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A huge dataset has been discovered unsecured online by researchersThis contained roughly 4 billion records - including personal informationThe data could potentially be part of a surveillance effort targeting Chinese citizensAn open instance containing "billions upon billions” of exposed records has been discovered online by cybersecurity researchers - and millions of people could be at risk as a result.Researcher at Cybernews worked with cybersecurity researcher and owner of cyber risk and data protection site SecurityDiscovery.com to uncover a huge database without a password, leaking 631GB of information, equating to roughly 4 billion records.The dataset primarily consists of Chinese customers and users from a range of different sources, in what the Cybernews research teams believed is a “meticulously gathered and maintained” database designed to build “comprehensive behavioral, economic, and social profiles of nearly any Chinese citizen.”Save up to 68% on identity theft protection for TechRadar readers! TechRadar editors praise Aura's upfront pricing and simplicity. Aura also includes a password manager, VPN, and antivirus to make its security solution an even more compelling deal.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View DealA surveillance effortThis could be part of a surveillance project, researchers argue, and there are plenty of ways that a threat actor could exploit this information, such as social engineering attacks, identity theft, fraud or even blackmail.“The sheer volume and diversity of data types in this leak suggests that this was likely a centralized aggregation point, potentially maintained for surveillance, profiling, or data enrichment purposes,” the team observed.The instance was “”quickly taken down” after it was discovered, but it’s not known how long it was open for. Unsurprisingly for suspected surveillance data, the information contains PII like full names, dates of birth, and phone numbers, as well as financial data like card numbers, debt and saving information, and spending habits.The largest collection of records most likely came from WeChat, a Chinese alternative to WhatsApp, with over 805 million records exposed.Close behind was a collection of residential data “with geographic identifiers” with 780 million, and a collection named “bank” of 630 million records, primarily with financial and personally identifiable information.If this data breach is as large as it seems, it contains over a billion records more than the National Public Data breach, which was recently reported as one of the largest data breaches ever.You might also likeTake a look at our picks for the best malware removal software aroundCheck out our choice for best antivirus softwareBillions of credentials were stolen from businesses around the world in 2024

There's perhaps never been a better time for aspiring thespians, given the demand for actors from new streaming platforms beyond movies and broadcast TV. But what does it take to become a star? Tracy Smith talks with some of Hollywood's most successful casting directors, including Amanda Lenker Doyle, Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington, Kimberly Hardin and Marci Liroff, about the "It" factor they seek; and with actor-dancer George Chakiris, whose audition landed him in the cast of the film version of "West Side Story," for which he won an Academy Award.

Pink is the most divisive color in American society, associated with gender stereotypes that leave some seeing red. After gaining favor in Europe as the preferred color for the fashionable and aristocratic, pink became linked with notions of sugar and spice and everything nice – and that's when businesses started seeing green. Faith Salie offers a colorful history of pink, taking in a recent exhibit at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, and talking with Hilary Knight, illustrator of "Eloise," whose mischievous heroine wore pink as a badge of honor.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally a thing you can buy in the US. The $450 console officially went up for sale at midnight ET on June 5, with several retailers offering the device both online and in-store. Predictably, online stock dried up fairly quickly and remains extremely limited as of our last sweep on Friday afternoon. This goes for Target too, which began its online sales around 3:30AM ET on June 6.

Broadly speaking, people seem to have had more luck by going to a physical retail store in person. We can't guarantee you’ll be able to snag one that way, but a few Engadget staffers managed to grab a Switch 2 on Thursday at their local Target or GameStop, even without a pre-order in place. So before you call it quits, check if a nearby Target, GameStop, Walmart or Best Buy — the four official retailers Nintendo lists on its store page — still has consoles in stock.

If you're still on the hunt for Nintendo's newest device, we're rounding up all of the information we can find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up.

Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2

Walmart opened up online purchases at midnight ET on June 5, but both the console alone and Nintendo's Mario Kart World bundle are out of stock as our latest update. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations. The company has noted that quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location, but it's worth seeing if any store near you still has devices available.

Target began selling the Switch 2 in stores on June 5. The retailer warned that supply will be limited and the console may now be sold out, though it's still worth looking into the locations closest to you. Anecdotally, Engadget's Billy Steele was able to pick up a Switch 2 at a Target just outside of Greensboro, NC as late as 4:15pm ET on Thursday.

The company restocked its online inventory around 3:30AM ET on Friday, June 6. Those listings were live for at least a couple of hours, which is longer than we would've expected, but they've since gone out of stock.

GameStop held launch events on Wednesday and has advertised in-store availability, though again this will vary by location. Engadget's Cherlynn Low was able to buy the console without a pre-order at a GameStop store in the New York City area on Thursday morning. That particular location had a little under 80 units available, but its manager told Low that inventory would differ at other stores based on population.

The device is currently unavailable on GameStop's website. A $625 bundle that includes Mario Kart World, a microSD Express card and a few other accessories has been in and out of stock a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, though it's sold out now (and kind of scummy anyway). We briefly saw it return on Thursday afternoon, so it may be one to bookmark if you can stomach the extra cost. The listings for the base console and Mario Kart bundle, meanwhile, now point to a "Find a Store" page.

Best Buy held in-store launch events and said it'd have limited stock at its retail locations starting June 5. It is not selling the console online during launch week, however.

You may have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. A Mario Kart World bundle at Costco that includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since Thursday morning, while Sam's Club has had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well. You'll need a membership to check on either of those, though. We also saw the console at BJ's early on Thursday, but that retailer is also out of stock as of Friday afternoon.

Verizon briefly had the Switch 2 available on Thursday morning, but that's dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order.

Amazon doesn't have any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor does it list first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. The company didn't take any pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it's unclear if and when it will sell the device.

Newegg has listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it hasn't started sales yet.

With all of these stores, we've seen the Mario Kart World bundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But considering Mario Kart is the Switch 2's biggest launch game and retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing.

Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 via an invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — many people who registered in April still haven't received an invite, and shipments haven't arrived yet for some who did order.

You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second.

Where to buy Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle:

Walmart

GameStop

GameStop ($625 bundle with various accessories)

Best Buy

Target

Costco (membership required)

Sam's Club (membership required)

BJ's (membership required)

Verizon (service required)

Where to buy Switch 2:

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

BJ's (membership required)

Verizon (service required)

Where to buy Nintendo Switch 2 games and accessories

Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, from controllers to cases to cameras that utilize the system's new GameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5 as well. The same goes for games like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Another big Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananza, won't be available until mid-July, though you can still pre-order it today.

As of Friday afternoon, just about all Switch 2 games remain widely available. Stock for the accessories is spottier, but most devices are still available at one or two retailers at minimum. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases seem to be the hardest to find right now.

Mario Kart World ($80)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Donkey Kong Bananza ($70)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Costco (membership required)

Additional Switch 2 games

Nintendo

Amazon

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Amazon

Joy-Con 2 bundle ($95)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Switch 2 Pro Controller ($85)

Nintendo (invite required)

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Costco ($75, membership required)

Switch 2 Camera ($55)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60)

Best Buy

Target

Amazon

Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip ($40)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85)

Nintendo

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40)

Nintendo (invite required)

Walmart

GameStop

Best Buy

Target

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)

Nintendo

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/how-to-buy-the-nintendo-switch-2-latest-stock-availability-for-consoles-and-games-120039533.html?src=rss

The familiar portrait of the father of our country is of the model of virtue and resolve who could not tell a lie. But the author and WCBS-TV anchor Mary Calvi says her research uncovered details about the first love of George Washington's life, the heiress Mary Philipse, one of the wealthiest women in the colonies, and how their relationship may not have ended once each of them was married to others. Jim Axelrod reports on the story behind Calvi's historical novel, "Dear George, Dear Mary," about the first president's first love, and with famed Washington scholar historian Richard Brookhiser about the first president's reputation.

Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro is getting an update to improve its codingThe update fixes previous issues with formatting and coherenceThe model is expected to become Gemini Pro’s first official stable releaseGoogle's rapid rollout of new models of Gemini is continuing apace, but the latest version of Gemini 2.5 Pro has some notable improvements that the company claims will put it in play for a while as the first “long-term stable release.” The upgrade also patches up some of the issues that might currently frustrate Gemini Pro users.For now, the model is still in beta, unlike its friskier sibling, Gemini 2.5 Flash. Gemini Pro 2.5 has reportedly taken longer and dealt with some complicated issues around regressions in conversation that made the AI model seem somewhat underpowered as a brain. Those issues have apparently been resolved, with Google bragging about the coding capabilities of the new model in particular. It's outscored rival models on the Aider Polyglot benchmark, a multi-language coding test popular for measuring AI model software composition.The updated model also offers developers what Google calls “configurable thinking budgets.” These are essentially a way to fine-tune how much computing power Gemini uses to answer complex queries so that you don't use up all of your credits building an app in one go. It’s already available through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, and will likely become part of Gemini as a whole in the near future.Gemini Pro powerAnd it's not just a technical whiz. Gemini Pro has faced complaints of lacking the same creative and conversational flair of its fellow Gemini models, failing to impress outside of technical tasks. The writing and formatting could get sloppy, and long-form responses tended to ramble or circle back on themselves. Google says it’s fixed that issue, with correct formatting, more nuanced writing, and no trailing off mid-response.All of those upgrades lead to why Google has declared this version of Gemini Pro to be a long-term, stable model, at least for now. For developers and enterprise users, that kind of certainty is valuable in its own right, just as much as regular upgrades.The new model will have an impact on Gemini users outside of the office, too. The same improvements to formatting, memory, and contextual understanding will likely be incorporated into the public-facing version of Gemini just to keep things neat. And it fits with Google's strategy to embed Gemini everywhere and encourage everyone to use it for any of their AI needs. Gemini Flash is the default option for those not paying a subscription fee for Gemini. Gemini Nano handles AI for Android devices, but Gemini Pro is intended to be the flagship model, the one that impresses everyone.Google will definitely try to live up to that vision with the new model, but the competition has hardly gone away. OpenAI, Anthropic, and even Apple are all racing to be on top of the AI model game. Gemini 2.5 Pro proves Google won't be falling behind any time soon, at least now that it's stopped regressing.You might also likeGoogle Gemini 2.5 Flash promises to be your favorite AI chatbot, but how does it compare to ChatGPT 4o?Google Gemini could soon get a super-useful 'Power up' button – here's what it doesGoogle Gemini 2.5 just got a new 'Deep Think' mode – and 6 other upgrades