news,technology

Shopify encourages workers to experiment with AIConstant learning and thriving on change are fundamental valuesHeadcount will remain “flat” but AI will be prioritized over new hires

The CEO of Shopify has spoken out about his affinity for artificial intelligence, and it’s clear that the tech is set to play a considerable role in the company’s future.Tobias Lutke’s thoughts on AI had initially been leaked via an internal memo, but owing to the leaks, Lutke decided to share the exact words in an X post.The memo details how the company should be focusing on improving the efficacy of artificial intelligence before managers ask to hire more human workers, with everyone at Shopify expected to be using AI.

Shopify appears to prioritize AI over human workers

Speaking about the technology, Lutke noted: “I use it all the time, but even I feel I’m only scratching the surface,” indicating how much more the company’s workers could be experimenting with AI to get work done.Noting his appreciation for Sophify’s existing workforce, who are said to contribute 10x more than what he’s previously thought was possible, Lutke added that AI can now boost contributions by 10x, calling for workers and AI to mix for 100x more contributions.He also referenced Shopify’s core values: to be a constant learner and to thrive on change. Using AI has now become a “fundamental expectation,” and AI questions are to be added to performance reviews for a better understanding of where workers reside with implementation.Maybe the most interesting point in Lutke’s email, though, was that “teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI” before asking for more headcount and resources. Lutke encourages employees to consider how autonomous AI agents could be integrated into their teams.In terms of the impacts on the workforce, CFO Jeff Hoffmeister shared an intention to “keep headcount relatively flat,” but that’s after a 20% headcount reduction (of 2,300 workers) in 2023 and a 10% (1,000) slash in 2022, alongside other smaller cullings.

You might also like

Need a change? We’ve listed the best job sites and best recruitment platformsBusinesses are getting more confident about AIBoost productivity with the best AI tools

Last year, Sony rebranded its portable speaker lineup under the ULT umbrella with new models classified as either Field or Tower. The former are the more "traditional" Bluetooth options while the latter are the party box, karaoke machine sort of devices. Just like 2024, the company has three new entries in the ULT lineup this time around with the ULT Field 3, ULT Field 5 and ULT Tower 9. Those first two fill the mid-range gap between the current ULT Field 7 and ULT Field 1 while the last item is a smaller alternative to the ULT Tower 10.

The ULT Field 3 will replace the SRS-XE300. As the name suggests, Sony's ULT button is among the updates, a control that adds instant access to ULT1 mode for bass boost. The company also expanded the customizable EQ and added its Sound Field Optimization. Inside, a single woofer and a tweeter are angled slightly in the center while two passive radiators are positioned at the ends of the speaker. The ULT Field 3 works in both vertical and horizontal orientations where the XE300 was only vertical.

There's a new Party Connect button to easily sync with other Sony speakers and you can charge your devices via the USB-C port. The company kept the 24-hour battery life the same as the XE300 but improved the quick-charge feature to give you two hours of use in 10 mins. The ULT Field 3 remains IP67 waterproof, dust proof and shock proof like its predecessor, however this new speaker is also rust proof. A removable shoulder strap is among the additions too, but there's one major item Sony retained. The ULT Field 3 is the same price at the XE300 at $200.

ULT Field 3

Sony

The ULT Field 5 isn't quite at large as the ULT Field 7, but it's still hefty. This speaker will replace the SRS-XG300 in Sony's arsenal, clocking in at $330 — $20 less than that predecessor. Here you'll get a single woofer and two tweeters angled in the middle of the unit with passive radiators at either end. You'll also be able to use a second ULT mode, ULT2, that "emphasizes powerful sound" in addition to the ULT1 bass boost. A 10-band EQ and Sound Field Optimization help maintain sound quality and that new Party Connect button is on this larger speaker too. Like the ULT Field 3, you can use the ULT Field 5 in either vertical or horizontal positions, and similarly there's a removable shoulder strap.

Battery life remains up to 25 hours on the ULT Field 5, just like the XG300. Once again, Sony improved quick charging to give you 30 more minutes of use in a 10-minute session. This speaker has lights at the ends though, which can impact longevity. Sony says you'll reach that 25-hour mark using ULT modes with the lights off, but using both will drop that figure to 10 hours. There are three different light modes though, so there are options available. On the back of the ULT Field 5, there's a panel with aux input, USB-C charging in/out, a battery care button and a switch for the lights. That's protected by a sealed flap, which helps the speaker achieve its IP67 rating.

That brings us to the ULT Tower 9. The party box joins the ULT Tower 10 on Sony's current roster, replacing the SRS-XV900. Expanded EQ, Sound Field Optimization and two ULT modes are among the additions here, as are a redesigned handle and wheels for better portability. Sony improved the lighting for 360-degree projection as well as making the top control panel splash proof. Besides the Party Connect button from the new ULT Field speakers, the ULT Tower 9 has a dedicated option for a stereo pair. The top panel also houses controls for lighting, volume, power and two inputs for microphones (one of which can be used for a guitar).

ULT Tower 9

Sony

Like the XV900, you can use Sony's TV Sound Booster feature to enhance living room audio on the ULT Tower 9. The speaker has that ULT button, which gives you two modes for either bass boost or "powerful sound." The driver arrangement inside includes four tweeters, two of which are pointing out the back of the speaker, along with two mid-range units and a single woofer. The wireless version of the ULT Tower 9 is the same price as its predecessor at $900, but Sony is also offering a wired option that must remain plugged into an outlet for $750. If you opt for wireless, battery life is the same on that Tower 9 as the ULT Field 5: up to 25 hours with only ULT mode and up to 10 hours with both ULT mode and lighting active.

Lastly, Sony revealed the ULT Mic, which is a $150 set of two wireless microphones and a transmitter that are designed to be used with the company's party speakers. This new accessory pack works with both the newer ULT Tower speakers in addition to the ULT Field 7. You can also use it with any older Sony speakers that support a microphone jack and receiver (like the XV900, XV800, XV500, XP700 and XP500). The mics are rechargeable with up to 20 hours of battery life and they feature a shock proof design. What's more, the company equipped these devices with noise reduction for hands, breath and wind, plus there's a Duet Assist tool to compensate for uneven vocal volumes.

The ULT Field 3, ULT Field 5, ULT Tower 9 and ULT Mic are all available now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sony-adds-three-more-speakers-to-its-ult-lineup-bass-boost-button-included-160008038.html?src=rss

The latest version of Asus GPU Tweak III comes with a nifty new featurePower Detector+ warns you if any of the pins on your graphics card’s power connector have too many amps flowing through themThat could lead to a scenario where the power cable melts, as we’ve seen in reports, so the warning should help you avoid a potential bad outcome

Asus has released a new version of its GPU software suite that adds what could be a very useful – or indeed critical – warning for when temperatures run high with the graphics card, and a power connector melting disaster might occur.The latest version of the GPU Tweak III software comes with the Power Detector+ warning function, which Asus notes is exclusive to ROG Astral and Matrix graphics cards.The ROG Astral models are the RTX 5090 and 5080, and the ROG Matrix is the RTX 4090 last-gen flagship.As VideoCardz reports, the idea is that the software monitors the power cable, specifically the amps value for the pins (inside the connector) plugged into the port on your graphics card. Should there be a problem with one (or more) of the pins not being seated properly – and the value either being zero or rising above 9 amps – the utility will flag up a warning.The cable not being seated properly in this way is a possible scenario in which the power connector could end up seriously overheating to the point where it melts, as we’ve seen reported in the past with some Nvidia GPUs.This means that when you get this warning, you can shut down your PC swiftly, and then check the power cable, perhaps disconnecting and then plugging it back in more firmly. Hopefully, that’ll resolve any issue and avoid a cable melt incident that could damage the GPU.

(Image credit: DisobeyArt / Shutterstock)

Analysis: More of this kind of monitoring, please – although it’s in the pipeline elsewhere

Interestingly, the GPU Tweak software is a utility that can be used with all GPUs, AMD or Nvidia, and not just models from Asus either. However, there’s only support for this power-related warning provided for the Asus ROG RTX 5090 and 4090 flagships, and the RTX 5080 Astral, as noted – at least for now.Perhaps the graphics card maker will expand this support in time, as it’s undoubtedly a useful warning system to have – and cable melting reports are not exclusive to these models.(As well as reports of this issue with the RTX 5090, I should note that there have also been similar claims made with RTX 5080 models, too – but there could be all sorts of factors at play here, as we’ve discussed in the past. Clearly, though, the flagship GPUs will always be in the most perilous situations, power connector-wise, given the vast amount of wattage they command – particularly if you’re going to overclock these beasts of desktop graphics cards).Hopefully, other vendors will climb aboard this power warning bandwagon, although some gamers have already been using the HWiNFO tool to monitor the amps of their power cable’s pins. Note that this functionality for HWiNFO is only in beta testing right now (and also requires a second utility, RivaTuner, to work).The long and short of it is that fully fledged and tested support will hopefully be in HWiNFO before too long, with any luck. The more widespread this kind of monitoring can be made, the better.

You might also like...

Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti price rumor is what all gamers want to hear – these models may be cheaper than RTX 4060 Ti equivalents, especially the 16GB GPUIf the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT comes with a sub-$400 price tag, it might be the best-value graphics card PC gamers have ever seenNvidia releases stats that prove DLSS and Frame Generation are here to stay - sorry, angry gamers

Some Roku owners have seen the YouTube TV app disappear from devicesResetting the device doesn't work, but some have found alternative fixesGoogle and Roku have yet to respond to the reports

YouTube TV has rapidly become one of the best streaming services for live TV, particularly if you're looking to replace cable with a service that's available on a multitude of streaming devices. Over the past day, however, Roku users have noticed that the YouTube TV app has strangely disappeared from their devices.Not only has the YouTube TV app gone missing, but some users have spotted that it’s not available to reinstall either. This had led owners of Roku streaming devices to head to Reddit to share their experiences with the issue, with some swarming Roku forums and also Google’s support page.One of the first outlets to bring the issue to light was 9to5Google, which stated that the cause of the issue is still unconfirmed. We've reached out to Google to find out if there's any update and will update this story if we hear back.

YouTube TV not loading on Hisense/Roku 55R7G5 from r/youtubetv

The most frustrating part of YouTube TV’s app disappearance is that it’s taken a lot of trial and error for users to fix – and as it stands, neither Roku nor Google has come forward to address the problem.Searching for the app in the installed list on your Roku device doesn’t seem to help, and neither does resetting the device. But luckily, there seems to be alternative ways that users have found.

How to recover the YouTube TV app on Roku

(Image credit: Roku)

According to a Roku community moderator, this issue can be resolved by checking for any Roku OS updates that may need installing. Updating the latest OS version has helped many users restore the YouTube TV app.For those who have already downloaded the most recent version of Roku OS whose YouTube TV app is still missing, Android Police says that you can still use the standard YouTube app to access YouTube TV’s channels. When you open the left-hand menu, scroll down to the bottom and you’ll find an option for YouTube TV.Over the past few months, YouTube has been teasing updates including two new features that allow users and creators to comment and interact with videos, and also a big Netflix update.It’s unclear whether this recent issue is related to YouTube TV’s possible upgrades, but we’ve asked Google for any insights and will update this story if we get a response.

You might also like

I was watching YouTube on my TV before it became more popular than phones – here are 3 reasons why it’s better on the big screenYouTube is testing a fix for the most annoying thing about subscriber notifications – and I'm fully on boardYouTube Premium could be getting a new time-saving perk, showing you recommended videos directly in your playback queue

Doctor Who season 2's primary dynamic will differ wildly from last season's partnershipThe Doctor's friendship with new companion Bel won't be the same as the one he enjoyed with RubyNcuti Gatwa and Verada Sethu has explained why things won't always be rosy between their characters

Doctor Who's primary cast have revealed how the titular character's latest companion Bel differs from her predecessor Ruby Sunday.Speaking to TechRadar, Ncuti Gatwa and Verada Sethu, who play The Doctor and Bel, explained that the pair's dynamic gets off to something of a fraught start in the Disney+ show's second season.Compared to the immediately harmonious relationship that Gatwa's 15th Doctor enjoyed with Ruby – who will return in some capacity this season – it's a frosty start to what'll be a spicy, marriage of convenience-style friendship.Indeed, while the duo learn to become a "really strong team" as the series' latest installment progresses, Bel's deep-rooted self of sense also means the titular Time Lord will have his hands full with her in Doctor Who season 2. You know, when he's not dealing with all manner of planetary and wider universal threats.

The 15th Doctor's friendship with Ruby got off to a better start than it will with Bel (Image credit: BBC/Disney Branded Television)

"Bel has such a strong sense of self and her own values," Sethu told me. "I love that she already owns herself and has so much going on in her own life that she feels responsible for. As a nurse, she's a caring, selfless person, so she wants to go back to being the person she was before she meets The Doctor. She's got no interest in floating around space and time with this guy!""[In the 2023 Christmas special], Ruby didn't think twice about jumping onto the goblin ship ladder," Gatwa interjected. "She very willingly wanted to go on this adventure and be part of The Doctor's world."Bel was plucked out of her own world and placed into his, so there's no interest on her part to follow in Ruby's footsteps," he continued. "So, what has to form is a real partnership built on an inherent equality and maturity between The Doctor and Bel. She understands the weight of responsibility, loss, and the hardships of life in general. But, by the end of this season's first episode, she's also well aware that The Doctor is a very dangerous man."

She holds him accountable for a lot of thingsVarada Sethu, Doctor Who actor

"She holds him accountable for a lot of things," Sethu added. "He's not surrounded by yes people like he might have been before. Now, he's traveling with someone who'll say 'no, that is absolutely not okay'."But, they're able to grow together because they're able to fill in the gaps where the other falls short. They become a really strong team that has a great sense of trust and platonic love, which develops throughout the season."Want to know what I thought of episode 1 of one of the best Disney+ shows' second season? My review of Doctor Who's season 2 premiere will tell you more. Be sure to check back with me later this week for more from my exclusive chat with Gatwa and Sethu, too.

You might also like

3 big talking points after Daredevil Born Again episode 8: why did Daredevil save [spoiler], who really killed Foggy in the Marvel TV show, and moreNew Marvel trailer for Thunderbolts* shines a spotlight on its main villain, and he looks and sounds even worse than ThanosPeacemaker season 2 release date finally confirmed as new footage of popular HBO TV show revealed in Max sizzle reel trailer

Instagram is testing a feature that locks Reels behind a secret code and a provided hint, according to a report by TechCrunch. This looks like a novel way for creators to interact with fans, as they can share exclusive reels with people who are more likely to know the answer to these clues.

As an example, a creator could lock a Reel with a hint like “my favorite food” and rabid fans would, of course, know the answer. The Meta-owned social network has been testing the feature on its Design account. It shared a locked Reel that prompts viewers to enter a secret code based on a hint that read “1st # in the caption.”

Meta / Screenshot from Engadget

The first hashtag mentioned in the caption was “Threads.” Upon entering the correct code, viewers access a Reel that announces that the Design account is launching a profile on Threads.

This could be used by brands to advertise new products or by creators trying to amp up engagement. Personally, I could see it as a place to hide in-jokes with friends, but maybe that’s just me.

Engadget has reached out to Instagram for more information regarding this feature. We’ll update this post if we find out anything regarding availability. This could be just a test, with no actual plans for a general rollout.

This is also quite similar to another Instagram tool called Reveal. This feature lets creators post a hidden Story for followers to uncover by sending a DM.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-testing-reels-that-are-locked-behind-a-secret-code-162142807.html?src=rss

Samsung reveals pricing for its 2025 OLED TV lineup Prices are cheaper than LG's 2025 OLEDsIt also reveals prices for its Frame Pro TV and Samsung HW-QS700F soundbar

Samsung has revealed the US pricing for its 2025 OLED TV range and, surprisingly, they're cheaper than LG's OLEDs.Samsung's OLED TV range consists of the flagship Samsung S95F (successor to one of 2024's best TVs, the Samsung S95D), the mid-range Samsung S90F and the entry-level Samsung S85F. Pricing for the range is as follows:

Samsung S95F

Samsung S95F 55-inch: $2,299Samsung S95F 65-inch: $3,299Samsung S95F 77-inch: $4,499

Samsung S90F

Samsung S90F 42-inch: $1,299Samsung S90F 48-inch: $1,499Samsung S90F 55-inch: $1,799Samsung S90F 65-inch: $2,499Samsung S90F 77-inch: $3,499Samsung S90F 83-inch: $5,399

Samsung S85F

Samsung S85F 55-inch: $1,499Samsung S95F 65-inch: $1,999Samsung S85F 77-inch: $2,999Samsung S85F 83-inch: $4,499

Comparing the prices to the pricing for LG's 2025 OLED TV range shows that the Samsung S95F is cheaper than the rival LG G5 by roughly $1-200 across 55 and 65-inch models, and the Samsung S90F is $1-200 cheaper than the LG C5 across all models from 42-77 inches (83-inch is the same for both). LG has yet to reveal pricing for the LG B5, but it'll be interesting to see if it's the same as the Samsung S85F or if Samsung's set is also cheaper.Pricing for the largest Samsung S95F, the 83-inch model, which is believed to use LG's Primary Tandem RGB OLED 'four-stack' panel', wasn't included in the initial announcement, but if it's mirroring the LG G5, it will cost roughly $6,499.All models are now available to order through Samsung's website:

Get the 65-inch Samsung S95FGet the 65-inch Samsung S90FGet the 55-icnh Samsung S85F

Samsung didn't just reveal pricing for its OLEDs but also for its 2025 The Frame Pro and The Frame TVs. Those prices are as follows:

The Samsung Frame Pro (Image credit: Future)

Samsung The Frame Pro

Samsung The Frame Pro 65-inch: $2,199Samsung The Frame Pro 77-inch: $3,199Samsung The Frame Pro 83-inch: $4,299

Samsung The Frame

Samsung The Frame 43-inch: $899Samsung The Frame 50-inch: $1,099Samsung The Frame 55-inch: $1,299Samsung The Frame 65-inch: $1,799

Samsung's The Frame Pro marks the first time that the lifestyle TV series has incorporated a mini-LED backlight. It also uses Samsung's new 'Zero One Connect Wireless Box', an external box that connects devices and wirelessly transmits signals to The Frame Pro TVs.Samsung also revealed pricing for its latest soundbar, the QS700F, which is a 3.1.2 channel Dolby Atmos model that can be positioned for either wall or stand-mount placement. The QS700F will cost $699.99 at launch.One thing worth noting is that these prices are likely to have been decided before the new US tariffs were announced. Although, as reported by Reuters, Samsung says it won't be affected by tariffs as its US TVs are made in Mexico, the tariffs are a developing situation that could have an affect on the final prices.

Good pricing news, but a shadow still looms

Just what OLED panel type will the Samsung S90F (pictured) use? (Image credit: Future)

There's no denying that LG has set the OLED TV bar high for 2025. In our LG C5 review, we gave it five-out-of-five stars thanks to its all-around versatility and performance. Also, from what we've seen of the LG G5, its fullscreen brightness boost over its predecessor could be a gamechanger.So naturally, Samsung needed to answer in some way. By undercutting LG's prices, it has directly laid a challenge and given viewers another OLED TV choice. Even more surprising is that Samsung's 2025 OLEDs are cheaper than their 2024 predecessors!We haven't fully tested Samsung's OLED TVs just yet, but from what we've seen, it's set to be an impressive lineup. The Samsung S95F's new OLED Glare Free 2.0 tech solves the black crush issues that the Samsung S95D suffered from and its 83-inch model combines this with mind-blowing brightness thanks LG's four-stack panel. The Samsung S95F already has the potential to be one of the best OLED TVs of 2025.

The Samsung S95F is shaping up to be one of 2025's most impressive TVs from our brief hands-on testing. (Image credit: Future)

There is an elephant in the room, however: the display panels used in the Samsung S90F series OLED TVs. Last year, the Samsung S90D was subject to a panel lottery where it wasn't clear if users were getting a QD-OLED or W-OLED panel (in 55, 65 and 77-inch sizes, at least). The same appears to have happened again for 2025, with rumours circulating that only the 65-inch S90F will use a QD-OLED panel.Given this, the pricing story looks a little different, as the S90F doesn't have quite the same value, despite being cheaper. It's worth noting that the rival C5 does have an OLED EX panel so if the S90F features the same, it does take the sting out of a bit. Still, it's frustrating that Samsung won't confirm which panels are used for the S90F series.It's interesting to see Samsung directly undercutting its main rival on prices. If anything, this could encourage LG to drop its prices in an attempt to win over customers. Either way, it's great news for TV buyers.

You might also like

Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad newsSamsung explains which of its TVs can support Netflix HDR10+, and why there's a limitationI tested Samsung's new top mini-LED 4K TV, and the Glare-Free screen tech makes a big difference

Fret not, Fireflies, The Last of Us will continue on HBO beyond its second season. Just before the hit adaptation of Naughty Dog's games returns to the network and Max for its next batch of episodes, HBO has officially greenlit a third season of the show.

It would have been a major shock if TLOU wasn't going to return beyond this latest seven-episode stint. Season two doesn't cover all of the shocking events of The Last of Us Part 2. The show's creators and showrunners, Neil Druckmann of Naughty Dog and Craig Mazin, have long been adamant that it would take at least two seasons to adapt that overly long misery simulator (still a very good game, though). Plus, the first season was a huge success, as tens of millions of people watched Joel and Ellie fend off infected and other enemies as they trekked across the remnants of America.

"We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of," Mazin said in a statement. "The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season three!"

HBO hasn't given a timeline for when we can expect the third season, but there should hopefully be a smaller gap between seasons this time around. Season two was delayed by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. Plus, it's hard to imagine that viewers will be willing to wait so long to find out what happens after [redacted].

Speaking of which, season two of TLOU premieres on HBO and Max this Sunday, April 13. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham reviewed the season, and found it did an admirable job of adapting (at least some of) the non-linear source material while resolving certain issues from the first season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-will-return-for-a-third-season-163801196.html?src=rss

Anthropic is joining the ranks of OpenAI in offering a more expensive tier of its flagship chatbot. On Wednesday, the company announced Claude Max. Starting today, you can either pay $100 or $200 per month to use Claude up to 5x or 20x more than you can with Anthropic's existing Pro plan. The company told Engadget it's introducing the Max tier in response to the popularity of Claude 3.7 Sonnet. The new hybrid reasoning model, which excels at coding tasks, has been so popular with users, many are asking to use it as much as they want.

With tokens for Claude 3.7 Sonnet costing significantly more than what Google and others charge for access to their lightweight models, Anthropic isn't quite ready to offer unlimited usage of the new model. However, you'll find even OpenAI's $200 per month Pro plan has its own set of restrictions, with monthly limits imposed on "very compute intensive" features like Deep Research.

Part of the reason Anthropic is offering two different price points at the Max tier is so that it can give flexibility to customers as their needs change. Additionally, those same users will gain priority access to new models and capabilities as Anthropic releases them.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-max-plan-offers-nearly-unlimited-claude-usage-for-200-per-month-170032710.html?src=rss

Heart Machine knows how to make a stylish game, so it’s no surprise that the studio’s latest project, Possessor(s), is sexy as hell. I mean, just look at Rhem, the cosmic demon with a chiseled jawline, aquamarine horns and a fine-cut suit unbuttoned down to his navel, who alternately encourages and negs you throughout the game. Stupid sexy Rhem.

“It's just fun to have hot characters at the end of the day,” Heart Machine founder Alx Preston said at GDC 2025. Preston and three other Heart Machine developers — producer Myriame Lachapelle, narrative director Tyler Hutchison and writer Laura Michet — played through Possessor(s) while we chatted about the game and the studio.

Hutchison continued the hot-characters conversation by praising Heart Machine concept artist Sophie Medvedeva and adding, “Since we were kind of building out this visual novel, I was trying to leverage the expertise I brought from Dream Daddy to be like, well, let's make sure these characters are very hot.”

Sometimes, it’s as simple as that.

Possessor(s) is a sidescrolling sci-fi action game set in the ruins of Sanzu, a corporate megalopolis that's been ripped apart by interdimensional horrors. Sanzu was once a company town controlled by the tech firm Agradyne, but three years ago, a flood of demons escaped the city’s underground laboratories, possessing its citizens and transforming most of them into vicious, mutated creatures. The game spans desolate skyscrapers and abandoned aquariums, and it looks like a daydream of a 1990s anime, splattered in neon and shimmering with a sickly green VHS aura.

It stars Luca, a possessed-but-lucid 16-year-old who’s searching the urban wasteland for any signs of her mother and best friend. The “hot” descriptor in this game is reserved for the demons, but Luca is stylish, with an iridescent coat, slender metal legs and two horns of her own. Luca is bursting with teenage angst and she has an uneasy relationship with Rhem, the demon who’s invaded her consciousness. He’s the only thing keeping her alive, and he needs her in order to finally return home.

“Luca is missing her mom and her best friend, who both got lost when the demons escaped to destroy the city,” Michet said. “So she's resentful Rhem won't let her take some time off to find all the people important to her.”

Heart Machine

Together, Luca and Rhem explore Sanzu, investigate the true nature of Agradyne and search for Luca’s loved ones. Levels are littered with evil creatures to battle and puzzles to solve, and throughout the game, Luca masters an arsenal of improvised weapons like kitchen knives, a guitar, a hockey stick and a corded computer mouse. Her whip, a power provided by Rhem, allows her to swing across gaps, rapidly reposition and pull in heavy objects and enemies.

Combat in the demo seemed to flow smoothly; it was heavy on visual flourishes, leaping airborne attacks and satisfying slashing moves, with Luca bounding seamlessly across floors, walls and platforms. A few frames of line-drawn placeholder art flashed across the screen at one point, but these were the only indication that Possessor(s) isn’t actually complete yet. It’s due to hit PC and PS5 this year.

“The original premise was something more like Smash Bros., where you can do directional inputs and kind of build out your loadout to feel more like a different character,” Preston said. “Where we've ended up is still a bit Smash Bros.-y, in that there's juggling and bouncing enemies on surfaces and things like that. But we've found the spirit of Luca and her character, and what she wants to do.”

Heart Machine

Possessor(s) is eye-catching and combat-focused, and it also has a narrative that’s supremely relevant for our times. Boiled down, the premise is that capitalistic megacorporations with an iron grip on society are bad, and young people fighting the system are rad. Interdimensional beings with chiseled pecs and a devastating smoking habit are the hot twist that makes the story uniquely Heart Machine’s.

“I mean, it sucks to live in a hierarchical corporate society where your value is determined by your value to the business,” Michet said. “And Luca will discover this from her teenager perspective.”

The story in Possessor(s) is branching, with multiple paths to follow and a quarantined city of characters to meet. This is a new mechanic for Heart Machine — in fact, the entire game is composed of firsts for the studio, and Possessor(s) is purposefully different from its previous games, Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash and Hyper Light Breaker. Hyper Light Drifter's moody, 16-bit-inspired isometric action put Heart Machine on the map even before its release in 2016. Solar Ash followed in 2022 and it was a third-person, 3D platformer. Hyper Light Breaker hit the market this January as a third-person, online roguelite with stylized 3D graphics. Meanwhile, Possessor(s) is a hand-drawn, 2.D side-scroller with touches of horror and visual-novel mechanics.

Heart Machine

This progression aligns with a mentality of curiosity that Preston outlined to Engadget in 2021. At the time, Heart Machine had fewer than 30 developers and they were still building Solar Ash, unsure of how the switch to 3D would be received. Back then, Preston said the following:

“Hyper Light was a way for me to get started, it was a way for me to be more grounded and put together a crew and understand, can I do this? Can I actually make games? And so having answered that question, then the natural next step for me was something in 3D. Can I put something out there that really opens up the world and makes you feel like you can truly escape into something, a creation that is otherworldly, that you otherwise wouldn't have the experience of?”

Since 2021, Heart Machine has endured layoffs and launched a Patreon, and today it has 58 people on staff. Preston remains at the studio's core, still testing new concepts.

At GDC 2025, he said, “We've done overhead stuff with Drifter back in the day, and then fully 3D was a big jump. I wanted to do something sidescrolling, because there's a lot of different, unique challenges there that are fun to tackle. That perspective for how we do art, and mixing our 3D stuff with a 2D plane, there's a lot of cool opportunities there. Something like Inside was a good point of inspiration, seeing what a smaller team can do with atmospheric chops. And we're pretty good on those fronts.”

Possessor(s) is due to hit PC and PS5 in 2025, published by Devolver Digital.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/possessors-is-a-game-about-hot-demons-and-other-things-170016014.html?src=rss

We're in the middle of a fast-developing global trade war sparked by punitive tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, and the casualties appear to be some of our favorite tech gadgets, including the beloved iPhone.Prices for the iPhone 16 are unlikely to rise in the short term, though. Instead, the biggest threat to Apple holding the line on current and future iPhone prices might be the calamitous idea of Apple attempting to build its handsets in the US.First, let's look at the question of the short-term impact of tariffs on iPhone prices. Right now, Apple builds roughly 85% of its iPhones in China, a country on which Trump has now imposed a 104% tariff. China reciprocated with 84% tariffs on imported US goods.I've seen some analysts predicting that tariffs could cause iPhone prices to double, putting the latest best iPhones at over $2,000. However, I don't see that happening.

Hold the line

In the short term, at least, Apple won't mess with iPhone 16 prices; Apple is too invested in moving built units into consumers' hands. It's true that Apple works on a Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory model (build only what's needed/sold), so that it does not have millions of iPhones lying around in Apple Stores and supply centers, but it does have some stocks.And for all we know, Apple may have ramped up production and delivery to the US in anticipation of these tariffs (Nintendo may have done just that with its new Switch 2).

There are so many pitfalls to bringing all manufacturing of iPhones to the US, including higher costs, more expensive labor, and the role of full automation, which is counter to the idea of adding more jobs.Tim Bajarin

I think it's fair to worry that iPhone 17 prices could be higher as a result of the tariffs, but again, I think Apple will do what it can to hold the line, and part of that has to do with its services (Apple News, Apple TV+. iCloud, Fitness+, Apple Music, etc).If you look at Apple earnings, its fastest-growing segment, and, aside from iPhones, its most reliable source of revenue, is services. You sell services by selling hardware, and Apple won't sell more hardware if it significantly raises iPhone prices in response to these tariffs.There is, as I see it, though, a far greater threat to iPhone pricing, and it is related to tariffs. Trump enacted these tariffs in part to push American companies to bring manufacturing back to the US. He even believes that the US has the labor, workforce, and resources to build the iPhone in the US.He's wrong.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Let's imagine, though, that he convinces or coerces Apple into a full-scale upheaval and transfer of iPhone production from China, India, and other countries to the US. How would that work? And what might that mean for the price of your next iPhone?First, you need to understand that, even if the iPhone were assembled in the US, virtually all its parts would be manufactured elsewhere. A couple of years ago, ArcGIS StoryMaps produced a fascinating infographic that showed the manufacturing origins of each iPhone component. Here are some examples:

Battery: South Korea (Samsung)Camera: Japan (Sony)Glass: Australia (Corning)Touchscreen: Greece (Boradcom)Audio chip: Singapore (Cirrus Logic)Gyroscope: Switzerland (STMicroelectronics)

Virtually every nation has now had a baseline 10% US tariff imposed upon it – and some countries, like Japan, face much higher ones. Components shipped directly to a US-based Apple iPhone plant could cost more than the same components sent to China based on these tariffs, unless they're exempted from tariffs in return for Apple bringing its manufacturing operations to the US. They certainly won't be less expensive.I spoke to longtime Apple Watcher and analyst Creative Strategies Chairman Tim Bajarin about this over email, and he told me, "The idea of making iPhones in the US is a stretch. Apple’s components alone come from all over the world and then need to be assembled in the most cost-effective way. This is why the US lost manufacturing in the 1960s to countries like Japan and eventually China."Most electronics are like this, built piecemeal around the world and assembled centrally in the most cost-efficient place.Bajarin adds, "There are so many pitfalls to bringing all manufacturing of iPhones to the US, including higher costs, more expensive labor, and the role of full automation, which is counter to the idea of adding more jobs."The majority of iPhones are still assembled by Foxconn in Shenzen, China, where employees make a little less than (in US dollars) $3 an hour. US workers would expect to make at least the minimum wage ($7.25 federally); and if factory workers are unionized, they would likely earn more and expect benefits.It's hard to imagine how building an iPhone in the US, with US employees making fair wages, would not be more expensive than building it in India or China.

Apple's plan

Apple has not spoken directly about the tariffs or how it will respond to them (I've asked Apple for comment), but it has committed to investing $500 billion in constructing facilities and hiring employees in the US. Notably, none of that work is for factories that can build iPhones. Instead, the facilities will build servers that support Apple's big Apple Intelligence push and other AI cloud computing efforts.Ultimately, the shorter-term existential threat to the costs of our iPhones is not these tariffs: it's the idea that anyone should build them in the US. It's a bad plan built upon false premises. I think Apple knows this, which is why it's not happening and, for now at least, why your iPhone prices might hold steady.

Will you pay more for your next iPhone?April 9, 2025

If the tariffs lock in and last through this year, that might change. Apple could do its best to hold the line, and even take a loss on the iPhone 17 in order to continue growing its user base and services audience. That's not a sustainable long-term plan, though, and at some point, I suspect even Apple will say, "We have to pass some of this pain along."As for consumers, they, at least anecdotally, seem somewhat willing to pay a little more for iPhones. In a poll on X, I asked if people would pay more for their next iPhone. A little more than half predictably answered 'No', but almost 35% checked 'It depends how much.' iPhone fans will endure some pocketbook pain to get their favorite phone, as long as it's not too much.

You might also like

The iPhone 17 Pro may not have the drastic redesign ...iPhone panic-buying hits Apple Stores, but tariff impacts ...5 things I want from the iPhone 17 – or I'm out and back to ...

What kind of person would you be in the face of a disaster that’s beyond explanation? Would you help distressed neighbors and open your home even to sketchy-looking strangers in the hope that there’s strength in numbers, or go it alone regardless of how heavily the odds are stacked against you? Would you still brush your teeth every day?

The horror in Francis Coulombe’s RPG Look Outside is all encompassing. There is the cosmic element: something incomprehensible is happening beyond the walls of your apartment building and it’s in your best interest to not even look outside, let alone go there. And as you quickly learn, anyone who has looked or been outside is transformed in unimaginable ways, making for some extreme (and extraordinarily creative) body horror. But in much of the game leading up to its multiple climactic endings, the unease also stems from how it makes you look inside — at the choices you’ve made and the person you’ve become in order to survive.

Despite trying to take an empathetic approach, I still found myself in situations that left my character (and me) wracked with guilt. There is a gnawing sense of doubt that grows over the course of the game, repeatedly making me question whether I’d, say, made a bad call and been too quick to kill that neighbor whose entire head is teeth, or if my hand was really forced into making a very upsetting sacrifice.

After a while, the most unnerving thing is looking in the mirror. And you have to do that a lot in this game, because hygiene affects your stats.

Francis Coulombe/Devolver Digital

It all begins with your character, Sam (you can change the name, if you want), waking up after a strange dream with a strong urge to look outside. You are immediately given the choice between satisfying your curiosity and listening to your gut, and you’ll find yourself grappling with that dilemma time and time again.

At this point, you also meet Sybil, the mysterious next-door neighbor who only speaks to you through the wall, with one glaring eyeball peering out of a large crack. Sybil, whom it’s unclear if you should trust, tells you that everything will blow over in 15 days if you just wait it out. You need to scavenge for resources if you’re going to make it that long, though, and once you leave your apartment and get a chance to talk to some other neighbors, you may decide you want to take a more active role in getting to the bottom of the catastrophe.

Some neighbors, particularly a few robed amateur astronomers who appear to be in a cult, seem to know quite a bit about what’s going on, and it’s insinuated that doing tasks for them will help you figure out the how and why of the phenomena around you. Others are more focused on addressing their immediate needs and will try to rope you into their causes: locating missing people, picking up laundry, cleaning the messes left behind by eldritch horrors, etc. There’s a full on war happening somewhere in the building, which you can choose to play a part in if you’re so inclined. Your landlord will unsurprisingly still demand you pay him rent despite the circumstances.

If you choose to play in Normal mode, like I did, Sybil is your only save point, so you’ll have to return home regularly. Easy mode autosaves.

All interactions are turn-based, and as you explore the apartment building, you’ll run into tons of enemies and potential allies — but the line between the two isn’t always easy to distinguish. Sometimes you can only attack or try to escape, which answers the question for you, but other times, you have the opportunity to talk and ask questions. The turn-based nature allows you to take a moment and evaluate each new encounter, but there’s always an air of ambiguity about everyone’s trustworthiness. Even when you’re back at your apartment, where you can shower, rest, do some cooking and crafting, and play video games, people will come along and knock on your door, and you’ll have to make up your mind about whether you should let them in.

The thing is, surviving can be pretty difficult once you really get going if you’re on your own. Enemies will outnumber and overpower you. That’s where it becomes helpful to have a few allies. With as many as three other people in your party, the scale tips heavily in your favor. I took the trusting approach, for better or worse. This resulted in me having a pretty solid group of fighters on my side, but a pair of those same allies kicked me out of my own bedroom and complained about my cooking.

The creature designs come disgustingly, beautifully alive in the pixel art style. Body horror can be really hard to stomach, and something is often lost for me in the process of consuming it when it’s intended to seem realistic — either because I’m hiding behind my hands and only taking tiny peeks through my fingers, or because it ends up achieving the opposite effect and just looks ridiculous without meaning to. But Coulombe’s art equally embraces the horrifying and the absurd, and the effect of that balance is powerful.

Nothing was ever so disturbing that I couldn’t look straight at it, but there were certainly moments that gave me a genuine scare or made my skin crawl. Even the characters that aren’t being transformed, like the protagonist, look a little grotesque, which adds to how unsettling everything feels. But just when the dread would reach a fever pitch, something overtly silly would be thrown in almost as if to splash some cold water on the whole thing and say, yes this is the apocalypse but we’re still human, we still have a sense of humor.

Francis Coulombe/Devolver Digital

So much of the joy of playing this game is discovering all the tricks it has up its sleeve, so I won’t get into any descriptions of bosses, puzzles or the building itself, other than to say that the latter has a whole House of Leaves thing going on that is unbelievably frustrating at times, but in a way that only adds to the brilliance of it all. There is no map to guide you, either. The soundtrack, composed by Eric Shumaker, keeps in perfect step with every emotion the environment evokes, and I could probably write an entire separate review about how good it is.

All of this builds up to an absolute cosmic gut-punch of an ending (or endings, there are several) that completely changed the way I felt about the game up until that point. In the end, it becomes something much, much bigger than it once seemed, and the feelings were almost overwhelming. I can’t stop thinking about it.

By now I’ve played Look Outside many hours beyond what a typical run would be, just picking apart every detail and turning over every stone to try and figure out all the secrets, reach all the conclusions. I have died in all sorts of strange ways, and lived to see wildly different fates pan out.

I went into this only with the expectation of cool art and a relatively unique approach to survival horror, and came away shook from what turned out to be one of the best cosmic horror games I’ve played in a while, maybe ever. Look Outside, published by Devolver Digital, is only available on Steam for now, but I sure hope it makes its way to other platforms soon so more people can experience it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/look-outside-is-an-unexpected-cosmic-horror-masterpiece-that-shook-me-to-the-core-171542211.html?src=rss

Bigme B7 costs $229 and has full Android access and a nifty call recording-to-text feature Despite its low cost, it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage but there's no dock for the stylus With its 3000mAh battery, it should last far longer than rivals but the jury is out there as there's no reviews

I really like the look of the Bigme B7, a 7-inch color ePaper device which runs Android and combines features commonly found in both tablets and smartphones.Its E-Ink display offers a resolution of 1264x1680, 300PPI, for black and white content and 632x840, 150PPI, for color.The screen uses Kaleido 3, the same technology Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft is based on.

Pen with wireless charging

The B7 is powered by an octa-core 2.3GHz processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable via TF card up to 1TB.It supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and 4G connectivity via a Nano SIM slot, offering options for both data usage and voice calls when away from a wireless network. There's also a nifty call recording to text feature that supports 37 languages.The B7 includes a 5-megapixel rear camera and a built-in microphone, supporting video calls and basic photo needs, including the scanning of documents.The B7 has a built-in gravity sensor for automatic screen rotation, and navigation is aided by two customizable physical buttons.The device comes with a capacitive stylus with 4096 pressure levels so you can make notes and drawings, as well as annotate or sign documents. The pen supports wireless charging, but there's no dock for it, which is a shame.Weighing around 215g and measuring 156.6x138.6x5.8mm, the Bigme B7 is compact and portable. Its 3000mAh battery should allow the device to go a decent length of time between charges, and the product comes with a magnetic cover that can transform into a multi-angle stand, for hands-free reading.The B7 is currently being offered at an early bird price of $229, a 23% saving off its standard $299 MSRP, and there are other discounts to be found on the site. There are no reviews available for the tablet yet, so while the Bigme B7 looks to offer a solid feature set for an affordable price, how well it performs in the real world remains to be seen.

You might also like

These are the best business laptops you can buy right now This color E Ink display uses truly contactless wireless powerThe world’s largest ePaper color display is gorgeous and a boon for businesses

Signify has released a firmware update for the Philips Hue Play Sync Box 8KThe update will particularly benefit PS5 and PS5 Pro ownersIt also adds "seamless" compatibility for 3D content

If you have a Philips Hue Play setup at home, there's good news – a new software update is rolling out now for your Sync Box, and it's packed with features and fixes to improve your multimedia experience.As Hueblog.com explains, firmware version 2.5.0 makes several changes that should be music to gamers' ears. For example, the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K now works with Display Stream Compression (DSC), allowing 8K resolutions at 60Hz for the PS5 Pro.In its release notes, Signify (the company behind Philips Hue) also promises optimized input source switching, which should reduce latency if you're using a PS5 connected to an LG TV.3D content can now also be routed through the Sync Box 8K, with Signify promising "seamless compatibility" in case you're still holding onto your 2011 collection of 3D Blu-rays.

Bug patching

Signify has also fixed a bug that caused "issues with CEC power on/off functionality and auto off after 20 minutes" when the Sync Box's HDMI cable was connected to the second output of an AV receiver.Automatic light syncing now works properly when the box is used in this configuration, too.There is also new firmware for the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K. This makes "general bug fixes and improvements," though Signify hasn't provided more specific details. Both updates are rolling out now, and you should receive the new firmware in the next few days (if you haven't already).

You might also like

Got Philips Hue lights? This free update gives you 8 new scenes for an instant makeoverSetting up your Philips Hue lights is now quicker and easier than ever thanks to the latest app updateWant to expand your Philips Hue setup? These 3 new lights will let you take it outdoors

Canon has reportedly canceled some planned price drops for two camerasTariffs are being blamed for the canned EOS R7 and EOS R10 drops in the USBlackmagic also recently confirmed price rises for its cameras in the US

If you're a tech fan, it's hard to escape worries about US tariffs right now – and cameras may have just experienced their real-world impact for the first time with the reported cancellation of some planned Canon price drops.The reliable Canon Rumors says it's been told that "price drops that were scheduled for May on both the EOS R7 and EOS R10 have been canceled in the United States". Annoyingly for anyone who's been planning to buy an affordable mirrorless camera, it was also told that "the price drops were going to be significant."On the plus side, if you live in the UK or EU, Canon Rumors says its source has claimed that the Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10 price drops "are still scheduled to happen."That could change, but it's another sign of the significant geographical variances we might see this year regarding discounts and pricing.Of course, nothing is certain right now, and if the USA and Japan did come to an arrangement that reduced the impact of the tariffs, the situation could change. However, as things stand, the Canon EOS R10 (which we still rate as the best camera for beginners) and its mid-range EOS R7 sibling won't be as temptingly affordable as they might have otherwise been this year.Unfortunately, this will likely be just the start of another rollercoaster year for camera fans...

Analysis: It might get a lot worse

USA Price Updates! Due to new tariffs, most of our US prices have increased. Please check our US web site for details. Prices in other countries are currently unchanged. https://t.co/w40IiwMA02April 6, 2025

Clearly, missing out on potentially big camera price drops isn't great, particularly if you've been thinking of getting a new EOS R7 or EOS R10. But if the early signs are any indication, things could soon get much worse, particularly in the US.Over the weekend, Blackmagic posted the notice above, confirming that its US prices had been increased "due to new tariffs." In some cases, the rise was pretty dramatic, with the new Blackmagic Pyxis 12K G2 seeing its tag hiked by 32%.Is that a sign of things to come from other camera manufacturers? While it's hard to predict anything with real certainty right now, it's certainly possible. A lot of Canon's manufacturing takes place in Japan (hit with a 24% tariff), while Nikon's mid-range equipment is made in Thailand (which currently has a 36% tariff).Unless we see some rapid trade deals that reduce these tariffs, it's fair to assume that many camera bodies, lenses, and accessories – perhaps most – will become much more expensive this year.If that happens, we can expect to see used prices rise, too, as the number of bargain hunters increases and pre-tariff supply starts to dwindle. In other words, it might become a good time to delay your next camera upgrade or at least reframe the situation as a relief from gear acquisition syndrome (otherwise known as GAS in camera circles).It's time to brace ourselves for a rocky ride.

You might also like

iPhone panic-buying hits Apple Stores, but tariff impacts may not be as bad as fearedPC enthusiasts, be worried – Framework and Razer are halting laptop sales due to tariffs, and I fear what will come nextI review cameras for a living, and the new Canon PowerShot V1 could be this year’s vlogging star – here’s why

Sony is beefing up the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers with a bevy of new additions for April. The headliner here is Hogwarts Legacy. This is one of the biggest blockbusters of the past couple of years, even in the face of J.K. Rowling doing her darndest to destroy her personal Hogwarts legacy with anti-trans nonsense.

For the uninitiated, it’s an open-world action RPG set at Harry Potter’s favorite wizarding school. However, the game takes place in the 1890s, over a hundred years before Potter and his buds careened around the campus. The game hits the service on April 15.

Also on the docket this month is the puzzler Blue Prince. This is actually a day-one launch for the platform. The reviews of this one have been particularly effusive, with most people praising the clever puzzles, the atmospheric game world and the addition of roguelike mechanics. It’ll be available for download on April 10.

The second installment of Don’t Nod’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will also be available on April 15 for subscribers as a day-one launch. This follow-up concludes the time-twisting narrative adventure that’s set in both 1995 and 2022. This is generally considered a spiritual successor to the iconic Life is Strange.

Other games dropping this month include EA Sports PGA Tour and the restaurant management sim PlateUp! PS4 players are also getting a little treat, as Battlefield 1 will be available from April 15.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/hogwarts-legacy-and-blue-prince-come-to-playstation-plus-game-catalog-in-april-175501864.html?src=rss

Nasuni report finds only 20% believe their data is AI-ready, and 96% face challengesThe average downtime after a cyberattack is five weeks, experts warnHybrid cloud promises to address these in one hit

Only one in five businesses believe their data is AI-ready, which means barely more than a quarter (27%) of AI projects are delivering any real measurable ROI, new research has claimed.This is despite AI being a top area of business spending, however the usual hurdles and challenges still remain.Nasuni’s report also reveals the damaging effects of cyberattacks on companies, with slow recovery stifling productivity as businesses lose an average of five weeks recovering.

We’re still facing the same old AI challenges

Despite best intentions, Nasuni found that data migration continues to be a primary hurdle preventing companies from fully adopting AI, with a staggering 96% facing challenges migrating their file data.“Organisations are making AI a top priority and significantly ramping up their investments, but what we are finding is they are not always taking the critical steps necessary to ensure success when it comes to data management," noted Nasuni President David Grant.The report also calls out companies for failing to prioritize their investments, with nearly half planning to invest in AI over the next 18 months compared with one in three when it comes to the necessary cloud data management facilities.And that’s without considering the format of the data in the first place – only one-fifth (20%) agreed that their data is structured, accessible and ready for AI initiatives.“A modern approach that unifies, organises, and makes unstructured data accessible is needed to reliably and securely harness AI, enabling teams to navigate the complexities of AI deployment Confidently,” Grant added.Looking ahead, there’s a clear place for hybrid cloud storage models, which not only promise to be AI-ready but also look to improve companies’ security postures, with those who don’t adopt hybrid cloud 51% more likely to have data security and privacy concerns.

You might also like

These are the best AI tools and best AI writers you can use todayConsider migrating to the best cloud hosting providersBusinesses are getting more confident about AI

Google unveils combined security suite at Cloud Next 25Google Unified Security brings together all its top safety toolsThreat Intelligence from Mandiant will help your business spot threats before they strike

Google Cloud has unveiled a new unified security platform designed to take the stress out of keeping your business safe from the latest threats.The company has unveiled Google Unified Security, affectionately known as GUS, at its Google Cloud Next 25 event in Las Vegas, promising a major step forward in threat detection and mitigation.Unsurprisingly, Google Unified Security will be outfitted with the company's latest AI tools and services to maximize the options available to customers.

Google Unified Security

The launch of Google Unified Security comes as businesses around the globe face what the company calls a "new era of security and privacy".The company says that as a business grows, its infrastructure inevitably becomes more complex, expanding the possible attack surface, and increasing the need for a unified security platform, as separate and disconnected security tools can leave data fragmented, as well as opening firms up to attack.Customers will be able to use Google Unified Security to access a single interface for all their data, offering improving visibility, detection and response capabilities.The company promises the latest Google Threat Intelligence findings will be made available to users, and Gemini will of course also be present to offer advice and guidance.Users will be able to access telemetry and other data from Chrome Enterprise to ensure they stay safe from possible threats, which can be monitored from Security Command Center.Employees can also benefit from new phishing protections in Chrome Enterprise Premium, with employers able to add their own branding and corporate assets in order to boost identification.Google's Security Operations platform is also getting a boost thanks to new data pipeline management capabilities, helping users manage scale and reduce costs, while the new Mandiant Threat Defense service gives in-depth detection and response capabilities to all the latest threats.Google Unified Security is rolling out now.

You might also like

These are the best antivirus software aroundWe've also rounded up the best endpoint protection tools on offerBeware, these dangerous fake Microsoft Office add-ons are spreading malware

HBO has renewed The Last of Us for a third seasonThe popular series' second season doesn't premiere until this weekend (April 12-13)Previously, HBO's Head of TV said it could run for four seasons

It's official: The Last of Us season 3 is in the works at HBO.The hugely popular post-apocalyptic drama's second season hasn't even began to air yet. But, such is the confidence within the halls of power at HBO, the US cable network has seen fit to renew The Last of Us TV show for another installment.

It can’t be for nothing. Season 3 is coming. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/q5HxyvK9O6April 9, 2025

Frankly, the confirmation shouldn't come as a surprise. HBO's live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's multi-award-winning game series namesake is not only one of the best Max shows around, but also one of the most-watched HBO TV Originals of all-time. And, with early reviews for The Last of Us season 2 largely praising it for yet another fantastic installment, it would've been a huge shock if the Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey-fronted program abruptly ended after two seasons.That possibility was never really on the cards. Speaking in February, HBO's head of programming, drama, and film Francesca Orsi all but confirmed that The Last of Us would run for four seasons. The show's renewal, then, was always a case of when, not if."It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is," Orsi said in a statement accompanying the season 3 renewal news. "[Co-showrunners] Craig [Mazin and] Neil [Druckmann], [producer] Carolyn [Strauss], and the entire executive producer team, cast, and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season."

Bella Ramsey will return as Ellie in season 3 (Image credit: HBO)

"We approached season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of," Mazin also said. "The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season 3!”"To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans' enthusiastic and overwhelming support," Druckmann added. "Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We're thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us!”The Last of Us season 2 premieres in the US on Sunday, April 13, and the UK and Australia on Monday, April 14. It'll be available to stream on Max in the US and Australia, as well as Sky Atlantic in the UK.

You might also like

The Last of Us season 2 cast and character guide: who's playing who in the popular HBO TV show's next chapter?The Last of Us season 2's final trailer teases a huge showdown between Ellie and Joel, but the big moment I'm waiting for is still being held backThe Last of Us season 2 teaser has fans gushing over every detail it contains, but some are also concerned about the welfare of one of its new cast members

Google Cloud has unveiled the launch of several new AI agents focused on keeping your organization as safe as it can be.The company revealed the new additions at its Google Cloud Next 25 event, promising a useful ally to protect your business from the latest threats.The new agents will form part of Google Unified Security, the company's new combined offering, also launched this week to help provide better and more effective security protection for businesses everywhere.

Google security agents

The company says it sees a future approach to security where human analysts work alongside AI agents, meaning menial or resource-intensive basic tasks are offloaded to the latter, freeing up the former to focus on more complex tasks.The new additions include an alert triage agent in Google Security Operations which is able to carry out dynamic investigations on behalf of users.The always-on agent is able to analyze the context of each alert, before gathering relevant information and reaching a verdict, which is then delivered to the user, alongside data history covering exactly how the agent arrived at its decision, reducing the workload of analysts who otherwise are triaging and investigating hundreds of alerts per day.The other new addition is a malware analysis agent, part of Google Threat Intelligence, which can investigate whether code is safe or harmful. It will also have the ability to create and execute scripts for deobfuscation, before summarizing its work and offering up a final verdict.Both new agents will be rolling out to users in the second quarter of 2025.

You might also like

These are the best antivirus software aroundWe've also rounded up the best endpoint protection tools on offerBeware, these dangerous fake Microsoft Office add-ons are spreading malware

Malicious apps are being disguised to gather data for ChinaUighur, Tibetan and Taiwanese communities are being targetedThe apps look like religious and cultural applications

The UKs National Cyber Security Center, alongside compatriots in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the US, are warning apps loaded with spyware are being used to target Uighur, Tibetan and Taiwanese communities.The spyware, named BADBAZAAR and MOONSHINE, is likely being used to gather information “of use to China” on individuals who could pose a threat to China’s security.Many of the apps loaded with spyware are designed to mimic religious or cultural applications.

Monitor your credit score with TransUnion starting at $29.95/monthTransUnion is a credit monitoring service that helps you stay on top of your financial health. With real-time alerts, credit score tracking, and identity theft protection, it ensures you never miss important changes. You'll benefit from a customizable online interface with clear insights into your credit profile. Businesses also benefit from TransUnion’s advanced risk assessment tools.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Gathering location, audio and photo data

The apps in question include “Audio Quran”, a religious app used to target Uighur communities, and “TibetOne” which appears at first glance to be an application used to share images, videos, music, and articles celebrating Tibetan culture.There have been attempts to share the applications through legitimate channels such as the Google Play Store, but these attempts have largely been unsuccessful thanks to the security controls in place on the Play Store.As a result, the apps were instead shared on forums frequented by the target communities, and relied on users installing the apps through .apk files.According to the NCSC report [PDF], the apps aren’t just being used to target individuals, but are also being used to monitor civil society groups to track their activities.The BADBAZAAR and MOONSHINE spyware would be able to access real time location and gps data, live audio and video capture, files stored on the device, SMS and call logs, and device information, as well as being able to play audio through the device.The joint statement says, “Although BADBAZAAR and MOONSHINE have been observed targeting Uighur, Tibetan and Taiwanese individuals, there are other malware that target other minority groups in China. Citizens from co-sealing nations, in China and abroad, who are perceived to be supporting causes that threaten regime stability are almost certainly under threat from mobile malware such as BADBAZAAR and MOONSHINE.”“The capability to capture location, audio and photo data almost certainly provides the opportunity to inform future surveillance and harassment operations by providing real-time information on the target’s activity.”

You might also like

Take a look at the best antivirusThese are the best endpoint protection servicesTVT DVRs become prime target for Mirai botnet

Disneyland is prepping for its 70th anniversaryFor the first time, park guests will be able to vote for which characters appear in a showWorld of Color Happiness! features fountains, lighting, lasers, fogs, mist sprays, and flame effects

Disneyland Resort is getting ready to celebrate a big anniversary – more specifically, its 70th anniversary. And, Disney is looking to pull out all the stops, including rolling out new and enhanced experiences at theme parks Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure.While I hope that includes some new dance moves for the delightful BDX Droids, the upgrades and entirely new immersive experiences extend beyond Galaxy’s Edge at the park.We already knew that Disney was prepping a new World of Color evening show – aka a ‘night-time spectacular’ – at Disney California Adventure dubbed ‘World of Color Happiness!'. It’ll still feature an impressive water show with jets, fountains, and mist sprays that turn into a screen on projections, lasers, and even flames that tell a story on. It looks very impressive, and the new show is promised to evoke ‘happiness’ and will be hosted by Joy from Inside Out and Inside Out 2.

(Image credit: Disney Parks/Future)

It’ll no doubt be an impressive event – but, even neater is the level of interactivity that Disney has announced for the show. Via the Disneyland app for Android or iOS, park guests can vote for which emotion from Inside Out will be featured in scenes. This means that each showing of ‘World of Color Happiness!’ could be different from the previous night in that you’ll be able to vote to see Sadness, Anger, Disgust, or Envy featured throughout.You’ll likely need to have a park ticket registered to your Disneyland account to take part, and location services are required – this way, you can vote if you’re in the park. As Disney does and how Moritz Bächer, the Associate Lab Director of Disney’s Zurich-based robotics team previously told TechRadar, this is a case of technology being used for storytelling.

(Image credit: Disney/Pixar)

Disney has previously allowed MagicBand+ – a wearable bracelet that acts as your ticket for park entry and to ride well rides – to glow and vibrate for different experiences. In fact, with ‘World of Color’ at Disney California Adventure and fireworks shows at Disney Parks around the globe, we have been able to interact before.But now, the Disneyland app, which is used for countless other things like ordering food, viewing photos, or making reservations, can let you have a say in the night-time spectacular. This is the first time Disney has used this interactive feature of voting for what character will be featured in a show.It also comes at a time when Disney Parks is ushering in more immersive visuals. As part of Season of the Force at Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, you’ll see scenes from the Star Wars projected on the spires of Batuu at the park. It looks incredibly impressive and is a perfect use of the park's land.No one’s seen ‘World of Color Happiness!’ just yet, but from the teaser image, it’s set to offer an immersive, happiness-inducing journey with some Disney characters, and you might just be pulled more into it thanks if you opt to vote.Of course, it’ll also be neat to see a movie screen made of water with lasers for color, jets, and even flames in a lake.

You might also like

The adorable BDX Droids are coming to more Disney Parks around the world, including Disney WorldThis full-color E-Ink display could give your IKEA frame a huge upgradeDisney’s giving a classic Buzz Lightyear ride a tech overhaul – here's everything you need to know

Samsung has finally detailed the prices of the new TVs it announced at CES 2025. The company is selling updated version of The Frame TV, multiple ranges of OLED TVs with faster processors and The Frame Pro, a high-end version of its popular TV / digital picture frame.

The major upgrade The Frame Pro offers over the original The Frame is a 4K Neo QLED display and the Wireless One Connect Box. Samsung's Neo QLED displays use MiniLEDs to offer improved brightness and local dimming. To better sell the illusion that The Frame Pro is a picture frame, the Wireless One Connect Box lets you hide the cables you'd normally plug into your TV in a cabinet, and wirelessly transmit their inputs directly to your display. For those upgrades, plus the included NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, The Frame Pro is $2,199 for a 65-inch model, $3,199 for a 75-inch model and $4,299 for the 85-inch model. Samsung says an 83-inch model will be available at a later date.

Samsung

The changes to The Frame are more modest. The TV now sports a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and also comes with the NQ4 AI Gen3 processor. The chip powers video upscaling on top of AI-powered features like "Click to Search," the ability to look up an actor's bio while watching something, and "Live Translate," the ability to generate real-time captions of whatever you're watching in another language. If you want The Frame, you'll pay $899 for the 43-inch model, $1,099 for the 50-inch model, $1,299 for the 55-inch model and $1,799 for the 65-inch model.

The updates to Samsung's more traditional OLED TVs vary depending on the series and size you purchase, but all of the new TVs support Samsung's AI-powered features. The S95F comes with the NQ4 AI Gen3, a new glare-free display, Samsung's "brightest-ever OLED screen" and the Motion Xcelerator 165Hz feature for smooth gameplay during demanding video games. The S90F gets the same chip and Motion Xcelerator 144Hz (for a slightly lower refresh rate) and the S85F uses the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor and Motion Xcelerator 120Hz. The S95F starts at $2,299, with sizes that range from 55 inches to 75 inches. The S90F starts at $1,299 for the 42-inch model and can go up to 83 inches. The S85F, meanwhile, starts at $1,499 for the 55-inch model and also goes up to 83 inches.

All of Samsung's new TVs are available to order today, and the company is guaranteeing seven years of software updates to the TVs' One UI Tizen operating system when you purchase.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsung-is-not-selling-the-frame-pro-for-cheap-185607096.html?src=rss

Framework Laptop 12’s upgradable storage and modular design make it perfect for tech enthusiastsOffers a fully upgradeable device, a practical option for long-term useOriginally designed for students, but every adult wants one

Framework Laptop 12 pre-orders are now live, and while originally designed for students, the company claims every adult who tried the device has shown interest in owning one.This business laptop features a 12-inch touchscreen with a 1920x1200 resolution, over 400 nits of brightness, and both touch and stylus input capabilities.Unlike most budget-friendly notebooks, the Framework Laptop 12 is powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, coupled with up to 48GB of DDR5-5200 RAM and 2TB of NVMe storage. It exceeds expectations given its size, making it a good laptop for programming.

A practical solution for long-term use

The device is easily repairable and upgradeable. Its metal structure is wrapped with an overmolded, shock-absorbing TPU over rigid PC/ABS plastic.You don’t have to worry about breaking it, as every component, from the battery to the display, is easily replaceable, with QR codes linking to repair guides.Framework’s founder and CEO, Nirav Patel, said that the Framework Laptop 12 is, “the purest manifestation of our vision and product philosophy at Framework, and is in many ways the product I started the company to create.”The Laptop 12 comes in five pastel color options with a color-matched stylus, supports Wi-Fi 6E, and includes four modular expansion slots, including USB, DisplayPort, and HDMI, all of which are user-upgradeable.Taking cues from modular concepts like Lego, the Laptop 12 replaces internal cables with POGO pin connectors, simplifying repairs. The 360-degree hinge prioritizes laptop mode for everyday use, while enabling tablet functionality for note-taking.This is likely to be a good laptop for engineering students or anyone who enjoys disassembling and reassembling devices, as the Framework Laptop 12 offers plenty of room for hands-on tinkering.

You may also like

These are the best budget laptops availableWe've listed the best NAS devices aroundCheck out our list of the best firewall software

Pico just debuted waist trackers that work just like its feet trackersIt's out now for £39.99 (around $50 / AU$85)When we reviewed the Pico 4 Ultra, its motion trackers were the headset's best feature

Pico has just announced an upgrade to its best VR headset feature: a new motion tracker for your waist, and yet again, I’m left wishing my Meta Quest 3 could get this upgrade, too.When I tested the Pico 4 Ultra last year, its best feature was the pair of motion trackers you could buy as an add-on. These often came included for free as part of a bundle during sales of the VR headset.You’d attach them to your feet, and you could bring surprisingly accurate foot tracking to supported games. Combined with hand tracking, this led to supremely immersive experiences, as you could interact with your whole body as if you were really in virtual space.

(Image credit: Pico)

Now, that simple yet effective solution is coming to a brand new Pico Motion Tracker for your waist. In fact, the device is launching today (April 9, 2025) for £39.99 (around $50 / AU$85).We haven’t been able to test the tracker for ourselves, but given how impressive the foot trackers are, we expect Pico’s new waist trackers will be solid, too, when used in supported titles such as VRChat and compatible PCVR titles through the Pico Connect feature.I can see this waist tracker being perfect for VR exercising, dancing games, and allowing players to use new VR props like a hula hoop, but we’ll have to wait and see how it’s implemented.

(Image credit: Pico)

Meta needs better body tracking

Meta does offer its own basic body tracking via your headset’s downward-facing cameras but it’s not the most robust solution. The AI it relies on is fairly good at predicting where your legs and body should be, but it isn’t always perfect. Further, it hasn’t been implemented into many VR apps in the way that Pico’s sophisticated solution has been.While Pico’s motion tracking is superb, I’m still not convinced it’s the best headset option for most people.It doesn’t have the same impressive software catalog you’ll find on Meta’s Quests, and it’s pricier than the Meta Quest 3S and Meta Quest 3 without offering a significant performance bump.That coupled with it not being available to buy in every region the Meta Quest 3 is including the United States, and that it's a device that has struggled to build a name for itself except amongst VR enthusiasts who are staunchly anti-Meta.Meta has yet to announce physical motion trackers for Quest – with its CTO shooting the idea down last year (via UplaodVR) – but I seriously hope that changes. They’re easily the best Pico feature, and the Meta Quest 3 would be much more versatile if it had access to the same tools.

You might also like

Pico 4 Ultra VS Meta Quest 3: the battle of the best mid-range VR headsetsThis beginner-friendly train-driving simulator is the chillest Meta Quest 3 game I've played – but it's not for everyoneYou might get a free Meta Quest 3 to use on your next flight, but I'm not keen on the advertising it'll serve you

Google has used AI to revamp one of the most beloved films of all time for a 360-degree Sin City screen with the highest resolution in the world. The rerolled version of The Wizard of Oz will debut this August at The Sphere, the Las Vegas entertainment venue with a famously globular LED screen. Whether a technical marvel, dystopian nightmare fuel or some combination, the project will surely continue The Sphere's penchant for extravagant spectacles that persuade tourists to plunk down hundreds of dollars to sit for a few hours in one of its 17,600 seats.

Sphere Entertainment, the company behind the venue, worked on the project with Google, Magnopus and Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns The Wizard of Oz rights. Google describes it as an "epic undertaking of creativity and technology," humbly likening it to the cinematic boundaries broken by the acclaimed Technicolor original. "We're taking a beloved movie, but we are re-creating it," Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian told The Wall Street Journal. "The only other way you could do it is to go back [in time] and film it with the cameras that the Sphere uses."

The 1939 original.Warner Bros. Discovery

Google used generative AI models from its Gemini family on the project, most notably Veo 2 and Imagen 3. The company not only had to magnify the original 35mm film for a 160,000-square-foot screen composed of 16,000 LEDs but also had to account for camera cuts that removed characters from the frame. For example, in a Kansas scene between Dorothy, Auntie Em and Miss Gulch, Uncle Henry (who was also in the room but off-camera) will be visible on the much wider screen.

It did so primarily through an AI super-resolution tool (generating new pixels to fit the much higher-res screen), AI outpainting (generating new parts of a scene stretching beyond the original celluloid) and performance generation (incorporating composites of the actors into these expanded environments).

To help fine-tune the AI models, Google didn't limit the models' training to the original footage. It also fed them supplementary material like the shooting script, production illustrations, photographs, set plans and scores — teaching them about characters' and environmental details and production elements like camera focal lengths. The company also consulted with professional filmmakers for character actions, expressions and performance.

"Now, Dorothy's freckles snap into focus, and Toto can scamper more seamlessly through more scenes," Google claimed.

The companies behind the project (perhaps contradictorily) claim that, despite AI touching "over 90 percent of the movie," it "respects the original in every way." Google says no new dialogue lines were added, and there isn't a note of new music sung.

If the glimpse shown in the preview below (via tabGeeks) is any indication, Dorothy has all the overly smoothed-out hallmarks we've come to expect from AI-upscaled faces. But we'll leave final judgment for the sun-drenched Sin City tourists who spend their hard-earned (or hard-won) cash on following the Gemini-infused road beginning on August 28.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/google-used-ai-to-reconceptualize-the-wizard-of-oz-for-the-las-vegas-sphere-194504769.html?src=rss

Google is testing a new “Power Up” button in its Gemini app that upgrades your typed promptThe button will produce a clearer, more detailed prompt without multiple attemptsThe aim is to get better responses from Gemini immediately without needing to write perfect prompts

If you've ever used an AI chatbot, you know that figuring out how to phrase your prompts can make all the difference in getting a useful answer or gibberish. You can spend a long time fiddling with phrasing, word order, and detail level before stumbling upon the right way to ask the AI a question. Google is testing a new button for its Gemini AI assistant to help you get to that ideal prompt immediately. The upcoming “Power Up” button, found by Android Authority, gives your first attempt at a prompt a glow-up before you submit it to Gemini.The idea is that instead of sweating over how to phrase your prompt to Gemini perfectly, you tap this button and let Gemini polish or 'power up' your initial attempt into something more detailed, more specific, and more likely to convey what you want to the AI model.

Gemini power

This matters a lot when you think about how much of the AI experience hinges on you and your ability to craft a prompt. You have to be specific but not too detailed, thorough but not so much as to distract from your main point. Sometimes, you even have to psychoanalyze the AI, figuring out weird quirks that may affect the result, like being polite or telling the AI not to be lazy.I've often found it helpful to straight-up ask an AI chatbot for help crafting a prompt if I'm not sure what the best phrasing is to coax the information I want from the model. There are also some cases where the AI will automatically, but invisibly, reshape your prompt before answering. That can be helpful, but it might also be the culprit behind some of the more erratic responses you have seen.The Power Up button would make it faster to get the right prompt and more transparent than just doing a behind-the-scenes polish. You write your prompt as usual, even if it's only half-formed, then hit Power Up and let Gemini heat up your scattered thoughts into a sharp inquiry worth submitting to the AI. The improved prompt then gets sent, and voilà, your AI assistant has a much better idea of how to help.In some ways, this just expands on the suggestions for prompts you see from Gemini when you first open the chatbot. Those are much more generic than what the Power Up button might produce. It would also fit well into the other features providing variations on Gemini's output, like Deep Research, Canvas, and image creation with Imagen 3.The Power Up button would be a relatively quiet kind of upgrade, but one that might serve Google's interests in preventing frustration among Google Gemini users who feel like they can't get the AI to fulfill their requests properly. It might also encourage those using other AI chatbots facing similar annoyances to come check out Gemini and its powered-up prompts.

You might also like

I tried Google's new AI mode powered by Gemini, and it might be the end of Search as we know itOne of my favorite AI tools is getting an iPhone app, and here's why you should install itGoogle’s AI Mode can explain what you’re seeing even if you can’t

President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on the sweeping tariff plan that went into effect on Wednesday, April 9, and an increase to 125 percent on the tariff on imports from China. Even with the 90-day pause, there's still also a 10 percent tariff on all other imports to the US.

"Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125 percent, effective immediately, " Trump posted on Truth Social. For not retaliating, and attempting to "negotiate a solution," the president says he also "authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10 percent" on trade with countries other than China.

China originally announced its own 50 percent tariff on US imports on April 8, The New York Times reports, before raising the tariff to 84 percent when Trump's plan went into effect. The European Union recently approved its own set of tariffs to go into effect on April 15.

Besides negatively impacting global trade, Trump's tariffs have already had an immediate effect on companies offering consumer products partially or completely manufactured outside of the US. Many companies can no longer afford to pay the tariff to get their products to US customers, or are considering raising prices to account for their losses.

For example, Nintendo attributed the pause on Switch 2 pre-orders in the US and Canada to the tariffs. The new import restrictions have also temporarily limited the sales of some products: Both Razer and Framework are no longer selling certain laptops in the US. Framework also delayed pre-orders on its new 2-in-1 convertible laptop and announced that it would be raising prices by 10 percent on the devices that remain for sale.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-announces-90-day-pause-on-tariffs-excluding-china-195630212.html?src=rss

Google unveils Ironwood, its 7th-generation TPUIronwood is designed for inference, the new big challenge for AIIt offers huge advances in power and efficiency, and even outperforms El Capitain supercomputer

Google has revealed its most powerful AI training hardware to date as it looks to take another major step forward in inference.Ironwood is the company's 7th-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) - the hardware powering both Google Cloud and its customers AI training and workload handling.The hardware was revealed at the company's Google Cloud Next 25 event in Las Vegas, where it was keen to highlight the great strides forward in efficiency which should also mean workloads can run more cost-effectively.

Google Ironwood TPU

The company says Ironwood marks "a significant shift" in the development of AI, making part of the move from responsive AI models which simply present real-time information for the users to process, towards proactive models which can interpret and infer by themselves.This is essentially the next generation of AI computing, Google Cloud believes, allowing its most demanding customers to set up and establish ever greater workloads.At its top-end Ironwood can scale up to 9,216 chips per pod, for a total of 42.5 exaflops - more than 24x the compute power of El Capitan, the world's current largest supercomputer.Each individual chip offers peak compute of 4,614 TFLOPs, what the company says is a huge leap forward in capacity and capability - even at its slightly less grand configuration of "only" 256 chips.However the scale can get even greater, as Ironwood allows developers to utilize the company's DeepMind-designed Pathways software stack to harness the combined computing power of tens of thousands of Ironwood TPUs.Ironwood also offers a major increase in high bandwidth memory capacity (192GB per chip, up to 6x greater than the previous Trillium sixth-generation TPU) and bandwidth - able to reach 7.2TBps, 4.5x greater than Trillium."For more than a decade, TPUs have powered Google’s most demanding AI training and serving workloads, and have enabled our Cloud customers to do the same," noted Amin Vahdat, VP/GM, ML, Systems & Cloud AI."Ironwood is our most powerful, capable and energy efficient TPU yet. And it's purpose-built to power thinking, inferential AI models at scale."

You might also like

New Blackwell Ultra GPU series is the most powerful Nvidia AI hardware yetWe've rounded up the best workstations around for your biggest tasksOn the move? These are the best mobile workstations on offer

The National Recording Registry announced its 2025 inductees, and there are some geeky sounds that will be immortalized in the Library of Congress. The Microsoft Windows 95 reboot chime was selected to be a part of the registry, as was the Minecraft soundtrack.

"These are the sounds of America – our wide-ranging history and culture. The National Recording Registry is our evolving nation’s playlist," Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said. "The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation, including iconic music across a variety of genres, field recordings, sports history and even the sounds of our daily lives with technology."

The Windows 95 start-up audio was composed by ambient music pioneer Brian Eno. According to the blurb from the Library of Congress, the final sound clip was twice as long as Microsoft's engineers had requested of the composer. But they went ahead with the chime because they felt it "conveyed the sense of welcome, hopefulness and progress that they envisioned" for this era of personal computing.

The Volume Alpha soundtrack to Minecraft is only the second piece of gaming music to be added to the registry. It joins the iconic theme for Super Mario Bros, which was inducted in 2023. The launch audio for the popular sandbox game (which just got its own movie) was composed and performed by Daniel Rosenfeld under stage name C418.

The 2025 inductees include music from across the genre spectrum. Some of the other selections include the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton, Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, and Celine Dion's single "My Heart Will Go On."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-windows-95-start-up-chime-has-been-added-to-the-library-of-congress-203909673.html?src=rss

A group of organizations, including nonprofits like LatinoProsperity and labor groups like the California Teamsters, are petitioning California Attorney General Rob Bonta to stop OpenAI from becoming a for-profit entity, The Los Angeles Times reports. OpenAI announced plans to transition to a public-benefit corporation in 2024, and reportedly has two years to pull it off or risk a large portion of the money its raised become debt.

The group's primary concerns are that OpenAI "failed to protect its charitable assets" and is actively "subverting its charitable mission to advance safe artificial intelligence." OpenAI started as a nonprofit research organization studying AI, but transitioned to a for-profit company that's overseen and run by a nonprofit in 2019.

That structure is legally allowed in the state of California, but the group's petition claims that OpenAI's decision to pursue a new structure is driven by a desire not to further its mission, but to provide "AI’s benefits — the potential for untold profits and control over what may become powerful world-altering technologies — to a handful of corporate investors and high-level employees."

Engadget has reached to OpenAI and AG Bonta for comment on the petition and will update this article if we hear back.

OpenAI's primary justification for going for-profit is to raise more money. Currently, there's nothing stopping OpenAI from convincing more people to invest, but as Engadget reported in February, it is limited in the returns it can offer investors. It wouldn't have those limitations as a for-profit company, nor would it have to heed the demands of a nonprofit board focused on the risks of the company's breakthroughs, rather than their utility as consumer products.

OpenAI's board has attempted to reign in the for-profit side over the years, like pushing out Sam Altman in 2023, before he was rehired and the board was filled with new members more friendly to OpenAI's for-profit goals. The organizations behind the petition believe that moves like that are enough justification for the AG to step in to protect the public's interest.

The petition joins other attempts to stop OpenAI's conversion, like Meta's letter to Bonta claiming that OpenAI's transition to a for-profit would "flout the law," and Elon Musk's attempt to buy the company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/labor-and-nonprofit-coalition-calls-on-california-ag-to-stop-openai-from-going-for-profit-212548103.html?src=rss

Horror entertainment specialist Blumhouse is running special screenings of its movie M3GAN where audiences will be encouraged to use their smartphones. Yes, flying in the face of all the warnings and announcements to not interrupt the experience for other viewers, Blumhouse is partnering with Meta to deliver special content during screenings of M3GAN. During these one-night engagements, viewers can use Meta's Movie Mate service to access second screen content, such as a chatbot version of the M3GAN doll, film trivia and behind-the-scenes details. Blumhouse movies Annabelle and Ma are also getting one-night engagements this spring, but those seem to be standard showings where people will get annoyed if you bust out your phone.

To take advantage of this tie-in, theater-goers start by sending a DM to the movie's Instagram account. It will also only work for people inside participating theaters, meaning Instagram will likely require access to viewers' location data.

"The M3GAN in-theater Movie Mate is a first-to-market moviegoer experience," said Omar Zayat, group lead entertainment, tech, travel, gaming and auto at Meta. "We are happy to introduce filmgoers to it by way of Instagram Direct and Click-to-Messenger Ads. We are thrilled to be working with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to deliver rich experiences designed to get audiences back into theaters."

Buried in all that corporate jargon is an acknowledgement that movie theaters were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Possibly in an effort to encourage more business, there has been a wave of cinemas allowing or encouraging activities that would normally get you booted from the theater. AMC started hosting special sing-along showings of Wicked because some audience members apparently couldn't stop themselves from doing their best Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande impressions. A Minecraft Movie has also seen disruptive behavior, thanks to fan reactions and the filming of fan reactions hoping to go viral.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/meta-wants-you-to-be-on-your-phone-during-special-showings-of-m3gan-220411260.html?src=rss