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Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 is now just hours away, and is set to add Ultron as a brand new Strategist. It's looking like this new season - or half-season - could be one for the books, given the planned changes to a number of Heroes, the addition of new Team Ups, and even a new map to play on.I'll be covering the build-up to Season 2.5's launch over the next 24 hours, leading up to downtime and then sharing my thoughts once it's all live.Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 key infoStart date and time Ultron info Patch notes New mapRanked changes Jump to our live coverageNetEase has been busy teasing the next season of Marvel Rivals over the last week or so, having now revealed Ultron's kit, as well as a deep dive into the upcoming patch notes and balance changes. There's a new map to look at, too, which looks to be the dark and mysterious lair of the villainous X-Tron. If my early impressions are correct, Season 2.5 will seriously shake up the meta in Competitive Mode, and could even shift some Heroes around on my Marvel Rivals tier list.Having covered last season's launch live, I'm looking forward to seeing how things pan out this time. Since launch, I've been playing hundreds of hours of Marvel Rivals, predominantly in Competitive Mode. Lately, I've been focusing on Luna Snow and Magneto as my mains, but will absolutely be giving Ultron a try on launch day to see whether or not he measures up.Join me as I keep you updated on the launch of Season 2.5 as it happens, with info on how long downtime is expected to last, a look at the nerfs and buffs coming to each Hero, and some of my impressions of the new season once it all goes live. For now, let's take a look at what's been announced and what's changing in Marvel Rivals in the coming hours.Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 - cut to the chaseLooking for a quick overview? Here are the most important changes to know about coming to Marvel Rivals as part of Season 2.5.Start time: May 30 at 5AM EDT / 2AM PDT / 10AM BSTNew Hero: UltronNew map: Hellfire Gala - ArakkoSeason event: Cerebro Database IIHero balancingNew Rank Rewards: Golden UltronMarvel Rivals Season 2.5 start date and time(Image credit: NetEase)Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 launches May 30 at 5AM EDT / 2AM PDT / 10AM BST.Servers will then go down for "2-3 hours" before the new season is available to all players. As such, I estimate Season 2.5 to be playable at the following times:May 30 at 5AM PT: West Coast USMay 30 at 8AM ET: East Coast USMay 30 at 1PM BST: United KingdomMay 30 at 2PM CET: Central EuropeMay 30 at 9PM JST: JapanMarvel Rivals Ultron(Image credit: NetEase)The main update in Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 is Ultron, who joins the game as a new Strategist. He's a flying character with a laser beam attack that has unlimited range. His abilities allow him to shield teammates, add drones to them to give further shield, and his Ultimate fires a series of blasts that heal teammates and damage enemies at the same time.It looks like Ultron will have great synergy with other flying characters, and has a new Team Up with Iron-Man. We'll have to wait and see whether he'll be a viable pick alongside the likes of Luna Snow and Invisible Woman, but early signs are looking promising.Marvel Rivals patch notes for Season 2.5(Image credit: NetEase)NetEase has now released the full patch notes for Marvel Rivals Season 2.5. It outlines loads of bug fixes for Heroes like Black Panther and Emma Frost, while also giving some information on the new features coming to UI and customization. You can read the full patch notes here.Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 new mapHellfire Gala: Arakko is being added as a new map in Season 2.5. It's the lair of the villainous X-Tron, and features plenty of wicked machinery and robotic contraptions embedded in harsh, cold stone.As you'd expect, it's a dark, cavernous place, with glowing red lights and a harsh, rock-led soundtrack. It'll be interesting to see how Arakko performs as a map in Competitive Mode, joining Krakoa as this season's new additions.NetEase has released a new trailer for Arakko, which you can view above.Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 ranked changes(Image credit: NetEase)There aren't too many changes to ranked play in Season 2.5, though there will be a new set of ranked rewards to earn, and a new Convoy map in Arakko.The reward for reaching Gold Tier 3 by the end of the season is the Ultron - Golden Ultron skin, which we've yet to see. There's all-new Crests of Honor for Grandmaster, Celestial, Eternity, and Top 500 to earn as well. At present, there has been no announcement of a rank reset, though this is subject to change as we get closer to launch day.Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 live coverageAnd we’re off!(Image credit: NetEase)Welcome to TechRadar Gaming’s live coverage of Marvel Rivals Season 2.5. The major update is set to go live May 30, with downtime beginning at 5AM EDT / 2AM PDT / 10AM BST. I’ll be detailing all of the biggest changes coming to the game, including the addition of Ultron as a new Strategist. Let’s get started.Ultron joins the roster(Image credit: NetEase)Ultron is the new Hero for Season 2.5, filling the role of Strategist. He’s the first new Strategist since Invisible Woman, and looks set to be a very different kind of character. He can fly, for one, meaning he’s going to be difficult for certain dive characters, like Captain America, to attack. He can boost up into the air when cornered, and even attack at distance with a laser beam.

The big day is approaching and there’s plenty of pressure for you to hand over a gift that says a lot all at once. It may be called Father’s Day, but this is an event for you to say a loving thank you to whatever person held that special role in your life, irrespective of gender. Here’s a list of the best gifts you can give to show your appreciation for all of the parenting they did, and may even still do.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-fathers-day-gift-ideas-123012557.html?src=rss

Mark Zuckerberg told the company's shareholders that Meta's artificial intelligence now has 1 billion monthly active users across all its apps, according to CNBC. He also said during the annual shareholders meeting that the company will be focusing on "deepening the experience and making Meta AI the leading personal AI with an emphasis on personalization, voice conversations and entertainment" this year. Meta will keep growing the product until opportunities to earn money from it appear, such as inserting paid recommendations and offering a subscription service for users who want more computing power.

Shortly after Meta launched a standalone app for its generative artificial intelligence this April, Zuckerberg already talked about how it could one day show ads and product recommendations. He also hinted at introducing subscriptions for a more “premium” version of the assistant.

All of Meta's apps, namely Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, have the assistant baked in. It's also available on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses and the company's Quest headsets. It's very easy to accidentally interact with it if you're using any of the company's applications, and as NDTV has noted, Zuckerberg didn't say whether those monthly active users specifically sought out the AI for use and engaged with it in meaningful ways. But Susan Li, the company's chief financial officer, reportedly said that AI use has been growing fastest on WhatsApp, where users can chat with it, ask it questions and use it to generate images. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-ai-already-has-1-billion-active-users-120023875.html?src=rss

10th generation LTO is finally here, four years after 9th gen launchedIt will have a 30TB capacity, far less than the 48TB originally plannedLTO roadmap runs to 576TB which may not appear until 2040 at the current rateIf you want to back up tens of petabytes of data or even more, here’s some good news for you. Without much fanfare, IBM, Symply and Spectral Logic have separately made LTO-10 announcements in the past 48 hours.Announced in 2014, LTO-10 is the 10th iteration of Linear Tape Open technology. This tape media can now reach 30TB native capacity and a staggering 75TB compressed (using the industry standard of 2.5:1 ratio).Even more surprising is that the transfer rate remained at 400MB/s whereby incremental speed improvements were the norm in the previous nine generations. In theory, filling up an entire tape would take a bit less than a day.LTO’s taking its timeEven if 30TB sounds fantastic, it is significantly smaller than what was originally proposed. Eight years ago when the LTO organization published their Ultrium roadmap, it listed the LTO-10 as being a 48TB model, that dropped to 36TB in the most recent one, from 2022, and now the actual product launched with ‘only’ 30TB.That is 67% higher than the capacity of the new LTO-9 tape (18TB) but only 25% higher than that of the old LTO-9 purported tape capacity (24TB). In other words, six LTO-10 tapes can replace 10 LTO-9 tapes.Back then, the LTO consortium told us, “Doubling capacity approximately every two years is still technically feasible for LTO tape technology and the LTO Program anticipates being able to return to that pattern in future generations”.Why? Perhaps because the legacy (hard drives) and exotic competitions (ceramic, DNA, silica) aren’t as compelling as originally planned. The first 30TB hard drive launched in January 2024 with 100TB hard drives expected to debut by 2030. LTO-9 hit the market in September 2021 and was delayed by a series of setbacks.What’s next for LTO?So one can expect LTO-11 to launch sometime in 2029. LTO’s latest roadmap goes up to LTO-14 with a native capacity of 576TB but this document will almost certainly be changed because of LTO-10’s unexpected (and disappointing) capacity change.Symply, a storage hardware expert that launched the first LTO-9 tape drive, will start shipping LTO-10 products as early as mid-June 2025 from $11,995 (SAS) with devices equiped with other interfaces (Ethernet and Thunderbolt) costing more.Symply told TechRadar Pro that they will provide pricing details for LTO-10 media soon. They also told us “the LTO-10 media is 1035m in length which is the same as LTO-9. It is a high density on the media that enable the higher capacity.”LTO-9 is currently the cheapest of the LTO family, costing around $5 per TB; a 30TB tape would likely sell for more than $150. IBM, one of the founders of LTO, has also announced an LTO 10 tape drive, while Spectra Logic announced support for the new media.25 years and still going strongIt’s been a quarter of a century already since LTO-1 hit the market and while it has many critics (including within the US government), its resilience, value for money and ability to adapt to countless storage demands makes it a reliable partner regardless of the use case.We witnessed the demise of competitors (like Sony’s ODA) and while alternative forms of storage (most notably Cerabyte) show exciting potential, they are still very far from reaching the same status as tape.You might also likeThese are the fastest hard drives on offer todayWe have listed the best cloud backup solutions right nowSeagate has launched a 36TB HDD but that's not the best newsA comparison of removable media (March 2025)MediaCapacity (TB)PricePrice per TBHPE LTO 8 Tape12$57.74$4.81HPE LTO-9 Ultrium18$88.64$4.92Seagate Expansion 20TB external HDD20$230.00$11.50Toshiba MG08ACA16TE 16TB16$255.00$15.9450 Pack Myeco Bd-r BDR Blu-ray1.25$19.99$15.99Silicon Power 2TB SATA2$82.99$41.50Patriot Transporter 2TB Type-C External Portable SSD2$89.99$45.00TEAMGROUP A2 Pro Plus Card microSD1$52.99$52.99

Victoria's Secret has confirmed suffering a cyberattack Company website and some systems taken offline following incidentNo one claimed responsibility yet, but customers should still be on alertAmerican lingerie and beauty retailer Victoria’s Secret has suffered a cyberattack which forced the company to shut down its websites and “some in-store services”.In a short announcement posted on the company’s main website (as well as national websites), it was said a “security incident” had been identified, and “as a precaution”, the website and some in-store services were taken down.“We appreciate your patience during this process. In the meantime, our Victoria’s Secret and PINK stores remain open and we look forward to serving you,” the announcement reads.Was it ransomware?So far, specific details on the incident remain scarce, as the company did not detail the nature of the attack, the identity of the attackers, or the methods used to compromise the systems.A Victoria's Secret spokesperson told FOX Business the company triggered its incident response protocols following the incident."Third-party experts are engaged, and we took down our website and some in store services as a precaution," the statement read. "We are working to quickly and securely restore operations."Usually, when a company is forced to shut down its IT network, either partially or completely, it is to contain a ransomware attack, and prevent threat actors from moving laterally and exfiltrating sensitive customer data.Since no threat actors have yet claimed responsibility for the attack, this is pure speculation at this point. We do know that the company’s systems have been offline for at least three days, at press time.Victoria’s Secret is a leading global lingerie and beauty retailer, so it’s no wonder it was a target. As of February 1, 2025, the company had 31,000 total employees, including 13,000 full-time and 18,000 part-time employees, according to Stock Analysis.It has more than 1,300 stores around the world and in 2024, it reported annual revenue of $6.23 billion.Via TechCrunchYou might also likeAdidas confirms customer data stolen in worrying cyberattackTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

Bridgerton season 4: key information- Filming underway as of September 2024- Confirmed for a 2026 release- Its romantic lead is Benedict Bridgerton- Halo TV show alumnus Yerin Ha cast as love interest Sophie Baek/The Lady in Silver- New cast additions and returning actors also confirmed- Snippets of its plot have been teased- Sneak peek and behind-the-scenes looks unveiled, but no official trailer yet- Officially renewed for seasons 5 and 6- Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes has eight-season plan for hugely popular showDearest readers, Bridgerton season 4 has a release window. So, ready the carriages and don your best attire for season 4's arrival in 2026. As the cast and crew are currently filming the next instalment of the popular Netflix romantic drama series', we'll have to wait patiently until sometime next year to enjoy it on our screens. But, delving into the forthcoming season's pairing of Benedict Bridgerton and his new love interest, Sophie Baek, has us feeling like it's definitely going to be worth the wait.In the absence of Lady Whistledown’s gossip papers, we've taken it upon ourselves to do the digging around the 'Ton and fortunately, there's a lot we've found out. So, as we await Bridgerton's return on one of the best streaming services, here's what we know when it comes to release date speculation, confirmed new and returning cast, potential story threads, sneak peek footage, and more. Full spoilers follow for Bridgerton season 3 and the previous seasons. Potential spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 will also appear.Bridgerton season 4 release date predictionPlease rise for Sophie Baek & Benedict Bridgerton!!!Here's your first official photo of Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson on the set of Bridgerton Season 4. Now OFFICIALLY in production. pic.twitter.com/TyOlryDXEUSeptember 16, 2024Bridgerton season 4 has been on the cards since it was announced alongside season 3 in April 2021. And while it doesn't have a release date, it does have a release year with Netflix Tudum confirming it'll arrive in 2026.Netflix confirmed filming on season 4 had begun on September 16 as one of many Netflix Geeked Week 2024 announcements. And, per What's on Netflix, principal photography will likely run for several months, too.Dearest Gentle Reader, have you selected your best garments? Preparations for the Masquerade have begun… Bridgerton Season 4 is under way. pic.twitter.com/LU5yUYSGHXOctober 28, 2024And Bridgerton season 4's release window was previously hinted att by showrunner Jess Brownell, who told The Hollywood Reporter (THR): "We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language. And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range."Bridgerton season 4 trailer: is there one?Acting as further confirmation of Bridgerton season 4's 2026 release, a sneak peek trailer was released showcasing the moment Benedict first lays eyes on Sophie at the Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball.As he saunters through the crowd, fighting away the attention of other women in attendance, Benedict sees Sophie in a white gown completely distracted by the dazzling chandelier above her. Until, another gentleman asks her to dance, much to Benedict's dismay.Compose yourselves, esteemed members of the Ton, for a preview of the forthcoming season has arrived... pic.twitter.com/326Quj7pRWFebruary 14, 2025During the Bridgerton Virtual Fan Event, aptly hosted on Valentine's Day (in true 'Season of Love' fashion), an official behind-the-scenes look was released for Bridgerton season 4. In a flurry of exciting clips, the masquerade ball takes center stage, as does the meet-cute of Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton. Or, as we're already fondly referring to them as 'Benophie.'Alongside the two leading characters of this season's love story are glimpses of more Bridgerton family members, including the newest addition, Penelope and Colin's child, as well as other returning cast members such as Lady Danbury and Eloise Bridgerton.A brief Bridgerton season 4 teaser, which arrived in July 2024, also previously acted as the confirmation that season 4’s romantic lead will be Benedict Bridgerton.Seen amongst clips of past seasons, the text "Welcome to the marriage mart, Benedict," appears on the screen. Following the montage, we’re treated to behind-the-scenes footage of a person off-screen saying "I hear we’re fitting you for a suit", to which Benedict aka Luke Thompson replies "I already have an outfit for tonight." The person off-screen responds "Oh no, it’s not for tonight. It’s for the masquerade ball", before Benedict says "In that case, come on in."The masquerade ball, according to Julia Quinn’s novels, is where Benedict famously meets Sophie Beckett, aka the ‘Lady in Silver,’ but we’ll dive into this in our plot section.Bridgerton season 4 confirmed castYerin Ha will take on the role of Benedict's love interest in Bridgerton season 4 (Image credit: Netflix)Full spoilers follow for Bridgerton season 3.Here's the confirmed cast for Bridgerton season 4 so far:Luke Thompson as Benedict BridgertonYerin Ha as Sophie BaekJonathan Bailey as Anthony BridgertonVictor Alli as Lord John StirlingAdjoa Andoh as Lady DanburySimone Ashley as Kate SharmaHugh Sachs as BrimsleyJulie Andrews as the voice of Lady WhistledownLorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. VarleyMasali Baduza as Michaela StirlingNicola Coughlan as Penelope BridgertonHannah Doss as Francesca StirlingDaniel Francis as Lord Marcus AndersonRuth Gemmell as Lady Violet BridgertonFlorence Hunt as Hyacinth BridgertonMartin Imhangbe as Will MondrichClaudia Jessie as Eloise BridgertonLuke Newton as Colin BridgertonGolda Rosheuvel as Queen CharlotteWill Tilston as Gregory BridgertonPolly Walker as Lady Portia FeatheringtonEmma Naomi as Alice MondrichKatie Leung as Lady Araminta GunMichelle Mao as Rosamund LiIsbaella Wei as Posy LiGracie McGonigal as HazelOli Higginson as Footman JohnSophie Lamont as CeliaGeraldine Alexander as Mrs. WilsonWe know who Benedict Bridgerton is, but who will play the famous Sophie Beckett (or, in Netflix's adaptation, Sophie Baek)? In August, Variety's sources suggested Australian actress Yerin Ha (Halo, Bad Behaviour) had been cast, and Variety's sources proved to be right – Netflix confirming Ha will play Sophie in an X/Twitter post on September 11 2024.Your Sophie has finally arrived. Please welcome Yerin Ha to Bridgerton Season 4! pic.twitter.com/sHZMZIPhTDSeptember 11, 2024Speaking to Netflix Tudum about what drew her to the role, Ha said: "She immediately has obstacles – something that she constantly has to overcome, whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict. When does Sophie put on this mask to cover her emotions? Or vice versa, when does she take it off and when does she soften up? Playing with those [questions] is just really fun."But why the surname change? As Ha explains, it's down to her Australian actor's Korean heritage, which showrunner Jess Brownell was also eager to honor as part of Sophie's slightly revised backstory. "A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful," Ha said. "To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner. It’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold. It’s amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So, it means a lot that Jess did that for me."Rejoice for it is the season of joy and merriment! pic.twitter.com/SwCnruL5vmDecember 25, 2024Ha's hiring isn't the only one to be announced in September. Five days after Netflix cast its Sophie, the streamer also revealed three more stars who'll appear as prominent characters in season 4: Katie Leung (Arcane, The Peripheral) as Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) as Rosamund Li, and Isabella Wei (1899) as Posy Li. And, during the Bridgerton Virtual Fan Event (as per Tudum), it was also revealed that season 2's leading lady Simone Ashley will be returning as Kate Sharma.And, according to Deadline, Emma Naomi and Hugh Sachs have also been promoted to series regulars for Bridgerton season 4 as Alice Mondrich and Brimsley respectively. Whilst there's plenty of new and returning cast members, there's one character that won't be part of season 4's cast - Daphne Basset (née Bridgerton) played by Phoebe Dynevor. Speaking to The Direct, she revealed executives have: "not called [her] yet" and that she's "still waiting for that call."BENOPHIE LOADING pic.twitter.com/reMYaASG9ISeptember 16, 2024As for season 3’s shining couple Penelope and Colin, they’ll also be back. Speaking to Town & Country, Luke Newton said: "I’m excited for the happily ever after and to see what that brings. I have so much trust in Jess [Brownell] that it will always be interesting and always be exciting. That’s also the joy of being in the Bridgerton family: There’s always going to be drama. There’s always going to be something I get to help out with or causing mischief or whatever it is."Bridgerton season 4 plot rumorsSeason 4 will adapt the third novel penned by Julia Quinn, which is titled 'An Offer From a Gentleman' (Image credit: Netflix)Full spoilers follow for Bridgerton season 3 and Julia Quinn's 'An Offer From a Gentleman' book, which season 4 is based on.Bridgerton season 4's story brief hasn't been unveiled yet – and it won't be until closer to its release. Even so, we have some ideas of where the plot will go, based on its source material and how Benedict's story in the third season ended. We also know it will be eight episodes long, thanks to Tudum.In Bridgerton season 3, the focus was Penelope and Colin, which actually meant the show skipped ahead in Julia Quinn’s book series. As previously mentioned, however, season 3 will leap back a few chapters to book three, which is called 'An Offer From a Gentleman'. Fans of the books will know, then, that it’s time for Benedict the bachelor to meet Sophie Beckett – the elusive Lady in Silver who sneaks into the masquerade ball to find a suitor, stumbles upon him, and likely captures his heart.Benedict Bridgerton’s Season 4 story? Let us pour some tea…Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down -- until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball. pic.twitter.com/KmGDp1L5FFJuly 23, 2024In the books, the Lady in Silver is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl and one of his maids, although he hasn’t publicly acknowledged her as his daughter despite her living with him.It may be hard to believe Benedict may finally settle down, considering how season 3 ended. Indeed, viewers watched as Benedict embarked on not one, but two relationships; the untethered playboy messing around with Lady Tilley Arnold and Paul Suarez. However, he broke up with the pair in the season 3 finale after he decides he doesn't want to tie himself down to any one person.Elaborating on why Benedict made that decision, Luke Thompson, who plays the character, told Netflix Tudum: "Benedict has always been a little lost – or free, depending on the way you want to look at it. But, now he’s trying to find something a bit more solid in himself. His identity has been a little bit of a question mark, but it doesn’t ever seem to really bother him. It often feels like 'you’re either this, or you’re this'. He’s finding it out."Penelope and Colin navigate life raising their child (Image credit: Netflix)Showrunner Jess Brownell also spoke to Tudum about Benedict’s love story, adding: "It felt important for him to explore the fullness of himself before he settles down. He is someone who has big appetites, and we wanted to see him living a big life before he goes into settle-down mode."Much like Bridgerton’s first three seasons, though, the romantic lead isn’t the only one embarking on a love story, of which there’s most certainly more to explore in season 4. We know that Lady Violet Bridgerton was enjoying the company of Lady Danbury’s brother, Lord Marcus Anderson – and, during the season 3 finale, we saw the pair dance the night away at the Dankworth-Finch ball.Kate and Anthony are due to welcome their first child, too, which will see the married couple travel to India to do so. There’s also more to explore from Colin and Penelope as Polin embark on married life and raising their child. Luke Newton spoke to Tudum about their new role, teasing: "Once you’ve had your moment, it’s really nice to see how they’ll navigate married life. It’ll be a place of comfort for them and they’ll enjoy it."Penelope and Eloise's close bond continues in season 4 (Image credit: Netflix)And then there’s Eloise traveling to Scotland alongside her sister Francesca and new husband Lord John Stirling. She decided to pursue her curiosity and take a break from the marriage mart in doing so, so it’ll be interesting to see how she spends her time there.Though it appears she'll be returning to the 'Ton in due course, as Brownell revealed to Tudum that that pair will reunite in Bridgerton season 4: "They're more bonded than ever! Their trials and tribulations last season have added new depth to their friendship, and we're excited for viewers to see their relationship looks now that they've each grown up a little."It was as much of a cliffhanger ending for the new Stirlings as well, as Francesca met John’s cousin Michaela Stirling. In Quinn's book 'When He Was Wicked', this character is male and goes by the name Michael Stirling, so the role has been gender-swapped for Netflix's adaptation. Michaela’s appearance sent fans wild, and for those who’ve yet to read the book, the significance will become all the more clear as the seasons continue.Finally, amongst all the love and marriage, Queen Charlotte made a statement in the season 3 finale of accepting Lady Whistledown, aka Penelope Featherington. Whether the Queen’s favor continues, only time will tell. Though Queen Charlotte actress Golda Rosheuvel did reveal during the Bridgerton Virtual Fan Event that season 4 will also "introduce some of the people who keep the ton's many households up and running." With Brownell speaking about "touchstones from the romance genre - including Cinderella - that resonated in this most recent season."Where to watch BridgertonWill Queen Charlotte choose a diamond in season 4? (Image credit: Netflix)Bridgerton seasons 1 to 3 can be streamed exclusively on Netflix. One of the best Netflix shows is also joined on the platform by prequel spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. If you find yourself at a loss while we wait for season 4, here are six dashing dramas like Bridgerton to be captivated by, too.Will Bridgerton get a fifth season?Dear readers, there is certainly much to celebrate, indeed... pic.twitter.com/LhkQmKLRAOMay 14, 2025Yes, Bridgerton has been renewed for season 5 – and season 6. Netflix has taken a similar approach to Bridgerton seasons 3 and 4 and renewed two more seasons at the same time, telling us via Tudum, to "celebrate accordingly".And, according to executive producer Shonda Rhimes, there’s hopefully going to be at least eight. Per Variety, Rhimes said she still plans to adapt all eight of the Bridgerton books, adding: "I do have a very specific plan of where we go each season – which one is which. Because you really have to start seeding in the other siblings, and what’s going on with them, to push them to the next season. We’ve really talked about it through, I think, season 6 or maybe 7."As for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Rhimes has teased the possibility of making a second season. "We talk about it a lot," she told Variety. "And, for a while, I was holding it very close, and didn’t necessarily know that I wanted to play it out in a Bridgerton season. But, now we’ve been talking about what it would look like if we saw a little bit in Bridgerton’s present day, with Brimsley and Reynolds, and what that would mean [and] I think it deprives us of a chance to tell the story the way it should be told."For more Netflix coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, Wednesday season 2, One Piece season 2, and 3 Body Problem season 2.

Tesla's robotaxi service has started testing in Austin without drivers in advance of its promised June launch, according to the company. "For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no on in driver's seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents," CEO Elon Musk posted on X. "A month ahead of schedule."

Earlier this year, Tesla promised to launch its robotaxi service sometime in June, using an internal fleet of 10 to 20 Model Ys operating in a limited, geo-fenced part of Austin with remote human assistance. The level of human assistance (teleoperation) isn't clear, but there are fears based on Tesla's recent history that human operators may be used to cover up any technical deficiencies in Tesla's self-driving vehicles.

A recent Bloomberg report was more specific about the launch date with paid customers, putting it at June 12. However, reports earlier this month indicated that Tesla had yet to even start testing without drivers as of mid-May, so it would only have a few weeks of testing before a commercial launch.

On top of that, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still in the dark about many details around the service. "The agency would like to gather additional information about Tesla's development of technologies for use in 'robotaxi' vehicles to understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads," the NHTSA wrote in a May 8 letter to Tesla.

That information is key for public safety, because Tesla will only be using camera-based systems and not LiDAR and radar sensors like Waymo and other robotaxi operators. In a recent analyst call, Elon Musk said that the Model Y robotaxi vehicles would be the same as Model Y vehicles sold to the public. "There's no change to it," Musk said (before being contradicted by Tesla's Autopilot software director).

No other details were released, but the upcoming service is certainly of critical importance to the automaker given flagging Tesla EV sales, particularly in Europe. CEO Elon Musk famously staked the future of Tesla on robotaxis, reportedly even canceling a budget EV to focus on that service. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-it-has-been-testing-driverless-model-ys-in-austin-for-several-days-123037251.html?src=rss