records.You’ll be forgiven for not knowing who El Dorado is. It is a relatively new ransomware operation, emerging in March 2024, and already rebranded to BlackLock. The files stolen from Broadcom were posted on the BlackLock leak site, as well. Allegedly, the group consists of Russian-speaking individuals.Broadcom serves a diverse range of customers across various industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and telecommunications. Some of the biggest names include Apple, Samsung, Cisco, British Airways, and many others. ADP, The Register claims, is no worse, but so far, no one reported losing data.Via The Register

You might also like

Broadcom releases fixes for multiple VMware security flawsTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

US generates 57% of global spam, VIPRE analysis of 1.45B emails shows Expanding US data centers make spam enforcement harder and threats worse Cybercriminals shift to simple, human-focused phishing using PDFs and SVGs

A new report has claimed the United States is now the largest source of spam emails in the world.VIPRE’s Q1 2025 Email Threat Trends Report, the US was responsible for more than half (57%) of all spam sent worldwide during the first quarter of the 2025.VIPRE analyzed 1.45 billion emails for its report, focusing on the geolocation of the origin IP address found in email headers, rather than on domain extensions like .com.

A problem that's going to get worse

While there is no single cause, the scale of data center infrastructure in the US makes it difficult to enforce spam regulations effectively and results in greater numbers of entry points for spam emails to spread.With even more data centers being built across the US, this is a problem that’s only going to get worse in the coming years.The report notes that of the spam analyzed, 67% was classified as malicious, linked to phishing or malware.Callback phishing is rising fast, accounting for nearly one in five phishing attempts. Cybercriminals also appear to be opting for simpler, human-focused methods over more complex, technical ones.SVG attachments were found to be climbing in popularity among attackers, coming in second place just behind PDFs, as they can be used to trick users into visiting malicious sites.The manufacturing sector is the top target for email-based attacks, with retail and finance sharing second place.VIPRE says the malware landscape has shifted recently, with the XRed backdoor-type malware family taking the top spot ahead of the second-most prominent malware family (Lumma) by a factor of three. StealC, AgentTesla, and Redline followed behind.“There’s a clear shift in cybercriminals’ preference towards low-tech, high-impact, human-centric tactics. This demands a fundamental rethink of email security - one that addresses the human element as vigilantly as the technological,” said Usman Choudhary, Chief Product and Technology Officer, VIPRE Security Group.“With cybercriminals mastering the art of human deception, and crafting phishing attacks that bypass conventional defenses, email security in turn demands an approach that weaponizes cybercriminals’ own actions and uses their patterns to create a unique, future-proofed response,” he added.

You might also like

Businesses received over 20 billion spam emails this yearWe're drowning in email spam, it's getting worse and there's nothing we can doAkiraBot network hits thousands of sites with CAPTCHA bypassing AI spam

It has been nearly two months since 23andMe declared bankruptcy and the company has officially been sold. The US biotech company Regeneron has agreed to buy 23andMe and all of its assets for $256 million (even though it was valued at $50 million in March). This purchase marks the end of former 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki's bid to buy the company, which included resigning in order to make an independent offer.

According to Mark Jensen, Chair and member of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of 23andMe, Regeneron is offering to keep all of the former company's employees. This decision, "will allow us to continue our mission of helping people access, understand and gain health benefits through greater understanding of the human genome," he said in a release.

The announcement also tries to emphasize data protection following 23andMe users' concerns about where their information might end up and, in some cases, deleting their data from the site. “We are pleased to have reached a transaction that maximizes the value of the business and enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice and consent with respect to their genetic data," said Jensen.

The sentiment was echoed by its soon to be new owner. "Through our Regeneron Genetics Center, we have a proven track record of safeguarding personal genetic data, and we assure 23andMe customers that we will apply our high standards for safety and integrity to their data and ongoing consumer genetic services," said George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, co-founder, board co-chair, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron in a statement. "We believe we can help 23andMe deliver and build upon its mission to help people learn about their own DNA and how to improve their personal health, while furthering Regeneron’s efforts to improve the health and wellness of many."

How exactly 23andMe will shake out after the Regeneron purchase is to be seen. The company has taken a dramatic fall in recent years, since going public. Hackers accessed the information of 6.9 million people in 2023 and 23andMe laid off over 200 people last year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-bought-by-regeneron-in-court-auction-174003286.html?src=rss

Sesame Street has a new address. When the iconic children's television program kicks off its 56th season later this year, it will be on Netflix, but, perhaps more importantly, it will also be on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the US.The pair announced the exclusive deal with a brief and adorable video featuring Cookie Monster, who discovers and then eats the Netflix "N".A decade ago, when HBO (yes, it was just called "HBO" back then) announced its historic deal with Sesame Street to bring the series to its premium cable programming, it also shifted the show's original home to second-tier status. All first-run episodes appeared first on HBO and then, nine months later, the same episodes would air on the freely available PBS.Netflix's deal, however, fundamentally changes that equation. New season 56 episodes featuring Grover, Big Bird, Elmo, and the rest of the characters will air on Netflix and PBS at the same time.Essentially, this is two levels of good news for the beloved show: One, Sesame Street, whose future was no longer certain, has a popular and well-funded new home; and two, all youngsters and homes engaged in the Sesame Street story, regardless of their access or financial status, will have full access to the season's show.

G is for Good News

Neither Netflix nor Sesame Street is revealing the terms of the deal, but without Netflix's support, it was unclear if Sesame Street would survive.When I spoke to Sesame Street Execs a decade ago as they were inking the HBO deal, they revealed to me that viewers on PBS accounted for a small percentage of their funding."What people don’t understand is that PBS only funds less than 10% of production costs of show. The show was funded for many years by licensing income," said Jeff Dunn in 2015, who is now Executive Chairman at Sesame Workshop.The key to people buying content and products revolving around the Sesame Street franchise and funding the non-profit Sesame Street Workshop, is a bigger audience devoted to its characters and themes. Netflix, which has roughly 310 million subscribers compared to Max's estimated 110 million, should help in that regard.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Big changes

The season 56 Sesame Street Netflix subscribers (and those watching on PBS) will encounter later this year will be quite different from previous editions.

Characters will be talking directly to viewers.Episodes will take viewers inside the apartment building where the characters liveElmo's World will return, and Cookie Monster will get a cookie cartViewers will find more on-screen animationsLonger story segments

Netflix has also committed to developing games for Sesame Street and Sesame Street Mecha Builders.The streamer is planning to release Sesame Street Season 56's 35 episodes in three batches on Netflix. It will also add some 90 hours of classic episodes to the platform. As for how many episodes that represents, we'll leave that to The Count to figure out.

You might also like

Your Netflix home page is getting its biggest update ever, and yes, it includes generative AIBest Netflix shows: 56 great TV series to watch in April 2025Loved The Office? I highly recommend Steve Carell's new midlife crisis comedyNetflix's sound-effect-free subtitles will transform how I watch – and Gen Z will be over the moon

Bluesky doesn't have its own live streaming capabilities, but the service testing out a new feature to boost users' streams off the platform. The company is allowing "select" accounts to link their Twitch or YouTube accounts to their profiles, which will display a red indicator and "live" badge when they're actively streaming.

In an update, Bluesky described the feature as an "early test" that will initially only be available to a "handful of accounts" before it's ready for a wider launch. "Bluesky is the place for breaking news and real-time updates," the company said. "This tool supports streamers, journalists, and anyone sharing live moments as they happen."

The update comes one day after the service showed off a similar badge for the NBA's official Bluesky account. The league will apparently direct fans on Bluesky to "live content they are promoting," Bluesky COO Rose Wang said. Partnering with the NBA on the feature is an interesting move for Bluesky. Sports fans, and NBA fans in particular, have had an outsized impact on Twitter's culture. And the company now known as X has inked several high-profile deals with the NBA and other major sports leagues over the years to promote their content.

Notably, Bluesky doesn't have advertising. It's using the "live" indicators to direct users to off-platform content, so it's unclear if there are any business opportunities for the upstart platform that come with this feature. But it shows that Bluesky wants to play a bigger role in the kinds of conversations that once shaped Twitter's culture, and make a name for itself as a destination to follow live events.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-is-testing-a-live-now-feature-with-streamers-and-the-nba-174443865.html?src=rss

2024 was a banner year for Qualcomm at Computex, with the massive launch of its Snapdragon X Elite laptop processors putting it at the forefront of the event. In fact, Qualcomm’s keynote presentation last year was so impressive that I declared them the winners of the event, with guest stars from makes of many of the best laptops including Microsoft, HP, Dell, and Asus appearing alongside Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.During today’s keynote at Computex 2025, things were a little more subdued. No exciting chip announcements here; instead, Amon got up on stage and discussed the (admittedly quite good) progress Qualcomm has made with the Snapdragon platform over the past year. A key factor he pointed to was the rapid growth in apps supported on the Snapdragon X Elite platform, along with the now 1,400+ games that are playable on Snapdragon laptops.

CEO Cristiano Amon gave a slightly strange AI-powered Q&A during Qualcomm's keynote presentation. (Image credit: Future)

Much like last year, Amon showcased Qualcomm’s impressive pull in the Windows computing market despite only entering the CPU fight with Intel and AMD last year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a brief appearance in the presentation, along with executives from Asus and HP.There were also some cheeky jabs at Intel and Apple (the latter regarding the fact that Fortnite is fully playable on Snapdragon hardware), plus the usual slew of corporate drivel about how AI is revolutionizing… something. Honestly, I kind of tuned out for a bit there, until Amon fired up a laptop live on stage which proceeded to ask him (presumably human-curated) questions about Qualcomm’s AI hardware in a synthy robot voice. Pretty cool, I guess, but what really caught my attention was a teaser at the very end of the keynote presentation.

What’s next for Snapdragon

So, while we got no new chips from Qualcomm at Computex, it looks like we now have a tacitly announced date for the next generation of Snapdragon X systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). It’s September 23: the date of Qualcomm’s own event, Snapdragon Summit, which will take place in Hawaii.What exactly are we getting in September? Amon wouldn’t say, only that “the revolution continues” and “I promise you that you will be impressed”. Still, there are some pretty reasonable assumptions that I’m willing to make here.

Qualcomm's second-gen Snapdragon X chips were something I had hoped to see at Computex, but it seems we'll be waiting a while longer. (Image credit: Qualcomm)

While naming conventions are still a bit up in the air (since we’re only a single generation into Qualcomm’s Windows laptop chips), the current popular assumption is that the next-gen SoCs will use the ‘Snapdragon X2’ moniker, so I’ll just go with that here. I expect the initial launch to feature both X2 Elite and X2 Plus chips for the premium and midrange laptop markets, with broad integration across the majority of productivity laptop manufacturers; Dell’s XPS series, Asus’s Zenbooks, Lenovo’s Yoga line, the works.A ‘basic’ Snapdragon X2 chip will likely follow a bit further down the line (similar to how the Snapdragon X chip was announced at CES in January this year), providing a more budget-conscious alternative. But I’m most interested in the rumored 2nd-gen Snapdragon X Elite chip for desktops…

A desktop revolution?

Will we get a non-integrated Snapdragon X2 Elite? I wouldn’t quite bet on that; so far, we’ve only seen Snapdragon chips in compact PCs from the likes of Lenovo. So don’t expect to see a third option beyond Intel and AMD when it comes to motherboards for DIY PCs - but do expect more mini PCs and systems like the best all-in-one computers.

It's mini PCs that arguably stand to gain the most from a proper desktop-focused Snapdragon chip. (Image credit: Geekom)

While ‘Team Q’ (still workshopping that name, I’m open to suggestions!) might be a relative newcomer to this particular industry arena, it’s made a serious impact. Cristiano Amon’s keynote included a somewhat surprising statistic: as of last quarter, Qualcomm now holds about 9% of the integrated processor market for the US and the top 5 European markets. Considering the fierce competition, it’s a seriously impressive showing.Given how much Qualcomm changed the game with the arrival of its first X Elite chips last year, I think the use of the word ‘revolution’ might actually be somewhat justified here. I don’t say that lightly; it’s a phrase that I’m frequently annoyed to see used to describe extremely marginal changes. But with Qualcomm finally making Windows on Arm work with the Snapdragon X series, I’ve got high hopes for whatever Team Q does next.

You might also like...

Intel releases new patch for CPUs affected by instability issues – but wait, weren’t we done with this already?The best processor in 2025: top picks from AMD and IntelWhat is a processor: Your CPU explained in plain terms

Amazon's rollout of Alexa+ lacks much public evidenceTechnical issues may be delaying a wider releaseAmazon claims Alexa+ is in use by hundreds of thousands of homes

Amazon unveiled Alexa+ with great fanfare more than six weeks ago, but there hasn't been much of a conversation among AI and voice assistant users about it since. My informal check of more than a dozen heavy Alexa users around the U.S. found none with access to it, and a report from Reuters suggests it's far from the explosive event Amazon hyped it up to be at the debut presentation.Alexa+ is supposed to be Amazon's infusion of AI into the eleven-year-old voice assistant. Using generative AI as a glow-up tool makes Alexa smarter, more useful, better at conversation, and just more intuitive as an assistant. Alexa+ is supposed to give the voice assistant many new and enhanced abilities to carry out your requests, such as processing multiple prompts at once and adapting to personalize its services. For instance, it should remember your dietary preferences while helping you order food.Invites for early access were meant to start going out in late March. Anecdotally, none have arrived, and a look around social media doesn't reveal any buzz either. Here at TechRadar, Alexa has, for weeks, been telling Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff that he's "on the early access list," but there's still no sign of Alexa+.Even a Reddit post covered by TechRadar has since been removed from the website. Amazon begs to differ about that conclusion. The company is expressing confidence over the current and future release of Alexa+."Early Access to Alexa+ is ramping up. It’s already open to hundreds of thousands of customers, and we expect it to roll out to millions over the coming month," an Amazon spokesperson told TechRadar. "This is no different than other invite programs we’ve run – we scale as we learn."

Alexa+ plans

As Amazon insists there is no slow-walking of Alexa+, the reasons behind an apparent delay aren't official either. That said, the Reuters report cited possible technical issues around the speed and accuracy of the revamped Alexa, as well as higher-than-preferred costs to run the new models. There's a bit of déjà vu here since Amazon made a lot of noise around an AI-enhanced Alexa in the fall of 2023, with an early preview promised in the weeks ahead that never actually happened.It's a far cry from the 2014 reveal of the original Amazon Echo, which started shipping just a few weeks after it appeared on a stage. Amazon might feel the stakes are too high to prioritize timing over performance this time. If Alexa+ fumbles at launch, it could undercut Amazon’s entire smart home strategy. Worse, it might reinforce the idea that Alexa is more of a talking timer than a true digital assistant.Amazon also recently made it so Alexa interactions are processed only in the cloud, removing the option for local processing. This change may boost Alexa+’s brainpower, but it also raises privacy flags that may need to be dealt with before a wide release.So, Alexa+ technically exists, and Amazon swears it’s being used. But you'll have to wait for a review of Alexa+ from someone's home. Until then, Alexa+ is more ghost than AI ghost in the machine.

You might also like...

Up close with Alexa+ – this may finally be the Echo upgrade I've been waiting forAlexa+ rollout hits major milestone, but Amazon warns the technology is currently still ‘primitive’Amazon’s new AI chatbot wants to be your personal shopper for impulse buys

817 Microsoft software engineers lost their jobs in Washington state aloneThe redundancies were believed to be targeting inefficient management layersAround a third of Microsoft's code is AI-written, Google and Meta are also in a similar place

Microsoft recently confirmed around 6,000 to 7,000 job cuts globally, including an estimated 2,000 redundancies in its home state of Washington.It's now come to light that over 40% of the Washington layoffs were related to software engineering (817 roles) (via Bloomberg), with the company previously stating that the layoffs were part of a broader cost cutting effort and a shift in investments into AI.Together with software engineers, the heaviest affected roles in Washington were product management (373 roles) and technical program management (218 roles), with business program management (55 roles), customer experience program management (44 roles) and product design (31 roles) also on the table.

Over 800 Microsoft software engineers laid off in Washington state

Despite the clear and ongoing need for software engineers in an increasingly software-defined world, it has become apparent that Microsoft deer appropriate to replace human workers with artificial intelligence. CEO Satya Nadella recently confirmed that AI now writes around one third of some projects' code, with the recent layoffs raising concerns about AI's effects on human workers and software developers.More broadly, this is a trend that we are seeing from other tech companies including Salesforce and Workday. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg have also noted how much of their code is now written by AI.However, Microsoft has been criticized for mixed messaging. The company stated that the recent layoffs were primarily designed to reduce inefficiencies in middle management by removing unnecessary layers, and while 17% of the Washington redundancies did relate to managers, the loss of hundreds of software engineers raises alarm bells.Microsoft Principal Software Engineering Manager Mike Droettboom suggested in a LinkedIn post that Python and open-source remain important roles even though companies are enacting major shifts: "Looking around the room, I saw so many faces – some I have known for almost 25 years – coming together again with the same shared purpose, even as the company names on our badges change.""My heart goes out to the majority of the team that was laid off," Droettboom added.TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft for further transparency into the roles affected by its redundancies.

You might also like

We've listed the best job sites and best recruitment platformsNeed an upgrade? Here are the best laptops for programmingUp to 7,000 Microsoft workers could be made redundant in the biggest drop in two years

"AI is the new electricity", Michael Dell declaresOpening Dell Technologies World 2025, he highlights importance of AI innovation"AI isn’t your product, but AI can power your purpose" Dell says

The founder and CEO of Dell Technologies has urged businesses of all sizes to fully embrace the potential offered by AI in order to stay competitive and thrive ahead of the competition.Delivering the opening keynote at Dell Technologies World 2025, Michael Dell warned how, "the real danger is staying still,” as he highlighted several ways AI can benefit firms."AI is the new electricity - and Dell is the grid powering this transformation," he declared.

Making AI easier

During the keynote, the founder guided us along “Dell Technologies Way”, where the company’s services and systems power a wide range of businesses, industries and individuals alike.“Our street is alive with your energy, and yes - your creativity and your data,” he declared, “whether you’re developing cancer treatments, or growing a business, data is at the center of everything, everywhere, all of the time.”This included the company’s “AI Factory” platform, which saw its second generation unveiled as part of a long-standing partnership with Nvidia.“For most of us…AI isn’t your product, but AI can power your purpose,” Dell added, “you don’t need your own Colossus, but you do need AI, and we’re taking all the learnings from these massive systems to make AI easier for you.”“From AI PCs to small, domain-specific models running on the edge to the planetary scale AI data centers, we’ve got you covered.”

(Image credit: Future / Mike Moore)

Dell noted how over 75% of enterprise data will soon be created and processed at the edge - “and AI will follow the data - not the other way around.”"The future of AI will be decentralized, low-latency and hyper-efficiency - and that's why Dell is pioneering the edge AI revolution, bringing real-time intelligence to wherever the data lives.”"Here at Dell, we love data,” he added, “we store it, we protect it, we organize it, and we transform it into actions and insights that drive human progress - and turbocharged by AI, that engine of progress is going faster than ever before," he added.“The pace of innovation is at Mach 3 - we’re creating the future.”

You might also like

Amazon says one business per second is adopting AIHow businesses can take advantage of the AI agent boomGen AI spending now higher than security investment for many businesses

President Donald Trump is set to sign the Take It Down Act today, according to CNN. The act is a piece of bipartisan legislation that criminalizes the publication of "nonconsensual intimate visual depictions," including AI deepfakes. The law made it through the US House of Representatives in April 2025, prompting concern from free speech advocates that believe parts of the law could be easily abused to curtail speech.

The Take It Down Act was created to address the spread of nonconsensual, sexually exploitative images online. Laws exist addressing the issue at the state level, and some online platforms already have methods for requesting a nonconsensual image or video be taken down. This new law would set a federal standard, though, making taking down posts mandatory and directing companies to create a system for requesting images or videos be removed, under the supervision of the Federal Trade Commission.

The issue with the law as written, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is that its takedown provision "applies to a much broader category of content...than the narrower NCII [nonconsensual intimate image] definitions found elsewhere in the bill." The EFF also suggests that the short time-frame of 48 hours that the Take It Down Act requires means that smaller online platforms will probably just remove posts when they receive a complaint rather than verify that the post actually violates the law.

Trump has expressed interest in taking advantage of the new law, as well. "I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind. There’s nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody," Trump said during a joint session of Congress in March. Given the lopsided composition of the current FTC and the Trump administration's already loose interpretation of existing laws, it's not hard to imagine how the original intentions of the Take It Down Act could be twisted.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-will-sign-the-take-it-down-act-criminalizing-ai-deepfakes-today-184358916.html?src=rss

The US has expressed concerns about Apple's AI deal with Alibaba in ChinaAround one in five of Apple's sales are in China – its second-largest marketApple has also been slammed for manufacturing in India, not the US

The Trump administration and Congress are concerned about Apple's deal with Alibaba to power some of the AI features on iPhones in China, noting potential privacy concerns (via The New York Times).Worries about data sharing and national security implications have been raised, with the potential legal requirements for Apple and Alibaba to adhere to Chinese regulator rules central to the discussion.Moreover, only Alibaba has publicly confirmed the agreement, with Apple remaining silent – this could indicate potential uncertainty or an unfinished deal, or it could just be a typical Apple move of keeping developments under tight wraps until the final moment.

US worried about Apple's deal with Alibaba for AI tools

The deal is being scrutinized amid ongoing US-China tensions, with concerns about aiding China's AI development and improving Chinese military AI capabilities both noted."Alibaba is a poster child for the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy, and why Apple would choose to work with them on A.I. is anyone’s guess," Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois proclaimed.Apple has already dropped a deal with Chinese chipmaker YMTC over pressure from the US, and the Cupertino tech giant is also facing challenges from the trade war-induced tariffs and supply chain shifts out of China, with industry experts warning of sharp price hikes for consumers partaking in the next refresh cycle.However, China is the company's second-largest market, accounting for around one-fifth of its sales, highlighting the importance of a deal so as not to miss out against local smartphone makers.The US administration has considered restricting US companies from doing business with the likes of Alibaba and other Chinese firms, but no details have been confirmed.Although the company has sought to diversify its supply chain, President Trump has criticized Tim Cook for increasing production in India, urging domestic US manufacturing instead – one of the President's ultimate goals.Ultimately, Apple risks issues whichever way the deal swings, either missing out on millions of Chinese sales or potentially serious implications within the US. Apple had a 13% smartphone market share in China during the first three months of 2025 (via Canalys), putting it several paces behind Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO and vivo."The US smartphone market is expected to experience considerable volatility over the next two to three quarters, impacted by inventory corrections and weakening consumer confidence," Canalys Research Manager Le Xuan Chiew explained.

You might also like

These are the best AI tools you can access todayUnlock powerful chips on demand with the best cloud computing servicesTrump still wants Apple to build your iPhone in the US, not India, and this won't end well

Razer is back with a refresh of the Blade 14 laptop and it's the thinnest 14-inch model in the company's history. It measures just 15.7mm at its slimmest point and weighs just over three pounds. This makes it an ideal computer for on-the-go gaming.

To that end, these laptops feature the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5000 series GPUs. Buyers can spec the Blade 14 out with up to the RTX 5070. This pairs with NVIDIA DLSS 4 tech to provide "the highest quality gaming experience possible in a 14-inch" laptop.

They are also outfitted with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor that can achieve up to 50 TOPS. It comes with a bunch of AI applications that take advantage of that processor, like Copilot+, Recall, Live Captions and Cocreate.

The Blade 14 goes up to 64GB of RAM and includes a 72 WHr battery that should last around 11 hours before requiring a charge. That's a pretty decent metric for a laptop this powerful. The 3K OLED display offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a 0.2ms response time.

Razer

There's a MicroSD slot, two USB-C ports and a traditional HDMI 2.1 port. The Razer 14 integrates with wireless standards like Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7. The laptop even includes a newly designed ventilation system for better performance. The exterior is made from T6-grade aluminum and features a sand-blasted texture and an anodized matte finish.

It's available for purchase right now and comes in black and gray colorways. Pricing starts at $2,300, but that one comes with just 16GB of RAM and the RTX 5060 GPU.

Razer

The Blade 16 laptop is now available in a new configuration that features the RTX 5060 GPU. The company also recently revealed the biggest sibling of the bunch, the Blade 18. That one goes all the way up to the RTX 5090.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/razers-new-blade-14-laptops-are-outfitted-with-rtx-5000-series-cards-185517669.html?src=rss